Whilst my Triathlon journey started a year ago, my running and cycling journey started a lot longer.
I’d been an avid cyclist for many years and enjoyed the freedom that came with cycling spending many hours blitzing through the countryside at speed. Running followed as a natural progression – when I was time poor I would swap 2/3 hours of cycling for a 5km tempo romp around my locale.
I’m what is frequently described as an endomorph – my body type is genetically heavier and rounder and much more sensitive to insulin than other body types. Not the ideal natural body type for cycling or running!
Perhaps importantly though whilst I’d never been competitive at cycling or running I had enjoyed both and the transition to triathlon was a conscious one after a discussion with my running coach about using swimming to improve range of mobility.
The photos above are 3 years apart. One was taken in 2017 and the other was taken a few days ago. Whilst I’m clearly leaner in the recent one, what may surprise you is that the difference on scales is marginal (less than half a stone). In those three years what I’ve managed to do is drop some body fat but also pack on some lean muscle mass. My round the weight and chest measurements have dropped significantly but the muscle density in my shoulders and upper legs has increased significantly too. Whilst I do eat well, I don’t eat like an angel. I still enjoy a beer and have the occasional takeaway/junk. Obviously if I was further restrictive/disciplined I could get there quicker but this for me has not been a chore either – my lifestyle of eating well and training hard keeps me in this shape.
