Alex Heron did not begin his triathlon career until he was 64. Now, the 74-year-old is hoping to complete the Ironman Wales - something that nobody in his age category has ever done before.
The athlete has reached the podium in four previous triathlon events for his age group, placing second in two events and third in two others. Now, the grandfather is set to take on his biggest challenge yet - Ironman Wales. Despite having always said he would never do a full Ironman, Alex is now hoping to be the first ever to complete the event in the 75-79 age category.
The gruelling event kicks off with a sea swim of 3.8km, followed by a 180km cycle race and ending with a full 42km marathon run. Thousands of athletes from all over the world descend upon Tenby every year in an attempt to complete the challenge within a tough 17-hour time-frame.
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"I always said I would never do a full Ironman, but you know what happens - it's there as the ultimate distance and you're surrounded by mates who say 'You can do it.' So, eventually I gave in and I'm going to have a go," Alex said. "It's not a given I'll finish by any means. No one in my 75-79 age group has ever finished it. Some have in 70-74."
In a triathlon, you are put into age categories based on the age you will turn at the end of your birth year - in Alex's case, this will be 75. The grandad, who moved from Derbyshire to Mumbles to be closer to family in Swansea, started competing in triathlons in his early 60s after a running injury.
Having always been a club runner as a way of keeping fit, Alex started to pick up a few calf injuries and considered stopping running altogether to take up another form of exercise. He bought a bike and started swimming in a lake owned by some farmer friends.
While swimming in the lake one evening, he says he was joined by some men who suggested that, as he could run, swim, and cycle, he should try a triathlon. Alex went on to complete his first triathlon in Derby in 2012 in his age category - and won. "It took me 10 minutes to swim the 400m in the pool - I sort of stopped halfway to get my breath. I was riding a bike with mud guards, lights, and a bell. I'd got the swimming goggles around my neck still." But, having got his results, Alex was intrigued.
Someone suggested to him that, if he trained, he could qualify for the British team. "I said, 'You must be joking,'" he said. However, in 2013, Alex qualified to take part in the age group World Championships in London. "I came about 25th, which I thought wasn't too bad. Then, I started doing it properly," Alex added.
He says he is feeling "scared" about competing in his first full-length marathon, but has a plan for how he will tackle the challenge. "It's going to be a long way and it's going to hurt," Alex said. "I have a plan for what kinds of time I have for the swim, on the bike, and on the run. But, you've got to be very aware that plans have to get modified in the face of reality."
Alex says his family members think he's "nuts" for competing in triathlons in his 70s, but adds that fellow triathletes have been supportive. "The triathletes and runners are keen to see me finish it - the club are really keen to see me finish it," he said.
So far, Alex has competed in middle distance triathlons - or 'Half Ironmans'. After completing the Ironman 70.3 Swansea last year, Alex came first in his 70-74 age category. He said: "There's not that many of us [in my age category] - last year, there were probably only four or five. I was in 70-74 last year, but there were probably only four or five of us in the race.
"In the country, all of us in the 75-79 age group know each other. We all turn up to the races and see who's going to have a good day. There are only five or six of us, really, who are sort of thrashing about at our ages. [We're] very, very lucky people really."
Normally, Alex trains for about six to 10 hours a week. "That's quite low for full Ironman distance, but at my age you need to make sure you mix that training with plenty of rest," he said, adding that he tends to do two swims, bike rides, and runs a week. Since moving to Mumbles from Derbyshire, he has become a member of the Celtic Tri triathlon club, as well as the 3M Gorseinon running club.
He also trains at the Wales National Pool in Swansea with Andrea Whitcombe, who was a silver medallist at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in the 5,000 meters and competed in the same event for Great Britain at the 2000 Olympic Games.
For Alex, being able to compete in events like this at the age of 74 makes him feel lucky and motivates him to keep going. He said: "I know that I've been very lucky to be able to still do this kind of thing in my mid 70s and, therefore, I feel it would be really wrong not to use that ability.
"I feel like I should do it because I can. There's an awful lot of people who, through no fault of their own, can't get out in their 70s and do stuff, no matter if they're fitter than you or not. So, I feel I owe it to societym, you owe it to yourself in general to get out there and do it while you can."
Alex switches between short, sharp interval sessions and longer, easier sessions to build up endurance. Currently, he trains by bike riding around the Gower, but says he'll start riding in the Black Mountains for longer distances.
"When you're doing a race or an event like that [...] you're really wanting to finish. You're going, 'Oh, God, how far have I got to go? Oh, God, this is awful,''" Alex said. "But when you're training for it, you're thinking you're enjoying this training because you're out and about you're out in the countryside with some nice places to ride."
However, Alex does not always train for these events on his own, doing a lot of his training with a partner. "I've got a training partner, a lady in her 40s, who does most of my rides with me," Alex said. "She wants company for Ironman training. Her partner's much too fast so she sort of ponders off with me and we do quite a lot of our training together.
"It works quite well. When you're an older guy, you tend to do the same speed as the younger, sort of more middle aged girls and you get you're kind of safe and get to look after them. So, it's quite a nice combination." Alex says that getting nutrition and hydration right for race day will be key and is something he has already started to prepare.
However, Alex says he is one of a few people in their 70s who compete in triathlons or who are part of clubs. "There are plenty of runners who are much much better than me on their own, and some of the runners are phenomenally fast but they can't swim or they can't ride a bike. So, being an average runner, I've become a decent triathlete."
Alex is raising money for the charity Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP) through his Just Giving page. His daughter, Dr Jess Heron, is CEO of the charity and is a senior research fellow in Perinatal Psychiatry at Birmingham University. The charity aims to provide up to date information to women who have experienced postpartum psychosis (PP), as well as their families, increase awareness of the condition, and to facilitate a peer support network and research into PP.
If he completes the Ironman within the required 17 hour time limit, Alex plans to get the logo tattooed on the back of his calf. "It's kind of become a thing now," he said. "I would have the big 'M' tattoo on my calf if I completed it within the time limits."
You can donate to Alex's Just Giving page here.
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