Micky's Pembrokeshire
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Olly Simon’s a real Iron Man!
New visitors to Tenby Leisure Centre might not realise but one of those helping to meet their various needs there as a duty officer is none other than Oliver Simon, who has shot to fame in ‘Iron Man’ competitions of late with superb performances against competitors from all round the world.
The ‘Iron Man’ event demands that those competing in this three-discipline sport start off their day with a 2.4 mile swim in open water, follow that with a bike ride of 112 miles, and then round off the day with a marathon run – that’s right – 26 miles and 385 yards – and he enjoys taking part!
Caused a real stir in Bolton
Known to all as ‘Olly’, he made his debut in the Iron Man UK event in Bolton and caused something of a stir as he was first out of the water in only 44 minutes and 58 seconds, took two minutes and 23 seconds in the transition onto the cycling course, which he completed in five hours 23 minutes. Then there was a transition of one minute 11 seconds to the running, which Olly finished in a time of two hours, 52 minutes and 28 seconds to round off his first-ever ‘Iron Man’ attempt in the amazing time of eight hours, 54 minutes and 28 seconds. It meant that he was first after the swim, third after the cycling and a superb fifth overall – what an achievement!
Beat over 1,400 other competitors
Olly beat over 1,400 contestants in the gruelling sporting event, and the 31 year-old from Tenby told us,
“It was really good but I was quite shocked,” he said. “Everyone said it was a very hard course but I’ve been training on the Iron Man course around Tenby and that’s a lot harder. In Bolton, there was just one main hill for the cycling, which we had two negotiate over three laps. It was the same with the running, with one hill on each lap.
“The crowd wasn’t as good as in Tenby either, because much of the race was out in the countryside – and in Pembrokeshire they were brilliant!”
He first considered entering an Iron Man event after taking part in last year’s Tenby Long Course Triathlon and for the 31-year old duty officer at Tenby Leisure Centre, a former competitive swimmer, it was the first time he had taken part in a marathon so when it was announced that the Iron Man Wales contest would be held in Tenby this Autumn he decided to give it a go, “As it was on my doorstep.”
It meant that he had to apply for his Pro Licence to be able to compete and although it is an expensive fee, he more than made that up with his prize money in Bolton!
Former top swimmer
Olly was good at a range of sports in school and in his swimming career he was a very talented freestyle sprinter with Tenby Dolphins and eventually became Welsh Schools’ champion in his age group for 100 metres freestyle. But there was no developmental swimming squad like today and eventually he decided to try his hand at Triathlon because he also enjoyed cycling, although he soon discovered that his running needed some work done on it!
Soon making a name for himself
But he was soon making a name for himself as he won the Welsh Grand Prix series in 2009 and 2010, when he was also very successful in the Welsh Sprint Championships, plus a second place in the Welsh Olympic Triathlon. This summer he won the Tenby Long Course Triathlon for the second time, as well as Pembrokeshire Leisure’s Go-Tri Mini Triathlon in Crymych (completed in 58 minutes!) and Pembrokeshire Triathlon Club’s Broad Haven Triathlon. He opted to take on the Bolton Iron Man challenge as a tester for this September’s Tenby Iron Man as he was unsure whether or not he could do the distance.
Real commitment and effort needed
Olly eased off his preparations for the first week after Bolton but was then back to training for around three hours every day.
“I do enjoy it. Sometimes I find it hard to train but when you get a result like I did in Bolton then it’s every enjoyable!”
He must do because his training sessions include thrice-weekly swimming sessions fitted around his work, three-hour cycle rides and sessions on an exercise bike, plus runs of over an hour alongside more running on a treadmill – phew!
Looking forward to Ibiza
Ask Olly about recovery times after Iron Man events and he would say that most professionals need up to six weeks to get back into their best form and even then there is no guarantee, as he found when he found the last ten miles of the Marathon in Tenby very gruelling as he lost several places.
“Because of the big hills that cropped up it was hard to maintain any sort of rhythm on the bike or running,” he admitted, “but I will aim to be fitter and stronger next time.”
His next challenge isn’t an Iron Man event but a long distance race in Ibiza, which comprises a 2.5 mile swim, a cycle ride of 120Kms and a run of 30Kms – but with guaranteed warm weather!
New bike frame boost – and ready for the challenge
Because of its gruelling nature, fewer than 30 Iron Man contests are held across the globe every year with the top finalists in each event taking part in the World Iron Man Championships held in Hawaii in October. Olly could have qualified for the Hawaii event had he taken part as an amateur but as a professional, needed more points from more races. But he is eager to gain more experience and has been boosted by a new Ceepo bike frame which has been sponsored by Triathlon Consultants Ltd.
“I know that I have the scope to improve even further and I am ready for the challenge, and the hard work it brings,” says Olly, “and I would like to thank everyone for their massive support. I am aiming to do well in Tenby again next year and hope that I can help promote what is a brilliant challenge.”
There’s no doubt that there has been a real sense of interest in what Olly Simon has achieved this year in ‘Iron Man’ but there is also no doubt that it has been fully deserved because of his exploits – and we at PembrokeshireSport.co.uk wish him every success in the future!
PHOTOS:
Olly Simon and his bike.
Olly poolside at swimming practice.
Olly in transition at Tenby.
Olly running.
Olly speeding away on his bike.
Olly with one of his medals.
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