PHOTOS:
Andy Dawe leaves the water
Andy Dawe on a run
Andy cycling
Andy takes a deserved breather and a welcome pint!

 
When the flare went up to announce the start of the ‘Iron Man’ competition in Tenby recently, one of the many super-fit, enthusiastic, committed, stark-staring bonkers (please delete as appropriate!) first-time participants was Andy Dawe.
 
After over 20 years of rugby at Pembroke and Pembroke Dock Harlequins behind him, Andy took up running alongside Martin Dyde at Pembrokeshire Harriers, has 13 marathons tucked neatly under his belt, tried the three disciplines during the long course weekend and was ready for the challenge.
 

Simple battle plan

 
We spoke to Andy in the week before the event and discovered that his battle plan was to sleep alone overnight in his camper van at Kiln Park after parking his bike up the afternoon before.
 
“I know I’ll have trouble sleeping,” admitted Andy, “then I’ll up at 4am to get my head ready, pour some porridge, toast and lots of fluids down my throat and set out in plenty of time to be at the start.
 
“I’m nervous already but I’m sure the adrenalin will kick in once I put my foot on that beach because I know how tough the swim will be, especially with all those bodies fighting for space.
“My plan of campaign? To sit at the back and steer out of danger by letting the youngsters go ahead!”
 

Long Course experience already

 
Ask Andy about why he was undertaking such a challenge at 47 and he would say,
“I’m fast approaching 50 and wanted to do something different before then – and this is different.
“On the Long Course weekend it was toughing doing the swimming, cycling and running on different days but to do them all in one day – wow!”
“The swimming then was easier because there was no wind and the tides were perfect and if I can get around in one hour 30 minutes-ish I’ll be delighted.
“I know I’ll find the cycling the hardest of all, especially the blooming hills, and although I know I have run a lot of marathons they weren’t after 112 miles on a bike!
 

Great family support

 
He will have the full support of partner Jackie, who is a good swimmer, plus children Ellie (17) and Harry (15).
“They have been brilliant because the training takes over your life as you live, breathe and talk about it non-stop – so they will be glad when it’s over because they are fed up of hearing about it!”
Andy works at Murco and there will also be good support there because colleagues Roger Simon Stanford, Carl Scott, Tom Worrell, Kim Harland and Rob Allen are also taking part. Also looking out for him will be Tim Griffiths, who has been an excellent training partner.
 

Early days in school and The Army . . .

 
It all seems a million miles from his early days in Pembroke where he played rugby in school alongside players of the calibre of Richard Kenniford, Jamie Dow, Mark Morris, Jonathan Tweed, Peter ‘Slugger’ Morgan and Darren Thomas before he decided at 16 to join The Army.
 
“I was soon involved in rugby there and my play must have improved because I played for The Army Colts (under 18s) against The Navy and RAF in a team that included Dean Ryan (who now coaches Worcester) and George Graham (who later propped for Scotland).”
 

. . . And back in Pembroke too

 
Andy returned to Pembroke when he was 22 and went straight into the Pembroke first team that was coached by the late Jimmy Hulbert and included characters like Martin ‘Animal’ Alderman, Gareth Davies, Barry and Rodney Cadogan (the fittest man I ever played with), Richard Gibby, Peter Morgan, Gary ‘Sheenie’ Price, Dai and Peter Balkwill, John Hughes and Sandy ‘Clunes’ Allen.
 
“We were a useful side which never won any trophies but we enjoyed our rugby and our Saturday evenings together – and I wouldn’t have missed any of it. Indeed, the biggest celebrations were always reserved for local derby wins against Pembroke Dock Quins, with one of the best being a massive 3-0 win over the Quins which summed up how hard the games were.
 

Quins make him welcome

 
Ironically, Andy eventually left the Scarlets and moved just a mile down the road to Bierspool when he felt the need for more game time than he was getting from one particular coach – and was made very welcome by Quins’ players like Jason Griffiths, Roy Davies, Darren Gibby, Paul Rogers, Andy Morrissey and Steve ‘Spongey’ Davies.
 
“The Quins were really good to me and local derbies took on a different dimension as I was playing against my old pals in Pembroke,” admitted Andy, “but I finished off my playing days back at Crickmarren, where I usually played in the centre with Mark Fraser, another quality player for Pembroke.”
 

Other sports

 
Outside of his rugby, Andy also enjoyed football and whilst at Grove Junior School he joined Alan Jones, who went on to become Dyfed champion in golf, in trials for Dyfed Junior Schools.
“I later played midfield for Pembroke United Junior team, alongside Richard Kenniford in goal, Kevin Carroll and Darren Thomas, that were coached by the legendary figure of Frankie Donovan,” said Andy, “and he really was a great man who looked after us so well.”
 

Changing sports

 
But it was rugby which Andy settled for and he played until he was 40.
“To be honest I was finding it harder and harder to recover from big hits that brought aches and pains aplenty.
 
His personal best at 10K is a creditable 37’ 40” achieved in Llanelli, plus 1 hour 22’ 15” for the half marathon (Cardiff) and 3 hours 03’12” for one of two marathons he completed in Berlin.
 

London Marathons’ experience

Andy took part in his first London Marathon in 2009 and had set himself a target of three hours and 30 seconds after doing an awful lot of training to make sure it went well.
“It certainly paid off,” said Andy, “because although I hit the proverbial ‘wall’ after 20-odd miles clocked in at three hours, 14 minutes and 56 seconds.
“It might not seem significant but those four seconds I was under three hours 15 minutes meant that I was able to automatically claim my place for the following year as a good runner for my age!”
“It was doubly great because my kids, Ellie (17) and Harry (15), were much smaller then but were able to cheer me on because my sister Helen came down from Sheffield to join them – and my mum Pauline has also been on another occasion.

Practice for the ‘ultimate challenge’

But Andy would readily admit that the ‘Iron Man’ offers an even greater challenge.
“I did the long course weekend and that was pretty tough so I know what I’ve let myself in for.
“In the 2.4 miles swim on the Friday evening I made sure that I kept out of the way of all those threshing arms and legs so that I was well down the field but with perfect weather and tides I was very pleased with my time of one hour and 11 minutes.
“But I hate swimming and know that I’ll scramble back on to the beach and feel sick because of the water I have swallowed, so getting on the bike won’t be comfortable and if I can achieve a time of over seven hours I’ll be well pleased.

Feeling relaxed despite shaky legs

Then it’s on to the marathon, probably with shaky legs, but this is where Andy feels most relaxed because of his previous experience.
“I know how demanding that is going to be but I will look for a time of over four hours so that I can complete the challenge in something less than 13 hours in total.”
It will round off a period of intense training where Andy fully recognises that he has been hard work for Jackie, Ellie and Harry.

Apologies to his family

“I publicly apologise to them because I know I have been hard work because training almost takes over everything as you eat, sleep and talk ‘Iron Man’.  Jackie in particular deserves a medal for her patience, especially since I am so hopeless at what I eat and I rattle on about taking part all the time.
“I’ve been training almost every day, with swimming in Broad Haven and 40- mile bike rides a mere jaunt. Tenby Aces have been a great help and I can’t wait now for the big day to come in 48 hours.
Ask Andy Dawe if he is likely to undertake a second ‘Iron man’ in the future and his answer is quite short and interesting:
“Ask Jackie,” he says with a huge twinkle in his eye!