“I signed-up to do a double Ironman but I couldn’t actually swim!”
The inside scoop with Grant Grego double Ironman finisher, ultrarunner and coach
So, what’s your Ironman experience?
I did a double distance Ironman triathlon in September 2023. It's a 8 km swim, 375km bike ride and a 85km run which included ascending and descending Mount Snowdon. It took me 38 hours 42 minutes and 30 seconds and of the 20 people that applied, 16 finished. It was my first triathlon and so it was a pretty full-on introduction to the sport!
That’s certainly an induction by fire! What distances had you done before attempting the Ironman?
I had come from an ultrarunning background and so the furthest I had run in one go was 100km. I’d also done two multi-stage 250km ultras and my first bike ride was 180km, but I couldn’t actually swim when I signed-up to do the Ironman.
That put you at quite a disadvantage then! Couldn’t you swim at all?
I could just about doggy paddle 50 metres in a pool so I decided to teach myself. I spent a lot of time on YouTube so I could learn the basics.
The thing was that I was injured at the time so I couldn’t run. I decided to concentrate on cycling, spending time in the gym and learning to swim. And the fact I only had 7 months to train certainly focused the mind.
What triggered you to decide to sign-up for an Ironman considering you were injured and couldn’t yet swim?
I was pretty down as I loved to run but couldn’t, and then my best friend and ultrarunning coach, Lewis Robling, sent me the double Ironman application online. He didn’t say anything in the message, it was simply the application. And I looked at it and was petrified!
The swim has always scared me. I loved the idea of doing the event but not the swim. So then I decided to take the view – “How bad do I want it?”. I’ve always had self-belief and the idea of doing a normal distance Ironman was scary but I knew I could do it. The idea of a double Ironman REALLY scared me, which is when I knew I just had to do it!
Was there any point during your training when you thought you couldn’t do it?
Not doing it was never an option. I had to take every day in my stride and I saw the final event as a celebration of the training – the hard work and discipline I had to put in to get to that start line.
I believe that anyone can turn up to a start line, but how prepared you are and how you feel when you finish sets the competitors apart. Are you going to be broken or will you finish feeling great? That will show from the training you put in.
During the Ironman itself, did everything go to plan?
Yes and no. The summer leading up to the event was miserable. I had spent months outside in the pouring rain, and five to six-hour bike rides consisted of changing punctures, cleaning my gears and swearing into the gale force winds. Typically, the weekend of the event was a heat wave. This made things complicated. Heat adds to the already difficult task with your body having to work so much harder to stay cool. You also struggle to eat and whilst cycling uphill, you just cook in the basking sun.
After 180km on the bike, I picked up an injury just under my kneecap, and this prevented me from standing up on the ascents. With it being a 375km bike ride with 5000 metres of elevation, this made for a slight change of tactic. I decided to dial back my cycling and got comfortable in the saddle. On every ascent I went into the lowest gear and ticked away for 21 hours.
In ultra-endurance events you will almost certainly be dealt some adversity. My advice is: Don’t panic, take a breath and focus on the controllable. It’s how you deal with it that shows your true character.
How did the swim go?
Funnily enough, it was by far a swim I’ll never forget as it was PERFECT!
I had been dreading the swim all year. Despite all the hours I’d practiced in the pool and the reservoir, I was still petrified. I was scared of the cut off. What if I’d come all this way to fail on the first hurdle?
My swimming never got faster in the months leading up to the event, however my capability to swim for hours improved. My longest swim before the 8km was a 5km swim in Dorney Lake a few weeks prior.
On the morning of the swim, the weather at Llyn Padarn was ideal - not a ripple in sight. I put myself at the very back with a goal to stay in my lane, stick to my swim fitness and not worry about anyone else. I switched off, counted my strokes and enjoyed it. Of course, I did what the typical person does and went out and got a 2km personal best!
I was actually sad to leave the water just shy of 3 hours later. Not only did I manage to finish well before the 4-hour cut off but it was a swim I’ll relish for a lifetime.
What’s the most memorable moment from those 38 hours?
It was realising I only had 15 miles left on the run!
On the bike I had serious doubts about myself and what I perceived to be possible. I felt like I didn’t belong. Who was I to believe I could turn up and tackle one of the hardest triathlon courses on the planet? Finishing was never in doubt but my self-worth was.
I distinctively remember getting off the bike at 7:30am on the Sunday morning after 21 hours of cycling and thinking this is where the fun starts. I could now swim, I was a bang average cyclist but I was just about to embark on something I love to do above all else. RUN.
A few great friends met me at the base of Mount Snowdon. It was time to hike. Nothing was to be gained from running up and down Snowdon, so my friends and me took a leisurely hike to the top. We soaked up the views and then trotted down. This is when I realised how battered my quads were from the cycling. Every step down I throbbed, reminding me what I’d just accomplished on the bike.
Fast forward 11 hours and I only had 15 miles left. Darkness had fallen for a second night and with that my body came alive. The headtorch came out and my body lit with adrenaline. I had run 15 miles so many times on tired legs that I knew I had already finished. I was about to finish what I’d spent 7 months visualising. Every 5-mile lap got quicker and on my last 5 miles I set my fastest lap yet. That finish line feel was the feel I had been imagining on every bike ride, every swim and every run. I had done the impossible!
What events have you done since and what’s next?
Four weeks after I finished my Ironman, I took part in one of my favourite events - A charity event that helps raise awareness for bigmoose - A mental health charity. This consisted of running 250km over 5 days. It’s safe to say the fitness I gained paid off of as I finished the event feeling incredible.
This year, I am part way through running 5x100 mile ultramarathons in the span of 6 months. The GB Ultra’s Grand Slam. This consists of Chester-Scotland-Beacons Way and my old friend Mount Snowdon. These events are only 6 weeks apart so it makes for one incredible challenge. 3 weeks after finishing my 4th 100 mile ultramarathon I go to UTMB Nice to take part in my 5th and what’s going to be the hardest race of my life. Later that month I’m heading to Ultra X Madeira to take part in my last event - A 110km two stage ultramarathon before taking some well-deserved time off.
One thing to remember is that while tackling these events is admirable, if you don’t take the time off to adequately rest and recover, the body will ultimately break down.
Would you do another double Ironman or is one enough?
My biggest regret when I finished the double was not signing up for the triple. It’s not something I would say “no” to if the right opportunity arises. Either the Celtic or Norseman. Those for sure are on my bucket list, but for now I’m really enjoying the running challenges I’ve set myself for 2024 and 2025.
Follow Grant Grego on Instagram @grantgrego or find out more about coaching at www.ItsWhyWeRun.com
