Hello, I’m Paul Taylor – Race Co-ordinate (& member) of Chippenham Tri Club
November is Men’s Health Month so it felt a good time to talk about my own health and well-being
and what I do to keep fit & healthy – mentally as well as physically.
I’ve always been keen to keep fit – having what is predominantly a “desk job” means being active
outside of work is important to me so I used to regularly go to the gym and run quite a lot.
And then in 2015 we relocated from Wales to Chippenham and I absently googled for top things to
do in Wiltshire.
One of the top results was the Westonbirt Triathlon. I didn’t really know what a triathlon was other
than briefly watching it during the 2012 Olympics and thinking “that looks hard” – but I clicked on
the link anyway…
A few minutes later I seemed to have handed over some cash electronically and was confirmed as an
entrant to my very first Sprint Triathlon – a 400m swim in a pool, a 20km bike ride and a 5km run. All
I had to do now was work out if I could still swim and whether my mountain bike (the only bike I
had) was suitable on which to do the 20km. But it was 4 months away – plenty of time to prepare!
Thankfully, my local gym where I was a member had a swimming pool so I was quickly able to find
out that I wasn’t going to fall at the first hurdle and successfully swam a 400m training session – first
box ticked.
What to do with the bike? I could do it on a mountain bike – the Westonbirt event is a great starter
event and they encourage people to try up and try it – so I decided that rather than invest in a new
bike (and possibly never use it again!) I decided to race my mountain bike – queue lots of weird
looks amongst some of the more seasoned athletes when racking the bike at the start of the event!
Running was less of a concern as I was a regular runner anyway so training was more focussed on
the other two disciplines.
Race day arrived sooner than I’d have liked – I turned up not knowing what to expect, but everyone
was incredibly welcoming with lots of advice being offered up for a newbie.
I absolutely loved it! And definitely knew I wanted more – cue warming up the wife to now investing
in my new hobby.
I gradually increased my knowledge, realised I needed more structure and joined the local triathlon
club – a great way to learn, share experience and most importantly train and develop skills with
others.
Triathlon has brought variety to my training – it’s now more than just going to the gym or going for a
run. I still do those things (strength and conditioning is an important element) but I get to do early-
morning swims in lakes while the sun is rising up over the surrounding trees, I get to explore the
South West England countryside on my long weekend bike rides and travel across the country (&
now the world!) competing in some stunning locations such as the Lake District, the Pembroke coast,
Lanzarote and Germany.
Maintaining an active lifestyle allows me to switch off from work, committing to a run, swim, bike or
gym session after my working day, takes me away from my desk – whether at home or office – and

allows me to switch my attention to another activity, focus on something else. It means not only do I
feel physically well, but my work-life balance is well-maintained.
This was particularly important and of benefit during the COVID pandemic – I had entered for
Ironman Wales in 2020 when the pandemic hit, and training for such an endurance event is a major
commitment. Technology such as turbo trainers and online cycling platforms like Zwift allowed me
to continue to train and build my cycling fitness indoors while using my 1 hour a day outdoor
allowance (remember those days?) to go for a run. My swimming deteriorated though! But most
importantly I stayed active, maintained that good work-life balance and had a longer-term objective
to aim for.
Four Ironman races later, I still do triathlons – and still enjoy the challenge, the variety and the
physical and mental health benefits it provides.
Thanks for reading, I’m off to plan my 2025 race season…