PHOTOS

Tom in football action for Goodwick United

Iron Man Tom crosses the finishing line

Jogs in after completing the swim

Running through the streets in Tenby

Tom Jones is best-known in local sporting circles as a good footballer but the talented Goodwick United midfielder has just undergone a new experience as he successfully completed the ‘Iron Man’ event in a very creditable 12 hours and 21 minutes.
 

A real challenge

 
It was fitting reward for an immense amount of hard work over the previous six months in the three disciplines of swimming, cycling and running because he finished the 2.5 mile swim in good condition, other than a spare foot in the stomach, went into transition up the hill to the Rectory Car Park and completed the 112 mile cycling challenge in pleasing fashion, got back into transition, parked up his bike and then found his ‘running legs’ after so much cycling to complete the marathon distance. Phew!
 
Small wonder after all that, Tom readily admits that the reception as he crossed the finishing line was hard to believe.
“It was stunning,” said Tom, “but the crowd cheering was immense throughout the whole day and whenever there was a time when I felt things were tough there was always someone around the course with words of encouragement to lift me back up.  I will never forget that experience as long as I live!”
 

Getting hooked

 
Tom set out on his new sporting venture two years ago when he decided to enter the ‘Go Tri’ competition organised by Pembrokeshire County Council at Fishguard Leisure Centre, which involved swimming 16 lengths of the pool, taking on a 12-mile bike ride and then running three miles. Tom won the novice section.
“I was hooked,” said Tom with a chuckle, “and I’ve been involved ever since!”
 
The following year saw Tom take on the more demanding Pembrokeshire Coast Triathlon.
“The swim in open water was a real eye-opener for me,” admitted Tom, “and then we cycled 25 miles from Broad Haven to Dale, followed by a really tough six-mile run up the coast road.”
 

Raising the tempo

 
Not content with that little lot, Tom then completed a competition which demanded a swim of 1.3 miles, a 56 mile bike ride and a half marathon.
“I was just pleased to get that over with,” said Tom, “because I knew that was half of what the ‘Iron man’ would throw at me.”
 
From there it was on to thoughts of the ‘Iron Man’ event itself, which started when he and Ryan Thomas chatted in the Goodwick United match.
“Ryan had already completed three ‘Iron Man’ events in Tenby and after listening to him I decided to give it a go.
“He has given me every encouragement but training has been full-on after I started out in January. I knew I could swim a mile in the pool but doubling that around the breakwater in Goodwick is another matter – and the first time I tried a 60-mile cycle ride I almost had to phone my partner (Donna Phillips) to come and fetch me! She has been brilliant throughout and I don’t know what I would have done without her support.”
 

High costs – especially food!

 
Tom left the running part of his schedule until quite late because the cost of enrolment is high and he didn’t want to risk injuries that might keep him out. It was then that Tom really understood how important commitment is.
“A carbon-frame bike can cost from £2,000 upwards, a wet suit is £250-plus, whilst the cost of the food is immense in the final weeks,” he said.
“I’d cook a lasagne for six people and it would disappear in a day,” said Donna, and large puddings would vanish before y very eyes!”
“I used up 11,000 calories on the day of the ‘Iron Man’,” responded Tom, “and I always felt hungry beforehand because I was training so hard.”
 

The big day approaches

 
Tom had honed his competitive edge by cycling in the Tour of Pembrokeshire (116 miles) and the Tour of Snowdonia (104 miles), the latter amazingly much flatter. He swam regularly on The Parrog in Goodwick and started putting in the running mileage – and before he knew it the time had sneaked up for the big day in Tenby!
 
He and Donna shared an apartment in Tenby with Ryan, his wife Anita and daughter Chloe, and the lads’ first job was to register at the office in the Rectory Car Park before making sure that their bikes were safely ensconced at the cycle rails provided.
“One of my biggest concerns,” said Tom, “was making sure that my transition bag was installed because it contained my cycling shoes and helmet, running shoes and socks, plus plenty of nutritional snacks to help me keep going throughout the day.
“If anything was left out it would just be tough luck because it couldn’t be added once we started – and I must have checked mine at least ten times!”
 

Early start and a tough swim experience

 
The big day started at 4am and the target was to eat as much good food as possible, including a big bowl of porridge, flap jacks and three bananas and energy drinks as well.
“Then we went down to the transition area by 6am and I pumped up the tyres on my ‘Planet X’ bike before getting down to the North Beach and making sure I was ready for the massed start of the swim an hour later.
“The hooter went and everyone piled in to the water. There were arms and legs everywhere and I felt as if I was in a giant washing machine.
“I had a kick in the stomach which shook me a little but I gradually found my own space and on the second lap it was much easier before I hauled myself out of the water and ran as quickly as I could back to the transition area to fetch my bike.
 

Cycling support from the crowd

 
Tom said it was a weird experience to be on a bike after swimming and it took him ten miles or so before he really got into his rhythm.
“The cycling was tough as we went out as far as Pembroke and Angle, as well as Carew, Narberth, Saundersfoot and back to Tenby, as well as a second lap that again included the hill out of Saundersfoot that included the appropriately-named ‘Heartbreak Hill’
“But the crowds were amazing and gave me a lift every time I was feeling jaded, and then it was on to the marathon.”
 

Great to finish well

 
Ask Tom about the four laps that comprised the 26+ miles and he would say that the second was the toughest as he hit the dreaded ‘Wall’ – but was soon able to claw his way back.
“The final lap was in a way easiest because by then I knew I was going to finish in around my target time.
Reaching the finishing line, hearing my name announced and knowing that Donna could see me on the big screen was something I will never forget and when I was handed my medal it felt as if I had just won the Olympics!”
 

Football focus

 
After a few days of recuperation, Tom and Donna set off for a holiday in Crete, with the prospect for Tom of a return to football with Goodwick United. He started out in the game at Solva Juniors, as did brother Jack, and then joined Fishguard Sports in the footsteps of his father Robert, known to all ‘R.V.’ and a member of a very good Sports’ side. The Jones’ boys received every encouragement from ‘R.V.’ and mum Caroline and he joined the Sports with his pal Paul Luke, whose dad John was the team’s manager.
 
From there it was off to Goodwick United, where he worked well with manager Bernie Armstrong, Brian Morris and the players.
“We seemed to just get pipped for the league title but it was great to win the Senior Cup when we confounded the pundits to beat Merlins Bridge 3-1.”
 

And finally . . .

 
So now Tom is looking forward to getting back to a little normality for a while but we felt bound to ask if there’s another ‘Iron Man’ still lurking at the back of his mind?
“Definitely,” he admits with a smile, “but I think I will give it a rest for at least a year -although it will be nice for Donna and I to go to Tenby to cheer on Ryan and the rest of the competitors from Pembrokeshire in the 2014 ‘Iron Man’!”