David Allen - Athlete Ambassador

David is a triathlete who has represented Great Britain in a number of competitions. He talks to Sundried about training and racing.

Have you always been into sport?

Yes. as far back as I remember. I seem to go in decade cycles of different sports. My first 10 years was football, 10 - 20 was Waterskiing where I competed for the British junior squad. 20 - 30 were the Snow Skiing and Windsurfing years. My 30's were spent obsessed with Tennis and in my 40's I slowed down (mainly through injury), and lived (literally) on the Golf Course. My 50's have been spent in Triathlon where I have represented GBR at age group coming 2nd at the European and 8th at the World Championships for Long (Ironman) Distance in 2019

What has been your favourite race to date and why?

My favourite race was UK Ultraman in 2019 as it was a great challenge having to swim 10km, cycle 450km and then run 85km over 3 days in Snowdonia. What made it great though was having a brilliant support group around me who didn't just make a winning team but who helped make memories that I will treasure always.

What is your proudest achievement?

Winning the UKUM overall by margin of just 9 secs over 3 days of racing. Something I would never have been able to do without the team.

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Have you ever had any racing disasters?

I have had plenty of things go wrong in races such as going the wrong way on bike and run courses, mechanical failure on the bike and injury, all leading to DNF's (Did Not Finish). I also got disqualified from a race I was winning due to not putting my foot on the floor when stopping at a junction on the bike. I wasn't happy!

How do you overcome setbacks?

By smiling and putting everything in perspective. I enjoy racing and it's a hobby. It's not life and death. I actually quite like it when things don't go as planned as that makes it more of a challenge, and if there's one thing I enjoy, it's a challenge!

What advice do you wish you'd been given when you first started out?

That rest is as important as training. It took several years of overtraining, getting injured and being chronically fatigued before I started to work out that I needed to rest more. It's still something I am constantly working on.

What are your goals?

My overall sporting goal is to be able to compete both fit and healthy. They are not the same thing and I have been very fit but pretty unhealthy in the past. Competing in long distance triathlon takes its toll so I aim to be competitive but without destroying myself in the process. My main goal for 2021 is finishing the Brutal Quin, a 6 day Triathlon event that comprises of a 20km swim, 900km bike ride and 200km run in Snowdonia this September.

Who inspires you?

I draw inspiration from many places but mainly through those I train with. There are some incredible athletes of all ages I am lucky enough to get to chase in the pool, on the bike and when running. It has been the hardest thing during lockdowns/restrictions to not be able to draw strength and inspiration from them and I miss the social coffee and cakes!

Why work with Sundried?

Having lived by, in and on the sea for most of my life I see the effect plastic, pollution and climate change has had and anything I can do to reduce its impact is important. I have been aware of Sundried for a few years due to their presence at local Triathlon events but whilst I appreciated the ecological aspect, I hadn't realised just how good the kit is until last year when I bought a t-shirt. It is my go to piece of kit for any hard training or long run as it is comfortable and highly effective in keeping me that way through the session. My training wardrobe has now been significantly reduced with just a few bits of quality Sundried kit.

To hear more from our ambassadors and get free tips on workout plans and more, connect with the Sundried Personal Trainers on our app.