We first met Sam in November 2017 and he talked about his journey into triathlon and and his ambitions as a triathlete with autism.

The update below is a summary of Sam's progress towards his ambitions for the season.

Hi its Sam again.

I have been wondering about changing the description of myself from the "Autistic Triathlete" to a "Triathlete with Autism", tell me what you think. Becoming an elite triathlete is more than a job, I love it. I have had a very busy off-season, along with doing park-runs and a 10 miler in Richmond Park I have joined St Mary's University Endurance and  Performance Athletic Coaching Centre (EPACC), and have been able to receive some great training tips and guidance from Mick Woods, who trained Beth Potts before she transitioned to triathlons. 
 
I have a new personal trainer, David, as Ben decided to join the Military Police. David is working on my strength and conditioning, flexibility, cycling technique and plyometrics for speed work. Summer's here so outdoor swimming is back and I can't wait to get down to Shepperton or Ham Lakes to get some miles in, so look out for me if you are at any of these venues. 
 
I have undertaken 3 Tris so far this year at Dorney, Thorpe Park and Eastbourne, all sprint events. Eastbourne was my first triathlon in the sea and on the open road, it included cycling and running up and down Beachy Head, it wasn’t easy, I completed this event in 1 hour 22 minutes, not as fast as I wanted to but the traffic on the road slowed me down. Thorpe Park was a bit of a nightmare, I had stomach cramps because I should have avoided a big breakfast on the morning of the race. Thankfully I have resolved this issue and haven't suffered a reoccurrence, Thorpe's time was 1 hour 36 minutes, the run and the cycle was at least 20 minutes slower than I had planned. 

(Picture left is of Sam and Joe Townsend - GB para-triathlete.)
 
What about the rest of 2018? In July I will undertake my first Olympic distance triathlon at Thorpe Park and plan to spend the remainder of the day on the fun fair rides. In August its Superheroes at Dorney, again, followed by Brighton (Olympic distance) and finishing the season off with the Super Sprints in Jersey in September. I plan to start Cyclocross during the off season to improve my bike handling skills and my aerobic capacity. 
 
Oh yeah, I got a Wahoo Kickr and Zwift for my birthday, it's like playing a computer game and when the weather is bad I can cycle indoors. 
 
My goal for next year is to get closer to 60 minutes for the sprint triathlon and 2 hours 20 for the Olympic distance by improving my aerobic capacity to allow me to run and cycle faster for longer. 
   
What I have learnt this season -  
•    I learnt about eating soluble fibres before racing as this seems to have reduced the impact of any stomach cramps 
•    Triathlon is an aerobic sport so it's worth undertaking at least one running, cycling or swimming aerobic (long distance, 50% below tempo and 50% at tempo) once a week, if time permits, and you are at a good enough level to do it.

If you have a story to tell them please get in touch with Jon Train (jontrain@britishtriathlon.org)