Training for AJ Bell 2023 World Triathlon Championship Series Sunderland is coming to a close and it’s almost race day. Both Scott Thomas and Bradley Howard are lining up for their first ever and second triathlon respectively.

The pair both got involved in triathlon to find a new challenge and add something different to their fitness regimes.

Thomas said: “I have always trained to kind of look and feel good aesthetically. I got to the point where I am sober now and I wanted to improve my actual fitness and my health as well.

“The sprint triathlon seemed like the perfect challenge and with my podcast being ‘Learning As I Go’, it’s all about learning new things and trying new things. It was about pushing myself out of my comfort zone and in turn encouraging others to do the same.”

Howard added: “Well I’ve always been into road biking. I love it. I’m just a very sporty guy and I did my first triathlon a few years ago at Media City in Salford, and since then I have loved it.

“I have only done one so far, but I have continued the training and I have signed up for another one. I like to keep myself busy and I find I get the most enjoyment from it and it pushes me the most.”

Now the event is less than a week away they are at the final preparations of their training, with Howard confident he can beat his previous triathlon time from a few years ago and he is looking forward to the challenge of his first open water sea swim.

He said: “The last one I did was in Salford Quays. I have never done a triathlon in the sea so it’s going to be choppy and a little bit different. But I am looking forward to it, it’s a new challenge so I’m buzzing to get stuck in.

“I’m on top of my training for Sunderland, I’m going to push myself. I haven’t got a time in my head though that I’m aiming for. I’m just going to push myself. My weakest part is the swim, but I have upped the training for that and I’m confident now that I’ll get a better time than last time.”

Thomas meanwhile has found his training to be a positive experience for his mental as well as his physical health.

He explained: “The training has been good. It’s been eye opening for example with the swimming, I’ve not swam properly in years, and I thought I could swim, and I’ve quickly realised I can’t. Everything I was taught was wrong. I thought it was about being fast and intense but it’s not. It’s about going slow with your strokes and getting your breath work right, so that’s been a massive eye opener I’ve still not fully nailed it.

“It just makes you feel alive and being out on your road bike as well is so good for your mental health, being on the open road and basically just clearing your mind.

“I have always been a good natural runner and I think that’s going to be my strongest discipline, but at the same time the idea of doing them all one after the other is completely new and I’m just excited for it.”

Thomas has urged people to come along and watch, even if they are not taking part. He recalls his own experience of watching Howard take part in his first triathlon and hopes that others will take up the sport after watching the event in Sunderland.

“I want to encourage everybody to get down there, whether they’re into racing or not,” he said. “I know it’s going to be an amazing spectacle, seeing people in the open water and then everybody on the bikes and the running.

“When I went to watch Brad do his triathlon, that’s where I got the bug. The sense of accomplishment afterwards and seeing people achieve stuff is contagious. I think everybody should be encouraged whether they are racing or not just because it’ll give them the inspiration they need to push themselves out of their comfort zone.”

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