John Morgan

John Morgan – Level 2 Triathlon Coach

I had always thought that triathlon was a sport for mad people, swimming then cycling and then running. Like many I kind of thought I can run I know how to ride a bike and I can swim the odd length but put it all together and over those distances….I don’t think so. In 2011 I saw some friends compete in a sprint triathlon. The previous year I had got my first decent road bike and was becoming addicted to cycling. Watching my friends, I thought I could do that……maybe! Anyway, the following year a group of us decided that we were getting too lardy and had to do something so we entered a sprint Tri, that was 2013. The first step was to book some swimming lessons, where I proudly managed to swim a whole length having been asked to do 100m. Cycling was then and still is my strongest discipline. I joined the NNWheelers to try and get faster. My first 10 mile TT was 28 minutes, that’s more than 20mph! By the end of my first season I had got to nearly 24 minutes which equates to 25mph. I did not run, I was terrified that my knees would give out so I did my first tri on the back of no run training. This was followed by two super sprints that year and I was hooked. In 2014 I did my first open water swim, it was terrible but the following week I did another pool based sprint and won my age group, my first piece of triathlon bling.

That winter I came into contact with the Harman’s and Mark became my coach….he probably regrets that as I am a negative obsessive, that means I over analyse and am never satisfied with my performances…..if you weren’t sure who I am you probably are now! Encouraged by Mark I stepped up to Olympic distance, which is my current preferred..as a result of my efforts last year I can claim to be in the top 30 in the country in my age group, having made the top 30 in the national championships in Liverpool, sadly my aim had been top 20…maybe this year! Again encouraged my Mark, I decided I should try to put something back into the sport I love and so I did the level 1 coaching qualification, which I passed late in 2016. I am now qualified to the Level 2 including authority to coach in open water.. Triathlon is brilliant and if I can make the experience a little more enjoyable for someone else then I consider that a coaches job well done.