Meet the member – Mark Willoughby

Well Mark, how’s the form? How’s everything going for you?

Not too bad, thanks. Every day is a juggling day with Work, Home Schooling etc. I’m enjoying been able to work from home but Home Schooling is torture!!! Don’t know how teachers do it. Give me a Ironman race in the worse weather conditions any day over Home Schooling!!

Tell us about how you got interested in Triathlon and how you came to join Pulse?

I sort of fell into triathlon by chance back in 2016, I was training for Gaelforce West and Sea2Summit Adventure Races and was looking for some warm-up races that had a element of transition from bike to run/run to bike etc. I initially wanted to do the Pheonix Park Duathons but with work I couldn’t make the evening races so looked for something at the weekends and came across Tri Athy and King of Greystones Try-a-tri distances. I use to be on the swim team in school but hadn’t really swam in 20 years so picked the Try-a-Tri as it had the least amount of swimming involved. When doing these races I noticed most people were wearing club trisuits etc and said id look into seeing where my local Triathlon club was. So I googled Triathlon Clubs in Tallaght and Pulse popped up, took me a few months later to finally decide to join and in December 2016 I had signed up and became a Pulser and haven’t looked back since

Tell us about your first race?

My First ever Triathlon was the Tri-a-Try distance at Tri-Athy in 2016, when I signed up I realized I needed a load of gear, all I had a Hybrid bike that I used for Adventure Races which had more squeaks than anything, and a pair of runners. So 2 weeks before the race I went onto Sports Direct online shop and paid €40 for a “Hot Tuna” Wet suit which was more of a surfing wet suit than swimming, and by chance I was in Lidl and noticed they had Triathlon gear. So on race day I rocked up in my Hot Tuna Wetsuit, Lidl Tri Suit, and squeaking Lapierre Rock Bike. I really looked the part!! Haha. So when the race started I last about 50m before I was breast stroking , gasping for air, couldn’t wait to get out of the water, when I did get out I couldn’t even walk, legs were wobbling all over the place and couldn’t unzip the wetsuit, had to ask one of the people out supporting would they unzip me!! Think my T1 time that day was about 10min!! I finally got onto the bike and after a few km I had forgot all about the swim and was enjoying it and then there was a 4km run to finish. After that I had the Triathlon bug. Since that day I have gone back to TriAthy in 2017 and completed the sprint distance, 2018 the Olympic distance and in 2019 completed the Double Olympic Distance, I have the full set of TriAthy Medals

What’s your favourite race/distance to race?

My favourite distance is Full Distance, I wasn’t blessed with speed so the long endurance races seem to suit me more. My favourite full distance race which I got to do last August was Hardman Full in Killarney. Spectacular swim location in the lake, Ring of Kerry for the cycle which was unreal and then running through Killarney national park. You don’t get any of the Ironman frills and is 100% self supported apart from some water top up areas but the course speaks for itself which makes it an amazing race.

What’s your favourite Pulse memory so far?

My favourite pulse memory is Ironman Cork 2019, there was a good group of us doing the race but even more Pulsers came out in unreal weather conditions to support, nearly every corner on the bike course and run course there was pulsers. The support that day was unreal and showed what Pulse was about. There has also been some Pulse nights in The Duke which were class but the memory is a little fuzzy

What’s the best thing about being in a Triathlon club?

The best thing about been in Pulse is the people. Been surrounded by like minded people can only inspire and motivate you.

When you’re not swimming or pedalling or running, what keeps you busy?

Family and Work keep me fairly busy, myself and my wife have 3 daughters, Zara who is 9 (going on 13), and we have twins Charlotte and Emily who are 6. So it’s a busy household and I am out voted 4-1 on everything, haha. I work for a big European Engineering company Mercury Engineering as a Senior Mechanical Estimator and get to work on some big exciting projects in Germany, Holland and Scandinavia which has kept me busy over lockdown.

Outside of Triathlon, what’s your favourite sporting memory or achievement?

Italia 90 hands down is my favourite memory (showing my age now), I grew up in Crumlin and every house had the irish flags in the windows and some even painted the front of the houses in the tri color. I was only 10 at the time but still remember like it was yesterday been on Walkinstown Roundabout with my dad when David O’Leary scored the winning penalty.

Outside of Triathlon my favourite sporting achievements is completing the Dublin Marathon in 2008, 2011 & 2019.

What’s the bucket list, once in a lifetime race you’d love to experience?

Think everyone wants to experience racing in Kona but my bucket list race that’s a bit more realistic for me would be Challenge Roth. Would also like to do the London, Berlin Marathons.

What’s the next Triathlon goal you’d like to tick off?

Have nothing in the books for this year but I have some unfinished business at Ironman Cork and want to go and do Ironman Lazarote over the next couple of years

What’s your favourite book/movie/tv show? What do you like about them?

I am reading David Goggins book Can’t Hurt Me at the moment, really good so far. My favourite movie’s would be Mission Impossible movies, James Bond etc. love a good cheesy action movie.

What are the go-to tunes/podcasts for a training session?

I like to listen to podcasts when on the turbo trainer, currently I am listening to Pushing Limits podcast, Triathlon Taren has some good podcasts of late, TriTalking Sport and The Joe Rogan Experience. For the zwift races I like to listen to anything High Tempo music ACDC, Metalica, Taylor Swift etc, that gets the blood pumping

Who inspires you, be it in sports or in regular life?

In regular life my wife inspires me to make sure I do the chores around the house!!

In sports, fellow Pulsers achieving their dreams inspires me, if it is qualifying for Kona/  getting to represent Ireland at International Triathlons / Running 100km Ultra races / completing their first triathlon. Seeing the hard work they put in to get there inspires me.

Finally, what one nugget of advice would you give to a new member starting out on their Triathlon journey?

Don’t be shy to ask questions, use the Pulse FB members page or ask fellow Pulsers for advice on races, gear etc.. with over 300 members there will be a pulser who has done a race that you would like to do that can pass on information or if your unsure on a big purchase of tech, bikes / wetsuits etc.