Our community of cycling enthusiasts, known as the Stolen Goat Herd, are always up to some pretty cool stuff. From the everyday adventures, to the big challenges, you only have to take a quick scroll through our Facebook group or check out one of our ‘The Herd Friday’ features on Instagram to get a big hit of cycling inspiration.
We love hearing what The Herd are training for, and it’s always a privilege when one of our lovely customers is willing to chat to us about their latest challenge. With that in mind… meet Simon Maguire! This March, Simon will be taking on an Ironman distance triathlon: a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run, in memory of his mum.
Simon has been on an incredible journey so far, and we’re excited to follow his progress as he builds up to the challenge. He was one of the early adopters of our NEW Stolen Goat Custom offering, so we’ve loved seeing him put his new custom SG kit through its paces during his training!
Read the interview below to find out more about Simon’s Ironman challenge and his journey so far.
“I couldn’t even fathom how someone could manage that distance in a single day… having a big goal that felt unsurmountable has been a great source of inspiration to me.”
Hey Stolen Goat Herd, I’m Simon. I’m 40 years old and married with two young children. I work in the hotel sector as a Managing Director of a Hotel Group called Luxury Family Hotels which are spread across the South of England. I’m currently training to take on an Ironman distance triathlon on 25th March to mark the 25th anniversary of my mother’s passing. I will be doing this in and around my home town of Salisbury, raising funds for a local charity called Alabare who support vulnerable, homeless and marginalised people, including veterans and those struggling with other issues such as addiction.
SG: What made you decide to take on the Ironman distance?
Simon: The training is going really well. I’ve been training consistently now for two and a half years and I’ve brought my weight down by six stone. Specific preparation for this Ironman challenge started in October 2021, and I’ve managed to hit every session to date. The biggest triumph for me is noticing such a huge improvement in my body’s ability to recover from the long or tough sessions after my decision to quit alcohol ahead of the challenge. The biggest challenge I’m facing is without a doubt the logistics of fitting the training in around a busy work and home life. But I guess that’s also part of the fun!
SG: What’s been the biggest ‘aha!’ moment you’ve had while training for this challenge?
Simon: I think it was probably with my running. I’m part of a triathlon club called ‘Oxygen Addict’. It’s an online club, and the coach gets us to do our long runs at a very slow pace using a 9 minute run, 1 minute walk strategy. Implementing this run-walk strategy has allowed me to run injury-free for two years. Beforehand, I would try to hammer every single run and that would often see me injured for weeks at a time. Being able to run consistently has benefitted my 10km run time – which has come down from 1hr 4 mins to 49 minutes. So I guess you could say my biggest ‘aha!’ moment is that sometimes you’ve got to slow down in your training to ultimately run faster when it counts.
“I’ve met some wonderful people… the triathlon and cycling community is so friendly and inspiring.”
SG: People often say “it’s just triathlon” or “it’s just sport” – but it’s so much more than that. Going through the process of working towards a challenge can be transformational far beyond the sport itself. Would you say training for your Ironman has impacted or changed you in any way outside of fitness?
Simon: Training for this challenge has changed so much more for me. I have so much more gratitude for everything around me. It’s a really lovely feeling to appreciate what we have so much more.
Prior to getting involved with triathlon, I would drink heavily and Sundays were often a struggle. Now my Sunday starts with a nice coffee and then a long bike ride, which is just so much more rewarding than the sofa!
I’ve also met some wonderful people on my journey. The whole triathlon and cycling community is so friendly and inspiring.
SG: What do you think your ‘past self’ would say if he could see how far you’ve come?
Simon: “Bloody hell mate, fair play!”
“Training is almost like a meditation… I visualise where I can go and what I can achieve if I remain consistent.”
SG: How do you keep yourself motivated through the tough training sessions?
Simon: I find training is now my way of relieving stress. It’s almost like a meditation. I don’t listen to music when I run – even on the long run sessions. I just process my thoughts, any challenges I’m facing at work and I spend the time trying to work my way through them.
I also try to visualise where I can go and what I can achieve if I remain consistent with my training and I remember to not put barriers on myself. Before I know it, the session is over and I feel better for it. Usually, a few minutes later I’m already thinking about the next session and laying out my kit.
SG: What’s your top training tune or playlist?
Simon: I like to listen to a high tempo playlist when I’m riding on the turbo trainer. My favourites would have to be:
Panic! at the Disco: High Hopes
The Script: Breakeven
Florence and the Machine: Spectrum.
I also like to listen to some podcasts. The Rich Roll podcast has some really good pointers, and the Team Oxygen Addict Triathlon podcast is great as well.
SG: We’ve loved seeing you out training in your custom Stolen Goat kit! What was the design process like?
Simon: The Custom process was brilliant and the team at SG are just so friendly. Custom Account Manager Sean took me through the whole process, and he even hand-delivered the finished product!
I’ve always wanted to wear my team kit, but I wasn’t willing to compromise on the amazing fit and quality I get with Stolen Goat. So I reached out to see if SG could help me. We were able to incorporate a couple of personal touches as well, including a picture of me and my mum running when I was little, which I just love. It means so much to me.
Given that my Ironman is in March, I knew I’d be training in the cold. The Orkaan material is second to none and has kept me really toastie on the long runs and rides. I also run in some of my Stolen Goat kit too. It works so well for me, because I can use the cycling jersey pockets for my phone, my car key and any nutrition I need to carry.
“A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.”
SG: What advice would you give to someone who is looking to take on a big challenge?
Simon: Very early on in my journey, I heard this saying which has really stuck with me:
“A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.”
So, my advice is simple: commit to something that really inspires and challenges you. Work out how you will train for it, and take time to create a plan. Then commit to that plan, consistently.
SG: How can the rest of the Stolen Goat Herd follow along with your journey?
Simon: I’d love for The Herd to follow my journey over on Instagram: @ironmag2022. You can also keep up with my training and fundraising efforts for Alabare on my JustGiving page.
A huge thank you to Simon for sharing his story with us! As we type, it’s exactly 2 months until he takes on the Ironman challenge on 25th March and we’re beyond excited to see him complete it.
Are you working towards a big challenge? Got a cool adventure planned that you want to shout about? Share it with The Herd. Drop us a line and tell us all about it, and don’t forget to head over to our Facebook group where you’ll find plenty of support and inspiration from your fellow Goats.