Tom Davies
‘…that’s the beauty of this sport, its ability to reward you for the effort you put in’
Who is Tom Davies? I would say I’m a very normal guy with an abnormal mindset.
Being a dad, partner and boss are the main things that take up my time during the day and I’m driven to excel at all three.
I love coffee. Like, really love coffee. The lengths I’ve gone to get a good coffee at home is borderline mental. Honestly, I could open a coffee shop with the equipment I have at home!
Before triathlon, my main sporting activities revolved around golf. Prior to 2010 I played professionally at a regional level and managed to get some high order or merit finishes. There were a few top-five finishes in Pro-Ams and I managed to sneak a win as well.
Professional golf is tough, really tough. Looking back now I was at least five years behind where I needed to be to even have a chance at making any form of living from playing.
Even though my ambitions of playing golf for a living came to an end, my competitive spirit did not, and something needed to fill that void. Business is competitive, but often subjective, opinion-based, and with no clinical, definitive outcome. For me, that’s hard to get fired up by.
‘being able to share the races with family and friends is truly magical and something which golf didn’t provide’
So, in that respect, triathlon has been a breath of fresh air. And on top of that, it completely broke the monotony of going to the gym, downing a protein shake, and thinking about reps and sets. Bloody boring.
The variety of the training and diversity of the events is something that appeals to me massively and continues to capture my imagination. The preparation is often seen as selfish from a family standpoint, but being able to share the races with family and friends is truly magical and something that golf didn’t provide.
For me, a great outcome would be to prolong my training and use what I learn to bring structure to my daily routines and rituals. I really feel like this is one of the only sports I’ve participated in where you get out what you put in. That, to me, is extremely motivating.
So, 2020. What a brilliant year! Yes, I can feel the raised eyebrows…
I appreciate it’s not what most people would expect to read. Some might think it’s a bit fluffy, a prime example of someone thinking far too positively and perhaps even an airy-fairy way of reflecting but, for me, nothing will ever beat the feeling of becoming Dad to my gorgeous little girl.
The pandemic hit everyone, which some of my nearest and dearest have experienced all too well, but it didn’t tip the scales enough for me to make 2020 a year I’ll look back on with any animosity. That said, I appreciate that it has, of course, seriously affected millions of people worldwide.
Lockdowns have meant more time with my daughter, more time to reflect on my business, refine things, and hopefully when things start to settle again (which they will) things will be better.
Athletically, 2020 helped me become consistent and allowed me to see the physiological adaptations of that consistency. Along with the support of Dan (coach), Jess (physiotherapist), and Jack (strength and conditioning coach) I’m more robust as an athlete having dedicated time to improving my movement and strength qualities. The bike has always been an area I’ve looked to progress so ending the year with a 60watt increase in my threshold power (LT2) is something I’m incredibly proud of. Combine that with losing close to 11kgs and I think it’s safe to say 2020 was a success.
Training this year needs to be more like 2020, not 2018 when I last toed the line in Tenby!
2021 is all about slaying the dragon and running down the red carpet in under 12 hours. Between now and then the focus is on identifying the habits and processes which will get me there; daily training, absorbing volume, staying fit, prioritising health, and resting when time allows.
‘it’s the enormity of the task, combined with the opportunities to improve, which are really motivating’
The long-term goal is to attain qualification for Kona, the Ironman World Championships. I’m very aware of the standards I need to attain to reach that sort of level and how hard it is to get a spot even when you’re close to that standard. But it’s the enormity of the task, combined with the opportunities to improve, which are really motivating. Talent may hold me back, that’s something that’s out of my control, just like the outcome of the race. The hard work is controllable, though. That’s super motivating and that’s the beauty of this sport, its ability to reward you for the effort you put in.