Monte Carlo or bust….?
It’s taken some time for HERT elite, multi event endurance athlete Martin ‘Will’ Williams to find his groove, but he believes he’s at his peak and has recently left our shores for Europe, where, amongst swanning around the Greek Islands and attending his sister’s wedding, he will be lining up with other likeminded sports people for the grand prix of Triathlon events on 7 September in the principality of Monaco.
To understand how he managed to get to the start line is to understand the man. It had been a while since the slightly balding Englishman in his late 30’s had even partaken in any sport – he was a man of bars, taxis and couches – the thought of exercise beyond a 2 minute shuffle on the dance floor used to send him green. But during a chance encounter with Mark Newton in the Exchange in Balmain on ANZAC day, when the beer had been flowing like a river of gold, Will was duped, conned and cajoled into embarking on a new chapter in his sporting life.
 ‘I’d hung up rugby boots some 15 years ago, and was embracing my mid life crisis emotionally, however the physical crisis wasn’t there. Mark changed that for me’ explained Will. ‘I honestly thought it was way too late in the game for me to introduce lycra into my wardrobe, but I came to understand that it is the fabric that keeps on giving, and I really didn’t think I’d look so good in it’ he laughed.
The lycra aside, Will embarked on an intense acquisition strategy: after all, what’s the point if you don’t have all the gear. Never one to pay attention to price tags, Will had shop keepers quaking when he set foot inside their sports shops: ‘is that your best price?’; ‘c’mon, you can take another 10% off that’; and ‘what’ll you do for cash?’ were just some of his favourite phrases.
‘Getting the gear was quite a hectic time for me, like shopping in Wooley's Wheels on a Monday night, but far more extreme. I needed a rest after that.’ And rest he did. Some 6 months later, after numerous calls, texts and emails, he decided it was time to remove the labels and price tags from his kit, stop using his bike as a jacket hanger and see what would happen if he took these purchases to the park and tried them out. Thus began a sporadic training schedule to get his old bones into some sort of shape for this event.
His love with the disciplines changed on a weekly basis: running was good, so long as he was in the gym – he didn’t want to run out of puff and be too far from home; the bike went like the wind down hill, going up it struggled with his assistance; and the swimming was invariably cold and wet. As the winter months approached Centennial Park was losing its allure. 5.45am was too early and too cold for this fair weather trainer. ‘There were brass monkeys freezing their nuts off outside my house some mornings when I was expected in the park. It seemed churlish to join them’.
But just as this attitude kicked in, his working life eased off and he managed to find time during his day to make up for some of the mornings he’d missed in the park. And so he got a little fitter, did some of the training on his terms, had fewer ‘meetings’ in the Golden Sheaf hotel and the date of departure finally arrived.
We last caught up with Will eight days prior to his event in London, England. He had landed earlier that day after a gruelling 24 hour flight and we found him relaxing by the river in the middle of a steadfast rehydration program with some mates at the Boat House in Putney. ‘It’s been a good day’ he said, taking the head off his 4th pint of warm, tasteless English beer. ‘I turned the legs earlier today in Richmond Park, and now just looking forward to next weekend in the Principality. Watch this space.’
Indeed we will, Will. Team Will is heading down to Monte Carlo this Friday, 5th September.
The race starts at 7am (3pm Sydney time) and you can track the progress of elite athlete No. 734 at www.monaco-ironman.com. Look out for his post race diary coming soon.
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