When Jake joined Explosive Endurance, he could swim 25 metres. Since then he’s done his first 70.3 in 5:28, finished 21st out of 141 in his age group at T100 London, and put his FTP up from 220 to 304 watts while losing 10kg.
I sat down with Jake to go through his journey over the last two years. We get into nearly drowning after one length of the pool, getting seasick in a lake on his first open water swim, how he fits full-time training around running his own tattoo studio, and why he stopped beating himself up over missed sessions.
We also talk about Ironman Barcelona being cancelled the day before the race, after 400 hours of training, and how he’s come out the other side the fittest he’s ever been.
If you’re thinking about your first 70.3 or Ironman and the swim terrifies you, this one’s for you.
Want help with your first 70.3 or Ironman? Send me a message on Instagram @mrexplosivejoseph.
Chapters0:00 Intro
0:45 Why Jake started triathlon
2:53 Why he chose a coach over an online plan
5:11 Fitting training around running his own business
7:23 Structure, adjustments and learning to hold back
9:56 Learning to swim from 25 metres
13:00 First open water swim
15:11 First 70.3 in Emilia-Romagna
17:39 Ironman Barcelona cancelled
20:47 Becoming the one his mates ask for advice
21:46 Perfection stops progression
23:36 Advice for anyone scared to start
24:51 Plan or coach?
26:04 What’s next for 2027