A HUSBAND-and-wife team are each putting in up to 18 hours training a week to prepare for their first ever Ironman Triathlon.Mark and Lucy Bowditch, from Grundisburgh, are set to compete in the Ironman UK Triathlon at Sherborne in Dorset on September 7, and they are hoping to raise thousands of pounds for the charity, HEADWAY.

Carl Marston

A HUSBAND-and-wife team are each putting in up to 18 hours training a week to prepare for their first ever Ironman Triathlon.

Mark and Lucy Bowditch, from Grundisburgh, are set to compete in the Ironman UK Triathlon at Sherborne in Dorset on September 7, and they are hoping to raise thousands of pounds for the charity, HEADWAY.

The Suffolk duo, who are both members of Ipswich Triathlon Club, will have to overcome the three-pronged challenge of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile marathon run.

Lucy revealed: “We are following a schedule, and we've been putting the emphasis on training on the bike. We have both covered several 100-mile bike rides in training.

“I haven't been doing too much running, because of the fear of injuries. I had to have surgery on my back two years ago, at which point my running stopped.

“But I have since done a lot of running in the pool, and this will now be my third year of competing in triathlons “The swim is in open-water, so we have had some experience of swimming in the River Deben and also at a friend's reservoir in Colchester.

“We took part in the Windsor Olympic Distance Triathlon last month, which featured a swim in the Rivers Thames. That was my worst swim ever, because it was very tidal and I got caught up in the strong currents. It shouldn't be too bad in the lake, which is where the Ironman swim will take place,” added Lucy, who still finished second in her age group at Windsor in 2.37.14.

Mark and Lucy have to juggle their time with the demands of their four children - Jessica (aged 16), Daniel (13), Lily (11) and Eliza (six).

“It's a job to fit everything in, because there are a lot of sports clubs that the children go to,” admitted Lucy.

“Mark often has difficulty in keeping up with the training around his work commitments. I do about 80 per cent of the training on my own, and we do some together at the weekends. I have really got to know the Suffolk and Essex countryside on the long bike rides, going out to the likes of Finchingfield in Essex and also the other way to Southwold.

“We both completed a Half-Ironman last year, the Vitruvian at Rutland Water. In fact, I beat Mark that day! I was second in my age group, in 5hrs 03mins. Mark blew up a bit after going too fast on the bike.”

In addition to the Bowditchs, friend Greg Allen will also be tackling his first Ironman.