By Alix Shutello
In the summer of 2006, Paul Corderoy was rushed to hospital with a suspected heart attack (which turned out to be a gall bladder attack). During the scans for the diagnosis, it was discovered that he had a fatty liver from years of alcohol abuse. Corderoy’s gall bladder was removed, and he stopped drinking and smoking, remembering how his father died at age 54 from a smoking-related disease.
Two years later, Corderoy was diagnosed sleep apnea, a condition associated with obesity.
“At 88 kilos, I was the heaviest I have ever been, but not hugely over weight. However, I decided to do something about my fitness and started cycling the 6 miles to and from work. Soon, I went to watch my first triathlon and thought I could do it, so I added running to my recreation,” he said.
Two months later, in November 2008, Corderoy ran his first 5k “in a painful 31 minutes,” but in 2009 he competed in his first sprint triathlon, and it went on from there:
In 2010, Corderoy competed in his first Ironman distance race and got a top 10 finish in a 6-race series of various distances.
In 2011, Corderoy completed 2 Ironman races and finished top 3 in his age group for an Olympic-distance race. He also became a vegetarian, and has seen the difference in his results and endurance. He keeps two allotments where he grows a lot of the fruit and vegetables, and often takes a rucksack on his long runs to collect wild berries and greens.
In 2012, Corderoy went ultra. He finished top 15 in his first double IRON, and a month later, attempted his first
100-mile run. “I pulled out at mile 75, but retried this year (in 2013) and succeeded,” he said. “I am now one of 11 people left in Centurion Runnings Grandslam event, which consists of four 100-mile races in one year.”
2012 was an important year for Corderoy – he qualified as a Level 1 triathlete coach in March. Corderoy trains himself: “I write out my training plans, but don’t stick rigidly to them. I learned the best way for me to train is to enjoy it. I listen to my body more as I get more experienced, so I occasionally miss scheduled sessions as I feel I wouldn’t get any benefit from them.”
His training includes cycling or running 14 miles to and from work to fit in mid-distance days. This year, Corderoy is focusing on improving his running. He will often head out on weekends with a club for a 60- or 70-mile group ride. “I’ve been running, cycling and swimming for only 4 and 1/2 years, so at age 46 I still have room to speed up as I get fitter.”
When it comes to food and nutrition, Corderoy sticks to real foods for both training and racing and doesn’t do gels. “A banana and water has everything I need,” he explained. “For a 12-hour-plus race, I will eat rice and lentils; I have found this works for me, as it’s easy to digest and gives me the energy I need.”
Corderoy balances his training with his work and his home life. He is married, and has an 8-year-old daughter. “Part of my drive is doing it for her,” he said. “I want to be a good example, be around to see her grow up and make her proud of her dad. I work away from home, going home once a month for 4 days. I use those 4 days as complete rest days, as I want to spend time with the family. We go out walking or biking in the mountains around where we live in Ath- ens, Greece, or swimming in the sea—but it’s not a training session! I work 9-to-5:30 in the UK, and this means I have a lot of time on my own in the evenings and weekends; I can train as much as I like without the guilty feeling you get walking out the door for a 5-hour run session.”
When it comes to mental training, Corderoy has to fight sleep deprivation a lot. “With my sleep apnea, although I am now receiving treatment for it, I still have bad nights when I don’t get enough sleep,” he said. Corderoy likes to think this may help him in training, to learn to fight fatigue – but it may also hinder his ability to recover from training. Therefore, Corderoy listens to his body.
Despite all the training and racing, Corderoy views his desire to compete as a hobby. “Entering an event once every month or two doesn’t cost any more than any other choice of hobby,” he explained. “The bikes can be expensive, if you want to make them expensive, but you can do it with a cheaper bike and still have fun. I don’t budget per se, but I do draw the line when an Ironman costs over £300. There are some cheaper alternatives out there; and to be honest, I’d rather enter a race with 200 friendly peoplethan 2,000 strangers.”
FITNESS GUIDE: PAULS TRAINING SCHEDULE
Example training week (probably a peak training week)
MONDAY MORNING: Lake, 1-hour swim; cycle to work 28 miles
TUESDAY: Run to work and back, cross country, 24 miles
WEDNESDAY MORNING: Lake, 1-hour swim; cycle to work 30 miles; pool on the way home, 1 to 1.5 hours
THURSDAY: Run to work and back, cross country, 24 miles; lake on the way home, 45 minutes to 1 hour
FRIDAY: Cycle to work and run 5k at lunch time
SATURDAY: 20- to 30-mile run (include some speed work or hill work). (There is another lake swim option here, which I rarely do.)
SUNDAY MORNING: Lake 1 to 2 hours, depending on what race is coming up; club ride 70 miles or solo; and sometimes a run
Note, I never manage to do all these sessions, and if I miss one, I never try to catch it up. The lake swims start in May, and as swimming is my least favorite sport, I miss one or two sessions a week. I still go, but just paddle around in the kayak and help out on safety. Saturday and Sunday happen only about two times a month. The other weekends are rest-at-home or race days. This year, I have something planned for nearly every month.
EXAMPLE FOOD DIARY
(I TYPICALLY EAT THIS 5 DAYS A WEEK) MORNING: Banana, apple and pear 300 calories
MID MORNING: Mixed nuts 300 calories
LUNCH: Salad (cucumber, onion, lettuces, raw spinach, tomatoes, bell peppers, avocado, raw kale, etc.) with black- eyed beans, walnuts and olive oil 500 calories
AFTERNOON: Apple, pear and more mixed nuts 500 calories
EVENING: Various mixed sprouted beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, peas, corn, brussel sprouts, spinach, etc. 700 calories
SUPPER: 3-egg omelet with garlic, on- ions and mixed veggies 400 calories.
