Neil Edge - Athlete Ambassador

Have you always been into sport?

I have yes - a background of rugby, rowing, crossfit, Spartan races and now Triathlon

How did you first get into triathlon?

I trained hard for a Spartan race (Spartan Super) and realised that I enjoyed the training. My Coach at the time for this race (an Ex US Marine) programmed a lot of long runs and then rides straight after. Triathlon seemed like the obvious choice as I love to swim and have strong legs from my rowing days. It quickly became apparent that long distance Triathlon would suit (I'm 6'9 & have a big engine). I began training and as most do, quickly became healthily addicted.

If you are interested in getting into Triathlon, Sundried's kit is suitable for beginners as well as seasoned athletes. We have both men's and women's options available. 

What has been your favourite race to date and why?

My first race - The Garmin Triathlon De Paris - It was 30 degrees and a great atmosphere and riding next to the Seine was pretty special on closed roads.

What is your proudest achievement?

My first race actually, as my bike arrived 1 month before the race and I hadn't ridden a bike for 40 years before that. Riding through the cobbled streets of Paris as fast as possible with absolutely zero bike handling skills is something else.

Have you ever had any racing disasters?

Again, that first race. We were advised deflate the tyres (we racked our bikes the day before) due to the temperature (went up to 35 later in the day). On race-day, I thought that I had put enough pressure in but wasn't paying attention due to so much going on and first race nerves. My back wheel just didn't feel right at all and rather than stopping, felt loose. I continued. On the way down to the Seine, riding downhill on the cobbles and cornering was not so funny and almost crashed a couple of times. Coming back through the Alma tunnel fast, airflow from one side of the tunnel almost took me down. When I finished the race, I rode back with a friend and during the ride, he asked me if I had ridden my bike like that. I had only partially inflated the tyre and the back wheel was moving around! Lesson learned, always check your tyre pressure before the start of a race!

How do you overcome setbacks?

As a high performance coach specialising in performance mindset, this is one of my strengths and I work with athletes to overcome the same. After a setback, and so for example an injury: I take time to understand if I could have done anything to prevent it and ensure that I put in place additional measures so that it doesn't happen again. Whether that is more s&c or more mobility work. I then however focus positively on the controllables such as seeing a specialist to fix the issue, trusting my coach to modify the program to get me back race-fit etc. Many people focus on the uncontrollables such as the fact that in the case of an injury, a race being cancelled. It doesn't make sense to pay attention to something that you can't control. I also incorporate meditation and mindfulness into my morning and evening routine, which helps to calm and focus the mind.

What advice do you wish you'd been given when you first started out?

To surround myself with other similar athletes as they in addition to my Coach, are your support structure. Training alone without that can be very lonely.

What are your goals?

To qualify for IM AG world champs at 70.3 in 3 years and I will achieve this.

Who inspires you?

Many people for different reasons and so not one particular person.

Why work with Sundried?

Sundried is a brand that I will be happy recommending to my team members and other Triathletes in my network, due to the quality both from a performance, design and quality perspective.

To hear more from our ambassadors and get free tips on workout plans and more, connect with the Sundried Personal Trainers on our app.