The Long Way to the Start Line

Jamie Woolhead · Swords, Co. Dublin · Fingal Triathlon Club

Surgery done.
Start line in Cervia.

Jamie Woolhead

190kg → 70.3. Some people take the direct route to a start line. Mine goes through bariatric surgery, 105 kilos, a DNF in Valencia, and a 360 Fleur de Lis in August 2026. The comeback started on the 10th of October. This is the record of the road to IRONMAN 70.3 Italy Emilia-Romagna, September 2027.

–
Days since surgery
–
Days to Cervia
01

The story so far

190 → 85 kg
September 2022 to now
46 km
Valencia 70.3 · where the day ended

In September 2022 I had bariatric surgery weighing 190kg. Since then I've dropped 105kg, joined Fingal Triathlon Club, and learned to swim, bike and run like it matters. Because it does.

Valencia 70.3 in April 2026 didn't go my way. I came off the bike at 46km and the day was done. It stung. It still stings. But a DNF is a data point, not a verdict.

The skin removal surgery on 6 August was the last big piece of the rebuild: seven kilograms of the old me, gone. Now the only thing left to do is recover, train, and turn up in Cervia ready.

Jamie exiting the swim at Valencia 70.3, giving a thumbs up
Valencia 70.3 · out of the water in 52 minutes
02

The plan, in phases

Done

6 August 2026

T0 · Surgery

A 360 degree cut around the belt line. Seven kilograms of skin removed. The final piece of a journey that started on an operating table in September 2022.

Done

Aug – Oct 2026

Recovery

Eight weeks of compression, tape and patience. Healed well, signed off, tapes removed on schedule. Patience was the session, and it got done.

You are here

Q4 2026

Return to run

Structured return with Mark White Performance Coaching. Walk-run blocks first, then parkrun with the group. Target: sub 1:02 over 10k.

Winter 26/27

Base build

Long slow winter miles. Pool work, turbo sessions, easy running. Boring on purpose. This is where Cervia actually gets built.

2027

Race prep

Race-specific bricks, open water, and five races building to the big one. Unfinished business from Valencia gets settled here.

Sun 19 September 2027

Race day · Cervia

IRONMAN 70.3 Italy Emilia-Romagna. Adriatic swim, flat fast bike past the salt pans, run to the line. That medal is coming home to Swords.

03

2026: the year so far

52.5 km
Swam
1,093 km
Biked
329 km
Ran
168 hrs
Total training
139 sessions 6.0 hrs/week average 14.2 hr biggest week 3 races 10 strength sessions
2h4h6h8h10h12h14h 6 AUG · SURGERY 10 OCT · FIRST RUN BACK JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCT WEEKLY HOURS · SWIM (BLUE) · BIKE (BONE) · RUN (GREY) · RACES (GREEN) · OTHER (SLATE)

Updated through October. Ten quiet weeks after the green line, then one small grey bar: the first run back, 10 October. The note that used to sit here promised the first weeks back would look tiny next to the old bars, and that it would be the plan working, not the plan failing. Here it is, working.

04

The numbers to reclaim

DisciplinePre-surgery baselineMost recent markerNext target
Swim 2:46/100m 30.5km across ~20 pool and open water sessions Hold form deep into 1.9k
Bike 23.9 km/h Valencia 70.3: pulled at 46km. Noted. Finish the 90k strong
Run 6:29/km Fingal 10k · 1:04:48 (easy pace 7:10/km) Sub 1:02 10k · 6:12/km

Honest numbers only. These are the pre-surgery marks, and the comeback’s job is to take every one of them back.

05

2027 race calendar

Fri 1 Jan 2027

Tom Brennan Memorial 5k

Run · 5k · New Year's Day · first start line after surgery

Booked
Sun 25 April 2027

Dubrovnik Half Marathon →

Run · 21.1k · starts and finishes on Stradun · 3 hour cutoff · Croatia

Booked
Sat 5 June 2027

TriAthy

Olympic · 1500m swim · 40k bike · 10k run · Athy, Co. Kildare

Booked
Sun 11 July 2027
expected

Fingal 10k

Run · 10k · home turf · the sub 1:02 attempt

Booking when entries open
July 2027
date tbc

Carrick-on-Suir Sprint

Sprint · 750m swim · 20k bike · 5k run · Co. Tipperary

Booking when entries open
Sun 19 Sept 2027

IRONMAN 70.3 Italy Emilia-Romagna →

70.3 · 1.9k swim · 90k bike · 21.1k run · Cervia · The A race

A race · Entered

The aim is roughly an event a month through 2027. These are the anchors: a 5k to open the year, a half marathon in Dubrovnik in April, Olympic in June for race sharpness, a 10k and a sprint in July for speed, then the big one. More get added as entries open.

06

The log

000April 2026

Valencia 70.3: the full story →

Where this site really started. The first 70.3 attempt, the swim, and the 46th kilometre. Full race report with the numbers.

001July 2026

Three weeks out

Surgery is booked for 6 August. The plan between now and then is simple: keep moving, eat well, arrive at the hospital as fit as I can be. Fitness going in buys recovery coming out.

002July 2026

Ten things Valencia taught me →

The cutoff maths I should have known, the number that lies, the thirteen minutes I donated, and seven more lessons packed for Cervia.

003August 2026

Seven kilograms lighter →

Surgery week in Kaunas. A 360 degree cut around the belt line, two texts to Katie, and two hospital mirrors four years apart.

004October 2026

Tapes off, shoes on →

Sixty five days after surgery: the first run back. 3.9km around Swords at heart rate 123, one layer too many, and the comeback chart gets its first bar.