Coach Bernard Mc clement on the run leg of Ironman 70.3 Western SydneyThe Endurance Doc is Bernard Mc Clement (that would be me!) - Anaesthetist by day (and too often, much of the night), Ironman addict, and Triathlon Coach.

I've been playing at Ironman as a competitor for a few years now. I thought I'd get on with my mid-life crisis a bit early, and decided Triathlon would be cheaper than a Ferrari, and less trouble than a 21-year-old with bolt-ons. I was wrong on both counts.

As a doctor, I don't have much time to train, so I have always been very focused on maximising the time I do have. For most age-groupers with busy lives, every second of training needs to count. We don't have time for junk miles.

My science background and fascination with human physiology inevitably led me to coaching. There's little point in me learning things about myself if I don't get to share them with like-minded athletes. I've watched far too many friends and acquaintances miss out on their potential through poor training and even poorer race execution. 

While I'd been doing some coaching on a casual basis for some time, I thought that if I was going to be telling people what to do, I'd better make darn sure I knew what I was talking about! Ironman Coach Certification was merely the beginning of a great new learning journey.