Former Dartford and Whiteoak member Sam Proctor Now going PRO!
“Anything is possible” is normally associated with the Adidas slogan but former DWOT member Sam Proctor has earnt the tag having progressed to pro athlete in just eight years. I’ve interviewed Sam to get the downlow on what it takes to become a Pro athlete including his journey from the beginner and his sacrifices and top tips.
Me:- How and at what age did you get into triathlon?
Sam:- When I was 21 years old in the summer of 2011, a late starter ! No previous experience or background in any of the three disciplines. My dad would race in the early days so he influenced me into giving it a go.
Me:- What was your first bike?
Sam:- My dad’s Principia road bike, gold in colour, proper bling!
Me:- What was your worst tri experience and what happened?
Sam:- Wensleydale Middle Distance , my dad did the sprint! The run consisted of a fell run zero experience, zero visibility in a run vest, cold not knowing where I was going.
Me:- What is your best tri experience ?
Sam:- My first race as a pro triathlete Challenge 70.3 Sardinia I came out of the swim in front of Bart Arnold a seasoned pro athlete.
2013 Hyde Park GB age -grouper 20-24 racing on the Olympic 2012 circuit made it special and extra competitive to qualify making it even more satisfying and having my family there to support me.
Me:- What does your training week consist of?
Sam:- This time of year I will be doing ;
18-22hrs cycling 2 endurance 2 interval session
35 -40 miles running 2 endurance 2 interval session
16K of swimming 1 technique, 2 speed 2 endurance session
Recovery and nutrition is important with the volume of training I stay away from white carbs and starchy foods and eat lots of root vegetables, protein, chicken, salad, egg, avocado as well as protein and recovery shakes. I perform better on “Real” food and will eat 1hr after a session. Although I look slim I eat a lot! The food bill can mount up!
Me:- What drives you to become the best you can ? At what point did you want to become a professional triathlete
Sam:- I wanted to prove to people (BTF that rejected my first licence application) that I could get within the required 8% of the leaders to qualify automatically for a licence having missed out by 1.2% in Weymouth. I’ve never been a quitter and this got the bit between my teeth to drive me on. Once I got a coach and saw the benefits in the first year and running side by side with Fraser Cartmel (Scottish Pro) as an age grouper I knew that I could live with these guys if I kept on progressing.
Me:- What tips would you give to people that are starting up in the triathlon world? What experiences have you learned that have been most valuable?
Sam:- Enjoy the experience don’t be frightened to ask questions; And remember it’s three sports practice on your hardest.
I would recommend getting a coach who will give you some structure, “don’t play catch up” going out with no purpose, you won’t improve and never underestimate the importance of recovery, you recover better you can train harder.
Me:- What races are you targeting this year?
Sam:- Challenge Riccione 70.3 (Italy) May 6th
Challenge Herning 70.3 (Denmark) 9th June
I would like a top ten finish
Me:- What does the future hold for Sam Proctor and what is your ultimate goal?
I would like to coach and pass on my experiences and help athletes not make the same mistakes as I made early on. Racing goals would be to race at the Half Ironman World Championships 70.3 in three years and the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii in five years time.
Thanks for your time Sam and good luck from everybody at Whiteoaks. Hope you have a great season and we’ll be following your progress.
Andy Walpole
