WGC. Dan you are currently serving in the Army now, can you just tell me what rank are you and how long have been in the Army.

Dan: Been in the Army four and a half years and am currently a lance corporal.

WGC: Where about have you toured so far?

Dan: Been to Iraq, Canada, Belize.

WGC:  I am an ex Army man - was that BATUS ?

Dan: Med Man 1 and 2 - Back to back, for four and half months – winter time. Which is rather interesting. I went to Iraq last year during Christmas time till May and now getting ready to go the Middle East again later on

WGC: First things first Dan, well done for today. It was a 100% effort, you stayed focused and knuckled down – didn’t quit and it’s a tough course. And you did well – so again well done.

Just give your views on it Dan, firstly overall, how did think the concept of it was?

Dan: I found it pretty hard. Obviously a bit disappointed. I thought I could have done better then what I did. But I didn’t actually realise how challenging it was until I tried it and did it. It was a bit of the shock to the system.

WGC: Let’s talk about each event individually. A Fantastic time for the bike. Probably a little too fast for your first event, but your thoughts on the bike?

Dan: Yeah, I was quite happy with the level I was on. I stuck between 10 and 11. I didn’t actually feel it on the legs at all really; I just went with the flow, let the pedals take me and went for it.

WGC: Moving onto the Bench jumps. It is a tough transition after the 2km on the bike. What are your views on that?

Dan: Once I started I could feel it on the old quads. It was getting harder and harder and the legs began to shake and then it kind of went downhill from there I think. Obviously the speed I went at on the bike caught up with the legs. I didn’t give the legs time to recover      

WGC: OK Dan, after the bench jumps are the sit ups. What about them? Does your training work the abs at all or not something you focus on?

Dan: I have stopped training on the abs at the moment – nothing really to train for there. I don’t normally have any problems with it.

WGC: At the upper level, you should be able to hit the abs in one hit. If you are training correctly, there is no reason why that can’t be done. I would say to you as some advice – work harder on your core work and just see the time improve. It’s a great time to get your breath back during the abs station.

WGC: How did you feel about the row?

Dan: The row didn’t go too bad. I used some advice to try and get a rest here and save some up for the last few events. It wasn’t too bad. Not as bad as I thought it would be. But obviously I was tired at that point.

WGC. After the row, this is a tough one, the shoulder press. This is where mentality kicks in and staying absolutely focused. 100% credit to you for doing it. A Lot of people would have quit. How did you think it went for you?

Dan: Very hard! Obviously all of your muscle groups have been used and you are tired. Once I got to that I was trying to bang them out in sets of ten or 15 , but once I got there it was a big shot to the system, so I had to drop down to sets of five. I got through them and it was a bit of a struggle.

WGC: It is a toll on the arms. The lactic is well into the system by then, so did you think at any stage it was going to get too tough.

Dan: It did cross my mind at one point but I have never quit anything I do. I have always just kept going. Even if it means dropping down to sets of ones and two’s. I was always going to finish this challenge.

WGC. Good answer Dan. The step ups Dan, what about them? The top guys will knock these out like you wouldn’t believe – it is there to challenge you now. Tell me what you thought?

Dan: I thought I was going to get a bit more of a break on the step ups. As I have just done the shoulder press, I thought my legs may have had a bit more in them – but they didn’t. Once I hit about ten, I was feeling it a lot from the shoulder press. I just had to keep going. In sets of whatever I could make.

WGC: Two events to go now Dan, the bench press and the treadmill – what did you think about the bench?

Dan: I was ok on the bench press. It wasn’t too much of a struggle. But again, the system is aching at that time so it’s hard. I wasn’t quitting at that stage, so it was a case of just getting them out in whatever sets I could... I knew I had only one more round to go, so I knuckled down and focused on finishing them.

WGC. So Dan, just the Treadmill to go now. The last event – 1000m at 5%. The body is absolutely aching now and the treadmill isn’t a good place to be. How did you feel at that stage?

Dan: I practised a few of the events the other day, to get rough timings, you know something to aim for to get a decent time. I did it in just under 4 min 30, but obviously I didn’t go from exercise to the other and at that stage, my arms had gone , my legs had gone, I just wanted to let my arms drop and I struggled through. I did drop the level quite a lot just to get my breath back, But went all out for just the last little bit.

WGC. I was watching from the side lines Dan. I think you are exactly the type of person this sport needs to increase in popularity.  Someone that will take on the challenge, get a bench mark time and if you want to stay with it to bring your timing down, but  you do need to adapt your training now.  If you want to increase muscle size, I don’t think this sport is good for you – but overall fitness, that’s another story.

I think this is a sport, given time and adapting your training, this is a sport you could excel in. And for a first time you did brilliantly – well done, and thank you.

Dan tried this event today for the first time. He had competed in similar challenges in the past, but this was a first for him in the sport of X Training. Watching from the sidelines is so easy. Unless you have actually took part in an event you will not know how tough it is at the upper levels. That’s why it is a 3 year period. If the gyms accept it, that’s 6 events. And the proof of the pudding will be in the eating, if someone’s times have improved.

Dan’s time was his bench mark time. As is so common with every statement after someone completes a X Training event was his remark, I want to do better then that. I can bring my time down.

Well Dan is the first person ever to try this event (WGC Challenge) His journey starts now and if I was a betting man, I reckon Dan will try to improve on his BMT (Bench Mark Time) Just by how far, is down to Dan and how he trains. I wish him absolute success. And I am confident he will rise to the challenge.

I would like to thank Dominic from ROKO Gillingham, for his time and help in time keeping.