Recovery Lab

06/09/2026

Well done to for running the this morning!

Well done Matthew & thank you to his lovely wife who’s always by his side supporting him!

Hope you’re enjoyed this beautiful Sunday morning ☀️

30/08/2026

Racing your first IRONMAN or IRONMAN 70.3? This part can be confusing… 😅

What goes in the bike bag? 🚴
What goes in the run bag? 🏃
What do you need on race morning? 🏊
And what happens if you forget something?

While preparing for IRONMAN 70.3 Tallinn 🇪🇪, I decided to put the camera on in my hotel room and take you through all of my race equipment and exactly how I pack my transition bags.

No fancy setup — just my actual race gear, my bags and the system I’ve developed through years of racing.

Hopefully it’ll make race week a little less stressful for anyone preparing for their first one. 🙌🏼

🎥 NEW VIDEO: IRONMAN Transition Bags Explained | EVERYTHING You Need to Pack

If you’ve already raced an IRONMAN/70.3, I’d also love you to comment with one thing you always put in your transition bags that might help a first-timer.

Let’s build a useful checklist together 👇🏼

Packing your IRONMAN transition bags can be confusing — especially ...

29/08/2026

🧪 RECOVERY LAB HAS A NEW HOME 🌍

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been quietly building something that I hope can become a really important part of the future of Recovery Lab.

The official Recovery Lab Discord community is now live — and everyone is welcome. ❤️

👉 Join here:
https://discord.gg/8BnWy7WCF

For years, Recovery Lab has existed across lots of different places.

People I coach every week.
Recovery Lab athletes.
People following my journey on Facebook and Instagram.
Recovery Lab TV subscribers.
People I’ve met through races and adventures.
And people who simply share our love of training, endurance and doing difficult things.

Discord gives us the opportunity to finally bring everyone together.

And it isn’t just another group chat.

I’ve created dedicated spaces for:

🏊 Swimming & Open Water
🚴 Cycling
🏃 Running
🏊🚴🏃 Triathlon & IRONMAN
💪 Strength & Conditioning
🍌 Nutrition & Fuelling
🩹 Recovery & Rehabilitation
🧠 Mindset & Wellbeing
🏁 Races & Events
🌍 Adventures & Challenges
🏆 Wins & Progress
🎥 Recovery Lab TV
💬 Questions & Advice

So instead of somebody asking a brilliant question and the answer disappearing underneath hundreds of unrelated messages, conversations have somewhere to actually live.

🧠 More importantly, I want it to become a community.

You don’t need to be an IRONMAN athlete.

You don’t need to be fast.

You don’t need to be coached by me.

And you definitely don’t need to have everything figured out.

You might be training for your first 5K.

You might be trying to get fit again.

You might be chasing a marathon PB.

You might be preparing for your tenth IRONMAN.

Or you might simply enjoy getting outside, challenging yourself and seeing what you’re capable of.

You’re welcome.

One of the things I’ve learned through nearly ten years of Recovery Lab is that sport can be about far more than finish times.

It’s confidence.

Friendships.

Mental health.

Discipline.

Failure.

Adventure.

Getting back up.

Doing things you once thought you couldn’t.

And having good people around you while you do it.

That’s the community I want to build.

🌍 And this is only the beginning.

As Recovery Lab and Recovery Lab TV continue to grow, I want Discord to grow with them.

Community challenges.
Race meet-ups.
Resources and education.
Training conversations.
Recovery Lab TV discussions.
Adventures.
Events.
Member benefits.
And hopefully plenty of ridiculous ideas we haven’t even thought of yet. 😂

There are already people inside, conversations are starting, and I’d love to see many more of you join us.

If you’ve never used Discord before, don’t let that put you off. Download the app, follow the link and have a look around. I’ve tried to make everything as straightforward as possible — and if you’re completely lost, just ask. 😂

👇 JOIN THE RECOVERY LAB COMMUNITY

https://discord.gg/8BnWy7WCF

Different abilities.
Different backgrounds.
Different goals.

Same community. 🧪

Don’t just follow the journey.

Become part of it. ❤️

🧪 RECOVERY LAB

TRAIN. EXPLORE.

BUILD DIFFERENT 🏴‍☠️

🧪 The home of the Recovery Lab community.Train smarter. Recover stronger. Chase big goals.🏊 Swim • 🚴 Bike • 🏃 Run • 💪 Strength • 🧠 Mindset. Ask questions. Share the journey. Support each other. BUILD DIFFERENT. | 22 members

26/07/2026

NEW VIDEO IS LIVE!

If I could go back and speak to myself before my first IRONMAN 70.3…

…this is exactly what I’d say.

After years of racing, coaching hundreds of athletes and making plenty of mistakes myself, I’ve put together the 20 biggest mistakes beginners make—so you don’t have to learn them the hard way.

Whether your race is next month or next year, I genuinely believe this could make your entire experience more enjoyable.

👇 I’d love to know…

🏊 What’s your next IRONMAN 70.3?

Or…

😬 What’s the ONE thing you’re most nervous about before race day?

I’ll be replying to as many comments as I can because I want this to become the go-to resource for first-time IRONMAN athletes.

🎥 Watch here:

If you’re training for your first IRONMAN 70.3, this is the video I...

15/07/2026

https://youtu.be/SagRsm0SI_E?si=j83outCr_OOxAbR_

If you raced IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea 2026… this video is for you.Whe...

11/07/2026

Recovery Lab 🫶🏼

This morning was something really special.

Before the nerves. Before the wetsuits. Before the start line.

We all came together as one team.

Athletes. Partners. Families. Friends.

We chatted about race plans, answered last-minute questions, calmed a few nerves, wandered around the athlete village, had a look around the expo and simply soaked up everything that makes an IRONMAN weekend so special.

Then we had the opportunity to stand together on the finish line.

For some, tomorrow that finish line will become one of the proudest moments of their lives.

Some of you will become IRONMAN 70.3 finishers for the very first time.

And I honestly couldn’t be prouder.

Not because of the finish line you’ll cross tomorrow…

But because I know what it took to get there.

The early mornings.
The missed lie-ins.
The long rides in the rain.
The swims when you didn’t feel like swimming.
The runs when nobody was watching.
The self-doubt you’ve overcome.
The consistency you’ve shown.

You’ve already done the hard part.

Tomorrow isn’t about proving you’re capable.

Tomorrow is simply your opportunity to show yourselves what months of belief, discipline and commitment have built.

When things get tough tomorrow - and at some point they will - remember this…

You don’t need to be fearless.

You don’t need to be perfect.

You just need to keep moving forwards.

Trust your training.
Trust your preparation.
Trust yourself.

And most importantly… enjoy every second.

Look up.
Take in the crowds.
Smile.
Thank the volunteers.
Be present.

These are the days you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

Thank you to every Recovery Lab athlete and every family member who’s trusted me to be part of your journey. It genuinely means more than you’ll ever know.

I’ll be out on the course tomorrow cheering every single one of you on, and I can’t wait to see those smiles as you run down the finish chute.

Let’s make tomorrow one you’ll never forget.

You’ve earned your place on that start line.

Now go and enjoy it…

🏊🏽🚴🏽🏃🏽🏁

📸 Huw Fairclough

11/07/2026

🏊 GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE RACING IRONMAN 70.3 SWANSEA THIS WEEKEND! 💙

I’ve just uploaded one final video from the swim start covering:

✅ Swim layout
✅ Managing race anxiety
✅ Heat advice
✅ Race morning mindset
✅ Last-minute tips to help you stay calm before the gun goes.

If you’re feeling nervous…

You’re not alone.

Every athlete on that beach tomorrow will have doubts.

Trust your training.

Trust the work you’ve put in.

One decision at a time.

One buoy at a time.

One mile at a time.

You’ve got this.

👇 If you’re racing…

Drop your race number below!

I’ll add you to my tracker and try to cheer as many of you on as possible around the course tomorrow.

Good luck everyone.

See you in Swansea! 🏊🚴🏃

Racing IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea this weekend?Before you head to the s...

05/07/2026

IRONMAN Wales Shakeout Swim

Saturday 12th September | 7:00am

The day before IRONMAN Wales can be full of excitement, anticipation and nerves.

This swim isn’t about pace, fitness or perfect technique.

It’s about arriving on the start line feeling calmer, more confident and ready to enjoy one of the best races in the world.

Whether it’s your first IRONMAN Wales or your tenth, everyone is welcome.

We’ll spend time in the water becoming familiar with the conditions, practising relaxed breathing, settling race-day nerves and building confidence. I’ll also share some simple mindset strategies and visualisation techniques that have helped both myself and the athletes I coach.

There’ll be no pressure to swim fast or far. The goal is simply to leave the beach feeling more relaxed than when you arrived.

What to expect:

* 🌊 Relaxed open water swim
* 🧠 Mindset and confidence techniques
* 😌 Breathing and relaxation exercises
* 🤝 Meet other athletes before race day
* ❓Opportunity to ask any last-minute questions

Whether you’re racing, supporting someone who is, or simply fancy an easy morning swim with like-minded people, we’d love to see you there.

Recovery Lab UK
Built Different.

02/07/2026

https://youtu.be/arsGE07SZa0?is=fhpCkdk8YOMQuEzo

Thinking about taking on the Long Course Weekend Wales Half Maratho...

01/07/2026

https://youtu.be/vnKXQZVbz4s

Racing LONG COURSE WEEKEND WALES?This is the complete bike race d...