How a Time-Crunched ER Doctor Slashed 65 Minutes Off His Ironman PB

From Bonking to PBs: How Edward Transformed His Ironman Performance Through Nutrition

If you're training hard but not seeing the results you deserve, Edward Walsh's story is about to light a fire under you.

Edward is no average age group triathlete. He's a full-time emergency physician juggling 12-hour night shifts, on-call chaos and family life - yet he still managed to take 65 minutes off his Ironman time, drop 12kg and finally unlock consistent, injury-free performance. How? He stopped winging his nutrition.

In this blog, you'll learn:

• The biggest nutrition mistakes Edward made before joining the Triathlon Nutrition Academy

• The simple but powerful changes that helped him drop body fat without compromising lean mass or performance

• How he fits high-performance fuelling into a hectic, time-poor lifestyle

The Breaking Point: Bonking, Burnout and 'Just Wingin' It'

Before joining the Academy, Edward's nutrition was...well, let’s say "unstructured".

"I'd eat a bar, some Gatorade, maybe wing a gel here or there. I had no recovery plan, no race strategy. I bonked all the time."

Like many triathletes, he fell for the hype: low-carb, fat-adapted diets, fasting. They worked - until they didn't. He'd lose weight quickly, only to bonk halfway through long sessions, suffer injuries and hit the wall repeatedly.

Worse, the stress of shift work and poor sleep meant his training load rarely translated into gains. By his late 50s, the PBs were drying up and the frustration was building.

The Shift: From Dieting to Fuelling

Edward stumbled on the Triathlon Nutrition Academy while listening to a podcast on his commute. What caught his attention wasn't a miracle transformation promise - it was the science.

"Taryn wasn’t selling some BS product. She explained things like a scientist. It wasn’t about dieting anymore, it was about fuelling."

That mindset shift changed everything. By seeing food as fuel, not a reward or restriction, he finally built a plan to support his training.

The Game Changers That Delivered Big Results

Here are the key changes Edward made:

1. Nailed Recovery Nutrition
One of the first things he implemented: a structured recovery meal immediately post-session. That one habit helped improve muscle repair, reduce injury risk and set him up for the next session.

2. Stopped Bonking Mid-Session
With the right fuelling strategy, he avoided hitting the wall. He now uses precise carb targets and knows exactly how much to take in every hour.

3. Dropped 12kg Without Compromising Performance
Instead of under-fuelling, he supported his training with nutrient-dense meals and hit his protein needs - even during long shifts surrounded by sugary hospital snacks.

4. Created a System That Fits His Life
As a self-proclaimed ‘terrible meal prepper’, Edward now uses systems to make nutrition easy: packing food, strategic planning around night shifts, and eating with intention.

"I listen to the Academy sessions on the bike or in the car. It’s part of my training. It's now a non-negotiable."

The Results: Faster, Fitter, Happier

• 65 minute PB at Ironman Maryland (11:28 finish)

• Sub-4 hour marathon off the bike

• 5 hour 70.3 just five weeks later

• Zero injuries for over 15 months

• Feels stronger and more in control than ever before

Edward didn’t overhaul his entire life. He made strategic changes to what, when and how he fuelled - and the results speak for themselves.

"I'm a better athlete in my 50s than I ever was in my 30s."

Next Steps for You

If Edward's story resonates, you're not alone. Time-poor, high-achieving triathletes need a plan that works with their life, not against it.

Start with the Triathlon Nutrition Checklist to assess your own gaps:
👉 www.dietitianapproved.com/checklist

And when you’re ready to fix them, join the Triathlon Nutrition Academy to build your own fuelling system:
👉 www.dietitianapproved.com/academy

Because your bike might be aero - but it’s your body that gets you across the finish line.