He told us the London Marathon just wasn't tough enough - and now fitness fanatic Dave Coard has shown he really knows how to go the extra mile by completing the gruelling Ironman competition in Lanzarote in just over 14 hours.

Dave, who runs Luton-based fitness club Boxfit, had to tackle a 3.8km swim, a 180km bike ride and then a 42.195km run before crossing the finishing line.

And despite months of training for the event, Dave still wasn't prepared for how tough the race was going to be.

He said: "I took my time and enjoyed the swim but one hour into the bike ride, the first climb beckoned. The heat was soaring by this time but finally the down hill came."

The super fit father-of-two managed to clock up speeds of 44mph in the bike race and despite the high temperatures; he was spurred on by his friends and family who travelled to see him in action.

And then it was on to the event he was really looking forward to - the long distance run.

"Running is my thing or so I thought," he said. "I did my first 10k lap along the coast and then bang, I had this horrible feeling of sickness kick in and my stomach started to cramp so my pace slowed down."

Dave had fallen victim to sunstroke but the support of his Boxfit crew meant he was able to finish the race. "They started to work on me and eased me through the wall, so thanks to their encouragement and a lot of mental strength, I was able to get to the all important finish line."

And the final stint was made a lot easier when his daughter Nikki joined in.

Dave said: "She ran with me down the final chute and it was such a great feeling.

"My greatest memory of the whole race though was when I finally heard the words I longed to hear: "Dave Coard, you are an Ironman."

But this Ironman isn't going to relax just yet. He's currently training for the London Triathlon, due to be held on August 10.

If you want to take part in Boxfit training sessions visit http://www.boxfit-luton.co.uk. Dave has just started a ladies training night every Tuesday at 6pm at Barnfield College, Luton.