WHEN nearing retirement age most would be forgiven for enjoying their evenings sat on the sofa, armed with a chocolate Hobnob and a cuppa.

However, for one Basingstoke grandad, resting up is the last thing on his mind as his bids to reach the IRONMAN World Championships.

Alan ‘AJ’ Lane, 59, is putting his body on the line, hoping to join an elite group of athletes competing at this year’s world champs, which are being held in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

And in a bid to watch his progress throughout the year, he will be filmed by a crew from IRONMAN for a special 30-minute documentary.

“It all sort of escalated very quickly to be honest,” AJ told The Gazette.

“I was 57 and went for one of my annual check-ups and the doctor said I was a bit overweight and that I should do something about it. I started going out with the wife walking and I was pretty unfit.

“But I wanted something to aim for, so I saw the IRONMAN competition and thought let’s see what happens.”

An IRONMAN consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile cycle and a 26.2-mile run – all completed without a break.

It’s considered the ultimate challenge for fitness fanatics and in his first competition AJ completed it in an impressive 13 and a half hours.

Visit eu.ironman.com/triathlon/organizations/questfor-kona for further details.