There are plenty of lessons to be learnt from a bloke who’s not just dancing with the stars, but reaching for them. Image by Thomasz Machnik

Can you judge a bloke by his jawline? Is a comic-book chin a reliable indicator of dedication, commitment and self-discipline? Does it speak of hours in the gym, early morning rides, countless laps of the pool? Super powers?

I’m pondering these questions as I watch Daniel MacPherson strap on a helmet, zip up his chest-hugging Lycra shirt and mount a sleek, black and blue triathlon bike he could easily have nicked from Batman.

Last time MH saw MacPherson back in 2007, his jaw had been a little jowlier. Back then he was only just getting back into triathlon, the sport he began as a chubby teenager in the early Nineties.

Now, as we set off on a ride around Sydney’s Centennial Park, he’s in Ironman shape – the Marvel superhero and the sport – having competed in the 70.3 Triathlon World Championships in Nevada two weeks before. It was MacPherson’s fifth triathlon of the year and judging by some of his results – a 36th in Nevada, first in his age group and 6th overall in Santa Barbara – and that chiselled jawline, the 34-year-old Dancing With The Stars presenter is reaping rich reward.

“I’m the fittest I’ve been in my life,” says Macpherson, leaning on his bike’s aero bars as he hurtles around the track.

MORE: Craig Alexander's triathlon trade secrets

Whether you’re looking to take on a triathlon, striving to make a breakthrough in your career, or, like MacPherson, trying to do both at the same time, there are plenty of lessons to be learnt from a bloke who’s not just dancing with the stars, but reaching for them.

Because as the Cronulla-raised actor knows only too well, the road to success is rarely as smooth as the Centennial Park track we’re currently cruising around. More often it’s a bumpy ride, filled with steep hills, plummeting descents and gaping potholes. To succeed you need to be physically and mentally equipped to negotiate them all.

“If your heart’s not in it, you can’t do the kays, you can’t get out of bed.”

FEEL THE FIRE
What comes after you achieve your dream? For MacPherson, who overcame stomach cramps and coughing up blood to complete the Hawaiian Ironman world championship at Kona in 2009, the answer was nothing.

MORE:How one teenager went from chubby to triathlete with a little hard work

“I didn’t even want to see a bike or go for a run for a few months after that,” he laughs. “If your heart’s not in it, you can’t do the kays, you can’t get out of bed.”
For two years MacPherson wondered if he’d ever feel the fire in his belly again. Then, during a ride with a group of mates in January 2012, something clicked. “I went, ‘oh, I remember how to do this. I’m back, I’m ready.”

Struggling for motivation? A challenging goal – adding 30kg to your bench press, finishing a half marathon in under 1:30 – can create the motivation you need to get up when others are still sleeping. Can’t get up? Maybe you’re chasing the wrong goal.

“I can’t afford junk miles, If I could only run 30 minutes instead of 90 minutes, I’d still do that.”

GET OUT THE DOOR
Back in ’09, MacPherson had to cram training for Kona around cop drama City Homicide and presenting Dancing With The Stars. Not surprisingly, he had to cut his training from his optimal 25-30 hours a week. But what didn’t shrink was the total number of sessions he knocked out. “I still got out the door,” he says.

"If I could only run 30 minutes instead of 90 minutes, I’d still do that.”
MacPherson’s schedule, then and now, means every session has to have a purpose. “I can’t afford junk miles,” he says. Fifteen minutes of interval training or hill sprints can yield greater performance dividends than an hour’s jog, he advises. It also leaves you plenty of time for hair and make-up, for that 2pm client briefing – yep, it’s showtime, bitches.

RUN A RULE OVER YOUR RACE
It took MacPherson four attempts to qualify for Kona. In such circumstances you put your head down and train even harder, right? Not if you’re serious about improving, reckons MacPherson. “The biggest mistake you can make is to go, ‘Oh I just wasn’t fit enough’,” he says. “Actually you were fit enough, you just rode too hard, didn’t consume enough kilojoules, didn’t race smart.” That’s why, two days after a race, MacPherson goes back to the beginning. “How did I sleep? What did I eat for breakfast? How did I feel in the water?” Sure, it’s anal, he admits, but without properly analysing your performance, how can you expect to learn from your mistakes?

Kona is to triathletes what Hollywood is to actors. Image via Thomasz Machnik

KEEP IT REAL
MacPherson could have gone to Kona years ago. Instead, he turned down a media slot. “It just never sat well,” he says. “For me, racing Kona was about the journey to get there, not just the race itself. It made it so much sweeter when I did make it.”
Whether it’s getting under the bonnet to tinker with your car, making pasta sauce from scratch, or, um, taking a date rather than an escort to an awards night, you never want to rob yourself of the thrill of genuine achievement. Because as MacPherson can attest, a beer tastes better when you’ve earned it.

PREPARE FOR SUCCESS
Kona is to triathletes what Hollywood is to actors (no offence to Border Security). MacPherson has got down to the final two on four major US shows in the last 18 months, a truly wall-punching stat.

“If you’re sitting in a bar, 10kg overweight and you get a call to audition for Superman the next morning, you’re not going to do any good”

The key to maintaining hope and staying sane, he says, is to focus on the things you can control. For him that’s his material and his appearance, two things you should be on top of whether your prospective role requires tights or pinstripes. “If you’re sitting in a bar, 10kg overweight and you get a call to audition for Superman the next morning, you’re not going to do any good,” says MacPherson. But if you’re in good shape, he continues, you’re only a small step from being in movie shape, or the ultimate, sex scene shape. And you’ve got the mental clarity that comes from being fit. “It’s kind of what you need to survive over there,” he says. In fact, it doesn’t hurt anywhere.

PASSION FUELS CHANGE
Early in 2013, MacPherson posted a pic of himself as a tubby, pre-triathlon 11-year-old, alongside another of his current, chiselled self. The pics caused a stir on social media and MacPherson was criticised for equating looking good with being happy. Actually, he says, it works the other way around. Triathlon made him happy, getting fit and losing weight were by-products of that. “I loved hanging out with my mates, discovering my limits and finding out what I was capable of doing,” he says, looking back. He still does. What that jawline really reveals is that the man has been enjoying himself.

Upgrade Your Training

Use Macpherson’s tips to cut minutes off your tri time

Swim. “Use your core to bring your hips up and stabilise your body,” he advises. “I find swimming a very exhausting exercise through my stomach because I’m constantly using my core and my hips to drive everything.”

Ride. Make sure your bike fits. “It’ll make you cycle better and more efficiently. If it doesn’t fit you’re not going to be able to run afterwards because your hamstrings are either too tight or completely wrecked.”

Run. Hit the bricks. “Running off the bike is a different discipline to normal running,” says MacPherson, who boasts a best marathon time of 3:07. The key is “brickwork”. Follow a long cycle with a 30-minute run to get your legs used to it, he advises.

The Hunger Games

MacPherson’s race day nutrition plan

Pre-race. Multigrain toast with almond butter, banana and honey. “It gives you good fat and long-lasting energy.”

During the race. “I use a liquid kilojoule drink called Perpetuam – 4000 kilojoules in one bottle. Plus, gels every 45 minutes and water. On a really hot day I add electrolyte tablets to stop cramping.”

Afterwards. “Pizza and beers. You’ve earned it.”