TRAINING UPDATE: The final week

Apologies for the quiet front on here. It seems rather sloppy of me but I have been drowning in work, wedding and triathlon training. It has all seemed tricky to juggle, especially as I have taken on a new job at work, but I am glad to have made it to the final week before I début in multi sport at Blenheim Palace Triathlon.

I cannot believe how quickly this moment has cropped up! Its nuts to think over six months ago I bit the bullet and entered my first triathlon. Back then, I could barely swim a 25m length front crawl and I was shattered from my 4.5 mile cycle commute to work. Fast forward to now and I cannot believe how far I have come. I can now swim in open waters (not super confidently but I can make it round that's for sure), have reached 1K front crawl without stopping in the pool and I can cycle up to 30 miles comfortably. I have also successful mastered brick training and completed a duathlon.

Despite feeling content with all that I have achieved, I know a triathlon is very different and will test my endurance, strength and focus. I know I can complete all three disciplines separately but the test will be putting them all together in a row, back-to-back. Deep down I can do it, I just don't know how fast. Racing with 100 other people terrifies me! The swim is going to be mental and I am a little concerned with the bike and the narrow paths we will be cycling on.

Still though, whatever happens I am so happy with how far I have come and what I have achieved. I never imagined I would reach this level of fitness and also feel addicted to it! I am so glad I have adopted multi sport training. I love mixing up my exercise. By flipping between running, cycling and swimming I'm never bored of any of them and in fact, each one has helped benefit me in the other. Swimming has helped me to engage my core which has improved my running speed and cycling up hills each day and has helped me run up them better too!

All in all, I am ready and raring to go. With one week until the big day, I will now begin the taper. I am planning on doing a gentle run and a casual swim in the lead up to keep the body active but will ensure to reserve my energy for the race!

My next report will be my race overview. Eeep!

Wish me luck!

Lipstick Runner. 

TRAINING UPDATE: Open Water Swimming

(West Reservoir, Stoke Newington. North London)

I am in the last month of triathlon training. Question is - do I pump it up and work extra hard or shall I keep it steady and controlled?

When I last trained for an event (for me it was a half marathon), I was a classic example of an 'over trainer'. I started way too early, peaked six weeks prior to the race and come the big day, I was exhausted. I messed it up well and truly and finished 31 seconds from my target time. I was gutted.

So with this in mind, I have been keeping training in its simplest form. Just making sure I swim, cycle and run regularly. I'm not trying out any fancy tailored sessions (although HIIT is something I try to do for running) but I am familiarising myself with triathlon scenarios, in particular, open water swimming.

Now, I will be honest. I did hesitate over booking some open water sessions. They can be costly and I did wonder if I could wing it. So basically avoid this triathlon territory and make my actual triathlon my open water debut. However, after encouragement from a fellow training companion, I found myself signing up for a induction at Stoke Newington West Reservoir through Capital Tri.

I hadn't thought much about what it would entail. I just knew it would be a great chance to try out my wetsuit. Until the actual day arrived and I dipped my toe in the water did I realise how different open water swimming would be. Here's why:

1. First up, the water is much colder. My debut was a temperature of 12 degrees

2. The cold takes your breath away and it can take time to relax and adjust to this climate

3. Swimming in groups is actually really quite daunting

4. Not having the comfort of the side of the pool to push off from means you are swimming solid for much longer distances

This first training session was a huge wake up call for me. After much panicking and swearing as I tried to cut through the ice cold waters, I managed to complete 1.2K worth of swimming. I learnt how to deal with group swimming, sighting and exiting the water. I even learnt the trick of letting a little bit of water into your wetsuit before exiting the water. This allows for a quick undressing of the wetsuit in T1.

(surviving my fist open water swim - and feeling super happy for it!)

I felt really proud of myself for overcoming my fear of open water and giving this session a go. Next up, a timed 750m sprint distance the following week. After receiving a call time of 7.40am a few days before the event, my automatic reaction was the fear of the water being colder than 12 degrees. I seriously could not go any lower than that! I was also worried about starting in a pen and battling through the waters with lots of people. However, I am going to face 100 other competitors at Blenheim Palace so I really needed to do this in order to get over this concern.

So when the 750m race came (this is part of the Splash! series with Capital Tri), I arrived half hour before my wave started, signed in, got in my wetsuit and marched straight outside. After a quick five minute briefing, we were all lining up on the jetty waiting to enter the water. Once we were given the all clear to swim to the start line, I didn't even hesitate in getting in. I walked straight down the slope into the waters and pulled my whole body under. I straight away swam over to the starting buoy and felt geared up to go. 'I've just got to go for it and not stop!' was all I could think.

(my training buddy and I getting prepped for the race!)

The siren went and we were off! My sighting was a bit off to start with and I did end up going a bit wide in the first 200m. I found myself grouped with two other girls and made my strategy to be remaining by their side at all times. We were all in the same swimming caps so it was hard to spot my friend but I had a feeling she was one of these girls. It felt reassuring to know she was nearby. By the halfway point, I felt brilliant! My pace picked up slightly and I felt light and agile as I cut through the water. By the last 100m I pushed it as hard as I could back to the jetty to finish in a time of 15.26 and securing 5th female.

(fellow swimmers for the 3000m course cutting through the water)

15.26 and 5th place. Are you kidding me!? My target was 20 minutes so to learn this was mind boggling. Maybe I'm not too shabby with my swimming after all. Hurrah!

As I write this post, I am still beaming with this result. By far one of my proudest moments in my fitness journey. Now I know I can swim open water, for 750m in what I think is a pretty decent time. This is the assurance I need for the triathlon and with it being only a month away, I need to keep up training to ensure I keep this pace and strength for the big day.

For all fellow debut triathletes out there. If your race involves an open water swim, get yourself down to your local swimming pond/reservoir asap! It is, I think, a necessity for training. Open water and pools are two very different things and it should not be assumed they are the same. 

Anyway, to celebrate I'm off for a gin! If you want to learn more about Capital Tri and training sessions they have coming up, visit the website here. 

Lipstick Runner. 

RACE RUNDOWN: Newbury Duathlon

After months I actually have a race review to post. One I am also very proud to have been a part of.

Entering a duathlon seemed like the natural step to take for triathlon training. A nice double brick session to get the body familiar with transition is much needed and I opted to take part in an event in my home town. For two reasons: a) price point and b) stunning countryside views.

Advance entries for Newbury Duathlon are £20. A decent price for an event that normally comes with a higher price tag. But this one didn't involve road closures which meant it guaranteed a low cost fee. Turning up on the day at Chieveley Town Hall (the main base), there is a huge start and finish point located in the field and just behind is the transition area where you rack the bikes. Numbers are not sent in advance so after collecting mine from inside the hall, I headed over to the racks to position myself under my race number - 20.

I felt so nervous as the whole set up was alien to me. Luckily, I was positioned on the far outside rack which meant I only had bikes in the left aisle to worry about. I opted to line my bike up by the saddle pointing the other side away from the bikes so I had a faster entry & exit, avoiding the mayhem of other competitors running out of transition with their bike. Well at least I hoped.

(just before the race)

Looking around at everyone setting up - the field was very small. 165 entries to be exact. That's less than a regular parkrun! A sudden fear of coming last loomed over me, especially as it was dominated by men in all the fancy gear. But, coming last isn't the be all and end all. I had to do this for myself, regardless of the position so after shaking off my fears of potentially being the last to join the finish party, I lined up at the start with the others acting (and hopefully looking) as confident as them all.

After a few announcements from the race director (the event is organised by athletic club Team Kennet), the start gun was fired and we were off! It all started with a run around a large field on grassy terrain which was followed by exiting the town hall grounds to cheers from friends and relatives who came to watch. I had my best friend and running pal cheering from the side lines, along with her sister. Their screams and shouts of support sure got me through it all!

The 5K run was simply stunning. A trail run through huge open fields, there isn't a whiff of civilisation until the last half mile running through the quaint village of Chieveley back to the transition area. The weather was perfect - sunny but with a breeze and I found the first run fairly comfortable. I was running 7.30s and kept with two other women trying to remain steady.

(on the run!)

Next was the cycle and I did get a small case of butter fingers in transition. It was my first time after all, so I wasn't expecting a speedy change. I was a big jumbled changing my shoes and as I ran out of transition with my bike, my road bike shoes weren't on tight enough so I had to briefly stop to alter them. Still though - I made it out in one piece and was on the saddle cruising out of the village and into the 25K cycle.

The course was tough. It is incredibly undulating with a few steep hills. But it comes with the most incredible countryside views. Lots of men overtook me. I accepted it. Expected it even. I'm not a strong cyclist. But then two women overtook me. That I could not accept. I still managed to keep it steady and paced myself, I think, very well. My friends had driven round in their car to the halfway point to cheer me on which was super motivating. 

(coming into the second transition)

When I came back into transition, I knew I had to be quick to catch the two girls up. I managed to be 15 seconds faster which was great and I stormed out of transition for the final 5K run. My legs were so heavy. It was a strange feeling. Not painful, but neither comfortable. As I entered the fields for the main part of the run, my pace felt really slow. Like 11 minute miles. When my Garmin bleeped after the first mile, I was shocked to see I was at 7.30 pace!

The first girl was up ahead. Got her! The second not much further on. Got her too and a lot of the guys that had bombed it past me on the cycle. This is when I realised that running is by far my strongest discipline. By the last mile I felt like I was sky high and as I came down the road to the village hall, I knew the end was in sight. Crowds had lined the street cheering and I was pushing it.

(on the second run)

When I turned into the entrance of the town hall, I was buzzing and the finish was right there. Sprinting up the slope there was a marshal who was shouting 'there's still the lap around the field to go!'. 'What!? S**t! I didn't realise that.' 

Panic flooded through me. I had bombed it so much down the road that to hear the unexcited news on a lap around the field wasn't the best but I managed it round and felt invincible as I finally crossed the finish line in a time of 1.45 (15 minutes faster than I had predicted).

My friends were there for a big group hug at the end, including another who had come to surprise me at the finish. They really were the best cheering squad ever!

Was I tired? Yes, but not as much as I thought. My adrenaline kept me going and when I went to print off my results (this was handy to get so soon after), it came to my attention that I finished sixth senior female and 88th overall. No where near last. Phewph!

Elate, ecstatic and beaming are just a few words that would describe my feelings this day. It was by far my best race ever and I was smugly proud of myself. 

Overall, Newbury Duathlon will be a fond memory for me. A race I would recommend to anyone, especially as an introduction to duathlon and multi-sport. The only downside is that you don't get a medal or goody bag. But for £20 and the size of the field, I guess the event isn't at a decent size yet to dish this sort of thing out.

RACE OVERVIEW

Course: 5/5

Scenery: 5/5 

Facilities: 5/5

Water Stations: 5/5

T-Shirt & goody bag: 0/5

My time: 1.45.04 (5K run 22.27, 25K cycle 58.07, 5K run 22.12)

LIPSTICK RUNNER'S OVERALL RATING: 4/5

Find out more about Newbury Duathlon here.


Lipstick Runner.

TRAINING UPDATE: Feeling tired

This post comes with a mixture of feelings. I seemed to have gone from feeling unstoppable and speedy to lethargic, achy and well, quite frankly, a tad moody at times.

The last few weeks have certainly been interesting in terms of my training. Following on from the success of my last update (here), my running went from strength to strength during my training sessions. I found myself tackling more hills and even hurled myself out of bed on a Sunday at 6.30am to fit in a run before work. This is very unusual for me.

In terms of my swimming and cycling, these have been consistent. I'm not any slower but nor am I faster. It has come to my attention that I really struggle to 'push the pace' when swimming. I have reached a point in my training where I have a speed that is comfortable and manageable over longer swim distances. This is the fastest my body wants to go and I am happy to accept it. The swim in my triathlon won't be my shining moment so I just need to concentrate on getting through it with energy to spare.

Cycling has recently been on the back burner, with just my daily commute and the very occasional longer ride at the weekend. Over the Easter break, I did manage to join a fellow training companion for a cycle along the canal to Hertford. We cycled almost 50K in total, which was super good training for me. It was also the first time I tried out my cleats on a long ride and I must say they did feel very comfortable (even if I did fall off 10K in - shh it never happened).

In general, I can't complain with how my training is going. Trying to juggle workouts around work, wedding planning and generally having a life is getting harder, especially as my big day draws closer. I'm the busiest I have even been with hours, days, weeks flying past. I haven't really stopped since coming back from Christmas and I think my body is starting to protest about this. So much so, that this week my energy levels have depleted.

I started to notice a decline in my efforts when I went out for a 10K at the weekend. I went with my partner and we took on a hilly route at a casual pace. What was alarming is that I found this tough and I was running a good minute or so slower than normal. This worried me. I also got the worse stitch at mile five and had to stop for a couple of minutes for it to subside. When I got home, I felt a little upset but decided to shake it off and tried again on Tuesday, this time doing my normal mini brick session (cycle home and then a 5K run). Tuesday was a particularly warm day and I think us Brits are trying to adjust to the hotter weather (goodbye thick leggings and woolly hats!). About half a mile into the run, I began to feel really heady and thirsty. My legs were lifeless and putting one foot in front of another was proving to be a real effort. Two miles in, I had to stop as again I had a really awful stitch.

What on earth is wrong with me? Two runs suffering pain and exhaustion. Something isn't right and with my first ever duathlon only a week away, it is unnerving that I am feeling this way. I guessed I might be really tired in general but the other morning, I did wake up feeling a bit groggy with a scratchy throat and snotty nose. The start of a dreaded cold - which would make sense why I feel so poo.

Despite these symptoms, by Thursday I went out as normal to do my fortnightly speed session. I was going to sweat it out! It was warm again so I opted to take a drink with me which helped a lot. I chose to carry out a pyramid session and ran around Alexandra Palace and surrounding residential areas. By the halfway point I had found a decent pace - still slower than normal but a big improvement from Tuesday. I average exactly seven minute miles, which is just over my ideal 5K pace.

(above: before and after my hot and sweaty speed session)

Talking about 5Ks, I haven't forgotten about my challenge to go sub 21 (see here). It really is still on the agenda and I was close to trying it out the day after my birthday (the original deadline I had set myself). The only thing is that I may have had one too many gins the night before and didn't get up in time for parkrun. I know - I'm useless but it was my birthday after all...

The sub 21 will happen. I am sure of it. All my speed work and hill training is definitely helping me work towards this goal and I'm hoping by the Summer, it will be ticked off my list. I did have great success at my local parkrun ever so recently. It's a tricky course and I managed it in 22.26 so I am super keen to try out a flat 5K to see if I can make the 20s. 

This weekend I am away on wedding business so I will need to fit my training in around venue visits, florist meetings and of course a big fat lunch with the Best Man and Bridesmaid (this is a necessity). I'm hoping to do a brick session on Sunday - using my parents indoor bike and then heading out for a 30 minute run. After this, I will have a quiet week, resting up for my duathlon on the 18th. Judging by how tired and achy I'm feeling, I'm going to need it!

I'll keep you posted!

Lipstick Runner.

OPERATION BRIDAL BOD: Week 28

This last month, I feel like my body changes have come to a standstill. Not in a bad way - but more that it has reached a slight halt. I know this is normal in weight loss. When you up your game, your body loses fat quickly in a short space of time but it can easily become used to your new way of living and decide to stop working to burn the bad stuff. 

If I was to compare my body update to week 20, I don't look much different but I do weight a bit less.  Only a couple of pounds but still it all counts in these final weeks to The Big Day. I'm currently 8st 11lbs (56kg). Since I started this journey six months ago, I weighed 9st 5lbs (60kg). In all, I am pleased with this loss. I cannot remember the last time I shed half a stone. Looking closer at my body shape, I have bulked up since January. My shoulders are broader and defined (thanks to swimming). The legs are a majority of muscle and my arms are slowly but surely still getting a teeny bit slimmer day by day.

In terms of my training, I have introduced brick sessions (where I take on two disciplines back to back). So far it has all been bike/run or run/bike/run and I think this is contributing to my more 'solid' build. My core is getting stronger (up close you can just about to see the start of a two pack!) and my boobs are smaller (which for me I wanted).

However, despite the small changes, when I don't see big changes I have to remind myself how far I have come. Taking pictures of my body has been so beneficial to me - I really would recommend it to anyone looking to shape up! Seeing the progress on screen makes you realise how hard you have worked and what you have achieved and the below pictures have helped me see at my week 28 milestone that in fact, I have done pretty good. 

(L-R week 1, week 4, week 12, week 20, week 28)

I would say week 20 has been my slimmest but week 28 is by far my strongest. My arms are toned, my stomach forming some sort of muscular shape (well at least trying to) and my back is looking pretty tough. For the latter comment, I will share this at my next body reveal which is due to be week 36 (one month before my wedding).

Hoping for another great report at week 32!

Lipstick Runner.

TRAINING UPDATE: Countdown to Blenheim Palace Triathlon

My first triathlon is 14 weeks away. Wahh! Where has the time gone from when I entered back in August!? If I look back at my training, I oddly feel like I have progressed a lot but at the same time feel like I am flagging a bit behind schedule.

Truth is, I can't really gage how well I am doing because I have never done a triathlon before. My problem at the moment is that I am looking at each discipline and criticising myself, especially for running. A lot of my fellow club members are all half or marathon training so are clocking up lots of miles whilst little me over here is popping in a couple of short runs each week. It almost feels inferior but at the end of the day, I don't need to be out doing 10 mile training runs at this time. The run of my Sprint distance is 5.8K and I know I can cover this with ease. What I need to do is cover this with ease off the back of a 13 mile bike ride.

So this is where the introduction to brick sessions comes in. To this date, I have attempted mini versions after work on a Tuesday evening - cycling home 4.5 miles and then going straight into a three mile run. It doesn't seem a lot but starting off this small is really important. If I can nail this, I can slowly add on the miles and build up to Sprint distance standard (or near enough). My first brick session was interesting. I battled through rush hour traffic to get home and then I lobbed my bike in the hallway, quickly stripped down to my running gear and heading straight back outside. For the first 200m, my legs felt like jelly as they didn't have a clue what was going on. The first half of the route I take is also all uphill so they really didn't like the situation I was putting them through. However, by the final mile, it was a nice downhill slope, my legs had awakened and pace was on top form!

I felt fantastic when I walked through the door with this time in the bag. Not bad for a first timer and I must say, I slept soundly that night so it must have exhausted my body. The couple of sessions that followed this have been just as successful and slowly my body is learning to cope with back to back multi sport challenges.

To top off the success of my running, I have also been very fortunate to bag a course PB at my local parkrun. I attended not even expecting a new and improved time (at that point my PB was 23.30). I had also spent the night previous to this guzzling gin punch and dining on Indian tapas at Dishoom so my body sure didn't feel on top form. Yet, out of nowhere, I pulled off what is probably my best ever 5K run. Taking on the deadly steep incline of the two lap course, I still managed to hold an average pace of 7.13 per mile and crossed the finish line in a gobsmacking 22.26. 

(Above: Dinner at Dishoom. Below: new 5K time for Finsbury parkrun)

The realisation of this fancy new time didn't hit me at first - my initial thought was that my Garmin must had lost signal at some point. I really couldn't believe I had done it. When the results from the race came through later that day (confirming my time), I was also chuffed to see I placed 3rd lady. I must say I did feel slightly smug and the celebratory Nandos for lunch that day was totally deserved.

As I have been so busy with work lately and travelling to lots of different parts of the country, finding time to fit in speed and hill sessions has been tricky so to bag myself this parkrun time, I really have to thank these mini brick sessions. They have really built up my strength and stamina and when I run, my body does feel stronger and firmer.

Along with my brick sessions, I have also incorporated daily sit-ups and crunches into the mix. I took on the 30 Day Abs Challenge throughout February and whilst I must admit I can't psychically see a huge difference, I can feel it. My core engages with the rest of my body so much better now and I have especially noticed this benefit when cycling uphill or running at quicker paces. I plan to continue with the sit-ups, switching to doing them every other day. Now I know I can bosh out 50 sets, it is a workout that barely takes up any time. I tend to do mine whilst my dinner is cooking in the oven!

So, what's next for me in the final weeks of training? Well, if you read my latest Operation Bridal Bod post (see here), you will notice my rather attractive wetsuit has arrived. This can only mean one thing - time for open water practise! The days are getting lighter and the air is a tad milder so it will soon be an appropriate time to don the suit and get used to swimming in a lake. I have definitely nailed the front crawl technique in the pool, now I need to hold it up in open water without the security of sides to push off every 30m. I hope to carry out a few sessions in my local lido first before moving onto the Serpentine. I'll also be cycling to this location so can attempt a brick session of swim then cycle which will be extremely beneficial!

Along with this next phase in my swimming, I am also taking on my first duathlon in April which I have purposely positioned as intense brick training in the lead up to the big race. This is approaching really fast so I need to stay focussed on my current brick sessions in order to complete the run-bike-run course. Inside, I am hoping to pull it out of the bag come race day - luckily I have never done a duathlon before so whatever time I get will be a huge achievement for me.

Are you training for your first triathlon? What training are you doing to prepare for race day?

Lipstick Runner.

OPERATION BRIDAL BOD: Week 20

I can't believe I'm already at week 20 of this body project. When I started out four months ago, I definitely didn't imagine seeing these results. Choosing to capture my progression through the lens was, for me, a bold move. However, I am so glad I did it. There is nothing more motivating than looking at this trio of pictures (L - R week 1, week 12, week 20).

I was slightly worried post Christmas that it would all go to pot and I would be back looking like I did at week 1 but surprisingly I have managed to keep it up! The last eight weeks have been the most challenging too. I have suffered an awful chesty cough twice, which has totally wiped me out and in total I have missed two whole weeks of training. Along with this, work commitments have meant my training schedule has been greatly effected. 

In terms of my fitness and performance, I'm feeling a bit low as my running has suffered the most. The cough has lingered long enough now and I am just ready to budge it for good so I can pick up some pace again. I'm also looking at my 5K PB target and thinking this may have to be reworked. But hey! I can't concentrate on the negatives. Looking at the brighter side of things, I have kept on schedule with my physique. With the wedding now only five months away and my final dress fitting in three, keeping this up has never been so important. Any slip up now could have a huge impact on slipping into that dress!

Looking at how my body has changed during triathlon training, the biggest difference has been on my waist and face. This is where I seem to drop weight and tone up. My legs and arms however, are still my main struggle. I have decided that legs I'm not too fussed about so what happens there, I'll accept but my arms are now the centre of my attention.

I was fortunate enough to be gifted dumbbell weights at Christmas. A pair of 5KGs and a pair of 2KGs. The latter I have been using almost daily, carrying out triceps focussed repetitions, short and fast to help blitz fat and sculpt upper arms. When I'm showing off (like I am above), my arms look huge, but when relaxed and by my side, they're ever so slightly looking trimmer (thank the Lord!). 

Through this journey, I am learning to love my muscles and be proud of them. This is, after all, not something I should try to hide. They are a part of me and after 20 weeks, it looks like they aren't going to go away so I may as well start to embrace them! Nothing wrong with the Hulk look right? Maybe I'll make myself green in the next snapshots...

Until next time.

Lipstick Runner.

TRAINING UPDATE: Cycling 40 miles

At the weekend, I accomplished my biggest cycling achievement to date - cycling 40 miles! A year ago, I would have never predicted I'd be spending my Sundays heading out of London on bike rides but after arranging a ride with my fellow triathlon girls, I felt confident I could give a long cycle a go. I had already reached 20 miles (which you can read about here) and we were predicted to do around 30 on this ride.

We headed from Finsbury Park out of London up through Enfield to Epping Forest. A lot of it was very urban with lots of busy streets, weaving in and out of traffic. Luckily we had a leader, Beth (who is an incredible cyclist!) who knew the way and so we stayed close (well as close as we could keep up) behind her. The course to the forest was relatively flat and by the time we reached the edge of Essex, the country roads started to open up. 

It was nice to finally be on quiet roads surrounded by countrysides and after turning off a main A-road onto a little narrow lane, Beth said we were near Epping Forest. We just had to take this track to the forest and she did warn us of a short steep hill near the end. Beth was clever here by stating 'short'. In actual fact, for me who is a wimp when it comes to hills, it was a long, practically vertical climb and definitely the steepest hill I have tackled to date. Halfway up, my quads were starting to burn and the hill just got steeper and steeper! I was wheezing so much when I reached the top I had to stop for a break. My legs were shaking but I was secretly super proud of myself for actually get up it.

Soon after this mega slope, we reached Epping Forest and were quick to park our bikes for a break at a little tea stop by the car park, where apparently a ton of cyclists stop for snacks!

By this point we had reached roughly 15 miles and I personally was relieved to have this break. I stupidly only ate an apple for breakfast and so I was absolutely famished when we had reached this point. Not to mention bloody freezing! Cycling in the winter months really takes it out on your toes and fingers. Mine were all numb and painful. So we all took a pew and had a nice hot cuppa with a Snickers bar (as you do).

After our much deserved refreshments, we were off again and this time we cycled around the forest, taking in the beautiful scenery. Beth is really familiar with this area and took us on a lovely course along a secret path and through some really scenic trails. The weather, albeit it icy cold, was absolutely divine so I got some great pictures!

I really enjoyed this part of the route. I felt a million miles away from London and as it was such a bright, sunny day I felt like I was on a weekend break somewhere. Going along this particular route took us back through some small villages where we were back on roads but this time very undulating roads. We zoomed down windy slopes to then be met with a steep hill at the bottom which we would push on up. Ascending and descending was great practice for me in terms of speed work and I did secretly enjoy using the speed from the down-hills to get up the up-hills quickly. 

By going through the villages and residential areas, we found ourselves back on track for the road to London and Beth lead the way. Sorry to share what could be perceived as too much information but by this point my bum was killing me! I don't own cycling shorts and without the luxury of a padded butt, I was beginning to bear the grudge of not wearing a pair. Each and every push on the pedal ached and what happens when I start to feel this fatigue? Oh thats right, another massive hill! This one was dead straight and you could see all the way to the top. It was long but a tad less steep than the previous hill. I'm glad Beth didn't warn us as I would have thought about it all the through the cycle and so when I was faced with it, there was nothing to do but go up! It felt like it took light years but we struggled to the top, with me again collapsing at the side of the road huffing and puffing. Hills are so tough!

It was really hard to gage my whereabouts at this point but I kept looking at road signs where I could and we were in the E10 area of London heading for Hackney. It was these last few miles that were probably the hardest as I was feeling really tired, not to mention so hungry and absolutely frozen from the icy cold winds we faced. They literally made my eyes water. Being back on the busy streets with all the buses and cars also meant 200% concentration and so mentally I felt pretty pooped too.

We however made it safely back to Finsbury Park, with Beth using her Garmin to gage a route of just under 40 miles. I couldn't believe it! I set out to do 30 and I added on another 10 without it feeling too much. I was on cloud nine! After bidding farewell to my friends, I then had to troop back to my house which was another mile or so and rather unfortunately, uphill. By the time I got home, I devoured all the food I could get my hands on instantly, including a banana and cinnamon smoothie which was super yummy! I also added in a scoop of my fiancé's protein powder to help aid muscle repair. After cycling this distance, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel the next day!

That night, I had my first full nights sleep since I caught a horrible chesty cough on Christmas Eve. It was bliss and I can definitely thank this mammoth bike ride for it. The added bonus was that I didn't ache one bit come Monday morning. Hurrah!

Knowing I have the potential to cycle 40 miles has reassured me for the triathlon (which is a mere 13 mile cycle but obviously with swimming and running either side). I am also really keen to get out there again and explore more cycling routes out of London. Next time, I am thinking some down south. 

Are you a London cyclist? What are your bike ride hot spots?

Lipstick Runner.

TRAINING UPDATE: The start of triathlon training

I was recently interviewed by expert health and beauty website, Get The Gloss, about how I stay fit. This section of the site interviews women who lead full time, demanding jobs yet still find the time to exercise regularly and lead an active lifestyle.  

One of the questions I had to answer was what a typical training week is for me. If this has been brought to me six months ago, it would have been answered with ‘I carry out 3 to 4 runs a week’. Simple. Now though, with triathlon training in full swing it is actually a trickier question to answer, what with three disciplines to now train for.

It got me thinking that I haven’t really revealed in full detail the nature of my daily lifestyle now and how I have adapted to this change in exercise. When I tell people I am going to do a triathlon, the first thing people normally ask me is ‘how are you going to train for that!?’. They almost seem surprised to think that I can manage the training along with a job, seeing friends and spending time with family.

The truth is, no matter what you think, you can work exercise around your everyday tasks.  Excuses of ‘I’m just too busy’ just don’t suffice. There is always a way to lace up your trainers and squeeze in 30 minutes of cardio or weights.

For my triathlon, I have taken the approach to plan ahead each month and create a calendar to list my activity. This is to help me stay focussed and see each week and what needs doing. If I have also planned in advance social activities, I will make sure these are added to the calendar as marked rest days.

To kick the week off, I try to swim on Mondays. Due to being a cyclist, I head straight from work to a local pool around four miles away. Each week I alternate between technique and distance practise. At the moment the technique sessions are carried out to help improve my front crawl and consist of various exercises such as arm pulls (where I place a float between my knees and without kicking pull myself through the water using just my arms), round the world (where I won’t lift my other arm up until my hands meet out in front) and fast kicking using just my legs with my arms out in front holding a float.

For distance sessions, this is where I carry out 25 lengths of front crawl non-stop. This equals to 750m that is required for the sprint triathlon. I will gradually increase this to around 900m, which will help to build my strength so that when it comes to the big day, doing 750m will (hopefully) be a breeze.

Tuesday is a run day where I head to my running club for a casual social run. This is never intense; it’s merely an enjoyable session where I normally do 5/6 miles running various routes in London. It tends to be my time to have a natter with fellow club friends and stretch my legs. Thursday is then my weekly interval session where I head to an athletic track and carry out specific sessions designed to improve speed, endurance and core strength. These workouts hurt but I definitely see the benefits of them when it comes to races. Same as swimming, I also use my bike to get to all my training sessions and can complete around 10-12miles per day cycling around London, which is an added training benefit.

Come the weekend, I try to get in bigger sessions or races. If not, I will do two smaller sessions across both days. It’s really important I try to get out on the bike for a long ride or interval work but this has been an area I have lacked focus in since starting my triathlon training. It is my New Year target to resolve this and my January calendar has had more cycling specific sessions built into it.

As I live in London, I like to head to Regents Park on my bike as it has a huge outer circle that is great for cycling speed work. So many cyclists head here in London as it is easy to reach, a great place to train with others and ideal for intervals. The latter I like to do, carrying out a routine of one lap fast and hard then one lap gently. I do find I am very weak at this as after four laps I’m shattered! I have read that the cycle is a bit part of the triathlon to train consistently for and I'm well overdue a slapped wrist for not concentrating on this discipline more.

At the weekends, I also try to get a longer run in. I am currently training up to 10K. My triathlon only has a distance of 5K and I am also trying to secure a new 5K PB from my training (more can be read on this HERE) so keeping my legs comfortably ticking over 10K seems appropriate right now. I'm trying to fit in a couple of races at weekends too, such as cross country fixtures and also the Mornington Chasers Regents Park 10Ks which run through Winter. 

Over time, my training will develop into different sessions. Swimming distances will increase and by March time, I will be carrying out brick sessions. This is where I will be cycling and then running straight after, a training method crucial for multi sport races. By building up my training calendar bit by bit, I can gradually merge it into my work and social schedule so I don't feel like I am chucking myself in at the deep end. Steady integration is the way forward!

Lipstick Runner.