OPERATION BRIDAL BOD: Surviving Christmas (week 16)

The festive period is over and we are back into our daily routines in what seems like a blink of an eye. I was fortunate enough to have 10 whole days off work to spend with family and friends. I had also planned my training activity, making the most of countryside runs and my parents gym bike.

What I was unlucky with is falling ill two days in. Christmas Eve to be precise. Brilliant huh? It started off with a dry tickly cough and a wheezy chest. I can deal with that. By Christmas Day night however, I was hot, sweaty, bunged up and really heady. By the weekend, my cough was so violent it made me feel sick. I had also lost my voice and hadn't slept for four days. Even by New Years Eve, I still wasn't sleeping fully and my cough was refusing to budge.

So, as you can imagine, I haven't had the most eventful Christmas. In fact, I didn't exercise for a whole week. I could barely climb stairs without reaching for an inhaler! Still though, whilst I haven't been able to work out, I have however avoided the traditional binge on beige food and enormous gorge sessions on chocolates. Being ill over Christmas does have this benefit. In fact, I curiously weighted myself recently and was delighted to see that I had in fact not gained a pound. I was exactly the same as I was at the beginning of December. Right on!

By New Year's Eve however my appetite had returned slightly and I did indulge in one too many Celebrations and Lindt chocolates over boardgames. I may have also had a couple of oversized dinners but I swear (hands above my head) I was merely catching up on lost time. 

Along with Christmas and New Year, another big event for me in December was purchasing my wedding dress. I actually feel really relieved to have ticked this off the to-do list as I now know what kind of dress I am wearing, how it fits and what I need to work towards in terms of my physique.

However, whilst I have been (kind of) good over the festive period, this illness has caused a delay to my all important triathlon training. Even 10 days in, I still have the horrendous cough that refuses to budge. I have managed a couple of 5K jogs but once I get back home I enter extreme coughing fits where I can barely breathe. Not cool. I am desperate to get out there cycling daily, heading to the pool and running club but in myself I still don't feel 100%. I've read that if its a cold that has hit your chest (which in may case it has), to be cautious when exercising. The cold weather conditions also don't help when breathing in lung falls of icy cold winter air. 

So basically, I am sat here impaitently waiting for the cough to go, my ears to unblock and my nose to stop running faster than my legs. It's not fun. Due to lack of exercise, I am trying my hardest to watch what I am eating, especially with chocolates and sweets from Christmas stuffed in my fridge. They stare at me long and hard every time I open the door to grab the milk for my tea. I have strategically placed satsumas and apples next to them so I am more inclined to pick this healthier snack option.

In all, I have just about survived Christmas. I may have contracted the worst chesty cough I have known to date, my training has fluffed up and chocolates are taunting me but in all, things could be worse.

Until next time.

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.

FUEL FOR THOUGHT: Post exercise breakfast

My most important meal of the day is breakfast and I think that goes for pretty much all runners. I have a few friends who can easily skip this meal, which leaves me baffled. By the time I arrive at the office from my cycling commute, I'm so hungry and I can't wait to get to my desk to eat my bowl of porridge (or cereal in the warmer months).

At the weekends, I tend to carry out my bigger training sessions, such as longer runs and bike rides. Aiming to head out early(ish) morning, by the time I get home around 10.30/11am, all I can think about is food. This is where I make a bit more effort and make a breakfast that is fulfilling, rewarding and a great source of energy to refuel my body after a tough workout. 

Poached eggs on toast

This is my savoury go-to that is packed full of protein and is a nice toasty warm meal that goes down super well after a cold winters run. 

Now, I must admit I am crap at poaching eggs. We have those rubbery round moulds that we crack the egg into and then float on water to poach. I'm very good at over boiling the water which then floods the moulds and gets the eggs all soggy. So, I normally opt for this breakfast when my fiancé is home - he's a pro at making the perfect poached egg!

I tend to have two eggs with two slices of spelt toast. I then season with salt and pepper and a generous amount of tomato ketchup (the important finishing touch). The humble egg has a rich nutritional value. The whites of an egg hold a valuable amount of protein, as well as zinc and iron. They also are low calorie and low cholesterol. These benefits are a great source of fuel to re-energise tired muscles and I do definitely feel perkier after this full and satisfying dish.

Banana & cinnamon pancakes

OK - this is more of a 'treat' breakfast. When I know I have been good in the week leading up to the weekend and I have had a particularly tough session, I opt for this super sweet brekkie. By all means, these aren't pancakes lathered in chocolate sauce, sugar and ice cream. I do take into account some nutritional value.

First of all, I make the batter myself which is made using spelt flour. As you know by now spelt is the only way forward for me as I find it lighter and far easier to digest. I also add in a sprinkle of cinnamon which carries health benefits such as aiding colds and controlling blood sugar levels. It gives the batter a sweet kick and is an instant seasoning.

The mix makes around six pancakes so I tend to make this when I have someone to share with. When the pancake is made, I fill it with banana and drizzle a small amount of honey before rolling it up to eat. High in fibre and potassium, bananas are a common source of energy post exercise. They help aid muscle cramps and sustain blood sugar levels. 

Fruit, granola and yoghurt 

More a choice of breakfast during the summer months, mixing fruit and granola with low fat yoghurt is a extremely quick dish to whip up and is surprisingly very filling.

When I make this, I chop and prepare an apple, banana, clementine and grapes. This I will then mix with a low-sugar shop bought granola (although sometimes I do make my own which you find the recipe for HERE). Finally, the finishing touch is normally with Onken Fat Free Strawberry Yoghurt. This particular option carries less calories than its competitors. Here in this picture though, I have chosen a natural greek yoghurt. 

I am a total fruit bat and I find myself eating this almost every weekend during Summer. It's incredibly refreshing and curbs any sweet craving that may develop later in the day, which is an added bonus!

These three are definitely my top breakfast picks. Like I said, these are what I prepare after heavier/intense training sessions where I can feel my body has worked at maximum effort and is in need of some hearty refuelling!

What are your favourite post exercise meals?

Lipstick Runner.