Time to tri - Friday photo #40

A round up of Crandon Runs in one weekly photo

Well, it's almost here. This week I received this lovely and terrifying bit of post:

Triathlon ready?

That's it - just over three weeks to go until I take on my first triathlon. Receiving this post has made me really excited. Excited to be taking on a new challenge and happy that I am not putting too much pressure on myself. I'm trying to think of the triathlon as doing three things I enjoy, in quick succession, rather than as a full on scary triathlon. My race goal is to enjoy it, learn from the experience and just give it my all and try my best. I may not be at the front, or even in the middle but as long as I give it everything I've got I'll be a happy bunny. Judging by my training I think I might be able to do it in under 2 hours, and I'll be happy with that or somewhere near.

But whilst I'm fairly calm regarding things like finish times, receiving this post has brought up some other anxieties. Current and very real new concerns are:

1) My hair. Seriously ladies how do you wear your hair under a helmet?! A ponytail is too bulky yet having it down is no good for the run. I'm thinking braids. Help! One of my Tricurious teammates has hinted she might just shave her head which may just be the way forward.

2) My bike, Is it safe? Will it pass inspection? Is my helmet OK? What will I do if I get a puncture? No seriously? Even if I manage to change the inner tube how do I inflate it? ARGH!

3) How will I get to the triathlon with my bike? Once in London how do I get it to where I'm staying? Can bikes travel on the tube? Apparently yes, but only at certain times. Can they go on overground? Do I have to pay?? This one was playing heavily on my mind until I realised I am talking about moving a vehicle. Stupid Crand - I can cycle it across London! Pray for me.

This is just a teeny tiny small glimpse into the questions and worries I'm currently trying to conquer. So whilst I'm excited, I'm also a tiny bit scared about the unknown. But I guess this is half the fun. Right?!

The long run - Friday Photo #38

A round up of Crandon Runs in one weekly photo

Triathlon training is all go this week. All my spare time currently consists of swimming, biking and running, and sometimes, like twice this week, all three in one day. Which is great! But the extra sports for me seems to mean shorter runs and I've found I'm missing my long run fun. Running makes me do this...

Disco run!

...and not only when there is a giant glitter ball around (although obviously it helps). When my brother in law suggested we run to and from parkrun last weekend whilst he and my sister were visiting I was so happy. A 9 mile run! With long working hours and tri training I haven't been able to get above 6 miles for weeks.

So off we went. I remembered how much I like longer distances, and so did what anyone would do while training for a triathlon: signed up for my next half marathon in a couple of weeks. That should get me back into double digits where I belong whilst also attempting to become a triathlete.

Do you prefer short runs or are you more of a longer distance runner?

Making a splash - a Tricurious post

‘Countdown to Rio – 497 days’ was the unexpected sign that greeted me at my local pool on Sunday.  Surely intended to instill motivation and inspiration to the pro swimmers that frequent the Manchester Aquatics Centre, to me it screamed, ‘YOU DON’T BELONG HERE CRANDON!’. Still, I was pool side by this point; too far gone to back out now.

Having spent three weeks dutifully heading to the pool alone to try and remind myself how to front crawl, I was told about a local swimming group who offer coaching sessions. I knew I was in need of some tips and help from someone in the know and was looking forward to rounding off my weekend with a Sunday night swim. Despite the unnerving Olympic countdown, it wasn’t as scary as I thought. Put in a newbies group, I had lots of fun doing all different types of swimming strokes including an attempt at one armed butterfly – thankfully not a requirement in the forthcoming London triathlon – as well as various team relays. On my cycle home (is this a brick session then?!), I realised I’d swum way more than I had when swimming alone, and tried out lots of new techniques. So, all in all, a very minor swimming success.

Having fun in the pool was all well and good, but how would I fare in the open water? I was keen, and anxious, to find out. Although I’d once swam in Hampstead Heath on a hot summers day, this was something totally new. I wasn’t sure what I was more scared of: the wetsuit or the freezing temperatures of the water in Salford Quays. I spent my lunch break reading up on the open water section in ‘Tricurious‘ and tried to remember the tips for getting into my wetsuit like a pro. It turns out, these were a success. I slathered my wrists and neck with baby oil to prevent rubbing and popped a plastic bag over my arms and feet to get the wetsuit on with ease. Thankfully, I had my friend Sheila with me to show me the ways of the open water and I was glad to have her there to chat to whilst we swam. Like running, I’m learning that swimming is way more fun with friends.

Pre-dip - nervous anticipation

The temperature outside was cold, little waves were lapping in the quays, and there was a breeze in the air. The sky was a greyish blue and the walk to the quays was cold enough without being in the actual water. But I knew I had to get on with it. For about 5 minutes, my face was one of shock as I ducked into the cold water and filled my wetsuit with water before pressing it out again (*proud Tricurious student face*). My arms and feet were pretty numb and I had a little brain freeze, but I soon forgot about these. What I noticed more than anything was the fun that I was having.

I must admit, I mostly did breaststroke while I got used to my new environment, and having Sheila there to laugh with when we got freaked out by the ‘things’ in the water (possibly a leaf, possibly a pre-historic creature) made it all the more enjoyable. We did a short lap of 300m followed by the longer course of 500m, and I changed between front crawl and breaststroke as much as I could.

Open water - DONE!

Finally taking the, literal, plunge has put my fears of being in the open water to rest. How would I cope in a wetsuit? Would I freeze in the cold? Would I be able to actually swim with that distance? Would I need to be rescued? These were all genuine concerns. I wasn’t at all fast, the other triathletes have nothing to worry about here, but I did it and I loved it. As my wise friend Sheila said, “it’s nice to do something ‘real': not be in a boring gym or running a treadmill, but outside in the elements reallydoing something” and she’s right. I’m looking forward to going back next week.

This post first appeared on the team Tricurious blog - where you can follow the journeys of my team mates, as we venture into the world of triathlon.

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Triathlon nutrition tips from SiS

On hearing that I am due to embark on my first triathlon with Team Tricurious, the nice people over at Science in Sport sent me over some nutrition tips to help me on my way.  Sharing is caring and all that, so read on for some advice from the professionals...

With all the excitement over your shiny new race kit, elastic shoe laces and changing times to rival superman, your nutrition might not be the focus of your attention.

You’re likely to need 1-2 hours to complete your event, which means you need to pay some attention to your nutrition to enjoy your race and get through it comfortably.

Ideally you should have a carbohydrate-based meal the evening before the race, based on pasta, rice or potatoes. Some lean protein is fine but try and avoid anything too fatty (cheese, processed meat, pastry etc.) that will be slow to transit through your gut and may increase the risk of GI distress during your event.

You're bound to feel nervous on the morning, but it’s really important that you try and have a decent breakfast. It should be based on high GI carbohydrates, at least 2-3 hours before your event starts.

This could be cereal, porridge, toast and jam, or fruit and yogurt. Ensuring that you are well hydrated is also very important. Ideally you should drink 500-1000ml of fluid from waking to starting your event. This could be SiS GO Hydro or if you’re struggling to eat too many carbs in the form of solid food then try SiS GO Electrolyte. 

The swim starts are usually staggered, so you may have to wait a while before you dip in! Keep some SiS GO Electrolyte with you so you can keep your energy and hydration levels up.

During the event the bike is really the only opportunity to take fuel and fluid on board, and typically lasts 30-60 minutes depending on speed. It is useful to carry one 500ml bottle of SiS GO Electrolyte to sip from during the ride.

You may want to carry a gel with you to take just before the end of the bike leg to give you a lift for the run.

After around 1-2 hours of intense racing you will have used a good proportion of your muscle glycogen stores. This needs to be replaced as quickly as possible after the race. Your metabolism remains lifted for around 30 minutes post-exercise, and you will absorb nutrients much faster in this period. SiS REGO Rapid Recovery contains carbohydrates, proteins and electrolytes to replace what you have lost during the race. It can be mixed in your training bag or transition box ready to go as soon as you finish.

Keep hydrating afterwards and make sure you stretch properly. Have a balanced meal within 1-2 hours of finishing and then enjoy your achievement!

Emma Barraclough is the Sensior Sports Nutritionist for Science in Sport, www.scienceinsport.com

So there we have it! I sometimes find nutrition is the last thing on my list to think about, but I sure notice when I do let it slip! I'll be sure to practice these tips during training and hopefully this will help me towards traithlon success....fingers crossed!

Do you have any other triathlon tips? Leave a comment or drop me an email!