Today I raced my first open water swim event.

I signed up for the 1500m race, borrowed a wetsuit and made my way to Dorney Lake for the race.

I found out about the Eton Open Water Swim after speaking to a few members of Tri London at the Crystal Palace Triathlon a few weekends back. It seemed like the perfect segue from pool swimming to open water swimming – without having to worry about transitioning, cycling and running after.

I thought I had prepared myself quite well earlier this week by going for a swim in an open air Lido to test out the wetsuit and get familiar with the cold water… well it definitely didn’t hurt but I was still completely and utterly shocked 100m into the race today.

Shocked by… the cold. the compression. the commotion. and the conditions.

Posted by allisonloosley

Last Chance to sign up for the London Marathon Ballot

One more day until the London Marathon ballot is closed (shutting on Friday 8th May at 17.00).

Posted by allisonloosley

Balmoral 10k Race Report + Weekend Trip

What a stunning race the Balmoral 10k was. The course takes you along a rural path for about 3km until you start climbing the extremely steep 1km hill and descending for 3km after that. In the last 300m you come past the stunning Balmoral Estate (although, at this point all you want to see is the finish line!!).

Posted by allisonloosley

5k and 10k Running Events in London UK

With the world famous London Marathon coming up over the weekend, let’s get inspired and check out what other races are available here in London.

With a population of over 8 million… we can’t be too surprised that once an event gets featured in our Tuesday Timeout mag that there’ll be a queue for DAYZ or it’ll be completely sold out. For this reason, I’ll avoid the highly publicized one-off races so that by the time you read this and think, ‘hey, I might sign up for that one…’ that there will actually be spaces available for you to do so.

Here are two amazing options for 5k and 10k running series in London — these are trusted events you can count on and which are suited for runners of all levels.

Posted by allisonloosley

Flapjack Recipe

This weekend I baked a loaf of banana bread (recipe here) and three trays of flapjacks. I know a recipe is worth sharing when Dan eats an entire tray before they even cool off!

I have a couple great recipes to share that are PERFECT for long runs or long rides on the bike.

These flapjacks are nutritious, healthy, high in carbs and just what you need to re-fuel.

Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 30 minutes
Result: 20 healthy & hearty flapjacks!

Posted by allisonloosley

Dealing with pre-race Jitters

You’d think that after 7 years of competitive racing, the pre-race jitters would begin to disappear, eh? Well, sorry to tell you that this is so NOT the case… What I have learned though, is how to turn those jitters into excitement and drive… rather than negative thoughts like doubt and fear (which jitters can easily turn into if you’re not careful!).

Here’s how…

When I start to feel the pre-race jitters… In order to turn them into excitement and drive, I’ve learned to simply not entertain any negative thoughts. They’ll come through my mind constantly but I just watch them leave again without being effected, considering or debating them.

Here are a few of the thoughts that went through my mind before the Berlin Half Marathon…

Posted by allisonloosley

Berlin Half Marathon

Daylight savings in Autumn 2014, the clocks fall back and we have an extra hour in our day. My roommate Kailee and I decide to make the most of this extra hour by signing up for the Berlin Half Marathon, which our friend Ash planned on racing. Little did we know we’d lose that hour literally the day before racing, when Spring daylight savings came around…

We flew out to Berlin last weekend and raced our first half marathon ever.

Posted by allisonloosley

No more posts.

Posted by allisonloosley

She can swim! She can bike! She can run!

Posted by allisonloosley

Posted by allisonloosley

Posted by allisonloosley

Posted by allisonloosley

Posted by allisonloosley

Posted by allisonloosley

Posted by allisonloosley

Posted by allisonloosley

Posted by allisonloosley

She can swim!
She can bike!
She can run!