I’m happiest with a race to work towards. Here you’ll find my experiences training for marathons, triathlons, and in 2018 an Ironman.
Lots of tips for beginners to running, racing and triathlon.
And, in an attempt to be experimental – you’ll also find posts where I test out some of the latest fitness fads. Always a laugh, never an impact to lifestyle.
This post is dedicated to everyone starting to run or even just considering it, but especially dedicated to my Mom who I am so proud of! Mom started running in June this year and has worked her running time up, step-by-step at her own pace.
Here are my tips to beginner runners… what to expect and why you should give it a go!
Since Ironman 70.3 Zell am See, I’ve felt a little lost. This was my last race for the year and my main focus for months…. so now what?
It’s such an anticlimax when your ‘big race’ is all of the sudden over. You cross the finish line feeling motivated and excited for the next race, but then there isn’t one… I’ve experienced the same thing with rowing; all of the sudden the season is over and you have time and energy again. If only I knew what to do with it!
Before I jump back into goal setting and training towards something, I think I’ll learn to enjoy this thing called ‘time’ first. My true challenge will be finding a healthy balance without a race to work towards. This Aquaphysical class was the perfect kick start for me.
IT WAS HILARIOUS – a 30 minute HIIT class on water.
We were either laughing, smiling or sticking out our tongue trying to balance for the entire class.
When you’re training for triathlon it’s much easier to feel confident with swimming, biking and running as separate disciplines because that’s what you’ve been practicing. But when a race comes up, putting it all together and sorting yourself out in transition can feel a little foreign.
I have a few friends with their first triathlon coming up – this post is for you!
Here are some tips for the transition area. 
This past week of training has been really tough. My energy levels feel low and as a result I’m not feeling very motivated… It’s been quite the contrast over the past 2 weeks actually. Two weeks ago I was feeling strong, excited and I felt like my half ironman training was really coming along. This week the weather has cooled off and with it, so has my motivation.
Now this is going to sound silly… but I honestly think that getting through the past few early morning training sessions comes down to two things 1) determination and 2) Nespresso (mainly Nespresso).
My morning ritual: 5:15, the alarm goes off. 5:16, Zombie walk to the Nespresso machine. 5:17, the Nespresso machine is on. 5:18, two Lungo’s made and brought back to bed (one mine, one Dan’s). 5:19, debate going back to sleep. 5:25, we finish our drinks, we get up and go.
I recommend Nespresso for anyone who drinks coffee and has early morning commitments. It’s quick, it’s good coffee and give your sleepy eyes less than 10 minutes, you’ll be up and ready to take on the day. The worst part is getting up to grab your cup… in extreme circumstances I’ve debated putting our Nespesso machine at the bedside table even!
As you can see… I’m pretty dependent on coffee; so lets talk about the benefits coffee when training.
Have you ever heard of EMS (Electric Muscle Stimulation) training?
Well the guys over at Exerceo Training got me suited up for an EMS workout and taught me all about it.
This Sunday my colleagues and I will be racing the British 10k in support of Macmillan Cancer Support. A group of us at work have been training since May in preparation for the event.
In previous years, we’d often sign up for 5k charity runs. This year we decided to double our distance! For many in the group, this will be the longest distance they’ve ever run.
I felt slightly responsible for convincing my colleagues to race a 10k so I started a run club at work to get everyone trained up for the race! We train every Monday and it has been amazing seeing individuals improve. I used to coach novice and corporate rowers in University and I forgot how good it feels to pass on knowledge and help others work towards their fitness goals.
We train in a park near work where we are surrounded by green – a good reminder of why we’re doing all this hard work: Macmillan.
With work, training, the blog and MBA Run Club my time often feels stretched… I created the run club as my contribution to the 10k challenge.
If you’d like to support all our efforts and donate towards Macmillan Cancer Support, you can do so at our Just Giving page. All donations gratefully received.
Now that the swim session my coach runs every Tuesday has moved to an outdoor lido, I have no other choice but to purchase a wetsuit for training and racing in. I knew I’d have to buy one eventually but I kept putting it off because it was all a bit overwhelming…
I borrowed a wetsuit in meantime and quickly came to realise that a well fit wetsuit in the swim lag of a triathlon is like the bike you need for cycling – it’s a necessity of the sport, not a ‘nice to have’.
In an effort to feel prepared for my upcoming race, I started searching online; checking out deals on Wiggle, Chain Reaction and Planet X.
I found it really difficult shopping for a wetsuit… I didn’t know how it should fit, what the difference of a £100.00 wetsuit vs a £400.00 wetsuit was, and I wasn’t familiar with all the swim jargon.
Here is what I learned about choosing a wetsuit that is right for you… from one beginner to another!
One of my goals this year is to stretch more…
But stretching alone isn’t always enough to release muscles tightness. This is why my goal has evolved into foam rolling 2-3 times a week as well.
After this weekend’s race – foam rolling was/ is my total saviour. I raced the London ITU Sprint Triathlon in Hyde Park and it really took a toll on my body. My energy levels feel low and I’ve been really stiff and uncomfortable this week. My muscles have finally started to loosen up now which I will attribute to 1) drinking lots of water and eating lots of nutrient filled foods 2) taking a couple rest days directly after the race 3) swimming on Tuesday which got my muscles moving again (could also be called an impromptu ice bath because it was so cold!) and 4) stretching and foam rolling.
You don’t have to feel stiff and uncomfortable to foam roll however. Rolling out your muscles is a great activity which benefits all lifestyles…
Here’s some info about what it is, what it does and why you should give it a try!
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…
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