Swimming with World Champion and double Olympian, Katy Sexton!

I’m not sure what I else I expected, but wow Katy swim’s fast! Mind blowing-ly fast.

Last Saturday, Katy and I met at the Guildford Spectrum Leisure Complex and started the set doing 8 lengths front crawl as a warm up. I obviously wanted to make a good impression so I attempted to swim at a decent effort-level to avoid being categorized as a “loss cause”. What actually happened… me thrashing-about in the pool trying to not look slow, while Katy effortlessly glides through the water and laps me in the process.

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Thorpe Park Sprint Triathlon Race Report

THE SUMMARY

I had a disappointing swim performance but because of it, I was really motivated to push myself on the bike and run. Overall, I am so pleased with the result — I finished third of all the women which is a major milestone for me, my first podium in triathlon!

Total Time: 01:21:07

Gender Position: 3 / 42

Category Position: 2 / 15

More detail on my race below and on what’s coming up next!

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Preparing for the British 10k + Adopt this racing mindset

I am officially a race ambassador for the Vitality British 10k this year! Having run in this race before, I’m more than happy to sponsor the event.

With 15,000 runners, the course is a bit crowded at first but the atmosphere and the iconic landmarks that we pass along the way make up for the slow start.

Actually, regardless of the slow start, last year I managed to finish the Vitality British 10k with a personal best! I was completely over the moon about breaking into the ’45 minute club’ with a finish time of 45:30. My personal best prior to that was 46:26, which I had been trying to beat for some time (over two years).

I’ve now realised that I haven’t raced 10km since… which is a little scary. Knowing that I will be on the same course – doing the same distance – at the same time of year… There is no reason I shouldn’t be at least the same speed as last year right? Wrong!

Whether your personal best is on a 5k course, 10k course or longer distances, there are so many factors to consider during a race and you should never start a race with an expectation to perform the same, feel the same or realise the same results that you had in the past.

Here’s how I intend to approach the Vitality British 10k in July this year. A good mindset to have for any race…

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How to Execute an Active Holiday

I’ve always felt that exploring new surroundings is best done from ground-level.

If you’re a runner, put on your runners and run; If you’re a walker, walk; and if you’re a cyclist, grab your bike and ride.

As you may have seen on Instagram/ Facebook, Dan and I are currently in Mallorca!

While Dan and Phil train for the Race Across America. Suzanne and I have been exploring the island.

I don’t want this post to spat out facts about the benefits of exercise, the mindfulness gained from travelling or the therapeutic benefits of being outdoors.

We all know these are good things.

I hope this post helps to promote active traveling and that you walk away feeling excited to execute an active holiday.

Posted by allisonloosley

Kingston Half Marathon Race Report

Let the racing begin! I felt very unprepared for the Kingston Half Marathon last weekend… Signing up for an early season race seemed like a good idea in January but like many, not everything goes to plan January/ February; they’re just tough months!

I have been focusing on keeping active and staying positive, but I haven’t placed focus on training towards any specific goals/races yet.

That being said, I’m glad my January-self thought it’d be a good idea to do an early season race. Had I trained properly, the race itself could have been more enjoyable perhaps (referencing my finish pic below…tough times). Nonetheless, I got a good sense of my fitness and achieved a PB while I was at it!

RACE SUMMARY

Total time: 1:39:43
Place: 281/1144 runners

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What you need to know about ClassPass

Until ClassPass came along, my Class-IQ was very low. My fitness class experience was limited to a few yoga classes… I had never been spinning, never saw the intrigue in barre, and I never took Pilates.

It’s not that I had anything against taking fitness classes… I just thought they were over priced and it wasn’t clear to me what I’d get out of it, so I got used to doing things on my own.

ClassPass costs £79 ($99 CAN) per month and you can take an *unlimited amount of classes. This is what got my attention… for £79 I can take as many classes as I like… so if I take upwards to 15, than each class will only cost £5.26… that’s a bargain, and I love bargains.

I did go a little crazy with ClassPass to ensure it’d be a bargain… but as a result, I’d say my Class-IQ has sky rocketed. Here’s a summary of my experience: the pros and cons of ClassPass, and a list of my favourite classes around London.

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Staying fit over the holidays

The days are short and there are loads of social engagements during the month of December. Between Christmas parties, family meals and gatherings the holiday period can leave us feeling overfed and sluggish.

In England, celebrating the holidays is a motion that lasts the entire month. It’s always difficult for me to find the right balance.

I have to remind myself that the priority during the holidays is sharing time and creating memories with people you care about. Time at the gym will have to take the hit and that’s fine. But I do have a few tips that will help you to stay feeling fit through the festivities.

Posted by allisonloosley

Aquabase HIIT Class #Floatfit

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.

Posted by allisonloosley

Electric Muscle Stimulation 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.

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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

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