Being part of a running, cycling and triathlon club this is a question that is discussed frequently with many different opinions and answers and my honest response is that it is totally personal preference and there is no right or wrong answer.  I would say be sensible, however, and don’t get me wrong you won’t see many people using pizza as their nutrition BUT you’d be surprised as this was handed out during the Ironman Austria event my husband and friends completed last year and is also eaten by ultra marathon runner Dean Karnazes (in a previous interview with Dean he mentioned how he had pizza delivered to him mid run before) and he has run 350 miles in 80 hours before so as I said each to their own!

It is something that takes time to work out and is really a bit of trial and error.  I would suggest trying out different nutrition on shorter distances when training rather than using in an event without any previous experience.  You’ve heard of ‘runner’s tummy’ right?  That would never be a good thing!

For me, I am perfectly happy to admit I am a food snob and I like to know what is in the food I am eating including my nutrition for events.  So it would be no surprise when I say that I much prefer to eat ‘real food’ rather than sports food.  I want to know what the nutritional value is and for me if the list of ingredients takes too long to read I probably won’t be buying or using it!  I have no qualification in nutrition but I have found that if a food item contains that many ingredients you will more than likely find that it is because there could be a lot of processed/poor quality/high sugar or salt and this, for me, does not affect my performance in a way I want – these chemical filled foods will often have a laxative effect and I will pass on that thank you very much!

I am currently working with Kate Percy and Sophie Heath from Go Faster Food to work on my nutrition and fuelling for the events I have planned.  I was intrigued from the outset as the Go Bites range dealt with fuelling your workout before, during and after.  They are gluten, wheat and dairy free and 1 of your 5 a day – and they taste great so what’s not to like?  I had tried similar products before and found they were not as palatable and actually quite hard to digest whilst on the move but found these to be great!  They are packaged great including three individual balls that are just the right size for having whilst on the move.  So far I have used for running and cycling and even shared with my husband who is training for Ironman events and he too was impressed so this could very easily be our new go to food for events!

I have even made some of my own from Kate’s Go Faster Food for Your Active Family book and they are great – I will admit I substituted some ingredients with what I had in the cupboard – I am terrible for amending recipes but the gist is the same just maybe a different seed or dried fruit!  The book contains loads of recipes and I will be enjoying making some over the coming weeks whilst continuing with my training.

I have previously mentioned in my posts about running how I am not the best runner or how I am wishing to fall in love with it and have not as yet.  I see people running and they make it look effortless, as if they are gliding along and I think to myself yes I want to be like that.  The main problem being that when I run I shuffle along, I am bright red, I sweat (like a beast), I can’t breathe and I probably look like I am escaping some form of escape.

I spent over a year trying to get quicker and ending up being slower than ever and really disliking running (don’t want to say hating but it is pretty close).  I would check my watch the whole way round a run either speeding up if too slow or trying to slow down if too fast (that didn’t happen very often).  I would load my activity post run and quickly check my average pace, all too often hoping to be quicker than I was.

A knee injury meant that I am following a sort of couch to 10k plan, along with other exercises, to rehab and strengthen the knee, and I am not hating it.  I have not missed a single session including over the Christmas/New Year period.  I am currently on week 11 and up to a 17 minute jog, 1 minute walk, repeated twice and finished with a further 17 minute jog.  It is not quick and I have been advised (by the physio and also the husband) to slow it down and keep it at a pace I can respond to questions so I am.  And I am not hating it.

The husband has mentioned that when you find this ‘sweet spot’ (sounds naughty doesn’t it) that you could probably just keep going.  It is the pace that you think is probably a little too slow when in fact is probably right.

I, like many others I am sure, constantly say to people oh I am slow.  I can’t run with you because I am too slow.  You won’t want to run with me I will slow you down.  Despite reassurances that they don’t mind.  In fact last week I returned from work and was going to the gym but before that I had, as part of this rehab plan, a 47 minute run to complete.  This was fine until my husband started getting changed.  Why was he putting running clothes on?  Where was he going?  Surely not with me?  Yes he was coming with me!  Why did this put me in such a fluster?  Going out to run with the man I have been with for over 20 years, who is my biggest supporter, should put a smile on my face but instead made me panic, snap at him and declare I was going on my own (we all have that inner 4 year old waiting to have a tantrum right?).  He probably thought I was mental and was terribly confused and I blurted out all of the above about being slow etc and he said it’s just running, there is no rush, no time to beat, it is just time on your feet.  We ran and did so again the following day and it was fab and he paced me the whole way telling me in fact to slow down!  I finished not looking like a beetroot and being able to talk almost normally – what is this witchcraft?

Most of my runs range from a 10-11 minute mile pace.  They used to be 9-10 minute mile pace.  I used to hate running.  Now not so much.  So my lesson learned is that this is in fact my sweet spot pace and does it matter?  Does the pace really matter?  No!  Without sounding cliche I am still covering the same distance as other people doing it at different speeds.  There will be people out there who would love that pace and equally some that would hate it.  Does it matter?  Absolutely not, I am still doing it.  And I am fine with that – finally!

#thisgirlcan

I debated on writing this for a while.  I don’t want it to come across as selfish but thought it would be interesting to write about the journey to Iron Man from the other side ie the other half of the one actually doing the event.

My husband has wanted to complete a full distance Iron Man event for as long as I can remember.  He is very methodical and likes to look into everything in finite detail and understand fully what he is taking on.  So he decided that this journey would be over a number of years and would work up from literally doing no exercise to getting into swimming, cycling and running.

This is a total full circle journey because when I say he did no exercise before he really didn’t and was almost forced into it due to an ongoing issue he had with his leg that required him, following medical advice, to lose weight and keep active.

As I know only too well getting into fitness is slow and it is hard.  It takes time, perseverance and patience.  It is a rocky road and not always smooth sailing.  He started with his first 5k and completed it in a time of 49 minutes (his PB now is 21 minutes 25 seconds).  The cycling he took to pretty quickly and as his times from triathlons show this is his strongest of the three disciplines – he is now a qualified cycling coach.  The swim was also slow to start and 6 lengths would be the absolute limit.

Over a period of just under 3 years he slowly worked up his fitness and distances for each discipline whilst battling with his leg issues.  He helped set up Romford CC and also joined Havering Tri and the support, advice and encouragement from both is second to none.

Before he would take on the full distance he decided that he would first complete a number of half distances.  Four 70.3 distances, or middle distance, triathlons later as follows:

• Outlaw half Holkham – 5 hours 51 minutes
• Iron Man Weymouth – 5 hours 58 minutes
• Iron Man Dubai – 5 hours 34 minutes
• Outlaw half Nottingham – 5 hours 11 minutes

he was ready for the full.

We set off on a very very very long drive to Austria.  This race had been recommended by a very close friend who had taken part in it twice before and a group of us were going with 6 taking on the challenge.

Now lets talk about the training.  Before he took on this challenge he asked me if I was ok with it?  I found that odd at the time as I have always supported him and vice versa and of course I said yes, but I don’t think either of us realised how much that meant we would not see each other.  That is not a criticism but the reality that if you take on something like this, and you train for it seriously, then you need to be prepared that the hours needed will make a difference on your life.  You hear about people saying they are a triathlete widow and I understand why.

Now I run and cycle but I am not at the same level as my husband (he is so much slower than me ha ha) so there is not much training we can do together, however, we did try to plan our training so that we had some time together still but it was literally Friday (aka date night which was more realistically the night we fell asleep early together at home because we were both exhausted) and Sunday afternoon depending what long rides we had planned.

It is tough.  There is no getting away from it and if anyone thinks its actually a walk in the park and much easier than I am making out then fair play to you but I would probably disagree.

Training per week comprised of approximately 17 hours.  This is on top of a full time job, having a family, dog, an almost non-existent social life and never cutting the grass (I had to get that in about the grass sorry).

The other side is the mental, or emotional, side effects.  You are tired, you are grumpy, you constantly doubt yourself, you are anxious and you inevitably take it out on those closest to you.  But it’s not personal it is just a consequence.

The event itself is long.  There is the travel, registration, swim practice, setting up bikes and test rides, activation sessions of short swim/bike/run to keep the muscles active.  There is an early start on the day with most starting from 7am.  There is a cut off anywhere from 15 to 17 hours depending on the event, as some vary slightly depending on the course, and so that is realistically the amount of time you could be waiting/supporting/cheering/checking a tracker every ten minutes to make sure the person you are there for is still moving and everything is ok.

For us race day started with a 4am alarm, breakfast, shower and on the road for 4:45am.  Bikes were racked the day before and so after lots of layers of sudo cream (those who know will know why) tri suit was on under a tracksuit and day bags (containing items for post race) were put into bag drop.  Wet suits and swim hats were put on followed by nervous kisses, wish of good luck and goodbyes through teary eyes saw my husband heading off to the swim start.  Most of the time the athletes will go to an area that spectators cannot get access to and so we headed to as close as we could get and I managed to see him once more before he went into the water.  It was a rolling swim start so you don’t  really know how long someone has been as you are never entirely sure what time they entered the water.  He completed the swim in 1 hour 14 minutes and was running to the transition area (about a 500m run which seemed quite long but hey ho).  On to the bike which was two laps of 56 miles and saw big smiles from him – this was his happy place as a friend quite rightly said and he was there for 5 hours 24 minutes.

Back into transition and then on to the run which was laps again for 4 hours 26 minutes.  All in the sun.

Now anyone who has been to an event with me knows I am loud.  I sound like an old fish wife.  If I am there to support then you will know about it.  Anyone who has done an event with my husband will also know he stops whenever he sees me to give me a kiss.  He will also stop to check friends taking part in the event are ok.

I stood by the swim exit then ran round to bike out.  As it was laps I stayed there before he went out on the run.  By moving around the course I saw him 7 times, which put my mind at rest that all was good and hopefully helped him too.  The final positioning is on the finish tunnel and ten minutes can seem like hours.  When you see the person you are waiting for enter that finish tunnel the emotion is immense!  I cried, he cried, he finished and I carried on crying.  Friends gave me hugs and tried to calm me down but once I started crying I couldn’t stop.  I was very proud and  also might get my husband back!  Bloody Iron Man (joking) although I did see an Iron Man tshirt that said ‘in 140.6 miles I get my husband back’ – it made me laugh.

My husband completed his full distance Iron Man in Austria in a time of 11 hours 19 minutes and I couldn’t be more proud.  It makes it all worth it.

My husband is an Iron Man.  I am tired and emotional.  I think its called balance?

He is now thinking of the events he is doing next year, I didn’t want a holiday…….

My main event for 2017 has been and gone, and whilst the Vatternrundan was absolutely epic and I loved it, I have other events for the remainder of the year and I am switching my training up.

I am lucky that I surround myself with people who are awesome.  Being part of cycling, running and triathlon clubs means I spend time with people who are inspiring and so positive.  Having people like this in your life lifts you up and makes me realise I can do what I set out to achieve.

For the rest of the year I have two 100 mile bike rides (the Prudential Ride London 100 and Birmingham Velo) and so my training on the bike will continue for both of those.

I also have four obstacle runs (Nuclear Blast, Nuclear Blackout, Spartan Beast and Nuclear Fallout).

I recently took part and completed Spitfire Scramble (a 24 hour relay run) as part of the amazing, all female, team Scrambled Legs.  Whilst I had a blast and loved it I have not done much running this year at all and I didn’t find any of my three 10k laps easy.  I have much to work on in terms of running including posture, technique and breathing.

So I have spoken with a friend, who is also an amazing personal trainer and has worked with my husband as his strength and conditioning coach in the run up to his full distance Ironman this year, and she is setting me a plan to help with all of the above.  She asks me what I want and I basically send her a picture of a body perfect woman and say this, this is what I want.  She ignores me.  She has her work cut out for her.  And so today sees my first session with her #bodybyvinny

All of the above means a change to the structure of my weekly training plan and also my nutrition.  All for the better.

I have invested in some new workout equipment including:

• skipping rope
• battle ropes and anchor
• agility ladder
• boxing gloves
• core bag
• I also have a huge tyre that is currently at a friends that I will soon be collecting

When I start using these in my garden I am sure my neighbours are going to think I am nuts!  To one side one neighbour has swingball and the other a hot tub and there will be me flipping a lorry tyre (as you do).

I will be sharing some hints and tips as to how you can train for an obstacle run including plans from Spartan and how you can use these also, which hopefully people will find useful.

Watch this space…….