crash stretching!!!

Some people manage to lose weight dramatically - crash dieting, I'm hoping some crash stretching will get me back on the road to performing the way I should be! The last few races have been very frustrating for me, Eagleman and last weekend at Rhode Island. Both races on the bike, I quickly found my left leg feeling numb from my gluts down and my right side with a 'nervey' pain originating in my lower back, running through my glut and the outside of my leg. Along with this a significant lack of power! Realising I am just soooo tight in my hips, through too long of not enough stretching and taking care of myself the way I know I should have, its all added up. I've spent the last few weeks with a much higher focus on stretching and recovery, but now its a case of recovery and recuperation first and some training in between to simply 'keep my oar in'. Not the most ideal way to lead in to my first Ironman of the year, but I'm seriously hoping I can turn things round and get to Lake Placid in the best shape I know fitness wise, I am in...
:-)

Your body knows exactly what it needs!

Just lying down after a nice long run this morning, in crazily hot and humid conditions. The last couple of days have been over 100 degrees (high 30's possibly in the 40's C) and with humidity at around 90%. So I'd set off for my 2hr45 run with my nutrition and hydration all sussed out or at least thats what I thought anyway! (maybe in slightly more normal conditions it would have been fine but as I found out... not today!) Calories wise I'm confident I planned for and took in exactly what I needed. My new INFINIT nutrition run formula is great. I'm taking in more calories than I ever used to and its going down so well, keeping me feeling strong throughout. Today though in these conditions, I really could have done with more water! Running towards garden sprinklers and having to stop at a couple to get some extra drops of water within the last few km's of my run was a sure sign my body was crying out for fluid! I'm confident calories wise I'd got it right as I really was just craving pure water. I've had plenty of experiences in training and racing where I think I'd definately underestimated calorie intake and had specific cravings basically for sugar! I've experienced various cravings, I remember one training run I'd done on a hot day in the UK (yes we do have some!) where I'd taken only water with me (silly lesson that I had to learn!) and I remember having a strong craving specifcally for a cadburys creme egg! I suppose the creamy inside is almost like some gels! (I didn't manage to find one, running in the mountains in the countryside around cardiff!!!)

After a bottle of water this morning as soon as I got through the door, a little bit of a nauseous feeling initially, I perked back up again and with my mission to make sure I'm maximising my recovery time, I think I'm doing pretty well so far - recovery drink (INFINIT fruit punch Repair formula), cold shower and 2XU recovery tights on, an Anne special breakfast smoothie (today with oats, yoghurt, milk, mango juice and banana) and a lye down before a good stretch in a bit! Maybe I'll be ready to face the heat again soon...!

:-)

nutrition, hydration, nutrition, hydration.....!

The last week has been really testing in terms of training in very hot and humid conditions. Its been up in the mid 30's with around 90% humididty most days. Over the last few years I have been fortunate to have had opporunities to spend good amounts of time training in hot conditions, so although it doesn't come easily for me to perform well in the heat, I've been adapting fairly well. I still really struggle with the humidity though and I often find its harder to recover from training, maybe because I lose my appetite a bit in these conditions! and as my coach David rightly keeps reminding me, just a few calorie deficit day to day really adds up and can make a big negative difference! Just have to force the calories down! My smoothies are working well though! (latest favourite... peanut butter, chocolate powder, banana, oats and milk! Ummm yummie!)

During training though, i'm getting the calories in really well. Since being over here, I've started to use infinitnutrition products (www.infinitnutrition.us) and I'm really pleased to find that its working really well for me. I couldn't be testing it in much more testing conditions! I'm keeping on top of hydration well and am finding I'm able to take in more calories than I would have before. Thats a result!!! This week I've had a couple of long runs as well as a long brick at race pace and for each have felt better and better as the session has gone on - definately a result!!! So far I've just used their ride and run formula, but have ordered some customized formulas so can't wait to start using these. I know I've had a number of 'under-par performances' in the last few seasons and not getting my nutrition 100% right on the day has been largely to blame. I'm so much more confident now even with just the last week of using infinitnutrition that I can get my nutrition right in races... looking forward to Rhode Island 70.3 in a few weeks and IM Lake Placid shortly after...

Still working on loosening up my hips and gluts, stretching much more and really feeling the benefit :-)

Off for an ez ride now before another race pace day tomorrow :-) Happy days!!! :-)

Food!!! :-)

Its so nice to be feeling settled in my new home already! One real bonus for me being settled somewhere is that I manage to eat so well! I generally have a pretty good and well balanced diet but when my life is so hecic sometimes and i'm moving around alot, its sometimes hard to cook and eat well. I love cooking and really enjoy my food! Its so nice to be here with Dave who's doing similar training to me too, thinking about food for two people is so much nicer than just thinking for yourslef! I think it makes it more interesting anyway, i'm more likely to vary what I eat/cook.

I've certainly felt more energised this week, thats definately down to me getting into a routine with eating regularly as well as sleeping and generally letting my body catch up! So post long run and recovery ride today, i've just had my favourite post training snack of peanut butter and banana sandwich and an oat, banana, chocolate powder and milk smoothie! Yummie :-)

Off for a good stretch now... and then maybe a trip to the beach and or a little spin on the BMX later! Happy days! :-)

settlin in and havin fun :-)

Just spending some time settling in to my new home for the next few Months in Port Jefferson, sussing out the training routes, finding my feet and trying not to get myself too lost or in too much trouble... so far so good apart from already being pulled over by the police! Whoops!!! OK a bit of a blonde moment but nothing serious! Lucky my smile came in handy! :-)

Decided to get a little bike to get about on, thought it will come in handy for little trips into town etc, I think 'fun' took over the 'practicality' factor though and I (well, Dave did too) got all excited about having a BMX again! (I haven't had one since I was about 15 and that one died a slow death - no pedals, brakes or a saddle by the end!) So here's a little piccie of Dave, Lucky and I enjoying some ice cream after scooting around town, probably looking like 12 year olds!!! :-)



Back to the serious stuff! I managed to see someone about my hip issues and thankfully it should be solved easily enough, just with a lot of stretching and TLC from my behalf! Felt so much better running today, hope I can up my training again now without tightening up too much - must keep on top of it all!!!

Off for a little stretch now... :-)

since leaving Spain... UK and now America!...

Life has been pretty manic over the last few weeks! I left Spain and headed back to the UK the day before my first race of the season, the TriGrandPrix half Ironman (the first race for this new series, held in Kent). I went into the race feeling pretty strong after my few months of training in the Spanish mountains. I felt it would simply give me a good idea of where I am at, which it did (apart from not knowing where I was at for part of the bike course and for the first time ever in my triathlon career managed to take a wrong turn on the bike course and add an extra 10-15 mins to my bike split!!! Arrrgh!!!) Aside from that though, I managed to keep my head together and just see what I could do on the run... a PB (1.28 even with a pee stop!!!) so at least I could be happy with that :-)

Unfortunately the run left me particularly tight in one hamstring and I've been suffering with this ever since. I was due to head out to Japan for the Ironman a few days after the race in Kent, but heard the news that the race had been cancelled! Dissapointed was a huge understatement, not only because I was all geared up for an Ironman but particularly for this one, I was so excited to be going back after last years experience. And for the race organisers too, knowing how much effort goes into the races! Maybe it will be on next year and i'll have a chance to go back, i have my fingers crossed for that!...

So anyway that threw me but as I was planning to do a few races in the States anyway, I decided to bring my trip forward and with some quick/last minute organising I managed to get an entry to Eagleman 70.3, the same date as the Ironman would have been. I figured this would be my best option and then at least after doing the 70.3 I could settle into some training in the area i'll be based for the next few months (near to New York). So with a flight to the States and some long distance driving, i'm in Cambridge, Maryland for the Eagleman 70.3... Unfortunately I didn't have a good day at the office at all! The tight hamstring issue bothered me along with a lot of general tightness/soreness in my glut's, hip flexors and hamstrings. I felt like I just had no power in my legs on the bike and subsequently didn't run well. It was a hard one to swallow, I don't think I've ever had to walk parts of a Half Ironman before! I finished it though and am now taking things a bit easy before settling into a good block of training before my next race in 4 weeks time. First priority though, to get my body back how it should be so I can perform to my best! I just wish I could look after myself as well as I can other people through sports massage!!!

I'm pretty sure I will really enjoy my next few months here... should have time to blog more too!!! :-)

Constructive recovery! :-)

If there's one thing that will make me sit still for a while and therefore compliment me as an athlete and recover from all the training, its artwork... So, lately i've been busy having fun creating charicatures! Not something i've done a lot of in the past, but i'm enjoying giving it a go. My sister has asked if I could have a go at doing some wedding invitations, hope she doesn't mind me posting my attempt!



Will add more as I have them... working on some for Andy and Tracy right now...
Adios for now :-)