It has been a while since I last blogged, thought it was about time I did…
Firstly, I’m currently on the sofa with a loo roll and a duvet having managed to pick up a bit of a cold… I think this may be due to some rather full on seasonal excess (too much drink and too many late nights) but I suddenly find myself with an evening free.
Since the Vit I have been taking a well earned end of season break, recommencing winter training in October. During the autumn I enjoyed the early part of the cross country season, a few late sportifs and my first Parkrun experience (very highly recommended) and the Dark and White trailquest series with my pal Rebecca Sore. I’ve been planning my 2011 season, with Jack and have been addressing a couple of personal projects, namely my nutritional strategy and swim technique.
On the first project, I’ve been working with Performance Nutritionist and friend, Martin MacDonald. I have made some fairly fundamental changes to my diet and hadn’t really realised how far from optimal my diet has been in the past. Already I’m experiencing some benefits to my altered nutritional plan, not least a more structured approach to recovery nutrition which is enabling me to complete two sessions a day with greater benefit, hitting my second session of the day better fuelled and therefore maintaining training ‘quality’ across both sessions.
I am definitely ‘leaning up’ despite that not being a specific nutritional goal at the moment, although I can’t quite boast the awesome results of one of Martin’s celebrity clients, Clare Nasir...
On the second project, Duncan and I spent an informative afternoon in the endless pool at swimcam with the very knowledgeable, swim smooth trained Christian. Christian has given us some really good stuff to work on over this winter period. Jack continues to back this up with some awesome swimsets (awesomely hard that is).
The weather has presented it’s own challenges over the last month or so but I’ve rather relished the snowy running, mostly completed off road. Less enjoyable perhaps are the 3hr turbo sessions I’ve been completed in my ‘turbo dungeon’ aka our kitchen! Still, it is a good test of mental toughness… Whenever possible, I’ve got out on the roads on my trusty winter bike, complete with gatorskin tyres or got out on my mountain bike.
Training motivation is being bolstered by planning a 2 week training camp in Mallorca in April for 18 triathletes and great friends of mine, I can’t wait to be training with the sun on my back but, for the moment at least, that seems a long way off!
My first training target for 2011 is the Brighton Marathon, I will be running this for Brain Tumour UK and in memory of my late brother-in-law, Bruce Shea-Simonds and I’d be really grateful if you could find the time to visit my justgiving website and, if you can, donate to this wonderful charity.
I will be leaving the Christmas partying and drinking behind as we enter the new year and my training moves up a gear. Onwards and upwards to a big Ironman season in 2011...
See you out there people, keep on training hard!
Luvie
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