Triathlon training weekend

Now I am desperately hoping this weekend of intensive training, feedback and coaching is going to give my training a much needed kick up the bottom! 

I only started triathlon in any serious way in this last year. I am really enjoying the variety of training, and almost bizarrely my running has improved. Maybe this is because I am not massively fatigued and burnt out from relentless running. And I am sure that swimming, although hard (and bloody awful in my opinion) it provides some nice 'off the legs' training.

Practicing good running form

Some really interesting points were raised about running technique, and how improving your form can give you big gains in time, without having to smash yourself stupid doing huge volumes of training or really painful high intensity sessions (you will have to do some though if you want to get faster - sorry)

We were really lucky to have some really good quality swim coaching from Swim Smooth - have a look at some videos on YouTube if you have no idea what I am on about. Some brilliant technique stuff, brilliant but also ridiculously difficult for those with bambi on ice like coordination! This was preceded by a nice off road run and followed by a couple of hours on the bike around the hills of Halton. 

Leda and some of the cyclists

Day 2 was lead by Jez and Leda Cox from howgoodcouldibe.com. Both former pros  (cycling and duathlon) came to dispense some brilliant advice on running, cycling (specifically bike handling) and training. One of the most important things for me, as someone who LOVES training, is the importance of resting; not only for the body but also for the mind. In theory you should then be refreshed to take on the next days session, instead of getting more and more tired, and more and more frustrated with the results.


Train Hard - Rest Hard :) 

Apple crisps

These are my second forray into healthy alternatives for bad stuff!! 

Here is the how to:

1. Slice an apple into things slices, preferably with a mandolin 

2. Boil in a saucepan with a cup of apple juice for around 5 mins. You can add cinamon at this stage if you want. 

3. Pat dry with a cloth. 

4. Lay out on a wire rack. 

5. Put in oven at 160 degrees for about 30 mins or until golden brown and crispy.. just like crisps :) 

This was the best I could do with a knife -mandolin needed

Boil with 1 cup of apple juice

Pat dry on a cloth

Put onto a wire rack

Ta Daa!

Cake!

Carrot cake 1.5 

Like many triathletes I have a passion for baking, however I don't have a passion for piling on the pounds that I have just burn off over the course of some agonizing training session. Therefore i am on a quest to try and develop some healthy cake that isn't cake alternatives. I have made about 5 so far, with mixed success. The best has been this carrot cake;

Ingredients
500g Buckwheat flour (this is incredibly difficult to find unless you live in some sort of metropolis of health food shops, so spelt flour will do, or i'm sure brown baking flour would work fine too, but the point of the buckwheat is it is high protein)
75g crushed walnuts
3 grated carrots
5 tbsp sultanas
zest 1 orange
juice 1 orange
3 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp all spice or mixed spice 
1 grated apple
50 ml rapeseed oil or melted coconut butter

Method - eassssssssssssssssssy
Preheat oven to 170 degrees
Mix everything together apart from the orange juice. Once everything is mixed, and your cake tin is oiled and ready then add the orange juice, mix and stick in cake tin, stick in oven and cook for 45-60 mins

The reason the orange juice goes in last is it reacts with the bicarbonate of soda and baking powder, releasing bubbles of carbon dioxide. you want to maximize the amount of bubbles IN the cake, and not have them all escape while you are still mixing away. 

New Beginnings

I have tried to keep a blog up to date about 5 times. 

I have now decided with re-newed enthusiasm (much like those January gym go-ers) that I am going to write about my journey to the European Triathlon Championships in Kitzbuhel. 

This is my second season of triathlon, and the first that I have begun any Tri specific training before May! I come from a background as a runner, but a pretty average one at that. I have only begun to see some serious improvements following the addition of some double training session days, and surprise, surprise - actually following a training plan.

One of the things I have begun doing is yoga. Not just any yoga though, Bikram yoga which you do in a room heated to around 40 degrees. I was VERY skeptical about this in the beginning, and didn't really see it as training, however as someone who rarely ever stretches, and uses the excuse of being too busy, this is a great opportunity to have 90 minutes of enforced stretching. I also surprised myself by actually enjoying it. It is pleasant to have some time to focus on nothing but holding the positions the instructor is telling you to do.



The next even on the horizon is the Inter-Services Cross Country Championships...stay tuned!