Bonk!

Exciting news!

I only have time for a very quick post...however...

I am very proud and excited to say I am going to be working with Bonk Athletic in the coming months :) 

Stay tuned for an update on my picks from their new athletic clothing collection.

#LiveToTrain 

In the meantime you can check out their very informative website http://bonkathletic.com/ 

P.S Don't forget the shop! 

Challenge Rimini

Well it certainly lived up to its challenge name!

Before even getting there this race was causing me a headache, my work situation had changed considerably and getting the time off was no longer a simple thing. Also my loyal bag carrier was due to come with me but couldn't due to his work situation! 

The race must go on! 

The race was due to start at 1100 which for triathlon is unbelievably late, and my wave wasn't due to start at 1155. Never-mind worrying about breakfast, lunch was going to be the next issue!

Bike racking was in the morning of the race so I decided the best course of action was to rack the bike, then go back to the hotel for a larger than normal breakfast. Very leisurely...very odd. 

The morning of the race the weather was pretty bad, although not as bad as the day before. Rain but not too much wind. 

Swim got underway and after running out almost 50 meters we were splashing away quite happily. Until about 100m out where it got rough as hell! I always joke that at least the swim is the flat bit, but I felt like I was literally swimming uphill! 

The buoys were really hard to sight and the orientation seemed to bear no resemblance to the map of the swim course. A spectator told me the next day that during the race one of the buoys had blown off course, and was dragged back....during the race!!!That meant some people were sighting to a buoy that was moving! I clearly had my own ideas about where the swim went and ended up swimming just over 2.2km.

Into transition and I found my bike pretty well. Transition was about 300m long, pretty crazy! 

100m out of transition and I went to change gear when I herd a rather disappointing PING. The cable had snapped and I was stuck in the little ring for the whole race. Face palm! 
The bike course was a lot less hilly than the course profile might lead you to believe and I was wondering if I had made the right choice bringing my road bike rather than the TT. However when it got pretty wet at the top of the climb I was glad I had my trusty roady and was cornering with confidence, whereas on my TT I would have probably been better getting off and running with the damn thing!

Back into T2 in just over 3 hours, I was pretty happy with that considering the gear situation, even happier later when I found I had the 10th fastest bike split of the day.

I learned my lesson from Fuerteventura on the run and decided a sub 18min 5km was not the way to go. I tried really hard to reign myself in for the first lap of the 3 lap course. It paid off and on the last lap I finished strong in just under 90 mins for the 21.1km (that was my secret aim). Turns out this was the fastest AG run by over 2 mins and would have been 5th including the pro ladies!

All in all its been another great experience. Im sat in the heart of old town Rimini surrounded by beautiful Italian architecture and sipping on a cappuccino. Fantastico. 

Until next time...Arrivederci

Challenge Fuerteventura

Sat here on the beach looking out at the oacean I can hardly believe what happened yesterday.

The day started typically early for triathlon race day, and with a big old bowl of porridge and yummy things, plus a bucket of coffee. Bike racking took place the day before so the morning onsisted of checking tyre pressures and ensuring the correct things were in the correct trnsition bgs (not used those before)!

The swim was 2 laps with an australian exit. Not done one of those before either, but a run in the midle of the swim cant be a bad thing!? The pro men got underway first then it was the pro ladies and all the age group women. Very exciting! Off we went and after the first 100m or so of generally just panicking I settled into something of a rhythm. Sighting was tricky with the low bright sun at 8am, and I swam a bit of a

banana between a couple of the bouys!The Australian exit was very cool, I felt like I was in the World Series or something! This is where you get out of the swim, run along or around something and then jump back in. Unfortunately I trod on something sharp which went right into my heal, which I promptly forgot about until that evening nothicing something black stuck in myfoot!Otherpains to worry about! The second lap of the swim was made more interesting my the AG men setting off after the ladies, and now catching us up. Some were partticularly agressive wihich i thought a little unfair, as I was (im sure) the trailing lady at this point.

Out of the swim and under the cut off (this was somewhat of a worry, sicne the cut off meant I had 43 mins, im a pretty steady 2mins,100m swimmer, so any added OW trouble, a kick in the face or loosing my goggles and it could have been close). The run to trnsition was long, and uphill, but I managed to sneek past a few more people on the way. Convinced I was last in the ladies field I was determined to get my transition admin done pretty quickly! I decided to stick on some socks after chatting to a few other people over the past few weeks, quick swig of water to get rid of the taste of the sea in my mouth and off to get the bike. The bags were in a seperate tent, rather than people having their stuff sprawled around their bikes.

I set off on the bike, trying to rein myself in a little. Convinced I was last, but i kept telling myself that it was gonna be a long old ride, and plenty of time to catch people. The first part of the bike was also a really windy section through town, with really uneven roads, so there was no need to risk busting a tyre so early on, although the blokes had other ideas! I overtook one lady on the bike, and a couple of blokes, but not so many people that i had a warm and fuzzy feeling I was progressing up the field. Then going uphill my chain jumped off and she scooted past me. A few more km's and I was back past her again. Then onto the climb, which was pretty tough on a TTbike, and the half marathon was looming heavy in my thoughts. I just tried to keep my breating steady and not go to crazy at any point on the bike. The words of my coach rining in my ears,  'pedal in circles' - it really works! Before long over half way, and little treats o drinking or eating ever 15 mins was a good way to keep my brain occupied. The aid stations were a welcome sight to break up what is quite bleak landscape too, and the people staffing them were really switched on and attentive, a welcome change. I was starting to hurt at 70km but I told myself that the last 20km practically cycle themselves...yeah right!Another hill and another case of the chain not wanting to stay on my bike!

Back in T2 and out on the run. Very hilly run. The first 12km were ok and then the wheels fell off a bit for me. Very hot and I was concious I had probably not drank enough, but i didnt want to start forcing water down and end up with a giant sloshy belly!My stomach was cramping badly and I had a strange stabbing pain between my left ribs too! Im sure my face looked a picture. The run was 2 laps wich meant coming through Playitas resort, loads of people were out cheering which was great and seeing Charlie was of course brilliant. He offered some words of encouragement, to which I can never musster a reply - sorry! Down to the finish and I almost coudnt believe the time on the clock!I had guessed maybe 5h30 if I was lucky, but it was 5h16, which meant 5h14  for the ladies!

Stunned, overwhelmed, exhusted!

The results wernt up for a while. When they were, more shock and stunnment! I was the 2nd Age Group athlete overall, 1st in my AG and 10th in the entire womens race including the pro females!

The last surreal moment of the day came at the awards ceremony where the AG awards were given first and I trotted up to get my 1st for the 20-24 category. We were just about to go for dinner, as I was keen to eat everything in sight by now. They then announched no 10 professional athlete 'Abigail Bagshaw from the Royal Air Force'!

My First Sportive

 Is it wrong to decide to do a sportive because it has cat in the name?

I was supposed to be racing the Elite Duathlon Champs, however with illness leading up to the event and some less than perfect personal circumstances I really didn’t feel in the mindset for a race with all the spotlights on! Also my first middle distance triathlon is most certainly looming on the horizon, now inside the month countdown! 

Apparently the Cheshire Cat Sportive or ‘The Cat’ as it is known to the cool kids is one of the biggest events in the UK, and is in fact the largest ‘season opener’, with over 3000 riders.

This is the first sportive I have ever done! Now I did really want to have lots of lovely pictures, however it was so wet, there was no chance I was getting my phone out to take any pics! I think It may have stopped raining for all of 10 minutes during the entire 80 miles!!

 I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it though. It was really nice to chat to a few different people, and join in some mini pelotons along the way. Despite the atrocious weather and the threat of the event being called off, it went ahead without much drama.

 The feed station was great. The mini ham sandwiches were a welcome treat and the flapjack was d-lish :) I have to say the freebies were ace too, AND 2 medals! 1 for finishing and 1 for conquring Mow Cop! The notoriously steep (25%) hill which is in the book ‘100 greatest climbs’ too!

As someone who doesn’t group ride often I really enjoyed practicing drafting a riding in close proximity with other riders.



Kind of wish I had ordered one of the jerseys now too….oh well. Ill have to do it again next year!

The first Multisport race of the season!

As the first ever 'proper' triathlon I did, the Dambuster Triathlon will forever have a special place in my heart (aaaw). However I have never done the duathlon. This was definitely a race of firsts for me, as someone who is still relatively new to the tri/duathlon scene. I had not attempted a standard distance duathlon before, and I had not done a race quite so early in the season

Early March is pretty early and I was expecting it to be very cold! It also crept up on me, and I hadn't been prepared enough to ride my TT bike, I thought the first time on it this year in a race, probably wasn't going to be wise, and it was blooming windy! Hats off to those who braved it! 

As always its a nice early start, register and get everything set up in transition. Duathlon always confuses me a little, as you start with your trainers and race belt on already...sounds simple, but with race brain engaged, anything can happen! 
 The fact it was the beginning of march made me a bit paranoid about the cold, and possibly the addition of a jacket on the bike was too much, but better too hot than so cold you are delirious (which I have experienced before, and it was not pretty) The race itself went OK ish. Unfortunately I was a little worse for wear, which I just thought was general tiredness after a busy week at work, but on Sunday I discovered it was a full blown virus. So after being a little disappointed with my performance on Saturday, and pretty horrified about the standard of my bike effort. When reflecting on Sunday in between vomiting and sleeping, it didn’t seem half bad! 


It was great to see the other RAF athletes out too and as always there was loads of support from the spectators and general public pottering about. One man even shouted Royal RAF Air Force, which made me smile at least! J This was also the first outing for my birthday present to myself, my Garmin 920XT. Since user error and me thinking about racing, rather than my watch, meant I didn’t get any splits or anything, the event is now logged as one giant 55km run, until I can work out how to edit it on Garmin connect….cant be that hard surely! Things I can say about it though are it is beautifully slim compared to the 210 I was using before, which means sleeves on and off are no drama (I can see this being a massive plus when it comes to a wetsuit). The display is beautifully clear too.
 

More rest for me until I'm 100% better, and hopefully a good run in a few weeks!

Spring is here!

Tired - very tired 

Eaton Dorney,
2012 Olympic rowing venue

March is apparently the first day of spring-hurrah, so here is the Jan/Feb update.

These past 2 months have been full of ups and downs. I very much felt like I was emerging from my winter cocoon all through Jan, and I was really wondering if I was going to train and compete at all this year. Injury, coupled with quite a vicious illness which meant I couldn't eat properly for nearly 2 months in 2014, along with being diagnosed with depression have all been a huge strain. I am going to write about these in more detail later.

Alsager 5 

I am very pleased to say I pulled my man up pants on, with the help of my closest friends and family, and I am now in a much happier place. A new non shift, non underground job is also helping me manage my depression a lot easier, and I finally have some continuity in my training. I have raced a couple of times too which has been really good, no pressure and just enjoying running again, relief! 

I have been incredibly fortunate this last month to spend 3 weeks at the regional rehab unit at RAF Halton, with the hope of getting my achilles back on track. I can honestly say it has probably been some of the best weeks I have spent in the RAF. I have learnt so much about my body. Both in the book learning sense, but also in terms of how much I can push myself, not the sweaty lung busting pushing, but in terms of stretching and intricate control work. Just because you are not working your ass off with your HR nearing 200, does not mean what you are doing isnt beneficial! I have been well and truly reunited with my glutes! Lots of clams, bridges, mud walking...pain!


I have learn the importance of stretching and foam rolling. Yep it hurts, but its a necessary evil people!

I have also been experimenting with other recovery stuff, magnesium and beetroot juice. More to follow on these soon so watch this space :) 

The rest of the week at Playitas, Fuerteventura

Breakfast was indeed all one could have hoped for and more!

Athletes, especially triathletes happen to be the fussiest bunch of eaters I know. Well, this breakfast had something for EVERYONE. Every kind of bread you can imagine, gluten free, rye bread, white brown and everything in-between. A smoothie bar manned by a guy churning out smoothies like no-body’s business. An egg area, for whatever kind of egg you would like! Omelettes, that Spanish thing I have forgotten the name of, like quiche without the pastry. My fave is the ‘make your own museli’ station which has load of different dried fruits and nuts. All kinds of milk, soya, even no lactose milk! And of course cooked breakfast including fried courgette and all kinds of strange stuff along with all the faves. Basically everything!

The staff also seemed to have warmed up a bit and have been helpful and friendly. Someone even kindly showed me around the apartments as I think that might be nicer (and easier for food etc) when I come back for the Challenge race in April.
 

This is pretty much the landscape!

 My thoughts on the bike course (The Challenge Fuerteventura bike route) is it basically has 4 distinctive parts;

Undulating

HILLY/mountainous

Undulating

Flat and fast



Hydrating on the beach!
 Nearby café with great
coffee and free Wi-Fi!

I think that hydration and feeding are going to be critical on the bike, its very hot and humid even now in December. The wind ads anew problem to the equation too, since taking a bottle to drink from, at the same time as a strong gust nearly sent me tumbling into a ditch!

I have found there is a wild cat feeding area in the hotel! Some very friendly kitties seem to mooch about here. This provided a nice distraction from the pain in my legs for about 5 minutes!
 

Dinner was as good as breakfast, everything you could hope for and lots of it! My only criticism is that drinks are pretty pricey, and they don’t let you take your own bottles in, even just water.
 

Day 2 and the rest of the week

Went for a little dip in the sea which was lovely. The sea temp is about 19 degrees centigrade. There were a few little tropical fish floating about, but after they had gone the seabed was pretty barron! Just black and volcanic! It’s a really good beach for OW swimming as there are a number of bouys fairly near the beach so great for sighting practice.

Off on the bike again after breakfast and I went on a short-ish ride down to the south. It must have been hotter than yesterday, but the wind masked that. I only realised how strong the sun was when I got back and saw my lovely red arms and crazy tan legs in the mirror!

I ran off the bike today…cripes! Windy and hilly made for a fairly miserable run…however I got some new tan lines. Ehem….I mean burn lines!
 

I swam in the evening in one of the later sessions, and now I know why no one swims then…it gets freeing! I couldn’t finish the session since my head was pounding and I started getting black spots in my eyes! 10 mins in a hot shower and normality was restored.

The pool is an extra EUR2.70 for an hour. It was really clean and 8 lovely wide lanes in the sunshine :) Very nice for someone who hates swimming.

One day I decided to try out the small fishing village adjacent to the resort. I went to a lovely restraint and decided sea food would be the best option given the nature of the location. I had a delicious meal, and cheeky EUR2.00 glass of wine! The dinner was lovely and on the seafront. Perfect place and way to unwind after an intense day in the sun! And it was really reasonable. The dinner was also accompanied by the local kitties, fine for me as a cat lady, but others weren't so keen!
 

Last day

I had a late flight which meant after checking out at 1100, I had some time to kill. I did a swim and sesh in the gym (which is free to hotel guests). The gym is large and really well equipped. Lots of eights and machines, plus all the foam rollers and thera-bands you would expect in a top-class gym. The staff kindly stored my bike and luggage for me so I was free to swish about the resort as I pleased. A bit of trg and a lot of book reading, and then it was time to leave :'(

Concluding thoughts

The resort is really clean and well set up for runners, triathletes and generally active people. The weather in Demember was lovely, not too hot, but sunny enough to top up the vitamin D levels and get a bit of a pre-Christmas tan! The staff were actually very friendly and helpful, I think they were just having a bad day when I arrived. The food is good and plentiful! The cycling is as challenging as you want it to be, but beware, its not called the windy island for nothing.

I would definitely go back for a week, or more of training. The long flight time (4h +) makes it a little too far for any time less than a week. Looking forward to being back for the Challenge event! And by looking forward....I mean totally terrified by the hills, the heat and the sheer enormity of 70.3 (for the Sprint and SD distance girl anyway!)



 

Learning is taking place - injury

Things I have learnt having an injury. 

There have been a few different phases of mood associated with the news that I couldn't run due to pain in my achillies.  

Stage 1 

Relief! This was probably an indicator of over-training too. I was honestly relieved to have the pressure of competing and relentless training removed from me.

Stage 2 

Jealousy. I love to race. So after I got over the initial feelings of exhaustion,  and had a bit of R&R I was then itching to get back out there.... But I couldn't :( I then had to stand on the side-lines and witness ever one else continuing with their amazing seasons!  Made worse my the constant information streams from Facebook and Twitter! 

Stage 3 

Boredom and loss of interest. After a couple of months of swimming and cycling only,  I definitely lost my mojo. I find the threat of a competition looming on the horizon a good motivator, and there was no option of doing this. So another week off was in order.  

Stage 4 

Realisation that sport isn't everything!  I began to remember that I have some other interests!!!  And I have a family and friends who have suffered between mild and significant neglect at the hands of my obsession with triathlon and running.  I started to draw and paint again,  saw friends and family I hadn't seen in ages and tried out a few new things too.  

I think that one of the best was to approach an injury is to think of it as an extended off season. Focus on your form and weaknesses in the things you can do. I am lucky I can still swim, cycle and do S&C. Do all the things you don't have time for when you Adele training, working, looking after the kids etc.  

Yes it sucks. And no one wants to have an I jury, be in pain,  and generally not do what they want, but you really do have to look for the silver lining, else you will go mad!

Challenge - 8 hours of Bikram Yoga

Since not being able to run, and therefore compete in triathlon and obviously running, there is a big competition and challenge shaped hole in my life. I have really missed the mental and of course physical challenge which racing brings, but also the immense feeling of satisfaction which comes with completing a triathlon, or getting a PB, or generally having a really good race. 

I have been plodding along with my rehab program and generally drifting about in the wilderness of training without racing. Those of you who know me will know just how much I love racing all all which that brings.

I found out about this challenge for Children in Need at Hot Bikram Yoga in London. It is 6 Bikram yoga classes back to back in one day.

That's Back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back bikram.

Now, I am sure some of you are thinking "pffft, that doesn't sound too challenging to me? Sitting about saying 'OM'". I am sorry to say, this was my view of yoga until a friend of mine introduced me to Bikram yoga. I have been a huge advocate of it ever since, and the benefits for mind and body are huge. Especially for those of us who abuse our bodies through mile on the road, in the pool or hunched over TT bars on the bike.

For those of you who don't know, here is a bit about Bikram...

Bikram Yoga has been developed from traditional hatha yoga. It became popular in the 1970s but is currently enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Generally Bikram Yoga classes run for 90 minutes and consist of the same series of 26 postures, including two breathing exercises. Now here comes the part which sets it apart, it is practiced in a room heated to 40 °C and with a humidity of 40%. I promise you will be dripping with sweat at the end of it! 

I am doing this for the personal challenge, but also trying to raise a few pennies for a good cause. I have never done anything more than one class in a day, and they are tough at the best of times.

13 November, Balham HBY Studio

Some links;
Check out HBY...you wont regret it :) 
My fundraising page

Buying a bike

I was lucky to be able to loan
this steel bike from
RAF Triathlon to learn what
features I did and didn't like.

A number of people have asked me for my top tips on buying a bike, so here they are…

It took me almost 12 months to finally decide on the first bike I bought. I had the added dilemma of TT or not since I was an aspiring triathlete at the time. However whether it be road bike, or TT bike, the essential points are the same. After buying my TT bike (a Quintana Roo) and riding that only for about 12 months, I am now the proud owner of a Moda road bike too.

• Set a budget. Bikes are expensive, and there are thousands of them! Working out what you can afford initially narrows down the search.

• What are your needs? Commuting, racing, training, training and racing? Knowing what you wan your bike for will enable you to make sure it is fit for purpose.

• Do your initial research. Have a look on online forums and have a look around some shops too. Be prepared to put a bit of work in, otherwise you will end up with something you don’t love to pieces, and may not be a pleasure to ride.

I LOVE this bike, these wheels were a later addition

• One for the ladies. Yes female specific bikes exist, but if your body geometry doesn’t fit well with a female bike, then don’t feel you have to go down that road just because you are a woman! Why? – Women typically have a shorter torso and arms for the height so the top tube length is shorter. Also the arrangement of the break levers can be slightly different to accommodate out lady like small hands. The length of the head tube is normally longer to accommodate for the longer leg women have compared to men, in order to keep the rest of the geometry tip top! Handle bars can be a bit narrower too to accommodate a narrower shoulder, and often the crank length is smaller to. However, after all that, both my bikes road and TT are male or unisex.

• Learn about the components and what they actually do. If you are in the same position I was, and have no idea about derailleurs, or down/top tubes, invest a bit of time learning all the bike jargon. If nothing else you will have some credentials when a salesman starts spewing technical mumbo-jumbo at you. I watched a lot of the videos by GCN (Global Cycling Network) on YouTube.

• Find a retailer who will let you borrow a bike for a few days. They do exist, or failing that find somewhere you can rent a bike similar to what you want for a few days. This is the best way to work out what you like and what you don’t. One of the big things is the shifting type, eg. Shimano (two different buttons) or SRAM (double tap system).

• FIT!!! This is THE most important thing! No matter how good your bike is, if it doesn’t fit properly, you won’t be any good on it. Plus you could injure yourself, back and knee pain are the most common in bikes which don’t fit well. See post on bike fitting and DrJ here :)

• Material. This will be partly guided by budget.

Me and the Moda on one of our first rides

• Aluminium is commonly found in bikes around and under the £1000 mark. It is cheap, stiff and light. Higher grade alu frames use a technique where the thickness of the tube varies along the length (called butting). This means less weight and more comfort, but of course comes at financial cost.
• Steel is heavier than aluminium but is very comfortable. There are some modern steel bikes on the market which are pretty light and very durable.
• Titanium. It is light and strong but difficult to work with making it expensive, however as techniques are developing it is becoming more reasonable.
• Carbon fibre. Some is available very cheaply, however beware, cheap can mean poorly manufactured and more likely to fail. It is easily manipulated and can me made into very light stiff and responsive frames. Some alu bikes are just as light as carbon, but have a higher spec on the rest of the components, so be careful. Carbon is not the panacea of bike awesomeness.

Happy with my ride at the top of
 the Kitzbuhele-horn

Lastly, you have to love it. If on paper it is the perfect bike for you, but it just doesn’t get you pulse racing like a different bike you have seen does, then don’t buy it because you feel you should. Your bike should be something you want, and something you want to ride.

I love my bike, (now bikes) I keep them inside ontop of a desk or on my turbo trainer, and every day I look at them and smile, even when I'm not riding them.

GOOD LUCK!
















Some good guides to buying are here:

Evans Cycles Bike RADAR

Off on a tangent

I have decided after 2 weeks off work, and generally remembering what its like to be me, not some work crazed triathlon crazed work and train-o-holic, that I have been neglecting a lot of my other interests, therefore this blog is soon to contain lots of other stuff that interests me.

Firstly...
I like triathlon - yes, and I am of the female variety. However there seems to be a lack of female friendly tri stuff (although this is getting better). I like to try (try is an understatement) to retain a bit of my femininity when part-taking in sport. So I will be sharing some tips on things such as swim proof nail varnish, how to remove the ever present smell of chlorine from yourself and other useful stuff for us ladies. Plus I am also a lover of exciting colourful tri clothing, swim and gym wear, which I shall share with y'all too. 

Second
Art, photography and generally making stuff. I do it, some of it is going to be coming your way!

Third
Baking!!! This seems to be something shared by my fellow triathletes. Some recipes, good and bad to follow.








Fourth
Cocktails and eating out.









Fifth
Make-up, clothes and beauty.

Sixth
Yoga. ahhhh yoga. I have neglected thee recently. However a new routine and focus means I am back on the namaste-bandwagon and feeling good :) 

Oh yes....and cats. I really like cats :) 

Shift Work & Training

I have been asked by a few people to share my methods/tips/coping strategies for training while doing night shifts and shift work in general...

The Background

Currently I am in a full time job where I work 12 hr shifts in an underground bunker. These are both day and night shifts. There are a lot of problems relating to shift work and lack of exposure to natural light. The first being sleeping and how that effects recovery for an athlete, but also other things like mood, motivation and willingness to train. 

Sleep

There are 3 main functions of sleep. 1 is to repair the body. 2 is to process food and restoration/recovery of the nervous system and 3 is the cognitive function of learning and memory.  Many now argue that sleep is mainly for the brain rather than the body.

"Sleep affects recovery, metabolism, hormonal balance, mood, and athletic performance. During sleep, the body secretes growth hormone, which aids in strength building and recovery from injury by stimulating the healing and growth of muscle and bone as well as the burning of fat. Sleep helps keep athletes mentally sharp, too, and is important for memory, reaction time, and hand-eye coordination as well as for learning and acquiring new skills."

So, all the good advice says get between 8 and 10 hours a night, which just aint gonna happen if your are on the night shift!

 

There is loads and LOADS of stuff on the internet about how bad not getting enough sleep is for you, disturbances in circadian rhythm (your body's natural rhythm)  etc. etc. so I wont go into all that, I am just going to share my tips about getting through it, and especially getting through it while still trying to achieve your athletic goals.

Training

Unfortunately you are going to have to adapt your training, and this might mean having more easy or light training days than you would ideally like. However this is better than trying to train at a really high intensity when you are exhausted, resulting in becoming frustrated and angry because you have had a bad session, or worse becoming injured. 

Day shifts 

These are long and tiring. I normally try and do a light training session before work (horrendously early) or after work. Anything more than that and I would be wasted and unable to do much in the following days.

Night Shifts & The Tips

1. Don't try and skimp on sleep in the day in order to maximise your daylight hours. It is really frustrating to spend the best bits of the day asleep and miss all the sunshine, but you NEED the rest. It is said you need an hour of sleep for every 2 hours awake, therefore after a night shift you have a 'sleep debt' which needs to be repaid. Set an alarm if you need too, but try and wake up naturally so your body had banked the sleep it needs. I have found moderate to hard training sessions achievable on these days in the afternoon.

2. Go to bed as soon as you can after your shift. Try not get distracted by other jobs which need to be done, this will likely wake you up and you will find it hard to sleep.

3. Get some decent black-out curtains, blinds or sleep with an eye mask. Personally I have thick curtains AND use an eye mask which make it really easy to get back to sleep again.

4. If where you are sleeping is noisy, and living communally is I can assure you. You can try ear plugs (the type motorcyclists use, or if you don't like putting things in your ears (I don't) try ear defenders.

5. Put a sign on your door if you can, explaining 'Shift worker sleeping' or something similar. This should dissuade people knocking on your door trying to sell you something, or something else equally unhelpful.

6. Keep your room cool, this makes it easier to get to sleep.

7. Don't get stressed if you cant sleep. Try reading a book, listening to calming music. I like to write a list of what I need to do when I get up, then I can see my goals for the day and allocate my time appropriately.

8. If you are hungry, eat something. It can be hard to not over-eat while on the night shift, but if you are starving when trying to get to sleep, you wont. I sometimes have a small bowl of porridge or a handful of nuts. Walnuts, almonds, cheese, rice, cherry juice and chamomile tea are all know to help stimulate sleeping.

9. Don't under-estimate the power of the afternoon nap! Although you should try to nap for 90 or 45 minutes (or factors of, e.g. 3 hrs). This is one full, or half of a sleep cycle. This will stop you waking up in the 'deep sleep' part of the sleep cycle. That is when you wake up and feel totally awful!

10. After nights I find I am extremely irritable, my mood is very unstable and I can find myself being easily distracted. I am aware of this and that alone has helped to enable me to re-focus on what I need to get accomplished on that day. However I have also learned to LET GO, if I miss a session, it is not the end of the world! This is my hobby, I'm not a professional and it should be enjoyable.

Days off

These might be in the week rather than the weekend, and depending on your family situation this will dictate how much time you can give up to training, but generally I make the most of my days off and get in some big sessions with long periods of rest. I also try to do as much prep as possible for my days at work. Doing things like food prep, washing and getting bags of kit prepared so I don't have to waste time in what can be busy and very long days.