Category Archives: Food

2014 Goals and progress

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So I was thinking about whether or not to keep this blog going, post Celtman 2013 partial success (glass half-full)…I never quite got round to a full rundown of the event itself, that might still come. Sufficed to say I decided that this year I need to concentrate on business, so I’m not going to be doing anywhere near the same amount of training. However, I do fancy focusing in on technique, speed, strength and skill stuff, so that when I come back next year (2015) to attempt Celtman again I’ll be a better athlete to start with. Well that’s the plan and as a result I decided to keep the blog going.

I’m going to use it slightly differently this time (less pictures). Each Sunday I’m going to plan out what I’m doing swim, bike, run wise so that it’s down in black and white and I’m committed to it. The second reason for doing this is it means I don’t have to think about it again. Efficiency is very important this year as I’m setting up a new portraiture studio and I don’t want to spend time humming and ha-ing over training, so it’s all going to be sorted out on Sunday and then just go on with…again that’s the plan.

I’m going to keep track of all my progress on a spreadsheet on Google Drive. If you want to join me follow the link and I’ll add a page for you and we can all do it together.

This week’s training plan is pretty simples…swim session on Monday morning is going to be all about setting times, 25m, 100m, 1000m, and Wednesday will be lots of drills with 10x100m thrown in for fun. Bike is going to be an hour on the rollers (first time for 9 months so wish me luck) and then out and back to Abington (I’ve forgot how far it is) on Saturday. Run is going to be similar to swim. Tuesday is going to be setting 1km and 5km times in the meadows in Edinburgh and then finding a 10km loop for Sunday and putting down times. If anyone wants to join me just send me a message on FB. I’ll add the link to the bottom of the page.

The final thing I’m going to add to the blog is food! Last year I totally came off the rails, diet wise, and now I have to sort my shit out…for lack of a better expression. My lovely sister sent me ‘The Feed Zone Cookbook‘ for Christmas so each week I’m going to experiment with two recipes, one breakfast, one dinner. This week it’s going to be Quinoa and Berries for breakfast. Quinoa is my nemesis…I never get it right, it always ends up like soup (I also have a slight issue with quinoa looking like giant sperm. Weird? I know!). However, I love the idea of it, so I am going to persevere! The second recipe is going to be Pork Green Chilli, for purely practical reasons. My father raised three pigs over the summer and as a result we currently have over 150kg of pork in our freezer, might as well use it 😉

I’ll let you know how it goes. If anyone has any great programmes/blogs/people they are following (in a non stalker-y way) let me know on the FB. I’d also love to hear any tips on training and cooking that you have, so give me shout!

Useful links:

The Greater the Obstacle Facebook page.

The Feed Zone Cookbook

Time for a mid-way review…

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Where to start…

Pictures/Data

progress pictures, training, Celtman

Week 12, half-way there, 3 month progress pictures

So after 3 months here is a quick review of the numbers: I’m still the same height…training hasn’t made me shorter; weight, lost 3.1kg, all that muscle is heavy; bust, lost 3cm, no comment; waist, lost 4cm, which combined with, hips, lost 6cm, means none of my jeans fit. No point in buying new ones at the moment, so belts are becoming quite important.

Fundraising

Nothing to report. I will get a Virgin Giving page up ASAP, but I’m currently waiting for them to register the Rock Trust.This is so I can split the money down the middle between SAMH and the Rock Trust. I decided to go with Virgin Giving because of this option and on SAMH‘s recommendation as they felt it was the best option for them. So watch this space I will be asking for money soon, just not yet! 

Sponsorship

I haven’t taken any action on this front as the day job has got in the way and I wanted to have the fundraising bit taken care of first before I set out to look for kit. As I’m sure you are all aware triathlon can be pretty expensive. I have so far got by on kindness of friends and family…lots of borrowed kit. Not because I’m cheap (well okay maybe a bit cheap), but because I set up my business last year and, a year and 3 months in, I just can’t justify spending hundreds (to thousands) of pounds on fancy gear. But don’t worry even if I don’t find anyone to give me lovely kit to promote, I will be fully clad in stuff borrowed from the great and the good. On the other hand if you know any lovely kit suppliers who might want to be connected to me and Celtman send them my way.

Training swim/bike/run

Swim: On target starting to hit 1:40 for my 100s, which I’m happy with. Now I’m twitching to get out in the open water…it’s just too cold at the moment and I would like a wetsuit upgrade as my current one is so loose around the shoulders I end up carrying an extra 5kg in water. Streamlined I ain’t!

Bike: A bit behind. And a bit slow. Thanks to the weather I have only managed to get out in the last couple of weeks. The rollers in the house just aren’t the same. But now the weather is picking up…at least fewer blizzards…it’s time to put my nose to the grindstone and get out more. Show me the hills!

Run: Struggling a bit with tight calves, now that I’m back on the bike for longer periods, so the last two weeks have been a bit of a struggle to get up the hills. Getting enough to eat is also a bit of an issue, but I’ll get there. The focus over the next few weeks is going to be on getting faster, so hill sprints and 1km timed reps are on the cards. Such fun!

Strength: Coming along nicely. My core still isn’t strong enough but the difference in my hips, knees and ankles in the bike and run is fantastic. Issues that I had with the longer distance at the end of last year because of strength imbalances seem to be a thing of the past. Now to concentrate on getting faster!

Mental state

My initial connection to SAMH was because I know lots of people associated with triathlon who have suffered from mental health problems, most commonly depression, but when I sat down and thought about it I started to think about my own mental health. I’m going to talk more about this in more detail in a future post, but sufficed to say I think at the beginning of the year I was struggling a bit. Whether it was the time of year, weather, business or just life in general, not really sure. What I do know is that I feel 100x better 3 months into my training. I’ve fixed my diet. I’m getting out in the fresh air regularly. And I’m back to getting high on those wonderful endorphins…drug of choice. If you haven’t discovered them come and join me. You’ll love it (eventually)! I swear!

Pictures of the story so far…

Now I’m here do I have to get out of the car?
So here are the vital statistics at the start of my challenge.
Wk4 Beautiful still day in February in the Pentland Hills.
More pretty views…
Who an I kidding ‘patches’?!
Wk6 View of Edinburgh…just need it to warm up a bit so it goes green.
Happy Girl at the top of the hill…mostly downhill from here on.
Wk11 Oops! Watch survived intact.
Week 12 half-way there 3 month progress pictures
Wk4 Happy girl in the sunshine up a hill.
Wk12 View looking towards Abington on the B7078 the day before the Tour of the Borders…boy did they pick the wrong day!
Here we are again. Week 8 progress pictures.
Wk11 Me and Roddy take the Black Hill.
Wk5 Soreen was the fuel of choice.
Wk11 I am a muck magnet!
Wk6 Cousin Beth admiring the view of Glencourse, Pentland Hills.
Valley between the hills. Peace from the wind.
A wee hill on the way back from Moffat. The Beeftub is such fun!
Coming down off the hills…so much fun!!!
Even with the correct footwear it was challenging.
Wk5 waiting for me when I got back from my bike. Did someone say cake? Don’t mind if I do!
4 Weeks in…
Wk5 This isn’t much snow. I’m not letting it stop me running, but pride come before a fall and on the way in to Edinburgh…
Wk11 Running on the crust is all well and good until you break through!
It was quite windy at the top of the East Kip.
Wk6 wrong shoe choice, but I survived.
Anyone for some OW swimming?
The Kips Week 8’s run
Wk5 top of the hill at Dreva, Scottish Borders.
Snow on Monday morning too…still made it to the pool!
Wk12 Legs are out for the summer…I even managed to get a faint tan line.
Wk12 Best self portrait I’ve ever accidentally taken LOL
Top of the hill at Maiden’s Cleugh
Wk6 So hands up from all the people in Edinburgh who have never been in the Pentland Hills…shame on you!
Wk5 My first wee jaunt out on the bike before the snow came back 😛
Pretty views!
All finished.
The windburn and bloodshot eyes is a good look for me I think 😉
Wk6 happy in the Pentland Hills with cousin Beth
Looking down the hill from the West Kip…visibility?
Great fun running off the hill giggling it like an idiot.
Wk4 Beautiful February sunshine…little did we know what was coming for March!
Wk5 Run fail…slid off the road on the way into town…sweary words!
Wk6 Random injury…loss of skin to décolletage due to zip. Stingy!
Wk6 Questionable recovery fuel decisions, but I was just so hungry!
The right footwear choice this time.
The view from the top of the hill at the Beeftub outside Moffat on the way home.
Week 9’s long run…less hills more sheltered.
Tread was everything…
OMG! The pain of a specific defrosting for the next hour…can you guess where?
…well totally freezing!
Half-way up the hill from Red Moss car park.
Wk11 So what am I going to sit on in the car then?
Wk11 Got a bit muddy due to a face plant coming down the hill. Lacking my usual dexterity.
Wk4 Me and cousin Beth looking a little flushed after running up a hill…it’s genetic!

The usual disclaimer applies I know everything and nothing, so take nothing as truth…well apart from the maps. They’re awesome!

On the road again!

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Yipeee! No snow and sunshine! Finally out on the bike today…no more rollers! I was like a kid in a candy store and got very over excited and did 121km on the bike. The most I’ve ever done on a bike ever. Still got another 80km to find in the next 3 months, and I should probably go out with more than one bottle of water and one of diluting juice. Nutrition fail! Thought my porridge in the morning did me well. 4517kCal burned OMG! No bonking just a really sore back which was leftover from Thursday’s gym session.

Map

A wee hill on the way back from Moffat. The Beeftub is such fun!

I sometimes wonder what it would be like to train without hills, but then I think I would get bored. Fabulous day. Here’s hoping I can walk/run tomorrow!

Landscape

The view from the top of the hill at the Beeftub outside Moffat on the way home.

Girl on left looking down the valley.

Happy Girl at the top of the hill…mostly downhill from here on.

Have you eaten?

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This was meant to be a post reflecting how week -2 went, but it has turned in to something else. Thanks to my idiocy.

So long story short I leaned lots last night, some of it I already knew, but some of it is new.

First thing I learned was: If you have been wearing heels all day, and you’re out of practice, your lower back might be very tired, so when it comes to doing things like swinging kettle bells, it may feel like your top and bottom halves are held together by old string (and I mean the frayed, brittle stuff). FAIL

Solution: Flat shoes tomorrow and see if it makes a difference.

Second lesson (I knew this one already, but it never seems to stop me repeating it): 2 pieces of toast for breakfast and a sachet of instant porridge for lunch will not sustain you for a whole day on your feet followed by a training session. Result blood sugar dropping through the floor resulting in; stupidity (left phone at work), followed by lack of coordination (couldn’t manage to swing the kettle bells), followed by depression (I wanted to sit down on the mats in the gym and cry by 5.30pm), finished by more stupidity (I only worked out the reason when I was driving home).

Solution: EAT more you muppet!

Third lesson (I’m also aware of this): I get far to easily aggravated when I can’t do something I know I should be able to do (see kettle bell reference).

Solution: Learn previous 2 lessons and chill out…like that’s going to happen.

So yesterday’s lessons are wear flat shoes and eat more…let see if I manage it today.