In an effort to rekindle my running mojo, I signed up for the London Triathlon* rather last minute. To keep it a realistic goal after my running injury, I selected the shortest distance. The Super Sprint course is 400m swim, 10km bike, and 2.5km run. For a short moment, I considered bumping up to the sprint distance (750m, 20km bike, 5km run) to challenge my PR from 2012. But I decided to keep it safe/play it smart by sticking to the shortest distance to avoid re-injury.
My entry wave was at 3:10pm on Saturday afternoon. About 95% of the women in my group (I chose women-only vs mixed start) were first timers. The London Triathlon is a great race if you are tri-curious.
Entries and fees: The race doesn’t sell out (it is held over two days with lots of entries available) and entries are available close to the event. There are different fees depending on the distance you sign up for. It ranges from £40+. Remember that triathlons tend to be more expensive due to the amount of logistics required to set up swimming, cycling, and running courses. Personally, I think the London Tri is very reasonable considering the scale of the event (the race takes up half of the ExCel Centre).
Course and bogs: The course starts and ends at the ExCel Centre. The swim is in the Royal Docks and the longer bike course goes to Big Ben (the super sprint course is only 10km). All bike segments are on closed roads, which is great. The run is along the Royal Docks on paths of varying width. Different distances compete at the same time, so you will have different abilities on the course with you. I did shout to a few people who were walking three abreast to keep to the left as no one could get by.
This year, it was almost so warm we didn’t have to wear wet suits. I really like my Aptonia wet suit from Decathlon.* It fit me perfectly, which is hard for a woman as our body shapes are so diverse. The zipper is a bit tricky to zip up as it is designed to unzip bottom to shoulders, but I think that might make it faster to remove.
Location: Unfortunately, there isn’t anything glamorous about the ExCel Centre in East London. However, the location is super convenient for anyone in London and especially for me as I live about five miles from the start line. Inside the ExCel, there is a small amount of vendors if you need to pick up gels or a few pieces of run kit, including official merchandise.
Atmosphere: There are not many cheer points along the route. Many friends and family were cheering at the swim and at the finish line. The transition area is really big, so it is hard for your fans to see you as you switch disciplines. Otherwise, you are on your own out on the course
.
Race bling and goody bag: No goody bag but you receive a medal just after you cross the finish line. You also get to pick up the official race t-shirt (which I really like) and the Tenzing team was there to hand you a can as you walked out of the finish area.
Tips if you want to take part next time: If you are coming back from injury, triathlons are great as the cross-training allows 2/3 of the training to be low impact. That is one of the big reasons why I signed up. Also, make sure you try open water swimming at least five times before the race. This gives you a chance to get over the fear of not seeing the bottom, learn how your wet suit fills up, and get used to having to swim continuously. Finally, do some brick sessions (two disciplines back to back) to get your muscles used to working differently and to try out different outfit combinations. My kneesuit with sports bra underneath worked perfectly! You can also use bricks to think about water food and drinks you will need during the race.
On the morning of 13th July, I slotted in some time to dedicate to my triathlon training even though the Super Sprint should only take me an hour or so (the course is a 450m swim, 10K bike, and 2.5K run). My training plan was a brick session, which meant I had to complete two disciplines back to back. I took my bike out for an eight mile cycle before parkrun which was nice as the roads were fairly quiet. I also tried to only turn left so that I could keep my momentum going. Parkrun is always 5K, twice the distance I needed to run. Conveniently, my parkrun is two laps so I took the first lap what I thought was pretty fast (for me) to replicate what the London Triathlon will be like. After looking at my splits on Strava, it turns out the second lap was faster for me. My legs must have been feeling it from the bike ride. That is one of the great things about brick sessions is that you have an idea of how your body will feel switching disciplines. You can mentally and physically prepare yourself for the race, knowing that you will come out the other side.
Kneesuit for me is function over fashion
In order to stick to my rule of “nothing new on race day,” I tried out a kneesuit from Simply Swim* as part of this session. This suit appealed to me because I could wear it under my wet suit and not waste time in transition changing my outfit. Padded shorts are not my thing, which is why I didn’t go for a traditional tri suit. Of course, I needed to wear a sports bra under the suit because it only had a shelf bra but this would be the case if I wore a regular swim suit too.
Usually, I prefer to wear clothes that cover the areas of my body that make me insecure (primarily my stomach). This kneesuit leaves nothing to the imagination in terms of my body shape but at least it is all black. The light blue on the top is a nice detail too. While I don’t think it is flattering on me (some swimsuits may have shaping material but the kneesuit did not), it did not cause any chafing or get pulled into an uncomfortable position. Not once did I have to adjust it while on the bike or run. That makes it a winner in my book and perfect for the tri.
Although I was self-conscious at first of this form-fitting suit, I quickly realized that I actually looked pretty bad-ass in it. I was training for a triathlon! The people around me didn’t know what distance I was doing. I just looked like I meant business in my knee-length-swimming-costume-turned-run-kit. As my mindset changed, I carried my head a little higher and slowly started to pass people, though the passing people bit was probably due to my legs recovering from my bike ride.
There are two downsides to the kneesuit. The first is that I don’t have anything to wipe my sweat or snot on (this is where a sleeve comes in handy). The other is that it is hard to stop for a pee in the suit as the entire top needs to be pulled down to use the bathroom. Luckily, this was never an issue during my training sessions in the kneesuit. With an aim of finishing the Super Sprint in 60 minutes or less, so I should be able to hold it. It would be something to consider if I up my distance next year. Many times during my marathons, I have to stop and use with bathroom. Some athletes, who take their racing much more serious than I do,will urinate on their bike or while running. I don’t think I can do that on purpose. If I start coughing while running, it might happen but be out of my control. We shall see what happens on race day.
The kneesuit worked great with my Aptonia triathlon wetsuit* when I finally tried them both in the open water. While I am a fairly confident swimmer in the pool, mentally everything changed for me in the open water when I couldn’t see the bottom. It took a few sessions in the open water to calm my nerves and figure out that I needed to pull my neck and sleeves a bit open to ensure water entered my wet suit. Again, no chaffing from either piece of kit during the swim, which was a relief. Having tried these together makes me more confident for the London Triathlon* on Saturday.
What do you wear for a triathlon? Do you change your outfit depending on the distance?
*Thanks to Simply Swim for gifting me the kneesuit, Decathlon for the wet suit, and Limelight Sports for the London Triathlon entry. All opinions are honest and my own.
Summer race season is here. Many committed runners have ultras booked in (any race longer than a marathon) and some even are looking forward to an ultra in an extreme location, such as high mountains, hot jungles, arctic snow, or in the desert. I only have experience with a desert ultra so far so I thought I would share the things I am glad I packed. Of course, this list is not exhaustive nor specific to your event. Be sure you read all of the race info when packing as some races, like Marathon des Sables, you have to carry everything you pack while you run. But others, like Ultra X Co’s events, will transport your luggage for you. These are important details you don’t want to overlook.
In no particular order, here is a short packing list. Items marked with a ✓ are for if you do not have a weight restriction. I will say that a local Jordan man joined us last minute with a regular rucksack, plain old trainers, and a baseball hat and was able to finish the race. No sunglasses or fancy equipment. Mind over matter, eh?
Salt/hydration- In the desert, you are going to sweat more in order for your body to deal with the heat. Plus you will be running, which is another reason to sweat. Staying hydrated is very important. Drinking plain water on its own will affect your body as osmosis in your cells won’t work properly. You need to add salt in some shape or form to your drinks and food. I used Aptonia Salt capsules* during my race, along with nuun tablets and salted pretzels. I kind of made up my own dose and luckily didn’t have any problems. Please speak to a professional when determining how much salt you should take and when.
Poles- I used my Leki Micro Trail poles (similar to these Micro Trail Pros) every day except the first when out in the desert. I didn’t strength train enough, nor practice enough in sand, to move efficently. With the poles, I could use my upper body to pull myself along, as well as keep steady in the shifting sand. My poles have a minimalist ‘glove’ which protected my hands and secured the poles. They easily unclipped from the poles for ease (rather than having to remove the entire glove). The poles were super-light and folded up if I needed to attached then to my rucksack instead of using them. Poles tend to be a personal preference. If you are new to desert running, I would say give them a try. The majority of the competitors used them. Sunscreen- This is a no brainer. Adding a sun burn on top of fatigue would really put a damper on the race. My Race Kit recommended Tingerlaat SPF50 because the sand won’t stick to it. It was expensive but I used it and can report that the sand didn’t stick to me at all. Cap or scarf- You need to have something to cover your head from the sun. I picked up the RaidLight Sahara cap and loved it as the cloth attaches with velcro.
My snazzy cap and Salomon Agile 6 with Camelbak
Bag to carry stuff- If you don’t have to carry everything with you, but just what you need for the day, a small rucksack could do the trick. Of course, you should try running in the bag before your race. Figure out how/were a hydration pack will go too. The Salomon Agile 6 worked for me. I had two water pouches (one for plain water and one for nuun tablets) plus it fit my 2L hydration pack. I would have preferred zippered pockets on my waist for easy access to snacks but I guess that is why the bag was so light! Snacks you crave- As I mentioned, I had pretzels for the salt, but also Haribos, protein cookies, Lucho Dillitos, and more to keep me sane. The one thing I didn’t pack but wish I had was Diet Coke (hello- no weight limit!). Warm clothes for evening- Depending on the time of year and where you are sleeping, the desert can get a bit chilly in the evening. The nights we were in tents, I was fine. We did have one windy evening outside on a rock, for which I wore my beanie cap and everything I had that was dry. Biodegradable loo roll- Lessen your environmental impact but using biodegradable loo roll. I found it basically disintegrated when it got wet but it was better than nothing when in the middle of a 50km run.
Sunglasses- You need to protect your eyes from the sun’s rays, as well as have a slight barrier for blowing sand. My SMITH Attack Max with Chromo Pop were amazing. They wrapped around my eyes and had a maximum view of the landscape ahead of me due to the single lens design. The other cool thing, is that the lenses are interchangeable so I could choose a lens to suit the weather (but never had to swap as the sun was bright every day). This option is perfect for like in the UK. Music for the long days ✓- I bought a £10 MP3 player off of Amazon and only used it on my longest day. I went for something cheap as I wasn’t sure how the heat and sand would affect the technology. To be honest, I don’t usually run with music, so for not having music the majority of the race wasn’t a problem.
Solar powered battery pack ✓- This should be the first extra thing you pack when you discover you can. I used it to charge my fitness tracker and activity camera (or faux pro as I like to call it). Of course, I was not running to win the race which meant I had plenty of time to take photos and enjoy the scenery. Blister kit- This is a no brainer. Do your research to figure out exactly what you need. Practice taping your feet up beforehand too.
Getting blisters fixed by the pros
Hand sanitizer- For the wild wees and camping without running water. Nobody wants to get sick in the middle of the desert. Along the same lines, don’t high five anyone until after the race. Camera ✓- As mentioned above, I had a faux pro for snapping the scenery and taking some videos (which will some day be a vlog). The serious competitors did no bother with this or used their mobile phones. It depends on how you want to remember and commemorate the experience. Diary and pen to write memories ✓- This would be the thing I pack after the battery pack. I have a terrible memory so I needed to take a few minutes each evening to record what happened that day. After a while, everything becomes a blur! If weight is precious, you can download an app, such as Evernote, to type in your memories each evening. It works without internet. Head torch- Because it gets dark. Make sure it had red light so you don’t wake up your tent mates and is strong enough to light the path ahead of you when running before sunrise. Container and spork for eating food- Depending on what you pack, you will probably need a bowl of some sort (although I think for MDS you can use water bottle) and a spork. You will be hungry.
Comfy shoes with insoles- In Jordan, I wore the Salomon S Lab Sense 6* (similar to these Sense 7s) with SOLE active medium insoles*, plus sand gaiters. Because of my history of Achilles tendinopathy, I am very particular about what trainers I run in. I need something stable and cushioned. The Senses were super comfortable during my training before I had the velcro for the gaiters sewn on. Unfortunately, that is a risk with any pair of shoes when you have to add on velcro. I was so bummed I couldn’t wear them any more! I have worn SOLE in the past and went with the medium thickness to allow for sandy conditions where my foot would be flexing over uneven terrain. I then transferred them to one of my other pairs of running shoes and am very happy with the fit.
If you have ever run a desert ultra, let me know if there is anything I have missed off of this list by leaving a comment below. If you want a packing list for a regular race, click here to have a read of my head-to-toe packing list.
Items marked with an * were given to me pro gratis to review. As always, all opinions are honest and my own. This post also includes affiliate links which cost the buyer nothing extra, but help contribute to running this website.
Over the last 2 years, I have been working with a nutritionist on and off to help me loose a bit of weight and ensure I was fueling my body properly for all of the training I was doing (remember my 4×4 challenge?). However, since I took my foot off of the gas at the end of last year due to injury, it was hard to stick to my plan without a race in the diary. Her plans were based on the amount of calories consumed per day and associated macros. At the start of this year, I wasn’t hitting either target. I knew I had to make a change. I just didn’t have the motivation or willpower to get myself on track.
Meet Melissa, the delicious nutritionist. She has a First Class degree from Newcastle in Food and Human Nutrition, endorsed by the Association for Nutrition. I found her on social media when she was offering her services to bloggers in exchange for a testimonial and review on their website. I volunteered to be a guinea pig and be assured, I will tell you about my experience honestly.
Start of my acai bowl (but I didn’t have any acai powder)
We started off working together with some paperwork so she understood my lifestyle, food habits, and dietary preferences. We then chatted on the phone for about 20 minutes about my goals and what I was looking for. The following day, I had two weeks of meal plans in my inbox.
My meal plan and list of expiry dates for the fruit and veg (thanks James)
While we were chatting, I asked Melissa the difference between being a registered dietitian and registered associate nutritionist. She said nutritionists help healthy people while dietitians help the sick. What attracted me to her program (of which I have been gifted one month) is that she designs a weekly meal plan, complete with recipes and shopping list. I didn’t have to think about anything or make any decisions.
Salad with nectarines and lentils
Week 1 started on our way back from Cornwall. My initial shop was at Asda one evening with James, much to his disappointment. We usually have our groceries delivered, so while we were driving back home I added the things I thought I would need (and be able to eat). The shopping list was very detailed with the amount of each items needed. However, I was a bit nervous about all of the perishable goods. Would we be able to eat them before they go off?
Full fridge, please ignore all the plastic
The things I like about working with Melissa:
No thinking required- the meal plan takes all of the guess work and decision making away. We have been a in a bit of a food rut so it has been nice to try new things that end up tasting good.
Meals are fast to prep- during our phone consultation, I explained to Melissa that we are time poor (or just want to spend our time doing other things) so she made sure to choose recipes that are quick and easy.
Fruit and veg are back- these were definitely lacking but are now key components of each and every meal. It is too early to tell for sure but I think I feel a bit more energized too. This is something I will be monitoring closely as I continue to work with Melissa.
Drinking lots more water- Although this isn’t a part of her plan, I am reaching for water more often than not. The warmer weather may have something to do with it too, or the fact that I am slowly increasing my activity levels. Whatever the reason, I am glad to be hydrating the proper way.
Of course, I am still facing challenges:
Using all perishable goods before they rot- Minor fail on this one. While a portion of what we ordered we used in the provided recipes, we were able to use ingredients in other ways, such as for dipping in hummus, adding to yogurt for breakfast, and grilling on the BBQ.
I am still snacking and stress eating- This will take time to change my bad habits. I have many triggers that cause me to reach for cookies, cookie dough, and chocolate. Some of these I can control by not having poor snack choices on-hand. My plan recommends Brasil nuts as a snack so these are now in my lunch bag.
Finding time to stick to the plan- Ironic? I thought so. We have been travelling and now I am on a course for work. Hopefully I can start Week 2 properly next week (after I return from another trip to Cornwall).
As I already have my Week 2 shopping list and plan, I wil start this next week when I am back from a surf and yoga weekend. This week, I will continue to refer to Week 1 meal and snack suggestions, wrapping my brain around healthy choices rather than my old bad habits. Have you ever worked with a nutritionist or followed meal plan? If so, let me know if you have any suggestions on things I should be trying. Or tell me your favorite easy meal to prepare.
Goat cheese and tomato scramble with avocado and prosciutto
From when I was young until 2014 when I did my first Whole30. I was a vegetarian/pescatarian. The only meat I ate was tinned tuna. This slowly faded out after I ride a TIME article explaining how the fish was going to be extinct within the next 50 years. The no-meat-thing stemmed from me being a picky eater rather that a righteous drive. I was opposed to swordfish for over-fishing reasons and veal for animal welfare perspective, but seemed to be in the minority for both.
Typical Whole30 breakfast
When I started eating meat three times a day, it was a big change. I had no idea how to cook it or how to season it. My husband has been flexitarian since we lived in USA so it caused a few problems at meal time when we wanted different things. Although I no longer follow the Whole30, I work with a nutritionist, Shannon who has me eating 100+g protein/day. As much as I love protein shakes and bars, they tend to be expensive when you have multiple servings a day and seem to be full of chemicals and/or sugar. They are handy to satisfy my sweet tooth though because of this.
Sweet tooth, say what?
My husband and I still disagree about how much meat I eat and what kind. Normally I have chicken for lunch, which I season and grill. However, this gets old quickly. I will mix it up with sustainable wild salmon, Heck sausages, and the occasional ground beef or lamb. If we eat out, I will usually get a cheeseburger (with bacon, avocado, and sweet potato fries if possible). In a recent article, the environmental impact of eating meat is highlighted. There are movements for Meat Free Monday and generally eating less meat. I no longer have meat at every meal, but I do need to hit my protein targets.
The one source of protein we agree on is chocolate milk (one of the many reasons I think we knew we were suited for each other).
When I saw a tweet offering a new protein-packed chocolate for review I immediately responded for the following reasons:
I love chocolate
I need more protein
I like to support female entrepreneurs and small businesses
I treated myself to a hot chocolate after being timekeeper at parkrun not too long ago and it was delicious. I added two scoops of the pistols to 160ml of slowly microwaved semi-skimmed milk and stirred for a while to get it to melt (I don’t think the milk was hot enough and I was being too lazy to heat properly on the stove top). I have also tried Apple Pie and Funky Monkey. My usual preference is for dark chocolate and they were all yummy. On average, 100g of dark chocolate offers 4.9 grams protein but, as shared above, 80 Noir Ultra offers more. When you add this to milk (3.6g protein per 100ml), it is a pretty powerful punch.
Simply put, I loved each and every sample I was given of 80 Ultra Noir. I haven’t been able to use it for a proper recovery drink as I have been injured for eight weeks but I will be happy to give it a go as soon as possible.
So it looks like, I need to be supplementing my protein intake with hot chocolate, dark chocolate, and chocolate milk instead of mass produced farm animals. That is one diet I can get on board with!
Thanks to Carole Armitage for the complimentary samples. All opinions are honest and my own.
From when I was young until 2014 when I did my first Whole30. I was a vegetarian/pescatarian. The only meat I ate was tinned tuna. This slowly faded out after I ride a TIME article explaining how the fish was going to be extinct within the next 50 years. The no-meat-thing stemmed from me being a picky eater rather that a righteous drive. I was opposed to swordfish for over-fishing reasons and veal for animal welfare perspective, but seemed to be in the minority for both.
Typical Whole30 breakfast
When I started eating meat three times a day, it was a big change. I had no idea how to cook it or how to season it. My husband has been flexitarian since we lived in USA so it caused a few problems at meal time when we wanted different things. Although I no longer follow the Whole30, I work with a nutritionist, Shannon who has me eating 100+g protein/day. As much as I love protein shakes and bars, they tend to be expensive when you have multiple servings a day and seem to be full of chemicals and/or sugar. They are handy to satisfy my sweet tooth though because of this.
Sweet tooth, say what?
My husband and I still disagree about how much meat I eat and what kind. Normally I have chicken for lunch, which I season and grill. However, this gets old quickly. I will mix it up with sustainable wild salmon, Heck sausages, and the occasional ground beef or lamb. If we eat out, I will usually get a cheeseburger (with bacon, avocado, and sweet potato fries if possible). In a recent article, the environmental impact of eating meat is highlighted. There are movements for Meat Free Monday and generally eating less meat. I no longer have meat at every meal, but I do need to hit my protein targets.
The one source of protein we agree on is chocolate milk (one of the many reasons I think we knew we were suited for each other).
When I saw a tweet offering a new protein-packed chocolate for review I immediately responded for the following reasons:
I love chocolate
I need more protein
I like to support female entrepreneurs and small businesses
I treated myself to a hot chocolate after being timekeeper at parkrun not too long ago and it was delicious. I added two scoops of the pistols to 160ml of slowly microwaved semi-skimmed milk and stirred for a while to get it to melt (I don’t think the milk was hot enough and I was being too lazy to heat properly on the stove top). I have also tried Apple Pie and Funky Monkey. My usual preference is for dark chocolate and they were all yummy. On average, 100g of dark chocolate offers 4.9 grams protein but, as shared above, 80 Noir Ultra offers more. When you add this to milk (3.6g protein per 100ml), it is a pretty powerful punch.
Simply put, I loved each and every sample I was given of 80 Ultra Noir. I haven’t been able to use it for a proper recovery drink as I have been injured for eight weeks but I will be happy to give it a go as soon as possible.
So it looks like, I need to be supplementing my protein intake with hot chocolate, dark chocolate, and chocolate milk instead of mass produced farm animals. That is one diet I can get on board with!
Thanks to Carole Armitage for the complimentary samples. All opinions are honest and my own.
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