by Mollie Millington | Mar 16, 2022 | cycling, outdoors, running, travel, water sports
Have you heard a rumor that California weather is perfect year-round? I certainly had so when I touched down in San Diego in late February of this year, I was expecting sunshine and warm temps. There were big plans to play outside and on the water while working on my tan. Unfortunately, the rumor is not true and winter comes to California making the air temperature cold when it is cloudy and rain showers inevitable. Don’t get me wrong, it was still warmer and sunnier than London at this time of year. Luckily, I never leave home without a raincoat and Gortex shoes so I was ready for this surprise (sunscreen and sunglasses were also on hand at all times, just in case). In the end, it was a mix of weather and a mix of outdoor activities while I was in San Diego for ten days. Most of the time was dominated by a work conference but I snuck a few fun activities in and around the jam-packed schedule.
Wildlife watching
My number one priority while on the West Coast was to go on a whale watch (closely followed by running a California race to tick the state off my list). While spending way too much time on Instagram during Covid, I discovered Dolphin Drone Dom who runs Gone Whale Watching in San Diego. Being the marine biology nerd that I am, I have a whale species bucket list (currently, North Atlantic right whale is still top of the list). On this trip, I wanted to see gray whales, a sperm whale, and if possible, a blue whale. Ironically, my uncle had sent me a sperm whale lapel pin as a surprise and it turned out to be a lucky totem. Tally for the day: eight hours on the boat, one Diet Coke, one sperm whale, five gray whales, two humpbacks and hundreds of dolphins. While it was very chilly (even before we left the dock), the sun was out for a fantastic day at sea. The seas were fairly swelly farther out but we were able to stay closer to San Diego due to the gray whale migration patterns.
If boats aren’t your thing, La Jolla is about a 20 minute drive north of downtown San Diego. At this time of year, the resident sea lions and seals have pups. Because of this, the beaches are closed to allow the animals some peace and quiet. Unfortunately, people still climb over barriers and approach these animals for a selfie. It is very important to stay at least 50 feet from marine mammals, so please enjoy them from afar and bring binoculars. Babies can be crushed if animals are scared into the water. In addition, sea lions and seals can spend up to half of their time on land so it is perfectly normal for them to dry out while on land.
For the kids who like to get their hands dirty, we tried tide pooling in La Jolla too but weren’t able to see many critters. I am sure there are better places (perhaps with a smaller tide or in a more protected area). Be sure to check the tide times before heading out to ensure you are safe. If you know a better tidepool spot near San Diego, please leave a comment below and let me know.
Cycling
San Diego has many cycling lanes built into their roads, but I didn’t see too many people using them (electric scooters were everywhere but most people ride then on the pavement (sidewalk)). There was a designated cycling and walking path near my hotel that ran along the Metro line towards Mission Bay. San Diego was a much smaller city than I thought it would be. Everything was within a 10-20 minute drive. With the infrastructure already there, I hope that more people will start cycling in the city as it is much more ecofriendly and helps you stay fit too. My friend, Haley, and I rented bikes at Stay Classy Bike Rentals. If we had planned a bit more ahead, they would have dropped the bikes off at our hotel and collected them too. In stead, we drove to their shop where Haley picked up her fancy road bike. I opted for a commuter bike because I can never reach the brakes on road bikes. We road about 10 minutes from the bike shop before we reached the promenade along the bay. Haley was happy to take it easy on me, so we kept a casual pace weaving amongst the tourists, stopping whenever we saw something cool.
While in San Diego, I also attended my first spin class since March 2020. Up until the pandemic, I was an indoor cycling instructor and taught weekly classes at my local gym. When the gyms closed up during lockdown, not all were able to open again, including my local one. I discovered Cyclebar Hillcrest while buying some groceries for my long stay. It was a short drive from my hotel and the studio offers a $10 introductory class. The class reminded me why I love indoor cycling so much. The music. The energy. The people. The lovely personalized welcome note on my bike. This was exactly what I needed to get me out of my fitness slump. Unfortunately, I unceremoniously fell off my bike at the end of class to stretch, which left me with a huge bruise on my arm. This became a big talking point as the week went on and the bruise further developed its colors. I am refusing to believe this is an omen of some sort and am actively looking for studio positions back in London.
Running
Not only were there lots of parks and paths in San Diego and along the coast, but I found there were lots of races to sign up for too. Initially, I was going to sign up for the T9 Mermaid Series Half because of the mermaid theme (omg the medal was gorgeous!), but it clashed with my daylong whale watch. The Mermaid Series is about inspire women from all backgrounds (men are allowed to join the races too) to experience joy as they cross the finish line. Accomplishing the goal of completing a race will hopefully inspire participants to pursue new goals in fitness and in other areas of their life. If I ever get back to California, I am going to check their race schedule before booking flights.
If you want a race series that is more about trails and PBs, I recommend Endurance Race Series (ERS). They are now sponsored by Salomon (congrats guys!), and have events that offer a range of terrain, distances, and locations in Colorado and San Diego. They kindly offered me a spot in their Coast to Crest 5K trail race #gifted on the day I was due to fly home to the UK. Unfortunately, it rained heavily two days before the race, so the event was postponed by a week to let the trails dry out and avoid long term damage. ERS gave me the option to go virtual, so I did. Originally, I was going to run around Fiesta Island but was worried that my little rental car would get stuck in the mud. Instead, I drove to the Mission Bay area and wound my way through some parking lots and along the shore to hit my 3.1 miles. Having looked at the social media posts about the postponed event, it looked like a perfect day for a run (check back next week for a race report).
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list for stay active while in San Diego and California. Surfing, kayaking, fishing, sailing, scuba diving, and even hot air ballooning are within two hours drive. There is roller skating, skate boarding, beach volleyball, golfing, rock climbing and more. I even managed walking over 4.5 miles at the San Diego Zoo. If spectating is more your jam, there are many amateur and professional sports teams located in San Diego.
Clearly, I need to visit San Diego again and explore the outdoors a bit more with a few other activities (and hopefully run another race with ERS). What’s your favorite way to spend time outside in San Diego?
by Mollie Millington | Apr 5, 2021 | product review, water sports
Even though I miss the four proper seasons I grew up with, the lack of snow in London means you can still play outside in the winter. Whether it is running, cycling, swimming, or paddleboarding, if you can brave the wet and cold, you can get outside. The pandemic put a wrench in things this winter, but lockdown regulations are finally lifting. Open water swimming is allowed, we can meet in groups of six for a run or cycle, and we can go a little bit farther from home now (but not too far).
Winter water sports are a bit more complicated because you want to stay warm (and dry) as much as possible. This means you need to pack a few extra bits to make it more enjoyable. Here are a few things I have found to be very useful to help me stay warm (and happy). Let me know in the comment below if you would add anything.
During
Lifestraw GO water bottle* (freshwater only) – Even though it it cold and you might not be sweating, you need to stay hydrated. The Lifestraw filters will remove up to 99% of the nasties in the water. You don’t need to carry extra water with you. It is only able to work with fresh water though, not salt.
Swimming booties and gloves (optional) – My feet and hands always get cold. Walking into the water to mount my board and small splashes will keep getting my feet wet, so I recommend wearing neoprene boots or socks. I used my open water swimming socks, however these are not durable enough for rough terrain. Your hands might also get wet, so neoprene gloves might be important. If you wear gloves, make sure you have a grip texture on them so keep your hands on the paddle.
Neoprene clothes – What you wear on the board will depend on the weather, if you tend to feel hot or cold, if you think you will fall in the water, how long will you be paddling for, etc. I like the Mountain Warehouse women’s full wetsuit*. The knees are reinforced and there is a small pocket for key. The pattern is a contour design with different thickness fabrics on different parts of the body.
Some people prefer to wear neoprene trousers instead and a warm top with a breathable waterproof jacket. It might be trial and error the first few times you go out in colder weather. If you don’t wear a wetsuit, go for layers to help regulate your body temperatures.
Waterproof bag – The Aquapac Debbie waterproof bag* is perfect for a wallet, keys, and anything else you want to keep dry. You can wear it around your waist or as a crossbody bag. I fell in the water wearing it once and can assure you that everything stayed dry. You just need to ensure you close it properly. It is also great at keeping items sand-free.
Warm hat (optional) – Much like the clothes you are wearing, a warm hat might help you stay warm or make you overheat.
After
Changing robe – I am so lucky that James surprised me a Red Paddle changing robe for my birthday in February. For those not in the know, it is a large fleece lined jacket that you can change under. Not only will it keep you warm on land, but it will also give a warm and discreet place to change out of wet clothes.
Towel – You never know when/if you will fall in, so keep a towel on hand. At least you can dry off your feet or board with it.
Dry clothes to change in – Again, you never know what will happen, to you or someone you have met on the water. Keep a dry set of clothes handy. Hyperthermia is no joke.
Reusable coffee cup and flask of hot drink (optional) – Something to warm you up right away might be a big comfort when you get back to shore.
Hot water bottle (optional) – This might not be necessary if you don’t feel the cold much or if the sun is shining. Depending on how long your journey is to get home or if you have a car, you might find the water bottle too heavy to carry around.
This list might not have missed a few things depending on where you live. I encourage you to do more research and ask your local SUP club. Go Paddling is a wonderful resource for those in UK. Learn new skills by taking a paddling course through Paddles Up Training. Don’t let the weather keep you stuck at home. Preparation is key. Aim to keep warm and dry as best as you can.
Share your winter SUP essentials in the comments below!
Items marked with a * were graciously given me to review. All opinions are honest and my own.
by Mollie Millington | Oct 7, 2019 | product review, water sports
Yes, you read that right. I have been paddleboarding in London this summer while training for
London Regatta. 2019 was meant to be the inaugural year where people could row, kayak or stand up paddleboard (SUP) down the Thames River from Putney to Greenwhich or Putney to Big Ben and back again. The river was to be shut to traffic, as well as the tide (by closing the Thames Barrier). Sadly, the weather wasn’t cooperating and the race had to be cancelled. You can imagine how many authorities and staff were involved to make it a successful and safe event. Of course, I was disappointed that it was cancelled but I could not fault the organizers for make a tough call. They had the safety of the participants in mind (both in terms of water quality and tide) which is the most important thing.
For the Regatta, SUP participants needed a board that was at least 11 feet long, a flotation devise and a waist leash (rather than an ankle). They also recommended a carbon paddle which would be lighter than a standard one. I was grateful to have Two Bare Feet support my efforts by gifting me a Entradia touring board starter pack in pink. Living in a flat in London, I don’t have room for a proper SUP board. An inflatable board suits me as it is much easy to store in our shed. The rucksack is 90L and fits everything inside. After a few times out, I realized the paddles can be strapped to the outside of the bag, making the inside a bit more roomy. It is fairly heavy to carry though. My husband and I estimated it to be 20-25 kgs (more than a checked bag). I took it on the Tube a few times and had to rest along the way rather than my normal rush. The weight is something to consider if you will be carrying it around town or travelling. with it. With practice, I think you would build up the strength to carry it more easily.
One way to make the rucksack lighter is to leave the pump and puncture kit at home. I used Wakeup Docklands near Royal Victoria DLR stop as the place where I trained. With my own board, I only had to pay a £5 launch fee. Or you can rent boards there for £20. They have both manual and electric pumps to inflate SUP boards which I took full advantage of. The dock they have access to is about a mile if you do the entire edge. There are other activities going on, such as sailing, swimming, and wake boarding, so you have to keep an eye on your surroundings. One of the instructors, Sarah, was extremely kind and offered lots of tips on how to improve my form and paddle stroke in order to increase my speed. The Regatta was meant to have a four hour cutoff which meant that I needed to keep a good pace going in order to finish. I was a little bit worried but now I have another year to train.
Inflating the board took a bit of practice. The pump has a handy inflate and deflate option which makes packing up much easier. One tip I have is to realize the board can take more air than you think. A few times, I didn’t realize it was a bit under-inflated until I was out on the water.
The bungee on the front of the board was handy for holding my dry bag down and clipping my water bottle too. I had started experimenting with having a small bucket connected to the bungee for the Regatta as I thought I would need to store a lot of supplies (dry clothes, food, etc). I am not sure if the 90L bag with pump would have fit comfortably under the bungee. This might be something to consider if you were starting in one place and ending in another.
I really enjoy spending time on the water and cannot wait to get out there again. Even though autumn has arrived, if the sun is out, I will be taking the board out. I just need to figure out how to keep my feet warm (maybe with dive booties?). Next summer, SUP’ing will probably be my sport of choice. I need to obtain a British Canoeing membership to take my board out on the London canals which would be a lot of fun and a change of scenery.
Have you ever tried SUP? Where is your favorite place to go? Leave a comment below and let me know.
Thanks to Two Bare Feet for gifting me the paddleboard. All opinions are honest and my own.
by Mollie Millington | Aug 21, 2019 | cycling, product review, race review, running, water sports
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
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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.
Feeling inspired and want to give London Triathlon 2020 a “tri”? Register your interest now.
*Thanks to London Triathlon for the complimentary race entry and Decathlon for the wet suit. All opinions are honest and my own.
by Mollie Millington | Jul 25, 2019 | cycling, product review, running, water sports
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| Waiting to scan my barcode at parkun |
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.
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| 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.
by Mollie Millington | Jun 21, 2019 | cycling, recovery, running, spinning, water sports
On Thursday afternoon, I was back at Function360 for my check up. I am only going every three weeks now which is great because it means I am nearly done with my recovery. It is also sad though because I love seeing the team (especially Hugo, the office dog). My osteopath, Emma, is pleased with my progress, even though I still have some tenderness to the touch on the medial side of my left Achilles. The swelling has gone done quite a bit and I no longer have any pain in my right Achilles (while my right posterior tibial tendon is a different story). Twice I week, I complete my rehab regime and I am religious about stretching and foam rolling after exercise.
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| Emma, from Function360, working her magic |
At these visits, Emma will examine my lower legs, looking for symmetry, swelling, tenderness, strength, and tight muscles. Depending on what she finds, she might massage my calves, stretch my hips, dry needle my tendons or all of the above. This week was just stretching and massage. She also assigned two new exercises to me which will help with my posterior tibial tendon (in fact, I am doing them as I type this).
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| To infinity and beyond! |
My dedication to the rehab program seems to be paying off as I am now able to run for 10 minutes with a 1 minute walking break three times per session which gets me up to a 5K. I hope to be up to steady state running in the next few weeks. It is a bit nerve-racking to start up again. What if the Achilles pain comes back? What if four months of rehab hasn’t made me any stronger or faster? Will I ever run another marathon. When I told her about my concerns, Emma said I shouldn’t be comparing myself to anyone else. She believes things are looking good so far and that I should keep the faith.
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| Cap from 2011 London Triathlon. New cycling shoes #gifted from Decathlon. |
As my prognosis is looking good and I do better with a deadline in my diary, I have signed up for the London Triathlon super sprint distance (400m swim, 10K bike, 2.5K run. (#gifted entry). London Triathlon might have been my first UK back in 2011. I did the sprint course (700m swim, 20K bike, 5K run) and for a brief moment was tempted to do it again to try for a PB. But then I remembered I am supposed to be sensible in my recovery and stuck with the super sprint. It will still be a PB and the cross-training will help my cardiovascular fitness levels improve before I start training for the 20km trail runs in Malawi with Orbis Challenge. I have a lot of work to do this summer.
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| Why is it so hard to look cool in a wet suit? #gifted from Decathlon |
My training strategy is primarily to add swimming in twice a week (once in a pool and once in open water). For the passed few years, I teach indoor cycling once or twice a week, riding about 10-12 miles per class. I might do a few short outdoor bike sessions on my own to learn about my threshold and where I can ride to just below it for about 20 minutes. I will use parkrun to develop my running strategy. Our local course is two laps which means I can use the first lap to tire myself out (simulating excursion on swim and bike) then push myself on second lap.
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| This week’s playlist |
Because I am a competitive person, I am going to study previous London Triathlon results in case there is a chance I can place in my age group. That would be a Christmas miracle but really give my confidence a boost. I am dying to get back out there and continue to develop my speed with track sessions but fear getting thrown back to square one.
Have you ever come back from injury by completing a triathlon? Or taking up one of the disciplines as a substitute for running? Let me know in the comments below.
Thanks to London Triathlon for the gifted entry. Full review of my race experience will be up in August.
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