September 16th, 2009 by Zoe
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Here’s how my training week is starting to take shape. For the first couple of weeks I have only swam once a week and have decided to up it as it’s m weakest discipline.
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Monday
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1 hr Swim – Pyramid session; 4-8-12-12-8-4Followed by sauna
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| Tuesday |
Gym – Set program;15 min warm up on cross trainer
(5 min level 5, 10 mins level 12, 7-8kph)
15 min interval training on treadmill
(3 min @ 10.5kph, 2min @ 11.5kph)
12 min on rower (trying to beat previous best)
Strength and core work
Stretches
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| Wednesday |
Rest Day |
| Thursday |
Gym – Set Program as before (might swap rower with spinning bike) |
| Friday |
Rest Day |
| Saturday |
1 hour Swim Pyramid sessionFollowed by sauna
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| Sunday |
Approx 2 hour bike ride
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September 14th, 2009 by Zoe
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Yesterday was my first training session on the road bike.
Instead of a nice, easy plod through the country we picked a hilly 30 mile route and kept the pace up (to as much as I could cope with).
By the end, I was physically and mentally exhausted! Legs wobbling!
I expected to wake up feeling really stiff, struggling to climb stairs but instead don’t even feel like I’ve sat on a bike!
I put it down to the sauna last night and a healthy vegan diet, plenty of water and I went to bed with a pint of greensand baking soda to help repair my muscles and neutralise the lactic acid.
September 13th, 2009 by Zoe
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My first long cycle today. 30 miles in 2 legs – riding time 2 1/2 hours, I’ve got some work to do before the triathlon!
I still feel like I’m going through a detox after cutting out sugar and wheat a couple of weeks ago, following Brendan Braziers advice. In his book he asures me that once I’m through this fatigue, headaches, diarrhea and nausea, my energy levels will escalate. I can’t wait!
Today felt hard and I was really drained afterwards and even felt a little faint. I had a sauna session this evening to help the muscle recovery by eliminating the toxin build up.
September 11th, 2009 by Zoe
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Here’s the new bike (Trek 1.5) an entry level bike, perfect for a novice. It’s my first ever road bike and the first time I’ve used cleats!
It’s fantastic! Cleats are great, I felt so secure and the bike is so quick.
I had a 30min cycle today on the way back from the bike shop; pedal power. Now I can really start training.
Todays food:
Breakfast: avocado on rye bread
Lunch: salad with walnuts and spelt pasta
Snacks: brazil nuts, almonds, raisons and figs
Dinner: I’ve just been out for a meal, it can be a challenge on a vegan diet, all the vegetarian meals tend to involve a lot of cheese! I found a starter I could have as a main and without the cheese; field mushrooms stuffed with roast vegetables and side salad.
September 10th, 2009 by Zoe
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Since a week before I started training I’ve stopped eating sugar, (drinking alcohol and caffiene) .
Today is the first day I’ve experienced sugar cravings (which I haven’t given in to!)
The last couple of days have been really busy and I’ve felt more tired than usual, feeling the need for a boost!
Yesterday was a rest from exercise and tonight I didn’t feel like going to the gym and also thought I wouldn’t have time. However, I decided I could squeeze a 15 minute road run in. 15 min soon turned into 30 and I felt so much better for it.
As for the sugar cravings; sugar gives us a false high which then results in an energy debt which has to be repayed.
Following a sugar high we experience a low as the body repays its debt, this low makes us feel tired and we crave even more sugar and stimulants, if we satisfy this craving we build an even bigger debt, becoming trapped in an downward spiral, towards low energy levels and fatigue. The only way to break this cycle is to stop the stimulants such as caffeine and sugar (or detox). When detoxing you may feel more tired to begin with, once over this period, energy levels rise rapidly.
So the next time you eat something sweet to give you a boost, remember the debt you will have to pay!
September 8th, 2009 by Zoe
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Today, I was feeling great after yesterdays rest and some good food.
Tonights gym session consisted of a 15min spin, 15min interval run, 8min row (stopped early as it’s aggravating my huge blister!), 15 cross trainer and some core strengthening exercises and leg stretches.
Todays Vegan diet consisted of: rye bread and tomato for breakfast.
Lunch; green salad with walnuts, spelt pasta, olive oil and hommus, I snacked on soaked almonds, brazil nuts and dried figs.
Tonights dinner was a selection of raw fruit and vegetables; tomatos, avocado, suger snap peas, peppers and cucumber with olive oil and Hommus.
Brendan Braizer – Vegan Iron man, talks about the importance of a higly raw diet as cooking destroys the important enzymes in food responsible for energy production. Cooked food also puts extra stress on the body during digestion.
I’ve also managed over 4 litres of water today; some included a pH ion green supplement, baking soda and elecrolytes.
I’m really starting to feel the benefits of being wheat and sugar free, I’m waking much easier in the morning and not feeling the need for an afternoon nap.
September 7th, 2009 by Zoe
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Today is a day off from training, I’m sure as my fitness increases and the Triathlon gets nearer there won’t be many of these. I have no aches from yesterdays gym session and feel really good.
As for nutrition today, breakfast consisted of toasted Rye bread with tomato, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Snacks; Banana, apple and dry figs
Lunch; green salad with spelt pasta and hommus
Dinner: Aubergine and Okra red Thai curry and rice.
Supplements: pH Ion greens and I add baking soda to all my water which I have drank about 3 litres.
Sunday 6th Sept was my 2nd gym session with my new program. It felt much easier the 2nd time.
The session consisted of a 15 cross trainer, 15 min interval session on the spinning bike, 15 min interval session on the treadmill and weights for arm and core strengthening.
It was Sunday lunch with the In-laws, always more challenging when following a diet plan. Luckily there was plenty of vegetables so I ate those and stayed well clear of the roast beef. Dinner consisted of a small salad and rye bread, breakfast was rye bread and avocado.
As usual I drank several litres of water with baking soda to alkalise my body.
September 6th, 2009 by Zoe
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Thursday 3rd September was the official start day.
We visited pedal power to start the search for a road bike. The staff in the bike shop were more than helpful and even recommended a triathlon club.
Thursday evening I had an hour in the gym with a trainer, who has set me a cardio and weight program.
I ordered ‘The Thrive Diet’ a book by Brendan Brazier - A Vegan Iron Man. (One of my idols along with Dr Robert Young - pH Miracle)
Friday – rest day – book arrived and I started reading it.
Saturday – Swim (3 months ago I couldn’t even front crawl! I am now able to after alot of practice and patience and coaching from friends)
We did a 45min pyramid swim session in a 25m pool; 4:8:12:12:8:4 more than I have ever front crawled in my life, the session was much easier than I’d anticipated.
As for the diet – It needs some improvement and I’m sure it will evolve as time goes.
This week breakfast consisted of toast with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Lunch - salad with nuts, spelt and wheat pasta,
Dinner – vege Thai curry, various stir Fry’s, last night was an Indian!
Supplements: I’ve drank pH Ion greens twice a day and add baking soda to all my water to help neutralise acid and maintain the alkaline pH of my blood, I occasionally test this with my urine and will be monitoring this more closely.
Next week I’ll be cutting out the wheat as I’ve felt tired and bloated as I don’t usally eat wheat.
September 6th, 2009 by Zoe
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Hello,
Welcome to the first entry into my Triathlon training diary.
This began a couple of weeks ago on holiday, me and my boyfriend Jon were writing our goals and both realised we had the same goal of competing in a Triathlon. Both recovering from injury, me an Achilles tendon tear and Jon a slipped disc, we felt it would be a good goal to motivate us at returning to fitness.
I have been mainly vegan for a couple of years and am keen to disprove the myths about the need for animal protein and dairy in sport.
My belief (and I have read and seen plenty of evidence to support it) is that the human body is vegan by design and a vegan diet is far superior to an animal product diet. Producing amazing results in energy levels, weight, clear skin, bright eyes and recovery time.
Before turning vegan I had a high meat and diary diet, being a farmers daughter. I decided to try a 28 day detox just out of curiosity, the detox was meat, diary, sugar, caffiene, wheat, fish and processed food free. I was astounded by the results and didn’t want to go back.
Olympic distance Triathlon on a