Posts Tagged ‘Triathlon training’

Maintaining a healthy Vegan Diet on Holiday

November 2nd, 2009

Holidays can prove a challenge for anyone following a diet. I’m currently in Florida for 2 weeks on a training course. Here the Americans are big meat eaters. They don’t seem to understand the concept of vegetarianism. Therefore to be a vegan requires you to be resourceful. Finding a good supermarket with fresh vegetables, nuts and seeds. When eating out you may have to be inventive don’t be afraid to change dishes, take meat out add things on. For example, last night there was a spinach salad on the menu with raspberry’s and cheese, therefore, I asked the waiter for the salad without cheese and to replace it with Avocado and olive instead.

My diet whilst in Florida, has consisted of fruit and vegetable smoothies for breakfast, brought from the supermarket, lunch is usually avocado, hummus, tomato, cucumber, celery and for dinner I eat out and usually have a salad. I brought supplements with me, my green drinks and oil capsules.

Vegan Triathlete Diet Improved

October 25th, 2009
Drinks & supplements Food Overview
Breakfast 3/4 litre of Dr Brocs Power plants with baking soda

Supplements: Borage oil capsule & vitamin B12 capsule

Fruit & Vegetable smoothie

Snack ¾ litre of water with baking soda

Peppermint tea

Almonds, Brazil nuts, Walnuts

Dates, Raisons, Figs

Lunch Peppermint tea Salad:

Lettuce, Cucumber, Tomato

Sugar snap peas, Peppers

Onion, Mixed Sprouts (chickpea, aduki beans, lentil)

Quiona or amaranth

Olive oil, udos choice oil

Salt & pepper

Hommus, ground flax

Snack ¾ litre water with baking soda

Peppermint tea

Banana or apple or raw food bar

Another vegetable juice with a green drink if I’ve done a hard exercise.

Dinner Herbal tea

¾ litre of greens with baking soda before bed

Vege curries, stir frys, chillis, salads

Quinoa

Rice

Brown Rice noodles

Triathlon training log – Week 5

October 4th, 2009
Exercise Log – Week Beginning 28th September 2009
  Event Distance Time
Mon Rest    
Tues Gym Cross trainer 15min

Treadmill  (interval training- 3min 11kph, 2min 12kph)

15min

20min

Weds Rest    
Thurs Swim

 

64 Lengths (pyramid session)

Sauna

49mins

 

Fri Rest    
Sat Run

Cycle

3.8miles (head wind)

10 miles

32min 14

43min 27

Sun Cycle 26miles 1 hour 41

The reality sets in – Triathlon race targets

September 19th, 2009

I’ve been researching previous results for Olympic / Standard distance Triathlon.

I’ve compared my current times to the winning female times in 2 triathlons with sea swims;

Event

Current Times

(3 weeks into training)

Target

Difference!!

1500m Swim 1 hour 25 mins 35 mins
24 mile Bike 1 hour 40 1 hour 15 25 mins
10 km Run 1 hour 40 mins 20 mins
Total 3 hours 40 2 hours 20 1 hour 20

Over 12 months I need to knock off 10 mins per month! (Roughly 3 mins per event) I have no idea if that is realistic!

I’ve got a lot of work to do!

Triathlon Training Program – Month 1

September 16th, 2009

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.

Monday

1 hr Swim – Pyramid session; 4-8-12-12-8-4Followed by sauna

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

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

Sunday

Approx 2 hour bike ride

Sugar Debt in Sport

September 10th, 2009

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!

The Triathlon Training Starts

September 6th, 2009

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.