Triathlon Number Three

So, today, I competed in my third triathlon event. It was at Dorney Lake in Windsor (UK). It's such a beautiful place to take part in an event like this. The course is great, the event is run by Human Race and it's always a brilliant day. Novice and experienced triathletes alike join together to fund raise, work hard and complete a major physical challenge.

Going into it this year, I was really apprehensive. I hadn't done nearly enough training - read next to nothing. I've hit a few snags along the way since my last triathlon, which have made it really hard to stay focused and committing to training. For starters, around Christmas/New Year, my anxiety attacks came back quite violently and I wasn't really in any mood to do any training at all. Winter is always the hardest time of year for me to train anyway. Who wants to be out in the freezing cold on a bike or pounding the pavement when it's -2 degrees outside?

Then I put my back out really badly which meant that any sort of exercise that wasn't swimming was incredibly painful. I couldn't cycle or run from January to May so my time window for real training shrunk dramatically due to injury. Also, being in a new relationship very much so (no matter how wrongly) affected my training schedule. I mean, if you had the option of early Sunday morning 5km run or staying in for breakfast in bed with a movie and the boyfriend..... which would you choose?

When I started my triathlon this morning, I hadn't cycled for a month and I hadn't done any brick training.... I was definitely feeling under prepared and very nervous that I wasn't going to be able to make it round the course without bursting into tears or at all.

However, by some sort of miracle, I did it! Not quite my PB but not far off and considering my near total lack of training I am so proud of myself. I wanted under 1hour 45mins and I completed it in 1hour 41mins, only 4 minutes slower than my PB anyway. I am so impressed that I still managed to get round in a really decent time and next year, if I actually do some training, I might even get a new PB.

For me this year, I actually felt my most comfortable the whole way round the course. Even on the run, which is always my worst section out of the three, I felt really calm and in control. I hurt from the word go, straight out of transition my legs were burning and I had a killer stitch for the first km and half. But I knew that if I stopped jogging and started walking, I'd never get going again. I just kept going steadily and made myself little goals so that I was constantly thinking about my next one, not worrying about how much distance I had left to run.

For example, 'run to the next bridge', 'just get to the next meter marker', 'keep going until that bottle thrown on the floor'. So, yeah, not always the most exciting goals but enough to keep my going. I also threw myself into encouraging every person who ran past me in the other direction to keep going. It was a great way to distract myself from actually running. Basically, anything to keep myself going and not think about running was a great help.

I was so happy that I finished and proud that I made it round. I'm still not where I want to be with the way I look. I was hoping to be at my goal weight for this triathlon but life sort of happened and not all the weight came off. I was really worried about posting these photos but then I looked at some of the photos from last years triathlon, and I can see some changes in my body.

My face is so much thinner. The photo on the left (above) is me at the end of the triathlon last year, and the picture on the right, is me at the beginning of this years. My cheeks are flatter, my chin and jaw line are more defined. 

Same again, left is last year, right is this year. I think this year, my thighs are slimmer, there's more definition around my knee, my stomach is flatter.

I haven't made the progress that I wanted to, but I have made progress and I know that if I keep going (and get back to training a little more) I'll get there. I'm trying to learn to appreciate even the small changes that I can see..... even if they aren't what I wanted initially.

I can't wait for sign up to open for next year so that I can get ready to compete again! Definitely one of the highlights of my year.

Check back in soon!!

M xx

A Very Long Absence....

So, I haven't written anything on this blog in such a long time! Life got pretty crazy and my blogging just sort of drifted off into obscurity.

Since I last posted I've lost a stone, fallen in love, moved into a flat with my new man, put back on nearly all of the stone that I lost, landed a new job and probably a lot more along the way.

Living with a man isn't half interesting..... getting to know someone's most private habits and nuances is an interesting journey to embark on. Who knew that the way someone squeezes the toothpaste tube could be so frustrating??!!

It's been a really intense few months, bloke wise, trying to impress a new family. A new part of a family you are hoping to become a part of. The pressure of that is immense at times, making sure that I don't let my other half down, making sure that I impress the people closest to him and show them the best version of me.

For me, this all very new. I've not met a boyfriend's family since I was about 14 and you had no choice but to have tea with the family after school if you ever wanted to see your 'boyfriend' outside of the classroom. But this, this is proper, grown up, I-think-this-is-forever kind of love and meeting the family of that sort of love is quite genuinely terrifying (sometimes).

Having said that, all of the family I have met, I've loved straight away and have made me feel so welcome into their little (or actually not that little) clan. I've still got lots of family members to meet as well apparently..... so there are more nerves and anxiety and stresses to come. :P It's all part of this amazing new journey of meeting all the people who are going to be a major part of my future. I can't quite believe how stupidly happy I am, how lucky I am to have found the person that I want to spend the rest of my life with and for them to feel the same.

Because I'm so stupidly happy, the weight loss/training has gone a little off the rails which is one of the reasons I wanted to start blogging again. I think if I put more focus on writing about my weight loss and training for my next triathlon, it might encourage me to actually stay on track a little more. I'm trying to courage M (my man) to do the same. Hopefully, we can get fit and healthy together, and then enjoy being slightly slimmer on our holiday to Croatia in the summer.

I've got a triathlon in just over a month and training has been really tricky since Christmas as my back has been pretty dodgy since then. There have been weeks where I literally haven't been able to do more than walk because I've been in so much pain, which means that I'm really behind on where I'd like to be fitness wise for my upcoming event. I doubt I'm going to get a PB this time around which is quite frustrating really. I can remember the buzz I felt at the end of last year's triathlon when I knew that I could get round the course faster than I'd completed it.

I know that I am smaller than I was when I competed last year, and I still have time to slim down about but I do seem to be finding it very hard to say no to the bad foods. It's becoming all too easy to skip a workout and come home to M instead. I know that this is pretty stupid and counterproductive to feeling good about myself. Spending time with M gives me the same happy feeling that I get when I work out, and it's so much more tempting to come home for dinner and a cuddle than it is to slog it out in the pool or in a gym class.

So, this needs to change.... quite a lot of it really. The eating habits, the work out schedule, I need to stop skipping the gym to see M.... I mean, I live with him, he's not going anywhere in the extra hour that I might spend in the pool/gym.

So my new blog posts will pretty much be about my weight loss, training, eating habits. If I can hold myself accountable to my (very few) readers then maybe I'll be able to get back on the band wagon and shift some weight.

I've started to doubt myself again and started to dislike what I look like in the mirror. It was such a great time when I actually liked what I saw in the mirror and didn't worry about my big, wobbly belly during the day in whatever it was that I was wearing. I want to get back to that point. Just before Christmas, I felt really great about the way I looked and now.... I feel pretty flabby and unattractive most of the time.

So, here is to getting back on track, a pound at a time, no crazy diets, no banishing certain foods, no deprivation.... just steady, sensible training and diet. I know it works, I know that I have done it before and that I can do it again. I just need to keep it up and not let my new found love sabotage my goals.

Stay tuned in for updates.

M xx

#100happydays Days 64 to 70

Oooo we are getting very close to the end of this #100happydays project.

Day 64) Another new PB on the run. Feeling great! It blinking hurt though!

Day 65) Not so much happy as it is funny! I was gardening at after school club yesterday in my sandals and got really dirty feet! The first thing I said to Belinda when I arrived at ballroom was 'I need to go and wash my feet.' Got a very strange look in return - obviously! So here is me... Washing my feet in a sink at a village hall....

Day 66) Looking super hot in my swimming hat tonight at Shepperton Lake.

Day 67) Our first strawberry is turning red our veggie patch at school!

Day 68) It's 'Beach Day' at school today! Rocking the floral maxidress. Love the colour and the pattern of this dress. Looks a bit odd with the white top underneath but as I'm wearing it at school, I can't wear anything low cut for safeguarding reasons. But it's still a lovely dress! 

Day 69) My sister painted my nails for me! The are so beautiful, shame that they are already chipping off. 

Day 70) I was absolutely exhausted on Sunday after 2 nights of dancing and getting in after 3am. I spent all day on Sunday switching between napping and colouring. I have not been that tired in a really long time!

A fantastic week! Had loads of fun over the weekend but it did end in a major bed day as I was utterly shattered! Check back in soon for this weeks happy days.

M xx

Rolling In The Deep - A Triathlon Diary

Wednesday has become lake day - actually, I'd try and get to the lake every day if I could and if it was open.... I am totally in love with the whole thing. It is so tranquil and just the sound of the swimmers in the lake makes me feel utterly at peace!

I mean, who wouldn't love to spend at evening with this view. Obviously, when you are in the water you don't spend much time looking around but you do know that you are surrounded by so much beauty. 

I was the 126 swimmer in the water on Wednesday (not including new swimmers to the lake - they get there own number/colour system) and by the time I was leaving, the team were signing in swimmer 170. You never feel like there are that many people to fight through when you're in the water though, it feels like you're out there pretty much by yourself which is just lovely after a long day at work. 

And here I am..... looking my best, ready to get into the water for a splash around. I really focused on my stroke on Wednesday. I wanted to work on my hip rotation and pull of my arms under the water. It felt good once I got into a good rhythm and I could feel the difference in speed when I was really pulling with my arm in the right angle under the water. I also worked on my sighting, I want to make sure that I don't lose time by swimming in the wrong direction on race day. My technique is coming along nicely. I think I've got the hang of raising my head to just under the goggle line before going to breathe. It's feeling more and more natural every time I go.

For anyone looking for a new experience or wants to give open water swimming a go - come on down to Shepperton Lake. You will not be disappointed! 

M xx 

An Early Saturday Splash - A Triathlon Diary

I woke up a lot earlier than expected on Saturday morning and I felt surprisingly rested, even though I was waking up before 8am at the weekend. With nothing much to do and wanting to get out of the house, I thought I'd head to the lake for a quick morning dip.  

When I arrived it was a little overcast but the car park was heaving. So much busier than on Wednesday night and I could already hear the rhythmic slapping of the swimming going past. From the lake side you can only really see their arms going through the top half of their rotation and the occasion head bob up if someone is 'sighting' - technical term for 'making sure they are going in the right direction'. It's actually a lot harder than you think it is to keep going in a straight line, to a particular point when you are in the water. 

The weather started to break as I was getting ready by the time I got to the water's edge in all my gear.... looking the best I have ever looked in my life..... there is, unfortunately, no photographic proof of this.... it was glorious!

The first orange buoy you can see in the photo below is the start of both the 400m and the 750m course. You swim out to that buoy, do which ever lap you fancy and then head back in land - this avoids being plowed into by the really super fast semi pro dolphins in wetsuit people who seem to do more than one lap of the 750m course! (Crazy scary fit people)

The water temperature wasn't too bad and the sunshine helped a lot to keep the surface of the water warmer than a few feet down. It was a very uneventful swim session. I did a nice slow lap of the 400m course to get warmed up and relaxed and then took a little break. Bobbed about in the shallows for a while and then went out for another, slightly faster, more intense lap of the 400m course. 

If I head down on Saturday this week.... and if I'm feeling brave...... I might try the 750m course, just to see how it feels to be out in open water for that long. 

Be Prepared! - A Triathlon Diary

Training for a triathlon, I have learnt, is more than just putting in the hours of training. It tests your ability to be prepared and plan ahead! So, I rocked up to school with my normal bag with all my school stuff AND my hug red kit back ready to head to the lake for a swim after After School Club. 

Food (meals/shakes) for day 4 of the C9 programme. All prepped at 6:30am and ready to go! Come back in a few days to read my review of how the C9 programme turned out. 

For any lake swim you're going to need one or even two swimming hats! The water is cold and it's much easier to warm up afterwards when your hair is nice and dry. Plus, it makes you streamlined.... and it looks SUPER attractive! 

Flip flops are always a great shout for wandering around the lake it. There is a whole of goose poo about..... not nice for bare feet! 

And of course! A tri suit..... again, super attractive. I like to train in mine so I get used to the feel of it in the water. You don't even notice it under the wetsuit, it's like a second skin. I don't have a picture of my wet suit but it is, of course, recommended. Some people swim without them but I'm not that brave! 

The moto of a triathlete in training - Get prepped! 

Another New PB! On A Roll! - A Triathlon Diary

I only went and bloody did it again!

A second PB.... 2 runs in a row! I am so chuffed! I have to give a shout out, again, to my wonderful father who coached we through the whole thing.

At around 3km I hit a wall and thought I lungs were about to spontaneously combust but Dad wouldn't let me stop - or slow down - and by the end of the 5km we had actually picked up the pace again and we knocked a whole chunk of time off.

I genuinely went into shock at the end when I actually realised what I'd achieved and had a little weep.

Yes! You read that right, I cried at the end of a run.... I am a massive emotional wet rag but I don't really care because I am so damn proud of the progress I've made.

From the run last Monday, I knocked off a further 1 minute and 12 seconds..... that's a total of 1 minute and 55 seconds faster over just 3 runs. 

Here is what I captioned the photo with on Instagram:

• Absolutely bloody ecstatic about this! Not only did I get a 2nd #personalbest time for the 2nd week in a row. But I knocked a whole minute and 12 seconds off the same run! Yes, that's 72 seconds faster over the same distance!!!! I am so f***ing chuffed!! I finally feel like I am getting back to my #athletic self - it's taken a damn long time and a lot of tears, frustration and nearly throwing the towel in but I finally feel SO close to being as fit as I was when I was in #training with my #rugbyteam. I still struggle with what I #see when I look in the mirror. There are still so many things that I want to #change about my body but I KNOW that there is an #athlete inside me that is finally making an appearance. My body is so much #stronger than I believe it to me and the biggest #barrier I face ever time that I work out is my #mind. I was told recently that your brain is your strongest #muscle - you have to train it the hardest to get fit and healthy. This run proves to me that I am so much more capable than I give myself credit for and I need to push myself past the limit where I think I can't go on anymore. My limit is a lot further away than it initially appears. I got my running bug back!!! 

• #instarunners#triathlon #running #swimbikerun#100happydays #day64 #5km#trainingrun #PB #72seconds#incredible #iamsostrong #thisgirlcan#BOOM #weightloss #fitness #health

If you would like to check out my Instagram account for more training photos and other randomness, my username is megs_100

A New PB! - A Triathlon Diary

I not only have a triathlon coming up next month, I also have a 10km run. So, all the run training I'm doing is helping (hopefully) towards both of these events.

I've only recently got back into running to the point where I'm enjoying it. I think having my dad as a training partner really helps as he is a great source of encouragement and a fantastic pace maker.... and he doesn't let me slow down!

For a while, back in 2014, I was doing ParkRun on a Saturday morning at a local but fell out of the habit over the winter. My fastest 5km at ParkRun was 34:56 which I was happy with. I was only a year out of major knee surgery, I was over weight and unfit.

On June 1st 2015 (my second real training run in about 4 months) I smashed this time out of the water! I was SO pleased!

Considering that I have not been doing a lot of running training, I am super pleased with knocking 43 seconds off of my personal best! It's gives me a lot of confidence for the training runs still to come and also, the actual event that are now less than a month away!