Snack Attack

This is a bit of a random post and comes off the back of two separate unconnected instances (and comments) that have happened to me this week.

 

As all good tale tellers do, please allow me to lay a little back storey for you…

As you I am sure are aware, I am currently in the opening stages of training for my first 70.3 event in May [if you were not aware I apologise, you must form the 1% of the population that I have not “mentioned” this too!]. As part of this course, there are a number of days that start and end with a training session.

The “start of the day” sessions usually entail packing the bags and car the night before, a rudely early alarm and some form of easily digested liquid food (or toast) in the car on the way to the session.

The “end of the day” sessions are usually at around 6 – 6:30 in the evening. Whilst I am generally awake at these times I will confess to starting to lag in the energy department. The thought of a multi-lap-many-km-uphill-downhill-tempo-threshold-longslow run or swim is strangely for me not

that enticing. All I can say is thank goodness for the accountability of group training sessions!!!

In order to ensure that I have adequate energy levels for the evening sessions I have stated to have a more substantial “snack” at 3:30 / 4pm. It is this snack that resulted in the first comment. The comment was along the lines of “Holy Sh*t…don’t you have a pantry at home?” The below picture is one of the drawers in my office desk…

A fair mix of foods...

Also, we are taught, that after a session it is beneficial if we can get some form of food into our system within 10 – 20mins of strenuous exercise to allow our finely tuned athlete-esk bodies enough time to replenish some of the reserves that have just been tapped into in the afore mentioned session. Generally, it takes me 30 – 40 mins to get home from a session and as such I will have a snack (cereal/nut bar) in the car on the way home. This then gives me enough to get home, unpack, repack, shower and eat. It makes sense then that these snacks live in the glove box in my car. Giving another colleague a lift the other day prompted the second comment which was “Far out! How long is your commute?” I suppose this is a good point to admit that it takes A LOT of willpower not to snack out on non-session days…

Variety is important in a snack...

Given the reactions above, it is just as well that they have not seen one of the shelves in my home office which has my gels and sports mix on it…as a side point…if anyone reading this knows or is connected to Hammer, please feel free to put my name forward as I am sure they would love a late-30s wannabe triathlete in their stable of finely tuned superstars… :p

Please note the token CLIFF Bar in the corner...

All in all, I know it is only the first week but honestly, I am so pleased to be back in a routine training regime an am loving it! Here’s to keeping the momentum going through to the race!

Thanks for reading