After a little chat with a mucho qualified co-worker about how astoundingly poor my exercise efficiency is (read previous blog to get the background), I have decided to nix the last triathlon of the season in favour of starting my base training now. I am anticipating that instead of the usual 12 or so weeks that you usually base train for, I will likely need 402 weeks to get my body at the efficiency level that it should be. I may have overestimated. Only time will tell.
In the meantime, spare a thought for me, riding at about 4km an hour so that I can keep my heart rate under 140 beats per min. I have set my schedule and it looks something like this:
Monday - Bay swim + resistance exercise
Tuesday - 1hr ride + 40 min run
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - Bay swim + resistance exercise
Friday - 1hr ride + 40 min run
Saturday - Bay swim + resistance exercise
Sunday - 1hr20min ride + 50min run
Praise baby cheeses that my new job allows me to spend a good chunk of time training, because if I was still restricted to 1hr sessions I would get absolutely nowhere!
I am on day 4 of my program and I have to say I love it. You will notice that there is no pool swimming scheduled. This is because, now that I work at the seabaths, it seems criminal to drive to a chlorinated pool to swim. In a cruel and unusual twist of fate I forgot my ipod for one of the ride sessions on the spinbike. One hour with nothing but me, the wall and a garmin to check the time on...constantly!
So I will keep you updated on how the base training goes and if I ever become more efficient than an 80 year old. I might even do a post about what sort of resistance training i'm doing. I know, you can't wait, can you.
And now on the flavour of the month. Mango berry smoothies! I have been loving this smoothie post workout. Its sweet and icy cold. The protein helps to repair the muscles from the long workout while the berries help to counteract some of the oxidative damage. The mango has anti-inflammatory properties, is rich in vitamin C and a great source of carbohydrates. One of the things you need to consider when you are increasing your exercise is the effect it will have on your immune system. Often if we increase too quickly and do not properly nourish and replenish the body, we can end up with colds and flus or just generally feeling unwell. Having this smoothie straight after exercise is just one of the ways I make sure that this doesn't happen to me!
Mango Berry Smoothie
Serves 1
1/2 Mango (I like to freeze it in ziplock bags so I can portion it out)
1 serve Protein powder (whey, pea, rice soy, etc)
350mls Almond milk (or cows, goats, rice, soy etc)
2 handfuls frozen mixed berries
Freezing the mango in portion sizes makes smoothies quick and easy and also means that they stay nice and thick when you drink them.
As always, place all the ingredients together and blend, blend, blend.
Voila!
Whats the plan for your training this week?
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