To say that the lead up to my first triathlon of the season was less than ideal, is a huge understatement. So instead of boring you with the details, my OCD side will laundry list everything when necessary:

Got a cold a month before the race.
This was followed by a hedonistic weekend (think 8 hours sleep in 6 days, fueled by alcohol and coffee, no food and a lot of adrenalin).
Cold turns into flu.
Training weekend where I should have rested.
Flu, coupled with hayfever, turns into sinus infection.
So, I was undecided as to whether or not I would race. Luckily, coach Fi convinced me to go out and treat it as a training race and experiment. Here’s what I tried:

New race goggles for the swim.
Repeat swim tactic as I adopted for Placid (as far out as possible then try and sprint to the front pack).
Tri shoes on the bike (with no socks).
New aero helmet.
New saddle.
New position on the TT bike (higher sa...Read on..>

Ironman Blog: The Ducan’t Diet

I have a pretty big goal this year: to get faster on the bike.

So, how am I to achieve this? Firstly, an improved work schedule will afford me more time on the saddle, not necessarily longer rides but crucial interval sessions I have forfeited in the past for endurance. Secondly, building muscle mass through strength sessions (as well as those interval ride). But to bulk up, you need to eat. And there are many ways and philosophies behind this.

Calories.

Simply, eat more. Take in what you can, six meals a day, snacks, consume everything in sight. This has its advantages, but volume isn’t always the best option. I am a firm believer in watching what you eat: good fats, no processed foods, natural colouring/flavouring and limited fried foods.

Carbs vs Protein.

We have all heard of the dieting fads; they come, they go, and none of them stay for long. All they leave you with is bad breath and an angry disposition. I r...Read on..>

Africa. The sting of sweat in my eyes. The searing heat on my neck and shoulders. Ofori. Disciplinarian, teaching me what was best, with structure. May she rest in peace. Ghenwa. Expecting her first child. Food. Frozen pina coladas covered in cotton candy, pillows filled with the scent of rosemary and strips of moss that stick to the top of your mouth. Imperial. Leaving home and discovering who I am. Dancing. Till the cows come home, drunk on endorphins; on stools and tables in Beirut. Brothers. Their everlasting support, making me laugh and giving me something to worry about. London. For all it has afforded me to do. To exciting new beginnings and happy endings. Cambridge. My first marathon, my closest friends. Fiona. Allowing me to achieve goals I thought were impossible. Diana. Making me realise that everything IS possible. Falling in love with New York and for the hundreds of people who can now wed after riots and tears over the last few decades. Parents. For never doubting m...Read on..>

People often ask how I manage to fit all my training with my work and travel (as well as maintain some sort of a social life) and the honest truth is that it’s tough.

I’m currently writing this sitting in a deli close to where a live (after a failed attempt to go for a run that lasted only 5 minutes). I am exhausted. Not of the miles I’m banking through training but of juggling. I have only just come back from a one-week trip that involved visiting four countries in two continents and I am off again tomorrow (albeit for a holiday and a race).

So, how do I maintain it all? Well, firstly there are some sacrifices that need to be made: I have mastered the art of timing when it comes to how much my friends can tolerate me canceling on them for work reasons and leaving a party early because I have a 7am training session. Secondly, it’s about being organized (to the point of being anal about things) and finally but most importantly, it’s about how you do things.

My so...Read on..>

My friends have this ongoing joke that I’m easily distracted and as a result have a short attention span. They often scream out “look, shiny object!” as a way of averting my attention. However, as you will soon find out, sometimes in life this helps.

Earlier this month, I completed the Short Distance Abu Dhabi Triathlon. (Don’t be fooled by the name, “Short” equates to a 1.5km swim, 100km bike and a 10km run.) Despite the heat, the course played against my strengths and that was the intention. It was flat, very windy and essentially a biker’s race. My objective was simple: never mind the run, focus on the bike and persevere.

It went pretty well. There were no major glitches, the swim was smooth and the wave starts were a refreshing welcome to Ironman Nice where I got clobbered by the crowd. The bike was tough. Long stretches on the highway with 30kph headwinds, sand in your eyes and 40degC heat. The run was also brutal but mainly because of the impact on the knees bei...Read on..>

Last weekend, I completed my first half marathon. Knowing I had done very little speed work and the impact of running on tarmac would be less than forgiving on my body, I planned to meet a friend for a session of Bikram yoga in the evening.

During the part of my athletic life where I coached myself, I experienced bad knee problems. MRI scans and x-rays revealed nothing so my doctor suggested stretching, as it was most likely “just an ITB issue”. (Later to be confirmed by coach Fi). “Even better than stretching, why don’t you do Yoga?”. I hated the thought of yoga, sitting still for 5 minutes, let alone over an hour, made my heart race with anxiety. (I’m a very impatient person you see). So I began to roll my ITB and stretch sporadically at home when I had the time and the injury subsided to a level of tolerable pain.

My first triathlon was the North Country Tri in June 2009 in upstate New York. Close friends who have a family home close by had suggested we do it as a...Read on..>

First say to yourself what you would be;
and then do what you have to do.
Epictetus

A few weeks ago, the diva in me came out as I experienced my first real training rage. For most people this happens on the bike, for me, it was the swim.

I made my way to the local pool on a Saturday afternoon for a recovery session after a long ride. I got into the fast lane accompanying a long-haired man with a goatee and several piercings. My first reaction was that he was clearly not an athlete and certainly nowhere near my calibre. After several laps of him breast stroking and me trying to elbow him out of the way, I decided to put my on Ironman France swim cap. This was the triathlete equivalent of “do you know who I am?”. He moved across.

Towards the end of the set, after replaying the incident in my head, a guilty feeling sunk in. Two years ago, I did not know how to swim, not even a single length let alone 3.8km. The fast lane was where I aspired to be and...Read on..>

OK it’s a lame ass title but I need to make sure people anticipate what they are reading given my new food blogs!

February 2011 celebrates my two-year anniversary in the land of multi-sport. It is when I took my first swim in (ever) and got on my first road bike back in 2009. So, what have I learnt so far?

Well, we often hear that there are many ways to dissect a triathlon:

1. Swim, bike, run.
2. Swim, bike, run, core exercises.
3. Swim, bike, run, core exercises, nutrition.
4. Swim, bike, run, core exercises, nutrition, transitions.
5. Swim, bike, run, core exercises, nutrition, transitions, stretching.
6. You get the drift…

As a semi-pro-amateur-temporary-permanent-triathlete-ish, here’s another way of looking at: strength, endurance and technique.

The first half of the season, coach Fi provides her athletes with a series of exercises aimed at building strength and ultimately improving speed. These sessions are t...Read on..>