Massive quads & a smaller bra size – surely this training can’t be worth it?

When I first met my coach, Gavin Rogers, in October 2010, I had raced only once (slowly) over a sprint distance triathlon. Less than a year later I have competed in 4 Olympic distance events and completed my first half Ironman finishing 3^rd female behind a pro and a GB representative! I am now starting to train towards my ultimate aim – to finish an Ironman.

However, in the 8 months since I started taking triathlon seriously, my biking quads have become too big to fit into my skinny jeans, I have lost enough weight off my chest to go down a bra size, I have traded my beloved ‘trucker’ tea for the healthier properties in green tea and I have been loading up on protein as if it’s about to become extinct! On a more specific note, I have witnessed my average run pace reduce by about 1 minute per km, my previously sloppy swim style has been transformed into a calm, smooth and efficient stroke (reducing my open water swim time from about 29 minutes per 1500m to just under 24 minutes) and my riding legs really are too hefty to fit in my skinny jeans!

It’s been an enjoyable period of training and I have produced some successful results in my first serious season of racing.  Nevertheless, my favourite motivational quote, “Pain is temporary, glory lasts forever” has become an overused mantra when, on occasion it is hard to find the motivation to train twice a day! I have a couple of run-only races left this season and then I will take a well-earned month off where I will be sunning myself in warmer climates and exercising in a more relaxed manner without having to monitor my heart rate or scrutinise my training pace. I am grateful to the masseurs at SB Sports Massage Leeds for ensuring my well-trained muscles have stayed in tip-top shape and I would like to thank my coach, Gavin Rogers of F2k Health and Fitness in Didsbury for nurturing me from an enthusiastic swimmer, rider and runner into a successful triathlete with two podium finishes and three age-group wins.

And yes...all this training is definitely worth it!!