Triathlon training when doing slimming world

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becky2812

Member
Hi, i joined slimming world today, as i've managed to put on about 10lb this year! I got into triathlon last year, and did a season of sprint tri's but at christmas was diagnosed with asthma. It took a while to sort out my medication and i ended up having 4 months off training. I've been slowly getting back into it, but am a bit worried that i won't have enough syns for high energy foods and products that i use when i race? Does anyone have any experience of using energy drinks and gels, and recovery drinks when doing slimming world?
Thanks
Becky
 
Hi :)

I'm not sure I can give great advice because I'm not a triathlete and I've only been doing SW for a few days, but I thought I would comment anyway! :D

If you do Green Days things like pasta are a free food, so you'll be able to fuel your training relatively easily, I would think. By recovery drink do you mean a protein-carb mix or an isotonic drink? If it's a protein-carb mix, could you have something like milk (HEXA) with a banana?

To be honest I wouldn't worry too much about any of the products you consume in a race. Yes, they're high in energy, but you are also using up a lot of energy. I don't know how many syns they contain so can't really advise how they fit into SW.

Seeing as you've said that you had 4 months off training, I think that starting that up again should really have an effect on your weight.

Basically what I am trying to say, you have to make the plan fit into your life. Try it and see what happens! :)
 
Thank you, Like you say, days before races and big training days will be full of pasta etc so that's fine! The recovery drinks i have a protein, i have them straight after races so they are better to take with me than milk. They are a powder that you mix with water, as milk would be warm by the time i got to it. Will try to work out syn values!
I have a race tonight, and going to try having a banana just before, and normal SF jiuce after rather than my usual carb.electolite drink before and after. Will see if i notice any difference!
I know that once i get back to my old training i'll stop losing weight as i increase my muscle tone again, but am fine with that so long as i'm getting fitter again!
 
Hey Becky,

If you're training for a triathlon, you will be using up so much energy anyway, that you probably don't need to worry about the high energy race products. You need carbs and protein in order to fuel your race, and you need it afterwards to help your muscles recover. Try to stick to carbs / protein before the race and just protein after the race.

I always have a protein shake after running or cycling or whatever (I use whey protein), and this only has about 175cals per portion, and hardly any carbs. I found it actually helps me lose weight, as protein builds muscle, which increases your base metabolic rate, and therefore increases the number of calories you burn even when at rest. If you don't have protein after strenuous exercise, your body may start metabolising muscle - EEK!

On a different note, I have been tempted to try some sprint triathlons. I recently got a road bike (which I looooove!), I used to swim for my college back at uni (although I wasn't very fast), and I enjoy running (although I am definitely quite slow - 10 min/mile max). What does your training program look like? How do you get into it?

SL xxx

PS: Have you thought about the Abs Diet? It's designed specifically to help active, athletic people become more toned and less flabby - and you can eat pretty much whatever you want: the Abs Diet | Home

I lost loads of weight on this last year, and I like its emphasis on feeding your body rather than denying it stuff; it makes you feel really positive about eating.
 
Hi Snakes, thanks for your reply,
When i'm training properly i really do use up loads of enegry, sometime 8000cals per day if i do a full day ride etc! I've re joined slimming world just to get me back into healthy eating while i ease back into training! I got so bored having 4 months off, and started to go out for cake with friends at times i would normally train!
You should def give a sprint tri a go. You'd probably manage one now with no extra training if you already do all 3 sports a little bit?
I'm just trying to get back to training 6 days per week, and this year have done a couple of quadrathlons as part of teams so have picked up kayaking too!
I swim 3 times a week, run 4 times a week, bike 4 times a week and kayak once a week. at weekends i do a long bike and a long run, and an hours coached swim session. in the week i just try to get in 5k runs and 10 mile bike races or training rides!
I'm def not fast! My swim is very slow having never really swum before, my 10 mile bike time is currently back up to half an hour which is disappointing, and my run speed is 9 min miles short distance and 10-11 min over 10k.
I'd encourage anyone to join a local tri club and give it a go!
 
Wow Becky, that's a lot of training!!! Sounds like a lot of fun though. I may get a bike computer so I can keep track of distances. It's lovely cycling here in rural Oxfordshire: smooth tarmac, quiet roads, slight hills...

I'd love to do some coached swims, I think my style has gone downhill since I left the college club. But I love swimming, particularly in Olympic sized outdoor lidos; I love it when it rains, and it's empty, and the rain falls on your back; I love it when it's sunny, and with each stroke your hand trails a stream of sparkling bubbles. :)

I might look into local tri clubs though, that's a really good idea. I live near a place where they hold annual triathlon events, so it would be kinda cool to do one - even if I do it really slowly at my own pace :)

I know what you mean about getting bored and going out for cake. Meeting friends for coffee is such a fun way to socialise, but then when they have cake, you really want some too!

I can see why you joined SW - it can be hard to break the habit of eating badly, if you've been eating lots of cake/choc/treats. You sort of become used to it and feel that you're "entitled" to something unhealthy after dinner. If I've been going through one of those phases, I crave chocolate really badly after a meal, but after a week of being healthy, it loses its appeal.

I have lots of tasty chocolate in the house at the moment - came back from holiday and wanted to use my spare Euros up, so I bought lots of my favourite German chocolate (Ritter Sport). Just now, I returned from the gym, had my shake, and then I was still peckish, so started to wash some blueberries and cut up some carrot and celery to have with a small blob of peanut butter as a dip. It didn't even occur to me to eat the chocolate! Previously I'd have wolfed down the lot in one sitting :D

Keep us up to date how you're doing with your training and your eating!

Good luck,

SL xxx
 
well, i've stuck to the plan all day, even when a member of my team bought in danish pastries, I picked a banana instead! It was always habit before to eat healthy food and i'm hoping i can just fall back into it after a while.

I did my 10TT tonight, and while i'm still over a minute off last years personal best, i did knock 30 seconds off my time from the last race, and that was just off a banana instead of an energy gel!

I can already feel my excitement from training coming back, and am racin for the next 3 weekends now, so just need to sort out the diet!
 
definatley an interesting read this thread :)

Becky thats a hell of a training schedule, you must love it.....Id love to have my none exsistant fitness at that kind of level lol

Best of luck with it :) x
 
Thanks Missy, it takes some keeping up! I have a 9 year old so have to make him come along with me during the week which he's not always too impressed about! He rides his bike for 3 miles 3 mornings a week while i run. The rest i fit in, in lunch hours, and weekend mornings, which leaves weekend afternoons for my allotment, when i'm not racing!
I used to compete in horse riding when i was a teenager, and that was the only exercise i did, then stopped when i became pregnant, and did nothing at all until a year ago. After 9 years of doing nothing it was really hard, but i love it now!
 
Ive got an almost 9 year old boy too, but he is full of attitude at the min, i think if i asked him to come along with me id get another lecture about been the worlds worst mum lol

Where abouts in Nth Lincs are you if you dont mind me asking? Im in S****horpe :)
 
ooops forgot about the censoring lol Sc.unthorpe
 
Oh he's totally full of attitude! Apparently i torture him with exercise, and it's not normal to ride a bike before school or to choose to walk to town when the car is on the drive!
I'm in Brigg!
 
Bless lol....he will be thankful for it when he is older tho i bet! Im over that way on sat for the farmer market :)
 
ok so tomorrow is my first weigh in, the weekend has been a disaster eating wise. We were racing this weekend so were camping, which meant that saturday and sunday were spent eating out. Saturday was a sandwich for lunch and bbq and beer for tea. Sunday was race day, so energy drinks and bars, and a carvery for lunch followed by chinese and beer for tea. I did however burn 1500 calories sunday racing.
Although i've used more than by weekly syn allowanceover the week, with this race and my other race mid week, do you think i'll still have managed a loss?? I really hope so?
 
Hey Becky,

I guess you'll have to wait and see...I'm sure you'll be ok though! How did the race go?

Otherwise one of the things I have found most helpful both for fitness and for the battle against The Flab is to cut back on booze...so hard though! I find it easiest if I offer myself as designated driver, as that removes peer pressure (or beer pressure...:) )

Good luck on your race mid-week!

SL xx
 
race went brilliantly thanks, knocked 45 minutes off the time i'd estimated! The finish line wasn't even set up when i got back, apparently some of us had finished quicker than they'd expected!!
I'm normally always designated driver, but when we are away, and no driver's needed, i tend to give in too easily. When i know its going to be a really tough race, i never drink, but kind of knew i'd manage yesterday ok. Just signed up for a 100k bike race on saturday, so that should burn off some calories!
 
well i have 3!!! In the way girls normally collect shoes etc, i tend to collect bikes and stuff!!
I have a beach cruiser for getting to and from work, a mountain bike and a road bike!
I'm just looking at a time trial bike though, and a new mountain bike!
 
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