Ironman Mark

So, nearly two weeks without diet coke and I am starting to feel better.  Not had any headaches recently.  Not felt more tired than I would expect to.  I’ve worked out that exercising helps me feel better.  I guess all those en-dolphins swimming through my brain satisfy whatever likes the caffeine.  Good!

Next experiment is a 28 day “more healthy” eating programme.  I am going to try to eat healthy.  I’m pretty stable with weight at the moment but I am eating miles too much junk food.  There seems to be a few reasons for this:

- I don’t plan breakfast when I do early morning exercise.  So, I might have an apple before I go for a swim.  Then I’ll go straight to work so I’ll get a mars bar from the vending machine at the pool.  Then I’ll get the train in to work and on the way to work I’ll have a croissant or three or a bacon and mushroom baguette.  So the new plan is to have some stuff in the fridge that I can take with me and eat after swimming (e.g. some fruit and chicken/salmon).

- I get fed up and so eat.  Difficult one that.

- I am thirsty and so eat.  Easy one that.  Get a drink!

- I want to take a break at work so I go and walk to the cafe and have a chocolate muffin.  Habit is a horrible thing here.  If I can take a break in some otherway that will help (and save me cash as these are the world’s most expensive muffins!)

- The food is just there.  There is a huge amount of cakes and sweets in the office from birthdays, trips abroad, etc.  So I just graze.

Just to reiterate.  This is a “more healthy” eating campaign.  It is not a “don’t eat chocolate” campaign.  If I want to eat it I will.  But the idea is to eat a lot less of the stuff.

…and feeling really good about myself.

That’s the power of exercise!

I’ve just been to the gym and done an hour on the spin bike. The first 20 mins was a warm up. Then I did 20x 1 min all out intervals with the resistance on the highest settings. After that I got off and did 10 mins on the treadmill at 17kph, with a short cool down.

Saturday’s long run went really well. I did the same route that I did a few times last year and was 6 mins quicker. Fantastic!

Sunday’s long bike didn’t go as well as I would have liked. I guess I as pretty tired going into it but I was slower than I would have liked. Also my neck still aches in the aero position. I think I will have a go at moving my aero bars up a little and see if that helps.

Lanzarote is less than 10 weeks away. It’s getting a bit too close for comfort. I am confident about the swim and the run. But still nervous about the bike and especially about my bike position. Stil, I’ve got a few weeks to crack it.

I am addicted to diet coke. Or at least that is how it seems some times! So today I have decided to go cold turkey.

I am guessing that I will get some headaches over the next week. In fact I can feel one coming now which is why I am writing this. I know that in a week I will feel fine. But until then it won’t be easy.

I am fed up feeling thirsty all the time and I am fed up spending silly money on diet coke when I could be spending it on chocolate!