Funda's London Tri latest

See below for the third instalment of Funda's blog, where she updates you on how her training for the London Triathlon (Aug 1-2) is going...

Time really does fly - I can’t believe it’s only two weeks now until the big event. I’ve got to say that I’m feeling on good form physically, though, with all the training I’ve been doing (despite getting sick and having a small injury a few weeks back). A triathlon certainly gets you focused, fit and pushing your goals and boundaries.

With the weather being so hot or muggy at least, I’ve been taking a few trips to Hampstead Heath and have become quite a fan of the murky waters. I think when I last wrote I’d just managed 300m. Since then, I’ve been gradually increasing the distance and have finally managed to do the full 600m that is required. I was pretty pleased with myself, especially as it was without a wetsuit. I really had to try and forget the cold and it helped to break the distance down into sections to reach my end goal. It’s far too easy to give up in this kind of situation otherwise.

I’ve completed a few 5km runs now – I can see that I’m progressively getting fitter as my heart rate monitor <http://www.suunto.com/> is showing a strong, consistent heart rate that is pretty spot on for someone of my age and desired fitness levels. I’ve also been burning some decent calories with each run. Each run also gives me a good opportunity to also think more about the race and become more mentally prepared.

My main focus for the next couple of weeks is going to be attending my spinning classes three times a week, a couple more rides in Richmond Park, a few more 3km and 5km runs and no doubt another trip or two to Hampstead. I think my rest time and diet are also going to be pretty crucial in this period. So I’m cutting out large amounts of alcohol (as hard as it is), plan to get to bed in good time each night and have plans to cook lots of healthy recipes with plenty of protein and veg. Will keep you posted on how I go…