Looking back at my year and taking stock, I am generally happy that I have reached most of what I have set out to achieve during 2013. Countless lessons have been learned, and I am now looking forward to tackling the 2014 challenges I have set myself. This post is a reflection on the year past and a description of what I have in mind for 2014.
First, I cannot proceed with this post without having to say thank you! The support I got throughout 2013 from family and friends cannot be described in any other terms than just sensational! I feel so blessed that I have such a fantastic network of people around me with such amazing positive energy, which has driven me forward leaps and bounds beyond anything I could imagine. So, a HUGE thank you to all of you, family, friends and blog followers! Now, on with the post...
As you may remember, if you have been following my blog, my main goal for 2013 has been to participate in the ITU World Triathlon Championships, representing Egypt. Although I have done many triathlons in the past, I still wanted to improve in all areas, aiming to improve my times and get as close as I could to certain times I had set myself. Along the way, this meant having to go through a lot of changes in my life that would facilitate getting to these goals.
From the physical side, I had already lost 20 kilograms, yet I still needed to lose a little bit more to get to an ideal weight for serious sport. To get there, this meant a complete change in eating habits and a more structured approach to my nutrition, as this was no longer just a weight loss story, but a weight management issue with heavy sport involved.
One of the biggest changes that needed to be taken care of was how much I was training. I wanted to train more, which meant that I was spending less time with the family, having to train alongside a full-time job, which necessitated my presence from 06:30 until 19:00 every week day. To fit 3 or 4 hours of training around this and have enough time to enjoy my kids was impossible. So, at the end of March, I have taken an open sabbatical and focused more on training, even though it meant having to endure certain financial challenges that came with this. An important part, though, was that I was now able to enjoy being with the family and actually witnessing my kids growing up rather than just seeing them every now and then. The training has taken centre stage, and I was then able to train as much as I wanted without it affecting quality time with the family.
An important target for me during 2013 was to participate in as many races as I could, with the purpose of gaining experience rather than anything else. I wanted to try everything I could in a race environment, I wanted to get things wrong and see what things I could do to improve them, testing everything from race strategy to nutrition, down to experiencing travelling to races locally and abroad with my bike and other equipment. Moreover, I wanted to experience being part of major events and not just smaller races. The results, with some good and some not so impressive, were not that relevant to the plan this year, and experience is really what I have got, especially from the 2 ITU races I have done, Madrid and London.
Staying with the international races, another goal of mine was to represent Egypt, which I have done on the 2 occasions when I participated in the World Triathlon Series races in Madrid and London. In Madrid, I was the only person who was not Spanish or British, and in London, I was one of only 3 Egyptians who participated in the Olympic distance races. So, another box checked.
Structuring my training in a more formalised fashion was an objective that I have had for a while. I have explored hiring a coach, and I did have a short-list of 2 specific coaches in mind, both of whom were ex-Olympians and trained Olympians. While looking into this, I have come across coaching courses, and once I was away from my full-time job, I decided that I would take a triathlon coaching myself, with the main purpose of gaining the knowledge to train myself properly, but also I liked the idea of helping others achieve their triathlon dreams. Helping others with something that I am passionate about has always been my way in life, starting with working as a diving instructor, to helping people with investments, and now with my absolute passion, triathlon. So, it made perfect sense for me!
With the target of trying to encourage as many people as I could towards leading a healthier lifestyle, I know that some people who have been following my triathlon journey over the past year have started to make some changes towards that healthier living. I also found that the coaching helped a lot, especially when it came to answering people's questions about nutrition, and what could and couldn't be done, etc. I hope I can still carry on encouraging more people to get off their sofas and get moving a bit more!
From the actual sport point of view, I had certain goals as well, of course! For starters, my core was not that strong, and I have spent a lot of time getting a stronger core, which I am now very satisfied with. My goals, according to my post on 25 November 2012, were that I wanted to get to 20 minutes in the swim, do the bike ride in 1hr20, and run the 10k in under 45 minutes. What I have got to were the following times: Swim in 21:30, bike in 1hr12 and run in 42 minutes. So, as a whole, I have done it. I know that one main issue with my swim is that I focused more on my bike and run and dropped the swim for many months before waking up and realising that I was behind with training for my goal. Another lesson learned, for sure.
Gear improvement/upgrade has also been on my list. Getting the right training and racing shoes is something I am now very happy with, and I'm happy to keep for a very long time. The bike upgrade was another concern, and I have done it and upgraded this, although to an old model, but it is perfectly fine for now. Other small bits and pieces, such as my watch, logging software, winter training logistics, etc, are all now in place and I don't have to think about these issues any more. So, hopefully, no major gear or logistical changes are coming any time soon, which is a huge step forward and it means that I can concentrate on training without having to worry about any of this.
So, as far as the above goals are concerned, I am very satisfied with what I have achieved so far. One small goal, though, that I was not able to tackle more actively, and I will still probably have to drop for at least another 6-8 months, is seeking sponsorship. When I was thinking about seeking sponsorship, I had two needs, once being getting funding for gear upgrades, and the other was to get travel funding to be able to go to all the races I wanted to in 2014, since I wanted to participate in as many African races as possible to start trying to get points and ranking. After my race last week in London, I had to put this idea on hold. My race showed me that, even with the huge improvement I was able to achieve during the year, I was still not good enough to be able to make an attractive enough proposal to any sponsor. I had to work a bit more on my racing times before I could make my sponsorship proposal shine a bit. So, one goal has been held back for now.
Now, the future!
I am very excited about 2014. It is the year when I want to achieve specific times to be able to compete at higher levels, although still not the highest. It is also the year when, hopefully, I won't be trying many new things or going through major changes in my sport, just focusing on getting the work done. It is also the year when I can start going to races to try and compete with others rather than only trying to beat my times (although this will ALWAYS be an element).
My first time goal in 2014 is the Arab Championships in my home town Sharm El-Sheikh. From March until November, except for July, I have pencilled in one or two races for every month, some of them might happen, some might not, and some I will do everything I can to participate in. The only race, so far, that I have actually done the registration for is the Windsor Triathlon on 15 June. The other one I should be doing is the ITU World Triathlon London on the 1st of June, and I should hopefully be able to go to Sharm in March for the Arab Championships. Other races I have put in my diary include the African Championships (1 race), World Cup (2 races), African Cup (3 races), 5150 (2 races), Castle Series (2 races), some smaller local races in the UK, French Championship race in Nice, and of course, the World Triathlon Grand Final in Canada end of August.
There are two main goals are what I would like to achieve before the race in March. First, I would like to get to an optimum physical state, which for me means a body fat level just under 10% and muscle near 50%. My second goal, which is the one that will take the most work, is time. I would like to get to just under 20 minutes for the 1.5km swim, 1hr05 for the 40km bike, and comfortably under 40 minutes for the 10km run. I would also like to get to an hour flat for the sprint distance (since the Arab Championships are a sprint). Alongside the times, I need to build up more my muscle endurance, as I would like to be able to endure the quantity of racing I'd like to do with some easy and quick recovery in between.
Once I am comfortably achieving these times, and once I have a couple of races under my belt with times between 2hr10 and 2hr15, I can then start thinking seriously about seeking sponsorship. But, until I can actually do this, I have to just try and do it independently.
The last goal for 2014, which will depend completely on my performance and times, is to get my WTC pro licence towards the end of the year and then start looking into participating at elite races in 2015. This is still a long way away, but we'll see how it goes...
I am now taking a couple of weeks off proper training until the end of the month, so I am using this time to plan all aspects of my life for the next 12-14 months, so that I don't have to worry too much half-way through my training about what I should be doing next.
I'm praying to stay injury free and to be able to continue to afford to train this way while maintaining my family life as it is now!
I hope I won't disappoint in 2014...
First, I cannot proceed with this post without having to say thank you! The support I got throughout 2013 from family and friends cannot be described in any other terms than just sensational! I feel so blessed that I have such a fantastic network of people around me with such amazing positive energy, which has driven me forward leaps and bounds beyond anything I could imagine. So, a HUGE thank you to all of you, family, friends and blog followers! Now, on with the post...
As you may remember, if you have been following my blog, my main goal for 2013 has been to participate in the ITU World Triathlon Championships, representing Egypt. Although I have done many triathlons in the past, I still wanted to improve in all areas, aiming to improve my times and get as close as I could to certain times I had set myself. Along the way, this meant having to go through a lot of changes in my life that would facilitate getting to these goals.
From the physical side, I had already lost 20 kilograms, yet I still needed to lose a little bit more to get to an ideal weight for serious sport. To get there, this meant a complete change in eating habits and a more structured approach to my nutrition, as this was no longer just a weight loss story, but a weight management issue with heavy sport involved.
One of the biggest changes that needed to be taken care of was how much I was training. I wanted to train more, which meant that I was spending less time with the family, having to train alongside a full-time job, which necessitated my presence from 06:30 until 19:00 every week day. To fit 3 or 4 hours of training around this and have enough time to enjoy my kids was impossible. So, at the end of March, I have taken an open sabbatical and focused more on training, even though it meant having to endure certain financial challenges that came with this. An important part, though, was that I was now able to enjoy being with the family and actually witnessing my kids growing up rather than just seeing them every now and then. The training has taken centre stage, and I was then able to train as much as I wanted without it affecting quality time with the family.
An important target for me during 2013 was to participate in as many races as I could, with the purpose of gaining experience rather than anything else. I wanted to try everything I could in a race environment, I wanted to get things wrong and see what things I could do to improve them, testing everything from race strategy to nutrition, down to experiencing travelling to races locally and abroad with my bike and other equipment. Moreover, I wanted to experience being part of major events and not just smaller races. The results, with some good and some not so impressive, were not that relevant to the plan this year, and experience is really what I have got, especially from the 2 ITU races I have done, Madrid and London.
Staying with the international races, another goal of mine was to represent Egypt, which I have done on the 2 occasions when I participated in the World Triathlon Series races in Madrid and London. In Madrid, I was the only person who was not Spanish or British, and in London, I was one of only 3 Egyptians who participated in the Olympic distance races. So, another box checked.
Structuring my training in a more formalised fashion was an objective that I have had for a while. I have explored hiring a coach, and I did have a short-list of 2 specific coaches in mind, both of whom were ex-Olympians and trained Olympians. While looking into this, I have come across coaching courses, and once I was away from my full-time job, I decided that I would take a triathlon coaching myself, with the main purpose of gaining the knowledge to train myself properly, but also I liked the idea of helping others achieve their triathlon dreams. Helping others with something that I am passionate about has always been my way in life, starting with working as a diving instructor, to helping people with investments, and now with my absolute passion, triathlon. So, it made perfect sense for me!
With the target of trying to encourage as many people as I could towards leading a healthier lifestyle, I know that some people who have been following my triathlon journey over the past year have started to make some changes towards that healthier living. I also found that the coaching helped a lot, especially when it came to answering people's questions about nutrition, and what could and couldn't be done, etc. I hope I can still carry on encouraging more people to get off their sofas and get moving a bit more!
From the actual sport point of view, I had certain goals as well, of course! For starters, my core was not that strong, and I have spent a lot of time getting a stronger core, which I am now very satisfied with. My goals, according to my post on 25 November 2012, were that I wanted to get to 20 minutes in the swim, do the bike ride in 1hr20, and run the 10k in under 45 minutes. What I have got to were the following times: Swim in 21:30, bike in 1hr12 and run in 42 minutes. So, as a whole, I have done it. I know that one main issue with my swim is that I focused more on my bike and run and dropped the swim for many months before waking up and realising that I was behind with training for my goal. Another lesson learned, for sure.
Gear improvement/upgrade has also been on my list. Getting the right training and racing shoes is something I am now very happy with, and I'm happy to keep for a very long time. The bike upgrade was another concern, and I have done it and upgraded this, although to an old model, but it is perfectly fine for now. Other small bits and pieces, such as my watch, logging software, winter training logistics, etc, are all now in place and I don't have to think about these issues any more. So, hopefully, no major gear or logistical changes are coming any time soon, which is a huge step forward and it means that I can concentrate on training without having to worry about any of this.
So, as far as the above goals are concerned, I am very satisfied with what I have achieved so far. One small goal, though, that I was not able to tackle more actively, and I will still probably have to drop for at least another 6-8 months, is seeking sponsorship. When I was thinking about seeking sponsorship, I had two needs, once being getting funding for gear upgrades, and the other was to get travel funding to be able to go to all the races I wanted to in 2014, since I wanted to participate in as many African races as possible to start trying to get points and ranking. After my race last week in London, I had to put this idea on hold. My race showed me that, even with the huge improvement I was able to achieve during the year, I was still not good enough to be able to make an attractive enough proposal to any sponsor. I had to work a bit more on my racing times before I could make my sponsorship proposal shine a bit. So, one goal has been held back for now.
Now, the future!
I am very excited about 2014. It is the year when I want to achieve specific times to be able to compete at higher levels, although still not the highest. It is also the year when, hopefully, I won't be trying many new things or going through major changes in my sport, just focusing on getting the work done. It is also the year when I can start going to races to try and compete with others rather than only trying to beat my times (although this will ALWAYS be an element).
My first time goal in 2014 is the Arab Championships in my home town Sharm El-Sheikh. From March until November, except for July, I have pencilled in one or two races for every month, some of them might happen, some might not, and some I will do everything I can to participate in. The only race, so far, that I have actually done the registration for is the Windsor Triathlon on 15 June. The other one I should be doing is the ITU World Triathlon London on the 1st of June, and I should hopefully be able to go to Sharm in March for the Arab Championships. Other races I have put in my diary include the African Championships (1 race), World Cup (2 races), African Cup (3 races), 5150 (2 races), Castle Series (2 races), some smaller local races in the UK, French Championship race in Nice, and of course, the World Triathlon Grand Final in Canada end of August.
There are two main goals are what I would like to achieve before the race in March. First, I would like to get to an optimum physical state, which for me means a body fat level just under 10% and muscle near 50%. My second goal, which is the one that will take the most work, is time. I would like to get to just under 20 minutes for the 1.5km swim, 1hr05 for the 40km bike, and comfortably under 40 minutes for the 10km run. I would also like to get to an hour flat for the sprint distance (since the Arab Championships are a sprint). Alongside the times, I need to build up more my muscle endurance, as I would like to be able to endure the quantity of racing I'd like to do with some easy and quick recovery in between.
Once I am comfortably achieving these times, and once I have a couple of races under my belt with times between 2hr10 and 2hr15, I can then start thinking seriously about seeking sponsorship. But, until I can actually do this, I have to just try and do it independently.
The last goal for 2014, which will depend completely on my performance and times, is to get my WTC pro licence towards the end of the year and then start looking into participating at elite races in 2015. This is still a long way away, but we'll see how it goes...
I am now taking a couple of weeks off proper training until the end of the month, so I am using this time to plan all aspects of my life for the next 12-14 months, so that I don't have to worry too much half-way through my training about what I should be doing next.
I'm praying to stay injury free and to be able to continue to afford to train this way while maintaining my family life as it is now!
I hope I won't disappoint in 2014...
Next time we meet you need to tell me how you lost 20 kg. I'd be happy to lose half of that.
ReplyDeleteAll the best for 2014.
Well, at the end I have lost a total of 30kgs :) The secret is not very difficult actually, an it was all about food. I didn't go on a diet, but I knew exactly what I was eating and when. I'm happy to share details with you
DeleteVery well done ! Amazing ...
ReplyDeleteCan you share with us what is your nutritional plan ? Would be helpful!
All the best for the end of 2013 and 2014. Hello to your family !
Thanks! :) The plan is simple, I just eat everything but I count exactly how many calories I'm consuming and how many calories I'm using. Nothing too complicated, but it takes a bit of planning and getting used to.
DeleteHassan have a read of this : http://thecaloriemythbook.com/
ReplyDeleteand/or listen to these.
http://www.bulletproofexec.com/66-the-calorie-myth-with-jonathan-bailor-podcast/
It will change how you think about calories. The body is far too complex to function on a simple calories out = calories in equation.
Dr Tam
Of course! :) Funnily enough, I have spent the last few weeks studying this at length, as I have decided to start making my own nutrition rather than buying the ready-made powders, gels, bars, etc. since I didn't like to put all the artificial stuff in my body. So, although the calories still play a part in my general nutrition, I am now more aware of te make-up of the calories as I develop my sports nutrition as well as meals.
DeleteYet, I still believe that for a straight-forward weight loss diet that doesn't last very long, the calories might as well work very well, albeit not very healthy. After all, it has worked for me in the past (losing 30kgs in less than a year).
Anyway, thanks very much for the links. I'm always more than interested in researching this much more, and I'm always keen to know the opinions of experts such as yourself.