Lists and lists and lists and lists

I’m five days (or, if you prefer, eight workouts or seven hours) into the first week of this final 13 week Ironman programme and so far so good. My legs are a little sore but nothing that I can’t cope with. That said, I still have the weekend to go – and the weekend is when the big sessions get logged!

You’d think that training to swim 3.8km, ride 180km and run a full marathon (all back-to-back) would be most demanding physically; however, I’ve found that the biggest challenge has been organising myself.

During the week, I get to have a lie-in (5.30am) before heading to the pool, hitting the pavement or heading for the gym. So, the night before, I need my kit and a light breakfast prepared. I come home, shower and head for work, carrying my second breakfast (when you’re burning 10,000+ calories a week through aerobic exercise, you pretty much get to eat constantly!), my lunch and an afternoon snack. I often also need to have swim, bike, spin or gym kit with me, as I’ll be going straight from work. Remembering all the kit, food, creams, shoes, water bottles, drinks, energy gels…it’s almost more exhausting than all the training!

Now, I’m not exactly one of life’s most naturally organised people; but I’m having to learn to me. Having a memory leakier than a Lidl colander, this means lots of lists. Then more lists. Then a list of all the lists I need. Like my Ironman programme, these are making my life far easier – I just pack what it says on one list, eat and drink what it says on another, and do what it says on another…I surrender myself to the programme.

Tonight, for example, I have an easy session at swimming club. After that, I need to have dinner and prep my bike. Tomorrow, I’ll be up at 4.30am and drive to the gym (for reasons I’ll explain later). From the gym, I’ll ride 15kms to Safa Park where I’ll meet the Dubai Roadsters riders and do a 105km ride with them, before riding the 15kms back to the gym. I need to do what is known as a brick session (running as soon as you get off the bike to get used to that very strange, heavy/jelly-legged sensation) but, given that temperatures will be in the mid-40s by then, doing the run outside at 10-11am is impossible, so I’ll throw the bike into the car and then run into the gym to do 20 mins running on the treadmill (brick runs are usually short and slow – you want to get used to the sensation while not putting yourself at risk of injury).

Bearing in mind that I’ll need bike and run kit, drink and nutrition to keep energy and hydration levels high, and a few other bits and pieces, can you guess how many things I have to remember for tomorrow?

You’re thinking ‘bike, helmet, waterbottle, energy gel, running shoes…’, right. Well, here’s my latest list for weekend rides/bricks. Is it any wonder I’ve let the list rule my life!?

Night before:

• ·         Download podcasts – put podcasts and music on MP3 player
• ·         Check bottle cages and bento boxes on bike
• ·         Pump tyres

Ready to put on in morning:

• Sleeveless bike top
• Bike shorts
• Compression socks
• Flip-flops
• Garmin watch
• Pouch bag
• MP3 player

In the morning:

• Porridge, honey and banana
• OJ, water, iced coffee
• Tums
• Salt pill
• Chamois cream
• Sunblock

For bike:

• Helmet
• Shoes
• Gloves
• Sweatband
• Money
• Inhaler
• Muscle rub
• Bupren
• Tums

For run:

• Towel
• Shorts
• Trainers
• Banana
• Water bottle

For pool (dive in to cool down afterwards):

• Chocolate milk (high levels of protein and carbs ideal for post-workout recovery)
• Ginger cake slice and apple (important to get lots of carbs into body in hour after workout to fuel recovery)
• Swim shorts

Food and drink:

• 4 x small boxes of jelly beans
• 4 x ginger cake slices
• 1 x flask EFS gel
• 2 x 750ml hi5 mix
• 1 x 750ml water
• 3 x hi5 tabs to add to water