Hello Spring!

Good for:  Better weather for more outdoor training, outdoor meals, BBQs, etc (keyword being outdoors!)
Not so good for:  Unpredictable weather (it might snow in spring in Denmark)

With my ever improving Danish, I heard this on the radio today:  "Today is the last day of winter..."  Yay!  So I guess it is spring.....  I must confess that the picture above was more likely to have been taken in summer though.  :P

With spring comes new flowers, baby animals and most importantly (hopefully) better weather.  Don't get me wrong, I like winter for what it is - Christmas and candles and cozy windowsills.  But I do not enjoy cycling in the wind and rain.  Much as I enjoyed the spinning sessions with the local cycle club, I look forward to cycling outdoors in the (even if flat) Danish countryside, and even more so to the impending race season.  Game on!  :)

Oh yes, and did I mention BBQs??  That starts tomorrow...  :D

Spinning woman

Good for:  Distracting yourself

Not so good for:  Trying to stay focused

Ok, so there has been a large influx of posts on my Facebook about a test that tells you whether you are left or right brained.  Being ever curious, I had to try it.  This picture is one of the questions.

Which way is the woman spinning?  Clockwise or counter clockwise?

I have done many tests and knew that I should be able to see this woman turning both ways.  But I couldn't!  I still struggle, but I can sort of force it now.  It's quite amazing how your brain gathers the information it needs and draws its own conclusions.  ;)  So what do you see?  And can you see it the other way??  :D

Examining the soles of your running shoes

Good for:  Getting an idea about your running style and what shoes suit you best
Not so good for:  Muddy shoes indoors :)

I remember a time when I bought the cheapest trainer on offer in the sports' shop when I was a student in the UK.  I ended up running in weird shoes, the weirdest being an indoor tennis shoe, although I did not know it at the time.  Then I started buying "real" running shoes from a running shop in Aberdeen.  The recommended shoe at the time were "stability shoes", something I wore for many years after.

That is, until I noticed the sole of my shoes last year.  The picture above shows my current running shoe.  As you can see, it is unevenly worn, with the inner, bottom part of the soles practically brand new.  I am a mid- to fore-foot striker.  Even more interestingly, it was a natural running shoe (bought from my friendly local shoe shop) which I would now not trade in for any of the padded stuff you get on the market today.

But you can learn a lot by looking at the last pair of shoes you have been running in.  Bring them to your local shop and they will be able to give you some good advice.  :)

Racing with a club

Good for:  Motivation, socializing in a triathlon context
Not so good for:  Coached athletes who require their own programs

I did my first Ironman in 2011, the world renowned Challenge Roth.  It was a fantastic race experience, with the thousands of spectators cheering me on, but more importantly, it was the first (and only) race I did with a group of people from my club.  I was sitting in the middle of a German countryside, surrounded by 10+ Danish people, it as surreal.

I do think it is great fun to turn up for a foreign race with people you know.  It turns the whole experience into a party, with memories to cherish.  :)

Weekend free time

Good for:  Getting some training done, chilling out, doing something interesting
Not so good for:  Getting work done in the office (as if!)

I often get asked, "So how many hundred kilometres are you cycling this weekend?" or something similar.  The answer is actually "less than one" at this time of the year.  Weekends are good for some training, but more importantly they are used to "recover" from a busy week and having some fun.  Here is a sample of what I did this weekend:

Swimming (1hr)

Cycling (2 hrs)

Running (0.5 hr)

Sleeping (lots!)

Out for dinner (2 hours)

Visiting an exhibition (5 hours)

The last event also involved almost buying a caravan.  :)  Fun and recovery are important when the weather is cold and windy like it is in Denmark at the moment....

Have a great week!

Take me home, country roads....

Good for:  Going back "to the place, I belooooong", a mental break
Not so good for:  Consistent training, jet lag

I made an impulse decision in the last few days.  I have decided to go back to Malaysia for a flying visit.  And I mean a flying visit, literally.  No country roads to take me home, I fly home on a Thursday and leave again on a Tuesday.  With travelling time that gives me 4 days home.  Period.  Pronto.

Reason being a) I need a new passport (good excuse) and b) I just feel like going home.  It does not happen often.  In fact this is probably the 2nd time in my entire 14 years in Europe, where I have felt "Yep, now it's time to go home".  Not that I want to go home for a prolonged period of time, but somehow, I feel like hearing those stupid sounds in KLIA.  Ha ha.  My fellow Malaysians must know the chimes I am talking about.  ;)

So KL it is, for a weekend trip and a bit.  Yay!  :)

Diets and fads

Good for:  Quick weight loss, short term morale boost
Not so good for:  Sustained weight loss, long term well being

There is always much talk about the latest diets and fads.  Low fat, low carb, no fat, fruit and vegetables only, paleo, etc.  The list goes on....  

I have never been a believer of diets, since I think the key to losing weight and keeping it off is a change in lifestyle.  The body has been designed to need certain types of food in order to thrive.  Protein to restore muscles, carbohydrates for instant energy, fat for reserve energy, etc.  We cannot change our genetic make-up.  We are better off adapting our lifestyle to match what we were designed for, i.e. eating "natural" foods and maintaining a reasonable level of physical activity.

I read a book written by Phil Maffetone, and even tried his 2 week test.  I concluded that it is ok to read different books and theories, and take the best out of all of them.  So I have my usual Danish Friday breakfast at work every week, despite having eggs and minimal carbs for breakfast every other weekday.  And yes that includes bread and jam.  My end of the week treat, yum!  :)

Insanity is....

Good for:  Cycling across a desert to a cool (warm) place like Hoover Dam, doing things out of your comfort zone
Not so good for:  Being exhausted all the time, going completely mental at people for no good reason

So things are not going so well at the moment.  Recent turn of events have resulted in some unnecessary yelling and drama.  But there is light at the end of the tunnel, silver (or bronze) lining in every cloud, etc.

I have learnt that sometimes a little insanity is ok, as long as it doesn't become a habit in life.  Good insanity brings us to exciting places and experiences - it has brought me across the Alps in France, across some deserts and National Parks in Las Vegas, and over much countryside in Denmark.  But there is only so much insanity you can carry through with your daily life, before it starts to affect you in a negative way.

All about the balance.....

Suunto Ambit2 S

Good for:  A "normal" looking watch with geeky functionalities, a very small wrist, compatibility with gym equipment (e.g. iQniter used for spinning at Varde Fysioterapi & Traeningscenter)

Not so good for:  Configuration on the go, compatibility with Training Peaks

Ok so the picture is a bit weird.  I have tried to illustrate just how small my wrist is by comparing it to a can of tomatoes.  :P

But that said, I recently (albeit a few months ago) decided to venture off the path of Garmin (Forerunner 910X being my last purchase) after 7 years, to try something new.  I had experienced a lot of hardware problems with my Forerunners in the past, so I bought myself a fancy Suunto Ambit2 S.  First impressions:  It looks cool!

But turns out that it is not as easy as the Forerunner (maybe I am just opposed to change), and everything has to be pre-configured from their proprietary website, Movescount.  This means you cannot suddenly decide you want to add "Auto Pause" to the watch whilst you are out running and stopped at a traffic light.

All in all it was good to try something else.  Even if to convince myself that it was worth dealing with the hardware problems of the Garmin Forerunners.  But this white watch looks better and weighs less on my little wrist.  :)

Lunch time fire evacuation

Good for:  Midday excitement, distraction from work

Not so good for:  Damage to property (!), people affected (!!), people in the middle of lunch

We had some excitement at our offices today here in Esbjerg.  A cloud of smoke from a ventilator was spotted, and half the office complex was evacuated after the fire alarm was triggered.  This was followed closely by the arrival of 3 (some say 4) fire engines (one pictured above) and 2 police cars.  Even more alarming, an ambulance turned up not long after.

Word has it that there was a fire in one of the server rooms, and a person might have inhaled a bit of smoke.  Hopefully nothing more serious than that.  Not much to philosophize about, but I thought it was a good picture.  :)

Every cloud has a silver lining (or in this case bronze!)

Good for:  Looking on the bright side of things, keeping things in perspective
Not so good for:  Gold seekers, people who do not like the unknown

I was surprised to receive this in my Inbox last weekend...  An email telling me I was within top 10% of my Age Group in the world. I had what I thought was a disappointing season, having to pull out of races towards the end of the season because I simply could not cope with what I had put on myself in life.

The experience has forced me to reconsider what is important in life, something I continue to reconsider till today.  I think the time has come to make some changes.  All World Athlete sounds cool, but Trivestyle is the start of a more positive, balanced lifestyle.  Watch this space!  :)

Local sushi restaurant (run by Chinese people)

Good for:  Good quality sushi, friendly service from Chinese hosts
Not so good for:  A Chinese person who has forgotten how to speak Mandarin!

I received a surprise phone call today, in Chinese.  The owners of the local sushi restaurant, Fushi Sushi, had taken a liking to us, and were keen to make friends.  We were invited for dinner "on the house", drinks included!

The catch lies in the fact that I barely speak Chinese, and they do not speak English.  A chicken and a duck when it comes to communication.  But we got by.  Nice to have nice friendly Chinese shop owners nearby.  Good sushi to top it off, a nice recovery meal after a 2 hour+ brick training session today!  :)

Life in Denmark

Good for:  Camping, a cosy existence, health care, hygge
Not so good for:  Paying taxes, cycling on mountains (there are none)

This is one of my favourite pictures from my life in Denmark.  Pre-race breakfast in a caravan with my good friend Stine.  

Someone sent me a link recently about Scandinavian life:  http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/27/scandinavian-miracle-brutal-truth-denmark-norway-sweden.  It did make me chuckle, I have to admit.

But my take is Denmark provides a simple, uncomplicated, if mountain free, life.  You pay tax, they take care of you.  Simple as that.  Danes are welcoming (once you get through the first test) and would be your friends for life.  Highly recommended.  :)

Get some Headspace

Good for:  De-stressing and calming down, general well-being
Not so good for:  Staying awake when you are tired

You can get an app for meditation, it's called Headspace.  I tried it, and so did a journalist:  http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/07/09/headspace-meditation-benefits_n_3567421.html

I found it ok and possibly even invigorating, except I kept falling asleep whilst doing it.  :P  I have been told you need to practice focus in order to focus. Hmmmm. Try it, and if you do, please share you experience with me.  :)

Spinning with your local club

Good for:  Getting your heart rate up and showing off how fit you are, motivation in cold winter months, alternative to having snow fall on your head whilst cycling outdoors on a roller

Not so good for:  Cycle technique, sweating like a pig

So I started doing spin classes with my local cycle club, Varde Cykelclub, this winter.  It is good fun, with a show-off opportunity of having your heart rate displayed on the big screen.  Being the ever competitive person, I have now managed to record up to 199 bpm heart rate, something I have never seen before in real, outdoor life.  Followed by pretending to be completely in control after, "199bpm?  No sweat, baby!".  Or something.....

But I also discovered that too much spinning = forget how to cycle a real bike. So I've agreed with myself once a week of spinning is ok.  Need to get on to a real bike the other 1-2 times per week.  :)

Caravans

Good for:  A cosy holiday, mobile home with easy access to home cooking, adventures
Not so good for:  5 star hotel experience, cold weather

I took this picture because it was funny.  It is actually a handbag!

But this post is to illustrate I like caravans.  I had never been in a caravan before I moved to Denmark.  But I think the concept is pretty cool actually.  Drive your home, wherever you want.  Bring the food you want, wherever you want!  Sleep with your own bed clothes, with your own pillows.  What's not to like??

Welcome

Welcome to Trivestyle, and thank you for visiting.  Trivestyle is my new project, an attempt to reinvent my life.

You see, I have tried various modes of life.  Once upon a time I thought my goal in life was to get married and live happily ever after.  Well, that did not happen for me.  So I tried triathlon instead.  Which has been a fantastic journey, that has brought me to some beautiful and exciting places.  When I started, I did triathlon for fun.  Completely random training and race choices.  Then I thought I could be world champion.  So I hired a coach and took it very seriously....

Two years on, and I know I will never be world champion.  Fine by me, I just wanted to find out of it was possible.  And so now I embark on a new journey....  How do I thrive in a life that includes triathlon on top of a "normal" life?  I am up for trying new things and concepts, and will keep you posted along the way.  My ultimate goal?  To be happy with my life.

Let the journey begin!

Cross Country Skiing

Good for:  Building endurance, peace and quiet, lovely views, feeling alone

Not so good for:  Injuries (skis do not clip out when you fall!), legs not used to cross country skiing

So, I went on a ski holiday recently, to Trysil, with boyfriend and his kids and mum.  In an attempt to stay fit and/or get fitter, I did some cross country skiing.

Loved the peace and tranquillity of being out in the open mountain, but my legs did not like being used in a way that they are not used to.  I would recommend it for cross-training when on a ski holiday, but be prepared to be sore after.  Also be prepared for sweat drenched clothes if you wear too much, and be warned that the weather might change dramatically when you get to the other side of the mountain.  Been there, done that.  :D