It's official....winter is here!

Just when I was really looking forward to racing down the Thames in the Scullers Head, the weather turns, and now all I can think of is how I am going to prevent my extremities from getting frostbite and falling off!
So this morning I ventured out to test the water (and temperature) to see just how bad it may be, and to assess how many layers I will need to wear before I am prevented from being able to move my body to enable me to scull.  Lucky for me I had decided to do this as, only five minutes up river the footplate in my boat (this holds the shoes in place) snapped in half!  Had I been racing flat out at the time I most certainly would have been swimming - not a great thought in these conditions.  So for once, my forward planning has paid off.
The other forward planning required is obviously what I need to eat before a race.  I have been taking this pretty seriously all week, tapering down on the training and now concentrating on getting some carbohydrates in for the 25 minutes of racing (oh, if only I could make it a lot shorter!).
As the race starts at 11.30.am the best breakfast for me is a warming bowl of porridge, with lots of added extras to top up my protein and antioxidant intake too.

Racing Porridge
It is possible to make porridge in the microwave, but you miss out on all the creaminess that comes from the stirring when you make it on the hob.

Serves 2

100g rolled oats
500ml water
200ml soya milk
2 tbsp natural yoghurt
75g fresh berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)
4 Brazil nuts, roughly chopped
4 tsp Manuka honey
pinch of ground cinnamon

Place the oats, water and milk in a pan and slowly bring to the boil, stirring continuously.
Simmer for a couple of minutes, then pour into two warmed bowls.
Top with a dollop of yoghurt, some fresh berries, a drizzle of honey, chopped Brazil nuts, and finally a sprinkling of ground cinnamon.
Eat immediately!

Peddle power and Thames Clean-up

So, the World Masters is over for another year, and now it's on to the next event - a triathlon.  But not your normal run-of-the-mill triathlon - I am a slow 'breast-stroke, head in the air' swimmer, so swimming in open water with hundreds of other swimmers splashing and wacking me over the head is not an option!  Luckily for me the Marlow Rowers Revenge was started a few years ago, giving us rowers a chance to compete in a fun event that we may just have a chance of winning.

But for the non-rowers amongst you, don't worry, the rowing bit is done on dry land - on rowing machines (otherwise known as ergs).  4000metre row, 23.40km bike ride (in the Chiltern Hills) and 7.15km run.
So this weekend saw me puffing up and over the Surrey Hills, sporting my SPDs for the very first time - and yes, it was scary - I was in a state of panic at the sight of any junction, car, or even horse that may turn in front of me!  But I made it....twenty miles and no cuts or bruises, just one flat tyre (which was easily fixed by my co-rider Tim - sometimes being a girl is just perfect!).
I'm also back training on the Thames, but over the last couple of days have a feeling that I may have picked up something from the river water, so am feeling a little 'tender'.  It happens a lot and most people are unaware of what is pumped into our lovely river.  Fortunately there are a number of organisations that try to help in cleaning up the river and it's banks.  If you fancy joining in do take a look at Thames21 who organise clean ups - every little bit helps.

Best Rowing Coach on the Thames?

Getting back to training after a weekend end away certainly feels better when the sun is shining, the water is beautifully flat, the first baby goslings are bobbing around and.................our coach cooked us all breakfast!

And not just any old breakfast either - sausages, bacon, scrambled eggs, black pudding, grilled tomatoes and, after a special request from me - smoked salmon!!! How amazing is he?! No wonder our membership is growing (just a shame most of the girls are training to race as lightweights!).

Interesting too so see what others brought to the table - home-made rye bread from one, Nutella from another (has she not been listening to a word I say??!!) and obviously from me it had to be something to add a touch of health to the proceedings - a shot of Cherry Active drink to top

up their antioxidant levels after a hard workout!

Cheers George, you're a star!

THE Boat Race

For all of those 14 million of you out there that watch the Boat Race, could I just point out - you got the wrong day! Why watch just two boats trundling down the Thames, with the only bit of excitement being when they hit their blades (oars to you novices), or even better, sink! When, a week prior to that (today infact), you could watch 400 boats doing the same thing (but obviously with far more chance of them hitting blades or each other!!). I have just cycled down to the river to watch and it's such an amazing thing to see - 400 boats, 3600 people racing, and lots of shouting from every bridge along the way - such a great atmosphere.

So on Monday I am off to Seville for training camp - and this really is what it says on the tin - training camp. No sight-seeing, no late night tapas bars, no bull-fighting (well a couple of the

girls normally fall out at some stage!), and hopefully I will return fitter, stronger and a little lighter - it has to be said that the food in the Sports Centre where we stay is not the best, so losing weight may just happen naturally, let's hope so.

Back to reality and training!

Oh my God, I'd heard it was cold back here in the UK, but had no idea it could get this cold! And still I have to train - no training through the winter generally equates to no wins in the summer months, which is not something I want to experience!

Training inside sounds like a good option, but unfortunately you can't beat miles on the river. So at minus 4 degrees I attempted an outing this morning. The results - bits of my boat gradually started to freeze up and cease working - very scary. And, amazingly enough, I had the whole river to myself - nobody else had ventured out - that is pretty unusual, although I could see why!