It's Time to Take it Easy

So it is my favourite time of the year, Christmas! But for many of us Christmas can be psychologically tough. We feel guilty because we eat and drink more than we usually do and maybe train less than normal. I have been in Melbourne this weekend and I feel like all I have done is eat and drink. I know that I have done a good amount of exercise this weekend. It is just a matter of telling yourself it is ok to take a break. So that's what I am going to do today. Tell you all to take a break and take it easy on yourselves. 

If you are someone trying to lead a healthy lifestyle you probably spend a lot of time watching what you eat and avoiding certain things. Lets face it, it is hard to be good all the time. That's why I have decided this year that I am not going to feel guilty about it. The funny part is that while I am eating and drinking more than normal the quality in my training is really high. I am running fast, riding well and I did a solid open water swim yesterday. This may also be because I have been training with a number of my Team MaccaX mates who are based in Melbourne. Either way, I feel like I am doing some really high quality training at the moment leading up to Challenge Melbourne.

On Saturday I had my first ever (non-racing) ride along Beach Road and it was incredible. There were thousands of other cyclists, with huge groups constantly going past. There is nothing like that in Sydney. As a Sydneysider I avoid riding on the roads because it is dangerous with people yelling at you and throwing stuff at you. Here, there were no issues, as long as the cyclists followed the rules and didn't take up the whole road the drivers seems to be ok with it. It was a really great experience. Throw in the fact I got to do a solid 15km effort with another cyclist who rides at similar speeds to me. It was just an awesome experience. I am actually amazed at how good the training is here for triathlon with Port Phillip Bay being an ideal location for open water swimming as well. I did get stung by a jellyfish but I think that is all part of the experience. Anyway I am getting off topic. People of Melbourne I am giving your fine city a plug but the reason I am saying it is that I think one of the reasons I have not felt too bad about the increase in food and drinks is because I have surrounded myself with like-minded people this week and I have focused on having some fun.

So this week whoever you are, take it easy on yourself. If you put on a few kg's use it as motivation to train even harder next year. We work hard most of the time so enjoy the break! You probably earned it!

Have a Merry Christmas, stay safe and remember to TRI!

Craig, Linda and Me half-way through our Beach Road ride. Loved it!

Me and Matho at St Kilda after our swim. Great training in Melbourne