Author: Harrison Rolls-King
At the start of June, I had the amazing opportunity to compete on my first ever pro triathlon start line - at the Professional Triathletes Organisation supported by Dorney Lake Triathlon. I have grown up racing on this course since the age of 10 and have many memories as a young kid winning and losing races here, it is very much my home course.
I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare for this race, a little more than a week. Race day was hot, near to 30ºC and no wind, it was going to be a day out in the sauna of the Eton Rowing Lake.
Overall, it was fast. And racing with some of the best of British pro long course triathletes who are key features on global podiums, made it a tough day. My swim was good, holding on to the lead group for the best part before getting on to the bike for 12 laps of 5km of pan flat riding. The pace was on, averaging north of 40kph for the 60km ride before heading out on the 15km run. The nature of long straights on the course in the blazing heat of the day, made for both mental and physical challenges.
After the race, the stresses of racing in the heat were clear. Dehydration, stomach upset and overall body fatigue. Within the first hour of finishing training or racing it is optimal to get the recovery nutrition you need. After my race, I had my Nuzest Chocolate Clean Lean Protein Shake, my go to post training and racing nutrition. Protein is key for rebuilding and repairing damaged muscle occurring during exercise. Not only are the shakes tasty but extremely convenient for someone like me with a busy lifestyle and wanting to be on top of their game every day.
In the 24 hours after the race, stomach upset set in. This can be caused by the physical exertion of racing, prolonged heat stress or even swallowing of lake water. Vitamins, minerals and electrolytes will have been depleted significantly over my race weekend. Once my tummy was settled, it was vital that I had enough vitamins and minerals, this is where Good Green Vitality came in to play. Packed full of goodness, I could be sure that my body was going to be topped up with all the right things for daily health, recovery and returning to training effectively. One main benefit for this product is it can help avoid the fibre of fruit/veg following tummy troubles and still get some initial goodness in. Return to training following sickness should never be rushed, especially knowing how depleted my body could be following racing and sickness combined.
Now back in training and feeling better than ever, I couldn’t be more motivated to continue chasing the long-term pro licence for long course triathlon. Training with the knowledge that I am supported by Nuzest, gives me great confidence in my recovery and health support system daily.
