Instagram - @akilpin

Twitter - @akilpin

My days are usually packed out from start to finish – juggling training and running a business is no small feat! It means we need to be conscious of my training sessions and ensure I don’t overload myself.

My coach structures my training plan to fit in with work commitments while gaining the maximum possible benefit and adaptation from my training sessions.

Nutritionally, I work with a nutritionist whose primary emphasis is on health – when your body is under a state of near constant-stress, then you have the mental pressures of full time work on top, it means that your body requires as much support as possible to repair itself, reduce inflammation, and keep the immune system functioning optimally. The nutrition program is also designed to provide me with the essential macronutrients to enable me to hit all my training sessions well-fuelled and well-recovered.

6am – wake up and eat a banana (I sometimes add a coffee if it’s a hard session, otherwise a herbal tea or lemon juice and water)

6.30am – 3k swim session consisting of technique work and some tempo/threshold intervals

8am – breakfast: sprouted organic oats (made into porridge with hemp milk), a handful of almonds, a tablespoon of flaxseed, fresh blueberries and a teaspoon of Manuka honey

9am – head to my office and do some work!

10.30am – mid-morning snack of matcha green tea, an apple and a tablespoon of pumpkin seed butter

12.30am – lunch: large salad of dark leaves, cherry tomatoes, beetroot, cucumber, radishes, with spelt grain, freekah grain or sweet potato, and either lentils or black beans, with a drizzle of lemon juice and balsamic vinegar

3pm – snack of a protein Get Buzzing bar (chocolate coconut is my all-time favourite!) and a turmeric tea

4pm – high intensity treadmill run of usually around 1 hour, or a high intensity interval session on my turbo (indoor bike trainer), accompanied by a low or zero calorie electrolyte drink. I sometimes add a gel if it’s a very hard session

5pm – recover with Cherry Active or CocoPro drink

6pm – dinner: mixed vegetable stir fry with fresh ginger, chilli, lime and garlic, shitake mushrooms, tofu and brown rice noodles or wholegrain Jasmine rice, with soy sauce

7pm – dessert consisting of two tablespoons of fat free Greek yoghurt or quark, a passionfruit or kiwi fruit and a teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg

9pm – bedtime, sometimes accompanied by a herbal tea or an amino acid drink mix

This is a typical weekday, but weekends always involve longer training sessions and usually consist of three to five hours of training per day. 

The foods include a lot of anti-inflammatory ingredients and there is a fair amount of consistent fuelling to manage energy levels and blood sugar throughout the day.

I am a life-long vegetarian so having the additional support of a high protein energy bar such as Get Buzzing helps to top up my protein requirements throughout the day. They are ideal for in-between sessions as they provide protein to help maximise recovery while adding carbohydrates for fuel.

So there you have it!

Happy training and happy fuelling!

..

www.amykilpin.co.uk