Day in the life: Bex Rimmington, ironman triathlete
I get up at 5.30am at every day. I have a quick snack and then head out training, which because I’m training for an ironman means either a swim, a bike or a run.
I swim at the local leisure centre, which is helpful in the mornings, but I also do open water swimming with a squad, which can be at night too.
I start work at a bike shop at 8.30am, so I can’t spend too long out. I often eat quinoa for breakfast, which helps give slow-release energy throughout the day. On a rest day, or an easier day I might eat eggs with rye bread for a change.
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I’m lucky that my work is largely answering emails and phone calls, so I’m not quite on my feet all day, although my colleagues do laugh at me for stretching a lot.
With a big session later on, lunch is an important meal for me. It’ll usually be chicken or fish with rice or pasta and a large salad to keep things balanced.
I try not to be too strict about what I eat, so if I fancy a treat I will have one. I don’t deprive myself. Everyone at work laughs at me for eating ‘bird food’ – nuts and seeds – but I do also have to fuel myself more substantially.
I tailor my food to whatever I’m doing that day – so if it’s a big one I’ll be eating things like fruit, nuts, rice cakes, yogurt and celery sticks every two hours.
I finish work at 4.30pm, get home at around 5pm, have a coffee and then go and do a second session. In the summer I’d go out for a long ride on the bike, but with the nights drawing in now I’ll use the static bike.
I run and cycle a lot on the treadmill using Zwift, which allows you to train in your own home with an online community, but there are also some nice trails near me to keep it low-impact.
With my background in swimming and cycling, running is my weaker suit. I’m basically at a starting point, which is exciting because I know I can get quicker. You’ve got to be patient with it and build it up slowly.
Once back I’ll have dinner, put my feet up for a short time and then head to bed for the next day. Stir fry is a favourite because it’s quick and easy, but more meat and sweet potato also make regular appearances.
My partner is a coach for British Cycling, so we’re both often on the go training. We’re a very bike-orientated household and living near Burnley we’ve got the Kendal Hills to train on, which is good practice for the rolling hills of the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, which I’m competing in on 13 October.
I qualified by finishing as the best amateur female in the Ironman UK in Bolton earlier this year – my first attempt at swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 112 miles and running a full marathon.
Bex Rimmington is a member of the Specialized Zwift Academy Tri Team.