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Hollie Avil’s training and nutrition plan

July 22, 2024

Triathlete Hollie Avil talks us through what a typical day’s food is for her, and we take a look at what a week’s training involves.

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Hollie: In order to be good to go on race day, maintaining a balanced diet when you are training for a race is important. A triathlete’s diet is extremely important and if you don’t fuel properly you can’t train properly.

You’ve got to put the energy in to get the energy out! As a triathlete I can train up to five hours a day, so it’s extremely important to make sure I am eating enough of the right stuff.

People can often forget about protein which is essential for recovery. As traithletes we put our muscles under a lot of stress and in order for them to recover and grow we need to keep our intake of protein up.

My favourite protein rich meal is lasagna or a good bit of steak served with jacket potato and salad. It’s important to fuel during training and that’s why I drink energy sports drinks during my training sessions.

A typical food day for Hollie would be as follows:

Pre-morning training snack:

Powerbar, Harvest Bar and an apple

Recovery Breakfast:

Porridge with honey and some fruit

Mid-morning snack:

Fruit and yogurt

Lunch:

A piece of meat, chicken, beef - or fish

A large serving of rice/pasta or potato

Vegetables or salad

Post afternoon training recovery snack:

Small bowl of cereal with yogurt and a banana

Dinner:

A piece of meat, chicken, beef - or fish

A large serving of rice/pasta or potato

Vegetables or salad

Bedtime snack:

A small chocolate bar

During training:

Taut energy drink

Hollie’s typical training week:

Monday:

Swim 90 minutes aerobic

Bike 90 minutes with efforts

Run 20 minutes off the bike

Tuesday:

Swim 90 minutes sprint work

Run 70 minutes tempo run session

Gym 60min

Wednesday:

Swim 90 minutes tempo

Bike 120 minutes with efforts

Run 30 minutes off bike with efforts

Thursday:

Gym 60 minutes

Swim 60 minutes sprint work

Friday:

Swim 90 minutes with max efforts

Run 60 minutes track session

Saturday:

Bike 120 minutes with efforts

Run 30 minutes with sprints

Sunday:

Run 70 minutes long easy

Swim 60 minutes easy

Bike 60 minutes easy

Hollie’s tips for time poor triathletes

It’s just under five weeks until the World Championship Series in Hyde Park. I think the event and the build up to it will be fantastic. Marie Curie Cancer Care is the charity supporting the age group event and I’m excited to get involved with them in the lead up. Marie Curie is an important charity for me to get involved with and support after all the help they gave my Nan and Granddad when my Granddad was suffering with cancer. The work their nurses did was so invaluable to the whole family and I will support the charity in whatever way I can to show my thanks and appreciation. I hope that more people will get involved in triathlon and raise funds for a great cause at the same time.

I can’t stress how fun a triathlon race is. It’s not only fun on race day but the training leading up to the event is enjoyable too. With triathlon, each day you train brings something different. You can mix up the three individual sports and do a different two every day. If you struggle for time, you can still get by if you can only swim, bike or run once. I always encourage people by telling them that training for triathlon around a full time job is doable.

I managed to train for triathlon and qualify for the Beijing Olympics around being at school from 9am - 3.30pm; therefore I can empathize with people who have to work but want to and need to train. You can also train on your way to work - if you are able to run there or bike there as it all counts as training. Most gyms are open early too, and if they have a pool, the best thing to do is to get up early and go for a swim before your day begins.

Hollie Avil, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine

Photo credit: Taut www.taut-sport.com/

Click here to read Hollie’s blog from the Senior European Championships in Holland.

Hollie is encouraging people to join her for the London Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series and sign up for one of Marie Curie Cancer Care’s guaranteed places as official charity partner. The race is held at Hyde Park from 15 to 16 August and incorporates a 750m swim, 20k cycle and 5k run.

The deadline for registration closes this Sunday, July 26.

Every step, pedal and stroke will help Marie Curie Nurses to reach more terminally ill people with free care in their own homes or one of the charity’s hospices.

For more information about taking part in this or any other triathlon for Marie Curie Cancer Care please call 08700 340 040 or email [email protected]

For further details visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/triathlon

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