Andrea “Hoppy” Hopkin is a self confessed tough nut… she is very goal driven and has high expectations of herself. Last December she suffered a bulging disc and had to take training right back to square one. Recently she had a successful comeback to racing at Karri Valley Triathlon, and all signs are looking good for a standout performance at Strongman Japan in April 2018.
We caught up with her to find out… what does a regular day of training look like for this triathlete?
I am building some good training volume in the lead up to racing in Japan in April, but I am still trying to find the best weekly structure with work having just started teaching at a new school. Every training day is a little different. This week will most likely look something like:
Monday – swim
Tuesday – Ride AM, Run PM
Wednesday – Run hills in the PM
Thursday – ERG session AM, run PM
Friday – Swim
Saturday – Long run AM, swim PM
Sunday -Long ride AM, easy run PM
What does your day on a plate look like?
This year I have taken a different approach to my eating. Since bulging my disc and knowing I have Ironman World Championships in Hawaii later in the year I have taken a healthier approach to my eating. I have cut out a lot of processed sugars (note – not completely cut out – see what I eat on long rides!).
“For the most part I do eat what I want, but am conscious about what I put in to my body,
as food is fuel”
Breakfast – will typically consist of an Omelette and a coffee, or porridge and a banana if lacking time and eat on the drive to work
Lunch – Tuna and rice
Dinner – Salmon, roasted sweet potato, carrots and potato with coconut rice – this is my “go-to” meal at the moment
Snacks during the day – bananas, grapes, Bindi Protein Balls, cheese, Chobani greek yoghurt, cashews, banana protein smoothie (frozen bananas, milk, Bindi Vanilla Pea Protein), coffee!!
What is your nutrition like for a big training day?
ALWAYS start with a coffee! During a long ride I’ll take bananas in my back pocket, but if heading south on the freeway I always stop to refuel at the BP in Baldivis. I always seem to get some sort of craving in my preps. In the past its been Glucogel Jelly Beans, M &M’s or Milo. This prep it appears to be hash browns. As an example of what I do eat on my long ride this weekend just gone I had a coffee and banana before starting, then Bindi Sports Hydration and one packet of Gu Chomps. Once I got to the BP I then had a donut, small apple pastry, 2 hash browns, a frozen coke and a mocha frappe 😀
Long runs I practice my race nutrition more than on the bike and will consume gels every 45mins or so if the run is longer than 1.5hrs.
I am pretty happy now with my race nutrition plan and my stomach seems to handle it pretty well so generally don’t have the gels on the bike anymore in training.
What is your plan for carb loading before a race?
I follow the same carb load for every race for 2 – 3 days. It seems to work so I don’t want to stray from it.
Rice Bubbles for breakfast. Bananas. Cheese and Vegemite white bread sandwiches for lunch. Banana smoothie. Pasta and garlic bread. Muffins. Bindi Sports Hydration. Coke.
You have been working with Bindi for 6 months now, how has this helped your nutrition?
I incorporate Bindi in to my everyday life as well as training. I use the Bindi Sports Hydration in my drinks for training and the Pea Protein post workout. When I’m out on a long ride or run I always find myself thinking of my banana protein smoothie when I get home. I also use the pea protein to make my own protein balls which I always have on hand. Much healthier than a muesli bar for a quick snack (see note above about cutting out processed sugars).
Andrea – we are super excited to follow your races this year and hope it all comes together for you!
Belinda x
