A day in the life of ...

Press, 4 February 1986, Page 21

A day in the life of ...

Staying at the top in long distance triathlons means a tough training regime for Erin Baker. A typical day is: Up at 4.50 a.m., cycle to the swimming pool by 5.30 a.m. She used to run when starting at 6 a.m., but that meant a 4.45 a.m. start. Swim for two hours, cycle home. Catch some breakfast, perhaps two pieces of toast, and then out on the road for a fourhour cycle ride. Back home she will rest, perhaps have a short sleep. She might eat lunch; at times she does not feel like it In the afternoon, she goes for a run, not less than an hour, normally for two hours. For dinner she likes salads, fresh

fruit, avacados. Before a big race, she depletes with a hard training session five days out, then stokes up on carbohydrates, enjoys ice cream and, when really hot, downing a beer. In marathon sections .of triathlons, there is no “hitting the wall,” she says. She runs at the same pace throughout, finishes, and feels fine. Punctures bring panic and it takes her five minutes to change the tube. In the Netherlands, her hands were so cold she ripped the tyre off the rim with her teeth. One problem is the risk of puncturing again, because she cannot pump the tyre up as hard as it should be.