Month: November 2019

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Skirting Formal Keeping It Casual

This is more of a trick I use when I want to look put together, but at the same time casual. I love wearing a t-shirt under a blazer. Especially v-neck t-shirts as a nice shirt can really help you look put together. I think it gives a really casual vibe but if you're jacket is well tailored you can get away with it.

I also like wearing a t-shirt tucked into a pencil skirt.

Technically a t-shirt, even a v-neck, is not business casual. If people are sticklers it will be noticed and deemed unacceptable but I use best judgment when going this route. Business casual has sort of broadened though. And here in the US it is different from region to region. I am note sure how it is in other parts of the world, but I would guess that in the UK business casual would be a lot different than here in the States. Here it originally meant that business men could go without without a tie. But today, I think that offices obviously treat it very differently from that.

I love my Everlane shirts. I never put them in the dryer though. As far as fit, the U-neck shirts are TTS, but I found that I was more comfortable sizing up for the V-necks. Everlane has great customer service and I got hooked when I took advantage of their first-time buyer try-on program.If I recall they sent me a bunch of stuff to try on free for 3 days. But it may have changed since then. Now, hindsight being what it is, I would just take the plunge and buy a couple of shirts.

On most days my go-to outfit is a fitted blazer, tshirt, nice jeans and flat shoes that don't kill my feet.

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Before You Swim

Specifically we are talking about eating after waking up and before swimming, also distance swimming. Keeping digestion time in mind.

The body stores glycogen in the liver and blood/muscles. About 20% in the liver, which is lower in the morning. However the remaining 80% obviously provides more energy and is about 2000 calories, sufficient for 2 hours of high intensity exercise and is unaffected by sleep. It is however more important to eat after swimming, a mix of protein for muscle repair and some cabs to metabolize it.

I regularly don't eat at all before morning swimming and have no problems. Some of it is just experience and confidence and getting used to how my body works, and not worrying about people telling me I had to eat.

Whether you need to eat before swimming is more about personal preference than anything else. I do intermittent fasting, and almost never eat anything before I swim, or run, or bike, or lift weights, and thousands of other people do the same.

That being said, I've read from plenty of people who have to eat before they work out, so my advice is to do what works for you.

However if I am planning a longer 2 hr plus swim, then I make sure to eat.

Top of my list, like a lot of swimmers, is porridge. I hate porridge though I've gotten used to eating it. I avoid processed food when heavy training and don't believe in advocating its use as it sets bad habits.

A better solution is a home-made smoothie. I use low-fat natural or Greek yoghurt, frozen or fresh berries, half a cup of oats, and apple or orange juice. Easy to make, quick, delicious and easy to eat, 1 minute getting stuff from fridge, 20 seconds in a blender and both tasty and high in protein and carbs.

You can enhance it by the occasional addition of iron-rich water, if you do this make sure there are no grapes or grape juice which blocks metabolisation of iron.

I eat both before all longer swims, though I don't swim marathons, and while I love coffee, I mostly only drink de-caff most so that I can maximize the ergogenic effects of caffeine during a swim.