The Shape I’m In: Aileen Reid

TRIATHLETE Aileen Reid is up most mornings at 5am, long before dawn splits the sky. 

Five mornings a week she is thrashing up and down the pool at 5.30am, covering up to 7km at a stretch.

She cycles four times a week and runs six or seven times a week. And while most of us relish a lazy Saturday, for Aileen it’s another opportunity to train and push her body to its limits.

“Last Saturday I swam for an hour and a half, went home and had my breakfast and went out and did 100km on the bike. The club goes out cycling on a Saturday. I was supposed to run 50km after the bike but my legs wouldn’t take me so I did 20km instead,” says the Derry-born professional athlete.

On other days, the cycle may be shorter or she’ll schedule a double-run day and squeeze in some work in the gym.

Representing Ireland at the Rio Olympics next year, she has no immediate plans for her long-term future. A qualified PE teacher, “down the line” there are plans to teach.

Aged 33, she celebrated her third wedding anniversary with her husband David this month. “At some stage I’d like to have some kiddywinks,” she says. “We don’t know maybe not just yet, we’ll see.”

* Olympian Aileen Reid has teamed up with Electric Ireland to announce its Smarter Living sponsorship of the Irish Olympic Team for Rio 2016.

What shape are you in?

I’ve just finished week one of my training programme. I’m eating cake and chocolate biscuits every day. Everyone needs a little bit of cake in their lives for happiness.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

I enjoy healthy food and I like to cook. I’ve just got myself a Nutri Bullet and on Sunday, I made a batch of four different soups: roast red pepper, sweet potato, butternut squash, carrot and coriander. I froze them all. I do love my salads as well — mine are the most colourful salads you’ll see. I try to encompass all the food groups. I don’t leave anything out. There is no definite no-no.

What are your guiltiest pleasures?

Marks & Spencer do this pain au raisin. It’s one of the swirly ones with raisins with a creamy bit inside. I definitely have a sweet tooth. I’d rather eat a salad and have cake afterwards than have a burger and chips.

What would keep you awake at night?

I wear earplugs. I am one of these weird people who goes around the hotel room and covers the wee lights on the TV and the fire alarm with a little sticker or I’ll bring black tape with me. Sometimes there are gaps in the curtains and I stick them together with sticky tape, too. Otherwise, it wakes me up.

How do you relax?

I have a nap every day because I’m an athlete. My lovely husband and I probably go out once a week for dinner or to the cinema. It’s normally Wednesday date night because I don’t swim on a Thursday morning.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

My first preference would be to have my family. My wee mammy and daddy of course. I don’t get to see them as often as I would like. My sister lives in Hong Kong. I haven’t seen her since this time last year. When I was growing up she was my biggest role model and inspiration. She’s an international level swimmer and is three years older than me.

What’s your favourite smell?

I love the smell of bleach at the pool — it’s lovely and clean. And obviously chlorine because you smell it when you are a swimmer.

What would you like to change about your appearance?

Sometimes when I spend a lot of time in the sun I get freckles. It’s like a freckle moustache. I think it makes me look like a man in photographs. Obviously that’s not my most redeeming feature.

When is the last time you cried?

Yesterday. We buried a family member — my mother-in-law’s husband. He had lung cancer for a year and a half. He was a very big supporter. It was very sad.

What traits do you least like in others?

Impatience or arrogance for no reason.

What traits do you least like about yourself?

Impatience. I’m very organised and I like to be on time. If my rhythm gets upset or I’m late for something. I get impatient. The world will still go around and I will still get to where I am going. But it is a bad habit.

Do you pray?

At times. Sometimes I don’t know who I am saying it to, but I say a wee prayer anyway. Angel of God was my favourite when I was younger.

What cheers your day?

A cheerful person. Smiles are infectious.