My day on a plate – record breaking Ironwoman Courtney Hancock
Courtney Hancock is a four-time Coolangatta Gold champion and the first person in Australian Surf Sports history to win the triple crown of elite events in the same year. She shares a typical day of training in the run up to a race day.
4.50am
Wake up and after getting into my swimmers, I get straight into the Raw C! I head to the kitchen to whip up my morning smoothie which consists of 1 cup of Raw C Coconut Water, ½ cup of blueberries, a banana, 1 spoon of honey, 1 spoon of peanut butter and a handful of ice. I’ll sometimes add some coconut milk yoghurt too. It’s the perfect blend of goodness for my body to kickstart my day. Raw C Coconut Water is packed with electrolytes, which are so good for hydration, energy and recovery. It’s like nature’s sports drink! The blueberries are packed with antioxidants, the banana has lots of energy. The honey is good sugar and the peanut butter is good fats. The combo tastes really good and wakes me up for the day. I take a moment to fuel my body and get in tune with it. Luckily I’m a morning person, so I’m usually happy to be up before the sun and getting the best food and liquid into my body for the day ahead makes me feel great (ok, so there’s always the odd day in Winter when I’d rather stay under the doona but they’re few and far between!) I’ll drink my smoothie in the car on my way to the pool for training.
5.15am
Arrive at the pool and do 15 minutes of stretching. I do a combination of yoga and Pilates moves to wake my body and get every muscle turned on and ready to go.
5.30am
Jump into the pool for the first training session of the day. I’ll swim 6kms and be in the water for two hours.
7.30am
After swimming, I get ready for my run. I’ll have a protein shake or a banana before heading to the beautiful Burleigh Headland to hit the tracks for an hour.
I make sure I’m keeping hydrated throughout the day. Raw C Coconut Water is a great way to rehydrate and replenish electrolytes naturally after training.
9.30am
Back at home, I’ll tuck into breakfast – which is a balance of iron, carbs, protein and good fats. I’ll usually have scrambled eggs, sweet potato, avocado, mince or bacon (whatever leftovers are in the fridge) and some greens like spinach or kale.
10am
It’s nap time! I’ll take a 90-minute time out to give my body some down time and the chance to recharge and recover from the morning.
12.30pm
Lunch is up next, usually a piece of salmon or chicken with vegies and rice. I’ll spend the afternoon on the business side of being an athlete. I’ll be replying to emails, working with sponsors, organising photoshoots, working on social media and so much more. I’ll also be checking in with the guys taking part in my online training programs. I coach and mentor them through their prep for competitions such as the Coolangatta Gold. I’ve also got an awesome bunch of nippers in Courtz Kidz Crew – I love following their progress. I’ll have a snack in the afternoon, usually a couple of oranges or some gluten-free muesli with nuts and berries, and then it’s time for more training.
4-5.15pm
I head to Surfers Paradise Surf Club for an hour and 15 minutes of ski and board training. After that I’ll head back home and make dinner with my partner, Nick. It’s usually a steak or chicken with vegies. We’ll watch some TV or a film together (love a good rom-com!) and I’ll take some time to chill. I’ll put on some compression tights to flush out toxins and do some more stretching. I might have dessert such as a vegan blueberry cheesecake ice cream bar or some fruit and yoghurt. Sometimes I’ll whiz up an ‘ice cream’ combo similar to my morning smoothie, just using frozen berries or frozen banana and adjusting the amount of Raw C Coconut Water to create a creamy treat. It’s so good.
8.30-9pm
Bedtime! Ready to do it all again tomorrow…
I have Friday afternoons and Sundays off from training and I’ll spend time with
friends and family and head for a walk or a swim (but just a dip – not a two hour
session!)
I love my life. It gets hectic and there’s always something going on but I’m in the best
shape I can be mentally and physically and have a really positive health and
happiness balance. I feel that to be your best self for others, you have to look after
you and enjoy what you do every day.
At 33 years old, I might be one of the older competitors on the field this year but I
feel really privileged to be called a veteran. I’ve been lucky enough to be competing
professionally since I was 17 and this year marks the 10 th anniversary of my first
Coolangatta Gold win. After 16 years, I bring that experience, knowledge and
confidence to every race.
