It's time to discover my limits at XTRI ICON

I love warm weather. I love working out in humid conditions. I love the feeling of warm air on my skin and I thrive in warm conditions. Some of my best race performances have been in hot and humid conditions.

Above is a photo of the predicted weather forecast for the XTRI ICON event that I'll be participating in tomorrow, September 1st in Livigno, Italy.

You'll notice a few things. Those temperatures are in Fahrenheit (not Celcius). The race starts at 6,000 altitude. I'll be starting the 3K (swim was shortened due to combined air and water temp) dark, cold water swim at 5am. I'll be starting the 123 mile, 9+ hour bike with 14,000+ feet of climbing in the upper 30's. The warmest it will be is 55 degrees. Then I will run a mostly off-road marathon with almost 4000 feet elevation gain, finishing at 9,000 feet.

This event will be my greatest athletic accomplishment IF I reach the finish line. But it will require a tremendous amount of physical strength, mental toughness, troubleshooting, proactive thinking, and luck.

~150 miles (2.4 mile swim, 123 mile bike, 26 mile run) ~18,000 feet elevation gain, 5 mountain passes to climb and descend, including the iconic 48 switchbacks on the Stelvio pass. Karel will be there for all 15+ hours as he is my support crew during this self-supported event. Karel will also be running the entire marathon with me (carrying as much as he can to support me nutritionally throughout the run).

These conditions scare me. I don't enjoy cold weather. Ever since I signed up for the event in December, I've had this event on my mind, especially the swim. It's kept me motivated, focused and dedicated to my training. For the past 9 months, a day hasn't gone by that I haven't thought about the difficulty of this epic event.

Growth comes from pushing the limits of what you think is possible. If you are not challenging yourself to do big, scary things, you will never know how far you can go and what you can achieve in life.

It wasn't too long ago that I was deathly afraid of descending on my bike on anything that resembled a hill. I have learned to embrace the wind while riding my tri bike, but it still makes me nervous. I've conquered a few cold water swims, despite being very uncomfortable.

A lifetime of personal growth (and discomfort) has got me to this point. Riding in the windy conditions on the big island of Kona at the Ironman World Championship (5x), swimming in the cold lake water outside of St. George, Utah, descending mountains in France in the Haute Route Alps and attempting my first Xterra off-road triathlon in Czech Republic are fresh in mind as each of these events put me in a "first ever" experience (which was scary)

With every challenge that I've faced in my personal and athletic life, I've learned that I am more capable than I give myself credit for. The limits that exist in my mind are often what hold me back. I'll be the first to admit that I am not a risk taker. I like to plan, research, strategize and practice before I attempt something new. Whether it's from a fear of failure or a fear of the uknown, I've become more comfortable taking risks.

While I feel physically prepared for XTRI ICON (well, as prepared as I could get), I've spent the last week getting my mind ready for the mental and physical suffering and struggles that I will experience during this 15+ hour adventure.

You can follow ICON XTRI on Facebook and Instagram and track me live HERE.

I hope that I can inspire you to pursue your big scary goals. Whether athletic, career or personal, don't limit yourself to what you think you can't do. I hope to inspire you to step out of your comfort zone in order to discover your physical and mental limits. And when you find your limits, dream a little bigger to see what else you are capable of achieving.

Here are a few powerful ways that can help you push yourself past your limits. 

• Address your limiting beliefs. It's easy to avoid doing things you don't believe are possible. It's easy to think you can't accomplish something. Your thoughts impact your actions. If you don't know your self-imposed limitations, you can't push past them.
• Chase your passions. When you are passionate about something, you'll find the motivation needed to put in the work. If you don't love what you are doing, you will struggle to find the energy to step outside of your comfort zone.
• Set realistic goals. If you don't know your destination, it'll be difficult to get there. While it's good to feel challenged by a goal, your goal should be somewhat realistic and attainable. It should stretch your abilities as you follow a measurable plan to get there but it should still remain possible.
• Be ok to fail. Stretching your comfort zone is all about facing your fears and not being afraid of failing. Struggle is part of growth. Failure is part of success. Failure means you are trying and you are learning.
• Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Anytime you do something for the first time, you will feel discomfort. If you want to challenge yourself, you need to embrace discomfort. 

“The fears we don’t face don’t become our limits.”

-Robin Sharma

Becoming more adventurous - one ride at a time.

 

Karel loves adventure. He's always curious about the unknown. 

Karel loves discovering new bike routes. Sometimes this means getting lost, sometimes this means finding a road that goes nowhere. I can't tell you how many times Karel has ventured out on a bike ride (road, gravel, tri, mountain bike) without any idea as to where the road goes. He has no fear riding somewhere new. 

Over the past 16 years, Karel's adventurous soul has rubbed off on me. But I was not always this way. For almost 14 years of our relationship, I would question Karel and would feel so uncomfortable, scared and fearful riding somewhere for the first time - especially when I knew that Karel had no idea where he was going. But over the past two years, I've learned to be a bit more adventurous when it comes to bike riding. Although I often have the immediate thought of "I can't do this" I try to quickly dismiss that thought and open my mind to new experiences. 

Although it hasn't been easy to relinquish my need for control and having a plan when training, having a more adventurous mentality has helped me in life. I also believe that my recent and consistent results in long distance have come from viewing racing as if it was an adventure. So many times, athletes struggle due to fear of uncertainty. This causes underperforming for the need to stay in the comfort zone. 

If you are wanting to be more adventurous with your life, especially with training, here are a few tips:

• Go into the unknown with curiosity. Curiosity is the root of being adventurous. 
• Go into a situation feeling mentally free, open and willing to experience something new.
• Let go of what is holding you back. 
• Start small. Don't step out of your comfort zone, stretch is gradually. 
• Don't set expectations. Go with the flow and see what happens. 
• Be ok to fail. 
• Push yourself to be uncomfortable. 
• Get excited to try something for the first time. 
• Rationalize your fears. 
• Build trust in yourself, your thoughts and your actions.
• Be a warrior, not a worrier. 
• Do things safely. Set your limits and your boundaries. 
  
  

Live a more courageous life

On Sunday (January 8th), Facebook shared this memory of Campy from 2014. Not only was Campy just a young pup at six years old but this was a very important moment in our life - it was our first trip to Greenville, SC. We were living in Jacksonville, FL and after six years, we were ready for a change. Although there was nothing forcing us to move, we felt like there was more to life for us and it wasn't in Florida. 

It was extremely risky to move from Florida to South Carolina. This was a big change and nearly everything that we would be experiencing would be new for both of us. 

Thankfully, Greenville, SC. has been the perfect place for us to grow our business and to live an active and healthy lifestyle. 

For much of my life, I hated change. I feared failure and I did not like stepping out of my comfort zone. Karel has helped me become much more courageous. With Karel leading the way in most of our adventures, it has forced me to understand (and work through) that paralyzing moment of anxiety, stress and worry. Because fear has the power of stopping us from making the most out of opportunities, I realized (with time) that being courageous means making the choice to get more out of my one and only life. 

Prior to moving to Greenville, SC we knew our move wouldn't be easy and smooth but we also thought about the things that were important to us - and that helped us act in spite of the fear of giving up the familiar. 

Since moving to Greenville, SC. I have found myself doing a lot of new things - I've really strengthened my courage muscle - and it's not without tears, worry and struggles. But each time I stretch or step out of my comfort zone, I find myself getting more excited about life. I no longer fear failure and that has allowed me to grow as a human being. 

The memory of our first trip to Greenville on January 8th, 2014 could not have come at a better time. 

On Saturday, it was nearly 30-degrees and we were getting ready for the 10am Greenville Winter Bike League weekly ride. The old me wouldn't have even considered the thought of riding outside but the new me likes to put myself into uncomfortable situations. Unfortunately, I didn't feel strong on the ride and it was a real struggle for me but I showed up and gave it my best effort. I finished the ride feeling accomplished (and even went out for a 20-min run off the bike!). 

It’s easy to avoid things that feel hard, uncomfortable and overwhelming. It’s normal to have an expectation that we should be in the mood to do something and that it will be comfortable, fun and pleasurable.

But this mindset means we teach ourselves that we can’t do hard things.

I love putting myself into challenging, uncertain, uncomfortable and difficult situations.

For many years, I was scared of failure. But I learned that I was robbing myself of great opportunities and meaningful experiences by shying away from difficulty.

Do the things that make you feel uncomfortable. 
Try to live a more courageous life. 
Learning to be comfortable with discomfort is an important skill to living a truly fulfilling life.

Overcome your fear of trying something new

 
Photo: @Supercycling

In life, we are often given the opportunity to try something new or to do something for the first time. 

It's easy to stay in your comfort zone. Or you can face the fear and step out of it. 

Trying something new typically means that there is a chance for failure. 

It's hard, risky and scary to take the leap and to try something new. You may look silly or embarrass yourself. You may have to ask questions. You will feel unsure of yourself. You may feel vulnerable. 

Two months ago I rode a gravel bike for the first time. Last weekend I participated in my first gravel race. Oddly enough, I have found myself looking forward to each riding opportunity as I get to learn new skills. And this came as a surprise to me because my history of bike riding has been filled with a lot of fear any time I was forced to step (or ride) outside of my comfort zone. 

After participating in endurance triathlon for over 14 years, it's has been a really long time since I have done something for the first time. Gravel riding has been a refresher to feel like a beginner again. 

Saying no to trying something new keeps you safe as you avoid any possibility of embarrassment, stress, shame, anxiety or failure.  

Saying yes to trying something new but wanting to master it immediately can set you up for failure and frustration. 

Trying something new is a learning process. You are going to make mistakes. Learning something new is how you grow. It's how you explore your abilities and capabilities. Yes, it can be stressful, fear inducing, humbling and humiliating but when you let go of fear, you can learn to love the challenge of trying something for the first time. 

When was the last time you launched yourself into a new experience?

Don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. 

There is a world of opportunities out there. 
Are you ready to take the leap?

GVL WBL #8 - The Grand Finale

Thanks to the Greenville Winter Bike League, I had reason to get on my road bike at 10am every Saturday for the past eight weeks. I also had the accountability to layer-up and venture out in the cold weather for 3+ hours week after week. I only missed one ride due to the weather (we had a rain/snow the night prior and the roads were a little icy so I went out on my own solo ride). What started out as an opportunity to socialize with other people turned into so much more than I had imagined. I met new people, stretched my comfort zone, challenged myself in the designated QOM and sprint zones, improved my cycling skills, discovered new bike friendly routes, won some money (woot woot) and braved the cold winter conditions - all on two wheels.

Here's the schedule (and routes) for all eight of the GVL WBL group rides.
Here are the route links to the last two rides: 
GVL WBL #7
GVL WBL #8

The last ride was a tough one. It was a smaller group of around 30 cyclists and we covered 63 miles in cold (in the 30's), cloudy and windy conditions. The ride went on a beautiful route near Jones Gap and we rode on two new roads that I had never been on before. Karel didn't join me on this ride because he ventured to Walhalla, SC for a super duper hilly 69-mile gravel group ride. I can't wait to show Karel these new routes as they will be perfect for our future training camps. 

                                       

Around 21 miles in, we had our KOM/QOM segment. The climb was relatively short and not overly steep but it sure did give my legs some attention. Once we regrouped, it was time for the "sprint" part of the ride. We rode several loops on the River Falls Road Race course - a beautiful 5.6 mile loop (although it was cloudy, it was still pretty with rivers, trees and mountains in our view). Each category had the chance to race one lap while the rest of the group rode the course behind the racing group.
Lap 1 - Women's and juniors (scored separately)
Lap 2 - Amateurs (category 4,5, and unlicensed)
Lap 3 - Pro 1,2,3
Lap 4 - Masters 40+

 I "raced" the women's category and gave all I could. I ended up 3rd and totally smashed myself on the final climb (the end of the loop). I tried to go with the Pro group but I got dropped pretty quickly. It was fun to challenge myself and to test my abilities. It was a cold ride and I struggled near the end. But thanks to the positive energy of the group, we all rallied together and stayed strong until the end. At the end of the ride, it was time for raffle prizes and cash prizes for the category winners. The organizers of this group ride did such an exceptional job of putting together a safe, fun and challenging 8-week series. It was extra special that the ride started/finished just 3 miles from our house.

Our friend/athlete Alvi who joined me for most of the rides. 

As for Karel, he drove an hour away for his gravel ride. This was a "drop ride" which meant you need to stay with the group or else you are on your own. Karel said he paced himself better for his group ride (compared to the one he did a few weeks ago) but he was still pretty spent when he was done. He said the group started off big but got smaller and smaller as the miles went on. There was a lot of climbing and descending on his ride and while the climbs were tough, he really enjoyed the downhills. I found my ride super cold but Karel said that his ride was super duper cold because they were climbing up into the mountains. 

Although I joined the GVL WBL ride and Karel joined the Southwest Gravel group ride, there were several other group rides in and around our area. We are so lucky to have so many safe and bike-friendly routes in our area!

I managed to do a run on the treadmill after my ride but then again, I am not sure if I was actually running. My feet were pretty frozen so I wasn't sure if I was actually running on them. Karel had an hour drive home after his ride so he arrived home shortly after I was making my post-workout meal.

Reflecting on the GVL WBL group ride, every week I found myself anxiously nervous for the unknown. Riding with cyclists (most of which race) was tough - I was constantly feeling challenged - mentally and physically. I am really proud of myself for braving seven 3+ hr rides with a strong group of 30-80+ cyclists over the past eight weeks. That’s seven opportunities of seeking discomfort.

I really embrace the idea of stretching the comfort zone. I wasn't always like this. Karel has helped me welcome discomfort as he has put me in a lot of uncomfortable sport-specific situations (primarily on the bike). While many of these situations often started with some type of argument from me being scared, I thanked him at the end for helping me discover my capabilities by doing something that was scary to me. For the record, I cried during my first ride here in Greenville as I found it too hard and too hilly. Thankfully, Karel didn't let me give up. 

Every time you put yourself into a new and unknown situation, you are training your brain into something better and stronger than it was before.

With each stretch of the comfort zone, you increase the number of opportunities you will be able to take in life because you have gained the ability, confidence and options to do more things you’re comfortable with..... all because you had the courage to seek discomfort.

I learned a lot over the past two months as the GVL WBL group ride started as something uncomfortable and while it never became easy, I learned to become good at discomfort - week after week after week. And I had fun doing it! 

Here are some tips I've learned to help you become better at stretching your comfort zone: 

• Seek discomfort - Don't be afraid to be uncomfortable. When you try something new, you are learning. You are becoming more than you were before. Discomfort may cause you to make mistakes, reveal your weaknesses  and fear failure but discomfort is a sign that you are growing. 
  
  
• Take charge of your self-talk - Just because someone else is faster/stronger than you, than doesn't mean that you are bad or slow. Just because someone is having a great workout, this doesn't mean that you are having a bad workout. Just because someone looks differently than you, this doesn't mean that you need to change the way that you look. When self talk is negative, it doesn't help you move forward in a way that helps you challenge obstacles. If anything, it moves you backwards because you fail to recognize the progress that you are making or your unique strengths. Learn to reframe negative, self-defeating thoughts in a way that encourages growth and motivation. 
  
  
• View discomfort as an opportunity - Find your tribe (people you feel safe around and give you energy, instead of stealing it away from you) and let others help you stretch your comfort zone. It's easy to feel confident in your safe and controlled environment - one that is repeatable and predictable. While there's nothing wrong with being in your comfort zone, it's important to put yourself into situations/scenarios that you have never faced before. And then learn from them. It's easy to run away from a challenge when you are by yourself. When you are with others, you are more willing and likely to face a challenging scenario. And it's great to have the support of others who are there to celebrate your accomplishment along with you. 

Feeling discomfort from something that is unnatural or uncomfortable isn't a sign that something is wrong. It's likely a sign that you are trying something new and different. Just like physical training, your brain will get better at managing uncomfortable situations the more you put yourself into them. Being scared or uncomfortable isn't always fun but it sure is fun to feel that comfort zone being stretched. Before you know, BOOM - you have stepped outside of your comfort zone.

Remember: What was once uncomfortable becomes comfortable....only if you are willing to seek discomfort. 

Stretch your comfort zone

In six months, I will be doing something that I've never done before. From August 22-28th, I'll be riding my bike for seven consecutive days, covering over 500 miles and 65,000+ feet elevation gain. My bike will take me from Megeve, France to Nice, France as part of the Haute Route. Oh yeah, and Karel will be joining me for this "fun".

Although I love the sport of triathlon and I still feel challenged by training and racing, there is a sense of familiarity and certainity after 14 consecutive years of long-distance triathlon racing. When I started the sport, I was stepping outside of my comfort zone by doing things with my body that I have never done before. Today, triathlon is where I feel most at home. Psychologically, triathlon is my comfort zone.

Although staying within my comfort zone has resulted in consistent training and performance improvements, I feel it's necessary to find ways to step outside of the comfort zone with a new challenge. I'm captivated by endurance events and challenging myself mentally and physically. So when I heard about the Haute Route, I thought there was no better way than to combine my love of cycling, mountains and traveling.

While I will do my best to prepare for the Haute Route Alps (alongside training/racing triathlon), I know this event will bring stress, anxiety, self-doubt and worry. But when we challenge ourselves, that is where growth happens. That is when we can rise to the occassion.

While there's nothing wrong with staying in a comfort zone, you don't want to get too comfortable that you are afraid to challenge yourself, try new things, grow and learn. Have you ever noticed the adventure-like mindset of a child - who is a natural risk-taker? Sadly, as adults, we learn to fear failure and hold ourselves back from trying new things.

How will you stretch your comfort zone this year? 

Embrace sport scariness

Sports are awesome because they resemble life. 

In both life and in sport, there are rules, ethic codes, regulations and laws.
In both life and sport, the things that come easy are often most enjoyable and fun but when there's a struggle, it's easy to lose motivation and to lose confidence.
In both life and sport, we need to work hard, stay committed and remain focused. We also need a bit of luck.
And in both life and in sport, we need a "team" to help us succeed.

And in life and sport, both can be extremely awesome and a little bit scary.

Despite how scary sport can be, people from around the world, of all different fitness levels and backgrounds embrace the scariness of sport because it resembles life. Many people recognize that life is extremely hard so why not do something fun with your body that scares you?

I've always believed that one of the best things about sport is having countless opportunities to embrace scary situations and then work to overcome them. Kinda like stretching a comfort zone. But with sport scariness, it's all about placing yourself into a situation that gives you a little fear and doing what was once very uncomfortable. Through this process, an athlete can gain strength, confidence and courage by each experience that is scary.  

This is why I love a group training camp. Later today, we will have 16 athletes from all over the US joining us for an amazing 4.5 day camp experience that will require each of them to work through scary but fun situations in swim/bike/run. For some athletes, this may not sound like fun but for our campers, they signed up for this camp in order to improve. Every camper will learn that he/she is capable of handling discomfort in the face of a scary situation. Once the camper learns that he/she has the ability to handle the scary situation, it will no longer be something that is feared but instead, the athlete will gain confidence that he/she can conquer it the next time.

If you find that you are constantly pushing away the things that scare you, this strategy may provide you with temporary comfort but it's only short term. The long term result will be more fear anytime you are asked to do something that scares you. 

We look forward to helping our campers face their fears, stretch their comfort zone and show each athlete that they have strengths that they never knew existed.

Private training camp/weekend recap - stretching the comfort zone

I remember when I was in graduate school, working towards my Master's in Exercise Physiology, and I just loved studying the information that I already knew. In other words, if there was a topic that I understood really well, I would often find myself re-reading it or testing myself over and over again because it made me feel confident that I really understood the information. But then when it came to topics that were difficult and unfamiliar, I would often find myself pushing those aside so that I could go back to reading what I already knew.

Does this sound familiar?

It's very normal for athletes to enjoy doing what is easy and familiar. This is often referred to a comfort zone. If something is unnatural or scary, it is not welcomed and typically, it's not as fun as what is well-known and comfortable.

Whether it's a fear of the unknown, worries of messing up, concerns of making mistakes or fear of trying something new, staying within the comfort zone is an obstacle that keeps many athletes from reaching their full potential. Similar to my enjoyment of studying what I already know, I eventually had to force myself to step outside of my comfort zone to learn new information ....and this is where the growth happens.

If you keep doing the same things over and over, you can expect the same results. 

Although it's never easy or comfortable to stretch a comfort zone, if you don't step outside, you will never discover new things about yourself that you never knew existed.

In an attempt to stretch your comfort zone, you may find yourself stepping too far outside, which then creates unnecessary anxiety. The optimal zone of stretching the comfort zone is to discover a place where you are just slightly uncomfortable but you can still perform well and be productive with learning new skills. 

"In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety." -Abraham Maslow 

The cool thing about a comfort zone is that it is always moving. There's a good chance that you are doing something now with your body that was once uncomfortable, scary or unfamiliar. But now you feel strong and confident with your at-one-time anxiety-provoking skill.

To grow, develop and learn as an athlete, it's important to always put yourself into a place where you are slightly uncomfortable. To reach your goals, it's important to always find new ways to challenge yourself to a new slightly new level of discomfort. Success is not limited to the athlete who is genetically gifted but instead, the athlete who is on a constant pursuit to push outside of the comfort zone. 

From Friday until Sunday late morning, we spent our time with Trimarni athlete Adam Granoff (who also happens to host the Intelligent Racer Podcast - highly recommend listening to this great podcast) for his private training camp here in Greenville, SC.

Adam is currently training for IM 70.3 Syracuse and Ironman Lake Placid after completing Ironman 70.3 St. George. Adam is on a constant pursuit of self-improvement and that is why he wanted to stretch his comfort zone with us for over 10 hours of training in 2.5 days.

Adam worked hard for every workout and he learned a lot. We made sure to address his strengths to build his confidence and to help him work through bad habits as he continued to improve his swim-bike-run skills. It was a productive, educational and challenging 2.5 days of training but we could not be more pleased with what we were able to accomplish in such a short amount of time.

Friday: 
AM
2.5 hour skill focused ride working on managing variable terrain
20- minute hilly brick run

PM:
1 hour skill focused swim w/ race simulation efforts and sighting

Saturday: 
AM
4.5 hour ride, including a climb up (and down) Caesar's Head mountain
15 min brick run on the Swamp Rabbit Trail

PM
RETUL bike fit
Pizza dinner in downtown Greenville

(So great to be joined with Veronica of Veronica's Health Crunch for dinner)

Sunday
AM
1:10 hr easy spin on the swamp rabbit trail
~90 minute long run, finishing with hill sprints

Eating comfort zone

It's often said that traveling is one of the best ways to step outside your comfort zone. 

A new routine, a new lifestyle, new sights and perhaps even a new language that you do not understand.

Every time you travel, you welcome the opportunity to experience a new way of living.
And above all, when you travel somewhere new, there is a good chance that you will eat new foods or new meal creations that are not familiar.

Perhaps you are the individual who loves putting yourself into situations where you are forced to try new foods and adapt to new cuisines and eating traditions and customs.

But for many people, traveling can be an overwhelming experience because it requires eating foods that are not so familiar and that can make you feel uncomfortable (often more mentally than physically). 

While it is good to have a style of eating that works for you on a daily basis, if your eating boundaries are very limited, you may find extreme difficult to step beyond the place where your daily eating habits make you feel safe and secure and this can bring a lot of anxiety when you travel.

While it is very easy to say "yes" to foods within your comfort zone (or diet-approved zone) when you are at home, when you travel, you may find yourself saying "no" a lot due to a very restricted and limited food comfort zone.

While you should never eat something that doesn't agree with your body (allergy, intolerance) or goes against moral, ethical or medical reasons, living a life that is controlled by food limits is no way to live.

You may even find that you dread the thought of traveling to a new place (whether for work or pleasure) for fear of having to eat foods that you normally don't eat. Whether you are a picky eater or crave simplicity or struggle to make eating choices without nutrition fact labels, measuring cups, calorie counts or a clear understanding of how a meal is prepared, I encourage you to slowly begin to step outside your eating comfort zone. 

Over the past few years, I have become more uncomfortable eating....... in America.

While I am very comfortable eating in my own environment, my eating comfort zone is not always comfortable as I am eating in a diet and body obsessed society that has a very dysfunctional relationship with food.

This doesn't mean that I don't love the USA as I am proud to be an American but I am greatly disturbed by our culture when it comes to food and how people see and talk about food.

I love bread, yet in America, bread is bad for you - we are told it makes you fat and causes diseases.
I love grains, yet in America, only a few are "good" for you, depending on the current trends and who's giving you permission to eat what.
I love milk and cheese, yet in America, those are bad for you - We are told they are bad for you and can cause inflammation.
I love all fruits and veggies, yet in America, there's a list as to which ones are healthy and which ones are filled with the most sugar - thus making some fruits and veggies "unhealthy."

You see, when I am in Europe, I can eat in peace.
I eat all my favorite foods and new ones because the foods I love, grains, bread, milk, cheese and all fruits and veggies, are all accepted in Europe.

There's not a day in America where I don't see or hear people talking about the foods that I choose to eat in my diet, discussing all the "bad" things about these foods and all the "bad" things that will happen if you eat them.

And don't get me started on how "bad" these foods are for athletes, especially if you want to perform well, improve body composition and stay healthy.
(Would now be a good time to do a throw-back to our 2016 Ironman Austria finishes where our bodies performed so well, despite being fueled by so many "bad" foods and "bad" sport nutrition products?)

So why is it that I feel more comfortable eating in Europe than in America?
First off, I don't speak the language.
Therefore, when I eat, I don't hear anything that makes me not enjoy what I am eating.
There is no talk about carbs, gluten or sugar.
 I can taste and truly yum over my food without any judgement.

For me, food isn't complicated yet in America, it's complicated. Very very complicated.

I'm bothered by how companies market and advertise food and frankly, what people call "food" in America.
I'm frustrated by magazines, social media, TV and experts constantly brainwashing children, adults, the elderly and athletes that something on the body always needs "fixing" and the best approach to change the body image is through food restriction.
I'm saddened to hear how many athletes are abusing exercising the body, and believing that starving the body from calories is the "best" way to improve performance.
I'm upset that America is so obsessed with healthy food yet we have such an unhealthy society.

While I understand that I am speaking about our country as a whole and not discussing subgroups who may have a great relationship with food and the body, I know that there are many individuals who understand where I am coming from and you likely sympathize with me. 

By all means, you are allowed to eat bread in America!

Let's be honest - eating is a messy topic in America and unless it changes soon, our society will become more sick and ill because of unhealthy habits that can be changed by a healthier lifestyle and eating disorders (and disordered) eating will become more and more prevalent. 

Naturally, this is a very important topic for me me as a Board Certified Sport Dietitian because I want to be the change that I want to see in America when it comes to athletes improving their relationship with food and the body. 

As I enjoy my last few days in Europe (with more pictures of my Czech meals to share on Facebook), I will continue to appreciate a style of eating that I strongly embrace here in Europe.

For the last 3 weeks, I have enjoyed eating trying new foods and meal creations and welcoming any eating opportunity to try something different. 

I am not sure when it started or how it started but my diet has certainly evolved to one that makes it so easy for me to eat in Europe. 

Whether I'm eating in the USA or Europe, I never feel confused or conflicted about my food choices but in Europe, I eat among a society that appears to have a great relationship with food and the body.
And with every bite and every yum, I am happy. 

Stepping outside of America allows me to step away from a food and body obsessed culture which is heavily focused on what foods are good or bad, depending on the season, the year and the latest diet fad, research study and the loudest nutrition expert.
Here in Europe, I am not in a culture that eats in uncertainty and fear and doesn't need approval that x-food is allowed to be eaten.

Allowed by who?

I'm still wondering that same question and who you are letting boss you around as to what foods you need or should be eating to be happy and healthy.