Me time: Nutrition

You work hard. You take care of other people. You are always busy.

What about yourself?

Where's your ME time?

Sometimes it is not even about making or finding time.

It can be hard to even think about yourself when you are exhausted from everyday, life to-do's.

Are you still carrying along the same excuses that you have been telling yourself week after week, month after month, year after year.
Too busy to shop, too busy to cook, too busy to meal prep, too busy to eat. 

I bet if you had more time, you would find a way to fill that time in with more stuff that would keep you "too busy".

When it comes to your health, nothing could be more important than making time to nourish your body throughout the day. From the moment you get up to when you lay down to sleep, you should not find yourself pushing your meals and snacks to the side just because you are too busy, too tired, too exhausted or too ______ (insert your typical reason to not make your nutrition/diet a priority).

Although there are times when a call runs over, a meeting gets postponed and something comes up and I find myself with no or little time to eat lunch or a planned snack, I don't like how this makes me feel. Not only have I not made time for myself but I can't do my work properly because I am hungry and I need nourishment and energy. 

Meal time is a special time for me.
I like to step away from what I am doing (work) and think about nothing more than what is going inside my body. I like to yum when I eat.
Meal time is my reboot.
No matter what time of the day, I feel even better after I eat, than before because the food that I put into my body serves a greater purpose than just being calories, fat, carbs and protein. 

Meal time is so important to me that I plan it into my day. Just like a phone call with an athlete, my workout or the time needed to write a training plan or an article....there is time to eat. 

Here are a few tips to make sure you are making time to nourish and fuel your body:

1. Set aside time in your day when you will eat. Allow as much time as possible so that you are not rushed. Try to make this time behind a table with minimal distractions, rather than behind a wheel or computer screen.

2. Plan ahead. If healthy options are not available, you can't eat healthy. And if you are starved, rushed or hangry, you are not going to plan, cook or eat what you know you should be eating. Planning and food prep may take time but in the big picture, it really does save you time. Waiting for food, driving somewhere to eat (or pick up food) or cooking/chopping one or two items at a time, is time consuming (and sometimes costly).  Plan your meals and your snacks ahead of time and know that things will come up, so try to plan for those oh-no moments too.

3. Create an eating schedule that works for you. We all know that life changes and it is nearly impossible to eat at the same time every day. But if you find yourself getting biologically hungry at certain times of the day, do something about it - EAT. Figure out the best times in your day that work for you to eat your meal(s) and snacks. Don't be a clock watcher when it comes to eating. Odds are if you skip a snack or push back a meal, you will likely overeat later in the day.

4. Give yourself a little extra time in your day to plan for a better tomorrow. Any time you make a change, you need time to adjust to the change. It may seem like packing your lunch the night before work may seem tedious and time consuming but overtime, you will knock it out in less than 5 minutes. Create a good food environment to help you out and consider a few life hacks to make meal prep less overwhelming. 

5. Inspire others. It's very common that people feel guilty or embarrassed when they have ME time. As if it is selfish to take care of yourself. I'm not sure why people feel this way because you can't be good at taking care of others (or doing your job well at work or at home) if you let your own health decline. Be a role model for others. If anything, impress yourself. Without being pushy or lecturing, use your actions to show others that making time for yourself is actually making yourself a better person. 

Me time: Exercise

I saw this quote and it instantly took me back to the two busiest times in my adult life:

Graduate school (2004-2006)

Dietetic internship (2011)

When I was in graduate school, I was dipping my toes into the sport of triathlon but mostly because I was fresh out of college and missed competitive swimming. I thought of myself more of a runner during graduate school as it made the most sense as I didn't have a lot of time or money (and didn't know much about the sport of triathlons). 

Throughout my 10-month dietetic internship, I found myself in the middle of two Ironmans - IMWI and Kona. Talk about time and stress management! Sometimes I failed miserably at both of these, often at the same time. 

Thinking back to these two very busy, expensive, stressful and emotionally draining times in my life, I certainly had to make some extreme sacrifices with my lifestyle.

It wasn't just that I didn't have flexible time to train due to 10+ hour school/interning days but sleep was also a big issue (or lack thereof). And, my priorities were in my education.

However, even through those two busy times, I managed to still exercise. Grad school and my internship both required a major adjustment as my life revolved around school. My teachers did not care that I was training for a marathon or an Ironman so I never put more energy into my training than school. School was temporary and a great investment to my future.

But, I never let my schooling interfere with my health. This one was a non negotiable. Healthy eating, good sleep (as best as I could) and exercise were part of my routine...I just had to define a new "normal" routine.

Sure, training goals were modified but I made sure I didn't compromise on my health. 

'Tis the season of being busy.

Between work, family and travel, it's likely that you aren't going to be able to stick to a normal routine of training or working out over the next few weeks. Maybe that has been going on since October.

Don't let a busy time in your life keep you from making time for you.

Perhaps some days you just don't have the time and it's not possible to workout. So be it. Move your body however you can and focus on a new day tomorrow.

But there are likely days when you can find the time, you just need some creativity, motivation and focus to get it done when there are distractions everywhere.

As athletes, one of the hardest things that we often struggle with is adjusting to life. We strive for consistency and hate being thrown off a routine. Many times, we do whatever we can, even at the expense of a short night of sleep, to get in a workout.

But this isn't always a healthy approach.

When life isn't allowing us to be consistent, don't take an all or nothing approach.

Certainly, consistency will help you in your development as an athlete but there are times when you will have to settle for less and be OK with it.

During this holiday season, identify your priorities.

I believe this starts with you before anything else.

This isn't a hall pass that nothing else matters and you should prioritize your 3 hour bike ride when you have family in town, not finishing work assignments because you want to get to master swim practice or skipping a holiday party because you want to get in a run workout.

Life, in general, is making time for what's important.

Diet, sleep, exercise.

I don't think you would argue that these three things are extremely important to making you a better, healthier person. It's not about being extreme or feeling guilty.

It's all about doing the best you can with the time that you have so that you put yourself on a priority list.

There are seven days in the week.
Thinking ahead to determine what your exercise priorities are every day.
Don't try to be perfect. Do the best you can with the time you have.
(remember - walking counts as exercise!)

Write down your daily workouts so you make sure you that you have your me-time this week.

                                  DAY          WORKOUT

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7. 

It's not your body's fault

Frustration, stress, fear, anger, disappointment, insecurity.

Food restriction, in an effort to change your body, will not fix emotional issues.

Do not make your body a target when you are having a bad day, an off moment or things just don't seem to be going well.

Do not take your emotions out on your body.

The only way you can get through life is WITH your body.

Give it a thank you every now and then. Starting now.

3 workouts, 3 recovery meals.

As I mentioned in my last blog, recovery nutrition is important in the foundation phase, as it will help to kick-start the recovery process soon after your workout is complete. But you do not have to be super scientific and strict with what, how much and when you eat.

Remember -  recovery is everything and anything that happens between two workouts and right now in your season, you want to create eating habits that make your body feel good all day long, so that you can maintain a consistent training regime (balanced with your busy lifestyle).
By working on your  daily diet right now, you will set yourself up for great eating habits later on in your season when your training volume and intensity increase.
 
Here are three recovery meals that kept me training consistently last week.
(I had a pre-workout carbohydrate snack before all workouts and water during the workouts)

Swim Workout: 
400 swim
400 buoy

Pre set:
8 x 50's kick w/ fins (on back). 10 sec rest
800 band/buoy/paddles - build from 75% to 85% throghout

MS 2x's:
8 x 50's band and paddles, 85-90%, 15 sec rest
6 x 75's (build by 2 from 80-90%), 20 sec rest.
Repeat

50 EZ cool down

Post workout eats: 
Scrambled eggs with bell peppers, mushrooms and chives and a slice of rye bread with melted cheese.




Run workout: (outside on rolling hill course)Dynamic stretching
5 min walk
25 min run warm-up (nice and EZ, form focused)
Stop - let HR lower
MS:
5 x 1 mile - steady effort, conversational pace w/ 30 sec walk in between
~1 mile cool down jog

Post workout eats: 2 slices fresh challah raisin bread w/ honey, cinnamon and peanut butter
Smoothie (shared the following with Karel): 1.5 scoop Whey protein + 2 celery sticks + handful spinach/kale mix + 1/2 large banana + handful frozen berry cherry mix + 1% Organic milk (about 6 ounces) + water/ice as needed




Bike workout: 
10 min warm-up
Pre set: 

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 minute - increase cadence within each interval from cadence 75-100+rpm (no rest in between)
2-3 min EZ spin

MS: 10x's:
1 min Z2, choice cadence rpm
2 min at cadence 45-50 rpm (heavy gear work), Z2-Z3 effort (legs do the work, heart stays comfortable)
1 min Z3 effort, increase cadence from 50-95 rpm throughout
1 min EZ spin, choice cadence

5 min cool down

Post workout eats: 
1/2 cup Oats + 1/2 cup cherry berry mix + 1/2 large banana sliced + Veronica's Health Crunch mix (chopped) + raisins + milk + cinnamon + drizzle of maple syrup

Foundation phase - recovery nutrition

I found this slide on the internet and I find it to be so true for athletes.

We all want to maximize our performance and we can do so through training, rest and recovery and nutrition. 

Athletes know the importance of good recovery nutrition after a workout as what we eat can help reduce muscle soreness, replenish muscle glycogen, reduce oxidative stress and support the immune system.

Four to six weeks out from a key event and we certainly do not want to go into a workout with lingering fatigue and a tired, dehydrated and glycogen depleted body from poor recovery from a preceding workout. 

Nutrient timing is an important topic as it is a strategy to help athletes consume a combination of macronutrients (typically protein and carbs) to help rebuild muscle tissue and to restock energy stores after a workout to ensure quick recovery and to keep the body in good health.

Perhaps you know this time as the "window of opportunity" to optimize training-induced adaptations and to experience possible body composition changes.

Although the post-workout period is an important part of eating, don't be fooled that it is the only opportunity to keep your body in good health, to maintain good energy levels and to assist in recovery.

Your recovery "window" is actually open all day!
 Let this be a reminder to triathletes and runners who go out for a long workout on the weekend and then recover with a large meal which leaves you stuffed for 6+ hours later (or the opposite - athlete has no appetite post workout and 3-4 hours go by without eating and then the appetite hits hard and the athlete eats everything and anything in sight).

Of course, it is a good idea to kick-start the recovery process soon after your workout is complete with a recovery snack or meal and to properly rehydrate but don't forget to continue to focus on the diet as recovery is everything and anything that happens between two workouts.

Whereas much of the research on post-workout nutrient timing is dedicated to describing a scientific ideal ratio of carbohydrates and protein for glycogen repletion and for muscle protein synthesis, (respectively), it's important that athletes have different "recovery nutrition" protocols for each phase of training.

Foundation phase
Right now in the triathlon season, (hopefully) athletes are working on building a solid foundation. We call this our transition phase.  The intensity and volume is low and the focus is on skills, form, mobility and strength. After the off-season, athletes should be focused on creating good life and training habits to promote consistency with training throughout the upcoming season. Athletes should also prioritize good eating habits to keep the body in good health (injuries and/or sickness are very common in athletes who do too much too soon after the off-season or neglect a healthy diet and lifestyle habits as training becomes more structured).

Even though there is a heavy strength component to training in the foundation phase (swim, bike, run included alongside general strength work in the gym/home), athletes should not experience great muscle tension or damage with each workout.

Although athletes may experience some muscle soreness as the body slowly adapts to training, the nutritional goal post-workout is simply to optimize an adaptation to training. Laterin the season, the overall training load (intensity and volume) will be much greater and quick recovery methods are critical to ensure consistency in training with significant performance gains (and to keep the body in good health). But early in the season, recovery nutrition is heavily focused on keeping the body in good health so that the body can remain consistent with training.

To apply this science to real world, it is important that you focus on good recovery nutrition in the form of a real meal post workout. It is important to understand how your hunger and food choices are affected by your workouts and how your lifestyle schedule impacts your eating choices.

Although exceptions may apply (ex. a recovery drink or small snack before a meal), the foundation phase (or "base training" as many athletes say) should not induce a great amount of overall or lingering training stress in the form of inflammation, muscle/tissue damage and glycogen depletion so the macronutrients in the diet can be rather flexible.

Perhaps after a swim you may find that you need a little more protein and fat with moderate carbs to help a starving belly, whereas after a run in the cold, you may desire comforting carbohydrates with a little protein and fat to warm-up your belly. After an indoor, sweaty workout, you may find that you want something light and refreshing.

When it comes to what to eat post-workout during this phase of training, put your focus into creating healthy eating habits that will help you stay consistent with training, while keeping your body in good health.
Don't worry so much about the ratios of grams carbohydrates to protein.
Create a balanced meal that works for you.

To help get you started:
Aim for around 25-30g protein, 50-80g carbs and 10-15g fat in a recovery meal and work from there. Decide when/if you need more or less of protein, carbs and fat based on your appetite post workout (Again - recovery from workouts at this phase in training should not induce a large amount of fatigue/inflammation so you should be able to focus on your biological hunger versus training-induced hunger/depletion).

The ultimate goal is that by your next phase of training, you will have created a solid foundation of training with a great understanding of your daily diet needs. And when you start your next phase of training, you will feel more comfortable incorporating more nutrition before, during (sport nutrition products) and after your workouts to support your metabolic needs from the added training stress that will help advance performance gains.

In my next blog, I will share three recovery meals and workouts that kept me training consistently last week. 

20K Paris Mountain Road Race - race recap

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Before getting into my race report from the 20K Paris Mountain Road race that happened on Saturday, I wanted to make sure that everyone understands that I am triathlete. I am not a runner.

I absolutely love calling myself a triathlete.

For almost 10 years, my passion for swim, bike, run training grows stronger every year, as well as my education of the sport.

As mentioned in my last blog post, Karel and I are triathletes, not runners. We train for the sport of triathlons. Our entire season is devoted to triathlon training and every year builds on the previous year.

When there is the opportunity to train in a running race environment, we consider the pros and cons and whether it not the race/event "makes sense."

Karel and I wanted to do this epic race last year but it didn't make sense to do it. We were just getting back into structured training after a 6-week off-season break and neither of us had worked our way up to longer distance running miles come early December. We were also working on a new foundation/transition plan and wanted to make sure we worked through the entire plan before disrupting our consistent training. Also, it was rainy and cold that day so with everything considered, the race just didn't have a clear purpose for us to race it.

However, this year we talked about participating in the race as a fun training session. We didn't register for the race until race week as we were not sure how our recovery/training would go post IM Kona.

Our recovery went smoothly and we have been enjoying our foundation training, focusing on form, strength and skills. We do not do any speed work this early in the season so in all honesty, the Paris Mountain road race actually makes a lot of sense in our training plan this time of the year.

With an added emphasis of form, strength and skills, our training over the last 4 weeks has helped us improve our endurance and strength.

And as endurance triathletes, we know how important it is to have strength, good form, good mental strength and good endurance so why not put those triathlete qualities to good use climbing a mountain!

Karel and I woke up around 5:45am and had a pre race/training snack, water and coffee and then headed off to Furman around 7:10am. We arrived at 7:15am (nice to be close to a race venue!) and picked up our t-shirt and bib number. There was a category for fastest husband and wife so we had a special smiley face sticker on our bib numbers to notify that we were in the running for the fastest couple award.

We parked at the registration site but the race start was around 1 mile down the road. Karel and I jogged to the race start for our warm-up and then performed some dynamic stretches before the race started at 8am. Our friend Thomas was there with us at the starting line. It was a chilly morning (around 35 degrees) but I was dressed well in my Trimarni tri shorts (for compression) and CEP socks with Brooks running tights on top. I wore my Trimarni jacket, Brooks gloves and ear band over my hat. I also had my Oakley commit sunglasses.

Although I always run with my Nathan fuel belt, I decided to not wear it for this race (Karel wore his belt) as there were aid stations on the course and I brought along some energy options: 2 Clif Espresso gels and a pack of Clif Blocks (strawberry) for added energy to go along with water.

I sipped on 1 throw-away bottle of 1 scoop Clif Hydration in the 1 hour before the start (around 16 ounce fluid + 80 calories).

Although a small race, Karel and I were really excited to run. Of course we love to compete but we did not have any expectations going into this race. The unknown excited us!

We both wore our Garmin's (I also wore my HR monitor) for data to look at post race but I strategically covered up my Garmin with my jacket so that I would not look at my watch for the entire race. I hit start when we started and then hit stop after the finish line.

I was racing entirely by feel which is exactly what was needed on this type of course (~1500 elevation gain in 12.4 miles).

We started the race by running up a hill in the Furman campus and then a quick descend before starting a steady 2.5+ mile climb to the top of Paris Mountain (we crossed Poinsett hwy before turning left onto Old Buncombe, then a right to start the official climb to Paris Mountain).

Because the race started on an incline, the race start was not super fast. It was a little uncomfortable to start as my heart was working super hard so early to climb but I managed to find a rhythm early in the race.

It was only a matter of a few minutes and Karel was out of my sight, near the front of the race.

When we started the climb toward Paris Mountain, I was happy. Not only do I know this entire course from cycling (and once running it all in a workout with Karel last year) but there's something about climbing mountains that makes me feel so comfortable. I love the uncomfortable feeling of climbing as I can feel every muscle in my body working. But seeing that my body loves to climb, it just felt natural for me to run up the mountain. 

Certainly, in climbing a mountain for over 20 minutes, the body will get tired. But due to our prior strength training over the past few months and added strength component with swimming, running and biking, Karel and I both felt really good on the course and managed to maintain great form. 

For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had a rhythm with my running. I felt light on my feet and I felt powerful. 

Because this was a training race, we ignored our gadget and just went by feel. The goal was....there was no goal. Just run and have fun! 

Karel found himself near the front of the race in a matter of a few miles. 

I wasn't sure how many girls were ahead of me but I saw two in the distance and then one right in front of me, who was getting closer with each stride. 

I was all smiles for this race. Yay - I love mountains!

And thank you body for being so healthy and strong!!

(especially my quads, glutes and calves!)

As for the rest of the race, there was a water stop at the top of Paris Mountain so I stopped for 10 seconds to drink a cup of water. I grabbed my Clif gel in my pocket and took a swig of the gel (about 1/3rd) as I started to descend down the mountain.

Paris Mountain is an interesting mountain as it is only a little over 2 miles to the top and around 2000 feet but once you get to the top, you don't go straight down. There are a series of downhills and rolling  hills as you go over the mountain and then you finally make your official descend on the other side (right of the above picture) of the mountain.

I was a little concerned how my body would do on the downhills but surprisingly, my quads were responding really well to each foot strike. I did find myself moving to the gravel side of the road whenever possible to reduce some of the impact and I also found myself running up the inclines as if I was on a bike, to take the least steep incline option depending on how the road turned.

I managed to pass one lady going up the mountain but a few miles later, she passed me on a flatter segment of the mountain. I know that running "fast" is not a strength of mine as a triathlete so I didn't get frustrated but I had confidence that I would be able to maintain good strength for the hilly back-half of this race.

When I got to the 2nd water stop (around 6.5 miles), I took a quick walk (around 12 seconds) to consume another cup of water, followed by another swig of my Clif gel. I was SO happy that I had my gel because it really gave me the energy I needed in the later miles of the race. I started the gel early, when I didn't feel I needed it, so that it would kick in later on...and it did!

I was feeling a low point around mile 7-8 but I was excited for what was coming in miles 8-11.

There are lots of turns, ups and downs on the back half of this course and I noticed that many athletes were slowing down. I was passing a few people here or there and managed to pass two ladies in the next few miles. I didn't adjust my effort, I just stayed steady and strong. I got through my low point around mile 8 and found myself feeling stronger and stronger as the miles ticked away.

Not focusing on my gadget was a huge relief as I was running entirely by feel and it all felt good! There were mile markers so I knew where I was in the race but no knowledge of my overall time or pace per mile.

The volunteers were AMAZING and even though it was cold, there was support throughout the race. 

In miles 8-11, there were a few really punchy climbs were I running straight down and then tip-toeing my way up another hill. There were also a few steady inclines here and there. The course went by super fast - another reason why I love hilly courses!

There was one more water stop around mile 10 so I took advantage of one more swig of gel, chased my water and a stop to give myself a few exhales and inhales before giving it a good effort to the finish line. 

The hardest part of the course (for Karel and myself) was a long flat section around mile 10.5. Out of every section of the race, we both had a hard time at this part of the race, mentally and physically.

But thankfully, it didn't last long.

The last mile of the race included one last climb before we turned right onto the hwy (side of the road) and then we made our way to Furman University from the off-ramp on Poinsett hwy.

Karel looking strong at the finish!
Karel finished his two flasks (with Clif hydration in each flask) and consumed 1 gel. 

In case you can't read Karel's shirt (from Run In), it reads "Will Run For Beer."

(Thank you GTC, Pace Running Magazine and Run In for the great pics!)

I was so proud of my body for staying so strong for the last few miles and when I saw Karel just by the finish, I was so relieved to be finished. Even though I passed two ladies in the last few miles, I wasn't able to catch the ladies ahead of me and 3rd place was just 90 seconds in front of me. Oh well, the placing didn't matter as I was really happy with how I performed and felt throughout the entire race.

Karel was shocked that he placed so well and he also said he felt really strong and was able to keep good form throughout the entire race. He was a bit more beat-up in his calves/shins than I was but then again, he does have a super strong push-off when he runs. 

Karel, me and Thomas. 

What a fun race!!

(I had to take of my pants after the finish line as I got hot in the last mile....but then got chilly again in just a few minutes). 

We received a lot of fun goodies from the race: 

A magnet sticker. 

Glasses (or beer glasses for Karel) for our awards. 

A medal, shirt and horns for conquering the mountain!!

The recovery after the race was a bit longer than we expected as our legs were a tad beat-up on Sunday and Monday.  We did an endurance spin on Sun (I did two hours on the trainer and Karel did 90 minutes outside) and on Monday morning we swam (around 3900 yards).

But we both felt accomplished post race as we did exactly what we wanted to do going into this race: Have fun during a training run! 

Results: HERE

Marni stats: 19th overall, 6th female, 2nd AG, 1:36:38:2

Karel stats: 3rd overall, 1:24: 28

Fastest couple award

Marni stats:
Average pace, 7:50
Average HR: 157
Pace per mile (including my three walk breaks at each aid station)
8:01 min/mile, HR 180 (this is probably gadget error as my HR never gets this high)
9:15 min/mile, HR 156
9:47 min/mile (last 1/2 mile up the mountain was 10:23 min/mile pace), HR 156
7:46 min/mile, HR 148
7:46 min/mile, HR 152
7:06 min/mile, HR 148
6:59 min/mile, HR 145
7:31 min/mile, HR 152
7:30 min/mile, HR 157
7:17 min/mile, HR 158
7:52 min/mile, HR 162
7:15 min/mile, HR 161

(For the record, I have not run faster than 8:15 min/mile in a training run since way before Kona so this is proof that even if you run slow, it takes good strength to run fast).

Karel stats:
Average pace: 6:51 (And for the record, most, if not all, of Karel's training runs over the past few months, since he was injured in May, were no faster than 7:30-7:45 min/mile. Always nice to be surprised with faster paces in a race than in training after weeks and weeks of strength-focused work).
7:17 Min/mile
8:32 min/mile
8:30 min/mile
6:35 min/mile
6:28 min/mile
6:00 min/mile
6:00 min/mile
6:31 min/mile
6:50 min/mile
6:33 min/mile
6:47  min/mile
6:20  min/mile

I'm a triathlete, not a runner.

It seems odd to say it, right?
I'm a triathlete, not a runner. 

I mean, running IS the third discipline of triathlon so why is it that triathletes should not call themselves runners?

If you are a triathlete....

When was the last time you had the urge to register for a swim meet?

How about participating in a cycling road race?
When was your last running race?

Perhaps some triathletes enjoy racing in other events aside from triathlons and with the training for one sport, comes an improvement in sport specific skills and overall fitness. But it is not that common for a triathlete to dedicate 2-3 months, specifically trying to get faster in swimming or cycling, with the intention of racing in a swim meet or cycling event to show off their accumulated fitness. 

However, on the contrary, it is extremely common for triathletes to dedicate 2-3 months, typically in the "off-season" to run specific training and racing. Many times, triathletes will even train for a marathon to improve endurance or focus on short distance races with the hope of making gains in speed.

The last two running races that I trained for were in 2011 and 2012. 

In 2011, I ran the Subaru Half Marathon in a time of 1:31:51. This was also Karel's first half marathon (he ran it in 1:29:44).

In 2012, Karel and I ran the Native Sun 10K (41:11 for me and 36:40 for Karel) and Karel ran the Donna Half Marathon in 1:21:37.

Since 2007, I continued to call myself a triathlete and train for triathlon races but every year, come October until April, I found myself thinking like a runner and wanting to train for running races. Sometimes I would continue to cycle and swim as if I was training for a triathlon but other times, cycling and swimming was viewed as cross training and took a back-seat to running. I pretty much divided my season into triathlon season and then running season. 

Big mistake. 

Since then, Karel and I have shifted our focus to 100% triathlon training and racing. We instantly noticed an improvement in our overall fitness as we were able to go through many phases of training, starting from the off-season.

It wasn't until last year, that I broke my no-running races streak and participated in my first running road races (a 5-mile turkey trot and a 5-mile road race) in 2 years.

BUT - my focus and intention for racing was much different than ever before.

The running races were simply training sessions.
I was simply training with a lot of people, great volunteers, a t-shirt at registration and I choose to pay money for the workout.
Oh, and I didn't care what the overall time or placing was when I crossed the finish line. 

Karel and I have learned that although running is part of our 3-sport event, it is not necessary to dedicate a chunk of time in the winter, in order to train for a running race. Although for some athletes, it may help improve run fitness and confidence, many times, a specific running block of training increases the risk for injury and does not result in a massive improvement in run performance off the bike.

At Trimarni, we do not let our triathlon athletes train for running races. Sure, exceptions are made at times but we stress the importance of having a purpose for every race and the race has to make sense in the annual season layout plan.

I know it sounds so mean of us to not allow our triathletes to train for running races but that doesn't mean that they can not do a running race or two.

In order for us to focus on their overall, season development in all three sports, it is important that every triathlete that we coach (regardless of running fitness, speed or endurance)  thinks and trains like a triathlete.

Running is the last sport of a triathlon so it is obvious that running is what makes or breaks a great race. It is also what triathletes remember the most (whereas your swimming performance is easily forgotten and trumped by two other sports, by the time you cross the finish line). And for many triathletes, running is fun, it is freeing, it's inexpensive, it's easy to do anywhere, at anytime, and it is the sport that releases the most endorphins and assists in weight loss/body composition changes. So, as you can imagine, it is easy for some athletes to feel more passionate (or addicted) to running, than to swimming or cycling.

If you are a triathlete who wants to become a better, stronger, faster or fitter runner, it's not necessary that you train for a running race.

But, if you feel inclined to participate in a running race in your off-season (or at the beginning of your season), here are some of my suggestions:

-Do not register for a marathon. Triathletes will not gain triathlon run fitness while training for a marathon. Perhaps you will improve endurance or speed or you will prove to yourself that you can do the distance (again or for the first time) but when it comes to running off the bike (especially in an Ironman triathlon), running 26.2 miles in the afternoon, after you have swam 2.4 miles and biked 112 miles has nothing to do with running a marathon. You are running 26.2  miles to finish an IM and any Ironman athlete can tell you that that experience is not like a stand-alone marathon. Also, it can actually cause more damage to your season development and overall health. Very few triathletes will ever benefit from training for a marathon (when was the last time you saw a handful of professional triathletes participating in a marathon in the off-season?).

-Running races less than 15K can actually be beneficial to some athletes who want to get more comfortable in race situations (working on pacing, digging deep, mental strength, nutrition) as well as for athletes who need a social outlet due to a lot of alone-time training. Triathletes often view running races as a way to get faster or to go longer. But really, the goal is to have fun.

-Be mindful that if using a running race for establishing pace or HR training zones, you will always run faster with others, in a race environment, than alone (of course, the course terrain matters on this statement). Using running race efforts/paces for your solo training can actually set you back as you may be training in unrealistic zones for day-to-day training.
It's best to perform your running test alone, for a true indication of what you are capable of running.

-A half marathon (or 20K) can be incorporated into a training plan, as a training race, so long as you are ready. Any time you register for a running race in your triathlon season (including off-season), it should make sense with your season development.  Always discuss running races with your coach ahead of time, before registering. If you are seeking a running race in November or December, you need to consider you past injuries or health issues, when the off-season started for you and the upcoming season plan/goals. Maybe the race falls at a good time if it is a 5K or 10K but if it's a half marathon, it may be too early in the season to be running that far (or that fast). Remember, in order to peak appropriately, you must build your foundation. Do not skip steps.

-If you have the tendency to be extremely competitive on race day, it may not be ideal for you  to race a "fun" local run race when you know all of your local competition. Perhaps choose a running race in a different location and enjoy exploring new sights and roads with hundreds of other runners that you don't know. Think of it as a big group workout.

-Find a race that suits your strengths. Do you do better on trails, gravel or road? How about hills versus flat terrain? What about rolling hills? What about crowd support, the weather or the location of the race?

Triathlon racing and training is not cheap and running races are not free. If you are going to participate in a running race in your off-season, pick a race that, no matter what, you will absolutely enjoy. Go ahead and wear your gadget for some data after the race but do not let your gadget run, control or ruin your race experience.

-It's ok to compete at a running race even if it's just for training or for fun. You are a triathlete, thus you are an athlete. And athletes love to compete!
Whenever you race, you should always understand your purpose for racing and the outcome you want to achieve. Unlike runners who may seek PR's, your focus shouldn't be on pace, total time or pacing as you will likely be going into the race not tapered and with a bike or swim workout preceding or following the race. Find a way to be competitive so that you can improve your race tactics and mental strength skills but not at the expense of you being hard on yourself if you don't like your overall finish time or placing. And of course, no running race should come with the risk for injuries or a delay in your triathlon development. If you register for a running race and you find yourself injured before the race, don't race (it's not worth it!!). And if you race hard, allow time to recover so you don't experience any further setbacks in your triathlon training. 

Remember, you are a triathlete.
Being a great runner is important but only if you can do it off the bike.

Turn body image dissatisfaction into satisfaction

When was the last time you thanked your body?

When you look in the mirror, how do you talk to/about your body?

When you train and eat, does your body image dictate your choices in a positive or negative way?

An unhealthy body image in athletes can increase the risk for disordered eating habits. 

Avoiding major food groups (carbohydrates), not fueling around/during workouts, skipping meals and snacks and dehydration are some of the examples of unhealthy strategies that athletes often take to gain control over eating in an effort to change body composition/image.

Whether you are an athlete who seeks weight loss/body composition changes to improve overall health, you are an athlete who struggles with body image due to comparison with other athletes, comparison to a past you or overall discomfort with your body image, or you are an athlete who follows a very restrictive diet and extreme exercise routine in an effort to maintain a specific body composition/image which has damaged overall health, irregardless of initial performance gains, it's important to focus on the health of your body...not the image. 

You can't live the rest of your life obsessed with an image.

I'm not saying that you can't change the way you look through diet and exercise but I want you to consider why you want to change AND the methods that will elicit a change in image/body composition. 

It's very common that athletes who are unhappy with their body will seek a diet strategy that involves restriction or food elimination but claim that they are changing the way they eat/fuel in an effort to improve performance.
It's also common that athletes will follow no extreme style of eating or diet but just focus on eating for fuel and for nourishment and achieve their goal body image and performance gains. 

Many athletes are led to believe that food restriction/elimination is the only way to change/improve body composition. 

I am here to tell you that that thinking is not accurate. 

You CAN change your body composition and eat before a workout.

You CAN lose weight by eating carbohydrates. 

You CAN feel comfortable with your body image.

A dissatisfaction for your body composition can lead you to believe that if you lose weight or change your body composition (get a flatter stomach, decrease your thigh size, get a more muscular butt, etc.) you will enhance your appearance, improve performance or improve your health. 

But the problem isn't your body but instead, what you think about your body. 

When an athlete feels as if losing weight/changing body composition is the only, best or necessary way to improve performance, restrictive eating and/or overexercising may result, often causing disordered eating patterns.

A preoccupation with body image may affect training in that every workout could be affected by what you didn't eat (but should have eaten) or is controlled by what you did eat (feeling guilty).

This is not the way that you should be training or thinking.

Learn to love food.  

For sport RD's who work with athletes, we educate on seeing food for fuel and for nourishment. For myself, I educate on learning how to have a better relationship with food and the body in addition to mastering healthy eating and nailing sport nutrition (I specialize in endurance triathlon sport nutrition).

For nutrition professionals, it is important that any athlete who has a body image obsession or concern, that he/she is detoured from any mass-marketed diet that involves food elimination/restriction. 

If you are uncomfortable with your body image, it is important to ask yourself why. 

Why don't you thank your body more often? 

Why do you need to change the way you look? 

Why don't you love yourself?

Why do you take such extreme measures to change the way you look when you should be focusing on food for fuel and for nourishment? 

Don't destroy your health in an effort to get healthier.

Don't restrict energy when your goal is to have more energy to workout longer, harder or faster. 

It's time to think more about yourself. 

Your body is amazing.

The consistent athlete: Part III, tips

CONSISTENT TRAINING TIPS

STAY FLEXIBLE
Don’t freak out if you oversleep, have to stay late at work, have an unexpected trip or event to attend or experience a niggle or ache in your body. Sure, it would be great if we could always plan for these things but we can’t. A chance for inconsistency in training (and possible injury, burnout, health issues) is trying to constantly make-up workouts,  push-through fatigue/exhaustion or squeezing too much on your daily plate. When things come up in life, adjust and be flexible. Do the best you can with the time that you do have to train or just start fresh tomorrow. Look at your week of training and remind yourself of how many key workouts you have each week that can build fitness – most of the time, missing a workout here or there will have no impact (negatively)  on your overall development in your season.
If you don't know how to adjust (or refuse to adjust), inconsistency in training can increase the risk for injuries and a plateau in fitness gains.
Be realistic with your available time so that you can experience consistency in training.

FUEL SMART
This is the most easy, yet most overlooked, component in helping your body perform well so that you can stay consistent with your training. You must make it a priority to fuel smart and to nourish your body. It is critical that you have a strong passion for healthy eating throughout the day and that you do not neglect proper sport nutrition and hydration before, during and after workouts. Plan ahead so that you are equipped to eat nourishing foods and you can snack smart throughout the day. And same goes for your gym bag or at home when it comes to sport nutrition/hydration -don’t let it be an afterthought to address the best sport nutrition for your body before, during and after workouts (to fuel, recover and to minimize GI distress). You will be surprised how much better you feel and how much better you will perform if you keep your body in good health, with the right fuels at the right time. Smart athletes focus on the daily diet AND sport nutrition regime and if they struggle, they reach out to an expert to help. 

FOLLOW THE PLAN
Time and time again we see athletes pushing too hard on an easy day or using an easy day to make up workouts. With too much adjustment in the weekly plan, athletes are unable to perform well on the days that call for hard efforts due to carrying around lingering, unplanned, fatigue. Trust your training plan as every workout counts – even the easy days. And when it comes to the important workouts, don’t let your mind call it quits just because you don't like the main set or you are getting bored. As a coach, I want to challenge my athletes with a variety of workouts so a smart training plan is key. But if my athletes are giving in mentally, every time the mind or body feels tired, the athlete may not improve. Training smart requires a special balance of intensity, volume and recovery/easy workouts. For the athlete, if you do not trust the training plan, you may find yourself struggling to keep up with the plan (or taking too many detours, delaying your fitness, by not following your plan). The road to fitness success is being able to tolerate planned fatigue with good form and a strong mindset and to use the recovery or easy days to recover and maintain fitness from the harder efforts.
And your training is only as good as your ability to prioritize good sleep, mobility and healthy eating on a daily basis. 

GOOD DAILY HABITS
In addition to supporting your training load with a healthy diet, great restful sleep and good stress management are critical to ensuring consistency in training. Working out with 10 things on your mind (like laundry, grocery shopping or what you are doing with your kids this weekend) will not help you focus on the workout you are doing. Learn how to turn your mind off from life (to the best of your ability) while you are working out. An easy strategy is to keep a to-do list by your side so that you are not thinking about what you need to do when you can’t do it, especially when you are working out. Additionally, quality sleep is the cheapest, easiest and most effective way to recover and get stronger. Rather than spending money on recovery modalities (ex. recovery boots, compression gear, trigger point/foam rolling sets, etc.), first work on your sleep habits. I suggest no less than 7 hours of restful sleep (that means not waking up throughout the night) on most days per week, with an additional 30-60 minutes of sleep on the weekends to catch up for the occasional super early morning workout or intense workouts.  

MOBILITY AND ACTIVE WARM-UPS
Many niggles turn to injuries simply because of the little time that athletes spend warming up and staying mobile throughout the day. Often times, athletes will increase the risk of injury between workouts as the body gets tight from sitting and commuting. Or, athletes will jump out of bed (early) and start working out with a tight and stiff body, hoping to warm-up before the main set. Take time every day to perform simple mobility exercises for your neck, back and hips which tend to take the biggest toll from a sedentary lifestyle (yes – even despite working out 10+ hours per week the body is still quite sedentary). Additionally, do not neglect a proper warm-up! It is critical that you make the time to perform dynamic warm-ups for at least 5-10 minutes before all of your workouts. Many times, you can turn an ok workouts into a great workouts, simply by warming up before you actually start your workout.
Also, every time you feel a niggle or ache, you do not need to rush out and get a massage, see the chiropracter or trigger point yourself until you turn black and blue. Just chill-out for 2-3 days and let the niggle/ache calm down. As an athlete, it is important to know what is a normal ache/niggle that can be healed through activity versus a niggle/ache that disrupts form and pacing and can turn into a potential injury.

Currently injured?
All of these tips, including a healthy diet, proper mobility, good sleep and effective sport nutrition fueling/hydrating are not limited to injury-free athletes. If you are injured, you must find a way to maintain fitness with activities that are pain-free as you spend extra time rehabbing and working on weaknesses that may have contributed to the injury. Yes, injured athletes must train smart even during the recovery and rehab process.

Next time you find yourself being a slave to your training plan, refusing to make modifications, feeling guilty when you miss a workout and simply going through the motions, stop and ask yourself if you are training smart.

Work with what life throws at you because if you are stubborn ,and fight with your life to-do’s just to get in a workout, you will find yourself losing enjoyment for your “hobby” which also helps to keep you in good health. 

What consistency tips will you focus on in 2016?

The consistent athlete: part II

Athletes are hardwired to want success. Athletes are not exercisers. Athletes want results that often result in an improvement in metrics, body composition or places and include crossing both a start and finish line.
Athletes don't just show-up to a workout, they use their body to perform.

The process of athletic development can be slow and this is hard for many athletes to accept.
I see it all the time in triathletes who are impatient in the off-season and either train too intensely in the first few months of training OR dedicate 6-8 weeks to training for a running race rather than focusing on their slow, consistent triathlon development.
Like many things in life, quick results often come with consequences.

The idea of instant gratification applies very well to athletes of all levels. 

It's natural to believe that if you put in the work, results will come so why not work out harder and longer for faster results? 

But in spite of sickness or injury, no matter how little sleep or poor fueling/eating or the fitness level of the athlete, it's far too easy for an athlete to work out hard (or long) just to "feel" the endorphin rush and/or to believe that he/she is making better athletic progress. 

Do you find yourself performing too many instant gratification workouts? You know you are doing too much or working out too hard, or you shouldn't be working out at all, but you just can't stop yourself from the workout?

 When an athlete performs too many of these haphazard workouts, this rarely brings success because there is little consistency. If you are victim to pushing too hard, going too long or working out at any cost, just to get in a workout in order to feel better, consistency will never be on your side. 

After reading my last blog, it's very easy to now understand why you, or athletes that you know, may always struggle to find consistency in training.

It's not because you are not working hard enough or because you are too busy.
Lack of consistency in training can simply result from the inability to create or follow a smart training plan that fits into your life.

For the typical athlete, the same reasons that make you so successful in your sport – driven, hard-working, the ability to push through fatigue, the focus to put in the work and the determination to make sacrifices to reach future season goals - are often the same reasons why you may get yourself in trouble when it comes to being flexible, adjusting and being realistic with your available time to train.

When I speak about consistency in training to my athletes, we do not find athletic success in just checking-off workouts or moving around workouts. I do not applaud an athlete for waking up a 4:30am every morning at the expense of performing badly at their job, not having energy to spend time with family or eating or performing poorly due to sleep deprivation.

The athletes who succeed the most on race day are those who accept their personal limitations and adjust workouts as needed to maintain some level of "normalcy" in life in order to make improvements. However, these athletes also maintain a high level of commitment and hard work in their sport, in order to reach personal goals.

Never did I say that the most successful athletes train hard all the time or never miss a workout.

It is my goal to help my athletes create a plan that works for them but it is the goal of the athlete to create a positive environment for training, to get great sleep most nights of the week, to properly nourish and fuel their body on a daily basis, to maintain a healthy dose of motivation for their hobby and then execute really, really well throughout the workout.

Pushing through a workout, in the face of injury, fatigue, sleep deprivation, stress or a jam-packed day, will not only hurt your quest for performance gains but can damage overall health as you risk a loss of enjoyment in your sport. 

If your goal is consistency in training AND the ability to adapt to training (as it should be if you are a competitive athlete), you need to learn how to train smarter in order to stay consistent.

By considering the questions that I posted in my last blog, you should learn how to train your body in a way that allows you to make progress. With a proper warm-up and cool down, good nutrition/hydration and a well-defined purpose for the workout, a quality workout can be achieved every day and progress will be made.

When there is consistency, there is progress and then fitness improves.

Consistently adapting to training will also help you improve skills, endurance, power and speed (depending on the specific purpose of each workout).
But, in the face of life (injuries, sickness, travel, work stress, family) you must learn how to adjust in order to train even smarter to handle your training stress.

Every athlete is different when it comes to available time to train but every athlete has the ability to use their available hours wisely. 

To help you better adapt to training and to stay consistent with your training plan, my next blog will list a few suggestions on how you can stay consistent with training with a "train smart" mentality. 

The consistent athlete - part I

Many athletes tell me that they want to be better, stronger or faster swimmers, cyclists or runners. And in order to make this happen, they tell me they need to train harder.

Sure, we can all improve in one area through hard work and an improvement in our sport-specific skills but many times, it is through consistent training that we experience the most significant performance gains.

In other words, it's often the accumulation of training stress, that occurs overtime, that outweighs any one sport specific block of training or hard-core, intense workouts.

And this training adaptation isn't limited to age-group athletes.
Many top-ranking professional athletes excel because of consistency. Just like any athlete, they may push really, really hard during workouts but there are many more easy days compared to hard effort days.

The human body can only tolerate so much stress until it breaks.

Even with training as a profession, you'd actually be surprised as to how little intensity professional athletes do relative to the aerobic/lower to moderate efforts in their overall weekly training load.
Intensity is important but the main focus to athletic success is consistency and top athletes (or their coaches) recognize how much intensity is too much.

But consistent training is not just about training intensity or volume.

As age-group athletes, it is important to find consistency in training in order to reap fitness gains. If you have convinced yourself that in order to get faster, stronger or better in a specific sport, you simply need to train harder or longer, you may find yourself making less progress than if you told yourself, that the key is training smarter.

With the off-season starting or finishing, this is the perfect time to think about your previous season and what changes, tweaks or modifications you want to make in order to be more consistent with training in 2016. Hopefully, you won't say that in order to be better, you need to simply train harder.

Consistency shouldn't be confused with perfection as a perfect workout is not defined as the workout when you gave it your all and left it all out there.

Unlike a professional triathlete who fits life into training, it is important that you are able to focus on your ability to adapt to your training plan all while juggling a busy family, a high stress work environment and other life commitments.

It's important that you avoid haphazardly checking off workouts just because they show up in a weekly training plan.

Any given training plan must fit into your lifestyle and every workout must have a purpose.

By understanding your life and your personal limitations with your time, you will find it much easier to stay consistent with a smart training plan.

Sometimes you will be able to get in your entire planned workouts, other times you may have to miss a workout or settle for a 10-minute workout (instead of 90 minutes).

With consistency, you will get better, stronger and faster.
And the only way to be consistent is to know how to adjust in order to make progress.

Athletes who are most consistent with training know how to train smart and use their time, energy and efforts wisely. 

The moment you try to train like a professional, train like another athlete or train like the past-you that had more time, you will find yourself struggling to keep-up with unachievable expectations. 

Let's think about some of the most common reasons for inconsistent training.
Are you guilty of any of these?

-Trying to squeeze too much training into your day when you just don't have enough time to properly warm-up, cool down, execute and recover
-Trying to progress too quickly with intensity or volume
-Working out way too hard or way too long, most of the time
-Burn-out from doing too much too soon
-Putting too much time/energy into your favorite sport and not spending time improving your weaknesses
-Training in spite of injury or sickness
-Ignoring an injury just to complete a workout
-Trying to make-up workouts (or do more than needed) for fear of losing fitness or not being race ready
-Making sacrifices with sleep and diet in order to get-in a workout
-Doing too many group workouts, never giving yourself a chance to listen to your body at different paces/intensities for each sport
-Not keeping your easy days easy
-Relying too much on your gadgets to control your workout
-Getting too focused on total time, miles or pace, letting metrics dictate how hard or long you workout
-Finding yourself "catching-up" workouts in your training plan to check off every/most workouts.


You may think that that work, family and travel cause inconsistency in your training but almost every age-group athlete is busy.

Whether you work 20 hours or 40 hours, have no kids or have 6 kids, travel for work or work for home, every athlete has a certain amount of time to train and it is up to you, the athlete to be realistic with how much time you can dedicate to training in order to stay consistent.

Karel and I work from home, we have no kids and we are our own bosses but guess what, life gets in the way for us too and in order to not sacrifice healthy eating/homecooked meals and quality sleep, sometimes we have to miss or modify workouts due to available time and energy.

But we don't stress about it.
Life moves on.
Because training adaptations occur overtime, there must be a great understanding and appreciation for quality workouts and knowing when and how they can occur.

On a daily basis, you can only do the best you can, with the time you have, with the energy you have, to have the best workout possible on that day.

Let consistency drive your athletic choices in 2016 when it comes to training smarter instead of training harder.

What changes will you make this upcoming season in order to train smarter in order to stay more consistent? 

Shop Small. Make a big difference.

One small purchase can make a big difference.  Although any day is a good reason to shop small and/or locally, here are a few ways to shop small on small business Saturday.

-Register for a small business, locally run or triathlon race

-Buy coffee from a local coffee shop

-Buy bread, pastries or cookies from a local baker

-Buy clothes/shoes/gear from your local run/cycle/tri store
-Buy a piece of art or jewelry from a local artist

-Take a friend, training partner, child, spouse or family member out to eat at a local restaurant -Treat yourself to a local massage, spa day or your choice of self-care. -When you travel, make an effort to choose local over chains - food, lodging, shopping -Buy a new book or game from a local store.  -Buy a gift for your friend, training partner, family member or child from a local store.

How will you do your part and support small businesses? 

If you have your own business or have a favorite local business that you love, please comment on my Facebook or Twitter page and tag your/the business (or share the website link).

Trimarni Training Plans - available now!

Do you have a triathlon goal for 2016? 

Are you registered for your first Olympic, Half or Full Ironman distance triathlon? 

Are you looking to improve your skills, endurance, strength and overall fitness throughout your racing season to see what you are capable of achieving at your key race? 

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If so, we created our (NEW) 20-week Trimarni training plans with YOU in mind. 

As 2015 Ironman World Championship finishers, we understand the physiological and nutritional needs of endurance triathlon training and racing.
But we don't just cater to top athletes.
No matter what level athlete you are or what event distance you are training for, we put a lot of thought and effort into our plans to ensure that you would feel physically, mentally, nutritionally and emotionally ready for your upcoming races. 

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Marni is a Board Certified Sport Dietitian (CSSD) and holds a Master of Science in exercise physiology. She specializes in sport nutrition and she is a certified USA Triathlon level-1 coach. With a great understanding of the physiological and nutritional requirements of training for endurance sports, she enjoys working with triathletes of all levels. She has coached fitness enthusiasts to become first-time Ironman finishers, has helped many age-groupers, with families and busy work schedules, reach personal best times and achieve life-long goals and has developed athletes to qualify for the Ironman World Championship.
Marni is a 10x Ironman finisher with a 10:17 Ironman PR (IM Austria), including 4 Ironman World Championship finishes. 

Karel is an experienced RETUL bike fitter with exceptional skills as a bike mechanic. Karel knows everything and anything about cycling. As an exceptional cat 1 cyclist turned triathlete, Karel has the ability to think like a one sport athlete but train like a triathlete in order to help Trimarni athletes learn how to train smarter. As a cyclist turned triathlete, Karel has had to learn the basics when it comes to training for triathlons, which has allowed him to better coach his athletes. Karel qualified for the 70.3 World Championship after his first half IM and finished his 2nd Ironman in 9:22 (Ironman Austria) with a 3:11 marathon.

Karel and Marni enjoy working together because they each have their own strengths and specialty areas when it comes to coaching athletes and performing as top age-group endurance triathletes. 

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We enjoy the developmental process of working with athletes and teaching our athletes how to train smarter in order to execute well on race day.  We provide great detail and attention to every workout which includes focus on strength training, daily and sport nutrition, pacing, intervals, mental toughness, recovery and learning how to adjust to life. We strongly believe in an educational component to our coaching so that our athletes know why they are doing what they are doing in every workout, with every phase of training.

Thank you for considering Trimarni Coaching to help you reach your short and long term triathlon goals. 

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2016 TRIMARNI TRAINING PLANS

Performance Team
If you are a triathlete who is interested in Trimarni coaching and being part of the Trimarni team but not interested in individualized-coaching this season, the PERFORMANCE team plan is designed just for you!
With the purchase of any Trimarni 20-week endurance triathlon training plan (Half or Ironman distance), you can feel part of a team by joining our private Trimarni Coaching Facebook page to socialize with your fellow Trimarni teammates, connect with us at key Trimarni races and camps, receive our weekly “check-in” emails (which will provide you with weekly education, information, tips, race results and support on topics like swimming, cycling, running, mental strength, sport nutrition, daily nutrition, strength training, race strategy/execution, motivation tips, etc) and receive sponsor discounts.
Instead of browsing the web and consulting with friends over and over again about your gear, training and nutrition questions, let us help educate you so that you can learn how to train and race smarter.
At check-out when purchasing your 20-week half or full Ironman training plan, select "Performance Team". After your purchased training plan is emailed to you, you will be part of the Trimarni team for only $50 a month (we will contact you regarding set-up for monthly paymnets). You can start/cancel your $50/monthly payment anytime. 
We look forward to having you be part of the Trimarni team!

Email us with any questions. 

Olympic, Half and Full Ironman plans
The Trimarni training plans are designed for committed, passionate, performance-seeking athletes of all fitness levels who want to train smarter to train harder. We keep our training philosophy simple - we want you to reach performance goals without compromising your overall health. Our training plans are designed to keep you in good health, as you balance everything in your busy life, as you take your fitness to the next level. We believe that our plans will keep you excited to train while minimizing burnout and risk for injury. Our plans provide the right mix of challenge and fun as you work hard to reach personal fitness goals. 

We have updated our plans which are all now 20 weeks and include 4 weeks of our Transition/Foundation plan. 

For more info on what is included with each plan: 

Endurance Plan - Half and Full Ironman distance

Olympic Plan

At checkout, you can add the option of the Performance Plan OR select 1-hour phone call if you'd like to set-up a consultation with me and/or Karel at any point throughout your season to discuss your race strategy, training or nutrition. 

Transition/Foundation Plan
Back by popular demand, our updated transition plan is designed specifically to help you develop the proper skills to progress smoothly throughout the year. Consider this the blueprint of building a strong house for your body.  It is important to appreciate the first phase of your training plan as the focus is not on speed, pace, heart rate and/or power but instead skills, form and neuromuscular control. We designed this plan to help you get stronger before you try to get faster or go longer. We consider this phase a necessary but often overlooked part of most  triathlon training plans. Every Trimarni athlete (and Karel and myself) follow a transition phase before we get into more specific training.
For more info: 
8-week Transition/Foundation Plan

Periodized Strength Training Plan
You know it's important but strength training is often the most neglected or confusing component of a triathletes training plan (and often the first to go in the spring when the training becomes more specific). 

We designed a periodized strength training plan that allows for smooth progression throughout your periodized plan. With swimming, biking and running as your primary focus, our strength training plan may make it easier to achieve better swim, bike and run results with a stronger body.
Our strength training plan is designed to help you build a strong foundation and then when you add more speed and power in your training plan, the strength training routine changes from simple, isolated movements to more complex and dynamic movements.
The Trimarni periodized strength plan includes videos for every exercise, including dynamic warm-ups, glute/hip/core focus and stretching links for your entire season and almost all exercises can be performed at your home, with minimal equipment. For more info:
Periodized Strength Training Plan

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GIFT CERTIFICATES
Yes - we have them! 

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Mindful eating part IV: Body image

In sports like running and triathlons, there will always be a focus on body composition and for many athletes, a desire to be leaner.

Specific to running economy, speed and aerobic capabilities, leanness in athletes, as it relates to performance improvements, is a topic that will never go away.

There's nothing wrong with athletes seeking weight loss, a decrease in body fat or an increase in lean muscle mass. This could be for aesthetics and self-esteem, to experience and improvement in performance and/or for overall health. 

Every year, I see my body composition change as I prepare for my peak races. But my race weight is unintentional as it is simply the weight on my body that I bring to race day. 

And I don't know that number because I don't weigh myself. 

I have never been against the idea of athletes changing body composition, especially if it improves overall health but there are many ways to improve performance and not always is weight loss the catalyst for performance improvements.

Health is always my number one goal when I work with athletes on nutrition or coaching. So when it comes to performance improvements, related to body composition, my strategy for changing an athlete's body composition involves no extreme strategy except to to make sure that my athletes eat a healthy diet and support their metabolic demands with proper nutrition before, during and after workouts.

Body composition changes can be a direct result of fueling your body properly before, during and after workouts, staying consistent with your training plan, getting good sleep and eating a healthy, balanced diet to support metabolic/energy demands throughout my season.  A change in body composition does not have to require extreme approaches unless you call eating before a workout, fueling during a workout, recovering after a workout and eating a healthy diet throughout the day, extreme.

In my opinion, intentional weight loss strategy like don't eat these foods, don't eat more than this many carbohydrates, fast before workouts or consume less than this many calories during long workouts are unhealthy for athletes. I believe that weight/body changes can occur naturally as a result of making sure that athletes properly fuel and nourish their body at all times.
And guess what, with this approach performance improvements happen naturally as well.

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Athletes are driven. 

They are hard working, a bit stubborn at times and they love consistency.

They strive for improvements and they are willing to make sacrifices and investments in order to experience progress.

When a hard working, driven, disciplined and focused athlete is training for an event, it is normal that body composition will be on the mind of an athlete. Because you see and feel our body, often wrapped tight in spandex, with every aerobic and anaerobic effort, it is normal to assume that a change in body weight and/or body composition may make you feel better when you workout and may improve your training which may improve your race day performances. 

However, athletic performance can not be predicted by a certain weight, body composition or change in weight or body composition. Many times, athletes try to change body weight/composition and performance and/or health declines.

It is important to understand that body composition or weight changes may not be ideal for every athlete and above all, the strategies that athletes employ to change body composition may increase the risk for eating disorder thoughts and behaviors.

For age-group and professional athletes, the very same qualities that help athletes improve fitness in order to be prepared for race day may resemble the traits of athletes who are at risk for an eating disorder.

Athletes are already known to demonstrate extreme behaviors to improve performance so it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that many athletes see extreme eating behaviors as "normal".

BUT......

without the ability to eat mindfully or to maintain a healthy relationship with food, an athlete who seeks body composition changes may have the tendency to restrict too much, with the intention to lose weight quickly and can ultimately carry restrictive or obsessive eating habits throughout the entire training and racing season.

Do you have a healthy relationship with food?

Eating disorders are a serious concern when it comes to athletes as a body that is malnourished or deprived in key nutrients, energy or fluids will not perform well and will certain struggle to remain in good health. You may feel that you are not at risk for an eating disorder but instead, you are following the advice of a professional who is helping you lose weight or change body composition in a "healthy" way in order to improve performance.

Let's consider the basic strategies to improve performance:

-Follow a smart, periodized training plan

-Eat a healthy diet to keep the body in good health

-Fuel for workouts appropriately

-Hydrate the body appropriately 

-Get good sleep

-Stay consistent with training

-Strength train and work on mobility

-Focus on individual development. 

With the most basic strategies, athletes can improve performance and ultimately may experience a positive change in body composition as an unintentional side effect. If body composition changes do not happen, the athlete should not stress as performance gains will likely still occur as you will be racing with a healthy and strong, well trained body. 

Although many great athletes understand and execute these basic strategies and let body changes be a side effect of smart training and fueling, some athletes desire a more extreme approach to eating and training. For the later, it is typical that these athletes have yet to master a healthy relationship with food and may have body image issues.  Using sport nutrition, eating around workouts, planning meals and snacks - many  athletes don't even consider the basics as they want to jump to a more severe, hard core and sexy approach. 

Let's now consider some current eating trends among triathletes:

-Fasting workouts

-Skipping meals/snacks to save calories

-Avoiding carbohydrates around workouts
-Avoiding certain foods termed "bad" like dairy, legumes, nuts and grains

-Low carb diets
-High fat diets

-Intentional dehydration
-Calorie deprivation during workouts

Hmmmm. Those habits sure resemble the habits of dieters who seek rapid weight loss results:
-Fasting
-Skipping meals and snacks
-Avoiding certain foods
-Abiding by an off-limit food list
-Intentional dehydration
-Using energy drinks, energy pills or laxatives
-Extreme calorie deprivation


Let's now explore some of the primary symptoms of eating disorders:
-Intense fear of being fat
-Resistance to maintain a healthy weight
-Inability to recognize (or feel good) in a comfortable at a healthy weight
-Loss of menstrual cycle in women, cardiovascular and hormonal issues in men and women
-Distorted body image
-Feeling out of control with eating behaviors
-Lack of control around food
-Feeling ashamed by eating behaviors
-Extreme concern with body weight/image
-Obsession with calorie counting, weight control and food intake

Now I want you to imagine what happens when you take an athlete who wants to improve performance or/and change body composition, who has yet to master a healthy relationship with food, has never learned how to eat mindfully and has poor body image thoughts and now this athlete consults a professional to help improve performance and/or change body composition and that athlete.

And the professional says "I want you to workout on an empty stomach, don't consume carbohydrates during the workout, only eat x-calories per day, cut back on carbs and avoid these foods. And by following these rules you will lose weight, performance will improve and you will be healthier than ever."

These extreme habits are not helping the athlete tackle his/her primary eating/body issues but only adding fuel to the fire to make unhealthy eating and body image issues even worse. 

Because many athletes seek body composition or weight changes at some point in their athletic career, I can't stress it enough that athletes must focus on their relationship with food before even considering to change body composition.

This entire blog series on mindful eating is dedicating to the athlete who struggles with body image and feels great anxiety, concern or struggles when it comes to food.

I promise that you can reach performance and/or body composition goals with a better relationship with food and your body. And you don't have to follow extreme eating habits.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to change your body composition and not every athlete takes extreme approaches to eating, fueling and training. 

But since we live in a diet-centric culture, you must learn how to eat in a mindful way by not seeing food as good or bad but as nourishment and for fuel.

If you are an athlete who has taken an extreme approach to changing body composition or to improve performance this past year (or for many years in the past), it is time to learn how to eat mindfully.

Consult a professional if you can not do it on your own so that you can make 2016 amazingly great by improving your body image and creating a great, healthy, feel-good relationship with food.

When you master mindful eating you may learn that your entire drive for changing body composition really came from your unhealthy relationship with food or your body image struggles were causing an unhealthy relationship with food.

It is only when you master a healthy relationship with food that you will have a healthier perspective on your body and you will perform better.

It is my hope that through mindful eating and a great relationship with food and your body, that you will experience amazing performance and health improvements and you will stop putting so much energy into changing your body but instead, enjoying what your body can do in training and on race day. 

Mindful eating part III: Indulge responsibly tips

I've spent the last two blogs talking about mindful eating. And I'm not done yet. I still have part IV to combine everything together so that you, the athlete, can fully understand where I am coming from as it relates to your health, performance and body composition goals.


First off, I invite you to read THIS ARTICLE to help you improve your relationship with food.

As promised, here are a few simple tips to help you practice mindful eating.
Whereas the above article (link) can help with improving your relationship  with food, the below tips are specific to when you indulge. Most people do not have an unhealthy relationship with food they term healthy and feel good when eating is under control.
The food mind games likely occur when you indulge, eat something you term "off limit" or feel "off track" with your eating.
(Be sure to practice these tips throughout the holiday season when you will be presented with more treats than normal.)

Before indulging, ask yourself why you are indulging? Are you stressed, bored, upset, famished? It is important to have a purpose and a reason when you eat - from carrot cake to carrots. There is always a time for everything so just make sure that you feel good about what you eat, when you eat it. An important rule of mindful eating is that you should never say "I shouldn't be eating this" when you are eating something.

Many athletes struggle with eating in the evening in that this is the time when cravings hit full force or hunger is hard to tame. Always honor your biological hunger.
Because we want to avoid the negative thoughts associated with eating/food which may affect how you exercise/train and eat the next day, tell yourself that when you wake-up in the morning, you should never regret what you ate the night before. Own-up to your food choices. If you are going to eat something at or between dinner and bedtime, feel great about it (don't hate yourself for it the next morning). This tip is so powerful. 

Ask yourself how much you need to eat of your treat before that treat is no longer appealing (or feels good inside your tummy). If you can't resist the indulgence, or you have a great reason to indulge, aim to eat up to 4 savory bites of your treat. You pick the size. Excite your taste buds with every bite and be sure to make the bites count (it's no fun to indulge in something that neutrally appeals to you). Sometimes we can satisfy a craving in just one bite whereas other times, a few more bites are needed to create happiness in the tummy.
I need at least 3-4 bites of a cinnamon roll, banana bread or carrot cake but I am good with one bite of a cookie or piece of cake (I give the rest to Karel) to feel happy inside my tummy. 

Relax. It's OK to indulge and to eat for pleasure every now and then. But first, consider what you eat most of the time and what you eat on occasion. If your office brings in store-bought cookies or pastries every day, and you eat cookies or pastries every day, guess what will happen on a special occasion when you are presented with cookies or pastries? That special occasion cookie or pastry is not as special because Friday office cookies or pastries are your norm. 

Choose your indulgences wisely. 

Trust yourself. Many times, athletes can afford to indulge every now and then without any negative side-effects. But you have to trust yourself when you indulge. If you have a dieting mentality, you may find yourself using your next workout as the first opportunity to "burn off" those calories or restricting calories the next time you eat. With an unhealthy relationship with food, you may even sabotage your next few workouts as a result of food restriction or overexercising. It's time to avoid food rules, to stop an all-or-nothing approach to what you eat (or don't eat) and to stop eating with shame, guilt or anxiety. If you feel you can't work on this by yourself, consult a professional who can help.

-Have your cake and eat it too!

The opposite of dieting is mindful eating. There is no right or wrong way to eat. It's time to renew your relationship with food. You pick the right times to indulge.

Store-bought apple pie from the freezer section or Grandma's homemade apple pie or?

Brownies from a box or one brownie to share with a best friend/spouse/child, from the well-known local bakery?

Bagels from a bag or a fresh bagel made with quality ingredients, made daily?

Think about what you are eating, when you are eating it and why you are eating it.
No need to be obsessed. 

It's finally time that you associate a deeper meaning to what you put inside your body.

Above all, when you eat or indulge, be sure you feel amazingly, awesome, happy and satisfied after you eat. 

Mindful eating part II: Food is Fuel

How did you do with your homework today from my last blog post?

Did you find yourself with positive or negative thoughts when you ate?

Did your thoughts turn negative when you ate foods that you term "off-limit"?

What foods made you feel the best and what foods gave you the most anxiety?

Continue to work on this so that you learn how to quiet the voices in your head so that eating is a peaceful, joyful and positive experience.

I promise - it is possible and it will make a huge impact on how you fuel for your athletic endeavors.

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So why do I continue to talk and talk and talk about mindful eating as it relates to athletes?
As a Board Certified Sport Dietitian, shouldn't I be spending most of my time talking about supplements and sport nutrition products?

Well, every athlete has to eat.
And in my field of work, far too many athletes struggle with their relationship with food and their body.

Since many athletes don't consider mastering mindful eating before they start training for an athletic event, I can't stress how important it is to develop a great relationship with food and the body in order to boost athletic performance and overall health. 

If you continue to train for events (especially long distance events) with an unhealthy relationship with food, there is a great risk of developing an unhealthy relationship with body image later on.
An unhealthy body image drives unhealthy eating habits.
Eventually, performance and health decline.

If you feel uncomfortable eating before workouts, using sport nutrition during workouts or have yet to learn how to eat for health and plan your diet throughout the day, you may find it extremely difficult to experience success in athletic development without a health-related setback.

You can be extremely disciplined with training but if you do not fuel smart your body will not perform well.

Being mindful with your eating allows you to see food differently.
Mindful eating allows you to train better.

I feel that the topic of mindful eating (specific to the sport of triathlons and running) is often ignored when it comes to providing dietary advice from the masses. There are very few Board Certified Sport Dietitians like me who even discuss the topic of mindful eating.

Because there are many individuals who hav struggle with prior years of dieting, struggling with body image issues or exercising with different intentions, it is important to master mindful eating.

If your mind is yelling at you to not eat what you are about to eat/drink, it's time for a break-up as your relationship with food is unhealthy.

BUT - it can be fixed! 

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Once you sign up for an event, you are an athlete.

When you are an athlete, you must have a great passion for healthy eating as well as for fueling and hydrating your body properly to support your daily training stress.

These days, our society has a great disconnect with food. Busy lifestyles and an obsession with diets, food trends and body image may increase the tendency for athletes to become disengaged when it comes to understanding biological hunger, snacking with a purpose and fueling for upcoming workouts.

In honor of the recent NBC Broadcast of the 2015 Ironman World Championship this past weekend, I had a celebration party at my house. I invited a few close friends and we watched the recorded broadcast while enjoying appetizers and pizza (I love any excuse to eat pizza). 

I remembered the cake that I put in the freezer several weeks ago, all for the "right" time to eat it.

I could not think of a better time to enjoy this KONA cake than with our close friends, while watching IM KONA.

Even though I ate pizza and appetizers, I still ate cake. Just a few bites as that was all I needed to feel satisfied and happy in my tummy.
No guilty feelings. No need to exercise more the next day. No anxiety when I went to bed about what I ate. 

Mindful eating is the art of attaching feelings of satisfaction, pleasure and hunger with food. Mindful eating is detaching feelings of guilt, anxiety, numbers and negative food words when it comes to food.
Kale, bread, grapes, milk, cookies or cake - mindful eating is freedom from food rules as you are in control of what foods make you feel the best without thoughts in your head telling you otherwise. 

I will say it over and over but an overlooked area in athletics is the topic of mindful eating. There is no doubt that there is a heightened awareness of body image in aesthetic and weight-bearing sports and for a fitness enthusiast turned athlete, it is very hard for some athletes to turn off the mindset of working out to burn calories and instead, training for performance gains. 

Whereas a fitness enthusiasts can get away with exercises as a way to burn calories, athletes must see food for fuel. 

In Part III, I will discuss some tips to help you master the art of mindful eating. . 

Mindful eating part 1 - Eat cake!

A few days after returning home from Kona in mid October, Karel and I went to an Ironman celebration party in Greenville. We spent the evening talking with several Ironman finishers who live in the Greenville area.

To finish the evening, we enjoyed cake from a local baker. 

And to top it off (literally), the dot of the cake had our names on it. So sweet (literally, again) !

After cutting into the M part of the cake for everyone in the party, the dot remained uneaten.

The host of the party insisted that Karel and I take home our personalized section of the cake.

After returning home from the party with a beautiful round cake, I wrapped up the cake and put it in the freezer. I figured there would be a good time to eat the cake but the right time wasn't anytime soon. 

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As a sport dietitian, when I think about athletes and their relationship with food, I often see/hear two different types of athletes.

There are high-performance athletes that see food for fuel. The diet is designed to fuel workouts but also to keep the body in great health to ensure consistency in training.

They also know how to enjoy food with the occasional indulge enjoyed without any guilt or anxiety. 

These athletes are focused on using food for nourishment but also see food to provide energy for upcoming workouts and to help the body recover. There is a heavy focus on calories, carbohydrates, fluids and electrolytes in regard to the nutrition consumed before, during and after workouts. 

These athletes understand how to time food with training and they know how to use sport nutrition properly to take fitness to the next level (and to keep the body in good health). 

I'd like to think that this is the way that all athletes think about food but it is easier said than done in our food and diet obsessed society. 

As it relates to the later, the individual who has been active in some capacity, but has never used the word "athlete" to describe his/her past/current active lifestyle, may not feel comfortable eating like a high-performing athlete. 

These newbie athletes are still getting comfortable using the "athlete" title. 

When I think of the sport of triathlon and endurance sports in general, and how they are growing year after year, we are seeing many more individuals going from fitness enthusiast to marathon runner or sprint triathlete to Ironman. Some of these individuals come from a sport background whereas others are up for a new fitness challenge. 

Many times, new athletes are at greater risk for GI issues, bonking and injury simply because these fitness enthusiasts have yet to understand how to eat for fuel and for health. They have not considered reaching out to a sport RD but feel very overwhelmed with all of the nutrition-related advice from forums, articles, training partners, nutrition experts and professional athletes. 

Certainly, there is a learning curve when it comes just showing up to a workout with a water bottle to planning sport nutrition before most workouts and then following through with the consumption of "energy and electrolytes" from manufactured products (powders, gels, blocks and pills).

As it relates to newbie athletes, there is a transition period for a fitness enthusiast to get comfortable following a structured training plan that yields performance gains instead of simply working out, just to exercise.

And as it relates to high-performing athletes, if a healthy relationship with food was never once achieved, there may be an increased risk for body image and eating issues which ultimately will affect performance improvements and overall health in a focused, hard-working, goal-oriented athlete. 

Now you may be asking why I am talking about this when I started this blog talking about eating cake? 

In my next blog, I am going to talk a bit more about mindful eating so that athletes of all levels can begin to feel more comfortable around food.

But I must give you a little homework first.

Tomorrow, I want you to practice eating more mindfully. 

No rules, no calorie counting, no food logging. 

If eating is not a positive, joyful, pleasurable, feel-good, nourishing experience for you, then

I want you to consider the internal dialogue in your mind when you are around food.

What are the thoughts that encourage you to eat certain foods or discourage you to eat certain foods?

What do the voices in your head say when you are planning your meals and snacks?
Any food thoughts when you are about to workout, while you are working out or after you workout?

How about while you are eating - what's your relationship with food like while you are chewing and digesting food?

How about when you are finished eating? 

How do you feel when your meal is complete and what does your mind tell you about the food that you just ate? 

As you go about your day tomorrow, I want you to think about what's driving your food choices and how the thoughts in your head affect what you eat. 

There are no right or wrong answers but if you find yourself experiencing a lot of anxiety, fears and guilt surrounding food, specifically food that is you or someone else termed bad or off-limit, I want you to be sure to read my next blog on mindful eating so that I can help you improve your relationship with food, all in an effort to improve your athletic performance and quality of life. 

Preparing for base phase training

There are many names to describe the phase that occurs between the end of a racing season and the start of more structured, specific training stress. 

For the sake of the masses identifying with this blog topic, I used the word "base" phase in this blog post but as you may know, we use the word "transition" as well as "foundation" to describe the first phase after the off-season.

Other coaches have different names for this phase. For example, Matt Dixon with Purple Patch Fitness uses the word "post-season".

The transition (base) phase of training is critical to athlete development. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, preparation for an event is more than just putting in the miles.

As athletes, we are always developing and we are always training in some capacity.
In order to maximize fitness, season after season, it is important to follow a periodized training plan that allows for progression. There must be specific emphasis on peak season training as well as the training to start the season.

Within Trimarni, we create plans that are organized in a way that our athletes are developing skills, endurance and strength before progressing with more intense or longer training.

Therefore, it is important that coaches and athletes see each phase of training as a progression from the previous phase. 

A periodized training plan sets you up for a great performance at your most important events throughout the season. 

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With the off-season emphasizing little to no activity for many athletes, with a combined freedom to indulge a bit more than normal, it is extremely important that you are taking the right steps to prepare your body for your next phase of training. 

I often relate to the transition phase as the beginnings of building a house. No matter the size of the house, the price of the house or the builder of the house, every single house requires a strong foundation.  Without a strong foundation, the house will break apart overtime.

Would you buy a house if the builders rushed through the foundation? How would you feel if the house you have desired to live in for the next 10 years was built by construction workers who liked to take short-cuts, just to get the final product done faster than their competitors?

Regardless of how many years you have been training as an athlete in your sport of choice, we all need an off-season and we all need to follow that part of the season with a return to the basics, addressing weaknesses and of course, laying down the foundation to which upcoming training stress will be placed onto the body. 

For many athletes, the off-season is a challenging time in that an athlete either does too much or does too little. And for many athletes, there is an uncomfortable feeling relating to diet, body image and lack of structured activity.
It's really hard to get the off-season right but maybe that's because there is no right way. But you do need an off-season.
Every athlete is different and the goals of the off-season for one athlete do not have to match the goals of another athlete. Also, each season may follow with a different off-season. This year, I returned to light structured training after 3 weeks of an off-season (after Kona) but in 2014, I took 6 voluntary weeks off with very little exercise. 

So as you think about your next phase of training and perhaps, begin to get excited to train with more structure again, I find it extremely important to encourage you to make sure that your body is in great health before you begin training again.
You do not have to have race day fitness or a race day body image when you finish your off-season but you should be in good health before starting your next phase of training.

Although a mental and physical break are necessary for a smooth progression from one season to the next, it is important that you see the off-season as an integral part of your athletic development. We don't want to make the off-season too long as you do not lose all that you gained in the previous season. And when your off-season is over, it is important to have a smart return to training by building your foundation as you focus on getting stronger before trying to get faster, before going longer.
Not just training where you left off with high volume or high intensity.  

Regardless of what your off-season looks like or what you call your first phase of training post off-season, it is important that you set yourself up for a great start to next season with the following off-season tips:

-Even with the holiday season approaching, it is important that you address your daily diet. Every day, you should be focused on eating a wholesome diet to help nourish your body and keep your immune system in optimal health.

-Now is a great time to work on your relationship with food and your body when the training stress is low. Do not overlook how important it is to maintain a healthy relationship with food and your body throughout the season.

-Be sure to stay hydrated....with water, all day, ever day.

-Focus on good sleep habits and good stress management.

-As you approach your first phase of training (foundation/transition phase), you should not feel as if your training is extremely structured right now. Exercise to maintain a comfortable level of fitness but your lifestyle should not look like you are in peak training (early season is not the time to make sacrifices in life just to train).

-Create a positive workout environment. Be sure your workout space at home is ready for consistent training, you have reviewed pool lane availability times, you consider the days that are best for certain workouts, you are prepared emotionally and mentally for more structure in your day-to-day life (and you have communicated this with your spouse/significant other) and you are ready to make investments to train smarter.

-If you are dealing with any niggles/injuries/sickness - address it, consult a professional and take care of it now. 

As an athlete, you likely live a very structured life and you like to have a plan. 

Preparing for your upcoming season is more than just following a plan and checking off workouts.
There's a lot that you need to focus on between workouts to ensure consistency in training with a healthy body.

As you give your mind and body a break from training, your health is top priority in your off-season.

As you approach your first phase of training, be sure you are prepared for it.
Take care of your body now so it will take care of you next season.

The preparation starts now

The triathlon bug hit me hard when I finished graduate school in Dec 2005. Over the next 11 months I became a first-time Boston Marathon finisher, a Half Ironman finisher and an Ironman finisher.

People would tell me "Marni, you are a natural for endurance sports!"

My first year of endurance sports was perfect. No injuries, no sickness,  no setbacks. It was smooth sailing for all of 2006 and I had many great accomplishments to celebrate by 2007.

Nobody likes setbacks when they happen but I often wonder how my life would have been different if I demonstrated weaknesses during my first Ironman journey?

When we are aware of weaknesses, we can strengthen them. But when we have strengths, this brings an element of confidence to our training. Confidence is great but for a type-A athlete, confidence is like adding fuel to a fire that is burning too quickly.

As a beginner, I wasn't aware of my weaknesses. But now, looking back, I had a lot of them. From the outside, I wasn't making any mistakes so I defined my training as "perfect" but in being a newbie endurance triathlete, I never gave myself a chance to get worse before getting better.

Despite qualifying for Kona in my first Ironman, maybe I should have taken more time to improve my skills instead of assuming I was a natural because everything came so easy to me when I started.

Although my first season as a competitive endurance triathlete was perfect in my eyes, it wasn't too long after I qualified for my first Kona, at my first Ironman, that I found myself struggling with injuries. 

The reason why I share this is because I often see triathletes progressing too quickly with their endurance. With so many endurance triathlons to choose from, becoming a participant for an endurance race is so easy.....you are just a registration fee away from a race entry on the computer.

Athletes love to compensate for weaknesses (ex. dislike of swimming and strength training) by making up with a strength (love for long bike rides or the feeling of running fast). And because we like the feeling of being successful at a strength, we often push aside the weak areas that are a struggle (or are less enjoyable).

Although sometimes athletes can get away with this in short distance triathlon training/racing, when it comes to longer distances, you can't expect to stay healthy, injury free and improve by having a weakness and ignoring it. 

And this is so true for anyone who is or is considering training for an Ironman.

The Ironman distance is a big deal and it is a dream for many. Not just Kona qualifying but simply crossing an Ironman finish line. 

I love when athletes tell me that they have a dream of doing an Ironman or qualifying for Kona because I get it.

And I am honored when an athlete chooses Trimarni coaching to get to an Ironman start line. 

Triathletes who strive for a challenge see the Ironman distance as the pinnacle of all things swim, bike, run. Even though any other distance triathlon still counts as a big deal to train for, there is a certain hype, allure and mystery that is the 140.6 mile distance triathlon.

As you watch the NBC broadcast of the 2015 Ironman World Championship on Saturday at 1:30pm EST, I can assure you that you will cry, laugh, smile and find yourself itching to register for an Ironman. Even if you are just getting into the sport of triathlons or running, inspiring stories from age-groupers alongside motivating performances from professional athletes can make the everyday fitness enthusiast say "Could I do that?"

And not too long, you may find yourself saying "I will do that!"

And then not too long after that "I'm going to be an Ironman!"

Karel and I were honored to be part of the NBC premier of the Ironman Kona broadcast last night in NYC as Clif bar athletes and I can promise you that you will not be disappointed when you watch the broadcast this weekend (be sure to record it as you will want to watch it over and over for inspiration).

So as you watch the Ironman World Championship broadcast on TV and toss around the idea of signing up for an Ironman next year, I'd like for you to think back to my story and consider the word

PREPARATION

When I trained for my first Ironman, I had a strong swim background but I lacked a strong overall foundation. A strong foundation is the key to long lasting success in a sport.

Just like most Ironman-in-training athletes, I focused on the miles and volume in an effort to be prepared for the long-haul ahead of me on race day. I thought that the only way to be prepared for the distance is to do a lot of training and a lot of long workouts.

But I was wrong. And I learned the hard way.

If you don't fully commit yourself to preparing for an endurance triathlon by building a solid fondation, you develop bad habits. You get very comfortable training long but with poor skills, form and little emphasis on the important things (like diet, mental strength, sport nutrition)

Following a training plan that emphasizes miles or volume is not the smartest way to initiate preparation for an endurance triathlon.

The reason why I bring this up is because most triathletes do not want to do the work that they need to do, when they need to do it. To a determined athlete, strength training, dialing in the daily diet, mobility work, working on weaknesses and getting in the pool a bit more are things are boring, time-consuming and maybe even a little uncomfortable.

For many athletes, going long is easier than focusing on skills.

Regardless if you are new to the sport or a veteran, it is so important to return to the basics in an effort to build a strong foundation. 

As exciting as it sounds to say you are training for an Ironman or to participate in an Ironman, don't rush your journey. 

In my journey, I improved rapidly.
But by my next season, I needed skills that I never developed in my first season. My lack of skills and sport-specific strength proved to be a major weakness in my development.

When I tried going longer or faster in round #2 of training for an Ironman, I discovered that my insufficient prep in round #1 of Ironman training resulted in a very weak foundation.

A weak foundation equaled a body that could not tolerate training stress which resulted in injury. 

For athletes who seek immediate results, rather than carefully and slowly working on strength, skills, stamina, speed and fundamentals, there is a tendency to do too much out of fear.

If you are questioning if next year is the right time to do an Ironman, ask yourself if you have taken the time to work on the basics and you have adequate foundation and skills to start an Ironman journey?  

If you are considering another Ironman next year (or already registered for one), be willing to fully prepare like you have never prepared before. No shortcuts. Be willing to learn, willing to change, willing to address weaknesses and be willing go back to the basics. 

As you watch the Ironman, remember that every athlete has a weakness.

And as an athlete yourself, be aware of your weakness and be willing to properly prepare. 

Chains break at their weakest link.

In 2007, I broke when I added too much volume and intensity without a solid foundation.
I had the time to train but my body couldn't tolerate the training stress. 

My advice to you, as a future Ironman athlete, a potential Ironman athlete or a past Ironman athlete, is to improve your foundation and improve your skills and improve your confidence.

You can do this year after year after year.

But now is always the BEST time to start your preparation. 

Hello from the Big Apple!

New York City is everything we are not.
(And I'm talking about the touristy segments of NYC.)

NYC is big, there are a lot of people and there is a lot of traffic.

We like quiet, small and being able to get to places quickly. 

NYC is stimulation overload with bright lights, non stop entertainment and media overload.

We like nature, wild-life and mountains. 

NYC is expensive.

We like affordable living, eating and traveling.

NYC is not triathlete friendly.

We like being able to bike or run out of our front door. 

NYC is busy. Everyone seems to be in a rush.

We like slow-paced, enjoying the moment. 

But....

We are loving NYC!! 

One of the best parts about traveling is experiencing a way of life that is not your own. Learning, exploring and immersing yourself into a different lifestyle.

Sometimes traveling makes you miss home and what is familiar but many times, traveling opens your eyes to a different way of life that you never considered would work for you or would be better for you.

Aside from a few touristy things in NYC that do not match how we live our life, the food options in NYC are endless and we love walking around everywhere! I wish we had more time in NY than 1.5 days but we knew it would be a quick trip.

The sights are amazing here and we could use a few more days just to eat!

This trip was not expected but when Clif Bar invited us to NYC to watch the NBC premier broadcast of the 2015 Ironman World Championship at NYIT auditorium, we could not pass up this opportunity. After returning home from PCB to watch our athletes in action at IMFL, we worked 2 long days on Monday and Tues to get a lot of work done for our business before flying out to NYC on Wednesday morning.

We will return home on Friday and then Karel is off to Jacksonville, FL for 4 days of RETUL fits.

Hmmmm.....maybe we do have the lifestyle of a New Yorker as we are always busy and on the go!

I will post more pics of our exciting day (Thursday) on the Trimarni Facebook page but for now, here are some pics from our 1/2 day in NYC on Wed. 

Veterans day parade. Thank you past and present Veterans!

We took a cab from the airport to our hotel on W 55th street. However, when we looked at our maps on our phone and saw that we had 35 minutes in the taxi to go 1.5 miles.

Well, that was just silly.

We asked the cab driver to stop when he could and then we walked to our hotel with our baggage. 

Walking is so much better than sitting in a car as we got to start our sight-seeing early. 

We checked in to the WestHouse hotel (thank you Clif Bar for the amazing lodging experience) and enjoyed afternoon tea, snacks and pastries before our room was ready at 3pm. 

We then walked up to the terrace (23rd floor) after checking into our room and then we were off to explore the city by foot for the next 5 hours. 

So many great food places!! I wish we had more time to eat!

After making our way 36 blocks to 19th street, and seeing so much of Manhattan, we finally hit our final destination. 

Cafe Prague

Karel was so excited to enjoy a meal (almost) as good as his mom's home-cooking. 

I ordered a delicious salad, packed with veggies, apples and goat cheese and saved some room for dessert. 

My favorite Czech dessert is poppy seed Streusel and they just happened to have it in the restaurant. 

After dinner, we walked back to our hotel for a total of ~6.3 miles of walking since we arrived in NYC.

Inside Macy's. 

Times Square at night. 

Yay - one of our amazing Trimarni sponsors, Oakley!

Yum! 

I love anything chocolate and peanut butter!

Our first official day in NYC was fun but I have a feeling that day 2 will be even more memorable.