Athlete Spotlight: Angela Bancroft - Family first but never give up your drive to tri

Name: Angela Bancroft

Age: 47

City/State: Paris, Maine

Primary sport: Triathlon

How many years in the sport: 11

What Trimarni services have you used: Nutrition consult.

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Describe your athletic background and how you discovered your current sport?

At the age of 8, I joined my first swim team and was instantly hooked on swimming and racing. I swam competitively through High School and in college at The University of Vermont. I also ran track and Cross-Country in High School. When my swimming career ended after I graduated at UVM, I ran to stay in shape. That evolved into racing short road races and marathons as well. In 1994 I raced my first marathon and qualified for and raced The Boston Marathon. I have raced 15 marathons since that time. In 2005, I was a young mother of 3 sons ( ages 6, 4 and 1) and my hunger for racing returned. My brother had entered a few triathlons and I decided I would give it a try as well. In the summer of 2006, I raced my first Olympic distance triathlon and had a blast! That was just the beginning.

What keeps you training and racing in your current sport?
I struggle to answer questions like this because I don't have a firm answer for myself. I love to race. I love to train. I am now a mother of three teenage boys, and while they are all bigger than I am now, I am still able to "keep up" with them if we go running, hiking, or skiing or swimming! I feel strong, I feel healthy and I have plenty of energy. Other than limited time, I continue to enjoy myself and my body is strong and healthy enough to keep going, so I really see no need to stop.

What do you do for work?

I am a Triathlon coach (I own TriMoxie Multisport Coaching) and I am raising my sons.

                                    

How does your work life affect training and how do you balance work and training?As my children have grown into High School athletes, our schedules can be extremely hectic. They have a many sporting activities and since we live in a rural area in Maine, most of their events are at least an hour from our home. It is very important to me that I am there for them at their games, races or band concerts! They are first on the priority list so there are plenty of times that my training takes a back seat. I plan ahead for that and I accept it. I work out of my own home so I am very lucky that I can fit in my workouts on my own schedule. The key is planning ahead and being flexible when changes need to occur.

Any tips/tricks as to how to balance work and training?

Planning ahead and flexibility. I find that early morning workouts are key during very busy times. If an hour or two of training is done before the day starts, you are ahead of the game and probably have more energy to tackle the rest of the day too.

Do you have kids?

I have 3 sons. They are 17, 15 and 12 years old.

What tips/tricks do you have for other athletes who struggle to balance training with family?
I feel the trick is to plan ahead, get up early before the house rises and also, allow flexibility and changes in the plan to occur as needed all in order to keep things well-running for the family. If you are scheduled to run for 60 minutes on a Tuesday but can really only fit in 40 minutes, that is OK! Forty is better than zero and those 20 minutes are not going to change things in the big picture. Keep it all in perspective.

How do you balance your training with your partner? Any tips or tricks for keeping your partner happy while you train to reach your personal goals?
I have been married to my husband (Mark) for 18 years. We met about 4 days before my first marathon and thus, being active and involved with competitive racing was something that was part of our lives since our first years together. Mark is 100% supportive of all my goals. We live a life of compromise for each other. That being said, I work very hard to do the bulk of my training hours during the work week so that our weekends are more family oriented. Since I work out of my house, I am able to do this. I work very hard but I also have tons of fun doing other activities on the weekends. It's all about balance for me and not letting one thing overwhelm the other. I am 100% present for my husband and family when I am not training and but during my workouts, that is my focus. Unless it's the final week before an Ironman, I admit to being  very self-focused!! :)

Do you have a recent race result, notable performance or lesson learned that you'd like to share?

In 2011, I raced Ironman Lake Placid (it was my 3rd Ironman at the time) and I had what I called, "the race of my life." Everything came together for me that day. I was 41 years old. I finished as the 2nd amateur woman and first in my age group. Six years later, racing my 8th Ironman in Mont Tremblant, I matched that day in Lake Placid. I was only 4 minutes off my time and I won my age group by the same margin (and qualified for Kona). The thrill of being in my 'late 40s', an age when people assume and often tell you that you will slow down. I was thrilled that I was still able to go as fast as I did in 2011 - this was incredibly empowering to me. It convinced me that I can continue to do anything I set my mind to, if I work hard enough. I can't stress that to people enough. If you set your mind to something and work hard, you can be successful.

What are your top tips for athletes, as it relates to staying happy, healthy and performing well?
After a lifetime involved with competitive sports, I have learned many things. If I had to narrow it down to five I would say this.

1. I believe in maintaining balance in order to be happy. Allow yourself time for things that you love to do AND time with people you love outside of the sport.
2. Set goals that are meaningful to YOU and nobody else. That will drive you day after day. Meaningful and realistic goals.
3. Work hard and work consistently. If you are patient and follow a smart plan towards your goals, it will pay off. There will be many hard and bad days along the way when finding the greatness and successful outcomes that are within you. It's part of the process. Be patient and keep working.
4. Make an effort to work on mental toughness and keeping a positive attitude while you are training. The body must be physically ready for the challenges you put it through but the mind must be fit and ready to have full success. On race day, I believe it is 95% a mental game.
5. Be kind to yourself. Enjoy the journey and process of taking care of yourself through sport. It's a gift to have the ability to be active and engaged with life in this way. Embrace the challenges but if things don't go well, learn from it and move on to what's next.

 

How would you define athletic success as it relates to your personal journey?
My answer to this has changed over the years. Along the way, one definition of success for me as a triathlete was qualifying for the Ironman World Championships. I have now raced there four times and I've also placed in the top 10 AG in Kona two times. And of course, when I was younger, athletic success was achieving certain times in swimming and places at our Championships meets. However, my kids are now athletes. Now, I gauge success as an athlete in a different way. I strive to guide them through the challenges they are facing by sharing my similar experiences. I believe in showing by example with my own training and racing and talking them through the highs and lows of being an athlete. Now, a personal goal of mine is to be their role model and through example, show them that daily hard work and dedication to training despite challenges with time or logistics, will pay off. They are watching me as their mother and I feel success if I can help them through these years as they grow into adults.

What's your favorite post-race meal, drink or food?

I definitely do not have a go-to meal that I have every time. Chocolate milk often appeals to me and occasionally, a piece of pizza. After Ironman racing, I find it hard to eat for several hours.

What key races do you have planned in 2017?
I plan to race the Patriot Half Iron Distance and the White Mountain Half Iron Distance race. In August, I will race in an Adventure race with my brother as my partner. It is called the Casco-Bay Swim Run Challenge. The race is a total of 6 miles of open water ocean swimming and 16 miles of running across rocks around the islands of Casco Bay in Portland, Maine. We will be tethered together and must finish the race carrying and wearing everything we started with. It will be a new challenge for sure!

What are your athletic goals for the next 5 years?
At this point, my biggest goal is to stay fit and strong. I am not sure where racing will take me. My two oldest sons are currently in their Junior and Freshman years of high school and my youngest is in 7th grade. Over the next 5 years, I will be sending two of them to college!! Life is changing and evolving every year so I will take it day by day and see where it all takes me.

Anything else?
Thank you, Marni!!!! I reached out to Marni in 2006 for my very first sport nutrition consult. She was SO knowledgeable and helpful as I started my triathlon journey! Since that time, Marni has become a dear friend that I am lucky to see at races around the world! We have met up in Canada, Clearwater, FL, Lake Placid and Hawaii! Truly across the globe. I continue to learn from Marni and her husband, Karel, both of whom are incredible athletes and such amazing people. I am grateful to have her in my life.

 To follow Angela:
Blog: Anges Drive To Tri
   Facebook: TriMoxie Coaching
 Instagram: @asbancroft70

Click here to learn more about Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition.

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Eat To Thrive: Is your relationship with food/body affecting your athletic performance?

        

In our recent interview with the Intelligent Racer Podcast, I talked about my passion for helping athletes with nutrition. A lot of my nutrition counseling is helping athletes with the application of using food and sport nutrition properly in order to improve health and performance. But another aspect of my nutrition services is helping athletes overcome an unhealthy relationship with food and the body in order to improve athletic performance, health and quality of life. 

From my experience, by improving your relationship with your body, you can actually improve your relationship with food, which will enhance your athletic performance. When you begin to thank your body (instead of bashing it), respect your body (instead of starving or overexercising it) and appreciate your body (instead of wishing you looked differently), you begin to make better lifestyle choices that actually promote health and performance. It is through these choices that you can better understand how to best train and eat for your fitness and health needs.

It's unfortunate, but it's the truth, that many athletes do not feel comfortable in their own skin. They train and eat for the wrong reasons. Instead of working out for performance gains and to improve skills, to dial in fueling and hydration and to stretch the comfortable zone, athletes are working out to burn calories or to work off previously consumed "bad" food or to deserve reward food. While this strategy may work for an exerciser or fitness enthusiast without significant health risks, this approach can greatly compromise health and overall well-being when an athlete uses marathon running or endurance triathlon training alongside dieting (or restrictive eating/fueling), to lose weight or to change body composition.

Whereas sport should make you feel strong, confident and healthy, for select athletes, it does the opposite when an unhealthy relationship with food and the body is in place. Working out should never been seen as a punishment (or strategy) to burn calories or to fix the body. Food should be for enjoyment, fuel and nourishment, it should never give you guilt, frustration and fear.

Thanks to social media and magazines promoting unrealistic body images and bloggers offering unsafe and impractical/unsustainable dietary advice, many athletes are not feeling motivated to train for performance and health improvements, but instead, are dealing with the constant comparisons of idealized images of "an athlete's body" or whatever dietary strategies are promoted be fit, race ready and "healthy".

I was recently thinking back to an article I wrote for March 2015 issue of Triathlete Magazine, where I discussed the topic of achieving performance breakthroughs by paying attention to current eating behaviors and thoughts about the body. Making smart dietary choices will help you reach your athletic potential so it is important to recognize if your commitment to your racing and training goals is steering your relationship with food in an unhealthy direction.

In my Eat To Thrive article, I provide you with three red flag situations and how you should address them. Of course, if you feel like your relationship with food and the body is compromising your health, performance and/or quality of life, it is important to reach out to a Registered Dietitian for help. He/she can take away the guessing so that you can start living a productive and successful life where food is not the enemy and you learn to appreciate the goodness in your body.



                              To read the article: Eat To Thrive

Intelligent Racer Podcast - Listen to our first interview together!

For the first time ever, I am so thrilled to announce that Karel and I recently had our first interview together. We talk about our athletic backgrounds, our favorite race courses, a bit about our coaching and nutrition business and our best advice for athletes when wanting to experience improvements and excel on race day.

As the public speaker of our house, I'm usually the one speaking in front of others on behalf of Trimarni. When I was asked by Adam, who is a Trimarni athlete and host of Intelligent Racer Podcast, to be interviewed for this podcast, I knew that Karel needed to be part of this podcast with me as he has so much life, career and athletic experience to offer athletes. For those who know Karel, he is a great sarcastic/funny side to him but he is always upfront, honest, truthful and to the point with his advice. Plus, he is my business partner, training partner and life partner so it was only natural that he would join me on this podcast.

We met 11 years ago and I did my first endurance triathlon 11 years ago so it goes without saying that Karel has been with me for my entire endurance triathlon career and since 2012, we have shared many triathlon race accomplishments together.

I couldn't be more excited to share this 30-minute podcast with you for your listening education and entertainment. We hope that you enjoy the podcast and are able to have a few "ah ha" takeaways to help you with your individual nutrition and athletic journey. As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us via our contact form on our website. 

                                    

• To listen to the podcast on the website: CLICK HERE
  
• iTunes Link (be sure to subscribe for new episode updates): CLICK HERE
  
• Facebook link (like this page for podcast updates): CLICK HERE
  
• Twitter (be sure to follow for updates): CLICK HERE

Thank you Intelligent Racer podcast for this interview.
It was an honor and privilege to be on this podcast show and to share our story together.  

Weekend training - training hard & fueling smart

There's a lot of training that happens between Monday AM and Friday PM but most of my training pictures happen over the weekend so that is why I am having so much fun sharing my weekend workouts with you.

The weekend started on Saturday morning when we woke up around 6:30 am without an alarm (only a cat alarm) and it wasn't until 9am until we made it outside as we had a few things to get done on the computer first. I enjoyed two mega sized Trmarni pre-workout pancakes loaded with maple syrup, some peanut butter and homemade granola, alongside a side of Sigi strawberry yogurt with a cup of coffee w/ water (I'm a one small cup of coffee a day girl). Karel had oatmeal w/ fruit and yogurt and a homemade orange cranberry scone with his double shot espresso (Karel is European and loves his coffee - let's just leave it at that :)

It felt SO good to ride outside in only arm warmers, light gloves, a base layer shirt, my cycling jersey and cycling shorts. It was around 50 degrees when we started and it was so nice to be outside without tons of layers on.

                                             

Karel and I picked the double bakery ride route for our 4 hour ride and I was really looking forward to one of my fav routes that includes a lot of climbing (about 5200 feet). Here's the route starting from Furman (we rode from our house which is about 2 miles from Furman).

Double bakery ride

We had some nice tailwind heading to Flat Rock and we made great time heading up the watershed and into NC. Of course, the wind hit hard on our way back home but I was feeling very strong. So strong that Karel kept telling me how great I was riding throughout the entire ride as I was able to stay on his wheel for the entire 30+ minute climb up the Watershed and on every climb for our entire ride. It wasn't easy for me but I refused to get dropped today. I only got dropped 3 times on downhills (on three sharp turn downhills) so this was certainly a ride to remember for me.

I kept myself fueled with 3 bottles of my Infinit Trimarni base fuel (2 scoops per bottle) + 1 Luna peppermint bar. If you know me, I don't like to eat solid food when I race long distance triathlons as I prefer only liquids but as I progress with my cycling fitness, I am finding myself feeling more comfortable training my gut to take in a little solid food here and there. Plus the peppermint bar is super tasty. I also tried out the three new flavors of Clif bloks that Clif Bar sent me, which included Ginger Ale, Salted Watermelon and Spearmint. More on these new flavors and my thoughts about them in a future blog post.

As I mentioned, I felt extremely strong and I have been intentionally increasing my carbohydrates in my diet to support this added volume. I never ever go into a workout without eating and I never neglect my post workout nutrition (which is either a recovery whey protein drink w/ milk or a real food meal). I am putting in a lot of consistent work and I really believe that proper fueling and daily eating can keep the body in good health and I have been using food and sport nutrition products (sport drinks) for fuel and for health for many, many years. I can't believe that this will be my 11th year of endurance racing and as crazy as it sounds, I feel stronger than ever before. I still remember my first long ride with Karel about 11 years ago, oh boy, it was SLooooooow. Thank goodness I never gave up during all those times that I wanted to give up because I was frustrated with my slow speed and fears of riding my bike on the open road (especially on hills).

After the 4 hour bike, which was extremely fast for us in our Gville terrain (18 mph!!), it was time for a quick transition run. Karel and I didn't run together off the bike but we both ran outside. We live on the bottom of a hill so I walked the 1/4 mile up to the top of our neighborhood and then ran on semi flat roads (the flattest that I could find where we live).

                                                       

20 minutes later I was back home and ready to enjoy a nice cold glass of OJ to bring back my appetite after the long workout. Karel made a recovery drink w/ yogurt, vegan protein powder (that we had, I was trying it out for some vegan athletes of mine), milk and fruit that we shared before it was time to clean up and enjoy a real food meal.

Karel found ourselves rather busy during the afternoon and before we knew it, it was time for run #2 of the day. We don't always do two runs on Saturday but it does happen once or twice a month. My legs were tired (as to be expected) but with good afternoon fueling (small meals of carbs and protein every 2 hours and adequate water), I found myself with energy for a 30-60 minute afternoon run around 5pm.

                                             

Karel ran outside for his run (he ran 55 minutes) and I stayed home and ran on our treadmill. I've learned to be mindful of my body when it comes to run workouts and I have to be careful of all the outdoor pounding with all my previous back/hip issues (thankfully, I haven't had any setbacks in the past 3.5 years). Since our treadmill has a little shock absorbing to it, I do about 70% of my running on the treadmill and I believe it's helped me out a lot over the past year as I've also gained more confidence with my running because I can now run a lot more frequently with better form.

I ended up running for 40 minutes (including a 5 min walk to warm-up). Of course, I warmed up with a bit of mobility work before the run to ensure I didn't go into the run with any tight spots.

                               

Finally, it was time for dinner! Karel made us pasta w/ homemade veggie packed tomato sauce while I took Campy for a nice long walk. Not to worry about Campy while we are away for our longer training sessions as my mom likes to walk over from her house (1 mile away) and steal Campy from our house and she takes him to her house (spoiled doggy!). And Campy has lots of furry friends in her neighborhood!

It was a relaxing evening for us and by 9:30pm, it was lights out.

We woke up to even warmer temps on Sunday morning but it took us a few hours before we made it outside as we had a few things to get done on the computer before our morning run.

To ensure that we could recover from the weekend training (and previous 5 days of training), we told ourselves that we would run for no more than 75 minutes today (60 min minimum). Instead of adding on extra run mileage on very tired legs, we spent extra time with mobility work in the morning (about 20 minutes) before our run. While we didn't leave together, we somehow met up just a mile down the road and Karel wanted to show me some of the Furman running trails that I haven't yet been on.

Well, surprisingly, with tired legs, I felt light on my feet and I was able to run with Karel. While he wasn't running super fast, I was still really excited to be running with Karel. This is a huge deal for me as my confidence for running has never been super high but I'm putting this run in the memory bank for St. George in May (I may pull it out early at Haines City in April). The trails were awesome and it felt so good to not pound the pavement for our entire run. About 70 minutes or so later, we arrived back home. And to conclude the weekend of training, a refreshing glass of tart cherry juice and a cold glass of milk with chocolate Clif Recovery protein powder (Soooo good).

                               

Then, it was time to EAT!!

Karel made a czech inspired dish of spinach and onions stuffed inside a crepe (all from skratch) and it was amazing.
                                            

We ate outside while enjoying the beautiful weather but the relaxing was short lived as Karel spent the next 5+ hours installing electronic shifting on an athlete's bike and I had some work to do on the computer, followed by hanging out with my mom for a little bit at our house and then I walked my mom back home with Campy and then I did a big grocery shop to get food for our meals for a big week of training.

Well, there you have it.

Lots of training. Lots of eating. Lots of sleeping.

I'm incredibly grateful to my body for what it allows me to do and I feel I owe it smart training, well planned and organized eating and fueling and consistent restful sleep. I never ever take a workout for granted. Is it race season yet???

Mountain to Mainstreet Festival Expert Panel Event

Trimarni is proud to support the Mountains to Mainstreet 72.3 mile Triathlon festival, located in beautiful Greenville, run by Set Up Events.

In route to the 2nd Mountains to Mainstreet (M2M) event, there will be a series of educational talks, featuring local community experts to help athletes feel prepared for the upcoming festival. This educational series will benefit athletes of all levels.

If you didn't know, the M2M event (on May 19th-21st) includes a 5K run, 13.1 mile run, along with a 72.3 mile triathlon (including a relay and aquabike option).

Speakers for the first educational discussion include:

Kyle Cassas - Orthopedic Sports Medicine Doctor, Steadman Hawkins

Scott Kaylor - Physical Therapist, ATI Sports Therapy

Marni Sumbal, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N - Board Certified Sport Dietitian and Endurance Triathlon Coach, Trimarni Coaching & Nutrition

If you are in or near the area on Feb 22nd, you can learn more about the event HERE.

I am honored to be part of this expert panel discussion which will cover a variety of endurance training and nutrition topics in order to help athletes maintain great health while training for upcoming triathlon and running events. If you are an athlete, a parent of an athlete, a fitness enthusiast or you just love learning about endurance training, sport nutrition and reducing risk for injury, you will not want to miss this event.

This event is open to the public.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Athlete spotlight: Stefanie Swanger: An everyday IRONMOM who uses triathlon for health, building confidence and well-being

Name: Stefanie Swanger 

Age: 35

City/State: Kathleen, GA

Primary sport: Triathlon

How many years in the sport: 9 years

What Trimarni services have you used: 
RETUL bike fit
Nutrition consult
Coaching

Describe your athletic background and how you discovered your current sport?
Growing up, I was a fairly non-athletic person. I was always overweight as a child and pretty disinterested in sports. However, while I was in graduate school, I was fortunate to work the finish line of the 2005 Disney Marathon. I had an ah-ha moment while handing out medals during that race and decided if these people could do it, then my excuses had run out. I was determined to run. Four years later, in 2009, I ran my first Marathon at Disney. Post marathon, I wanted a new challenge. The college that I was working at had a triathlon class, so I enrolled. That class lead to my first triathlon that summer (2009) at Iron Girl Atlanta. This is where I met Marni, after following her blog for a while. I guess the rest is history.

What keeps you training and racing in your current sport?

Having always struggled with weight and body confidence, I want to set a good example for my young son and family. I love the supportive atmosphere of triathlon and confidence it has instilled in me. I have found immense joy in both training and racing and I now understand what working out does for me, mentally and physically.

What do you do for work?

I am a Career Consultant at Mercer University.

How does your work life affect training and how do you balance work and training?
I am fortunate to work in Higher Education where my work schedule can flex just a bit, which allows me to manage a healthy work/life balance. I try to do all workouts in the morning which means a lot of early wake up calls. If I have two workouts in the day, I put the second workout at lunch, when possible. Once 5pm hits, I am in wind down mode the minute my butt sits in my car to drive home. Over the years I have learned how to be comfortable in what I can and can not accomplish for the day. This means cutting a workout short or even missing a workout on occasion. Although 4 years ago I would not have felt this way, it no longer stresses me out when life gets in the way of training. I just do the best I can.

Any tips/tricks as to how to balance work and training?

When it comes to triathlon, I am a planner. I know that I am far more successful if I make my nutrition bottles, prepare my food ahead of time and pack my bags in the car the night before a morning workout. I also look for opportunities to utilize downtime to my advantage. I have been seen using a resistance band for stretching, a tennis ball for tight spots and a foam roller at work during my lunch hour or between meetings. I keep sports nutrition products, peanut butter and milk at work so that there are no excuses for not being fueled for mid day workouts. I have also been known to wear compression socks under my slacks or long skirts. I try my best to maximize all opportunities for training and work life.

Do you have kids?

Yep! A fun little 4 year old named Colton.

How do you balance family and training?

I try to keep workouts in the morning after my son goes to daycare so that they don't affect evening family time, which is also why I favor lunch workouts as well. On weekends, I aim for early morning workouts so that they don't disrupt the entire day or force us to alter our afternoon plans. Often times, my husband will make special plans in the morning with Colton (while I workout) so that they can bond and have "guy time". Then, I will have my mommy/son time in the afternoon if my husband has something he needs to get done. At this age, Colton is an active participant in my active lifestyle. He wants to help me make my sport nutrition bottles or carry my workout gear. I know he won't always be this excited to help and learn about my triathlon workouts, but I am hopeful that we are raising Colton to understand the importance of physical activity and making time for healthy lifestyle choices so that later on in is life, it is innate and part of his lifestyle. I don't see my training as selfish but instead, I am trying to be a good role model for him. We also find opportunities to make him the star at an event. He did the kids race at Athens Twilight and has done a kids mountain bike ride, which prompted him to ask for swim lessons so that he could be an Ironman like his mom and dad. 

What tricks or tips do you have for other athletes who try to balance training with a family?
Communication with my little guy has been important so that he understands exactly when I will be back and what he can expect. I try to incorporate him into the plan by promising a few laps together on the bike once I return or we play outside. When my husband Kenny and I were both training for an Ironman two years ago, we would often split training schedules to get things accomplished. I would ride on Saturdays while he ran on the treadmill or used the jogging stroller to keep Colton involved, and then on Sunday the training would be reversed.

How do you balance training with your partner? Any tips or tricks for keeping your partner happy while you train to reach your personal goals?

I have found through the years of training and marriage, that communication is key in making this whole thing (triathlon hobby) work. Kenny and I talk about my workouts and what I need to do to prep, and I keep him updated when I know it will affect family time. I never plan my race calendar without a family discussion because I know what a great asset he is to both me and our family. My goals wouldn't be possible without his support. I also understand there is a fine balance in accomplishing my long distance racing goals while keeping harmony in my family. This leads me to making decisions like opting for weekend trainer rides early in the season so that I can remove the excess travel time to drive to a safe place to do a long ride. I am also there for the family without being away from the home. I know that later on in the season I will be riding outside for long hours and the trainer won't be a suitable option for me then so it's all about compromising. Basically, I do what I can to preserve my idea of "family time" and make concessions in my training when I have to, so that my family doesn't suffer. I also know that my husband can be bribed/rewarded with a good beer! :)

Do you have a race result, notable performance or lesson learned that you'd like to share?

While not recent, I have two race results that will forever stick with me. The 2012 Labor Day 5k is special to me because I was 40 weeks pregnant at the time. I ran the race at 8:30am and ended up giving birth to my son 22 hours later. I had completed several races during my pregnancy and I wanted one last hurrah with my little guy. My husband insists this is why our little guy does not slow down.

Then, 14 month later, I completed my first Ironman at Ironman Florida in 2013. I had a long standing fear that pregnancy and childbirth would completely derail any progress I had made with body image and self esteem so I wanted a goal to focus on. Ironman Florida was just as much about proving to myself that I could do the distance but also showing that I can be a good mom and still care about my own health and well-being through fitness.

What are your top tips for athletes, as it relates to staying happy, healthy and performing well?
1) Listen to your body. While I can not always pick-up on all the clues that body gives me, I have learned how to listen to my body. I am very in tune with my body. I know when my jaw hurts, I am lacking specific nutrients. I can tell when my watch is too tight on my wrist by the way my bicep feels. Your body gives you hints if you just listen to them.

2) It's ok to miss a workout. For the longest time, I felt like I had to justify a missed workout by describing a catastrophe. Now, it's ok to say, "today is just not my day" or "life got in the way." I am not one for excuses so if I have to miss a workout, I am not hard on myself. I know that life does happen sometimes. Big picture: It's all about how you roll with the punches.

3) Remember to smile and if you are feeling down, encourage others. The simple act of smiling and saying "good job" does wonders for my attitude. I may be having a crappy workout but by taking a second to tell someone else something encouraging, has a positive effect on me. I do the same thing on race day.

How would you define athletic success as it relates to your personal journey?
Year after year, my goal is to always reach the finish line with a smile on my face, while knowing that I enjoyed my personal journey to the start line. I am no Mirinda or Chrissie - this isn't my job. And not until I am in Harriet Anderson or Sister Madonna's age group, I am not even close to competing for a Kona spot. What is on the line is my health, well-being and my ability to be a positive role model for my family and for my community. Getting faster is a perk of training and one that I do seek, but I know that ultimately my success is being happy with the journey and inspiring others to work for athletic goals. I like to say I humanize the Ironman triathlon goal by showing everyday people that yes, it is possible to train for an Ironman with hard work, determination and grit.

What's your favorite post-race meal, drink or food?
CARBS! Pizza and Beer. Burger and Beer.

What key races do you have planned in 2017?
Ironman Gulf Coast 70.3 and Ironman Florida.

What are your athletic goals for the next 5 years?

I would love to get faster and try out a new Ironman course. But on the flip side, I know my son is getting older and he will soon want to do his own sport explorations. I am hopeful in the future that we can run a 5k together or that I can incorporate him into Ironkids events. Triathlon will also be my sport and my goal but I am open to new adventures and seeing where the next few years take me and my active body.

Anything else?
Remember to give back to the sport. I think so many times we can get wrapped up in our own little bubble of racing that we forget that every racer needs spectators to get them to the finish line. Every athlete needs an experienced sherpa. Every race needs volunteers to keep it running smoothly. New athletes need mentors. Take one or two give-back-to-the-sport opportunities each year to keep our sport healthy and growing. When we give back, we ensure that our sport will be around for future generations.

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Eggplant lasagna with a creamy red pepper spread

It was nearing 5pm yesterday and I had no idea what I would make for dinner until I remembered that I had a big eggplant in the fridge from this weekend, from what I planned to make eggplant pizza but instead, I decided that I really needed real dough. 

Karel spent all afternoon moving our empty 75 gallon fish downstairs tank (our big Flowerhorn fish passed away a few months ago) upstairs to our bedroom, to swap it out for our 55 gallon tank.

Let's just say that our African Chichlid fishes (and our big Green Terror fish) got a nice house upgrade! They are already enjoying the room and redecorating by moving around the sand.

It took over 5 hours for Karel to get the tank ready as moving fish from one tank to another is not a project that can be rushed and you really can't stop once you start, so I figured Karel would be ready to eat when he was finished. I was hungry by the time dinner was ready so I yummed first and then when Karel was finish with the tank project, he enjoyed his dinner. 

So here is how the dinner creation went down.

With no clear direction on what I was going to make with the eggplant, I started to pull out ingredients from my kitchen. 

Ingredients

Red bell pepper 

1 can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

1 can northern beans (rinsed and drained)

Curry powder

Olive oil 

Salt

Eggplant

White onion

Nutritional yeast

Farmers cheese

Tomato sauce 

Kale

With all my ingredients on the counter, I started to get creative. Instead of dressing the eggplant with the beans, I decided to make a spread instead (which could also be used as a yummy dip). 

This dip was so easy that it inspired me to make more variations of this in the future. Especially on the higher volume workout days when my appetite for fibrous foods is low but a nice spread on bread would be super tasty (and nutritious). 

Red pepper spread

Small red bell pepper (sliced with top and inside seeds removed)

1/2 can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

1/2 can northern beans (rinsed and drained)

2-3 tsp Curry powder

1 tbsp Olive oil 

Salt

1. Place chickpeas and beans, along with entire red pepper (sliced/chopped), curry powder, olive oil and a pinch of salt in a food processor and blend until creamy. If needed, add a splash of water to help with mixing. You may need to use a spoon to mix if the top of the contents doesn't get mixed in. 

2. Taste the spread and add more curry and salt if needed, to your liking. 

2. Spoon into a Tupperware container. 

Now it was time to make the eggplant lasagna. 

Eggplant lasagna with a creamy red pepper spread

1 large Eggplant (sliced somewhat thinly, not too thick)

1/2 white onion (thinly sliced)

2-4 tbsp nutritional yeast

Farmers cheese

1-2 cup Tomato/marinara sauce 

Kale (about 2 cups chopped, washed, stems removed)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

2. In a large glass dish, spray or use olive oil to coat the bottom. 

3. Place eggplant slices on the bottom of the dish (cover bottom - it's ok if some overlap). 

4. Smear a little of the spread on each eggplant. Now top with sliced onion, handful of chopped kale, crumbled farmers cheese and a spoonful of tomato/marinara sauce over each of the eggplant slices. Top with 1-2 tbsp of nutritional yeast all over the eggplant slices. 

5. Now repeat this process: Eggplant, kale, farmers cheese, sauce, nutritional yeast. There is no wrong way to do this so layer however you wish. 

6. Try to finish with 1 layer of eggplant slices on top, topped with spread and then a spoonful of marinara. 

7. Bake for around 30-35 minutes. 

This will make leftovers if you are only feeding 1-2 people. 

Enjoy! Don't forget to yum. 

(Note: farmers cheese doesn't have a bold taste but instead, a creamy texture. If you are feeding to cheese lovers, you may want to use a more bold cheese like Parmesan or sharp cheddar. You could also broil some cheese on top. Farmers cheese is very common in Europe, thus why Karel often buys it here in the store. Another popular brand is Friendship farmers cheese, which can be found by the cream cheese). 

Reduce the busyness in your life

Do you feel like your life is rushing by? 

Do you feel like every minute of your day is filled with something to keep you busy, like work, exercise/training, family, commuting, emails, phone calls, bills, social events and maybe some cooking/eating and sleeping? 

As an athlete, there's a good chance that you excel in managing a lot, every single day. You also may also have the tendency to say "yes" a lot, feeling like you can do it all, while saying no makes you feel inadequate. You may notice that if you have free time, you feel uncomfortable, insecure, unproductive, anxious and maybe even worried.

I've been working on the concept of busyness for several years. Not to be more busy but to become less busy. Yes, having more free time. I love staying busy and I thrive off a packed to-do list but I have learned over the years, that life was rushing by me way too fast and I felt like I was not able to really enjoy it. While I will never lose my work ethic (especially as a small business owner) and I know I have a lot to get done every day, I have learned how to say no more often, manage my time better, put myself first at times and to not overbook myself with responsibilities. 

Certainly, this did not happen over night and it was very uncomfortable to change my normal thinking and ways of going about life. 

My dad passed away from cancer in May 2014. I was very close to him. We talked every day on the phone. He was very proud of me for all my educational, work and athletic accomplishments and he did an excellent job of bragging about me to his patients. 

Of course, to succeed with my past accomplishments, I had to devote myself to what I was doing, with high motivation and a high achiever attitude. But at the same time, my dad always encouraged me to not work "too much." 

Not only was my dad always happy but he was extremely successful as the chief optometrist of a VA clinic (formally at a VA hospital for over 20 years). He just loved his job and he loved working. He had so many responsibilities at work and he hated to miss work, but he never seemed to be "too busy." 

My dad had a lot of hobbies - he loved old cars, old movies, listening to the radio, fixing things, electronics, stamp collecting, taking care of the lawn, coin collecting, astronomy and jogging. Despite being so successful at his job and having a family to raise and take care of, he was never "too busy" to enjoy things that he loved to do. 

Although my dad loved working, he passed away just two years away from his retirement, so he never really got to enjoy "the good life" as a retired adult. 

However, in my eyes, my dad had the good life. 

He never ever took a day for granted. 

He was never ever "too busy" to enjoy life. 

It's interesting that I married a European because I feel like my dad was always telling me to "work to live, don't live to work" which is a similar strategy of the European lifestyle. 

Of course, Karel didn't have this lifestyle when he came to America as when he pursued the "American Dream", he was simply an immigrant working 2-3 jobs a day, just to survive in the USA.

I learned a lot from my dad but I have also learned a lot from Karel. 

If you feel like there is always something to do, always overwhelmed and never enough time to do everything, take some time and begin to simplify your life. I encourage you not to put yourself second but instead, to think about your happiness and how it improves your overall quality of life. 

In order to reduce the busyness in your life, it is important to stop the equation of:

busy = happy= successful. 

You can be happy and not be busy and you can be busy and not be successful. 

And you can be busy, not happy and successful.

My equation looks a little something like this: 

Productive = fulfilled. 

Prioritize your life so that the most important things in your life are on the top of your to-do list. Be sure not to overload your to-do list with extra stuff. Manage your time wisely, be productive with your time, learn to say no and don't feel the need to fill in every free minute of the day. 

And above all, never ever neglect your own health. 

Weekend training recap - the cold couldn't stop us!

It was so nice to sleep in until almost 7am on Saturday morning. We were in no rush to get up since we had planned to ride indoors on our trainers. Another reason why we could sleep in was because our cat Madison let us sleep in way past her normal internal alarm clock (aka "feed me now!") went off (which is usually around 5:30-6am).

After getting some work done on the computer and eating a yummy pre-workout snack, it was around 8:30am when I went to our workout room to get myself ready for my bike workout. As I was writing my bike trainer workout on the white board, Karel looked outside and said "it's sunny, let's ride outside." What a relief as I wanted to ride outside but with the temps nearly 30 degrees, we both first thought it would be too cold to ride outside but without a cloud in the sky, we decided to bundle up and enjoy a few hours on our road bikes.

Although our toes were a little cold even with our shoe covers on, we both dressed well and stayed rather comfortable throughout our entire 3 hour ride. Of course, it helps to have lots of hills to warm us up. 

With  no set plans as to where our bikes would take us, we made our way onto roads that we had not ridden on in over a year. It was so nice to be outside and to enjoy what felt like new roads in Greenville. Since we have so many options for riding, every ride seems like a fun, new experience.

Karel lead the way for our ride and I followed along. I felt really strong during our ride thanks to so much trainer work (and variable cadence sets, with lots of heavy gear riding) so it was a big confidence builder for me to be able to stay on Karel's wheel for most of the ride, even on the climbs. Plus, I love riding my road bike so this was one of those rides that I just didn't want to end. 

With it being so cold (temps nearly breaking 40 degrees), I knew that I would need something solid in my tummy in addition to my bottles of sport drink (a bottle of Infinit Trimarni base fuel and a bottle of strawberry Levelen). I went with this yummy Luna bar as the chocolate peppermint stick was just perfect on this cold morning of riding. I snacked on it throughout the ride, along with drinking my sport drink at frequent intervals throughout the ride.  

A nice 4400 feet of elevation gain in 3 hours and 6 minutes of riding. We only covered 48 miles but that is pretty typical in Greenville as our terrain is very challenging so the miles go by very slowly, despite us working hard for every mile.

I finished the ride with a 25 minute treadmill run just to keep myself comfortable with running off the bike whereas Karel didn't run off the bike and he was just fine with that decision. 

After a good night of sleep on Saturday evening, Karel and I started our long run around 9am in 40 degree temps. Although we started and finished the run together, we didn't run together. Without a plan as to where I was going to run, I let my legs lead the way. Since I don't enjoy running on flat roads, I stayed on the hills and Karel went to the flat Swamp Rabbit Trail for the majority of his run (he warmed up on the hills first). We both ran for 2 hours but Karel covered almost 3 more miles than me due to his speedy legs.

My run workout included a 40 minute warm-up of nice, form focused running followed by 1 hour of endurance running, broken into 1 mile at a time, with the last 1 minute of each mile as a surge to fast effort followed by a 30 sec walk. It was a nice way to add in some speed into my legs but nothing too hard that would damage my body more than what was done with 2 hours of running. I was able to keep good for throughout my entire run and it was another confidence builder. I have been very patient with my run fitness and extremely diligent with my run training and strength training this season and it's finally all coming together. 

It's always fun to recap our workouts to one another after we train so I was really happy for Karel that he had such a great run. 

Here's my run recap, which includes the walk breaks. I sure do love my Greenville hills! 

Like usual, Campy was SO excited for us to come home. We just love the feeling that after 8.5 years of having Campy in our life, he still gets so excited to see us and showers us with kisses and hugs. We feel so lucky that we rescued this little 9 year old, golden (with a little white hair) nugget. 

As for the weekend eats, Karel had to run some errands on Sat afternoon so he stopped by the European Market (new to Greenville) and enjoyed finding some of his favorite European eats. It's fun when Karel finds a food that reminds him of his upbringing in Czech Republic as he always has a great story to tell with that food. 

After our Sunday afternoon swim (2300 yards), we made a stop at the grocery to pick up a few items for our Sunday night dinner which was homemade grilled pizza. We buy the dough at Publix and then grill it up on the outside grill and top with veggies and protein. It was SO good like usual!!

I also made this European-inspired salad with thinly chopped onion, tomatoes and cucumbers dressed with a little vinegar, olive oil and salt topped with crumbled farmers cheese.

It was another great weekend of training and we could not be more grateful to our bodies for allowing us to stay so consistent with training this season. I wouldn't consider us obsessive with our eating and training but we do place a lot of attention on proper fueling and hydrating during our workouts, effective eating before and after our workouts and healthy eating throughout the day. With good daily nutrition, the body can perform to its full ability during workouts and there's a good chance that it will be easier to stay consistent with training. Consistent training = performance gains. 

Remember why you started

This May will be 11 years since I participated in my first endurance triathlete event. Way back in May 2006, I raced Ironman Florida 70.3 in Disney. Who would have known that just a few weeks later, I would meet Karel (set up by friends) and we would start dating. 

I think back to when I started training and racing in endurance triathlons and the first thing that comes to mind is how much fun I had when I started. 

And now, 11 years later, I am still in love with the sport of triathlon. And the best part, I now get to share it with my cat 1 cyclist turned triathlete, boyfriend, turned fiance, turned husband alongside out team of Trimarni athletes and all of the friends that I have met along the decade plus of triathlon training and racing.  

 

The past 11 years haven't been easy. There have been many obstacles in my way along with setbacks, busy schedules and compromises. Whereas it's easy to assume that success can keep an athlete in his/her sport, I believe it's the idea of self-development that has helped me reduce the pressure that I put on myself as I am always focused on improvement. Sure, I want to do the best that I can on race day but I am always eager for an upcoming workout to see what my body is capable of doing. I never take for granted the lessons that I can learn from making mistakes and instead of attaching my self-worth to outcomes (like qualifications, placement or times), I always focus on the process. 

I wanted to write this post because I know first hand, that being an athlete is hard. Really, really hard. As an athlete, you experience failure, setbacks and obstacles all the time and you are constantly making sacrifices. This sounds like a really difficult way of living but changing your mindset about your sport, and remembering why you got started is extremely important when you find yourself at a crossroads of "should I give up on my sport or should I continue". 

Over the past 11 years, I have wanted to give up many times. Yes, stop the sport of triathlon, which means so much to me. It was always during the times of setback or difficulty that I found myself questioning if I should continue. Certainly, during times of success, I never question my desire to continue dedicating my free time to this sport. 

As I enter my 11th season of endurance triathlon racing, and look back on the 11 Ironman distance triathlons that I have successfully started and finished, which includes 4 Ironman World Championship events, along with the 13+ half ironman events and countless short distance triathlon events and running races, I don't overlook the countless moments when I wanted to give up during difficult moments. 

When I questioned my ability and desire to continue, all I could think about was why I got started. 

If you find yourself wanting to give up, ask yourself why you fell in love with your sport when you started? 

It's very easy to lose the fun and joy for training when you have high goals for yourself, when you feel overwhelmed in life or you are sidelined with an injury or sickness. 

Certainly, every athlete has times in his/her athletic career when giving up is the easiest option because you doubt your abilities and you can come up with a list of reasons to stop training and racing. 

The next time you think to yourself that your sport is too difficult to continue, make sure you refer to your list of reasons as to why you fell in love with your sport in the first place. What made you lose the momentum to train for your sport and how can you bring it back into your life in a smart, balanced and fun way?

Think about the possibilities, the opportunities, the experiences and the unknowns that made you so excited to train and race when you started your sport. 

4 tips to improve your running fitness

 

6 minutes or 14 minutes. It doesn't matter how long it takes you to cover a mile, a mile is still a mile.

For all fitness levels, running is a great sport to challenge your mind and body. But even better, running does not require a gym membership, it's fairly inexpensive and you can do it almost anywhere (and anytime) and it comes with a list of benefits including body composition changes, fitness gains, stress relief and self-confidence.

While running can provide you with a great endorphin-rush, making you feel like you are capable of tackling everything on your to-do list after you finish a run workout, running does come with a few downfalls.

Running is very corrosive on the body and in order to reduce the risk for injuries and health issues, longevity in the sport of running requires a careful balance of consistent training, good economy, proper recovery, excellent nutrition and listening to the body. 

Running is rather hard on the body and not every human body is designed to be a runner. Running requires good flexibility and range of motion as well as exceptional cardiorespiratory endurance and muscular strength. Injuries due to overtraining, poor biomechanics and improper shoes or increasing mileage too quickly are very common in runners of all fitness levels.

If you are looking to extend your running career or you are hoping to improve your running fitness, I have 4 important tips to help you enjoy your running journey.

Build a strong body – As great as it feels to check-off an hour run off your to-do list, it’s important that you build a strong and resilient body before you try to increase your speed and distance. Strength training is an important part of a balanced running routine for a weak body increases the risk for injury. It’s recommended to include 2-3 x 20-40 minute sessions of functional (ex. run-specific) strength training each week into your running routine alongside strength based running (ex. incline walking and hill strides).  Runners should aim to improve strength in the hips, glutes, lower back and core to ensure good pelvis strength but don't neglect the arms and feet. Bottom line, don't try to run yourself to a stronger body. Incorporate strength training and strength-based running to become a more resilient runner with better economy. 

Consistency is key – When you start your run training, you will either feel amazing and the miles will tick away naturally OR you will struggle with recovery after runs and you will find yourself sore, tired and unmotivated to continue. Based on research, the magic number of runs per week is between three and five. Less runs can place just as much stress on your body as running too much. Frequency training improves endurance, speed and stamina but you need consistent training to help you adapt to training stress with proper recovery. Also, frequent running allows you to focus on your economy and cadence, without having each run be a "key" workout designed to improve your lactate threshold or aerobic endurance. Develop a smart training plan that gives you several times to run per week,with different intensities and duration's, with no run workout being too exhausting that you can't recover from it before your next run workout. When you aren't running, consider cross training like swimming or cycling to bridge you from one run workout to the next. 

It’s not just about the running miles – Nothing can replace hard work so if you want to be a better runner, you have to pay your physical dues. But being a "better runner" requires so much more than running x-miles a week or running x-pace. Take a look at your lifestyle and recognize that good restful sleep (7-8 hours), a positive attitude, good stress management, attention to sport nutrition, balanced daily nutrition, a healthy immune system, good mobility, proper pacing, using RPE instead of being a slave to your gadget and a good warm-up will help you improve your running fitness. In other words, think about what you are doing when you are not running if you want to become a better, stronger and faster runner. 

Running is not punishment - You do not need to earn your food by running. If you find yourself running to earn a treat or to burn off food that you feel guilty about eating or because you hate your body, you are running for the wrong reasons. Running allows you to enjoy the fresh air, it takes you to different places, it helps you socialize with like-minded individuals and it helps you de-stress. Running should make you feel good. If you find yourself using your run training as a way to feel more in control over your eating choices or to reward yourself with "off limit" food, you may be forming a dysfunctional relationship with exercise, which may lead to disordered eating or excessive exercising. Make sure your reasons for exercising or training for an event are for the right reasons. Run to get stronger, to relieve stress, to feel confident about your body and to challenge your limits. Do not run for punishment, to earn food, to reward yourself, to justify eating certain foods or because you shame your body. Running should not control your life, your food choices or your thoughts about your body but instead, should add value to your life. Be grateful that you can use your body to run for there are many people in this world who are unable to enjoy the benefits of running.

In case you missed it, you can learn more about nutrition for runners in my recent Q&A Facebook LIVE chat with Run In.

                                  

Athlete spotlight: Winston David - A professional cyclist who refuses to give up

 

Name: Winston David

Age: 29

City/State: Greenville, SC

Primary sport: Cycling

How many years in the sport: 15 years

What Trimarni services have you used: RETUL fit

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Describe your athletic background and how you discovered your current sport?

I saw the Tour de France in 2002 and thought it looked cool. I did my first race, Cyclefest in West Palm Beach, at the end of 2002 and was hooked.

Here is the story of my career. It is a long one because I have kept at it for a while and I refused to stop for some pretty bad setbacks.

I began cycling at 14 years old back in 2002. As a junior racer I was moderately successful. At the end of the 2006 season I had a string of wins in some regional pro 1, 2 races. At one of the races I won, The Buckhead Grand Prix, the entire Aerospace Engineering Group- Toshiba- JetNetwork Professional Cycling Team was present. After that race I talked with Aerospace for a few weeks and secured my first professional contract. In 2007 while riding for Aerospace I placed third in the first stage of my first National Race Calendar (NRC) stage race, The Tour of Virginia. A couple days later I didn’t have the energy to pedal a bike and was diagnosed with mononucleosis. Aerospace retained me for the 2008 season, but at one of my first races I broke my elbow. The bone became infected with MRSA, and I had to take a super strong IV antibiotic for two months and was told to stay off the bike for another month. Also Aerospace folded at the end of the 2008 season, so that was the end of my first stint as a professional. At the end of 2008 I married my wife Sara, and I still trained and pursued cycling. Without her support emotionally and financially it would have been impossible to continue. 

With three months off the bike I was nowhere near my previous level though. I raced locally in Florida for a couple years, but it wasn’t until the end of the 2010 season where I felt I was back at my previous level. At the end of 2010 I placed second behind Joey Rosskopf at the US100k Classic in Atlanta, but still could not secure a pro ride. I rode the 2011 and 2012 seasons with the Globalbike Team and raced a lot of the NRC events but didn’t have any stellar results. 

At the end of the 2011 season I was riding my TT bike on a flat and straight road in Florida at around 30mph when a car decided to turn left right in front of me. I fractured a vertebrae and my sacrum and was not sure if I would be able to ride again. 

After a couple months of not being able to ride and doing physical therapy, I learned I was still able to ride. However, I was frightened riding on the straight two lane highways that made up where I lived in Florida. My always supportive wife agreed to move to Greenville, SC where a lot of my Globalbike teammates lived. It is necessary to perform well at NRC (now USA Pro Road Tour) races because that is where the professional teams race. 

During the 2013 season I raced with the 706 Project out of Atlanta and won the Southeastern Regional Series. In 2014 I joined the Lupus Racing Team where we raced a lot of the NRC races. In 2015 Lupus obtained a UCI Continental License, so I was professional once again.

With Lupus, I had the opportunity to race some of the toughest races in the world like the Tour of Qinghai Lake and the Tour of Alberta. I would not have had those opportunities with any other team, and I am very grateful for all the opportunities Lupus gave me. Sadly at the end of the 2016 season Lupus folded.

For the 2017 season I will be racing with a team based in Greenville called the Palmetto State Medical Elite Cycling Team. We will mainly focus on crits and will do some road races with the amateur/ elite National Championships in Louisville, Kentucky a main focus for the year. I plan on making 2017 my best season to date.

What keeps you training and racing in your current sport?

I want to see how far I can push my body and the results I can achieve on the bike.

What do you do for work?

Coach Cyclists and race for Palmetto State Medical Cycling team.

How does your work life affect training and how do you balance work and training?

I am fortunate that I have my own business. I am able to work in the mornings and evenings and train in the nicest part of the day. I do find myself unmotivated to train some days. Cycling is a tough sport. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it, and if we were not motivated sometimes we probably wouldn't push hard enough. On those days, I tell myself that this workout will help me to get stronger and to win races, so I usually knuckle down and make it through the workout. I have been training myself since the end of 2012.

Any tips/tricks as to how to balance work and training?

Don't stress if you miss a workout or are unable to get in a full workout. Consistently putting in the work for most of your workouts is the key to success. I've learned I need to stay consistent with training, diet, and rest. If I do not do those consistently I will not perform well. I have also learned to keep working hard toward your goals even if they seem impossible at times.

How do you balance your training with your partner? Any tips or tricks for keeping your partner happy while you train to reach your personal goals?

I have been married for 8 years. Without her support, it would impossible to continue. I could not do what I do without Sara. You need to find a balance of putting in the work and giving time to your partner. It is also very helpful if your partner supports your athletic goals.

Do you have a recent race result, notable performance or lesson learned that you'd like to share?

My best results to date came at the 2014 Tobago International Cycling Classic where I won the first stage and the overall. I also won the 2015 Rouge Roubaix. In my opinion Tobago and Rouge are equally good results.

What are your top tips for athletes, as it relates to staying happy, healthy and performing well?

  -Do things that make you happy. 
 -Consistently put in your training towards your athletic goals. 
 -Be consistent with your nutrition. 
 -Keep the people around you happy. 
 -Stay positive.

How would you define athletic success as it relates to your personal journey?

Always keep trying to learn. If you make mistakes learn from them. Take everything you learn and transfer what you learned into race wins.

What's your favorite post-race meal, drink or food?

Muesli soaked in unsweetened almond milk with cinnamon and a banana and an almond butter and banana sandwich.
What are your athletic goals for the next 5 years?

Win a US Elite National Road Race Championship and get a win at any USA Cycling Pro Road Tour Event.

What key races do you have planned in 2017?
North Star Grand Prix, McClellan Road Race, US Elite National Road Race, and SpeedWeek.

Where can athletes follow you on social media?

Facebook Strava Instagram Twitter Blog Website
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Weekend training recap: Miles covered and food consumed

On Friday morning, I got in a light strength session, followed by a 25 minute EZ treadmill run before heading to the airport to pick up Trimarni athlete Stephanie, from Tampa, who was in town for a quick 48 hours for a RETUL fit by Karel. I was really looking forward to spending some time with Stephanie, especially since she loves food and swimming, like me!

It doesn't take much persuading to gather together a group of Trimarnis for a group ride but I promised the Greenville Trimarnis that I would make banana bread to enjoy with smoothies, for after our group ride on Saturday. I knew if I made the bread on Thursday, there would be a great chance that it would not make it to Saturday (and instead, it would end up in my belly). Instead, on Thursday evening, I made a delicious loaf of ginger molasses bread, which was perfect for breakfast on Friday morning.

Ginger Molasses Quick Bread

Pg. 182 from Run Fast Eat Slow

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup dark rye flour, whole wheat or spelt flour (I used spelt)

1 inch knob fresh ginger peeeled and grated, or 1 tsp ground (I used ground0

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 egg

 1 cup whole milk yogurt (I used 0% Greek as that is what I had in my fridge)

1/2 cup molasses

4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (I used salted)

1/4 cup golden raisins (I used black)

1 tsp orange zest

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan with butter. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda. 

3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, molasses, butter, raisins, and orange zest. Add to the dry ingredients and stir just enough to bring the batter together. Do not overmix. The batter will be very thick. 

4. Pour into the loaf pan and bake until a butter knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. 

5. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the loaf to a wire rack and allow to cool completely prior to slicing. 

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After Stephanie got herself situated, it was time to head to Furman for a swim (around 11:30am). I looked at the swim workout on paper and thought, "this isn't too bad". Ha! I was SO wrong.

Stephanie is a fast swimmer so it was nice for me to be pushed in the water. Karel held his own in the next lane and he swam super strong, just coming in a few seconds behind us for each part of the main set.

WU: 300

Pre set: 8 x 50's kick with fins

MS:

100 at 65% w/ 15 sec rest

2 x 100s at 70% w/ 10 sec rest

300 at 70% w/ 30 sec rest

4 x 100's at 80% w/ 45 sec rest

500 at 80% w/ 45 sec rest

6 x100's at 85% w/ 5 sec rest

700 at 85% w/ 1 min rest

8 x 100's at 90% w/ 5 sec rest

We had a hard time holding ourselves back so I am pretty sure all the 100's were 85-100%!

After our workout, I made a beautiful salad. And no, we didn't just eat salad after that mega swim.

We also had fresh bread and quinoa for carbohydrates and Karel made a tuna mix for him and Stephanie and I had cottage cheese for our protein (Stephanie also enjoyed Karel's tuna mix).

In the afternoon, I got to work on the computer and Stephanie got her RETUL fit by Karel. The fit took a bit longer than expected as Karel had to do some mechanic work on her bike to ensure that everything was dialed in. We had planned a short late afternoon spin after the fit, but we were unable to get on the bikes as we ran out of daylight. Instead, Campy got a nice walk before dinner

Dinner was ahhhmazing. I made a shredded apple, apple vinegar and olive oil (with a little mustard) dressing to toss in a broccoli slaw, to serve with basmati rice and marinara and cheese stuffed mushrooms. I made tempeh for my protein and Karel and Stephanie had chicken (Stephanie and Karel also had some of my tempeh). 

We relaxed in the evening after dinner after making a loaf of banana bread for the Trimarnis after our Saturday workout.

We don't always plan group workouts with our Greenville athletes but when we do, we like to have fun. Seeing that most of our Gville Trimarni athletes are parents, we feel it is important to balance the outside long bike workouts with quality indoor bike sessions. Therefore, when we have an athlete in town or we feel the timing is right, we encourage our Trimarnis to get outside and ride with us. While it doesn't happen all the time, it's a great opportunity to see them in action and we always have so much fun. Although our roads are super bike friendly, we do enjoy having safety in numbers. 

For our Saturday morning ride, we had Dana, Meredith, Stephanie, Bryan, Al, Thomas, Chris and Karel. 

Oh, I forgot to mention that it was just around 32 degrees when we started the ride at 9am and the high on Saturday was only mid 40's!! But thankfully, the sun was out and we all dressed appropriately. 

We were so proud of Stephanie for riding so strong on our challenging terrain. She was extremely attentive to our suggestions with her gears and managing the terrain. We did have a few delays in our ride, like a broken chain and a flat tire, but they didn't add on too much time to our 3 hour ride.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the cars animals were out enjoying the crisp air.  

I had told Stephanie that our roads do not have shoulders were we ride so she saw first hand that we literally share the road with the cars. 

All smiles for 3 hours and over 3600 feet of climbing. 

We didn't have a route picked out for the ride but instead, Karel was the leader and he just let his bike pick the route as we rode along. We just love where we live as there are so many different routes for riding! 

Although the ride was "endurance", it was not an easy ride due to all the punchy climbs for the last hour. 

But, the mountain views make it all worth it. 

After the ride, it was a quick transition (and hello to Campy) at Trimarni HQ before heading off for a 25 minute run. 

And if you were wondering, our running routes are just as hilly as our biking routes. 

Karel ran with Al, Bryan and Thomas and I stayed with Stephanie, Meredith, Dana and Chris.

Although we all had tired legs from the ride, everyone ran really well. 

Perhaps it was this goodness that was to be devoured after the 3.5 hour workout that motivated the Gville Trimarnis. 

After the workout, everyone came inside our house and as promised, I made everyone berry chocolate Clif protein recovery smoothies (with milk) along with my homemade granola chunks and fresh, warm banana bread. Let's just say that there was nothing left of the banana bread and the granola was happily enjoyed with the smoothies. Happy bellies for everyone!

I was a bit tired in the afternoon but I had to get some work done on the computer so I rested on the couch with Stephanie (while I worked) for a little bit before taking Campy for a long walk and then getting ready for dinner.

Seeing that we rarely eat out, we just LOVE heading downtown for dinner when we have company in town (or it's a special occasion). We invited our Trimarnis to join so we had a nice group for dinner at Pomegranate On Main (one of my fav downtown Greenville restaurants). We first walked around downtown for about 30 minutes to show off our amazing downtown to Stephanie and then headed to the restaurant for our 6pm reservation. I just love the vegetarian options on this Persian menu but I went with the special, which was a mushroom, bean and spinach stew served alongside basmati rice. 

Karel ordered the Shish Kabob which included marinated cuts of tenderloin, eggplant, mushroom, bell pepper, pineapple, zucchini, onion and tomato, along with basmati rice with lime and dill.

In typical Karel fashion, he was full after dinner but somehow, had room for dessert next door at Blueberry Frog. I always joke with Karel that he has this special compartment in his stomach that is reserved for something sweet, no matter how full he feels after a meal. Karel has sweet teeth (not just a sweet tooth). 

On Sunday morning, I woke up to an alarm to take Stephanie to the airport (on her birthday!!) and it was sad to say goodbye to her, but, we will meet again at our Clermont camp in mid March. Although her trip was short, it was a great investment to come to Greenville so that she could get a professional fit by Karel to ensure that her bike was all dialed in for her upcoming season of training and racing. 

After I returned home, I was super sleepy so I went back to bed for for 90 minutes to get myself fully rested before my long run on the treadmill.

My run was challenging but in a good way as it required a lot of focus.

30 minute warm-up

MS: 6 x 10 minutes as (3 min steady, 2 min strong, 3 min steady, 2 min strong, 1 min rest)

Then cool down

Total: 1:42

Karel ran outside for 2 hours and did a similar main set.

We typically swim on Sunday afternoon but we were tired and felt we would get nothing out of the swim so we stayed home and stayed busy with some work that we needed to get done.

What a great weekend of eating and training, filled with great people and lots of miles in and around Greenville, SC!

2017 Trimarni kit design - the big reveal!!!

We are so excited to be partnering with Canari clothing for the 4th year in a row. We absolutely love working with Canari and we must say that their clothing is extremely functional, breathable and light. 

Canari provides custom clothing, which is one of the main reasons why we love this company. The design team knows how to take our vision and turn it into a top notch, stand-out design. Also, Canari has gone the extra mile for us in making one-of-a-kind clothing specifically for our Trimarni kit items. Karel is extremely particular with the type of material, cut, location of pockets and fit for every article of Canari clothing that we have in our Trimarni store so he works closely with  the Canari team by telling them exactly what he wants in our clothing and they piece together his needs for the perfect kit items for us and our athletes. Without exaggerating, our Canari kit items are truly custom made! 

We could not be more thrilled with the 2017 Trimarni kit design, also featuring our 2017 Trimarni sponsors. 

                                                    FRONT                                  BACK

Seeing that the race season is approaching, we are expecting a quick turn around of no more than 8 weeks from when we place our Canari order to shipping. In order to expedite this process, the Trimarni store will be open until February 1st (Wednesday evening) as we will place our order on Thursday morning. 

2017 Trimarni kit items for purchase: 

-Short sleeve cycling jersey - Top of the line pinnacle jersey with 3 rear pockets, awesome cut and great material. Full length zipper. 

-Long sleeve jersey - Featuring 3 deep rear pockets and full length zipper in the front

-Short sleeve tri top (NEW ITEM) - super light material, great fit, aerodynamic, prevents chaffing and sunburn due to the sleeves. 

-Tri top  - Two rear pockets and a 3/4th length zipper in the front. This top has a longer torso to fit all body types.

-Tri shorts - A light chamois to prevent chaffing if riding in the tri shorts but not bulky for running. Featuring a drawstring waistband for optimal comfort and a side pocket on each leg to stash your key, phone or sport nutrition. 

-Cycling shorts - Featuring a leg gripper to prevent rubbing and a comfortable chamois. 

-One piece short sleeve tri suit - A Trimarni athlete favorite. 

-Wind vest

-Running Singlet

-Leg warmers and arm warmers - Black stitching a white Trimarni logo so that you can style with your favorite kit. A must have for any cyclist or triathlete. 

Also, we finally have our first ever silicone swim cap! I could not be more excited about the design, which came to life thanks to Andrei with New Wave Swim Buoy. The cap is perfect for all size heads (especially females with long or thick hair).

We specifically picked the bright yellow with a hint of pink for open water swimming so that you could feel safe and be seen in open water. However, this cap is not just for open water swimming as it is very comfortable in the pool.

The Trimarni store is open to all active individuals. You do not have to be a Trimarni coaching athlete to order.

If you are interested in any of our 2017 Trimarni kit items, swim cap, Purist water bottles or BOCO gear hats, visors or beans, you can order HERE at our store. 

The kit items will be available for purchasing only until Wednesday evening.
Don't miss this one-time opportunity to order a 2017 Trimarni kit item.

Thanks for your support.

Any questions about sizing or the items, feel free to send us an email through our website. 

Athlete Spotlight: Justine Waters: Why this bada$$, humble triathlete can't stop smiling

Name: Justine Waters

Age: 30

City/State: Currently: Dover, DE (Military Wife)
Hometown: Albuquerque, NM

Primary sport: Triathlon

How many years in the sport: 4 years

What Trimarni services have you used: Retul, Training Plan, Group training camp, 3rd year as a one-on-one Trimarni coaching athlete

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Describe your athletic background and how you discovered your current sport?

Ha-ha. I would love to tell you about my glory days of college and the championships I helped win…but alas…I was one of those chubby college kids working my butt off trying to graduate without debt. Sports? A’int nobody got time for dat! I finished my first 5K in 2008, red faced, out of breath, and with an empty stomach, in a time most would finish a sprint-tri; but hey, it was a step forward. Soon after, with a spin class under my belt and a borrowed bike, I completed a 70.3 with only my family and the road sweepers to cheer me across the line. Oddly, I was hooked.

What keeps you training and racing in your current sport?

 IT’S SO MUCH FUN!!! Every day I get to lace up my shoes, clip onto my bike and jump in the pool. I consider myself so blessed and am forever thankful for my healthy body and that it allows me to reach for my personal goals!

What do you do for work?

I split my time between working in the emergency room and in a surgery center as a Registered Nurse.

How does your work life affect training and how do you balance work and training?
I love being a nurse, but it does come with some crazy hours and constant schedule changes. The key to my balance is food, sleep, and motivation. With my schedule, meal prep is a must, sticking to a plan is futile and when I get downtime, I don’t mess around…I’m talking books, baths, snuggle time with my hubby and dog Otis and relax time.

Any tips/tricks as to how to balance work and training?

I’ve got the goals, but more importantly, I need a plan to help me reach my athletic goals. For me, I always have to be honest and upfront with my coaches and myself. We’ve already made plenty of adjustments this year, but what I love most about my coaches is their honesty and their never give-up-on-me mentality. 
Other tips: 1) MEAL PREP 2) MAKE A SCHEDULE 3) NEVER NEGLECT SLEEP.
I like to look at my workweek along with my training plan, and I visualize how I want the week to go. I write down what needs to happen and when (ex. when I need to be at the pool, when I need to go to bed, what I will be eating etc).

Do you have kids?

Furbaby Otis.

How do you balance your training with your partner? Any tips or tricks for keeping your partner happy while you train to reach your personal goals?

I’ve been married (to Eric) for almost six years, and have been a triathlete for four of them. For the first year as a triathlete, we were just trying to figure things out. One thing I know for certain is that training and competing is something that I do, but it’s not who I am. I love my husband and he comes first. In the winter, my husband and I like to lay out my race and camp schedule for the upcoming year so we both know what’s in front of us so that he doesn’t get surprised as they year progresses. Scheduling is key so I plan date nights, reserve one weekend day to spend all day with him and try to do a little something special every now and again to remind him how much he means to me. He is my number one fan!

Do you have a recent race result, notable performance or lesson learned that you'd like to share?

My first Ironman was IM Texas in 2014 and after I crossed the finish line, I told my husband and Marni that I was going to compete at Kona one day. At my second Ironman, IM Maryland in 2015, I finished second and qualified for Kona that next year!!! There were so many factors that I could go on and on about that affected that race but all that mattered was I collapsed after I crossed that finish line, and the next day I got to hear, “Justine Waters, you’re going to Kona!". What’s crazy is that just five weeks earlier, I had my very first DNF at a 70.3, while thinking this may be the year I could qualify for Kona. And now I couldn't finish a 70.3? Instead of feeling defeated, it gave me more focus and fueled my fire inside!

In October, I raced my first ever Ironman World Championship. IM Kona was such an amazing race and I felt strong all day! To be able to compete on one of the most challenging Ironman courses, and against the best in the word was unbelievable! I loved every minute of it! The best part was that I had my family, coaches, and some of the team there to help cheer me on. Did I mention that I beat coach Karel out of the water? That's a pretty big deal.

I would love to say I had phenomenal race results, but I am still learning. What’s important is I have a healthy body and plenty of adventures in front of me.

 

What are your top 3-5 tips for athletes, as it relates to staying happy, healthy and performing well?

1) BALANCE, BALANCE, BALANCE
2) RUN happy
3) Get a great coach!!!

How would you define athletic success as it relates to your personal journey?

I try not to judge my race results on my time or overall/age placement, but instead, I think about how I felt throughout the race and how well I executed the race. Of course, I love to win, but it's not everything!

What's your favorite post-race meal, drink or food?

CLIF chocolate protein recovery drink, PIZZA and beer.

What key races do you have planned in 2017?

Mountain to Mainstreet half ironman 
Eagleman 70.3 
Lake Logan half ironman
Atlantic City 70.3

What are your athletic goals for the next 5 years?I would like to qualify for the 70.3 world championship and to be happy and healthy in the sport I love!

Anything else?

I love being part of the Trimarni team family! Marni and Karel help push me on days I’m struggling, are so encouraging, and help bring balance to my triathlete life with laughs, tears, recipes, and inspiration! I cannot express how much the team means to me and how encouraging they are. I’ve truly made lifelong friends. Every year I look forward to meeting new teammates, going to camp to hang out with my Trimarni family, picking team races or just being around like-minded people. It’s an honor to be this week’s spotlight and I am incredibly humbled. Thank you!

To follow Justine and her triathlon and life adventures: Justine Waters (facebook) JustJustine3 (instagram)

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Timeline of Sport Nutrition Products

As a Board Certified Sport Dietitian, I have a rewarding job of recommending sport nutrition products to athletes in order to enhance performance and to help athletes maintain good health throughout training and on race day. In order to make proper recommendations, I am always trying out new products to better understand the application of the product and to give my feedback on taste, texture and digestibility. The above picture is a look inside three of our kitchen cabinets full of sport nutrition products (with more products stashed away in the dining work and in our workout room closet - because everyone keeps sport nutrition products in a dining room hutch, right?).  

For decades, scientific breakthroughs by exercise physiologists have driven the evolution of sport nutrition products to help maximize athletic performances. Since the ancient Olympics, when athletes fueled dried fruit and wine before competition, the study, practice and promotion of sport nutrition has grown substantially. Sport nutrition progression has helped athletes train harder and go longer than in the past, which means more records can get broken.

As it relates to sport nutrition products, like sport drinks, it's really all about function and convenience. I often tell my athletes that they don't need to love their engineered products, they simply have to like them. It's also important to find creative ways to prevent taste bud fatigue and to train the gut to minimize GI distress, while sticking to a flexible and a well-practiced fueling and hydration schedule during long workouts in order to delay fatigue.

In other words, appreciate how easy sport nutrition products make fueling and hydrating. Sport nutrition products take away the guessing and calculating to ensure that you are meeting your needs during training and they give you precise feedback on what you did/didn't consume. Plus, it adds confidence to race day that you don't have to worry if your fueling and hydration strategy will (or won't) work because you can routinely practice your fueling and hydration long workout after long workout with similar products and amounts. Certainly, you know my approach to the daily diet - real food should make up the majority of your daily diet whereas sport nutrition products DO have a place during intense and long workouts.

In the recent issue of Triathlete Magazine (January/February, pg 56-62), I have a small article on the evolution of Sports Fuel (bottom of the pages), focusing on the history of several notable U.S. based endurance-focused sport nutrition companies. I also take my guess on the future of sport nutrition over the next ten years.

Since the magazine was not able to include all of my investigations, I wanted to give you a more in depth look inside some of the notable moments of several well-known sport nutrition companies.

Timeline of sport nutrition products:

1965 Gatorade – A balanced carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage was created. As of 2015, Gatorade’s inventors have earned more than $1 billion in revenue.

1986 Powerbar –The first “energy bar” for use by endurance athletes. In 2000, Nestle purchased the company for $375 million.

1987 Hammer Nutrition – In 1995, Hammer nutrition created the first energy gel sold with a re-usable flask.

1994 Gu Energy labs – Considered the first major energy gels distributor. In 2012, GU became the first official gel and chew sponsor of the Ironman.

1992 Clif Bar –In 2000, Gary Erickson turned down a $120 million offer from Quaker Oats to buy the company.

1992 EAS – In 1993, EAS releases the first commercially available creatine supplement (Phosphagen). In 2005, Abbott laboratories purchases EAS for ~$320 million.

1996 Carbo Pro – Provides a product with 100% pure complex carbohydrates derived from glucose polymers extracted from non-GMO corn.

1996 Pacific Health Labs – Accelerade utilizes protein in a sport drink with a unique ratio of 4 parts carbohydrate to 1 part protein.

1998 Cytosport – Makers of Muscle Milk, known as the number one brand in the ready-to-drink protein beverage category.


2002 First Endurance – Recognized for OPTYGEN by endurance athletes. In 2008, the EFS liquid shot flask was developed with a re-sealable pop top. The liquid shot contains no gelling agents.

2002 Honey Stinger – Originating in 1954 by Ralph and Luella Gamber as the EN-R-G bar, made with honey. The Gamber’s created the first ever squeezable honey bear in 1957.

2004 Nuun – Pronounced “noon”, the first company to separate electrolyte replacement from carbohydrates.

2004 Base Performance – Best known for Base Electrolyte Salt and race vials, where athletes lick the pure crystalline salt to maintain electrolyte balance.

2005 Jelly Belly Sport Beans – Performance Jelly Beans formulated with carbohydrates, electrolytes and vitamins.

2006 SaltStick – Creator of buffered electrolyte capsules, dispensers and most recently, chewable tablets to help athletes minimize heat stress and muscle cramping.

2006 Infinit Nutrition – Provides a revolutionary system of creating your own personalized sport drink, made from an isotonic blend of ingredients.

2010 Generation UCAN – Launched at the Boston marathon. Powered by SuperStarch, UCAN claims to help sustain energy and burn fat in a healthy way.

2010 Bonk Breaker – Embodies a whole foods philosophy of creating simple, high quality, real food ingredients into great tasting bars, chews and hydration products.

2010 Picky Bars – Made with a a 4:1 carb to protein recovery ratio, balanced macronutrients for sustainable energy. Containing only real ingredients, gluten and dairy free.

2012 Osmo  - Stacy Sims introduces the concept of “food in the pocket, hydration in the bottle” and “women are not small men.” Pushes for a new paradigm in sports nutrition.

2012 Skratch Labs – Dr. Allen Lim makes training food and sports drinks from scratch for cyclists and a business is born. “The Feed Zone” cookbook was published in 2011.

2013 Tailwind  - Known in the trail and ultra-running community, offering glucose/sucrose fuel, allowing athletes to go longer at higher intensities without gut issues.


2016 HOT SHOT – Curiosity killed the cramp. A propriety formulation of organic ingredients to stop muscle cramps at the nerve.  

My take on the future of sport nutrition:

2016-2018 – More engineered sport nutrition products hit the market, with light palatable flavors, made with “real food” ingredients and electrolytes.  Companies re-invent the shape of “chews”, bars become thinner and lighter and there is a substantial re-design in the packaging of energy gels.

2018-2020 - Sport nutrition products highlight herbs, spices, caffeine, amino acids and fatigue resistant nutrients, in addition to electrolytes and carbohydrates. Products focus more on fatigue in order to help athletes stretch physical limits and to break more records.

2020-2025 - Sport nutrition products become even more convenient with portable options, like buffered and effervescent tabs for “sport drinks on-the-go”. Sport nutrition companies turn the focus to pre-workout/race meal and drink products.

2025 – The emerging field of nutrigenomics makes its way into sport nutrition. By identifying exercise-related genetic characteristics, sport nutrition will become highly ultra-personalized working with one’s unique genetic makeup – Eat/fuel according to your genes.

Weekend recap: FOOD! (recipes from Run Fast, Eat Slow cookbook)

Oh the things I do for performance gains. Good sleep, proper recovery, mobility work and eating!! Seeing that food is fuel, it should be no added extra to your day to make sure that good food gets inside your body in order to give you energy and to nourish your many working systems. Cooking should not be seen as a chore, like cleaning your bathroom or taking out the trash. Sure, it's something on your to-do list but it is a skill that should be learned and appreciated through all the years of life.

For me, I love to eat the food that I cook and I love eating the food that Karel cooks but I also love being inspired by food that is prepared by others. I really enjoying trying new creations but more than anything, I love real food. I really value where food comes from, the effort that goes into preparing a meal, the presentation of a meal and knowing the purpose of the meal (nourishment, fuel or pleasure). Cooking is a process and although it does involve time, patience and effort, there's absolutely no reason why any athlete should not enjoy cooking.

My hope is that you will make the effort to spend a bit more time in your day to cook your food. Seeing that you are so busy, try to utilize your weekend and be creative with your time during the week. Considering that you are overburdened with work, squeezing in time for training early morning or late at night (or on your lunch break) and still making time for your family, spouse/significant other and friends, it's no wonder that you feel "too busy to cook." But the truth is that you can't expect "cooking more" to just happen. It's a lifestyle habit that you have to work at and make time for. It has to be part of your day, with no excuses getting in your way.

Remember why it is important to cook. Because it's a skill that keeps your body well, it's a responsibility to your body as an athlete and when YOU are in charge of the ingredients, you are more likely to eat better and feel better. 

GINGER MOLASSES GRANOLA

Adapted from pg. 54

Not only do you save money by making your own granola but your house will smell AHHmazing when this delicious crunchiness is ready. I love adding granola to my pre-workout snack or to my yogurt. Plus, it's great for those high volume workout days when you need to pack in some nutrients with energy dense foods but you don't want to lose the nutritional value of those extra calories. Blackstrap molasses is a great source of iron for vegetarians and a great addition to the diet for athletes due to its nutritional value.

Ingredients
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup finely shredded unsweetened dried coconut
1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses (provides your body with a dose of iron, B6 and magnesium)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F with the rack in the center of the oven.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, coconut, seeds, raisins, ginger, cinnamon and salt.
4. In a small microwavable bowl, stir together the coconut oil, honey and molasses and microwave on low until slightly melted.
4. Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and stir until evenly combined. 

5. Spread out in a smooth thick layer on the baking sheet. Bake and stir every 15 minutes (I set the timer to remind me to stir every 15 minutes). Bake for 45 minutes. Granola will be moist at the end of baking but will turn crunchy. (After 45 minutes, I removed from the oven and covered with a towel and kept it out overnight and it turned nice and crunchy). 

Cranberry Orange and Chocolate Pomegranate Scones

In case you were wondering, scones will not make themselves. Karel provided me with this ground breaking information as my hint to refill our scone container as it was empty after a few days from my first batch. No surprise, Karel loved the lemon blueberry scones that I made so I decided to change things up a bit with the add-ins. I used the same Lemon Blueberry scone recipe from pg 59 of the book but instead of using lemons and blueberries I added dried cranberries (about a handful) and a splash of orange juice. For the chocolate pomegranate scones I used a handful of frozen pomegranate seeds and a handful of chocolate chips. YUM!

RECOVERY QUINOA SALAD
Pg. 99

The picture of this salad in the cookbook looked oh-so-good so I could not wait to make this dish. Karel and I were invited over to my friend's/athlete's house, Meredith for a pizza party with the Greenville Trimarnis on Saturday evening and I was told to bring something healthy. I figured this had all the ingredients for something healthy to go along with a yummy slice (or two) of pizza and a cookie from our neighbor Joey for dessert. Although this is named a recovery salad, I won't be eating this too close before or after a workout due to all the roughage in the salad but it's a filling, crisp and flavorful meal option to bump up the nutrients in your diet, perfect for lunch time. Plus, how colorful is this salad? It will definitely be a show-stopper at a party/event or when you bring your lunch to work.

Ingredients1 cup quinoa
3/4 tsp salt
3 cups loosely packed, finely chopped kale, stems removed
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Jalapeno chili pepper, finely chopped, wear plastic gloves when handling (I removed this since I was bringing this to a party)

1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup lime juice (I used 1/4 cup lime juice and the rest fresh squeezed lemon juice)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I used 1/4 cup olive oil)
1 avocado, sliced (I didn't have a ripe avocado :(
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (it called for toasted and I used sunflower seeds)
1/2 cup grated Cotija, crumbled feta or chopped olives (I omitted the cheese since we were having lots of cheese on our pizza)

Directions1. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring to a boil the quinoa, 1 1/2 cups water and 1/2 tsp of the salt. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the quinoa is tender and all the water has been absorbed, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a large salad bowl, fluff with a fork, and set aside to cool. 

2. Once cool, add the kale, red bell pepper, chile pepper, onion, cilantro, black beans, lime juice, oil and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt to the quinoa and toss to combine. Taste and add additional salt, if needed. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
3. Just before serving, top with the avocado slices, pumpkin seeds and the cheese or olives.

Weekend recap: Training

I'm sending a big thank you to my body for giving me another week of quality training. I never take a day of training for granted. It's been 3 years and 8 months since I've last been injured and 10 years since I've had a cold/sickness. Not a day goes by that I don't thank my body for letting me do so much with it.

The overall training volume hasn't changed a lot over the past few months but I've noticed a bit more intensity throughout the week lately. I've worked hard to build a strong foundation since starting my training back in late October so my body is responding well to the added training stress. 

On Wednesday morning I had a tough hill run workout. Although the intense intervals only totaled 8 minutes, it was a leg burner and cardio stressor. 

For 20 minutes, I ran EZ on some of my favorite roads around where I live, which included no shortage of hills. After listening to a Facebook LIVE 75-minute educational chat with running expert Chris Johnson, PT, I used a lot of his running cues to keep me focused on my running mechanics during warm-up. 

When I arrived close to the street where I was going to perform my main set, I first did a pre-set of 5 x 30 sec build to fast strides w/ a 30 sec walk in between. 

For the run main set: 

8 x 30 sec strong uphill effort w/ 1.5 min recovery (jog/walk/rest) in between

5 min EZ

8 x 30 sec strong uphill effort w/ 1.5 min recovery (jog/walk/rest) in between
Then jog home (about 15 minutes). 

It was a great workout and I felt super strong.

In the evening, I tested out my new Tacx Neo smart trainer with a good workout that Karel wrote for me. My legs were still a little tender from the morning run but it felt good to spin them out and test out the CycleOps Virtual Training app on my ipad. You can see from the picture that my iPad is standing up on a microphone stand that Karel ordered for me. It was a cheap way to hold the iPad, where I control my trainer.

Wednesday night bike workout:

WU: 20 min EZ

Pre set:
2 x 4 min
2 x 3 min
2 x 2 min
Odd Z2, fast rpm
Even Z2/Z3, slow rpm, 55-65
5 min EZ

MS:
1 x 4 min build effort to strong, choice cadence
4 min EZ
3 x 3 min Z3/4 slow cadence (slop/resistance mode)
3 min EZ between  3 x 2 min high power/high cadence 100+ rpm, 3 min EZ between (slop/resistance mode)
3 min EZ between

CD: EZ spin

As for Thursday morning, I had about 1 hour and 45 minutes of fun on the trainer for my first real workout. The trainer is super quite and very smooth. There is no sticky pedaling, especially as I increase the slope or resistance.

WU: 20 min EZ

Pre set: 4 x 4 min (odd Z1/2 build rpm to fast, even Z1/2 build rpm to fast)

MS: 4 x 10 minutes as:
2xs (3 min Z2, rpm 100+, 2 min Z3, 45-50 rpm)
4 min EZ

Post set: 15 min Z2/3 - steady effort, gradually decreasing power and increasing rpm.

Whew, what a great workout, especially after the tough run on Wednesday. I've been super diligent with my nutrition before, during and after workouts to ensure that my body can stay consistent with training and to give me confidence that any fatigue that I feel is normal fatigue and not from underfueling or poor recovery. So far, I'm feeling very energized, strong and healthy and I hope that feeling continues to last as I am expecting a lot from my body in April and May.

I did a very short swim (1900 yard)  swim workout at lunch time to knock out my 2nd workout of the day because I had nutrition consults the rest of the afternoon through early evening.

As for Friday morning, Karel was off to NC to the A2 wind tunnel with our athlete Joe so I had to swim solo. Karel has been swimming almost every swim workout with me so it was kinda lonely swimming by myself, especially for this endurance tracker main set.

500 warm-up

Pre set:

4 x 200's w/ snorkel and fins

MS:
10 x 25s w/ paddles fast w/ 5 sec rest

35 x 100's on 1:30 at 85% effort

Total: 4900

I was feeling tired during warm-up and pre-set so I wasn't sure how the main set would go but after 6-8 x 100's, I started to find my rhythm and the set actually went by really fast!

Then I again, I was really excited to eat my homemade banana bread when I returned home from my swim.

Here are a few pics that Karel took of Joe in the wind tunnel. Joe is a 3-year Trimarni athlete and recently won the HITS Naples Half Ironman. When Joe started working with us, he was far from the athlete he is today. Joe is an engineer so his mindset is often to analyze everything but he has trusted us as his coaches since day one and he is not one for excuses. Joe and his wife Erica just had their first baby 9 months ago so it's been neat to see them both balance it all. This wind tunnel adventure was a fun experience for both Karel and Joe, just to test his position, along with other gear like his clothing, calf sleeves, helmet, wheels, bottle placements, etc. Karel and Joe learned a lot! The wind tunnel testers were impressed with Joe's attention to detail but also very impressed with his position on the bike (fit by Karel).

I wrapped up my day with a light strength session in the late afternoon, followed by a long Campy walk.

We received a nice package from our friends at Mg12 over the weekend, which came at the perfect time as we use this stuff regularly. I just love this line of products for recovery and the quality ingredients.

As for the weekend training, the fog and big chance of rain made it hard for us to get in the workouts that we wanted to get in outside but we dealt with what we were given and still had a quality weekend of training.

Joe, Karel and I headed out on our road bikes around 8:15am on Saturday morning hoping to get in a solid ride but as we headed on the trail out, the fog was rather thick so we decided it wasn't safe to ride (even with lights on our bike). Instead, we just spun on the trail and had more of a social ride for 90 minutes. 

Joe headed back to Jacksonville after our ride and Karel and I followed up our ride with a run. Karel ran outside and I ran on our treadmill for an hour. For me, just a nice form focused run with no hard efforts.

After an afternoon of working on the computer and making a beautiful looking Mexican-themed quinoa and black bean salad for our evening pizza part at Meredith's house (picture and recipe on tomorrow's blog), I finished up my long run with another hour on the treadmill. After not getting in our long ride on Saturday, I had planned to do two runs today instead of one long run to reduce the overall training stress with the previous training.

Sunday morning was a trainer ride with a main set that looked easier on paper than what it turned out to be. Nonetheless, a great trainer session for 2:20 followed be a 30 min EZ run on the treadmill.

Bike workout:
WU: 30 min EZ spin (build from Z1-Z2)

Pre set:
5 x 5 minutes Z2 (1 min at 70 rpm, 1 min at 80 rpm, 1 min at 90 rpm, 1 min at 100+ rpm, 1 min choice cadence)

MS:

6 x (2 minutes Z3/4 at 40-45 rpm w/ 1 min EZ choice rpm between)
2 min EZ
6 x (1.5 minutes Z3/4 at 45-55 rpm w/ 1 min EZ choice rpm between)
2 min EZ
6 x 1 min Z3/Z4 at 55-65 rpm w/ 1 min EZ choice rpm between)
5 min EZ

Post set:
15 minutes Z3 steady effort, choice RPM

Cool Down
-------------------------
Hope you had a nice weekend and you are finding yourself building confidence in your training/exercising and nutrition to move closer to your health, fitness and performance goals.

Never compare yourself to other people. Discover what makes YOU happy and then direct all your energy on yourself so that you can focus on being the best version of YOU. 

Healthy, delicious homemade banana bread

I love bananas. Karel calls me a monkey.
I certainly didn't take after my mom who has a slight banana allergy but instead, my dad just loved his daily banana (or two).

It's no surprise that I would love banana bread simple because it contains bananas. Plus, I hate wasting food so when my yellow bananas turn spotty, throwing them in the freezer for a future smoothie is a great option but I can't go wrong with making them the star ingredient in banana bread.

I'm still having so much fun with my Run Fast Eat Slow cookbook and I was literally waiting all week for my bananas to turn very ripe so that I could make the Spelt banana bread recipe on pg. 183 of the book. 

To learn more about Spelt, you can read more here. 

Spelt is an ancient form of wheat (cultivated since 5000 BC) and contains much less gluten than wheat so it may be tolerable for those who are gluten intolerant (but it should be avoided by those who have Celiac disease). 

Like many other grains, spelt contains fiber and protein, along with iron, copper, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, selenium, B vitamins and folic acid.

I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe. It is super moist and satisfying with just enough sweetness to excite your taste buds.
I adapted the recipe from the cookbook and modified the ingredients just slightly. 

Spelt Banana Bread

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups spelt flour (or gluten free flour)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1 stick salted butter (Plugra or Kerrygold are our favorite butter brands)
1/4 cup brown sugar (yep - that's it!)
2 eggs
2 large very ripe bananas (mashed)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Handful of unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use cooking spray to grease a 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan (or use butter).
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, use a handheld mixer or stand mixer to beat together the butter and sugar on low until combined. Add the eggs and continue to beat for 1 minute. Add the bananas and vanilla and beat just until combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the nuts.
5. Pour into the loaf pan and shake the pan to spread out the batter evenly. Sprinkle the top with coconut if using.  Bake in the center of the oven until the top is golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean (about 50-60 minutes). 

6. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Use a knife around the edges to loosen and to carefully remove the loaf.

ENJOY!!! 

Ahhh, I need to lose weight!!

As an athlete, you probably feel that you work very hard to develop the necessary skills, resilience, stamina, power, speed and endurance to help you prepare for your upcoming athletic events. Developing the fitness to participate in a running or triathlon event requires a lot of training and it takes commitment and requires patience, so it's assumed that skipping workouts, being "all in" all the time, not caring, deviating from your training plan to do what other athletes are doing, or haphazardly guessing your way through training are not effective ways to reach your race day goals. You simply become inconsistent with training, you lose confidence in what you are doing and you may compromise your health.

Is nutrition an important component of your training?

If you don't work at healthy eating, you miss out on one of the best opportunities to improve your performance and to keep your body in good health. To perform at your best, your body needs to function at it's best and the best fuel comes from a healthy, balanced and well-planned and timed diet.

So what's an athlete to do if weight loss is a goal, alongside performance/fitness improvements? And for the purpose of this article, I'm speaking about weight loss that brings you to a healthy weight and not weight loss for aesthetics, to show off your abs or to tone up your butt or to lose a few vanity pounds.

I can't say it enough but eating a healthy diet as an athlete is not easy. When your time is limited, you are exhausted from training, energy expenditure is high, you get up early to workout and your appetite is ever-so unpredictable, energy comes and goes and you are tired and sore, developing the SKILLS to maintain a healthy diet as an athlete takes a lot of work.

Most athletes would rather put the time into training than to work on improving dietary habits but this strategy does not work. You see, if you don't work on developing healthy eating habits in your early season, how do you expect to carry healthy habits with you as your training volume and intensity increase as the season progresses?

Healthy eating and performance fueling requires education, trial and error, a lot of planning, commitment, organization and an open-mind. Most athletes need help to learn how to eat healthy as an athlete. Because of this, there are many credible professionals that specialize in helping athletes learn how to eat a healthy diet and how to eat for performance, so that you can develop healthy daily habits and smart fueling and hydration strategies in order to make the best food choices possible throughout the day and before, during and after workouts, in order to reach athletic excellence.

With so much nutritional advice available at your fingertips and a lot of overly confident nutrition experts, it's important that in your attempt to lose weight, you understand and accept that there are significant physical, psychological, emotional and social changes associated with dieting. Asking an athlete to restrict calories, starve the body of nutrients or avoid/restrict carbohydrates, when energy expenditure is high, can cause great emotional, cognitive and behavioral symptoms that are performance and health limiting....NOT ENHANCING. Intentional or not, when athletes do not "eat enough", the body systems become compromised and you feel horrible.

Dieting, or restrictive eating, may cause food obsessions, social isolation, fatigue, weakness, hormonal issues, bone loss, irritability, body temperature changes, anxiety, depression, low blood sugar, sleep disturbances and the desire or motivation that you once had to do what you love to do with your body is no longer a driving force to keep you present in your sport. Instead, your mind is obsessed with your body and not on performance or health.

Seeing that so many negative physical and psychological issues develop when exercise and nutrition are taken to the extreme, there must be a stop to all of this talk on "righteous, good vs bad, eliminate whole food groups, sugar is bad, don't use sport nutrition, fasted workout" eating. This is NOT a healthy approach to weight loss. Sadly, there are far too many misinformed athletes that do not have a good perspective on what is needed in the diet and before, during and after workouts, in order to keep the body in good health while working for fitness improvements. 

As for the athletes who ignore fad diets and work hard to organize and plan the diet in order to eat "enough" and fine-tune details like proper fueling and hydration for individual needs (often working with a sport dietitian), well, those are the athletes to look-up to on race day because not only are they having a lot of fun in training but they are fit, fast, healthy and prepared on race day. These athletes don't diet or obsess about body image, but they give themselves permission to eat, indulge and fuel for performance and well, a better overall quality of life.

If you are trying to lose weight for health and/or performance reasons, you should not have to devote every minute of your day eating or training as you try to lose weight. And never should you have to use extreme exercise and food restriction in order to achieve or to maintain your "goal" weight.

It makes me so sad to hear that there are so many athletes who feel so unhappy with their body shape, size or weight. Worrying all day about what to or not to eat, trying not to eat "too much" and grinding out workouts on empty just to look differently. When you restrict yourself from food, you don't become a better athlete. Instead, you become weak, tired and withdrawn. Extreme exercising to burn calories or to reward yourself with food is not performance enhancing and it's not health promoting. You can't perform well with this type of lifestyle. You may think that you look fitter but you may not be able to do much with your body. The mindset to be "thinner to be a winner" is not worth the price that your body has to pay when you are energy deprived and trying to train consistently.

Seeing that there is a safe way and an unhealthy way to lose weight, ask yourself the following YES or NO questions to see if you are taking a smart approach to weight loss?

-You have drastically cut out a significant amount of calories?
-You are avoiding specific food groups?
-You are frustrated that you are not losing weight fast enough?
-You are intentionally avoiding taking in calories before and during workouts?
-You have your weight on your mind when you are working out?
-You are finding yourself overeating on the weekends because you "deserve it"?
-You feel irritable and moody, often low in energy and hungry?
-You feel confident that you can maintain this type of diet for the rest of your life, and be happy?

A smart eating approach maintains energy levels as you change your body composition. A smart eating approach does not negatively affect your health.
A smart eating approach does not limit you from food groups.
A smart eating approach keeps you training consistently. 
A smart eating approach helps you get fit, fast and strong.
A smart eating approach is sustainable and sets you up for a lifestyle of healthy eating habits. 

If you have recently found yourself saying "Ahhh, I need to lose weight!!" remind yourself that it won't come from a diet, weight will not rapidly fall off, there's no quick fix and you can't maintain good health and optimize your performance with a rigid and restrictive style of eating.  

Not sure if you can safely and confidently lose weight on your own, without affecting your health and/or performance?

Don't use forums and the internet for advice.

Reach out to a Board Certified Sport Dietitian for help.