Performing high quality workouts - weekend training wrap-up

Like most competitive athletes, Karel and I are extremely dedicated to our training but unlike many, we are highly competitive triathletes who are not too obsessive with the sport. We give a lot of our energy to training but training provides us with more than race day performances as we gain good health, enjoyment, socializing, being outside and pushing our boundaries thanks to training. We can also clear our minds and de-stress. I like to say that we have the ability to turn on and off our training lightswitch very easily so that the light only comes on when we train and then it's back to normal life so that the light never burns out.

One thing that Karel and I do not focus on as it relates to performance improvements, is marginal gains. While we do focus on all of the areas in our life, from diet, to fueling, to strength and mobility, to mental strength, sleep, gear and training in order to gain the competitive edge, we focus on optimizing the areas in our life that have direct performance improvements and don't waste our energy on anything else. In other words, when it comes to our body composition, we don't intentionally try to change the way that we look through diet and exercise. We eat to perform and we train to perform.  

This leads me to the topic of body composition, which is a very popular topic among the athletic world. In a recent article that I wrote for Ironman.com, I talked about making peace with your weight, all season long. 

Far too many endurance triathletes put way too much energy into reducing body fat in order to achieve a specific race weight (or to be lean) for performance improvements. Understanding that changing your body composition will only offer a performance advantage if the goals and methods are suited to individual needs, it should be assumed that if you organize your diet to meet your daily energy/macronutrient and vitamin/mineral needs and you fuel and hydrate smart before, during and after workouts, then you will be able to perform high quality training sessions with your body. Consistent high quality training sessions will maximize your fitness and you may unintentionally see a positive change in body composition. But trying to change the way that you look may not make you any faster, fitter or stronger, if you can't perform high quality training sessions. 

On the flip side, if you are simply trying to "get through" workouts (and life) with an underfueled and undernourished body in order to lose weight, lean up or to burn more fat for fuel, there is a great chance that you are sabotaging your chance of performing high quality training sessions with your body, all in an effort to hope to achieve marginal gains with your diet/exercise approach. 

You see, there is no guarantee that manipulating your diet, getting leaner or avoiding sport nutrition during (or before/after) training will improve performance. There is, however, a great chance that you will not be able to perform high quality training sessions, you may risk health or injury issues and you won't gain confidence for race day by putting too much energy into how you look now and how you want to look on race day. 

Because it is so easy to overlook daily lifestyle habits that can optimizing performance but oh so easy to put a lot of energy into the extreme approach of not fueling properly before, during and after workouts or not structuring the diet to help the body adapt to training stress, I encourage you to take a moment and ask yourself "Am I able to perform high quality workouts with my body, with my current daily diet and fueling methods?"

If the answer is yes, great! Keep doing what you are doing. 

If the answer is no, ask yourself why not? Because many athletes are lead to believe less is more as it relates to how much you eat (or how little) and how much you weigh, your best performance enhancer will come from performing high quality workout with your body - on a daily basis, week after week, month after month. 

As a 11x Ironman finisher, I still have yet to look for marginal gains as it relates to my body composition, like fasted workouts or trying to get to x-weight by race day, to take me to that next level. I have never been on a diet, I don't restrict any foods in my diet, I always eat before workouts, I never workout without sport nutrition and I never ever weigh myself. (neither does Karel). Yet every year, I find myself improving my skills and fitness as a triathlete and somehow, when I get closer to racing season, I see my body changing as I gain fitness. How can this be? 

There are no short cuts to success. It takes time to see results. Put in the work, be kind and respectful to your body, have fun, enjoy the journey, challenge yourself, stretch your comfort zone and focus on the little things in your daily life that can make a big difference and you, my amazing Trimarni follower will also find yourself gaining the competitive edge with your amazing body. 

Saturday training: 
AM - Donaldson center 

BIKE + BRICK RUN
Bike: ~90 minutes - country loop for warm-up

MS 3x's (perimiter loop)
8 minute at slightly stronger than IM effort

3 min smooth endurance

12 min at half IM effort

3 min smooth endurance 

5 min at Olympic distance

5 min EZ

Total: 3:38 hr
Miles: 67.8

Run off the bike:
5 min immediately off the bike, increase effort to half ironman effort

2 min endurance effort

MS:
1 min Z3
2 min endurance

1 min Z3+

2 min endurance

1 min Z4

2 min endurance

1 min Z5

2 min endurance
1 min Z5

2 min endurance

1 min Z4

2 min endurance

1 min Z3+

2 min endurance

1 min Z3
5 min EZ

Total: 35 minutes, 4.75 miles

PM Run: Treadmill50 minutes, 5.36 miles, form focused, EZ running (9:20 min/mile pace)

Sunday AM Long run (treadmill and outside): 15 minute mobility/hip work/dynamic warm-up
20 minute treadmill warm-up
Outside: 40 minutes hilly loop

MS: 

3 x 5 min at half ironman effort w/ 2 min endurance effort (and walk) between

3 x 3 min strong effort w/ 2 min endurance effort  (and walk) between

2 x 5 min half ironman effort w/ 2 min endurance effort  (and walk) between

Cool down

Total: 2.17 miles/20 minutes treadmill
10.5 miles outside/1:35 outside
Combined total: 12.57 miles, 1:55 total

A big thanks to the Trimarnis who I saw out training this weekend in Greenville - Bryan for joining us on the country loop, Thomas for pushing me on the run, Karel for helping me believe in myself and Meredith, for getting out there and working hard for dreams. 

Athlete Spotlight: Kristin Gustafson: Inspiring 2x IM Kona qualifying athlete, recently diagnosed with MS

Name: Kristin Gustafson

Age: 39

City/State: Mankato, MN.

Primary sport: Triathlon

How many years in the sport: 6 years

What Trimarni services have you used: Nutrition consult, coaching

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

I was always competitive growing up playing tennis and basketball in high school. I tried playing tennis in college until my third knee surgery changed those plans. Any type of lateral movement makes me scared so I decided to find other activities where I only had to go straight. After college, I missed being competitive so I decided to start running. I started with a 10k and quickly moved onto doing marathons. After doing 20+ marathons, I felt like it was time to try something new. My very first triathlon was a half Ironman in July 2011 and the rest is history!

What keeps you training and racing in your current sport?

There is nothing more satisfying than signing up for a race, putting a 100% into training, being dedicated every day to becoming a better athlete, and then finishing it all off with completing the race distance. I was recently diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) this past year so now, more than ever before, everyday I appreciate what my body allows me to do, especially when I can get a good workout in. You never know how good you have it until you can no longer do what you love to do with your body anymore.

What do you do for work?

I am a manager for a program called Real Appeal. I manage coaches who work with both healthy and overweight individuals. Obesity is definitely an epidemic in our society. I work for a great company who is trying to change lives for the better.

How does your work life affect training and how do you balance work and training?This can be tough at times with working long hours, but it is all about planning out the week. I am constantly looking at my training schedule to know what days I need to get to the pool or when to get those long workouts in. I love my sleep and love sleeping in, but I get up early every morning to get all my workouts in. Kid activities and family time take up all our nighttime hours so I try my best to get everything done when the kids are still sleeping in the mornings.

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

Plan out your week as best as you can. Start your day early so you can get the workout in so work or family obligations don’t get in your way. Get everything organized the night before so you are ready for tomorrow; have your clothes out, know the purpose of the workout, have meals prepped for the day, and all your work things ready so that everything runs smoothly and you can still get everything in.

Do you have kids?I have two boys and a dog. Logan – 13, Lucas – 9, and our dog Cyrus!

How does having kids affect your training? How do you balance it all?

My kids are definitely busy between all their sports and social activities. I definitely feel like a taxi driver most of the time these days. This is definitely another reason why I do all my workouts in the morning. Once my work is done, I am off driving the kids around. It is great for me because they love being active so I am definitely not complaining.

What tips and tricks do you have for other athletes who struggle to balance training with family? 

Since my kids are doing their own team sports now, I need to get in my training when they are sleeping. I am pretty lucky that they like to sleep in on the weekends. This works well in the summer when my training volume increases. I can get in a 4 to 5 hour workout before they even get up in the morning! I also encourage parents to encourage them to get involved in the sport of triathlon. My kids are now doing 5ks and triathlons. We make a weekend out of it so they get excited to stay in a hotel and participate in the race.

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?My husband is amazing. He is just as active as I am so we have our schedules down pretty good. He might do a small workout in the morning and then he takes the kids to school so I can finish up my workouts. He then does his bigger workouts right after work when I am picking up the kids from their activities. It works out perfectly with my workouts in the morning and his in the afternoon. I am definitely lucky to have the support of my kids and husband so that I can live a healthy and active lifestyle.

Do you have a recent race result, notable performance or lesson

learned that you'd like to share?There are actually three races that come to mind.
1. 2015 Ironman Boulder was amazing because I qualified for my first Kona. It was a long shot with the heat and altitude, but I was ecstatic to get that Kona spot. 2. Obviously, the 2015 Ironman World Championships has to go on this list. Just the whole experience of being part of the race and being on the race venue is something that I will never forget.

3. 2016 Ironman Wisconsin probably tops the list. I was recently diagnosed with MS and I had no idea if I would even be able to race that weekend. I had just gone through a round of infusions that put me in the cardiology unit just two weeks before the race. The doctors did every test possible to make sure I was safe to race that day. I can’t thank my body enough to let me have an amazing race and to earn another Kona spot (even though I didn’t take it).

  

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

1. Don’t take your health for granted. You never know what your future looks like and one day, you may not be able to race or be as active as you would like to be. Appreciate what you can do, when you can do it.  There are so many other people in this world who can’t be active because of health issues or injuries, so enjoy your workouts and pushing your own limits.
2. Take good care of your body with exercise, eating right, decreasing stress, and getting enough rest. These are all things that I am still working on, especially with the stress and rest.
3. Find other members in your community to connect with, who love the same activities as you. I am so lucky to have such amazing friends who love to run. There is nothing better than a long run with my running group!
4. Find a coach who you can trust. I can’t express how much Marni and Karel have helped me as an athlete, especially with my recent MS diagnosis. They have found a way to keep me safely training and racing so that MS doesn't get the best of me. Marni has literally changed my life since I started working with her on my diet. My gut is much happier and my body is so much healthier. Both Marni and Karel have so much knowledge that I am lucky to have such great mentors and coaches. 

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

My idea of athletic success has changed over the past year. When you have no health issues or injuries, it is all about how fast you can go, how hard you can push and how much you can improve with each race. Now, after being diagnosed with MS, it is all about how I can get to each race, in good health, so I can actually race. I am a pretty competitive person so this has been a hard adjustment for me and something that I am still working on. I am still striving and working towards doing both…getting to race day healthy and being competitive!

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

I usually have to wait a few hours until I can eat after a race. In the past, it was a cold Diet Mountain Dew right after the race though. I have recently given up drinking pop, so it will now be a cold beer and something salty - that will hit the spot!

What key races do you have planned in 2017?

I have a few triathlons on the schedule this year, including Ironman Chattanooga, but honestly, I am taking it week-by-week with my training. I am still trying to figure everything out with my body as I have to take shots 3x/week to stop the progression of MS, I receive infusions once a month to help with the MS symptoms, I take daily supplements, and I am constantly working on my healthy diet. Thank goodness for my coaches, Marni and Karel, to help me with my journey this year so that I can hopefully get to all my races this summer!

What are your athletic goals for the next 5 years?I truthfully can’t answer that right now. This past year definitely threw many challenges at me, that I did not expect or plan for. My biggest goal this year is to be healthy and happy. I want to show others that when life throws you a curve ball, you have to keep fighting. No excuses!! Anything else? 

Two things come to mind:
1. Remember to enjoy the process of training. It should never be a chore to do what you love to do with your body.
2. Thank your body for how hard you can push it each day and each week. Take your rest days, get a massage, sleep in, relax with the kids or your significant other, and eat some really good food and drink some cocktails!!
You can follow Kristin on social media: Facebook @ Kristin Gustafson
Instagram @ Kristin_gustafson

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2017 Trimarni Clermont camp recap

Checking out of life in order to eat, sleep and train......could life get any more fun??

For many triathletes, the idea of attending a training camp is extremely exciting. But for others, the idea of stepping outside your comfort zone, in an unfamiliar training environment, with new athletes is scary and uncomfortable.

At a Trimarni training camp, we cater each camp to specific fitness levels so that no athlete feel excluded. Our camps offer a judgement and ego-free zone, where everyone supports, motivates and encourages one another. Karel and I work together to make sure that every camper receives the best experience possible and leaves camp with improved knowledge and skills, in order to train and race better in his/her familiar training environment.

With this being our 4th consecutive training camp in Clermont, FL, I'd say that this was one of the best ones yet. We had an amazing group of triathletes, from all over the US, of all fitness levels. There was no weak link and everyone worked so great together. Despite the chilly weather when we arrived to Clermont, all of our campers stayed safe throughout camp and comfort zones were stretched and new skills/habits were achieved.

Here's the breakdown of our Clermont camp......

Swag, swag and more swag!! This is one of my favorite parts about camp! I just love filling the goodie bags with Trimarni sponsor swag. 

A huge thank you to our 2017 Trimarni sponsors

-Run In
-New Wave Swim Buoy
-Mg12
-Clif
-Cheribundi
-Veronica's Health Crunch
-Infinit
-Levelen
-Hot Shot
-Boco Gear
-Canari

-Xterra
-Alto cycling
-Swamp Rabbit Inn and Lodge
-Salem Anesthesia

After Karel did two bike fits on Wednesday afternoon, we had an optional workout on Wednesday evening (bike or mobility) which was a nice way for the campers to get to know one another and to ease into their new training environment. In Clermont, all campers stay at a Duplex, which works perfect for our large group.

Karel and I had a team meeting with the group at 6:30pm, which included athlete introductions. Of course, no group meeting would be complete with an ice breaker, which included "what would be your superhero power if you could make one up?"

We had some great responses by our athletes. Karel selected a superhero power of being able to change the wind while he was riding his bike in a race so that only he would get tailwind and everyone else would get headwind. My superhero power would be to talk to animals.

Around 7:30pm, we left our campers so that we could get a good night of sleep before the first day of camp. 

Day 1 - Swim, bike and run

Our morning swim was pushed back by 90 minutes due to the cold temps so we met at the NTC at 8:30am for a 9am workout. We first explained the strength endurance + speed swim set to our campers and then moved our way outside (in 40 degrees) for dynamic stretching. 

The nice thing about cold weather and an outdoor pool is easy to get in, hard to get out. For the coaches on deck, however.....Brrrrrr. 

We split our campers into three lanes based on swimming ability and offered skill feedback to our campers as they were swimming. This set was endurance focused but we added a bit of intensity with short rest to provide a bit of cardio stress. 

After the 90 minute long course swim, our campers sprinted to the locker room for a warm shower. Thankfully, the water was warm in the pool so when Karel and I were done coaching, it was our turn to do the workout. Oddly enough, we were so looking forward to jumping in the pool in order to warm up!

After a 2.5 hour break, we met up with our campers at 1:30pm for a 3 hour ride. This ride was very specific on variable cadence work. This was our first opportunity to see our campers in action and for several, there first time outside on the bike since last fall due to frigid temps.

We first rode out to our first interval section, which was on a 2 mile windy stretch of flat road. We had our campers do 6 x 5 minute intervals of varying cadence (choice, heavy, higher than normal) all at a Z3 effort. Because of the out and back stretch of road, Karel and I were able to ride one on one with our campers and provide feedback. The hands on work is so valuable for us coaches, especially on the bike.

                             

Did we mention how much we love our new Canari kits???

After the first main set, it was time to head over to the back side of Sugarloaf mountain for some hilly intervals. We had our campers perform heavy gear work for 2.8 miles, which included a few steady climbs. After one interval, we had them ride easy back down and perform another round of heavy gear work to the top.

After main set number two was complete, it was time for the fun part of the workout....a TT up Sugarloaf mountain!!

This 3/4th mile climb is steep and we had our campers give a best effort to the top. Every one of our campers made it to the top and we were so proud of everyone for not complaining and for giving a solid effort after two tough main sets. We then all rode back home to complete a little over 3 hours of riding. 

After spending much of the day working out, it was time for the last workout of the day, which was a 15-20 minute easy brick run, followed by a 6 x 10 sec hill strides.
What a great way to end day 1 of camp!
Our campers were ready for some food after workout #3 so we didn't have a team meeting that evening but instead, scheduled a team talk for before the Friday bike workout. 

Day 2 - Run, Bike, Open water swim

Now that our campers were comfortable with each other, after giving them a good dose of training on day 1 of camp, we headed to the Clay Trail for the first workout on day 2 of camp. We met at the trail at 7:30am for a dynamic warm-up, followed by a run workout and then main set. 

All of our campers were required to wear hydration belts to stay fueled and hydrated. Even though it was cool outside (low 40's), the overall quality of workouts, throughout the entire camp, depends on proper fueling/hydration for every workout.

The nice thing about day 2 of camp is that the campers begin to form friendships with one another and you can see more teamwork and support for each other.
We gave our campers a specific interval workout to work on pacing on the gently rolling hills on the Clay Trail. The set included 4 rounds of 14 minute intervals of 8 min smooth endurance effort, 4 min moderate strong, 2 min strong and then 1 minute rest. This was a 1 hour main set for a total of 90 minutes of running. 

Since we asked our campers to run out and back sections in order to cover different stretches of the Clay road for different intensities, Karel and I were able to run with our campers and give feedback (or to give them a little push). 

I have to be honest and say that the Clay Trail is one of my favorite running routes. I just love the soft surface and the sunrise is picture perfect. 

After the run, we instructed our campers to drink their Cheribundi tart cherry juice to help reduce inflammation and to help with recovery and to follow up with a protein drink (Clif hydration). We just love tart cherry juice and we have been drinking it more regularly after our intense/long workouts to offer a natural way to reduce inflammation. I am a big proponent of juice post workout as it is easy to digest and it is refreshing and rehydrating. 

What a great workout to start day 2 of camp! 

We gave our campers about 2 hours of recovery before we headed over to the team house/Duplex for a talk on bike execution, managing terrain and changing gears. It was a very beneficial talk as Karel did an exceptional job explaining the most efficient ways to ride on hills and in wind. 

After the 1 hour talk, we all headed out on our bikes to recon the Olympic distance course. We gave our athletes a few intervals to do but nothing too intense. This was another opportunity for us coaches to ride side by side with our campers and help with changing gears, when to sit up and when to get out of the saddle. Assistant coach Joe also helped us out on the course - he was a great help at camp. 

After the almost 1:45 hr bike ride, our campers gathered their swim gear and we all walked down to Waterfront park for an open water swim. This was a great opportunity for our campers to get comfortable in open water, test out their wetsuits (which have been sitting in the closest for several months) and work on sighting and building efforts in the open water. A big thanks to New Wave Swim Buoys for providing buoys to all our campers. Not only does this make it easy for us to see our campers but the buoys act as a way to rest, in the case of an emergency like shortness of breath or a cramp. 

After the open water swim, our campers returned back to the team house to clean up and Karel and I went back to our rental house, before heading out to Lil Anthony's to pick up the pizza. At every camp, Karel and I treat our campers to a team dinner, which typically is a pizza dinner. We ordered 6 XL pizzas (3 vegetarian and 3 for the meat lovers) and 1 small gluten free pizza (for our athlete/camper with Celiac). It was a yummy way to end the evening.

Day 3: Ride, run

With only one day left until race day, our campers were carrying around a bit of fatigue. We know that day 3 is always the tough day as the body is sore, the mind is tired and well, some campers are just moving slow. But, in a group environment, others can bring out the best in you.

With chilly temps at 7:30am, we rolled out and headed toward Buckhill for 4 loops on rolling terrain. We finished our last bike workout of camp with 3 hours of riding and our campers did amazing. We had our campers team up with athletes of similar abilities to ride loops on the hills and to ride at a steady/strong effort. Karel and I would ride with the groups for a little while and then branch off and join another group. We had a SAG vehicle available in case anyone needed anything. We could not have been more proud of our campers as everyone rode strong and applied all the tips that we discussed during camp. 

After the ride, it was time for one last brick run (before the race), which was a short 15-20 minute shake out run.

As for the rest of the day, the campers had an optional open water swim (on their own) as well as picking up their race packets at the race venue. 

Karel worked on our bikes in the afternoon to get them race ready and while he was working on our bikes, I laid out all my swim/bike/run gear to get it all ready for race day. 

Karel and I headed down to the race venue to get our packets in the mid afternoon and then Karel went for an open water swim (he swam the race course) as I watched him and chatted with my friend Elyse.

Around 4:30pm, Karel and I had our last chat with our campers to discuss race strategy for Sunday's event and a Q&A where our campers could ask us anything. Karel did a little bike mechanic work on a few bikes and then it was time for our campers to eat their pre-race meal before getting everything ready for the race on Sunday. 

While laying in bed around 8pm, I found myself with some pre-race nerves on Saturday evening. Although this was just a fun race and a great way to end camp with our campers, no training session can replicate what you feel on the night before a race or on race day morning. I talked to Karel about my race strategy for Sunday and he gave me reassurance that I could bike hard (like really, really hard). In other words, this race was all about taking risks, trying new things and being willing to fail. 

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With so many distractions, responsibilities and stressors in life, a training camp offers a safe, fun and interruption free environment in order to learn, stretch your comfort zone and to train with others. If you are considering attending a training camp in the near future, don't be afraid of what you can't do but instead, get excited about what you will be able to do with your amazing body.

Great Clermont Olympic Triathlon - race recap

With a job title of "triathlon coach", Karel and I have the big responsibility of help our team of athletes, physically prepare for races while keeping them in good health. 

Coaching is much more than writing workouts as it requires understanding the athlete as an individual and stepping inside the athlete's life to provide the most appropriate training plan for consistent athletic development. 

Karel and I take our coaching job very seriously and part of our job is putting on training camps. We absolutely love the camp experience as a way to interact with athletes in a group training environment. 

Seeing that Karel and I are not only coaches but we are also athletes, it's important to stress that we understand exactly what our athletes feel and experience with training and we are very aware of the fact that training for triathlons, in a busy life, is not easy.

But, on race day, we are reminded of the why in our triathlon hobby. Race day is what we all live for as we can put all that hard work to good use and share the suffering with teammates. The energy, nerves and excitement is alive on race day and only on race day do you truly feel like a real athlete. 

I can't fully express it in words but I can tell you that racing with our athletes is one of the coolest and most rewarding parts of our job as coaches. Being on the same course as our athletes, experiencing the same conditions and going through the same highs and lows, nerves and uncertainties is what racing is all about. 

The Great Clermont Olympic triathlon holds a special place in my heart as it was the very first triathlon venue that Karel watched me race in, back in 2006 after a few months of dating. Now, 11 years later, after racing this event at least a half dozen times, I did something that I never thought I would do with my body - win the race as overall female. 

This race win is dedicated to all my Trimarni athletes and campers as they are the reason why I love this sport so much and why I continue to push my body in training and on race day. For Karel, the sport of triathlon has given him a new outlet to be competitive and to explore his physical limits and we both love sharing our race experiences with our athletes.

For your reading entertainment, here's the recap of the race.  

RACE DETAILS: 

Marni: 

Swim: 23:34

T1: 2:11

Bike: 1:07.48 (21.9 mph)

T2: 1:28

Run: 46:38

Total: 2:21.37

First overall female

Karel: 

Swim: 23:11 (Karel finally beat me in the swim!)

T1: 1:53

Bike: 1:03.15

T2: 1:29 (I beat Karel in T2!)

Run: 38:30

Total: 2:08.16

PRE RACE:

Nutrition: 

1/2 cup oatmeal + syrup + peanut butter + dates 

Hardboiled egg

8 ounce coffee w/ milk

8 ounce water

Transition area: 8 ounce water with Clif hydration (1 scoop)

Karel and I woke up at 4:45am and after eating our pre-race meals (Karel had a croissant w/ jam and INFINIT Mud in his second cup of coffee), we headed down to the transition area (via bike) which just a few minutes down the road. I left before Karel at 6am to set up my transition area.

After body marking and setting up my transition, I saw all my Trimarni campers start to roll in. They all looked SO good in their new kits. Karel and I sported our new kits as well, but Karel surprised me with our own brightly colored custom Canari kits (Pink and Green).

After 3 days and 8 workouts at camp, they were all excited to race but a bit nervous as to how the morning would turn out. We assured them that this race was all about dusting off the rust as the first race of the season and taking smart risks and applying the information learned at camp.

I spent a good 20 minutes getting myself warmed up on dry land before putting on my wetsuit. Karel spent at least 30 minutes jogging around to get his blood flowing.

After putting on our wetsuits, we made our way down to the water to get into the chilly lake for a warm-up (it was around 68 degrees). After warming up, adjusting the wetsuit and goggles and getting myself comfortable in the open water, I exited the water to line up with the first wave of women to start at 7:30am.

Not knowing what to expect as this was my first triathlon race since August, my focus was to just stay present and to go through the motions of racing so that I could shake out my nerves and get myself more comfortable in the race environment for my upcoming more important races. 

I have to say that it was a great feeling to be surrounded by so many of my athletes/campers and also to see so many familiar faces out on the course. My most favorite part about racing is being around the other athletes as I have made so many friendships thanks to the sport of triathlon. 

Swim: 

Goggles: TYR Pink 2.0 special ops 

Wetsuit: Xterra Vengeance
Gadget - Garmin 920

The water was dark and a little choppy. The course was a large counter clockwise rectangle and with the sun slowly rising, we didn't have to worry about swimming into the sun. There were plenty of buoys to keep us on course but I found myself zig zagging a few times due to the chop. My athlete Stephanie is an excellent swimmer so we both found ourselves swimming next to each other (and sometimes hitting each other - let's say love taps) for almost all of the swim. There was one lady swimming right in front of us for the entire swim and I couldn't get myself to catch her or stay on her feet. To be honest, I didn't feel too good in the water. I didn't feel speedy or slow, just so-so. I guess I needed this swim to just go through the motions. Regardless of how I felt, Karel beat me out of the water! He has been working really hard with his swimming and we swim a lot together so I am glad to see that he is feeling more confident and comfortable in the open water. I guess I need to really step up my swimming game!

I exited the water in 2nd (women were first wave at 7:30am) and just in front of Stephanie. I had the wetsuit stripper help me take off my wetsuit and I ran into the transition area. 

I did a quick transition and ran with my bike to the mount line and then started up the hill to star the bike portion. I was actually most excited for the bike portion of the race as 1) I have improved my power and skills a lot on the bike 2) My bike is much more "aero" thanks to Kare, so I wanted to test it out for the first time 3) I love riding my bike. 

Bike: 

Bike: Trek Speed Concept 7 series custom (pink rocket) w/ Shimano ultegra Di2 shifting 

Wheels: Alto cycling. Front: cc56. Rear: cc86 

Helmet: Lazer Wasp Air w/ shield

Fuel: Infinit Trimarni base blend (220 calories) 

Socks: Swiftwick 

Shoes: Bontager XKL hilo

As I started the bike, I yelled behind to Stephanie "Great swim!" and I was off. It was only about a mile down the road that I caught the first place female and I found myself riding behind the police car, who was leading the race. I received no draft from the police car as he was way in front of me but it was a really neat feeling to have that escort for the entire bike.

Since I know this course really well, I had a lot of confidence on the course. I knew every turn, hill and descend, which made it much easier to execute on this course. My race strategy was to go hard on the bike and see what happens to my legs on the run. Karel wanted me to ride hard and he believed that I could still run well off the bike, even after a very hard effort for 40K.

For the entire bike, I pushed hard. My quads were burning and my glutes were working but I felt strong. Since Greenville gives us such challenging riding, Clermont is such a different riding terrain for me and I really wanted to take advantage of the gentle rollers and smooth pavement.

The highlight of the bike course was seeing Karel after I made the first turn around. Whereas I usually get a smile out of Karel, he actually lifted his head up and gave me a loud yell. I am not sure what he said but I could tell that he was so proud of me to be in the lead, behind the police car. Let's just say that marrying a cat 1 cyclist meant that one day I would be a strong cyclist. Well, that day has finally come and I owe it all to Karel. 

I saw my competition, which included my friend and superstar athlete Elyse, as well as several of my Trimarni athletes/campers, which gave me a lot of energy.

I gave myself one littler breather to loosen up my legs after the 2nd turn around but besides that, I pushed hard for the entire ride and wowzer, did it hurt!

I made sure to stay fueled and hydrated since I was going into this race after 4 days of leading our training camp (8 workouts) so I sipped on my 220 calorie bottle of INFINIT throughout the race - always making sure to take several gulps when I drank. I now have my bottle cage between my aero bars as Karel recently moved it from my frame (to be more "aero") and I have to say, I really like it as I find myself drinking more often and it's very easy to grab.

I stayed in the lead of the race until about 1/2 mile before T2, when I was passed by the first place male.

Throughout the entire bike, I found myself thinking "I won't be able to run after this.....stay present, don't think about the run!" I was thinking this over and over and I tried to stay as present as possible on the bike. When the time came to get off the bike, my legs didn't feel too wobbly, which was surprising! 

Run: 

Shoes: New Balance Zante

Hat: Boco gear performance trucker
Sunglasses: Oakley women radar lock with vents

Hydration belt: Nathan mercury 2

Fuel: water and Clif hydration cran razz  

I tried to get as much of a lead on the bike as I could, along with any extra "free speed" in transition, as I worried about any fast runners behind me. While I would love to call myself a fast runner, I feel my strength is in endurance racing and as a resilient athlete, I feel I am great at not slowing down.
I put on my running shoes and fuel belt and jogged out of transition while putting on my race belt. I had my sunglasses sitting on my trucker hat so I was able to grab the hat (with sunglasses on it) and put on my hat and then sunglasses as I began to run.

The first mile of the run felt ok but certainly not great. The best part was having an amazing female lead escort on the bike, leading me on the course. Not only was she super supportive to me, cheering me on but she was encouraging everyone around to give me a cheer. She really made the run a lot more exciting for me. It felt a big windy in my face heading out to the first turn around, around 1.5 miles on the trail. Around mile 1, I hit a very low spot and I felt extremely uncomfortable running. I was having trouble breathing with a pain in my ribs, my heart rate monitor was uncomfortable and I just felt blah. I kept trying to focus on good form and to help me out, I would count "1, 2, 3, 4" with every foot strike to find a good rhythm. Oddly enough, all my pains went away when I hit the turn around and I suddenly felt good again! I saw Elyse and she gave me a huge smile and I cheered her on. The first place male was way ahead and when I saw Karel, as the 2nd male, he gave me a cheer and told me to stay steady as I had a big lead.
To be honest, it sure didn't feel like a big lead as I felt like Elyse was coming for me so for the next few miles, I didn't look back as I just stayed focused on what I needed to do to keep my lead for however long that I could. 

It was so great to get back to the crowds at the race venue and to see my athletes on the course. With another 3.5 miles to go, I started to find my rhythm. Like I said earlier, I didn't feel fast and didn't expect this to be a "fast" run but I really wanted to see how my legs would perform after such a hard bike. Although I wore my Garmin throughout the race, I never once looked at it on the run. I had it autolap each mile so that I could review it after the race (I used multisport function for the race).

Although I never felt tired during the run, I experienced a few moments where I felt like I was running low on energy. Thank goodness that I had my fuel belt as I needed that extra energy between the aid stations. I didn't grab anything from the aid stations but instead, grabbed my sport drink flask or water flask as needed throughout the race. I also used my water to cool myself as I found myself getting a little warm near the middle of the run.

After the final turn around, which seemed to take forever to get to after seeing mile 4, I saw Karel and he said "damage control." Not sure what he meant by that at the time but when he passed me again, he just told me to enjoy the rest of the race. Karel passed me around mile 5 and he was quickly out of my sight. It was great to see him so much on the course and to have him pass me, which never happens.

The last mile was pretty special as my bike escort was cheering me on and I was getting some high fives from the spectators. With so many familiar faces on and off the course, this really felt like a home town race for me. It was really special to cross the line as the first overall female and to make the moment even more special, I was the next finisher behind Karel. 

My run splits were super consistent and once I found my rhythm around mile 4, I felt like I could have kept going - not any faster but certainly further. I went 100% by feel. A big confident boost for Haines City 70.3 in a few weeks. 

Karel, on the other hand, didn't even wear a watch on the run as he always goes by feel and decided to just forgo the watch in this race. 

My run splits:

7:29

7:35

7:34

7:34

7:37

7:21

7:02 (for the last .2)

After Karel and I chatted about the race and I did an interview with a camera guy, we headed back out on the course to cheer for the rest of our Trimarni athletes. 

It was really great to see our athletes finish and then immediately head back out to cheer for their teammates. 

After all of our athletes finished, we took a team picture with all of our campers/athletes and then it was time for awards. All of our athletes stayed for awards to cheer on everyone. 

Not only did we have several of our campers on the podium, but Trimarni placed first in the division 1 USAT Florida Region North Club Championship! We had 21 athletes race and all of our campers started and finished the race! What a great group of inspiring athletes who did something amazingly incredible with the human body! 

What a GREAT group of athletes!

Thanks for reading! 

We hope that our campers inspired you to not be afraid to stretch your comfort zone. You never know what you are capable of doing, unless you try. 

Thank you to our 2017 Trimarni sponsors!

-Run In
-New Wave Swim Buoy
-Mg12
-Clif
-Cheribundi
-Veronica's Health Crunch
-Infinit
-Levelen
-Hot Shot
-Boco Gear
-Canari

-Xterra
-Alto cycling
-Swamp Rabbit Inn and Lodge
-Salem Anesthesia

Hello from Clermont, Florida!

Before starting our long trip down to Clermont, Florida, Karel and I got in a 3700 swim workout at Furman University to start our Monday morning. To be honest, we both had a lot on our mind so it was a little difficult to stay present but we got it done and both felt good with moving blood and getting our heart pumping before sitting in the car for the rest of the day.

After our swim, we went home to eat breakfast and then it was time to pack up the car. Since I had dropped off the cats at my mom's on Sunday evening, it was time to say 'see ya later' to my little golden nugget.

I dropped off Campy at his grandma's (1 mile away) while Karel was loading up my car and then we were off to Jacksonville, FL around 11:15am. While it's always hard to say good bye to furry child Campy, he is in great hands with my mom who loves him (almost) as much as I do and takes such great care of him. Plus, Campy has a bunch of furry friends in her neighborhood so he doesn't mind his home away from home as he can play with his furry buddies. 

Our first stop was Jacksonville, FL. We arrived around 5:30pm. Although it was a chilly gloomy day, with on and off light rain for our entire drive, we were entertained with triathlon podcasts for our entire drive and we switched off driving half way so that neither of us got too tight while sitting in the car.
We also made frequent stops to stretch our legs.

We stayed overnight with our athlete Joe and his wife Erica and baby son Weston (and doggy Reagan) which was nice to relax before making our way to Clermont on Tuesday.

Erica made us dinner, which was delicious! We had brown rice, curry lentils, roasted veggies and Naan (chicken for the meat eaters). It was so good to have a nice homecooked meal after our travels.
With Karel and I in the car all day, we had to get to some work emails in the evening but by 9:00pm, I was ready for bed.  Karel stayed up a little later to work on some stuff on the computer. 

Before getting too far out of Jax, we stopped at the AMAR European store to stock up on some European eats and treats. Since we spent 6 years living in Jacksonville before moving to Greenville, we are very familiar with the area (although it is expanding/changing every year). The European store is well worth visiting if you well, love European food. Karel found himself yumming over all the food so we stocked up on mineral water, chocolates, breads and so much more. 

When we arrived to Clermont, we checked into our Airbnb, which is located just a few blocks from Waterfront park and less than 1/2 mile from where our campers are staying in a Duplex (team house). It's rare for Karel and I to stay in a hotel when we travel and with so much stuff for camp, we need space and a kitchen. 

Karel and I needed to stretch our legs so we went for a (windy) ride around 3:30pm after we unloaded our car and got situated. 

It was nice to be back in Clermont and to ride on some familiar roads. We also used this ride as an opportunity to scope out the route for our Thursday bike workout for our campers on day 1 of camp. 

After our ride, we quickly cleaned up and headed out to the NTC to pick up our custom Canari Trimarni kits, which had just arrived to the Gear for Multisport store (we had them shipped there - thank you Kim and Kevin!).

After the NTC, we made a stop at Publix for groceries and by 6:30pm, we were back at our rental house, ready to eat dinner.

As for the rest of the evening.....from 7pm until 11pm, we were busy! 

Our kits look AMAZING!! 

Karel did inventory on our kit items and I packed sponsor swag bags. It's a lot of work to put together a camp but it's all worth it when we see our campers in action. 

So much stuff!!

Off to Clermont, Florida for our training camp!

It's crazy to think that in 2014, we held our first ever training camp in Clermont, Florida. 

Now, 4 years later, we are heading back to Clermont for our 4th consecutive Trimarni Clermont training camp.

Every year, we try to make our camp experience better than the last. This year, our campers are in for an amazing 4.5 day training camp experience filled with education, lots of sponsor swag, challenging workouts, learning and stretching the comfort zone. And to make the camp experience even better, we will once again conclude our training camp with a USAT sanctioned Olympic distance event on the last day of camp!

For us as coaches, seeing athletes in action is extremely beneficial as it gives us an opportunity to provide immediate feedback to improve skills and execution. Repetitive feedback to our campers offers the chance to correct previously learned habits and to enforce good habits.

For our campers, training in a group environment provides a fantastic opportunity to do more with the body than what can be done solo as training with other athletes keeps the mind from giving up and forces you to not give up when tired. We believe that a camp training environment shows athletes that they are physically and mentally capable of achieving so much more than what they think they can do alone in their home environment. 

Above all, every athlete, no matter how young, old or busy, deserves the opportunity to check out of life to do something incredible with the body. Certainly, a sport is a hobby and we do this hobby because it is fun, it makes us happy and it provides great life enrichment. Good health should never be taken for granted and a training camp gives the body a unique opportunity to place intentional stress on it for several days, with other like-minded individuals. 

You can follow us along on our Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition Facebook page where we will be posting videos and pictures throughout camp.

Wednesday evening is the official start of the 2017 Trimarni Clermont Training camp so between now and then, we will be getting together the final touches for a smooth and safe camp environment, packing the swag bags, fine-tuning the workouts and getting excited to welcome our 19 campers to Clermont, Florida. 

Our email will be checked throughout camp but we will not be quick to respond as we will be chasing around our athletes all over Clermont for the rest of the week. 

StrideBox Review - A running subscription box company

In early February, I was contacted by StrideBox, which is a running subscription box company that features a workout and recipe in the box from a coach/athlete along with a variety of running products and accessories. Each box also includes The Stride Guide, which describes the products in the box

StrideBox asked me to provide a recipe and workout for the Make It - Food & More and Do It - Time to Sweat cards that are included in the box. Of course, I couldn't turn down this opportunity to offer a workout and recipe to StrideBox subscribers as I love services that provide education and awareness of many different ways for athletes and exercise enthusiasts to train, fuel and eat.

StrideBox has now sent me two free boxes and I wanted to share what was included in each box. I have to say, getting a box in February and March was exciting as I couldn't wait to open up the box and see what was inside. I think this is a great service for those who enjoy trying out new products and accessories but also for those who need that special gift for a like-minded friend/training partner or coach. StrideBox does offer a gift subscription service for one, three or six months, which ranges from $20-$90. The StrideBox monthly subscription is only $15. For more information, you can check out the frequent questions on the website, here.

February Box: 

                              

Buff Bake Protein Cookie

Sprint Energy Natural Energy Gel

Honey Stinger Waffle

Hyper Go After Sport Wipe

Surface - SPF Lip Protection

StrideBox - Star Recovery massager

                                 

Recipe: The best running pasta ever by Nathan Freeburg. 

Workout: The Pyramid Fartlek by Sarah Tucker

March Box:

Jimmy Bar High Protein Low Sugar Crunch Bar

Boom Nutrition Carb Boom Gel

Ultima Replenisher Electrolyte Drink Mix

NUUN Vitamins for Daily Health

Peanut Butter & Company Dark Chocolate Dreams

2Atoms Blister Shield

Recipe: Fruity endurance gel blocks by Camilla Saulsbury

Workout: Firing up the glutes by Coach Debbie Runs. 

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If you are interested in starting your subscription, you can click HERE.
If you are interested in sending a gift, you can click HERE.

Athlete Spotlight: Lisa Comer - Putting the puzzle pieces together with family, sport and life.

Name: Lisa Comer

Age: 45 

City/State: Corning, NY

Primary sport: Triathlon

How many years in the sport: 9 years

What Trimarni services have you used: Nutrition consult, training plan, one-on-one coaching, group training camp

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

I grew up playing softball and swimming. When I graduated high school, I was a little burned out on sports. I took a long break from sports through college and several years beyond. After getting married and having my son, I started running in late 2006 as a way to get back in shape but, also to have a little quiet time. I started with a goal of wanting to run a whole 5K without walking any of it. I started training with 5 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking with my sister, sometimes encouraging and sometimes pushing me as needed. From there, I set my sights on and completed a half-marathon. After I had my daughter in 2008, I set another goal to complete the Wineglass Marathon. In early 2009, I found myself searching for a new challenge. Along with trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon, I decided to try a triathlon. I found a local sprint race, the Keuka Lake Triathlon, bought a bike and a book about training, and got to work. Three months later, I completed my 1st sprint race and was hooked on triathlon!

What keeps you training and racing in your current sport?
When I started running, it was for the quiet time. I often joked that no one could ask anything of me unless they were willing to chase me. I quickly realized that I loved the challenge. Now, I keep training and racing because I have developed a passion for triathlon. I want to continue to challenge myself. I love that into my 40's, I continue to push my limits and still think I have more to gain and learn both as a person and as an athlete. I have also met some great friends along the way. They make the training and racing very fun. They push me to be a better athlete and person. Along the way, I hope I have done the same for them. Triathlon also allows me to be a good example for my children and my students because it is a way for me to be healthy and active. I hope they see that being active is something that is important and rewarding but also challenging and fun.

What do you do for work?

I am an elementary teacher, currently teaching 3rd grade.

How does your work life affect training and how do you balance work and training?
Teaching is both physically and emotionally demanding. It can sometimes be tough to gather the physical/mental energy for a workout after teaching all day. I know I will feel better once I'm done with the workout so I tell myself to just get started and to see how I feel. Once I get started, I can put the day aside and just focus on my workout. After I'm done, I always feel better. I balance work and training by planning out my week ahead of time. I can usually follow the schedule I've made but sometimes things come up, like something unexpected happens at work and that has to take precedence. When this happens, I first think about how I can rearrange my available time and if that can't happen, I think about how I can adjust my workout to make the most of a situation. If neither of those can happen, I just let the workout go and move on with my day.

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

On Thursdays, I make sure my teaching plans for the next week are ready and everything is prepped. On Saturday or Sunday, I sit down with my family calendar and training schedule, and make a tentative plan for how everything will fit into the day. This way, I have an idea of how my training will fit best into each day but I can also minimize the impact on my family time. I like to think about it like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece has it's place on the calendar puzzle. Sometimes, I run while my son is at soccer or swim while my daughter is at dance. I know the purpose of each workout in advance and how each workout fits into the weekly schedule. This helps me so that if I need to adjust the workout in some way due to life, I can adjust without feeling overwhelmed. When this happens, I don't stress over what I can't accomplish. I do the work when I can do, always enjoy it while I'm doing it and move on.  

I also spend a few hours on Sunday meal planning. I plan the meals on a chalkboard in my kitchen and then I make my shopping list and shop accordingly. I prep as much as I can ahead of time, including snacks and lunches. I am very blessed to have a husband who is very supportive and helpful. With the meals laid out, he can make dinner when needed.

Do you have kids?
Yes. Grant is 10 yrs old and Jenna is a few weeks shy of 9 yrs old.

How does having kids affect your training? How do you balance a family and training? 

Having kids helps me keep everything in perspective. I am a wife and mom first. This means that, although I have personal goals for myself, I can't take them too seriously. Triathlon is a hobby and not my entire life - just a part of my life. Having this perspective helps me keep everything in balance.

What tips and tricks do you have for other athletes who struggle to balance training with family? 

Getting organized is the biggest tip I can offer. Being intentional with my time is how I stay balanced with training and family. When needed though, I have learned that it''s also OK to ask for help. It isn't always easy to ask for help. I have to remind myself that I can't always do everything myself. And, asking for help doesn't make me a weak person. That help can come in the form of babysitting help from your sister, advice from a friend or help from a coach. There was once a time when I spent a lot of time setting up my racing schedule and subsequently, my training schedule each week. In order to do that, I also did a lot of research to know how to write my own training plan. Sometimes I got it right but, sometimes I got it wrong. When I got it wrong, I missed out on the opportunities to improve my skills and to take my fitness to the next level. Just as important, I also missed out on opportunities to stay healthy and present with my family as I unintentionally dug myself into a hole of fatigue once or twice. Having Marni and Karel as coaches has not only allowed me to grow and learn as an athlete but, has also given me back some valuable family time.

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?
My husband is amazingly supportive. I am so lucky to have him in my life. He always encourages me to shoot for my goals no matter how big or small. He believes in me, even when I start to doubt myself. He also helps me keep everything in perspective, especially during those times when I start to take things too seriously. I try to be very respectful of the time he needs to enjoy his hobbies as well. Thankfully, our hobbies happen in opposite seasons. When fall rolls around, my training and racing take a backseat to his needs. I love seeing him enjoy his hobbies and passions. A big tip is to communicate. When I make my tentative race schedule for the upcoming season, I talk it through with my husband. He offers a different perspective so his input is invaluable. He also looks at his schedule to be sure there are no conflicts at his work. Sometimes he and my kids come to my races but sometimes I go with friends so he has solo kid duty when I'm gone. This makes it extra important to coordinate with his schedule. Again, I couldn't do this sport without his support.

Do you have a recent race result, notable performance or lesson

learned that you'd like to share?
I am very proud to be named as an All-American from USA Triathlon with my best score to date since I started triathlon. My best recent race result was a win at the New Jersey Devilman Half lite 50 last spring. Even in tough weather conditions, it was one of those dream days that don't come along very often.

  

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

1. Consistency is king. Epic workouts have their place but it's the work you put in day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year that will keep you healthy, happy and performing better each year.
2. Enjoy the journey and friendships that you make in your sport. The race is just the icing on the cake.
3. When a disappointing result happens, allow yourself a little bit of time to be disappointed, mad, sad, whatever you need to feel. Then let it go and move on.
4. Celebrate the small accomplishments along the way. If you're the only one to see it happen, do a little happy dance all by yourself. They're what will keep you training long before and after your race happens.
5. Great joy comes from encouraging others to try something new, reach for a goal, or finish something when it gets hard. 

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

As long as I can continue to grow as an athlete and enjoy the journey, I consider it a success. I don't know how much longer I will continue to get better but I'm willing to find out. After that, I guess I'll find a different reason to keep making triathlon a part of my life because at this point, it's part of who I am.

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

Pizza or ice cream.

What key races do you have planned in 2017?
Rev3 Quassy half iron distance in June. Ironman Mont Tremblant in August.

What are your athletic goals for the next 5 years?
I would love to qualify for Kona. It may or may not happen but I love the idea of having a goal that is big and scary. It helps keep me stay motivated to train. My other goal is to enjoy this journey all along the way. It's so easy to get wrapped up in this sport. I never want to loose the joy of the journey and the progress that I have made.

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Happy Registered Dietitian Day!

This picture was taken 7 years ago, on my first day of my 10 month, 1200 hour dietetic internship. 

As I look back on those 10 months, which required a lot of time, energy, focus, hard work, money and brain power, I could not be more happy with my decision to return back to school after earning my Master of Science degree in Exercise Physiology, to become a Registered Dietitian. 

Did you know that anyone can call themselves a nutritionist regardless of education, experience or background? As you know, there are countless meal plans, books, articles, blogs, classes and seminars provided by nutrition experts who have no to little formal education on nutrition or simply hold a certification in nutrition.

Much of our public is confused and misled by the nutrition information and advice from nutrition experts which ultimately devalues the qualifications and experience among RDs. Today is celebrating the many RD's out there who, by law, can legally provide nutritional counseling. 

"Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day was created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to increase the awareness of registered dietitian nutritionists as the indispensable providers of food and nutrition services and to recognize RDNs for their commitment to helping people enjoy healthy lives. Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day and National Nutrition Month^® promote the Academy and RDNs to the public and the media as the most valuable and credible source of timely, scientifically-based food and nutrition information" - Eatright.org

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day key messages developed by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:

• Registered Dietitian Nutritionists are the food and nutrition experts who can translate the science of nutrition into practical solutions for healthy living.
• Registered Dietitian Nutritionists have degrees in nutrition, dietetics, public health or a related field from well-respected, accredited colleges and universities, have completed an internship and passed a national examination.
• Registered Dietitian Nutritionists use their nutrition expertise to help individuals make unique, positive lifestyle changes.
• Registered Dietitian Nutritionists work throughout the community in hospitals, schools, public health clinics, nursing homes, fitness centers, food management, food industry, universities, research, media, professional sports, and private practice.
• Registered Dietitian Nutritionists are advocates for advancing the nutritional status of Americans and people around the world.

Looking for a Registered Dietitian?
When you need accurate, personalized, realistic and practical nutrition advice, it's highly recommended to use the services of a Registered Dietitian. If you are an athlete seeking daily and sport nutrition advice, pursue a RD who is a Board Certified Specialist in Sport Nutrition (CSSD credential).

To find a registered dietitian in your area, visit EatRight.org and click on “Find an Expert.”

Here are a few of my most popular blog posts detailing my long dietetic journey which I pursued after earning a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology:

FDA conference - 1200 hours to go!

Ironman and dietetic internship

Week 1

Busy intern/IM athlete

At least I didn't serve tofu

12 weeks to go!

No longer a dietetic intern

RD exam report

Breaking news - I passed

My long road to becoming a dietitian

HAPPY RD DAY!

Don't forget to thank your favorite RD today.  

Top 10 Nutrition tips for athletes - link to video and recap

The human body is an amazing machine. In our daily life, we only use a very small part of our true physical capabilities. 

But as athletes, unlike our daily life, our training is a big stressor on our body.

Understanding that training for an athletic event places such a high demand on the cardio, respiratory muscular, immune and other organ systems, it’s important to recognize that preparing your body for an athletic event is so much more than just checking off workouts.

I am sure I don't have to tell you this but your athletic success depends on proper nutrition. 

Last night, I had the opportunity to give a presentation at Run In on my Top 10 nutrition tips for athletes.  

Before getting into the talk, it is important that I tell you a little about myself and why I am so passionate about nutrition and sport nutrition. 

As a Board Certified Sport Dietitian with a MS in Exercise Physiology, I have dedicated much of my educational career to studying the human body and how food, or nutrition, affects physiology. I love learning about the science behind training and nutrition.

But, I am also an endurance triathlete. For the past 11 years, I have pushed my body to great physical and mental limits by completing 11 Ironman distance triathlons, including 4 Ironman World Championships and I have place overall female amateur at several half IM distance events. 

As a motivated, disciplined, competitive and goal-driven endurance triathlete, you can say that my activity routine is quite punishing and what I do with my body is very extreme. More important than any personal best, podium placement, overall win or World Championship qualification is my health. This hobby is a choice and seeing that you may also choose to do something similar with your body, it is important to remember that your ability to perform well with your body is dependent on good health.

I invite you to listen to my 1-hour presentation which discusses the following topics:

1. How to organize youd diet as an athlete
2. Incorporating whole grains into your diet
3. Daily hydration needs
4. Natural anti-inflammatory foods
5. Incorporating more vegetables into the diet
6. Easy to digest pre-workout snacks
7. How to master post-workout nutrition
8. Tips and tricks for dialing in sport nutrition and hydration during workouts 
9. How to make your own energy bar out of real food
10. Why it is important to create a healthy relationship with food and the body

I selected these ten topics because I felt they were important to discuss at this time of the year. There is a lot of misinformation and unsafe dietary advice regarding nutrition for athletes and unfortunately, many athletes get sick, injured or burnout because they lack the require energy and nutrients to adapt to training stress.

As a nutrition expert who is qualified to give nutrition advice to athletes, I feel it is important to stress that I encourage a mostly real food based diet with absolutely no off-limit foods, I believe in the use of sport nutrition products during training and never do I prescribe “magic bullets”, quick fixes, make claims for fad diets or encourage rigid and extreme styles of eating and fueling. 

When I work with athletes, health, well-being, longevity and enjoyment for sport are most important to me because I want you to keep your body in amazing health AND perform amazingly well with your body on race day, and for many more years to come. 

I hope that you find my tips practical, easy to implement and effective for your upcoming training and racing journey.

Any questions, don't hesitate to send me an email via the contact form on my website. 

Enjoying the athletic journey

It was around this time of the year, 11 years ago, that I found myself just a few weeks away from what would be the most amazing 8 months for my body.

In April, I finished my first Boston Marathon (my 2nd marathon).

                                                    

In May, I finished my first half IM (Disney half ironman). Who knew that a week or so later I would meet Karel!

In November, I finished my first Ironman (IMFL) and qualified for the 2007 Ironman World Championship.

As a competitive athlete for much of my lie, I enjoy performing with my body. I always set big goals for myself and I make no excuses when it comes to working hard for my goals. Success is all relative as it relates to expectations for race day but for the past 11 years, I have experienced a lot of success as an endurance triathlete. 

Now that I am in my 11th year of endurance triathlon racing (only focusing on half IM distance racing this year), I think back to when I started and I find myself with the same level of excitement, happiness and joy for training as I did when I started. Actually, now that we live in Greenville, I am sure that my love for training is greater than ever before. 

Seeing that my body is 11 years older than when I started, I believe the only thing that has kept me enjoying this athletic journey is the appreciation that I have for my body and what it allows me to do. Knowing that many athletes create great stress when it comes to high athletic expectations, stretching the comfort zone and over analyzing results, I've always tried to keep training fun and enjoyable. Even though I push my body and it often leaves me exhausted, sore and with some niggles, the preparation for race day is truly an enjoyable experience for me. 

In sport, especially the sport of triathlon which involves three separate sports, there are always distractions and uncontrollable factors that can make training and racing extremely stressful and unpredictable. I think it's normal to never feel fully "prepared" and to always feel nervous for an upcoming event, regardless of how well you trained or your previous racing experience.

But when we have an element of pleasure and enjoyment for our journey, we can be more focused, push harder and above all, feel a greater sense of personal satisfaction. And above all, training for an event is much more than being prepared for race day. Training for an athletic event helps us be prepared for the unpredictability of life. Sport teaches us patience, problem solving, how to be comfortable being uncomfortable, how to overcome tough situations and so much more. 

In 13 days, I will kick of my 11th season of endurance triathlon racing with the Great Clermont Olympic distance triathlon, which will conclude our 4.5 day Trimarni Clermont training camp. Two weeks later, I will be racing the Haines City 70.3 with Karel.

Over the past 11 years, I have developed a great love for challenging myself and for stretching my comfort zone while my focus for every workout is not for a specific outcome on race day but to be prepared to perform. Only time will tell what my body can do this season but for now, I am truly enjoying the journey. 

Don't miss my next Facebook live chat - Top 10 nutrition tips for athletes

You are invited to attend my "Top 10 nutrition tips for athletes" presentation, on March 6th, 2017 from 7:00-8:00 pm EST. This is a FREE presentation for all fitness levels.

Are you bummed that you are not local and can't attend? Well, not to worry!

This is a Facebook live chat so yes, I will be live, you don't need to show up to the store and you can watch it from anywhere in the world!

This also means that you can ask me questions anytime during my presentation. No matter what you are doing, you can "join in" on this interactive nutrition presentation.

To access the live discussion, just refresh the Run In Facebook page at 7:00 pm and turn up your volume. I will be speaking and my friend Dane (manager of the store), will be alongside me to read off the questions from the comment section as they roll in.

For the presentation, I will be discussing: 

1. How to organize your diet as an athlete
2. Incorporating whole grains into your diet
3. Daily hydration needs
4. Natural anti-inflammatory foods
5. Incorporating more vegetables into the diet
6. Easy to digest pre-workout snacks
7. How to master post-workout nutrition
8. Tips and tricks for dialing-in during workout fueling and hydration (for triathletes and runners)
9. How to make your own energy bar out of real food
10. Why it's important to create a great relationship with food and the body

Be sure to LIKE and follow Run In on Facebook. 

"See" you on Monday evening! 

Athlete Spotlight: Nicole Manning - Balancing triathlon training, a social life and a High School education.

Name: Nicole Manning

Age: 17 

City/State: McLean, VA

Primary sport: Triathlon

How many years in the sport: One year

What Trimarni services have you used: Nutrition consult, sweat testing

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

Growing up I swam competitively and played a little water polo, but swimming was my main focus. I would say that I was a decent swimmer. I was pretty involved in athletics in middle school, but running was not something I enjoyed -- I would do anything to avoid it! A common phrase for me was "I do not run!" When I started specific strength training for my swimming soon after I began high school, I started working with a triathlon coach (my now tri coach). Swimming was going pretty well for me, but I hadn't reached a level I was hoping to attain. I knew the triathlon team existed, but never did I give much thought to it until my strength coach brought it up towards the end of my sophomore year (just about a year ago!). He asked me to come try it out and at first, I thought he was kidding and then when I realized he wasn't, I was so super hesitant - land sports were pretty foreign to me! AND, this meant that I would have to run! I finally decided to try running and cycling as cross training for swimming. At that time, I had no running or cycling background besides middle school gym class warm-up runs (which kinda counts as running) and family bike rides to the local coffee shop as a kid, but I actually took to it really quickly. After a bit of triathlon training, I had my first race, where I ran my first ever 5k, which was at the end of a swim and a bike! This was so crazy to me! Within a few months, I became fully invested into the sport of triathlon. I am now finding myself improving and experiencing athletic success and I am having the time of my life! Who would have known I'd love this sport so much!?!

What keeps you training and racing in your current sport?

I believe it's my personal drive as an athlete, but also the support of my coaches and teammates. With their help, it definitely makes it a lot easier to stay committed! I love the personal challenge, the competition aspect and it's so much fun! With the three sports and the recovery, nutrition, learning, strength training and everything else that goes into it, it's hard for triathlon to get boring! There's always something to focus on and you can develop so much. The feeling I get after races is SO worth every hard part of training. But also, I really enjoy the hard workouts too. It's also an added bonus that most triathletes are super interesting and nice. Triathlon is such a great community with some pretty hardcore people! 

Tell us about your school life

I'm a high school student at a private school in Virginia. That's a full load! On the weekends, I enjoy coaching and instructing younger kids for swimming.

How does your school life affect training and how do you balance school and training?School definitely has its challenges to training, with long days of learning and the inability to control a good part of my daily schedule. Managing homework, studying, a training schedule, and recovery is no easy feat, but I do my best to be really efficient with the time I have throughout the day. I try to get things done for school earlier in the day so that I don't have to worry about assignments when I'm training. My coach helps me plan my training schedule to work with my busy and more relaxed school days. This has definitely given me more energy to focus on my schooling and training, without feeling overwhelmed. Also, asking for and accepting for help, by my parents, siblings, friends, teachers, and coaches has proved to be a big asset for me.

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

There will always be things that you don't want to do, when you have to do them, but sometimes you just have to suck-it-up and not procrastinate.

Do you have any siblings? 

I have two dogs and two brothers.

How do you balance triathlon training with your parents and siblings? My family isn't all that into the sport of triathlon, but they're still super supportive of me in it. They're learning along the way with me, but sometimes, it's clear there's a barrier and they don't always get it. My parents help me understand my responsibilities and I communicate to them with what I can really handle with both school and training.Fortunately, my parents are super supportive and they help me with certain responsibilities when I'm really crunched for time. I am super grateful for my parents and I don't mind asking them for help. People can't offer help if they don't know that help is needed.

Any tips for other young athletes when parents may not "get it"? Definitely be honest about your goals for triathlon but make sure you know what your responsibilities are and what your parents expect from you.

How do you balance triathlon with a social life?  

My social life and training is pretty connected. I'll be the first to admit, however, that sometimes my social life gets pushed to the side when it comes to training or the few extra hours of sleep that I need as a triathlete. But this is OK to me because I try to use my time wisely and still make time for my friends. If I don't have a lot of time between workouts or I know I need to wake up very early in the morning for a training session, I can't be out too late with my friends. Instead, I'll plan to see my friends for lunch the next day. Or, instead of going shopping, I'll invite my friends over to watch a movie. Allowing myself the time to work on my athletic goals is a priority, but when I have time and energy available, I enjoy my social time. But then again, it doesn't take a lot of energy to do something small for someone else, especially a friend.

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

I've learned that transitions can be super key on race day, so don't overlook those as a triathlete! Practice transitions in training. Also, double checking everything on race day morning, like that your chain is all set or your laces on your shoes are how you like them to be, can save you a lot of time and worry on race day!

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

-Listen to your body and what it's telling you. With that, definitely don't neglect your recovery, stretching and foam rolling! -Eat to fuel yourself.

-Give yourself the occasional off day or recovery day for both a mental and physical recharge.

Sometimes I just want to go go go, but assessing what's actually best for me long term is a lot more constructive. Connected with that, staying on top of your homework and maintaining good relationships with those around you, makes for a lot less stress in your life outside of training. It allows you more energy to push outside of your comfort zone in your training sessions.

How would you define athletic success as it relates to your personal journey?Athletics are something that have become a really important part of my life and it is part of my identity, so success as an athlete is really important for me. But, just enjoying the journey along the way is something that helps me grow as a person, and something I'll look back on and really appreciate as I get older.

What's your favorite post-race meal, drink or food?So hard to say! I'm a huge sushi fan, but immediately post race PB and J or watermelon always seems to hit the spot!

 

What key races do you have planned in 2017?I have quite a few races on my schedule, but some of the bigger races (hopefully) include: Jr. Elite Nationals in August, possibly Age Group Nationals, and then Age Group World Championships in Rotterdam in September!

What are your athletic goals for the next 5 years?I'm not really sure! I don't want to limit myself. I want to really push myself in triathlon and see where that takes me. I'll be a senior in high school next year and looking at colleges, so I will see how triathlon fits into my future plans. Staying healthy and enjoying what I'm doing is the most important.....but future successes are super welcomed!

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Too focused on race weight?

Picture source

Are you counting down the weeks until your first triathlon race of the upcoming season? I am itching to race!!

As it relates to athletic performance, changing body composition will only offer a performance advantage if goals and methods are appropriately established. With many attractive approaches for fat loss, triathletes should be cautious of weight loss strategies that promote quick results as there is great risk for losing lean tissue, bone mass or gaining body fat, lingering fatigue, illness, injury, compromised recovery and performance decline.  Additionally, a weight reduction program may trigger disordered eating habits, paving the way to an eating disorder. 

Typically, low energy availability occurs when athletes consumes less than 30 calories per kilogram of fat free mass per day. For women to stay in good metabolic and hormonal health, this number is typically around 45 calories per kg of fat free mass per day.

I'd like to think that every triathlete understands that being in low energy availability will not promote gains in fitness/performance but time and time again, athletes will train through excessive fatigue from an energy deprived body and despite the red flags that the body is not in good health, athletes arrive to race day with an underfueled and undernourished body, expecting to perform well because they reached "race weight".
And we should not overlook the athlete who doubts his/her athletic race day potential because race weight was not reached. Who says that a weight will tell you how well or not well you will perform?

With so many endurance triathletes putting more focus on body image and training hours/miles than on making sure the body can perform high quality training sessions, while recovering well from every workout, I can't stress it enough that obsessing over a "weight" will not provide an athletic advantage if your methods and strategies for body composition change are damaging to your overall health. And plus, with so much energy that is needed to balance training with life, why spend that extra energy worrying about your weight?

As it relates to low energy availability, athletes can intentionally or unintentionally not meet energy needs. 

Intentionally - athlete wants to make “race weight”, get leaner or change body composition and goes about it in an extreme way, restricts certain foods/food groups, creates dietary food rules, limits carbs and fears consuming sport nutrition/food before, during and after workouts.

Unintentionally - athlete inadvertently does not meet energy needs due to poor nutrient planning, uneducated on proper fueling/hydration strategies, never learning how to eat like an athlete, busy schedule, poor meal planning, lack of appetite, lack of food availability, stress/exhaustion.

Knowing that an underfueled or undernourished body will not perform as well as a well-fueled and well-nourished body, understand that your ultimate athletic goal for every race is to achieve a race ready body. Your body becomes ready for race day through consistent training, good recovery, life balance, mental strength, great sleep, smart training, enjoyment for your sport and a strong and resilient body.

It’s pretty incredible what you can do with your body when it is healthy, injury free, properly fueled and well-nourished nourished.  

If body composition is your main goal, you are chasing the wrong athletic dream.

A trained, happy, confident and healthy body will always trump a tired, stressed and energy deprived body.

Considering that extreme, obsessive and ritualistic eating may increase the risk for disordered eating patterns and eating disorders, do yourself a big favor this season and focus on what your body can do, and not on what it looks like. With the entire season ahead of you, keeping your body in good health requires a lot of work. Not eating enough will not make it work any better. 

A training weekend to remember - be proud of your accomplishments

It's crazy to think that this is my 11th year of endurance triathlon racing and for the last five years, I have been sharing it with Karel as my training partner. We have had highs and we have had lows but that's all to be expected when you are a competitive athlete, always wanting to give your best, stretch your comfort zone and push your limits. 

Over the past few years, I have learned that it requires a lot of work and time to see performance improvements, so I am never quick to assume that my training is or isn't working. I continue to focus on the process and with so much gratitude to my strong and healthy body, no workout is taken for granted. Some workouts are so-so, some I want to quickly forget and others go into my memory bank to be remembered on race day. 

I've also learned that time goals, paces and watts are not worth chasing nor is a specific body image, but instead, I must continuously focus on something more subjective and meaningful to keep me motivated to train and race. 

Since I am not racing an Ironman distance triathlon this season (I've raced 6 Ironmans since 2013 and 2012 was the last time I took a season off from IM racing), but instead focusing on half IM distance racing, I've been creating a list of triathlon goals for myself that will keep me focused on the process of training rather than the outcome of race day. 

With so many years in the sport of endurance triathlon, I can admit to spending many of workouts criticizing my weaknesses and not focusing on my strengths. Sure, we all need to be honest, and somewhat critical about needed areas of improvements but I believe that many athletes doubt their own potential for success during the times of training weakness, bad workouts, a plateau in fitness gains, inconsistency or injury/sickness. But every athlete has room for improvement and the harder you work, the more consistently you train and the more processed driven goals you set for yourself, the bigger the chance that you will improve. 

If you find yourself crushing a workout, noticing your fitness improving or experiencing something new about yourself, like an improvement in your mental game, better execution of pacing or better application of sport nutrition, don't be shy about it. 

Since race day only comes but just a few times a year, give yourself permission to indulge in your own athletic triumphs every now and then. 

Let's get real - you train early in the morning before the world gets up, you squeeze in workouts whenever you have the chance, you organize your diet to support your training and you give your best, even when no one is watching. Don't wait until race day to "hope" it all comes together. You deserve to celebrate your personal victories NOW, in training. 

Athletic improvements will happen but they won't happen with a quick fix, magic potion or one or two epic workouts every now and then. Consistent training and hard work will pay off but improvements take time. 

The next time that you find yourself "wowing" at yourself, be proud of your accomplishment and share it with people who care about you and who have helped you along the way. 

No matter how big or small, take note of these special moments in your training journey as those are the moments that you work so hard for and that you will remember the most on race day. 

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My weekend to remember actually started on Friday. I have been feeling very frustrated with my swimming lately, struggling to consistently swim under 1:20 per 100 yards. While I can knock it out every now and then, I have felt like the effort I am putting forth to swim those sub 1:20's is just too much. In other words, every time I try to swim fast, I feel like I should be going much faster than what I am seeing on the pace clock. Let's just say, my swimming has been frustrating to me over the past few weeks. 

Sometimes I find myself in these swimming ruts where finding 2-3 extra seconds to knock off my swim times seems near to impossible. And then I see Karel, swimming next to me, improving in what seems to be, every single swim workout! I suppose I know better as I have been swimming for 25 years and Karel has been swimming for all of five so his gains appear to be much bigger than mine. 

Well, finally the day came when it finally happened. 

On Friday morning, I swam by myself at Furman and the main set was as followed: 

MS 5x's: 

3 x 100's strong w/ 10 sec rest

30 sec rest before repeating

My times hoovered around 1:14-1:17  with the last 3 x 100's all at 1:14. 

Then to finish the 3500 yard swim, I had to do 1 x 100 all out (from a wall push off)

1:11. 

I was so excited that I couldn't wait to call Karel after my swim and tell him that I finally had a good swim workout. Although I love being in the water, no matter how slow or fast I swim, I was really excited about that workout. 

Later on Friday, I had a very tough bike workout. Like so tough, my legs felt shredded at the end. 

The main sets were as follows: 

 MS #1: 

5 x (4 min all under 50 rpm, build effort from Z3 to absolutely max

3 min EZ spin between)

MS #2

8 min Z2 endurance 

MS #3: 

3 x (6 min at Z3+ all under 45 rpm) w/ 3 min EZ, fast rpm between)

Holy moly that was tough!

Karel did his bike workout first thing in the morning and swam in the evening. We both finished with a quality day of training but wow, we were exhausted come bedtime. 

On Saturday morning, I joined Karel, Thomas and Al for a ride up to Caesar's head before the guys would carry on for a 5 hour ride. Karel did not want me riding that long two weekends in a row so I was ok with riding back home by myself and doing my own thing. 

Well, sadly, Thomas's bike was having some trouble and even after a few fixes by Karel (always ride with your bike mechanic!), the bike was still having issues. It wasn't too long after Karel adjusted the derailleur as much as he could, that Thomas's bike chain eventually broke from getting stuck between gears (it was one of those mechanical issues that couldn't have been fixed on this day). What a bummer. Thomas handled himself really well as the situation put a damper on his morning training but our friend Brian picked him up and Thomas ended up getting in a quality brick on the trainer (on his road bike), later that day. 

Since Thomas was not longer with us, Karel decided that him and Al would continue to ride with me for the rest of the ride. Of course, Karel lead the way so we just followed. 

It was a beautiful route and like usual, the cars were friendly to us cyclists on the road. I feel so safe on our roads and it is always so much  fun to be on our bikes in and around Greenville. 

The big money maker was going strong for almost 6.5 miles up to the top of Caesar's head. Karel wanted me to pace myself for the first 3 miles and then when the road leveled out before it kicks up again, he wanted me to go strong to the top. 

While Al and Karel kept it conversational pace behind me, I found my rhythm and rode it very steady until Karel took the lead and pulled me to the top. I couldn't believe how "fast" I rode to the top, in my personal best time for that climb. I was also shocked to see that I could stay on Karel's wheel all the way to about 1000 meters to go when Karel kicked it up a notch and I didn't have that punch in my legs. I was huffing and puffing to the top and I was so excited to tell Karel about my time. 

Yep - celebrating 10mph for almost 6.5 miles! 

Al was riding really strong and a few minutes later he arrived to the top to join us. It's always fun training with our athletes. 

After the ride, we went for a 21 minute, 2.7 mile run around the rolling hills of our 'hood and the focus of the run was to build throughout. I wasn't sure how my legs would perform after 3:58 miles, 7078 feet of climbing (after elevation correction on TP) and 66.5 miles but once again, I was shocked that my form was good and I could find my rhythm. I was not able to hang with Al or Karel but I still had a great run off the bike. Karel ran super speedy and he looked good for his entire run. 

It was certainly a brick to remember. 

I was super exhausted from one of my hardest bricks but that's too be expected, especially since my body is doing things that it has never ever done before. These fitness gains, especially on the bike, have been a loooong time coming but even Karel is so excited about how strong I have been getting on the bike. 

Even though I am not a napper, Campy convinced me to lay down for a little bit and I took him up on his napping suggestion. Thank goodness for Campy, who is a professional recovery coach. 

(Karel took this pic while I was resting my eyes and tired body). 

As for Sunday, my "long" run was on the treadmill and it was a nasty workout! 

MS: 

3 x 12 minutes as: 

2 min Z3, 4% incline

2 min Z4, 4% incline

1 min Z4, 5% incline

30 sec Z5, 5% incline

30 sec max at 6% incline

2 min EZ walk/jog

4 min Z2 endurance 

That was tough! 

I ended up with 7 miles and 1:15 total running time for this "long" run and my legs were toasted. I could not have been more proud of my body and I am incredibly thankful for my good health and what I can do with my body after 11 years of endurance training and racing. 

M2M expert night wrap-up: The role of sport nutrition in a healthy diet

I couldn't be more excited to support and promote our local half ironman distance triathlon, here in Greenville, SC. Mountains to Mainstreet (M2M) is not just a triathlon event but a full festival weekend of events, with a 1K, 5K and half marathon on Saturday, followed by the half ironman distance triathlon (and relay/aquabike) on Sunday.

For a limited time, you can use the discount code tri35 to receive a $35 off discount code for the event. We hope to see you there and we can't wait for you to enjoy our gem of a triathlon playground, here in beautiful Greenville, SC.

For more info about the event:
Mountains to Mainstreet

In conjunction with the event, the M2M team is bringing together the triathlon community with a series of educational talks on all things triathlon - nutrition, swim, bike, run, injuries, race preparation, etc. I just love our triathlon/cycling/running community here in Greenville and I could not be more proud and excited to be a triathlete, living here in Greenville, SC. 

Earlier this week, I spoke alongside two other experts in the community for the first community expert night. I was joined by Dr. Kyle Cassas, Orthopedic Sports Medicine Doctor with the Steadman Hawkins group and Scott Kaylor, Physical Therapist at ATI sports therapy. It was an honor to speak alongside these experienced and knowledgeable experts and I feel we each brought something beneficial to the triathlon community as it relates to helping endurance triathletes safely and effectively prepare for an upcoming triathlon event. 

My talk focused on the importance of sport nutrition and daily nutrition planning for athletes but specifically, I educated the group on the role of sport nutrition in a healthy athlete diet. I thought it would be beneficial to share some of the nuggets of information that I provided the group, to ensure that you don't miss out on the health and performance benefits of proper fueling and eating in your endurance sport lifestyle. 

• It doesn’t matter what type of education that you have or your fitness level, proper nutrition is critical for optimizing performance and for keeping the body functioning well.
  
• For almost every athlete, there’s going to be a point your athletic development when your daily diet will no longer give you all the energy that you need to prepare for your upcoming athletic event. You may even get sick, injured or burnout if you don't adjust your current style of eating. In order to help your body safely continue to adapt to training stress, you will eventually have to take in some type of supplemental form of energy during your workout in order to meet the training demands that you place on your body.
  
  
• Nutrition advice is very conflicting and confusing but it's critical that you understand and accept that sport nutrition products can fit in with a healthy diet.
  
  
• Sport nutrition products are often linked together with sugar loaded foods, like processed foods, candy bars and junk food. Although sport nutrition products do contain sugar, these engineered products are formulated in a way to provide your body with a specific amount of carbohydrates, electrolytes and fluids to be properly digested and absorbed during exercise. In
  other words, these products are just as convenient as they are functional. 
  
  
• The reason why there are so many sport nutrition products on the market is because these products are designed to be used by athletes, dependent on sport, during intense and long workouts in order to help you properly adapt to training stress and to keep your body systems functioning well.
  
  
• Sport nutrition has a specific application, in which these products are designed to be used during intense and long workouts. In other words, if you are eating raisins, a banana and almonds during a long bike training session but eating a sport bar and sipping on an energy drink at work at 3pm in the afternoon, you are missing the application focus of sport nutrition and where it fits in with a healthy diet.
  
  
• Athletes should prioritize a real food diet throughout the day so that sport nutrition can be well tolerated during training.
  
  
• As it relates to the daily diet, your eating should always be well organized and planned. You will constantly feel like you can't "eat right" if your food choices just randomly happen.
  
  
• As a sport dietitian, I always consider an athlete’s unique situation when developing a solid foundation of eating and fueling. Every athlete comes from a different athletic background, with different dietary needs, a learned relationship with food and the body, training regime and body composition needs, that will all impact what type of nutrition guidance will work best in your individual situation.
  
  
• Every athlete can agree that triathlon training and recovery are enhanced by paying close attention to the daily diet. As an endurance triathlete, you need to meet specific daily nutritional needs to support your training. This nutrition planning should not start a few weeks out from your big race but instead, when you start your training after the off-season. As training demands shift during the year, you will need to adjust your eating style, caloric intake and macronutrient distribution, while still maintaining a high nutrient dense diet to support your health and athletic needs.
  
  
• As for finding the best sport nutrition product, I am a big proponent of powder sport drinks because they are easy to adjust to your unique needs and they make fueling and hydration incredibly easy as you can monitor your intake and also meet your fluid, electrolyte, calorie and carbohydrate needs all in one bottle. Because most sport nutrition powders tell you how to mix your drink into water, this is helping you create the perfect osmolality of the drink to be suitable for gastric emptying. To avoid those awful and annoying GI issues on race day, not to mention how scary and unhealthy it is for the body to experience dehydration and bonking, it’s important that whatever you consume on the bike and run for “fuel” that those products are easily digested from the stomach and absorbed from the small intestines. There's not point taking in nutrition/fuel if those products are just sitting in your gut as you are training/racing.
  
  
• The sport of triathlon is fun, challenging, confidence and skill building and above all, it can enrich the life to make a person a better human being. But sadly, there are far too many athletes who are abusing this three-sport lifestyle in an effort to simply lose weight. If you feel like you are using triathlon training as a punishment for eating "too" much, for being “too" fat or for earning something to eat that is “off limit” in the diet, consider if your unhealthy thoughts about food and the body are helping you become a better triathlete, and above all, keeping your body in good health. Since I specialize in working with athletes who suffer from disordered eating and body image issues, I’m sensitive to the fact that many triathletes do justify their extreme triathlon lifestyle with excessive exercise and restricting energy and sport nutrition in the diet, due to body image issues. Far too many age groupers are manipulating training and the diet for “weight control” versus learning how to eat well and use sport nutrition properly in order to adapt well to training and to properly prepare for race day.
  
  
• As a triathlete, it is important to always ask yourself if you are eating "enough", organizing the diet to support your training and timing your nutrition well with your workouts. I am extremely passionate about helping athletes improve nutrition and fueling habits, but I am also dedicated to helping athletes improve healthy living strategies to create athletic excellence while keeping the body in good health.
  
  
• For most athletes, working with a sport dietitian to help you structure the daily diet to meet your unique needs and to learn how to use sport nutrition properly, will be extremely advantageous to your performance and health. Having a trained professional will take the guessing away from what, how much and when to eat, so that you can put your energy into your training, meal planning, work and family life.

Kona Edge Podcast - 4 more episodes talking nutrition, swim, bike, run!

A few months ago, I was interviewed by Brad Brown with The Kona Edge podcast. Over the past 11 years, I have had a lot of successes in the sport of triathlon and well, many great learning lessons. Brad gave me the opportunity to share some of the mistakes I've made over the years and to profile some of the highlights in my endurance triathlon journey.

If you missed the first podcast, you can listen HERE. 

But we didn't stop there!

You can now listen to four more podcasts where I talk more specifically about nutrition, swimming, biking and running. Enjoy!

• Nutrition Podcast
• Swimming Podcast
• Cycling Podcast
• Running Podcast

Did you hear the news? Three new CLIF BLOKS energy chew flavors!

Not too long ago, Clif Bar released 3 new flavors of CLIF BLOKS energy chews. These chews provide quick, chewable energy for athletes in training and on race day.

The new flavors include Salted Watermelon (2x sodium), Ginger Ale and Spearmint. This now brings the CLIF BLOKS collection to 11 flavors. Each chew still contains 30-33 calories and there are 6 BLOKS per sleeve of chews. One serving size is 3 chews. All of the CLIF BLOKS include 95% organic ingredients and depending on the flavor, contain between 50-100 mg sodium per serving and 0-25-50mg of caffeine.

Clif Bar sent me the new flavors to try out but I wanted to use this blog post as an opportunity to introduce you to the new flavors to help you decide on the best flavor for your fueling and tastebud needs.

Salted Watermelon - For the watermelon lovers, this tastes just like you would imagine - watermelonly delicious. It is sweet but it does have a subtle saltiness to it. Each serving (3 chews) contains 100 mg of sodium which is 2x the sodium found in the other BLOK flavors (except the Margarita flavor). 

Here are the ingredients:
Organic Tapioca Syrup, Organic Dried Cane Syrup, Organic Maltodextrin, Pectin, Citric Acid, Watermelon Extract with Other Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Potassium Citrate, Colored with Organic Black Carrot Juice Concentrate, Organic Sunflower Oil, Carnauba Wax.

While I can imagine that athletes will crave and enjoy the salted watermelon flavor on a hot summer day of training/racing (along with a few gulps of ice cold water), there are actually some health benefits to watermelon. Now I'm not saying to chew on CLIF BLOKS to improve your overall health but I thought it would be good for you to know that watermelon, although high in natural sugar and water (making it oh-so-refreshing in the summer), has high amounts of antioxidants, vitamin A, B6 and vitamin C. It is also rich in lycopene so the redder the watermelon, the more lycopene. As for watermelon extract, found in the CLIF BLOK Salted Watermelon flavor, research has shown it to be helpful for blood pressure control.

Ginger Ale - For those who just love a nice cold glass of Ginger Ale, or remember drinking it when you had an upset tummy as a child, the CLIF BLOK Ginger Ale flavor is not super strong. So this may be a let-down for those who absolutely love the taste of ginger but great for those who want to receive some of the benefits of consuming ginger oil during training. While I can't promise that you are getting a large amount of ginger oil with every blok, research does show that ginger has great effectiveness in reducing GI complaints, also helping with nausea and vomiting. As a sport RD, I don't feel that a CLIF BLOK Ginger Ale flavor will prevent GI issues in training/racing (especially since a concentrated dose of sugar especially without adequate water to promote digestion will increase risk for GI issues when training/racing), I do believe that those who enjoy a subtle flavor of calories, will enjoy this blok option.
Here are the ingredients:
Organic Tapioca Syrup, Organic Dried Cane Syrup, Organic Maltodextrin, Pectin, Citric Acid, Ginger Oil, Natural Flavor, Potassium Citrate, Sea Salt, Organic Sunflower Oil, Carnauba Wax.

Spearmint - You may be cringing at the thought of chewing on a spearmint flavor energy chew but consider this....how many times have you been out training during a long workout (or long distance race) and you find yourself wishing you could brush your teeth or cleanse your mouth with a mint or mouthwash? Well, believe me when I say that the spearmint flavor will do just that! Both me and Karel found it incredibly refreshing (Karel says this one is his fav). You almost want to try to blow a bubble with it, it tastes so cool and refreshing!
Here are the ingredients:
Organic Tapioca Syrup, Organic Dried Cane Syrup, Organic Maltodextrin, Pectin, Citric Acid, Spearmint Oil with Other Natural Flavors, Potassium Citrate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Sea Salt, Organic Sunflower Oil, Carnauba Wax.
With some recent research on the benefits of peppermint oil and athletic performance, you may be surprised to see the flavor of spearmint instead, but it's important to recognize that spearmint does not contain menthol, which makes it a bit less "bold" of a flavor which may be a little more gentle on the taste buds. But who knows, maybe one day they will make a peppermint flavor to cool off the mouth?
Although I could not come across any recent well-documented research studies on the benefits of Spearmint oil, you have likely heard that Spearmint essential oil may reduce fatigue and pain, help with digestive issues, help with muscle aches and ease headaches.

Well, there you have it - my sport RD/endurance triathlete take on the three new CLIF BLOK flavors. I always enjoy trying out new sport nutrition products, specifically powders, chews and gels (I'm not a pill/tablet type of athlete).

As for my feelings on sport nutrition products, it's all about function and convenience. You don't need to love your engineered products but you have to like them enough to consistently use them during intense and long workouts to help you maximize fitness and to build confidence in your race day fueling and hydration strategy.

Sport nutrition products make fueling incredibly easy as they take the guessing and calculating away from how much you need to consume of calories, carbohydrates, water and sodium each hour and they make it easy to meet your metabolic needs as you can quantify the consumption of your nutrition, in frequent intervals, during training and on race day. Plus, with a little creativity, you can prevent taste bud fatigue by changing up the flavors and textures of your sport nutrition products as there are so many safe and well-formulated products available to athletes. Sport nutrition products are also formulated in a way to be easy to digest IF/WHEN consumed properly.

As for when you are not training? Real, whole foods should make up the majority of your diet. When your heart is pumping and blood is being diverted away from the gut and to the working muscles to support muscle contractions, your body prefers to digest and absorb engineered products as they are formulated in a way to meet your needs and to be consumed quickly. But when you aren't working out, reach for real food as mother Earth has a variety of great food options, rich in the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that keep your body functioning well on a day-to-day basis. A well-nourished body performs incredibly well during training/racing and with an organized, balanced and wholesome diet, it's much easier to better understand your fueling and hydration requirements during training and on race day.

Any questions about sport nutrition and fueling/hydration? Reach out to a sport dietitian for help.

Fuel Smart!
Your body will thank you. 

Trimarni Greenville Skills Camp Info (and a free camp entry giveaway!)

In case you haven't heard, we have a little gem of a triathlon training playground here in Greenville. 

Although it's no longer a well kept secret as I am no stranger to sharing pictures of us training in and around the mountains, surrounded by nature, the Greenville community embraces cycling and physical activity. People love riding bikes in Greenville, we have a number of beautiful state parks and hiking trials and the Swamp Rabbit Trail is perfect for active families for walking, running and biking. 

We have an award winning (dog-friendly) downtown and Falls Park is absolutely breathtaking. When you come to Greenville, you will experience amazing mountain views, delicious farm-to-table restaurants and very friendly people. And we have Mr. Lama - a lama who loves cyclists and selfies. 

We have received many requests over the past few years regarding the need for a skills camp. We listened to you and responded with our first ever Greenville triathlon skills camp this May. 

Greenville Skills Camp

Quick Facts

Location: Greenville, SC 

Type of camp: Skill-focused triathlon camp

Length of camp: 2.5 days

Dates: May 26-28th

Cost: $350 (price increase on 2/26 to $440)

When triathletes hear skills camp, they may think "beginner" camp. Sure, athletes who are new to the sport of triathlon will greatly benefit from attending a skills camp. But from our experience as coaches, we have discovered that many experienced triathletes and those who have been in the sport for many, many years have created bad habits over the years, have neglected the importance of fine-tuning skills as fitness progresses and/or have not kept up with current trends and strategies to train smarter.

Skill areas that we commonly focus on at our camps include:

Swimming technique, open water skills, bike handling skills (climbing, descending, cornering, riding safely in a group, anticipating terrain changes), bike pacing, running skills (climbing hills, running downhills, proper form, running off the bike tips), running execution off the bike, triathlon training and racing tips, how to use gadgets properly, mental skills training, equipment choices (where to spend your money), sport nutrition and daily nutrition. 

Our Greenville skills camp is designed to provide triathletes of all fitness levels with hands-on opportunities to develop the basic and most necessary skills to experience success, improve overall safety and health and to build confidence in the sport of triathlon. Our goal is to help triathletes break bad habits and integrate new swim, bike and run skills into current triathlon training in order to reduce risk for injury/health issues, to improve your fitness and to improve your confidence as a developing triathlete.

If you want to get faster, stronger and better as a triathlete, it's important to become more skillful as a triathlete. 

From our experience in working with athletes of all levels, every triathlete has A LOT of room for improvement. Instead of training harder or adding more intensity or volume to your training in order to get faster, we want to help triathletes learn how to train and race smarter. 

By improving your triathlon skills in a safe, supportive and educational environment with two experienced triathlon coaches, you can train more confidently, reduce risk for injury by improving economy, feel safer as a cyclist on the road, and finally experience those big performance gains that you have been working so hard to achieve. 

To learn more or to sign-up, click HERE.

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For the triathletes who live in and around the Greenville area, in conjunction with the Trek Store South Carolina, we are going to give away a scholarship to our May skills camp. The winner will not only receive a free ($350) entry into our skills camp but also a Bontrager road bike helmet and training kit. 

In order to be eligible to win:

• You must be a member of the Trek Women South Carolina group.
• Attend at least two rides or events from the group from now until May. 
• Follow TriMarni and the Trek Store on Facebook. 

Content entries are open NOW by filling out this Google Form and will close on March 1st. Winners will be notified by March 6. 
If you are in the area, come join us on Thursday February 23rd from 6:30-8pm at the Trek Store South Carolina for ladies night. I will be speaking about nutrition and there will be other presenters and activities to improve your knowledge, safety and fun on two wheels.

For more info on the Trek ladies night: Click HERE.

For more info on our camps: Click HERE

More Run Fast Eat Slow recipes - Yummy carbs!

I can't believe it. We are now under 4 weeks away from the start of our first Trimarni camp of 2017 in Clermont, FL, which means that we will be racing our first triathlon of the season (Olympic distance) in just 4 weeks! And then three weeks later, Karel and I will be returning back to Florida to race the Ironman Haines City 70.3 event as our first endurance event of 2017.

To keep us well fueled, healthy and happy, I have been keeping our house filled with carbohydrates. In addition to making sure that our fridge always has some type of cooked grain/rice/potato assortment in it, I've been making good use of my Run Fast Eat Slow cookbook as there are so many delicious recipes that are perfect for helping us meet our daily carb intake. Plus, we love carbs so it's not that difficult for me to get excited to make something new.

I tried out two new recipes from the cookbook and I think you will just love them. Of course, I had to make another loaf of the banana bread.

Enjoy!

(All recipes are from the cookbook. However, the ingredients listed are with my modifications.)

We love having muffins in our house - homemade, that is. I love that this recipe includes zucchini and carrots to bump up the nutritional value of each muffin. The chocolate chips and walnuts give it a nice texture (and yummy taste) and the muffins are not too dense - just moist enough to yum with every bite. 

Superhero muffinsPg. 42


INGREDIENTS

2 cups gluten free flour (or almond meal)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 zucchini)
1 cup grated carrots (about 2 carrots)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper muffin cups (I sprayed the tin with non stick sprayed and ended up with 17 muffins instead of 12 as I filled each 3/4th full instead of to the brim).
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, walnuts and chocolate chips.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, zucchini, carrots, oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. The batter will be thick.
4. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling each about 3/4th full. Bake until the muffins are nicely browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. About 25-30 minutes.

Let's get real. Pancakes are amazing. I can't imagine my life without pancakes. My dad loved pancakes so every time I eat one, I think of him.
Pancakes taste great after a hard or long workout but they are also amazingly good for brinner or for breakfast, on a recovery day. I love pancakes as they provide a great source of carbohydrates and a fluffy base to dress up with yogurt, syrup, butter, nut butter, berries and anything that your taste-buds desire.
Having pancakes pre-made is such a great feeling when you finish a long or hard workout and you know that homemade pancakes are ready for you and you don't have to spend 20+ minutes mixing together ingredients and flipping pancakes on a skillet.
These pancakes came out really fluffy and they offer a nice pumpkin taste that isn't too overpowering. This recipe made ~23 pancakes so I kept about 15 in the fridge and froze the rest. 

TEFF PUMPKIN PANCAKES
Pg. 44

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups teff flour 
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp nutmeg (it called for pumpkin spice but I used nutmeg)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 3/4 cups milk (it also called for 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt but I left that out as I didn't have any - still turned out ok!)
2 tbsp sugar (It called for 2 tbsp honey but I used sugar instead)
(it called for currants or raisins but I left those out since I wanted to make these plain - more fun for dressing up later!)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the teff flour, baking powder, nutmeg/pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, milk, (yogurt if using) and sugar (or honey). Pour over the dry mixture and stir until just combined. 

3. Fold in the currants/raisins if using.
4. Heat a stove-top griddle or skillet over medium-low heat (I used two skillets so that I could make more at the same time). Use oil for brushing the pan.
5. Ladle a heaping spoonful of the batter into the hot pain. Cook the pancakes on one side until the bottom starts to brown, about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the pancakes over and cook on the other side until nicely browned and cooked through, 1-2 minutes. Continue with the remaining batter, brushing the pan with oil as needed.
(The book recommends to place the pancakes in the toaster to reheat from the freezer - great idea!) 

We are just loving this banana bread recipe - it's oh-so-good. I prefer my bananas on the yellow side but now, it makes me excited to see my bananas get brown spots as I have a recipe to use them for! 

For the recipe: banana bread. 

In this recent creation (picture above), I used walnuts and raisins and it was so good!