I'm racing my first off-road triathlon—how do I fuel?

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In the August 2017 "off-road" issue of Triathlete Magazine, I wrote an article on how to fuel for an off-road triathlon. This was an exciting article to write as I often imagine what it would be like to participate in a triathlon that occurred off-road. Oh the thrill to ride and run through nature! Although my cycling and running skills are not yet ready to trade the pavement for the dirt, I saw this as a great opportunity to educate triathletes on some of the nutritional differences between off-road and road triathlon racing.

Note: In the print issue Pg 55, there were some formating issues with the staff at Triathlete Magazine that affected my article (in the 2nd column - the print words are not my words) so I wanted to take the opportunity to share my entire article with you. Sometimes these things happen in print so it's no fault to the dedicated staff at Triathlete Magazine. 

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Rock hopping, puddle dodging, log jumping, white-knuckle descending. Unlike your typical triathlon experience, an off-road triathlon provides the perfect environment for the triathlete who lives an adventurous lifestyle, with a strong love for nature. 

Racing off-road brings a variety of challenges, specific to the unique terrain variations at each venue. The unpredictability of race day can be intimidating, especially if your skills are still a work in progress. But ask any Xterra athlete and he/she will tell you that the thrill and accomplishment of off-road racing, alongside the easygoing atmosphere, will keep you craving for more.

If you are ready to trade the pavement for the trails, here are three nutritional differences to remind you that off-road racing is no ordinary triathlon.

Road triathlon – Fuel/hydrate on a schedule.
Off-road triathlon – Fuel/hydrate when you can.
While your body will perform at its best if you aim to meet your hourly carbohydrate (30-60g), electrolyte (400-1000mg) and fluid needs (20-28 ounce), don’t rely on sticking to a schedule. Off-road bike/run courses are difficult, requiring great skill and focus as you manage the terrain. When you get a chance to fuel/hydrate, take it! Although liquid calories are recommended, as they provide a one-stop-shop for meeting energy needs, stuff your pockets with extra gels, chews and bars for those “just in case” scenarios.

Road triathlon – Rely on the aid stations.
Off-road triathlon – Bring your nutrition with you.
Practice fueling/hydrating during training with your preferred sport nutrition products. You need experience drinking (and possibly eating) while dodging rocks and roots. Unlike smooth asphalt, off-road racing is anything but smooth. A hydration pack on the bike and hydration belt on the run will make fueling/hydrating an uncomplicated task as you navigate the terrain with little aid station support.

Road triathlon – Push your limits
Off-road triathlon – Be conservative
On the trails, your off-road adventure will take significantly longer than the same completed distance on controlled terrain. Thus, your intensity and nutrition will play a big part in your ability to manage the obstacles you overcome on race day. Knowing that no amount of nutrition can help you race like a pro, pacing is critical to your racing success. Because the course dictates your effort and energy expenditure, be sure to preview the course ahead of time. Instead of setting a goal/time pace, focus on small segments of the course that you can execute to the best of your ability.

The technical demands of the trails make it challenging to meet energy needs. But this doesn’t mean that nutrition should be an after-thought. Consider off-road racing a constant work in progress. With continued skill and physical development, you’ll become more prepared for the unpredictable “fun” moments of racing off-road. 

Lessons learned - 35 athletic qualities to get to that next level

After 2.5 tough days of training, we just wrapped up our private training camp with Trimarni athlete Lisa Comer.  Lisa timed her private training camp perfectly with her key race (IMMT) as this camp was the perfect opportunity to intentionally overstress her body with training but to also remind her of the important skills that are needed to put together a great Ironman performance. Seeing Lisa in action allowed us, as her coaches, to fine-tune her skills and to break a few bad habits so that the next 6 weeks of training will be as effective as possible. 

Lisa is an extremely resilient athlete. She has great bike handling skills, she is a fast swimmer and a strong runner. Over the past 2.5+ years as a Trimarni athlete, she has worked very hard to get to where she is right now in her athletic journey as she has been able to train consistently for the past few years all while managing a job, while being a wife and mother. She is positive, hard working and brings a smile to every workout. She gives 100% no matter the workout, knows how to stay present but also has a good off switch so that triathlon does not take over her life.

Here's a little recap of the private training camp stats over the past 2.5 days:

Sunday afternoon:
3800 yard swim

Monday morning:
3:45 bike (with ~5500 feet of elevation gain) - endurance ride + skill/terrain management
43 minute brick run (~400 feet of elevate gain) - steady endurance with a strong build at the end
In the afternoon, she had a RETUL re-fit with Karel to dial in her position.

Tuesday morning:
4:35 bike (with ~6400 feet of elevation gain) - endurance ride with a 11-mile Ironman effort climb in the middle
20 min brick run (~230 feet of elevation gain) - form focused
In the afternoon, we did another run for frequency training on tired legs. 41 minutes - conversational pace. After a 1 mile warm-up, we did 5 min run, 30 sec walk throughout the rest of the run to reduce excessive tissue damage.

Wednesday morning:
3700 yard swim
90 minute run with a MS of 4 x 10 minute build to strong efforts w/ 30 sec walk, 1 min EZ jog between)

Although this was a lot of training packed into 2.5 days, it was all doable for Lisa. Just like on race day in an Ironman, we needed to show Lisa that she is capable of squeezing out a bit more from her body, even when she feels tired/exhausted. Lisa went through a lot of highs and lows throughout 2.5 days but maintained a positive, can-do attitude. With this camp, she learned that even when she thinks can can't push any harder, go the extra distance or go up another hill, we proved to her that it's all about mind over body.

Throughout this private camp, I thought a lot about what athletic qualities are needed to get to that next level. Whether it's qualifying for the Ironman World Championship (full or half distance), landing on the podium, achieving a personal best performance or accomplishing something that you have never done before, we have learned that there are a few important qualities that an athlete needs in order to achieve a new peak of fitness. 

1. Be open to change or a new way of thinking.
2. Be a great eater and have a great relationship with food.
3. Appreciate and don't bash/pick on your body. 
4. Focus on being resilient and strong, not fast and lean. 
5. Use lower stress racers as an opportunity to learn about yourself as a racer.
6. Build a team (ex. sport psychologist, PT, massage therapist, sport dietitian, coach) to help you in your journey. 
7. Don't be afraid to ask for help. 
8. Don't skip steps or rush your journey. 
9. Understand that there are no short cuts or quick fixes. 
10. Stay committed to your journey, even in the face of setbacks and obstacles. 
11. Be patient - always. 
12. Put in the work. 
13. Stay consistent. 
14. Fall in love with the journey of self-improvement. 
15. Make room in your life for your sport. 
16. You must have support from friends/family. 
17. Surround yourself with people who give you energy and don't take it away from you. 
18. Understand the demands of your sport and have a smart plan to help you achieve them. 
19. Don't compare your journey to the journey of another athlete or a past version of yourself. 
20. Never stop working on your skills. 
21. Select key races that suit your strengths and will help you excel on race day.
22. Don't rush to improve by adding too much volume/intensity too close to a race or after a period of inactivity/injury. 
23. See your development as one that occurs over many seasons and not just within a single year. 
24. Be willing to stretch your comfort zone so that what was once uncomfortable can become familiar and tolerable. 
25. Never ever compromise sleep. 
26. Focus on the little things (good sleep, stress management, mobility, diet). 
27. Don't neglect strength training. 
28. Make your easy sessions easy. 
29. Make it a non-negotiable that you always fuel/hydrate before, during and after workouts. 
30. Don't get too emotional with your performance (training and on race day). Reflect and then move on. 
31. Stay processed driven, not outcome focused. 
32. Make your training work for you so that you can adapt to training and perform well on race day. 
33. Have fun. 
34. Always maintain a strong mindset and work on your mental skills. 
35. Integrate training into your life so that it has an important role in your life that helps you be a better person in this world. 

Rushing a journey may result in some temporary good results but ultimately, it will almost always result in physical, technical/skill, mental and nutritional/health shortcomings.

To get to that next level, you need to be more focused on the doing than on the outcome. Don't fear failure or overthink the process. 

The ultimate goal for an athlete is to be able to train, recover and compete at a level that ensures optimal development throughout an athletic career. As an age-group athlete, there is not time-line on your athletic journey. Therefore, be mindful that success (or getting to that next level) comes from performing well over long-term than trying to win (or achieve a lot) in the short term. 

The patient athlete - it's not easy!

A few days ago, Karel and I registered for the 2018 Ironman Austria. If you didn't know, this is my absolute favorite course because I love everything about this race. The mountain views, the silky smooth pavement on the bike course, the crowd support and the overall race atmosphere. This will be our 3rd time racing at Ironman Austria and I have a few big goals that I hope to achieve at this race which will be years in the making.

With a two year intentional break from Ironman racing, I can't wait to complete my 12th Ironman in Austria next July 1st.

To be honest, it has been incredibly difficult to resist the urge from signing up for an Ironman over the past year. Even now, I am itching to race a 140.6 mile event and there were a few times that I debated to sign up for IM Lake Placid and race with Karel. BUT, I have remained patient as my intention for taking a break from Ironman racing was to fully develop my skills, resilience and fitness so that when I return back to Ironman racing, I will be more prepared than ever before.

As an athlete, I thrive off goals. But sometimes, goals take a while to achieve. It's easy to be inpatient, especially when it's so easy to sign up for a race, anytime. Racing for a 140.6 mile event is no easy accomplishment and it requires a lot of time, money and energy. Although big Ironman goals will get me out of bed when I lack motivation or energy, I have been reminding myself over and over that sometimes a goal takes longer than you want it to and I must respect the time that it takes to reach that goal. Instead of spending so much energy on obtaining my goal as quickly as possible, I am dedicated and focused on the process that it will take me to successfully reach my goal.

Every time I have a goal, I am aware that I need time to achieve the goal. Rushing the plan/process will likely leave me injured or burnt out and neither would move me closer to my goal (and both would sabotage my health and enjoyment for the sport of triathlon). Being patient through every training process has allowed me to keep my expectations realistic (and timely) and to keep a positive attitude throughout my individual development. 

Throughout this Ironman-break, I have been training hard with Karel as my inspiration. As he prepares for Ironman #8 (IM Lake Placid) and Ironman #9 (IM Chatty) this season, I am extremely motivated by his hard work ethic and his determination to reach his personal goals. Even though I am not training for an Ironman right now, I get to share the "Ironman journey" with Karel and it is extremely rewarding.

Karel is a very hard worker. He will be the first to tell you that there are no shortcuts or quick fixes to athletic success. To experience athletic success, you must have determination, motivation and a strong desire to go after a goal, and never ever give up until you reach your goal.

It's been exciting to see Karel's development in the sport of triathlon over the past five years. Success is not an overnight kind of thing and for Karel, he has made so many swim/bike/run improvements over many months and years. I don't think Karel will ever feel satisfied, too successful or that he knows enough about the sport of triathlon and that keeps him trucking away. He truly loves the process of athletic development and this mindset has helped me remain so patient in my individual athletic journey.

Even though we both have different athletic goals, with different race schedules, we both wake up with an inner drive to be the best that we can be and with every workout, we trust that we are a little bit closer to reaching our goals.

Every athlete is different. What drives you, motivates you and inspires you may be defined differently from your training partner or another athlete. Every athlete has his/her own path to success with a different type of work ethic. Every athlete has his/her own obstacles to overcome and a path that is not always smooth and straight forward. Although almost every athlete wants to experience athletic success, it is those who are patient, willing and determined to do what it takes, for as long as it takes, that will reach long term goals. 

To accomplish something great with your body, you need time and patience. Hard work works when every day somethings add into something special on race day. Stay patient with your goals and the journey that it takes to reach your goals. Great things are destined to happen to you - stay patient! 

Can you benefit from a group training camp?

Preparing for a triathlon or running event requires a lot of time - often alone time This leaves little time for socializing with others who share the same (crazy) passion with you. Although your spouse/friends may support your training, the enthusiasm at a group camp is often much greater than what you would experience alone. 

While you may be 100% personally invested into your athletic journey right now in your life, you are more likely to stick with your sport when your enjoyment factor is high. Although we all need to embrace the solo grind that is needed for self improvement, your sport allows you to live a active, happy and healthy lifestyle - thus, it's important to find ways to keep that “fun” factor going and you can do that through a training camp. 

When most of your training is done by yourself, it allows you to focus on your own journey. Your training environment becomes very controlled and familiar and you know what to do to deliver yourself to a quality training session. This can also keep you from stepping outside of your comfort zone for anything new becomes uncomfortable. 

Because most athletes have a competitive side (and an ego), training with others can tempt you to compete against others, forcing you to go above and beyond what you are supposed to do. Also, in a group environment, you may find that you are constantly comparing yourself to other people, who may be faster than you. Training solo keeps you in a reality-check and allows you to focus on your form, breathing, nutrition and anything else that will help you on race day.

So why should you participate in a group training camp?

At a training camp, you are paying someone to take care of everything for you - logistics, routes, SAG stops and schedules. You are also paying for education and support. This means that all you have to do is show up and train. What a treat!

Whereas many training camps focus on accumulating miles, we believe in a nice mix of training, education and skill development. Ultimately, our goal at our camps is to help our athletes explore their true physical and mental capabilities. We help them overcome fears and what was once uneasy, becomes familiar and more comfortable. We love stretching comfort zones. Our hope is that when our campers return home, they not only have improved confidence and self-belief but they can apply what they learned at camp to their own training and racing.

Although we have a lot of fun at our camps (there is no shortage of laughs), we spend a lot of time on posture, running form, swim mechanics, terrain management, up and downhill running, bike handling skills, descending, cornering or terrain management – all things that may be new, unfamiliar, uneasy/uncomfortable or rarely practiced. At a training camp, you have the unique experience to apply workouts (in your own controlled/familiar setting) to the open road (or water).

A group camp also brings out the best in you – if you let it. You are less likely to make excuses, you stretch your comfort zone and you give a little bit more than you think you are capable of giving. 

A group training camp also provides you with the opportunity to experience what it is like to train when you are rested (good sleep), fueled (good eating) and present (mentally strong). It is important to us that our campers return to their home environment with a better understanding of how important good sleep, proper fueling, nutrient timing and application of sport nutrition, alongside better mental strength, can assist in improved fitness.  For many athletes, home habits sabotage performance improvements so in a group training environment, campers have the opportunity to explore new strategies for fueling, training and mental strength. Imagine what it would be like to perform with a body that is well rested, well fueled and mentally focused??

Regardless of the camp focus, whether it is solo as a weekend getaway, a private training or in a group, your camp experience should be fun, educational and energizing so that when you return home, you feel excited to apply what you learned at camp.

In our opinion, a training camp is so much more than just adding up training miles. 

A training camp is a big investment, requiring time away from work/family but what you get in return is an inspiring, education, fun, challenging, memorable and life-changing experience where you can stretch your comfort zone, learn, explore new boundaires, push your physical and mental limits and become the athlete that you are capable of being. 

Trimarni endurance camp reflections - day 4

When an athlete lacks mental toughness, it's easy to give up, give in or give less. We see this a lot when athletes train alone.

But in a group setting, athletes are willing to do just a little bit more than what they would do alone.
Regardless of talent, a mentally tough athlete has what it takes to get through a tough workout.

Day 4 of camp was all about attitude and every camper brought a great mindset to the last day of training at camp.

After three challenging, exhausting and long days of training, our campers arrived to Lake Jocassee around 8:30am for one last workout. A 1-hour open water swim workout followed by a 90-minute hilly run.

At Trimarni, we have a special group of athletes. We feel incredibly lucky that our athletes/campers bring great can-do attitudes to every workout as this fosters a positive, ego-free, supportive environment. When you feel good about yourself, you think, act and train in a way that is good for everyone. 

Instead of doing things the way that they have always been done, our campers opened their minds to new ways of training over all 4.5 day of camp. 

Instead of simply asking our campers to swim for 60 minutes, we gave them a swim workout. There were no excuses or reasons for not being able to do the swim workout but instead, everyone gave their best effort - even though we could see the exhaustion in their eyes.

And this is why a group training camp is so beneficial. When you think you don't have it in you, others bring the best out of you. 

It's always amazing to see how a group environment provides an immediate source of energy. Our campers were extremely mentally strong and welcomed the opportunity to challenge and push themselves beyond their comfort zone. 

With a beautiful backdrop to our open water swim, we all gathered in the water after a dynamic warm-up to start the open water swim workout.

Warm-up:
10 minutes out, 10 minutes back - easy swimming
Then 10 minutes out (easy), 10 minutes back build effort.

Pre-set:
4 x (10 strokes fast, 10 strokes easy, 20 strokes fast, 20 strokes easy, 30 strokes fast, 30 strokes easy), 

Main set 3x's
~150-200 yards out (Joey was our "buoy" in the kayak)
#1: Endurance effort, 85%
#2: Build to strong
#3: Strong

The water was a little choppy and the open water swim workout was not easy on the last day of camp but our athletes did not complain. Knowing that the open water environment is not familiar for most athletes, we encouraged our campers to not get frustrated and fight the water but instead, focus on good swimming technique, with great confidence. 

After the swim, we got ready for the run. At Lake Jocassee, there are no flat roads so we told our campers that this would be a very hilly run (about 250-300 feet of climbing for every 30 minutes of running). With the very last workout of the 4.5 day camp being a long run, we wanted to add some specificity to the run to keep our campers focused and engaged.

Although we had covered a lot of miles on the bike, we purposely did not overload our campers with running miles to ensure that we could minimize the fatigue and tissue breakdown throughout camp. This approach makes for quality training and to reduce risk for injury as our campers could keep good form during every run. Additionally, at our camps, every camper is required to bring sport nutrition/fluids with them when running, for all run workouts - either in a hydration belt or backpack. This keeps our athletes "healthy" when accumulating training stress and makes for productive training sessions and quick recovery.

Run workout
90 minutes as 3 x 30 minutes
15 minutes out, 15 minutes back on rolling terrain

Loop 1: Conversational pace, smooth and easy
Loop 2: Steady effort
Loop 3: Strong effort

We had our campers loop back at the picnic tables where additional sport nutrition/water was available for refilling flasks. Our campers treated this workout like a race so the nutrition stops were quick, just like at an aid station (or special needs) on race day.

It was so awesome to see our athletes work together. Although some athletes opted to run alone, there was no shortage of cheers and high fives from the athletes on the run course. Plus, our photographer Joey captured some great pics of us running! Here are a few pics of our campers in action.

Joe and Karel

Justine

Celeste

Heidi and Kevin

Thomas

Me and Justine

Elizabeth, Danielle and Sandra

Tim and Meredith

Jim 

Pat

Michaela 

Katja and Kathleen 

Stephanie 

Although the camp experience is just as exhausting for us coaches as it is for our campers, we absolutely love putting on training camps, especially in beautiful Greenville, SC. It's incredible to see our campers stretch their physical limits, step outside a comfort zone, embrace fear and bond with like-minded individuals. Our job is extremely rewarding and we love helping athletes develop fitness and skills to improve athletic capabilities, while having fun and maintaining pure enjoyment for the sport of triathlon.

Total camp stats:
2.5 hours of swimming 
12-14 hours of cycling
2.5-3 hours of running
Over 17 hours of training in 4.5 days!
And over 14,000 feet of elevation gain on the bike and over 1000 feet on the long run!

Every camp reminds us how much we love the sport of triathlon and why this sport is so special.

Inspiring people doing incredible things with the human body.
Stretching comfort zones, pushing limits and overcoming fear.

You will never know what you are capable of achieving until you try.

Thank you campers for making our 2017 Trimarni endurance camp extra special! 

And a special thanks to Joey for being our SAG/photographer and assistant coach Joe for your watchful eye, great mechanic skills and support. Also thank you to Thomas for being our"route guide" so that we could spend more one on one time with our campers. 
And thank you to the following companies who provided swag to our campers: 
XTERRA WETSUITS - wetsuit bag and hanger
cheribundi - refuel
Veronica's Health Crunch - yummy crunch
Mg12 - The Power of Magnesium - magne sport balm, roll on and salts
BOCO Gear - camp hats
OOBE - camp shirts
TeamHOTSHOT - Hot Shot 'drink'
CLIF Bar - Sport nutrition
Infinit Nutrition - Bike nutrition
Beauty Counter - sunscreen 

Trimarni endurance camp reflections - day 3

We saved the longest and hardest camp ride for day 3 of camp. This route included between 4000-6300 feet of climbing. Our campers knew that this would be their last day of riding at camp and we wanted it to be a ride to remember.

We have said it over and over again but we just love our cycling playground. We have endless cycling routes and we never get bored on our variable terrain. The views are spectacular, the roads are quiet (and car friendly) and you are forced to become a stronger, more skillful and smarter rider just by riding in and around Greenville.

Knowing that our campers would be mentally and physically exhausted on day 3 of camp, we gave our campers two options for rides. One ride started at Hotel Domestique (~50 miles) at 8am and the other ride started at 7:30am from the camp lodge. Although we had two ride options, we selected which campers would be in which group. We wanted to make sure that day 3 of camp made sense for every athlete, since it was going to be a challenging route regardless of the total miles.

Assistant coach Joe and I decided to ride to Hotel Domestique from the lodge so we left at 6:45am to meet our group of campers at the hotel by 8am. This was a nice opportunity for Joe and I to chat and to spin our legs before riding with our campers. Once we met up with our group, we headed out to the watershed and up the ~10 mile gradual climb until we reached the NC border. Once we were welcomed with smooth pavement, we descended and climbed our way into Saluda before we reached the 28-mile Green River Cove loop. 

The ride to the start of the loop is a beautiful one so we made sure to encourage our campers to ride steady and to save the legs for the 17-switchbacks that occur in the last 2.5 miles of the 28 mile loop. Yes, you read that right - seventeen switchbacks in 2.5 miles!! 

Here are some pictures from the first part of our ride until the SAG stop. 

Once again, we were treated with amazing weather and very few cars on the road. I don't think a single car passed us for over 15 miles on the Green River Cove loop! 

My group ended up beating Karel's group to the SAG stop so we restocked our bottles and snapped a few pics before heading out on the road again for another 10 miles until we reached the switchbacks. 

I made sure to keep the effort mellow for the next 10 miles and it was nice for us all to just enjoy riding, while enjoying the beautiful views. Once we reached the switchbacks, it was time to go to work! Eventually, Karel's group caught us on the switchbacks so it was fun for us all to be on the same part of the course together, with everyone grinding away until the top. 

Once again, every camper made it to the top. It was not easy but everyone was determined to get to the top. These switchbacks are no joke but Karel and I made sure to instruct our athletes on the best line to take in each switchback to minimize the steepness of the grade and how to establish a good rhythm when climbing switchbacks. The support among the campers was incredible and the group setting really helped some campers stretch their limits and push beyond physical capabilities. 

At the top, we all grouped together and congratulated everyone for conquering such a tough loop (the first part of the Green River Cove loop is not easy with several steep climbs and descends). We then broke into two groups and made our way back through Saluda until we reached the SC border, before descending down the watershed for the next ~10 miles. 

After returning back to Hotel Domestique, we split into two groups again with one group finishing the ride and starting a 10-20 min hilly run from the hotel (there's nothing flat to run on at hotel D!) where the other group (now joined by me and Joe) heading back to the lodge, where they would then do their 10-20 min run off the bike. The pace on the bike was steady all the way back and our campers did amazing. Both groups embraced the uncomfortable and overcame a lot to finish the workout. We were incredible proud of everyone! 

Tim, Michaela and Elizabeth working those hills together. 

Kevin taking a breather. 

Sandra looking strong. 

Stephanie focused and strong. 

Although we finished the workout around 1:30pm, our campers still had another run scheduled for Saturday. Even though it was an optional run, every camper went out at 4:30pm for an EZ 10-30 minute run on the trail. Talk about teammwork and motivation! 

In the evening, we had a Q&A session with our campers and we also talked about how to get to that next level as an endurance triathlete and what it takes to perform well in endurance events. It was a great 1-hour chat and come 8:30pm, our campers were exhausted and ready for bed.

With only one more day of camp to go, we knew an open water swim + long hilly run at Lake Jocassee would be the perfect way to end camp. And we were not going to take it easy on them.
Just when our campers thought that they didn't have any more energy, mental strength or focus for another day of training, the group environment and supportive atmosphere at a camp made our campers do things that they never thought was possible with their body.  

Trimarni endurance camp reflections - day 2

When we told our campers that day 2 of camp included a ride up Caesar's head mountain, we had a few campers that smiled with excitement and others looked at us with big, worried eyes....and maybe a few with the look of "are you freakin' crazy??"

This is exactly what we love about our training camps. With every camper, there are strengths and weaknesses. The positive energy is contagious in a group training environment so when one athlete is fearful or worried, another camper can pass along his/her positive energy to someone else. With this team approach, everyone has the opportunity to excel.

We divided the campers into two groups. Assistant coach Joe and I lead one group at 7:30am and Karel and Thomas lead another group at 8:15am.

We modified our original route just slightly so that we didn't exhaust our campers too much before the start of the 7 mile climb.

The first 20 miles to get to the base of Caesar's head included some rolling hills but nothing too technical. As we got closer to the mountains, the views became more and more beautiful.

We gave our campers the option to either ride steady and conquer the mountain or build the effort throughout the 7-mile climb. Because many of our campers had never climbed a mountain before, they paced their effort to finish strong at the top. 

Thankfully, the sun was shining and the fog had cleared so we knew our campers would be in for a treat at the top of the mountain. 

Like most of our routes, there is no "easy" riding. This ~50 mile route included over 4000 feet of elevation gain. 

Here are some pictures that Joey took of our campers climbing up the mountain. 

Pat, Meredith and Justine. 

Michaela and me. 

Karel and Danielle. 

Sandra. 

Celeste, Elizabeth and Tim. 

Nature-made water fountain.

Every camper made it to the top! What a huge success and confidence builder. Karel, Joe and I made sure that every camper gave that last little bit of effort at the top so we kept riding down the mountain (about 1000 feet) to catch  those who were still coming up. It was great to see them suffer just a bit at the top. 

After a quick refuel with SAG, it was time to take some pics and finally enjoy the views! All that hard work wasn't for nothin'! 

It was surprisingly windy at the top but the air was crisp and the clouds broke up just enough for us to enjoy the magnificent views. So proud of our campers - this was no easy climb!

And a big thank you to our SAG/photographer Joey for being there when we needed her (and for the cheers/support!)! 

As we all know - what goes up, must come down. We knew several of our campers would be a little scared on the descend down the mountain so Karel and I stayed in the back to make sure that our campers used the correct skills when descending to make for a safe and effective ride down the mountain. Thankfully - everyone made it down! 

After the descend, we regrouped and split into two groups again and rode back to the lodge. Once again, our bike-friendly roads included beautiful views. 

After the climb, our campers had a 10-20 min transition run. We always believe in teaching the body that running comes after biking so we typically include a short run after almost all long bike rides. 

                                                              Stephanie looking strong! 

                                                                   Light on the feet Thomas!

Meredith - always focused and determined! 

                                                      Katja - always full of positive energy! 

                                                                      Great work Jiim! 

                                                      Kevin and Kathleen working together. 

Our campers had a few hours to eat and relax before a 4-5pm skill swim session at Furman. Although our campers were tired, they didn't complain about being in the water as this was a low-stress swim focusing on technique.

Nutrition for the bike and swim:
Bike:
4 bottles sport drink (26-28 ounce) each with ~220-240 calories + extra calories (solid food/gummies) as needed.
SAG stop: Coke, water, saltines, Clif bars, pretzels, pickles, bananas, Hot Shot.

Run off the bike:
~80 calories in 10 ounce flask of water

Swim:
~80-120 calories sport drink in 20-28 ounce water. 

After the swim, our campers had certainly worked up an appetite so it was time for our pizza party! No camp (or key race) is complete without pizza! We ordered 10 pizzas from Mellow Mushroom and our campers did a nice job polishing off most of the pizzas. 

We finished day 2 of camp with a recap talk of our bike/run/swim workouts and also discussed the plans for day 3 of camp.

After two full days of training, we knew our campers would be tired and mentally exhausted for the 3rd day of camp. In our experience, day 3 of camp is always the hardest - mentally and physically. But over the past two days, we could see the confidence building in each athlete and we wanted to prove to them that they could tackle one of our hardest climbs in NC (just over the SC border). Knowing that athletes often set physical limits much further back than what is physically possible, we wanted to prove to our campers that on day 3 of camp, they could accomplish more than what they thought was capable.

The only way to overcome uncomfortable situations is to expose yourself to those situations. Whether it's climbing mountains, descending mountains or practicing new skills, you have to repeatedly do what is unnatural in order to become more familiar with it. We knew that with our help, in a group setting, our campers would be able to work through fear, stretch the comfort zone and push physical boundaries. 

Trimarni endurance camp reflections - Day 1

A Trimarni training camp is a long time in the making. Reserving the Swamp Rabbit Lodge, contacting Trimarni sponsors for swag, planning the workouts and routes and reserving pool lanes. There's a lot that goes into every Trimarni training camp as each camp is a little different and we always cater to the needs of our campers. 

For the 2017 Trimarni endurance camp, we specifically designed workouts that would help our campers build endurance but also to improve skills and confidence for long distance training and racing. While the majority of workouts were not intense, the overall volume was high. It was important to us that each camper felt challenged and uncomfortable while also feeling resilient and strong. Knowing that we had 4.5 days to overload our 16 campers with endurance-focused workouts, we specifically focused on routes that would stretch comfort zones and push physical and mental limits. 

With the official camp start day on Wednesday afternoon, my friend/SAG support Joey and I packed the swag bags on Tuesday. I am always incredibly grateful to the sponsors who contribute to our training camps for we only reach out to the companies that we believe in and support. We want our campers to have quality products/gear and we owe a huge thank you to the following sponsors who supported the 2017 Trimarni endurance training camp:

• Clif Bar
• Infinit Nutrition
• Hot Shot
• Mg12
• Xterra
• Boco Gear
• Oobe
• Beauty Counter Sunscreen
• Swamp Rabbit Inn and Properties

Campy was an excellent guard dog to make sure that nothing happened to the camper swag bags. 

On Wednesday morning, Joey and I set up the swag bags at the Lodge, along with the camp t-shirts. A few hours later, Karel and I (and Campy) went out to mark our bike course for Thursday (with pink duct tape). 

Campy made sure that we were always on course. 

Around 4:30pm, Karel and I rode a mile down the road to meet our campers at the lodge for an optional EZ 70 minute spin. Luckily, the rain stopped and it was just hot and sticky out for our easy spin. We had a good group of campers who arrived early and joined us for the optional spin. We rode on nicely paved, low traffic roads near the base of Paris Mountain and it was the perfect way to interact with our campers and move some blood for upcoming workouts. 

There's something special about the stress-free atmosphere of being on a bike and just enjoying nature with friends. 

In the evening, around 7:30pm, we had a chat with our campers and a meet and greet session, which was a great way to get to know everyone and talk about the camp layout and what to expect. 

We officially started day 1 of camp on Thursday morning at 7:30am. We picked a beautiful scenic route but sadly, our campers were not able to see much due to the cloudy sky and the sprinkling rain. We knew we had a great group of campers when not one athlete complained about the weather. They were eager to get on their bikes and get to work.

We broke into three groups with me, Karel and assistant coach Joe as leaders of each group. We rode out about 12 miles on the rolling hills before getting to the 4.85 mile loop that we marked on Wednesday. The loop included every type of terrain (rollers, climbing, false flats, sharp turns and descends without much flat road riding) for our  campers to practice their skills while executing a workout of 3 loops - easy, moderate, strong.
The ride totaled around 3 hours with about 3200 feet of climbing.

Karel, Joe and I helped the athletes negotiate the terrain and practice their skills on all types of road conditions. Despite the rainy conditions, our campers did amazingly well for the first bike workout of camp. 

With no cars on our loop, it was the perfect start to camp (minus the rain). 

Here are two pics of the beautiful views that were taken on Tuesday when Karel and I pre-rode the course. 

We love our views and bike friendly roads! 

After the workout, we broke into groups again and we rode back to the lodge to get ready for a brick run. 

I lead our campers to the Swamp Rabbit Trail and then they ran around Furman for a 2.85 mile run. The rain stopped and it was a great way to end the first brick workout of camp.

For nutrition:
Bike: 3 bottles - each with ~220-240 calories INFINIT Speed (flavors Grape, Fruit Punch, Pink Lemonade).
Run: 1 flask with ~80 calories Clif hydration. 1 flask with water. 

After the morning workout, we gave our campers a few hours to rest/fuel/recover and then it was time for the afternoon session - a 90-minute swim at Furman University. 

With the entire pool reserved for our campers (6 lanes), we split our campers into lanes based on swimming fitness level and gave each lane a swim workout that ranged from ~3000-4300 yards. It was great to see our campers step outside their swimming comfort zone and be pushed by the other campers.

After the swim session, it was time for a meal and then our nightly chat with our campers around 7:30pm to wrap up day 1 of camp and to prepare our campers for the mountain climb on day 2 of camp. We were incredibly proud of our campers for being open to our suggestions and for being comfortable with being uncomfortable. We were really impressed with the hard work ethic of our campers and we knew day 2 would be one day to remember for our campers. 

A big thank you to our SAG support Joey for taking pictures and for being out there just in case we needed her. 

Embrace sport scariness

Sports are awesome because they resemble life. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Making hard decisions when dealing with an injury

Imagine if you could train and race without a single risk for injury? 

If it seems to good to be true, well, that's because it is.

Injuries are part of sport. If you call yourself an athlete, accept that you are always at risk for an injury.

When you train for an athletic event, you are placing a tremendous amount of stress on the body to improve your skills, fitness and preparation. And for any athlete who wants to get more out of his/her body, there are risks to be taken to push a little harder and go a little longer. Certainly, every coach has his/her intentions to design a smart training plan/training environment to reduce the risk for injury but sometimes things are just out of your control. While many injuries (niggles) are managed conservatively with little break in structured training or activities of daily living, other injuries are very disruptive to life, often causing physical and mental stress due to a complete stop in physical activity. 

For any athlete who has been injured, it's normal to be pissed off, frustrated, sad, mad, angry, disengaged and irritated. This may cause isolation and lack of motivation and may lead into more serious issues such as depression, anxiety, disordered eating and substance abuse. 

Realizing that some injuries come randomly (without a known trigger or warning) and some injuries are accidents (crash, rolling an ankle, slipping on a wet floor), it's important to note that athletes are not injury proof. Whether an injury happens randomly or because you are always pushing your limits and ignoring pain, injuries happen in sport and each athlete will have his/her own mental and physical response. 

Certainly, for any outsider (friend, family member, training partner, coach, teammate), it's easy to give advice like "hang in there" or "stay positive" or "don't give up". But athletes don't just deal with the physical pain of a torn muscle, strained tendon or broken bone but also the mental pain associated with the temporary or permanent loss of sport (which also brings purpose and self-identity)

As an athlete, although there is no good time to be injured, one of the most difficult times to be diagnosed with an injury is right before an important event. While athletes will often get injured due to a ramp in training volume/intensity, athletes can often be a bit too dedicated (stubborn) to training in the 4-6 weeks out from a race and will often feel the need do go a little harder or do a little more to validate race day readiness - thus the risk for injury increases.

I get it.

It's very tough to make that decision "to race or not to race."

With your athlete brain, you are often only capable of thinking in the current moment. It's nearly impossible to think beyond your next race. 

For example, in 2015, Karel tore his plantar fascia in early June while training for Ironman Lake Placid. This was his first real injury and he didn't want to accept it. When he finally received the MRI results that it was a tear (as we were driving to Lake Placid a few days before the race), Karel still wanted to race. He thought he could just tough it up and race and then he could recover from the tear. His thinking was - well it's already torn, what worse could happen?

He was obviously thinking in the present moment and could not see beyond Lake Placid. He could not think about his health or anything beyond this injury. I don't blame him. This is normal and he was not doing anything wrong. He could not see that in 3 months, he would have the opportunity to participate in his first Ironman World Championship (with me) IF he didn't run in Lake Placid. It seems like logical thinking (don't race Lake Placid and heal up for IMKona) but as an athlete, it's extremely difficult to think logically, let along see beyond your next finish line. 

As athletes, we often struggle to recognize and accept long-term consequences of our immediate actions. 

There are many common reasons why athletes feel they need to complete a race, even though they are faced with an injury. For example.....

But I told everyone I was doing it and all my training buddies are doing the race.

I don't want to be left out. 

But I trained so hard for this race. 

But I spent so much money on this race and trip.

I don't want to gain weight.

But I invested so much time for this race and I don't want to let my family down. 

I'll just take it easy on race day. 

I want the finisher medal.

I just really want to do it.

I remember telling Karel over and over that his reasons for "racing" with a torn plantar were not smart. Come Kona, he would be sitting on the sidelines, regretting the decision of hobbling his way through IM Lake Placid - that is, if he could even finish the marathon. He would just be suffering and surviving until he could not tolerate the pain any longer. It was very difficult for him to see long-term but I kept reminding him that if he only competes in the swim and the bike, he will still have the opportunity to compete in Kona as he can kick-start the rehab as soon as he returns home from Placid.

Although we had many discussions during the 72 hours before the race (and Karel desperately hoping a miracle would heal his foot before the race), he finally made the right decision to DNF after the bike......after he packed his running shoes in his T2 bag and finally recognized that running was not a smart option.

Karel learned a lot from not racing with an injury. Karel is much better at thinking long-term and now he has the experience of a serious injury (with a positive ending) to help him make good future decisions with his body. I always believe that injuries teach us lessons - in sport and in life.

Well, here we are again....but with NO INJURY.

Instead, here we are, just a few weeks away from traveling back up to Ironman Lake Placid for Karel to race on the same race course as his first Ironman in 2013 (our first IM together) and on the same course that he did not finish on due to an injury back in 2015.

As an athlete, remember that the entire goal of training is to compete at your best. If you can not race at your best due to an injury, then your immediate goal is to heal yourself so that you can return to sport with a healthy and strong body.

It's always a tough call but be sure to think long-term. No race is "worth it."

And in case you were wondering, yes, Karel did end up racing in his first Ironman World Championship and he finished the race with no pain and a great marathon with minimal run training. He was diligent with his rehab therapy and was very patient in the process of letting his foot "heal" from July - October. After his torn plantar finally healed (it took about 11 months until it fully healed), he went on to have a phenomenal 2016 racing season by completing 3 Ironman's (and qualifying and racing Kona again), while running his fastest ever marathon off the bike (3:06 at IM Mont Tremblant - fastest male amateur run split).

An injury is a great teacher. Pay attention because it can teach you a lot if you listen! 

Athlete spotlight: Christine McKnight - Stretching goals and training hard at 69 years of age

Name: Christine McKnight

Age: 69

City/State: Saratoga Springs, New York

Primary sport: Triathlon 

How many years in the sport: 20 years

What Trimarni services have you used: Nutrition consult, Sweat Testing

                                                       -------------------------------------

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

I graduated from a smalltown high school in western  Michigan in 1965.  There were no sports for girls back then and  no female athlete role models for young women either.  I  was sedentary until my late 30s, when I then took up running. I quickly discovered that I had a competitive mentality.  I was  xclusively a runner for 12 years, and I raced a lot.  But, as the running injuries mounted, I embraced cross training and  discovered triathlon as a 50 ­year­ old.  Since then, I have completed more than 110 triathlons, from sprints to the Ironman distance.

What keeps you training and racing in your current sport? 

I embrace triathlon as a lifestyle, rather than just a hobby.  Triathlon has given me health and fitness and a wonderful circle of friends, an active lifestyle and a positive outlook on life, that anything is possible.  Among my triathlon friends, I am known to frequently say: "How lucky are we?!?"

What do you do for work?

I am retired from a 35­-year career in wire service  journalism, public relations work, and magazine  publishing.

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

Being retired is a huge advantage.  But I'm actually pretty  busy!  I am careful about my volunteer commitments and how I use my time.  As an older athlete, I try to carefully pace myself through my training week, and I pay a lot of  attention to recovery and rest.  I also work two afternoons a week in my local bicycle shop, Blue Sky Bicycles, and I write (freelance) about triathlon for a local publication called  Adirondack Sports and Fitness.
Any tips/tricks as to how to balance work and training?

Keep your life and commitments as simple as possible.  Be  clear about your priorities. Don't be afraid to say "no" to requests if they don't fit into those priorities.

Do you have kids?

My husband Jim and I have two adult children, a son and a daughter, and four granddaughters, ages 7 years to 15  months.

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

One of the values my coaching group, T3 Coaching, embraces is "family first." I really buy into that.  Sure, we want to train with dedication, but never at the expense of our families and relationships.

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

My son and daughter were in grade school when I took up triathlon. Sometimes I took them with me on a training outing,  sometimes I negotiated a deal with my husband, and sometimes I got a babysitter.  (Here's to babysitters!) As  they got older, they began to participate in runs and triathlons themselves.  But family commitments have always trumped training. 

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

I am so lucky!  My dear, sweet husband Jim is very proud to be married to a triathlete ­­- he often humorously introduces himself as "Christine McKnight's husband."  But major race decisions and annual goals always involve his input.  We are careful to set aside special times with each other, even if it is only a few minutes every day.  We play golf together often (my other passion), and we enjoy going out for a quiet dinner.  Be sure to make your partner feel special each and every day, and thank that special person for being your Sherpa. 

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

learned that you'd like to share?

It's important to have stretch goals.  Also, never doubt  yourself ­­and trust your training. That's how I got to the  Ironman World Championships in 2013. At my qualifying race, Eagleman 70.3, I was in last place of eight women in  my age group coming out of the water. Not good!  After the  bike, I was in fifth place, and my run moved me up to third place. Miraculously, I got a roll­down. Good things happen  if you give it a go, compete hard, stay in the moment and don't give up.

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

1.  Be good to your body.  Place a priority on how you recover, and give yourself plenty of rest.

2.  Keep your life balanced and avoid over commitments.   Pace yourself through the day, the week and the season.

3.  Cultivate your relationships.  Surround yourself with  positive, caring individuals who can help you create an environment in which you can succeed.

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

For me, it's about just being able to stay healthy and showing up at the starting line, ready to compete. That's a  huge victory even before the race starts.

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

I really love a smoothie, almost any kind.

What key races do you have planned in 2017?

• Eagleman 70.3 (June 11) - qualified for 70.3 World Championship 
• Ironman Lake Placid (July 23) 
• 70.3 World Championships in Chattanooga (Sept. 9) 
• Stretch goal: Ironman World Championships in Kona,  October (dependent on Lake Placid)

What are your athletic goals for the next 5 years?

To continue competing at the highest level possible, at least through the age of 75. Hopefully, blaze some new trails for older female athletes and set some AG records.

Boost your pre-race mental game - YOU ARE READY!

When was the last time that you had that one workout when everything clicked and you wish race day was tomorrow? Don't you love it when that happens!

But then comes race week - Ahhh!!!

Where did that race-ready, everything clicked, workout go? All of a sudden, it's race week and now you have a mix of emotions - many of which make you feel so unprepared. 

It’s human nature to doubt yourself to feel like you should have done more. In our always-connected world, it’s very hard to keep things in perspective, especially when it appears as if everyone else is so much more ready than you are. 

Regardless of how your training did or didn’t go, it’s important that you adjust your mindset so that you go into your race confident and believing in yourself. 

Before every race, you need to believe yourself when you say “I am ready.”

For many now successful athletes, they started something before they felt ready. If something is important to you, you will never really feel ready. A side effect of doing something challenging is feeling excited and also very worried and unprepared.

As it relates to race day, you need to feel like you prepared "enough." To perform at your best, regardless of how ready you really are to compete, your mental game is extremely important so that you can feel ready "enough."

Here are some ways to boost your mental preparation before your next race. 

1. You control your own thoughts – Feelings come from thoughts. All conflicting and negative thoughts start internally in the mind. The next time your mind starts racing and you notice self-doubt or fear, let go of all those negative thoughts. Instead, choose positive, quality thoughts that will help you excel on race day. And never let another athlete or person get inside your head. 

2. Feelings are not actions – A niggle, low energy, heavy legs or nerves is a feeling. Just because you feel nervous, you feel a bit off or you feel a bit of a niggle in your shoulder, this doesn't meant that you will have a bad race.  If you find yourself doubting your abilities because of how you feel, you are putting blame or excuses on a scenario that is inside your head.  Never let your thoughts be confused with actions. You can still feel tired and perform amazingly well. 

3. You are ready – When something is important to you, you will find the time and you will put in the work to get what you want. It takes a lot of hard work to be prepared for an event but the truth is that nobody ever feels 100% ready for something that is meaningful. Reflect on your previous training, which helped you stretch your comfort zone and gain the necessary skills to feel prepared at this point in your journey. Even though race day may be tough, struggling does not mean that you are not prepared. Trust that you have done the work and remember that every great success requires some kind of struggle in the journey.

4. Try your best - Your greatest fear should not be fear of failure. Not trying is failing. Great things will come to those who work hard and give it a go - no matter what. Always race with your current level of fitness and remember that you are a developing athlete, getting to where you want to be, one day at a time. Remember, a person who makes no mistakes is the person who is not willing to fail in order to win. It’s better to have a season of small mistakes to learn from, than a season of playing it safe, with regrets of never really trying.

5. Be thankful – Don’t worry about anyone else. Everyone person fights his/her own battle or has to overcome some type of obstacle before a race. What incredible battles have you overcome lately or this season? What are you thankful for?

The next time you find yourself with self-defeating thoughts, stop and get those thoughts out of your head. To enhance your performance, start with your mental game. Talk to yourself in a way that will boost your confidence. Quiet those negative thoughts in your head so that you can make room for the positive thoughts - You are strong, You can succeed. You are brave. You are dedicated. You are resilient. You are ready. You can do it! 

Seeking bike savvy triathletes

It's hard to believe that in just one week, we will be holding our third Trimarni camp of the year! Ever since we moved to Greenville, SC in May 2014, we have been amazed by our bike-friendly roads and beautiful mountain and farm scenery. Once we started to notice the significant improvements in our overall resilience and endurance thanks to our challenging terrain, we knew that this was the perfect playground for a triathlon camp.....and why have just one camp when we can have three Greenville camps!

Our upcoming Greenville camp will span over 4.5 days (Wed-Sunday), with no shortage of swim/bike/run endurance-focused workouts, We have some amazing sponsors providing swag for our campers and we have planned some challenging workouts to help our campers stretch their comfort zones. Like with all of our camps, there will be no shortage of laughs, smiles and a few grumpy moments, with plenty of time to build memories and friendships. The only responsibilities of our campers are to 1) Eat 2) Train 3) Sleep.

Camp is an extremely special opportunity for most age-group triathletes as there are very few times when an athlete can check out of life to train in a group format, with coaches "watching over" to give helpful advice and to train like a professional athlete. Karel and I love camp just as much as our campers as it is a rewarding experience to see our campers in action.

Then, in late August, we will have our last Trimarni camp of the year, which will be our Advanced Greenville Trimarni camp from August 23-27th. We are seeking bike savvy triathletes for this camp! 

We have a few spots remaining for our upcoming Advanced camp, which is timed perfectly with the Ironman 70.3 World Championship (2 weeks out), Ironman Chattanooga (4 weeks out), Ironman Wisconsin (6 weeks out) and Ironman Kona/Ironman Kentucky (11 weeks out).

If you consider yourself a bike savvy triathlete, with great skills and endurance on two wheels, this is the perfect camp for you.

This camp will be very bike-focused with lots of time in the saddle as we will plan the routes, provide SAG support and be your guides as you navigate our challenging terrain. We will take you on some of our favorite cycling routes which will make you want to move to Greenville! Of course, we will not forget the swimming and running training. We look forward to providing you with one of the most amazing training camp experiences that you will ever experience and we have Greenville to thank for that!

If you (or someone that you know) are interested in our Advanced Triathlon Training Camp from August 23rd-27th, you can learn more and sign up HERE. 

What are you waiting for?
Our bike-friendly roads are ready for you!!

Is your salad a balanced meal? Tips for constructing the perfect salad.

Almost every day of the week (minus my long workout days), I have a big beautiful salad for a meal. Typically, my salad meal occurs at lunchtime as it is far out between my morning and evening workout, which allows for adequate digestion time due to all of the roughage in the meal.

A salad is a super, convenient, easy and affordable way to work in a few servings of vegetables into your daily diet. I won't mention all of the health benefits that come from a plant strong diet but for athletes, vegetables act as a low calorie method to pack in fiber, antioxidants and an abundance of vitamins and minerals into your daily diet, to support proper immune system functioning while optimizing metabolic and hormonal health.

When constructing the perfect salad, we must differentiate between eating a salad as part of a meal versus eating a salad as the main component of the meal. As I mentioned above, most days during the week, a salad is my lunch meal but on my longer workout days, when energy expenditure is quiet high and I need to focus on consuming more energy dense, nutritious foods, a salad complements my my main meal (which is typically rich in carbohydrates and plant protein).

From a nutrition perspective, as it relates to creating a salad that acts as the main component of your meal, here are a few tips to ensure that you are meeting your individual nutrient requirements.

Keep in mind that a balanced diet is one that meets your individual needs in a cultural, enjoyable and financial way. There is no one-size-fit all "balanced diet" as a healthy eating plan is a sustainable style of eating that allows your body to function optimally on a day-to-day basis. 

Constructing the perfect salad 

1. A perfect salad starts with a bed of greens. Don't limit yourself just to the popular options like spinach, kale and romaine as there are so many different greens that can add a nice texture and taste to your salad. Check out this list of greens, featured in a previous Trimarni Newsletter. As mentioned in the newsletter article, combine together 3-4 different greens. A mild lettuce like red or green leaf will compliment a crisp choice like romaine. A peppery or bitter green like arugula or radicchio will add a little kick. Take advantage of pre-washed greens when you are in a hurry, as they are convenient and easy when it comes to meal prep.
   
2. Is your diet lacking color? Phytochemicals give plants their distinctive colors and may act as antioxidants, which have many disease-preventing properties. Phytochemicals and vitamins and minerals work together, so a varied diet, rich in color, will help optimize health. Make sure your salad is bursting in color - red, purple, orange, yellow, green, white - so that you can eat the rainbow! This step in your salad making process is where you can add a variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices.
   
3. If your meal is lacking a crunch, it's likely that you will be searching to fulfill your crunchy craving soon after you eat your salad meal. Crunchy foods, like nuts and seeds, provide a nice texture to a salad meal. Plus, when added to a salad, you can easily control the portion (unlike snacking on nuts and seeds). These crunchy foods also offer a healthy amount of calories and fat to help you absorb fat soluble vitamins. Add a small handful of crunch to your salad - your taste buds will thank you with every bite.
   
4. Speaking of fat, avocado, oil and cheese can help promote satiety. It's common to feel incredibly full after eating a nutrient-dense salad but if it's lacking fat, you will likely feel hungry soon after the contents in your gut begin to digest.
   
5. Don't forget the protein! Beans, legumes, edamame, tempeh, tofu, eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, chicken, turkey, red meat, fish - there are so many options! Opt for around 20-30g of protein in your salad meal. To make sure that protein gets on your plate, I suggest to prep your protein ahead of time and to always have a few go-to options (ex. cottage cheese, hardboiled eggs, frozen edamame) when you are in a hurry.
   
6. Last comes the dressing. Since many commercial salad dressings are high in calories, fat and salad, opt to make your own dressing or keep it simple with olive oil, balsamic or salsa. To help evenly coat your greens, make your salad in a container (with a lid) so that you can pour on the dressing before eating and then give it a big shake. Another tip is to drizzle your dressing on your salad and then use a pizza cutter to "cut" the dressing into the salad. If all else fails, have a large zip-lock bag to give your salad a shake with your dressing (probably not the best strategy if eating out at a restaurant - instead, I would go with the dip the fork into the dressing and then pick up your greens).

If you search most websites on constructing the perfect salad, almost every source will feature greens, color, fat, protein, something crunchy and a dressing.

But where are the carbs????

As it relates to athletes, who have different energy needs compare to their sedentary counterparts, we must remember that every meal should provide our body with a healthy carbohydrate option. A meal lacking in carbohydrates will only lead to sugar cravings, not to mention low energy in your upcoming workout. Plus, every individual, athlete or not, deserves to eat carbohydrates.

As it relates to carbohydrates in the athletes diet, I find that many athletes will opt for the most convenient carb out there......bread. While there is nothing wrong with bread (fresh local bread is a daily staple in our house), I find that our society (America) has an unhealthy relationship with bread. 

Whereas in many cultures, bread means family, love, tradition and togetherness, in America, bread is a big no-no. It's often made in machines, stored on grocery store shelves for weeks at a time (without spoiling) and often serves as a way to hold meat and condiments together when you need to eat with your hands, on the go. It's a great delivery system for butter, cream cheese and nut butter but it's also a cheap option to fill you up or to keep you distracted as your restaurant meal is being prepared.

Sadly, in America, we just don't have a good relationship with bread and a lot of this is because of the function of bread in the Western diet. Bread isn't seen as something sacred and special like in other countries. Meetings, rushed schedules, emails, working too much, sleeping too little.....why spend hours mixing, kneading, waiting, watching and making bread when the accessibility of buying bread from the grocery store will save you so much time?

For many cultures, bread is not suppose to be low-calorie, gluten free or filled with chemicals that inhibit mold growth, not to mention sliced and stored in a plastic bag. Perhaps I have a different appreciation of bread because of my European husband, who grew up on fresh, local bread that was purchased every day by walking to the nearby grocery/bakery and his mother wouldn't never buy something if it could be made at home, with love. 

Thanks to the convenience of factory-made bread and the ease of using bread as a delivery method for other food stuff, American's have relied too much on bread as their main carb. And now, when many athletes are choosing to avoid bread because they are told it is unhealthy, athletes struggle to eat enough carbohydrates in the diet to meet daily energy needs. 

So what's an athlete to do? To eat bread or not to eat bread...that's the question!?!?

Let it be known that I am not anti-bread. I love bread and it will never be removed from our diet. However, I find that many athletes rely too much on bread and forget that there are so many other amazingly healthy, nutrient rich and delicious sources of carbs. And one group in particular is Whole Grains! 

7. So, for the final topping on your beautiful, satisfying and balanced meal salad, don't forget to include a serving (1-1.5 cups) of whole grains.  Because whole grains require time to cook, make sure you change your lifestyle to allow for the steps needed to get cooked whole grains on your salad plate/bowl. 

Since I am all about small lifestyle changes when working with athletes on nutrition, start off your (new or improved) nutrition journey by getting a little help from the grocery store by purchasing pre-made whole grain options. For example, check out the Path of Life product options in the frozen food section (by the vegetables) at your local grocery store. I just came across these 3 options (pic below) and tried them out over the weekend. A great salad topper! 

  

Taste-tested by me, these options are full of flavor and can be prepared in the microwave in only 4 minutes! Once you recognize the game-changer of incorporating either store-bought whole grains or home-prepared whole grains into your daily diet, you will find yourself feeling more satisfied, with less "sugar" cravings and more energy throughout the day. Not to mention the fact that your daily salad is now a perfect balanced meal, rich in health promoting nutrients, thanks to a healthy dose of carbs.
(Botanically speaking, quinoa, the "grain" featured in the Path of Life products, is a relative of spinach, beets and chard and it's technically a seed. But, it's still a great addition to your daily diet, along with whole grains.).

Happy salad eating!

Is your body image limiting your athletic potential?

As an athlete, your closest relationship in life will always be to your body. Your body lets you do so much on a daily basis but you can never take for granted the complexity of the human body and how much it does for you during exercise. 

Having said this, your body is going to give you mixed signals - very often. Some days you will feel amazingly strong and other days you will feel blah.

Although it is normal to feel a certain way about your body through the highs and lows of training, it's not normal to feel dissatisfied with your body image, appearance and weight, leading you to conclude that losing weight will enhance performance and will make you feel better about yourself and your body. If you are one of the many athletes who experience great anxiety and pressure to change your body to be "more lean" or "more muscular", read on. 

Due to excessive media exposure that glorifies lean and toned athletic bodies (often with the aid of weight loss pills, extreme restrictive diets, overexercising and sometimes disordered eating habits), you may find yourself constantly criticizing your appearance, assuming that if you weighed less, you would be able to do more with your body (and perhaps "look" more like an athlete). 

If you have recently found yourself engaging in restrictive eating, avoiding foods/food groups and over exercising in an effort to feel better in your skin, this can lead to patterns of disordered eating and weight obsession and may develop into anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia, compulsive overeating or binge eating disorder.

Your perception of your body plays an important role in your self esteem and confidence. If you are too critical of your body, you are likely to feel inadequate. No matter how hard you train, there will always be a limiter in your performance due to the energy that you spend on your body image. 

Reach out to a dietitian professional, specializing in body image/disordered eating/eating disorders, if you are currently struggling with your body image. Getting treatment for distorted is a necessary step to recovery so that you can start living your life to the fullest.

Here are 20 ways to love your body

(featured in this article). 

Compiled By: Margo Maine, PhD

• Think of your body as the vehicle to your dreams.  Honor it.  Respect it.  Fuel it.
• Create a list of all the things your body lets you do.  Read it and add to it often.
• Become aware of what your body can do each day.  Remember it is the instrument of your life, not just an ornament.
• Create a list of people you admire:  people who have contributed to your life, your community, or the world.  Consider whether their appearance was important to their success and accomplishments. 
• Walk with your head held high, supported by pride and confidence in yourself as a person.
• Don’t let your weight or shape keep you from activities that you enjoy.
• Wear comfortable clothes that you like, that express your personal style, and that feel good to your body.
• Count your blessings, not your blemishes.
• Think about all the things you could accomplish with the time and energy you currently spend worrying about your body and appearance.  Try one!
• Be your body’s friend and supporter, not its enemy. 
• Consider this:  your skin replaces itself once a month, your stomach lining every five days, your liver every six weeks, and your skeleton every three months.  Your body is extraordinary—begin to respect and appreciate it.
• Every morning when you wake up, thank your body for resting and rejuvenating itself so you can enjoy the day.
• Every evening when you go to bed, tell your body how much you appreciate what it has allowed you to do throughout the day.
• Find a method of exercise that you enjoy and do it regularly. Don’t exercise to lose weight or to fight your body. Do it to make your body healthy and strong and because it makes you feel good.  Exercise for the Three F’s: Fun, Fitness, and Friendship.
• Think back to a time in your life when you felt good about your body.  Loving your body means you get to feel like that again, even in this body, at this age.
• Keep a list of 10 positive things about yourself—without mentioning your appearance.  Add to it daily!
• Put a sign on each of your mirrors saying, “I’m beautiful inside and out.”
• Search for the beauty in the world and in yourself.
• Consider that, “Life is too short to waste my time hating my body this way.”
• Eat when you are hungry.  Rest when you are tired.  Surround yourself with people that remind you of your inner strength and beauty.

Avoid junk miles. Train smarter to go harder with quality workouts.

Every athlete is likely to suffer from "junk miles" training as some point in his/her athletic developmental journey.

The term "junk miles" can have many definitions. Athletes and coaches often think of the word as something that describes adding extra miles to a workout (or weekly training) solely to reach a mileage target. For example, a workout may read "Ride 100 miles" or "Run 20 miles" or "Swim 4200 yards" - an arbitrary number that should be reached no matter how the athlete accomplishes the distance.

Many athletes see every type of workout as beneficial, even the "just complete the miles" workouts as they build confidence. Instead, a better way to describe "junk miles" is an excessive amount of miles that are completed in excess of what is needed to optimize fitness for race day. With this definition, every workout, even the intense, recovery, tempo, steady and long workouts, can fit into the definition of "junk miles" if it is not optimizing fitness for race day.

As it relates to helping athletes improve fitness, we like to focus on the following to ensure that every workout counts:

1. The training volume should fit into an athlete's life. We do not focus on the hours/miles that need to be accomplished for an athlete to prepare for a race but instead, we go by time based workouts. 
2. Every workout should have a focus and it should be clearly written before the workout description so that the athlete understands the purpose of the workout for proper execution.
3. Perceived effort should guide every workout with metrics (speed, HR, power) as a byproduct to simply check-in with and to review after the workout has completed. 
4. Easy sessions must be kept easy so that the body is not mentally and physically depleted for hard sessions. 
5. Hard sessions should be hard. 
6. Great sleep, mobility and nutrition have an immediate effect on workout quality. 
7. Every athlete is different. Finding the balance between higher volume workouts and intense sessions is key. You can not compare your training to another athlete or your current training to past training. 
8. You must trust the process and remain patient. Avoid fear-based training to "prove" to yourself that you can do a certain distance/pace/power. 
9. Training should always be periodized throughout the season. Our approach is to get athletes stronger, before trying to get faster, before going longer. 
10. Understand the requirements of your sport and preferred racing distance. Although endurance is needed for long distance racing, resilience, strength and skill development will also help an athlete delay fatigue and will allow for better race execution. 

Although we do find that longer workouts have their place in training (for all distance events), the important take away is to not assume that longer workouts are the only way to prepare for a long distance race. Additionally, if you want to get faster, don't assume that only doing hard/intense workouts will help you go faster on race day. 

To learn more about this smart(er) approach to training, Triathlete Magazine recently interviewed me on the topic. I also provided three "quality" training sessions (Swim-Bike-Run) to help you bring more specificity to every workout. 

How to Execute a Low-Volume, High-Intensity Triathlon Training Strategy

Athlete Spotlight: Bryan & Rebecca Milling - A couple's inspiring story of overcoming the odds with an active lifestyle

Name: Bryan and Rebecca Milling

Age: 42

City/State: Greenville, SC

Primary sport: Triathlon (Bryan),  Running (Rebecca)

How many years in the sport: 6 years

What Trimarni services have you used: Nutrition consult. RETUL. Group training camp. Coaching.

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

Bryan: I played baseball in elementary school and football in middle school but fell out of organized athletics around the 8th grade. I skateboarded pretty hard after that, but never thought of that as being athletic. In high school, I starting smoking and became an alcoholic in college. It runs in my family so it wasn’t hard to pick up those habits. It became the thing I was “good at”. Party? No problem - I was always the last one standing. Funny how I was still competitive during that time in my life. I drank pretty hard through college and my first few years as a professional. About 20 years ago, a family member had an accident involving alcohol and two people were killed. That was the last day I drank any alcohol. I started working out and running to fill the void. I eventually worked up to a marathon (which sucked), but it was an accomplishment.. A friend sold me a Cannondale CAAD8 so I started riding. Naturally, that led to triathlon. I finished my first sprint and felt like a rockstar. I knew nothing about the sport other than it was big enough to keep me interested in it for a very long time. That’s still true today!

Rebecca: I was diagnosed at birth with congenital heart disease, and had my first heart surgery in 1984, at the age of eight. Because of my heart condition I was restricted in my activities - walking was about the only exercise that I was “allowed” to do. In 2009, my cardiologist told me it was time for my aortic valve to be replaced and with advances in medical technology, it was also revealed that I had an atrial septal defect (or a hole in my heart). I had my aortic valve replaced and the hole repaired in October 14, 2009. I had always felt like I could be more active than I was told so after recovering from open heart surgery I began running. The same weekend I was in the hospital recovering from surgery, the hospital held its annual 5k running race. I was determined to run in the race one day rather than hearing about the race from my hospital bed. My goal was achieved exactly one year later when I proudly ran the 5k (the Hopebuilders 5k) as my first race ever!

What keeps you training and racing in your current sport?

Bryan: I have an addictive personality so I have to do something or I’ll go crazy. Triathlon is a great way to stay healthy and active. It’s so diverse that it keeps me engaged, which is important because if I lose interest, I’m usually gone. I have yet to find anyone who’s mastered all three disciplines so triathlon is the sport that keeps me going, knowing that I can keep getting better.   

Rebecca: I have been unhealthy and healthy.......healthy is much better! I don’t want to take for granted how great I have felt the past seven years since my surgery and I certainly don't want to take for granted all of the doctors and caregivers that helped me get to where I am today.

What do you do for work?
Bryan: I have one of the greatest jobs! I work for OOBE (oo-be), we’re an apparel design firm here in Greenville, SC. We custom make uniforms for companies like Chick-fil-a, Hendrick Automotive Group, and BMW Manufacturing. I oversee half of the company’s business as well as oversee the management of all but one of our accounts. It’s stressful but fun and exciting and allows me the flexibility to get my workouts in. 

Rebecca: I have recently “retired” as a preschool teacher and I am now a stay-at-home mom.

How does your work life affect training and how do you balance work and training?
Bryan: I get up between 4:00-4:30 AM every work day to get my first workout in. If I have a second, I try to do it at lunch. I’m blessed to have the flexibility to do this because it allows me to workout and be productive at work and still have family time when I get home. Travel is tough but I try to stick to the same schedule. There are days when I just can’t get it in and that’s OK. I just try to keep everything in balance and perspective. 

Rebecca: When I was working I was fortunate to work part-time. This allowed me the flexibility I needed to get my workouts in.

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

1) Do the tough work in the dark. Getting up early lets you accomplish something before you even leave the house!

 2) Work pays for triathlon so make sure the priorities are in order. Having priorities doesn’t justify skipping workouts, it just means we have to make time to get them done.

Do you have kids?

Yes! Martha (12) and Sam (7). We are very proud of them both - they’re great kids. Martha plays soccer and Sam is in a running club. Sam actually ran 26.2 miles over the course of the school year! This year will also be Martha’s third year of triathlon camp at the YMCA and Sam’s first. They chose to do it on their own and it’s awesome to see them pursue an active lifestyle.

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

Bryan: Again, balance and priorities. As I mentioned above, I workout in the dark before anyone gets up. This way, I’m making time on the back-end of the day for the family. I couldn’t do it without Rebecca. While I’m finishing the workout, she’s getting the kids up and ready. Then I take one to school and she takes the other. Divide and conquer! If work smashes my morning and the kids have an activity in the evening, that’s the priority. But I’ll work hard to find time to get something in - something is better than nothing! I do try to involve the kids so if I have a short brick, I’ll ask them to ride a bike beside me. I also try to take them to the pool and we swim together after my workout. We’ll also try to do family bike rides on the trail. It’s never perfect but making the effort is what counts.

Rebecca: As a wife and mom, I not only have to consider my schedule on any given day but the schedules of my family. If getting my workout in on certain days is only going to add stress to our already crazy day, I try to not be too hard on myself if I have to skip a workout here or there. I always tell myself "tomorrow is a new day."

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

Bryan: COMMUNICATE! As moms and dads, there are just certain family obligations that we have to commit too and those are not excuses. But for everything else in life, talk with your spouse, talk about your workouts and together, talk about your goals. If Rebecca wants to train for a road race, she comes first so together we make a plan that works for both of us. Do your best to manage life and don’t let life manage you!

Rebecca: If at all possible, get it done first thing in the morning - or as early as you can.
Seems simple, but this helps a lot!

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?

Bryan: Rebecca is a special woman. She motivates me just by living. So many people with her condition live life as little as possible out of fear. Rebecca’s not like that. She is active and works extremely hard to live a healthy lifestyle and also to provide for her family. I want to support that and honor her so she always comes first. My advice is try to give more than you take. We try to talk about the year and what we want to do and then try to set expectations so we don’t disappoint one another. We also try to make time for us - alone so that we can stay connected. It’s REALLY hard to do this at this stage in life but we try. I also try to help with things like clean up after supper, help clean the house and other daily things so that she doesn’t have to worry about them. Again, I try to give more than I take. I fail a lot but I try. 

Rebecca: Bryan and I both lead active lives....communication is key. Often, we discuss the day before what our goals are for the next day. We talk about things like what time he needs to leave for work or what time will he be on the bike trainer or what time I'll be leaving for my workout. Although we try to plan the best that we can, its the spur of the moment things in life that we forget to talk about or want to add in that can throw us for a loop.

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

learned that you'd like to share?Bryan: Finishing Ironman Wisconsin last year tops the list. Most people don't want to invest into something that takes time and effort - like training for and completing an Ironman triathlon. It requires a lot of time out of life but when you cross that finish line and realize what you’ve accomplished, there’s nothing like that feeling. I remember finding Rebecca and leaning over the railing onto her shoulder and just crying. There were no tears because, well, I’d just finished sweating for 12 hours, but I was so emotional. She invested in me and allowed me to invest into this adventure. It was euphoric and one of the best days of my life.

Rebecca: I had hoped to run the GHS half marathon in February of this year but was not feeling well for several weeks and my training suffered. I am just now gaining my momentum back with my running and thanks to the reminder from my husband, I am focusing on my small daily achievements as I build back rather than focusing on the set back.

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

1. Remember why you started triathlon. Let’s face it, triathletes are a cool bunch of people and are very driven. Enjoy being cool and being driven - two great qualities to have in life!
2. Involve those around you and share the experience with others. Your kids and spouses don’t have to be triathletes but they might enjoy running, biking or swimming. Do active things with them!
3. Be involved and grow the community because it’s a great community! Don’t operate on the fringes but instead, introduce yourself and make friends. Then, introduce your family to their family. The really cool thing about Greenville is the run-bike-swim (not exclusively triathlon) community is very interwoven and it’s awesome!
4. Eat your veggies. Enjoy all food but have some discipline to eat health because it’s very important. Take care of your body/mind, outside of the sport of triathlon.
5. Understand the difference between drive and addiction. One is healthy, the other is not. Make the right sacrifices because you’re driven and moving toward something. Don’t make the wrong sacrifices because you have an addiction. Triathlon is fun but it is not life.

Rebecca:

1. I have learned the importance of paying attention to the seemingly smaller things the last year or so.....stretching, warm-ups, and cool downs have helped me stay injury free. Unfortunately its easy for me to ignore these things when I am feeling good.
2. When I am paying attention to what I am putting in my body (food), my body responds better. This is even helpful for an “exerciser” like me.
3. I am not just an athlete....I am a wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend, etc. Take time for other things in your life and sleep in once in a while.

How would you define athletic success as it relates to your personal journey?
Bryan: Going from being an overweight-cigarette smoking-alcoholic to an Ironman triathlete pretty much defines my success. I’ve been very blessed by God’s grace, not mine but His. I’ve been blessed by with a wonderful wife, great kids, the means and physical ability to play triathlon and enjoy it. It doesn’t get better than what I got it and I just want it to stay this good. 

Rebecca: Athletic success is being able to stay fit and doing something that I enjoy. I am not cut from the same cloth as Bryan and will never have Ironman-sized goals and that's ok. But being able to run 5-6 miles for exercise while enjoy the outdoors, and setting a good example for my children is well worth it!

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

Bryan: I’m a pizza guy. Black olives, mushrooms, arugula and I’m good. 

Rebecca: Oatmeal with fruit, walnuts, cinnamon and a little maple syrup.

What key races do you have planned in 2017?Bryan: Lake Logan half and Ironman Chattanooga - I can’t wait to race with my Trimarni teammates! 

Rebecca: Ironman Chattanooga - just kidding! But my job for the next few months is to help Bryan achieve that goal. I will likely do some smaller local races and possibly the Spinx half marathon in the fall.

What are your athletic goals for the next 5 years?
Bryan: I'll be real honest - I can’t really think that far. I’m enjoying my new road bike and I'll be doing Hincapie’s Grand Fondo in October. Who knows where that may lead but maybe some bike racing. I also want to take the family on a race-cation, maybe Texas (Martha was born in Austin) or Hawaii.

Anything else?
Rebecca: I support a wonderful organization called The Ironheart Foundation. It has been so beneficial for me to have the support and to learn from other cardiac athletes. You can also watch their documentary “Flatline to Finishline” on Amazon prime and follow cardiac athletes as they set goals to compete in Ironman Arizona. Very inspiring!

 From Ironheart Foundation “We use physical movement and sport to transform, empower and positively impact lives that have been affected by heart disease.”

Tips for adjusting to warm weather workouts

The warm weather is finally here!

While it's great that we no longer have to bundle-up in layers of clothing before an outdoor workout, there is great physiological strain imposed by training in hot conditions.

In a recent interview with the Epson Salt Council, I provided my 5 tips for adjusting to warm weather workouts.

Since this topic is one that I discuss quite often with my nutrition and coaching athlete, here are a few blog posts specifically discussing the topic of hot weather training/racing:

Acclimatization - 8/09

Perfect Cooling Towel Review - 9/15


Challenge Williamsburg Race Report - Temp Real Feel 124 degrees - 6/15

Simple Sport Nutrition tweaks - Swim 8/16

Simple Sport Nutrition tweaks - Bike 8/16

Simple Sport Nutrition tweaks - 8/16

Celebrate Global Running Day with these important running tips

6 minutes or 14 minutes. It doesn't matter how long it takes you to cover a mile, a mile is still a mile.
Today is Global Running Day - a day for people around the world to celebrate the joys of running. Share your passion for the sport of running and inspire others to get moving.

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

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

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

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

If you are looking to extend your running career or you are hoping to improve your running fitness, I have a few important tips to help make the most out of your running journey.

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

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

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

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

Optimize the energy cost of running -  Specifically for athletes (triathletes/runners), you must be being able to sustain a high rate of energy production for a prolonged amount of time.  Your ability to run well is not determined by how fast you can run but how efficient you are at using oxygen in order to resist fatigue throughout your entire training session or event. By improving your running economy, or how well your body uses oxygen for whatever duration and intensity you are running, you can actually get you running faster with less work. Imagine that – if you want to run faster, just run more efficiently! The winning formula is: Good posture/form = Improved efficiency = resistance to fatigue = faster running.

Cross Train - Cycling, swimming and strength training can all help improve your running mechanics. Running does not necessarily make you a better swimmer or cyclist but swimming and cycling can make you a better runner as you can work on mobility, balance, posture control and speed without placing weight on the body. Knowing that running is an injury-producing sport, cross training offers a healthy amount of stress and literally "takes the load off." 

RUNNING TECHNIQUE TIPS

• Establish good posture before you start running. Typically marching into power walking will help.
• Avoid forcefully swinging your arms in front of your body. Thumbs toward armpits, elbows behind you. Any forward arm movement should be a counter movement to your arms swinging behind you. 
• Relax your shoulders and hold no tension in your neck/arms/ 
• Head looks ahead of you toward the ground, not to the horizon, straight up or straight down.
• Forward lean - hips in front of knees, in front of ankles. Don’t lean back or upright.
• Avoid bouncing up and down and instead, propel yourself forward. 
• Don’t overstride or try to land on your toes. Focus on landing your feet under your hips.
• Minimize your time on the ground to help you run light, to minimize fatigue.
• Use your warm-up and any time before your run main set to work on posture and form. 
• To help run downhill, hold your arms closer to your body to feel more control. 
• Incorporate walk breaks to help you reset form. 
• Fuel and hydrate to help delay fatigue and to keep good form. 
• Always run with good form. If you can't keep good form, your risk for injury increases

In honor of Global Running Day, my friends at StrideBox are offering you 50% off the first box for a new monthly subscription to StrideBox.

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Confused by nutrition??? Here's why.....

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Nutrition plays a very important role in health and performance. But I don't have to tell you what you already know.

You are well aware that if your body doesn't get the nutrients/energy that it needs, your risk of illness, injury and sickness increases as your body struggles to adapt to intentional training and life stressors. With proper nutrition, you are rewarded with performance gains and a strong, healthy and fit body. 

As a Board Certified Sport Dietitian, I have an important role as it relates to the performances by athletes. For countless reasons, many athletes are invested into improving "nutrition" with the help of a sport dietitian. At the most basic level, improving nutrition will lead to better strength, resilience, endurance and recovery but nutrition also plays an important contributing role in the development, management and prevention of mental health problems as well as in achieving and sustaining a healthy body composition. 

Thanks to social media, we now communicate, share information, connect with people, receive news, promote products/brands and debate topics much differently than in the past. With so much nutrition information available to the public, nutrition overload leads to confusion and misleading information.
This reminds me of the telephone game where you hear from one person "American's are eating more processed carbs than ever before" and a few people later, the message reads "carbs are bad, avoid gluten."

We live in a society that is obsessed with healthy eating yet many people admit that it is very difficult to live a healthy lifestyle. With so many health and diet products, books, articles, TV shows, experts and meal plans, it can be difficult to tell the difference between false, half-truth and practical nutrition advice.

It's unfortunate but far too many individuals are being taken advantage of by so-called "experts" that sell you a strategy or product to encourage you to buy into a life changing weight loss or performance method. Science and research is often twisted and fabricated to make you believe that you are getting the best advice from a trusted authority on nutrition. Many uneducated experts know that you are vulnerable and desperate for a change and recognize that you lack the knowledge to identify truth from quackery.

I take my job very seriously as I care about the health and performance of my athlete. Over the years, I have learned that many athletes are just straight-up confused by nutrition. This confusion may lead to disordered eating, health issues or an unhealthy relationship with food. This needs to change. My best advice is to reach out to the real experts on nutrition - a Registered Dietitian specializing in YOUR needs (ex. weight loss, performance, sport nutrition, health issues, etc.)

Why are so many athletes confused by nutrition? Here's why.....

1. You are being taken advantage of by unqualified "experts" with little to no formal nutrition education. 
2. Food and the physiology of the body is very complex. 
3. Genetics and the environment play a role in the interaction of food and body composition. 
4. Nutrition science continues to evolve.  
5. You believe everything that you read on the internet/TV. 
6. You live by a good food/bad food list to gain control over your diet. 
7. You want big results with little effort. 
8. You are easily distracted/sabotaged. 
9. You blame nutrition for everything - trouble sleeping, digestive issues, stress, etc. 
10. The food/diet industry thrives off confusion and fads/trends. 
11. You go to the extreme when making diet changes and this causes you to "fail" with your nutrition methods. 
12. You follow a restrictive diet or 30-day plan to lose weight/clean up the diet but you never learn to change your lifestyle. 
13. Your lifestyle does not support healthy eating. 
14. You focus too much on your body image than health. 
15. You let yourself get too busy, rushed, stressed, overwhelmed and exhausted and healthy eating becomes an afterthought. 
16. You are letting personal stories/experiences from someone else guide your individual nutrition journey. 
17. The media poorly communicates nutrition information. 
18. You sift through mixed nutrition messages on a daily basis and jump from one nutrition plan to the next.
19. Research studies have a great chance of getting published (and be talked about) if they demonstrate positive results. Research studies are often funded by food/supplement manufactures to promote products. 
20. You are surrounded by tempting food that is socially welcoming, convenient, processed and calorically dense. 
21. Everyone is different but you follow mainstream nutrition advice. 
22. You are easily influenced by food trends. 
23. You believe opinions and not science. 
24. You don't rely on trustworthy resources but instead seek free or sexy-marketed advice.
25. You don't like to cook, meal prep or eat healthy food. You want a quick fix. 
26. Diets are cult-like - you are either in or you are out. 
27. You see nutrition as black or white instead of keeping an open mind and being flexible with your thoughts. 
28. You eat based on fear, guilt, anxiety, uncertainty and doubt. 
29. Nutrition is not one-size-fits all. 
30. You blame willpower and discipline instead of focusing on small changes. 
31. You want quick results right now. 
32. Nutrition is not something that you can "track" or "measure" and experience quick, long-lasting results. 
33. The nutrition industry has failed to establish reliable experts and information and instead, anyone can be a called a nutrition 'expert'. 
34. In the field of nutrition, it's very difficult and expensive to produce research studies that offer meaningful and applicable results. 
35. You categorize food as good or bad and this creates a dysfunctional relationship with food. 
36. You only believe nutrition advice when it is backed by a research study. 
37. It's easier to be motivated to eat a certain way in order to treat a current issue than to stay motivated to eat a certain way for a long time in order to prevent a future issue. 
38. Nutrition is an emotional and personal subject. 
39. It's very difficult to isolate nutrition/food from other factors that affect your health/body composition/performance. 
40. You rely too much on tips, tools, gadgets, trackers and apps than learning the basics of mindful and intuitive eating. 
41. What you eat doesn't affect your health right away. 
42. No one controls nutrition advice/information that you read/hear. 
43. Nutrition is one of the very few fields that you can become an expert in, if you are passionate about it, you have a success story or you have helped other people achieve results. 
44. People won't stop talking about nutrition/food and it can be difficult to stay on your path. 
45. Everyone has an opinion, thought, story. 
46. Our food industry has changed and factories are becoming more important than farmers. 
47. Basic, effective nutrition advice has remained the same for decades but the media, food industry and experts want you to believe otherwise.