Looking through a different lens - athletic success

I always make sure to have fun when I train. Within a season, there may be a handful of workouts when I'm truly not enjoying the workout (typically around my menstrual cycle - ugh) but otherwise, there's joy when I train. I'm not immune to suffering or feeling uncomfortable during intense efforts but when I workout, you'll be sure to see a smile on my face as I'm happy, grateful and thankful for what I get to do with my body.

Over the past six months, I've been training under the coaching guidance of Cait Snow (with the watchful eye of Julie Dibens). At the age of 36, after 13 consecutive years of endurance triathlon racing, I'm grateful for how much I've achieved in the sport. But I sought the experience, wisdom and accountability of a coach to see if I could unlock a bit more of my body's fitness potential.  With this in mind, I was aware that I'd be trying a new style of training and my coach would be giving me different training stressors. However, it was extremely important to me that I didn't lose my joy for training and racing. I'm happy to report that I've only become more excited by this training journey, I still love to race and I love this sport more than ever before. My coach sees me as a human being, in the context of my life. Although she challenges me mentally and physically with every type of workout, we are in agreement that in pursuit of athletic success, it will not come at the risk of my long-term health and happiness.

Although I am extremely dedicated to my training, training is not a means to an end. In other words, I don't train for weight loss, to burn calories, to escape the stressors of life, for body composition changes or even outcome goals. I don't train with expectations. Interestingly, this is the first year I don't have any race goals for myself. I'm simply enjoying the process and seeing where it takes me.

When I train, I am very focused, in-tune with my body and present. I always look for ways to set myself up for a great workout and to stay consistent with training. I know that to experience athletic success, I need to be very committed to my training. This does not mean that I make extreme choices or sacrifices. I'm human after all. Life is much more than sport so as my body allows me to pursue this hobby, I need to make sure that sport enhances my life and doesn't destroy my life.

Nothing makes me feel more alive than being outside. I love where we live in Greenville for never am I alone when I train. I'm constantly surrounded by mountain views, farms and so much nature. I always give myself permission to stop and take pictures.

Saving a butterfly on the road. 

Saying hi to the cow "puppy." 

Rescuing a baby turtle on the road. 

Saying hello to the baby ducks. 

In the comment section of Training Peaks, you'll find several workouts where I let my coach know that I stopped to take a picture of an animal or rescue some creature on the road. This doesn't happen all the time but it's certainly part of who I am as an athlete. I don't worry how this short stop will affect my paces, speed or power or hoping that my coach won't be upset that I am taking an intentional stop. Never has my coach told me to be more serious or to focus more when I train. I'm incredibly grateful that she "gets me."

Additionally, my coach has never told me to fast, cut back on carbs, change my diet or lose weight. She's 100% focused on my development and making sure I stay healthy throughout this journey to the 2019 Ironman World Championship. 

I wanted to bring this up because I see and hear many athletes who make radical changes in training and nutrition. All in hopes of achieving a certain end result. But what I see/hear are athletes that aren't having fun. They look miserable. No longer are they as excited and enthusiastic for training as they were when they first began participating in the the sport. It's not that you have to have great workouts 100% of the time but in my opinion, many athletes forget what it's like to have fun when you train and compete. Training turns into drag-fests where you spend far too much time watching the clock until the workout is finally over with and you ask yourself "why I am putting myself through all of this??"

It's a mistake to your athletic journey to believe that there's a specific pathway to performance and you need to jump on that path. Whether it's ketosis, fasted workouts, decreasing body fat, reducing carbs or investing in certain gear, athletes (and coaches) often have great expectations that if X is done, Y will happen. Rather than enjoying the moment and focusing on what can be done today to bring health and happiness to the present situation, athletes are constantly hoping that success will occur in the future. Athletes are becoming way too serious with all the marginal gain approaches and end up mentally and physically burnt-out. In the end, athletes are forced to retire from the sport but more so, look back thinking that they have missed out on a big chunk of life. The food rules, concerns with body image, fatigue and other side-effects of chasing an outcome become the norm. As a result, athletes change from enjoying the journey to becoming extremely hyper-focused on every little thing that may help with performance only to become frustrated, stressed and disappointed. No longer is training fun but it's a daily stressor. No wonder so many athletes get burnout when they start taking training "too seriously."

Training and nutrition should never be a chore. It should be something that you really want to do and not feel that you have to do to experience athletic success. If you feel a sense of dread about having to train a certain way or eat a certain way, thinking "when will this all be overwith??" you've lost touch with what's most important to you and your athletic journey. You've become way too focused on the end result.

I'd love to see a shift in attention away from assumptions. Assuming that if an athlete becomes fat-adapted or loses weight that success will follow. Assumptions that hitting certain weekly miles or metrics will ensure race readiness. I'd love to see coaches focusing more on effort, hard work, progress, patience and the value of doing your best instead of looking for every marginal gain to increase the chance of athletic success. Stop seeing the human body as an object.

Continue to work hard to optimize your performance and make smart choices that will help you better adapt to training stress. But make sure that your choices ensure a sufficient level of enjoyment.

Athletic success and fun can coexist. 

  

Smudla, we will always love you

Feb 15th, 2003 - April 30th, 2019

May 30th, 2006. 8:11pm. I received an email from Karel, letting me know that he was looking forward to meeting me the next day on a group bike ride. At the end of his email, Karel made sure to let me know that he had a roommate....who was a girl......named Šmudla. He sent me the following two pictures.

Šmudla is the Czech translation for Dopey from Snow White and the seven dwarfs. After getting to know Karel a bit more over the summer, I realized the Smudla and Karel shared a very special bond.

Three years before I met Karel, he was working three jobs. Trying to make a life for himself in America, his work was exhausting. There really wasn't a lot to his day except for working and trying to get a little sleep between jobs. There was very little money for food or clothing and there certainly wasn't any bike riding. Not able to speak much English, Karel didn't have many friends.

The day after Valentines day in Georgia, before Karel headed back to his home in Clearwater, FL, he stopped by the pet store next door to where he was working to visit the cats in the window. Karel has always loved cats. And there was this little kitten, just 6 weeks old, crying for Karel to take her. She was wild and energetic. With little money to his name, Karel managed to pay the $70 adoption fee and called her Smudla - which can also be translated to "messy."

Smudla spent her first few years of life as an outdoor cat. Because Karel traveled so much for various jobs, Smudla was free to room the neighborhood. 

In between her naps, she would climb trees, chase birds, tease the neighbors with her good looks and explore. 

She was always up to something. 

Or in something. 

Or on something. 

Or trying to find something.  

She was a curious cat with no fears. 

As a "tortoiseshell" cat, she lived up to her "tortitude." She had a very strong and forceful personality. 

Smudla loved Karel. She was always there when he came home and demanded lots of attention from him. She was always interested in whatever bag or box Karel brought home - which was always so much better than any purchased "cat house" that Karel decided to surprise Smudla with.

Smudla loved boxes. She was very curious and bold. She knew how to demand attention and was afraid of nothing. Regardless of who came into the house, she was quick to tell that person what she wanted.

In addition to boxes, Smudla loved drinking from a faucet. She was never one to drink from the water bowl. There was something about the running sink water that was so much better than the water from the bowl. 

Because of Smudlas "tortitude" she always got what she wanted...or at least she tried her best to get the attention of anyone around to help her get what she wanted.

When I cam into Karel's life, I instantly feel in love with Smudla. However, I was not thrilled that she was an outdoor cat as this made me worry about her. After just a few months of dating, I told Karel that Smudla needs to be an indoor cat. Karel's first responses was "Smudla will not like that." And oh, was Smudla not happy with me and that decision.

I remember the first night I spent the night with Karel. He left early for work and shortly after, I was getting myself ready to leave for work. Smudla was no where in sight and as soon as I opened the door to leave, there she was running right past me, making her escape outside. I quickly called Karel "Smudla escaped!" and he told me "She will be just fine." Of course, now that I felt like Smudla was my cat, I was so worried and had to find her and bring her home before I left. Smudla was not too happy about my new role in her life, especially as someone who was getting more of Karel's attention. 

After moving from Clearwater, FL to Jacksonville, FL in 2008, Smudla was starting to warm-up to me as her new "mom." But then came Campy and I was back on her bad list again in October of 2008. After Karel and I got married a few weeks later, Smudla slowly adapted to this new furry creature in the house.

And then came Madison. Smudla was not happy about this new arrangement. Madison wanted so badly for Smudla to like her but Smudla wanted nothing of it. Smudla would often look the other way, never making much eye contact. 

Smudla was not a mean cat. She just had a very strong personality and always had an opinion. You could see it in her face. We would often play a game of "what is Smudla thinking" and create a dialogue as if Smudla was talking to us or to Madison or Campy.

Over the years, Smudla become fiercely independent, feisty and unpredictable. But all in a great way. She loved being in the garage with Karel, especially when he was doing a bike fit or fixing his bike. Her morning routine was laying by Karel on the kitchen table as he worked on the computer. She always had to have one paw on his keyboard........probably to annoy him :) 

As she got older, she began to run the house - letting us know when she wanted to eat and drink. It didn't matter what time of the day, she was sure to show us who was boss. She would knock stuff off the dresser, scratch on the door and cry until she got what she wanted. Oh Smudla. 

As we moved from apartment, to town home, to rental home to our house, Smudla loved the moving process....so many boxes and places to hide. Although she hated riding in the car, she was never afraid of being somewhere new for it was a new opportunity to explore.

She loved suitcases and bags and anything she could find to sneak inside. 

Smudla always told us what she wanted. She even knew how to tell Joey (our neighbor who regularly watched Smudla when we traveled) what food or treats she wanted. Anytime we would come back from a trip, Joey let us know what new food Smudla liked. Smudla was an easy cat who lived a fun and adventurous life. 

Eventually, Smudla let us know that she only wanted to eat on the counter (because it was close to the sink faucet). We obliged.

Smudla often slept with one paw over her face. We would joke "Oh so sorry Smudla, we will turn down the lights for you."

Smudla always had a special spot in the house. This spot would change every week or two. It was always a fun adventure to try to find her new spot. 

Boxes were always her favorite...especially when lined with crunchy paper. 

As Smudla got a bit older, she remained in great health. She only saw the vet two or three times between the ages of 14-16. It wasn't until the last few months that we noticed that she was beginning to age very quickly. 

After turning 16 this year, Smudla started to show her softer side. She didn't mind the company of Campy and Madison. 

Over the past few months, Madison started to follow Smudla around the house. Wherever Smudla would rest, Madison wanted to be as close as possible to her. 

Seeing that Smudla was getting closer to her later years of life, we made sure to give Smudla everything that she wanted. With her appetite changing, she was able to eat whatever she wanted. 

With Madison constantly watching over Smudla, we knew that our time left with Smudla may be short. Of course, we didn't want to believe it or accept it. 

Smudla became much more affectionate over the past few weeks and made sure to always show us how much she loved us. 

As Smudla lost weight, we made sure to keep the windows open as she was craving warmth, sun and fresh air.

Over the past two weeks, Smudla spent a lot of time outside....which is where she loved to be as a young kitten. We are thankful that the weather was so lovely for Smudla to enjoy. 

Smudla spent several hours each day (spread out throughout the day), laying in the sun and enjoying the fresh air. 

Smudla had come full circle. On Monday April 29th, we had to make the hardest decision that we've ever had to make. 

Karel shared the past 16.5 years of his life with Smudla. They have been through so many life events together. The bond that they shared will never be forgotten or replaced.

Smudla gave me 13 incredible years of love and memories. She was such a special cat to me and I will never forget her sweet and bold personality. 

After we made the decision that we would need to say "see you later" to Smudla on April 30th at 11am, we made sure to shower Smudla with our love for the next 24 hours.

While this has been an extremely emotional time for us, we want to thank the Pointsett Animal Hospital for helping us through this process. The staff was compassionate and caring and allowed us to spend as much time as we needed with Smudla during the entire process of saying good-bye to her. While an extremely difficult moment in our life, the staff made us feel comfortable and at peace with our decision.

Thank you for taking the time to read about Smudla and the impact that she had in our life. She will be greatly missed. 

Appreciate your body image

We all come in different sizes and shapes based on our unique genetic make-up. However, it’s common to turn to exercise to change the way that you look. Some athletes may desire a body composition change to help improve endurance, speed, strength, power and agility. Others may want to improve health. While health and performance may be of interest, athletes are often heavily invested in appearance - wanting to look leaner or more like the idealized image of an athlete in their sport. Keeping in mind that athletic success cannot be predicted based solely on body weight and composition, athletes come in vastly different body compositions. Because no two athletes are alike and sports invite athletes of all different sizes and builds, your body weight should not be your sole focus for sport enjoyment. 

Due to pressure from society and coaches, it’s not uncommon for many athletes to have body image struggles, despite not being overweight or over fat. In turn, many athletes resort to unsafe weight loss methods and strategies when feeling "too fat."

It’s not uncommon for athletes to significantly limit caloric intake, believing that a body that weighs less will lead to athletic success. Harmful or obsessive eating behaviors are often used in attempt to achieve a lower than normal body weight or in pursuit of an extremely healthy diet. Examples include rigid or righteous eating, fasting, anxiety, control or preoccupation with certain foods, food rituals, extreme concern with body size and elimination of food groups. 

Unfortunately, comments made by coaches, body shaming, fat talk, attributing poor performances on weight, and regular weighing intensify body image concerns, leading to disordered eating behaviors. Because many athletes are given a socially acceptable setting to justify excessive exercise and strict eating habits, it’s not uncommon for the performances by an energy starved athlete to be celebrated by coaches and on social media. Bear in mind that any initial performance improvement occurring from unhealthy weight loss is typically short-lived as nutrient deficiencies, fatigue, anemia, reduced cardio function, chronic illnesses or injuries and low motivation will eventually impair physical and mental health. 

If you are struggling with body image problems or fear gaining fat/weight, remind yourself that sport participation should improve the health of your body – not destroy it.  

As you learn to love your body image, I wanted to share this quote passed along to me by one of my athletes. 

Are you enjoying your athletic journey?

For athletes, it's easy to make an event the only focus in your life. But, in doing so, it's easy to become single-minded as you become laser-focused in pursuit of your goal. In turn, you forget what truly matters - the journey. Life is busy and stressful. Without even realizing it, you may find that you are never living in the moment but instead, constantly thinking about your future. 

When I approach my training/workouts for the day, I am driven by the experience. In other words, I never waste a workout - no matter the day or the training session, there's always something to look forward to and I feel grateful for the ability to train. I don't think about the outcome, but the process. 

Motivated for self improvement, the journey is what I love. The little decisions, nailing the basics and having fun are very important to me. This doesn't mean that I don't have goals and I don't work hard but my athletic goals don't dictate my life. 

Appreciate what your body allows you to do and be grateful for the ability to use your body. If you find yourself stressing over outcomes or comparing yourself to someone else, remind yourself that training should be fun. When there's a strong element of enjoyment in your athletic journey, you'll feel a greater sense of personal satisfaction, well before you reach the start line of your event.

Training for an event is much more than being physically prepared for race day. Sport teaches you patience, problem solving, courage, bravery, time-management, discipline, organization and responsibility. Training for an athletic event helps you become more prepared for life.

If you have recently found yourself feeling overwhelmed by a race day goal (or event), take a step back and just focus on doing the best that you can....today. Enjoy the road that leads you to your final destination because you don't want to look back and wish you would have done things differently. 

How to manage racing in hot weather conditions

Every race requires a bit of planning but racing in the heat requires a bit more thought. When the ambient temperature is extremely high and your working muscles are generating additional heat, it's very important to externally keep your body cool and to replenish what you lose from sweat.

During a race, when your metabolic and heat production rates are high, core temperature increases. This isn't too much of a worry in cool conditions but if it's hot and humid outside, the body then has to cope with the environmental heat and the heat produced by the working muscles. To keep you from overheating, the first priority of your body is sending more blood to the skin to help with cooling – leaving less oxygen-rich blood for the muscles and less blood for your gut to help with digestion.

As a way to help cool yourself, your body increases the sweat rate to remove heat from your body through evaporative cooling. As you become dehydrated (from water loss), blood volume decreases. In turn, more blood to the skin means less to your heart. To maintain cardiac output, heart rate increases to try to supple the muscles with blood. But decreased blood availability means less blood is available to go to the working muscles. When the body can't overcome the heat stress, heat builds up in your body, your core temp increases and you are at risk for overheating and a heat illness.

For endurance athletes, it's important to note that your muscles demand more fuel (glycogen) in hot conditions. Muscles are more taxed which can affect efficiency and can also cause greater tissue damage.

A few tips to help you better manage racing in hot conditions:

• With less blood available to the working muscles and the cardio system under stressed, you have to be careful with pacing. Do not push yourself or chase paces (or PR's). Run within your capabilities under heat stress. Certainly this will be more of a factor with running (full-body) compared to swimming or cycling.
  
• Go into your race well fueled. It's much easier to give your body fuel when you are sedentary than when you are exercising. A fueled and hydrated tank going into the race will help reduce the risk of GI issues that often occur from consuming too much nutrition during a race (your body can only digest and absorb ~1g carb per minute when you are exercising).
  
• Go into the race well hydrated and salt your food. But don’t overdrink. Your urine should not be clear or dark but lightly yellow. If you have practiced with a hyper hydration drink like Osmo, NBS, Skratch or Vite, I suggest to pre-load with between 600-1200mg sodium twice a day in the 24 hours before you race (and on race day morning). Otherwise, just salt your food.
  
• Before and during the race, keep yourself cool. During a triathlon, use water to cool your body when cycling (aid stations) and when running, use a cooling towel, sponges and ice.
  
• Stay well hydrated on the bike by drinking frequently – even in the first hour when you don’t feel thirsty. Use your well-formulated, practiced sport drink and try to stick to a drinking schedule to optimize digestion and absorption.
  
• Don't assume that "more salt" will keep you better hydrated. Your body can only accept so much when you are exercising. Your body functions best when you are proactive, not reactive.
  
• On the run, your stomach can only empty about 5-7 ounces of fluid every 15 minutes. If you drink more than you can empty from your stomach, you may risk a sloshy stomach. Also, if you only drink water, you risk diluting sodium in the blood. Make sure to rely on a sport drink throughout the race (that’s why I also suggest to wear a hydration belt) and use water for sipping and cooling.
  
• The harder the effort, the more your body temp will increase as more heat is being generated. Think about the hardest/more demanding places on the course (ex. hills) that may cause an increase in heat production. Control your effort to better manage the entire race.
  
• Look for shaded areas on the course to avoid running in the direct sunlight.
  
• If you feel overly hot, dizzy or chills. Stop immediately and lay down and get yourself cooled.
  
• Use sunscreen, cover exposed areas with breathable, moisture-wicking fabrics and stay out of the sun before the race. A sunburn is extremely stressful to your body.
  
• After the race, cool your body down with ice/water and rehydrate. Take a cold shower and don’t just drink water. Suggest a mild-tasting electrolyte drink like Skratch, NBS or Vite. 
  
  Discounts:
  NBS: TRIMARNI
  Vite: TRIMARNI25
  Carborocket: TRIMARNI
  Naked Running: TRIMARNI15

Eating for the spring season

Spring has arrived to Greenville, SC! The warm weather is here and our furry crew is soaking it all in. Although Campy gets plenty of time outside in his backyard, our 16.5 year old cat (Smudla) is allowed to enjoy some time outside in the warm sun. At this phase in her life, she pretty much gets whatever she wants.

In case you missed it, here's an article from our weekly newsletter (subscribe HERE) on springtime eating.

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With winter behind us (hopefully), warm and rich soups, stews, casseroles and drinks are replaced with brightly-colored produce and hydrating beverages. Eating what's local, available and in-season is a practical choice, especially when you are trying to optimize your nutrient intake. To keep you on track with your springtime nutritional needs, here are a few key tips.

Loss of appetite – Warm weather has a dramatic effect on appetite. Whereas cool temps increase the appetite, hot temps have the opposite effect – it zaps your desire to eat. Dehydration also encourages a loss of appetite, especially when you experience a headache and nausea from not meeting your fluid intake needs. Make sure you stay up on your hydration and nutrient needs to keep the body in good health.

Excuses – The list of reasons as to why it’s too hard to eat healthy in the springtime are endless, especially when the days are longer and you try to pack more into each day. But if you think about it, eating healthy is not that hard when you choose fresh/real food. It’s the conflicting information that makes healthy eating so confusing. Foods that are heavily processed provide less nutritional value than fresh foods. Generally, the more cooking you can do from food in its natural state, the healthier the meal will be for your body.

Travel - Between the vacation getaways and weekend outings, it’s easy to slack on nutritious eating in the springtime. For an all-day excursion at the pool, park or beach, pack an ice-cold cooler with water, sandwiches, hummus, chopped veggies, sliced fruit and yogurt in order to resist the vendor/fast food temptations.

CSA - Take advantage of fresh, local produce at the grocery, farmer’s market or CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Seasonal summer fruits, like watermelon, berries, oranges, corn, peppers and tomatoes are in their prime, bursting with flavor and packed with nutrients.

Plan ahead - When you are hungry, your cravings will guide your food choices. By preparing your meals ahead of time, you will improve your health, save time and money, decrease meal-time stress and make better food choices.

Start your garden - Now is a great time to start planning your garden. Determine the best spot, get the soil just right, plan the layout and select what you want to grow. Don't forget to water your garden. Growing food can be a very rewarding experience as you benefit from the healthful food you produce.

"In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.”

— Mark Twain 

What are your sleep habits trying to tell you?

Sleep is extremely important for your mental and physical health and athletic performance. Do you sleep enough? 

Ideally, the adequate amount of sleep to promote optimal health and to avoid the health consequences is between seven and nine hours. If you are Campy, it's 20 hours a day. Because sleep affects how your body performs and functions when you are awake, how much you sleep and the quality of your sleep are equally important. Without a good night's sleep, your immune system, ability to think and learn, glucose metabolism, reaction time and mood can become compromised. Therefore, sleep is critical in athletic success and optimizing health.

For most athletes, you probably squeeze in workouts early in the morning or late in the evening due to a busy, rushed and exhausting life schedule. If you are like most sleep-deprived athletes, you've likely become very accustomed to relying on your alarm to help you get out of bed - regardless of how tired you felt the day before. In addition, there's likely an extra cup or two of coffee to survive the day and sadly for many, energy drinks are the norm for an afternoon wake-up.

It's important to practice good sleep habits such as;

• Sleeping in a quiet dark room without electronics
• Avoiding stimulants and alcohol in the afternoon/evening
• Having a regular bedtime and wake up routine
• Not eating a large meal too close to bed
• Minimizing very early or very late training sessions
• Allowing yourself one day a week to wake-up without an alar

If you've recently noticed a change in sleep pattern or you chronically suffer from restless sleep, this may be a sign that your body is overly stressed.

It's one thing to intentionally limit yourself from adequate sleep but what if you are unable to get a restful night of sleep? What are your sleep habits telling you if you are constantly waking in the middle of the night, tossing and turning and perhaps, waking-up covered in sweat?

Here are a few thoughts as to what your sleep habits are trying to tell you:

• Increasing your training load (volume and/or intensity) without adequate rest and recovery can overload your system. This can increase inflammation, which alters serotonin function, which affects your mood and sleep. Additionally, lack of proper recovery can lead to higher resting heart rate, an inability to increase your heart rate when exercising and decreases the strength of your immune system. If you are not sleeping well, you may not be adapting well to your training load - either from too much volume/intensity, not enough fuel/nutrition to support training, inadequate recovery, or a combination.
  
• During sleep, your liver is a very important organ. Your liver secretes glucose to maintain blood glucose levels and supply the brain with fuel. By the time you wake-up, 60-80% of your liver glycogen has been used by the cells in the body (this is why you should eat a small snack before your early morning workout). If you are not refueling properly post workout or exercising late in the evening, you may be experiencing night-time hypoglycemia. Signs of low blood sugar include sugar cravings, night sweats, rapid heartbeat, headache, nightmares and lack of appetite or nausea in the morning. If you are not sleeping well, your blood sugar levels are likely out of balance and need to be corrected through a dietary intervention.
  
• Insomnia is a common feature among individuals who are following a low carb or low calorie diet. Serotonin is a brain neurotransmitter that helps calm your brain to help you sleep so it's no surprise that the dieting or overtrained athlete would suffer from sleep issues. Whether you are having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, your diet could be to blame. Two red flags that your diet is to blame is if you are relying on sleep aids to help you fall asleep but also relying on stimulants such as caffeine, to maintain energy levels throughout the day.
  
• Stress can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay sleep, which means sleep quality will be heavily affected. With so much on your mind, it's easy to feel tense and anxious, causing you to toss and turn. It may also be difficult to lower your HR or blood pressure, making you feel tense. Instead of becoming addicted to sleeping aids, get to the root of your sleeping issues. Don't let insomnia take over your life. Reach out to a professional who can help. For starters, keep a note pad by your bed to right down your thoughts instead of trying to sleep with too much on your mind.
  
• Dehydration can affect your sleep just as overhydrating can affect your sleep. Dehydration can disrupt your body's normal rhythm (similar to overtraining) so that you don't feel tired when you should - you are exhausted in the morning but feel alert in the evening. You may also feel a dry throat at night, which causes you to overdrink throughout the evening. Overdrinking can cause excessive urination - or frequent trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Be mindful of your fluid intake - including alcohol and caffeine. Try to spread your fluid intake out over the course of the day and stay well hydrated during your workouts. 

What are your sleep habits trying to tell you?

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal (Vegan)

When writing my book Essential Sports Nutrition, it was important that I included a variety of recipes that everyone could enjoy - regardless of dietary preferences/restrictions. I couldn't think of a more athlete-friendly recipe than one that included oats and blueberries. I prefer this baked oatmeal served warm, but it is also good at room temperature or chilled (I’ll leave that up to you!). This oatmeal keeps well in the refrigerator so it's great to make in advance - make sure you plan for leftovers. It's perfect for a pre-workout snack or as part of your breakfast meal.

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal 

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40
Total Time: 60 minutes
Yield: 15 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 2/3 cup chopped pecans
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 3/4 cups almond milk
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• 2 large flax eggs (2 tbsp flaxseed + 6 tbsp water)
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil (measured dry, then melted)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups blueberries (frozen or fresh)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make flax eggs by mixing two tablespoons ground flaxseed meal with six tablespoons water. Mix together and let it sit in the fridge for 15 minutes until thick.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish. 
3. In a medium bowl, combine nuts, oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. 
4. In a separate medium bowl, combine the milk, maple syrup, flax egg, coconut oil, and vanilla. Whisk until combined. 
5. On the bottom of the baking dish, spread 2 cups of the berries. Cover the fruit with the dry mixture, then pour the wet ingredients over the oats. Lightly shake the move the baking dish to fully soak the oats, then gently pat down. 
6. Spread the remaining berries on the top. 
7. Bake for 45 minutes, until the top is golden. 
8. Remove your baked oatmeal from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. 

A few tips:

• Use gluten free oats to make this gluten free
• You can use cow or soy milk in place of almond milk for more protein. 
• You can use 2 large eggs in place of flax egg for more protein and fat
• You can omit the nuts to make it nut free. 
• If coconut oil solidifies when added to the wet ingredients, that’s ok. You can break up any large pieces with your hands.

More recipes like this in my book: Essential Sports Nutrition

IM 70.3 FL - Race Recap (Karel)

Race recap: 
As an early season race, I went into this knowing that I haven't done any race specific training so I saw this an opportunity to go through the motions again of racing. There was a lot of tough competition, which I don't mind as that's what racing is all about - racing whoever shows up on the day.

The nice thing about this race is having a pool to warm-up in. As a non-competitive swimmer, I always need to warmup in the water before the start of the race. This helps me avoid the "panic" feeling of swimming hard right from the gun. I swam about 700 yards in my warm-up and also jogged about 10 minutes to continue my warm-up before the start of my race.

The swim was non-wetsuit and AG wave start. The swim was very congested (especially with 6 turns) but I was happy with how I was able to swim, feeling strong and pushing all the way to the finish. The time was slow but it wasn't too bad for me as a non-wetsuit lake swim. My age group had two waves and I was in the 2nd wave. I lined up at the front and did a stronger effort to try to get away from all the moving arms and legs and to try to get a little more space before settling in to a sustainable effort. A few faster guys swam away and I couldn't stay with them. At that point, I was just winning my own race :) I was consistently passing people and nobody passed me. It was challenging to navigate through all the slower athletes from the earlier waves on this M shape course but I managed ok with sighting. I know this course well (same layout the past 4 years), but it can be difficult for first timers as the lake is small and it looks like there are buoys everyone. I always try not to disturb the slower swimmers and try not to be rough when I swim by them. I have been there before when I started triathlons and I know how bad it feels when someone swims right through you. I had to zig zag around them a bit more so that made me swim a little off a straight line to each turn buoy.

I try to make my transitions as quick as possible (nothing good happens in transition) but I did have a little hold-up as I couldn't find my bike. I was one rack off and I swore someone stole my bike! Thankfully our athlete Tony was there to give me a shout that my bike was one rack over. This is why we like to dust off the rust at the first race of the season - we like to get these laughable moments out of the way.

I felt strong and thought I was riding well but after looking at the results, there were a bunch of guys riding much stronger. I know I can't control what other people do so I made sure to stay present and focus on my riding, terrain management and execution. Since I pre-rode some of the course on Friday and Saturday, I knew exactly what the wind would be like on Sunday so that helped with my execution. We had headwind first, then some tail wind. And a lot of cross winds. This was different than the past three years. I usually struggle with back/hip pain in the 2nd half of HIM racing (and in training - it doesn't matter what bike I ride) but at this race, it was "almost" good. Only the last ten miles i would feel it but at that point I could manage. I do a lot of PT, strength and mobility to help my hips/back as well as specific breathing exercises when I ride (which has been helping). Sometimes I wish my quads would hurt and prevent me from pedaling harder but it's the pain in my hips/back that prevents me from pushing decent power. I struggle holding steady strong power for long durations but it's something I keep working on. I was happy with my effort and I stayed present and focused from start to finish. I passed Marni around mile 45 on the bike and I was just happy to see here not on the side of the road with a bike mechanical (then I'd be in big trouble).

This was a tough run and I really fought all the way to the finish. This was all I had today. My run was the 2nd fastest overall and I missed 3rd place in my AG by 13 seconds. Looking back, I wonder if I could have suffered a bit more to get into 3rd but then again, I passed the 4th place guy right before the finish line. At mile 12, I was 5th, almost a minute behind. It was great to see so many of our athletes out on the course. I thin I saw almost everyone on the bike and run.

I always run with sport nutrition (training and on race day) and I use the Naked Running Belt to keep the flasks in. I also like this belt because it provides a bit of back support. In addition to sipping my flasks, I grabbed water at the aid stations and a sip of coke in the later miles. I used the Enervitine cheerpac as it's very liquidy with a lot of calories. I like to have a variety of flavors (and mild flavors) when I run and I never decide on what sport nutrition I'm using for the race (running) until the day before. Luckily, I've never had any GI issues in any of my triathlon races. 

Overall thoughts: I love to race. I'm pleased with this season opener, especially with a long season ahead (and two more half IM races in the next 5 weeks). The competition was very high in my AG and although I didn't place top 3 like I did in the past two years, I placed much higher overall this year and I feel like I put together a solid race. Like I said before, I can't control what other people do and who shows up on race day. I can only control myself. It was a fight to the finish and I was glad I was able to keep trying and not give up. This race was a good reminder of how to do this distance again and I now feel like I can put myself in the hurt box just a bit more at St. George 70.3 in three weeks.

1.2 mile swim - 32:16
T1 - 2:37
56 mile bike - 2:22.23
T2 - 2:28
13.1 mile run - 1:27.49
Total: 4:27.33
4th AG (40-44), 8th overall 

Pre race nutrition: Oatmeal, half Skratch bar, coffee and bite of banana before leaving the house.
Swim gear: Michael Phelps Xceed goggles, Roka Viper X sleeved swimskin, Garmin 735XT.
Bike gear:Ventum One, Dura Ace DI2 groupset, Ceramicspeed OWSP and BB, 51-Speedshop Mono-Riser Bar with FSM extensions, Alto CT 86 front and Alto CT311 rear disc wheel, Dash Stride aero seat/post combo. Giro Aerohead helmet. LG Tri Air Lite shoes. Garmin Edge 820 bike computer. Scosche Rhythm 24 HR monitor.
Run gear: Nike VaporFly 4%, Garmin 735XT, Naked running band, Roka SL-1 custom sunglasses.

Bike nutrition: NBS carbo hydration drink (strawberry) in 2 bottles (~200 calories per bottle) +  Enervitine cheerpack.
Run nutrition: Precision Hydration 1000 (60 calories in 8 ounce flask). Skratch (90 calories in 8 ounce flask) + Enervitine cheerpack.

A big thank you to my coaches Cait Snow and Julie Dibens and to the Trimarni affiliates that support us and our team. 

Are you at risk for an injury, sickness or performance decline?

Many athletes believe that by reducing caloric/carb/fat intake and increasing training intensity/volume, performance will improve. But sadly, the opposite occurs. Sport performance declines, the risk for injury increases, hormones get out of whack, metabolism suffers and the body becomes overly stressed.

Consider these tips to help keep your body in good health as you train to improve performance.

1) When training volume/intensity increases, your energy consumption must also increase. An extreme jump in training volume/intensity does not make you a faster, stronger or fitter athlete.

2) Stay on the path of your own developmental journey instead of jumping on the path of another athlete. 

3) Loss of menstruation is not a normal part of training. 

4) You do not have to achieve an ideal/specific body type to improve your performance or to experience success in sport.

5) Sport nutrition products are designed to help you adapt better to training. By using products appropriately, you'll improve health and performance. Sport nutrition products are considered healthy when used correctly during training/racing. 

6) Your sleep can tell you a lot about your health, recovery and toleration of training stress. Restless or poor sleep is a sign that your body is not adapting well to training. 

7) Recovery is everything that happens between two workouts. If you can't recover, you can't improve performance. 

8) Your daily diet supports training. Missing links/cracks in the diet increase the risk for fatigue, injury, illness and burnout.

9) Performance does not immediately decline when you are living in an energy deficit state. Many times, it improves. However, this is only short-term as eventually, health and performance will eventually decline. Be proactive so you aren't forced out of your sport. 

10) Sport should improve health, not destroy your body. Focus on ways to improve longevity in sport, rather than chasing short term/quick improvements. 

IM 70.3 Florida Race Report

Pre-race
Going into the first race of the season, I had the typical phantom niggles (that make you believe you are injured) but thankfully, I didn't feel stale. With over nine hours of scheduled training from Mon-Saturday, each workout helped me sharpen-up for race day (Sunday). We stayed one mile from the race venue at Balmoral Resort and I would absolutely stay there again for this race. The location was perfect as we could jog, bike or drive to the venue through the back gate and could quickly access Publix grocery store for food. Although we didn't use all of the amenities at the resort, the house made for a relaxing stay leading up to the race.

Having Campy with us also made our trip feel a bit more like home as he kept me on a routine and I always had something to look forward to throughout the day. Campy enjoyed all the new sights and smells and had plenty of butt rubs from our athletes.

We shared the house with 4 of our athletes and the rest of our athletes stayed in various houses and hotels around the area.

We had 16 athletes racing, not including me, Karel and our assistant coach Joe. It was great fun to have our standard pre-race pizza party and course chat on Friday, and to get all the Trimarnis together. Pre-riding the course on Friday and Saturday was very helpful with our race execution as the wind direction was the same as the predicted wind direction for Sunday. Unlike years past, the start of the ride was headwind and crosswind and then we finished with tailwind. The weather was predicted to be warm (upper 80's) on race day! On Saturday, we did a short bike (~50 minutes), followed by a 15 minute run and then an open water swim (~800 yards) when the lake was opened for the practice swim. In addition to eating throughout the day (emphasizing carbs with a little protein), the afternoon was really relaxing. Karel spent his time in the bedroom and I enjoyed a marathon of Impractical Jokers on TV - laughing my way through the afternoon. It was a great way to go into the race as I was excited to race and my nerves were low. We had an early dinner and a small snack before bed and then it was lights out around 8:30am.

Race Morning
I had a pretty good night of sleep and felt good waking up at 4:15am. After one cup of coffee for me (two shots of espresso for Karel), I had my standard long workout/pre-race snack of 2 waffles + PB + brown sugar + syrup + banana. With the predicted hot temps, I pre-loaded with sodium (Osmo) starting on Friday morning (1 scoop), and then continued this on Friday evening, Sat morning and Saturday evening. I also had 1 scoop on race day morning. After my meal, I put on my race day kit and took Campy for a quick jog to help move things through my digestive tract. This is a tip that I learned from Karel to do before you leave the house in the morning for the race venue. Afterward, I did some light foam rolling and band work to activate my glutes and nearing 5:35am, we jumped on our bikes (with our race gear) and rode to the race venue (about a 5 minute bike). It actually felt rather good to spin the legs before arriving to the race venue. After body marking, we racked our bikes (optional race day bike check-in), set up our transition gear and then made our way to the team tent in the TriClub village area. It has been about ten months since I've set up a transition area so I checked and re-checked my set up a few times before making my way out of the transition area.
After dropping off our stuff in the tent area, Karel and I walked over the pool at Lake Eva. This is one of the best things about this race - being able to swim in a pool before the start. I'm surprised more athletes don't take advantage of this as it's not only a great way to warm-up and test the wetsuit (or swimskin in the case this year - water temp 79 degrees) but it's also good for the body to keep moving instead of sitting/standing around when transition closes. The water felt refreshing and it felt good to loosen out in the water. I swam about a 600 (didn't count my laps or wear a watch) and mostly just swam and adjusted my Roka swimskin but through in a few fast 25's. After my swim, I did one more bathroom stop and then walked back to the beach area to get ready for my wave start at 7:26am. I found myself a bit cold before the race so note to self: Bring a towel next time to dry off after the warm-up swim. It was great to see so many of our athletes throughout the morning as this made the race vibe positive and exciting.

1.2 mile swim - 31:55, 2nd AG swim, 9th female swim overall.
Goggles - TYR special OPS 2.0 (clear lens)
SwimSkin - Roka Viper X shortsleeve swim skin
The layout of this swim is unique in that it is a M shape course. There are a lot of buoys on the course, which can make it difficult to sight when you are in the water but overall, it's a straightforward course to navigate. The sky was cloudy which was nice to not have the sun in our eyes. I was shaking a bit from being cold just standing around wet so it was nice to actually get in the water and know that I would warm up soon. We had an in-the-water start for the female 35-44 age group waves. When the gun went off, I tried to take off as hard as I could to get away from the pack. There was a group of about 4 or 5 of us, one being my athlete Stephanie (who is a great swimmer). Two of the girls got away and I was swimming with Stephanie for a buoy until she dropped me. I didn't feel like myself in the water, especially since I've been swimming some of my best workouts ever over the past month. I tried to not let it get to me and instead, just focused on making good strokes and staying on course. While I am not one for excuses, I think my Roka swimskin (with sleeves) is too big for me as it felt like I was pulling a towel as I was swimming. I've only wore it once (in the Kona practice swim in October) so I really didn't have much to go by. I was extremely happy for Stephanie for having such a solid swim so I used that as my motivation to keep swimming as strong as I could. While it was a slow swim for me, the swim times appeared much slower than normal so I took it as a slow swim for everyone. I swam all the way to the water edge before getting out of the water and on to the sand. I made my way to the transition area and gave Stephanie a cheer as I passed her for having such a great swim.

T1 - 3:14
I made my way to the first bike rack to remove my swimskin, cap and goggles and then put on my CEP compression socks (calf height - easier to put on than full socks), cycling shoes and helmet. I kept the shield up on my helmet as it's easier to put on this way. I turned on my computer and then rolled out my bike to the mount line. I made my way a bit past the mount line, near the barricades, before mounting my bike and off I went.

56 mile bike - 2:32.16. 2nd fastest AG bike, 2nd fastest female bike.
Nutrition: 2 bottles with INFINIT (hydration system Grape and bottle with Watermelon, each bottle ~250 calories)). 1 bottle with CarboRocket 333 black cherry (~220 calories for the last 30ish minutes)
Gear: Ventum one bike, Alto cc56 front wheel (tubeless) and lightweight autobahn tubeless disc. Bontrager Velocis Women road shoes. Giro Air attack helmet. 
Immediately on the bike my legs felt good. I used the first few miles to settle in a good rhythm and spent little time in my aerobars in the first mile. After a few turns through a neighborhood, I started to ease into my effort for the first part of the course. Knowing there would be headwind/crosswind for the first part of the bike, I stayed aero and just focused on making smooth pedal strokes. I didn't have any metrics to chase but I do have my normalized and 3 sec power, current cadence, current speed and lap time on my Garmin to check-in on as I ride. I wore my HR monitor (which is something I usually don't do when I race) but little did I know, it never picked up. My legs were working hard during this first portion of the race and I felt it mostly in my quads, right above my knees. I couldn't help but think of Karel saying "you don't need to "save" your legs for the run. Have you ever seen a fast marathon runner with big quads?" I couldn't help but laugh and build confidence from hearing his voice in my head. I broke the race down into segments and lapped my computer at each segment. This helped me manage my effort and only focus on one segment at a time. I made sure to stay up on my nutrition - sipping my drink every ~10 minutes (4-5 chugs). I also grabbed water at the second aid station to use for cooling my body as it was getting warm. I found myself passing a lot of athletes while on the course, which was very motivating for me to always have someone to "chase" ahead of me. I saw a few familiar faces out on the course (hi Caitlin and Sam!) which was fun and I also passed several of my athletes - and gave each one a big cheer. Nearing the tailwind section, my legs were still feeling good so I stayed strong on the pedals but used this time to sit up and get out of the saddle here or there on the climbs to open my hips. I felt really good on my Ventum and loved riding the disc wheel for the first time. I felt very confident in the wind - which is why I love my Ventum. I never had a low moment during the bike and really enjoyed all 56 miles. Karel passed me around 45 miles on the bike and told me I was riding really strong. He quickly rode away but it was nice to see him and give him a cheer. After the bumpy section of the course, I started to switch my brain to thinking of the run. I made sure not to jump ahead in thoughts as I was riding for if I did, I may have backed down my effort on the bike. I just focused on stayed present and keeping up with my nutrition. With the finish of the bike right in front of me, I slipped out of my shoes and did my first ever flying dismount (that I learned how to do on Saturday before the race). There's no better time than the present to try something that scares you! I didn't look at my total time until the end of the bike and when I saw just over 2:30, I felt like I put together a strong bike on a very tough day. I wasn't sure where I was in my age group (or overall) so I was anxious to get some reports from the spectators on the run.

T2 - 2:33
I tried to make my transition as quick as possible. I walked a few steps to get my breathing under control before jogging the rest of the way to the official start of the run course. There weren't a lot of bikes in the transition area but I still wasn't sure where I was in the overall standings.

Run - 1:41.10, 3rd fastest AG run, 6th fastest female run, 50th overall fastest run
Nutrition: Naked Hydration Band with 2 x 10 ounce flasks. One flask with NBS (3 scoops Hawaii flavor, ~90 calories)) and one flask with Carborocket hydration (raspeberry lemonade, ~105 calories)
Gear: Roka custom sunglasses (SL-1 series). Nike 4% running shoes. Garmin 235 watch.

My legs felt relatively good after the tough bike. By now, I had forgotten completely about my lack-luster swim time. I was filled with energy as I ran past the crowds of people but I made sure not to run too hard to start as it was getting really warm and the sun was blazing. With the first two miles being the hilliest of the course (3 loop course), I focused on not being too aggressive up hill (to try to manage body heat) but I attacked the downhills. I kept looking ahead for females that may be ahead of me but I didn't see anyone. I used the first loop to settle into a good rhythm and didn't worry too much about my pace - knowing that my pace would likely be faster on the first loop relative to loop 2 and 3. From my experience racing in hot conditions, I know that paces/times are not all that important as it's all about managing the conditions to prevent a heat illness, dehydration and glycogen depletion. The first loop was rough - I felt depleted. The sun was stealing all of my energy. I took two quick reset breaks in the neighborhood section at the top of the loop to catch my breath and to stretch out my back. They were quick breaks and well needed. I kept up on my fuel/hydration throughout the race - being strategic with where I drank (I tried to do it on downhill or easier sections of the course). I grabbed water from every aid station to cool my head, face and body and tried to steer clear of hoses as I didn't want to run with soaking shoes. When I started the second loop, I finally got word that I was 3rd. However I didn't know if that was 3rd AG or overall. I was racing for a place in the overall so I anxiously awaited more information. The course was getting more congested, which was actually nice to see more people on the course. However, this also made for more crowded aid stations. I finally got my hands on some ice which was fantastic - I held on to the ice for as long as I could and also sucked on the ice cubes whenever I had extra to spare. Cloud cover helped on loop 2 and I finally started to feel less depleted and more normal. I felt like I had good rhythm and form and never felt like I didn't want to be running/racing. I kept pushing the effort to see if I could catch any females ahead of me but I never caught anyone. I wasn't passed by any females after the swim so that was encouraging for me. However, with the wave start, I wasn't sure of what was going on behind me so I had to keep fighting to the finish line. On the third loop, I finally heard that I was 3rd overall female so that was my mission - to stay in that pace. I started to see more of my athletes on the course which was extremely motivating for me. My pace was getting a bit slower but I still felt in control of my effort and form. Considering I haven't done any speed work or long runs (only one 1:20 run), I felt really strong and resilient and surprisingly, didn't melt in the heat despite not being acclimated. I had one sip of coke around mile 11 because it sounded refreshing but other than that, I felt like I did a great job with my fueling, hydration and cooling - which was key for this race. Nearing the last mile, I tried to give it everything I could. Knowing that the finish line was within my sights, I did whatever I could to feel like I was sprinting. I saw Karel at our team tent, just before the finish, giving me a big cheer. Hands up, big smile - finished!!

I quickly cooled myself off with water and took a deep exhale when I heard I was officially the 3rd overall female. After my finish, I went back to our tent to see Karel, hear about his race and to cheer on the rest of our athletes. Eventually we biked by to our house for a quick shower and to grab Campy and to finish cheering for every Trimarni until they all crossed the finish line. Then it was time for the awards. This was a great start to the season ahead and although it wasn't a super "fast" race, we are both extremely happy with how strong we felt and how we managed the tough conditions.

And the best part of the entire race....the Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition TriClub placed 2nd overall in the TriClub competition! Way to go team!

Thank you to our supporters and affiliates! 

Official Results

Marni Sumbal

Swim - 31:55

T1 - 3:14

Bike - 2:32.16

T2 - 2:33

Run - 1:41.10

Finishing time - 4:15.05

2nd age group (35-39), 3rd overall female (out of 346).

Karel Sumbal

Swim - 32:16

T1 - 2:37

Bike - 2:22.23

T2 - 2:29

Run - 1:27.50 (2nd overall fastest run)

Finishing time - 4:27.33

4th age group (40-44), 8th overall (out of 1330)

IM 70.3 FL - quick recap

The nerves were low for this race. I was bottled up with excitement to kick off the 2019 triathlon racing season. I remember my very first half Ironman (in Disney) back in 2006 and I was filled with thoughts of the unknown. But this beginner's mindset opened my mind to possibilities instead of being paralyzed by results. Over the past decade-plus of endurance triathlon racing, it's easy to compare race to race, often wanting to validate improvements by times and paces. However, I've wanted to do things differently this year - starting with my mindset. Instead of seeing improvements as pass or fail based on paces and times, I want to do things well when I race. Karel always has this mindset when he races whereas I often put a lot of pressure on myself to be better, faster or stronger. While this has worked for me at times, it also creates a lot of mental stress that can easily take away the fun of racing.

This season is the first time ever that I've had a coach - someone other than Karel to report to and hold me accountable to my training. I'm grateful that Cait Snow (and Julie Dibens) took us on as athletes this season for the training has been incredibly challenging but also fun - because it's new. With this, I am entering this season with new possibilities, new periodization, new guidance and new excitement for training and racing.

Approaching this first race of the season, I tried a lot of new things. Although we often say not to try new things on race day, this isn't always true. Sometimes the race environment is the best place to try something new for it brings much more stress, fear and fatigue than in an at-home training environment. Rather than getting caught up in results, my mission was to try new things - like a disc wheel, a flying dismount, filling up my Ventum hydration system while riding, wearing calf-height compression socks instead of the full sock, wearing a HR monitor when I raced, wearing the Naked Running Belt, wearing a sleeved swimskin, wearing clear (not tinted) goggles and doing a bit more training volume/intensity on race week. Above all, I loved every minute of racing. It was not easy and it was filled with highs and lows but I was reminded why I train for this sport - because race day is my favorite day to celebrate all the hard work that was done alone.

Although the race was not easy and the competition was stiff, I am very pleased with my performance. Karel also felt like he couldn't have done anything better - the results were an honest assessment of managing the conditions and racing the competition. We both went into this race feeling incredibly fit and strong and it always takes a race (or two) to feel the "hurt" that comes with racing. We are both grateful that we are healthy - not sick or injured - and that we can do this sport, that we love so much, and share it with our athletes and so many other like-minded individuals.

Full race recap to come.

Official Results
Marni Sumbal
Swim - 31:55
T1 - 3:14
Bike - 2:32.16
T2 - 2:33
Run - 1:41.10
Finishing time - 4:15.05
2nd age group (35-39), 3rd overall female (out of 346).

Karel Sumbal
Swim - 32:16
T1 - 2:37
Bike - 2:22.23

T2 - 2:29
Run - 1:27.50
Finishing time - 4:27.33
4th age group (40-44), 8th overall (out of 1330)

Hello from Haines City, FL!

How in the heck is it already April!?!?! I can't believe we are just a few sleeps away from our first triathlon race of 2019.

When planning our 2019 race schedule back in October/November, we knew we wanted to go back to Haines City for the half Ironman. It's a great early season race to dust off the rust and welcome the hurt that comes with racing. We love the race venue as the town welcomes the race, the race vibe is always welcoming and exciting and the course is spectator friendly (swim and run). The course is not an easy one, and that also appeals to us. This year will be even more challenging as the race day temperature is suppose to reach 90 degrees! 😱 But, we are super excited to share the course with 15 of our amazing athletes.

We broke up the drive into two days, leaving on Wednesday late morning. We made the 5.5 hour drive to Jacksonville, FL where we stayed overnight with our friends/athletes Joe and Erica. After our morning workout, we hit the road to Haines City which took about 3 hours.

Our workouts this week have been refreshingly good to help get us race ready. Monday morning was a long 5600 swim workout but it provided a nice variety of strokes, toys and efforts that the yards went by rather quickly. On Tuesday I had a 1:40 hr bike to test out my race set up, followed by a 30 min brick run (including a few one minute efforts). It's always nice to ride the bike on race week when it's all tuned up, race wheels are on and the legs are itching to push a bit harder. On Wednesday morning I did a 40 min strength session at home before our travel. Thursday was a 90 min ride with a few short hard efforts, followed by half IM efforts. After the ride was a 20-minute brick run. The weather has gone from spring-like weather in Greenville to hot and toasty in Haines City.

Upon arriving to our rental home on Thursday afternoon, I went to the grocery store to stock the house with plenty of food for us (and our other housemates).

I'm so happy that Campy is with us as he helps me de-stress and keeps me on my normal routine. Tomorrow we will do an easy spin on the course and after checking in, we will do a swim workout. All these training sessions are to keep the body from getting stale so that we can arrive sharp and ready for race day (Sunday).

With a long season ahead of us, finishing at the 2019 Ironman World Championship in October, we are excited to finally get this season started!

For tracking:
Ironman Tracker App
Marni Sumbal - Bib 40 (start time 7:28, wave 9)
Karel Sumbal - Bib 51 (start time 7:46, wave 14)

Do you feel "too heavy" for your sport?

With social media/media with much of the blame, it's easy to feel an overwhelming amount of pressure to look differently. With so much misinformation and information overload about healthy eating, alongside a great cultural obsession about body image, it's understandable why so many athletes are constantly trying to change the way they look, by changing the way the eat and train. Although a lot of good can result from changing the way that you eat IF trying to optimize health and performance, it's important to create a sustainable, healthy style of eating - not one that is restrictive, obsessive and based on fearing food.

Do any of the following questions resonate with you?

• The number on the scale and my reflection in the mirror significantly affects my relationship with food and my body.
• I have adopted a restrictive diet in an effort to feel control over my eating choices.
  (less choices + less guessing = control ---> less anxiety around food). 
• I often feel stressed or overwhelmed with food, especially at events, social activities and when eating out. 
• I feel shame, anxiety and judgment when I indulge. 
• I give myself permission to indulge only when I meet my expectations for a workout.
• I don't know what it's like to have a good relationship with food and my body. 
• I wish I could eat normally. 
• I often get anxious if I have to eat in front of other people or at places where I don’t know how the food is prepared. 
• I  have a lot of food rules. 
• I am a very picky eater. 
• I never want to eat too much, feel too full or consume unhealthy foods.
• I don't enjoy eating/food.
• I have no idea what my body needs to feel fueled and nourished. 
• I have many negative voices in my head telling me about food and my weight. 
• My current diet and/or relationship with food affects many areas in my life, such as my social life, activity regime and relationships with others. 
• I am not flexible with my eating - food is either good or bad. 
• I constantly feel "too big" to be a successful athlete. 

As a Board Certified Sport Dietitian, I work with many athletes who struggle with their relationship with food and the body. A key part in this type of the counseling process is learning how to embrace fear - relearning how to eat without anxiety. Often times, a fear of of gaining weight causes athletes to limit/restrict food in the diet. Athletes become exceptionally good at restriction, control and discipline. Consequences of maintaining disordered eating extend far more than in personal life (marriage, parenting, work) but it can also result in electrolyte and fluid imbalances, injuries, sickness, low heart rate, bone loss, low blood pressure (fainting/dizziness), depression, anxiety and social isolation. 

As we inch closer into the summer, I encourage you to focus less on what your body looks like and more on what your body requires in order to feel nourished, fueled, energized and satisfied.

As an athlete, you have a great responsibility to take care of your body with proper eating and fueling. Challenge the voices that are telling you that you are "too heavy" and feed your body what it needs for you to live a healthy, active and happy life.

Fueling your body (not your body weight)

Smiling as we go into race week!

(Picture from 2018 St. George 70.3)

It feels great to know that we are finally approaching race week. Six months without racing had made me miss racing and I am so excited that we get to kick off the season with a half Ironman in Haines City, FL along with 15 of our athletes.

Although I'm most excited to dust off the rust and experience the hurt that comes with racing, I'm also anxious to see what my new training (thanks to my new coach - my first ever hired coach) has done for my body. I feel fit and healthy and I'm thankful to my body for letting me train for my races.

Over the past seven days, I've completed 21800 yards swimming (5 hours), 10:37 hours cycling, 3:52 hours running and one hour of strength training. Thank you body!

Throughout every session, I've made sure to fuel and hydrate my body to support every training session. Not only does this help me master my race day nutrition but I also view fueling/hydration as a way to keep my body functioning well during training stress. A common misconception that I hear from athletes/coaches is that workout fueling should be based on body weight. This is actually incorrect. In other words, a 120 lb female athlete can consume the same amount of calories as a 190lb male athlete during a long duration workout.

This is why the carbohydrate recommendations in my book are expressed in grams per hour (ex. 60-90g of carbohydrates per hour during a 3+ hour workout) and not expressed per weight.

Physiologically, there is no relationship between weight and how much carbohydrate your body oxidizes during exercise. Regardless of how much you weigh, exercise intensity and duration indicates how much energy (carbohydrates) you need to support the training session. Body weight doesn't differentiate between how much (or little) you need to support a workout.

Although your daily carbohydrate intake (outside of training) does factor in your weight and activity level, when you exercise, carbohydrate intake is based on intestinal absorption. Scientifically, it shouldn't be assumed that a 110 lb runner has faster or slower intestinal absorption of 50g of carbohydrate compared to a 200 lb runner.

Hopefully this helps clears up any confusion (and helps you better fuel your body). Because carbohydrate ingestion can improve performance (and health) during long duration and high intensity exercise, don't be afraid to fuel "enough" to support your amazing body in motion.
Here are some wise words written by my athlete Ericka on her recent social media post:

"Sometimes I get caught up thinking that "I don't need THAT many calories to get through this workout." Truth is I have never regretted fueling...and I mean really fueling. I've certainly regretted under fueling. Maybe not in the workout that I got through on minimal calories, but then I'll feel it in the next one or the one after that or in two weeks when I'm empty and I have to tap out.

When I fuel to fill the tank, I feel unstoppable. Not just in that workout, but the next one and the one after that and in two weeks when my body does more than I ever thought possible."

Trimarni skills camp - Day 4

After the brick on day 3 of camp, our campers had a few hours to chill before our traditional camp pizza party + Q&A. Karel did two bike fits before the pizza party and I was able to get some work done during that time. 

We ordered pizza from Sidewall Pizza in Travelers Rest and as always, it was so good. There's something special about sharing yums with others, after several days of exhausting training. We shared our pizza party with a few goats and of course, Campy. 

After everyone was finished eating, we spent the next hour answering questions from our campers and sharing a strength that we felt each camper had shown us throughout camp. It was a great way to end day 3 of camp. 

Day 4 of camp is tough - mentally and physically. You are tired and your mind begins to drift back to normal life responsibilities. This is why I feel a training camp is so good for athletes as it forces you to overcome so many physical and mental struggles. Whereas in your home environment you may give up, not show up or make excuses, these things never happen in a group training environment.

Originally we had planned a transition (run-bike-run, etc.) workout but we woke up to rain and decided to change the plan to only a run workout. Although the workout was "only" a little under an hour, it included ~1200 feet of elevation. We had our campers run on a 0.67 loop that included a little bit of everything as it relates to terrain changes. We love this loop and use it often at our campers for it provides our campers an opportunity to work on different styles of terrain management. It's not an easy loop but it's one that makes you feel very accomplished. 

After the run workout, our campers had about 1-hour to refuel before the last workout of camp. We saved the best for last for we didn't take it easy on our campers with a 1-hour swim workout. 

The swim started off with a long warm-up to loosen out from the run and then, for the main set, there was a lot of head-up swimming (to work on strength and open water skills) going into fast efforts. It was a really tough workout but our campers did amazingly well. Again, there's something special about being in a group environment where you don't let yourself make excuses and you gain positive energy from those around you. 

After the workout we did a few sets of open water swim drills and then finish off with relays. Wow - our campers were working HARD for the relays. Talk about being aggressive and showing competitive spirit! 

This was such a great group of campers. Thank you athletes for investing into this group training experience and for letting us fill your brain with lots of new tips, tricks and strategies to enhance your triathlon journey. An extra special thank you to Al for assisting on course throughout camp and for Joey for the pictures and great SAG support. 

I'd like to send a HUGE thank you to the following companies who played an important role in our skills camp. Thank you thank you for the Trimarni support!!

Carolina Triathlon - bike assembly for BikeFlights
Run In - Providing great service to our athletes
Mg12 - Provided recovery cream (discount Trimarni)
Carborocket - Provided bike and run nutrition (discount Trimarni)
Infinit Nutrition - Provided bike nutrition (discount Trimarnicoach)
Naked Running Band - Provided samples of bands for athletes to try on/use (discount Trimarni15)
Veronica's Health Crunch - Provided delicious crunch (discount Trimarni2018)
PR Lotion - Provided pre-workout sample packets (discount TEAMTrimarni20)
Breakthrough nutrition - Provided bike and run nutrition (discount TRIMARNI)
Zealious - Provided sunscreen and chamois cream samples (discount ZupTRIMARNI19)
Clif Bar - Provided bars, bloks and hydration
Swamp Rabbit Lodge - Providing a great place for camper lodging!

2019 Trimarni Skills Camp - Day 3

Day 3 of camp started around 8:30am. Although we like to start/finish all of our rides at the lodge, we had our campers drive ~20 minutes north to Hotel Domestique for a more steady climb in the Watershed. Karel and I planned a route that would take our campers about 2.5 hours (including a hill time trial at the end of the ride) and followed up the ride with a 15 minute brick run. The ride included ~5400 feet of elevation gained and the run included about 500 feet.

It's a common theme that our terrain is very hilly. It's technical, punchy, rough and challenging. Greenville forces you to become a strong and skillful cyclist. However, we also have something incredible special where we live....bike-friendly roads.

As you may have noticed, we don't have shoulders where we live. While it would be a great addition to our roads, I never feel unsafe when I ride. Sure, there's always a rude driver out there but the cars literally share the road with us. It's rare for a car to honk at us out of frustration. Most of the time cars patiently sit behind us, waiting for the safest time to pass. 

As I was scrolling through the pictures that Joey took, this picture (above) captured my attention for it speaks loudly about the type of roads that we ride on. While this is a very cyclist-busy road, the car provides plenty of room to pass our group. It's a pleasure to ride somewhere where you are treated with respect and not viewed as a nuisance. 

We are so lucky to have so many quite, safe and beautiful roads to ride on. Even if we do a lot of climbing and our road conditions are far from ideal, I could not ask for a better place to hold a Trimarni camp than in Greenville, SC.

Despite tired legs and lots of climbing, our campers did exceptionally well managing our terrain. They applied everything that they learned over the past 2.5 days and maintained great mental toughness during the climbs and great confidence on the descends. Everyone worked well together, supporting one another so that no one was too fast or too slow.

Here are a few pictures from our Saturday ride on day three of camp. 

2019 Trimarni Skills camp - Day 2

Day two of camp started at 9am with a planned 90-minute swim at Furman. Although the campers were a tad tired from day one, everyone was in great spirits. However, nearing 60 minutes of the swim workout, a few campers started coughing. Apparently, the chemicals got out of whack due to a damaged pipe so we had to call the swim workout short. As part of our coaching philosophy, health over performance. We couldn't have our campers risking their health just for 30 more minutes of swimming. Even though the swim workout was cut short, our campers still got in a good morning session of swimming, with a little extra rest before the bike workout. 

After the swim, our campers had time to eat before their brick workout - which would take the remainder of the day. Around 12:45pm we all met at the lodge and discussed the focus of the bike workout, the type of terrain that they would be riding on, the brick run workout and other tips and suggestions for the afternoon session. Our campers were provided fueling suggestions for all the workouts and thanks to many amazing sport nutrition companies (NBS, Clif, Infinit, Carborocket), our campers had plenty of sport nutrition to use throughout camp. We also feel it's important for our campers to try new products at camp to see what works/doesn't work for future training sessions and racing. 

The lodge now has farm animals - which makes for lots of smiles throughout camp!

We divided into two groups (with a coach in each group) to help keep everyone organized so that no one felt too slow (or too fast). It took us about 50 minutes to get to the start of the loop for the bike workout and then it was time to start the workout. 

 

Karel went over the bike workout and then we let our campers go on their own so that everyone could focus on their own effort. Karel, Joe and I were able to spend time with small groups and ride one on one with several of the campers throughout each 4.5 mile loop.

Although the loop only has 3 right turns, we marked the route with pink arrows (Thanks Al for taping the road!) just to make sure no one got lost. This is one of our favorite routes for camps as the course has a little of everything as it relates to changing terrain. There are some longer climbs and fast descends, along with some punchy hills. Most of all, there are some great views of the mountains!

After the bike workout, we made our way back to the lodge, with a quick detour to say hi to "Mr. Llama" (aka Doogie) - who loves it when people stop by to see him. 

After 2.5 hours of riding (and ~3700 feet of elevation gained), it was time for the brick run. The run workout was as follows:

5 min EZ, form focused running
MS: 3x's
3 min strong, 2 min FBRF (fatigue based running form)
Then:
10-15 minutes form focused running

The weather turned out to be amazingly warm, which made for a "hot" brick run for our campers (mid 70's!) on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. We had our campers run back and forth on the same stretch of the trail so that they could support one another and cheer each other on (something you don't get when you train alone).

Our campers did an exceptional job "doing things well" with pacing, terrain management and nutrition. There were no GI issues, bonking, cramping or fatige issues throughout the bike/run session, which made me super happy to see how well our campers were fueling/hydrating.

After a full day of training, our campers were ready for a solid meal and a good night of sleep in route to a "long" bike (and brick run) on Day 3 of camp.

2019 Trimarni Skills camp - Day 1

We are so happy to report that our first camp of 2019 was a big success! Our campers stayed safe, everyone worked amazingly well together, the weather was absolutely perfect, comfort zones were stretched, hills (lots of them) were climbed and our campers left camp with new tools to apply to training and racing.

Although our campers have a lot of fun at camp, we've never had a camper return home, wishing that they would have done more training. With years of experience, we've learned how to provide the perfect mix of education, challenge and fun to remind our campers that the sport of triathlon is a lot of fun, but to improve, you must be willing to try new things and there's always something more to improve upon - which is not always easy (mentally and physically).

With our first official day of camp on Thursday, our 15 campers had the opportunity to loosen out from travel with a 60-minute social spin. There's never an easy ride here in Greenville so our campers still did ~1000 feet of climbing during the "easy" spin. We use this ride as an opportunity to get to know our campers (specifically athletes that we've never met in person or new campers), see their skills and familiarize the athletes with our terrain (which is not easy). This ride also helps campers shake out (or spin out) some nerves for the upcoming training load.

On Thursday morning, we planned a hill focused run workout for our campers. The weather was crisp, in the mid 40's, which made for perfect running weather for our athletes. Karel and I accompanied our athletes on our road bikes as it was easy for us to quickly move through the group to provide feedback and encouragement. We had our running shoes on so it was easy for us to get off our bikes and run with our campers.

Our campers ran to the Furman campus (from the Swamp Rabbit Lodge - camp house) alongside the Swamp Rabbit Trail and then around the lake to the big "hill" on the backside of the lack. After the warm-up, the main set included 4 loops focusing on good uphill and downhill running technique, bounding to activate the posterior chain and reset running (which we call FBRF - Fatigue Based Running Form, the best form you can hold while fatigued). Although a tough workout for day 1 of camp, our campers did incredibly well and really challenged themselves up and down the hill. Everyone worked well together, supporting one another. After the workout, our campers ran back to the lodge. Total run distance was around 7-7.5 miles and nearly 1500 feet elevation gained.

Here are a few pics from the run, thanks to our amazing photographer/SAG Joey:

After the run, our campers had a short break to refuel and recover. We typically pack the day with workouts but there's always time between sessions to optimize recovery with refueling and short rest. Most of the time, our campers get around two hours between sessions for any more, they may get too tired and any less, there's not a lot of time to eat and digest food. Although our campers have the option to stay anywhere they like, most of our campers choose the Swamp Rabbit Lodge, which serves as our camp "house". Although close quarters for everyone, it's a great opportunity to connect with others, share the entire experience together, eat (and split grocery costs) together and it just makes it easy to have a home base for starting/finishing workouts.

Around 11am, it was time for our next session of the day which was a bike workout. With tired legs, we all rode out to the start of our course which provided a nice mix of variable terrain to work on bike handling skills. We had a bit of everything, a tight switchback, long rolling hills, steady climbs, false flats, u-turns and punchy hills. The course was clover shaped so our athletes were able to get familiar with the course and then repeat it a few times on their own. Karel, Joe and I were able to rode individually with every camper to provide one-on-one help. The ride was a little over 2 hours and included about 3700 feet of elevation gain.

Here are a few pics from the bike workout:

Throughout the training sessions, there's always stops for education and questions, so that our campers can combine the learning with the doing. After the ride, our campers had another short break before the afternoon swim session.

At 3pm, our campers met us in front of the PAC in Furman for a discussion on swim technique. The weather was beautiful so we chose to do our educational session outside, under the warm sun. At 3:30pm, it was time for a 90-minute swim. Although our campers "only" covered about 2500-3200 yards during this time, we spent a good chunk of the workout breaking down the phases of the stroke with specific swim drills to emphasize what you should "feel" in the water.

After the swim workout, day one was officially complete of workouts! In the evening, around 7pm, we had a Q&A session with our campers at the lodge and discussed the next days workouts. Campy always enjoys these sessions as he gets plenty of butt rubs from the campers.

Athletes often ask how Karel and I fit in our training during our camps and the answer is, we don't. Camps are mentally and physically exhausting for us so aside from riding with our campers, we don't do any of our own training throughout camp. And that's ok for camps are extremely rewarding for us and we don't mind stepping away from our own training needs for a few days to be 100% attentive and energetic for our campers.

Comparison - how's it working for you?

It's often said that comparison is the thief of joy. In other words, social comparison is a big part of how we determine our own level of happiness. 

If you find yourself in a daily competition with the achievements of others, it's time to direct your energy elsewhere. Start caring about the things and people in life that are meaningful and purposeful to you.

Life is filled with sadness, stress, pain, disappointments, insecurities, anxiety or depression. It doesn't matter who you are, life can be tough. However, this idea that life is far from perfect is far from the picture-perfect life that is often depicted on social media. While you may envy over someone's highlight real, you never know what the behind-the-scene moments look like. 

I encourage you to have less comparison to others and more compassion toward yourself. 

Although it is inspiring and motivating to see the success stories of others, do not let the triumphs of someone else trump your own personal accomplishments and achievements.