Now that spring is here, I think it’s time I delve into my world of nutrition. Especially since one of the main reasons I became a vegetarian two years ago was to eat healthier and be more conscious of the crap I put into my body.
A little background for you… A couple years ago I realized I ate way too much crap and needed to fix that. I had a great metabolism so I never really needed to care but after a few too many late night Chinese orders and sunny days grilling those tasty, greasy burgers, I knew I should be a little more intentional about what foods I ate and what foods I pushed to the side. Simply put, I rarely thought about what I ate back then. If something looked good, I’d eat it.
In comes the idea of vegetarianism. I knew it would help me think about what I was eating and force me to plan my meals (plus the environmental benefits), but could I really give up the one thing I loved oh-so-much. And on top of that, was I ready to become one of those meatless hippies that I always judged? Hell no!
But I gave it a try. Vegetarianism was a means to a healthy end, not a lifestyle I intended to adopt. Once I dialed in my healthy food intake, I’d go back to eating the healthy, eco-friendly meats. Well, two years later, I’m still one of those meatless hippies and I have no clue when I’ll be going back.
And now, with the introduction of spring, I’m starting to plan out the next three months of my training/race and overall nutrition. Partly because I generally want to live a healthier lifestyle and spring marks a perfect time to incorporate more fresh foods into my diet but also because the clock is ticking down to this Ironman and I need to test certain foods before it’s too late.
I’m incorporating more healthy, training-specific foods – sweet potatoes, quinoa, almond butter, my own personal AMAZING trail mix, hummus, and avocados, to name a few – and starting to figure out exactly what foods my body likes and dislikes during training. Yes, I’ve been known to indulge in the occasional pizza or Snickers after a long training day but overall I’m focusing on getting as many fresh foods as possible, as well as keeping consistent when it comes to recovery carbs and proteins. I have to admit, it’s very odd reading so many articles and studies about specific foods and their respective components but I can safely say that I am infinitely more conscious of what is good for me and what is not.
As for my training nutrition, well that’s a work in progress. Normally I’ve stuck with Gatorade and mixed in Cliff Shot Blocks (aka, training specific fruit snacks) but I’m realizing that during my longer days, all that sugar is getting tough to take down. I don’t have a solution yet but over the next couple months I’ll be testing every possible combination to see what works best. First up – Infinit, berry-flavored Gu, and bananas. I’ll let you know how that goes on Friday when I finish my first big brick workout (4+ hour ride, 1 hour run).
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Time Flies By
I realize it’s been quite a while since I’ve posted to the blog so this will serve as my two-weeklong recap and plea to those who are still reading. Between March Madness, crazy days at work, friends visiting, and of course higher intensity training, I haven’t been able to sit down and put pen to paper (or keys to screen) so I have to apologize for that. Here’s a rundown of what I’ve been up to and what other things have been stealing me away from posting.
First, the non-training recap:
Simply put, work has been extremely busy and that, combined with friends visiting, has resulted in my blog updates being placed at the bottom of the priority list. I hated to do it but sometimes life just gets in the way and we don’t have as much time to sit back and reflect. Although I guess I could have spent a little less time staring at tournament brackets or sports tickets.
March Madness is quite the time suck. At first I thought I wouldn’t care as much because Boston College was embarrassingly terrible this season, resulting in my apathy towards college basketball, but then I realized how desperately I wanted to repeat as champion of my family tournament pool. Sorry, I can’t help myself. For better or for worse, sports obsession is in my DNA and there will never be a tournament or championship that I miss. Thankfully though, the first two rounds are completed and I’ll have much more time to spend on other things. And the World Cup, aka the greatest sporting event on Earth, starts during my taper period so I won’t have to worry about compromising my training.
Now, onto the good stuff:
Training has been consistent and strong, despite my above distractions. Over the past ten days, I’ve done quite a few fitness-testing workouts to see where I am in my program. Some of these were just by coincidence but others were intentional so I know what I need to focus on in the next couple weeks before I get into the meat of my training.
Run… In the past ten days I’ve comfortably built my endurance back up to my original marathon capacity by running one 15-mile and one 16-mile run at sub 8:00 pace. Additionally, and most exciting of all, is that I’m getting closer and closer to my fitness level from high school. Last week, I did the typical three-mile loop by my house that I usually run once or twice each week, and this time I was able to shave 1:20 from my time, which is quite the feet for me since I suck at running. I never thought I would be able to run sub 6:00 miles after graduating from high school but now with this recent 6:12 x 3M time, I’m thinking I can work my way towards that before the year is over. Obviously, it doesn’t matter much for my Ironman times since I’ll be clocking somewhere around 10 minutes miles for that run but it’s still a nice little accomplishment to add to the list of things I once thought were impossible 12 months ago.
Bike… After what I thought was a fairly successful endurance test during the bike ride with the Swedes, I knew I wanted to test some of my climbing and intensity skills to measure where I was halfway through training. Long story short, I’m way beyond where I was two months ago and while I still have plenty of work to do so I can manage those tough 6-7 hour rides, I’m more confident that I won’t die on this leg of the race.
Swim… While my endurance increases, I feel like my technique is progressively getting worse with each trip to the pool. I know, I know I need to get a coach or join a Masters team but up until now, I’ve had very little desire to spend too much time on the swim since this is the one leg I’m actually not afraid of.
Overall, training is good but my life balance sucks.
First, the non-training recap:
Simply put, work has been extremely busy and that, combined with friends visiting, has resulted in my blog updates being placed at the bottom of the priority list. I hated to do it but sometimes life just gets in the way and we don’t have as much time to sit back and reflect. Although I guess I could have spent a little less time staring at tournament brackets or sports tickets.
March Madness is quite the time suck. At first I thought I wouldn’t care as much because Boston College was embarrassingly terrible this season, resulting in my apathy towards college basketball, but then I realized how desperately I wanted to repeat as champion of my family tournament pool. Sorry, I can’t help myself. For better or for worse, sports obsession is in my DNA and there will never be a tournament or championship that I miss. Thankfully though, the first two rounds are completed and I’ll have much more time to spend on other things. And the World Cup, aka the greatest sporting event on Earth, starts during my taper period so I won’t have to worry about compromising my training.
Now, onto the good stuff:
Training has been consistent and strong, despite my above distractions. Over the past ten days, I’ve done quite a few fitness-testing workouts to see where I am in my program. Some of these were just by coincidence but others were intentional so I know what I need to focus on in the next couple weeks before I get into the meat of my training.
Run… In the past ten days I’ve comfortably built my endurance back up to my original marathon capacity by running one 15-mile and one 16-mile run at sub 8:00 pace. Additionally, and most exciting of all, is that I’m getting closer and closer to my fitness level from high school. Last week, I did the typical three-mile loop by my house that I usually run once or twice each week, and this time I was able to shave 1:20 from my time, which is quite the feet for me since I suck at running. I never thought I would be able to run sub 6:00 miles after graduating from high school but now with this recent 6:12 x 3M time, I’m thinking I can work my way towards that before the year is over. Obviously, it doesn’t matter much for my Ironman times since I’ll be clocking somewhere around 10 minutes miles for that run but it’s still a nice little accomplishment to add to the list of things I once thought were impossible 12 months ago.
Bike… After what I thought was a fairly successful endurance test during the bike ride with the Swedes, I knew I wanted to test some of my climbing and intensity skills to measure where I was halfway through training. Long story short, I’m way beyond where I was two months ago and while I still have plenty of work to do so I can manage those tough 6-7 hour rides, I’m more confident that I won’t die on this leg of the race.
Swim… While my endurance increases, I feel like my technique is progressively getting worse with each trip to the pool. I know, I know I need to get a coach or join a Masters team but up until now, I’ve had very little desire to spend too much time on the swim since this is the one leg I’m actually not afraid of.
Overall, training is good but my life balance sucks.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Sunlight, Sweet Sunlight
With so much going on this weekend, it was tough to decide what to write about. Do I break down my obsession with boxing and how motivated I get by big fights like the one on Saturday? Do I delve into the inevitable challenges-to-come with balancing my training schedule and March Madness? Or maybe I just give a brief overview of my solid training weekend, despite DC’s monsoon-esque weather?
Hmmmm, tough call. I’ll choose option D – daylight savings time. Or what I like to call, the most wonderful time of the year.
As someone who struggles waking up early for workouts, I’m left packing my training hours in after work. Most of the time this means dark runs after sunset or twilight commutes after long hours in the office gym. And of course, cold cold weather. But as of today, and for the rest of my time training, I’ll be blessed with longer days and better temperatures for all those post-work sessions. Thank God!
Stupid, yes. But it’s that simple fact that more sunlight motivates me to get outside and throw an extra mile or two into training. It’s the fact that I now have no excuse not to ride after work since I can wear a short-sleeve jersey and ride a bike without headlights. And it’s the knowledge that daylight savings time is coming just as my training intensity begins to pick up.
Yes, it’s the little things in life that can make such a big difference. So until I decide to move to Alaska, I’ll treat daylight savings time as my own little Christmas.
Hmmmm, tough call. I’ll choose option D – daylight savings time. Or what I like to call, the most wonderful time of the year.
As someone who struggles waking up early for workouts, I’m left packing my training hours in after work. Most of the time this means dark runs after sunset or twilight commutes after long hours in the office gym. And of course, cold cold weather. But as of today, and for the rest of my time training, I’ll be blessed with longer days and better temperatures for all those post-work sessions. Thank God!
Stupid, yes. But it’s that simple fact that more sunlight motivates me to get outside and throw an extra mile or two into training. It’s the fact that I now have no excuse not to ride after work since I can wear a short-sleeve jersey and ride a bike without headlights. And it’s the knowledge that daylight savings time is coming just as my training intensity begins to pick up.
Yes, it’s the little things in life that can make such a big difference. So until I decide to move to Alaska, I’ll treat daylight savings time as my own little Christmas.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Fish Oil
Since I’m in no mood to sleep after a few too many beers at a staff happy hour, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to talk about fish oil. I know, it’s very exciting, but please try to contain your excitement.
Just this past weekend I was dying from a tough day outside, gasping for air like I never have before. At first, I thought it could be the effects of the changing weather or the long drought without any running (thanks plantar fasciitis) but then I remembered something I heard in a tele-seminar with a nutrition/triathlon coach.
The coach was explaining how fish oil was one of the important supplements to include in your diet, especially when it comes to endurance athletes. In addition to the general health benefits of decreased pain and inflammation, as well as a lowered risk of heart disease and cancer, fish oil is extremely helpful for those long training days out on the road.
The omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil increases lung function during those intensive sets and helps get more oxygen into the system. EPA and DHA (not going to spell those because of my current state), the main components in fish oil, are essential to an endurance athlete’s training, especially those like me that occasionally struggle with deep breathing.
So get out those nice-smelling tablets and start incorporating them into your daily diet, regardless of your level of fitness. Unless your diet contains significant amounts of seeds and whole grains, it’s likely you’ll be falling short of your optimum omega-3 intake. Therefore, fish oil supplements are definitely worthwhile in most diets and will pay dividends for those fitness junkies that focus on oxygen intake and lung capacity.
Suggested amount, courtesy of nutrition/triathlon coach Bob Seebohar:
1-3 grams of EPA and DHA per day for general health purposes and small training days
At least 5 grams of EPA and DHA per day for those longer training days
*Notice: too much EPA and DHA causes impaired blood clotting response (aka, don’t crash)
Just this past weekend I was dying from a tough day outside, gasping for air like I never have before. At first, I thought it could be the effects of the changing weather or the long drought without any running (thanks plantar fasciitis) but then I remembered something I heard in a tele-seminar with a nutrition/triathlon coach.
The coach was explaining how fish oil was one of the important supplements to include in your diet, especially when it comes to endurance athletes. In addition to the general health benefits of decreased pain and inflammation, as well as a lowered risk of heart disease and cancer, fish oil is extremely helpful for those long training days out on the road.
The omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil increases lung function during those intensive sets and helps get more oxygen into the system. EPA and DHA (not going to spell those because of my current state), the main components in fish oil, are essential to an endurance athlete’s training, especially those like me that occasionally struggle with deep breathing.
So get out those nice-smelling tablets and start incorporating them into your daily diet, regardless of your level of fitness. Unless your diet contains significant amounts of seeds and whole grains, it’s likely you’ll be falling short of your optimum omega-3 intake. Therefore, fish oil supplements are definitely worthwhile in most diets and will pay dividends for those fitness junkies that focus on oxygen intake and lung capacity.
Suggested amount, courtesy of nutrition/triathlon coach Bob Seebohar:
1-3 grams of EPA and DHA per day for general health purposes and small training days
At least 5 grams of EPA and DHA per day for those longer training days
*Notice: too much EPA and DHA causes impaired blood clotting response (aka, don’t crash)
Sunday, March 7, 2010
60 Degrees and Sunny
The short version…
Love Sweden; shredded legs; sun burnt; stuffed full of pizza, snickers and blueberry soup; ecstatic with results.
The long version…
I woke up this morning not really knowing what to expect from my first large group ride courtesy of the Swedish embassy here in DC. My body was already a little sore from a hard 35 x 100m swim workout on Friday night and an all-day paintball adventure with some friends on Saturday. So while the mileage was long, I knew I wasn’t completely in the mood to push it hard, although I wasn’t opposed. I just wanted to get outside and enjoy the amazing weather that graced DC.
Those were the intentions, now comes the mini-report. The alarm was set for 6:45am and I made sure to pack as much as possible the night before because lately I’ve been getting terrible sleep and relying on the snooze to make up the extra time spent waking up in the middle of the night (any other triathletes have this problem?). Like clockwork, this was the case again and I took full advantage of that sweet sweet snooze button.
Finally, I crawled out of bed and threw on my gear. The weather was getting up to 60 degrees but it started out at 35 which made things somewhat tricky. I passed on the gloves and pants, instead hoping I could get by with my cold gear long-sleeve. Ultimately, the decision made for a very cold first hour through shaded roads but ended up being the right call when the rest of the miles were in open sun. Still though, if there was ever a time I was concerned about my fingers and toes falling off, today was that time.
(1/4 of the start group, notice the jackets and pants)
The ride was definitely a new experience for me. The start group was around 200 riders and I’ve never had to focus on holding a line in such a large group. I started near the back so I could get a feel for my first time out with the Cervelo (ohhh yea, big moment for the two of us) and quickly moved up, settling into the back of the lead pack of roughly 25 riders. I had no intention of moving into the fray because the idea of riding in the middle of the pack scared the sh*t out of me so I kept pace and hung back for the first 15 miles.
Then came the hills, my strength. I’ve tried to focus on hill training throughout the offseason and on the trainer, and today I finally saw the results. I eagerly jumped at the opportunity to do my share of the work and took to the front of the chase group, pulling as many people as possible. Now, I felt comfortable with the group. From that point on, I was just pushing my legs and enjoying the speed of my triathlon bike.
From mile 30 to 60, I latched onto the cycling team at the front leading the ride and enjoyed their 24mph+ pace through a bunch of rollers. I’d like to think my build training has paid off but realistically I should probably attribute my performance today to my lightning-fast bike, not any real skill on my end. Either way, I’ll take it.
In conclusion, the ride was a major success, as was the post-ride celebration with blueberry soup and 250 of my closest friends outside the Swedish embassy. Talk about a great way to start the day.
But could this be it? It was almost 60 degrees by that point and there was no way I was missing out on this weather. So I laced up my running shoes and decided to go log a few miles down by the monuments.
Now THAT was it. After 5 miles (sans pain from my plantar fasciitis!) my legs were shredded and I was ready to head home for some much needed recovery and, of course, massive amounts of food.
And now, after 2.5 naps, my body is finally back to normal and ready for what’s in store tomorrow. God bless spring in DC!
Love Sweden; shredded legs; sun burnt; stuffed full of pizza, snickers and blueberry soup; ecstatic with results.
The long version…
I woke up this morning not really knowing what to expect from my first large group ride courtesy of the Swedish embassy here in DC. My body was already a little sore from a hard 35 x 100m swim workout on Friday night and an all-day paintball adventure with some friends on Saturday. So while the mileage was long, I knew I wasn’t completely in the mood to push it hard, although I wasn’t opposed. I just wanted to get outside and enjoy the amazing weather that graced DC.
Those were the intentions, now comes the mini-report. The alarm was set for 6:45am and I made sure to pack as much as possible the night before because lately I’ve been getting terrible sleep and relying on the snooze to make up the extra time spent waking up in the middle of the night (any other triathletes have this problem?). Like clockwork, this was the case again and I took full advantage of that sweet sweet snooze button.
Finally, I crawled out of bed and threw on my gear. The weather was getting up to 60 degrees but it started out at 35 which made things somewhat tricky. I passed on the gloves and pants, instead hoping I could get by with my cold gear long-sleeve. Ultimately, the decision made for a very cold first hour through shaded roads but ended up being the right call when the rest of the miles were in open sun. Still though, if there was ever a time I was concerned about my fingers and toes falling off, today was that time.
(1/4 of the start group, notice the jackets and pants)
The ride was definitely a new experience for me. The start group was around 200 riders and I’ve never had to focus on holding a line in such a large group. I started near the back so I could get a feel for my first time out with the Cervelo (ohhh yea, big moment for the two of us) and quickly moved up, settling into the back of the lead pack of roughly 25 riders. I had no intention of moving into the fray because the idea of riding in the middle of the pack scared the sh*t out of me so I kept pace and hung back for the first 15 miles.
(I wanted no part of that)
Then came the hills, my strength. I’ve tried to focus on hill training throughout the offseason and on the trainer, and today I finally saw the results. I eagerly jumped at the opportunity to do my share of the work and took to the front of the chase group, pulling as many people as possible. Now, I felt comfortable with the group. From that point on, I was just pushing my legs and enjoying the speed of my triathlon bike.
(lead group pushing the pace)
From mile 30 to 60, I latched onto the cycling team at the front leading the ride and enjoyed their 24mph+ pace through a bunch of rollers. I’d like to think my build training has paid off but realistically I should probably attribute my performance today to my lightning-fast bike, not any real skill on my end. Either way, I’ll take it.
(muddy and happy)
But could this be it? It was almost 60 degrees by that point and there was no way I was missing out on this weather. So I laced up my running shoes and decided to go log a few miles down by the monuments.
Now THAT was it. After 5 miles (sans pain from my plantar fasciitis!) my legs were shredded and I was ready to head home for some much needed recovery and, of course, massive amounts of food.
And now, after 2.5 naps, my body is finally back to normal and ready for what’s in store tomorrow. God bless spring in DC!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Back on My Feet
Finally... the epic return to the pavement is here and it couldn’t have come at a better time. After over 10 days of taking it easy and assessing my plantar fasciitis, I’ve laced up my shoes and returned to the one part of multisport that I used to hate the most – running.
If you asked me ten days ago, I would tell you the same thing I said ten years ago. When it comes to running, I just don’t get it. If I want to shred my legs and get in shape, throw me on a soccer field, or give me a basketball or football. What’s the point of just running to run?
Well, that was ten days ago. Fast forward to today and I’m singing a much different tune. As I spent almost every day watching with envy as runners sprinted by my window and jogged on the Mall at sunset, I realized how much I miss running. Even worse, I realized how running is quickly becoming my favorite part of triathlon training. All I could think about was getting back outside and running until my legs gave out. Not to mention, I became even more motivated when I stumbled upon this amazing trail running montage that is slowly tempting me to do more trail runs and longer distances (don’t worry, not until AFTER Idaho).
There’s just something so peaceful about lacing up the running shoes, leaving the Ipod at home and forgetting the frustrations from a tough day. Not to mention the always-amazing “runner’s high” that should motivate anyone to get outside as much as possible.
So while my plantar fasciitis isn’t going away anytime soon, I’ve received enough help and advice to help me deal with it while I adjust my training accordingly. I’m sure the foot pain will be a frequent topic of conversation in the coming months but as long as it doesn’t stop me from my goal, I think I’ll be fine…. ice, tennis ball, stretch, strengthen, repeat.
With all that said, you know where you can find me over the next few days. The weather here will be over 50 degrees each day and I’ll be taking full advantage of it. Hopefully I’ll even have a few pictures to post from my 60-miler with the Swedes and a sunset run to the Mall.
If you asked me ten days ago, I would tell you the same thing I said ten years ago. When it comes to running, I just don’t get it. If I want to shred my legs and get in shape, throw me on a soccer field, or give me a basketball or football. What’s the point of just running to run?
Well, that was ten days ago. Fast forward to today and I’m singing a much different tune. As I spent almost every day watching with envy as runners sprinted by my window and jogged on the Mall at sunset, I realized how much I miss running. Even worse, I realized how running is quickly becoming my favorite part of triathlon training. All I could think about was getting back outside and running until my legs gave out. Not to mention, I became even more motivated when I stumbled upon this amazing trail running montage that is slowly tempting me to do more trail runs and longer distances (don’t worry, not until AFTER Idaho).
There’s just something so peaceful about lacing up the running shoes, leaving the Ipod at home and forgetting the frustrations from a tough day. Not to mention the always-amazing “runner’s high” that should motivate anyone to get outside as much as possible.
So while my plantar fasciitis isn’t going away anytime soon, I’ve received enough help and advice to help me deal with it while I adjust my training accordingly. I’m sure the foot pain will be a frequent topic of conversation in the coming months but as long as it doesn’t stop me from my goal, I think I’ll be fine…. ice, tennis ball, stretch, strengthen, repeat.
With all that said, you know where you can find me over the next few days. The weather here will be over 50 degrees each day and I’ll be taking full advantage of it. Hopefully I’ll even have a few pictures to post from my 60-miler with the Swedes and a sunset run to the Mall.
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