These are a few of the questions people have asked about my Ultraman (UM) experience. They are in no particular order. And if you missed the Smashfest Diaries Q/A you can catch up HERE.
How much open water swim training did you do?
Does Ironman California 70.3 in April count as training? I don't do open water swim training. I am a confident swimmer and generally don't have problems being in open water. I race well in open water because I am competitive. But if I swim in open water outside of competition I'm rather lazy. So I feel that putting in serious work in the pool prepares me better for race conditions.
Do you wish you had done a 10k swim in the ocean prior to UM?
Sure, having some ocean swimming under my belt would probably have made me faster in those conditions. But I live in the desert. The nearest ocean is 6 hours away and it's not feasible for me to make that drive frequently for training purposes. And in reality, by the time we hit the point in training where it would have been beneficial (ie: the final 8 weeks) I was too exhausted for it to have been considered safe for me to drive 6 hours in a car by myself.
Swimming in the ocean doesn't bother me. Yes, it's much different than a lake/ river, but I've swum ocean races before and felt confident, strong, safe, etc. I wasn't overly worried about the swim.
How did pool training prepare you to swim that distance?
Well, we did a lot of long hard interval workouts. And just like for IM distance, my 10k swim sets were basically swum right on the time that I wanted to hold for UM. I was getting out of the pool after 10k in 2:38-2:42 so I felt that was going to be my ballpark. I was hoping for anything under 2:45.
I had plenty of 4-5k swims, but my weekly long swims were what really got me ready. I remember my first 7k interval swim and I got out of the pool and my arms were shaking it was that difficult. I thought, if I feel like this after 7k, how the heck am I going to feel after 10k? But Hillary knows what she's doing and we built up to hard 10k swims every other week. I definitely felt prepared and ready for the swim.
Here's the deal... In running, everyone's familiar with intervals, and tempo runs, and long runs, and race pace runs. It's no different swimming-- you have sprint swims, tempo swims, long strength building swims, and race pace swims. When I train for IM, I have 4k race pace swims that are something like 30 x 100 yards on 1:25. These swims give me so much anxiety because on a good day I'm getting 2-3 seconds rest. On a bad day I'm touching the wall and pushing off. But you do this over and over and over and you make all the intervals and you realize, ok, I really CAN hold this pace for 2.4 miles. Ultraman swim training was very similar only a lot more band only and longer sets on short rest... like 15 x 300 meters on 4:40 as the mainset in a 7500 meter swim.
** And just to clear up any confusion, I have access to both yard and meter pools and depending on the time of day and how long the swim will take determines which pool I use. :)
What was your key prep for the swim?
I was averaging 20-23k per week in the pool, with a hard 10k swim every other week. I think the combination of volume and the long, hard swims prepared me perfectly for the swim. The only thing I will do differently is eat more during the swim next time around. I was fine during the swim leg, but when I got on the bike I was hungry for the first 2 hours and felt like I was playing catch up.
What did your training look like?
I was averaging 20-24 hours per week training. Each week was different as far as the type of workouts but there were a lot of IM to Half IM power intervals on the bike. Hard trainer rides with short intervals. Group rides each week with a couple of sustained uphill chases. 3 hours became the new 90 min easy recovery ride. And then there were some back to back long rides and long rides followed by long progression runs. There were a couple of 50k runs- one on trails, and one on road. There were some trail runs and interval runs and treadmill runs-- both long and faster than race pace. Swimming consisted of both hard interval swims and long, strength building sets.
What was key prep for the run?
Well, I think the most important run training I did were the 50k runs and the long progression runs at the end of a hard block of training. I got to a point in training where I felt so tired all the time, but I could go out and run and hold my pace forever. I felt so strong. I really think the years of endurance training and then the specific work we were doing allowed me to feel so good throughout. I have never worked so hard in training, and loved training so much as I did in the last 12 weeks before the race. Seeing what my body was capable of was amazing and felt so rewarding. I kept thinking, if I come off of this, absorb, and gain fitness from the race, Ironman is going to feel so easy.
How did you prepare for big training days?
Just like any big Ironman training day. I tried to have my bottles filled the night before, nutrition packed. Gear laid out. Make sure everything on my bike was ready to go- no unexpected flat tires, all my tools where they needed to be. Follow my nutrition plan so that I was properly fueled, hydrated. And then make sure I get a good night's rest. I had a couple of big workouts that I had SAG support for, so I made sure we had all the food and drinks prepped and ready to go into the cooler. Made sure there was gas in the car, and a detailed map for my support person.
What was your nutrition like in training?
I have been working with Katie of OWN Nutrition for about 18 months now. So daily nutrition is pretty dialed in. She writes my plan every week and I follow it. Lots of big salads. That's what I craved. Near the end I did get a little tired of eating all the time-- chewing just became so exhausting so we added some more smoothies into the mix. Lots of greens and fruit, nut butter, chia seeds, etc packed into the NutriBullet.
During training the only thing I did different from IM training was take in solids on the bike. In UM having solid foods on day 1 and 2 goes a long way toward helping the body sustain and last through the stress of all 3 days. So in training I switched to things I would use on course-- Clif bars, etc. For the swim and run I stuck with gels since that was what I'd use on race day.
Did you change your shoes during the run?
No. I wore shoes that fit my feet well, are the right size, and are comfortable. So I never felt the need to change shoes.
What did you do for sun protection?
I use Coppertone Sport spf 50. I know there are a lot of "better" sunscreens that probably have less chemicals or whatever. But I've tried others, and this one lasts all day with one application. I live in the desert and wear sunscreen all year round, all day long. This works for me. My crew did surprise me with lime green zinc oxide lip balm. #limegreenismysignaturecolor And I wore the RFA aero suit on day 1, and my Lemmon Lime Aero top on day 2 which provide excellent sun coverage.
What was your nutrition like during the race?
I took in gels on the swim-- 400 cal total with 2 bottles of water (in 2 hours 42 minutes). Next time I'll double that. I took in about 300 calories per hour on the bike on day 1, and pretty close to that on day 2. Mostly solid foods- Clif bars, PB&J, Pringles, Girl Scout cookies (not joking), and chicken noodle soup. And then I had Coke, Red Bull and espresso poured over ice **angels singing from above**
On the run I had Honey Stinger gels every 20 minutes. I also had a bottle with my BASE salt concoction every half marathon. And I drank some Coke and chicken broth along with lots of water.
What goes on in your head?
Mostly I'm thinking about the race. What do I need now? How am I feeling? Sometimes I sang songs in my head. There's really so much going on all the time that you're not just lost in thought.
What did you do to prepare mentally?
I can't say I did anything specific in this area. My training is such that just the act of surviving it builds a certain degree of mental toughness. That's how it should be. Your training is what should give you confidence for race day. There were definitely workouts that gave me anxiety when I saw them on my schedule. And when you complete them and it's not a big deal, you put that in the bank.
How did you house your crew?
As soon as I received my invitation to Ultraman Australia I was on their website checking everything out. One of their sponsors is the Macquarie Lodge Apartments so I hopped on their website. I got a 3 bedroom apartment at a really great rate and it was absolutely perfect. Our entire crew was able to stay together-- we could cook and eat together and when I was relaxing at night I could be on the couch while they were eating at the dinner table and we could go over the plan for the next day. We had access to a pool, a balcony, laundry facilities, and 2 full bathrooms. The living quarters were very spacious. I highly recommend the Macquarie Lodge Apartments for anyone considering Ultraman or just a holiday in Noosa!
How did you set up for each day?
My crew captain, Chris, was responsible for making sure the van was packed and organized each day. So prior to day 1 we removed some of the seats in the van to make space, got Dan's bike (which was my spare for the race) situated in the back, and then loaded the cooler and all the bags. Heidi was in charge of my nutrition/ hydration so she had everything organized and knew where everything was at. We had a separate bag for tools/ gear, a bag with sunscreen/ medical supplies, and bags with food/ drinks, etc. They were very organized.
At the end of each stage, one of them would take the van to fill up with gas, stock up on anything we might be running low on (water/ ice/ etc) and then clean out all the garbage. Then they'd make sure everything was organized and ready to go into the van for the next day. Heidi made all the PBJs. She divided the Pringles into 100 calorie ziplock bags. Same with the Girl Scout cookies. She had everything organized so that she would know exactly how many calories she handed to me, and when I handed back any wrappers/ etc, she knew where I was at intake-wise. She kept detailed notes which I'm so thankful for because I will use those to help me train and plan for the next time around.
What was the hardest part?
That's tough to say. I definitely think physically the run was the hardest, but I also was pretty content running with my crew all day long.... and I've already blocked out a majority of the pain from my mind. Mentally the bike on day 1 was hard because I felt so terrible and it was still so early in the race. I had to not think about how far I had left to go because I might not have made it off the bike on day 1.
What was your favorite part?
Day 2!!! Hands down the 170 mile bike ride was my favorite. I've never been more proud of race execution (outside of IMAZ 2015) as I was on that day. I worked so hard on day 2. The course was beautiful and hilly and completely amazing. To stay focused on ONE thing, literally biking as hard as I could, for 9 hours-- it was a thing of beauty. And to be surrounded and cheered for by my crew for the entire time... it's really difficult to describe how special this race is...
Was it harder than you expected?
Actually, it was easier. I think after having crewed at Ultraman Canada I had an up close and personal glimpse of what it takes to survive this type of race. My teammate went to depths on the run that I never came close to in the 3 days. In my head, I was fully prepared to do what he did on day 3 to make it in under the cutoff time and in reality, my race went very smoothly. I was never tested the way that he was. It gave me a new appreciation for what he was able to do that day, and that week. I am proud of my race. I know I can do better, but I think for a first experience it was everything I wanted and more.
Did you get to do any sight-seeing?
Well, in my opinion the best way to see a place is on foot. So I felt like I really did get to experience the areas we were in (Port Macquarie and Noosa/ Sunshine Coast). But no, we didn't do touristy things. My step-daughter graduated from high school a week after my race finished so we didn't have extra time to stay and travel around. I've been to Australia before and traveled quite a bit so I was ok with just focusing on what we came to do.
Did you lose speed training for such a long distance?
No, not that I have seen. Hillary warned me that I might not feel as sharp on some of my bike interval workouts (half IM and IM watts), and there was definitely a couple of weeks in April where I struggled to hit the numbers. But I wasn't off by much and within 2 weeks my body adapted and I had my power back. And since coming back and recovering from the race I feel stronger than ever.
How was recovery?
Recovery was awesome. I basically swam every day while we were still in Australia. Once we got back home I started biking and running a little bit-- like 20 minutes running and an hour biking, along with swimming. I had about 3 weeks of active recovery, 1-2 days off per week with very easy training on the other days. My body came around very nicely and by the time we started to do a bit of work I was ready for it. Mentally and physically I felt recovered and ready to start training again.
Do you want to do another one?
100% yes. I really believe I was made for this race. My body handles the training well. I LOVE the training. I felt like I thrived during the race and remained strong throughout. And I know I can do better the next time around. My plan is to apply for the Ultraman World Championship in 2018. As much as I'd love to go this year, I think I'd like the time to save up some money and do it right (spend a few days on the island!) and also just allow myself the time to prepare a little better. Now that we know where my weaknesses are we can work on them in training.
Showing posts with label OWN Nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OWN Nutrition. Show all posts
Friday, June 16, 2017
Friday, September 2, 2016
Ironman Coeur d'Alene: Finding Aloha before the Big Aloha!!
Two weekends ago I broke my longest non-racing streak since 2012 at Ironman Coeur d'Alene, my first Ironman since November!! 9 very long months.
I bring this up because in the last few months I've had so. many. people. question why I would be racing Ironman CDA so close to Kona (7 weeks apart). I completely understand why most people would opt not to do this, and as I've discussed with my coach in the past- when I share my dreams and plans openly I leave myself open for judgement. And I'm 100% OK with that. I think more than anything, it's an opportunity for me to share the whys and hows of racing Ironman.
In the past 3 years my racing schedule has looked like this (not including any half iron distance races, olys, sprints, trail races, ultramarathons, or running races of any sort.... of which I included plenty in between!)
2013: IM Texas--5 weeks-- IM CDA -- 13 weeks-- IM Lake Tahoe--8 weeks--IM AZ.
2014: IM Texas--16 weeks--IM Wisconsin--10 weeks-- IM AZ.
2015: IM Texas--10 weeks--IM Lake Placid--8 weeks--IM Lake Tahoe--8 weeks-- IM AZ.
And here's the thing, since I have started working with Hillary in January 2014, I've had good races and I've had not so good races. I've been really, really fit for some races, and so-so fit for others. We have built my plans with all of these races in mind and even squeezed in IM Lake Tahoe at the last minute last year when I had a really good race at Placid and we wanted to build on that fitness some more before IM AZ. Not every race is an "A" race, but we try to use EVERY race to build fitness and confidence. I've never regretted a single race I've done, have learned something in every race I've done, and have continued to grow as an athlete.
I LOVE to race. I'm not an athlete that could sit on the sidelines holding all my cards for ONE race. A) I would be bored out of my mind and B) putting all my eggs in one basket I think I would be limiting myself and would end up disappointed if it didn't go exactly as I wanted. By racing often I'm never out of practice and if I have a not so great race, it's fine because there is always the next one.
The other thing is that in the past 2.5 years since hiring Hillary I have recovered better and faster than I ever did before. And none of that is on me... I'm just getting older... it is everything to do with her and how brilliant she is at incorporating recovery into our programs. Keep in mind, as my #bff pointed out, I am OCD and do exactly as I'm told. Never more. And never less. I give my best effort every day. If I am told to go easy, I go easy. If I am told to go hard, I go hard. So I do take some responsibility for that aspect. There's no more guilt about missing a key session and trying to make it up somewhere, doubling up or working extra hard the next day. My training schedule is written with my life in mind so there's no need to miss any workouts.
But back to Kona. Here's something you probably don't know unless you've followed me for a while. The very first time my husband raced Kona (2009) I took my bike to train while we were there. I was getting ready for IMAZ. I did my long ride on the course and when I finished what was at the time the hardest ride I've ever done (which was ridiculous considering I only made it 75 miles)... I declared that I never wanted to race in Hawaii. To say it terrified me was an understatement. I was bonked, dehydrated, and an absolute hot mess after a miserable ride.
Two years later, I felt differently. I had grown and changed and thought, maybe I could actually do it and survive. And 2 years after that I was actively pursuing qualification.
Despite the growth and confidence I've built over the last 4 years, Kona has remained this enigma that seemed, seems still, very surreal. For me, coming out of IM AZ last year, I knew that I didn't want Kona to be my first race of the season. I need that first race to remind my body of how much it hurts, and make any last minute adjustments to my nutrition / hydration plan and to get mentally prepared for the big day. I know it sounds crazy, but my confidence comes from racing (good, bad or otherwise) and learning from those experiences.
I endure more pain (physical and emotional) in training than in a race, and every one of those training sessions is vital to my success. But it's the race experience that allows me to utilize my training, to put it to the test, and see where I stack up against my competition. Race day is the icing. The reward.
IM CDA was the absolute perfect tune up race for me, completely by chance. I watched the weather leading up to race day so I would know how to pack. 10 days out the forecast was 70s and sunny. Then the forecast started to heat up, and there was some concern for rain. As it turned out, it was warm, but not hot. I never saw the final weather report for that day, but my guess is it didn't get warmer than 83 degrees. A forest fire started west of town and blocked the sun on my 3rd loop of the run, which actually caused the temps to drop a little so it never reached the expected high for the day.
But it was windy as fuck. The wind on the second loop of the bike was unreal. I was having flashbacks to St. George 2012. And I honestly think this was worse than 2012, but I was prepared for it so it didn't hit me the same way. There were times I felt like I was going backwards. And yet, no one was passing me. "They" always say, everyone is dealing with the same conditions so you can't let them get the better of you, and this was the perfect example. No matter how shitty I felt on the bike, I was still out front. Every once in a while some dude would go by me. And then I would be alone for miles at a time.
The wind is my kryptonite and definitely the thing I've feared most about Kona. Being able to push my watts on this day, and come off the bike feeling decent was huge for me. It gave me the confidence to stop thinking about "just getting to the finish line" on October 8. I know now that I will be OK. I can stick to my plan, execute my race and have the day that I've worked so hard for.
I have always said that Ironman Coeur d'Alene is my favorite race and I think this still holds true. It was my 20th Ironman finish, and 20% of those finishes have been at CDA! The venue is beautiful. The bike course is challenging, yet rewards those who have worked hard in training and remain fearless in execution. And the run course is well supported and beautiful.
I didn't have a perfect day at CDA. In my post race analysis with the boss, we discussed my struggles: I was STARVING all day long-- which has never happened to me before. I didn't change anything in my pre-race diet and build up. In the past I've struggled fueling on the bike but I've never gotten on my bike at mile 1 and been like, geez I'm hungry! Hillary felt that it was most likely just bad timing with some normal hormone fluctuations. So actually, until I cleaned up my diet, I hadn't had a regular cycle in quite some time. Since working with Katie at OWN Nutrition for the last 6 months, I've actually seen some progress in this area-- which though inconvenient is a really, really good thing. When you deprive your body of nutrients, regardless of how many calories worth of cookies you're eating, you can set yourself up for loss of bone density and injury.
Good news is this likely won't be a problem in Hawaii (thank goodness it's 7 weeks and not 8!!). And by keeping better tabs on my fluctuations we can pinpoint when this is likely to occur and be prepared. In any case, I was pounding calories all day long and still felt hungry, and this eventually caused my second lap of the run to be significantly slower. However, I was able to recover and actually have a very successful 3rd lap and a strong finish. I've NEVER come back from calorie depletion before!! Typically when it occurs, which used to be all the time before we started focusing on it, I'm done. I think part of my success was because I recognized my hunger immediately and was diligent about taking in as much as I could to try to stave off the bonk as long as possible. So I was pretty happy overall about how things played out. Yes, I would have loved to have been on the podium (I was 6th), but the lessons I learned and the takeaways for October were a small sacrifice for the places I lost.
You've probably heard the term "racing into shape" and that was my plan for 2016. I started the year with Oceanside after about 2 weeks of triathlon training under my belt, and have continued to gain fitness through each race. Our target since November last year has been IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP! I am prepared to arrive on the starting line in peak shape for the year!
THANK YOU to our good friend, Jeff, who cheered us on all day, took some awesome pics and helped pull me out of my bonk on lap 2 of the run! Enjoy a little photo collage from our adventures in CDA!
I feel like the final photo deserves a bit more of an explanation. I am terrified of heights. When I was in college, I visited my boyfriend at his summer job and he took me up to the roof via a ladder. I got up there OK, but then panic set in and I couldn't get back on the ladder to come down. It's not that I avoided situations that put me at height. I love roller coasters. I've been rappelling.
In grad school my sister and I visited an amusement park and we went on this reverse- bungee- jumping thing where they strap you into a harness, pull you backwards and up very, very high. You pull the "rip cord" at the top and you free fall till the tension of the line catches you and then you swing back and forth. When they started pulling us upwards, I grabbed hold of the attendant and would not let go. He had to pry my fingers off his arm. In the video you can hear me screaming the entire time we were being raised which felt like forever. The second my sister pulled the rip cord -- silence. It was exhilarating, terrifying, enlightening.
It's like watching a scary movie. I hate them but I love to watch them. It's the kind of fear that draws you in.
I spent our last evening in CDA with my husband and 2 other friends. We ate a lot, and drank a little and somewhere along the way we decided we were going to go swimming. And then our friend who is local to CDA suggested cliff jumping. I was all in. Leading the way down the trail. Let's do this. And then I stepped out onto the edge of the rock.... and absolutely froze.
Lastly I wanted to share an article written by my coach. You can find it by clicking HERE. The article is titled "Top 5 Defining Characteristics of our Kona Team". She is referring to Team HPB, which is the group of athletes coached by Hillary, Alyssa, and two other very talented professionals. This year we have 10 athletes (out of about 40) who qualified and will be racing the Ironman World Championships. I could not be more proud to be on this team of dedicated, hard working individuals and am so excited to represent in Hawaii. I hope that some of these characteristics are evident in my daily pursuit of #findingkona.
I bring this up because in the last few months I've had so. many. people. question why I would be racing Ironman CDA so close to Kona (7 weeks apart). I completely understand why most people would opt not to do this, and as I've discussed with my coach in the past- when I share my dreams and plans openly I leave myself open for judgement. And I'm 100% OK with that. I think more than anything, it's an opportunity for me to share the whys and hows of racing Ironman.
In the past 3 years my racing schedule has looked like this (not including any half iron distance races, olys, sprints, trail races, ultramarathons, or running races of any sort.... of which I included plenty in between!)
2013: IM Texas--5 weeks-- IM CDA -- 13 weeks-- IM Lake Tahoe--8 weeks--IM AZ.
2014: IM Texas--16 weeks--IM Wisconsin--10 weeks-- IM AZ.
2015: IM Texas--10 weeks--IM Lake Placid--8 weeks--IM Lake Tahoe--8 weeks-- IM AZ.
And here's the thing, since I have started working with Hillary in January 2014, I've had good races and I've had not so good races. I've been really, really fit for some races, and so-so fit for others. We have built my plans with all of these races in mind and even squeezed in IM Lake Tahoe at the last minute last year when I had a really good race at Placid and we wanted to build on that fitness some more before IM AZ. Not every race is an "A" race, but we try to use EVERY race to build fitness and confidence. I've never regretted a single race I've done, have learned something in every race I've done, and have continued to grow as an athlete.
I LOVE to race. I'm not an athlete that could sit on the sidelines holding all my cards for ONE race. A) I would be bored out of my mind and B) putting all my eggs in one basket I think I would be limiting myself and would end up disappointed if it didn't go exactly as I wanted. By racing often I'm never out of practice and if I have a not so great race, it's fine because there is always the next one.
The other thing is that in the past 2.5 years since hiring Hillary I have recovered better and faster than I ever did before. And none of that is on me... I'm just getting older... it is everything to do with her and how brilliant she is at incorporating recovery into our programs. Keep in mind, as my #bff pointed out, I am OCD and do exactly as I'm told. Never more. And never less. I give my best effort every day. If I am told to go easy, I go easy. If I am told to go hard, I go hard. So I do take some responsibility for that aspect. There's no more guilt about missing a key session and trying to make it up somewhere, doubling up or working extra hard the next day. My training schedule is written with my life in mind so there's no need to miss any workouts.
But back to Kona. Here's something you probably don't know unless you've followed me for a while. The very first time my husband raced Kona (2009) I took my bike to train while we were there. I was getting ready for IMAZ. I did my long ride on the course and when I finished what was at the time the hardest ride I've ever done (which was ridiculous considering I only made it 75 miles)... I declared that I never wanted to race in Hawaii. To say it terrified me was an understatement. I was bonked, dehydrated, and an absolute hot mess after a miserable ride.
Two years later, I felt differently. I had grown and changed and thought, maybe I could actually do it and survive. And 2 years after that I was actively pursuing qualification.
Despite the growth and confidence I've built over the last 4 years, Kona has remained this enigma that seemed, seems still, very surreal. For me, coming out of IM AZ last year, I knew that I didn't want Kona to be my first race of the season. I need that first race to remind my body of how much it hurts, and make any last minute adjustments to my nutrition / hydration plan and to get mentally prepared for the big day. I know it sounds crazy, but my confidence comes from racing (good, bad or otherwise) and learning from those experiences.
I endure more pain (physical and emotional) in training than in a race, and every one of those training sessions is vital to my success. But it's the race experience that allows me to utilize my training, to put it to the test, and see where I stack up against my competition. Race day is the icing. The reward.
IM CDA was the absolute perfect tune up race for me, completely by chance. I watched the weather leading up to race day so I would know how to pack. 10 days out the forecast was 70s and sunny. Then the forecast started to heat up, and there was some concern for rain. As it turned out, it was warm, but not hot. I never saw the final weather report for that day, but my guess is it didn't get warmer than 83 degrees. A forest fire started west of town and blocked the sun on my 3rd loop of the run, which actually caused the temps to drop a little so it never reached the expected high for the day.
But it was windy as fuck. The wind on the second loop of the bike was unreal. I was having flashbacks to St. George 2012. And I honestly think this was worse than 2012, but I was prepared for it so it didn't hit me the same way. There were times I felt like I was going backwards. And yet, no one was passing me. "They" always say, everyone is dealing with the same conditions so you can't let them get the better of you, and this was the perfect example. No matter how shitty I felt on the bike, I was still out front. Every once in a while some dude would go by me. And then I would be alone for miles at a time.
The wind is my kryptonite and definitely the thing I've feared most about Kona. Being able to push my watts on this day, and come off the bike feeling decent was huge for me. It gave me the confidence to stop thinking about "just getting to the finish line" on October 8. I know now that I will be OK. I can stick to my plan, execute my race and have the day that I've worked so hard for.
I have always said that Ironman Coeur d'Alene is my favorite race and I think this still holds true. It was my 20th Ironman finish, and 20% of those finishes have been at CDA! The venue is beautiful. The bike course is challenging, yet rewards those who have worked hard in training and remain fearless in execution. And the run course is well supported and beautiful.
I didn't have a perfect day at CDA. In my post race analysis with the boss, we discussed my struggles: I was STARVING all day long-- which has never happened to me before. I didn't change anything in my pre-race diet and build up. In the past I've struggled fueling on the bike but I've never gotten on my bike at mile 1 and been like, geez I'm hungry! Hillary felt that it was most likely just bad timing with some normal hormone fluctuations. So actually, until I cleaned up my diet, I hadn't had a regular cycle in quite some time. Since working with Katie at OWN Nutrition for the last 6 months, I've actually seen some progress in this area-- which though inconvenient is a really, really good thing. When you deprive your body of nutrients, regardless of how many calories worth of cookies you're eating, you can set yourself up for loss of bone density and injury.
Good news is this likely won't be a problem in Hawaii (thank goodness it's 7 weeks and not 8!!). And by keeping better tabs on my fluctuations we can pinpoint when this is likely to occur and be prepared. In any case, I was pounding calories all day long and still felt hungry, and this eventually caused my second lap of the run to be significantly slower. However, I was able to recover and actually have a very successful 3rd lap and a strong finish. I've NEVER come back from calorie depletion before!! Typically when it occurs, which used to be all the time before we started focusing on it, I'm done. I think part of my success was because I recognized my hunger immediately and was diligent about taking in as much as I could to try to stave off the bonk as long as possible. So I was pretty happy overall about how things played out. Yes, I would have loved to have been on the podium (I was 6th), but the lessons I learned and the takeaways for October were a small sacrifice for the places I lost.
You've probably heard the term "racing into shape" and that was my plan for 2016. I started the year with Oceanside after about 2 weeks of triathlon training under my belt, and have continued to gain fitness through each race. Our target since November last year has been IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP! I am prepared to arrive on the starting line in peak shape for the year!
THANK YOU to our good friend, Jeff, who cheered us on all day, took some awesome pics and helped pull me out of my bonk on lap 2 of the run! Enjoy a little photo collage from our adventures in CDA!
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| Race morning. Photo credit: Jeff Wruble |
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| 2 Lap swim course. Photo credit: Jeff Wruble |
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| Not afraid of leading a few green caps. (aka: men). Photo credit: Jeff Wruble |
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| Bike course! Super scenic. |
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| Focused determination. |
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| For 2 miles I was "2nd Place Female" with my own bike lead!! First time ever! |
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| Run course hurt box. Photo credit: Jeff Wruble |
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| Finishing lap 2 with a friend! |
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| Finish line!! I'm always as happy as the very first time! #findingaloha |
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| Hugging LP -- crushing her age group in 3rd place! Photo credit: Jeff Wruble |
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| Finish #20!! |
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| Racing with my better half never gets old. Photo credit: Jeff Wruble |
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| Revealing the softer side if #findingkona. Photo credit: Jeff Wruble |
I feel like the final photo deserves a bit more of an explanation. I am terrified of heights. When I was in college, I visited my boyfriend at his summer job and he took me up to the roof via a ladder. I got up there OK, but then panic set in and I couldn't get back on the ladder to come down. It's not that I avoided situations that put me at height. I love roller coasters. I've been rappelling.
In grad school my sister and I visited an amusement park and we went on this reverse- bungee- jumping thing where they strap you into a harness, pull you backwards and up very, very high. You pull the "rip cord" at the top and you free fall till the tension of the line catches you and then you swing back and forth. When they started pulling us upwards, I grabbed hold of the attendant and would not let go. He had to pry my fingers off his arm. In the video you can hear me screaming the entire time we were being raised which felt like forever. The second my sister pulled the rip cord -- silence. It was exhilarating, terrifying, enlightening.
It's like watching a scary movie. I hate them but I love to watch them. It's the kind of fear that draws you in.
I spent our last evening in CDA with my husband and 2 other friends. We ate a lot, and drank a little and somewhere along the way we decided we were going to go swimming. And then our friend who is local to CDA suggested cliff jumping. I was all in. Leading the way down the trail. Let's do this. And then I stepped out onto the edge of the rock.... and absolutely froze.
I stood at the top for what felt like an eternity, my heart racing. I went through a lot of thoughts but finally settled on "the water is my home, it will catch me." And I jumped. So glad I did. All worthwhile ventures take a leap of faith.
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| The moment I jumped. #findingaloha |
Lastly I wanted to share an article written by my coach. You can find it by clicking HERE. The article is titled "Top 5 Defining Characteristics of our Kona Team". She is referring to Team HPB, which is the group of athletes coached by Hillary, Alyssa, and two other very talented professionals. This year we have 10 athletes (out of about 40) who qualified and will be racing the Ironman World Championships. I could not be more proud to be on this team of dedicated, hard working individuals and am so excited to represent in Hawaii. I hope that some of these characteristics are evident in my daily pursuit of #findingkona.
Thursday, August 4, 2016
More on Meal Planning: Finding Aloha in Food Freedom!
I have had so many people ask me about my diet and meal plan since my blog on the subject, I thought it would be fun to sort of update where things are now. I cannot even tell you how many people have confessed to similar issues that I was dealing with-- sheer lack of time-- and desperately want help!
I have been working with Katie of Own Nutrition now for 6 months. Still the best decision I ever made. I highly recommend it.
My week looks like this as far as prep:
I usually try to print out my weekly plan before Sunday so that I can make my grocery list as concise as possible. Each week I receive a daily plan, recipes and a shopping list with EVERYTHING I need for the week. (This is awesome, btw!) I double check that I have all the spices I need, rice, quinoa, black beans, etc. In the beginning I was buying pretty much everything on the list. Now, my pantry is fairly well stocked so I mostly shop for produce and fresh meat/ fish.
Sunday: I usually shop in the afternoon. This takes about 45 minutes of my time MAX. And that's if Sprouts is really crowded. I'd say on average I'm spending about 30 minutes, but I do love to dilly dally once I'm in there.
I try to buy as much organic as I possibly can, and then non-GMO on top of that. Sprouts (which is a small chain-- similar to Whole Foods but without the price tag) has a really great selection of organic options. I realize organic and non-GMO are controversial topics, but it's important to me so I'm sticking it out.
Sunday afternoon I spend about 2-3 hours meal prepping. This includes:
1. Grilling. I preheat the grill, prep all the meat/ seafood for the first half of the week (Sunday pm- Thursday afternoon) and then grill in batches. I make enough for my meals as well as whatever my husband is going to take to work. For me this might be a salmon fillet (usually enough for 2-3 meals), beef (usually filet- approx 2 servings) and sometimes pork. Whatever I'm not eating on Sunday night gets cut up and stored for the BIG ASS SALADS that I eat throughout the week. I invested in some nice glass tupperware so there's no odor when I store salmon in the fridge for a day or two.
I used to be really intimidated by the grill. But eventually I got tired of always needing my husband around to light it that I learned to do it myself. It's not complicated. And a few weeks ago I took a poll, thinking there were other women (like me) who were on the timid side, but as it turned out ALL my girlfriends are the grill-masters in their homes!
2. Rice/ quinoa. I make a big batch of brown rice and a batch of quinoa that we can both eat from for the week. I highly recommend a rice cooker. I received this one as a gift... it is life changing.
If I want to, I can set a timer and tell it when I want my rice to be done cooking. It basically does everything except clean itself when it's done-- and that requires very little effort on my part. Here's another tip-- you can buy rice and quinoa frozen. Yep, already cooked, in the freezer section. So if, for example, I'm traveling and won't have Sunday to prep, I can buy frozen rice and still have quick assembly for meals. *BOOM*
3. Chopping. I buy most of my greens already chopped and washed. It's easy to find organic spinach, kale, arugula, etc already washed and ready to go. I chop any veggies that are going into my salads (cucumber, peppers, etc) and portion out my salads into large (5 cup capacity) tupperware containers.
4. Boiling. I typically hard boil a dozen eggs on Sunday evening. When I need scrambled eggs I just microwave raw eggs (usually at work) when I am ready to eat them.
5. Packaging. Each evening, starting on Sunday, I look at the next day's menu and get everything lined up in the fridge. That way in the morning when I'm packing my lunchbox I can just grab and go.
Summer is my travel season which throws in some extra challenges with meal planning but Katie has provided plenty of resources on how to eat well in a restaurant setting. I can look at my plan, get an idea of macronutrients and compare with options on the menu. I recently traveled with a friend who is also working with Katie, and twice we ordered the same dinner!
I'm in the final build before the first Ironman of the season so my nutrition is being put to the test on a daily basis. I am happy to report that I am feeling good, recovering quickly, and know that in 9 weeks (and 2 days!) my consistency in diet for 9 months is going to be evident when it counts!
I have been working with Katie of Own Nutrition now for 6 months. Still the best decision I ever made. I highly recommend it.
My week looks like this as far as prep:
I usually try to print out my weekly plan before Sunday so that I can make my grocery list as concise as possible. Each week I receive a daily plan, recipes and a shopping list with EVERYTHING I need for the week. (This is awesome, btw!) I double check that I have all the spices I need, rice, quinoa, black beans, etc. In the beginning I was buying pretty much everything on the list. Now, my pantry is fairly well stocked so I mostly shop for produce and fresh meat/ fish.
Sunday: I usually shop in the afternoon. This takes about 45 minutes of my time MAX. And that's if Sprouts is really crowded. I'd say on average I'm spending about 30 minutes, but I do love to dilly dally once I'm in there.
I try to buy as much organic as I possibly can, and then non-GMO on top of that. Sprouts (which is a small chain-- similar to Whole Foods but without the price tag) has a really great selection of organic options. I realize organic and non-GMO are controversial topics, but it's important to me so I'm sticking it out.
Sunday afternoon I spend about 2-3 hours meal prepping. This includes:
1. Grilling. I preheat the grill, prep all the meat/ seafood for the first half of the week (Sunday pm- Thursday afternoon) and then grill in batches. I make enough for my meals as well as whatever my husband is going to take to work. For me this might be a salmon fillet (usually enough for 2-3 meals), beef (usually filet- approx 2 servings) and sometimes pork. Whatever I'm not eating on Sunday night gets cut up and stored for the BIG ASS SALADS that I eat throughout the week. I invested in some nice glass tupperware so there's no odor when I store salmon in the fridge for a day or two.
I used to be really intimidated by the grill. But eventually I got tired of always needing my husband around to light it that I learned to do it myself. It's not complicated. And a few weeks ago I took a poll, thinking there were other women (like me) who were on the timid side, but as it turned out ALL my girlfriends are the grill-masters in their homes!
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| Shrimp and pork chops (on the barbie!). |
2. Rice/ quinoa. I make a big batch of brown rice and a batch of quinoa that we can both eat from for the week. I highly recommend a rice cooker. I received this one as a gift... it is life changing.
 |
| Must have!! Rice cooker to the rescue. |
If I want to, I can set a timer and tell it when I want my rice to be done cooking. It basically does everything except clean itself when it's done-- and that requires very little effort on my part. Here's another tip-- you can buy rice and quinoa frozen. Yep, already cooked, in the freezer section. So if, for example, I'm traveling and won't have Sunday to prep, I can buy frozen rice and still have quick assembly for meals. *BOOM*
3. Chopping. I buy most of my greens already chopped and washed. It's easy to find organic spinach, kale, arugula, etc already washed and ready to go. I chop any veggies that are going into my salads (cucumber, peppers, etc) and portion out my salads into large (5 cup capacity) tupperware containers.
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| Grilled mango with jalapeno crema, pork and avocado. |
4. Boiling. I typically hard boil a dozen eggs on Sunday evening. When I need scrambled eggs I just microwave raw eggs (usually at work) when I am ready to eat them.
5. Packaging. Each evening, starting on Sunday, I look at the next day's menu and get everything lined up in the fridge. That way in the morning when I'm packing my lunchbox I can just grab and go.
 |
| Grilled shrimp with a summer salad and avocado dressing. |
Summer is my travel season which throws in some extra challenges with meal planning but Katie has provided plenty of resources on how to eat well in a restaurant setting. I can look at my plan, get an idea of macronutrients and compare with options on the menu. I recently traveled with a friend who is also working with Katie, and twice we ordered the same dinner!
I'm in the final build before the first Ironman of the season so my nutrition is being put to the test on a daily basis. I am happy to report that I am feeling good, recovering quickly, and know that in 9 weeks (and 2 days!) my consistency in diet for 9 months is going to be evident when it counts!
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Finding Kona: A Day in the Life
Someone recently suggested I write about a typical day/ week and what that looks like. I thought it sounded fun but rather than do a whole week right now, I thought I'd throw in a day here and there as I build for Hawaii. I have some fun adventures planned for 2017 where I think a "week in the life" would be more interesting.
With my work schedule I work 4 longer days each week. I work Wednesday- Saturday, have Sunday off, then work Monday through Thursday and have 5 days off. That 2 week cycle repeats indefinitely. So here's my Monday July 11, a typical "work" day:
4:22 am: Alarm goes off.
Completely random time, I know, but 2 nights ago when I set my alarm I overshot 4:15 am and was too lazy/ tired to forward through the minutes again to hit my intended target. I've been awake for somewhere between 30-45 minutes. I often wake before my alarm goes off. Sometimes I can tell it's still the middle of the night and I am still sleepy, just woken up by my need to pee. Other times, like today, I can tell that I've finished my sleep cycle and it's time to get up. My alarm clock is covered because the light bothers me at night, so I lift the veil to reveal that it is, in fact, 4 am. I lay in bed resting until 4:22. I've gotten roughly 8 hours of sleep as I was in bed by 8 pm last night. 8 hours is my comfort zone. I would love 9-9.5 (THAT is in infrequent luxury!). Less than 8 multiple days in a week and I'm struggling big time.
4:22 am- 4:48 am: Getting ready for training.
On average if I am swimming or running it takes me 30 minutes to get out the door from the time I get up. If I am biking, it's more like 45 minutes. Sometimes an hour if I have to pack my car to drive somewhere to bike. Today, knowing I am a little behind my intended 4:15 am wake-up, I am spurred to pick up a few minutes. I'm driving to Lifetime Fitness for my workouts and then will be at work until 8 pm so I am packing for the whole day. I make my breakfast (a Van's GF waffle with Justin's Almond Butter) while packing my lunchbox and somehow managed to carry all 6 bags to the car in one load. I'm pulling out of the driveway at 4:48 am.
5:10 am: Death by Treadmill
First workout today is an hour progression run on the treadmill. Traffic was light in the pre-dawn drive and so I'm on the treadmill early which makes me happy and lowers my stress level a little. This particular workout is pretty tough for me so I like to have 10 minutes to just walk on the treadmill afterwards to cool down. I make it through the first 40 minutes listening to a podcast. As I crank up the pace the final time, I'm having a hard time processing the words and my body is protesting, my mind begging me to jump off the belt for a quick rest. Instead of giving in, I grab my iPod, which is conveniently preset to repeat my 3 favorite Eminem songs, and switch out my ear buds, all without breaking my stride. In my head I'm singing (rapping?) along with Eminem and the minutes tick by. At one hour, I slow the pace and walk, relieved to have survived. I drink a bottle of water with 2 scoops of Tailwind during my run. I don't always use electrolytes but I've been noticing lately with harder workouts that I'm more depleted and feel kinda crappy so I've been supplementing and it's helping a ton.
6:20 am: Shower number 1.
I have to go to a breakfast meeting in between my run and swim so I jump in the shower quick. I change into my suit and throw some run clothes over the top. I leave everything else in my locker knowing I'll be back in 2 hours to finish up.
6:30 am- 7 am: Drive to breakfast.
I make a quick stop at Cadence Running Company on my way to breakfast. I've got to pick up a stack of bills that are due, check my major accounts, and grab the files needed to get everything in order for the week. I'm last to arrive at breakfast (which is rare!) but it's just 7 am when I arrive.
7 am- 8:45 am: Downtown Chandler Cafe.
The doctors at my hospital meet once a month to discuss, well everything, so I won't bore you with details. Breakfast on my meal plan today was a breakfast sandwich with tomato, avocado, eggs, spinach. I made due with a Florentine Eggs Benedict, minus the hollandaise sauce and with fruit instead of potatoes. And coffee of course. Lots of coffee.
8:48 am: Drive back to Lifetime Fitness.
By 8:30 am, I'm looking at my watch and getting jumpy. At 8:45 things are wrapping up and I'm standing, ready to bolt out the door. Three minutes later, it appears as though we're finished and I book it out the door.
9:05 am: Swim.
I'm poolside just after 9 am and ready to jump in. After the run and the breakfast I'm feeling pretty lethargic. Today's 3k straight swim doesn't give my mind any distraction either. Sometimes intervals are easier to bust out than 45 minutes of just mindless swimming.
9:55 am: Shower number 2.
Workouts done for the day. I pack up my crap and head to work a little early. I will have time to get my bills from Cadence organized and paid before I start my work day.
11 am- 8 pm: Work.
I'll be honest, I'm just not in a great mood today. My allergies have been bad the last few days and I don't feel great. I'm tired and I hate working closing shift because I'm normally asleep by 8 pm. I feel pretty useless in general past about 4 pm, but we all share duties and I'm lucky enough to have only one closing shift for every 2 weeks. Tonight is cat night, so I'm looking forward to seeing only cats in the last few hours. The morning is gone, and the afternoon seems to drag.
Things I eat during this time frame:
Greek yogurt with kiwi, raspberries, and granola.
Banana and a hard boiled egg.
Big-Ass Salad with spinach, romaine, lentils, quinoa, avocado, hard boiled egg and a drizzle of evoo. I forgot my tomatoes at home. My salad could have used them.
Apple with almond butter.
2 bites of a cinnamon roll left over from our breakfast meeting.
Sushi roll (something with spicy tuna) delivered by one of my colleagues.
8 pm: Drive home.
Some nights I'm so tired I don't remember driving home. I used to use my drive home to visualize my upcoming race. I did that for 6 months straight leading up to IMAZ 2014 and when race day arrived I executed the race without even thinking. I had rehearsed it so many times in my head that everything was routine. It was pretty amazing to me. Last year I was too stressed out and couldn't focus so there was no visualization practice. If nothing else, it was a nice routine to destress after my day, and I always think about restarting.
8:20 pm: Getting ready for bed.
The hubs is sitting outside when I pull into the driveway. He helps me unload the car. I unpack my lunch boxes while drinking a Nocturne shake. It's late and I don't want to fix dinner, I just want to go to bed. So the nighttime shake gives me a little calories boost so I don't wake up starving in the middle of the night (you know this feeling from after Ironman, right?). Plus it has tryptophan in it which helps me fall asleep without my usual de-stress time in the evening. I can't do benadryl or melatonin, so this is a nice alternative when I don't want to lie awake for an hour thinking about work. I'm asleep before 9 pm.
With my work schedule I work 4 longer days each week. I work Wednesday- Saturday, have Sunday off, then work Monday through Thursday and have 5 days off. That 2 week cycle repeats indefinitely. So here's my Monday July 11, a typical "work" day:
4:22 am: Alarm goes off.
Completely random time, I know, but 2 nights ago when I set my alarm I overshot 4:15 am and was too lazy/ tired to forward through the minutes again to hit my intended target. I've been awake for somewhere between 30-45 minutes. I often wake before my alarm goes off. Sometimes I can tell it's still the middle of the night and I am still sleepy, just woken up by my need to pee. Other times, like today, I can tell that I've finished my sleep cycle and it's time to get up. My alarm clock is covered because the light bothers me at night, so I lift the veil to reveal that it is, in fact, 4 am. I lay in bed resting until 4:22. I've gotten roughly 8 hours of sleep as I was in bed by 8 pm last night. 8 hours is my comfort zone. I would love 9-9.5 (THAT is in infrequent luxury!). Less than 8 multiple days in a week and I'm struggling big time.
4:22 am- 4:48 am: Getting ready for training.
On average if I am swimming or running it takes me 30 minutes to get out the door from the time I get up. If I am biking, it's more like 45 minutes. Sometimes an hour if I have to pack my car to drive somewhere to bike. Today, knowing I am a little behind my intended 4:15 am wake-up, I am spurred to pick up a few minutes. I'm driving to Lifetime Fitness for my workouts and then will be at work until 8 pm so I am packing for the whole day. I make my breakfast (a Van's GF waffle with Justin's Almond Butter) while packing my lunchbox and somehow managed to carry all 6 bags to the car in one load. I'm pulling out of the driveway at 4:48 am.
5:10 am: Death by Treadmill
First workout today is an hour progression run on the treadmill. Traffic was light in the pre-dawn drive and so I'm on the treadmill early which makes me happy and lowers my stress level a little. This particular workout is pretty tough for me so I like to have 10 minutes to just walk on the treadmill afterwards to cool down. I make it through the first 40 minutes listening to a podcast. As I crank up the pace the final time, I'm having a hard time processing the words and my body is protesting, my mind begging me to jump off the belt for a quick rest. Instead of giving in, I grab my iPod, which is conveniently preset to repeat my 3 favorite Eminem songs, and switch out my ear buds, all without breaking my stride. In my head I'm singing (rapping?) along with Eminem and the minutes tick by. At one hour, I slow the pace and walk, relieved to have survived. I drink a bottle of water with 2 scoops of Tailwind during my run. I don't always use electrolytes but I've been noticing lately with harder workouts that I'm more depleted and feel kinda crappy so I've been supplementing and it's helping a ton.
6:20 am: Shower number 1.
I have to go to a breakfast meeting in between my run and swim so I jump in the shower quick. I change into my suit and throw some run clothes over the top. I leave everything else in my locker knowing I'll be back in 2 hours to finish up.
6:30 am- 7 am: Drive to breakfast.
I make a quick stop at Cadence Running Company on my way to breakfast. I've got to pick up a stack of bills that are due, check my major accounts, and grab the files needed to get everything in order for the week. I'm last to arrive at breakfast (which is rare!) but it's just 7 am when I arrive.
7 am- 8:45 am: Downtown Chandler Cafe.
The doctors at my hospital meet once a month to discuss, well everything, so I won't bore you with details. Breakfast on my meal plan today was a breakfast sandwich with tomato, avocado, eggs, spinach. I made due with a Florentine Eggs Benedict, minus the hollandaise sauce and with fruit instead of potatoes. And coffee of course. Lots of coffee.
8:48 am: Drive back to Lifetime Fitness.
By 8:30 am, I'm looking at my watch and getting jumpy. At 8:45 things are wrapping up and I'm standing, ready to bolt out the door. Three minutes later, it appears as though we're finished and I book it out the door.
9:05 am: Swim.
I'm poolside just after 9 am and ready to jump in. After the run and the breakfast I'm feeling pretty lethargic. Today's 3k straight swim doesn't give my mind any distraction either. Sometimes intervals are easier to bust out than 45 minutes of just mindless swimming.
9:55 am: Shower number 2.
Workouts done for the day. I pack up my crap and head to work a little early. I will have time to get my bills from Cadence organized and paid before I start my work day.
11 am- 8 pm: Work.
I'll be honest, I'm just not in a great mood today. My allergies have been bad the last few days and I don't feel great. I'm tired and I hate working closing shift because I'm normally asleep by 8 pm. I feel pretty useless in general past about 4 pm, but we all share duties and I'm lucky enough to have only one closing shift for every 2 weeks. Tonight is cat night, so I'm looking forward to seeing only cats in the last few hours. The morning is gone, and the afternoon seems to drag.
Things I eat during this time frame:
Greek yogurt with kiwi, raspberries, and granola.
Banana and a hard boiled egg.
Big-Ass Salad with spinach, romaine, lentils, quinoa, avocado, hard boiled egg and a drizzle of evoo. I forgot my tomatoes at home. My salad could have used them.
Apple with almond butter.
2 bites of a cinnamon roll left over from our breakfast meeting.
Sushi roll (something with spicy tuna) delivered by one of my colleagues.
8 pm: Drive home.
Some nights I'm so tired I don't remember driving home. I used to use my drive home to visualize my upcoming race. I did that for 6 months straight leading up to IMAZ 2014 and when race day arrived I executed the race without even thinking. I had rehearsed it so many times in my head that everything was routine. It was pretty amazing to me. Last year I was too stressed out and couldn't focus so there was no visualization practice. If nothing else, it was a nice routine to destress after my day, and I always think about restarting.
8:20 pm: Getting ready for bed.
The hubs is sitting outside when I pull into the driveway. He helps me unload the car. I unpack my lunch boxes while drinking a Nocturne shake. It's late and I don't want to fix dinner, I just want to go to bed. So the nighttime shake gives me a little calories boost so I don't wake up starving in the middle of the night (you know this feeling from after Ironman, right?). Plus it has tryptophan in it which helps me fall asleep without my usual de-stress time in the evening. I can't do benadryl or melatonin, so this is a nice alternative when I don't want to lie awake for an hour thinking about work. I'm asleep before 9 pm.
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Food for Thought: Finding Aloha in Meal Planning
You've probably heard the phrase "you can't out-train a poor diet." Well, I have a confession. I've been the poster child for "poor diet" for the last couple of years.
Here are the facts:
1. I love to cook. Love. There is nothing better than taking a bunch of ingredients and making something fantastic to feed to family and friends. Food is love, after all. I used to spend hours poring over cookbooks looking for something new to try. At least one new recipe each week. Sometimes more. Not everything I made was great. Not everything I made was edible. But everything I tried was an adventure.
2. I haven't seen my kitchen in... well, years. (sad face). I am often gone from my house by 430 am, arriving home sometime around 7 pm, and fall into bed by 8 pm. That gives me roughly 60 minutes to eat, unwind, and get my shit together for the following day (rinsing water bottles, laundry (ha! j/k), bags packed, etc). Sadly, my schedule had gotten so out of hand that I was literally eating from a drive-thru two meals a day, and then eating a bowl of cereal for dinner at night. Snacking on anything I could get my hands on in the break room in between meals. Totally not kidding. And totally not cool. So not cool.
3. I have had conflicting feelings about how and what I eat. I love the idea of a plant based diet but in practice, right now, it feels overwhelming, and condescending. I know, right? How can food be condescending? Several years ago I committed myself to eating plant based (vegan) for 30 days. I was very strict for this 30 days and you know what? I felt fantastic. (This was also back when I had time to cook). I told people I wasn't doing it for "political" reasons, I just wanted to see how my health might change by eating plant based. After that 30 days, I followed a "less religious" plant based diet. Meaning I wasn't "that guy" when I went to eat with family or friends. I didn't turn down an invitation to a holiday meal with friends. And I didn't beat myself up if I ate a piece of bacon or sushi.
Somewhere along the way, I stopped having time to prepare food and so I was driving through Taco Bell for a bean burrito, cause there's no meat in that. Or grabbing a veggie pizza from the place down the street. We joked about how much pizza I was consuming, but it truly was 5-6 times a week. Often 3 meals in a row. Ultimately, my brain tied my lack of being vegan and my poor diet together, and I stressed about it even more. I felt horrible because I was eating crappy food. And even more horrible because sometimes it was In N Out Burger. *gasp* The horror of it all!
I would still go grocery shopping once a week. And out of guilt and a feeling of obligation I would buy fruits and vegetables which inevitably got thrown out at the end of their life span- untouched. I felt worse wasting food and throwing so much away. The smell of rotting produce in my fridge shamed me every time I reached inside.
I tried a couple of meal delivery services. What I found was that the portion sizes were much smaller than I would normally consume and sometimes I just didn't like the food that was delivered. Some people can choke down something they don't like because it's good for them or they paid for it. This is not me. So this wasn't a realistic long term solution for me.
During my training for Arizona, I listened to a podcast during which my coach talked about her transition to a plant based diet. She said that she did it abruptly and her training did suffer the effects of "trial and error" because it wasn't necessarily the healthy plant based diet that she follows now. In the podcast she speculated that for someone to switch to a vegan diet there would be an adjustment period, potentially up to a couple of years, while said person was figuring out how to eat the right amount and types of nutrients. When I heard this it was kind of an epiphany. I had been putting a lot of pressure on myself and this helped me to realize that what I was feeling was probably pretty normal. At that time I started to think about other options for cleaning up my diet.
I had already decided I needed to address my diet last fall as the next step in the process of #findingkona when I qualified for Hawaii in November. At that time I had nailed down my race nutrition strategy but my daily diet was still a disaster. A friend of mine had worked with a dietitian last year during her preparation for Kona and gave me a referral. I held off on contacting her because she is not based in Arizona and everything would be done online or via phone consult, and I wasn't sure how this would work.
I sat down with a couple of nutritionists locally last fall to talk about what I needed. I got a similar response from each which was something along the lines of, I don't write meal plans, I am going to teach you how to eat properly. *sigh* I know how to eat healthy. I just don't do it because I lack time to plan to eat healthy. I almost signed on because my preference in life is to support local. But in the end, I went with what was going to be best for me and I called Katie of OWN Nutrition.
Over the course of a couple phone calls and email correspondence I gave her my deal breakers. I don't have time to "cook". I want someone to tell me exactly what to eat (and when?!) and it needs to be assembly only. And I don't eat poultry. Ever. I breathed a sigh of relief when Katie was excited to help me and encouraged me in the process. She assured me that after a few months, I WOULD learn what my body needed, but for now she would handle the thinking part of it.
My first meal plan arrived in my inbox. 7 days, with detailed meals and snacks. A shopping list (hallelujah!). "Recipes" for any meals that required some assembly. And a handout on portion sizes. OK, I admit, I didn't print out the portion sizes handout.
My first trip to the grocery store was a little bit overwhelming. I was still learning and hadn't yet compiled a concise list so I was running back and forth between different departments as I read down my list for the week. I have since learned and now spend 10 minutes making a list for produce, meat, frozen goods, dry goods, etc. Now I can be in and out in 30 minutes.
Week 1 I had something on my plan called the "side salad". When I set out to prep my side salad I was shocked to find it was anything but a "side"! 4-5 cups of greens (spinach, arugula and romaine), with tomatoes, almonds, and protein (some days this was salmon, others it was beans and quinoa).
Most of my assembly is done on Sundays and Thursdays when I have an hour in the evening to prepare meals. I prepackage my lunch and dinner for the week, including all snacks. Once or twice a week I'll throw all my protein on the grill. I'll have a big salmon filet going on one burner, and a couple of filets on another. And my husband (who is not following my meal plan) let's me grill up some pork or chicken for him along with a big batch of quinoa once a week so that he's not scrambling for healthy options either. And every once in a while, he'll eye something that I'm eating and offer to share it with me. Among our favorite is an avocado-tomato-cilantro salad (with protein of choice on top!) It has been no trouble at all to transition to this meal plan.
I'm past the 30 day mark now and I'm as happy as the day I hired Hillary to coach me. I have eaten more vegetables in the last month than I have in the last 2 years combined. I have more energy. More stable energy-- no spiking and bottoming out in the middle of the day. I have been trying things I've never made before. Pork carnitas in a crock pot for example. Everything is super simple, but tasty and satisfying.
And the best part is, I don't find myself craving sugar all the time. I find myself content with what I've eaten, and when I do get hungry, instead of ravaging the junk food pile at work or at home I find myself looking for something more satisfying. Yogurt and berries is a big favorite. Apples with peanut butter. Trail mix (homemade!). I'm not a dietitian, but from my observation my diet is chock full of vegetables, protein and good fats. Lots of fats. I think moving away from 95% carbs has helped a lot in the reduction of cravings and blood sugar spikes.
Once a week I have a phone consultation with Katie. And if I email or text her with a question I usually hear back within a couple of hours. She has helped me to realize that being ravenous on Monday means that I'm not fueling and re-fueling on Sunday appropriately after my long day. We made a few adjustments and I no longer wake up hungry, and Monday is just like every other day of the week-- steady energy intake and output. It is nothing short of amazing!
I think someday I would like to try moving more permanently to a plant based diet, but for now, I am eating healthy and feeling great. Even my stress level has improved dramatically. I don't know if it's all the good fats allowing my brain to function appropriately, or just the fact that I'm not eating drive thru meals 10 times a week. I still eat pizza. Just not every day. And I still eat sweets. Just not every day. I'm eating slower and finding pleasure in food again.
Food is love, and I'm definitely on the road to being happier with myself and how I'm treating myself. And this move is central to my theme of #findingaloha in 2016. Love my food, love myself.
Here are the facts:
1. I love to cook. Love. There is nothing better than taking a bunch of ingredients and making something fantastic to feed to family and friends. Food is love, after all. I used to spend hours poring over cookbooks looking for something new to try. At least one new recipe each week. Sometimes more. Not everything I made was great. Not everything I made was edible. But everything I tried was an adventure.
2. I haven't seen my kitchen in... well, years. (sad face). I am often gone from my house by 430 am, arriving home sometime around 7 pm, and fall into bed by 8 pm. That gives me roughly 60 minutes to eat, unwind, and get my shit together for the following day (rinsing water bottles, laundry (ha! j/k), bags packed, etc). Sadly, my schedule had gotten so out of hand that I was literally eating from a drive-thru two meals a day, and then eating a bowl of cereal for dinner at night. Snacking on anything I could get my hands on in the break room in between meals. Totally not kidding. And totally not cool. So not cool.
3. I have had conflicting feelings about how and what I eat. I love the idea of a plant based diet but in practice, right now, it feels overwhelming, and condescending. I know, right? How can food be condescending? Several years ago I committed myself to eating plant based (vegan) for 30 days. I was very strict for this 30 days and you know what? I felt fantastic. (This was also back when I had time to cook). I told people I wasn't doing it for "political" reasons, I just wanted to see how my health might change by eating plant based. After that 30 days, I followed a "less religious" plant based diet. Meaning I wasn't "that guy" when I went to eat with family or friends. I didn't turn down an invitation to a holiday meal with friends. And I didn't beat myself up if I ate a piece of bacon or sushi.
Somewhere along the way, I stopped having time to prepare food and so I was driving through Taco Bell for a bean burrito, cause there's no meat in that. Or grabbing a veggie pizza from the place down the street. We joked about how much pizza I was consuming, but it truly was 5-6 times a week. Often 3 meals in a row. Ultimately, my brain tied my lack of being vegan and my poor diet together, and I stressed about it even more. I felt horrible because I was eating crappy food. And even more horrible because sometimes it was In N Out Burger. *gasp* The horror of it all!
I would still go grocery shopping once a week. And out of guilt and a feeling of obligation I would buy fruits and vegetables which inevitably got thrown out at the end of their life span- untouched. I felt worse wasting food and throwing so much away. The smell of rotting produce in my fridge shamed me every time I reached inside.
I tried a couple of meal delivery services. What I found was that the portion sizes were much smaller than I would normally consume and sometimes I just didn't like the food that was delivered. Some people can choke down something they don't like because it's good for them or they paid for it. This is not me. So this wasn't a realistic long term solution for me.
During my training for Arizona, I listened to a podcast during which my coach talked about her transition to a plant based diet. She said that she did it abruptly and her training did suffer the effects of "trial and error" because it wasn't necessarily the healthy plant based diet that she follows now. In the podcast she speculated that for someone to switch to a vegan diet there would be an adjustment period, potentially up to a couple of years, while said person was figuring out how to eat the right amount and types of nutrients. When I heard this it was kind of an epiphany. I had been putting a lot of pressure on myself and this helped me to realize that what I was feeling was probably pretty normal. At that time I started to think about other options for cleaning up my diet.
I had already decided I needed to address my diet last fall as the next step in the process of #findingkona when I qualified for Hawaii in November. At that time I had nailed down my race nutrition strategy but my daily diet was still a disaster. A friend of mine had worked with a dietitian last year during her preparation for Kona and gave me a referral. I held off on contacting her because she is not based in Arizona and everything would be done online or via phone consult, and I wasn't sure how this would work.
I sat down with a couple of nutritionists locally last fall to talk about what I needed. I got a similar response from each which was something along the lines of, I don't write meal plans, I am going to teach you how to eat properly. *sigh* I know how to eat healthy. I just don't do it because I lack time to plan to eat healthy. I almost signed on because my preference in life is to support local. But in the end, I went with what was going to be best for me and I called Katie of OWN Nutrition.
Over the course of a couple phone calls and email correspondence I gave her my deal breakers. I don't have time to "cook". I want someone to tell me exactly what to eat (and when?!) and it needs to be assembly only. And I don't eat poultry. Ever. I breathed a sigh of relief when Katie was excited to help me and encouraged me in the process. She assured me that after a few months, I WOULD learn what my body needed, but for now she would handle the thinking part of it.
 |
| Boiled eggs: 10 min prep. A week's worth of snacks. |
My first meal plan arrived in my inbox. 7 days, with detailed meals and snacks. A shopping list (hallelujah!). "Recipes" for any meals that required some assembly. And a handout on portion sizes. OK, I admit, I didn't print out the portion sizes handout.
My first trip to the grocery store was a little bit overwhelming. I was still learning and hadn't yet compiled a concise list so I was running back and forth between different departments as I read down my list for the week. I have since learned and now spend 10 minutes making a list for produce, meat, frozen goods, dry goods, etc. Now I can be in and out in 30 minutes.
Week 1 I had something on my plan called the "side salad". When I set out to prep my side salad I was shocked to find it was anything but a "side"! 4-5 cups of greens (spinach, arugula and romaine), with tomatoes, almonds, and protein (some days this was salmon, others it was beans and quinoa).
 |
| Peppers and zucchini wrapped in strip steak with sauteed spinach. |
Most of my assembly is done on Sundays and Thursdays when I have an hour in the evening to prepare meals. I prepackage my lunch and dinner for the week, including all snacks. Once or twice a week I'll throw all my protein on the grill. I'll have a big salmon filet going on one burner, and a couple of filets on another. And my husband (who is not following my meal plan) let's me grill up some pork or chicken for him along with a big batch of quinoa once a week so that he's not scrambling for healthy options either. And every once in a while, he'll eye something that I'm eating and offer to share it with me. Among our favorite is an avocado-tomato-cilantro salad (with protein of choice on top!) It has been no trouble at all to transition to this meal plan.
I'm past the 30 day mark now and I'm as happy as the day I hired Hillary to coach me. I have eaten more vegetables in the last month than I have in the last 2 years combined. I have more energy. More stable energy-- no spiking and bottoming out in the middle of the day. I have been trying things I've never made before. Pork carnitas in a crock pot for example. Everything is super simple, but tasty and satisfying.
 |
| Carnitas!! In the crock pot!! Prep time: 10 minutes. *Boom* |
 |
| Big ol' salad! This is my mainstay! |
Once a week I have a phone consultation with Katie. And if I email or text her with a question I usually hear back within a couple of hours. She has helped me to realize that being ravenous on Monday means that I'm not fueling and re-fueling on Sunday appropriately after my long day. We made a few adjustments and I no longer wake up hungry, and Monday is just like every other day of the week-- steady energy intake and output. It is nothing short of amazing!
I think someday I would like to try moving more permanently to a plant based diet, but for now, I am eating healthy and feeling great. Even my stress level has improved dramatically. I don't know if it's all the good fats allowing my brain to function appropriately, or just the fact that I'm not eating drive thru meals 10 times a week. I still eat pizza. Just not every day. And I still eat sweets. Just not every day. I'm eating slower and finding pleasure in food again.
Food is love, and I'm definitely on the road to being happier with myself and how I'm treating myself. And this move is central to my theme of #findingaloha in 2016. Love my food, love myself.
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