Kate and I had plenty of time to chat over the past 4 days. With Kate doing a 70.3 next weekend in Lake Stevens and then IMKY in August, I was entertaining her with plenty of nutrition strategy's for her races. I know she will do great despite the hot weather in Kentucky and based on this past weekend, she will rock the 70.3 bike course. I told her I'd give her 100 meters of my swim skills if she would give me 3 min. on a sprint bike course. It was a deal :)
Well, after talking Ironman for at least 2 hours on sunday I knew that something has been missing in my life. I wasn't missing IM after I was learning how to walk again after Kona but ever since I've been able to run and feel strong during a race, I have been getting the IM vibe. Obviously, school is my number one concern right now. Not only is it taking a lot of time but also money. Karel always reminds me that our sports are part of our lives and that is what we do. We aren't professionals by any means but we love punishing our bodies and calling it "training". We also love the process of training and seeing it all come together at a race. Not all races are perfect but we keep coming back for more training so that we can get stronger and faster.
After thinking about the possible IM races that I can afford (meaning, minimal travel) I thought that I could give a try at IMKY next August. Of course being in my homestate of Kentucky and living 21 years in lexington, it would be great to see all my old friends and see some familiar roads. I am 80% sure I am going to sign up for IMKY in hopes of racing the best I can and having a fun race.
After making my 80% decision to sign up for IMKY I told Karel as Kate, Karel and I were eating dinner last night. I didn't come right out and say "Karel, I'm going to sign up for IMKY" but rather, I said "karel, I am thinking about signing up for IMKY. What do you think?"
For anyone who has done an IM or has known someone who has done an IM, it is not an individual race. Although there are many months of lonely training rides, runs and swims there must be support of friends and family. The decision of an IM is one that is made among many people and everyone must be on board. Your children, your parents, your wives/husbands, your boyfriends/girlfriends, your close friends, your siblings, your employees, your boss, your teachers and/or your coach. Today, I called my mom and told her about my 80% decision. Both my mom and Karel were on board with my decision but just like IM #1 (IMFL) and IM #2 (Kona) an Ironman takes a lot of time and energy. Your loved ones must support you when you are heading out for a 6 hour workout, encourage you when you think you can't make it until taper and most of all, understand (and put up with) all the emotions that come with training for an IM.
The decision for an IM is much like jumping into a new nutrition plan.
This weekend Kate had the chance to observe a weekend of eating like Marni...and she survived!!! Seriously, I'm totally normal and I even eat white bread, ice cream and sports bars and I snack after 8pm. Although I think some of my food choices and eating habits are weird, I think we are all weird in some way. However, Kate and I shopped at Publix together for yummy food (PB, raisins, bananas, nuts, yogurt, pita bread and oatmeal) and we ate out together. Sometimes kate would be hungry and I would be fine and other times I would be snacking on nuts and Kate would be napping. We eat different amounts but we both enjoyed eating and being together. We both have different eating habits but we had healthy food at all times.
Kate brought up a great point this weekend. She said that she ate so clean all weekend and didn't really crave the typical foods she eats around a race like a coke or greasy foods after a race. Of course we all love a nice piece of pizza or something sweet after a race but Kate admitted that she felt so good going into the race eating so well. She wasn't stuffed from eating too much and we were both surprised that we didn't really eat a lot. Just enough to stay satisfied and we didn't really "snack mindlessly" or overeat.
This got me thinking that an Ironman and healthy eating are much alike. Do you ever start a new nutrition plan and not tell anyone? I guess it seems silly that you would tell everyone you know that you are cleaning up your diet and attempting to lose weight or just eat more health. You are ready to make the new changes to clean up the diet but friends and family provide food which you probably shouldn't eat on a daily basis. And even if you know it is 2pm and you just ate lunch, available foods should not be left uneaten in the house or at work. It isn't your problem that if food is around, you WILL eat it. Discipline and will-power only work so long until the brain chemicals in the body begin to overpower any sense of your inner strength to avoid chips, sodas, sweets, etc....or for me...BREAD!
I wish that people would not be afraid to eat in a "weird" way. Why do I say "weird"? Well, because that isn't how the rest of the world is eating. Yes, i know it is confusing. How simple would it be if you ate out and all the toppings and sauces were on the side and you didn't have to ask? What if the portions were smaller and you didn't have to feel stuffed after finishing your plate? What if all ice cream was frozen yogurt and the serving size was really 1/2 cup? What if the grocery store provided only healthy options at an affordable price and you didn't have to spend hours reading food labels and deciphering the healthiest, artificial flavoring-free, low sugar/calorie food? And for me, what if restaurants provided vegetarian options that we both filling and healthy....not unhealthy and loaded with cheese or the normal vegetarian option of iceberg lettuce and a few small baby tomatoes for an expensive, non-filling salad. Come on...I'm an athlete and I want to eat and be healthy!
LIfe would be so easy if we were all alone. No kids, significant others, friends or family. Just you and your own eating. You could eat when you were hungry and not be influenced by the work snack table or when your significant other (or you) got home from work. You could have only the best food in your house that you wanted to eat and not what your kids cried for because they saw it on tv (without making this blog too long, if you are avoiding that food...don't feed it to your kids!!!!). You could come home and cook whatever you wanted and only portion to your needs.
This is how I eat. Yes, Karel is hungry when I am not, he craves different foods, yet he eats everything, and Karel loves meat while i enjoy tofu. However, Karel understands the way I eat. Karel came into my life knowing that I stress healthy eating. At first it was a little weird to him that I was so healthy and I had to "special order" all my food. Finally, he realized why I was so picky. Well, #1 reason, I am a vegetarian. That right there is reason for me to have to be very focused on what I am eating and not eating. Secondly, I am an endurance athlete. Timing MY nutrition with my training helps me be a better athlete. This is the reason why Karel wanted to start changing his eating. He wanted to have better workouts, use the right fuels and drop some unnecessary weight. Lastly, Karel and I both know what it feels like to be healthy and to just eat for yourself. It feels great!
I guess my point to this blog is to stress to people that you have to be a little "weird" to eat healthy. Also, don't be afraid and don't keep it a secret. As athletes and exercise enthusiasts, we live in a world that does not cater to healthy eating. We are surrounded by unhealthy food choices and it still surprises me that food portions are getting bigger, unhealthy foods are getting cheaper and to no surprise, Americans are gaining weight.
Focus on your own nutrition and don't be afraid to eat when you are hungry, eat the foods that you know are healthy and to buy only the foods which you consider healthy and you could eat every day without feeling guilty about what you are eating. Don't be afraid to turn down a food that you are offered because you know it is unhealthy or you know you just ate and aren't really in need for food. Remember, food is fuel. Eating to much or at the wrong time may sacrifice a training session or racing performance. Don't feel tempted (I know, easier said than done) to eat more calories than you know you should be eating. Lastly, don't be afraid to eat healthy. It is ok to be a little hungry, it is ok to not feel stuffed after a meal, it is ok to not eat every time you get a craving, when you get bored or when someone else is eating. Also, don't hesitate to include others in your decision to eat healthy.
Good luck on your choice to eat healthy.....and possibly do an Ironman!!!
Registered Dietitian.....M.S. in Exercise Physiology...Vegetarian...Writer...Speaker...5x Ironman finisher.....2011-2012 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year...Doggy-mommy...Wife to an amazing Czech cyclist turned triathlete...2x Ironman World Championship finisher...USAT level-1 coach...Oakley women, Brooks Running ID, 110% Play Harder and Hammer Nutrition Brand Ambassador.
6/29/08
We are Iron Girls!!!
Just getting ready to hit the road.
Kate and I couldn't have planned it any better.
Kate: 9th place, 2nd age group. 1:28.22
Me: 10th place, 1st age group. 1:30.20
Too bad we were in different waves. Kate blew up the bike course and we both had fast runs. Well, fast as we could go for a sprint. Maybe if we had 10 or 23 more miles we could have gotten a rhythm. But for today, we had a challenging course, lots of hills on the bike and a really hard up and down run. Luckily, no hills on the swim. :)
It was a tough day but we were happy to have a safe and fast race.
Off we go back to Jacksonville. I'm sure Karel is missing us :)
Thanks for all the good luck wishes to Kate and I!
*Race results: http://onlineraceresults.com/event/view_event.php?event_id=2448
6/28/08
1 day 'til Iron Girl Atlanta!!
After a day of nothing, Kate and I were excited to get our heart rates up. Of course, when you get to sleep in you can't and when you should get up, you just don't want to. Fri morning we tried to stay in bed until 7am and this morning, we looked at the clock at 7am and knew that we needed to get the coffee going.
7:30am we were on our bikes to set out for our 10 mile warm-up ride. We wanted to ride the beginning of the bike course, starting at the transition area. We went about 6 miles and we had some up and downs. Just when we finished a big climb and thought about turning around, we decided would be just go ahead and bike all 18 miles of the bike course. The street was well marked so we knew where to go without our map. The ups and downs turned into rollers which then turned into climbs. Steep ones. We are both super excited about the race tomorrow, which should be a difficult race. Don't ever underestimate an all-women's event, especially an Iron Girl race. The bike and run is all up and down and there is nothing flat for this Floridian!
I just can't wait to get out there, get into the beautiful lake and get this race started.
We did get a little lost on the course and ended up with 5 extra miles so our 10 mile ride, which turned into an 18 mile ride, turned into a 23 mile ride. Oh well, we had fun and enjoyed riding the entire course. After the ride we had a quick transition and went for a 10-min run. Again, up and then down.
We were super hungry and couldn't wait for the breakfast of champions. Oatmeal, banana, raisins, yogurt and a little PB with some pita bread. What a life.
We headed to the expo at 10:45am to pick up our packet, get our fabulous Aflac duck, get our awesome shirt and then rack our bikes after the course talk. Seduza is very happy on the rack and so is felt. I'm sure it will rain tonight so we will have very clean bikes in the morning.
I answered a lot of questions in the transition area. Some athletes remembered me from the nutrition talk at the pre-race clinic but I guess the Zipp race wheels and disk give it away that Kate and I have a feel of what we are doing (or, so we think we do :)). Well, we helped some athletes with the layout of transition and how to set up a transition. I just love all the newbies and if they can get through the scary bike ride (there are some FAST downhills) I think they will feel so good wearing an Iron Girl medal at the finish. I can't wait to see it all go down and be part of the action.
Well, just resting right now. Kate and I are lying in our super comfy hotel beds and watching movies on TBS. I have my list of to-do's by my side and I am happy i am finally being productive and answering emails. A day of "not working" is just so hard for me but I think it was well-needed.
And most of all....OUTBACK TONIGHT!!! Can't wait for my bread, salad and sweet potato! Looking forward to the race tomorrow :)
Kate looking good with her Felt
Me and Seduza...what a great team!
Kate enjoyed the hills
Hills???? In Florida we call those MOUNTAINS????
AFFFFFLLLAAAACCC (that was the duck saying that)
I love Iron Girl!
Let's get this party started!!!
7:30am we were on our bikes to set out for our 10 mile warm-up ride. We wanted to ride the beginning of the bike course, starting at the transition area. We went about 6 miles and we had some up and downs. Just when we finished a big climb and thought about turning around, we decided would be just go ahead and bike all 18 miles of the bike course. The street was well marked so we knew where to go without our map. The ups and downs turned into rollers which then turned into climbs. Steep ones. We are both super excited about the race tomorrow, which should be a difficult race. Don't ever underestimate an all-women's event, especially an Iron Girl race. The bike and run is all up and down and there is nothing flat for this Floridian!
I just can't wait to get out there, get into the beautiful lake and get this race started.
We did get a little lost on the course and ended up with 5 extra miles so our 10 mile ride, which turned into an 18 mile ride, turned into a 23 mile ride. Oh well, we had fun and enjoyed riding the entire course. After the ride we had a quick transition and went for a 10-min run. Again, up and then down.
We were super hungry and couldn't wait for the breakfast of champions. Oatmeal, banana, raisins, yogurt and a little PB with some pita bread. What a life.
We headed to the expo at 10:45am to pick up our packet, get our fabulous Aflac duck, get our awesome shirt and then rack our bikes after the course talk. Seduza is very happy on the rack and so is felt. I'm sure it will rain tonight so we will have very clean bikes in the morning.
I answered a lot of questions in the transition area. Some athletes remembered me from the nutrition talk at the pre-race clinic but I guess the Zipp race wheels and disk give it away that Kate and I have a feel of what we are doing (or, so we think we do :)). Well, we helped some athletes with the layout of transition and how to set up a transition. I just love all the newbies and if they can get through the scary bike ride (there are some FAST downhills) I think they will feel so good wearing an Iron Girl medal at the finish. I can't wait to see it all go down and be part of the action.
Well, just resting right now. Kate and I are lying in our super comfy hotel beds and watching movies on TBS. I have my list of to-do's by my side and I am happy i am finally being productive and answering emails. A day of "not working" is just so hard for me but I think it was well-needed.
And most of all....OUTBACK TONIGHT!!! Can't wait for my bread, salad and sweet potato! Looking forward to the race tomorrow :)
Kate looking good with her Felt
Me and Seduza...what a great team!
Kate enjoyed the hills
Hills???? In Florida we call those MOUNTAINS????
AFFFFFLLLAAAACCC (that was the duck saying that)
I love Iron Girl!
Let's get this party started!!!
6/27/08
A little Girl Time
Kate flew into Jacksonville on Wed. evening. I arrived promptly at 5pm for her to land at 4:50. I thought I was going to die on my 30 min. drive to the airport because it was storming out, with heavy rain and lots of wind. Of course I had to cross a bridge and then another and when I arrived I knew the flight was going to be delayed. I just didn't think the flight would be delayed by 2 1/2 hours. Errrrr. A final to study for, dinner was on my mind (although already prepared) and I was anxious to get home with kate. I spent my time shopping at Old Navy and surprised Karel with some new clothes and finally, Kate landed.
We got home around 8:15pm and good thing that dinner was already prepared. Couscous, hard-boiled egg whites (chopped), tofu, mushrooms, romaine lettuce, tomatos, scallions and onions. Yep, we had wraps! YUMMMM. And for desert, fruit salad and my home-made frozen yogurt.
We entertained Karel with girl talk and at 10:30pm it was lights out.
I woke up super early on thurs morning to take my Food science final. Since Kate and I were going for a 15 mile ride I wanted to get my final overwith as soon as I could. The alarm went off at 5:15am to make some coffee and at 5:30am I started my final. 90 min later and 100 questions finished, I received an 80% and my class was finished! My other class (nutrition education) had a "take home" final which I finished earlier that week. What a relief.
As Kate and I were getting ready for our ride, Karel pumped our tires. What a good man! Karel did lots of work on Kate's bike, with a total re-haul to make Felt even faster, earlier that day since Kate shipped the bike to karel on wed morning.
We had a great ride together and we each took turns pulling for a mile. After the ride we had breakfast and then time to get packed up.
As I made Pb&J sandwiches and a goody bag of healthy snacks for the road, Karel took Kate to the Trek store for her own personal shopping hour. All alone, doors locked...just kate and her Credit Card. Luckily, she had Karel there to assemble all her new goodies to her bike.
So, off we went at 11am on Thurs and with lots of girl talk we arrived in atlanta in no time. About 5 1/2 hours of driving and we were there!
We had about an hour to kill before we wanted to get to the Iron Girl Clinic at the Big Peach Running company, so we had a fabulous dinner at Ruby Tuesdays.
The Iron Girl clinic was great! There were about 20-25 people there and the ladies asked some great questions. I met some great people and even met some people that I have done nutrition consultations for! I always love that.
I talked before the Polar rep and I talked for about 20 min. The time always flies when I am talking and I wish I could talk more often. It was great to see Judy who I love so much and I am so happy that I am part of the Iron Girl team.
Kate and I made a quick stop at Kroger to get some necessities (oatmeal, PB, bananas, yogurt, etc.) and off we went to our final destination.....Lake Lanier Resort.
Well, now we are at the hotel and we spent a whole day doing nothing. We slept in until 7am, walked around the hotel, had breakfast, watched tv in bed, went to the pool for an hour, walked down to the lake, ate lunch in the room (PB&J, raisins, yogurt and banana on pita bread), watched more TV, drove some of the bike course, went to publix, drove in the rain, saved a baby turtle in the middle of the road (what a good deed, I felt SO good when I saved him. It was a baby turtle on a two lane road in the middle of the road!) and then back to the hotel for dinner. Now we are watching tv and thinking about our warm-up tomorrow.
Enjoy the pics...we've been busy doing NOTHING. Oh, we are loving every minute of it!
6/25/08
The good mood diet
I opened my computer this morning as I was drinking my coffee and came across this headline on MSN.com (my homepage).
The Good Mood Diet
I decided to go on my 25 mile ride before diving into this article but as I was riding my bike I thought about what the article might contain, without reading it.
Here are my thoughts:
Certain foods make you feel good.
Other foods make you feel bad.
If you eat these foods you will feel good.
If you eat those foods you will feel bad.
Does there really need to be a diet plan that assures that you will be in a good mood by following this plan? Or maybe, just maybe, we could call it "healthy eating" and just eliminate the word diet all together.
There is no reason to stick to a plan (aka DIET) when trying to lose weight, get in a better mood, or try to tone up. Eating is a way of life people! Get with it!
Ok, so I'm not mad. I don't like to get upset, angry or furious when I read things on the internet or hear about them on the news. Obviously, researchers are out there studying days and nights to come out with something ground breaking that people will believe that the "new thing" will work for them. Once day coffee is good for you, the next day it will cause cancer and then the next day coffee will prevent cancer?
I believe that we must prioritize food. I have said this over and over again but eating shouldn't be complicated. There was a time that I measured food, weighed food, read food labels for carbohydrate grams and compared calories....of HEALTHY food. That doesn't seem right. Now I want to look at food labels for the best food to help me with my training, the best food to keep me satisfied at a meal, the best food to give me vitamins and minerals and good nutrients and most of all, the best food to keep me in a good mood.
It is no surprise that if you don't eat for a few hours, your blood sugar will drop. You will get moody, shaky and/or extremely hungry. Same thing will happen if you "bonk" during training. Food should not been seen as good or bad in terms of weight gain or weight loss. If you eat this you will gain weight, if you eat this you will lose weight. It is all about controlling what you eat so that your hormones are under control, your brain chemicals are controlled and most of all your strong muscles are properly fueled.
I just don't believe that a diet plan will put you in a good mood. After reading through the article, it plainly states that eating protein will help with mood and eating every few hours (a carb snack before and after meals) will also help with mood. I don't have a PhD but I could have told ya that...and I do!
I'm not upset at the author my any means. I am just concerned about the many people out there who struggle with weight, energy levels or depression due to poor eating habits from confusing articles, books and studies.
If I could suggest one thing about eating healthy it would be to prioritize the best food so that you can finish a meal feeling good about what you ate. Ultimately, eating healthy will put you in a great mood.
The Good Mood Diet
I decided to go on my 25 mile ride before diving into this article but as I was riding my bike I thought about what the article might contain, without reading it.
Here are my thoughts:
Certain foods make you feel good.
Other foods make you feel bad.
If you eat these foods you will feel good.
If you eat those foods you will feel bad.
Does there really need to be a diet plan that assures that you will be in a good mood by following this plan? Or maybe, just maybe, we could call it "healthy eating" and just eliminate the word diet all together.
There is no reason to stick to a plan (aka DIET) when trying to lose weight, get in a better mood, or try to tone up. Eating is a way of life people! Get with it!
Ok, so I'm not mad. I don't like to get upset, angry or furious when I read things on the internet or hear about them on the news. Obviously, researchers are out there studying days and nights to come out with something ground breaking that people will believe that the "new thing" will work for them. Once day coffee is good for you, the next day it will cause cancer and then the next day coffee will prevent cancer?
I believe that we must prioritize food. I have said this over and over again but eating shouldn't be complicated. There was a time that I measured food, weighed food, read food labels for carbohydrate grams and compared calories....of HEALTHY food. That doesn't seem right. Now I want to look at food labels for the best food to help me with my training, the best food to keep me satisfied at a meal, the best food to give me vitamins and minerals and good nutrients and most of all, the best food to keep me in a good mood.
It is no surprise that if you don't eat for a few hours, your blood sugar will drop. You will get moody, shaky and/or extremely hungry. Same thing will happen if you "bonk" during training. Food should not been seen as good or bad in terms of weight gain or weight loss. If you eat this you will gain weight, if you eat this you will lose weight. It is all about controlling what you eat so that your hormones are under control, your brain chemicals are controlled and most of all your strong muscles are properly fueled.
I just don't believe that a diet plan will put you in a good mood. After reading through the article, it plainly states that eating protein will help with mood and eating every few hours (a carb snack before and after meals) will also help with mood. I don't have a PhD but I could have told ya that...and I do!
I'm not upset at the author my any means. I am just concerned about the many people out there who struggle with weight, energy levels or depression due to poor eating habits from confusing articles, books and studies.
If I could suggest one thing about eating healthy it would be to prioritize the best food so that you can finish a meal feeling good about what you ate. Ultimately, eating healthy will put you in a great mood.
6/24/08
I'm eating WHAT?
I think that will be the title of one of my books. Of course my first book will be tailored to sports nutrition and weight loss/management but I would love to write a book, or perhaps a cookbook, on what we are really eating....and what we should (or could) be eating.
Over the past 6-weeks I have found an even greater love for cooking from my food science course. I have my final on thurs (before I head to Atlanta to speak at the Iron Girl clinic) for my two classes before I start another 2 classes for 6-weeks. Although I would not call myself a baker, I have really enjoyed learning the science about food and how to make food. It is so easy to buy food off the shelf at the grocery store but I have now learned how to make basic foods. The same foods which come to us as a processed, packaged and boxed-up food item... that we eat almost every day. I have made bread, muffins, cakes and frozen yogurt and today I made granola bars.
If I had the money (oh, do I say that a lot!) I would make all our food. Of course it is very convenient to buy food and even for me, I feel I cook a lot. I wouldn't consider myself a baker cause I'm just not educated enough on how to make sweets more healthy. I know Karel has really enjoyed this class and every week having something new to eat but I must admit that not everything tasted that good. I just couldn't get the strength to use 1/2 cup shortening, 2 cups sugar or 8 egg yolks in the recipes. So I tried to cut out things but ultimately, I ruined the final product. However, I have learned a lot from this course and I do know how to make foods which is the most important thing of all.
My best friend Allie called me the other day and asked me to help her. She has two girls under the age of 3 and she just can't find healthy snacks. She hates that all the snack food is processed, filled with perservatives and artificial ingredients and too much sugar for the normal adult to handle. I don't blame her for being confused and upset so I am on the hunt or some healthy kid snacks. Of course, my kids will eat tofu and carrots for snacks.....hahah, yeah right! If there is one thing that I want to be known as, it is that I want to be a realistic and practical sports nutritionist. I want people to learn to prioritize food, love healthy food and want to put the best food possible in their bodies. Unfortunantly, it is hard to even find healthy food that isn't organic or costing a fortune. Karel and I aren't there yet with our income of buying all organic but we try to do the best we can to prioritize the best foods.
I think we need to see food as body fuel. The body needs good food just like a baby needs the right nutrients in order to grow. Just like a plant needs sunlight or a car needs to be fueled and cleaned in order to run properly. I don't joke around with food because I know what "bad" food will do to you if it becomes a routine to eat it everyday. Cravings, overeating, mindlessly eating, emotional changes, hormone changes, electrolyte changes, WEIGHT changes and well...you just don't feel good after you finish it. If you know me I am not afraid to eat real ice cream, have a piece of a cookie, eat pizza or eat white bread :) However, these foods are not part of my daily diet. These are accessories that aren't needed. They are nice every now and then but I enjoy prioritizing the best foods for my body so that I know exactly what I am putting into my body.
Just thought I'd post a few of my creations from my food class :)
Over the past 6-weeks I have found an even greater love for cooking from my food science course. I have my final on thurs (before I head to Atlanta to speak at the Iron Girl clinic) for my two classes before I start another 2 classes for 6-weeks. Although I would not call myself a baker, I have really enjoyed learning the science about food and how to make food. It is so easy to buy food off the shelf at the grocery store but I have now learned how to make basic foods. The same foods which come to us as a processed, packaged and boxed-up food item... that we eat almost every day. I have made bread, muffins, cakes and frozen yogurt and today I made granola bars.
If I had the money (oh, do I say that a lot!) I would make all our food. Of course it is very convenient to buy food and even for me, I feel I cook a lot. I wouldn't consider myself a baker cause I'm just not educated enough on how to make sweets more healthy. I know Karel has really enjoyed this class and every week having something new to eat but I must admit that not everything tasted that good. I just couldn't get the strength to use 1/2 cup shortening, 2 cups sugar or 8 egg yolks in the recipes. So I tried to cut out things but ultimately, I ruined the final product. However, I have learned a lot from this course and I do know how to make foods which is the most important thing of all.
My best friend Allie called me the other day and asked me to help her. She has two girls under the age of 3 and she just can't find healthy snacks. She hates that all the snack food is processed, filled with perservatives and artificial ingredients and too much sugar for the normal adult to handle. I don't blame her for being confused and upset so I am on the hunt or some healthy kid snacks. Of course, my kids will eat tofu and carrots for snacks.....hahah, yeah right! If there is one thing that I want to be known as, it is that I want to be a realistic and practical sports nutritionist. I want people to learn to prioritize food, love healthy food and want to put the best food possible in their bodies. Unfortunantly, it is hard to even find healthy food that isn't organic or costing a fortune. Karel and I aren't there yet with our income of buying all organic but we try to do the best we can to prioritize the best foods.
I think we need to see food as body fuel. The body needs good food just like a baby needs the right nutrients in order to grow. Just like a plant needs sunlight or a car needs to be fueled and cleaned in order to run properly. I don't joke around with food because I know what "bad" food will do to you if it becomes a routine to eat it everyday. Cravings, overeating, mindlessly eating, emotional changes, hormone changes, electrolyte changes, WEIGHT changes and well...you just don't feel good after you finish it. If you know me I am not afraid to eat real ice cream, have a piece of a cookie, eat pizza or eat white bread :) However, these foods are not part of my daily diet. These are accessories that aren't needed. They are nice every now and then but I enjoy prioritizing the best foods for my body so that I know exactly what I am putting into my body.
Just thought I'd post a few of my creations from my food class :)
6/23/08
Eating on the road
This was one of my most favorite articles to write. You can find it on the Iron Girl website but I wanted to post it on my blog for everyone. Check out the Iron Girl website for lots of great tools, tips and events! Enjoy!
Don’t Forget To Eat!
The first part of “traveling nutrition” is to eat an adequate amount of energy providing foods to meet the demands of your race. If you are traveling for a sprint triathlon, avoid a day full of carbo-loading in anticipation for a 60- or 75-minute race. In contrast, if you are traveling to a marathon or Ironman race, do not let the time pass by at the expo. If you forget to eat necessary, frequent snacks you will only find yourself overeating late at night.
It is most important that you focus on your pre-race meal two nights before a race – this is designated as your “carbo-loading” meal. The night before a race should include foods from your “carbo-loading” meal, but in less quantity. Often times, you can arrange to travel to a race the day before, and you can enjoy a home-cooked meal filled with your favorite low glycemic carbohydrates two nights prior to race day. Regardless of the distance of the race, if you plan to compete at an all-out intensity, proper digestion and absorption of food is critical for optimal performance.
As you are thinking about your travel details, remember that you are traveling to a race in order to put many weeks or months of training to the test. Do not think that you can buy new clothes, a new set of race wheels, new running shoes or a new swim suit and forget to eat! Participating in a triathlon or running event is simply daily training at a higher intensity. If you are concerned about your training nutrition you should be concerned about quality pre-race nutrition.
Focus on filling meals with an abundance of healthy complex carbohydrates, as the foundation of the meal, and low-fat protein to keep your blood sugar stabilized. Keep your meals around 350-500 calories and snacks around 150-250 calories. Smaller meals and regular snacking will ensure glycogen storage and plenty of fuel come race day. Most importantly, be sure to stay hydrated by drinking water at all meals and finishing a 20-24 ounce bottle of water every 2-4 hours during the two days before a race.
Planning Your Trip
While the price of paying for a race only crosses your mind for a split second before clicking ‘register’ on the race Website, the combined cost of hotels, food and gas can weigh heavily on your checking account. After planning out your racing schedule, it is equally as important to find affordable hotels as it is to find hotels with your desired amenities.
Don’t be surprised if the coffee, cold cereal and bagels are absent from the hotel breakfast nook as you are checking out of your hotel at 4:45 a.m. Aside from a few races that start later in the morning, skip the hotels that feature a continental breakfast since it probably won’t be open until after you leave for the race.
Besides the semi-fresh aroma of free hotel coffee, plan to stay at a hotel that provides a refrigerator AND a microwave. Although eating dinner in your hotel room may seem unappealing, look forward to not waiting for food, meals prepared the way you like them and a good night’s sleep without any worries that you ate too much food.
When booking a hotel with a ‘fridge, you don’t have to worry about missing out on healthy refrigerated items such as yogurt, hard boiled eggs, string cheese, skim/soy milk or other must-have pre-race foods. Plan ahead by investing in a cooler or insulated lunch box for the road trip. This will guarantee that you won’t let your blood sugar drop between meals. When you need to stretch your legs, pre-made sandwiches such as peanut butter and jelly, are ideal for road stops.
If you choose to eat out, look for a restaurant that offers healthy food in reasonable portions. Opt to use the microwave and fridge for your early morning breakfast (ex. oatmeal) and plan ahead to find a restaurant to help you fuel for your race. Because most races occur on the weekends, bypass the heavy rush for dinner and plan to eat around 5:00 - 5:30 p.m. You may want to make a reservation to avoid a possible wait, but an early dinner guarantees proper digestion for your early evening bedtime. Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for substitutions (ex. light on the cheese, vegetarian, salad or soup as a side, bread instead of French fries or no butter/oil) and check Online menus ahead of time, so you arrive to the restaurant with your meal in mind.
As you are browsing the race Website for race maps, start times and your competition (like you don’t want to know who is in your age group), check out Yahoo search, Google or Mapquest for restaurants, fast food and grocery stores. You will save yourself a lot of time, stress and gas by knowing the surrounding area and the food choices that are available.
If all else fails and you find yourself in a remote area with only fast food and a few restaurants, have a plan of action when picking the best pre-race meal on the road. Don’t let a race be the only reason to eat healthy when eating out. Use the following suggestions for healthy eating, anytime!
Snacks:
Parfait - McDonalds makes for a great stop when on the road and in need of a snack. Avoid parfaits at grocery stores and gas stations, as they tend to be loaded with high-sugar yogurt and canned sugary fruit.
Bars - Avoid bars with a heavy icy coating and keep bars around 120 - 200 calories.
Fruit – Always wash before eating.
Yogurt – Less than 120 calories, look in the refrigerated section of gas stations or in grocery stores.
Trail mix – Avoid overeating and portion control by taking 1 handful out of the bag and limiting yourself to 1/2 - 1/3 cup servings every 2 hours.
Starters:
Side salad w/ dressing on the side - Watch out for onions, broccoli and garlic that may create GI upset. Ask for fat-free dressings on the side.
Bread basket - Preferably whole wheat or rye bread or ask to hold the butter on the white rolls/breadsticks.
Nuts - Often steakhouses provide peanuts at the dinner table that will stabilize blood sugar and prevent overeating.
Soup – Avoid creamy, cheesy, meaty soups and choose a simple broth (vegetarian, chicken, tomato) with veggies and/or lean meat.
Entrees:
Vegetarian burger – Ask for the burger to be grilled and not fried or cooked in heavy oil.
Meat – Choose lean meat.
Fish – Baked not fried. Hold the butter.
Baked potato or sweet potato – Hold the toppings and ask for butter on the side.
Pasta – Ask for lunch size portions rather than dinner size. Although you have a refrigerator for leftovers, you will have plenty of post-race foods at your race. Save money on a smaller portion and prevent going to bed stuffed because you tried to clear your plate.
Pizza – After finishing two to three bread baskets, you will be happy you ordered thin crust rather than deep dish. Ask for light on the cheese, extra sauce (marinara/tomato) and plenty of lean meats or veggies.
Wraps, burritos, soft tacos – Watch out for excessive sodium when eating at a Mexican restaurant. Opt for rice and veggies, and ask for no guacamole and sour cream. Limit the beans, cheese and salsa. For healthy options, ask for “fresco” when ordering your meal. Save the margarita for after the race.
Subs – Hold the toppings (mayo, dressings) and stick with lean meat, lots of veggies, low-fat cheese (mozzarella, swiss) and a whole grain sub.
Omelet, whole-grain pancakes – Check around for diners or restaurants that serve breakfast all day. You can find egg substitutes, sugar-free syrup, fresh fruit and many healthy choices, and you can find great deals without spending a lot of money.
As a final thought, the more you dine out, the more you increase your risk for food poisoning by eating contaminated food. Although salad bars and buffets are ideal for choosing your own foods, be aware of the sharing of utensils. While washing your hands seems like a no-brainer, think about your last race expo and how quick you were to take a bite of an energy bar after racking your bike. Hand sanitizers are convenient germ-killers, so give yourself a little squirt before and after pumping gas, making a rest stop, picking up your race packet or stopping for food. Although you may not be training for the Olympics or a World Championship, every athlete should be cautious of what he/she is eating the week leading up to a big event.
Don’t Forget To Eat!
The first part of “traveling nutrition” is to eat an adequate amount of energy providing foods to meet the demands of your race. If you are traveling for a sprint triathlon, avoid a day full of carbo-loading in anticipation for a 60- or 75-minute race. In contrast, if you are traveling to a marathon or Ironman race, do not let the time pass by at the expo. If you forget to eat necessary, frequent snacks you will only find yourself overeating late at night.
It is most important that you focus on your pre-race meal two nights before a race – this is designated as your “carbo-loading” meal. The night before a race should include foods from your “carbo-loading” meal, but in less quantity. Often times, you can arrange to travel to a race the day before, and you can enjoy a home-cooked meal filled with your favorite low glycemic carbohydrates two nights prior to race day. Regardless of the distance of the race, if you plan to compete at an all-out intensity, proper digestion and absorption of food is critical for optimal performance.
As you are thinking about your travel details, remember that you are traveling to a race in order to put many weeks or months of training to the test. Do not think that you can buy new clothes, a new set of race wheels, new running shoes or a new swim suit and forget to eat! Participating in a triathlon or running event is simply daily training at a higher intensity. If you are concerned about your training nutrition you should be concerned about quality pre-race nutrition.
Focus on filling meals with an abundance of healthy complex carbohydrates, as the foundation of the meal, and low-fat protein to keep your blood sugar stabilized. Keep your meals around 350-500 calories and snacks around 150-250 calories. Smaller meals and regular snacking will ensure glycogen storage and plenty of fuel come race day. Most importantly, be sure to stay hydrated by drinking water at all meals and finishing a 20-24 ounce bottle of water every 2-4 hours during the two days before a race.
Planning Your Trip
While the price of paying for a race only crosses your mind for a split second before clicking ‘register’ on the race Website, the combined cost of hotels, food and gas can weigh heavily on your checking account. After planning out your racing schedule, it is equally as important to find affordable hotels as it is to find hotels with your desired amenities.
Don’t be surprised if the coffee, cold cereal and bagels are absent from the hotel breakfast nook as you are checking out of your hotel at 4:45 a.m. Aside from a few races that start later in the morning, skip the hotels that feature a continental breakfast since it probably won’t be open until after you leave for the race.
Besides the semi-fresh aroma of free hotel coffee, plan to stay at a hotel that provides a refrigerator AND a microwave. Although eating dinner in your hotel room may seem unappealing, look forward to not waiting for food, meals prepared the way you like them and a good night’s sleep without any worries that you ate too much food.
When booking a hotel with a ‘fridge, you don’t have to worry about missing out on healthy refrigerated items such as yogurt, hard boiled eggs, string cheese, skim/soy milk or other must-have pre-race foods. Plan ahead by investing in a cooler or insulated lunch box for the road trip. This will guarantee that you won’t let your blood sugar drop between meals. When you need to stretch your legs, pre-made sandwiches such as peanut butter and jelly, are ideal for road stops.
If you choose to eat out, look for a restaurant that offers healthy food in reasonable portions. Opt to use the microwave and fridge for your early morning breakfast (ex. oatmeal) and plan ahead to find a restaurant to help you fuel for your race. Because most races occur on the weekends, bypass the heavy rush for dinner and plan to eat around 5:00 - 5:30 p.m. You may want to make a reservation to avoid a possible wait, but an early dinner guarantees proper digestion for your early evening bedtime. Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for substitutions (ex. light on the cheese, vegetarian, salad or soup as a side, bread instead of French fries or no butter/oil) and check Online menus ahead of time, so you arrive to the restaurant with your meal in mind.
As you are browsing the race Website for race maps, start times and your competition (like you don’t want to know who is in your age group), check out Yahoo search, Google or Mapquest for restaurants, fast food and grocery stores. You will save yourself a lot of time, stress and gas by knowing the surrounding area and the food choices that are available.
If all else fails and you find yourself in a remote area with only fast food and a few restaurants, have a plan of action when picking the best pre-race meal on the road. Don’t let a race be the only reason to eat healthy when eating out. Use the following suggestions for healthy eating, anytime!
Snacks:
Parfait - McDonalds makes for a great stop when on the road and in need of a snack. Avoid parfaits at grocery stores and gas stations, as they tend to be loaded with high-sugar yogurt and canned sugary fruit.
Bars - Avoid bars with a heavy icy coating and keep bars around 120 - 200 calories.
Fruit – Always wash before eating.
Yogurt – Less than 120 calories, look in the refrigerated section of gas stations or in grocery stores.
Trail mix – Avoid overeating and portion control by taking 1 handful out of the bag and limiting yourself to 1/2 - 1/3 cup servings every 2 hours.
Starters:
Side salad w/ dressing on the side - Watch out for onions, broccoli and garlic that may create GI upset. Ask for fat-free dressings on the side.
Bread basket - Preferably whole wheat or rye bread or ask to hold the butter on the white rolls/breadsticks.
Nuts - Often steakhouses provide peanuts at the dinner table that will stabilize blood sugar and prevent overeating.
Soup – Avoid creamy, cheesy, meaty soups and choose a simple broth (vegetarian, chicken, tomato) with veggies and/or lean meat.
Entrees:
Vegetarian burger – Ask for the burger to be grilled and not fried or cooked in heavy oil.
Meat – Choose lean meat.
Fish – Baked not fried. Hold the butter.
Baked potato or sweet potato – Hold the toppings and ask for butter on the side.
Pasta – Ask for lunch size portions rather than dinner size. Although you have a refrigerator for leftovers, you will have plenty of post-race foods at your race. Save money on a smaller portion and prevent going to bed stuffed because you tried to clear your plate.
Pizza – After finishing two to three bread baskets, you will be happy you ordered thin crust rather than deep dish. Ask for light on the cheese, extra sauce (marinara/tomato) and plenty of lean meats or veggies.
Wraps, burritos, soft tacos – Watch out for excessive sodium when eating at a Mexican restaurant. Opt for rice and veggies, and ask for no guacamole and sour cream. Limit the beans, cheese and salsa. For healthy options, ask for “fresco” when ordering your meal. Save the margarita for after the race.
Subs – Hold the toppings (mayo, dressings) and stick with lean meat, lots of veggies, low-fat cheese (mozzarella, swiss) and a whole grain sub.
Omelet, whole-grain pancakes – Check around for diners or restaurants that serve breakfast all day. You can find egg substitutes, sugar-free syrup, fresh fruit and many healthy choices, and you can find great deals without spending a lot of money.
As a final thought, the more you dine out, the more you increase your risk for food poisoning by eating contaminated food. Although salad bars and buffets are ideal for choosing your own foods, be aware of the sharing of utensils. While washing your hands seems like a no-brainer, think about your last race expo and how quick you were to take a bite of an energy bar after racking your bike. Hand sanitizers are convenient germ-killers, so give yourself a little squirt before and after pumping gas, making a rest stop, picking up your race packet or stopping for food. Although you may not be training for the Olympics or a World Championship, every athlete should be cautious of what he/she is eating the week leading up to a big event.
6/22/08
Uneventful
A weekend at home....alone. Friday afternoon I worked a few hours at the shop and came home to a hungry cat and many hungry fishes. I didn't sleep very well fri night but couldn't wait for a long run on sat. I had my music and as usual, I zoned out for an hour and 27 minutes. My legs were SUPER tired (heart was good) so I took out seduza for the first time in many weeks. I must say I have really enjoyed riding my road bike. I rode my run course and couldn't believe my speedometer. 11.2 miles! wow...under 8 min miles for almost a half marathon. That is what I like to see! In the back of my head I have a little section for endurance thoughts so I will store this workout back there as I await the fall when I start training for the Jacksonville Marathon.
For the start of my run I had a funny experience. I was running for about 5 min. and was about to make a turn when I saw a bunch of ducks in the middle of the road (2 lanes on both sides). I decided to run straight since cars were coming. Luckily the cars slowed and swerved around them but I was so worried that some careless driver would hit them. So, my animal-lover side came out (why I am a vegetarian) and I decided to save all 16 ducks. Here I am in my running outfit, headphones, fuel belt and visor in the middle of the road clapping at the ducks to get out of the road. I am just laughing and smiling and a line of cars have stopped to take pics of all the ducks (not me) with their cell phones. A guy on a motorcycle came and reved his engine and that got the ducks off the road but it was just the cutest thing. After the road was cleared the ducks kept walking, single file, on the sidewalk. I can't tell you how many animals i have saved (plenty of turtles) when I'm out training. Of course i think about my own safety but I don't have to think twice about saving an animal. I guess it is my motherly side but I will save anything with 2 or 4 legs...ok, I even save things that have 8 legs or slither around.
I finished my workout on sat with a 16 mile ride and worked a few hours at the Trek store in the late afternoon. I almost sold two bikes so I feel like I am getting somewhere in the bike industry :)
This morning I went out for a 50-mile ride on seduza and 2 hours and 50 min. later I am back home. It felt like I was out for a 20-mile ride. I don't think I got my heart rate up beyond 80% but the wind was not on my back, that's for sure. It was a toughy but a great solo ride.
Karel had a great weekend and he is finally feeling like he is ready to race this summer. He is really training hard to place well in the races so he can upgrade to category 1 (From cat 2) although cat 1 and 2 race together in the Pro 1,2 category. However, if you are a cat 1 rider (or pro 1 rider) you can race the National racing calendar without invitation and there are some amazing riders and teams in that series. Karel went to Lagrange, GA with a Linder teammate (Ryan) and Karel had an impressive weekend. 4th in the TT, 4th in the crit (so close to a podium finish) and 2nd in the RR!!!! FINALLY!!!!!! Karel got on the podium. I didn't get much of the details of the race (karel isn't a phone talker) but he said 3 guys were working with Karel because cat 1,2 and masters 30 all raced together (I think that is right). Karel was sprinting to the finish with another guy and the 1st place guy bumped Karel off his wheel (not literally, "cycling talk") and won the race. Karel came in 2nd after 102 miles of racing. Also, Karel won a sprint in the "win and out" race that I mentioned in the previous post so he got $100. In all, I think karel made over $200 this weekend so I would call this a successful weekend!
Congrats to everyone who raced this weekend...everywhere! I was checking results all over the world to keep up with you triathletes!
For the start of my run I had a funny experience. I was running for about 5 min. and was about to make a turn when I saw a bunch of ducks in the middle of the road (2 lanes on both sides). I decided to run straight since cars were coming. Luckily the cars slowed and swerved around them but I was so worried that some careless driver would hit them. So, my animal-lover side came out (why I am a vegetarian) and I decided to save all 16 ducks. Here I am in my running outfit, headphones, fuel belt and visor in the middle of the road clapping at the ducks to get out of the road. I am just laughing and smiling and a line of cars have stopped to take pics of all the ducks (not me) with their cell phones. A guy on a motorcycle came and reved his engine and that got the ducks off the road but it was just the cutest thing. After the road was cleared the ducks kept walking, single file, on the sidewalk. I can't tell you how many animals i have saved (plenty of turtles) when I'm out training. Of course i think about my own safety but I don't have to think twice about saving an animal. I guess it is my motherly side but I will save anything with 2 or 4 legs...ok, I even save things that have 8 legs or slither around.
I finished my workout on sat with a 16 mile ride and worked a few hours at the Trek store in the late afternoon. I almost sold two bikes so I feel like I am getting somewhere in the bike industry :)
This morning I went out for a 50-mile ride on seduza and 2 hours and 50 min. later I am back home. It felt like I was out for a 20-mile ride. I don't think I got my heart rate up beyond 80% but the wind was not on my back, that's for sure. It was a toughy but a great solo ride.
Karel had a great weekend and he is finally feeling like he is ready to race this summer. He is really training hard to place well in the races so he can upgrade to category 1 (From cat 2) although cat 1 and 2 race together in the Pro 1,2 category. However, if you are a cat 1 rider (or pro 1 rider) you can race the National racing calendar without invitation and there are some amazing riders and teams in that series. Karel went to Lagrange, GA with a Linder teammate (Ryan) and Karel had an impressive weekend. 4th in the TT, 4th in the crit (so close to a podium finish) and 2nd in the RR!!!! FINALLY!!!!!! Karel got on the podium. I didn't get much of the details of the race (karel isn't a phone talker) but he said 3 guys were working with Karel because cat 1,2 and masters 30 all raced together (I think that is right). Karel was sprinting to the finish with another guy and the 1st place guy bumped Karel off his wheel (not literally, "cycling talk") and won the race. Karel came in 2nd after 102 miles of racing. Also, Karel won a sprint in the "win and out" race that I mentioned in the previous post so he got $100. In all, I think karel made over $200 this weekend so I would call this a successful weekend!
Congrats to everyone who raced this weekend...everywhere! I was checking results all over the world to keep up with you triathletes!
6/20/08
Inconsistent yet strong
Inconsistent is the word I am using to describe my training. Strong is the word that I am using to describe my body. This whole move has really re-structured me and caused me to change around my training. Instead of two-a-days I am putting in double hours in the morning. Instead of biking in the afternoons I am putting in more miles in the morning a few days during the week and one of the workouts is with Karel. I am running faster than ever but I couldn't even tell you what days I run, how long and how far. I wake up, decide that I will run that morning. I found myself not being in the pool for over 2 weeks (well, two times to be correct) and now I am swimming fast. My runs are fast, my biking is fast and my swimming is fast.
I guess inconsistency is working but perhaps I should think about the type of workouts that I am doing. I have no plan so when I set out for my workout I am sure that it is a quality workout. I have goals and expectations for the workout and when I return home I feel accomplished when I complete those goals.
Yesterday I biked with Karel for 30 miles and I felt great. This morning I ran 30 min. on the treadmill and at 7.8mph I was floating on the treadmill. Just skipping away. In the pool I did a 1000 warm-up in 15 min and then a series of 100's with 5 sec. rest. All of my 100's were around 1:21. My muscles are sore but my heart feels really strong for all my workouts.
Next week I go to Atlanta w/ Kate for Iron Girl Atlanta. I am speaking at the pre-race clinic and the triathlon is on sun. I am hoping for a good race. At first I was wondering how I would get excited for a race with my inconsistent training but I guess I should think about how strong I feel and hopefully I will have a fun and successful race.
As for my other half...Karel has been consistent AND strong. He heads to LaGrange, GA today for the GA state crit championships. There are two crits on sat and in addition to the state crit in the early evening, there is a race called the "win and out" crit which is new to the GA cup race in LaGrange. That race is 30 laps and after the first 10 laps, every other lap is a race for $100. Once a cyclist (cat 1,2,3,4) wins the lap, he gets $100 but has to leave the race. Karel is so focused on $100 cause we could use a little traveling gas money so he is ready to sprint for the money. Sun is the road race which is 3 loops and 102 miles. Unfortunantly no one will be there to feed him his fluids but I think he will survive :)
Have a great weekend and since it is prime race season....good luck to anyone racing!
I guess inconsistency is working but perhaps I should think about the type of workouts that I am doing. I have no plan so when I set out for my workout I am sure that it is a quality workout. I have goals and expectations for the workout and when I return home I feel accomplished when I complete those goals.
Yesterday I biked with Karel for 30 miles and I felt great. This morning I ran 30 min. on the treadmill and at 7.8mph I was floating on the treadmill. Just skipping away. In the pool I did a 1000 warm-up in 15 min and then a series of 100's with 5 sec. rest. All of my 100's were around 1:21. My muscles are sore but my heart feels really strong for all my workouts.
Next week I go to Atlanta w/ Kate for Iron Girl Atlanta. I am speaking at the pre-race clinic and the triathlon is on sun. I am hoping for a good race. At first I was wondering how I would get excited for a race with my inconsistent training but I guess I should think about how strong I feel and hopefully I will have a fun and successful race.
As for my other half...Karel has been consistent AND strong. He heads to LaGrange, GA today for the GA state crit championships. There are two crits on sat and in addition to the state crit in the early evening, there is a race called the "win and out" crit which is new to the GA cup race in LaGrange. That race is 30 laps and after the first 10 laps, every other lap is a race for $100. Once a cyclist (cat 1,2,3,4) wins the lap, he gets $100 but has to leave the race. Karel is so focused on $100 cause we could use a little traveling gas money so he is ready to sprint for the money. Sun is the road race which is 3 loops and 102 miles. Unfortunantly no one will be there to feed him his fluids but I think he will survive :)
Have a great weekend and since it is prime race season....good luck to anyone racing!
6/18/08
What to eat?
I live with a hungry male endurance athlete. With us both putting in many weekly hours of training we go through a lot of the same foods. These are a few of our staple foods: eggs, egg beaters, skim milk, soy milk, frozen waffles, veggie and lean meat, cottage cheese, string cheese, veggies, fruit, PB, whey protein, oatmeal, lots of different types of bread, whole grain cereal and trail mix (nuts and raisins). Oh and chocolate for Karel. If I could, I would prepare every meal for Karel so that he never has to eat out. I never rely on fast food for a meal and since a very young age, my parents always had me bring my lunch to school. Everyday for high school I had a PB and jelly sandwich, pretzels, string cheese and carrots. Every single day I had the same thing. Unfortunately, the rest of my vegeterian diet didn't reflect a healthy diet. I was big on cheese, bread and very little veggies and fruit. However, after 14 years of being a vegetarian, I am finally figuring it all out.
I make Karel dinner almost every night and I try to be creative and healthy. last night we had lots of fresh veggies but I also made lettuce wraps w/ cuscous, meat (veggie for me), tomatoes and cheese. It was a yummy dinner. We both love breakfast and since we both train early in the morning on an empty stomach, we have no problem getting in a smoothie and a healthy breakfast. This morning I had a great 9 mile run and an hour spin on my bike and Karel did a sprint workout (crit style) for 75 min. on his bike. After a workout like that, a healthy breakfast is mandatory.
So I've mentioned breakfast and dinner but what about lunch. Well, this is a hard topic for Karel and I because Karel hardly has time for lunch, just like many people out there. Especially athletes who are trying to squeeze in a workout during lunch or have a busy work schedule, I understand that lunchtime is hard to stay on track with a healthy diet. With Karel trying to save gas, he bikes to the beach when he has to work at the other shop (not the trek store 1 mile down the road). Therefore, he relies on a pre-made sandwich which usually lasts until 10:30am. I wish Karel and many others would bring a lunch to work but I understand it doesn't always work out that way. Early morning workouts, straight to work, late nights..I totally understand.
When it comes to healthy eating I try to be practical. Although my focus is on sports nutrition, my consultations are designed to teach people how to eat for a lifetime. Regardless of the situation, circumstance or time in life, I want to be sure people are eating conciously and recognizing what the body needs, dependent on exercise intensity and volume. Because it is important that all people exercise, you don't have to be an athlete to learn how to eat right.
So, back to Karel. What a trouper that he lets me educate him with healthy eating. Just like me, Karel wants to eat well in order to perform well. I find that those who want to lose weight are worried about feeling restricted and missing out one certain foods. Well, if it wasn't for those certain foods people would have less cravings and a more manageable diet without weight gain. If you truely want to get in control of your eating, you don't only need to learn how to eat well but you must follow through with consuming different foods.
I went to work so I could find Karel and everyone else, some healthy foods to eat when you can't bring your lunch. I am still amazed with the "healthy" items on the menus because they are filled with sodium and fat. Both of which can be avoided by making your own meals but...I understand that not everything works out like you'd like and you can't always get what you want. I am also amazed on how cheap foods are when you eat fast food. But, I guess you get what you pay for so expect high fructose corn syrup, saturated/trans fat, sodium and other additives and perservatives in your fast-food meals/snacks. Also, you never know how the food is prepared so please avoid eating fast food and eating unfamiliar food the week before a race.
Eating out shouldn't become a regular thing. If you took the time to leave work, order and wait for you food, pay for your food, pay for gas and then eat you will have saved a lot of time and money by preparing your meals at home.
Here are some of my suggestions:
Taco Bell
Not for the vegetarian but any of the Fresco (no cheese) items will give you 150-180 calories for the tacos and 330 for the burritos. The spicy chicken soft taco comes in with 180 calories, 640 mg sodium and 6 grams of fat. Although one taco may not fill you up, stop by the grocery store and pick up a bag of chopped fresh veggies or fruit and a individual serving of cottage cheese. Now you have a healthy and quick meal.
Arby's
Be sure to avoid dressings and toppings when ordering out. You can save a lot of calories, sodium and fat without losing the taste. I suggest the Roast Turkey Reuben Sandwich w/o thousand island. You can keep the cheese but ask the person preparing the sandwich if you can only have 1 slice of cheese. This sandwich comes in at 451 calories and 17grams of fat, with 823 mg of sodium. Another option is the Southwest chicken wrap without one of the cheeses (it comes with pepper jack and cheddar) and order it without the ranch sauce (as for salsa or a fat-free dressing on the side if possible). The wrap will give you 376 calories and 13 grams of fat. I am not happy about the sodium at 1213, which is coming from the chicken. Ask for roasted turkey to only give you 723 mg. Although both meals are high in sodium, you are going to have a hard time reducing sodium when eating out. Therefore, have half of the sandwich or wrap and order a side salad w/ fat-free dressing on the side and bring a piece of high fiber fruit (apple or pear) to work to eat with the 1/2 sandwich or wrap. Save the rest for after your evening workout.
McDonald's
Although there are a few items on the menu which are low in calories, I am going to stick with a fun meal that will appeal to the vegetarians or those looking for a light meal. My favorite snack on the road is the parfait from McD's w/ granola which is 160 calories and 2 grams of fat. With that, I suggest the Premium Asian salad w/o chicken (to avoid over 800 mg of sodium). The salad w/o dressing is 150 calories and 7 grams of fat and I think you will find the salad and parfait quite filling on a hectic day. Unfortunantly, even the 1.5fl oz. low fat balsamic is low fat and only 40 calories, it has 730 mg of sodium! this won't go well with your 2000mg of sodium daily allowance. I suggest going to taco bell, grabbing a bunch of hot sauce packets (when you buy a meal of course :)) and topping your salads with hot sauce (if you like hot sauce like me). If not, pick up your low fat/fat free cottage cheese if you need more for lunch.
Panara
If I am traveling for a race or flying (Atlanta airport has an atlanta bread), I like to go to Atlanta bread or Panera for a PBandJ. However, the kids PBandJ is overloaded with PB and jelly. Although it sounds strange, I ask for 2 slices of whole grain bread (toasted) and a cup of Pb and a cup of jelly (with the lid). This way, I can put on how ever much I want and since i usually travel with nuts, I like to sprinkle some trail mix on my PBandJ. Another of my favorites is the vegetarian black bean or vegetable soup but both have around 1000mg of sodium. Great for pre-race in florida! Another favorite is the seasonal salad line, which right now is the strawberry poppysead salad. This is a yummy 190 calories and 2.5g of fat. Order the whole grain bread with the salad and ask for the fat-free poppysead dressing on the side. As for the meat items, you are best with the half sandwich, half salad deal and again, avoid dressings and lots of cheese when trying to cut calories.
Subway
The under 6g of fat deal is great for saving calories but you are still getting sodium and lots of it. While most subs are around 300 calories, the oven roasted chicken breast has the lowest amount of sodium at 830mg.
Starbucks
We all need a caffeine fix but you must avoid a drink that is loaded with sugar. I like to ask for an Americano or regular coffee with a shot of sugar-free hazelnut and Karel likes his Non-fat latte. For the chocolate and vanilla lovers, the skinny mocha or vanilla grande is a nice treat at 130 calories and 17 grams of sugar (that is still 4 packets of sugar) and for a hot day, the iced tazo passion shaken ice tea is 60 calories and 15 grams of sugar.
So, when it comes to eating out you may think you are saving calories by picking the healthy items but you add in a lot of extras like sodium, fat and how a food is prepared (the unknown). Make eating out an occasion and find ways to cook at home. Just like sleeping, training (exercising), cleaning, paying bills and working, having a healthy home-cooked meal should be another priority on your list.
6/17/08
Feeling fishy
This is Karel's hobby, Smudla's TV and my way to put a smile on my face. I love our 8 fishies (+5 in the other tank).
Things just haven't been the same. I've been busy..well, that is normal. But i miss my routine. I miss swimming at Palm harbor on tues and thurs, I miss my interval tues and I miss my sat morning long runs on the trail. I miss being able to go see my parents whenever I wanted (when time permitted for the 45 min drive) and I miss seeing familiar faces. Now I don't know where to swim, when to do an interval run, who I am passing on my bike (hehe, thought Karel would like me phrasing it that way) and what else to do on the weekends when I am here.
This morning I went to the Brooks YMCA which is 7 miles away. I probably drive 20 miles (if that) a week now so I was hesitate of committing to a Y so far away. . I wanted to swim with the masters team at 6am so I arrived early in order to check out the facility. This was one amazing facility. I didn't have time to scope out everything but the gym was huge, there was so much equipment and the locker room was beautiful. I went into the indoor pool and swam by myself for 1900 until other swimmers came. The level of swimmers was a bit below me but when it come to swimming I could care less. Give me people to swim with who do triathlons and I love being in the water with other people. A guy named Aaron happened to swim in my lane, so I introduced myself, told him about Karel and he said that he had Karel work on his bike on fri. small world.....but I think the accent from karel is allowing people to remember him easily. Czech who works on bikes=easy to remember. There was a workout on a white board because the coach is on maternity leave but it was a tough workout. My shoulders are really hurting after the 3600yd workout but I think that is because I have only swam 3 times since I moved. I am ready to get in the water more now that I think I found my Y!
Well, that was only the start. I went into the gym and jumped on the treadmill. First I had to pick a tv station because there was a tv on the dashboard of the treadmill. Not a screen sticking up and out of the top of the treadmill. This was amazing! The screen looked awesome and I easily did a 40 min. run with 5 x 2 1/2 min at 7.7 mph and 30 sec at 8mph. I just got new brooks yesterday so my feet are feeling really happy but my running is really coming along. I am feeling really strong and comfortable at a warm-up pace of 7.5 mph. Wow, what a long way I have come.
After the run I did some weights. Something else I haven't done in a LONG time. Impressed again..the machines had counters on them (all electronic) and once you started the counter kept track of your reps. Wow!
I went to take a shower and the lockers had electronic key pads that you punch in a 4 digit code (whatever you will remember) and you can have a locker anytime you want. The showers had nice smelling shampoo, conditioner and body gel (not the cheap kind) and there was a room just to dry your hair with special lighting. Ok, so I passed on that room since my only makeup is mascara and lipgloss and once I dry my hair it goes into a poof ontop of my head but i was still impressed. And there were towels as well all over the gym and bathroom. What a great place!
I guess I will be joining the Y shortly! This way I feel like I can have a place to go to and meet people. I just love the gym environment but I want to be sure I don't stop my consistent riding. Karel is letting me ride with him more now that I can draft better and I am a bit faster so that is a lot of fun. We are riding together tomorrow so I will rest my sore shoulders.
Other than that, I think I can start establishing a routine here. I know it takes time but at least I know I always have great friends and family back in Clearwater.
6/16/08
Ocala State Road Race
Sat morning I stayed at home to finish up my pile of school work. I 98% finished my research paper (all but the reference page and inserting tables and figures), I finished my lab report and I caught up on some emails. This was all after the morning ride with the group here in Jax. Oh, and I did laundry and cleaned (two things I am not a big fan of...luckily, I have Karel :) ). The group ride was great, I made the whole ride and I was super tired all day. A great feeling as usual. Karel got 8th in the age group state road race and he said he was saving it all for Sunday's race. We watched a movie on sat night (American Gangster w/ Denzel Washington) which was just what I needed to be able to forget about school work and other nutrition stuff and not be on the computer for a few hours. In saying all this, I absolutely love what I am doing (school and nutrition consults) and I wouldn't change any of it!
Sunday morning I was planning to get up for a run but the movie on sat night kept us up until 10:30pm. Way past our bedtime. When the alarm went off at 5:30am I decided to stay in bed for 30 more minutes as Karel made himself a pre-race meal. I finally woke up and was ready for some coffee. I put on my running clothes and decided I would run when Karel and the guys were warming up and although I was only doing a short run, I knew the ups and downs of Ocala would make it a good workout. The drive was only around 2 hours and when we arrived, I couldn't believe all the linder capital guys who were racing. There was 8 of them which makes for a solid team of strong riders in a state road race.
I went for my 30 minute run and I was running up and down, up and down. It was hot, sticky and well, HOT so when I got back to the car I had just enough time to pour water all over me (A staple of cycling races, you must bring gallons of water for the cyclists to pour all over them when they are finished), take some pics, change and go to the starting line.
The race was 75 miles on a 5-mile loop course. After an hour of taking pics, I headed up a big hill to the feed zone with Kevin, who works at the Trek store w/ us. We were on water-bottle tossing duty all race so we strategically planned out how to pass 8 guys water bottles during the 3 1/2 + hour road race. All went well and we had a lot of fun. Of course, I wanted to take pics with my new camera the whole time but I guess sport drinks are more important than pics.
The race was really excited and Karel and the LInder guys were really strong during the race. Curtis, who placed 2nd on sat, landed in the break away group from the gun and after leading Saturday's race I could only imagine how sore his legs felt during the race. Curtis made it until 4 laps to go and dropped out because he cramped and didn't have anything left. I don't blame him..it is just part of the tactics of cycling. Karel, James and Jeff knew that Curtis was in the break so although the chase pack was getting close to the break away group, there was no reason to try to catch them right away in the race. It wasn't until around 4-5 laps to go that the 2min. lead of the break away group got caught and then everyone was together. Karel, James, Ryan, Jeff and Victor looked super strong and I knew these guys would have a good finish. Well, here comes the sprint to the finish (Karel's strength) and Karel was boxed in the middle and couldn't sprint. There was a 2 man break away on the last loop so the chase pack was sprinting for 3rd place and down. I could see Karel trying to dodge everyone and sprint but there was no where for him to go. Well, Karel ended up in 10th place and in his heart he feels like he could have gotten third and landed on the podium. Karel is just re-playing the moment in his head..."what else could I have done to get there???" but I think he is finally feeling like all the training is paying off and he is ready to race. There are no BIG races coming up but Karel is racing plenty for the next month or so. Well, I know these Linder guys are going to have many more great races and I can't wait to be there and take some pics!
Sunday morning I was planning to get up for a run but the movie on sat night kept us up until 10:30pm. Way past our bedtime. When the alarm went off at 5:30am I decided to stay in bed for 30 more minutes as Karel made himself a pre-race meal. I finally woke up and was ready for some coffee. I put on my running clothes and decided I would run when Karel and the guys were warming up and although I was only doing a short run, I knew the ups and downs of Ocala would make it a good workout. The drive was only around 2 hours and when we arrived, I couldn't believe all the linder capital guys who were racing. There was 8 of them which makes for a solid team of strong riders in a state road race.
I went for my 30 minute run and I was running up and down, up and down. It was hot, sticky and well, HOT so when I got back to the car I had just enough time to pour water all over me (A staple of cycling races, you must bring gallons of water for the cyclists to pour all over them when they are finished), take some pics, change and go to the starting line.
The race was 75 miles on a 5-mile loop course. After an hour of taking pics, I headed up a big hill to the feed zone with Kevin, who works at the Trek store w/ us. We were on water-bottle tossing duty all race so we strategically planned out how to pass 8 guys water bottles during the 3 1/2 + hour road race. All went well and we had a lot of fun. Of course, I wanted to take pics with my new camera the whole time but I guess sport drinks are more important than pics.
The race was really excited and Karel and the LInder guys were really strong during the race. Curtis, who placed 2nd on sat, landed in the break away group from the gun and after leading Saturday's race I could only imagine how sore his legs felt during the race. Curtis made it until 4 laps to go and dropped out because he cramped and didn't have anything left. I don't blame him..it is just part of the tactics of cycling. Karel, James and Jeff knew that Curtis was in the break so although the chase pack was getting close to the break away group, there was no reason to try to catch them right away in the race. It wasn't until around 4-5 laps to go that the 2min. lead of the break away group got caught and then everyone was together. Karel, James, Ryan, Jeff and Victor looked super strong and I knew these guys would have a good finish. Well, here comes the sprint to the finish (Karel's strength) and Karel was boxed in the middle and couldn't sprint. There was a 2 man break away on the last loop so the chase pack was sprinting for 3rd place and down. I could see Karel trying to dodge everyone and sprint but there was no where for him to go. Well, Karel ended up in 10th place and in his heart he feels like he could have gotten third and landed on the podium. Karel is just re-playing the moment in his head..."what else could I have done to get there???" but I think he is finally feeling like all the training is paying off and he is ready to race. There are no BIG races coming up but Karel is racing plenty for the next month or so. Well, I know these Linder guys are going to have many more great races and I can't wait to be there and take some pics!
6/14/08
Week is almost over!
What a week. I am almost finished with my research paper for Food science and I finished all my food science labs yesterday. I had to make about 10 different kinds of cakes and then 9 different muffins using different leavening agents. It was really neat to see the results but I don't want to see, make or taste another cake or muffin for a long time!!! I must say that Karel had a great time with this lab. Mr. Sweet tooth (aka karel) really enjoyed this lab. I think I might invest in a bread maker after going through this lab. I had a great time making healthy and low cal muffins and I even thought of ways to make the "sweet" foods healthier. Because Karel and I are big bread lovers, it might be fun to make our own bread.
I am feeling a little more rested after vegas but I was super tired after a red-eye on tues night. In addition to the 3-hour time change, I was really messed up on wed. Plus with a bunch of nutrition consultations and school work to come home to I was only able to get in a 2 hour (well needed) nap on wed. But, that is ok. I am getting everything done so that is good.
Yesterday I worked the registration at the Beaches fine arts triathlon at the ABC bike store in jacksonville beach. I didn't really meet anyone but at least I saw a lot of faces that I will hopefully see again. There are 2 races that I am planning on doing in August (olympic tri and open water swim) so by then, i will hopefully know more people. This meeting stuff is hard! It is almost like you have to make time to meet people...and well, I'd love some free time!
One thing that I do spend time on is cooking. I make sure that karel and I have a cooked meal every night. I don't rely on fast food or eating out (that is for traveling) so even if it is an omelette, soup, salad, pizza bread (cheese, sauce and veggies on 2 pieces of toast) or a wrap, I make sure we both have a healthy dinner every night. Honestly, I don't have time to spend more than 45 min. on a meal so I rely on time management..if i have time, I have a more detailed meal and if I don't have time, it's something easy to prepare. Either way...it is cooked, fresh and yummy :) To make my meals easy to prepare, I think about my day the moment I get up. I try to plan my lunch and dinner meals so that I am sure i am not missing on my macronutrients. So if I have Pb and J for lunch (if I am busy and on the go) then I will have eggs or veggie meat, to be sure i have extra protein. I recommend knowing what you will have for breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday once you get out of bed in the mroning. It makes meal planning a lot easier and you also prevent snacking and mindless eating...like when you are deciding what to eat :) If you need any help planning meals, just let me know. I am about to put together a BT.com video on quick meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
This morning Karel went to ocala for the age group fl. state road race. Tomorrow is the category race. I am waiting to hear from him so hopefully all went well. I am going to watch him tomorrow and I am super excited to use my (I mean, Karel's) new camera :)
After Karel left, I had a small snack (toast, Pb and yogurt) before the group ride. This was my third time for the ride and I was determined to make it the whole ride without getting dropped. I don't really know anyone on the ride so it is a little hard for me to trust everyone, but I am getting know bikes so that helps. I am getting better at drafting, especially when we are flying at 28mph. It is always a fast ride but I think the pace was a little slower (same overall speed, but less attacks) because there was a triathlon and cycling race today. well, i made it the whole ride and I was super happy. 44 miles and we averaged 22mph (w/ warm-up and warm-down). Riding my road bike has helped me out so much. I haven't been on seduza in a few weeks but I am feeling really strong and can't wait to do a tri!
After the ride, I went for a 3 1/2 mile run and finished it with a soak in the apartment pool. I only put my feet in the water but it felt sooooo good.
Well, time to finish up the research paper, send in my lab report and answer some emails.
Have a great weekend!!!
I am feeling a little more rested after vegas but I was super tired after a red-eye on tues night. In addition to the 3-hour time change, I was really messed up on wed. Plus with a bunch of nutrition consultations and school work to come home to I was only able to get in a 2 hour (well needed) nap on wed. But, that is ok. I am getting everything done so that is good.
Yesterday I worked the registration at the Beaches fine arts triathlon at the ABC bike store in jacksonville beach. I didn't really meet anyone but at least I saw a lot of faces that I will hopefully see again. There are 2 races that I am planning on doing in August (olympic tri and open water swim) so by then, i will hopefully know more people. This meeting stuff is hard! It is almost like you have to make time to meet people...and well, I'd love some free time!
One thing that I do spend time on is cooking. I make sure that karel and I have a cooked meal every night. I don't rely on fast food or eating out (that is for traveling) so even if it is an omelette, soup, salad, pizza bread (cheese, sauce and veggies on 2 pieces of toast) or a wrap, I make sure we both have a healthy dinner every night. Honestly, I don't have time to spend more than 45 min. on a meal so I rely on time management..if i have time, I have a more detailed meal and if I don't have time, it's something easy to prepare. Either way...it is cooked, fresh and yummy :) To make my meals easy to prepare, I think about my day the moment I get up. I try to plan my lunch and dinner meals so that I am sure i am not missing on my macronutrients. So if I have Pb and J for lunch (if I am busy and on the go) then I will have eggs or veggie meat, to be sure i have extra protein. I recommend knowing what you will have for breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday once you get out of bed in the mroning. It makes meal planning a lot easier and you also prevent snacking and mindless eating...like when you are deciding what to eat :) If you need any help planning meals, just let me know. I am about to put together a BT.com video on quick meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
This morning Karel went to ocala for the age group fl. state road race. Tomorrow is the category race. I am waiting to hear from him so hopefully all went well. I am going to watch him tomorrow and I am super excited to use my (I mean, Karel's) new camera :)
After Karel left, I had a small snack (toast, Pb and yogurt) before the group ride. This was my third time for the ride and I was determined to make it the whole ride without getting dropped. I don't really know anyone on the ride so it is a little hard for me to trust everyone, but I am getting know bikes so that helps. I am getting better at drafting, especially when we are flying at 28mph. It is always a fast ride but I think the pace was a little slower (same overall speed, but less attacks) because there was a triathlon and cycling race today. well, i made it the whole ride and I was super happy. 44 miles and we averaged 22mph (w/ warm-up and warm-down). Riding my road bike has helped me out so much. I haven't been on seduza in a few weeks but I am feeling really strong and can't wait to do a tri!
After the ride, I went for a 3 1/2 mile run and finished it with a soak in the apartment pool. I only put my feet in the water but it felt sooooo good.
Well, time to finish up the research paper, send in my lab report and answer some emails.
Have a great weekend!!!
6/12/08
Not enough time in the day!
I'm back from vegas..I had a great time. The hotel was amazing, the conference speakers were amazing and it was great to see some old friends and meet new ones. I had a great time with my roomie Ivonne (that I met for the first time on sun) and it was great to share the conference with someone else. I have been going to the ISSN annual conference for the past 3 years so as my 4th time, I am pretty close with the board members. Knowing the inner circle has its perks but most of all, I find myself laughing and totally comfortable around all the PhD's and researchers. And believe me..these guys are smart!!!
I really learned a lot and I will have to sum everything up. I spent the car ride home with karel explaining everything I learned. Not sure if he listened since he was thinking about what he wanted for breakfast, but he did ask questions. :)
I am finding that there isn't enough time in the day. I am working on a research paper for my food science class (it's been a while since I have written a 12 page paper but compared to grad school, I will take a 12, and not 20, page paper). I am also trying to squeeze in my food science lab which I have to make a zillion cakes and muffins. I made the muffins which was fun. I am learning about leavening agents and different types of flour and mixing techniques. Karel is loving this assignment and I told him we are having muffins and cakes for the next week. I couldn't just stick with the normal recipe so after I did my experiment i used the extra muffin and cake batter to make healthy foods, like rye muffins w/ raisins and then a cake which is like angel food cake and I added lemon juice and apples. I am about to head to the Trek store to work 2 hours (I know it isn't much but after a week of working I have grocery money!!!) and I am bringing the guys muffins and cake. I am sure they will love it. Luckily, there isn't a lot of sugar in it so I don't feel too guilty about bringing it. I know it is fun baking and cooking for other people, but I just feel guilty if I give someone else a food that I am avoiding. I know baking cookies and cakes are great, especially when you can give them to someone (because they are too high in sugar and fat for yourself) but then I feel like I am ruining someone else's diet. I rather bring healthy foods which I know anyone can enjoy and feel good about eating. Well, i tried to make these healthy and I'm thinking the Trek guys probably wouldn't enjoy my normal "marni foods". Oh well, Karel enjoys them so that is all that matters :)
I was planning on racing at the state road race championships in ocala, FL on sun but karel and I would have to spend the night on sat because my race would start at 8am and karel's race is at 10. This is a very important race for Karel and I don't want him to have to get up super early to drive down on sun. because I have so much to do right now for school, I decided to just go on sun to watch Karel. He also races age-group on sat (category on sun) but I will have to stay here to work on my assignments. BOO!! but I guess I have to prioritize..i just can't give up watching Karel for one day.
I have a beginnertriathlete.com nutrition chat on sun night so we will have to get home right after the race. No stopping for me!
Oh and tomorrow I am helping out with a triathlon registration at the American Bicycle Company store (the other shop that Karel works at) so I am really looking foward to meeting some triathletes. I haven't even signed up for a gym so I have been really slacking on my swimming :( I rode 30 miles with Karel this morning and running is going great. I hope to sign up for a gym before tues next week.
Ok..off I go to ride my bike to work. I tell ya, I don't know how you mommies and daddies do it????
I really learned a lot and I will have to sum everything up. I spent the car ride home with karel explaining everything I learned. Not sure if he listened since he was thinking about what he wanted for breakfast, but he did ask questions. :)
I am finding that there isn't enough time in the day. I am working on a research paper for my food science class (it's been a while since I have written a 12 page paper but compared to grad school, I will take a 12, and not 20, page paper). I am also trying to squeeze in my food science lab which I have to make a zillion cakes and muffins. I made the muffins which was fun. I am learning about leavening agents and different types of flour and mixing techniques. Karel is loving this assignment and I told him we are having muffins and cakes for the next week. I couldn't just stick with the normal recipe so after I did my experiment i used the extra muffin and cake batter to make healthy foods, like rye muffins w/ raisins and then a cake which is like angel food cake and I added lemon juice and apples. I am about to head to the Trek store to work 2 hours (I know it isn't much but after a week of working I have grocery money!!!) and I am bringing the guys muffins and cake. I am sure they will love it. Luckily, there isn't a lot of sugar in it so I don't feel too guilty about bringing it. I know it is fun baking and cooking for other people, but I just feel guilty if I give someone else a food that I am avoiding. I know baking cookies and cakes are great, especially when you can give them to someone (because they are too high in sugar and fat for yourself) but then I feel like I am ruining someone else's diet. I rather bring healthy foods which I know anyone can enjoy and feel good about eating. Well, i tried to make these healthy and I'm thinking the Trek guys probably wouldn't enjoy my normal "marni foods". Oh well, Karel enjoys them so that is all that matters :)
I was planning on racing at the state road race championships in ocala, FL on sun but karel and I would have to spend the night on sat because my race would start at 8am and karel's race is at 10. This is a very important race for Karel and I don't want him to have to get up super early to drive down on sun. because I have so much to do right now for school, I decided to just go on sun to watch Karel. He also races age-group on sat (category on sun) but I will have to stay here to work on my assignments. BOO!! but I guess I have to prioritize..i just can't give up watching Karel for one day.
I have a beginnertriathlete.com nutrition chat on sun night so we will have to get home right after the race. No stopping for me!
Oh and tomorrow I am helping out with a triathlon registration at the American Bicycle Company store (the other shop that Karel works at) so I am really looking foward to meeting some triathletes. I haven't even signed up for a gym so I have been really slacking on my swimming :( I rode 30 miles with Karel this morning and running is going great. I hope to sign up for a gym before tues next week.
Ok..off I go to ride my bike to work. I tell ya, I don't know how you mommies and daddies do it????
6/10/08
ISSN conference
Just a quick update.
I got in late on sunday night and I was just exhausted. I was super tired but when arriving at the hotel, I suddenly woke up. The Red Rock is absolutely amazing and I've never seen a hotel like this before. The hotel is off the strip and in the desert/mountains and the layout of the hotel is beautiful. I will post pics when I return on wed morning.
I have seen a lot of familiar faces and met some nice people. Today I met a researcher from Gener8 which is a new sport drink which I've seen in various magazines. I was interested in the ingredients in the powder and how it is "better than the rest" in the field of sport drink. I still need to see more research to validate the claims. More so, I will let Karel try it out and see what he thinks. He is my subject for all new products so lucky for me, I have someone who either says Yes or No if products work. I think because I have created a steady diet for karel and I, as far as stabilizing our blood sugars on a daily basis, so when I need to try something out (or Karel trying it out) we are able to try the product in a controlled situation. That is my feel on sports supplements/drinks/gels...if your body isn't in a stable environment than it is very hard for it to properly accept a product in terms of performancing enhancing. Anyways.....
I listened to a lot of great talks today. I was in conference rooms from 8:30 until 12 and then again for most of the afternoon. I had to start my day early by taking my mid-term exam (90 minutes, 100 questions) online for my food science class. I passed fine but it was tough with traveling and lack of sleep. It was a tough exam and as my first dietetic exam I am glad to have it under my belt. I have another quiz tomorrow morning for nutrition education and counseling. I of course had to start my day with starbucks so I was stalking the starbucks at 545 as I waited and waited until they opened at 6am.
Among the talks today I can sum up a few points...
-Whey still appears to be the highest biological protein and a must in post-workout foods. I will learn more tomorrow as there are more talks on whey and soy.
-Nitric oxide is all about hype. Apparently, there are no peer reviewed manuscripts demonstrating that NO works in athletes/humans. Among the few studies which companies are claiming in order to sell their products, the research is done on cultured cells, the dose is extremely high and the NO is given by IV. I still need to see more research to say that NOExplode and other vasodilators help performance.
-Caffeine is a winner when it comes to pre-workout/race nutrition. The research is now showing that Caffeine affects the adenosine receptors in the brain to improve physical exertion and also spare glycogen by promoting the release of fatty acids. No more than 3 mg/kg body is needed for athletes and it is best to consume an hour before a workout/race. Studies show that more is not better and if you are a regular coffee/caffeine user you are less likely to see the effects. I wouldn't suggest getting off the morning cup of joe if you are going to suffer headaches and withdrawl (remember, caffeine is a drug!) but if you can get off of it for a day or two before a race you may show significant effects in caffeine use and glycogen sparing during exercise. Dr. John Ivy (author of nutrient timing and researcher for the 4:1 ratio seen in accelerade) also showed that caffeine was better than a pre-carb meal 45 min. before a workout. The carb meal showed a hyperglycemic response which is very detrimental to effort and time to fatigue.
-When it comes to eating protein, athletes (endurance) should aim for around 1.4-1.8 g/kg body weight. Rather than focusing on daily protein, it is more important to think about each meal. Because of the rate limiting enzymes and pathways needed to break down protein and promote recovery and muscle growth, focus on eating a certain amount for every meal. If you need 150 grams per day of protein, eat 3 meals of 30g protein and focus on complete protein which includes all the essential amino acids (needed from the diet) such as eggs, cottage cheese, milk, whey, meat and/or fish. Then include 3 snacks with 20 g protein at each snack. This is just an example but you get the point. YOu are much better off spreading out your protein equally at meals rather than having one big meal of protein and then missing out on protein at another meal. However, I still feel that carbs should be emphasized in the morning and taper off during the day. IN saying this, you can still include the same amount of protein at each meal but the extra calories from carbs would be best after a morning workout (or long workout).
-Amino acids are still the best thing for athletes of all kinds, especially endurance athletes. Instead of taking seperate supplements of leucine (which is being talked about a lot in our conference...I will keep you posted on this branch chain amino acid which may help performance in endurance athletes), arginine and glutamine you are best taking whey protein on a daily basis. Aim for at least 18g whey protein in your recovery drinks. I suggest going for powder rather than pills in order to get the most for your money.
Well, I can't wait to learn more tomorrow! I will first hit the hotel gym early in the mroning and get in a good run. Today was a great day off from training but I am ready to get a few more red blood cells out here in vegas :)
I got in late on sunday night and I was just exhausted. I was super tired but when arriving at the hotel, I suddenly woke up. The Red Rock is absolutely amazing and I've never seen a hotel like this before. The hotel is off the strip and in the desert/mountains and the layout of the hotel is beautiful. I will post pics when I return on wed morning.
I have seen a lot of familiar faces and met some nice people. Today I met a researcher from Gener8 which is a new sport drink which I've seen in various magazines. I was interested in the ingredients in the powder and how it is "better than the rest" in the field of sport drink. I still need to see more research to validate the claims. More so, I will let Karel try it out and see what he thinks. He is my subject for all new products so lucky for me, I have someone who either says Yes or No if products work. I think because I have created a steady diet for karel and I, as far as stabilizing our blood sugars on a daily basis, so when I need to try something out (or Karel trying it out) we are able to try the product in a controlled situation. That is my feel on sports supplements/drinks/gels...if your body isn't in a stable environment than it is very hard for it to properly accept a product in terms of performancing enhancing. Anyways.....
I listened to a lot of great talks today. I was in conference rooms from 8:30 until 12 and then again for most of the afternoon. I had to start my day early by taking my mid-term exam (90 minutes, 100 questions) online for my food science class. I passed fine but it was tough with traveling and lack of sleep. It was a tough exam and as my first dietetic exam I am glad to have it under my belt. I have another quiz tomorrow morning for nutrition education and counseling. I of course had to start my day with starbucks so I was stalking the starbucks at 545 as I waited and waited until they opened at 6am.
Among the talks today I can sum up a few points...
-Whey still appears to be the highest biological protein and a must in post-workout foods. I will learn more tomorrow as there are more talks on whey and soy.
-Nitric oxide is all about hype. Apparently, there are no peer reviewed manuscripts demonstrating that NO works in athletes/humans. Among the few studies which companies are claiming in order to sell their products, the research is done on cultured cells, the dose is extremely high and the NO is given by IV. I still need to see more research to say that NOExplode and other vasodilators help performance.
-Caffeine is a winner when it comes to pre-workout/race nutrition. The research is now showing that Caffeine affects the adenosine receptors in the brain to improve physical exertion and also spare glycogen by promoting the release of fatty acids. No more than 3 mg/kg body is needed for athletes and it is best to consume an hour before a workout/race. Studies show that more is not better and if you are a regular coffee/caffeine user you are less likely to see the effects. I wouldn't suggest getting off the morning cup of joe if you are going to suffer headaches and withdrawl (remember, caffeine is a drug!) but if you can get off of it for a day or two before a race you may show significant effects in caffeine use and glycogen sparing during exercise. Dr. John Ivy (author of nutrient timing and researcher for the 4:1 ratio seen in accelerade) also showed that caffeine was better than a pre-carb meal 45 min. before a workout. The carb meal showed a hyperglycemic response which is very detrimental to effort and time to fatigue.
-When it comes to eating protein, athletes (endurance) should aim for around 1.4-1.8 g/kg body weight. Rather than focusing on daily protein, it is more important to think about each meal. Because of the rate limiting enzymes and pathways needed to break down protein and promote recovery and muscle growth, focus on eating a certain amount for every meal. If you need 150 grams per day of protein, eat 3 meals of 30g protein and focus on complete protein which includes all the essential amino acids (needed from the diet) such as eggs, cottage cheese, milk, whey, meat and/or fish. Then include 3 snacks with 20 g protein at each snack. This is just an example but you get the point. YOu are much better off spreading out your protein equally at meals rather than having one big meal of protein and then missing out on protein at another meal. However, I still feel that carbs should be emphasized in the morning and taper off during the day. IN saying this, you can still include the same amount of protein at each meal but the extra calories from carbs would be best after a morning workout (or long workout).
-Amino acids are still the best thing for athletes of all kinds, especially endurance athletes. Instead of taking seperate supplements of leucine (which is being talked about a lot in our conference...I will keep you posted on this branch chain amino acid which may help performance in endurance athletes), arginine and glutamine you are best taking whey protein on a daily basis. Aim for at least 18g whey protein in your recovery drinks. I suggest going for powder rather than pills in order to get the most for your money.
Well, I can't wait to learn more tomorrow! I will first hit the hotel gym early in the mroning and get in a good run. Today was a great day off from training but I am ready to get a few more red blood cells out here in vegas :)
6/8/08
Heading to Vegas!
Before packing up my bags I needed to get an exhausting workout. I guess it just comes with traveling that a good morning workout makes for a well-deserving day of sitting on an air plane. Karel and I rode together at 7am to meet the Open Road cycles group. More like a peloton with over 30 people. Oh jeez. Well, I had a few miles to build my confidence before the speed picked up and Karel was giving me his always helpful advice as we rode next to each other. Karel was only planning on doing a short ride due to a race today but decided not to do the race..but still kept the ride short. However, I was out for the whole ride....until I got dropped that is.
The pace picked up to around 23 and it varied between 25 and 23 for most of the ride. I was hanging on ok for around 10 miles and luckily I knew the roads so that helped with my cornering. It wasn't too long after I was looking at the wheel in front of me that I noticed the pace picked up and Karel was gone. Hum....Well, the road turned to the left a bit and I could see far down the group that Karel was in the front. I guess we were all going too slow for him. He was pulling the whole group until he started to head home and I barely got in a "good bye" before he dropped off and I was still determined to hang on. For the next 10-15 miles I was hanging on by a thread. Barely I was staying with everyone and my quads were BURNING! I couldn't even grab a sip of water but maybe every 7-10 miles. I was just pushing for dear life. Finally, on the way home with 8 miles left to go, my legs said no more and I was done. Well, I guess i made it much further than last time and with a lot of people dropping off, the group was still big but I was still in for most of it. I looked at my computer and I had done 36 miles with the group which was just great for me. We averaged 22 mph which was crazy fast. I slowly made my way home, but made a quick stop at the Trek store to say hi to Karel. He was proud of me so that is always a good thing. I ended up with 45 miles and finished the workout with a 2.8 mile run. FAST! My legs are feeling pretty powerful with my run so I think the road biking is paying off!
I packed my bags, studied ALL afternoon and Karel took me to the airport to head to Tampa (first stop of my trip) to see my parents.
Originally I booked my flight from Tampa not knowing about my move so it was great to see my parents. Even better, we went to the international mall for dinner and looked for dresses for the wedding. I found my wedding dress!!!
This morning I had a great 90 min. run and was daydreaming all through Starkey Park. It was beautiful outside and I was just enjoying another exhausting workout. I finished my morning with a dip in my parents pool as I once again studied.
Well, time to head to vegas!!!!
The pace picked up to around 23 and it varied between 25 and 23 for most of the ride. I was hanging on ok for around 10 miles and luckily I knew the roads so that helped with my cornering. It wasn't too long after I was looking at the wheel in front of me that I noticed the pace picked up and Karel was gone. Hum....Well, the road turned to the left a bit and I could see far down the group that Karel was in the front. I guess we were all going too slow for him. He was pulling the whole group until he started to head home and I barely got in a "good bye" before he dropped off and I was still determined to hang on. For the next 10-15 miles I was hanging on by a thread. Barely I was staying with everyone and my quads were BURNING! I couldn't even grab a sip of water but maybe every 7-10 miles. I was just pushing for dear life. Finally, on the way home with 8 miles left to go, my legs said no more and I was done. Well, I guess i made it much further than last time and with a lot of people dropping off, the group was still big but I was still in for most of it. I looked at my computer and I had done 36 miles with the group which was just great for me. We averaged 22 mph which was crazy fast. I slowly made my way home, but made a quick stop at the Trek store to say hi to Karel. He was proud of me so that is always a good thing. I ended up with 45 miles and finished the workout with a 2.8 mile run. FAST! My legs are feeling pretty powerful with my run so I think the road biking is paying off!
I packed my bags, studied ALL afternoon and Karel took me to the airport to head to Tampa (first stop of my trip) to see my parents.
Originally I booked my flight from Tampa not knowing about my move so it was great to see my parents. Even better, we went to the international mall for dinner and looked for dresses for the wedding. I found my wedding dress!!!
This morning I had a great 90 min. run and was daydreaming all through Starkey Park. It was beautiful outside and I was just enjoying another exhausting workout. I finished my morning with a dip in my parents pool as I once again studied.
Well, time to head to vegas!!!!
6/6/08
National Donut Day
Please....like I am really going to write about donuts. :)
Actually, this is a perfect day to talk about some of the delicious food choices that are featured on every other TV commercial. Maybe I am just hungry when I watch TV in the evenings but I can't tell you how many yummy ads I see on tv. Yummy, that is, until I check the nutritional value on the computer.
So, if these ads are tempting even the healthiest eater (ME) I am sure every person reading my blog (and more) are contemplating about some of these sweet treats I see on TV. Not only are there sweet treats but I have seen some "healthy" ads which make me wonder....are these foods really as healthy as they seem????
Dunkin Donuts:
1 Glazed Donut
Sure, there are no trans fats in the donut but I ask you to read the list of ingredients and correctly pronounce everything that is in the donut that you are eating. And, with 21% of the donut being Saturated fat (at 4.5 grams) and 90 calories from fat, I think you may reconsider your 230 calorie sweet treat
Nutrition Facts
Calories 230
Calories from Fat 90
Total Fat 10g 15%
Saturated Fat 4.5g 21%
Sodium 320mg 13%
Total Carbohydrates 30g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Sugar 12g
Protein 4g
Ingredients: Enriched Flour (Bleached Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Palm Oil, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil and Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil with TBHQ and Citric Acid Added to Help Protect Flavor, Sugar, Dextrose, Contains 2% Or Less Of The Following: Yeast, Salt, Maltodextrin, Whey, Soy Flour, Mono- & Diglycerides, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Soy Lecithin, Nonfat Milk, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Propylene Glycol, Annatto, Turmeric, Sodium Caseinate, Natural & Artificial Flavor, Gum Arabic, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Xanthan Gum, Agar, Carrageenan, Citric Acid, Egg.
Wendys NEW Strawberry Shake
I must say that this one looks rather good after a long bike ride with karel. However, I think I will continue with my pancakes and smoothie than filling myself with a drink filled with sugar.
1 large strawberry shake at Wendy's clogs your arteries with 8 grams of saturated fat, .5 grams of trans fat, 13 grams of total fat and 79 grams of sugar. That is enough sugar to give even the healthiest athlete diabetes! And since you are probably thinking this shake would be perfect after a workout to hold you over until your post-workout meal, how about feeling hungry after sipping down 520 calories.
Again, check the ingredients to see what you are really drinking...
Strawberry Frosty™ Shake:
Vanilla Frosty (milk, sugar, corn syrup, cream, whey, nonfat dry milk, guar gum, mono and diglycerides, natural and artificial flavor, cellulose gum, carrageenan, calcium sulfate, disodium phosphate, dextrose, annatto color, vitamin A palmitate), Strawberry Shake Syrup (water, high fructose corn syrup, sweetened strawberries [strawberries, sugar], corn syrup, natural flavor, citric acid, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate [preservative], red 40, blue 1). CONTAINS: MILK.
Arbys Smoothie Shake
When Karel and I were moving we stopped at a gas station to fill up the track and attached to the station was an Arby's. Karel was hungry (as usual) and ordered a berry delight swirl shake. I had a sip and knew right away that it wasn't healthy. How'd I know? It tasted WAY too good to be healthy. Ok, so healthy food can be tasted but you know you are drinking sugar when you just can't get enough of it.
It wasn't until Karel looked it up on the computer that we realized how "good" it really was. I think we would need to go out for a couple century's to use up the energy from that drink. Actually, we'd rather stick with our post workout smoothies and something a little more healthy in our bloodstream.
I'm not going to lie..it was good but Karel and I know better for next time!
Berry Delight Swirl Shake:
Calories: 651
Calories from Fat:140
Fat: 16 Saturated Fat: 9 Trans Fat: 0.5
Sodium: 439
Carbs: 112
SUGAR!!!! AHHHHHHH 100g
Papa Johns Pizza with the NEW Whole Grain Crust
Since we all love pizza and we know whole grains are healthy, here is the new slogan for the new whole grain crust:
Our hand-tossed, 100% whole wheat crust is made from the superior-quality ingredients you expect from Papa John's. It's prepared using 100% whole grains and clear-filtered water to create an authentic crust that's delivered to our stores fresh, never frozen. The result is a full-bodied crust that's a perfect balance of flavor and texture.
I like thin crust pizza due to the crunch and flavor with an extra saving in calories from less dough in the crust. So I checked the nutrition to see if this whole grain crust was as healthy as it is claimed to be and here is what I found:
Original Crust (132grams/slice) of a 14" pizza comes in at 300 calories, 11g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat and sodium at 750grams (of course high in sodium because it is fast food/restaurant food).
Thin crust (96 grams/slice) for a 14" pizza comes to 240 calories, 13 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of fat and 500 mg sodium. I like to ask for light on the cheese when I order pizza but I ask for extra veggies on a vegetable pizza. My favorite place for pizza is Hungry Howie but I heard that Mellow Mushroom (there is one here in JAX) has a lot of great vegetarian options.
So now to the whole wheat crust pizza (132grams/slice) for a 14" comes to 290 calories and 12 grams of fat. 3.5 grams of saturated fat and 730 mg sodium. We all know that just because it is whole grain doesn't mean there are less calories but I guess adding whole grains to the diet through pizza is a good reason to order the new whole grain crust. I thought that there would be more fiber (only 5 grams in whole grain and 2 in the original, 1 in the thin crust) in the whole grain so in that case, I'd rather make my own pizza with my own high fiber bread/wrap, marinara sauce and whatever toppings I choose. Plus, I save a lot of money and the 30 minutes to wait for the pizza can be occupied with me preparing my "pizza" the way I like it.
Let me know if you have any other questions as far as foods to emphasize and de-emphasize. I don't like saying good and bad foods unless they are heart unhealthy, but i guess in this case, there are a lot of bad foods out there.
Actually, this is a perfect day to talk about some of the delicious food choices that are featured on every other TV commercial. Maybe I am just hungry when I watch TV in the evenings but I can't tell you how many yummy ads I see on tv. Yummy, that is, until I check the nutritional value on the computer.
So, if these ads are tempting even the healthiest eater (ME) I am sure every person reading my blog (and more) are contemplating about some of these sweet treats I see on TV. Not only are there sweet treats but I have seen some "healthy" ads which make me wonder....are these foods really as healthy as they seem????
Dunkin Donuts:
1 Glazed Donut
Sure, there are no trans fats in the donut but I ask you to read the list of ingredients and correctly pronounce everything that is in the donut that you are eating. And, with 21% of the donut being Saturated fat (at 4.5 grams) and 90 calories from fat, I think you may reconsider your 230 calorie sweet treat
Nutrition Facts
Calories 230
Calories from Fat 90
Total Fat 10g 15%
Saturated Fat 4.5g 21%
Sodium 320mg 13%
Total Carbohydrates 30g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Sugar 12g
Protein 4g
Ingredients: Enriched Flour (Bleached Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Palm Oil, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil and Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil with TBHQ and Citric Acid Added to Help Protect Flavor, Sugar, Dextrose, Contains 2% Or Less Of The Following: Yeast, Salt, Maltodextrin, Whey, Soy Flour, Mono- & Diglycerides, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Soy Lecithin, Nonfat Milk, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Propylene Glycol, Annatto, Turmeric, Sodium Caseinate, Natural & Artificial Flavor, Gum Arabic, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Xanthan Gum, Agar, Carrageenan, Citric Acid, Egg.
Wendys NEW Strawberry Shake
I must say that this one looks rather good after a long bike ride with karel. However, I think I will continue with my pancakes and smoothie than filling myself with a drink filled with sugar.
1 large strawberry shake at Wendy's clogs your arteries with 8 grams of saturated fat, .5 grams of trans fat, 13 grams of total fat and 79 grams of sugar. That is enough sugar to give even the healthiest athlete diabetes! And since you are probably thinking this shake would be perfect after a workout to hold you over until your post-workout meal, how about feeling hungry after sipping down 520 calories.
Again, check the ingredients to see what you are really drinking...
Strawberry Frosty™ Shake:
Vanilla Frosty (milk, sugar, corn syrup, cream, whey, nonfat dry milk, guar gum, mono and diglycerides, natural and artificial flavor, cellulose gum, carrageenan, calcium sulfate, disodium phosphate, dextrose, annatto color, vitamin A palmitate), Strawberry Shake Syrup (water, high fructose corn syrup, sweetened strawberries [strawberries, sugar], corn syrup, natural flavor, citric acid, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate [preservative], red 40, blue 1). CONTAINS: MILK.
Arbys Smoothie Shake
When Karel and I were moving we stopped at a gas station to fill up the track and attached to the station was an Arby's. Karel was hungry (as usual) and ordered a berry delight swirl shake. I had a sip and knew right away that it wasn't healthy. How'd I know? It tasted WAY too good to be healthy. Ok, so healthy food can be tasted but you know you are drinking sugar when you just can't get enough of it.
It wasn't until Karel looked it up on the computer that we realized how "good" it really was. I think we would need to go out for a couple century's to use up the energy from that drink. Actually, we'd rather stick with our post workout smoothies and something a little more healthy in our bloodstream.
I'm not going to lie..it was good but Karel and I know better for next time!
Berry Delight Swirl Shake:
Calories: 651
Calories from Fat:140
Fat: 16 Saturated Fat: 9 Trans Fat: 0.5
Sodium: 439
Carbs: 112
SUGAR!!!! AHHHHHHH 100g
Papa Johns Pizza with the NEW Whole Grain Crust
Since we all love pizza and we know whole grains are healthy, here is the new slogan for the new whole grain crust:
Our hand-tossed, 100% whole wheat crust is made from the superior-quality ingredients you expect from Papa John's. It's prepared using 100% whole grains and clear-filtered water to create an authentic crust that's delivered to our stores fresh, never frozen. The result is a full-bodied crust that's a perfect balance of flavor and texture.
I like thin crust pizza due to the crunch and flavor with an extra saving in calories from less dough in the crust. So I checked the nutrition to see if this whole grain crust was as healthy as it is claimed to be and here is what I found:
Original Crust (132grams/slice) of a 14" pizza comes in at 300 calories, 11g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat and sodium at 750grams (of course high in sodium because it is fast food/restaurant food).
Thin crust (96 grams/slice) for a 14" pizza comes to 240 calories, 13 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of fat and 500 mg sodium. I like to ask for light on the cheese when I order pizza but I ask for extra veggies on a vegetable pizza. My favorite place for pizza is Hungry Howie but I heard that Mellow Mushroom (there is one here in JAX) has a lot of great vegetarian options.
So now to the whole wheat crust pizza (132grams/slice) for a 14" comes to 290 calories and 12 grams of fat. 3.5 grams of saturated fat and 730 mg sodium. We all know that just because it is whole grain doesn't mean there are less calories but I guess adding whole grains to the diet through pizza is a good reason to order the new whole grain crust. I thought that there would be more fiber (only 5 grams in whole grain and 2 in the original, 1 in the thin crust) in the whole grain so in that case, I'd rather make my own pizza with my own high fiber bread/wrap, marinara sauce and whatever toppings I choose. Plus, I save a lot of money and the 30 minutes to wait for the pizza can be occupied with me preparing my "pizza" the way I like it.
Let me know if you have any other questions as far as foods to emphasize and de-emphasize. I don't like saying good and bad foods unless they are heart unhealthy, but i guess in this case, there are a lot of bad foods out there.
6/5/08
Training and Traveling
Training
I don't have much to talk about because I am a little unfocused for training. I have been staying busy swimming, biking and running but I find myself just doing it and not really feeling like I have to do it. I kinda like just going out and doing one or two sports every morning and coming back hot and sweaty. Since the Y is so close I have been taking advantage of my guest pass and running to the Y. After a 18 min run I am ready to get in the pool. Yesterday I ran to the Y, did 15 min. on the treadmill and then jumped in the pool for a 2000 swim. I then put on my clothes and ran home all wet. Karel was confused when I came in with my hair wet and out of breath. On Tuesday morning I biked with karel. I wasn't feeling the ride when we started but once I found myself hanging on to his wheel (we were both on our road bikes) I was really enjoying his company. It helps to have him tell me that I'm doing well so I find that inner coach in Karel coming out when we are together..and I love that! We finished with 30 miles in about an hour and 40 min. and it was a great ride. The good thing is that my cycling is finally getting better and I can actually ride with Karel. Because Tuesday morning was his endurance day at a steady pace, he was worried that he would have to slow down for me. Well, I guess Karel has a new training partner because I was able to stick to his wheel for the whole ride. I'm in no rush to pull or ride side by side so I will keep pushing hard to try to keep his pace. On tuesday afternoon I ran to work and ran home. Again, the luxury of being close to work and having a shower at work.
This morning I passed on riding with Karel during his 3 hour ride (I enjoyed staying in bed for an extra hour when he woke up at 5am) but we plan on riding together tomorrow. I am going to try to convince him to take out his tt bike so we can ride aero together. Maybe if I cook him a good dinner he will agree :) I went for a 1:10 run which totalled to 9 miles. I am getting pretty tired during my runs but I am finding it hard to slow down my pace. I am comfortable with my pace but I think I am in need of re-training myself for higher thresholds. Sure I can go the speed but without teaching the body how to clear lactate after it is produced I can only go so long before I get tired. My big goal this year is the Jacksonville Marathon in Dec so I am not worried about getting up the speed and distance anytime soon. I jumped on my road bike after my run and went for a 20 mile spin after my run. I came home thirsty and tired but no time for excuses...emails, school work and nutrition must be done. I am really focused on my cycling right now so I decided to get my cycling license and I plan to do more cycling races. Since they are so much cheaper than tri's I can train and race with cycling and then pick my tri's to really see if the cycling paid off. I am heading to Ocala with Karel (and the team) on the 15th for the state road race championships. I am hoping that I can upgrade from cat 4 to 3 before then so that I can race with the pro girls. Also, with Karel starting 2 hours after me, I will have 40 miles on a 5-mile loop to show Karel that I can ride a bike without aerobars :)......hopefully.
Traveling
It's that time of the year again. Time for the International Society of Sports Nutrition annual conference. This is my 4th year attending this conference and for the third year in a row, I am heading to Vegas! I leave jacksonville on sat afternoon and fly to tampa to spend a night with my parents. Then I leave on sun and head to Vegas until tues evening for a red-eye home.
I am really looking forward to meeting people, networking and learning. I see this conference as a way for me to learn and then educate others. There are some good speakers and some good talks planned. Specifically, I will be listening to the creatine, nutriting timing, whey protein and athlete nutrient requirement talks. Not all of the talks appeal to me but I am always looking to learn new info. Last year I spoke at the conference on sports nutrition for the endurance athlete, so this year I can be stress free all day on mon and tues. I like to remind people that the nutrition products in our sport all come from research. There are so many studies demonstrating how the ingredients in products (maltodextrin, creatine, whey, soy, glucose, etc.) work in certain controlled conditions. Well, when I go to this conference every year, I get to meet the researchers that designed the study and prove that creatine works with weight training, that maltodextrin prevents a spike in blood sugar and that whey protein expidites the recovery process after training. The best part of the ocnference is hearing research that is new and announced. Kinda like breaking news. Well, I'll be sure to share the info with everyone when I come home on wed.
School is keeping me super busy with weekly assignments that are very tedious. I have my first exam on mon so of course, it has to be during the conference. Bummer. Then a quiz in my other class on tues. Another bummer. Oh well. Things are good at the shop and I sold my first bike yesterday! Ok, so it was a 16" kids bike but I guess that counts :)
I don't have much to talk about because I am a little unfocused for training. I have been staying busy swimming, biking and running but I find myself just doing it and not really feeling like I have to do it. I kinda like just going out and doing one or two sports every morning and coming back hot and sweaty. Since the Y is so close I have been taking advantage of my guest pass and running to the Y. After a 18 min run I am ready to get in the pool. Yesterday I ran to the Y, did 15 min. on the treadmill and then jumped in the pool for a 2000 swim. I then put on my clothes and ran home all wet. Karel was confused when I came in with my hair wet and out of breath. On Tuesday morning I biked with karel. I wasn't feeling the ride when we started but once I found myself hanging on to his wheel (we were both on our road bikes) I was really enjoying his company. It helps to have him tell me that I'm doing well so I find that inner coach in Karel coming out when we are together..and I love that! We finished with 30 miles in about an hour and 40 min. and it was a great ride. The good thing is that my cycling is finally getting better and I can actually ride with Karel. Because Tuesday morning was his endurance day at a steady pace, he was worried that he would have to slow down for me. Well, I guess Karel has a new training partner because I was able to stick to his wheel for the whole ride. I'm in no rush to pull or ride side by side so I will keep pushing hard to try to keep his pace. On tuesday afternoon I ran to work and ran home. Again, the luxury of being close to work and having a shower at work.
This morning I passed on riding with Karel during his 3 hour ride (I enjoyed staying in bed for an extra hour when he woke up at 5am) but we plan on riding together tomorrow. I am going to try to convince him to take out his tt bike so we can ride aero together. Maybe if I cook him a good dinner he will agree :) I went for a 1:10 run which totalled to 9 miles. I am getting pretty tired during my runs but I am finding it hard to slow down my pace. I am comfortable with my pace but I think I am in need of re-training myself for higher thresholds. Sure I can go the speed but without teaching the body how to clear lactate after it is produced I can only go so long before I get tired. My big goal this year is the Jacksonville Marathon in Dec so I am not worried about getting up the speed and distance anytime soon. I jumped on my road bike after my run and went for a 20 mile spin after my run. I came home thirsty and tired but no time for excuses...emails, school work and nutrition must be done. I am really focused on my cycling right now so I decided to get my cycling license and I plan to do more cycling races. Since they are so much cheaper than tri's I can train and race with cycling and then pick my tri's to really see if the cycling paid off. I am heading to Ocala with Karel (and the team) on the 15th for the state road race championships. I am hoping that I can upgrade from cat 4 to 3 before then so that I can race with the pro girls. Also, with Karel starting 2 hours after me, I will have 40 miles on a 5-mile loop to show Karel that I can ride a bike without aerobars :)......hopefully.
Traveling
It's that time of the year again. Time for the International Society of Sports Nutrition annual conference. This is my 4th year attending this conference and for the third year in a row, I am heading to Vegas! I leave jacksonville on sat afternoon and fly to tampa to spend a night with my parents. Then I leave on sun and head to Vegas until tues evening for a red-eye home.
I am really looking forward to meeting people, networking and learning. I see this conference as a way for me to learn and then educate others. There are some good speakers and some good talks planned. Specifically, I will be listening to the creatine, nutriting timing, whey protein and athlete nutrient requirement talks. Not all of the talks appeal to me but I am always looking to learn new info. Last year I spoke at the conference on sports nutrition for the endurance athlete, so this year I can be stress free all day on mon and tues. I like to remind people that the nutrition products in our sport all come from research. There are so many studies demonstrating how the ingredients in products (maltodextrin, creatine, whey, soy, glucose, etc.) work in certain controlled conditions. Well, when I go to this conference every year, I get to meet the researchers that designed the study and prove that creatine works with weight training, that maltodextrin prevents a spike in blood sugar and that whey protein expidites the recovery process after training. The best part of the ocnference is hearing research that is new and announced. Kinda like breaking news. Well, I'll be sure to share the info with everyone when I come home on wed.
School is keeping me super busy with weekly assignments that are very tedious. I have my first exam on mon so of course, it has to be during the conference. Bummer. Then a quiz in my other class on tues. Another bummer. Oh well. Things are good at the shop and I sold my first bike yesterday! Ok, so it was a 16" kids bike but I guess that counts :)
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