Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from July 18, 2010

Work hard, Play hard

REST A LOT! I suppose that is my new motto...WORK, PLAY, REST. I needed this planned recovery week with my IM training because I really wanted to knock out a handful of assignments for my dietetic program. Each rotation (community, food service, clinical) I am required to complete several dozen assignments and projects. Some are more time-consuming than others. Throughout the course of my community rotation, I will be completing a project that involves the community. After participating at the Unison Health fair on Tues, I was planning on speaking at the Lunch n' Learn on Fri at Unison. After finding out that I could do a power point and handout educational material at my talk, I spent Tues and Wed evening (after interning all day) as well as all of Thurs (my off day since I am required by my school to take 1 day a week to work on projects and not "intern") creating my powerpoint and designing a pamphlet. I have always been a creative person but I have to say that I have

Avocado, Chickpea and Walnut salad - Creations

I've made a lot of salads in my life but this one "takes the healthy vegetarian cake". My preceptor gave me an avocado from her organic delivery and it was delicious. I have trouble picking the best avocados. They always seem too hard when I cut into them so I don't buy them as often as I should. They are a great healthy fat and for a fruit, I highly recommend having a serving of avocado a few days a week. Also, I decided to "toast" up some chickpeas as I was chopping my ingredients. I added some hickory hot sauce (35mg sodium per 1tsp) to the chickpeas while they were cooking and they were super delicious. I can't wait to make this salad again!

Day break: Egg wrap - Creations

I have a new found love for lunch. It is a great way to break up the day, especially when interning for x-hours every day, after waking up at 4:30am to train. My preceptor and I share a similar philosophy for food. We are so passionate about cooking and we love sharing recipes over lunch. My preceptor is very understanding of my training and she understands that I'm eating a bit more than normal in an effort to accommodate my increasing training and volume. Sometimes we are in meeting or are super busy doing paperwork and she reminds me "Marni, we need to take care of our bodies...time to break for lunch". Although I snack every 1-2 hours throughout the day (nuts, veggies, fruit, yogurt, string cheese) I really look forward to my home-made lunch on a daily basis. Not only does it get me through the day but it keeps my blood sugar stable so that I don't feel starved by the time I get to dinner or my after-noon snack. With that happy feeling in my tummy, I am able to sp

A cravable "salty" salad - Creations

I have to be honest, veggies are the last thing on my mind after 6 hrs of continuous Florida training or after 11 hrs of training Fri-Sun. I think every athlete gets into a routine of craving similar foods after long/hard workouts and having no trouble indulging in a special post-workout treat or two. I totally do not disagree with you in feeding your cravings post workout but it's important to recognize your cravings and not just rely on habits and rituals. For example, when I was training for Kona, I always "rewarded" myself with a Frappachino at starbucks and then pancakes. And then there was ice cream on Sun after my long run, as my afternoon snack. It was my routine after my long sat bike+run and long run and well, I figured I deserved it. But when I got injured 32 days before Kona (2007) I found myself continuing to crave the Frap and pancakes, even though I wasn't training. Even worse, my emotions really affected me on the month preceding Kona and I found myse

Questions for you - Blog readers!

Over the weekend I did a lot of brainstorming and I posted a few questions on my blog that will help guide me in the right direction for my community nutrition project. I have received a few GREAT emails from blog readers and I really appreciate the time to email me. If you have a chance in the next few days, I would love to hear your opinion, comment or feedback to the following questions. You can be anonymous via email or leave a comment. Email me mrakes1@hotmail.com. Based on your comments I will be creating my community nutrition project to encourage people to adopt a more plant-based diet. (you don't have to answer every question) 1) Do you feel as if you eat at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies on a daily basis? If so, do you feel satisfied during the day or hungry? If not, why is it challenging for you to meet recommendations? 2) Do you eat fruits and veggies for health benefits or for the taste..or both? 3) Are there factors that stop you from eating fruits and veggies

The big weekend

Every Ironman athlete has his/her BIG weekend of training at least once a month on the 1-2 months before Ironman race day. For myself and my athletes, I try to only schedule a few BIG weekends over the course of IM training so that the body has ample time to recover as well as avoiding the possibility of overtraining or injury. Although there are many physiological adaptations that occur throughout IM training, I believe that the mental aspect is one to be trained and that you need to do a few long workouts to prepare the mind, body and soul. I have 8 weeks until Ironman Wisconsin and my training has exceeded my expectations for this year. Not since my first IM have I raced and trained injury-free. However, since my first IM I have never felt this strong. Fast is a relative term and I suppose I feel fast at times but for an Ironman, I don't have to be fast in order to have a great finish. Success in an Ironman is not the fastest person but the person who slows down the least. Kar