Thanksgiving Feast - Vegetarian style! - Creations

It was the 5 of us for Thanksgiving. Karel, me, Campy, Smudla and Madison. Four meat eaters and a vegetarian. Ok, so three out of four of the meat eaters are furry little ones but they still count....there was plenty of the 11 lb turkey to go around.
As for the rest of the dinner, we all enjoyed lots of vegetarian side items. It was very important to me that I prepared a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, as if I was serving my family or friends. Just because it was only Karel and me and I am a vegetarian, I have lots to be thankful for this year and I just love creating new recipes of old favorites.
I hope you enjoy my heart-healthy twists on some traditional sides for Thanksgiving. I must say...the meal was super yummy!!!



Turkey Coma....

Name in Print

In 2007, I wrote my very first published article. My mentor at the time mentioned to me that ProSource.net was looking for an article about protein. About half way into my graduate program, my PhD mentor asked if I wanted to write the article. A little overwhelmed, I was excited for the opportunity. Having only written a few newsletter articles for the YMCA (where I worked in Lexington, KY for the summer as a fitness specialist) I was really nervous about writing this article about a fairly new topic for me. My mentor introduced me to the world of sports nutrition and he had me doing a lot of research in the area of protein, creatine and beta alanine.
With a new topic comes new knowledge and I always love learning new things in the arena of health, fitness, exercise physiology and nutrition.
Oh, did I mention that they paid me to write the article!!! As a graduate student, my mouth nearly dropped to the floor when I heard I was going to get paid to write an article. Wow...perhaps I could one day write for a job (I thought to myself in the middle of my Master of Science program with nearly no money and a fairly new obsession with endurance running and triathlons).
Here's the article I wrote:

Eggs, Meat, Milk...Whey too many proteins

Fast forward 3 years and I have written hundreds of articles. Writing makes me feel good and I love putting my education to good use in order to educate, inspire and motivate others. If I don't have an article to write or can't make the time to write on my blog, I get a tight feeling in my chest like I need to release myself through my fingers. Often times, my brain gets filled with thoughts, ideas and sentences and I feel the need to write, write, write. I can't think of a single training session where I didn't zone out at least once and have an idea for an article. And as nice as it is to get paid to write an article, I have contributed dozens and dozens of articles to magazines, newsletters, internet sites and blogs...for free. I feel it is always nice to volunteer my time and more often than not, favors get returned. The triathlon community is just amazing and it's hard to be stingy in such a sharing community. I don't know a triathlete who doesn't enjoy helping out another triathlete.

My mentor and good friend Judy (VP of Iron Girl) mentioned to me that I should contact the editor of LAVA magazine about possibly writing for a new magazine, This was early this summer and the word was out that there was a new triathlon magazine for summer 2010. She knows that I am always looking for somewhere to publish my words (aside from my blog) so I contacted LAVA and after a few emails back and forth for about a month, I was finally asked to contribute. With a deadline of Sept 1st (just 2 weeks before IMWI and my last week of my Community Nutrition rotation) I new I had all summer to work on the article and it wouldn't be like me to wait to the last minute. Brainstorming was tough and another editor came up with the idea of doing "off season nutrition". I thought that was a fantastic idea and I the brainstorming continued. As you can imagine, writers have good and bad days and some days sentences quickly turn into paragraphs and other days, letters barely make it into words. But eventually, after several drafts, I finished my article for LAVA magazine and sent it in well before the deadline.

Here we are...almost 3 months later (after my deadline) and LAVA magazine arrived in my mailbox. And even better...it's the 2010 Hawaii Ironman Commemorative Issue!
Pg 20 is the contributor page and my article is on pg.144 "Have your Cake (just one slice) and eat it too". There was a little typo for my last name (I'm SUMBAL now..but I guess everyone knows me as Marni or Marn) but that's ok....I'm just honored to have my name in Print.

ENJOY!

Favorite Things

Recently, Iron Girl sent out a Holiday Shopping list that was filled with awesome gift ideas. I quickly called Karel because his favorite cream was listed on the list...with a discount code!!

Karel absolutely loves Flex Power Muscle and Joint Relief Cream. He likes that the cream doesn't leave your legs and hands all greasy, the cream doesn't have a strong smell (if any smell at all) and that it feels really refreshing after you rub it on your tight muscles. He also believes that it really relaxes your legs. We both like BioFreeze and are quick to grab free-samples at cycling and triathlon races but Karel always has a bottle of Flex Power in his work and cycling bag.
We found out that if you put in the IGHOLIDAY code when placing your order, you actually receive a FREE 4oz cream (not the 2oz that is listed in the promotion email). What a great deal. This is costly cream so buy 1 get 1 free is an excellent deal!!! I LOVE a good deal.
www.Flexpower.com

I recently received the latest 2010 Hammer product Catalog in the mail. I am a regular Hammer Customer so I don't need the catalog when ordering my favorite items but when looking through the last Hammer Endurance News magazine (check out the online versions http://www.hammernutrition.com/knowledge/endurance-news/) I am excited to add the perpetuem solids to my nutrition fueling plan. I never recommend a product without trying it so I am excited to try out the new chewable perpetuem solids. Hammer also has electrolyte fizz caps but since I don't use electrolyte tabs, I will likely try them out to see if they will work for some of my athletes.

My favorite Hammer products (which I have year-round) include:
1) Tissue rejuvinator - I take 2 a day
2) Premium Insurance Caps - I take 3 a day
3) Race Caps supreme - I take 1 before intense or long workouts
4) Anti fatigue caps - I take 1 every hour or every 30 min (depending on how I am feeling)
5) Endurance aminos - I take 1 every hour or every 30 min (depending on how I am feeling).
6) Hammer Heed - to encourage the body to use stored fat for fuel and preserve muscle and live glycogen, water is my primary fuel choice during the week in the off-season, since most of my workouts are around 60-90 min. However, for workouts on the weekend (which include bike workouts 3+ hours and runs 90+ min) I use 1 scoop Hammer heed mixed with 24 ounces water. This is an excellent time to find out what your body needs and to train your body to be more efficient at using fuels. Often, athletes think they know what the body needs (take in too much nutrition) or they train too hard and too much (and often don't take in enough nutrition). The off-season is a perfect time to work on your aerobic threshold as well as adding in strength training and intervals, with ample recovery, so that you improve your power and get close to your anaerobic threshold but don't quite cross over and flood the body with lactate.
7) Hammer Whey or Recoverite - two great products for recovery. I am a big fan of whey protein post workout (mixed with milk or water) and then having my "real" wholesome meal. However, in times that I can't get a meal in me (ex. traveling for training) right after a long or intense workout, I reach for recoverite.
8) Sustained Energy - although I don't use this product very much in the off-season (except for rides that last more than 80 miles, or 4 hours), this is a must in my bottles for my IM training. People have asked me why I don't use perpetuem instead of my HEED + Sustained Energy mix (1 scoop of heed + 1 1/2 scoops SE) but I am just grown to love the taste of my mix. However, with strawberry vanilla as the new perpetuem flavor, I can't wait to try out perpetuem and see if it will work for my body and for my training routine. However, for the next few months, I am all about becoming as efficient as possible with my training in an effort to get stronger and faster without relying on an added amount of calories to fuel my workouts. Efficiency training takes time (often months) so I believe the off-season/base phase is a perfect time to work on using fat for fuel. You just have to be patient and realize that pre and post training nutrition are vital components of using fat for fuel. It isn't recommended to do every workout (especially over 90 min) on an empty stomach and to only use water during workouts (if over 90 min). If you want to get faster and reduce risk for injury, you need fuel. Start low and work your way up so that you learn what your body needs at lower intensities (mixed with intervals) and not what you think it needs.
9) Hammer gels - I am a big fan of using my gel flask (filled with Vanilla in the summer or apple cinnamon in the winter) for long runs because I like to spread out my calories (1 slurp every 1-2 miles) rather than taking in 100 calories at one time. It worked really well for me at IMWI and I will continue using my gel flask for long runs and long running races.
10) Hammer clothing - LOVE LOVE LOVE all Hammer clothing. I think I have 1 of everything. Super comfortable...and just love cute training/racing clothes!
11) Globus EMS - We absolutely love electrical muscle stimulation. Karel has had his Compex Sport for the last 4 years and although a costly purchase, it was an excellent investment! I always use the active recovery setting and I absolutely believe it helps the muscles recover after workouts. Karel uses several functions, in addition to recovery, where he can actually increase power by working the muscles (on the couch!). Hammer sells 3 versions of Globus EMS and although it is costly, this is a great tool to help build strength, power, endurance and enhance recovery.

In addition to using my code on the right side of my blog page (for a 15% discount off your first order!!) it is the 22nd Annual Client Appreciation Sale!!! From Nov 22 until Dec 17, use the Ad Code WS10 for 20% off fuels and supplements.

And lastly, COMPRESSION!!!
My favorite compression gear include:
1) Louis Garneau Compression Shorts - I LOVE these shorts. I haven't worn "running shorts" in over a year and a half and I believe that compression is keeping me injury-free.
2) Louis Garneau Compression Shirt - At first I was hesitant about a compression top but when Karel told me he bought me one, I was super excited to try it. Now, I am in love. Considering that I am on my feet a lot, train my full body with triathlon training and spend a lot of time at the computer, this compression top feels so good after training or in the evening when I am resting.
3) Zoot Compression tights - I am not afraid to sport my tights in public. At first I thought the compression style was a fad but I am convinced that compression helps recovery. I have slept in my tights every day since I got them about a year ago (maybe less than a dozen times I have slept without them) and I don't know how I could live without them, being an endurance athlete.
4) Zoot socks - There are a lot of socks on the market but I believe that Zoot makes quality compression gear. I will be buying active compression socks for my upcoming season (especially in Kona next Oct) but for now, I just love Zoot compression socks. I even bought my mom and grandma Zoot compression socks because they are both active and compression is for anyone.

Sorry-I don't have any discount codes for these products :(

Enjoy...Happy Shopping!

Eggplant Pizza - Creations

It's official. I am FINISHED with my food service rotation! 11 weeks and 372 hours...DONE DONE DONE! 9 quizzes and a final are behind me and I proud to say that I successfully passed this rotation. I can't believe I have finished 2 rotations in my 10-month, 1200 hr dietetic internship. May 1st is going to be here before I know it and I will be scared out of my mind, ready to start studying for the National Registered Dietitian Exam.

This rotation was a great learning experience. I feel very confident as a food service manager and I have a new respect for food service in general. I don't see food service management/dietary manager as a career choice but I feel this was a great hands-on opportunity.

So now that I am a little over half way finished with my dietetic internship, I am so excited for my last rotation. After my week break to finish up my binder, I start CLINICALS! I am still tossing around career ideas and keeping my eyes set on some type of wellness-dietetic clinical position. However, I would also enjoy working with breast cancer survivors and setting up diet and exercise plans as part of the post-op treatment team. Eventually, I hope to have my own Trimarni business but I feel I still have a lot to learn in the clinical world in order to be a more well-rounded coach and dietitian.

For my next rotation, I will be spending 5 weeks at different nursing homes for my long-term care clinical rotation. Afterward, I will be spending 9 weeks at St. Vincent's Hospital for my acute care clinical rotation. I am sure I will be overwhelmed by the amount of clinical nutrition that I will need to soak up in 9 weeks (followed by 4 weeks of staff relief which will hopefully be at St. Vincents). From wound care, cancer, ICU and burns to pediatrics, obesity and renal disorders, I am going to see it all. Did I mention I am excited?


I am super excited to post my Thanksgiving meal which was filled with heart-healthy and YUMMY options. I hope everyone had a fantastic T-day.

Thanksgiving eats

Shopping and Food..and for my fitness enthusiasts-a few days of stress-free exercise! Lots to look forward to with the approaching Thanksgiving holiday. If your body is healthy, recovering from injury/illness/disease or if you are overcoming obstacles in your life, I am sure you have plenty to be thankful for. Remind yourself that on this holiday, food should make you feel good...as should the people who you choose to share this holiday with.
Because this holiday can present a smorgasbord of food, I prepared several do's and don'ts for Thanksgiving (or any eating-centered holiday/event) to help prepare you for a feel-good day as well as keep you on track in developing a healthy relationship with food.

In no particular order....
-DO eat breakfast. Rather than going for the daily bowl of oatmeal, cereal, toast or bagel, think protein. Egg white omelet, whey protein shake, yogurt, cottage cheese or lean/veggie meat. Although turkey at your t-day dinner is high in protein, there is an abundance of carbs on Thanksgiving. If you are choosing to do a turkey trot or some type of morning exercise (which I highly recommend!), eat your normal pre-training snack and finish your workout with a balanced, protein-rich breakfast. Certainly, starting off your day with fluctuating blood sugar levels and feeling extremely starved when your thanksgiving meal is no way for an athletic individual to set the day for a balanced day of eating.
-Do not go long hours without eating. Again, stick to foods which will stabilize your blood sugar and will not digest too quickly. Because you should enjoy some sweet treats at your t-day meal, opt for slow digesting snacks including tuna/deli meat, cottage cheese, string cheese, nuts, PB, carrots, celery, cucumbers, apples, pears, yogurt or egg (ex. hard boiled). Stick with real-food snacks around 100-200 calories, every 2-3 hours.
-Do not go into the thanksgiving meal starving. Hungry, yes. Starving, no. Go for a small snack of your slow digesting foods around 1 hour to 45 minutes before the meal. In order to pass on a large quantity of heavy appetizers, which can add 500+ extra calories to your daily diet (before the meal is even served) choose nutrient-dense foods such as fruits and veggies, either before or with your favorite appetizers. Although I do not suggest water-replacements on a daily basis, a good choice around an hour before the meal could be a carbonated beverage such as a flavored water or seltzer. Even a 12 ounce diet soda will help to curb any cravings you are feeling as you are anxiously awaiting the meal. Certainly, you don't want to "save" calories by drinking diet drinks all day but by snacking throughout the day, eating breakfast and focusing on nutrient-rich foods, you will find that if your meal is in the afternoon (ex. around 2 or 3) or in the late afternoon (4 or 5), a few sips of your carbonated beverage will keep your tummy from feeling empty. Again, I am not an advocate of carbonated or "diet" drinks (water is my drink of choice, alongside coffee in the morning) in order to control calories.
-Do not worry about weight loss/maintenance goals. It's Thanksgiving, and you only have this ONE day to enjoy a variety of foods you normally wouldn't prepare. Humm...perhaps the portions may be a bit bigger and you may have more options, but 500-1000 extra calories for one day is no big deal. You may feel a bit full compared to other days but don't let a few hundred extra calories (especially if some of your options are heart-healthy) on one day is nothing to sweat about. However, giving yourself the excuse that you can eat however much you want (to a feeling of being uncomfortable full) will only leave you feeling extremely full after the meal and perhaps doubting your ability to lose or maintain weight throughout the rest of the year. Stay focused with your portions and try to overestimate your calories for each serving that you put on your plate. You'd be surprised that you could easily eat 1000 calories at one meal from just 3 oversized portions of the green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole and a piece of pie. Try to choose a little of everything and remember that leftovers are just as good as food on Thanksgiving day. Save room for dessert and pass on second portions.
-Do use a strategy when serving yourself. I highly recommend serving yourself so that you can choose what and how much you want to eat. When it comes to platting food, use big plates for any type of vegetable or salad. Use that same plate for your protein choices as well. Use smaller plates or cups for deserts and calorie-dense side dishes. Let your brain think you are eating large portions by using one plate for your meal with 70% of the plate for the turkey, greens and veggies and then 30% of a little of whatever you want to make up the rest of the plate.
-Do exercise on Thurs morning..friday morning, sat morning and sunday morning. See this day just like any other day. You don't have to train, but I highly recommend staying active and/or exercising. Although your table may have a few more table settings and the fridge may be packed with food, use those extra calories. Although you may say to yourself "I need to burn those extra calories" rephrase that sentence by telling yourself that this is a great time to use your fuel! Remember, it is likely the off-season for you (if you are an athlete) so you don't have to train. But it is perfectly acceptable to implement a little "fat burning" aerobic exercise by working out/exercising (or be active) for hour or for a few hours in order to get in a good sweat and enjoy your well-fueled body.
-Do plan workouts for after Thanksgiving. Plan ahead (like today) and tell yourself that you will do something active on Friday morning. You can sleep in or go early-bird shopping and still go for a walk, bike ride, swim or run Friday. Or, get up before your family and go for a ride on your trainer or walk/run on your treadmill. Ever eat too much on the night before a race, sleep horribly the night before a race and then wake up on race day morning regretting that you had too much to eat? Thanksgiving is kinda like that. It's really easy to feel great when you are eating but when the meal is over, you still want to be motivated to exercise your heart, lungs and brain on the days that follow. If you know ahead of time that you will exercise on Friday morning, you will be less likely to eat until you are stuffed and will find yourself eating until you feel satisfied. Remember, walking counts as physical activity and can be a great "exercise" for the whole family.
-Do not think all is ruined because of one day/meal. Maybe you didn't lose the weight you wanted to this past season/year. Maybe you are "feeling" a bit heavy (I don't like the word fat) at the moment. Maybe you are dreading all those "unhealthy" foods that are going to presented to you at your meal. Although this is Thanksgiving, this is just another day...out of 365 days in a year. You can still use the wisdom, knowledge and education that you have acquired to make good choices on Thanksgiving and the days, weeks and months that follow.
-Do have a go-to food. This is something I believe in for all events and functions. If you are holding Thanksgiving at your home, it is easy to plan what you will prepare, what you will eat and how much food you have to choose from. However, when attending Thanksgiving at a neighbors house, family members house or at a friend of a friend's house, it may seem stressful to maintain your daily healthy eating plan if nothing healthy is available. And believe me, it is likely that if you are eating with others, it is likely that there is a chance that some foods will be soaked in oil, fat or butter and there may be a chance that if eating with people who don't support your heart-healthy ways, there will be very few heart-healthy choices. No matter where you go for Thanksgiving (or an event) bring a go-to food/side item for you to feel good about. Maybe you choose to make your own healthy version of a sweet potato or green bean casserole or maybe you want to bring your own steamed veggies or a bowl of fruit. Regardless of whatever you bring, you will have something to look forward to when platting your plate with a variety of foods.
-Do give thanks. I know it sounds cliche but it is a great holiday to give thanks to the people in your life who support you, encourage you, motivate you and inspire you. Certainly, we all have people around us that we should probably thank more than just one day a year. Specifically to all the friends and family of marathoners, half ironman and ironman athletes out there....LOTS of thanks to those who put up with us alongside our long training days and semi-bonk training sessions. Rather than thinking about all the food you will eat, take the time to email, call or visit those who have played an important part in your life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's that week

“In times of great stress or adversity, it's always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.”

It's that time....my last week of interning for my food service rotation! I've waited 11 LONG weeks for this and it is finally here. I thought I would be finished with my 353 hours of Food Service interning on wed but it looks like I will be 6 hours short. That's ok, I will intern on Fri this week (taking off on Thanksgiving) and next week will be a welcomed "off" week from interning. Wow, in less than 2 weeks I start my very LAST rotation for my dietetic internship and perhaps, my most intensive rotation....CLINICALS!!

Alongside interning this week, I am squeezing in every minute I can to study for my final (which I have to take by Wed 11pm). Once I take my final, I will finish my binder (which includes 42 completed learning outcomes aka. papers, projects, reports, graphs, outlines, etc.) and send it off to my distance dietetic internship director at Marywood University in PA in order to receive a grade for this rotation. Wow, 2 rotations almost done...I never thought this year would go by so fast. It seemed like just yesterday I was in my orientation for my community rotation and getting ready to start my serious training for IMWI.

This past Sunday Karel and I, my good friend Jennifer and hundreds of other cyclists did the Horrible Hundred, 100 mile cycling event in hilly Clermont Florida. My body and mind are still super tired from climbing hill after hill in a little over 5 hours. Although I am not ready to write my "event" report from the fantastic Horrible Hundred Event, I enjoyed my break from studying in an effort to exercise my mind, heart, brain and muscles. I am very thankful to my amazing and wonderful hubby who stuck with me for the entire 100 mile ride. Karel told me he would ride the whole ride with me, even though lots of his racing buddies were there, pushing a bit harder (ok-a lot harder) than my pace. Considering that he could easily ride 100 miles with his racing buddies in less than 4 1/2 hours, Karel pushed me just enough to draft with other groups and kept me going through my many ups and downs during the first 50 miles of the ride. Let's just say that as much as I looked forward to this event for the 3rd year in a row for me, my head and body wer just not working right that morning. That's ok, you can't win them all and I am surely not a quitter. As hard as it is sometimes, I force myself to dig deep and try to get something positive out of every situation.

Please forgive me for the next two days as I will be super stressed and busy with the last few days of this rotation. But don't worry, there are plenty of recipes (ex. ginger green bean stir-fry, egg omelet and steak fries, cauliflower mashed potatoes, pineapple bread) in my camera just waiting to be uploaded for all my favorite blog readers. Thanks blog readers...you really keep me going and remind me that this education will pay off!

Athlete's Plate

I want to give a big thanks to Jason for 1) creating a wonderful blog with an amazing concept and 2) for giving me the opportunity to post a few of my yummy creations.
Check out his Athlete's plate....perhaps you will feel inspired to plan a healthy daily diet for yourself. All it takes in a little planning for a few weeks and before you know it, you will be listening to your body and knowing exactly what it is (or close to it) that you need to fuel for your workout routine as well as the rest of your life.


Athlete's Plate

Making changes

I can't believe I have only 1 week left in my food service rotation! Wow...time is flying by! When I am finished with this rotation (as well as taking my final) I will ONLY have 1 more rotation to go plus 4 weeks of Staff Relief (I play "dietitian" for my last 4 weeks!!). I am really excited for my clinical rotation (7 weeks long term care and 7 weeks acute care) and all of the information that I will learn. This internship has been extremely time consuming but it will all be worth it. I can't wait til I see the RD behind my name (right next to the MS for my master degree in Exercise Physiology) and I know I will be grateful that I earned those credentials through a lot of hard work and intensive education.

When I was studying for my final today, I came across an interesting page in the food service domain (the material for my final exam helps me prepare for the national Registered Dietitian exam). The topic was on Additives and the functions associated with those additives.

As you know, I am a believer in wholesome and natural foods rich in vitamins and minerals. I don't believe that food is good or bad and certainly there are no off-limit foods. I can't stress this enough because I believe in forming a healthy relationship with food. If you think about it, our society is overwhelmed with food-related topics and food can be a very stressful, emotional and sensitive topic for many people. In the Sumbal household, food is a happy topic and a feel-good topic. As my sweet-tooth hubby would say "chocolate makes me feel good" :)

I don't think the words "never" or "can't" should be associated with food. Certainly, there is a time for everything and a little of everything is a lot better than a lot of one thing. I would never say that you "can never have an oreo or a doughnut" or that you should never have high fructose corn syrup or trans fat. As we all know, we eat for fuel and we eat for heart health. Triathlons, running, or your sport/exercise of choice is a lifestyle and not your life. You must learn to eat in an effort to perform and to gain fitness as well as learn how to maintain weight and reduce risk for disease.

I believe that due to the overwhelming amount of processed food, we (as a society) have forgotten what it feels like to eat and to feel satisfied. People no longer know how to listen to their body when it comes to eating a meal, snack or eating before and after a workout. I think many people have absolutely no idea why they eat, how much they should eat and what they are actually eating. With boxed, frozen and fast-food conveniently located at the end of every road (and in between stop lights) eating is no longer a controlled action. People eat sweets at 9am because there are sweets in the morning office meeting. People gravitate towards sugary snacks in the afternoon because the vending machine is close and healthy options are not available. People eat cereal or hummus and chips for lunch because they are in the pantry. People forget to eat throughout the day yet overeat in the evenings. Considering the number of processed options on the market, I think our society has forgotten how to listen to the body and plan out a daily diet. I guess the idea of planning for fresh foods throughout the day would be silly considering the number of fast, cheap and well-marketed foods, bars, drinks and snacks at a hands-reach.

Because the holidays are quickly approaching and body weight and diets are often popular topics with the media, I ask that you stop worrying about calories, carbs and sugars and to start focusing on the foods that you put in your body. When you build off a plant-based diet (ex. salad w/ chicken and avocado instead of a burger w/ a side salad or veggie stir fry with 1/2 wrap instead of a wrap w/ cheese, meat and a few veggies) you are going to eventually learn what it feels like to not have sweet, salty or fatty cravings. You are going to learn what it feels like to feel satisfied and to feel in control of what you put into your body. Nothing happens over night so my best suggestions is to replace don't eliminate. Try to keep the meals and snacks balanced with a variety of foods (from all or most food groups) so that you can focus on what your body needs and not what you think it needs.
My second suggestion to learning how to listen to your body and to find out what it needs, is to journal your foods w/ comments. Looking back at a food journal and when you feel hungry, moody, tired, stuffed, satisfied, etc. can be a powerful thing in making changes. Eating a 200 calorie breakfast with no snacks throughout the day and then feeling "bad" when you crave sweets in the evening is a perfect sample of a diet that can be changed. Certainly, having 100 calories of dark chocolate in in the evening is not a reason to feel like a failure and you don't need to rid yourself of this habit. However, if you feel extremely hungry by mid afternoon or at lunch time, my suggestion is to work on breakfast. If you find yourself ravenous after a morning workout, my suggestion is to focus on what you are consuming before, during or after the workout. Typically, what you eat immediately after a workout (rather than not eating because you "just burned calories") can set you up for a controlled day of eating with few to no cravings (not to mention a body that will quickly repair and get stronger after the workout). And lastly, always look forward to 1 thing if you are struggling with incorporating new foods into your diet. For example, if you don't like veggies, try topping your veggies with your favorite marinara sauce or salsa. If you don't like fruit, try having your favorite yogurt or cereal with the fruit. If you don't like certain whole grains pastas/rice (ex. quinoa, couscous, pasta, etc.), prepare your favorite protein and combine it with a serving of whole grains. If you love chips, make a hearty salad and top with a few crumbled chips or crackers. Eventually, you will find yourself looking forward to the plant-based part of the meal and slowing finding yourself breaking old habits or dietary choices.

So I leave you with another Scam article from Nutrition Action.....

Where's the Veggies

"Every 8 fl oz of Mott's Medleys has 2 total fruit and veggie servings, the powerful antioxidant Vitamins C and E and the bone mineral magnesium," says the bottle of Mott's Medleys Tropical Flavored fruit and carrot blend.
How does Mott's squeeze two servings of fruits and vegetables into one 8 oz cup? Simple. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid food guide says that a serving of juice is just half a cup. So an 8 oz. of any juice is 2 servings. Voila!
But Mott's manages to squeeze a serving of veggies in there, too, right? Not exactly. "Two total fruit and veggies servings" sounds like one fruit and one vegetables. But Mott's doesn't promise a full serving of veggies. And it doesn't deliver one, either.
Each glass has just 6% of a day's vitamin A. If the glass were half carrot juice, it would have 450 percent. So Mott's is selling mostly water plus nutrient-poor apple and grape juice fortified with vitamins C and E and magnesium.
"Tastes just like the fruit juice your family loves!" promised the label. That's because it is fruit juice.
Ocean Spray Fruit and Veggie 100% juice, with "2 servings of fruits and vegetables" combined, also has more grape and apple than carrot or other juices. Judging by its vitamin A content, an 8 oz. glass has at best, 1 oz (2 Tbs) of carrot juice.
Bottom line: You're better off eating fruits and vegetables than drinking them.

Colorful dinner - Creations

Recently Karel and I purchased Road ID's. I got a pink one and Karel got a yellow one. Not sure why it took me so long to get a new Road ID w/ recent info but I highly recommend getting one. Since both Karel and I often train alone, it is really important that we both have some type of ID on our body in the case of an emergency. There are no guarantee's in life and I know that we both bargain with life every time we ride our bikes around Jacksonville.
There is a discount right now (what a bummer that we ordered ours a week ago!) for 15% off! I recommend taking advantage of it! This would be a perfect gift for a friend, training partner/teammate, loved one or for yourself. A big THANKS to my mom and dad for purchasing one for both Karel and for myself!! They know how much we love training but you can never be too careful.

Road ID 15% Discount

When I was at my parents for a little R and R, I made some super yummy meals. It doesn't hurt that the parents have a membership to Sam's Retail Warehouse Club and always seem to buy the most beautiful fruits throughout the year. When I travel, I typically don't gravitate towards salads because traveling doesn't happen a lot and when it does, I like to deviate from my normal eating routine (which includes lots of heart-healthy salads). However, my parents had a lot of colorful fruits and veggies when I was at home so I couldn't help but whip up a few TriMarni creations.

It's been a while since I have made my Carrot Ginger Slaw and with sweet potatoes being super cheap, my mom was looking forward to my creations. My family shares a passion for healthy eating and exercise but as we all know, heart-healthy eating doesn't happen overnight. Having a supportive group of people in your life makes it easy to feel confident in your decision to live life to the fullest.

Milk Scams

In the October 2010 issue of Nutrition Action I couldn't help but quickly turn to page nine. I guess the title "The Latest Scams" caught my eye. You know how passionate I am about wholesome food with little to no ingredients and that we should build our diets off a plant-based foods. I am certainly not against processed foods and I would be a hypocrite if I said I don't buy, have or eat processed food. However, the bulk of my meals are made from foods straight from the earth (or with very little processing). More than anything, I am 100% over food claims and fancy marketing especially when a company tells me that a processed food is a must in my diet for x-reason(s).
Since my last post was on milk, I wanted to share two of several food scams that were featured in the article.

Almond Non-Milk
There's a new milk in your dairy case. And it sounds perfect. Silk Original Pure Almond milk has "60 calories per serving" is "rich in antioxidants" and is "lactose-free and soy free", according to the label.
Silk's Web site gives almonds all the credit. "A serving of almonds provides an excellent source of vitamin E (a natural antioxidant) and a good source of protein and fiber. In fact, almonds are higher in protein and fiber than any other tree nut."
Maybe so, but a 1oz. serving of almonds (about 2 dozen) has 6 grams of protein (and 165 calories). A cup of almond milk has just 1 gram-far less than the 8-9 grams of protein in a cup of cow's milk (or the 6-8 grams in a cup of soy milk). How come?
It turns out that almond milk doesn't have many almonds. Judging by the 2 1/2 grams of fat in every serving, a cup of almond milk is made from about 4 nuts. The "milk" is mostly water and enough evaporated cane juice to supply about 2 tsp of added sugar per cup.
(That's for the Original. The 90-calorie Vanilla has about 4 tsp sugar per cup and the 120-calorie Dark Chocolate has 5 1/2 tsp).
And Original and Vanilla Pure Almond are "rich in antioxidants" only because Silk adds vitamin E to them. The company also tosses in vitamins A and D, potassium and calcium to make them equal to cow's milk.
Blue Diamond's Almond Breeze milks are similar to Silk's, except that the Breezes come in 40-calorie unsweetened versions. Both brands may appeal to vegans (who eat no dairy foods) or to people who are allergic to dairy.
If that's you, here's a tip: Odds are, you're better off with protein-rich soy milk.

Smart Corporate Bank Balance
"Tastes rich and creamy like 2% milk!" boasts the label on Smart Balance Fat Free Milk.
It's got "antioxidant vitamins C & E, 25% more calcium and 25% more protein" says the large print. More than what? "Than whole milk," notes the smaller print.
Gosh, that sounds good. It must sound good enough that some people are wiling to fork over $4.50 for a half gallon, even though ordinary milk is only about $2.50 per half gallon.
Well how does thissound. The extra vitamins C and E don't lower your risk of heart disease or anything else. In fact, in some studies, people who took more than 400 IU a day of vitamin E had a slightly higher risk of dying (Smart Balance Fat Free has 50 IU per cup).
Smart Balance does have extra non-fat milk solids, which gives each 8 oz glass 35% of a day's calcium, marginally more than the 30% in ordinary milk. The extra milk solids also supply 10 grams of protein, slightly more than the 8 grams in most kinds of milk.
But many store brands of fat free or low fat milk also have extra milk solids. And they don't charge an extra $2 per half gallon.
The company that sells Smart Balance is smart, all right. All the way to the bank.



-As an athlete, I couldn't feel more compelled to put the best foods possible in my body. It is a responsibility to me and to my success in the sport of triathlons that I give my body a variety of vitamins and minerals in order to support metabolic processes. Calorie-counting is a thing of the past. Considering that many athletes struggle with weight loss and/or maintenance, despite training for marathons and Ironman's, it is clear to me that an athlete can not just focus on calories in and calories out. For me, I focus on the timing of my nutrition and more importantly, what's in the foods that I am eating. And when I do indulge in something not in my daily diet, you better believe I enjoy every bite of it with no guilt or remorse. With 365 days in a year, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy a little treat every now and then.
Regardless of my love for triathlon training (which is my lifestyle, not my life), I eat to fuel my body so that I can live to see another day. I hope to live a quality-filled life and I am pretty confident that I can prevent the risk for disease and illness's through a wholesome and balanced diet. I know I can't prevent everything but I hope I am reducing my risk. In my diet, no foods are off-limits. However, as an athlete, I like to emphasize and de-emphasize certain foods and time my nutrition with my training. Therefore, I make the most out of every workout....and every eating opportunity.

Milk

As a vegetarian endurance athlete, I am always searching for ways of bumping up my protein. I feel really comfortable with my choices of protein in my diet and depending on the day, I'd say that all 3 of my main meals have some type of vegetarian protein, high in amino acids.
I am a big fan of milk. Right now, Karel and I consume a gallon of skim milk every 6-7 days. We both drink at least a cup a day and some days being more depending on the workout for the day (high intensity workouts call for milk or whey protein to quickly repair damaged tissues) or if milk is in the meal (ex. mashed potatoes, eggs, french toast, oatmeal, smoothie, etc.). I would prefer to buy organic milk so whenever there is a deal at the grocery store (I like to shop around) I will buy organic milk instead of skim milk. I do believe that organic milk is a better choice (in terms of nutrition) than skim milk but for the time being, I regularly buy skim milk because it fits into our budget.
Aside from the protein, one thing I love about milk is the calcium content. With 1, 8-ounce cup of milk containing around 30% of daily calcium (in a 2000 calorie diet), there is no reason for athletes to not consume milk. As the cheapest, quickest and most reliable recovery drinks, plain milk (not chocolate with loads of added sugar) is a perfect choice post-workout. Although milk is only 20% whey (80% casein, which is a slow digesting protein also found in cottage cheese), it is a great source of protein and carbs (lactose) to aid in tissue repair. If the workout is high intensity or over 2 hours, I do suggest whey protein powder as your choice of recovery drink, combined with a healthy source of carbs (to increase amino acid absorption into the bloodstream) due to the high amino acid leucine content (higher than in milk) that stimulates protein synthesis.

In the past year or so, there has been a lot of hype about almond milk. For some reason, individuals (and athletes) just love almond milk as an alternative to skim or soy milk. Almond milk contains a bit more carbs and sugar compared to skim milk because almond milk adds sugar (cane juice) to the product. And by the way, the first ingredient in almond milk is not almonds...it's filtered water and then evaporated cane juice. Compared to 16g of carbs and 15g of sugar in almond milk, skim milk contains 12g carbs and 11grams sugar because milk is a sugar (hence the -ose behind lactose)....a natural sugar. Almond milk is fortified so it does contain 30% calcium in an 8 ounce cup (similar to skim milk) but you only get 1g of protein in almond milk (compared to 6-8g in skim or soy milk).

Calcium is a must in the diet of athletes because it helps with bone strength and muscle contractions. When I work with athletes (men and women) who struggle with cramping, I rarely blame sodium as the culprit. Typically, I find that cramping is due to not properly fueling during training/racing (ex. not prioritizing liquid calories or taking in too many calories), overworking the muscles (not allowing time for relaxation either due lack of proper training, pushing harder than you trained to push, weather, or terrain) or not enough calcium in the diet. As the most abundant, essential mineral in the human body Calcium is needed to form bones and teeth and is also required for blood clotting, transmission of signals in nerve cells, and muscle contraction. So in addition to eating sardines, canned salmon, green leafy vegetables, cottage cheese, yogurt and tofu, I strongly encourage everyone to pick up your favorite wholesome milk (less ingredients the better) and to aim for at least 1 cup a day of milk. If you workout , 8 ounces right after your workout is a great way to help with muscle repair.

If you are concerned about 20-30 extra calories in a regular version of organic or soy milk, make your own "light" milk so that you can bypass the extra ingredients in a processed "light" version. My suggestion, take 6 ounces regular milk (organic or soy) and add 2-4 ounces of water for a "light" option without the unnecessary added ingredients.

If you are concerned about your calcium intake, check out the foods in your house and in the grocery store for calcium....on the bottom of the food label you will see the percentages for Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron. This percentage is per serving and based on a 2000 calorie diet. Keep this in mind so that if you only use a dollop of yogurt or a splash of milk you are only receiving a minor amount of calcium. In my opinion, I'd rather enjoy the "real" foods that make up the majority of my diet and not worry about calories in those foods. Then when I do enjoy the processed foods on occasion, I likewise don't have to worry about calories because they only make up a minor part of my diet. With a wholesome and plant-based diet, it always seems like a win-win situation when it comes to food for fuel.

Life on Wheels

With 7 more interning days left in my food service rotation, I was in need of a little break. The next 2 weeks will be really time-consuming so it was best that I got away to tackle my to-do's. Thankfully, my parents are less than 4 hours away and for me, that is a jump and skip away...or a 200 mile bike ride :)

Karel and I always enjoy time at my parents. We love our friends in the Tampa bay area and if it weren't for the Gearlink cycling team, Karel and I would not have met. They really are family.

I couldn't wait to watch the 70.3 World Championships. The turn around on the bike was just 7 miles from my parents house. I have only missed 1 world championships as a spectator so it is kinda tradition that I watch the race for the last year in Clearwater.

Karel decided to ride with the Gearlink group on sat morning so me and my road bike made our way down to Clearwater while watching the pro's on the bike course. How cool!!! Despite racing in plenty of Ironman and 70.3 races, I have never been so close to a professional triathlete...while on my bike. In no other sport can you be so close to professionals while you are racing. I just can't explain how much I love being able to call myself a triathlete.

After 30 miles, I made my way to the Clearwater Causeway to do a little more spectating. I met up with one of my athletes (Gary) who always makes me smile. His determination and excitement for triathlons is really contagious and I can't get over how strong he is as a 60+ year old athlete. What an inspiration and it's been a fun ride as his coach for the past few years. Who would think that a person over the age of 60 could be racing faster, stronger and more efficient than in his early 50's? Not to mention consistently winning his age group.

After cheering on the pro men and women, I made my way back to my parents house. Rather than heading back on the race course, I took my favorite roads through Clearwater, Dunedin (where Karel and I moved in together) and Tarpon Springs. So many wonderful memories were rushed into my head and despite the wind being super strong, I just didn't want to get off my bike. So many thoughts of not being able to ride with groups because I was unable to draft or keep up. So many thoughts of running on the Pinellas trail while training for my first ever Ironman Distance triathlon (IMFL). The sights and smells reminded me how much I just love living life and how important it is for us all to give a little time, every morning, to relieve some stress and keep the body healthy and strong. 66 miles later, I was home.

Later in the evening we attended the Gearlink cycling party. Once again, we felt like it was just yesterday since our wedding. With a selection of fabulous catered food, it was great to catch up with everyone. There is no group like the Gearlink team and we are so happy to have so many wonderful people in our life. It's kinda funny because there are so many stories about Karel and myself from when we both started riding with the Gearlinkers (Karel started riding with them about a year or so before I attempted to hang on during warm-up, during the group rides). I guess they have enjoyed seeing us progress from boyfriend and girlfriend to engaged couple to married couple....with a dog.

Sunday morning Karel and I made our way to San Antonio/Dade City for some hill riding. Although 40 minutes away from my parents, there is no better riding in Florida than in the hills of San Antonio. My good friend Jennifer joined me as Karel took us on a 61 mile ride with a few new roads and some beautiful sights. Thinking back to the times when I couldn't keep up with Karel for an easy ride, I could help but push a bit harder than normal in an effort to not let Karel drop me during our ride. Jennifer and I stayed on his wheel for all of the ride (well, a few climbs Karel made it look super easy as our legs screamed for a break) and it was a really challenging morning. I told Karel that the lactate was just spilling in my legs and that it wasn't any getting easier to ride in the hills. His answer "it never gets easier".

What a great weekend. I am trying to mentally prepare myself for the next 2 weeks because I am on the home stretch for this rotation. It's not that the rotation itself is difficult but there is a lot to soak in for an 11-week rotation. Finding balance with exercise and school and well, the rest of life is tough but I know I am a better person because I reward my body with good food and a healthy dose of exercise as often as I can.

Boosting the immune system

Last weekend we froze...this week calls for shorts and it is absolutely beautiful. What a change in the Florida temps. Regardless of where you live, the weather is going to change and you will likely find yourself around people fighting colds or the flu. I haven't gotten the flu shot in a good 5 years. I believe my immune system is pretty strong. Sure, exercise, good sleep and minimizing stress helps with maintaining a healthy immune system but more than anything, the diet plays a critical role in how our body fights off infection.
I find it amazing that I don't get sick. Despite training for Ironman's, working out in gyms, interning outside the home (school, nursing home, etc.) and traveling, I feel as if my immune system stays strong because of the foods I emphasize in my diet and because of the foods I de-emphasize in my diet. Yet another reason to take pride in wholesome and natural foods. Of course, even the most nutritious diet does not ensure that a person won't get sick but it can really help to prevent a weak immune system.
Sure, I've gotten a sniffle or sore throat here or there but in the last 4 years I have only been sick two times (for a total of 3 days) which caused me to be in bed, without energy. I guess when it rains, it pours.
There are a lot of claims on foods for "immune support" specifically during the fall and winter months. Because infectious diseases are the leading cause of morbidity in the world, it is important that you protect your body against the possible invasion of harmful substances such as bacterias, virus's, chemicals and possibly cancer. Also, a healthy immune system helps your skin, digestive system and inflammatory responses.

There was a great article in the Nov 2010 (volume 33, number 11) issue of Environmental Nutrition. Another great newsletter that comes to my mailbox on a monthly basis.

Since there is a lot of confusion (and misleading) when it comes to immune system defenses, I thought I'd provide you with a little of the article to help you build a powerful and healthy immune system.

Vitamin C
Many people believe that vitamin C boosts immune function and help fights cold. Unfortunately, according to the National Institutes of Health, more than 30 clinical trials have examined the effects of vitamin C on cold prevention, yet overall they don't support a significant reduction in risk. Still there's no harm in pushing vitamin c-rich foods, such as papaya, red peppers, broccoli, strawberries , citrus, and tomatoes as part of your healthful diet.

Vitamin E
Its documented role in the immune system has led immunology researchers to study vitamin E. In a 2004 study led by Meydani, published Aug, 18 2004 in The Journal of the American Medical Association, vitamin E supplementation was found to reduce the risk of upper respiratory infections in particular the common cold. Foods packed with vitamin E include nuts, olives and leafy greens.

Zinc
Studies show that people with low serum zinc levels experience twice the frequency of pneumonia (as well as longer duration and more antibiotic use) compared with those who have adequate zinc levels, according to Meydani. But when it comes to the common cold, "the jury is still out. Some studies show zinc helps and reduces duration of colds, while other studies don't show the effect" says Meydani. Zinc food sources include red meat, poultry, seafood, beans, nuts and cheese.

Vitamin D
While the evidence isn't strong, scientists recognize that the sunshine vitamin may have important functions within the immune system. In addition to sunlight, you can find Vitamin D in fortified dairy products and mushrooms, salmon and sardines.

Probiotics
These live microorganism can exert health benefits by improving the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut. "several studies show that the right types of probiotics increase the immune response" says Meydani. Only certain strains of probiotics have been tested for immune benefits, thus, it's important to look for clinical proof.

Mushrooms
Curiously, mushrooms have captured scientists' attention in immune research.

The WHOLE FOOD approach. So should you take mega-doses of essential nutrients to boost your immune system? "We can't say with certainty. Sometimes if you supplement at more than the required level of nutrients, the immune function can decrease. It's not always the case that more is better," says Meydani. In addition, nutrients appear to impact people's immune system differently. Meydani explains that people can be "responders" or nonresponders to particular nutrients, depending on genetics.
Many food companies and the media have made overly exuberant claims about the ability of particular foods to power up the immune system. It's important to keep in mind that foods contain a synergy of nutrients that work in unison to provide health benefits versus supplements which only provide one or two nutrients. The best approach for fostering a healthy immune system is to eat a nutrient-rich diet that meets all of your body's needs. Here's more reason to make every bite count, with delicious, whole foods bursting with nutrients.

-Sharon Palmer, R.D
(Simin Meydani - D.V.M. Ph.D. director of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Again and the Nutritional Immunolgy Lab at Tufts.

Not sure if you noticed it, but I didn't see any suggestions for Special K cereals or bars, Smart Balance butter, Dannon Yogurt, Kashi cereals, agave sugar, almond milk, nature valley granola bars or Odwalla Pomegranate juice. Are these foods bad? Certainly not. Remember, there are no bad foods.
I think it is time for a fruit and vegetable revolution. No longer should fruits and veggies be viewed as "diet foods". The foundation of a lifelong diet should be plant-based. And to keep things balanced, society needs to realize the power in whole grains (carbs), healthy fats (unsaturated), low fat dairy and lean/vegetarian protein. It's time to stop counting/cutting out calories and feeling hungry all day. It's time to stop the sugar and salt cravings from processed food. Let's focus on the foods that we put in our body and whether or not they positively impact our lifestyle as well as our individual athletic and body composition goals. Happy eating!

The Right Stuff

Once again, I'm falling behind on my stack of enjoyable reading. I'm 7 interning days away (1 1/2 weeks) and 1 final away, from being finished with my 11-week, 372 hour, food service rotation. I can't believe it!! In 2 weeks I will officially be over half-way finished with my 10-month dietetic internship.

Nutrition Action is one of my favorite nutrition magazines and the material is absolutely excellent! The scientific advisory board is comprised if PhD's and MD's and there are even a few RD's on staff.

I love the back page of the magazine titled "Right Stuff. Food Porn".
In the July/August 2010 issue, the feature food (Right Stuff) was Orzo.
The magazine suggests RiceSelect Whole Wheat Orzo and DeLallo 100% Organic Whole Wheat Orzo. This product doesn't toss out the bran and germ like refined pastas. The Whole Wheat Orzo contains B vitamins, iron, fiber (6-9grams), 10% or more of a day's vitamin B-6, magnesium, zinc, copper, and selenium in each 200-calorie cup.

Whole wheat orzo has more fiber, protein and selenium than you'd get in brown rice, which takes longer to cook (unless you buy it parboiled).

You prepare orzo like any pasta, just boil it in plenty of water until al dente, about 8 min. (6 min if you'll be using it in a cold pasta salad). Drain the orzo and you are ready for business.

Toss the cooked orzo with plenty of chopped fresh basil and ripe tomatoes with a splash of EVOO. Or mix in some fresh dill, mint, scallions, feta cheese, lemon juice and olive oil. Or toss with roasted veggies - cherry tomatoes, garlic, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, anything that's in season.

You can also treat orzo like rice. Try it in a simple risotto.

(I summed up the article for ya).

So now, I'm sure you are ready for the Food Porn.

SLAM JUNK
If you go to Denny's, you know your Slams. Take the Grand Slam (2 pancakes, 2 eggs, 2 bacon strips, 2 sausage links). Its 860 calories, 14.5 grams of saturated fat, 500 mg of cholesterol and 2240 mg of sodium supply too much of almost everything before 9am.
Want a slam you can hold in your hands? Denny's has you covered. The Grand Slamwich has "two scrambled eggs, sausage, crispy bacon, shaved ham, mayonnaise and American cheese on potato bread grill with a maple spice spread." In case that's too skimpy, the Slamwich comes with hash browns.
Even without the hash browns, your sandwich hits 1320 calories and two days' worth of sat fat (42 grams) and sodium (3070 mg). It has the calories of 4.5 McDonald's Egg McMuffins..with an extra 20 grams of sat fat. Bonus: the Slamwich holds a regular smorgasbord of processed meats that may raise your risk of diabetes and colon cancer. And not a fruit or vegetable (other than fried potatoes) in sight!
With ordinary has browns, the sandwich hits 1530 calories. Get the Everything Hash Browns instead and the cheese and gravy boost your grand total to 1800 calories, 50g of sat fat and 6890 mg of sodium.
To be fair, Denny's lets you "Build Your own Grand Slam" with any four items. But other than oatmeal and egg whites, the best choices - like fruit and yogurt- cost extra. That should send many patrons scurrying back to the Build Your Own Belly side of the menu.

Florida Cycling State Road Race

This past weekend was the last official cycling race of the Florida Cycling racing series. What a LONG season. Karel typically races in early Feb and then takes a short break in mid summer and then finishes up the cycling season in the fall.
This year Karel finished his last official race a week after I did IMWI. Karel had an excellent race, finishing 2nd and guaranteed his win as Florida Cup Pro 1,2 Series Champion. The State Road Race was not on Karel's to-do list but since the award banquet was on sat evening (after the age-group road race) he decided to race both on sat and sun (category road race). As I mentioned in a previous post, Karel has been spending much of his off-season drinking beer (opps..don't think I mentioned that) as well as lifting, doing plyo's, mountain biking and fixed gear riding. There have been a few runs and swims in his off-season routine as well. Not so much road biking but we did ride together a few times in the past month. Even though Karel was feeling a little rusty, he always seems to pull it together at a race because he loves riding his bike. At the end of the day, nobody is making him ride his bike...he just loves every moment of it.

After I squeezed in a 2 1/2 hr ride on the trainer, I gathered up some reading material, as well as Campy's goodies for his overnight trip, and we were off around 11am. A few hours later we were in Ocala for the State Road Race...which was an hour behind schedule.
Nothing new for cycling races so Campy and I toughed up the HEAT (still wondering why it was in the upper 80's on the last day in Oct????) and walked around in a beautiful field by the race course. Certainly, a race in the middle of no where makes for lots of smelly spots for the Campster.

Finally, the race started and off went the 34 and under riders (3 groups of ages). This is always a scary field for age group racing because there is a mix of young and inexperienced riders with a lot of Pro 1,2 riders. There was a wide variety of skills so it made for a weird spectating-watching experience.

After the riders got started they climbed the first hill of this rolling course. The feed station was located on the first hill so with the riders taking less than 15 min per 7-mile loop, Campy and I drove the car up to the middle of the hill in order to feed Karel near the middle of the race (in cycling terms "feeding" means passing a bottle of sport drink to him as he is racing since there are no "aid stations" in cycling races. Technically, you are not allowed to feed on the first and last loop of cycling races).
After lots of walking around, Karel was finally ready for a bottle so Campy stayed in the car (lucky dog...he gets AC and I get the heat) as I passed Karel a bottle. After passing him the bottle I went back to the car to fix him another bottle. Not realizing that the bottle slipped out of his hand when I passed it to him, I took Campy on another walk and didn't have another bottle ready for Karel. Assuming that he didn't need another bottle after a 7 mile loop, Karel was a little upset that I wasn't there with another bottle. He was super thirsty, without a drink and hot. Opps..I felt bad. So, I made sure he got the bottle on the next loop. Luckily, he did. I knew Karel wasn't made at me but he thought I saw him drop the bottle and I assumed he grabbed it. I guess we had a bit of miscommunication but that's nothing new in cycling racing.

Karel was looking stronger and stronger as the race went on so I was excited for teh finish. I never get super excited for a finish because the finish can be a scary place for the riders. With 2K to go, a 3 man break was caught (which held on for much of the race) and the field was all together. This makes for an exciting finish until the worst happens...

A crash.

I have never seen such a crash before. After being with Karel for 4 years, I have seen a lot of carbon hit the ground....followed by riders. I guess you get a little immune to it but I always feel bad when it happens. Even though Karel has exceptional bike handling skills, you never know what can happen with other riders all sprinting (40+ mph) in the same direction.

Not sure how it happened but once 1 rider went down, the rest of the riders followed. There was a massive pile-up in the group with several riders crashing out in the field. Some riders managed to squeeze on by. Once I saw the crash, I did what all of the other wives, girlfriends and family did...ran to the crash. With Campy in my hands I just kept saying to myself "please not Karel, please not Karel". Finally, I saw Karel and thanked whoever was watching over him on this day. The riders looked really bad on the ground and Karel just rolled to a stop. So thankful that he didn't crash in this "off-season" race, he told me that his derailleur broke due to the crash. I looked down at this rear derailleur and sure enough, he wasn't able to even cross the finish line because his bike wasn't able to go anywhere.
He said that another rider was crashing and that wheel hit Karel's rear wheel (about 40+ mph) and broke his derailleur in half. I still don't know how he managed to stay on his bike.

After Karel walked his bike back to the car, he removed his rear wheel and started going to work on his bike. Hoping that he could use another derailleur (from another rider who wasn't racing on Sun for the Pro 1,2 race) there was no way that he could fix his bike, despite having his tool kit with him. What a bummer. He was really looking forward to the Pro 1,2 race on Sun but we couldn't be more thankful that he was ok and not in the hospital like a lot of the other riders.

We canceled the hotel room and found a Campy sitter while we attended the Award Banquet.

The food was amazing but nothing was more rewarding than seeing Karel get his award as the Pro 1,2 Florida Cup Series Champion. He worked really hard for this award...not knowing at the beginning of the season if this was even possible. To his surprise, he received a 2nd place award for the Spring Florida Series Points Pro 1,2.

Karel - I couldn't be more proud of you. Working as the general manager of the Trek Store is no easy job. You work on the weekends and you even when you come home, I never see you stop working (well, you do when you enjoy my yummy creations). I don't know how you manage to do it all but I am so happy for you and you deserve nothing less than the best.

Karel and myself love racing and love training. No one pays us to do it and it is all a choice. I feel like lately there has been a lot of negativity in the triathlon community and I don't do negativity. I have never been disappointed with an Ironman-branded event and I love the Ironman corporation as well as the community that makes up Ironman and the Ironman event series. As for the other triathlon races, there are some exceptional events with excellent race directors. For me, I typically pick a race dependent on the time of the year and the course. I want a safe race and a race that will let me put my training to the test. I race for myself and for the experience. At the end of the day...I CHOOSE my race and I have no reason to complain about the outcome. I have never complained about a race and I never intend to in the future.


For Karel and myself, we love goal setting and working hard to achieve goals. At the end of the day, we want to walk away satisfied with our performance. More than anything, this is a lifestyle for us. We race because this is a lifestyle for us. Sure, sometimes things won't go as planned but race directors and events are allowed mistakes. If you are expecting a perfect race experience, good luck finding a perfect race...year after year. You can always find something to complain about but who wants to complain when you can think about the positives.


"If you don't like something change it; if you can't change
it, change the way you think about it."

Thanks to Craig, Derek and Christi-Ann for some of the photos on FB

Crockpot Veggie, Brown Rice and Bean Soup and Spicy Homemade Cornbread -Creations

This is just what I needed after a long day of interning. It was a breezy 80-degrees yesterday so I'm thinking that this recipe is going to comfort all of my blog readers who live outside of Florida.
When it comes to comfort food, I think we all associate the comforting food with a former memory or habit. In order to change a few old eating habits, try adding some of your favorite treats to your heart-healthy recipes. It may take some time weaning yourself away from old favorites, but eventually I think you will find yourself gravitating more towards wholesome foods and less towards processed (or high fat) options.
We had some leftover Sun Chips from my Theme menu a few weeks ago so I decided to top our soup with a little crunch from the chips. If you are a salty or crunchy eater, topping a bowl full of veggies is a perfect way to incorporate something old with something new. The cornbread was super spicy. It was a little dense because I used whole wheat flour but when served warmed....delicious!

The Quality Protein

Although I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian there is no part of my diet that is short on protein. From peanut butter and nuts to cottage cheese, cheese, eggs, milk, vegetarian meats, tofu, beans, lentils, whey protein and greek/low fat yogurt...I sure do love my protein. Considering that my diet is primarily plant-based, I enjoy rounding out my meals and snacks with high fiber carbohydrates (ex. whole grains) as well as healthy fats and good sources of vegetarian protein. One of the essential proteins in my diet (as well as for Karel) is whey protein. There is always a container of whey protein in my kitchen. Even if I am not training intensely in the off-season (or high volume during the week), whey protein is an excellent complete protein to help me meet my daily protein needs and when necessary, quickly repair after workouts. Considering that I have used whey protein since college, I am thrilled with the amount of scientific research done on whey protein in relation to the elderly, individuals with burns and debilitating health conditions and most of all, in athletes seeking body composition changes and performance gains.
I recommend Hammer whey protein as well as Body Fortress. I typically travel with Hammer Whey (or Recoverite) but because Karel and myself go through whey protein as quickly as we go through skim milk, I can easily run up to Wal-Mart or Target to pick up Body Fortress Whey protein (I like vanilla, Karel likes strawberry or chocolate) whenever we are running out. I also buy our Glutamine and Creatine powder at Wal-mart (Body Fortress).

I hope you enjoy my latest article from the FREE Iron Girl newsletter. Be sure to mark December 31st, 2010 on your calendar. The 2011 Iron Girl event series will open registration. I can't wait to see what events are featured for 2011!!!

The Quality Protein
A well-balanced diet is essential for women like you who live a healthy lifestyle; you need the proper nutrients to support your activity level. Unfortunately, busy schedules, travel, intense exercise routines or personal/religious dietary preferences can make it difficult to strike the right balance.



Nutrition is important for longevity, your Iron Girl exercise routine and weight control. The foundation of any long-term dietary routine should include the best type of quality macronutrients, rather than radical, short-term dietary practices or unhealthy eating habits.



Not all protein is alike (ex. plant-based protein vs. animal protein) and some proteins contain more essential amino acids than others, so the quality of your protein should be considered as you create a balanced diet rich in proper nutrients.



Whey Protein has a high amino acid profile, and if consumed immediately after exercise, it will support tissue and protein synthesis (1). Additionally, when it comes to glycogen re-synthesis and replenishing stored carbohydrates for future workouts, whey protein (combined with carbohydrates) is an optimal recovery drink to reduce post-exercise soreness and expedite recovery (2).



Whey is the best source of naturally occurring branched chain amino acids, which are taken up directly by skeletal muscle, not the liver, and endurance athletes are encouraged to supplement with whey during their exercise routine. Mixing these amino acids with a properly concentrated maltodextrin sport drink, athletes will not only combat fatigue, but also enhance their mental awareness (3).

This protein contains glutathione, a powerful antioxidant, and non-denatured whey protein is highly recommended in the daily diet. It's also a natural source of the amino acid cysteine - the main factor in the production of glutathione, and there may be a link between whey supplements, cancer prevention and protection during aging (4).



When shopping for the most pure and concentrated form of whey protein, find an affordable 100 percent whey protein with 'whey protein isolate' as the primary ingredient. Whey concentrate contain anywhere between 30 and 90 percent whey protein, and as the percentage of whey protein concentrate decreases, the amount of lactose and fat increases. Regardless of athletic aspirations or weight-loss goals, whey protein is an excellent low-fat, lactose-free, vegetarian protein for individuals wanting to improve body composition, physical performance and aspire to achieve a healthy and balanced quality diet.



Peanut Butter Apple Whey Smoothie
1 cup diced red apple

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 scoop vanilla whey protein

½ cup skim or soy milk

½ cup water

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp all spice or nutmeg

6-8 ice cubes

-Put ingredients in blender. Blend until creamy like a milkshake. (Note: you may need to add more water to meet your consistency needs or to break up ice cubes. You can substitute the apple for a banana or you can replace honey for the peanut butter. Be creative!

1) Hoffman, J.R. and Falvo, M.J. Protein-which is best? J. Sports Sci and Med. 2004;3:118-130.

2) Jentijens, R. and Jeukendrup, A. Determinants of post-exercise glycogen synthesis during short-term recovery. Sports Med. 2003;33:117-44.

3) Portier, H., Chatard, J.C., Filaire, E., et al. Effects of branched-chain amino acids supplementation on physiological and psychological performance during an offshore sailing race. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 2008;104:787-94.

4) Parodi, P.W. A role for milk proteins and their peptides in cancer prevention. Curr. Pharm. Des. 2007;13:813-28.





Marni holds a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology, is a Certified Sports Nutritionist (CISSN) and holds a certification by the American Dietetic Association in Adult Weight Management. Marni is a Level-1 USAT Coach and is currently a dietetic intern, becoming a Registered Dietitian (anticipated finish, May 2011). She is a 2007 Ford Ironman World Championship finisher and recently qualified for the 2011 Ironman World Championships by placing 4th in her age group (25-29) at 2010 Ironman Wisconsin. Marni enjoys public speaking and writing, and she has several published articles in Hammer Endurance News, CosmoGirl magazine and Triathlete Magazine, and contributes monthly to IronGirl.com and Beginnertriathlete.com.
Any questions, Email mrakes1@hotmail.com or visit
www.trimarni.blogspot.com.