Happy Halloween treats

It seems like every holiday is surrounded by food. With Halloween today and the winter holidays quickly approaching, there is no shortage of "eat this, not that" tips in order to save calories, maintain/lose weight or curb cravings.

While working with athletes and fitness enthusiasts for the past few years, I developed a saying that will always stay with me...
"If you eat well most of the time you don't have to worry about the rest of the time"

The reason why I like this quote is that it speaks so loudly as to how we can all develop a healthy relationship with food. For there are 365 days in the year and a little over a dozen "American" holidays and common national observances to celebrate throughout the year. Although some holiday celebrations involve festive food that is enjoyed for more than one day, for the most part, holidays typically bring staple foods to be enjoyed on the respective day/holiday.

Rather than telling you the "healthiest" candies or 20 holiday snacks less than 250 calories, I'd like to share some recipes that you may find scrumptious on Halloween day.

My suggestion to you is if you are choosing to make Halloween an occasional indulgence, do so with balance in mind. Have a glass of milk with a piece of candy, better yet, have a piece of fruit and a glass of milk (or your choice of protein) with the piece of candy. Do not go into a meal starving (ex. going to a party) and do not excuse candy treats as a meal replacement. Eat as you normal would but focus on more nutrient-dense foods throughout the day in order to give a little wiggle room for the calorie dense foods. Focus on color from fruits and veggies - not just from skittles and M&M's and have a plan as to what, how much and when you will have your treats. Do not see this plan as strict and controlling but rather as a guide to help you feel in control of the foods that you put into your body. For having a plan and feeling "OK" to have 3 pieces of candy is very powerful, especially if you are use to "out of control" sweet eating, followed by feeling of guilt and body image obsession.
And most of all, do not beat yourself up for having a few hundred calories from "occasional" treats. What's one day in October, when there are 365 days in a year?

Happy Halloween!!!
Chocolate and Peanut Butter-dipped pretzels




Butternut Squash with pumpkin seeds and cranberries

(From Nutrition Action Healthletter November issue 2011)

Serves 4

1 lb butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbs pomegranate juice or orange juice
1/8 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
3 tbs dried cranberries

1. Steam the squash until tender, 3-5 minutes.
2. Drain any water
3. In large bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, juice, salt and oil
4. Toss the squash in the bowl with the dressing
5. Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds and cranberries

Nutrition per serving (3/4 cup):
190 calories
12g fat
19g carbs
3 g fiber
150 mg sodium
4g protein

Walnut raspberry chocolate tartlets

(from www.walnuts.org)

Serves 6
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
1 cup puffed brown rice cereal (ex. brown rice crispies-type cereal)
4 ounces dark chocolate, melted
36 fresh raspberries (may use another fruit based on season - etc. pomegranate seeds)
6 sprigs of mint

1. Arrange six cupcake papers on a baking sheet or in a muffin pan, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine walnuts and rice cereal; mix well. Add them melted chocolate and stir until all is well coated.
3. Divide evenly among the 6-paper-lined cups and press gently with the back of a soup spoon to compact into a "crust". Arrange 6 raspberries on top gently pressing them into position while the chocolate is still warm.
4. Garnish with a sprig of the mind. Refrigerate until firm - 30 minutes.
5. Remove from the liners and place onto serving platter.


Spooky apple and peanut butter smoothie


1/2 large green apple
1 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1 stalk celery
8-11 ice cubes
1 scoop protein powder (or 1 cup plain non fat yogurt)
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
Water - as needed

1. Mix together ingredients in blender.
2. Add more/less water to meet your consistency needs.

Feel free to share your Halloween recipes either in a comment or share your blog!

You are what you eat

Although my recent education involved nutrition/dietetics, I come from a background of exercise. I will never loose sight of my primary passion which is exercise physiology and understanding the what's, why's and how's of the body during exercise.

I think we'd all agree that exercise and nutrition fit so nicely together. For both are important in living a quality life, while reducing your risk for disease. In regard to nutrition, there's so much chatter in our current society that it is almost overwhelming to hear another research study, "expert" opinion, philosophy, thought or ground-breaking fact in terms of good/bad food, diets and health. Having said that, I do appreciate you continuing to read my blog (and LIKING my FACEBOOK page) in an effort to learn how to develop a healthy relationship with food and make the most out of your fitness/athletic journey.

Understanding that we are all on our own personal mission of health, wellness, nutrition and fitness, I find it extremely important that we don't get too far away from the basics of nutrition and exercise. That is - eat fresh food and move the body daily. Simple advice.

Last night at the Halloween-inspired Beach Trek store Beer Run, I couldn't help but think about my body....while unning around 3 miles in a banana suit, with my dog Campy.

While watching Campy smile, while quickly moving his 4 tiny (yet fast!) legs, I made sure I didn't dismiss the fact that my diet and outlook on life allow me to do things like this in life. While I love relaxing while watching a good movie with Karel, I absolutely love "doing things" with my body. Whether I'm using my brain or moving my body, I take pride in the face that I fuel my body with the best nutrients possible (the key is "emphasize" as I don't believe in being strict when it comes to eating for health and for fuel). For often we associate exercise and nutrition with calories and I think this thought needs to take a back seat in the mind when wanting to make a lifestyle change.

With the holidays approaching, this is often a time when people become very hard on themselves as to eat a certain way (ex being "good" or being "bad" with food) or begin to construct unrealistic weight goals. Regardless if you are an athlete in your off-season or a fitness enthusiast..or just someone who is trying to find a way to fit movement into your daily routine, I ask that you respect your body during the next few months...starting today.

Remove the pressure of having to eat a certain way or to exercise for x-amount of time.

Have a plan....a realistic one and don't forget to have fun.

So whether you are aim to walk 1 mile a day, strength train for 10 minutes, three times per week, try/include 1 new fruit or vegetable to add to your diet per week or plan to run in a banana suit for 3 miles with your dog, be sure you are having fun and you remove the pressure that comes from improving or changing your lifestyle. Remove the outside voices who try to tell you what to eat, what not to eat, how to eat, when to eat, etc. You know your body better than anyone. Need help? Consult an expert such as a Registered Dietitian or Exercise Physiology/coach or speak to your primary physician. When it comes to diet, exercise and/or your health - don't let life slip on by when you can make a difference in how you act/feel tomorrow, by focusing on what you can do today.

One thing that I took away from my community nutrition internship, while interning at Preferred Nutrition, is that we (health professionals) don't change lives by telling people what to do. Rather, it's important to assess each person differently and find out...."what CAN you do?" I find this so very important in developing a healthy relationship with food and developing a balanced approach to exercise (and training). Who wants to abide by a set of rules for the rest of their life? I say "not me!" unless they are my rules...that benefit me and my ability to live a long and productive life. Additionally, although my rules are for me, they are balanced..taking into consideration that MY life requires support, passion and enthusiasm from the people around me. Therefore, my "rules" are not so rigid and extreme that I will become distant from the close friends and family in my life, who are very important in my quest to making memories in my one and only life.

A few pics from the Halloween Beach Trek Beer Run - the Beer run is held every Thursday evening at 6:30pm at the Beach Trek Store. On the first Thursday of every month, your first beer is free at Nippers. For the rest of the month (on Thursday) beer is $2.

Grilled Eggplant Salad

Over the weekend, I picked out a few yummy finds including sand pears, collard greens (thanks Doris for sharing your bunch!) and purple eggplant. The sand pears were new to my taste buds but I absolutely LOVE them. If I could describe them, they taste like an apple jolly rancher mixed with a little pear taste. So sweet and crunchy.

I have not yet learned to appreciate eggplant yet, except for eggplant on pizza, so I rubbed a little olive oil on sliced eggplant (eggplant loves to soak up oil!), sprinkled it with no salt seasoning, sliced a little garlic for on top and grilled it in the oven for until it was slightly brown. I set the oven at 450 degrees and it took around 10-15 minutes.

While the eggplant was cooking, I heated up some whole grain wild rice. Karel just loves rice so since I believe that families/couples/friends, etc. should eat similar "healthy" foods but in different quantities, I served myself a nice portion of whole grains (I aim to eat 3-servings of whole grains per day to help meet my vitamin/mineral and fiber recommendations) and let Karel serve himself since he has different energy needs than me.

To go along with our wild rice and grilled eggplant, I made a beautiful salad filled with:
Avocado
Romaine, collard greens and kale
Purple grapes
Chopped hard boiled egg
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Onions
Carrots
Green pepper
Tomatoes
Orange slices
Sand pears





On a different note, I am very passionate about getting adequate calcium in the diet, especially as an female athlete. We should never take for granted that our bones are the frame of our body...we must take care of them as we respect the body with wholesome food and adequate consumption of vitamins and minerals.

While reading the October 2011 issue of Consumer Reports on Health there was a fantastic cover article on Boosting the strength of bones for women and men.
Since I work with several athletes and individuals seeking weight loss, alongside working in the hospital where I learn at least one new drug/medicine/prescription every single time I am there, I thought I would share a list featured on pg. 5 of the magazine of the medications (listed drugs are also available as generics) that can weaken your frame, in the case that you are concerned about your bones and may be considering a bone density exam.
-Anticonvulsants - Dilantin, phenobarbital: used for epilepsy, nerve pain
-Aromatase inhibitors - Arimidex, Femara: breast cancer
-Estrogen blockers - Depo-Provera, Depo-subQ Provera 104, Lunelle: endometrisosi, pregnancy prevention, pelvic pain, abnormal menstruation
-Glucocorticoids- cortisone, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone, prednisone: arthritis, asthma, inflammation, lupus
-Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists- Zoladex, Vantas, Lupron, Synarel: breast cancer, early-onset puberty, endometriosis, infertility, prostate cancer
-Heparin - preventing blood clots
-Immunosuppressant- cyclosporine, prograf: organ transplants, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis
-Proton pump inhibitors-Nexium, Prevacid, Prilosec, Segerid, AcipHex: frequent heartburn, GERD, ulcers
-SSRIs-Celexa, Lexapro, Prozac, Luvox, Paxil, Pexeva, Zoloft: anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder
-Thiazolidinediones- Actos, Avandia, Avandaryl: Type 2 Diabetes
*If you are one of the 26 million people with Type 2 diabetes: Consumper Resports on Health pg 7 explain that aaccording to the FDA, both Actos and Avandia increase the risk of congestive heart failure and carry a black-box warning about the risk. One out of three people in 100 with no history of heart disease will develop heart failure as a result of taking Actos or Avandia. There is also a higher risk of bladder cancer in people who took Actos for more than a year. Avandia is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks.

This week....

Happy 3-year wedding anniversary to my wonderful hubby Karel.




When we were dating back in 2006, I would always tell Karel that we made the best teammates. Fast forward to 2011 (almost 2012!) and I couldn't agree more. What's great about teammates is that they have each others back. They are there for one another when times get tough and they create memories when life seems oh-so-wonderful.
You want to be sure your teammate recognizes your strengths and you don't get upset when your teammate tells you your weaknesses. For you know that the best teammates only want to make you better. They are not selfish and want more for you, than they do for themselves. It's funny how in life you can learn so much from someone else, without recognizing it (at the time) that they are only making you a BETTER you for the future.
What I love the most about Karel is his willingness to go out of his way for anyone. I am not sure if it is love, or just Karel, but he has a way of making it seem "Ok" when he wants me to get out of my comfort zone. I suppose that he often believes in me, more than I believe in my life but because I trust Karel so very much, I often find myself doing things I never once thought possible, all because I have someone who loves me unconditionally. Karel has always accepted me for me and because of that, I have found myself becoming a better person, all because he never encourages me to become someone that I think I am not or can never be.

This is one of my favorite pictures. We had just gotten Campy (about a week earlier) and I was instantly in love with this little guy (we think he was around 10-12 months old when we got him from a foster family who found him behind a building in Amelia Island) and we were 2 weeks away from getting married in Oct 2006.
Campy has really changed Karel and myself as I believe he has really opened our eyes as to how wonderful the world is..if you really live it. Campy goes everywhere with us/me (if you couldn't guess) and we love it that way. Campy has a special way of looking at you, always with eyes that scream "I love you", reminding you that life is never as bad as you think it is.

I think Karel and myself are both really lucky to have each other but our wedding anniversary is even more special because we were lucky enough to have Campy come into our lives.


On another note, I continue to feel inspired by FOOD DAY...

Avocado dip
1 medium avocado
1 heaping tbsp non-fat or greek yogurt (plain)
Pinch of sea salt
Dash of pepper
Chopped onions
Chopped garlic

1. Mix together with fork and refrigerate.



Sweet Kale protein smoothie
2 prunes
1 leaf kale (leaf removed from stem,washed)
1 stalk celery
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
5 almonds (or your favorite nut)
1/2 tbsp PB
1/2 large banana
1 small orange/tangerine
1 scoop whey protein (or your fav protein)
1/2 cup skim milk
Water (as needed)
Ice cubes

1. Mix together in blender/vita-mix.
2. Add water gradually and to meet consistency needs.



Busy tomorrow and live in Jacksonville?
Not only is Jacksonville the BEST city for having so many fast, fun, passionate and healthy triathletes, runners and cyclists..but we have the BEST beer run EVER!! Don't miss it - 6:30pm THURSDAY at Trek Bicycles of Jacksonville (beach location). Costumes encouraged!
Beaches Beer Run will start at the beach TREK store and now finish at Nippers!!!! 4.65 miles of fun then a huge outdoor deck for FREE beer and socializing. They are rolling out the red carpet for the runners on Oct 27th!

Karel is one week away from finishing his cycling season (this weekend is the state road race championships in Clermont, FL as well as the end of the year banquet celebration - can't wait to cheer on Karel!) so although it will just be me and Campy at the beer run this week, Karel absolutely loves running in his off-season...for beer that is :) And don't let him fool you that he is not "a runner". Karel has one sub-40 min 10K under his belt..his first (and only) "running" race!


For all my compression lovers...
If you aren't a lover/user of compression - be sure to put this item on your "holiday" MUST HAVE list. In addition to your CEP active calf sleeves and socks, 110% Play Harder has a new product!!! As if compression could not get any better.....compression tights + ice therapy !!! The 110%. Play Harder clutch-tights are now available!!!

And don't forget to put some Oakley Breast Cancer Awareness items (clothing and sunglasses) on your MUST HAVE list!
I just got the Hoodie which is perfect for a fall day, not to mention super comfortable to wear around the house or to put on after you clean up from a workout.
10% of the proceeds from each sale of the special edition YSC products go to the Young Survival Coalition® (YSC), which is the premier global organization dedicated to the critical issues unique to young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer.


Lastly, I hope you enjoy my latest article on LAVA online - Plate Not Pills- Beta Carotene
Plates Not Pills: Beta-carotene : LAVA Magazine

dark green OVERLOAD!!

...is never a bad thing so long as we focus on nutritional balance to meet our individual health, lifestyle and performance goals.

I suppose I was incredibly inspired by FOOD DAY!

I can't describe my excitement when I started my latest creation in my kitchen. Always with a vision and a primary ingredient, but never with a plan.

Although I know the many benefits of Kale - which is now the "superman" of dark greens" - I continue to say "I haven't yet learned to appreciate it". When I traveled abroad to Japan in 7th grade, I was told by my teacher that we should try new things but if we don't like what we try, to say "I haven't yet learned to appreciate it" rather than "I don't like it". Perhaps the former saying, rather than later, gives us some accountability that eventually we WILL like what we are trying.

I find it incredibly important to be creative in your kitchen when trying new foods. Certain ingredients may over power other ingredients and when you are trying to introduce new foods, your taste buds may not be familiar with what you are trying. Never tell yourself that you will never like something because as I told the kids yesterday "it takes many, many, many times to try something healthy before you realize that you really do like it".

Last night I went full-out. DARK GREEN OVERLOAD!! I almost added bell peppers and broccoli but I wanted to be sure that I didn't have too much vitamin K and A in my meal. Although I am very passionate about eating a plant-based diet, I realize even too much fruits and veggies can be negative to our health - particularly if we are excluding other foods (vitamins and minerals) that will help us reach nutritional balance.

For our dinner last night, which was shared by Karel - who LOVED this meal, I made collard green wraps and kale chips and a mango (on the side) for extra vitamin C to soak up the iron in the dark greens. Plus, the mango gave a great sweetness to the meal. By the time I finished this meal, I was super satisfied with all my taste buds super happy.

Kale Chips

Bunch of Kale (stems removed, cleaned)
no-salt seasoning
sea salt
olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. On large cooking sheet, place torn kale leaves.
3. Drizzle olive oil on kale leaves and rub to cover leaves (gently)
4. Sprinkle with a dash of sea salt and your favorite no-salt seasoning.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until edges begin to brown and chip is crunchy.

*Once kale chips are done, turn oven to 425 degrees if you would like to make collard green wraps as well.

Collard wraps w/ avocado and fresh mozzarella

Collard Greens
Tuna (for meat eater)
Tofu (for vegetarian)
Avocado
Mozzarella cheese (fresh, part-skim)
Corn
Onions
Mushrooms
Cilantro
Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cook corn, onions and mushrooms in large skillet on medium heat, in a little olive oil.
3. As veggies are cooking, open clean collard green leaf (stem removed) and rub with avocado. Place a few thin slices of cheese on green.
4. Take a few spoonfuls of cooked veggies and your choice of protein and place on center of green. Cover with a little cilantro (to your taste). Sprinkle with pepper.
5. Roll collard green and flip over on non-stick pan, sprayed with a little non-stick cooking spray (or drizzle of olive oil, rubbed on pan).
6. Cook in oven for 5-8 minutes or until slightly toasted.
7. Use leftover veggies for a side.


Karel's plate:

My plate:

HOT PRESS!!

I have way too much to blog about..which I hope is a good thing!

I hope you had a fantastic FOOD DAY!! I am super excited to share my morning, which involved speaking to over 300 school kids about the importance of adding more COLOR to their diet. I also had the kids try NEW foods like fresh cilantro (pic below) as well as quinoa, edamame, greek yogurt, raisins (a sweet alternative to candy) and wheat thins (a whole grain alternative to chips).


I was so inspired by Food Day that I couldn't wait to make dinner. When my tri-season comes to an end, I gladly welcome the cooler temperatures as well as my ability to try new foods and get more creative in the kitchen. Whereas I LOVE summer fruits, I absolutely LOVE the flavors that come from fall/winter foods.
For I am on a journey, just like you, in appreciating the goodness of wholesome foods and because I have no "rules" in my diet, I believe in following the same advice that I give to others. I believe that falling in love with a plant based diet is not about what you CAN'T eat but what you CAN eat. Therefore, by reducing my emphasis on processed foods, I focus on natural foods (not necessarily organic as I personally do not follow an organic diet) with little to no ingredients. I don't see boxed, canned or restaurant food as "bad" and I don't believe in wasting my energy telling others what NOT to eat. Rather, I welcome those items on occasion and understand that they make up a small part of my diet (thus they don't affect my health, performance and well-being in a negative way because I de-emphasize them in my diet). Plus, if something has more than "a little" ingredients, don't feel guilty when you eat it! I believe that the easiest way to change habits is to always look forward to one thing in a meal. Therefore, if you are trying something new, like a new way to prepare eggplant or squash, don't be afraid to add something to the meal (portion control) that you really really enjoy. I think of it like parents and kids. Parents tell their kids to eat dinner first to get their vitamins and minerals, before eating dessert. The kids are still eating dessert but the best part is that the child ate dinner which provides nutrients to encourage an improvement in health. If you are eating a beautiful filling salad but topping it with your favorite pita chips or croutons - think of it as a great thing that you spent the time to prepare a colorful meal, full of vitamins and minerals. More often than not, you will find yourself controlling cravings, feeling more control over eating and actually looking forward to new diet changes, because of your ability to enjoy a little of everything rather than try to be so strict or "perfect".
Life is all about a journey and I am on the ride, just like you. The best part is that once you jump on the ride, you will stay on it because there is no pressure as to how fast or slow you go. You can take your time as to how long it takes you to get "there" and it is up to you as to what direction you will take (often there will be lots of "turn-around" points).

Although I don't believe that you need to be a vegetarian to be a successful athlete or to live a quality, balanced and healthy life..this quote makes me smile.


“Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” -Albert Einstein


So, speaking of HOT press!!
If you get a chance today, check out the newly released FITNESS Magazine (Nov/Dec 2011)! As you are reading all the information, be sure to read pg 68 and 70. An inspiring story that I think many of you can relate to! I am so happy to see such as a successful ending to this project, that I worked on for a few months early this summer. A new vegetarian lost 15 lbs through a healthy diet and exercise! Don't miss my suggestions on pg 70 for a sample menu and a few healthy tips to reaching your weight loss goals.

Happy Food Day!!

I invite you to try a full day of REAL food. One day to put away/pass on the bars, frozen lunches, fast-food meals and heavily processed foods and to spend today appreciating the food that you put into your body.

A few tips or helpful starters: emphasize foods with little to no ingredients (aim for 5 or less ingredients - all ingredients that you can pronounce and are found in nature), turn 1 "meal" into a "salad", start your day with a satisfying breakfast, eat a piece of whole fruit between meals and eat balanced meals comprised of whole grains or high fiber carbohydrates, lean/low fat protein and healthy unsaturated fats along with fruits and veggies.

Enjoy this designated one day of emphasizing real food as possibly the start of learning how to create plant based meals to fuel your active lifestyle and exercise/training routine.


Here's a few tips from Women's Health magazine (online) published October 21st:
4 Ways YOU Can Help EAT REAL this FOOD DAY
• Replace junk food with the good stuff: Plan snacks and meals around fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk and yogurt, fish, and lean poultry.
• Eat Local: Buying locally grown food not only helps local farmers and the environment, it also provides tastier, healthier food for you at no extra cost.
• Expand access to food: Some 50 million Americans are “food insecure”—get involved with your local food banks and charities to help end hunger.
• Eat less meat: American factory farms are linked to serious air and water pollution. Cut back on your meat consumption and eat more plants!

Pumpkin-illa Smoothie

I am really enjoying the change of seasons...especially the cooler temperatures in Florida.
I am approaching my 2nd week of unstructured exercise, simply choosing what I want to do and listening to my body.
The first week after Kona was simply to catch up on sleep, use sleep as a way to recover from my 140.6 mile adventure, to loosen my body with daily movement (walking, easy swimming, bike riding), to honor my body with fresh foods and to respect my body if it craved something different than what I typically put into my daily diet. Although I don't believe in being restrictive with the diet, I feel strongly that "sugar" cravings after a hard workout or race should not always be rewarded with ice cream and sugary treats. This time around, I believe that my plant-based diet and emphasis on WHOLE foods curbed a lot of my typical post-race "carb" cravings and I found myself gravitating to wholesome carbs such a whole grains as well as lots of healthy fats and quality proteins. I simply found a way to combine foods at meals and snacks in order to satisfy my cravings post-Kona (ex. pancakes w/ eggs) as well as continuing to provide my body with heart-healthy quality foods. I strongly believe that my ability to go into this race feeling "hungry" to race (aka - not overtrained) and fueled by plants was the best way to have a great race, put my training to the test and recover quickly. Now almost 2 weeks since Kona, I believe Kona worked to my advantage as a way to get stronger (with minimal training since the race) as my body is now healed from 11-hours of damage and my mind is in the right place to resume structured training for a few upcoming running races.
Also - thinking back to what helped me post-Kona, I was strict in taking 1 Hammer FIZZ (a day) on the 3-4 days after the Ironman. I believe that there is no other product out there that compares to Hammer FIZZ as a way to replenish electrolytes, in addition to providing the body with vitamins and minerals from fruits and veggies.

Now that the tri-season has ended, I avoid saying that it is "running" season for it is simply a time to enjoy some running races...as a triathlete. I will continue running ALWAYS off the bike for all my specific run workouts. My bike workouts will not be as long, when the emphasis is run-training, however, I will continue to bike and swim to break up things when I plan to run 4-day a week throughout the next few months.

I also plan to dedicate 3 days a week to strength training for the next few months. Giving up strength training in my 2-week Ironman taper was tough for me. Although I only strength train full body (sometimes emphasizing upper body and sometimes lower body, but always including core, glute, lower back and hip exercises) and only for about 15-20 min at a time, I find it a necessary part in training (for all sports) as well as for body composition changes.

Lastly, now that I have ended a fantastic and enjoyable 14-week Ironman training journey, it is time to work on my mind. For a 30-mile ride is now "long" and that is OK. There is no reason to feel guilty or say that I "only" ran for an hour or biked for 90 minutes or swam 4000 yrds for that is all OK....because I am not training for an Ironman. This is often the hardest part for athletes when the Tri-season comes to an end. Feeling guilty that they are not doing as much training OR that there is a lack of control when it comes to food because the training volume no longer supports overeating. I believe this is the best time to work on the daily diet in order to understand what it is your body needs to maintain (or lose) weight as an active individual. Because recommendations are that to be healthy, we only exercise 30 min a day or 2.5 hours a week, for most of us - we really exceed recommendations for daily exercise and health benefits.
My suggestions: After you give yourself a little needed recovery from your event (I encourage to sleep in and to give yourself an hour a day of movement for the first week post race), try to get back into a structured routine at least 3 days a week for the 2nd week post workout (ex. exercise at your "normal" exercise time every other day in week 2 post workout but keep the exercise fun and different. For example, I water jogged and did the elliptical twice in my 2nd week of training for 30 minutes as my "exercise" for the day). In week 3 post race, try to get back to structure, but still keep the exercise fun and different. Get back to exercising when you feel the best and allow yourself to be OK with around an hour/day of exercise. Feel free to do more on the weekends but continue to keep it fun and be OK with Only x-amount of miles or yards. I recommend not using a garmin/GPS, power meter or heart rate monitor in the first 2 weeks post-race so that your focus is just on moving your body and you don't put pressure on yourself to be fully recovered and to be able to swim, bike and/or run as fast as you did during (or before) your event. If done properly, you should find yourself bouncing back from your race quicker than ever and a lot stronger...with a new outlook and desire to set new training goals.

To keep your tummy happy during the fall months, I hope you enjoy my NEW creation. Although you may be adjusting your pre and during training nutrition due to less volume and a slight decrease in intensity, be sure to always focus on your recovery nutrition....this is where the performance and body composition gains are made!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin-illa Smoothie
1 scoop Vanilla whey protein powder
11 ice cubes
1/2 cup skim milk
1 stalk celery
1/3 cup pumpkin puree (canned - no sugar added, NOT pie mix)
1/2 - 1 cup water
5 cashews
1 tbsp flax seeds (ground)
dash of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of ginger
small piece of dark chocolate (optional, but perhaps necessary :) )


1. Mix all ingredients in blender - max ice crush speed.
2. Add more/less water or more/less ice to meet your consistency needs. The above recipe makes a smoothie similar to the consistency of a milkshake(Pending your blender - I have Oster Fusion blender)
3. Recommend to place smoothie (in glass) in the freezer for about 10 min to thicken up the smoothie.

A few substitutions depending on your dietary needs:
(may need to adjust recipe)
-Vegan - use tofu instead of milk, use hemp or soy protein instead of whey protein
-For kids - use non-fat plain yogurt (or greek yogurt 0%) instead of whey protein powder
-For dairy-free - use soy milk instead of skim milk, use hemp or soy protein instead of whey protein
-For lactose-free - use lactose-free milk instead of skim milk, may opt for soy protein however whey protein isolate has less than 0.1 gram of lactose per tablespoon (20 grams).

Never go into a meal starving

There's nothing wrong with being hungry for a meal. However, as athletes and fitness enthusiasts, meal-time is often a confusing time for many. As you continue your quest to develop a healthy relationship with food as well as appreciate the "fuel" that you put into your body, my number one tip to prevent overeating at meals (regardless if a workout preceeds the meal) as well as to prevent cravings after the meal, is to have a pre-meal snack. If you do workout before the meal, you have no excuse to go into the meal starving because as athletes, seeking performance gains (or body composition changes) from our training/exercise sessions, we want to be sure that we focus on nutrient timing, specifically the post-workout recovery snack.

I believe that one of the missing links in weight loss, weight maintenance and performance gains is that people are too concerned with calories in vs calories out, especially around workouts. For having a glass of milk or a scoop of whey protein post-workout should not be seen as "extra" calories but rather the continuation of your workout. While quality, easy-to-digest protein-rich foods will provide the essential amino acids necessary to help repair damaged tissues, a "light" workout can be completed with a small 100 calorie or less snack - emphasizing "real" food rather than consuming bars (as an example).

It's important that you have a plan (a "menu" if you will) to help as you learn the strengths and weakness's in your current eating routine that will help fuel your lifestyle and workout routine. On that plan, don't forget to include post training snacks OR pre-meal snacks. Depending on your exercise/training routine, be sure to plan for an opportunity to slow down digestion, prevent overeating, prevent cravings and ensure proper fuel storage of food, by planning for a pre-meal snack. Easy pre-meal snacks would be veggies and hummus, cheese and apple slices, nuts, a little yogurt, a few triscuits w/ PB. You'd be surprised that a less than 100 calorie snack can be the saving grace when it comes to feeling little control when it comes to eating after workouts or when you get home from work.

For some people, there is an opportunity to make meals before workouts. Perhaps you have never thought of this before but preparing dinner (or your lunch for the day) prior to a workout can also help you out as you continue your nutrition journey. For after a late day workout, something quick, fast and comforting is likely on your mind. Although a salad takes around 5 minutes to prepare, my next suggestion is to prepare your meal BEFORE working out. If you have no idea as to what you want for dinner, make a quick salad so atleast you have something to "go-to" that is filled with vitamins and minerals, when you return from your workout...after your recovery protein snack.

On Wednesday, Campy and I were super excited to join a few runners from the Jacksonville Running Company. The group was meeting at Tijuana Flats, which is about 1.8 miles away from where we live. After my morning swim + strength session, plus a busy day at the hospital, I took Campy on a quick walk and it was time to catch up on emails until it was time to make dinner. Around 5:15 I started the oven (450 degrees), sliced a potato, tossed it in olive oil and sprinkled it with paprika and pepper. Into the oven....done in about 20 minutes.

I then sliced firm tofu and started grilling it on a pan (medium heat) in olive oil and heated frozen broccoli and corn in the microwave. Once the tofu was a little golden brown and ready to flip I added the broccoli and corn and flipped tofu to the other side. I added some sliced onion, chopped garlic and bell pepper and by the time the potatoes were done, it was time to turn off the stove and get my dinner ready.

I waited until my dinner cooled (which I shared with Karel) and then put it in the fridge. I covered the potatoes and also put them out in the fridge.

At 6:15, Campy and I ran to meet the runners and then ran back home. A total of almost 4 miles...the longest run for both me since Kona and the longest run for Campy since last May.

By the time I got home around 7, I felt no rush as to what I will eat. My dinner was ready and I was able to do my stretches, have my glass of milk and feel great about what I was about to put into my body after my fantastic run with Campy.

Sometimes we don't have the opportunity to prepare a meal before a workout but by planning ahead and thinking about previous meals, you'd be surprised that you have a lot of control over your body both in what you choose to feed it and what it says to you when it's time to eat.

Enjoy!

Consumer Reports on Health

I feel as if I am finally caught up on my reading..aka journals, newsletters and magazines. Thanks to 24 hours of flying and over 8 hours of hanging out in airports, I am finally up-to-date wit the latest and greatest in the nutrition world. As for exercise, I'm excited to announce that the American Dietetic Association (which is soon to be called by a new name:
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) has created a nutrition care manual dedicated entirely to sports!
I use the care manual A LOT in the clinical world, especially when I receive a consult by a doctor or nurse to give a patient education on a certain topic. Most of our consults involve CHF (congestive heart failure) and diabetes (typically newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic) but we also get consults for renal diets (with or without dialysis), vegetarian/vegan diets (typically the doctor wants us to educate on more protein and calcium in the diet based on lab work) as well as weight loss.
What I love about the care manual is that it contains a lot of research, compiled into an Evidence Analysis Library filled with ADA position papers and info regarding the Nutrition Care Process. Because the manual contains so much research- and evidence-based nutrition care information (for more than 100 diseases, conditions, and topics), it is the go-to source when I have questions (or someone emails me a question) in regards to nutrition. I get a lot of my sports nutrition information from the International Society of Sports Nutrition as well as the
Sports Nutrition Insider.
So while it is super easy to google any topic or pass along information from a blurb on TV or in a magazine, it is important that your source of information is credible and to not always read too deep into research. Always keep an open mind.

In the November 2011, Volume 23, Number 11 issue of Consumer Reports On Health, there was a lot of great information in the HEALTH WIRE and SAY YES?, SAY NO? section.
Here's some great info that you may want to digest....

1) Calorie info on menus: According to a study in a July issue of the British Medical Journal, researchers surveyed 8,489 adults leaving fast-food restaurants in NYC in 2009 after a calorie-labeling law took effect at chain restaurants. Overall, 15% of the customers said they used the calorie counts to select their lunch. On average, they bought food that had 106 fewer calories than people who didn't use the information.
*this information is very interesting because in my October 2011 Volume 29, Number 8 issue of TUFTS University Health and Nutrition letter, there was a large article on "Can you trust restaurant Calorie Counts?" Tufts nutrition scientist Lorien E. Urban, PhD, lead author of the study, aid "we can't expect restaurants to be spot-on all the time with calories, but there needs to be guidelines to what a reasonable range of accuracy is." The researchers measured the actual caloric energy in 269 foods from 42 restaurants, including seven fast-food and seven sit-down eateries, in three states. Overall, results showed the 40% of the foods contained at least 10 more calories than claimed on restaurant menus, while 53% actually contained at least 10 fewer calories than stated. Sit-down restaurants' calorie counts were more likely to be off, which the researchers ascribed to poorer control of portion size.
According to Susan B Roberts "Typically, the foods that were stated as low-calorie on the menu contained more calories than they should, which is really bad for dieters". Percentage-wise, some dishes far exceeded their stated calorie counts. For example:
-Olive Garden's chicken and gnocchi soup had nearly double the listed 250 calories and the minestrone soup more than doubled its 100-calorie claim, totaling 265.
-Bob Evans' cranberry-pecan chicken salad with dressing listed at 672 calories had 315 and 551 EXTRA calories in two tests.
-P.F. Chang's healthy-sounding brown rice measured 477 calories, more than double the menu number of 190.
-Four tests of On the Border's chips and salsa found more than triple the claimed 430 calories, up to 1,511 actual calories.


So, as you attempt to eat more wholesome food in your balanced diet (what better than to feel motivated on FOOD DAY on Monday October 24th!), recognize that when YOU prepare food at home, you are responsible for what and how much you eat (not to mention - how it is prepared). I feel very strongly that we should be preparing more meals at home in order to recognize what it is our body wants and needs as well as listening to our body as to how much we should give it. If you think about it, we live in a society where fast-food and restaurants are giving us meals (that YOU choose from a board or menu) and in a way, telling people that 'this' amount (given to you) is how much you should eat. Despite people counting calories and exercising, people have no insight as to how to eat, when to eat and how much to eat. By focusing on a plant-based diet, not only will you learn to understand and respect the body but you will also learn to develop a healthy relationship with food because the emphasis of calories will be removed, and rather a focus on feeling fantastic about the food that you put into your body. Why should you feel restricted, guilty or overwhelmed when it comes to food? Not sure about you, but when I eat I want to feel GREAT and the only numbers I want to watch and count are my miles, speed, power and laps.

Whether it is post-race or an occasional indulgence one or twice a month, the key is to eat well most of the time so you don't have to worry (aka FEAR food or be concerned about your body image) the rest of the time.



(Karel and me eating at Splasher's Grill in Kona, across from the pier/swim start on Monday after the Ironman in Hawaii...enjoying burgers and fries- YUM!! No surprise, I couldn't finish this burger as my appetite was not even close to coming back post-Ironman. However, I did enjoy half of my burger at 12 (the other half a few hours later) which was a veggie burger, topped with sauteed onions and mushrooms and cheese. Karel had a "real" burger - his words describing what he ordered :)

Here's a GREAT ARTICLE I found for BOTH vegetarians AND non-vegetarians. Something to consider as you PLAN your daily meals and snacks.

Love your body day!!

Thanks to my friends/mentors at Preferred Nutrition for telling me about Love Your Body Day!!

When I was interning at Preferred Nutrition for my 8 week community nutrition rotation (July - Sept 2010), I really started to appreciate the human body, as an athlete and as a health-conscious individual. I strengthened my beliefs about nutrition as well as developed new philosophies about how we should view food. I really feel as if my time at Preferred Nutrition was one of the most monumental experiences in my internship as I truely started to develop a passion for helping people with nutrition. I really learned a lot from working with clients with eating disorders and by sitting in on lots of counseling sessions, I really grasped the concept of counseling and helping people, without saying a lot. As a dietitian, my goal isn't to tell you everything I know but rather to focus on the NOW and what you can do today, to make tomorrow even better. I believe the eating is much deeper than calories in/out, carbs and fat. Eating is much more internal and I believe in focusing on as many positives as we can with food, the body and exercise rather than simple focusing on the negatives with the body and bad or off-limit foods.

When working with eating disorder patients, it was very exhausting at times. You really feel for the person who you are trying to help. However, I always looked forward to the next client and the next day. But at the same time, it was so powerful to learn how motivational interviewing can play a tremendous part on healing someone with disordered thoughts about eating.

In honor of Love your body day , I ask that you either write a letter to your body, USE your body, nourish your body or discover a few reasons of why you love and appreciate your body.

As far as writing a letter to your body, I have done it twice and it is a powerful thing. No need to post it on your blog or facebook page (unless you want to) but keep it close to you so that you can always read it in times of negative food vocabulary or when you choose to not respect/appreciate the body for what it allows you to do on a daily basis.
Here are my two letters:
Dear body 2010
Dear body 2011

In order to give you a jump start for FOOD DAY on October 24th, here's a delicious salad that covers every taste bud you could imagine. YUM!

Avocado and Tofu Salad
(Chicken w/ swiss cheese for Karel - I baked the chicken in oven in olive oil and no-salt seasoning at 425 degrees until it reached 165 degrees)

1/2 container firm tofu (cooked on pan on medium heat in olive oil)
Mushrooms (cooked on pan, with tofu)
Avocado
Mozzarella cheese
Chopped almonds
Carrots (from farmers market)
Cucumbers
Green bell pepper
Onion

Take a Dip!

I am excited to share my latest article on the NEW USA triathlon website. Did you know that over 140,000 individuals are members of USA triathlon? It is so fantastic to see our sport growing so quickly. I don't believe that you have to be a triathlete, runner or cyclist in order to live a long and healthy life but I do believe in goal setting and challenging yourself to become a smarter, more balanced, stronger and more productive YOU.

Two of my recipes that I feature in the article contain yogurt which is a great source of calcium and protein. Eight ounces of Plain, low-fat yogurt contains 415mg of calcium and 1 cup of low or non fat milk contains 300 mg. According to the recommended daily allowance of calcium, it is suggested that adults 19-50 years consume 1000 mg of daily calcium whereas people over the age of 50 should consume 1,200 mg and it is noted that women after menopause need more calcium to prevent osteoporosis. Individuals 9-18 years should consume 1300 mg and pregnant and lactating women between 19 and 50 should consume 1000 mg calcium.

I am a big proponent of dairy in the diet, specifically the double bonus of obtaining both calcium and protein from one single food source. There is a lot of hype about dairy being harmful for the body and my thoughts, backed by research, is that much of the GI issues of the average American, is due to lack of vegetable and fruit consumption and too much processed food. Additionally, for those who do consume a wholesome diet, rich in fruits and veggies, my fear is that long-term, individuals who restrict dietary calcium will encourage gradual bone loss, thus increasing the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis, much sooner in life. Because calcium is also a wonderful source of protein, the thought to skip on a glass of skim milk post workout or eating yogurt as a snack, may encourage the risk of stress fractures as well as not increasing the change for regular performance gains and encouragement of an increase in lean muscle mass to support physical activity. If you are an athlete/fitness enthusiast who chooses to consume calcium from non-dairy sources, it is encouraged that you meet with a Registered Dietitian and possible get blood work, to assess whether or not you are meeting calcium and protein needs from your current diet. Remember, every time you eliminate a food (for whatever reason) you should not overlook the importance of making sure the diet is balanced and not too heavy (or light) in any one food group.

Regardless of your individual dietary preferences, protein and calcium should not be overlooked as two key nutrients to help our fitness and reach optimal performance gains. Because we never want to "avoid" a food that is proved to improve health and just because a food is good for us, we don't need to overdo-it, recognize that calcium and protein is beneficial not only for our bones (both short AND long term) but for weight loss, health and performance.

Although individuals are recommend to take supplemental calcium if calcium can not be obtained through food, but research is showing that dietary calcium may be more beneficial than pills.
A few popular sources of calcium:
(from Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter: Sept 2009)

Dairy:
Part skim ricotta cheese: 1 cup, 669 mg
Swiss cheese: 1 ounces, 272 mg
Low-fat cottage cheese: 1 cup 207 mg
Part-skim mozzarella: 1 ounce, 207 mg
Cheddar cheese: 1 ounce, 204 mg

Veggies:
Collard Greens: 1 cup, 357mg
Spinach, frozen: 1 cup 277 mg
Soybeans, green (Edamame): 1 cup, 261 mg.





I hope you enjoy my latest article!
Take a Dip: One Way to Enjoy Fruits and Vegetables | USA Triathlon

Food day - Oct 24th!!

(Found this picture on a vegetarian facebook page...LOVE IT!!)

OCTOBER 24h - FOOD DAY!!
How exciting...a day to celebrate REAL FOOD!!!

According to the Food Day website:
Real food tastes great. Meals built around vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are delicious and satisfying. But far too many Americans are eating diets composed of salty, overly processed packaged foods clad in cardboard and plastic; high-calorie sugary drinks that pack on pounds and rot teeth, but have no nutritional benefit; and fast-food meals made of white bread, fatty grain-fed factory-farmed meat, French fries, and more soda still. What we eat should be bolstering our health, but it's actually contributing to several hundred thousand premature deaths from heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and cancer each year. What's more, the way our food is produced all too often harmful to farm workers, the environment, and farm animals.

Food Day's goal is nothing less than to transform the American diet—to inspire a broad movement involving people from every corner of our land who want healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way. In other words, we want America to eat real. We want to get Americans cooking real food for their families again. We want fewer people at drive-throughs and bigger crowds at farmers markets. We want to celebrate fresh fruits, vegetables, and healthy whole grains—and to support the local farms and farmers that produce them. We want all Americans—regardless of their age or income or geographic location—to be able to select healthy diets and avoid obesity, heart disease, and other diet-related conditions.

On Saturday, after an enjoyable and relaxing 30 mile bike ride, I followed the ride with a fun 2 mile run w/ Campy. The body is feeling amazingly fantastic and I must contribute it to providing my body with wholesome food throughout my entire IM journey, as well as respecting my body with movement, rest and balanced meals and snacks shortly after the Ironman.

I immediately went for a tall glass of skim milk after my workout (so refreshing) and refueled on a delicious post-workout meal of eggs mixed with cheese, broccoli, red beans and tomatoes and complemented my protein selections with a banana and peanut butter. After catching up on emails, it was time to hit the Nocatee Farmers Market which is held on the 3rd Saturday of every month.


Campy had a great time enjoying the sights and smells at the market and I picked up a beautiful selection of veggies...all for $6!!! I absolutely love supporting local farmers and even in the month of October in Florida, fresh produce looks amazing!
After the farmers market, Campy took me to the dog park where he met a friend...a BIG friend. Campy enjoyed having this 6- month puppy chase him around. Campy had his greyhound legs on him this afternoon because he was a speedy little thing, running all around the fenced-in park.




In honor of Food day, I invite you to a full day of emphasizing wholesome food in your diet. I don't believe in restriction or elimination, nor do I believe that we need to have "off-limit" food. By changing our food vocabulary and learning how to develop a healthy relationship with food, we can really appreciate the food that we put into our body. Later on this week, I will provide some tips and guidelines as to how to incorporate more wholesome food into your diet as I don't believe in having RULES when it comes to providing healthy food and fuel to your food.

The other night I made a yummy scramble for me and "burgers" for Karel.
The ingredients that I used for the scramble were:
Eggs (1 whole, 1 white)
Bread crumbs (about 1/4 cup)
Oats (about 1/3 cup)
Edamame (cooked, then I took them out of their pods)
Red beans (canned and rinsed well)
Chickpeas (canned and rinsed well)
Corn (frozen first, then defrosted)
Cabot cheese (shredded, a small handful)
Onions
Garlic
Green bell pepper
Spinach
Avocado (chopped/mashed)
Olive oil (drizzling to cover pan)

For the burgers, I took out about 3/4 of the mixture (for Karel) and added chicken (that I made for Karel the night before, reheated to 165 degrees and then chopped) and then formed the scramble into patties (added a bit more oats and bread crumbs to help with sticking - although they still didn't stick like true burgers) and placed them on a pan on medium heat, that was lightly covered in olive oil. I placed each "burger" in a whole wheat tortilla, that was spread with spicy mustard and lettuce.

For my scramble, I poured my ingredients (about 1/4 mixture) on a different pan, coated in a little olive oil on medium heat and scrambled the mixture. I added a little BOCA vegetarian crumble for a little more "Meat" and then topped a large bed of romaine lettuce with my scramble.





In an effort to eat REAL FOOD, the focus is not on what you CAN'T eat but what you CAN eat. Focus on ways to turn a meal into a salad as I did with the meal listed above. By focusing on your individual needs, you will recognize what your body needs, at the best time. The most important thing is that you are focusing on practical changes that you ENJOY and learning to appreciate a different or new way of eating. There is no PERFECT way to eat REAL FOOD, so remove any pressure that you have to be strict. Starting today, start changing the way you see food and eat food in order to live a more quality-filled life, one bite at a time.

Here's some information from the American Dietetic Association on
Vegetarian living
Again, you don't have to be a vegetarian to eat a well-balanced diet of fruits, veggies, whole grains, low fat dairy, quality protein and healthy fats.

New stuff!

I'm happy to be back in Jacksonville and finally caught up on sleep, emails and housework but I sure do miss the Big Island of Kona...and all the Mdots!



Knowing that we get to come home to this little guy made it super easy to leave Kona after the most exciting and memorable vacation for Karel and myself.

Campy nearly teared up when he saw us, even though he was taken care of VERY well by my friends Laura and Jo. Campy has not left my side since I have returned home and he even took me for a fun 2 mile run after my easy 30 mile bike ride this am. Campy and I are super excited for the anticipated cooler temps as we have lots of "campy miles" to do over the next few months.

I'm very excited to announce that TriMarni Coaching and Nutrition, LLC is in the works! It's not an official business just yet, but the process has begun!! And what a process it is!!!
This has been a dream of mine as I consider myself a dreamer and entrepreneur. My life is filled with dreams, which turn into goals. In order to achieve anything in life, I believe in having a plan. I have wanted (planned) to help people pursue individual racing, training and nutrition goals as well as motivate individuals to develop a healthy relationship with food as well as appreciate the human body for what it does on a daily basis but on a more global level. And after crossing 5 Ironman finishing lines, there is no better time than NOW as anything is possible!
I suppose that now-a-day, anyone can start/open a business. And believe me, I have wanted to take my blog to the next level since I graduated with my Master of Science in Exercise Physiology in Dec 2005. But, I found it extremely important that I obtained the right credentials in order to provide factual and realistic information that you, my readers, can trust. There are a lot of "experts" out there and I am proud that I took the time (and spent the money...lots of it!) to cut out a good chunk of my life and dedicate it to becoming a registered dietitian. It took 3 years + 1 1/2 to get my masters, after 4 years of undergrad...but it was all worth it!
Just like the title of an Ironman finisher, no one can take away the MS, RD, LD/N behind my name. So, when it comes to coaching, nutrition, fitness and wellness, it is important to trust the information that is coming from someone that not only practices what she preaches but is passionate about treating people as individuals and focusing on the small pieces that make for a quality-filled life.
I am not here to compete with other coaching and nutrition companies as I respect (and am friendly with) many other coaches and dietitians. I believe that there needs to be more of us, who have the right credentials, expertise AND experience, so that our society is provided with not only the best information but the RIGHT information.

Keep checking the blog over the next few months as I will eventually have website with many services for both nutrition and coaching. I will keep the same email TRIMARNICOACHING@Gmail.com so if you need anything, have suggestions for my business or want to offer your advice, feel free to email! I will be sure to fill you in on anything new that happens on my blog so you will never be left out of the loop. In the meantime, I would appreciate if you would pass along my NEW Facebook page and LIKE TriMarni Coaching and Nutrition (link on the right of this blog page). I absolutely LOVE blogging and writing but my facebook community page will be an easier outlet to provide you with current and groundbreaking research as well as updates on my blog, recipes(yum!!) and anything new and current in the world of triathlon, fitness and nutrition. I also have many recommendations of pages (ex. blogs, websites, companies, etc.) On my fb page that you may want to check out as well.

Lastly, Oakley Women has paired up with the Young Survival Coalition, which is a non-profit organization oriented to support and educate about breast cancer in younger women. If you are a facebook user, please LIKE them on the facebook page as well as LIKE Oakley Women. Also, visit their website to learn more and ways to get involved.
Young Survival Coalition

I am currently raising money for YSC and every donation counts. I will be raffling off gifts from Oakley Women for every $500 that we raise so even if you donate $1..you will still be included into the raffle!! I will also be donating a generous amount of money from my speaking events on behalf of the group that I am speaking to, so if you are interested in me speaking to your tri/running club, organization/business or company, feel free to email.
Young Survival Coalition - Make a donation and enter a raffle for an item from Oakley Women

Kona race report: The finish

"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."
-- Michael Jordan



As I made my way onto Ali, I could see a massive amount of spectators. Complete strangers cheering my name as if they had supported me throughout my entire Ironman journey. I felt as if the fans had been waiting for me, almost as if they knew about my rough day but believed in me that I could finish.

You see, the journey of the Ironman ends when you make it to the Ironman starting line. Once the gun goes off for an Ironman, you enter a completely different state of mind. Your body and mind will flood with emotions and thoughts and you begin 140.6 miles of self-talk. Despite 1800 other athletes out on the course with you, it is up to you, your body and your mind to make it to the finishing line.
Certainly you are putting your training to the test and using the skills (both mental and physical) that you developed to prepare for the race, but most Ironman athletes would agree that on Ironman race day, you are required to enter a place that is un-trainable.

"The finish line is sometimes merely the symbol of victory. All sorts of personal triumphs take place before that point, and the outcome of the race may actually be decided long before the end."

As I was nearing the finishing chute, I tried to bottle up all the feelings that were with me on my 140.6 mile Kona experience, in order to carry them with me until I crossed the line. The thoughts of shuffling my way down the 2007 Ironman World Championship chute, in agonizing pain, stayed with me for a moment but then went away. All those stops in the port-o-potty (I'm thinking at least 5 stops), were a distance memory. As I thought about my quads seizing up in the last 3 miles, this suddenly became a past thought as my body amazingly felt rejuvenated. A fantastic PR on the bike, after experiencing the most exhausting and brutal swim of my life - well, that one stayed with me. Running consistent 8-8:30 min/miles throughout much of the marathon, despite having to stop to relieve my tummy - well, that was the best feeling in the world. Knowing that I spent the last 14 weeks focusing on what I CAN do, allowed Karel to design the best possible training plan for THIS current time in my life.
I entered this Ironman in the best shape possible, with 14 weeks of training and an entirely new outlook on life and how to be a balanced athlete. With only 1 "triathlon" under my belt in the last 13 months (IMWI in Sept 2010, where I qualified for Kona), I continued running closer to the finishing line and I remembered telling my best friend Jennifer in March "I am so tired of all these hip problems and I am just too stressed and overwhelmed with my internship. I think I am going to retire from the Ironman and not do Kona....I just don't know how to balance it all."

Despite swallowing a vast amount of the Pacific Ocean, which lead to my unfortunate tummy problems, I felt like I was about to cross my first ever Ironman finishing line..the feeling was indescribable. I saw my mom just before I entered the finishing chute and she yelled "I'm so proud of you!!". I couldn't help but feel water in my eye..and it wasn't from the Pacific. I was over the moon that I had made it 26.2 miles, let alone 140.6 miles. With the biggest smile on my face, the 11:02.14 finishing time felt like I had just won the race.



"You also need to look back, not just at the people who are running behind you but especially at those who don't run and never will...those who run but don't race...those who started training for a race but didn't carry through...those who got to the starting line but didn't get to the finish line...those who once raced better than you but no longer run at all. You're still here. Take pride in wherever you finish. Look at all the people you've outlasted." - Joe Henderson

As I saw my time and entered the line, I jumped in the air - something that I have never done before. Typically I hold my hands up high when I cross the line, but I felt the feeling of "I did it" around mile 20. Nothing was going to stop me..not even an upset tummy, horrible quad pain or the voices in my head telling me to stop.

After crossing the finishing line, I bent over in relief...with a sore body. The volunteers, as always, were amazing and walked me over to get my medal and t-shirt. The medal was TOTALLY worth it - AMAZING!!! I found my parents and Karel and they all told me how proud of me they were. I suppose I couldn't help but give them the look of "well, I tried my best...but I wish...." but Karel was quick to stop me saying anything when he said "Marni, I am so proud of you. I really thought that was it at mile 2 of the marathon. I don't know how you did it. You just kept on moving. And wow - what a bike time!".

I grabbed a "heat blanket" and took my finishing pic and after Karel and myself grabbing my bike and transition bags (IM gives you a ticket so a family member can enter transition after the race to get your belongings) we eventually made our way back to the condo.

I can't thank my family enough for spending ALL day on the race course. My parents started their day with body marking and Karel even managed 5000 feet of climbing during my race.

After a piece of pizza, a few glasses of milk and a Hammer Fizz (to get back my electrolytes), I showered, put on compression and rested my tired body. Around 10:30 it was time to head back to the finish line to give some cheers to the last hour of finishers.

Once again, thank you everyone for your support. A big thanks to Hammer Nutrition, 110% Play Harder, the Trek Store of Jacksonville (aka - hubby for his magic on my bike) and Oakley Women. Also, to Louis Garneau clothing (a big fan of them!) for making the BEST clothing ever!!!

I suppose many athletes consider a PR finishing time the best way to validate "success" in sport. In other words, in the case of an Ironman, to improve your time for 140.6 miles, you have confirmed that every ounce of your training "worked". Perhaps we need to take a step back and realize that 140.6 miles is a LONG way. So much training, dedicated to one event. For me, I am just like everyone else that I love seeing a personal best time, knowing that I gave it my all. But in an Ironman, getting to the starting line is the successful part...the finish, well, that is just an added bonus. Purely, a dream come true.