This picture was at the finish line of 2019 Ironman Canada in Whistler, Canada. I went into the race with great swim and bike fitness but I was recovering from, once again, the chronic hip/glute issues that plagued me for over 12 years. I placed 4th in my age group (35-39) which was a bit of a disappointment as I dedicated the year to this race (and Kona) but I was grateful to reach the finish line with a 4:22 marathon off barely any run fitness. I had already qualified for the Ironman World Championship (at IMWI in September 2018) so I spent the next 6 weeks building my run fitness to feel somewhat prepared for racing in Kona. Although I reached the finish line in Kona, this was my typical story year after year for the past 12 years. Get injured, try to recover from an injury while preparing for a race that was on the schedule, do the race, train, get injured again. I told myself that I don’t want to keep training and racing in this chronic setback cycle. And then COVID happened...
With the racing season behind us and cooler weather arriving, we're entering what we call the foundational phase for our Trimarni athletes. When the off-season is over, it's time to build a strong(er) foundation for the upcoming year. For example, training intensity and duration may be lower. The weather is cooler. This means your carb, sodium and fluid needs are less. You also have more time throughout the day to replenish glycogen stores and support recovery between sessions. The important thing to remember is that lower intensity/volume doesn't mean you stop fueling or hydrating. You still need to support the work you're doing, recover well, and maintain your health as you build your foundation for the next season. At The Feed, you have lots of options to explore, whether you're looking for different flavors, mixes, hydration products, bars, gels or fueling options for your cooler-weather workouts. Remember, your sports nutrition products shouldn't stay the...