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Showing posts from February 5, 2012

110% Give Harder

As an active endurance athlete, I absolutely love waering my 110% recovery gear. As an ambassador, I'm proud to support a company that I believe in and helps athletes recover in an inventive "mobile" ice bath w/ compression. If you didn't hear, 110% had a big idea...to raise $110,000 for ground-breaking breast cancer research as well as to help those who are living with breast cancer. Here's a great article... Runners going 110 miles to finish breast cancer for 26.2 with Donna | jacksonville.com As of 8am this morning, several amazing athletes started their 110 mile journey to raise funds for breast cancer. Many of the donations are in honor of others and I am sure those runners will be dedicating a few miles to those who have been affected by cancer. Tomorrow morning, I will start my 13.1 mile race, running alongside thousands of runners who, in one way or another (fundraising or race entry fee) have contributed to a worthy cause. I want to thank those who have d...

Quick Sport Nutrition tip - cramping

Did that painful hamstring or calf cramp prevent you from reaching a PR in your last race? Exercise-induced muscle contractions are a heavily discussed topic among athletes. Despite the topic being researched intensely over the past few decades, there remains to be no one factor solely contributing to these painful contractions. Of discussion, however, is that muscle cramps may likely occur secondary to a decreased concentration or serum imbalance of electrolytes (ex. sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride and magnesium), pushing the body (and poorly conditioned muscles) beyond current fitness level, expecting the non-acclimated body to perform at extreme environmental conditions (ex. heat and high humidity) and dehydration affecting blood and plasma volume. In recent years, it is well understood that athletic individuals require more than just sodium to maintain a stable electrolyte status before, during and after activity. For even the slightest loss in fluid may cause a disruption in ...

Quick one "pot" meals

I had a few requests via email for some "simple" recipes. So here are three of my favorites. While all of these require a little time to "cook", they don't need much prep work or attention while cooking. While the stew is really filling and satisfying, the stir fried peppers and potatoes are great choices to compliment any balanced meal. Enjoy! Stove-top "stew" Butter beans Yellow peppers Garlic Marinara sauce (enough to coat the ingredients) Onions Peas Tomatoes Boca Crumbles Seasonings to your taste/liking Olive oil Orzo 1. Cook garlic and onions in olive oil on large pot or pan, medium heat. Prepare Orzo according to package in seperate pot. 2. Add the rest of the ingrediets to garlic and onions and stir occasionally. Add a little water every 4-5 minutes to help with stirring. Keep an eye on orzo in seperate pot. 3. Add 1/2 - 1 serving of orzo (depending on your needs) into bowl and add in stew. Stir until combined. Top with sharp cheddar cheese. S...

Run intervals, heart rate and walking

As a coach and athlete, I am not afraid to fail. I love trying new things and discovering "new" ways to enhance "old" techniques. With Karel as my coach, however, I always have someone to blame if things go wrong....only kidding :) In all honesty, my training has yet to fail me. I am still finding myself progressing consistently with training, always welcoming the early morning hours for a refreshing sweat, constantly learning something about myself as an athlete and enjoying ways to keep my body healthy, well and alive. Ever since training with power in 2008, I have seen my cycling improve significantly. Since then, I have yet to train for miles or for speed and rarely to do I look at my heart rate. In terms of running, however, I enjoy keeping an eye on my heart rate. However, ever since purchasing a Garmin running wach in 2010, I have learned (through research and applications on myself) that running for pace and perceived exertion is a more valuable tool than so...

Weight loss by cutting calorie density

Or, feeling satisfied by increasing nutrient density. Whichever way you look at it, the obvious key to weight loss is eating less calories. Oh, if it was only that simple. It's more and more common to see ads on TV of foods with "less" calories. "Now...with only x-calories compared to before with x-calories." When it comes to processed food (manufactured food in a box), often something is added when something is removed to make that food "less". Check the label and you will often see more fat, sugar, sodium or ingredients...often artificial or sweetened ingredients. As an athlete, my focus is on my health but also on my performance. Therefore, as I am eating to LIVE a long and healthful lifestyle, I am also prioritizing my food choices to fuel my workouts. Thus, the balance is achieved when I feel satisfied with my food intake and thus, my workouts do not suffer because of my eating habits. This is something that is achieved over time and varies from...