Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

I came across this article the other day and it really struck me with a big ????? I believe that any athlete who signs up for an Ironman should physically prepare the body to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. As to the "best" approach to getting to race day, well there are many schools of thoughts to this so I thought I'd briefly share my approach. Karel has been coaching me for the past few years with my training. I have yet to be burnt out or not arrive to a race hungry to race. I feel I have progressed a lot in the past few years with speed and endurance and most importantly, I always have fun. I realize that my body has it's limiters with my hip issues relating to my spine and a lifetime of back-issues but I also recognize how to train smart. It doesn't always work out as I'd like since I am a competitor and love to push my body to higher limits but in the past few years, with every down moment that I have experienced with my body, ...

What a beautiful meal to fuel my body last night! For the tofu, spritz your pan on medium heat with olive or sunflower oil. Cube firm tofu and cook until golden brown, tossing lightly occasionally to prevent sticking. Season with turmeric and rosemary and a pinch of salt. My meal creation also included arugula, mixed greens, red bell pepper, tomatoes, pistachios and brown rice. To make this your own creation: Choose your leafy greens Choose 2-4 types of veggies (or fruit/veggie) Choose your type of protein ~20 grams (you can have a mix of protein) Choose your type of whole grain or starch (ex. potatoes, noodles) Choose your type of nut/seed Top with your choice of dressing, oil or salsa     Ironman-focused Endurance set: 1650 warm-up - nice and steady. 150 backstroke - EZ/recovery Pre-set: 10 x 100's w/ paddles and buoy w/ 10 seconds rest (I did them on 1:35) - 80% effort, focus on reaching and catching the water. 150 backstroke - EZ/recovery Ma...

Did you know that "there are more than 100 million neurons supporting trillions of connections, processes of the human brain? And all these neurons are a manifestation of genetic variation, natural selection and the environments in which our ancestors lived?" In the Spring 2013 issue of SCAN's PULSE  (Vol 32, No 2, pg 7) there was a great article titled "This is your brain, this is your brain on food." I read this article a while back while traveling and it really caught my attention. I am always interested in the lifestyle approach of healthy living and just like you, I get it that it can be overwhelming to learn how to "eat healthy"....there's a lot of information out there and I try to read it all! It's my job to help others develop a lifestyle that is balanced in a way to meet individual health, fitness and body composition goals and to be lived in a way that is of quality. But we can not forget that the human body is complex and even w...

Oh, do I LOVE compression. You will see me in my CEP compression socks, calf sleeves, tights or 110% Play harder gear before, during and after all my training sessions and races. I am a firm believer that it works for me but compression is not going to make you race fast if you don't put in the work in training. A while back I wrote an article about compression  when compression started to be "hot" and since then, more and more companies have come out with compression-related gear. I have used 110% Play Harder since they first came out on the market since it is a Jacksonville -based company and prior to that, I was wearing compression shorts "back in" 2010 while running as I decided to ditch the running shorts to offer my legs a bit more support while running.  I just love compression and the 110% products are perfect...... and the team is fantastic!  I just love being an ambassador for fun, energetic, sport-minded individ...

                                        After Karel got off work on Thursday evening, we headed up to Macon, Georgia (4 hour drive) with Campy. With this being my 4th year doing this event (2009, 2010, 2012) but first time doing the aquabike, I was super excited to swim and bike and save my running legs for the next 8 weeks of IM specific training. Karel has always been a spectator for this race (an amazing one!) so it was finally his turn to truly experience this race course - on his tri bike and running legs. As an athlete, I realize that we all can choose races that give us "fast" results on paper. Although we can't compare race to race, year to year, there's something to be said about comparing race times and deciding what is "fast" and what is "slow". In the past 5 years, I ha...

  While at our friends house (Stefanie and Kenny Swanger) from Thursday evening until Saturday (for our race - which I will be writing our race report soon), we enjoyed lots of delicious food creations. Seeing that Stefanie has been a long-time nutrition and coaching athlete, and Kenny is an amazing cook, we are always incredibly spoiled in our belly's when we go to visit them for a race in Georgia.   To start off the morning before a pre-ride warm-up on the Rock N' Rollman race course, we both enjoyed a delicious oatmeal creation. Stefanie and Kenny set up their kitchen like an oatmeal buffet with all the fixings on the counter and us to create something delicious.   I measured out 40grams of oatmeal on their scale (150 calories) to ensure I was getting enough to meet my needs for the morning. I then added 1/2 large banana (sliced) + 3 large strawberries (sliced) and a little each of cinnamon, PB2 (chocolate kind - delicious) and ground flax seeds. I mixed ...