Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

Early next week, Karel, Campy, my mom and I will be taking a road trip to Lake Placid, NY for the 2015 Ironman Lake Placid event.  Karel and 4 of our athletes (and several Trimarni nutrition athletes) will be racing and I will be spectating and supporting our athletes. Because I didn't choose to register for Lake Placid last year, I will also be spending my time up there training in prep for Kona.  There's nothing I love more than spectating at a long distance triathlon. Despite being on the sidelines, there is no shortage of positive energy that is felt from the athletes as they give it their all, digging deep and overcoming anything that comes in their way.  After months and months of training, race week and race day are all about the athlete and the athletes' needs.  Certainly, it is recommended for the athlete to show appreciation for friends/family who are supporting the athlete as race week/day is likely not the first time that sacrifices have been made

Taper is an interesting time for an Ironman athlete. And for most "easy" and "taper" are never spoken in the same sentence. Physically, taper is a needed time for endurance athletes to ensure that the body is rested and well-fueled for the upcoming long haul. A drastic drop in training allows the body to recover from all the previous stress. Nearing race day, intensity can be added to "wake up" the body while volume is still kept low. This allows an athlete to feel sharp, fresh and hungry for race day.  Of course, the style of tapering may differ between athletes, depending on fitness ability, race priority and prior taper experience.  Emotionally and mentally, taper can be rather difficult. On one end, you can't wait for the first day of taper when you have a sigh of relief that the end of "training" is near but on the other end, a change in schedule, appetite, structure, etc. can makes you feel a bit "off."

( picture source) GI (gastrointestinal) problems are very common in athletes, specifically endurance athletes. It is known that the prevalence for GI distress is amplified as racing duration continues, especially in hot environmental conditions. GI concerns relating to sport nutrition Although gas and burping may be bothersome during racing, they are typically not performance limiting. However, heartburn, painful side stiches, diarrhea/bloody stools, vomiting and uncomfortable bloating/swelling can be extremely health threatening and performance debilitating.  When it comes to race day, PR or ER is not the mentally you want to have if you race without fine-tuning your race day sport nutrition. Predisposition of GI issues is common, relating to genetics, biomechanics, anatomy, age, diet and health. Some athletes can experience GI issues simply from a poor bike fit or running posture. Let’s look at some other reasons why your tummy may not be happy during racin

As athletes, we often following a rigid schedule of working out, balanced with a preoccupation with food and body image as it relates to physical performance and overall health.  For many athletes, patterns of exercise obsession and disordered eating coincide with the race season with a heightened awareness of how workouts, food and body composition positively (or negatively) affect performance. When your passion turns into an obsession, see this as a wake-up call that you may be taking your health to an unhealthy place. Sense of worth or ability to succeed should not be tied with a fixed number of hours/miles completed per week or a specific body composition or number on the scale.  If you feel frustrated, anxious or overwhelmed if you miss a workout or find yourself constantly criticizing your body composition, you may be putting yourself into situations where your life is controlled by workout, food and body perfection rather than being focused on development.