Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

Panama City Beach holds a special place in my heart. Not because it was where I spent my spring break in 2000 for my senior year of High School but because it was the location of my first Ironman. I had my mom and dad with me for support as well as my boyfriend Karel (dating for 5 months). With less than a mile from the finish, Karel yelled to me "Babe- you are going to Kona!" I never saw Karel run before so I was smiling and laughing at him (although he had no trouble keeping up with me). And then, without thinking, I yelled back "I Love you!" It was the first time that I told Karel that I loved him but it just felt right. Not only was he out on the course supporting me but I just knew he was the one for me because he "got me." It's hard to explain to someone why anyone would want to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles or run 26.2 miles for what looks like all for a medal and a t-shirt. But it's so much more than that. I can't describe this li...

As we wind down the 2015 season,  I find this a great time to talk about how social media may affect your decisions over the next few months.  First off, I'd like to share a little story.  Nine years ago I was training for my first Ironman. I was 23 years old when I registered for IMFL and I met Karel on my birthday (when I turned 24).  Even though I had a lot of friends who were triathletes, I didn't know a lot of people who had finished an Ironman. I was a swimmer, turned runner, turned triathlete. I knew about the history with the Kona Ironman (World Championship) but every Ironman race seemed like an extreme challenge. Karel and my parents thought I was out of my mind for wanting to put my body through a 140.6 mile event but they still supported me. In a weird way, it was really cool to feel like I was the "only" one who was doing this crazy distance triathlon.  Now you may be asking how this is even possible to feel alone i...

Meal planning can be tough after a long, exhausting day of life. The other day, I was talking to a friend/athlete about meal prep and they mentioned about how they plan their week with theme meals. For anyone who loves to cook, a theme meal each day of the week may not be necessary but for those who are not so creative in the kitchen, theme meals can be extremely helpful for extra inspiration and motivation when it comes to cooking (especially when it comes to grocery shopping and meal prep).  Consider having a theme for each dinner meal of the week. Here are a few ideas: -Sandwich/wrap -Brinner (breakfast for dinner) -Soup/stew/chili -Comfort food -Ethnic (Italian, Mexican, Asian, European) -Quick and easy -Semi-homemade -Meatless/Vegetarian   -New recipe Any other ideas? When it comes to deciding what to make for your theme meal, search blogs, recipes, websites, magazines, cook books or books for inspiration. You can search by meal, theme, ...

After spending the past 10 years living all over Florida (Davie, New Port Richey, Dunedin, Jacksonville) I welcomed our first experience (in a long time) of seasons when we moved to Greenville, SC in May 2014. By October, the trees were changing colors and the weather was getting cooler. We are now getting our second opportunity to enjoy the fall season and like most triathletes, the fall coincides with the off-season. Whereas cyclists often swap out the road bike for a mountain and/or fixie for cross training, the off-season for triathletes is a great opportunity to improve cycling skills and to have some fun on two wheels....without being in an aero position.  Although it is not required that you rush out and buy a road bike (the sport of triathlon is expensive enough as it is with one bike!), if a road bike purchase is an option or you have been neglecting your road bike in your garage/storage room over the past year, I highly recommend giving your triathl...