Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

Low energy availability (LEA) occurs when either dietary intake is too low or energy expenditure from exercise is too high. As a result, the body does not have enough energy left to support all physiological functions needed to maintain optimal health. LEA can be unintentional or intentional. Lack of knowledge about adequate nutrition to prevent an energy inabalance may cause LEA. In the case of the later, undereating may result from body dissatisfaction, social pressure to look a certain way or the belief that a lower body weight will result in a faster/better performance. The brain requires a constant supply of glucose, the primary energy source to function optimally. When you are in a state of LEA, the brain is the first organ to panic. The brain quickly goes into survival mode, which has a massive impact on the way you think. Undereating may change aspects of your personality and cause serious physical issues. Undereating and underfueling isn't just an "in season" foc...

The line separating fasted workouts from disordered eating can become blurry for athletes. Proponents claim that fasted workouts have several significant health and performance benefits. The main reasons why athletes perform fasted training include: Increasing the rate in which your muscles use fat for fuel  Sparing glycogen stores   Increasing mitochondrial density Fat oxidation refers to the process of breaking down fatty acids. To oxidize fat, you need:  Healthy mitochondria (the powerhouse of cells where chemical energy is generated to power the cell's biochemical reactions).  Fat molecules (specifically triglycerides) to be broken down into glycerol and fatty acids. Fatty acids are then transported to cells and undergo a series of reactions (beta-oxidation) to produce acetyl-CoA to enter the citric acid cycle to generate energy. Oxygen (transported to the muscles by blood). Fat cannot be burned (or oxidized) without the presence of oxygen.  While there...

We said good bye to Campy on July 18th, 2025. A few weeks passed and our house felt quiet and empty. We cared for Campy for over 16 years and it felt so strange to go through our day without a dog. Before Campy passed away, we both felt that we would wait a while before adopting another dog but we really missed the routine and responsibility. I found myself scrolling through adoptable dogs on animal rescue websites and feeling like I could open my heart to another dog sooner than I though. I don't think I will never be able to love another dog like I loved Campy, but my broken heart was able to feel some love. I searched on many different rescue websites, primarily on the east coast and at rescues where the dogs were at risk for euthanasia. Animals in Texas, California, North Carolina, Florida, and Alabama account for more than half of all shelter animals killed in the country. Over several days, I filled out over a dozen applications for rescue dogs. I found that the adoption pro...

  Thank you for helping us support the animal rescues affected by Hurricane Helene and Milton by purchasing a Mountain or Ocean themed shirt during our October fundraiser.  According to Bestfriends.org , "more than 1,000 dogs and cats have been transported to safety: 360 following Hurricane Helene and 668 following Hurricane Milton. Additionally, the mobile vet clinic in North Carolina has assisted 816 animals from 522 families and is expected to wrap up services by November 9, depending on need." But this is not a 'one and done' type of deal. Although Hurricane Helene and Milton caused significant damage to many animal shelters and rescues in Western North Carolina and Florida, this was an added issue to an already big problem. Shelters are overcrowded with animals.  If you were wondering the difference between an animal rescue and an animal   shelter, both provide temporary housing and safe place for animals. Animal shelters are often funded by the government (town...

Over the past few years, I have received a lot of emails from athletes expressing issues with reflux/heartburn, belching, nausea and bloating when exercising. Interestingly, for many of these athletes, issues are only (or most) noticeable on race day.  Although poor sport nutrition application is often at blame for the majority of fueling and hydration issues among endurance athletes, I started to notice patterns, similarities and trends among the athletes who reached out to me for nutrition assistance regarding their "reflux" issues.  Despite adjusting fueling and hydrating products, training the gut and following specific fueling/hydrating guidelines, athletes were still having issues - primarily on race day and often near the middle of a long distance race.  This got me thinking outside of the box. Is nutrition the primary concern or is it something else?  I started to think about what is different on race day (non-nutrition related) compared to training. Stress. ...

Mental illnesses often come with the stigmatized belief that those who struggle with depression or anxiety are weak and fragile. Many people hide mental health struggles due to shame. To improve quality of life, it's important to work through any barriers that are preventing you from addressing your mental health in a positive and productive way.  Although May is Mental Health Awareness Month, I always find November to be the most difficult month for my mental health due to the cooler weather, no more races (or planned travel), darker days and a change in pace. I am already finding myself a bit more sad as this will be my first winter without Campy in over 16 years.   Mental health isn't just about how you think. It's about how you feel and act. It includes your emotional, psychological and social well-being. It determines how you make choices throughout the day, how you handle stress and how you interact with others. Mental health is important throughout your entire...

Tomorrow is the 2024 Men's Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The females showed us great resiliency, strength and courage on/by the mountains of Nice, France and tomorrow the men will battle it out on an island. The heat and humidity in Kona is something that you have to feel to understand. The human body can do incredible things - like race for 140.6 miles - but it thrives within a limited range of body temperatures. Muscle contractions keep the body moving but a substantial amount of energy is converted into heat. As a result, the body generates a large amount of heat which significantly raises the body temperature. To help keep the body temperature somewhat stable and to prevent overheating, the body must dissipate heat through sweating, increased blood flow to the skin and increased respiration. For the body to do what it needs to do to help you maintain a stable core temperature, you have a responsibility to keep your body hydrated. And hydration doesn't m...

It's been 94 days since I said good bye to Campy. As my soul dog and constant companion for over 16 years, I continue to struggle with grief, loss and sadness. And on October 10th, we said good bye to our cat Madison, who had been the mediator of our house for the past 15 years.  Since Campy's passing, I've had three incredible races. I placed 9th at Norseman XTRI and was the first American female. I was the first female at IM 70.3 Louisville and I was the first amateur female at IM Chattanooga.  It's crazy to think that I could perform so well despite feeling so empty inside. The truth is that I was avoiding the process of grieving. I was so busy and focused that I didn't have time to fully feel or think about my loss. The warm weather, the races, the travel, the triathlon community  - these amazing distractions allowed me to avoid all of the unpleasant emotions and feelings associated with loss.  Picture source I came across this picture on Facebook and I instantl...

9/19/2009 - 10/10/2024 Madison passed away peacefully with the help of Dr. Haueisen at the Pointsett Animal Hospital on October 10th, 2024 around 2:20pm. Madison will now join her best friend Campy, who passed away 87 days ago - exactly 12 weeks to the day.  Madison battled Feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) for the past 2.5 years. In Feb 2022, Madison received a double lung tap  as a last resort to saving her life after a 5-day battle with her failing heart and lungs. Although she surived the procedure, the vet didn't think she would make it more than 6 months.  With the help of medications, frequent vet visits and a lot of love, Madison proved everyone wrong and lived another 2 years and 8 months. She always had a strong will to live as her number one priority in life was to show us love and compassion.  The story of Madison. In the summer of 2009, Madison was found by Campy in the bushes of our apartment complex in Jacksonville Florida. After several months ...