Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

Last Saturday, I crossed the finish line at 6 Hours on the Ridge - a mountain bike event where the goal is simple:  complete  as many 6-mile loops as you can in 6 hours. I finished 10 laps in 5:59:57 (I squeezed in my last lap by 3 seconds), earning the overall female title and 9th place overall. It was my second 6-hour race in back-to-back weekends (picture above from 6 hours at Oak Mountain), and with Cape Epic just around the corner - 8 stages of mountain biking, roughly 430 miles, and 52,000+ feet of climbing across South Africa - I am feeling confident, nervous and excited. But what I keep coming back to mountain bike racing is not the finish time. It is the feeling on course. Five years ago, I was new to mountain biking. My skills were basic, I didn’t know trail etiquette, and I felt out of place as an experienced triathlete. What I found instead of judgment was encouragement. Riders passing me were supportive. Strangers at aid stations cheered. People who finished befor...

  The High-Carbohydrate Fueling Revolution: What the Science Actually Says Based on a talk by Dr. Patrick Benjamin Wilson, Old Dominion University — presented at the ACSM Southeast Chapter Conference Elite endurance athletes today are consuming 100, 120 or 200 grams of carbohydrates per hour during competition. Sports nutrition products have never been more sophisticated, more palatable, or more portable. The message from coaches, sports dietitians, and pro athletes seems clear: more carbs, faster performance. But is the science keeping pace? I recently attended the ACSM Southeast Chapter conference and listened to this insightful talk by Dr. Patrick Benjamin Wilson of Old Dominion University. He took a hard look at where the research actually stands and what it still can't tell us about high carb fueling.  How We Got Here: A Brief History of Carb Fueling Guidelines 2009 – ACSM  recommended  30–60 g/hr  to maintain blood glucose levels during exercise. 2011 – Bu...