Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

There are several scenarios in which athletes do things that may appear unhealthy to an "outsider" in order to keep the body in good health. For example, someone who exercises 60-minutes a day does not require 200+ calories to fuel the workout. But an athlete preparing for a 4-hour ride will plan for at least 60g of carbohydrates per hour in the form of sport nutrition to prolong endurance capacity.  Another scenario athletes apply is drastically reducing fiber-rich foods (like vegetables) in the 24-72 hours prior to an endurance event. If you've ever had an upset stomach, you have a gastrointestinal condition such as Crohn's or diverticulitis or prepared for a colonoscopy, there's a good chance you understand the purpose (and benefits) of a temporarily limiting dietary fiber.  Before discussing the benefits of a low residue diet, first it's important to understand how poop is made.  The digestive system includes the liver, pancreas, gallbladder and gastrointe...

Training is easy. You feel great when you get your endorphin boost, you can control your environment (or select your terrain), there is no pressure because no one is watching or tracking you and you know that if a workout doesn't go as planned, you always have tomorrow to try again. On the other hand, race day is stressful! Competition, and being in an unfamiliar and/or uncontrolled environment, brings anxiety, nerves and expectations. It's easy to compare yourself to other athletes and experience a heightened fear of failure. Never in training do you feel what you feel on race day and that is why only a select number of athletes can compete better than they train. Far too many athletes will finish a race feeling like they underperformed, relating back to all the amazingly great workouts that they crushed, yet feel defeated as to why they were unable to perform on race day, despite feeling so prepared.  One of the great challenges for triathletes is translating trainin...

My Ironman pre race meal: 4 WASA crackers Smuckers Natural PB Banana Granola Raisins Maple syrup or honey Cinnamon Large glass of water Cup of coffee Ask a dozen triathletes what they like to eat on the morning of an IRONMAN and you'll get a baker's dozen different answers. There are easy and convenient options, like a bagel and banana with peanut butter, a liquid meal replacement for a nervous belly, or a bowl of oatmeal and eggs, compliments of a kitchenette. Washed down with sports drink and coffee, most IRONMAN athletes swear by one of these early-morning menus.  But with so many unique needs, there are a few atypical breakfasts for thought out there. For example, have you ever considered a baked potato with fish, white rice with figs and honey, or applesauce with protein powder? Passing on the caffeine jolt, how about a cup of hot water to get the system going or kombucha tea for a happier gut? For over a decade, research consistently shows that the perfect pre...

The funny thing about training, or fitness in general, is all the highs and lows that come with it. Of course, who doesn't love to have a good workout but then again, considering the complexity of the human body, perhaps we should be thanking the body more often for any workout for it is easy for the body to fail and I think many times, we take it for granted. All the muscles, organs and metabolic processes working perfectly just for us to swim, bike and run or zumba, yoga or jazzercise.  As a long-time athlete, I recognize that great performances are not made in weeks or months but overtime. The key is consistency and always giving your best effort. I find that for many athletes, there's an expectation as to how the body is to perform each day and for others, just getting out the door is success...anything else that follows is a bonus. But no matter your reason for working out (or training), the most important component is making progress to reach your short and long ...

  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 ...