Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

One small purchase can make a big difference.   Although any day is a good reason to shop small and/or locally, here are a few ways to shop small on small business Saturday. -Register for a small business, locally run or triathlon race -Buy coffee from a local coffee shop -Buy bread, pastries or cookies from a local baker -Buy clothes/shoes/gear from your local run/cycle/tri store -Buy a piece of art or jewelry from a local artist - Take a friend, training partner, child, spouse or family member out to eat at a local restaurant -Treat yourself to a local massage, spa day or your choice of self-care. -When you travel, make an effort to choose local over chains - food, lodging, shopping -Buy a new book or game from a local store.  -Buy a gift for your friend, training partner, family member or child from a local store. How will you do your part and support small businesses?  If you have your own business or have a favorite local bus...

Do you have a triathlon goal for 2016?  Are you registered for your first Olympic, Half or Full Ironman distance triathlon?  Are you looking to improve your skills, endurance, strength and overall fitness throughout your racing season to see what you are capable of achieving at your key race?  ------------------- If so, we created our (NEW) 20-week Trimarni training plans with YOU in mind.  As 2015 Ironman World Championship finishers, we understand the physiological and nutritional needs of endurance triathlon training and racing. But we don't just cater to top athletes. No matter what level athlete you are or what event distance you are training for, we put a lot of thought and effort into our plans to ensure that you would feel physically, mentally, nutritionally and emotionally ready for your upcoming races.  --------------------------------------------------- Marni is a Board Certified Sport Dietitian (CSSD) and holds a Master of...

In sports like running and triathlons, there will always be a focus on body composition and for many athletes, a desire to be leaner. Specific to running economy, speed and aerobic capabilities, leanness in athletes, as it relates to performance improvements, is a topic that will never go away. There's nothing wrong with athletes seeking weight loss, a decrease in body fat or an increase in lean muscle mass. This could be for aesthetics and self-esteem, to experience and improvement in performance and/or for overall health.  Every year, I see my body composition change as I prepare for my peak races. But my race weight is unintentional as it is simply the weight on my body that I bring to race day.  And I don't know that number because I don't weigh myself.  I have never been against the idea of athletes changing body composition, especially if it improves overall health but there are many ways to improve performance and not always is weight loss the c...

I've spent the last two blogs talking about mindful eating. And I'm not done yet. I still have part IV to combine everything together so that you, the athlete, can fully understand where I am coming from as it relates to your health, performance and body composition goals. First off, I invite you to read  THIS ARTICLE  to help you improve your relationship with food. As promised, here are a few simple tips to help you practice mindful eating. Whereas the above article (link) can help with improving your relationship  with food, the below tips are specific to when you indulge. Most people do not have an unhealthy relationship with food they term healthy and feel good when eating is under control. The food mind games likely occur when you indulge, eat something you term "off limit" or feel "off track" with your eating. (Be sure to practice these tips throughout the holiday season when you will be presented with more treats than normal.) Befor...

How did you do with your homework today from my last blog post? Did you find yourself with positive or negative thoughts when you ate? Did your thoughts turn negative when you ate foods that you term "off-limit"? What foods made you feel the best and what foods gave you the most anxiety? Continue to work on this so that you learn how to quiet the voices in your head so that eating is a peaceful, joyful and positive experience. I promise - it is possible and it will make a huge impact on how you fuel for your athletic endeavors.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------- So why do I continue to talk and talk and talk about mindful eating as it relates to athletes? As a Board Certified Sport Dietitian, shouldn't I be spending most of my time talking about supplements and sport nutrition products? Well, every athlete has to eat. And in my field of work, far too many athletes struggle with their relationship with food...

A few days after returning home from Kona in mid October, Karel and I went to an Ironman celebration party in Greenville. We spent the evening talking with several Ironman finishers who live in the Greenville area. To finish the evening, we enjoyed cake from a local baker.  And to top it off (literally), the dot of the cake had our names on it. So sweet (literally, again) ! After cutting into the M part of the cake for everyone in the party, the dot remained uneaten. The host of the party insisted that Karel and I take home our personalized section of the cake. After returning home from the party with a beautiful round cake, I wrapped up the cake and put it in the freezer. I figured there would be a good time to eat the cake but the right time wasn't anytime soon.  --------------------------------------------------- As a sport dietitian, when I think about athletes and their relationship with food, I often see/hear two different types of athlet...

There are many names to describe the phase that occurs between the end of a racing season and the start of more structured, specific training stress.  For the sake of the masses identifying with this blog topic, I used the word "base" phase in this blog post but as you may know, we use the word " transition " as well as " foundation " to describe the first phase after the off-season. Other coaches have different names for this phase. For example, Matt Dixon with Purple Patch Fitness uses the word "post-season". The transition (base) phase of training is critical to athlete development. As I mentioned in my previous blog post , preparation for an event is more than just putting in the miles. As athletes, we are always developing and we are always training in some capacity. In order to maximize fitness, season after season, it is important to follow a periodized training plan that allows for progression. There must be specific emphasis on pea...