Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

When things don’t go as planned, the disappointment of not fulfilling your hopes and expectations may cause you to interpret your effort as a failure. I am not strong. I am not fast. I am too heavy/fat. I am not talented. I will never be good enough. Everyone else is better than me. This training is not worth it.     In order to avoid the frustration and sadness that comes from a failed performance/effort (or setback), you may find yourself doubting your ability to improve or to make changes, so you give up. Letting go of your fear of failure may actually help you reach your goals. Every day you fill your mind with thoughts and that inner dialogue may falsely recognize your weaknesses. Ultimately, when you believe in your negative thoughts, you will have reason to give up. With this self-doubt, you may find yourself saying "this is too hard/it's not worth it."   As an athlete, you can't let fear of failing get in your way.     Fear of losing o...

Growing up, I was a lifeguard and a swimmer. In the summer, I spent almost all day, every day in the sun. Thankfully, I take after my dad and my skin browns and rarely burns. My brother, however, took after my mom with his light skin. His body does not like the sun. However, this doesn't mean that I don't still think about sun safety. If anything, as I age (just shy of turning 35 at the end of the month), I am more and more mindful of what I put in and on my body.  Swimmer turned triathlete, I now race exclusively outside and much of my training is outside. Although I keep my body pretty well covered with tight fitting clothing when I train/race (yay for short sleeve tri tops and tri suits being all the rage these days!), I always consider my exposed skin and the damage that can be done to my skin by the sun when I am out training or racing. Because of my active lifestyle, I'm always on the hunt for a sunscreen that protects my skin and is free from chemicals. Whi...

Throughout my teenage years, I always felt a bit like an outsider. Although I had a lot of friends in the "popular" crowd, I felt I was too unique to be part of any one group. I expressed my individuality through my words, actions and clothing. Although at times, I think I had my parents a bit worried with too much freedom to be myself, I don't think I would be who I am today without being the desire to be a little different. This desire to be different required a lot of self-confidence, which was certainly a work in progress through my teenage and adult years. As it relates to starting my own business at the age of 30, not giving up on a 6-year higher education journey (Master degree then RD credential), alongside maintaining great enjoyment for an active lifestyle for the past 25 years, I've constantly resisted the temptation to be normal - or in other words, I've boldly followed my dreams instead of choosing the safe and easy route. I never worried what ot...

Each week we feature an athlete on our Trimarni blog in order to connect the multisport community, while using this spotlight as a way to motivate and inspire others to pursue athletic goals. This week is no different as Laura is an inspiring individual who has always lead an active and healthy lifestyle. As my very first friend after moving to Jacksonville, FL in 2008, Laura and I quickly connected. Funny enough, we were both wearing fruit/vegetable-themed shirts when we met at the pool - obviously we were destined to be close friends! We shared a similar love for swimming, healthy eating (she is also a Registered Dietitian) and pursuing our own nutrition businesses. Also, our dogs were best buds. Knowing that Laura has battled Lupus Nephritis for the last 20 years, I was always inspired by her strength and determination and for her no-excuse attitude, no matter what came her way. Recently, Laura was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic, non-smoker lung cancer that has spread...

A few months ago, I saw an email in my inbox from my contact at Triathlete Magazine.  I assumed it was a request for an article so I opened it to see what topic I was asked to write about. Well, to my surprise, the email was to inform me that Triathlete magazine wanted to feature me in an article! I was shocked, surprised and honored. Although the article was just one page, I found it to be a fantastic opportunity to share my messages on how I fuel my body. In today's society, female athletes are bombarded with unrealistic body images and misleading nutrition advice. As an athlete, you can't let these images and misinformation derail you from achieving athletic excellence in your own personal athletic journey. As an athlete and as a nutrition professional (and coach), I want to be a good role model for female athletes of all ages. As a strong, confident and healthy female athlete, I aspire to encourage other female athletes to use sport as a healthy outlet to build conf...

1.2 mile swim Marni: 30.32 (3rd AG after the swim) Karel: 30.17 (4th AG after the swim) After the gun went off, I quickly went into my race effort to try to swim away from my wave. My feet were a little cold to start but they quickly warmed up (as did the rest of me). I could see a few yellow caps here and there but I didn't worry about anyone too much (especially the one girl who was quickly swimming away from me) as 1.2 miles is a long way to go and I typically find myself getting stronger as the swim goes on in distance. After a few minutes, I found myself in my swimming rhythm but that quickly changed as I now had to navigate through the 15 age group waves ahead of me. I am always mindful of the less experienced swimmers so I try to make sure to not be aggressive around them. I strategically positioned myself to the outside of the buoys to swim in relatively clean water but with every buoy that I passed (to my left) I found the lake to be more and more packed. With ...

                                   FRIDAY (Day before the race) On Friday morning, Karel, Peggy and I set out for a spin on the run course, while Meredith did her run warm-up for her relay. Because of the layout of the run course, we had several opportunity to wake-up our legs with the undulating terrain on the Red Hills Parkway. Although the run course was mostly all marked, we were a little confused by some of the out and back sections but nevertheless, we still saw enough to know that the run course was going to be one tough half marathon off the bike. But with the theme of the race, the views on the run course were spectacular. After the hour-ish spin, I went for a 20 min jog on the run course. With our rental home located only about 2 blocks from T2/finish, it was the perfect location to get anywhere by car, foot or bike. My run included a few pick-ups to get my legs ready...