Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

One of the greatest challenges for an endurance athlete is translating the fitness gained in training into a great race day result. Interestingly, far too many athletes don't compete based on repeated training-related decisions. As an example, many (if not most) athletes tend to underfuel in training and overfuel before and during race day. To feel confident for race day, you need to feel confident with your training-related nutrition decisions. Therefore, train like you want to compete. It seems obvious that if you want to excel on race day, you should make repeated decisions in training that help you prepare for your upcoming race. Rushed and busy schedules, poor planning, misguidance from social media "experts", a complicated relationship with food and the body and unhealthy lifestyle habits make it easy to check off workouts without making significant gains in performance. Unfortunately, athletic success doesn't occur when you are a dedicated exerciser wh...

Pre-workout nutrition advice is confusing. The main reason for so much conflicting advice and recommendations (to eat or not to eat) relates to conflicting research studies. Because of the many different study designs, using trained, untrained and elite athletes, it's nearly impossible to compare results to prescribe one general pre-exercise fueling strategy. Interestingly, most athletes will perform better when eating a small snack before an early morning workout - regardless of the intensity and duration of exercise. However, there are reasons why athletes will struggle when eating before an early morning workout - specifically digestive issues and reactive hypoglycemia. As a Board Certified Sport Dietitian, my practice revolves around helping athletes eat in a way that fosters improved performance in training and on race/event day. At Trimarni, our focus is to help athletes experience athletic excellence without compromising health. Therefore, when prescribing strategies...

I have a lot of great memories of Thanksgiving with my family. Being with my dad, mom and brother (and often extended family) was a special time for it wasn't that often that we would all be together at the table. Since my dad passed away in May 2014, I find myself thinking of all the laughs, good food and memories that we made together as a family on Thanksgiving. This year was low key for me and Karel. With my mom out of town, we joined the family of my friend (and swimming partner) Kristen for delicious food, stories and laughs. Kristen use to race as a professional Ironman triathlete back in the late 90's so I had a lot of fun scrolling through her scrap books as she reminisced about her past Ironman/triathlon days.  I yummed over my Thanksgiving plate - it was filled with color and just enough (but not too much) food to leave me satisfied and feeling good in my belly. Pictured above is mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, a wild rice mix with cranberries and my ...

If you are looking for tips to eating healthier or getting your diet back on track after overeating, I have one best tip for you: Meal Prep. Before you start another busy week of life, set aside time today to prepare a few meals (or meal components). Let's get real - when you are completely exhausted, pressed for time, hungry and tired, the last thing you want to do (and will do) is spend time preparing a meal. This is why prep is key. Do the extra work now so that later, it's easy to properly nourish and fuel yourself. I prepared a delicious salad for Thanksgiving and thought it would make the perfect prep/plan ahead salad for your upcoming week. The best part is the dressing! Pomegranate Kale salad with Lemon Tahini dressing Ingredients Salad 6 cups rinsed and chopped kale Seeds of 1 pomegranate 1 large mango, chopped (or 2 small pears) 1/2 cup chopped pistachios Dressing 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup tahini 3 tbsp GF tamari sauce 3 small cl...

Are you looking for the perfect holiday gift or want to gift yourself a great deal? For only $29.99 (+ shipping), you can receive:  A signed copy of my book Essential Sports Nutrition A  Fuel Smart, Stay Active, Thank Your Body  bookmark Two, 12 ounce bags of Trimarni coffee (your choice coffee) This offer is only good for a limited time. Order  HERE.

When a behavior interferes with your life or goals, it's considered to be self-sabotaging. Common behaviors include drugs and alcohol, comfort eating, dieting, self-medication and procrastination. While, in the moment, these behaviors may make you feel good, they eventually cause problems. With so many obstacles in your way as you navigate a stressful, busy and overwhelming life, don't make yourself one of them. As it relates to eating better, losing weight, improving fitness or adopting health promoting habits, a self-sabotager is likely to always be on the search for a new/better style of eating, often jumping from one extreme diet to the next. But eventually, the self-sabotager gives up and resorts back to old habits. Self-sabotage is when your good intentions don't match your behaviors and when your behaviors don't match your good intentions.   Here are some examples why you may be self-sabotaging your diet:  You are afraid of failing or not followi...

After a well-deserved mental and physical break from structured training, we have officially closed the chapter to our 2018 season of racing. We are excited about the partnerships, opportunities and events that we have planned for 2019 and most of all, living a lifestyle of swimbikerun. Our excitement and passion for triathlon is just as great as when we started the sport and I contribute so much of that to coaching and surrounding ourselves with mentors/professionals who also love the sport. As a coach, I am reminded daily of how the sport of triathlon enriches the lives of so many people, of all backgrounds, from around the world.  After a race, it's normal for your inner self critic to break down the race, reflecting on the mistakes, errors and failures. While it's good to reflect on your flaws to find ways to improve, it's important to acknowledge what went well. Every year, Karel and I reflect and talk about our season. The highs and lows and everything in betwe...