Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

There are a few HOT and HUMID long distance races in the next few months and a very important race for myself (and many of my athletes who I have helped with nutrition) in 9 days (OH MY!). In addition to fluids and electrolytes during training/racing, acclimating to the hot and humid temperatures is another way to assure yourself of reaching the finish line at your next long distance event. If you've been training in the heat and humidity, it’s likely that you will lose a lot of sweat during your training sessions. However, seeing that it is August, if you've trained in the heat, you are probably used to the heat. If you are from an area of dry or cool temperatures in the summer or prefer to train before the sun comes up, it is likely that you are not adjusted to the rising temps which easily reach 85% humidity and 84-degrees by 8am here in Florida (this was the temp and humidity on Thurs when I was working out). Extreme heat may cause athletes to lose up to 2-3 L/hr of sweat,...

Skip the popcorn, chex mix, salted nuts and pretzels and put down the salt shaker. Ironman athletes often feel overwhelmed by nutrition before the big day. I don't think Ironman athletes have trouble eating carbs so the second biggest focus in the diet is Sodium. Due to an overwhelming amount of nutrition-related articles, athletes are lead to believe that they need to eat everything salty before the race and add extra salt to all food. In hot weather, the more fluid lost through sweating, the more likely you are to deplete sodium and electrolyte stores. Sodium is one of many electrolytes used during endurance exercise, in addition to potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium and manganese. Table salt is 40% sodium and 60% chloride. According to the RDA (recommended daily allowance), the recommended amount of sodium per day is around 2,400 mg, however it is also recommended that all individuals consume no more than 1,500-2000 mg/day. Although sodium will provide a balanced quantity ...

How about a 5 minute dish? Couscous is the easiest grain to prepare and super healthy for the inner athlete in all of us. You can certainly buy the seasoned, boxed versions of couscous but I prefer to buy the original/plain 31.7 oz container so I can make many different options of couscous depending on my taste buds for the day. Couscous is a staple food in North Africa and the Middle East and you can often find it in Moroccan and Mediterranean cuisine. Couscous is relatively inexpensive made from wheat. The only ingredient in plain couscous is Unenriched Durum Semolina, which is a type of wheat. There are other varieties of couscous which include barley, corn and ground corn meal as the primary ingredient. Couscous is very versatile and it can be prepared in a sweet dish (ex. with cranberries and apples), a vegetarian dish (ex. with peppers, tofu and mushrooms) or in a meat dish (ex. with chicken or salmon). Here's the nutritional breakdown of 1/4 cup couscous: Calories: 150 Total...

I wasn't sure what to make so I searched the fridge and pantry and well, put everything together. This meal is super easy to prepare and affordable. Even with the rice, you can make this meal in less than 20 minutes and that includes prep! With the protein from the beans and egg and carbs from the rice, this is one balanced and healthy meal to keep your muscles strong and to help you properly recover after workouts. There are so many health benefits in the ingredients in this salad but I'd like to give some attention to beans. Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) - excellent source of molybdenum and a good source of fiber, manganese, folic acid, protein, iron, zinc, copper and magnesium. 1/2 cup - 130 calories, 2g fat, .5g sat fat, 22g carb, 9g fiber, 6g protein. Beans - cholesterol lowering, excellent source of molybdenum, loaded with antioxidants, may help protect against cancer, decrease risk of heart disease, stabilizer for blood sugar (beneficial for diabetics) and packed with pro...

The other day I received an email regarding gluten-free diets and athletes. The emailer wanted to know if there were any performance benefits of a gluten-free diet. Here's my thoughts, which are strictly based on my thoughts and experiences from athletes except for the info regarding celiac disease which is from my Medical Therapy textbook: As far as the gluten-free diet, most people who are advised to adhere to a gluten-free diet suffer from celiac disease. Celiac disease has a lot of symptoms including diarrhea, anaemia (due to poor absorption of iron, folate and B12), indigestion, abdominal pain, bloating, weight loss, fatigue, and infertility. When celiac disease athletes suffer from these conditions a gluten free diet can help alleviate the symptoms. However, for the majority of athletes who don't have celiac disease, a gluten-free diet may or may not improve performance. First off, the symptoms of bloating and stomach distress are common in athletes who consume a lot of s...

Fish is a must have in the diet of non-vegetarian and non-vegan athletes. I recommend fish after a hard weekend of training or after an intense workout. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish (particularly EPA) have a tremendous positive affect on inflammation. Since you train your body in order to strengthen the heart, omega-3's are also helpful to lower cholesterol, triglycerides, LDLs (bad cholesterol) and BP, while increasing good HDL cholesterol. Since we exercise for heart-health, in addition to performance gains, it is important to eat to keep your muscles, tissues, bones and heart healthy through healthy food choices. The healthy fats in fish can also help prevent stroke and heart attack. Although you may consider yourself healthy for exercising on a daily basis, a clean diet filled with healthy fats is critical if you want to keep your arteries and veins healthy. No point feeling confident in your exercise routine if you eat unhealthy (trans fats, saturated fats) and your insides...

I needed this weekend. I am exhausted. Glad it is over but enjoyed it all. Enjoyed the mental obstacles, the sore body, the worries that my injury would come back and the happiness when I finished the workout. Saturday would be the big day. Therefore, I was mentally prepared...much more than last weekend. As for a week ago, there's just something about a 10am 100 mile bike ride which is not mentally exciting. However, my plan for yesterday was to leave at 6:30am for a 6 hour/110 mile ride. Karel and I woke up at 5am to get the morning started. Coffee, my oatmeal mix (banana slices, blueberries, honey and raisin) and wasa cracker w/ PB. Not as much as I will do for IM but enough to keep my tummy happy for a few hours. I also had a different plan for my nutrition. Due to my extreme hunger last week, I decided to go with Sustained Energy from Hammer rather than only heed. I am not a big solid food or gel eater when I work out and I prefer getting my 220-240 calories/hr from sports dri...