Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

Gastrointestional issues are very common among endurance athletes. Complaints are usually dividing into two categories - upper GI and lower GI.  Most athletes are familiar with lower GI issues - gas, loose stool, urge to defecate, diarrhea, abdominal cramping. I've written several articles on the topic of GI issues but most of the gastrointestinal issues I discuss involve the lower GI tract. In working with hundreds of endurance athletes on race day nutrition, the common culprits of lower GI issues include dehydration and concentrated or poorly applied sport nutrition consumption. I find this area fairly straightforward when it comes to prescribing well-formulated sport nutrition products to minimize or alleviate lower GI issues on race day.  When it comes to upper GI issues in endurance athletes, like belching, vomiting, reflux/heartburn, trouble swallowing and bloating, this area has been more challenging to fix. What makes it so difficult is that most of the athletes ...

  There's a good chance that you don't drink nearly as much water as you should in the cooler months. During the summer, it's easy to tell when you are dehydrated. In the winter, you may not actively recognize your current hydration status. But there is still a need for water. Don't let the cooler temps fool you in thinking you are hydrated when you are really dehydrated.  As mentioned in my book  Essential Sports Nutrition :  Water plays a vital in many important roles within your body and you simply can’t survive without it. Water transports glucose, oxygen, and fatty acids through your blood to working muscles. Water eliminates metabolic waste products such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid in the form of urine. Water absorbs heat from your muscles, during exercise, and dissipates it through sweat via the skin, ultimately regulating body temperature.  Water helps digest food through saliva and gastric secretions. Water lubricates joints and cushions organs an...

  A few weeks ago we visited Sky Top Orchard in Flat Rock, NC. A place we’ve biked by in the past but have never visited in our 8 years living in Greenville, SC.  While the process of collecting a variety of apples from the tree was satisfying, I felt sad seeing all the wasted apples on the ground. Although some were rotten, there were many that were perfectly imperfect. I made the effort to hunt on the ground, filling over half our bag with hidden gems found under the trees. Nature isn’t perfect and neither is produce. I'm happy to report that we were successful in eating, baking and cooking almost all of our apples from the orchard. We only have five left from this big bowl.  I'm thankful that Joey created the perfect apple cobbler recipe for our newsletter to inspire us to bake with our apples. I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe. Thanks Joey!  Apple Cobbler By Joey Mock, RD, LD, CLT Apple picking season is nearing an end in the Carolinas but there is stil...

As you may or may not know, the Trimarni blog started in 2007. Well before 'blogging' was a thing, I needed an outlet to express my feelings after my first DNF. You can read about it here.  In the case of an injury, health issue, current fitness or long term goals, a DNF is often the right decision. This past weekend we had an athlete registered for IMFL. She recently qualified for the Ironman World Championship (2023) at Ironman Chattanooga. Originally IMLP and IMFL was on her schedule, but after learning about the extra Women for Tri slots after she competed at Ironman Lake Placid, we decided to make Chattanooga the priority. But instead of skipping IMFL, we thought it would be a very valuable training day for her. This athlete often struggles with nerves (due to expectations and pressure) which often result in stomach issues throughout the race. We also felt like our athlete was playing it safe in fear of the marathon and has the capability to go faster on the swim and bike....

Over the past four days, we had the honor of being part of something incredible by someone in our Greenville cycling community. This feat may go down as one of the most inspiring physical and mental tests of endurance, strength and determination that we will ever experience.  Our friend Weston Studer spent the last days (Thursday 9am - Sunday 4pm) going up and down Paris Mountain (2.03 miles, 702.1 feet, 6.6% average grade) on his bike. Sleep deprived, exhausted, physically broken and mentally depleted, Wes completed 124 laps up Paris Mountain for a total of 508 miles and 87,100 feet of elevation.  The concept of "everesting" is to pick a hill and complete repeats of it (continuously, no sleep - unless you do more than one and then you are allowed 2 hours of sleep between attempts) until 29,028.87 feet are completed (equivalent to the height of Mt. Everest). Only 3 people in the US and 36 people in the world have completed a triple everest. Wes is now the 4th in the US. This ...

  Within every triathlon race, there are lessons to learn. I often find myself learning the most about myself during races when the conditions are not ideal.  IMFL 2007 - ~40 degrees and windy on race morning. IM 70.3 Branson 2012 - ~43 degrees on race morning. IM Lake Placid 2021 - ~50 degrees and rainy on race morning.  Andys race sprint tri 2022 - ~35 degrees on race morning.  Xterra World Championship 2022 - ~45 degrees on race morning.   I've also started triathlons in sub 60-degree cold water conditions in Prague, Molveno and St. George. Although I prefer hot conditions over cold, I've had some of my best race performances in colder, challenging conditions. Even more, I always feel proud and accomplished when I "survive" a challenging day. Every triathlon presents unique challenges but racing in cold weather can be extremely difficult (and unsafe) if you don't properly prepare.  How your body reacts in colder temperatures  Before you can pre...

  The Hincapie Gran Fondo Greenville is one of my favorite events. It comes late in the triathlon season so it's a fun way to finish off the year of racing. Even though I can ride the route anytime I want (it's nice only living 20 minutes away) the event is very professional, the community and volunteer support is incredible and I love the social aspect of seeing familiar faces and making new friends.  Although I don't train specifically for this event, I've been able to perform well at this event for a few reasons.  1) Triathlon training builds all around cardiomuscular endurance, strength and resiliency.  2) I do a lot of group riding throughout the year with the Supra Cycling team and the Greenville Spinners. This helps me improve my bike handling skills and confidence/safety in a group setting. Plus, everyone I ride with is very supportive and nice, which makes group riding much more fun.  3) I know the course, the tactics of the riders and where to conserve...