Wrapping up my 11th week of training. Less than 14 left till game time. Endurance wise everything is looking good. I'm battling a few minor injuries but manageable. Luckily nothing has popped, snapped, torn, or broken and I hope to keep it that way.
Gotta Eat!!!
I've been seeing Dr. Green at Active Chiropractic for the mentioned injuries, which has helped TREMENDOUSLY! Last week I brought up nutrition on race day and in training. He had a few minutes to spare and started asking me questions about my current nutrition; what's my eating like now, what have I ate on the morning of other races, what do I eat on long workouts, etc.? When I told him I got the reaction that if he was drinking something he would have spit it out or choked. I'm not eating enough...not even close! The question was sparked from a previous conversation I had with another endurance athlete the night before who had pretty much the same reaction as Dr. Green.
I'm 192 lbs. on a 5' 10" frame, which is not quiet the ideal body type of a competitive triathlete. I sometime think I should just gain the weight and go Clydesdale but I'd rather go in the other direction. With that in mind I was highly regulating my calorie intake, somewhere around < 3000 a day, besides the occasional splurge on a bag of pretzels or anything else that was in the way when I had a mad craving. I was starting to think that I just couldn't control my eating, not that I was literally starving myself. Some may think 3000 calories is a good intake, if not too much, when trying to loose weight which is true in some situations. But when you put in a three hour bike ride and burn 1800 calories (according to my Garmin with heart rate monitor) that doesn't leave you with a whole lot. So no wonder my weight came to a screeching halt, my body was holding on to everything it could get. The most aggravating part about all this is I know better, I just got caught up in it.
Since last Tuesday I've been eating, eating...and eating. The goal has been 600-800 calorie breakfast, lunch and dinners with 200-300 calorie snacks before, in-between and after. Needless to say, any urges to splurge, binge, or overindulge have been vanquished.
Also, I've found a supplement line that I'm really happy with. BASE Performance, founded by pro triathlete Chris Lieto, has a solid line of endurance supplements. I did a post a year ago about amino acids and supplements and experimenting with different brands. Well, I experimented with an abundance of brands, everything from your simple one-a-day to the "beast stack" and I'm sticking with BASE.
Back in college I worked at GNC and was a certified personal trainer so I've pretty much ingested everything sold over-the-counter that is said to make you bigger, stronger, recovery faster, etc. The majority of products in your neighborhood vitamin store is filled with the "fad" products; the magical diet pill or crazy growth stack. There are a few tried and true supplement companies but you got to know what to look for. A good documentary to watch that is an eye-opener, "Bigger Stronger Faster." My advice, before you pop a pill or slam a shake do a little research on the product and company.
I like BASE because it's geared towards endurance athletes which is scarce in the supplement world. The amino mix has a light flavor and is easy on the stomach. I've had some that's been like drinking over-sugared Kool-Aid and that's not what I want on or after a hard workout. The multivitamins have everything I need and are easy on the stomach, as well. Since I've started taking BASE I've noticed an improvement in my training, especial long workouts. For example, on my long rides I would start dying around 2 1/2 - 3 hours, feel drained and miserable. I put in a 4 1/2 hour ride over the weekend, increased my speed from a previous 16.4 mph pace on my last 4+ hour ride to an 18 mph pace this time and still had some left in the tank! I'm sleeping better and having more energy through the day. All in all, good stuff!
Another line of product that I found to work for me is Honey Stinger. On long rides, for me, I need something more than gels. Honey Stinger has waffles which tastes awesome, gives you some substance, organic and provide the energy you need...what more can you ask for! They also have awesome protein bars in which they use whey protein (absorbed faster by the body than other proteins).
Also, I've found a supplement line that I'm really happy with. BASE Performance, founded by pro triathlete Chris Lieto, has a solid line of endurance supplements. I did a post a year ago about amino acids and supplements and experimenting with different brands. Well, I experimented with an abundance of brands, everything from your simple one-a-day to the "beast stack" and I'm sticking with BASE.
Back in college I worked at GNC and was a certified personal trainer so I've pretty much ingested everything sold over-the-counter that is said to make you bigger, stronger, recovery faster, etc. The majority of products in your neighborhood vitamin store is filled with the "fad" products; the magical diet pill or crazy growth stack. There are a few tried and true supplement companies but you got to know what to look for. A good documentary to watch that is an eye-opener, "Bigger Stronger Faster." My advice, before you pop a pill or slam a shake do a little research on the product and company.
I like BASE because it's geared towards endurance athletes which is scarce in the supplement world. The amino mix has a light flavor and is easy on the stomach. I've had some that's been like drinking over-sugared Kool-Aid and that's not what I want on or after a hard workout. The multivitamins have everything I need and are easy on the stomach, as well. Since I've started taking BASE I've noticed an improvement in my training, especial long workouts. For example, on my long rides I would start dying around 2 1/2 - 3 hours, feel drained and miserable. I put in a 4 1/2 hour ride over the weekend, increased my speed from a previous 16.4 mph pace on my last 4+ hour ride to an 18 mph pace this time and still had some left in the tank! I'm sleeping better and having more energy through the day. All in all, good stuff!
Another line of product that I found to work for me is Honey Stinger. On long rides, for me, I need something more than gels. Honey Stinger has waffles which tastes awesome, gives you some substance, organic and provide the energy you need...what more can you ask for! They also have awesome protein bars in which they use whey protein (absorbed faster by the body than other proteins).
I'm approaching my third recovery week which I plan to take full advantage of. I have almost everything in line for my race. My brother and I are going out a week early to hangout and acclimate to the environment/altitude. I rented a two bedroom condo that is less than five miles from the Ironman start; how lucky is that!!! We are flying into Vegas and driving to St. George (about two hours), cheaper. The only thing I have left is getting my bike out there.
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