Welcome 2014 Workout

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I have the privilege of swimming with a great group of folks in masters swim team each week. We show up never knowing what the swim workout will be. In fact, we are given the swim workout one set at a time, so we have no idea what is coming up next. We love to try to guess. Sometimes it is wicked hard (usually in season) and other times we find ourselves on the deck doing pushups, sit ups and planks in between fast 100’s – working on our strength in base season. We even find ourselves doing fun drills like holding each other’s ankles while the front swimmer pulls 🙂

On Tuesday, I show up having not been there in a while due to work and travel in hopes of a nice easy day where we cap off 2013. In fact, my yardage has been unusually low lately (~6,000-8,000 yards a week down from a minimum of 10,000 yards). So, I really needed the coach to take pity on me. Ha! (I didn’t say this out loud but was thinking it).

I was on deck getting my equipment set up and chatting with my fellow swim mates, feeling excited to be there when I over hear the coach start telling us the workout. My first thought is, wow, we get to find out what the whole workout is before hand. Then, I hear it. . . .
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Cranberry Apple Goodness

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ApplesOne of my favorite dishes growing up was an apple cranberry casserole. It would show up on our buffet at Thanksgiving and Christmas and rarely anytime in between. I came to view this dish as a rare and special treat often sneaking back for more during the meal as I knew it would all be gone if I didn’t help myself while it was still there for the taking.

While I refer to this dish as a “casserole,” some friends have suggested it should be called a “dessert”. While it does have sugar and some butter (rich in fat soluble vitamins) to offset this it is full of vitamins, minerals and health promoting anti-oxidants.

Let’s dive into this casserole and see what is so good for us in there. [Read more…]

Holiday Eating Tips

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The holiday season is quickly approaching and while this is a festive and fun season, it can also be a challenging time with numerous food temptations, which can lead to weight gain. As Jan 1st rolls around, our resolution will be to lose the weight gained during these next 6 weeks, eat healthy and get physically fit.

As we all know, it is not healthy to ride the roller coaster of gaining weight only to try to lose it. This puts our bodies in a bit of a yo-yo rhythm and makes it harder to keep weight off in the long run. Here are some tips to help avoid the weight gain this holiday season so you can arrive on Jan 1st ahead of the game, with the resolution to continue eating healthy, getting more fit and having a great 2014.

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The Importance of Nutrient Timing for Performance and Body Composition

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When you eat is as important as what you eat. Timing your meals and snacks is crucial to maximizing your training performace and optimizing body composition. Here are some tips on nutrient timing.

Nutrient Timing Tips

Tip #1 Eat Breakfast

Your mother was right – Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Not only does it give you energy to start a new day, but breakfast is linked to many health benefits, including weight control and improved performance. Research shows that eating a healthy breakfast can reduce hunger throughout the day, and breakfast eaters tend to make healthier food choices at other meals. While it might seem you could save calories by skipping breakfast, this is not an effective strategy. Typically, hunger gets the best of breakfast-skippers, and they have increased cravings throughout the day. *Most studies linking breakfast to weight control consisted of a healthy meal containing a lean protein, fruit and whole grain, not meals loaded with sugar and fat. Protein increases satiety and keeps you feeling full longer. [Read more…]

Off Season Nutrition

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For most triathletes, triathlon “off season” is quickly approaching. Many athletes welcome this unstructured, gadget free training cycle. It is a time to train just for fun, with no pressure of reaching heart rate and wattage zones, mile splits or swim set PR’s. Off-season provides the opportunity to rejuvenate our bodies and minds, but this is not the time to become relaxed with food choices.

Although your workouts become less strenuous with efforts no harder than zone II 90% of the time, off-season is a GREAT time to focus on your nutrition training. Yes, you read that correctly, nutrition training. [Read more…]

Joy of the Process

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Anyone who knows me will agree that I love to train. It makes me feel alive, healthy, and energetic…and training with friends adds a whole other dimension of JOY!

I have grown to enjoy my hard workouts just as much as the easy ones, having learned to accept that some days are going to be better than others. This process of being mentally and physically patient with my body and mind is at times difficult for me—because I expect a lot from myself. I have learned that one bad workout doesn’t mean anything more than it is just not my day.
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