Nutrition

I’ve entered the part of training where I am hungry all of the time. It may not even be the training. I am trying to choose nutrient filled foods to fuel my workout. This is different than my normal eating where I choose foods to satisfy some other sort of “hunger” (I’m bored, I’m stressed, I’m happy, I’m sad).

I am trying hard to eat when my body is physically hungry and needs food. I am trying really hard to choose snacks and meals that are nutrient-dense to make sure I have the energy and power to get through my work day in addition to my workouts.

So far, I’ve been successful.

It’s been three days.

I’m starting to worry about the ‘fourth’ aspect of the Ironman triathlon: nutrition. There is a delicate balance of energy my body needs to complete this thing. Believe me; I have PLENTY of “energy stores” packed away in my body. It’s really unfortunate that they aren’t as readily available to burn off as I’d like. Where is the button to push to get immediate access to that “energy.” “Oh, I’ve been running for four hours, I could use an energy boost. How about this inch I can pinch here? Yes, done!”

That would be so nice. Instead, I munch on a serving of almonds.

My normal pre-marathon breakfast is something like this: 1 c oatmeal, 1 banana, 1 c coffee, 1 GU packet. This is after a full night’s sleep. This is not the best option for my pre-marathon meal during the Ironman. The logistics behind having hot, fresh oatmeal on the bike are tricky in itself. I need to replenish my depleted energy plus get a little excess fuel to survive.

I guess I will be drinking a lot of “stuff” on the bike. I need to find something that I can enjoy at mile 25 as well as mile 105. It needs to be enough to refuel and store but not too much to cause GI problems (another blog about my experience with this soon, aren’t you excited?!). I have started experimenting with what to consume on the course. I was not at all impressed with my recent product at first. By the end of the two hours on the bike it wasn’t so bad. I suppose it is better that it got better as the ride went on instead of getting worse?

Choosing the right foods includes getting the appropriate carb/protein/fluids balance from my food. Carbs to replenish my glycogen stores, protein to build & repair muscle, fluids to hydrate. I’ve been doing a little research to see what this should look like for me. In my three days of serious focus, I can tell I need some work in the protein department.

I will burn upwards of 10,000 calories on race day. I need to make sure my glycogen stores are fully loaded. I’ll carbo load for a few days prior to the race. According to some basic math from one source, I should eat 832 g of carbs to carbo load (in one carbo loading day). This equals about 3,330 calories from just carbs. (YES! How many carbs are in Kraft’s Deluxe Mac & Cheese? Oh wait. . .back to that nutrient dense thing. . .)

This time, in five months. . .

Today is 6/20. This time in five months, I will Ironmaning away. Every time the 20th of the month rolls around I think of this. Each Sunday, I think of how many Sundays away it is until I compete. Then I panic. Only five months away. Only 22 Sundays away. Deep breaths.

I’m sure after the Ironman I will think, “this time last week/month, I was swimming/biking/running/hobbling/hallucinating.”

Some days I’m super excited. Some days, I’m super scared. Today I’m terrified. I’m doubtful. I’m wondering what the hell I was ever thinking to sign up for the Ironman. I struggled just putting air in my bike tire today! For crying out loud!

I didn’t drown in the pool this morning. That’s always a good thing. It was actually one of the best swim workouts I’ve had in a long time. Each workout makes me stronger (or something like that). I learn valuable lessons even if I have a “bad” one. I am confident tomorrow will be better. I will at least workout the anxiety, frustration and stress of today on the bike. That’ll be fun.

And when my alarm rings at 4:55 tomorrow morning, I can think, “this time in five months, I will be sleeping in!” (Hopefully not at the hospital!)

You've got to want it

I celebrated my 30th birthday by drinking all day. I had a great time celebrating with friends. My friend Staci celebrated her birthday by running the Rock & Roll Marathon in San Diego. A bit of a different type of birthday party than what most people have. I traveled to San Diego to cheer her, celebrate her big day and spend some time with my friends who now live in Chicago.

There is an excitement buzzing around the hotel. Staci’s younger brother and his girlfriend were running their first 13.1 mile race. Michelle and Staci are race pros and offer nuggets of advice to the newbies. The runners ate breakfasts of oatmeal and yogurt while hoarding bananas. I feasted on way too many pancakes, bacon strips and slices of French toast. (Working on my energy stores for the Ironman. T-Minus 24 weeks)

It is hard for me to just watch. I wanted to hop in the corral and run the race with everyone. Even though the Rock & Roll events stress me out, it is fun to see 30,000 people embark on such a test of endurance and dedication.

All of the half marathoners in our group finished and we waited at the finish line for Staci to finish. Roughly four a half hours in to the race, the half marathon was coming to an end. The last participants were coming down the final stretch. If you have never watched the final group of people come in at the half marathon, I highly recommend you try. It is one of the most motivational and heart warming scenes. There was the older lady, probably around 85 years old, walking toward the finish line with her two adult sons holding her hands. There were groups of people who need to lose at least 100 pounds to be in a healthy weight range crossing the finish line, making those steps toward a healthier lifestyle. I saw one gentleman who was probably not much older than me come down the home stretch with a walker. His legs were in braces and his knees did not bend. There was a war vet with two prosthetic arms and one prosthetic leg carrying a flag across the finish line.

Not everyone needs to run a half or full marathon. Don’t ever say you can’t do it though. Yes you can. There is a huge difference between “can’t” and “don’t want to.” If you need just a little motivation to try it out, go watch some of the last finishers of a race. Those folks are a true inspiration.