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Showing posts from July 1, 2010

Recovering nutrition & cherry berry smoothie

My morning workout was a toughy on Tues. Trainer interval workout + run. I entertained myself by watching Ironman Wisconsin (for the 20th time) on my DVR during the beginning part of my workout. Karel is making me work hard but the hard work is paying off. My cadence has increased by a good 10% over the past few months and I am finding myself maintaining my goal watts at a much higher cadence than in months past. Even though my zones have increased, due to my previous 20 min effort in the group ride on Sat, I am finding myself improving with each workout. I try to gain something from every workout. I don't let myself think that I am ever having a bad workout. Rather than just "getting through" the workouts I am waking up recovered from previous workouts and ready to give a sweaty 100%. Warm up 20-25 min: 3min @ LT (161-187watts) 5min @ Tempo ( 135-160watts) 4min @ LT ( 161-187watts) 5min @ Tempo (135-160 watts) 10 min recovery 5min @ LT (161 – 187watts) 10min @ Tempo (

Family time, good eats

Karel and I enjoyed delicious meals with the family. Karel rarely eats red meat (maybe once every 3-4 months) but he does enjoy an occasional steak when we go to Outback (pre-race for me) or when we visit my parents. On Fri evening we enjoyed a beautiful salad w/ spinach and kale, oranges and lots of veggies, corn on the cob, steamed zucchini w/ garlic and grilled asparagus. My carnivorous family (dad, mom, Karel and Aaron) had chicken for their protein and I enjoyed 2 hard boiled egg whites and 1 yoke w/ the rest of my beautiful meal. I had a big glass of soy milk and a few walnuts and pistachios as I was preparing the salad. Here's the Grilled Chicken Bruschetta recipe: Serves 6: Ingredients: * 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves * 1 Tbsp. olive oil * 1/4 tsp. garlic powder * 3 plum tomatoes, chopped * 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (my mom used basil seasoning) * 1/4 cup chopped onions * 2 cloves garlic, minced * 1/8 tsp. pepper *

Weekend training

I love training. Probably more than racing. I don't race a lot because it takes me a while to get my body to a healthy place that allows me to reach for my short term (and long term) goals. When I did my first IM, I had Karel (who was my Boyfriend at the time) and my family there to cheer me on and to support me at this crazy long race called the Ironman. Before the race, I gave my parents "estimated" times of when I would finish the swim, bike and run. I gave them a range starting with my perfect day times and ending with my "oh no, something went wrong" times. Luckily, nothing went wrong and I ended up matching every one of my predicted times to the minute! How did I know what I would be able to do for the swim, bike and run? I just thought back to my training and by being realistic, I felt pretty confident predicting my times. By spending many months of my year training for a few key races, I don't feel rushed to improve. With a gradually building trainin

Training the body

On Sun evening I received an email from Karel... First sentence, 11 weeks until IMWI Next part of the email included dates for 3 weeks of build and 1 week recovery. The next part, 3 more weeks of build, 1 week recovery. Week 9 - last hard week Week 10 and 11 - taper 9/12/10 IRONMAN WISCONSIN So far, so good. Feeling great, no signs of "past injury" and feeling strong. Actually, stronger than ever before. Wouldn't you agree with me that the human body is amazing. I have always loved the body and the amazing things that it allows us to do on a daily basis but for much of my life, I really took for granted how sensitive the body is to every-day stress and daily habits. Growing up, I was always active with swim team. When I went to college at Transylvania University in my hometown of Lexington, KY. I majored in Exercise Science. I was president of the Exercise Science club, I was a personal trainer at the YMCA (in the summer) and taught spin classes and personal trained YMCA

Snack before you eat and control overeating

I hope you enjoy my latest article from the FREE Iron Girl newsletter! Snack before you eat and control overeating Looking to improve your nutrition or change unhealthy eating habits? Try snacking before a meal, which can decrease hunger and help control caloric intake throughout the day. Individuals who plan balanced snacks between meals are likely to avoid the symptoms of low blood sugar, are better able to fuel and recover from exercise and appear more alert and productive at work, compared to those who go long hours without eating. Eating a 50- to 80-calorie snack before your next meal will set you up for a portion, calorie and craving-controlled meal. An optimal snack should include healthy fats, low-fat or lean protein and whole grains, in addition to fibrous fruits and veggies. As you snack on these nourishing foods, you'll find yourself eating and ordering more consciously and will feel better about what you put into your body. Most, if not all, active individuals will qu