Common Mistakes I Make When Training, #3 Downplaying the Importance of Nutrition

Read Parts 1, Focusing on Time vs. Quality and 2, The Deep End

Mistake #3: Downplaying the Role of Nutrition

Food is my achilles heal. Doughy breads and pastas are my crutch. And I truly believe down deep in the center of my soft core that Karamel Sutra makes everything better—cures the flu, can turn the ledger ink from red back to black, can heal a marital spat—its truly a miracle medicine.

Unfortunately its "miracle" lies in the placebo effect, we all know what a diet full of bread and ice cream will really do to someone.

On the flip side, when I am following a clean diet it is the single component that has the greatest and fastest impact on improving performance.

I am not a Sports Nutritionist, I have no licensing or professional education. All I have is my personal experiments and knowledge gleaned from Google searches.

Finding a proper balance while regularly doing high-intensity workouts or long endurance rides can be challenging. It's not unusual to get to the evening and be craving a large, heavy meal. Or sometimes I'll find my hunger carries over into the next day and I over-refuel. It's true I burn a lot of calories during those workouts, but in my personal experience, burning 2,000+ calories on a ride is not equal to 2,000+ calories of pizza and beer post-ride.

I know some people that can get away with that. That's never worked for my waistline.

This is what has worked best for me in the past:

Fueling for the workout DURING the workout. The rest of the day eat a normal, healthy, clean diet of lean proteins and lots and lots of vegetables.

What this means for me is that I always have a sports drink in my water bottle and carry some food. I try to take in about 100-200 calories an hour, depending on intensity and duration of the workout. The following is my basic nutritional plan (while eating a lower calorie diet high in vegetable content):

3 mile jog around the neighborhood = 50-100 calories of Endura (or similar) post-run
6 mile run / 60 minute bike ride = 100-150 calories of Endura
90 min ride / 9 mile run = 200-250 calories (100-150 from Endura, 100 from food)
2 hr ride (mod. intensity) = 300 calories (200 from Endura, 100 from food)
2 hr high intensity = 300 calories during + 100 post-ride (banana, chocolate almond milk, etc)
3+ hours = 150 calories from Endura/per hour and 100+ from food every 60-90 minutes

Following this guideline for during workout nutrition I have been able to curb post-ride starvation (which tends to result in post-ride over-indulgence and face-stuffing) while also maintaining high energy levels which allows for a more effective training session.

Food is such an important aspect not only for training but for overall health. Nutrients from food build and repair cells and body tissue, help maintain proper organ function, provide energy and warmth.

While food and following a nutritional meal plan will always be a challenge for me, a clean diet is something that I will never stop pursuing whether training for an event or not.

Monday Funday

Maybe not so much Fun-day for me (as I have to work). But my daughter Snoose has her first day of camp today! She was  a mixed ball of nerves and excitement this morning in anticipation of the big week ahead. Camp time is bittersweet. Snoose returns home alight with new experiences and adventures that have helped her become more confident and independent. It makes me a proud-mama to see her grow, however, the more she grows the less she's my little baby.

In further news, I went on a pleasant, long ride over the weekend with Michelle and Zoom-Zoom. At some point during this ride Michelle asked me if I had gotten on the scale yet. And I had to confess, I did not. And then she accused me of lying on my blog. The nerve.

I did not lie. When I wrote 'that' I had the full intention of weighing myself in the morning. Then somewhere between when I went to bed that night and drinking my coffee the next day I sort-of, kind-of misplaced that intention. Happens to the best of us.

So . . . . . . . this morning I weighed myself.

First I braced myself, leaning heavily on the windowsill as I eased onto the scale. I watched the digits flash up and down like an unnecessarily long sequence on Biggest Loser before the scale settled on a digit.

It was a nice looking number. But I don't think I've weighed that little since 5th grade. Too much leaning on the windowsill. It was cheating.

The second time I had no choice but to go all-in. I removed my hands from the windowsill and settled my weight over the balls of my feet, resting every ounce of myself on the scale.

And it was terrible. Chad is getting fired up to get down to his race weight as well. Last night we pinky-swared that we'd each lose 10 pounds before Iceman.

P.S. I went running in my new Merrell Bare Access Arc shoes this week. I'll write about it later.

Accountability

I need to confess that its been a fight to get back into a regular training routine, especially when it comes to running. I think my body has forgotten how. For the first time this year I ran three times in one week. THREE TIMES.

Yesterday I woke up extra early so I could get in a 6 mile run around Bear Lake. 

And then I hit the snooze button.

But then I got up 30 minutes later with steely determination! Actually, it was more like a lot of sighing and complaining under my breath, stupid running. There was still time for a 3 mile run if I hurried.

I ignored my glowing computer monitor (No Facebook, I will not be tempted and waste valuable minutes of running time!), wrestled into my running gear, grabbed a water bottle and stumbled out the door.

My run was glorious for about 2 miles. And then I was bored. It was hot. Running felt awkward. Did I really used to run half marathons and 25ks? Ugh. I thought I liked running? 

Even though yesterday's run was not one to brag about, I still managed to suffer through it.

However, 

Having a training schedule has been great and its been keeping me accountable as far as exercise goes. But I can't seem to quit my snacking! If you've known me a very long time then you know that I truly struggle with my diet. And I don't mean diet as in Weight Watchers or Atkins. I'm strictly referring to diet in reference to the foods I consume.

I need accountability. The bathroom scale is usually great for this. When I know I need to get on it every morning I make better food choices. There's one small problem . . . 

I'm scared of the bathroom scale. 

It's been months again since I've last gotten on it!

So I'm putting out here and making myself accountable: tomorrow morning I will get on the scale.

I will. 

Back to Basics

This image has been going around FB lately. It was a good reminder for me that eating healthy and eating healthy can be two different things.

There's the 'eating healthy' where you limit your calories, eat more salads and fruit, and basically watch what you eat. (Weight Watchers, Jennie Craig, etc).

Then there's 'eating healthy': eliminating processed foods, added sugar, added fat, and getting back to the basics of nutrition. By that I mean eating 'whole foods.'

This winter my diet just spiraled out of control. I managed to maintain my weight fairly well because of the heavy LJ100 training load. But that doesn't mean I haven't noticed the negative side effects of a poor diet: lethargy, loss of motivation, unable to focus, longer recovery times, and mediocre workouts.

A few weeks ago I finally faced reality and admitted that my diet had swayed far into the high processed, added sugar and fat zone. It wasn't an easy thing to do, but it was necessary.

Although I've been eating 'better' by many peoples standards, I still haven't been fueling my body with nutrient dense and unprocessed foods that it craves.

Now that LJ100 training is in official "taper" mode, I have a bit of extra time to refocus on something else. I've made a meal plan for the week that includes lots of salads, nuts, legumes, and fresh fruit. I'm even making homemade salad dressing.

My body is going to be so happy with me!

Cashew Blood Orange Salad Dressing
Kale and Carrot Salad
Baked Apple with Cashew Raisin Cream Sauce
Vegetable Shepherd's Pie
Chinese Apricot Stir Fry
Nuts and Bolts Squash

Homemade Energy Pacs and Hand Massacre (or, I AM a wimp)

Once again, yesterday started hopeful. My parents were taking the kids in the evening and I planned to ride gravel roads in the hills of Oceana County.

I've been working on making my own energy food, experimenting with sweet potatoes. I made a mixture of Sweet Potato, Quinoa, and Lentils lightly seasoned with Salt and Curry (I love curry!).

I've made the mixture before but I had not tried packaging it so that I could eat it while riding. I needed to come up with a way I could package and quickly consume the mix:

I took a "Snack" size zip loc bag and cut a piece about 1.5" wide.
Not pictured: Then used Scotch tape to seal the open edge.

Then I stuffed the baggy with my mixture and sealed the zip loc.
Voila! Homemade energy pac!

Once I had a couple of energy pacs made, it was time to change and load the car! I could feel the hills of Oceana trembling in anticipation of my arrival . . .

Lately I've been dealing with slow leaks in my tires. In my brilliance I thought I would put air in the tires before I left and then check them again after the drive to Oceana--just to make sure there's no leaks or issues pre-ride.

(give me a moment whilst I take a deep breathe . . . )

I'm really bad at putting air in my tires. I know, its a simple, simple thing but for some reason I always have issues with it. This time turned out to be disastrous.

After successfully putting air into the front tire, the air pump nozel-thingy was stuck on the tube stem-thingy. It would not come off. 

Apparently my strength training has been working. I used near-superhuman excessive force to remove the nozel and sent the back of my hand hard into the disc brake.

Dang. That hurt. It really, really hurt. Think, stubbing your toe really badly.

I shook my hand out a few times, looked fine to me and then moved on to the rear tire. Pain is temporary, that's what I told myself.

As I curled my fingers around the pump a gaping hole opened just below the middle knuckle on my right hand, and a pool of blood spilled out. I could see the inside of my hand.

I was hit with a wave of nausea. Fortunately my "survival instincts" kicked in. I keep clear athletic tape and gauze pad in my purse (not for emergencies but for poor fitting 'cute' shoes). I fumbled around with my left hand and managed to grab some tissues to slop away some of the blood before applying the gauze and then I wrapped half the roll of athletic tape around it—ensuring I would never have to see that hole in my hand again.

Now that I had the wound taken care of, I was feeling much better. Still in pain, but I can handle some pain. It was time to go ride. 

While loading my front wheel, I regrettably noticed something that made me dizzy:

Hand juice on my disc brake.

I could see exactly how deep into my hand the brake had cut. Obviously I knew it was deep and had hit bone, but seeing the brake . . .

Perhaps I should go see a doctor after all.

I detoured to the nearest Urgent Care center. I was pretty light-headed by the time I walked myself up to the sign-in counter. The receptionist noticed my hand, commented on how pale I looked.

Yeah. Is all I remember saying. 

A kind nurse quickly ushered me into a private room, laid me down, applied a cold compress to my forehead and brought me a nice cup of water. I can't remember the last time I was so well cared for. As nice as it was, I was trying to swallow back fear, knowing they were going to have to remove the crude bandage covering the hole. And I'd already heard the word "Tetanus" several times and knew I was in for a shot as well.

Once the doctor was finally able to remove the layers of athletic tape, she commented that the "puncture wound has stopped bleeding and is already sealing nicely." 

Huh? Not gushing blood? No bones? Wha?? I snuck a peek. 

Sure enough, where the gaping hole had been was now only a perfect red half moon. 

The doctor said: We'll just clean this up and apply a couple of steri-strips. After your tetanus shot you can be on your way!

Wow, did I feel like a wimp. 

That doesn't look so bad . . .

My homemade energy pacs made for a great post-urgent care center snack—much better than any Gu packet would have been.

Fortunately, I can still hold on to the grip of my bike and I was able to get in 25 miles with a couple of friends last night. However, I am discovering an entire list of things I cannot do: fold laundry, hold a cup of coffee, brush my teeth, twist on the top of a water bottle, empty the dishwasher . . . 

Savory Sweet Potato Energy Balls--work in progress

As I've confessed before, I am not a chef. Most food experiments I conduct in the kitchen make my husband shudder. Proceed at your own risk . . .

Savory Sweet Potato Energy Ball

My goal was to find an easily digestible snack that is moderately low on the glycemic level yet will provide enough energy to help fuel endurance rides. I also wanted something that was savory as there is a lot of sweet options out there already. I wanted to stay away from nuts as the other snacks I plan to consume already have a variety of nuts in them—I'm concerned that too many nuts may cause digestive issues at some point over a 12-hour race.

My body has always done well with the sweet potato, I'll often eat one the night before or even for breakfast on race day. Sweet Potatoes are a great food for athletes as they are rich in nutrients and are the "best source of beta carotene (more than any other fruit or vegetable). According to resources I've found through google . . . 

 (I confess, I ate a chunk right out of the microwave.)

1 Lg. Sweet Potato
A couple shakes of Sea Salt
A couple shakes of Dried Basil
1/4 cup or so of Old Fashioned Oats--I recommend grinding them up in the food processor

• Wash and peel the sweet potato
• Poke the potato with a fork, or knife, whatever you prefer
• Microwave on high for 5 minutes, test softness. You'll want the potato nice and soft so that it is easily mashed with a fork.
• Add See Salt, Dried Basil, and ground oats.
• Mash all of it with a fork.
• Roll into bite size balls.

I used little paper cups for each ball and then tossed them in a ziploc bag. However, the energy balls were very moist and stuck to the paper. It became a little messy. I'll need to look into an alternative, perhaps foil or plastic. I am very happy with the nutrition they provided on the trail and they were very easy to consume, going down well with a swig of water.

Make the night before or morning of your ride. For a 10-12 hour race, I recommend storing them in a cooler if possible. However, I was still eating them 6 hours after removing them from refrigeration and had no digestive issues. 

Getting in the hours

Training for a 100 mile mountain bike race is taking me to new places--the backyard?

There are only so many hours in the day, fortunately, because, let's be honest, if there were more hours we'd find more work to do in spite of ourselves. Unfortunately, it also constrains the time I can allocate to riding my bike.

My husband Chad runs a family business, for those that are reading that have built a business of your own, you already know what kind of time commitment and dedication that requires. Luckily I have a somewhat flexible job, so although I'm caring for the kids alone most evenings and many Saturdays, I am able to squeeze in a 60-90 minute workout on my lunch a few days a week. Sundays we generally reserve for family time.

That schedule has been sufficient for most xc racing. But a 100-mile race is an entirely different breed. My race time in the saddle is going to go from 2+ hours to over 10 hours (hopefully not much longer than that!).  60 minutes on the bike three times a week just isn't going to cut it.

I'm going to have to come up with some creative solutions, especially as I approach training days that are going to require 4 to 5 or even more hours of riding.

Yesterday I started work early so that I could get in 2 full hours of intervals on the trainer with my old friend Coach Troy. Then, after quick change of clothes it was back to work with a recovery shake and half box of Cheezits to eat at my desk.

After a few hours of accomplishing important designer publishing stuff that currently ranks me as one of the coolest moms in my daughter's Kindergarten class, it was time to pick up the kids and whip together something edible for dinner.

Chad made it home from work early, 6:30 PM, just in time to squeeze in a 40-mile ride in the fading sunlight (he is training for Lumberjack 100 as well!!!). We gave him a quick kiss hello followed by one good bye as he headed back out the door, completely transformed from Carhartts to full spandex.

Then it was bath time for both kids. Story time. Bed time. Clean the kitchen. Fold some laundry. Tuck wandering children into bed a second time—if you're a mom, you know the drill.

Yup, I was ready to crash on the couch with Tom Clancy.

Instead I did this:

My bike, on a trainer, on the deck, in the backyard.

More time on the bike. I could not stomach the idea of spending another 75 minutes in our basement so I set up the bike on the deck. It wasn't anywhere near as nice as riding single track, but it beat the basement--hands down.

Can someone help? How do you not overeat on long training days?

I'm finding that on endurance training days, I eat too much. I believe the issue is fatigue, not hunger. My body wants to take a nap but work and my kids need me to be productive. In fact, I need to be more efficient and productive to make up for the time I spent riding. As a result, I end up snacking to stay awake.

Even though I've cut cornstarch/syrup and added sugars from my diet, I'm considering keeping a bowl of hard candies around. Perhaps if I have a Worther's I won't feel the need to mow through a bag of chips.

Thoughts? Ideas? Please.

Thanks! And in closing I leave this post with a picture of my kid, just because he makes me smile.