Caloric needs

Ben Greenfield, a good friend of mine and great exercise physiologist, gave me some valuable information about nutrition while training. Last year we did some metabolic tests on the bike and at rest. He gave me the raw data and showed me how to use the results of the tests for fueling my energy costs when training (or sitting on the couch doing nothing).

The metabolic tests correlate to how much fuel I'm burning during set heart rate intensities. This of course changes over time and with increases (or decreases) in fitness, however the estimate is a good measurement. (Unless my muscle mass from last year has changed dramatically, the results should be about the same.) At a moderate aerobic range, (i.e., Ironman intensity) I'm burning approximately 435 fat and 422 carbohydrates (average) for a total of 857 calories per hour. I should be replenishing my body with 30-40% of these values during Ironman bike intensities. For me, this comes out to 260-340 calories/hr.

Currently, my plan of attack is to start bike rides with a stomach full of food and eat as necessary on the ride. My goal is to start on the low range of food intake and work my way up to Ben's suggested intake and assess my stomach's tolerance. Chuckie has told me that when he trained alongside Mark Allen, Mark was able to ingest more calories than anyone...that he had trained his body to learn to absorb more. Few labs or sport nutritionists think of it in this manner and I find it fascinating, and intriguing.

I have all the raw data, more numbers than you'd ever want in fact, but it's now easy for me to see my energy needs at varying intensities. My goal is to become a fast and fuel-efficient machine!

Below is an example of my daily calorie intake with a 4-hour ride at a moderate intensity:

750 calorie breakfast
100 calories before the ride
250 calories per hour during ride
300 calories post-ride recovery snack
750 calories for lunch
2x250 calorie snacks
750 calories for dinner
250 calories dessert

That's around 4400 calories. This might still leave me in a calorie deficit of around 800 calories...at which point it is time to start eating that ice cream!

Be sure to check out Ben Greenfield:
http://www.humanwellnesssolutions.com
http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com
http://www.champsportsmed.com

Personally I don't count calories or watch how much I eat, just what I eat. However, Ben's testing has allowed me to really look at how much I'm eating and what I need to refuel my body for the next day's workouts. I've had times where I didn't eat enough carbohydrates the day prior to a hard workout and paid for it dearly! I fuel primarily on a well-rounded diet (including plenty of good fats)but when the day calls for some harder or longer workouts, I eat more sugars than usual. Chocolate, ice cream, and Bon-Bons become a must.... :)

Ben has provided me with valuable information to help me solidify my daily caloric needs. Chuckie's caveman diet is a must-read and one I refer to often. However, for now after seeing these numbers, I'll stick to the candy, ice cream and c-h-o-c-o-l-a-t-e! ☺ Thanks Ben! You helped me realize how much I can eat! :)

Progress...

I hope everyone is having a great summer! Here in Park City, the weather is HOT! Unfortunately my heel pain is some bursitis that is taking a lofty amount of time to reduce itself to normal. Thanks for all my continued support as I get back in the ring! Slow and steady... Chuckie's way of coaching.(Mind you, this will quickly turn into some FAST and steady stuff). This is my first day of completely lazing around... It's a love-hate relationship!

Quick update...

Well what has been happening in the last few days? I’ve cheered on my teammates behind the scenes, watched the Tour daily and have been adapting to altitude ever so slowly! The first two weeks here in Park City, UT didn’t faze me. I was riding, running, walking, hiking, swimming, and feeling like a true athlete making gains. But then it hit me…and hard! The last few days I’ve had to literally drag myself from off the bed mid-day. I’m hoping I get back to my old self in the next few days…

Triathlete Coach?

Now that I’ve been coaching a few triathletes over the last year or so, I’ve realized how important it is to have good communication, a solid (yetm flexible) training program, and a coach who works with you personally.

My current coaches, Chuckie V and Brett Sutton, have helped me develop my own coaching style. As an athlete living and breathing the sport, I’m always eager to learn from others and teach those how to reach their own personal fitness goals.

I’ve learned over the years, you must be able to blend the athlete’s lifestyle with the training plan. You can’t expect to have a determined age-grouper with a full-time job and kids to train the same as one who works part-time with no children. It’s the quality and effort that is put into the training that will be able to produce the results. Mind you, a few “Team TBB secret training methods” doesn’t hurt this cause!

With a simple change in one’s running program – increasing duration and decreasing rest, I’ve seen great improvements in one of my athlete’s PR time for the half-marathon. Including some strength riding and hills, helped improve another athlete’s overall bike and run time. I love helping others achieve the results they were always capable of achieving.

If you’re interested in more about how I coach and/or training, feel free to email me anytime: tri3angela(at)yahoo.com

Cheers!

Testosterone Motivation

The last two times I've been at the local track, I've been surrounded by testosterone! I have to say, I love it! ;D Both days have been kind to me. The first day was the speed skating team of 3 relatively good-looking 20-something-year-olds (with those massive quads) and the local high school football team (a bit young, but the doesn't stop one from looking). But the best part of that first day was the 6-foot black sprinter in lane 6! I had great views for an entire walk/jog session.

The second day (today) was just as good as the first. While I wore my Avia visor, Avia shorts and Wildflower T-shirt with my pink compression socks (a sight I know!), in lanes 4-5, ten stalky but fit mid-20-year-olds were doing a number of leg exercises. These guys had six packs that would put a wrestler or boxer to shame. (I'm still not sure what sport they were training for though...badminton?) The high-school football team took over the infield about 15 minutes later. This group isn't a great motivation for me but it was fun to be surrounded by 70+ men and me being the only female.

Nothing beats testosterone for motivation. :) Let's just say, I ran a bit more than I wanted... ;D ;)

Training

It's been over 5 days now at altitude and my body is slowly adjusting. At first, just pedaling at a snail's pace and walking outside jacked my heart-rate 30 beats/min. I've met a few (a lot actually) cyclists and they can all kick my butt right now! It's amazing how much altitude effects you, or at least that is my excuse at the moment! :)

The town here has a lot of athletes. Everyone is very active. I've seen more cyclists on the road in one day than I have in Solvang in a week, maybe two! It was 4th of the July weekend and that may have brought out a few more athletes to the area. Either way, I love it here. It's my kind of city. It's a ski-town with millions of trails and roads to explore. Everyday I'm excited to get out there and find a new trail to hike or 'secret' road to ride. When I find one, I pretend I'm the only one that knows about it.

Yesterday was one of those days. I road out on a well-known road (watching the storm clouds every pedal stroke) and followed it off some paved trail. The trail climbed up a hill gradually and gave you some spectacular views of a hidden golf course and canyon. Unfortunately it just stopped after a wicked descent (my favorite!). Looking at the local road cyclists map, the road is well-known. Bummer. But at least I was the only one on it. I'll still call it mine.

Running is s-l-o-w-l-y getting up there in time and distance. I'm on the track mostly and can't wait to explore the open trails. Swimming is kicking my butt as always, but at least I'm getting some pipes!

Raining

There is nothing like riding in the rain... :) I haven't done that for over 6 months! That's what you get for training at 7000ft. I sure hope I can learn these weather patterns...