triOK's group - The best group - Closed (Page 37)

Well, there are a lot of questions rolled into this... let me try to break it down into individual questions.  But before I get there I would like to start by saying NO LOW CARB DIETS!!!!!!!!!!!  I can't stress enough how dangerous a low carb diet is for an athlete.  Carbs are an important source of fuel for endurance athletes and you MUST keep them in your diet to function normally.  If you are looking to drop weight do it by cutting calories, being consistent, and working out.  Simple as that.  That said, here is my input on training nutrition...

When do I need Gu, gatorade, food etc when I train?

There is really no "rule of thumb" for this... Its really different for everyone and is DIRECTLY impacted by your nutrition on a day-to-day basis.  Assuming that you eat well usually, your body should naturally have fuel enough for about 2 hours (depending on intensity).  After the fuel in your blood system drops off, you will start to "bonk."  Anyone who has bonked in training knows exactly what its like and knows that they want to avoid it at all costs.  Its not a fun place to be.  Basically, training nutrition is to keep this bonk from happening.  So generally, I will use a Gu if I do anything over an hour and a half.  Some people might do more than that, some less.... but that also depends on how far I plan to go and how hard.  If I am looking at a 4-hour training day, I will gel before I ever start and then every 45 minutes after that.  Gatorade is generally used to replace electrolytes, which is important in hot weather.  It has sugar in it, so it helps keep the bonk at bay, but gel works better.  I will actually try to eat solid food if I do anything over 3 hours (bike ride).  Clif bars work well for me.

Does the hot weather affect my need for nutrition?

Yes.  Especially with electrolytes.  Gatorade, Nuun, Accelerade, etc all have electrolytes in them to keep you hydrated.  Your need for them ultimately depends on the temperature, your sweat rate, and how long you plan to be out.  Some people take salt pills but those things make me blow up like a balloon.   If you are a heavy sweater, prone to cramps, or feel that you need to worry about electrolytes you might consider salt pills.  Otherwise, when training, I alternate water and gatorade to make sure that I get enough of both without the icky feeling of bloating.

Cold weather also might affect your need for nutrition.  Shivering uses energy... keep that in mind.

Why am I starving on long training days?

Well, because your body is trying to replace all of the stuff you lost while training.  That includes water, salt, sugar, fat, protein, etc.  My advice is to replenish your body as soon, but as slowly as possible.  When you get home, drink water first.  Then you might think about a recovery drink, which will replace lost carbs and protein.  I highly recommend chocolate soy milk.... low fat, high in antioxidants (natural source of them, very important in muscle recovery), 4:1 carb to protein ratio, and surprising wonderful tasting... seriously (go with the Silk brand; the off-brands are not as good).  This will bring your blood sugar back up and get your muscles some quick protein so they stop feeding off of themselves.  Then prepare a HEALTHY recovery meal of carbs and protein, and sprinkle on a little salt to help replace what's gone.  Eat a small snack every 2-3 hours after that and you should keep yourself from chowing at meal times.

Hope that helped a little.

WoooHoooo!!!!

I had a great swim tonight! At the end of my 1500M non stop, I swam 2 100's in 2.30.  Last year at the Danskin my goal was to swim under4.0 minutes per 100. (hehehe)

This time last year I couldn't swim 25m without feeling like I was going to drown.

I know that the key to the swimming thing is to SWIM (and 8 weeks 1x per week of lessons this winter) Robyn is absolutely right. :-) Swim swim swim swim swim..and get some professional help. 

I registered for Danskin Austin today.  (race # 2 of 2008)  I will need some advice on planning the rest of my season.  I want to do a sprint every other month until the October olympic I want to do as my culminating goal. Does that sound like a good idea?

Swim swim swim Swim swim swim Swim swim swim Swim swim swim Swim swim swim Swim swim swim ...no I haven't been drinking...just swimming swimmingswimmingswimmingswimmingswimmingswimming

hehehe...just got out of the pool

Les 

Well up til now I've not really had any bad experiences on BT.  But today apparently quite a number of people took offense at my post about my new car, asking for help picking a name, LOL.  I guess I should've realized it was asking for abuse, but I was a little taken aback.  Oh well, live and learn. 

Great job. Isn't swimming the best? I always feel sooo good afterwards. Question for you -- is each 100 at 2:30? I want to time myself and see where I am. I was thinking of also doing a couple of sprints and then another 1/2 mary aiming for an Oly by fall. Which Oly are you doing? I wanted one near my birthday in Oct. if possible to celebrate in style! ~Lynn

I don't know who told you that 1.30 is slow... I can count on my fingers how many people I know that can swim a 1.30 CONSISTENTLY.  1.30, IMHO, is blazing fast.  If you can swim a 1.30 in a HIM or Oly distance race I would say you would be one of the top 10 out of the water (age grouper, anyway.)

Be proud of your 2.30!  That is a great accomplishment and the more you swim, the more you will see that number come down.  Consistency is the key.  Just swim... that's it.

Atkins is the worst thing to happen to the American diet, and is HORRIBLE for endurance athletes.  Seriously people... I will physically hurt you if you cut carbs.  Cut SUGAR, not carbs. 

Gu tastes a lot like pudding.  Some are better than others.  You can get them at just about any bike shop or sporting goods store.  Here's some tips for Gu buying... (this is all based on MY preference, but I encourage you to try different things to see what you like and what works best for you.

Caffeine is my friend.   For me, there is a big difference between the caffinated gel and the non-caffinated.  If I am having trouble focusing, or having motivation issues, caffinated gel usually fixes that problem right up.  HOWEVER, I train by heart rate, and the caffeine has a HUGE effect on my heart rate.  That is something to keep in mind for those that have heart rate monitors.

There are many many different brands... Gu, Powergel, Hammer, CarbBOOM, etc... and really one is not better than another.  Some people have tummy problems with some brands so people have a brand they like and stick to it.  I don't like Hammer or Powergel since they are really thick.  But Powergel is what is given out on MDOT races... they also have a gel that has 4x sodium for those that are concerned about electrolytes.  Accelgels have a 4:1 protein ratio, but I think they taste horrible... some peeps I train with love them.  Personally, I like Gu and apple cinnamon CarbBOOM (yummy!).  I don't have stomach issues and they have some electrolytes so I get everything I need.

Try some different things and find out what you like.  But just don't do it on race day.  If you plan to use gel when you race, try it out before then to make sure that you aren't going to have a problem come race day.

Thanks Robyn. I was hoping that he was talking about something waaay different than what I was talking about. I feel very encouraged about my progress.  Thanks to you guys I feel accountable to someone and that is big motivation for me.  I can't wait to see how much better I do at the Danskin this year.  

Happy Friday everyone!

Les 

Elizabeth, 

Thanks for the congrats, I'll let you know when I hear anything about Danskin LA opening. 

For what its worth... from my limited experience.... I was running out of fuel when I did any training after school (work).  I've been drinking about 24 oz of Accelerade  before during and after my run bike swim etc.  I just drink a bit as I go.  I was still feeling a bit wrung out so I started having a cliff shot (GU) before my workout.  I eat lunch around 11:30 and then don't start working out until 5:00-5:30.  It has really helped me. It is really convenient. I love PBJ too but it's hard for me to get out of the house in the AM without adding another chore onto the day. I like the raspberry cliff shots and the mountain berry Accelerade. I have also tried and liked the apple cinnamon  stuff that Robyn likes.  

Les 

I think Clif shots taste good, but they get stuck to my teeth.  But they are nice for long bike rides.... I suck on them as I go.

Really?  I thought it was closed already?  Hmmmm... I will have to look again.

Nope... I think you are right.  But its a week before the Great Floridian... my first full Iron.

I better go on here and make a public proclamation for some accountability.  I'm using every excuse in the book to not do this short sprint tri that I am scheduled for in April.  My shoulders are the biggest problem as everytime I start back in the pool they seem to flare up BUT if I have to I'll backfloat and doggy paddle this sucker.  I'm using traveling as another excuse...hotels have crappy equipment....been in Milwaukee where it isn't exactly balmy.  Weak...weak...weak!  Some of you have been really good about posting comments to my log despite the fact that there hasn't been much in there lately (although I have done more than the log shows fortunately).  Thanks for that support!

 Starting today, I will take only one day off a week from now til my tri in April. I have yoga on my laptop so worse case scenario if I can't find a place to do anything else I can always do that!! One day off a week!!!  Anymore than that and I will be in the Borat thong on here and NOONE wants to see that!!!

I have had issues with a pinched nerve in my shoulder from swimming... and it was because I was using my shoulders and not my lat muscles.  You should be using your lats a lot more than your shoulders.  Be sure that you aren't crossing your midline with your lead arm when you swim.  Also make sure that you are "breaking" at the elbow when you start to pull.  Your elbow should stay relatively near the surface of the water.  Maybe that will help...

Hi all, I am a putz and went completely AWOL due to work and other reasons for the last few weeks. I am trying hard to get back on the wagon, and I want to thank everyone for posting on my blogs while I was gone. It really helped when I did get the balls to log back in.

This week I am easing back in, and I may go silent for a couple of days when I travel for work this week. But I will be back! However, I think it will be quite impossible for me to make my back through all the posts...

Thank you everyone - you guys rock for not giving up on me!