Mary,

Great job on the mile! Keep it up and you'll see it get faster and faster by the day! 

Nicole,

I didn't want to search through the 72 pages of this thread, and my memory is pretty awful. Why the visit to the nutritionist, again?

I've had a lot of luck on my Plant Based diet and would be happy to share my diet plan/strategy with you.

One thing I've learned is that protein is in everything and you probably don't need as much as many people tell you that you need. Check out this video discussing a study that suggests a different way of looking at protein requirements. (Note: You will always need more if you are training hard, but you will naturally get more because of your increased calorie requirements)

There are a lot of myths about plant vs. animal protein as well and I can go on and on about this stuff. In order for me not to preach my plant based religion on the forums, I'd be happy to take the discussion to Private Messages

Jason-Thank you and I don't know why I didn't think to do a quick workout on the bike trainer. That actually sounds like fun. I may try it tonight when I'm crunched for time. I actually was doing the high intesity thing for a while when I was doing Jorge's Winter Bike program before I gave it up in January and asn't seeing the weightloss results. I'm not sure why. I actually thought maybe I wasn't eating enough at the time (2000 calories/day). That Winter Bike Program is really hard on the body. I think failing at it was part of what killed my mojo. That and the IT band problem and a few months of illness/injury. I want to work out now but I'm not excited about it. Maybe a high intensty bike workout is exactly what I need.

Nate- I really would appreciate any advice you can give. I was subscribing to that not needing as much protein as people think thing as well. I visited the nutritionist because after losing 30lbs. I plateaued for about 6 months starting in July then gained 5lbs each in November and February (both times I stopped monitoring calories in an attempt to restart my metabolism-total fail). I know I could cut back on grains to some extent but it seems weird not to eat as much fruit as I want. I'm also hypothyroid but I take medicine and my last results were normal (January). Another issue is that my activity levels fluctuate and it's hard to know how many calories I burn in any accurate kind of way. Ugh. This makes me crazy because it feels like it's a lot harder for me that other people find it to be. I know that's not true but I getso frustrated to hear about others who have successfully lost a lot of weight and kept it off doing exactly what I'm doing or less. Here is fine to discuss if the others are interested otherwise PM is fine too. Thanks for the offer.

For me, my go to tool is MyFitnessPal (MFP). Being able to track calories/protein/carbs was very helpful for me. It also gives a pretty good estimate on what your Basil Metabolic Rate (BMR) is based on your weight and daily activity levels. Then you give it a goal (I want to lose 1.5 lbs per week) and it will give you a calorie goal for each week that would help you satisfy that goal. You can also enter in any extra activities you do (Swim/Bike/Run) and it will give you an estimate on how many calories you burned doing that activity and add that to your calorie goal for the day so that you know you should eat more to satisfy the goal. 

Whenever you eat something during the day, you can search for that food item in the MFP database and add it to your daily food intake. If you have a mobile device, it even allows you to scan the barcode of a food item to enter into your log.

You mentioned that when you stopped monitoring calories, that is when you had the problems. Same with me! When I took a break from MFP, I’d see my weight go up a bit. Only solution to that is to keep at it I guess J

Protein:

I don’t really monitor protein by the numbers. I just make sure I have some sort of protein at every meal.  Maybe I’m a special case, based on my numbers, I’m not meeting the daily recommended protein intake that most people subscribe to, however, I continue to see improvements in my training, so I don’t care too much. The only time I really supplement my diet with a powder of some sort is after a really intense swim workout. When I do that, it’s a scoop of Vega Sport Performance protein powder for recovery purposes.

Good protein sources from food:

Leafy Greens – Eat these as much as you can. You get the most bang for your buck here.  Kale, Kale, Kale, Spinach, Chard, Kale etc…

Broccoli – 12g of protein in 100 cals? Yes please, that’s more than beef!

Lentils/Beans/Legumes – I probably use these the most. Lots of stir frying or soup making with other veggies.

Tofu – Depends on your tastes. I hate the really soft stuff so I use extra firm, but it usually works well in stir frying.

Nuts/Nut butters – I put about a ¼ cup of nuts into my oatmeal in the morning. I agree with you, lots of calories here, but I still want my Omega-3s and these are the best way to do it since I don’t eat fish/fish oil. I wouldn’t worry about fat content though. Unless you eat dairy/cheese/eggs, you aren’t getting much fat in your diet at all and depending on training volume, your body will actually want some good dietary fat.

Grains – I don’t tend to eat a whole lot of grains. Just my quick oats in the morning. If I need some calories, I’ll use Ezekial bread because sprouted grains give better protein content than their non sprouted counterparts.

Supplements:

I take a B12 spray and a vitamin D spray. These are the 2 vitamins that most people (omnivores and herbivores alike) are lacking, but herbivores are more at risk for the B12 deficiencies.  I dabbled with creatine but don’t think it was too helpful for me so I haven’t had any in a few weeks.

Fruits:

I eat fruit all the time, but again, you do need to watch the calorie intake. Luckily, fruits come with fiber which tend to make us feel full. The things to watch out for are fruit juices (with or without added sugar) Those don’t tend you fill you up as much and without the fiber, your insulin will spike and trigger a fat storing response.

Disclaimer:

I am not a nutritionist. These are purely things that I have been doing and that have worked for me. My degree is in Computer Science and I am a pretty dang good Googler.

Good Resources:

I love the site: http://nutritionfacts.org/ It gives a lot of good info backed with studies by smart people (MDs, PhDs etc)

Brendan Brazier is a former professional Ironman athlete who only eats plants. I really like his book, “Thrive” It gives good nutrition information for athletes. Here’s a link to it on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Thrive-Nutrition-Optimal-Performance-Sports/dp/0738212547

Hope I didn’t take up too much browser space. I’m sure I missed something, so feel free to ask. This stuff is my second hobby

Thanks Nate! I actually already eat a lot of the foods that you mentioned. Especially kale. I chop it up in pretty much every recipe I make. I really love lentils and beans too. I may really just be overdoing the carbs. I had a few points in time when I was working out too hard and not eating enough and I may possibly have overcorrected a bit. I really dislike broccoli but can tolerate broccoli sprouts so maybe I can look into that. I also was considering switching back to sprout bread but haven't because they are higher calorie. thanks for mentioning the protein content perhaps I will reconsider.

I do find programs like My fitness Pal a bit maddening as far as trying to match up your products but I did set up an account just to try to get some information on the foods I was eating. Also I don't have a computer that's on all the time so it would require logging in every time I eat. I have a Blackberry and I love it but it really lacks for apps.I've been using a spreadsheet to try to come up with some alternating days because really I don't mind eating a similar diet from day to day. As you said, though it might be good to use the app to figure out how much I should eat with a constantly changing exercise routine.

Like you, I spend a lot of time researching but have never had the patience to sit down and figure out more than just the calories. Otherwise, I tried to be conscious of eating enough protein like eating quinoa and rice and beans several days a week.

I appreciate the advice and will take all of it into consideration. I hope to have a plan by the beginning of next week (or at least part of one).

Fairly light week for me as I'm tapering for IM 70.3 in Galveston on Sunday. Wife and daughter are gone for a couple of days for spring break so I'm able to spread all my tri junk all over the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, garage..... Most of my free time seems to be devoted to mentally calculating possible bike and run splits and adding up all of the "possibilities".  Not a very efficient way to spend my time but I just can't get away from all of the speculation.   

Hope everyone is doing well. Anyone else racing this weekend?

Nate/Jamie-Good luck on the race. Hope the swim is able to happen. The swim was cancelled on my first tri (and only one for the season). I was really unhappy because I had to wait a year to finally do a tri.

Randy-Good luck on the 70.3. I'll be thinking about you on Sunday.

Mary-Nice job on the numbers last month. Don't push the running too fast-it'a great way to get an injury. Working in slowly like you are is the best way. 

So I think I've finally figured out what to eat at least for the 4 days I work next week plus my day off. Not sure beyond that but I have time to figure it out. Like anything else it just takes a little adjustment.

It's supposed to warm up a bit here today. I'm really looking forward to that. This time of year it's tough to feel motivated when winter drags on past its time.

Yay!! What an accomplishment. Doesn't it feel so good?

Good luck to you racers, Jamie, Nate, and Randy! Sending you fast, healthy, safe vibes!

1st week of training for July Olympic distance (B race?) and Xterra Worlds (A race?) going well, so far. The family actually came to the beach with me for the swim/run yesterday, so I swam guilt free knowing they were having a good time.

A funny story about my run after the swim. I was running along this road which is quite deserted except for minimal traffic to a closed of portion of the military base. Out of the bushes ahead of me a trio of wild pigs bolt out and start running in front of me, maybe about 30 meters. I run along after them, marveling at my luck to see wild life.

Then they notice me and freak the heck out. They start running amok in the middle of the road, then turn towards me again. I scream like a girl and run towards the security gate that blocks off a special place on the base.

There's a security squad car there. I'm running at them with fear in my eyes, so the guard is looking pretty unsure. I tell about the wild pigs and ask for a ride back to my car. They're not able to let anyone in the car, unless you've done something bad, but the offer to ride ahead of me and scare them. 

So, I finished my run sprinting after a security squad car like I was being chased by wild pigs, LOL!

Oh, boy. Training is looking to be an adventure.

Have a great day!

Blanda-great story! Guam has been getting alot of attention with all the ruckus with North Korea. Maybe we can get some of those wild pigs and set them loose on North Korea

Nicole-good job on the nutrition. Thats something I really need to improve...but just can't get away from the after dinner snacks.

Jason-shocker! another pair of running shoes. I have a pair of the previous model of the Brooks PureFlow and I like them....really kind of plush on the incide despite the lightish weight.

Trying to get everything done before getting on the road tomorrow. Short swim today and I'm getting a deep tissue massage this evening. Never had one before but though it might help loosen up some of my old rusty parts. Anyone do these? Experience? I'm afraid I might like it but it would be expensive to do regularly. Going to get the therapist to take it a little easy since I don't want any residual soreness come Sunday.

Nate/Jamie-wife and daughter are in Greenville for accepted students day at Furman....what's the deal with the cold rainy weather??  

Good luck to all the racers out there. Nate/Jamie I hope your swim will actually go on. Randy good luck to you in Galveston. My coach and some of his other athletes will be there as well. This is a race I might sign up for next year. 

Deep Tissue Massage ... I get one every month maybe even twice. I went for my first massage and got hooked. Once you are loosened up you will be fine. Just make sure you drink lots of water before and after the massage. You might actually feel pretty sore the next day just be prepared for that. 

Good luck to everyone racing!!

Had a really good swim yesterday.  Cleared 2000m (4x500m) for the first time in a single workout, and my 500m pace is getting better and better heading into my pool tri next weekend.   It was not injury free though -- I managed to jam my right hand fingers into the lane rope (ouch!!) and my left shoulder is sore this morning. Will take a few days away from the pool and see how it goes.

One question for the group -- another affliction I've been having in the pool is bad foot cramps.  Usually hits after I've done about 1000m or so -- sharp pain in the arch of the foot.  It's painful enough that I basically can't use the leg to kick (an unintended no-kick drill!) and occasionally have to stop at the end of the pool to flex it.    But it usually goes away after maybe 100m.    Is this common?  Any ideas on how to prevent it?

Scott.

Looks like some good numbers for March. Some great milestones as well.

Good luck to all on thier races.  It's going to be a busy month.

I got a few short rides in since getting the OK from the Dr to take my cast off for short periods.  Yesterday was even a decent ride, albeit short.  Hard to do much else in only 60 minutes.

I started PT on the arm on Monday and they are going to accelerate that to 3x/week with the tri coming up.  I was OK'd to ride 90 minutes today but of course it rained.  The weather is going to be warm and clear for the next week so hopefully I can get in a few long rides and really get a feel for where I am at.

I also was just told they changed the bike route for the April tri (permit issues).  I will lose the killer hill but pick up one just as much elevation gain but longer so not as steep.  Unfortunately I have never ridden this route.  So guess what I will be doing several times in the next two weeks? At least I am back in the game!

Scott this can be a result of trying to point the toes too much.  Doing that may inprove the form but you lose the small benefit (and I beleive the benefit is in fact very small) if you keep cramping.  Just relax more with your kick.  As I have stated here before, my opinion is the 'kick' is more for rhythm & balance than propultion.

As you gain speed your kick will naturally be part of that increase.  I spend my time on building strength with my kick, not speed.  That is why all my kick drills are done on my back.  Shallow drop, strong up kick.  This is far more like the kick you want to acheive.  Deep drops with the feet/legs (riding too low) as well as big splashes (riding too high) with your kick are completely counter productive IMO.

Randy: "RELEASE THE PIGS!"... LOL! Excited for your race. I've had deep tissue massages before. Very relaxing, but yes, let them know if they're massaging too deeply. I've felt bruised after some strong hands.

Great swim, Scott! I need to get some 2000's in again. I've only gotten cramps if I've been at something for a long period, especially if I've been sweating quite a bit. Maybe need more fluids?

Stuart: It's comeback time!

Jason: What a score! Safe, long rides, happy wife... great deal! Loving all the great swims going on.

Today is "rest day", which actually means errand day. 

Have a great day!

Count me in for another round!  The whole group has been of great benefit to me.  I hope I've added something of value.

Today I decided to ride the 23 minutes up to the new tri route I will be riding in two weeks.  It's a bit longer route at 17.2 miles (the old one was 16.1) and a lot of rolling hills.  I turned it in 57 minutes.  I have never done this route before and now having done it, I would do a few parts differently, cutting of a minute or two without any additional effort.

My goal is to ride it 3-4 more times in the next two weeks to get a good feel for how to ride it.

I do have a question about the swim for the group.  There are waves going off every 4 minutes.  With a few in front of me and the issues a lot of people have with the swim, is there a trick to finding some open water and not getting caught in traffic?

Made it to Galveston. Checked in at the race, checked into the hotel and went for an easy run. This is my first WTC event and it is quite a production. Tomorrow morning I will try to get a 30 minute ride in to make sure everything is working correctly. Bike checkin is tomorrow afternoon. Hotel is about a half mile from transition so I'll probably just walk down race morning. Weather is looking pretty good. High in mid 70's withhumidity and a 15mph breeze out of the South. Should make for a quick return ride on the bike.

My bib # is 2764. I'm in one of the last waves going off at 8:20am CST

Stuart since you are a real swimmer I would reccomend that you start at the front and push a pretty good pace for the first 100-200 yards and then fall into a comfortable pace. That should give you some clear water. Not something I would do or recommend for newer swimmers as we would quickly find ourselves gasping for breath .

Not sure what I have done with my font/type...will try to fix it.