left.right.repeat group -closed - Full of a bunch of winners...YEAH! (Page 96)

Gary - I can't drink Heed either...or Perpetuem...if anyone says they like that stuff they are weird....seriously....I can not MAKE myself drink it. 

So let's talk nutrition - how many calories an hour are you trying to take in?  Seems 250-300 per hour seems to be the right amount for me....err on the lower side initially until you find the right amount....the right amount is just UNDER what causes you distress.  I would also be interested in your electrolyte/sodium intake per hour.  Is your jersey/shorts salty after a longer ride?  Are your arms salty after a long run?  Fingers swell any???  (FYI, swollen fingers can be from too much electrolyte or too little.  Have you done a sweat test?  I think your cramping may be a liquid intake and/or a sodium/electrolyte intake issue.  How much fluid are you consuming an hour?

Mav - it's ok that you don't like Infinit....I can't stand Gatorade...way too sweet for me.  I had to work on my Infinit blend to get it right for me.

Mav is spot on - get this set RIGHT NOW....nutrition is the FOURTH discipline.  I eat Uncrustables, eat Hammer Apple Cinnamon Gel and LOVE me some Infinit...but you gotta find what works for you.  I add a bag of Sport Beans on really long days...put two in my mouth per mile and let them dissolve...very little chewing.  I will also throw down (not up) a banana from time to time.  And I use some salt tabs on really hot, sweaty days.  Things I can't stand - Heed, Perpetuem, most gels (especially chocolate), shot blox (eating plastic), Nuun (just don't like the taste) same for PowerAde and Gatorade.

Let me know if you are drinking in line with your last sweat test.  You sweat more in the winter than you think.....if you have never done a sweat test, let me know and I will guide you through the steps....

B

Diane - as a red blooded American male I can assure you he is STUDYING A BROAD (or many broads as the case may be).  That's all I have to say on that....

Gary - forgot this part....I mix either a one hour bottle or a two hour (concentrated) bottle.  I actually have two bags of Infinit, one with the flavor dialled way down so the two hour bottle isn't too strong flavor wise.  (I actually have three blends...the last one is hyper electrolyte for those really hot/humid days - think 450-500 sodium per hour)

Mav - curiousity....what is it you don't like about Infinit?  I think it tastes better the longer I work out and I have never found a drink that I felt that way about.  I also have a good friend who didn't like it but agreed that as he works out it tastes better and better...he felt it was a bit salty tasting at first...we have been tweaking his blend.

B

Good on you for figuring out the Infinit....yes it is two that's TWO scoops per bottle.  Twice the calories and twice the electrolyte will make a big difference.  I will also ask you to do a ride with just Infinit or just Gatorade to see if one is better than the other for you and then you can mix all you want.  I just want to see if one of them may be the culprit.  I am trying the old scientific method of reducing the variables and then eliminating them one by one.....

Sweat test - Really best done in a one hour test.  Start by weighing yourself naked and dry.  Go work out - at race exertion level - this will be different for a sprint tri vs an Ironman.  Carefully monitor your water consumption - in other words, drink 16 oz.(16 is used as an example, it could have been 20 or 24 or whatever)  No more no less (you need to know the amount).  Then after exercise, strip down, dry off and weigh yourself naked again.  If you have consumed the "right" amount of water, you should weigh exactly the same.  By the way, the more accurate the scale, the better.  Decimal places are important here.  So, if you weigh say, 207 before the workout, drink 16 oz of water during workout and weigh 206.5 after workout, you were short by 8 oz.  Therefore, at that temperature and humidity and effort level, you should be drinking 24 oz per hour.  This is not an exact science as you cannot replicate every temp/humidity/effort scenario but you will be surprised if you do it in all different climates, how close the results are.  BTW, dress for exercise and before you return to a public setting....LOL.

By the way, I only use water during the sweat test as calories in a sport drink may skew the results.

Gary - your run is fine 13 weeks out....you are going good....you don't want to burn out before you get there....and remember NOLA is at the beginning of the season.

Diane - have you had those shins evaluated by a sports doc....you seem to have way too much trouble with them....walking???? crazy....go get checked out.

Exercise and weight loss - here is what I know and remember I am no medical professional.  There is a calorie deficiency at which your body shuts down and the metablolism just stops so you can't go there.  Also, you MUST fuel to burn - I know it sounds counterintuitive but you just gotta trust me.  And if you fuel within 30-45 minutes of the completion of a workout with a 4:1 carb:protein ratio you will continue burning calories for hours.  Also remember this is where work in the fat burning zones is important.  Lena I know you workout at Lifetime so if you haven't done so yet, spend $99 and get a MAP test.  They will tell you your current heartrate zones based on O2 to CO2 relationship while you are on a treadmill and you will know where your zones are.  You want to work in Z 2-3 the most to burn fat and get into Z 4 to push up your anerobic threshold.  This test takes about 30 minutes - actual test is about 12 minutes.

Here's the weightloss math as I understand it - took 50 years to get here so I hope it makes sense and is correct.  A pound is 3500 calories.  Your body has a base metabolic rate (which can be tested or estimated online by a calculator) which is the amount of calories you need to support the various body systems.  If you go over this rate by 500 calories a day, in one week you gain a pound (7 x 500 = 3500).  Likewise, if you workout enough to burn 500 extra a day and only eat your base metabolic amount of calories, you would lose a pound a week.  Make sense?  Now, when you get extreme - all sorts of other things happen - none good as I understand it....your body shuts down if you starve it and we all know what happens when we glutton up....

So, estimate the BMR (base metabolic rate), plan healthy, balanced meals accordingly - remember, your body needs a balance of fat, carbohydrate and protein - and workout regularly.  Always eat breakfast - I know you don't like it - eat it anyway - the words describe what it is a "break" of a "fast" - wake up the systems and get them burning fuel.  Be sure you have a snack at about 10 and 3 - about 100 calories of low glycemic foods - google a list of low glycemic foods (my favorite is 10 peanut M and Ms).  Then eat a healthy lunch and dinner.

The reason you fuel within 30-45 minutes of exercise is to tell the system to keep burning and also to aid in muscle recovery.  I can tell the difference tomorrow if I don't recover, fuel wise, today.

I hope this helps - oh and drink lots of water - yeah I know you do.....now drink more.

During exercise - most people take it too many calories - I tend to be light on the intake and have found it is better to be too little than too much.  The key is experimentation.  I believe the currently accepted thought is 200-300 calories hourly depending on you and exertion level.  Start on the lower end and work on it.  I find it harder to consume on the run so I am sure I get more on the bike - for example, I try to take in 300 or so per hour on the bike and then drop it down to 150-200 on the run depending on length.

Prior to exercise - if you fuel properly throughout the day you really won't need supplemental prior to start - if you missed a meal or a snack you may want a bit before you start - nothing heavy.

Prior to morning exercise - there is a lot of debate on eating before morning exercise.  I try to get a few calories if it is possible but if you ate okay last night you should be able to make it though most workouts on an empty tank.  On the other hand, Debbie needs to eat something or she gets lightheaded during the workout - again, it is an individual thing.

Hope this helps,

B

Lena - you have a great tri shop in Arlington Heights named Runners High and Tri - owner is a guy named Mark.  Go buy a few gels there and support the local business.  Tell him Bryan from Texas sent you and when he looks at you like you are crazy tell him I listen to The Age Grouper podcast.  He is a sponsor and has a great shop.

Diane - was the doc sports specific?  Is there a reputable sports doc close by?  I might take the MRI and have them look at it.  In San Antonio, we have a couple of very good sports medicine clinics and they have done a lot for helping athletes get back in their game with PT and other work.  I have also heard of them working with folks on their normal footwear and have made big headway - this was in the area of ITB stuff but I don't know that shin splints would be much different.

Bill - I looked at your log.  I would look for 5-6 workouts per week with 2 of each sport.  Saturdays I would do a longer ride with a short brick run at this point.  You are still 1 weeks or so from your HIM so you are okay but I would start pushing the frequency.  Whose training plan are you using?  There are some great ones out there that are relatively inexpensive.  Let me know what you are using for HIM and IMLou.  An hour run now is fine but I would be in the 2 hour ride range.  Swims - I would be doing one drills and 50s or 100s and then do one drills swim with a long continuous finish.

B

Nancy - good advice

WAEF - hang in there....I will keep you in my prayers.