Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Nutrition/Training Advice Wanted

I got home from work today at 4, played with the dog outside for about a half hour, and then crashed on the couch for an hour. I haven't done that in a long time, and I can honestly say that I.am.wiped.out.

With training, the workouts are getting longer. I am doing more than a couple miles of running here and there, adding in brick workouts, and including the Tri Power daily sessions.

I am trying to stay consistent with my sleep. I love sleep and am usually pretty good with that. It's the nutrition part that I think is kicking me in the arse. I am still learning! I almost feel like I am not getting enough protein a day, but wondering how and when is it the best way to incorporate that more?!

I can be so anal about what I eat. I don't want to eat too much, but I sometimes wonder if I am not eating enough... enough of the right stuff. I know that Leana wrote up a very helpful post on Race Nutrition yesterday and I was super pumped to read it... but any further advice would be wonderful!


Anyway, the weather is beautiful here... 65 degrees with minimal winds. As much as I would like to take advantage of it and ride my bike, I have my first night of Softball tonight, since it was cancelled last week due to rain! We play at 9 and 10 pm and need my energy! This is late for me, but if it's only a couple weeks during the school year, I can handle it! It should be fun!

Only 7 more days left of school!


P.S. Thanks to the continued support in the fight against Diabetes! I truly appreciate each and every one of your donations! If you haven't donated and would like to do so, check out my Tour de Cure page! Thanks again!

25 comments:

Michelle said...

Hi TW,
Wow you really rocking the training. You know I wish I could give you nutrition advice but I am usually all over the place on that.

For me, I do not eat meat at all. Fish mostly and pasta i love. Sushi is good. Tofu dishes with pasta or orzo work well. Gives me good energy. I also love any greens sauteed with garlic and olive oil. Kale, swiss chard, spinach, broccoli rabe, all of the greens are tasty to me.

What else? With my snacking I try to eat the 100 calorie things. Like icecream. I usually eat oatmeal for breakfast mostly everyday. I make it with vanilla soy milk.

Other than that, I have no clue. I am trying to lose weight but it doesn't seem to want to come off. UGH!!!!

HAPPY NIGHT TO YOU!!!

Badgergirl said...

I'm probably not the best person to offer advice on nutrition since I'm a somewhat picky eater (what's a vegetable?), but I thought I'd try.

I usually do oatmeal for breakfast, or an English muffin with peanut butter and then some kind of sandwich, yogurt and crackers for lunch. Since I do my workouts right after work and don't even start them until 5:30 or 6, I have some kind of snack at my desk in the mid-afternoon around 4. Usually a granola bar or some crackers. Then it's my workout and dinner afterward. Like you, I probably need to eat better, but so far I'm finding what I do is working.

Nice job on the workouts and good luck with the nutrition!

Unknown said...

I love sleep too. :)

Stef0115 said...

If you're talking about everyday eating here is what I do:

I try my best to get a lean protein (fish, chicken, egg whites, beef once in awhile too cause I love it), a fibrous carb (veggies), and a starchy carb (potato, whole wheat breads, pastas, brown rice) into every meal.

I eat every 3 to 3.5 hours, very few processed carbs, very little junk food or candy. I splurge once in awhile guilt free, sometimes for a whole day. Then I get right back on the wagon.

I eat until I'm full. I don't count calories. If my energy is good I know I'm doing it "right." If I get too ravenously hungry during the day or my energy dips I know I need to eat more.

I keep almonds at my desk to snack on and eat lots of water. I don't drink that much but I love a beer now and then.

Hope this helps!

Oh I also make smoothies a lot with plain lowfat yogurt as a base. I add things like banana, frozen berries, egg whites (sometimes the whole egg), almonds and flax.

MJ said...

Some things that might help:

1. You might not be eating enough. Quantity. A lot of women especially don't eat enough once they start training because they don't want to gain weight. Your calorie needs are a lot higher when your training volume increases so you gotta eat more.

2. Recovery food/drink. Within 15 minutes of a workout try to eat/drink something that is 4:1 carbohydrate to protein. Chocolate milk is perfect - google "chocolate milk recovery drink"... the articles are very convincing.

Assuming you eat a pretty healthy diet already I bet these two things will help a lot.

Good luck!

Shannon said...

Are you eating snacks in between your meals? Try eating a protein bar in between or some egg whites. Just make sure the calories aren't too high and you combine carbs & proteins together. Good luck with the training.

Anonymous said...

Nice job on the training front. Looks like you are not only getting good workouts it sounds like you are enjoying them too!

I love sleep.

Wes said...

Sounds to me like you are doing the right stuff, AND your body is telling you to get some rest!! You are doing the 4 week cycle thing, right??

Ashley said...

A whole wheat English muffin (6g protein) with peanutbutter (8g protein) give you 14g protein, PLUS some carbs that will help give you energy for your workouts.

I'm a protein junkie, so I can tell you it's not that hard to get enough of it if you know where to find it. Eggs are a great source of protein. You can add hard boiled eggs to your salad or have an egg sandwich at some point in your day. I like to make egg fritatas with veggies and bring them to work for breakfast. Cottage cheese is a good source of protein. I like to cut up tomatoes, avacado, and green onions and mix them in cottage cheese - yummy!! :) I also like protein bars. My fave is Pure Protein cuz they are high in protein (20g) but are still just around 200 calories (as opposed to 300 - 400) and they are also another good source of carbs/energy. Raw almonds are a good snack. And of course, there's always your lean meats - grilled chicken, salmon, etc. You can also do a protein powder too. Personlly, I think whey tastes better than soy, plus it's easier to digest. GNC has a LOT of yummy flavors if you prefer more than just chocolate and vanilla. I like the orange creme, banana creme, and fruit punch. You can mix them with milk or water. They taste better with milk tho - creamier. ;)

If it's energy you are lacking, you might try to throw in a few more fruits, veggies, and whole grains for some added carbs since carbs = energy. Also maybe try supplementing your diet with B vitamins. Try a B Complex that has all of the B vitamins in them. B vitamins give you energy and are found in things like 5 Hour Energy and many energy drinks. They are a healthy source of energy that won't give you a crash at the end.

Anyway, you probably already knew some or all of this, but....just trying to help. Hope you find what works for you! :)

Jess said...

Listen to those who have already provided advice. They seem to know what they're talking about.

Jess said...

There's nothing wrong with needing some rest every now and then. Listen to your body and take it if you need it!

RunToTheFinish said...

ohh the nutrition. Well I think lots of folks have given good advice... for my part I saw my training really improve as I made the commitment to more fruits and veggies.

I have also learned from pros that the Green Monster smoothies are one of the best forms of replinishment post workout. Your body can more quickly absorb all those nutrients in the liquid state then when it has to digest them.

good luck!!

runnerinsight said...

It is practically true that people who had experienced the same thing with what we are currently experiencing are those who can give us the best advice. : ) Listen to them. Then.. listen to yourself. : )

Marlene said...

I didn't read all the comments so someone has probably already covered this... but make sure you get some protein after each and every workout!

Carolina John said...

wow, that's a lot of good advice you've gotten so far. i like it all.

i eat 6 smaller meals a day plus post-workout recovery nutrition after really long workouts. lots of fruits and veg, whole grains, limited fats to olive oil and almonds. i like to get plenty of fiber too, it's the weight watchers way.

Runner Leana said...

Thanks for your post because I learned a lot of terrific things from the comments! I'm struggling with losing weight too... I think part of it is willpower, so a bit extra of this, or saying yes to that coffee beverage there just adds up. With summer on the way there will now be an abundance of great fresh fruits and veggies that I am looking forward to.

J said...

I try to eat more protien and stay away from the carbs as best I can. I started doing that for my outdoor track season and I felt much better and not so "full" or loaded down by eating a lot of carbs or carbo loading the night before races. I think its based on personal preference too so just try stuff and see what works!

Anonymous said...

The 2 biggest factors in fatigue are not enough carbs and dehydration. Although, do check your protein intake as that helps rebuild your muscles. It's all about balance - and you know, that's tough! Good luck and train strong!

Unknown said...

great nutritional advice given so far.

for me, a breakthrough was healthy snacks every 3-4 hrs.

Holly said...

I've read so many things about nutrition and what a person should do, but I never seem to be able to incorporate it into my life. It's a tough area for me, too.

I hope you had a good night at softball!

N.D. said...

I'm in the same place as you right now and not sure if I am eating enough, too much, I could use help too. I am no help! Good thing you are good on sleep!that is big!

E said...

The only tid bit I have is to think about your carbs. With all the extra calories you are burning, make sure you're taking enough in. :)

tri_al said...

great blog! have just found you from another blog link and it's a fantastic read :) you're so committed esp. with your training records, it's something i'd really like to get into. i've just done my second sprint tri and am working towards my first olympic distance in 10 weeks (arg!!) Will link to you on my blog, as am finding fellow tri bloggers very motivational :) I'm at

http://runcycleswimvirgin.blogspot.com/

best of luck for the tour de cure + sprint tri!!

Al

Aron said...

finding the right balance between eating enough and not too much can be tough... just make sure you are giving that body the fuel it needs!

I Run for Fun said...

Our bodies sometimes guide us on what to eat and what not to...it's amazing! I agree with other posts...more carbs, but also make sure you get enough potassium and vitamins.