Today was the first day that I actually got out there and "worked-out" since the triathlon this past Saturday. I know that I should be, and am, in recovery mode, but it's a hard adjustment from the training the weeks that lead up to the race.
Taking a few days off wasn't the only thing I was struggling with. Oddly enough, I wasn't the slight bit sore from the race, but I was feeling extremely fatigued and weak for the past couple days.
On Monday, I felt out of sorts at work and ended up coming home to take a 2 hour nap in the middle of the afternoon. It didn't help that Monday and Tuesday night I had volleyball, with softball to follow volleyball on Tuesday. Both nights I was up later than usual. When I did get to bed, I had a hard time falling asleep. I probably clocked 5-6 hours of sleep each night for the past 3 nights, which is no where near the 8 hours I usually get.
Hands down, I know for a fact that my nutrition has played a huge roll in all of this. I am not a horrible eater, but I find myself constantly questioning what is the right thing to be eating at the right time (ie. before and after workouts, breakfast, snacks, etc.) One day I assume I am eating enough, where the next day I might eat too much or too little.
So, the past few days, I have been trying really hard to eat well. But it just continues to be a constant battle, this nutrition crap. I just can't seem to find what works for me. I know it's a learning experience, but it sure as heck would be a lot easier if someone just told me what to eat, when to eat, and so forth!
How do all you triathletes find a healty balance between training and nutrition? Any words of wisdom out there?
19 comments:
i really haven't figure it out yet myself.
I hear ya!
By time you figure a diet and exercise routine out, you read about another one that spouts different information.
I think nutrition is something that all atheletes (and really, all people) are constantly struggling with.
But if you feel constantly fatigued, you may want to have your iron levels tested. Lots of women have anemia and don't know it, and a simple iron supplement easily solves it.
i'm a little late here. but AWESOME job on the tri! that is fantastic. YAYAY! i have nothing to offer on the diet/post workout fuel thing, i'm clueless most of the time!
I just ate a whole box of donut holes.
But that's not normal for me (thank goodness).
I do best in terms of energy, training and recovery when I eat whole foods frequently. By whole foods I mean REAL food with as little processing as possible.
I sometimes let up though and just don't worry about it. Like tonight.
I struggle with it constantly too. You are not alone.
I just ate half a pizza so I am really not the person to answer that question!! I will keep reading the rest of your comments to see if anyone has something really great to offer!
My eating habits have been absolutely horrible this summer! I could use some motivation in the "healthy eating" department.
Nutrition is always a battle. I really think it is one of the hardest things to figure out.
LOL @ Stef... After a race its pizza and beer for me! You may not be sore, but your body is FATIGUED! light light recovery stuff, and if you are playing volleyball and softball, that is enough!!
The secret to healthy eating is only bring the good stuff into the house...
i find that consistency is the key for me. knowing that i am going to eat the exact same thing every day for some meals makes it really easy to make changes.
i have the same oatmeal recipe for breakfast (1/2 c oats, 1/2 c milk, 1/2 c water, rasins, banana), a small bowl of cereal or scrambled eggs around 10 am, a lean cuisine for lunch. then all hell breaks loose with an afternoon snack and dinner, then another bowl of cereal around 9 pm.
being consistent with the nutrition makes you see small changes easier. ramp up training and you know the effects. i switched lunch from a sandwich to a lean cuisine and lost 10 lbs.
races take more out of you than you might think, with the adrenaline rush and all. it's more than just the endurance fatigue from going the distance. get your rest, eat something that's bad for you, and you'll feel perky again in no time.
The best piece of advice I can give you is to start keeping a food journal. What you ate, what time, how soon before/after a workout, and how you felt afterwards. Diet is tough b/c it affects people differently so what may work for one person, won't work for you. I'd say start tracking your moods/energy levels after food and you might see something enlightening! :)
I'm not a triathlete, but I also feel like I'm constantly struggling with nutrition. I always feel I'm eating too much or too little.
Hope you can catch up on some sleep and start feeling better soon.
I still struggled with what to eat and when to eat too especially right around work out time. I hate eating when I get back because I never feel like it, but I always know that I should get something in the system to help with recovery.
I have no idea...I am terrible with my nutrition!! I'm working hard to make sure I eat lots of fruit and veggies, beans, lean protein. But I still give in to ice cream because there has to be a reward, right?
How about making smoothies? So easy and filling and healthy. Throw in bananas - berries - mango - soy or almond milk some honey perhaps and there are tons of protein powders out now that you can add as well. I love a smoothie and it really fills me up.
michellejoy61@gmail.com
if you need any ideas
There are always a lot of things that we can do for us to attain a certain level of good compliance to whatever we want to comply. As with nutrition, we are always encouraged to have the best choice and so sometimes it is a challenge in our part. Nevertheless, make it worth! Be Happy! Be You! ; )
I hear you on nutrition. Are you into bars? You could make or buy some powerbars to keep your protein up?
Get some rest!!
I also agree that a lot of people struggle with eating "right" and not getting sucked into eating crap.
I also try to go for a "whole foods" approach (lots of veggies, fruits, whole grain pasta, and not a lot of processed sugar or bread) and think that keeping a food journal is a great way to go.
I had to learn to plan...then I had enough fruits and veggies on had for the week. I also stopped thinking about what NOT to eat and started thinking about what I wanted to eat.. .i wanted to eat 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of veggies... well that is much more pleasant than don't do this or that.
I cook a lot on sundays and have food for the entire week that way, it's made a huge difference
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