Part two: Recovery tips

So how do you refuel your energy stores? And what should you eat post-workout?

Basic things to ingest: Protein, carbohydrates, glutamine, BCAAs, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Protein- helps prevent the breakdown of muscle tissues. Protein also contains essential amino acids that are required by the body every day.

Carbohydrates- high glycemic index carbs (best Dextrose, Maltodextrin), and also sucrose which is a natural element found in fruits. These carbs drive up insulin levels and help protein synthesis. Basically these guys are little 'taxis' that help cram all the glycogen building nutrients into muscle cells.

Glutamine- virtually every cell in the body uses this amino acid. During times of stress the body cannot produce enough glutamine to keep up with demand. Low levels of glutamine in the body can reduce perfomance, immune function, and mood. It also promotes cell volumization, increases protein synthesis, and decrease protein breakdown.

Antioxidants- these guys help maintain the integrity of your cell membranes and increase the blood's oxygen carrying capacity. If you have low levels of antioxidants it negatively affects aerobic performance.

BCAA's (Branched Chain Amino Acids)- low levels of BCAAs contribute to muscle fatigue. Studies have shown that if ingested after exercise athletes have greater levels of lean muscle mass retention and an ability to improve performance capacity in hot climates. For the average person, low levels of BCAAs give you a feeling of lethargy and sleepiness.

So what do I eat?

Sometimes I create a little post-workout cocktail that has been very beneficial during my training. Here is what I use:

-1 banana
-5 frozen strawberries
-5 chunks of frozen mangos
-a couple scoops of nonfat vanilla yogurt (1/2 of a yoplait)
-100% pure juice (Dole makes 100% strawberry and mango juice)
-2 scoops of whey protein isolate (about 45 grams of protein) (tofu also works great... just make sure it is silken*)
-1 scoop of glutamine (5 grams)

I actually add the protein after the shake is blended and pour the powder in while it is still blending, it seems to mix more thoroughly that way.

Total= about 400 calories, 70-100 grams of carbs, 45 grams of protein, plenty of vitamins, plenty of antioxidants, and a good amount of BCAA's.

Obviously this is a little labor intensive. But something else that works well is simply.... Chocolate Milk. Although it has a high sugar content, it is still an excellent source of carbs, good fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Plus it is cheap, and fairly portable. Slim Fast, Boost, and the generic forms of meal replacement drinks are other great choices.

Typically liquid meals are better for post-workout meals because of the rapid absorbion. Naturally it takes a lot less time to break down an ounce of liquid, than it does an ounce of something in solid form.

There are a few supplements I take when I get lazy and do not feel like mixing up a shake. Powerbar, and Hammer Nutrition have decent recovery mixes, but a company called 1st Endurance came out with a product called Ultragen that has almost all the ideal stuff in it. They are pretty spendy, but they do help you recover much faster than any other products I have tried. I have yet to come across a company that has ALL the right stuff but I will keep searching and inform you at a later date. Maybe that will be my next project after Ironman; starting my own supplement company.

As for my training this week, My big workouts were a 100-mile bike ride on Thursday after my Communication 323 final, I will have 14 mile run this Saturday. I have five swims, two little bike rides (less than 50 miles each), and two other little runs (less than 6 miles each). I should be right around 18-19 hours this week. This week is also my last BIG week before I start to taper. And guess what? Next Saturday I actually have a day off! First Saturday off in.... atleast 4 months. Gettting to sleep in sounds heavenly. Yay for me :)

Daley

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
-Steve Jobs, founder of Apple

Part One: Recovery tips (Plus a special thanks to my sponsors)

Since I have started training I have realized that post-workout nutrition is by far the most important meal of the day. This is especially true for others who work all day, have kids, a significant other, and also train. These daily stresses take a significant toll on the human body. If you do not give your body its needed nutrients it weakens your immune system which makes you more susceptible to sickness, your muscles take longer to recover, and it can cause chronic fatigue (that constant feeling of be tired ALL the time), and there are numerous other negative health aspects as well.

The biggest mistake people make it not doing anything about post-workout nutrition. In fact, most people are extremely misinformed and have cultivated a sort of 'nutritional ignorance' when it comes to this aspect of training. People who work out regularly stay lean and fit simply from the high volumes of training they are doing. Unfortunately, you can still look good without spending a whole lot of time worrying about proper food intake. It is true, skinny people are sometimes the most unhealthy people because they think they can get away with eating poorly based on their current physical composition.

Basically, the muscles are most efficient at carbohydrate and energy uptake AFTER a workout. The bulk of an athlete's post-workout calories should come during a 30-minute 'window' after you get done exercising. During this time the ingested energy (coming from protein and quality carbohydrates) will go to replenishing the depleted muscle energy stores (also called glycogen) and enhance muscle recovery. Many people subscribed to the body-builder type recovery.... protein, protein.... and more protein. However, the basic mechanism of post-workout carbohydrates is to give the muscles enough energy to stimulate protein production. Post-workout carbs decrease the rate of protein degradation in muscles, and simultaneously increase whole-body protein synthesis.

Glycogen is the energy stores in your muscles that the body uses for fuel when we have not ingested any calories. During exercise glycogen stores become depleted, and it is how you replenish glycogen that has an affect on your recovery. If you were a car, let's say you start out with a full tank of gas on Monday, you drive day in and day out and maybe on Thursday your 'fuel light' comes on. So you put five bucks in your car and drive another day, the next day put another five bucks in, but you never completely fill it back up. I am sure you have heard that your car gets better gas mileage when your car has a full tank. Just like your body, when you start out with a full tank of muscle energy (glycogen) and run it down day after day, never taking the time to refuel, your performance decreases at an alarming rate.

Synopsis: when you choose recovery foods and fluids wisely you will optimally replensish your body's energy stores and recover more quickly for your next workout. For the endurance athlete who must often train twice in one day, this is essential to prevent chronic fatigue and promote peak performance. Make sense?

I will finish up this two-part series later this week.

A special thanks for the people who have sponsored my Ironman so far:

My grandparents; Dewey and Mary Orr of Riverside, Washington

Denise Merten of Tempe, Arizona

Pro Swim Coach John Tunstall of Phoenix, Arizona

And Betty Crawford of Ephrata, Washington

Thanks a million! Every bit helps!

Daley

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going"
-Jim Ryun

Humble pie (plus ice baths)

It's Sunday, and thank God for that. This past week has been brutal, but at least it is over. My nineteen mile run on Thursday went exceptionally well and I managed to escape Tempe and explore the greater Phoenix area. It is surprising how much you can see when you are foot and not whizzing by things in your SUV at 45 mph. With Thursday's long run out of the way I figured that battle had been won. But Friday's long swim was average at best. And the actualization of Ironman training hit me straight in the kisser on Saturday. I needed to sleep in Saturday morning so I did just that; big mistake. I woke up at nine, did my breakfast routine and got on the road about ten for my hundred-mile bike ride. By that time it was already 90 degrees out and warming up as the hours passed. I stuck religiously to my nutrition plan; 24-ounces of fluid and a little package of fig newtons per hour. Right around 4.5 hours I could see my heart rate start rising, so I backed off the pedals, but it kept rising in to the 160's (my average heart rate during these rides is around 130). So.... this was not good. I decided to head home knowing I still had a six mile run ahead of me. The heat and sun were still beating down, and the notorious May wind was not helping at all! It honestly felt like I was training in Dubai. I got home rather unimpressed with my effort and made the transition into my running clothes and headed out the door. Not 20 minutes later was I huffing and puffing. My swift jog turned into a slow jog, then to a shuffle, then to a walk. I let my heart rate get back to my comfort zone and I took off again, this time it only took ten minutes to get to that huffing and puffing stage. Mind you this was not an all-out sprint, it was just a simple jog like I have done millions of times. But this time was different. I ended up walking home, full......from the humble pie I had just eaten, and bruised..... from the roundhouse kick my ego just took. What was supposed to be a 7-hour brick workout, turned into 5 hours and 45 minutes of piss-poor performance.

At about six that evening I finally got it out of my head. I realized that not every training day can go perfectly. I remembered one of those old quotes my coach told me in high school, "It's not how many times you get knocked down, it's how many times you get back up." So I actively focused on recovery and getting my mind right for Sunday's workouts. I will go into more detail about the nutritional aspect of recovery later this week. But for my active recovery I re-hydrated with an electrolyte drink (cytomax, Gatorade works too), and did some stretching for about 45 minutes. I contemplated taking an ice bath but I did not feel like getting off the couch. I have read about ice baths and their benefits for endurance athletes before, and I have heard of Lance Armstrong and Dean Karnazes (ultra marathoner) taking them to help recover after arduous rides and runs. Here is the basic premise of taking an ice bath: when you get into an ice bath for ten to fifteen minutes, the icy cold water causes your blood vessels to tighten and drains the blood out of your legs. So when you get out of the bath, your legs fill up with 'new' blood that invigorates your muscles with oxygen to help the cells function better.

Today's workouts went much much better. I had a two-hour bike ride followed by the same six-mile run. This time I ran the whole way and it felt great. It was not as hot as Saturday, but much more windy. I think that helped me because when I started to sweat it was instantly cooled by the breeze. I felt rejuvenated knowing it was just a bad showing on Saturday not just a classic episode of being under-trained. So after my workouts today (Sunday) and after I got some food in me I figured I would finally try out the chilly recovery concoction that have been conveniently neglecting. I went to the store and picked up a few bags of ice and threw them in the tub with some cold water. Talk about not wanting to do something. Ice... water... naked... not a good combination and very unappealing. But actually once you get past CTD (Critical Testicle Depth) and sit in their for a few minutes you are in the clear. It did make my body feel more refreshed and I can already tell my legs are not nearly as sore as they have been on past weekends. Although not a pleasant experience, I will keep on doing it. Yet another thing to add to the rigors of training, school, and work and by far the least enjoyable.

Daley

"A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do."
-Bob Dylan

You know you are a triathlete when...

When asked how long your training is today you humbly answer: three to four hours.

You consider work or school as regeneration time between training sessions.

That charming "cologne" you wear to work is chlorine.

When a co-worker or friend asks if you are racing this weekend, you say "yeah, but I'm just running a 10k, so nothing too crazy".

Conversations with tri-friends concerning lubes and chafing carries no sexual connotations.

You have no trouble pushing a day's caloric intake to over 6000 calories.

Your living room has a "swim pile" a "bike pile" a "run pile" and a "weight training pile" and you pick and choose kind of like a cafeteria on your way out the door.

You have no FRIGGIN' idea what to do with yourself on your "off" day.

Your friends are insanely jealous of your tan legs. Until they realize that the tan stops at your bike shorts.

You start scheduling your weekly appointments around your training schedule.

You precede all of your non-brick workouts with "just". As in "I'm just doing a 10 mile run today" or "I'm just doing a 60 minute swim".

Anything later than 5:30 a.m. is considered sleeping in.

and lastly...

Your 'check engine' light goes on in your car and you wait months until you get it fixed, but when your bike is a little out of tune it's in the bike shop the next day.

Daley

"If God invented marathons to keep people from doing anything more stupid, triathlon must have taken him completely by surprise."
-PZ Pearce

Ahhh... the weekend

Another week down, now only 3 more weeks til graduation, 3 more to the end of my internships, and 5 more till Brazil. This past week was pretty hectic, I had a lot of loose ends that needed to be tied up and not nearly enough time to do them all. My training week was pretty brutal and took a lot out of me. I know I complain now about all the things going on, but I do not know what I would do with myself if I had no classes, work, or training to get in. I do not deal with boredom very well. So... busy is good :)

Thursday I had a long run, about 17 miles. I recovered suprisingly well and I was not sore enough to miss my Friday workouts. I felt kind of bad because my girlfriend flew in late Friday night and I think she had hopes of sleeping in Saturday morning but I had to get up and get my bike ride in. I am not very welcoming am I? Ha ha. My ride went well though. I rode Bee Line highway and it felt like the wind was switching with each loop I did. I would ride uphill and it seemed like the wind was in my face, then on the downhill the wind would be back in my face. So needless to say I did not set any land-speed records on Saturday. Sunday however was a bit different. It felt like I had a tailwind the entire ride. I was like... wow I feel great let's pump it up a bit. Sure enough, when I got to about the half way point the wind switched and I rode all the way back home with the wind in my face. Damn you Arizona wind. I swear it is just this month that is windy... I think it may be scared of the heat because mid-May the wind will not be around when it starts getting in to the 100's. No wonder why Ironman Arizona is switching its date to November; less heat, less wind.

This week ahead is pretty heavy: in terms of both school and training schedule.

School: 2 tests, and 2 6-page papers due

Monday: 1 hour swim with my coach, 40 minute run
Tuesday: 1:30 bike ride, 30 minute run, 1 hour swim
Wednesday: 1 hour swim, 1 hour run
Thursday: 3 hour run (19 miles)
Friday: 1 hour swim
Saturday: 6 hour bike (100 miles), 1 hour brick run
Sunday: 2:30 bike, 1 hour brick run

Total: 21 hours 10 minutes (my hardest week yet)

Honestly it is a war of atrition. I just want to GET THROUGH this week. Some of it may be ugly, but as long as a I just finish it I think it will give me a lot of confidence going in to my taper.

Daley

“A man grows most tired while standing still.”
-Chinese Proverb

Swimming!

I met with my masters swim coach Johnathan Tunstall again on Monday and I can already feel my stroke improving. Swimming is like golf. It is a technique sport so nearly anybody can learn how to do it (some easier than others obviously). I am still not a terrific swimmer, but these next 5 weeks I am trying to get in the pool at least six days a week in hopes of giving me an extra little oomph on race day.

Here is my training schedule this week:

Monday: Brick workout: 1 hour swim followed by a 40 minute run
Tuesday: Brick workout: 30 minute swim followed by a 2 hour bike
Wednesday: Brick workout: 1 hour swim followed by a 55 minute run
Thursday: 2 hour and 40 minute run and a few hours later a 30 minute swim
Friday: 1 hour swim
Saturday: Brick workout: 5 hour 30 minute bike followed by a 30 minute run
Sunday: Brick workout: 30 minute swim followed by a 1 hour 30 minute bike and then a 30 minute run

Total: 6 swims, 5 runs, 3 bikes
Total: 18 hours 35 minutes

On the other hand, Phoenix is starting to get hot! It has been in the 90's all week and is showing no chance of cooling down. My bike ride on Tuesday was a unbelievably strenuous, it was about 90 and windy. I have not quite adjusted to the heat so my body just sweats profusely when I am training. I am having to drink nearly 24 ounces of fluid an hour to ward of dehydration. It is actually a chore to drink and eat while riding or running because you are not necessarily thirsty or hungry at that moment but you know you have to get it down because you might feel good now but in a few hours that "feel good" feeling might not be there. And when you start skipping those little meals it will most likely just come back and bite you in the ass. So usually my nutritional goals during my long workouts are: drink 18-24 ounces of fluid an hour, and eat roughly around 300 calories an hour. I have started to experiment with different foods my stomach can handle during these long workouts. The newest workable food source has been none other than Fig Newtons. What an excellent little workout food. They are perfectly portioned, around 200 calories, low in fat, high in fiber, and actually have more carbohydrates than Cliff Bars and Powerbars. But I must say, they do not work very well when running because of their dry texture and crumble-bility (yes I just made up that word), but on the bike they work magic. A little number that has also been working well on the bike is rolled up tortillas with peanut butter and Nutella. Although messy and sometimes hard to eat will riding, they provide just enough calories to keep me going. I have yet to come up with a strategy other than race gels for the run, but I am working on a few different products at the moment. I will let you know how that goes.

Daley

"Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired"
-Jules Renard

Long training week and no sleep (Plus Ironman Arizona)

Saturday I had a 5-hour ride, so I figured I would ride the Ironman course and check out the conditions. They were exactly as I expected.... hot... and windy. Both which are bad news for a triathlete. The heat is bad because it causes you to sweat out your nutrients so you have have to eat and drink twice as much in order to cope with fluid loss. Heat is also bad because it causes your core temperature to rise which makes your heart work twice as hard to pump blood to your extremities to try and keep itself cool (this also becomes worse when you are sun burnt) The wind is especially bad on the bike because it makes you work so much harder when you are in the headwind, thus raising your heart rate, exasperating your energy stores, causes you to sweat excessively, and overall just sets you up for a long demoralizing day. Thank god I was only out there for 5 hours, not 6 or 7 hours like some of the people on race day.

I have not been sleeping well lately, so after my ride on Saturday I came back and crashed for about three hours. It was much needed. And especially after a training week of nearly 18 hours my body did not recover very well. I noticed this especially after my long run on Thursday night. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I was walking very stiff and I was not sleeping through the night because my legs were so restless. Now (Monday) I am starting to feel a bit better, but still dragging. I only have a swim and an easy run today so hopefully this little recovery time will give me the boost I need to make it through this weeks training (another 18-19 hours of training).

Sunday I woke up early to go catch the swim start at Ironman Arizona. The forecast said it was going to be windier and hotter than Saturday. Not good! The swim went as expected, the pros were all out of the water under and hour, and most of my friends started to trickle in after 1:05. Heading in to the transition area everybody completely covered themselves in sunscreen in hopes of warding off a sun burn on their 112 mile bike. I heard the bike course experienced up to 40 mph wind gusts! It was not ideal race conditions and people starting dropping like flies after the first 40 miles into the bike. Even some of the pro field could not handle the heat. It was in the low 90's the majority of the day and the heat was definitely taking its toll on the competitors. I was volunteering at the finish line so I actually got to hold the tape for the 2nd and 4th place finishers. It was said that it was one of the greatest Ironman finishes of all time. Four athletes were neck and neck all the way up to the the final few miles. It was pretty cool to be standing at the finish line because there was quite the list of Ironman celebrities in attendance including 3-time Ironman champ Michael Lavato, and 24-time women's Ironman Champ Paula Newby-Fraser. NBC sports considers Paula to be the greatest female athlete of all time! So it was an honor to even be in her presence... even though she was not very nice and was not keen on talking to "volunteers" ha ha.

Besides the soreness and lack of sleep it was an amazing weekend. My girlfriend was in town which is always fantastic, I had a great experience at Ironman Arizona, and it culminated my toughest training week yet. Not an ideal weekend for most folks but I thoroughly enjoyed it :)

Daley

"Only those who attempt the absurd achieve the impossible."
-Found on the back of some guy's shirt at IMAZ