The Work > Recovery Cycle

This is a Q&A I had recently with a local amateur triathlete - on staying healthy while training and stretching your limits. You can't continue working hard over time without recovery!

Q: Just finishing up my first full year of this great sport and I wanted to get some advice from you seasoned athletes. I have never logged so many miles before and I think it gets to me towards the end of my training. The week of wildflower i was sick and now a week before SOMA (half Ironman) I am sick AGAIN!! Frustating! My main question is the miles I still have go this weekend? Should i just relax? Also, how can I try to avoid getting sick before these events? Thank you very much in advance!!!

A: As you build miles or intensity in your training, pay extra attention to recovery: 10-20g protein right after hard workouts, very nutritious food all the time (whole grains, lean proteins, fruits/vegetables), good fueling during workouts, massage (tennis ball, foam roll and stick if you can’t afford to pay), and LOTS of sleep.

If you don’t have enough time at night to sleep, try 30-45-min. naps after lunch or just after work. Reducing overall caffeine and alcohol intake, and stretching/massaging before bed, enhance sleep quality. Alcohol also temporarily suppresses the immune system, and may slow recovery after intense workouts.

Training is a continual process of adapting to physical stressors, so if the balance between work and recovery is off, you’re likely to get sick as soon as you taper or rest. Simply put, if you’re going to work hard, you must also rest well during your hard training.

Left: 3-time Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington, speaking to GOTRIbal women, Oct. 2009. For her, training is 24/7 - eating, sleeping, resting, elevating the legs, massage, physical therapy.

Is there anything in your lifestyle draining your energy? If it’s inadequate sleep, adding 1 hour of sleep/day could make all the difference. If it’s something else, try to identify it and see if you can change it. (For ex. -- I was trying to train while doing immunosuppressant treatments for psoriasis – a dysfunctional imbalance. That was tough to change, b/c it’s a complex problem. But after enough looking and asking experts for help, I found better solutions. If you can’t find the answers yourself, consult a good coach or doctor!)
Re: being sick or immuno-compromised before races -- I found that total rest worked better for me in the 2-3 days before a big race than trying to keep up with remaining workouts.

I hope this helps!

I'm Working Out - Why Am I Not Losing Weight?

Dragging? Frustrated by the tightness of your clothes?

This is a question that I hear frequently. Of course, the answer is not always black and white, as each body is different, and a body changes over time. If you're already avoiding the problems below, you may want to have a full metabolic test done - one that includes a hormone panel.

First, let's focus on body fat, instead of weight. Weight fluctuates hourly, and varies with factors like weather, hormones, and salt intake. Body fat percentage is a better and more accurate way to guage health and fitness levels. A strong, lean body is not only attractive, but burns more energy around the clock.

If your body does not drop fat or weight, even with increased activity, the culprit may be:

Missing meals. If you are not eating at least every 3-4 hours, your body is entering starvation mode between meals. The body does not understand "diet;" it only knows "starvation." It reacts by slowing down your metabolism, and producing powerful brain chemicals that tell you to eat sugar or carbohydrates, quickly! Keep the furnace burning evenly, and keep the calorie burn high.

Cutting too many carbs. Carbohydrates provide muscle glycogen, or fuel for activity. Cutting them shorts you on fuel and energy. If you're active and cutting carbs, your body will go into ALERT mode, and slow down all systems, including metabolism and digestion. After a few weeks, you'll probably start to feel fatigued, and eventually unable to keep up with the workouts. A healthy nutrition plan includes adequate protein, and a moderate amount of carbohydrate from whole-grain foods. If you're an endurance athlete or dancer, add simple carbs during any activity over 1 hour.

Missing protein. Stressing a muscle (working out) tears down its tissue. Protein allows muscle tissue to rebuild after a workout. You can work out all day every day, but if you're short on protein, your body won't show it. How much depends on body weight and activity level and intensity, but a 150-lb., active adult needs 105 grams per day.

Under-hydrating. Water allows muscles to work. No water = slower, weaker muscles = slower metabolism. Adults need 6-8 glasses per day. Athletes (including dancers) also need electrolyte-enhanced drinks, especially during activities over 1 hour. Try drinking a light sports drink during a run, and watch your body speed up again!

Not getting enough iron. Dragging? Women especially are energy-challenged during menstruation or pregnancy. Make sure you're getting enough iron from dark green vegetables, lean meats, and/oor enhanced cereals and drinks. You may need an iron supplement one week per month.

Nutritional Bang for Your Buck

Let's face it: In a world where junk food is fast and easy, big manufacturers control what appears in the grocery store and even how prominently it's displayed, and pre-packaged food is whatever's cheap and has a long shelf life, it's tough to eat well. By "eat well," I mean get enough nutrients of all kinds, avoid overeating, and maintain relatively stable body composition and blood sugar levels.

As I've said before, there's no magic, quick fix for losing weight quickly and keeping it off, though diet industry giants would love for you to think so.

The Basics

So what to do? Look for the easiest possible ways to get nutritious, whole foods without detrimental "extras" like saturated fats or chemicals into your body. Four basic changes to start with, even one week or month at a time:

• Get enough protein (at least .7 grams/lb. of body weight for active people)
• Replace white flour with whole grains whenever possible
• Get plenty of fresh, intensely colored veggies and low-glycemic fruit (fiber is critical for digestion; always eat ANY meat with a veggie, for smoother digestion)
• Eat every three hours, at least a small snack (The more stable your blood sugar is, the more satisfied you feel, and the more likely you'll reach for something nutritious the next time you're hungry. Quick carbohydrates and high-sugar drinks -- fancy coffee drinks, energy drinks, soda -- are empty calories that leave you jittery and impair your judgement re: what to eat next.

Food and Your Brain

But there's another factor in nutritional balance and weight maintenance: satiety, or how satisfied you feel after a meal or snack. What certain foods do to your brain chemistry and blood sugar is key to maintaining a healthy "foodstyle." I.e., food should taste good, and it should make you feel good.

Food should have high pleasure:calorie and nutrient:calorie ratios. Are you getting BIG nutrients with smaller calorie counts? For example, a nonfat Greek-style yogurt has 120 calories, 16 grams of protein, and tons of calcium and live cultures (great for digestion). Plus, it's high in flavor and has a smooth, pleasurable texture. That's bang for your buck!

Just about every meal can be a FLAVOR experience, and leave you feeling just full enough, and mentally satisfied.

Have you ever had a fresh tomato from a farmer's market? It tastes nothing like the tomatoes in the grocery store! Eating the naturally grown tomato is a rush of perfectly sweet, almost sinful flavor that drives you to eat the whole tomato all by itself, and feel strangely great about it. Now imagine that all of your food was made with ingredients that fresh and flavorful. If you read a southern French cookbook, the recipes may sound plain; but those recipes weren't written based on the waxed, bland-tasting vegetables from the local Von's/Safeway.

White flour actually triggers a chemical in the brain that signals hunger to the body. Your body craves carbohydrates for quick energy, and you get into a cycle of overeat, crash, repeat. Why did people even start refining flour? --Because originally we didn't know that we were stripping all the nutrients out of the flour, and it was considered a "luxury." And, it created a whole new industry - big way for a few enterprising businessmen to make big money.

Whole grains, on the other hand, slightly suppress that hunger chemical. You're less likely to grab those extra cookies after a high-protein meal with brown rice or whole-grain bread.

Keep It Exciting

Novelty and variety are also key. Continually try new types of healthy food. If you've never had a certain Thai dish, try it now! You might love it...but even if you don't, the experience of trying it makes you feel more alive. The moments you remember are the ones that stand out from the rest - not the 1000th bowl of fruity flakes you had, but the time you tried a French "salad" and it turned out to be all kinds of unidentifiable animal parts on a thin bed of greens -- or when you discovered how deliciously ripe plantains blend with salty, grilled jumbo shrimp.

Powerful Foods

A few examples of foods with BIG bang for the buck, that leave you satisfied and full of "good" energy:

• Almonds (stabilize blood sugar and give you protein and unsaturated fat)
• Peanut butter
• Oats
• Yogurt, nonfat or lowfat
• Fish (salmon is more calorie-dense, but also high in EFA's that support the immune system; white fish like sole or yellowtail for high protein and low calories)
• Turkey sandwich on 100% whole-grain bread
• Avocados (yes, there's some fat, but it's the kind you need)
• Dark chocolate (in moderation, stimulates pleasure and satiety centers in the brain, which helps prevent unnecessary overeating later)
• Gelato, authentic Italian style (yes, there's some fat, but you get high protein, calcium, flavor and texture, and NO artificial stuff, in a creamy, satisfying dessert)

GOTRIbal Fest - Coming in October!

GOTBRIbal, the globally growing women's triathlon community, is hosting a fantastically fun and educational event October 17, 2009, in San Diego!

Event details and registration: http://www.gotribalnowevents.com/R2/goTribalFest.html

This is a one-of-a-kind event. I hadn't yet experienced anything like GOTRIbal in my 10 years of triathlon...but women are, once again, creating their own empowering territory in a sport that was initially male-dominated. Our brand of triathlon is challenging and horizon-expanding, yet also supportive, empowering, and even more socially fulfilling.



World Champion triathlete Chrissie Wellington is headlining! Need I say more? You just don't find a classier act in competitive sports.



It's a one-day free-for-all of advice from experts in every relevant field. (I'll be there to demo and answer questions about triathlon-specific strength training for women of all ages and abilities - I can't wait!)

Healthy Dinners on a Budget!

I'm continually working on dreaming up lighter, nutrient-packed meals for gourmet dinners at home - meals that kids will like too, and that fit a modest budget! Here are a couple of dinners we had recently:




Vietnamese Clay Pot Fish with Bok Choy and Chopped Salad

(Makes 4 servings of a whole meal - and the whole meal costs only $15!)


INGREDIENTS

Main dish:


1 lb. fresh tilapia, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 heads fresh baby bok choy, sliced on diagonal
4 Tbsp. Vietnamese fish sauce
3 Tbsp. white or raw granulated sugar1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. canola oil
6-8 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, sliced into thin strips
4 small shallots, thinly sliced
3-4 scallions, cut into 1/2-inch segments, plus 1 Tbsp. oil (for garnish)
5 Tbsp. caramel sauce
2 cups cooked brown rice (optional)

Caramel sauce for fish:


1 cup granulated sugar 2/3 cup + 1/2 cup water1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, plus more to taste

Salad:


1 head green leaf lettuce, chopped into thin strips
1 cucumber, chopped into thin matchsticks
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
1/4 cup roasted and salted peanuts, finely chopped
Fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

NOTE: You can use a mini blender or food processor to chop the peanuts, or crush the peanuts with a large, flat-bladed knife or cleaver.


Salad Dressing:


1/4 cup Vietnamese fish sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2/3 cup cold water
5 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. roasted and salted peanuts, finely chopped

NOTE: If short on time, you can simply dress the salad with rice vinegar.


PROCEDURE


Marinate the fish:


In a medium-sized bowl, gently toss the fish with black pepper, shallots, fish sauce and sugar. Marinate in refrigerator for 15-30 minutes.


Make the caramel sauce:

(Makes approx. 1 cup)

1. In a small, dry saucepan set to medium heat, combine sugar and 2/3 cup water.

2. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture turns darker, about 8 minutes.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and add another 1/2 cup water. The sauce will thicken slightly, but will liquefy again in the next step.

4. Stir well, and then cook for 7-10 minutes over high heat until the sauce is smooth and integrated. If the sauce starts to boil over, lower the heat.

5. Add the lime juice and remove sauce from heat. Stir well.

NOTE: Caramel sauce will keep in a glass container for a couple of months in your refrigerator



Cook the fish and prepare the salad:


1. Heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil, garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for about 1 minute.

2. Add the marinated fish. Add the caramel sauce, and mix gently with the fish.

3. As soon as the pot begins to bubble, turn the heat to low, cover and gently simmer for about 5 minutes.

4. Add the bok choy on top of the fish, re-cover, and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until fish is just cooked through and the bok choy is dark green and softened. (If the pot looks dry at this point, add 1-2 Tbsp. of water and cover again.) The fish should be tender but still hold its shape.

5. Meanwhile, make the salad: In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients, and toss gently. In a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and stir well, until sugar is dissolved.

6. Taste the sauce and add fish sauce, sugar, black pepper, or lime juice if needed.

7. Quickly sauté the scallions with oil and add them to the serving dish as garnish.
If desired, serve fish, bok choy and salad with brown rice. (Dress each salad plate with a few teaspoonfulls of the dressing.)





Fajita-style Shrimp Tacos with Vidalia-Mango Salsa
Serves: 4-6
These tacos are colorful and super-healthy, featuring a delicious blend of sweet onion and mango, savory shrimp, subtle lime, and gentle spiciness. Kids don't even mind the cleverly integrated vegetables! The mango salsa can be served on the side, for more sensitive palates.

Drop me a note or comment for the full recipe!

Extreme Eating - Expanding Waistlines of America

Have you ever wondered about the nutritional content of popular restaurant meals? Sure, sometimes you just want to dine out and not worry about it... but ordering high-impact food isn't a great habit to perpetuate. You might think you're just ordering a couple of tacos, or a chicken platter...but watch out! No wonder Americans have trouble keeping that waistline trim!

Here's a breakdown of some popular chain-restaurant fare....and why you might want to avoid it.

Thanks to chain establishments like Rubio's, Baja Fresh, and even McDonald's...who provide nutrition facts for many of their menu items.

Adding intense flavor to your food is easy with fresh vegetables, herbs and spices - using a little sea salt can do wonders for dinner dishes and even chocolate-chip cookies. In my opinion, Thai food is the most amazing smorgasbord of flavor, with a huge variety of dishes based on fresh ingredients, which blend sweet, salty, spicy and bitter in combinations that fascinate the palette. Afraid Thai food is too spicy? Most Thai restaurants in the U.S. offer your choice of spiciness level: Make sure to order your food prepared "mild."

GOTRIbal!

...Is a relatively new, but fast-growing, women's triathlon organization. It started in San Diego in late 2008, from a set of ideas in founder Tanya Maslach's head, to a global networking website for women involved in triathlon, to an all-out movement, endorsed by 2X Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington.

Check out the recent coverage in Australian Triathlete Magazine! http://gotribalnow.ning.com/forum/topics/gotribal-in-australian
(See the PDF attachment.)

(I'm honored to be the representative Strength Coach for GOTRIbal.)