I'm a convert!!

On my quest to find the perfect nutrition I decided to buy some Bonk Breaker bars at Sports Basement  after reading a bunch of blogs that raved about them. The fact that they are the "official bar of Ironman" didn't hurt either.  I bought a bunch of different flavors and couldn't wait to try them out. Which I did. This morning...the result, I am in love!!!

I had so much energy, I'm ecstatic! Normally before a gym workout, I would have 1/2 a Clif bar, so around 120 calories. I only ate 1/2 a bar because, as much as it is an energy bar, it's also a candy bar (probably because I stuck with the coconut chocolate chip). So I could never stomach a whole one before a workout.

The Bonk Breaker bars are smaller than the Clif bar, but have the same amount of calories, 240. I ate a whole BB bar this morning, so I'm sure the extra calories helped me feel great throughout the workout.

I had the peanut butter banana flavor this morning. The consistency of the bar was moist and almost fluffy! Not nearly a dense as the Clif bars.  The flavor was not too sweet and was super easy to digest. I definitely felt satisfied, but couldn't really feel it in my stomach. Eating the whole bar kept me satisfied through the whole gym workout, and helped fuel my 2500 m swim that followed.

All in all, I'm a happily converted Bonk Breaker devotee. I'll still keep my stash of Clif bars in my center console for emergencies (and out of the sneaky hands of the BF), but for pre-workout fueling, its Bonk Breakers for me. Plus they are gluten and dairy free! I can't wait to try the rest of their flavors :) 

And If you haven't tried them yet, DO!!!

Nutrition Nightmares, Triumphs, and some other stuff!

This week closed out on a great note.  After a brutal indoor trainer class at Concept Cyclery on Tuesday, a crazy hard workout on Weds and some intense lactate intervals later that day, I was not looking forward to my Friday afternoon training date with the hills of Rancho San Antonio Park with my training buddy Sean. 

My right quad had been bothering me for 2 days, so I was worried that the hill workout would strain it, but to my delight, It was quite the opposite.  After running the first 1.5 miles on the flat trail (past the farm with lots of piggies!!), my leg loosened up and I didn't notice it for the rest of the run.  Plus on the way down, we ran right past 2 deer, maybe 10 feet away.  I wore my new FNS tri shorts so that I could test them out before actually racing in them.  I'm incredibly surprise by how comfortable they are to run in!!  I thought the padding would be annoying, and get in my way, but I didn't notice my shorts at all!! Which is truly the test :)  The next step is to get my butt into a wetsuit with my whole tri kit and get myself out of the pool and into the open water...yikes!

Now, on to today!  I am definitely a morning workout kind of girl.  I like to get up and at'em, and if I put off my workout until the afternoon, I'm sluggish and not at my best.  Plus, it's pretty easy for me to find a million other things to do to put off my run, swim, etc.  This morning I planned on doing my 80 minute run after a FNS workout and recovery flow session, but after an hour of stretching and trigger point, the last thing I wanted to do was run.  So I made my way home and made one of my new favorite smoothies:  Put 2 handfuls spinach, 1 banana, 1 apple, 1 cup yogurt, 1/2 orange, 5-7 strawberries, and 1 scoop vanilla protein powder in a blender and ENJOY!  And enjoy I did.  The BF and I did a bunch of house chores and cleaning, I did some catch up paperwork, and when 3 pm rolled around, I decided I would venture out for my run.  

I never run with a bottle,
but since I'm working on my nutrition,
I decided to dust off my Nathan bottle,
instead of the oh so fashionable Fuel Belt 

When I run or do an endurance workout in the morning and before all my races, I eat a multi-grain waffle with peanut butter, honey, and a banana (I'll use a whole wheat english muffin or bread if necessary).  This is my never fail breakfast...I know that it works with my stomach and it gives me plenty of energy on my runs.  I know that leafy greens are NOT a good idea, and would never consider drinking a smoothie before a race, but today I thought that 4 hours was enough time between my lunch time, and my run.  Boy was I wrong!  All I can say is thank goodness I ran along the Los Gatos Creek Trail with ample bathrooms along the way.  

Everything that I have read stresses that you should test your nutrition before race day - Absolutely no smoothies for me...I'll stick to my waffles and peanut butter, thank you very much!  And I have been using the Nuun that I bought last week...it seems to be working out just fine, although I had only used it on the bike until today.  I am pretty certain that the smoothie was the culprit for my less than stellar tummy, but I will test out the drink on my next long run with proper pre-run nutrition to be sure Nuun is safe.  The Strawberry-lemonade flavor is just ok...I'm not totally sold on it, so I got the Kona Cola flavor when I made my weekly Sports Basement run today ;)  I'll also be testing out the Bonk Breaker bars this week too.

Although my nutrition on the run wasn't up to snuff, it was nice to see that my legs and my cardio felt great for the 9.5 miles I was able to put in.  I will be running the Nike Women's 1/2 marathon in Washington DC on 4/28.  Normally, for a 1/2 marathon, I generally follow a plan outlined on the Runner's World iphone app.  And by generally, I mean that I am pretty consistent in getting the long runs in, but I am horrible about doing the mid week runs as designated (tempo runs, at a certain pace, intervals, etc.).  Since starting my tri training plan, I have been very dedicated to doing the workouts as designated.  I will make sure to put in at least 11 miles one of these next few weekends, and hopefully the multi sport training will help me pull out a PR in DC!

If I've tried any new or noteworthy recipes, I'll try to close out my posts with yumminess for the kitchen.  Tonight I checked a box off my to-do recipe list with some baked kale chips, fresh organic Kale courtesy of my produce box from Bounty of the Valley!  Easy Peasy!

Kale Chips (courtesy of allrecipes.com)

1 bunch Kale

1 tbsp. Olive Oil

Any of the following: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Salt, Seasoned Salt, Curry powder

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

Have a Hoppy Easter!!

Bags of goodies!!

Mondays are now my rest day, which usually means laying low after work. But there were so many unexpected surprises today.

First off, FNS tri kits are here! I didn't expect them so soon, so i was surprised and I am beyond excited to represent my awesome training center at my first triathlon next month.  The kits are by Jakroo and include a cycling top, tri top, and tri shorts. I could have gotten bike shorts too, but I've come to realize I much prefer the thin padding to the big diaper that comes in the bike shorts!  

I did a quick photo shoot in all my gear and totally feel like a pro ;)  All the gear feels like it's great quality, and I love secure hemline on the shorts.  I definitely don't feel like it will be moving around on me as I run and bike, but will test it out before race day!

I am used to working out in tanks with built in sports bras, so my dilemma is what kind of sports bra should I wear under my tri top? I am the opposite of big chested, so support won't be my main concern. I don't want to ruin my normal Lulu bras by wearing them in a lake, plus I imagine that would cause a lot of uncomfortable chaffing. But do I need to buy a tri specific bra? Or is there a specific fabric of a normal sports bra that you would recommend? I will do my research and report back before April 20th! Any advice is appreciated

My next bag of goodies is my fresh produce for the week! My training center partnered with an amazing organic farm, Bounty of the Valley, to provide fresh produce to the athletes. The veggies are picked by the farm and are different each week. It's a great way to not get stuck in a rut with the same veggies over and over, plus they have some of the best asparagus I've ever eaten!!  This week I got radishes, onion, carrots, spinach, kale, and two bunches of asparagus - YUMMY!

Yesterday, I had my first flat tire ever. I forgot to mention it in my last post because it happened at the very end of my ride and didn't effect my workout at all. Plus I was basking in the glow of a beautiful day. But it put front and center the fact that I had been putting off learning how to change a flat. Definitely not okay given the number of miles I have logged by myself on the trail I ride during my lunch hour!  I'm just glad the cycling gods were looking out for me.  

I brought my bike into Sports Basement to get my tire fixed, and planned on just watching and trying to remember what the mechanic did.  But lucky me, Sports Basement was empty and I got a one-on-one hands on flat fixing tutorial from two of the mechanics, Mike and Joe.  I got some great tips and feel pretty confident that I will be able to fix a flat on my own next time around.  And thanks to Sports Basement's awesome purchase policy, the tire change was free (all routine bike maintenance is free for two years if you buy your bike from them!)  Since I can't walk away from SB without spending a few dollars, I came home with some chain lubricant, CO2 cartridges, and spare bike tubes.

Finally, I got home with all my goodies, only to find two more packages from Amazon!  I have been taking an indoor trainer class in order to improve my bike skills and the Thursday instructor runs the workout by cadence.  He calls the timing out for those who don't have a power meter (me) or a cadence computer (also me), so I ordered a Cat Eye Strada cadence computer, so I'm very interested to use it on Thursday.  I also got the book Racing Weight to further my education into race nutrition. But the goodies weren't all for me today!  I got to surprise my boyfriend with his quarterly shipment of craft beer when I got home...happy boy :)

  

I finished my night off with a salmon, beet, arugula, and mozzarella salad. Bon appetite!  Here's to the start of a new training week!

Sunday Funday

Kit and Tye - 
patiently waiting to cross the street!

Today was a multifaceted training day, with a 1700 m swim (1000 m time trial), 1:30 bike, and 30 min. run on the menu.  But I started it all off with a quick spin around the neighborhood with these two cuties!  

Then it was off to the pool!  I felt pretty strong on my swim today, but that is definitely the area where I am still pretty clueless about how I measure up to the rest of my Age Group.  And I found this chart, which I found pretty helpful: Swim Fitness Pace Chart.  I am definitely looking forward to my first triathlon coming up in just under 1 month on April 20th to really get my feet wet after all this training.  

Today was a beautiful 70* California day, and after the pool, my training buddy Sean and I took in the sunshine...literally.  I definitely wasn't prepared for the sun and got my first tan lines of the year against some very red arms :(  As much as I want to add some color to my pasty white skin, sunscreen is a must for this girl.  Things to remember for next time...like I entitled this blog, trial and error!

My legs felt great after the bike and we finished up the training day with a short, easy run.  We capped off the day with lunch and a well deserved beer at San Pedro Square Market.

After a full training day like today, I don't want to have all of that work go to waste by consuming a ton of calories for dinner.  At this point, I am training for a max distance of an Olympic triathlon (for this season...I already have grand plans for at least 1 half Ironman next year), so I know that I don't need to refresh too many carb stores, so I made a dish that is a staple on my weekly menu and one that I rave about to friends all the time - Zucchini Pasta!

It is a healthy replacement for a bowl of pasta, just as filling, and just as simple. 

Zucchini Pasta

Ingredients:

Zucchini - 2 are perfect for a single serving for me, but you can add as many as you want

1/2 tbsp. Olive Oil

Garlic Salt and Pepper (to taste)

I use a mandolin to cut the zucchini into spaghetti like "noodles", but a regular vegetable peeler will get the job done just the same.  Cut or peel the whole zucchini, then sauté over med-warm heat with the olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper until the "noodles" are soft and bendy.

Then serve with your favorite pasta sauce (I'm partial to the Bolognese sauce from Trader Joe's), some protein (my fave is the Chicken Basil Pesto Sausages from TJ's), and some fresh Parmesan cheese.

Hope everyone had a great weekend, cheers to a new week! 

A

What's the difference??

One of the things that I read over and over is the importance of nutrition during triathlons.  The problem is, there are SO MANY OPTIONS!!!!  When I was just running 1/2 marathons, my nutrition plan was pretty simple...eat 1 GU (mint chocolate flavor, chocolate outrage would suffice if necessary) about 45 minutes into the run, and a 2nd, 45 minutes later.  I would drink water at the water stations as necessary, but that was it.

Now, with at least 2 and sometimes 4 workouts per day, I am testing out all the different nutrition options out there.  Initially, I stuck to my GU energy gels, and added CLIF blocks on my bike rides.  While I still like my GU's, the CLIF blocks have become my new favorite thing about bike riding...it's like getting a free pass on eating a bag full of gummie candies!  Who could pass that up?? Not this girl.

The next step was/is conquering the hydration aspect.  I initially bought a handful of GU Brew packets in different flavors from Sports Basement.  I tried them all out on a few bike rides, and they all seemed to suit me fine.  So I would drink one bottle of Brew and eat one Block during my rides.  The training plan that I am following is from Triathlete Magazine's Essential Week-by-Week Training Guide by Matt Fitzgerald.  So far, my longest run has been 1 hour, 10 minutes, so I haven't used any form of nutrition on my runs.  

My nutrition goody shelf

Although I am slowly becoming an endurance athlete and definitely recognize the need to adequately fuel myself for my workouts, I am still a girl who wants to lose those extra 5 pounds.  I have always seen the electrolyte tablets for sale in the nutrition sections of Sports Basement and my other go to shop, Concept Cyclery in Morgan Hill, yet I didn't see what the difference was between the tabs and the electrolyte drinks.  They both advertised that they replaced electrolytes, but one had extra carbs and calories, and the other one didn't.

And after doing some research, I've discovered that's it...one has carbs and the other doesn't.  One of the blogs that I follow, Greater > Than Endurance, had an article outlining the nutrition concept of "Drink from your bottle, Eat from your pockets" (i.e. get electrolytes from your drink, calories/carbs through your food).  The author utilizes NUUN electrolyte tabs to restore the necessary electrolytes, but gets his calories (carbs) through "solids and semi-solids (Clif shots and shot-blocks, chunks of Clifbars,etc)".  

I realized that by using the GU Brew electrolyte drink, as well as eating Clif blocks, I was essentially double dipping in the calorie department by getting calories in my drink and in my food.  After doing the research I've mentioned, the nutrition strategy utilizing electrolyte tabs appeals to me because it means that I'm not giving myself a bunch of extra calories.  As much as I am doing this training to push myself to the limits, I am also doing this to get my body in the best shape I can.  The more I learn about what to eat and when, the better I will perform and the better I will look :)

I am testing out this new strategy tomorrow and will be using the Strawberry Lemonade Flavored NUUN tablets with the Strawberry Clif Blocks...the flavors definitely remind me of spring and I can't wait for some biking and running fun in the sun!

Autobiography

Since this is my first post, I figured I’ll give a little bio on myself.   My name is Allison, I am a 30 year old attorney from northern California.  I have been an athlete my whole life, playing any sport under the sun when I was little: gymnastics, soccer, t-ball, tennis, track, rock climbing, yoga, skiing/snowboarding, etc.  I kept active while in college, but my main involvement in sports was working for the athletic department at the University of Colorado – Go Buffaloes!  I returned to California for law school, and upon graduation, found myself in search of a fulfilling athletic endeavor.

Thanks to Facebook (surprisingly), I had kept in touch with one of my college friends who had joined Team in Training and completed the Rock and Roll Marathon in Arizona.  When I saw her posts, I figured, “I can do that,” and promptly signed up for the next season of Team in Training.  Thus began my foray into the world of endurance sports.  I completed 2 marathons in 2009, the Napa Marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon.   I continued running in 2010 and 2011, but only sporadically and didn’t sign up for any races. In early 2012, I reevaluated a bit, and re-dedicated myself to running, and fitness in general.  I signed up for a ½ marathon in May, ran my fastest time of 1:57:50, and placed 21^st in my age group.   

Shortly after that race, I met the most amazing group of people and a community that has become a huge part of my life…FNS – Fitness Never Sleeps Training Center.  Aside from being an amazing training center, there is a huge focus on setting and achieving personal goals.  Well, I have always wanted to race a triathlon and found numerous reasons why I couldn’t...time, money, etc.  But after meeting with the coaches at FNS, my first goal was to purchase a bike, then to make 2013 my “year of the triathlon”.  

"Green Lantern"

In December, the time came…I bought a snazzy new bike, a stack of triathlon magazines, textbook sized training books, and have embarked upon a 16 week journey to train for the Wildflower Olympic Distance Tri on May 5.  I’m starting this blog about ½ way into that training, and I will mainly be looking forward, but I’ll make sure to share some memorable anecdotes…like my first few rides with clip-in pedals ;)