Satisfy the Taste Buds and Keep Your Waistline

With the recent wintry weather, many have begun to crave “comfort” food: french fries, chili, baked potatoes, and other warm spicy foods that make us feel good inside. Most of these cravings, however, are belly busters that leave many struggling to get back into shape come spring time. Well, you can still feel good inside and meet these cravings without the caloric load. How? By creatively substituting healthier alternatives to satisfy those taste buds. Don’t ignore the taste buds. They are natural stress relievers when satisfied. Use the nutrient dense ideas suggested below to help satisfy those cravings, keep your waistline down, and boost the immune system you demand so much out of.


1. Tea. The tea scene is exploding with creative varieties that would leave grandmothers around the world in awe (Sorry Nana, “normal” tea is not black tea anymore). Drink tea to satisfy your cravings for intense flavor. Try new flavors throughout the week. Warning: This will become a healthy addiction. Watch the caffeine intake and try any of the red tea (Rooibos) variations. Red tea has all the well-known healthy benefits of green tea without the jolting caffeine. My favorite flavor? Anything with zing: chai variations, ginger peach, blueberry Rooibos, or relaxing peppermint with chamomile at night. If you like it sweet, use stevia or licorice root powder for a safe and natural zero-calorie sweetener.

Red tea has recently grown in popularity. Republic of Tea offers a wide selection of variations and is available at popular chain grocers. Besides having zero calories, your body will appreciate the ancient healthy remedies found in herbs.

2. Life French fries? Sauté asparagus in extra virgin olive oil adding sea salt and garlic powder in the last couple of minutes. Serve crispy, dip in ketchup and satisfy your starchy fry craving. Tip: sauté the asparagus a bit longer than usual (around 10 minutes), making sure to keep the heat on medium to prevent the olive oil from losing its flavor.

3. A dash of balsamic vinegar, a sprinkle of coriander on grilled veggies (like zucchini and squash), or throw some crunchy wheat flakes on top of grilled chicken (don’t tell your taste buds it’s not fried and they will never know the difference).

Be creative with your alternatives. If you have a favorite alteration that you would like to share, write in with your suggestion.

Notes on Form – In the Zone

At 5:30AM my planned recovery swim began. And if you are like me, recovery weeks can be the toughest weeks for training. If you’re a type “A” person who is used to pushing yourself to exhaustion and always “one upping” the other guy, recovery weeks are probably migraine inducing. Having to cut calories because there are less calories burned in the day, watching the heart rate to stay within the recovery zone can be more stressful sometimes than rigorous workouts.

My trick? Working on form. Instead of just running, biking, swimming lightly for 45 minutes or less, I break up the time into segments. Each segment has a drill that produces excellent form. Check out the last several posts on Friel’s blog (to the right) where he goes into depth about a plethora of excellent drills and practices.

Besides eventually producing faster times and improving your overall triathlon, form helps me stay in the zone. Today, for instance, I had to drag myself out of the pull to be at work on time. In a steady-state light intensity swim at the end of my workout, my improved form (from focusing on the swim the last couple months) put me in this Zen state of mind where I moved almost effortlessly through the water. Seven months ago this would have not been the case. The water and I did not get along and I struggled to put in a good swim workout. My arms and back did not work in sync and breathing (well that’s another story).

With the use –and focus- on drills, especially during these base period months, the body and mind seem to come to a closer understanding of how to work together to achieve better and faster times. One should never feel they are fighting with their body to either run, bike, or swim. Yes, you have to push yourself to finish strong, but the movements should –and could- feel natural.

Brad Kearns often refers to this Zen-like state of mine in his book, Breakthrough Triathlon Training. Check this book out if, like me, your life demands a lot out of you or if you want to keep both your training and your spouse.

Yoga for Triathletes

Today 45 minutes was blocked in my schedule for a light bike ride- recovery from an intense (not in intensity, but duration) weekend. Instead, however, I endulged in some yoga. For abut 50 minutes I practiced a vinyasa style yoga which moves quickly from one stage to another. This is meant to be smooth and force the body and mind to work together to hold poses and stretch out. I thought to myself afterward: How effective is this in my training?


In doing a bit of research, yoga seems to be extremely beneficial for the triathlete especially if he/she may be susceptible to injury. Yoga will increase core strength and flexibility, allowing your body to heal quicker and bounce back after an intense race.

Included in my yoga practice is a focus on my core: plank position for 1 minute, side plank for 1 minute (each side), plank using elbows then rotating one side up and down like you are pulling a cord on the ceiling and, in a circular motion, pulling it down. See some of the exercises I include here:

http://www.runnersworld.com/video?moreUrl=http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1243489102/bclid1497991481/bctid1368763974?src=rss



More on this later.

Using Excel for Annual Training Plan - Copy/Paste instead of wood/rubber and lead

Having –and following- an organized training plan is mandatory no matter what one’s triathlon or endurance goals are. I rarely watch TV (the idiot box ), yet, the other day during a lifting session at the gym, there were a couple Microsoft’s Excel commercials that caught my attention. One involved a girl budgeting out her father’s allowance for shoe purchases. Perhaps this could be a good program for planning on a triathlon program? I thought. I’ve been fooling around with it a little bit and it is still in the works. Adding in sum equations would help expedite SBR totals.

There is a planned section ( a lot of copy/paste) that distributes the annual and weekly hours from Friel’s Training Bible. Those hours are then distributed amongst SBR, yoga, and weights. I’ve put an emphasis on running this year, since it is my limiter; however, the longer endurance sessions take place on the bike (about 50%). The actual hours are on the right. It’s very tough to stop myself during a workout if I still feel good. Friel often mentions not to add in extra training hours unless in very small increments. This could and will shock the system into injury or lower the immune system. That’s why my long run last week stopped at 1hr 5mins even though I wanted to push it more. Luckily, I didn’t. My calves were and are still on fire! That’s where The Stick comes in.

Trust me on this. Having a plan in front of you, even if it is a sheet of paper that says you should run an hour today will help ensure you're working out and that what you are doing is beneficial in the long term. It helps ensure you are increasing your duration and intensity gradually and it makes sure you get your butt off the couch and work out.
Getting engaged and taking on an assistant swimming coach position have taken a large chunk of my time. In between though, training is back on and it feels great!

Your use of it may make your partner jealous - The Stick

THE STICK! Review

4/5 – Great massaging tool if you don’t mind shelling out the cash and don’t have a partner with strong fingers. Remember, your bike does not qualify as a legit partner (well, maybe it could)

http://www.thestick.com/
The stick is a popular massaging tool amongst runners and (apparently) Olympians. Good marketing? Yes. Does it work? Yes! My IT band and calves were screaming after a long run and even though the price for the The Stick is steep (around $50), it’s worth it. I paid $37 because of a sale.

Where to find it?

Usually The Stick is only at local running shops and not major sports store conglomerates (Dicks, Galyans, Finish Line). Use the site below to find (and support) local running stores:

http://www.runnersworld.com/store/search/1,,s6-240-417-0-0-0-0-0-0,00.html

Dos/Do Nots

• Do use it all over the body, not just on the legs. Press firmly when holding the stick with bold hands, massaging up and down on the calves, the IT band. It feels great on the neck where I seem to hold a lot of tension.
• Do use it frequently

Do not

• Push too hard. The Stick is durable pushing too hard may damage or bruise the muscle.
• Spend more time with the stick than your partner
• Do not be afraid to take The Stick with you on a first date

Below is another review on The Stick:

http://www.runcolo.com/Product-Reviews/The-Stick-Review.html

2010 Race Schedule With a High Dose of Fennel

The transition period! What do we triathletes do during this time? It's tough. It's this weird mental thing. If you're like me, the less I focus on training (planning, keeping track in my training log, focusing on heart rate), the more I think about it. Last season I would wake up - trust me, this will happen to you - and seeing the snowflakes would eliciit a good extra 30 mins of sleep and one less workout in the morning. I paid for this big time when I started doing the doggie paddle during an Olympic race in the summertime.

Now, however, I'm up before my alarm and the smell of chlorine entices me to leave early and pack a quick almond butter and jelly for breakfast. By the way, did you know that the peanut is not a nut and is actually a legume? The truth, I sware - check out http://www.thepaleodiet.com/. It's the diet prescribed by Joe Friel and Professor Loren Cordain. Fruit - Nuts - Vegetables - Lean Meat - Seafood. I will blog more about this diet later and what is is like shifting from a grain-focused diet to one that leans away from grains. A quick note though - this diet leads to discovering a motley crew of delicious vegetables! My new discovery, fennel, is making my tri bike jealous and that's saying something.

Isn't she a beauty?

Back to the task at hand.

Before delving into my Annual Training Plan (ATP), the toughest part is figuring out what races will take priority during the 2010 season. You need to consider the distance of the race, the race's clout or significance in the triathlon season, and the date of the race. With all these variables you need to be picky and choosy with your races. Below is an idea of the races I'm looking at for the 2010 season:

Quick Tip: If money is an issue, sign up for the race early. This could save you sometimes over 20% of the total fee charged closer to race day.

2010 Triathlon Season Prospect

• Harryman – May 22nd 85$ if registered by Dec 31st
• Tri in the Buff – July 3rd 2010 – 70$ if registered by April 14th
• NYC Triathlon – July 18th, 2010 – 185$!!!! – YIKES!
• Pat Griskus Triathlon – Sat June 19th – registration info in December
• Qualifier for USAT National Amateur Championship
• Wilkes Barre Triathlon- Aug 1st - date not set up yet, possible date Aug 1
• Qualifier for USAT National Amateur Championship
• USAT Am Nats – Sept 25
• USAT Club Nats -date?

Popular Local Races

• Pawling Sprint – June 5th – sells out by Dec - $70
• Wilcox Park, Dutchess County - May 3rd – NEW $70

Setting up an Annual Training Plan (ATP): Thoughts During Transition

I'll post more on this at a later time, but at the moment let me summarize.

I've been spending a lot of time looking up races for the 2010 season. Last season, even though I had planned out only two "A" priority races - a good thing to do for peak focus - I raced too much: 6 races. That number isn't too high, but the proximity of the races with my novice background led to a minor (thankfully) achilles injury towards the end of the season.

This season I want to focus more on fewer, but more important, races. Mainly, my focus is on qualifying for USAT Age Group Nationals in Tuscaloosa, AL. As of right now, the Pat Griskus Triathlon in CT and the Wilkes Barres Triathlon are both qualifiers on my list. The New York City Triathlon - albeit way overpriced - is also on the list. NYC, even though I would like it to be, will have to take the backburner as a "B" priority because it is too close (less than 8 weeks and more than two weeks) to the Griskus "A" priority race. Go to http://www.trainingbible.com/ and use the free ATP for triathletes download to set up your plan. I will upload my plan as soon as I am done. In the meantime, continue to enjoy the transition period. I won't allow for 10 kilos and potato chips to take over, but a good oatmeal stout and apple pie is welcomed.

Self Coaching - Ch. 1 - Book Reviews

Self coaching is difficult - plain and simple- but it's more than possible. A good book is a great place to start. Yes, I know, coming from an English teacher, that's expected, but it's true. Below are several that I've found helpful. Friel's book is a must have for any triathete.

• Joe Friels The Triathlete's Training Bible
• Brad Kearns' Breakthrough Triathlon Training: How to Balance Your Busy Life, Avoid Burnout and Achieve Triathlon Peak Performance
• Joe Friel and Godron Byrn Going Long: Training for Triathlon's Ultimate Challenge (Ultrafit Multisport Training Series)
• Joe Friel's Your First Triathlon
• Jayne Williams' Slow Fat Triathlete
• Matt Fitzgerald's Triathlete Magazine's Essential Week-by-Week Training Guide

Any of these books offer an exorbitant amount of information relating to triathlon. There's a wealth of knowledge out there when it comes to triathlon. All of which will help your times: nutrition, weekly hours, annual hours, periodization, intensity training, heart rates and the list goes on. I highly suggest picking up Friel's Training Bible. Other books, like Fitzgerald's week-by-week guide are more hands on and might help you out for your first race, but you won't know the how or why behind your do. The "how" and "why" are so important to self coaching. In fact, that's what self coaching truly is. Taking in the knowledge behind what you're doing (the science) and then using that to organize your training (the practice) is how you peak in a healthy and most efficient way.

Joe Friel's Triathlete's Training Bible

In Friel's book and his blog, he helps you plan and also teaches you the holistic aspects which are so critical to self coaching. If you don't have a degree in exercise science you'll still be able to interpret and understand this book. After reading it, you might actually feel as if you do hold a degree in exercise science. This book covers nutrition, weekly hours, annual hours, periodization, intensity training, heart rate training, exercises, examples for all distances (Sprint, Olympic, Half, Full), how to avoid injury, and most important to self-coaching: how to monitor your training and progress.The book is a bit left-brain and may require a lot of coffee to get through it. But you won't regret this purchase. It just might take the place another holy book in the house.

Brad Kearn's Breakthrough Triathlon Training

This book saved my sanity. It' a great addition to the left-brain numbess that Friel's book may inhibit. It's the fung shei or balance to The Training Bible. The book is full of triathlon legends, examples of what to do and what not to do, and is saturated with eastern philosophy. Kearns does a great job at balancing his successful triathlon background with his new down-to-earth realizations that came after closing in on burnout in his career. Buy this book for the pure motivational factor. Motivation is key to success to in triathlon. Extrinsic motivation (the money or podium) will only get you so far. Finding the meaning behind it all will take you so much farther (and keep you sane in the meantime).

These two books are the bulk of continually-read literature. With the above two books, I find I am able to balance my work schedule, family time, me time, with the demanding load triathlon requires. If 7 hours a week seems like a lot of time to spend to you on training, it's not really. These books will help you fit it in. I'm able to spend about 15 hours a week during peak season and still feel relaxed. It's all about efficiency.

If there is another book you'd like reviewed, shoot me a comment.

Self Coaching - Beyond the Huffy

If you're new to triathlon, you undoubtedly have a lot of questions about the sport: "How do I manage all of this?" is probably the first question that comes to mind. But that's a tough question to answer concisely. You're probably thinking: "Okay, if I really focus for a couple weeks, really do some research and spend hours in Barnes & Noble reading all the triathlon literature, you'll be able to be your own coach. Not many people can afford the several hundred dollars a month for a good coach. If you can, great! If you can't, don't worry, you can still reach your goals. Besides, I'm here to help.


First off, a bit about who I am. I'm a competitive age-grouper with some big goals in mind. Look up my times. My swim is lousy (but getting better), my bike splits are mediocre, and my run is okay (but getting better). It's only my second year in the sport, and my sports background is below average. Neighborhood hockey, football, and soccer took up my afternoons in middle school. Acting took up my high school schedule with some pitter pattering in the gym ( I wanted to impress the girls, but too many chicken wings made for floppy pecs). Acting is intense, but it's no endurance sport.

So, when did triathlon come into my life? At age 20, while studying at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, I met a triathlete. Beforehand, I never heard of the sport. His aura of positivity and "no worries" attitude captivated anyone who knew him. Triathlon seemed to be the cause of this attitude. Meditations and Eastern philosophy was already an interest at the time. Maybe triathlon could fit in to this mentality?

I couldn't afford a new bike and the one I had had ( a Mongoose from Wal Mart) had broken. The pedals cracked off when pedaling to work. That was the last time I shopped at Wal Mart, but that's meant for another blog. First lesson: Ditch the Mongoose or Huffy, buy a used racing bike or use a stationary bike until you can save up for one. This is one area you don't want to skimp on money.

Surfing took up a good part of my time and I started running. My first run was from my house to a popular surf spot. Red-faced, panting, and exhausted I would run to the local surf spot, meditate by watching the ebb and flow of the waves. Thirty minutes later, I would run back home. It must be at least four miles, I thought. MapMyRun taught me otherwise: it was one mile there and one mile back. A whopping two mile run! Yikes! Well, it was a start.

That's all we can ask of ourselves. No matter the background, we all have to start somewhere. Perhaps this site is that starting point for you. Over this 2010 season, this blog will chronicle my planning, training and racing. I'm not an expert. I'm a beginner that's obsesses with research. Whenever a topic comes about, I'll do my best to provide it here with links that can help you. Email, write, or comment if there is any topic you would like help with.