Thursday, February 13, 2014

The craziness is set to begin

What to begin with,

The past couple weeks of training have been consistent and I've been thinking about what my intention for starting this blog is. As much as I'd love to tell everyone about my ever intense treadmill workouts or trainer rides, which are much harder then Wyatt's or Ben's, I think each post I will try to cover a topic within a recap of the last couple weeks. This way I believe us triathletes, endurance athletes and people who want to become involved can bounce information off each other, thus helping us all improve.

For this post, I have chosen to talk about the benefits of proper nutrition. The reason I chose this is because I have slightly adjusted my diet, which has lead to me feeling the fittest I have ever felt. As nutrition differs for every person, I'll probably be criticized by nutritionists out there, these are personal opinions.

            *Thank you Bernie Conway from 140point6 Computrainer Lab for the phenomenal bike fit*
                                        https://www.facebook.com/140point6computrainerlab

     As most triathletes know, you often start by out in the sport by having background in running or swimming and decide to venture into something new and more challenging. For me, I started out by doing a 5k and moving up in distance until focusing on triathlons. As I started out, I didn't pay much attention to nutrition except for the night before carb load with pasta.

                              Random photo - My 7th grade weight set(which if anyone wants take it)

     As a person continues to compete in the sport, they gradually learn more information from a variety of different sources. This could be training partners, seminars, websites and many other places. The one thing that is never consistent however is that nothing is consistent. For example, if you hangout with body builders, their diets will be drastically different then a group of cross country runners.

                                                  Pre-run = watermelon/banana/granola bar


     For me, it has taken awhile to find out what works. I believe it is impossible to know exactly what you need nutritionally, as our bodies are constantly changing as we progress. In my last post, I mentioned how I am extremely run focused this off season. Like the majority of people, I like to feel light on my feet and have a very fluid form. For this reason, I eat a great amount of fruits and vegetables. This allows me to not feel quick and loose, such as a gazelle. I try to avoid a ton of processed carbs such as pasta or sandwiches, which make me feel bloated and lazy.

                                            Post workout = Carbs/Protein/Fruits/Vegetables
                                (Photo from NIU dorm food..only healthy thing I could find their)

     After I workout, I often eat more than any person should. This is especially true after long bike rides or swim sets, were I constantly find myself snacking the rest of the day. For me, the post workout meal is just as important as the workout itself because it refuels the body and gives you energy for the rest of the day and a second workout. Although I rarely don't go without eating or stretching after a workout, I often become tired and regretful when I do. This is because in the back of my mind, I know I didn't do what is necessary for me to get better and I am opening myself up to injury and lesser results.

Lastly, I titled this post, "The craziness is set to begin", for a reason. My coaches, Rick and Mary Ann have officially announced the grand opening of their INTENT Multisport Training Facility for Tuesday, April 15. I haven't been able to make it up there in the last couple of weeks due to work and school hours but I have heard nothing but incredible things. The amount of work that has been put into the facility leaves no doubt that this will be an incredible place to train at. I am extremely excited to begin working out with everyone to become better athletes. I also look forward to working with all the coaches, helping all triathletes meet or surpass their goals.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Intent-Multisport-Training-Center/464742440304658


If anybody has a suggestion for next weeks topic or until race season starts, feel free to leave it in the comment section.

Things I noticed this week:
*Importance of angles and degrees for a bike fit
*Chicken Breast sandwiches with spinach artichoke dip is a delicious post workout meal

It's supposed to warm up the rest of this week and next so hopefully everyone can get out for a run, stay safe and watch out for black ice!

See you all out there

Matt
Contact info:
Facebook - http://facebook.com/mjenni74
Twitter - @MattJennings9_1
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2 comments:

  1. We shall see if your trainer workouts are harder come summer.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Those fancy wheels you have may come in handy one of these days

    ReplyDelete