triathlon tuesday

I’ve never been one to pay too much attention to my diet, but training for this triathlon has forced me to learn some important lessons about fueling your body.  Now that I’m just a few weeks out from my tri, most of my cardio workouts are lasting about an hour.  While this isn’t that long compared to some, I still can burn between 500 – 800 calories a day.  I’ve discovered that unless my body has the proper fuel, this will not be a good thing.  So here’s a few things I’ve learned:

1.  Get your calories EARLY – I NEVER used to eat breakfast, now I attempt to get at least 400-600 calories by 10am.  This gets your metabolism working early and provides the necessary energy you need for the longer workouts.

2.  Combination matters – There are some diets that say carbs are bad, but not if you’re training for an endurance event.  You definitely need those carbs for energy, but try and eat them with a protein.  The protein will help break down any excess carbs not burned by your workouts.

3.  Eat often – I’ve never been much of a snacker, but I’ve learned the value of eating 200-300 calories in between meals.

Here are a few things I’ve added to the diet:

-Special K cereal (with fruit)

-Whole wheat english muffins or bagels

-Protein shakes (whey protein powder, milk, peanut butter, banana) – these taste AWESOME

-meal replacement bars (believe it or not, I like the Target brand best)

-sunflower seeds

-chocolate milk (one of the better recovery drinks after a workout)

All this to say, I’m not hardcore when it comes to my eating.  I’ve tried to make some improvements, but I still get my cheeseburgers every now and then!

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Tags: diet, triathlon

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