Kona or Bust – Week 15 – Weekend FOOD Prep!

Kona or Bust – Week 15 – Weekend FOOD Prep!

Last week I wrote about TIME and EFFORT. Time and effort put into training. Time and effort put into figuring IT all out. Time and effort put into the people closest to me. So of course I’ll follow up last week’s blog with FOOD!

Allow me to explain the progression because sometimes my brain doesn’t always work in the most logical of ways. :)

Time is tight for everyone. I am no exception. Since I started this quest of finishing my first ironman the amount of time I have to do the everyday, simple, mundane things, like grocery shopping and cooking, gets harder to find. This weekend I finally found the time to get to the grocery store. However, since I’ve started working with a Health Coach my eating habits have changed. I need to be far more aware and selective of what I buy and how I put it all together. So a trip to the grocery store isn’t as simple as it once was.

Again, you’re wondering what the hell I’m talking about and why I’m bothering with being so picky with my food.

Ready for it? Here it is. Food is my fuel. Food is going to help me get from one workout to the next and through some of the longest and arduous training weeks I’ll endure. Simply put, I need to be selective. I also owe it to my Health Coach to make sure I follow through with her suggestions. She puts in the time and effort, so should I! 

Shopping list & Recipes

This past Saturday afternoon prior to heading up to Trader Joe’s (which has become one of my new favorite stores) and Whole Foods (already at the top of my favorite stores list) I found a few recipes for the week, created a list, and set off to zip through the isles. Usually I’d grab whatever looked yummy but now I’m looking for and picking up items that are organic, non-GMO, cage free, etc etc… You are what eat so make sure it’s as “clean” as possible. At least that’s what my Health Coach says.

Shopping is exhausting. Putting everything away is even more exhausting. Then there is the pile of dishes in the sink I always mean to do. The actual cooking had to be pushed to Sunday when the sink was empty and ready for more dirty dishes and I had some motivation.

I spent most of Sunday prepping and making food for the week. Yes, the ENTIRE week, because who has time to make dinner? For those of you that have talked with me about my diet (not to be confused with dieting) I’ve altered what I eat and when. My creations on the day stayed within some crazy food combination rules that my Health Coach has me working around.

Why? There’s too much to get into right now. Just know I try really hard not to combine complex carbohydrates with proteins. Fruits are eaten alone. And always make sure I get in a healthy fat with each meal like avocados, nuts, olives. Trust me there’s more and I’ll write about it soon.

Sunday’s To-Do List

The finished product!

Grill Marinated Chicken – 2 split breasts, 4 drumsticks - done

Grill & Stuff Peppers with Brown Jasmine Rice and White Bean Puree - done

Wheatberry Mediterranean Salad - done

Veggie Stir Fry – veggies prepped and stored for quick use – done

Overnight Oats - done

Beet Hummus – NOT done…who forgets to buy lemons when they’re on your list!?

Carrot Coconut Pancakes – Ran out of time. Probably for the best the fridge is full. On next weekend’s to-do list.

Dinner!

The fridge is stocked and waiting for the week ahead. I now have food that I can grab and go. You’ll have to trust me that everything tastes great and will get me from one workout to the next.

If you’re interested in the recipes or more information as to why and how I’m eating feel free to ask!

What are the take away messages from this week’s blog?

• Time – use it when you have it.
• Effort – that all depends on you now doesn’t it!
• You are what you eat.
• You’re body is a machine; fuel it correctly.
• Plan ahead and spent a day (or weekend in my case) preparing for the next 5 days. It makes life that much easier.

SK

Recovery

As you know, the coaches here at CPC consider most of you athletes and train you as such. You're not doing 6-minute Abs, Buns of Steel, or whatever other garbage is out there. You have a periodized program, catered to your limits/potential, and actually are encouraged to fail. The point of this? 

How many of you recover efficiently enough to benefit as much as you should and avoid injury? The frequency and structured intensity that some of you are exercising at is damn near the same as professional athletes. So why the hell do you think it's ok to come in 15 minutes early and sit there talking? Or leave without PROPERLY cooling down? It'll catch up to you; trust me. 

So next time you think it's ok to skip the rolling, say the Trigger Point rollers are "too much", or roll around on the black rollers for thirty seconds; ask me or any other coaches how we feel when we "don't have time" for proper recovery (especially me). Think about it - workouts are 60 minutes of hell and you cool down for 3? 20:1? Ask Geoff to make your next bootcamp a 20:1 work to rest and see how you feel. 

- CW 

Kona or Bust – Week 16 Time - Ain't Nobody got time for that!

Kona or Bust – Week 16

Time – Ain't Nobody got time for that!

Over the last week I was asked on several different occasions how I do I find the time to get in all of my training. There is no simple answer. I am consumed by the concept of time. Time in the truest sense of the word; weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds.

I’m constantly fretting over how much time I will have to…

·      Get in whatever workout(s) planned for the day
·      Walk the dog
·      Go grocery shopping, prep food, cook food
·      Plan food for the next day then pack said food
·      Do laundry, fold, then put it away (the later usually doesn’t happen)
·      Clean dishes, vacuum, general house chores (which I HATE!)
·      Plan and prep for clients or class
·      Train clients or teach class
·      Spend time with friends, family…have a life
·      SLEEP!

And, if it wasn’t bad enough that I’ve stressed about how to manage my training days and weeks I’m obsessed with the data that I produce within each workout. For example if I have a track workout that is to last 1:15, I know I will be working within a heart rate range of 75%-84% of my max. How long do I have to keep it there? How far do I have to run for each set? How much recovery time do I have and can I take more? How many total miles will I finish with? What will my average pace be? Lot’s of questions that all spin around time and effort.

Time is a priceless commodity. I can never seem to find enough time to fit EVERYTHING in, but I always try. A few years ago I was sitting in an ACSM conference half listening to what was being said until the presenter repeated a quote referencing Time. I forget the entirety of the quote but the jist of it is this…

Time and Effort are the Cost. People are cheap.

As hard as it is to find the time to squeeze everything in I never try to be “cheap”. Training for Kona or for any other event of my choosing requires a dedicated amount of time and effort. To do well, or to just finish, the cost is time and effort. The same can be said for life, relationships, careers, and living a health lifestyle. I know there will be times I will fall short but not because I was cheap. So, when I’m asked how do I make it all work the answer is Time and Effort.

For those of you that have asked how I make it work, and for those that are simply curious what a training week looks like for me I have laid it all out for you. This past week, training week 17, volume (time) and intensity, ramped up significantly. I put in about 17hrs of training. In the grand scheme of training for an Ironman I still have a ways to go and putting in multiple weeks in secession with volume equally as high if not higher. How I’ll mange I have no idea. Many others far busier than me have trained for an Ironman so it isn’t impossible.

TIME MANAGEMENT is critical.

-SK

Training Week 17	Planned Workouts	Actual Workouts
Monday	Swim :45, Bike :50	Swim :38, Rip & Roll 1:00
Tuesday	Bike 1:40, Run :55	Run 1:15, Bike 1:24
Wednesday	Swim :45, Bike 1:20	Run :54, Swim :56
Thursday	Swim 1:00, Run 1:15	Bike 2:03, Swim :40
Friday	OFF	OFF!
Saturday	Bike 3:25, Run :50	Run 2:00, Bike 1:46
Sunday	Run 2:00,Bike 1:15	Bike 3:25, Run :51
Total Time	Swim (3) 2:30 Bike (5) 8:30 Run (4) 5:00 Total: 16:00	Swim (3) 2:14 Bike (4) 8:38 Run (4) 5:00 Cross Train (1) 1:00 Total: 16:52

Stop with the buck and give a f*ck.

"Will you donate to ______?"

We are constantly inundated with this all the time. We are all asked by people to contribute to a cause and make a difference. Whether it's for research or a sponsorship, a contribution to a program or saving an animal. Honestly, it's always something. Always... Something. It's ok to admit it - you get tired of being asked as much as I do, I'm just not afraid to say "no".

Personally, I like to give back. A lot. The last blog post I wrote about comparisons and being a better ME. We compare ourselves to others and rather than being inspired we get competitive and jealous. As you're looking to your right thinking all of those things you may convent there is someone on your left saying the same things about you. Wishing they had what YOU have. There is always someone slower, less financially stable, bigger, less intelligent, in need of mentorship, something! You want to feel better about yourself THEN HELP OTHERS!

Why does charitable giving always have to be monetary? People will call and ask us for our money, to buy cookies, shit they even ask us for our blood but never our time. OUR TIME is what is most needed. Human contact and hands on interaction. So where is the disconnect? Do you need to be asked? Well here you go... "Will you help ________ by giving us 2 hours of your time?" Insert whatever might be important to YOU. Trust me, they will take the help. Call the school. Ask them if they need help tutoring for after school programs? Does the art program need help with organizing supplies? Does the food bank need someone to help make or ladle soup this week? You know what - you don't even need an organization. You can grab a plastic bag, stop on the side of the road and pick up trash for 30 minutes. Boom - you gave back!

People choose not to give for a variety of different reasons and that's totally ok! There is no way that we could all support all the causes we our asked to support. We'd all be broke, financially. So what is your motivation for supporting or not supporting? Is it because you're fearful that if you don't give someone is going to assume you're not as well off as you would like them to think? Is it because you just simply don't support the cause or organization? I'll be the first to say there are certain organizations I will not donate too because once their financial records were scrutinized it is mere pennies to the dollar that actually make it to the actual cause and I won't support a corrupt system. So yes. I say "no" quite often. I have chosen the organizations I will support and hold them dear.

I chose to share a variety of these organizations with all of you once a year during the "CPC season of giving". I am so happy with the success of the program and the impact it has made on the community, I'm proud of that. But where I gain the most join is all the things I do that never make it to social media. All the extras that are just mine to experience. It's moments like this that keep us connected, keep us grounded and keep us thankful.

So I ask you this. If you want to make an impact... If you truly want an experience to make a difference for something it can't be monetary! Stop throwing money at the problem and throw yourself, ALL IN! Just give a fuck!

~Sully

Kona or Bust Week 17: Happy Father's Day

Kona or Bust - Week 17

Happy Father's Day

I find it fitting that I’m writing my latest blog entry in my childhood bedroom like I did so many years ago pumping out homework the night before it was due. The cool thing about this assignment is one that I’ve committed myself to writing about whatever I want as I make my way to the single biggest triathlon on the planet, the Ironman World Championship.

I’ve looked forward to writing this particular blog entry for a few weeks now. I knew that Father’s Day was around the corner and I couldn’t think of a more fitting way to say Happy Father’s day and Thank You to my Dad, John Kelly.

Triathlon is an incredibly selfish sport. Countless hours are spent training, away from family and friends. I’ve tried hard to balance training and life but I’m sure I’ve asked for an event to be rescheduled or arrived late more times than I can count. To be honest, if you’re going to race well, you have to put in the time. Success doesn’t happen overnight. Fortunately, my family has always been very understanding. Especially, my Dad.

From a very young age I was running, shooting, throwing, playing, and competing. When I received my first award for Junior High Basketball my Dad made a point of telling my how proud he was of me, but I’d have to work even harder. Never settle. Always try to be better. And most importantly, remain humble. That conversation has served me well.

With a spot in the Ironman World Championships 4 months away I can’t help but look back on where I started. My first triathlon was an International distance (3/4 mile swim, 24-26 mile bike, 5-6 mile run) at Lake Morey in Fairlee, VT. As with many other times in my athletic life my Dad was there by my side. I can very vividly remember looking out at the water the night prior to the race, watching the swim buoys bob up and down, and admitting to him didn’t think I could do it. My Dad told me I could, that he believed in me and that this was supposed to be fun. He was right. I finished and had a blast.

Twelve years later I look back on all of my major races and my Dad has been there by my side. Whether it was driving me to pre-race meetings, cheering me on while I tore ass through transition, or being one of the first to greet me at the finish line, he was there. The hours are un-godly early and long. The weather ranges from hurricane like rain and cold to miserable-for-all heat and humidity. His presence, despite the constant pacing, allows me to stay calm when all I want to do is vomit from nerves.

So, here’s to …

The guy that taught me how to throw a ball and shoot a free throw. And, the value behind winning and losing.

The guy that let me trace his palm lines in church when I couldn’t sit still, then blare Billy Joel, John Mellencamp, and Jackson Browne with the windows down hand surfing on the way home.

The guy that drove countless miles during my collegiate career to see almost every game and give me a shoulder to cry on when it was all over.

The guy that started this triathlon journey with me, not knowing that it would take both of us to Triathlon's biggest stage.

Happy Father’s Day Dad! I can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done and will continue to do.

Kona awaits!

Love,

Sarah 

PS - Mom, don't worry. I haven't gotten about you! :) 

What shoe are you?

My quick little blog post today is spurred by a question I got from a subscriber yesterday. I was asked about my opinion on minimalist shoes and making the switch from a traditional running shoe.  I thought this question may be one that a lot of you have so I will address it.  

A couple of things to think about:

The structure of your feet could play a factor in whether or not you should try a minimal shoe.  If you have flat feet, I wouldn't necessarily recommend you make the switch.  Our feet were made to absorb shock, especially while running. If your feet are without arches, then it's going to put increased stress on the foot, as well as knees and hips.  

If you are going to make the switch, make sure it is a gradual one.  Do not take your new Vibrams out of the box and go run a marathon; you will hurt yourself.  Your body adapts to new things, shoes included.  If you have never run in minimals, you need to wean yourself into it. Slowly let your body get used to the differences and adapt.  I think one of the biggest issues with minimal shoes, and the reason why they get a bad rap, is that people think they can just switch from one type of shoe to another. When they do, they realize they are sore or in pain and immediately blame the shoes.  It's not the shoes fault. The brain controlling the foot in the shoe is to blame.  Ease into it a couple miles at a time.  

Bottom line, we were built to run and to run with nothing on our feet.  Am I a proponent for either shoe type? No. I've used and liked both types. It's a personal preference if you ask me.  Below is a quick video that speaks to these points.  

Happy running!

MS

Kona or Bust Week 18: 2 Words - Seasonal Allergies!

Kona or Bust

Week 18: 2 Words – Seasonal Allergies!

This past week the pollen smog that has floated over Western Mass and much of New England like the Black Smoke from Lost finally got to me. However, the difference between the mysterious black smoke and the pollen is the effect it has on one’s (MINE!) ability to produce a wide array of symptoms: uncontrollable sneezing, water eyes, red dry eyes, scratchy eyes, runny nose, cough, obscene amounts of mucous! The list goes on…

Luckily for me I’m not someone that suffers from allergies on a regular basis. In fact, I’ve self-diagnosed my seasonal allergies. For those of you out there that are affected on a regular basis I AM SO SORRY! I can’t imagine how this spring has been for you and your training. Yesterday, Sunday 6/8, was the worst. As I was out on my long training ride the pollen was so thick I could see it blowing in the breeze. Inevitably, I was a mucous machine producing snot rockets and lugies that my Father would have been proud of and my Mother would have been disgusted by. I was more annoyed that I had to wipe snot off of my face every 2 minutes that somehow managed NOT to find the ground! I finished my ride a pollen and snot covered mess. Neither are very lady like or attractive, but I have more important things to worry about than what I look like after I’m done working out. 

Kona or Bust right!?

This week I’ve struggled with what to write about. My rant about seasonal allergies is 100% truthful and meant to be funny, but that's not what I intended to write about when I decided to do this. I have a bazillion ideas running through my head and find it tough to find the right way to work them in. I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I blame my mother.

I know this, I always want to deliver a message. Whether it be a one that reaches a select few or something that resonates with the masses.

This week my message is this: Strong is the new skinny! I stole this from my friend but it applies to me as much as it does to everyone else. The two of us were having our daily chat via text. She informed me that she had weighed herself and needed to do something about her diet. If I could have reached through and strangled her I would have. I have watched her train with me since September, 3-4x’s a week. She helped push me through workouts that I didn’t want to do and I’d like to think I changed her view of how she sees herself when she looks in the mirror. Well, I had until this week’s text. Regardless of age or gender there are always going to be things about ourselves that we do not like. My friend didn’t happen to like what the scale said. I furiously typed in a response that regardless of the scale she looks amazing and is stronger and more FIT than she has ever been! I’m guessing that the delayed response was her taking a few moments to contemplate how far she really has come. The next text to blow up my phone was…Strong is the new Skinny!

She got it!

Admittedly, I have my moments too. Far to many to go over, but specific to triathlon one place always wreaks havoc on my confidence. Transition. Have you seen a transition area before a race? It’s the most nerve raking part of a triathlon. Everyone is there sizing you up as you prep your bike and lay out your gear. Waiting in line for the porta-potty you hear everyone’s training schedule and crazy pre-race meals. I hate transition! I know I will never look like a true triathlete. Long and lean, little to no body fat. I equate my build to being that more like a tank. Right or wrong it’s how I feel, but I find a way to channel my inner tank and race like one. Get in my way and I will roll over you. True story.

The important thing to remember here is that “strong” is a relative term. Everyone has their own idea of what strong is. And as I mentioned in my first blog everyone should have their own “Kona”. Whatever it is, it’s yours.

OWN IT!

-SK