June Numbers

Well, here I am, almost exactly 2 months into my new diet and one month into “official” IM training. Also during this time, I’ve put about 134 miles on my Brook’s shoes (they are completely awesome by the way!), I am seeing a whole new perspective on training, and am currently assisting in the creation of a masters team for ONE Multisport (where I will be the assistant coach!)


Let’s talk about the diet/nutrition component of my training thus far. Here is the basic outline of what I’m supposed to be eating:

BREAKFAST (APPROX 7:00 AM)

• 1 T Omega -3 Flax Oil
• ¼ C Blueberries
• ½ C Plain Oatmeal
• 2 Large Eggs
• 4 Servings (12 T) Egg Whites

AM SNACK (APPROX 10:00 AM)

• 24 Almonds
• 2 T Peanut Butter
• 8oz Almond Milk (Original/Unsweetened)
• 1 Scoop 100% Whey Protein Powder

LUNCH (APPROX 1:00 PM)

• 6oz Skinless Chicken Breast
• 1 C Chopped Broccoli
• ¼ C Bell Pepper
• 1 C Brown Rice

PM SNACK (APPROX 4:00 PM)

• 2 T Peanut Butter
• 8oz Almond Milk (Original/Unsweetened)
• 1 Scoop 100% Whey Protein Powder

DINNER (APPROX 7:00 PM)

• 6oz Skinless Chicken Breast
• ¾ C Asparagus
• ½ C Whole Wheat Spaghetti (Cooked)
• ½ C Romaine Lettuce (Shredded)
• ½ C Sliced Cucumber
• ¼ C Cherry Tomatoes
• 3 T Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 T Omega -3 Oil

OPTIONAL SNACK OR PRE-MORNING WORKOUT SNACK

• 1 Small Banana
• 1 Scoop 100% Whey Protein Powder

The only supplement I’m taking right now is a downright nasty brown powder called “Colon Pure” and it does exactly what you think it does. It’s 100% pure psyllium seed husk that does not dissolve well in water. The theory behind taking this that it clears out the colon so that the nutrients I’m ingesting can be better absorbed into the body. In other words, I’m taking in approximately 240g of protein a day and in order for my body to absorb most of it effectively, I need to clear some things out that could hamper the process. Got that? At any rate, I mix this stuff up, in a silver cocktail shaker, with about 8oz of the coldest water I can get, and then slam it as fast as I can while holding my breath. Nasty, nasty, nasty, stuff.

For the first 3 weeks, I stuck to this meal plan EXCLUSIVELY and didn’t deviate from it once. Eventually, I asked Eric for a nutritional guide that shows the switches I can make to keep everything as close as possible. For example, if I’d rather have some steak, in lieu of chicken, I would consult the guide and see that I could only have 4oz. After a few more weeks, I stopped measuring and didn’t worry about having various items included on the menu. If I was out of bell pepper, I’d just double up on a different veggie. I’m at the point now where I can’t even finish my dinner sometimes and rarely consume the optional snack at all. While this nutrition plan wasn’t enacted for me to lose weight, I have lost about 5-8 lbs depending on when I weigh myself. I started the plan, and official training, around 167lbs and just this week, our bathroom scale showed 159 lbs.

Weight chart starting approximately the same time I started my new diet and official IM training:

The new perspective that I’m seeing is best describes as “Training with a purpose, not just training.” The best way I can describe it is like this: In 2010 (prior to hiring Frank), James and I would both agree on a mileage based ride and then go do it. Every Saturday was a hundred miles and we’d get out and ride. There weren’t any intervals, spinning at different RPMs, or hill work. My rides have 2x10s (2 sets of 10min @ a prescribed effort), or 8x1s, or 20 min “IM effort”, or small chain ring spinning, or even prescribed RPM training. In fact, some of my workouts are so detailed, that I have to actually tape them to my bike:

This time last year, I was also consuming gel after gel and oz. after oz. during our weekend rides. So far, I’ve been instructed to eat nothing while riding and only drink water (no EFS or other electrolyte drink). Keep in mind, my longest rides have been between 2:45 and 3 hours. During my first few rides with no fuel on board, I found myself really wanting something about ¾ of the way through. Now, however, I’ve completely adjusted to the water only theory. The same can be said for my previous run training too. In 2010, I would settle on a distance and get it done and then up it by a few miles the next week. Again, no intervals, no real attention to HR, and no drills or hills. This time around, I have all of that. The most interesting aspect of my run training is that my workouts are prescribed in terms of hours, not miles. Instead of going for a 6 mile run, I go for a 60 min run and whatever distance I travel in that time is not that important. What seems to be more important is staying under a certain HR or incorporating strides, efforts, or hills. If I need to walk to bring HR down, then that’s what I do. My Brooks running shoes have performed flawlessly thus far. I haven’t had any pain, discomfort, or even a hint that something was wrong from last November. They are super comfortable and feel great while running.

JUNE 2010 TOTALS:

SWIM = 26750 yards
BIKE = 672 miles (583 tri & 89 road)
RUN = 81.63 miles
GYM/STRENGTH = 0

JUNE 2012 TOTAL:

SWIM = 14712.4 yards (-12037.6 yards)
BIKE = 392.22 (-279.78)(328.03 tri & 64.19 road)
RUN = 81.23 (-0.4 miles)
GYM/STRENGTH = 3 times

OVERALL 2010 SEASON (Dec 2009 – June 2010)

SWIM = 144100 yards
BIKE = 3371.75 miles (2243 tri & 1128.75 road)
RUN = 356.23 miles
GYM/STRENGTH = 14 times

OVERALL 2012 SEASON (Dec 2011 – June 2012)

SWIM = 137003 yards (-7097 yards)
BIKE = 2062.54 miles (-1309.21 miles)(1564.72 tri & 497.82 road)
RUN = 179.41 miles (-176.82 miles)
GYM/STRENGTH = 20 times