Nutrition and Three Wild Dogs!

Food and nutrition have always been a pain in the ass for me.  I mean, seriously, I needed to have medical intervention to stop stuffing myself with food.  Even though my weight loss has been successful, thanks to exercise, I still struggle with eating.  Here’s the funny part.  Before, I only worried about what to eat so I didn’t gain weight.  Now, I worry about what to eat so I can be a better athlete.

When I eat what I’m supposed to, I feel great.  I have energy all day, my mood is better (at least I think so--you may need to confirm with my husband), and I sleep like a baby.  My workouts also benefit from my food choices.  I’m faster, I’m stronger, and I don’t feel like I’m running on empty all day.  But when I don’t eat smart, it all goes to hell in a heartbeat!

So now, with Galveston 70.3 in my future, it’s time to consistently make better food choices.  I recently visited with a nutritionist, and she advised me to start with breakfast.  This is easy for me because I love breakfast!  My typical breakfast used to consist of a waffle, peanut butter, and honey.  Now, it’s hardboiled eggs, bacon, and an avocado--and if I’m working out that morning, I’ll throw in some carbs too.  So far my breakfast is on point.  My next meal to tackle is lunch.  I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

My workout week started with a terrifying bike ride.  I’ve been riding for a while and this Sunday was the first time I was chased by dogs.  Not just any dogs, but big Twilight wolf looking dogs who may or may not have been foaming at the mouth.  While these vicious beasts were trying to bite my ankles, I panicked, but then remembered what someone once told me: “if you don’t want to get bitten by dogs, just pedal faster.”  So pedal faster I did.  After what seemed like miles, but was more like yards, we finally lost those wild dogs! 

The dog experience prepared me for something even scarier: my lactate threshold heart rate test.  This test helps determine my heart rate zones for when I’m training.  On Tuesday I went to my spin class, strapped on my heart rate monitor, and set up my bike computer.  I warmed up for 10 minutes on the trainer and then the pain began.  The clock started and I had to ride hard and keep my cadence at 90 rpm for the next 30 minutes.  I felt pretty good at first, but then my legs started to burn and I started looking for a bucket.  Thankfully, with the help of my coach and my team encouraging me, I finished the test.  The bad news is I have to do it all over again in September.  See y’all next week!

Workout song of the week:  Kick Start My Heart, Motley Crue

Inspirational quote of the week:  “If we let our head drop, our heart drops with it. Keep your head up, and your body is capable of amazing feats.” --Chrissie Wellington