Ironman Coeur 'd Alene was my 14th full Ironman. I crossed the line in 9 hours and 58 minutes after partaking in one of the toughest Ironman battles of my career. The course topography, the Fahrenheit and fierce competition all stepped up to deliver a worthy engagement. 9 hours and 58 minutes is 35,880 seconds. The peculiar thing about this race is the second that stands out most in my mind is the one right before the starter fired the gun. That fraction of time between the command 'Get Set' and the start. Index finger flexed on the trigger. I remember feeling immensely happy and excited. I was ready for the pain of racing and more than ever I was hoping for a battle. Well, Amber got what she wanted.
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Posted in Training, News and Athlete Spotlight
Karel and I had a dream in 2014 that we would both try to qualify for the 2015 Ironman World Championship at Ironman Wisconsin (2014). We planned out a season of race-cations including St. Croix 70.3 in May, Ironman Austria in June and then Ironman Wisconsin in September and made sure that our training had us peaking with top fitness come IMWI race day.
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Posted in Training, Athlete Spotlight and Coaches Articles
What is the single biggest issue I see with the age groupers I work with? Let me tell you about an e-mail we received. We received a “complaint” from a customer who said he got dehydrated using his custom INFINIT formulation. First, we very rarely get complaints about the product (if ever). It just does not happen that often and it gets our attention fast. Normally it is from the customer doing too much, we see that over and over. They are drinking their product and happily munching on gels and blocks and wonder why they feel like they ate a bag of nails after 5 hours.
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Posted in Training and Science
“Cross Training,” what is it? The simple definition of cross training is, simply put, training in activities that are different than your primary sport. Physiologically speaking, however..... “Physiological adaptations in response to physical training are highly specific to the nature of the training activity. Furthermore, the more specific the training program is to a given sport or activity, the greater the improvement in performance in that sport or activity.” - J.H. Wilmore, D.L. Costill, W.L. Kenney
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Posted in Team INFINIT and Training
New Year’s resolutions have been set and many are embarking on their first marathon training program as a result! In order to maximize performance, it is essential to fuel yourself properly during training runs and racing, especially when runs are prolonged (>90 minutes). As a nutritionist, I have found that many runners tend to overestimate actual run energy expenditure, causing them to overeat during the day and gain unwanted weight during the season. Furthermore, an overzealous calorie intake during training can trigger a multitude of stomach issues (e.g., nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, side stitches, sloshing) and ultimately diminish run performance. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to calculate your calories burned during runs as well as your target calorie replacement needs after about 90 minutes of running. Happy running trails!
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Posted in Training, Beginners Guide and The INFINIT Library
What is your main motivation for restricting intake of animal foods? Is it for ethical or religious reasons? Are you concerned about your health? Are you looking to boost performance? While vegetarian diets have a multitude of benefits, many athletes within the endurance sports arena are simply using plant-based diets as means to control food intake and consequent weight. Unfortunately, severe food restriction will create a major barrier to peak performance and optimal health. Find out why.
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Posted in Training, Beginners Guide and The INFINIT Library
New Years resolutions have been set and many are embarking on their first century training program as a result! In order to maximize performance, it is essential to fuel yourself properly during training rides and racing, especially when you are riding longer than 2 hours. As a nutritionist, I have found that many cyclists tend to overestimate actually cycling energy expenditure, causing them to overeat during the day and gain unwanted weight during season. Furthermore, an overzealous calorie intake during training can trigger a multitude of stomach issues (e.g., nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, side stitches, sloshing) and ultimately diminish performance. Below is a step-by-step guide to help you determine your total calorie burn during training rides as well as your target calorie replacement needs after about 90-120 minutes of cycling. Happy riding trails!
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Posted in Training, Science and Products
Much of the research on aging and endurance performance suggests that there are physiological and nutritional changes that start occurring between the ages of 35 and 40 years that may limit endurance performance. Several master athletes complain of weight gain, slowed recovery time, nagging injuries, and diminished performance. Yet, many master athletes continue to conquer the running scene, beating their younger counterparts. Look at 42 year-old Yekaterina Podkopayeva, a female Russian distance runner who ran 1500 meters in less than 4 minutes. Or marathoner Jack Foster who conquered 26.2 miles in 2:19 at the age of 41. As simple as it may sound, peak performance for all ages relies on 2 factors: smart training and proper nutrition.
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Posted in Training
Most endurance athletes practice some form of carbo-loading on a daily basis as means to prevent glycogen depletion, aka “the wall” or “bonking”, during longer training bouts. Perhaps it is that pasta dinner the night prior to a big workout or a pancake breakfast after a long training run. However, a more regimented form of carbohydrate loading will help “supersaturate” our muscle cells with glycogen to levels 50-100% greater than baseline, thereby delaying or even eliminating that performance-declining “wall” during events that entail a moderate-to-high intensity for longer than 90 minutes.
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Posted in Training, Beginners Guide and The INFINIT Library
One of the most frequently asked questions I get about what is the best protocol for carrying your custom formulas for training and on race day. Here are my thoughts after racing on my custom formula for years but also having worked with literally thousands of coaches and athletes.
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Posted in Training and Beginners Guide
