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Getting Chatty!! My Ironman Chattanooga Race Report

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Hobbling around today, is just that nagging reminder to get this race report in the books. As many of you know me, I like to write a short, sweet race report and hopefully find odd places for humour as well as what I learned in this particular journey. So here goes y’all…

Training

I am adding “Training” as a separate paragraph, because I have been told in my triathlon career that it’s more about the journey. Oh yeah, the journey – this time it was quite a rocky one. Why I was not enjoying many of the longer rides and runs as much as I have in the past, was summed up to “burnout”. Definition of Burnout: 2 Ironman races within a year of one another, and two 70.3s back to back within a month following that.

I continued to find the light in the dark side of Chatty though. (I coined the term Chatty while everyone else was using Choo Choo, and the reason may become evident within the story that lies ahead.)

5:00m swims always began with more moans and groans from me than ever, and even a slam of the snooze button, which is so out of character for me. BUT then missing out on swim coach Pete’s “Hello Miss Nutritionist” is difficult, so many a weary morning, I showed up just to hear that (and oh yeah, once I was there, I may as well swim too).

I did stick to those long runs, even if I shaved off a couple of miles from the scheduled distances, because I was being counted on by my faithful training buddies (and vice versa too) Jay and Sheila who made Wednesday mornings more of a party (well at least post run party). This is where Chatty begins… well at least I thought… Having regular running buddies allows one to catch up on all the who’s who in the zoo… Little did I anticipate always lagging behind, and catching my breath trying to catch up, over being chatty became more of a priority. Jay and Sheila, you made my days on Wednesdays… (Hell !!)

And of course I made sure my arse was in the saddle for many hours each week (well at least some hours). With my lack of bike skills, I could not afford not to. This included a few tough centuries (ok, only 2, but many metric centuries, they count too, huh?? 100 is a 100, kilometers or miles, its all the same difference, right?? RIGHT ?? ) I used many hours (as many as I could gather) to catch up on my shows on the spin bike in front of the TV. Even now, Giant (my road bike) is a permanent fixture in the living room (too lazy to pack it up and reassemble every time a ride showed up on my schedule and certainly too sore to pack it up just yet). Jarro the pup has become used to spinning wheels, and instead of barking and jammering for attention from me, he is now soothed by the whirl and has learned to sleep right through… ahh my Pup is growing up !!

Arriving in Chatty Land

Days leading up to race day continued to keep me in a twister. I blame this on feeling like my usual training was lacking, accompanied by unfavourable weather predictions, and the logistics of organizing a special spectator. Although, it is here that the light brightens… I was lucky to have my Mom come all the way from South Africa (via London, and a hop skip and jump to Toronto inbetween) to support me. I even managed to find a Sherpa for my Sherpa, and here is where I am deeply grateful to my friend Dan who came along for the journey, so my Mom could see me race without the stress of me being AWOL.

Swim

Well, the weatherman was wrong. I can’t remember the last time THAT ever happened – other than on Covington century day when it was 95% chance of rain all day predicted, yet not a drop fell on me OR on the last long ride day, and the same miracle happened OR when…. (ok, sure you got that point – suck it Mr. weatherman). The planets aligned, and the storms stayed away. Just as well, because my inner athlete made sure I was one of the first in line for my first IM rolling swim start. Waiting from 4:30am to 7:30am in the rain would have been rather miserable. But it turned out no rain, just a hurry up and wait situation with the twist of having to make a life changing decision “wet suit or not??” (it was an optional wetsuit river temperature, meaning wear a wet suit, and go to the back of the line). After many minutes of flip flopping, the clincher was not to lose my almost first place in line… are you kidding – that should have been a no brainer all along!! And it turned out to be the BEST decision of the day – the swim was awesome!! Definite PR for most, even sans wetsuit!! 1:01 y’all – Beat that!! (I didn’t mean you, elite swimmer…)

Bike

Again, my weakness, me fear, my darkness… and why – simply cos I am stuck in one position for 112 (in this case 116) miles, and yes those extra 4 miles justify mentioning !! . Well everyone is stuck with their butt in a saddle, you may say. But me, I am stuck with the butt in the saddle and my hands glued to the bull horns and brakes. I do not move – I do not swat that bee stinging my forearm, I do not move the strand of loose hair stuck to my face, and I do not push up my sunglasses up even when that action is called for (that is why I do not wear sunglasses)… I keep telling y’all – I have a huge sense of fear and I often question myself – am I really eligible to riding 116 miles like this (well I have done it 3 times, ok the others were 112 (and those 4 miles make no difference at all)… I am sure I am the only person on the IM field with this problem? Anyone else relating? Anyone? Simple summary of the bike… the elation of getting out the river so fast started slowly waning as hundreds and hundreds of other cyclist passed me by… shouting “on your left” as if I was unaware they were even there. A few miles in, this was my new normal… on your left, ahhh shut up already !! WHATEVAH!!! I was in it, not to win it !! So I sucked it up, embraced the beauty of nature, the weatherman’s perfect mistake, and finished ahead of my predicted bike time. Beat that “on your left” !!

Transitions

Everyone asks an ironman triathlete what their strengths are, I am sure expecting either “swim” or “bike” or “run” to be uttered… but I usually utter “transitions” so they are certainly worth a mention in my report. What a high, finally ditching Dorette (formerly known as Dori, also known as “bike”) and embracing the run. It was so awesome to see the volunteers of the women’s changing tent. I think I knew half of them, and each one took on the role of concierge starting with Diane at the greeting desk (dressed to the nines), to Julie inside helping me get my shoes on the right feet, to Nancy just seeing me enter the tent, only to give me a huge hug wishing me a great run… sorry about the remnants of 116 miles Nance, but that embrace was priceless!!

Run

4:00 and 1:00s that is my strategy. For the first 3 or so miles getting to a run of 4 minutes was almost impossible, and the one minute walks became 1:30’s, 2:00s and so on (ok.. stop counting the minutes now!!)… but then Lo and Behold as the mile markers stopped swearing at me, I was rhythmically on plan… I was impressed with my own strength at this point, particularly because of lack of brick work outs that always seem to slip by me on training days! You got that right, I did not do one brick run on my training days, (and for those of you wandering what a brick is, it is how your legs feel after 112 to 116 miles getting off a bike. Moving right along…

Running like the African that I am, merrily, merrily down the river front… who could possibly beat that !! (I do not mean you, elite triathlete on the second loop already)

Then oops, mile 8 or so happened. Who planted mount Everest, after mount Kilimanjaro in Chattanooga? Mmmm, a boer maak a plan y’all (an old South Africanism, meaning a country bumpkin will always find a way)… and so in this city girl decided to walk up the mountains, run down the slopes and throw all 4:00 and 1:00s to the wind only for this midsection of the marathon. It seemed to work !!

Half of my run was in the light of day although at this point the weatherman could redeem himself… rain began, embraced nevertheless, cos I was on my own 2 feet, and Dorette (bike) was already forgotten. Although the rain was welcomed by most of us out there (except the spectators) what was once perfect socks became imperfect blister makers, rubbing subtly at first, eventually turning holy.

I put up with it for some time until it felt like sticks and pine straw inside my shoe. I decided to ditch the socks and run with only shoes… the blisters had already formed, so being sockless wouldn’t be much different… As I was putting this plan in action, a very sweet volunteer named Kelly came over and gave me her socks… wow, what a thoughtful gesture!! Volunteers rock y’all!! Although I joked with Kelly about her socks being cotton (who wears cotton socks any more?? (the athletes would get this ;-)) I think it went over her head, because she was so excited that although she did not do this ironman, her socks did!!

Summary of the run: pretty along riverside, especially during the light of day (that didn’t last much longer,) mountainous in the middle, and flat and wet for the rest. Seeing tons of athlete friends and ATC (Atlanta Tri Club) team mates made this special… you are never alone on a course like this, so even in those very dark moments, and I mean dark of the night as well as dark of emotion, you know humanity comforts!!

Race Summary

All in all, Chatty was a great experience, even with a bumpy road to the finish – bumpy in many ways, burnout set in early, training was not up to parr, as well as those physical bumps, the mountains of Chattanooga (ok, hills). But there was always light, Mom coming all the way to visit and share the day was fantastic. Of course, finally getting Jay to train and become an Ironman was a reward too, and having Dan as a sherpa and cheerleader for both Jay and I was an appreciation of BFFs!!

Things I learned training and racing (or rather participating) Ironman Chattanooga:

Mom is my strengths, my weaknesses, my darks, my lights, my joy, my support system, my life line all rolled into one, and always, always my Rock no matter what. Sharing this part of my life with her, as hard as it may be to relate to, is a blessing.
Sometimes even a Sherpa needs a Sherpa
Some people are just miserable souls… to the local of chatty who threw tacks on the road, and to the other local that covered a portion of the road with oil – you guys suck!! Sabotaging some athletes’ hard, hard work because you had a hard time dealing with a few extra people in your city is the lowest of lows !! I hope the karma train arrives at the station on time!! (choo choo) !! (In case you did not think about it, the athletes, spectators, volunteers, and event staff bring wealth and glory to your hometown…)
Jay is trainable!! You did it Jay, you are an Ironman – and behind every ironman is a female ironman.
Jay is my first time ironman hero – he was tack attacked, yet found a way to still finish (thanks to some athlete who after taken to the hospital after crashing, left a spare tyre for Jay’s personal use) – Karma train is on time!!
I love salted caramel anything. My mind is wandering off to the salted caramel ice cream at the Caboose on Peachtree (yes, the dietitian said that!), salted caramel pretzel pieces, just plain old salted caramel anything… BUT have you ever tried the salted caramel Gu’s… O.M.G
I always thought the difficulty of sleeping after a race is because one feels like they’ve been run over by a truck, but the realization that it is more likely the caffeine in sports products hit me like a ton of bricks (no pun intended on the “brick”) ß- I say this because my muscles were not really sore (only today, 2 days later, like now !!)
Blisters on the ball of ones feet can be debilitating, even 2 days later, like now…
Cross training in the gym is vitally important for strength and power. Although I pulled it out of the air on race day, I found that my power during the training part was directly proportional to time spent in the gym.
Not being a born and bred American, I did not know too much about a product called “Little Debbie”… now I do, and Little Debbie, Ironman Chattanooga’s primary sponsor, is an oxymoron.
Compression socks and hip shorts are underrated (that’s hip compression shorts, not hippie shorts, mind you, hippie shorts are underrated too)
An ice cold coke halfway through the marathon of an ironman should be the next focus of research in successful sports nutrition products. Personal experience dictates it is the perfect combination of sugar, hydration and appeal.
The finisher store is irresistible for a newbie. Thanks for the IM chatty water bottle Jay, hope you get a lot of wear out of your finisher jacket, as I still wear mine from Lake Placid days 😉
I am all things Sports nutrition and sports nutrition is all things ME
I am THAT puppy Momma!! I miss my baby Jarro like a real puppy Momma !! (I thought about getting home to him more on the bike, than of anything else)
Walking a rambunctious puppy with blisters sucks, especially when there are squirrels around the neighborhood
My family, friends that are like the family I don’t have here (Jay, Dan,) all friends, clients, training buddies, students, co-workers (especially my JFCS team) light up my life more than I ever thought possible.
My friend Michael G. who had a serious accident leaving him paralyzed a few months ago is an inspiration. In my deepest, darkest moments, I think of him, and then I think to myself how blessed I am to be able to do this sport, even when I wander why I do it!!
Retirement from IM at least for a few years anyway, feels darn GOOD !!!

TEN BEST SPORTS NUTRITION TIPS

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1. Rev up your metabolism by eating within 30 minutes of waking up, even if its pre workout. If you have a hard time eating before a work out, start off with half a banana to get used to it, its easily digestible, high in carbs and low in fiber, which contribute to a more efficient work out.

2. Recover with a 3:1 carb to protein ratio combination as soon after your work out as possible. Some good examples of this ratio is a protein shake with 1 scoop of protein and at least 2 servings of fruit and some milk or yogurt blended together, or low fat chocolate milk, or a Mix OneT and a fruit. Do not forget to use protein as part of the recovery meal. It begins the rebuild and recovery of muscles as well as makes you feel more satisfied, decreasing the temptation to eat anything not tied down to the table, after many hours of intense activity.

3. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables throughout the day. These superfoods are high in antioxidants which combat off the build up of free radicals from exercise, as well as high in vitamins and minerals that keep your metabolic pathways working efficiently and effectively.

4. Keep a food log daily. Patterns of issues will be evident thus providing you with valuable data. A problem cannot be fixed unless you have the data to get to the root of it. Furthermore, logs make you self accountable to your goals and your current focus.

5. Always have a sports nutrition strategy, for both training and racing. Plan in segments eg. How many grams of carbs either mile by mile or in 15-20 minute blocks. Plan textures and products, eg. Liquids (GatoradeT, acceleradeT), solids (sports beans, shot bloks) or semi solids (gels).

6. Know your carbs. Fuel accordingly. Pre work out and post work out carbs can be higher in (GI) Glycemic Index compared to the rest of the meals in a day, where slower burning carbs would be more appropriate. If you are not sure of the different fuel burning rate of carbs, good examples of fast are sports drinks, gels, and shot bloks, also banana and potato. Slower burning would be whole grain products, whole grains themselves (like brown rice, barley, quinoa), legumes, oats (more fibrous carbs slow the fuel burn rate). See other articles in this regard the MY sports nutrition article library too (www.onforlife.com/blog/)

7. Stay constantly hydrated. Goal pre workout is to be hydrated, goal during workout is to keep replacing losses, goal after workout is to rehydrate and replenish electrolytes from sweat loss.

8. Experiment with nutrition during training. Never try new products during a race and do not regress from the sports nutrition strategy you had designed for a particular race.

(Remember to include relaxing and resting as part of your rebuild strategy)

9. Use safe and effective carbo loading strategies starting about a week before a race. Tapering exercise and switching carbs to a higher percentage at least 3 days before a race, leading up to the race is the most effective way of carbo loading. Do not over eat the night before or the early morning before a race.

10. Eat nutrient dense food (rich in color and fiber) versus calorie dense food with limited nutrients (such as sodas and candy). Body stores carbs in limited amounts therefore eating smaller meals more often throughout the day will aid in maintaining well fueled muscles constantly, rather than 2 or 3 big meals a day which just slows down the metabolism.

(Do not rely on the scale for Body Composition measurements Muscle is denser than fat, and therefore weighs more)

The Mammogram Poem

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[Anonymous]

(This poem has been around for awhile, and in honour of October being breast awareness month, I thought it may be a great time to repost)

For years and years they told me,
Be careful of your breasts.
Don’t ever squeeze or bruise them.
And give them monthly tests.

So I heeded all their warnings,
And protected them by law.
Guarded them very carefully,
And I always wore my bra.

After 30 years of astute care,
My gyno, Dr. Pruitt,
Said I should get a Mammogram.
“O.K,” I said, “let’s do it.”

“Stand up here real close” she said,
(She got my boob in line,)
“And tell me when it hurts,” she said,
“Ah yes! Right there, that’s fine.”

She stepped upon a pedal,
I could not believe my eyes!
A plastic plate came slamming down,
My hooter’s in a vice!

My skin was stretched and mangled,
From underneath my chin.
My poor boob was being squashed,
To Swedish Pancake thin.

Excruciating pain I felt,
Within it’s vice-like grip.
A prisoner in this vicious thing,
My poor defenseless tit!

“Take a deep breath” she said to me,
Who does she think she’s kidding?!?
My chest is mashed in her machine,
And woozy I am getting.

“There, that’s good,” I heard her say,
(The room was slowly swaying.)
“Now, let’s have a go at the other one.”
Have mercy, I was praying.

It squeezed me from both up and down,
It squeezed me from both sides.
I’ll bet SHE’S never had this done,
To HER tender little hide.

Next time that they make me do this,
I will request a blindfold.
I have no wish to see again,
My knockers getting steamrolled.

If I had no problem when I came in,
I surely have one now.
If there had been a cyst in there,
It would have gone “ker-pow!”

This machine was created by a man,
Of this, I have no doubt.
I’d like to stick his balls in there,
And see how THEY come out.

Body Temperature: a Metabolic Thermostat

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Ilana Katz MS, RD, CSSD

It seems the climate in most areas is a topic of conversation these days. It’s not that we are making small talk with weather conditions, but the unusual climates are setting in. Freezing way before winter starts, or a few hot days emerging in the midst of a cold spell, and vice versa for Summer. So how does a cyclist (or endurance athlete) know how to dress, or even eat accordingly, when they could experience four seasons in a matter of hours. In this article I intend to address how temperature changes ones metabolism, and if you as an athlete can use varying nutrition to take the most advantage of what Mother Nature has to offer.

As body temperature increases, so does metabolism. Thus temperature and metabolism become directly related and metabolism itself is directly affected by all daily living components, that is eating, sleeping, exercise and physical exertion.

Body Temperature and Metabolism

Working muscles cause the internal body temperature to increase. The physiology of blood transporting oxygen as needed and removing the byproduct requires the metabolism of calories, or as we know it, food energy. This further translates into the more activity, the higher the body temperature, and the ultimate requirement an increase in the metabolism of more calories. So the question becomes what happens in cold weather. A cold body temperature decreases the chance of burning more calories. So one would think that if you have not dressed warmly enough for a long ride in winter, you may jeopardize your chances of burning calories. Actually, the opposite is true, and here is a good time to introduce the difference between internal and external body temperature. Internal body temperature will rise when a body is active, this is a given. When externally the temperature is extremely cold, physiology takes over to ensure the internal temperature is safe and warm, hence the effect of shivering. Simply put, movement of bones and muscles become involuntary to generate heat. So how does food choices on a long ride effect this, actually very little. The important thing is the cyclist is giving the body enough food to provide the fuel the metabolism is demanding.

Types of Metabolism and Body Temperature

Most of the calories burned on a daily basis actually takes place during resting periods, also known as basal metabolism. Basal metabolism includes all of the body’s natural functions required to sustain life. The basal metabolism varies from individual to individual, typically affected by health conditions, body composition and body temperatures.

Through your cycling efforts, more calories become metabolized due to the increase in the body’s temperature through working muscle tissue. Calories required for this and other physical activity account for some of the calories needed for basal metabolism, but not as many as most people think. In other words, if you catch yourself allowing a feast fit for a king because you rode a couple of hours, you may be missing the point, especially if you are trying to get leaner. For an optimal burn in fat, not every calorie needs to be replenished post work out, and furthermore, the body has a lot more potential to store calories (stored calories = fat) as it becomes more of an efficient machine. Aerobic endurance (which cycling certainly is) has the potential to teach your body to become efficient, which also means, you would require less fuel to get through the same ride today, as you did a year ago.

The amount of calories metabolized through exercise and muscle exertion does however increases the body’s basal metabolism over time, and certainly temporarily after a long ride. But remember basal metabolism, is different to the fuel needed for during a long ride.

There are many calorie calculators (apps and online) that can give you an average caloric burn per hour. But be warned, these calculators are all basing the calculations on the middle of a bell shaped curve (average) of what you enter in to them. For example the amount of caloric burn for an average size male (170 lbs) riding at about 16 – 18 mph is about 800 calories. My point is, there is no way the calculator can know where this individuals basal metabolic rate lies, what his muscle mass versus fat mass is, if he has a history of long consistent endurance training or is a newbie – all these factors, and more, affect this calculation.

There is a silver lining even as we become metabolically efficient, and that is that merely just eating and digesting food, the body metabolizes some extra. This natural process, often referred to as the thermic effect, increases through the process of eating healthy foods and remaining active. Dehydration and excessively decreasing body temperature reduces the body’s ability to digest food properly.

Muscle Demands

Both muscle strengthening (resistance exercises) and aerobic or cardiovascular activities such as cycling, increase body temperature and break down muscle tissue. In order for muscles to grow and repair broken down fibers, the muscle tissue requires calorie metabolism in order to carry out the functions. This is a continual process which has further demands on the metabolism to work hard consistently, even at rest. In other words, during sleep, muscle groups continue to repair. This is a great physiological explanation of why breaking down and repairing muscle with the correct recovery nutrition increases ones metabolism. In other words, that same 170 lb male in the example above, may actually burn 1000 calories versus 800 per hour cycling, if he has more lean muscle and less fat.

In Summary

The human body regulates internal temperature in order to maintain a steady rate in which normal functions occur. As mentioned above, during the winter or in a very cold room, a human will normally shiver. This natural process represents the body fighting in order to keep muscles warm and the body temperature stable. The direct opposite of this situation, when external temperatures become extremely hot or even warm, the body sweats in order to keep the body cool. This process does not increase metabolism and neither does shivering, simply because neither of the two raise or lower body temperature, but rather fight to maintain a stable rate. Therefore it is irrelevant as to what the temperature of the food you are eating on the bike, in hot or cold extremes, as long as the food is fuel to compensate the metabolic burn rate.

Power Muffin Recipe – Ideal for Optimal Fuel or Recovery

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RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Power muffins are great for a pre work out energy boost, with the perfect amount of carbs to get your metabolism revved up. They are simple, quick and delicious for the time strapped athlete – make a bunch at a time – they are freezable too!!

Take one out of the freezer and take it to work with you for your afternoon snack.

If you use them for recovery, remember to add an extra source of protein along with it, like perhaps a glass of milk, or some Greek yogurt – Yummy!!

Enjoy and feel free to offer me your feedback.

POWER MUFFINS

(Recipe Makes 12 Muffins)

turtle

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 cup oatmeal
3 Tbsp vanilla whey protein
½ cup brown sugar**
1 tbsp truvia (natural sweetener)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
½ tsp all spice
1 ¼ cup grated carrots
1 cup seedless raisins
¾ cup 1% milk (or whatever you have on hand, adjust calorie count)
½ cup low fat buttermilk
¼ cup light ricotta cheese
½ cup mashed (or canned) swt potato
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 large egg white
1 large egg

** I use honey molasses crystals or evaporated cane juice. Don’t be put off by the large size, they won’t go bad.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Combine all wet ingredients in another bowl. Mix well.

4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.

5. Spray a muffin tin with Pam and fill to 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately

weigh in

1 serving (1 muffin)

149 cals, 5g protein, 26g carbs,

3g fat, 179mg sodium

You can get more recipes and nutrition calculators .