Alright! Week 1 wasn't tooooo bad. My primary goals were to start waking up early and to get my eating back on track following a bit of holiday gluttony. I'd say this week's goals were mostly met! A lingering cold was a bit cumbersome in the early morning, and it keeps trying to break through so this notion may need to be dialed back until I'm 100% healthy again.
Since training wasn't the key objective, I only got in two runs but that's one more run than I squeezed in last week - baby steps! The long run didn't feel fantastic but it also didn't kill me so I suppose I just need to get out and get going.
Meanwhile I have my meals planned and prepped for the upcoming week and every day has been logged - I really hope I can keep this up. The nutrition log is already showing some interesting trends and I'm anxious to see how they relate to training performance.
Yesterday I decided to count the UCAN nutrition talk as the kick-off to the season since I found the environment so inspiring.
A fellow club member and nutritionist by trade shared some details around metabolic efficiency (ME) training - a topic I'm loosely interested in - and I'm going to try to capture the take-aways before I forget:
Since I already eat paleo I think it's just a matter of getting the macro ratios right and finding the right balance of fuel/electrolyte for training. Last year during long rides I was using Hammer Perform and occasionally supplementing with my old go-tos (Stinger waffles or Stinger/Gu fruity snacks - love those), but I would occasionally wind up crashing after the 3-hour mark and then cramping/bloating on the run when I tried to shoot a Hammer gel, so I definitely didn't have it right.
This reflection will surface again later; until then, let's continue.
The greatest inspiration of the day came from Matt Bach, IMMD 1st overall finisher and fellow club member. Matt shared the key changes that helped him nail his IMMD victory, and it was relieving to learn he had implemented the same principles that I would like to implement this year:
This was inspiring. This reinforced that I do indeed know what I need to do, now I just need to GO DO IT!
This week's objectives will be to continue what I started in week 1 and now to try to get in a little training when I wake up in the morning. Check back again next week to see how I fare!
Since training wasn't the key objective, I only got in two runs but that's one more run than I squeezed in last week - baby steps! The long run didn't feel fantastic but it also didn't kill me so I suppose I just need to get out and get going.
Meanwhile I have my meals planned and prepped for the upcoming week and every day has been logged - I really hope I can keep this up. The nutrition log is already showing some interesting trends and I'm anxious to see how they relate to training performance.
Yesterday I decided to count the UCAN nutrition talk as the kick-off to the season since I found the environment so inspiring.
A fellow club member and nutritionist by trade shared some details around metabolic efficiency (ME) training - a topic I'm loosely interested in - and I'm going to try to capture the take-aways before I forget:
- ME attempts to train the body to consume fat over carbs via the macronutrient profile. (Friel's books have discussed this and it's great to hear it reinforced)
- This is achieved by activating fat-burning through the right food choices & the right timing with respect to exercise (also discussed in Friel's books).
- Consume protein with every carb!
- When fat is the primary energy source (vs carbs or protein - muscle), less fueling is required during activity. This also means less consumption of muscle = quicker recovery.
- UCAN is a strong compliment to ME due to the slow-burning super-starch carbohydrate (vs maltodextrin found in my current nutrition-of-choice) -- this mix allowed Matt to complete IMMD on 94 cal/hour ----- holy smokes
Since I already eat paleo I think it's just a matter of getting the macro ratios right and finding the right balance of fuel/electrolyte for training. Last year during long rides I was using Hammer Perform and occasionally supplementing with my old go-tos (Stinger waffles or Stinger/Gu fruity snacks - love those), but I would occasionally wind up crashing after the 3-hour mark and then cramping/bloating on the run when I tried to shoot a Hammer gel, so I definitely didn't have it right.
This reflection will surface again later; until then, let's continue.
The greatest inspiration of the day came from Matt Bach, IMMD 1st overall finisher and fellow club member. Matt shared the key changes that helped him nail his IMMD victory, and it was relieving to learn he had implemented the same principles that I would like to implement this year:
- Training with a power meter to optimize the output on the bike to the race distance
- Consistency
- Completing "critical workouts" - the workouts that push you out of your comfort zone
- Strength training in the off-season
- Improved nutrition (he did it via metabolic efficiency training and using UCAN nutrition)
This was inspiring. This reinforced that I do indeed know what I need to do, now I just need to GO DO IT!
This week's objectives will be to continue what I started in week 1 and now to try to get in a little training when I wake up in the morning. Check back again next week to see how I fare!
RSS Feed
