Garbage In . . . Garbage Out

As we add more increasingly long workouts to our weekly schedules, I'm learning a pretty important lesson: the long workouts are just as much about keeping the gut in check as they are about staying upright. Seriously.

I'm grateful it's still just February, though March lurks around the corner. This gives us plenty of time to practice fueling, to see what works, to see what doesn't work, and to just have some fun.

We've recognize a number of effects from paying close attention to nutrition. For one, we recognize an overall improvement in general health with fewer colds and overall illness. Plus, we fully acknowledge if we want to conquer the world of two-parent amateur athletics (I'm planning on coining that group slot in races), we know we have to put the right kind of fuel in for optimal performance. If we don't drink enough or take in the right fuel, gut problems and headaches ensue. (See my explanation of the 24-hour headache after last week's swim-bike-run)

We are currently trying out a variety of products, thanks to Mr. T.'s experience in the past. I know what works for him may or may not work for me. For example, I drink like a camel when we're cycling, going through about three, twenty-four ounce bottles of fluid in a two-hour indoor bike ride. I won't say what Jason goes through or his trainer may start texting him scalding messages. Let's just say he doesn't go through three, twenty-four ounce bottles in two hours.

A few different influences along with much research have led to this year's training nutrition choices so far. We're always willing to try out something new, but for now, we're embracing some Herbalife (as a meal supplement and recovery shake), Perform (for hydration), Picky Bars (for big-bike nutrition and yummy snacks), GU (for run and bike nutrition), and salt caps (to prevent cramps--certainly not for the taste). We have a method so far as well:

• Start with a healthy breakfast (like a banana, lean protein like Greek yogurt, or, if we're feeling really ambitious, an egg.) We always have coffee here too. Got. To. Have. Coffee. 
• Lunch right now is an Herbalife shake. We're actually starting this part of the nutrition plan this week, and I'll report eventually on how this is turning out. We've been taking in some smoothies at lunch for the past couple of weeks with fruit, yogurt, and whey. I also have been throwing in some avacado and spinach but haven't gotten Jason to swallow the green goop yet. (It's SO good, JT. You have to try it!) 
• Afternoon snack: Picky Bar (YUM!!!) and water all afternoon. 
• Evening: Healthy, sensible dinner. I keep it pretty simple and down to earth. We're not organic eaters, vegans, or any other kind of label. I'd call us moderately healthy eaters. We have vegetables at every dinner, a protein, and a carb. Yes, a carb. So sometimes this means meatballs and potatoes. Sometimes this means rice and salmon. Really, it just depends on the day. We have kids to feed too, you know, and we do live in the Midwest. 

In the end, regardless of if we stick to this particular regimen, we've noticed some pretty important results from purposefully good nutrition and some pretty lousy outcomes from a lack of healthy nutrition. Let me lay it out for you--at least what's happened here: 

Good nutrition: 

• Generally good health--fewer colds, fewer aches and pains, and more energy. 
• Weight loss. (duh) Unwanted pounds eventually go away after consistent days of good nutrition and solid workouts. 
• Workouts NAILED. The hard workouts do not come across as impossible when we pay attention to our nutrition (at least, they don't seem to be as impossible).

Poor nutrition: 

• Generally poor health--more colds, more aches and pains, more injuries, less energy, and general irritability with each other and our little blessings. :( 
• Weight gain. No great workout can erase poor nutrition choices. Period. 
• Workouts suck. Really. A mile never seems so long on the treadmill as the day after a cookie binge. I know. 

So, here's to a week of better health. This last week was a bummer of a week workout wise. We did nothing. I worked. Lots. Jason worked and watched kids. We had one vehicle between the two of us and that meant lots of shuffling. We also had no bikes available as my Little Red and Jason's bike went into the shop for their annual tuneups. I ran long on Monday, and then all workouts stagnated until Saturday when we rode for two hours in the basement (my rear is still speaking to me). Here's to a much better week.