Again … talking about food and training, and food in training and racing…and talking about when the weight is what it should be, not to be too low for your race…? As you can also loose too much weight to miss your performance in your race…
Why do I write this now???
Well, I am in Kona now, 1 week before the race, and I am not racing this year, so just here to help other´s who are racing.
And I hear stories, and I see good people, and some of them just don’t have it right.
Some (and that is very few here…..) have not reached their raceweight, while some has….but has gone to far.
Those that have not reached it, will suffer on the run, and maybe a little more with the heat, some has gone too far, and they will suffer on the bike because of loss of power ( coming from the missing training = because of lack of energy) and maybe on the swim (missing muscle power for the last part of the 3,9 swim + laying lower in the water because of extreme low fat%)
So I want you to think about this, and give you some inspiration to how to look at this area.
Favorite breakfast here in Kona; Papayja with yogurt, granola, chiaseed, and acai powder…All the good stuff you need for your day :-)
And why I also talk about this now as for most of us the race season is over. Well, it is time to reflect the past season and evaluate it and look at the good and bads in the races. And if weight is one of your problems, either too high or too low, then it is a great time to start to do something for that, and be there where you should be the next season.
One of the issues to evaluate is for sure your weight. Did you weigh too little/much or did you loose weight too fast…in a short period?
So, food is energy in our every day and training. Without energy we don’t function, and when the training season is on, we need even more energy. What I see many times, from beginner to the highest level, is the problem to loose weight and do your training good, at the same time. If your BMI is over 25, the best for you is to loose some kilos for next raceseason.
So my point here is, that you need to take enough energy before and during training, so you can train well. It doesn’t help that you come to the race, and you have lost 5kg, but you have cut your training short, or even not got out of the door to do it, because you felt the lack of energy. And if your BMI is over 25, it is time to look at the food you intake. Most probably you have unstable eating habits and some cravings do, that you put on weight instead of loosing it. If you have problem in finding out, how to correct this all, find one who can help you with this, and focus in new eating habits.
Shortly put: eat energy in the training, gels, sugar, etc. and then cut the crap when you are not training. Eat healthy and clean outside of the training. This way……you will get down in weight, and up in fitness, Bingo !
So, can you be too skinny, and miss something when training and racing?
If you in a short period loose 3-5 kilos, and at the same time are training hard… most probably you loose the kilos, as you don’t take energy during your training, or after your training. And you most probably also are “on diet” outside of training. And what does this mean then: you miss intensity in your sessions, as without sugar you cannot push as hard as if it was there; you simply run empty… Or if you don’t fill well after the session, you run empty to your next session, and again… you feel sluggish and powerless. Specially the last point is important, as you need proteins for the musclepower, and you don’t want to loose the muscles in order to do a better race and train harder. So all this is going hand in hand.
If your BMI is under 18.5, you need to look if you are fine. This will mean that you are really lean, and that is fast on the run, normally……..
It is a low number, and here you need to see, if you have pains, that actually can be releated to being very lean, and maybe even too lean. Do you get sick often, do you have long healing time from injurys, or ….again, are you having problems sometimes getting your training done, just because you feel a lack of energy ?
You should also look, at the foods that do keep your weight; lots of proteins, good fats and carbohydrates, and don’t forget the energy in your training sessions
Take also a look at your swim-bike-run……if you are missing power on your bike, and you try and try, and it doesn’t get better…
get a coach to help, or maybe go up 1-2 kg in musclepower, and there you go…..power to the people.
It is important to be so fit as possible in the race, but at the same time without loosing any of the training moments. Most of the times the injuries also occur, when you are the fittest and leanest…. so best that you know your body, and feel when it is enough!
And one more point…I love to see how some of the PRO’s are very pros also in this matter.
Spending a lot of time with Crowie , leading up to ITU China and specially now leading up to Kona, Frank is working very much with him, and over the last years, we have had good talks on nutrition, weight, energy etc.
Craig has a very very good sense of where to be in racing weight/energylevel in the body. He really knows, when to loose weight and when it is too low. As the race gets closer, he knows exactly where his weight has to be, and after … he is cool… Puts on some kilos and knows where he has to be when training. And not worrying more about this.
Crowie and Frank on the morning ride
hope I did give you some inspiration for your race…so……See you out there, maybe on saturday on the racecourse 