How to Find the Right Bike Saddle with Coach Kristen

Whether you’re zooming down the road with the sun on your face and wind in your hair, or crushing Zwift races in your basement, riding a bike is simply awesome.  What is decidedly NOT awesome is saddle pain.  Here are a few tips to help you find the right saddle for you, so that you can enjoy cycling pain-free, and maximize your potential on the bike!

Pain Does Not Equal Gain

As endurance athletes, we’re conditioned to endure hours upon hours of training and racing.  Saddle pain is not something you should attempt to push through - numbness, pain, saddle sores, etc are signs that you need to take action, and unattended, could set you up for long term damage.  Keep in mind that if you’re experiencing pain and therefore shifting around on your saddle, breaking the TT position to sit up and give yourself relief, etc - you’re not making the most of your fitness, and you won’t be able to ride to your potential.  You should be focused on cranking out watts, and not pain in your nether regions!  

Get Fit!

Get a professional bike fit, and work with your fitter to identify saddles that will work for your anatomy and position on your bike.  Your fitter should be someone who you trust and can talk openly with - be honest about what is and isn’t working for you, and why.  Keep an open mind, and remember that everyone’s bodies are different; a saddle that your friend swears by may not be right for your shape and anatomy.  Remember that as your bike fit evolves, your saddle needs may change as well.

Check Your Shorts

There are other factors that contribute to comfort too - like your shorts and chamois cream.  Make sure that you’re wearing quality bike shorts that are tight fitting, free from irritating seams, and made of antibacterial fabric.  Use a sufficient amount of chamois cream - and consider also applying some cream directly to the chamois in your shorts (our sponsor, Zealios, makes a great product called Betwixt - highly recommend!).  When picking shorts, keep in mind that more padding might not be better for you riding in the TT position.  Also, make sure that you’re washing your shorts as quickly as is reasonable after you ride to keep bacteria at bay.

Consider an Adjustable Saddle

Still uncomfortable?  You may want to consider an adjustable saddle, like Bisaddle.  These saddles are infinitely adjustable, and will allow you to completely customize your fit.  Bisaddle offers 3 different models, as well as a saddle builder that allows you to customize your rails, frame and surface padding.

Hope these tips help you get comfy on your bike, and make cycling more fun, and less of a literal pain in the ass!

• Coach Kristen

NEXT STEPS - How Ironman Plans to Return to Racing in 2021

Yesterday Ironman University certified coaches had the honor of listening to Andrew Messick the CEO of Ironman give a live presentation on the way forward in 2021 for Ironman races around the world.

The presentation gave a deeper understanding of the process Ironman uses to determine if a race will take place.

The bottom line- Ironman is ready to race; they are ready to implement safe races around the world.

And if you are reading this in New Zealand, Australia, or Tawain, rejoice as they are ready to race and are confident that races will take place as planned for early this year.

No matter where you are located, here is the protocol that is in place for determining if a race is a go.

1. What is the current Covid infection and hospitalization rate in the host city.

2. What is the current Covid infection and hospitalization rate in the origin city of the athletes. Ironman combs through the participant list to determine where athletes are coming from and the risk factors at play in their country or state of origin.

3. What are the travel restrictions in place for both the host city and the most frequently attended athlete place of origin. For example if 25 % of the athletes who are signed up to race are coming from a country where they are technically not allowed to travel from to the host city - is the race viable?

4. What is the status of the vaccine in the host location.

Once these points are analyzed, and providing it is both safe and viable then the final call is made my the local health department. It is important to note that the most important factor to consider is if the local government will grant the race permission to take place, and as we all know that varies wildly from state to state, and country to country.

So will you race in 2021?

The short answer is HELL YES.

The long answer is that it just depends on where the race is and when the race is supposed to take place, clearly the later in the year, with the potential of a larger part of the population vaccinated the greater the chance of your race happening.

To put it plainly, if you are racing this fall, you better bet on the fact that you’ll be racing, so you should get on that training schedule NOW. If you’re racing in January and don’t live in AZ or NZ, well then it’s iffy.

But any way you slice it - Ironman is ready and you better be too.

Endurance Fuel - with Coach Kristen

Not only does Coach Kristen excel at coaching, she is also a kick-ass chef. Check out this tasty recipe that makes for a great post workout meal!

When the weather cools down, warm salads are where it’s at!  This colorful, produced-packed salad is bursting with delicious fall & winter flavors.  Farro is slightly nutty in flavor, and is an extremely nutritious grain.  It’s an excellent source of protein and fiber, and adds a lot of heartiness to this dish.  This salad also keeps well in the refrigerator, and is a weekly staple in my house.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Roasted Butternut Squash & Farro Winter Salad

Approximately 6 servings 

1 cup farro, dry

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into ½” dice

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ c chopped parsley

¼ c almonds, chopped

¼ c dried cranberries

3 cups kale (lacinato or curly), finely shredded

15 oz can chickpeas, drained & rinsed

2 medium apples, cored & cut into ½” dice

½ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese, optional

Maple Apple Cider Vinaigrette 

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon maple syrup

Sea salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Place the butternut squash on a rimmed baking sheet, season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Roast the squash in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until tender.  Remove from the oven, and set aside to cool slightly before adding to the salad.

3. While the squash is roasting, cook the farro according to package instructions.  Set aside to cool slightly before adding to the salad.

4. Place all dressing ingredients in a large bowl; whisk to combine.

5. Add kale to the bowl with dressing; massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, about 1-2 minutes.  Add the diced apples and toss to combine.  Add all remaining ingredients (except for optional cheese), and toss.

6. Transfer the salad to a serving dish and enjoy warm.  This salad will keep for several days in an airtight container in the refrigerator; leftovers are delicious served cold, or warmed up!

Don't Call it a Triathlon Comeback - with Coach Scott

With 2021 right around the corner, it is hard to not be excited for a new year. It would be naive to think that there is still not some uncertainty out there, but the feeling that we are closer than ever to the return to racing is certainly present.  I can't wait to be back racing. I love to not only watch my athletes race, but I love racing myself. 

Right now is the time to put yourself in the best position for 2021 races. As a coach and athlete  the last thing I want is to have athletes scrambling to make a “comeback”,  and frankly your chances of success in 2021 are much less likely each day you wait to start on consistent training. 

Here is what I am focusing on with both my athletes as with my own coach:

1. Do not look at 2021 as a comeback,  but leverage the base that was built in 2020, and  build on what you already have. While it might feel like we are all starting from scratch, most of us did a lot of movement in 2020 - even if it was not as focused as we might have wanted it to be. 

2. Control what you can. All of us are able to control consistency and to plan ahead and work on improving in 1 or 2 key areas such as your fueling, or your sleep.

3. Chip away at improvements, do not make sweeping goals. I like to encourage my athletes to focus on small process goals that will lead to big outcomes. For example, so not worry that each run is not at XX pace - that is not a data point that matters, rather make sure that each run is well fueled and to the specifics your coach asks of you.

4. If you have neglected some areas of training, don't accept it as too late to make a change, rather develop a plan to focus and look to where you can be by the end of January and February. Many triathletes start bringing a sharp focus to  their training in early spring which is too short of a window to have a successful season. At Evolve we challenge athletes to work on their 2021 season at the end of 2020 with consistent habits going into the new year.

5. It is important to establish SMART goals for 2021 and also establish a daily mantra that will help you get there. For me, this has been where can I be in 45 days. After just 45 days of consistent structured training with a solid base you can start seeing improvements. 45 days work as it is not that long of a time period, but it is also a chance to reestablish healthy habits. Then in another 45 days, you should be in a great spot for fine-tuning your race season.

If you have not been coached before, NOW is the time to start that relationship to build into a solid 2021 season. 

Four Essential Core Moves for Endurance Athletes - with Coach Katie

Here are my four essential core moves for endurance athletes (no, not planks!)

We should all know by now that a strong core is necessary for keeping our movement functional and our bodies injury-free. But do you ever stop to think about what your core actually encompasses? It’s not necessarily about having rippling 6-pack abs (that actually come from low body fat and genetics more than anything else.) Having a strong core means that all the muscles of your torso, front and back, are stable, balanced, and activated. Here are 4 of our favorite exercises that’ll strengthen your body up for better swimming, biking, and running. Click each heading for video demonstrations.

1. Dead Bug

This move is at the top of our list because it can be modified for almost anyone of any ability, fitness level, or limitation. We love versatile exercises that can grow with your fitness, and this is one of the best. Lie on your back with knees stacked over hips, bent at 90 degrees, and arms directly above shoulders. Slowly kick one leg out without arching your lower back, then return to 90 degrees. Repeat on the other side. If that’s too challenging right away, and you feel your lower back lifting off the floor, one modification is keeping your knee bent and tapping your toe on the ground instead of extending your leg. To progress the move, lower your opposite arm overhead as you extend your leg. Take it a step further by pressing your right hand and left leg into each other while extending your left hand and right leg, then switch. 3 sets of 10 reps per side is great for the dead bug.

2. Russian Twist

Here’s another move that lends itself to modifications and progression. Beginners, start seated, leaning back slightly, with your feet on the floor so you can focus on bracing your abs and moving safely without stressing your lumbar spine. Twist from side to side with control, holding a weight such as a light medicine ball once you’ve mastered the motion. As you get stronger, lift your feet until you can eventually straighten your legs. Once you’re there, it’s time for a heavier medicine ball! Start with 3 sets of 10 reps per side and move up from there.

3. Superman

The oft-neglected posterior core will appreciate the strength you’ll gain from this move. Lie face-down on your mat with toes pointed and glutes engaged. Arms should be shoulder-width reaching forward, gaze down toward the floor. Use the muscles of your upper back to lift your torso and use your glutes to lift your legs, then lower slowly. Some variations include lifting alternating arms and legs. Supermans are especially helpful in building swim-specific strength. 3 sets of 12 slow reps is a great place to start for this one.

4. Bird Dog

Kind of like a flipped-over dead bug, this is a great move for improving your balance while you strengthen your entire torso. On hands and knees, you will brace your core to hold a neutral spine. With control, lift one arm off the floor to a 45-degree angle level with your shoulder, then slowly lower. Do the same on the other arm. Then straighten and lift one leg to hip height without allowing your lower back to arch, and slowly lower. Repeat on the other leg. Once you’re strong and confident with that variation, try lifting your right arm and left leg simultaneously (and then left arm, right leg.) This progression really challenges your balance. You can also utilize a band to add resistance to this exercise, but not until you’re able to complete 3 sets of 15 reps per side without any movement in your lower back.

There you have it – 4 quick and simple moves that will stave off injury and make you feel like a top-notch triathlete. Reach out to your coach with any questions, and don’t be shy about throwing these in on a strength day even if they’re not on your workout! Remember, there are numerous variations and progressions for each of these movements, so you’ll never run out of ways to make them work for you.

WHY I TRAIN

This has not been an easy year. 

It might be honest to say that at this point in life the memes about how much we have learned or grown in 2020 are getting a little tiring. 

In March when the United States and most of the Western world started to hunker down, there was this feeling that this cannot be real, and once it became real, that quickly shifted to well, this will be over soon.

March turned to May, May to August, and here we are now in December facing shorter days, cold weather and a lot of uncertainty. 

While I have grown tired of all of this, I still remain hopeful and excited about the future. And some days I have no fucking clue why?!?!

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But then I remember that I am wired for the long haul, and not for the short gain. 

And I attribute that to my background as an endurance athlete. 

And for that I feel lucky; I am lucky to have a tool box that I can draw from when I am laying on the couch struggling to get to work, or workout, or do at home learning with my daughter, or just being an adult. 

I would like to start by saying that if you judge me just based on social media - it might look like I am always working out and it is my one true love. It is. But just like any relationship, I have days that I need to put in more work, argue a little, resolve some conflicts - you know the self talk battle that can happen.

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Here is how I have managed to get it in even when there are no races in sight - 

1. I do not work on my fitness just to cross a finish line. 

I have been at this thing a long time and each season I think will be better than the last, even if it is not - but I always  put in the work to make that happen. I love the tweaks and the lessons that come out of racing and I love the validation and goal that it gives me, but I also love the goals that my coach gives me. I love the daily execution, that leads to a week, or a month, or a block or a year. I love to crash into my bed at night feeling as if I crossed my daily finish line. I view each day as a mile in my journey and if I get to cross an actual finish line then great, but if not, I am happy knowing that even without a big shiny goal I did not give up on me. To me this is comparable to when you are racing and you feel awful or the race is heading south for whatever reason - are you the athlete who gives in, or are you the athlete who leans in?

2. Working out is a form of self care for me.

And I genuinely believe that it should be the same for you. When Brynja turned six weeks old, I took her to the YMCA daycare for the first time and continued to do so each and every day for the first year of her life. I was scared to death the first time that I dropped her off - but man was that hour to myself something. As long as I got in an hour of working out, I was invincible for the rest of the day. And that still holds true. For some this can be a much needed solo endeavour and time to think alone, or it can be a time to see another human and chat through all the things on your mind. For me it can be the only time in a week that I have in person (socially distanced of course) adult human contact. 

3. My mental health is directly linked to my ability to move my body.

When I was 18 and started to run, I told my doctor that I was so happy when I ran, and so miserable when I didn’t. She told me that running and exercise for many is a needed serotonin boost. Of course, I did not realize how true this was at the time, but it has become increasingly so as I have aged. Now at 42, I know that I need to workout for that reason alone. While not every workout feels incredible at the time of doing it, I am hard pressed to think of a time where I did not feel so happy when I was done - even if the actual workout was not what I dreamed of when I was in the middle of the work. 

4. I want to be ready to race when races come back.

THIS ONE IS HUGE! In November we had two athletes race Ironman Florida - while I do not personally coach them, I am of course beyond proud of their resilience and results. When the challenges of Covid hit, and races became an iffy thing, they pressed on, and when it was time to line up at Florida they were beyond ready - and even had best performances. It can be hard to be motivated when we are unsure of races, but think of all of the uncertainties we face in the best of times - we don’t stop training because what if I get injured, or what if the swim is canceled etc. WE PRESS ON!

This year has been nothing short of insane, but I have found many silver linings and I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that the one thing that has helped me get through 2020 IS training even when I have no clue when I will toe a start line again. 

How Being a Triathlete Is Saving My Life - with Evolve Athlete Jeremy

So I have a problem with alcohol, it’s actually refreshing that I can say that now. I used it to not deal, not feel and turn the volume down on the world. I had things I didn’t want to examine or acknowledge, and alcohol made it all go away. It sure did it’s job and I lost myself many years ago because I couldn’t face the issues that were the cause of my drinking.

Drinking in the beginning seemed like such an easy thing that I transitioned into it without even knowing what I was actually doing. I would just want to escape and I did not even realize what I was doing, perhaps if it did then I might have a thought of stopping or taking action. That’s where the real damage happens, it’s the secret, middle of the night, no ones looking drinking sessions that lead you down a path and before you know it you are lost. This went on for years and I got further and further away from who I was at my core. As long as I didn’t have to deal with shit then I was cool.

Then something happened….

I found myself at a point where it didn’t matter what I did, what I drank, how often, how much......life just sucked and I couldn’t deal again. I manifested massive anxiety, panic attacks, sleeplessness and all kinds of crazy disorders. I looked at everything that could be a problem, job, diet, etc. I was vegan a long time ago and it was very important to me, but I had let it go. I look back now and that was the first step. I changed my diet and physically I started feeling a bit better but that wasn’t the fix for all. By this time I was on other medications and in therapy, things were just crazy. I honestly didn’t think I could live life anymore. I drank even more, because like most with a drinking problem, I honestly didn’t think alcohol was the issue, it was everything else.......right? Well NO, obviously not.

The funny thing is that I didn’t even actually plan on quitting drinking or being a triathlete so to speak. It kinds just happened.

By this time I was way back into living a plant based vegan lifestyle and began to follow a lot of people on social media with similar values. So oddly enough, a lot of these same people were also triathletes, runners or into some kind of endurance training. One of who is a guy named John Joseph that I really resonated with. The more I paid attention the more I felt like I needed something back in my life. I was always an athlete and had been a professional skateboarder years ago. Living in Boston at the time I became inspired and decided I’d run the Boston Marathon. Again, I didn’t think I at all had a “problem” with alcohol even then. When I began to train I just decided I’d better not drink because it’s going to be really hard to train through this AND drink. I had no idea what I was in for. In the beginning it was cool, just a couple miles here and there and then it kicked in, I had to dig damn deep to struggle through training like this. It was December in Boston, cold as hell and getting colder.

Training out doors was miserable, but I was down for it. But I had a less than stellar coach at the time and needed another one. Through reaching out to John Joseph I connected with coach Sam, and it was amazing. I was so happy and was excited about getting going. I had no idea what I was in for. The more I ran, the more I pushed, the more I felt! Wait I was feeling shit? Yeah that’s right, deep down dark hidden shit. I still kept myself from drinking so nothing was numbing me, and the opposite happened. I started to realized that in endurance sports you are asking a lot of yourself physically and even more so mentally, so all of the nasty junk needs to be dealt with. I would cry like crazy early on when I ran. I had to really finally come to terms with all the emotions and issues I had suppressed for so long and I worked it out through my training. Everyday, bit by bit and mile by mile. Before I knew it I wanted to do an Ironman and I hadn’t even done the marathon.

People would tell me “you just traded one addiction for another.” Well, I don’t see it that way. What I was doing was becoming mentally healthy. Quitting drinking gave me the ability to actually work on me and my demons. Addictions usually cover up your problems or effect you in a negative way. Endurance training doesn’t do that.....at all. What it does is opens your soul up, it lets you feel and experience what you need to and then you can clearly see life and all of its challenges for what they are.

I was good, I was cool and on a great path.

And then…

The next thing hit, I fractured my femur training for the marathon. All the snow, freezing cold and mileage took its toll. So now no race, on crutches and left with my mind. Was it back to the bottle, no it was time to dig deep again. This training had been teaching me more and more not just about the physical task but also the bigger one, the mental task. I even had a massive panic attack the day before an 18 mile run and I went and did it anyways. Oddly, it was the next day I found out I had a fractured femur. Only training like this could give me the physical and mental strength to to that. So I sat on the couch and came to terms with what happened. It was hard to hear from some who said things like ” all that training for nothing”. I thought about that, I realized the Boston Marathon or just that one day meant really very little. What mattered more was what I put in everyday and how that shaped my life. I didn’t need that race to make me feel like I did something because I already had. All this time I’d been conquering my use of alcohol and healing my mind. This was a total surprise. And better than any medal from any race.

I set my sights on what was next. I needed to get healthy and get my ass back to training. Luckily I’m blessed to have such a great coach and wife that was with me every step of the way. My coach developed my plan and I just kept on it. I’m not going to lie, I wanted to quit a lot of times and just go back to how things were. My coach and my wife were definitely NOT down with that. The support was amazing.

I started healing and got back in the pool first. I kept working on my problems and what I was running from in my mind. I kept searching, reading and keeping my mind open for help. I didn’t quit and kept training. The more I trained the stronger I got. The further from the alcohol crutch I got, the closer I became with me. I could breath again, I could live with shit that had happened again and it was really OK. I moved back home to California and got to even more work. I wanted more, I needed more. I wasn’t drinking, had my diet in check, worked and continue to work on my anxiety. I was no longer running away from the mental challenge. I was now running towards it.

This is again what endurance training does. I am such a better person as a result and by no means healed or done. I have a lot of work to do and that will always be the case. I need to always check myself when I get down or negative. I work on having positive influences and people in my life to help me with that. Some days now I’m in total amazement of what I’ve been able to do and really been blessed to do. I never, and I mean never experienced that before I starting to be a triathlete, it’s absolutely amazing. It’s hard work physically and mentally everyday and you’ve got to absorb it and allow it to flow. It’s total peace when I’m out there on the run, on the bike or now even in the water. I’ve felt the pain I never wanted to feel and accepted it, through this, through endurance and through evolving into what I was meant to be.

On Mom-ing and Tri-ing and Trying to Mom - with Evolve Athlete Anita

When I think about my roles in life, the list is wife, mother, physician, athlete.  I have lots of other roles, like daughter, sister, friend, boss, chicken farmer, but these four fill my days most consistently.  I usually think of them in that order, as well. It is a challenge to balance them. Work-life balance is a whole separate issue—this focuses on family-tri balance.

I have an amazing husband who supports me in my crazy schemes and helps out with whatever needs to be done.  As a mom, a caregiver and a type A overachiever, though, it is my first instinct to figure out how I can take care of everything on my own.  When my workouts consisted of 45 minutes on the elliptical and could be done at any point in the day, changes to my schedule didn’t interfere with getting exercise.  I just pushed my workout to later in the evening. About 4 years ago, I did my first triathlon with my son. I loved it and triathlon became part of my life. Workouts were longer, with swim times dictated by pool hours and bike rides better done in daylight. My challenge wasn’t just physical or mental, it also became time management, learning to say no, learning to ask for help and learning that sometimes, putting myself higher on the priority list made me a better mom.  

Fortunately, when I started tri, my kids were old enough to get dinner started while I was doing a run.  They took their own showers and did their own laundry. But they still needed me. There were meals to plan and groceries to buy.  There were days of injury and illness, phone calls from school (fortunately not many) and times when they just needed some Mom-time.  There was also a lot of driving to be done. And so began creative time management.

My daughter Sophie rides horses.  Some days, I take my bike to the barn and we ride at the same time.  Horse shows are all weekend long with a LOT of downtime. I run with one of the other moms during downtime.  One rainy day, I took my bike and trainer to Grace’s volleyball tournament. I set up in a corner of the venue for a 3 hour ride.  I missed her first game, but watched the other four. I made sure to discuss it with her first as I truly didn’t want to embarrass her.  She at first was a little reluctant, but realized that I was going to spend the whole day there and that I needed to get this ride in. Her teammates and the other parents actually thought it was pretty cool.  When we returned to that tournament a year later, she told her new teammates about that ride.

I am delegating more.  My older 2 children have more responsibility to get the younger 2 to their activities, especially if the timing is right in the middle of when I need to work out.  I ask my husband for more help stopping at the store or picking Lucy up from dance class. I am learning that instead of getting annoyed if he forgets and saying, “Never mind, I will do it,” it is better to send him a reminder text 30 minutes before I need him.  I am also learning to sometimes tell my kids no, I can’t take you there at that time. They might walk home from a sleepover on Saturday morning because I am on my long ride and Paul is at work. They ask friends to pick them up. They call their grandma, who is generally happy to help.  Putting some of the responsibility on them makes them appreciate that these things don’t happen magically.  

Does this make me a selfish mom?  Not at all. I am teaching my children the importance of physical fitness.  I am showing them that it feels awesome to set a very high goal and reach it.  I am teaching them creative problem solving and time management skills. I am setting an example for my daughters that you can be a good Mom and still take care of yourself.  I am also teaching them to respect me as a person, not just to view me as a mom. I know that on the days I get my workouts in, I am more calm and patient with my kids. I certainly don’t have this perfected.  There are days when I log in Training Peaks that I scored Mom-points, but didn’t get a work out in. There are days when I do my workout but the mom-guilt gets me. The kids like these days as they sometimes result in a trip for ice cream to assuage that guilt!

As training for my first 140.6 kicks in, there will be more hours spent as a triathlete.  I told the kids that this may mean I have more days when athlete edges out mom and wife on my job descriptions.  So far, the response is positive. That may change as reality kicks in. Ultimately, this mom-ing and tri-ing balance will likely be a struggle until the last one is off to college.  But just like triathlon, I will keep doing my best. So to other moms struggling with this, hang in there. They get bigger and more independent. They might even start racing with you.  But no matter what else, know that activities that make you a happier person tend to make you a better mom.  

Off the Course Nutrition – How to Maintain A Healthy Balance

When I was a kid I ran cross country and track. As a middle schooler and high schooler I was pretty fast. I also raced BMX and was a typical scrawny teenage boy who at that time just wanted to gain weight. My motivations were outside of running or biking at that point – more typical of a teenage boy, my goal was to gain weight and turn into a stud by my senior year. No matter what I did, I could not gain weight. It was something that I thought about all the time and I worked hard to try to get my ideal body. Fast forward many years, and if I am being honest, even as an adult, my weight and body image have been something that I have been preoccupied with  - although for different reasons. 

As a teenager, the reality was that I was self-conscious of my weight and being too thin, but truthfully nobody else really cared. And guess what? This is still true today, but the problem is that the habits I picked up as a teen caught up with me, and lead to the opposite issue - as an adult, I needed to lose weight. My weight gain didn’t happen overnight. It was year after year of  just another pound or two. I was not really aware of it happening, but at some point, I realized I needed to lose weight and change my eating habits. Just as it was true when I was a teen, I was still thinking about my body image, but now as an adult, I had to grapple with the need to lose weight to regain my health. 

My favorite meal before I started to pay attention to my health: a fried chicken sandwich

In my experience, nobody really told me that I needed to lose weight. But once I started losing weight, I heard comments like: you look great, how much weight have you lost? When I would say around 50 lbs, the next comment was usually – oh I thought it was more than that. To me this was clearly a backhanded compliment - and it motivated me to return to a healthy BMI. 

The process took time and patience and was not easy. At the end of the day nutrition is quite simple, most athletes know what they should and should not eat, but simple is not always easy. At Evolve we are great about working with our athletes on how to properly fuel life in and out of training. However, it is hard work to change bad habits. The ability to modify your entire approach to eating is hard to do all at once. I started with just getting my calories in check, but quickly learned that doesn’t work unless you get your macronutrients in check too. If you can’t get your macros right, you are starving all the time or you feel terrible. The biggest game changer for me - and what I attribute my success to - is that I log my food day in and day out. I do this on days where I feel like my eating is fueling me and on days where I feel like my eating is indulgent. Tracking has kept me on track for many years. 

A typical meal now that I treat food as fuel

To keep it simple - here are my top 5 favorite things that have worked for me and I think will work for you as well. 

1. Track my food daily on a tracking app - no matter what I eat or if I know the exact nutritional info. This was the biggest game changer for me. 

2. Treat my food as fuel. Opt to eat foods that will help me be a better athlete and feel better all around. Recently, I have phased out alcohol. In the past I would cut it out  for races, but lately I have stopped all together and for me it is amazing how great I feel.

3. Understand that it is important to fuel my workouts and not skimp in training  in order to eat fries and cake. When we are training we get our fair share of sugars from gels, sports drinks and recovery drinks. It is important to minimize processed sugars from your day to day food intake. However, in-season sports nutrition plays a vital role in performance. 

4. Know that I am human and that there is a time for splurges, but make sure to enjoy them versus punish myself with guilt.  I will be honest, that there are many that think that food as a reward is not a healthy habit, but I do love a yummy post race treat. I am human and this is a lifelong process. 

5. Understand that the goal is to better my health and not go on a diet. This is a lifetime of changes, not just a one time thing. 

At the end of the day, you need to fuel your body like it is a sports car. Would you put low-grade gas in your sports car? NO! It might not be easy, but it has been worth it - I feel better than I did when I was in my thirties and I am improving in my athletic pursuits even as I age! Those two things alone have been worth the time it takes to log my food!

Summer Running - time to adjust your expectations! - with Coach Samantha

Every summer, as if I have just received a frontal lobotomy and can no longer remember the previous 21 summers, I head out for a run in the Midwestern heat and humidity and think - wow that was slow and hard and awful. And as if I almost have forgotten any exercise science, I feel like I have lost all of my speed and running suddenly feels like I am a brand new athlete, but with a long history of paces and perceived exertions that make me all crazy and think the end is near. I know that I am not alone in this, as I read a lot of athlete logs with similar sentiment. This week we thought we would take a little closer look at what happens when you run in the heat. 

First let’s chat about heat acclimation. It is important to understand that you can make serious adaptations to the heat, but it takes time and a proper protocol (which we can talk about in another blog at a later time).

What is Heat Acclimation?

Heat acclimation is the process by which your body adapts to the heat and begins to work more efficiently to shed heat. Specifically, over time the body becomes better at sweating which is how we decrease our body temperature when it is hot outside. The more efficient we are at sweating, the faster we can cool our body. Sweat cools the skin’s surface by the process of evaporative cooling, which means that blood flow to your skin reduces heat stress. This is also why running in the heat is hard - we only have so much blood. It either has to go to the muscles or to the skin to cool the body. For an in depth discussion of the process, here is a great study from 2014. The essence is that heat exposure makes your body a better sweater which in turn prevents you from overheating and rocketing your heart rate through the roof. The physiological process of heat acclimation takes about 2 weeks, but the psychological adaptation can take 6 weeks. Which means if you live some place where the weather is a roller coaster, it can be hard to acclimate as quickly. 

Therefore, when you head out and have that awful slogfest of a run, it is important to understand if you are in fact acclimated to the heat. 

What if you are Heat Acclimated? 

Will the heat still affect your performance. The answer is yes … but not as badly if you are not!

Check out this really great article from Runner’s World that takes a look at performances in 10 degree bands. The effects of heat on performance starts at 59 degrees - so just remember that when you hit the pavement. 59 - freaking - degrees. Dare I say, we would all dream to be running in that today!

Clearly,  temperature is an issue, but the best way to determine how you will be affected is to look at the dew point. This makes your body feel even worse than just a high temperature alone. The dew point is the temperature at which water condenses, so the closer the dew point is to the temperature of the air, the harder it will be for your sweat to evaporate and for the body to cool itself. Once the dew point gets above 60, you will feel it on your run. A dew point of 70 is gonna put you in the pain cave and above 75 - well, time to think about maybe hitting the treadmill or really dialing back your run effort. 

Now that we understand how the weather plays a role in run times and how you feel about those times - because let’s face it, that is the essence of endurance sports - the constant loop of how you feel and how you think you feel and how you want to feel - what can you do to make those hot AF runs not crush your soul? Here are three simple tips. 

1. LET GO OF PACES. While our athletes use other metrics to guide their runs, it is hard to not equate pace with performance. YOU HAVE TO LET THAT SHIT GO in the heat. It is not only better for your mental health, it is also plain old science. Check out this fun little calculator that you can play with to see how your run is affected at various temps. 

2. STOP BEING MENTAL. A few weeks ago, I was working at a private tri camp in Clermont, Florida with an athlete, which meant that I had to start my long run in the afternoon. It was 104 or something crazy, but I just could not handle being on the treadmill, so I made a plan to run out and backs so I could bail on the run if needed. And also so that I would be able to be close to my fuel and cold water. Once I wrapped my mind around the feeling of running in a sauna, I really had a fabulous run. I totally let go of any pace metrics, kept an eye on my HR, fueled well, and just repeated my mantras over and over. 

3. NUTRITION IS KEY. Make sure you run with proper nutrition; you should do this all the time, but it is even more important in hot weather. Plan a route so that you can get more fuel if needed. Listen to your body and do not try to David Goggins your runs - be smart and safe in the heat.

Finally, remember that there are performance gains made when you adapt to the heat. There is some evidence that they are similar to those gained at altitude - so when that run starts to suck the life out of you, one sweat molecule at a time, lean into it, and know that it will make you stronger!