XRCEL: What did your post-baby racing career look like to you before and after you had your baby?

I chose to have my first baby right at the height of my career and over the last five years, I have had two more children.  In between each of the kids I’ve been able to return to peak fitness, but not for very long before becoming pregnant again. The result has been that I’ve done more races with less than ideal preparation or before my body was back to normal. That’s made for some frustrating times, but also some nice surprises. Either way, my number one goal has always remained the same, which was to get the best out of myself each race.

What was your approach to exercise after the baby and what did you feel like in those first few weeks?

My approach to exercise after having Lizzy was to let my body dictate when to resume first exercising, and later, training. The first several weeks of exercise was not even a consideration. My top priority was to let myself heal from major surgery and make sure my baby was getting proper nourishment. Lizzy got the flu when she was seven weeks old, so I spent a few weeks, literally, nursing her back to health.

At what point did you decide to start properly training again?

Lizzy was born on January 5th and I started a very basic training program on April 1^st. Up until that point, I was focused on feeding Lizzy and figuring out a schedule of when I’d be able to get out of the house to work out. From April to the end of June, I focused on waking up my muscles after such a long layoff by just doing easy swims, bikes, and runs. Running was difficult because every time I ran, a different body part hurt. I’d have to take a few days off to readjust and then try again. On July 1st I started adding more training volume with a little bit of intensity mixed in. The half Ironman in Ireland was my first “real” workout.

What were the biggest differences you noticed about training pre-baby vs. post-baby?

The biggest difference is scheduling and child care. I can’t just go out for a bike ride without figuring out the logistics of who is going to watch everyone. Time is more limited now too, but it has forced me to become more efficient. Also, I’m still waiting for a full night of sleep. I’m hopeful, but I realize with three kids and a dog, that may never happen!

Were there ever moments where doubt about returning to triathlon would sneak in and how did you handle those moments?

The third day after Lizzy was born was my low point. I definitely questioned if I was going to recover and, if I did, how I was ever going to take care of three kids and train. However, things improved once I got home and settled and was able to see how much support I have. There were also days at the pool when I thought I was ready to swim with other people again, but I would blow up after the warm-up. I had to remind myself that despite feeling like the slowest one around, my natural talent and ability as an athlete did not disappear. The changes that your body has to deal with after having a baby are a real thing and not just an excuse for having a bad workout.

What’s been the hardest part about juggling motherhood with being a professional triathlete?

These first few races have been hard because I’m coming into things right when my competitors are gearing up for their end of season races. I was nine months pregnant and haven’t exercised in months when most people started their seasons. It usually takes me a few races to remember what it takes to push myself, so I’ll catch up soon!

At what point after having the baby did you feel you were ready to race again?

I started feeling mentally ready to toe the line at about five months post-baby, but my body wasn’t quite there yet. I know from my previous comebacks that it’s taken me between eight and nine months to be back in fighting shape.

Why did you pick Ironman 70.3 Ireland as your comeback race?

I chose to do this race because I’ve always wanted to race in Ireland, I’m half Irish, and it was an easier race to get to. I’ve been in New Paltz all summer and our local airport, Stewart Newburgh, just started direct service to Dublin. I found a cheap ticket and decided to go. I traveled with a friend from NYC, rookie pro triathlete Nicole Falcaro and we supported each other throughout the weekend. Nicole had a great race, just missing the podium. I’m so glad I got to be out on the course with her and witness her success because I’ve seen the work she’s put in and the progress she’s made over the last year.

How do you feel your first race back from having a baby went and where will you go from here?

Any time I cross the finish line in one of these long races, it’s a win no matter what place I’m in. For this race, overall I’m happy with it. I had a great swim and was first out of the water by two minutes. I handled the cold water and the chop easily, which was a surprise. The bike threw me for a loop as it was one of the hardest courses I’ve experienced second to ISRAMAN. I hadn’t done any rides over 40 miles and only a few truly hilly rides.  I ran exactly what I thought I was capable of based on my training. I hadn’t run more than eight and a half miles before the race, so I took the first nine miles at a comfortable pace and then tried to build the last four. I zoomed through the last lap! I just needed a few more weeks to be ready to tackle the Wicklow mountains in the rainy fog. I’ve now resumed training and am continuing to build a base of miles.

How did you use XRCEL throughout your race and what do you feel are the biggest benefits of using XRCEL during a fast 70.3?

I had an XRCEL 15 minutes before the race start and continued to drink XRCEL every 45 minutes throughout the bike. I grabbed an XRCEL in T2 and drank it in transition before starting the half marathon. I felt amazing on the run and I was in the mindset to push myself the whole way. I finished the race and immediately thought “wow! XRCEL really works!”

XRCEL: What initially attracted you to racing the New Jersey State Triathlon Championships?

Brian Norling: Since I started racing triathlons, the NJ State Triathlon has been one race I’ve done almost every year starting back in 2009. I’ve only missed it when the race conflicted with other races. It is one of the largest race in the area and gets great racers from all over the area, which makes for great racing. You have to always come into the race in great race shape because the race is very fast right from the start. I used to race the Olympic distance here, but the last two years, I have raced the sprint distance.

How did placing 3rd overall in 2017 fuel your training and focus for returning to race in 2018?

Placing 3rd last year was a great feeling, but it also gave me the drive to try to win the race this season. I knew I had to be faster at 43 years old than I was at 42, which was not so easy. I had to look at what I did in 2017 and find where I could make up some time. The months leading up to the race I did a few more sprint triathlons than I normally would, which gave me the chance to work on the race as a whole and see what I needed to change. In sprint races, every second counts, so I knew I couldn’t have any race hiccups if I wanted to come out on top.

At 43 years old, you were competing against guys nearly half your age and still won. How has fueling with XRCEL in your training and racing these past few years elevated your overall performance and allowed you to beat some very fast, and younger, opponents?

I use XRCEL in all of my training sessions, which gives me the edge because I don’t have to worry about how I’m going to feel during the race. I know that I’m not going to have any cramping or stomach issue when I use XRCEL, so it’s one less thing to worry about during the race. XRCEL gives me the fuel I need to race to the best of my ability.

What do you see as the biggest difference in using XRCEL when training and racing compared to the products you have used in the past?

XRCEL is easy to use as I can easily fit the easy-to-grip bottle in my jersey pocket when I train and race. You can drink half of a bottle and put the cap back on without a problem. There is no ease like that with a gel. Also, the amount of nutrition is always the same, so I don’t have to worry about measuring and mixing of a powder to make a drink.

Once you realized you were the overall winner of the sprint race, what emotions did you feel?

It was a tough race for me. I went from thinking the race was over for me to “wow, I won!” in under an hour. I didn’t have a good swim at all, coming out of the water two minutes down from the leader, which is not where I wanted to be.  I had to put in a great bike leg and run to make up  time and I ended up with the fastest bike split of the day and a top five run time. Coming down the finishing chute and raising the tape was a surreal feeling. The energy was so high and I was so stoked to win the overall race and become the NJ State Sprint Champion. It was such an awesome feeling!

How do you use XRCEL in shorter, faster triathlon races like the NJ Tri Championships?

In a short race like NJ State, I drink one bottle of XRCEL, followed by some water, about 15-20 minutes before the race starts. I’ll also have one bottle of XRCEL on the bike and drink about half of it with a few miles left in the bike portion. This strategy helps me stay fueled up for the entire run.

With consistent success and wins in your races, who inspires and drives you to continue to push yourself at such a high level?

My kids and family are my inspiration to keep going. I like that the training and racing is teaching my kids a healthy lifestyle. Now that both of them are getting older, I do some training with them as they are both into sports. Getting a couple runs in with them is the best time.  I try to do most of my training early in the morning so I don’t take away from the family time. I have to keep an open mind about my training schedule because with family and running a business, things can change at any time. I do believe in quality workouts, which is why I make them all count.

What are your racing goals for the rest of the year?

I have a few more triathlons on the schedule for the year. Ironman 70.3 Atlantic City in September and another late season sprint in my hometown. After that, I will do a few fun cross country races and a six-hour mountain bike race to end the season in November.

Calcium (in leafy greens and dairy) is involved in muscle contraction (in addition to the more familiar function of bone strength).

Potassium (in bananas, potatoes and a host of other vegetables & fruits) helps maintain fluid and electrolyte balance.

Beta-carotene (in orange fruits & vegetables) is important for our eyes & vision.

For many, the first thing that comes to mind when they hear the word “vitamin” is a pill.   Sadly, taking a vitamin supplement is not the best way to provide your body with the vital nutrients it needs.  It is always best to get your nutrition from foods.  Unfortunately, many Americans, even fit athletes, do not always hit the mark when it comes to well-balanced, high-nutrient-density intake.  That, coupled with the athlete’s higher nutrient needs sometimes means a supplement is necessary.  It’s best to have a dietitian assess your dietary intake to determine if a vitamin or mineral supplement will be helpful or just a waste of money for you.  (Important note: most vitamin/mineral supplements are not harmful for the body, but there are a few that can build up to toxic levels if taken in excess.)   A focus on vegetables, fruits and whole grains is the best way to get the nutrients your body requires.

Now a note about water.  While everyone understands the importance of hydration in athletic performance, succeeding at it can be a whole different story.

Here are some useful tips for making sure you stay hydrated at all times:

—have a cup or bottle by your bed and drink at least 8 ounces right when you get up
—carry water in a vessel that will not spill and set a goal to drink 5-10 ounces per waking hour
—train yourself to drink room-temp water so that you don’t limit yourself in any way from drinking at any time
—download a water-tracking app and set a goal for 0.5-1.0 ounces per pound
—do not count caffeinated beverages in with your intake; while regular caffeine consumers will likely not experience much of a diuretic effect, it’s hard to determine if there is extra fluid loss, so it’s better to exceed your needs than to end up short

Remember, it is best to be in a constant state of hydration instead of just focusing on “getting hydrated” for an event.  On the morning of your event, it’s important to start hydrating early, just like it’s important to start eating early.  It’s best to drink at least 20 ounces 3 hours before the start of the event.  It will also help to drink a bit more about 30 minutes before starting, but the amount depends on what you can tolerate without feeling full or bloated.  Also, during an event, it’s best to drink at least 16 ounces per hour, but your stomach will thank you if you space this consumption out through the hour & don’t try to drink it all at once.  All of these numbers are fairly arbitrary, as everyone “loses” fluid at different rates, but they are at least a good guide.

Janet Carter, MS, RD, LD, CPT, CLS
Dietitian/Sports NutritionistEndurance Athlete
dietjc24@yahoo.com
774-400-7566

Coming Soon: Performance Nutrition Advanced, Leg One; Maximizing Carbohydrate Intake for Peak Performance

This blog is written using the most updated scientific information available.  The author has no financial stake in anything that’s discussed, nor is she benefiting financially from writing the blog article.  In other words, you are receiving un-biased, science-based sports nutrition information from an experienced professional who is also a seasoned endurance athlete.

Most Americans eat more protein than they need each day.  Intake beyond the body’s needs is unnecessary & can possibly have negative effects.  The big question is, what are the body’s needs?  Obviously, each person’s protein needs are different, and those needs depend on many factors.  Here are some guidelines:

Average adult (non-athlete):  0.8grams per kilogram body weight per day (about 55g/day for an average 150-pound person)

Endurance athlete (depends on training cycle): 0.8-2.0g/kg/day (55-135g/day for an average 150-pound athlete)

Other athlete with goal of building body mass: 1.4-1.8g/kg/day (127-163g/day for an average 200-pound athlete)

But here’s where the rubber meets the road: how do those numbers translate into actual food choices?

2 eggs–12g

4 ounces chicken breast–35g

4 ounces salmon–25g

1/2 cup black beans–8g

1/4 cup almonds–8g

various grains/veggies throughout the day (2 slices bread, 1 cup brown rice, 1 sweet potato)–13g

Total protein intake: 101g

This is, of course, more than what is necessary for average adults and even most athletes, except for endurance athletes during their pre-race cycle, and larger athletes looking to build mass.  All that would be required to meet any higher recommendation would be slightly larger portions.  The bottom line is, you can get all the protein your body needs to function properly, and satisfy the demands of athletic training and competition, from a healthy balanced diet. If, however you don’t have access to, or time to make, balanced meals, there are options for supplementation. At least now you will know how much protein you really need and can decide accordingly what to consume and when to consume it. Here are some of the healthiest sources of protein:

• Chicken, turkey, ham, fillet steak, or seafood cooked in a healthy manner (grilled, baked, broiled; not fried)
• Eggs
• Nuts and nut butters
• Beans or legumes

Protein does, of course, have important functions in the body:

• Maintenance & repair of body tissue (muscle, hair, skin, eyes, organs, etc.)
•  Enzymes
•  Hormones (insulin, secretin, etc.)
•  Antibodies (read: immune system)

These functions are certainly important, but the functions of all the other nutrients (vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fat, water, fiber) should not be considered any less important.  Getting more protein than what you need is not going to enhance or increase any of these functions/processes.  Also, excess intake of protein can be stored as fat and, depending on the sources of protein, could lead to high intake of saturated fat (see “Performance Nutrition Basics, Leg Two; Demystifying Fats”).

Just remember, all of the nutrients are important; we just need different amounts of them.  Finding a balance may be tough sometimes, but a little planning ahead can go a long way towards a healthy, balanced diet.

Janet Carter, MS, RD, LD, CPT, CLS
Dietitian/Sports Nutritionist
Endurance Athlete
dietjc24@yahoo.com
774-400-7566

Coming Soon: Performance Nutrition Basics, Leg Four; Vitamins, Minerals and Water

This blog is written using the most updated scientific information available.  The author has no financial stake in anything that’s discussed, nor is she benefiting financially from writing the blog article.  In other words, you are receiving un-biased, science-based sports nutrition information from an experienced professional who is also a seasoned endurance athlete.

I am not a doctor, an exercise scientist, or any other scholar when it comes to identifying signs of overtraining or when we as athletes are simply in need of a few easy days. I am, however a coach and an athlete, and have years of experience racing as a professional athlete in my body and mind. It has taken a long time to recognize the clear signs that I am on the edge, and I see similar signs in athletes I coach as they are Age Group athletes managing work, kids, training, social commitments and basic life chores. These are my top 5 signs:

1. Mood.

This one for me is the screaming sign I am in need of some easier days.

Feelings of depression, anxiety, irritability, lack of motivation, low self esteem, low everything…it starts to become consuming. Why? Without getting into the science = HORMONES.  What we do places an awful amount of stress on our body and mind and eventually our hormones start flipping out. They control everything. When I find myself in tears for no apparent reason, its time for a rest.

2. Food choices.

Where’s the sugar?? I want it ALL the time. Hormones are out of whack, mood is down, what is going to make me feel better…SUGAR! Most of the time I eat a balanced, healthy diet. But when I am at a low point, I make bad choices. Then feel worse because I made the bad choice. And turns out it didn’t make me feel better.

3. Strength & Power.

I have none. Just deep fatigue. In any discipline I am fighting myself in whatever I do. My legs, arms, everything is heavy, and no matter how much time I give myself to “clear the pipes” in sessions it just doesn’t happen and usually ends in tears (a little over exaggerated but known to happen). 80% efforts are capped at 60% if I am lucky because I can’t go any faster, my heart won’t let me. Hills become mountains and I scramble up them.  The list goes on.

4. Sleep.

It’s restless. And not enough to recover and feel rejuvenated. I always wake feeling I want more and am usually in a pretty deep brain fog. Don’t talk to me until I have had a cold shower and coffee (which at these times you should try and avoid!)

5. The scientific signs.

As I said, I’m no scientist, but it doesn’t take one to know that what we do creates inflammation within us. At times, this will create inflammatory conditions that will show as red flags should you have blood tests or ASI tests done. THIS DOESN’T MEAN A DOCTOR PUTS YOU ON MEDICATION. I REPEAT, YOU DO NOT NEED MEDICATION. Most of these conditions WILL stabilize with the correct diet, rest and lifestyle. If they don’t, then you should seek professional help and consider other options.

If you start noticing any or all of these signs communicate with your coach (if you have one) and plan a few easy days until your signs start to turn around.  Note, I said easier days. NOT days OFF.  Sometimes taking full days off is not what we type A people need, but in extreme cases may be ok with doing so. Consider it a time of adaptation to come back stronger.

It’s important to recognize the signs and not take it out on others or ourselves. Don’t beat yourself up, but instead treat your body and mind to a few days of R&R. Eat well, sleep as much as you can, back the training off, take a mini break, go out with friends and have a good laugh. Your body & mind will thank you!

In endurance sports, there is no shortage of amazing stories. At every turn, we are surrounded by stories of people overcoming incredible challenges through the discipline of endurance sports. Be it mental health, addiction, physical limitations or personal tragedy, many people have turned to endurance sports for help. I love hearing these stories as they remind me that all this splashing, pedaling, and running around I do can be so much more than simple exercise. It makes me feel as though the sport I love so much is part of something larger.

However, I have occasionally felt that a certain effect is lost when viewing these stories from a distance. The inspirational feeling that results from hearing someone tell their amazing story can fade quickly after reading or viewing their presentation. Often, we don’t know these people personally, so while their story is immediately impactful, those feelings aren’t reinforced beyond the initial telling.

This is where I have had an incredible privilege over the last three years or so. I have been part of an inspirational story happening right under my own roof. My Mom, Dorald “Dee” Turner, has undergone a life altering transformation that truly must be seen to be believed, and I am so proud to have even had a small role to play in this story.  I sat down recently to interview her to get her thoughts on where she’s come from and where she’s going. This story begs to be told, and while it may seem similar to so many others you have read, it has some very subtle, yet important, lessons to teach about the power of personal effort.

The roots of this story lie, perhaps unexpectedly, not in endurance sports. In the early part of 2015, my Mom’s weight sits about four hundred and twenty pounds. She cannot run due to extensive damage to her knees, her body prevents her from getting onto a bike, and her lack of self-confidence bars her from getting into a pool. That number, four hundred and twenty pounds, bears remembering, because it’s going to become important very shortly.

My Mom began this journey with very little supports in place to guide her. She simply decided that enough was enough, and this was something she was going to take on. She wanted to live a healthier life and take on the weight problem that had plagued her since early adulthood.  She stressed to me that she knew that change wasn’t going to happen overnight, and she had to be realistic about her goals. Her only driving force behind this undertaking was, “focus on one bad habit at a time.”

Fast forward to a date that she marks very specifically, October 18, 2015. She explains to me that this was the date of her first information session. Having already made drastic diet and lifestyle changes, she decided that her next steps were inside a selective weight loss program through Holy Cross Hospital. At this meeting, she learns all the requirements she will have to meet to qualify for her ultimate goal, a gastric bypass surgery. This surgery would decrease the size of her stomach allowing her to attain the drastic weight reduction that was needed to safeguard her health. In addition to further weight loss as a requirement of this program, she would be required to attend two ninety-minute weight loss courses, two three-hour infoormation sessions, several mental health screenings, numerous nutritionist appointments, and submit detailed food journals for her six to nine month attendance in the program. At the end of which, her case would be presented to a panel of doctors to ultimately decide whether to approve her for the surgery.

The ferocity with which my Mom took on this challenge was astounding. She underwent what she described as a, “total lifestyle change both physically and mentally.” She attended her first official meeting in November of 2015, and she was off to the races. She passed all her initial screenings with flying colors, and she managed to lose eighty more pounds during her time in the program even before the surgery.

At the end of the program, she was given some amazing news; she was approved for her surgery, and the date was set. She remarks, with a big smile, that they gave her July 5th, 2016, “my Independence Day.”

After recovery, she made quick use of her independence; she continued and even built on the lifestyle changes made within the program, completed three five-kilometer races, and became a spokesperson for her program. She has been invited to numerous meetings to speak to potential members and offer her story as a beacon of hope. She’s quietly made herself a resource to the other alumni of the program and helps to keep wavering members from losing their way when the post-surgery life gets more complicated.

All this progress still rings through today. At the time of writing, my Mom sits at one hundred and thirty-eight pounds. A total weight loss of about two hundred and eighty pounds. As we sit together in her kitchen in Western Maryland for the interview, she informs me proudly that she has logged two years straight in her food journal app as of that date. She tells me with an unmistakable glimmer in her eye about her plans for the future. She has already registered for several more five-kilometer races, an all women eight-kilometer race, and she will make her outdoor triathlon debut this June as her and I race together at the Escape the Cape Triathlon Series in Cape May, New Jersey.

I asked her what made her story different from all the other inspirational stories that we are told about in endurance sports. She thinks for a moment, and she tells me that her story stands out because it’s a victory on two fronts. She explains that she overcame her physical limitations in the weight loss, but the harder fought battle was the mental one. She had to overcome all the feelings of self-hatred and self-doubt, and she had to “know, really know, that I could do whatever I wanted as long as I stuck my mind to it.”

For my final question of our evening interview, I asked my Mom which steps of a race did she think were the most important, the first ones or the last ones. True to form, she picked the last ones. She remarked that the last ones are where you learn the most. I would contend that they are also where you have the greatest opportunity to teach. This, I believe, is the true power of my Mom’s story. There have been so many finish lines for this journey of hers, many opportunities for her to be “done,” and yet she continues to use her journey to teach and inspire. She has recognized that while a journey may end at some destination, the echoes of that final footfall ripple into something so much larger than can be seen. I think that her story teaches that the true power of endurance sports, or any undertaking for that matter, come from mindful participation, deliberate effort, and an awareness of the effect we can have on others.

I quickly found that with my body working in overtime to grow a human, even the shortest of workouts demanded the proper pre- and post-workout fueling that XRCEL provides. And what surprised me the most is that on my off days of exercise, I was still reaching for XRCEL to power me through days of parenting while pregnant.

I started always keeping a bottle or two in my car, in case I started feeling low on energy while stuck in a traffic jam or if I needed a boost before going grocery shopping. Those may sound like easy tasks, but at 8 months pregnant with two other little kids to wrangle, it feels like running intervals!

I also now always keep an XRCEL in my purse. It has saved me a few times recently – most notably while touring elementary schools (with lots of stairs) for my older daughter and while chaperoning a pre-school field trip. 

 So my theory is, if it’s good enough to fuel you through a grueling 12 hour race, why not use it to fuel you through a (just as hard) day of parenting? 

Bec