What does a Triathlete eat after a Tempo Endurance Ride?

So what DOES a triathlete eat for Breakfast after a 2 Hour Tempo Endurance Ride? The Answer: Healthy Calories. That's all there is to it. Just pack healthy calories. After burning close to 2000 calories the body needs to repair itself through energy consumed from healthy (and as much as possible, unprocessed) foods.

Ingredients
5 Fluffy Eggs (Consists of 2 Full eggs and 3 additional egg whites)
2 Honey Wheat Double Fiber English Muffins, slightly buttered
8oz 1% Milk w/ (ever so slight dash) Ovaltine
1 Activia Yogurt
3/4 Cup of Old Fashioned Whole Grain Oatmeal WITH

• 1 Banana
• 6 Cut Strawberries
• 1/8 Cup Almonds (cupped hand)
  

Calories: ~1200

What they provide:


Fluffy Eggs: Eggs provide a great basis for protein. While most people are afraid to eat egg yolks because of the cholesterol, egg yolks are very nutritional for the somewhat active individual, and dedicated athletes can safely consume 10-14 egg yolks per week (2 per day). Try MCT Triathlon's recipe for Fluffy Eggs.

Honey Wheat English Muffins: The English muffins, while a processed food, taste amazing after a long workout. The whole grains and extra fiber in the muffins provide extra nutritional value. Slight added butter won't hurt your health and will add to the meals experience. Tip: Put the eggs on the English Muffins. Some of the eggs will fall out but they can always be eaten later.

1% Milk: Milk contains a high amount of calcium that is not only great for the bones, but also provides efficiency for the nerves and cell structure. While indulging too much with Ovaltine is unhealthy, a small spoonful provides a really great taste of chocolate and has some vitamins and minerals in it itself.

Activia Yogurt: While Chobani Yogurt is the big thing now, Activia stills provides its benefits. It's cheaper than Chobani ($0.44 Compared with $1.00) and is thick, creamy, and delicious. While Chobani may have better health benefits and nutrition, Activia isn't bad when you're on a budget.

Whole Grain Oatmeal: Using Whole Grain (traditional) oats are usually more nutritious than instant oats. While they may carry the same nutritional "values," instant oats are usually pre-cooked and toasted which usually raises the Glycemic Index of foods. Also, it is thought that many other micro-nutrients are lost during processing that are vital for a truly healthy diet.

As for the banana, strawberries, and almonds. The fruit contains great anti-oxidants (as well as a great taste), while the almonds provide protein, and healthy fats. Again, go with "raw" almonds rather than toasted. The fats in toasted almonds can oxidize and produce damaging free radicals.

Well there you have it! A meal fit for a King, or in this case, a triathlete are a long 2 hour cycling workout. It's all about those healthy calories. Burn off the crap and watch out for the indulgent trap!

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Awesome Workout!

I'm Proud of this Workout! from the MCT Triathlon Training Blog

Hard Run and Swim Workout

The first hard workout day of the season. I was slightly dreading the run because it was one of the first frigid days of the winter. High of 23 and low of 5. But got out there anyway!

Workout 1 - VO2 Max Run
Distance: 60 Minutes

Part 1: Modified Mile Repeats from MCT Triathlon
Part 2: Quick Plyometric Session

Part 1: Mile Repeats

Distance:
50 Minutes

Workout:

• 10 Min Warmup
  
• 4xMile
  
• w/ 2 min moving rest
• 5:32
• 5:55 (Uphill and Against Wind)
  
• 5:12 (Downhill and With Wind)
  
• 5:34
• 8 Min Cooldown
  

Great For:
Typical VO2 Max Workout

Part 2: Quick Plyometric Workout

• High Knees
• Butt Kicks
• Grape Vine
• High Kicks
• Backward Run
• Kick Outs
• Egg Shells

With a few minute Cooldown

Recovery 1 - Stretching
The Quick Stretch - Distance: 15 minutes

Workout 2 - Warmup Endurance Swim - 4000yds

• 800 Choice
• 600 Free/Breast
• 400 Breast/Back
• 200 Fly/Free
• 400 Kick 4x(2x25 Sprints, 1x50 Steady)
• 200 Dolphin Kick Accelerations (8x25's)
• 6x200 @ IM Pace in 4:00
• 200 Cooldown

Recovery 2 - Massage
Self Massage w/ The Stick

Injury/Soreness Report:
Right knee is tweaked, most likely from the mile repeats. The outside tendon (side) of the knee. Feels tight and sore.

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Physical and Mental Benefits of Exercise by Liz Davies

Physical and Mental Benefits of Exercise by Liz Davies

Regular exercise is vital for a person who enjoys good health and is especially important for a person suffering from cancer. The physical and mental benefits of exercise are many. Though the body of even a healthy person finds exercise stressful at first, the body adapts to that stress, becomes stronger and will work more efficiently over time. This is true, to an extent, for someone suffering from a systemic disease such as cancer.

Exercise helps oxygen and nutrients get into the body and also helps remove carbon dioxide and other waste products from the body, all of which are crucial to a cancer patient. This improves stamina and raises energy levels, which helps the patient better endure whatever treatment they’re undergoing for their disease.

Other benefits of exercise are stronger bones, ligaments and tendons, which lessens the chance of injury. Exercise lowers the resting heart rate, enlarges the arteries to the heart and strengthens the heart over all. It also lowers blood pressure, blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. At the same time, exercise raises levels of HDL, or the good cholesterol. Exercise improves immune function, which is also very important in the fight against cancer. Exercise also gets calcium into the bones and helps prevent osteoporosis. Nothing says that just because a person has cancer they can't contract other diseases or conditions. Exercise helps keep other maladies at bay, and so gives the body more energy to fight the cancer.

The cancer patient should choose an exercise that won’t overtax them and should consult their physician before they take on an exercise routine. Exercises can be any activity the patient enjoys, like dancing, gardening, golfing, swimming, tennis, housecleaning, jogging and even plain old walking. The best exercises are ones that keep the heart rate up.

Maybe even more important than what it does for the body, regular exercise also elevates the mood. Cancer patient are often subject to periods of depression, fear and worry and these unhappy states decrease with regular exercise. This is because, as studies show, exercise boosts mood-elevating substances called endorphins. This effect is enhanced when the patient shares their exercise routine with other patients. It’s important that the cancer patient not be isolated, and exercising with others will make it easier to commit to a schedule. There are also other ways of sharing ideas with people who are going through the same things. Support groups are very popular and there are groups for many different types of cancers, even mesothelioma support groups.

Exercise proves to be very beneficial for cancer patients both physically and mentally. Exercise often promotes cancer patients to make other positive changes in their lives as well.

Liz Davies is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especially interested in health and wellness. She wants to make a difference in people’s lives because she sees how cancer has devastated so many people in this world. Liz also likes running, playing lacrosse, reading and playing with her dog, April.