Nutrition

Funny, how a lot of athletes (including me) tend to overlook this ... one of the most important aspects of ultra-endurance racing. I thought I was a pretty good eater until I had Namrita and then Lynda analyze my eats and treats. (More on that later.)

We will go to amazing ... and costly lengths to shave as many grams as we can off our bikes, thinking that it will make us faster! Sometimes that shaving equates to $100's or even $1000 of dollars per pound.

But when we go grocery shopping, we try to save every penny and usually end up with a cart full of processed foods (or GARBAGE as Lynda calls it). We downgrade our choices in order to save 50 cents. Or we elect to purchase the pre-made meals because we think we don't have enough time to cook fresh.

Ultimately, we end up with a sub-22 pound race bike and a subpar racing engine. And then we wonder why we don't perform up to our expectations. Hmmm! Could it be because we are eating garbage? No, it must be something wrong with the bike ... incorrect tire choice, suspension not set up right, yada yada yada.

Back to Namrita. Earlier this year she analyzed my daily eating habits and gave me some advice. I followed it, eliminating Little Debbies as ride food and increasing my vegie intake. I also slowed down on the nightly ice cream habit. I will blame this on Carly. She loves Mayfield's Extreme Moosetracks. I started eating salads for dinner, sometimes adding chicken on top.

Then a few weeks ago, I hired Lynda as my coach. I did not realize she would also help with my nutrition. I thought I would impress her with my food choices. She knocked me off my pedestal pretty quickly. She said not enough protein, fruits, and vegies. Too much bad fat. I was pretty much deficient in every vitamin/mineral you can think of. I guess she wondered how I managed to race at all. (Must have been my 23 pound bike!)

Yesterday I went shopping and made my selections based on this principle: If the food item is not going to go bad in 1 - 2 weeks, don't buy it! So Carly and I spent most of our shopping time in the produce and refrigerated sections of Ingles. Yes, the food bill was more expensive than usual, but heck! This is my body and I want to be able to function at the highest level for as long as possible!

So, combining Namrita's and Lynda's knowledge, I am now trying to eat high quality protein, 5 fruits, and 5 vegies each and every day. I tell you, it is hard to do as I am full all the time. But the good news is, I don't have the desire to eat chocolate and sweets, my Achilles heel.

But it has not stemmed my appetite for a sub-22 pound full suspension bike!