Hungry Girl

Training for a half Ironman is a lot of work.  So far my training hasn't been that hard, just a larger volume.  When I decided to embark on this journey I knew it wouldn't be cheap, but I knew I could make it work.  I've found ways to pay for my coach, race fees, and gear, however, one thing I didn't factor in was the amount of food required to fuel this body for the higher volume of training.  Good Lord, this half Ironman wanna-be can put away some food! 

I recently mentioned to my coach that I eat ALL the time.  I'm not necessarily eating huge meals, but I am snacking and eating small meals all day long...and I mean ALL day long.  He said that it is good to eat more smaller meals, and that I should keep non-processed snacks on hand.  He suggested things such as yogurt, eggs, nuts, fruits, and juice. 

I've been trying to keep the "junk" out of my house, but it keeps sneaking its way in. It's a little embarrassing to admit, but I did devour a can chocolate frosting in three day last week.  I haven't noticed weight gain yet, but I'm sure I'm eating way more sugar than I actually need to and it will catch up with me.  In order to see just how much I actually eat, I decided to write down everything I put in my mouth for a day. 

I'll spare you the detailed list of what I ate, but I did notice that I eat almost every hour to hour and half.  I also noticed that I do get a fair amount of fruit, protein, carbs, and healthy fats. Vegetables, on the other hand, seem to be lacking.  The day I wrote everything down wasn't as big of an eating day as the previous days.  This could be because my body had finally had enough sugar and needed a break, or the idea of writing things down may have kept me from stuffing my face.  It may have also been that I already ate all the junk in my house that tempts  me. 

As an endurance athlete (I still feel funny saying this), I know that I need more calories than the average women.  I also know that I will likely burn most, if not all, of what I'm eating.  I want to fuel my body with the good stuff. Fueling my body with chocolate frosting, sugary cereal,  Kathy William's chocolate chip cookies,  and Rachael Kryzsaik's cupcakes may be quite enjoyable, but it won't get me though 70.3 miles of swimming, biking, and running. 

Here are a few of my favorite healthy snacks and mini-meals:
-English muffin or whole grain waffle topped with almond butter, sliced bananas, and honey
-Quaker oats, soy milk, dried cranberries, and a little honey.  Don't cook it...just let it sit in the fridge for a little while and enjoy. Hits the spot after a morning workout.
-Greek yogurt
-Raw almonds with dried cranberries
-Nectarines
-Smoothie made with bananas, soy milk, and any frozen berries on hand
-Baked chicken with BBQ sauce
-Breakfast wrap - tortilla, 2 egg white and 1/2 yolk, salsa, avocado


"Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope." Romans 5 3-4