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For The Female Triathlete: Leaving Diet Culture Behind

At Multisport Performance Coaching, we work with athletes to become strong and fit to achieve high athletic performances year after year. Our worth as an athlete is not determined by the number on the scale or how we look in our tri suit. It is crucial that we consistently feel healthy, energized and strong. We understand the importance of nutrition in this sport, and we utilize food as fuel to set us up for success in both the short and long-run. We also believe that food is wholly meant to be enjoyed and celebrated, and this is how we approach nutrition, training and everyday life.

The beautiful thing about the sport of triathlon is that we have many tools within our reach to help us achieve our athletic goals, and food and nutrition are some of the greatest ones available. As a coach, I regularly communicate the importance of the quality, quantity and timing of nutrition to my athletes because of the critical role it plays in everyday training and its effect on race day performance. For many athletes, race day results are the top priority, and you cannot nail soley race nutrition if your daily nutrition leading into the event was not optimized as well.

There are times where I wish I could approach the topic of food/nutrition just as similarly as I do with hydration, power, heart rate, etc. This is not usually the case. Society has been inundated with “diet culture” messages for decades, and as we enter the holiday and new year season, these messages are about to come at us from every direction.

We are human and notice how we look (especially in our spandex gear that keeps us hydrodynamic and aerodynamic). For so many years, the media instilled in us (especially females) that our worth was in being “skinny”, and reinforced this notion by supplying us with unattainable, unrealistic, and photoshopped examples of what this looked like. Female athletes have also been marketed to that “thinness” is ideal, especially compared to our male counterparts. Thankfully nutritional science and more realistic approaches are becoming the norm in advertising and social media. Kudos to all the triathlon apparel companies showing us a much broader spectrum of female models in triathlon gear!

As a person who struggled with eating disorders throughout college and great fluctuations with my weight in my 20s, I feel like I can wholly relate to many of the issues that many of us face with our relationship with food/exercising. Focusing on my strength and athletic performance versus my size was the turning point in my relationship with food and my body, and this is also how I approach nutrition, training and racing with my athletes.

I often encourage athletes to focus on becoming strong (never obtaining “skinny”) through the training we do. If we lose too much weight and muscle as athletes, we set ourselves up for the negative responses such as: a drop in power output (which can negatively override the power to weight ratio), decreases in bone density and increased risk of injury/stress fractures, hormonal changes from Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (RED-S, formerly referred to as the female triad), and not fueling/or recovering properly leaving us with lackluster performances.

A case study I often refer to is professional triathlete, Holly Lawrence, and her 2017 performance at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Chattanooga, Tennessee. A favorite to do really well at this event, she surprised the triathlon community at large when she DNF’ed (did not finish) and pulled out of the race less than halfway through the bike portion. She started the race several pounds lighter than her previous season the year before. She eventually elaborated on her performance and injuries on social media:

“It’s no secret I messed up in the lead up to World Champs this year [...] After racing so aggressively all early season (and a little bit too much) during my mid-season break I panicked and did way more than I was told to and should have. I picked up an injury- no surprise, and it hit me hard. The slow progress of my foot was scary, running out of time for 70.3 Worlds, unsure whether I'd have to withdraw and I was in a bad place. [...] I think it switched in something in my head  - If I lost a chunk of my body weight I would counter some of the fitness I'd lost and not hurt my foot. I've always been bigger than a lot of the female triathletes out there but it's never really bothered me or made me want to change, I just accepted it’s the way I am and especially in long distance being strong has paid off. After my injury hit and I wasn't running I started becoming stricter with my diet and was obviously getting leaner. But here is the crazy part. All of a sudden everyone (and I mean everyone!) was telling me how good I looked and how "fit" I looked. It honestly fueled me to keep going, I felt so crap about the injury and how my training was going it felt good. I have always prided myself on my smart approach to training, nutrition, recovery etc and coming from a science background (Bsc Sport Sci) something I've always been interested in and still am- so I am disappointed in myself for falling into this trap that so many athletes fall into. By the time I got to Worlds I felt like a total fraud- I wasn’t sure how much I could even run, my foot was semi-under control but totally unknown. The last couple months involved failing bike workouts, not only was I getting too precious about nailing bike workouts to compensate for not being able to run, but I wasn't fueling enough to hit my sessions properly because I focussed too much on body weight. Race day I had THE WORST swim of my life - I couldn't fake it, I'd lost my swim strength, the bike didn't get much better and I just didn't have anything. I was emotionally drained and didn't have the fight in me.”

Holly’s struggle is a reminder to us all that even the top athletes have to approach nutrition and body image just like we do, and being healthy rather than thin is critical to our goals and overall performance year after year. 

This holiday season, let’s leave this “diet culture” behind and embrace what individually works for each of us. MSP coaches are always here to have a conversation, determine your motivators, and help you achieve your goals.

-Tiffany Woods Multisport Performance Coaching USAT Level 1 CoachTraining Peaks Accredited, Level 1 AFAA Group Fit certified

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Part 1: Endurance Training and Racing While Pregnant—Crossing a 70.3 Finish Line with a Baby on Board

How did I discover that I was pregnant? Bacon—I kid you not.

The scent of breakfast cooking on stovetop was the first clue that tipped me off that I was pregnant in the summer of 2018. I found myself uncharacteristically dry-heaving while knocking out an indoor trainer session as I prepped for an upcoming half and full Ironman race. My suspicions grew the following day as I attempted a long run while clutching my chest in a dire attempt to minimize the “bouncing” and soreness going on in my sports bra. These two training days resulted in my immediate decision to take a pregnancy test—which of course confirmed what I already knew. I found myself holding a positive pregnancy test only a mere two weeks out from Ironman 70.3 Augusta and three months out from Ironman Florida.

I was so excited to be pregnant, but there was also a small part of me that was mourning the potential loss of the two “A” races of the season. I had spent the entire summer training and preparing for a fast (and hopeful personal record) 70.3, as well as a full distance event. Continuing to train and race for Ironman Florida was not in the cards for me, however a 70.3 race felt within reach.  

Just days and weeks earlier, I had been doing intense 80+ mile bike rides outside, hard interval training, and long runs all while unknowingly pregnant. Besides my husband, the only others that I shared the news of my pregnancy with was the staff at my physician's office and my triathlon coach. My coach and I discussed the possibility of racing a 70.3 and the changes that would mean for my schedule and race day strategy, and we researched other athletes that had completed endurance events while pregnant (as a coach myself, I felt that I understood enough about my personal physiology and making training adjustments needed). I decided that it could be done if executed with new precautions in place. I also received the green light from my physician’s office that it was fine to swim, bike and run throughout my first trimester and race the 70.3 distance, especially since I had been doing far greater and more intense levels of exercise before and after conception. They also told me that if I felt good, the baby felt good as well. My husband and I made a joint decision to carry on with my Augusta race plans under the guidance of the physician’s recommendations, however a new strategy and mindset would need to be implemented.

My coach and I immediately discarded the plans to race “hard-core” on the 70.3 course. Rather, my day would be spent going by feel and heart rate, comfortably pacing myself, and staying on top of nutrition and hydration. Changing my mental strategy also included giving myself permission to pull out of the race at any point if I felt the conditions were unsafe or if I didn’t feel okay. Because I had been doing far longer and more  intense workouts leading up to race day, I felt like my body was well-prepared to handle a few hours in a comfortable, aerobic state.

I had a strategy and I stuck with it. I consumed extra nutrition and hydration before and during the race to ensure that my body had all that it needed for myself and my blueberry-sized baby. I swam comfortably, as if it were a warm-up effort in the pool.  While biking, I was extra cautious of the cyclists around me and road conditions. I was more verbal with other athletes around me, and I rode far less aggressively (specifically cornering). I pulled back my effort to a comfortable pace with a zone 2 heart rate. The run was the race segment that required the most attention and precautions to be implemented. I never once looked at my pace as I knew this might tempt me to give a greater effort than recommended, rather I constantly kept an eye on my heart rate and made sure it was a zone 1 or 2 effort. I walked every aid station to give myself a chance to eat, drink and lower my heart rate even more. Because the temperatures were quite high on race day with limited shade, I took ice at every run aid station and put it on ears, neck, and would hold in my hands as well as eat after it started to slightly melt. I also wore cooling sleeves that I iced down at the aid stations. I never once felt overexerted or overheated.

I crossed the finish line of Ironman Augusta while 6 weeks pregnant, and this is one of the races that I’m most proud of in my 10+ years as a triathlete. After completing multiple 70.3’s to date, this was also the most comfortable that I have ever felt on a course—I dare say it felt “easy” compared to previous races at the same distance. A little less than eight months later, I safely delivered a healthy baby boy at almost 39 weeks.

I completely recognize that racing while pregnant is not the right decision for everyone, however this was the best decision for me. Of course the risks are inherent, just the same as getting into a car or crossing the street. My hopes for this article are not to encourage someone to train or race while pregnant, rather it is to share my experience and what worked for me to hopefully shine additional light on the subject.

I can now proudly say that I’ve joined the ranks of fellow endurance athletes that I have raced with a baby on board (such as Michelle Vesterby who competed in two full Ironmans, including Kona, with child). To any potential pregnant athletes out there, I encourage you to listen to your doctor and make the decision that feels best for you and your family. I hope this article will facilitate and add to the discussions of how capable, strong and  resilient the female body can be, especially when there is a baby on board!

Stayed tuned for Part 2 where I break down fitness and Training Stress Score (TSS) management while pregnant.

Coach Tiffany Woods, USAT Level 1

Multisport Performance

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Multisport Performance Athlete of the Week:  Jack Hawkins

A 2016 USAT All American, top 6% in his 40-44 year old age group consistently at his 2017 Ironman 70.3′s and already achieving his 2017 All American status - Jack is one the most friendly, humble, talented, hard working people you will ever meet.  We have been very fortunate to have worked with him for years and have watched him continue to grow in his athletic pursuits.  We wanted to ask him a few questions and share some insight to one our hometown heroes!

Hey Jack!  Tell us about yourself and your family!

I'm a native of Fayette County.  My wife Erin and I were both raised in Fayetteville and we went to Fayette Co. High School, we met in our church youth group.  We've been married for 18-years, no kids, just two greyhounds.  I'm also a UGA and Mercer University graduate.

Erin was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2003.  We formed a Bike MS and Walk MS team called Erin's Fight and we've been participating in these events since then.  With the help of our team members, Erin's Fight has raised over $120,000 for the National MS Society.  Our big fundraiser, an annual wine tasting, is at our house this Friday and all are welcome to attend.  http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=hqdamhuab&oeidk=a07ee6x882r958ca41d

How did you get started in triathlon?

One of my cycling buddies wanted to do the White Lake Half in 2005, I was dumb enough to join him.  I was hooked.  

What is your favorite race?

Anything but IM North Carolina (formally known as Beach to Battleship). Jack did this race one year when it was so cold that he had to stop his bike to drink and eat because he was shivering so much.  Kidding aside, so far my favorite race is probably Ironman Texas (10:55 finish time).  The hot and hilly course at Ironman Texas works to my advantage and the town of The Woodlands is pretty cool with lots of spectators.  

What is it you love about the triathlon?

I like a lot of things about triathlon, the 3 sports provide variability in the activities and I don't get bored, I like the fellowship and camaraderie of my teammates, and the challenge of pushing myself.  

How do you manage training with your work and family schedule?

Erin and I have an agreement on when my workout times are and we've used the same schedule for over 10-years.  Keeping the same training times helps with our communication and our daily planning.  Fitting workouts in can be difficult for me after work, as I usually don't get home until 6:30pm or 7:00pm and I'm tired.  

What is the your best advice for training and/or racing you can share?

When you think about quitting, remember why you started.  

What is your schedule and goals for the rest of the year?

I attempted to qualify for the 70.3 Ironman World Championships in September, so I front-loaded my year and have already done three 70.3 Ironman races so far.  With that effort, I've build up my speed and endurance during this racing season and identified that my cycling is a weak point that I really need to work on.  So for the remainder of the year I'm going to focus on improving my cycling speed.  I'm going to do the Lake Logan Half-IM in August and maybe anther triathlon later on this year.  Bike MS (Tour de Beach) is a big focus in September.  After that, I think I want to try to qualify for Boston and do the Soldier Marathon in November.  2018 will probably include another full Ironman, either Texas or Chattanooga.  

Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to help keep us inspired, Jack!  We will continue to look for you on the podium!

[newwaveswimbuoy]

Where in the world is the New Wave Swim Buoy now? Lake Peachtree in Peachtree City Georgia 🍑🍑🍑 . . #Repost @tiff1786 with @repostapp ・・・ Sunday Funday is for swimming and paddling when you live in a lake town! OWS shenanigans with our #multisportperformance crew. 🏊‍♀️🚣#newwaveswimbuoy #lakelife (at Lake Peachtree)

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What to eat during training and racing on the bike.  Simplified.

I have had athletes use nothing but coke and candy to get through Ironman. Some have used perogies as their primary source of fuel. Others have used only liquid calories.  Guess what?  They all finished.

Here’s my quick, simplified, low down on nutrition.

If you are training for less than an hour, water is plenty.

One hour or less = one to two bottles of water.

For workouts between one and three hours that include intervals or tempo work, I would add some calories - this can come in the form on a replacement drink and/or it can be a gel or something else easily digestible. You want your body to be able to use the energy quickly without having to take a lot of energy to process or digest it. Depending on your weight and efficiency 100-350 calories/hour is needed.

One to three hours of intense riding = one bottle of replacement drink (gatorade, EFS, Infinite, etc.) and one bottle of water per hour (the exact amount varies per person and weather conditions).  Hot weather will require more fluid, cold weather a little less.  Depending on your size and metabolism, you may also need gels, fruit, or easy to digest bars/chomps.

Think - if you are training at a low intensity (low heart rate) you do not need as many calories as you are not burning your glycogen stores.  If you generally average 19 mph on a tempo ride, a three hour ride at 15 mph is not going to require many, if any - calories.  You will still need fluids.

Up to three hours of easy riding (zone 1-2) = minimal calories and one to two bottles of water/hour.

Rides longer than three hours again need anywhere from 100-350 calories/hour.  Again, you can use all liquid calories, a combination of liquids and solids or all solids.  For a three hour ride with intervals I will drink a double strength bottle of EFS with CarboPro and if I feel like I need extra, will supplement with a bonk breaker, or gel.  Others will use a combination of water and more gels and bars or solid foods to get the calories they need.  You will have more options here as it is easier to digest food at lower intensities. 

More than three hours = one to two bottles of water and fluid replacement drink and gels, bars, solids that total 100-350 calories/hour.

You have to practice.  Food and drinks taste different at different intensities, so you have to train with your race fuel plan at race intensity.  They also taste different at different temperatures.  Since we never know what race day will bring, it is safe to try your plan in all seasons of weather.  

Listen to your body.  When you are on or finish the bike are you starving and/or cranky?  That’s a sure sign you need more calories.  Next time add more and see if your attitude and performance are a little better.  I raced Ironman Wisconsin a few years ago and at mile 80 I suddenly craved candy.  All I could think about was licorice and gummy bears.  I watched my average speed and heart rate go down (sure sign you are depleted).  At the next aid station I adjusted my plan and ate a bonk breaker, a package of chomps and a gel.  I knew if I didn’t listen to my body and add calories, I wouldn’t be able to run strong off the bike.  While I took a two or three minute hit on the bike eating and refueling, my run was spot on!

Be flexible.  Another time my bottle of calories fell off my bike and spilled all over the ground.  Instead of crying over split EFS, I adapted my plan and used what was on the course.  Was it the best for me?  Probably not, but things can and will go wrong, so a go with the flow attitude is really helpful!  

What you need are CALORIES.  Your body will not be able to perform without them.  You have paid a lot of money in race entry fees, coaching and equipment.  You don’t want to have a bad race because you just, “didn’t feel like eating anything”.  There are so many options.  Find what works for you, be adaptable and give your body what it need to perform to its best!

Kim Bramblett