Tag: triathlete

enough protein

“A couple weeks back I recently posted a blog about protein sources in relation to joint inflammation and capped it off with a statement about getting enough protein, and what that means…”

A couple weeks back I recently posted a blog about protein sources in relation to joint inflammation and capped it off with a statement about getting enough protein, and what that means. What you don’t know about me is that I’m good (enough) with math, especially if that math is going to make my workouts more effective and my life more comfortable. Consider this an entry-level guide, and feel free to reach out through the website for clarification, questions, or anything I’ve missed. Hey! you can straight up correct me if you like…

What protein does: The body uses it to repair muscle and bone, and to make enzymes & hormones. Important stuff.

The Bare Minimum:
Let’s start here. A sedentary person (no discernable physical activity) is still going to need the minimal healthy amount of protein, and it’s not an impossible target. As a general rule, 0.35g for every pound your body weighs.
(body weight) x 0.35g = protein intake

Body Builders & Power Lifters:
These folks reside on the other end of the spectrum from sedentary people. Quite often you’ll see recommendations for 1.0g per pound of bodyweight in your google searches – this advice is often specific to people looking to build a lot of muscle.
(body weight) x 1.0g = protein intake

The Rest Of Us:
Then there’s; what I assume, is you & me. Personally, I shoot for 0.55g per pound of body weight, which puts me just under 100g of protein per day. The reason you might think that is a low number is because I have a total calorie threshold, and because I need to prioritize simple carbohydrates because carbohydrates are the body’s preferred fuel source and I burn a lot of fuel on long runs.
(body weight) x 0.65g = protein intake
You might be aiming to build muscle, but not bodybuilder muscle. Try 0.75b/lb or 0.70b/lb. Your body is going to take a bit of time to adjust to increases, so a gradual build is ideal.

*** Note that increases in protein; even incremental small ones, can cause gas. There’s an adjustment period and no, you won’t always smell like that.

Calorie Deficit:
That calorie threshold I just mentioned is a slight deficit, because I am aiming to burn a bit more belly fat as I progress, here. Calories (kCal) are a unit of measurement for energy in food. My body requires a certain amount of calories in order to function the way I expect it to, and I intentionally eat a little bit less than that so that I can use up some of the stored energy I’ve got – fat cells are that storage.

If you’re new to this idea, there’s a method of determining what a suitable deficit is in order to burn fat. I’ve found the Macro Calculator at HealthyEater.com very helpful over the past few years – I recommend reading the calculation breakdown at the bottom of the page. I also recommend cronometer.com as they’ve developed a great database and user friendly app that takes a lot of the guess work out – it works both on a smart phone and a traditional computer. The free version does plenty!

Solving the puzzle:
There’s a couple important pieces of info to remember here.
#1: The only way to be sure of what you’re eating is to measure it. People will tell you that you’re nuts (trust me) but if you’re going to track macronutrients, and say that you ate 50g of walnuts or half cup of blueberries, you’re going to need to make sure that’s true. Get a kitchen scale and some measuring cups, and don’t worry about the people who question it. ‘Plateauing’ is when you stop seeing results, but 9 times out of 10, it’s happening because of food that’s being eaten without being accounted for.
#2: If you’re trying to burn fat and keep the muscle you currently have, you’re going to need to so some thorough (but not super-intense) resistance training (weight lifting). You need to tell you muscles “I still need you” because when your body starts utilizing the reserves, it’s going to burn anything not being used – including muscle.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be sure to touch on fats & carbohydrates as well as some essential vitamins and minerals. Don’t worry though, there’s still bound to be some of the psychological self-reflection you’ve come to know & love as we work through!

Training this week has been intense. We’re now 3 weeks out from race day, and at the height of our training program here in the next week or so. It’s at this point that I start wanting to build the program that will see us through to the fall. My low & slow runs are essentially twice a week now, on Sunday & Thursday… which means Thursday morning I’ll be jogging all the way to work and expecting to be able to navigate the work day after that. Wish me luck!

A while back I posted about post-event fatigue and although I do aim to take a couple rest days after the Edmonton half-marathon, I don’t aim to stay in the ‘funk’ that often sets in after that. That means having a plan and a goal, so I’m sure I’ll be posting about that as it comes together.

We have a long term goal that will take our focus – it’s happening 12 months from now though, so we’re going to need a few things to carry us through and hold our pattern of progression through till then, because although I haven’t posted what that long term goal is, I assure you it’s a lofty one. What I will say is that we’re building a team, and trying to hand-pick those folks based on a few common traits.

half a second

“On an evolutionary level, humans are very good at recounting danger and trauma, as it’s advantageous for animals like us to be able to identify patterns that represent harm. We focus our attention on terrible events like car crashes roughly 6x longer than we do on works of beauty. We’re wired for disappointment. This is why it’s important for me (and hopefully you) to go out of my way to acknowledge the good in my life…”

When you look yourself in the eye, gazing at your own face in the mirror, and then you say something to yourself, it takes about half a second before you feel those words in your chest. I haven’t pulled out the ol’ stop watch yet, but… it’s quick.

I have a number of practices that I do my very best to maintain, and one of them is building myself up with positive affirmation mantras. Not hopes & dreams so much as goals, and reminders of positive things that are happening all the time.

On an evolutionary level, humans are very good at recounting danger and trauma, as it’s advantageous for animals like us to be able to identify patterns that represent harm. We focus our attention on terrible events like car crashes roughly 6x longer than we do on works of beauty. We’re wired for disappointment. This is why it’s important for me (and hopefully you) to go out of my way to acknowledge the good in my life as a way of balancing trauma, danger, and the vast number of available depressants available to me on any given day. That way, even if my day goes all to Hell; and it can, I know that this day and every day started off from a place of love and embrace, and that tomorrow will, too.

This is the premise of slowing your mind in meditation. You’re capable to blasting through 60,000 to 80,000 thoughts per day (of 2500-3300 per hour) and if we don’t check our baggage every so often, we can really put ourselves through the ringer undeservedly.

The majority of our problems are temporary, but they feel eternal because of our desire to fixate on them. Financial troubles are temporary, illness is temporary, your boss’ bad day is temporary, winter is temporary – but the good times always fly by, don’t they?

That’s a state of mind, and we have the power to change our minds.

Look yourself in the eye some morning and say “I love you.”
It’s a real trip.

Training this week has been an adjustment in a couple different ways, and not in the way you might think.
First off: My running distances at the beginning of this new program are decidedly short compared to distances I like to run. Not to worry though, there’s a method to this madness, as the runs are also substantially more frequent than they were for the triathlon training.
Secondly: We’re officially trail running whenever possible, which is an adjustment due in part to elevation changes, and also because of uneven ground – so we’re working stabilizer muscles that have had a pretty easy ride until now.
Third: I commuted to my day job via bicycle twice this week, which is a habit I aim to maintain. Both days were cross training days, and 45 minutes of cycling each way replaced the prescribed ‘brick’ workouts, but it effectively increased the exercise effort on both days. Traversing the city under your own power is a liberating and addictive thing. (click here for training program)

With the new program; we’re building a new structure and we’re starting in the basement, in that these more frequent and runs will get us used to running on fatigued legs. That might sound a little bonkers, but a half-marathon is pretty far and we will have some tired legs toward the end when it really counts. In the meantime, I’m not too worried about pushing beyond the run distances in the program – at least on my days off when I can really go out and get lost.

And… by mid-June the long runs will be what I’m used to. Then it’ll get nutty in a hurry!

Complaint Recovery

“By design, I’ve regained control of my attention, and thereby my attitude under the belief that mood follows action.”

Since reclaiming my mental acuity and attention from the grip of social media and international news (as talked about in last week’s blog post); a valiant effort and an ongoing temptation still a struggle to renege on, I’ve become keenly aware of how my conduct has changed on the day-to-day.

I’m sure nobody has noticed besides me, but slowing the flow of stress-educing knowledge has ultimately resulted in talking less about such knowledge. I still engage in conversations about current events, but my contributions are lesser in quantity and more in quality. This might be as a result of the slower flow of info, or possibly because I have more time to develop opinions and put them in my own words, but there’s something else that I am doing less:

Complaining.

It’s intentional, and again, it’s likely that people don’t notice, but I feel that my brain has reclaimed my thought process, and is having an easier time organizing my responses in advance of my mouth spitting them out. By design, I’ve regained control of my attention, and thereby my attitude under the belief that ‘mood follows action.’ I’ve limited my exposure to online media, and thereby limited my choices of news sources. The result of fewer choices is more intentional decisions and less option paralysis.

Of course this is all pretty vague, but it is that way by design. If any of this resonates with you, then it probably brings about a specific element in your life you’d like to have a better handle on. For me; in this case, it’s social media (though that’s just the example, this approach has permeated varying aspects of my thinking), but for you it could be anything.

Training this week has been good. These sessions are getting long, and the recent dump of snow has certainly made the commute to & from the gym a little slower despite the use of 4-wheel drive. Alas, it won’t be long until we’re running & biking outdoors, and back in Edmonton’s river valley as frequently as possible. I’m working on the next video, collecting some b-roll footage (though we got in a lil’ trouble for filming at the gym recently). It should be out later in the month.