Strength Training and Nutrition Workshop March 11, 2014

The Why’s and How’s of strength training and nutrition that will give you an edge in your first triathlon.

How can strength training help you out in triathlon training?

What are the guidelines for a well rounded strength training session?

Check out Training Videos for exercise samples

How can nutrition help you out in a triathlon?

Should I eat during training and racing?

Are sport drinks really important and better than just water?

Check out my delicious and healthy Recipes page

Click on the following link to see the workshop presentation: Strength Training and Nutrition Workshop

If you can’t find the answers, just ask the coach!

Cheers,

Gloria

Fall Granola with Pumpkin Seeds, Millet & Dried Fruit November 15, 2013

I’m sure you have been cooking with pumpkin during the last weeks, and you will keep at it for a few more weeks too. Do not throw away those pumpkin seeds!! Save them for this delicious granola recipe. All you have to do is clean them, dry them and add them to the mixture. I really enjoy this recipe because of the special crunch that the millet adds, and because adding lots of dried fruits allows me to cut on added sweeteners and oils without compromising taste. Although the extra fruit adds natural sugars, it also packs in healthy fiber, minerals and vitamins lacking from other sweeteners.  I’ve found a half cup of millet works best for this recipe: I did try a full cup once, but felt that it was a bit too crunchy.

Acorn squash seeds       

Ingredients:

3 cups rolled oats

½ cup millet

½ cup slivered almonds

½ cup pumpkin seeds or pepitas

1 cup cashews

¾ cup shredded coconut

1 Tbsp. raw sugar

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

2 cups dried fruit (raisins, diced figs, dates, cranberries, etc.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 280 F. Combine all ingredients except the dried fruit in a large bowl and mix well. Place mixture in a sheet pan and cook for 60 min, stirring every 20 min. Remove from oven, let it cool and mix in a large bowl with the dried fruit until uniformly distributed. Store in an air tight container.

You can substitute the millet for quinoa, or use half and half. If you add red quinoa, the granola will look so cool! Another twist to this recipe is to add two tablespoon of either carob powder or unsweetened cocoa powder.  It tastes great! I also added spices and it gives the granola a great new taste. I grounded a stick of cinnamon, a cardamom pod and  a couple of cloves and added it to the toasted granola.

Check out the Recipes page for more healthy snacks, drinks, meals, and desserts!

Quinoa & Veggie Salad August 13, 2013

Want to add some protein other than chicken or beans to your salad? Try Quinoa, an ancient grain-like food, known as a pseudo cereal because it is actually the seed of a plant closely related to spinach rather than the grain from a true grass family. This healthy food packs 14 g of protein and 7 g of fiber, among other nutrients, per 100 g (3.5 oz) serving. As you can see in the picture, the seeds can be red or white. There’s a black variety too, but I haven’t seen it in the market yet. This lets you add some colored protein diversity to your meals and get your fiber, too. Happy eating!   

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, cold, previously cooked (prepare it as you would white rice)

1 carrot, shredded

2 small beets, previously cooked* and diced

1 bell pepper, cut into thin slices

1 can of artichokes hearts, cut into quarters (drained)

2 cups of baby mesclun lettuce (or chopped Romaine, baby spinach or arugula)

2 celery stalks, chopped (replace with fennel if available/preferable)

A handful of cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup olives (pitted)

2 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts

3 oz. feta cheese

Dressing:

1 Tbsp. olive oil,

1 Tbsp. mustard

1 tsp. vinegar, any kind (organic apple cider vinegar will do)

1 tsp. lemon juice

Mix well, make into an emulsion

Directions:

Mix all ingredients; add parsley, mint, or chopped cilantro if you like.

*Place the well-washed beets in a semi-covered bowl with water  and microwave for 8-10 minutes. Be careful: when they are done, they are extremely hot. After cooling, cut the beets into bite-sized pieces.

Check out the Recipes page for more healthy snacks, drinks, meals, and desserts!

Race Day of Your Tri! May 23, 2013

A lot of training & commitment goes into preparing for a triathlon. In addition to getting yourself in proper physical condition, it’s important to make sure you’re mentally ready and organized for the big day. 

A tri is very different from a single-event race. Don’t forget these basic tips!

Before Race Day:

• Organize your equipment so that you have a bag ready for each transition as well as a special needs bag (containing snacks, drinks, sunscreen, sunglasses, etc. A race day equipment list comes in handy). Transition area space is limited, so bring only what you need.
• Label your bike, helmet, water bottle, etc. so you don’t accidentally swap gear with someone else.
• Practice your transitions to ensure efficiency.
• Make sure your bike is tuned and is functioning properly: check tire pressure, brakes, etc.
• Give yourself lots of time to adjust to any clothing/equipment you plan to use on the big day.
• Avoiding any new foods, incorporate plenty of carbohydrates into your pre-race meal. Start fueling (carbo-loading) for the race about 24 hours beforehand for a sprint and more for longer races.
• Make sure you get lots of restful sleep on the eve of the big day.

Morning of the Race:

• Eat a carb-rich meal at least 2 hours before the race, allowing yourself time to digest.
• Check the weather conditions and dress in layers for easy adding/shedding of clothes. Even if it is warm, you may want a sweatshirt or jacket for after the race.
• Arrive at the event at least an hour early to find a parking spot, pick up your race packet, familiarize yourself with race rules/procedures, use the facilities, and warm up.
• Set up your gear in the transition area. If you can choose your own spot, look for one at the end of a row for a quick exit.
• Memorize where you’ve placed your equipment in the transition area and consider marking your spot for visibility.
• Fill all your bike’s bottle holders with water/sports drinks.
• Make sure you leave your bike in a low gear so you can ease into the biking portion of the race.
• Once set up, mentally rehearse your transitions again.
• Try to take a dip in the water before to adjust to the water’s temperature before the race.
• Know the course! It’s especially useful to familiarize yourself with the swimming and biking routes. Don’t rely on the crowd to keep you on the right track.
• Warm up with a quick swim 10-20 minutes before the race.

During the Race:

• Position yourself according to your ability. If you know you’re particularly fast or slow in the water, move closer to the front or back of the pack. Otherwise, the middle is the best place to start out.
• Keep yourself fueled/hydrated. Especially for long distances, energy drinks are better than water for replenishing carbohydrates and electrolytes.
• Thank the race volunteers, wave to the crowds, and smile for the cameras!

After the Race:

• Stay hydrated, making sure you replenishing carbohydrates and electrolytes lost during the race.
• Keep walking to avoid cramping.
• Refuel with a protein-rich snack within a half hour of finishing.
• Remember to gather all your gear from the transition area.

Race Day of Your 5k! May 15, 2013

You’ve been training for weeks, and the big day is finally here! Some tips on preparing for your first 5k race:

1. Skip the Chile

Avoid eating spicy foods the night before & morning of your race. They will likely come back to haunt you the next day.

2. Catch Enough Z’s

Try to hit the hay early and get plenty of sleep on the night before the race to maximize your energy on the big day.

3. Eat Breakfast

It really is the most important meal of the day, especially before your race. Make time to eat a healthy, high glycemic index meal before the event, such as bread with honey or jam. Consuming a small, carb-rich snack less than an hour before the race may also improve your performance.

4. Be an Early Bird

On race day, arrive early enough to find a parking spot, pick up your race packet, visit the port-a-potties, look around, and/or familiarize yourself with the course and race procedures.

5. BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle)

Although most races provide water or sports drinks, it’s a good idea to bring your own bottle to make sure you stay hydrated before and after the race.

6. Dress for the Weather

If it’s cooler, bring a sweatshirt or jacket to change into after the race. The clothes you run in are likely to get wet when you sweat, which can make you chilly after the event. If it’s raining, try to wear tight-fitting clothes to prevent chaffing.  Clothes made of wicking material and tight-fitting, synthetic socks are best for preventing blisters.

7. Stick to the Familiar

Avoid breaking in new clothes, shoes, or gear on the day of the race. Make sure you give yourself enough time to get comfortable with any clothing or equipment you intend to use on the big day.

8. Be the Middleman

Before the race starts, position yourself in the middle of the pack; this way, the fastest runners don’t have to weave around you, and you’re not stuck behind the walkers in the back.

9. Start Slow, Finish Strong

A common beginner mistake is to start the race too fast. Your heart is pumping, you’re anxious, and people are flying by you.  Try to let them pass you early on to ease gradually into your race pace.  If you’re goal is simply to finish the race, use the whole first mile as your warm-up, and think of the last two miles as the competition. However, if you’re aiming for a good finish time, you should warm up before the race. You can achieve this with a 5-8 min easy jog. If you’re really going for speed, 5-6 short sprint repeats will wake up your fast twitch muscle fibers and kick you into high gear.

10. Have Fun!

Try not to take the race too seriously. Absorb the sights and sounds of the event, smile at the crowds, and be kind to your fellow runners. It may be a competition, but don’t lose sight of the bigger reasons you’re participating: to be fit and healthy and to enjoy yourself.

Turkey Trot 5 Mile Training- Week 8 November 18, 2012

Race Week Tips

Welcome back to the Westfield Turkey Trot training blog! Hope you had a good training week.

1-      Taper: Up to now you have trained hard enough, so taper week is the pay back for that effort. On the week before the race, scale back your training to let your body recover from the tireless work you had put forward. Cut your training in half from the previous week, and enjoy the extra time off. You will be plenty busy with Thanksgiving preparations anyways!

2-      On race day, don’t forget your breakfast: Have your regular breakfast and yes, you can drink coffee. One to two cups of coffee a couple of hours before the race will not interfere with your running (now, if you drink that coffee 15 min before the gun goes off… you might be running for the next port-a-potty J)

3-      Stay hydrated during the race: If you think that your race will take you more than one hour, bringing an isotonic drink with you on the run will help by giving you that extra oomph instead of feeling drained after an hour. Use this taper week to try different brands and find the one you will like. My favorites are the Nuun tablets. They are mild in taste and are gentler than Gatorade. (Make sure you try them before the race, don’t try anything new on race day.) If you are going to finish within an hour, you can just take water at the hydration tables at the race. But don’t forget to grab them! You will feel much better at the end!

4-      Dress in layers: It might be cold, it might get warmer… you wish you could predict the weather! Dressing up in layers will take the pressure off. As you feel that you are warming up, start peeling the layers so you can run comfortably. One piece of clothing that became one of my favorites lately is a pair of arm warmers. These are sleeves that run from wrist to shoulder that you can use when cold and then can pull down to your wrists when you warm up. If you are wearing a top with back pockets, you can also store the arm warmers in there. They take little room, and you won’t have to deal with carrying a long sleeve shirt during the race.

5-      Hold your pace: This is your race! Make sure you hold your pace and don’t try to run anybody else’s race. Stick to what you know and trained for. In the end, this will give you a better experience than trying to run faster or pushing it harder to keep up with other runners.

6-      Post-race nutrition: The race organizers have that all taken care off! Chef Roscoe will be there to share his bounty! Stay for the after race party  and share your experience with the rest of the runners J

We are in Taper week this week. Training is reduced your by about half of the previous week which will reduce fatigue and increase performance during the race. Even if you missed a few of the last week’s runs, take it easy this week; you will be better off going to the race undertrained than over-trained. I promise you!!

8 Week Training Schedule for the Westfield Turkey Trot 5m – 2012

Week	M	T	W	Th	F	Sa	Su
8	40	30	off	20	off	race!!	20

 

The numbers are minutes of walk/jog, jog, or run at a pace that will allow you to have a conversation.

* This 20 min run will help you recover better by “cleaning” the byproducts left from the race’s high intensity exercise. Run the 20 min at the easiest pace you can (walk as much as you need).

Do strength training (ST) early in the week this week, and only one session. Save your legs for the race .

For more info, check out my book: “RUNNING For Girls Like Us” 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone and good luck in the race!!!

Turkey Trot 5 Mile Training- Week 7 November 12, 2012

Nutrition

Welcome back to the Westfield Turkey Trot training blog! Hope you had a good training week (and that your power has been restored!!!).

When talking about nutrition this week, one thing I won’t be worried about is that you might be undernourished for the Westfield Turkey Trot:-) Today we will talk about race day nutrition, but just let me get a little thing about nutrition in general out of the way. (The long version might lead to another blog later on.)

We have all heard that a healthy diet can reduce the risk of major chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and some cancers. Now, what is a healthy diet? A healthy diet consists of mostly fresh, unprocessed foods, all types of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, including nuts and seeds. (There, I said it, now let’s get going with race day nutrition.)

If you want to cook more food on Friday after Thanksgiving to follow the famous “carbo-loading” tradition previous to competition, please, be my guest, but you don’t have to do so, especially if your total time will be less than one hour and a half (which I’m sure it will be!!!).

Let’s talk race day breakfast:

1. Don’t skip it!
2. Keep it simple. Eat toast, oatmeal or a bagel. Stay clear of heavy fatty foods, they will hold you back!!
3. Stay well hydrated. On Friday drink lots of water during the day. On Saturday, if you are used to drink coffee in the morning, go ahead and drink a cup or two one to one hour and a half before the race, so you don’t have to “race” for the port-a-potties!
4. If your breakfast was at 7 AM, bring a snack with you to have 30-15 min before the race starts

During the race:

1. If you will be running for one hour or longer, you might want to bring a sports drink with you to the race and drink a gulp every 15 min.
2. If your race will last less than one hour, the water at the hydration stations will be enough, but don’t forget to take them!

After the race:

The race organizers have it covered!!

Chef Roscoe will be there to share his bounty! Here is a sample of some of the yummy foods: butternut squash soup with apples, fresh fruit skewers, and veggie wraps!

If you can’t stay after the race, make sure to keep on drinking water or even better, sport drinks and have some snacks within 30-60 min of finishing the run. This will help you recover better and faster.

Next week I will have an itemized list of tips for race day. Stay tuned!!

As you can see, this week’s long run is quite short (45’), that is because on Sunday 11/18, you start “Taper Week.” Taper week is the week before a race, where training volume is reduced by about 50% keeping the same intensity. This kind of “reduction” of training will diminish fatigue and increase your performance during the race. I know we had a crazy couple of weeks and if you couldn’t fit in your long runs you might be tempted to do so next weekend. Do not! If you can fit that missed long run early this week, go ahead and do so, other than that, let it go. You will be better off going to the race a little bit under-trained than over-trained. I promise you!!

8 Week Training Schedule for the Westfield Turkey Trot 5m – 2012

Week	M	T	W	Th	F	Sa	Su
7	45	off	50	x	30	35	45

 

The numbers are minutes of walk/jog, jog, or run at a pace that will allow you to have a conversation (see why I want you to have a buddy? ;-).

The X means that if you have been racing during the summer, you should do some kind of cross-training exercises, such as swimming, biking, elliptical machine, etc. If you are a complete beginner, you can take those (X) days off.

If you do strength training (ST) exercises and you just started running, do the ST exercises on non-running days.

For more info, check out my book: “RUNNING For Girls Like Us” 

Happy training and see you next Sunday, Nov 18

Next week’s topic: Race Week Tips

My Very Own Central NJ 5 Borough Marathon November 5, 2012

finish NJ marathon

As you may know, the NYC marathon was canceled, which was quite disappointing for me after training for months…I even pick up the number on Friday a few minutes just before the cancellation announcement.

Today I set up to run with my husband 10 miles that he was scheduled to run for his training for the Philadelphia half marathon. As I was running I first met a few ladies from (I am pretty sure) Jennyfit working out in Echo Lake. I told them that I was supposed to be running the marathon and they gave me a big cheer (thank you girls!!!). That lifted my spirit. Later on, on Nomahegan park, a guy asked if we were supposed to be running the marathon, so we had a little chat about our disappointment, and his friend who came all the way from Hawaii to run in this day. All these chance encounters got me thinking “why not run my own Central NJ 5 Borough Marathon”…when we got back home I changed into my orange NYC marathon t-shirt and put on my number and set out to run and complete 26.2 miles through Westfield, Mountainside, Kenilworth, Cranford, and Garwood. Along the way I had a few people cheer me, I saw a few other girls running also with their numbers….even a guy in the gas station line honked and cheered when I passed. The hardest part was going up the stairs of the Westfield train station to take my picture…the best was running the last mile with my dog Harley.

  NJ ROCKS!!!

westfield

Garwood

Kenilworth

Mountainside

Cranford

Life gave me lemons…..and I still have some lemonade left!

Turkey Trot 5 Mile Training- Week 6

Welcome back to the Westfield Turkey Trot training blog! Hope you are doing well and that your power is back!

I promised a Nutrition blog today, but due to the circumstances, I’ll spare you and we will resume with our regular blog next week.

Wishing you all the best, here is this week’s training schedule.

8 Week Training Schedule for the Westfield Turkey Trot 5m – 2012

Week	M	T	W	Th	F	Sa	Su
6	off	40	off	45	off	4 m* or 66 min	30

 * the Westfield Turkey Trot have a 4m scheduled on Sat Nov 10th (this is from http://www.practicehard.com/EventView.asp?eid=957 : Meet at 9 a.m. for a full 5 Mile Run along the Turkey Trot course at 9:30 a.m. See http://www.WestfieldTurkeyTrot.com for details and to R.S.V.P. to join us – NO fee!) 

The numbers are minutes of walk/jog, jog, or run at a pace that will allow you to have a conversation (see why I want you to have a buddy? ;-).

The X means that if you have been racing during the summer, you should do some kind of cross-training exercises, such as swimming, biking, elliptical machine, etc. If you are a complete beginner, you can take those (X) days off.

If you do strength training (ST) exercises and you just started running, do the ST exercises on non-running days.

For more info, check out my book: “RUNNING For Girls Like Us” 

Happy training and see you next Sunday, Nov 11

Next week’s topic: Nutrition

Turkey Trot 5 Mile Training- Week 5 October 29, 2012

Workout intensity (keep it varied)

Welcome back to the Westfield Turkey Trot training blog! Hope you had a good training week.

By now, you know how important being consistent and overloading your system are so your training is as effective as it could be. Today we will focus on intensity and the need to mix it up. I will keep it short because I know you are more worried about Sandy than anything else this week, but if you have any questions, drop me a line.

What do I mean with mixing up the intensity? What I’m saying here is that you don’t have to be running hard all the time. If you are a beginner you might be thinking: running equals hard! How do I run easy! That makes no sense! And you will be right.

At the beginning running is ALWAYS hard! I’ve been there too. So how do you make it easier? Well, if you are healthy and you have been running consistently, running eventually will become easier. In the meantime, jog at an easier pace or pepper the runs with walking if you can’t find that easier pace. Now if you can run and find a comfortable pace, then run some days of the week at that easy pace and others at a more intense pace, alternating hard and easy runs. This Hard/Easy is another of the variables of training, and will add at your consistency and overloading ones that you are already applying to it (right?;-). Your long runs are going to be hard, then the next run should be easier, after that you can do a short run at a higher intensity pace and then an easy run again, and so on. Running hard all the time can lead to injury, and running always easy won’t make you better either.

Mix it up! Give your system a shock and then let it recover, that’s the best way to an affective training program.

Easy day, running down hill 🙂

As you can see I left Tues and Weds free. We might have to do some cross training those days. Last year Irene brought me a swimming pool. Let’s see what Sandy brings us now.

Stay safe, go to the gym tomorrow and pick up the training when you can and is safe to run outdoors.

By the way, on Sat Nov 10^th, the organizers of the Westfield Turkey Trot are holding a 4m training run for the race. They will have water and bagels at the end, so go check them out and RSVP if you are planning to go. I will schedule it on that week’s training.

8 Week Training Schedule for the Westfield Turkey Trot 5m – 2012

Week	M	T	W	Th	F	Sa	Su
5	40	off	x	35	35	X	60

 

The numbers are minutes of walk/jog, jog, or run at a pace that will allow you to have a conversation (see why I want you to have a buddy? ;-).

The X means that if you have been racing during the summer, you should do some kind of cross-training exercises, such as swimming, biking, elliptical machine, etc. If you are a complete beginner, you can take those (X) days off.

If you do strength training (ST) exercises and you just started running, do the ST exercises on non-running days.

For more info, check out my book: “RUNNING For Girls Like Us” 

Happy training and see you next Sunday, Nov 4 (I’ll be tired after running NYC marathon, but I’ll be here!!)

Next week’s topic: Nutrition