Eating plan

On Saturday I will be competing at Ironman Steelhead 70.3. I am starting today with my meal planning to ensure that I have a nice race on Saturday.

First- Update on the hip issue I was B*tchin' about:
Sunday I was broken, couldn't move. Monday was a little better. Each day after that I would ride my bike and spend a lot of time stretching and using the foam roller. After each bike session, I could walk normal again. As the day progressed, I'd be limping again. As it got better, I got anxious for my race on Sunday. I was hoping to have the injury just disappear but it didn't, it took quite a while for it to get better. Today (monday) is the first day that I think I look like I'm walking normal. If I feel good enough, I may try and light jog tomorrow after a LONG warm up. Otherwise, I'll just continue to wear my compression tights, rest, stretch, roll and pray that I can run 13.1 miles after my 56 mile bike ride on Saturday. I'm pretty confident I'll be able to do it.

My Nutrition plans

• Everyday up until the race I will be making sure to stay fully hydrated all day long. Just like carb loading, I am preparing myself to start the race 100% hydrated. Clear pee all week!
• After my bike ride on Wednesday I will begin carb loading..ish. I'm not going to go crazy here, but from what I've learned you're supposed to refuel with carbs after you deplete them entirely. I think my bike workout on Wednesday is my only workout that may accomplish that if I do the swim workout first. I will drink water during the ride and a sports drink after. My post-workout meal will be pasta or pancakes...heavy on the carbohydrates.
• During this week, I will make sure not to over eat but instead to maximize the calories I am consuming by making sure they are more carbohydrates than anything else. This means I won't be eating as many trail mixes with high fat nuts and dried berries and instead eating more bagels, pasta, pancakes, sports drinks and breads.
• I weighed myself today and I plan to race at THIS weight. Weightloss is not a goal this week because I don't want to fear food. I need to be aware of what I am eating, and conscious that it is my fuel.
• I love fruit, so I won't deprive myself of my favorite apples just yet but I will be aware of the fiber content of what I'm eating 24-48 hours before the race. I used to completely cut out fiber before a race but that would take away my sacred pre-race poop. I usually eat a VERY high fiber diet and haven't experienced any GI issues while running just yet. So, I will cut it down to be safe, but like I said, I love my apples and I probably won't cut that out.
• Most important meal will be on Thursday (not Friday). Really, I will make the entire day my fuel stores preparation day. Of course I'll make sure to eat well on Friday but I really feel like the meal 48 hours before the race is more important. I plan to eat cereal in the morning (gotta love it because it gives me my vitamins!), Toast and jam for brunch, a luna bar snack, A white bagel for lunch with a fruit and maybe my spinach/feta/eggwhite meal. (great protein source). Dinner will be either pasta or pancakes. If its pancakes they'll be plain, no butter, some syrup. Nighttime snack will be pretzels (good for carbs and sodium) or plain popcorn. Any other snacking throughout the day will be animal crackers or wheat thins! Drinking water and sports drinks all day.
• Friday will be a travel day and the meals won't be planned by me. However, I am traveling with the best group of well-prepared athletes along with our team dietician (and my food soulmate). No worries. Focus on hydration and eating meals that make me happy and promote that pre-race poop I had discussed.
• Morning of: I'll probably drink 40 oz of gatorade and eat whatever I want. It'll be healthy, but again, happy foods. If there is a donut in front of me, I will eat it. At this point, I'm just topping off my fuel stores and I'm not concerned about eating a big meal, just a solid breakfast.
• If I can't resist my urges to eat ice cream at work, I'll eat the usual- a baby cone. AND I won't feel guilty, because if I tell myself that my race is going to suck because I ate 3 ounces of ice cream, my race will suck.
• If I don't follow this plan, who cares. I know that my every day diet has already been modeled to fit my endurance training regime. My main concern is that I start my race hydrated and I will make a conscious effort to make sure that happens.
• While racing:
• 0-9.3miles (most of my initial 40oz of gatorade on my bike) 9.3-pick up 20oz gatorade. drink 20+. 22 miles- pick up next 2o oz of gatorade,drink 20+, 36 miles, another 20 added another 20 gone, 45.8mile mark- last 2o oz, will drink entire thing before getting off bike.
• I won't be eating anthing on the bike but I will have a gel or two there just in case. My goal is to drink drink drink.
• On the run, I'll try to have about 4 gels. They have aide stations every 1-1.4 miles. Assuming its every 1.2 miles, I'll eat a gel of my own (left in transition) as I start the run, then again at the 3rd, 6th and 9th aide stations. I'll try to take gatorade at every aide station but if it gets to be too much, I'll drink water every other.

I just looked up information on the steelhead website and found out some interesting stuff. I took it to the next level and looked up all the magical and religious meanings of what I discovered.

My swim cap is going to be green

Here's what I found out about the color green

• Green is the color of nature, fertility, life. Grass green is the most restful color. Green symbolizes self-respect and well being. Green is the color of balance. It also means learning, growth and harmony. Green is a safe color, if you don't know what color to use anywhere use green.
  
• Green is favored by well balanced people. Green symbolizes the master healer and the life force.
• Put some green in your life when you want:
  
  -a new state of balance
  -feel a need for change or growth
  -freedom to pursue new ideas
  -protection from fears and anxieties connected with the demands of others
• Wear green when you want to overcome a sense of thwarted ambition

Good thing our team colors are green too!

My race number is 444

Here's what I found out about the number 4 and 444:

• Properties of the number 444 -
  
  Symbolism
  The first divine woman.
• "444 - Thousands of angels surround you at this moment, loving and supporting you. You have a very strong and clear connection with the angelic realm, and are an Earth Angel yourself. You have nothing to fear - all is well."
• Four is the number of all things that have a beginning, all things that are made, of material things and of matter itself. For examples of this we have the four cardinal directions, north, south, east and west. Four seasons of the year, spring, summer, autumn and winter. Four dimensions contain all we can experience; length, width, height and time. Note here that the fourth dimension, time, is separated from the rest in that we only have a limited movement through time compared to the other dimensions. So four is clearly shown to be the number of the natural creation and composed of three plus one.
• Four also answers these questions with calm authority. When we are in doubt, and directionless, the energy of Four can settle us and assure us that indeed, we do have the ability to establish an energetic foundation that will enable steady progress on our path.
  
• Potential Personality of Four:
  As we might expect, people who resonate with the number Four frequency are stable, mature, and solid leaders among us. If something needs to get done thoroughly with an eye for detail, go to a number Four personality. They will get the project done in an orderly, methodical way with casual ease (and likely it'll get done on time, and within a nice budget too). Four people know they need structure in their lives and sometimes feel misunderstood. However, this is okay with them because they know the importance of their dispositions, and recognize the role they play in the lives of others is necessary for progress.
  

So, not gonna lie, I like what I'm reading. I think Saturday will be a good race. Can't wait!

-Bam Bam