I feel like we have all had an experience or two where you’re out there having a great ride or run and suddenly, you’re out of energy, or feeling crampy and nauseous or in a worst-case scenario looking desperately for somewhere to go the bathroom wishing you had a roll of toilet paper in your pocket.
Fear of these scenarios happening can lead us to limiting how much we eat pre-workout as well as not taking in enough nutrition during our training sessions or race. This is so unfortunate because we know we need to nourish our bodies for the workout that we are doing but even more importantly to support our recovery so we can make the adaptations we are working so hard for as well as set ourselves up well for our next workout.
Fighting Rapids: My Journey Through a Running Injury
I contemplated quite a bit about how to begin this blog post. Speaking about injuries can be a sensitive subject for many runners, myself included. So, I decided to set for a long run a few weekends ago, and let my thoughts come to me organically. I was running along a beautiful river, here in Colorado, and noticed the movement …
Boost Your Iron Levels Permanently
Endurance runners are known to have a higher prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia than the general population (other at-risk groups include women and those who restrict calories). Indeed, I encounter many a client who is struggling to improve their iron-levels. In fact, the Journal of Internal Medicine published a study showing systemic iron deficiency was found in 56% of the runners they tested. Why …
STOP Muscle Cramping
I’ve now worked with quite a number of clients now who came to me with one of their main goals being to not cramp so badly while racing (both half-marathoners and full marathoners). One of my runners, Tomoko, had both calves cramp up on her so badly she actually fell to the ground and had to be wheeled to the medical tent. …
Culinary Exploration: Herbs and Spices for Endurance Athletes
One of the easiest ways to transform your kitchen into a playground is to experiment with fresh and dried herbs and spices. Don’t dismiss these flavour additions as merely for taste, they are actually powerful performance aids! Aside from performance benefits, I also advocate the use of fresh and dried spices and herbs to flavour and season meals as a …
Top 5 Seeds You Want to be Eating
I love my nuts and seeds. As someone who relies on a plant-strong diet, they provide protein and nutrients required for strong running and quick recovery. I realize there are people (I see them on a regular basis) who have allergies and sensitivities to various nuts and seeds. We work around them or find alternatives. But for those of you …
Why Runners Need ACES
If your first question is “What the heck are ACES???”… Let me just say, good question! No, I’m not referring to the ace of spades, commonly seen as the highest card in a deck of playing cards. ACES is a cute acronym to remember the top antioxidant nutrients required for a strong and healthy immune system: vitamin’s A, C and E …
Required for Energy & Endurance
Tired – as in extremely, consistently fatigued. Run down. Washed out. Pale. Diminished appetite. Performances spiralling downward. Reduced endurance. Cold hands and feet. Headaches. Light-headedness. Irritability. Repeated infections. Any of these sound like you? If so, you may be low on iron. Iron is a trace mineral required for energy and endurance. At any one time, there should be 3-5 grams …