Month: March 2015

PLAN Your Race & RACE Your Plan

by fullcircle, posted in Blogs, Mindset, Race Specific

PLAN Your Race & RACE Your Plan

This coming week is about getting mentally and physically prepared for race day. 

Not much fitness can be gained between now and Race Day on Sunday. 

I encourage all my athletes to write out a race plan.  Starting from Saturday morning before the race, to the end of the race and even post-race recovery strategies. 

I ask them to include everything they plan to do to prepare for the race, what they will  eat, how much sleep and any other important details.  It is all written out in a positive light, especially the race itself. 

After you have written it out you can close your eyes and visualize the race scenario exactly as you want it to go many times before the race start.  By positive I mean like this:   “I will start off to the side of the main swim pack and duck dive under the waves, repeating my mantra (reach for the buoy).  I will sight every 5 strokes to stay on course. If I get out of breath I will roll over on my back to breath for 5 breaths and roll back to swim, kick and breath.” 

Avoid the negative thoughts by thinking “I won’t get a flat and I won’t walk.”  Instead say “I will run the entire portion of the run course” or “I will change my flat quickly if it happens.” 

If you don’t know how to change a flat, get to the bike store this week and ask them to show you. It is very easy.  Also, check your bike tires for any gashes that could potentially lead to a flat.

Join the Nutrition Reset Live on Triathlon Obsessed, April 25-28th. Click HERE to save your spot!!

Curious about Full Circle’s Triathlon Transformation program?
You too can become the triathlete you always dreamed of! Use this link to schedule your FREE Triathlon Breakthrough Session Now! WWW.SCHEDULEYOU.IN/5ZISVAU

Erinne Guthrie is a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach since 1999 and Chief Motivating Officer at Full Circle Coaching, LLC since 2010. Creator of Triathlon Transformation. She has been training, racing and coaching triathletes since 1997. She is also a CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, USMS Master’s Swim Coach, Motivational Speaker, Metabolic Efficiency Specialist, Mom, Mermaid and much much more.

Are you burning fat

by fullcircle, posted in Blogs, Nutrition, Testing

Are you metabolically efficient? And what does that mean anyway?

Metabolic Efficiency is the body’s efficiency of utilizing endogenous stores of carbohydrate and fat at different intensities and durations of exercise AND at rest.  The ultimate goal is to burn more fat, and preserve carbohydrate stores.  At any given moment a person has internal fat stores = 80,000 calories+ (30,000 – 50,000 for lean athletes) and internal carbohydrate stores = 1,200-2,000 calories (size and gender dependent).  Which do you think is a better choice for endurance sports???  FAT!!!!

Why Metabolic Efficiency?

1. It decreases and eliminates risk of gastrointestinal distress (when your body is using your stored fat stores there is less of a need to fuel with sports nutrition during training, unless intensities get higher than zone 3 or longer than 2 hours).

2. Improves nutrient partitioning (save the carbohydrates for later).

3. Improves body weight and composition (potentially burn fat all the time at rest).

4. Improves health markers and chronic disease states (less sugar equals better health).

Testing

The test includes being hooked up to a metabolic cart that measures the exchange of O2 and CO2 during a step test on the treadmill or bike (see video of Gaston testing lactate MEP and VO2 Max).  The ratio of these two gases measured at 5 min intervals indicates whether you are burning fat or carbohydrate and this photo is an example of someone with an MEP (metabolic efficiency point).  After the test we modify nutrition and training to shift the crossover point to the right, (meaning faster paces).

From the tests we have already performed this year, I can tell you that some athletes did not even have an MEP and the others were at extremely low intensities.  This is because these individuals are consuming large amount of sugar and refined carbohydrates.  The good news is that you can make changes in nutrition and training to achieve an MEP after as little as 10 days and begin tapping into those fat stores, just as Gaston has in my example in the newsletter!

Are you ready to get tested?

Please contact me today to make your testing appointment and find out if you are metabolically efficient!

Coach Erinne / erinne@fullcirclecoaching.co / 786-586-6057

 

 

Mind . Body . Balance . Meditation

by fullcircle, posted in Blogs, Mindset

Where Performance Meets Balance:  If you only train hard all the time, there will be a time where your body will tell you it has had enough. Here is one way I use and recommend to my athletes to ride the wave of working out and working “IN.”

I know, I know many of you are opposed to the thought of having to sit still in silence for any amount of time and I was the same way. Until I found these two resources below that have a short audio section where you listen first followed by a short block of time with calm music. For me this makes all the difference in the world.

I came to meditation through yoga. I have been including yoga in my triathlon training practice ever since I got adrenal fatigue in 2008. With yoga came more of an interest in meditation to help create the balance I had been missing in my life. I can train hard with no problem but I always left out the other side of the coin and I paid for it big time when my body just shut down.

What I also learned is meditation does not have to mean sitting cross legged and chanting OM, although that does work. It really is just focused relaxed attention on one thing with a low heart rate. So for me and what I learned from OSHO (a famous Indian mystic, guru and spiritual teacher) is that it can include running, biking or swimming but just at a very low intensity while staying focused on the activity of the breath or movement, not on how hard we can push it. When other thoughts come in, gently notice them, no need to beat yourself up about it and get back to breathing and moving gently. It takes a little  practice to get good at anything, and mediation is not any different, it is a skill worth practicing.

There are 2 FREE ONLINE Meditation Offers from my two favorite resources for easy to implement mediation audios.  I have the APP on my phone and listen on a midday break or before I start my Day.

https://chopracentermeditation.com/experience  This one is a FREE 21 day meditation challenge. I own several of these programs and I highly recommend the one titled Perfect Health, found below:

https://chopracentermeditation.com/store/product/2/perfect_health

This series of meditations really frames how our mind plays such an important part when it comes to our bodies.  If you are recovering from injury or sickness I cannot recommend this meditation enough!

Here is a second Free meditation from the workings of OSHO

http://www.mentorschannel.com/Osho/MeditationforBusyPeople/Online/