Anniversary Goal

[Boss Man]

Training on empty can cause fatigue, possible burning of muscle and dizzy spells in people who have never had dizzy spells.

In your case, there must be a compromise. If you used to eat something specific before a workout, that caused the vomiting, try different things, or maybe have some kind of juiced vegetable drink about 30-60 minute before workouts. It may have also been the possibility that you ate something quite weighty, not necessarily highly caloric, but food that might feel quite dense, like a Steak with mashed potatos and Veggies, or a big Pasta meal versus Chicken and Beans or a Bowl of Soup with slice of bread, as examples

So fueling before the workout is the way to go, no doubt about it, to help protect muscle mass and ward off fatigue and give you some residual energy and nutrition to use afterwards, to recover and repair, when the body is still finishing off the nutrition, because eating something that will breakdown in around 3 hours, within 30-60 minutes of workout, should permit you to still have leftover nutrition to utilise after you finish, which you could then top up within 30-60 mintues of finishing, with a protein shake or other meal.

[Athene]

If you used to eat something specific before a workout, that caused the vomiting, try different things, or maybe have some kind of juiced vegetable drink about 30-60 minute before workouts. It may have also been the possibility that you ate something quite weighty, not necessarily highly caloric, but food that might feel quite dense, like a Steak with mashed potatos and Veggies, or a big Pasta meal versus Chicken and Beans or a Bowl of Soup with slice of bread, as examples

I've never had a bad experience with one specific type of preworkout nutrition - it's very common to puke during CrossFit workouts, as well, so it's not considered an extreme or problematic thing for everyone. I just don't like feeling nauseated! The mascot of CrossFit is a clown named "Pukie" Ugh, right?

So fueling before the workout is the way to go, no doubt about it, to help protect muscle mass

Reading this, I'm thinking maybe I should take some pre-workout BCAAs... that might protect my muscle mass? What do you think of that?

and ward off fatigue and give you some residual energy and nutrition to use afterwards, to recover and repair, when the body is still finishing off the nutrition, because eating something that will breakdown in around 3 hours, within 30-60 minutes of workout, should permit you to still have leftover nutrition to utilise after you finish, which you could then top up within 30-60 mintues of finishing, with a protein shake or other meal.

I get a cramp in my side when running or rowing if I have food in my stomach, and I get really nauseated and/or vomit if I have anything in my stomach during other exercises. Personally, I don't think training on an empty stomach is a bad thing for me, as long as I'm well-nourished leading up to the workout (eating properly for the entire day), and afterward. My intensity level is pretty high during workouts, with no dizziness or fainting ever, and I always eat right after a workout. I'm taking what you're saying very seriously, and will consider a BCAA capsule that will help protect my muscles without trying to make my body focus resources on digesting food while I am making crazy demands on it in other areas.

[Boss Man]

The BCAA's would be a compromise and maybe consider getting Carbs from something like Powerade. If you do use energy drinks that sort of thing is okay, as opposed to the fancy schamncy ones with Caffeine, herbs etc, which I don't rate, especially if they have less liquid amount but cost as much a basic Glucose / Dextrose one, because the obvious conclusion is, you're getting less primary ingredient, (Glucose), but other non-essential additions.

[Athene]

The BCAA's would be a compromise and maybe consider getting Carbs from something like Powerade. If you do use energy drinks that sort of thing is okay, as opposed to the fancy schamncy ones with Caffeine, herbs etc, which I don't rate, especially if they have less liquid amount but cost as much a basic Glucose / Dextrose one, because the obvious conclusion is, you're getting less primary ingredient, (Glucose), but other non-essential additions.

I can try that! BCAAs and some Gatorade preworkout. I have some G2s kicking around in the fridge, I think. Thanks for the advice, Boss, I really appreciate your help.

Today was pretty good, but I tried to stay up later than I should have (was missing my dude and just wanted to have some time with him instead of going straight to bed when I got home from work at 11:00PM) and ate a bowl of oatmeal. I know grains aren't bad for me, but I avoid them as a rule. I was pretty tired and had eaten properly, then went off the rails a bit. I'm gearing up for triathlon training with my friends, we're doing it as a team this year in a relay, and we're each doing the thing that is hardest for us, which means I don't get to do the 750 m swim, I have to do the 5 k run! Luckily running doesn't feel scary to me anymore, I just have to try to get a bit faster. I would really like a sub-25 minute time, which I don't think is too much to shoot for. I'm helping my friend with the swim, and we may do a short tri together sooner than the relay, so there is a lot of swimming coming up for me in June, plus I will be commuting to work by bike from now on, so I'll get at least 10k of biking in per day, some days 20k, plus my regular CrossFit workouts. I think if I eat properly and nourish myself enough with the fuel I need, this could get me to my previous weight loss goal as a performance-thing, which I like the idea of a bit better than the aesthetic reasons I have.

Lifestyle
Drove to work (needed to get a light for the ride home, I have it now)
Even mix of standing, moving around, and sitting at my desk

Training
Warm Up - 3 sets 10 each: pull ups, squats, sit ups, push ups
Technique - Snatch practice with a dowl for 10 mins
WOD - 16 tabata intervals, alternating from max reps between 35 lbs KB swings and Burpees (this was intense! By round 4 I was at a 9 on the 1-10 discomfort scale)
Flex

Nutrition
8:00 AM - 250 ml black coffee, 250 ml 2% milk (was running a tonne of errands before work)
1:00 PM - 1 tin hardwood smoked oysters, 1 banana
6:00 PM - 1 tin hardwood smoked oysters, 3 cups green salad, 2 tbsp vinegarette
10:30 PM - 3 eggs with chopped onion, green pepper, and shredded cheddar, 250 ml decaf black coffee
11:30 PM - 1 cup cooked oatmeal, splash of 2% milk

[fitoverforty]

I don't get to do the 750 m swim, I have to do the 5 k run!

Awesome!!!!

I just have to try to get a bit faster. I would really like a sub-25 minute time, which I don't think is too much to shoot for.

Totally doable. Try adding a speedwork session to your weekly training. 4 x 400 meter repeats at race pace and/or a little faster (sub-25 would be around an 8 min. mile race pace, so your 400 would need to be at 2:00 min. or less) add another repeat each week. Or you could do HIIT intervals alternating between 1 minute race pace running, 2 minutes slow - repeat that 4 to 6 times. If you're on a track, run the straights fast, slow in the curves, build up each week on amount of laps, start at 4.
Just a few ideas to try to help you sharpen up your racing skills. You are no doubt in incredible shape already and will do fine. Good luck girl! Can't wait to hear how the team does.

[Boss Man]

The riding to work is a great idea. I would say though, be careful of some of those meal spaces, because if you're trying to eat fairly frequently, then the recent few days has included 5-6 hour meal spaces, so this could be interfering with your goals, if your body uses what you eat, then starts trying to access other things for 1-2 hours like muscle.

The coffee Breakfast looks like a reminder to perhaps have contingencies. Perhaps you could have something quick in reserve for such occasions, like a packet of Peanuts, or if you buy low Fat Cheese eat some of that, or Carrot Sticks, Nut or plain Yoghurt pots, Oat Granola, an Apple as examples.

Admittedly some of those lack protein, but at least you'd get some calories and fuel, on days like today, even if you were not eating as much as you'd prefer first thing.

Good job on the new running goal though and no reason why you couldn't potential do 5k in sub 25 time.

You've got the potential I feel, to do something like that and make it stick and perhaps convert it into something else like a Triathlon, Duathlon, 10k, etc.

Overall, I think you're doing a lot of good things to make what you want happen and have the groundwork and foundations in place, to adapt other aspects of your regimen and improve on them.

You should be proud of yourself and I'm proud to see you continuing to believe in yourself and value yourself highly, because you are someone with a lot of wonderful human emotions and you ARE worth the time you put into yourself .

[Athene]

I would really like a sub-25 minute time, which I don't think is too much to shoot for.

Totally doable. Try adding a speedwork session to your weekly training. 4 x 400 meter repeats at race pace and/or a little faster (sub-25 would be around an 8 min. mile race pace, so your 400 would need to be at 2:00 min. or less) add another repeat each week. Or you could do HIIT intervals alternating between 1 minute race pace running, 2 minutes slow - repeat that 4 to 6 times. If you're on a track, run the straights fast, slow in the curves, build up each week on amount of laps, start at 4.
Just a few ideas to try to help you sharpen up your racing skills. You are no doubt in incredible shape already and will do fine. Good luck girl! Can't wait to hear how the team does.

Thanks Lynne! I will make sure that's what I do. I have a 15 km jog planned next week, and that is the only length, the rest are sprints, with 1 5 k in there. The team aspect is really motivating me because I know the cyclist on our team will SMASH the 20 k hilly bike ride and lap everyone, and the swimmer is working so hard on that swim... she's taking it really seriously and putting herself out there, so I don't want to let them down on the last leg of the relay and have a mediocre 5k run. I would really like to "run" the whole thing, rather than jog... I wonder if that could happen by July 15? Maybe!

The riding to work is a great idea. I would say though, be careful of some of those meal spaces, because if you're trying to eat fairly frequently, then the recent few days has included 5-6 hour meal spaces, so this could be interfering with your goals, if your body uses what you eat, then starts trying to access other things for 1-2 hours like muscle.

The coffee Breakfast looks like a reminder to perhaps have contingencies. Perhaps you could have something quick in reserve for such occasions, like a packet of Peanuts, or if you buy low Fat Cheese eat some of that, or Carrot Sticks, Nut or plain Yoghurt pots, Oat Granola, an Apple as examples.

Admittedly some of those lack protein, but at least you'd get some calories and fuel, on days like today, even if you were not eating as much as you'd prefer first thing.

All good points, I know you're right. I always write these entries the day after, so you are not going to like this entry for yesterday/today (it's BAD), but I promise to try harder to get those more frequent, quality meals in. I'm just changing gears to being much more active, and will be training twice per day soon, so I need to ramp up my nutrition. At work I am distracted and don't always feel motivated to go eat, but I feel my energy level dropping and I'm sure that's why, and I know the solution is to eat. There's no reason I can't eat a handful of almonds with my morning coffee, and I just need to make a point of eating my lunch and not getting distracted, then the workout being too close for me to eat.

Lifestyle
Biked 10k to work
Biked 10k home from work
Walked the dog 20 mins (fast walking/light jogging)
At work sitting at a desk during day

Training
Warm Up - 500 m row, 3 sets 10 each: pull ups, squats, push ups, sit ups
WOD - 'Mary' 20 min AMRAP: 5 Handstand Push Ups, 10 Leg pistols, 15 Pull Ups (FYI I modified these exercises so I could to them: used a resistance band to help on the Pull Ups, and did a Handstand Push Up with half of my body weight by changing the incline angle)
Flex

Nutrition
7:00 AM - 250 ml black coffee, 250 ml 2% milk
11:00 AM - 1 whey shake, 1 banana, 1 tbsp nut butter
5:00 PM - 1 bottle G2 (low sugar gatorade, large bottle, 560 ml I think)
7:00 PM - 1 whey shake
8:30 PM - 3 eggs, 1 cup chopped onion/green pepper, 2 tbsp shredded cheddar, 250 ml black coffee
10:00 PM - 250 ml 2% milk, 3 tbsp nut butter

[Boss Man]

Exercise is good for the old moods, not least when you eat more to help you balance things out, as things like Carbs and Amino Acids like Phenylalanine and Tryptophan, can exert positive effects on Hypothalamic activity, which in turn is proactive in relation to mood enhancement.

[Athene]

So true, Boss. Exercise is like the ultimate mood/mental health/sleep regulator and balancer.

Lifestyle
Bussed/walked to work
Got a ride home
8 hours sitting at desk

Training
Warm Up - 500 m row + 3 sets 10 each: pull ups, squats, push ups, sit ups
WOD - 5 rounds for time: 5 overhead squats (45 lbs - unstable in the core today), 10 ring push ups, 15 rebound box jumps (12")
Flexibility

Nutrition
8:00 AM - 2 cups black coffee
11:00 AM - 1 can tuna, 2 tbsp salsa, 1 banana
2:00 PM - 1 whey shake, 3 cups green salad, 2 tbsp vinegarette
7:00 PM - 3 eggs, 2 tbsp shredded cheddar
10:00 PM - 1 banana, 1 tbsp nutbutter

[Athene]

Big victory to report: I was at a friend's birthday party, there was tonnes of fruit, yogurt, cookies, and chocolate to eat, and the UFC fights were on, but I brought 1 litre of chocolate milk and drank that, and didn't have any of the snacks that were out! It was a lot of sugar, but also a lot of protein and fat that made me feel satiated and kept me from missing out on a meal. I was saving up for my cheat meal tomorrow when we go out for dinner...

Lifestyle
Bussed/walked to work
Got a ride home from work
4 hours at a desk

Training
Warm Up - Back Squat technique with a dowl and light bar, worked up in weight
WOD - Max Back Squat 1-1-1-1-1-1-1
Flexibility

Nutrition
7:00 AM - 3 eggs, 1 cup black coffee
11:00 AM - 3 oz montery jack, 2 cups raw veg
2:00 PM - 3 oz montery jack, 1 banana
7:00 PM - 1 tin hardwood smoked oysters, 1 oz montery jack, 4 baby dill pickles
10:00 PM - 1 L 2% chocolate milk

[Athene]

Food was amazing today. My body felt beat up from training, so it was nice to have the day off.

Lifestyle
Slept in (got 8 hours), ran an errand, did some cleaning, had a nap, quite a bit of sitting

Training
Rest Day

Nutrition
12:00 PM - 2 eggs, 4 pieces of bacon, 2 cups black coffee
4:00 PM - 3 oz beef, 1 cup sauteed veg (onion, green pepper, red pepper, yellow pepper), 1 tbsp salsa
7:00 PM - CHEAT MEAL: Starter: warm white rolls with butter (!!!), Entree: 4 cups romaine lettuce with white fennel, roasted pumpkin seeds, fresh orange slices, 5 seared prawns, fennel vinegarette (best salad I have ever had, it was so good), 1 slice white chocolate chai cheesecake with 1 strawberry and real cream, 3 cups coffee with cream, 5 glasses of water.

[Athene]

Lifestyle
Bussed/walked to work
Got a ride home from work
8 hours sitting at a desk

Training
WOD - 15k run (goal: don't stop, achieved)
Flex

Nutrition
9:00 AM - 1 cup black coffee
11:00 AM - 3 oz montery jack, 1 english cucumber
2:30 PM - 3 oz extra lean ground beef, 1/2 cup sauteed bell peppers and onions
8:00 PM - postWOD whey shake
9:00 PM - Pizza (...my husband ordered, and I was feeling beat up and terrible from the run so I had one too...yikes)

[Athene]

As usual, trying to record more here. I'm dusting off the barbecue this weekend, finally. Triathlon training starts next week and I have 3 small goals that I know will make a big difference to my energy level and strength:

1. Eat a big breakfast with my coffee, every morning (3-4 eggs + healthy fat, minimum)
2. Commute to work by bike at least twice per week (the bus has been nice, but needs to go bye-bye for the next little while)
3. Have a postWOD whey shake every day

I still haven't purchased any BCAAs, but I'm going to look into it online tonight and see what I should buy. I know they're pricey, but I'm swimming a lot next week, so I'll need all the help I can get.


Lifestyle
Bussed/walked to work
Got a ride home
8 hours sitting at desk

Training
Warm Up - 500 m row, + 3 sets 10 each: pull up, squat, push up, sit up
WOD - A. 5 rounds for time: Partner carry, wheelbarrow, and 3 strict Presses @ 85% max
B. 50 GHD sit ups for quality
Flex

Nutrition
9:00 AM - 1 cup black coffee
11:00 AM - 3 oz montery jack, 1 english cucumber
2:30 PM - 3 oz extra lean ground beef, 1/2 cup sauteed mixed bell peppers and onions
3:00 PM - 2 cups black coffee
6:30 PM - 3 oz extra lean ground beef, 1/2 cup sauteed mixed bell peppers and onions
9:00 PM - 1 cup black tea

[musculArgirl2]

9:00 AM - 1 cup black coffee
11:00 AM - 3 oz montery jack, 1 english cucumber
2:30 PM - 3 oz extra lean ground beef, 1/2 cup sauteed mixed bell peppers and onions
3:00 PM - 2 cups black coffee
6:30 PM - 3 oz extra lean ground beef, 1/2 cup sauteed mixed bell peppers and onions
9:00 PM - 1 cup black tea

that doesn't look like a lot? How many calories do you normally have a day karrie?

[Boss Man]

I would avoid the tea and Coffee as well.

Caffine can block Iron absorption which can hinder Erythrocyte. (Red Blood Cell), production and Caffine can also constrict bloodvessels.

If you end up with fewer Erythrocytes and potentially slower bloodflow, you'll just cut the amount of Oxygen that can be stored in the muscles, when you have potentially lower Myoglobin levels, cut the amount that can be used for ATP production and cut the speed at which oxygen can get back into the muscles.

When your body has less oxygen to source during Glycogen use, (Glycolysis), you could increase Lactic Acid production.

Plus the Caffeine intake could solicit a diuretic type influence, that is not necessarily a good thing, if you're trying to intake more fluid to help you train, as that fluid will contain Oxygen obviously and this may again possibly increase Lactic acid issues.

If you have things in your diet like Vitamin C and Capsicum you can boost Iron and also assist in its usage with Copper intake, so Beans, Rice, Mushrooms, Green Veggies, Whole-grains etc.

These might be things to consider that may have some impact on what you're trying to do.

Good luck and keep us posted. I certainly am right behind your goal(s) and I hope what you're trying to do works out for you .