Nutrition

I have decided I want to lean out this season. That means I'm going to have to watch what I eat and when I eat more closely. I have a fairly relaxed approach to food - I train so I can eat and eat so I can train. This is within reason, of course. I think we eat pretty well but there's always room for improvement. I think where I fall short is with protein. I think I get enough but as an endurance athlete I need more than the average woman. I think about it but not as closely as I should. We eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat (mostly fish and poultry), dairy products (cheese, yogurt, skim milk), and as little "junk" as possible. It's possible (but I don't know for sure!) we have more junk then we'd have if we didn't have kids but with 2 girls, there are some things you gotta let go. [as I'm eating a popsicle because my throat hurts] But on the flip side, I don't know if we would have taken the path to our current lifestyle had it not been for the girls... so, there's that too.

This week my eating schedule has been all out of whack. I have been slack on eating a proper breakfast and lunch too. My workout schedule usually has us leaving the gym at lunchtime and I usually have a hungry 3 year old with me. (who, quite possibly, would eat Chick-fil-a everyday) I try to time it so we have a snack on the way to the gym and we have lunch at home but it didn't quite work out that way this week and my energy has suffered. I feel like I have zapped my energy stores and today I am tired. I had a hard time finishing my swim today and now I'm worn out.

I've just started the peak phase of my training and I can't afford to fall short on nutrition. I could probably stand to lose a few pounds too (damn problem areas!!) but at my current weight, I also have to be careful that I'm not sacrificing at the expense of muscle. Although, it's really not the time to lose weight so I have to get over that mentality. I am 3 weeks out from my first "big" race and nutrition and hydration need to monitored more closely.