Breakfast. For Champions.

A real champion

When I was growing up I never wanted to be on a Wheaties box. I can imagine there are kids out there who see Michael Phelps, Hank Aaron, or Stone Cold Steve Austin adorning their breakfast flakes and think: WOW! I wish that could be me someday!!!

Some people may be thinking "Yeah, well, you probably never had a chance to be on a Wheaties box anyway buddy." And they may be right. Let me first say that to be entombed for the ages on the cover of sporting glory is a perfectly fine goal and I'd encourage any up-and-coming swimer/baseball player/professional wrestler to set that goal and make it happen. Personally, I just can't stand Wheaties.

The is the kind of box you get on
after you lose your General Mills sponsorship
for monkeying around.

Terrible cereal. Tastes like bark and pine sol (all natural ingredients). And "Breakfast of Champions"?? Come on, it's 110 calories per serving and 3 grams of celulose (yes, paper pulp), vitamin and mineral enhanced. Can you even imagine Michael Phelps, getting up at 5 am before his 400 IM in London, and sitting down in front of 110 calories and 3 measly grams of fiber? I mean, the man eats whole pizzas for breakfast. Wheaties. Pshhhhtttt. 

There is a common vein to the Wheaties message though. What Michael, Hank and Stone (or is it Cold?) all have in common is this: Those dudes can EAT. And you bet your bottom when they wake up to compete they can put away the pancakes.

Hometown Olympian

Photo from USA Swimming

B.J. Bedford Miller was born in Hanover, NH and swam with North Country Aquatic Club which is now our UVAC home team.  B.J. was a member of the American team that won the Olympic gold medal in the 4x100m medley Relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics.  Her winning teammates in that race were Megan Quann, Jenny Thompson, and Dara Torres. 

B.J. has been featured in an article from USA Swimming called 20 Question Tuesdays.  Check it out and learn more about our hometown Olympian!

Signe Linville

Assistant Swimming Director & Head Age Group Coach

Here is the article at USA Swimming!

http://www.usaswimming.org/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=1502&itemid=4419&mid=8984

Won’t Hurt To Try: A must read from one of my personal training client’s

As a fitness professional, I always encourage my personal training clients to eat real food.  Your food should come from the earth, and shouldn’t have ingredients that put you in a verbal twister when trying to say them out loud. Today many of us run to easy pre-made diets, and underestimate the power of “this is getting old!”  The truth behind the diets that work is that they connect you with real cooking, real food prepping, portion control, and above all fresh food! If none of those connections happen how will you ever make the diet long-term? Rachel Gelfman, a personal training client of mine, has truly found her working diet. This real food diet is one that won’t hurt to try!

Katherine MacPherson BS, ACSM HFS & Personal Trainer at UVAC

My Paleo Diet Story

By Rachel Gelfman

(Pre/Post Personal Training and Paleo Diet Picture)

Ok, so it’s time for a story. Since we are all yapping away about food, let’s talk about why we are really here (besides the fact that we love to eat)--to get healthy and stay that way. So I will share my story since this week marks a year since I went Paleo. It’s a long one, so grab some grass fed jerky and read on...
My life has been very much influenced by food, nutrition, and health from a young age. I grew up with a mother who is an incredible cook (a chef actually), and she and my father owned a big restaurant, catering hall, and bakery when I was little. After they divorced, they ended up working together years later and owned many Nutri System weight loss centers. My father survived multiple major cancer battles and has healed himself after chemotherapy with nutrition and remains a health nut to this day. At 9 years old I was drinking fiber shakes, organizing his vitamins, and changing his IV bags. From a young age, I was exposed to the miracle of both nutrition and healing. I went to college at the University of Delaware and earned my BS in Nutrition. After I graduated I worked for one of the top Nutritional Docs in NYC, and after a few years decided to become a Physician Assistant. I did that and graduated in 2004, just before having my first son.  I have always been thin. Not super skinny model thin, but at over 6 feet tall, I was always considered thin--even when I really wasn’t. Height alters perception. After three pregnancies where I gained 50-70 pounds, I had my third baby. The end of my pregnancy and the period following it was awful. I was in excruciating pain every day with my hips being out of alignment and my core was weaker than ever (I had 3 c sections and BIG babies). I lost a lot of the weight but was still about 15-20 pounds heavier than when I started having kids and calling me out of shape was an understatement. Yes, I have boys and run around with them but the last pregnancy left my back a mess and my hips filled with daily pain. After 3 months of Physical Therapy, I was cleared to start exercising again with a brace. I started running (couch to 5k) slowly and loved it.  I did weight watchers and lost 9 pounds, but I still felt crappy. Lucky for me, Stacy of Paleo Parents was a friend whose blog I had read for years (she and I crossed paths when our oldest boys were cloth diapered toddlers). I watched as she melted away pounds and raved about how much better she felt having gone Paleo. I asked her once about it and she directed me to Robb Wolff's book. I got it and it sat for a few months. Then, the first week of March I had it. I felt fat, lethargic, and my gut was killing me. I knew at this point I had a gluten intolerance that I had for years blamed on other stuff. So I asked Stacy for help and she was more than happy to answer questions and point me where I needed to go. That week I went Paleo and went strong until the summer when things got hairy in my life and I let my priorities get out of whack. When my stomach got bad enough, I brushed myself off and got back on the wagon. I have been fully Paleo/Primal ever since. I also enlisted the help of a trainer at that point and made fitness, not thinness a priority. I spent my whole life being "skinny fat" so I really needed to start building strength. I started lifting weights, running intervals, doing suspension training and spinning. It’s been 9 months now and I am in better shape than I have been in my whole life. My outlook on life is positive and my energy is through the roof. I am so thankful to have found this lifestyle. It has been life changing for me. I would love to hear other people's stories, so feel free to post!

Read more about Primally/The Paleo Diet

www.marksdailyapple.com

www.paleoparents.com

www.cavegirleats.com

The Buddy System: It Works!

By Katherine MacPherson BS, ACSM HFS & Personal Trainer at UVAC

Having a buddy to workout with will seriously improve your output in the gym.  For many of us, we jump into the same comfortable routine; maybe a little cardio, few lower and upper body exercises and call it a day.   But what if you were challenged harder, held accountable to a set schedule, and even tried new exercises?  There would be a huge chance that you would exceed your fitness goals a lot faster!

Steps and tips to your successful buddy system:

·         Finding the right buddy: It can be a challenge to find a friend or co-worker who is willing to commit to a long-term fitness schedule, but it will definitely go a long way when you do.   Your buddy should also have virtually the same goals as you, that way you can put your focus on the same regimen.

·         The “Chatty-Cathys”: Make sure your buddy isn’t signed-on for social hour! 

·         Agree to a 6-8 week program, and write down in your planner/schedule the times and days you plan to meet.  Having the sessions written in your weekly planner will allow you fit in the workouts and plan ahead for them.

·         Motivation and encouragement:  Some days exercise will be the last thing you may want to be doing, but keep up the excitement!  Don’t let either partner miss a day!

·         The most effective and safest program for you:  Have no idea where to start when it comes to exercising?  Find accountable resources, such as a Personal Trainer (they make great buddies too!).     Hiring a Personal Trainer will get you and your buddy on the right path and set a routine.   The Upper Valley Aquatic Center offers group personal training at an affordable price! Check it out for yourself at www.uvac-swim/fitness.com

·         Be there for your buddy!  The best part about the buddy system is that you always have someone there pushing you to dig deep and keep increasing your output! 

·         Get Started!

For more information about the Upper Valley Aquatic Center and Personal Training, please feel free to call 802-296-2850 or visit us online at www.uvac-swim.org!

Multisport Chicken

Epic Beardcicle

Ask anyone who races triathlon, and they'll agree - Consistant year-round endurance sport training is only possible if you are severely obsessive-compulsive, or you've picked (AND REGISTERED) for a few big events in the upcoming race season. It is just too easy to get distracted without some form of internal or external accountability.

I'm a victim of the first form of accountability. I can wake up at 5 am any day of the year, lace up my racing flats, rain or shine, and head out to do whatever Coach put on the schedule. I wasn't always wired this way though. In fact, the only thing that got me onto the starting line of my first triathlon was one small bet that I wouldn't do it, and one big race registration fee. Call me a thrifty Yankee. I just hate to see good money go to waste.

Come every March, amongst all the multisport nutters I know, there is no shortage of persistant questions - "What are you racing this year?" "Did you know that Nautica NYC Tri sold out in 8 seconds last year??" "Hey, are you finally going to do an Ironman this year???"

Like I said, I don't like to plan ahead. In fact, an impromptu taper to an unplanned race is my favorite way of getting out of a build block that I just can't stomach anymore. But, loving wives and distant family members want to know - "WHAT ARE YOU RACING THIS YEAR??"

Kona Swim Start

The World Triathlon Corporation has done a number on us by making highly desirable races hard to get into, and very expensive. And, somehow, people are still staying up till midnight on November 17th every year to sign up for next year's iteration of Nautica NYC... Or, paying hundreds of non-refundable dollars to get on a waiting list for Lake Placid, or Kona...

Here's a little bit of advice from someone whose done that, and more, to ensure an ultra low race number and great bike spot in transition - Point blank, you can have a lot of fun racing if it's something you really like to do. It doesn't matter how big a venue, or how long a race. So this year, pick a few races that will challenge you. Get on the localvore movement and do something close to home. Or, get out there and do your 300 bike miles a week so you can compete for that spot at Kona. But whatever you do, don't play into their game of raceday chicken. Race what you enjoy racing, and year after year you'll keep coming back for more.

-Gered Dunne, USAT Professional Triathlete and UVAC Member since 2009

DHMC Knee Injury Lecture Review: PART TWO

By Katherine MacPherson BS, ACSM HFS

All sport injuries should be avoided at all measures.   However at times sport related injuries are inevitable, which is why it is exceedingly necessary to practice safe and effectively to halt the unexpected.  DHMC Knee Injury Lecture Review PART ONE (find part one online at www.uvac-swim.org/fitness) covered the essentials of knee anatomy and common injury causes.  This continued piece to part one will advance to proper knee injury prevention techniques and safe ways athletes and coaches can keep knees safe.

·         Q ANGLE: Part One introduced a very common concern, the Q angle; an improper knee tort caused from a wider hip structure.  The Q Angle is generally seen in females, and contributes mostly to ACL, MCL, and Patellar Tendon injuries. 

Improper tort can be improved by strengthening the Abductors, Gluteus Maximus and Minimums, Quadriceps, and Abdominals.  

Example Exercises

                                                                Lateral Band Walks: Abductor and Gluts

Squats: Quads and Gluts

Plank: Abdominals

Ways to keep your knees safe: Major preventions

·         Proper warm-up:

Athletes and the general population will significantly benefit from a proper warm-up.  One journal study from the American Journal of Sports Medicine researched the role of warming-up and found that a proper warm-up can benefit the muscular system by increasing the elasticity of the muscle-tendon unit (The role of warm up In muscular injury prevention, 1988).  A proper warm-up will also increase the rate of blood flow, and helps eliminate lingering lactate acid.

·         Proper fitting equipment:

·         Pads

·         Helmet

·         Mouth guard

·         Well fitted cleats, or sneakers

·         Avoid overuse: gradually increase the intensity, duration, and frequency of training.

·         Stay active year around: This will decrease your risk of in-season injuries.

·         Practice proper cutting, pivots, stops, and tackles:

Resources:

www.stopsportinjuries.org

Safran, M. Garrett, W. Seabar, A., Glisson, R., & Ribbeck, B. (1988). The role of warm-up in muscular injury prevention. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 123-129.

Pre & Post Exercise Nutrition (Covering Hydration, Protein, and Carbohydrates)

By Katherine MacPherson BS, ACSM HFS

Exercise nutrition should be just as regular as exercise itself.   Acquiring wholesome nutrition before and after you exercise will take your health progression even further.  Whether you’re training for a marathon or just for fitness food intake plays an important role in your health and in performance.  Everyone who engages in exercise will benefit from understanding and practicing the basic exercise nutrition recommendations. 

Hydration

The first major pre, during, and post exercise essential nutrient is water.  As your core temperature increases during exercise, our body’s response to heat regulation is to sweat.   The replenishment of fluid is enormously important because dehydration can decrease performance by reducing strength, coordination, and endurance.  It can also increase the risk of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.

Replacement recommendations:

·         2 Hours before exercise a person should drink 12 to 24 oz. of fluid water, and then 7 to 10 oz. of fluid water 10 to 20 minutes before starting exercise

·         During any moderate to vigorous exercise 6-12 oz. of fluid water should be consumed every 15 to 20 minutes.

·         After exercise, fluid should still be consumed (E. Howley, et al., 2007).

Protein

Protein intake for athletes who take part in high-intensity and/or high-volume resistance training, and endurance activity may benefit from increased amounts of protein intakes.  Adequate levels of protein can aid in damaged muscle tissue repair and development of new tissue (American Dietetic Association, 2009).  However, seeking levels that are higher than the recommended intake are unnecessary.  There is a threshold on increased muscle mass (E. Howley, et al., 2007).  Furthermore, athletes should not seek additional sources of protein through supplements because protein requirements can be met through food choices.   Athletes who partake in intense training should consume a higher caloric intake, thus increasing their distribution of vital macronutrients (protein, fats, and carbohydrates).

Carbohydrates

The breakdown of carbohydrates after digestion creates a major energy source called Glucose.  It is highly necessary for optimal athletic performance to intake sufficient levels of carbohydrates.  Carbohydrate loading is used before major athletic events to amplify glycogen storages. This has been found to increase bouts of exercise performance (E. Howley, et al., 2007). 

Recommendations:

·         Physically active adult: 60% to 65% of diet should consist of Carbohydrates.

·         Athlete who trains heavily: 6 to 10 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight.

·         Nutrition recovery should begin within 15-60 minutes following exercise (American Dietetic Association, 2009).

                                                                                                                                                                               

Pre & Post Exercise Fluid and Food Ideas:  (American Dietetic Association, 2009).

v  Peanut butter and honey on toast + instant breakfast drink

v  Oatmeal with brown sugar and almonds + skim milk + banana

v  Turkey and Swiss sandwich + fruit + sports drink

v  Whole wheat pita sandwich with turkey and veggies + low-fat milk

v  Stir fry with mean steak, broccoli, bell peppers, carrots + brown rice

Snacks:

v  Smoothie make with yogurt and frozen berries

v  Graham crackers with peanut butter + low fat chocolate milk + banana

Resources:

(2009). Nutrition fact sheet: Eating for recovery. American Dietetic Association

(2009). Nutrition fact sheet: Eating Befor Exercise. American Dietetic Association

Dunford, M., & Doyle, A. (2008). Nutrition for sports and exercise. (pp. 141-149). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.

Howard, E., & Franks, D. (2007). Fitness professional's handbook. (5 ed., pp. 115-117). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.