A few months back, I had the pleasure of composing a brief article for Triathlete Magazine on how I fuel for a race. It was exciting to see it in print when I skimmed the pages of the June issue while waiting to board my flight at LA-X, and now it is online, too. You can click on the pic or link below to check out how I fuel my body for a triathlon:
So, how do you fuel?
Over 8 years ago, Charlotte (Char) and I met at UCLA where we had both walked on to (and had not long after walked off of) varsity Bruin athletic teams–cross country and swim for Char and myself, respectively. We stumbled upon the mutually beloved sport of triathlon, and were introduced at a UCLA Triathlon club event. After workouts, while eating large amounts of dorm food, we quickly became chums and decided to live together for the summer. That summer, Char and I formed the “Britters” club and enjoyed many a beach run, ocean swim, and delicious carbohydrate-rich meal. Our time together soon came to an end, however, when Char went off to explore South America and later returned to her home country. Yet, the bond that we created is still as strong as ever, and I was fortunate enough to catch up with Char on her recent holiday visit to the states. Her passion for athletics and drive to discover her best self inspire me. Without further ado…
Current place of residence: Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Hometown/place of birth: Cardiff
Day job: Statistician
Favourite sports or hobbies (besides running): Playing my violin
Current (2016) race goal: To run personal bests in the 800m and 1500m
Best track event: 800m
Dream race: Olympics
Race mantra: Eek maybe I should think of one
When/how/why did you start running? I got in to running towards the end of high school, my teachers told me I had natural talent and I should give athletics a go.
Hardest workout you’ve ever completed: Oh gosh I’m not sure, although there are sand dunes near where I live in Wales and they can be pretty tough!
Most memorable training and/or race moment(s): I think my most memorable race moments are when I’ve run personal bests after lots of hard training and stagnation. It’s a really rewarding feeling.
Words of wisdom to someone considering training for their first running event: I think there’s a lot of pleasure and purpose to come out of training for a running event, and you’ll probably find life’s a bit more enjoyable along the way.
Something you’ve learned about yourself through running: I’m resilient.
Pre-race ritual or superstition: I need to get my eating right – if I’m hungry or full I panic!
Training tips: Focus on sessions
Training pet peeve: Long runs
Why do you keep running? To achieve my goals and because I enjoy the training mentality/lifestyle. My coach is also a massive inspiration for me.
What is something that you are known for? Doing lots of different things/having lots of experiences.
What does “Fuel” mean to you? Food that gives me sustained energy.
What does being “Fit” mean to you? I guess being in my peak physical form.
Pick one:
XC or track? Track
Solo or group training? Group
Chocolate or cheese? Cheese
Watch on your left wrist or right? Right
Morning or evening workout? Evening – I’m not good with mornings in general.
Hat or visor? Hat
Cheerios or Wheaties? We don’t have wheaties in the UK! I also don’t eat gluten so probably couldn’t eat them anyway!
Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Tea, unless it’s really good coffee.
Huge thanks to my lovely “Britter” friend for sharing these insights!
Race: UC-San Diego Tritonman
Format: Draft-Legal Sprint (750-yard swim + 20-km bike + 5-km run)
Support Crew: Hubs, Mom, Dad, Aunt Dorothy + my Oliver fam (Lynn, Jim, Bonny + uncle Todd) + super buds Megan & Sam (& Mosby the doggie)
Pre-Race Predicament: Getting hit by another car on the freeway…and our car being totaled. Sad to say goodbye to our brave lil toaster.
Pre-Race Dinner: Heaps of Spaghetti and Meatballs
Pre-Race Breakfast: Oatmeal, raisins, walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, a banana, and coffee + green tea Skratch drink
Goals: After our incident last year, goal number one for UCSD Tritonman 2016 was to come home in the same car that we brought down. I am happy to report that the toaster made it back home safely.
Tritonman 2016 lessons:
Up next: Clermont (3/5) & Sarasota (3/12)
Dear Dairy,
I love you! I think that you are super tasty and full of goodness. I wish that everyone could enjoy you the way that I do. But, some people are allergic to your proteins, and some are unable to digest your sugars. Sad. Day.
Currently, Greek-style yogurt (the full-fat kind) is my go-to snack. I like to eat it with lots of peanut butter, honey, fruit, and any type of granola. A longtime goal of mine has been to make my own yogurt at home, but past failed attempts left me discouraged. I made another attempt recently, and after hours of labor still had no yogurt to enjoy–just room-temperature sour milk. So, I tried yet again and…success! I finally found my favorite yogurt-making process. I have already made two successful batches, and am looking forward to perfecting my techniques and consuming the delicious bacterial cultures. Yum!
My microbiotic babies swimming in a sea of granola and fruit
I especially appreciate that I can use the whey leftovers to add protein to smoothies or sub for liquids in my baked good recipes.
I love having my whey
Another thing that I wanted to talk to you about is your body composition. I don’t care if you have a high BMI due to your delicious lipid creaminess. I admire your balanced flavor and well-rounded nutrient profile of carbohydrate + protein + fat. I don’t see why people hate on you and say that you cause obesity and other diseases. I don’t think that’s very fair, and it seems that scientific research findings are behind you, too:
http://time.com/3734033/whole-milk-dairy-fat/
Thanks for being yummy and good for me.
Sincerely,
Britt
