Calories: To Count or Not to Count

Nutrition and Diet are an important part of any athlete’s diet. A large part of that is how much we take in in the way of Calories. Caloric intake is a scientific way of measuring how much fuel we put into our bodies. The average American that doesn’t exercise on a regular basis should take in anywhere from 1200 to 1600 calories daily. People who exercise on a regular basis can add a couple hundred to the count, depending of the amount of energy they need. Someone who has a very active job for example, like a policeman or a telephone pole climber would probably use somewhere closer to 2000 Calories a day. That 2000 amount would also be good enough for someone who goes to the gym on a regular basis. Athletes however, will start at the 2000 level and may go up so far as 3000 or so calories daily during their training cycles when getting ready for an event. However, should we actually worry about calories to the point of actually counting them?

First, what is a calorie, and why should the amount I consume concern me?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a calorie as a unit equivalent to the large calorie expressing heat-producing or energy producing value in food when oxidized in the body, and as an amount of food having an energy producing value of one large calorie.

So….that’s cleared that up tremendously. My job is done. Riiiiiight. 

Essentially, a calorie or how many calories an item of food has is measured by the amount of energy that is produced when it is digested by the body. So then foods high in calories would be good for an athlete, right?

Oh, if only it were that simple. 

There are several types of calories out there. But essentially it breaks down into two groups. Good calories and bad-or empty- calories. The first kind we find in the foods we need to consume to lead healthy lives. These include foods like fruits and vegetables, meats and dairies. The second kind come from the junk food we eat like sodas (this includes diet), candies, chips and ice creams. I would actually put most fast food in there as well, since all the grease and fat and oils that is used to cook the meat and fries tend to leach out any of the nutrients that you may have gained, and can actually hinder the absorption of nutrients that your body needs. So you feel full for a while, but what your body can actually use gets digested pretty quickly with the rest either “thrown away” or stored as fat. 

As a personal example; When I was a teenager, I could put away two #1 meals super-sized from McDonalds plus a hot fudge sundae. I had a fast metabolism from being on the city swim team, and I was active in plenty of other activities. I was actually underweight for my age and height, but hey, I ate a lot right? The problem is that eating all that junk food (probably close to 3500-5000 daily) made it so that I needed to take in twice as much food to get even close to the nutritional value I needed for my daily consumption. That big mac, extra-large fries and soft drink probably held the same amount of calories (if not more) as a well cooked meal at home. However, the nutritional value- where we get what we really need to ‘move’- was at least half of that. Today, there are healthier choices to choose from fast food restaurants. It’s a step, but it shouldn’t be a go to on a daily basis. 

That said, should you count your calories? I would say no. It’s important to watch your caloric intake, definitely, but I wouldn’t go so far as to count them. My Plate goes into some detail on calories and how to count them, but honestly, we aren’t machines. Each and every person is different. Each and every day is different. So are the foods we eat. MyPlate can show you how much in the way of calories you should take in as well as giving you guidelines on what to eat and how much. You should keep in mind that they are guidelines. Not hard and fast rules. 

However, like I said, we are not machines. Neither is the food we eat. What happens if one ear of corn gets more sun than the next? Can we truly measure the nutritional content of the individual pieces of food we eat? As far as produce is concerned, whether it be fresh, frozen or canned, the nutritional values are approximated. On average the labeling says how much we get in nutrients- and calories- from each bit of raw food. Again, it should be a guideline. 

I’ve tackled what calories are, and it’s important to keep an eye on how much you take in with regards to calories. You don’t want to take in more than you can burn, but you also don’t want to take in so little that your body is literally eating itself to stay upright. It’s all about finding that balance, and part of that is in the nutritional balance that you gain with the calories that you take in. Something that I will attack in a future post, so happy eating. 

Have Fun

CJ

Starting a triathlon

Starting any new endeavor can be a daunting task, and an exciting one. With triathlons, there’s finding a race, training for it, and then ultimately, crossing the finish line. The first time you cross it, elation at making it across runs through your entire body; then you think either one of two things: you never want to do that again, or you wonder what race to sign up for next.

If you have never completed a triathlon, and don’t know where to start, that’s okay. There are a hundred ways to get started and a million reasons that will get you to the finish line. 

When first starting out, it’s always a good idea to have an ultimate and attainable goal in mind. Do you want to lose weight? Get into shape? Get back into shape? Meet people, perhaps, or maybe you just want to find that next big challenge and complete an Ironman. Whatever your reasons or goals are, Great! Maybe you’ve never exercised seriously before, but you saw a triathlon on TV and thought that it might look interesting. That’s okay too. Whatever your reasons for starting, just be prepared for a few doctor’s visits, a lot of training, a complete change of lifestyle, plenty of new friends and a load of new medals to show off on your wall.

Medals you ask? I know, if you’ve never competed in an endurance event before, you’re wondering how you can possibly qualify to receive a medal. Well, I’ll tell you.

All you have to do is cross the finish line. That’s it. Sounds easy right? Well, it may sound easy, but only after hours of long intensive training sessions and weeks of building yourself up to your peak level of fitness before going out there and giving it your all and then some to get across that finish line after not one, or two, but after THREE events back to back. So yeah, when you cross that finish line, you get the finisher’s medal. And for us age-groupers, that’s what counts. Beating our PR, (that's Personal Record) and crossing that finish line. Needless to say, not everyone finishes. That’s okay  too. It gives us a goal to try for next time. Now, if our PR just happens to be faster than everyone else’s so that you happen to get a podium or place medal as well, so much the better. However, when first starting out, it’s all about the finish. So, barring an act of god injury, (injuries that have nothing to do with training) with a well-planned training regimen that includes nutrition, injury prevention and some swag gear with lots of clinics (the tri kind hopefully), and proper planning from the outset, crossing the finish line can be attainable for anyone.

Yes, even Mr. Couch-potato…ahem- Mr. Former Couch-potato.

Now, triathlons come in various distances. The shortest distance is known as the sprint. These vary from race to race to accommodate all types of skill levels, but generally consist of a .5mi (750meter) swim, 12.4mi (20km) bike and 3.1mi (5km) run. 

The Olympic distance is .93mi (1.5km) swim, 24.8mi (40km) bike and 6.2mi (10km) run.

The International Triathlon Union (ITU) Long has 1.86mi (3km), 49.6mi (80km) and 12.4mi (20km) run.

Half distances, commonly called Half Ironman or Half Iron, consist of 1.2mi (1.9km) swim, 56mi (90km) bike and 13.1mi (21.09km) swim.

Full Distances, commonly referred to as Ironman Distances, are 2.4mi (3.8km), 112mi (180km) and 26.2mi (42.195km) run.

Total triathlon has more information on that, and is well worth the visit.

The first step is to choose the distance that you would like to run. If you’ve never competed before, or are not very athletic to start with, a Sprint or Olympic distance would be a good choice. There are hundreds of races being held across the country for all levels from the serious competitor to the Fun Run type events that have all manner of characters and people going out there just to have a good time. There are also trail run type triathlons and ones that are annual fun events around certain holidays. A lot of the triathlons that run are held on holiday weekends, so that usually isn’t a problem if work hours are a factor to actually going to an event.

If you’re serious about getting into racing, there are triathlon series that each have their yearly runs of events where you can have a full “season” of racing, averaging of about five races far enough apart for recovery, and close enough together to do in succession with the main portion of your training before the first race and if done properly can be a way to increase your fitness level for that final race. By example, you can end the season with a Half Distance race, starting off with a Sprint near the start of your training, then working your way to Olympic, and then throwing one more Olympic and finally another Sprint for kicks or even an ITU before that final Half Iron that you’ve been training for; each race will be planned and put in as a part of your training regimen that you can use to gauge your progress in your training and to help prepare you for the big day.

Aaaaaand…for the rest of us that are not so serious, and want to do just one or two races a year for fun, or perhaps for a cause, or in memoriam, and to meet people, picking those one or two races and completing them is the best thing ever! 

So, whether you become a serious triathlete, or an annual one that just does the turkey trot (usually around thanksgiving in warmer climates) or an anniversary, there are plenty of ways to start, continue and run your way across that finish line. 

Just remember, the most important part of any triathlon is to have fun!