Triathlete Magazine published 1999

Just yesterday, while in Chicago, I was reminiscing, actually laughing, with a friend about a ride she took me on while I was living in the Windy City. It was five years ago (has that much time really gone by???) when she and a few of her friends dragged me along on my first long ride – around 60 miles. I showed up well equipped with two small bottles of water and an energy bar. I was quickly off the back, and relished every red light and stop sign where I could catch up to the group. As we neared the end of the ride, I felt myself getting slower and slower until three miles from the finish I had to get off the bike and lie in the grass. As I was waiting for my world to end, my friend came back and revived me with a banana and carbohydrate drink. I learned a hard lesson. Do not underestimate the importance of good nutrition.

I would like to say that I have not had this experience occur again. Unfortunately, it has, and inevitably the bonk will sneak up again when I least expect it. As triathletes, we dedicate hundreds of hours a year to our sport. With training and racing, and thinking about training and racing, the sport takes up a good part of our lives. And, with the amount of time we spend on our sport, it is amazing how little time we tend to dedicate to nutrition, the component that allows us to train and compete. New and often confusing theories constantly emerge about how we should best fuel our bodies. I myself have been experimenting with different combinations of foods and liquids to best energize my body and to aid in recovery. One thing has remained constant in my diet for the last two years though, protein shakes (I prefer the Met-Rx Original Vanilla). Most triathletes do not have trouble eating enough carbohydrates. Bagels, pasta, cereal and bread are easy staples in the lives of busy people. Consuming protein requires more foresight and generally more preparation. With my protein shakes, I know I am getting a good protein source and plenty of vitamins and minerals. They are quite tasty, and a multitude of foods can be added to increase the amount carbohydrates or protein depending on your nutritional needs. In addition, they can be prepared quickly, and consumed on the go if necessary.

I always drink a shake in the morning either before swim practice or after a run depending on the day’s activity. If I use a second shake, it is after a long day of training. Often it is easier to digest liquid calories than solid food after a hard workout. I also enjoy drinking a shake on race morning. The following tips will help facilitate excellent shake making:

1. A blender that crushes ice is a must. If you do not want shake all over your ceiling, don’t use a food processor.
2. When mixing your shake, be sure that the bottom of the blender is securely tightened. On more than one occasion, I have blended with the bottom loose, and vanilla surprise has flooded my counter top. It is amazing how much shake can spill out of the blender, and yet the blender is still half full.
3. Be creative. Bananas are always a good staple. Strawberries, yogurt, milk, honey, and frozen deserts make tasty shakes. For a trendier shake, add coffee. For a creamier shake, use a frozen banana (this works best if you peel the banana prior to freezing it).
4. For those of you who have lactose intolerance, Lactaid milk, soy milk and rice milk all work great.
5. If you are pressed for time in the morning, prepare your shake the night before and refrigerate it. I do this most of the time, and it works well.
6. The Met-Rx shakes come in convenient single serving packets. If you use a powder that comes in a can, refrigerate the can after opening it to keep the powder fresh.

One challenge I was confronted with was how to make a shake while on the road. Several solutions to this problem exist. Braun has a hand blender that crushes ice and bananas. Ice is readily available at most hotels, and bananas are easily obtained at a quickie mart. This does require bringing not only the hand blender, but also a large container to mix everything in. But, if you read my article on how to pack your bike (August, 1999), you shouldn’t have a problem fitting everything in your bike box. If you don’t mind not having crushed ice and other foods in your shake, a wide mouthed water bottle works well. Just pour the shake in, add water and ice, and vigorously shake the bottle. The powder dissolves easily.

Finally, I would like to share three recipes.

Standard shake
• 1 packet of Met-Rx Original Vanilla powder
• Several cubes of ice
• 1 medium banana
• 16 oz of water

Two Alternatives:
• I will substitute 8 oz of water for 8 oz of Lactaid milk on hard training days.
• At the end of a long training day, I add soy yogurt to the standard shake.

In conjunction with a well balanced diet, shakes will help make for better training and recovery.

Race hard, and have fun.

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