Hey peeps!! It has been a while. Life has been wonderful but awfully crazy as usual. The off season has almost officially ended and official Ironman training is beginning in only a few short weeks. I still need to get a complete “2012 Goals” post out to you all, and I will soon. I wanted to touch on one of my goals for this upcoming year with you today.
Let’s talk about nutritional timing. You know, eating carb rich meals before workouts (lasting more than 60-90 min), eating enough calories with electrolytes during workouts (lasting > 60-90 min), and protein/carb rich meals/snacks at least 30-45 min after workouts. I’m not going to get into detail right now about it, but that is the gist of what my sports nutritionist told me follow.
Vega Sport contacted me a few weeks ago about their new natural plant-based performance system, and asked me if I wouldn’t mind trying out some samples. I’m gluten and lactose intolerant, and their products are gluten, dairy, and soy free AND vegan. AND they don’t contain a lot of additives. I’m not vegan, and in fact, I have been dabbling a little bit into the Paleo diet (modified for endurance athletes) at the direction of my running team nutritionist. To be honest with you, if I didn’t already love the brand, I wouldn’t have accepted. I use and love Vega products already, and I couldn’t wait to try some of their new products. My only complaint is that their products cost more than the “average” sports supplements. I guess you pay for what you get, right?
Anyway, behold the gorgeous test box:
Some of my favorite samples in the box:
Vega Sport’s Gels have expiration dates on them. The fact that some products can survive 50 years or more scare the crap out of me. These are only good until August 2012. 
Protein Bars when I have to run errands after a workout. These taste pretty good!!
I have a really hard time finding protein powders that are gluten free and that actually taste good. Sun Warrior is okay, but I’m not a huge fan. This protein powder is less chalky than Sun Warrior, but is comparable in taste.
I also want to preface that you do NOT need really any “processed foods” (albeit Vega is just about minimally processed as you can get as far as “processed foods” go. In fact, if I’m at home and I actually have fruit lying around, I eat that before a workout. If I have a long workout on the weekends and need protein after a workout, I don’t automatically reach for a smoothie with added protein powder. If I already have a cooked protein, I’ll throw together a salad with whatever protein I have. For snacks during, I make my own energy bars, eat fruit (kinda tricky depending on the fruit), maybe 1/2 GF bagel, etc.
The thing I like about Vega products, is that they are good if you don’t have any of these things lying around or if it just isn’t convenient. I’ve got a girl’s weekend in Vegas starting tomorrow, and I do plan on getting some training in. I’m planning on taking some Vega products with me for this instance.
How do you fuel before, during, or after your workouts? Ididn’t pay a lot of attention to my nutrition last year, but I have come to realize that it is a HUGE component in getting faster!
Happy Training!!
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