For a long time, I said.
Great coaching + great athlete = great results
I need to amend that little formula to:
Great coaching + focused athlete + great nutrition = the BEST results
I have had a great week of training, from finally nailing the butterfly kick (seriously, my coach did his happy dance and then proceeded to yell out "YOU FINALLY GOT IT!")
Before then it was always kind of like, "You want my body to do WHAT? again?" One day last week, I got to officially meet the new coach who will be rotating with Coach Andrew, and he spent time with me after masters.....and it finally clicked.
Now if I could just get my arms to work.
Yes. I know. I'm not training for any swimming events. AND CERTAINLY not for anything that would require me to swim fly competitively....or even moderately fast, which will ONLY happen which the largest pair of fins imaginable. I don't think that goes against any rules, right?
What I have actually spent my time on is, of course, running & nutrition.
Let's start with nutrition.
I had no idea how many people read my blog until I posted about my nutrition update and how amazing it has been. It has not been overnight, but in 4 weeks.....you wouldn't believe the changes: physical changes, speed gains, overall health....I'm blown away.
Many people contacted me. As much as I can give "general details" of my program, most people are understanding to the fact that I pay for this help. I'm not comfortable giving out the details of my nutrition plan. I don't post the details of my training. I'm certainly not going to post the details about my nutrition.
By the way, I'm down 8lbs and several inches (if you're keeping track).
If you are interested in what I'm doing, drop Dina an email. If you want any help with your nutrition, you don't have to be an athlete. Mr. Tea is following a general plan based on what she has me doing, and he's lost 18lbs in 4 weeks.
However, there is one thing I really want to share with you. I have an extremely busy schedule. Mr. Tea has always made lunches for me that I can pop in the microwave. Recently that hasn't been possible. I went on a search for ready to eat healthy meals.
There have been a ton of new companies that have started just in the past year.
I've tried just about all of them.
I recently found Fuel Food. The first thing I did was talk to Dina about the program. She got back to me a few days later and said, "This is the best food program I've ever seen." That's from my nutritionist.
That sealed the deal for me. I ordered 10 meals. (That's the minimum required.)
A little bit of background on the guy who started the company: he has been a competitive athlete and coach for professional boxers. He started a personal training company which visited pro-athletes & even celebrities. He found that many of them struggled with what to eat and when. SO, he started making them meals and would deliver them to his clients.
Voila....a business is formed.
Take it from me. I have TRIED ALL the plans out there. This is hands down the best.
Here's why:
1.) The food is the BEST tasting food around. It's all organic, grass fed, range free, etc. The food itself is delicious. I have not had ONE meal that I didn't love. They are the ONLY company to issue a credit if you do not like a meal. It's pretty much risk free to try. This is the only place to offer fully customizable menus. You can choose from 60 meals per week.
Speaking of which, if you use my link, you will get 5 meals free. And, I get 5 meals too. :) So, there's that.
2.) They are the only website to offer: Paleo, extreme competition/weight loss, balanced nutrition, treat meals & snacks.
3.) You can choose ANY meals and any number of meals. Other programs require a certain number of breakfast, lunch & dinners. Other sites will send a "pre packaged" meal set. If they send you their pack, and it contains fish, but you don't eat fish....well, you're out of luck...you're getting fish.
4.) Have I already said that the meals are delicious? They are super quick. 1:00 to 1:15 in the microwave, and you're good to go. You can also heat them up in the oven. But, if you're like me...
5.) No other website offers the diet specific plans for specific needs such as paleo, balanced nutrition, etc. When you visit the site, you'll see (very clearly) the differences in meals.
6.) If you need nutritional help, they will put a plan together for you. Obviously, I'm working with a nutritionist. I can't speak to the help they offer, but it's a nice touch. Simply offering that to their customers is a huge help. You don't have to order foods blindly. Dina told me which menus to choose from.
The Cons:
1.) This is a pre-made, healthy, meal delivery service. Like all plans, it's not cheap. The lowest plan runs $9.50 per meal. You also have to pay for shipping. However, you can sign up for more meals which drops the cost quite a bit. Other websites include shipping or offer free shipping, but FuelFood is hands down my favorite.
2.) International friends (particularly Canada and Mexico), sadly, they don't ship there. But, if you're interested, you might be able to contact them to find out if they have an option.
Training
Because of my nutrition, my training has gone to whole new levels. I feel great for every single work out. I'm starting to see muscles that I haven't seen in awhile. I'm so excited to start racing to see where I am. In fact, I have a 5k in Oct.
I'm doing so much behind the scenes. I feel like I'm learning how to run from the feet up. It's one thing to tell someone to run faster. It's completely different to teach them how to run fast.
For the past 2 years (in particular), I learned how to race the oly. I will never say that I excelled at the oly because I didn't. But I learned a lot.
Recently, I've found that working on the oly and sprint for the past few years was the best thing I could have done to get me ready for longer distances.
I'm going to be so ready for my 70.3's next year. SO. Ready.
I have a great coach. I'm completely focused. My nutrition/fueling is on target. I'm setting myself up for the my best year yet.