It has been a demanding week - workouts, workdays, life!

I keep marvelling at how well my body is responding to the stress, particularly the increased training load but also the other stuff. In fact, I've mentioned it a couple of times to friends and family. As we walk to our bus stops after work, my co-worker/friend Katerine Bernier has heard me admit I'm waiting for the days of muscle soreness so great I question whether I can do the next workout on the plan. It hasn't happened yet.

Don't get me wrong, by evening on Sundays after two back-to-back 3-4 hr days of endurance bricks (bike/long run/swim & long bike/run) followed by several hours standing in the kitchen cooking a week's worth of suppers and other doing household chores - I am toast! But after some self-massage with Voltaran and an electric massager I would die without, an Ibuprofen and/or Tylenol for muscle aches & body pain and lazing on the sofa with a glass of wine - then a night's sleep, I'm OK.

My tri pal Greg Lummis and I were speculating that we're finally reaping the benefits of years of endurance sport training. Sports professionals suggest it takes years to build a decent level of muscle memory that will eventually remain. So, it has been 11 years since I began training for my first half marathon and 10 years ago I was training for my first full marathon. And last year's training and completion of 2 half Ironman triathlons (70.3 we call it in the tri world) - may mean I am finally benefiting from a deeper level of overall fitness. I hope so and I hope it lasts! I fully expect there will come a day during the Build block in my training that I'll beg to be put out of my misery but I have great confidence in the plan and my ability to follow it, so que sera sera!

Before I move on, I will add a note about nutrition aiding recovery. I am a true believer in feeding the body I depend upon and push beyond limits I thought capable for me. There are a bazillion products out on the market to support endurance training and competition. Finding the products that best suit the activity, duration and intensity level and gastrointestinal needs and problems is the fourth sport for a triathlete! It has taken me years to figure out what to take and when. And those who know me, know I have a myriad of food allergies or intolerance's ranging in severity.

I cannot consume gluten nor anything that has been produced in a facility that produces wheat products. The same goes for lactose (the sugar in dairy). Ingesting beef products result in projectile vomiting in less than 30 minutes. Soy has begun to cause some G.I. issues but not overly severe - yet! I can't drink anything fizzy not even champagne (although I will drink an icy cold original coke once year on a hot summer's day and I will grab a cup of coke during the late stages of a marathon to help relieve bloating - great big burbs help!) I'm off pork which the exception of bacon and I have no idea why but the thought of eating ham or roast pork brings on nausea. I think that covers it but with each passing year, the list seems to grow. More on that another time - I have some theories as to why so stay tuned.

Fortunately for me, I am not alone. Other athletes have gluten, lactose and soy intolerance or suffer from Celiac disease. Until I began training for Ironman Lake Placid, I exclusively used Vega Sport products - an all natural plant-based performance enhancement system that is dairy, gluten & soy free with no artificial flavours, colours or sweeteners. Vega products were formulated by Brendan Brazier, pro Ironman triathlete who had a hard time finding similar sport fuel and had to make his own from scratch.

Here are the Vega products I use year-round and highly recommend.
PREPARE

Vega Sport Pre-Workout Energizer is a pre-workout drink mix sporting a unique blend of 13 synergistic plant-based performance-improving ingredients, like green tea, yerba mate, coconut oil and rhodiola, specifically selected to:

Provide immediate and sustained energy
Increase endurance, aerobic and anaerobic capacity
Enhance mental focus and recovery
Take Vega Sport Pre-Workout Energizer 20 minutes before your workout to help you get in the zone with energy to burn!
MOKA RECOMMENDS - ACAI BERRY FLAVOUR

SUSTAIN

A natural, alkaline-forming drink mix, free from sugar and artificial sweeteners, Vega Sport Electrolyte Hydrator is formulated with all the essential electrolytes your body needs to stay hydrated during workouts.

With zero calories per serving, Electrolyte Hydrator tastes great, so you can sip it not just during your workout, but throughout the day to:

Replenish electrolytes and minerals
Enhance metabolism and alkalinity
Provide antioxidant protection
MOKA RECOMMENDS - LEMON-LIME FLAVOUR

Vega Sport Endurance Bar was formulated to provide instant and sustained energy during workouts. An excellent source of iron, Endurance Bar features an ideal combination of energizing complex carbohydrates and a blend of protein to give you longer-burning energy to get you through the toughest workouts, and also includes 1 gram of Omega 3s per bar.

I ONLY USE ON BIKE RIDES OF 2 hrs or MORE WHEN I WANT A BREAK FROM GELS
MOKA RECOMMENDS - MOCHA FLAVOUR ...COFFEE/COCOA A YUMMY TREAT EVEN IF THEY SPELL IT WRONG - LOL!

A plant-based, all-natural energy gel, Vega Sport Endurance Gel is formulated to provide instant and sustained energy plus electrolytes and vitamins during workouts. Developed for easy on-the-run digestion and featuring whole food ingredients, Endurance Gel is free from high fructose corn syrup and maltodextrin. Plus, Vega Sport Endurance Gel is the only gel on the market to feature coconut oil, a medium-chain triglyceride metabolized in the liver to provide instant, non-carbohydrate energy.

FIRST GEL I COULD KEEP DOWN - DRINK LOTS OF PLAIN WATER
I USE PRE LONG ENDURANCE SWIMS, ON LONG BIKE RIDES & RUNS
MOKA RECOMMENDS - RASPBERRY FLAVOUR IT ACTUALLY STILL HAS THE SEEDS!

RECOVER

Vega Sport Recovery Accelerator features a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein, a combination shown to increase muscle glycogen re-synthesis – a crucial component of post-workout recovery.

The first all-natural, plant-based recovery drink mix specifically developed to address all six key elements of post-workout recovery: muscle glycogen replenishment, muscle tissue repair and protein synthesis, hormonal support, soft-tissue repair, immune system support, inflammation reduction and rehydration.

The unique formula of Recovery Accelerator features an innovative blend of synergistic plant-based ingredients, like glucosamine, maca, devil’s claw, L-arginine and American ginseng, specifically selected to: replenish energy and electrolytes, reduce inflammation, muscle and joint pain, support immune system24 and protein synthesis, and reduce recovery time between training.

MOKA'S FAVOURITE VEGA PRODUCT!! USE WITHIN 30 MINUTES FOR SESSIONS 1 HR OR MORE MOKA RECOMMENDS - TROPICAL FLAVOUR

A complete multi-source, alkaline-forming, plant-based protein powder blend, featuring 5,500mg of BCAAs and 5,000mg of glutamine per serving, Vega Sport Performance Protein is formulated to:

Improve strength and exercise performance
Repair and build muscles
Reduce recovery time between training

The recent innovation to Vega Sport Performance Protein comes from the addition of SaviSeed (sacha inchi) protein, a rich, plant-based source of the amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan is a key component of serotonin production(1). Serotonin—the feel good hormone—helps with the mental aspect of recovery, so you’ll keep the drive alive and be motivated to train again.

Take Performance Protein within 30 to 90 minutes of your workout or throughout the day to meet your individual protein needs to recharge and repair so you can do it all again, sooner. Use with Recovery Accelerator.

MOKA USES THIS ONLY FOR HIGH INTENSITY WORKOUTS OF 2 HOURS OR MORE ...MOKA RECOMMENDS - CHOCOLATE FLAVOUR - make sure to shake well, swallowing a clump of powder is gross!

A delicious, post-workout bar packed with 15 grams of complete, plant-based protein, Vega Sport Protein Bar is formulated to help strengthen and regenerate muscles. Take Protein Bar after training or as a nutritious snack.

MOKA'S 2nd FAVOURITE VEGA PRODUCT - IT IS LIKE A CHOCOLATE BAR!! USE WITHIN 30 MINUTES FOR SESSIONS 1 HR OR MORE AFTER A HARD WORKOUT

MOKA RECOMMENDS Chocolate Coconut FLAVOUR

The shelf in the kitchen holds my in use supply and there is more in a storage cupboard. Barry and I both buy it whenever we see a sale at the grocery store, Planet Earth or Vega's online store. It isn't cheap but it is worth it!

NOT PART OF THE VEGA SPORT LINE OF PRODUCTS BUT I ALSO USE THIS VEGA ONE POWDER IN MY MORNING FRUIT SMOOTHIES - CHOCOLATE!

Good for your body and the planet, Vega One Nutritional Shake is the clean, plant-based choice to fuel your healthy, active lifestyle—without compromise. Made from natural, whole food ingredients, Vega One is a convenient, all-in-one supplement, packed with:

50% daily intake of vitamins and minerals
15 g protein
6 g fibre
1.5 g Omega-3
Antioxidants
Probiotics
Greens

Ironman events are very very long distance events. A reminder for those not use to the triathlon distances: 3.8 kilometre open water swim with thousands of other athletes splashing, kicking, pushing, poking to find the ideal position to draft off a slightly faster swimmer. Drafting is an almost when you benefit from being in someones slipstream - you go as fast or faster and expend less energy doing so - just like bird's flying in formation but not nearly as graceful! The swim start is often called the "human washing machine" (I'll post photo examples soon). Once you've survived the swim which will likely take me anywhere between 1 hr 20 min - 1 hr 30 minutes - you hit the beach and run to the transition area where you raked your bike alongside 1000's of others. You do a quick change into cycling attire maybe gulp a drink or take a gel and head out on a 180 kilometre bike ride and it could be windy, raining or a scorcher or all three during the ride - through the Adirondack mountains in my case. Most of the nutrition intake happens on the bike. Drinking water & electrolytes to stay hydrated, drinking or eating to refuel and possibly taking salt tablets to replenish sodium levels if you perspire a lot (the Case family sweats heavily!). Barring any mechanical, gastric, weather issues, my bike ride will take between 6-7 hours. Then it's back to transition to hand your bike to a volunteer and change into run attire. Then the comes the full 42.2 kilometre marathon run during which you still need to hydrate and fuel an exhausted body. I have no idea how long it will take me to run, walk or crawl toward the finishing chute. My hope, my big wish is that I can run more than walk. For me, that is a major goal.

All the above summary was to illustrate the need to have an adequate supply of hydration and nutrition for 13-17 hours of racing. They do allow you to have 2 "special needs" bags along the course where I will definitely have some backup supplies. However, it makes more sense to try to use the free nutrition supplied through the bike and run course. That means having to train using these products to ensure they agree with you. I have looked at what is being supplied and researched the ingredients. There are some things I cannot use because they contain irritants I mention above that I cannot digest and that will make me very ill and unable to complete the race. The good news is I've been using Ironman Perform (I get mine at MEC)

the electrolyte used in Lake Placid and it agrees with me so much I just purchase my second tub of powder, having finished the first. It's also considerably cheaper than Vega so it may remain my hydration supplement of choice. Although I was nervous to try another brand of gel than Vega, having thrown up every other brand out there over the years, I have been using GU gels & GU chomps (MEC again - lemon sublime is like lemon filling in pie) for 2 weeks and no problem. I tried them before and during all three sports just to be sure. This is such a relief. For years, I've had to avoid those race handouts but on July 27th, when I run out of my supply, I can take the freebies!! The only other Ironman handout during the run only that I know I can eat and actually find delicious but not available in the Maritimes is Bonk Breaker bars. The peanut butter and jelly flavour is amazing! That said, I don't know if I'll tempt my tummy with that much solid food during the marathon as it is the sport where most people find their guts begin to complain, if not shut down completely. I'll definitely be looking for them post-race though.

The other new "food" product I've been training with in the hopes I can use it on race day is Hammer Perpetuem (Planet Earth is trying to get it in but so far I can only order it online). Thanks to my dear friend, multiple Ironman phenom and HTC President - Francine Comeau for this recommendation. Francine has completed 3 Ironman distance races including the 2013 World Championships in Kona, Hawaii at the age of 61. To me, one of the best indications of Francine's success was that she had no gastric issues and recovered so quickly after completing that gruelling course and hot climate. Without a doubt, Francine was well prepared with a training plan that worked for her and meant she attained her peak fitness at the right time. That I believe I have under control (touch wood!). I asked her what she used as fuel, especially on the bike - the longest part of the day. She had water, an electrolyte and Hammer Perpetuem was her food source. She had gels on the run but not on the bike. I love the idea of drinking my food and so I've been using it for my long Sunday bike rides and experimenting with flavour preferences. I ordered some packets of Orange-Vanilla (like a creamsicle but not as sweet) and Cafe Latte which is caffeinated before committing to a tub which is the most economical way to go. So far so good though it does have soy so I really have to flush it down with water which can make me gassy. It make mean I will need something to offset that, just in case but that's no big deal. I'll looking forward to testing it on long outdoor rides this Spring and I'll definitely bring some to Arizona in May - the 4 hour ride in the dessert heat should be a good test.

Time to fuel up and get on with this weekend's workout plan.

Moka's Workouts for Saturday, March 15

Workout #1: Easy ride

Type: Bike Planned Duration: 1:00

Description: Ride in the power 1 and 2 zones, mostly 1 zone. Mostly flat course. Low effort--light on pedals. Comfortably high rpm. Lots of time in aero position.

Pre-Activity Comments: This is an optional bike-run combination workout. You can omit the bike ride. This should definitely be done if tired. If you do it take your time transitioning to the following run.

Workout #2: Zone 1-2, check cadence

Type: Run Planned Duration: 1:45

Description: Heart rate in zones 1-2 on a gently rolling course (best on dirt, grass, trail, or treadmill). Check cadence: count left foot strikes for 15 seconds. Goal is 21 or higher.

Workout #3: recovery drills - optional

Type: Swim Planned Duration: 0:40

Description: Focus on form - Heidi's tips re: technique

Moka's Workouts for Sunday, March 16

Workout #1: AeT Steady State

Type: Bike Planned Duration: 3:30

Description: BT: Warm up 20-30 minutes. Then ride 2 hours, 15 minutes (2:15) steady at 25-30 beats per minute below your 5a zone (LTHR). Finish the ride in power zones 1 and 2.

Workout #2: Run after long bike

Type: Run Planned Duration: 0:15 treadmill