Community

Overview

When you become part of Endorphin Fitness, you become part of a community of like-minded people with a hunger to achieve goals. The EF Community page is your page where we celebrate accomplishments, share pictures, and keep you connected. We encourage you to visit this page often and stay up-to-date on everything Endorphin.

Blogs

Upcoming Events

For the full calendar, click here.

Latest News

RACE NUTRITION STRATEGIES

5.30.2013
Coach Michael Harlow
Endorphin Fitness
 
Once all the workouts are completed and the hay is in the barn, nutrition will make or
break your race. To perform optimally, you need to feed your body with optimal fuel.
This is the case with a 5k, a sprint triathlon, or an Ironman – regardless, nutrition matters.
This article will take you through race nutrition from two weeks out from the race to the
hours following the race. Good nutrition does not start and end on race day but it should
be a habit we utilize every day we train. Therefore, the strategies outlined below can and
should be applied to your training as well, especially your intense and/or long workouts.
 
For recovery workouts, assuming you are eating well, you should be fine with just water
as you do not need the extra calories.
 
1–2 WEEKS OUT FROM RACE
It is time to begin re-building, re-fueling and preparing your body for the rigors of racing.
This is the time to do all the things nutritionally you know you should be doing on a daily
basis but may not always follow. Look at food as fuel and make sure you are only
consuming the highest quality nutrients. Cut out non-essential food that will not aid your
body in performing optimally. Unnecessary fats, calories, and simple sugars should all
be minimized or eliminated to make sure your body is getting only the highest quality
nutrients. If you regularly consume alcohol, this is a good time to minimize or eliminate
it from your diet as alcohol inhibits your body’s ability to rebuild and reduces the red
blood cells’ ability to absorb oxygen. If you regularly consume caffeine, now is the time
to drastically reduce or eliminate this from your diet as well. You may know that
caffeine can be used as a performance enhancer, but this is only the case if your body is
not used to it and thus de-sensitized from the effects.
 
Fruits and vegetables should be eaten regularly during this time as they provide the bulk
of the amino acid building blocks that your body needs to repair itself from the hard
training you have been subjecting yourself to in the weeks and months leading up to your
race. Combine fruits and vegetables with small portions of lean meats as well as proper
carbohydrate levels to fuel your workouts and you have a powerful package of fuel to
allow you to perform optimally.
 
I do caution you to be careful of over-consumption, especially with regard to simple and
complex carbohydrates during this period. You may have the same hunger and desire to
eat, but your body will require far fewer calories with your dramatically reduced training
load during this period. Scale back slightly and consume only the calories needed for
your current level of training.
 
3-5 DAYS OUT FROM RACE
As we enter race week, begin to add more complex low-glycemic index carbohydrates
during this period. Whole grains, brown rice, and other complex carbohydrates are great
choices to bring your body to peak fitness. Stick to lean meats and still consume adequate
fruits and veggies to repair and re-build. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water -
start and finish each day with a large glass of water to ensure this is the case.
 
1-3 DAYS OUT FROM RACE
This is the most important dietary period for racing performance and the traditional
carbo-loading period. Consume frequently (4-6 meals a day) including some form of
complex carbohydrate at each. Start to reduce fiber consumption by reducing the amount
of fruits and veggies. Increase your sodium intake, an important electrolyte to
performance, by adding some extra salt on your food at all meals. Continue to drink lots
of water. Your bodyweight may increase slightly – this is a sign that your body is storing
extra liquid and glycogen – this means that you are fueling properly. Two nights before
the race should be your last big meal (though don’t go crazy) – whole grain
carbohydrates are preferred at this time.
 
DAY BEFORE RACE
You want to start with a large, balanced breakfast that is normal for you and then eat
frequent, small meals throughout the day. Lunch should be split it into two smaller meals
at 11am and 2 pm. Snack throughout the day on predominately complex carbohydrates
though it is ok to balance with a little protein. Dinner should be light and balanced with
foods that are normal to your stomach. Try to finish dinner before 7pm and snack later if
hungry. Continue to focus predominately on whole grain carbohydrates with minimal fat
and fiber. Extra salt/sodium and plenty of water is a good thing and very important.
 
RACE DAY BREAKFAST
It is preferable, though rarely possible to eat a meal 4-5 hours before race start. If you are
able to do this, 1000-1500 calories is ideal to stock your glycogen stores. If you are
eating breakfast within 3 hours of the event, make it a little lighter around 500-800
calories. You are looking for whole grain, complex carbohydrates for this meal (i.e.:
whole grain bagel, whole grain waffles, oatmeal). Consume little to no fiber and fat - no
fruit, veggies, eggs, bacon, cream cheese, and butter. Start drinking water as soon as you
get up and continue to drink until 60-75 minutes before the race start.
Coffee can be resumed at this time if it is part of your plan for performance and habit.
Waiting until 20-40 minutes before the race for caffeine consumption will give you the
optimal effect.
 
LEADING UP TO THE START
At 60-75 minutes from the race start, it is time to start consuming high-glycemic
carbohydrates that will become available for the race. Switching from water to a sports
drink is extremely important at this time to ensure you are fueling your body with the
adequate carbohydrates and electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride) to perform. You
should consume around 24 ounces of a quality sports drink in the last 60-75 minutes
before the race. If you like to eat something close to the race, eat a bar or something like
it 1-1.5 hrs before. If you still want something right before, consume one 100 calorie gel
fifteen minutes before the start.
 
DURING RACE
There are a few key nutritional benchmarks (shown below) that are essential during any
race. Implement these benchmarks in your training and commit to hitting them in the
race.
 
Sports Drink: Approximately 24 ounces (a standard sports bottle) per hour of a quality
sports drink (Accelerade, Gatorade Endurance, Powerbar Perform, etc). Notice that
water is not recommended here as this dilutes your body of essential electrolytes that are
present in sports drinks. This is a big mistake many make in racing!
Calories: 300-400 calories/hour on bike and 200-300 calories/hour on the run as your
body does not digest as easily on the run. This is a combination of your entire intake
including gels, solids, fluids, etc. You need to train your body to be able to consume this
amount of calories. Long rides and runs are great opportunities to work on consuming
more calories.
 
Sodium: 600-1000 mg/hour combined with all intake. Sodium is one of the key
electrolytes – consuming enough is extremely important but often overlooked. Too little
sodium will lead to dehydration, cramping, and deteriorated performance. If you feel any
of these coming on, it is time to take more sodium. If it is a hot day and/or you are a
heavy sweater, you should be on the upper end of this scale. If it is a cooler day and/or
you sweat less than most, you can get by with less. To hit this goal, it often requires
sodium supplementation. I like a product called S-Caps which have 340 mg of sodium
per capsule. I always have these close by in races and recommend the same for my
athletes.
 
Below is an overview of what a few popular supplements have nutritionally:
 
Drinks
– Gatorade Endurance: 150 Calories / 600 mg Sodium
– Accelerade: 240 Calories / 380 mg Sodium (Protein)
– EFS: 182 Calories / 600 mg Sodium (Other Electrolytes)
Gels/Blocks
– Accel Gel: 100 Calories / 100 mg Sodium (Protein)
– First Endurance Liquid Shot: 100 Calories / 100 mg Sodium
– Clif Shot Blocks (3): 100 Calories / 70-210 mg Sodium
– Powergel: 110 Calories / 200 mg Sodium
Bars
– Clif Bar: 250 Calories / 150 mg Sodium
– Powerbar: 230 Calories / 200 mg Sodium
Other
– S-Caps: 0 Calories / 340 mg Sodium
 
In long races, the SWIM has the potential to leave you at a caloric deficit pre-race
nutrition is so important as well as that you begin replenishing immediately upon exiting
the water. If you have not practiced consuming nutrients right after the swim, wait until 5
minutes into the bike to do so to give your body time to adjust to the flow of blood from
arms to legs. You can assist with this by adding more kicking in the final leg of the
swim. For Half or Full Ironman races, you may consider tucking a gel in your suit as
well and consuming at the mid-way point of the swim. Again, practice this before race
day.
 
The BIKE is the time to consume the bulk of your calories as digestion rates are best.
Consuming 300-400 calories an hour is a good goal for about 90% of athletes. Some
have trained their stomachs to handle up to 500 calories but this takes practice. You have
to be aware of what your body is telling you. You may experience a small pouch or
sloshing feeling in your stomach – this is telling you that there are calories waiting to be
digested which is being prevented from doing so by your level of intensity. Slow your
intensity and/or simply wait until this feeling passes and then resume your nutrition plan.
For Sprint and Olympic, your calories should come from fluids and possibly a gel if you
have practiced during training. For Half and Full Ironman, some choose to race without
solids, but most want something to vary intake and fill your stomach slightly. If you like
solids, find a few things that agree with you and vary them through longer races so you
don’t get sick of any one thing. This applies to your sports drink and gels as well.
Energy bars work great here or even more normal foods as long as they are fairly highglycemic
and low fiber.
 
Space your nutrition out evenly throughout the bike while consuming in small portions.
With that said, give yourself a few minutes at the beginning of the ride to allow the blood
to flow to your legs and taper nutrition off near the end of the ride so that your body is
ready for the slower digestion that comes with running. This will also allow you to begin
the run with as much blood available to your legs as possible as blood is required for
digestion. Again, you can train your body to be better at these transitions and thus take in
nutrition sooner.
 
On the RUN, settle into your pace and give yourself a few minutes before consuming any
nutrition. Remember that your digestion rate is slower on the run so you will need to
consume less than on the bike and be very aware of what your body is telling you.
If you are doing the Sprint or Olympic and fueled well up to this point, you should not
need much on the run so drink based on what your body is telling you. For Half or Full
Ironman races, you need to keep up your nutrition to prevent bonking at the end. Settle in
for the first 5-10 minutes and evaluate how your stomach feels. If you feel good, start
taking in nutrients at about 200 calories an hour. If you have practiced, you can take in as
much as 300 calories an hour but you must train your body to do this. Most athletes need
to adopt a liquid only diet at this point consuming sports drink and gels at the aid stations.
There may be cola and chicken broth at the aid stations as well - these are excellent
sources of sodium, sugar/simple carbohydrates, and often give you what you need when
bonking.
 
If you run into problems on the run, it is generally your inability to absorb what your
body needs to continue at you desired pace or a lack of sodium. If you feel your pace
slowing, slow down, let the calories absorb, and then slowly pick back up the pace. Your
legs require blood to run and your stomach requires blood to digest – there is only so
much blood to go around. If you feel any cramping, consume sodium immediately. For
this reason, I recommend keeping sodium tablets close by at all times.
 
POST RACE
You did it – time to celebrate!! But first, get a recovery drink as the first 15 minutes after
a tough race or workout is crucial for getting nutrients in. Your cells are open wide and
staving for nutrients which are critical for your recovery.
 
It is also important for you to consume a quality meal around 60-90 minutes following
your workout. This should be a nutrient/vitamin dense meal of carbohydrates and
protein. A salad with grilled chicken and whole grain rice would be perfect. Make sure
you also hydrate throughout the day with water.
 
As I alluded to in the introduction, the strategies introduced here should be employed in
your training as well. This serves the purpose of not only practicing your race nutrition
plan but also ensuring that you are fueling your workouts properly as well as giving your
body every chance to recover post workout. Make good nutrition a part of your every
day training. It is absolutely essential to your success.
 
Michael Harlow is the founder and head coach of Endorphin Fitness where expert
coaches apply science based nutrition practices and Richmond’s leading triathlon retail
shop to guide athletes to their goals. To learn more, visit http://endorphinfitness.com.

Richmond Times Dispatch Article on Coach Michael & The Endorphin Fitness Youth Triathlon Team

4.7.2013

Great article in the Richmond Times Dispatch today on Coach Michael and The Endorphin Fitness Youth Triathlon Team.  Read it at http://www.timesdispatch.com/entertainment-life/columnists-blogs/maria-howard/fitness-endorphin-fitness-founder-s-focus-is-youngsters-and-triathlons/article_7577451c-734d-53a1-a2a0-93f6fde42314.html. 

Endorphin Fitness Kid's Mile Results

3.9.2013

Everyone did a fantastic job at the Hope 5k and Endorphin Fitness Kid's 1 Mile today.  Thanks to everyone who helped make this a success by volunteering and congrats to all of the athletes!  Below are the results based on age group:

2013 Endorphin Fitness Kid's Mile Results
  Name TIME Bib # Age Group Gender Age
1 Woods, Willow 0:11:40 7 4 and under FEMALE 4
2 Harlow, Austin 0:12:53 58 4 and under FEMALE 4
3 Lagos, Annalise 0:13:02 69 4 and under FEMALE 3
4 McGuire, Ellie 0:14:10 24 4 and under FEMALE 2
5 Nolan, Cora 0:14:49 25 4 and under FEMALE 4
6 Pace, Abby 0:18:31 87 4 and under FEMALE 3
             
1 Moore, Judah 0:10:18 30 4 and under MALE 4
2 Bischoff, Justin 0:10:30 50 4 and under MALE 4
3 Gaskill, Josh 0:11:20 38 4 and under MALE 4
4 Gardner, Luca 0:11:21 22 4 and under MALE 4
5 Brooks, Colton 0:16:13 55 4 and under MALE 4
6 Quinby, Parker 0:16:20 4 4 and under MALE 4
             
1 Harrison, Hannah 0:09:49 27 5 to 6 FEMALE 6
2 Bischoff, Allison 0:09:50 49 5 to 6 FEMALE 6
3 Foote, Molly 0:11:02 79 5 to 6 FEMALE 6
4 Murphy, Kylie 0:11:19 83 5 to 6 FEMALE 6
5 Cook, Hannah 0:11:48 20 5 to 6 FEMALE 5
6 Adamson, Ella 0:11:52 53 5 to 6 FEMALE 5
7 Foldenauer, Lauren 0:12:03 19 5 to 6 FEMALE 6
8 McGuire, Madelyn 0:13:30 23 5 to 6 FEMALE 5
9 Rosenbaum, Caroline 0:13:50 65 5 to 6 FEMALE 6
10 Snopik, Emerson 0:14:14 17 5 to 6 FEMALE 5
11 Moore, Grace 0:19:43 28 5 to 6 FEMALE 5
             
1 Lawson, Trevor 0:08:00 63 5 to 6 MALE 6
2 Schmitt, John Grayson 0:08:14 52 5 to 6 MALE 6
3 Gardner, Caden 0:09:04 21 5 to 6 MALE 6
4 Harlow, Caleb 0:09:22 80 5 to 6 MALE 6
5 Nagle, Hunter 0:09:34 48 5 to 6 MALE 6
6 Gaskill, Danny 0:09:35 37 5 to 6 MALE 6
7 Hoffer, Taylor 0:10:12 9 5 to 6 MALE 5
8 Quinby, Mason 0:10:14 3 5 to 6 MALE 6
9 Beam, Brooks 0:10:29 36 5 to 6 MALE 6
10 Brown, Davis 0:11:07 46 5 to 6 MALE 5
11 Beam, Jackson 0:11:22 35 5 to 6 MALE 6
12 Brown, Griffin 0:11:26 45 5 to 6 MALE 6
13 Pace, Luke 0:13:45 86 5 to 6 MALE 5
             
1 Woods, Ella 0:07:21 5 7 to 9 FEMALE 8
2 Novak, Claire 0:07:43 98 7 to 9 FEMALE 8
3 Baham, Meredith 0:08:08 72 7 to 9 FEMALE 9
4 Mullins, Ann Melise 0:08:12 81 7 to 9 FEMALE 9
5 Mullins, Rebecca 0:09:27 82 7 to 9 FEMALE 7
6 Lawson, Anna 0:09:42 62 7 to 9 FEMALE 9
7 Karaffa, Grace 0:11:06 2 7 to 9 FEMALE 9
8 Rehme, Carly 0:11:15 96 7 to 9 FEMALE 7
9 Snopik, Cadence 0:11:17 16 7 to 9 FEMALE 8
10 Rackley, Anastasia  0:11:19 14 7 to 9 FEMALE 9
11 Beam, Avery 0:11:21 34 7 to 9 FEMALE 8
12 Shropshire, Taylor 0:12:15 93 7 to 9 FEMALE 7
13 Lindsey, Isabella 0:15:11 74 7 to 9 FEMALE 7
             
1 Rehme, Hans 0:07:06 97 7 to 9 MALE 9
2 Berger, Henry 0:07:11 42 7 to 9 MALE 8
3 Foldenauer, Ashton 0:07:25 18 7 to 9 MALE 9
4 Morgan, Matthew 0:07:48 66 7 to 9 MALE 7
5 Peterson, Landon 0:08:04 26 7 to 9 MALE 8
6 Woods, Shane 0:08:05 6 7 to 9 MALE 7
7 Mackay, Charlie 0:08:44 15 7 to 9 MALE 8
8 Read, Tyler  0:09:05 51 7 to 9 MALE 7
9 Rosenbaum, Connor 0:09:07 64 7 to 9 MALE 9
10 Blanchard, Ben 0:09:09 90 7 to 9 MALE 9
11 Piper, Joshua 0:09:16 1 7 to 9 MALE 9
12 Brown, Simon 0:09:30 44 7 to 9 MALE 8
13 Hunt, Jacob 0:09:32 95 7 to 9 MALE 8
14 Getter, Matthew 0:10:27 61 7 to 9 MALE 7
15 Lagos, Sam 0:10:48 68 7 to 9 MALE 7
16 Lagos, William  0:11:57 67 7 to 9 MALE 9
17 Brooks, Haleigh 0:13:35 54 7 to 9 MALE 9
             
1 Albright, Parker 0:05:45 70 10 to 13 FEMALE 10
2 Lewis, Sarah 0:05:53 84 10 to 13 FEMALE 12
3 Poole, Helen 0:06:54 91 10 to 13 FEMALE 12
4 Kvotolo Sarah 0:07:08 85 10 to 13 FEMALE 10
5 Lefkowitz, Ella 0:08:58 89 10 to 13 FEMALE 11
6 Keeler, Emily 0:09:37 10 10 to 13 FEMALE 12
             
1 Currens, Max 0:05:40 43 10 to 13 MALE 13
2 McCracken, Ryan  0:05:44 40 10 to 13 MALE 12
3 Lindsey, Coleson  0:06:18 73 10 to 13 MALE 10
4 McCracken, Sean 0:07:19 41 10 to 13 MALE 11
5 Poole, Michael 0:08:56 92 10 to 13 MALE 11
             
             
             
             
  Johnson, Devan E.  DNS 8 10 to 13 FEMALE 11
  Rackley, Katya DNS 12 10 to 13 FEMALE 13
  Rackley, Kira  DNS 13 7 to 9 FEMALE 8
  Berger, Regan DNS 31 10 to 13 FEMALE 10
  Beam, Payton DNS 33 10 to 13 FEMALE 11
  Marshall, Grace DNS 77 7 to 9 FEMALE 7
  Spooner, Olivia DNS 78 5 to 6 FEMALE 5
  Shropshire, Stella DNS 94 4 and under FEMALE 4
  Keeler, Joseph DNS 11 7 to 9 MALE 9
  Moore, Jacob DNS 29 7 to 9 MALE 8
  Honig, Landon DNS 32 7 to 9 MALE 7
  Fraser, Ethan DNS 39 10 to 13 MALE 10
  Lewis, Jacob  DNS 47 7 to 9 MALE 7
  Hembree, Noah  DNS 57 4 and under MALE 3
  Pruitt, Zachary DNS 59 5 to 6 MALE 6
  Pruitt, Clayton DNS 60 5 to 6 MALE 5
  Albright, Cooper DNS 71 10 to 13 MALE 12
  Marshall, Jack DNS 76 7 to 9 MALE 7

 

Testing: Assessing Fitness Level and Developing a Platform for Improvement

2.15.2013

By Coach Michael Harlow

The start to a new triathlon season should begin with an honest and accurate appraisal of your fitness so that you can determine reasonable and achievable goals.  The way to do this is through proven testing techniques.  Through testing, you are able to determine exactly where you stand fitness-wise today and set reasonable goals for where you want to be at the end of the season.  More so, through repeat testing throughout the season, you can check your progress toward your goal and make modifications to your training based on the results. 

There are three major objectives with testing:

1: Identify Fitness Level – To get where you want to go, you have to start by identifying where you are.  A good test should identify your limiters, those factors that are keeping you from reaching your goals.  These could include technique, endurance, and/or speed. 

2: Set Training Zones – Once fitness level is determined, individual training zones should be developed from this.  These training zones will guide your training, ensuring you are training at the correct intensity at all times.  Depending on what training aids you utilize, these zones can be set for pace, heart rate, and power. 

3: Gauge Progress – As you work toward your goals, you will want to repeat your tests approximately every 4-8 weeks to reassess fitness and adjust training zones. 

Testing has various forms that are valid and useful.  The important thing is that you find a test that works for you and is repeatable in similar conditions (temperature, terrain, time of day, etc).  Testing can be made very simple or very advanced through scientific laboratory testing.  Though there are numerous test variations, I will focus on two for the purposes of this article: Time Trials and two laboratory tests, V02 Max and Lactate Testing. 

Time Trials are a simple, accessible form of testing completed through a swim, bike, or run max effort over a designated distance.  What better way to test your fitness than test your speed, the most pure indicator of triathlon performance?  When doing a time trial, it is very important that you create a repeatable environment.  You should always do these tests at the same location which is free from interferences like traffic.  Often, the easiest way to do this is to use a track for the run, trainer (do based on time) or a closed loop, and a pool for the swim.  I encourage you to test two limiters with regard to each field test: speed and endurance.  Therefore, your time trial should consist of at least two distances: a very short distance that will measure speed as well as a longer distance that will measure endurance.  The speed test should be very short in the form of 10-20 seconds with the endurance test being longer in the form of 10-20 minutes.  You can also test intermediate distances as well to pinpoint additional limiters such as VO2 Max.  By looking at the disparity between the various tests, you will be able to identify which areas are your greatest limiters and thus where you should focus your efforts for the upcoming season.

Laboratory Testing: There are a lot of laboratory tests used by athletes with the two most commonly used tests being V02 Max Testing and Lactate Testing. All laboratory tests require a trained individual to conduct the test. 

V02 Max Testing: V02 Max testing measures how much oxygen you are able to consume at maximum intensity before becoming anaerobic. In theory, those athletes who are able to process the most oxygen should be fastest as they are getting more oxygen to the working muscles. However, this does not take in to consideration the effect of proper technique. With proper technique, which is teachable, an athlete requires less oxygen to race at the same speed as someone using all of their available oxygen.  VO2 Max is your highest potential VO2, a number that can only be identified through testing at your greatest possible fitness level.  VO2 Peak is where your VO2 is currently.  This is the number we identify with individual tests and is trainable.  Since VO2 Peak is trainable, it is a great number to identify at the start of your season and reassess throughout the season as you work toward your goals.   

Lactate Testing: Lactate Testing is an additional laboratory test to establish an athlete’s Lactate Threshold.  Lactate threshold is defined as the point at which there is a switch from the predominance of using oxygen as one’s primary source of fuel to using anaerobic means (lactate). With this switch comes limited capacity to maintain pace.  Under lactate threshold, one can hold pace for 40-60 minutes whereas above lactate threshold one can only sustain pace for 8-10 minutes.  As endurance athletes, we want to identify this point and train to increase endurance under it as well as push it upward.  Lactate threshold is trainable with the goal of moving it up and should be tested often to gauge progress.  This is one of the major goals of endurance training.

Testing is an essential component of any triathlete’s training program as a tool to improve performance and accomplish one’s goals.  Many of us rely on racing to gauge fitness, but unlike specific testing designs, races are not 100% equal in distances, terrain, or weather.  Therefore, performing test sets throughout your season is essential.  Use this testing to plan your season.  If you are interested in getting tested, see the VO2 & Technique Analysis Raffle that we are offering under sponsor news. 

Michael Harlow is the founder and director of Endorphin Fitness and the 2012 USAT Youth Development Coach of the Year.  To learn more about Endorphin Fitness and Michael, visit http://endorphinfitness.com. 

Endorphin Fitness Network

The following are organizations that we believe in and support.