COMMUNITY

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.

As a team, we will be supporting the Cameron K Gallagher Foundation this weekend at the Shamrock Half Marathon – racing in the memory of Cameron and supporting her cause. Two years ago, I stood on the balcony of a condo overlooking the boardwalk having recently finished my race. Below me was Jerry Frostick, a long-time friend and race director of the Shamrock Marathon. He was standing on the corner of the boardwalk awaiting the arrival of the first elite marathoners. As the elites approached, Jerry took a call. The elites passed while Jerry remained on the phone. Something was wrong.

Who are you as an athlete? Do you see yourself as an athlete at all? How you view yourself will either be your greatest asset or greatest limiter. As athletes, which is anyone who pushes themselves to be better physically, we must see ourselves as capable. We must constantly reinforce a positive image of ourselves internally so we can rely on it in battle and in life…when things get tough.

I always find it interesting how the weeks I am able to finish everything are often the weeks I have the most to do. On other weeks, I look at the to-do list and think this will be easy to accomplish but somehow don’t complete it all. I think there is a lot of psychology here.

Are you stuck in a plateau? I know…it isn’t fun: That frustrating valley between two fitness breakthroughs where you are working harder than ever with little gains to show from it. You might not be stuck in a plateau now but listen closely as you most likely will at some point soon.