Car Trouble

What happens if you don’t have enough gas in your car? The car stops, right? Ok now what happens if you put too much gas in? It most likely spews gas out all over the place. Ok good, you’re with me. Now picture this, you put the wrong type of gas in your car (think diesel instead of unleaded) what do you think will happen? I’m not a car expert but, according to Google, the car won’t work well or even at all. Well this week I am the car and the diesel fuel is sugar.

One of the things that I was most looking forward to during my training for Kona was to become a human garbage disposal. I was already conjuring up a Michael Phelps style diet: thousands of calories, French fries, pizza, being able to eat all the Oreos that I wanted to, while at the same time achieving amazing athletic results. But this week has been a HUGE wake up call. If I want to make it to Kona my workouts have to be on par, my nutrition has to be in check, and my head has to be in the game.

Even though I have done my workouts this week to the satisfaction of my Coach, I feel off, like I've been walking around in a fog. My efforts have not been 100%. Shoot, they haven’t even been at 50%. My performance at work has been mediocre at best. I have been distracted, extremely anxious, moody and unmotivated, not really the qualities that make up an Ironman. So I made the wise decision to seek out some help, I figure if I am going to have someone helping me with my workouts then finding someone to get my head on straight is a MUST.

The visit with my… my new… let’s call her my Nutrition Guru/Jack of all Trades was amazing! We discussed my completely normal reaction to a diet filled with crap. How it’s not necessarily my lack of “will power” but the foods themselves that are causing me to crave and eat more craptastic junk. These types of sugary foods are actually altering the communication pathways to my brain and therefore causing me to be moody and lethargic. You eat junk. The junk messes with your brain. You crave more junk. Fantastic.

                “So what you’re saying is that I can never have any more sweets again?”

This was one of my main concerns because I am the type of person that as soon as you say that I can’t have something then that’s ALL I want, hence the state of my mind this week. So we made a deal. On the days that I work out hard, like 3 hours or more of training, then I can have a “treat” and it can be whatever I want. But on the days that aren't that intense then I have to stick to the good stuff. This should keep me from feeling deprived but at the same time insures that my body is getting all the nutrients that it needs in order to keep me going. I can definitely live with that.

For those of you who are rolling your eyes at me just remember that sugar affects people in different ways. I consider myself a full on sugar addict and I am making the decision to not waste this opportunity on account of some stupid cookies.