Daily Priorities & Nutrition

Nearly every morning there is a morning training session.  More often than not, there is also an evening training session.  I usually do my runs and rides in the mornings, and save any swims, weight lifting or "functional strength" (core workouts) for the evenings.

Coupled with a demanding work schedule, the training keeps me pretty busy.  Each morning, I run through a mental checklist of items I will need for the day, since an evening workout generally means not getting home until nearly 9pm as I go to the gym/pool immediately after work.

That mental checklist can be broken down into two main categories: (1) work-related and normal daily items, and (2) training-related items.  I almost always carry two bags to work for that reason, though the gym bag stays in the car all day.

The work-related/normal daily items include:

- security badge

- wallet

- phone

- work bag with any work I brought home the previous day

The training-related items include:

- swim gear (jammers, sandals, goggles, Garmin)

- shorts for after-gym wear

- extra ziploc bag to keep my training notes waterproof

My booty



Then there's the all important daily nutrition.  Today's workout included a morning trainer ride and then a long (3800m) swim in the evening.  That means today is an extra food day:

- bento box of mixed nuts and mixed vegetables

- apple

- two plums ("fun fruit")

- quesadilla

- rice krispy treats (hooray!)

- turkey sammich

- pb+banana sammich

- hard-baked egg

A "normal" food day would include only the bento box, apple, fun fruit and egg.  Since I began Ironman training, the sammich has become a part of the "normal" food day as well.  The only item that is not healthy in my lunch is the rice krispy treats.  However, I don't normally have desserts packed with my lunch.  Just today (and for the next few days until the treats run out!).  Everything home-made (though not by me; I'm pretty much useless in the kitchen).

With that many items on the list, it's easy to forget one or two items.  The most often forgotten item? By far and away, the wallet.   Like today, for example.