Interview with @FitnessChamp

I’m obviously no celebrity athlete or fitness model, but I do get lots of questions around my own eating habits, workout patterns, and which fitness sources have taught me the most. 

This is the only time that I’ll ever “self-interview”, so here you go…

What’s your athletic background?

I was a basketball player growing up, and that’s my first love.  GOD had other plans for my body type and picked up football my freshman year of high school.  I went on to play running back in college, and also ran track for three years, competing in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay.

What are you currently training for?

I ran two half-marathons within a month between October and November 2011, but am done with endurance events for the time being.  I trained hard but realized that endurance sports are just not what I am cut out for, both physically and psychologically. Several friends are avid CrossFitters and have been giving me the hard sales job to get me involved. The competitive-but-positive plus testosterone-fuled vibe keeps drawing me in little by little.

 

What does an average week’s workout look like?

I don’t get as much time as I’d like to dedicate toward my own workouts, but I do what I can with the time I have.  I try to go for intensity over duration, so I’m usually hitting some form of HIIT intervals or  tabatas on the bike or rowing machine for cardio.  I’m a big fan of Olympic-style lifts, so each week I try to hit some hang cleans, power cleans, push press, and dead lifts.  I’ll mix in some pull ups, heavy rope  work, and box jumps if available.  

As I mentioned,  I have several friends who are CrossFit addicts and have been giving me the hard sales pitch to join them soon, so this workout approach will keep me in close enough shape to hang with the group (hopefully anyways).  Once or twice each week I also add in some typical standard bodybuilding work, as well as some sprint work (100s, 200s, 400’s, court gassers) to maintain my capacity in that area as well.

Describe your fitness classes.

The best way to describe my classes would be 45-55 minutes of multi-faceted intervals and running drills, very similar to what you might see on infomercials for “Insanity” and “P90X”.  I try to model the workouts for a demographic that used to play sports in high school or college, and desire that style of training as adults compared to simply running on the treadmill, lifting weights alone, or logging repetitive sessions on the elliptical. I also try to make sure the playlist is continually up-to-date because if the women in class don’t like the music, they will turn on you quickly.

What does an average day’s eating look like?

It’s not inaccurate to say that I’ve tried almost every nutritional philosophy out there.  Currently (and perhaps for the foreseeable future) I’m sticking fairly close to a Paleo eating style.  Like I said, I work out in the mornings, so it’s either an empty stomach workout, or possibly a scoop of whey protein in water before heading out the door.  I used to down a banana, Gatorade Prime, and/or a gel before hitting the gym but while this was great for my performance, this was surely killing any fat loss goals I was after (due to the over-reliance on Simple Sugars).

Post-workout is usually another scoop of whey in water, then 3-4 scrambled eggs with some spinach, and a couple slices of lean turkey tossed in.  I’ll usually eat that with half a sweet potato (3-4oz).  Mid-morning snack is a protein shake with almonds or sunflower seeds,  then lunch is usually a few turkey meatballs with some green source like asparagus.  Depending on whether or not I have class in the evening, I may eat the second half of the sweet potato here.

Late afternoon might be some turkey jerky and sunflower seeds, with perhaps a tablespoon or two of almond or peanut butter.  If I’m teaching a class in the evening I’ll either repeat lunch, or go with a tuna pack and an apple. 

Dinner lately has been white fish (tilapia, cod) with steamed shredded cabbage (seasoned with oil & vinegar, lemon pepper seasoning, and mustard). “Dessert” is a blended smoothie with carrot juice, acai juice, whey protein, blackberries, almond butter, half an avocado, and 2-3 handfuls of spinach.  Sometimes I'll swap out the avocado for coconut milk as an alternative healthy fat source.

Must-have vitamins and supplements?

Standard: multi-vitamin, fish oil, vitamin B, vitamin D. 

Nice to have: vitamin A, BCAA (Scivation Xtend), chia seeds

What’s your favorite cheat food?

There is a local smoothie shop across the street from where I live, they make a Green Tea Smoothie with non-fat frozen yogurt that is my biggest guilty pleasure. I used to go 5-6 days a week, but chopped that down to once a week on Saturdays in an effort to tighten up my diet for fat loss goals.

If I am REALLY, legitimately cheating, I love French fries, pizza, and burritos. The funny thing however, is that once your diet really gets in-tune, these foods stop being as fun once you see them as set-backs from ultimately having the body you want.  You can eat almost anything once or twice a week, but the saying is true – nothing tastes as good as being lean feels.

Who are your favorite fitness follows on Twitter?

@JadeTeta, @JillFit, @RobRiches, @cutandjacked, @SPNetwork

Who are your other fitness inspirations?

The Rock (obviously), Greg Plitt (#1 male fitness model in the world), Mario Lopez, Georges St. Pierre, Pauline Nordin (creator of “Fighter Diet”, her dietary discipline is a tremendous motivator) and “normal” people like my friends Demi, Philip, Brendan, and Lyndsey.

 

What’s your biggest motivation?

Aside from the standard stuff like wanting to fit well in my clothes and like what I see in the mirror, long term health is very important.  I had a close relative battling colon cancer several years ago, and a few others with high blood pressure issues.  My eating habits were terrible in graduate school during my early 20’s, and I spend every day trying to undo the fat, unhealthy condition I was creating for myself.

What’s the one thing you wish you could share with others at the gym?

I'd tell them that More isn’t necessarily better. 

I see so many people (often the same faces) logging away hour after hour on the stairmaster or elliptical every week and their bodies never change.  People training for specific  events like a half-marathon or 5K certainly need to get their mileage in, but others wanting to shed pounds, or look good for the beach really need to learn that you can meet your goals in less time, by working smarter. 

For fat loss goals, intensity trumps time spent.  The body is not like a calculator, fat loss is more complex than eating 500 fewer calories and burning 500 calories more per day.  Things like stress hormones and insulin manipulation play a big role in whether or not one’s body will give up stubborn fat.  This is usually sad to see, because I see lots of effort and “want to” from people in the gym (or even jogging down the street), they just don’t have the proper tools and information to accomplish what they are working so hard to achieve.

Will you ever grant yourself another interview like this?

No way. This was an obnoxious thing to do and I'm ready to go back to interviewing other people.

Fitness Spotlight: Lyndsay Braswell

I've spent time writing about a variety of nutrition philosophies (Paleo, Intermittent Fasting, Vegan, etc).  This next section is a more in-depth look at one of the more interesting people I've come across in the fitness world.

Lyndsay Braswell  (@FitRawChic) is a fellow fitness enthusiast, but her diet is completely vegan.  She is a walking example that disproves two long-standing stigmas: 

(1) Vegans can't be athletic or have muscle tone

(2) A vegan diet has to be boring and bland

She also serves as another example that if you want to badly enough, people with regular jobs can still find time to fit their workouts into the schedule.

Lyndsay's personal site, LilGreenDress.com is diverse in fitness guidance, as well as recipes, video How-To's and other culinary ideas.  We took a break from commiserating about our respective NFL teams' (Redskins & Panthers) terrible 2011 seasons to dive into a few questions about her background, current projects, and future plans:

How did you become a vegan?

 Several times in my life people have tried to convince me to go vegan, but I like many other people thought that meant a diet of twigs and berries. It also meant giving up the bodybuilder staples, chicken and eggs.  

Wanting to take my nutrition to the next level because I still had issues with certain aspects of my health, I took a food intolerance test and come to find out I am highly intolerant to eggs!  Dairy was also found to be an enemy as well as certain kinds of seafood. 

I began reading up on the vegan diet, and one thing led to another. I've been meat-free for almost 2 yrs now and I feel and look better than I ever have! Hands down, one of the best decisions I've ever made!

What is your athletic background?

My introduction to lifting weights was in 8th grade when I was chosen to be in the Bigger, Faster, Stronger program.  This was a club that prepared middle schoolers for high school sports by lifting weights before school.  Not missing one workout I had my first real taste of what it felt like to throw some real weight around.  Not to mention the feeling of accomplishment as I improved in all areas of performance.

In High School I played Varsity Field Hockey and Lacrosse and in order to be better my dad felt I needed to pump some iron. I was given my first gym membership at 15 and I haven’t stopped since!

What are you up to now? (contests, competitions, recent or upcoming events, etc)

Due to my workload I decided to take the rest of the year off from competing. I plan to compete next Spring in Fitness America and/or the WBFF. I did just complete a half marathon on a whim, and want to set doing a marathon as one of my goals for 2012 if time permits.

What's a typical day's schedule for you (ex: from wake up including workouts/cardio, normal job, etc to bed)

My work dictates my workouts and my customers dictate my work! I try to workout before work and a normal day for me in the office is 8am-4:30pm.  If I’m traveling my workday could be longer and whereas it’s easier for me to hit the gym after an office day, when I’m traveling it is harder.  In a perfect world I’d be working out at 9:30am after a good nights sleep.  A 6am workout after a restless sleep is not exactly my ideal workout time, but you gotta do what you gotta do!

What is your diet like in a typical day? (normal circumstances vs contest prep)

Again my diet changes, it’s actually changed more so as a vegan than when I was a non vegan. Before my diet was standard and typical. I did the egg whites and oatmeal for breakfast, fish or chicken, sweet potato or brown rice, veggies for lunch and dinner,protein shakes in between. Thank goodness those days are over!

Now I might start my day off with a green smoothie or a quinoa dish (quinoa is a complete protein source), lunch I still might have a sweet potato and/or a salad with beans, and for dinner I might have a big salad and lentil or bean dish, with a glass or two of wine.  I snack on nuts, fruits, dark chocolate, and in a pinch, vegan protein shakes.

I’ve learned to eat light during the day because I spend sometimes almost 8 hours behind the desk.  I find if I eat heavier it makes me sleepy and my creative juices come to a halt! 

All in all, I try to eat a lot of antioxidant rich fruits and veggies, and my staples are black beans, chickpeas, quinoa, and spirulina. During contest prep I eat the same foods, just less and I don't like to cheat except for maybe a glass of wine here or there. :)

How do you manage to watch your carb intake being a vegan (versus a typical "all meat & veggies" fitness diet)?

I eat more carbs than the carnivore dieters.  It’s hard to get all the protein I want without added carbs.  I’ve tried to swig down just vegan shakes all day, but it was hard on my stomach and I didn’t feel good.  Tofu is another low carb source of protein and not that I’m against soy, just not for every meal. I am still working on finding the vegan competitor diet that suits me best. It’s always a work in progress.

Are you a fan of "empty stomach morning cardio" or not?

 I do believe in empty stomach cardio, especially since I have to workout so early. There is NO way I’m waking up extra early just to eat!  It’s also not like I’m running a marathon at dark thirty in the morning.  I mean we are talking no more than 45 min.  I’ve been fine with averaging up to an hour sometimes and did not feel as if it ate up my muscle.

What's the one "cheat" food you can't live without?

Cheat food: dark chocolate and Grey Goose. I love sweets!

What's your favorite exercise/activity? What's your least favorite?

Favorite exercise, squats! They are a great all around exercise! Least favorite, squats! They are problematic. People tend to do too much weight with poor form, which will as you know, kill their joints and give them serious knee and back problems.

If you could send one message to women out there (about taking control of their fitness/health...being afraid of lifting weights...anything) what would it be?

Women tend to want to take care of others in sacrifice of their health. I want them to know lifting weights is not a vain activity and even if they only have 30min (although 1 hour is ideal) to workout do so, because eventually 30min will turn to 1 hr anyway!  The better they take care of themselves, the better they’ll take care of others. Plus they will feel amazing, and confidence breeds success!

If you could send one message to people in-general about the typical American diet, what would it be?

Vegan is not a boring diet by any means, and you can still build muscle not eating animals. However, I understand unless you are passionate about one of the 3: health, animals, environment, it could be difficult to give up the animal kingdom. Although I believe the healthiest way to eat is a whole foods, plant based diet, I don't judge or force my lifestyle on anyone. Instead I encourage everyone to eat less meat and incorporate more fruits and veggies. Fruits and veggies are full of nutrients and our body needs them to prevent disease and to stay looking good! 

Whether you're a vegan, or still fit animal products into your diet - Lyndsay is still a great example from whom we can all learn.  We agree on many of the same fitness principals, particularly that women should never be afraid of the weights, and that both men and women should prioritize how you take care of your body (and what kinds of fuel goes into it) every day.

Former NFL Player Discovers Vegan Diet

              Friends and co-workers pick at me often because I’m constantly making tweaks and subtle changes to my diet.  This is in large part due to the fact I am always learning something new that can further optimize both my workouts and my overall physical health. 

                One of my oldest friends, Alvin Pearman has a similar mentality.  Alvin and I went to the same high school and spent countless summers as workout partners while I was in college and he was preparing for his final high school seasons.  I graduated three years prior to Alvin, then he went on to break nearly every touchdown and rushing record at our high school.  He finished his career as the all-time leader in rushing yardage for Mecklenburg County in North Carolina.  He earned a scholarship to the University of Virginia and finished a brilliant career as the school’s all-time leader in pass receptions by a running back, as well as posting 1,938 all-purpose yards in his senior season, the fourth highest total in ACC history.

                In 2005, Alvin was selected in 4^th round of the NFL Draft, #127 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars.  He spent five seasons in the NFL with the Jaguars, Titans, and Seahawks (where he would meet his future wife during time off due to a knee injury).

                Beginning the latest chapter in his life, Alvin has become more serious in educating himself about his diet and nutrition.  While neither of us enjoys being categorized or labled, his latest pursuit has taken him down the path of a Vegan diet. 

                Since I have been down this path myself (and am headed there once again as of this writing), I asked him to share part of his story and some of the things he has learned so far:

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(1) Compared to now, what was your diet like as a high school and college player at Virginia?

In high school, my diet consisted primarily of meats and starches. In college, the cheapest food definitely outweighed the healthiest food- especially when I started living off campus. Chicken Parmesan was my staple meal of choice. 

(2) When did you decide to switch to a more vegan/vegetarian approach?  What was your motivation?

For the last few years, I have become increasingly aware of the environmental and physiological benefits of a whole grain, plant-based diet however I was reluctant to make the switch due to the physical demands of football. Specifically, I have always had a difficult time maintaining the weight that I felt I needed to keep. Once the season would start, I would find myself loosing the weight I packed on during the offseason. I was afraid that if I stopped eating meat, I wouldn’t be able to maintain the weight I needed to for football. I finally made the switch to a whole grain, plant based diet when I hung up my cleats and transitioned away from the game in September of 2010.

(3) Were there any books that were key resources in educating yourself?

Three books that drastically influenced my diet are "The China Study", by Thomas M. Campbell and T Colin Campbell; "The Food Revolution", by John Robbins; and "7 Pillars of Health", by Don Colbert.

(4) What sort of physical changes have you noticed since the change?

The first thing that I noticed was my core body temperature decreased. When I was single, I would keep my house at 67 degrees. Once I got married, my wife and I compromised at 70 degrees. Once I made the diet switch, I soon felt more comfortable around 75 degrees, which made my wife happy. This may sound weird but I actually feel more in tune with my body. I seem to be more sensitive to what my body needs. I have also dropped about 15 pounds to a weight I feel more natural with.

(5) What does your meal plan menu look like on a typical day?

Sample day:

Early morning: Whole grain oatmeal with strawberries, bananas, and soy milk.

Mid-morning: cashews, carrots

Early afternoon: spinach salad with apples, cranberries, pecans,

Late afternoon: whole grain toast with hummus, pear

Early evening: quinoa with sweet potatoes and avocados

*3-4 quarts of purified water daily.

(6) Are you still able to stay active and have productive workouts?

My workload has dropped drastically since transitioning away from football. Gone are the 5-day-a-week, 4-hour, grind-till-you-can't-think-straight workouts and in are the 3-day-a-week, 30-minute maintenance workouts. My goal is no longer to be as strong or as fast as a possibly can, rather it is to be as healthy as I can. My workouts are productive and I have high energy levels throughout the day.

(7) How has your wife reacted to the change?

She's been supportive. Meals are always interesting since she cooks most often and still eats meat. She will normally prepare a meal and make some meat for herself on the side. Yesterday I had vegetarian chili with brown rice and she cooked ground lamb meat to put in her chili. Besides the tree hugger jokes she throws at me, we have a pretty good balance.

 

(8) Is this something you might teach to your son (just a few months old as of this writing) as he gets older and learns about nutrition and eating habits?

I will encourage my son to make informed decisions with what he eats.

(9) In your opinion - why are more college and NFL players hesitant to go this route?

I believe most college and NFL players are hesitant to go the vegetarian/vegan path due to fear and misinformation.

(10) What has been the most difficult part of your transition so far?

I am reluctant to label myself as a hard pressed "Vegetarian". As a dinner guest, I won't allow food to get in the way of fellowship. In other words, if I am presented with a meal, I will not turn away food that has been prepared for me- even if it includes meat.

A difficult part of my transition was moving away from the idea that a good meal is prepared quickly. We have found that we need to be more intentional with our prep time and cook time in order to make a flavorful, nutritious meal. I have grown to appreciate this time and dinners have become more of an evening experience with my wife.

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While some may feel that a vegetarian or vegan diet is not optimal for them, it’s always important to learn as much as you can about the human digestive system and what foods work best for your body.  Alvin comes from an athletic family (his father was our Track & Field coach, and his wife was a Track & Field athlete in college) so to some degree he will always be an athlete. 

                I am admittedly biased as his friend, however I think Alvin is a positive example of someone who continues to pursue not just optimal athleticism, but optimal health overall.  He has certainly inspired me to be more diligent about my nutritional pursuits as I learn more about what constitutes vegan nutrition.

                You can also learn more about Alvin Pearman’s latest venture in the world of photography.

Fitness Spotlight: Demi Goodman

For this edition of the Women's Fitness Spotlight, I wanted to highlight one of the butt-kicking instructors from the Charlotte YMCA system - Demi Goodman.  Not only does Demi put together dynamite fitness classes, but as you'll see, she is also currently in-training to earn her pro card as a Figure Competitor. 

                      

After fielding so many of my endless questions about her diet and training, she was generous enough to take time out for a quick interview:

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What event/contest are you currently preparing for?

Currently I’m getting ready to compete for a Pro Card in the NPC National Masters Figure in Pittsburgh
this July. Figure competitions highlight a conditioned physique, with fuller muscles. Yes it is similar to
bodybuilding, but not as vascular or lean, and slightly more feminine with competitors wearing high
heels, jewelry, hair, make- up, the works.

In what events have you competed in the past?

Track and Field, Junior High and High School
2001- Galaxy Nova (military obstacle course)
2001- NPC Mountaineer, 2nd Place Figure
2002- NPC Metrolina, 3rd Place Figure
2004- North Carolina State Bodybuilding, Figure and Fitness, 6th Place figure
2010- Elite Muscle Bodybuilding, Figure, and Fitness, 1st Place figure

What’s your athletic background?

I’ve always been athletic and played all kind of sports but concentrated mainly on Track and Field. I was
on the track team in Junior High and High School and qualified for State Finals during my high school
years. I ran mainly short sprint events, 4X 100 m relay, 200 m, 100 m, as well as the Long Jump.

What sort of classes are you currently teaching?

I’m currently teaching Athletic Conditioning, Total Strength, Core, and ROC IT circuit at DOWD, Childress
Klein and the Ballantyne Village YMCA. I’m also certified to teach spin, but I haven’t had enough time in
my schedule to get started yet. I’ve also been a personal trainer for about 12 years with the Childress
Klein YMCA and recently started training at the Ballantyne Village YMCA. Between the two Y’s as well as
a few home clients, I’m staying very, very busy with personal training.

What’s does a typical day look like for you?

Whew, my days are usually pretty busy, at least for the first half of the day. Generally I get up about
4:30 a.m., to get ready to teach a class and/or train clients. After that, I head off to yet another gym
to get my own work out in. I usually hit weights for about 45 minutes, and then proceed to do a round
of cardio for 30-45 minutes.

I will do a second round of cardio later in the evening (around 7:00ish) for
another 30-45 minutes or so. I don’t do two rounds of cardio every day in the offseason, but when I’m
getting ready for a show, this becomes a daily ritual.

 For fun, I play flag football every Tuesday night on a co-ed team with my husband. I’m the quarterback blitzer as well as a receiver and periodically the quarterback as well. Because I’m on the field for the entire game sprinting, I get an easy hour of cardio in! As well as I get to let off a little steam!

What is your diet like most days?

My diet stays pretty healthy all year round. I eat around 6 meals a day which look a lot like this:

Meal #1 - 5 egg whites, 1/3 cup of plain oatmeal
Meal #2- Low carb protein shake, with 1 tbsp. of omega peanut butter

Meal #3- 4 ounces of lean chicken, fish or red meat, with either potato, rice or quinoa, coupled with a nice, small salad

Meal #4- Low carb protein shake
Meal #5- Chicken, fish, or turkey, with some type of vegetable (no starches here)
Meal #6- Protein shake (good to do before bed, helps the body from getting catabolic)

For competition, I eat A LOT of fish throughout the day for the first half of the week, and then switch it
up to chicken on other days. It is so boring and bland, but it really helps the body burn off any kind of
extra fat you may have while maintaining lean muscle. During my offseason, my coach has pity on me
and allows me to have 2 cheat meals (not days) on the weekend. I generally don’t go too nuts, but it
does help keep me sane. However, when it gets about 2 ½ months out from competition, those cheat
meals are taken away. It’s time to get really serious!!!!

Are you a fan of cycling your carbs or keeping them low in general?

I like how I look when I keep the carbs low, but my energy level is so much better when the carbs are
higher.

Are you a fan of “empty stomach morning cardio” or not? Why?

For me, no, I have a pretty tough tummy and usually can get down a low carb protein shake since
it absorbs pretty quickly. I need to eat in order to have enough energy to power through the more
strenuous cardio I have to do while prepping for a show. And I do not believe in fat burners. Yes they
give you energy, but they can really mess up your adrenal glands. However, because of my class and
client schedule, I don’t usually do cardio (outside of classes that I teach) before I train with clients so
unless it’s the weekend, I usually don’t have time to do cardio first thing in the morning.

What’s the one cheat food you can’t live without?    

Ooh, that’s a tough one. I have a sweet tooth, so instead of narrowing it down to a specific food, I will
just say, I have to have a sweet treat on my cheat days. It could be a couple chocolate chip cookies, or a slice of really good cheesecake. Whatever it is, I enjoy it since I only get to cheat twice a week.

What’s your favorite exercise/activity?  What’s your least favorite?

I LOVE to lift heavy! I have made some of the best, most significant changes to my body by lifting with
heavier weight. As far as a favorite weight exercise, I’m going to say pull ups. Again, by consistently
doing these over the years, my body has developed good, solid strength and nice muscle. My arms,
back, shoulders, and core really have benefited greatly from this movement. As for a cardio activity,
I love, love, love to jump rope. I can go for a straight hour especially when I have some good music to
listen to.

My least favorite would be running long distances. I have such respect for folks who can get
out there and just run, but I’ve never been good at it.

If you could send a message to women out there about eating right, being afraid of weight training, etc. what would it be?

1.) Women need to be weight training period! Yes, cardio is very important, but I see so many “skinny fat” girls (really thin, but high body fat) because they do not participate in any kind of weight training, it drives me nuts. I just want to tell these girls, step away from the elliptical and pick up some iron!!!!

2.)  Another thing I would share is when you hit your 30’s, keep an eye on your hormone levels. If your hormones get even a little out of “whack”, it can totally effect how you look and feel. I have seen so many women struggle with their weight even though they were eating well and exercised consistently. But because something was off in their system, they were not reaping the rewards of their hard work, at least not visually. So, if you are in your mid 30’s and beyond, and have begun to notice you are actually back sliding ( start to gain weight even though you’ve been eating right and exercising hard), it may be time to see your doctor and inquire about testing your hormone levels as a possible culprit.

3.) Last bit of advice, take time off from the gym! Don’t over train! Doing high intensity athletic conditioning classes, for example, every day of the week is overtraining. If you don’t allow at least one day away, your body will never have a chance to recovery thus setting you back. Trust me, a day of rest will do absolute wonders for your body and your mind!

Fitness Spotlight - Kelly Fillnow

My initial aim was to introduce this in the same theme as other Regular People features, however it seems apparent that the days of calling Kelly Fillnow "regular" are long gone.  

Kelly Fillnow is a fellow Davidson alum with a very interesting path that brought her to present day.  There are quite a few recent pieces both print and online (all very well-written) that outline her unique road from college tennis star to cross-country team walk-on to Ironman triathlete, so I won't attempt to re-tell her story once again.

Anyone who competes at the level Kelly does cannot be called "regular" anymore, however as you will see, Kelly is still a normal person whose drive and dedication made such great achievements possible.

Fresh off of competing in her first Ford Ironman World Championship triathlon in Kona, Hawaii, Kelly was gracious enough to make time for an interview with me. 

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1. First of all, how was your experience in Kona? 

No words can truly capture the experience of competing against the world's best endurance athletes.  It was an experience that I will remember for the rest of
my life. I had such a surplus of emotions circulating in my brain
moments before the cannon went off, as I had no idea how the rest of
the day might unfold.  But I kept telling myself that the work was
done, and my journey was almost complete.  All I needed to do was just
enjoy the day and the results would take care of themselves!

2. As a dual-sport athlete in college, was there ever a point where
you could feel your emotions shifting from Tennis towards Cross
Country, or was it always an equal balance? 

Tennis was always my first love, but there was something that intrigued me about running
when the sport came so naturally to me.  I had no background in
running (besides running as a punishment in basketball, soccer,
softball, and tennis growing up.)  I had quick success in cross
country, while daily balancing three hours of tennis practice with my
run training.  My Davidson cross country coach inspired me to try and
get a scholarship to compete post-Davidson.  She encouraged me to see
where I could take the sport, without having to balance two sports
simultaneously. 

With her encouragement, I competed for Duke during my
5th year of NCAA eligibility.  It was a dream come true, practicing
with some of the best runners in the United States.  I have the same
struggle now, as I am attempting to balance both running and
triathlon.  But to truly be the best you can be, a decision has to be
made and a sport has to be chosen to pursue.  Excellence is hard to
reach while juggling multiple sports demanding such specific & diverse
training.

3. As another former dual-sport Davidson College athlete, my
“nutrition” was 99% junk food. Did you have a more disciplined
approach to your nutrition back in college or did better eating habits
develop during the latter years? 

During my high school years, my mom
took care of providing the most wholesome, delicious meals for my twin
sister, brother, and me. 

*(editor's note: Kelly has a twin sister Meghan who was also a college tennis star at Davidson and is still an amazing athlete as well. More on her to come from Kelly below.)

We typically trained about 3-4 hours of tennis a
day, so our bodies needed proper fuel.  She would make well balanced
meals consisting of protein, vegetables, a starch, and then a loaf of
bread per person because we would always fight over the bread!!  When
I went to college, I had to make the decision myself to eat healthy.
I made wise decisions at the dining hall where I ate all my meals, and
began to get interested in nutrition in order to properly fuel my body
for optimal performance.  I wanted to be the best that I could be, and
in order to do that, I needed to be as metabolically healthy as
possible, and nutrition plays a huge part in that state.

4. What does a typical training day look like for you, including
meals, workout, post-workout nutrition, etc? 

There really is no such thing as a typical training day, except for Mondays and Fridays when I
swim for an hour and do light lifting/core. The rest of the week is
very diverse.  Some days I will have an intense 90 minute computrainer
ride and an additional 60 minute swim.  A weekend day might be a 4
hour bike ride and a 30 minute run with intervals at race pace.  But
the training load changes throughout the year depending on if it is
triathlon season, and I have to be on my bike, or if it is winter
season and I am focused on just running and swimming. 

    

Normally I eat about 6 times a day, at the very minimum every three hours.  I need
the constant fuel because of my rigourous training schedule.  Quality,
quantity, and timing of nutrients is very key to recover properly
between my workouts, as some days I will be having multiple workouts.
I like to eat about 20 minutes after I finish my workout to optimally
refuel my depleted glycogen stores so I can be ready for the next day
or the next workout.  I try to eliminate processed foods, and focus on
whole grains, lots of vegetables, fruit, and lean protein.

5. For early morning workouts are you a fan of breakfast
pre-run/workout or just coffee/empty stomach? 

I actually don't drink coffee!  When I do a light morning workout, I do not have to eat
anything, but if it is anything over an hour, I definitely eat
breakfast pre-workout.  I have an iron stomach, so I can literally eat
and run out the door.  I do not recommend that to most people though!!

6. What’s your eating approach (ex: carb load, etc) in the final 24-48
hours before a big competition or race? What about in the hours
immediately after? 

My eating approach is to eliminate fiber the last 48 hours before a big race.  Two days before the race I focus on lots of carbohydrates, lean protein, and lowering my fat intake.  I always have a few tablespoons of honey at breakfast 48 hours prior to the big day. 

The day prior to the race, I have a big breakfast, an energy bar like a Clif bar for a snack, then a big, carbohydrate friendly lunch. I eat dinner between 530-6 and prefer to have a sweet potato, grilled chicken, a low fiber vegetable, and bread. 

My favorite post-race splurge is a calzone from Mellow Mushroom and a large oreo cookie blizzard from Dairy Queen.

7. What’s the one food/desert that you still can’t give up, no matter
what? 

 I love my ice cream, low fat of course :). 

8. What’s your advice for someone who might be thinking of attempting
a new challenge like a half-marathon or sprint triathlon (or even a
simple fitness class) but hasn’t found the courage yet?  

 I truly believe that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to
accomplishing.  I have witnessed countless clients who have not even
been able to run two minutes, compete half marathons! 

This past weekend, I was truly inspired by my twin sister, who had a goal to PR
in her marathon (3:04).  She ended up getting sick to her stomach and
started vomiting at mile 19, ten times before she finished the race.
She had a goal, however, and her mind overcame her body's inability to
function properly, and she hit a new PR of (3:03), solely because of
her belief and desire to achieve her goal. You will be surprised what
your body can achieve when you stay positive with yourself and stay
patient in the process of development. 

I think it is very important to set goals for yourself, and write them down.  Then, tell a friend or your husband or a coach so that they can help keep you accountable along the way.  The hardest part is taking that first step.  But once you take that first step, there is no limit to what you can
accomplish.  The most important thing is to enjoy the journey along
the way!