ITU San Diego Triathlon (Aquabike) Race Report - 2013 April 20

Here is my race report for the ITU San Diego. I posted this on the new coaching blog but if you've been following this (lately dormant) blog I decided to put the post up here too. I plan to migrate useful content over to the new blog when I have the opportunity.

I raced in the 2013 ITU San Diego Triathlon yesterday on a day of perfect San Diego weather. I did the Olympic distance (1.5km swim, 40k bike) Aquabike (swim-bike-NO run) because I'm still dealing with plantar fasciitis.

I arrived at the shuttle parking lot a little before 5am and got on the bus to go to the transition area next to Venture Cove on Mission Bay. Traffic cones were everywhere on the road, which completely confused the driver. He was uncertain where to go and how to get there. Some of us at the front finally begged him to turn at a certain point and just run over the cones or we would not be getting to transition any time soon! We had visions of being stuck on the bus for an extra half hour!

Got to transition in plenty of time and got my area set up. It's a bit less complicated when you don't need to run off the bike! There was lots of room on my aisle. I was relaxed, treating things casually, and feeling like I knew what I was doing after racing for over 6 years. (More on that later.) Music was playing, bathrooms were uncrowded, and my area was well-lit, though I had an LED headlamp just in case. I brought my rubber stretch cord and warmed up my arms and lats for the swim. Two familiar voices started making announcements. Former pro triathletes Paul Huddle and Greg Welch were on the mics. Unfortunately the sound kept cutting back and forth between announcements and music so I could never hear complete instructions.

When I went down to the beach I STILL didn't know how we were supposed to round the buoys. Fortunately a friend of a friend knew and shared the info 7 minutes before my wave start. We went 2nd so I could at least see the first wave round the first buoy to confirm what I was told. NOTHING was explained by any officials down on the beach. As we stood waiting for the horn, I was passing on what I knew to the other geezers around me since they seemed not to know where they were swimming either. The water was 62*f. I hadn't been in open water since November so I was worried about not being acclimated to the cold. Got my feet wet and splashed my face but that was it because I didn't want to stand around shivering. In hindsight, I wouldn't recommend that. If they allow you to warm up, do it!

The horn sounded and off we went. The crowd of 185 men thinned out quickly, at least for me. A few went off the front very quickly and I didn't manage to hang with them, while everyone else soon dropped behind. So while I didn't have anyone to draft off of, no one drafted off of me for very long. Compared to a mass start Ironman this was nice. The course was well-marked and easy to follow. With the sun still below the horizon, sighting wasn't an issue. 3 of the 4 legs were easy to use high landmarks to sight off of and the buoys along the second leg without landmarks was easy to see. There was no tidal current to worry about either so that was not an issue.

It was a beach start so I ran through the shallow water until about knee deep. Then I "dolphined" 5 to 7 times until it made more sense to start swimming. I felt the cold water rush into my wetsuit but it just didn't feel as icy as I expected. I forgot about the temperature quickly as I made my way to the first turn buoy followed by the next 3 turns to head towards the swim exit. Had to weave past swimmers from the first wave who had left 5 minutes ahead but it never got crazy crowded. It is amazing how crooked some people swim though! I'm sure some of them probably swam 1700 m. when it was all said and done!

The end of the swim is a beach exit so I did what I advice all my athletes to do: when you touch the bottom with your hand, start pulling a little shallower. When you touch bottom again then, depending on the steepness of the bottom, touch 3 more times before standing and running out to transition. I lifted the goggles off my eyes but left them on my head with my cap so I could start stripping the wetsuit with both hands. One leg got stuck on my oversized calf in spite of the copious amounts of body glide so I ended up sitting down to remove it.

Helmet on, sunglasses on, then bike shoes, grab the bike, and run out of transition. Though you were allowed to have your shoes preclipped I have never been a fan of this technique - for me anyway. Plus it was a loooong run through an uncarpeted parking lot to the mount line. I went without socks for the first time in a race and that workout just fine. What's the saying? "SOMEthing new on race day"?!

Did a running mount and headed out, feeling a little cold and wet but not too bad. As the sun rose higher and I worked the pedals I warmed up quickly. The 2 loop course had (I think) 4 - 180* turns that really made you slow down, as well as 2 or 3 very short "no passing" zones where things got very narrow. Except for a bidge over the bay the course was very flat. Each identical loop went out around Fiesta Island, considered the birthplace of triathlon in the 1970s. It's also a frequent training location. I took in about 6 oz of water that had about 100 calories of gel mixed in it.

Being that this was an Olympic distance race I did my best to push my pace and effort level on both the swim and bike. I didn't want to be racing in an aerobic/Ironman zone, though that's where I've spent nearly all of my racing time the past couple of years. Although I felt like I was working hard for the whole bike, it took awhile for my heartrate to really climb out of high zone2/low zone3. It may have been that my core temp was taking awhile to heat up after the swim but I don't know for sure.

All in all it was a great day. I stuck around for awards because I knew not many raced the Aquabike division. I never did find posted results so I just waited. I was right to do so. They awarded in each 5 year age group down to 3rd place. I got a 1st place out of a wopping 3 people in my group, 6th overall out of 49. I was at least glad to see that no women and no one OLDER than me were faster! hahaha! I feel pretty embarassed about the award given the numbers involved! I'll even point out that if I was doing the full triathlon I would have been in 4th place going into the run.

Awards are nice but really was most rewarding about racing this came down to 3 things for me: I was healthy enough to do this demanding physical activity, I pushed myself hard enough to be satisfied no matter my place or time, and I got to share the race experience with some fellow triathlete friends, all on a gorgeous day.

Lesson (re)learned: Use a check list! I'm something of a "king of check lists" guy and yet I didn't use one in my preparation or execution. This meant that I forgot the silicon swim cap I was going to wear under my race cap. I also forgot my pre-race nutrition that I was going to consume just before the start. Finally, if I hadn't happened to go on the race website the night before and seen a picture of athletes coming out of the water I would have forgotten my goggles!!! Think things through and use a checklist no matter how many times you do these things. Triathlon has a LOT of moving parts!

Boring times and stats:
Swim 22m24s
T1 2m56s
Bike 1h10m33s - average about 21mph, max HR 149, ave HR ~135
Final 1h35m51s

Race Day Nutrition

Before I get into race nutrition I’ll repeat rule #1 – NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY!

The choices for triathlon racing nutrition are endless. There are many opinions about what works and what is scientifically proven. I’m going to present you with the more commonly accepted options without getting into a big debate about electrolyte needs, hydration vs. dehydration, etc. (Race nutrition refers not only to calories consumed but also to hydration and electrolytes.) For a sprint distance triathlon, 3 variables affect what you should do. These variables include: 1, pre-race fueling, 2, what your system can tolerate and what you prefer, and 3, your expected time to complete the race and how much is right for you.

1. Pre-race fueling: It is important to have a light prerace breakfast to help you restore what was burned while you slept (or tried to sleep) the night before. The larger the breakfast the earlier you should have it. 2 to 2 ½ to even 4 hours prior to racing is not out of the question. A reasonable size breakfast has around 400 or so calories. 800 calories for most people is the top end and should be eaten very early if you want enough time for it to be doing you some good instead of just sitting in your stomach ready to “burst forth” after a little exersion. Some simple carbs and a little proten will do it for you. Whole grains are not necessary on race morning unless your system can tolerate them VERY well. Some examples might be a small bowl of oatmeal and some fruit, some yogurt, a banana, some nut butter, a piece of toast or ½ a bagel with a little cream cheese. These are just suggestions. Eat what works for you. Coffee or tea? Sure, unless you’ve never trained after drinking that. Everyone is different but I would try to finish breakfast a good 2 to 2 ½ hours before you start your swim.

2. What you should take in depends on what you can tolerate, what you like, and what seems most convenient. Here are three approaches:
          a. The simplest way is to drink a sports drink that is relatively complete, such as Gatoraid, Power Bar Perform, EFS, or CarboPro. These provide sugar (carbohydrates), electrolytes (e.g. sodium), and liquid (hydration) if you aren’t drinking it in a concentrated form.
          b. Slightly more complicated would be to use water with some electrolyte dissolved in it, such as Nuun tabs or GU Brew powder. These do not contain significant calories so you would get those from consuming a gel, of which there are many choices.
          c. A similar option that can work for you is to use plain water along with something that contains both calories and electrolytes. Some examples include Sports Beans (by Jelly Belly) and Clif ShotBlox. The main disadvantages for taking in these is that you have to remove them from a package and you have to chew them during the race: not easy feats while riding a bike, though more doable on the run or in transition.

3. Expected time to finish the race: How long will your race take you? How much you take in depends on your needs, how long you’ll be racing, and what is right for YOU. You want to estimate how long you’ll be out there. If it will take you around 2 hours or more then you definitely need to take in more than just water. Consuming some carbohydrates makes sense. If you are “racing” the event and are likely to finish in under about 80 minutes or so then your fueling/race nutrition needs are relatively minimal, taking in some water and calories will likely be beneficial. Here are some VERY rough guidelines that you can start with. Everyone is different in what they like, what they need, what they can tolerate, and so forth. You may need more, or less, or none at all.
          a. If your race will likely take you under about 1h15m then you can consider trying around 4-6 oz of water with electrolytes and up to about 100 calories on the bike, plus a little water on the run if needed.
          b. If you will take 1h15m to about 1h45m or so then aim for between 4-10 oz of water with electrolytes and up to 150 calories on the bike, plus a little water and 50+ calories on the run as needed.
          c. If you will take 1h45m or more then consider aiming for as much as 12 oz of water with electrolytes and 200 calories on the bike, plus more water and maybe 100 calories on the run as needed.

Remember 2 things: these are estimates of what to take in and do NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY!

Race Day Checklist

The best way I know to calm anxiety in the days and weeks prior to a race is to create a checklist of the things you need and then to start gathering the things on your list and setting them aside. Check off the items you have and the things you've done. It will help you control what is within your control.

Below is a checklist you can start with. You can add or delete to suit your needs.

Pre-race items

       timing chip and strap (already on ankle BEFORE you leave for race)

       race number

       number belt or pins

       remove ring or use bandaid to keep from falling off

       backpack

       sunscreen

       body glide (or borrow from coaches)

       emery board for fingernails

       pocket knife

       bike pump (or borrow from coaches)

       sm. bottle water to sip pre-race

       chapstick/lip balm

       Ziplock bag for cell phone, etc

       wetwipes for portapotty or for hands

Swim

       tri shorts

       tri shirt

       event swim cap

       wetsuit

       BodyGlide or TriGlide spray

       goggles (and back up pair?)

Transition 1

       transition towel or mat

       water bottle (to wash feet)

       socks (put in shoes)

       bike shoes (or running shoes)

       gels

       helmet

       bike gloves

       water bottle on bike with electrolyte and/or nutrition

       gel or other calories

       sunglasses

       bike in low gear

       extra contact lenses or eyeglasses

Transition 2

       running shoes

       extra socks

       hat

       nutrition – gel, SportBeans, ShotBlox, etc

       sunglasses

Post Race

       room key

       recovery drink or nutrition bar(optional)

A Little About Injury Prevention

Injuries tend to occur for 4 reasons: accidents, poor form or technique, inadequate warmup, or doing too much too soon. Some accidents can be prevent by thinking ahead, being aware, and avoiding dangerous situations. Other times accident just happen and there's not much you can do about that. Poor form or technique can be improved upon. We work on various this on rides, runs, and especially in the water. We only have so much time together so making any significant changes in your running or riding is difficult. Because swimming is so technique-intensive we must do more with that. In addition, strength training can help build muscle balance that also supports the joints and their movements. I encourage you to add weights/strength training to your workout routine - men AND women.

The two most important things you can do are to have an adequate warm up and to carefully progress the time and intensity of your workouts. That's why there is a gradual progression in your training from one week to the next. It's also why you gradually add faster paced training like pickups, sprints, and race pace type efforts.  You do not want jump into a workout without a warmup and then all of a sudden do some sort of all out anaerobic sprint effort. Ever workout needs to begin with a warmup. 

 

Doing dynamic movements will help you warmup as well as help you with balance and with range of motion. But even if you don't do these types of exercises, at the very least you always need to start off slowly to prepare your body for the work ahead. Easy swimming, riding, or running/walking is always the way to start a training session. It's okay to feel a little stiff, or tight or sore during the warmup. However if it persists then you need to back off and possibly stop working out.

If you do get injured you need to stop immediately so that you limit the damage. Listen to your body. "Pushing through" or "toughing it out" is not a smart athlete's choice. Don't lose sight of your long term goal by forcing the short term goal of completing the workout if an injury starts to rear it's head. The words to go by? "Live to train another day."

It's important to know the difference between "good pain" and "bad pain". Good pain is when you experience muscle fatigue, lactic acid burn, or muscle stress from hard work. Bad pain is injury pain. It doesn't feel right and it's a warning to stop immediately. When coaches and athletes say something like "no pain, no gain" they are NOT talking about the bad pain!

I am not a medical professional and can't offer medical advice but if you do get injured consider the RICE method of treatment, depending on the injury of course! RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. If it is more serious, see a doctor (someone who understands sports and athletes is the best option). Get physical therapy. Give it time to heal and make sure it is healed before starting back. Also remember that there are alternative exercises you can do so that you don't lose the conditioning you've worked hard to acquire. I can often help with that.

That Swimming Feeling

This weekend Linda and I talked a lot about swimming. We are working with a large number of beginning swimmers who are getting ready to swim the 500 meters that is part of the TriRock triathlon in September. We talked about many things but something in particular struck me as interesting. Some people like to swim but really don't care all that much about how fast they go as long as they get a workout in or as long as they go a certain distance. While this is perfectly fine, it got me thinking about my swimming and what a beginner or intermediate swimmer misses out on.

Because I'm a good swimmer who is proficient, efficient, and strong in the water, I am sometimes able to experience something more. Now that I'm trying to write this I'm realizing how hard it is to describe... I have to be in good swimming shape, be fairly fresh, and not be doing an all out sprint. When I am feeling fresh and strong and fast, and I have a good feel for the water, when I swim at a moderately fast speed, there is a sensation or feeling I get that is wonderful and different. To me not only do I feel weightless but I feel like I'm slicing through the water. The resistance I experience comes from pushing against the water, not from the water holding me back. I imagine it's similar to flying or floating weightlessly, except I am using my own muscles, my own strength, to propel me. There is a power, a sort of freedom, when you can move through the water and feel it rushing by you. The bubbles go past your ears in a dull gurgle as you slice smoothly across the surface in seemingly effortless motion. The feeling is power and strength and beauty. And the sensation is fleeting. Once fatigue starts then those feelings begin to recede. Once your heart rate elevates too high, it becomes more of a battle with or against the water. Once you begin to get winded your focus begins to shift away from the grace and power and rush of swimming fast and back to the physical effort.

I don't know if you can experience this without having that special feel for the water and without having the strength, power, speed, and efficient technique that a good swimmer has. Some would think me a little looney in thinking about swimming in this way but it's one of those little bonuses I get by being the swimmer (though older and slower than I used to be) that I am.

Water Running

Guidelines for Water Running/AquaJogging:

I water ran for almost all of 2009 due to plantar fasciitis! Fortunately I was able to run the 6 weeks prior to IM Arizona in Nov, my first one. I also water ran before my 1st 70.3 (California) in March '09. Studies have shown that you can maintain your aerobic conditioning with water running for 8 weeks. Why not longer? Simply because they stopped the study after that. I believe it can help you for a much longer time period. It WORKS! So here is what I do:

• Wear a flotation belt around your stomach below the ribs. You can also do it around your waist or around your lower chest and under your arms. No need to overtighten it if it's around your chest; that will only restrict your breathing.
• I like to wear a t-shirt under the belt to avoid any possible rubbing spots. (Ok, I admit that it's also so I don't feel like a wussy. I usually choose my Gatorman 3 mile La Jolla Rough Water Swim finisher's shirt.)
• Run in water deep enough that you won't touch the bottom.
• Make sure you "run" upright or with a little forward lean, just like on dry land. But don't bend over at the waist. I try to make sure to push my hips forward slightly but this may be a personal thing because I need to do that for my dry land running form.
• Do workouts as written in your plan (except I'm not real sure how you can duplicate hill running!) If your training is listed in miles, convert to an appropriate amount of time instead. The number of laps or distance traveled in the pool has little or nothing to do with how much work you are doing. If you have sprints or strides or whatever, try to imitate them as best as you can.
• Do a warmup just like in running. Start with a slower, easier intensity for a few minutes before picking up the pace/intensity.
• The best way I've found to get my heartrate up is by stride rate and arm swing. After a warm up, I try to keep my stride rate at around 84-90 per minute (per leg). When I sprint, say doing 30 seconds on, 30 sec. recovery, I focus on intensity and increase the stride rate even more, to 100 or higher.
• Use your arms the way you would in running. I keep them moving straight and close to my body as I pump them. I only use my hands in a paddling-type position during a recovery effort when I've slowed my legs to recover from a sprint. Or sometimes during warm-up when I want to work my arm muscles.
• If possible, find a source of music to help pass the time. If you are going to be doing this for more than a few weeks I would suggest something from H20Audio or something comparable. If you're at a private or community pool where you can plug in an ipod player or radio, do that. And, if you're out in the sun, wear a hat.
• The 1st couple of times my skin felt a little funny doing this. I think it's because of tensing and relaxing of the muscles as they move in the water. Maybe it's like a vibration thing. It's only there while I do it. Don't know exactly how to describe it but it goes away.

This information is meant for someone who does not use "aquajogging-type shoes". My understanding (not firsthand experience) is that wearing this type of shoe will add resistance and improve the quality of your workout. These should not be mistaken for the type of shoe that protects the feet when coming in contact with the pool bottom. These are intended for use in "deep" water. There are 2 brands that I'm aware of. AquaJogger makes AquaRunners Rx. AQX Aquatic Training Shoes are by ActiveForever and are about 3 times as expensive. Supposedly they "are a shoe designed to be used for under-water running and as a method of rehabilitation from a running-related or musculo-skeletal injury. These shoes enhance range of motion and proper mechanics of land-based running. ...The strategically placed series of gills (hydrodynamic fins) on these shoes add 20-30% more resistance to leg movement patterns in the water."

If you are going to be doing water running for a few months and can afford to purchase a pair of these, I would. Since you don't have to be injured to include water run as a suppliment/compliment to your regular running, a pair of some specialized shoes might be a good option!

My Diet

Thanks to a number of requests, I am going to share my diet. In doing so I need to emphasize a number of things. First, I am not a nutritionist or a registered dietitian. Second, this is not a diet in the weight-loss sense of the word. I'm not saying you won't lose weight when you limit calories and combine this with exercise but it's instead a diet that I live by, as these are the foods in my diet. Third, this diet was formulated for me because of chronic and severe inflammation of part of my small intestine (I don't have a large intestine - surgically removed due to ulcerative colitis.) An Oriental Doctor with an Eastern Medicine point of view is responsible for the restrictions found here. I began going to him on a suggestion by my surgeon when antibiotics were ineffective. Fourth, if you decide to eliminate categories of food from your diet, you want to proceed slowly. And it is important to consider how you will make up for the healthy nutrients found in those foods you are no longer eating. Finally, this does not follow the "everything in moderation" approach. It has some major restrictions which I choose to follow very closely for the most part. Therefore let's start off with the restrictions and then I will get into what I DO eat and where I do "cheat".

• No dairy of any kind. That includes milk, cheese, yogurt, cream, butter, whey protein, and anything else from milk.
• No meat except fish and seafood (such as shrimp). Duck is also permitted but I don't eat that either. Tthat means no beef, pork, chicken, turkey, or any other land dwelling animal.
• Hot spices are not allowed. That means everything from pepper to cinnamon to chili are out.
• Tomatoes (unless cooked well, such as in a sauce) are too acidic and are off the list.
• No sugar, fruit juice, artificial sweeteners, and similar. That means no soda, juice drinks, or things like that. Honey is allowed in moderation. A little sugar in bread products as part of the baking process is okay. 
• No dried fruit
• No alcohol.
• Avoid preservatives and artificial anything.
• Nothing eaten or drunk very hot or very cold. (I can't handle this so I have not followed this restriction.)

Have you stopped reading yet?! Those are the major restrictions. Depending on what you are used to eating, you may ask yourself, "What's left?!" There is plenty but it may not be as easy to get or as "comforting" to eat. I'll do a list with some general groups and some specific options available. These are based on current thinking about nutrition and aren't necessarily specific to my Oriental Medicine Doctor's diet.

• Vegetables - steamed, boiled, raw, grilled, sauted, etc. A few examples include broccoli, cauliflower, sweet peppers, green beans, peas, carrots, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, squash, cucumbers.
• Fruit - Bananas, avocado, apples, oranges, peaches, melons, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes.
• All nuts as long as they are well chewed or as a nut butter.
• Legumes such as kidney beans, black beans, etc
• Whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, corn, whole grain pasta and breads, etc. I am working on keeping all grains to a minimum.
• Fats - the best to use is olive oil. If you have to use a vegetable oil then Canola and Safflower oils. The fat from fish (salmon), avocados and almonds are considered good fats. Fish oil and flaxseed oil have Omega 3's and 6's and are useful as supplements.

Based on well-respected triathlete coach and nutritionist Bob Seebohar, I try to minimize my grain consumption, including whole grains. Instead I try to get my carbohydrates from other sources, especially fruits and vegetables. It is a struggle though. I eat a bagel every morning and I often snack on pretzels that are not even whole grain. I also eat tortillas and tortilla chips. It's a constant struggle for me not to eat those things.

What do my meals look like? First, remember that I'm not perfect at this. 2nd, this is an evolving thing. It took a few tries before I forced myself to stick with the major restrictions. I'm still working at reducing grains but I've made a good start. 85% of the time I don't have grains at lunch or dinner. I am fighting against the elimination of my bagel at breakfast and I also can't seem to do without the 'crunch' and the convenience for some of my snacks. I've managed to remove bread from my lunch and I don't usually eat grains at dinner. I do eat potatoes which are not part of Seebohar's guidelines. I don't really like sweet potatoes but they are considered a much better alternative.

Pre-workout in the morning - banana, teaspoon of nut butter
Breakfast - whole grain bagel with a little almond butter and honey (or a plain blueberry bagel), 2 soy sausage patties (Morningstar Farms), banana or other fruit
Snack - fruit and nuts; OR pretzels or dry shredded wheat cereal squares (no sugar) and nut butter
Lunch - 12-16oz cooked vegetables (broccoli is my favorite) with Olive Oil, ~3 oz canned salmon or tuna, seasoning; OR salad, fruit, and canned salmon or tuna; OR cooked veggies and a garden patty (vegetable and soy-based hamburger)
Snack - same as above
Pre-workout in the afternoon - banana, and  peanuts or almonds
Dinner - Salmon, baked potato, sauted mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers, steamed veggies (usually broccoli or green beans); OR veggie burger patty, baked potato, salad; OR cooked vegetables and soy meatballs, potato wedges/fries (not deep fried); OR a big veggie burrito from Chipotle (black beans, a little rice, peppers and onions, guacamole, lettuce)
Snack - fruit and nuts; and/OR frozen smoothie made from unsweetened soy milk, banana, strawberries and/or other berries, and blueberries; sometimes pretzels or chips (it's a constant battle!)

One final part to my diet is hydration, or drinking. I mentioned the restrictions of no alcohol, sugar, artificial sweeteners, fruit juice, and hot or cold temperature drinks (that restriction I ignore). Besides not drinking alcohol (unless you count O'Douls beer with its very small amount of alcohol), I don't drink regular or diet soda, fruit juice, milk, sweetened soy milk, or sweetened teas. That pretty much leaves me with plain coffee, plain tea, and water. Since I'm not a coffee fan my drink of choice is decaf iced tea, brewed in the sun... sun tea. (Sun tea is not very strong.) If I'm cold I'll make some hot tea. If I need a good smack to stay awake then I'll drink tea with caffeine, though I generally avoid it, especially during the final 2 months before an Ironman. My reasoning for this? I do not want to interfere with my ability to sleep, be it at bedtime or if I can sneak in a 10-20 min nap at work during lunch. I also can have restless legs at night and I don't want anything that might make that occur. Finally, I've experimented with the use of caffeine during races and doing that is only effective if you have been off the stuff for a good 3 weeks or more. So, on an average day, not including workouts, I probably drink about 2/3rds of a gallon of water and mild iced tea.

As I said, this may not be what you were expecting. It's how I eat. I purposely didn't include fueling for long training and races, nor did I go into pre-race meals. I also didn't go into my supplements. It's obviously not a diet that I follow to count calories either. I've gradually lost weight, 30 lbs, over the 4.5 years of multisport but that has a lot to do with exercise, overeating less often, and trying to think like an athlete, and not this diet. I've followed these restrictions for 12 or 13 years.