COVID 19 - Let Us Support You (Summary Notes of Zoom Meeting on March 27th)

Athletes - hope your weekends are finding some ground. THANK you to those of you that could jump on the call with us last night. 
It was great to see such participation. While the original idea came from my work with Dixie Devils, we wanted to open it up to all Brite athletes and our community to launch the conversations about Training & Performance given our current reality.

For anyone interested, here is a snap shot of the discussion: 

Considerations essential to the Endurance Athlete:
Community & Connectivity is vital to mental well-being. Develop yours and nurture it. Lean in and operate with openness and kindness. The world will honour these acts of engagement.Training & Performance takes on a new meaning. What was a chase for improvements in performance metrics has now evolved into health, resilience and developing you as a whole athlete (weaknesses, strength, foundational expansion) so long as it is done purposefully, progressively and within the context of your reality.  Your training behaviours will help you avoid random exercising and keep you in sync with your long term performance objectives.Social Media & Virtual Training Platforms are powerful sources for connections and sharing. Use them appropriately and for what you need.Endurance Athletes Principles apply now, more than ever. As endurance athletes, we are equipped with the tools to navigate challenges, problem solve, consider alternatives, thrive and look after our needs (nutrition, recovery, sleep, movement, strength). These principles have never mattered more.We Will All Get Through This. This new reality will pass and when it does, we will be stronger and more resilient for it thanks in some part to our ongoing commitment to training and maintaining a sense of structure in our lives. In the meantime, our global acceptance and our ability to adapt to this new reality will lift us to new and greater levels when we did kick out the other side.
Specific Discussion Topics related to Training:Training for us all was something we were doing on a regular basis. It was normal and routine. Now we have chaos and confusion in the world. The best defense against uncertainty is to continue on with some sense of normalcy, routine and daily structure. Use your training as that AND keep space in your lives for this important time blocked off to train.Training is now about developing great resilience and supporting our health. The lens shifts away from the events we were preparing for and moves towards a much deeper meaning. Allow purposeful training to bolster you both physically and mentally. The benefits of this may not been seen today but they will definitely be evident in a few months from now.Training time has been gifted to all of us. USE THIS TIME. Many wisely guided athletes are now stepping back and taking advantage of this time to really develop a deep base, strengthen their posture or work on metabolic or mechanical aspects of the sport. We will see some remarkable performances later in the year. Be in the game for that when racing is back on.  Training Set Up – use this next week to get set up in your home with a) space b) gear c) towels/fan d) technical connections (Zwift, tablets, devices, speakers etc) e) a sense of flow (posters, visuals and anything you need to ground your training and inspire the mind).Start fresh today, tomorrow or Monday with your new path with a new set or variables. We are here to support you.
Strength:Many of you have questions about Strength programs and protocol.PLEASE PLEASE let me know if you are not training with us currently or contact Gina Grain (cc’d in this email) as Gina has recently developed an At-Home Program specific to our reality. She is ready to help you get dialled with Strength. 
If you would like to participate in any group workouts on Zwift, please follow me on Zwift Christine Fletcher (Brite) so I can invite you to Meet Ups and Events. 

My hope from these initiatives is for you all to take away a renewed meaning of training & performance along with gusto to find your solid ground after you dust off from the haze, configure your environment to embrace training, shift your mindset to this new reality and your new training circumstances and finally commit to being purposeful, progressive and athlete/performance driven vs exercise random with a sense of flailing. You will show up a much clearer person in your world and heaven knows we need as many clear minds as possible right now.if you are being coached by Brite right now, then trust us when we say, we have you and are plotting daily to methodically change directions and take great advantage of this newfound time. 

Please look after each other. We are going to get through this. Stay committed to your dreams and goals. We are allowed to continue to chase our dreams while we navigate this crazy pandemic especially since we have been asked to stay home and far from people in the physical form.Looking forward,Christine Fletcher & Britni Bakk

www.brite.coach

QUARANTINE - MOBILITY BY GINA GRAIN

Ok everyone...there are ALOT  of online platforms and facebook things and things out there that everyone is posting...I will also design and email you special playlists of workouts from my youtube library of exercises for your exercising enjoyment.  

It is nothing fancy (like facebook workouts or zoom workouts)...but the content will be EXCELLENT and I wanted to offer it to you. If you have trained with me you may be familiar with some of the exercises to come.  If you have not trained with me, the video clips are very short only demonstrating the exercise for a few repetitions each.

I hope this helps to keep you on track and moving. Please let me know if you want more or something different or more personalized. Alot of you already have a home program from me that you are already doing, you can look at these workouts and supplement and you would like or see fit.  For those who do not have a personalized workout I can also design a program and send it to you online.

These regimes will be general so please consider your personal body and any issues that may be aggravated by some of these exercises... and don't do them!

Instead of diving right into it I am going to suggest we take this time to get back to some basics and nail down mobility.  If you have a foam roller, foam roll before this first regime...Mobility...stay tuned and keep it up for more quarantine workouts in the future.......

My youtube channel has many workouts available but I will be designing a few specific ones for home...

Click here to be directed to my you tube TRAIN WITH GRAIN...Quarantine #1- Mobility!

Feel free to forward on to your friends and family or co-workers..

Talk to you all soon, take care...

gina

-- 

Gina Grain, MSc. Exercise Science Strength and Conditioning | Sports Performance Coach
Canadian Olympian 

COVID 19: Nutrition’s Role in Immunity and How to Stock Your Kitchen

 By Emilee Wise, Holistic Nutritionist www.emileewise.com

There is a lot of information out about COVID 19, how it’s transmitted, the early detection signs and the devastating risks of how this virus can harm us or our loved ones.  It is a time of high concern and a time we really need to reevaluate our self-care practices and how we think and care for others.  My intention is to help you understand how we can use this time to our advantage to implement some improved nutrition habits that can carry over to when we return to our busy lives out of the home. 

For some of you, it’s a blessing to be working from home, taking a break from commuting, flying and spending nights in hotels.  For others, being home and having kids’ home is extremely stressful and makes it difficult to get our needed work done.  Regardless of our situations, it’s important we exhale and come to a place of acceptance. Stress lowers our immune system and is not our friend at this time.  We need to accept this is a moment in time that we will look back upon, the question is, what do we want to see when we look back? How can we use this time to our advantage?  What do we want to accomplish during this time? I encourage you to write it out, set realistic expectations and write from a level of acceptance, not fear, frustration or stress. 

This past week, I have watched the grocery aisles go bare, online grocery delivery services be completed sold out. I understand, I ordered a few things myself since I can’t currently get to the store.  The idea to have food on hand while hunkering down is reassuring, comforting and when things feel out of control, buying things gives us a false sense of control.  The problem isn’t buying food, it’s buying processed foods… one of my friends sent me a picture of her back seat full of groceries. It included waffles, Lunchables, Cup of Noodles, Cheez-its, and Lucky Charms!!  She is a pretty savvy consumer and I know, likely represents what a lot of others are doing out there.  My concern, as a nutritionist and wellness advisor, is the increase in processed foods people may be bringing into their homes because those are the foods that can be stockpiled.  Those are the foods that seem “comforting” in a time of stress.  This is a time that nourishing our bodies and boosting our immune system is absolutely vital. To do that, we need less processed foods. While you may be thinking that’s impossible right now, please hear me out!

Our gut is home to an extremely large number of microbes that are collectively known as our gut microbiota or gut flora. The gut microbiota influences many of our body systems from regulating metabolism and the cardiovascular system to the nervous system and our focus today, the immune system.  70-80% of the body's immune cells are found in the gut. These immune cells protect us by responding to any foreign substances that the body perceives as a threat. The cells have co-evolved with the gut microbes to create defenses against pathogens and tolerances for beneficial bacteria and microbes.  The gut and immune system have developed a synergistic relationship to keep us well.  Before getting too scientific and complicated, please just understand that the health of our gut and the strength of the immune system are directly related.  At a time like this, we want to provide our body with foods and nutrients that ensure our immune system is as strong and healthy as it can be, and therefore, our gut health is as well.   

Processed foods are natural foods have been mechanically and/or chemically altered in order to change it or preserve it.  They typically come in a box or bag and have a list of ingredients. They are often advertised as being healthy in hopes you will latch on and develop an addiction to their products.  Eating a diet that includes processed foods that are high in sugar, damaged/processed fats, lots of chemicals and added preservatives are damaging to the gut and thus the immune system.  When you reach for junk food you are inhibiting your ability to fight off bacteria, viruses and parasites. 

Eating a well-rounded diet full of vegetables, fruits, high quality meats and fish, soaked beans, rice, lentils and legumes as well as nuts and seeds, can provide your body with the vitamins and nutrients needed to keep the gut healthy, immune system strong and fight off unwanted viruses.  

If you want to stay away from grocery stores, I know our local farmers markets are still open, and outdoors, as well as our farm delivery services for delivering fresh fruits and vegetables weekly to your home. You can also order meats and fish from places like Vital Choice, Butcher Box, Thrive Market and Nose to Tail. Blue Apron, Good Eggs, Thistle and many more companies deliver meals and meal kits to ensure fresh, healthy food can be consumed.  Of course, these delivery services may be affected as the environment is changing by the minute, but they are available as I write this.  

One of the most common complaints I hear from working adults is that they do not have time to cook at home. Most adults I know are currently working from home and their children are home doing online classes.  Now, more than ever, is a wonderful time to involve your kids with health eating food prep.  Teaching them early that nourishing foods is comforting instead of this old idea/thinking that “junk” food is comforting.  Setting an eating schedule similar to what you have at work or kids have at school is a good idea in order to ward off “the munchies” of being home near your kitchen 24x7!

Keep food simple, clean, and organic. Do not overthink it.  See below for a list of suggestions if you are going to stock up on food.  With these ingredients you can make lots of meals pretty simply and quickly. 

Buy food that: 

·       Has 5 ingredients or less. You should know what the ingredients are that are listed. 

·       Has little (less than 10 g per serving) to no added sugar.  

·       Does not have processed oils (Palm oil, corn oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, canola oils or anything hydrogenated) 

·       Is nutrient dense, meaning you are receiving needed vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and complex carbohydrates when you consume them.  Empty calories, foods that do not offer any nutrient value are things like refined carbohydrates, chips, cookies, cupcakes, most snack foods)

·       Include fresh fruits and vegetables for as long as we can, buy frozen ones for the times we can’t

Suggested goals over the next few weeks at home:

·       Eat as much fresh fruits and vegetables for the time being. Washing them thoroughly if getting from a store. My suggestion would be to utilise outdoor farmers markets and farm delivery services if available.  Use the vegetables for soups, stews, roasting and steaming to help kill any bacteria that may have transferred to the food. 

·       Learn to cook 5 meals that are easy, nutrient dense and you can rotate on a regular basis to keep things simple

·       Involve your kids in meal prep and cooking responsibilities

·       Limit consumption of dairy, sugar, alcohol and smoking 

·       Have fruit, nuts, seeds, whole grain crackers, hummus, healthy meal bars, and smoothie ingredients on hand for snacks

·       Drinks lots of fluids including warm herbal teas, broths and filtered water

Staples there are nutrient dense:

Proteins: organic pasture raised poultry, sustainable fish, grass fed beef, lamb, pork. I would stay clear of commercial meats (I do always, but especially now).  Collagen powders (great for the gut), organic, non-GMO brown rice, pea and whey protein powders for smoothies. Wild Planet canned salmon, sardines and chicken if you can’t get fresh.

Fats: oils (coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil), nut butters, nuts and seeds (pumpkin seeds have Zinc for immunity), avocado (you can freeze them as well!) Coconut butter, coconut flakes, olives, coconut milk, ghee

Liquids: herbal teas, bone broth (Kettle and Fire, bonafide, Bel Campo for locals), coconut water, sparkling water, unsweetened nut milks, hemp milk, organic whole milk (if tolerated), vegetable broth for soups, aloe vera juice

Vegetables: If you are unable to get fresh fruits and vegetables, stock up on frozen organic vegetables such as kale, chard, spinach greens, peas, Brussel sprouts, stir fry veggies, cauliflower rice etc. 

Fruits: If unable to get fresh fruit or if you want fruit for smoothies stock up on frozen berries, peaches, pineapple, bananas açai. Fresh organic oranges, kiwi, tangerines, apples, pears, peppers.. all high in Vitamin C

Fiber: chia, flax and hemp seeds. Psyllium husk if your are having trouble with constipation. 

Grains:  whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, chickpea pasta (has protein), brown rice, quinoa, gluten free breads if needed, steel cut oats, buckwheat cereal, rice noodles, lentils, sweet potatoes, small potatoes

Canned: crushed tomatoes to make sauce or other dishes, coconut milk, a variety of beans, tomato sauce (read the label to ensure no added sugars). Canned or boxed soups that are not full of ingredients you can’t pronounce.

Supplements: (I would take the top 3 and then add the others for added protection if you feel you need it, more is not always better. I suggest you consult a healthcare professional for the safest combination of supplements, especially if you take any medications.)

·       Vitamin D 2000-5000 IUs/day based on health status and weight

·       Probiotics 50-100 billion units of a mixed flora product to ensure a strong gut microbiota 

·       Zinc (25-30 mg. for most, 50 mg for a therapeutic dose if you know you are at risk) 

·       L-glutamine powder, 1 teaspoon per day mixed in water to sip throughout the day if you have a distressed gut

·       Vitamin C with bioflavonoids 500 mg. 3-5x/day 

·       Vitamin A, 10,000 -25,000 IUs/day

·       Quercetin 500-1000 mg/day 

·       I have been using Immunotone Plus by Designs for Health, I encourage it as it is currently back in stock! 

·       All of the above supplements can be purchased on my website https://emileewise.ehealthpro.com

Superfoods: (again, more is not better, I advise you to consult with a health care professional to get advice on what you should be taking and how much)

·       Medicinal mushrooms such as Chaga and Cordycepts Elixirs by Four Sigmatic (can be added to broths and soups for added flavor and increased immunity) 

·       Acerola Cherry powder (rich source of Vitamin C) 

·       Elderberry  and Echinachea syrup (powerful immune fighters) 

·       Astragalus

·       Manuka honey

·       Oregano oil (antimicrobial, broad spectrum immune support)

·       Turmeric lattes (decrease inflammation) 

·       Colloital silver throat spray

Herbal teas:

Gut health:

·       Licorice root

·       Lemon Balm

·       Peppermint

·       Ginger 

·       Marshmallow Root

·       Dandelion

Immunity:

·       Nettle 

·       Rose Hips

·       Hibiscus

·       Ginger

Sending out my love for all of you. Stay safe, be smart. Be kind to yourself, your children and those around you.  Prioritize sleep, wash your hands.  Drink nourishing fluids.  Wash your towels, sheets and clothes often.  And most importantly, EAT WELL!!! 

By Emilee Wise, Holistic Nutritionist www.emileewise.com

Perspectives on Training

Perspective on Training

As we approach a new year, I wanted to take a moment to touch on an area that has perplexed me for a long while but I never really understood what was happening until recently…Perspective on Training. 

Let me see if I can explain:

With our mobile devices, we can now quickly look up an app and see a brief snapshot of information we are after. Information is instantaneous as is our ability to offer a like, comment or swipe. Athletes use the Training Peaks App in a very similar fashion: check your “workout for that day” on that same day, aim to fit it into your day, click on an emoji (in all honesty, gives little value to a coach) then “completed as planned” and boom you are onto the next task of the day. If you have synced your auto-upload than you need not even worry about that feature either. You, the athlete, weren’t even given the chance to have perspective! 

While this method of managing your training is seemingly efficient, it is incredibly ineffective for long term gains and perspective on the bigger picture. 

100% of the training you are all doing is progressive, meaning one session leads into another, sequenced in such a fashion that your fatigue levels, training load and build has all been accounted for. 

If you are still with me on my train of thought, let me offer two suggestions to help you integrate your training into your very full and abundant lives that meets us at a level where your training was planned out (based on your goals, the schedule you provide us with and your current fitness level):

1) Begin to review your week ahead (training, work, family and social) on Sunday evenings from your laptop or computer. Look at all the calendars you manage in BIG format and lay the pieces together. If you have questions about the training sessions sequencing or explanations, ask your questions early vs from the pool deck or mid-ride. Not only does it gives us time to reply properly but it also pulls you through the process methodically. 

2) When logging comments about your training, reflect on the context of the session and offer feedback that not only helps us understand how your session was but also helps YOU grow from the training experience. Give color to your training with your words, emotions, sensations, RPE and observations. “Swapped for Thursday” does not count as a training log. 

A good blog to refresh up on is:  http://brite.coach/new-blog/20162018/043/076/the-training-log-daily-reflections 

As much as we love mobile devices to access information on the fly, we love perspective. Use your laptop or desktop view when you can to review your week ahead and reflect back on the amazing training you have done. Perspective is everything. 

Healthy & Strong

Some of you may recall a blog entry I once wrote about why myself and coach Britni Bakk still race.

We have both been at it a long time (over 95 Ironman when you combine us together), enjoyed some results and have had the opportunity to compete on a world class level.

And yet, we stay in the game. As much as we stay in the game for our own fulfillment, we truly believe it makes us more complete coaches on an emotional, physical and executional level.

I won’t speak for Britni entirely but have spent enough time with her over the past 20 years to know that we share a similar desire to keep our toes dipped in the water sometimes along side our athletes we coach and sometimes entirely in our own adventure. As much as preparing for endurance sporting events is being influenced by technology, nutritional trends, evolving training methodologies and social media, what remains the same is that we must show up to these events Healthy + Strong. Poke holes in these two qualities as much as you want, they matter more than you may realize.

Last weekend, Tremblant hosted the Ironman. As this is my current hometown, I felt super grateful and proud to have 7 of our athletes competing here to enjoy what is touted as one of the best IM’s on the circuit in terms of athlete experience. The perspective, as a coach & athlete, that I gain from solely supporting athletes in their lead up and from the side lines is well complimented by sometimes being at the start line too.

On Sunday, I was in the trenches as a participant, just like them. Like them, I too prepared my fuel, felt the nervous energy, planned out my own execution strategy, connected with my confidence and reminded myself that ultra endurance events come down to a constant stream if micro decisions all day long. Being a champion to the end is so much more fun than being a champion in the first quarter of the race then fading a heroic death (I’ve tried both ways). All of us Brite athletes had dramatic wins on Sunday with massive PB’s, podium finishes, qualification spots to Kona, nutritional wins and mindset breakthroughs. I like to think that even though we weren’t together throughout the day, our connection helped everyone find their best self.

+++

The reason I want to communicate with all of you soon after was because my own race experience reminded me that having the opportunity to participate in these crazy events depends, very simply, on being strong and healthy.

Strength. Make space to be both fit and strong. When strong in body, you will be strong in mind…a fringe benefit.

You can be very fit and look lean, but if you cannot maintain your posture late into a long race, fire your gluts or access your core, your ability to resist fatigue will be exponentially higher and what had the potential to be a strong finish is diminished to a shuffle or soft pedal. Ask yourself, do you feel strong as well as fit? If not, add back or add in strength. And strength work doesn’t mean deadlifts and squat racks but it does mean developing the ability to maintain good posture and using your core to access more power, speed and agility.

Health. Define what health means to you and give attention to feeling and behaving as healthily as possible. Your performance will pay off.

Of equal importance is showing up healthy. Being healthy means something different to everyone and only you know what health means to you. We put hundreds of hours into our training each year and if we get sick or injured from over training, lack of recovery, mis-managed sleep and nutrition habits or absence of social time and connection to community, we run the risk of a) not being able to race at all or b) showing up flat, deflated and without the will to perform.

All of you are preparing for your “Next” (again let me know if you did not get the last emails regarding What Next). Remember that a huge part of your success is built on your ability to be strong for long and healthy before your toes or your wheel hit the start line.

Christine & Britni

www.brite.coach

778-887-1459