Katie’s pre-workout breakfast: an open-face peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich on homemade bread. “We make bread when we make yogurt, since the byproduct of yogurt is whey, which mixes with flour, flaxseeds, chia seeds, wheat germ, yeast, and honey to become delicious, crusty bread. The book Make the Bread, Buy the Butter is our guide to knowing what’s worth DIYing and what’s best left to professionals. In this case, the bread (and peanut butter) are the former.” ¶
“Sometimes I work out three times in a day, so I need to start early. At this point in the season, I do a lot of indoor bike workouts, putting my bike on an indoor trainer. There’s a surprisingly vibrant community of fellow triathletes also doing their bike workouts at that time of day, so we chat on Twitter while riding—probably the only situation where it’s safe to do so!”
“Sometimes I work out three times in a day, so I need to start early. At this point in the season, I do a lot of indoor bike workouts, putting my bike on an indoor trainer. There’s a surprisingly vibrant community of fellow triathletes also doing their bike workouts at that time of day, so we chat on Twitter while riding—probably the only situation where it’s safe to do so!”
Elliott’s breakfast: Homemade yogurt and blueberries. “Yogurt sous vide is surprisingly simple,” Katie says. “Heat milk on the stove to 185 degrees, remove from heat, let cool to 105, add about a quarter cup of yogurt with active cultures, and put it in a glass jar in a sous-vide bath with the thermometer set to 105. Go to sleep (or to work; you need at least five hours). Dump the jar into a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Come back at least 45 minutes later. Voilà—yogurt and whey. It costs about 75 percent less than buying Greek yogurt in the store, and it tastes incredible. The blueberries are fresh or frozen; the antioxidants don’t care!”
Katie’s post-workout breakfast: old-fashioned oats with whey protein powder, raisins, and a banana, with tea. “I try to get a three-to-one carb-to-protein ratio, and this combo is fast and consistent. After that, I shower and dash out the door. I work in Fairfax County, so it’s a bit of a drive. During the summer, I bring my bike and/or running gear with me, since there are great hills and trails near the office. Between workouts, work, and coaching, I’m away from home a good chunk of the day and wind up bringing a lot of food with me.”
Katie’s lunch: “Lunch is usually leftovers from dinner, since it’s cheaper than eating out—and I eat a lot. In this case, I’m having seasoned brown rice, stir-fried veggies (bell pepper, daikon, and bok choy), scrambled egg, and an avocado. Avocados are in season right now and full of good fats—what’s not to love?”
Elliot’s lunch: grilled chicken and hummus. “While not photogenic, it’s very practical: he can cook a whole week’s worth at the same time, it’s full of protein and fiber, and the portion sizes are limited. Elliott usually eats the same thing each breakfast and lunch to cut down on the number of decisions he has to make. Fewer decisions = more likely to be good decisions. These habits, along with cycling, helped him drop more than 100 pounds.”
Katie’s snacks: “I bring a lot of healthy snacks to work to avoid being tempted by the vending machines or candy jars. Here, it’s jerky, apples, nuts, and cottage cheese with blueberries.” ¶
Elliott’s snacks: “Hot tea is surprisingly filling, especially on a cold day. His favorites are smoky Earl Grey and Russian Caravan from Old Town Coffee, Tea, and Spice in Alexandria. He also snacks on apples and Fiber One bars. During bike rides, he likes Clif Shot Blox. For really long rides, we make our own food, such as beet-juice pancakes, and beef-and-sweet-potato empanadas.”
Elliott’s snacks: “Hot tea is surprisingly filling, especially on a cold day. His favorites are smoky Earl Grey and Russian Caravan from Old Town Coffee, Tea, and Spice in Alexandria. He also snacks on apples and Fiber One bars. During bike rides, he likes Clif Shot Blox. For really long rides, we make our own food, such as beet-juice pancakes, and beef-and-sweet-potato empanadas.”
Katie’s typical on-the-go snack: a Luna bar. “I love the fact that I can find them pretty much anywhere, even when racing in small towns or abroad. After work, I either work out again (run, swim, weights, Pilates, yoga) or coach swimming, and I like to have a small snack before and after to avoid the ‘hangries.’ I usually don’t get home until 8:30 or so, and need to go to bed around 9:15, so dinner is a tight window.”
Dinner: Homemade tortillas with spaghetti squash, black beans, tomatoes, avocado, and homemade yogurt. “It’s actually a lot less work than it sounds! For the tortillas, just throw some flour, shortening, salt, and water into a food processor. Grab bits of dough, roll, flatten, griddle, eat. The whole meal takes about 15 minutes.” ¶
“Elliott and I plan our dinners for the week ahead of time, making sure we aren’t overly ambitious on nights when we both get home late. We frequently use a sous-vide heater—you can’t overdo it, and unlike with a slow cooker, you can cook delicate foods (even make yogurt from milk) and don’t wind up with two gallons of whatever you’re making.”
“Elliott and I plan our dinners for the week ahead of time, making sure we aren’t overly ambitious on nights when we both get home late. We frequently use a sous-vide heater—you can’t overdo it, and unlike with a slow cooker, you can cook delicate foods (even make yogurt from milk) and don’t wind up with two gallons of whatever you’re making.”
Water: Both athletes drink a lot of water throughout the day, “especially first thing in the morning,” Katie says. “It’s easy to mistake thirst for hunger, and drinking water combats that. If it’s a long or hot workout, I use a mix with sodium and sugar, but now that it’s the offseason and workouts are shorter, it’s mostly water. We store our bottles on a wine rack. Classy, right?”
Drinks: “Homemade cherry shrub (we boil down tart cherry juice and add vinegar) with fizzy water. Tart cherry juice helps recover from workouts, and this is a cold, refreshing drink with few calories.”
Supplements: “Before bed, I take vitamin D, omega-3, and ZMA (zinc, magnesium, B6, and theanine). Elliott takes omega-3, a multivitamin, and resveratrol. In order to remind ourselves to open the cabinet and take the vitamins, we put the toothpaste on the same shelf.”
