Alecia's Triathlon Nutrition Success

The following blog is conversation (in Q & A format) between myself and an amazing friend and client, Alecia Williams. If you don't know Alecia, you will want to after reading this post. She is an amazing person and athlete who really knows how to overcome adversity. She took a terrible fall in the Boston Marathon in 2016, fractured her femur clean through, and had to have 3 major surgeries over the next 2 years to fix the damage and be able to race again. Her return to training and now racing is a true testimony to the strength of her mind, body, and spirit! Alecia had a very detailed race nutrition plan that she had created and used in all her previous tri's, but it wasn't working! She asked her coach, Without Limits' Tom Clifford to review this nutrition plan, and he advised her to meet with me.

Q: What Race or Event were you preparing for when you requested my help reviewing and revising your nutrition plan?

A: White Lake Half Pro-Am 5/6/2022 - Half Iron distance (70.3 miles)

Q: What were your goals for this race?

A: To break 6 hours in the Half, with a best case goal of 5:45 Q: What were the nutrition concerns that you have had in the past that you hoped we could resolve through nutrition planning?

A: I would categorize my concerns in 4 buckets:

1. Pre-race - performance anxiety. A few days prior to a race, my nervous race anticipation would cause an upset stomach and frequent urination which can obviously lead to electrolyte imbalance and dehydration.

2. Cramping on the swim. In EVERY open water race (regardless of distance), either my hamstrings, calves, feet, or all three would cramp resulting in me having to pull at least the final 800 meters on the swim and not use my legs. Not only was this painful and scary in deep water, but I’d have to literally come to a stop and rely on arm pull to get to the swim finish. I often had to flex my feet to ward off more cramping which created additional drag and upper body effort. This takes off precious time from the swim portion of the race. When you come out of the water having suffered severe leg cramps, you go into T1 and the bike afraid that your legs might seize up on you again.

3. Feeling “sleepy” on the bike. In the past several half iron distance races, I’d begin to feel drowsy or “fuzzy-headed” at about the 28-mile mark despite taking in the liquid nutrition based on the directions on the canister

4. Digestive issues on the run. Invariably, the liquid nutrition would catch up with me on the run by mile 8 resulting in me having to duck into the closest port-o-let to avoid an embarrassing situation. Having to relieve the digestive issues costs precious minutes off my time

Q: Were you successful in making changes to your nutrition as I suggested?

A: Most definitely, YES! Q: What was the result of using your new nutrition plan?

A: Race Anxiety - I went into the race feeling much more confident that I had fueled and hydrated well

A: Cramping on the swim - For the first time EVER in an open water race, I did NOT cramp in the swim

A: "Sleepy" on the bike - Though, I did still feel a little “fuzzy-headed” at one point on the bike, I just started taking my liquid hydration at shorter intervals and ate a Honey Stinger Waffle which seemed to get me over the hump

A: Digestive Issues - I did NOT suffer digestive issues on the run and have to bail out for a potty break.

A: Goal - I came in 2nd in Age Group (Women 60-64) behind a lady who ranked 5th in the nation and 27th in the World with a time of 5:47:15!

Q: Would you recommend Diana Davis for nutrition planning?

A: Without a doubt I would. What I found so refreshing is that Diana did not hand me some cookie-cutter plan. Instead, she took the time to talk to me about what I had used in the past as well as during race week. She also took the time to understand the types of foods that I like, have sensitivities too, as well as detest (like avocado – yuck). I actually sent her my former plan, and she took the time to rework it with the proper amount of calories, potassium, and sodium to ensure my electrolyte balance stayed in check for the days prior to the race as well as during the race.

I would say that Diana is very humble and approached my nutritional needs with privacy and professionalism. Honestly, I went into it thinking that I was going to feel humiliated over what I had done in the past. You see, earlier in my life, I struggled with an eating disorder, so “food” has been a bit of a psychological issue for me, and I wanted to be upfront about that because I’ve had to learn that food to the body is like fuel for a car. But it’s not like the “haunting” ever leaves your brain, and I know that I am guilty of not fueling enough! But I was surprised to find that I was truly in a “no judgement zone”, and Diana treated me with “compassion” and “genuine concern”. I could tell she was passionate about getting my fueling needs right so that I could execute to the best of my ability.

I would strongly endorse Diana for anyone who is struggling with nutrition for running races and/or triathlon. I’m sure you will find as I have that she is truly an expert in her field and will have you well prepared to execute at your best!

Looking for someone to help you with your nutrition planning, I am a registered dietitian nutritionist with over 35 years of experience working with people who want to eat to achieve their goals in life, in health, and on the race course. You can find me at https://www.iamwithoutlimits.com/memberships/nutrition/, onFacebook: Diana Davis Nutrition Consulting; and Instagram @diana.davis.rd