Yes and to Both🫡

Hii fam,

I apologize as it has been a few weeks again. I have had a lot going on, but I wanted to share what’s been at the top of my mind as I move through the start of the new year and into my 2nd 70.3 ironman training block.

With just less than two weeks left of off-season, I’ve had a little time to step back and look at the way I approach things… especially training. Here are a few things I’m really trying to carry into this next season:

Nutrition

A staggering statistic I came across before the new year: for every 10% increase in ultra-processed foods in your diet, your risk of death increases by 14%. Happy Wednesday!😅

I grew up on chicken fingers and french fries and basically ate off the kids menu at every restaurant until I was 18 (yes, I was that girl). My food choices have definitely expanded since (not that it was that hard..), partly from just growing up and partly from some well deserved peer pressure from family and friends. Honestly, for most of my life, I could kind of get away with eating poorly, so I did.

Speaking of 2016... I guess it's hard not to do when this was your fridge at home (tysm though mom, I wouldn't change a thing <3). Pretty sure the only reason I had friends growing up was because of my mom's pantry.

You would think I would have started to eat better once I started training heavily right? Wrong. Endurance sports has actually encouraged some of my worsttt food habits. Quick sugar, straight salt, easy carbs - honeyy I’m home!🙏

Unfortunately, something I had to learn the hard way is that although this kind of fueling has its place in training, it only works when the rest of your day is built on real, nutrient dense meals. This is what sets you up for long term success as an athlete. Prioritizing my nutrition and fueling this season means more whole foods, more vegetables, less ice cream (a girl can try..), and more meals that give me real, sustainable energy I can use all day long.

In Rich Roll’s recent podcast episode with Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, they talked about how much diet and lifestyle affect our gut microbiome, and how closely the gut and immune system are linked to chronic inflammation. Dr. Bulsiewicz explained simply “The reality is that our lifestyle, our diet, our culture… the way we live in the 21st century is disconnected from the way our biology works.”  

They also talked about how diversity is much more important than perfection on your plate, and that’s a fueling strategy I completely agree with. I don’t believe in obsessively tracking macros and protein for every meal, in fact, I would classify that as an eating disorder (sorry to be blunt). Everybody is different. There’s no magic number that applies to everyone, and if someone is trying to convince you otherwise, they are either lying to themselves or to you. You have to zoom out, look for patterns, consider your environment, and listen to your body.

I’ve also been learning more about the history of women’s health and nutrition, and it has reinforced for me how important it is not only to fuel properly as an athlete, but also as a woman. Women athletes have been pushed and pulled in every direction when it comes to fueling and nutrition propaganda for decades. Losing your period used to be a “badge of honor” in women’s sports, when in reality, it was a sign your body didn’t have enough fuel (or fat) to function properly. We’re only now starting to understand how much proper fueling impacts our performance, hormones, energy, recovery as a woman. And as someone with a following of young women, it’s important to me to model not just fueling… but fueling well.

Even in just the past month of focusing more on higher quality food (S/O my recent cottage cheese obsession), I’ve already noticed a difference in my energy levels throughout the day. I am really interested to see the impact this change is going to have on my performance and physical and mental wellbeing throughout training.

Strength 

This training block, I want strength to be a foundational part of my plan, not just an afterthought. I’m about five weeks into my NASM personal training certification, which makes this the perfect time to build a stronger foundation and routine around it, and I’m really excited to share what I learn along the way.

As endurance athletes, it can feel hard to fit strength into our 15+ hour training schedule, or not worth our time past the bare minimum of injury prevention, but it matters so much more than that. And as women, there are even more barriers. Beauty standards and societal pressure to look a certain way, accessibility of information and the intimidation factor of a male dominated weight room, as well as the lack of community and support in the space to make it feel approachable. This has a dramatic downstream long term effect on women’s quality of life. The stats are pretty staggering. In the U.S., osteoporosis prevalence in adults 50+ is about 18.8% in women vs 4.2% in men.

So, strength training is too important to ignore. It builds and maintains fitness, improves durability, protects joints and bones, and adds power and confidence that spill over into every other part of our lives. I’m prioritizing strength not just to perform better now, but to protect a future version of me I haven’t met yet. I want to train for my performance and healthspan.

Confidence 

Last training block, I had doubt at every turn. 

All the way from the first time I clipped into a road bike and put on a wetsuit, to crossing the finish line of my 1st 70.3. Even half-conscious in the med tent post finish, I still wasn’t totally convinced I actually did it. I felt inadequate about everything: not owning a trainer, or riding in big groups, or knowing how to transition properly, worrying I didn’t have the right gear, or that I was too inexperienced, the list goes on.

I had to convince myself every day that I was the person I was pretending to be, that I was a triathlete even though I hadn’t even raced one yet. But now, almost a year later, I can genuinely say I feel like the person I was working so hard to become.

This training block, I’ve done the work to get here, and I can’t wait to see what my body and mind can do with this new confidence. I also have so much more information and support to share with anyone who feels like I did last year. Because triathlon is intimidating as hell when you’re new, and especially if you’re young and a woman. It can feel like everyone is part of this impenetrable inner circle and no one new is allowed in. But every single person you see at a race was a beginner once. And that is so important to remember.

The Process 

There’s an old greek myth where a king is sentenced to the eternal punishment of pushing a boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down again and again. And if this is meant to symbolize our life, we should be focusing on the climb not the destination since we spend 90% of our time getting there, not arriving. 

In surprise, another Rich Roll podcast episode with Brad Stulberg they used this greek myth to explain why so many people fail to reach the goals they set each new year. Many times, we get distracted by the outcome and forget about the process. The process has to align with your values, it has to be something you actually want to live in. Something that brings you meaning and joy in your day to day life. Basically, if you’re smiling while you push the boulder you’re probably in a good place. 

There are opposing forces in this process that need to work in synchrony to get you to the top of the climb. Every high performer needs the right balance of discipline and self-compassion. Your ego and humility need to be in agreement. Rich roll puts it perfectly:  “the people who can sustain high performance at an elite level for a very extended career are the people who can inhabit that yin yang of yes and to both”. 

As a success oriented person, it can feel like taking your foot off the gas is setting yourself up for failure, but sometimes it’s necessary. You need to know when to push and when to back off. It’s a delicate balance that requires a high degree of self awareness. 

On a similar note, entering your climb with curiosity sets you up for the best possible outcome. Curiosity is the antidote to fear. In fact scientific studies have shown that you literally cannot be curious and afraid at the same time, your brain does not allow it. So if you’re scared, get curious.

So as I head into this next training block, I want it to look different than the last one. I want to train with more intention and curiosity - fuel better, lift consistently, and show up with confidence in my ability and direction. But more than that, I want to enjoy the process while I’m in it with the knowledge that it’s a privilege to climb this particular mountain.

As always, thank you for being here, and I can’t wait to share this new, exciting season with you all. And if you’re entering a season that feels scary or unknown, consider this your reminder: you don’t have to have it all figured out to start, you just have to start. 

A quick update: The Train Payne Q&A is postponed again until next week, tentatively it will be on 1/27. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding, I really appreciate it. Hopefully we can get back on a more consistent schedule moving forward, and I’ll keep you updated if anything changes again.

Can’t wait to see you all there!

Caleigh❤️‍🔥