I often get asked by many people what a typical day is in the life of a sport dietitian/coach/strength coach/exercise physiologist so I thought I would spend a few minutes to share what my day included today.
Wake up at 6am and prep the menu for the next three days.
Grab a quick breakfast before getting in a little “me time” in which I rode the stationary bike for 45 minutes and did strength for 15 minutes.
Collect and analyze urine samples.
Get Sarah’s ice vest ready for pre-cooling her before her combo session.
Grab a quick snack and discuss the menu planning with the cook at the center. Show her photos I have put into a Powerpoint presentation to overcome the language barrier.
Meet Sarah outside in the heat and humidity (the heat index was well over 106 today!) for her just over 1 hour bike ride with short VO2 max efforts and moderate LT efforts.
Quickly move to the strength room for a three minute intense treadmill run.
Hop on Sarah’s spare bike and ride with her for the 20 minute run at race pace and supra-race pace, all outside in the very humid conditions (I was sweating profusely on the bike and I was only riding beside her while she was running!).
Get Sarah her recovery drink (Ultragen) while she is spinning down on the bike trainer.
Accompany Sarah to her ice bath and time her so she stayed in for just the right amount of time.
Collect and analyze urine samples.
Eat lunch with the team.
Collect and analyze urine samples.
Hop in the team van to go to the pool to assist Sarah with her swim workout.
Back to the training center in Cheju and collect more urine samples.
Eat dinner with the team. Debrief with Sarah about the day’s training, how she is feeling and the next day of training.
Collect and analyze urine samples.
Get Achilles worked out by our unbelievable sports chiropractor (Dr. Alex Keith).
Team staff meeting.
Collect and analyze urine samples.
Check email briefly.
Blog for a bit.
Skype the family.
Check more email.
Go to bed around 11:00pm.
I collect urine samples from our athletes throughout the day to accurately measure their hydration status with a refractometer (measures urine specific gravity) and provide customized fluid replacement strategies. Just to give you an idea of what “presents” I receive from our athletes on a daily basis, I thought I would include this photo.
Wow, I must say that this is a busy schedule but I am so in my element that I absolutely love every minute of it. To be surrounded by our Olympic triathletes and a high-class staff and to be able to provide nutrition expertise to our Olympians and coach a 2008 Olympian is true bliss for me. I would be batting 1000 if I had my wife and kids here! Boy do I miss them a TON!
The big race is in 5 days and counting. I am beginning to think about it quite a bit and am really getting excited for Sarah!
Enjoy some additional photos…
Coach Bob
coachbob@fuel4mance.com
