Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Introduce us to a day in the life of an athlete, preparing for the Olympic Games.
Ms. Genevieve LaCaze:
I tend to stick to a very basic routine day in and day out. When preparing for such an important event like the Olympics, you want to get as much out of your day as possible but also recover and remain fresh to continue the intense workload and not burn out. I usually wake up between 7:30-8:00am, have a pre-run snack, do my run/workout, then have my post session drink which is a new brand of protein water called IONX to get 30g of protein and recover. At about midday I have a big lunch. Mid afternoon I will go lift at the gym and do any little rehab exercises and strength work I have on my program. I will usually have an afternoon snack and run or cross train again at 5:30pm. About twice a week I will schedule a massage to loosen the body but other than that I am trying to relax, rest and refuel my body as much as possible so I can repeat my routine daily.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine that you may like to share?
Ms. Genevieve LaCaze:
I believe the secret for female athletes is lifting. Generally we don’t bulk or have as much natural muscle as male athletes so weights and gym are essential. When I went to college, my weight coach there would help the football and swimming team with their programs. We later were introduced to the lifting program and it made me so much stronger and leaner for running. Many runners shy away from weights because they think we don’t need muscle and need to stay light but I do a lot of lifting to stay strong, durable and help my body stay lean while gaining strength.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. Genevieve LaCaze:
Most of the year I really focus on eating ‘clean’. This just means a lot of veggies, plenty of protein, and carbs that my body can easily digest like rice and quinoa. Now and then I’ll treat myself to fresh bread and butter but I tend to avoid gluten if possible. I would say I am mainly my strictest in competition season, the rest of the year I allow myself to have treats more often. I love my sweets. I don’t ban myself from certain things and keep my diet very diverse. I find it’s very important as an elite athlete to stay mentally relaxed. If that means a glass of red wine on a Saturday night, that’s fine!
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