A Dash of Dana

Cheers to 34 hubby 🧁

This year has been huge for you & to say I am proud is an understatement. You have:
📚 gone back to school to excel in a career you love
🏈 coached football + mentored an amazing group of kiddos
💗we got married + shared our love in front of so many of our closest family and friends
🚘 so much travel + endless support for all of my races - I cannot thank you enough

Thank you for being a true partner in life and my best friend. I love you most!

Sunday Runday 🏃‍♀️

Zeal Saturday Run 🏃🏼‍♀️with some of the girls!

Uphill running is a powerful way to work on both form and speed.

Cues to think about as you are running your hills:
• tight core
• foot strike under you - power to the pavement (or dirt)
• big arm swing to match the grade of your hill - think of swinging front and back from the shoulders, bringing forearms parallel to the grade
• slight lean from your hips into the hill. Keep your chest open and forward so you aren’t hunched over.
• push off the ground through your glutes

I love cycling the sessions in with athletes at beginning of the season as we are reintroducing some speed, new to speed, working in form specifics, & building some power into their stride.

Personally, uphill running is one of my favorite sessions. Spicy to the core but so sweet on the finish!

It’s race week!!
I am feeling so grateful for the opportunity to toe another start line with incredible athletes.

Final 70.3 of the 2024 season and I am going in with:
🔬Focus
💥Grit
⚡️Curiosity
❤️ Heart

Who will be out there racing this weekend?

In the endurance world, it is well known that carbohydrates fuel our muscles for training, performance, and recovery.

Fasting is a practice that has been presented as a strategy for endurance athletes to improve fat oxidation (or use of fat for fuel) during training and racing for mental focus and weight loss. Fasting is a not a new practice. It is a lifestyle strategy that has been adopted as a therapeutic intervention for the management of several chronic diseases and health in the general population.

However, combining fasting and exercise (aka fasted workouts) is a questionable practice for endurance athletes.

Read about it :)

To Fast or Not to Fast? Dana Eshelman, MS, RDN, CSSDIn the endurance world, it is well known that carbohydrates fuel our muscles for training, performance, and recovery. New practices are rearing their head in among the endurance community including intermittent fasting (IF), fasted workouts, and glycogen depleted workouts...

Race peak weeks are ahead of me and I am feeling all the feels!
Hungry for the hard work ahead.
Curious to test my mind and body.
Grateful for the endless love, support, encouragement, and inspiration from Corey, my family, my friends, and the whole Zeal Endurance team. This sport truly takes a village 💕

I have learned (for me) in these peak weeks of training it is helpful to focus on one session at a time - sometimes breaking these sessions into bit sized pieces (ie one rep at a time) - to give 100% in that moment.

I lean a little bit more on convenience foods — frozen veggies and fruits, canned beans, canned tuna and salmon, 90 second rice, bread, tortillas, nuts and seeds, nut butters, rotisserie chicken and the like to ensure I am keeping my nutrition up despite having less time for food prep.

I continue to hit 60+ grams of carbs during my training sessions and fine tune my race fueling + hydration strategy.

I prioritize sleep & aim for 9+ hours. Sleep is when your body has an opportunity to have uninterrupted recovery. I have noticed, this year especially, that inadequate sleep really plummets my performance!

What are you doing in your peak week(s) to ensure you can execute those quality sessions, recover well, and fuel fiercely?!

📸

Now announcing Mr. & Mrs. Sowards 🥳🤍🥰

We are still on cloud 9 after our wedding day!

We are beyond blessed to have the opportunity to share this moment with our friends and family. Thank you all for making our day so special 🥰

📸

Hey babo! See you at the alter in 1 WEEK 💗

I’ll be the one in white 😘

📸

Sedona Bachelorette weekend 🥰

Feeling so thankful to celebrate with these girls! T minus 3 weeks before we say I DO!

SHOUT OUT to Zeal Endurance Athlete, Allison, who completed her first 70.3 today!

She has shown up to every training session with a positive attitude, eager to learn, and ready to take on a new challenge. So grateful to have the opportunity to be your coach!!

I cannot wait to see what lies ahead! I am so proud of you!!

Happy Mother’s Day to these Queens! 🌻

Mama bear, thank you for your patience, super mom powers (seriously have no idea how you do it all), charisma… the list goes on. I would not be where I am today without you.

Kal and Saigey, it has been so special to see you two become mamas (& gift me the CUTEST 🥰 nieces out there)!! Scroll to see 👉

You two are amazing moms to your daughters. I can’t wait to share being a mama with you someday!

Love you three endlessly!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas 💕

The St. George course is challenging, brings unknown elements, and fierce competition, but the beauty is unmatched!

My previous attempt at this course was 70.3 Worlds back in 2022. 🥶 Those that raced that year remember how cold it was?!

In 2022, I finished the race in 5:22. It was not the performance I showed up for. This year, I made a goal of racing each discipline smart and believing in myself. I came across the finish line at 4:54 🥰😭

I was surprisingly calm the morning of the race. Some normal nerves but mostly excited!

Standing in the corral for the swim, I listened to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” play, took a few deep breaths, and entered race mode. I was ready! I heard the “beep, beep, beep” as racers entered the water. It was go time! My beep went off to enter the water & I dove in. The way out was calm and I was able to find a consistent stroke. As I rounded the first turn buoy I hit some congestion, then the second turn buoy, more congestion. The way back to the swim exit was bobbing and weaving through swimmers through the last 800m. I was excited to exit the swim 🏊‍♀️

The bike is an area I am still developing in and learning how to push myself. I allowed myself to give into some self doubt early on the bike course when a guy rode up next to me around mile 10 saying, “You are so powerful!” After giving me the rundown of the course geographically. “Go get it girl.” Thank you, sir! Thinking 💭 to myself, “let’s freaking go!” And, I started to actually race — pushing the uphills, getting as aero as I can while flying downhill, and getting uncomfortable. At the bottom of snow canyon, I had another bout of self doubt. But climbing is my strength… and I was almost to the finish. I’m it giving in now.

I got off the bike with some wobbly legs and uncertain of what I would be able to do in the run but swallowed that uncertainty. Time to fly, girlfriend!

Continued 👇

Just 9️⃣0️⃣ days 👰🏼‍♀️🤵🏻

My performance at Oceanside 70.3 is not only a reflection of the work I put in but of ALL of the support that surrounds me!

I want to extend HUGE thank yous to all that have allowed space for me to have a dedicated off season to hone in on my areas of weakness.

Coach Dee - You are a role model + inspiration, you see me + support me as a whole person and know exactly how to challenge me to help me reach my goals!

Coach Eric - my swim was not reflective of the gains I have seen in the pool, but I am excited to see this executed in a couple weeks.

Corey 💍and Nala 🐶 for living it ALL alongside me (the highs and lows) & continuing to support me

My family for supporting my huge love for triathlon

My incredible friends for being there with me ( and ), tracking, checking in, & reminding me to have a blast out there.

Some of my sports nutrition faves ( , and ) that allow me to so I can continue to show up in training and life.

The endless support from everyone here 🫶

Getting back to work for St George 70.3 in a few weeks!

Xoxo 😘

Happy [BELATED] Birthday 🥳

A Dash of Dana is 4 Years Old!

A Dash of Dana is 4!! DDN turned 4 on the 4th & we want to thank you

Hello all!

Please give my new instagram page a follow for all things sports nutrition 💗

https://www.instagram.com/a.dash.of.dana/

This is your reminder to hydrate during that time of the month!💧 Hydration is key to supporting our body in all it does, including menstruation.

Research suggests that water intake can have a modifying role in reducing menstrual bleeding duration and PMS symptoms like cramping, bloating, fatigue, etc.

Here are a few tips for staying hydrated during that time of the month:

🍵Drink warm fluids like herbal teas and broths
⏲️Keep track of how much water you’re drinking throughout the day
🥕Make homemade soups packed with veggies
☕Limit caffeine and/or drink water before having coffee
💧Carry a water bottle around with you
🍋Drink lukewarm water with lemon if you find it difficult to drink cold water
🍓 Include protein smoothies in your routine

Keep in mind, the best way to tell if you are hydrated is by checking the color of your urine. Aim for a light lemonade color for optimal hydration and a baseline fluid intake of 1/2 your body weight in pounds in ounces of water per day.

How are you staying hydrated?
👇

The A Dash of Dana Performance Nutrition (DDN) Team is here for you in a variety of settings:

👩🏼‍💻1:1 Coaching - this is a deep dive into your nutrition and lifestyle. We will work together toward your goals by building a sustainable + realistic nutrition plan that makes you feel your best in both sport and life.

🌻DDN Insiders Membership Program - this is a ton of value in a group setting where you can attend Q&A sessions with your dietitians, workshops, mini-masterclasses, and have access to the DDN video library.

🧪Functional Testing - DDN has the availability to do all the detective work for you and truly optimize health from a whole body approach!

📚Self-Paced Programs (Coming Spring 2024) - this is a great option for someone wanting to learn more on your own time!

🗣️Team Talks - coaches, trainers, parents, athletic directors and anyone involved with athletes, nutrition is a prime component of athletic performance, recovery, health and longevity. We are here to bring awareness of the importance of nutrition as an athlete!

If you are interested in working with Dana or Jane, please introduce yourself to us - send a DM or email to [email protected]! We cannot wait to meet you!

Happy RD day to all of our fellow dietitians and to our followers! Thank you for leaning into learning and educating yourself as an athlete!

Cheers to another year of improving your health and performance as you with A Dash of Dana!

It’s normal to experience suppressed hunger cues from time to time.
You might feel less hungry when you first wake up, after a workout, when you’re busy or preoccupied with work, or when intense emotions come up.

This does not mean you do not need to support your body. We dive deep into this in our RED-S Master Class Thursday 3/14 at 7pm mst

💥Sign up here: https://l.bttr.to/MxsF0

Here’s what’s up:
Our bodies run on energy and that energy is food (not caffeine 😘)⚡ Even when your appetite is low, your body still needs fuel to support everything it does day in and day out.

Your meals and snacks don’t have to be perfect (after all, there is no such thing as the perfect meal). Focus on choosing foods that sound most appetizing to you in the moment. Eating something, regardless of what it is, is far more important than not eating at all.

A few foods I love to lean on when I notice my appetite is low but I still need to eat include:
🍓Fruit smoothies (DM me for my FREE smoothie guide)
🍞Toast with butter and eggs + fruit
🥣Yogurt + granola
🥯Bagels with cream cheese + shredded chicken or peanut butter
🧀Cheese + crackers
🫓Quesadillas with salsa and guac
🥤Protein shake + fruit
🍫Chocolate milk

Understanding how to adequately fuel and support your body as an athlete is so important.

Our REDS workshop provides you with the knowledge and resources you need to fuel your body and support it in all you love doing each day.

Sign up here: https://l.bttr.to/MxsF0

Navigating negative body image is no small feat. At the end of the day we all just want to feel comfortable in our own skin!

However, when we put too much pressure on ourselves to look a certain way and try to conform our bodies to fit society’s unrealistic beauty standards, we are often left with feelings of inadequacy, low self esteem, shame, etc. This is also when bigger issues like calorie restriction, disordered eating, and eating disorders start to arise.

Our REDS workshop dives into navigating negative body image as an athlete and teaches you how to fuel and nourish your body so you can thrive in everything you do!

Sign up here:
https://l.bttr.to/MxsF0

When negative body image thoughts & feeling creep in, I challenge you to practice reframing them with something positive about you (it does not necessarily have to be body related).

Learning to love and accept your body does not happen overnight. It’s a practice that requires consistency, time, and a lot of grace for yourself in the process… & guess what?! You do not have to LOVE every bit of your body.
You simply need to accept it.

If you are struggling with negative body image, eating disorder, disordered eating, we are here to support you & provide necessary resources to you!♥️

HEYO 👋 I have got a secret for you if you are looking to reach your peak performance potential...
🔊 It’s CARBS!
Carbs are where the magic happens.

I know I talk about this a lot here, but it is because I continue to see + hear this fear of including carbs.
Fear of adding ✨SUGAR✨ before, during and/or after training.
Fear of sports nutrition products because of the ✨ADDED SUGAR✨

Guess what!?
Research (and human physiology) continue to show the body literally NEEDS carbohydrate (SUGAR) to hit peak performances. We can hang out in the “fat burning zone” all day long.... but go try and take off on a sprint or climb up a mountain without hitting a wall.
You can’t.

Choose carbs!
Fuel fiercely to support your performance potential!

What’s your fave pre workout meal? 👇

A Dash of Dana is hosting a workshop on relative energy deficiency in sport (REDS) on March 14th at 7pm mst.

Register Here:
https://l.bttr.to/MxsF0

This course is for athletes, coaches, parents of athletes, athletic directors, and anyone in connection with an athlete that wants to understand how to BEST support your/ their body in both health and sport!

Prevention is KEY here and knowledge is power!
Be sure you have the tools you need as a supporter of an athlete and/or as an athlete to perform at your peak potential!

Practice Better Practice management for wellness professionals