The Truth about Halloween Candy

Halloween can be a downright frightful time for the endurance athlete’s diet. Whether you are aiming to maintain your hard-earned race weight or working diligently to avoid off-season weight gain, Halloween and its ghoulish treats can truly sneak up on your waist line. If you scour the internet you’ll find no shortage of ‘eat this, not that’ or ‘which candy is better to eat’ stories. When the candy shows up at your office, screams at you from store shelves or finds its way into your child’s trick or treat bag, you probably aren’t going to spend time analyzing which snack size candy bar is more nutritious. Reality check. Candy isn’t nutritious. It is a treat!  Save some time counting protein and fat grams and navigate the Halloween holiday with these six sensible strategies.

·         If you are welcoming ghosts and goblins to your home on Halloween night consider offering non-candy alternatives. Hand out Halloween themed school supplies like mini-paper pads, pencils, erasers, rulers or stickers. You’ll save kids one less serving of sugar and provide them something useful and unique.  Plus this strategy will help keep left over candy from somehow finding its way into your tummy and spoiling your power-to-weight ratio.

·         Buy candy that won’t tempt your sweet tooth. Everyone knows that it is easy to bust open the candy packages before the first ‘trick or treat’ on October 31^st. Why tempt yourself? If you love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups or Mr. Good Bars don’t buy a 5lb bag of those tasty temptations. Actually don’t buy them at all. Opt for a candy that you think is fun or nostalgic (think Tootsie Rolls or Smarties), but choices that won’t have you sneaking around like a ninja to snag a sugary fix.

·         Have a treat not the whole bag. Everything in moderation, so the saying goes. Enjoy a few of your favorite sweets. Savor them, soak up their non-nutritional wondrous-ness and call it a day. It is no secret that deprivation can cause intense desire and an absolute loss of will-power. Plan ahead, allow yourself a couple of treats and don’t look back. (You don’t want to see what’s chasing you anyway).

·         Portion Control. Over the years Halloween candy sizes have shrunk. Gone are the days of full-size candy bars or even half-sized versions. Today we have ‘bite-sized’ and ‘snack-sized’, perfect for enjoying a taste (not a ton) of yummies. You can probably satisfy your own inner sugar devil with a small sampling of a few candies; those bon bons that you cannot resist. Be mindful of what you eat. More than a few can quickly equal a pile of empty wrappers. Step away from the candy bowl!

·         Out of sight, out of mind. Candy displayed in a festive holiday bowl will tempt and taunt you. Avoid devouring candy before the first goblin shows up at your doorstep by keeping it concealed in the deep, dark recesses of your cabinets. Hide it behind yours canisters of recovery drink, protein bars and gummy this and thats. Bring out your treats when the doorbell rings. Cross your fingers for many ghosts and goblins to take the candy off your hands.

·         Go out on Halloween. If your will power is next to none, don’t risk holiday candy left-overs. Don’t buy it in the first place! Go for a run (if you dare), hit the gym or live a little and go to a Halloween party. Remember, candy eaten while in costume still has calories. Boo-hoo!

6 Reasons - Racing Local Rules!

As we move closer to the end of the 2014 triathlon racing season, it is really easy to get caught up in the race entry frenzy for 2015.  Pushed by the pressure to enter before races sell-out for the biggest, most popular triathlons, it is easy to spend your race entry budget before can realize you don’t even have one! The lure of Ironman branded races or televised events like the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon is undeniable and for good reason, these events are fun and exciting. However, be sure to figure in and support your local multisport events, you’ll be glad you did.

      1. Local races support local causes. More often than not, triathlons in your community support organizations that do good work in your area. Put your race entry money to work. Enter events that give back to your community.

      2. Sleep in your own bed. Multisport racing demands that you be the kind or queen of logistics. From packing your gear, navigating to far off race locations and keeping tight timelines, racing out of your area means sleeping somewhere foreign. Maximize your training, get the best rest you can before race day by choosing some events close to home. You’ll get more restful sleep and likely race faster.

   

3. Learn to win. “Winning” means different things to different athletes. That said if you aim to be on the podium, you need to practice leading and winning. Local, grass-roots, community type races can give you the opportunity to practice skills, pacing and racing strategies. Winning doesn’t happen by accident. Use smaller races or events where you have first-hand course knowledge to hone your craft.

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      4. Family friendly. Chances are you’ll be able to wheel the kids in the stroller unrestricted around the race venue and everyone can get up and close to see the fun of triathlon. You might even be able to carry or run with your tot down the finish chute…a no, no in certain ‘larger’ branded events.

         

          5. The Expo. Smaller independent races feature local businesses in the expo. Explore companies that support your multisport habit right in your own backyard. Sample their products and services.  Feel good about patronizing small businesses that want to support you and your triathlon habit.

      6. Schwag and awards. If you aren’t used to climbing atop the podium, you might be surprised to be a big fish in a small pond at your hometown triathlon. Even if you don’t find yourself in one of the top few places in your age group, you might snag some race schwag. Most local events have a raffle or schwag giveaway featuring products from local businesses. Just remember, if you win something, it is nice to thank the folks who provided your prize or goodies.

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Rachel Sears Casanta is a retired professional triathlete, USA Triathlon Level II coach, freelance writer and co-founder of Hypercat Racing, a bike fit and retail coaching studio based in Ventura, Calif.