Interestingly, Ross doesn’t really consider himself a runner
despite having run the 2014 Boston Marathon, Ironman 70.3 Maine in 2017, and is now training for not only the Falmouth
Road Race, but also Pumpkinman 70.3 in September, the B.A.A. Half Marathon in
October, and the Cambridge Half Marathon in November. Still, he considers himself a triathlete,
skier, rugby player, and CrossFit athlete.
He says he has a deep sense of self-motivation and internal competition. He has a persistent drive to beat his
personal best and to not only reach, but also to exceed goals he previously
thought unattainable.
As he described the value beef brings to his training
regimen, Ross shared the following words with us:
Working
for some time in sports science and specifically sports nutrition, when it
comes to training, my approach is somewhat scientific. I know that success
doesn’t come from simply swimming laps or putting miles on my shoes or tires.
While those metrics are important, they are only half of the equation. After
all, when it comes to performance, your body is your engine and it must be
fueled properly.
This
couldn’t have been crystallized better for me when training for my first Half
Ironman. Over the course of training and the many miles pounding the pavement,
I saw my ferritin (iron storage) levels slowly trend downward. I knew that was
a problem I couldn’t let continue. You see, when you run, especially long
distances, your foot striking the ground is crushing red blood cells and
depleting your iron levels. What’s the best way to get those levels back up?
You guessed it, beef! Naturally, I introduced more lean cuts of beef into my
diet and saw my numbers and energy/recovery time begin to rebound. A miraculous
and tasty cure!
Now,
while beef plays a regular role in my diet, I increase my intake during heavy
training periods and am often asked by others whether they should do the same
(thanks to my aforementioned job, I get asked quite often). I’m always sure to
inform them that they should have lean red meat in their diet and I teach them
another trick I’ve learned along the way… never drink coffee or tea within an
hour of eating an iron-rich meal (before or after) as the tannins in the
beverage stop your body from absorbing the iron, thus negating the whole point
of the meal – optimized fuel for your training!
Stay tuned to the Northeast Beef Promo
Facebook
and
Instagram pages
to follow along in the 2019 Falmouth Road Race on August 18 to see how the race
goes for Ross!
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