This summer we have 500 athletes following ELITEAM’s new “Dig Deep” Online Summer Training Program. With so many athletes working hard, striving to reach their goals and dreaming of the podium, we thought it fitting to give them a look behind the curtains to see what it takes to make it. Our “Summer Training Series” continues with a feature on an ELITEAM Alum recently named to the US Ski Team, Jimmy Krupka.
Jimmy will be traveling and training with the B Team this year. He generously took the time to document one full day of workouts, nutrition and mental skills training to share with us. What does a typical day look like for a top level athlete? Read on to experience “a day in the life” of a top athlete pursuing his dreams.
A Day in the Life…
While training in Park City, Utah this summer, Jimmy takes us through his “fuel” on a heavy training day with double workouts. He shares his food diary for the day, the four nutrition rules he follows, and the dietary lessons he has learned along the way.
Jimmy’s Nutrition Journal
Time to Fuel Up!
7:30am Breakfast: a large bowl of fiber-rich, filling cereal, and some berries, as well as a water bottle with electrolytes to get a head-start on hydration for the day. Also, some general vitamins and supplements.
(Note: if I was skiing, or going for a long hike/bike, I would make a bigger breakfast with eggs and bacon, and toast. But knowing that I would be eating again shortly, I only had a small breakfast).
10:00am Post-workout protein: today, it was a 20g protein bar immediately after the workout—other days, it’s a protein shake, a big bowl of greek yogurt, or a tall glass of chocolate milk
(Note: basically, to rebuild, you need protein—and as soon as possible. I had a second workout today, so it was especially important)
12:30pm Lunch: Big plate of salad, and a large bowl of of Annie’s mac n cheese.
3:00pm Workout: packed some fruit snacks and a bar. On long workouts, your body needs sugar to work most effectively (it has to do with the Krebs cycle, if you know anything about that).
4:30pm Post workout protein, again.
7:00pm Dinner: Tacos! With beans, greens, tomatoes, cheddar cheese (high-protein, low lactose), good taco meat, and salsa. Plus a large glass of milk.
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Overall Nutrition Thoughts
As an elite athlete, how important is nutrition to you and how do you approach nutrition in general?
To be honest, I don’t spend a ton of time thinking about nutrition. I just have a few rules: (1) Eat what makes me feel good. As in, I know too much lactose, a greasy hamburger, or too much sugar make me feel crappy—so I avoid those. (2) Eat my greens. Sometimes that requires extra effort and planning. (3) Protein after workouts, hydration throughout the day (4) Avoid highly-processed foods when you can.
What is your advice to young athletes when it comes to proper nutrition?
Start with my rules! The first one is most important—try writing down what you eat for a week, and when you feel crappy and when you feel good.
How has your nutrition changed over time? What nutrition mistakes have you made?
My first year in high school, I lived on campus and got to buy my own food from the supermarket for the first time. Naturally, I snacked on massive bags of Twizzlers, and ate microwave popcorn for breakfast. It was the worst season of my career. Changing eating habits is hard, but I was motivated to change to not only perform better physically, but also to feel better.
A big thank you to Jimmy for sharing his food diary, fueling strategies and nutrition advice with us. And to all the young athletes out there, take it from Jimmy… food matters, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Follow a few basic rules, and you’re good to go!
Check out Jimmy’s Double Workout Day and Mental Skills Training too!
Follow Jimmy’s adventures, training and progress on Instagram @jimmy_who_.
