Q&A with Lisa Roberts, Sponsored Professional Triathlete

Q: Background/Intro: Tell us a little about yourself and your triathlon career/background. How long have you been competing and what is your focus?
A: I have been competing in triathlon since 2002 and professionally since 2009.  I came from a distance running background, running collegiate track and cross country in Illinois.  My focus is the long distance triathlons, mainly half-iron and iron-distance races.

Q: Where are we in the season schedule? What have you raced so far and what’s coming on the schedule?
A: So far I have only raced a few bike races and it is early triathlon season.  I have been healing a foot stress fracture during the winter, but now that I’m on the mend for running, I plan to race 70.3 North American Pro Championship in St. George, Utah, on May 6.

Q: Nutrition: Discuss the role of proper nutrition in your training and racing. What are some strategies you employ to ensure your body gets the nutrition necessary to be successful?
A: Proper nutrition is every bit, if not more important than the training itself. Without the proper fuel, I have no hope of getting good, hard, consistent training in every day.  I am big on meal planning and scheduling so I have the right type and amount of nutrition available whenever I need it – even if I’m traveling or during hectic days of training.

Q: Do you have specific macro/micronutrient requirements during the season and how do you achieve them?
A:  My macronutrient needs shift from off-season to racing season, mainly in the fact that carbohydrates start to play a bigger role in the racing season. In addition, I am always keeping tabs on my B vitamins, vitamin D, K, A & E, as well as iron and calcium.  Since I am convinced that a vitamin D deficiency played a very big role in my foot stress fracture, I have gotten myself out of that deficit by using the Klean-D™ supplement and Klean Multivitamin™ I also eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to get as much as possible from real food.

Q: How do you use food and nutritional products to complement your training and racing?
A: I make rice cakes with peanut butter & jelly filling and also use a variety of gels and other quick energy sources, depending on the workout length and intensity.  I add a scoop of Klean BCAA + Peak ATP^® to my workout drinks and when the weather heats up I’m sure to take Klean Electrolyte™ pills to keep in balance.

Q: What are your typical pre-, during and postrace fueling strategies and how do they differ?
A: My prerace fueling is focused on easily digested carbohydrates and some slower-burning nut butters.  Hydration and electrolyte balance is key during a race, as well as keeping the energy coming with simple carbohydrates so I don’t bottom out or get too far in a calorie deficit (for the long races there will always be a deficit, since we can only uptake so many calories/hour!)  Postrace is all about recovery and repairing the inherent muscle damage caused by racing, so there will be a greater focus on proteins then.

Q: What’s the most important nutritional advice you’d give to an athlete new to the sport?
A: Your body needs the proper energy before and during workouts so you can get the training in, so don’t starve it of those needs.  Practice a variety of nutrition types, timing and amounts, and keep track of it during your training so you can figure out what works and doesn’t work.  Always go into your training and racing with a nutrition plan – don’t just ‘wing it’.

Q: Race prep, gear and motivation: Do you have any prerace rituals?
A: I always sit on the ground next to my bike after I’ve set everything up, close my eyes, and just let the bustling sounds of the transition area buzz around me. It helps to get me centered.

Q: What is the best piece of triathlon advice you’ve received?
A: To wear my running socks for a few minutes before putting them with my running shoes in transition.  This way they’ve formed to my feet a little bit and are easy to get on.

Q: What are your favorite tips for getting motivated on the days you feel sluggish or can’t seem to get rolling?
A: I don’t focus on ‘getting motivated’ on those days.  It seems too monumental a task at that point.  What I do is start simple: that might be just putting my swimsuit on or start out the door by walking.  Every time I start at the most basic level, I always end up getting on with the workout.

Q: What are your most essential pieces of training gear or tools you use that you just can’t be successful without?
A: I couldn’t be successful without a pair of comfortable, proper-fitting shoes. And fun socks. Everybody needs fun socks to wear.

Q: Clean Sport: Talk a bit about the clean sport movement and what competing clean means to you?
A: Competing clean is a no-brainer for me and always has been.  But, nowadays that means I need to be extra vigilant about where the products I use come from and how they are processed.  I can never make assumptions about the quality of anything unless I’ve done my homework first.

Q: How do you ensure that you are competing clean and what tactics do you use to guarantee it?
A: I ask questions and research the products I use to guarantee they are clean.  Products that go the extra mile to gain the NSF^® certification is a plus for me, but I always follow up with additional questions to be sure.  Simply put, if I can’t talk to someone directly about how and where a product is made, I do not use it.  This goes for race day on-course offerings too.  It is a time-consuming process, but it is something I do to ensure I compete clean.

Q: Why are you a Klean Athlete?
A:  I am a Klean Athlete because I believe in the products they make.  They, too, are athletes and they hold their products in the highest regard for clean sport.  They don’t make false claims and they put the athlete’s needs at the forefront so we can train and race at our very best each day.  Also, I know that if I call or email them with a question, they get right back to me with answers.

You can follow Lisa on

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.ribes
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisarobertstri
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisarobertstri/