Laarni Paredes spills the beans on juggling career, being a mom and finishing the hardest triathlon in the world.

Laarni Paredes is not your regular work-at-home mom. She can swim 4km, bike for 180km, run 42km and is a consistent podium finisher in running and triathlon events.  She is also a qualifier and finisher of the Ford Ironman World Championship, and a 7 time full IronMan finisher.

And as if that’s not enough, she recently became the first Filipina to finish the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon last August 5, 2017.

The Norseman Extreme Triathlon is dubbed by many as the hardest triathlon in the world.

It takes the full Iron Man distance to another level of torture as the swim is done in 13 degrees celsius and below, the race starts by jumping off a boat and swimming to shore.  


The bike ride has a total elevation gain of a little more than 3,000 meters going uphill and down, and the marathon run will have you running uphill with an elevation gain of 750-1500 meters including the infamous Zombie Hill, which is so steep you will regress from running to walking like zombie.

That makes Laarni Paredes a #CertifiedMamaw

During Herbalife’s pressconference, I got a chance to ask Laarni about her training, how she juggles working, being a mom and being a top athlete for Herbalife’s triathlon team together with her husband. 

Here's a snap shot of Laarni's typical day, life and training:

On juggling a full-time job, being a mom and triathlon training

It helps that her husband Omar is also a triathlete, so they both understand the level of sacrifice and healthy lifestyle one needs to have in order to maintain top condition. 

Laarni works as a home-based digital content manager and most of her work hours are at night. In the morning, she makes breakfast for her 5 year old daughter, sends her to school and as soon as she gets home, she starts her training. She does light workout in the morning and reserves the hard part of her workout late in the afternoon to the evening.

Mileage

For a full triathlon training, she did eight 180 km bike rides and runs 60 to 70 total km per week including 32 km long easy runs. And in the final weeks before race day she includes hill runs aside from the swim and interval work.

Injury prevention

She keeps away from injury by listening to her body and backing away from the intensity of training by taking it easy but keeping the volume or by focusing on the other aspects of the triathlon, the moment she feels any kind of pain.


Mindset and race strategy

“Kung kakayanin ng lalake, kaya din ng babae” 

What motivated her to do the race and what kept her going during the times in the race where she felt like giving up:

 

"Inisip ko lang yung mga taong nag-support and nag-offer ng prayer"  

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Her race strategy was to keep an even pace throughout, especially on the hills where it was critical to conserve energy as much as possible.

On how she endured the extreme cold

Although the bulk of her training was done in the Philippines, she stayed in Norway 5 weeks before the race to acclimatize to the extreme weather. She trained in Mt. Makiling and the mountains of Baguio to prepare her for the five mountain passes on the bike leg. 

She was also more prepared and confident learning from Omar’s mistakes and experience with the race (her husband who was the first Filipino to finish the race last year… making them the first couple Filipino finishers of the Isklar Norway Extreme triathlon)

Laarni also read the book “Becoming the Iceman” by Wim Hoff and implemented his protocols using cold thermogenesis and breathing techniques to boost her immune system and endure extreme temperatures.. 

During the race, she ended up using 4 layers gloves as she needed to change gloves every time it would get wet and iced up due to the extreme weather.

When Laarni started having difficulty gripping and using the brakes of her bike as her hands started getting numb, Omar came up with an idea to make her wear dish washing gloves inside on top of the other gloves to keep the ice and water in check and it worked perfectly preventing her hands from succumbing to frost bites.

What’s next for Laarni?

Right now her priority is to sleep and recover and go back to being a mom. Her husband also implied that they were planning to include another child in the team. 

Nomnomnom...
 We got a taste of  Herbalife's new cookies and cream flavored nutrition shake and a shot of aloevera concentrate as we raised our glasses in celebration of Laarni's triumph

Laarni used Herbalife's comprehensive performance nutrition line of products to help her get ready, get set and get fit. Balanced with carbohydrates, protein , vitamins and minerals, it provides optimal recovery and fuel for athletes to help you go beyond the finish line.

Addicted To Coffee: How To Reset Your Tolerance To Caffeine And Still Get The Kick Of Coffee And All Its Heavenly Glory

If you’re in love with coffee and all the goodness that comes with it, but want to break free of your increasing caffeine dependence and all its deleterious effects, this post will show you how...

The verdict on coffee: Is it good or bad?

Recent studies concluded that “the relationships between caffeine and coffee intakes and telomere length, shows that as caffeine intake increases, telomeres tend to be shorter in U.S. adults. On the other hand, this investigation indicates that as coffee intake increases, telomeres tend to be longer. Because telomere length is a biomarker of the senescence of cells, the present findings suggest that cell aging may be accelerated in U.S. adults as caffeine intake increases, but may be decelerated as coffee consumption increases.”

https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12986-017-0162-x

So coffee can jncreases your lifespan and shorten it at the same time!?!

Coffee extends telomere length found in your genes which is correlated with lifespan and longevity but not caffeine ( increase intake of caffeine actually shortens your life)

The anti oxidants in coffee could be responsible for the health benefits but long term caffeine use could lead to adrenal fatigue, caffeine addiction, increased tolerance and a host of other negative side effects.

Confessions of a coffee lover

I love coffee. In fact I’m willing to sacrifice a little bit of my lifespan (more specifically telomeres) just to enjoy the aroma and taste of a strong full bodied coffee and the extra kick I get from the caffeine as part of my morning routine right before I go for an easy run. 

It’s my pre workout drink… and sometimes my post work out drink and my afternoon delight.

One does not simply... go caffeine free

However, I’m a slow caffeine metabolizer. Other people can drink coffee at night and have no trouble sleeping even just after a few minutes. If you’re a slow caffeine metabolizer you should stay away from caffeine at least 9 hours before your bed time for any hopes of getting a good night sleep.

And If you’re an avid coffee drinker and you can’t let go of coffee and caffeine like me, it’s recommended you still go caffeine free for a week out of every month to reset your brain’s tolerance to coffee and get the same kick from caffeine on small doses otherwise you will fall in a downward spiral of caffeine addiction and adrenal fatigue in the long run.

How you get your (fake???) energy from caffeine

The hormone adenosine is what tells the brain that you are tired and what caffeine does is block your brain’s cell receptors for adenosine so you don’t feel the fatigue and tiredness.

Caffeine also tells your brain to release hormones that tell your adrenal glands to produce the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline which triggers a "fight or flight" response hence the boost blood supply, alertness and increased heart rate.

It’s not a problem with occasional cups of coffee but if you use caffeine (which is present not just in coffee but in a lot of energy drinks and workout supplement) for your pre-workouts or find yourself relying on coffee just to be able to function well, you will find you need more and more to “get a kick” and over the long run this is what can cause adrenal fatigue.

The good news

You just need to take a break from caffeine for a week out of every month to reset your brain and get prevent caffeine intolerance. IN as little as 7 to 12 days, your adenosine receptors start going back to normal and heighten your sensitivity to caffeine back to normal.

To decaf or not to decaf

If your trying to curb caffeine consumption and tried the decaf route, you would have quickly found out it's not the same as a good'ole brewed coffee. 

And according to Jeffrey Rose, clinical hypnotist and a nutritionist:

“Some people might think of trying decaf during the weaning period. But it is important to keep in mind that most decaf, even some that say “naturally decaffeinated” on the container, has been made with solvents such as methylene chloride, and a significant amount of these toxic chemicals are left as a residue on the newly decaffeinated coffee making it unhealthy. Decaf coffee is also highly acidic and many feel that because of this, it is not health promoting. "

A better alternative

Going for coffee substitutes may be the best decision you can do today for your health. Right now my favorite go to drink when I’m craving for coffee at night or when I'm on a 1 week caffeine detox is Barlico. 

It taste just like coffee but it’s actually made of 2 super food ingredients, barley and chicory.  And it’s100% caffeine free but I still get a different kind of boost in energy which is more stable and without the caffeine crash. 

The ‘kick’ that you get from Barlico comes from energy in natural and plant based sources, and not from caffeine.

Barley is one of the most widely consumed cereal grains in the world. It has high fiber content, loads of vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants that help with heart health issues and diabetes. 

On the other hand, chicory a close relative of lettuce and cabbage, has woody and fibrous roots that have a similar flavor as coffee when roasted and brewed. Among its many benefits include better gall bladder and liver function, improved bone health and more effective absorption of calcium by the body.

Sasja Mulder, CEO of Densworth Corporation is on top of her game and drinks Barlico to keep her mind and body sharp.

New mommy Ruffa Mae Quinto 
Barley and chicory is great for pregnant and breastfeeding moms! 

Zahra Bianca Saldua, Ms. World 2013 runner up, founder and CEO of ZS Professional Hosts Events Specialists.
Ms Zee drinks Barlico on an intermittent fasting protocol to keep her sane and gives her a pre workout  energy boost