What Olympian and 70.3 Champion Paula Findlay eats in a day

We catch up with 2012 Olympian and half-distance champion Paula Findlay and learn what a typical COVID-19 training and eating day looks like.

Edmonton’s Paula Findlay has graced more than a few of Triathlon Magazine Canada’s covers over the years, especially during an impressive run in 2010 and 2011 when she won a number of WTS races before injury sidelined her medal hopes for the 2012 games. Over the last few years she’s surged onto the half-distance race scene, though, taking wins at the Ironman 70.3 US Pro Championship in St. George, Utah in 2018 and rounding out the 2019 season with a pair of big wins at Ironman 70.3 Indian Wells and Challenge Daytona.

Watch Paula Findlay and Eric Lagerstrom’s latest Vlog post

We caught up with Findlay this week for a glimpse of what a typical training and diet day looks like during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic:

My training intensity and volume is significantly reduced these days, since racing isn’t on the schedule for a while. Our coach has brought us back into a “base/economy” phase, with a bit of threshold running and big gear intervals on the bike. Overall we’ve lowered training hours (from 25 hrs/week to 15 hrs/week), and swimming is out of the plan right now. Therefore my nutrition and calorie intake throughout the day is different (and slightly less) that usual.

Up at 6am, walk and feed the puppy.

Breakfast: (7am)

-glass of orange juice

-2 pieces of Dave’s Killer Bread toast with Almond butter, honey and sprinkled with 2 tbsp hemp seeds

-coffee (cappuccino with 2% milk)

First workout (9am) 2 hour trainer ride with big gear intervals

-1 Picky Bar and 2 bottles of Skratch

Lunch (11:30am): Turkey wrap: turkey, hummus, spinach, tomato, cucumber

-1 apple

Snack (2pm): 1 piece of toast with peanut butter

-another cappuccino with oat milk

Second Workout (3pm) 1 hr cruise run

45 min core/stretch cords/ strength routine

Post workout: smoothie with almond milk, almond butter, banana, dates, protein powder

Dinner (7pm): Quinoa bowls: spinach, 1 cup quinoa, baked tofu, roasted sweet potato, chopped up peppers, cucumber, corn, beats, with avocado-lime dressing.

Pre-bed snack: Yogurt and granola

Bed: 9:30 pm