Award-Winning Businesswoman to Triathlete: Why Winging It with Nutrition Didn’t Work for Jo Hurley

Today I’m chatting with Jo Hurley, mum of 4, Award-Winning Businesswoman and determined triathlete, who started her triathlon journey completely winging her nutrition. 

You wouldn't show up to a race without training. You wouldn't tackle an Ironman without a pacing strategy. So why are you still winging it with your nutrition? 

I see it so often - talented triathletes meticulously tracking every training metric while completely guessing their way through fuelling. They take supplements they think they need and fuel their bodies based on nutrition plans that haven't been developed for their specific bodies.

After decades of working hard and smart in business, Jo found herself in early retirement with the schedule most triathletes dream of - the ability to train like a pro. But even with a solid commitment to training and a rock strong mindset, a major piece of the puzzle was missing: The right nutrition plan.

Jo shares why her haphazard approach to fuelling was detrimental to her training and her longevity goals and how joining the Triathlon Nutrition Academy (TNA) to learn about proper fuelling has taken her to the next level in training, recovery and performance.

 

A solid nutrition plan to fuel your body

As a highly successful accountant in the self managed super fund industry, Jo knew the importance of strategic planning in business. But when it came to fuelling her triathlon journey, she had no idea what she was doing. Despite her natural athleticism, her quarterly DEXA scans were showing an increase in visceral fat levels, courtesy of a high fat, low-carb diet that simply wasn't serving her training needs.

Like many triathletes I work with, Jo discovered that copying nutrition advice from others – particularly male training partners – was a fast track to underperformance. What worked for the 90kg male smashing his ironman training simply wasn't right for her body and her goals. 

 

Underfuelling and lack of recovery

Joining TNA marked a pivotal shift in Jo's approach. Her biggest breakthrough? Understanding that under-fuelling wasn't just affecting her performance – it was impacting her health. The right nutrition strategy isn't about restriction; it's about strategic fuelling for both training demands and overall wellbeing.

Reflecting back on the early days of her triathlon journey and the mistakes she made with her fuelling and recovery, Jo is a huge advocate for building a nutrition strategy as early in your triathlon journey as possible. 

Now, armed with the knowledge she has gained in just phase one of the Triathlon Nutrition Academy program, Jo is throwing herself into local and international events with newfound confidence and energy. 

She just completed  Geelong 70.3 and has one of the fullest race calendars I’ve ever seen. With her strategic nutrition plan in place and the incredible support from the TNA community, I can’t wait to see where Jo’s triathlon journey takes her.

LINKS:

Jo Hurley Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johurley_/

 

Download the FREE 5-part audio series The 5 Biggest Nutrition Mistakes Costing You Time on Race Day https://www.dietitianapproved.com/mistakes

 

Join the Triathlon Nutrition Academy: www.dietitianapproved.com/academy 

Support the TNA Podcast: https://www.dietitianapproved.com/legend

Check how well you’re doing when it comes to your nutrition with our 50 step checklist to Triathlon Nutrition Mastery: dietitianapproved.com/checklist

 

Start working on your nutrition now with my Triathlon Nutrition Kickstart course: dietitianapproved.com/kickstart

It’s for you if you’re a triathlete and you feel like you’ve got your training under control and you’re ready to layer in your nutrition. It's your warmup on the path to becoming a SUPERCHARGED triathlete – woohoo!

Website: www.dietitianapproved.com

Instagram: @Dietitian.Approved  @triathlonnutritionacademy

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