We lived like an Olympian for a day: here’s how it went
As we cheer on Team Canada athletes at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, it’s sometimes interesting to think about what exactly goes into being an Olympian — I usually have this thought while I’m on the couch with a bowl of chips watching my favourite sports.
To celebrate the onset of the Olympic Winter Games and grow an even deeper respect for professional athletes, we thought, let’s actually give it a go; let’s dive into the world of Olympians and see if we can actually live in their shoes for the day.
With the help of Kraft Peanut Butter — a proud partner and the official peanut butter of Team Canada, helping to ensure our athletes are well-equipped with much-needed nourishment — I swapped out my usual Saturday sleep-in for an early morning wake-up, my usual cheat-day with eating like an athlete, and my maybe hour-long workout, with a literal day full of exercise.
So who thinks I made it out alright? Place your bets now.
Morning yoga sesh @ 5:30 am
Early morning yoga with the pup (Jessica Thompson/Daily Hive)
I consider myself a morning person, but this one was rough (it didn’t help that our puppy decided to cry multiple times in the evening, and I only slept around four hours).
I began my day with a cup of water (hydration I felt would be key to getting me through the day). With the help of the internet, I popped on a “wake up yoga routine for beginners” and started my day with a stretch.
Fatigue aside, this was actually a fantastic way to get up. Not only do you get a deep stretch in, but the yoga teacher is also challenging you to set intentions for your day, which really puts your mindset in the right place. My intention for the day ahead: survive (and maybe thrive?).
Breakfast @ 6 am
Olympic freestyle skier Chloé Dufour-Lapointe making her Kraft Peanut Butter Breakfast Bowl (Kraft Peanut Butter)
We all know that training at an elite level requires hard work and dedication — but it also requires the right nourishment. To start my day and maximize my chances of accomplishing the intention I set, I opted for a Kraft Peanut Butter Breakfast Bowl — a tried and tested recipe from Olympic freestyle skier Chloé Dufour-Lapointe.
Kraft Peanut Butter Breakfast Bowl (Jessica Thompson/Daily Hive)
I usually opt for coffee as my breakfast, so you can imagine my surprise upon the first scoop of peanut butter-infused, breakfast bowl goodness. The cold, fruity blended base topped with yummy granola, my favourite berries, and a scoop of Kraft Peanut Butter — definitely started my day on a positive note.
Workout one (track run) @ 7 am
2.5-mile warm-up, 4×800 with 2:00 recovery, 2.5-mile cooldown
For anyone who knows me, I’m not a runner. I can lift weights, play hockey, love swimming, skiing, hiking, you name it, but I am not a runner. So you can probably understand how excited I was for this first workout. To ensure maximum chance of success, I downloaded about five hours of murder podcasts to get me through the run — any other “Murderino” fans out there?
To translate the miles for us Canadian folk, this workout includes 5 km as a warm-up (yep, just a warm-up), then eight laps of the track (sprinting not just running), two laps at a time with a two-minute break in between. Then, the workout ends with another 5 km for the cooldown (lol).
Full disclosure: I ran for close to 3 km, and then I needed to walk for a bit before I could finish my first 5 km.
I have no words for those sprints other than I don’t know how I reached the eighth lap. As I rounded that last corner, the inevitable cramps hit (honestly, they held off longer than I thought they would). At this point, I had been running for close to an hour and a half, and I still had that last 5 km to go…
On the cooldown, I only made it until lap five, and then I needed to speed walk for a bit (sorry, not sorry).
The feeling of glee to be done this workout was legit overwhelming (only took me two hours, lol). What I noticed most the moment I finished was the gnawing feeling in my stomach.
Lunch @ 11 am
I love a big lunch, but knowing I had an afternoon full of exercise, I was slightly hesitant to fill my tummy with pasta. But, according to my research, this is a super popular mid-day meal for Olympians — when in Rome, right?
I took a heaping plate of food thinking my eyes may be slightly bigger than my stomach, but I inhaled every last bite.
Workout two (bike) @ 2 pm
Intervals — 20-minute warm-up, 6x (15-second max/two-minute tempo watts/15-second max), three-minute recovery
“Biking is fine; I got this one,” the thought as I entered the gym.
After the first set, I really didn’t think this workout was too difficult — I went through six sets of a 15-second max with a two-minute break, and before I knew it, I was done and not even that sweaty. Then, I walked over to my partner to get her to look at the workout and make sure I was reading it properly. I wasn’t.
Rather than a two-minute break in between each set, I had to do 15 seconds on and 15 seconds off for a two-minute period, six times — the burn in my legs was beyond painful.
“That sucked more than I can describe,” the thought as I exited the gym.
Snack @ 3:30 pm
Flourless Kraft Peanut Butter Bites (Jessica Thompson/Daily Hive)
Provided by Olympic freestyle skier Justine Dufour-Lapointe, who is taking this recipe as well as her favourite peanut butter on the road to Beijing (no surprise since this recipe is delicious), these Flourless Kraft Peanut Butter Bites were the perfect pick-me-up after close to four hours of working out.
Olympic freestyle skier Justine Dufour-Lapointe making her Flourless Kraft Peanut Butter Bites (Kraft Peanut Butter)
What I enjoyed most about this delicious snack? It quickly curbed any hunger after just a single bite — exactly what I needed for my third and final (major sigh of relief) workout.
Workout three (swim) @ 4:30 pm
5,200 metres — 600 free, 400 kick, 8×150 50 fly, 50 back, 50 free, 4×100/400, 3×100/300, 2×100/200, 1×100/100, 100 easy, 500 pull, 200 easy
This was actually the workout I was most excited for — I’m a big fan of swimming. I blazed through the first 600 metres rather seamlessly (using more of my arms than my legs), but then I started the kicking laps. You know that feeling when you’re underwater and you feel like you’re going fast, but then you look up and realize your speed is more on snail-level? Yea, that was me, so I moved over to the slow lane.
It felt as though bricks were strapped to my legs while I was kicking, and no matter what I did, I just couldn’t get them to move quickly. It was during these 400 metres when I knew this last workout would not be a cakewalk.
As I entered the eight sets of three different strokes, I was hit by the fact that one — I didn’t know exactly how to do a fly and two — my fatigued arms and body did not make it easy to get out of the water during the stroke (imagine a flailing fish — that’s what I looked like).
Then I hit my last lap — the relief that washed over me as my hands hit the wall was overwhelming (I actually cheered).
Dinner @ 7 pm
Kraft Peanut Butter Galettes (Jessica Thompson/Daily Hive)
For dinner, I had whole wheat rice, salmon with lemon and garlic, and a lot of vegetables. After around six hours of working out, this food and the unbelievable flavours were extremely welcomed.
And then there was my nightcap — all I can say is do yourself a favour and give it a try (you can thank me and Laurent Dubreuil later). The sweetness of the syrup, the delicious nutty flavour of the Kraft Peanut Butter, the slight crunch of the chia seed — everything complemented each other perfectly. Given my exhaustion level was running dangerously high, these galettes were the perfect way to cap the day.
The delicious end to my day was a recipe provided by Dubreuil, who will be leaning into these Kraft Peanut Butter galettes to provide the physical and emotional nourishment needed for the highs, lows, and everything in between during his Olympic Winter Games journey. Rally behind him and follow along on his pursuit of a gold medal by clicking here.
All and all, I feel extremely proud of myself for actually making it through the entire day. With that said, I will not be doing this again; let’s leave the Olympic training schedules to the professionals, shall we?
A special shoutout to Kraft Peanut Butter (and the Olympian-approved and provided snack recipes), who helped give me the sustenance I needed to survive the day. Kraft has been nourishing Canadians behind the scenes for more than 60 years. And now, as the official peanut butter of Team Canada, they’re ensuring our Canadian athletes have a taste of home while on the road. To try out the delicious snacks (literally, you can eat like an Olympian) and discover more energy-infused recipes, visit the Kraft Peanut Butter website.
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