Fueled with passion and years of training, self-proclaimed former couch potato Mary Rose is set to row from San Diego, California to Honolulu, Hawaii by herself in May 2015.
Between working a full-time job as an accountant and training for her solo expedition, the 44-year old Australian, plans to row 2,400 miles to raise awareness for charity Chirping Central.
"I am extremely excited to take on this challenge and determined to succeed," Rose says. "Our winged friends can teach us so many things about living in harmony with nature and appreciating the beauty that is present in our everyday lives.
This challenge has taught Rose the importance of training and fuel. She has spent year training her body and mind for this task, while staying on top of her food and fuel plan to make sure she isn't left—literally—adrift at sea.
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Her secret weapon isn't so much about strength. It's about her eating plan.
Off the Boat
When Rose is on the go, she brings hard-boiled eggs, nuts and fruit along. For daily meals, she consumes a lot of salads, soy products, tofu and pasta.
Supplements also play a large role in her nutrition plan. As a vegetarian short on Omega 3s, Rose takes 1800mg Vegan Omega 3 DHA-EPA each day, in addition to vegan glucosamine for joint health and 500iu of D3 each day. Surprisingly, even though she is out in the sun constantly, Rose does not process D3 from the sunlight well as a vegetarian. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vitamin D3 is a fat-soluble vitamin which is synthesized in your skin whenever you're exposed to sunlight. She also enjoys whey protein shakes regularly between training sessions.
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