Mercer Island Hot Laps

There's a free training (race) ride on Tuesday nights in Seattle- Mercer Island Hot Laps. Bike riders of all levels are welcome! We start on the West side of the island at the I-90 trail and ride to the next stop sign on the East side where we regroup, turn around and smack it again. If you think you're fast and/or want to get faster, this is the ride for you. Don't care about getting fast and just want to blow off some steam? Perhaps, you want to see how badly you can suffer? Come test your limits with some of the Herriott Sports Performance Hit Squad (Cat 1/2's).

Here's some footage I shot of our ride last week on 5/19/2014:

http://youtu.be/b-H8jhf-274

Views from the Road

Here's what it looks like when you ride along the cliff side of the Magnolia neighborhood on a nice day. At 35mph.

GoPro Testing

I'm so behind on how the 2014 race season has been unfolding and especially all the delicious food I've been eating. I'll be back soon to feed you baby birds. For now here's a teaser for the Pro/1/2 twilight crit I did in Wenatchee at the Tour de Bloom earlier this month. It was dark, not twilight.

Blueberry Banana Flax Pancakes

This is my favorite pre-race/competition breakfast. It's been tried and tested this winter before the Rocket Ride. I recently shared this recipe with a friend, so I guess it's only fair that I share it with you.

Blueberry Banana Flax Pancakes (makes 9x 4" pancakesish)

Dry mix-
1.5c flour
1tsp salt
1tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2Tb flax seed

[NOTES: Use Kosher or sea salt, iodized is inferior for cooking. Add more or different kinds of spices to your dry mix to your preference, personally TJ's pumpkin pie spice is my favorite. Gold or brown flax, doesn't matter. Raw is best, but needs to be kept in the refrigerator.]

Wet mix-
1 banana
2.25c milk
1Tb raw apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1Tb safflower or olive oil

[NOTES: 1/3c applesauce works instead of banana if you're in a pinch. Choose a non-diary milk like rice or oat that has lots of carbohydrates in it to pump up the energy value and since it's hypoallergenic so it wont mess with your tummy. Raw apple cider vinegar or another acid like fresh lemon juice is used to activate the baking soda so shit rises. Typically, it's always 1 part b. soda: 3 parts acid. Safflower and olive oil have lots of good Omegas and Vitamin E, cyclists need it.]

Method-
In an electric mixer, if you have one, with the paddle attachment, or bowl with a wooden spoon otherwise, make sure your dry mix is well combined, then add your wet mix a little at a time so it doesn't clump too much. Stir until loose and goopy. Depending on multiple factors, you may need to add more milk to get that familiar batter texture. Now add close to 1c fresh blueberries in there just to get them mixed in. Drop batter on your cast-iron or griddle and fry those puppies up. This usually makes enough to make me full and have a few left over for pre/post competition for fuel/recovery. Or you could share, I guess.

[via my Instagram: http://instagram.com/p/lVFtQUCHI6/]

Single Pan Meals: Seasonal Eggless Scramble

This time of year there are all kinds produce that can be used in easy applications at home. Don't be discouraged when you're scoping out the Farmers Market or making a routine run to the grocery store and see different colored potatoes, big leafy greens with crazy colored stems, or squash that come in every shape and size imaginable- they're just as easy to cook up in a flavorful meal as any other vegetable.

If you're anything like me, you can appreciate the simplicity of cooking a dish in one pan start to finish. My cast-iron is always up for the challenge. If you don't own one yet, get on it. You can find them at Whole Foods, a camping store or the internet for super cheap.

To make your next produce run a little more exciting, I'm going to share an easily customizable dish that the Mrs. and I ate for breakfast this morning using seasonal ingredients; an Eggless Scramble. I've bolded the vegetables that you could easily switch out for a different variety without really having to sacrifice cooking time.

Ingredients:

-Half a block of extra firm Tofu, crushed
-Handful of sliced Shitake mushrooms
-Half of a Delicata Squash, deseeded and chopped into 1/2" cubes
-Half of some Asian Yam, skin on, chopped into 1/2" cubes
-1 Carrot, peeled until there is nothing left, peels rough chopped
-1 clove of garlic, minced
-3 stalks of Rainbow Chard greens, chopped into bit-sized pieces, stems included
-salt
-pepper
-cumin, oregano, paprika, turmeric (generous pinch of each)


How To:

Preheat your oven to 400*F and get your large pan hot (medium high). Once the pan is pretty hot add a dollop of coconut oil, a few Tb of grapeseed oil and salt. Next it's time to add your squash and yams. Once they start to get a little brown add your garlic, mushrooms and carrots. Stir occasionally as you mix all your spices with the crushed tofu in a mixing bowl. When the mushrooms look like they're starting to crisp a little it's time to add your tofu. Stir it in there real nice like and throw it in your hot oven.

While your scramble is roasting, take this time to rinse your greens off really well. Its very common to find bugs and dirt all up on them, you don't want that in your mouth. Also, the water on the freshly rinsed greens is going help cook them down in the next step.

After about 5-7minutes pull the pan out of the oven and add your greens. Stir it up so some of the water on them can get into the bottom of the pan and help unstick some of that. Now cover with a lid and place on low heat. This next part is optional but we always enjoy this particular "vessel." Bust out a few corn tortillas and let them heat up in your raging hot oven until they start to bubble. Once they start to form a bubble or two, remove and kill all the heat. You're now ready for some breakfast tacos or and eggless scramble that can easily stand alone.

Harm's Way

I recently stumbled back upon a Chicago hardcore band that I assumed had vanished from the music world, Harm's Way. They've come a long way. So long, in fact, that Deathwish is putting out their newest EP, "Blinded." Definitely my next record purchase.



One more thing... I found this: http://rottenyoungearth.blogspot.com/2012/03/harms-way.html

Race Food: Secrets of Racer on a Budget

Since I've chosen to eat a plant-based diet, I have learned that I simply can't rely on whatever town I'm in on a given weekend (or week) to have a few vegan options, or any for that matter. It's not affordable for someone who makes $30,000 or less to race bikes, travel to racing destination, find housing and eat out the whole time. Instead, I race bikes, travel to the race, stay where I can and go grocery shopping before hand. A small ice chest and a juicer is all I need. Here's my typical stage race (3 days of eating like a starved animal) menu for under $50:

-a box of spaghetti
-pasta sauce
-2c steel-cut oats
-small jar peanut butter
-small jar jelly
-baby bagels
-dried rice
-died lentils or if I'm planning ahead I sprout them with mung beans a few days before. Protein bomb.
-2 bunches of kale
-3 yams
-2 crowns broccoli
-package of vegan sausage
-small bag of onions
-3large red beets
-bag of carrots
-3 oranges
-3 apples
-1/4c chia seeds
-trail mix from the bulk section
-banana chips from the bulk section
If I have leftover money, I like to get some brown rice syrup or molasses as a sweetener. Also some greens and Goddess dressing are a plus.

For race specific food, I'll usually score a 12pk of Clif Bars, protein powder and electrolyte drink mix. Please note, that I cook this stuff at home even if I'm not leaving town for a race. It's simple, tasty, and nutrient-rich.

For someone who works out regularly, it's important to notice what kind of mix I've got going on listed above: Carbs, simple and complex for fuel and recovery. Unsaturated fats, for fuel and recovery. Protein for recovery. Friuts and Veggies for crucial vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Now for the good stuff. Breakfast is a must, no skipping, okay?




2 glasses of water.
Coffee.
Oats with chia seeds, peanut butter and a sweetener (see previous recipe here)
Bagel with jelly.
Juice- 1 beet, 1 apple, 1 orange, a few carrots. In order for your body to efficiently absorb all the iron from the beets you need some vitamin C, that's where the oranges come in. Aside from the obvious vitamins and minerals in the carrots and apples, both are loaded with carbohydrates!

 Post race, usually in the car before you head home.
Add water to your shaker with protein mix and chia seeds. Shake and drink.  Also, the drive back is a great time to snack on that trail mix/ banana chips.

For lunch/ dinner I often swap these around depending on my time and mood. This meal is crucial, your body is crushed from racing and needs carbs and protein. You'll need a small meal to replenish, and dinner will need to top off your glycogen stores for racing the next day.

2 glasses of water, atleast.
Pasta (season the water generously, you sweated out all that salt already)
Pasta sauce
In a hot pan with some canola/safflower or olive oil and sea salt add small diced YAMS, chopped ONION, chopped BROCCOLI and VEGAN SAUSAGE. Once the yams start to brown, put a lid on it so the steam will cook and tenderize the rest. Medium low heat and stir occasionally. When the yams are ready in 10 or 15, everything else is. Place atop your cooked pasta and devour.

2 glasses of water, atleast.
Bowl of rice. To cook rice place 1c dried rice in a pot with 2c water (The magic rice ration is 1part RICE : 1.75parts water, but 2parts is easiest and will work fine), a splash of oil and a big pinch of salt, cover and bring to a raging boil. After the boil is met, reduce heat to very low. In about 45 min your rice should be complete. 
Saute (cooked in a hot pan with oil and salt) of chopped YAMS, sliced VEGAN SAUSAGE, chopped BROCCOLI, sliced ONION. If you have some herbs handy, dried or fresh, throw some in the mix. Fresh garlic is also a crucial addition if you have it. Again, when the yams start to get a little browned, go ahead and cover your pan. You want enough oil in there to brown your veggies, and enough moisture in the veggies to kind of steam them too. This ensures the middle of the veg is getting cooked, not just crisping the outside. If you need to add a splash of water, that's totally fine. Taste a yam, does it taste like it needs another 5 minutes? If yes, perfect! Wash and chop the kale (stems and all) into bite-sized peices and mix that in too. The steam and oil will cook it until it's tender. When your yams are just tender enough, the kale and everything else should be too. When it comes to greens, brown means overcooked, bright green means perfect. You can eat it raw, so dont fret about cooking it enough.
Assemble your saute over your rice and dump some of that Goddess dressing on top, it's basically an herbed tahini. 
  
I was too hungry to stop and take pictures of my food this weekend so you'll have to use your imagination. Sorry :)