Friday Portables - Polenta Cakes

It’s Friday and you get another blog from me. Lucky you!

I’m hoping you’ve been keeping up on the CPC blog and noticed a pattern in my last few posts…portables. HANDMADE, REAL FOOD, mini bites to fuel you threw out the day instead of grabbing a bar or pre-packaged sports nutrition item.

There are countless ways to create these yummy bites. I’ve shared recipes with you that consist of sticky rice balls, waffles, and baked eggs. Rice is easy to cook and easy for your body to digest while on the move so it makes for a quick go to. Eggs are protein packed beauties that can keep your legs churning when on the bike for hours or need something more substantial between meals. Another great ingredient to explore when creating portables for you or your family is polenta. Mix in a few nutritious ingredients, bake it up, and you have yet another go-to option when out conquering the road, on your bike or in your car.

Before skipping ahead to scan threw the recipe give thought to calorie consumption. NO, I’m not going to get into too much detail here but it’s important to note that many of these recipes were designed to fuel pro cyclists while on their training rides instead of the pre-packaged bars, gels, and hydration mixes. Training rides can last anywhere from 2 to 5 hours, even an occasional 6 hours. The amount of fuel that needs to be consumed by a pro cyclists or any endurance athletes training for a significant chunk of time differs greatly from the individual who’s running errands all day long.

Everyone needs to eat and everyone should choose to eat well! Rather than grabbing a 200-300 calories bar with who know what’s in it, pack a portable. Baked eggs for example. An egg has 70-80 calories, and it’s REAL FOOD. Even if you sprinkle in some bacon or a few veggies your calorie consumption is still lower and, I repeat, you’re eating REAL FOOD. Not only will you feel satisfied you can feel good knowing you just fueled your body with quality ingredients.

Enjoy,

SK

Spinach & Red Pepper Polenta Cakes

Recipe taken from: Feed Zone Portables by Biju Thomas & Allen Lim

6 cups water

2 cups uncooked polenta

2 cubes of vegetable bouillon (optional)

2 TBPS minced red bell peppers

1 cup shredded spinach, loosely packed

¼ cup crumbled feta (or any crumbly cheese)

2 tsp raw sugar

1 tsp course salt

Lightly coat an 8” square backing pan with nonstick spray…or melted coconut oil.

On the stove, bring water with a dash of salt to a boil and slowly stir in polenta. 

Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Cook 20-30min.

Stir in the peppers. Cook for 5-10mins or until mixture thickens.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the spinach and cheese. Flavor to taste.

Pour mixture into pan and let set for 10-15mins to firm. Mix the raw sugar and course salt in a small bowl and sprinkle over top. (Salty & sweet is a great combination but I’m sure omitting the sugar would be just fine.)

Note: Biju and Lim noted that when using bouillon cubes to use only the highest quality organic brand you can find to avoid extra additives.

L'eggo the Eggo

My next installment for healthy, go-to, hand made, REAL food portables is none other than the WAFFLE!

I’m not really a waffle eater, or a pancake eater for that matter. Maybe it has something to do with the fact I can’t seem to break my morning breakfast routine of a peanut butter sandwich. However, I do enjoy a crispy waffle from time to time and the recipe below is no exception. Consider sandwiching some nut butter on these beauties before running out the door for a long day of shopping, carting the kids around, or if you’ve got a tough workout later in the day.

As tedious as it may seem to pull the waffle iron out, cook up some rice, and spend 5-6 minutes per batch the alternative is a freeze burned ingredient heavy hockey puck. Take a look at the ingredients of a popular whole wheat brand.

WATER, ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL), EGG WHITES, WHEAT BRAN, SUGAR, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE, MALT FLAVORING, WHEY, SOY LECITHIN, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, REDUCED IRON, NIACINAMIDE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, FOLIC ACID, VITAMIN B12.

Rather lengthy don’t you think?

Now take a quick look at the recipe below.

I counted 7 ingredients vs. the 20+ from above. I should have stopped counting at 10. I hope you can see just by looking at the an ingredient list the value in taking the time to create your own portables with nothing but the best ingredients and your own 2 hands!

Recipe taken from: The Feed Zone Cookbook by: Biju Thomas & Allen Lim

Waffle Ride Sandwich

2 cups of COOKED brown or white rice

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 ripe banana

2 TBSP molasses (I’d probably sub in maple syrup or honey…up to you!)

2 TBSP rice OR potato flour

½ - 1 cup Milk (I’m sure you could sub in a non-dairy blend of your choosing)

pinch of salt

1. Heat waffle iron

2. Mix all ingredients in a blender or food pro, adding milk slowly to achieve desired thickness. The batter should be thick.

3. Pour batter into waffle iron, nearly filling the area allowing for room for batter to spread. When the surface of the waffle looks crisp, remove the waffle gently.

4. Allow the waffle to cool before spreading with a nut butter of your choosing or any other spread and sandwich. Cut the sandwich into smaller squares or wedges to spread throughout the day or a workout.

If you do not plan to use the waffles after cooling, wrap separately in wax paper and freeze in a plastic bag.

Be Content

In December CPC launched our workshop series with two yoga sessions. In both sessions, the theme of being present in the moment and doing what felt right for YOU was laced throughout. It’s easy for all of us to get frustrated trying to “keep up” or from trying to be able to do something that the person next to you can. I would like to take a minute to reflect on this idea and put a bit of an anatomical and physiological spin on it. 

Last month I read an article that talked about limb lengths and insertion points. I won’t bore you with any other jargon, but it related these concepts (and others) to athletic performance. What it boiled down to, was how all of these physical and anatomical traits and/or characteristics can effect athletic performance. Bottom line? How “good” of an athlete you may be, may be pre-disposed to your genetic makeup.  

Let’s talk about limb length and insertion point. Limb length isn’t really that complicated, it is simply the length of your limbs. More specifically the bones that make up and support those limbs. If you have long legs, odds are your femur and tibia/fibula are going to be long. Insertion point is a little more complex. It deals with how and where your muscles attach themselves to the afore mentioned skeletal system. Locomotion is the act of moving your body through space, which is done by your muscles exerting a force upon the bones of your skeleton to acquire the intended response.  Flex your bicep and your arm bends. Flex your quad and your leg straightens. You get the point. This concept gets a little trickier when you start to think about exactly where on a bone (due to genetics) a muscle attaches; higher or lower is going to produce different reactions or results, specifically force production.  I’m not going to get into the physics behind it all - lever arms, axis’, force, etc., - I’m sure you get the picture.

With regard to athletes, these (genetic) characteristics lend themselves to the level of performance they are able to achieve. In certain sports, particular body types “fit” what is asked of that athlete during competition. Is it possible to train and coach athletes to be the best they can? Of course, otherwise CPC may not exist, but genetics play a large role as well. Some athletes are just genetic marvels - truly gifted specimens. There is a reason that you don’t see many 7’ power lifters or 5’ Olympic swimmers. For the rest of us, we fall somewhere within the mix of it all.

My point of all of this is that we are all different and will be better at or worse at certain things than other people. Basic concept right? You may physically look like someone but you may be built completely different internally. You may not deadlift 400lbs or run a 4 min mile, but it’s probably due to the fact that you may not be built to perform those things. Come to terms with that! Accept that. Know your limitations and find joy in the things that you are good at. A little healthy competition is good, but most of all you should focus on being happy with yourself and what YOU can do.

Portables: Protein Based

If you read my blog last Wednesday I introduced the concept of Portables; mini pre-made snacks that YOU prep, make, and wrap. Portables are intended to replace the need to grab a bar or prepackaged snack item. By taking the time to make the food yourself you know the source, you know exactly what is going into the product, and you can feel good about eating real food.

There are many different platforms in which a portable is built. Most contain rice, an easily digestible carbohydrate rich food. This week I thought I’d bring you a quick and easy recipe that will bring a high quality protein to the party. EGGS!

The recipe is super easy. The prep on either end of the actual cooking is what may deter most from following through. Putting time and effort into the food that you eat is up to you. Choosing to fuel yourself with REAL FOOD is a worthwhile choice but requires you to plan ahead. Picking up a protein & carbohydrate packed bar is easy, but is it always the best fueling option for you based on caloric intake and quality of ingredients?

Basic Baked Eggs  

6 eggs

2 TBPS of chopped COOKED bacon

Optional Add Ins

¼ cup grated parmesan

cooked spinach

salt & pepper

Heat oven to 350*. Thoroughly coat six cups of a standard muffin tine with spray or melted coconut oil.

Carefully crack one egg into each form. Rotate the pan after 5-6mins for even cooking.

Bake until the whites and yolks look set (approx 10-15mins). Remove from the oven to rest; eggs will still cook. Sprinkle with bacon, s&p.

Don’t be afraid to get creative and slide in a few of your favorite cooked veggies or greens for added nutrition value. Get even crazier and scramble the eggs before pouring into the muffin tins.

Let cool to touch before wrapping and storing.

Recipe taken from: Feed Zone Portables by Biju Thomas & Allen Lim

Check Your Ego

Being able to identify your strengths and weaknesses is extremely important in life, as well as within a training setting. If you and your coach are able to identify something as a strength, it will allow you to push the envelope and become more aggressive on the exercise. This is because as a team you both can ensure you have the correct motor pattern (I.E. your natural movement is safe, correct, and using the proper muscle groups at the proper times). Inversely – if you and your coach are able to identify something as a weakness, the training style will be much slower to allow for internal and external feedback to help build that movement pattern into a safe, effective habit.

This is a very important concept because it allows for the most effective training to maximize your time training and help get you to where you want to be. A big component of this is being able to check your ego at the door, and realize that you aren’t going to be able to do everything perfect the first time. It takes a very long time to break the terrible habits and postures that Western Culture puts us in, and THAT IS OKAY. You don’t have to load every single movement pattern every single week to see a result.

Sometimes in order to PROGRESS your training, you first have to REGRESS your movement patterns. If you try to build a house on a faulty foundation, it will crumble to the ground. Why then will you load aberrant movement patterns to their maximum capacity and jeopardize something much more important – YOUR HEALTH.

Surrounding yourself with the correct people and minds is extremely important in general – and especially with your health. It is okay to admit to other people – and yourself that you don’t know everything about a topic. If it is not something you spent years studying, no one expects you to be a master in the subject. Find the correct people to help put you into the right positions to succeed, not give you a cookie cutter program without ever looking at how you move or present. Once you have found those people, check your ego at the door and let them help you. Listen, collaborate, and watch your body transform into exactly what you want it to be. 

TM

Step Away From The Bar!

As of late it has become glaringly obvious to me that athletes of all ages have no idea how to fuel. That includes fueling prior to a workout, during (if necessary), and after a workout. Youth and high school aged athletes fuel with whatever they can get there hands on or worse, not at all. I'd like to say that college level athletes at least attempt to make better choices but unfortunately they are limited by what dining services provides and what they can pick up at the schools convenience store with meal points. Having worked at a college for a number of years the students are boxed in by whatever the food service provider thinks will sell rather than what is the best possible choice for their 18-22 year old clients. Last but not least you have the broad spectrum of weekend warriors, endurance junkies (of which I am one), the lovely CPC subscribers, and everyone in between. 

Let's be honest people, putting thought into fueling is often last on our list of things to do before running out the door for the day. Bars become a "Go To". How many of you have grabbed a bar after a tough workout? How many of you have offered up a bar to your kid to get them through a practice? I'm guilty of eating a bar when it's the only thing I can find. They are incredibly convenient, far more nutritious than a pop tart , and if you are selective can offer up quality ingredients.

Here's my beef with bars; they have become far to convenient. 

I'm hungry, I think I'll have a bar. 

I have a tough workout coming up in a few hours, I think I'll eat a bar. 

I didn't have time to pack anything for lunch today, Ill just eat a bar. 

Fueling your body and the ones you care about shouldn't be an after thought. Time and effort are the cost to putting quality nutrition at your finger tips. I'm not saying there aren't bars out there that give you a good alternative to REAL food. In fact CPC sells several brands that we feel "pass the muster". What I am saying is that before you reach for another bar think about the effort and time you could have put into creating a REAL FOOD fueling option for yourself and your family. The reward is creating a product with your own two hands that you can feel good about.

I have a challenge for you. This weekend, find the time to create a Portable. A snack size bite of nutritional goodness that you can use before, during, and after a workout for a quick pick me up. Portables are the creation of Allen Lim and Biju Thomas authors of the cookbooks The Feed Zone and Feed Zone Portables. As exercise physiologist and nutritionist they were troubled by the overwhelming pre-packaged fueling options their athletes were consuming. So, they took it upon themselves to create scientifically and nutritionally sound REAL FOOD options that their athletes could take on the road with them, literally stuffed in their jersey pockets. Below is just one of their recipes. If you dig the concept and are interested in learning more I would highly recommend investing in one, if not both of their cookbooks.

Enjoy!

SK 

Sesame Honey & Coconut Sticky Bite

1 cup uncooked sticky rice

1 1/2 cups water

2 TBPS sesame seeds

2 TBPS unsweetened shredded coconut

1 TBSP honey

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

Combine rice, water, and a dash of salt in a rice cooker and cook. Let cool.

In a dry sautéed pan over medium heat lightly toast the sesame seeds and shredded coconut. Set aside half the mixture.

In a food processor, combine the cooked rice with the remaining ingredients. Pulse a few times until you have a course sticky mixture.

Roll a small amount of the mixture into a ball then roll in the remaining seed and coconut mixture. Wrap in plastic. Store in fridge. Grab on the way out the door for a quick and healthy fueling option.

How To Set Up A Race Schedule

With the new year upon us there is no better time to start planning out your racing schedule for the months ahead. This past weekend I was at the annual Cyclonauts Multisport Banquet to celebrate the year that was, accomplishments made by all, and inquire about the year that will be. The one question I heard asked throughout the night was, "So, what are your racing plans for this year?" Some knew right away with a quick response, "Ironman Mont Tremblant! It's still open by the way."

Thanks but I'll pass for this year.

The majority had no plans at all. It got me thinking. How do I formulate what my race schedule will be for the year? Other than hitting the web for a quick search of what's around there is method to my madness.

For the first time I can say that I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to racing this year. As I mentioned in last week's blog there will be no Ironmans on the calendar this year. However, after racing Kona I want to give the marathon a closer look. I enjoyed training for it. In fact I enjoyed training for the entire event but the reality is I can't do something on that grand a scale this year. 

My methodology to creating a race schedule centers around 5 important considerations.

1. What distances do I want to race this year? I've already mentioned a marathon, and I know I'll put in a half ironman or two. They are a must. Maybe a longer more adventurous race, sprinkle in a sprint and Olympic distance race and my schedule is set. 

2. What race will be my focus race? My A race if you will. Typically I have one per season to direct all of my training around that one date. All other races will turn into B and C races to help me train and gauge my training level for that one race. I'll be honest here every time I toe the line something inside me flips and I can very easily take a C race and turn it into an all out barn burner. Call it Game Face. Call it a lack of control. Call it stupid. Regardless, It happens and I've paid the price. Be smarter than me!

3. Timing is my next consideration. With my A race set I will pick and choose my B and C races to coincide with a window of time that will allow me to taper, recover after the race, and continue to build my fitness. Some people like to race every weekend. I do not. I want to race as well as I possibly can each time I get in the water or lace up my sneakers. I don't enjoy racing in a place that only allows me to give 90% of the 100% I could have given that day. Fatigue and overtraining are real things that sneak up on you quickly. If I don't train smart and give at least 3-4 weeks, maybe more, between races I will be further behind than when I started.

4. Cost. Yes, cost. Triathlons aren't cheap! I dropped $1200 on 2 races last year. Granted they were World Championship races but an Ironman is $600-$700. A Half Ironman is $250-275. These are IRONMAN run races. You get a well run, well supported race but even races of the same distance run by a smaller outfit will still cost you over $100....easy. Next, I consider travel to and from. Food and lodging. Everything adds up. I try to pick one substantial race. That will typically become my A race. Spend the most...train the most. If I have family or friends in or near the area that will help cut the cost of food and lodging also helps me make a decision to race or not. Then there are times when I just say, "Screw It! I need a vacation!", register for a Caribbean Half Ironman that ends up taking me to places and races I never thought I go to and money I swore I'd never spend all to live out a lifelong dream.

5. The last consideration I use is the X-Factor. It could be anything. The beauty of this is that I can decide I'm racing for any reason I want. Maybe I want to use a race as a part of a long weekend/mini vacation. Maybe I had a terrible race the year before and I want to go back and stake my revenge. Maybe I've won the damn thing 2 years in a row and feel compelled to go back and try for a three-peat. Or, maybe I want a new adventure with no expectations other than crossing the finish line.

The above consideration are how I choose my racing schedule for the year. Some of it logical, some of it only makes sense to me. Ultimately, you have to do what's right for you. Take on appropriate challenges, schedule smart, and above all have fun! 

SK