carbing it up

I did 40 miles the other day. At 15mph. Huzzah!
SLOW, I know. But for a couch desk potato-dough ball on a single-speed, I’m fairly proud of myself. The hills around Dover can be a little discouraging [although the descents are incredibly fun], and at one point, about 10 feet from the top of a nasty hill, I was honestly about to tip over. I considered [gasp!] getting off for a split second before crushing the thought and putting my [entire] back into it. My glutes are still feeling it.

I’ve mentioned this before but this past week, I definitely felt stronger on my rides. The afternoon timing might have helped [embarrassing disclosure: that early morning ride I did last week? 12mph. LOL.], but I think it might be something even more basic:
Food.
I remember when I first started to talk to competitive cyclists about my desire to ride longer, harder, and faster; one consistent piece of advice was to eat. Eat before you’re hungry; once your hunger kicks in, you’re done. I believed it, but only thought that that was relevant to those in serious training. I was a newbie on a cheapie bike. That kind of advice just seemed cut out for those who rode 200+ miles a week.
So I exercised caution; bringing food on my rides but not touching it unless I was really hungry. The inability to ride comfortably with only one hand [or none] on the bars meant that eating = stopping. And, come on, who wants to stop when they’re in the middle of a scenic ride? I rode slowly and did super short rides at first [we all start somewhere, right?], but those rides really kicked my ass.

These past few days, though, I’ve been eating. Before, during, and after getting out of the saddle. Throwing out the old fear of carbs, I’ve made sure I’m eating something easily digestible before jumping on the bike. An hour into the ride, I’ll pop a piece of a Clif Bar or a quarter of a Larabar into my mouth and make sure I’m chewing something every 20-30 minutes thereafter. Afterwards, I’m sating my hunger with yogurt, some Kashi Go Lean, and a giant orange. I even had some animal crackers the other day. Oh yes, I love me my carbs.
But my adoration of sugar aside, I’ve seen results from my inaccurate, subjective study. My legs feel better and I’m not puttering out of steam on the way home. On Wednesday, I started chomping on my [favorite apple pie] Larabar 40 minutes into the ride, even though I was still somewhat full from lunch and not hungry in the least. Not only did I complete that 40 mile loop faster than I ever have, I didn’t realize that I had easily careened past that one stretch of road that sometimes makes me want to cry until I was nearly home.

That’s not to say I’m fast, but I’m faster. And if that 40 miler is any proof, my legs are somehow capable of pedaling faster for longer. This obviously doesn’t give me license to hit up Dunks on the way home and then swing by Party Favors for some cupcakes, but I’m not going to sabotage my rides by going hungry.
Because honestly, there’s nothing worse than realizing that you’re starving, you have no food, and you’re about 20 miles from home. Especially when you’re only running one gear.

velo bento - feb. 25, 2010

A few days ago, Mike sent me a link to this Friskies commercial which is probably the trippiest thing I’ve seen this year. Apparently someone tweeted it, claiming that it might be better than Avatar. I believe it [I haven’t seen Avatar yet!].
I remembered that video yesterday, with the turkeys bowing down and the cows munching away at the grass and the giant fish boat, all participants oblivious to the fact that they were already slaughtered and made into catfood, when I got to school. I was drenched. Soaked. Miserable. But then I pulled out my lunch.
Lunch! Yum!

Yes, I love food. I think we all do. I have a theory that even those with eating disorders love food; they just haven’t figured out a way to manage that love. It’s like going into priesthood because you can’t get away from the all-too-human desire to bone hot chicks. But back to food - I love it, you love it, cyclists all love it. And because I’m Japanese I like to put it in containers and carry it around. And blog about it.
Because putting containers of food on your back and transporting it via bike can result in some interesting stuff. So while my lunches haven’t achieved the status of “bento” [I think that requires more thought and effort; my mom set the standard high in our family], I’m convinced everyone wants to see what I’m nom nom nomming on. And to keep it interesting, I’m posting what it looks like before and after the short commute to school.
Yesterday was mixed greens [I could live off that stuff], topped with spicy tofu, some avocado, and grape tomatoes [sorry about the pink-ish light in the above picture]. That got double bagged with an orange, then carefully placed on top of my laptop, book, change of clothes, and essentials. Of course, by the time I got to school, it looked like this:

It looks so sad, I know! But well tossed, right? FYI, despite how it looks, it was pretty delicious.
I’m working on better containers [I love containers]. And more interesting meals. I doubt they’ll ever be as cool as my mom’s, or induce hallucinations and highs like Friskies might, but you’ll get to hear all about it. Oh, and if you know any container makers in China or something, let me know. I have a few ideas...

vegan training wheels

"What is it with you and food?" a friend once jokingly asked.
He was referring to my choice of legal note topics for my journal; last fall I wrote about the Southern Bluefin Tuna Cases, in the spring about the regulation of geographic indicators of food in the European Union [publication forthcoming, spring 2010...eeepp!!!]. I learned about cases revolving around cheese and how overfishing is screwing up the entire ecosystem. The latter supplemented by my environmental law class really pulled at heartstrings. We're killing the planet, was the general message, do something!
The thing is, while I may have enough ethics to pass the MPRE, and while I may prefer the company of small, furry animals to most human beings, I am fully comfortable with grilling anything I am comfortable killing. I've gutted fish in front of friends without batting an eye, only realizing later what a grotesque sight that must have been. I like to think that I would be capable of killing a chicken if I had to. Pigs and cows, probably not.

That begs the question: why? Why set down some arbitrary dietary rules for myself? Why fried chicken and no bacon?
To be honest, I'm not sure. It started with watching what I was eating so I wouldn't gain 50 pounds over the winter. That turned into cutting out 90% of processed food from my diet. And that has suddenly morphed into the beginnings of veganism.
The worst part? It's easy to stop buying processed food, but it's infuriatingly frustrating when you're expected to explain exactly why. Simply pulling out a ziplock bag full of baby carrots or grapes will elicit the self conscious "I should eat healthier, too," when I had no intention of making a judgment call on what my friends are eating. Then there are those who express concern bordering on anger over what I'm eating. When I try to brush off questions with the power-to-weight ratio argument, I've been met with the vehement [predictably, from girls] "will you STOP trying to lose weight?!"

Food, apparently, has a weird control over us. It's like my bag of veggies, or the fact that I eat mini-meals throughout the day triggers feelings of dietary self-consciousness in others. The annoying part being that I have no intent to do this...I have no ethical agenda or desire to educate. I just want to eat my food.
Ironically, as the more common "cycling/power-to-weight ratio" argument fails, it seems as if the more extreme "I'm vegan" justification is easier. The stereotype of the slightly crazed ethical vegan seems so intense that people will consciously choose not to ask about it because they want to avoid a lecture on environmental sustainability. Cycling - and the manorexia that's associated with it - is apparently too normal to avoid prying questions.
The strange thing being that my cycling friends don't tend to ask those weird questions. When I expressed surprise at finding out that Brett was vegetarian, he looked at me with an air of mock disdain, and asked me if people still ate meat. When I told M1 I was going vegan - or at least trying - and that I wanted to make my own soy yogurt, he gamely asked if I was going to start growing mung beans on my walls next. Small wonder I love those guys.

So I'm trying out this whole vegan thing. Just for a few days. Milk and dairy aren't a huge problem because my fragile Asian constitution [read: lactose intolerance] can't take more than 3 tablespoons of the stuff anyway; but cutting out eggs and honey was proving pretty painful. Then Amazon came to the rescue with my copy of Anna Thomas's Love Soup. The recipes are all vegetarian, but more than half of them are vegan, too. So to power me through a few finals, I cooked up a big batch of her Red Lentil and Squash Soup. Except I used brown lentils instead of red, forgot to buy ginger, and omitted the red pepper, and added leeks.
Yeah, there's something about me and food.
Vegan Training Wheels Lentil and Squash Soup Adapted from Love Soup
[I understand the results aren't very photogenic, but I imagine this soup is gorgeous if made with red lentils instead of brown. Regardless of how it looks, it's hearty and thick and sweet without being cloying. I'm already looking forward to dinner for the next few days...]
Serves 6-8
Ingredients: 1 cup red lentils 1 tsp sea salt 1 small butternut squash 1 medium onion, chopped 1 large leek, white and light green parts only, chopped 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced 1 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes [optional, I didn't use them] 4-5 cups vegetable broth 1 1/2 cups spinach, fresh or frozen 1/2 lemon
Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 375F. 2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush it with olive oil. 3. Cut the squash in half, seed it, and place cut side down on the baking sheet. Roast for 30-45 minutes, until it can be easily pierced with a fork 4. Meanwhile, rinse the lentils and put them in a pot with 4 cups of water and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes [30 if you're using brown lentils]. 5. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and saute the onions slowly, until they begin to soften [Anna Thomas says 10 minutes, I did it in about 5]. Add the leeks and continue to cook until they are turning soft and golden brown [Anna Thomas says about 20-30 minutes; I probably did it in 10-15]. 6. When the lentils are tender, add the onions and leeks, sweet potato, cumin, red pepper flakes [if using] and 4 cups of vegetable broth. Simmer for 25 minutes. 7. Once the squash is done, scoop out 2 1/2 cups of the flesh and add it to the soup. Cook until everything is heated through and add more broth if the soup is too thick. 8. Add the spinach and cover, until spinach is wilted or thawed [if using frozen, just throwing them in is fine, you don't have to thaw them beforehand]. 9. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt if necessary. Devour.

chicken fix

Despite the "fat" post last week that generated more comments than all of the previous month's comments combined [okay not really but it was a lot], I actually have an obsession with really disgusting food.
Olive Garden's Never-Ending Pasta Bowl, Domino's Pasta Bread Bowl, Reb Robin's Wise Guy Burger [yes, those are mozzarella sticks on top of a beef patty]...it seems like the grand old U. S. of A. has no shortage of revolting food. Even with an "obesity epidemic" well underway, there's apparently a mad rush to stuff as much fat, sugar, and lard down our throats as fast as we can. And as a dietary sado-maschoist, I can't help but look, feel horrified, then email the offending item's picture to friends. Mostly because I like the feeling of collectively puking a little in our mouths in disgust. And because I'm such a good friend.

Of course, just when I thought that fast food chains were done pumping out the culinary equivalent of condensed vomit, KFC proved me wrong with the Double Down Chicken Sandwich. Yes, that's two slices of bacon between slices of pepperjack and swiss cheese...all smooshed between two deep-fried chicken fillets. It's disgusting. It's absolutely, unbelievably, mind-blowingly dis-GUST-ing. I dry-heaved a little, then got to emailing.
"Dude. No. Stop," was the first response I got.
"Yo, let's go to KFC," was my reply.
Because even with my slightly vegetarian past, I do love my chicken. But because of that same slightly vegetarian past, I'm not the kind of person who believes meat is a necessity to complete a meal. Still, I'm only human; the mere thought of chicken dipped in hot oil had my stomach demanding bird meat.

I acquiesced by carnivorizing a formerly vegan chickpea salad recipe courtesy of Whole Foods. Chicken breasts were roasted in the oven while I did intervals on the rollers, then got chopped and tossed with a mix of olive oil, vinegar, curry powder, and ground cumin. Raisins, chickpeas, bell peppers, and cilantro add a yummy sweetness that borders on the addictive. And served over kale salad [a current staple in the pedalstrike household...and by "staple" I mean I've been eating it for lunch and dinner every day for the past week], it won't be the kind of addiction you'll have to hide.
It's no Double Down Chicken Sandwich, but when you need something less lethal to hit the spot, this might be a pretty good contender.
Curried Chickenpea Salad Adapted from this recipe.
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts salt and pepper olive oil [This will make a lot more than needed; I slice the rest to throw into a salad.]
For the rest of the salad:
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons lemon juice [or juice of 1/2 a lemon] 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons curry powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup raisins 1 [15 ounce] can chickpeas 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped [see above] 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped [I only had 1/2 on hand and it was fine] 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Directions: 1. Prepare the chicken: (a) Preheat the oven to 350F. [About 15 minutes, or a quick warm up on the rollers.] (b) Poke holes through the thickest part of the chicken with a fork. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil. (c) Place in a casserole dish lined with aluminum foil. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. [Do intervals.] (d) Uncover, and continue baking for 10-15 more minutes; 30-40min total or until juices run clear. [Cool down or continue intervals.] 2. Cool the chicken, then chop into chickpea-size pieces. You'll only need about 2 cups. 3. In a large bowl, mix the vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, curry powder, ground cumin, maple syrup, and salt. 4. Add the raisins, chickpeas, bell pepper, chicken, and cilantro. Toss to combine. 5. Serve over salad greens or kale salad. Devour.

sunny sailing

I never really understood the obsession with protein until my hot cousin married a yachtsman.
Tall and ruggedly handsome, sporting the perpetual tan, I was impressed. He also happened to be a super nice guy, and we shot the shit about the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup, the then-new yacht used by Team New Zealand that ended up breaking into pieces, and what it feels like to be on a yacht that is fucking flying. On water.
He also told me how, when he was racing full-time, he was eating about 10,000 calories a day.
Back then, I was all wtf. But following and befriending a few real cyclists, it makes sense, and consuming that many calories doesn’t seem so much like a death sentence to skinny. Well, that and the fact that my cousin’s husband had a regimented diet balanced out for his sailing skills.

I don’t have a nutritionist, unfortunately, so I’m left to my own devices of “don’t eat too much processed shit” and “eat balanced meals.” Which translates to “eat stuff that won’t break the bank.” Too bad when you start riding a lot more, you tend to get hungry. Like all the time.
So in comes protein [to supplement my massive caffeine consumption], which is supposed to keep you fuller longer and help build muscle and all that goodness. But being a former vegetarian, I'm a tiny bit wary of animal products. Still, when a friend comes up to visit his parents who own some free range chickens, and hands you half a dozen fresh eggs, dinner for the next week is going to be omelettes and sunny side ups and scrambled eggs.

Cracking open the first one in the pan a few nights ago, I was tempted to bike down to M1’s parents’ house. Or at least steal a chicken. These things are huge. These eggs are to grocery store eggs what Chris Hoy would be to a sad anorexic hipster. And as delicious [looking] in comparison.
I've actually been hoarding a few; making that half dozen stretch. And as odd as it may sound, this is dinner food. I somehow still can't manage to eat much before a ride. Call it a digestive system used to a day that starts at school or the office, but eating anything before 9am [even with a ride planned] takes a conscious effort. Although, of course, that could just be a sign that I need to do more riding.
At least these delicious protein bombs have me pedaling faster on the way home...

reconning

The last time I reconned a ride, it took me 4 hours and at least 5 miles out of my way. It was fun, in hindsight, but slightly mentally taxing. No ride buddy, no iphone, no extensive map, I was at the mercy of whoever happened to be passing by.
But yesterday I did manage to recon a ride; and recon a small part of a city as well. And with a good friend leading the way, all I had to do with pedal and follow.

And pedal I did. Too lazy to flip over my wheel, I did the 25 mile ride fixed - the first time I've done anything longer than 10 miles fixed in months. And with a light-as-a-feather Cyfac leading the way, I was struggling to keep up. But not mentally. So even though I complained liberally about my fixed gear status, I got to see a good part of the city from the saddle of my Bianchi, without the terrifying sense of getting very, very lost.

After a loop around Central Park [my first, ever, by bike], we headed back downtown to showers and food. And finally, at Habib's Place, I was able to keep up on the nom-nom-noming front, inhaling a falafel sandwich that was so good, I can't really remember what we talked about while I ate. Then, fat and happy, we strolled to Abraco for iced coffee and ricotta-filled pain perdu.

Time was taken to loiter/digest on the couch at NYC Velo, before more hanging out and coffee was consumed. More bike-related sites were reconned for future projects before I was led to dinner at Brick Lane. And giggling over my food [the way to my heart obviously being through my stomach], another late night in the city commenced. Ideas were bounced back and forth, slightly disturbing TV shows watched ["Intervention" and "Obsessed"], a rooftop visited, and a few hats finished before plans were made for the reason I'm here - the Bicycle Film Festival Street Fair this afternoon.

It looks like possibly bad weather, but I'll be at the NYC Velo table. Come get rained on with me, say hello, and recon a few bike films. It'll be fun, I promise.