#TriathlonThursday: True Grit

What's up friends? Hope everyone's post-Thanksgiving diets are going well. Mine recovered nicely in time for a couple holiday parties this weekend.... Dammit....

Today I want to talk about grit. What is grit, you ask? Well, not only was it a movie (I personally prefer the John Wayne original version... Don't get me wrong, I love Jeff Bridges, but if you're going up against The Duke, you're gonna lose) but it is also a quality to look for in anyone who wants to be successful at anything.

The point is, no matter what you do, there is going to come a day when you don't want to do whatever it is you do, for whatever reason. That's when grit comes in.

Grit, in a word, is toughness, resiliency, and will power. It is a willingness to suffer. It is what gets you out of bed in the morning before the sun, and what gets you to the pool, even though its 19 degrees outside. When the wind grows teeth, your grit grows claws and makes you take that first step of your run. And when the sun packs a punch, your grit hits back and gets you home. As a triathlete, grit does many things, but in a nutshell it makes us train hungover, hungry, stressed, tired, before work, after work, before sunrise, after sunset, etc. A talentless, injury-prone athlete can get far on grit alone.

I've recently re-read a book called The Little Book of Talent by Daniel Coyle, and in it Coyle explores what makes "talent" as we know it. He breaks the book into 52 tips that will help us all create our own "talent." Essentially, Coyle discovers that "talent" has little to do with birth, but it has much more to do with things like attention to detail, and perhaps most importantly, GRIT!

One of my favorite tips from The Little Book of Talent was "Cultivate your Grit!" This chapter (each of which is about 3 pages long) talks about embracing the sucky days and learning how to thrive on them. In short, motivation is for amateurs. If you want to be any good at anything, you need grit, so start practicing it! (Seriously, go to Amazon and order this book. You can read it in an afternoon, and it has some great insights.)

This begs the question though: Is it more important as a triathlete to be gritty on race day, or on a training day? Does grit lift the tape in victory, or pick you up off the track to try another 800m repeat? If you ask me, it takes both. Racing is always going to be gritty, but how can you suddenly be Rooster Cogburn on the last 5k of your run if you haven't been in training for the past month? Just like anything else, grit takes practice.

Whatever it is that you're chasing, it won't always be easy. Its going to be hard sometimes. There will be days when you're tired, or hungry, or hungover, or want to do something else. One way or another, you won't want to do what you have to do. But, ultimately, that is why you have to do it, or someone else will.

So get out there, and be gritty, my friends! Don't stop writing just because you're not feeling "inspired." Don't half-ass at work because you're hungover. Don't ease up on the toughest part of your workout, but rather pin your ears back, bear your teeth and hit it harder than anything else that day. If you practice that, day in and day out, and when the time comes that you really need it, it will be there.

Oh, you're too tired to go to morning practice from staying up late on #TriathlonThursday to read Sam's new release? Well here's a straw so you can SUCK IT UP!! Until Food Blog Friday, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!!

#FBF: After Turkey Day

Well, most of us survived Thanksgiving, although our nutrition plans probably did not... Yes, Black Friday is not only a day for all of us to spend a bunch of money and get in fist fights with other moms over a Nintendo Wii U, but its also the day of regret for eating the caloric equivalent of a third trimester fetus. (Did I just say that?) However, a long weekend from work, time with friends and family and Rachel, and some seriously good food made it all worth while. I had a great weekend myself, and I hope you all did too.

Its OK to eat like crap every once in a while, as long as we don't do it all the time. Thanksgiving is one such occasion, in my opinion! Everything in moderation, including moderation!

Here are some Thanksgiving fun facts for y'all concerning our eating habits as a culture;
1) The average American consumed around 7000 calories on Thanksgiving day. Only about half of this was from the dinner itself, the other half was from dessert, leftovers, and drinks the rest of the day.

2) Thanksgiving day is first on the calendar for caloric intake by Americans. Second place? Not Christmas, not Easter, but SuperBowl Sunday! Wings, beer, and nachos? Why not!

The important thing to remember is that now that Thanksgiving is over, we can all get back to eating like we normally do. Too often, people have the tendency to throw away their goals and eating plans after one day of bingeing. Just like I always tell my clients, one day of bad eating will not make you fat any more than one day of exercising will not make you skinny. Its what we do on a regular basis that defines who we are. So get back on that wagon!

OK, so you got back to the gym, and are feeling a little better about yourself. However, what are you gonna do with all those leftovers?? My personal opinion? Repurpose them, and eat 'em!

Here are my top-5 favorite Thanksgiving leftovers: (Note; not all are "healthy," so you might want to attend an extra hot-yoga class this week)

#5: Cranberry Sauce- How to Repurpose it: Brown an onion and some garlic in a sauce pan with some olive oil, throw in the cranberry sauce, and add a little salt and pepper. Now, you've got some delicious chutney, which is one of my favorite sweet and savory combos! Spread it on toast, meats, or a nice ham sandwich (See #1)

#4: Butternut Squash- How to Repurpose it: Again, brown an onion and some garlic in olive oil, this time in a soup pot. Add the squash, and a can or two of chicken stock. Season with curry powder, salt and pepper, and finish with a touch of cream. Garnish with sunflower seeds and parsley and you've got some curried soup, son!

#3: Pumpkin Pie- How to Repurpose it: Don't bother. Don't even heat it up. Don't even get a plate, just eat that baby like a slice of pizza. You've earned it, that soup was healthy...

#2: Turkey- How to Repurpose it: Cook some veggies of your choice in a stock pot, add garlic and salt and pepper, add the turkey, and a bunch of stock. At this point, you can add rice, noodles, or dumplings, and you've got yourself another variety of healthy soup... Hey! Easy on the pumpkin pie!

#1: Ham- How to Repurpose it: There actually should be no leftover ham, because all of the leftovers should've been consumed in the following manner over several varieties of beer and wine on Thanksgiving night. Grab a roll, slice it open, maybe put a little cheese on it, and put on a couple chunks of ham. A lot of people like to get fancy here and go and add some mashed potatoes and gravy and stuffing, but I am a purist. Maybe its the fresh dinner roll, maybe its the big chunks of real ham as opposed to thin slices of hydrolyzed pork protein and MSG, but this is one of my all time favorite sandwiches... or maybe its the beer?

Well, I hope this helped with your post-Thanksgiving blues! Hey, at least it wasn't as stressful as Christmas will be! (three weeks, people!) But then again nobody got any presents either. Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

#FBF: Changing Tastes

Its that time of the week again! I've been waiting all week for Food Blog Friday, y'all, and here we go!

Today I wanna talk about changing tastes. Not just as a person, but as a culture. When I think back to my tastes as a 3rd grader, they are drastically different from how they are now. Is that because I had different taste buds than I do now, or because we all eat differently?

Well, honestly, I say both! I read an article (now being that this is MY blog after all I don't have to cite shit! This isn't my freshman English class, this is THE PACE RABBIT! But, I swear, I did read an article about this topic at one point...) that basically says kids are picky eaters because their taste buds are still fully functional. Kids don't like healthy food because it actually does taste gross. As adults, our taste buds fade, and we come into this sort of "Emperor's New Clothes" thing where we just eat what everyone else says is good and agree that it is good.

I firmly believe that this is the case with both goat cheese and chai tea. Goat cheese actually tastes like the inside of my 9th grade hockey pads, and chai tea actually tastes like one of those old lady stores in downtown Kearney... (Has anyone else noticed that they all sell the same thing?? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!!) Anyway, I think no one actually likes goat cheese or chai tea. We just pretend to like it so we feel cool. This is a dangerous place to be. We need to eat what we like, and not pretend to like something because it is "trendy."

I remember as a kid, one of my favorite meals was called "Cowboy Food." We only got it when Mom was working nights (in other words, Dad didn't feel like cooking) and it was awesome! Basically, Dad would brown some hamburger meat, and put a can of beans in it... and that's it...

Seriously, to a 9 year old kid, it didn't get much better than beans and meat. Now, I don't know what my favorite dish would be as a 25 year old, but the list would include Pad Thai, Beef Wellington, and a nice craft burger. Is this because my taste buds are dull now, and I like stronger flavors, or because craft burgers and Thai food are trendy? What drives me nuts is that I DON'T KNOW!! I like to think that I would like craft burgers even if they weren't all over every hipster bar in every town with a college in America, but I just can't say that for sure because I'm too late! That's tragically already the case.

Food Network, celebrity chefs, and the craft beer industry could totally be behind all of this, but I can't be sure. Personally, I think its all thanks to the same people who claim that apples have an inedible "core" and who created TV shows like "Jersey Shore." Either way, don't follow the trends, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!!!

#FBF: Chili; Messin' With Texas!

Yep, its Sunday. Not Friday. Thank you, Captain Obvious. No reason we can't have a Food Blog Friday though, right??

Today I want to talk about chili. Yep, that good ol' fashioned, game day classic. Let me tell ya somethin' here folks, chili is not just an excuse for cornbread and cinnamon rolls! ... Although, I mean, if you brought some over for me, I'd gladly make you a pot of chili... just sayin...

I am somewhere between a chili purist and an innovator. I believe that chili requires three key ingredients: Red meat, tomatoes, and beans. Here are a few thoughts from the Great Sam Holmes on the other phyla of chili.

Green Chili: Absolutely delicious. Nothing cures a hangover better, and I would literally smother anything with it and call it a meal. However, I moved away from Denver, so I'll stick to making the Red and leave the Green to the experts.

White Chicken Chili: You mean tortilla soup? If I wanted chicken, I'd order a bowl of freakin' chicken soup!! Plus, white beans taste like band-aids. Bring me some REAL chili!

Vegetarian Chili: No thanks, bro. I actually didn't go to CU Boulder. You can keep your vegetable soup. #Hippies #SMH

Texas Chili: Wait, you just shredded some meat in tomato sauce and called it soup?? Pour this over some spaghetti maybe... where's the beans? You Texans have to eat your vegetables at some point, I'm sorry.

That's right, folks. I am a proponent of the midwestern chili, including meat, tomatoes, and beans. After that, its all improvisation!

Last Friday (when I was supposed to be blogging) I had a chili cook off at work. Well, I won... Here was the winning recipe!

*Note: Any measurements I may decide to put in here are total guesses. I made this chili at midnight Thursday night, and um.. well I'd had a few. In other words, I couldn't find my measuring cups! Either way, look at this as a guideline to inspire your own creation.

1. 4 strips bacon, cook in large pot and set aside.
2. Large beef roast (I used a two-pounder and it probably served about 10 people, or 5 triathletes) Rub with your choice of spices and sear on all sides and set aside. 
3. 1 Large onion. Chop it and cook in the drippings on the pot.
4. Add a green bell pepper, and a couple other medium to high heat chilis. I used pasillo and anaheim. Again, chopped and cooked with the onions.
5. Deglaze the pan with a shot of bourbon. Mix it around and cook the alcohol out, and add a whole dark beer. This just keeps getting better and better!
6. Add a large can of diced tomatoes and a large can of black beans.
7. Add a couple ears worth of roasted corn. 
8. Put the roast and the now-crushed-bacon back in and bring to a boil. Simmer for like 4 hours, or until you can shred the beef!
9. Serve hot, with some cotija cheese and tortilla chips!

Like I said, don't follow recipes, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!!!

#TriathlonThursday: Chasing Dad's Shadow

I know, I know, its not Triathlon Tuesday... Given that there are two days in the week that start with "T," I am able to procrastinate even more sometimes. Yay for me! Don't worry though I'll still get your Food Blog Friday up by tomorrow.

Today I wanna talk about my Dad. Now I got into swimming because of my sister, but I would say the rest of the road to triathlon was definitely paved by Dad. He'd always been a runner, a cyclist, and a dentist, so for me it ultimately became not a choice of whether to follow in my dad's footsteps, but rather of how to follow in them.

It's not Father's Day, or his birthday, and no, he's not sick... Honestly I don't know what caused me to write this, but I'm gonna go with it!

I remember a summer in Estes Park when I was probably in middle school, and Dad and I went on a mountain bike ride. I can't say I recall much of the actual ride, but I do remember the ride home. We had to pedal our way back to the hotel for whatever reason, and it was farther than we'd anticipated. Dad just kept saying "Just one more hill, Sam!" To this day I'm not sure if the old man knew he was lying to me, or if he was as lost as I was! After several "One More Hills" we made it.

It probably wasn't all that long of a ride, but to a sullen 7th grader who'd rather be on MSN Instant Messenger it was an Ironman. I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that in that instant I decided to become a triathlete. There was no great epiphany for that. But it did teach me to take things one step at a time... and also that my dad is a badass, because he went for a run after that and I passed out watching SpongeBob.

Later, I learned the old-world sensibilities of road cycling from my dad. Suddenly, I was spending summer weekends wearing spandex and contemplating the Nebraska wind with my old man. From there, it wasn't much of a stretch to jump to road running, and after swim season my Junior year of high school I ran my first half marathon.

What a lot of people don't know is that I was accepted into dental school, and nearly went, just like my Dad. I still remember the day I told him I'd gotten in... he looked like I punched him in the gut! Frankly, I think he is happy I followed the triathlete in him, and not the dentist.

I live in Omaha now, which is where my dad started his runner/cyclist/triathlete lifestyle. Not too long ago, I was running through the hills of California street near Dundee (dad's old stompin' grounds) when I heard some footsteps behind me. I know I'm not that fast on the world scale, but still, to be passed by a casual runner is pretty rare for me. This skinny, 20-something guy comes blowing by me on the hill up from Saddle Creek (a mile-long grinder) and I had to stop.

I swear, it was my dad as he was at my age. He had a shaggy head of hippie lettuce, a 70's mustache, some old school Nike flats, and those same orange shorts dad used to run marathons in! (Think of an Irish/Norwegian Prefontaine) I gave him a nod, and he gave me a knowing smile, and just like that, I was chasing my dad up a hill again. I took it to be a good sign... dad used to give me a beer after a ride or run under the premise of "don't tell your mother..."

I remember when I realized I could beat my dad on the bike. It was my junior year of college, and we were going up Trail Ridge Road, again in Estes Park. I was chatting away, my lungs totally acclimated to the altitude from 3 years of swimming in Laramie. When I looked back, waiting for a response, I saw my dad 100 meters back. I was simultaneously pumped that I'd finally dropped the wily old bastard, and sad... (why am I crying writing this???)  If I could beat my dad, who would I ride with now?

We finished the ride together, and to this day I still love to go ride with me dad. After all, he taught me how.

Whenever I'm not sure of what to do in life, I always know I have a great example to follow in my dad. And, Dad, if I ever do decide to grow up, Just like in that Rodney Atkins song, I'll still know what to do, I've been watching you my whole life.

Wow, I just cried a lot writing this... and yep... I'm in a Starbucks... Good lord, I'm getting out of here. Love you, Pops! Until Food Blog Friday, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!!!!

Triathlon Tuesday: Season Recap

So I've decided to force myself to blog more and add a #TriathlonTuesday to my weekly lineup that already includes #FoodBlogFriday. The truth is, I really enjoy writing, I just need to make the time to do it... and my sister believes that I need to write more about being a triathlete than about being a fat kid...

Today I'm going to start the series off by recapping my season. You may have noticed I don't do race recaps generally speaking. There are several reasons for that; first of all, I think race recaps are boring, and I'm actually a triathlete. For you non-triathletes (I decided it would be blasphemous to call you "gentiles") they must be like, claw-your-eyes-out boring, so I don't subject you to that. Also, I believe that a lot of it should be between me and my coach.

Lets be honest though, the biggest reason is I haven't had a ton of great results this season... And I'm not the type of guy who writes a review on Yelp because I had a bad experience at a restaurant... I only Yelp the good ones!

This season had its ups and downs for me. A lot of ups because over all I had improved significantly from last year. My fitness, when it was where we wanted it, was great and I showed a few glimpses of solid results. However, I also had a lot of downs. These resulted from a lot of different things. There were corners cut on my part, other obligations like weddings and moves, and me not always having my head on straight. In short, the faults were entirely my own.

The good news is I learned a ton, as usual. I got a much better idea of how to budget, plan, and organize a season as professional. I learned how hard I can race and still hold it together. The biggest thing I take away from this season though, is hunger. I was too complacent after last season, and I see that now. I was pretending like I've already made it, but the fact is I'm nowhere close. I need to adopt a more blue-collar attitude, and be more driven. I am nowhere near ready to give up on triathlon yet, so stay tuned for new and improved Sam Holmes, coming soon to a race near you next Spring! Until then, its back to the grind this winter, so FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

#FBF: Don't Trip, Its Just Fall!

Well I’m back at it again! Today, although I am a day late, I wanna do a Food Blog Friday about the Flavors of Fall. The only problem is, I don’t like fall all that much…

That’s right, I came out and said it, and you Pumpkin Spice Latte Lovers are now pissed at me. But lets be honest here, all you people who post on FaceBook about “loving all these fall colors, and my wool sweaters and scarves and pumpkin spiced lattes and hot bowls of soup” are really just compensating for the overwhelmingly-shitty fact that summer is OVER.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love football, and the holidays, and I’ve had some of my best racing in the fall… I’ve even been known to don a wool sweater too, (but not a scarf, the word just kinda bothers me. Go ahead and say it out loud… weird right?) But I have realized lately that I prefer all of the other seasons to fall. Why? The food, of course!

I realize what this all comes down to is that I don’t really love the food that most white people’s great-grandparents ate, and those are the flavors of fall. I think its badass that my Norwegian ancestors pillaged and burned and generally kicked ass, but you won’t catch me going into a Norwegian restaurant.

First of all, I’m gonna go on record here and say that this pumpkin spice thing has gone way too far. I nearly judo-kicked the hipster brewing my coffee when offered he me a pumpkin spiced latte, which was bad enough. But then I recently sampled Blue Moon’s Pumpkin Spiced Ale, which was like biting into a pumpkin candle, and thus a mistake in my life on the caliber of betting my brother that leprechauns were real. Don’t do it, unless you want to lose five dollars and a significant amount of faith in your friends. 

Second, I can’t get into any of the fall vegetables. Squash is probably the 17^th worst word in the English language (again, say it aloud) and I’m just not big on the flavor or texture, generally speaking.

“But, Sam, just bake it with cinnamon and brown sugar,” You say? At this point I’m just confused. Am I eating dessert or a side dish? I’ll pass on your cinnamon-mush.

Also, I have a hard time getting excited about soup. It is another one of those weird words (I swear I don’t do drugs, but say it aloud…) I am rarely wowed by a soup… especially if it has squash in it. However hearty, filling, and healthy they are, I almost never want soup, I’ll just tolerate it.

Now, Holiday fare is a sensitive subject. People love this stuff, and why not?? It’s comforting, it reminds us of our childhood, and our friends and family is around, and not to mention its generally bad for us! But I’ll again go on record and say that I’m usually hummed out by a holiday meal. Look at your plate, its made up of varying shades of brown mush and a dry piece of turkey, right? You want me to gorge myself on that?? Don’t worry though; I’ll do a post a little closer to the big day to show you how to add some color to your Turkey Day.

Maybe my bitterness on this subject isn’t due to the food. Maybe the Pumpkin Spiced Latte is just a harbinger of colder weather and no more triathlon until spring, and not necessarily all bad food. Ok, I’ll stop bitching now. Next week I’ll give y’all a couple fall recipes that I do like!

Fall fruits? Apples and pears? Now we’re getting somewhere! And you know what, I went back to the coffee shop later and took the hipster up on his Pumpkin Spiced Latte (after apologizing for breathing fire on him) and it was kind of ok… Lets just say a small was plenty for this guy.

Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

#FBF: Eating on the Road

Now I realize, it is no longer Friday... I had to travel yesterday, and I was not on the ball gettin' my food blog up! We can still party like its Food Blog Friday right??

This post is pretty pertinent to my situation right now... since I am, in fact, on the road! Eating on the road can be tricky for a triathlete, or anyone for that matter. Do you want to save money, or do you want to splurge? Are you looking for predictable, or do you want to go crazy and try something different? Me, I like to strike a balance.

When driving to a race, it is a lot easier to plan this all out. Being able to bring a cooler, and having transportation means you can do just about anything you want for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. However, I often have to fly to races, and I can't always live off of the 17 PowerBars I stuffed into my carry-on... I have tried before, and the result was gassy/hungry/grumpy Sam.

So you've got a race that is just a few short hours in the car away. My advice is bring a cooler. Even if you're throwin' money in the air like Waka Flocka, it never hurts to save money for at least a couple meals, and its good to have some comforts from home... like PowerBars and bourbon... wait, what?

On top of that, you've got the convenience of being able to eat exactly when you're hungry, which is a big deal to triathletes! Just ask Rachel, there is about a 5 minute margin between me being like "sure, I could eat," and VIOLENTLY hangry! (That's not a typo... hungry + angry = hangry) And, your snack can be something reasonably healthy, rather than a cream cheese turnover from a gas station... which are also delicious, no matter what Rachel might tell you.

Now, say you flew (or just didn't take my advice like the dumb schmuck you are) and don't have any food. And ya know what, even if you did bring a cooler, you're going to want something other than turkey sandwiches at some point... like PowerBars and bourbon... wait, what?

So, you venture away from your musty used mattress and HBO (some people call this a "hotel rooms") to get some food at a restaurant. Now comes the hard part. Obviously, everyone has different budgets, so you have to consider how much you are looking to spend. Also, as a triathlete, you have to think about your meal choices, especially leading up to a race.

The best place to start, no matter what, is by asking a local. Look for a somewhat hefty guy. Not too fat, because then he might just be indiscriminate when eating, but you definitely don't want to ask the scrawny vegan hippie dude... unless you're into that...

OK, was that too mean? My bad... Seriously though, ask any local, and they will tell you what they like and what is popular, which is a great place to start looking. Sure, sure, the day before your race you should probably play it safe and get something you know. For me, that means spaghetti and meatballs... like a lot of spaghetti and meatballs.

However, if you are at your race location for a few days, I feel that is it your RESPONSIBILITY to try the local flavor! I got this from my dad. Growing up, we never ate at McDonald's on vacation. We tried out the weird taco truck... which is why I now have the GI tract of a grizzly bear and a taste for weird food. Find that hole in the wall and try it out. Do some research online beforehand, or better yet, ask a real live local!

On the coast? You better get some seafood. In Texas? You better get some BBQ... in fact, no matter where you are, you should probably just get some BBQ... and PowerBars and bourbon. In Portland? Then its ok to ask the skinny vegan hippie... Is it Food Blog Friday? Then FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!!!

#FBF: Wilson and Washburn Review

Its Friday again!

Living in Omaha means I get a whole bunch of new restaurants to try out. I heard a statistic a while ago that Omaha has the most locally-owned restaurants per-capita in the country... I don't know if that is still true, but either way, I will take it upon myself to review a whole mess of them for your enjoyment! I know, its a rough job, but I'll do my best. I will begin with Wilson and Washburn.

Wilson and Washburn is a new establishment in downtown Omaha on 14th and Harney. Slightly off the beaten path, not hugely advertised, and without a large sign out front, it is just the sort of place we hipsters love... See, we feel cooler than you when telling you about new places that you've never hear of. Anyway, the place is evidently named after two rather successful female brother owners. Add that to the early 20th century style decor, and it is a great nod to early Omaha.

The menu in and of itself is just impressive. When they say they have a "from scratch" kitchen, they mean it. House-smoked brisket, and house-ground beef? House-made ketchup? I mean, come on, don't these people have anything better to do than make their own, well, everything?? Obviously, it pays off. The food is as delicious as the 24 beers on tap... and yes, they are all weird hipster beers...

Rachel and I shared some beet chips, which were perfectly crispy with that salty, earthy, beet-y taste I love. For a main course I had the cheeseburger. House-ground beef really does make all the difference here. When its topped with cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and heirloom tomatoes on a pretzel bun, it makes one of the best burgers I have ever had. And that is saying something. Rachel had the Mac n' Cheese, which was almost as good as my momma's. Buffalo mozz, asiago, and smoked gouda, covered with a truffle and panko crust. The whole meal took decadence to a whole new level, without the price tag.

As I said, the price was pretty reasonable, given the detail the owners put into the menu. Also, the service was impeccable. The bartender who helped us knew the menu backwards and front, and could pair any of the items with a great beer. I would like to see a full menu, rather than just a la carte, but given that it is predominantly a bar, I wasn't too upset about having to order my french fries separate from my burger.... after all, they were house-cut, and came with smoked ketchup. Well, until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!!!

#FBF: Ode to a Server

Happy Friday, y'all! Today I wanna talk about food, as I do most Fridays. Well, actually this week I'm going to shift gears a bit. I wanna talk about the most important person in your restaurant experience; your server!

Now, in my opinion, there are two types of people in this world: Those who have worked as a server, and those who haven't. If you are in the camp of "those who haven't," please raise your hand.

Oh, you haven't? GO PUNCH YOURSELF IN THE STOMACH 13 TIMES FOR STIFFING YOUR FELLOW BROKE HUMAN BEING!!!!! News flash! Your ranch dressing is not that important, and $2.47 is not an acceptable gratuity! (unless your bill was less than $15)

Servers are a rare breed who work almost exclusively on tips. In other words, we get paid only as much as you want to pay us.  We basically just act as liaison between the cooks in the back and the customers in the front, successfully pissing both parties off without actually being the one to do anything wrong. In other words, we are the bearers of bad news. It is a fast-paced, high stress work environment, but that cash payday at the end of every night makes it worth it... sometimes...

Now, a lot of people (most of you who raised your hand earlier) are actually quite terrible at being a dining out customer. Sure, courtesies have changed in the past few decades, but as a general rule think of your server (and all your restaurant staff) as a fellow human being and you should not have any problems. For a more detailed plan of attack, check out my how-to in reverse below!

How to Receive Bad Service at a Restaurant:

1) Ask the host to move several different times before settling on a table. Better yet, just walk in and sit where you'd like. These people clearly don't know what they're doing anyway.

2) As the server greets your table, interrupt them loudly by stating what you'd like to drink/eat in one-word sentences (i.e., "WATER!!"). If you brought your air horn, now would be the time to use it.

3) Create a very complex version of what you want, and order that to eat. Better yet, ask for something that isn't even on the menu. (Now, this one get's a little controversial. I understand there are a lot of food allergies and even more yuppy diets that tell you what you can and can't eat. Ideally, you would go in knowing this and look at menus before deciding on a restaurant. Simple fact is, the more complicated your order, the angrier the server and the kitchen staff)

4) Ask for one thing at a time, each time your server comes to the table. No, your ketchup, ranch dressing, iced tea refill, and extra napkins absolutely cannot come out all at the same time!

5) Send food back. Now, obviously there are instances when this is necessary (objects in food, cold food, etc.) but you need to know that if you ordered a steak medium and send it back for not being cooked right, you are now Public Enemy Number 1. Ask yourself, "Is it worth everyone from the dishwasher to the general manager hating me to get my steak re-cooked?" Now that I think about it, maybe that steak is medium after all!
          *Side note: In my experience, spitting, etc. in customers' food DOES NOT HAPPEN! Thinking that sending your food back will cause someone to huck a loogie in it is not true like in the movies, but it will make everyone working at the restaurant want to murder your children... which they already did anyway, your brats are messy, whiny, and obnoxious.

6) Leave a bad tip. Really, this is the best way to get bad service, and bad karma. Nowadays, there is no set dollar amount that is good or bad, but rather, it is a percentage. Let me give you a breakdown of the message you send with different tip percentages:

20% and up: Great job, Sam! The food was good, and your service was great. What's more, we think you are handsome, your jokes are funny, and we want you to succeed in life!

15-19%: Good job! We liked you and the food well enough, but I'm not about to give you my daughter's hand in marriage. I hope you move on to bigger and better things, so here's some money. Definitely get a real job though...

10-15%: Well, that was OK. Either there was a problem with the food or the service. I don't hate you as a person, Sam, but I'm definitely not about to call you on the weekend. Really, what I'm saying is, you did a decent job, but I am too much of a cheap ass or too broke to give you a proper tip. Sorry I'm not sorry.

5-10%: Either a) I was born before 1955 (Dad, I'm talking to you here), b) there was a huge problem with our dining experience and I am blaming you, c) I really can't afford to be eating out, and this tip thing is the first thing in my budget to get cut, or d) F#%& YOU!!

0-5%: I literally hope you starve to death.

And that's it, folks! I honestly wish I didn't know what each table left me, so I wouldn't have to harbor all these feelings, but that's just how it works!

So the next time you go out to eat, try to remember that your server is just a person. They have their own lives completely outside of serving! Ask them about it, and get to know what they do other than bring you ranch dressing and clean up after your children. Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

St. Louis 5150

On June 28th I raced the St. Louis 5150. Since there have been so few Pan-Am Cups in North America this year, I have been racing a lot of non-draft events to keep sharp... and because they're fun too, in spite of getting bike-envy of age-groupers who make astronomically more money than I do...

The race actually took place in Innsbrook, which is pretty much just idyllic. I would love to vacation here, or even get a training camp set up here. It is nestled in the wooded hills outside St. Louis, and there are several very pristine lakes around. Rachel was glad she came with me, if for no other reason than to enjoy the views!

We drove down after a day in Omaha, and I warmed up a bit and scoped out the race course the day before. I knew it was going to be tough, but I didn't know how tough! Olive Garden for dinner, lights out, an early alarm, and an hour drive brings us to the race course again. Now, I got in a little warm up, but then I realized I had to use the bathroom. I went to the porta-potties... of which there were only 12 for 900+ competitors... and sparing you the gory details had to wait and wait and wait and finally was finished just a few minutes before my wave left! I got transition set up and warmed up just a shade more and headed to the water.

Rachel is a great motivator for me, without even knowing it. I've never even fully illustrated this to her, but seeing her just before the start brings out my prehistoric this-is-MY-mate-and-I-will-fight-to-the-death-for-her instincts. I know it sounds weird, and I realize none of my competitors will probably even come in contact with her at all, let alone hurt her. But I had visualized that, and the weird thing was, it WORKED! I was in kill mode toeing the line. I led all the way through both turns, and then got passed by 3 guys who I stayed with. Coming into the finish, I remembered I told Rach I would come out in the top 3, so I passed one of the guys back and hit the beach.

I helped a guy with his zipper running up to transition (there is not a single level surface in that whole county, so we ran up and up and UP) and got some Karma points, and came out of transition in second behind Mr. Billington himself. I knew the bike would be hard, but not having a good warmup really hurt me in the first few miles, which is where I got passed. It was a hilly, winding course, so I lost contact with the leaders, but came off the bike 8th.

I would like to start out the run recap by saying that Ultramax Sports are murderers. Some swimmer must have stolen that dude's girlfriend a while ago, because he clearly hates us swimmers judging by that run! I cannot stress enough how brutal this run was. It was mostly on gravel, and to say it was hilly would be like saying Lindsey Lohan kinda likes to party. The hills were steep, rolling, and everywhere. I thought I might have to crawl at times. I got passed twice, and crossed the line, gasping for air and vomiting shards of my pelvis into the bushes, for a 10th place finish.

I was reasonably happy, but again I had hoped to be in the money. Still, I think 10th here was a much better result than 10th in Lawrence with this field and this course.

After the race, Rachel and I had a bit of a vacation. We ate at some damn good restaurants (Pi Pizza, restaurant review in the future?) went to the zoo, and toured the Anheuser-Busch Factory, which was really impressive. I think we both needed that time, kind of away from everything and being together, more than either of us realized.

Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!!

Dallas Re-Cap 2013

So, I realize this is quite late, but you're all used to that by now... In other news, this is the first time I've had to put a year on a race recap to keep it straight with the prior year, so that's pretty cool!

On June 1st, I raced in the Dallas Pan-Am Cup. Going in, I felt pretty well-prepared, although I knew the field was tough and it was going to be hot. I had done plenty of heat acclimation, and I felt like my head was on pretty straight. I stayed at the host hotel, which literally has the transition in its parking lot and several restaurants within walking distance, so I was set up nicely!

In the weeks leading up to this race, my goal was to finish top-10 and get some prize money. This is a good goal, but I think it caused me to focus on that outcome rather than on the process. A process goal would be something like "MAKE THE PACK ON THE SWIM!! YOU'RE A SWIMMER FOR GOD'S SAKE!!" But I was too worried about what might come later, and so I lost focus, didn't realize how far back I was in the water, and missed the breakaway group of 9 coming out of the water.

Now, in my own defense, I was probably not as fit in the water as I thought I was. Also, my warmup got cut short due to incoming weather (which never really came at all...) but so did everyone else's. And, I was leading a group going into the first buoy, but I got mauled by a bunch of people, like literally dunked. Not fun. Ultimately though, the loss of focus caused me to make bad judgements in the water which cost me that breakaway group. Making that group nearly guaranteed coming out in the money!

The bike was largely uneventful, except that our small group got caught by another small group, and then no one wanted to work anymore (except the breakaway!). OK, there was an incident involving me and another rider, so I figure I'll give my side of the story here.

I won't name names, but basically this guy and I had been running our group together, and doing a pretty good job until the groups joined. Now, we had been rotating to the right after taking a pull at the front, so after I took a pull I moved right. His front tire had crossed mine, so he was basically sitting where I was about to move, and when I did, we touched tires pretty hard and he went down... pretty hard...

It was an honest mistake on both of our parts, I wish him all the best, and I would never purposely do something to put one of my peers in danger.

I had a decent run given the conditions... which were hot and long... and wound up 18th overall. Obviously not what I'd hoped for. After the race I had to face some tough questions, and I came up with some good answers. I revamped my mental approach, and I really sharpened my swim. It is, after all, my weapon, and I wanna KILL with it!

Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!!!

#FBF: Luau Take 1

I know, I said I wouldn't do this again... but I failed to blog for a while. My bad... I'd make some half-hearted vow to be more regular, but lets me honest, its me we're talking about here. Here's how the first little piggy made it to the market!

Last post I previewed my plan to do a Luau, complete with the Kalua pig. Well, I simplified things a bit, but for the most part I did everything as traditionally as I could, and the results were delicious and fun!

OK, for you non-pacific islanders out there, a Kalua pig is basically roasted in a pit in the ground over the course of a day, using smoke and hot rocks buried with the pig to do the cooking. Now, I am a big picture guy, so I will give you a general rundown of what I did, and then detail the rest out further on down. To me, this is the easiest way to understand it.

You know what the best part about this is? I pretty much just read other people's blogs (none of whom are trained chefs... or Hawaiians...) to figure out how to do this. And now, you are reading my blog learning how in the same way. I can only hope one of you dumb schmucks tries this, and then blogs about it to pass on the information! ... OK that got too deep, just read and enjoy...

*Disclaimer* This cooking process involves fire, super-heated rocks, and burying and leaving said objects (fire and hot rocks) relatively unattended in the ground for a while. Use common sense! Don't burn your house down... its a hassle... take my word for it.

Here is the general rundown:

1) Dig a pit

2) Line the pit with rocks

3) Build a fire on the rocks

4) Feed the fire for a couple hours to heat the rocks

5) Prepare and wrap the pig

6) Put leafy branches or soaked wood chips on fire

7) Put pig on fire and cover with more branches

8) Cover the whole mass with a wet blanket

9) Cover with a layer of dirt to make airtight

10) Wait 12-16 hours, and enjoy!



That's basically it! Here are more details on what I did with each of the steps.

#1-2 The pit: Dig a pit about 3 feet deep with steep walls. If you're doing a whole pig, it should be about the size of a shallow grave (foreshadowing? I hope not... so be careful!) Since I only did a shoulder it was just about 3 feet by 3 feet. The rocks should be somewhere between the size of a softball and a grapefruit, and enough to surround whatever you are roasting, and maybe even to stuff a few inside the carcass. I used paver bricks, which actually worked great! *Warning* Evidently some rocks, like those that have been in water for a long time, will explode when super-heated. Maybe try just heating one rock in a fire first before going all in. Or just wus out like me and use bricks!

#3-4 The fire: Pretty easy, right? The bigger, hotter, and longer you burn it, the better. Once you've got glowing hot rocks/bricks, let it smolder down for 20 mins or so.

#5 The Piggy: Now, at the outset, I'd like to say that those who are strictly traditional are never innovative. Traditionally the pig is just salted and wrapped in banana leaves, and maybe chicken wire for easy handling. I followed suit and just used salt and wrapped it in cabbage leaves (again, no banana trees in Kearney!) and then aluminum foil to keep it all together. When I do it again, I am gonna spice rub the sh%+ out of that pig! The final product was tender and juicy, just a little bit plain. I love me some BBQ, so I say spice that up! But don't try and tell a large Samoan man that it is traditional, he might hurt you.

#6-9 Entombing: arrange the rocks and coals a bit (I don't feel like I need to say "don't use your bare hands" ...maybe some tongs would be in order?) to make a nice bed that will surround the meat. If you're using a whole pig, save a few to put in the cavity. Then, put some wet wood or leafy branches down to make a 2-4 inch cushion. No, I still haven't found any damn banana trees in Kearney! I used maple branches and soaked hickory chips... did I mention I love barbecue? Put a few more branches on top. The steam/smoke really flavors the meat and helps cook it, so don't be shy! Then, put a wet blanket over the whole mess, and add enough dirt to make it airtight on all the edges. Wait for a minute and watch for smoke escaping, that is not what you want! Seal 'er up tight!

#10 Wait: This was really hard for me, and that is why I hate baking. Just wait. Leave it alone. Don't look at it. You won't be able to smell anything or see anything happening, so there's no need to check on it. Why are you still glancing over there?? It might be smart to have someone on the premises to make sure nothing burns down or explodes, though. HEY, what did we say about checking on it?!?! Leave it alone!

If you've done everything properly (which you probably didn't... you're a dumb schmuck and you've been pounding Bud heavy since 9 am) then after 12 hours or so you'll have a mess of tender pork waiting to be eaten in a drunken-munchies rage. Take the blanket off, clear off the branches and get ready! If you just did a shoulder like me, use a pair of oven mitts and just put it in a pan. If you did the whole shebang, find the three drunkest guys at the party to help you haul Babe off the coals and into the kitchen!

At this point, it's all fair game. Sandwiches? Sure. Pork tacos? Prove it! Sauce? I like your style. Pork Pie? Lets get weird! Just eat it, and until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

#FBF: The First Little Piggy...

Those of you who know me know I love a good challenge. Obviously, that kinda comes with the job description of being a professional triathlete, but I also love a culinary ironman, so to speak. Something I have always wanted to do as a "foodie" is roast a luau pig. Yep, I'm talking dig a pit, build a fire in it, put a whole pig on top of the coals, and bury it. Then, 16 hours later, enjoy some delicious pulled pork!

There are several problems involved with this. The biggest one, in my opinion, is finding enough people to eat a whole 250 lb pig... I love pulled pork sandwiches, but I'm not sure I want to eat them for the next 6 months... So, the idea came into my head to do it for my brother's rehearsal dinner, which will be out at my parent's house!

I was pumped... Andrew and Heather were a little apprehensive...

Long story short, I've decided to do a few trial runs over the course of the summer, the first one being just a pork shoulder to be interred early tomorrow morning and enjoyed tomorrow evening! There will certainly be a follow-up post on this, including some detailed instructions, what works, what doesn't work, what can be substituted (yeah, banana leaves are hard to come by in Nebraska!) and all that good stuff. I will even include pictures for my 3rd grade level readers out there!

I know, this is sort of a cop out, but I wanted to give everyone a preview of what's to come! Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!!!

Lawrence 5150

A couple weeks ago I did the 5150 in Lawrence, Kansas. I had done this race last year, or at least the equivalent, which was in Kansas City. I really enjoyed it last year, as well as this year, and I think I'll do a few more 5150's this season!

Rachel came down with me to watch her first triathlon, and on Friday we went to her friend's graduation in Manhattan. I had the day off of training as per normal, but sitting around for 8 hours that day (in the car, at the graduation, etc) and eating cake and ice cream was perhaps not the best idea, but sometimes you've gotta play ball and make your girlfriend happy on Friday so she'll come watch your race on Sunday! Either way, we all had a blast, I don't think it had a huge affect on my performance, and I would do it all over again.

Saturday meant my standard pre-race brick/course preview. The swim felt solid (the water was pretty stinky) and the bike was good, if the course was a bit long (25.9 mi)... however, whoever decided to call that course "gently rolling" was probably raised in the Himalayas. Granted, I've been a flat-lander for too long, but there were a couple monster climbs that I was not too thrilled about. The run course looked good, pretty fast, but it was also a little long at about 6.5 miles... Oh well!

Sunday morning we woke up to rain and clouds, but we drove to the race undeterred. I did my usual warmup, but we couldn't get into the water due to lightning. They postponed, and postponed again, and finally cancelled the swim. Sweet. I didn't wanna do my best leg anyway! 

That was sarcasm. You runners get it so easy! The slightest weather problem and every race director is so quick to drop the swim! Why? Because most people hate it! Truth be told, its my least favorite part of the race too, but at least I know I'm good at it. You never hear a race director say, "hey guys, its pretty hot out today, lets just call off the run and make this an Aqua Bike!" Now that would be sweet!

I couldn't help but have that Luke Bryan song, "Rain is a Good Thing" stuck in my head during the whole race. It made me smile and kept my attitude positive... after all, Mr. Bryan has a few good points in the song!

Anyway, we did a time-trial start on the bike, which is always fun starting on an uphill. The bike was good, but I played it too conservative. I passed a few guys, got passed by a few other guys, and did what I could to keep myself in the mix without exerting too much. In retrospect I should've pushed it just a bit more, but I was pretty happy with my time. I was just around 59 minutes for the actual 40k mark on a hilly, windy, wet course with water standing in the low spots! Rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey...

I came off the bike and felt really heavy on the first mile. I am not used to running off a TT bike, and that showed. Still, I was able to run down several guys which is always fun... Again, you scrawny little runner guys get to have all the fun! I ended up running 35:40 for the long course, so I figure I was probably a 34 low for a true 10k. Not great, but not bad. I came in 10th overall. Whiskey makes my baby, feel a little frisky... 

Rachel was a trooper all day in the rain, and she cheered and looked sexy so I'd run faster! So, I rewarded her (that's my justification, this had nothing to do with what I wanted!) by going to get some barbecue at the famous Jack Stack Barbecue. Oh my lord, once again, one of the best meals I've ever been served! We drove home full and happy.

Well last weekend I raced the Dallas Pan-Am Cup, and that report will be posted soon! Until then, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

Food Blog Friday: DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK!

What's up friends?? Its Friday again, and you know what that means!

...ok, so it hasn't meant anything special for this blog for the past few weeks. I'm sorry, OK?? Getting my personal training certificate, starting a new job, and traveling a lot have left me rather busy.. plus I had to do some research for y'all! In other words, I ate some good food :)

Today I wanna talk about The Coffee Shop Conundrum. Now, I love coffee. I think my blood type is French Roast (I like dark roasts) and I have worked in several different coffee shops in my career as an aspiring foodie. We all know of that one coffee shop... I'm not gonna name names or endorse anybody here since they don't give me free coffee and I don't wear their logo on my race kit (side note to coffee shops; Race Kit space for rent! Free Coffee OBO!) but it starts with an S and rhymes with Starbucks.

I like Starbucks; they have consistently good product and service, I like the Cole Porter Pandora Radio they play in-store, and I have been brainwashed to like their style of dark-roasted beans. The problem is, they are a huge company, and I'm a hipster. As a hipster, I have to wear skinny jeans, ride a fixie (its actually just a single speed) and I have to HATE corporate America! I can't support such a huge company, even though I can find many of my kind in their stores, fixies parked out front, blogging on their Macbook Pros after getting off of work at a local organic pizza shop.

God, I love making fun of hipsters.

The point here is, we should all try and experience the local flavor every once in a while. The problem with that is, a lot of times your local coffee shop is just some weird lady who after a mid-life crisis decided it would be "fun" to buy a $10,000 espresso machine, rent a space and go for it without ever really having been trained, or even having worked in a coffee shop. She bought a lot of carmel macchiatos, but maybe doesn't understand what a real macchiato is... So, what you get is a lot of bad espresso that is poorly prepared and hopefully covered up with lots of milk and sugar. The best thing about these places is that your barista is probably a smokin'-hot twenty-something.

So, how do we know where to go, if it doesn't say "Starbucks" on the awning?? Well, to sum it up in a sentence, WATCH THE BARISTA! He/she should have sleeve tattoos, gaged ears, glasses (with or without prescription) vintage clothing, and be able to tell you that he/she is actually an actor/photographer/musician... but who am I to talk? I'm in the same boat minus the earrings, tats, and plus that whole swim/bike/run thing.

In all seriousness, you can learn a lot about a coffee shop by its baristas and how good they are at what they do.

First of all, it is important to understand that making an espresso drink is a complicated and delicate process. The temperature of the water, the coarseness of the grind, the tightness of the coffee in the porta-filter, the extraction time, and the humidity in the air all have to be taken into account. That is not even considering frothing the milk, which is a combination of heating, swirling, and aerating. All of this has to come together perfectly, and should be enjoyed within the next few minutes to assure top quality.

I am not telling you this so you'll tip your baristas (although that is a good idea, they don't get paid very much!) I am telling you this so you'll know and understand that these things take time. If you walk into a coffee shop and order something, only to watch in dismay the sleeve-tatted dude behind the counter with hipster glasses pushes a button and watches some frothy crap come out, you've gone to the wrong coffee shop. Watch the baristas before ordering, and make sure they do things like tamp the espresso and froth the milk by hand, adjust the grind occasionally, and take their time with each drink. Yes, you might have to wait a bit longer, but if you're just looking for a buzz go for the drip coffee!

Another good idea is to quiz these v-neck wearing, beard rocking, individuals making your drink. Ask them about the espresso. If they say something like "I don't know," keep searching for that ideal coffee shop, my friend. If they say "I don't like coffee," please do me a favor and slap them. They should be able to speak intelligently about what they are brewing, and steer you in the right direction, even if you're not wearing skinny jeans. Part of proper training as a barista is learning about your product, including tasting it. A good coffee shop will know this, and only hire hipsters that like coffee and train said hipsters properly on their product.

So in conclusion, look for that hole-in-the-wall coffee shop when you can, and when you find it, make sure those punks making your drink know what they are doing! When in doubt though, that green awning is never far away... and if it wasn't for them, the coffee industry wouldn't be where it is today! Until next time, drink up and FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

#FBF: Sushi for the Landlocked

Living in Nebraska makes me a great authority on sushi... wait... no, no it doesn't. But for that matter, I don't know what does? I eat it every chance I get, and I love preparing it myself, does that count?

Now sushi is something of a polarizing dish. A lot of people are thrown off by eating raw fish for reasons like food poisoning, heavy-metal poisoning, being lame specimens of humanity, etc. The fact is, variety is the spice of life, and if eating something is potentially dangerous it makes it all the more appealing, right? (Think other fun/dangerous activities like skydiving, snowboarding, or listening to 2 Chainz)

The fact is, sushi is NOT always raw fish! Sushi just refers to the cooking method of the rice and wrapping the ingredients in the rice and the nori, or seaweed wrap. Sashimi refers to raw or lightly cooked fish. Sushi is (I realize I use this term a lot about dishes) a blank canvas... I've had everything from steak to a fried whole softshell crab wrapped in rice and seaweed and thrown it all back in one bite.

How To: At the restaurant:
Now, first of all consider you're location. If you're in South Dakota, and the sushi is only $5, its probably not very fresh. But, if it looks like a legit place, or you are close to the ocean, its probably safe! Use your judgement.

When getting sushi, I like to order a variety of different things, and let everyone share. Start with some tempura (a specific type of frying batter used on fish, vegetables, etc.) as an appetizer, you won't be disappointed. Anything deep fried can't be that bad, right? Next, let everyone pick out a roll that they want. One to two rolls should be plenty per person, even if they are all skinny fat kids like me! Sushi is quite filling.

This is the time to branch out, so live a little! Order something weird along with the safe rolls (California rolls are generally liked by everyone). IF there is a softshell crab, get it! If there is anything called  a "dragon roll" on the menu, it is required that someone order it. Personally, the only ones I stay away from are the eel... It just tastes a little bit too much like the bottom of the ocean for my taste.

When eating it, using your hands is actually more appropriate than using chopsticks (sweet!) so dig in! Dip it in the soy sauce mixed with wasabi and throw it all back in one bite, even if its a big roll. 2 bites is a no-no. Don't forget the sake, which has a weirdly appealing savoriness to it.

How To: At home
Sushi is actually easier to prepare than you'd think. All you need is sushi rice, rice wine vinegar, nori (The seaweed wrapper, really easy to come by these days!), and anything you'd like to fill it with. I like to use cooked shrimp, crab, and smoked salmon. I myself have never attempted to use raw fish, but if you do make sure it is sushi-grade.

First of all, using a wire strainer and a large bowl, rinse the rice with tap water until the water comes off clear. Next, bring the rice and the appropriate amount of water (1 to 1 ratio) to a boil. Turn down to simmer, and leave for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, cover, and leave for another 10 minutes. After this add a couple tablespoons each of sugar, salt, and rice wine vinegar and mix to coat each grain. Put in the fridge until it comes down to room temperature.

Now comes the fun part! Lay down a sheet of nori and spread a thin, even layer of rice over it (if you have a bamboo sushi roller, that makes rolling a little easier but its not necessary). Next, put whatever you like on the rice and roll it up! Think like a sleeping bag roll, keep it tight and hopefully the rice will keep it all together.

Last week Rachel and I did this and had a lot of fun. It is a bit of a process, but its something you can do to make a great date night. We used crab, smoked salmon, and pre-cooked shrimp, as well as cream cheese, avocado, cucumber, and carrots to fill our sushi. The only problem was, we kinda ate as we went, so by the time we were finished neither of us were very hungry!

Well, my friends, I hope this opened your eyes a bit to the world of sushi. Go forth, try it out, and get something weird! I would definitely advise eating it in a restaurant setting before trying on your own. Get some inspiration! It plates beautifully, is very healthy, and makes you feel like a hipster. Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

#FBF: The Agnostic Diet

What diet are you on? Lately, this question has become as common as "What church do you go to?" Well me, I was a Catholic School dropout, but I do have my own set of beliefs. I feel like I am a good person, but that is not a result of what church I go to.

This is the basis of the agnostic diet. I first read about this in this month's Triathlete magazine, and immediately was attracted to it. There was a statistic that it had, the exact numbers of which I can't recall, which said that a lot of age-groupers are on a diet with a name (eg. Paleo diet, Vegan diet, Zone Diet) where as next to no professionals are on a diet. What's up with that??

Granted, the demands of a professional allow for a little more freedom with eating. It would simply not do to train 25+ hours a week and be on a low-carb diet... (People often say, "you can eat whatever you want and still look good, can't you??" Well, yeah, but do you wanna do what I do in a given week??) On the other hand though, there is a lot less difference in 1st place and 10th place at a pro race, so the guys with the tiniest edge come out on top. That's where good nutrition comes in.

Now, this "diet" is to most diets as agnosticism is to most religions...  in that its not a diet at all! Just like how an agnostic person would say they know how to be a good person without going to church, most of us know pretty well what to eat without following a diet. Being on a diet does not absolve you of all your sins of bad eating... that triple almond milk sugar-free vanilla latte is still bad for you, even though loosely translated its "on the Paleo Diet". Like Jack Johnson says, "Singin' on Sunday won't save your soul/now that Saturday's gone"

Here are a few guidelines to follow. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me!

Here are some foods you should eat: (Start at the top for most quality and work your way down)

Vegetables
Fruits
Nuts and Seeds
Lean Proteins
Whole Grains
Healthy Oils (Avocado, fish oil, olive oil)
Dairy

Here are some foods you should avoid: (Again, the least bad are at the top)

Refined grains
Fatty meats
Sweets (Including artificial sweeteners! That shit causes cancer yo!)
Fried Foods
Donuts (Aww, man! Last place?? Seriously??)

As far as macronutrient breakdown, a good guideline to start with is the 1-2-3 rule. 1 part fats (go for unsaturated as much as possible!) to 2 parts lean proteins to 3 parts carbohydrates (try and get as many of these as possible from fruits and vegetables!)
      -Side note: during intense training, it is OK to go as much as 4 or 5 parts carbohydrates... eat that pasta, friends!

Now, all that seems pretty simple right? Like I said, you already know all of this stuff, you just have to take responsibility and follow it. You don't need a diet to tell you what to do, just eat right, go FAST, take CHANCES, and FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

#FBF; Sauce Boss!

Lately my dear friend pasta has been getting a bad rap. All these low-carb, gluten-free, trendy diets have been leaving pasta alone out in the cold. And these paleo-dieters come at me saying, "You're ancient ancestors didn't eat pasta, so you shouldn't either!" Well ya know what else my ancient ancestors didn't do? Swim 25k, cycle 250+ miles and run 60+ miles a week, so there!

I'll save you my dietary ranting for another blog post, but today I wanna talk about pasta. Pasta is a great food group in that it is a blank canvas, just waiting to be painted with different sauces, proteins, and vegetables. Not to mention, it is a great fuel source!

The process of preparing pasta is pretty straightforward, unless you're making it all from scratch... As far as the boxed stuff goes, just be sure to use a high-sided pot, salt your water enough that it tastes like the sea, and keep a rolling boil all through the cooking process. Remember to leave it just a little bit under-cooked so that you can saute it for a bit with the sauce to finish cooking! If you wanna be super classy and Old-Worldly, leave it a little al dente. 

I am no expert on making homemade pasta, so I won't pretend to be. I have only helped out with this process a couple times, but it does seem pretty simple. If you do use fresh pasta, remember the cooking time is much less.

Now time for the REAL star of the show, the sauce! Marinara is pretty much just marinara, it doesn't ever really deviate from the standard set a long time ago in Italy (I assume? I guess I don't really know...) You can totally make this yourself... but it isn't much better than if you buy a jar. However, the two sauces everyone should know how to make from scratch are a basil pesto and Alfredo sauce.

Pesto does not come out of a jar, believe it or not... In fact, it tastes much better when you make it yourself, even if you don't have super fresh basil! Its also probably cheaper, and it is really not difficult. All you need to do is throw some nuts (about 1/3 cup, walnuts or pine nuts work best!) in a food processor and give them a few pulses to get a head start. Then, add 2 cups of fresh basil, 1 cup of parmesan cheese, and about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of olive oil and 3 or 4 big cloves of garlic. Blend this until its a pretty homogenous mixture (I like to leave it just short of paste, give it a little texture!) and toss with warm, freshly cooked pasta. Add some shrimp or chicken, roasted red peppers, and garnish with a cherry tomato. Bellissimo! (Ok I probably spelled that wrong... I speak Spanish, not Italian...)

Alfredo sauce is a little more of an involved process. Again though, the final product is astronomically better, and it is cheaper than the packet or the jar.... IF you use the jar of Alfredo sauce, we can no longer be friends.

Alfredo begins with a basic roux... butter and flour! I generally use about a 1 to 1 ratio, melting the butter and adding the flower before the butter browns. Add a couple cloves of minced garlic, and whisk the mixture thoroughly and cook for a few minutes until it is about the color of wet sand.

At this point, add about 2-4 cups of hot 2% milk. I usually get this going in the microwave as the roux cooks. Again, whisk like hell until all the flour gets dissolved and bring the mix to a boil, whisking occasionally. 

Once it comes to a boil, add 2-3 cups of grated parmesan cheese... this sounds like a lot, but this is how you get that cheesy flavor. Once all the cheese melts, turn off the heat and add salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Now you're ready to plate!

What I did here was toss the pasta with the pesto, put that in a bowl topped with some sautéed shrimp and veggies, topped it all with the Alfredo, and garnished with a cherry tomato. Date night is served! (You're welcome, Rachel!)

Hope you enjoyed my first attempt at a recipe... ok so it was more like some guidelines... Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

FBF: Sozo American Cuisine

Now, I'd had the greatest intentions of cooking something spectacular this week and wowing you all with my culinary prowess... but it got to be a busy week with studying, training, and getting back into the rhythm of "normal life" (which is considered not traveling/racing). So, you're stuck with another restaurant review.

The other night Rachel took me to Sozo American Cuisine in Kearney, Nebraska for my birthday. Kearney is a small town, and the restaurant scene is a bit... lacking, shall we say... for a college town especially. If you're looking for date night, there are tragically few options that aren't stuffy and out-dated... I could really turn this into a whole other blog post... Anyway, I'm all about progressive cuisine with flashy plating, raw fish, and weird ingredients. The type of place my grandmother (who I do love dearly) would not want to eat at. So, Sozo was the place!

Those of you who knew it as The Venue and Legacy 272 will be pleasantly surprised to find the great atmosphere, wraparound bar, and general idea of the menu have not changed. While the service was good, it did not wow me. Having worked as a server I know this can be caused by anything from a bad tip earlier to stress from school, so I let it go.

Rachel and I ordered the tuna tacos as an appetizer to go with our beers. These were delicious! Tuna seared rare with Asian-style slaw, served in a crispy wonton shell and drizzled with a soy reduction is exactly what I wanted to celebrate my birthday. ORDER THIS APP!!

We both got salads for our entrees. Now I know what you're thinking, that salad isn't glamorous and shouldn't be included on date night, let alone a restaurant review. I say salad is a blank canvas, and I wanted to see what Sozo could paint... plus its on the Paleo Diet...

I had a steak salad with arugula, bleu cheese, roasted red peppers and balsamic reduction. All big flavors, but the smokiness of the peppers balanced perfectly with the sweet balsamic. And really, steak cooked medium rare and bleu cheese is always a winner. The meat was a little grisly, but well seasoned and perfectly cooked.

Rachel had a spinach chicken salad with apples, bacon, cranberries, and a maple vinaigrette. Strictly speaking, I had ordered this but we switched, so when I say this was the better salad it means I won dinner! The maple vinaigrette was amazing, and brought together the apples, chicken, and bacon... and plus it had bacon...

We finished the meal with one of their house-made desserts. A peanut butter fudge cake that was to die for. It was dense, rich, and decadent. I love that they make all their own desserts, and the choices change regularly. Always order a dessert if it is made in house!

All in all, I'd give Sozo an A rating. The ingredients are high quality and well prepared and beautifully plated, and it is very affordable. The service was good, and the atmosphere is great. It is perfect for a date night, although the bar and TVs make it great for game night with the guys too. Plus, its location right off the interstate is perfect for travelers. Don't go to the chain restaurants, get weird and try something new!

When you go, request one of the booths; the drapes make it feel very private and not like you're stuck in a dining hall. Order a tap beer and get the tuna tacos! Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

Food Blog Friday: The Lucky Pelican

For my first Food Blog Friday, I will be doing a restaurant review of The Lucky Pelican in Sarasota, Florida. Now, I am all about trying out the local cuisine, I am not the dude who eats at Chili's when on vacation. I will literally go out of my way to find something you can't get anywhere else. I gotta admit though, I probably wouldn't have found The Lucky Pelican had it not been right next to our hotel... It's kind of off the beaten path, and since its in a strip mall, it doesn't exactly look like much as you pull up to it. We decided to give it a try, because we are triathletes and we were hungry and didn't feel like going far.
http://luckypelicanbistro.com

Well, we weren't disappointed. The Pelican offers all kinds of fresh seafood (I was seriously drooling as I walked by the display case with crabs, salmon, and tuna on ice) as well as some great beers on tap. The service was great both times, and the atmosphere is what I would call a lively family place. Maybe not the best for a romantic date night (unless your girlfriend is a bit like mine...) but perfect for group gatherings. The servers bring out this warm, yeasty bread before your meal, and unlike most places where the server rolls his eyes when you ask for more bread (yeah, I've totally been that server) they gladly bring out more without you even having to ask.

The first night we went I tried the fish and chips. They used cod, which was very flaky and juicy, although the breading was a bit on the greasy side for me. The coleslaw was better than your standard grandma's recipe, and the fries were, well, fries... French fries to me are a bit like sex; when they're good, they are REALLY good. But when they are bad, they are still pretty good! These were somewhere in between drunken hook-up and... well OK let's just say they were some solid fries. What stole the show for me was the sauce they brought out. It was some kind of garlicky/ranchy/aioli sauce that I wanted to drink with a straw. That brought the whole meal together for me and is the reason I'd order the fish and chips again.

The next night I split a mussel hot pot with a friend and had the ocean burrito myself. The mussels were a huge portion, definitely split them with a couple people if you're having them as an appetizer. The broth was a white wine and garlic cream sauce that again, I wanted to drink with a straw, and the mussels were the perfect blend of briny and garlicky. The bread they brought out was perfect for sopping up the sauce.

Now the burrito... oh my, the burrito... This thing had shrimp, crawfish, more fried cod, as well as beans, cilantro, jambalaya rice and corn salsa. And of course, they brought out a side of that nectar-of-the-gods dipping sauce. The spiciness of the shrimp blended perfectly with the jambalaya rice and the salsa, and the crunch from the fried cod absolutely made this dish. I don't feel like I need to tell you that the sauce was absolutely delicious on this. Go to the Lucky Pelican, get the ocean burrito.

Now I only tried the seafood here, but if the rest of their menu is anything like that, it should be pretty awesome. If you don't like seafood though, you might not want to go here... also, we can no longer be friends. I will definitely be back for more of that damn sauce....

Hope y'all enjoyed my first Food Blog Friday! Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT! #FBF

Food Blog Fridays Preview

When I first started this blog, one of the directions I wanted it to take was a food blog. I am very passionate about food and how it brings people together, tells a story, affects our mood, as well as how it nourishes us. Being a triathlete I eat a lot (wait, seriously?) and I think that's part of where my passion comes from, but for me cooking is an artistic outlet, not just a means to an end.

Evidently there is no qualification standard to becoming a "foodie," so I guess I'm just going to start calling myself one. I have worked pretty much every position in the restaurant business, I'd say I am a pretty damn good cook, and I watch Food Network a lot... That's qualification enough for me!

Combine all of the above information with my desire for motivation to blog more, and I came up with Food Blog Fridays. Every Friday I will make a post about food. It might be a recipe, it might be a restaurant review, it could be some information from the nutrition geek in me, or it might be just some sexy pictures of things you want to eat... Look for my first #FBF tomorrow! Hope y'all enjoy!

Sarasota Recap

This last Sunday I raced the Sarasota Pan-Am Cup down in sunny Florida. Coming off the Clermont sprint the weekend before was a great chance to really hone my racing skills, and I think I did a good job of that. I knew what I needed to work on, and this was a chance to make those corrections.

Sarasota is a cool town. I’ve been there several times, both for races and vacation, and I always enjoy it. I gotta say though, when we pulled up to the race site for the first time and found a giant construction zone, my first thought was, “what a s#!+ hole!” My opinion of the venue soon changed once I had raced on it! With their plans, a year from now this place will look as awesome as it was to race.

After my standard pre-race dinner of spaghetti and meatballs (ok, so sue me, it was baked ziti alright?!) a good night’s sleep, and my shakeout run that morning, I biked over to the course. I like doing this, it eliminates the hassle of parking, and it gets your legs warmed up. I had a solid warm up, called my momma and Rachel (S/O to my GF for being more nervous than I was race day morning! You keep holdin’ it down, shawty!) and I headed down to the water.

            

One of the skills I knew I needed to work on was aggression. Of all the things I can take away from this race, the fact that I CAN race aggressively is #1. If you got in my “bubble” on the swim, I probably hit you. If you hit me, I definitely hit you. If you kept rubbing shoulders with me, I used my size to drive you the hell off of me. For once, being a big guy helps! 

Coming out onto the pontoon after the first lap, I heard someone (I am assuming it was one of the Collegiate Recruitment girls) say, "oh, that's Sam! GGGOOOO SSSSAAAAAA-" splash... I couldn't help but think of the Murphy Lee line, "I want my name not, not said but screamed!" In that moment in the air, I felt like a baller. It was pretty cool, and definitely got me going for the second lap!

I was still in attack mode on the second lap of the swim, but not quite enough. There was a breakaway of 4 that I should’ve been with, no question.

            

Transition was bad news. My wetsuit zipper got stuck at my shoulder blades. I consider this an unforeseeable problem, not really a whole lot I could’ve done about it. I've literally never in my life checked a zipper before using it, but you can bet I will now before every race.

Either way, I lost 30 seconds on the main group (not the breakaway, they were long gone) and wound up having to settle for the chase pack. We were well organized, and we worked hard, but all we succeeded in doing was drop a few stragglers like a clingy ex-girlfriend (hehe) and keep the lead group within 2 minutes. 

            

The run time was fair. I should’ve packed up with a couple guys that I let go. I was afraid to take a risk. But, I need to take those or I’ll never know how fast I can truly be. I did reel one of the guys in on the last lap. All it took was getting angry. Once I decided I wanted his place, he didn’t stand a chance. I need to tap into that earlier.

            

B- overall on the day. But, A- on the mental aspect! I scratched the surface of a whole new me. There is a next level I saw glimpses of that I’ve been afraid to go to for whatever reason. Now that I know how to get there, I am very excited for this season and proud of how I turned around my head game in 1 week! Look out for Sam 2.0 in the coming races! Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

Clermont Recap

This last Saturday, I opened up my professional season at the Clermont Pan-Am Cup. Clermont was a big disappointment for me. I completely underperformed compared to the way I've been training.

I am sure it was a mindset problem, which has been an issue in the past. I have struggled with this since high school, and only figured out how to really race in a pool my junior year of college. I guess I need to brush up on those skills and tap into that aggression again!

 Our race was at 11:15 AM on Saturday, so I got to sleep in a bit later than the EDR guys and went for a shake out jog around 8 am. After breakfast, looking over my race plan, and relaxing a bit I headed down to the race with Brandon.

Lake Louisa State Park, which is where the race is located, is a pretty cool place. I wish I'd had more time to explore it than my warmup/cool down and the race itself. One problem with the venue is there is not really any way to get a good bike warmup in unless you brought a trainer. I knew this going in, so I should've biked this morning rather than running to get those muscles activated a bit. I kicked myself, and took off on a run warmup. After this I set up my transition and headed down to the water for a long swim warmup.

I felt good going into the race. I had a solid mindset, and I had a great start, gapping everyone around me. Coming into the first buoy, I saw the fastest guys who had lined up to the right moving up. Instead of saying, "hey, I need to pick it up to meet them at the buoy," I thought, "hey, I'm right with them, I'm good!" But, (big but) they were moving faster and in a group, where I was solo and slowing down without realizing it. I got pushed to the back at the buoy, and had to make up ground coming back. I need to learn how to be aggressive, and never be complacent.

T1 was solid. I advanced, got my wetsuit off, and got into a decent position on the bike. I felt really strong and packed up with 4 guys. We were just off the front pack by maybe 30-40 seconds, and we were gaining on them. I took one pull which was too hard, and Kaleb VanOrt (who is just, like, a man-child on the bike) attacked. I was too tired and in the wrong position. He bridged, taking one of our group with him, and me and Vierula, a Canadian, didn't have a chance.

Its odd the way you get to know people when working with them on the bike. I could tell you his last name and what country he is from because of his race kit. I could tell you whether he swears a lot, what kind of deodorant he wears, and how much he likes to work on the bike, but I can't tell you anything else about the guy. There's also the underlying tension in your alliance, knowing that one of you has to lose.

Anyway, we got caught by the chase group, which had all the runners in it. Lack of focus and too hard of a pull. Dammit, dammit, and dammit.

I had a great T2 if I may say. Secret tactic (Ssssshhhh!) got me off my bike and to my transition ahead of anyone else in my group and I took off hard. Again, a lot of the fastest runners were in this group. I let them go by me. Mistake number 4! Seriously, where is my aggression?? I could've hung with a lot of these guys but I didn't even try. This is the biggest disappointment for me.

I ended up in pretty much the same place as last year at this race (which was my first as a professional) even though my time was 4 minutes faster. Somehow that doesn't make me feel better. In so many ways, I have come so far and changed so much in that year. The athlete who raced on Saturday is not the same athlete who raced a year ago, but he acted like it and made the same mistakes.

I am very disappointed in myself. I need to work on being more aggressive. There, I said it. Hopefully that is a step in the right direction. Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!