#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!!!