Cycling Foodie

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Davis to Vacaville, via English Hills, Steiger Hill Road, Gibson Canyon Road … those are all the names I remember … then lunch at Nugget in Vacaville and back to Davis via a bunch of Solano and Yolo County back roads.  A few little climbs, nothing too much. The chain popped off the back gears on Steiger Hill Road on a climb, but that was easily fixed.

Fresh Squeezed Pineapple Juice

I confess that once we hit Gibson Canyon Road, I was looking forward to having the fresh squeezed pineapple juice at Nugget again. At just 90 calories in 8 ounces, loaded with vitamins and bromelain, it’s well worth it!

Ciabatta, Grilled Chicken Breast, Whole Grain Mustard ... and no waiting in line!

Lunch at Nugget was fun. The sandwich line at the deli was (as always) super long. I really didn’t want to stand in line and wait, so I wandered over to the deli case and saw some beautiful chicken breasts.

Hmm … why not just get the ingredients and make our own? I was quite pleased that the team member in the deli was happy to oblige. A grilled chicken breast, a ciabatta roll, and a little cup of whole grain mustard. Voila! Everything we needed for a reasonably light and healthy sandwich.

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I got a lot done today and rewarded myself with a quick ride. I just jumped on my bike and started riding. No pack, no camera, just a lip balm & snack in my Gold’s Gym Tour de Cure Jersey, 2 water bottles, and some residual caffeine energy from my espresso. My average mph was about +1 mph from my last ride.

Oh, and I blasted past a “real” cyclist on the one little incline on my ride. Wooooooooo!

Looking forward to a long ride tomorrow!

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Road 27 @ Road 89, near Winters

We rode just over 50 miles yesterday. The weather was perfect! I wish we could have done 100!!

About halfway through, we enjoyed a rest stop at Steady Eddy’s in Winters, snacked on an oat cake and ginger ale, then homeward bound.

I'm not a big soda drinker, but this one is wonderful!

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… a red jersey day! I’ll wear red to show my support and to honor my brother. He is why I ride the Tour de Cure.

How  many red riders are out today training for their 2013 Tour de Cure ride?

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It’s quite hot out there today and the sun was relentless. I burned even through multiple layers of SPF 100.

We rode into Winters on Road 27, then cut over to Road 89, and stopped at Steady Eddy’s for a snack and a break. We had a really great tailwind on Road 89 South into Winters.

The wind wasn’t quite as cooperative on the way home, but I just have to remind myself … “The wind is an excellent training tool. The wind is an excellent training tool.” A cyclist friend of mine used to tell me this when we rode together and I would struggle with the wind. She also reminded me of this on Facebook when I posted complaints about the wind in Davis. This mantra works for me and when I ride the Napa Tour de Cure I find myself saying this during certain stretches of the ride, especially the last few miles heading back to the Veterans’ Home in Yountville.

Now it’s time to enjoy a cool, refreshing, tangy-sweet treat.

Banana Peach Raspberry Buttermilk Smoothie

Banana Peach Raspberry Buttermilk Smoothie

4-6 ice cubes
1 ripe banana
1 peach
1/2 – 3/4 cup raspberries
3/4 cup low fat buttermilk
1 scoop protein powder of your choice

Blend. Share with a friend. Relax, recover, refresh, and enjoy!

You can use fresh or frozen fruit, depending on how thick you want your smoothie. I prefer frozen. I like to buy fruit at the peak of the season, prepare it and freeze it so I have great quality fresh-frozen fruit on hand.

Today, I must confess, I also added about 1 tablespoon of malted milk powder. It just sounded good and we worked for it today!

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Today's ride

And not only that … my first ride with a heart rate  monitor.

Next thing  you know, I’ll do the pedals. Everyone (yes, virtually every cyclist I know!) is telling me I’ll never be a real cyclist until I change to the “real” pedals. OK, OK, I’m getting there!

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Sporting my old Team Gold's jersey

Might be trying out
a different bike today.

One of these days …
Team CyclingFoodie jerseys!

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Perfect post-ride refreshment after a cute little 40-mile training ride.

Protein & electrolytes make for a great recovery beverage!

Coconut Water Smoothie with Blueberries, Mango, Banana

4-6 ice cubes
1 ripe banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen mango
3/4 – 1 cup coconut water
1 scoop whey protein

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Share with a friend.

Makes about 2 12-ounce smoothies.

For my vegan friends, you can easily make this vegan by substituting soy protein powder.

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The 2013 Tour de Cure will be here before we know it!
Logging a few hours of working on cadence and form today. Beautiful day for it!