Cycling Foodie

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Congratulations to the Davis Farmers Market for being named “Bill Streng Business of the Year” award by the Davis Chamber of Commerce!

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I’m volunteering to help get riders per-registered for tomorrow’s 2013 Napa Valley Tour de Cure.

Less than 24 hours to go and I have only $430 to raise to meet my goal. If you would like to donate to my ride, please click here.

Here’s wishing the Roseville Tour de Cure riders today a very safe and enjoyable ride! The winds are a bit gnarly this morning in Davis – the Weather Channel says 10 mph, but I’m pretty sure they’re more than that. It looks like the Roseville riders will get about the same. We’re expecting 15 mph tomorrow in Napa. Just think of all those extra calories we’ll burn and all the great food we’ll be able to enjoy as a result!

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According to Greek mythology, there are Gods of the Winds . Boreas is the north wind, Zephyrus the west wind, and Eurus the east (or southeast) wind. Boreas is the coldest and most powerful. As far as I can tell, they’re brothers.

I’m trying to figure out which direction the winds are blowing today so I can figure out which Greek god to plead to. According to the Weather Channel’s hourly forecast for the Davis area this morning, 6am North (18 mph), 6:15am West (17 mph), 6:30 South (16 mph), 6:45am East (15 mph). Oh, dear. The Gods of the Winds appear to be at battle; perhaps what we have going on here right now is a sibling rivalry of epic proportions.

The evil North Wind is expected to blow ~15 mph (gusts up to 50 mph!) pretty much the rest of the day today.

Kaikias, the Northeast Wind, will bully his way in there now and then today. He’s a bad boy in Greek mythology, bringing with him cold and blizzards.  Apparently he always carries hail. Oh, yay.

Sunday’s Napa forecast is for 16 mph SSW winds. Notus is the South Wind, who was considered to be dangerous. Lips, or Livos, was the Southwest Wind. He was known to be lukewarm.

Oh, my. I am so confused now. I never was good at this Greek mythology thing.

Dear Gods of the Winds, can you please play nicely together on Sunday for our 2013 Napa Valley Tour de Cure ride? We humans would sure appreciate it!

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Yolo County Airport, off Road 95

This morning the wind wasn’t quite as bad as it was yesterday, and I really am out of time for excuses. I simply HAD to ride. The 2013 Napa Valley Tour de Cure is just two weeks from TODAY!

I headed out around 9:00 am and rode about 42 miles from Davis to Winters and back, and then another 30+ in a loop out towards Woodland and around Davis on back roads. The wind was pretty strong today, but I actually rode pretty well (for me) in spite of it. I didn’t take a lot of pictures, but stopped to capture this on near the airport.

Since I might as well accept the winds here (apparently constant complaining about it has not made it stop), I am going to now approach them as training for hills.

The wind is an excellent training tool.
The wind is an excellent training tool.
The wind is an excellent training tool.

Berry & Peach Buttermilk Smoothie with Whey Protein

A Berry-Peach-Buttermilk Smoothie is motivation to get home!

Tonight’s dinner will be grilled chicken breasts marinated in lemon, honey, coarse grain mustard, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh thyme and rosemary. A salad of mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, roasted artichoke hearts and walnuts, drizzled with a little balsamic glaze and extra virgin olive oil, with a grind or two of salt and pepper. We’ve also got this avocado that just won’t get ripe, so on the grill it goes.

Chicken

Salad

Avocado

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It wasn’t supposed to be so breezy in Davis today, but it is. I really should be out there riding, getting ready for my Tour de Cure ride that is now just 2 weeks away, but I’m hoping the winds will calm down later. Perhaps a morning trip to the Davis Farmers’ Market? In the meantime, laundry and experimenting with my new favorite banana bread recipe are keeping me plenty busy.

Whole Wheat Banana Oat Bread with Walnuts

* My idea of ripe & ready for bread bananas.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup pure cane sugar, unrefined
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon instant espresso
3/4 cup whole rolled oats
2 ripe* bananas, mashed
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
A handful of oats and some additional sugar for sprinkling on top of the loaf before baking

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the loaf pan – spray with cooking spray.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
3. Mash the bananas in another bowl, stir in the beaten eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Mix well.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the walnuts. Don’t over-mix or the bread will be tough.
5. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the top with a handful of oats and sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of sugar.
6. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for about 50-55 minutes. The loaf is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes, then remove from the pan. Let the loaf cool before slicing into it.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ...

Fold in the walnuts ...

Fresh from the oven.

Let the loaf cool 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan.

You can slice it while it's still warm, but do try to be patient.

This bread is a bit more dense than the last version, due to the 100% whole wheat flour and walnuts, but it’s hearty, not heavy. The espresso and cinnamon add a nice complexity and depth of flavor, without being overpowering. Using coconut sugar, as well as bananas at this stage of ripeness, gives the bread a nice banana flavor without making it cloyingly sweet.

Enjoy with a freshly brewed cup of coffee, espresso, or cappuccino!

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Finally, the winds have calmed down in Davis. I took a nice, short ride after work tonight – about 20 miles.

Now, for a nice, light dinner of fish and asparagus. Yum!

I can hardly believe that the 2013 Napa Valley Tour de Cure is two weeks from this weekend. Yikes! I am nowhere near ready. Are you?

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I got my first post-work ride of the season in last night. Oh, that felt good! Just a quick about 18 mile jaunt around East Davis. No photos, just cycling. That’s a bit of a shame, though, because it was a stunning sky last night – big poofy clouds just starting to turn sunset pink.

It’s looking like I’ll be able to get another one in tonight, too.

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Today 85.5 miles. I am now at 60% of my goal of 750 miles for March Madness. I highly doubt that I will be able to ride 300 miles this week when I will be working every day, including Saturday, leaving only next Sunday 3/31. Oh, well.

Hiking the Training Hill in Auburn, CA

Saturday it was too windy in Davis for me to ride. I probably should have just driven to the Napa Valley to ride the Tour de Cure route (or part of it at least!), but I went to Auburn and hiked with a friend. I haven’t seen her in a long time and it was a nice change of pace. I do need to do more cross training.

Today I rode from Davis to Winters to Vacaville to Pena Adobe Park and back to Winters and Davis. I hate to admit, but I could not get all the way up Cantelow today, either. I rode stronger up most of it today than I did last week, but I stopped at about the same place as last week. This concerns me. The Tour de Cure is just 6 short weeks away and I had to walk up that last little bit of Cantelow. I don’t understand it. I feel like I am riding stronger on the flats and rolling hills, but why can’t I climb a hill I’ve climbed dozens of times before? Am I really losing my ability to climb, or am I just not used to the “compact” and different gearing on my new bike?

It was a beautiful day for riding, lots of sunshine and not too much of a breeze. I saw a few familiar faces out there on the road.

On my way out, stopping for a quick water break in Winters. Thank you, Steady Eddy's in Winters for having a clean restroom, some shaded tables, and nice cool water for cyclists!

Feeling completely & utterly defeated at the top of Cantelow.

43.7 miles ... a quick water and snack break at Pena Adobe.

About 57 miles ... Lake Solano Park.

I am hoping to ride evenings after work this week … that will add a few miles to my March Madness and a little more Tour de Cure training.