Cycling Foodie

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Honey, Habanero, & Lime Scallops

Methinks that even Chef Gordon Ramsay would approve.

Perhaps I should audition for Hell’s Kitchen …

Hahaha!

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Wow, oh WOW! It is a beautiful morning for a ride. I am so thankful to be able to squeeze one in before work. So much to post – it’s been a busy couple of weeks.

Mountain biking in Angwin with friends

One thing is for sure, though. No more mountain biking. Well, never say never, but … riding that ends up with a visit to the emergency room, a broken collarbone, and 2-3 broken ribs … not really my style of riding. I thought I might end up in the ER, but I never expected to be the one driving someone else there.

I’ve got to get to work!

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Last night I was treated to some very special homemade pizzas. They were amazing. Here’s a sneak preview … I better check for permission first to post recipes and/or method!

Portabello Mushroom, Proscuitto, Goat Cheese

Pizza Margherita

By the way, the pizza chef knows not only pizza, but Kleins!

Klein Road

Klein Mountain

Klein Quantum Race, with a fixie

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June 24, 2012

I decided to ride from home to Central Park in Davis to start the ride. That added a few miles to my ride, but it was well worth it. I arrived before 7am, but that wasn’t early enough to get to the front. I was surprised to see so many riders lined up already. I tried to get towards the front of the lineup (where 100 mile riders were supposed to be), but I ended up starting out with a group of 65 milers, which I didn’t realize until much later in the ride. I didn’t know the difference, but next year I will! I will also get there much, much earlier.

As I stood there, I read the “In Memory Of” cards other riders were wearing. My card had a lot of names on it, as did some of the other riders’ cards; some cards had just one. Some riders had photos pinned to their jerseys. I stood there fighting back tears as I realized how much cancer had effected not just my family, but everyone else here in some way. We all had something in common: we were all riding to make some sort of impact, some contribution.

I was right in the middle of a large group of cyclists and I am not accustomed to this. I usually ride alone or with just a few other riders. I was anxious. The rider behind me kept bumping into my bike and I finally turned around to look. He was just chatting away with a friend, but I think he must have picked up on my nervousness and struck up a friendly conversation. A few minutes later I was trying to capture a few photos of the crowd, and one of myself, and he offered to take my picture.

After what seemed to be too long of a wait, riders were finally able to start. I desperately wanted to be off to the side, but there I was square in the middle of the pack. OK. I knew that whatever challenges I met during the ride today that I had to overcome them. Nothing could compare to what my family members had suffered during their fight. I had to do this.

Off we go.

Within minutes, I was passing riders. For me, this is a big deal. I’m not a very fast rider and this was a group of strong riders. Lots of teams, lots of groups. I knew I had to simultaneously push myself and pace myself to be able to finish the ride.

I cruised past the first Power Stop. By the time I got to the second stop, though, I was definitely in need of some food and water. There was a huge line for the facilities, and we all waited a long time, but there was friendly conversation among the riders and it was a nice chance to meet some of them. I met a couple of ladies who were turning 50 this year and their goal was to ride 5 centuries in 2012 to celebrate 50. I thought that was a great idea.

The next Power Stop was in Winters and it was time to start peeling some layers. I got some new sunscreen “sleeves” for my legs and it was interesting to try to figure these out. Apparently I did not pull them up high enough under my shorts, so within a few steps they were sliding down my legs. I had my very own wardrobe malfunction! I thought I’d fixed them, rode out of town, and right there in front of the CHP directing traffic, the dang things slid down my legs again. Ooops! Hey there, officer! Off the bike, hike up the legs of my shorts, pull the sleeves up as high as they can possibly go, and get everything straightened back out. That worked for the rest of the ride. They were surprisingly comfortable and effective, and much cooler than the long pants I’ve been wearing.

The split for the 65/100 mile ride was at the intersection of Putah Creek Road and Pleasants Valley Road. We had been told that if we did not make it to this intersection by 10:45 am that we would be redirected to the 65 mile route. That was just NOT going to happen. I would have turned in my bib had they told me I could not continue. I got there just past 10:45 and they said, “65?” and pointed me in that direction. I said, “NO! I’m doing the 100!” and I turned left. In that moment, I was convinced that I was going to be absolutely the last rider to return to Davis. That’s OK. I was going to finish this ride.

I’ve ridden Pleasants Valley Road before, so I am familiar with it in this direction. There’s a little bit of an optical illusion in a few places on this road. It looks like it’s going downhill, but it’s actually a slight uphill. This always slows me down through here. I kept pushing, pushing, pushing, trying to keep my pace and catch up with some other riders. I really did not want to be the last rider to finish. I started to stress a little about it (OK, a lot) and then I kept seeing my sister’s face – the expression she had the last time I saw her. She was terrified. She was in excruciating pain and nothing was really working any more to alleviate it. She couldn’t talk. She could barely move. She couldn’t even cry. She just looked terrified. I thought of my brother, and my father, and my aunt and my grandmother and so many other family members I have never even met and I could not let a slight incline stop me. I had to keep going. Eventually I hit stride again and even managed to pass a couple of riders along the way. After that, it was smooth sailing for a while. The route overall was fairly flat, just a few rolling hills. The wind cooperated for most of the ride. (For those not familiar with this area, THAT was darn near a miracle.)

My bike started to malfunction between Vacaville and Dixon. It wasn’t shifting properly so I checked in with the bike mechanics at the Allendale Road Power Stop. This kept me at the rest stop a little longer than I wanted, but it was well worth it. They did an awesome job adjusting my bike and it’s still shifting well – actually even better than the last time I had it tuned up. I think this might have been one of my favorite Power Stops on the entire ride. They fixed my bike AND they had the Honey Stinger waffles and gels. I also met a couple of DBC members I hadn’t met yet.

The rest of the ride was flat and steady, until the Pedrick Road highway crossing. There was a cute little hill up and over the freeway and then right into a strong headwind. Ugh! Luckily for me, another rider passed me just before we hit the headwind, so I got to sort of draft off him a little. I don’t usually draft because I’m just not very practiced at it and don’t want to We got to the last Power Stop just a few minutes before the train came through. While we were there, the train crossing stopped traffic and the last group of riders got stuck waiting for the train. I grabbed some water and a couple of Ginsting gels and headed back out. I was feeling pretty energized again and at a couple of turns that headwind turned into a tailwind, and it was wonderful. I think those last 5-10 miles may have been some of my strongest on the ride.

Then I rode into town and crossed the finish line. They called out my name. How did they know? Apparently each rider had a tracking tag attached to their bib so that they could use some tracking app on their smart phones so their friends and family could track them. How cool is that?

This year, 1,500 riders in Davis raised more than $900,000 for the LIVESTRONG Foundation’s programs and services.

I did not take many photos on the ride, but I’ll post some (or links to some) as they become available. Kruetz Photography photographed the event. My guess is that they’ll be selling photos.

The LIVESTRONG Challenge Davis was an awesome ride. It was well supported and well attended. I plan to ride this again next year. Care to join me?

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When it comes to reheating leftover cheesy grits … the George Foreman grill … NOT an option. And, no, I am not going to embarrass myself with photos.

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Farmers’ Market … Ride … Dinner in anticipation of a good ride tomorrow

Details soon!

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I love my George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine!

If you accidentally cut into an avocado before it is ripe, do not despair. Just grill it. You don’t even need to oil it or salt it or anything, unless you really want to, just grill it. It will soften up into a perfectly velvety beautiful rich grilled avocado.

Just grill it until it’s done. You’ll know. It might take a little experimentation, but cooking is like life – a daring adventure, or nothing at all (borrowed from Helen Keller).

(OK, I admit the first attempt is a little funky looking, but wow it was good!)

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Honey Stinger Booth

My favorite foodie find at yesterday’s LIVESTRONG Challenge Davis 2012 was the Honey Stinger products. I’ve tried their energy chews (my favorite is the pomegranate passion fruit) and waffles before and enjoyed them, so I  was excited to try other products. I enjoyed their energy bars – my favorite was the Peanut Butter ‘ n- Honey. Every one of their products that I tried, I really enjoyed. Honey Stinger products will now be a workout staple for me.

Along the ride, their products were available at rest stops and were quite popular with the riders. I kept getting to the rest stops and seeing empty boxes of waffles and energy gels, so I settled for bananas, granola bars, and Gatorade. Finally at the DBC-hosted rest stop on Allendale Road, there were waffles. This rest stop was a little off the road, so perhaps some of the more serious riders skipped it. I might have, except that I was having some issues with my bike, so I stopped to have it checked out. Sometimes life’s little inconveniences can have a sweet consequence. Shifting issues with my bike turned into the chance to enjoy a Honey Stinger Waffle.

My standout favorite for the day was their Ginsting energy gel. I finally got to try this at the last rest stop in Dixon. The wind had started to kick up (it’s Dixon, what did I expect?!) and this stretch of road was one of the toughest parts of my ride. I was getting fatigued, beaten by the sun and wind, and just wanting to be done. I could not stomach one more banana (had some at every rest stop) or any more Gatorade (I may never drink lemon-lime Gatorade again) and trail mix  would probably not have set well in my stomach. The Honey Stinger Ginsting gel was exactly what I needed. I was so thankful to find some of these at this rest stop. Not only did it taste great, it gave me the energy I needed to finish the ride.

Check them out online – http://www.honeystinger.com/

I’ve found their products locally at Nugget Markets, and my guess is that they’re probably also at the CoOp in Davis. To find them near you: http://www.honeystinger.com/dealers.php

Have a sweet day!

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This is why I ride.

Another rider today asked me if I was riding alone. I smiled and said, “No.”

I held each one of you near to my heart and thought of you often as I rode today. Whenever I began to feel fatigued, or that I wasn’t riding as fast as the other cyclists and was having a hard time keeping up, or my bike wasn’t shifting right, or various body parts started to hurt … I thought of you and how bravely you fought and that gave me the inspiration to keep riding.

Thank you to all of the volunteers, event organizers, vendors, sponsors, donors, and riders who made this event happen. Thank you to the CHP for helping to keep us all safe on the roads out there today. And, thank you Mother Nature for the beautiful weather and for keeping the winds pretty darn calm for this area!

It’s going to take me a few days to get a full post up about today. But soon, I promise!