Day 270: Alberto Contador’s Tainted Meat and Donuts in Hell

So it was a big day in the cycling world today! Alberto Contador admitted to testing positive for a steroid called clenbuterol during the Tour de France in July. Obviously this is a huge story and has been covered by many different media outlets today: CNN, USA Today and Sportsscientists.com were just a few that I read today. Here’s a quote from the CNN article:

“It is a food contamination case of which I am the victim.” He [Contador] added that the test result was due to bad meat he and several other riders had eaten the day before the test.

“When they confirmed to me what had happened the first thing I did was ask the UCI which of my fellow riders had passed the test.

“They said the only one who passed the control … was Alexandre Vinokourov. [He was the only one of the riders] who did not eat the meat on that day.”

I also saw on BikePure’s Twitter feed that a RadioShack rider, Fuyu Li, also tested positive for clenbuterol. It was unclear whether or not he also ate the “tainted meat” that the others claim is the reason for the positive sample. In addition, this USA Today article describes the grand jury testimony by physiologist Allen Lim in the Lance Armstrong investigation.

I expect that the professional cyclists in the Tour who participate in doping, far outnumber those who don’t, but does it make it right? No. And it’s sad to think that cheating is so inherent to most sports now that no one seems to really care anymore. Pro baseball players fail a drug test and they get slapped on the wrist. NFL players, same thing. It doesn’t really matter what sport. It’s just disappointing to know that the majority of them cheat.

I’m looking forward to finding out more information on the results of the UCI’s investigation into Contador.

In other news, it was weigh-in day at Weight Watchers today. I lost .8 pounds, which isn’t much, but it’s better than last week’s 2.4-pound gain. The past two weeks I’ve been frustrated and unmotivated. Actually, I’m rather tired of counting points and keeping track of everything I eat. But I’ve done a lot better cutting out candy and sweets. Now I need to work on doing the same with bread and carbs. Mmmm, bread! Reminds me of this scene from the Simpsons:

Who knew they serve donuts in Hell?! 🙂

Today’s food journal:

Breakfast:
— Whole wheat bagel thin = 1 point
— 1 Tbsp peanut butter = 2 points
— 1 banana = 1.5 points

Lunch:
— Grilled cheese sandwich on whole wheat = 7.5 points
— Iced tea = 0 points

Snack:
— Apple = 1.5 points

Dinner:
— Soft pretzel = 10 points
— Iced tea = 0 points

Snack:
— Skinny Cow ice cream bar = 2 points

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
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…( ) / ( ) 

Thanks for visiting.

Day 269: Night ride after Ben Sollee concert – Sept. 30

Lexington musician Ben Sollee and his drummer have been on a six-week 20-show concert tour, doing all their traveling by bicycle. Sollee transports his cello from city to city on his Xtracycle. Tomorrow, Sollee will be here in Louisville at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts at 8 p.m. From what I understand, the show is free, but you have to get tickets at the box office. Bike Louisville is providing free, secure bike parking during the show. Also, there will be a night ride around 9:30 after the show. Bring your bike, helmet and lights. Here’s a note from Sollee (via Bike Louisville’s Facebook invitation):

Hey folks, this is …Ben Sollee. I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow evening at the Kentucky Center. …Have you thought about how you’re getting there? I rode my bike – along with my band. in fact, we’re riding our bikes to all our shows, all across America. Here’s an idea: ride your bike to the show if you’re able. We’ll have free bike parking right out front on Main Street. We’re even doing a ride right after the show around downtown – ending up at the new Bluegrass Brewing Co. location at Third and Main to hang out for awhile. Even if you’re not attending the show, join us afterward on your bike Thursday night, Sept. 30, at the Kentucky Center. Just be sure to bring bike lights and a helmet! – Ben

Suggested Route:

Starting at 9:30 – or as soon as Ben is finished signing CDs – we depart the KY Center West on Main to Sixth; South on Sixth to Liberty; East on Liberty to Floyd; North to Washington St.; Washington to the Edison House, just to stop for a moment to celebrate the invention of the light bulb by Thomas Edison; Back to Main; West on main to Third St. at BBC for food and drink.

We hope to make it to the show tomorrow night. You should come too! (Carrick just bought a new headlight for her bike, so it sounds like a perfect opportunity for her to test it out.)

Today’s food journal:

Breakfast:
— Whole wheat bagel thin = 1 point
— 1 Tbsp peanut butter = 2 points

Lunch:
— Jimmy John’s Slim turkey sandwich = 8 points
— Iced tea = 0 points

Snack:
— Weight Watchers chocolate cream cake (bite size) = 1 point

Dinner:
— Grilled chicken sandwich (1/2 bun) = 4.5 points
— Iced tea = 0 points

Snack:
— Skinny Cow ice cream bar = 2 points

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
        \<,
…( ) / ( ) 

Thanks for visiting.

Day 268: Athlete’s HoneyMilk

Athlete's HoneyMilk

 

Did you know that yesterday was National Chocolate Milk Day? Yeah, me neither. I saw it mentioned online yesterday after I published last night’s post. There seems to be a national holiday for almost everything. Much the same as there seems to be a patron saint for just about everything (even one for cyclists, as I mentioned here and here.) 

I couldn’t let National Chocolate Milk Day pass by without participating by drinking a big glass of ice cold milk. My favorite is Horizon Organic low fat chocolate milk. When I’ve had a good bike ride and come home hot and tired, I pour a glass of chocolate milk as a recovery drink. It’s probably my imagination, but it seems to help me feel less tired and I rarely experience sore muscles after a ride. Oddly, though, I hate regular white milk. 

The link from Women’s Running magazine mentions a product called Athlete’s HoneyMilk, a high-protein drink which is made from real milk and honey. It seems to be marketed as a lactose-free alternative to milk, but I’m a little confused how it’s lactose-free if it’s made from real milk. Maybe I just missed something in the description of the product. I’d like to try it, but I’m not sure it’s available in stores. (You can order it online on their Web site.) 

What’s your favorite recovery drink or snack? If any of you have tried HoneyMilk, let me know. I’m curious to know what you think. 

Today’s food journal (I completely blew it at dinner tonight, but I’m back on track tomorrow): 

Breakfast:
— Whole wheat bagel thin = 1 point
— 1 Tbsp peanut butter = 2 points
— 1 small banana = 1.5 points 

Lunch:
— Spinach salad = 0 points
— Light Lime salad dressing = 2 points
— 1 apple = 1 point
— Weight Watchers chocolate brownie = 1 point 

Snack:
— 1 sugar-free jello cup = 0 points 

Dinner:
— 8″ pepperoni pizza (thin crust) = 18 points (HOLY CRAP! Guess I’m fasting tomorrow.)
— 1 breadstick = 2 points
— Iced tea = 0 points 

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride! 

           _O
        \<,
…( ) / ( ) 

Thanks for visiting.

Day 267: Road World Championships on Universal Sports

While watching TV last night, I noticed we now have Universal Sports on the cable lineup. This must be a recent change because as of last month we didn’t have Universal Sports and I was unable to watch the Vuelta a España. I’m not sure if the change is permanent, or if Insight Cable suddenly added Universal Sports to the cable lineup because that’s the channel broadcasting World Equestrian Games which are hosted here in Kentucky this year.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to watching the UCI Road World Championships. I don’t really know who the favored cyclist is, but I’m pulling for Tyler Farrar. I hated to see him quit the Tour de France when he broke his wrist. Mark Cavendish is a great sprinter, but personally I can’t help but dislike him. I guess in a sport as competitive as cycling, you don’t get to the top by playing the nice guy, but he really does seem like a whiny little brat. Maybe he’s a perfectly nice guy – I don’t really know. In addition to Farrar, I also like Fabian Cancellara. He’s a fantastic time-trialist, so I expect him to do really well during the event. And there’s always 2009’s winner Cadel Evans. Those are the big names I’m most interested in. It seems like I never see TV coverage of women’s cycling, so I’m looking forward to watching that also. I’ve never watched the World Championships before, so I’m glad we finally have a channel that will be broadcasting it. (Airs Sept. 28 through Oct. 2).

Universal Sports’ Web site has a list of five things to watch and the top Americans to watch during the event this week.

Today’s food journal:

Breakfast:
— 1 cup organic vanilla yogurt = 3 points
— 1/2 cup granola = 2 points
— 1 small banana = 1.5 points

Lunch:
— Lean Cuisine tortilla encrusted fish = 6 points
— Weight Watchers brownie = 1 point
— Water = 0 points
— 1 small apple = 1 point

Dinner:
— Club sandwich on wheat = 8.5 points
— Potato chips (about 6) = 3 points (est.)
— Iced tea = 0 points

Snack:
— Weight Watchers vanilla mint ice cream bar = 2 points

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
        \<,
…( ) / ( )

Thanks for visiting.

Day 266: How much exercise to burn off junk food?

We went to the theatre to see a movie this afternoon. As I was drooling over the selections of candy (none of which I bought, yay me!), I remembered something I learned recently at a Weight Watchers meeting: to burn off the calories from one plain M&M (not one bag, but one single piece of candy), you would have to walk the length of a football field! One small bag of M&Ms has approximately 53 pieces, which would mean walking the football field 53 times. A horrifying way to put calories into perspective, isn’t it? (Disclaimer: some sites claim this information is not true and is used as a scare tactic by Weight Watchers. Other sites do seem to indicate it’s true.) Whether it’s true or not, it does make you think. I decided to look for similar information for other “bad habit” foods I eat. Here’s what I found:

• One soft pretzel contains around 483 calories (according to Dailyspark.com). According to SparkPeople.com’s Fitness Tracker, a 150-pound woman (that’s me) who bikes at a 10 mph pace will burn 6 calories per minute. To burn off the pretzel, you’d have to bike at this moderate pace for 81 minutes, which is just over 13 miles! Sounds like I need to work a lot harder to break my habit of one of my favorite foods at a local neighborhood eatery.
• Halloween is just around the corner. I love Halloween and I especially love Halloween candy. Candy corn is my all-time favorite. Especially the little pumpkin-shaped ones. According to Yahoo’s Associated Content, it’ll take about 10 minutes of step aerobics to burn off the 70 calories in 11 pieces of candy corn. A Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, Skittles or Twix bar (one fun size) contains about 80 calories. A 10-minute bike ride will be needed to burn off those calories.
• Panera’s Whole Grain Bagel contains 350 calories and 3 grams of fat. Add to that another 130 calories for the 2-oz portion of reduced fat cream cheese. SparkPeople.com’s Fitness Tracker says a 150-pound woman “who jumps on a trampoline burns 4 calories per minute. To burn off this chewy breakfast, you’d have to ‘rebound’ non-stop for 2 hours!”

While I have broken a lot of bad habits in recent months, my eating habits (and my exercising) still need a lot of improvement. I realize it won’t happen overnight, but it’s a work in progress. It may take 81 minutes of cycling to burn off the calories in the soft pretzel I had for dinner earlier tonight, but only one second to not eat it in the first place. It’s time for me to find a new healthier item on the menu.

Today’s food journal:

Breakfast:
— Whole wheat english muffin = 2 points
— 1 Tbsp peanut muffin = 1 point
— LF chocolate milk = 3 points

Lunch:
— Veggie chicken patty = 3 points
— Deli flat bread = 1 point

Dinner:
— Soft pretzel = 10 points
— Iced tea = 0 points

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
        \<,
…( ) / ( )

Thanks for visiting.

Day 265: Oldham County driver targeting cyclists

Apparently, I lost the ability to count. I misnumbered yesterday’s post (which should have been #264, not 265), so that’s why tonight’s post is number 265 so I’ll be back on track. Sorry for the confusion.

Local cyclists in neighboring Oldham County are being targeted by a jackass in a pickup truck. Several cyclists in recent weeks have encountered a driver in a red Dodge Ram who revs his engine, crosses into the oncoming traffic lane and runs cyclists off the road. The police mentioned another report of the driver passing the bicyclist (in the same direction) then he slams on the brakes trying to force the cyclist to rear end his bumper. I guess the truck driver didn’t hear about the former ER doctor in California who is now facing 10 years in jail after being found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon (among other charges) when he pulled a similar stunt:

“Ron Peterson, a coach for USC’s and UCLA’s cycling team, was flung face-first into the rear windshield of the doctor’s red Infiniti, breaking his front teeth and nose and lacerating his face. Christian Stoehr, the other cyclist, hurtled to the sidewalk and suffered a separated shoulder. A police officer testified that Thompson told him soon after the accident that the cyclists had cursed at him and flipped him off, so he slammed on his brakes “to teach them a lesson.”

No one has been able to get the license plate of the Oldham County driver, but a search by Oldham County police is underway. According to an article in the Courier-Journal, they’re looking for:

“…4 X 4 pickup with an extended cab, a dent in the driver’s side front fender, a scratch on the tailgate and a Kentucky farm plate. The driver is described as a white man in his mid to late 30s who weighs around 210 pounds.”

The Oldham Era (newspaper) ran the story earlier this week and WHAS11’s story is here. If you have additional information, call Oldham County Police at (502) 222-1300. This guy needs to be arrested before he kills someone.

Today’s food journal:

Breakfast:
— 1 banana = 1.5 points
— 1/2 strawberry banana smoothie with yogurt = 5 points

Snack (after bike ride):
— Power Bar = 3 points

Lunch:
— Whole wheat tortilla with hummus, spinach = 8.5 points
— 1 glass LF chocolate milk = 3 points

Dinner:
— Pork tenderloin = 3 points
— Salad = 2 points
— Baked potato = 2.5 points
— Iced tea = 0 points

Snack:
— Small piece chocolate birthday cake with whipped cream = 9 points (est.)

Exercise:
— 19 mile bike ride (2 hours) = +15 points
— Gardening (90 minutes) = +4 points

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
        \<,
…( ) / ( ) 

Thanks for visiting.

Day 265: AAA wants Congress to cut funds that support cycling, walking, hiking

If you’ve ever considered becoming a member of an eco-friendly automobile association similar to AAA, now’s the time to make the switch. I saw this today from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy:

The American Automobile Association (AAA) wants Congress to cut funds that support trail, biking and walking programs in order to funnel that money to the highway system. AAA has forgotten that bicyclists and pedestrians drive, support AAA, pay gas taxes and want balanced transportation systems that provide the choice to get around in a variety of ways.

Here’s what AAA had to say.

Several years ago, we switched from AAA to Better World Club. I talk more about it here in a post back in April, but we were looking for a company who provided coverage for bicycles and who would be concerned with the environment. We found Better World Club and after doing some research, decided to make the switch. We’ve not yet had an opportunity to put their services to use, but just knowing our money is going to a socially-responsible organization who also offers bicycle support was worth making the change.

Today’s food journal:

Breakfast:
— Fat free Greek yogurt = 2 points
— 1/2 cup granola = 2 points
— 1 banana = 1.5 points

Lunch:
— Grilled cheese sandwich on wheat bread = 7.5 points
— Baked Lay’s potato chips (about 10) = 1.5 points
— Iced tea = 0 points

Snacks:
— 1 apple = 1.5 points
— Weight Watchers brownie = 2 points

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
        \<,
…( ) / ( ) 

Thanks for visiting.

Day 263: NYT article – Doctor’s Orders: Eat Well to Be Well

There was a great article in the New York Times on Tuesday about Dr. Preston Maring, a 64-year-old gynecologist and obstetrician at Kaiser Permanente who feels that food is the main ingredient in health and wellness. He has worked to get local fresh foods into hospitals and has helped start a regional growers’ cooperative. Dr. Maring’s son Ben is a fourth-year medical student at NYU School of Medicine. He developed a series of cooking classes he refers to as CHEF – Cook Healthy, Eat Fresh. The classes combine clinical medicine and nutrition tips. “I thought it was important for medical students to learn how to cook and eat well,” he said. “I also thought it was important for us to walk the walk when it comes to counseling patients about the importance of diet. We get so little training in nutrition that I wanted to provide some basic knowledge.”

According to the U.S. government’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines, (to be released in December), obesity is identified as the nation’s greatest public-health threat. It also emphasizes the importance of plant-based foods and the relationship of fast food and lack of exercise to unhealthy weight gain. Considering the long hours, high stress levels and limited access to healthy meals during working hours, it’s always surprised me that more doctors and clinicians aren’t overweight. I think Dr. Maring and his son have a great idea going.

Today’s food journal: Today was weigh-in day at Weight Watchers. I gained 2.4 pounds, but really I wasn’t surprised by that. Disappointed, but not surprised. I ate crap last week and haven’t exercised since weekend before last. This week will be better.

Breakfast:
— Whole wheat english muffin = 1 point
— 1 Tbsp peanut butter = 2 points

Lunch:
— Turkey sandwich on whole wheat with mayo and pepperjack cheese = 6.5 points
— 1/2 bag multigrain Sun Chips = 2 points
— Crystal Light = 0 points

Dinner:
— Grilled chicken sandwich = 4.5 points
— 1 cup homemade potato salad = 8 points
— Iced tea = 0 points

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
        \<,
…( ) / ( ) 

Thanks for visiting.

Day 262: Summary of World Carfree Day

As I mentioned in Monday’s post, today was World Carfree Day. I didn’t plan far enough in advance to do my first bike commute, so I rode the bus. Here’s a list of random things I learned today (in no particular order):

1. Not dealing with slow-pokes, speeders, tailgaters and otherwise crappy drivers during rush hour is really nice.
2. People are very friendly and helpful when asking them to confirm I’m at the correct stop. I enjoyed chatting with a nice woman this morning while waiting for my connection.
3. Pacing and continuing to look down the street does not make the bus come any faster. Even when it’s late.
4. “The bus was late” is a legitimate excuse. “The dog ate my homework,” however, is not.
5. Always take a book or other reading material.
6. Transfers can be somewhat confusing when there are stops on both sides of the street. (Maybe I’m just an idiot.)
7. iPhone batteries don’t last long enough. Actually I learned that a long time ago before today. (see #5 above)
8. Buses need better air conditioning.
9. Bus drivers don’t get paid enough.
10. YouTube videos that have overstayed their welcome just won’t die. I overheard a conversation between a couple passengers and the driver this morning about their favorite videos. “Charlie Bit Me!“, “David at the Dentist” (I find that one annoying) and “Dancing Brazilian Baby” were the most talked-about today.
11. What is supposed to be a 20-minute wait between transfers seems much longer when it’s 93 degrees. Or when the bus is late. (see numbers 3, 4 and 5 above).
12. You really realize how many cars are on the roads at any given moment when you’re sitting at a bus stop for 45 minutes.
13. Driving home from work normally takes me 25 minutes. Today’s bus ride(s) took me 2 hours (including wait times).
14. Drinking two large glasses of iced tea before a 90 minute bus ride is bad idea.
15. Next time, I’m riding my bike to work.

Today’s food journal:

Breakfast:
— Power Bar = 3 points
— Fat free strawberry banana yogurt = 1 point
— Banana = 1.5 points

Lunch:
— Jimmy John’s Slim Turkey sandwich = 8 points
— Iced tea = 0 points

Snack:
— Small apple = 1.5 points

Dinner:
— Soft pretzel = 10 points
— Iced tea = 0 points

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
        \<,
…( ) / ( ) 

Thanks for visiting.

Day 261: Defensive pessimism

In yesterday’s New York Times, author Gina Kolata discussed her first cycling competition: a 22-mile time trial. She and her husband Bill entered the race with none of the usual equipment used by time trialists. No aero bars. No aero helmet. No aero wheels. No team to ride with. No previous time-trial training. When the race was over, they both decided they were never doing a time-trial again. But once they saw the results posted the following day, they did better than they expected. She beat six out of eight women. Her husband beat six men and six women. Gina explained, “Of course, we were still at the bottom of the heap, but instantly our moods changed. We should do this again, Bill said. Only we should train, get aero bars and race again in the spring. Yes, I agreed. I’d love to see what we could do. How weird. From despair to hope, just because we did better than we thought we did.”

Apparently there’s a name for their change in mood: “defensive pessimism.” John S. Raglan, a Sports Psychologist from Indiana University defines it as “downplaying your ability and expectations.” By downplaying your expectations and ability, if you do poorly you are not crushed, and if you do better than you expected, “you get this payoff,” Dr. Raglin said. According to his research, the pessimists perform as well as the optimists in sports such as cycling and track and field.

David B. Coppel, a sports psychologist at the University of Washington, says recreational athletes take pleasure in a sport for its own sake and often feel no need to train and see how well they can do. “They don’t care about their times …. They are not trying to conquer a hill, but just trying to climb it.” And that sums up my feeling exactly. When I go on a ride, I don’t care about time. I don’t care whether or not I finish a route quicker than I did the time before. Most days, I’m just happy to get to the top of the hill.

Today’s food journal: (I did a horrible job sticking to my 20 points today. And I only have 5 weekly points left to use until Thursday’s weigh-in. BAD Alice!)

Breakfast:
— Whole wheat english muffin = 1 point
— 1 Tbsp peanut butter = 2 points
— 1 small banana = 1.5 points
— 1 cup LF chocolate milk = 3 points

Lunch:
— Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich = 10 points
— Unsweetened iced tea = 0 points

Snack:
— Power Bar (whole grain) = 5 points

Dinner:
— Grilled chicken breast = 3 points
— Spinach salad with raspberry dressing = 2 points (est.)
— 1 cup cous cous = 3 points
— Iced tea = 0 points

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
        \<,
…( ) / ( ) 

Thanks for visiting.