Day 284: WADA questions Contador’s “tainted meat” excuse

Ruh roh. The World Anti-Doping Agency apparently doesn’t believe Alberto Contador’s story about tainted meat being the source of the clenbuterol that was found in his system.  He’ll also have to answer for the presence of plastic residue which was also found in his system, possibly indicating a blood transfusion was involved. (For previous posts mentioning this story, check here and here.) One bit of news I haven’t heard about until today, is the accusation that an “anonymous source” from team Astana who claimed that Contador used clenbuterol during the Criterium du Dauphiné earlier this summer. Hmmm.

In a related story, due to the ongoing investigation, both Contador and Alessandro Petacchi will both skip the 2011 Tour de France presentation scheduled for next Tuesday. And in other news, the general director of WADA said today that “some information [about the Lance Armstrong case] will come out of the current inquiries that will be equally as significant as BALCO.”

Today’s food journal:

Breakfast:
— Whole wheat english muffin = 2 points
— 1 tbsp peanut butter = 2 points
— 1 banana = 1.5 points

Lunch:
— PB&J on whole wheat = 3 points
— 1 pkg multigrain Sun Chips = 4 points
— 1 cup cantalope = 1 point
— Iced tea = 0 points
— Weight Watchers bite-size brownie = 1 point

Dinner:
— 1/2 cup pasta with olive oil, garlic = 3.5 points

Snack:
— Skinny Cow ice cream bar = 2 points

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
        \<,
…( ) / ( )

Thanks for visiting.

Day 276: Naked Pizza – a healthy alternative

Tonight's Naked Pizza

We went naked for dinner tonight. No, it’s not what you think. We ordered a pizza from a new place in town called Naked Pizza. To borrow a description from their press release (which you can read in full here), the idea behind Naked Pizza is:

“…to make an unhealthy and popular fast food healthy, and raise consciousness about nutrition, health and the food supply, as well the social impact and obligations of a modern profitable business.”

“It’s signature difference is a crust made with a diverse blend of “ancestral” whole grains, seeds and beans fortified with prebiotic fiber and probiotics (live, beneficial, cultures) for digestive health, balance and well being. The sauce, cheese, meats and vegetables toppings are all-natural with no added sugar, trans fats or high-fructose corn syrup. The company also offers a glutten-free crust and all-natural soy cheese. With less calories, lower glycemic index, and more protein than traditional pizzas and benefits including bone health and immunity.”

No freaky chemicals.

We ordered a small 10″ thin crust cheese pizza with green peppers and onions. I picked up our order on my way home from work tonight (but they also deliver). The employee behind the counter was very friendly and Carrick and I both enjoyed the pizza. It had a good taste and we didn’t feel stuffed (or guilty that we blew our diets) after we finished. The price was very reasonable (around $8.50) and we decided we’d definitely place an order again. I like the idea behind the product and it’s nice to have a healthy alternative to pizza. In fact, I did a little research to compare how the nutritional information stacked up to Domino’s and Pizza Hut pizzas.

As I mentioned, we ordered a 10″ thin crust cheese pizza with green peppers and onions, so I selected the same (or closest product) when comparing the Domino’s and Pizza Hut information online. Note that nutritional information included below is per slice. Here’s what I found:

• Naked Pizza (nutritional information is listed here):
  Calories: 64
  Fat: 5 g
  Fiber: 2 g
  Sodium: 143 mg
  Weight Watchers points (calculation based on calories, fat and fiber): 1 (per slice)
• Domino’s Pizza (nutritional info here):
  Calories: 200
  Fat: 9.5 g
  Fiber: 1 g 
  Sodium: 355 mg
  Weight Watchers points: 5 per slice.
• Pizza Hut (nutritional info here):
  I didn’t see an option for a 10″ pizza, so I selected their 12″ Thin & Crispy pizza
  Calories: 190
  Fat: 8 g
  Fiber: 1 g 
  Sodium: 550 mg 
  Weight Watchers points: 4 per slice

Our overall thoughts: we’ll definitely order Naked Pizza again. Knowing there’s a good, healthy, low-calorie option available, we can return to doing our favorite pizza and movie night at home on Friday nights. We got out of the habit since we don’t eat pizza very often anymore. It is a chain restaurant (current locations in Louisville, Miami Beach and New Orleans), so they aren’t local, but I prefer their pizza to other chains. And it sounds like they have additional locations coming. Have you tried Naked Pizza? If so, what was your opinion?

Today’s food journal:

Breakfast:
— Whole wheat english muffin = 2 points
— 1 tbsp peanut butter = 2 points
— 1 banana = 1.5 points

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

Dinner:
— 3 slices pizza (cheese, onion, green pepper) = 4.5 points
— LF chocolate milk = 3 points

Snack:
— Skinny Cow ice cream bar = 2 points

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
        \<,
…( ) / ( ) 

Thanks for visiting.

Day 274: Miscellaneous news

Some miscellaneous things I read online today that I thought were interesting:

Sounds like Alberto Contador has quite a bit of explaining to do.

***

A new study shows the sequence of food items affects the calorie count estimate. The study, by Northwestern University’s Alexander Chernev, has found that if you see a food item considered “bad for you” after seeing a “good for you” item, most people estimate the calories in it as being much higher than if two “bad for you” items are seen back to back.

***

Instructables.com offers instructions on how to create a USB bike generator to power your devices with pedal power.

***

Today’s food journal:

Breakfast:
— Whole wheat english muffin = 2 points
— 1 tbsp peanut butter = 2 points
— 1 banana = 1.5 points

Lunch:
— Spinach salad = 0 points
— Veggie chicken patty = 3 points
— 1 apple = 1.5 points
— Light Lime salad dressing = 2 points
— Iced tea = 0 points

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

Dinner:
— Grilled chicken sandwich = 4.5 points
— Homemade potato salad (1 cup) = 8 points
— Iced tea = 0 point

Snack:
— Skinny Cow ice cream bar = 2 points

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
        \<,
…( ) / ( ) 

Thanks for visiting.

Day 271: Copenhagen hotel guests generate pedal power

The Crowne Plaza hotel in Copenhagen certainly has a fantastic idea. The hotel’s guests help produce electricity for the building by riding stationary bikes. The energy produced by pedaling is stored in a battery, then is fed back into the hotel’s power supply. In exchange for their exercise, the hotel gives pedaling guests vouchers for free meals. Brilliant!

While I poked around on Google, I found the “Pedal-A-Watt Stationary Bicycle Generator.” According to their Web site:

“The Pedal-A-Watt bicycle stand keeps the user fit while creating power that may be used to power lights and/or other small appliances. Any bicycle that is in good shape will work with the Pedal-a-Watt Stand as the stand adjusts to fit any wheel size including children’s bikes. The average rider will produce between 125 and 300 watts using the Pedal-a-Watt.”

What a great idea. If I had to get my fat arse on a stationary trainer to generate power so I could watch TV, surf the web, watch a movie or play with my iPhone, think of the great shape I’d be in! I wouldn’t need Weight Watchers anymore! And I’m sure I’d be a million times more productive by not being glued to my “geek gadgets” 24/7. 🙂

Today’s food journal:

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

Lunch:
— 2 soft black bean tacos (flour tortillas) = 6 points
— Iced tea = 0 points

Snack:
— Power Bar = 4 points

Dinner:
— Turkey sub sandwich = 9 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 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 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 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 240: R.I.P. Laurent Fignon

Two-time Tour de France winner, Laurent Fignon, died today of cancer. He was 50. Rest in peace, Laurent.

Today’s food journal:

Breakfast:
— Chocolate, peanut butter, banana smoothie = 5.5 points

Lunch:
— Weight Watchers Smart Ones cheese pizza = 7 points
— Diet ginger ale = 0 points

Dinner:
— Weight Watchers oven-fried paprika chicken (Yes! I actually cooked! And it was very tasty.) = 4 points
— Water = 0 points

Snacks:
— Small banana with 1 Tbsp peanut butter (prior to workout) = 3.5 points
— WW fudge brownie = 3 points

Exercise:
— 1 hour interval workout on stationary trainer (Sufferfest video) = +7 points

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

          _O
        \<,
…( ) / ( )

Thanks for visiting.

Day 239: Calculating heart rate training zones

Ride Your Way Lean by Selene Yeager

 

I recently purchased a book called “Ride Your Way Lean: The Ultimate Plan for Burning Fat and Getting Fit on a Bike” by Bicycling.com’s “Fit Chick,” Selene Yeager. Last year, when I was first getting interested in cycling, the first book I bought was her book “Every Woman’s Guide to Cycling.” Her books really do a great job explaining various aspects of cycling and training routines without getting overly technical and tedious. I’ll discuss “Ride Your Way Lean” in more detail once I finish it, but one of the things I thought was most interesting is the various training zones. I’m trying to not get bogged down in all the acronyms that seem to be prevalent in cycling: MHR (maximum heart rate); VO2 max (the max amount of oxygen your body can use); LT (lactate threshold); RPE (rate of perceived effort) and RBI (rest between intervals) just to name a few. 

To prepare for one of the training programs outlined in the book, I’ve figured out my maximum heart rate, which seems to be 179 (based on the common 220 minus your age formula). In case I haven’t mentioned it before, I suck at math. Like, I really suck. Sad, I know. Keeping that in mind, I’ve used the formula in the book (MHR x % of MHR) to calculate my percentage of MHR (of 179) for each training zone: 

— Zone 1 (recovery, easy day):
60-64% MHR = 107-114
(RPE scale 1-2) 

— Zone 2 (aerobic endurance):
65-74% MHR = 116-132
(RPE 3-4) 

— Zone 3 (high-level, tempo pace):
75-84% MHR = 134-150
(RPE 5-6) 

— Zone 4 (lactate threshold, race pace):
85-94% MHR = 152-168
(RPE 7-8) 

— Zone 5 (max effort)
95-100% MHR = 170-179
(RPE 9-10) 

Great. So now I’ve got that figured out I think. (I also found a heart rate training calculator online — good for people who have math-suckage skills like mine. The numbers seemed very close to what I found using the formula in the book). I realize these numbers are only rough estimates. Overall health and fitness, medications, diet, sleep, outdoor or indoor temperatures, and other things can affect a person’s heart rate. Judging on my heart rate monitor which I always wear while riding, I’m usually in Zone 3 for most of my ride. Obviously when I do hills, my heart rate increases pretty quickly into the Zone 4 range, then quickly drops back down to Zone 2 or 3 when I’m finished climbing. 

Here’s where you cycling people can help me out: am I correct in understanding that intervals help build not only endurance but strength, which will help my body more easily adapt to the harder efforts? And what happens if my heart rate reaches the 95-100 percent range for a short time? I assume I won’t just drop dead, but that seems like a reasonable question. Once I approach the 164 or 165 range, I tend to back off. Mainly because I’m panting like a wild dog by that point. 

What is your preferred method for training? Do you follow a structured training program? Did it take long before you noticed an improvement in your cycling (particularly climbing)? 

Today’s food journal: 

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

Lunch:
— Grilled cheese sandwich on wheat = 8 points
— Iced tea = 0 points 

Dinner:
— 1 soft pretzel = 5.5 points
— Iced tea = 0 points 

Snacks:
— WW fudge brownie = 3 points 

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride! 

          _O
        \<,
…( ) / ( ) 

Thanks for visiting.

Day 235: Vuelta a Espana TV coverage

I was looking forward to watching the upcoming Vuelta a España this weekend on TV but as it turns out, our local cable provider does not carry the station that covers the race (Universal Sports). Figures. From what I understand, Universal Sports is the only US station with broadcasting rights to the race. I guess I’ll just have to read about it online. It should be an exciting event: Frank and Andy Schleck,  Denis Menchov, Carlos Sastre, Mark Cavendish and Oscar Freire will all start the race. Alberto Contador, however will not be riding. One thing I didn’t realize was Team Radio Shack was not even invited to the race. The race director apparently has no regrets about his decision. With or without Team Radio Shack, I still wish I could watch the coverage. Why can’t Versus TV have broadcast rights to all the major cycling events?

Today’s food journal: Today was weigh-in day at Weight Watchers. I only lost .2 lbs, but I guess it’s still moving in the right direction. My goal for this week is to increase the number of days I exercise and stop drinking Diet Cokes all day long (extra sodium I really don’t need).

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

Lunch:
— Veggie chicken patty = 3 points
— Deli flat bread = 1 point
— 1 banana = 1 point
— Diet Coke = 0 points

Dinner:
— 3 slices of cheese pizza = 11.5 points
— Iced tea = 0 points

Snacks:
— 1 bite-size York peppermint patty = 1 point
— Fruit bar (frozen, no sugar added = 1 point

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

          _O
        \<,
…( ) / ( ) 

Thanks for visiting.