For this TV Tuesday, I decided to demonstrate a healthy recipe that you may enjoy.
First, however, I decided to rant. I have created this table to illustrate my point that there is a continuum of deliciousness that goes past health food into the divine.... and sometimes you have to eat things that aren't 100% responsible to your body in order to enjoy every awesome thing in life. In moderation.
You should try to stay above the bottom end of this deliciousness scale even while eating healthful foods which means avoiding your British relative's cooking most of the time.
McQuaid Scale of RPD: Rate of Perceived Deliciousness (1-10 increasing delightfulness)
0 Tree bark; old bread with mold on it; anything made in the UK other than curry*
0.5 Very, very weak effort: burnt vegetables, overcooked and soggy vegetables, fast food ie most of the menu at Tim Hortons and McDonalds
1
2 Weak effort: prison food; quinoa in its natural potential
3 Moderately tasty: toast with almond butter; romaine lettuce; apples
4 Somewhat good: steamed vegetables at tender crisp with cheese sauce or nice seasoning; stir fries; fruit salad
5 Strong effort: quinoa with delicious accoutrements, thin crust pizzas that are not drowning in toppings.
6 Many fancy cheeses.
7 Very strong effort: pad thai; curries from Vij's in Vancouver; lobster bisque; sushi from Sushi Paradise in Maui,bacon salad at Brasserie l'Ecole.
8 Very, very strong effort: Polenta cubes at Ulla Restaurant, fresh margaritas with fruit handmade on the beach with a muddling stick, homemade grammas cookies straight out of the oven on a cold day.
9
10 Very, very strong effort = TO DIE FOR: 30 year barolos from Northern Italy, Neuhaus chocolates from Belgium, any 100 pt wine, very old Gouda cheese from the Dutch store on Quadra, sausages made by Eddie out in Sooke, purportedly some banana bread in Vancouver (which I cannot confirm or deny but does contain Belgian chocolate so could be a contender).
So ponder that. On with the show.
* With this I am calling out my UK teammates Julie Dibens and Lesley Paterson. I thought it would be nice to have a little team cooking competition at some point this year. Lesley will likely make something with a pint of oxblood (revoltingly Scottish ingredient) and Julie will just burn the hell out of whatever she puts on the stove like any good British housewife so likely this will be an easy win. You girls in?
Powerhouse XTERRA champion now armed with Trek Superfly 100 and Speed Concept 9.9
(Waterloo, WI) - Trek Bicycle is proud to announce a partnership with seven-time Canadian National and three-time World XTERRA champion triathlete Melanie McQuaid. The tenacious Canadian will be attacking her 2012 off-road racing schedule aboard Trek’s defending XTERRA World Champion 29er, the OCLV-Mountain Superfly 100. For her half-Ironman pursuits across more civilized terrain, McQuaid will be armed with the fastest bike in the world, Trek’s Kammtail Virtual Foil-equipped Speed Concept 9.9.
“The Superfly is the perfect bike for all of the high-speed XTERRA courses and will make me even faster,” said McQuaid. “The fastest cyclists in 70.3 and Ironman racing are on Trek bikes and that’s where I want to be. Being presented with an opportunity to join the Trek family was something I couldn’t pass up.”
The defending ITU Cross Triathlon World Champion's 2012 season will include a mix of 70.3 triathlons and XTERRA events leading up to the XTERRA World Championships in October, where she has the title set squarely in her sights.
“Trek is really proud to welcome a champion like Melanie to our triathlon family,” said Trek Performance Brand Manager Nick Howe. “She’s a threat to win any event she enters, and we’re excited to support her with our bikes and the full effort of our dedicated race team department.”
The easiest way to catch up with Melanie? Check out her website at www.racergirl.com.
Media Contact:
Eric Bjorling
920.478.2191 x12526
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Trek Bicycle is a global leader in the design and manufacture of bicycles and related products. Trek believes the bicycle can be a simple solution to many of the world's most complex problems, and is committed to breaking down the barriers that prevent people from using bicycles more often for transportation, recreation, and inspiration.
I wrote this article for Triathlete Magazine a while back. I have been advocating a lot of strength work lately for my athletes so this article may be food for thought for a lot of you building your 2012 programs. Enjoy!
In order to be a good triathlete, an athlete needs to have strength, speed and endurance. When an athlete chooses to race off road, it would be beneficial for that athlete to have agility as well. Agility is a combination of coordination, flexibility, power and speed that would allow a trail racer to pick their way through technical terrain quickly and efficiently. What many athletes are missing when they move to off road racing is adequate flexibility to allow them to stay loose while reacting to terrain. CLICK READ MORE FOR THE REST
Melanie McQuaid and Fawcett & Company Cycling Expeditions Offer First Mountain Bike Specific Training Camp to XTERRA racers and Multi Day Mountain Bike Racing Participants
The first ever OFF ROAD training camp has been dreamed up and tested just in time for the 2012 season. Looking for a way to put some miles in but have it be SPECIFIC to off road racing? We have the tour for you which will fulfill your training objectives while ticking a box in your bucket list of lifetime adventures. Tuscany, Italy will be the location of this incredible adventure.
Tour Overview
Fawcett & Company Cycling Expeditions is excited to offer an amazing 9-day mountain bike training tour from Rome to Florence. 3-Time Xterra World Champion, Melanie McQuaid will be our guest guide. There will be swim and run options throughout the tour.
Learn the MelRad Racing philosophy of training with coach and pro athlete, Melanie McQuaid while experiencing Tuscany - one of the most beautiful and history-rich areas of the world.
Participants on our tour will meet on the evening of May 28th in Rome at the tour hotel. We will start riding on May 29th. The tour will end on June 6th in Florence. The tour will be fully-supported with guides and vehicles.
Meals and accommodations are included in the price of the tour. We will be supported by our partners, Progetto Avventura of Italy.
Ride Overview
Our ride starts next to the Colosseum in the heart of Rome and concludes in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence.
This ride will incorporate ancient trails including Via Francigena - the pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome, forest roads, mountain biking trails, low-traffic secondary and unpaved gravel roads including the Strada Bianca or White Road, which criss-crosses Tuscany and passes through the most breathtaking scenery in the region.
The accommodations are a mixture of local farm-stays and small hotels. Tuscany is home to the Slow Food Movement and all of the food and wine provided is produced and prepared locally. e most challenging aspect of this ride is the cumulative climbing with an average 1,500 meters of climbing per day.
Participant Profile
This ride is designed to be challenging. Riders should be comfortable cycling off-road on mountain bikes for between 4-7 hours per day. This has been designed for XTERRA athletes with running and/or swimming options at the end of each day's ride. However, pure mountain bikers are encouraged to join as well. There is also a Companion Program which will feature visits to local points of interest - please contact us for details.
Price: $3,350 CAD$ per person Size: Between 7 - 16 riders
Includes:
9 days of training
Meals, snacks and water during those 9 days
10 nights of accommodation (starting May 28)
Vehicle support and luggage transportation
Professional bike guides and drivers
Training tips from 3-Time XTERRA World Champion Melanie McQuaid
Does Not Include:
Flights (and baggage fees)
Services, transportation, food or accommodation before May 29 and after June 6
Meals on May 28 (arrival day)
Additional drinks or services at accommodations (you are on your own if you are REALLY partying)
Gratuities
Everything not explicitly listed under "includes"
Registration Procedure:
Procure and return completed registration form: chris AT fawcettexpeditions DOT com
Make a transfer of CAD$ 500 to secure your spot. Places will be reserved in the order of deposits received.
Minimum of 7 riders, maximum of 16.
Receive confirmation of registration e-mail from Fawcett & Co.
Send remaining balance of the tour cost at least 45 days before the start of the tour
Receive final confirmation e-mail from Fawcett & Co.
Racergirl Television Episode 10: Shit Triathletes Say
Monday, 23 January 2012 11:09
It was just too easy to do one of these given the online frenzy of homages to the "Shit Girls Say" video. So here is mine as this week's installment of Racergirl TV.
I had fun with this but now that I have done it there are so many more that I would add and so many things I would do differently. However, the naming of the bikes is the first on the list because after MANY years of bike racing, it was only when I came into triathlon that I even HEARD of naming your bike something other than the manufacturer chose for you :).
