The Cincy Bike Racers' Dining Guide, part 1

Cross is here! But more importantly, lovely day trips to cool MidWest cities. So, I've been meaning to write up a tourism guide for a couple years. But, you know, I want to write up something comprehensive but I always run short on time.

Here is a rough start:

Cincinnati:

Dilly Deli: Okay food, some hearty comfort classics. But a great beer selection. Perfect for post-time trial discussions with certain teammates who look like the love child of Kid Rock and Axl Rose.

Columbus:

North Market: a fun selection of food stalls for everyone. Plus Jeni's (support the peeps who support bike racing!).

Surly Girl Saloon:

Adams County:

Cruiser's Diner in Seaman: Perfect for a stop back after the Frankenbike 50!

Blake Soda Fountain in West Union: a nostalgic bite after a log training ride in Shawnee Forest.

Portsmouth Brewery: Pizza plus BEER!

So here are some things I want to try or have been to in:

Bloomington/Columbus/Nashville, Indiana:

Papa's Grill: good grub and good beer selection after a jaunt to Brown County.

Backwoods Brewery: they have pizza and grub and beer and just down the street from Brown County, located in Nashville.

Upland Brewery: super solid beer and pub food.

Soma: solid coffeehouse on way to Bloomingcross

Scholars Inn Bakehouse: Kind of like a local Panera, good for breaky

New places I want to try:

The Bloomington Brewpub at Lennie's: http://www.bloomingtonbrew.com/brewpub/

I've been to the Runcible Spoon in the past, I would like to go back.

The Irish Lion, bought a pint glass there but would like to try it!

http://www.urbanspoon.com/t/94/2/Bloomington/Vegan-Friendly-restaurants?last_filter=tag

http://www.happycow.net/north_america/usa/indiana/bloomington/

Psycho Roadie Manorexia!

Sometimes bicycle racers are worse than supermodels. It makes sense that if I spend a lot on bikes, and going to races, and kill myself training all the time that I might as well watch what I eat and make sure that come race day I am the best I can be. This often equates to a sensible observance of what I consume, making sure that they are quality calories designed to replenish my body and help me recover and perform again.

Bjet bought the book Racing Weight Quick Start Guide. I swear this was written by the devil. It says that I am a fattie and I need to lose 10 lbs. or I will never win the Tour!

This book focuses on getting leaner in the off-season, and it is very unsafe to restrict calories while training, especially for Endurance events like Mohican. This year I am aiming for loftier racing goals which may include getting destroyed in the UCI Elite CX races.

But what I have noticed is that what I have been assuming is okay for me isn't always the best thing to eat. So I am planning to watch what I eat and try to lose any extra weight slowly and naturally. If I don't lose it all I don't care. But if I succeed I could see a near 10% gain in performance. No need to dope!

I have been using Livestrong.com to track my calories and I noticed some foods I have been eating have been a little too full of fat and lacking the protein I need to recover. Below are my calorie tables will really help me make sure that I am getting the proper amount of of major calorie resources to keep me lean and help me recover. I'll post some recipes in the future.

What was my race weight again?!

I hate my genetic code. The generations of field hands and workers of North Western Europe adapted to gobbling up large meals to sustain them while they reaped, built and harvested. But my pansy white collar ass tends to store these carbs right in my gut.

Last year my ideal race weight was 145. I rode all through the holidays and limited my weight gain, and hovered around 148. But the past few weeks I dropped my guard and it has risen to about 150, sometimes flying up to 155! I have raised the fat content in my diet with more red meat intake, lighter chocolates and naughtier cooking oils and refined carbs.

Ugh. I know if I gain it that I might not lose it till next cross season. It's not a big deal but I do worry about those looming climbs of Cohutta and Mohican.

I will limit myself, returning to moderate drinking with more complex carbs and healthier fat and watching portion sizes.

So here is a trivia question.
Q: EPO thickens your blood allowing it to carry more oxygen, right? And following a healthy "Mediterranean" diet — drinking wine actually thins the blood and prevents inflammation. So does drinking wine hinder our performances?

Anorexia in my future?

I am still battling to get that household record up Kuglar Mill. I still haven't beaten my best time since returning from the DL.

Although it seems that I trounce Bridget on rides, both in sustained efforts and sprints, she insists that her time of 7:15 is real and that "it is easier for [her] to climb since she is 12 lbs lighter" than me. She will drive me to starvation! She does have a point. My power numbers are only 20-30 watts greater than hers, but I tip the scales at 147 or so lately.

My only other option is to bribe my employer into sending me to our Geneva office for a few weeks so I can get some training in the Alps!

I do like some of the efforts and I hope they help me in cross. One ascent nearly made me puke the other day!