Starting mid-September, Bob’s Red Mill will be taking its “No Grain, No Gain” challenge to thousands of racers and fans of cyclocross all across the United States. With over 40 cycling events in our calendar this year, we’re bound to have a blast while we stuff ourselves into skin-tight lycra, race our hearts out and (after we catch our breath) cook and share something like 15,000 steaming hot bowls of our World Porridge Making Championship Steel Cut Oats.

What in the World is “Cyclocross”?
Cyclocross bike races are usually held on closed courses with the majority of the course covering grass, trails or obstacles. A typical course includes several man-made or natural obstacles that require a rider to dismount the bike and climb stairs, carry the bike over barriers, or run with the bike through otherwise impossible terrain. These events take place between September and January, so it’s typical wet, muddy and cold. Races are generally timed and last between 45 to 60 minutes on a closed circuit of 1.5 to 2 miles.

Cyclocross is considered one of the most demanding types of bike racing because it requires speed, agility, mounting and dismounting techniques, physical power, and running while carrying a bike.  For spectators, cyclocross racing offers a festive, exciting, high-energy event because each race consists of many laps, so they get to see the riders pass by very frequently.

One of the neatest things about cyclocross is how inclusive the sport is. Most series have categories that range from beginner to elite so even people who don’t train per se can get in on the competitive thrill. Even better is the fact that it’s a timed event; when it’s over it’s more or less over for everyone on the course, so no one watching the finish line can tell the slow-pokes from the sandbaggers. Check out this clip that captures the leitmotif of the sport.

The Perfect Fuel
Whether you’re an elite or newbie racer, to run your body for a full hour of 100% effort, you’re going to need carbs. Carbs fill the glycogen stores your muscles use when you’re really putting the hammer down. But choosing the right kind of carbs can make all the difference in performance. That’s where our Steel Cut Oats come in. When Steel Cut Oats are digested, the starchy carbohydrates are released slowly and more evenly. That keeps your energy flowing and your hunger in check. What’s more, research shows that people who eat high fiber carbs burn more fat than those who practice that old habit of “carbo-loading” on refined grains. If that doesn’t grab you, well, there’s always the fact that they’re incredibly comforting and delicious.

Sharing is Caring
That’s darn compelling, isn’t it? Well that’s why we’re taking our mission of porridge proliferation on the road. We’re going to demonstrate the indefatigable benefits of Steel Cut Oats and our other fantastic whole grain products. We’ll be sponsoring, racing and serving at all the major cx series, including the U.S. Cyclocross Nationals, U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross, North American Cyclocross Trophy, Ohio Valley Cyclocross, Cycle-Smart International (Northampton, Ma), Seattle Cyclocross, and our beloved Cross Crusade here in Portland.

Grain Warriors
To show the power of Steel Cut Oats in action, we’ve teamed up with some of the fastest whole grain evangelists in the country. With 20 red and yellow clad Team Bob’s Red Mill racers in Portland, Oregon; Louiville, Kentucky; Madison, Wisconsin; and New England, you’re bound to see whole grain heroes armed with our centuries old training secret at just about any cross race you attend.

You can share recipes with your friends using our new sharing tools.

If you have visited the recipe section on our website recently, you may have noticed that we can now include photographs for our recipes. We’ve been begging for this ability for years and were finally given the tools last month. I don’t know about you, but I find a recipe with a photo far more inspiring than one that leaves the final dish to my imagination. In addition to photos, we added some social media sharing tools to make it easier to share a recipe with your Facebook friends and Twitter followers (we included quite a number of other sites, as well). To celebrate these improvements to our site, we’re hosting a photography contest!

What to do to enter:

Pick a recipe from our site or one of your favorite original recipes, prepare it and take a digital photo. Email the photo and recipe used to us at Chelsea (at) bobsredmill.com for submission (please use the subject header of “Photo Contest”).  If you pick one of our recipes, simply let us know which one. If you use an original recipe, we need a copy to add to our website to be eligible to enter. The key here is don’t pick a recipe that you don’t want to share. Of course you’ll get full credit for the recipe and all photos. Even if you don’t win the contest, we’ll try to use your photo for the recipe you chose. We’re just trying to get as many photos for our recipes as possible. You have until midnight on November 30, 2010 to enter. You can submit up to three photos, however each individual will be eligible for only one spot in the first round of judging (i.e. no one person can win twice).

Your recipes should fall into one of these categories: Breakfast (this includes muffins, granola, etc.), Breads (both yeast-risen and quick), Main Dishes, Soups/Salads/Sides, and Desserts. We’ll select a winner from each category for both conventional and gluten free recipes (10 total). Only digital photos will be accepted.

How we will select winners:

Winners will be selected by a committee of Bob’s Red Mill employees. We will pick two winners from each category- conventional and gluten free- for a total of 10 photos. These photos will be published here on the blog and be open for public voting for one week. The top conventional and gluten free photo will be awarded the grand prize.

Prizes:

The eight runners up will receive a gift box from Bob’s Red Mill valued at $50. Boxes will contain conventional or gluten free Bob’s Red Mill products. The grand prize winners will receive a $100 gift card redeemable at bobsredmill.com or the Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store in Milwaukie, Oregon.

Questions?

Leave a comment here or email Chelsea (at) bobsredmill.com with questions.

Helpful Hints:

Here are a couple of websites with great advice for food photography.
Photo Jojo! : The Ten Tastiest Food Photography Tips
101 Cookbooks: Food Photography Tips
10 Photography Tips to Make Food Look Tasty

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

ELIGIBILITY: The Bob’s Red Mill Recipe Photo Contest is open only to permanent legal U.S. residents physically residing in the fifty (50) United States of America and the District of Columbia and legal Canadian residents.

Employees of Bob’s Red Mill and affiliated entities, and their immediate families (spouse, parents, children, siblings and their spouses) and individuals living in the same household as such employees are ineligible. This contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

HOW TO ENTER: The entry period begins on August 2, 2010 and ends at 11:59 p.m. PST on November 30, 2010 (“Contest Period”).

To enter the Contest and qualify for the prizes:

1. Create and submit a digital photograph for any recipe found on Bobsredmill.com/recipes or submit a personal recipe and photograph.

2. Submit recipe and a single photograph of entry to Chelsea@bobsredmill.com via e-mail.

3. If a Bob’s Red Mill recipe is not chosen, your recipe must be original—not from a cookbook or website.

4. Each individual may submit up to three photographs period (three of the same recipe or three different recipes- but three photographs total) and the recipe should fall into one of these five categories: Breakfast Item (including muffins, bars, etc.), Main Dish, Soup/Salad/Side Dish, Dessert, Bread.

JUDGING: Each eligible entry in the Contest will be judged by selected Bob’s Red Mill employees. Two photographs will be selected for each category- one to represent a gluten free recipe and one to represent a conventional recipe. Ten (10) photographs total will be published on the Bob’s Red Mill Blog for public voting. Two photographs (one conventional and one gluten free) will be selected as Grand Prize winners. All runners up will receive a prize box of Bob’s Red Mill products (valued at $50 USD). Grand Prize winners will receive a gift card valued at $100 for use at bobsredmill.com or the Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store in Milwaukie, Oregon.

ADDITIONAL TERMS:

An eligible Entry submitted for this Contest is subject to these conditions. Contestant retains all ownership rights of said Entry. However, by submitting an Entry in this Contest, you grant Bob’s Red Mill a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicenseable and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform the Entry in connection with the Bob’s Red Mill Website and Bob’s Red Mill’s (and its successors’ and affiliates’) business, including without limitation for promoting and redistributing part or all of the Bob’s Red Mill Website (and derivative works thereof) in any media formats and through any media channels. You shall be solely responsible for your own Entry and the consequences of posting or publishing them. In connection with the Entry, you affirm, represent, and warrant that: you own or have the necessary licenses, rights, consents, and permissions to use and authorize Bob’s Red Mill to use all patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other proprietary rights in and to any and all Entries to enable inclusion and use of the Entry in the manner contemplated by the Terms of Service listed at Bob’s Red Mill.com (http://www.bobsredmill.com/help.php?section=conditions). In connection with the Entry, you further agree that you will not submit material that is copyrighted, protected by trade secret or otherwise subject to third party proprietary rights, including privacy and publicity rights, unless you are the owner of such rights or have permission from their rightful owner to post the material and to grant Bob’s Red Mill all of the license rights granted herein.