As promised, here is our store’s recipe for Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes that we teased you with last week. These were so delicious that no one knew they were vegan until after the fact. They even got high praise from Bob, which is no easy feat. Enjoy!

Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes:

• 1-1/2 cup white flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup evaporated cane juice
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) non-hydrogenated margarine
• 1 cup soymilk
• 1 Tbsp vinegar
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 4 medium or ½ cup chopped strawberries, then mashed

Preheat oven to 350°.To get started measure the flour, soda and salt in one bowl and set aside. In a liquid measuring cup pour soymilk, vinegar and vanilla together. Mix and set aside. In another bowl cream cane juice and buttery stick with a whisk. Add about 1/3 cup of the soymilk mixture and whisk again. Add prepared dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix with a spatula, adding the rest of the soymilk after half mixed. Mash strawberries with a whisk in a separate bowl or straight into the mix with your hands. Gently mix in strawberries and scoop into 9 lined muffin cups. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool and frost with the following frosting.

Vanilla Frosting:

• 1/2  (1/4 cup) stick non-hydrogenated margarine
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) non-hydrogenated shortening
• 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp soymilk

With a paddle attachment in a stand mixer beat the margarine and the shortening until soft. Scrape down and add the powdered sugar. Beat on high for 3 minutes, scraping down sides at 1 and 2 minutes. Add vanilla and soymilk and beat for 4 more minutes. Pipe or hand frost cupcakes and decorate with sliced strawberries.

Thank you to Meagan Nuchols, one of our star bakers at our Whole Grain Store, for taking the time to write this one down for us.

Interesting topic this one as there are as many ways to be a good partner while training as there are relationships I suppose.  Some people were athletes in training when they met their significant other and the workouts and races and training regimen were a known quantity when the relationship began.  Some relationships are formed by two athletes each with their own schedule and challenges.  Other relationships have had training and racing brought into the equation long after the relationship was formed and the non-athlete partner may look upon the new schedule and lifestyle as a threat to the relationship equal to an affair.

I guess in the end, every relationship works for different reasons.  My wife and I often tell others that our relationship wouldn’t work for any people we know, but it works wonderfully for us.  We are both very committed to our careers and to our passions.  With her, it’s a career that requires travel, her music; she skates and is now taking up hockey.  She’s taken private pilot lessons, gone to nursing school and throws some mean pottery.  Me, I have a less demanding career that I’ve designed to allow me to live the lifestyle I want, I ride my bike – never really considered it “training” – and that takes time away on the weekends for races.  We get each other and we have figured out how we can be “us” without either of us feeling resentful or threatened by the other’s “me”.

When my wife and I met, I was already an athlete in training.  I was traveling on the national racing circuit and riding 15-20 hours a week in addition to building my financial services practice.  We lived in different cities about 2.5 hours apart but somehow we were able to begin and grow a relationship that would take us from there to here.  Kathy knew what to expect I guess.  She knew she loved me and that cycling was a very large part of my life.  How can a person fall in love with another person then ask the object of affection to stop being the person that was fallen in love with?  Make sense?  She felt that asking me to stop or slow down or change would be the equal of me asking her to quit her job, stop playing music, stop making pottery, or stop reading books because “it takes too much time away from ‘us’.” I guess the first key to success in relationships is to realize that a healthy “us” takes two healthy individuals who choose to be together without asking the other to sacrifice who they are.  Isn’t that true of all healthy relationships?  This stuff isn’t just for athletes in training.

On the flip side, I know that it is very, very easy for athletes to become myopic about their training, their racing and to assume everyone around you is as consumed as you are.  Get over yourself J.  The athlete needs to be a well rounded person.  You can only re-tell a story about getting third in the field sprint at your race last weekend so many times before even the people who love you the most will stop caring.  Ask your partner, your friends and your family about their lives and well being once in a while.  How’s work?  How’s your sister?  How’s school?  What did you do today?  Some times the best answer you can give to the question “How was your ride?” is “Great, how was your day, want to go to a movie later?”  Remember, most adults look at riding a bike as something they had to do to deliver newspapers or as last resort transportation prior to obtaining a license to drive an automobile.  Knowing this will come in handy next time you’re invited to your partner’s company Holiday party.  Don’t enter into a conversation with your partner’s boss by opening with “I’m a bike racer.”

If you’ve taken up bike racing the way some guys go into midlife crisis and buy a Corvette behind which to hide the tattered libido, realize you’re introducing a new dynamic into what may be a long established and “settled into” relationship.  There are routines that are being disrupted.  Suddenly, you’re coming home from work and rather than sitting on the back deck talking with your partner over a glass of wine about the events of the day, you’re rushing to change into your lycra twit kit and barging out the door with your expensive new carbon fiber girlfriend – who is very high maintenance by the way – to meet your new friends (whom your partner has never met) for the bike shop ride.  You get home just before dark, your partner has already eaten – alone – and all you can do is talk about how fast the pace line was going (a term that means nothing to your partner) just before the town line sprint (another term that means nothing).  Then after you shower, you’re so tapped out from the ride you can’t make decent conversation and you fall asleep on the sofa while your partner is craving some interaction other than what flavor of Muscle Milk you prefer. Your partner needs more from their relationship with an athlete than single digit body fat and well toned legs.  Work at being interesting as hard as you do at being fit.

Some times it’s okay to break your routine.  God knows we ask our partners to put up with a lot of disruptions to their routine.  Several years ago, I had been racing a lot – stage races, single day races you name it from late February through July, nearly non stop.  Kathy was missing me.  She wasn’t complaining, but I tuned in enough to know.  I called my team manager and told him I was out for the next weekend; scratch me from the Super Week schedule.  Kathy and I went to the beach.  She even said I could bring my bike if I wanted to ride (that’s the way she is) but I declined.  Hey, 4 days off the bike watching the love of my life sleep happily on the beach with her feet dug into the sand, watching the sunsets over the water together and doing wine tastings at the local vineyards was pure magic and much needed.  The break gave me some much needed rest and I raced better after I returned.  More importantly though it reaffirmed to me that there are plenty of things more important than racing a bike.

Submissions for Spar for the Spurtle have been rolling in all week. We can hardly believe how many we’ve gotten and how many are superb! I’m having my usual problem of wanting to award prizes to everyone. I never thought I would be that person- the one who wants to give a ribbon to every kid who participates, but I am and I do! I just think everyone really put forth a good effort and deserves some superior recognition.

First things first: SUBMISSION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 11:59 PM ON 08/07! That means, if you haven’t had a chance to do so, but still want to enter- you can.

I’ve talked to a bunch of you individually, but I want to address some of the common concerns here:

1. I’m camera shy: I would guess this applies to a lot of us. Even with a photographer husband, I don’t like my photo taken any more than the next gal and I absolutely loathe being in videos. Here is how one person very cleverly made a video without showing themselves.

2. I don’t own a video camera: True, not all of us have smart phones and digital cameras with video capabilities. I bet you know someone who does though. Again, check out the above video. This one doesn’t even use video- but makes a video out of stills. Additionally, it doesn’t have to be fancy. We just want to see that you do indeed have a recipe.

3. What can be done ahead versus needs to be done during the 30 minutes? Basically, a lot can be done ahead. Truly, the main thing that cannot be done ahead is the actual cooking of oats. They can, however, be soaked overnight prior to the competition. You can heat liquids to boiling, prep all additional ingredients and walk into the competition ready to assemble everything but the oats.

4. Can I use additional appliances? No, you get two hot burners and that’s it. We know a few of the videos use an oven and those were created prior to the realization that we hadn’t explicitly put it in the rules that you cannot use anything additional. While the rules for the Golden Spurtle do not say you cannot use additional appliances, we’ve learned from experience that they do not like it and you may be disqualified. On top of that, we learned the hard way last year that American appliances don’t work so great in Europe- even with electrical converters.

NOW FOR THE FUN BIT-

The bit that takes very little effort on your part. We need help picking some winners for the Portland heat. Here’s what you do: Visit http://www.sparforthespurtle.com/watch.php and select videos to watch. Then, if you like it- click on “like.” You can vote for as many as you want. Winners are not solely based on the amount of “likes” a video gets, but it’s definitely going to be taken into account.

To help induce you to vote, I’m giving away three spurtle kits (steel cut oats + a spurtle). To be entered all you need to do is go vote and come back here and post in the comments that you voted and who you voted for. You don’t have to list them all, but list at least one. I’ll pick 3 winners from all who comment by 11:59 pm on Sunday, July 31st.

When I speak with someone who’s interested in getting faster, I always ask them if their workouts include Heart Rate Training (HRT). The answer is typically “No”, “A little…” or “Well, I have a heart rate monitor…but I’m not really sure how to use it properly.” All too often, a training buddy might have suggested they need a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) or they see someone else wearing one, and they go about trying to figure out how to use it and see if they can improve. Other reasons include having GPS functions so they can see their distance and pacing more accurately. But if you’re not using it to train specific to the cardiovascular system, it’s kind of like installing a GPS system in your vehicle, not turning it on, then wondering why you can’t get to those unknown destinations faster.

Training with a HRM is specific to the cardiovascular system (your engine), while actually using a HRM can provide feedback of your performance in all areas of physical activity. So just what does that mean? It means that if you train correctly with a HRM, you can actually see performance gains in the muscular system as well as the Rate of Perceived Exertion or RPE in different tasks such as swimming, cycling or running. What you’re achieving is a strengthening of the your engine through adaptation, and by doing so you can perform at a higher level with less effort, both physical and perceived. As a result, your efforts get easier, while pace and endurance improves. And really, that’s the basis of getting faster. Think of it as your engine becoming more fuel efficient, and being able to work at a higher speed at less of a fuel cost. That’s a goal we should all strive to hit.

All HRT is accomplished based on specific zones, established through an Anaerobic Threshold (AT) test, also known as a VO2 Max test. This test might also be called Aerobic Threshold (AeT)  or Lactate Threshold (LT) testing. Your body will burn glucose as fuel, two ways, aerobically (with oxygen) and anaerobically (without oxygen). In the case of an all out effort, requiring high power output, the body uses the anaerobic system. Energy is rapidly available, but the anaerobic pathways are not very efficient for producing long-term energy. In turn, the energy stores deplete, lactic acid builds up in the muscles, and the effort must cease. In contrast, distance events requiring steady output and pacing over extended periods, use the aerobic system. The aerobic pathways can’t generate near the power of the anaerobic system, but they are more efficient and will sustain higher endurance type efforts. Distance and effort will actually see both of these systems contributing in different proportions. So by definition, your AT, which you test for, is the point where lactate (lactic acid) begins to accumulate in the bloodstream. Higher levels of effort mean higher accumulations of lactate, to a point where the body cannot keep it within a range that allows it to be easily cleared from the bloodstream. When this occurs, effort will drop, as will performance. Your threshold is an important point or value to know, as all training will be based on the value found through testing. Working below your threshold point works your anaerobic system, while working above it works the anaerobic system. When you work at or around your threshold point, you are working at an intensity that can teach your body how to handle the accumulation of lactate, and learn how to flush it more efficiently. By doing this, you can actually raise your AT. This won’t necessarily raise your maximum heart rate, but there’s little can be done to raise this genetically determined marker.

Typically, anywhere from five to six zones are used in establishing your aerobic and anaerobic intensity levels, with Zone 1 or Z1 being the lowest intensity. The number of zones is usually based on the method you choose to test with. For illustration purposes, Z1 would be a slow jog or maybe a moderately brisk walk. Effort is low and most of the fuel energy is derived from stored fats. The highest zones are at intensities high enough that you’d only be able to maintain them for several seconds at most. At this level you are consuming pure glycogen (sugars) energy without the benefit of oxygen. Most folks would assume that the faster (harder) they train, the faster they will become. This thinking is flawed, in that efforts at high intensity do little to build the aerobic engine. The heart is a muscle that, like other muscles, responds to training adaptations through stressing and recovery. The strong foundation needs to be in place to support those efforts, before one can build on them.

Let’s touch on equipment for a moment. There are tons of options for HRMs out there. I have owned several in my time, and I now believe the product I currently own is the perfect all-round HRM for the multisport athlete. The following features are what I consider to be basic necessity, and you should not settle for a model with less than these features.

Chest Strap with Removable Transmitter. Why a removable transmitter? They are easier to clean, you can change the battery yourself, and because it’s detachable, females have the option of using them in sports bras that feature a built in sensor material. Snaps are built in to the lower front of the sports bra, which allows the transmitter to attach sans strap. One less item to worry about, and most women report less chaffing as a result.

Programmable Workouts. This feature allows your to input workout profiles for such things as intervals, tempo runs and speed workouts. Be cautioned though, as there are Pros and Cons between the two leaders in HRMs. Polar requires the workout to be developed on a computer (PC) and transferred to the wristwatch as an exercise file, whereas Garmin allows you to build the workout on the watch just before starting the actual workout. This comes in very handy when you’ve forgotten to download the workout of the day.

Downloadable Capability. This function allows for downloading and analyzing your data on a PC, Mac or any of the online services such as Garmin Connect or Training Peaks. Graphical analysis and storage of your data is invaluable for comparison purposes. Also, if you’re working with a coach, most will require your data in the form of a file, or file upload to a designated site for analyzing. Handwritten data that’s been plucked off the watch each time you use it is near worthless.

Distance Foot Pod or GPS Tracking. This may seem like a luxury, be really, how many times will you want to plan your route to the extent that you have to know every single mileage marker along the way, so you can hit the lap button and figure out your pace? The value of being able to head out on a run or ride, without having to worry about remembering every mileage mark, becomes priceless. If you want to get 8 miles in, run out 4 miles and run back 4 miles, no matter what direction or route you choose to go.

Long Battery Life. Polar has an advantage here, in that it has a replaceable battery and can run for hours, days or weeks. Battery life with regular use has lasted me for a good two years. Garmin requires disciplined recharging. The latest Garmin multisport model touts battery life up to 20 hours on a recharge. Although I’ve never pushed mine that far, I have used it for 14+ hours without it showing signs of an impending DNF. Shop around and shop wisely.

For lack of space, I will say that there are many publications and training plans for using HRT. Certified coaches are a good source for developing training plans to target your heart rate improvements. The plans I design for HRT will vary throughout the month and weeks of a training cycle phase, thereby targeting specific zones to challenge, adapt and improve. You can usually find AT testing in your area through local health clubs, triathlon clubs, cycling clubs or through your doctor’s office. Just remember, if you want to get faster, sometimes you just have to slow down a bit. You heart will respond favorably.

FYI: I use the Garmin 310XT. It has a lot of features, most of which I actually use, and it’s rated Swim Capable which bodes well for triathletes. I was very pleased to see a lot of the pro field at Rev3 using this model too. With its ANT+ capability, it pairs nicely with the Power Tap hub system.

One of our Train with Grain racers, Mark Swartzendruber (bio below) made this great video for us to show you how he makes Chana Dal Hummus. I thought this was perfect for Meatless Mondays. One of my favorite vegetarian stand-bys when eating out is the mezze plate. In my experience, it’s hard to mess up and never comes with meat. I would also wager that it’s most likely gluten free if you skip the pita bread, but be sure to ask- you never know where gluten might lurk.

Make your own mezze dinner by pairing this unique hummus recipe with fresh pita bread, kalamata olives, feta cheese, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. Take it up a notch by making these tasty falafel patties and tzatziki sauce for a fantastic cool meal perfect for those scorching summer nights.

If you’re not familiar with Train with Grain, check it out. You still have loads of time to sign up and train for an upcoming cycling race or triathlon. We’ll be adding more cyclocross events as the fall kicks into full swing. If those are not your sports, but you think you’d like to sign up anyway, go ahead- I won’t tell. Our team of racers have loads of good information for training, no matter what your sport and we’ve been updating with their new content almost every day.

Mark shares one of his favorite recipes- Chana Dal Hummus- with you.

[Part 1 can be found here]

Strength Exercises Based on One Repetition Max Lift or Progressive Overload

My strength training incorporates the major muscle groups, as well as the secondary support or stabilizing muscles. The body is an integrated “machine” that functions dynamically, based on demands and the signals sent by the brain, both consciously and unconsciously. The same thing happens when you swim, bike or run. Everything plays i’s part, and all parts are important to performance efficiency. My starting weight for any of the following exercises is based on a One Rep Maximum Lift. After a few warmup lifts at a lighter weight, I’ll perform a single repetition at what I think would be the maximum weight I can lift for that exercise. This sets the initial baseline weight in my base period of training or when coming out of any extended off-season…which quite honestly has not been more than a couple of weeks for a few years now. It’s also a good place to start if you’ve been slowly working at or maintaining strength training.

For those just starting out in a training program, I would suggest a Progressive Overload method of coming up to your base. This would be working for the first three to four weeks just performing the exercises in about 12 repetition sets, and increasing the weight as you begin to feel stronger. The intention with all of these exercises is train the muscles to near exhaustion, but only through recovery will they become stronger. Depending on what phase of your training plan you’re in, the reps performed could be anywhere from 8-10 and even up to as many as 20 reps. The actual weight will vary between 40% and 80% of the One Repetition Maximum, again, training phase dependent.

Adductor & Abductor Machine ~ This is sometimes a combination machine. You know the one I speak of, because we fear it. Subjecting yourself to a machine that wants to treat your legs like a wishbone is no picnic, but neither is a pulled adductor or gluteus medius.

Biceps & Triceps ~ Swimming and biking place demands on these muscle groups for good stroke recovery and pull phase, and climbing seated or standing.

Hip Extensions & Flexions ~ Strong hips will benefits your kick in swimming, pedal stroke in biking and gait or stride in running. An extension gets the gluteus firing, while a flexion fires the sartorius, what we refer to as our hip flexor. The hip flexor plays an important role in bringing the knee up and forward, especially on the bike and run. It’s not a very large muscle and tends to exhaust fairly easily. Train it well and you’ll feel the difference.

Shoulder Press & Chest Press ~ Again, swimming muscles for strong propulsion through the water, as well as arm carry and swing on the run.

Leg Extension & Leg Curl ~ Strengthens the quads and hamstrings for power on the bike and run.

Seated Row & Lat Pulldowns ~ Works the large latissimus muscles of the back, for strength after the “catch” and during the “pull” phases of your swim stroke.

Leg Press & Squats ~ Gluteus, quads and stabilizing muscles for power and core stability on swim, bike and run.

Lunges ~ These can be performed weighted or un-weighted by holding small weights in both hands.  Great primarily for the quads, and secondarily for the gluteus maximus, adductor and calf muscles.

Heel Raises ~ Works the calf muscles, so important for biking and running. These can be performed weighted or un-weighted by holding a weight down to your side as you stabilize yourself with your other hand.

Finish with some light stretching of the worked muscles. Rehydrate yourself and get that recovery nutrition into your system within 30 minutes if possible, but no longer then 60 minutes post-workout. I use a recovery drink with a ratio of 3:1, Carbohydrates to Protein, and also includes 3 grams of L-Glutamine. Carbs will replenish muscle glycogen, protein helps with muscle tissue repair, and L-Glutamine does wonders in relieving D.O.M.S.

And don’t forget to Train With Grain!!

Strength training can be a beneficial part of any training plan, if it is executed properly in both method and timing. In multisport training schedules, it can often be difficult to determine the best place to insert the workout, due to the hours already dedicated to the two, or three, core sports. It has to be challenging, yet still adjust intensity based on the periodization, or phase, of the entire training plan. I have found that Mondays tend to be the best days for my gym visits, and I can look forward to that workout being the singular thing I do for training that day. It’s the workout that starts my week, and it affects how the rest of the week will play out.

Proper nutrition is absolutely essential to your training, especially in this case where the workouts may come after a weekend schedule of long training sessions or doubled up workouts such as “bricks”. If you’re lacking in proper recovery nutrition, it will show up in the following days as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (D.O.M.S.). D.O.M.S has the ability to sabotage your workouts due to soreness experienced in the days following hard efforts. It’s a snowball effect that can derail the rest of your week, and over time, your mechanical function and performance improvements.

Different gyms will offer you different equipment options in which to perform your workouts. Maybe you have a home-gym setup, use a community center, private gym or national chain. The better equipped it is, the more you targeted your resistance training can be. My workouts have taken place in both well-equipped community centers and national chain clubs. The investment in equipment options and maintenance of the equipment is worth it to me. I’ll point out some of the exercises that I’ve found make a difference for my performance. Hygiene note: Be sure to wipe down the equipment after you complete your set of repetitions, especially if you’re working on other machines during multiple sets. Nobody should have to clean up after you, nor should you after somebody else.

Stretching and Core Work

Let’s not forget that long relaxed muscles and a strong core are a foundation for preventing injuries, being mechanically efficient and decreased recovery time. If you can spend the first 15-20 minutes of your gym routine stretching and working on your core muscles, your body will likely respond better for it. I like to use a combination of yoga stretches, core work on the Swiss ball and foam rolling. There are a lot of resources out there for Swiss ball exercises. I would recommend getting instruction from a qualified yoga instructor on proper technique and form. I would also seek a knowledgeable person – perhaps a friend who’s a physical therapist – to instruct you on foam rolling. Ask other athletes if they know of coaches or experts in that area. You might start to love the foam roller as much as I do!

[To be continued]

Over the last few months, we’ve been taking a look at how different cultures use our products. One such discovery was a sweet, cinnamon oatmeal drink much like Horchata. This drink is made as a special treat and sounds like just the thing for a hot summer night. Traditionally, Horchata would be made with ground almonds, ground tigernuts, or rice milk, but, as we discovered, it’s just as often made with oats in Mexican-American households.

Enjoy!

Sweet Cinnamon Flavored Oatmeal Drink (“Horchata”)

Recipe courtesy Marcela Valladolid
Prep Time: 3 min
Inactive Prep Time: 30 min
4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 (4-inch) cinnamon stick, broken into tiny pieces
• 4 cups water
• Sugar or agave nectar, as needed

Directions

In a large pitcher, soak the oats, cinnamon and water for a minimum of 30 minutes. Blend the mixture (including the cinnamon) in a blender. Strain and sweeten with sugar or agave, to taste. Serve well-chilled or over ice.