Train with Grain is designed to help fuel the workouts and boost the training efforts of dedicated athletes everywhere. The idea: create a well-fueled community where athletes of every level can share and learn and grow together.

It kicked off last year with Cyclocross, and this year we’re eagerly expanding into road racing and triathlons, two other sports that demand great nutrition and long-lasting energy.

Participants receive an awesome training kit, packed with a delicious variety of whole grains – including Honey Oat Granola, 10 Grain Hot Cereal, Quinoa and 7 Grain Pancake Mix – as well as their choice of a sweet cycling cap or running hat (plus a few other goodies). We’re including recipes and photos for how to use these products, so anyone can easily start making training-friendly food at home.

This year we’re also bringing in a handful of contributors to share their training experiences and war stories on our blog along the way. This team of road warriors and triathletes comes with varying years of experience, and is well prepared to talk about everything from biomechanics and hydration to etiquette and training schedules. Count on video diaries, horrific injury stories, tips on how not to get divorced while training, and a short film on leg-shaving techniques for men. They come from all over the country, and can offer perspectives on what it’s like to train and race in a variety of climates.

This crew will also provide cooking demos, meal plans and “night before” recipes based on the grains in your kit.

It should be a lot of fun.

We’ve also created a slick and ultra-user-friendly dashboard where you can login, choose your races, upload photos, and interact with everyone else. It’s connected through Facebook, so you can post every victory directly to your wall and encourage friendly competition (read: taunt) everyone you know.

It’s going to be awesome.

If you want to find out more, join the Train with Grain community right now. We’d love to have you on the team.

Welcome to Train with Grain Summer/Fall 2011! We had such a blast meeting folks from all over the country last fall and are really pumped up about some of the events that will bring us to a city near you (we hope). Here is a run-down of some of the events that have us excited to hit the road:

Pacific Crest Sports Festival (Sunriver, OR): How can we NOT be excited? Not only is it near Bend, Oregon (one of the prettiest places on the planet and home to awesome micro brews), but the weekend is filled with live music, family activities and races for every level of athlete. Did we mention the beer garden opens at 10 am and there are shuttles to the event location?
Dates: 06/24-6/26/11
Website: http://www.racecenter.com/pacificcrest/index.htm

Ironman Lake Placid (Lake Placid, NY): First of all, this is one of the oldest Ironman competitions in the United States AND it’s held in Lake Placid, NY. While I’ve never been myself, Lake Placid looks like a small chunk of heaven nestled in  upstate New York’s Adirondack Mountains. This event runs for five days and is packed with everything from a Fun Run for the kiddos to a massage tent to a pancake breakfast.
Dates: 7/21-7/25/11
Website: http://ironmanlakeplacid.com/

Ironman Boulder (Boulder, CO): First of all, we LOVE Boulder. This Ironman boasts strong volunteer support, promises loads of spectators and its challenging course has spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains at every turn. With a reputation for great food, entertainment and known as one of the friendliest cities in America, Boulder is a great place to visit and test yourself against other Ironman athletes.
Dates: 08/05-08/07/11
Website: http://ironmanboulder.com/

Mayor’s Cup Criterium (Boston, MA): Not only is a criterium a wonderful spectator sport, but it’s a pretty darn fun way to race too. If you’re not familiar with a criterium, this is essentially (all of you pro’s can just pipe down) a closed-circuit bike race. No getting lost, just around and around in downtown Boston! Beyond the bike fun, the city is in full celebration mode. Before the criterium is a city-wide bike ride and after the race the city hosts the Boloco Block Party which boasts live music, booths, great food and, we suspect, a beer garden where one could find a cold beverage to enjoy while watching the Mascot Race.
Date: 9/25/11
Website: http://tdbankmayorscup.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=471130

These are just a small smattering of the events we’ll be at this summer. We’re excited for each and every one of them and cannot wait to meet you in person and share some of our cool gear with you. For a full list of events, check here and follow us on twitter (@bobs_red_mill) for updates on where we’ll be.

 

Looking for something fun for the family to do next weekend? We recommend the annual Celtic Festival in Newport, Oregon. The event is going to be loads of fun with a full set of Highland Games, authentic eats and even a Celtic Canine event. If you haven’t been before, it’s worth the trip to Newport. Among the many, many events, Bob’s Red Mill is sponsoring a baking contest for the best Irish Soda Bread, Shortbread and Oat Cakes.  There will be festive music, highland cows to pet and a sand castle contest… what more could you ask for in the way of family activities?

So don your clan colors and come on out to brave the Haggis Bowl. We dare you!

If you’re not familiar with Newport, check out the city’s website for other amazing things to do there. I’ve always enjoyed the aquarium and a visit to Rogue Brewery for a quick pint.

Bob calls “Forks Over Knives” a very worthwhile film and encouraged all of us at Bob’s Red Mill to take ourselves and families to go see it.  I have seen this documentary twice already, and even though I have eaten a plant based diet for 15 years now, I still learned a wealth of information and was reminded to focus on whole foods in my diet.

“Forks Over Knives” deals with the health crisis in America and how to use nutrition as medicine.  The film concentrates on the correlation of increased meat, dairy and sugar consumption with the influx of our biggest killers as a nation; heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.  Although the medical community works hard to find cures for what ails us, often times the actual cause of disease is overlooked and is often related to diet and lifestyle.

Dr. T. Collin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn are ground-breaking scientists using their education, years of research, clinical experience and observations to separately come to the realization that a plant based diet will increase human health, and that the standard American diet leads to disease. Research has further shown that a plant based diet will not only keep you healthy, but it can actually reverse some health conditions, especially of the heart.

Although the idea of completely changing your diet can be overwhelming, the documentary looked at individuals with compromised health who embraced a plant based diet.  This resulted in not only increased standard of living, but in many cases, even saved peoples’ lives.  Individuals were able to reverse health conditions, stop taking medications and were feeling better than ever.  It was truly remarkable and encouraging to see these transformations.

I truly appreciate all the information the film provided and the undeniable facts concerning our food choices in America.  This is a must-see film for every one who wants to live a healthier life.  “Forks Over Knives” releases nationwide in May.  To keep yourself updated on the film and when it will be showing in your area, visit www.forksoverknives.com.

It’s true that the best part of the Holiday Season is being able to share with those around you, and when it comes to our annual donation to the Community Cycling Center, we really couldn’t do it without you. By matching every dollar that you put in our donation bucket through the cyclocross season we are able to magnify your generosity to support getting kids on bikes.

Today we got this great note in the mail from Brenda, and we thought we’d post it so you could share in some of the happiness that you made possible. We’d like to thank you for generously donating at all of those rainy fall cyclocross events that you came out for, and we can’t wait to see you next year!

This past week some of us from the Mill headed out to Bend, Oregon to serve up some of our Steel Cut Oats at the 2010 Cyclo-cross National Championships. People from all around the country came out to both compete and cheer on their favorite riders as they raced through snow, mud and icy puddles. Over the 5 day scheduled races the course varied from icy and dangerous at the beginning of the event, to muddy and slow (and dangerous) for the final few elite races.

We couldn’t be prouder of all our Bob’s Red Mill riders as they battled the strong field of contenders in every race. But we were especially amazed by the tenacity and determination of Maureen Bruno Roy who made an amazing comeback from a brutal fall at the very beginning of the race.

After crashing onto her face during a massive pileup right off of the starting line, Mo was the very last rider to get up as the entire pack of racers passed over and around her. After the first lap she was in 98th place and 15 seconds behind the rider in front of her. But through pure determination and skill in the next few laps, she was able to pass 77 riders to finish in 21st place before heading off to the emergency room for stitches.

Of course, not only was it inspirational to watch the races in person, it was also great to have the chance to introduce many new fans to our delicious oatmeal at this last big event of the 2010 cyclocross season. Biking fans and riders alike enjoyed trying out our porridge as there is something about being outdoors in the wintery high desert weather all day that makes a hot bowl of Steel Cut Oats really taste extra delicious.

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of attending the Blind Café in Portland, which is a dining experience in the dark, to bring awareness to the blind community.  I first heard about it at work since Bob’s Red Mill is a sponsor of this fantastic event. This was the most amazing dining experience I have ever had and I can’t wait for the next one!  I would recommend this to everyone.

It was great to have the opportunity to spend an evening in complete darkness learning to eat, listen and live without the use of sight.  Food had more flavor, music came alive and there was no worry about people staring at you when you drop food in your lap (like I did) since no one witnessed it.  Others in my party have called it spiritual, encouraged others to learn about it and can’t stop talking about it.  There is something special about rediscovering your senses while eating absolutely delicious food, focusing on compelling poetry and feeling truly beautiful music. 

Blind Café in Portland was started by Rosh who came up with the idea after experiencing a blind café while visiting Iceland.  He brought the experience to Boulder, CO and then to Portland.  Gerry Leary, owner of the Unseen Bean coffee roasting, has been blind from birth and came together with Rosh to organize this event.  Gerry also escorted my group to our table and was super friendly and funny.  He even took Q & A from the audience about being blind.  Chef Ivy Entrekin created food with unique and appealing flavors using wholesome ingredients which left you utterly content.

The goal of The Blind Café is to be a community event and bring people closer together while raising awareness.  This was accomplished with dining and entertainment and I got to leave happy and mindful, so I would call this a remarkable success!

When I was asked to write a little about what it’s like to try out cyclocross for the first time, I was a little intimidated by the idea. After competing in exactly 4 races so far, I feel like I’m still trying to figure out what cyclocross is all about. Is it a bike race? Yes. Is it about falling down, or not falling down? Yes.

All I am sure of is that I am slowly improving at cyclocross, and that fact keeps me excited to keep trying. So far I tend to place in or just above the bottom third of finishers. I like to think of this as third place.

If you’re curious about trying cyclocross for the first time, and have no idea where to begin, I thought I share everything I’ve learned so far to help you get started.

Tips for beginners: (aka all I know so far)

1) Stay on the course. As long as you are seeing red on the right and yellow on the left, you’re going in the right direction.

2) Listen to the announcers as you go around and around the track, they will let you know how many more laps there are to go. In my first race at the Alpenrose Dairy, I accidently left the course somewhere in the middle because I was following the winners who had already finished the race. When you’re actually done, you’ll know it.

3) Mud is slippery. Look out for other people falling over. Try not to fall in anyone else’s way.

4) Listen for delighted cheering, bells, and cymbals. This will tell you when you are coming to a dangerous section. If you hear people encouraging you to ride as fast as you can into a section where everyone is eagerly watching, you should probably ignore them.

5) Some of the other riders have knowledgeable friends and coach-type folks yelling tips at them from the sidelines. You can follow these directions too, and sometimes they are very helpful. You can distinguish friendly yellers from ordinary hecklers because usually they are shouting someone’s name with the instructions.

6) Keep pedaling. No really, just keep pedaling. People will be yelling at you and ringing bells to help you remember this. There is no good place to coast, and you can’t stop, but you only have to try as hard as you can for about 45 minutes.

7) At the Halloween race in Astoria I ate a big serving of Frites with the spicy fry sauce right before the race. This was a terrible idea. I know I’m often the one serving the oatmeal so my opinion is biased, but heed my warning: Eat the oatmeal before the race- save the spicy French Fries for afterwards.

So show up sometime and give it a try! Once you do cyclocross, it makes every other form of exercise seem much much easier. I guarantee your bike commute to work will seem like a snap!

What do you do with that old bicycle that is still in decent shape, but that you just don’t ride anymore? Why, use it to eat breakfast with us, of course!

Last Saturday about 100 Portlanders traded in their old bikes for breakfast at the Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grains Store and Visitors Center during our Second Annual Bike Drive. In the spirit of sharing and recycling we even accepted useable bicycle parts in exchange for breakfast. Each year we donate all the bikes we collect to the Portland Community Cycling Center. This great organization turns unloved bikes into road-worthy cycles for riders of all ages, abilities and incomes.

Breesa Culver said it best, “The bike collection hosted by Bob’s Red Mill last weekend was a resounding success! We collected more than 100 bikes in four hours. These bikes will support all of our bike safety programs, from after school Bike Clubs to Holiday Bike Drive to ‘Create-a-Commuter’ workshops.”

About 20 bicycles were collected during last year’s drive, but by this year’s event word had sure spread around town! We’re hoping that next year we can collect even more bikes for the community so that everyone has the option to share our passion for biking!

You know for certain that awareness of Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance is growing when you get the chance to attend an amazing event like the Suffolk County Celiacs Gluten Free Vendor Fair & Fundraiser in Hauppage, NY. This show is one of the oldest and best attended in the country, and continues to grow in popularity year after year. Bob’s Red Mill was there for our third show, and we brought a wide variety of our gluten free products to display. We also brought along an entire palette of Gluten Free Vanilla Cake Mix and Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix so that we could hand out free full sized samples to every visitor to our booth.

Many people who stopped by during the weekend wanted to know where they could find our newest oat products and other hard to find ingredients. Luckily Peter Kochanowski, one of our east coast sales representatives, was on hand all weekend to answer all lots of questions about which stores in the area usually sell which types of products. It’s not often that you get the chance to talk to someone with an encyclopedic knowledge of most of the stores and products in your area.

Through out both days, Cassidy and I answered questions about everything from how we make and source our products, to how to use some popular ingredient substitutions. We made sure to let everyone who talked to us know that one of the things that really sets us apart as a company is our amazing Customer Support Team. Many visitors were astounded to discover they had someone they could call with questions about how to use our products. It’s hard to overstate how relieved the newly diagnosed, and the parents of newly diagnosed children, were to know that they had someone that they could call when they got stuck trying to prepare a recipe.

Of course, as the knowledge of how to eat with dietary restrictions grows, so do the number of new products to try. We were particularly amazed by how many prepared foods makers stopped by to ask us about buying in bulk because they have developed tasty new products based on our wide variety of products. As the world of gluten free ready to eat foods and restaurant options continues to grow, it’s nice to be able to let food service entrepreneurs know that we have an amazing specialist like Tim Steiner on hand that they can contact to get the ingredients that they need to keep their businesses growing.

We are always happy when people stopped by to tell us that our products are the very best they’ve tried. It’s always great to see people point us out to their friends while they’re walking towards our booth and say “They’re the best!” or “This is my favorite stuff!” It was even better to be able to send everyone off with some free products to try out in the comfort of their own kitchens.