Category: vegan

Jamestown Canyon 200k Brevet

It’s always good to have one of your best training rides of the year, 5 weeks AFTER your big race. Hmmm. Compared to the sufferfest (at least for me) of Capulin Volcano 300k last week, Jamestown 200k was an unintimidating ride. I think I had more feet of elevation gain in two Cyclocross races on Saturday, than the entire 200k on Sunday. It was not the route, but my effort that made it good training. The ride up Lefthand Canyon to Jamestown is a nice gradual climb. The only bad part about that is that when you turn around it’s not a very fast descent. The route was on some of my favorite roads and we had nearly perfect weather.

Pumpernickel breadUnusually for a Colorado brevet, only one control was at a convenience store. My vegan chow for the ride included 4 scoops of Unflavored (I say, marshmallow flavored) Perpetuem, an Eggless Salad sandwich on pumpernickel, a Cherry Pretzel ProBar, and a Lemon Lara Bar.

I was pretty hungry when we arrived at the convenience store at mile 110, and for the first time in my brevet-riding career, I’d eaten all the food I’d brought a few hours before. I didn’t find any of my usual choices so I ended up getting regular Coke. It seemed to give me a headache, but there were only 15 miles to go.

These are some vegan foods I can frequently find at convenience stores where I ride. There’s a longer list of common foods that are vegan on PETA’s website.

  • Teddy Grahams
  • Chick-o-stix
  • Clif Bars
  • Nutter Butters
  • Twizzlers
  • Fritos
  • potato chips
  • pretzels

My preferred convenience store beverages during long rides are Pepsi Throwback, Mtn Dew Throwback, Peace Tea, or Lipton Pure Leaf Tea. All of those have cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Dr. McDougalls Tomato Soup Peace Tea wins over Lipton if both are available because it’s about half the price and the tall can is just the right size to fill my tall bottle.

After the ride I ate some black beans that I’d made at home and brought with me, and a little later, Dr. McDougall’s Chunky Tomato Soup. For some reason, I often crave that particular soup or Bubbies Sauerkraut after a brevet.

Vegan MoFo – Cyclocross Day

This is a biking weekend so there won’t be much cooking. This morning I drove to Frisco for Frisco Cross. It’s a two day event, but I have a 200k with RMCC tomorrow so no CX for me on Sunday. This was my third CX race, but the first Colorado Cup race of the year so there were more riders than when I raced a few weeks ago. I signed up for two races, Women’s 35+ and Women’s Cat 4. I realize that the age requirement for the “old” women’s race is not very old, but it still shocks me how young most of the 35-40ish women look. I could swear some of them must be first year college students. : )

I finished 9 out of 16 in the Women’s 35+. I had a horrible start. I missed my pedal and almost fell, and then “sprinted,” as much as I can sprint, to catch the back of the group as they turned off the pavement. The first lap I was hanging back a bit to check out the course, since I didn’t take any practice laps.

I don’t even know how I finished 9th of 29 in the Women’s 4. I thought since it was only 40 min we’d only have time for 4 laps. As I passed the start/finish at the end of the third lap I saw “2” to go. Ugh! I was pretty wasted by that point, I think I might have passed one or two on lap 4, but on lap 5, even though I had a couple riders close in front, I just didn’t have any bursts left to get around. I spent a lot of time in the dirt too. I never fell while riding, but three times, while getting on or off or just running along I fell. It’s funny. During the race I didn’t notice if I was hurt or not. I was just pissed at myself for dumping my bike.

Race numbers and race foodI have some photos and video of the new Frisco Bike Park. Unfortunately I got out of the house without the cable for my camera. Here’s a photo of a few things I ate. The ProBar Whole Berry Blast and Q-bel Double Dark (my favorite vegan candy bar) were after the race. I ate the Fruition about 20 min before the start of the second race when I realized I was low on calories and didn’t have any more gels. I love the Fruition Cherry! It seems like every time they come out with a new flavor it becomes my new favorite.

I also got some yummy pumpernickel bread from my friends’ bakery yesterday and had a PB and rice syrup sandwich for breakfast and ate one of the Eggless Salad sandwiches I made for tomorrow’s brevet when I realized I hadn’t brought anything for my 3-hours-before-the-race food.

This is roughly how I make Eggless Salad.

1 pkg extra firm tofu crumbled
1 tbsp mustard
dash of tumeric
dash celery salt
several dashes of black pepper
1-2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
3-4 tbsp Nayonaisse
1 tbsp chopped onions (optional)

Mix well in a container you can store it in. Why clean an extra dish?!

Vegan Month of Food 2011

Vegan Month of Food LogoI signed up for Vegan Month of Food 2011. My theme is going to be “What does a vegan (who doesn’t like to cook) eat?” Actually I do like to cook so that should be, “What does a vegan (who doesn’t have time to cook and hates to clean up) eat?” For brevity’s sake I’m going with the first.

I’ll also throw in a few posts about brevet and ultracycling food; what you may be able to find at convenience stores, and foods you can make beforehand to amaze and intrigue your non-vegan riding friends, and a few ideas for race food. Though it’s rare that anything tastes good during a race.

If you’re looking for salad ideas you should keep surfing. I’m the vegan who doesn’t really like lettuce, or salad greens. I have a couple friends who are great salad creators so I usually eat one or two a month, but I’ve given myself permission not to buy salad fixin’s for home unless I’m having an unusual craving.

Hopefully blogging about what I eat for a month will get me in the kitchen a little more, or at least give me inspiration to add a little variety to the few minutes a day I am there. And maybe it will give some ideas to other vegan, non-cooks out there.

If you’re vegan, or just want to be vegan for the month and blog about it, head on over to the signup page. The Month of Food starts October 1, but the deadline to register is tomorrow, September 28.