Swim Bike Run Live

Ask Jamie: Answered

Saturday, November 13th, 2010

Last week, I threw the ownership and responsibility for my blog post topics over to you guys and got two questions. I promised to answer as honestly as possible, so here it goes.

Kim: “When are you and sam getting married?”

Okay, let’s back up for those out of the loop. Sam is my girlfriend. We both went to Quinnipiac University and started dating just before our junior year. Three(?) years later we moved in together. Now we’ve been dating for 7 years and EVERYONE is asking me the same question. And I don’t really blame them. Seven years is a hella long time for a girl to put up with my shit without a ring on her finger.

I love the hell outta this girl. She is my world. My best friend. My partner in crime. Marriage is coming, very soon. She knows it. And we are both really excited about it.

But the thing about weddings is that it is all about the girl. I understand that. I have no complaints. I know I won’t be in control of 99% of the things that get decided about our wedding. As long as it has an open bar, great music and a big dance floor and I get to dance with Sam, I’ll be the happiest guy alive.

The ONE THING in this whole equation that I get to control is the actual proposal, and I’m planning on taking full advantage of that and going it my way. And that is all I can say about that. The rest is top secret. :-X

Meredith: “What is your favorite pre-race meal?”

Okay, after Kim went straight for the gut with the first one, this one is easy-peasy.

The morning before a race, my favorite  meal is probably a salad with grilled chicken on top. I think carbo-loading the night before is complete bullshit. Maybe I’ll have some bread or a baked potato, but I’m never going to stuff myself with pasta like I did in High School. Give me something light with plenty of calories, that is easy to digest and that my stomach is used to and I’m a happy boy.

The morning of the race, I’m usually pretty bad about having anything that actually resembles a “meal.” I usually start taking in “athlete food” from the second I wake up. I’ve done cereal before, because that is what I have on 99% of mornings, but starting off with some sports drink, gels or gummy things is my new favorite race-morning food. I know my stomach will like it no matter what sort of mental condition I’m in and it will help “empty the tank” at the pre-race port-o-poties.

Meredith: “What is your favorite meal that has absolutely nothing to do with swimbikerun?”

A big greasy bacon cheese burger with onion rings and BBQ sauce on it. Bacon makes everything better. Period.

Boston has recently been blessed with a bunch of new Five Guys restaurants and their burgers area personal favorite.

All the fat and salt in it will definitely make me a little slower on race day, but I’m fine with that….

| Posted in Life, Nutrition, Triathlon | 5 Comments »

Warm Stomach: Happy Athlete – Chipotle Chili

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

With the offseason/base training in full effect, I can finally loosen up the restriction on my diet. Mainly, I’m eating a lot more cookies and fatty and suggary foods. I’m not completely letting loose, but I do get to enjoy some of my favorite foods without the guilt. But unfortunately Sam and my lane-mates at the pool still have to look at me shirtless so I can’t completely let myself go.

Because we know good food is essential to triathlon training, I’ve decided to share some of my favorite winter belly-warming recipes in a series called “Warm Stomach: Happy Athlete.” Starting with my favorite: Chipotle Chili.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of fire roasted tomatos
• 3 dried chipotle chilis (If you can’t find real dried chipotle peppers, look for chipotle bouillon cubes. Those seem to be a good substitute)
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 lb of beef brisket (or any other meat of your choice)
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar or maple syrup
• 1 medium onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1 can of beans
• 1 bottle of your favorite beer
• 1 jalapeno pepper (or habanero if you like it really hot) *optional*
• Colby Jack cheese
• Sour cream
• Chives

Directions:

1. Heat up the tomatos and chili powder in a sauce pan over medium heat
2. Slice the dried chipotles in half, scrape out the inside and seeds and drop it all into the sauce pan. Continue cooking at a rolling boil for 5-10 minutes.
3. Drink half of the beer as it cooks.
4. Add the saucepan ingredients along with the brisket, brown sugar, beans, diced jalapeno, diced onion and diced green pepper into a slow cooker.
5. Add the second half of your beer into the slow cooker.
6. Cook for 8-10 hours on low heat. (You can get by with 6-8 hours if you are using something other than brisket, like ground beef or steak.)
7. Serve in bowl. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream and chives.

My favorite part of this recipe is that I change it up a little every time I make it. Sometimes I add more hot peppers. Other times I add more brown sugar. Other times, I end up drinking the whole beer and not adding any into the pot.

It is a great recipe to set up in the morning on a cold winter day before I leave for work. Coming home to a house filled with the smell of chili peppers and beef is pretty awesome. It also keeps really well and can be used for the rest of the week as a dip or on hot dogs or sandwiches. Having plenty of leftovers is a great way to manage your time and make more room in the week for workouts and family time.

Enjoy and feel free to experiment and make your own versions.

| Posted in Life, Nutrition, Triathlon | 1 Comment »