Podcasting 101

If you are up on the latest internet propaganda, then you probably are already familiar with the concept of podcasting. In its most basic form, podcasting is nothing more than a link to a .mp3 file that you can play on your computer. Of course you can download this to your iPod or portable .mp3 player and listen to the audio at your leasure. For example to listen to a Discovery Channel pod cast of the Tour De France go here and listen to one of the available stages.
Of course the technology doesn't stop here. Besides .mp3 the audio is available in different formats, some proprietary. You can subscribe to various podcasting libraries and when new articles appear these will be downloaded to your local library. That all sounds cool and all, but like everything on the internet, its free and easy to author, therefore there is little barrier to entry, making some of the material, well, uh, questionable, not unlike this blog.
Most of everything I have listened to is absolute garbage, somewhat like reading the editorial section out of local newspapers. For a much better explanation of podcasting write up on podcasting go here.

As the author of this here blog, I can also call a 1-800 number and record an audio message that will then automatically be uploaded and linked into the blog. To date, I've not had anything that urgent, but I do have the number in my Cell just in case I win the lottery, or win some major race or something.

2005 is Over

From a cycling perspective this is new year's eve. But unlike the Gregorian calendar, the next season is still two months in the future. I have a lot of great memories, and lots to be thankful for; Since Jan 1 of 2005 I've ridden approximately 410 hours, ok that doesn't count the time when I didn't have the computer running like warm ups/down and such, but its close. In that time I've climbed 200,420 ft, and I think I remember most of those hills. Oh yeah in the conservation of life, I descended the same amount. What am thankful for:

1) 0 automobile encounters

2) 0 crashes

3) 4 flats

4) 2 days not riding because of sickness

Truly fortunate.

In more subjective matters, I have a great team, great coach, and great support system (friends/family). That all helps I know.

Even though I missed the mark at Nationals, I did get stronger through the year, and next year will be incredible, I just know it. Yes, I suffer from extreme delusional optimism.

So between last Tuesday and October 1, I plan on lots of debauchery. October is rehab and starting to get back in shape. I plan on swimming most of the winter. If I was Lance or someone notable, and I said I was going to swim in the winter, well the pools would be packed, but since its me, I suspect I will have every lane open. Also a bit of fall/winter fly fishing. Lots of recipes coming that I have not had time to test and print.

Arghhh

Yesterday was National Talk Like a Pirate Day. No kidding. The original intent of this blog was to present endurance recipes and to help my writing skills by discussing my cycling. Enough of that, I don't think I had as much fun as I did yesterday going around talking like a pirate. Its easy to belt out an Arghhhh when talking to customers and you find something has gone wrong, very wrong.

Another discussion happened in the email world of back and forth banter about stopping the whole idea sponsor organized cycling teams, and racing for yourself or rather as a group, but not for any sponsor. Not unlike pirates working for themselves and not a country. We discussed various shorts and jersey styles, and a having a trained parrot that would ride back in the peloton to crack out discouraging squawks such as "Your weak, You scurvy ridden carcass, give up now...Arghhh". Ok that wasn't my idea, but I thought it was very funny, and kept me smiling all day. So when you are down on the idea of of an organized team, think about wearing all black and acting the life of a pirate cyclist.

Foundation Georgia Caviar

If I could get past the taste, caviar would be edible. I've had too much fresh seafood in my life to say that caviar is anything other than what it is, canned fish eggs. Would you eat canned chicken eggs? The only respectable part of caviar is the texture, and that is outstanding.
If you haven't guessed, I'm from the deep south. I have to look up to see Atlanta, any further down and you are in Florida, which is nothing but a Yankee transport destination. Mom, I finally used the caviar dish you gave me, thanks.

This dish is a work in progress, as I was not satisfied with the taste. Anywho, this is what I've made thus far

2 cups cooked black eyed peas, forget canned, get bagged and cook according to directions.
1/2 cup chopped purple onions
2 jalapeños chopped
lots of fresh cilantro chopped
splash of red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tbl cumin
salt & pepper to taste

Add all ingredients together and chill for a day. Serve with chips, as you would salsa.
Also I chopped the jalapeños then put in my contacts, a very bad idea. I think next time I will add some corn and perhaps some chopped tomatoes.

Foundation Mathis Chicken & Dumplings

I dedicate my favorite chicken dish to a cyclist leaving the team for greener pastures and who only eats chicken. Don’t confuse this dish with the old style chicken and dumplings laden with fat. It’s not difficult to prepare, uses a few dishes, but can be made cheaply, feeds lots, and is a complete meal. Perfect for a college student.

The dumplings are really home made thick pasta, so its full of protein and carbohydrates.

There are really 3 steps to the dish.
Make chicken stock
Make dumplings
Assembling dish

Its best to start this dish a day prior to when you really need it. That allows one to make the stock and skim off the fat by cooling it down. The original recipe comes from a cookbook from a great Southern Restaurant.

To make chicken stock

I full chicken
Water
Salt/Pepper
1 Carrot
1 Celery Stalk


Cover chicken with water in a stock pot. Add some salt/pepper. Rough cut celery stalk and carrot. Gently boil for 1.5 hours.
While stock is simmering …

Make dumplings
Combine
1 egg beaten
1 tsp salt
1 tbls water
1 tsp melted butter

To this gradually add

1 cup of flour

Combine and roll into a ball. Store ball in refrigerator.

Remove chicken from stock and set aside. Strain stock through a colander into a bowl that can be refrigerated. Refrigerate covered stock and chicken overnight, separately.

Next day or at least 4 hours later.
Skim fat from top of stock. Put stock on to low heat to gently boil. You should have about 4 cups or bit more.
Remove chicken from bones. Set aside, uh throw away the bones. Unless you are my father who will boil the bones again for the "second boiling" for more stock.


Roll out dough onto a floured surface as thin as possible. More flour will have to be added to dough keep from sticking to the surface and rolling pin.
Cut wide strips about 1 wide and cut strips into 3 inch long pieces.

To gently boiling stock add

Noodles (dumplings just cut)
1 cup thick sliced carrots
Stir so noodles don’t stick.


Continue gently cooking for 20 minutes.

Add Chicken
Continue cooking for 10 minutess

Combine
¼ cup milk
2 tbls corn starch

Add ½ of above mixure to stock to thicken. Stir.
Continue adding small amounts until desired consistency is achieved. It should be just slightly more runny than say gravy, but not watery.

Serve on plate or bowl and enjoy.

Pshycho-babble

The following appeared in a book I recently read.

In 1957, Dr C.P. Richter of the Psychobiological Laboratory of John Hopkins Medical School carried out an experiment that attempted to measure the motivational effect of hope. The experiments involved placing rats into cylinders of water thirty inches deep and eight inches wide. After a short time, half the rats were momentarily rescued - lifted out of the cylinder for a few seconds, then put back into the water. The other half were not. The group that was given hope swam for more than three days. The other rats drowned almost immediately.

Sounds romantic and supports the idea of and that the mind gives up before the body and all.

A little digging into what happened in 1957, yields evidence of an apparent sloppy experiment further confused by reports of what happened and the scientist’s evaluation of the results. The quote fails to mention that the two sets of rats came from different backgrounds, wild and domesticated. It was the domesticated rats that were temporarily rescued and survived longer. Hardly a fair test to how the “feeling” of hope altered survival rates. It would have been interesting to have seen the survival rates of the wild rats had they been temporarily rescued. I would love to see the original report and not depend upon internet accounts and evaluations. Sadly all the rats were allowed to drown, thus preventing offspring from inheriting the “hope” gene.

Sam the Sheepdog and Ralf the Wolf

Our local Tuesday night training races (affectingly referred to as the Tuesday Night Worlds) often reminds me of a childhood cartoon with the sheepdog and wolf. The wolf and sheep dog exchange pleasantries prior to clocking in, and then immediately the mood turns sour with the wolf attempting to capture one of the sheep grazing in the meadow. It seems like the sheepdog is always in the right place at the right time and the wolf never has any chance. The battle continues for 20 minutes with always the same result. At the end of the show the two become best friends again and clock out together.

Much of competitive cycling is this way, which is one of the many reasons it has so much appeal. The really great riders are professional and do not confuse the behavior required on the bike with that required off the bike.