Oliver Dancing to Ra Ra Riot

MapMyRide.com | Matthew v. Ryan

In an effort to get Matthew to do a better job keeping up with his training log, I have set up a leaderboard. You can follow our progress here:

MapMyRide.com | Matthew v. Ryan

Lindsey is also part of our leaderboard, but I know they don't track miles in spin class, so that makes it a little complicated for her.

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March Cycling Totals

Indoor: 190.36 Miles
Outdoor:  151.85 Miles
Total: 342.21 Miles

Calories: 11,311
Time: 19:55:13
Avg Speed: 17.08 mph
Top Speed:  37.0 mph
Longest Ride:  29.73 Miles
Avg Ride Length: 21.38 Miles

Racing Results: 32nd at Perry Dam Race #1.

I signed up for the Perry Dam series, but missed Perry Dam #2 due to a prior commitment and we then had 10 inches of snow the night before Perry Dam #3. I have no racing scheduled for April at this point. VeloTek GP, which I had planned on racing is apparently cancelled this year. Maybe I will do the Joseph Sheehan Road Race that weekend. Otherwise I am likely racing the Jesse Blancarte 10k Time Trial and maybe the Auburn Road Race n May. My goal for April is to increase my strenght/power at threshhold. 

My Post Lent Reflections - By Ryan

I feel better than I ever have in my life. My weight is well under control. I found out that eating vegan is not as hard as I would have imagined, and through the first 40 days I only at salad 3 times as a meal (Avacado Wasabi Salad - full of protein). Going forward I would like to try a "flexitarian" approach - not because I am not committed/lazy, but rather I was never in it for the animals - if utilized properly, they may a great source of protein and complement many meals well. Plus, Oliver is a big fan of chicken for some reason.

We made it for a stretch of 35 days and 12 days eating entirely vegan, with one day (one hour, actually) where we broke down.

I will limit the amount my diet to:
No High Fructose Corn Syrup
Less than 5 ingredients in pre-packaged food products
Only ingredients that I can pronounce/know what they are
Less corn, rice, soy, wheat.
Nothing refined/enriched.

Meat consumption should be minimal, ideally less than 4 oz. per day.

Try to buy as much organic produce as possible. Start frequuenting the Farmers' Market.

March Reading

The Looming Tower (Cont.)
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Oliver's First Night in a Big Boy Bed

Last night Oliver slept in his new bunk beds for the first time, all without issue. It is hard to believe it was as simple as it was.  Napping, however, may continue to be an issue. I tried to put him down for his regularly scheduled nap yesterday and he was having no part of it. I am hoping it was related to either the fact that the room was not yet completely put together (and distracting to him?) or that it was the weekend.

...and that is why I hate the Midwest.

The snow effectively wiped out any plans Lindsey and I had for the weekend. The grey weather does nothing useful for your mood, and in turn any ambition you may have had. To top it all off, Lindsey and I broke down and ended up at McDonalds and Coldstone. I know we get a pass on Sunday, but I still felt defeated.

The Southern-style chicken sandwich, with fries and a Barq's rootbeer, followed up by a Birthday Cake Remix, were initially satisfying, but not quite as good as I remember, except for the Barq's: that was awesome (if you ask Lindsey, it was all trash).

Oliver's Big Boy Bed Has Arrived!

Yay! Spring is here?

At around 12:30 this afternoon, Spring officially begins - well, at least in terms of the Vernal Equinox.

...and according to the weather forecast, we should continue to get snow until tomorrow around noon. Have a happy first day of Spring! 

More of the Same

Lindsey and I have continued our vegan diet, with more of the same, thus the reason for no new posts.    More recently we have recycled some of our more favorite meals: Pineapple Cashew Quinoa Stir Fry; Veggie Pizza; Black Bean Fajitas; Veggie Risotto (this time with different veggies and no balsamic reduction - which I believe was sorely missed). We also have coming up: Avacado Wasabi Salad (which will be only the second time we have had salad in the last 30-40 days); and Aloo Methi Palak (Indian Potatoes and Spinach).

On a related note, we are down to the last 15 days of this resolution. Not saying that my diet will change much, but the obligation to uphold the "sacrafice" will be lifted if I do choose to indulge.

Lately, we also have been spending a good amount of our free time working out: Lindsey has been taking advantage of the classes at Lifetime Fitness, especially the spin and strength training classes, and every once in a while the fitness yoga; while I have continued to train for my racing schedule - I am at the end of my second week of my early season, 8 week training peak (which means I will be ready to race my best come early May).

Yesterday I attended my first BRBC team Thursday night training ride, and got smoked. I maintained, what I believe to be, a good pace: 19.8 mile-per-hour average for 20+ miles, but was lapped (we were on a 1.5 mile circuit) by the main pack about 80% of the way through the one-hour session. My big "lesson learned" coming out of last night: do not lose touch with the wheel in front of you - you will never get it back.

In lieu of another training ride, assuming the weather holds out, I will be attending the third in of the Perry Dam series races. Being that this is a 5-mile circuit and a 25 mile race, I see it as a win if I don't crash and don't get lapped by the field. I am just looking forward to getting some good miles and wind resitance training under my belt - a winter on the stationary trainer seems to have done me little good, other than the obvious health benefits.

That Hill Was Worse Than It Looks!

Spaghetti and Bean Balls

I have no idea what is in a bean ball (other than beans apparently), but they sure are good.

That Dam Race #1: My First Bike Race

This is just about the best representation of my race today. Just imagine 
me as Lance and about 15 Joseba Belokis in front of me.



On the first of three laps, the field was experiencing a pretty bad accordion effect;
with the back of the pack repeatedly sprinting and braking to keep in touch with 
the wheel in front of them. After safely making it across the dam and through the 
first two corners, it appeared that a couple riders touched wheels in the back half 
of the pack, taking down just about everyone else behind them. There might have 
been 2 or 3 riders that did not end up on the ground. Somehow, as people were
crashing on my left and right, with every hole I saw closing, I jumped in a grass
ditch, stayed on two wheels and rode back onto the course.

Unfortunately, I was not able to keep in touch with the field after getting back up
to speed. I spent 5 miles soloing as hard as I could to keep the field in sight. At 
mile 7.5 the race was essentially "red flagged" until they could clear the riders from 
the course (one had to be loaded into an ambulance on a stretcher). Despite the
field neutralization, I was too spent to remain in contact once the race got back
underway and was dropped on the first hill. I was the first finisher outside the 
"peleton".

My first thoughts as the race got underway was "they really are racing," and any
visions of glory I had driving to the lake were quickly dashed. I will update as 
soon as photos and results are posted.

Red Lentil Curry and Twice Baked Samosas

This was an awesome Indian meal, that made for great leftovers at lunch. This turned out a lot more successful that our last curry dish, the failure of which may be my fault; I bought tomato paste instead of canned tomatoes. According to Lindsey, this doomed the dish. Regardless, this was a great dish and Oliver seemed to enjoy the samosas.

Blue Koi

Last night we went with Lindsey's parent to Blue Koi. We started with the Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps, which had some finely chopped mixture of something (mushrooms according to Lindsey), but tasted like marinated chicken and nuts. For my meal I ordered the vegetarian Spicy Chili Pepper Dumplings with a side of Homemade Noodles, which I immediately combined into one bowl (the noodles, despite being delicious on their own, looked lacking on their own). It was delicious.

Lindsey order the Crispy Tofu with Awesome Sauce (it was awesome) and the Vegetarian Dumpling, which look a lot like my dumplings, minus all the basil, garlic and crushed red peppers.

Oliver consumed just about an entire serving of Chicken Lettuce Wraps, which he claims were "real, real good." He also made friends with a pre-schooler at a nearby table. Overall, it was a successful night for Oliver.

I left the restaurant very satisfied with my meal and surprised at ease so far of going vegan for these 17 days so far; the meals have not been hard to come by, the real problem is not being able to go to Five Guys when you are craving a nice, unhealthy burger.

I am also slightly impressed by all the things I have been eating that I otherwise would have passed over prior to this Lent (namely mushrooms and artichokes).

Revisiting Some Favorites

Sunday night we had black bean fajitas again. I love this dish! I had the leftovers for lunch Monday, with a side of guacamole topped with the pico de gallo I made Sunday.

Last night Lindsey tried her hand at a veggie pizza in the style of Minky's. It was good, but we both had some ideas for improving the crust. We used a 100% whole wheat flour to make the crust, which probably needed something to sweeten it (either honey or agave nectar) and maybe some white flour. The wheat flour did not seem to rise as well as white flour and seemed a little bland (at least according to Lindsey - I thought it was great). 

February Cycling Totals

Indoor: 330.17
Outdoor: 44.4 Miles
Total: 374.57 Miles

Calories: 11,782
Time: 23:27:13
Avg Speed: 15.97 mph
Top Speed: 37.8 mph
Longest Ride: 32.68 Miles
Avg Ride Length: 22.03

Racing Results: None.

These training totals are despite two out of town trips (work-related) that wiped out a total of six training days in the already short month. My goal for next month is to move away from "base miles" an implement a 10 week peak training program. My first race will be Sunday March 7.

Spiced Lentil Burger and French Fries

Lindsey and I went to blanc burgers + bottles last night and each got the Spiced Lentil Burger, with a shopping cart full of fries to split.  After a week of some pretty serious cravings for meat, or at least something unhealthy, this really hit the spot. Who knew a lentil burger could be so good? This was like no veggie burger I have ever tried before.  The best part about it though, was the lentil burger did not leave you with the "gut-busting" feeling a real burger typically would.

The chipotle aioli sauce used to be my favorite reason to go to blanc, I think that now it is the spiced lentil burger.

For lunch today, we order a cheese-less pizza from Minsky's Pizza Cafe & Bar. We had honey wheat crust topped with basil, garlic, artichoke hearts, pepperoncini peppers, roasted red peppers, and "veggieballs" (some sort of mushroom concoction that tastes just like spicy sausage). It was amazing! And, if it weren't for the $27 price, I would say I would never get any other brand of pizza again, but $10 Papa John's pizzas are hard to turn down when cheese is a part of the diet.

Again, it was refreshing not to have the bogged down feeling that a cheese pizza gives you.

Tonight, we are making chickpea cakes with cauliflower mashed potatoes and jalapeno corn gravy. If it is as good as it sounds (I have been looking forward to this meal all week), I think I am back on board with this diet!

Vegetable Masala

Tasty, but spicy. The spice prevented me from eating too much, which left me a little bit hungry. I thought some naan on the side would have done the trick. An idea for next time, I guess.

Hot Crash Potatoes

The hot crash potatoes would have been a good side dish for last night's meal.

Trouble Uploading iPhotos...

I am having issues with iPhoto and have been unable to post the accompanying photos to the blog.  Lindsey's been making some appetizing meals, that also present well. I hope to have the photos up as soon as I can resolve the issues with iPhoto.

Black Bean Chipotle Veggie Burgers

Tasty, but left me pretty hungry. Lindsey gets a thumbs on on the presentation!

Happy Monday!!

Another Beautiful Weekend in Kansas.

Aloo Methi Palak

For lunch today, Lindsey and I made Aloo Methi Palak, or potatoes and fennugreek leaves. In place of the fennugreek leaves, we used baby spinach leaves and fennugreek seeds. I think it did the trick.

I forgot to grab a photo before we ate, so you are going to have to use your imagination (or check out the link below).

Recipe from www.showmethecurry.com

The meals was fairly successful. However, next time we plan to cook the potatoes a little bit longer and use A LOT more spinach. Hopefully this will replicate the Aloo Methi Palak we had at Kababesh.

Also, it appears that Violet is still not a fan of onions, so we may exclude in the near term, if we decide to do this meal again. Oliver at fish sticks, so the jury's still out on his opinion.

Black Bean and Guacamole Fajitas on Whole Wheat Tortillas

Either these things were really good or we were all that hungry, because they were all gone before we could get a picture. Even Oliver ate pretty good, downing 2 fajitas (the same amount that both Lindsey and I had)! Oliver followed this up by eating an apple, which we did not slice for him.

Courtesy of Beth Finnegan...

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Ash Wednesday

Violet with her ashes.

Lent Begins with a Real Challenge

I will be sitting in two days of negotiations starting Wednesday, surrounded by cookies, brownies, and sodas, as well as other food items I have excluded from my diet for the next 40 days (not to mention the possible lack of anything proper for me to eat).

Baked Risotto With Grilled Veggies and Balsamic Reduction

Delicious.

This diet has got me eating artichoke and eggplant, and I like it. I sure did not see that coming! The best part, though: Oliver really seemed to enjoy it too. I was not sure the next 40 days were going to work after he took a pass on dinner last night; the seemingly inocous sweet potato. I don't think there are too many toddlers on the planet that would choose risotto with grilled artichoke and eggplant over a sweet potato. That's Oliver for ya!

Recipe at: VeganYumYum.com

Hasperat!

Great lunch item. I will definitely make this meal again. Lindsey really added a nice touch by topping it off with chipotle pepper sauce.

Recipe at: VeganYumYum.com

Sweet Potatoes with Warm Black Bean Salad

This meal was pretty tasty, but next time will likely include either some red or green onion (assuming Lindsey is eating onions again).

Recipe at: www.foodnetwork.com

No Sweets, Meats, or Dairy for 40 Days

Lindsey and I have decided to give up meat, all white sugar and white flour, and dairy, or essentially "go vegan", for Lent. I was pretty skeptical at first if it was even possible, but I think we have some pretty good meals (both tasty and nutritionally balanced) picked out for about the next 10 days. At that point, we will likely assess what works and what does not. Yesterday we started by "cleaning house": we unloaded our fridge and cabinets of anything that will not work with our diet and likely lead to temptation. We then took the whole family to Whole Foods, which was slightly overwhelming: a new store, new diet and upset kids. $299 later we were ready to start fresh. Since we already had made the mental commitment and also had the groceries, we started our Lent a few days early; there was no Fat Tuesday for us!

So, tonight was our first vegan meal: Wasabi Avocado Salad (recipe at VeganYumYum.com).


Wasabi Avocado Salad


Oliver and his dinner.


Oliver taking a big bite.

Dinner was a unanimous success; both tasty and meeting our daily nutritional requirements. I wholly anticipate this meal with be featured in regular rotation, not only for the next 40 days, but for a good while after.

I followed dinner up with a Chia Fresca. Yes chia, not chai. Like Cha-cha-cha-chia. It is a drink made from the same chia seeds used on the chia pets, added to water (where they semi-gelatanize), and with a splash of lime. This drink has been a staple of the diet of the Tarahumara, an indigenous people of northern Mexico known for their athletic prowess, particularly endurance sports. The Tarahumara are prominently featured in a book I just finished reading: Born to Run. I highly recommend the read, by the way.

I did not take any pictures of my Chia Fresca because, plainly, it looks absolutely nasty. Lindsey thought it looked like swamp water, and it about had the consistency of such. However, it tastes pretty good: sort of like lime water and grass.

Ryan's Reading for February 2010

Born to Run: a hidden tribe, superathletes, and the greatest race the world has never seen by Christopher McDougall

The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann

The Looming Tower: Al Queda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright

Oliver is 2!!

Lindsey's First Triathlon

Lindsey has registered for The WIN for KC Women's Triathlon, which will take place Saturday July 31, 2010 at Sailboat Coave Park on Smithville Lake in Smithville, MO. The race course will cover a 500M swim, 10 Mi Bike and 10k run. Come out and cheer her on this July!

Find more race information at:

http://www.winforkctri.org/

Oliver's Trip to the Hospital

Yesterday Oliver had a trip to the Emergency Room at St. Joseph's Hospital. This is the second year in a row we spent some quality time with Oliver in the Emergency Room at St. Luke's South. Last year, it was for a 104 degree fever, the night before his first birthday party. Oliver turned out to be fine, probably just a bad combination of teething and too many blankets.

This year, Oliver got into Daddy's overnight bag and took a Zomig. Any dose under 5 mg is considered "safe," but Kansas Poison Control still recommended we bring him in to have his heart monitored. So for 3 hours Oliver and Daddy got to drink apple juice, eat crackers and watch TV, while engaging of an ongoing battle of whether or not to keep the electrodes attached to Oliver's chest. Again, Oliver turned out ok - and truth be told, probably enjoyed the the experience due to the recently lacking one-on-one attention.

Ryan's Reading for January 2010

Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Greg Mortenson
Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by John Krakauer
NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman
Roadie: The Misunderstood World of a Bike Racer by Jamie Smith

MapMyRide.com - Training Log for ryanfinnegan

MapMyRide.com - Training Log for ryanfinnegan

Oliver Loves Shoes.

Blue River Bicycle Club

Ryan will be racing with Blue River Bicycle Club this year. BRBC is a team sponsored by Molle Automotive (Audi, VW), Scott Bicycles, Leawood Bicycles, A.B. May Home and Commercial Specialists, Town and Country Medical, Bell Helmets, and Bontrager. Leawood Bicycles is our LBS (Local Bike Store) and where we purchased Lindsey's Trek 1.2 WSD, Ryan's Lemond Reno, and Oliver and Violet's Trek go Bug trailer. Ryan attended the first team meeting January 6, 2010. Lindsey's is also a member of the club, but not likely to focus on bicycle racing this year. Her foci will be the Fort Collins Half Marathon in May and WIN for KC Women's Triathlon at the end of July.

For more information, please visit:

www.brbcracing.com

Oliver showing off his bike.

Violet's First Christmas

Merry Christmas!!

Thanks to Grandad for helping us get the lights up just hours before Violet was born!

     Oliver and his new bike.

Welcome Violet Kate!

Violet Kate and Mommy. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for the beautiful flowers!

Violet Kate Finnegan

Oliver the Spider

Oliver Goes to the Pumpkin Patch

Oliver attempts to pick a pumpkin.

Ball(oon)

Birthday Cake!!

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