A Brewer for a Day

One of my favorite things in this world is beer.

I love everything about it; from basic domestics to complex, robust micro brews. These days, it's nearly impossible to throw a rock without hitting a new brewery; especially here in Minnesota. I think one of the things that I love the most about it is learning about it...besides the buzz that is!

Visiting breweries while I travel--both personally and professionally--has become a big part of my planning process. I truly love eating and drinking like the locals when I visit a new place. It builds a common bond with new friends, plus allows them to share some of their favorite, regional specialties.

Next week, I'll be the emcee of a local charity dinner hosted at my neighborhood brewery, Brau Brothers Brewing Company. In a discussion about the dinner with the brewmaster, Dustin Brau, I indicated that I'd love to learn more about how it is actually made. He mentioned they were doing a double batch the next day. I asked if I could join along and learn to be a more informed host...you know: for charity!

He agreed. I was thrilled!

Saturday morning, I got there just as they were starting the second batch (I got to sleep in a bit). Dustin was there and put me right to work. I documented the entire process to my best ability with photographs from my phone (not the best, but they'll do). So crack open one of your favorite beers and learn along as I assist these masters as they turn simple ingredients into the beverage that we all love! 

The Basic Building Blocks of Beer

Kegs of fresh beer

Almost all beer is four simple ingredients: Yeast, Grains (barley/malt), hops and water.

There are two types of beers: ales and lagers. The difference is primarily the type of yeast they use and the temperature in which it is fermented. 

That's basically it...from these four ingredients and two styles, thousands of combinations have been honed to create a vast variety of beers. I'm not going to get that technical, but wanted to give a little background to establish an understanding. The beer we made this weekend was an ale.

A new batch of yeast

Propagating the Yeast

The first step, before all ingredients are processed, the yeast must first be propagated. This means that it is allowed to flourish so that when it is added to the beer, it will be hungry and ready to eat the sugars from the grains and convert them into alcohol and carbonation. 

When I arrived, they had already begun this process and were ready to add it to the fermenting chamber. They informed me that they extract the yeast from other beers as they are living organisms that are purged prior to bottling. There is large attention to sustainability as yeast and grain is kept cycling throughout the brewing process This is the most science I can get.

Remember, I'm a banker not a brewer. this is just as I understand it.

From Grain to Wort

Mixing the milled grain into water

The next step, we put roasted barley malts from their whole grain form into a mill that grinds it and adds it to water in a large kettle called a Mash Tun. This kettle held hundreds of gallons of water and grain and I had to stir it as over 250 pounds of grain was poured into the water. I had to make sure the grain didn't clump up, otherwise it would not allow the sugars to be fully extracted.

Monitoring the sugar content of the wort

As the water was heated, it was transferred from the Mash Tun into another huge vessel  called the Boiling Kettle. The extracted liquid had a high sugar content and is referred to as Wort. We had to monitor the wort to ensure that it was getting all the sugars we could from the grain. This was done using a light filtering device. Once the boil kettle was filled, we were ready to bring it up to a full boil.

Hop to it!

Hopped up wort boiling away

Once the wort is at a full boil, we added the hops. If you are not familiar, hops are a flower that are used to give flavor to the beer. If you've had a pale ale or IPA, these are the things that give beer that citrus-like or pungent flavor. Some people love them and others hate them. I love them.

Harvesting Spent Grain

The beer we were making was a Scotch Ale; which did not have a hop-forward flavor. It is a more malty varietal and used smoked barley as the primary flavoring agent. However, there were still two batches of hops that are added to the mixture.

As the hops and wort boil for an hour, we cleaned out the Mash Tun. The by-product of the Wort is a bunch of cooked grains called Spent Grain. This is reserved and sold to local farms to feed livestock.

I've been to some breweries that use the spent grain to feed the cows from which they get the milk with which is used in making a milk stout--talk about sustainability!

A Quick Spin to the Fermentation Chamber

As the beer spins out the solids stay in

Once the hops have been boiled, a machine is used to create a whirlpool in the boil kettle so that the solids are all forced to the middle and all liquid is able to exit out the edges. As the liquid escapes, it is sent through a radiator to rapidly reduce its temperature from boiling to one that it will ferment at in the Fermentation Chamber.

Original Gravity sample

As the beer is extracted and travels to the Fermentation Chamber, we extracted a sample to test so we can understand the Original Gravity of the beer. This is the first indication of the attenuation of the beer.

The fermentation chambers.

Attenuation is the way they determine how alcoholic a beer is going to be. As it ferments, the yeast process the sugars into alcohol and carbonation.

As the attenuation goes down, so does the alcohol levels in the beer. According to the brewer, this would take 1-2 weeks for this beer to achieve the desired attenuation.

That was essentially all it took to make beer. Now, we just had to wait for it to ferment before we can drink it. By my estimation, this batch should be ready to drink by the time we have our charity dinner. I sure hope they like it!

The labels are added to bottled beer

Odd Jobs in the Brewery

The Biofine device

The above process took about four hours from start to finish, but that wasn't everything that I got to help out with. I got to help transfer beer from the vats into kegs to be sent off to bars for tap beer. I also got to work briefly as a labeler and packer on the bottling line.

There was another thing that I assisted in where we hooked up a machine that shot a dreadful smelling concoction of dehydrated fish guts and citric acid called Biofine. As I understand it, the Biofine is used to gather the yeast to the bottom of the fermentation chamber so they can extract it and use it in another batch. I'm not sure if that's right, but it makes sense to me.

Cleaning all the time

One of the most important jobs in the brewery is cleaning and sanitation, After each step, we cleaned and sanitized every instrument so it prevents bacteria from forming. If any unintentional bacteria finds its way into the beer, the entire batch can be compromised. I even had to crawl inside the mash tun and scrub the insides from top to bottom.

I had a great time learning about the process, but my favorite part of the day was sampling the end product in the tap room as we discussed everything that had happened during the day.I hope you enjoyed going through this with me and maybe learned a little new information about the process of brewing beer.

Thanks for reading!

A Return to the Race

A Return to the Race

Two years ago, this little blog was started and shortly after it was reduced to a dormant status. Its origination was intended to keep me motivated as I trained to complete a full marathon in 2013. I did complete that marathon, but shortly after I lost my aspiration to add entries to the site. 

I toyed around with new concepts and themes, but nothing inspired me to actually write new posts. Since that time, I've started a new career; which prevented me from embarking on much in the arena of endurance events. Sure, I did a half marathon and a smattering of shorter distances. Overall, I was lazy in 2015.

This is 2016. No more being lazy. 

I've got a good grasp on the new job and feel that I can once again dedicate myself to challenging and improving myself by logging thousands of steps on my Fitbit in the name of fitness. I've registered once again for Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN on June 18th. This year, I'm running for a cause and will be raising funds for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. More on that in a later post.

In addition to running, I'm continuing my focus on nutrition: I can't do one without the other. I'm not one of those runners that rewards a 5K race with a pizza and a couple pitchers. 

I'm in no way, turning my nose up at those that reward themselves with that, but I know how my body responds to such abuse. Don't take that statement as I'm giving up on indulgences. I'm human and LOVE beer and junk food. I'm just going to use this forum as a way to motivate myself, stay on track during my training. I'll do my best to share some recipes that you may enjoy, but that's not the point here. I'm not an aspiring food blogger trying to make a name for myself.

Enough of focusing on what this isn't. Here's what I want to do in the coming months, as a sort of resurrection of The Juggernaut's Cave:

1. Motivation and Training Log - Share my progress, hopefully inspire and get inspired by others as I log hundreds of miles prior to race day.

2. Music - Share favorite running music and hopefully get tips on new artists and songs from others. I still love compiling playlists and will share some of my favorites with you.

3. Recipes and Reviews - Food focused on nutrition and nourishment for training. In addition, I plan to review products that are used before, during or after a long run.

4. Travel Log - As I said, I got a new job and that job enables me to travel around the country. I'll use this to share stories from my journey and tips on how to keep motivated when away from home.

That's a lot of promises and I'm intending to keep them by checking in a few times a month. Please keep me accountable and if you want to hear anything from me, reach out to me in Twitter via my handle @juggernautscave.

This brings me to tonight's main event, the music playlist. I may have been lazy in the training area, but in 2015, I continued consuming a lot of music. One question I often ask myself when I listen to a song is: can I run to this song? As a final send off to 2015, I'm going to countdown my favorite 15 running songs of 2015.

In past lists, I've had a cross sampling of Top 40 pop to independent rock to electronic dance stuff. This list is a little more on focused in the indie/alternative rock genre. Sure, a ton of sites out there has a top songs list of 2015. This is in no way a list of my  favorite songs of 2015, but those that get me ready to run! I hope you enjoy the list and maybe find a new song or two to enjoy.

Top 15 Running Songs of 2015

15 Catfish and the Bottlemen - "Cocoon"

I don't know much about this band, but as they say (a lot): "Fuck it". This is a great opening track to get you running...nothing fancy. Just good a good driving rock song.

14. Courtney Barnett - "Pedestrian at Best"
Definitely the odd one of the list, but I love it. It sounds like if Nirvana circa Bleach were fronted by a female Kurt Cobain. It's chugging guitar, sloppy bass and drums should keep you going.

13. Baio - "Sister of Pearl"
Another newcomer, but you're probably familiar with his day job in the band Vampire Weekend. If not, visit my past lists as they are a prominent fixture in my running music. I really like this one for its simple, but infectious melody. (Trivia: the guitar line featured in the track was played using Adele's guitar, unbeknownst to Baio...spoiler, there are no more Adele references in my list.)

12 Cold War Kids - "First"
I'll occasionally throw a slightly slower track in my playlists to help me catch my breath and reclaim a more manageable pace. This song serves that purpose for me. I love the snare hits that a scattered throughout the song. This one gives me a reason to play chest drums and enjoy the run.

11. DREAMERS - "Wolves (You Got Me)"
Another band that I know absolutely nothing about, but this song has a great driving chorus that I find myself singing along with as I run laps around the track at my local gym. Not an aggressive pace setter, but a great pace maintaining track.

10 Big Data - "The Business of Emotions"
The ten spot is saved for my first of several guilty pleasure, pop-laden electronic tracks. I've had several Big Data songs on playlists in the past year, but this is the one that constantly gets in my head. Step back in time to the 80's pop group perfection. Note: don't listen to the lyrics...they are silly.

9. Metric - "The Shade"
Another driving synth-heavy pop song that I find highly addictive. I find that when this track comes on my pace picks up like they are sending electric pulses through me as I run.

8. The Struts - "Could Have Been Me"
A ridiculously flamboyant track that I have every intention of crushing in an out-of-the-way, no one knows-me-here karaoke bar. This song sounds like a garage band channeling Twisted Sister covering a Queen tune and it is fucking AWESOME.

7. Modest Mouse - "The Ground Walks, With Time in a Box"
The band that I have the strongest attachment to as they have been with me since my early college days. After 8 years, they return with this pulsating burst of pure energy and joy and I feel more complete having their creations in my running mixes.

6. Atlas Genius - "Molecules"
Another one that I find nearly impossible to skip whenever it comes on my shuffled playlists. It weaves synthesizers throughout the guitar work and I love getting lost in the layers. Plus, it sounds like science class, so it's educational.

5. The 1975 - "Love Me"
Another of my guilty pleasures is The 1975. Their style of throwback pop is right up my alley and this song doesn't disappoint. After first listen, it became a constant run mix track. One of my favorite part of it is the use of the synth effect that can double as a Halloween cartoon background soundtrack.

4. Grimes - "Flesh Without Blood"
I've been a Grimes fan for years, but her music has been more appropriate for house or yard work...not running music. This one she allows her pop flag to fly and it is a pure joy for me. I have always felt her to be a bit of a paradox: the artwork on her albums make her appear to be more of a Japanese horror metal band than the electronic master I believe her to be.

3. Passion Pit - "Until We Can't (Let's Go)"
I attach my earliest memories of Passion Pit to my first ever run training as I first got into them when I started running in 2008. Three albums later, I continue to keep their music in heavy rotation. This one is pure motivation as he screams "Let's Go!" You have no choice but to pick up the pace and run your ass off.

2. Matt and Kim - "Hey Now" and "Make A Mess"
One of my favorite bands to run to is Matt and Kim. Whenever an album comes out, I have to resist the urge to add the entire thing to my playlist. This past year's release "New Glow" continued that tradition; which is why I have two tracks on this list. "Hey Now" has this crazy horn groove that I fucking love to run to and "Make a Mess" is absolutely fucking bonkers. It's the best musical representation of what its like having ADHD. You may find yourself running beyond your normal expectations...enjoy the ride. Honorable mention: "Get It"

1. CHVRCHES - "Empty Threat" and "Leave a Trace"
Just like Matt and Kim, CHVRCHES albums are nearly fully represented in my running mixes. Its a combination of my affinity for highly caffeinated electro pop and my weakness for pixie-like front women. Ever since first hearing "Recover," I've been addicted. Their album "Every Open Eye" was another album that I could run to almost entirely. My two favorites are "Empty Threat" and "Leave a Trace". Honorable mentions: "Never Ending Circles," "Clearest Blue" and "Make Them Gold". Fuck it...add the entire album, I'll be glad you did.

OK, so my Top 15 Running Songs of '15 was actually 17 songs. I'm sorry I broke my own rules, but I didn't want to omit any of my favorites because I'm addicted to a couple bands. I hope you enjoyed reading and I look forward to continuing this tradition into the year and hopefully beyond!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thanks for listening,
Ben

A Dog Day in the Summer

It has been a ridiculously long time since I wrote anything for the page, but a lot has been going on since I posted over a year ago. About 10 months ago, I took on a new position at my office and my energy and attention has been focused mostly on this, but I’ve continued my running and nutrition to my best ability. I’ve run a handful of short distance races and a couple longer ones. In addition to taking on the new job, I took on another major responsibility last October: a second boxer, Elsie.

Today, in honor of my dog Buckley’s 8^th birthday and Elsie’s upcoming 2^nd birthday on July 15^th, I thought I would dedicate the reemergence of my blog to our journey together. So here I sit on my couch, watching a marathon of Pitbulls and Parolees on Animal Planet with my dogs on the couch next to me as I type.

In October, 2007, I had recently purchased my first house and decided that it was time to take on a proper pet and I had no doubt in my mind that I wanted a dog. Not just any dog would do; I wanted a boxer. I’d had a lot of interaction with the breed through my friends and family and I knew that was the breed that I wanted in my house. They are a high energy, highly dependent breed that have a lot of love to share.

I adopted Buckley from Calico Creek Boxers on October 22^nd, 2007 and instantly he became my best buddy. It’s hard to summarize over seven years of constant companionship, loyalty and love that he provides, but if you’re an animal lover, you know exactly what they mean to you. I’m so glad to see how well he responds to anyone that comes into contact with him. He’s over 70 pounds, but that doesn't stop him from laying on our house guests laps. In his mind, he’s more of a cat than a dog.

As he has gotten older in age, I’d been worried about the inevitable and the thought of not having a dog in the house is something that I couldn't bear. In the summer of 2014, I contacted the same breeder with the thought that I could take on a second dog that Buckley could “train” and would curb my fear of doglessness.

While the breeder didn't have any puppies at that time she said she would have a litter ready in a few months. I figured that would be perfect as I wanted to put up a fence in my yard. While Buckley has never had the urge to roam even though he is not tied up in the yard, I didn't know what two dogs would have in mind given that much freedom.

I started to look into fencing options and ended up having an Invisible Fence system installed into my yard so I didn't have to construct a big fence and still give them their freedom. It turned out to be a very valuable investment and I’d recommend it to anyone considering them.

While it had only been 2 months since contacting the breeder, I received a message from a stranger on Facebook inquiring if I was still interested in taking on a second dog. She had a boxer that she had adopted from Calico Creek Boxers a year prior, but doesn’t have the ability to care for her as she needs. She was referred to me by the breeder and asked if I would be willing to take in this dog instead of another puppy. At first, I was not interested. I thought it may be too late to be able to train a year old dog versus a puppy.

Elsie had originally been adopted by a woman in the Twin Cities who lived in a condominium in a suburb of St. Paul. She didn't have access to a yard, large house or much freedom, unfortunately. The original owner stated that she had to take her to a dog day care facility every day and the expense was getting to be too excessive. On top of the lack of independence, she was plagued with stomach and urinary tract issues. These were all very difficult for me to consider, but I also thought about Elsie a lot and how I wanted to help her out of this unfortunate situation.

The deciding factor of this transaction, however, was inevitably in Buckley’s reaction to Elsie. I arranged to have them both meet in a neutral location. I took Buckley up to a dog park in St. Paul where Elsie and her original owner met us. The two hit it off instantly and I knew there would be no personality conflicts. They were almost identical in mannerisms and energy and it was obvious they were to be companions.

My friend joined me in the meet-up with Elsie. He is a dog foster house owner and had identified several items he observed in the puppy. Elsie was obviously very underweight and had several protuberances on her body. Prior to agreeing to adopt Elsie, I had requested to receive her veterinary records to ensure that there was nothing majorly concerning with her health.

Within a week, our vets had made the information exchange and my local veterinarian had a chance to review the 57 pages of medical records. The sheer volume of the pages made me sceptical, but according to my vet, there was nothing that we couldn't get through with proper care and treatment.

That was the final green light! I decided that not only I needed her, but she needed me as well. I arranged to meet them again so I could pick her up and take her home.

Upon arrival, she instantly fit in to a routine and Buckley welcomed her without hesitation. Within a few days, I brought her in for a check-up with the vet and despite weighing only 43 pounds, everything else looked great. The protuberances were due to her thin frame and were caused by how she would lay in her crate, but they were gone within two weeks of her moving in to my house.

In the past ten months, the two dogs continue to exist in perfect harmony. Elsie has adapted well to the new house and invisible fence system. She has gained over 15 pounds and has no noticeable stomach issues or urinary issues.

I never realized much impact adopting a dog in a pseudo-rescue situation could be on my life, but it has taken a lot more patience and attention than when adopting a puppy…but this does not diminish the experience in the least.

I am still inspired as I watch “Pitbulls and Parolees” and the work they do at the Villalobos Rescue Center for the dogs that can’t advocate for themselves. Far too often people take on a dog with a laissez faire approach, when the dogs really do need structure and guidance. I am in no way pointing blame at Elsie's previous owner, but applaud her courage to admit to the fact that she was not able to provide a proper environment that a big dog, such as a boxer, needs. Still to this day, I frequently send her messages on Facebook on Elsie's progress.

I know this is not like anything I've shared in the past, but I figured it’s been so long that there are no rules on what I can post on here. I hope this becomes a regular routine again as I often enjoy reading others’ materials and want to share my thoughts with those that wish to read them.

Thanks for reading!

Paleo Carb-Loading

It’s been far too long since I have made any attempt to write or create a recipe. I was at a point in my head where it was either pull the plug or get back on the horse. You’re reading this so you know which decision I made.

The past couple months have been pretty incredible and I missed many great opportunities to share some experiences and adventures, but I may revisit them and recall them through photographs at another time, but for now, I’m back in the kitchen.

Last weekend was my marathon and I am happy to report that I made it and even achieved several personal records:

1. Best time for a full marathon: 4 hours and 57 minutes (I’m not fast, I’m stubborn)
2. Best time for a half marathon: 2 hours and 9 minutes (this is why I suffered so much during the second half—too hot out of the gate)
3. Most beer consumed in a race: 3 small pours and 1 beer bong (they said it was only half of a can)

The training was the hardest part for me. Both due to the fact that it was summer and I wanted to go to grill outs and party away the weekends and my work travel schedule became a bit more frequent than I had anticipated. All things considered, I hit a lot of the points I wanted to do by losing over twenty pounds and logging hundreds of miles.

Since shifting to Paleo, I’ve learned you don’t need gluten-based carbs to properly fuel for your exercise as I had thought previously. In races past, we’d all pile around the table and engulf mounds of spaghetti and meat sauce or other wheat-based pasta or bread dinners.

My personal favorite, and what I’d almost always get if we went out to eat the night before the race, was Spaghetti alla Carbonara. Tonight, I found myself in the kitchen craving that pre-race tradition meal. However, I wanted to make it Paleo. I researched several other blogs and they hit a lot of the right notes, but there was a critical element missing: eggs. How can you make Spaghetti Carbonara without eggs?!   I decided to make my own and see how it turned out.

I pulled from my own personal memories of the dish and the four main components of Carbonara that I recollected were: Pasta, Eggs, Bacon and Black Pepper. I also personally like the addition of vegetables and in my own rendition I add sweet peas and Portobello mushrooms.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Serves 2

• 2 large Summer Squash or Zucchini, peeled and sliced into pasta (see below)
• 1/4 lb Bacon, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 large Yellow Onion, diced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup Full Fat Coconut Milk
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• Portobello Mushrooms, sliced (optional)
• 1/2 cup Frozen Peas (optional)
• Salt and Pepper

Prepare the “Pasta”

Knowing that spaghetti, or any traditional pasta, would not have a place in my dish, I first replaced it with a couple large yellow summer squash (3-4 smaller ones). I prefer transforming squash or zucchini into noodles by using a Spiral Slicer, but you can also use a mandolin or julienne peeler. It is a very simple process in which you slice the vegetable into noodle-like strands. 

Take the strands and salt them and place them in a strainer for about 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. Finally, rinse the salt off and again strain the noodles or lay them on paper towels so they will be as dry as possible when you are ready to cook.  I’ve seen advice to put them in a 200 degree oven for 10-15 minutes to further dry out the “pasta”.

Make the Sauce

With the pasta ready, I’m ready to begin cooking the sauce. I diced up a quarter pound of bacon into quarter inch pieces and put them into a hot skillet. As the bacon is rendering down, I begin to prepare the rest of the ingredients:

• Dice up a yellow onion
• Mince two or three cloves of garlic
• Slice up a Portobello cap into strips
• Whisk two eggs in a dish
• Open a can of full fat Coconut Milk
• Grab a bag of frozen peas

Once the bacon has crisped and rendered a good amount of fat, remove the pieces of meat from the fat and place them on a paper towel to drain. Add the onions and garlic to the pan with the bacon fat. If there is not a lot of fat in the pan, add a tbsp of olive oil or coconut oil to properly coat all vegetables. Let them sweat in the pan until translucent. Once they have become almost transparent, add the mushroom and cook for 3 minutes until tender. Toss in about a 1/2 cup of frozen peas.

I omit the use of Parmesan Cheese, so in order to add additional creaminess I add about a 1/3 to 1/2 cup of full fat Coconut Milk to the pan. It won’t add the salt factor to the sauce, so season it with salt and pepper to your taste. Bring the sauce to a boil and allow a majority of the liquid to cook out so it is not runny.

Assemble the Dish

Add the bacon pieces and squash noodles to the pan and toss with the sauce. Allow the noodles to warm in the sauce and soak in some of the leftover liquid. Add the beaten eggs at this time and toss until the eggs have fully cooked and coated the noodles like a cream-based sauce would.

Once everything is hot, you are ready to eat. I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it; whether you are training or just looking for a more healthy version of a classic Italian dish.

Thanks for eating.

Leaving the Cave: Travel Log from the Juggernaut's Cave

Leaving the Cave: Travel Log from the Juggernaut's Cave

I had hoped to have had more to report on my progress from my marathon training program. I am at the end of the third week of the 16 week plan. I have thus far been able to log only the first planned long run, though I have been able to get my shorter mid-week runs in as planned. Today, I should be running 10 miles in a mild Minnesota Spring weather conditions. Instead I am sitting on my couch avoiding the prolonged death grip that Old Man Winter has had on my miserable corner of the Earth. Rather than risk stirring up a recently dormant cold/flu illness in the 12 degree, 25 MPH wind gusts, I’m here to talk to you.

My training was a bit ill-fated due to timing with some required business travel for my job. I had a road trip of appointments throughout Illinois, Indiana and Michigan chased by a week out in Las Vegas for a trade show. I thought I would take the time to talk about how my Paleo discipline was interrupted due to travel and the follow-up that I realized. The latter part only reinforces why I am so glad I decided to adopt this diet in my daily life. I’ll share my travel experiences and how I was able to sneak in some good choices (even in Las Vegas).

Training Week 1: Illinois, Indiana and Michigan (and every Brewery I could find in between)

March 3^rd was the first day of my official Grandma’s Marathon Training Program. On Monday, I logged the required interval workout before jumping on the plane to Chicago on Tuesday. From there, it got away from me a bit.

Late night hotel check-ins and early morning departures make it hard to drag yourself into the poorly-ventilated exercise rooms of the Springhill Suites, but I did just that. Despite the fact that I had received some quality local advice on a beautiful running path through the Notre Dame campus from Molly at SwaggerMom Tales. However, it was not meant to be as I must have had the polar vortex in my carry-on and we got 6 inches of fresh snow that morning. I got to see it from the passenger window, Molly…maybe next time!

A collection of brews from the fine people at Bell's Brewery

The road show presented us with a few opportunities to visit some of the nation’s best breweries. I know…beer is not Paleo, but it is my vice and I’ll be damned if I’m giving it up because some caveman says so. We stopped at Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo and Founder’s in Grand Rapids, sampling everything that I could...LIFE WAS GOOD. I could and should write a post from each of these breweries, but I didn't take too good of notes on the later pours of the visits and my memory is not as sharp as I had hoped.

I returned to the arctic hell of Minnesota that Friday to a 40 mph windstorm with wet flurries…oh how I missed you. The following morning, I laced up by brand new running shoes to log the first of 16 long runs. I  made it through 8 miles at the local YMCA as I took 384 right turns around the 1/12^th of a mile indoor track. By the end, I was ready to jump over the railing rather than make one more lap. My new shoes, however, may not have been ready for that long of a session as I had blood and blisters on my left foot. I’m not sure these are the shoes for me or not, but this is not a shoe review.

Training Week 2: Las Vegas

Monday morning, I had to get back on the plane and didn't have time to get my interval workout in prior to departure. However, as soon as we landed, my boss and I set out for a 3 mile run on the strip. The weather was perfect with 75 degrees and sunny. If only the strip smelled a little better after baking in the sun for a few hours of the afternoon. It can best be described as a bowl of sewage microwaved along with a bottle of Coors  that has cigarettes butts in it.

Chicken and Waffles--in no way Paleo

Throughout the four day trip, I logged several shorter runs and a couple P90X3 sessions on my portable DVD player in my hotel room, but I was not able to log the longer mid-week run of 7 miles due to timing and schedule. If I were to grade myself on my activity level, I’d consider it a solid ‘B’ performance.

Following diet though, I was a big fat ‘F’. Any food-loving American that has visited Las Vegas knows that it’s nearly impossible to avoid the amazing restaurants. From massive breakfasts at Hash House-A-Go-Go to life-affirming steak dinners at Gordon Ramsay Steak, I had to let my Paleo discipline slide—for the sake of the food.

Above and beyond the food were the drinks. I am happy to say that it is relatively easier to follow a loose Paleo discipline when you follow the Paleo Happy Hour Drinking Cheat Sheet. As I sat at the various gaming tables, I stuck to my sensible choice of vodka with soda water and lime. For dinners, I stuck to red wine. I am proud to say I never let my inner twenty-something out during my visit and over imbibe on any of the evenings.

Training Week 3: Back home and getting back on track

Twitter-inspired rummaging through my childhood toy box

Upon returning home after two weeks away, I was road-worn and run-down. I came down with a pretty bad case of the cold/flu that gave me a chance to reconnect with my television for 3 days as well as sort through my box of childhood toys. Training took a major back seat as my lungs were of no capacity to take in my required runs—not to mention an 8-inch snowstorm.

I took care of myself by making Paleo-friendly Chicken Vegetable Soup and taking in plenty of fluids. I reclaimed my control over my diet and that is where I saw the healing powers of a well-disciplined Paleo diet.

In the past, after the damage that two weeks on the road (and my poor choices) can do to my body, I would have realistically expected a 5-7 pound spike in my weight. This is typically due to inflammation from high levels of sodium, overabundance of alcohol and a general lack of motivation to workout. My road to recovery would be 3-4 weeks to get myself back on track.

Prior to my travels, I was at 224.4 lbs. Upon my return, I tipped the scale at 226.6. I feel that this is a minor victory for me as I have struggled with large weight swings in the past. To properly enjoy my travels and only suffer from a minor weight gain after two weeks is a milestone for me and I want to celebrate it!

In addition, after only five days back on the Paleo discipline (with a minor St. Patrick’s Day bump in the road), I’m back down to 224.0 lbs and ready to take on a long run, whenever the weather will allow me. This helps me re-confirm that I have made a good choice to follow the Paleo discipline as it helps me rebound quicker and I’m back to fighting shape sooner than ever before.

The Juggernaut’s Top Five Travel Tips

I thought I would summarize the post with my top five travel tips to avoid the weight gains. I must restate that I’m neither a doctor, nutritionist nor travel adviser. I am just recollecting my recent experiences and putting them out there for you to consider when you next travel.

1. Buy bottled water: Every time I travel, my first stop is a convenience store to buy a case of water. Hotel water is notoriously foul and fit only for the iron. I always strive to take in at least 100 oz of water a day. I would typically have a bottle in my hand wherever I went during the seminars to avoid the free sodas and coffee stations.

2. Surround yourself with good snacks: While you’re buying water, grab a few packs of healthy snacks like nuts and fresh or dried fruit. This will help curb your appetite between meals. I find them most enjoyable after a night of drinks and make me less likely to hit the vending machine or the Phat Burger Bar at 2 am. (I’m looking at you here, Will.)

3. Make at least one meal a good choice: I can always allow myself one meal of a salad or something on the lighter side. As I said breakfasts and dinners were plentiful in Vegas, but the lunches were lighter. If your hotel has a free breakfast, they usually have hard-boiled eggs and fresh fruit. Avoid the pastries and bagels.

4. Buy a Fitbit: If you want to feel great about yourself when you’re on the road, a pedometer is just the morale boost you need. In Las Vegas, I was averaging 20,000 steps a day without having to log a long run to achieve it. You’re out sightseeing and that often times means walking a lot. These fun little devices remind you that you’re also doing great things for your body. In addition, some have sleep trackers and can show you how well you slept while away.

5. Get your sleep: I had to put this one in just for myself, if no one else. I am notoriously bad at sleeping. I can go to bed as late as 3 am and still have my internal clock to get up at 6 AM (central time zone). While in the Pacific time zone, I started waking up as early as 4:00 every morning. By reviewing my Fitbit sleep log, I know that I need to work on this. After two weeks away, I was bound to get sick when running on an average of 3.5 hours of sleep a night.

Well that brings me up to date on my current marathon training program. Three weeks in and I’m not where I should be, but I’m not far off course. I’m beginning construction of my running playlist and will likely put that out for your reading and listening pleasure in the next coming post.

Thanks for reading.

Sausage and Asparagus Frittata

Breakfast! It’s the most important meal of the day, but due to busy schedules and easily accessible snooze buttons, it’s the most often neglected as well. We cram everything we have to do to get out the door with enough time to make it to work that we compromise nutritional choices for convenience. We start our days on a diet of drive-through breakfasts, calorie-dense coffee drinks, processed convenience foods, donuts and sugared sodas. That only sets the table for more bad choices throughout the day.

I find that if I can make a good, sensible choice for my breakfast, I’m more inclined to stick to my plan for the rest of the day. If not, at least I can mark down one good decision. However, since going paleo, my breakfast has taken a major shift towards substantial plates of protein. This has been monopolized by fried eggs and bacon or my new go to: frittatas.

Prior to this program, I've had little exposure to what a frittata is. I knew it was somewhere between an omelet and an egg bake. I've since made several of these great meals for one simple fact: one cook makes several meals. Sure they may take a little extra time at first. I find if I make one on a Sunday morning, I’ve got several meals of delicious leftovers that I can just pop in the microwave and it’s ready in minutes.

As I've been getting my morning workouts in, I’m even more strapped for time before I have to be at work at 8 AM. My new discipline of paleo with emphasis on weight/fat loss has eliminated more than just the standards: cereals, milk, bagels, whey-based protein shakes. In addition, I've also decided to limit the amount of fruit that I eat. In past weight loss attempts, I always kept fruit within arms reach and I was frustrated when I wasn't getting the results that I expected. Since making this change, I have less cravings and the results have been evident.

Fruit is not always a resident on the “do not eat” Paleo lists, but as I want to lean out for my upcoming marathon, I’m doing what I can to shed fat.  Due to the sweet begets sweet philosophy, fruit makes your brain crave other sweet things and you’ll find yourself more inclined to snack on a sweet or crave a dessert or candy bar. I do what I can to avoid this temptation, and therefore I eat very little fruit on my current diet. This limits my ability to make a quick smoothie or grab a banana or apple as I walk out the door.

That brings us to today’s recipe. Frittatas are great because they are a way to pack a variety of meat options and vegetable combinations. It also helps you use up the vegetables in your refrigerator before they go bad. This morning, I made one of my favorite combinations: sausage, tomato and asparagus. I also love putting shredded sweet potatoes, mushrooms, bacon, peppers or onions to completely change the flavor profile and keep you eating a variety of meals. I choose not to use any dairy or cheese in my recipe to avoid the lactose, but if your digestion allows for it, go ahead and throw some in there.

Start with a high-sided skillet that is safe for use in the oven. Get that on the burner at medium heat. Also, preheat the oven at 350. I start by browning and crumbling a half pound of Pork Sausage. As that browns, I start to chop up my vegetables. I cut 1 cup of Grape Tomatoes in half and chop the stems of 8 trimmed Asparagus Spears, leaving their tips intact  in about 3 inch pieces.

Throw the tomatoes and stems into the pan with the sausage and toss in a half teaspoon of Dried Thyme and season with Salt and Pepper. Keep the asparagus tips aside for later. 

As the vegetables cook, crack 8 Eggs into a bowl and whisk with a quarter cup of canned, full fat Coconut Milk and a couple dashes of Hot Sauce until well blended. Once the asparagus has softened and tomatoes have begun to blister, slowly stream the egg mixture into the pan. It’s important to do it relatively slowly so you don’t cause all the meat and vegetables to move into one side of the pan; promoting even distribution of ingredients. 

When the eggs have settled in, I arrange the 8 asparagus tips on the top in a bicycle wheel spoke fashion. This will not only make for better presentation, but more importantly serves as a guide to cut it into 8 even portions. This is obviously optional, but it helps me with portion control when I slice it up.

Carefully put the pan into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until it puffs up a bit and gets golden brown. You should be able to stick a toothpick in and it will come out clean to test for the eggs doneness. I let it set for 5-10 minutes and then remove it from the pan before slicing.

Here is the official recipe:

Sausage and Asparagus Frittata
1/2 lb Pork Sausage, crumbled
1 cup Grape Tomatoes, halved
8 Asparagus Spears, trimmed with stems chopped and tips intact
1/2 tsp dried Thyme
8 Eggs
1/4 cup Coconut Milk, canned, full fat
Hot Sauce
Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Brown sausage in a high-sided, oven –safe pan and add asparagus stems, tomatoes and thyme, season with Salt and Pepper
3. Whisk eggs with coconut milk and hot sauce, pour into meat when vegetables are softened
4. Arrange asparagus tips on top like bike wheel spokes
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and done
6. Cut into 8 slices and eat

A standard breakfast for me using this recipe would be two slices of frittata and a quarter cup of home-fermented vegetables like sauerkraut. The fermented vegetables are there to provide you with the digestive aiding power of probiotics. I've mentioned this before, but I truly believe it helps.

I hope you find today’s post informative and enjoy the recipe. I rarely make the same recipe back to back, but I find that I've had leftover frittata every week for the past few months because I’m able to pack it up and take it to eat at the office if I don’t have the time to eat it at home.

As I mentioned, I’m on the verge of embarking on 16 weeks of Marathon training so I’ve begun to assemble my 2014 Marathon Mix that I’ll evolve as the long runs get longer in hopes that I can pick the perfect playlist to get me from start to finish on Saturday, June 21st. Expect to hear about that in coming weeks.

As always, thanks for eating.

Paleo Reuben Burger

Paleo Reuben Burger

Paleo Reuben Burger

Welcome back to The Juggernaut’s Cave with another installment from my kitchen. Again, I am taking on a classic sandwich that I have been craving a lot after I have converted my home to the Paleo discipline. One of my all-time favorite sandwiches is a Reuben. Loaded with meat, sauerkraut, cheese and Russian dressing, these are major calorie and fat bombs. For me it’s all about the kraut.

Over the past couple months, I've been making my own sauerkraut and eating it every morning as a way to get probiotics into my diet; naturally and without dairy-based yogurt. The book “Practical Paleo” provided me with step-by-step instructions on how to make sauerkraut. I was nervous of it being safe to eat at first (I had to leave it in my basement unrefrigerated for two-three weeks), but I find that I prefer the homemade version way over store bought. Go to her site to learn how to make your own.

Almost every morning that I have eaten the sauerkraut, I've wanted to put it between two pieces of rye bread and a pile of corned beef and Swiss cheese. I decided that I would try to take this on for dinner tonight, but I was also in the mood for a juicy, delicious hamburger. I figured it would be a great opportunity to satisfy both of these cravings while making something completely original (as far I have seen).\

Reuben Burger Spice Blend

I’ve played with a few burgers since transitioning to Paleo and really enjoy using portobello mushrooms in place of a regular bun. Rather than trying to make a complicated, grain-free bun, I figured this would give me a good base for my Reuben Burger. I began to pull all necessary ingredients from my refrigerator and got cooking.

In an attempt to replicate the distinct flavors of the rye bread, I decided to mimic the seasonings and mix that into my burger. It was also a reason for me to break out my new mortar and pestle to grind up a unique spice blend. My blend uses caraway seeds, onion powder and red pepper to season the beef.

The two major deviations from the standard Reuben recipe are the omissions of bread and Swiss cheese. I found that the mushroom caps, if cooked properly hold up well as a bun option and I really didn’t miss the cheese.

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Paleo Reuben Burger

1 lb Ground Beef (or turkey or bison)
2 Tsp Reuben Burger Spice Blend (Recipe Below)
8 Portobello Mushroom Caps, cleaned and stems removed
Olive Oil, for brushing on mushrooms
Salt & Pepper, for seasoning mushrooms
4 Strips Bacon, Cooked to crispy
1/2 C Russian Dressing (Recipe below

1 C Sauerkraut

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix Spice Blend into ground beef and form into four 4-ounce patties
3. Brush olive oil on both sides of mushroom caps and season lightly with salt and pepper
4. Place mushrooms on baking rack on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, turn each over and cook an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place on counter to cool. (note: if desired, place on paper towels to drain excessive moisture)
5. Put beef patties on preheated grill or frying pan, cook to desired temp flipping one time
6. Remove burgers from heat and allow to set on plate for a couple minutes
7. Assemble the burger as follows:

a.      Mushroom Cap

b.      1/2 Tbsp Russian Dressing

c.      Burger Patty

d.      1/2 Tbsp Russian Dressing

e.      Bacon

f.       1/4 C Sauerkraut

g.      1/2 Tbsp Russian Dressing

h.      Mushroom Cap

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Reuben Spice Blend

1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Black Peppercorns
3/4 Tsp Caraway Seeds
1/4 Tsp Onion Powder
1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Mix in a Mortar and Pestle or Spice Grinder and grind until fine.

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Russian Dressing

1/2 C Paleo Mayo
1 Tbsp Horseradish Sauce
1/4 C Paleo Ketchup
2 Tbsp Dill Pickle, minced

Mix all ingredients until well blended. (Note: There are a plethora of Mayonnaise and Ketchup recipes across the Internet, find one that you like or use a store-bought product.)

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Paleo Reuben Burger with Baked Sweet Potato Fries and Kale Salad

I hope you enjoy making and eating this as much as I did. It may not be the same as the original, but it certainly filled the craving for me.

Thanks for eating.