TOMATILLO|goodness.

10-12 medium sized tomatillos (husk removed, washed and quartered)

1-2 cloves of garlic (depending on how many vampires you want to keep away)

1/2 C Basil or 1 small container you get at the grocer (crazy delicious)

1 Serrano or other hott pepper (if you like spice like moi)

salt/pepper to taste

1/2 lime squeezed

1 T fresh ginger, leave whole (the secret weapon)

1. throw all ingredients in the magical food processor and mix until smooth salsa like consistency

*now, the best thing to do with this is to eat a bit and let the rest sit overnight as the flavor really comes out. If you cannot wait, no worries, just read on.

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (leave out if you are a veg head)

3-5 C homemade stock or store bought is ok too (add or subtract based on your consistency )

6 assorted small new potatoes, quartered (I love the combo bag you can get that has purple, red and white)

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

garnish:

green shredded cabbage

limes

avocado

chopped basil

Grilled Polenta (if you eat corn)

1. heat a pot on high

2. with a glug of EVOO, add onion and cook until translucent

3. add potatoes and saute until browned

4. add tomatillo goodness from above

5. add stock

6. add shredded chicken

7. Turn to medium and cook until potatoes are done and soup is hot

8. scoop into bowls and garnish with toppings.

We ate withe a simple green salad and a glass of red zin.

MMM… who knew eating green could taste so good!

Climbing above the Sonoran Desert to Observatory

The Artistic Town of the Gila

Lizard Head Cycling

Newsletter:  April 19th, 2012

The weather has turned decidedly warmer in canyon country.  After a cold start our March Tours de Tucson finished with 80-degree temperatures and the desert in full spring wildflower bloom.

Our new Tucson and the Sonoran Desert bike tours exceeded expectations; it is an amazing area filled with fascinating flora and fauna in which to ride a bike.  New pictures and route descriptions will soon be posted to the webpage.

On the return from Tucson Lizard Head Cycling’s Nicole Nugent and John Humphries detoured through the Gila Mountains near the town of Silver City in southwest New Mexico.  In the Gila Mountains we found fabulous, nearly empty roads offering as much climbing as Colorado at much lower elevations (3,000 to 7,000 feet).   Lizard Head’s will be offering a new Tour of the Gila Silver City, New Mexico bike tour for fall 2012.

The Gila are rugged mountains that host the annual Tour of the Gila Road Race each May and it is apparent why this remote area is becoming a draw to both road and mountain cyclists.  The area’s roads afford wide shoulders, minimal traffic and offer climbing that jumps back and forth across the continental divide. Additionally the area abounds in geothermal activity with multiple hot springs along the Gila River.  Lizard Head’s new Tour of the Gila Silver City New Mexico bike tour will offer a hike into Gila Wilderness area to access a spring.

The town of Silver City will anchor the new bike tour and if one can initially judge a town by the quality of its coffee shops, Silver City has four, yes four, independent coffee shops on its main street alone!

In addition Silver City is blessed with an energetic art and musical community who have set up shop on Silver City’s still affordable main street locations.  Live music pulsed from multiple locations last Saturday night.  The town, quite simply, is way cool.

Highlights of the forthcoming Tour of the Gila bike tour will include the Gila Monster: a corkscrewing, 7 mile, 10% descent (and then return climb) to the Gila Cave dwellings.

There is also a gorgeous 80-mile ride the traverses the crest of the continental divide bordering the Gila Wilderness Area; it features twists & turns and multiple long descents and ascents of 8-plus miles.

On its final day the new Gila Tour will include a epic climb to the Mt. Graham Observatory; a 22-mile, 7,000-foot ascent on a 8% to 10% grade!  Bicycle Magazine recently ranked Mt. Graham as the 6th best bike climb in the country.

The Tour of the Gila Silver City, New Mexico bike tour will be offered in September, October and April/May tour dates.

Keep on Rolling,
Lizard Head Cycling Guides

You are hungry. You walk to the kitchen, open the fridge and find only a few beers, condiments, mostly mustard, and some weird leftovers you forgot about sitting next to the baking soda in the back corner. You close the fridge, drink some water thinking you might just be thirsty and in the time you consume 8oz you forget that there was nothing edible in the fridge. You go back, open the door and see the same thing, but maybe just maybe the third time is a charm, like saying, “beetlejuice, beetlejuice, beetlejuice”, the door will open and an abundance of food will just appear.

These moments are especially bad when you have been in the saddle all day, working up an appetite for something delicious. This is why one of my favorite things in the world is a fully loaded fridge. There is nothing more satisfying and motiving then for every square inch of my chilled box to be stocked.

You can tell a lot about a person by what is in his/her fridge. In terms of an athlete training for race season or training for a bike tour with Lizard Head Cycling Guides, it is important to stock your fridge with the best and most colorful calories.

Just like your fridge has 3 shelves in it, there are 3 stages of eating for peak performance and health.

STAGE/SHELF I: pre.

GOALS:

• consume 200-300 calories per hour prior to exercise. Ex. If you eat 2 hours before, consume 400 calories, etc.
• calories mostly in carbohydrate form as this is the fasted way to replenish glycogen stores lost overnight and if chosen wisely, it will digest well enough that it won’t weigh down the ride.
• utilize the glycemic index and glycemic load of foods to help you choose the best pre ride options that keep from bonking later

http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm

• keep it low in fiber
• include some protein as this helps with recovery after as well as delaying the release of sugar into the bloodstream (no bonking)
• hydrate- this not only keeps you from fatiguing, but it also helps preserve protein being used as fuel during exercise

STAGE/SHELF I: during.

GOALS: the amount of time in the saddle and your effort will dictate you energy needs on the road. For the sake of this entry, we will assume you are on tour with us and riding 6-8 hours at a moderate pace.

• fuel choice is fat over carbs: “fat burns in a carbohyrate fire” although carbs are still very important
• if you do a great job on the pre shelf, you will not need to replace all of the carbs burned during the ride because these calories are stored in muscles and liver.
• if you burn calories fast and are fast paced, consume 300-600 calories per hour in 10-30 minute increments and mostly in liquid form. (A minimum carbs of .5 calories per pound of body weight)
• form of calories: 60-70% carbs, 20-30% fats, 10-15% protein
• Slower athletes should be on the lower end of this as the burn rate is lower.
• also take in 6-8 oz water (not sports drink) for every 100 calories consumed to help replenish sodium lost through sweat
• go bananas: eating a banana every 3-5 hours will help quench the body’s potassium craving. Sports drinks contain these electrolytes.

STAGE/SHELF I: post.

GOALS: eating should be the highest priority. THIS IS WHY I LOVE RIDING MY BIKE!!

The higher your goals, the more stocked this shelf becomes.

• replace expended carbohydrate stores

-now is the time to eat the higher glycemic items from the chart along with low glycemic items.

-best eaten in liquid form since solid food can be unappealing after a sufferfest and it is absorbed more quickly.

(sometimes,I like to throw in a couple shots of tequila to get the party started, hahah, jokes are best for recovery too)

-3/4 of a gram of carbohydrates per pound of body weight should be consumed.

• rehydrate. At greatest sweat rates a half gallon can be lost per hour

-take in 16oz if liquid for every pound lost during exercise (if you are neurotic and weigh yourself before you ride)

• replace amino acids for protein re-synthesis

-usually through your recovery drink with a 4:1 or 5:1 carb to protein ratio

• replace electrolytes

-sodium is most likely for replenishing. Not as crucial if event is under 4 hours or in cooler weather.

-most electrolytes can be found in natural foods and salt can be added to recovery if not already

• reduce acidity of body fluids

-eating fruits and vegetables can preserve other minerals from being released to balance the body’s pH after the ride.

-doing this will allow calcium and nitrogen to aid in recovery and prevent future performance issues.

I am Nicole Nugent, Director of Protocol, Guide and foodie/chef. I tend to be put on the food side of our tours and this year am feeling really inspired to make the eating part of our tours as memorable as the ride itself.  It can be challenging doing tours around the desert southwest versus say, Europe where the access to charming cafes and local food is few and far between. My goal is to make each tour special by satisfying your well earned appetite while you relax and enjoy the infinite beauty of the American West.

To give you an idea of what I like to cook and some of the places I seek inspiration for tour menus, check out my blog.

http://huntgathernourish.blogspot.com

Once a week I will post a delicious recipe here to keep you fueled up and recovered as you start riding into the season.

I love this side of guiding because we all know we ride hard so we can EAT!

 If you have any suggestions or must haves while you are on tour, please feel free to post them in the comments box.

Now, get out there and work up that appetite!

If we ask the American population (of cyclists, in this case), “how many places in the U.S have you ridden vs any other country?”most of our target clientele would be shocked at how little of the American landscape they have actually seen. We, too are guilty of being intrigued by foreign cultures as we fly over several of our own states we have never considered exploring before. If Americans consider keeping their travels local more often, it would boost the economy.

Another way to boost the America’s economy is to gain more travel & toursim from foreign countries. Obama recently began making it easier for international travelers to enter the U.S in order to boost America’s economy. We hope this will spark more foreign travel to America, igniting a cultural flair to our small tour outfitter in the Desert Southwest and Rocky Mountains, and to help us stand out amongst the big tour operators who specialize in taking American dollars international.

Watch OBAMA here:

Obama Weekly Address: Travel & Tourism

Join us for a social gathering to remember and have a go at winning a tour with us, plus food and libations, video, slideshow, and of course swag! Previous clients who sign up for a tour with us at the event, will receive some “love”.

From Easton PA –> Brooklyn, NY—> working on a Boston Venue (stay tuned)—> Haymarket, VA.

If you are near any of these areas, scroll down to find the corresponding flyer with details!

John & Kari Storm from Cycle Fitters will host us on Thursday, February 2, 2012.

http://www.cyclefitters.com/

Tanya Rand and Superfine will host us in Brooklyn, NY on Friday, February 3, 2012.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Superfine/170646411430

Patria from Ride Studio Cafe is hosting us on  Saturday, Feb 4, 2012  from 6-8pm

http://ridestudiocafe.com

Finally, Jared Nieters, owner of Haymarket Bicycles in Virginia will host us on Monday, February 6, 2012

http://www.haymarketbicycles.com/

Hope to see you there. Email: activities@lizardheadcyclingguides.com with questions.

]]> http://lizardheadcyclingguides.com/lizard-head-is-taking-the-wild-west-out-east/feed/ 0 http://lizardheadcyclingguides.com/10211-inaugural-whiterock-canyons-tour/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=10211-inaugural-whiterock-canyons-tour http://lizardheadcyclingguides.com/10211-inaugural-whiterock-canyons-tour/#comments Sun, 16 Oct 2011 05:01:45 +0000 lizardhead http://lizardheadcyclingguides.com/?p=1864 On October 9th, 2011 the inaugural Whiterock Canyons Bike Tour was run.  The tour proved to be an challenging and scenic route through southern Utah.  We had high expectations for this new tour and our expectations for riding and lodging where exceeded.

What follows are client testimonials from the tour.

The event exceeded our expectations.  The crowds were electric (they cheered even for us!), the closed roads meant little traffic and we stayed in many of the same hotels as Pro Cycling teams such as Liquid Gas, Radio Shack and Garmin Cervelo.

Twelve riders have already expressed interest  joining our tour in 2012!  Our tour supports both cyclists who want to ride from Point A to Point B with few stops while also assisting cyclists who want to ride at a more relaxed pace.  Aid stations and a delicious lunch our provided via our celebrated van and custom trailer.

2012 Dates are set from August 20th thru 26th

Sign up prior to December 1st, 2011 and receive a $300- discount off the 2012 tour cost of $3,595-.   A deposit of $950- secures a spot (couples can reserve two spots with a $1250- deposit), deposit is fully refundable through Feb 1st, 2012.  Total payment due on May 20th, 2012.

The tour includes: 7-nights of excellent lodging (double occupancy), 7-day of meals, shuttles, guide service, entrance fees, and mechanical support.  Guide gratuity is additional.

2012 Tour Specifics: 15 person limit, we are awaiting the announcement of 2012 race route, our tour meets and ends in Denver, Colorado.

http://lizardheadcyclingguides.com/road-mountain-bike-tours/road-cycling-tours/quiznos-pro-challenge/

Let’s Ride!

What follows are testimonial and photo links from the tour.

Let’s Ride!