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  • October 2014 – Page 2

    You don’t have to limp around after exercising to be assured you had a fruitful workout. Pain does not necessarily equal gain.As a teenager, I assessed my workouts based on my subsequent level of soreness. I assumed if I was gingerly walking around the day after a tough training session, I was getting bigger and…

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  • July 2015 – Page 2

    Friends and loved ones often ask for advice. Whether it’s to lose body fat, get stronger physically or mentally, most folks are working toward a goal. I often ask them to start logging their behaviors and activities. Understanding our practices is critical when trying to understand ourselves. Matt Paré developed his mind’s strength when he…

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  • August 2015 – Page 2

    Motivation comes in all forms. There’s no cookie cutter formula, and there’s no one right answer. Some folks sponge intrinsic desire to drive them forward, others look to outside forces for their inspiration. In the world of athletics, we can strike a healthy balance.You may remember our discussions surrounding doing good work simply for the…

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  • April 2015 – Page 2

    Let’s kick this off with a question from Mike: What’s your opinion on using a hex bar for your deadlifts? Hey, brother.I don’t use the hex bar at all. The straight bar is more difficult and allows you to move more freely and easily. From AZcentral.com: Hex bar deadlifts require less mobility than regular deadlifts.…

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  • January 2015 – Page 2

    Coconuts are a strong contributor to optimal health and well-being. Don’t take my word for it; ask August Engelhardt, a German author devoted to Cocovorism (I have no idea, but it has to do with coconuts) and Sun Worship: Naked cocovorism is God’s will. The pure coconut diet makes man immortal and united with God. The sun cocovore man is…

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  • August 2016

    We often develop our appreciation for things based on the habits of somebody we love and respect. Our hobbies, the food we like, the activities we enjoy…we are computers, and our programming is largely influenced by the people closest to us beginning from an early age.For those of us in leadership positions (and that’s all…

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  • February 2014

    Change is difficult. Learning new things is hard, but is the most valuable thing we can do as human beings.Samuel Smiles: Alexander the Great valued learning so highly, that he used to say he was more indebted to Aristotle for giving him knowledge than to his father, Philip, for life. The gym can be an…

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  • September 2016

    We’ve riffed briefly about gaining lean tissue in previous posts, but we’re about to take a deeper, more personal dive into the subject. More specifically, we’ll tackle adding muscle safely, effectively and naturally.Many of you will be able to punt on this post. Those of you looking to lose, not gain, weight can pass this…

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  • January 2021

    We’re a polarized country. When I joined the call of many in encouraging everyone, and in my case, especially baseball players, to use their platform to speak up this summer on racism and inequality, and then to vote this November, it was not without controversy. Many feel that athletes should stay quiet on political matters…

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  • February 2016

    A message to wait staff everywhere: when a customer asks for help with a meal order, be decisive.Recently, I strolled into a new Indian restaurant in Phoenix. The food was strong, the service was attentive and the experience was enjoyable…sans a two minute stretch in which the woman serving my table struggled to make a recommendation.…

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I aim to plan and consciously choose all of my indulgences. I have the knowledge and willpower to do so, but occasionally, I will have a substantial misfire.

I was in Boston, my home away from home, for the 2004 World Series reunion. I splurged nutritionally as I had intended, but I didn’t map out my large nutritional stumble while watching the game.

I had it all pre-navigated. My two men (12 and 14) and I love to experience travel through food. We think it’s the most efficient and interesting way to explore the culture of a city. We discussed the trip ahead of time and decided on three restaurants where we would fully indulge and eat like kings. We’d start with the team dinner at a fine steak and seafood house, follow it up with breakfast the next morning at a bakery, and finish it out with lunch at a tapas joint in the South End.

The first night the three of us shared bone in filets, swordfish steaks, oysters, giant shrimp, crab cakes, lamb chops, chocolate cake, apple crisps and cold vanilla ice cream. I enjoyed a few glasses of whiskey, neat, and my boys drank Sprite. We left the restaurant 1 for 1. Remember, this indulgence was planned.

The next morning, we went to a bakery suggested by a Boston-based chef friend. The boys picked up scones and French toast; I scored big with a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a crusty roll with spinach and tomato. The bite came complete with a Dijon mustard finish that struck a chord with me, managing to last all day. 2 at bats, 2 knocks.

After mobbing around on the T train all morning, making our way to Harvard and back to Downtown Crossing, we landed at our destination for lunch, Toro. Theo Epstein made the recommendation after I mentioned that my boys and I were on a food adventure. This is the guy who went out to get the “washed up” 2002 version of David Ortiz, so he’s proven his scouting mettle. If he thinks it’s a worthwhile trip, I’ll take his advice.

Back to food.

Rather than turn this post into a restaurant review, I’ll keep it simple. I had an out of body experience. Every small plate that arrived was visually captivating and stunning on the palate. We sprinted the gamut. From spicy curry beef empanadas to cauliflower with golden raisins and pine nuts to the pièce de résistance, roasted bone marrow with radish citrus salad and oxtail marmalade. This dish, holy fuck. Our waiter described it exquisitely as “like rich, hot, beef flavored butter.” I was now 3 for 3 and ready for my final at bat.

A theme throughout this entire trip was advance planning. My first mistake was not preparing for this final meal. I figured my boys and I would just eat at the ballpark and didn’t put much thought into it. I knew that the options would be plentiful and come in large quantities. I wasn’t necessarily wrong, but I quickly got off course.

I was running around at Fenway from this place to that, answering questions and meeting folks. My boys were on their own and already up in the suite by the time I arrived around the start of the first inning. They had eaten pizza, snacks and fruit, totally what I expected for them. I walked in starving, my second mistake.  I reached for a plate and piled on decent looking veggies, a huge mound of guacamole, and the only available protein, stale fried chicken strips. I could have reached into my bag and opened a can of wild caught salmon. I didn’t. My defenses were down. I hadn’t snacked. I ingested that garbage and suffered strike one.

You know my stance on processed foods. Those frozen chunks of flour covered meat product provide little nutritional value. I had already experienced a whirlwind day filled with emotion and exertion, and the pizza under the heat lamp began to look lovely.

I advocate indulgence, but I advocate planned, quality indulgence. This was neither. I scarfed down a piece and the drugs hit my bloodstream. I couldn’t chew fast enough. Strike two.

The final pitch of the at bat came in and I chased it. I scarfed down a few more slices, knowing even as I did so that it wasn’t my finest hour.

3 for 4. In baseball that’s a hell of a day. Nutritionally, I expect 4 for 4s from myself almost always. I’m in control, so the high bar is appropriately set. Rather than dwell on it, I’ll do what Manny tells us to do after a rough at bat. “Turn the page, papi.”

I write this from the plane the following morning. I’ve turned the page. Today, I’ve ingested steel cut oats, fresh organic blueberries, a pile of kale, a chunk of a ham steak, a few fresh scrambled eggs and organic black coffee.

In my bag, I have a large salad with tons of fresh veggies, almonds, chicken, organic Hannah yams. I also still have that wild salmon I passed over for pizza in a box.

I’m back on track. I remember last night’s at bat and will make the adjustment without carrying the emotion of yesterday over into today’s game.

I hope you’ll share your stories of strikeouts or home runs in the comments section below.

Kap