Menu
  • Protein Powder Alternatives

  • Work Hard, Play Hard?

    When I was playing, my teammates often asked me for my thoughts on fitness. I’ll blatantly and unapologetically stereotype here. Professional baseball players tend to be looking for abs or big arms. Maybe they’re searching for improved power at the plate or more velocity on the mound, but either way, it’s the same set of…

    0Comments

    Read More

  • Flat stomachs and 6-pack abs (with sample workout)

    I remember the time in my life I was most obsessed with exercise. At 20 years old, home in Los Angeles for the baseball off season, I was at the peak of my training. It was January, and I always started to feel like I wasn’t prepared for the upcoming season at precisely this time.…

    0Comments

    Read More

  • Bass and Bikes – Tim Commerford [Guest Poem]

    Y’all know we range far and wide on Kaplifestyle. Music, sports, fitness…it’s all fair game. Sometimes the three come together exquisitely for a post. My music tastes are eclectic, but Rage Against the Machine has been the soundtrack for the finest of my workouts. Several years ago, I met Rage’s bass player, Tim Commerford. Our…

    0Comments

    Read More

  • Foam Rolling

    I’ve practiced foam rolling on and off for many moons. It goes by many names – foam rolling, self massage, self-myofascial release, rolling on a lacrosse ball – but it’s all the same. Assuming it doesn’t cause you significant pain, it’s a perfectly fine therapy. When I first start an activity, I find a roadmap…

    0Comments

    Read More

  • Intermittent Fasting Update

    [Editor’s note: Gabe has graciously agreed to let me use this platform to offer an update on my intermittent fasting. The following is from me. –Stephanie] If you read Kaplifestyle last week, you may remember that I decided to embark on a self-experiment and try intermittent fasting. As I write, I’m currently in day 9,…

    0Comments

    Read More

  • Weight Lifting with Kids

    Last year, I began weight training with my two sons. My family often makes friendly wagers on football games. In this case, I had a bet with my older son, Chase, about Peyton Manning’s performance with the Denver Broncos when he returned from neck surgery. My terms were simple. For two months, Chase would accompany…

    0Comments

    Read More

  • Trial and Error: Intermittent Fasting Experiment

    Trial and error is a fundamental method of solving problems. I especially appreciate a person’s determination and commitment to the process when the terrain becomes treacherous. That’s why I respect Stephanie, our editor and my partner at Kaplifestyle. She’s about to use herself as a scientific experiment and share the results with us. Can’t wait,…

    0Comments

    Read More

  • Pushing Through Doubt – Dan O’Toole [Guest Post]

    Stories of personal transformation are particularly inspiring when we know the success was not easy. Dan O’Toole isn’t a pro athlete, but he busted his ass over a long period of time. He now squats more than a good percentage of the MLB players I shared clubhouse space with. Dan is one of the funniest…

    0Comments

    Read More

  • Enjoying Life’s Pleasures – Alcohol and Fitness

    Dear inquisitive and intelligent drinker, Liquor is like cheesecake – rich and delectable, an extraordinary sensory experience if the quantity and quality is spot on; downright nauseating if the quality is poor and the amount gluttonous. I can’t think of a single reason why a healthy minded and bodied adult of legal age shouldn’t enjoy…

    0Comments

    Read More

  • Open Thread: Week 2

    Last week, I invited your questions and promised to reply to some of them on Saturday. Well, here we are. I wish we could do this in person over a cup of coffee. A man can dream. Here goes. Mike says: Kap, great news on the Q&A, I seem to only ask questions that may…

    0Comments

    Read More

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