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  • Protein Powder Alternatives

  • Showering Without Soap

    There isn’t much I won’t do for my readers. I’ll be putting my body (and reputation!) on the line to experiment with showering without traditional soap. It turns out that that Johnson and Johnson, among other soap producing companies, have been selling us a form of perfume masquerading as detergent for our skin. As a…

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  • breakfast

    Preparing food with focus on nutrition requires a great deal of trial and error. I’m not intimidated by constructive criticism, even when it’s harsh. I encourage it. It’s the only way I’ll know to make an adjustment.When I’m cooking for my boys, I know that I’ll get an honest response. I’ve offered them organic oats…

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  • Social Media Benefits for Athletes

    Social media can be a powerful tool in baseball player’s arsenal or a drag on his public image. We’re all aware of the dramatized horror stories surrounding social media and celebrities. They are not indicative of the norm. We all make poor decisions, and social media certainly provides a stage where they can be spotlighted. Instead of adversely reacting…

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  • guest post

    It’s not often professional athletes share without filter. Most are scared to death of what people (their peers and superiors) will think of them when they do. Quite frankly, authenticity rules. When we hear honest expressions of what has actually occurred in the lives and careers of men and women who are paid to play, we respect it.…

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  • Addicted to Praise

    Abraham Lincoln: Don’t worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition. Abe had the right idea, but someone always recognizes superior work. You will be better served in the long run by letting someone else acknowledge your contributions. In the working world and in relationships, pointing out your own value…

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  • MLB

    Attacking areas where you’re most vulnerable to failure and rejection is an exercise in confidence building. Who gives a damn if you lose a few battles en route to winning the war?Fear of embarrassment can be debilitating. It causes folks to live a passive, risk free life with little upside of richness and diversity of…

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  • Cayenne Pepper

    Marketing executives must love their spice. My father doesn’t have much in common with these dudes in the boardrooms, but cayenne pepper may be a universal favorite. I’ve previously mentioned that my dad would give me a spoonful of raw honey with lemon and cayenne pepper for a sore throat. Maybe he should have trademarked…

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  • sleep

    Improving sleep seems to be a pretty common goal. Turn on a TV and you’ll see dozens of ads; Lunesta commercials are my personal favorite. I’ve always wanted that electric green butterfly to visit me. Good sleep is so delicious that folks are willing to chance aggressiveness, confusion, hallucinations (the good kind?), risk of suicide…

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  • sprints

    I woke up on Sunday to snow falling.  The light flakes were aesthetically inspiring, but set me to hemming and hawing.  The Montana cold is uncomfortable to say the least, but more importantly, snow on the ground doesn’t provide much traction. Sprinting in this weather carried the risk of a slip and possible injury.What to…

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  • Building a Better Salad

    Ask most Americans to describe a salad and they will craft a picture of a lettuce heavy base, a few pieces of broccoli, some shredded carrots and perhaps a few slices of chicken breast. They’ll top it all off with some crunchy croutons and a creamy dressing poured out of a bottle or squeezed from…

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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