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  • Protein Powder Alternatives

  • Grain Free Experiment

    We should always question our assumptions and be open to change. I’m about to experiment with going 30 days without grains. At 16, my daily breakfast was half a box of grape nuts with honey and skim milk (and I was supposedly the healthy guy). There was a time that I ate grains with every…

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  • stress

    If you’ve lost your creative magic, try carving out some time for yourself.It can be a bear to establish a line between working and relaxing. With smartphones, laptops and always-on communication methods, it is simple to get caught in a never ending work cycle. Our occupation becomes a treadmill, and we can easily end up…

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  • Dumbbell Snatch (with Sample Routine)

    I love the dumbbell snatch. It’s one of the exercises I perform simply because enjoy it. I dig the sensation of moving the weight fast and the sting when my feet hit the floor. Lucky for me, the dumbbell snatch translated perfectly to baseball. Picture Andrelton Simmons going from an athletic position to leaping up…

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  • Optimizing Sleep

    It’s pretty special to come in here tomorrow and have a chance to do that. I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights for a lot of reasons, but tonight I look forward to losing that sleep. It’s been a long hard grind… Buck Showalter just managed his team to a division clinching win. No one…

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  • Working Smart: Speed and Power

    Endurance training for a baseball player is illogical. We are not endurance athletes. I remember a mentor of mine telling me I needed to “pound the pavement” to prepare for spring training. He was a former MLB player, and I trusted his guidance. He believed that distance running gets a player ready from a cardiovascular…

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  • Communication

    Humans are fundamentally social animals. The ability to communicate is one of our most important skills. Our ability to express ourselves defines and shapes us. It leads to feeling understood which is essential for our mental wellbeing. To date, Kaplifestyle has been running for more than 8 months. I have shared daily to the tune…

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  • Open Thread: Week 9

    Hey there, KL readers. As you may have heard, I’m headed back to work in baseball. I’m genuinely ecstatic. You’ve been following for some time, so you’ve likely heard me throw out the JFK quote, “Do not pray for easier lives, pray for stronger men.” I believe through building stronger men and women, we make…

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  • We mused on squats yesterday. Inevitably when we broach the subject, Smith machines weasel their way into the conversation. They’re not without their virtues, but be mindful; they’re slippery suckers. As a moppet of 13, I attended a fitness center in the San Fernando Valley called “Nautilus.” The place was jam packed with state of the art…

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  • Open Thread – Week 7

    Welcome back to our open thread. Let’s get straight to the action. M. squared writes: Kap- How often are you eating meat per week? Any cardiovascular concerns..? Have you ever flushed this out with a heart doc? Today you spoke of a planned indulgence… Were you referring to the bun and beer? All of the…

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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