Fall 2002 Member Submissions

Editor: Paul Carlstrom
Design: Mark Mazziotti

Why Stanford Owes Us
Endurance Nutrition: What to Eat for a Multi-Day Adventure Row
Waterfront Update

 

Why Stanford Owes Us

By Pat Cunneen, SERC Club Historian

Excerpt from the SERC board meeting, Thursday, November 4, 1909:

This general meeting of the South End Rowing Club was called to orderin Judge Shortalli’s courtroom 64 Eddy St. A quorum being present and Pres. Herrington in the Chair. Capt. Scully stated that our barge McDonough now in the boathouse would require about $100. to repair it and suggested that inasmuch as we have four barges in commission and not in the position to spend any money for repairing boats not in use, we give the McDonough to the Stanford Rowing Club. This organization composed of Stanford University oarsmen has no barge in which to practice or race and cannot purchase one new at the present. It would be a distinctly good thing, however, for the sport to have them enter barge crews in regattas on the Bay. Capt. Scully’s suggestion was favorably received and the Secretary was instructed to communicate with the captain of the Stanford Rowing Club making tender of the barge. Meeting adjourned James J. Driscoll.

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Endurance Nutrition: What to Eat for a Multi-Day Adventure Row

By Sunny Blende, Sports Nutritionist

As club members continue to stretch the limits of endurance, it’s important that they have the right nutritional information to ensure peak performance day after day. And this goes for long-distance swimmers, competitive handball players, runners and, of course, rowers. On a rowing tour of Alaska’s Prince William Sound this summer, I had to confront the issues of what to eat when each day included five hours and twenty miles of rowing in the wilderness.

As it turns out, eating everything in sight doesn’t guarantee success, and poor nutrition choices can stop you from reaching your destination in optimal shape and looking forward to another day.

Sports adventure endurance nutrition presents some unique challenges. The very act of carrying enough food for multi-day events can be a problem, although with distance rowing only size is problematic since the weight of the food must be supported by the boat.

Consuming enough calories is key to a performance-enhancing diet that will keep you feeling energized throughout your event. The more strenuous the activity and the number of hours you perform the activity per day must be considered for optimal meal planning.

On my Alaska row, I tried to ensure that food and calories would be a spread throughout the day to provide me with the energy to row miles upon miles, which meant departure from the large dinner meal most of us are accustomed to. Breakfast required lots of usable carbohydrate calories, and I chose granola topped with choices of nuts, raisins, bananas (fresh at the start of the trip and dried later) and powdered milk, either soy or regular. Hot oatmeal is nice, but there’s a time consideration in preparing this food. I also found that some fruit (apples will travel well) and juice rounded out this meal.

Out in the middle of Prince William Sound, lunch needed to provide plenty of carbohydrates, some protein, and not too much fat. Watching the amount of fat is important for an all-day activity because as soon as you finish eating, too much fat can sit poorly in your stomach, which can cause you to feel bloated and uncomfortable. For my journey, it helped to have time while packing the boat and loading gear in the morning to absorb breakfast.

While you may not find yourself out in the middle of a vast expanse of water, frequently we find that the preparation time for lunch needs to be kept to a minimum, which often rules out cooked foods. Under these circumstances, sandwiches are great. Peanut butter or soy butter with jam, sliced turkey, cheese, humus (garbanzo beans), tuna (without mayonnaise) along with carefully packed tomatoes and cucumbers. All of these selections taste delicious and provide the critical 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein that replenishes muscles after a long row or other lengthy activity. Some less perishable fruit and cookies or chocolate brings the calorie count up.

On my long-distance Alaska trek, I also found myself in situations where dinner was usually cooked in one pot, but I still managed to easily include all the food groups. Keep in mind that dinner is the meal that can contain complex, unrefined carbohydrates and some fat, since you will digest it overnight. It’s best to start planning around one type of whole grain or pasta such as brown rice, potatoes, semolina, whole-wheat pasta, couscous, orzo, or bulgar pilaf. Add to this base some vegetables – fresh if rowing in a cold climate like Alaska, canned if in a warmer climate – and some sauce and perhaps grated cheese or other spices. Meat can be combined in the same pot. Chicken (canned or previously cooked), sausage and canned or smoked fish all make good choices. Tofu or beans can work as meat alternatives for vegetarians.

When figuring portion size, it’s good to remember how much energy you expend when you do any activity for hours at a time. Three portion-sizes per person for dinner is not unreasonable. Two servings each for breakfast and one to two sandwiches each for lunch provided me with enough calories for 20 miles of rowing at a steady pace.

And don’t forget drinks and snacks. These need to be within reach all day, especially when you’re in a boat. Gorp is a traditional snack that you can make by choosing your favorite nuts, dried fruit, and M&Ms or chocolate chips. This is also a perfect time for pre-packaged sports bars. They provide easily absorbed calories and taste variety. Watch the coated ones if you’re in the sun. For hydration, drink lots of water – think liters, not glasses. A sports drink is great for added electrolytes, especially if it’s hot, but because of limited space, it’s best to take these in powdered form.

When planning nutritional intake for an extended sports adventure, key things to include are enough carbohydrates and calories. Never get hungry. Hunger signals the beginning of glucose depletion or running out of fuel! This is also known as “hitting the wall” or “bonking”, which is not what you want to achieve in San Francisco Bay or when you’re sitting amongst icebergs in Prince William Sound, days away from the nearest grocery store and miles from your comfy bed.

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Waterfront Update

A Note from Supervisor Aaron Peskin

As we cruise through beautiful fall weather, I’d like to provide a quick update of several points of progress along the northern waterfront.

Reconstruction of the Haslett Warehouse – after the five-alarm fire in March – is moving along according to schedule. Current estimates have the steel girders on the outside of the building being removed by early to mid November. At that time, the sidewalks around the building will open and the exterior of the building will be back to normal. The hotel will then be on track to open its doors by the end of 2003.

On that note, we’ve been working in City Hall to determine if a portion of hotel tax revenue generated by the Haslett Warehouse hotel can be directed toward improvements in nearby public facilities. Utilizing a portion of the hotel’s tax proceeds to improve Aquatic Park, the Hyde Street Pier and Municipal Pier would be a great improvement to the surrounding environment of the South End Rowing Club. We’re currently working with the city attorney to see if such earmarking is permissible under local and federal law.

A new land-use planning effort is in the works for Fisherman’s Wharf. This effort, coordinated by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), seeks to improve public space and access at Fisherman’s Wharf. It will also clarify allowable public access and uses in property along the Port of San Francisco. This is the continuation of work being done to complete the port’s Special Area Plan, which will be implemented into state law.

Further south along the waterfront, South Enders who have swum (or walked) by Pier 33-1/2 may have smelled and odor coming from the sewer system underneath the pier. Port engineers have recently identified the problem as substructure deterioration, and should have the problem corrected next month.

Lastly, I am sponsoring several state and federal grants at the Board of Supervisors to fund the construction of a public pier behind the soon-to-be renovated Ferry Terminal. This is a promising project that would create a landmark public access fishing and recreation pier, including a 100-foot pier extension to connect the freestanding breakwater that currently protects the Embarcadero Promenade. In addition to including public displays of San Francisco Bay’s natural resources, this project would also provide a new landmark for South Enders to reach on our swims.

As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or good ideas, please contact my office at 415.554.7450 or aaron_peskin@ci.sf.ca.us. In addition to my work on the Board of Supervisors, I am also the Board’s representative to the Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Please feel free to contact my office with any concerns you may have connected to this organization.

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