Team Wolcott

We thought you'd be interested in seeing what one of the support vehicles looks like:

Ultra-endurance racers in RAAM are advised to try to consume at least 8,000 calories a day. That's a lot of calories, particularly when the body doesn't easily process protein-rich or high-calorie meals at times of heavy exertion. And given the time contraints and the limited availability of the perfect buffet, the nutritional plan cannot be left to chance. The support crew will include the designated role of the "Foodie," whose task is to monitor Keith's caloric intake, remind him to eat, and generally, well, be a food pusher. And the Concierge (in the Errand Car) will help forage for fresh ingredients whenever possible.

Besides finding the foods which provide the right combinations of carbs, proteins, potassium, and sodium, we also need to provide foods which appeal to Keith. During the past several months, we experimented with a few different recipes from The Feed Zone Cookbook (i.e., rice cakes and other portables.) We learned that -- while they might contain the right nutritional elements and can be easily handled on the bicycle -- some of the choices just didn't appeal to Keith any more after several servings over a period of a few days.

While we hope to take advantage of well-timed chocolate milkshakes now and then, we plan to rely on some food favorites which have worked well for Keith in the past. We thought you'd enjoy knowing about a couple of these: Gunk and the Pasta Burrito.

Gunk -- or Oatmeal Fluff, as it was originally called -- came to Keith and Ellen's attention when they stayed at a bed and breakfast several years ago for their 25th wedding anniversary and the hostess served an oatmeal concoction for breakfast. They enjoyed it so much that they asked for the recipe, and it turns out that the nutritional composition makes it ideal for Keith's use on RAAM. It's simple to make and doesn't require cooking, so it can be prepared whenever it's needed.

Gunk

2 cups of quick oats (uncooked)
1 large container (32 oz.) of vanilla yogurt*
Large can (20 oz.) of crushed pineapple. 

Mix together in a bowl and refrigerate for an hour and it's ready.
* Don't used Greek yogurt - we tried it and it made the mixture too thick to swallow easily.

On the road, we plan to mix the Gunk in a plastic bag to avoid having to bother with a mixing bowl.

Above: Ellen places the ingredients in a plastic bag.

Above: Mixing the Gunk by kneading the plastic bag.

Above: A bowl of Gunk, ready to eat. One half-cup serving of Gunk provides about 140 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 2 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 2 gfiber; 46 mg sodium; 100 mg potassium.