The Dirty Kanza 200 Champ Shares the Vegetarian Meals That Give Her Rocket Power
If the name Amity Rockwell didn’t ring a bell before, it certainly does now. Earlier this month, the 26-year-old, part-time barista from San Francisco, California, won Dirty Kanza 200, well regarded as one of the country’s most grueling gravel races. Considering the fact that she doesn’t have a coach, has only been cycling competitively for three and a half years, and still doesn’t call herself a professional cyclist, her victory was especially impressive-and no one was more surprised by it than she.
“Winning Dirty Kanza was a far-fetched dream until it actually happened,” she told Bicycling. “The response from the community, from both longtime friends and people new to me, has been overwhelming but so flattering and motivational.”
A post shared by Amity (@amityvil) on Jun 7, 2019 at 5:49pm PDT
Before she began cycling, Rockwell-who now splits her time between the Bay Area and Truckee, California-grew up competing in cross country and track, then picked up trail running in college. Like many runners, however, she was routinely sidelined with overuse injuries. She said that around this time, she began cycling for cross-training, looking for a reprieve from all that pounding.
Eventually, as she started spending more and more time in the saddle, she decided to enter-and ended up winning-her first road race in 2016. Soon, she’d branch out to gravel racing, which had a community she felt she could connect with better, she said.
Part of gravel racing’s allure is the laid-back-but still tough as nails-nature of the community, she says. Rockwell blends in seamlessly here, as she’s up for a challenge but doesn’t like feeling beholden to a routine, whether that’s a specific training schedule or a nutrition plan.
When it comes to choosing the food that fuels her rides, “Freshness and variety are paramount,” she says. “Not all my meals are perfectly balanced, but I feel like if I shake things up enough it all evens out pretty well in the end.”
The Queen of Kanza is also a queen in the kitchen. “I’ve always loved cooking and see it as an important creative outlet and time to relax,” she says. The lifelong vegetarian buys most of her produce from a farmer’s market down the street from her house-which she bikes to, naturally-and turns it into healthy meals throughout the day to fuel up and recover from rides.
Here, she describes what she typically eats for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks during her training.
Coffee First
I wake up early out of habit from working in the coffee industry and from generally being a morning person. I can’t even think about food until I’ve had coffee, which, thanks to my other job, I tend to be super particular about.
A post shared by Amity (@amityvil) on Oct 26, 2018 at 9:35pm PDT
I sometimes switch up brew methods, but my go-to is a pour-over. I choose coffees that are locally roasted, such as Pacific Crest Coffee here in Truckee, and I make sure the beans are responsibly sourced. It’s an easy way to make a tiny environmental difference. There’s a massive variety of flavor in specialty coffee-due to origin, roast, and brew method-and I nerd out about all these things.
Variety Is Key
I like to switch my breakfast up often to stay excited about it. My one constant is that I always start with fruit: a banana, or berries and stone fruit when they are in season. On bigger training days, when I know I'm going to be out there for six-plus hours, I like oatmeal made with steel-cut oats plus another interesting grain or two mixed in such as buckwheat or farro, which makes it more flavorful and boosts the variety of nutrients. I top the bowl with fresh fruit, maple syrup, and hemp seeds, which I put on basically everything.
apologies to my cycling fans but this account is just about bread now
A post shared by Amity (@amityvil) on Dec 26, 2017 at 10:46am PST
If I don’t have time to cook oats, I’ll opt for toast. I’ve gotten into making my own whole wheat sourdough bread: I use a mix of spelt and whole wheat flours, and often add in a lot of seeds. Most store-bought “whole wheat” bread contains some white flour and/or additional sugar, so this way I know exactly what I’m putting in my body. Toast is fun to dress up-I’ll make it more savory with eggs, cherry tomatoes, and arugula; or sweet with nut butter, honey, and hemp or chia seeds.
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An Energy-Packed Lunch in the Saddle
Lunch is super unpredictable, as I’m often on the bike. A lot of days, it’s a mix of GU Stroopwafels, energy gels, Lärabars, and pastries I can nab at bakeries along the route. If I do stop for a baked good, I try to make sure it’s whole-grain-that’s as much for my own taste preference as it is a health decision-except for the occasional cookie.
If I have time in the morning, I’ll make an almond butter sandwich to take along with me, or leftover waffles or pancakes. It’s important to look forward to fueling, even when I’m out training. And on the bike, I need fast sugar. Sometimes, there’s nothing that moves you forward like a handful of gummy bears.
Postride Recovery
If I’m trying to bounce back quickly for another workout that day, I’ll shake up a recovery mix that incorporates protein and carbs immediately after my ride. But I also ditch the mix fairly often in favor of foods with a similar nutritional profile. For example, I’ll blend up frozen bananas with almond butter and full-fat yogurt, or even replace the yogurt with ice cream or chocolate milk.
Also, like a true Californian, I’m obsessed with avocados. On toast, by themselves, whatever. I probably average one a day at least. I find the good fat helps keep me satisfied and gives me energy deep into those endurance training days. I love them for breakfast, dinner, snacks, whenever.
A post shared by Amity (@amityvil) on Oct 31, 2017 at 2:57pm PDT
Garden-Fresh Dinners
I like to make vegetables the star of any meal, then plan carbs and protein around them. For me, a balanced plate includes a raw vegetable, a cooked vegetable, a grain or starch, plus a protein. A common dinner for me is a kale and arugula salad with roasted beets, farro, and tempeh, sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and nutritional yeast. Or I’ll have a brown rice bowl with roasted sweet potato, black beans or lentils, avocado, and a carrot salad.
I often cook twice the amount of grains or legumes I need and put them away to top a salad with later on. Some veggies keep well after they're cooked-like mushrooms, beets, and sweet potatoes-and can be roasted in bigger quantities to cut down on cooking time later.
I’ve always believed that the best meals are made from sourcing high-quality ingredients and letting them shine. I am super fortunate to live in a place with farmer’s markets where I can buy in-season produce that is free of packaging and freshly picked, often from the farmers themselves. In the summer, I also like to grow things myself, such as cherry tomatoes, basil, and summer squash.
Listen to Your Cravings
I have a few squares-ahem, half a bar-of dark chocolate most nights, with a cup of herbal tea. If I need something more, I eat plain yogurt with vanilla and maple syrup, or frozen grapes. I think it’s important to listen to your cravings-if you eat with intention, anything in moderation is just fine. Food should be enjoyed.
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