A Week Full Of Success For Proto Strength And Conditioning Athletes

It's been another successful week for Proto's athletes as they've met their goals:

Rylan did it again, breaking his own record in the 800m by a whopping 11 seconds at Hershey Atlantic!  This should qualify him for the Hershey International meet.  Jarrett's event was rained out, so it will take a bit more time before he finds out if his times from the Provincial meet will qualify him.

Josh passed the RCMP's PARE with flying colours, and thirty seconds to spare!

Denise red-pointed tor-TIL-lah 5.10b with grace and ease!

Finally, Mark shot a 76, his best score at the Westfield Golf Course.

Your efforts and commitment to training has really paid off, guys. Congratulations.

Beef Pho

Soups are great meals for maintaining hydration this time of year, and this Beef Pho recipe is an incredibly flavourful version that's simple to make in a hurry.  The relatively high glycemic index of the rice noodles combined with the bovine protein, make it a great meal for right after a workout.  See here for more  info on nutrient timing.

1 litre beef broth
3 cm ginger
1 small shallot
crushed dried chiles
a handful of bean sprouts
100g of beef (cheap round steak is fine)
2 green onions
a small bunch of cilantro, or fresh Thai parsley or Thai basil
sesame oil
soy sauce
a small brick of rice vermicelli (75-100g)


Pour 1 litre of beef broth into a saucepan over maximum heat.  If you have some sake or rice wine vinegar add a shot to the saucepan.  Grate about 3 centimeters of garlic into the broth.  Thinly slice the shallot and add to broth.  Add some crushed dried chilies, and some Thai curry powder or Asian 5-spice blend if possible.  You can also add a spoonful of tamarind sauce if you wish.  Cover and bring to a vigorous boil.

Wash the bean sprouts and place in the bottom of a big bowl. (If you haven’t got a big bowl, you’ll have to eat right out of the pot.)  With an extremely sharp knife, cut the beef into paper-thin strips.  If you have the foresight, partially freezing the steak, maybe for 45 minutes, will help with this process.  Spread the beef slices over the sprouts, and add a few grindings of pepper and salt.  Thinly slice the green onions, and cilantro and place them on top of the beef.  Drizzle some sesame oil and soy sauce over the whole lot.

Assuming it is now boiling vigorously, ladle out about half the broth to freeze it for later use.

Add rice vermicelli to the stock that is boiling away in the saucepan and cook for 60 seconds (or as recommended on the package directions).  Pour the noodles and broth from the saucepan into the serving bowl to cover the onion, beef, and sprouts.  While it cools to eating temperature, stir the soup a few times to separate the beef strips and ensure all surfaces get cooked by the broth.