{week 7} You know you're training for a marathon when...

My go-to pre-race/long run meal:
Veggie Burger + Sweet Potato Fries

There was a thread on a message board last week with the same title as this post. I responded that I think about dinner while I'm eating lunch. Under normal (read: not training for a marathon) circumstances, I think about food all the time. In the midst of marathon training I'm like Pac-Man under the influence of a Power Pill. 

I'm 11 weeks out to CIM. I have 6 weeks of base/endurance building under my belt. My longest run to-date in this training cycle has been 16 miles and I have re-acclimated myself to the mid-week semi-long runs (hello 4:20 am alarm). This week marks the start of marathon-specific training. So, yes, I think about food.

It's a little too early (even for me) to start thinking about where to eat while in Sacramento and it is probably to early to think about where I want to eat while in St. George, UT for the St. George Marathon. In 17 days. Yikes.

When I entered the lottery and was selected to race, my thought was that I would use the St. George Marathon has a training race. The week of the race I'm scheduled for a long marathon-paced run. Warm-up-->16 mile marathon-pace run-->cool-down. I've used 5k races as a scheduled tempo run before, so why not a marathon? Also, my strongest 1/2 marathons are always run after I have a few 15-16 mile runs in my training. Yeah, the more I think about this... as I get closer to race day...

...So instead I'm thinking about food and where to get it. Specifically, my pre-race meal (go-to: veggie burger and sweet potato fries + dessert) and my post-race meal (go-to: BIG burrito). I'm also thinking about where to hold an Oiselle Volée (5 of us are racing) lunch the day before and where I would like to eat breakfast the day after. So Much Food to Think About!!!

Week 7 (11 Weeks until CIM)

Total Mileage: 50 miles

Monday, September 12: Rest or Cross-train
Tuesday, September 13: 11 miles, general aerobic run
Wednesday, September 14: 5 miles, recovery run 
Thursday, September 15: 10 miles with 16 x 1 min on (at 5k-10k speed)
Friday, September 16: Rest or Cross-Train
Saturday, September 17: 18 miles long run (my longest run in a year!)
Sunday, September 18: 6 miles, recovery run

Inbetween Days: A few of my favorite things (part one)

As I am currently inbetween training seasons, I thought it would be a good time to share a few of my favorite things.

I'll start with FOOD. 

Homemade Acai Bowls

Acai bowls are a fairly recent discovery for me. I ate my very first one in January of this year at a cute surfer/breakfast joint in Encinitas after a Oiselle Flock fun group run. A new post-run meal was discovered! No, not to worry, acai bowls will not replace my burritos.

With no local options (Juice It Up does not count) available, I've started to make my own. Initially I followed recipes, but now I make them with different ingredients depending on my mood or what I have on hand. My favorite ones are ones made with nut (peanut, almond, cashew--doesn't matter, I'm equal opportunity lover) butter. A bowl starts with frozen acai pulp and from there the choices are limitless… banana, frozen fruit such as berries or mango, nut butter, cocoa powder, almond or cashew milk, chia seeds, spinach/kale. All the ingredients are blended together and then topped with granola, shredded coconut, fresh fruit, more nut butter, honey. Again the choices are endless. 

Stater Bros Whole Wheat Bagels & King Arthur Flour Everything Bagel Topping

My go-to breakfast food is a toasted whole wheat bagel topped with nut butter (any, see above) & sliced fruit (apple/banana/pear/persimmon) or topped with avocado and Everything Bagel Topping from King Arthur Flour. I prefer the Stater Bros store brand of whole-wheat bagels. I've tried other store-bought brands and they don't compare in taste, texture and quality. Topping my avocado toast with Everything Bagel Topping is a new thing for me and it makes an already delicious breakfast even better. Another go-to breakfast is oatmeal with nut butter and fruit OR a more savory option of oatmeal stirred with Everything Bagel Topping and topped with avocado and/or an egg. If you haven't tried savory oatmeal, you're missing out! I eat either a bagel or oatmeal (nut butter/banana combo) before all runs longer than 12 miles. 

Picky Bars 

Slow to realize but quick to adapt, I'm now on the Importance of Post-Workout Nutrition for Improved Recovery and Performance Bandwagon. Although anything that has some carbs and bit of protein is good immediately after a hard or long workout, bars make it easy and convenient for me. I've tried a bunch of bars specifically designed for recovery. My favorite brand is Picky Bars (I also like Vega Sport Protein Bars (chocolate peanut butter).  Picky Bars are made with real food and ingredients that I can pronounce and buy at the store to make homemade (if I wanted to). For example, HERE are the ingredients for Cookie Doughpness (my fave flavor; tastes like an oatmeal raisin cookie-->see me about to enjoy it, above right). I'm a member of the Picky Club "monthly convenience to fuel your daily radness". It's a subscription service delivery of my selection of Picky Bar flavors. 

What fuels you?? Tell me I'm interested. 

Next up: GEAR (Look for it soon!)