Carbo loading in advance of next Sunday's ING Marathon

Well, this is another taper week for me as I prepare for the ING Marathon; another 26.2 miles to the finish line of marathon number four. Great to be running in my home town and really looking forward to an ING event. Number four at this point will be it for a while for me as I look towards my first ultramarathon in May. In any case, the rest of the week I will be taking in ample carbohydrates and protein including baked potatoes, pastas, shakes and eggs. I find that some of the best and easiest to obtain baked potatoes can be found at Wendy’s (about $1.50 each), I usually get three at a time as I will be doing today, just stay away from the extras and you have a meal chock full of carbohydrates. For protein I go with Naked Protein and also Chocolate Milk which is very good and very under rated. Not only is Chocolate Milk a good source of protein but it also aids in muscle recovery after long workouts. Also it is much easier on the wallet as compared to the Naked. When it comes to pastas you would be hard pressed to find them on the run (no pun intended) but if you have time it is an easy home dish. If not then I would go with something like the Salmon Pasta at TGI Friday’s. I am very partial to salmon so I will always advocate it but do not be afraid to try other recipes or meats. You want to have whey protein in your shakes obviously; a nice blend of whey, blueberries, bananas, flax seed and your personal touch packs a power punch of protein, potassium, Omega 3s and recovery. You can stop by your local smoothie stand but pick up a blender and save yourself some big bucks. If you don’t like flax seed then use it as a topping or try the ground up flakes. The seeds are best for you because they are not processed and there is minimal risk of losing any Omega 3s. Eggs without saying are best consumed boiled and only the whites; the yolk of course can be very good for you but only in moderation as it contains the fats and cholesterol. I prefer four to six in a setting and really need to get back on my egg diet. Living with an unfinished kitchen does not afford me all of the amenities to eat optimally so I have to make wise choices outside the home. Hopefully this gives you and idea of what I consume for my taper weeks before races. Yes, I do splurge from time to time but I do not stray very far from the choices that will make a huge impact on my run results. Hope this helps and if it gets you out running then I have done my job! Just remember a few things, run when you want to, walk when you have to. I do not emphasize racing as much as I emphasize running. I do this for good measure simply because for many people running is still a huge step and it does not necessarily come easy or without risks. I will elaborate later.

The start line is always great but the finish line is even greater! Talk to you soon.!