It’s 3:58pm on Sunday March 18th.

Wait a minute, wait a minute – let’s rewind.

I woke up at 4:25am this morning. Why so early? Because mine and Ted’s shuttle to get to the start of the LA Marathon at Dodger’s Stadium left Santa Monica at 5:30am. Yes, I said 5:30am. Needless to say, this morning I had to convince myself that sleep was overrated. It was the only way not to be crabby. Surely, you can understand.

This was taken at 5am, just before we jogged over from our car to the shuttle – scared much?

Why on earth did I decide to run another 1/2 marathon when I swore I would never run one again after the first one in 2004? Well, there are many reasons, but the most important one is that I was raising money for Real Medicine, a foundation that provides humanitarian support to people living in disaster and poverty stricken areas, and continues to help communities long after the world’s spotlight has faded. Thanks to my very supportive friends, I managed to raise $400! I’d like to take this time to say, thank you, thank you, thank you, friends!!!!

The weather forecast was calling for rain. I spent the last precious minutes last night before going to bed desperately searching for tips on running in the rain. Here is a summary of what to think about when running in the rain:

1. Bodyglide (vaseline) your feet, and any other zones that might get chaffed.

2. Wear a hat with a brim to shield your eyes from the rain.

3. Do not overdress! If you layer, you will end up with soaking wet extra clothes, which will weigh you down and likely cause you to curse words you didn’t even know you knew. Dress for the temperature, not the precipitation.

4. Shield yourself from the rain with a garbage bag or poncho.

5. Have a dry change of clothes waiting for you at the finish line to stave off hypothermia.

Luckily, I didn’t have to use the $7 poncho Ted bought me last night from Vons, nor did I have to follow any of the tips I learned about running in the rain (though I did bodyglide my feet). Why? Because it was…sunny!!! The sun poked it’s head over the mountains at the start of the race at 7:24am (no, not 7:25am – 7:24am – don’t make me say it again), and it stayed through the bitter 48F cold and windy day. It was glorious, and needless to say, a huge relief!

With Tony Robbins Unleash the Power on my Ipod, I set off on my 13.1 miles (or 21K for my native Canadian folk).

I’m happy to report that although I almost gave up at mile 6 (my inner voice screamed, “No! I can’t do this! How am I going to get through another 7 miles??”), I ran on. My knees felt like they were going to explode at mile 10, but instead of stopping completely, I popped a few fruity energy blocks into my mouth and walked for a minute, and then sped up to the finish. I clocked in at the 20K mark at 1hour and 57 minutes, and ended the 1/2 marathon around 2 hours and 4 minutes! A decent time by my standards! I proceeded to go home and sleep for 2 hours, as I’m not sure if what was coming out of my mouth was audible, nor did it sound much like English. Fatigue at its best!

Dodger’s Stadium – 6am

The start of the race!

Finished my 1/2 and couldn’t be happier!

Ted met me at the end of the 1/2 – he was done in 1hr 32 mins – no big deal!

Ted, me, and Steve Glenn at the end of the full marathon in Santa Monica – the 3 musketeers!

TO CARB LOAD, OR NOT TO CARB LOAD?

With the marathon fresh on my brain (not to mention my throbbing legs and knees), I wanted to give you some information on what to eat the week before a marathon, and more specifically, the night before.

Carb loading dinners are famous in the running world (eating a big pasta dinner the night before a race), but after some research, I’ve found that this is in fact not your best option for optimal performance. In fact, you should be eating 60-70% carbohydrates the week before the race, and if you decide to do a carb loading dinner, it should actually be 2 days before the race so as to give your body enough time to absorb the nutrients. Eating a pasta dinner the night before the race will likely make you sluggish on race day.

Furthermore, we tend to think of carbs as pasta, bread, potatoes, etc. But carbs can also be found in fruits, veggies, and dairy products. And those carbs have more nutrients in them, so you should probably go with the latter.

Finally, most people seem to think that it is ok to over-eat during your carb loading dinner, which is not the case, as it can again lead to a sluggish performance on race day. Even if you’re not competing with a time goal, you don’t want to be feeling sluggish for 13.1 or 26.2 miles – trust me!

For more information on what to eat the week before a marathon, visit http://www.livestrong.com/article/634-eat-before-marathon/

So, equipped with all the information, I made Ted and myself a delicious meal last night: Baked Salmon, Yam Fries, and Lentil Quinoa Pilaf over Wilted Arugula.

Lentil Quinoa Pilaf over Wilted Aurugla (compliments of Vegetarian Times, March 2012 edition):

2 1/2 tbs olive oil, divided (I also used canola oil, so have some on hand as well)

6 green onions, sliced (1 cup), divided

4 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 1/4 cups green lentils, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

3 tbs pine nuts

8 cups baby arugula

1/4 cup dried currants, divided (I used raisins)

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

1. Heat 1 tbs oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 of the green onions. Saute for 2 minutes.

2. Add the broth, lentils and quinoa; bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer over medium-low, partially covered, for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest, covered.

3. Toast the pine nuts in a separate pan over low heat for 3 minutes (these babies can burn fast, so watch them and keep moving them around the pan!)

4. Toss the arugula with 2 tbs of currants, 1 1/2 tbs pine nuts, balsamic vinegar, and remaining olive oil (I used canola oil instead). Serve the lentil mixture over the arugula mixtures sprinkled with the remaining green onions, currants, and pine nuts.

Naturally, I made some modifications to the above recipe.

I shopped at Trader Joe’s and they don’t sell uncooked lentils, so I had to modify. I used already cooked lentils (about 2 cups) and just added less veggie broth. I also already had 2 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa (I always have some cooked and ready to go in the fridge to put in salads and/or to serve with veggies, stir fries, etc.), so again, I had to modify. I just added broth 1/2 cup at a time and stirred until the liquid was absorbed. I kept adding garlic salt, salt, and pepper to stirring to taste, a few pinches at a time until I was happy.

This lentil/quinoa combination is actually a great protein idea for those of us vegetarians, and even us vegans because you can make it with any spice – I think it would be great as a curry, or anything else your imagination can concoct!

When tossing the arugula, I used canola oil instead of olive oil in the dressing, and added a pinch of salt and pepper. I just didn’t want the olive oil taste to overpower the whole thing. Canola oil barely has any flavor, so it allowed the other ingredients to shine. I also substituted raisins for currants – raisins are bigger and softer than currants, and I actually prefer them to currants in general.

To do the salmon, simply take a piece of fish the size that you want, and drizzle it with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, and some fresh minced garlic. I grilled the salmon for 5 minutes on each side and then put it in a 400F oven for about 10-15 minutes until it was done. Take it out when it’s still a bit raw inside as it will cook more as it rests.

For the yam fries, just cut your yams into the size you want your fries to be. Spread them on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper (just enough to coat the fries so that there isn’t excess oil all over the bottom of the pan). Toss with your hands, ensuring that every piece is covered in oil. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes, but leave them in for another 5-10 minutes if you want to crisp them up a bit!

Happy eating and running, friends!

Lauren

xxx