Pre-race pasta? No, it's all about the MEAT.

A pre-race pasta dinner is a religious tradition in the running community. Supposedly, it is the most effective means of carbo-loading before a big race. However, in high school, I soon discovered I ran much better the day after eating a gigantic steak with a side of mashed potatoes. It makes much more sense now that I have been diagnosed with Celiac, but I still make it a point to eat piles of meat before race day.


So, when I was faced with a Sunday race this past weekend, I went all out on Saturday night with the meat. Grilled T-bone steak and pan-seared shrimp with homemade seasoning. I topped it off with cilantro-enhanced jasmine rice and a pile of fresh spinach for a delicious meal. However, I might have been a bit stuffed for the race on Sunday.


The race itself went fairly well. It was a full-blown marathon relay, with five people completing separate legs to cover the full distance. I had anchor responsibilities, so I got to play the waiting game before trying to blast off a fast 5k. A few things I (re-)discovered during my portion of the race:

1. I am a racer, not a pacer. I need to learn how to run fast by myself.
2. If you are passing a lot of people who are running much slower than you, you will feel much faster than you actually are. Pick it up.
3. A 5k race should not ever feel like a tempo run. Pick it up.
4. Finally, pick it up.

I finished slower than I wanted to, but I had a nice kick. I think I will need to do a few more road races before I get used to 5k racing again.

In elite running news, Laalou took the men's Fifth Avenue Mile with an incredibly fast finish, and Rowbury took the women's title in an extremely exciting race. I somehow managed to get home from my own race in time to catch these two races. Unfortunately, I was not able to watch the Berlin marathon, which surprisingly ended in a sprinting race. Check out the video below.



That's all for now. Until next time - have fun.