It was so good...

Just wanted to update you all on the linguine and pesto. I said that it would be better today than it was yesterday, and I was not wrong! I had to eat kind of quickly because I was at work...I'm a server at a local brasserie...but it was still so yummy!

This reminded me of another tip that may be helpful for those who are busy like me:

If I do have time to cook something like my pasta dinner, I always make a large batch. I portion the large batch into individual sizes. Then, I either freeze it or put it in plastic containers to have for lunch or dinner the next few days. It's a great way to be able to eat healthy in a hurry.

I love carb-loading!

Ok ok ok....I know what you all must be thinking....I'm a health nut, and I write to inspire others to be health nuts too, but carbohydrates are your friend!

I'm running my 9th marathon this weekend. It is the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon, and it will be the 5th time I've run this race. It's a beautiful course, lots of hills, wonderful spectators, an a finish on the 50-yard line of Neyland Stadium on UT's Campus....can't beat that!

I ran my first marathon 4 years ago, and I have learned so much since then. One of the most important things to remember about running is to maintain proper nutrition. This includes staying hydrated and yup, you guessed it, eating plenty of carbohydrates! That does not mean that you should cut out fats and protein, but in preparation for a marathon you should "carb load" the week before the race.

My week of carb loading began today. My favorite part was dinner...

Whole wheat linguine pesto sauce. In addition to carb loading, I make sure to get lots of vitamins and minerals throughout the week. They have many antioxidant properties that are necessary to maintain stamina during a race. To do this, I doctored up the pesto sauce with oven roasted carrots and brocolli, spinach, some grilled chicken (for those of you who know me as a non-meat eater, I've added a little bit back to my diet), and topped it with some parmesan cheese. It was DELICIOUS! I made enough to have for dinner for the next couple of days. I can't wait to eat it! I bet that by tomorrow all of the flavors will be melded together, and it will be even better than tonight.

Each day I will eat a few more carbs than the last. By Friday, my breakfast will be a bagel, lunch a sandwich, and dinner will either be pasta, sweet potatoes, or pizza. I can't decide! Saturday night will definitely be pizza-it is a "marathon eve" tradition that seems to always work well for me!

I'll let you know how the race goes! In the meantime, stay active and keep striving to be a health nut!