Pre-Race Fuel

Ran my first ever 5 mile race yesterday morning!! My friends Lauren (in photo below), Tivvi and I did the YMCA Valentine's Heart Throb in Onalaska, Wisconsin. So fun!!

I used to absolutely hate running- like we're talking girl in the back of gym class fixing her hair and struggling to complete 4 laps DESPISE physical exertion here. My mindset was that I was a dancer and I didn't want to/wasn't able to do any other form of training. Then, my sophomore year of college I took a class called "Designing a Personalized Fitness Plan." It brought me to the realization that, with a bit of dedication, I was capable of running too. My take away: the grass isn't greener on the other side, it's greener where you water it! I like this concept because it's not only applicable to fitness goals, but also to life in general.

I've grown to really enjoy running and frequently include it in my workouts in addition to dance. Nonetheless, I was skeptical about entering the race yesterday. I hadn't ever run anything longer than a 5K, and on top of that hadn't ever run outside during the winter time.  Despite my hesitation, I signed up and am so happy that I stepped out of my comfort zone and did it.
I was especially surprised with the amount of energy I had during the race! During some runs, I've found myself fatigued halfway through, but this one felt much easier than I expected. I think a lot of this can be attributed to the way I fueled up in preparation.

Friday night I made myself this pasta dinner. Here's what I included in my race-eve meal:
spinach salad with tomatoes and onions
broccoli (frozen steamers) and an apple
2 ounce serving size of whole grain angel hair pasta
1/3 cup marinara sauce
1/2 or 1 tsp olive oil (I put it on the pasta but you could also put it on the salad, or do a little bit of cheese instead. I would advise against leaving out both olive oil and cheese because combining a bit of fat with the pasta meal helps to slow digestion)
4 ounce grilled chicken breast

I also had a bowl of oatmeal a few hours before bed!

For breakfast I had 2 pieces of toast with peanut butter, and I brought a banana with peanut butter for right before the run. To avoid having to awkwardly fashion a contraption for bringing the peanut butter along with, I sliced up the banana and made these little baby "banana sandwich snacks." :) These can be nice to freeze ahead of time, throw in some tupperware and bring to the gym as a pre or post workout snack on the go! I use one banana and about 1 1/2 tsp peanut butter total.


I love experimenting with different types of peanut butter--this time I used PB Crave. It's cookie dough flavored! I bought it at a food fair a while back and a portion of the proceeds go towards the fight against child hunger.



It's crazy how much what you eat impacts endurance and physical performance!

This passage is an example of my motivation for staying healthy:
"Your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit...whom you have received from God. You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

In my interpretation of this verse, it is saying that our bodies aren't our own because they are a gift to us from God, paid for through Jesus. It is through our physical bodies that our souls are best able to thrive. Therefore, making healthy lifestyle choices does more than influencing the outward appearance. It also helps us to function optimally, providing the opportunity to reach our greatest potential intellectually, spiritually, and socially.

Happy pink week!
Amanda Emilee :)