Pace Your Race and 3-Grains with Miso Dressed Greens

It’s that time of year where runners are getting prepared for fall marathons.  It’s also that time of year when lucky BQers get to sign up for Boston.

Some run marathons for fun, some run for time to get that BQ, either case is dependent on proper pacing.

Learning To Pace Your Race

Pacing is a tricky art to master. You’re standing at the starting line after training hard for 12 to 20 weeks with at least a 2 week taper and plenty of energy to put your body through a 26.2 mile test. The gun goes off and now you have to reel it in?! WHAT?!!! But you feel SO GOOD! You really want to let your legs fly and put the miles in the bank. The unfortunate result fly will be not only a disappointing finish time but the very enjoyment of the race will also go down the tubes. Pacing a marathon takes patience and was best said by Joe Grant, an ultra runner:  “Running distance is a patience game where it’s detrimental to focus too much on the final destination rather than surrendering to the process of getting there.”

Learn pacing

In an article by Todd Parker, pacing is critical to teach the body by using personal biofeedback techniques to stay within an intensity level appropriate to the race distance, the course, and the conditions. This is called learning your Perceived Exertion level or PE.

Since our races are affected by things such as inadequate recovery, hydration levels, caffeine, glycogen storage levels, stresses both physical and mental, outside elements (temperature, humidity, wind, terrain, etc) it makes more sense to tune into your inner “pace monitor” rather than your external (Garmin, etc.) one to gauge pace more reliably.

Workout on the track for pacing:  After a good warm up, 400 repeats are a good go to workout, according to Todd Parker. Perform 6 to 10 repeats with 2 minutes recovery in between. Try to pick up on 2 to 3 pacing levels during the first session. Focus attention on Perceived Exertion and how it feels during various paces. As fatigue begins to set in, note how form and technique suffer (raised shoulders, tensing up the body, etc.). Finish with a mile cool down.

Running Healthy Grain Salad:

A recipe based on Elyse Kopecky and Shalane Flanagan’s book “Run Fast Eat Slow”. It’s a healthy combination of color and grains with white miso dressing. Very healthy and very good.

Serves 8 – 10

• 1/3 cup EACH: Whole Grain Farro, Quinoa, and Millet
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 4 cups chopped and washed kale – stems removed
• 1 head radicchio, quartered, cleaned then chopped in small strips
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup goat cheese crumbles
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts

In a large saucepan, combine the grains plus 3 cups of water and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool.

In a large serving bowl, combine the kale, radicchio, carrots, onion, and half of the Parmesan cheese.

Fluff the grains then toss into the greenery. Pour the DRESSING over and toss and fluff the salad.

Top with the rest of the Parmesan cheese, goat cheese and toasted nuts before serving.

DRESSING – Combine all the ingredients below and stir or shake to blend.

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• *2 tsp white miso paste OR 1 TBS of white miso soup powder with 1 TBS hot water. *I couldn’t find the miso paste
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Serve and get ready to run faster!

What fall marathon are you running this year?

Joanne