I had my entire Saturday planned out:  Walk with Shane, breakfast, get fitted and pick up our bikes, Vitamin Store, health food store, groceries, do some cake decorating, relax.  Nutritional plans were to eat every 2 hours (small quantities, lots of carbs) and have a water bottle with me at all times.   

We left at 11 am for a fitting and didn’t get home until 1:45 pm.  No vitamins, no health food, no groceries, no cake decorating, no relaxing, NO WATER, NO EATS.  I was STARVING! 

When we finally got home, both of us were famished.  I cooked up a carb loaded lunch.

Pre Run Carb Loaded Lunch: Rice Pasta Mixed Vegetable Sauce with Salmon.  This will serve 3 people.

  • 1/2 lb of Rice Noodles – cook according to package directions (boil 4 –6 minutes and rinse with cold water)
  • 12 oz jar of marinated artichoke hearts
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 2/3 green pepper, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups baby spinach
  • 15 oz can diced tomatoes – drained
  • 1 box of V8 Vegetable Soup
  • 1 6 oz can Salmon
  • 3 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • 2 oz fat free feta (optional)

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Pour about 1 TBS of the liquid from the artichokes in a large pan, drain the rest, and heat over medium high heat.  Add the onions and peppers and cook for 4 minutes.  Add the artichokes and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the spinach and let wilt, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the soup and let boil. Reduce heat to simmer and add the salmon and basil.

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Stir around to heat and in about 4 minutes, serve on top of the cooked rice noodles. 

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Sprinkle with fat free feta if desired.

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Wait! I’m not done yet! 

After lunch, I made a phone call to a running coach with whom I’ve been conversing.  He gave me some important tips and, if my excitement and desire to “get it over with” doesn’t kick in, I’ll go according to his advice.  After all, Mike is a Triathlete who is running the Boston Marathon in less than 2 weeks.

Ted and I had to get to the health food store.  We managed to pick up the necessary items which were suppose to come from the Vitamin store so that was one trip saved.   Next stop, groceries.  We whipped around that grocery store like wild fire. 

Amazing as it was, I once again forgot my water! Where was my head?!  Ok…don’t respond to that because I know exactly where it was.   I grabbed a water in the grocery store and sipped it as we sped around.   So no security guard rushed us as we left the store, I made sure to put the half empty bottle on the conveyor as we rang out.

Home, groceries away, take Shane for a short “business” walk, sit down, get up, fold one load of laundry, put other load in drier, look at the clock….OMG!  It’s time to start dinner.

Pre Run Carb Loaded Dinner:   Balsamic Basil Haddock with Loaded Potatoes.   Serves 3 (If you think my meals always serve 3 because of Shane, well you are……only right sometimes  )

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  • 1 1/2 lbs fresh Haddock
  • 4 TBS lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 TBS olive oil
  • 2 TBS Balsamic Basil Dressing (or dressing of your choice – Ted doesn’t really like balsamic on fish but the “chef” does. I WIN!)
  • 1 Large Sweet potato:  Cook in the microwave for 8 –10 minutes depending on potato size and microwave wattage.
  • 1 Large Baking potato:  Same as above – this potato will take longer than the sweet potato by a couple of minutes.
  • 1 head of fresh broccoli:  Steamed
  • 4 TBS 50% reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 F.  If you have a lower oven, preheat that one to broil – if not, wait until your fish is done and crank up the heat while you hold the fish covered to keep warm.

In a baking dish spread the 1 TBS olive oil, add 2 TBS of lemon juice and salt and pepper.  Put the fish in the baking dish and add 2 TBS of lemon juice on top of the fish. 

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Drizzle the dressing on top of the fish and bake for 15 – 20 minutes – until it flakes easily with a fork.

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Since you have already cooked your potatoes in the microwave, split them open (in half) and sprinkle with 1 TBS each of the cheese.  Top with the broccoli.  Top the broccoli with the remaining cheese.  Put under the broiler for about 1 minute.  Don’t burn your broccoli tips!

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I ended up eating half of a half of a sweet potato and a baking potato and about 4 oz of fish.

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I think my glycogen stores should be climbing at this moment. I hope so.  I can’t eat before I go to bed although everything I’ve read says I should.  At this point, its up to the little bit of oatmeal, banana and peanut butter and the GU packet if I can choke it down mid run.   I’m cringing at the thought at that GU already.

Have a great night and I’ll be back for a race recap tomorrow night or Monday. 

A Taste of Utica recipe may be posted Monday this week…I think.

Joanne

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