Duluth, GA 75°F
By Susan J. Hunter
My daughter runs half-marathons for fun while I consider running across the room to answer my phone a strenuous activity. Regardless of the objective, running requires fuel. While runners need more carbohydrates and protein than an average person, they need to choose healthy options.
Make sure your pre-race meal is high in complex carbohydrates. Pasta is the usual choice and for a good reason. It is easy to prepare, there are numerous choices, and it is delicious. Now what if you (like my daughter) don’t like pasta? There is the much overlooked and underrated potato – Yukon gold, russet, red, yellow, purple, new, sweet, to name a few – that provides a great source of carbohydrates. Baked, mashed, or boiled, potatoes are rich in nutrients, fiber and protein. Even the United Nations acknowledges the importance of this lowly tuber by having a Year of the Potato. Here is a great recipe for all those carbohydrate needs.
Potato and Rice Soup
· 3 tablespoons olive oil
· 3 potatoes, peeled and diced
· 2 carrots, chopped
· 3 teaspoons tomato paste
· 10 cups hot chicken stock
· 1 bay leaf
· Salt and freshly ground pepper
· 1 cup long grain rice
· Freshly grated Parmigiano
Instructions
In a large pot, cook the potatoes in the olive oil, turning occasionally, until brown, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Add the tomato paste, stir, then add hot chicken stock, bay leaf and salt and pepper. Cover the pot and simmer for 40 minutes. Add the rice and cook 12 minutes longer or until rice is tender.
Remove and discard the bay leaf, adjust the seasoning and serve with sprinkled Parmesan cheese.
For optimal performance, breakfast is a necessity. About two hours before the race, you should eat a small meal to fuel yourself. Make a few good choices, such as a bagel and fruit (my daughter always has a banana), or an energy bar and a high quality sports drink. Try to avoid caffeinated beverages as they promote water loss. But if you must have that morning cup of coffee, make sure you drink 8 oz of water, before and after that cup of joe.
During the race, be sure to keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, but don’t forget the salt! Sodium chloride is a necessary part of all body tissues and fluids, and when your body’s sodium levels are too low (a serious condition called hyponatremia), if not recognized, it can be fatal. This typically occurs on hot days when your body loses salt through sweating and then replacing those lost fluids with water that dilutes your body’s sodium content. Drink plenty of water, but also consume the sports drinks that include sodium, too.
After the race, make sure you replenish your depleted glycogen (the body’s main source of stored energy, made from glucose and stored primarily in liver and muscle cells) by eating foods high in carbohydrates again. And don’t forget to consume protein-rich food! Although little protein is used for fuel during running, protein is necessary for normal physiological functions including energy metabolism, and the growth and repair of muscle tissue.
Marathons, Half-marathons, 10K, 5K, or racing down the driveway to get the mail, whatever activity you have chosen, you need quality fuel to keep you sustained. Don’t let your body down-eat healthy!
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