Friday's Favorite Fit: The Runner's World Cookbook

By Cool J in Minneapolis

"Friday's Favorite Fit" was on a short hiatus (I blame Berlin!) But don't worry, now it's back, and today's favorite fit is the Runner's World Cookbook:

Have you ordered a copy of the Runner’s World Cookbook?

No?

What are you waiting for?!?

Runners, you will LOVE this cookbook! It has 150 easy, delicious, and QUICK recipes loaded with all the right vitamins and protein that you need to "perform better during your workout, and recover faster!"

Well that’s what they say will happen if you eat meals made from recipes in this cookbook, but let's be honest,  I haven’t become any faster...but I have found these recipes to be tasty, and they seem to be pretty healthy. All the nutritional facts are included on each recipe, and I think you'll be pleased with the stats.

Most of the recipes have corresponding pictures in the book, which I always enjoy. What can I say, I like to see if the dish looks appetizing before making it.

I received my copy late last week, and have already made several recipes from it. 

First, I baked up a batch of the hearty whole grain breakfast muffins. 

They are packed full of healthy ingredients like whole wheat flour, flaxseed, almonds, and dried fruit. They were super simple to make and they were good for the whole week in a Tupperware container.

I loved having these around to grab on the go when I’m running out the door on my way to work. It’s a much better option that grabbing an unhealthy scone at Starbucks with my morning Americano. I plan to make another batch this weekend to tide me over next week as well. The muffins are hearty and filling: definitely a recipe I will be using frequently. 

I also made one of the recovery smoothies last weekend: the immune-boosting raspberry-almond smoothie.

It was really unique. I loved the touch of ginger, and it actually filled me up after a 7 mile run on Sunday. Dustin said it was a little “tart” – perhaps from the kefir? However, I really enjoyed this smoothie, and will be making it again.

The cookbook categorizes each recipe as “pre-run”, “recovery”, “low-calorie”, "vegetarian," and/or “fast”. Honestly all of the recipes have been pretty simple and fast. We had the shrimp and bean quesadilla the other night for dinner- (so good). Another night, I made the salmon salad sandwiches. The Cashew Butter and Mango Chutney Sandwich was my breakfast on one morning this week, when I needed some variety from the hearty muffins.  I love cottage cheese, but hadn’t really ever had it for breakfast. According to the cookbook, this breakfast “contains the essential fats to help keep you satisfied, absorb nutrients, protect heart health, reduce injury, and decrease joint pain.”

I was particularly pleased to see one of Deena Kastor’s recipes in the cookbook, and it was a recipe that I was already familiar with from the Runner's World magazine. Dustin and I have been making Deena’s caramelized onion/fig/goat cheese pizza for years, and it’s one of our favorites. So good! Definitely try that recipe when you get your copy of the cookbook.

 

source

The cookbook is about $30 on the Runner’s World website, though I see it on Amazon for only $17. Either way, its still well worth the price tag. I highly recommend that you pick up a copy. This cookbook makes a great Christmas present too for one of your runner friends, (or non-runner friends.) Order your copy today, and start cooking!

P.S. Happy anniversary Dustin. Five years today!

Curious about past Friday's Favorite Fits? Here is the whole list!

9/20: run msp t-shirts at gear
9/13: bkr resusable water bottle
9/6: knuckle lights
8/30: the best carbo loading recipe
8/23: nine west polka dot heels
8/16: the lululemon bitty bracer
8/9: tasteful animal prints
7/26: trigger point foam roller
7/21: outdoor yoga in mpls
6/28: bold colors and patterns
6/21: trail running
6/14 gal pal garment deodorant remover
6/7 the sock bun
5/31 the white oxford shirt
5/17 toms shoes
5/10 bic bands
5/3 race day with a first timer
4/26 cobalt blue
4/19 lululemon wunder under crop
4/12 i run this body t-shirt

Friday's Favorite Fit: The Best Carbo-Loading Recipe for Runners!

Jess in Minneapolis

The Rights Fits is about Fitness, Fashion, and Fitness Fashion. We rarely delve into the realms of healthy eating/cooking, as so many healthy living bloggers do. I’m sorry if you came here hoping for recipes with protein powder, almond butter, and GOJI berries! Not that there’s anything wrong with those recipe-filled blogs. I read them daily for ideas myself! I just am not quite as creative in the kitchen as people like Jen from Peanut Butter Runner or Jenna from Eat, Live, Run. Don’t get me wrong, I feel that I eat a relatively healthy diet, and maybe someday I will go down that route of sharing more about my daily eats on here...With that in mind, this week’s post for Friday’s Favorite Fit is...well, actually it's a recipe- a recipe for runners!

This is my go-to recipe for carbo-loading before a long run. If you’ve been reading for awhile, you might know that Dustin and I usually love a Punch Pizza before our long runs. Punch Pizza is a Minneapolis chain that serves up fresh Neapolitan style pizzas for a good price. The pizzas are light with a very thin crust and with fresh ingredients. And they are made super fast- just 90 seconds!

But sometimes, Punch Pizza just isn’t an option…maybe we already went there earlier in the week,  or maybe we just don’t want to wait in line on a warm summer night. (I love Punch, but some nights the line is out the door and around the building!) On those nights, we turn to THIS recipe for our pre-long run meal. It’s light and it’s easy. There’s not any cream or much cheese, or anything that might upset the tummy. I have a bit of a sensitive stomach, so this is perfect for me on a Friday night (like tonight) before a twenty mile training run the next morning.

This recipe is originally from the Food Network (Find it HERE), and it was brought to me by my speedy friend Kelly. You remember Kelly? She’s the one who ran a 3:25 at the Newport Marathon! 

Yep. She’s fast. And another fascinating fact about Kelly is that she is a really good cook. And she eats this meal the whole week leading up to a marathon. This recipe is simple enough for those of us who aren’t culinary artists like Kelly, but yet it tastes good enough that you could probably fool a few people into thinking that you are!

It requires just a few simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your kitchen:

• ½ pound of cappellini (I used thin spaghetti)
• 28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into bite sized chunks
• Red pepper flakes (I add a lot!)
• Salt
• Chopped fresh basil
• Optional grated parmesan for topping
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is golden.

Crush the tomatoes into the skillet.

Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.

Add the zucchini and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

Season with salt.

Meanwhile, cook the cappellini according to the package directions.

Drain and add to the sauce along with the basil; toss to coat. Top with parmesan.

Serve with a small green salad and fresh bread, and you’ll be ready for your long run on Saturday morning!

I am enjoying a big plate of this pasta right now, while I drink plenty of water to hydrate for tomorrow’s 20 mile run. You can bet that I’ll be toting my Nathan fuel belt filled with ice-cold Nuun. We do have two support stops planned for the long run (thanks to those awesome volunteers!) and there will be water fountains along the way, but with temperatures near 90 degrees tomorrow, I feel more comfortable with a little extra hydration on hand. I’ll fill up the pockets on my belt with 2-3 GU’s, some chapstick, a few dollars in case of an emergency, and maybe some paper towels/tissues, (anyone else ALWAYS have a running nose when running- even when its 90 degrees?).

I’m ready!

*Are you running a long run tomorrow? How far? Good luck!

 P.S. I used this zucchini that my friend Penny gave me from her garden. It was enormous! I had enough to make some coconut zucchini bread as well (this recipe).

Fit Fanatic: The Carbo-Load!

By Jess

Most of you have probably heard the term "carbo-loading". Even if you're not a runner, perhaps a runner friend of yours has mentioned it, as they scarf down a plate of fettuccine! 

Or, if you've done a full marathon or a half, there might have been a pasta feed the night before. This tradition is quite common, but is there science behind the pasta pig down!!??

 I turned to the runner's bible,  (Runner's World of course) for some information as to why we carbo-load.

The Science Behind the Carbo-Load:

When you eat a bowl of spaghetti, most of the carbs are stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver. Glycogen is your body's most easily accessible form of energy, but it's not the only source. During a half or full marathon you burn both glycogen and fat. But the latter is not as efficient, which means your body has to work harder to convert it into fuel.

When you run out of glycogen during a race you hit "the wall." Your body has to slow down as it turns fat into energy. (Quoted from Runner's World) Benjamin Rapoport, a 2:55 marathoner, is intimately acquainted with the wall. The Harvard M.D. student hit the wall so hard at the 2005 New York City Marathon that he decided to study how to avoid it in the future. "Proper carbo-loading—or filling your muscles to the brim with glycogen—won't make you faster, but it will allow you to run your best and, if you race smartly, avoid the wall," he says.

So...what should I eat?

Tortillas, oatmeal, bread, pancakes, waffles, bagels, yogurt, and juice are all easy-to-digest options. Many fruits are high in carbs but are also high in fiber—and too much can cause stomach trouble midrace. "Bananas are a low-fiber choice," says sports nutritionist Ilana Katz, R.D. "And you can peel apples, peaches, and pears to reduce their fiber content." She also gives her clients permission to indulge in white bread and baked potatoes without the skin since both are easily digested.

This article suggests steering clear of high-fat foods—like creamy sauces, cheese, butter, and oils—as well as too much protein. Both nutrients fill you up faster than carbs and take longer to digest, she says. 

Advice? 
Pick jam—not butter—for your toast, tomato sauce in lieu of alfredo sauce on your pasta, and frozen yogurt instead of ice cream for dessert.

How MUCH Should I Carbo-Load?

You can't completely fill your muscles with glycogen from just one meal, "which is why you should start carbo-loading two or three days before your race," says Ryan. Since you're running very few miles, the glycogen will accumulate in your muscles. At this point, 85 to 95 percent of your calories should come from carbs, says Katz. Ryan recommends eating about four grams of carbs for every pound of body weight (for a 150 pound runner that's 600 grams—or 2,400 calories—of carbs per day).  

So how does the Calhoun Beach Running Club carbo-load?

Well, we planned a pasta dinner as well!

However, it was not the night before the race. With so many runners doing marathons in various locations (Scranton, Chicago, Mankato, Twin Cities), our pasta party is held the Wednesday before Twin Cities.

And this year, the carbo-loading occured at Pizza Luce in Hopkins. It turns out one of our members is a manager there, and he generously hosted us there for a reasonable price of $20/person for all you can eat pasta/pizza, as well as one drink (beer or wine).

So, this is a fashion and fitness blog right. What do you wear to a pasta feed?

Well, I came right from work, and didn't have time to change. So this is what I wore...

Shirt: H&M

Skirt: Banana Republic Double-breasted pencil skirt, online exclusive. Buy it here!

Necklace: Stella & Dot Bahari Necklace. Buy it here!

Belt: Len Druskin

But enough about me. 
This is what the real CBRC members wear...

And this is what the true hipsters wear:

(Looking good sir!)

So...the where? 
Pizza Luce in Hopkins of course!

How did we carbo-load?

Pizza, spaghetti, mostaccioli, lasagna (veggie or meat), garlic bread, salad...so much good stuff!

We had a semi-private room, which was a nice touch.

This guy (with the arrow pointed to his head) stood up and gave a little thank-you toast to Coach Paul for all his hard work. I thought it was really sweet for him to do that, and the whole room agreed with his words. We feel the same way about our awesome coach. Thanks Paul for everything!

And good luck to ALL the runners this Sunday!