What I Ate the Day Before My Fastest Half-Marathon!

On Sunday, I set a new PR at the Little Rock Half-Marathon! YAY! I'll post more about the race experience tomorrow, but tonight, I want to share what I ate on Saturday. I always follow a pretty strict plan the day before a race that involves lots of carbs, whole foods, protein, and hydrating beverages (like fresh juice and coconut water).

On Friday night, my friend Megan and I went to the Vintage901 Grand Tasting at Crosstown Concourse, and I had a BUNCH of wine. Concourse is walking distance from my house, so why not?? Great plan, right? Ha! We had a great time, but I woke up on Sunday morning feeling a little queasy. I always have toast and jam on the mornings before races, but I couldn't stomach the idea of anything sweet. So I had Whole Wheat Toast with Vegan Butter & Nooch, plus some Field Roast Apple Maple Sausages for protein.

After breakfast, I hit up the Cooper Young Farmer's Market for some Lulu's Baked treats. My friend Don from Lulu's didn't think he'd be doing any more markets this year, but he ended up doing a couple more after he said he was done. This was (supposedly) the last one, so I had to go! After the market, I stopped at Juice Bar in CY for some Fresh Greens Juice (kale, celery, spinach, cucumber, parsley, lemon) and a Hangover Helper Shot (coconut water, lemon, cayenne, and activated charcoal).

My lunch was a Big Ole Salad with Baked Tofu and some of the Lulu's Baked Vegan Challah Bread that I picked up at the market (topped with Lulu's Cashew Cheese). So good!

My marathon was in Little Rock, about 2 hours away from Memphis. So after lunch, I headed that way so I could arrive before the race expo ended. On the car ride, I snacked on some Salted Pistachios from the gas station.

Once in Little Rock, I went straight to the expo, where I bought a bunch of glittery Bondi headbands and a tee that says "Running & Beer & Tacos & Pizza." Cause that's basically my life. I was pretty hungry by the time I arrived at the expo, and I knew dinner was a couple hours away. So I grabbed some super-overpriced bananas at the Starbucks next door to the convention center (where the expo was held). I paid $2.50 for 2 bananas! That is bananas, y'all. BANANAS. I would never do that if I wasn't staving.

Next, I headed to my BFF Sheridan's house! She lives in Little Rock with her partner Drew, and I was staying at their place. I unloaded my suitcase, and we went grocery shopping. My pre-race dinner is almost always pasta these days. I'm all about that carb-loading. There are mixed opinions out there as to whether or not carb-loading helps, but I'll take any excuse to eat more carbs. Hell, I don't even need an excuse! Carbs everyday!

Anyway, we went to Whole Foods and picked up some stuff to make spaghetti at their house. I grabbed this Beet Kombucha to sip on while we cooked.

Drew pretty much did all the cooking. He made Tuscan White Bean Spaghetti by adding a can of Amy's Tuscan White Bean & Rice Soup to a jar of Mushroom Marinara. He also added some Gardein vegan beef, mushrooms, onions, and peppers. Sheridan toasted up some of the Lulu's Baked Ciabatta Bread that I brought her from Memphis. This loaf had a big air bubble, so our slices were kinda sad looking. But the bread was still very tasty.

I always have one lucky pre-race beer before bed. Because again, I'll take any excuse for carbs. Or beer. This is a Springdale, Arkansas-brewed Arkansas Red from Core Brewing Co. Excellent!

And there you have it! My magic formula for a PR! Check back tomorrow for a race recap!