You Say Potato

This evening, running home from work, I sweated my way through gaggles of good looking people who were probably heading somewhere to hang out with other good looking (and non-sweaty) people. Meanwhile, I was thinking about potatoes. My train of thought began with how weird I felt because I ate too much sugar today. I felt similar while running in the most recent NYC marathon, at least during the last half of the race. And I attribute it to eating too many caffeinated energy gels. That led me to thinking about the "refreshment stations" that are going to be along the course of the Two Oceans Marathon. On its website the race organizers say that potatoes will be provided as one of the refreshments. But it doesn't say anything else about it. Will these potatoes be baked? Fried? Will there be a potato bar with butter and sour cream? Will they be mashed potatoes? Potatoes au gratin?

I follow the Two Oceans Marathon on Facebook and decided I would take my question there. I noticed that the person running the page is very responsive to questions and suggestions on the page. There are lots of interesting conversations on there (and not so interesting posts pleading for bibs to the sold out Half Marathon). Earlier today Two Oceans said,  "70 days to go to race day - that's 10 weeks...hope you have some great training runs planned for the weekend or maybe you're doing a race. Let us know what you're up to." See, so friendly! There are 22 comments so far, including one from a koala bear (judging from the profile picture). It just says, "Knee injury :-("

Recently I followed on their facebook page a controversy over the price of the Trail Run that is happening the same weekend as the marathon (there are several other races that weekend, including a Trail Run and a Half Marathon, which are both sold out). It seems that the Trail Run was posted as being a certain price and then suddenly the registration price was raised on the website without an explanation, but it included a free t-shirt. Subsequent complaints on their facebook page included stuff like, "I don't want to buy the t-shirt. Why are you forcing us to buy a t-shirt. This race is too expensive. You're never going to get locals to run in this race. This is highway robbery and we really want an explanation for why you are ruining this race." Then someone would respond with, "Stop complaining." The 22 km Trail Race (and free t-shirt) costs 550 Rand. I'm not sure how much that is in regular money, but it sounds expensive. 


So I posted this question on their wall: 

Greetings from Brooklyn, NY! I am running in the 56 km marathon and I would like to be prepared for the food provided at your refreshment stations before race day. I want to try eating potatoes on my long training runs. Is it possible to learn what kind of potatoes they are and how they are cooked? Looking forward to seeing you all on April 7th.

It will be fun to see what kind of response(s) I get.

'twixt the fennel-field

I have a new obsession with fennel, which I've consumed just about every day so far this month. I never bought it before this time and didn't even notice it in stores. But the crazy thing is that while reading about fennel just now in order to write a post about a delicious fennel salad I just made, I learned that "marathon" is the Greek word for "fennel". I kid you not. Here I thought I was going to write a post that didn't have anything to do with running, to freshen things up a bit, and low and behold, I'm eating a bowl full of marathon. Historians believe that the town of Marathon is named after the fennel fields that are found there. Marathon is also the site of a great battle (cue the battle drum and flute music) that famously led Pheidippides to run very far to Sparta in order to get help, followed by a 25 mile run to Athens to announce Greek victory over Persia (after running a total of about 175 miles during all this drama, it is said that poor Pheidippides collapsed and died). I also read in one place that he ran with a sprig of fennel in his hand, which probably looked really stupid.

From an 1879 Robert Browning poem (found on wikipedia):

So, when Persia was dust, all cried, "To Acropolis!
Run, Pheidippides, one race more! the meed is thy due!
Athens is saved, thank Pan, go shout!" He flung down his shield
Ran like fire once more: and the space 'twixt the fennel-field
And Athens was stubble again, a field which a fire runs through,
Till in he broke: "Rejoice, we conquer!" Like wine through clay,
Joy in his blood bursting his heart, - the bliss!


So obviously, fennel is amazing. It has a lot of vitamin C in it and it's supposed to be good for digestion. The entire plant is edible so nothing gets wasted, and it's not expensive (at least not at Mr. Coco's in Fort Green/Clinton Hill). 


Here is the yummy salad that I prepared after a run home from work. The proportions are up to the eater. I slice the fennel by quartering the bulb and then slicing it thinly.  Tonight I also threw in some chick peas that were already open (in a can) in my fridge.


Fennel and Gorgonzola Salad
Baby Arugula
Fennel Bulb sliced
Fennel Leaves chopped
Crumbled Gorgonzola 
Dried Cranberries 


Placed in a bowl.


Dressing
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar 
A small squirt of Stone Ground Mustard
Sea salt (did you know that all salt is sea salt?)


Placed in a jar and shaken. 

Mix together and serve with a little black pepper. 

I've taken this salad to two potlucks this month, and both times I used the plastic container from the "Organic Girl" brand baby arugula", $3.99 to transport the salad, which made everything ridiculously easy. 

Eating on the Run

I have decided that part of my training for the Two Oceans Marathon needs to involve experimenting with eating while running. I usually ingest the powerade gels (chocolate or vanilla flavored) during races longer than 90 minutes, but I felt so nauseous during the last marathon I ran that I'm a bit scared of them now. The gels are amazing; the first time I had one I wondered why I didn't use them recreationally. But they are full of caffeine and who knows what else. You can overdo it with them for sure. And by "overdo it" I mean poop your pants.

I went on a 2 1/2 hour run today, so it seemed like a good time to take along some food. I chose a peanut butter Cliff bar. I was so excited about it that I was having a hard time not eating it 20 minutes in. While I fantasized about the snack weighing down my pocket, I wondered what else I could eat while running. A burrito? A veggie dog? In Ultramarathonman Dean Karnazes talks about ordering a large pizza and en entire cheesecake to be delivered to him mid run. Would I be able to handle a cheesecake-pizza sandwich? Probably not, but it is always fun to fantasize about eating. Mmmmm...pizza and cheesecake.

About 90 minutes into my run, I was heading down the West Side Highway toward Battery Park and I decided I'd try the Cliff Bar. My face was numb and my throat was dry from the cold so the first couple of bites tasted exactly like plastic. But by bite three it started to taste delicious! There is something that feels very primitive, thus liberating, about eating while running. And I would say that it was a success. No stomach cramps. And I didn't get hungry or feel low energy by the end of the run. Most importantly I did not poop my pants. Next, I'll practice with salt intake while I run. Pretzels!

Two Oceans will have "refreshment stations" along the course which the race organizers say will have bar-one chocolates, bananas, potatoes, and ice cream. I'm not sure about any of these things. But I know of the perfect ice cream shop to help me "practice eating" while running. I'll do it, but only for the love of the sport.

Some things I saw on my run today:

Christmas lights still hanging in someone's yard and a cow that hangs out on Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn

85 Days 13 Hours 27 Minutes

Websites for marathons love to include the countdown to their race. I suspect it's supposed to invoke panic. The internal monologue goes something like this: "Eighty-five days, 13 hours, and 27 minutes! Wait, what? WHAT?? What am I doing? There isn't enough time. I'm going to make a total ass of myself! I am an ass. I am, in fact, an ass of myself."

This may seem like a long time if you, say, know you will have to return a library book. Or if this is the countdown to your roommate's birthday. (If you are counting down 85 days until your roommate's birthday, you're probably psycho. I've seen Single White Female.) However, in terms of training, 85 days can easily be broken up into not-too-many-sounding weeks. And each of these weeks is important.

This week it's hard getting my planned 40 miles a week in. I'm an evening runner and since I have plans after work tonight and tomorrow night I'm going to have to cram a bunch of miles in on Saturday. Either that or I run slightly tipsy tonight when I get home or wake up early in the morning? And try to run then? Morning? Huh?

The excellent news is that there is always time to eat. Here is my lunch from Tiffin Wallah yesterday. One of the great things about living in New York City is the food. The food and the Jay Z song, "Empire State of Mind" are actually the two great things about living in NYC.



South Indian buffet, $7.95. Near the corner of 28th and Lexington Ave.

And just for the hell of it: