Marathon training Food (get it?) for thought

Food might very well be represented simply as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats: the basic food categories that allow your body to function.

If we thought of food with as much passion and obsession as we do with, say, gasoline or nuclear fission, it would be much easier to treat cuisine with the same benign desire as we have for cardboard.

Of course, such a fantasy ride as this exists only in some make-believe, twisted Disney World of nutrition hell. After all, I am a Louisianan. Were my world to consist of anything less than grease, salt, and alcohol (our basic food categories), the world would hellish indeed.

We live in the real world, and few people I want to associate with think in such terms. But the valid point is this, especially with regard to marathon training: to achieve greatness – and your goal, whatever it might be, is greatness – you need to think differently AND rise to the occasion.

Because nutrition is such an important part of marathoning, and because it is indeed fuel, understanding the value of what you put into your body, and how it affects your body is a very relevant point.

In this marathon endeavor food is fuel. You might have to eat more. You might have to eat something that popular fad diets eschew. You will need to supply your body with the tools it needs to carry you to new heights, and this, friends and neighbors, begins with food. Well, a lot of prayer and cussing first, but certainly food.

Pick a race

I will never run (or at least will try to avoid running) the same marathon twice.

Come on. Twenty-six miles is a lot of work. I need as much distraction – and stimulus – to keep me inspired. I choose my marathons specifically for what they may offer by way of stimulation. New York and Marine Corps? That’s obvious. Racing though DC and NYC is more like a sightseeing trip. The others, Alaska, Montana, Atlanta and Chicago were chosen for purely aesthetic reasons. There are several marathons that bill themselves for what they have to offer as distraction, like Big Sur and Cape Cod, which strive to appeal to your sense of beauty. Others like Disney, San Diego, and Nashville hope to distract you like an A.D.D. patient at a whistles and bells convention with their productions and theatrics.

My criteria for race selection include:

• Place – city, scenic vistas
• Time of year – spring and fall are pleasant racing seasons
• Course – flat, scenery, distractions
• Scenery – cityscape, ocean view, mountainscape, etc.
• Temperature – 72 degrees or lower is good for running.

Races are easy to find by visiting Runner's World Race Finder or Active.com, among others. Running clubs, stores, and other running web sites are also great sites to explore.