VeganMoFo caught me at a bad time. I’m a much better cook than these early entries would lead you to believe. Lately, though, I’ve been relying more on prepared foods for dinner and sometimes breakfast (I’ve always been a bit of a spendthrift when it comes to eating lunch out during the work week). I’ve been meaning to do some bulk cooking on the weekend, or at least make a big pot of something that will last a few days, but I just haven’t managed to set aside time to do so.

Lately I’ve been trying to fine-tune my eating to support my running. While I recognize the importance of a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, I’ve learned that I need to back off a bit on anything with too much fiber or fat a couple of days before my races, lest I spend race day preoccupied with bathroom availability. So leading up to a race I allow myself a modest amount of carbo loading, usually in the form of white pasta and bagels. (I have a possibly superstitious belief that anything from our beloved local Vietnamese restaurant produces magical results in my running, so I sometimes allow myself a comforting plate of Ginger Tofu as late as the day before a race.)

Ginger Tofu with Vegetables. Just look at all that ginger.

Tomorrow morning I’m doing my first off-road 5K. Tonight’s dinner, then, is cavatelli–my favorite pasta because of its pleasing shape and small size–with 365 Organic Marinara and Gardein Meatless Meatballs. Ordinarily I back off a bit on protein too the day before a race, but I’ve found two or three of the vegan meatballs stick to my ribs without vexing my digestion (I especially like Gardein’s because they’re chewy, rather than mushy like some other brands I’ve tried).

After this race, I’ll devote some time to making use of the No Meat Athlete Health Made Simple meal plan to which I’m subscribed (more on that another time). For now, my pre-run eating is based a little on reading Runners World and a lot on trial and error. So far I’ve only run 5Ks and a four-miler, so GI distress hasn’t been too much of an issue. I’m a little worried that I, um, overfueled today–it’s a delicate balance. Tomorrow morning, based on how hungry I feel, I’ll have a small cuppa black coffee, a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel (or instant oatmeal, another pre-run breakfast that goes down easily) and maybe a banana. In the meantime, I’ll lay out my running gear and try to get a good night’s sleep.