What do you think of most when it comes to pre-race fueling? I think of pasta. Loaded with carbohydrates, just what an endurance athlete needs leading up to a big event. Do you think pasta first? I know based on what I have seen, most folks either prepare a pasta meal at home the night before a race, or head to the nearest Italian restaurant.
Many big races offer a pasta meal the night before. It’s typically advertised on the race website, and is usually something you can pay for during registration, sometimes at the door. Most pre-race pasta dinners are fairly cheap, too. I’ve seen them ranging anywhere from $15 to $30. Most include several choices of pasta, and/or sauce, salad, bread and a variety of desserts. It’s a really great way to get in the spirit of the particular race you are running, and offers the opportunity to meet other runners.
Pasta dinners will many times also include a guest speaker, telling some kind of inspirational tale of our sport. While at the pre-race pasta meal at the Blue Ridge Marathon last year, I was lucky enough to hear the inspiring stories of Bart Yasso, Bill Rodgers, and Frank Shorter. It truly is a great way to get into the race mood and elevate your already heightened race spirit.
The full details for the pre-race pasta dinner for next years All American Marathon and Mike to Mike Half Marathon have not yet been released, but they are offering a chance to win 2 free tickets. If you follow them on Facebook, all of the details will be there. Here is a copy of the post from this morning.
If you are a Twitter fan, be sure to follow them there, as well. They can be found at @AAMarathon.
If you are a member of the military, a veteran or everyday supporter of our military like me, this is a can’t miss race. It is truly inspirational to run. You can score a 10% discount on race registration if you enter code “13AMB2015” in the discount code box at checkout. Current pricing for the three events are as follows: Full Marathon $90, Half Marathon $75, 5k $20. If you are military (Reserve, National Guard, Active Duty or Retired) each event is $5 cheaper. I hope to see you there, and good luck to those participating in the Facebook contest for 2 free pasta party tickets. I’ll see you there!
Running Wild 