Runner’s Kitchen

Squash Your Carb Load RECIPES Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash; Asparagus and Mushroom Spaghetti Squash Quiche; Zucchini Bread; Pita Tostadas with Butternut Squash, Black Beans and Avocado; Spiced Pumpkin, Yogurt and Granola Parfait

Marathon season is in full swing, and the weeks of pre-race carb loading are just around the corner. This traditionally means that pasta and bagels will f ly off the grocery store shelves and be readily consumed in an effort to saturate our muscle glycogen stores. For anyone who has gone through several marathon builds, the thought of eating another bowl of pasta isn’t very appealing. Pre-race nutrition is a very personal part of any race preparation. Not everyone can handle the same amounts, types and quality of food. It’s important to understand what works for your body, and what foods it thrives off of.

Trying to step away from traditional pastas that are simple and easy to digest isn’t easy but there are many other carbohydrate options that fit the bill. Anything from whole grains, minimally processed breads, yams and squash are all excellent alternatives. In the winter, squash is in abundance and there are a variety of types that can be incorporated into any meal of the day: acorn squash, spaghetti squash, butternut squash and pumpkin are a few notable winter squash. Although zucchini is technically a summer squash, it’s available all year round and is a nutritious addition to many meals and baked goods. With copious amounts of vitamins and minerals that pasta doesn’t have naturally, squash is also a great source of carbohydrates. As the carb-loading phenomenon occurs for a week before a marathon, it’s important to maintain a good variety of meals and ingredients that will fuel the fire for the race, but also mix up your weekly menu.