I don’t eat like runners do. I don’t plan healthy and nutritious meals around long runs or speed workouts. I don’t always eat vegetables every day. I rarely cook or bake, but I don’t eat fast food or eat out all the time, either. I’m always hungry, even in the “off-season.” And I haven’t had a new personal record since my second year of running half-marathons (2014, Brooksieway, 1:50:10).2014-brooksieway

Looking back, it’s a wonder how that even happened because I was a junior in college, working some 30 hours on weekends, sustained off of questionable cafeteria food. I ate a lot of easy mac, chip dip, microwavable bacon, and oatmeal creme pies. And Subway 2-3x a week as my source of protein, which is why I don’t eat much of that these days.

I don’t need to diet, but I need to maintain a healthy body weight based off nutritious meals. 2017 is the year I cook and bake more. I’m going to start eating like a runner, which means trying not to put cheese on everything. (Literally nothing tastes bad with cheese on it unless it already tasted bad to begin with – except for ice cream and desserts, for that matter – and sometimes it even improves those).

To make this achievable, I’m going to cook, bake, or make something at least once a week. So last Sunday night at 7 pm I made pistachio butter. It was cutting it close but took no time at all. It tastes amazing on a cracker so I’ll call it a successful start.

2017 is the year I start living like a runner.

(Meals on the Run, Sweet and Salty Pistachio Butter: 1 c. pistachios in magic bullet with 2 tbs. oil, then stir in 1 tbs. honey).