No turning back now...

Ok, I've officially done it.  I just registered for the Marine Corps Marathon - October 30, 2011.  Yikes!

I've always said I needed to redeem myself after my first (any only thus far) marathon back in 2000, yet life continues to get crazier by the minute so who can ever find the time to put in for proper training?  Well, after all these years, 3 kids later and a big new business venture just around the corner, aka, the busiest I've ever been, I'm going to JUST DO IT.

I'm really not a "runner" by any means.  I admire all those real "runners" who can make a race look like nothing but a walk in the park and are done even before I'm halfway to the finish line.  I don't believe I've been genetically blessed with a high VO2 max (cue the "I've got the low VO2" blues), where VO2 max is the "maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense or maximal exercise" (or in other words, don't go past this point, or you'll poop out).  The average for a woman my age (non-athlete) is 30-38, but Lance Armstrong was tested to be at 85!  This isn't to say that one can't train to increase his/her VO2max, but I'm sure I'll never be one of those front-runners unless I'm one of only 10 entrants in a race and they are all elderly.  (Click here for a good article explaining VO2max)

Anyway, like I said, I'm only going to compete with myself, and hopefully I'll have no problem beating my old time.  There's so much more information out there regarding nutrition and training than there was 11 years ago - and I've got a wealth of information at my disposal with all my family and friends who have trained for endurance events.....Right, guys!??

So begins the training mentality even this far out...food matters!  Here's a good start (and what will sure to be a staple over the next several months):

Cuban Black Beans & Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup long grain brown rice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Cook the rice according to the package directions.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Stir in the cumin and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the beans, oregano, and 1 cup water. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
6. Add the vinegar. Smash some of the beans with the back of a fork to thicken. Serve over the rice. Top with the radishes and cilantro.

By Sara Quessenberry,  March 2009