Good afternoon! My work day is flying by, so I’ve got to make my lunch break QUICK and get back to the grind!

Around 11:30, I had a small plum in my favorite dish.

My lunch was a spur-of-the-moment recipe that tasted QUITE familiar–in fact, I’m going to call this Healthy Hamburger Helper!

I simply combined 1/2 cup of cooked Kashi Pilaf with 1/2 cup of Morning Star Meal Starter on the stovetop.  Once it was heated, I added pepper and grated 0.5 ounce of cheddar cheese on top.

It was SO delicious! I think a man would really like this meal, too.  I bet you could tell most guys it was actually hamburger and they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. 🙂

On the side, I had some wonderful steamed broc.

I’m getting pretty pumped for my race! I might go to the gym later to do some arms and light cardio, but today is a BIG TAPER day (and I don’t want to push my luck with my leg), so I won’t be running!

What is "Tapering," Anyways?

Tapering is the act of drastically reducing or halting running immediately prior to a race.  Tapering allows your muscles to heal and you glycogen stores to be replenished.  There is a great deal of evidence that tapering makes you  more efficient on race day.

Caitlin’s Tips for Tapering

• Taper for two days for a 5K to 5-mile race; taper for three to five days for a 10K to a half-marathon. 
• During the taper period, you should replace your normal runs with cross-training (swimming, bicycling, etc.).  The intensity of cross-training should also be reduced in comparison to your running intensity.
• If you chose to run during the taper period, decrease the distance and duration of your average run by about half .  Although you are running shorter distances than you’re accustomed to during the taper period, try to maintain your "race day" pace — don’t go too fast!
• Your last ‘long run’ day should be a minimum of 1 week prior to the race.
• Take the day before the race OFF from running entirely.