Last Saturday I rolled out of a warm comfy bed to do something I’ve never done before, run 13.1 miles voluntarily. My previous blog, Will Run For Food, set the stage for how I was going to achieve my aggressive New Years resolution of running in the Nashville Music City Marathon with my older sister (middle one in the photo). Now I can write to you a blog of success and encouragement.

 I’m not going to tell you I was a model trainee on how to prepare for this lengthier run. Since I couldn't run a mile in December, I started with the Couch to 5K running plans and worked from there. I will say with sincerity if I can do it you can do it, and so can 30,000 plus people that ran or walked.

My pre-race preparation consisted of the classic pasta plate. I would advise to keep it light. A vegetarian or chicken recipe will do the trick. I went with the meaty sauce and noodles and I will say that might not have been the best choice.  The morning of I kept it simple with an orange, half of an English muffin, and water. My post race cool down consisted of a warm Schlotzsky's sandwich, a chilled brewski, and an extremely cold pool. Fantastic!

I probably could have done a few things differently, but I had a blast running my first half marathon. The country music set a great tempo for running and the amount of people lining the streets cheering was unbelievable.

Watch these tips to cook pasta just right every time.

 Also check out Eat Like an Olympian