4,300 Calories

If you’ve followed this blog for any amount of time, you may have noticed that I have food issues.  I’m one of those people who eats too much due to stress, emotional variance, or just because the sun decided to come up.  Then I feel deeply guilty.  And then I eat some more.  It’s an endless cycle that does nothing except ensure an ever-expanding waist-line and full time employment for San Diego’s psychiatric community. But this coming Sunday, I will indulge in a first – a completely guilt-free gluttonous meal.  How is that possible?  This Sunday I’m running my first marathon. 

Back in June when we started our summer sojourn to Healdsburg, I knew that I’d be eating and drinking way too much and would need to offset the input with a little physical output.  Being a goal-oriented person, I decided on a whim that I’d start training for a marathon.  “What the hell”, I thought, “I can almost run three miles.  Twenty-six shouldn’t be that hard.”

I had planned on keeping my marathon training idea on the down-low, but a few days later I mentioned my plan to a neighbor and stupidly asked him if he wanted to join in the fun.  His response was an instant, “OK”.  And that was it, we were both committed.

Over the past four months, John and I have run long, run short, run track, and just about run ourselves into the ground.  Now, some of you may have run a marathon before.  And all of you probably know someone who has run one.  I’m here to set the record straight:  anyone who claims that training for a marathon is fun, exciting, or in any way enjoyable is completely full of crap.   The reality is that it just outright sucks.

But for me, there has been one thought pulling me through training and I'm counting on it to pull me through the full marathon on Sunday:

4,300 calories.

Based on my height (freakishly tall), weight (too much), goal pace (tortoise-like) and fitness level (uh, yeah), I’ve calculated that I should burn approximately 4,300 calories running the marathon. 

And I’m committed to putting back every one of those calories after the race – and doing it guilt-free!

I’ve spent a lot of time researching potential post-race meals and narrowed my choices down to three wonderful options.

Option #1 – In N’ Out Pig Out

Based on the nutritional information available on their website, I can order 3 double-doubles, 2 baskets of fries, and 2 vanilla shakes.  Calorie total = 3,930.

Option #2:  Steak House Indulgence

While the counts vary from place to place, I’m estimating that I can start with a wedge salad with blue cheese dressing, tear into two 16 oz. porterhouse steaks and a fully loaded baked potato, and wash it all down with a bottle of wine (Bruliam, of course).  Calorie total = 4,273.

Option #3:  Krispy Kreme Craziness

21.5 glazed donuts.  4,300 calories.  Done and done.

I haven’t made up my mind yet on which of these glorious options I’m going to embrace on Sunday.  They each have their own special allure.  Any votes?  Any other options to suggest?  Shoot me an e-mail or click here and put your ideas in the comment box.

Now there’s only 26.2 miles between me and this epic meal.  Hopefully I’m still alive on Sunday evening to enjoy it.