Healthy Spiralized Pasta + How to Carb Load

Tips for carb loading, plus an easy pasta recipe that is great for carb loading before Bay to Breakers or your next race. Add healthy protein in an unexpected way by using Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream or cheese!

You guys, I can’t even tell you how excited I am! San Francisco Zappos Bay to Breakers is coming up this weekend. Bay to Breakers is a 12K race that spans the city – from the Bay to Ocean Beach (where the breakers crash). B2B is a running event that encompasses everything I love about this amazing city.

It’s flamboyant, colorful, over-the-top and a truly special day. It’s also more of a parade or a festival than a race. There are a handful of people who actually ‘race’ Bay to Breakers, but they are followed by thousands of people who dress up in costumes and complete the course at a more leisurely pace. There’s also a fair amount of nudity at Bay to Breakers. Seriously – this is pretty much a given in San Francisco any sort of festivity or festival. People really dig their birthday suits.

This year is my first time running Bay to Breakers. I will definitely not be participating in the nude. I am going to dress up though. I’m so excited and brainstorming ideas for a costume that is still practical for running. I know it’s getting to be last minute, but I’m lucky I have Zappos and their famous free shipping and free returns. I’m sure you think shoes when you think Zappos, but Zappos has thousands of items – everything from dresses to running gear!

My plan is to get some ‘real’ athletic gear and turn it into a costume. I’m thinking hot pink running capris with a tutu and a pink tanktop, to be a balerina, or black capris and a black tank top with a cat ear headband. Or a superman tank top and a cape with blue shorts? I’ve also secretly dreamed of going as a unicorn and covering myself in body glitter after seeing something similar last year. So many options! Any ideas for me?

While I’m on the topic of preparing for a race, did you know that carb loading the night before a race is not the best way to prepare for a run? There are a lot of myths that surround carb loading, but here are the facts:

Tips for Carb Loading

1. Carb load two days before the race :: Your highest carb meal should be two days before the race. If you carb load the day before it isn’t enough time for those carbs to replenish the glycogen stores in your legs (aka the energy that is easily available for exercise).

The lightened up pasta recipe below is perfect for preparing for race day. Instead of fatty heavy cream, this pink ‘rosato’ sauce gets its creaminess from Greek yogurt. Adding Greek yogurt to your pasta sauce is a great way to add healthy protein and ensure that you stay full long after your meal has finished. It’s easy and it tastes great! Since you’re preparing for a race, you don’t want to completely swap out the pasta for zucchini ‘zoodles’, so instead I just add a few ribbons on top of the pasta. Zucchini is packed with nutrients and is fairly easy to digest, as far as vegetables go.

2. Carb loading doesn’t just happen in one meal :: I start to transition my diet about a five days before a big race. I gradually cut out high fiber foods like pears, raspberries, and leafy green vegetables. I make up the calorie difference by eating more of carb rich foods likes pasta and bread. All of those things that are usually just indulgences!

3. You still need to eat protein :: Just because it’s called carb loading doesn’t mean that you don’t have to eat a balanced diet! That’s why I love this recipe – it has healthy protein in the form of Greek yogurt.

4. Eat right the morning of the race :: For me, the perfect morning of race meal is peanut butter on a bagel with a banana sliced on top. It’s quick, has a bit of protein and has lots of carbs that are easily digested. This means no GI issues and no embarrassing runs (no pun intended) toward a porta potty. The bananas are full of potassium, which is an important electrolyte that is lost in sweat.

Thanks so much for reading A Side of Sweet! For more Sweet in your life, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Bloglovin’, or Twitter, or subscribe to receive a weekly email with new posts (see sidebar).

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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.