Mike's Marathon Blog

One of the most difficult challenges of training for this race is getting through the weekends. It is very difficult to be at the gym at 8 am on Sunday when you wake up on your friend’s couch, in a different state, surrounded by beer bottles, covered in Bagel Bites and feeling like you were just hit by a dump truck. You’re simply more likely to skip the gym that day. Training for the marathon puts a serious damper on your social life!

My menu for a typical weekday consists of oatmeal, blueberries, vegetables, chicken, turkey, protein shakes, bananas and lots and lots of water.  I am not a diet-Nazi by any means. I am simply watching what I eat and trying to make sure that I’m getting enough proteins and nutrients. One thing I will not do is ruin my week by drinking an extra 1,500 calories over the weekend. Unfortunately beer does not have a big role in my diet. Beer, however, does play a major role in one’s social life. Staying at a bar until 1 am when you’re not drinking is almost impossible. Once everyone else has a few drinks in them, it’s actually unbearable. I don’t drink and I can’t stay out too late, so my weekend options are extremely limited. It’s even difficult going to restaurants. Not many restaurants are diet-friendly these days. Most people go to restaurants so they can order Awesome Blossoms and potato skins, not grilled chicken and white rice. For the past few weeks, I’ve really only had one option on Saturday nights: take-out and a movie.

I spent this past Saturday night on my couch, eating a salad, watching Bolt. Yes, Bolt. Luckily my wife decided to join me, although her ideal night is to get take-out and watch a Disney movie, but that’s beside the point. I do allow myself one treat on Saturday nights. Mainly to stay somewhat sane, but also to not get burnt out from dieting. As I have said before, eating lettuce for breakfast, lunch and dinner is not realistic. Having that treat on Saturday nights makes dieting all week worth it! Lately, that treat has been Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. I had Chocolate Macadamia this weekend. It tasted much better than a few beers! I think I was in bed by 10:30. Sad, but I was wide awake at the gym at 8 am the next morning, which is currently all that matters.

Unfortunately the weekend temptations do not end there. Just like many others on Sundays, I join my friends to watch the Patriots games. And like all other football gatherings, there is plenty of food to snack on. I watched the first half of the Patriots game with my friends this past Sunday. During the 2 hours I was there, my friends consumed pizza, mozzarella sticks, hash browns, chips and cheesesteak spring rolls. And of course, they dipped all of these foods in either barbecue sauce, marinara sauce or ketchup. I had a bottle of water.

I thought about those mozzarella sticks all day today.