All in Snack
It’s Laurel here, making a cameo on the Athlete Food blog, while Bec attempts to relax in her final days before baby. As you may remember from our Pecan Pie Smackdown, I’m not much for baking. I like the idea of eating fresh baked goods, but the measuring and cleaning required takes me out of my comfort zone. A few weeks ago, however, I received a lovely care package from Elizabeth Stein founder of the gluten-free and all natural baking company, purely elizabeth. The box included a chocolate chip cookie mix easy and healthy enough that I thought I’d risk another kitchen experiment.
Like a lot of triathletes, I rely on my blender to fix quick meals year round. In the spring and summer when I'm training all the time, I make smoothies almost every day to pack in calories and nutrients with minimal effort. This fall, I used the blender as a soup-making machine to stock my freezer so that come January, John and I can enjoy a home cooked meal when we’re sleepwalking through new parenthood.
On the eve of what the weatherpeople are calling the storm of the century, I can't help but long to be back in Hawaii. Tomorrow we'll get to relive the Ironman race on the NBC broadcast, but what they won't show you are the the little bits of paradise just steps off the race course.
Last spring I read a few articles about elite athletes crediting beet juice for their improved times. There’s this one about marathoner Ryan Hall in Outside and this report from the London Olympics in the NYT. But I first heard about the wonders of beet juice in 2007 from one of my training partners. 
Snack: Grilled cheese with sliced pears
Timing: I eat this snack as my second breakfast since it is savory and my first breakfast is always sweet. It would also make a good afternoon snack, eaten a few hours before running.
Why I like it: It allows me to eat a comfort food in between workouts without feeling sluggish.
