…to running fast.
It is two fold.
1. We’re all going gluten free because that’s what all the good runners do.
2. Bacon is going to become a dietary staple.
In essence, your new go-to meal is a bacon cheeseburger with no bun. Or a BLT sans bread.
Or just a plate of bacon.
I played tour guide for the RC yesterday. She wanted to go to babycakes (a celiac and/or food allergy friendly bakery on the Lower East Side) as well as the request to “find bacon.”
"You teach me to run fast and I'll find you bacon."
Not only did we accomplish both, but she got to see the trials and tribulations of NYC public transportation with me trying to navigate a subway line I rarely take (the J, M, Z), saying “where is the train?!?” about 1600 times, and, when realized we’d gotten on the train in the wrong direction, yell in frustration”we’re taking a cab!”
The schlep to Babycakes was more than worth it as I had never seen the RC so happy (which made me happy because the RC is so nice). I thought she might cry. We tried several things (a cupcake top, a mini brownie, and donuts) and the donuts were the clear winner.
Next Christmas, I'm getting this for the RC.
Steph’s first reaction to amazing GF donut = “Not bad for missing, like, 3 main donut ingredients!”
My first reaction to same amazing GF donut = “No butter and stuff? This is practically a health food!”
When I googled "babycakes," this came up. Is this cake frightening to anyone else? Or just me.
I met one of the RC’s pro-runner friends and she has gluten intolerance. It seems to me a lot of the American pro-runners have celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or are going gluten free for various reasons.
And I want to know why.
In my head, I separate the gluten free-ers into celiac disease and gluten intolerance/sensitivity as those are two different pathophysiologies, I presume. (Which I know well for celiac disease, an autoimmune disease, but not so much for gluten intolerance.) I’m not so interested in the celiacs (unless gluten intolerance also involves developing an autoantibody)…sorry RC.
Now, first, I want to know if this is just an American thing or are the East African pro-runners are going gluten free, too? I’m not sure how I’ll find this out because I don’t know any East African pro-runners besides the time I swooned over Sally Kipyego in a hotel lobby.
My interaction with SK was more one-sided as I was the one screaming, "OMG!!! I saw your interview on flotrack! You are awesome."
I also wonder if there is some sort of genetic predisposition to being a talented runner and developing gluten intolerance.
Or is it that running at such a high volume causes them to be predisposed to develop gluten intolerance…
SO MANY QUESTIONS!!!
In the mean time, I’m going to keep eating bacon cheeseburgers between two gluten free donuts and see how it affects my running. I’m sure it’s going to help, right? I know at least Paula Deen would approve.
Type 2 Diabetes Newest Spokesperson
Not that I need to start running a lot and training hard to be really fast, right?
WEIGH IN: ANY THOUGHTS ON THE RUNNER-GLUTEN FREE THING? EAT GLUTEN FREE? TRIED A GLUTEN FREE DONUT? IF NOT, YOU SHOULD.
Until next time…
P.S. Thanks, RC, for letting me hang out with you and your pro-runner-ness.
I totally lol’d at the Babycakes Google image and the Paula Deen pic. Hahaha.
I think having a legit gluten intolerance would totally suck, so it kind of annoys me when I read/hear about people going gluten-free because it’s becoming trendy (like, ahem, some of the offenders we talked about the other night!).
I’m not that into burgers, but I dig the bacon as fuel idea. Bacon and seafood are the only things keeping me from going vegetarian. I could easily give up the rest.
Also, how does Shalane always manage to look so put together while racing? I seriously need someone to teach me how to not look like I’m on the brink of death.
I love babycakes! I think the stuff there is delicious!
I do wonder if everyone has some amount of gluten intolerance but a lot of the pro runners are going gluten free because they are more concerned with peak performance than the average person…
babycakes image = creepy!
i’ve actually never tried anything gluten-free. i should. i do love me some bacon though. nice and crispy too. when i was in ireland i couldn’t even look at their bacon. it’s so thick you have to cut it with a knife. gross.
OMG i have so many thoughts on this but my brain has transitioned to liver diseases. haha. It’s an interesting phenomenon why people that don’t have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance eat gluten free… Sometimes I think it’s all in their head, or that by being “gluten free” just forces them to pick healthier options and therefore helps their performance. You know? Let me know how the picky bars thing turned out!
That photo is terrifying.
I’ve tried gluten free foods and it usually tastes great. I don’t think I’d ever go gluten free unless I developed an allergy.
My mom has had celiac disease since I was four years old, as in legit vomiting/diarrhea for hours when she eats even the smallest amount of gluten. Which is why i think it’s hilarious/annoying when the gluten free trend hit and suddenly everyone is going gluten free because it “makes them feel better.” You know what makes me feel better? Not eating crap every day. Going gluten free forces you to look at your food choices much more closely, which will help people think about what they’re eating…and therefore make better choices. I’m really not convinced that gluten is the source of evil that people talk about. Maybe I’m a bad person.
It’s so hard to live a true gluten free lifestyle (although much easier than when my mom had to eat rice cake sandwiches because GF bread didn’t exist…and then it did and we mail ordered it from Seattle, ha), I wouldn’t do it unless I had to. And at that point I might cry.
+1 to Susan’s comment.
Also, I have never been to Babycakes, but I am ALL about baked goods, donuts, and cupcakes, so I wouldn’t say no! Although I am suspicious about the lack of butter…
I found your blog when I googled tempo runs because I still don’t think I have a clue if I’m doing it correctly. I’m no professional runner or anything, I just want to get faster, since I’m like a seriously slow runner! On the GF subject though, that stuff does not taste like regular things you’re used to. I know that some of it is better than others, and I’ve not been blessed to visit babycakes as I live in a stupid small town in the south, but I’ve had Sprinkles GF cupcakes and though they’re only offered in one flavor that isn’t my fav, they are pretty delicious! I went GF for like 7 months. It seriously changed my life in that it really helped stomach issues I’ve had for a long time. A blood test for Celiac was negative and while pregnant gluten didn’t seem to bother me. It may bother me now, but I can’t avoid king cake really, it’s an illness my addiction during carnival season, so I keep eating it. The crap thing is a true definitive Celiac diagnosis (as you probably know) comes from biopsy, so I’m actually in the process (you know referral to specialist, then see them discuss that crap, then they send you for testing) of finding out for positive if I have it or not. I’m not willing to be GF without the diagnosis. I love all things sweet too much and GF baking isn’t fun!
Those boots look fantastic and I would try them in a minute!