The Perfect Pace

What should my goal time be for my next race? What pace will get me there? How fast should I run this workout? Every runner has asked these questions and every training plan strives to provide the answers and deliver results. But will this approach test your true potential?

What if your goal is to finish a race as fast as you possibly can rather than run a prescribed time sometimes set months in advance? You quickly respond, “but I do run races as fast as I can, leaving nothing on the course.” To be countered with, “you run as fast as you can given your training.” But is this even true? How many DNFs do you have on your record? Do you really test your limits on race day? Will you ever know your true potential?

This article on Runner’s World explores some of these questions, looking at the way Kenyan runners train and race. Now I’m not advocating this method (we are recreational runners after all) but the article brings up some interesting points to ponder. Maybe I’ll try it out every once in a while just to mix things up. Aren’t you a little curious just how fast you could run?

Lobster Pasta Pesto

Nothing says Maine like lobster! Whether you go to the fish market on the pier or to the supermarket, it’s easy to get and you know it’s fresh. The only hard part about lobster is cooking it, although some supermarkets will steam it for free while you shop. If you opt for home cooking, be sure you have a pot large enough to fully submerge the lobster. I do not recommend cooking it in a pot with a glass lid…that’s all I have. I don’t know why, but I just find lobsters so cute!

Enough about the lobster – this is a great recipe on its own. Or try it with scallops, shrimp or chicken. The key is in the pesto. I never get pine nuts, so I end up using walnuts which absorb so much of the oil resulting in a paste rather than of a sauce. There are two secrets to a creamy, reduced oil pasta pesto: pasta cooking water and adding the ingredients to the pasta separately.

Serves 2
Active Time: 40 min, Total Time: 1 hour

1 live lobster, 1¼ lbs
½ lb fresh pasta or 2 servings
dried pasta (fettuccine or spaghetti)

⅓ c walnuts (or pine nuts)
2 garlic cloves
1 c fresh basil leaves, packed
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter
¼ c fresh grated Parmesan, divided
freshly ground pepper