When eating is the main event

The Reservation-- where it all begins

As I have started to venture into the world of Ultramarathoning, one main thing has struck me to be all together foreign, even more so than the idea of running 56 miles: The total replacement of the term eating/food/meals with the very sterile, very boring word “nutrition”. I cannot count the amount of times I’ve heard or read the statement “What is your nutrition plan?” or “Getting your nutrition right is critical” in the last 2 months. It is almost as if the world of endurance athletics has forgotten all together that no matter how useful food is to keep your body working for hours at a time, it is also fun. And, no matter what, I refuse to forget that. Therefore, I am starting a campaign to keep my love of meals and eating, even throughout the next several months of training. What better way of honoring great food and meals, than to remember a couple moments when eating was, really, the main event.

Florence, Italy. Parmigiano Romano + Fresh Honey
The perfect little Italy restaurant (Da Lucia) in the Trastevere area of Rome and the most amazing party in my mouth, ever. I ordered the whole thing and ate the whole thing. The best use of calories I can think of in a long time.

Licata, Sicily. La Madia. Menu Clasico
The most expensive meal I have ever paid for and probably ever will. Yet, worth every penny. A 4 hour dining experience at the 5-star Michelin “La Madia” in the very unexpecting town of Licata.

Mt. Etna, Sicily (near Taormina). Unnamed Café. “To Go” Coffee—Italian style.
Of course I knew better than to think Italians drank coffee to go, but after touring around all day and eating very little, I needed some coffee. Yet, we were headed up to a volcano, so I had to ask for it “to go”. After much confusion, the waiter finally spent the next 10 minutes making the perfect, incredibly secure “to go” coffee. Small plastic cup, tons of aluminum foil, and a perfectly secured sugar and stirring device right in the package ended up being the perfect “to go” coffee ever.