Hospital offers training tips with half-marathom looming

Just three weeks remain before the Third-Annual Houma Heart and Soles Half-Marathon and 5K at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center.

To help participants prepare for the big day, Terrebonne General Medical Center and the Cardiovascular Institute of the South would like to offer training tips to the community.

TGMC will write a weekly column series each Wednesday leading up to the race.

In this week’s entry, the hospital lists another training schedule and gives a delicious recipe for a healthy dish that can be used while preparing for the race.

The schedule below is your recommended training workout for each day this week.

Monday – 45 minutes of stretching and strength or cross training

Tuesday – 5 mile run easy; stay playing out the race in your head, imagining the finish

Wednesday – 3 mile run or cross training (swimming, biking, elliptical)

Thursday – 5 mile run easy plus stretching and strength training

Friday – Rest day

Saturday – 60 minutes of cross training

Sunday – 9 mile run; start focusing on hydration and nutrition

Always consult your doctor before you make a drastic change to your exercise plan.

When training, it is important to maintain a healthy diet. You will need complex carbohydrates, protein and unsaturated fats to give you the fuel you need to run the half-marathon. Here is an example of a healthy recipe you can try while training.

Bowtie Pasta with chicken, broccoli and Feta

Preparation time: 30 minutes, serves: 4

Ingredients

-2 cups (8 oz) whole wheat bowtie pasta

-1 Tbsp olive oil

-1 tsp garlic, minced

-1 cup mushrooms, rinsed and chopped

-4 cups broccoli, cooked

-1 cup grilled chicken breast, boneless, skinless, diced

-2 cups (16 oz) chicken broth, low-sodium

-1 Tbsp lemon juice

-2 oz Feta cheese, low-fat

Directions: Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Add mushrooms and heat until soft. Add broccoli, diced chicken and chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Simmer for three minutes. Add pasta and toss gently. Continue to simmer until pasta is hot. Add lemon juice and feta, and toss gently. Serve.

Nutritional Information per Serving: 430 Calories, 49g Carbohydrates, 39g Protein, 8g Dietary Fiber, 9g Total Fat, 590mg Sodium.

The 3rd Annual Houma Heart and Soles Half-Marathon and 5K will take place on Saturday, December 1 at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center.

For more information about the race, those interested can contact www.tgmc.com/halfmarathon.