Day 119: The Power of Pasta (and a Dash of Panic)
Today shall henceforth be referred to as Pasta Bake Day . Not merely a nod to a comforting dinner staple, but a full-blown carbohydrate crusade in the name of glycogen. I have consumed what can conservatively be estimated as three enormous bowls of pasta bake—enough to comfortably feed six normal human beings or one slightly obsessive marathon runner on the edge of taper-induced madness. A Culinary Marathon Begins The day started innocently enough. Two toasted bagels and a strong coffee to open proceedings—because while pasta is king this close to race day, one must not disrespect the ancient breakfast rites. By 11am, the call came: the first bowl of pasta bake. Steaming, cheesy, laced with sausage and layered like an edible safety blanket, it was absolutely divine. The kind of meal that makes you momentarily forget the existential weight of Sunday’s upcoming 26.2 miles. But like all good things, the second bowl—consumed two hours later—was not greeted with the same enthusiasm. Some...