In September I completed my first half marathon. And I had been running since then, just not with very high intensity. I think I was kind of burnt out and needed a break.

But in January I began training again. We had plans of completing another half next weekend but plans changed and we no longer are. Looks like I’m just going to be extra prepared when one does come my way!

As most runners know, it is important to properly fuel your body before a long run. There are tons of different theories and ideas out there but really it is all about figuring out what works best for you.

I’ve come to realize that this pre-run meal is not only amazingly delicious, but is a perfect combo for fueling my runs!

I call it… GBT melts, or gooey bacon tomato melts.

This was actually a breakfast we ate growing up. I recently asked my Mom if it was actually something she made because I had faint (and fond) memories of eating it and wanted to make sure it wasn’t a dream. Yes, food is dreamy to me.

Normally I make the GBT melt on a plain ole english muffin. But I was sent a loaf of Hearty Wheat with Flax bread from Nature’s Pride + Foodbuzz and thought it would be even better to fuel my run!

1 slice of bread contains:

100 calories

1.5 g of fat

0g saturated fat

0g trans fat

0 mg cholesterol

130 mg sodium

17g carbs

3g fiber

4g sugar

5g protein

You will need:

•1 slice of Nature’s Pride Hearty Wheat with Flax

•1 medium tomato

•4 slices of microwave bacon

•1 oz. cheddar cheese

•1 tsp butter

•1 tsp flour

•1 TBS skim milk

1.) Slice tomato and microwave bacon for 1 minute on a paper towel.

2.) Now here comes the fun part! Ok, so I understand that when you make a roux (a thickening agent for sauces and such) you melt the butter, then slowly add flour, then milk. But for this recipe I found it works best if you add the butter, flour, milk and cheese all at the same time. Once you add the ingredients and the pot is heated at a medium heat, continually stir until everything is well mixed and the cheese melts. It will become a cheesy sauce within a matter of 3-4 minutes.

3.) Next, it is time to plate! Begin with the bread, sliced in half. You can toast the bread but I actually prefer it untoasted. I feel like I can taste the bread more and it has a better texture this way. Then, add sliced tomato.

Then add the bacon followed by the cheese sauce.

I also recently received a french press from Jay for my birthday! I love it because it makes a really great, strong cup of coffee in about 3 minutes. And the amount it makes is just perfect and the right amount of caffeine I need to fuel my run.

So satisfying and energizing I promise you’ll be able to run and run and run! And with all this fueling and running but nowhere to run…I might just be ready for a marathon in no time!