Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

Former Member — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 13:27:56 GMT

Ah, a man after my own heart. I couldn't agree with your keys to making pizza more. I love a thin crust. Here is a method that I use to make my pizza bases. www.101cookbooks.com/.../001199.html Syd Pizza can be a good source of nutrition the day before swimming. In a previous thread, I posted a recipe (below). Recently I tried the pizza with goat cheese and arugula pesto with basil and mint. It was incredible. The keys to my homemade pizza are: making the crust with part whole wheat flour and part white, rolling it very thin, and baking it on a very hot pizza stone. Enjoy!

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

Midas — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:05:19 GMT

I remember that while in the airport on the way down to Orlando for my first YMCA Nationals as a kid I stopped by the Sbarro's (probably spelling that wrong) and picked up a few slices of pizza. I was finishing off the third one when someone else from my team walked over and spotted me and said "you do know that cheese takes several days to digest so that'll sit like a rock in your stomach for your races?" I did not know that. I don't even know if it's true. I went on to swim my best times at Nationals but who knows? Maybe I would have been even faster had I laid off the pizza? The next year, I ate nothing but pasta for several days leading up to the plane flight down to Nationals and I got so knotted up the cramps were unbearable. I had to drop my "diet" and just eat a bunch of greasy food like burgers, etc. to make the pain go away. That year I swam my best times EVER. I remember reading that Mike Barrowman, one of the pioneers of the "wave" motion breaststroke and a person swimming idol, said he would eat nothing but Big Macs before his races. Maybe he had the right idea. I might try that for my next race...

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

Former Member — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:54:09 GMT

Pizza has its fans, I guess. food.yahoo.com/.../eat-to-lose-before-and-after-workouts See the section on "hit the wall aerobics".

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

Former Member — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:38:13 GMT

Now pizza is not that bad here is the real data on a Domino's Pizza almost perfect balance of carbs, fats and protein. www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c21r8.html

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

Former Member — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:19:33 GMT

Pizza is great any time of the day. I learned this in college when I was saving money from eating Ramen all day. I could afford pizza on the weekend when it wasn't spent on beer. I go for Lou Malnatti's or Ginos for sure. Gotta love Chicago pizza. As far a pre-race...there is no helping me swim faster or slower. I eat whatever I want as long as I like it.

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

Former Member — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:15:29 GMT

Another idea: Use Fat-free Mozzerella cheese, but add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to 8 ounces of cheese, mix it up and use that. This will cover a good sized- pizza and isn't much fat and has very little unhealthy fat. It melts fairly well, unlike plain fat-free cheese. -LBJ

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

Former Member — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 07:00:27 GMT

Pizza can be a good source of nutrition the day before swimming. In a previous thread, I posted a recipe (below). Recently I tried the pizza with goat cheese and arugula pesto with basil and mint. It was incredible. The keys to my homemade pizza are: making the crust with part whole wheat flour and part white, rolling it very thin, and baking it on a very hot pizza stone. Enjoy! Basic recipe for Pizza Dough 1 cup warm water 3 cups flour (approx) -- I use 1 cup whole wheat and a little less than two cups white 1 cake yeast 1/2 tsp. sugar Dissolve yeast in warm water with sugar. Add flour 1 cup at a time, and mix until it starts to come together. If you are adding other sesonings to the crust (dried basil, rosemary, oregano), add them with the flour so that they will be well distributed. Turn dough out on a wooden bread board dusted with flour. Knead until you get a smooth, elastic dough. Form a ball, and place in a bowl that has been lightly greased with olive oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 45 min to an hour, until doubled in size. Punch-down dough to get the air out, divide dough into three smaller balls, and store the two unused portions in ziploc bags in the freezer or refrigerator. Roll the remaining ball very thin (@ 1/4 to 1/8th inch). Place the rolled dough on a pizza paddle that is well-dusted with cornmeal, add your toppings, and bake in a pre-heated oven (hot - 475-500 degrees) for 8-10 minutes on a pizza stone. For toppings, I recommend using a lot less cheese than usual. Use a flavorful cheese, and a smaller amount. If you use mozzarella, try a very light sprinkling just as the "glue" to hold the other toppings in place. I have experimented with all types of flavored crusts, including Italian herb, sundried tomato, curry, and saffron/currant. Let your imagination run wild! Enjoy! Swimmer Bill

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

Former Member — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 05:39:44 GMT

John Naber showed up at a swim meet in Kalispell, MT in 1982 and gave a clinic and signed autographs. I remember one thing he said was to 'swim hungry' rather than eating beforehand.

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

Muppet — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 02:38:55 GMT

I love food. I am almost always snacking on something at meets, unless I forget food. Not a big fan of swimming hungry, cause although the faster I swim, the quicker I get food, I'm also thinking about it too much. Less focus on swimming.

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

Former Member — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:36:32 GMT

My meets are usually in the morning, so my usual pre-race food is oatmeal. But pizza is definitely the perfect POST meet food. :banana:

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

Former Member — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 14:55:35 GMT

Pizza can be a perfect balance of fat, carbs and protein. I have raced after Pizza and found no problems. I am a firm believer in what tastes good and does not make you sick, is the way to go. Look at the second post forums.usms.org/showthread.php

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

Former Member — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 13:35:23 GMT

Reading this I realized that I am not as aware of what I eat before a race or practice as some. What ever floats my boat at the time I will eat, from burgers on up to a true dining experience, its all good. I'm still in the stage where it is good to be swimming again, just glad to be here so to speak Got Boost

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

Former Member — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:25:15 GMT

I wish! Not for me. Had pizza (I rarely eat it) on a Thursday night and had a terrible practice (felt fatigued and like I was ready to puke) on Friday morning. I think it was the pizza. Too many carbs, cals and fat?! I do like it post a meet on occasion!

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

Donna — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 09:50:41 GMT

Pizza is not good for me either. I prefer steak and potato or fish and rice.

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

rtodd — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 08:19:40 GMT

I eat very light the day before a meet. I There is enough energy stored in the muscle. Being a bit hungry I think is OK. Better than trying to process food during a meet. I stay hydrated and have energy drink and maybe high glysemic carbs during meet. Rice krispie cake anyone? I love pizza after a meet.

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

Former Member — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 08:17:06 GMT

At Rosemary and Buck Dawson's camps they used to carbo load with lots of spaggetti. But well balabced meals in general.

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

Former Member — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 07:08:40 GMT

When I want to lose weight, I need to remind myself to cut back on the pizza, and not wait for the hunger feeling to go away. Me too. . . When I cut out only pizza and mexican food I dropped a clothing size.

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

Redbird Alum — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 04:13:17 GMT

When I was younger (a while ago) it was spaghetti with marinara and maybe a couple meatballs. Mostly spaghetti, and coffee or coke! Now that I'm older... it varies some...

RE: Is pizza the perfect pre-race dinner?

mattson — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 02:55:47 GMT

I love pizza (living near Chicago helps), but it does cause me problems. I can consume an unlimited amount of slices at any time (but digestion is another matter). When I want to lose weight, I need to remind myself to cut back on the pizza, and not wait for the hunger feeling to go away.