Carb loading with Cake?

Back in the day when I trained, and ran the Rock n Roll Marathon in San Diego (2007) I was pretty consistent with my weekly carb-loading ritual.  Every  Saturday night before my long runs I ate a pasta dish of some sort.  Not too much red sauce or dairy...the red sauce becuase of it causing heartburn...the dairy because of it causing an upset stomach...or so I was told.  I still don't really know if either of those "myths" are true or not.  I didn't drink anything but water those nights (no red wine).  Anyway, on Sunday morning I would eat a whole wheat or multi-grain bagel with peanut butter.  I ran 15 and 20 mile runs on that...and felt good doing it (FYI- on those VERY long runs I also ate gu and drank electrolytes).  By the time I had run the marathon I was tired of running.  I looked at running as more of a "must do" rather than a "want to" do.   I stopped running for almost a year.  I'd been so consumed by the number of miles I HAD to get in that the running stopped being fun.   But....

Things have changed.

I now generally look at running in a different way.  Running is:

• Getting and staying helathy
• A quick escape in a very busy (but very loved) life
• Bonding with my Conner (and hopefully someday Kellen) when Conner joins me for the run or the cooldown
• Healing
• Feeling the earth beneath my feet and the sun on my face...love
• Usually fun...because I must admit that their are SOME days where its harder to put my sneakers and running clothes on than other days

Ultimately, running is something I WANT TO DO but on MY TERMS.  Which brings me back to the carb-loading ritual of years past.  I am no longer interested in doing it "by the book" althgough I will always be safe and not run when I'm ill or feeling pain anywhere.  But, damnit....if I want to eat a piece of chocolate mousse cake the night before a race (or a glass of wine) I'm going to do it.  I've never been a fast runner and I only compete against myself...so...why should I be so worried about what I eat the night before a race?

I don't know but I'll let you know tomorrow after I run the Rockeater Adventure Race after eating that super tasty chocolate mousse cake whether or not it makes a difference!