In all seriousness, figuring out what to eat so I can get the most from running has always been a huge question mark for me. Like you, no doubt, I know the basics of what I should eat: plenty of fruits and vegetables; lean protein like fish, poultry, and beans; and healthy carbs, like whole grain bread.

I know all of that. And so do you.

And yet, eating the way I know I should still is a challenge for me, even now that I’m in my fifties. Why? Because I’ve fallen into bad habits, most likely, from the time I was a kid. And developing those habits — as well as a taste for things like salty snacks, just to mention one — has put me in a pattern with eating I’ve always found very hard to get out of.

What I’m hoping is, writing it out like this to you will help me (finally!) commit to a healthier approach to what I put into my body. In a way, I’m using the newsletter to re-commit to a better diet for myself, to share with you what I learn, and as a side benefit get to eat some really good food along the way. Win-win, right?

Since I hope and expect this to become a semi-regular series, let me say from the start what I won’t be doing, or writing about: anything to do with powders, supplements or other products that come in a can or a jar. Anything in a bottle with a list of ingredients on the side. Anything with a name that looks, sounds, or is spelled like a drug.

(I’m not saying those things can’t be useful or a healthy part of a runner’s caloric intake. You do you. They’re just not my thing — unless, of course, they’re prescribed by a medical doctor.)

No, what I’ll be writing about — and making, for myself and my family in preparation for writing about it — is real food. Things that either came out of the ground, from a tree, or had parents. And that’s it.

All the while, I’ll aim to keep these runner’s diet guidelines from Johns Hopkins Medicine in mind — they’re common-sense, easy to follow, and uncomplicated principles I’ll try always to remember as I share recipes with you.

The first dish I wanted to share with you all is one I’ve now made a few times, a zesty lemon chicken kebab that doesn’t take a whole lot of preparation, just a quick trip to the grocery store for a few items you can buy for around $30 to $40, and can feed two to three.

Here’s everything you need to prepare it:

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