Banana Cream Granola Parfaits + MCM Registration

It's Marine Corps Marathon registration day. Where thousands of runners vie for their chance to run the People's Marathon. I don't know which is scarier - trying to get in or the morning before the race starts, standing in the freezing cold scared of what's before you.

Sometimes you forget why you signed yourself up for this torture - all the grueling hot and humid early morning training runs.

But on race day it all becomes clear. Whether you're having a good running day or not, beauty surrounds you. There's running through Rock Creek Park at the beginning, running over Key Bridge with the Potomac rippling under you, going down M Street with its cheering crowds, the long trek down to Hains Point, finally making it to the Mall, running in front of the Capital, beating the bridge, meandering through Crystal City and finally making it back to Arlington. That hill at the end is nothing. It's all worth it, and it doesn't hurt you get your medal from a Marine.

So how do you secure your spot?

1) Take @orginalstalet's advice: typing drills.

2) If you don't get in on registration day, look on MCM's Facebook page. I decided to run after the registration date in 2010. I looked on the page and people were posting their bibs they could no longer use because of injury, etc. You can legally transfer up to a certain date.

3) Stay calm while waiting on registration time by making a banana cream granola parfait. You don't want to be weak when the frantic website reloading and info entering occurs.

Fingers crossed, this will be my fourth MCM. It's the only marathon I've ever done, but I'm pretty sure it's one of the best. Good luck to everyone trying to register. It's a great race.

These parfaits do require work the day before, but it makes breakfast easy the next day. Just layer everything together and you have a sweet and filling breakfast.

Banana Cream Granola Parfaits Adapted from Forks over Knives

Makes about 12    4 oz   parfaits

Ingredients

Banana Cream:

• 1   16 oz   package silken tofu
• 3 ripe bananas
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt

• 1 batch Maple Coconut Granola

• Strawberries and blueberries - or your favorite fruit

Instructions

Blend top ingredients in a blender (silken tofu, bananas, lemon juice, brown rice syrup, vanilla extract and salt) until smooth and creamy, about five minutes.

Chill overnight.

Layer parfaits: pour 2 medium spoonfuls of banana cream into glass, top with 3 small spoonfuls of granola, 3 sliced strawberries, 6 blueberries. Repeat until glass filled. Top with granola and a drop of cream.