Spring is around the corner, which means everyone is scrambling to the Rec Center in hopes to get fit for spring break. I am included in this group of people, but this year I am taking a slightly different approach.

In November, I decided training for a half-marathon would be the perfect way to get into shape. I told all of my friends and family that I was going to run the Snake River Canyon half-marathon. When I decided to run the race, the event was months away so I had no doubts about my capabilities of finishing the event – even though I had never run more than two miles in my life. The race was Saturday, and I had mixed feelings about the grueling 13.1 miles. To be honest, I had only trained about 75 percent as much as I should have. One thing I did learn through all of my workouts is eating properly before a tough workout session is key. I had already planned my morning meals – a huge breakfast at 6 a.m., and another light snack at 9 a.m., an hour before my race. This granola recipe is a pre-marathon must. It is packed with protein and the right carbs I needed to finish the race. I like making my own granola because I find that a lot of store-bought granola is loaded with fake sugar. This way, I can control the amount of sugar in the granola to ensure I won’t get a sugar crash halfway through my race. The recipe is super simple, and you can substitute most of the ingredients for other preferences like different dried fruits, nuts and seeds.

This recipe comes from Mark Bittman, a blogger for the New York Times. Makes about 8 cups (at least 16 servings). Time – 40 minutes.

Ingredients •6 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant) •2 cups mixed nuts and seeds: sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds or cashews •1 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut, optional •1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste •Dash salt •1/2 to 1 cup honey or maple syrup, or to taste •1 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit, optional Into this base of rolled oats, you can stir just about any dry ingredient imaginable: other grains, like flakes of rye or wheat, dried fruit, spices like cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, cardamom, orange zest, crystallized ginger, peanut butter, even chocolate chips. And of course, any nut or seed you can think of. I favor a combination of cashews, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and pecans.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine oats, nuts and seeds, coconut, cinnamon, salt and sweetener. Place on a sheet pan and put in oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mixture should brown evenly. The browner it gets without burning, the crunchier the granola will be.

Remove pan from oven and add raisins or dried fruit. Cool on a rack, stirring once in a while until granola reaches room temperature. Transfer to a sealed container and store in refrigerator. It will keep indefinitely.