Breakfast, lunch and dinner at Tiffany’s

You’ve heard it before, in early January, just when seasonal cellulite begins to emerge, the definition of jaw lines slowly disappears and people panic for a last-minute resolution: ‘I’m going to run the marathon this year.’ That’s how I justified my winter diet akin to something one would post on ThisIsWhyYoureFat.com.

The Boston Marathon, the oldest national race, will be on April 20, 2009, and although one may need prior marathon experience to run the beastly distance of 26 miles and 385 yards, anyone can follow the diet runners maintain days shy of the big event. Following the route of the marathon, we will visit locations where carbophiles can emulate the binges of pastas and proteins of all-star runners, while sitting back and enjoying their unaffected heart rate and blood pressure. Instead of forcing ‘wildberry runner goo’ down your esophagus, try these venues on Manic Monday.

Sauce on Main in Hopkinton is a Greek-focused restaurant; the menu offers a plethora of fusion dishes incorporating Mediterranean elements and even flavors from Southeast Asian. Chicken salad over mixed greens with fresh fruit provides protein and limited fiber for $7. The sandwiches and paninis offered are classic, but not too creative. They include a prosciutto and mozzarella, Asian grilled beef wrap and tuna salad. This light fare will be good to start the day for a light brunch. Especially noteworthy is the asparagus and crab soup, a creamy concoction that is surprisingly light and fresh, the perfect complement to the morning.

Following the herd, we move inbound to Cleveland Circle, to a little bistro called Devlin’s. Skip the generally uninspiring salad checklist and immediately opt for the P.E.I. mussels ($9), which come swimming in a garlicky, white wine broth and a crispy crotini, or the butternut squash ravioli, a perfect dish for transitioning seasons with its savory brown butter sauce and plump pasta ($9). The spicy, crispy calamari is always a prime choice, but you wouldn’t want an acid indigestion attack while mobilizing toward the finish line. With the eyes on the prize, move toward the extensive pasta menu where a spaghetti Bolognese ($17) is doused in a veal-based tomato ragu, or the fettuccini (also $17) with plump chicken breast, smoky prosciutto in a subtly sweet wave of plum tomato sauce. The pizza offered is also high brow: my handpicked favorite is the prosciutto, fig jam and bleu cheese pie.

More than halfway through the route we find ourselves at Audubon, a trendy bar and restaurant comfortably situated on Beacon Street, in the heart of Boston University’s South Campus. For lunch and dinner, the scene is informal; the friendly bartender doubles as a server, bussing back toasted marcona almonds ($5) and the creamy but hearty white bean puree with grilled bread ($5), light fare for a light price. The pressed rib eye sandwich is surprising with pickled onion and asiago, flavors that seem too salty to match, but blend seamlessly on the toasty flatbread ($9). The grilled salmon is a decent-sized portion, but I found mine to be slightly overcooked and under seasoned. However, the savory, flavorful French lentils redeemed the dish.

We culminate the culinary marathon at Sel de la Terre (SDLT), a contemporary French restaurant that shares the credibility of its neighboring sister restaurant L’Espalier, but with less pretension and more fun.’ The winner of the Boston Magazine’s award for ‘Best Bread’ in 2005, SDLT offers an incredible lunch menu. Opt for the selection of imported French olives ($6) to tempt your palate for the house-made charcuterie platter ($14), with cured ham, rilletes and myriad p’acirc;t’eacute;s. The saut’eacute;ed striped bass is lean but rich, equipped with beets and mustard spaetzle, an eastern European dumpling ($17). The Rosemary pomme frites are integral ($7.50), especially with the burger maison ‘-‘- grilled local beef with sharp Vermont cheddar and smoked bacon ($16). Although this marathon diet may not do much to remove the tire around your waist, there’s always next year.