Yummy Oatmeal Cookies!

I stumbled across this recipe for some no-refined-sugar-added cookies when a friend commented on a photo on Facebook.  Thought I'd give them a try today, and they turned out very delicious!  Dairy-free, and easy to make gluten-free, too!  (The particular oatmeal I used does contain some wheat products.)

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 3 ripe, mashed bananas
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 cups oats (I used some oatmeal with flax seed in it)
• 1/4 cup almond milk (I used coconut milk)
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon

WHAT TO DO:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Sliced and mashed the bananas.  I added the applesauce, stirring to mix it all up.
• Added the cinnamon and vanilla.
• Next I added the oats, one cup at time, mixing to coat.
• Last, I added the coconut milk and raisins.  (Next time, I think I'll add some nuts, too!)
• Bake at 350.  The recipe said 15-20 minutes, I did close to 30 minutes.  End result was, once they cooled, the texture was a lot more cookie-like than I figured it would be!

Thoughts on Boston

I woke up this morning, the day after the bombing at the Boston Marathon, and I was really angry.

I was angry about the many people, crowding the streets to show support for their family members and friends, who were injured.  I was angry about the 8-year-old boy, murdered just moments after running out to give his dad a hug.  And angry about his sister, who like many, lost a limb.  I was angry for people like my friend Aaron, who has trained for most of his life just to get to Boston, only to have his accomplishment tarnished.  I was also angry for the people who trained so hard but didn't get to finish, robbed of the joyous moment you feel crossing the finish line.  Some might find that irrational in light of so many more tragic stories.

Looking through the news this morning, I just found it all unbearable.  Too much sadness, too much pointing fingers before we even have answers.  Too much fear.    And it's hard not to be fearful.  It's hard not to think, "This could have been anywhere." It could have been New York.  It could have been the Chicago or Detroit marathons, both of which my husband and I have been at more than once.  How do you even begin to make peace with the senselessness?

So I did what I always do when I'm angry, or upset, or stressed; I went for a run.

Here is what happened while I ran down the Bicentennial Trail here in Portage.

I ran the first half mile quietly, without music.  Just the birds and my feet.  Soft sounds.  I reflected on the people who lost family, or have injured family.  I said words for them.  I thanked the powers that be that my friends there that day were safe, and accounted for.  I thought about how thankful I am that we have a community that embraces all runners, all people; the same community that organized a run tonight at the trail I ran on today, to show solidarity with the people in Boston.  (If you'd like to go and run, walk, or just show support, here is the info: Kalamazoo Solidarity Run)

For the rest of my run, the sun came out.  I smiled and waved at the people who, like me, were out moving.  I melted when a rollerblader went past with two dachshund puppies on leashes, dashing out ahead happily.  I noted things in the blogspace I keep in my head.  I picked up my pace.  I concentrated on my breathing.  I focused.

And when I was done with four miles, I sat on the warm pavement and just kind of soaked up the sunshine for a minute.  We are so lucky.  We are lucky for every day we get on this planet.  We are lucky for the life that courses through our veins, our muscles.  It would be shameful to waste that life on fear.

Runners are a close community, but one with open arms.  When I first started running, I was embraced by my Kalamazoo Area Runners family.  After that, by my Borgess Run Camp family.  And after that, my EPIC Crew family.  It is not uncommon to meet someone at a race, while running, and form a friendship.  This is maybe part of why yesterday's tragedy struck such a resonant chord with so many, worldwide even.  Because runners are a family, and we take care of our family.

And I wish for peace and healing for all of our family affected.

"And it's hard to dance with the devil on your back- so shake it out."                                       ~ Florence + the Machine

Gazelle Girl tomorrow and running playlist!

So, tomorrow is the big Gazelle Girl Half-Marathon in Grand Rapids.  It's kind of cool because a), it's the first year for it, and b) it's all girls.  It should be neat, I'm pretty excited.  My husband is coming along to cheer us on, since he always does the marathon when I do halfs... makes it hard for him to see me finish!  To get pumped for a new spring of races, I've put together a new playlist of jams.  Some slow, some fast, some old, some new, hip hop, rock, oldies... because sometimes you gotta play it cool, and sometimes you need a boost!  In case anyone is looking for a few new songs for THEIR workout mix, here is about 2.3 hours worth...

Just Give Me A Reason- Pink (featuring Nate Ruess)
Takin' Care of Business- Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Hall of Fame- The Script
I Cry- Flo Rida
Troublemaker- Olly Murs
Takin' It To the Streets- Doobie Brothers
Harlem Shake- Baauer (I'll probably last all of 20 seconds into this one...)
Shake Ya Tailfeather- Nelly
Higher Ground- TNGHT
Anything Could Happen- Ellie Goulding
Mutha***ka Up- Tyga
Shake It Out- Florence + the Machine
Someday We'll Be Together- Diana Ross & The Supremes
Ni**as in Paris- Kanye West & Jay-Z
Can't Hold Us- Macklemore
Young Blood- Naked & Famous
Johnny B Goode- Chuck Berry
Good Time- Carly Rae Jepsen & Owl City
Thrift Shop- Macklemore
Take A Walk- Passion Pit
Lights- Ellie Goulding
Wipe Out- The Surfaris
Ain't No Mountain High Enough- Diana Ross
Suit & Tie- Justin Timberlake
Solsbury Hill- Peter Gabriel
You Make My Dreams- Hall & Oates
ABC- Jackson 5
Gone, Gone, Gone- Phillip Phillips
Little Secrets- Passion Pit
Carry On- Fun.
Stronger- Kanye West
My Girl- Temptations
Power- Kanye West
Feelin' Alright- Joe Cocker
How Sweet It Is- Marvin Gaye
My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark- Fall Out Boy

Hope everyone has a great weekend, and good luck to those running Gazelle Girl OR their first 13 at Borgess Run Camp tomorrow!  I know so many people who are out there, working hard towards 5k's, 13.1's, marathons... I love seeing so many people doing something awesome.

Until later...

"The reason we race isn't so much to beat each other, but to be with each other." ~ Christopher McDougall, "Born to Run" 

Honey Yogurt Brownies

I was craving something sweet tonight, and went on a hunt for some brownies I could eat.  I came up with a recipe from Krithi's Kitchen that I modified slightly (head to the link for the original recipe).  These aren't super sweet, but they are definitely dense and turned out yummy!

WHAT YOU NEED: 

All-purpose flour (I used whole wheat) - 1/2 cup
Unsweetened Cocoa powder - 1/3 cup
Baking powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Greek Yogurt - 1/2 cup (I used plain, but vanilla may add more sweetness)
Honey - 3/4 cup (Can substitute sugar)
Vanilla - 1 tsp
Egg - 1 
Chopped strawberries (optional)

WHAT TO DO:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine ingredients.  I transferred mine to a glass pan I blasted with cooking spray.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.... mine seemed happy at 25.  

No-bake cookies!

Hey, all!  It's been a while.  Nothing like the winter slump between race season and run camp starting up... you know, that month or two that I get in a couple miles a week just to feel like I did something, but can't understand why I feel so out of shape?

The good news is, Borgess Run Camp is back underway; despite being struck down with that two-week flu everyone keeps raving about, I seem to be injury-free thus far.  This year I'll be training for the half-marathon again.  I'm already signed up for several spring halfs and a winter half in about a week and a half (yikes!), including the inaugural Portage Winterblast, the inaugural Gazelle Girl (girls only!), the Bayshore, and I still need to get signed up for Borgess.  I'm hoping my training goes well and I stay healthy.  My goal, besides mileage, is to start working more strength training/core work into my week.  Even if I just start with one session a week, it's better than zero.  People keep giving me all of these great exercises, and I just keep thinking I'll do them and then become complacent.  My husband and I always lament that we watch Biggest Loser while playing around on our laptops when we could be doing sets of crunches or something... so that's going to change, too.

But hey, this post was supposed to be about no-bake cookies...!  I went to a Super Bowl party last weekend, and wanted to bring some dessert that was "safe" for me to eat.  I made these no-bakes that I rolled into small balls instead of larger cookies.  The recipe doesn't make a ton, so you may wish to double it.  Also, I added a bit of cinnamon to the mixture.  Delicious, with a few healthy fats (peanut butter and coconut oil!), antioxidants (cinnamon and cocoa powder!) and some fiber (oats and whole wheat flour!), too.  Enjoy!

Yummy no-bake cookies!

Chocolate milk... sugary treat or recovery drink?

Chocolate milk.  I have been hearing for the better part of a year that chocolate milk is a "perfect" recovery drink.  After hearing people like Jamie Oliver talk about the evils of flavored milk, I know I found this to be confusing.  Are we saying chocolate milk, the sugary twin of regular milk, is good now?  What is this new world I live in where chocolate milk and whole eggs are now nutritious?  Who can sort this out for me?

I was listening to a Jillian Michaels' podcast this morning on my commute, and she was totally trashing chocolate milk.  In her opinion, the "chocolate milk as a recovery drink" movement was concocted by the dairy industry, and is complete bull.  What struck me is that she was ripping it a new one without a second thought.  This made me realize: I've been assuming it's crap without really doing any research into it. 

Here's what Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, has to say about three reasons why chocolate milk is special:

#1. Its ideal 3 to 1 ratio of carbohydrate grams to protein grams, which appears to enhance glycogen replenishment into the muscles post workout. Regular milk has a carb to protein ratio of about 2 to 1.

#2. It contains whey protein, which is digested and absorbed quickly, getting essential amino acids circulating in the blood stream soon after consumption. Whey protein is thought to enhance the building and repair of muscle. Twenty percent of the protein in milk is whey protein.

#3. It also contains the protein casein, which is digested and absorbed more slowly than whey protein and sustains amino acids in the circulation many hours after consumption. Casein is thought to reduce the amount of muscle breakdown. (Magee, 8/17/11, Chocolate Milk vs Recovery Drinks: Which One Comes Out On Top?, http://blogs.webmd.com/healthy-recipe-doctor/2011/08/chocolate-milk-vs-recovery-drinks-which-one-comes-out-on-top.html)
 

 So, I can see how chocolate milk might have a post-workout benefit.  But is chocolate milk right for everyone?  I personally like to have have a handful of almonds and some coconut water, because I don't eat refined sugar and coconut water is great for replacing electrolytes.  (Another favorite post-workout snack is a cup of greek yogurt with some crushed walnuts, pomegranate seeds, and a drizzle of honey... yum!!).  In my own opinion, chocolate milk might be best suited for those who just completed a really vigorous workout and need to supplement without putting a bunch of food in their stomach.  If you just ran a marathon, you're probably not ready to chow down solid food immediatley after.  But you'll need to replace some energy (calories), and also start repairing muscle.  So perhaps a bottle of chocolate milk will aid in doing that. 

If you just went to the gym, did a half hour on the eliptical, and lifted some weights, I'd probably suggest going with a more substantial snack post-workout.  I'm not saying you didn't go to the gym and do work; but chance are good that you a) didn't burn 3,000 calories, and b) are going to be hungry soon after your workout.  Know that an 8 oz serving of low-fat chocolate milk has roughly 190 calories; you don't want to undo a good workout with just a beverage.  Plan ahead for a post-workout snack that will fuel you, fill you, and try to eat it within an hour of working out (when the muscles absorb the most nutrients and energy is replaced most efficently).  Yes- you should eat something after you work out, even if you're trying to lose weight.  Refeuling is part of training.

All of that said, if you choose chocolate milk, be wary of what you are buying.  This is not permission to drink a bottle of Nesquik after your workout.  Opt for 8 ounces of low-fat, organic, chocolate milk to avoid hormones and antibitotics, as well as any other garbage many chocolate milks have.  And remember, not everyone agrees with the idea that chocolate milk is a recovery drink.  "Chocolate Milk as a Post-Exercise Recovery Aid" (http://oakbrooksc.com/docs/stager_chocmilk_study.pdf) is probably the first study you'll see if you Google this topic, and the nine men (what, no women?) followed in this study were all elite (ie high-performance) cyclists.  Also, some say that this study was funded by the Dairy Council.  So, choose what's best for you and your training, but know that chocolate milk is probably not best for everybody. 

Oh- and more on why whole eggs actually ARE amazing another time.  Until later...

6 post-workout snacks from Fitness magazine.
Trainers reveal some of their favorite post-workout snacks in Shape magazine.
Post-workout snack ideas for vegans!

Getting back my inspiration

There was a time in my life when I ran purely for the feeling of accomplishment.

With Kenny and Kimmy for our first 5k in 2002.  

I'm not sure if I've talked about it before, but at the age of 22 I ran my very first 5k with two good friends of mine.  It was my last semester of college, and my friend Kenny and I spent a lot (a LOT) of hours in the gym.  I'm not sure why. I honestly don't remember what possessed us to wake up one morning and say, "You know what would be awesome?  If we spent, like, two hours a day in the gym.  Let's make sure we follow it up with 15 minutes in the tanner while we're at it.  Check out this tattoo of a Playboy bunny I've been marking into my hip with this sticker!"  (But seriously.  I did that?  Who was I?)  The point is, we were young, bored with our last semester of college, and once we started getting in shape, it was like something took over and we were just obsessed.

This workout obsession culminated into the idea that we'd run a 5k.  It seemed like a huge undertaking, this 5k.  Like, "HOW IN THE WORLD ARE WE GOING TO RUN THREE MILES???"  But we got there, we did what we needed to do, we finished.  We didn't time ourselves; we didn't even wear the timing chips.  We didn't over-think how fast we were or were not going.  We struggled up the hills, but we made it up them, and were proud.  We didn't beat ourselves up that "we could have done better" or "got beat by a six-year-old".  No; we finished, we smiled, we high-fived, and I called my mom excitedly to shout that I DID IT.  I ran a 5k.

Fast-forward ten years and I am still running, with more goals and more obsessing.  Only now, it seems like I have been running less and less for the accomplishment, and more and more because I want to beat someone or PR or get a medal.  Medals are great.  Beating the other girls in my age group is great.  Beating my fastest time is great.  But that feeling I had when I finished that 5k and couldn't believe what I had done?  That was top.  I have been missing that feeling.

Two weekends ago I did a half-marathon called the Park 2 Park, in Holland.  I tried not to psyche myself out about the lack of work I had done to prepare for it.  I went into it with an open-mind and a solid plan following the Galloway method (I should do a post on that running method sometime): I would run for four minutes, followed by a minute of walking, and repeat, repeat, repeat.

A storm brewing; September 2012

It started out a gorgeous morning; cool temps, sunny skies.  I ran the first four or five miles with my old 5k buddy, Kenny; he started me on this new Galloway path, as he has been using it to train for his first marathon.  After those first miles,  I sent him on his way (I knew he had his sights set on a PR) and continued on my own.  Mile six/seven brought us to the shores of Lake Michigan.  Trouble was on its way inland; dark skies that looked to be carrying more than rain were closing in.

By mile eight, there were some thunder rumbles and a few lightening flashes.  I heard a rumor that the race was called, but no one around me seemed to be stopping... so I kept on going.  Mile nine, the lightening seemed to have subsided for the moment; but there was torrential rain.  Hey!  Rain!  It felt good!  I kept going!

A police cruiser edged slowly down the road, announcing that the race was cancelled, there were shuttles available.  Still- me and everyone around me kept trudging towards the finish.

Mile ten.  I got a text from a friend, asking if she needed to come pick me up.  I texted her back and said, "Not stopping til they make me".  I kept going.

Mile eleven.  I felt a sharp sting on my arms.  Hail.  Lots of hail.  I put my jacket back on.  I kept going.

Mile twelve.  My knee began hurting badly, probably because I had abandoned Galloway at mile eight with the lightening, so that I could get back to base camp quicker.  I found another girl struggling through the rain, hail, the sideways wind.  We started talking about her kids.  We kept the conversation going through the last mile, chatting as though we weren't running through ridiculous conditions.  It kept my mind off the ache in my knee.  We just kept going.

When I reached the finish chute, there were no timing mats.  They were winding up the pennant strings lining the finish.  It was just people standing in the rain, shouting to keep going, just finish.  As I crossed where the mats had previously been and got my bottle of water, I felt... awesome. I felt like I had started something and refused to quit until I finished it.  I didn't care about my time or anything besides feeling like I had just done something amazing.

I think I really needed that renewal of spirit.  It's been a long and trying summer, between getting married (oh hey, I got married!) and scaling way back on the races.  Some of the scaling back was because of money and trying to save it; but some of that was just fear.  Fear that I would be beaten, fear that I couldn't do it.  So this win against the elements felt big to me.  That storm woke me up, it showed me I can still do this.

And maybe our biggest accomplishments are not in being the fastest or the best, but in doing the best we can with what we're given.  Don't ever shortchange yourself into thinking you can't do something, whether it's running a 5k or running a marathon or simply running a mile.  Every step counts.  You just have to make them.

me and my new husband at the Park 2 Park in 2012

“Accomplish but do not boast, accomplish without show, accomplish without arrogance, accomplish without grabbing, accomplish without forcing.” 
― Lao Tzu