Today's Thoughts and a Recipe

Today didn't go as planned.  It happens.  I'm not terribly disappointed.  Last week my long run was an awesome 21 miles without stopping and I had hoped for a repeat and maybe push it to 22 miles.  Didn't happen.  At mile 8 my left ankle began to hurt.  Same ankle and same location as two weeks ago.  Because I'm leaving for Panama on a mission trip in four days and I have a marathon in a month, I decided to call it quits and walk.  It didn't hurt to walk so I didn't even think about calling someone for a ride home.  So, mile 8.5 I begin to walk.  Then I realize - I'm a long way from home!  Sure enough, I walk 6.5 miles.  It wasn't too hot (I had started at 5:30 am) so I wasn't miserable.  Things like this happen and I got the time on my feet, which is good for my training. I think praying during the entire 3+ hours really helped me stay positive, no, I know it did.

I prayed about such things as the state of this world, how people get so wrapped up in other people's business.  I don't really care who's doing what to whom or what someone I don't know is doing to their body, what this country is doing or if the sky is falling.  What other people do is between them and God. 

Let me re-phrase this:  I care, I'm simply not going to let outside forces manipulate my thoughts and behaviors. I had a long discussion with one of my children the other day about control.  Do what you can, not what you can't.  You have control over your own thoughts and words and actions. Nothing more. The rest is in God's hands.  The battle isn't between ISIS and the world, between this person or that person and the media, it IS between God and Satan.  I know for a fact who has already won (God) and, therefore, I don't sweat the little stuff - such as what other people/governments/media/political groups do or think.  

This does not, however, mean that you should not be involved and sit on your thumbs.  Do what you can, not what you can't.  Volunteer at a homeless mission, vote, plant seeds of the Good News, teach people truth, do a good deed, be kind and love one another, etc.  

So, read the news, listen to the media, listen to your family/friends/neighbors then think "What can I do that is positive?"  Gossip about him/her/the situation?  No.  Worry?  No.  Post inflammatory comments all over social media?  No.  

Do one good thing.

Then do another.

Love your neighbor.  

Trust in the one true God that has already won the war.
John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."


Now, back to today.  

I'm sitting here on my couch, feet up, craving chocolate.

I've got my compression socks on, feet propped up after my "long run" and I'm craving something sweet.  I eat a few jelly beans, but that doesn't do it.

Cookies!!  I want cookies, but not just any cookies because I'm allergic to dairy and don't eat store bought cookies.

Mixing up a batch. 

I decide to whip up a batch of double chocolate, espresso cookies.  Dark chocolate chips, cacao powder, espresso powder, and lots of love.

Almost ready for the oven.

You have to press them down because they don't spread.

Fresh out of the oven.

Yummy double chocolate chip espresso cookies!

RECIPE:

2-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup plus 2 TBS all-natural applesauce
1/2 cup plus 1 TBS coconut oil
1-1/2 cup agave or honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
8 oz dairy-free dark chocolate chips
1/2 c cacao powder (not cocoa powder)
2 tsp espresso powder

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream together wet ingredients then add the chocolate chips.  Add dry ingredients.  If the batter seems dry add more applesauce.  
Spoon batter onto parchment paper
Spray your fingers with non-stick spray and press the batter.  These will not spread out.  You can leave them in little balls if you want, just turn temp to 325 and cook a little longer.
Bake for 8 minutes, let cool, then enjoy with a cold glass of almond milk or other non-dairy milk.

Here are a few more pics of some recipes I've recently tried:

Spinach crackers

Frozen banana bombs

No bake vegan carrot cake

Hope you enjoyed the blog and the recipe!  

The Road to Deseret

Friends and family have often asked me how I'm able to run a marathon, much less a 5K.  It's no secret - one foot in front of the other.

Seriously though, it takes training, time, patience, and the right resources.  I have used several training logs/plans/programs including Galloway, Runner's World, and my all-time favorite Strength Running.  I've learned a lot from each plan - schedules, nutrition, injury prevention, strength, and keeping a log. 

This is my log.

I've never kept a running log, at least not a detailed one.  I kept on my mirror a list - 
Sunday - rest
Monday - short run
Tuesday - strength
Wednesday - short run
Thursday - core
Friday - Long run
Saturday - cross train

I generally adhered to that, tweaked it as necessary, but didn't really think about keeping a journal until this race.  The upcoming race, in July, will be my sixth marathon.  I want to look back and see what worked, what didn't, how I can do better the next time without spending hours looking over Facebook posts.  

If you're a runner looking for a training plan for your next or first race, read with the following in mind - This is how I trained, it worked for me (I hope).  It is not your perfect textbook training plan.  I've made mistakes, slacked off when I should have pushed and vice versa, and I've had setbacks.  Read my journal, laugh, cry, shake your head and think 'well that was dumb', applaud, whatever, then go back up to the links and find a plan for you.  

Be warned - it is long.  The log/journal started way back on March 30th.  The workouts listed such as Sabre, Stiletto, Ballista, etc. come from Strength Running.  You can look them up online and on YouTube.  I don't list specific abdominal exercises.  Again, find them online.


3/30/2015 - Sabre Warm Up.  10-mile run, 1 mile walk
3/31/2015 - Standard Core, Stilletto, Treadmill 40 minutes
4/1 - Sabre
4/2 - 11 miles, strength
4/3 - abs
4/6 - Warm up, Clay Loop 9.79 miles.  Clay Loop video
4/7  - Treadmill, strength
4/8 - 10.3 miles with hills, Pike
4/9 - 14 miles Clay Loop.  On this run I met Desiree Linden and her training team. Quite the honor.
4/10 - Strength, abs
4/11 - 6 miles treadmill with negative incline.  Explanation - My next race is about 90% downhill.  So, I raised the back end of my treadmill up with 2x4 boards, initially, to give me a constant downhill.
4/13 - 10 miles Clay Loop, squats
4/14 - Ballista, Core, Stilletto, treadmill walk
4/15 - 10 miles easy.  Didn't sleep well the night before.  Saw a noisy crane during my run.
4/16 - abs, 10.3 miles Clay Loop, squats
4/17 - treadmill - 45 minutes easy; 7 mph 2 min/4/4; 8 mph 1/1/1:30; 6-7 2 min - total 9.5 miles
4/20 - core (abs and core are basically the same)
4/20 - Apopka Loop with a group 12.7 miles.  Saw lots of wild critters.  Apopka Loop Trail video.
4/21 - West Orange bike trail 12.72 miles
4/22 - core, strength, sprints 7 miles
4/23 - core
4/24 - 16 miles around my neighborhood in Apopka.
4/27 - rainy day.  strength, 10 miles on treadmill up to a 5 incline
4/28 - rainstorms again.  Treadmill, stairs in my house, core, strength, negative incline walk.
4/29 - Sick on the couch.  Nothing.
4/30 - 10 miles easy
5/1 - Sick day again.  I don't like being sick!
5/2 - High school stadium stairs.  

Running the steps

Strength Training

See the blue steps?  I ran a lap around the track then up and down all six sets of steps.  Repeated the circuit four times.  Plus, there are 9 steps up on each side and two set of nine steps in the center.
5/4 - Core (Bob Harper's YouTube channel), Apopka Loop Trail 12 miles.

Saw 12 gators on this run.

5/5 - Hill Repeats on Clay Loop. 11 miles.  The cows were not happy with my choice of music.  Then, I was stuck in a traffic jam on the way home.  

My companion on Clay Loop

Calves in a pasture on Clay Loop

Traffic Jam for miles!

5/6 - Core.  That's all today, I'm tired! Recovery day.
5/7 - 18.5 miles around neighborhood.
5/9 - Stadium step circuit
5/11 - 8 mile easy run with a few sprints.  Sore from step run.
5/12 - 45-minute walk on treadmill with negative incline.  Core.
5/13 - 10 miles.
5/14 - core
5/15 - 19 miles on the West Orange Trail at 9:49 pace.  Not bad!  Core.
5/18 - Sprint Intervals with my son as coach and time keeper.  10 miles.
5/19 - core.  Walk on treadmill to break in new Teva hiking shoes 1.5 hours.  Later in the day, I twisted or strained the top of my left foot/ankle.

Here's where things get interesting.  Almost every training cycle, when I reach the week I'm to do 20 miles, something happens.  Illness, injury (usually not run related), travel.  This cycle is no different!  Ugh!!  

5/20  - Ankle hurts on treadmill attempt and road attempt.  Stationary bike for 20 minutes.  Core.
5/21 - Bike 45 minutes
5/22 - 16.8 miles.  Took it slow because of ankle soreness.  That evening - I accidentally kicked the stairs and broke my left 2nd toe.  Can you believe it!?
5/23 - Toe looked and felt fine.  Question break or bruise.  Ran 7 miles on the Recreation Field with my husband.

Broken toe.

5/24 - Toe doesn't hurt with shoes on.  3.5 miles on treadmill.
5/25 - 6.6 miles at the Recreation Field.
5/26 - Elliptical, walk on treadmill, mow grass (yes mowing grass counts as a workout with my yard)
5/27 - 11 miles neighborhood
5/28 - Core, hamstring curls
5/29 - 21 miles at a 9:55 pace and no walking.  Not going to let a little thing like a broken toe slow me down.  Besides, it doesn't hurt.
5/30 - Stadium step circuit - 3 circuits of up and down all blue steps; 8x up and down the same blue staircase; 4x up and down the silver seats, walk 2 miles
6/1 - Chakram, Standard Core, hamstring curls, treadmill with a high negative incline 4 miles (concrete blocks did the trick)
6/2 - Core and warmup, 10 miles with 0:45 sec/60 sec/0.5 mile run/sprint/walk repeats with hills
6/3 - Easy day.  Core, 3.5 miles on treadmill.  Mowed the lawn.  

I'm going to stop here for now.  I leave on the 9th for a mission trip to Panama. Please pray for me and the team I'm going with. The plan for 6/4 is rest and 6/5 is 22 miles. Also plan to hike a mountain in Panama.  I'll let you know how it all goes next post.  I'll leave you with a few random photos.  God bless and Have a Nice Run!

Core workout with my shadow, Oliver

Icing my feet after a long run

On the bike after injury

Early morning run at the Recreation Field

#RunForCharity #TEAM413

Post-run recovery smoothie

#Runergy bar before, #Smoothie after