Breakfast that Tastes Like Cookies...

The secret to being able to find yourself in race pictures of a race that was so cold and wind you couldn't see your race number?

Wear purple when everyone else is wearing green.

Race pictures are usually terribly expensive and they usually look terrible. Imagine my surprise when I ran across this picture when I was glancing through the race pictures from yesterday. I was even smiling at the camera. I had just ran downhill with a tail wind, no wonder I was smiling.

I discovered overnight oats last year, but I just didn't like them that much. I love the idea of them. Last week I saw a post for peanut butter oatmeal cookie dough overnight oats. Man that is a mouthful! I took the recipe and made a few changes and this is what I came up with.

3/4 C old fashioned oats

1/2 C almond milk

Big spoonful peanut butter

1 Tbsp Chia seeds

spoonful brown sugar

I put the oats in the food processor to grind them up, and then mixed all the ingredients and put it in a mason jar overnight. In the morning I added more almond milk to make it stir-able, put it in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm it up a little, and then stirred in a chopped up banana. Yum.

The texture of the oats were much better this way for me. I was always a bigger fan of cream of wheat than I was of oatmeal, by grinding up the oats it made it much less chewy. I think that was part of why I liked them much more this time.

Plus I didn't feel hungry all morning. I have a second batch in the fridge for breakfast tomorrow. It's like I baked without turning on the oven.

 

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Run Lucky 5K...

My friend Kim convinced me last week that it would be a good idea to run the Run Lucky 5k today.

What seems like a good idea when I am sitting at my desk isn't always a good idea when you wake up and temps are in the low 40s, winds are 25 mph, and the windchill is in the low 30s. I was really considering not going, but as with all runs where I am joining friends I showed up. I would be lying if I said that we didn't consider just hanging out in the car during the race, and there was also talk about just turning around and going home.

There were pre-race pictures.

Kim, Dwight and I can you tell we were freezing?

The race started and we immediately headed north, straight into the crazy Oklahoma wind. The route was not entirely flat either, but at about the half way point we turned back to the south. Downhill with a tail wind, was pretty wonderful after running straight into the wind. The kilometers seemed to click by, funny how short a 5k is two weeks after a marathon.

I was happy with my time, I never felt like I was dying, and my splits weren't bad.

Mile 1-8:48

Mile 2-7:52

Mile 3-7:50

Total time was 25:34, 7th out of 131 women in my age group and 50th out of 957 total women. 8:08 average pace and I was very happy my pace got faster throughout the race. In all, not a PR but I am very happy with how I did.

Me, Janine, Kim & Dwight

Dwight & Kim

Me & Kim

I just love Kim, and there have been too few faces with her in the last year. So glad she talked me into this race, and even though I hate running 5ks, I sure love running races with my friends.

 

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I Am Still A Runner...

It's been over a week since the marathon, so I can no longer use that as ann excuse for not getting my booty out of bed in the mornings. I am not gonna lie, it has been really nice sleeping in, and the cold mornings have made it that much easier.

The thing about me is I hate the treadmill. If you have known me, or followed my blog for very long, you will know that I have a deep hatred for the dreadmill. It's crazy to think that I used to prefer it to running outside. When I trained for my first marathon I ran my longest run, 20 miles, on the indoor track at the Y. One mile is 12 laps! I will let you do the math on that one. It was alot of freaking laps, and all because it was cold and windy outside. Now a days I avoid it at all costs, mostly for traveling, or for horrific two mile post marathon recovery runs.

I have been pretty lucky, we haven't had too many runs that have gotten rained out, or snowed out or cancelled because of ice. Cold weather doesn't bother me, it's all about the gear when it comes to the cold, wind and rain. Truth be told, we don't usually run if it's raining. I like to reserve weather conditions like rain and hail for race days only, makes it a little more special.

One thing that we can't get away from here in Oklahoma is the wind. It's the whole wind sweeping down the plains thing. We have been known to run in windy 20+ mph 30 something temps conditions. Do we like these conditions? Hell no, but it's like a badge of honor. Ask any runner you know, and they will have a story about how it was this cold and the wind was this hard and they logged this many miles. There is something about the runner's high after a run where you really had to brave the elements, it's just that much stronger.

With that beig said, we have totally wimped out of our run in the morning. I can hear the wind howling out there, and sometimes you just have to push it back a day. If you happen to be keeping track, this means it will be over two weeks since my last week day morning run. There seems to be a pattern developing here and I might start to get worried if I don't get out of bed for a run on Wednesday. I do have a couple of races coming up.

My friend Kim has talked me into registerig for the Run Lucky 5k this Sunday. Oh how I hate running a 5k, but I do love a good cause. Plus how can I not want to go do a race with this girl?

The more pressing race is the OKC Memorial Marathon coming up next month.

I have been registered for this race for quite a while. Since early last year, in fact. I registered for this year's race with my deferment from last year. (I seriously love this race for that.) I had thought all along that I would drop down to the half marathon if I ran another marathon before this race. I am having a hard time making the change. I don't know what it is, I know I am not a quitter if I change the distance I will run, but it sure feels like it.

For now I am torn. My plan is to keep running and let the miles work themselves out. As I get closer to race day I will be able to decide what I want to do. My first goal will be to get back out there in the early mornings to start logging some more miles and see where the road takes me.

 

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