Polar Vortex

 

Greetings from Central Illinois and the Polar Vortex!

 

 

One of my Small steps for weight loss...

 

committing to working out

1 day a week then eventually 5

Here is the week we finally made it to the gym all five days!

We've been lifting more and running but switched to a routine of

Run-lift-run-lift-run  3-6 miles 5x a week

 

The MAN has been off ice climbing!

Here he is at the Michigan Ice Climbing Festival

 

Sending me his love...

I've been finding lots of time for my couch...

sometimes with a sick kid or on a weekly snow/cold day

 

 

 

 

Newest yummy! Spring Rolls with Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce

I made these last week twice!

I want to purchase some brown rice wraps but we aren't exactly in a metropolis so it was just the regular rice paper wraps until I order brown rice wraps online.

 

I had leftover chicken and added some Asian seasoning with ginger in it

cut up carrots and an English cucumber

another time I used bagged broccoli/Kale slaw

wet the rice paper and lay it on a cutting board

Roll up the chicken (measured 1 oz) and veggies

1 point each

 

The Spicy Thai Peanut sauce

PB2-2 T

1T water

1T soy sauce

Ginger-fresh or dried

1T rice vinegar

1t-sesame oil

1/2 clove of garlic

sirracha to taste for spice

pulse that all in my magic bullet

 

(this recipe is about 3 points but my husband and I could share it)

 

 

Not much to report on the fitness end!

It is so so cold here in Illinois that long workouts are hard to come by.

I am missing my longer running and my weekly running partner, Pam.

I ran a winter trail race on Saturday.

 

This is my husband running "Superman Hill"  This is only half the hill!

 



This race was probably harder for me than the 30 mile race I did in October. 

It's only 4.25 so that says LOADS!

The snow was high and after getting packed and run on just totally killed my calves and ankles.

 

We added screws to our trails shoes!

 

 

This is me toward the end.

 



And it's been one year since I was in the midst of my vocal chord paralysis.

Praise God there are no other issues!

 

 

Weight lifting

I'm going to look into this weight lifting stuff.  We are on week 2 of bodybuilding.com heavy lifting workout #1. I have run and lifted but never just all out lifted.  At this point I lift daily Monday-Friday.  Run long Saturday and run short Tuesday/Thursday (with some speed work in there).  I use Sunday as optional day off or run day.

 Winter seems like the perfect time to see what it does for me.  It's harder to find good trail days, days that are not windy or days that are not down right cold.  I mean last week we had a polar vortex for crying out loud!  Can I really keep the weight off?  Can I transform my body?  How will I do on that scheduled trail race in February? Worse?  Better?  Hmmmm

Today I am adapting a recipe I found on pinterest:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/9429480443919976/

It's originally from Tasty Kitchen

So here is my adapted recipe:

• 3 whole Ripe Bananas, Mashed Until Creamy
• 1/2 cup PB2 (mix it as instructed on label)
• ⅔ cups Unsweetened Applesauce
• 1/2 cups Vanilla Whey Protein Powder- I used Probody Lean (this is not 100% gluten free tho)
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1-½ cup Quick Oatmeal, Uncooked
• ¼ cups dark Chocolate Chips, Optional

Preheat heat oven to 350ºF.

In a large bowl, mix mashed banana and PB2 until completely combined. Then add in the applesauce, vanilla protein powder and vanilla extract. Mix again until completely combined.

Add in the oatmeal to the banana mixture and combine. 

Add the dark chocolate chips

Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

Grease an 8x8 square baking dish with some olive oil and pour in the dough and spread evenly.

I baked mine about 20 minutes or so until a toothpick came out clean.  I then cut them into 6 bars.  I layered them with wax paper in a tupperware container and the hubs and I have been eating them for breakfast and as a snack.

Here is our review:

YUMMY!  I love the texture of these bars...like a gooey oatmeal bread.  I eat them cold but warming them is sooo good too.

3.5 Weight Watcher points each
about 10 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber per bar for mine.

Heading out for my run on Saturday.
I don't ever look in the right spot when I take selfies.
Totally look like I am waiting for something to happen.

Part of my route.  

I only did 4 miles Saturday and then ran 6 with a pal on Sunday.

I am also sick and congested with a cold.  My pace was better than expected though.

I also cooked some meals ahead of time this week.  Hubs and I have lunches for the week now.