This past Sunday I did a 40 miler on the road bike scoping out some new roads, which I found some new TT territory followed by an honest climb followed by a rewarding-flat-well-paved-slightly-downhill-road.
After the 40 miler, I put on my running shoes and went out for a 3 miler. I did a 1.5 mile out and back; the first mile felt like it should and felt fast, but at the turn around I didn't feel so great. For a doesn't-matter-brick, I guess finishing up the 3 mile run in 23:35 for a 7:49 pace meant that I still had "it" from this past season. I am very happy and my confidence is happy that I still run faster off of the bike rather than starting off cold.
And! I am proud to say that I have ran 4X for the last 2 weeks injury free. I wrapped up this past week with 16 miles of running, an increase from 13.5 a week earlier. Hopefully I will be back, comfortably running into the 20's/week in a month or so. That last foot injury and then back spasm really took a chunk out of my overall confidence!
Some of you asked me about that granola bar recipe and how it turned out. They taste great! 1/3 cup of peanut butter goes a long way in terms of texture and taste. HERE IS A LINK TO THE RECIPE.
I am finding that they are not that filling. Maybe I got my calorie report wrong? Eaten with a banana fills me up enough for a workout. I was able to mash out almost 2000 yards yesterday at the pool after eating the above.
Other than granola bars, I have been making apple sauce. Macintosh Apples are my favorite, and they make the best apple sauce since they fall apart so easily. If you leave the skins on, you get pink apple sauce.
This is really easy to make. Chunk up some apples, put em into a pot with 1/2 to 1 cup of water, and cook em down till they become a chunky sauce.
The one necessary piece of equipment that makes the apple-sauce-making-process the easiest is with a Foley Food Mill.
Mill the chunky sauce into a bowl until you get through all of the apple.
Add sugar 1/4 cup at a time until the taste is desirable.
But I don't stop there. I grew up eating Ginger Bread Cake topped with Apple Sauce. Sorry folks, I can't reveal the Ginger Bread Cake recipe. :(...its a family secret...but! Use your friend google, I am sure you can find one.
Ok, ok, ok, I lied. My mom just informed me that the recipe comes straight out of the Betty Crocker Cookbook. So as to not commit any sort of copyright infringement, I won't post it here, but there is your hint, as obvious as it is :)
Wow, what yummy looking food!
ReplyDeleteummm, YUM-O! my mom makes a mean gingerbread too, never had it with applesauce though.
ReplyDeletegreat time on the run!!
I make applesauce with Macs pretty much the same way that you do, but I use orange juice instead of water (1.5-2 cups). You don't even need to add sugar or cinnamon! YUM!
ReplyDeleteLove the new foodie blog!
ReplyDeleteHere is my favorite apple recipe, its real easy too
ReplyDeleteCINNAMON BAKED APPLES WITH BLUEBERRY FILLING
~ 1 -4 medium apple(s)
~ 2 tablespoons frozen unsweetened blueberries (not thawed) per apple
~ Ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks
~ 2 teaspoons agave nectar or honey per apple
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Wash and core apple(s) making the holes about 3/4 – 1 inch wide and leave 1/4 inch at the bottom
3. Sprinkle the insides with cinnamon, fill with frozen blueberries and drizzle with agave nectar or honey. Add a cinnamon stick to the center hole
4. Place the apples in a deep baking dish and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan
5. Bake 30 minutes until tender but not mushy
6. Baste the apples with the juices occasionally during cooking
Nutrition Facts Per Apple: 112 calories, 29 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber
Yum!! Just brought home about 14 lbs. of apples this weekend. Having hot cider with rum. I also do a nice simple lunch: cut a thick piece of farmer's bread and toast it. grate an apple and throw it in a pan with some butter and cinnamon, heat it up and throw on the bread. so simple and so tasty!!
ReplyDeletethat looks super yummy!!!
ReplyDeleteIm developing a love for all things apple:
ReplyDeletegreat news 2 wks injury free thats huge!
-D
Interesting... I've never done applesauce with the skins on. We got an apple/peeler/corer thing that works great. I grew up using a food mill, but we didn't have one when we got married. So, we made due with a potato masher. I'll never go back to a food mill. The potato masher makes from some wonderfully chunky applesauce!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on being injury free!!!
Congrats on being injury free.....that is tremendous news.
ReplyDeleteThe apple/ginger bread cake sounds and looks great.
With all the recipes going on here we should just create the Age Grouper Triathlete Cookbook.
Good to hear you have recovered and are running again ... and good to hear you still got that just-off-the-bike-run speed still going (-;
ReplyDeleteMMMMM I Love apples!! And apple sauce!! I sweeten mine with honey or maple syrup...so good!!
ReplyDeleteVery cool that you are running again! Weeee!!! only like what, 277 days until IMLP!!!
OMG! Looks so Good!! Ill have to try it!
ReplyDeleteYay for running injury free! That is so awesome!
ReplyDeleteThat applesauce looks really good! Yum!
That really looks good! Glad the running is improving and injuries healing.
ReplyDelete