Yesterday was my last run of any substance before Ragnar and I went out for 6 miles before I started the rest of my day. It was one of those runs that is just annoying. As soon as I got outside I knew I would have to deal with wind the entire way, somehow living on the coast means no real headwind or tailwind just cross winds and swirling. Blah! Wind is my least favorite condition to run in. I also choose to run a route that took me next to farm fields. Normally I like running next to the field and seeing what's sprouting, growing and being harvested. Today the road next to the fields was muddy. Muddy to the point that I had to keep scraping it off the bottom of my shoes and slipping in it.
Four miles in I left the mud behind and was finally feeling good! My stride was comfortable, my pace was improving an it seemed like the wind hard died down. At mile 5 I began to get stomach cramps and my first thought was "WTF it was just starting to improve!"
Like many distance runners I have my fair share of GI upset. Usually I am "lucky" enough to just get stomach cramping about a half hour after I stop running. Through logging what I used as fuel on runs, distance and pace I've figure out that a lot of the gels make my stomach upset post run, especially if they contain maltodextrin. Rather then deal with that I have found that straight up candy is much easier on my stomach. We had left over packages of Swedish Fish and Sour Patch Kids from halloween and that's my usual fuel of choice. I'm still trying to work out some running fuel stuff especially electrolyte replacement because I'm a very salty sweater, you can brush dried salt off my face after a really good run.
So there I was a mile from home and having pretty impressive stomach cramping. I figured I had 3 choices. Sit on the sidewalk and hope they stopped, walk the rest of the way home or run home. Running was option of choice, mainly because I would be home fastest that way. Looking back I'm pretty sure it was the few Sports Beans I ate before heading out to run that were the culprit so it's back to candy for the time being.
The overall pace wasn't bad but my splits were all over the place. 12:06 slipping in mud and 10:53 when feeling good. I'm glad I got the run in despite it sucking. I know that crappy runs happen from time to time so I'm just hoping I got the one I was due out of the way!
When I decided what I really wanted to do was make some Kind Bar-type granola bars. I love Kind Bars. They can be a life saver when you really need something to eat quickly that isn't completely unhealthy. My work days can be completely unpredictable and I unfortunately can get Hangry (hungry/angry) if I don't eat for long periods of time. A bar stashed in my purse has saved the day more then once. Now I'm all about making my own and trying new flavor combos.
Recipies are all over the internet but what it comes down to is picking your nuts, dried fruit, seeds (if you like), and binding agent.
I ran to Trader Joe's and picked up a couple of things I didn't have on hand (and some yummy cheese for lunch!).
My bars were going to be Apple, Almond and Honey. Yum! I happen to love honey. Love it in my coffee. Love it as a sweetener substitution. Just love it!
What went into this round of bars:
1/2c honey
1/4c homemade apple butter
2Tbsp water
2c honey roasted almond slivers
1c crisp rice cereal
1 1/2c chopped dried apples
1/2c ground chia seeds
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp ground clove
Dash of salt
An awesome tip is to weight your honey in whatever you plan to cook/use it in! Honey is sticky and just pouring it from the jar into a pot is easier and less messy then involving a meauring cup. 1/2c of honey weighs 6oz, so that's what I weight out in my pot (I forgot to take the picture when it read 6oz, doh!).
Add honey, apple butter, water, spices and salt to the pot and heat over medium low heat till the combo reaches hard ball stage (155-160) on a candy thermometer. It took about 15 minutes.
Once you hit that temp add in the rest of the ingredients. I made sure they were combined prior to adding to the goo so they would mix in thoroughly. You will get a pretty dry but fairly sticky mix.
Dump the mixture into a parchment paper lined 9x9 baking dish. At this point you need to make it kind of even in the pan. At first I used a wooden spatula with a touch of olive oil on it to prevent sticking. Then I did what I always wind up doing and stuck my hands (well washed!) in the mix to work it around. I also added a touch of olive oil to my hands so the mixture wouldn't stick.
When the bars are still a little warm remove the parchment from the pan and cut the bars into peices. My bars are about 1x3 which is perfect for a snack.
The best part is you can change it up to make whatever you and your family enjoy! Dried cherries and pecans with oatmeal? Mango, sunflower seed and pistacio bars? I'm planning on making some almond and coconut bars soon! You can also use brown rice syrup or corn syrup as your binder.
These bars are a "choose your own adventure" recipe guide. Have fun and play around! If you come up with a combo that you enjoy please share it in the comments! I'm always down for new ideas!
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