Talking Turkey

 

It is Thanksgiving week.  Last week got away from me and I found myself taking a seven day break. I didn’t plan to take the time off, it just kind of happened.  As with anything that takes effort, beginning again can be challenging. It was only seven days, but I had to do a bit of self-talk before I headed out the door.  I decided to take a new approach.  I have mentioned how I enjoy my new iPhone and the use of the MapMyRun app that gives me pace and distance updates. It is a very good tool, especially when training for a race, but this week I turned on some tunes and turned off the app.  I didn’t pay attention to my speed or distance.  I just ran.  I had a really great time!  I think it was a good week to run for fun.  After all, it’s Thanksgiving!  I am thankful that running can be fun, because just like life, sometimes it can be really hard.  Just like life, it’s worth it.  Have a happy Turkey Day and remember why we celebrate – because we can!

Wear them out!



All Asics but for the Pear Izumi pair

It’s no surprise that I am a hoarder.  I have confessed it publicly on more than one occasion and I am committed to overcoming this personality flaw – to a point.  I refuse to stop hoarding running shoes!  They just come in so handy.  When I retire a pair from logging miles on the road because the tread is worn and they no longer offer needed support, they get moved to the “I can wear these with jeans for shopping or other casual activity” pile.  As the pair that bumped them off the mileage list gets retired, they then get moved to the “biking” position followed by the “camping and hiking” designation.  Before they ever end up in the discard pile, they do an important stint as “yard and garden shoes.”  I currently have three pairs that are in good running condition. This is a record. Two of these pairs were obtained at no charge!  Take a look!

Can you spot the garden shoes?

I love my running shoes and I will hang onto them until they fall off my feet, or until they smell so bad they must be retired. They have been my companion through many miles and injuries.  I will not abandon them before their time!

Do you have something you cling to beyond its usefulness simply because it has served you well? Tell me about it in the comment section below.

Happy Running!

 

Mrs. Green's Power Cookie Recipe Reveal



It’s here!  The big Power Cookie Recipe Reveal is here! It really isn’t a secret recipe and the power in the cookie is merely in the mind.  Power Cookies help you run faster because you “think” they help.  That and the carb boost you get from the oatmeal in them.  These cookies are a favorite of the Parma Cross Country Team and a staple in the Green Household.  Give them a try!

Mrs. Green’s Power Cookies

1 ½ C Brown Sugar
1 ½ C Sugar
1 C Butter Flavor Crisco (Do not substitute!)
3 Eggs
3 Tbs. Milk
1 Tbs. Vanilla
4 C Flour (Add more if the dough seems too loose.)
1 ½ tsp each of baking soda, baking powder, salt
2 C Old Fashioned Oats
12 oz. bag of semisweet chocolate chips

 Cream together sugars and the Crisco.  Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add one cup of flour, baking powder, salt, and soda and mix well.  Add oatmeal and mix until blended.  Mix in the rest of the flour and add chocolate chips. Bake for 11 minutes in 350◦ oven. Hide them!

*For “healthier” cookies you can substitute 2 cups whole wheat flour for two cups white flour and dried cranberries or raisins for chocolate chips.

 To learn more about the power of a cookie, read “Can a Cookie Cure a Cold?” in Gold Pans and Iron Skillets.

Enjoy!

Find more of my favorite recipes HERE.

Question: Do you have a favorite recipe to share?  Comment below.


Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

Carol - aka Running Granny Green

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Tuning In ...

Dr. Seuss is credited with, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”  That is how I feel about cross country season.  In fact, there are days when I smile because it’s over! The changing of the seasons is always a challenge for me.  I am never quite ready for it to be this hot, cold, or windy.  Running doesn’t escape the challenge.  I have to adjust from the very social and consistent running of cross country practice to a solitary and admittedly sporadic winter running regimen. It isn’t sad, it’s just different and it takes me a week or two to adjust.

I have rediscovered one of my forgotten running buddies, Alan Jackson.  Because I now have an iPhone, I use the MapMyRun app and have a very encouraging female voice in my ear every half mile to give me pace and distance updates. This week I changed things up a bit and included Brad Paisely in my tight circle of running friends.  Here is one of my new favorite tunes!

 

We can fight change, or we can embrace it.  The choice is ours.

To run or not to run?

I’ve been avoiding the run for a couple days.  I don’t know if it was the letdown after our trip to State Cross Country or if the change in weather had something to do with it, but I’ve had trouble getting out the door.  The fact is, now that cross country season has ended, I don’t have an obligation to run each weekday afternoon.  I have told myself that the afternoon practice kind of interrupts my day and I look forward to running in the mornings again. When the opportunity came, however, I was back to making a decision – every day. I decided to skip it for a couple of days! 

Parma Girls XC Team 2013

I made the decision last night that I would run this morning.  Morning came and I began to assess the weather and determine if I had a head cold that was bad enough to keep me off the streets.  This was silly because I have often gone for cold weather runs and I am a believer that a little exercise lessens the severity of a cold. I wasn’t completely committed to a morning run, but I chose to don my running gear while I went through the motions of my morning routine – making the bed, cleaning up the breakfast dishes, doing some laundry, checking to see how many views my recent blog post has earned, and so on.

Parma Boys XC Team 2013

I knew that this simple act would bring me closer to the front door.  Just as muscle memory workouts help us perform better in competition, the look and feel of my running clothes helped my mind prepare for the next step.  It worked!  I went for a run and it was great!  It wasn’t my longest or fastest run, but it was effective and I felt better afterwards.

I do this with other aspects of my life.  It’s often easy to talk myself out of any given project because I don’t feel up to it, or it isn’t convenient, or it might be uncomfortable.  When I simply dive in and get the job done, it often proves to be satisfying and not nearly as difficult as anticipated. Sometimes just going through the motions is the jump start I need.

What helps you tackle those things you would rather not face?