Chocolate Zucchini Brownie Bites

Rich, gooey, and oh so chocolatey, these brownie bites can be a bit dangerous. But since they’re healthy, and made with real ingredients, you can indulge all you want. Even for breakfast. Shhhh I do it all the time.

 
Wet:

• 1 egg
• 1 brown banana
• 2 cups shredded zucchini (squeezed to get rid of excess water)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup truvia or other sweetener

 
Dry:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cacao powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

 
Add in:

• 1/2 cup dark choc chips

 
Coaching: Combine wet ingredients. Combine dry. Mix together. Add in Choc chips and spoon batter into sprayed mini muffin tin. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

California Grilled Salad

Mix up your salads my adding this flavorful combination of fresh and grilled to your weekly menu. The dressing is a perfect mixture of sweet and tangy, making this salad perfect for any time of season! (Husband approved.)

Dressing:

• 2 lemons, squeezed
• 3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• 3 tablespoons Honey (I use local and raw for the best health benefits)
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• Ground Pepper

Directions: Shake all ingredients in a jar.

Salad:

• Grilled chicken, diced
• Tomatoes, diced
• Avocado, diced
• Pineapple, diced
• Cucumber, diced
• Asiago cheese, shredded
• 2 hearts of Romaine Lettuce sliced in half and grilled

Coaching: Prepare all the ingredients. Slice the romaine hearts in half length wise and grill on the stove top at high heat for 1minute immediately before serving. Sprinkle the above ingredients on top of the grilled lettuce and drizzle with the dressing!

WWJD

Well by now mostly everyone knows of my lapse of judgement this weekend at the USA XC Champs. I have replayed the moment a thousand times and every time I see how dumb I was to not realize the bell was not accurate. I have no idea why it didn’t process through my mind that I had only run 2 laps and not 3, but there is no going back. I watched in agony as my spot slipped away when I kicked to the finish line only to be told to run another lap.. I couldn’t. I was done. And my goal of making the World Champs team crashed. Experiencing this self-induced pain still has me cringing, but moving forward is my only choice. So, WWJD? This stands for What Would Jane Do? Jane, as in, my Gammy Jane. My grandmother passed away last week after a very short and violent battle with cancer. We found out over Christmas, and 5weeks later she was gone. It has helped put things in perspective for me. The strength of my mom, her siblings, and my Pappy Bob has proved to be an incredible example for me, and, on a side note… my 72 year old Gammy Jane ran every morning at 5:30AM until the day she went into the hospital. What is she remembered for? She was the strongest, kindest, most selfless person I know. It has me thinking, what do I want to be remembered for? I made a really big mistake that cost me a lot of opportunity, crushed my goals, and misrepresented my sponsors, my team, my coaches, my family, and myself. But, moving forward and accomplishing future goals, now that can be something I can add to the list of things I am proud to be known for. What a beautiful and wonderful gift from my Gammy Jane. As a look ahead, I am grateful for this perspective and appreciative of what I do have. I hope I can continue to remember this little saying to help me throughout the rest of my life so that I too can leave a spark for others. Thank you for all the kind words, inspiration, and support.

Racing with the best in the USA

Realizing I miscalculated time and I was only at 6k not 8k…

Chicken Corn Soup

My all time favorite go-to soup for a cold day or when I’m feeling a little under the weather. Sweet corn, homemade stock, and a “secret” ingredient will be sure to warm you to the bones!

• 1 rotisserie chicken (6cups of broth from the bones, plus all the meat minus the breast.. save that for a nice salad)
• 1 bag of frozen corn or 3 ears of fresh corn
• 8 stalks of celery diced
• 8 large carrots diced
• 1 large onion diced
• Salt and Pepper
• Nutmeg
• OPTIONAL: a nice crusty baguette from your favorite bakery

Coaching: The night before, remove all the meat from the chicken and put the bones, skin etc in a crock pot. Cover 2in above the bones with water and add a tablespoon of vinegar. Cook on low overnight. The next morning, cool to remove the bones and strain the stock. Pop it in the fridge until you’re ready to make your soup! (This step can be taken out and you may add ready made broth, this way provides awesome minerals from the bone marrow that are great for athletes and has the nutrient healing properties to ward off illness.)

In a large pot, add ¼ cup of the stock and on medium heat sauté your carrots, onions, and celery. Once brightly colored and the onions are smelling sweet, add 6 cups of stock to the pot. Bring to a boil and add in corn, salt, pepper, and the chicken meat. Simmer for 30min and add a few sprinkles of nutmeg (my secret ingredient). Serve with warm bread and relax.

Race Synopsis from Italy

Campaccio XC in Italy 1/6, a quick turn around after the NYRR Midnight Run on 12/31, and with the exception of the bruising from falling at the start, my body recovered really well and I was right back to training this week. I didn’t have enough time between races to do a real workout, but 8x1min pick ups gave me some turnover and then striders the day after travel brought my legs around without any issues. I was very sad to leave Dillon in Houston. I didn’t have enough time there with him before I left. He was so supportive and encouraging as I sat in our room crying as I packed. I always say I want to travel, but doing it alone is far less meaningful and much more scary. It’s a catch 22 because I want him to be with me, yet, when I do travel, I like to just focus on myself and my needs and not be distracted. Flights went well, slept 4hrs and all I can say is that Advil PM saves my life on international trips. Otherwise I spend countless hours of frustration trying to force sleep. I also wore a hospital mask to help with germs.

My immune system is just not that great, and having been sick 3 times in the past 2 mos, and getting the flu the week of Club XC, I figured I should try everything so I don’t have regrets. I look so weird though HAHA. Easy runs, the struggle to communicate, good food, and the connection with other runners took up the days before the event. Race day came and with it excitement, nerves, and adjustments to the routine. Shake out like usual 3hr before. 10min super easy at a wog (Walk/Jog) pace. 2 shots of expresso, one 2.5hrs before, and one 1.5hrs before… I asked for coffee, but I received this little guy.

The warm up itself was Kenyan style… I joined Betsy Saina and the Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes for a 20min jog 1hr before race time. It was 8-10min pace. I added on 4×20/40s to get in 3miles total. Then easy striders and drills before the race. I felt like I have been pushing too hard in my warm ups, so I made the adjustment here and was satisfied with the outcome. More starting line confusion (just like the NYRR race) as I couldn’t understand the announcer and all the sudden we were on the line and the gun fired. No commands. But I was ready, and had a great start this time, no jostling, no falls, really smooth and then settled into position. I felt strong, in control, relaxed in my form, and sharp in my mind.

Breathing routine was on par and I was right where I needed to be at the mile. I made the right decision to not go with the lead pack as their finishing times were much faster than what I am ready for. In hindsight, I would have pushed a little more after the first mile, as I settled maybe a bit too much. But I am very pleased with how I raced as I learned from each loop (2k x 3) what my competitors strengths and weaknesses were, so on the final lap I picked it up on the hills to separate us and put a 15sec gap over the last 1k. Finishing speed still needs work, and strength building so I can work harder in the middle part of the races, but I did negative split with a 10:03 3k and 19:56 finish time. I examined my finish line video (see below) and have since made some form adjustments to help me change gears more effectively.

Super chill 4mi cool down with Betsy gave me 12miles for the day. I didn’t use Advil pm before the race because I didn’t want to be groggy. Two nights before (the first night in Italy post travel) I slept 13hrs and felt great. But before the race I only got 6. The night after only 3… I should have taken it then, but I didn’t plan ahead and felt tired at 9 when I first tried to sleep, but by 1am when I was still up it was too late to take it because I had an early run date with Betsy in the morning. Annoying not to get that critical recovery slumber and now I know better. Everyone said they struggled sleeping after the race, so at least I wasn’t the only one and this seems to be a norm for most athletes. The run the next day was 8-9min pace for 8miles. I left the event feeling as if my patience and perseverance is beginning to pay off and the slow process of recovering and regaining consistent training after the injuries, illnesses, and surgery is on the upswing.

Hazelnut Biscotti with Chocolate and Ginger

The perfect snack for your sweet tooth. NO sugar, yet amazingly delish at anytime of day or night. You will be surprised with how simple the recipe is to create. Make your own version with what nuts and mix ins you have.

• Toast 1.5 cups chopped hazelnuts in the oven for 10min at 275
• Combine the following ingredients:
• 2eggs
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour (white,wheat,almond,gluten free,coconut, etc it all works!)
• 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
• 1/2 cup dark choc chips

Coaching: Add in hazelnuts and mix well. Place on parchment covered baking sheet in a 1in X 4in log. Bake for 20min at 275. Let cool, slice diagonally into 1/2-1in sections. Lay cut side down on the tray and bake once more for 15min at 300. Cool and enjoy with your favorite hot beverage!

Gingerlicious Spice Protein Balls

The perfect grab-and-go pre or post run snack. The blend of spices are perfect for those with a sweet tooth like me.

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/8 cup nuts (I used cashews)
• 1/8 cup dried cranberries
• 1/8 cup choc chips
• 1/8 cup diced candied ginger
• 2 scoops OSMO Honey Spice Protein Powder
• 2 tablespoons honey
• dash of cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• dash of ginger

Coaching: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of water at a time while mixing with a fork until it is moist (terrible word) enough to pack into balls. If it gets too wet, add more protein and oats. Keep in the fridge!

Pesto Protein Pasta

A beautiful summer pasta option with bright color and bold flavor. I was so excited to try this out and used fresh herbs I grew from seed! *This one did not make it high on the husband list.

• 1/4 olive oil
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 2 cups fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes

Coaching: Combine everything in the food processor or nutribullet and mix until smooth. We love the Modern Table mixed lentil penne with 14 grams of protein per serving. My husband did not appreciate the gorgeous color of the pesto (with basil I had diligently grown from seed). He said it tasted great but looks like baby vomit. SO, I recommend you try it, but be warned! (PS I prefer the walnut pesto because I don’t like pine nuts, but feel free to make a traditional pesto with them instead!) Here I served it with yellow watermelon and grilled chicken!

Sweet Potato Pie Protein Smoothie

A sweet blend of flavors that satisfy the recovery hormones and taste buds at the same time!

• 1/2 cup cooked sweet potatoes (hint: you can cook a large sweet potato and then remove the skin and freeze the potato in an ice cube tray for multiple future smoothie prep)
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt OR cottage cheese
• 6 ice cubes
• 1 scoop OSMO Honey Spice Protein Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger spice
• 1/4 cup water or milk
• stevia or sweetener to taste

Coaching: Blend all ingredients and top with candied pecans, dried coconut, cacao nibs, granola etc!

Jalapeno Bison Chili

My husband told me, “the best chili is made of meat, meat, and meat”. Such a dude thing. So I concocted this thick and tasty protein filled chili and it met the high standards of Mr. Gracey. Feel free to use ground beef or turkey instead, but we live in Colorado so Bison is sort of a must 🙂

• 2lbs ground bison
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 diced jalapenos
• 1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 cup water divided
• 1/4 cup masa flour (corn flour for thickening)
• 2 cans kidney beans rinsed and drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes

Coaching: Add minced garlic, jalapenos, and bison to a large pot and brown the meat on medium. Drain. Add the tomato sauce, spices, and water and simmer on low for 1 hour. Mix the masa with 1/2 cup water and add to the chili along with the rest of the ingredients. Simmer an additional 10minutes. Top with your favorite add-ons and enjoy! Serves 6.