zero week

what have i been up to since i ran my 3rd marathon, you ask? (or maybe you are not asking.  maybe you could care less.  guess what?  you are reading this blog so i guess you're gonna have to hear it anyway)
well, i can tell you what i have NOT been doing:  running
that's right.  i have been sitting my lazy post-marathon self on the couch and eating reese's peanut butter cups and drinking diet coke.  i have shoved my sneakers (yes, all 7...or 8 pairs of them) in the back of the closet and have lived in my ugg slippers.  i haven't heard the chime of my garmin in 6 days (but who is counting?).  other than a short run with my running 102 class, i have not ran since the 26.2.

and i love it.

usually i'd be all antsy and wanting to get out for a run to "shake the legs out". i'd be counting the days until i can hit the pavement again for a speed workout.  and even though hal higdeon gave me permission to run on the thursday after the marathon (he calls this "zero week"), i didn't run.  i walked on the treadmill.  WALKED, PEOPLE!

and i loved it.

i've got a date tomorrow** to hit the road running.  but for today i am going to enjoy one more guilt free day of parking it :)

**note to above:  4 mile run this Sunday morning on a beautiful crisp fall day.  still no regrets for taking a full week off of running but it felt SO good to get back out there.  friends, revel in the fact that we get to make a choice everyday if we want to run or not because I promise you, there are folks out there that wish they could.  but on the same note, it is perfectly OK to stop and put those feet up every now and again.

Are Candy Corn Carbs?

My spontaneous marathon is quickly approaching.  I guess it should be considering I signed up just 2 weeks ago!  I am trying not to think about the fact that most suckers out there running the 26.2 have faithfully followed the pearls of wisdom via Hal Higdon for 18 long weeks.
Not me.  I followed a blend of Hal, Kim, and whoever else had advice for me for 6 weeks.  A 16 miler, a 18 miler and a 20 miler thrown in for fun.  A 13.1 race.  Another 5 mile race.  Yup.  That should be good enough.  Let's hope.
So anyway, I can't control any of that right now but what I can focus on is food.  Lovely, carbo-licious food.  Today I decided I needed to bake a few of my favorites to keep me on task:

Granola (this is my favorite recipe by far)
preheat oven 250 degrees.
cover 2 cookie sheets with foil and spray with PAM

In large bowl combine:
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup walnuts chopped
1/2 cup pecans chopped
1/2 cup flaxseed
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pepitas
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbl brown sugar

1/4 c plus 2 tbl pure maple syrup
1/4 c canola oil
1/4 tsp salt
whisk together and pour over dry ingredients,

divide evenly between cookie sheets and bake granola 1 hr 15 min stirring every 15 min.
cool completely and then add dried cranberries (or raisins or dried blueberries or dried cherries)

Pumpkin Muffins (adapted from Gourmet Magazine to make a little healthier)
(you can make these into 2 loaves of bread too!)

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil, 1/2 cup applesauce
• 3 large eggs
• 1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional- but yummy)
• handful mini chocolate chips (optional-but even yummier!)
• 
  

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tins with paper muffin cups. Beat sugar and oil/applesauce in large bowl to blend. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions. Mix in pecans and choc chips, if desired.

Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake 20-25 minutes.

oh no, I didn't stop there.  I had to go ahead and make a loaf of Peg's Artisan Bread.  YUMO

and then I kept on going and made a batch of these:

peanut-butter-pretzel-granola-bars

and I cracked open a big back of candy corn.  i may tuck some of those in my spibelt come sunday...