You asked for it, here’s the recipe for the “Brotein Muffins” I posted about this past Sunday. Super happy with the flavor, texture and overall heartiness of these muffins.
Start here and buy this mix:
Flip box over and use this:
Substitutions I used (and what made these incredible)
3 tbsp of Avocado oil (or another oil) in place of butter
Silk Almond Milk instead of regular milk
Add 1/2-1 cup of whole grain oats for texture
Use 1-1.5 bananas (depending on size)
Use WAY more cinnamon.
Don’t put walnuts in. Ew. Gross. *Before adding in anything extra the calorie count is approximately 100 for each muffin, I will calculate macros next time I make these!
With the base recipe above, I separated the batter into two separate bowls for two types of muffins. The above recipe makes 12 muffins. They came out so good I went back and made a 2nd batch of each which is how all the yummy substitutions and perfections came in.
For the chocolate chip recipe I added: mini chocolate chips (do NOT use a full cup like in the recipe suggests…eyeball it while mixing in or stick closer to 1/2 cup), then 1 tbsp of chia seeds to bulk up the protein and more good-for-you nutrition!
Chocolate chip banana heaven! (Pictured below…the ones further down in the shot are Peanut Butter and Jelly. Yeah, i know…just keep reading.)
So I got a little crafty with the 2nd batch and added a cup of Craisins & 2 tbsp of PB Fit, hence the PB&J muffin.
Notice the few on the bottom left of the photo? I actually stuffed a couple with actual peanut butter…If you get muffins from me, expect a surprise in the center from now on, these were a hit!
These will be a staple in my house for an easy grab-n-go snack or fast breakfast when I get back from early morning Crossfit. Lately my life has been running, recovering, lifting, recovering and trying to figure out proper nutrition while trying not to be hungry all the time. It’s a real problem. I’m working on it.
from a run last Thursday
Me & Andrea working out way too early!
All this talk about working out, protein and muffins makes me wanna lift or go for a run or combine the two and do a Spartan… hehehe.
Last Week
Monday: 7m interval (12 x 200s average pace 5:30) Tuesday: Crossfit, 8.5m easy 7:47/pace Wednesday:6m easy 8:47/pace Thursday: 5m easy 9:25/pace Friday:2 hour endurance workout (included 4 miles of running 8:55/pace) Saturday: 1 hour biceps/triceps/lots of stretching Sunday:6.9m trail run 9:35/pace
Five hours, twenty minutes. 14.7 miles of technical trails, carrying rocks, sandbags, logs and flipping tires. Trudging through mud, wading in water, climbing cargo nets, gathering rocks, hanging onto trees, hoisting up and over walls. (And one huge run-on sentence later) I did it. I finished. I’m alive, unharmed and feeling stronger than ever.
At first, I had no idea what to expect when I signed up for the hardest Spartan obstacle course race. Being an endurance runner, a pseudo masochist, secret-wannabe-trail-runner, adventure seeker, a how far can my body possibly be pushed-er… I had to try this. I had to know I was a well-rounded athlete.
I drove up to Columbus Friday afternoon to stay with my cousin Becky and her family. Her husband Josh was doing the race with me. We caught up, had dinner and quickly laid out clothes and packed up bags for the next day.
Our biggest gripe of the day was the parking situation. We sat in bumper to bumper traffic for 30 minutes, just to park. We were stopped for so long I peed in between our car and the car in front of us. I know it seems like i’m peeing in public a lot, but it’s not my fault! I think i’m cursed with bad pre-race timing. I just couldn’t hold it. And we couldn’t wait any longer. We were 20 minutes from our wave start time and still weren’t moving. Becky took the wheel to park, and Josh and I walked toward the bibs, gear check and bathrooms.
We finally started the race at 9:00am and hit trails and 5 obstacles. Wall climbs, under a wall & under muddy water, monkey bars, ring/rope cross, Z-wall, cargo net climbs, barbed wire crawls… Some really tough upper body stuff right out of the gates, then we were on the trails. We ran when we could. These trails were TECHNICAL. I know i’m not much of a trail runner, but hopping over roots, rocks, mud, steep inclines & dead stop so you don’t fall over the edge declines are the example of technical trails.
synchronized jumping
Josh on the Z-Wall
Our mile time was about 23 minutes–if you count the slowing down for the obstacles & burpees, i’d estimate we were doing about a 14 minute mile. That’s a lot of slowing down, hiking, all while gaining 2,300 feet of elevation. I’m not gonna lie, the trails were my favorite part of the race. I loved not wearing a watch, feeling free out in nature, and knowing endurance was my strength. Getting through the obstacles as a strong girl was a huge boost as we headed back to the tough trails.
After mile 6, the mile markers stopped. It was a little frustrating not knowing how far we were, but I figured it was part of the mental mind game Spartan wanted to play with the athletes. Putting one foot in front of the other when you don’t know how far your feet have left to travel is a tough task.
We were full of energy early on. Talkative, smiling and having a blast. Honey Stinger gel packs saved our butts on more than one occasion. I brought 4 or 5 packs, i can’t remember, but we went through all of them within 4 hours and both of us wished I had brought more.
There were moments where I wasn’t sure if i could do anymore with my arms. And Josh was there to help. There were moments Josh’s energy dropped and he slowed on the trails, and I was there to help. We complemented each other perfectly for this race. We constantly checked in with each other and sped up and slowed down when we needed breaks. Our goal was to finish. Racers on the trail couldn’t believe we chose The Beast as our first Spartan. Go big or go home bro. Especially you, bro that skips leg day and gets cramps on the trails. Especially you.
Josh and I both thought the race would be even spread out with running and obstacles. Like running half a mile then doing an obstacle, repeat, etc. It wasn’t. The running/hiking seemed to go on for miles before we hit a group of obstacles. Again, tough mentally, but I enjoyed it. The Wilds was beautiful. Breathtaking actually. The pine trees, the ponds, the seclusion, it was glorious.
Josh climbing like a pro!
The last miles waned on for an eternity, only to be interrupted with the dreaded bucket of rocks task. It’s as awful as it sounds. You fill your bucket to the marked holes, and you walk with said bucket up and down a path. One heavy foot in front of the other. The sandbag on the shoulder was next and similar in effort. Toss the sandbag over your shoulder and walk up a path and through mud until you hit the drop off point.
Pierce (becky & josh’s son) demonstrating the rock/bucket obstacle.
I’m guessing all of this so far sounds awful. But believe me, when you finish a difficult task, like flipping a huge tire over, you feel so strong and invincible! Every obstacle proved I was capable of difficult things. I didn’t complete three obstacles which lead to the dreaded burpees. 3 x 30 = 90 burpees for me. Josh did all the obstacles like a champ! Not too shabby for 30+ obstacles.
When we started to lose steam and were out of Honey Stinger packs we were toward the end. The lovely volunteers told us we had a few obstacles left and we were home. Seeing the fire jump in the distance was the motivator we needed to finish strong!
me off to the left! Still had a little spring in my step
They said at the start, “You’ll know at the finish line.” And it was accurate. I felt so strong, relieved, happy and proud of that accomplishment. Crossing a finish line for the first time is always epic. Crossing a finish line that proves I’m not just a runner was pure elation.
And a few more of us happy to be finished and on our way to eat…
Josh and I had a brilliant idea to do a Spartan last year while drinking beer at Thanksgiving, this makes me nervous about what we might come up with next November… 🙂
Last Week
Monday:2500m row, rope pull ups, deadlifts
Tuesday:4m easy 9:40/pace
Wednesday: 4m easy 9:30/pace 2m walk/run w/LE.
Thursday: 6m interval (2m warm up 10:00/p, 3 x 1m @ 6:53/p, 1m cool down)
Tuesday:8.5m combo tempo (3m @ 6:49, 6:49, 6:44 -3:00 rest- 2 x 1m @ 6:22, 6:18)
I’m 4 weeks out from the OC 1/2 and 5 weeks away from my very first Spartan Beast. I know i’ve mentioned i’m afraid of the half marathon i’ve been prepping for, but there is a different fear that happens when I think about the Spartan obstacle course race i’m training for.
That fear is for the new, uncharted territory. I never thought i would be taking on an obstacle course race, let alone a tough one. I’m excited that this race is gonna be horrible/fun/terrible/awesome. I’m excited to see what my body can do, but definitely nervous for what I’m going to be put through physically and mentally. I know i’m going to cross the finish line in Ohio feeling like a different person. That’s the exciting part, now I just gotta get there.
Training for a Spartan has been a different experience, but they have so many tools to help prepare for the demands of the course which have helped me out.
1) Watch a Spartan on tv – Once in a while I catch something fun on espn or whatever sports channel… I watched an hour special about Spartan Elites a few months back and it was super motivating. (This is what really pushed me to participate!) Plus it gave me a good idea of the type of obstacles I would eventually tackle.
2) Spartan.com You can sign up for a spartan WOD (workout of the day) and they email you or your weekly workouts. Even if you aren’t training for an obstacle course race, I seriously recommend this to vary your workouts and put something fun & different in your routine. Most of the workouts include running so it’s perfect for runners trying to incorporate strength!
results from all the rope pulling in preparation for the Spartan!
3) The books! Spartan has several books to help you train and get mentally prepared for the demands of the course. They have a new book coming out called Spartan Fit! which has a 31 day diet & workout plan (that doesn’t require a gym) and motivational Spartan stories.
Oh and did I mention the somewhat famous ultramarathoner, Dean Karnazes likes these books?
Last Week
Monday:6m easy 9:20/pace
Tuesday: 7.5m interval (8 x 800s @ 6:27/pace w/200m recovery at 10:00/p)
Wednesday: 1500m row, 30 min legs
Thursday: 9m easy 8:45/pace
Friday:Rest day- 2.3m walk w/LE
Saturday: 14m long 9:00/pace
Sunday: Rest day- 3m walk w/LE
Total Mileage: 36.5
Tips for doing a Spartan?
What type of race/activity gets you out of your comfort zone?
Well, have to start off by saying I went back to the 400s workout on Friday and yet again, had to quit early. I was super upset at first, but this time it wasn’t my knee (that’s all good btw), it was sinus/allergies. It’s that time of year where I struggle with allergy meds and drowsiness. I was dead tired trying to do those 400s. Can those 2 failed interval workouts count as one this week? haha And hey, i’ll deal with allergies if it means running in shorts. My legs are so pasty! eeekkK!
Saturday:8.1m (4 outside 8:02/pace —wind was so bad I turned back and finished on the treadmill 4 @ 7:50/pace), 40 min total body workout with the Golds Gym Trainers!
Sunday: 4.7m walk
Total: 20.6m + 4.7 walking miles
Look! Green & Flowers and non-running shoes! Crazy
shesgoingthedistance.com 