Colourful Palate

Today my sweet tooth attacked me…it was a brutal fight which lasted maybe 30 seconds. I simply smiled and waved the white flag of surrender, while dreaming of the something I had been tempted with. It’s a childhood favourite…we didn’t make it very often, so it was so special when we did.

I admit it. It’s not the healthiest food on the block. But there are a couple switch ups that make it healthier. But after an entire day of just green salad and brown rice a girl is entitled to a little something naughty. Actually, I lied about the green salad and brown rice. I haven’t had anything of the sorts today, nope. Whether or not I deserved it, it tasted delicious! It’s one of those recipes that are so scrummy and so rich that I actually can’t have very much at a time…sort of like dark chocolate. So it’s perfect for just a little something sweet.

They say that just a bite or two of something sweet at the end of the meal signals to your brain that it’s time to stop eating. So…maybe dessert is like…a weight loss strategy. This could be revolutionary. Onto the actual recipe…

Vegan Nut-Free “Almond” Roca*

1. 16 soda crackers**
2. 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (vegan)
3. 2-3 tbsp. Earth Balance
4. 2-3 tbsp. brown sugar

*Of course, you can add a little bit of toasted almond slivers to make this recipe more authentic, but I prefer it without nuts.

**I would’ve liked to have used whole wheat, but we didn’t have any in the house.

Begin by bringing the Earth Balance and sugar to a boil on the stove. While it’s heating up, lay out 16 or so crackers flat into a 9” by 9” pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over it. Once the sugar mixture has boiled, spoon it over the crackers. Now bake it in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. After it’s come out of the oven, let it cool and then put it in the freezer/fridge until the crackers have hardened.

I munched on a couple of these crackers as I worked on this post. Brain food…which is maybe why this post is so exquisitely written today. Yah, maybe not.

When I look deep into the gooey, flaky, chocolatey, warmness of it all…it’s too late…I’ve been hypnotized.

Nutritional Info (per cracker): Cals: 80, Fat: 1g, Sodium: 130mg, Carbs: 10.5g, Sugars: 3g, Protein: 1g

News! So guess what? A couple days ago I ran my longest run ever…like…in my life. I was pretty happy with myself. I ran 18 flipping miles and I lived to tell the tale! I was soooo tired after that run and went to bed super early. Besides, after long runs like that I seem to lose my amazing sense of coordination…I was really sick of walking into door frames and tripping on the floor. I assure you, I’m not clumsy. It’s just that the walls hate me, the chairs purposefully get in my way, and the floor has this obsession to trip me. Pretty much.

While I ran I drank water-diluted blueberry/grape juice, a bottle of water, and four servings of Hammer Gel. I looove Hammer Gel! My brother, (the one I recently ran with) is allergic to caffeine so he gave me his chocolate flavoured Hammer Gel making me really happy. I love it just as much as GU, even more perhaps, because it’s made from natural ingredients. It’s not one of the more well-known sports gels, but it should be! Lately, I’ve been having a lot of running cramps but during my 18-miler I didn’t have one single cramp (just some leg muscle stress/pain) partly because the juices and gels digested really easily. (Also, thank you all for the great tips and you offered for fitness/running cramps a couple posts back! I’ll be trying out your ideas!)

After I ran my run I had my ice bath (see here for the how-to) and had some of this soup.

I heart this soup so much…it’s one of my favourite recipes I’ve made. Not only does it have a great taste, it’s got vegan protein, the salt, and water which are vital to get in your system after a tough run! Plus, it’s got your veggies and it’s something nice and warm to slurp while you have the ice bath (which makes it more bearable). And did I mention its dirt cheap to make. Who says eating healthy has to be expensive?

The race is in exactly 12 more days…so I’m now starting to taper down for the race. My 18 miler was my longest training run. I sure wish I had been able to train up to 20 miles, but unfortunately, with my busy schedule I didn’t have time to work up to it and still taper for the event. So yes, I’m a bit under-trained for the marathon, but I’m not too worried. I think sheer grit and determination will get me through.

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Have you ever run a race under-trained? Or maybe just tackled some physical challenge not completely prepared…what were your results?