What Was I Thinking?

Oatmeal before a long run?? Um. . . .not the best idea you’ve had, Michelle!!

I’m positive I’ve done it before, but after today, this will NOT be happening again!!

Let’s just say there was some major oatmeal bloat going on for the first hour of my run!! Thankfully it subsided after that.

It was good oatmeal nonetheless! 😕

Strawberry Banana Oatmeal

1/4 cup old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup milk

1 banana, divided (1/2 cooked in with oats, 1/2 sliced on top)

crushed strawberries (3 spoonfuls)

1 teaspoon chia seeds

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (mixed in at the end)

dash of salt

* Combine all ingredients in small saucepan on stove top and cook until desired consistency.

* Top with banana, peanut butter, and granola.

Love me some decaf iced coffee with hot oatmeal!!

Long Run Stats

Distance – 13 miles

Time – 1:50

Terrain – mostly flat but some decent-sized hills throughout!

It was a little rough starting out. Not only did I have to deal with the oatmeal bloat, but I also wasn’t feeling up to par. My legs felt a little on the tired side and mentally I wasn’t jazzed about doing a long run.

But the sunshine and nice weather did help, and I knew at the end, I would be glad I did it, which I am! 🙂

Post-run fuel:

Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie

(It is the only two types of fruit left in the house!)

– milk

– 1/2 banana

– strawberries

– chia seeds

– vanilla extract

– ice cubes

I was thinking that I would really enjoy this smoothie, but after consuming it, I have decided I am officially tired of smoothies and need to take a break from them for a while. They always end up tasting the same. 🙁

I also had a piece (okay, two pieces) of whole wheat homemade bread.

It is a new recipe I’ll be sharing tomorrow!! So good!!

Before I moved to Alaska, I was thinking that the snow would be gone by April, but after 4 winters in Alaska, I know better than that!

Actually, the sun and 47* did help the snow to melt, but there is still plenty to go around. Bummer!All day I’ve had a hankering for a huge salad! Not one of my boring salads I make at home, but  flavorful, mouth-watering salad from a find dining establishment!

Craig had the same hankering, so this morning we considered many options for our night out: expensive restaurants, small cafes, but nothing seemed to strike our fancy.

While out running errands this afternoon, the craving struck again and we decided it must be satisfied ASAP, so where did we end up satisfying our salad craving??

Round Table Pizza!!! UGH!! What was I thinking?? (And suprisingly, I was the one to suggest this??) Mistake #3 in my food-related consumption for the day!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Round Table Pizza, imagine a sub-par, franchise pizza joint with grease-laden pizza and video game machines right next to your table. Not exactly the place we fit in!

My salad plate filled with wilted spinach, browning lettuce, the most un-freshest (I know, poor grammar.) veggies, and tropical fruit soaked in a heavy sugary syrup!!

This is how Craig felt about his dining experience.

It is true we haven’t seen the sun in 6 months, but my husband is not that pale!

Since our dinner plans were sabotaged by an impulsive decision, I don’t know what the evening holds for us! Maybe a movie, maybe a walk, but for sure some more homemade bread!!

~~~~~~~

Question

Where was the last place you ate that was a poor choice?

Hi, I'm Michelle

I love running around the lakes of Minnesota, running after my two boys, and racing anything from the 5K to the marathon. I have been blogging here since 2010 when I ran my first marathon. I finally secured my sub-3 hour marathon after trying for 8 years.

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13 Comments

  1. 4.9.11
    craig said:

    round table pizza with you honey.

  2. 4.9.11

    I have oatmeal quite often before long runs, but I generally wait at least 1.5 hrs before running. I do find that regular cereal with banana and nut butter digests a bit better. Nice work on the run!

    • 4.10.11
      Michelle said:

      I waited a good two hours, so I don’t know what the deal was!?!?

  3. 4.9.11
    Sarah said:

    if you want a really good smoothie, try mango + pineapple + yogurt… amazing!

    last bad dining choice: a local pizza place…way too pricy for what it was, and it wasn’t even that good!

    • 4.10.11
      Michelle said:

      Thanks for the smoothie suggestion; I’ll have to give it a try!

  4. 4.9.11
    Heather said:

    The snow is still here in the Northern continental US too! 🙁
    I think that almost all buffets are usually disappointing. Massive amounts of food does not equal quality or freshness.

    • 4.10.11
      Michelle said:

      Definitely! Buffets = Bad in my book!

  5. 4.9.11
    J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) said:

    Oh, sorry about the subpar dinner choice! I hate when that happens. I make decisions with hunger goggles on, LOL. It looks good from a distance, but you regret it about 3 seconds after ordering. The last place I regretted… probably most of them! Eating out can be hit or miss in my area, lol.

  6. 4.10.11
    megan @ blackberries for jam said:

    That picture of Craig is priceless and pretty much sums up your meal! The worst meal I had recently was sub-par Thai. I had the tofu and broccoli in brown sauce with brown rice (veggies and tofu, seriously??). It made me feel TERRIBLE for two days and the coat I wore to the restaurant smelled like stale grease for a week. I’ve sworn off Thai food because of that experience.

    I’ve had oatmeal before 13-mi runs before, but I make sure to let it digest at least 1.5 hours. My tried and true pre-long run breakfast will always be an english muffin with AB & jelly and a banana. Never fails me!

    • 4.10.11
      Michelle said:

      Yuck, I hate when I come home smelling like grease!

      I think I’ll stick with bread + nut butter next time!

  7. 4.10.11

    I actually just went to a bad restaurant last night. It was awful-we waited an hour and a half for a salad. With cold chicken. Don’t salads take about 1 minute to make ha.