Hey everyone! I hope you are enjoying the weekend. The weather has gone from rainy to snowy here, but it’s nothing us Missourians can’t handle!

20 Miles and Cookies

Yesterday morning started with my long run. I peeked out my window to see if the rain was too much to handle. It looked barely drizzly, so I bundled up in my normal running attire + my running rain jacket. I was determined to get this 20-miler out of the way if at all possible!

The first 4 miles were terrible. I really thought I was going to turn around and go home. It almost immediately started raining a little harder when I stepped outside, and the 40 degree temps made the rain pretty miserable! By the time I made my first 4 mile loop (my usual starting point), the sun was starting to come up and it made me hopeful the rain would pass.

Well I was wrong. It didn’t pass. And I ran in the drizzle with spurts of heavier rain for over 3 hours. 3 freakin’ hours. Holy moly. I stopped at 14 miles, or around the 2 hour mark, for a pit stop and a change of dry clothes. I didn’t realize how wet I was until I changed. My running tights were dripping like I had just jumped in a pool! The dry clothes felt amazing and it made my last hour and 6 miles much more manageable. I was tired and my mind was hazy, but my booty was dry and that’s what I needed at the time! Mile 18-20 were my fastest on my splits, and I chalk this up to my pit stop.

This run was painful and mentally challenging. But it makes me so hopeful that I can make it through my marathon without a hitch. Usually people hit ‘the wall’ right around mile 20, but if I keep up my water and fueling, I know I can do it! Bring it on, Little Rock!!

After those 20 miles, I was obviously a little low on calories for the day. I only had Gu’s and water in my tummy. Nick was sweet enough to take me out for a nice lunch (where I ate a burger the size of my face!). When we arrived home, I was still hungry and needed sugar. Peanut butter cookies were calling my name!

Yum!! And so simple. I combined 2 cups creamy, reduced fat peanut butter, 2 cups sugar, 2 eggs, and a large handful of mini chocolate chips to make these babies. Easy peasy!

Stir them all up, roll into balls, and bake on a greased cookie sheet for 11 minutes at 350 degrees. As soon as you take them out, smash them down a little with a spoon. Otherwise they will stay in the nice ball shape. 🙂

I’ve eaten over half of these babies and even took a few to Jazzercise this morning. My students didn’t mind!

And speaking of Jazzercise, I put together a Super Bowl themed song set for this morning’s class to put everyone in the mood for the big game tonight. The songs ranged from Bruno Mars classics (tonight’s halftime performer!), to songs that seem appropriate for a pep rally, to songs that include moves that are footballesque.

Some of my favorites from this morning included Push and Shove by No Doubt, Work hard Play Hard by David Guetta, Work Work by Britney Spears, and Undefeated by Jason Derulo. It was a fun class! I tried to make every song somewhat relatable to the game tonight. I’m not a football fan, but themed class sets always make things more fun. We may have to keep the football set going all week!

The evening classes today combined for a Jazzercise Plus class at 1 pm. Jazzercise Plus is a 90 minute class usually used for special occasions. It looks like those ladies had a great time! If my quads would have allowed it, I would have gone for an extra workout today. My legs just cannot stand the thought of getting off this couch after my 20 miles though!

After my class this morning, I rushed around to get some groceries before the snow started. I also wanted to get this baby in the Crockpot.

This 8 pound turkey breast caused me some grief this morning, but I’m happy to say that it is now cooperating.

I couldn’t get the lid to fit. My turkey was too big! I covered it up with foil the best I could, but I was happy this afternoon when it finally cooked down enough to let the lid sit all the way down like it should. 🙂 We’re going to have quite the little Super Bowl feast tonight! I can’t wait! And FYI, it’s no special occasion for the turkey. I just decided to cook it since it’s been taking up precious real estate in my tiny freezer for over 2 months now!

Have a great night everyone! Enjoy the game and some chips and queso. It’s just not the Super Bowl without some unhealthy snacks. See ya later!