HELLO, IN HONOR OF IT OFFICIALLY BEING FALL I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE A RECIPE THAT ALIVIA AND I MADE LAST WEEK. RIGHT NOW IN THE MIDDLE OF MARATHON TRAINING FOOD IS ON THE BRAIN, SO I HAVE BEEN MAKING OATMEAL BARS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE FOR BRANDON AND I TO SNACK ON AND TO USE AS TRAINING FUEL. THESE ARE SO YUMMY AND WILL HIT THE PUMPKIN SIZE SPOT IN YOUR BELLY. 

PUMPKIN PIE OATMEAL BARS

INGREDIENTS:
2 CUPS OATS
1/2 CUP SHREDDED COCONUT
1/2 CUP NUTS (I USED 1/4 CUP CHOPPED WALNUTS AND 1/4 CUP SHAVED ALMONDS, BUT USE WHAT YOU HAVE OR LIKE)
1 CUP PUMPKIN PUREE
1 tsp VANILLA
1 tsp CINNAMON
1/2 tsp GINGER
1/2 tsp NUTMEG

DIRECTIONS:
(1) PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 350 DEGREES
(2) COMBINE EVERYTHING INTO A BIG BOWL UNTIL MIXED WELL
(3) PRESS INTO A WELL SPRAYED 9X9 BAKING PAN
(4) SPRINKLE CINNAMON ON THE TOP
(5) BAKE FOR 30 MINS
(6) COOL ON A WIRE RACK
(7) CUT INTO BARS & ENJOY!

HAPPY FALL,  

THIS PAST SUNDAY I LACED UP MY SHOES FOR THE 2ND ANNUAL HOT MAMAS RUN IN EDMOND OKLAHOMA. THE RACE WAS HELD AT MITCH PARK, AND IS A GREAT LOCATION FOR A 5K. THE RACE DIDN'T START UNTIL 2;00PM AND I WAS JOINED BY MY MOM, MY SISTER IN LAW, AND MY COUSIN FOR THIS RACE! 

IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF THE HOT MAMAS RUN I WOULD RECOMMEND CHECKING OUT THEIR WEBSITE HERE. IT IS AN AWESOME WOMEN-ONLY EVENT THAT ENCOURAGES WOMEN (MAMA OR NOT) TO GET MOVING! THERE IS SOMETHING SO POWERFUL ABOUT SEEING WOMEN SET GOALS, PURSUE THEM, AND CROSS THE FINISH LINE TOGETHER AS A GROUP. NEEDLESS TO SAY IT IS AWESOME!

SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT THIS EVENT IS THAT IT IS HELD IN THE AFTERNOON, WHICH IS PRETTY RISKY BUSINESS IF YOU ASK ME FOR SEPTEMBER IN OKLAHOMA. WITH THAT BEING SAID SUNDAY WAS PRETTY WARM! I HAVE A CRAZY TANK TOP SUNBURN TO PROVE IT! THE WEATHER WAS WARM, BUT THERE WERE 3 WATER STOPS ALONG THE COURSE, AND PLENTY OF ICE COLD WATER WAITING FOR US AT THE START/FINISH OF THE RACE. 
 
I WORE A HOT PINK TANK FROM WALMART {GIRL POWER}, OLD NAVY RUNNING SHORTS, MY IFITNESS BELT (WHICH IS GREAT SO I DON'T POKE HOLES IN MY SHIRTS WITH THE SAFETY PINS THEY GIVE YOU FOR YOUR BIB, EVEN THOUGH I LOOK LIKE A GRANNY WEARING IT AROUND MY WAIST), I ACCIDENTALLY GRABBED BRANDON'S NIKE HAT INSTEAD OF MINE, BUT IT WORKED GREAT! AS I MENTIONED ABOVE, IT IS LOCATED AT A PARK SO THE RACE IS HELD ON PARK TRAILS. THEY WERE NARROW,  AND AT THE BEGINNING VERY CONGESTED, BUT AFTER THE FIRST MILE OR SO PEOPLE BEGIN TO SPREAD OUT. THE TRAILS ARE VERY NICELY PAVED BUT PRETTY HILLY THROUGHOUT THE 5K. 

MY SISTER-IN-LAW SARAH (WHO IS CURRENTLY AN AWESOME MOTHER RUNNER AND A 2-TIME KNOCKED^UP RUNNER), MY MOM, AND I RAN TOGETHER FOR MY MOM'S BIRTHDAY AND WE HAD A GREAT TIME. PACE IS NOT ALWAYS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE RUNNING IN THE CONDITIONS WE HAD YESTERDAY! MY MOM DID GREAT AGAIN, AND I AM SO PROUD OF HER! 

AT PACKET PICK UP (WHICH YOU CAN DO THE DAY OF, WHICH IS REALLY NICE WHEN YOU LIVE OUT OF TOWN!) YOU RECEIVE A BAG WITH YOUR BIB, TIMING CHIP, AND AN AWESOME FITTED WOMAN'S SHIRT WHICH IS PICTURED ABOVE! ALSO THE SNACK SELECTION AFTER THE RACE WAS AWESOME. GRANOLA BARS, LARA BARS, TRAIL MIX, AND CHIPS WERE AMONG THE SNACKS WE GOT TO CHOOSE FROM. ALSO GREAT WE COULD GRAB SOME FOR OUR HUNGRY BABIES! THIS RACE IS KID FRIENDLY WITH A PARK NEAR BY TO PLAY AT. 

SHOUT OUT TO THE MEN IN OUR LIVES. MY BROTHER AND MY HANDSOME HUSBAND WATCHED THE KIDDOS WHILE WE RAN! THEY KEPT THE KIDS IN THE SHADE AND CHEERED US ON WHILE WE RAN. MY DAD COULDN'T BE AT THE RACE BECAUSE HE HAD CLINICALS, BUT HE WAS THERE IN SPIRIT!

ONCE AGAIN I AM JUST SO OVERWHELMED AND THANKFUL FOR AN AWESOME EVENT THAT MY FAMILY COULD BE APART OF! 

ALIVIA AND I MADE THIS YESTERDAY AND IT WAS SO EASY AND YUMMY! WE IMMEDIATELY ATE A LITTLE PIECE FOR A SNACK AND CONTINUED TO NIBBLE ON IT THROUGHOUT THE DAY. IF YOU DO DECIDE TO MAKE THIS BREAD DON'T BE EXPECTING A VERY SWEET TASTE LIKE NORMAL BANANA NUT BREAD, BECAUSE IT IS NOT OVERLY SWEET. BUT THIS BREAD IS VERY DENSE AND IS EVEN BETTER WITH A TABLESPOON OF CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER ON TOP. ENJOY!



OAT FLOUR BANANA NUT BREAD

INGREDIENTS:
2 CUPS OAT FLOUR (WE USE A BLINDER TO GRIND UP OLD FASHION OATS TO MAKE OUR OAT FLOUR)
1/2 CUPS OLD FASHIONED OATS
1 tsp BAKING POWDER
1 tsp BAKING SODA
1/2 tsp CINNAMON
1/2 tsp SALT
1 EGG
1/2 CUP BROWN SUGAR
1/2 CUP CHOPPED WALNUTS
3-4 RIPE BANANAS MASHED

DIRECTIONS:
(1) PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES
(2) IN A LARGE BOWL COMBINE: OAT FLOUR, OATS, BAKING POWDER, BAKING SODA & SALT. SIT ASIDE.
(3) IN ANOTHER BOWL MASH BANANAS WELL. BEAT IN EGG. ADD BROWN SUGAR & CINNAMON, MIX WELL.
(4) COMBINE BANANA MIXTURE INTO THE DRY INGREDIENTS AND MIX UNTIL JUST COMBINED. FOLD IN WALNUTS, PECANS, BLUEBERRIES, DATES, CHOCOLATE CHIPS... OR WHATEVER ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE! 
(5) POUR INTO A GREASED LOAF PAN
(6) BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. CHECK IT WITH A TOOTHPICK OR KNIFE. LET SET FOR 10 MINUTES BEFORE REMOVING IT FROM THE PAN TO COOL.
(7) SLICE IT UP AND TRY NOT TO EAT ALL OF IT YOURSELF!

SATURDAY MORNING I GOT THE BABIES UP EARLY TO HEAD TO THE SQUARE FOR OUR LOCAL 5K, LIKE WE HAVE FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS. 

THIS YEAR WAS SPECIAL THOUGH. THIS YEAR I RAN WITH MY MOMMA! MY DAD AND HER HAVE STARTED RUNNING AGAIN AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW PROUD I AM OF BOTH OF THEM! 

THE CHEROKEE STRIP 5K IS NOT HUGE. 137 PEOPLE LACED UP THEIR SHOES TO POUND THE PAVEMENT AROUND OUR LITTLE TOWN. WE ARRIVED ON THE SQUARE, PICKED UP OUR BIB, OUR TIMING STRIP (THIS WAS THE FIRST YEAR FOR THIS TECHNOLOGY, WE USUALLY WEAR TIMING CHIPS. PERSONALLY I LOVE THE STRIPS AND HOW EASY AND CONVENIENT THEY ARE!), OUR T-SHIRT, AND WERE GREETED BY THE PERRY CROSS COUNTRY TEAM STRETCHING IT OUT.   

I LOVE SMALL HOME-TOWN RACES.  FOR AWHILE ON THE COURSE WE WERE FOLLOWING A FATHER AND HIS SON. LISTENING AND WATCHING THEM MADE ME SO EXCITED FOR THE DAY WHEN WE CAN ACTUALLY RUN WITH OUR BABIES INSTEAD OF PUSHING THEM! WHAT A DAY IT WILL BE WHEN WE CAN CROSS A FINISH LINE AS A FAMILY!

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL MORNING TO RUN. I WORE A NIKE LONG SLEEVE THAT I GOT FOR MY BIRTHDAY THAT I HAVE BEEN DYING TO WEAR AND OLD NAVY RUNNING SHORTS. THE AIR WAS CRISP, BUT I QUICKLY GOT WARMED UP IN MY SLEEVE. THE COURSE HAS BEEN THE SAME BOTH TIMES I HAVE RAN, IT IS A GREAT ROUTE ON ROADS THAT I RUN ALMOST EVERY WEEK. THERE ARE A FEW HILLS THAT ARE LONG AND GRADUAL AND CAN DEFINITELY MAKE YOUR LEGS BURN IF YOU AREN'T PREPARED.

MY MOM DID GREAT, SHE GOT 3RD PLACE IN HER AGE GROUP AND LEARNED A FEW THINGS FROM HER TRAINING THAT SHE CAN WORK ON FOR THE NEXT RACE (WHICH HAPPENS TO BE THIS UP COMING SUNDAY IN EDMOND, CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO JOIN US--ITS GONNA BE A REAL HOT TIME!) ALSO, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT: I HAVE TALKED HER INTO TRAINING FOR A HALF MARATHON WITH ME, HER STORY IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!! 

THANKS FOR RUNNING WITH ME MOMMA! YOU DID GREAT! 
ALSO, THANKS TO UNCLE J & AUNT SARAH FOR WATCHING MY BABIES AND BRINGING YOURS TO CHEER US ON! NOTHING IS BETTER MOTIVATION THAN KNOWING SWEET BABES ARE AT THE FINISH LINE WAITING FOR YOU! 

MY GOAL IN AUGUST WAS TO RUN 139 MILES AND I ENDED UP RUNNING 139.6 MILES. 
{BELIEVE ME, THAT .6 REALLY MATTERS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I AM BEHIND IN MY MILEAGE GOAL FOR THE YEAR.}

MARATHON TRAINING STARTED THIS MONTH SO MY MILEAGE STARTED PICKING UP NATURALLY BECAUSE OF LONG RUNS ON THE WEEKENDS. EACH MONTH I WILL TAKE A PICTURE OF MY FINAL MONTHLY RUNNING CALENDER AND YOU CAN FIND THE PICTURES HERE. THE PENCIL WAS THE ORIGINAL PLAN AND THE PINK MARKER IS WHAT I ACTUALLY RAN. 

MY FIRST LONG DISTANCE MARATHON TRAINING RUN WAS 8 MILES AND IT WAS ON AUGUST 4TH. IT WAS A HOT AND HUMID MORNING AND I REMEMBER IT FEELING SO HARD. THE 8 MILES DRUG ON AND MADE FOR A ROUGH START TO MY TRAINING.

MY SHORTEST RUN WAS 2 MILES AND MY LONGEST WAS 15. {WHICH WAS RAN WITH MY SISTER-IN-LAW WHICH MADE FOR A GREAT RUN!}

THIS MONTH WAS RIGHT ON TRACK FOR MY TRAINING AND FOR MY 1,000 MILE PROJECT. 
I AM FEELING REALLY GREAT ABOUT THE MILES I PUT IN FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST. I AM GETTING IT DONE ONE MILE AT A TIME!

HERE IS MY TOTAL MILEAGE:
JANUARY: 25.45 MILES
FEBRUARY: 0
MARCH: 15.2 MILES
APRIL: 50.2 MILES
MAY: 69.1 MILES
JUNE: 86.55 MILES
JULY: 83.4 MILES
AUGUST: 139.6 MILES

TOTAL FOR THE YEAR: 469.5 MILES

ALSO, I HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL TO OFFER YOU GUYS! THERE IS AN AWESOME 5K HAPPENING NEXT WEEKEND, SEPTEMBER 15TH IN STILLWATER. IT IS CALLED THE CAMPUS TOUR 5K AND IT BEGINS AT THETA POND AT 8:00AM! IF YOU REGISTER BEFORE SEPTEMBER 13TH IT IS $35, BUT BECAUSE I HAVE SUCH AN AWESOME FRIEND, {SASHA} SHE IS GIVING $5 OFF TO ANYONE THAT USES THE DISCOUNT CODE: KNOCKEDUPRUNNER FROM NOW UNTIL NEXT WEDNESDAY! 
JUST HEAD OVER HERE AND SIGN UP TODAY!!

JANUARY FIRST OF 2013 CAME AROUND AND I NEEDED A GOAL.
A GOAL TO GET ME MOVING. 
A GOAL TO PUSH ME. 
A GOAL TO GET MY BODY BACK AFTER BUBBA GRAY ENTERED THIS WORLD. 

YOU SEE, ON JANUARY FIRST I WAS 8 MONTHS PREGNANT WITH GRAYSON. I WAS WORKING HARD ON MAINTAINING THE GOAL OF STAYING ACTIVE AND HEALTHY THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY. RUNNING WAS BECOMING... INTERESTING. I HAD LEFT THE OPEN ROAD BEHIND AND TOOK UP RESIDENCY ON OUR LOCAL YMCA TREADMILL. MY PACE HAD SLOWED TO 10.. NO, 11.. WHO AM I KIDDING... 12 MINUTE MILES ON A GOOD DAY. I KNEW I WAS GOING TO NEED SOME MAJOR MOTIVATION TO KEEP GOING. I WAS STARTING TO GET SHIN SPLINTS EVERY TIME I STARTED TO JOG AND I WAS GETTING ANGRY WITH MY BODY FOR REBELLING AGAINST ME. 

SO I SET A GOAL.

MY GOAL IS TO RUN 1,000 MILES IN THE YEAR OF 2013. 

I KNEW IT WOULD BE A LITTLE INTERESTING THOUGH, BEING THE KNOCKED^UP RUNNER THAT I WAS AT THE TIME. MY DUE DATE WAS FEBRUARY 9TH, AND MY ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO RUN THROUGH JANUARY AND THEN TAKE THE MONTHS OF FEBRUARY AND MARCH OFF, BUT AROUND JANUARY FIFTEENTH MY BODY WAS SCREAMING AT ME. MY SLOW DUCK WADDLE OF A JOG HAD TURNED INTO A WALK AND THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO RUN THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE MONTH, SO I CALLED IT QUITS... FOR THE MOST PART.

LONG STORY SHORT, GRAYSON SCOTT DECIDED HE WOULD TAKE HIS SWEET LITTLE TIME AND HE CAME 11 LONG DAYS LATE ON FEBRUARY TWENTIETH AND THE COUNTDOWN TO LACING UP MY RUNNING SHOES BEGAN. I FOUND MYSELF AT IT ONCE AGAIN ON MARCH FOURTEENTH, MY FIRST RUN AS A MOTHER RUNNER OF 2. 

SO, THIS IS HOW THE YEAR HAS GONE:
JANUARY: 25.45 MILES
FEBRUARY: 0
MARCH: 15.2 MILES
APRIL: 50.2 MILES
MAY: 69.1 MILES
JUNE: 86.55 MILES
JULY: 83.4 MILES
AUGUST: ^YOU'LL HAVE TO COME BACK LATER THIS WEEK TO FIND OUT HOW I DID IN AUGUST!!^
TOTAL: 329.9

OBVIOUSLY AS YOU KNOW WE ARE OVER HALF WAY THROUGH THE YEAR, AND AS YOU CAN SEE I AM NOT HALF WAY THREW MY MILES, BUT EACH DAY, WEEK, AND MONTH I KEEP KNOCKING THOSE MILES OFF AND I KNOW MY GOAL WILL BE MET. THANKFULLY MARATHON TRAINING HAS BEGUN AND I AM RACKING UP THE MILES PRETTY EASILY THESE DAYS.

I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED EACH MONTH AS I TRY AND ACCOMPLISH THIS BIG GOAL I HAVE SET FOR MYSELF. i HOPE YOU WILL HANG AROUND AND SEE THE OUTCOME.