Good morning, friends!
How are you doing today? This week’s new things are all inspired by the North Face Endurance Challenge coming up this weekend. It’s at Blue Mountain Ski Resort, a part of Ontario I’ve never been to before, so I’m really looking forward to checking things out Saturday before racing on Sunday. It’s been a rainy week so far but I’m keeping my fingers crossed for lots of sunshine. For now, let’s talk about snacks and on-the-go hydration!
1. Recipe of the Week. This one is the result of another reader’s recipe request, this time, for an easy to make, portable snack. I’ve experimented a few times in the past with making granola bars, some with protein powder and some without, but they’ve never been quite right. But this weekend, I came across a combination of ingredients that worked really well.
One of the main goals for this recipe was to keep sugar content as low as possible – think more like oatmeal in bar form with dried fruit to sweeten it, rather than really sweet granola bars that you’d buy at a grocery store. I also wanted to see if I could get away with keeping them vegan by not adding any eggs or egg whites, and surprisingly, the combination of mashed banana, apple sauce, chia seeds and ground flax did the trick!
These chewy Trail Mix Bars are vegan, gluten-free (thanks to the use of gluten-free oats), and contain no artificial sweeteners. I’ve used slivered almonds, dried cranberries and dried apricots as my mix-ins of choice, but you could certainly experiment by substituting whatever dried fruit and nuts you have in your kitchen.
The recipe makes enough for 8 bars in a 9×9″ pan. I’m planning to pack a couple to take along with me as snacks for the road on Saturday, and perhaps as post-race food as well… if they don’t disappear before this weekend. 😉
Click here for the recipe.
2. A Camelbak Hydration Pack. Meet my latest running accessory:
Two weekends ago, I did a long 3-hour trail run with a local ultra trail running group organized by Runner’s Choice Waterloo. The night before I was laying out all of my gear so I could just get up, get dressed and go. It hit me at that moment that I had no idea how long we’d be out for, and that everyone else would probably be running with water. It had been ages since I’d run with my Camelbak hydration belt (normally I just run with my SPIbelt or nothing at all) and even when I do, I’ll be honest – I’m not the best about drinking water on the run. Normally in half marathons, I’ll take water at a hydration station if it’s really hot, but since I don’t carry gels for that distance, I don’t feel the need to need to carry liquids on me. I wore the belt for that trail run, and as expected, didn’t drink much.
Well… let’s just say I’m not expecting my half marathon trail time to be anywhere near as fast as on the road. And since I’ll be out on the race course for longer, hydration will be more of an issue. It just so happened that I had a gift card for The Running Room and a 30% off coupon, so I managed to snag this little CamelBak Classic 2L model for a whopping total of $9. #winning.
What I like about the hydration pack (in comparison to the belt) is that it doesn’t require any reaching behind to grab bottles, or anything restrictive around my waist. I always feel like I’m going to drop a bottle when I go to clip them back into my belt, but since the Camelbak Classic hydration pack is worn like a backpack and has a nifty blue tube that comes through to the front, there’s no need for reaching.
The tube can be secured in a small clip on the strap (shown above) so that it doesn’t go flying around while you’re running, and the chest strap is supposed to prevent the pack from jiggling around. The mouthpiece has a small slit in it that opens when you suck water out, so there’s no need to worry about water leaking.
I took my new toy for a test run yesterday (because it’s never good to try new things on race day) and filling it up was really easy. The blue water-tight seal twisted off, I filled it with about 500mL (because I know I won’t need a full 2L for the race), sealed it back up, and put on the pack. The chest strap really did help to prevent it from moving around – in fact, aside from the water sloshing noise, I almost forgot it was there. The water tube also didn’t bother me at all and stayed put under the clip. I took more sips than normal for the distance I ran in order to get as much “practice” in as possible, and this much less disruptive than previous hydration strategies. Longer trail runs are something I hope to pursue more next year, so the whole 2L capacity will eventually be appreciated.
My plan is to do a couple more short runs with the CamelBak before this weekend just to ensure I’m comfortable with it, but so far, so good. Bring on the hot weather this Sunday… I’ll be ready!
So tell me…
- What’s your favourite granola bar or road trip snack?
- Have you tried this style of hydration pack before? I know some of you carry water bottles in your hands, around your waist, or not at all. Any thoughts on the pros/cons of the backpack-style ones?
you had this mama with the LOOOOOW SUGAR.
((sharing)) too.
Glad to see you are trying the Camelbak pack. I’ve got two (a big one for long hikes when I need to carry lots of layers) and a smaller one that’s perfect for rollerblading, biking or other activities where I just need to carry water, keys, phone, etc. I absolutely LOVE my Camelbaks! They are the best way to keep hydrated at a steady pace no matter what activity you are doing.
I was thinking the same thing regarding biking, Shirley! I’m still at the point where I’m not great at riding one-handed on my road bike (something that didn’t even seem like a challenge when I was a kid – not sure why it’s so hard now!) but a CamelBak would totally solve that problem. I’m sure yours have been getting plenty of use this summer on the trails!
I am so excited for this weekend! You are going to do such a good job!
Drinking water is definitely something I need to get better at as well. I was missing a piece to my UD pack until yesterday when I ordered it from Adventure Guide. Now I have NO excuse. Long runs with hydration packs? Yes please. 😛
Haha yes please on my part too! After this weekend, I’m more than up for doing some longer runs with you in prep for your marathon training. I miss our Saturday mornings!
MMMMMmm those bars look awesome!! And I love my camelbak! Its one of my fav run accessories!
So my biggestgoal this monthis to hydrate on runs.
Im terrible atit,but know I need to cause its so darn warm out.
I just fell in love with a fuel belt hand held.
It fits my phone, keys and ttc pass perfectly.
I hate things around my waist.
Never tried at camel back, but I just feel it would make me hotter.
I sweat alot and think I would sweat more, faster.
But I am always up for trying new things
As for granola bars….. Glow Bars from Oh She Glows….with lots of add ins…
what ever I have goes in 🙂
Wishing you the best of luck this weekend.
And putting this challenge on my 2015 goals
That’s great that you found one that works for you, Lisa! I used to just suck it up when it came to the belts but now I’d really rather not. The SPIbelt is the exception (it’s awesome!) but unfortunately isn’t built to hold water bottles. And about the Glow Bars – I agree, they are amazing! I’ve made them for co-workers and family, and they’ve received rave reviews every time! Thanks so much for the good luck wishes, and perhaps we’ll see each other there in 2015!
Thank you so much for posting that snack bar recipe. Totally going to make those, just have to get my daughter off the liquid diet from her wisdom teeth extraction first. Perfect for taking to the lake and pool in the afternoons. I do have a camel back but have not used it in a long time. I start longer marathon training, hopefully next week, and with this Georgia heat, hydration is key. I have not yet mastered it. You are going to do so well at the North Face race. I bet you fall in love with trail running. I enjoy it here but not during the summer…too many snakes.
I feel so sorry for your daughter right now – it sounds like she’s having a really rough go of it right now, but luckily she’s got an awesome family (and super cute westie!) to look after her. I’m looking forward to following along with your marathon training over the coming weeks. And snakes?! That would freak me right out as well!
Perfect timing on this recipe! I’m headed out tomorrow morning for my big Seattl to Portland double century and I was looking for something like this that I could quickly throw together tonight.
WOW, good luck Heather!! I hope you have a great trip, a safe and fun ride, and happy packing! 🙂
Oooo those granola bars look delicious!! I have a soft spot for Kashi granola bars (specifically the mocha almond flavour!) but I try to avoid purchasing snacks like that because they’re so easy to make at home! I usually just throw a bunch of nuts, dried fruit, nut butter, and other goodies into a pan and see what happens 😉
Good luck with your race on the weekend!!! I Can’t wait to read about your recap!
I wish the protein bars of the world were vegan! All these whey protein bars drive me bonkers. I am not a vegan but I cannot eat dairy! UGH! These are a great alternative 🙂