Homemade Energy Bars

I came across a couple of sites showing how to make your own protein bars so I thought I would give it a try. I have been looking for a snack protein bar that is more protein and less sugar, but I do not like all the fat. Before my long runs I struggle with what to eat that is easily digestible because I run very early and don't feel like getting up in the middle of the night to eat. The recipes that I tried looks like it will fit the bill.
You need 1/2 cups of rolled oats, whey protein, peanut butter and your choice of further additions. In a blender grind the oats into a powder and mix in the whey protein. Add this to a bowl containing 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Natural peanut or almond butter would be best and contain less sugar. Mix it up adding a little water to blend it into a dough of sorts. Spread it on a piece of aluminum foil and fold into bars.
You could add some chopped dried fruit or chocolate pieces for extra flavor. Different protein powder flavors will also change the taste. Not bad and you know what you have in it. No extra alcohols or supplemental fats.
Give it a try.

In search of the beachbody

Addie and I started the P90x program which is a DVD series with Tony Horton. It consists of progressive daily routines of strength training mainly using your own body weight with push-up/pull-up combinations and dumbbell work. There is also a martial arts day and yoga day. It is associated with a diet plan to fit the progression. I intend to maintain my current running schedule in the am and do these workouts in the pm. I think this will be an excellent cross-training activity. It certainly works muscles not used in running and emphasizes core stability training. We are following the diet to about 70%. Cannot give up the pasta but will try to moderate. I am hoping it helps me stay injury free and improve my running speed. Only time will tell.

Happy Memorial Day. Thank you to all who have served in our military. I respect you greatly.

YMCA County Line 5K

Today the Joules ran the YMCA county line 5K. Tom finished first in his age group and Carol and I finished third in our age group. Great fun. About 175 turned out. We joined friends for breakfast afterward. The run was along the Englewood Beach road out and back. Great sunny Florida morning.

Kettlebell training

The video below show a variation of the Turkish Getup. This is a great whole body exercise that has seven distinct phases. All help improve core stability and muscle strength. Other great Kettlebell exercises include swings and power cleans. These are great cross-training exercises. I am adding these to my routine of planks and bird dogs for core stability.

Steve Cotter Kettlebell Turkish Get Up Instructional Video

Siesta Key, Florida at sunset

Great place to vacation and run. Just 40 miles up the road is one of the nicest beaches in the country. White soft sand and a flat packed surface. You can run the entire beach for just over 5 miles. This weekend we ran from the Palm Bay Club to the north jetty and out to the beach road for breakfast and back. Also, did a pm walk for dacquris.
Achilles is cured. Now working on getting the mileage up.

Garmin 305 is my friend

I purchased a new Garmin 305 last fall as a backup to my Polar RS820 as a mileage, pace, and HR tracker. The Polar monitor is easy to see and the footpod allows good monitoring of pace. The HR band is comfortable. The footpod can be a nuisance at times with the batteries and communication with the chest strap. The Polar software is also quite good to track trends and totals. Buckeye Outdoors requires manual input from Polar devices so I though I would try sportstrack software and upload the Garmin direct. It works beautiful and you can also see the satalite images of your run. The data is just as good as the Polar except for the breakdown of HRs at various points along the way.
I have decided to try the Galloway method for my next marathon. I uploaded a workout on the Garmin to run 4min and walk 1min for the long runs. This was great and I actually ran my last run quicker with the walk breaks than running straight. Cool.