I told you about my foot pain (outside ball of right foot) that came on during my last long run. I hemmed and hawed over what to do. I love my Newton performance shoes. They took me through my first marathon and I was planning on partnering with them at Boston. The Boston course is hard and taxing on the legs and feet. I don’t dare risk having that pain strike during the middle of my run. So I went over to see the folks at The Sneaker Store. They gave me their complete undivided attention. They took me through five different shoes before finding the one that I thought I’d be happy with. The result: Nike Lunar Fly. I bought the “Fly” even though I was a bit skeptical because it didn’t give me the propulsion forward that I like in most of my shoes.
I tried them out Saturday morning for a 6 3/4 mile run. They were great. The cushioning with the light weight should work out fine for 26.2 miles. I’m just a little bummed because during my run which was around the Switchbacks of Valley View Golf Course, I ran into some ice and had to get onto the wet grass. My NEW shoes don’t look so NEW anymore.
MARATHON COOKIES: Low, Low Fat and Rich in Healthy Carbohydrates. It’s the ULTIMATE in a runner’s delight.
I came up with this cookie because I was thinking sweet, not fatty, chocolaty, yet healthy. I’ve listed a few alternative substitutes to make it easier for you to make with ingredients in your panty.
Makes 5 dozen 2” round cookies
- 2 cups all purpose flour (use whole wheat if you prefer)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup Carob powder (use cocoa powder if you prefer)
- 1 slightly over ripe banana, mashed (you can also use apple sauce, about 6 oz)
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup Low Fat Buttermilk
- 1 cup Quick Cooking Oats
- 1 cup Dark Chocolate chips (I actually used 1/2 cup Unsweetened Carob chips PLUS 1/2 cup Mini Chocolate chips. But I prefer the Dark Chocolate chips)
Preheat the oven to 325 F. *Alternate cooking temp. & time offered below
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and carob/cocoa powder.
In a smaller bowl, mash the banana (if you haven’t already), and cream it with the sugar and vanilla. Add the buttermilk to combine thoroughly.
Mix the banana – buttermilk mixture into the flour and stir until combined. NOW… add the oats, give it a quick stir and add the chocolate chips.
Line 4 cookie sheets with aluminum foil and spray lightly with non-stick baking spray.
Drop by 3/4 TBS onto sheets about 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart. Bake for 20 minutes.
*Alternative cooking temp. & time: Bake at 350 F for a 10 – 12 minutes. This may produce a slightly softer cookie.
I love this cookie. It’s a little crisp on the outside with a hint of chewy on the inside. The fact that it has banana and oats, no fat makes me think I could eat these for fueling my run! Healthy and delicious. Another cookie winner! *Cookie is at its crispiest the day of baking.
Have you tried carob powder or chips? Can you notice a big difference? I can detect the difference. To me, carob seems to have a hint of coffee flavor with the cocoa taste. I like it.
I like these cookies cause they are with oats.. cookies with oats are my weakness 🙂
I like oats in my cookies as well – sooo good.
I hope the new shoes work out – it’s a week away!!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!! I’m SOOOO excited for you!
Those cookies look great – I’m not such a fan of carob, but I’m definitely a chocoholic. 🙂
I know – so far so good on the sneaks. But I couldn’t risk wearing the ones that were hurting.
oh hello cookies!! yum yum. now that i am dairy-free i need to explore the world of carobness. (i’ve had “rice dream – mint carob chip” ice cream and it was decent) so now i just need to find these carob substitutes at the food store!
what can i use instead of buttermilk?
love the new shoes. one week!
Omit the buttermilk completely. Change the 1 cup of oats to 1/2 to 3/4 and add the oats to the flour which you should reduce to 1 1/2 cups.
I love carob, haven’t had that in awhile… taste just like chocolate these look really delicious~
Thanks Claudia
I hope the new shoes work for you!
I haven’t tried carob for a really long time. Maybe it’s time to give it a try again with those cookies. They look so good and I’m a sucker for cookies.
Nothing beats a good cookie.
man, oh man, i’ve been having some challenges with my shoes lately too…and i was thinking about getting a new pair, but i’m so scared about getting them broken in before the race.
those look amazing! glad that you found something that is going to work for the race.
I know – so close to race time but if the shoes are causing problems, I figure what do you have to lose?
Hope the shoes work out for you. I guess you can have Ted bring your other shoes and you can text him to meet you to switch out! They actually look very comfy for just wearing around 😀
I don’t care for carob that much. I think it has a peculiar taste to it that I cannot put my finger on.
I am a bad runner, and I always buy my shoes based on how they look (terrible, I know) and I must say that these would definitely win in my book (they look cute, and even better…they are good running shoes too!) Thank you so much for sharing with me tonight. I always know I will find something that will make me smile! Your sweet and creative spirit brings me such happiness. I hope you have a great day tomorrow full of hope and love.
If anything those shoes are cute. They look more like street shoes than runners. Score!
You’ll be really well dressed for the Boston marathon (only a few more days!) and well fuelled with those cookies 😀