Runner Recipes - UCAN Pancakes from Heidi Greenwood

Runner Recipes is back, and this time we have a tasty breakfast recipe from my friend and elite marathoner Heidi Greenwood. Heidi and I met in 2013 when we were both living in Cleveland, where our husbands were in med school/residency. How serendipitous that we both lived in CLE at the same time, less than a mile away from each other? During our brief stints in Ohio, Heidi and I shared many miles (and glasses of wine!), running together around Shaker Lakes and doing long runs on the Towpath in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I was lucky to have this gal share her marathon wisdom with me ahead of my 26.2 debut :-)

A bit about Heidi - she is from Minnesota and went to college at the University of North Dakota, where she played volleyball (yes you read that right!) and also ran track. At UND, Heidi killed it on the track, winning multiple conference titles and ultimately the NCAA Division 2 National Championship in the 1500 meters! But after college, she went from being a miler to a marathoner. In 2013, Heidi joined Oiselle's elite team and also ran an Olympic Trials qualifier at the Columbus Marathon, running 2:42:08. Heidi is now based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and is gearing up for the 2016 Olympic Trials in February.

Heidi was kind enough to share her favorite brunch recipe with us - read on below to hear from her!

On Sundays in our house my husband and I have a tradition… post-long run for me and post-rec hockey league for him, we eat PANCAKES. Me, as the best house wife ever (LOL), always asks him what he wants for brunch… and with a smirk on his face will always ask if I want to make pancakes again… and of course I always do!  Sometimes the recipe I used will be slightly different from week to week, but I’m going to share with you the basic recipe and give you a few suggestions for how to vary it.  

Recipe

Makes: 8 pancakes (4-5” in diameter)

1 cup Oats (Grind into flour)
2 Packets Vanilla UCAN*
2 TBSP. Ground Flaxseed
1 egg
2 bananas
½ cup So-Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk (or any milk substitute)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder

Optional Sweeteners: stevia, honey, brown sugar, maple syrup

*Chocolate UCAN is also great. (Heidi advises that protein powders like UCAN and JUICEPLUS Complete (which contain both protein & carbohydrates) work better than a protein isolate (straight-up protein). 

Directions

Place oats in food processor. Grind to flour (this takes about 20 seconds).

Oats in processor

Oats in flour form in processor

Next, place the rest of the ingredients into the food processor.  Process until batter forms (this will take about 20 seconds again; note that the processing time may take longer if you have a lower grade food processor). You could also use a good blender too.

All ingredients in the food processor

Heat pan (Heidi uses a regular non-stick pan on a gas stove top).  Keep heat about medium to low/medium. Spray pan with PAM or use coconut oil to avoid any sticking. Use a ¼ cup measure cup as a scoop to make pancakes. Heat, flip, continue cooking, then you're done!

Finished product - yum!

Heidi shared some of her favorite toppings below:

Yummy toppings - berries and cream

Berries and peanut butter - extra yum!

See the nutrition information per pancake below; Heidi says to note the magic 4:1 carb-protein ratio :)

Thanks Heidi for sharing your favorite post-run breakfast recovery food with us! To follow Heidi's Olympic Trials journey, visit her website: 

http://www.heidijogreen.com/

Summer Training Update

Where did the summer go? Somehow we're already in mid-August and the countdown to fall racing is quickly approaching. Here's a quick rundown of the past few months for me:

On the struggle bus at NYRR Mini 10k

I finished my spring racing at the New York Road Runners Oakley Mini 10k in June. I was thrilled to toe the line with some of the best women in the world in what was the most competitive international field I've competed in. Unfortunately, a long spring campaign and an extremely hot + humid day got the best of me, and I finished a disappointing 23rd. You can't win 'em all, and while I was upset about my performance, I was also happy with a breakthrough spring. 

From New York, it was off to Tanzania for 2 weeks for Avi and my belated honeymoon. The 8 days up and down Mt. Kilimanjaro followed by 5 days on safari were adventurous, challenging, wonderful and memorable - a perfect honeymoon!

We saw tons of animals on safari (including the Big 5 - lion, elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard, and rhino), but I have to give a special shout-out to the wildebeests. At first I was hating on the wildebeest because let's face it, they're pretty ugly. They're mangy and their ribs stick out and they look awfully awkward with those skinny little legs.

But once I saw the wildebeest in motion, I took back all my insults. When a wildebeest runs, it glides effortlessly across the savanna, flying smoothly through the grassland, against all odds. The wildebeest is an expert runner, and watching them in motion, I had to admit, it is my spirit animal. It's no mighty lion, no flashy cheetah; but the wildebeest has long-distance cred that none of the other Big 5 have. Wildebeests are the marathoners of the Serengeti, running annually across Tanzania to Kenya in the Great Migration, and for their running grace, they were my favorites :)

But back to training - I've been back running for 6 weeks now and have slowly found my fitness. The first few runs back after the honeymoon were ROUGH, as are any runs after an extended break. But I was glad for the opportunity to take a step back, as the year ahead is a big one. 

I spent a week in Ohio for work and got to run on some of my old favorite trails, including the Towpath in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I also traveled to Chicago for a family wedding and ran joyfully along Lake Michigan with my brother Brendan - sibling miles are the best kind of miles!

Back in Rhode Island, I've been supplementing running with yoga to improve flexibility and have gotten in many runs and workouts on our bike paths. 

Bike paths are great and all, but they do get rather boring... So, I've also been exploring new trails throughout New England. Training partner Katie Dicamillo and I checked out some new trails in the Blue Hills Reservation in Massachusetts, and I recently got in my fair share of hills in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Summer training is less about hitting exact splits and more about time on your feet, which makes it the perfect time to log some trail miles, which I've been enjoying.

I'm holding off on racing while I gear up for a big fall campaign. Look for me racing here at home in Providence for the USA 5k Road Championships in September, then at the 10 Mile and 10k Road Champs in October. But first, time to put in some more miles!