Brown Sugar Biscoff Cookies

Yes, I used cookie butter to bake cookies!  So I guess these are cookies within cookies.  Biscoff spread is a cookie butter with a cinnamon, graham cracker taste. (Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter would also work great in this recipe.) The cookie butter is combined with brown sugar to make rich, chewy, soft-baked cookies.  It’s a one-bowl recipe and it uses zero butter.  It’s important to chill the dough before baking to insure that your cookies stay puffy and soft after baking.
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Let’s bake!  Start by fitting your stand mixer with the paddle attachment.  A handheld mixer with a large bowl will work as well.  Cream together the eggs, cookie butter, brown sugar, and vanilla for around 5 minutes.
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Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and mix on low until just combined.  Don’t overmix.
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The dough will feel  a little oily, but shouldn’t be wet.
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Add the sparkling sugar to a small bowl or ramekin.
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Using a cookie dough scoop, form dough mounds (around 2T), roll into a ball with your hands, and roll the dough ball in the sugar to coat.
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Place the dough balls onto a plate(s), cover with plastic wrap, flatten the dough slightly, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.  Do not skip this step!
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  While the oven is warming up, place your chilled dough balls onto a baking sheet.
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I baked mine for 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
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Enjoy!!!
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Of course, I had to eat one while they were still warm.  Just look at how soft and gooey the center is…er….was!
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I yielded 29 cookies.  This recipe can easily be halved if you want a smaller batch.

Ingredient:

2 large eggs
2 cups creamy Cookie Butter or Biscoff Spread (the recipe will work with peanut butter as a substitute but the flavor will be totally different)
1.5 cups light brown sugar, packed (dark brown may be substituted)
3 tablespoons vanilla extract (yes tablespoons, not teaspoons)
1.5 cups plus 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour (see directions below)
4 teaspoons cornstarch
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
Sparkling sugar or granulated sugar to coat the cookies (This is optional, but I love the sugar crunch on the outside.)

Instructions:

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large bowl and electric hand mixer), cream together the eggs, Cookie Butter, brown sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Do not shortchange this creaming step, and if using a hand mixer, 6-7 minutes may be necessary. Don’t overbeat or overdo it so that the oils start releasing (more prone to happening with peanut butter than Cookie Butter); just make sure the mixture is properly creamed.

Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and the flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking soda, optional salt, and mix on low speed until just incorporated, about 1 minute; don’t overmix. The dough will be soft and on the oily side, but it should come together and not be sticky, tacky, or wet. If it is, add up to 2 more tablespoons of flour, and mix to incorporate. Due to climate and variance in ingredients such as moisture level of brown sugar, volume of egg, brand of Cookie Butter, etc. the flour amount could vary by a few tablespoons.

Pour sparkling or granulated sugar into a ramekin.  Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form heaping two-tablespoon mounds. Roll the mounds into a ball and roll the dough ball in the sparkling sugar to coat.  Place dough balls on a large plate, flatten slightly, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter. Properly chilled dough is mandatory.

Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat, or spray with cooking spray. Place mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 9 cookies per sheet). Bake for 8 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Do not bake longer than 9 minutes if you want Softbatch-sytle cookies because they firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.

Store cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Recipe from: Averie Cooks

Related Recipes:

Molasses-Spice Cookies
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My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
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White Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars
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#choosejoy

 

Weekend Wrap-Up

Saturday:
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I met up with friends for our last long run before North Fork next weekend!  We logged a lot of hours in the woods together and I’m so thankful for their company!!!
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I was craving a smoothie after the run.  What do you do when you can’t make up your mind?  Order two smalls…the best of both worlds!
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I had a super fun mail day!  Batch knows my love for coffee and sent me some fun new coffees to try!!!!  They also gave me a discount to share with JCJ readers!  Use code: CHOOSEJOY for 10% off your order at BatchUSA.com.  Thanks Batch!!!
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I also received the biggest box of San Clemente Cookie Dough Co…heaven!!  Use code: JENCHOOSESJOY for 10% off your order at SanClementeCookieDoughCo.com.
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Sunday: Father’s Day and the Summer Solstice

Happy Father’s Day to both of my dads!!
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It was also the first day of Summer and the longest day of the year!
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I hopped on the treadmill for 9 recovery paced miles.
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In an empty gym!!!
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I met Jason for an early breakfast…
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and a hike around Radnor Lake.
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My friend Dave is out of town.  He’s letting me pick his garden while he’s gone.  This was my first time getting to do it and I’m hooked!!!!  I can’t wait to plant my own garden next year.
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Isn’t it beautiful?!!!
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Jason and I had dinner on the Burger Up patio!  It’s hot as hades in TN and I love it!
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I had a big salad, because…CAKE!!
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Sending prayers and love to Charleston.
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Are you a summer lover?  I love the heat and sunshine (except when I’m running)!

Did you do anything special for Father’s Day?

Did you race or long run?  Share!

Do you have a garden?  What are you growing?

#ChooseJoy

Oh Baby!

Wednesday:
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I drank the necessary coffee and met up with Corrie and Dave for a trail/road run through Percy Warner Park.
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My sweet pup Charlotte had a vet appointment.  I think she knew where we were going and wasn’t willing to smile for her picture.  I would really appreciate any prayers and good mojo that you could send our way.  She hasn’t been feeling well lately.
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Thursday:

We had a special Brentwood Breakfast Club baby shower run to celebrate Al’s new baby!  His wife actually went into labor the previous Thursday while he was running with us.
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Sappy moment: I am beyond grateful for our run community, friends, tribe.
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We tried a new spot in Brentwood…Just Love Coffee.  We all keep calling it ‘Must’ Love Coffee (Freudian slip)!

When I got home, I baked a double batch of Brown Sugar Biscoff Cookies for the Dirtbag Trail Mixer.  This recipe is a winner and I’ll post it soon!
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I didn’t want to eat anything too heavy before the run, so I made a Pitaya Bowl.  Isn’t it pretty?!
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Fleet Feet had a big turnout for their trail mixer/run!  They host these trail mixers all summer long.  6pm.  Percy Warner Park.  Deep Wells Trailhead.  EVERYONE is welcome!
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Abby is the new big sister from the aforementioned baby shower!  She is also a great trail runner!
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Friday:
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8 mile treadmill run, cheesy #flexfriday pose, and The Perch for breakfast!
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I volunteered for a race packet pickup at Fleet Feet for a couple of hours.  The funny part…it was for a beer run and I don’t even drink beer!

Nashvillians: Fleet Feet is going to host a weekly Beer Run every Tuesday at 6pm in the Gulch with specials on local beers!
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I also found out this week that I’m an ambassador for San Clemente Cookie Dough Co.  I’m a big fan of their dairy-free, egg-free, and gluten-free Cookie Dough Squeeze pouches!!  Use code: JENCHOOSESJOY for 10% off your order!
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Which fruit are loving right now?  Peaches!

Are you a beer drinker?  Ever done a beer race or fun run?

Do you eat before evening runs?  What works best for you?  I typically run in the morning, so running around dinner time always messes me up.

What do you have planned for the weekend?  Races, long runs, Father’s Day?

The Friday Five

1.  This pretty much sums it up for me!  I have been loving my scoop neck t-shirt from Truth Balance Virtue.
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2.  I have these Votivo Clean Crisp White candles and diffusers all over my house right now.  I love this scent!
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3.  I recently purchased this Strapless Stripe Maxi Dress from Nordstrom.  I love maxi dresses in the summer, the black and white stripes, and it’s only $88!!
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4.  The heat and humidity are back in full force in the South!  I don’t wear foundation, but I do use powder to keep the shine under control.  Too Faced Primed & Poreless powder has worked really well for my oily skin without causing breakouts.
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5.  Taco lovers rejoice!!  Read about the new emoji’s HERE!
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Happy Friday and Choose Joy!

Raw Walnut Tacos

First, let me say that I was pretty skeptical to try this recipe. Yes, I’m a vegetarian, but raw walnut tacos is taking it to another level. I was SO wrong. These tacos rock and they’re easy!  Just add the ingredients in your food processor and pulse. That’s it!  They’re also super flexible. The walnut “meat” makes a great base for your favorite toppings. I added black beans and corn to mine (recipe at the bottom of this page).
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Add the taco ingredients to your food processor.
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In case you haven’t cooked with coconut aminos, it’s a healthier alternative to soy sauce.  You can buy it in the asian foods section of your grocery.
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Pulse several times until a the mixture forms a crumbly “ground meat” consistency.  Do not over blend.
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Add to your romaine leaves, garnish and enjoy!!
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Ingredients:

8 large romaine leaves
2 cups walnuts
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
Dash of paprika
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of black pepper

Optional toppings: black beans, corn, avocado, salsa, Greek yogurt, cojita or queso fresco, jalenpenos, tomatoes, fresh cilantro, fresh lime juice

Instructions:

Thoroughly wash and drain the lettuce in a colander or on a paper towel and set aside while preparing the remaining ingredients.

Combine all taco ingredients in a food processor.

Pulse several times until crumbly, making sure not to overblend.

Spread the walnut taco meat on the romaine leaves in equal servings.

Garnish the walnut taco meat with desired toppings.

Lime Black Beans and Corn

Add the rinsed black beans and corn kernels to a medium pot.  Add the cumin and juice from half a lime.  Stir and cook on medium heat until warmed through.
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Add fresh cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir and add to your tacos!
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Ingredients:

1 can black beans; drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernals
juice from 1/2 lime
1 Tablespoon cumin
fresh cilantro; chopped
salt and pepper; to taste

Instructions:

Add the rinsed black beans and corn kernels to a medium pot. Add the cumin and juice from half a lime. Stir and cook on medium until warmed through.

Add fresh cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and serve.

Recipe adapted from: Marco Borges

Related Recipes:

Honey-Lime Sweet Potato Taco Salad

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Chunky Veggie Tacos

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One-Pan Mexican Quinoa

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The Russian is Back on the Track

Monday:
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6 early miles with friends and then 2 more solo.
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Look at the goslings!
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The temps are already so hot this year!
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Watermelon really hits the spot!
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I took some dresses to get hemmed.  Short person problems…
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And met Jason for lunch.  Grilled portobello on top of a salad is so good!
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My hair was crazy curly.  Just in case you had any doubt about humidity in TN…
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I finally got to watch some of Orange is the New Black Season 3!  I’m trying to spread it out, but the struggle is real.
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Track Tuesday: The Return of the Russian!

I posted the workout on my Facebook page and this is just a portion of the comments.  My friends crack me up!!!!
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On to the workout:
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I did a 4.5 mile warm-up

3x the following workout:
300m (100m recovery)
300m (100m recovery)
300m (100m recovery)
800m jog

1 mile Cool Down

I came home to some more of Jason’s artwork.
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David Haywood from Run4Others made an awesome pace calculator.  It makes it super easy to calculate your track splits.  Check it out HERE!

After track and a much needed shower, I got my nails done at The Nail Bar.  OPI Mod About You.
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I regularly get deep tissue sports massages and swear by them for recovery.  I switched it up and got a trigger point massage and holy crap did it hurt!!!  The therapist finds a knot or sore spot and digs in with her elbow until the muscle releases.  The scene of the crime…it looks so peaceful.  Don’t be fooled.
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Taco Tuesday!
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I made Raw Walnut Tacos and they were SO good!!  I’ll type up the recipe soon.  It’s a winner!
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Have you ever had a trigger point massage? Have you ever wanted to use four-letter words during massage?!

What was your last speed workout?

Do you get your nails done?  How often?  I go through phases, but it does make me feel like I’m put together.

Do you own a food processor?  How often do you use it?  I’ve been using mine more than ever lately!

#choosejoy

Weekend Wrap-Up

Saturday:

This seemed like an appropriate Instagram post as I was heading out to the trails for a 5 hour long run!
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I made sure to lay every thing out the night before.  Pre-run was 1 cup of coffee and half a Picky Bar.  During my run, I ended up drinking around 50oz of water with Cocogo (Discount code: JENCHOOSESJOY (all caps), 3 Gu’s, and half a Picky Bar during my run.  My goal was 100 calories per hour.
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It takes a village!  We picked up and dropped off friends throughout the 5 hour run.  I am so grateful for the awesome company.  It was super hot and humid, but we had a great run and the time flew by.  4,000ft gain!
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After a much needed shower, I put on compression sleeves and drank my favorite Svelte protein shake.
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And had the prettiest bowl of steel cut oats for breakfast…aka lunch because it was so late when we finished running.
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It happened to be National Rose Day!
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We stopped by the wine store and ended up leaving with a case.
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I wanted a sweet treat, so I got a cup of froyo from Sweet Cece’s…piled high with cookie dough.
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I totally understand why folks love their fitness trackers.  It is so much fun to see my numbers before I go to bed at night.  Now that I’m tapering, I won’t see these numbers again for another two weeks.
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Sunday:

I woke up feeling surprisingly good after my long run, so I headed to the gym.  An empty gym is such a luxury!!
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I met Jason for a breakfast of fruit, oatmeal, and coffee (of course)!
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And we hiked at Radnor Lake together.  🙂
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How sweet are these turtles?!
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My shirt du jour pretty much sums it up!
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I am in love with acai bowls and Daily Juice just added one to their menu!
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My version of Sunday meal prep is stocking up on lots of fruit at Whole Foods.
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The latest Batch Box came in the mail and included the cutest summertime cookies…ALMOST too pretty to eat!
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As a fundraiser, our local high school puts a flag in our yard for patriotic holidays.  Sunday was Flag Day in the US…so pretty!
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Peak and Pit of your weekend?  Peak: Having an awesome long run with Corrie and so many wonderful friends! Pit: Post-froyo bellyache.  (I might have to call it FroNo for a while.)

What do you drink or wear to speed up your recovery?  I like tart cherry juice, Svelte, and compression sleeves.  Oh, and lots of foam rolling.

Who watched Orange is the New Black this weekend?  I didn’t get to watch any of it this weekend.  I will remedy that this week.

Did you race or long run this weekend?  Share!!

Happy Monday and #choosejoy!

Scatterbrained

In the last two days, I’ve baked cookies and forgotten to take them and showed up to work a race packet pickup that isn’t until next week.  I’m blaming my ‘fuzzy’ brain on peak training week for North Fork 50.

Thursday:
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I met up with the Brentwood Breakfast Club for a great run through Sylvan Park.
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And we had breakfast on the Star Bagel Cafe patio.  Al (the man with the arrow) finished breakfast with us and found out that his wife had gone into labor.  Don’t worry.  He picked her up, made it to the hospital and now has another beautiful baby girl!!!!!
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I came home and baked a new Biscoff Cloud Cookie recipe to take to the Dirtbag Trail Run and Mixer.  They turned out great!  Of course, I sampled one.  🙂
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I had a surprise flower delivery from Jason.  Aren’t they lovely?!!
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I was so excited for to see everyone at the trail mixer that I forgot my cookies.  😦

BUT, I had a blast and Jason took the cookies to work.
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Thanks to Jared for this great picture!!  Yes, I had a big smile on my face even though they were taking pictures of our backs (blonde moment).
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I came home to find a bunny on my porch!!!!  I was so excited and took like 50 photos.
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Friday:
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I’ve been tired and needed a relaxed morning.  So…Jason and I slept in a little (ok it was till 5:30, but that’s still later than I usually get up), and we had crepes at The Perch!
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Then, I ran 8 easy paced miles at the gym.

I tried a new-to-me fruit…a Cherimoya.  You just slice it in half and spoon it out.  It’s tasted like a pineapple, apple, and custard had a baby.
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How awesome is this shirt from Run On Organic?
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Tomorrow is the longest long run for this training season…a 5 hour trail run.  I made sure to carb-up!!!
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Ultra runners: Do you run for time or distance when you’re training?

What’s the craziest fruit or veggie you’ve eaten?  I really want to try a durian, but I can’t find them in TN!

Do you feel like you have “mushy” brain during peak mileage weeks?

#choosejoy and Happy Weekend!

The Friday Five

1.  Guess what?!  It’s June 12th and Season 3 of Orange is the New Black is on Netflix!!!
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2.  Bow down to this sassy dancer!

3.  I just bought a new pair of the Nike Terra Kiger 2.  They’ve been my favorite trail shoe for a couple of years now, and I love my new ones!
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4.  I finished reading The French Twist: Twelve Secrets to Decadent Dining and Natural Weight Management.  It’s written by a nutritionalist about French culture.  The Francophile in me loved this book.  It’s an anti-diet book without rules…just relax, move regularly, and eat and enjoy real food!
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5.  Thanks to Sam for sharing this gem with me!!! Jennifer is a Party Pooper!

Happy Friday and Choose Joy!

Weekend Wrap-Up: Franklin Half Marathon

Saturday:
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The Franklin Half Marathon (that’s actually run in Leiper’s Fork)

It was a steamy morning with lots of fog.  This is the parking field.
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It’s a local race and so fun to meet up with my friends!
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This definitely wasn’t a “goal” race for me and I used it as part of my training for the North Fork 50 later this month.  There was a little congestion at the start and it quickly thinned out.
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This course is notoriously hot and hilly.  Every year I wonder why we run it!  I was soaked in sweat by the finish.
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Temperature when I finished!
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Stats:
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I think the 666 elevation gain is a sign!
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I’m super proud of our group!!!!
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Nutrition:

  • Coffee and a Picky Bar at home.
  • Cocogo in my handheld during the race. Use code: JENCHOOSESJOY (all caps) for 10% off
  • 1 Gu at mile 8

Pros:

  • It’s a local race with lots of friends!
  • It’s close to home, 2,000 runners, and logistically very easy.
  • Water-Bags on the course.
  • Encouraging and cheerful volunteers
  • Peach Truck Peaches at the finish line!

Cons:

  • It’s hot and hilly.  Seriously, did I mention that it’s hot and hilly?
  • Because of the heat, they ran out of water at finish.
  • The porta potty lines were super long and folks resorted to peeing in the fields.
  • No towels or napkins at the finish.

That afternoon, I was a bum.  I made a big misto and watched McFarland (loved it)!
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And ate entirely too many tortilla chips at dinner, because…salt!  Warm restaurant chips are heaven in a basket.
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Sunday:
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My ultra training called for back-to-back runs, so I met Corrie and CB at Percy Warner for a trail run!
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It was another hot one and I inhaled a big bowl of mango at home.
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Before our dinner reservation, we stopped to visit with sweet friends.  It’s always fun to see runners in “real clothes!” (Plus a photobomb by Mr. Huffman!)
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And lastly a (blurry) toast to the end of full weekend…cheers!
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Peak and Pit of your weekend?  Peak: After being out of town, I was so excited to catch-up with friends!  Pit: The heat kicked my arse!

Mangos: yay or nay?  I keep trying to love them, but they’re not my favorite.

Have you used the Water-Bags during a race?  Do you like them? I like them because it’s easier to drink and run at the same time AND I would use the bag on my neck to cool off.

Share your race or long run from the weekend?

#choosejoy