No Bake Energy Bites

I haven't talked about running much lately mostly because I've been a little at odds with it. I've been running, and been enjoying the run's I'm doing, but. There's always seems to be a but. But, I still hadn't made peace with how I felt during and after my last half.

Mentally it just really messed with me, and I've been frustrated with the things I need to figure out to make 10+ miles more pleasant (as pleasant as they can be anyway), and my complete lack of desire to train for anything really. I've been stuck in casual runner rut for months.

Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I missed having the desire to push and do more.

One of my biggest issues has been fuel. Everything I've tried has been a gut disaster, and that is no good when running. I decided until I figured out an option that works I wouldn't look at any longer distances.

Thankfully I stumbled across this No Bake Energy Bite recipe over on Jen Chooses Joy (different Jen) and I like it!

Click on over to her blog for the recipe. Mine ended up being a bit bigger than her's, but other than that I followed the recipe 100%.

What I like about them is they freeze well. I froze them in 4's in freezer bags and pull out a new bag as needed. They taste great even after being frozen, The other thing I really like about them is how evened out my energy and blood sugar feel when I eat them before running. Most importantly they don't upset my stomach, which is huge!

I eat one about an hour before running, and still feel like I have enough energy by the end of a run. Granted my longest run has been 6 miles, so not a true test, but miles are ramping up getting ready for my 15K trail run, so I'll hit double digits here soon and have a better idea about how they will work for half's. I just have to figure out how to flatten them out a bit, and fit them in a zipper pocket for refueling during longer runs, without making a mess. :)

I'm working on testing out home-made energy drinks as well, although with these energy bites I may be able to just drink water which would be nice. I really don't like running with a handheld, so have been resisting the home-made drink option.

The nice thing is I'm starting to feel excited about running again, and running longer distances. Looking at two half marathons next year that I'm excited about. It feels good to want to be running and training again!