It’s official. Operation freak-out-about-my- impending-half-marathon has now started.
Yes, I know I’ve rambled on and on about this for long enough but the good news is it’s this Sunday, so in just 48 hours you never have to hear me talk whine about it again.
A typical look at some of the panicked thoughts I’ve been having over the course of today:
“What if we don’t get there on time?”
“Should I run with or without music?”
“Should I change when I get there or arrive fully dressed?”
“What if I eat breakfast too early and get hungry before the race?”
“What if there’s nowhere to park?”
“Should I run or rest the day before the race?”
“Did I start tapering my runs too early?”
“Am I carbo-loading enough?”
Clearly, none of these thoughts actually warrant panicking. I know everything will work itself out on the day, but all rational thought aside – I can’t help but be extremely nervous. My stomach churns just thinking about it – thankfully a quick twitter search (#bathhalf) has reassured me I’m not alone on that front.
So on that last point, I realised a couple of days ago that I may not have upped my carb intake as much as I should have. The original plan was to do it gradually the week before, rather than the night before the race (which I’ve heard isn’t advisable). This, coupled with a bowl full of overripe bananas could only mean one thing – baking.
- 1 1/4 cups wholewheat pastry flour
- 3/4 cup oat bran
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 large overripe banana, mashed
- 1/2 cup soy or almond milk
- 1/2 cup vanilla soy yoghurt (you can also use plain and just add an extra tsp of vanilla essence)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 6 tbsp Agave nectar
- 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax in 2 tbsp of warm water)
- 1 cup blueberries
- Preheat your oven to 375 F/190 C and lightly grease or line a 12 muffin tray.
- Mix the flax with the water and set aside to gel.
- Combine the flour, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (mashed banana, soy milk, yoghurt, agave, vanilla essence and flax egg).
- Add the wet mixture to the flour and mix until just combined being careful not to overmix. Gentlly stir in the blueberries.
- Spoon the batter into muffin liners or greased tin using an ice cream scoop or measuring cup to ensure even distribution. Bake for 18-20 minutes or till golden brown and a toothpick/knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle.
The result?
A wholesome, hearty, carb-a-licious vanilla and banana infused blueberry muffin.
That’s also oil-free and naturally sweetened, might I add.
I often worry when I put together “healthier” recipes like this that they’ll only taste good to me. Thankfully, a quick taste test courtesy of the roommate put that worry to rest on this occasion!
These are the perfect mid-morning snack, and I’ll definitely be taking some along for the drive down to Bath tomorrow.
Wish me luck!!
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