Last spring, at the ripe old age of 48, I experienced a “first”.
I ran the Green Bay Marathon as part of a relay team.
I hadn’t been part of the marathon environment since September 2014.
(You can read about that experience here. It wasn’t pretty. Actually, it was pretty ugly. I only wrote about it because I teach ELA and I needed to model “Generating Ideas” for narrative writing to my 6th graders. This idea fell under the category of Times I Learned a Lesson.)
Anyway, one day last winter I decided something needed to change, and that something was me. I was tired of feeling frustrated. I was tired of feeling jealous. I was tired of feeling like my running identity was gone because I wasn’t training for anything big.
I needed to get a grip and come to terms with where I was in my running journey. So I ventured outside my comfort zone BIG TIME. I sent out a school wide email inquiring if anybody had an interest in running the marathon as part of a relay.
I had three takers.
26.2 miles. 4 runners.
So, I trained for a 10K.
And this past May, I ran my first relay marathon.
I have to admit, I had mixed feelings going into race day. While I didn’t feel the nerves I normally experienced when running a marathon, I did feel the pressure of being part of a team. It’s one thing to experience personal disappointment, but it’s another to let down your teammates.
What I (re)discovered while I was running my leg of the race, was that I absolutely love the atmosphere of the marathon…the camaraderie out on the race course…the exhilaration of crossing the finish line…the feeling of accomplishment driving home. (Oh, and I really like the t-shirts.)
It was then I knew that there wasn’t any reason I couldn’t have this experience again…it was totally in my control..but I would need to demonstrate a lot more intelligence than I have in the past. I would need to listen to my body during training. I would need to be flexible.
And, I would need to accept that my fastest running days may be behind me.
Ouch! That was a tough one. But I decided to accept the challenge.
So, I signed up for The Fox Cities Half Marathon. My training has been less than perfect, but I am healthy. I am running injury free.
And so just how does this realization tie into this dessert?
Well, I don’t think it does, but I’ve been meaning to share this recipe for a long time now. This has been a wonderful addition to my summer dessert rotation. Definitely a crowd pleaser!
I’ve simplified it a bit.
Kinda like my training.
Hmmm….I guess that’s the tie in.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart
Recipe slightly simplified from a recipe by Rachel of Bakerita.com
Crust:
1 c. crushed pretzels
1/4 c. melted coconut oil
3 T. maple syrup
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray an 8 inch tart pan. Combine pretzels, coconut oil and maple syrup. Press into tart pan. Bake until golden (10-12 minutes).
Filling:
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/3 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. coconut oil
1 T. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
Place all ingredients in small bowl. Stir until well combined. Pour over top of cooled pretzel crust and spread. Place in refrigerator.
Topping:
3 oz. dark chocolate bar, chopped
1/4 c. full fat coconut milk (use the thick stuff on top)
Combine chocolate and coconut milk in small sauce pan. Stir constantly over low heat until chocolate melts. Remove crust/topping from refrigerator. Spread chocolate layer over the top of the peanut butter filling. Refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator about 10-15 minutes before serving to make cutting easier.
A great realization… And an awesome recipe!!
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