Weekly Recap + Cinnamon Caramel Corn Recipe

This week was good to me! Lots of workouts in to get ready for the Longview Half Marathon next weekend. I enjoyed the last few warmer mornings left of the year, and felt good mixing in a variety of cross training. My arms are sore baby sore! I balanced my mileage and sweat sessions with a heavy dose of homemade caramel corn (easy & delicious! recipe below) and sour cream banana bread (not so successful, need to try again…) plus spending way too much money at Target c’est la vie. I mean, I NEEDED the new make-up bag and 100th sports bra, right?

Monday: 6 miles easy

Tuesday: 6 miles hard @ 8:45 min/mile + spinTENse @ Fusion Fly

Wednesday: 4 miles – interval run (9/8:30/8/7:30) + spinTENse @ Fusion Fly

Thursday: Hustle & Glow @ Fusion Fitness + 4 miles

Friday: Sweat Lab @ Fusion Fitness

Saturday: Runner’s Edge group run in Independence  – 12 miles with a new (speedier) pace group! <– summary of this run = strong winds and hills are no fun

Sunday: Sweat Lab @ Fusion Fitness

I also went to the movies to see Nightcrawler this weekend. Whoa. Creep city! Jake Gyllenhaal did an amazing job…making us hate his character! I walked out of the theater never wanted to punch someone harder. Good movie though, I’d recommend seeing it!

Cinnamon Caramel Corn

(adapted from Runner’s Kitchen)

2 tbs coconut oil

1/2 cup popcorn kernels

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 tbs butter

1 tbs salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup water

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbs cinnamon (or other spice/flavor of your choosing)

Heat the oil over medium-high in a large pot, add the popcorn kernels and cover with a lid.

Allow kernels to pop (about 3-4 minutes) while occasionally shaking the pot and moving it around on the burner.

Once kernels are done popping, dump them into a bowl that is sprayed lightly with cooking spray, remove any un-popped kernels.

Combine sugar, butter, salt, vanilla and water in a medium saucepan, cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. DO NOT STIR! The caramel is done when it is starting to thicken.

While caramel is cooking, combine baking soda and cinnamon in a small bowl and coat a spatula with cooking spray.

When caramel is finished cooking, remove from heat, and stir in baking soda/cinnamon mixture. Pour the caramel sauce over the popcorn and use the spatula to make sure every kernel is coated.

Spread caramel corn on a baking sheet and allow to cool for about 15 minutes – break it up into small pieces while it’s cooling. Should stay fresh up to two weeks in an air-tight container.

Enjoy!

Salt Water

“The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea.” – Isak Dinesen

I came across this quote this morning, and although it is a little cliche, I think it holds true. No matter how stressed out, down or lonely I sometimes feel, a good sweaty workout, cry or look out across a wide body of water tends to make me feel so much better. I only wish I lived closer to water that’s not creepishly murky like the good ol’ Missouri River.

It’s been a stressful past few months – from marathon training, to a busy work schedule, and financial worries – but things are starting to balance out. My long distance boyfriend is coming in town in 9 days, and I get to be with him for a full two weeks. He’s in the military, so our limited time together is really valuable. We’ll be in KC for one week, and then traveling to Seattle for a week to visit his brother. I can’t wait.

Back to that good sweaty workout I mentioned above, i’ve really been getting into spin classes this week. I thought I would give a quick review my current spin gym, Fusion Fly, for anyone interested in trying it out for the first time.

Fusion Fly

Let me first say, I used to hate spin classes. I always thought they dragged on forever, and the instructors were either boring or way too intense. I just never felt comfortable “in the saddle” so to speak. Fusion Fitness is a local chain (with three locations in Kansas City) that offers a variety of intense exercise classes, ranging from cardio, to bootcamp and barre. I’ve been incorporating these classes into my cross-training schedule for the past year, and LOVE the improvements they have made on my upper body, core and mental strength. I walk out of every class drenched in sweat, and immediately feel the benefits of the workout.

I recently snatched up a discount to try their spin classes, and am so glad I did! These classes changed my mind about indoor spinning. Similar to their other excercise classes, each spin class is different, and focuses on different areas of the body. Below are the classes, with details pulled from their website:

spinTENse

Divided into 10 minute increments, this class will burn fat and work your arms and core to the max. This class will rotate through spinning, arm toning, and ab strengthening 10 minutes at a time — totaling one hour of sweaty fun.

Thin Spin

Get the best of both worlds with a half spin, half old-school Fusion class to work your cardio and elongate and strengthen your muscles. A challenging, 30 minute spin session will keep your heart rate up and build endurance, then we’ll tone and burn out muscle groups Fusion-style for 30 minutes — the perfect balance for your Dream Body.

The Up Side

This hour class has it all! Starting with a 40 minute ride you will burn hundreds of calories and tone your legs and buns while working through sprints, climbs and jumps on the bike. Your upper body will thank you for the 20 minute burnout of arms and abs after your ride. Plan to walk out of this class feeling proud of your hard-core full body workout.

(photo curtesy of http://www.fusionfitness.com)

My favorite classes so far have been spinTENse and The Up Side, each incorporating a good amount of upper body and core workouts mixed in with the spin. I encourage you try these if you are trying to find a spin class that is energetic, welcoming and fun! Plus – major calorie burns – with an average 500-600 calories burned in one 60 – min. class!