The changing of the seasons typically coincide with changes in my workout schedules.
As the temperature dropped over the past few weeks, I started to shift my outdoor runs to the lunch hour. By the time midday strikes, the temperature has usually warmed up by 7-10 degrees Celsius which is substantial when you are running outdoors!
For example, when I got up this morning it was –3C (26F) and by noon it had warmed up to 9C (48F). As much as I love getting my workout done with in the morning, during the Fall season, I prefer to run outside after it warms up. I do not like the cold, despite being a former Winter Endurance Athlete. ;)
My lunchtime workouts have left me with the big ‘before or after’ question regarding the timing of my lunch: Do I eat lunch before my run or do I eat after my run?
I have been experimenting with eating lunch before or after my run and I have found that when I eat my lunch 30-45 minutes before my run, I have much more energy than if I wait to eat until after. Of course, that makes total sense, but I was almost certain I would get running cramps after eating, but that hasn’t been the case. Sometimes I also ‘split up’ my lunch and have half before my workout and half after. This seems to work well too.
After yesterday’s awesome Avocado-Lime Black Bean Salad, I was inspired yet again to mix it up for lunch. I wanted something fairly light, yet still energizing for my run and this Cinnamon Spice Sweet Potato Chickpea Salad was born…
Cinnamon Spice Sweet Potato Chickpea Salad
A hybrid between raking the leaves in the Fall and sipping a margarita on a tropical beach. Somehow, the flavours of cinnamon and Coconut oil just pair together so wonderfully. Don’t forget the sea salt too; it really makes the flavours pop in this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, divided
Directions: Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a non-stick liner. Peel and chop sweet potato. In a large bowl, add the cooked chickpeas, uncooked sweet potato, chopped onion, cinnamon, salt, and 1/2 tbsp coconut oil. Mix well. Spread onto prepared baking sheet and place in the oven at 425F for 36-40 minutes. Remove from oven and place into a large bowl. Add the remaining 1/2 tbsp coconut oil and stir well to coat. Add additional sea salt if preferred. Serves 1-2.
I don’t know about you, but 6 ingredient recipes make me happy. Very, very happy.
[Note the onion is missing and I couldn’t fit all the chickpeas and sweet potato on the board so I just grabbed a handful ‘for show’!]
Mix the above ingredients together in a bowl and spread out onto a baking sheet.
It smells like love, puppies, and rainbows mixed with a tropical beach.
Bake for 36-40 minutes at 425F.
Deeply inhale and fill your lungs with the sweet cinnamon and coconut aroma.
Place salad back into a bowl and mix in more coconut oil as it is a bit dry when it comes out of the oven. Sprinkle with more sea salt and serve immediately!
When I made this, I assumed it was a two-serving recipe, but I loved it so much I ate the whole damn thing!
After all, I needed my pre-run fuel. ;)
And boy did I ever have energy on today’s run. Granted, I had to wear my running jacket + gloves to feel *sorta* warm, but it was refreshing once my body warmed up.
After about 30 minutes of digesting, I hit the road.
Side note: I haven’t been blogging about all of my exercise lately, but I have been running on average 19-25 miles per week, with 1-2 complete rest days per week. Right now, I consider myself to be in ‘maintenance mode’; I am not presently training for any races, but I am still running consistently to keep up my ‘base’.
Side Note #2: Remember when I broke my second iPod Shuffle by putting it in the washing machine? Well, I am proud to say that I have been running for about 4-5 weeks now with absolutely NO music and I don’t even miss it much anymore! I never thought I could get used to running without music, but here I am. I find that I get more thinking done too.
The run:
- Distance: 4.16 miles
- Time: 34:10 mins
A delicious snack followed…Healthy Cookie Bites! Aka: Oatmeal in cookie form. ;)
Now that Fall is here and Winter is quickly approaching, do you change up your workouts with the seasons or the time of day that you workout? Do you move inside, put on workout DVD’s, hit the gym, or just bundle up?
[As I typed this post, a notification popped up on my computer telling me that daylight Saving Time ends this weekend….doh!!]
I workout inside… so I don’t have to change anything except the motivation to head to the gym in the cold!
I have been doing workout dvds, which work great for me.
I come home from work, do some dinner prep and then
start my workout. It’s a nice routine.
Gosh, this is such a tender subject for me! I’ve been struggling on finding the perfect time. Mornings are hard because I don’t really live in a convenient place to run(apt complex) and it’s all up hill so I’d have to go somewhere to run, then i work all day so I sometimes run at lunch but then i just get all sweaty but its usually worth it, and by the end of the day I’m so tired. whew, that was exhausting just complaining about! I prefer as early in the day as possible:)
it’s sooo hot in australia right now, yesterday was 45c and it’s barely 10am right now and it’s 32c.. so i definantly stay in the gym and drink bulk water!!
also i found marys crackers here! i saw them and got so excited, they’re delish :) i lovee them with vegemite
That looks so heart warming. :)
I am lucky where I live in Australia it doesn’t really get that cold that I have to train indoors, it doesn’t snow where I live, the only thing that I find annoying is the rain. In winter I still train outdoors, I actually prefer training in the cold then in the heat.
Me toooooo!
How funny! I eat this exact recipe all the time but without the chickpeas and with a pinch of nutmeg! Sweet potato makes me soooooo happy :)
This recipe sounds like something I’d for sure make as a week day lunch! …just have to wait for these temps to lower a bit before I think about turning the oven :)
Great meal…anything with a sweet potato and I am in. :)
I think it is best to eat a little before a workout and then refuel properly after with the bigger meal. that works best for me.
I am changing up my workouts now but I don’t think it has anything to do with the weather or Seasons. (Southern California is 80 all year long! Today it was in the 90’s for crying out loud!)
I just always switch it up, with training, keep the body guessing. :)
90’s?! ahhhhh
I find that when I do HIIT workouts on the treadmill I don’t need music at all! And when I’m on the elliptical I like to read, like I did last night. But heh. I have only just started running and it bothers me when running outside because a) I have tight shins so I’ve taken a break from running on a treadmill for a while and b) it’s cold and I’m a wimp and c) I can’t know how far I’ve run! :(
How do you think olive oil would be instead of coconut? I have all the ingredients except the coconut oil, and I don’t really want to buy any ingredients (being frugal is hard! lol). My shuffle is like my security blanket when I run. I have to have it with me and on, but at the end of a run I couldn’t tell you at all what I listened to! It’s my white noise I guess!
Yup im sure it would still work! It won’t have that coconut-cinnamon combo that I loved but maybe you can sprinkle on some coconut on top too?
I eat roasted sweet potatoes covered in cinnamon and other warming fall spices every night, and I usually have some sort of bean or lentil on the side, as well, but I’ve never thought to roast the two together. This sounds easy and delicious, and your photos are beautiful. I love that spoon, too!
OHHHHH love that lunch idea!!! i have some chickpeas and some sweet patatahs right now too! it’s 77 here in california so it was actually really nice to run outside. :) I’m so spoiled bc when i wake up, it’s about 65 and i’m like AHHH it’s cooold. my boyfriend who’s from NY says, this is your fall here?? LOL. i usually go to they gym in the winter, but decided to join a yoga studio this time and run outside. I was worried at first bc it gets to about 45 here and that’s really cold for me to go running. But now after hearing your temp there…guess it’s not that bad. :) May I ask what “winter” gear you wear when you go run outside?
Right now im wearing a workout sports bra, tank, and running jacket from lululemon. Also Nike running gloves (which dont keep my hands that warm!)
Also wear black workout pants, that are fitted and end just before my ankles. Will have to switch to full length pants soon! I also need ear warmers…
That recipe looks good, but I only say ‘good’ because I don’t like coconut or sweet potatoes ( I know, I am bizarre). However, I am going to utilize this recipe to create a meal that is similar with ingredients that I can more easily digest and taste great (to me, and I suppose others with similar tastes!).
Thanks for the idea! :)
im sure it is quite adaptable too!
I have a hard time timing runs and meals lately. Last year I most ran about an hour or two after breakfast, but over this past summer I got into the habit of having a snack and running right before dinner. I can’t seem to decide which works better, as it varies from run to run!
Sadly, we don’t really have “seasons” here in Los Angeles! I know I shouldn’t complain about having sunny weather most of the year– but I wish it weren’t 90-degrees in November!! It totally put a kink in my running plans this afternoon, because it was TOO HOT! I ended up doing my workout inside instead!
For afternoon workouts, I usually eat beforehand as well– leaving at least an hour or two for digestion. I also try to keep my lunch lighter before a workout, such as a big salad and a side of Cherry Choco-cado Pudding (one of my faves!), to prevent any cramping during my runs. Splitting my lunch into two parts works well, too!
Hope you’re staying warm!! (I’m kinda jealous, though– I miss snow!!)
Hi Angela! (have been following your lovely blog for a while but never commented until now!)
I used to be a frequent runner, and couldn’t get through a session without my trusty ipod, but then late last year I injured my back training for a marathon, and had to switch to just using my elliptical, and now when I do go for a run, my headphones always slip out of my ears and I find my ipod a nuisance!
Nowdays the only thing that would impede upon my workout would be if whilst using my elliptical my gilmore girls or sex and the city dvds got scratched lol.
Laura :)
ps that cookie from yesterday looks sooo delicious, and a great size too!
I bundle up and run outside as long as possible. There’s this January Freeze 10K series that we always do, and the average temps at the races is like -5 F. But sometimes colder! Now that I’m injured, I have started going to the gym in the mornings (5:30 AM, which is 12 hours earlier than I NORMALLY work out) to do pool running. Generally, though, I do a lot more cross-training in the winter just because marathon training season is over and I need to rest my joints. It can be frustrating with working full-time, though. Because with the time change, I feel like when I’m not working, I’m living in a deep, dark cave. Boo!
u inspire me to do a winter run!! There is one called the re-frigee-eighter in feb that I bailed on last year haha
Mmm that salad looks delicious! I’m gonna try making that this weekend I think :)
In previous years, I exercised indoors in the gym, but this is gonna be my first winter running outside, so any advice on winter running gear would be greatly appreciated!
I had a bit of a scary running incident recently, made worse by the fact that I had my iPod on, so I might try running without it soon…I do always feel much more unsafe when I have it, but love running to music, so I’m stuck! :S
Good point, I do feel safer and more aware without music!
You have gotten so speedy! I don’t know if I could ever make the transition to running without an ipod, so props to you!