BROADCASTS.com

Published: Dec. 30, 2020, 11:37 p.m.

This week I had the pleasure to sit down with a very inspiring serial marathoner Julie Benson. Julie shares with us her incredible story of Overcoming Adversity. When asked how she got into running marathons Julie said-

\n

"I hated running most of my life. Then after I had my children I wanted to lose some baby weight so I went out for a walk and it turned into a run that turned into a 5K that turned into a half marathon that turned into a marathon".

\nIN THIS PARTICULAR EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:\n

Julie shares with us her experience of that terrible day in 2013 when she was closing in on the finish line of the Boston Marathon when the explosions rang out and everything turned into chaos.

\n

Just when Julie though she lived through the hardest part of this experience, her husband a SWAT member of a nearby police department was activated to join in the hunt for the bombers.

\nLINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:\nBooks Recommended By Julie:\n

Run Fast Eat Slow

\n

From world-class marathoner and 4-time Olympian, Shalane Flanagan and chef Elyse Kopecky come whole food, flavor-forward cookbook\u2015and New York Timesbestseller\u2015that proves food can be indulgent and nourishing at the same time. Finally here's a cookbook for runners that shows fat is essential for flavor and performance and that counting calories, obsessing over protein, and restrictive dieting does more harm than good.

\n

Packed with more than 100 recipes for every part of your day, mind-blowing nutritional wisdom, and inspiring stories from two fitness-crazed women that became fast friends over 15 years ago, Run Fast Eat Slow has all the bases covered.

\n

Julie and I talked quite a bit about the struggle we have with the concept of "What If". When something tragic happens and we survive it, we often play different scenarios in our heads. What if this happened, What if I did that instead. The list of scenarios is endless!

\n

I wrote a post a while back that talks about just this topic called "Have Your Ever Met What If" I have to warn you though it is probably not meant for everyone. It is a bit on edge and I use some colorful language.

\nJulie's Homemade Energy Bars!\nIngredients:\n

1 cup (12-15)  whole pitted dried dates
\n1 cup dried fruit (cranberries, apricots, cherries, etc. Choose one, or mix a medley!)
\n1 cup nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, your choice)

\nEquipment:\n

Food processor
\nWax paper
\nSharp knife

\nPreparation:\n

1. Roast nuts (optional). Nuts can be raw or roasted; roasting will add a toasty, nutty depth to the bars. If desired, roast nuts at 350F for 10-12 min, until fragrant and golden.

\n

2. Combine the nuts, dried fruit, and dates in a food processor. Pulse a few times to break it up. Separate dates if they start to clump together.

\n

3. Process continuously for 30 seconds. By this point, the ingredients should all have broken down into crumb-sized pieces.

\n

4. Process continuously until a ball is formed, 1-2 minutes, or until ingredients clump together.

\n

5. Dump ingredients onto a piece of wax paper. Press the dough with your hands until it forms a thick square, roughly 8"x8" in size. Wrap and chill for about an hour. 6. Unwrap the chilled dough and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares.

\n

7. You can store the bars in the fridge for several weeks or in the freezer up to 3 months!

\nADD-INS!\n

I often add shredded coconut, chia seeds, chocolate chips, cocoa powder (for some caffeine), ground nutmeg or cinnamon or even lemon zest!! You might need extra dates if you put in additional add-ins.

\n

By: Julie Benson

\n\n--- \n\nSend in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/changeyourpov/message\nSupport this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/changeyourpov/support