Meet my new best friend:
Overnight Oats
I know I’m going to rely heavily on overnight oats during this school year in order to save time in the mornings!
Here’s a quick tutorial on how I make my overnight oats.
I start with these ingredients. Sometimes I add other things, but this is the base for each jar of overnight oats.
– yogurt (sometimes flavored, sometimes plain)
– milk (or a milk substitute—soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, etc.)
– old fashioned oats
– chia seeds
– banana
I then find an empty jar or plastic container to put everything in.
A jar with a screw lid works really well if you have to take it on your commute to work because it is less likely to leak.
The night before I want to eat my overnight oats, I combine all the above ingredients together in my jar or plastic container:
– milk
– yogurt
– old-fashioned oats
– chia seeds
– 1/2 banana
I have never measured anything out before. I just mix all the ingredients together and make sure the consistency is like that of “regular” yogurt. Then, as it sits in the fridge overnight, the oats and chia seeds soak up the liquids and the mixture becomes more like Greek yogurt. (You can change up the consistency depending upon your preference.)
I like to leave room in the jar for an additional toppings I add the next morning.
I then slice the other half of the banana and add that to the top.
When I was ready to eat my oats this morning, I added a dollop of jam and peanut butter!
Yes, cold oatmeal is a little weird at first, but after I got used to it, I really like it now! Plus, you can’t beat the convenience of a quick, super healthy breakfast! 🙂
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Prior to enjoying my breakfast this morning, I got my run on!
It was a cool morning. . . . .fall is making is presence known here!
But I still managed to wear shorts—not that it was really warm enough, but I am holding off on capris and pants as long as I can!
I also wore my arm warmers. I forgot I had these until recently, but now is the perfect time to wear them. Plus I feel super speedy and pretend I am an elite athlete. 😉 I figure if I can’t be a professional athlete, at least I can dress the part! 😉
I do like wearing these arm warmers though. It has taken me a while to get used to them because they are really tight-fiting compared to a long-sleeve shirt. But they do a great job of “staying up” and don’t slip down.
Today I chose to do a track workout—probably one of my last ones before the Big Wild Life Runs half-marathon in 1.5 weeks.
Ladder Workout
2 mile warm-up to track
plyometrics (one lap around track)
400 – 1:44
800 – 3:39
1200 – 5:28
1600 – 7:24
1200 – 5:23
800 – 3:33
400 – 1:35
2 mile cool-down
Total: 8 miles
(I did this workout once before, which you can see here when training for my marathon. Some of my times—especially towards the end—are pretty close to the first time I did this workout. However, I wish I would have looked at the times from the first one so I would have had a goal to chase.)
I had a blast doing this workout though!
Track workouts make me nervous, but after I get in the groove, I love the feeling of running fast, getting a track workout in before work, having the track and morning to myself, and just the feeling of accomplishing a hard workout!
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Question
Do you prefer speed workouts or long runs?
I enjoy both—both make me nervous, but I love the feeling of accomplishment after each one!
Thanks for the instructions! That’s way way easier than I thought … For some reasonbi thought it was much more time-consuming!
Well, I am glad I did a little tutorial then! Not time-consuming at all! Super easy and not many dishes either!
Long runs all the way – I am so amazed by your dedication and speed workouts. I’ve never done the overnight oat thing but everyone raves…maybe I should give it a try. I just find it hard to do anything but my morning smoothie and I don’t do dairy…
Hmmm. . . I guess there’s always soy yogurt and almond yogurt, but I don’t know if that’s your cup of tea either.
I really enjoy overnight oats! I also add cinnamon to my mixture as it is an anti-inflammatory. I’ve also added blueberries and waited on my banana until the morning to slice on top. 😉
I definitely prefer short, speedy runs and long, slow rows and bike rides. That looks like a pretty fun track workout!
I’m just starting to train for my first (!) marathon. I’d like to run it under 3:50, so I’m sure speed workouts are going to be an important part of my training.
Long runs > speedy runs
I knew you would say that! 😉
LOVE overnight oats! Except I make mine in the morning 🙂
I definitely prefer long runs where I can just zone out, as opposed to speed workouts where I feel like dying the whole time!
I actually made some “overnight” oats this morning too!
I actually enjoy both. For weekdays I tend to like shorter, speed workouts since I have to pack more into my day. On the weekends long runs are nice and relaxing. I get lots of thinking done.
I only made overnight oats once, and I did like them, but I think I may follow your prep style next time. They are very convenient!
I miss a good track workout! You are inspiring me to get back out there and turn left 😉 Thanks again Michelle!
Good luck! It is SO worth it!! Too bad we didn’t live closer so we could do them together–although I know you could still kick my butt!
Oh my goodness. This looks delicious. I am definitely going to give it a try.