Blog: Feature Stories

Banana Walnut Pancakes with Tart Cherry-Maple Syrup 

12-14 pancakes and ½ cup syrup

This recipe is a wonderful comfort food and is relatively healthy, including many ingredients to help you recover from your run or workout. Greek yogurt and milk provide protein, calcium and Vitamin D; the antioxidants in tart cherries help with muscle soreness; whole grain flour replenishes carbs, protein and fiber; bananas have potassium to stop muscle cramping; walnuts have good fats, protein and omega-3’s; eggs are lean protein also with omega 3’s which are good for brain and heart health. 

Directions: 

Hardware: 2 large mixing bowls, measuring spoons, dry measuring cups, liquid measuring cups, ¼ cup measure for sizing the pancakes, whisk, fork (for mashing banana), rubber spatula, nonstick pan, pancake turner, warm oven (180ºF) if not serving immediately, small saucepan, paper towels, plate or baking dish to hold finished pancakes

Ingredients

2 cups King Arthur White whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 ¼ cups milk or plant-based milk 

¾ cup smashed very ripe banana

½ cup roughly chopped walnuts

¼ cup pure maple syrup 

2 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons vegetable or melted coconut oil

Nonstick canola spray for cooking (or butter if you prefer)

For the syrup: 

½ cup tart cherry juice

¼ cup maple syrup

Method of Preparation 

• Allow any chilled items (banana – if smashed from frozen, milk, yogurt, eggs) to sit out until room temperature. By allowing them to warm from chill, they mix better for a smoother batter that will make fluffier pancakes. 
• Meanwhile start the tart cherry reduction. In a small saucepan, cook the tart cherry juice on medium high heat until it reduces by half (or even further if you want a thicker syrup). Add the maple syrup and whisk together. Set aside or in refrigerator to cool. 
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, walnuts. 
• In the other large mixing bowl, whisk together the wet room temperature ingredients: yogurt, milk, smashed banana, eggs and vanilla first and then whisk in the oil last.
• Make a well in the dry ingredients and then pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients using the rubber spatula to gently fold together from the bottom of the bowl until there are no dry spots. It will be a thick batter that may be a bit lumpy – and that is okay. 
• Allow the batter to sit for at least 5 minutes to rest. 
• On a medium stove setting, heat the nonstick pan. Once it is hot, make one pancake with the ¼ measuring cup. The first one is always a tester, so don’t waste the batter until you get this one done. Cook the pancakes until the edges start to look set and lightly bubble holes around the outside show up, then flip and cook on the other side another minute or two. After this tester one, make as many in batches as fit well in your pan, wiping out the pan with paper towels and re-adding pan spray or butter to melt for cooking. 
• Hold pancakes in a warm oven, or eat immediately with the tart cherry-maple syrup. Enjoy!

Editor’s note: We made a few adjustments, since we can’t leave well enough along. We used almonds rather than walnuts, and we doubled the syrup recipe added whole cherries. 

Race Day Wisdom 

It’s finally fall marathon – and half marathon – season! For lots of runners, this may a first time, or the first time in a long time since scratching that itch. By now your training plans are near complete, or you’re somewhere in the thick of those weekend long runs. Either way, you can do this! 

To send you on your way with just a little more confidence, we asked our Novant Health Charlotte Marathon Ambassadors for some race day encouragement and reminders. Experience is, after all, the very best teacher! 

Get to the race early so you don’t feel rushed! —  Meg Taylor 

Eat your dinner earlier than usual the night before. On race day, have a transportation plan, get to the starting line early, and don’t wait to go to the bathroom.  – Philip Sanford 

When it starts getting tough, think about that post race brunch/treat. – Jay Jamison 

Remember that it’s supposed to be fun. Sometimes the wheels fall off and the plan goes out the window. You can do everything right up until race day and then a cramp, stomach issues, bad weather etc. can pop up and ruin your day if you let it. Enjoy the race day energy with your fellow runners and the crowd. – Mike Cooke 

I have a list of loved ones that I dedicate the last few miles of my races to (miles 21-26). When things are getting hard and the pain is setting in, it’s a reminder that I get to do this and if it weren’t for those people, I wouldn’t be in that moment to experience whatever I’m feeling (good or bad). Mile 26 is always for my wife who sees the struggle that most don’t and fuels me through training. The last .2 and beyond is for me. That last ~1.2 is usually the fastest for me of the entire race. – CJ Langley 

Show up!! Trust your training, no matter what that is. As you get towards the middle of the race, and you’re tired. Remind yourself what you wanted at the beginning and don’t give up. It’s also okay to shift to plan B,C or D. – Lindsay B 

Always, keep going, no matter the speed – Tia Smith 

Post-race, do some periodic stretching throughout the day. It may be hard to do this, but going on a 1-2 mile walk a few hours after the race can be extremely beneficial for the soreness that comes – Josh Rhodes 

There’s no shame in doing a run/walk interval. It can actually reduce your overall time. Don’t feel like you “have” to run the whole thing. You don’t have to “race” your first half/full marathon. Participation is just as exciting! – Lindsey McGee 

Don’t start out too fast. Run with a pacer if you want to finish at a certain time, but don’t be disappointed if you can’t keep up! It’s your first marathon, so just enjoy it all!!! – Vanessa Falbo 

Wake up earlier than you think you need to on race day, give your body time to digest food and get ready. – Sean Pedernales 

Do not try anything new on race day. No new clothes or foods. Use whatever gels you have been using throughout training. Don’t go out too fast. It’s very easy to do that with race day excitement. – Siobhan Havlik 

Make friends during the race!! Talk to the people around you, you’ll be spending a lot of time together! – Kate Hamilton 

Cotton is rotten. Don’t try anything new on race day. Hydrate with electrolytes. Enjoy it, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. – Bekah Eljoundi 

Make sure you get a good night’s rest and stretch for a couple days before and including the morning of.  Do not start out fast.  Slow and steady. – Tracy Dean 

Got any event day advice or wisdom you’d like to share? Email us at ed@runcharlotte.com 

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Safety is a Team Sport

Safety is a team sport. Whether you know it or not, you’ve got a spot on the roster. The Charlotte running community continues to build bench strength and a game plan to make the streets, greenways, and trails – or wherever you like to run — safer for everyone. 

This week’s Runner Safety Forum is the fourth in a series that started last October. The groups at these events keep getting bigger, and more diverse. All good things. The goal here is to keep the conversation about safety moving forward. 

“If we stop talking about it, we can’t expect other people to make change,” Laura Morrow reminded the group at the start. “The biggest thing we can do to make the community safer is to keep the conversation going.”

Runners talked about their concerns and their worries, and about the changes they’d seen or experienced since the last meeting. Some expressed their feelings of being, “rattled, disturbed and disappointed,” by events and the perceived lack of concern from others in their running community or groups.

Detective Dustin Lawrence added his voice to Wednesday’s conversation. He’s a runner, a veteran, and is now withCharlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit and Violent Crimes Division.

“The goal,” Detective Lawrence reminded the group, “is to mitigate crime… you can’t necessarily stop it, but you can mitigate the risk that you’ll be a victim of crime.” 

There’s no best place or best time to run, he said. A crowded greenway on a Saturday morning, or the sidewalk along a busy street – they all present their challenges. The best you can do is to run where you feel most comfortable and take precautions. 

• If you run with music, don’t have it so loud you can’t hear your surroundings.

• If you see something that looks odd, it probably is. Take note of it, and don’t be nervous about reporting it. It may be helpful information in a future investigation. 

• Make sure someone knows where you are, or knows where you’re going.

• If you carry something like pepper spray, personal alarms, tazers, etc., know how to use them. That includes the safety or emergency features on your phone.

• If you’re approached and feel uncomfortable, it’s OK to tell someone “no.” 

• Should something happen, make loud noises! Do anything you can to draw attention. It may save your life. 

• If you can run with someone else, do it. It doesn’t mean your chances are zero, but it does lessen them. 

Alex Johnson runs the greenway regularly. She says she feels fairly safe out there, especially when she sees some of the same faces out there.

“I think we kind of know each other at this point, and kind of look out for each other,” she said. “Making those connections makes me feel more seen and supported, and a little more comfortable.”

“Since being involved, I’ve changed the way I run – especially on the greenways,” said Chris Trifari. “I make it a habit of not just greeting someone out there, but also acknowledging them…Making sure they know that someone has seen them. Whether or not they’ve done something or intend to do something, they know someone has seen them today.” 

“I’m encouraged by the number of people here,” added Lisa Landrum, who’s helping keep the conversation going. “The power of this running community is strong, and it’s evident in meetings like this.” 

Landrum says next steps will include compiling and sharing a list of recommended personal safety devices, and possibly presenting again to Charlotte City Council. 

Safety is a team sport, yes. And like any successful team, it takes individuals making an effort. Together.

Keep in touch here to find out more info on the next Runner Safety Forum: https://www.runcltrun.com/safety/

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