Add a little kick to your morning with a post-run coffee smoothie

Brianna Van Der Mark is an avid runner and likes to get creative in the kitchen. She’s also Canadian Running’s newest blogger.

If you’re exclusively an early morning runner like I am, you know the struggle to get up, get out the door, shower, change, and eat all within a reasonable time-frame that allows you to both maximize sleep and get to work on time.

I’ll be honest: mornings can be a frenzy for me… and I don’t even have kids or a dog. Sitting down to the weekend-worthy breakfast I crave is out of the question. To make matters worse, I’m plagued with always-hungry-runner syndrome, and don’t do well with the fatigue and nausea that can appear following a hard workout.

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To get ahead of this, I make an effort to properly fuel before and after a workout. To speak candidly, this takes time and effort. While I’m a passionate (read: obsessive) planner and enjoy the food prep involved, in the early hours of the day, time isn’t always on my side. The not-so-secret solution, of course, is to plan ahead. A reliable go-to and one I look forward to every day is my post-run smoothie.

Having something healthy, substantial and ready to go is key to the success of both my training and my work day. This coffee smoothie is a favourite because it offers that extra kick! With protein, potassium, omega-3’s, healthy fats, fibre and caffeine, this delicious smoothie will energize you at least until your second breakfast… that’s assuming I’m not the only one who has two.

Refuel Coffee Smoothie

INGREDIENTS

– 1 banana
– 1 heaping spoonful of plain Greek Yogurt
– 1/4 – 1/2 cup brewed coffee, to taste and desired consistency
– 1 tbsp of honey
– 1 tbsp ground flax
– Handful of raw walnuts
– Cinnamon, to taste (I use a healthy few shakes)
– Handful of ice- Optional: 1/4 cup of oats for a bit more staying power!

DIRECTIONS

Add everything but ice into the blender the night before and keep refrigerated. Add ice immediately prior to blending. Adjust liquids if needed for desired consistency. Enjoy!