Mileage of 2014 World Cup Players (Recipe: Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies)

You think us marathoners run a lot, eh? Some of the top players in the 2014 FIFA World Cup covered more than 50 miles during the tournament.  That’s crazy!

The long distances covered throughout the course of a game combined with sudden bursts of speed and constant cutting makes soccer an effective cross-training exercise for runners. Soccer incorporates endurance and interval training while improving agility.

According to the official FIFA website, USA’s Michael Bradley and Chile’s Marcelo Diaz ran more than 8 miles per game. Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne, Argentina’s Marcos Rojo and Costa Rica’s Celso Borges weren’t far behind averaging 7.5-7.8 miles per game. All five players, along with several others, ran more than a 10K race in each game they played!

Over the course of seven games, players from World Cup champions Germany and runners-up Argentina ran nearly two marathons. Germany’s Thomas Mueller led the field, covering about 52.2 miles throughout the tournament.

And I am worried about my 9-miler tomorrow?  Pssshhhh…that’s nothing compared to this!

Quote of the Day:

“If we want to find a happy marriage, we need to think small—we need to look at marriage up close and see that it’s built not out of anything poetic, but out of 20,000 mundane Wednesdays.” -Tim Urban

These cookies weren’t my favorite.  They weren’t as soft as I like my cookies to be.  Although, Callie seemed to like them since she ate 8 of them!  She snagged them from the counter in the middle of the night while they were cooling!  Talk about a full stomach!  That child is constantly into mischief. 🙂  But she really had fun on our outing to the vet today!  She loves our new vet!  As does Envy!

 

                                                                                 

But now for the cookie recipe!

Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups M&M’s
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

• Sift together flour, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk and set aside.
• In a mixer, cream butter and sugars together for about two minutes until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
• On low, add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
• Stir in M&M’s and chocolate chips.
• Chill dough for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350* and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Scoop chilled dough with a 2-inch scoop and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
• Bake for about 16 minutes or until lightly brown. If using a smaller scoop, then bake for about 12-14 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool and repeat with remaining cookie dough.

Courtesy of Bakerella