Just Tuesday

Hey y'all. New music Tuesday! Well, there was absolutely NOTHING on itunes this morning to download that looked even remotely good so that did not start my Tuesday off in a positive way. Hopefully the rest of the day will be a little better.

Yesterday's (and this mornings) breakfast was a banana with almond butter. Justin, you are my hero. I wish many good things upon you. Seriously, he is a genius. This is hands down the best almond butter I have ever tasted...and it comes in single serving packets perfect for traveling. Since I have to head to work earlier since I've been taking the bus (everytime I even say the word "bus" I start singing Rosa Parks by Outkast in my head) I need to-go breakfast items. A banana and almond butter are perfect.

Lunch was leftover beef stew that I had made for the boy on Sunday. I always think beef stew is better the second day, don't you??

And then of course, someone at work decided it would be a good idea to bring in cookies. I really was not going to have any, I swear, but then I just couldn't help myself. I took 2 small ones and a cookie stick. All three were really good but not worth the guilt I felt after eating them. I am supposed to be on my best behavior in preparation for Costa Rica. I lost the cookie battle today.

I ate half of my dinner before the gym...which was sauteed brussel sprouts. I keep trying to recreate the fried brussel sprouts from Lattitude, but I just don't think it can be done.

The boy and I went to the gym as soon as he got home from work. I did 3.3 miles on the treadmill (0.3 miles more than I planned) but skipped the rowing because the boy was unhappy with the TVs not working and was in a huff, so I cut my workout a little short. I have long since learned that the majority of the TVs at my gym don't work, so I can workout without them but since the boy is new to my gym, it frustrates him to no end that the TVs don't work. He needs the TV on when he works out.

When we got back from the gym I made some chicken strips with panko bread crumbs for myself and some chicken broccoli ziti for him (unpictured). I'm so glad I switched to panko, they pack so much more of a crunch than regular bread crumbs.

And for dessert I had one of my chocolate cupcakes with peppermint frosting. YUM.

Kind of an uneventful day yesterday.

Have you ever tried panko breadcrumbs? Do you need to have a TV on when you workout?

Scenes From a Supermarket

Sometimes I forget why I never let the boy grocery shop with me. He is a bargain shopper. As in the kind of shopper that will actually pay attention to the cost by volume and what brands are on sale. Usually it's not so much of a problem, but the other day it kind of was.

There we are at the deli ordering turkey and cheese. I tell the deli guy that I want a half pound of swiss. So the guy goes about slicing my cheese when the boy notices that there is a different swiss on sale. He stops the guy and asks for the sale cheese, as I tactfully try to say no, we want the (normal) cheese he is already slicing. But the boy is not to be deterred.

"But it's not on sale!"

"No, but you know that usually deli items are on sale for a REASON, right?"

"Not always."

Then the deli guy hands us the sale cheese. This my friends, is supposed to be swiss cheese.

Are you confused? Because I was. Isn't swiss supposed to have holes? Is it supposed to have that brown edge? I don't think so.

I made the boy a sandwich yesterday morning with what I have dubbed the "mystery sale cheese" and hoped that he would learn his lesson. No such luck, friends. The cheese is "not that bad" he said. Which essentially means that the next time I bring him shopping with me and his eye catches a questionnable sale item, I will have no sway to be able to say there is no way we are getting that.

Immediately upon leaving the deli counter, I went down an aisle to grab some almond milk. Just as I am coming out of the aisle, I catch the boy with a summer sausage in his hand.

"No. Put that down."

"But it's yummy."

Sigh. Luckily we made it out of the supermarket without the summer sausage or any other bad-for-you items, but there were a lot of close calls and lectures about the sugar/salt/fat content of food. I am writing this post as a reminder to myself that it's just easier to leave the boy at home when I go grocery shopping.

Dinner last night was a simple egg and cheese on wheat bread after heading to the gym for my first post-illness workout.

At the gym I tried to take it easy as I still cannot 100% breathe through my nose, but it felt really good to get my heart pumping and get my sweat on. I did a 10 minute warmup walk on the treadmill, 20 minutes on the rowing machine, and finished off with a mile run and another 10 minutes walking to cool down. Simple but effective. After all, only three more months until Costa Rica!

Do you grocery shop for your household? Are you a bargain shopper?

My Love/Hate Relationship with Running

Hey guys! So today I wanted to talk a little bit about running. As some of you know and for those of you that don't, I am a runner.

I began running in high school here and there running back and forth to my grandmother's house (which was a mile up the road, so 2 miles roundtrip). All hill. I didn't run at all through college, then all of a sudden something clicked when I ballooned up to 170lbs (running a marathon had always been on my bucket list but not something I thought I would ever actually be able to attain). That was 2004. I ran on and off for the next couple of years. Then I got serious.

I wanted to run longer, faster, and more efficiently. I started running more consistently and signed up for my first race in September of 2006. I didn't do all that well, but loved the actual racing aspect of it. I kept running semi-consistently and did a few more races (a few 5 milers, a few Turkey Trots) then in spring of 2009 I finally decided I was going to sign up for a half marathon.

I signed up for the Baystate Half Marathon (the marathon portion of this is one of the races that's known for being easiest to qualify for Boston). The race was in October. I trained all summer, running 4 or 5 days a week, getting up to a long run of 15 miles a couple of times. I started out my training being so hopeful and excited about finally being what I thought was a "serious" runner. I suffered through knee trouble, plantar fascitis, and pretty much a constant soreness. By the time the race finally came around, I was tired. So tired that I wasn't even excited anymore. I didn't love running and saw it more of something that I had to do, a chore. My long runs on the weekend were taking up most of my day including prepping, running, and recovering.

After the half, I gave up. I had become so disillusioned with running that I just stopped doing it. I probably ran a few miles once a month for the next 9 months. It was around my birthday this year that I realized that I kind of missed it. I missed the feeling I used to get finishing a really good run. I missed the ease of just being able to go outside and go rather than schlep to the gym. So I started running a little bit again. I even joined a running club. I found a path by my new apartment that was fantastic. And slowly I have gained back the stamina that I had a year ago. The running bug has bitten me again.

As I mentioned last night, I am going to sign up for a half in the spring. Boston's Run to Remember to be exact. This time I am not going to make the same burnout mistakes. I am going to take it easier on my training schedule, and I am going to enjoy every minute because being able to run is a gift. A gift that I took for granted last year and almost let slip away. A year ago I hated running. Today I realize how much I love it.

Healthy Baked Pasta & Tofu Pudding

As I mentioned earlier, tonight's dinner was a penne casserole, otherwise known as healthy baked pasta (similar to baked ziti only with penne and the addition of meat). I love whole wheat pasta now, but I didn't always. When it first became all the rage years back, I thought it was gummy and just didn't taste quite right. Now, I have learned to like it and would never go back to white pasta (except at restaurants if whole wheat is not an option) solely for the health benefits. I will say, however, that the selection of wheat pastas still leave much to be desired. For example, they have yet to produce a wheat ziti, which would have been perfect for this recipe. Instead, I had to use penne.

First, boil water with a pinch of salt to yield about 3 cups of cooked pasta (about 3/4 of a box). While the pasta is cooking, brown 1 pound of ground turkey with half of a small onion and 2 cloves of garlic (or 1 tablespoon of minced if you're lazy like me).

Once both the pasta and turkey are done, mix in a can of petite diced tomatoes and either a box of drained frozen spinach or 1 1/2 cups of wilted fresh spinach (you can also substitute broccoli in this recipe but if you do make sure you cook it and drain it WELL before you put it in there as broccoli is very watery and can really make the dish runny). For spices, add salt, pepper, and basil as much as desired. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and layer the bottom of the dish with the mixture. Sprinkle on about 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella cheese. Pour the rest of the mixture on top and top with another 1/2 - 3/4 cup of mozzarella.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are a little brown.

For dessert I made tofu pudding with homemade whipped cream. This is super easy to make. Puree a package of silken tofu in a blender.

Move to stove top and add about 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips. Cook on medium low heat. Once the chocolate has melted, add two tbsp of sugar (you can also use agave or honey in this recipe) and a dash of vanilla. Refrigerate until ready to consume.

The whipped cream is easy to make as well. Throw 1 cup of whipping cream (or heavy cream) and 1/4 cup of sugar with 1 tsp of vanilla into a bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Enjoy!

As I also mentioned, the boy and I went on a quick 2 mile run before dinner. Since I sold my Garmin a year ago when I got disillusioned with running, I had to sort of guesstimate (yes, that's a made up word) how far 2 miles was. The boy did really good and since we were running a shorter distance, I was able to run at his faster pace. I had mentioned yesterday that he and I were going to run a race together in the spring. The race we settled on was one I have done twice before, Boston's Run to Remember. They have a 5 mile component and a half marathon component. I think the boy is going to do the 5 mile and I'm going to do the half. That is the plan as of right now anyway. That could change at anytime. It's a nice goal to work toward I think. I hope we will both be race ready by then!

What is your perfect distance? Has anyone else ever wanted to run a marathon? Or done one already?

Did Someone Say Va-Jay-Jay?

So it's finally not raining here and Boston but it's still cold and dreary. So much for a nice fall. We are going to go straight from this into winter (my most hated season). Boo.

Breakfast this morning was an egg and cheese sandwich on a whole wheat english muffin. I thought I had cheddar slices but it turns out I only had colby jack and had to use that. I was a little skeptical about how it would go with the egg, but it actually turned out really good. I of course forgot to take a picture. I really do have to be better about that. Lunch was the last of the leftover steak tips and some chips and salsa. Snacks today were a banana (unpictured), a plum, and a sliced green bell pepper.

I did manage to make it to the gym this morning despite my overwhelming urge to reset the alarm. My goal was 4 miles on the treadmill and I did just that with some improvements over last weekends treadmill run. First mile was at 5.0, second at 5.2, third at 5.5, then a quarter mile at 5.7, and the remaining 0.75 miles at 5.0 for recovery. I felt awesome after this run for some reason. I got off the treadmill feeling like a million bucks. I guess some treadmill days are just better than others!

Here is an interesting article I found on CNN today (for you ladies): 5 Secrets You Shouldn't Keep From Your GYN. I love my gyno despite the awful things she does to me.

Source



I think finding a doctor that you are comfortable with is extremely important. Keeping things from your doctor could effect your health in many ways, so finding a doctor that you can openly communicate with without fear of being judged about being a little promiscuous is critical. For those of you who read but don't know me personally, I have been through some things healthwise and my doctor has been indispensable over the last five years (no worries, I'm perfectly ok and still have working parts). But that is a post for another day.

Speaking of vaginas and working parts, another thing I want to point out was actually a post from a fellow Bostonian, The Ketchup Diaries, about Teen Mom. I too love this show. I don't know what it is about it that keeps me coming back, but damn I love disfunctional families and whiny teenage girls and I love watching their lives on television. I love these kinds of blog posts. Anything that fuels my obsession with crappy reality TV and knowing there are other people who have the same sort of sick obsessions makes me feel good about myself :)

Does anyone else watch Teen Mom? Who is your favorite? And do you have an open relationship with your gyno?

The Dreadmill

I hate the treadmill. Hate. But alas, it's that time of year now when it's not light enough to run outside before work, so I had to endure the dreadmill this morning. My gym has an indoor track, but at 6am on the weekdays, it's full of moms and old ladies walking and chatting and it basically becomes an obstacle course. Not that I have ANY issue throwing 'bows and hip checking people who block my path, but at 6am I fear my rage at being blocked would turn into full scale assault. So for the safety of others, I decided to stick with the treadmill this morning. The plan was to do 4 miles, the first mile at 5.0, second mile at 5.2, third mile at 5.5 and then finish with the final mile at 5.0. Well I made it through three miles easily and then slowed it back down to 5.0 and just suddenly lost my mojo. I ended up stopping at 3.6 miles and calling it a day. I've been to the gym every morning this week so far so cutting it 0.4 miles short won't kill me. I think the reason I lost my mojo was because running on the treadmill is like being a hamster on a wheel and I get very very bored.

Breakfast after the run was cereal (in case anyone was curious, the cereal I eat every day is Kashi Heart Smart with unsweetened almond milk...don't want you all thinking I eat fruity pebbles with chocolate milk every day). Lunch was a fried egg and some TJ's mini chicken tacos. I am down to the bare bones of my refrigerator. I have no veggies except for spinach and no fruit except for some mashed bananas that I am making banana bread out of tonight. So I had to grab whatever I had on hand for lunch. Dinner tonight is being made for me by my very handsome date :) Photos of that tomorrow.

What do you do to relieve treadmill boredom?

Toes are the New Black

Sometimes my stupidity astounds me. I bought a new pair of running sneakers a little while back. Instead of trying them on, I just bought the size I "usually" am and called it a day. I didn't change brands or anything, I went with my old faithful mizunos. Well, apparently they cut this particular pair a teeny bit small. Picture Cinderella's ugly stepsister trying to force her ginormous foot into that tiny glass slipper. That's me with these sneakers only I'm not ugly. And instead of being smart and returning them immediately after realizing they were too small, no, I decided to stick it out and run in them anyway. I really am smart, I promise.



Oh and I've also been putting off buying proper spin shoes, so my big toe has taken an extra beating from the straps of the spin bike pedals. Oh and I wear high heels everyday. I can feel this black toenail coming a MILE way. Or in my case, probably about 20 more miles before it rears it's ugly head. I really should have known better in this case. So it looks like I will be buying new running sneakers this weekend too in addition to the new bag I plan on buying :)

Breakfast today was cereal and lunch was some of the leftover torellini and artichokes that I had monday. No pictures because you all know what cereal looks like and you've seen the tortellini with artichokes. I was up and at 'em this morning at 5:30am to hit up a spin class and I have to say, working out in the morning always leaves me feeling super charged all morning long. Getting my lazy ass out of my warm cozy bed is always the tough part though. As long as I can get out of bed, I can make it to class.

On the agenda after work tonight is a visit to my salon for some hair yanking (the funnest thing ever) and some errands. Tonight will be my only night this week to myself so I need to get some things done, including getting started on the book for my book club meeting in less than 2 weeks. Yes, I can be a slacker.

Is there anything you are slacking on?

Veggie Mac N Cheese

Howdy friends! So a friend of mine sent me the very best thing ever today...http://blockyourex.com/

Yes you read that right. It's a website that BLOCKS you from stalking your ex. Is this not the greatest thing ever? I of course did not actually use it because let's face it, I could never give up my stalking ways, but the person who invented this is so obviously a genius. With all this talk of stalking lately, I'm sure y'all are going to think I'm crazy. I'm not crazy, just honest. I know a lot of you do it too. Own it!

Lunch today was a salad with romaine, radishes, tomatoes, and avocado with an olive oil lemon juice dressing. On the side I had a piece of toasted rye bread with some cheddar cheese. And yes, that is soda you see in the picture. 2/3 of a glass. I'm making progress, really I am.

The run today was fantastic. There really is nothing better than running in the fall weather. It's perfectly cool, there is a fresh smell in the air, it's fantastic. I ran with Jimmy again today with the goal of finishing the 4 miles in 50 minutes (I know you speed demons are cringing right now). He wanted to be a tough guy and finish in 47 but he's not a runner and is not in good cardiovascular shape so he's being a little ridiculous with the timing thing. I finished in exactly 43 minutes, Jimmy finished in 48:40. I was really feeling the run today.

For dinner I made a cauliflower and broccoli mac n cheese. A good way to get your veggies in is to smother them with cheese!

Ingredients:

12 oz whole wheat elbow pasta
1 1/2 cups of grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups of sour cream (low fat version can be used)
1 tbsp of dijon mustard
1 head of cauliflower, chopped
1 head of broccoli, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of milk
1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs

Turn the oven to 400. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding the cauliflower and broccoli during the last 3 minutes of cooking time; drain. Mix in the pasta, cauliflower, cheese, sour cream, milk, and mustard. Breadcrumbs on the top are optional, but either way, bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden brown or if you don't use breadcrumbs, bake until the top begins to bubble (about 10 minutes).

Dessert was a slice of pumpkin cheesecake. I actually altered the recipe that I posted last week due to an apparent pumpkin shortage, and I have to say it came out better than my original version. I will be posting the new recipe soon.

What's your favorite post-workout fuel?

I Love Gossip

It's official. The TV premier season is upon us! First up we have my personal fav (besides True Blood of course) Gossip Girl! I was disappointed by the mere glance of Ed Westwick, who is 50% of the reason I watch the show...but I have a feeling he will not disappoint me next week. Swoon. I happen to love "teenager" shows and would most certainly act like a tween with a celebrity crush if I ever ran into any of the stars of the shows on the street. Or I would stalk them for six blocks like I did with Kelly Washington. Bottom line is, I'm a little obsessive. And Gossip Girl is right up my alley because well, I love me some gossip. I LOVE hearing about other people's lives. Which is also probably why I tend to be a facebook stalker. Hm. I'm sensing a pattern here. Anyway, I'm hopeful that this season of GG will be great because frankly, if it's not, the ratings are down and it will be on the chopping block.



Breakfast today was the same as yesterday, a cantaloupe bowl with greek yogurt and granola. I actually like it so much that I went to the supermarket to get two more cantaloupes. Yes, whenever I find something I like I eat it until I'm sick of it, so it looks like that's what I'm going to do with this cantaloupe bowl too.

I didn't stay true to my word today :( Instead of having just a half a cup of coffee, it actually ended up 2/3 of a cup. Oh well. At least it was a little less. Lunch at home today will be a big salad and a piece of the rye bread on the side. I don't know what it is, but the Hannaford in Waltham makes the softest loaves of bread and I really can't get enough. I thought the sourdough was my favorite, but the rye is catching up fast.

Speaking of bread, I walked through the organic/natural aisles last night and saw ezekiel bread. I have never seen it in a supermarket before, just at Trader Joe's. This supermarket actually sells a variety of things I have not seen outside of TJ's or Whole Foods so I'm quite happy about that. I have tried Ezekiel bread before, and I know Jillian Michaels is a huge fan...but I have to say, it tastes like dog shit and it's like chewing on rubber. When I eat bread I want to be flavorful, soft, and delicious. I really don't know what the hulabaloo (that's right, I used hulabaloo in a sentence) is all about with the ezekiel bread. I know it's healthy for you, but much like low fat cheese, why do it? It's just not the same.

I'm going for a 4 mile run tonight on the Charles River Bike Path that I have been raving to you guys about. I've decided I'm finally going to try upping my mileage this weekend and either go for 5 or 6. I'm slowly but surely getting there! When I burned out last fall on running, I actually became so disillusioned with running that I ebayed my Garmin. I am regretting that decision now. I have been considering the 405, does anyone have any experience with the 405? I really loved the 305, but hated it's bulk. Something to consider.

What "healthy" foods does everyone rave about that you can't stand?

Bake Off Fail

I lost the baking contest to SEVEN LAYER BARS. AND she forgot a layer so they weren't even 7 layer bars, they were 6 layer bars. Doesn't that mean an automatic disqualification or something? False advertising? Something? Oh well, it was only a baking contest I suppose. Had I not gotten some really FABULOUS news today, that probably would've ruined my whole day. Yes I am that petty and shallow.

Breakfast today was my recent usual cereal and lunch was a sampling of all the desserts. Since I couldn't take pictures for you guys, below is a list and little description of all the items:

Chocolate Chip Cookies - No explanation needed
Striped Delights - Chocolate cake and vanilla frosting layers, with fudge thrown in
Cherry Things - I forgot the name of these but they had a cream cheese layer with cherries and top and actually would've been my vote if I could've voted and wasn't voting for myself (which face it, would NEVER happen, I am always going to vote for myself even if my cheesecake takes like shit)
Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes - Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies - No explanation needed
Seven (actually six) Layer Bars - No explanation needed, these are pretty standard

There was actually a seventh entry that I don't recall at this moment because it had coconut, which I despise.

After work, went for a lovely 4 mile run on the Waltham Bike Trail with Jimmy and actually remembered to bring my camera along this time to photograph it for you guys since it is really pretty :)

There's Jimmy running ahead of me as usual...

The loop I do is 4 miles, but you can shorten it or lengthen it, the actual bike trail is a total of about 20 miles I believe if you do the whole thing. It's a very picturesque trail with a mix of asphalt, packed sand, and wood bridges. It's great for variety and is one of my favorite trails that I've run on. After a nice easy run, Jimmy and I decided that the best way to end our run would be to finish it off with pizza! We decided to head over to the Upper Crust, where I have eaten before, but not the one in Waltham. We ordered a small wheat pizza, half broccoli and half pineapple. The half pineapple was all me...yeah I know I'm a little weird. I'm ok with it.

The pizza itself was good, not quite what I expected though. It was thin crust pizza, but the one I had before I ordered a wheat crust but it was light and fluffy with a thick crust, so I'm not sure if all of the chains are different. I will have to try ordering it again and see what happens. Aside from the pizza, I absolutely loved the ambiance of the place. They had a 90s alternative rock station playing that was soooo up my alley. I love me some 90s alternative rock! The ceiling was also made up of the silver pizza trays, which I thought was super cute.

Now I'm finally off to shower my stinky self after posting this. Have a good night friends!

Hooray for the Weekend!

Oh Saturday, how I love you! Since working pretty much sucks (you all know it's true) Saturday is typically the highlight of my week. Thank god the rain in Boston finally stopped to give us this gorgeousness...

So, not to let it go to waste, I went for a run this morning. I'm surprised how easy it's been to get back into it. I am still slow and even slower since I took so much time off, but I ran 4 miles today with no walk breaks at all and still felt like I could've kept going at the end. I averaged an 11 min mile pace, but you know what? 4 miles is 4 miles and I'm proud of it :) That brings me to a total of 12 miles this week, and I'm going to try to keep it at that for a month because I really don't want to get injured at all (have had both plantar fascitis and knee problems in the past). Pre run I had a pecan pie lara bar (yum).

For lunch the fuzz and I went to Cheesecake Factory and I ordered the Navajo, which is basically grilled chicken, avocado, tomato, onion (which i asked for without) and a chipotle mayonnaise. Wow oh wow. This sandwich was so awesome. Must get again. Cheesecake Factory is always overpriced but we were in the area running errands and the other options were not really appealing, so we settled on Cheesecake. Not pictured was a side salad with balsamic that was also quite delicious.

I'm off to browse through some cooking magazines to see if I can find a good recipe for bread pudding. What a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon right? Well it was tiring running all those errands, and I actually see a nap in my future as well with this pretty girl...

What does everyone else have going on on this beautiful saturday? Does anyone else think Cheesecake Factory is overrated?

Photoless :(

Hi friends! I must apologize for my lack of pictures. I've mostly been taking photos with my phone due to my cramped living situation...but the move is next week and I'm back to having my own space (and desk) again so I fully intend to up the amount and quality of my picture taking for you guys!

So my workout plan for last night flew out the window first because of the rain. I switched my planned track workout to a power yoga class (which truthfully I needed because my legs were sore and could really have used a good stretching session) but then it stopped raining (FINALLY) and I decided to revive the track idea...however, as I was driving by the track on my way home to change I saw that there was some sort of practice going on at the track :( Luckily, Jimmy agreed to repeat my 4 mile run from the night before, so I got another 4 mile run in! I know I know, I'm going from 0 to 60 here with the running thing, but it just feels so good to be back into it that I couldn't help myself. Last night's run was a little slower than the night before just because I had Jimmy with me and he is not a runner, so we took a total of 4 walk breaks instead of the 2 I took the night before. We still finished well under an hour though so I was happy with that :)

Breakfast today was the usual (I promise I will be getting more creative with breakfast too) of oatmeal with protein powder and a scoop of nutella. Lunch today is a favorite of mine courtesy of my friend Steve...basil fried chicken! Yum! Not the healthiest, but still not too bad as it is made with brown rice and the chicken is not breaded. It's spicy and delicious and I'm salivating already thinking about it. Rumor has it I may or may not also have a surprise coming from Konditormeister (local and most delicious bakery on EARTH) so I'm excited :) See you after lunch!

Wet and Dirty

Get your minds out of the gutter! I just got back from an amazing run in the rain :) As I told all of you earlier today, I have joined a running group and this evening was my first run...a 4 mile rain on the Waltham Bike Trail (which is a mixture of pavement, wood, and sand) and I came back wet and dirty!

I had to stop and walk for a few minutes twice but all in all it felt awesome to be running in the rain on a beautiful trail with some nice company :) I had a carrot cake lara bar right before the run and it didn't sit well in my tummy half way through the run so I have to be sure not to do that again. Back to my old standby of a banana with nut butter as my pre-run fuel. I am very happy to be back in the running spirit, I really did miss running.

On another note, one of the girls I ran with tonight was wearing Vibrams! How exciting is that? I have been so curious about them and would love to try them out but am afraid of them. I am a heel striker and have heard they take a lot of getting used to if you're a heel striker. I may take the plunge though, we will see. I will have to think about that some more. Would any of you ever try Vibrams?

Raging Craving

Howdy folks! So I have a confession to make...I had pizza for lunch. A slice of pepperoni to be exact. And it was delicious. I was craving pizza last night but managed to hold off and stick to just one slice from the pizza shop next door to my work. It was worth the wait. I haven't had pizza in a really long time and knew once the craving hit, there would be no stopping me until I had some. Sorry I forgot to take a picture of it as I was too busy gulping it down :)

In other news, I'm not sure if I have mentioned it lately or not but I really want to get more serious about my running, but it's hard because none of my friends are runners and I'm the kind of person who needs support and motivation. So I joined a running group. I have my first group run tonight and I'm very excited!!! Not so excited about the weather, but what can you do? I will be sure to let you all know how it goes. Oh and dinner tonight will be a lara bar pre-run followed by a big romaine, tomato, and olive salad after (I know I should have some protein as well but I haven't been shopping in over a week, oops!) Later gators!