On the Road (or More Accurately, the Bike Path) Again

I am just beyond excited.  My luck couldn't be better these last few days.  For the first time in a LONG time, the nicest weather of the whole week is falling on the weekend - which is huge, since it's now too dark to run outside after work.  Even better, I got out of work early on Friday and made it home well before sunset.  I couldn't believe my luck - after 3 straight days of continuing professional education training out of town, I was more than ready to let go and forget about it all with a good run.  A run outside would make it that much better.  I ran inside when I got home, checked the clock and the temperature, and quickly changed into some running gear without even bothering to bring my suitcase into the bedroom, let alone unpack it.  It was a bit chilly, so I threw on an under armour shirt just to be safe.  As I started out, my hands and face got pretty cold, but I didn't even care.  I was so caught up in the joy of being back outside that it didn't even phase me!  (Plus, they warmed up pretty quickly as I started to sweat!)

I was exhausted from those 3 long and boring days of work, but decided I was going to take full advantage of the opportunity and run the full 3.5 miles scheduled for today.  I was pretty sure I had the time before it got dark, so it was just a matter of my body making it.  To be honest, I didn't know how well this was going to go.  I'd just gone 3 full days without having much choice in my own diet for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks, since they were all being provided, buffet-style, by the hotel/conference center we were staying at.  I did my best - with quite a few downfalls consisting of candy, a cookie, a soft pretzel, and even some popcorn - but was able to avoid burgers and hot dogs, white bread, butter-soaked vegetables, pizza, fried chicken, and taco meat.  Needless to say, there wasn't much of a selection left after ruling out those things, so I ended up eating a lot of lettuce.  Then, because I didn't have anything very filling or protein-packed, I'd start to get hungry and resort to the snacks and sweets that were available.  I had brought some of my own healthy snacks, including some whole grain crackers, apples, and organic chocolate bars, but those ran out pretty quickly, considering the circumstances.  All in all, I wasn't feeling so hot by Friday afternoon, and I was pretty sure my crappy diet was going to have a negative effect on my performance.

Leave it to me to prove myself wrong.  I'm not sure why, but I actually felt really good while I ran.  Maybe it was being outside; maybe it was letting go of the work week.  Who knows.  Whatever it was, I finished my 3.5 mile run in 32:59.  Oh yeah!  There I go, validating my treadmill times!  Haha!  As I walked to cool down, I was amazed at how awesome I felt.  I don't mean that I wasn't exhausted, because I was.  I mean that sense of accomplishment and satisfaction after a good run.  Reveling in my exhaustion and celebrating it.  For some reason, it dawned on me that this felt WAY better than it did when running inside on the treadmill.  All of a sudden, I remembered why I had become addicted to running in the first place - it was this feeling!

And so when today rolled around with a forecast of sun and mid-60's for a high, I couldn't wait to get back outside.  I had some stuff to clean up in the house while I waited for it to warm up, and then I tackled some yard-work I'd been putting off because of the cold and rain, but I raced through it all and got back out on the bike path, ready to run again.  This time, I ditched the under armour gear and was able to run in just shorts and a t-shirt - the warm(ish) air felt fantastic on my skin, and I was loving every minute of it.  I was only scheduled for 2 miles today, and although I wanted to run outside as much as I could, I stuck to the plan.  I could tell my legs were pretty tired from yesterday and I didn't want to over-do it  After all, tomorrow's still supposed to have some awesome weather, so I can take a longer run tomorrow again!  I finished my 2 miles today with another fantastic time (18:56) - just short of a personal best, and then walked another mile just to enjoy the nice weather.

I also found some time to try another new, healthy recipe.  I know the hubby puts up with a lot from me and has had to give up some of his favorite meals that I won't make anymore, so I was so excited to see a healthy recipe for barbequed pulled pork sandwiches, which he loves!  There was no actual barbeque sauce involved in this recipe (Chipotle Pulled-Pork Sandwiches), so I was a bit skeptical, but I figured it was worth a shot.



I was even pleasantly surprised by the amazing smell in the house when I walked inside after being out for a couple hours while it cooked in the Crock Pot.  Yum!  I just hoped it was going to taste that good.  Now, I'm going to be honest here -  I didn't buy the organic tomato sauce the recipe called for.  I saw it in the store, but opted instead for a low sodium non-organic version because I was shocked at the amount of sodium in the organic brand.  I also had absolutely no idea what the recipe meant by "chipotle chiles in adobo sauce" in a 7 oz can.  I'm not even kidding when I tell you I spent half an hour in the grocery store looking for this.  I walked up and down all the food aisles twice.  I must have looked ridiculous.  All I was able to find were some chopped green chiles with all the taco ingredients, and I'm not sure that's what I was supposed to get.  I don't think it ruined the end result, which I was pretty happy with.  I will say that the sandwiches weren't as flavorful or spicy as when made with barbeque sauce, but they were still good.  And we were both happy, because I had my healthy sandwich, and my husband simply added some barbeque sauce from the fridge over his before eating it.  Success!  I'd probably make this again too, but I need to think of a better way to make it spicy and more barbeque-like - without ruining the healthy result. 

Well, I think it's finally time for bed for me.  I've had a long week, and with all this hotel staying, weather changes, and bad diet choices, my body can't decide if it's getting a head cold or not.  I'd MUCH rather it not, so I'm trying to be sure I get enough sleep!  Sweet running dreams!