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Big Ten 10K Recap!

Guys I had the BEST run today 🙂

The Big Ten 10K along the lakefront in Chicago was SO much fun! I felt great the entire run and ended in a time that I’m incredibly happy with. I am so proud of myself today! Sometimes running can be difficult because progress (i.e. speed, distance) can be slow, but trust me, if I can make progress, anyone can!

So without further ado, a wordless recap of the Big Ten 10K!

And of course, a delicious post-run breakfast 🙂

Spinach/tomato/mozz omelet with potatoes. The rest was saved for later. Except for the coffee…that was gone in a flash!

All in all, the run was amazing. Gorgeous views, breezy weather, good friends, great new music on my iPod, school spirit, Chicago pride….I had a great time. And I completely exceeded my personal expectations for my time. I hope everyone else is having a great Saturday!

Post-massage drunk

There is honestly only one word I can use to describe how I feel post-massage: DRUNK. I’m walking around in a happy daze, drinking tons of water, and being overly nice to everyone. Yep it’s like I’m drunk…on life, I guess.

I don’t get them often but I think it’s time that I start. I had a serious lower back injury due to running a few months ago and had to take 2 weeks off from ANY exercise–needless to say, I got just a little antsy. I can never ever let that happen again, and that starts with taking care of myself. If it takes getting a massage once a month, then that’s something I’m willing to do (even if that means less $$ for fro yo)

I tried a new class at the gym today: R.I.P.P.E.D. It stands for “Resistance, Intervals, Power, Plyometrics, Endurance, Diet. It was really fun! Exactly what I was looking for today (weights, high intensity, low impact on my legs in preparation for my race tomorrow). I’ll definitely be going back again!

Post-workout breakfast was pb/banana toast with coffee, plus 2 glutamine pills and protein powder/almond milk. I think this breakfast is perfect for the day before a race! I feel totally fueled for the day.

After breakfast I packed for my weekend in Chicago. I’m leaving for the city right after work tonight so that tomorrow morning I can just wake up and walk to the race site. I’m so pumped to run tomorrow! I’m especially excited because I’m running with friends…that’s the best 🙂

Lunch after my massage was supposed to be delicious.

Looks so healthy and delicious, right? Yeah it tasted like nothing. Just a whole lot of nothing. Even my usual “dip everything in ketchup” technique wasn’t working, so I only made it about halfway thru this plate before I ditched it and ate a huge sweet potato instead. Gotta eat what tastes good, not just what you “should” eat all the time.

Now I’m getting ready to head out to work and get this weekend started! I’ll be back tomorrow with a quick recap of the race and hopefully a recipe on Sunday. TGIF!

A day at the farmer’s market

Thursdays in the summer are the best. It’s almost Friday and it’s the farmer’s market.

Here are just some photos I captured while walking around. It was sunny, breezy, and finally the late summer produce was there: corn and peaches! I can’t wait to start making corn on a daily basis 🙂

And the funniest thing I saw while I was there:

Haha in case you were wondering and needed some plant/soil tips.

After the farmer’s market my mom and I walked to our local chocolate store. We share a weakness 🙂

Of course I couldn’t leave without get something! I got chocolate covered almonds and a piece of caramel bark. Just typing those words made me smile–I loveeee my chocolate.

I hope you’re all enjoying this beautiful Thursday! Can you believe it’s the last weekend in July?? Crazy!

grateful goosebumps

Today’s run was particularly great because of the path I took. I ran through my town, past the high school, around the lake, through dozens of neighborhoods each with winding roads and unique houses lining the narrow streets. I’ve lived in the same town for almost 20 years now (absolutely crazy to think about) and I still get “grateful goosebumps” when I take long runs through it. I’m so lucky to live in such a safe, quaint little town, where chances are I’ll run past someone I know.

It was a beautiful day and a beautiful run. The low 70s with a breeze is the perfect running weather!

Breakfast followed soon after. Egg sandwich…are you really surprised?

I wish I could make this more interesting and post new pancake recipes or french toast creations, but the truth is, I loveeeee eggs. I eat them almost every day! They fill me up really well, which is saying a lot because I’m pretty much always hungry.

I spent the afternoon writing thank you notes from my graduation bbq and running random errands. Lunch was as simple as it gets:

Peanut butter and banana toast with a sprinkle of chia seeds and cinnamon (the child in me is laughing at the fact that I just called adding chia seeds to my sandwich “as simple as it gets”)

Then, as usual, I headed off to work! It was a busy night at the restaurant–something that no one expected on a Wednesday night. Let’s just say you see customers’ “true colors” when it gets busy ;)I’ll be back tomorrow with a new recipe!

Question: What is your ideal weather when you’re exercising outside?

Sweet tooth on the loose

It’s one of those days, folks.

One of those days when I want everything I eat to be covered in frosting, sprinkles, or peanut butter.

Luckily I’m taking all the necessary measures to prevent myself from drowning in Haagen Dazs.

My day started out beautifully with a few cups of coffee in my Georgetown mug. For those of you who don’t know me I spent one summer working as an intern in Washington D.C. and living on the Georgetown University campus. I even took two courses while I was there. I fell head over heels in love with Georgetown and have been dying to go back ever since. Well it looks like it’s FINALLY going to happen in August! Two of my roommates from that summer start work in DC soon so it’s the perfect time to get the gang back together. A pretty attractive gang, I might add.

Just kidding they’re beautiful people and I can’t wait to see them! Such wonderful friends made in such a short time.

My workout for the day was completely uninspired, probably thanks to my total sluggishness and sugar cravings. I finally peeled myself off the couch and headed to the gym!

On the agenda today?

30 minutes on the stairmaster: 2 min speed intervals (Level 12)
Curls (Normal, Hammer, “C”) (10 lb weight) (3 sets/12 reps each type of curl)
Overhead tricep extension (15 lb. weight) (3 sets/15 reps)
Shoulder raises (Front-side-front equals one rep) (5 lb weight) (3 sets/12 reps)

Before: not happy that I left the house

After: Energy and endorphins! Also protein powder + water

Gotta build those muscles somehow!

I made a quick lunch using my leftover quesadilla from last night’s dinner + some of the leftover black bean salad from our weekend bbq + avocado

Leftovers are the best!!

I managed to only eat one snack during my shift (Nuts Over Chocolate Luna Bar), and when I got home I created a dinner that looked really similar to lunch so I’ll spare you the photo. The best part was dessert 🙂

My mom made cherry bars while I was out and I definitely made a dent in them! I cut a few “slivers” off the pan before finally settling down with a piece. Enjoyed with a glass of almond milk on the side.

Now I’m currently waiting for some beautiful soul to get a pirated version of the new “Suits” episode online so I can watch it! Trying to curb the ever-present sweet tooth with a filling snack.

………Yeah….we’ll see how that goes 😉

Question: What is your favorite dessert? If I can’t eat all the sugar in the world at least I can dream about desserts.

Groceries and glutamine

Today was “restock the house after everyone came over and ate all our food” day.

I woke up ready to test out my 10k skills. The race is this weekend so I just wanted to make sure my body was actually capable of running 6.2 miles without getting too tired, asking for skittles at mile 3, or just plain old falling apart.

I was a good runner today and did all the things you’re supposed to do after a run. I walked, stretched, iced, and foam rolled. Such a drag but it has to be done.

After yet another breakfast sandwich I headed out on a grocery store date with my mom. The grocery store we go to is really creative with their products, so there’s always something cool to see every time we go. Things such as maple bacon donuts.

It was also great to see a store that makes sandwiches on crunchy french baguettes…it reminded me of when I studied abroad in France and ate them almost daily for lunch!

We filled our cart with soo many good things! As you know, grocery shopping excites me like not much else can, so I was on cloud nine.

Highlights were:

Luna bars on sale!
Chocolate rice cakes (that I plan on topping with pb–thanks for the idea, Snooki’s instagram)
Cream soda Zevia (new favorite)
Alexis sweet potato fries
Sugar snap peas

After shopping I had a little over an hour before I had to be at work so I made some lunch and watched the season 2 finale of Suits–I hate that now I’m caught up! Now I can’t watch them endlessly throughout the night?! Tragic.

At the store my mom ended up buying a tuna sandwich so I decided to split it with her for lunch. I paired my half with a pink lady apple.

Now I’m home and ready for bed–my body is aching after that run today! I’ve recently heard a lot about taking glutamine in order to help your body recover after a workout. I’m on the fence about adding a new “powder” to my daily routine, but if anyone can convince me, I’m always up for a product that makes my body happy when I push its limits 🙂

Post-work dinner is a chicken and veggie quesadilla the size of a small dog. I just might finish it.

Weekend Party!

This weekend has been loads of fun! My family threw a bbq in celebration of my graduation from college so all my closest friends and family came over. Thankfully it was beautiful weather, we had just the right amount of food, and everyone got into the fun drinking games we played. It was a ball!

Saturday morning started off with an early morning spin class. I displayed my serious skills as a multitasker by making calls and snacking on my banana phone. Talent.

After spin I went to Sam’s Club to pick up the party cake. No celebration is complete without classic grocery store cake–colored, artificially-flavored frosting slathered on top of marble cake. It’s tradition. While I was waiting for the cake to be finished I noticed they now make DOUBLE cookie cake. What is the world coming to? I can barely make it through the store without knocking the whole M&M shelf into my cart, and now they’re making THIS?

Parents: if for some reason carrot cake and red velvet have gone extinct by the time January rolls around, I would like this as my birthday cake. Or anytime you just want a celebration.

I had a real breakfast as soon as I got home. 2 giant mugs of coffee followed by another egg sandwich (sans jam because I knew I’d get more than enough sugar later with that cake)

The whole rest of the day was spent chopping veggies, prepping plates, setting up the backyard, and decorating.

How to Throw a Successful Backyard BBQ

A cute boy armed with plenty of yummy drinks

Multiple kinds of chips with multiple kinds of dip

Veggie plate in case your guilty conscience gets the best of you when you’re elbows-deep in guacamole

A new recipe! (Caprese bites)

Parents who pay for the beer

Friends who think they’re sloths

A “random” sorority sister 😉

Your oldest, dearest, and shortest friend

CAKE!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend too!

Question: do you prefer chocolate desserts (cake, brownies) or fruity ones (pie, tarts)?

My Eats Lately

Hey all! Just checking in with a pretty wordless post tonight. I hope you’re all kicking off the weekend right! Here are some pictures of what I’ve been eating lately.

“…because sometimes you don’t want to read,

you just want to scroll through pictures of food”

TGIF!

Question: What are you having for your next meal? 🙂

In my humble opinion… spinach dip

Spinach dip is the best dip of all the dips.

I know I’m not alone in this opinion because when I googled “spinach dip”, over 5 million recipes came up. People loooove their spinach dip.

Whenever I go to an outdoor party or bbq, it’s the first thing I look for. And no, not to dip veggies in. I don’t pick it because it’s semi-green therefore semi-healthy. Few things are better than plunging salty potato chips into a big bowl of spinach dip.

So when I decided to throw a graduation party this weekend, I knew I had to make it.

Since I’ve already admitted to you all that I don’t eat this dip for health purposes (let’s be real…it’s just a delicious vehicle with which to eat more chips), I decided to try to make it healthier. Not fat free, salt free, calorie free, but as close as possible without sacrificing the taste.

So after testing a few options, here’s what I’ve come up with. It’s beefed up with greek yogurt so it’s got protein to fill you up, but it still has sour cream and mayo to balance out the tanginess of the yogurt. I’ve tried in the past, but I just have to admit defeat: you can’t make a whole dip with greek yogurt. You just can’t. It’s too tangy and too different from a normal-tasting dip. However, you can easily slip some in there and guests won’t be any the wiser.

I’ll be serving this alongside all my favorite chips (and veggies) at my graduation party. I hope you find a way to use it too! It’s delicious!

Bulked-up Spinach Dip

1 1/3 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 cup light mayo
1 1.8 oz package dry leek soup mix (have no fear–it’s sounds scarier than it is)
5 oz can water chestnuts
2 10 oz. frozen packages of spinach (thawed and drained)

Directions

Mix all ingredients together, making sure there is no liquid left from the thawed spinach
Let sit for a few hours
Serve and enjoy!

Jazzin’ at the Shedd

Even though yesterday was one of the *hottest* and *most humid* days I’ve experienced in awhile, it was incredible. Who knew hump day could be so much fun??

I slept in nice and late Wednesday and got up for a quick 5 mile run before catching the train downtown.

It was time for another date night! This past week Z and I have been able to squeeze in 2 date nights which is pretty remarkable considering how much we both work (him during the day, me at night). We had plans to go to the Shedd Aquarium downtown!

It kept sporadically raining on my walk from Union Station to where we were meeting on Michigan Avenue, so we decided to take meet at a Walgreens and take refuge in there until the rain stopped. While beating the heat in the frozen food aisle, we used trusty ol’ Yelp to find somewhere to eat dinner before heading to the aquarium. Fortunately, there was a hidden French cafe just around the corner!

For those of you who don’t know me, I live and breaaathe all things French. I was a French language minor in college and studied abroad in Paris for a semester, and have traveled two other times to the lovely country. Aside from the beautiful language and culture, I *adore* French food. So seeing the words “Patisserie and Cafe” pop up on Yelp got me super excited!

Oh my gosh it was perfect.

The cafe was full of dark espresso, sparkling wines, gooey macarons and classic french sandwiches on crusty baguettes. I think I died and went to heaven.

I ordered an old standby: croque monsieur! It’s basically a ham and cheese sandwich on steroids. To round of the meal, my (daily) guilty pleasure while I was studying in Paris: a chocolate macaron!

Om nom nom. We ate those sandwiches so fast and even Z (the plainest eater on the planet) loved it: he even said it was better than Subway. Life’s little victories.

After dinner we took a walk through Millennium Park to get to the aquarium.

After taking a few much-needed breaks (85% humidity will do that to you), we were finally at the Shedd Aquarium!

Every Wednesday throughout the summer, the Shedd Aquarium puts on an event called “Jazzin’ at the Shedd”. You get access to the whole aquarium after hours, and then get to head outside for cocktails, live jazz music, and spectacular views of the city as the sun slowly goes down. If you live in Chicago or are planning a visit, it’s something I definitely recommend. It can get crowded and it’s not free, but it’s such a wonderful thing to experience.