Why Do I Run?

Another weekend is upon us.  What is even more astounding is that these last few weeks of summer seem to be passing me by without any warning.  So, in an attempt to savor the last of the season's nectar, I am filling up and fueling up on summer fruits.  Are you surprised? 

Yesterday's breakfast was made using two summer fruits that I believe are a match made in heaven. 

Peach and Blackberry Waffles

What is it about these two fruits that make them so compatible?  Maybe it's the harmony of the colors from the glowing orange and deep robust purple.  Maybe it's the sweet and velvety texture of the peach paired against the slightly sour and seedy burst of flavor from the blackberry?  Whatever it may be, I adore the two components in any form. 

2 Whole Wheat Van's Waffles, Vanilla Oikos, 1/2 Sliced Peach, Blackberries, Granola Sprinkle

Strawberries made a guest appearance, though not as enjoyed as the star of the show, they were still tasty. 

I had a busy morning but stopped home for lunch and heated up stir fry leftovers. 

Stir Fry always heats up beautifully as leftovers. 

I worked for the rest of the day and didn't get home until later than normal.  When I did make it home, a sudden wave of exhaustion hit me.  Fridays are always rough for me.  I think my body just runs out of juice by the end of the week. 

I laid on the couch watching Real World re-runs with Toly for a few hours. 

A little later, we got ready to for our Friday night plans.  It was a double date dinner party with our good friends Jen and Brian.  

Toly and I brought some take out of sushi and pizza and Jen put together all of the sides. 

The menu: 

Salad- made by Jen

Sushi 

Sushi

Pizza

And it wouldn't be a party without some kind of frozen mixed drink.  Jen pulled out the blender and whipped up some Strawberry Daiquiris.

Cheers! 

And dinner was enjoyed by everyone.

We talked about our upcoming trip to Connecticut and started to get excited for our weekend away.  Jen and I are running in the ING 1/2 Marathon in Hartford on October 9th.  We both agreed that this one is just going to be purely fun, no pressure and just enjoyed! 

After dinner we all sat around over big bowls of homemade Blueberry Cobbler made by Jen.  I have seriously been craving Blueberry Cobbler all summer and leave it to Jen to be reading my foodie mind.  

I don't even have to tell you that this was amazing because everything Jen bakes is amazing, but I'll tell you anyways….it was AMAZING! 

Such a great night. 

I woke up this morning a little later than intended (sleep felt sooo good!) and I headed out for my long Saturday run. 

It was weird because when I started, I really didn't have a mile goal in mind.  I just started running and told myself I would stop whenever my body told me to stop.  Lately, I've been feeling like I have put a lot of unnecessary pain (as Toly calls it) on my body with my training. Whenever I am in training, I push myself and end up putting a great deal of stress on myself.  For me, this is when running starts to take a turn from being something I do for myself and enjoyable, to a form of exertion and challenging.  I don't want to ever fear or loath running, I always want it to be something I do for me, so for once, I actually listened to myself and ran purely for enjoyment.  

I ended up covering 5 miles in about 43 min.  It felt great!  I knew I could have kept going and I almost did, but after 5 miles, I could feel a slight pain in my knee and I thought, why push it?  You just had a great run and why risk making it anything less? 

I walked for about 1/2 mile and called it a good run. 

Breakfast oats were up next! 

1/4 Cup Scottish Oats, 1/4 Cup Almond Milk, 1/4 Cup Water, 1/2 Banana, Chia and Flax with Berries, Vanilla Almond Butter, Vanilla Oikos and Granola 

A great run followed by a great breakfast.  

I'm heading out to a bridal shower this afternoon and then I'm not sure what's on tap for tonight.  Hopefully just a relaxing night at home, cooking dinner with Toly and then maybe a movie.  

What are you running for? I always want to say that I am running for myself, for my sanity, and for my enjoyment, but I know there are times when I start to get in the mindset of running because I feel that I have to.  When this happens, I know that I am simply doing too much and I often need to step back and break from it for awhile.