Good afternoon bloggies. How’s your day going? I am loving having the day off from work. I had a really leisurely morning of reading, watching the news and enjoying coffee and breakfast.

Eventually I got myself on the road (literally) and I ran 7.1 miles this afternoon. It was 45 degrees – which turned out to be the most perfect weather for a run like this. I have been trying to adjust my layers depending on how cold or mild it is outside. The winter has definitely been a strange one so far in New England.

I guessed well today on my running gear. I had on my running tights, a Nike tank, a long sleeved Under Armour and a fleece vest for the duration. I took off my Adidas running hat about half way through the outing. I was really glad that I left my gloves at the gym. I felt like I had a lot of electronics on me for the run, too! A fitbit, my trusty Garmin and an iPod shuffle!

I had a great run around the East Side of Providence and definitely had to battle a couple of hills. I felt great for the run, but I especially loved getting over the initial hump (most of the time it’s a mental thing for me) around mile 3 I started feeling great. When I left the house my goal was to get in six miles – and I thought that was a long shot. I had no idea that I would be able to accomplish over 7 today.

After I got back to the gym, I spent twenty minutes stretching out my hips and glutes – hoping to prevent another hip injury. (That really sucked last time!) After stretching I gathered my things (in my new gym bag!) and left the building. I dropped my bag at the car and walked to the market.

I had packed a Luna bar and I had planned to have half of it before heading to the grocery store – but my hunger had not hit me yet, so I passed on the snack. I definitely did not over buy at the store, which was a great thing.

Purchased:

1 small container of milk (for work this week)

1 box Kashi go lean crunch

1 package of Boca burgers (the vegan kind)

1 jar of Newman’s Own tomato sauce

1 tomato

1 head of garlic

1 package of Arnold’s sandwich things (whole wheat)

I was really surprised that I did not over buy while at the store. I saw a container of Swedish Fish that I really wanted – but I passed them by, knowing that we had a ton of snacks at home.

Once I got home I immediately put the groceries away, dropped my gym bag and ate the remaining half of the banana I had put in my cereal this morning, along with a spoonful of peanut butter. 🙂 It was a great snack!

Eventually I made a salad for my post – run, late in the day lunch:

A salad. Yes, I am testing my stomach to see if it can handle a regular serving of raw vegetables – I hope if I do not over do it, I can reintroduce salads into my diet. This salad was a combo of: spinach, tomato, carrots and a great hard boiled egg (protein!)

I also had two pieces of French bread (carbs are good after running, right?) and a big glass of water. I was still hungry after eating the salad, bread and water. So I had a peppermint and chocolate candy and I made a big mug of tea. If I am still hungry after the tea, I’ll break into a clementine. I don’t know about you – but I definitely find that I over eat after a long run sometimes. I’m trying to nip that habit in the bud this time around – the last time I was training for a half marathon, I gained six pounds because I was always hungry.

Well, I’m about to start cleaning up the house and I hope to eventually get back to reading for the rest of the night. Is anyone else going back to work tomorrow or is it just me??? I hate to admit it, but I’m definitely sad to go back to work tomorrow. I have really enjoyed this time with my mom, my family and friends.

See you in a bit – thanks for reading!