Long but Productive Day!

After I read through Runner's World last night, I started reading a great book, The End of Poverty, by Jeffrey Sachs:


I picked it up awhile ago at Strand Bookstore and never got a chance to read it. But, I couldn't put it down so I woke up early this morning to crunch in a few extra pages before an early run!

I ate a banana around 7 to give me a bit of energy and push me through my run without any pangs of hunger. I stuck to my schedule and settled for an easy 4 miles this morning. This actually worked out perfectly for me because I had to make it into work by 9! I know; I have a strict boss. (For all those just tuning in now, I work at my dad’s bike store.)

I felt pretty good during the run. My legs needed a little break from the road so I decided to run to a nearby park and through some grassy fields. Always opt to run on grass (or even sand) when you have the opportunity to! It’s so much easier on your legs and will help prevent injuries while strengthening your legs. When I run at NYU, our practices are mostly STREETS, STREETS and STREETS so I have definitely learned to appreciate and take advantage of softer grounds.

For breakfast, I made a berry-yogurt sandwich! I took two toasty Kashi GoLean blueberry waffles, spread Strawberry Chobani Greek Yogurt (which is another great flavor) over one, topped it with two sliced strawberries, and covered it with the other waffle. It looks pretty boring but it tasted amazing. I think I have to invest in some Reddi-wip to add a little decoration to my work!

I still had about 45 minutes before work and, after just finishing a run in the summer hear, the pool looked too tempting. I jumped in and swam 10 laps (about 620 meters). It took me 8 and half minutes. It’s so difficult to swim without goggles; my dad’s going to bring me home a pink pair tonight! (I followed up my run with fifty bicycle crunches and some core work). As I swam and worked out, my two kittens enjoyed the sun:

I then showered and packed a quick lunch: I spread Cedar Garden’s vegetable hummus all over my WW Toufayan pita wrap, added lots of tofu, lettuce and a few slices of Cabot’s sharp cheddar cheese. I love mixing tofu with lettuce because I’m able to taste both the softness of the tofu and the crunchiness of the lettuce! For snacks throughout the day, I munched on a bag of Rold Gold Pretzel Thins and a blue berry jelly belly energy beans.

My mom (who also works at my dad’s store) took a quick break and short trip to Dunkin Donuts… and came back with more SURPRISES! She bought the workers (that includes me!) some cold drinks—did I mention she’s the best? I sipped on a refreshing Coffee Coolatta which filled me up until closing at 8 PM.

Time for dinner! We had leftovers: yummy stuffed tilapia and stuffed mushrooms!

I later snacked on toast and melted White Chocolate PB from Peanut Butter & Co. I first toasted two slices of WW bread. Smothered PB over the bread, which really melted it great on its own, but I wanted to add a little something extra so I stuck it in the microwave for a quick 20 seconds. (I had to be careful not to let the toast turn too rubbery). The White Chocolate Peanut Butter is sweet so it’s perfect for a light snack (and helps me stay awake through my nightly reading time).

I’m drained and ready for bed. Goodnight all!