Where's the Beach?

Blogger Meet Up One thing on my must-do (and to-enjoy) list for my Chicago trip was to meet Sarah from The Ordinary Vegetarian. I've been following her for quite sometime (before she went vegan even), and couldn't wait to meet her.  We decided to meet at Karyn's Cooked . I was all on board for going back and trying out another dish. If I could, I'd go back every day just to get a sample of everything! Funny story - we were on the same L and standing beside each other for the ride over but didn't realize it because we were smashed in and both fanning with papers, not facing each other.  We started with the hummus. It was really good. Thick, more how I make it. And served with fresh veggies and pita. Sarah went with the Southern Comfort (Beans, greens, rice and cornbread) and I opted for the Steak Wrap (Thinly sliced tofu/seitan steak grilled with onions and peppers, topped with romaine lettuce and chipotle).   She was kind enough to let me try some of...

Interval Running Yesterday I opted to sleep in (7:15 am) rather than get up for a morning run. After being in class, sitting all day, running afterward is really really welcome. So, I save the workout for post-class. I hopped on the treadmill and did 2 miles at an easy cruising pace (for me), a 9:05 minute mile (mm). I then proceeded to intervals: 1 x 4 mins at 8:27 mm, 4 mins at 9:05 mm 1 x 3 mins at 8:27 mm, 1 mins at 9:05 mm 2 x 2 mins at 8:27 mm, 2 mins at 9:05 mm 4 x 1 min at 8:06 mm, 1 min at 9:31 mm This put me a little over 5 miles and it actually flew by rather quickly. Love it how intervals can do that for you. Trader Joe's and Stocks & Blondes I got cleaned up quickly and we made a trek over to Trader Joe's so I could get a few things for lunch for the rest of the week. I am really quite tired of ordering out, and am enjoying just making sandwiches or salads in the room and relaxing for a bit before heading back to class. After the Trader Joe's tr...

Class & Lunch I decided to use today as a rest day since we did run yesterday and walked a ton. I figured we'd do more walking today and try to scout out some running areas near the lake. I feel a little nuts being so excited about running by the lake. It just makes me smile thinking about the view. I don't care how fast or far we go even, I just plan on enjoying it. Luckily, where our training classes are is literally two buildings over from where we're staying. So, we don't have to get up super early to get to class. We did go in earlier today so we could ensure that we all sat together (there's 3 of us). And within 5 minutes, the know-it-all was pegged. Even better, he was sitting right behind us. I felt like a kid because I so badly wanted to write a note and pass it to my coworkers regarding the guy who wouldn't shut up. But, I refrained myself. I am an adult after all (sometimes). Also, there is a Chipotle right downstairs. We just got one back ho...