Reunited, and it feels so good

For the past few months, running and I have been on a break.

It started out when I began experiencing pain in my knee a couple of months ago and it felt like the beginnings of “Runners Knee.” At that point, I knew that I needed my space from running. I took a brief break for about a week or so. On my next run, however, there was still pain. So I decided that I needed to “see other people,” so to speak. I needed to do other exercises and find out what else I enjoyed in terms of working out that wasn’t quite so strenuous.

I am sure that running was hurt and my running shoes suffered because I did not use them. Before I knew it, one week turned into another and another and now it’s been nearly two months since my last run.

Maybe the reason it was so easy was because running no longer felt like fun to me. I was always anxious about trying to speed up my pace. I was constantly comparing myself to other people’s times. I could never feel satisfied with the simple joy of being outdoors and feeling the pavement beneath my feet. Running had lost its sparkle.

at the starting line for my first (and only) 10K!

Lately, I have felt the itch to reunite with running once again. I feel my running shoes calling to me, saying that they are ready when I am. The weather is perfect and I am beginning to get bored with other forms of exercise (except for maybe Pilates . . . love Pilates).

I have decided to get my feet wet and slowly start dating running again. We’ll see how it goes. I will start the Couch to 5K program. I know that is a light program and I am used to running a few more miles than that. But it is perfect to get me running again without injuring myself. I will slowly work my way up to the mileage I was doing before. Slowly but surely, running and I will have the same relationship as before, only better. This time, I won’t be constantly comparing myself to others. I will enjoy the time outside, whether it be by myself or with my husband. Speed is secondary to the experience. 🙂

Food today was very tasty and I had leftovers for two of my meals. So no cooking!

I started the day with some leftover Pumpkin Pancakes that my husband made on Sunday. These were just as yummy as the first day.

I put a little butter on them and drizzled some REAL maple syrup on them. Ever since I tasted real maple syrup, I can’t go back to the fake stuff ever again. I can’t do sugar-free syrup because aspartame gives me a headache. This stuff is so much better.

A midmorning snack consisted of one of the apples I picked the other day. Once again: best apple ever! Never had a Rome Beauty apple, but these are tasty.

Lunch was leftover chili from Sunday. Why does chili taste so much better the next day? It tastes phenomenal as leftovers. Unfortunately, I was so hungry and anxious to eat my chili that I didn’t even take a picture of it. So here is my bowl once I got done with it.

It was so good. I was tempted to lick the bowl. And since there was no one around, who says I didn’t. 😉

Afternoon snack #1 was a small container of cottage cheese.

Am I the only one who eats this stuff plain? It’s so tasty and I love the portion control of these containers!

Afternoon snack #2 was pretzels with some almond butter.

I had this pretzel times about eight

I do believe that almond butter is starting to grow on me. It was so good. Love the saltiness of the pretzels with the creaminess of the almond butter. Tasty!

Nothing like a good dose of healthy fat to keep you full until dinnertime.

Dinner was pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, and some corn. I love the way my husband cooks his mashed potatoes. I don’t know how he does it, but they always turn out so creamy and tasty. He says it’s because he puts extra love in them. How cute is that. 🙂

That is my day in a nutshell. I did go for a leisurely walk with Corey and Callie and I also did 25 minutes on the elliptical. I think I am still feeling some residual headache from the pizza last night because I felt ill during both activities. Not good. Hope to be feeling better tomorrow!