Back On Track. THE Track.

Finally there was a break in the clouds. Somebody does love me! So as I sit here at Cafè Fiore sipping my foamy Americano at the bar I was thinking about the things I’m thankful for today.
Lets see…
1) I’m thankful that it didn’t rain today and that I didn’t have to run indoors again.
2) I’m thankful that I didn’t have to run indoors again.
3) I’m thankful that the freezing cold wind reminded me how much I love the fresh air, and how lucky I am that I didn’t
     have to run indoors again.
4) I’m thankful for all the exuberant runners who shared my enthusiasm about not running indoors again.
5) And lastly I’m thankful that I get to share my exhilarating outdoor run with you!

I realize I’m being a bit dramatic, but any relief from a three day stretch of running 18 miles on a belt calls for celebration. I would also like to note that it did not stop raining all day.. oh no.. the rain started pouring down again about a hour after I got home. I barely made it! As the dark clouds rolled in I was the only runner stopping for the occasional photo op.. What can I say, I have a vision for Kodak moments. I love how the same old run never gets old through the seasons. Although this really is the roughest time of year. The leaves are mostly gone, the gray waters crash against the rocks in a fury, and the sky is dark. Very drab. BUT, none the less I got to run outside! Let me tell you, I was as giddy as a kid on Christmas morning waking up to clear skies. I could hardly wait to break out of class and lace up. So here are a few photos from my 8 miles of bliss. 

I used my entire break between classes to run today. It’s usually no big deal if I don’t get lunch because afternoon class is my cooking lab.  Today we cooked a variety of fish and beef dishes. We experimented with ground beef with different degrees of leanness, cooked roasts by dry heat versus moist heat, and applied different tenderizing techniques to steak. In the end I had a nibble of maybe half our ’expiraments’. I like beef, but I like fish more. For anyone curious, the steak that was hand tenderized (pounded out with a mallet) was the best in every way. Great flavor, super tender and moist. YUM!
Here were my favorite dishes. I won’t include recipes but if you’re interested just buzz me and I’ll be glad to post.

Red Snapper w/Orange Ginger Sauce

Thai Chicken Satay Skewers

Broiled Salmon w/Fruit Salsa

Oven Fried Chicken

So back to the present moment. I’m blogging here at my favorite neighborhood cafe. I have been given the task of collecting 30 of my favorite motivational mantras. So I was wondering, what’s your favorite mantra? What inspires you? What gets you into running mode? One that gets me going is ”The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare”. It is so true. Sometimes I wake up and make excuses for why I can’t run today (like cardio kickboxing left me feeling as if I strained my groin and I’d rather recovery over a quart of Ben and Jerry’s Half Baked ice cream). That phrase reminds me that there’s no way I’m going to set a new PR this year if I don’t get my butt up and run! Practice may not make perfect, but it makes for improvements.

So with that I’m signing out. Goodnight y’all.