I had the usual coffee (half decaf) and then did a mini strength workout: 30 pushups, 30 tricep dips, 20 bicycle crunches, 20 regular crunches, 20 crunches with lifted legs, 40 reverse crunches, and stretching. Pheww. The sweltering heat in the living room really helped me to work up a sweat.

When I got to the office, I sliced up a banana (it’s hiding in there, I swear!) and topped it with some plain chobani and a drizzle of honey.

With a generous amount of Kashi Honey Sunshine. Straight-outta-the box. Yum.

Lunch was leftover Octoberfest veggie chili and a cornbread vita top.  I added a dab of butter and it paired well with the corn muffin’s sweet taste. 100 calories and 6 grams of fiber – you can’t beat it!

I was running around to meetings all afternoon, but I made time for a cappuccino and some homemade trail mix (pretzel nuggets, spiced almonds, cranberries, chocolate chips).

And then I went to the gym for a run-bike-run sandwich. I started off with 2 miles on the treadmill (~9 minute pace), then transitioned to a 6:30pm spinning class in the cycling studio. This instructor was TOUGH. We did a lot of standing hill intervals (the longest lasted for 9 minutes, ughhh) and my quads were feeling pretty trashed by the end of the 45 minute class. Once I hopped off the bike, I ran back over to the treadmill and ran for another 2 miles (~8:30 pace) and then I was done!

I’ve been liking my run-bike combos so much, that I have exciting news to announce! I signed up for my very first triathlon!! The triathlon is a bit unconventional – it’s in January and it’s indoors. Each participant swims in a pool for 10 minutes, bikes for 30 minutes, and then runs on a treadmill for 20 minutes. Rankings and places are determined by how far you go in each event. Now that my leg is feeling better, I’m getting excited about training for races again. I’m still bummed that I have to defer my NYC Marathon entry this year (the marathon is all anyone can talk about this week…) so being able to focus on something new is a really positive thing for me. Yay!

I don’t always do such a great job with re-fueling immediately after workouts, but I knew I needed some protein after my 1 hour and 20 minute Run + Bike. I had a McDonald’s gift card floating around in my bag for the past few months and I finally discovered a healthy use for it. I stopped by Mickey D’s and ordered up a child’s size low-fat chocolate milk jug. The 8 oz container contained 180 calories, 30 grams of carbs, and 9 grams of protein. The carb-to-protein ratio is nearly 3-to-1 which is ideal for muscle recovery. Bonus: it cost less than a dollar!

Once I made it home (I walked the mile or so from the gym – it was such a beautiful, warm night!), I was ready for FOOD!

I wrapped up a black bean veggie burger, hummus, hot sauce, mozzarella cheese, and arugula in a big whole wheat tortilla.

And then for dessert: Fage 0% greek yogurt topped with dried cranberries and a big scoop of peanut butter. I felt like this dinner re-fueled me well!

Despite a somewhat-restless night of sleep (mosquito bites!) my Friday started off pretty great – with coffee, 1/2 spiced pumpkin clif bar (love the holiday flavors!), and a 5 mile run with Alma. The weather was Autumn perfect – 50 degrees and dry. Also, highlight of the run – I caught a leaf!

The rest of my eats today have been pretty boring (leftovers, leftovers, leftovers), but I promise to be more creative this weekend!

This recipe for Almond Pear Muffins sounds amazing! I might need to test it out soon

Check out this article which details the Pros and Cons of the Elliptical

What if the alarm clock doesn’t go off on race day?? The NY Times talks to runners who experience bad dreams before the marathon. The good news? Those scary dreams are totally normal.

Question: Do you ever remember you dreams? I do! And mine are always really crazy….