Gone Running!

Life has been very good but busy: lots of office work, daily doses of milk, homework, piano and ballet practice, and training for my 15K run next Saturday. It'll be the Hot Chocolate race, also dubbed America's Sweetest race. (Yum for all the fondue I'll be stuffing my face with after the race. Just kidding! :)) Judging from the event website, this is one of the favorite races of the amateur running crowd (could it be the chocolate involved??)

Bottom line is that I love running and am looking forward to this race; there's something about being surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of others just as excited as you are (or more excited) that makes me giggle! Running is a lot of hard work, it's true but is so worth it. For someone like me who has an inherently higher heart rate at rest, is particularly harder, as I need to make sure I stay below the top of zone 3 in order to sustain a good pace on long distances while not giving myself a heart attack. Besides the actual event excitement, I look at this as a big stone for getting myself ready for my half-marathon. And I am truly grateful for being able to do it, physically and mentally.

Packet pick-up at the expo:

The race was sold out. It was quite amazing to see hosts of people swarming in and out of the building like bees to get their packets. There was a lot chocolate and hot chocolate sampling involved, live DJ, and some other cool stuff.

Hrishi almost caught the bug but it'd $165 same-day registration which he's not willing to pay. :-) Maybe next time! :)

Anyway, Saturday will be a great day, inspite of the fact that I'll be starting my run at 7:50 am in 30 degree Farenheit temperatures! Brr!!!

 I'm also trying to get back to my 3-times a week weight training regimen as I'd really love to do the Alpha Showdown hypertrophy again this year.

Other goals I've recently set for myself include no yelling, more patience (these two are so interrelated), and more spirituality. Oh, and no more bad food eating after work hours. You see, I'm doing very well 8-5:30 when I'm at the office, but when I get home I tend to spluuuuurge...on foods that I really should not. Why oh why can't I just have fresh carrots and spinach just like I do for breakfast next to my protein?? :-)

And finally another little inspirational tidbit of a picture (I love these, can you tell??)