Achievement Unlocked

I didn't know whether or not to start this entry with my great news or to share the pizza I had. I'm going to go with the latter.

I take my snacks very seriously, you guys. Yes, this was a snack. Pizza is a very important food group in my life. If you've been living under a rock, Whole Foods has one hell of a salad bar, hot/cold bar, AND a pizza bar. This here is their vegan BBQ chicken 'za and it was fantabulous. And no, you don't have to be rich to shop there. That's a big misconception. It's quite affordable if you know to buy the right things. The end!




Just kidding.




Let's talk about why we're really here. I could go into this huge lengthy paragraph about therapy and what not but I'm a little busy today so let's make this easy: I GOT CLEARED TO RUN!

You and me both, Brad. My therapist said I could start with some walk/jog progressions. Nothing heavy or fast, just some light work. I'm totally okay with this because, well, I get to run! He also told me it's time for new shoes, which I was aware of, but appreciate him keeping an eye out for that. I was well overdue for a completely new analysis anyway. It's been a few years and I've just been buying the same shoes each cycle. I've been a huge fan of the Saucony Guide. I was told many years ago that I over-pronate and needed a good, stability shoe. It helped a ton. That was then, though.




Clearly there are no Hansons Running Shops in Arizona but damn, that would be awesome. I do truly miss them. Alas, I went to Road Runner Sports in Scottsdale, hopped on the treadmill for a gait analysis and was on some machine thing to measure whatever else it does. Side note, getting properly fitted for shoes is SO FREAKIN' IMPORTANT. Stop going to Dick's Sporting Goods and buying whatever shoe says "running" on the sign next to it. If you do this sport on the regular, do yourself (and your body) a favor and treat it the way it should be. The lovely people at our local running stores are there for a reason. Let them help you. If you PR, maybe send them a card or something.




Okay, phew. Back to the analysis. I learned so much. I don't pronate as much as I used to, my arches are flatter, and my true foot size (not shoe size) is a 7. I also would benefit more from a wide shoe. I literally said out loud to the poor guy, "NO WAY THIS IS RIGHT". You guys, change doesn't scare me in anything that doesn't involve running. When it's my running, I'm pretty set in my ways. I wear this shoe, these shorts, body glide these parts, same song, and dance every day. I think I scared him a bit but I reassured him that I trusted him and that I'm willing to try anything new. A clean slate, once again. I tried on the new Saucony Guides. Remember when I said I loved that shoe? I do not like the new model. It felt heavier and not as comfortable. I tried the Ride ISO and really liked it. The wideness was just right. The Brooks Ghost was too narrow and quite frankly, not for me. And then there was Hoka. I have never even put a pair of Hokas on my feet before but I always knew they were a great company. My husband is a huge fan and they are the only tennis shoes that have successfully fit his extremely picky feet. I put on the Clifton 6 and didn't want to take them off. I also tried the Bondi but the Clifton definitely was a gamechanger. I walked around. Walked some more. I ran on the treadmill. I was probably on the step right before you reach heaven. I walked around with one foot in the Ride ISO and one in the Clifton. Probably looked silly but whatever it takes. I made my choice and walked out joining team Hoka.

Does color really matter? No. But this shoe comes in black with teal soles that look incredibly badass but alas, it didn't come in a wide. Though I was very excited to have new shoes as would any runner feel, I still felt a bit skeptic. Would they actually work? What the hell am I doing without Saucony shoes? I don't know how I feel about this. What if they don't work? Literally, I don't think I've ever been so unsure of something I'm so sure about. But the only way to find out is to test them.




After talking with my coach because at this point I'm friggin' lost as to how and where to begin aside from just going, she gave me advice, I programmed a workout and went.

Aside from my heart rate going into shock because I haven't done any type of cardiac activity in almost two months, it felt good. It felt good to press start, it felt good to breathe the air, it felt good to see all of the people I would always see at the park walking. I went with comfort and enjoyment. For a split second, I thought my knee was going to act up but I also believe it was my mind expecting it to. It felt fine! But the shoes, how did they feel? I didn't feel them at all and I mean that in a good way. They are so light, it's almost mindblowing. Now, I'm not going to sit here and say they will carry me across the finish of my next race because I still have time to adjust but, for now, they'll most certainly work.




Back to recipe sharing, yay! Fall is slowly coming here to Arizona. When I say slowly, I mean it's still in the mid-80s to low 90s, but it's not 100+! This time of year, I certainly get a big craving for comfort food. I mean, I do all the time but like especially right now. My favorite chili recipe was simmering on the stovetop yesterday. Fartlek chili isn't just for runners! It's so hearty and delicious. I used Beyond Meat's ground "beef" myself, which worked great, but regular or turkey works too if you're a meat-eater! I also used one green pepper and one red instead of 2 green. I simmered mine for an hour and paired it with some Bob's Red Mill gluten-free cornbread! It also makes enough leftovers for a few nights. You can find the recipe here!

I swear, one day, I'll be better at this whole food picture stuff. We'll continue the week of slowly base building, progressing, more therapy, and everything in-between. See you next time and thanks for coming!

Getting Comfortable

Have you ever heard the term, “runner’s high”? It’s that feeling we get as runners where we feel like we are literally floating down the sea of the best feels. No drugs are involved with this, promise. I mean, if that’s your thing, you ride that unicorn. I, however, will be enjoying my drug-free self over here.

This past week of training was quite magical. I’m just going to roll with the unicorn theme. I was hit with a rather hard interval speed work Monday of 1000m repeats with a 600m recovery if I remember correctly to total 8 miles. I don’t think I’ve ever had 8 miles go by so quick. The real test, to me, was my tempo run on Wednesday. For the past 9 weeks, I’ve been running tempo on the treadmill. You see, tempo is like my kryptonite. I know how important it is to practice running at race pace to achieve goals but damn, I am the worst at it. After getting some much needed advice from a friend, I turned off my pace alert and headed outside to go with the feels.

Now, I won’t sit here and BS you about it and say I ran like a friggin’ gazelle BUT I will say that I am so thoroughly impressed with how it went. I walked off a bit after each mile and clearly, I was slower each time, but I’m so happy with the fact that I overcame my fear and just went for it. To hit paces between 8:30-9 all while running on a very not flat surface? I’ll take it. It was about this time that my knee tendonitis, which I thought had subsided from the week prior, decided to make a very roaring return. I’ve dealt with tendonitis for years, it just has a mind of its own. However, I haven’t had a flare up this bad in a long time. I did all the usual suspects which includes the RICE, Biofreeze, and my trusty KT Tape. Despite wanting to chop my leg off, the pain subsided and once Saturday rolled around, I was ready to tackle a long 12 miles. I not only hit my time frame but my average pace was within range. I felt strong even with the hill climbs. Maybe it was because I kept thinking about what I was going to eat for breakfast. Do you ever keep thinking about food? No? I’m weird. I know. Alas, that closes the book on week 9. WE ARE OFFICIALLY HALF WAY!

I finally tried Nuun Rest last week. I waited until I had a rest day because I wasn’t sure how I’d feel the next morning. Now, I was super skeptical at first about this product. Yes, I love Nuun and everything about the company. I’ve enjoyed being an ambassador for them. I already take a magnesium supplement every night before bed to help the body go into relaxation mode and it works. My hand decided to guide a tube of Rest into my cart and wah-lah, FedEx delivered.

Nuun Rest is exactly what it sounds like: a supplement to help you rest. I opted for the Lemon Chamomile because I absolutely love chamomile tea, another option if you’re looking for calming aids. I dissolved the tablet into 6oz of water around 7pm and I kid you not, it was lights out on the couch at 7:45. My husband woke me up and told me to go to bed. According to my Garmin sleep data, I racked in a total of 9 hours of sleep with very minimal movement. The next morning I felt really good, surprisingly. I thought I’d feel overly tired or sluggish but it was smooth sailing. While I did see a positive experience with it, I don’t plan on making it a regular purchase but definitely something I can speak for now.

Now you’ve made it to the good stuff. How about another new recipe? As you know, I’m all about trying new things. I’m a huge fan of Sam and her website, It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken, because she makes eating vegan (I’m vegetarian currently) super simple and delicious. Hello to this beauty:

This was a newer one she posted. My husband and I loved Korean BBQ when we were meat eaters so anything with “Korean” in the name, I’m game for. This sweet Korean lentil dish was so simple, packed with flavor, and filled us up. The protein content is amazing, too. Definitely worth a try. I paired it with brussel sprouts but you do you! I’ll link the recipe here.

Ho’kay folks, as always, thanks for coming by. We’ll meet back up for a recap of week 10. I can already tell you some sad news is on the way but it’s not what you think it is. Adios!

Always Hungry

How do you know you're following a Hansons plan? Your weekly mileage adds up quick. Last week, I racked up almost 10 more miles than I had in previous weeks. While that's a pretty big jump, my body isn't pissed off at me yet (YET). If you missed last week's entry, we've abandoned ship on Garmin's coaching plans and have retreated back to Hansons. I am following the Advanced Half Marathon plan. I closed the book on Garmin on Monday after completing a two hour long run followed by eating everything in my house. I feel that I've officially hit the "always hungry" stage in training and I'm quite alright with it. Please gander at exhibit A:

Carbs with carbs, because why would there be another option? I mean, when was the last time you cooked tator tots at the age of 31? Hats off to my husband for making them on the grill because Lord knows I am not turning on the oven when it's 100+ degrees out. (Link here for the mushroom pasta because it's super good and easy).

While I am familiar with their plans as I've used them before, I've never really broken down specific paces and what not. I decided to color it up and make a legend based on what pace we should be looking to hit during specific workouts. I track everything in my Believe journal. If you are a runner, I highly suggest purchasing one! I'm sad because this race will take me to the end but that also means a new one will grace me for winter races!

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So what was involved with this week's training? I had opted to take Tuesday off as a rest day to allow myself to readjust my mindset and do some calculations. Wednesday was a tempo run. Here it comes again: I hate speed work. Yep, I know, broken record here. It's true, though. I woke up late that day because apparently my mind didn't connect right to turn my alarm on for the next morning. I took it to the treadmill and it was just a sufferfest. But, I finished. The following day was a much easier 6 miles of recovery. I've decided to take Fridays off as an added rest day. If I feel like I have to add in more mileage, I will do so, but I've been doing good by taking two quality down days. Onto Saturday's long run. Yeah, I did two long runs in one week. What kind of idiot does that? I did. I didn't die! Yay! I feel like I haven't had a quality long run this entire training cycle. I blame not having a flat road to run on. I live in Fountain Hills. Hills is the important word there. My long runs have been a joke. I woke up early and went on the treadmill for 10 long miles.

Almost looks like I peed all over the place but I promise you, it's just sweat. This is the longest run I've ever done on a treadmill and while it has never been my first choice, it was nice to keep a good, easy pace the entire time and not have to deal with my HR shooting up due to climbing a hill every 5 minutes. The finish of that run closed out week 8. Remember, my training weeks are Sunday-Saturday! Shout out to Noxgear for keeping me visible in our International Dark Sky Community, aka no street lights, aka it's seriously super dark here. Again, another piece of running equipment I highly recommend. It's lightweight, runs on 3 AAA batteries, and you're basically a running rave party. You can get 35% off using the code BRITTERS.

Use the code BRITTERS for 35% off!

Well, here comes the sad part where I tell you I don't have any new recipes to share this week. I know, it's tragic. BUT I did make Kodiak waffles.

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The first time I ever used our waffle maker, I was still in the dating stage with my now husband and it ended up with me crying in the kitchen because I ruined breakfast. The waffle maker and I have a much better relationship now. So, Kodiak Cakes. Super hype in the fitness/health community. They market high protein as their mix has whey protein in it. I was excited to try them. Just add milk and an egg (for more protein) and wah-lah, your mix is ready for pouring. I love adding fresh (by fresh, I mean I really defrosted them in the microwave because they were frozen) berries on top with maple syrup. First bite? So underwhelmed. Is there some special ingredient to add to make them taste better? Like I can't even tell you the last time I had such a bland waffle. I finished my plate though, because hunger. I would not buy this one again or probably any of them because they're like $800 a box. Maybe the other flavors are better? Either way, stick to your mother's way and make them homemade. Have you tried them?

I can't believe I just went on a rant about waffles. What is my life. Anywho, that wraps up this week. Thanks for coming by. We'll meet up next week for a recap of the halfway point to Mt. Lemmon!

Glitch in the Matrix

It's been roughly three weeks since I've written anything. If you're a regular here, you're probably wondering what the hell is going on. To be completely honest with you, I just drug myself through a big slump and it's 100% running related. If you're new here, hello. I'm training for another half marathon that is about 11 weeks away. I've been following Garmin's training plan that is built into Connect IQ that syncs with my Fenix 5X. If I had a choice, and endless income, I would be working with my running coach, Kristen Griffin (Find Your Stride) but alas, adulting sets in sometimes. Side note: if you're looking for an amazing running coach, work with her. She is literally the bomb. I hope to return to her for another spicy event coming in February. You'll have to just wait to see what that entails. A hint will be given at the end of this entry.




Okay, sorry. My (self-diagnosed) ADD gets the best of me sometimes. So yeah, I went through a slump. This happens with every training cycle I go through. My mind wanders and doesn't connect with my heart. I find it more of a challenge to put forth effort into my workouts than my body really wants to. The other thing I wasn't used to is all of the speed work I've been doing with this plan that quite frankly I hate. Yes, I know it's necessary for improvement and that's fine. Sign me up for one, maybe two, a week. I had three in one week and then a long run. What the hell, McMillan? I miss running with my Nuun friend that's in town. But what's most important are long runs and they should align with what day your race will be on. I told the app to program mine on Saturdays. What day have I been doing them? Mondays. Again, what the hell. After finishing today's long run, I've decided to call it quits on Garmin. I appreciate the fact that they give us access to free plans that sync automatically and what not but I do believe the algorithm needs work.




Phew, okay. Now that that's out of the way. What will I do now? Go back to my trusty team at Hansons. I'm originally from Michigan and you'd be missing out if you didn't shop there if you live near one. They are the best of the best in the Metro Detroit area (my opinion but truth). Hansons was the only store I would turn to for all things running. I like supporting small, local companies that know what the hell (3x I've used this phrase now) they're talking about. Ever since they did a gait analysis on me per recommendation from my doctor at the time, I never went anywhere else. Have you seen their running team? Damn! Stacked line up. Anyway, they provide free plans on their website. I actually used them to train for the Detroit Marathon last year. They also offer paid plans that sync directly with Final Surge. I will say that their plans are not for the faint at heart. Many argue that their mileage is too high and demanding. They also say running only up to 16 miles isn't enough for marathon training. I beg to differ. I finished with a smile on my face. Proof:

Detroit Free Press Marathon, 2018

You know I never hit a wall during that race? Not once. Still blows my mind to this day. If you are training for a marathon or really any race, I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend their book (<-link). I still reference it to this day for things like how to properly fuel or what pacing we should be at, etc. If you haven't caught on with all of this raving I'm doing about them, I am falling on them to get me through to the finish for my half. I had originally planned on using them in the first place, had the whole plan in my Google Calendar, but then came across this Garmin stuff. While I'm not one to switch plans on the fly like this, I believe that I am in fine enough fitness shape to pick up where I should be. With some mild adjusting this week, we'll be back on sync after this coming weekend. Now I can exhale after taking three paragraphs to catch you up on things.

While we're on the subject of training for my upcoming half, we paid a visit to Mt. Lemmon last weekend as I had yet to even go to it. Are you one to scope out race courses before you run them? I am! I don't think we'll have a problem getting bored with this view.

Let's turn the page on race training and close this entry out with two (technically three) fun things: two discounts and a new recipe! As you know (or maybe you don't), I am lucky enough to be an ambassador for Nuun Hydration. I absolutely love using their products for everything from fitness to traveling and even to cure a slight hangover. They also have immunity tablets to boost that system of yours if you feel a cold coming on or if you're being a preventative freak like I am. Now through 8/20, you can get 25% using the lovely code below. Watermelon is my favorite flavor currently but Strawberry Lemonade is in a close second. You can click on the picture to be directed to their website!

The second discount I want to share is for the Sprouts Mesa-Phx races! Whether you're just half crazy or full crazy, punch in BRITTERS10 at checkout for $10 off your entry! I will be there with bells on. There is also a 10K option but the discount is not valid for that. Sorry!

LASTLY (promise), a new recipe! You guys, I love dessert. If you say the words "carrot cake" around me, I will freak out. It's my favorite. I happened to find a recipe for a carrot cake protein shake! Get in mah belly! Now, I'll be honest, it doesn't taste like you're cutting into a three-layer piece of heaven but it's loaded with nutrients and filled me up all morning. I do suggest a high-powered blender for this one such as a Vitamix or Ninja. Link to the recipe is here!

If you've made it to the end, I super appreciate you. Hopefully, we'll be back to regular training recaps and more yummy recipes. Cheers!

Win Some, Lose Some

And just like that, week four is over. I swear this month is flying by. I've seen multiple people post about how fall is only just over 60 days away and I'm over here wishing we could go back to January. I mean, what is fall anyway when you live in the desert?

This week started off HARD. Yes, I'm admitting defeat. If we never accept defeat, we don't learn from it. I've learned to stop being so hard on myself when workouts don't go as planned, to take things with a grain of salt. One (or two, three, etc) bad workout will not determine the rest of your training or set the expectation for race day. Monday came and I set out for my scheduled 105 minute long run...

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I took my energize and set out. Nothing about this workout was really "good", per say, that's why I'm highlighting it to show you that I'm not perfect and quite frankly, neither are you. But you know what, that's okay! So many runners out there only show you the good workouts. The ones that they kicked ass at, got great paces, felt like a gazelle in the winds of Africa or wherever they're from. But, what about the bad? Every time you see that blue line dip down is a time where I stopped and walked. Clearly, I was not having it. But what's important here is that I didn't give up. I kept going. Though my workout was 5 minutes longer than the previous week, I ended up with an almost one-minute slower average and ran less mileage. If you follow me on Instagram (@britanyg), you got to see the wonderful story I posted during my cool down. I didn't own this run, it owned me. I didn't sob or feel somber after, though. I brushed it off and said, "oh well!" and knew there'd be another day to shine. I hope you can learn to do the same if you're hard on yourself.

The next day, I had my recovery run. I surrendered to the treadmill because I was tired as heck. My speed repeat workout was tough but I was so friggin' proud of myself for sticking it to the man. Now, as you notice, Saturday was an easy run but I didn't complete it. OH MY GOD HOW COULD YOU MISS A WORKOUT YOU ARE THE WORST. Actually, I still ran, but I did it at a way more fun place.

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Saturday was our (what we're going to try and do) quarterly Nuun meetup. We set for the trail at the Preserves and had fun! I forgot how much I love trail running. It's literally been forever. We took our sweet time and enjoyed it. It was also pretty dang warm in the sun but we managed to not complain much. Totally took a long nap that afternoon without even trying. That concluded training for week 4. Cross training this week was two Insanity workouts (Plyo Circuit and Cardio Resistance) along with core work. Yep, Shaun T. never disappoints. We'll be switching it up next week to do some weights. I literally was so excited for Sunday to roll around so I could press play on some yoga. Dear Ted, I love you, and the Yoga Studio. I've been so busy and haven't been able to make it to class so I'm super thankful for Beachbody On Demand and having access to all of my workouts, including the yoga studio, straight from my own living room. Plus, I did it in my pajamas. Ain't nothing wrong with getting your shavasana on in your pajamas.

Aside from all of that noise, nothing much else going on. This week of training has already started with a doozy and has three more bangers. Can't wait to share those next week with you guys! I'll give you a hint, it rhymes with shmeed. That's not a word but it works.

How about a new recipe? I love these ones that really bring out the (lack of) food photo ability I have. Looks like slop. Seriously, these are terrible but the dish is not. This is called "chickpea of the sea". It's a vegan version of your average tuna salad sandwich. Super easy to make, no cooking required, and all mixed inside one big bowl. I put mine on some Dave's Killer Bread and some spinach for extra greens. Careful with the cayenne. If you are heavy handed like I am, you might end up with a little more spice than you like. But really, this dish is awesome for lunches and chickpeas are an easy source of protein! Bet you didn't know that! You can find the recipe here.

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Hope the rest of the week brings you kindness and joy. We'll catch you next time with a recap of week 5!

The System is Down

Hola amigos! It's been a bit. Maybe you're wondering what the hell happened and maybe you're just whatever. Either way, my beloved phone decided to die mid-navigation drive to somewhere I hadn't been so that was fun. While I had my (burner) phone, it wasn't worth the bad camera and figured I'd just let you sulk for a week and pick back up today! Insert Homestar Runner graphic:

Some of you will know what that's from. Oh, so many high school computer class hours wasted by not learning and watching Strongbad. But really, not much missed. "Summer" has kicked in and the temperatures lately have been getting up there but it's still comfortable. I definitely do not miss the humidity in Michigan, that's for true.

Let's kick things off by talking running. That's mostly why we're here, right? Last week was one of my highest totals since last fall topping out at just under 30 miles. Shall we peak at the numbers?

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No, you're not seeing double on accident. Thursday was a 6-mile day that I broke up into two-3 mile runs because let's face it, the treadmill is so lame. I slept in that morning, went to yoga and just sucked it up. Saturday was my longest run so far and I had the privilege of doing it with a great group of Nuun ambassadors from Arizona. If you haven't tried Nuun yet, you really are missing out. Put the Gatorade down! We had a great time running through the Phoenix Mountain Preserves for a bit and hit up OHSO in Paradise Valley for brunch. My first time at this place and I'd go back in a heartbeat. The patio is insane. I don't have any visuals but I'm sure Google can wow you.

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Which brings me around to some new things I've tried lately. First off, Dutch Bros coffee. When we moved here, I started noticing them around. They were always jamming, with drive-thru lines out into the street. What's so special about this place? Well, my friend swung in after our Saturday run. I like my coffee black with no frills. The friendly girl taking orders suggested the nitro cold brew. "Okay", I thought. "This will be good but nothing amazing I'm sure". Holy hades (Steph), I don't know what it is about their nitro cold brew but it's literally the best thing I've ever sipped through a straw that involves caffeine. It's smooth as molasses and they didn't overload it with ice, like I asked, which Starbucks NEVER gets right. Not only was the drink delicious, but they also gave it to me for free and even gave me some song and dance at the pay window. Dutch Bros, you definitely have made me a believer.

Which brings us to new thing #2: the Impossible Burger. With all of this press going around about Burger King adopting it at their testing restaurant in St. Louis, I was curious as to how it tastes too. If you're new here, I am a vegetarian but I still appreciate a good (veggie) cheeseburger with all of the fixings. As of late, I've been a Beyond Burger fan. They are delicious with tons of flavor. While at Thirsty Lion Gastropub at Tempe Marketplace, I noticed they had one on their menu so it was time to play judge. Insert not super appealing photo:

First impressions: it looks more like a normal burger than Beyond Meat. It also tastes more "meaty" as in, like beef. That slightly grosses me out at this point but that's just me. But when it comes down to it, it's all about flavor and the Impossible Burger just does not cut it for me. While this one had a good sauce on it and the usual burger suspects (lettuce, tomato, etc), it was just.....bleh. If you are meatless, I still suggest you try it for something different. As for myself, I am still a Beyond Meat fan. Do you have a favorite veggie burger? Let me know in the comments and I'll give it a try!

Let's ride the food train a little longer by closing out today with a new recipe! With the hotter temps creeping in, I thought it was a perfect week for an easy-to-prep, cold salad. We're big fans of anything thai-inspired so I turned to my favorite recipe website and pulled up a recipe for an Asian quinoa bowl with a peanut sauce! Simple ingredients and when it all comes together, it's just a fork full of yum. If you want to save yourself even more time, buy tofu that's already cubbed.

I think that's enough visuals for the day. Thanks for stopping by and we'll see you next week with some new content!

The Mitten and Back

Honestly, I have no clever title for this entry. It also won't be filled with much running but I can ensure you, however, that it will have fun visuals as we make up for lost time.

Hello, hey, buenos días (if it's morning where you are)! It's been a minute. If you remember from the last post, I mentioned I was going to be traveling and thought I'd have time to pop on here but alas, life gets in the way. We traveled to Michigan (our home state) for about a week for family reasons. We've been gone for about four months now so you'd think not much has changed. I can't even count how many times I told my husband, "I'm so glad we moved". Everything is so dead and cold. Everyone drives like an asshole. The roads are (still) terrible. The entire place just sucks. And maybe you're reading this thinking I'm being a little harsh but honestly, seasonal depression is a thing and you will get it living there. My whole body felt like it shut down for the majority of the time we were there and it's crazy how it was brought back to life with the first touch of sunshine when we made it back home. Side note: I do miss my friends and family so don't think it's all negative! Saying goodbye never gets easier. If I could pick all of them up and move them here then Arizona would get that much better. Oh, and my cats. I spent some much needed time with both of them. I mean, come on, look at cute they are:

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  Broccoli

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  (Ronnie James) Dio

Anywho, shall we talk running? I ran three times. One of them was the morning before leaving for the airport to fly to Detroit. Pretty lackluster, eh? It felt good to take some days off but I also hate not being physically active. Let's take a look at the numbers:

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  3/20

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One advantage I found about being in Michigan besides the obvious family visit? Running was so easy. With no consistent elevation change and being more than 1,000ft down from where we are now, it was a breeze. I haven't hit a 9:12/mi pace since moving here. I set out for an easy run early on the 20th. The moon was so full and bright and the clouds created what looked like a painting in the sky.

My other two runs were at the park where I basically started my journey of becoming a runner. Spencer Lake in Rochester Hills is a one-mile loop. I remember the days when Nike+ had just been released and we had to wear sensor pods in our shoes. I could barely make it less than halfway around without having to stop and walk all while having my heart rate through the roof. That lake was my go-to for cardio when I mostly ran just to lose weight and keep up my fitness on days I wasn't lifting. It's crazy to see how far I've come through the years. Back then I would have never thought I'd run a marathon one day or even a half marathon let alone run for fun and not just for health.

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The day we flew back was rather long as we had a layover at LAX. Let me tell you, out of all of the airports I've been to, this one is the worst. I thought I hated Atlanta but dear Lord, LAX has taken the cake for being terrible. It's like a cave in there mixed with the most disorganized gates I've ever seen. We made light of it and I was able to get my Starbucks mug to add to the rest. I collect the "been there" mugs they produce. We also discovered that Shake Shack has a portobello mushroom burger (no meat!) and it's damn delicious. I like to think it's even better than their meat burgers and even those were good. If you are meatless like me, it's worth a try. Now if only In 'n Out would follow suit. A word of caution, though. Don't bite into it right away or you will burn your face off with the cheese.

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After adjusting back to the normal at home, it was time to celebrate my birthday. Honestly, it didn't feel like it was already here because of the weather. Every year in Michigan, it was either snowing or raining and grey as can be. It was 85° and the sun was out in full force. The Friday before, we went to dinner with our friends to Obon, a Ramen and Sushi restaurant in Scottsdale. I had watched a documentary on the plane called 'Ramen Heads' and naturally, I wanted to eat some right away. We both got the veggie red miso bowls and tried jackfruit for the first time. Hello, tastebuds! That stuff is amazing. They had a delicious black tea old fashioned and we even saw a waitress catch her hair on fire from a candle on a table she was cleaning up. Hats off to her for not even dropping a full tray and batting it out with her hand. Bravo! On my actual birthday, we headed to Tonto Natural Bridge State Park that morning with a friend of ours. I think it's the first state park I've ever been to. While we couldn't make it down to the bridge due to trail closures and high water, it was still a really beautiful place. The greenery and waterfalls provided the smell of nature and you could feel the mist from the water as we walked down a lookout point.

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Okay, you've finally reached the end of my recap of random stuff. You know what that means? Time for a new recipe share! What's one staple comfort food that everyone absolutely loves? Mac and cheese. I used to eat boxes of Kraft while in high school. Let's be honest, that stuff is full of really bad ingredients. That's why it tastes so good! My weekly Forks Over Knives email came into my inbox and this glorious recipe graced my screen.

The picture doesn't do any justice because I'm not a professional food blogger or photographer. The lighting in my kitchen was not on my side. I promise you, it's good. Simple ingredients, easy prep, and enough portions for the whole family or for a few days if it's only two of you like in our house. I'm all for meals that make multiple portions. I would throw in some extra rosemary than what the recipe calls for but I'm thinking this is going to taste even better left over as everything has been able to set together for 24 hours. I paired it with a Beyond Meat burger, of course. A good burger and some mac is always a solid meal. I'll throw the recipe here.

Now that we're back on scheduled runs and workouts, next week we'll cover more about how the pavement and trails treated me. Thanks for stopping by!