Good Monday Morning!
Today is a little off because the BOY is home all day. What does this mean? Well, most importantly, it means that I can’t watch Grey’s Anatomy this morning before my run because the second I tried to put it on, he started to whine a bit. Yikes! He better get used to it because starting next semester he is off on Mondays, and after 4 years of not working on Mondays, I kind of have my routine down.
First up…tea! I bought this seasonal tea when I picked up boxes and boxes of Candy Cane Green tea from Trader Joe’s.
I brewed up my first cup this morning. Let me just tell you that it smells wonderful and tastes just as good! It is a really flavorful tea (although this may be because I made mine extra strong)!
Then it’s on to breakfast. As soon as the weather cooled off, I started craving this Pumpkin Cream Pie Oat Bran from Peas and Thank You.
I made this last winter and absolutely loved it! So my mouth was watering before I even started cooking. This oat bran is spicy, creamy, and super filling!
I followed the recipe as written, but I add my sweetener as a topping at the end instead of in the beginning. This morning, I used maple syrup.
In between cooking, I darted back and froth to the television where I was watching the Today show. I’ve been living back in the Chicago area for almost 4 years, yet I still love to check out the Thanks and Giving kick off.
I even record the show all week just to watch Marlo’s short segment each day!
The hospital holds a special place in my heart, and I think the message of being THANKFUL for all of the joy in your life and helping others is so important, especially this time of year. It also gets me geared up for the holiday season ahead! One of the things that I am thankful for is my ability to run. I’ve mentioned this before on the blog, but there was a 6 month period where running was contraindicated for a medicine that I needed to take. The children of St. Jude kept me inspired throughout this time, and my first race back (and current PR) was the St. Jude Half Marathon in 2008. It was an emotional run, and I had tears in my eyes as I crossed the finish line.
On days when I am not-so-motivated to get in a workout, I think about this time in my life, put one foot in front of the other, and remember how lucky I am that I RUN. This is what pushed me out the door on this grey morning while the BOY tried to convince me to stay in. I must admit after that comforting bowl of oats, the idea did cross my mind.
My legs are a bit fatigued after Saturday’s 8 miler and yesterday’s 90 minute Hot Yoga class, so I made it a watchless run. With all of my recent training, I have been thinking a lot about mile times and pace, and today I wanted to run just to run. It was a beautiful morning to be outdoors, which a nice woman walking her dog and I discussed on the path. Even without my watch (or maybe because of), my 5 miles sped by quickly and I returned home in the best mood with plenty of ideas on how the BOY and I should spend our day.
How do you give back around the holidays?
I just read about Rebecca’s Mission A Toy For Every Pup
Her post is really sweet (she has the cutest dog) and you can easily donate while you are doing your online holiday shopping with this Amazon Wishlist! Check it out!
You can find this hearty fall breakfast recipe HERE!
I ate half this morning and I am planning on reheating the other half with some almond milk for breakfast tomorrow.
