Celebrate with a sandwich!

I like the idea of scheduling my long runs on Fridays because I'm done with class at 11:30 and am free for the rest of day. I like having a big block of time for my long runs so that I don't feel pushed for speed. Also, I'm already on campus for class on Fridays, so it's convenient to go to the gym and run on the treadmill, which is preferable to running outside now that it's 80 degrees during the day!

At least the hot weather means the dogwood tree in my front yard is blooming!



Today, I had an awesome long run! I ran my usual 3 miles, walked .15 miles, ran another mile, walked another .15 miles, then ran a 5th mile. Woohoo! Now, that may not seem like much to y'all seasoned runners, but that's huge for me! I'm hoping next week to run the first 4 miles straight, then walk a bit, and then run the 5th.

I celebrated my good run with a good sandwich...



You're looking at a delicious Fake BLT with some broccoli salad from Sevananda (a natural-foods co-op in Atlanta, GA). To wash it down, I had some natural root beer.



That's Brutus peeking out from next to the table; he's my roommate's dog. Cutie, eh?

Okay, a sandwich may not seem like much of a reward to you, but it is for me! In addition to being vegan, I also eat a mostly wheat-free diet. I'm not allergic to wheat, but I feel immensely healthier when I'm not eating it regularly. I treat myself to a sandwich, pizza slice, or vegan cupcake every once in awhile; bread and baked goods are the things I miss most.

I mean, who can say never to a pumpkin-chocolate chip vegan cupcake that looks like this?



Now, you may think that someone who eats wheat-free is just afraid of carbs, but I can assure you that I'm not! Have you read my post about carbing up before and after exercising? I love carbs. The more the merrier!

Thinking about cutting back on the wheat but worried that you can't live without bread or pasta? There are tons of great non-wheat grains out there for you to munch on, like rice, quinoa, and amaranth. Give some of them a try!

New shoes!

When I first decided that I wanted to do a triathalon, I started with practicing my swimming and biking; I was terrified of running! I failed every single presidential fitness test when I was in elementary school through high school because I couldn't run a mile. When I went on my first run this winter, I ran about 1/4 of a mile before the pain in my heart and lungs forced me to stop. It was so hard! I kept going though. When I scheduled myself to run a mile, I always finished the mile, walking when I needed to walk and running when I caught my breath again. When I started being comfortable with a mile, I went ahead and upped my distance to 3 miles, again walking when I needed to walk and running when I caught my breath.

These days, I'm totally addicted to running! Last week, I did 3-mile runs on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday! This is my first GOOD 15-mile week, so I celebrated with new running shoes!



My old shoes were purchased when I was an undergraduate... nearly 10 years ago! I still love them, but it was time to retire them and buy new ones. These are Nike LIVESTRONG LunarGlide running shoes, and 100% of the profits go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. My mom is a cancer survivor, so I'm a sucker for products that support cancer research. I purchased the LunarGlides because I supinate when I run (I run on the outsides of my feet), so I need a lightweight neutral shoe with which I can use an insert for supination. These felt fantastic in the store, so hopefully they'll feel fantastic on my run tomorrow!