Stepping to the Bright Side: My Secret Dream

Hi all,

Hope your day's winding down in a delightful fashion :)

Last night, acting class was even better than usual since I had this to get me through:

It's a green tea flavored kit kat bar from Japan (one of Alex's co-workers brought it from a recent trip). It was AMAZING! I highly recommend.

This morning I hopped out of bed and prepped this pre-gym breakfast:

2 boiled eggs + 3 pieces of toast with earth balance... yes, my eyes were bigger than my stomach in this case. I ate 2 halves of the bagel thin but could only fit a couple of bites of the whole wheat bread butt.

My secret dream?

To run a marathon.

Ever since I took an interest in getting fit a couple of years ago, I've always wanted to run a marathon. It's the ultimate GOAL- there's a medal at the end, a great cause to donate to and amazing endurance to build.

I tried to train last summer but was brutally DENIED when an explicable leg injury came upon me. It wasn't an ankle issue and it wasn't shin splints. "So what could it be?" I thought... Not wanting to deal with medical bills (because who does?), I did my own internet research and it turns out my varicose veins were to blame. They're pretty bad for someone my age- it's genetic- and unfortunately it seems until I'm flush enough to afford a super expensive procedure, my dreams of running those 26.2 miles will have to wait.

This morning, though, I felt like RUNNING. So I did. I got on the treadmill for 30 minutes, running fast and walking in 1 minute intervals. It felt great! (I think I'm going to do it more often- shhhhh don't tell my veins)

Then I did some stretching and ab work. Gah, it feels good to be back in the workout saddle after my little run-in with a seasonal cold!

After the gym, I came home to make a protein-laden smoothie with these little gems:

Hemp Seeds

Yes, they're related to marijuana but they don't get you high, they get you HEALTHY. They're a great source of protein, antioxidants and fiber.

I threw them in with some frozen bananas, cherries, a little cocoa powder and water.

YUM

I got to work looking for a way to put my recently purchased butternut squash to good use... and found one!

Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard

I'll have a final product photo for you tomorrow, but here's a bit of the prep... the simmering's finishing now and it smells AMAZING. (If only it was cooler than 87 degrees outside)