Favorite New Breakfast & Racing Reflections

Hi there. What's the good word? Naturally, for me, its Emilyday. I've been feeling a bit under the weather (tummy troubles - the worst!) and I had class last night so I'm fittingly exhausted and ready for the relaxation that is Thursday night. :)

First things first, I wanted to share my new favorite breakfast with you guys. You see, among all the goodies that my parents sent in my amazing birthday package (balloon, necklace, clif/luna bars, chocolate, princess paddle ball) was a bag of my uncle's homemade granola. This stuff is SO SO good. We're talking oatmeal, apricots, raisins, dried cranberries, dates, pecans, walnuts, almonds, coconut and oodles of cinnamon. Its amazing.

Needless to say, my new favorite breakfast features a sprinkling of this granola on the energy-packed combination of warm oatmeal, plain greek yogurt (2% is the only way to go, folks), nanner, and a bit of honey.

I wish I had another non-phone picture to share, but this will have to do until my camera makes its way back to me. Trust me, its tasty!

Now, onto the second item of affairs. Last Saturday I ran in the Race for the Cure. This was my first race since...since...Thanksgiving?? Wow. Aside from the amazing cause and the incredibly inspiring crowd, it was a really great race. I very much enjoyed running and I was able to push myself without judgment, expectation, or most importantly, pain. It felt so good to go out there and enjoy the competition (I'm talking to you 70 year old man with the hot pink shorts who ate my dust).

As I've mentioned before, with running cross country in college and then moving out on my own where the stresses of work and everything else can be tough, running was a huge part of my life. Over time, though, running became something that was unfortunately more draining than rejuvenating. I was never happy with myself or my runs and I always felt that I needed to be doing more miles, more speed, more racing. I stopped listening to my body and started to let running takeover.

I was cranky. I was tired. I was hungry all the time. It was miserable! I finally realized that running should be something I love. It should be something that builds me up - not something that breaks me down. I did something that terrified me at the time. I stopped. I started yoga and loved it. It made me realize that health does not mean running x amount of miles a week. It means treating your body well and listening to what it has to say.

While my time in the race on Saturday was no where near my personal best, it was by far the best race I've ever competed in. I wasn't afraid to push myself because I knew that a rest day (or several) could be taken - something I was never willing to concede before. I wasn't afraid to fail because I was already successful at showing up with my running shoes on (it was early and chilly!!). I know that I would have been happy whether or not I was surprised at my ability to actually race it because I loved just being able to run - without expectation.

I guess I just wanted to share this with you guys because it truly makes me happy to know that balance most definitely is possible. While its not always easy to maintain, it is so worth it.

What does healthy mean to you? How do you ensure balance in your life?