What a Difference a Week Makes!

What a difference a week makes! The weather this morning was overcast and cool, with rain yesterday. After waking up at 8:30 am today (not a surprise since I always have difficulty getting up early on Saturdays -- thank goodness races on mostly on Sunday!), I took the pup on a walk and then embarked on running (actually, walking) a few errands such as visit the bank to purchase some American money with the low exchange rate (got $500 US currency for $491 Canadian). Got in 5K today. Hopefully, I'll get up early tomorrow for a long slow distance -- my last one before the 42.2K next Sunday. I better go to sleep after posting this blog.

I like to visit bookstores such as Chapters or Indigo to view their running section, although nothing new today. There is a book I'm eyeing but am in no rush to get it: Running and Philosophy: A Marathon for the Mind by Michael Austin (just released!) http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Running-Philosophy-Marathon-Mind-Michael-Austin/9781405167970-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+%2527running%2527 . I have enough books and magazines to read at bed time which puts me in the mood of zzzzzzz. I don't mean the reading is boring... Currently, I'm going through mycollection of Walk! Magazine. I enjoy the articles as many are so pertinent to me (e.g., an article about orthodics I re-read a couple of days ago). I enjoy the training books but also the motivational and inspirational stories of runners and walkers. The book listed above is something I will get since I know that running positively effects both the body and mind.

Somehow or another, I need to eat more vegetables. I can "overdose" on fruits since I love eating them (e.g., bananas; apples; pomogranates; grapes; pears; berries such as strawberries, blueberries; raspberries; blackberries). Yum! Yum! Yum! The sweetness has helped deal with my "sweeth tooth" (by the way, dentist appointment tomorrow for bi-yearly checkup). I also love eating whole wheat grains such as bread as well as brown rice -- I could never go back to white bread. Just need to work on the proportions. I always look at the nutritional value (especially % fat) when I purchase any food product. No junk or fried foods! My body has gotten so used to this routine that putting a McDonald's sandwich in my mouth would be so foreign to me -- absolutely no interest to eat fried foods :-) Some people look at me strangely when I refuse the offer for a cookie; etc. I remain disgusted that high schools serve junk food to students (e.g., french fries, onion rings) not to mention the vending machines in the school selling chocolate bars and soft drinks.

I re-read my post from last Monday. I noticed I posted the photo of my pup, Bud, enjoying the mouse toy I got him for his 7th month. Just so you know, the toy only lasted about 10 minutes (!) before the stuffing was coming out of it. I took the toy back to Petsmart and explained the situation -- the toy was supposed to withstand tough chewers. The manager gave me a refund without any hassle. I was so impressed since I thought I would need to send the toy back to the manufacturer in the USA.

Now to some bedtime reading before walking up early tomorrow. I just noticed that the clocks will be going back an hour next Sunday -- that'll help me get an extra hour of sleep before the marathon. Yeah!