Hey everyone! I feel like I’ve been scarce around here for some reason. It’s been a hectic beginning to my week, so I’m very thankful to have tonight off of teaching. I love me some Jazzercise, but I also love me some time at home with my doggie, Mac!

And speaking of Mac, he turns 2 years old this month!

Ahhh look at that tail wag. Just ignore the hair in his eyes. He is going to the groomers in the morning for a spa day. 🙂

In honor of his big day, Nick and I did a little gift shopping after my run on Saturday.

We picked up the cutest hoodie/sweater and a chew bone that stands up on its own! Mac had troubles paying attention to mommy with that bone around.

That’s better.

I’m so thankful for my little guy each and every day. He is always so happy to see me when I get home, and then snuggles into bed with me each night. He’s spoiled, but it’s for good reason. I love him! Plus, he’s cute so that makes him extra easy to love.

The sweater fits perfectly, and he’s been wearing it just about everyday as the temps have dropped to the mid-50’s here in Springfield. He’s not a ‘fufu’ dog, but he definitely enjoys being warm and cozy in some nice sweaters.

And in other news, I signed up for my FIRST HALF MARATHON!! I’m beyond excited! I’m going to be running the half marathon in the St. Louis Track Club‘s Frostbite Series in January. I feel like I have a good base for my training after preparing for the 10K, so I’ll just continue my running to increase my distance between now and January 25!

Any words of wisdom for this first time half marathoner?! Any advice is appreciated. I’m going into this pretty blindly I feel like even though I’ve done tons of research. Comment and let me know any awesome tips you may have to offer!

Morning Run & Breakfast

So in honor of finally registering for the half marathon (I’ve been thinking about it for a while now), I woke up bright and early today to complete 7 miles around my neighborhood. I completed it in around 59 minutes and felt great the whole time. The temps were in the low 40’s, and I was still comfortable. I’m sure my attitude will change as the temps keep on dropping during these months of training I have ahead of me.

I ate breakfast as soon as I got to the office, so it was my typical grab-n-go style morning meal.

Luna bar. Banana. And yogurt. The Luna bar was extra chocolatey – I loved it!

Lunch

The morning went by quickly and I was headed home for lunch in no time! I started with a big salad full of romaine, spinach, snap peas, broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower.

I topped this baby with my new favorite dressing, Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette, and a few dried cranberries. It was super tasty! And I finished off the rest of my meal with another bowl of the spicy chili I made on Sunday.

Yum!!

And now I’m just relaxing at home, trying to catch up on some household chores that have been pushed aside so far this week. I also need to set up a good training plan for this half marathon so I’ll have some good guidelines to keep up with during these next few months. Should be a productive evening!

Have a good one, and I’ll see you all tomorrow!