Healthy Chicks

This morning, my family head down to Niantic, CT to run the Half Marathon/5K road race. Since I will be running a half marathon in three weeks from today, I decided to take it easy by doing the 5K this time around.

Well, I guess I didn’t really take it easy after all; I ended up crushing my 5k PR by over a minute at a brisk 25:37. It’s hard to believe that I completed my first 5K just about fives years ago in over 33 minutes!

Someone on twitter had asked me how I knocked over a minute off my time, or what I was doing differently. Honestly, it’s all mental for me. These past couple months of half marathon training have taught me that I can push myself in ways I never thought I could. I can do it. I can run faster. I also give props to the amazing community online, including all the fellow Fitfluential ambassadors. Seriously, can you get more inspired than that?

I was super proud of my PR, but even more proud of my mom who ran her very first 5K for the entire distance. My dad, sister, cousin and her husband opted for the half marathon, so we had a blast cheering them on at the finish line. There’s really nothing quite like the adrenaline rush you get from running.

After the run, we loaded up on water, Rhode Island clam chowder (it was a nice break from the heavy cream-based chowdah they serve in Boston) and fresh apples. We then stopped for lunch on the way home, and Starbucks of course.

Later on in the day, my mom, a friend and I stopped at a local farm to see what they were serving up. Well, we were in luck! We got there just 10 minutes before close, and they just made another fresh batch of apple fritters and apple cider. Naturally, we got two bags of fritters and two cups of cider (a cold and a hot). Honestly, there is nothing quite like an apple fritter and a crisp cup of cold cider that says fall.

OK, off to get some work done and cozy up in some PJs while the rest of the world watches football. Days like these make me fall in love with New England all over again.

XoXo,