R&R&R: Rest, Relaxation, Randomness.

Finally! A relatively chill day! I slept in, did some shopping, cooking, went to school, work and actually have sometime to blog. Tomorrow I get my first day off in nearly two weeks! That is  pretty dang cool. And I am really happy about it.

A quick recap: On Monday night, I got home from work rather late and couldn't muster up the motivation to get out for a run. I knew I had to get some sort of activity in, so I turned to my roommate's plethora of workout DVDs. I decided on Jillian Michaels' "6 Week Six-Pack." Jillian kick my badonkadonk. My hamstrings, abs and glutes ached like no other. By the end, I could barely stand!

Before class on Tuesday I went for my third run on C25k. It was awesome! I was still incredibly sore, but I was able to keep up a steady pace for all eight intervals. The temptation to just walk it hit hard, and early, but I endured!! (Can I get a "Whoot, whoot!")?

My next run day is Friday, but I'm hoping to get a walk and some weight training in tomorrow.

Today I'm just hanging out, listening to good music and eating some delicious food!

I LOVE food. And I LOVE music. So, as any food or music enthusiast would do, I'm going to tell you about what I'm into. It's not Disney related, or even slightly running related, but if there is a chance it will bring you some joy, I think it is worth sharing.

Here they are:

The Kooks. They've been around for awhile, and have actually been quite popular with songs like, "Naive" and "She Moves in Her Own Way" playing on the radio and in Applebee's nationwide. The Brit-Pop group always makes me smile. Always. Their most recent album, "Junk of the Heart" is wonderful. I literally giggle as I listen to it. Check it out, if you haven't. It's love. Lovelovelovelovelove. (...with the exception of one song that drops the f-bomb, which is so unfortunate. Still, the rest is definitely worth listening to).

Quinoa! I've been reading about it for months--"Superfood!" and " The Greatest Grain." It's got a higher level of protein than any other whole grain. It's low on the glycemic index scale (it keeps you fuller longer), and it's delicious. I tried it for the first time a couple weeks ago, and let me tell you, it held up to the hype! I was skeptical at first, but these recipes won me over.

Quinoa Tomato Salad

1 1/2 cups cook Quinoa
1 cup grape tomatos (sliced into halves)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons feta
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 handfull cilantro (optional)
Salt
Pepper

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Stir garlic and tomato into oil until tomato is soft. Stir Quinoa, feta, and cilantro in pan. Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

It's very simple, I know, but so delicious! You could easily add arugula or spinach to it, if you're looking for some more greens. You could eat it hot and fresh or pack it cold for lunch. Either way. It's good stuff. Note: I made enough for one, so if you have a family, you'll want to multiply. :)

Really Simple Mango Quinoa Salad

3 cups cooked quinoa (chilled)
1 ripe mango (cut into small pieces)
1 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup feta
1/4 chickpeas
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 handful cilantro (optional)

Mix all ingredients throughly. Serve cold. Eat up!! It's bright, and summery and just plain yummy. (If I do say so myself).

I hope everyone's training is going well! Keep it up!