ABB 5K

I truly hope that your Saturday has been as beautiful as it has been here in Houston. I mean seriously, days like today are my kind of days. So much so that I went to Bendwood Park after I ate lunch so that I could write and draw and sit out and enjoy the sunshine. Normally I would do something outside, like bike or blade or work, but I want to save my legs for tomorrow. I will be up and on my way in less than 12 hours, and I am getting more excited by the minute. Part of that excitement came from participating in the ABB 5K this morning, but I'll get to that in a minute.

Let's backtrack to yesterday. The bell rang at 3:15pm, and I was more than ready to push some of my kiddos out the door. This was my first full week back at school, as I mentioned yesterday, and I won't lie, it was l-o-n-g. And normally, I would be flying out the door right along with them, but I had plans to meet Sarah and Natalie at Mi Luna Restaurants & Tapas Bar in Rice Village for Happy Hour. Because I saw no reason to go home and then come right back to the same general area, I simply stayed at school and got a little bit of work done. Maybe the reason this week felt so long was because my to-do list was never-ending. I would cross one thing off, and then add two more. As a result, I felt extra productive this week, but it absolutely wore me out! So, some $3 wine and tapas with two of my favorite people was just what I needed.

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We met at the restaurant just around 5:00pm, and I was immediately impressed by the atmosphere. It was dark and cozy, but not so dark that you can't see the people next to you. The waiters were all extremely attentive, and the food was wonderful. It absolutely reminded me of Barcelona. On that note, though the Happy Hour tapas menu was very appealing, I just didn't feel right ordering anything but my beloved tortilla. If you can go back in time a couple of years, Sarah and I were obsessed with tortilla, so we would be doing ourselves a disservice by not ordering it. I ordered a side of Brussels sprouts on the side, and they were cooked in such a way that I can never seem to mimic. Delish! Natalie was the smart one and ordered three different items off of the tapas Happy Hour menu, and they all looked incredible. Judging by our clean plates at the end of our meal, I'd say we would all agree with that statement. Throw in some house wine and some best friends, and you've got yourself a recipe for a great evening.

I got home around 7:45pm, and I can't say that I did much of anything productive. I was pretty wiped from the week, and I knew I was going to have to wake up early the next morning, so I lounged around before calling it a night at 10:00pm. My alarm went off bright and early this morning, instantly making me question my decision to voluntarily wake up this early simply to go run three miles, but I knew it would be worth it once I was up and moving. Once I'm up, I'm up, but sometimes it just takes me a couple of minutes. The race was scheduled to start at Discovery Green, and because I still needed to pick up my packet, I headed down there extra early. I found some parking (for only $10 - Houston, you are going to make a killing off of this race weekend), and headed over to the green. I was walking over there just as the sun was rising, and I was overwhelmed with how much love I have for the city in which I grew up.

I picked up my packet, snapped a few pictures, threw a couple footballs (and got a free t-shirt!), and finally made my way over to the starting line. Some of the fastest women in Houston were introduced, the National Anthem was sung, and then we were off. As I mentioned earlier, the weather was absolutely perfect, and I am hoping that will hold true for tomorrow's race as well. The course wasn't exactly thrilling, but it was a lot of fun to get to be a part of the first race of the Houston Marathon weekend.

Sometimes when you run alone, you have to take selfies

I finished in about 25-26 minutes (I am currently charging my Garmin, so I didn't have an exact time today), and after picking up my medal and free banana, I headed just across the street to the George R. Brown Convention Center to check out the race expo. My mom so kindly picked up my race packet for me yesterday, but I have no will power and ended up just strolling through the expo to see what it had to offer. Plus, I wanted to make full use of the $10 I paid for parking. I was glad that I went because not only did I purchase an Addaday Roller (again, it hurts so good), but I found what I will call the Skecher's Goal Wall. I absolutely loved reading through people's goals, which ranged from hardcore to inspirational to downright funny.

And of course, I couldn't resist adding my own.

My principal, along with about seven other teachers at Bellaire, is also running the half marathon. And I won't lie, one of my goals for tomorrow is to beat his time. I'll keep you posted on that one!

I also loved walking around and looking at all of the running gear. Though I didn't purchase any of it, I had to laugh when I saw this shirt. Typically it's miles 7-10 that have me questioning my sanity, but crossing the finish line elicits a feeling that is like none other.

I finally made my way home, and I was hungry. I ate some of my banana-oatmeal-almond butter "dough" long about 6:45am, along with munching on a few free samples from the expo, but I swear my stomach had transformed into a bottomless pit. And it was only three miles! I ate a couple of cuties, a handful of grapes, and whipped up some of my scrambled egg whites and spinach. Nice and warm on a cool morning.

I did a little bit of school work, took about a 45-minute nap, got all of my belongings together for tomorrow, and then headed out to Salata for one of my favorite salads in town. I told myself that I would make my own salad with what I have here at home, but it was so pretty that I couldn't just sit inside all day. So, to Salata I went. I had my usual spring mix and spinach mixture, with herb marinated grilled chicken, tomatoes, bell peppers, celery, onions, alfalfa sprouts, black and green olives, chickpeas, and a scoop of my new favorite dressing: sundried tomato. It absolutely hit the spot!

After finishing my salad, I went right down the road to Bendwood Park with my journal and my Kindle and spent some time writing, reading, and just enjoying the sunshine. I loved seeing all of the people out - playing on the playground, playing frisbee, flying kites, and playing soccer. As I have said over and over again - the perfect day.

And with just about an hour and a half until I start winding down, I'll probably park myself on the couch with a tall glass of water, Pinterest, and some basketball on in the background. And keep your fingers crossed that my IT band doesn't give me any trouble tomorrow - I've been rolling and stretching pretty religiously. And I will certainly be back with a full recap of tomorrow's race. Enjoy the rest of your evening!