Hey folks. If you remember from my last post, I did my long run last night (9 miler). Today is without a doubt going to be a rest day for me. I woke up this morning and actually “ahhhhh”ed as I took my first steps. My legs are SO SORE. I think it’s partly due to my own stupidity for not stretching much last night after my run. Okay legs I learned my lesson! Very Important: if you are training for your first race or thinking of starting soon, I have learned that rest days are equally as important as workout days. Seriously guys. Especially when you are putting your body through new rigorous exercise, you HAVE to take rest days seriously. For me, it has worked out best to take one rest day a week, the day after I do my long run. Also, I highly recommend on the days that you cross train (any exercise except running) to do yoga, if you are a yoga lover like myself. It has really been a good balance to running as it lengthens my tight muscles and provides a totally different workout than a jog. Here is my training schedule that I have been following pretty well. 

A typical week:

Monday – medium run

Tuesday – Bikram yoga

Wednesday – short tempo run

Thursday – Bikram yoga

Friday – medium run

Saturday – long run

Sunday – Rest

This week I didn’t follow the days exactly since I did my long run on a Thursday, but you get the gist of it. Also medium runs = 4-5 miles, short tempo runs = 2-3 miles intervals/incline, and long run started at 6 miles and has increased every few weeks. Right now my long run is 9 miles, but it will eventually reach 13. EEEEEEKKKK. icandoit.

Since today is my rest day….I think it will be a perfect day to curl up on the couch and catch up on some reading while eating my delicious Choco-Nanner-Pumpkin Muffins that I made yesterday.

I just started the third book of the Fifty Shades series and can’t wait to crack into it! They are my guilty pleasure along with these muffins! *However, these muffins are actually pretty healthy since a lot of the fat is replaced with pumpkin and nanners (banana). Substituting these healthy wet ingredients for excess butter and oil is a great way to healthify your favorite indulgent recipes, without losing flavor

Choco-Nanner-Pumpkin Muffins (Makes 12 muffins)

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 smashed overripe banana

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (or dark chocolate, my personal fave)

Directions: Preheat oven to 400. Grease and flour or paper line 12 muffin tins. Mix sugar, oil, and eggs. Add pumpkin, mashed banana, and water. In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients (except chocolate), and then add to wet mixture. Mix until combined but don’t over mix. Stir in chocolate chips. Fill muffin tins 3/4 way full and pop in the oven 20-25 minutes. Take out and dig into its moist gooey eeweyyy deliciousness.

Okay now I’m officially drooling at the thought of these muffins. Time for a nice relaxing day!