Staying On Track? Well....

Hey friends!

Well, I returned from a fabulous trip to Chicago to work with some of the coolest peeps you'll ever know (Shout out to CEM staff - April and Laura, the Key Volunteers, and my roomies Pammy and Rebecca! How did we not get a picture together?!). And, as you may have read, I tried to pack some healthy options and looked into the workout facilities.

Here's how I did: The Play by Play

I started off my trip strong with a KILLER workout Tuesday night. Protein shake Wednesday morning on the way to the airport, and I packed plenty of protein packets, nuts (cashews, almonds) and trail mix (mixed nuts, raisins, craisins, and yes, M&Ms (but only a few).  We also made a point to stop at a grocery store to pick up almond milk and some fruit to have on hand for breakfasts when I got downtown.

Downside: no fridge in the room. So, a trash can and LOTS of ice kept my almond milk good. (MacGyvered!)

Wednesday for lunch I had Mexican food - and while I WANTED to eat the whole bowl of chips and guacamole, I didn't, and I left plenty on my plate. For dinner I kept the portions small, even though it was regular ol' pasta and meat sauce.

Thursday morning I enjoyed sharing my avocado egg window recipe, along with crisp REAL bacon.

Lunch was a splurge - you can't be in Chicago and NOT have a Chicago-style hot dog! Pickle, onions, mustard, tomato slice - PERFECT!
Thursday afternoon I laced up the shoes and hit the park path for a fabulous run through Grant Park and along the Lake Front (and back) - about 4 miles. I was still WICKED sore from Tuesday night's workout. Thursday night I joined the ladies for drinks at the Public House. 4 Vodka Cranberries and a sampling of several appetizers (flat bread vegetarian pizza, friend calamari) and I was glad that I could call it a day! Great walk back to the hotel and it was time to crash.

Friday morning I roused early (5am) for my usual workout - my pal and trainer called me to let me know what exercises I should work into my circuit and I got a nice 50 minute workout in followed by a 10 minute jog on the treadmill. Felt AWESOME. Showered and headed out with my roomies to the Navy Pier where I would spend the next 12 hours on my feet working with volunteers and helping 45,000 runners pick up their packets for the Shamrock Shuffle.

Friday's food choices weren't bad - shake for breakfast along with 2 Cuties (clementines), sandwich minus 1/2 the bread and a salad for lunch, and 1/2 of a Qdoba burrito with LOTS of salsa for dinner. Could have been worse, right? I nibbled on almonds in between and drank what felt like gallons of water.  After wrapping up the day we made hotel room Pond Scum - but I limited myself to just one. Oh, along with a little more than 1/2 a pint of mint chip gelato. Yes. I. Did.

Saturday I started off strong again, protein shake on the way to the Expo, vegetarian wrap for lunch, and handfuls of nuts and trail mix throughout the day when I got the munchies (instead of eating up all the candy and donuts that Ms. Betty was pedaling to the volunteers). Another 12 hours on my feet and a VERY long walk from the Pier to the Hilton and I was ready for dinner. We walked to Miller's Pub and I ordered a burger with sweet potato fries (skipped the bun) and was in HEAVEN. Nice walk back to the room and we had a few hours to sleep before starting race day.

Sunday I started off with a protein shake and some Cuties. I resisted the chips and candy again, but later had some hot chocolate to warm up! Dinner was at the Bar Below where I enjoyed a sandwich (sans bun) and sweet potato fries (yes, again)... oh, and 2 very tall, very strong vodka cranberries.   After a solid nap, I walked back to Buddy Guy's Legends and listened to some blues - with a shrimp po'boy and a drink.

Monday I slept in and had the last of my almond milk and protein shake. I packed up my room and meandered around downtown (lots of walking), I landed on Pizano's for lunch and ordered a personal sized deep dish cheese, green pepper and mushroom pizza. I could only eat half after my garden salad, but it really
hit the spot! I made my way back to the hotel to get my bags and walk to get the Blue Line and head for the air port. When I finally got home (after a lengthy delay), I had Subway with LOTS of veggies before crashing pretty hard.

So, why, you are asking, did I share the play by play? Well, despite not sticking to a completely clean diet, I wanted to show you that there are always choices. I very rarely enjoy drinks with friends, so when I was in Chicago I splurged more than usual. But I also managed to make some good choices in there, too. Lots of walking, good workouts, and tons of water. I also watched my portions when I couldn't eat as clean as I'd like.

When I got home I was so excited to eat veggies and get back to my workout routine. I missed my workout buddies and felt so great after a tough workout on Tuesday night.

Every day is full of choices. If we plan ahead and do the best we can, we are winning. Just because we are being conscious of the choices we make we are able to make better choices, healthier choices. And THAT is staying on track.

Here's to loving life and making the best choices we can!

Until Next time... (with a clean banana bread recipe!)

<3 Jen