Competitive Genes

I'm a bit competitive. 

I mean, I enjoy staring down the person next to me to imply "it's on," even if we are simply running on parallel treadmills at the local gym. 

It's a good thing Joel lives with me, as he constantly laughs at my feisty nature to ensure that I don't take myself too seriously. 

Anyways. Sometimes this competitive nature gets the best of me, and actually ends up harming me/my body. 

Take Monday, for example. 

I put my running shoes on, intending to run at our little apartment gym, until Joel told me it was closed. I was soooo deflated, I almost forfeited my run for Pilates. But I decided to take a risk and run on the street. 

(I haven't run on a street in over two months because I pulled/strained my calf muscles)

So, I begin running, and I think, oh yeah, I forgot how good this feels! Go faster. Go faster! Oh, your legs hurt, ah, who cares, you can push through it. Embrace the pain! It's good for you! Do you think it will be EASY to run 13.1 miles at race pace? Keep going! You can do it! 

And there you go. Mental challenge = competitive need to succeed. 

Well, this is what ended up happening: 

Thank you Target for frozen peas.

My shins are SO SO SO sore, I could barely walk today! Serves me right. I probably won't be able to run until the weekend! 

I had the pleasure of meeting the amazing Lauren Thompson for lunch today (it is so cool to have your best friend work two miles from where you work!): 

That, my friends, would be a veggie sandwich on honey oat bread. This beast of a sandwich only has like 450 calories! And I was FULL for the entire duration of my work day. 

Love that.

Dinner tonight = whatever we had left in the fridge from the last Ralph's trip: 

All-lean chicken sausage with green-leaf lettuce, mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumbers, and blue cheese crumbles. 

Remember ladies: portion control! Just because your man's food is almost falling off of the plate doesn't mean yours has to! 

Joel is laughing at me as I write this.

After dinner we headed to TRIBE, the young adult gathering organized through our church: 

Joel and I were in charge of snacks,  so I tried to include some healthy fruit & veggie options (notice that the cheese tray is almost completely gone and the veggie tray is practically full!) Joel's snack won in popularity, but I have to stand by my watermelon bowl, strawberries, and veggie tray as the best snack options for a ten-minute-omg-we-are-almost-late grocery run. 

 Sorry. The competitive genes are always flowing. 

Got to go do some yoga before bed! 

<3 Beth