Spring is in the air here and this morning I decided to do something completely different and run on Saturday morning instead of Sunday. What a shake up!!!! No seriously, my middle son is having two friends sleep over tonight and I want to make them pancakes in the morning, plus we want to go to the Palm Sunday service at church, AND the weather is supposed to be crappy tomorrow.
So I was thinking about it and since I wanted to go to the main post office in Leuven to mail Easter cards for my nephews and nieces and godson, and that is the only place that has Saturday pick up, I decided to run to the post office. So not only a new day, but also a completely new route (I told you it was a big shake up).
The post office is up by "pencil park" (Jenny knows where this is) and I was thinking a round trip would be about 4 km. It was so nice to run somewhere completely different than usual. I passed the Asian man who does Tai Chi in the park every morning. I enjoyed the beautiful flowering trees - I even stopped quickly to take a photo of this statue I passed because the trees looked so pretty. Then I ran through "pencil park" and dropped my envelopes off and headed back home.
It took me 31 minutes and when I mapped it on Map My Run, it turned out to be 4.5 km.
The greatest benefit from all the half marathon training I did last year is my endurance: I don't run fast, but I feel like I can keep going and going at my nice easy pace and I don't have to stop and walk anymore. Of course, I did stop briefly to take the picture, at one traffic light, and to drop the cards in the mailbox, but not because I needed a break from the running. The running feels just as comfortable as walking, which is a strange concept to me, but very cool!
A quick side note: I've been eating +/- 95% vegan for two weeks now and I have to say I feel great and it is really not that hard. I did have GI issues for the first week as I adjusted, but the last few days I have had a lot more energy and feel quite good. I've been doing a lot of experimenting in the kitchen, and getting a kick out of enjoying things like tortilla chips with guacamole, dark chocolate and wine, which are also vegan!
7 comments:
Spring is always so prett in Leuvan.
I love those nice comfy runs! Way to go, you have worked very hard to get to this point!!
I am so glad you are eating vegan, I have only felt great since I started eating vegan! My energy is great, and I think it helps my running and working out as well!
What a great, pretty run!! Thanks for sharing the picture. I've never been out of the country so I'm always facinated that sort of thing ... I just cannot imagine running by an old statue like that...
Jenny is right - you've earned the experience you had on Saturday!!
Keep writing about your vegan experiences - there are those of us "listening" closely... :)
Wow, it certainly does look beautiful. I may have missed it prior to finding your blog, but have you ever explained what the heck you're doing in Belgium? You illuded to studying French in college and spending a semester abroad in a recent post, but I'm always intrigued by ex-pat stories.
Topher, it's the classic story - I came to get my Master's degree and ended up adding an "MRS" to my name! And since my "MR" is Belgian I've been here for almost 19 years in the meantime.
Congrats on the wonderful endurance. Not needing to walk is so much fun!
Great pic!
Thank you so much for the photo of flowing trees and almost up daffodils, my visual self needed to see green!
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