One of the things I enjoy most about training and teaching is getting to know my clients and students. It is really cool to have a group of “regulars” in my classes and I always love chatting with them before and after class. It’s a great feeling to be surrounded by familiar faces and honestly, I am always humbled that they keep coming back class after class. The ability to teach others is such an honor for me and I am grateful for every class that I have the opportunity to lead.

I was so excited when one of my yoga students and training clients, Miki, invited me to happy hour last night!

Miki’s best friend Stephanie is visiting from New York City so we all met at Petit Philippe for wine, chocolate and conversation about running, blogging, racing, wine country, cooking and much more!

I loved meeting Stephanie. She is a big runner and has completed quite a few marathons and half-marathons as well as a half ironman. She’s also into Crossfit and the Zone style of eating…and she blogs about it! Check her out.

I thew together an easy dinner of spinach/feta/tomato pizza and a salad when I got home and then spent the rest of my evening with ice cream and Mandy Moore…I am such a sucker for A Walk To Remember.

I was scheduled to sub a yoga class at the Y this morning. I planned on eating breakfast after class so I grabbed a coffee from Starbucks on my way. For some reason this random fruit puree snack sounded really refreshing and even though I finished it in two seconds flat I have to admit that it was good. It was a strange mix between baby food and a smoothie. I don’t know that I’d buy them regularly but it was a nice “hold me over.”

I also have to comment on my coffee. I tried the new blonde roast that Starbucks just started offering. This new roast features a more mellow flavor lighter body. I really like strong coffee and I drink my coffee black but sometimes I feel like I’m drinking jet fuel when I get coffee at Starbucks. I thought maybe the blonde roast would be a nice compromise but I ended up not caring for it. It kind of tasted like nothing…it’s definitely good for those who don’t like strong coffee. So there is my two cents on that! 🙂

Class was fabulous! I don’t teach yoga at the Y often but I always enjoy it when I do. I had 35 awesome yogis in my class and they were open-minded about everything I threw at them…which was a lot in the span of the 75 minute class! I kept them standing for over an hour! (And if any Charlotte readers are interested…I am subbing the 3 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. yoga classes at the Dowd Y on Sunday!)

I whipped up batter for Belgian waffles when I got home. Waffles are one of my all-time favorite breakfast foods and something my dad made frequently on the weekends when I was growing up. The key to fluffy, light and crunchy waffles is to separate the egg whites and beat them until peaks form and then fold them into the batter at the very end. It’s one extra step but makes a huge difference in the final product. Also…use real melted butter in the batter! 😉

I had one half of my waffle with butter and maple syrup and the other half with almond butter, pumpkin butter and Greek yogurt. I was more into my plain half today. The almond butter wasn’t hitting the spot for some reason. Orange slices, a soy sausage and a piece of bacon on the side.

One last note to end on…I realize that some of my recent eats have been a little less than the picture of health and that there have been quite a few splurges with some things like fast food, pizza and ice cream dinners and lots of desserts. Honestly, I have been trying to increase my calorie intake a bit due to my activity level and stress level. I am trying to do it some with calorie-dense nutritious foods and some with fun splurge foods.

Just want to be honest with y’all. What works for one does not work for all and that’s where I am right now.

Happy weekend! I’m off to the Y to get some cardio and weights in.