Day 21- The End of My 3-week Challenge!

So yesterday I realized that I was doing a 3-week challenge (basically until I went home for "spring break."  That being said, I'm going to drift a bit from my clean Paleo diet.  Although I will continue to eat this way forever, every now and then I'll allow myself things like beer, cookies, and pizza...although this time, I'll allow them a LOT less.  I already have drinking plans for when I'm home hanging out with friends and family...but I will drink in moderation!  Tomorrow morning I'll check my weight and hopefully see that I've dropped this week.  If not, I will know that I need to make some tweaks somewhere.

Pretty good day today.  I had what I thought would be a really hard final exam this morning (turns out it wasn't so bad), so I got breakfast at McDonald's again- egg mcmuffin without the muffin and a coffee.  After my exam I came home because I didn't want to sit in the library ALL day.  I had lunch which was 6 oz of chicken with peppers and onions, asparagus spears, and 1 Dove Dark Chocolate heart.

About 2 hours after eating, I went out for a run.  Since I had a lot of studying to do today, I wanted to do a quick run to the beach and back- 4 miles.  So I decided to push myself even harder today.  It was 63 degrees and overcast in Manhattan Beach, so I wore a long-sleeve DriFit shirt, and didn't take my Camelbak.  My feet and ankles seemed a bit stiff at the beginning of the run- probably because they were "cold." It was kind of a weird feeling- something I haven't felt in a while.  lol  I warmed up quickly, and felt very energetic!  (oh, I had a tablespoon of honey right before I ran)  I worked on my form, pushing myself to run further up the steep hills, and practiced doing some mental imagery- where I would imagine the race course that I'll be running 10 days from now.  As I was running up hills, I was imaging the hills I would encounter on the race course, and how I would feel running up them.  Using mental imagery has proven to be a great strategy for athletes to help them succeed in their competition.  It's weird that I'm feeling so ready for this half-marathon.  The last two I ran I had basically stopped training a month before the race and just "winged it." My pace on the flats today was around 9:30, and I felt pretty comfortable at that pace.  I haven't been able to hold this pace comfortably in a few years, when I was probably 40lbs lighter!   My goal for the half-marathon is a sub 2:30, but I would love if I finished faster.

After my run I had a leftover hamburger patty and 2 pickles.  Later on I had some hot green tea with honey and Truvia.  For dinner I had a salad and a Trader Joe's Palak Paneer dish (I was still hungry after eating the salad!).  For dessert I'm allowing myself half a serving of chocolate covered banana slices.

To get an idea of the hills I run up and down 3x a week, I've attached a pic of one.  I'd love to know the % grade!