Gourmet Runner

I did a big ol' vacation recap a few days ago that a few people were kind enough to read so that I felt important, but I failed to mention anything to do with healthy eating or working out. You know, the alleged basis for my blog. I didn't have any grand plans for fitness over the two weeks in Europe, but I was pretty lucky in that I had some amazing opportunities for scenic running. The first thing that made running incredible was the weather. Holy crap it was dream running weather - around 60 most of the time with some sun in Germany and some rain in England. Yes, I had to wear a jacket, and no, I did not mind one bit. Since I'm dealing with temperatures of roughly eight gazillion degrees now that I'm home in Georgia, I look back at that cool rain fondly. So even though I managed to get in a few solo runs throughout the trip, the best runs were with other people. I ran a 5k with my mom, my little brother and Tim one day that consisted of jogging, sprinting and ...

New Orleans was seriously a beautiful place--I'm so glad we went. If you missed the recap of all my eats and drinks in New Orleans , check it out! I had some great pictures of the city (well, ok--my hubby took some great photos) and I wanted to share. I hung out with some pretty cool guys at the "Moonwalk" along the Mississippi: I know. I need real-life friends badly. Moving on.... I did manage to get in a good workout or two while I was there. Aside from lots of walking around, I also fit in a tempo run (6 miles) and a quick elliptical workout the next day (5 miles, 45 minutes). Both mornings the gym was EMPTY--along with the hotel lobby and heck, even the streets!  I think we managed to do all the top touristy things in the city, and saw all the historical landmarks. Here's the photo dump: Jazz at lunchtime? Check. Random Mardi Gras float? Check. Awkward couple photo? Check. I didn't hold it! But hubs did. Ok, ok, enough ...

I should have realized when I checked into the hotel and got a warm cookie, that the trip was going to be sweet. Thank you Doubletree, for causing a three day addiction to sugar.  The cookie part was great, but they must pipe that smell through the hotel. All I could smell was warm gooey deliciousness every time I stepped foot in the lobby.  I heard rumors of a great candy store in Savannah, so surprise, surprise , that was our first destination. What? It was so close to the hotel! Little did I know the place was like Willy Wonka's factory.  Taffy conveyer belts along the roof Taffy machine. Oh the swirls! Those barrels? Heaven. Just leave me in any one of those and pick me up when the candy runs out in a day or two. Now, even though I'm not a candy apple fan, they were like works of art. Seriously! Just amazing creations. I was tempted to buy one in particular: Obviously, a caramel and chocolate covered apple decorated like a pig would make an AMAZING ...