Bread

Cereal

Cookies

Flour

Juice

Ketchup

Mayonnaise

Rice

Salt

Soda

Soup

Spaghetti

Cheese

Cheeseburger

Coffee

Donut

Hot dog

Hamburger

Lemonade

Milk

Bacon

Eggs

French fries

Steak

Taco

Fish

Tea

Bagel

Muffin

Pizza

Salad

Corndog

Chicken

Salty

Fresh

Farm

Vegetable

Fruit

Ripe

Sweet

Sour

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Old

Delicious

I like

I don’t like

My favorite is

Banana

Pear

Pineapple

Lemon

Apple

Orange

Peach

Noodles

Drinks

Food

Carrot

Onion

Lettuce

Potato

Tomato

Yesterday was my longest run since I’ve began blogging, and it was one of the best I’ve had.

I ran a loop from Belmont up to Irving Park along the lakefront and finished going south past Wrigley Field. Below is my route:

Yesterday evening’s run was very smooth and relaxing. I slowed down my pace and extended my mileage to continue to try to build my endurance. I got home late from work and wasn’t able to start my run until about 8:15, when the weather cooled down about 20° (from the 90° high!).

Here was my route:

To finish off my day, I ran a little shy of three and a half miles. This was the longest that I’ve run thus far and it was exhausting. On the bright side though, no shin splints today!

Here was my route:

I’m adamant about tracking my mileage and any calories that I’ve been able to lose. I have found 2 tools that are perfect for both:

Gmaps Pedometer

Gmaps pedometer is a free hack that uses Google’s mapping application to help record distances traveled and calories burned during a workout (running/walking). I absolutely love this application and frequently include screenshots on this blog that I’ve created using the Gmaps pedometer. In fact, using the hybrid option, I’m even able to track my mileage on the Chicago Lakefront trail as I can follow the streets that I’ve run down until I reach the trail, and then draw my course down the trail to get an idea of the total mileage that I’ve covered. This tool also includes a calorie counter (sorry bikers and skaters – only applicable for runners and walkers), that tracks how many calories you have shed based upon your weight and the distance that you’ve traveled.

Nike + ipod Sport Kit

Nike + ipod sport kit

The Nike + ipod sport kit is a a device measuring and recording the distance and pace of a walk or run that is compatible with the Nike + shoes and ipod Nano.  All Nike + shoes have a built-in pocket beneath the insole of the shoe where a sensor can be placed that communicates with the receiver, which is placed in the ipod and collects and records data from your run. When your run is complete and you sync your ipod back into a computer, the data from your run integrates directly with the Nike website, and a picture of your pace throughout the run is created. If you already have the shoes and an ipod nano, the Nike + ipod sports kit will set you back about $30.