I don’t do April Fools. I think my father tainted it for me the year he set all the clocks wrong and woke us up to run around the house getting ready for school at 2 am. I assure you there will be no April Fool’s pranks in this post. Instead, I will happily recap my day and the joke or no joke moments that ensued.

Upon arriving to spin, our instructor informed us she planned an easy ride for the day. Joke. She promptly informed us that was her April Fools on us and then laughed an evil laugh. Needless to say, I left class drenched in sweat. No Joke.

Isn’t it spring? Joke, apparently. The weather this morning still had quite the chill to it. However, that didn’t stop me from satisfying my cravings for a yogurt bowl for breakfast.

I coupled a container of pineapple Chobani yogurt with strawberries, coconut, and a couple of large handfuls of Cheerios. It was tasty. No joke.

After breakfast, I took a long and peaceful hot shower. Joke. I have two kids hanging with me remember? Within two minutes of hopping in I had Braedon fussing for some random reason and Makenzie telling him to “Stop it! I reading, BraeDON!” There was absolutely nothing peaceful about that shower. And keeping your eye on two kids while scrubbing with soap will inevitably leave your eyes stinging. It all turned out okay, though. I did finally get myself dressed in “real” clothes after my shower for the first time in almost a week. No joke. It felt so good to break out of the yoga pants rut!

My breakfast held me over for a long time. Joke. I knew I needed more fat in the meal to fill my belly! I was ready for lunch just a short 2ish hours later, so I whipped up a very satisfying meal.

I cooked some mushrooms and spinach together, scrambled an  egg, and tossed it all together with some goat cheese in a wrap. I had an apple and some carrots with hummus to round out the meal. Actually, my spoonful of peanut butter afterwards rounded out the meal. Peanut butter makes an excellent post-lunch dessert. No joke.

I think I am finally over my goat cheese kick. Joke. Who are you kidding?! I just can’t stop. Which is why I made meatballs with the good stuff and wonder when I can make more. Clearly, I’m obsessed. No joke.

Spinach & Goat Cheese Meatballs

• 1 lb lean ground beef (LOVING our cow share for this meat!)
• 4 oz crumbled goat cheese
• 2 large handfuls fresh spinach, chopped/shredded/torn apart
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix well with your hands. Roll into 2” meatballs and place on a cooking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Should give you anywhere between 12-16 meatballs. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through.

Et’ voila! A perfect little meal in no time at all.

Now, it’s 8 pm on Friday night and I’m ready to climb into bed. You may think I’m joking, but I promise that is no joke at all.

Question of the Evening – What joke or no joke moments did you have today? And are you a fan or hater of April Fools?

Hello my friends! Please welcome my friend and fellow Team 4all member, Jane, as she shares a guest post on her experience with running. It’s a good one. 🙂 You can also check out my own guest post for her, by clicking HERE.

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Of all the times I’ve written about running and my background in the sport and how much I love it, I don’t think I’ve ever actually admitted this publicly: I started running because I wanted more muscular legs.

I was a competitive swimmer from the time I was 5 until I was 16 years old. I remember one day, as a junior in high school, looking at photos of myself in my swim team bathing suit and thinking that I could use a little more muscle tone in my legs. And so the next day I went for a run.

That’s it… my sort-of vain and pretty un-exciting initial reason for running.

My reasons have changed and multiplied and evolved greatly since then, of course. In the 14 years that I’ve been running, I have learned to see it as part of what keeps me sane. It has helped keep me fit. It has helped me prioritize things in my life. It helped me get through my divorce. Through running, I have made some great friends – and it is even how I met my wonderful boyfriend.

I love running, and I love sharing my love of it with others.

I’ve helped convert quite a few non-runners into running enthusiasts over the years. And whether they now run a few miles a week or they run marathons, a common theme is that they end up finding that running is a great way to spend some “me” time.

Yes, as I have learned, there are quite a few benefits beyond making your legs more muscular (though that is a nice perk!). Running is an excellent way to relieve stress, clear the mind and focus on you.

I have run more races than I can count – 5Ks, 5-milers, 10Ks, 10-milers, half marathons, marathons – and everything in between.

This May, I am participating in a 200-mile relay race from Yale in New Haven, CT to Harvard in Boston, MA. A guy I went to high school with put a team together and invited my boyfriend and I to join in.

I’m excited and nervous about it at the same time. I’ve never done a running relay race, and I don’t quite know what to expect – but I know it is going to be quite an experience!

And that’s one of the great things about running – despite my long history with it, there’s always something new to try. There’s always more that I can learn. There’s always a different way to challenge myself.

For some people, a 5K seems daunting, and running a race of that distance would be a tremendous feat. Others begin running and instantly set their sights on completing a marathon.

It doesn’t matter where you fall along the spectrum – running is a sport that unites people of levels and abilities. It’s a sport that you can pick up at nearly any age.

Whether you’re just starting out running or you’ve been running for awhile, I pose this challenge: get out of your comfort zone at some point. Try something different – a new race distance, a trail run as opposed to a road race, a triathlon…

Experiencing something new may give you another reason to enjoy running – or it just may remind you why you began loving it in the first place.

Jane Couto had a very athletic upbringing, participating on swim, softball, tennis, diving and cross country teams throughout her childhood and teenage years. With three marathons, three Half Ironman triathlons and numerous other races under her belt, Jane loves sharing fitness information and tips on her blog, MomGenerations.com, which she writes with her mom and sister.

Thanks, Jane! Now…you tell me – what activity exhilarates you and gives you that strong sense of self because it always provides a new challenge?