You know those weeks where you wake up on a Wednesday and think it’s Friday? Then the reality hits and makes you wish you could take your frustrations out on Wednesday for its pure evilness at not being Friday?

Well, that wasn’t me today. Today I had the opposite end of the spectrum going on. I woke up and got hit with the reality that Wednesday had arrived much, much, much quicker than I thought. Where has this week disappeared to so quickly?

Learning that today was Wednesday meant that I had quite a bit to get done. The start of the new school year around here means that activities pick back up again at church. That means the time has come for me to help facilitate a small group that meets Wednesday nights again. Tonight is our first meeting and I wanted to give a sweet, warm, welcome to the crew…

Just because Wednesday snuck up on me didn’t mean I couldn’t bring a little treat. The key is finding a quick way to deliver the goods. Cookies work. Add stuff to a bowl. Mix stuff all together. Bake stuff for 10 minutes or less. Works for me. And I have a feeling it will work for my Wednesday night group of friends too.

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (2 dozen cookies)

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup NuNaturals More Fiber Stevia Baking Blend (or sugar/sweetener of choice)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars together. Beat egg and vanilla into mixture. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and stir until combined. It will form a crumbly dough. Roll dough into one inch balls and place on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Press balls down with a fork in a criss-cross pattern. Bake for 8-10 minutes until browned.

Love. PS – I won’t tell if you eat too many of these cookies. It can be our little secret…

• Is this week going by fast or slow for you?

Last night I posted ten of my “running tips” that helped me get started running. You all dove right in there with some other awesome tips to share! Some favorites:

• Get out of your head. Don’t think. Just Enjoy. Heather @ Where’s the Beach?
• Just get up and do it. And it’s ok if you have to stop and walk party of the way through. Amanda @ Fancy Oatmeal
• Every runner has a bad run now and then. Don’t let that discourage you! Holly @ The Runny Egg
• Compete ONLY with yourself.  Heather @ Running With Sass
• Don’t think “I’m so BAD at running!” because, really, how can a person be bad at running? Carly @ Swim Run Om
• Don’t hesitate to ask questions about products, techniques, how you’re feeling….ask your running friends, running bloggers, a local running store – don’t be embarrassed! Cathy @ 1970s Kiki Project
• Remember how great you feel when you are done.Take a photo of you with a smile of your face to remember that feeling. Sierra @ Posh Meets Pavement
• FUEL PROPERLY! Kinley @ Better Off Barefoot

Yep. You all are AWESOME! And I have to add here too – in no way do I think running is the only path to fitness or that if you don’t run, you’re like the ice baths and bite monkey butt. I love a variety of fitness and truly believe that if you do something active that betters your health – you’re killing it. And if you do run, at any pace, you’re a runner. Plain and simple.  

I had to take some of these running tips on the road with me this morning. Let’s just say that a six mile tempo run did not sound like the most welcoming idea this morning. I had trouble getting to sleep last night and didn’t sleep all that well. Plus, I have yet to have a tempo run longer than five miles and that extra mile just seemed daunting. I decided there was nothing to do but get out there and go for it. It would be a challenge, but I can rise to the challenge.

Well, that went much better than expected! I did a one mile warm up and then my four tempo miles – 8:37 / 8:33 / 8:21 / 8:15 – and finally finished with a mile cool down. My body never ceases to amaze me.

In my panel discussion on the The Numbers Game (did you catch Part 1 of the recap?), we discussed a lot about choosing which numbers work the best personally as a motivational tool. I definitely find great use in numbers with my fitness related goals. Each workout gives me some feedback on my progress and when I look at the overall trends, I can see progress in my health. I can see how far I have come and think “yea…it’s pretty baller that I can run six miles!!”.

Fitness related numbers always inspire me. I believe it’s because when focusing on things like mileage, pace, sets of exercises, number of workouts accomplished or spin classes attended, the emphasis lies in what my body can DO. Not what it looks like or how much it weighs. That distinction opened up my ability to love and appreciate myself so much more. The body is a pretty cool thing when you really stop to think about it. God did a pretty good job working it all together, don’t you think?  

I hope you get the chance to witness your powerful body in action today and think of every accomplishment it has helped you make. Rise to any challenge and believe in yourself. And now tell me…

• “It’s pretty baller that I can ___________”.
• PS – Don’t forget to enter the Love Grown prize pack giveaway! Ends tonight!