The Big Relay

Today, I have not eaten clean.
Like, if there were an opposite of clean eating, today would be the picture beside it in the dictionary.
I say this as I lick the fake cheese-like-substance that coats a deep fried corn flavoured chip that I am repeatedly reaching for out of a yellow label bag.
Yes, folks, these are no name brand chips, at that.

I'm sure you're wondering what else I had for lunch.
Fret not.
It was balanced.
With a handful of m&m's.

I will not feel guilty about this day though, because it was most definitely a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day and there is always food at a good pity party.

I also went to crossfit this morning and sweated my ass off.
So if you're wondering where the calories went that I burned off between the hours of 7 and 8am this morning?
I ate them.
Already.

Now, for the purpose of this post.
Last weekend, I participated in a relay race that started in Banff,AB and ended in Jasper,AB.
There were 15 runners total, running legs anywhere from 14 to 19+km.
This is not a race for the faint of heart.
It's a road race and it never leaves the boundaries of a mountainous National Park, so you can imagine, there's a hill or two.
We ran this race to raise funds for Brain Cancer research.  We also ran to celebrate a relative who was taken far too young as a result of this disease.
I think we succeeded in both.
Our team consisted of brand-newbies, one of which was informed on Thursday before the Saturday race that he would be running 16km,  (thanks Tyler!) as well as long-time veteran runners, (thanks John!), and everything in between.

It was a beautiful day and the energy surrounding the race was palpable.
Our team ran, that is, travelled from Banff to Jasper, every single step, on foot.
I'm pretty damn proud of us!

It was probably my best run, ever, and also a personal best as I ran 19.2km in 1:57.
And I am JONES-ING to do a half so I can prove to myself that I can do a sub 2 hour race!!

Now, I'm not going to let this entire day be a bust as far as my nutrition goes, so I'd better go eat a banana or something to help soak up the cheese coloured flavoured snack...

Not every day can be squeaky clean.  I'm human and I cave.
Some days are like that.
Even in Australia.

I really am  happiest when I'm running.
And when I'm with my family.  Yeah.