They say there are two kinds of dogs…ones who eat to live and ones who live to eat. If I had four legs, a wet nose and fluffy tail – I would be the latter.

You could also say the same about runners. There are ones who eat to run and ones who run to eat. I again, would be the latter – up until very recently.

If you told me one year ago that I would be training for not one, but TWO half marathons, I would have laughed REALLY hard. What started as desiring a new goal/hobby this summer, and a way to eat an extra brownie, has turned into an education on life itself that I could never have imagined. What have I learned in 3 short months? 3 HUGE lessons.

1. One step at a time, kid – I am one of those people wired to product over process. What will “it” look like? When will “it” get here? Will I like “it?” Running forces you to only take one step at a time, and when doing a ten miler, it’s one very slow step at a time (at least for me). So don’t run ahead too quickly to the finish line because you will burn out and might never even make “it.” This concept has helped me not only pace my runs, but my life.

2. Run your own race – The bottom line is, unless you are Usain Bolt, there is ALWAYS someone faster than you. So, run your own race and run it well. Whether it’s letting your freak flag fly on the dance floor or going back to school to pursue a new career, stay in your own lane and don’t look left or right for comparison or approval. Do you.

3. Perseverance is power, and so is knowing when to be still – Perseverance may be the most important ingredient to running, but so is rest. Listen to your body and mind in knowing when to speed up, slow down or stop completely – on the trail and in your day-to-day life. This will help you avoid injury (both physically and emotionally) and enjoy the journey.

Running has given me the clarity to realize, fully grasp and apply these lessons to life. Oh and yes, running has given me the room for another brownie…

Description: Man, what is it about Halloween season that makes candy SO much more appealing in the grocery store? Well, you got me Butterfinger. Drowning in fudgy brownie batter and sprinkled on top of this warm, oozing square of chocolate baked goodness – you are a delicious delight.

Butterfinger Fudge Brownies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
7 mini Butterfingers

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together all dry ingredients. Add in wet ingredients one by one and stir until combined.
3. In a ziplock bag, place 5 unwrapped Butterfingers and smash into very small pieces. Add to batter.
4. Place batter in 8X8 glass baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes.
5. While baking, smash remaining Butterfingers. Sprinkle on top immediately after removing brownies.
6. Allow to cool and enjoy!

“They are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea.”

-Francis Bacon

⚓