This week has finally felt like a normal week for me.  I signed up to do a virtual half-marathon in January:

The race is actually in December, but I won’t be ready by then, so I’m shooting for January 23!  One of the major perks of virtual racing – flexibility!

I’m so excited to be in training mode again!  I’ve missed it so much and having a goal is the key to keeping me motivated.  It’s also good to be virtually training again with my friend, Laura!

I’ve also gone back to eating totally plant-based, with little to no oil, this week.  My meals are consisting of lots of veggies, grains and beans!  Last night I made a whole entire bag of frozen mixed string beans and carrots, then I combined them with some brown rice and black beans.  I seasoned with some Mrs. Dash and then added a 100-calorie back of guacamole.  YUM!  And I was totally stuffed when I was done eating.

This morning I sauteed some kale in a thin layer of water and then added some red potatoes that I prepared in my Instant Pot the night before.  Added a bit of salt-free seasoning and WA-LA!

For lunch today, I’m having more veggies, brown rice and black beans, topped with seasonings and guacamole:

Tonight I’m planning on having a large salad for dinner.  I actually love eating this way.  You don’t have to put a lot of thought into the meals, which I love because it takes the stress of meal planning and preparation away.  As long as I have plenty of bags of frozen veggies, fresh greens, rice and beans on hand, I’m good to go.  I fit in a couple of servings of fruit for snacks and I’m taking in lots of healthy nutrients.

Hopefully eating this way, in addition to half-marathon training, will help me lose those 10 pounds I gained over the last few months!

An update on Kayla: she continues to heal and recover from both her two surgeries in July and the 12 weeks of chemotherapy.  She has gone back to work and her energy continues to increase every day.  She no longer needs her nausea medicine and her hair is starting to grow back!  It’s been really nice being free from hospital or clinic visits!  We go back on December 3rd, when she will have a repeat CT scan and blood labs drawn.  Then we will meet with her oncologist and go over the test results.  We are praying that Kayla is cancer free at that time!