Hotcake Sunday

Distance: 3 miles
Start time: 7:05am
Run Duration: 31 minutes
Pace: 10.33 minutes/mile
Temperature: 71 degrees
Humidity: 97%
Location: Memorial Park, Houston

Houston was hit by a major storm last night. My electricity went out around 7:15 and was off for nearly 2 hours. With the initial flickering of the lights, I held my breath and when the apartment plunged into darkness, I was sent back to those long weeks without power after Ike. I tried to remember where I put the flashlight. Moving around in the dark, not knowing which way was where, I stubbed my toe on the coffee table. I'm not ready. As my rooms started to heat up I tried to decide if it would be better to open the windows or save what precious cool air I had in the place. Thankfully, power was restored.

The rain brought lower temperature, but much higher humidity and my run felt like it this morning. I ran the entire distance, but I felt sloggy. Is that a word? I ran on an empty stomach. Not smart. I ate dinner at 4pm yesterday. Well, I guess it was a late lunch. I don't know. Yesterday was a weird day. What am I saying? Everyday is similar to that. When I'm working, I don't always get lunch. Sometimes, if my coworkers are in the office we dash out and grab a sandwich - that's a good day. We eat at our desks, check email and answer phone calls if they come in (and catch up on our personal business, let's be honest). If I'm in my clinic, I throw back a can of Slimfast. And coffee. Lots of coffee.

My refrigerator is stocked with a few fruits and veggies. Some milk. Champagne in case a celebration breaks out. Soy sauce and salad dressing, assorted fancy condiments, not much else. I knew I needed breakfast so I decided to stop for something on the way home. I rarely eat fast food. I know it's not good for me, so I tried to think of what could be the least BAD for me. I ordered the pancakes and scrambled eggs at McDonald's. And a medium coffee. I found the nutritional breakdown here. http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/nutritionComparison.do

My breakfast was 740 calories, 220 from fat, no transfats. I got 845 milligrams of sodium from the meal. There were 23 grams of protein. It could have been better. It could have been worse. Looking through the McDonald's menu, I see so much sodium and I also see foods that I'd never, ever eat. I simply don't go there and I'm really not happy that I went today, but I was hungry.

I need to be be prepared. Hurricane or hunger, I need to be prepared.