Day 28:

I started today off with a long run.  The last two long runs were extremely smooth because I woke up early and had a decent breakfast before starting the run.  Not only was today was daylight savings, but since brunch plans dictated an early finished I started the run at 7:30AM.  This was not conducive to an early rise and proper fueling.  I hastily ate an orange as I raced out the door to meet a running group. 

I completed the run with a group from our neighborhood running store: Fleet Feet.  My intent was to run a solid 15 miles but a slight navigation error had me do about 13 and once I realized my error I ran an additional two by myself.  There was a pretty nice turnout for the run and although several people were running different distances, the courses were all intertwined so one always had a sight line to a fellow runner gutting it out on the hills of south Pittsburgh.  The run was well supported with a few water stations along the route.  This was really nice because I usually either carry my own water or go without.  I'll definitely join this group again whenever I need to get my run in early. 

Unfortunately brunch plans were canceled because one of our friends came down with the plague, so we decided to have some lunch with my brother, his wife, and my super awesome little nephew.  One of the more useful strategies in keeping a Paleo diet while not missing out on social activities is to invite people over to your place.  That way you can prepare both some Paleo food and some non-Paleo food.  We had some leftover Paleo BBQ sauce from earlier in the week so the menu plan was the following: BBQ Chicken breasts (Paleo sauce for me, homemade Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce for everybody else), brussel sprouts and bacon (Paleo), steamed broccoli (Paleo), and corn bread (not Paleo).  This worked out quite well for everyone although I must confess, the sweet and spicy Dr. Pepper BBQ was calling to me...so was the corn bread.

Dinner was a simple dish of homemade chicken salad served over a bed of mixed greens.  One of the fun experiments with this dish was making our own mayonnaise - something I've never tried before.  The result was a little bit scary - far more yellow (from the olive oil) than store bought mayo - but it tasted fine and I haven't gotten sick yet.  A second adventure for me this evening was trying deviled eggs.  I've never been a very big fan of mayonnaise and the fluffy whipped yolks always gave me the heebie-jeebies.  I don't care how much paprika you sprinkle on them, it is still yolk and mayo.  The lovely wife, however, is a fan and we are considering taken these to an upcoming Paleo-Potluck so it made sense for me to give them a try.  They weren't too bad.  I wouldn't say that I'm eager to eat them again right away, but my mental wall against them is starting to crumble.

Two days to go in the challenge and I'm going to miss it.  Not the actual diet: I've decided to continue the diet in a less restrictive form after the challenge is over.  I'm going to miss jotting down daily notes on life, thoughts on fitness and nutrition, and aspirations and goals.  I've been kicking around some ideas and I suspect that I'll continue journaling in one form or another after the challenge is over.   Looking back at these thirty days several years from now will be quite humorous, I reckon. Perhaps years from now Annabelle will read through this and get a good chuckle from her old man.

Workout:
13 mile run with a short rest and then an additional 2 miles

Food Journal:
Pre Run: Orange
Post Run: 2 Chicken & Apple Sausage Links
                 3 eggs scrambled
                 1 Apple
Lunch: Paleo BBQ Chicken Breast
           Roasted Brussel Sprouts w/ Bacon
           Steamed Broccoli
PM Snack: Orange
                  Macadamia Nuts
Dinner: Chicken Salad on Mixed Greens
            Deviled Eggs

Sleep:
7.5 hours (stupid daylight savings :p)