Don’t get me wrong – I love the run with buddies.  Running friends make the mileage more bearable and entertaining.  But sometimes running with a group = pressure.  Pressure to keep running, pressure not to walk, pressure to go faster than I want to go.

So I joined the walking group this morning.  :)  And it felt good to sloooow down.

Megan and I rolled out of bed at approximately 7:45 and left the hotel 8:10.  We were a bit late and strolled by ourselves for a while.  Chicago has the GREAT jogging path and it was absolutely bumping with people.  The path extends for over 18.0 miles!  However, we only got to see about a mile of it (so 2.0 miles in total).

Or go slow.  :) 

Or pretend to be ninjas.  Whatever floats your boat.

I munched on half an AllieBar while we walked.  Loved the flavor!

‘Twas an excellent workout.  I might go running later, but truthfully – I feel the need to SLOW DOWN in general today.  Too much action going on in the last few weeks, and pausing to BREATHE feels so good.  Taking the pressure off my workouts is a great gift to myself today.  Marathon training is not made or broken in a day.

Post-walk, we attended the Thomas Bagel Thins Bon Voyage Breakfast.

Build your own cream cheese = epic.  You could go sweet (honey, cinnamon, almonds, strawberries, blueberries) or savory (sundried tomatoes, nuts, spices, veggies, capers, salmon).

My mix included regular cream cheese, capers, onions, tomatoes, and salt.  I really liked the Bagel Thin as well – the bagel taste was definitely spot on!

Plus fruit and egg:

After breakfast, I said goodbye to some of the attendees and took a much-needed shower.

A little while later, I hopped into a cab for a VERY SPECIAL LUNCH!

My literary agent actually lives in Chicago, and although I’ve been working with her since June 2009, we’ve never actually met in person.  I was so thrilled when I realized we’d be able to get together on this trip.  I really feel like she changed my entire life when she picked up the New York Daily News, read an article about Operation Beautiful, and thought, “Hey, maybe that would make a good book.”  She took a chance on me, and I will never forget it!

She took me to Karyn’s on Green, a vegan restaurant that (ironically!) a bunch of other HLS bloggers went to last night.  I was really excited to try the food after hearing such amazing reviews from my friends.

I started off with a mocktail that contained coconut water, lime juice, almond syrup, and orange.  It was SO delicious.  Exactly what my body and soul was craving.

I ordered the tofu scramble, which contained tofu, potatoes, roasted peppers, and other flavors.  It came with warm corn tortillas that smelled absolutely delicious.

And I snagged one of my agent’s biscuits and ‘gravy.’ Also amazing.

And now, my friends, I am off on an architectural cruise of Chicago.  As a former urban planner, I really love interesting architecture and can’t wait to see the city by boat.  I’m glad I decided to stay an extra day so I can see the sights.

I hope you’re having a great Sunday, too!