Happy #MoveitMondays!
How was your weekend? Can you believe that Christmas is officially ten days away?! Honestly, this month has flown by – this time next week I’ll be home in Toronto with my family, cozying up at home and enjoying my couple weeks of chilly, Canadian weather. I can’t believe it! I’m hoping that it snows when I’m home – am I the only one hoping for a White Christmas?
This past weekend we celebrated Christmas with J’s family. It was a wonderful weekend. I made my Healthy Monkey Bread and a batch of the Best Vegan Chocolate Chunk Cookies. We also visited the Christmas Market in Bruges and the Medieval city looked as beautiful as always – covered in Christmas cheer and sparkling lights.
And as for the cookies, I can’t wait to share my latest recipe with you this week! They are so soft and thick in the middle and perfectly chewy around the edges. Everybody agreed they are the best Chocolate Chunk Cookies they’ve ever had!
And I also came back to my run this past week. I didn’t mention it here before (because I was still trying to process it myself) but I took a bit of a break from running. My injuries were not necessarily physical but for some reason, starting about a month ago, the thought of running began to seriously stress me out. I began to dread my morning runs. I cannot really explain why this happened but I went with it. If my body is telling me it doesn’t need something for the moment, I try to listen. So I swapped my morning runs for walks and took some time to slow down and smell the roses, so to speak 😉 I knew that I wouldn’t give up running forever but I deeply felt like I needed a break from it. It’s a bit hard to explain but as I said, when my body needs something I try not to question it too much. This past week, I started to crave my run again. So I came back to my run, slowly but surely.
And I think that part of the reason that I started dreading my run is due to the stress and anxiety accompanied by the end of the semester. My body needed a rest to focus on what’s important at the moment – kicking some serious butt on these final exams! I ran a couple times last week and over the weekend as well. I ran yesterday morning, and it felt great to get back out and get lost in my thoughts, coming back to my run is like coming back to an old friend I haven’t seen in ages.
As I said, I am trying not to judge or question my body on what it needs but as we all know that can be difficult! I am trying to just go with how I feel at the moment. I’m foreseeing a few runs this week but maybe one of those could turn into a long, fast walk. I don’t know yet. I do know that getting some sort of physical activity to clear my thoughts, especially when I’m stuck in a chair all day writing papers, is so important for my overall physical and mental well-being.
Do you ever feel like you need to switch up/ a break from your daily physical routine?
Wishing you a great week! <3 Lots of love from my kitchen to yours!
Chilly, Canadian weather, I would love to experience Christmas there one day! These cookies make my mouth water!
Christmas in the chilly, white Canadian winter is very cozy <3 Wish I could send you a cookie! 😀
Your city is beautiful; thank you for the tour. A agree, we need to listen to our body. And walking is a good alternative if running just is not working for you at the moment. You’ll get back into it! I love long walks.. they help me clear my head and help me slow down from life’s busy days.
Belgium is so lovely, isn’t it? But, I know you can’t wait to get home. You will have plenty of free time to run over break, no doubt! Thanks for the reminder to take the time to clear our head during such a busy season!
It truly is such a beautiful country! I am so looking forward to being home! Hope you’re having a great week!
Beautiful pictures Ceara! Enjoy your Christmas vacation in Toronto with your family and loved ones!
Thanks so much, Hadia! Wishing you a lovely holiday with you and your family as well! 😀 <#
Ceara, you are so blessed to live in such an incredibly beautiful city! Those pictures are beautiful.
I totally get it, Alex and I slowed down on our running routine after our last 10K. The cold temperatures are partially to blame, but she was getting ready for her finals, and I was getting ready for the holiday season, so running had to take a back seat. If you run more than a few miles it’s time consuming, especially if you have other exercise routines to keep up with, like weight lifting and tennis and paddle. I’m beginning to miss running too, there is nothing like being outside and having that time to collect your thoughts. I just might start again today. Thanks for the encouragement.
I know exactly what you mean – it’s hard to find time to “do it all” during this busy time of year! It’s especially hard to squeeze running in during finals – but I’m trying my best to make it work 🙂 Good luck with your running!
What beautiful photos Ceara! So envious. Sometimes, you just need a break and whether your body is resisting or it is your mind or heart pushing something, it is best to respond to it, because otherwise you will hate doing that particular thing. I used to run all the time but my body just got too many injuries and was wearing out my hips and knees, so I had to let it go. Some people can run and run with no problems but for me, it just didn’t agree anymore with my body. I was tired of suffering all the time and I had to listen to my body. I love yoga, biking and weightlifting…I am careful not to overdo things since my knees can be sensitive or my back, but I have found those 3 types of exercise to be the most enjoyable.
Glad you are loving your running again!
<3 Thanks so much for the kind words, Brandi! You are so right and thanks for sharing your personal experience with running. I think we all need to figure out the activity that works best for our bodies (I know for one that cross fit will never be for me!). I'm happy to hear that you found activity that you love - I'm a big fan of yoga and biking as well and would love to get more into my strength training routine! Hope you're having a great week!
Love all the pretty photos! It looks so beautiful there! That’s great that you listened to your body and took a little break from running and felt refreshed when you did get back into it. A good long walk is definitely better than forcing yourself 🙂 Can’t wait to see all your cookie recipe 🙂
Thanks, Kelly! I’m very excited to share my latest cookie recipe! The holiday season has turned me into quite the cookie monster! 😉
Exercise has been amazing for me physically, but it is the mental changes that I have noticed the most. I just love going for a run, as it clears my head.
Beautiful photos. It is making me miss Belgium.
I could not agree with you more, Dannii! Being active makes me one very happy gal! <3 Thanks so much for the kind words! I am sure you're getting very excited for your trip to Belgium soon!
You always share the prettiest pictures, Ceara! I love them! And it sounds like you had a wonderful weekend celebrating Christmas. I’m sure your monkey bread was a hit (and I can’t wait to try it)! And I’m also eagerly awaiting your cookie recipes, they look mouthwatering! I’m so glad you were able to get back into running. That’s good that you listened to your body and took a break. I’m sure you needed it! Hope your week is off to a great start!
Thanks so much for the kind words, Gayle!! <3 Hope you are enjoying a great week as well!
Cute photo’s! Happy Monday Ceara. So glad you’ll get to be in Toronto (home!) for Christmas. I agree about physical activity, it just clears my thoughts and my fuzzy brain and helps me focus. Especially if I exercise in the morning! I need to change it up too. And sometimes, like you were alluding too, a good long walk is better than forcing yourself to run and be miserable. It still counts!