Since the Verona half marathon I’ve been too busy to run.  I am signed up for a lot of races in 2013 ranging from 5k charity runs to international half marathons, and trail races to duathalons, but haven’t actually been out just running. Part of this is my fault, when I moved to London I made a huge effort to make new friends in this city and that meant saying yes to going out and trying new activities.  Well, with this running/fitness thing, now my week is full with morning/noon/evening activities.  Purely running has taken a back seat to lunchtime bootcamps with work friends, running clubs, and 30-day trials at new gyms close to home. Last week I was so exhausted that the normal long run Sunday was replaced with family visit and 5 courses at the all-you-can-eat-buffet.

That said, I have to get my butt back on the pavement as those races I signed up for are coming up fast. All this cross training is fine, but you can’t replace a long run. Which is why the Boutique Sport’s Whole Foods Breakfast Run last Saturday was the perfect excuse to get out and just run.  I’ve been running with Boutique Sport’s run club since last fall and met such an incredible group of ladies who, rain or shine (that 1 day of shine in the past 6 months), lace up and run around London on Monday nights.  Our reward for 6 months of dark nights was a guided run from Whole Foods Kensington around Hyde Park and of course breakfast after.

I dragged my why-did-you-take-me-spinning-last-night legs out of bed at 7:30 on a Saturday and met 40 other girls ready to run.  The route was great as we sped around the Serpentine and through the paths chatting with other runners getting in their last VLM training long run.  I was able to keep a solid 5:30/km pace which surprised me and proved that all those other fitness activities weren’t detrimental to my running (phewf).

Back at Whole Foods we dived into the breakfast spread and grabbed some great goodybags with Whole Foods treats and caught up with our fellow runners.

A quick diversion to the Whole Foods deli to pick up lunch and gawk at the chocolate aisle and I was back home by noon feeling good about the run and ready for a nap. (Saturday naps are the best).

The breakfast run was one of dozens of great events Boutique Sport put on each year.  Make sure to sign up for their newsletter (they don’t spam – I hear from them at most once a month) for sign-up details on their next event and come join us.