Yesterday was a great day of recruitment! I started my day off in the hotel breakfast area with some whole wheat toast topped with peanut butter and banana. Definitely a favorite of mine!
The bulk of my day was spent visiting high schools, talking to prospective students, catching up with some awesome guidance counselors, and eating a classic road lunch: Panera!
I had their autumn squash soup with the turkey harvest wheatberry salad. I’ve had this combination before and now I know why. It was so good! I used the free WiFi to catch up on work emails, then still had some time to kill before my next visit. So this happened.
The Panera I ate at was right next to a big outlet mall in Leesburg. Full disclosure: I live across the street from an outlet mall in Williamsburg that I never go to, but for some reason I thought this one would be more exciting. Go figure. I kept my purchases to a top and a sweater, which I think I’m gonna exchange for a bigger size tomorrow. Note to self: try stuff on.
After my last visit I headed back to my hotel and pulling in, I saw a sign for a smoothie and juice place. Obviously, I would be making a purchase there! I spent a few minutes checking out the menu at Robeks.
They had everything- fresh juice, smoothies, smoothies with almond milk, Greek yogurt, ahhh! Basically all my favorite things. I decided on their seasonal Fall Harvest juice, which had grapes, parsley, kale, apple, carrot and beet juice. Despite Riley’s opinion on the phone (“that sounds awful…like, really disgusting”), it was actually really good! Just shows how different our tastes are, haha!
After my juice and some relaxing in my room, I threw on some workout clothes and headed over to the W&OD trail behind my hotel for a 5 mile run. I didn’t use my RunKeeper app since it couldn’t get a GPS signal for some reason, but I kept an eye on the mile markers. No idea how fast I ran those miles, but it was great to run at sunset and enjoy the cooler weather.
During a quick walk/change-the-song break, I spotted this little guy and some friends grazing along the trail:
Can you see him? I figure so many other people are running by or whizzing by on bikes that they don’t even notice the deer! They all stopped and stared at me when I went to take a picture, so I guess they’re used to people ignoring them.
Dinner was burger night at my hotel. Not the healthiest, but it was surprisingly tasty….and free, so basically I would have eaten anything.
Workout & Breakfast
My first visit isn’t until 9:15 today- score! I slept in until 7:00, which was later than I’d planned, so I only had about 30 minutes for a workout.
I headed down to the hotel gym and did a speedy 20 minutes on the elliptical followed by some resistance band exercises. Breakfast was the same as yesterday: whole wheat toast with peanut butter and banana slices.
Now I’m off for 3 high school visits and a college night panel tonight. I’ll catch up with you all later!
What’s your favorite kind of juice?
What’s your favorite Panera soup?
Kelly Runs For Food 
Changing up the morning workout for a sunset run? I like it! I may need to start doing that because the mornings are frigid. I love the classic: Panera’s chicken veggie.
Yeah cold running is not my thing at all!
I have been hearing good things about Robeks. I really need to give it a try considering I drive by a store on my way to work each morning!
You should go! I thought it was pretty tasty and they juice everything fresh right there.
oh man I love that Panera soup!! It is my favorite. I have to get some more soon and I totally had some this weekend. 😉
Seriously, they need to package that stuff and sell it in bulk!
Such a pretty running route! I have yet to try any of Panera’s soups (gasp!) but I’ll get on it just for you 🙂
No Panera soup?! You don’t even realize what you’re missing! haha
I wish we had Panera here it sounds so good! I love that you saw a deer it took me a while to spot him.
I hate trying stuff on sometimes too and will just shop online a lot of the time or do what you do and just buy stuff.
If I’d been running in that exact moment I never would have seen him!
Trying stuff on is the worst. If it’s a top I’ll usually just buy it, but I have to try pants on every time. Not everything will fit this booty! 🙂
Yes I have to try on pants usually too!
Lucky you catching that deer. It happens so rarely, but when it does it’s truly majestic.
Where I live there are deer everywhere, I usually just hope they don’t run in front of my car!
I think I would spontaneously combust if it weren’t for Panera. I hate fast food but I know I can count on them for a good meal when I travel! That or Chipotle.
Looks like a beautiful run! That deer was probably thinking, if I don’t move then she won’t see me!
I don’t eat fast food either, but I usually don’t count Panera in that category, haha. It’s too good not to eat!
You always have to try outlet store stuff on! I can have a shirt in a small and it be too big and a similar one is medium and it be too little! Can’t beat the prices though!
So true! I’m a different size in every store it seems at outlet stores.
Living in and out of hotel rooms sounds so much fun- but I guess after a while it gets reduntant and tiring! I loved Panera when I visited the States- especially the soup and sandwich combo- they have something in their bread which is so good!
That is awesome to see amazing wildlife when you run- you might be lucky to stumble upon a pigeon running around Australia.
That’s awesome you got to experience the greatness of Panera! I love the hotel travel for the short 5-6 weeks I do it, but I’m ready to go home too!
I LOVE THAT YOU RAN TRAILS! i’m a total trail run addict. you see the most amazing things on those trails, the scenery is absolutely gorgeous and it never gets boring.
I was amazed by how much pretty scenery there was considering I’m basically in the D.C. suburbs right now!