It's only Wednesday?

Whew! Yesterday I ran about 3/4 of my 5.5 mile run/walk. I am for sure feeling it in my calves this morning. They are so tight! I would take today off from running but I'll be taking tomorrow off (more about that in a sec) so I'll go today. I'll probably walk more than I did yesterday but I'm planning on the same 5.5 mile path.

Every few months we have health screenings at work. They're totally optional but cost money. There's osteoporosis, heart attack, and stroke screenings. But there's also a body composition test!! It only costs $25 and they do a body fat percentage, water percentage, basil metabolic rate, average daily calorie needs, etc!! So when I found out about this yesterday, I immediately called to set up an appointment. My appointment is at 1 pm so I won't be able to do my lunch run/walk like usual but I'm planning on taking a walk later on in the afternoon (after my test). I'm really excited about this! The only body fat percentage test I've had done is on my home scale and we all know how inaccurate those can be! Plus it will be really cool to know my actual basil metabolic rate and get an "official" idea of where my calories should be. Right now I go on about 1800 a day which is based on all sorts of results from different magazines and online calculators. I'm so excited!! This is so cool!! I also made all kinds of appointments yesterday (eye doctor, reschedule with the psychiatrist, a physical and blood test, etc.). I've been meaning to make some of these appointments for months but I hate talking on the phone so I kept putting them off. But I finally bit the bullet yesterday and called.

Before I forget, here's the Chicken and Sun Dried Tomato Orzo recipe Sara asked for; it's from the April 2008 edition of Eating Well magazine. I halved the recipe and left out the artichoke hearts (Stephen isn't a fan). I also only ended up eating half of my serving--an entire serving was too much for me. I served it with sauteed spinach and roasted asparagus.

Makes 4 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
8 ounces orzo, preferably whole-wheat
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), divided
1 plum tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, peeled
3 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram, divided
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (1-1 1/4 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/2 cup finely shredded Romano cheese, divided

1. Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Meanwhile, place 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomato, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
4. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tablespoons cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.
5. Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken, 2 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 457 calories; 12 g fat (3 g sat, 6 g mono); 68 mg cholesterol; 54 g carbohydrate; 36 g protein; 10 g fiber; 372 mg sodium; 546 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Folate (34% daily value), Iron (25% dv), Potassium (16% dv), Calcium & Vitamin C (15% dv).3 Carbohydrate ServingsExchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1/2 fat

Today's dinner: Jerk Pork Burgers with Green Apple Slaw (from Rachael Ray magazine), Sweet Potato fries, Salad, Corn on the cob