Well Balanced Weekly #2: Six Reasons Why You Should Run

Today I have a very tight schedule so I'm multi-tasking. Blogging while boiling water for pasta!

I realize that I actually prefer to start my day early with a morning run, even during the summer. This may sound insane, but here are a few reasons why it's worth it:

1. I get a couple extra hours to my day, a couple extra hours that I certainly need.
2. By having a regular running routine, I actually cut down on stress and anxiety. Exercise releases endorphins, a chemical in the brain that makes you feel happy. So yes, scientifically, running makes you happy.
3. This one's probably obvious, but it's to stay in shape. Running helps maintain a healthy body.
4. I become faster, which is good because I compete on my school's cross country team. Last year, I was named MVP for the Women's Cross Country team!
5. It gives me time to myself to think and wake up in the morning. Believe it or not, I don't come back tired. I come back energized, running is a fresh start to everyday.
6. You are competing against yourself. You get to monitor your own improvement. It's totally independent.

So running every morning is totally worth it for me. Run Happy!
Hannah Renea

I.B. Smart #2: S'mores Cookie Bars

This week, I learned how to bake. I made delicious s'mores bars from a recipe on All Things Delicious, a great food blog. If you click the title, the hyperlink will take you directly to the site.

I'm not much of a baker, and my family has a running joke that I'm no good in the kitchen. The other night, I had the spontaneous urge to challenge that! While my parents were grocery shopping and my sisters were elsewhere in the house, I hopped on Pinterest, typed in "quick easy desserts" and stumbled across this delicious little treat!

I hope you enjoy!

Sidenote: these I.B. Smart posts are meant to be more academic based, however during the summer months it's hard to come up with that kind of material! Usually this kind of post would go on my Wednesday Well-Balanced Weekly, but for now, it is what it is.
Hannah Renea

I.B. Smart is a weekly post written on Saturdays about what I learned in the previous week.