Sound advice

Pre-workout breakfast: Cinnamon Chex with skim milk and a banana
Workout: Ran 5.5 miles; average pace, 8:36. Twenty minutes yoga to stretch.

"When all else fails, just go out there and be bad ass."

My cousin posted those words on Facebook, and they were just the words I needed to see as I sipped my coffee and got ready for my run.

I've been in a 24-hour tail spin of self-loathing. I haven't been eating the way I like. My legs haven't been moving like they used to. My mind hasn't been in it. It was as if I met my goals at the W.O.O.F. and waved goodbye to everything else. And the scale ... well, it showed the downhill slide of the week.

But when everything else has failed, all I had to do was go out there and be bad ass.

I gave my iPod, which hasn't joined me on a run in four months, a mediocre charge. I changed my route from 4 miles to at least 5, preferably 6. I put my mind into it, leashed up Denali and walked out the door. We were going to do this.

The Garmin, well, was not.

As Denali was doing what he needed to do, the Garmin showed a low battery. FAIL. I let him finish, went back inside and gave that a charge - hoping it would be enough to get me through.

Fifteen minutes later, iPod blaring Eminem's "Not Afraid," we were out. I just went. I didn't work to go particularly fast as my main goal was to not feel like I have been the past couple runs. Distance > Pace. We looped around the campus and caught up with an ROTC group out as well. They helped give me a pep in my step. We went to the park where the main goal was to get to a certain spot before the Garmin crapped out. Another pep in the step. Got to the stretch home and ready to be done. Pep in the step.

5.5 miles and we were done. It would have been nice to do 6. Seven would have been bad ass. Just like my cousin said. So maybe I'm just 75 percent bad ass but I'm already starting to feel better about myself. And, hopefully, that will translate to some better choices this week.

How do you rebound from over indulgence?

Let's get this party started

Pre-workout fuel: Too Healthy Pumpkin Muffin and a banana
Workout: Ran 4.75 miles in 41 minutes, 18 seconds; average pace, 8:41.

You could say that I was a bit antsy this morning. I was up at 6 a.m. I was eating breakfast at 6:20.

At 6:45, I was a bit surprised that Mark wasn't awake so I decided to open (successfully!) two pomegranates. By 7:15, I almost woke him and had he not strolled out of the bedroom at 7:30, he would have gotten a nice wake-up call from Denali.

Why so harried so early in the morning?

Well, I wanted to get in my run, eat a real breakfast and get to work preparing for my oh so Wonderful day.

Yes. Today is the day. The day of my POM Wonderful dinner party. I was supplied two cases of pomegranates, coupons for POM Wonderful juice, an apron, cutting board and gift bags for my guests as part of my selection as one of 100 hosts.

My party tonight will showcase the wonderful versatility of that stain-creating monster superfruit we know as the pomegranate. And football. It is Sunday, after all.

Pomegranate barbecue sauce, left, and pomegranate caramel sauce

Game-day barbecue chicken legs
Adapted from Fotocusisine

1 cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 ounces tomato paste (half a small can)
1 1/2 tablespoons molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 tablespoons honey
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 pounds chicken legs

Pour POM Wonderful juice into a large saucepan. Add garlic, tomato paste, molasses, mustard powder, cumin and honey. Whisk together and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to let the sauce simmer until it thickens and reduces by a about a third to a half. Remove from heat and add lemon juice.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Rinse chicken in cold water and pat dry. Season chicken with salt and pepper and put chicken on cookie sheet. bake for 15 minutes. Turn chicken and cover each piece with barbecue sauce. Bake another 15 to 20 minutes.