Mountains and Mochi

Hello, blog-o-sphere!

Another day, another post, and another phenomenal find to share with you!

Yesterday was a no run day for me.  I know that rest days are an essential part of a healthy running regimen but consciously taking that time off is definitely something I struggle with.  Sometimes it’s hard for me to back off from my exercise schedule, especially when I see the physical and feel the mental benefits of pushing my body to its limits.  There’s nothing more satisfying than an exhausting work out – endorphins are real!  BUT, I’ve learned from experience that if I don’t allow my body to recover every once in a while all I end up with are injuries – bruised and falling off toenails (yeah, I know…ew), sprained ankles, inflamed IT bands that take months of physical therapy to heal…  Yup, sometimes rest is best 🙂

Anywho, healthy running tips lecture aside, I still like to stay moderately active on my rest days so my mom and I decided to take a walk up to Heublein Tower.  It’s a beautiful walk and the views from the top of Talcott Mountain are absolutely extraordinary, even on a cloudy day.

See?

Looking at this photo reminds me of another great reason to take rest days: taking it easy allows me to appreciate the natural beauty that, as an inveterate outdoor exerciser, always surrounds me.  When I’m bookin’ it down the road, solely focused on beating a personal best, the scenery becomes a blur.  However, when I slow down and stay present, what I see in front of me often takes my breath away 🙂

Moving on, I left mom on the mountain (well, not really, but I like the alliteration) and made way for mochi at The Green Teahouse.  The Teahouse is one of my favorite local places and I find that every time I go there I discover a new tea concoction.  This time around I was introduced to the wonderful world of mochi.  If you’re new to mochi, they are delicious little balls of glutinous rice – sweet and chewy, sort of like a more natural version of a gummy candy.  I had heard of mochi before but never in conjunction with tea so when I saw the tiny little yum-drops at The Teahouse I just had to give ’em a go.

I started out with a blend of two teas – Monkey’s Chocolate and Banana Split – a combo I was introduced to at my last visit to The Teahouse with Caitlin over at Cait Plus Ate.

Yum-tastic

I would have been happy just stopping there.  That’s what Caitlin and I did last time and, let me tell you, that iced tea was nearly life-changing but, in keeping with the whole “taking it slow” theme of my rest day, I paused to fully take in the new offerings at The Teahouse.  That’s when I noticed the mochi and soon after the sign declaring The Teahouse’s ability to turn any iced tea into a delicious smoothie-like frappe.  You pick the teas, they do the blending et voila!  The tea version of a Frappucino!  Duh, this was a no-brainer – “Hello, Mr. Tea Man, sign me up for one of those!”

Yeah, you want some, dontcha?

Frappe = delicious, but I didn’t stop there.  Oh, no I didn’t.  Here’s where the mochi comes in.  The Teahouse has all sorts of different toppings like tapioca “bubbles” in flavors ranging from lychee to yogurt and, you guessed it, glutinous rice balls!  Yay!  They have two flavors of mochi-goodness, original and chocolate.  I got both…and some yogurt “bubbles” to boot 🙂

My friend, Roxanne, stealing a tapioca “bubble”

mmmMMMmmm…  This thing was goo-OOO-ood.  Just look at this nugget of chocolate mochi fantastic-ness:

Oh, yeah…

Serioulsy, those wonderful tea people at The Green Teahouse know what they’re doing.  This drink was so good that I’m sad the whole experience is over – more reason to go back for another, hmmm?

So, if you’re nearby, go check this place out.  You won’t be disappointed 🙂

How do you occupy yourself on exercise rest days?

What positive things have you experienced by taking things slowly and staying present?