On a recent dash out to Calgary – en route to Canmore for a long weekend of celebrating the nuptials of a dear old friend – I had the opportunity to enjoy an early morning run along the Bow River. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and I was running with one of my best friends in the whole world – it was absolute bliss.
Those of you who follow me, know of my LOVE for discovering a new city on foot. There’s nothing like waking up before the sun’s up to unlock what lies behind the tourist scene; watching people open their stores, what kind of transport they take, and scoping out all the good coffee shops as the scent of freshly baked goodness floods my, what is by then, very receptive nostrils.
It’s not a big surprise that these runs normally end with me in one of these coffee shops, drink in hand and pastry crammed into mouth. After all, I run because I really, really, really like desserts. Ergo, early morning run = right to enjoy foreign pastries. While I’ve been fortunate enough to literally run into some delicious coffee joints, I recently discovered a new favourite, which currently has locations solely throughout Western Canada, and will henceforth be known as “The Best in the West”.
Good Earth Coffee House and Bakery is a delicious chain of coffee shops with a dedication the creation of killer coffee and delicious pastries. After months, possibly years of not eating muffins, I dug my teeth into a delicious zucchini barley muffin… twice. As much as I hate myself for saying this, all I could focus on was how moist it was. God, I hate that word. But that’s exactly what it was; unbelievably and inexplicably moist. With chunks of berry in between every bite, it became a morning ritual I could definitely get used to (of course, at 300 calories each, I’d have to add an additional 5k to the run, but it would be so, so worth it).
My drink of choice? A Skinny Earl Grey Tea Latte. Skim milk and sugar-free. No love – or flavour lost. Enjoy!
