Walnut & Pear Salad with Shrimp & Champagne Honey Vinaigrette

It rained all day yesterday so I didn't get the chance to go running. Since I was forced to stay inside, I worked out on the elliptical in the morning for 40 minutes before work and again for about 30 minutes after I got home from Spanish class last night. Two gym sessions a day is pretty intense, but see my post on Lobster Macaroni & Cheese and you might understand my motivation :)

Anyway, tonight was beautiful so I went on a 6 mile run after work. I finished in 52 minutes, which isn't bad. However, I have been trying to improve my speed, so tonight I ran a loop with several hills. I practiced sprinting up the hills to build strength and endurance with short recovery periods in between. 

Dinner after my run was a Walnut and Pear Salad with Shrimp and a Champagne Honey Vinaigrette. I started off by toasting the walnuts to bring out all of their nutty flavor. 

Toasted Walnuts

While the walnuts were toasting, I sliced 1/2 of a pear and a handful of grapes. You will know when the walnuts are getting toasty by their great smell. It filled my entire apartment. 

Before building the salad, I tossed some baby greens with a little low-fat pear champagne vinaigrette. I drizzled a little honey over the salad and tossed it again. I love the sweetness the honey adds. To build the salad, I added in the pear slices, halved grapes, grated parmesan, and fresh cracked pepper. I tossed everything together and topped the salad off with some grilled shrimp. 

How good does this look?