Weekly Workout Recap!

Training went well this week! I did not dread any of my midweek runs, which is good. On Friday, I really wanted to run, but I knew I needed to rest for my race pace run the next day. I am posting a lot of my mile splits this week because I am really happy that my "comfortable morning run" pace is getting a little faster thanks to the speed training! Note, there aren't many hills or inclines in my neighborhood, so I would consider these runs "flat".

Saturday- 11 miles. It was supposed to be 10, but I got locked out of the house and ran an extra mile while I waited for Paul to come back and let me into the house. Here were my splits: 8:13, 8:27, 8:18, 8:10, 8:03, 7:57, 8:35, 8:14, 8:13, 8:00, 7:53. (My last mile was my angry mile.)

Sunday- Lower body rest day. I did walk for about an hour with my friend Bree at a very leisurely pace. I was supposed to lift chest but gosh darn it, I didn't feel like it! I just wanted to lounge around in my pjs all day. Eventually I sucked it up.

Chest Press- 5x12x25lb

Donkey Kicks- 3x20

Bicycles- 4x40

Push Ups- 5x10

Fire Hydrants- 3x20

Shoulder Press- 5x10x20lb

Stability Ball Pass- 4x8

Plank- 4x45sec

Monday- I could not sleep the night before. I finally dozed off sometime after feeding the cats breakfast... at 3:02am. My alarm went off at 5:45 and I hauled my ass out of bed for my 5 miler. I wondered, "What's the point of these 5 miles if I am so tired?" I ran without looking at my Garmin at all. At the end of the run, I noticed I averaged some pretty speedy miles without trying. Maybe the lack of sleep was counteracted by the three pieces of frozen pizza I had for dinner the night before. Oh well. Glad to put the crappy/salty/greasy pizza to good use! Splits: 8:39, 8;10, 8:06. 8:01. 8:08

Tuesday- 5 more miles. (Splits: 8:29. 8:16, 8:05, 7:53, 7:43)

Wednesday- I love Wednesdays because I get to do a little bit longer of a run. I did 8 miles and it didn't suck! Sometimes it sucks... (Splits: 8:33, 8:09, 8:15, 8:16, 8:04. 8:06, 7:51, 7:36)

Thursday- 5 miles. I will admit I purposefully pushed the pace a little bit on this run. On my other runs this week, I feel like I could have carried on a conversation with someone while running. On this run, talking while running would have winded me. (Splits: 8:20, 7:58, 7:44, 7:34, 7:12)

Friday- Lower body rest day! Big race pace run on Saturday morning. I'M SCARED!!!! I lifted chest and back in the morning. I realized if I am only lifting twice a week I should try to hit all muscle groups. I would like to start lifting more often, but it is hard to focus on getting better at running and a 4 day a week lifting routine like I used to do! Lifting is going to take somewhat of a back burner right now while I train for my half. 

Bicycles- 3x40

Asst. Wide Grip Pull Ups- 4x15

Donkey Kicks- 3x20

Chest Press- 4x12x25lb

Row- 4x12x20lb

Fire Hydrants- 3x20

Push Ups- 3x10

Kick Backs- 3x20

Shoulder Press- 4x10x25lb

Ball Pass- 4x8

Band Asst. Neutral Grip Pull Ups- 4x6

Do you get scared for race pace runs?

Ever have to cut back on other fitness activities you love because you need to put more of a focus on running?

Healthy Lunches (vlog)

 

Hello! Today I have a VLOG coming at you! Note: I am still not good at VLOGS! I actually didn't watch this one because I didn't want to hear my voice!

This is not a "You should eat what I eat" post.

It's more of a "Here is how I make sure I have something healthy to eat for lunch" post.

My strategies may work for you or they may not!





If you don't feel like watching my video, here is a quick run down of what I do.

1. I pack my lunches on Sunday. Then it is easy to grab each morning!

2. I base the type/amount of food I eat on my scheduled workout for the day. A lifting day may require more protein. A day that included a morning 8 miler may entail a little extra rice.

3. Sometimes I put more than one day's worth of food in the same container so I can decide at work how big of a portion to eat. My schedule is different every day. Some days I eat at 11. Some days I eat at 2:30! It is nice to have some options on how much to eat based off of how hungry I am and how long the meal has to last me.

Tell me your lunch packing strategies!

Wonderful Wednesdays! (Yes, I know today is Thursday. But I want to tell you about Wednesday.)

Wednesdays are always wonderful in my world! 

On Wednesday mornings, I usually run 8 miles. That's a little bit longer than I run during the week, but it keeps my head in the game and I enjoy my hour or so jaunt around my neighborhood.

On Wednesday afternoons, I do not teach piano lessons. I enjoy teaching lessons, but I also enjoy coming home from work and having a "free" day to just do whatever I want! That usually involves catching up on The View, working on a puzzle, and kicking Paul's ass in Monopoly Deal.

On Wednesday night, SURVIVOR is on! This is a second chance season, so it is fun to see contestants we are already familiar with give the game another go. Paul and I watch this show together and laugh at the same stupid things.

That's my life on Wednesdays!

What are your Wednesdays like?
What week day is the most wonderful in your world?
Are you watching Survivor? If so, we need to talk!

Putzin' around the mall...

Thanks everyone for your comments yesterday! It seems like most of my readers have the attitude that they don't let fear control their lives. They do their thang and run their runs and don't let anything hold them back!

I probably don't say it enough, but I really appreciate everyone who visits my little corner of the internet each day. Sometimes I talk about running, sometimes I talk about life... Sometimes it is serious and sometimes it is "fluff" (like today!). You get a little bit of everything from me.

Thanks for reading Meg Go Run! I'm so glad I started a blog and I am so glad I met so many interesting, intelligent, FUN people via that blog-o-sphere!

ONWARD!!!!

Sometimes I enjoy just wandering around the mall. The mall closest to my house has a lot of great stores I enjoy looking around in. I am notorious for spending an hour or two looking and not buying a single thing.

That's what happened this past Saturday.

Now, there were a lot of things I wanted, but nothing I needed. Sometimes I have trouble allowing myself to buy things I don't need... which is actually ridiculous because even when I think I need something, I don't actually NEED it.

Let's talk about the things I saw at the mall on Saturday (or just things in general) that I want right now, but I don't need. In fact, I will never NEED them. I will only ever WANT them!

1. Colored Soho leggings from NY & Co. I actually would have bought these if they had my size! They were on sale for $20. You can't beat that!

2. Tahiti Island Dream fragrance from Bath & Bodyworks. Kristina always raves about this, so I finally popped into the store to smell it. I was immediately in love. I didn't buy it because I didn't have a coupon and refused to pay $14 for 8 oz of the stuff. I have now signed up for the mailing list and hope to score some coupons!

3. Brown heeled booties. I'm still looking for the perfect pair at the perfect price. I do have a 30% off coupon for Kohl's so that probably will be where I end up getting them. Here are some examples of the styles I like:

4. This ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS DRESS I saw at Express. I don't even know why I went into Express. The prices are way over what I would ever spend on clothes. However, this dress was only $88. That is not bad because it is a really fancy dress and clothes from Express are very well made. I still have a pair of capris from Express I wore during student teaching. THAT WAS 12 YEARS AGO!!! They are still perfectly good pants!

Note: The dress is not as short as it appears in this picture since normal people's legs are not as long as this model's legs!

May I also mention that THE GIRL IN THE PICTURE IS NOT REAL!

NO ONE LOOKS LIKE THAT!

Can't they show a "normal" person in that dress? It is a beautiful dress and would look absolutely gorgeous on a normal body.

5. A chunky gold watch. I want to be "the girl who wears a chunky gold watch". For just $7.99, I could have been that girl! (They were on sale at NY & Co.) Alas, I am still not that girl.

Example watch only. Not the one from NY&Co.

6. Jennifer Aniston's hair color. I have a lot of grey hair. I dye my roots every month with whatever boxed dye is on sale at Dollar General. The dyed color is darker than my natural color but at least it is not grey! But what I would really like is a beautiful hair color like this:

What are some things you "want" right now?

Do you like putzin' around the mall?

If I splurged on ONE of these items, what would you recommend? I am leaning towards the booties because it will be a one time purchase. The hair is going to be UPKEEP... It will be like the splurge that just keeps on splurging...

Women: Do you hike/trail run alone?

I came across an interesting article from backpacker: Why Women Shouldn't Worry About Hiking Alone.

I haven't run trail in quite a long time, but I used to run trail a lot. Most of the time I would run with friends, but very often I would run alone. I frequented state parks (Paul would play disc golf while I ran) and the Appalachian Trail. I would go back and forth between whether I felt comfortable running alone or not, and my comfort level would just depend on the day.

Part of me understands that state parks and the Appalachian Trail are very safe and that runners and hikers should feel comfortable using the trails alone or with a group. The other part of me remembers every single Forensic File episode ever and is therefore scared of getting murdered on the trail!

And everyone would say, "Well, she shouldn't have been out there all alone."

But consider this:

Source

That is comforting, right? But the way my brain works on this topic is the same way my brain works when it comes to flying. I know I am more likely to be in a car crash than a plane crash... but I also know I am more likely to survive a car crash! So then I think, okay, I'd rather be assaulted in my neighborhood because it is more likely that someone else will notice and intervene or call the police. If I am all alone in the woods, I am screwed! Are you following my line of logic or do you think I am crazy?

This particular statistic from the Backpacker article definitely makes sense to me:

Hiking alone is riskier—for both sexes. But being female actually seems to offer protection from wilderness disasters. Robert Koester, who maintains a database on search-and-rescue incidents, crunched the numbers: 80 percent of searches are initiated by males, and 12 percent of men who kick off a SAR case end up dead, while only 9 percent of women suffer the same fate. In other words, women who get lost or injured in the backcountry are more likely to make it out alive. “That’s very statistically significant,” Koester says. “Culturally, females tend not to do as many of the idiotic things that solo males do. Males are more likely to try to pick up a rattlesnake.” Source.

While at Grand Canyon this summer, I picked up this book:

One of the things I learned is that women have a smaller chance of dying in/at Grand Canyon because generally, women do less stupid things than men do!

Another book I read that I thought would be interesting to mention in this post is Eight Bullets. It was written by Claudia Brenner and describes what happened the day she and her girlfriend, Rebecca Wight, were shot on the Appalachian Trail. Miraculously, Claudia survived but Rebecca did not. It is a heart wrenching story, but an important one because this woman survived a hate crime back when a lot of people felt like homosexuals "brought it on themselves".

Even though trails are statistically very safe, allow me to frighten you buy telling you some of the scariest things I ever saw on the trail!

The scariest things I ever saw on the trail:

1. Snakes. Not often, but every single time it is terrifying!

2. Hunters in tree stands. If you live in Pennsylvania and decide to run trail on a day that is not Sunday, you absolutely must wear bright colors and be aware of hunters!

3. Hunters ON THE TRAIL. One time I was running the Lakeside Trail at Pinchot Park and I encountered three hunters that were set up on the trail with their guns out and everything! I thought hunters weren't allowed to hunt on the trail or aim their guns toward a trail!?

4. A weird guy that jumped out and scared my friend and I. He literally jumped out of the woods and yelled "BOO!" We screamed and he laughed. I reported the incident.

5. A bunch of kids who were hiding in some bamboo. They jumped out and scared me and the two girls I was running with. Don't worry, I gave them hell!

Women: Do you hike or trail run alone? Why or why not?

What is the scariest thing you have seen on the trail?

Weekend Wrap Up!

Before I get on with my wrap up I wanted to give a shout out to my client (and FRIEND!) Danielle! She ran the Hershey Half Marathon Relay yesterday! She has been very diligent in her training for this race and didn't even let a sprained ankle stop her from running!

Danielle on the left and our friend Kari on the right!

Friday started dark and early with speed work. It didn't suck, which makes me think I didn't push myself hard enough.

During lunch, my parents dropped off a new addition to my classroom. This glider chair was in my grandparent's kitchen for as long as I remember. It will be nice to sit in when the students are sitting at the carpet for circle time. I love it! And it makes me happy because it reminds me of my grandparents!

Part of the HVAC unit at work wasn't working so my classroom was hot... hotter than I normally enjoy it. It was so hot my bra chaffed me! I cannot work under these conditions, people!!!

Paul and I had a big night planned. Grocery shopping at ALDI (read my RANT about that here!) and then dinner at WENDY'S! We love Wendy's!

#wearewendys
(Inside joke between me and Paul... that you are now a part of.)

I did a long run on Saturday. The goal was 10 miles- no pace goal or anything like that. I warmed up by cleaning my house (haha) then set out for the roads. I just could not stomach another neighborhood loop dee doop run, so off I ventured into my favorite business park to run BIGGER loop dee doops.

When I arrived back at home, I discovered Paul locked me out. He was about 15 minutes away with his brother. Luckily he answered my call and came back to let me in the house. I ran another mile while I was waiting for him because it was chilly and windy out! I was in shorts and a short sleeved shirt. I was a little under dressed for the run, but very under dressed for just standing outside waiting.

The rest of the day was spent running errands, doing a puzzle, and catching up on Colbert with Paul.

I am really into hot air balloon puzzles right now.

The colors are fun to sort.

Errands I ran and what I got:

Dollar Tree: 3 puzzles ($3.18)

Library: 4 Christopher Pike books (Free)

I have read these at least once. I am good at forgetting plots.

Mall: Nothing. (I saved about $300 by not buying all the things I wanted!)

For dinner I had a Lettuce-less Salad. I invented this salad one night when I ran out of lettuce.

Genius.

Our house is freezing. We are trying to wait to turn the heat on until November 1st. 13 days to go! (Sorry piano students!) 

Motivated by Ali's recent post, I snapped a picture of what I looked like Sunday morning. I know it's pretty rough, but it is seriously the most flattering out of all the unflattering morning photos I took. Yikes!

Just call me Zombie Meg.

I spent a lot of time blogging that morning and took a walk with my friend Bree. We covered just about every subject that is TMI. You just gotta have friends you can do that with!

Lifting chest was on my training schedule but I really didn't feel like it. I ended up doing it anyway because I knew if I didn't do it today I'd have to get up even earlier on Monday to squeeze it in.

The rest of the day was spent cooking and doing puzzles while Paul watched football.

And that was my lazy, crazy, weekend!

Did you turn the heat on yet?
Is there a particular book you have read many times?
Tell me something fun you did this weekend!

Weekly Workout Recap

I guess you could say I'm actually training for something now, so my workouts will have a little more direction to them! Here is what I was up to..

Saturday- My first "official" half marathon training run. 10 miles- 7 below race pace.

Sunday- Lower body rest day, upper body lifting. And some glute stuff.

Chest Press- 5x12x25lb

Bicycle Crunches- 4x40

Donkey Kicks- 4x20

Push Ups- 5x10

Shoulder Press- 5x10x20lb

Fire Hydrants- 4x15

Kick Backs- 3x20

Stability Ball Pass- 4x8

Tricep Dips- 4x15

Planks- 4x45 seconds

Monday- 5 neighborhood miles before work.

Tuesday- 5 neighborhood miles before work.

Wednesday- 7 miles. I had 8 on the schedule but the back of my right leg felt a little tight AND I was feeling lazy. I wore my compression socks to work.

Thursday-  Lower body rest. Lifted back at home!

Band Asst. Wide Grip Pull Ups- 5x5

Donkey Kicks- 4x15

Row- 5x12x20lb

Bicycles- 4x40

Band Asst. Neutral Grip Pull Ups- 5x6

Fire Hydrants- 4x15

Bicep Curls- 5x10x15lb

Stability Ball Pass- 4x8

Kick Backs- 4x20

Plank- NO TIME! BOO HOO! Thought I'd do them later in the day... nope!

Friday- SPEED WORK! 1 mile warm up, then 9x400 with 400 recovery jogs in between. 3/4 mile cool down and then 1/4 mile walk. It did not suck, which makes me think maybe I didn't push myself hard enough on the 400 sprints! The back of my leg felt fine- whew!

Tell me about a great workout you did this week!
What is your favorite speed work for half marathons? I need suggestions!