2 days and 2 trail runs!

On Wednesday, I got up early before piano lessons and ran 8 miles on the Appalachian Trail. I parked at Trindle Road and did my usual route North. This section is very runable and takes me through my favorite spot on the AT!

It wasn't buggy and the weather was nice and cool. I only passed three people over the course of 8 miles!

On Thursday, I took my grand old time waking up, relaxing, and doing chores. Finally around 1:30, I hit the trail. I parked at Sherwood and ran North up the mountain. This is a very challenging route, but when I get to the top, I feel like such a bad ass!

It was cool in the woods. I passed one hiker right when I was about finished. He smelled disgusting so I figured he was out there for the long hall.

I was going to call this post, "3 days and 3 trail run!" because I thought I would run trail today. I want to go down to Caledonia State Park and do some of the AT down there. But I don't feel like driving today. I think I will try to do that on Sunday. I can't wait!

Today my workout plan is to run 6 miles in my neighborhood. I really need to lift. Like really need to lift. I have been slacking. Perhaps I will also do a deck of cards workout and incorporate some push ups? Sounds like it's going to get crazy in my carport!!!

Meg Go Run Updates!

Hello, All!

Here are some updates about my summer. I'm going to tell you a couple random things, but I'm also going to refer back to my Summer Goals to let you know how those are going. This is just an all around checking in post, which I feel is MUCH NEEDED. Here we go!!!

I turned 37 a couple weeks ago and I am feeling FABULOUS!

It's several weeks into season 21 of Big Brother and I'm not really enjoying this season. I hope it gets better! But I'm still watching the episodes and immersing myself in the daily podcasts and reddit threads.

I haven't been on any trips since my girl's week at the beach. I would really like to do a two day getaway somewhere before the summer is over.

My appetite has been weird. I'm totally over quiche and the other foods I was eating this past school year. Luckily, I found some new recipes I like! One is avocado egg salad. The other is avocado, egg, and tuna salad! I'll share the recipes in a future post!

I'm still going to therapy and that is going well. I also visited my PCP to tell her about some anxiety I've been having and the unhealthy ways I have been coping with it. She suggested a daily anti anxiety med to help chill be out a bit, so I have been on that for nearly a month.

I have a boyfriend! I'm not ready to elaborate too much about this on the blog, but I will tell you that he is absolutely wonderful and he treats me so well. We have a lot of fun together. He's a bit younger than me, but age aint nothin' but a thaaaaaaang right!?

I am spending a lot of time with my nieces and nephew. I hang out with them while my SIL runs or bikes. I love these kiddos! They are so smart and fun. They also get along really well and behave for me!

As far as summer goals, I had five...

1. Visit new trails. I have visited some new trails but I could do a lot better with this goal. There is still time left this summer so I hope to get out there more.

2. Run up Flat Rock by myself. I did it! I didn't run the whole time (I would say that's impossible for me to do!) but I made it to the top pretty quickly and I felt like a bad ass doing it!

3. Spend lots of time with friends. I am so thankful I have been connecting with so many friends this summer! In fact, today I'm going to see my friend Emily who I've been friends with since elementary school!

4. Learn how to cook tofu. Another completed task! However, I don't make tofu a lot because I've been experimenting with other recipes (as I mentioned above).

5. Learn the Maple Leaf Rag on the piano. I know the first page by memory and can play it pretty fast. I will admit my summer got busy and I have not tackled the rest yet. But there is still time! Three pages to go!

What have you been up to this summer!?

Happier Mornings!

A couple weeks ago, I shared some big news that Paul and I got divorced. While this year has been very difficult in many ways, I know it was the right decision.

When Paul moved out, it wasn't as big of a transition as I thought it would be. Of course that's easy for me to say as I was the one who got to stay in the house. I totally recognize this. All I can share with you is my truth and my point of view.

Once I was living alone, I felt free and like I had a new lease on life. I was surprised I felt this way because throughout our marriage, Paul and I were very independent. Sure, we spent a lot of time together, but never did I feel like I needed to ask permission to do anything. So why did I suddenly feel so free?

Living alone is awesome in that you can be totally selfish in how you live a great deal of your life. For instance, during the school year I get up around 5:00. Most of the time it's dark and cold. When Paul lived here, I had to tip toe around all morning. It's a small ranch house, so it wasn't like I could turn on lights, music, or the television. I couldn't even do light chores for the fear of waking him up. Paul never ordered me to be quiet in the morning, it is just something I happily did to be considerate to him. He would have done the same for me. It's just what you do when you live with someone you love.

But once I lived alone, my mornings got so much better! When I got up, I felt like I could start my day right away. I turned on lights. I turned on music. I opened the front door to let the sunshine in. I said good morning to my cats in that wonderful high pitched voice I use when talking to my kitties. I felt ALIVE in the mornings because I could truly wake up and start my day!

When I lived with Paul, I never yearned for the day I could wake up and be loud and truly start my day. It wasn't until I lived alone and could truly do whatever I wanted that I realized that having to keep the house dark and quiet in the morning was so depressing!

This is one of the perks of living alone and I wanted to share it with you!

If you live alone, what do you love about it?

If you don't live alone, is there something you miss about it?

Note: I'm not saying it's better to live alone than it is to live with loved ones. There are definitely perks to both! For instance, when I was married, I knew there was one person in the world that loved me and was always on my side and would do anything for me. That's a big thing to  give up. Being able to be loud in the morning is definitely NOT an even trade!

A scorching hot trail run! (Real Feel: 103!!!)

Hello, everyone!

It's been quite awhile since last I blogged. I'm going to post a "Summer Updates" post very soon, but today, I want to tell you about my scorching hot trail run from Sunday!

The Northeast had a dangerously high heat wave this past weekend. The real feel during my run was 103.

103!!!!

Around 10:00 on Sunday, I parked at Boiling Springs and ran South on the Appalachian Trail. My plan was to do 3 miles out and back. The first mile and a half was through corn fields. I knew this section was going to expose me to the elements, so I filled up my hydration pack to the tippy top before setting out. As I ran through the corn and felt the sun beating down on me, I reminded myself to continue to hydrate and check in with my body to make sure I had enough left in my tank at the end of my run when I would have to brave the elements again.

It was a nice change when I entered the shady woods. It was still hot, but nothing like running through the fields. I headed to Center Point Knob, which is uphill the whole way. It's also very beautiful. Lots of ferns and foot bridges.

Once I got to the knob, I continued down a bit to make it an even three miles. The trail got rocky, but I wasn't moving fast to begin with so it didn't cramp my style in the least.

The good part is that when I turned around, it was basically all downhill from there! The entire time I was in the woods, I didn't feel hot at all. And then came the cornfield again...

I was soaking wet by this point, but I felt fine. I didn't have a headache, my stomach felt fine, and while I felt hot, my body temperature didn't feel like it was rising. Does that make sense to all you runners out there? Don't you believe there is a difference between feeling the hot sun and feeling like your body temperature is rising? I guess all the sweating I was doing helped to cool me down.

Unfortunately, I missed my turn in the cornfield! I wasn't lost, but I was a little confused for awhile and it ended up adding an extra mile onto my run! Don't worry, I made it safe and sound back to my Mazda and pumped the a/c!

You may be judging me and wondering why I would even attempt to run 6 miles (which turned into 7 miles) on the trail in such extremely hot conditions. I will tell you why.

• I had water.
• I had my phone.
• Only half the run exposed me to the extreme elements.
• I've been running in the heat (though not this hot!) all summer.
• I am really in tune with my body and I'm not stupid. I am confident that if I felt sick or that I couldn't continue, I'd walk, find a house, or call someone for help.

I love this section of the trail. I ran it last week with my friend Allison. But before that, it had been many years. I hope to run this section again this week!

What's the hottest temperature you ever ran in?

Do you prefer extreme heat, extreme cold, or the treadmill???

Yeah, I was vacuuming.

Oh boy did I have fun reading your guesses on the cause of my chipped tooth! (I chipped my tooth while I was at the beach. If you missed the post, check it out here.)

So yeah, I was vacuuming. Of COURSE I was vacuuming! You vacuum your Air BnB on the second night of your girl's beach vacation too, right!?

Congratulations to...

Amy

Cynthia

Dee

Karen

Laura

Maren

Meranda

I wish I could give you a prize. The chipped off part of my tooth perhaps? No, that would be gross. Also, I don't know where it went. I probably vacuumed it up.

My dentist will be fixing it tomorrow. I don't know what they're going to do, but I will be sure to fill you in!

I hope you are having a great weekend! And if you decide to do some cleaning, be careful vacuuming! It's dangerous out there...

Weekly Workouts!

I finally feel confident in saying my Plantar Fasciitis is completely gone and I don't think it's coming back anytime soon. I think my days on the arc trainer are officially over!

Saturday- Lifting at Planet Fitness. I really wanted to run, but due to my beach vacation, I hadn't lifted in nearly a week! It was time to do the responsible thing and spend some time strength training.

Sunday- 5 neighborhood miles. It was quite hot out, in fact, I felt a little nauseous when I got done running.

Monday- 6 neighborhood miles. I went to bed at midnight and woke up at 2. I just couldn't fall back asleep! I ran super early so it was crisp and cool.

Tuesday- 9 miles at Pinchot Park. I ran the Lakeside Trail. It was sooooo hot! I felt disgusting by the time I was done. I was soaked with sweat, muddy, and I was pretty sure there were a few dead bugs on me. The trail was really overgrown at some parts!

Wednesday- 6 neighborhood miles. The first mile was rough. My body felt tired and it was really hot out. I thought I'd cut my run short and then head to the gym to lift. But as I kept going, I got some more energy and my body cooled down. I finished my run strong, averaging just under and 8 minute pace!

Thursday- Lifting at Planet Fitness. I wanted to run (story of my life) but I knew I should go work on my muscles!

Friday- 6 mile neighborhood run & 3 miles AT hike. I got out there before 10am but the real feel was already 84!

How were your workouts this week?

Currently!

Hey All! Here's what's going on with me these days...

Current Running Situation: My plantar fasciitis is officially gone! Hopefully my days on the arc trainer are over! I ran nearly 30 miles last week and everything felt fine. I'm back, baby! (And I didn't lose my speed!)

Current Sleeping Situation: If I don't take 1 trazodone and 1 dyphenhydramine I am FUCKED!

Current guilty pleasure: I don't feel guilty about anything right now. I'm living my best life!

Current drink: "Moscato Mama"... Grapefruit seltzer water, moscato, and a shot (or two!) of vodka.

Current favorite TV show: Big Brother has begun! It always takes me awhile to learn everyone's names and get into it. But I think this is going to be a good season!

Current triumph: Learning the whole first page of The Maple Leaf Rag on the piano! I started learning the second page but it hurts my wrist. So. Many. Octaves.

Current food: I haven't had a huge appetite lately. I think it's because I have been eating the same things over and over again and I'm just in a rut. I need to get more creative with summer recipes.

Current excitement: My garden is actually doing well this year! My herbs are flourishing, I already have several peppers, and I'm just waiting for more tomatoes to turn red!

Currently listening to: Lady Gaga. All. The. Time.

Currently needing: To catch up on Kristina's vlogs!

Currently thankful for: Summer. I needed this time!

Currently "over": I know this is going to come as a shock... but quiche! I think I am done with quiche for the foreseeable future!

Currently enjoying: Feeling loved.

Tell me something current about you!

I'm still a little effed up!

For a lot of my life, I suffered from disordered eating, exercise addiction, and poor body image. Luckily, for the past several years, I have done a good job at keeping those bad thoughts and habits at bay. As I've shared before, about 90% of the time, I feel fine. Only about 10% of the time do I still let those bad thoughts affect me. I never thought I would get to this point and I am so thankful I did the hard work to get here. 

Sure, I would love to feel good 100% of the time, but I feel like with disordered eating and poor body image, it's really hard to totally get rid of all of those negative feelings. Keeping them at bay the majority of the time is a HUGE victory for me.

But I want to share an example of how I sometimes let those bad thoughts creep into my brain and control my life.

One night while I was at the beach with my friends, we decided to go out for ice cream. I was actually in the mood for ice cream and was looking forward to getting something yummy. But when we got in the ice cream shop and started looking at flavors, I noticed all of the calorie content was displayed right on the freezer. It was impossible not to notice the exorbitant amount of calories contained in every flavor of ice cream.

I immediately shut down and got in a bad mood. I just could not eat the ice cream after seeing the calorie content staring me in the face. Why did they have to post the calories right there? We all know ice cream is bad for us. Did they have to rub it in our faces? 

I know it's messed up because a "normal" person would just enjoy the treat whether they knew the calorie content or not. Had the calories remained unknown to me, I could have easily enjoyed two big scoops of ice cream and not felt a lick of guilt about it.

Instead, with the numbers staring me in the face, I had to walk out of the ice cream shop, angry with myself.

Don't worry, a couple nights later we went out for ice cream again and I got peanut butter pretzel ice cream in a cone. It was divine! And there were no calories posted!

Do you mind when calories are posted?

Note: I will give the answer to how I chipped my tooth (detailed in yesterday's blog post) on Sunday! I want to give more people time to respond!

I chipped my tooth!

Guys! When I was on my super duper fun beach vacation with my girls, I chipped my tooth! It's one of my front teeth and it's on the inside. It didn't hurt when it happened because it was apparently just a bit of the enamel that broke off.

The chip is barely noticeable, thank goodness. I will be honest, I was a bit freaked out until I called the dentist and they said they would be able to fix it for me. In fact, they want to fix it $$$$$ because the tooth is more likely to decay if it stays damaged. I have an appointment in a couple days, so it will be as good as new!

I know what you are wondering: "Megan, just how drunk were you and what were you doing that you managed to chip a tooth!?"

So here is a fun game! Below are 5 choices on how I chipped my tooth. One of the choices is correct, the other choices were made up by my girlfriends!

Scenario 1: While in the kitchen preparing a delicious quiche lunch for my friends, I was trying to cut ham with a dull knife. In my efforts, I slipped and chipped my tooth on the counter.

Scenario 2: In my constant quest for "outer order, inner calm", I found myself vacuuming our Air BnB one evening. When I leaned down to unplug the vacuum, I chipped my tooth on the table beside the outlet.

Scenario 3: While relaxing on the beach, an airborne beach umbrella whacked me on the back of the head and slammed my tooth into my cup just as I was about to take a sip.

Scenario 4: In the middle of the night, I heard my roommate making some interesting noises. I realized she had brought home a hot lifeguard! While trying to sneak out of the room, I chipped my tooth on the bunk bed, thus interrupting the coitus going on in the next bunk.

Scenario 5: While day drinking on the beach, the hottest lifeguard walked past just as I was bringing my cup to my mouth.

Also, I know you are wanting a picture of this chipped tooth. But I promise it is not that noticeable, and every time I try to take a picture it comes out very unflattering!

Scenario 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5!!??
Winners get bragging rights!!!!

Running at Gordon's Pond

One of the exciting things about traveling is getting to run in a new place! But I never get too excited to run at the beach. Running in the sand bothers my IT band and running on the busy, hard, flat road with the sun beating down isn't my cup of tea either. I know some runners like running on the boardwalk, but that usually requires weaving in and out of people so it's hard to zone out. So what was this picky runner to do?

Last week, I went to the beach with four of my girlfriends. Three out of the four mornings I was at the beach were spent running at Gordon's Pond in Lewes, DE. This state park was only about 11 minutes north of our Air BnB in Dewey Beach. Parking was $10 per day for out of state vehicles, but it was worth it to me to pay and have a beautiful place to run. I mean, just look!

I took the same route each day. The Gordon's Pond trail is about 2.6 miles one way to Cape Henlopen State Park. Then I would do a short out and back on one of the trails at Henlopen and run back to Gordon's Pond to get me 6 miles total.

The first morning I ran, I took my time and stopped to take a lot of pictures. The trail was busy with bikers, walkers, and the occasional runner. But it wasn't so busy that I didn't have alone time. I could easily zone out.

The second morning I was Miss Speedy Pants, even though it was scorching hot! I ran the first half of my run in 23:08. I decided to try to get a negative split for the second half. Mission accomplished! But this run was an effort!

The third morning, despite it being 92 degrees, I had quite a pep in my step. Even though I was a teeny bit slower than the day before, this run felt like much less of an effort.

I'm so glad I didn't have to pound it out on the pavement each morning and got to run on the crushed gravel trail. If you are ever staying at one of the DE beaches, I highly recommend checking out Gordon's Pond or Cape Henlopen for your running, walking, or biking needs!