Weekend Wrap Up! (MY BROTHER DID A HALF IRONMAN!)

Happy Monday!

The highlight of my weekend was seeing my brother finish his first Triathalon and his first HALF IRONMAN!!!!!

GOOOOOOOOO TYLER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ps: Tyler, if you ever want to write about your experience as a guest post for Meg Go Run, hit me up. You know my number.

I could almost not even believe it was Friday! My day started off with a run/walk, Physical Therapy appointment, and then work. You know, just a typical day.

Work was jam packed. In fact, this whole week at work was crazy. My room is in shambles! I hope to have time to organize it next week.

After work I ran some errands, planted my zukes (I planted the rest of my garden on Wednesday) and spent time with Paul. It was nice to just relax!

We ordered Chinese. I was reading an old Weekend Wrap Up post of mine and in it, we ordered Chinese. The picture made me really hungry for Chinese so that's what we got!

No pictures of Friday. But it happened. BUH-LIEVE ME.

I went to bed at 8:30pm...

... and didn't get up until 9:00am! The whole morning was spent planning a trip to DC, watching TV, and just messing around on my computer. (Paul and I are taking a day trip to the American History Museum and then a little later in the summer I am taking a day trip alone to go to the Holocaust Museum. He doesn't want to go to that.)

Around 1pm I started wondering where the day went!? I better get off my ass!

I ran 5 miles, went grocery shopping, then came home and laid out all my outfits for the week. Later, I dropped Paul off at his friend's house and then came home to just chill.

There were puzzles, MSNBC, and kitty cuddles!

On Sunday, I drove to Lake Raystown to cheer on my brother at his first Half Iron Man! That's a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and 13.1 run!

We got to see Tyler at the start, during all of his transitions, and the grand finale- his strong finish!

When Tyler does something, he goes ALL IN. This was his first tri and he crushed it! Especially on the bike!

I had so much fun cheering for my brother and of course hanging with my family!

I might get in trouble for posting this picture but here he is lubing up.

Pre Race Meeting

There was a Sprint, Olympic, and Half distance

Walking down to the water...

It was a water start.

I kind of wanted to see them running into the water!

 Beautiful PA Mountains!

We watched the swim from the beach.

 Ellie and Clementine made American flags out of paper towels and taped them onto sticks. They wanted to wave them for their dad!

While Tyler was out on his bike ride, we chilled in our beachfront bungalow!

Clemmy and Grandpa!

There was no high chair in the bungalow so Clark had to eat on the floor.

I don't think he minded!

 Awwwww I freaking love my nieces!

CLARK.

 Waiting for her Daddy!

Tyler's Finish!

If it doesn't imbed, click here!

My amazing SIL, Debby!

Ellie: Daddy, did you win!?

Tyler: Almost!

Ellie: Then why do you have a medal?

Tyler: Everyone gets one for doing a good job. Do you want to wear it?

Ellie: OKAY!

HE IS A HALF IRONMAN!!!!!!!!!

(There were more than 10 people competing, it's just only 10 came in by the time I took this picture!)

Did you ever do a tri or spectate at one? It was cool!
Tell me something fun you did this weekend!

Vlog: Shut it down!

Today I want to share with you a very important teaching strategy I have learned over my 12 years of teaching elementary music. It is called SHUT IT DOWN!

I hope you enjoy this vlog!

Do you ever SHUT IT DOWN at work? In your personal life?

Speaking of work... 9.5 days left with the kids, 2.5 in-service days left!

Weekly Workouts

I ran... 9.5 miles
I walked 2 mile
I arc trained 2 times
I lifted 2 times.
I went to PT 3 times and did my exercises each day (except one!).
I rested 1 day.

Saturday- Lifting back @ Planet Fitness & PT exercises. It was dreary and raining, which made it a really good gym day!

Sunday- Rest & PT exercises. By the time I got home from spending the day with my family, it was 3pm and I was so tired. I just didn't feel like doing anything! It's nice not to be a slave to workouts or running. The old me would have either gotten up super early to workout or would have made myself workout even though I was tired. The new me was like, "Great day for a rest day!"

Monday- 5 mile run, 1 mile walk, & PT appointment. Basically my whole right leg and glute felt jacked up after this workout. This included my adductor. (I think it's my adductor.) None of this makes sense. I didn't run for FOUR DAYS. My adductor started hurting at mile 3. How did my adductor get WORSE from resting for 4 days? WTF? 

Tuesday- 30 min arc trainer, circuit workout, PT exercises. I decided to go to the gym in the morning. My gym bag is always packed, just in case I randomly decide to go to the gym... but I never randomly decide to go to the gym until today! (When I go to the gym before work, I shower there, hence needing to have a gym bag "packed".) My knee felt weak on the arc trainer but it didn't hurt after.

Not too early for the gym, but definitely too early to talk to me.

Then I did this circuit FIVE TIMES:

20 burpees
40 bicycle crunches
20 mountain climbers
20 side walks w/ resistance band

That's right, I did 100 burpees. It was very tiring. I wish I could tell you I breezed right through it, but I didn't. Oh well, it's good to PUSH YOURSELF once in awhile.

While I did the circuit, I listened to a podcast about a teenager who killed both of his parents with a hammer.

I ate a Quest bar on the way to work. They are freaking $2.99!!!!!

Later I flexed my patriotic muscles and voted!

Wednesday- 45 minutes on arc trainer & PT appointment. My knee felt great the whole time but slowly this week my right leg started feeling jacked up and it felt really jacked up on Wednesday! Butt, upper hammy... it was like EVERYWHERE and it was hard to pinpoint exactly where. I am so confused. I barely ran this week and barely ran last week. SOMETHING other than running is bothering it! We added 8.8 pounds to my turkish get ups at PT.

Thursday- Lifting chest @ home plus burpees and mountain climbers... which kill me. I decided to skip some of my PT exercises! What if they are what's making my right side feel jacked up? I did my the back and ankle stuff, but I skipped butt and legs. Guess what!? My leg and butt felt A LOT LESS JACKED today. It felt borderline normal! Hmmm....

Friday- 4.5 mile run, 1 mile walk, PT appointment. I felt a little pain in my butt during the run and it continued throughout the day but nothing like earlier in the week. Unfortunately I had to do my PT exercises BUT I don't have an appointment until Wednesday so I am going to try not to do the butt ones and see if it feels better. Time to experiment!

Are you able to take rest days without feeling guilty or like you "should" do something?

Outside opinion: Do you think it's maybe some of my PT exercises that are jacking me up now? I can't think of another explanation!

Friday 5: A much better week!

Hey all! I am linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness for Friday 5 2.0!

Last week, I was basically feeling like this...

And this:

And finally, this:

I am seriously worried I will start singing that at school one day!

But this week was MUCH better!

Here's 5 funny pictures from my week!

Chrissy would not let me eat my salad without freaking STALKING me.

But I forgive him because he loves America...

Here's Jelly. He loves my warm laptop.

You know cats are smarter than humans, right?

I saw this on Facebook and died laughing:

And one bonus picture... This week, Paul made me chicken and he ended up making this piece that looks exactly like a duck!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry this is random! Tell me something random!

What A Wonderful World

Last Wednesday was one of the most stressful days ever. When I finally left work at 7:50pm, I was spent. Sweat was dripping down my body. My feet ached from the fancy heels I wore for my chorus concert. My head was pounding. I was hot, tired, and starving since I hadn't eaten anything for 12 hours. But the day was over and I was heading home.

I pushed open the back doors of the school and stepped outside to walk to my car. I was immediately greeted with the cool air and the lovely evening smells you only smell in spring and summer. There was a slight breeze and I looked up in the dark blue sky at the green trees being blown back and forth.

It was time to stop and take a minute to just appreciate being alive in this beautiful world. I forced myself to take it all in- the sights, the smells... I started singing What A Wonderful World, a song my chorus had just sung at their concert.

"I see trees of green, red roses too

I see them bloom for me and you

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white

The bright blessed day the dark sacred night

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world."

During a time I felt like I was losing it, forcing myself to stop and be reminded about how SMALL and INSIGNIFICANT I am in the grand scheme of things... that really centered me. And I don't mean to present what I just said as a negative thing. We are small compared to the entire universe. And we are insignificant in the grand scheme of the entire earth. But each one of us is so important and quite significant to so many people. We touch others, help others, and help to shape our little portion of the universe in MANY significant ways. And when we are ALL helping and shaping and doing things that mean something to others, it adds up and collectively makes all of us humans SO POWERFUL.

"The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky

Are also on the faces of people going by.

I see friends shaking hands, saying how do you do,

They're really saying, I love you."

I need to find a way to appreciate each and every day. Stop waiting for the weekend. Stop wishing for summer. Stop counting down the days until... what!? I need to cherish and be happy for every single day I have. Even the stressful ones and the ones I just want to skip over. That's no way to live.

"I see babies cry, I watch them grow

they'll learn much more, than I'll ever know

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

Yes I think to myself, what a wonderful world."

Boy did this post go in a different direction than I thought it was going to. 

Let me tell you a story about the flea market...

On Sunday, Paul, me, and my mom went to the Williams Grove Flea Market. When we arrived, we split up and did our own thing.

I went by a booth that had Snyder's Hot Buffalo Wing Pretzels and other snacks. I asked one of the men (Man #1) working at the stand for two 8 oz bags, which were only $1 each. (You know they're like $4 at the store, right!?) 

Another man working (Man #2) said, "Hey if someone buys the hot buffalo wing flavor tell them what I have in the back. Hey, tell that woman what we have in the back!"

"What do you have in the back?" I asked.

"A 25 pound box for only $5!!!!" Man #2 said.

"Oh, I don't want that much," I told him.

"Why?" he asked. "Even if you throw half of them away you still made out!"

"Why not let someone buy them who will actually eat them all," I said. I took my two small bags and walked away.

As I did, I heard Man #1 say, "See, that's why I didn't ask her if she wanted it. She doesn't look like the type of person that would want a 25 pound bag of pretzels."

About a half hour later, Paul and I were waiting at the car for my mom. Well, round the corner she comes, and Man #1 is right behind her carrying a big box.

"Megan, you will never believe it. I just bought a 25 pound box of buffalo pretzels for only $5!!!!!!"

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She ended up making us take a bunch home.

What's your favorite Snyder's pretzel flavor?