Signature Strength and Biggest Loser

Just another average Tuesday in these parts...

Up FAR too early to take Sadie out before hitting the gym for a 5:30am Signature Strength class.

Ugh... 4:55am is WAAAAY too early. I used to get up at 5, lay in bed for about 5 minutes and actually get outta bed at about 5:05. Now, with the doggy, I gotta get up right when the alarm goes off which gives me just enough time to pee (tmi?), brush my teeth, change, take Sadie out for a quick 5 minute walk/pee break for her (tmi again?), feed her, grab my shit and get out the door by 5:15am. The gym is a 10 minutes drive (well, at 5am when there are no other cars on the road it is) so I'm there juuuusy before the class starts. Perfect timing, down to the T. 

Signature Strength was ROUGH this morning. I mean, my arms were legit SHAKING while I was shampooing my hair after class. Wowza.  I don't remember everything we did, but I do remember the warm up was 30 squats, 20 alt lunges, 10 push-ups-- repeated all 3 times. Usually we use small, handheld dumbbells (I use 10 pounds) in class, but today we used kettlebells (I used 25 pounds). We did a TON of k-ball swings, bicep curls, lunges, squats, push ups, Russian twists, sit ups, chest presses and more. Too much to remember. TOO much, period. I am gonna be SORE tomorrow. Kicked my ass, but in a good way. I skipped the short TM run after, since I did 11 miles yesterday and plan to run during lunch today. 

Other than that... nothing really to report. Oh! Except that I started watching the new season of The Biggest Loser. I have a love/hate relationship with this show, but now that Jillian's back, you KNOW I'm watching this season.

A few thoughts on BL this season thus far....

1. I LOVE me some Jillian Michaels. LOVE. Like, seriously girl/fitness expert crush. I'd LOVE to be trained by her. Seriously. She can yell at me all day. Jillian comes off as a BEAST (aka: bitch) on this show, but I love it. That's exactly how I'd want a trainer to be. YELL AT ME! It'd definitely motivate me.
2. I also have a serious crush on Bob. He's so darn cute. And hard core. Dulvett's freaking hot too and trains like a pro (maybe b/c he is?? Duh, Meagan.). Ok, ok-- fine. I'll take any of them. If you insist. 
3. Not sure how I feel about the kids part of the show yet. Love the idea. Not sure how it'll be executed.
4. I admit it, the show almost made me cry a couple times. I didn't, but it was close. 
5. Were there this many medic's there the first day every season? Good God! It looked like people were legit about to die. That's a bit crazy, but I loved it.
6. Lastly-- PLEASE, can I PLEASE do a last chance workout? Seriously. I wanna be a contestant on that show so bad. SIGN ME UP. The yelling. The puke. The swearing. The sweat. The exhaustion. SIGN ME UP NOW.  Is it f-ed up that they look like FUN to me? Like, FUN fun. 



Alright... so, that's about it in my life right now. Gym. Eat. Work. Eat. Home. Eat. Hubs. Sadie. Rinse, repeat.

Weekly Workout Recap (12/31-1/6)

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Weekly Workout Recap (12/31-1/6):
Monday, 12.31.12: Rest/1.5 mile walk
Tuesday, 1.1.13: 11 mile run & 2 mile walk
Wednesday, 1.2.13: 60 minute spinning class & 60 min. elliptical & 3.33 mile run
Thursday, 1.3.13: 4 mile run
Friday, 1.4.13: 60 minute elliptical & 3 mile run
Saturday, 1.5.13: 6.5 mile run
Sunday, 1.6.13: Rest Day


Totals for Week (12/31-1/6):
27.83 Miles Run
1 Spinning Class
0 Signature Strength Classes
120 Minutes Elliptical
3.5 miles walk
2 Rest Days

 

I was off Monday and Tuesday, so my week was a little wonky. I went out on Monday to do a run, but it was so snowy and icy that I pretty much wiped out less than .1 mile in, so I called it and just took the dog for an extra long walk instead and called it a rest day. Got back to the gym routine on Wednesday, though Thursday had a doc appointment so went into work late, thus getting outta the routine again. Did get a run in that day, though, so I'll call it a slight win. Skipped a super long run this weekend. Just wasn't feeling it and don't really wanna turn running into a thing I HAVE to do, so decided to skip it. No regrets. I do plan to get a quality long run in this coming weekend though. Best part? It's because I WANT to. :)  

5 Thing Friday

1. I slept in this morning and bailed on the gym. I've been sleeping like crap all week. I think having 2 straight weeks off really got my sleep schedule outta wack. Not that I'm complaining... at all. But, it's been rough getting back into the swing of things. Wah, wah.

2. I did, however, manage to get 60 minutes in on the elliptical during my lunch hour.

3. So, Kim Kardashian. She's preggo. I mean, clearly you already knew that. That's not even what I want to talk about. THIS is what I want to talk about.

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WTF is she wearing?? Seriously. She's WITH CHILD and wearing that? Ok, even without child-- ew. Just, ew.

4. I'm currently OBSESSED with One Tree Hill. I know. How 1999 of me. I never watched a single episode of the show before. I started watching it over vacation and now I can't get enough. Good thing there are like 100 episodes of it on Netflix Instant, huh? 

Poor, Sadie. She is clearly not into it nearly as much as I am.

5. While I was on the elliptical today I almost started crying. So, there are 4 TV's on the wall in front of all the cardio machines at my gym, right? Pretty typical. Well, at the same time, 1 of them was playing that AWFUL commercial with all the poor rescue animals and the Sarah McGlauglin song (you know the one!!), another one was showing a news story of a deer stuck on a frozen lake (sounds weird, but the poor deer was bucking all over and just looked SO SCARED) and another was showing news about a rape case. And, apparently I'm overly emotional.



I'm also apparently WAY out of time. Thus, lame 5 Thing Friday instead of the normal lame 15 Thing Friday. Forgive me???

Off to take Sadie for a run! :) Happy Friday!

A little this, a little that

I have been crazy all of the place lately. My mind is moving far faster than my ability to type so this might not make much sense. But, let's just go with it. So, while I snack on these, let's play crazy Meagan catch up.

Why are these SO good and SO bad for you? And why does my boss insist on buying them in BULK for the office? TOO GOOD TO RESIST. Damn you, Amos! 

Anyway... life's been busy! My first day back to work since 12/21 was yesterday. 2 glorious weeks off. Still seemed to short. I've already recaped some of that vacation, but there was lots more. Christmas, for one! I got spoiled with way too many nice gifts. I got lots of running clothes, a RoadID bracelet, a necklace, gift certificates, candy, and more! Two of my favorite gifts (other than the purple jacket I already told you about) were a medal holder from the Hubs (love the running girl and her cute pony tail on the right) and hot pink compression sleeves from the in-laws. Love. I am loved and the luckiest girl in the world.

 

 

Right when we got back from our holiday travel extravaganza, we got Sadie!

She's seriously the cutest dog in the world. We're in LOVE. She and I have already gone on two runs together, too many walks to count, and endless cuddles and kisses! LOVE her. She's SUCH a good dog too! She is already crate and potty trained and has no issues with either. She is SUCH a lover... her favorite thing to do is cuddle up with you on the couch. She'll seriously just lay her head right on our laps and just sit, perfectly content. It's beyond adorable. She's also the QUIETEST dog in the world. Seriously-- she has yet to bark. At all. Not even once. She's whimpered a little-- once when I went for a run without her (broke my heart!) and yesterday when I got home from work and was changing into running clothes before taking her out of her crate. But, even that "whimpering" is SO QUIET. Seriously-- we were a little worried at first.

Yep, we even Googled it. But, I think she's just quiet. She's a lover, not a barker. And, I'm 100% more than OK with that.

 

 

Anyway, like I said- there's been lots of walks and even a few runs with Sadie.

She does pretty good with both... she's a BIG sniffer and would spend the entire walk with her nose to the ground if we let her. She LOVES to run with me. I think 3-4 will be her limit, but I love that I now have an even bigger reason to go for a few quick miles after work. Can't wait to take her on even longer walks when there's not 10000 feet of snow on the ground, too!

 

Speaking of running, there's been some of that. The above 3 miles was from yesterday and that actually pre-the end of the run. We got .33 more in. I thought she was over running and wanted to walk, so I snapped this pic, but she wanted more, so we ended with 3.33. Going back to the weekend I did an 11 mile run, then 2 mile walk (w/ Sadie and the Hubs) to make it 13 miles on the first day of 2013. The running part was at 9:12/mile average pace. For it being as cold and icy as it was, I'm calling that speedy! Then, this morning I did 4 miles solo. I went out saying I'd do 6. Within steps told myself "Ok, F 6. Just do 5." and that quickly became 4. I just wasn't feeling it. My knee hurt. It was cold. My legs felt so heavy. Just OVER it. Oh well. Can't win them all!

The 11 miler had some not-so-great parts too... CHAFFING! On my neck. Who gets it there? I usually get it all over my chest, but that high onto my neck? Never! Bogus. I legit have like NO shirts that cover it. One of my student workers asked me if the 2 marks were hickeys. AWESOME. Then, I got a bloody ankle too. I have no idea how that one came about, but it freaking hurts! It's just in that perfect spot where my shoes keep rubbing against it. Ouch!

So, that's pretty much what I've been up to. Some runs. Lots of puppy love. Work. Went to Spinning on Wednesday morning and even got some elliptical time in. Oh, and I had a doc appointment today about a weird lump behind my ear that popped up. The doc said that didn't look too worrisome, so that's good. We're just keeping an eye on it. While I was there I asked about my knee, since it's been 3 solid months now and it's still being a whiny little bitch. She asked me a million questions, moved it around in every direction imaginable, and then ordered an x-ray.

 

 

Well, the x-ray was all clear and showed no signs of any BONE issues. Basically, she said the same thing the athletic trainer said, so it's back to foam rolling and icing for me. Oh well. At least now I have an adorable puppy to watch me and wag her tail at me while I do it!

 

So, that's that. Back to reality. Vacation's BEYOND amazing... but, reality's not so bad either. :)

2013 - Let's Do This

Well, I suppose it’s that time again. The New Year is just around the corner, so I guess it's time to make the much loved (and rarely completed) New Year's Resolutions.

As I think about the upcoming year, it's hard to predict where life will take me. I foresee many changes, though I don't really know why and I have no real idea what they will be.

Looking forward to 2013 there's many things I hope to accomplish. I want to challenge myself and I want to grow as a person. Woah-- that sounded so phony and scripted. Meh... hokey? Yes. But, true. So, without further adieu, here's are my Top 10 2013 Resolutions...

#1: Run another marathon. I still haven't registered for #2, but will soon, I think. The "I WANNA DO ANOTHER ONE NOOOOW!!!!" feeling has faded a bit, but I know in the back of my mind that I want to see how I would do in another one.

 

 

#2: Try a new recipe at least twice a month. This may seem like nothing to some, and while I like to cook, I tend to get in ruts and cook the same thing over and over. Hopefully this will help me branch out a bit.


#3: Talk to the sisters at least once every other week. Sucks that we all live in different places so we don't get to see each other that often. I really wanna make an effort to TALK to them (texting is an added bonus but doesn't count as talking) at least once every other week.

#4: Strength train more. Yeah, yeah. It's so good for you. Bleah. I just prefer cardio SO MUCH MORE. But, I'm gonna try. I really am. I'm going to try to go to at least one Signature Strength class each week. I also want to try to do 8-minute Abs and 8-minute Arms at least once a week.

 

#5: Save more money. The Hubs and I are actually really good about this, but I think we can be a bit more intentional and do even better. I know I can. I can cut back on the random Starbucks runs and stops at Target. I can stop and think about if I REALLY need (or even want) that new shirt or if I'm just getting suckered into a sale.

 

#6: Visit at each of my BFF's at least once. One of my best friends lives in Kentucky, one lives in Ohio, one lives in Chicago, three live in Michigan... they just live all over!! I am seriously blessed in the friends department. They are the gratest girls out there. Seriously. Be jealous. Anyway, some of these amazing women I get to see relatively regularly, but I wanna be sure to go out to see each of them at least once this year.

 
#7: Try Crossfit. I don't think I'll drink the crossfit Kool-Aid (see #4), but I want to at least try it.


#8: Eat out less. It's hard to put a number limit on it because shit happens, but I'd like to TRY to eat out  NO MORE than 1 lunch during the work week, 1 dinner during work week, and 1 meal on weekends. This is a big one. The HUbs and I eat out more than we should. Not everyday by any means, but still more than we should. This'll help with goal #5 too. 


#9: Eat less shit. I mean... I'm never going to be an incredibly HEALTHY eater. I'm OK with that. Cheeseburgers and french fries are just too damn good. BUT, I could (& should) eat BETTER and eat shit less frequently. Not never. Just less often.

 #10: Run faster. I think I'm capable of running faster than I give myself credit for and I let myself get away with running slower because I think I'm a slow runner. That makes no sense and I know that. Somehow in my head it comes together. I need to get out of this cycle. I'd like to PR in the half-marathon (with an ultimate goal of sub 2:00) and in the full (with an ultimate goal of sub 4:10). To do these successfully I need to really focus on running and getting in a speed workout in each week.

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And one more-- just for good measure... spend quality time with the Hubs. This is without a doubt the most important thing on this list... but, it's something I'm committed to doing constantly, so I don't really count it as a "New Year's Resolution" kinda thing.


 

 

 

 

So, that's that! 2012 was a fabulous year. But, I have a feeling there's even more amazingness to come. Bring it on, 2013.

Weekly Workout Recap (12/24-12/30)

Weekly Workout Recap (12/24-12/30):
Monday, 12.24.12: 4 miles
Tuesday, 12.25.12: Rest Day! (Christmas!! Out of Town.)
Wednesday, 12.26.12: 11 miles
Thursday, 12.27.12: 3 miles & 60-minute Spinning Class & 3 miles & 30 minute elliptical
Friday, 12.28.12: None
Saturday, 12.29.12: None
Sunday, 12.30.12: 2.25 miles (with dog!)


Totals for Week (12/24-12/30):
23.25 Miles Run
1 Spinning Class
0 Signature Strength Classes
30 Minutes Elliptical

3 rest days in the SAME week! WOWZA! That's pretty unheard of in these parts. But, life just got in the way. What can ya do?!?!

WIAW - New Year's Edition!

 

Yeah, Yeah-- I know. I've been totally MIA lately. SORRY!! Don't worry-- I'm back! Without further ado, let's just hop back into the swing of things with a WIAW. Below are all my eats from yesterday (Tuesday, 1/1). I had the day off and did a long run (11 miles) and took the dog for a 2 mile walk to make it 13 miles for a great first day of 2013!

 

 

Breakfast: 10:30am

I didn't eat anything before my run because... well, because I'm dumb, I guess. I just wasn't thinking. I also didn't bring anything with me on my run. DUMB Meagan. Anyway-- Sadie was CLEARLY ready for a walk (that's her!! Notice she's sitting RIGHT by the door, just waiting!) so I grabbed this and went right back out the door. Not an ideal breakfast, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

 

Lunch: 1pm (Note: old, recycled pic but same exact food)

The Hubs and I went to Hot Box Pizza 2 days before so it was left overs for lunch. BBQ chicken pizza. SO, SO, SOOOO good!!!

 

 

Random Snack Throughout Day:

Love this stuff. Snacked on and off all day.

 

 

Dinner: 6pm

We roasted a spaghetti squash and topped it with jarred marinara, TJ's roasted garlic chicken sausage, and roasted yellow/orange peppers and onions. YUUUUM! And soooooo good for you!

 

 

Dessert: 7:45pm

The in-laws got us 2 gift cards for our favorite fro yo place, so you KNOW we had to end of winter holiday with some of it! I swear, there is actually fro yo under that mound of candy. Swear.