Some things you should try!

As I said before in the last post, you seriously need to try my Green Monster Smoothie. It sounds and it may look terribly disgusting- but once you start drinking it, you will think differently. Keep in mind spinach and lettuce taste like nothing by itself, and when you add peanut butter and banana together, those tastes are yummay! Seriously. Try.

Green Monster Smoothie

1 cup almond milk (or any type of milk)

1/2 cup yogurt- give or take, however you like it

1/2 frozen banana

1-2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter (regular works great too)

As much spinach as you can fit in your blender

And add the optional fixins to make your Green Monster even healthier:

-flaxseed

-chia seeds

-coconut oil

-protein powder

 

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You know you are a running nerd when you get excited your new running log comes in the mail. I love writing down my training and looking back on it. The biggest thing I love about training logs is when I can log each race down and compare them to past years! Once again, I am such a nerd.

 

I really like it and can't wait to start logging miles in it! (hopefully in six more days...) Being injured sucks. Anyways, before I go off topic and complain more how much being injured isn't fun, let me talk about this log. It has a month planning training before your weekly diary. I really like planning my training beforehand so that is a plus. It also has little tips and facts everywhere I look, which I really like. Oh, and it has a pace chart too!!!!!! When I'm wanting to do a 400 workout now, instead of trying to do each 400 in blazing speeds of 1:00 I should be remembering that according to my pace chart and target pace level, I should be doing them in 1:19, lots of them.

I purchased it HERE! I really recommend training logs to all runners.

One of the tips was this and I'll leave you with this to ponder:
"Its okay to run slowly. Very slowly. Elite African runners tend to run at a snail's pace in their recovery workouts between harder training sessions. By doing so, they get the benefits of time in motion without interfering with their recovery from previous hard training or sabotaging their performance on their next hard session. Take a page from the Africans' book and take it really easy on your easy days."

You hear that, guys? :)

OH- and sorry for the randomnest of this post, BUT DAM TO DAM registration opens up TODAY! If you are in the Des Moines area, register for the best race around- Iowa's Distance Classic! It is my favorite road run to date.

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Do you keep a training log? Are you good about writing everything down?

 

Do you have slow training days?

 

Are you training for a race right now? 

 

 

Nice to see you all again!

Between registering for ACTs, having a continous battle with homework, being a teenager, you know, posting on the blog was put on the back burner. Actually, if there is anything further than a back burner, that's where posting would be at. I have had zero, zippo, time. I really don't want blogging to be a chore, so now that I have down time, it's great to sit down and get a post in!

My surgery went great and I survived. More than a month now without running and I'm really missing it. I'm going to get sappy, here's your warning! Running is a huge part of who I am and not being able to do it kind of just sucks. I go back on the 27th (10 DAYS!) to see what the doctor thinks and maybe he (he said this last check up) that I can get going again. Keep your fingers AND toes crossed please for me! At least I have got the OK to swim and bike, which I've been getting some killer workouts in that way. I'll share with you in the coming days what those workouts have been like. I also am hoping to get in for track. Let's hope together:)

Spending amp time with my friends and family has been great and they all have been super supportive. I am truly thankful for amazing friends and family, which is above all else!

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Favorite smoothie to make? 
-I love green smoothies. Stay tuned tomorrow morning for my recipe! 

Favorite magazine subscripition/to read?
-InStyle, Fitness Magazine, and Runner's World. I also like People.

Anybody reading a really great book right now?! Tell me- I need to find something!

Do you like swimming or biking? 
-I found out I really love swimming and you can get a killer workout in on a bike. Woofta.
 

Meet my besties!

I haven't been posting in the last couple of days because THIS GIRL (my best friend!) came home to see my other best friend (her cousin) and I!  It's kind of confusing, but I met Tiffany through running and we became the bestest of friends (we've gone to indoor track meets together out of state, ran road runs together, about everything) but she lives about 2.5 hours away but her cousin (Monnie) lives right here in town and we became best friends because of that. Make sense? :)

We had a great weekend-- it started off Thursday night hoping we would have no school Friday because of a predicted snow storm coming in. I think I (we) jinxed it by spending the night at her house and not going to bed until midnight and thinking we were going to have no school. I think we ended up getting 3 inches out of the predicted 20 inches the weathermen had their money on. Hmmmf. We made these cookies.

School, school, school was on FRIDAY, and then she came home and yes, I hung out with my best friends again Friday night. A nerd party (we did our math), ate some great food once again, and watched Sinnister. That movie is all out creepy, we have yet to finish it and NO we were not screaming like little girls during the whole movie...okay. Maybe we were.


Saturday we watched BFF 1 (Monnie) play at her volleyball tournament. My other good friend swims too like I told you the other day. Tiffany and I are both runners so we don't tend to understand other people's sports and just the sad reality that people are missing out on the greatest and to me, the EASIEST sport out there. I mean you don't have to think of serving, spiking, or diving you just RUN.



After the volleyball tournament, we got beautified and went out to the movies and saw Safe Haven for the second time. That movie is the best.

Here is our favorite part:



Okay that's not the only favorite part.


A great weekend with my besties- I wish I could have the time to write down everything that went on! I have the best friends I could ask for.

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Do you have any friends that live out of town? How do you keep in touch with them?

How was your weekend run(s)/workouts?

FAVORITE protein to eat?
Salmon or chicken.

Do you play another sport? Do you like another sport better than running?

Why do you like running?
 I like that it gives me a runner's high and just the hard work ethic that comes with it just makes me feel good about myself.

 

A post that hurts to write.

 Being a runner has shaped me literally into who I am. When I say this, please know that this a huge understatement and what you are about to read doesn’t always sjust happen to me; it has happened to many of us crazies.

 

I struggled with an eating disorder the early part of my running career. It started out small, but grew to a large problem that basically took over my life. While I’m trying to not to get to sappy about this, I as a person was kind of lost. I was so focused on training and running and eating little of nothing to weigh the mere 79 pounds and a BMI of 14.5 that that was my life. It was dark, and it was almost scary.

For the longest time I didn’t believe, myself, I had an eating problem and back then I wouldn’t even begin to start writing this post. I would deny any allegations and get angry at people who believed I had a problem.. after all, I was winning all of my races and working hard. I was kicking butt but I cry at the things I did to my body. 

 

Thankfully, I pulled myself out by the help of good friends and family. While I even  struggle a lot with disordered eating habits still today and always think to myself “If I just lost 10 pounds I’d be faster”. This may be true, but if I lost any weight I wouldn’t be me anymore, I need that energy for life.

I’ve came to terms that my past mistakes don’t define me and even today, being injured, I’ve realized that being a good friend and a helpful, kind family member is so much important. GOD is my rock. Running is after all of that. While I live, breathe, and eat running, I’d sacfrice anything for those I love.

Beginning today, I’m promising myself that it’s time to embrace who I am and laugh and smile everyday. Working hard and having fun and loving life is a great feeling and it is time to embrace it.

If you or anyone is suffering from an eating disorder or disordered eating, please get professional help, talk to a family member or a friend, or you can even email me if you’d like to talk! I’m always here.

REMEMBER, good things come to good people. God will take care of everything. Work hard. Pray. God’s going to bless you!

Much Love and Happy Running,

Megan

My best friend is a fish.

I went with a friend to he swim team practice tonight. Swimming is like one of the hardest things for me to do- really it is. I feel like an awkward chicken flapping it’s wings while swimming  and I feel really slow. She’s a stud. She's a fish.

It was kind of relaxing just chilling by the pool.

Headed home and the next stop was GROCERY SHOPPING with the bro, dad, and bro. Why did I insist on putting that in that order? There’s a winter storm coming and I’m crossing my fingers we get 20 inches of snow. No really. I like the idea of being snowed in because then I don’t have to go to school. I heart snow days.

Good times in general, folks. Stay tuned for my tomorrow’s post! Until then, have a great rest of the night!

What are you FOCUSED on right now? Is there something in your life that you feel you need to get done/do better?

I’m always 100 percent focused on school. Taking 3 college credit classes is kicking me in the hiney and I’m always working to stay ahead. .. getting some time off has been a blessing especially with school.

Grocery shopping: do you make lists or buy whatever? Stick to a price limit?

You deserve to win!!

Happy Tuesday!! I hope you are all having a terrific day and you've had a great run.

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In Studyhall today (yes, mom, my homework was all done before hand) I came across and older article in Runner's World. I love love love reading about elite runners and their backgrounds. What are their strengths and weaknesses, what has made them good, tips they have, and what personality type/work ethic they have that has made them into such a terrific runner. There is something about an elite athlete that sets them apart from the rest of the population. They know what works for them, they have an amazing strong will, determination of gold, and confidence. Well, most of them have confidence.

Reading this article about Kara Goucher, one of her biggest weaknesses is the confidence factor. In that article, she confessed she "has a lot of negative chatter in her head" and on race day will tend to worry about other runners and COMPARE herself to them. She basically sets herself up for not winning before the race even starts by obbessing over the competition and not deserving she needs to be there. Kara, honey, you truly do. You're faster than fast.

Not going to lie, I'm pretty sure each and every one of us runners have self- doubt. I have struggled with it personally for a long time and still do. I have this irrational fear that the race will be too hard, I won't make it through without walking, I will fall back and get last, etc. I will think all of these things before my race-- even when I've had GREAT training.

That is when we have to step in and remember we really have done everything GREAT in our training. WE HAVE WORKED HARD TO BE EVEN STARTING THIS RACE and it's GO TIME. Get 'er done with and just hope for the best. 

Here are Runner's World's Tips and Sports Psychologist Tips that I agree with immensely:

I really love number one on this list--- I am going to add that into my next training plan by writing every worry I have down and facing those fears in my training runs! Can you tell how excited I am that I came across this brilliant tip?
And #5- small victories every day add up to a big victory in time :)

 
Running my half-marathon was so scary to me- I remember turning to my friend saying how much I thought I was going to die. I think if I went into the race with better training, I would have more confidence and who knows what time I would of ran!

Set yourself up to mentally tough to win. Remember, you've done the work. You deserve to win. You DESERVE TO WIN. You have fought every training run, you work hard to eat healthy, you foam roll, you do everything. YOU DESERVE THIS SO PUT UP A FIGHT!! Be confident :)

Last healthy thing you ate?

Salad at lunch!

Are you a confident runner or is this something you need to work on as a runner?

Something I need to work on.

What do you do to get yourself pumped for race day? What do you eat?!

-I listen to music. Like rap, powerful music.

-And I eat banana and bagel and sometimes yogurt. It all depends how long the race is.

What are you looking forward to?

SUMMA SUMMA SUMMA (summer in my vocabulary) and of course, getting my boot off so I can run again. I miss it too much. 

I have never been more excited...

TO PUT MAKE UP ON!

I'm heading out with the family tonight to eat supper. Putting on make up and getting dressed up in 15 minutes:) Holla holla. I'm ready to see the world! 
Gosh, if you're just reading, I have not been locked up for a year. I have been forced on the couch for a day. 

Since I can't workout and run right now, I want you guys to!! If you have a tough speed workout, be mentally tough and focus. Here are some of my tips to get through a tough speed workout (mile repeats, intervals, sprinting, stair running, hill sprints)

1. Really focus on what you're doing.

Sometimes I even take my music out of my ears or don't even bring it with me. I focus on my form when it starts to really hurt. It gets my mind off of "OMG my legs are burning and my lungs are on fire" to pump these arms and just stay relaxed!

2. Know steady and challenging. At first.

DO NOT start your speed workout too fast. DO NOT go out and run a 5:30 mile and slow down each mile after that, for example. Start off a tad challenging and end with flames coming out of your butt! Finish STRONG. So relax and focus at the beginning of your workout and torwards the end, give it your all.

3. Have a mantra.

I always have three words I repeat to myself: "I am strong." Choose powerful words to keep you going. BE STRONG!

  4. Remember what you're there for.

When the going gets tough, I know, it is so easy to give up and I have many MANY MANY times. But you WILL NOT regret getting through the workout. Remember what you're training for, remember your goal! Know how crushed you will be if you don't reach it because you gave up on THIS WORKOUT. Keep fighting!

5. Split it up.

If you are doing 400 mile repeats, split the track into 100 meters. Each 100 have a different mantra OR each 100 focus on pumping your arms, Each 100 focus on long strides, next 100 focus on posture, and the last 100 focus on all of those! KEEP YOUR MIND BUSY as A BEE!

You can totally do it and I have faith in you!!!! Remember, you can do anything you put your mind to:)

Do you have a hard workout tonight? Did you already? What is your mantra?!

Favorite type of workout?

-Long runs. They hurt so good.

What are you looking forward to? Do you like dressing up and putting make up on, ladies?