See Megan Run...

15 miles. CHECK.

I was uber nervous about today's run for the following reasons.
A) My 7 mile run on Tuesday was killer for me. My knees haven't really ever given me trouble. Which is quite surprising judging by the family history. (I come from a line of feeble knees.) Anyways...I was in so much pain Tuesday running I thought this might be the end of it. I'd finally been taken captive by the Smith family genes. Don't worry, I don't give up too easily, so i preceded to finish out the rest of the weeks workout too much of a problem. I attribute Tuesday's trauma to over usage and tiredness. I've been kind of a maniac these past few weeks.
B) 15 miles is long. I usually like to do these runs outside so I can pick route hammer it out, and be done. It's still a little too cold for me in the morning to be able to run outside comfortably, so yep, 15 treadmill filled miles were in my future.
C) When my mileage gets up into these high miles it's necessary to replace your body's stores of carbohydrates while you're running to keep your energy up. Eating while running...you never know how the body is going to react. I like predictability.

With these qualms in mind I prepped myself for the 15 miles that were to come. I set up the rest of my workouts for the week so I could have Friday to rest, which I think really helped. My body and my knees felt really good today. I got a good nights rest, and I woke up and had a good breakfast. I always allow myself about 30 mins before I start working out to let me food settle. I went to the gym and was lucky enough to snag my favorite treadmill in the cardio cinema. (That is when you know you're spending too much time @ the gym...when you have a favorite treadmill.) Fortunately the movie had just started. How did I know this? Because unfortunately I recognized the movie instantly. The new Indiana Jones. Now don't get me wrong. I love me some Harrison Ford. But, I found this movie to be a painful, boring attempt to making Harrison look as young and vivacious as he did in the golden Indiana days. Lucky for me that movies is...oh...about 6 hours long, so I got to take in every captive moment. (Followed by the beginning of the next feature film...some heartfelt Disney Production with Ravon Simone. Lucky me eh?)

I saddled up on the treadmill and got mentally prepared. I had already decided how I was going to break it down.
6 miles, restart treadmill, walk for two mins, eat two Clif Bar Shot Bloks, water, resume running. Ipod in, 6 miles, water, walk for two mins, resume running.
3 miles, bust it out, pray, try and destract myself until finish.

It really went pretty much just like that. The first 6 miles went by SO fast. It was amazing. I felt really good. It REALLY helped me to break it down into sections. Running is SO mental for me. I have to set small goals, and those small goes add up to big accomplishments. If I look at the big chunk of mileage I feel overwhelmed. Towards the end of the three miles I started to feel it. My body was getting tired, but I felt good still. I was so happy about that.

One thing that I know helped me to soldier through was my refueling. Most runners turn to the Gu or Shot Gel for instant carbohydrates, but I'm a total texture person. I can't do it. This is something I've had to figure out through trial and error. The two things I like most are Clif Bar Shot Bloks and Jelly Belly Sports Beans.

The Shot Bloks are like giant fruitsnacks and they're really good. The Sports Beans taste just like Jelly Beans. It is definitely weird to get used to eating while running, but these are good alternatives. Many runners will skip the fancy shmancy and use hard candies or starbursts. Basically you need quick, easily digestable carbohydrates. I reccomend refueling for any exercise over one hour. Yes, you may be able to "soldier through" without it. You're tough, I get it. BUT why would you make something more difficult than it has to be? If you have the option to make your run doable, and enjoyable DO IT. It is also really important to remember to consume enough water while you're running distances. Your body needs it.
I'm glad I did it. Glad to be done for the day. Next week's long run calls for 16 miles. Let's hope all goes well. Thanks for all your support!!

Cheery Up Sleepy Jean...

Sleep. One of my favorite topics. One of my favorite things to do in fact. I love a good nights sleep, and I become somewhat dysfunctional when I'm super tired. Can any of you relate? What if I told you that getting a good nights sleep could help you maintain a healthy weight, or even lose excess weight? Too good to be true?

It is the very concept that doctors are have been questioning for several years. Is there a connection between sleep and weight loss? Studies have shown the answer is Yes. Those who get fewer hours of sleep per night have higher BMI's.

During your sleeping hours is when your body rests and regenerates itself. The muscles of the body are relaxed while you're sleeping, allowing the tissue to repair and rebuild itself. This is key for those who are involved in exercise, and especially those who lift weights. Not allowing your body time to recuperate can lead to fatigue, injury, and other potential problems. Be good to your body. If you expect it to work for you, you need to give it adequate rest.

Research shows that fatigue leads to overeating. This is a result of the change in hormone levels as your body becomes tired, leading you to crave food and not feel full. Hence...midnight snacking, late afternoon snacking...etc. These snacks tend to be high calorie sweets and starchy foods which when frequently over consumed can lead to weight gain.

So, how much sleep should we be getting? 7-9 hours is what is recommended. Allow yourself to develop a pattern. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Use your bed solely for sleeping. Don't read or study on it. Give your body time to wind down before you go to bed. Don't eat or drink anything right before bed time. Take a warm bath or shower to let your body relax. Get in a routine of waking up consistently in the morning. Avoid pushing snooze when your alarm goes off. Although those extra nine minutes may seem worth it at the time, your body won't go back into a deep sleep cycle, and it actually won't give you any rest. It may, in fact, make you feel more tired throughout the rest of the day.

When you get enough sleep you'll have the energy to get in a good work out which will leave you more energized throughout the day, and it has been proven that exercising also helps you to sleep better. (Crazy chain of events eh?) So...get some shut eye! Make it a priority. Make it a habit. It will be worth it to you and your body!

Tunes to Jam to...

As requested...this new playlist is dedicated to Ally B. Good luck with your training girl! You all know by now how much my music helps me in my running, so I'm constantly looking for new good tunes that I can jam to while I'm pounding the pavement.

Halo - Beyonce
Beautiful - Akon
Circus - Britney Spears
The Dirt Whispered - Rise Against
Merry Happy - Kate Nash
Your Call - Secondhand Serenade
Untouched - The Veronicas
Heartless - Kanye West
Single Ladies - Beyonce
Dead and Gone - T.I. (a definite favorite)
Diva - Beyonce ....the answer is YES, i'm on a Beyonce kick right now...
Camera Phone - The Game
Poker Face - Lady Gaga
Make Your Own Kind of Music - The Mama's & The Papas (any LOST fans?)
The Fear - Lily Allen
Green Light Feat. Andre 3000 - John Legend

Hopefully these can help get you in the workout groove! I'd love to hear any favorites you have to add to my list!
If you're new check out my previous playlists HERE

Fitday.com Guestpost

My darling friend Jenna has been doing some posting on her weight loss journey and how she has overcome a lot of the hard obstacles that come with it. She is the one who introduced me to Fitday.com years and years ago, and we both are addicts. She asked me to do a guest post on her blog explaining how to use the website, and why I liked it so much.

Cick HERE to read my guest post!

oh glorious sweets....

Well, you've heard me speak of my not eating sugar/candy/crap challenge more than you probably want to. But in my speaking about it I've had a lot of you ask me what I do to fight the cravings, you know, to curb the sweet-tooth (you may not believe me...I promise I REALLY do have one). This is my formula for success:

1. I don't buy crap. If it's there I'll eat it. I know myself far too well. I avoid the M&M peanuts, the Mike n' Ikes, and the Cadbury Mini Eggs.

2. I always have a plethora of "good snacks" on hand. Fresh fruits and vegetables, peanuts, bran muffins, rice cakes, healthy cereals, air popped popcorn, chrystal light, sugar free popsicles and fudgecicles, fat free sugar free jell-o pudding packs, etc. I replace the candy and treats with other, better snacks.

3. I allow myself to have fat free frozen yogurt, diet dr. pepper, sugar free mentos and hard candies. This cuts the cravings when i'm dying for a treat. Although the fat free frozen yogurt does have sugar in it I feel like it's a better choice than say...a candy bar.

4. I am constantly reminding myself that it works, and that makes it worth it. It's funny because when i cut out all the crap I notice the mindless calories that I eat normally. Grab a few pieces of candy from the candy dish....every time you walk by. The harmless cookie here and there. Now, remember that I do completely believe in moderation in all things, and cookies can be harmless here and there, BUT I'm just pointing out the fact that this is where excess calories sneak in without your noticing.

5. In the past I've allowed myself one "Sunday Treat." I'm not doing that this time, but when I did it, it was helpful to know that I had one indulgence on sunday and I could hold off until then.

I dare you to try it. Try it for a day, for a week, for a month. Just see if you can do it. I promise you'll be surprised at how much will power you can muster up. You'll also be amazed at how much better you feel!

See Megan Run...

I was actually looking forward to yesterday's run due to the fact that it felt like a bit of a break. Is it sad when 10 miles feels like a break? Looking back to last week's 13 miles, and projecting next weeks 15 miles, it does! It was harder to get through than I thought it would be. I'm going to attribute that to not having a very good night's sleep the night before, and my battling a cold all week long....breathing is an important component to the whole running aspect, and i'm quite the stuffed up lil' thing. This past week was also the beginning of the increase of my mid-week run's. We start to get up into the 8's and 9's for my wednesday run....bring on the mileage. We're getting serious here!

Workout Order

Is it better to lift weights before you get your cardio in or after?

This is a question that I've been asked several times, so hopefully I can bring some light to the subject for you. Like many other aspects of exercise there are a lot of factors that go into determining which order of working out will work best for you.

The body get's its energy to exercise from glycogen. Glycogen comes from the food we eat, mostly carbohydrates. When we exercise we deplete the glycogen stores in our body. There is a "chain of command," so to speak of how our energy stores are used. Your body will use your glycogen stores first, and then it will begin to burn stored fat once the glycogen is gone. How you workout can determine which energy sources you're using.

First, you must determine what your goals are.

If you are seeking to increase muscle size it is better for you to warm up and then lift weights first while your muscle glycogen stores are fresh. This way you'll be able to have maximum energy for your weight lifting routine.

If your goals are geared more towards decreasing body fat and weight loss it is better to do your cardio first and lift afterwords. There are a few reasons for this. Most people are more likely to get a better cardio workout in (burning more calories) if they do it first, while their energy is fresh. Your heart rate will be elevated from doing your cardio, and if you can keep it up while lifting, you'll continue to burn more calories. The key factor to remember when you're looking to lose weight is the necesity of total calories burned. You want that number high!
*It is more likely that you'll be able to get in both your cardio workout and your weights workout if you do cardio first. Lifting tends to fatigue the body more than cardio does, making the cardio workout more difficult if your weight routine is done first. Remember that calories burned are calories burned regardless of what order you're exercising.

A great way to avoid the problem of fatigue, and to use your energy stores efficiently is to do circut training. This is a combination of lifting weights and cardio. It burns a TON of calories and gets your resistance training in at the same time. It's a great way to mix up the normal routines we all get stuck in!

If you're looking to try circut training on for size try out my
Super Bowl Inspired Cardio Circuit
or my Jump Rope Circuit
I promise you'll be sweatin'!