Gone With The Wind

Matt and I just got back from our weekly run with the Pike Creek Running Club.  We went a little earlier today because it was a little windy and chilly.  We wanted to get our run in before the sun went down.  We dressed in warm clothes prepared for the elements.

I really wanted to run, but was not looking forward to being so cold.  I was definitely glad that I had recently bought some new warm workout cothes...there's always a reason to shop.

(new shirt with built in gloves)

It was a tough run but Matt and I finished! We ran 5.25 miles and were very glad to be done.  I came home and literally didn't get out of the shower for 15 minutes.  I made a big cup of mint tea and fixed some leftovers for dinner. 

Finished 5.25 miles in just under 51 minutes

Matt and I both have off tomorrow. We are headed to philadelphia for the weekend to celebrate our 6 year anniversary.  I'll be sure to take a lot of pictures and post when I get home!

How I Learned to Love Running

Growing up running was never my thing.  I played tennis and swam all my life but could barely run a mile around the track.  For tennis we were forced to run a mile every day before practice and this just about killed me.  I can remember watching my sister who is ten years older than me run cross country races throughout high school and college. I thought she was out of her mind.  I didnt start running until my junior year of college. My roommate Leah was a runner and she made it sound appealing enough.

(My roommate for 3 years Leah)

 I started out very very slow.  I could barely run for 10 minutes straight and every time I ran my stomach would have a horrible reaction to it and I would be stuck in the bathroom the rest of the night. Because of this I never really got addicted to running in college.  When I graduated I was searching for some sort of hobby to keep me occupied and help me forget that all my best friends were miles and miles away from me.  I joined a gym and signe up for my first 5k.  Once I ran the 5k race I was hooked.

(my first 5k in Wilmington. finished in 29.11)

I started runninng longer distances and I succeeded in getting Matt hooked as well.  Since then we have done a handfull of 5k's. 

(NunRun in September. Finished in 26.24 my Personal Best!)

 We also joined the Pike Creek Running Club and run with the group once a week.  We recently signed up for our first 10k at the end of November.  Right now I'm at about a 9:30 pace and finished my last 10k practice in under an hour. Matt can kick my butt with an 8 minute pace, but it's still nice to have someone there to motivate me to go.  I'm hoping to eventually run a half marathon, but until then I'm just enjoying the challenge and the health benefits of it.  The best thing in the world is a long run after a rough day at work!

I just finished a 4 mile run and tomorrow is my rest day.  :)

My Meals for the Day

My mornings usually start with one of my favorite foods....greek yogurt!. I used to eat it alone with some granolla, but it would never keep me full for very long. I needed something that would hold me over for at least 3 hours.  This is when I discovered overnight oats.



3/4 cup strawberry greek yorgurt

1/3 cup rolled oats

drizzle of milk (depending on how you like the consitancy)

sprinkle of wheat germ

spoonfull of almond butter

craisins

Mix the night before and let it sit in the fridge. It will be ready for you the next morning. This also helps me move a little quicker in the morning since I don't have to make everything on the spot. 

For lunch I made a salad with a little bit of everything: spinach leaves, apples, rasberries, grapes, carrots, broccoli, snap peas, black beans, ground turkey, hummus, and goat cheese.

For dinner I made Spinach Lasagna Rolls: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/02/spinach-lasagna-rolls.html.  So easy and so yummy. I had some veggies on the side and some great harvest spinach parmesean toast. 

And I can not finish a day without some dark chocolate. I always have individually wrapped dark chocolate chunks for when I have chocolate cravings. 

My First Post!

Hi everyone! This is my fist blog post and I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing! I think it will take me a while to figure this out.  My name is Megan. I'm 24 years old and living in the great city of Newark, Delaware.  I graduated with a degree in Animal Science and Biology and now work as a Research Assistant in Delaware.  Since graduating college two years ago my life has changed so much.  I have found a new love for fitness and healthy cooking.  I also am newly engaged and live with my fiance Matt and our 2 cats (and hopefully a dog soon).  We are planning our wedding for this coming May.

I haven't always been the healthiest or most active person.  In high school and college my parents would very often refer to me as a couch potatoe or a bump on a log.  Now that couldn't be further from the truth.  Now I can't seem to sit still.  I love running, hiking, and weight lifting.  I recently got Matt into running too and we're running our first 10k in November. 

I love reading healthy living blogs and thought it would be something fun to do so I'm going to give it a go! Here goes nothing!