Mel On...Hitting Autopilot (then getting my butt-kicked)

Today I planned on doing an easy 4 mile jog (around a 12:00 min. mile) around the new trail I found last week.  I can leave from the parking lot of the MMA gym and run for about an hour before I have to be back for kickboxing.  I love doing this because I can get in a quick solo run without being worried about having the traffic lights and intersections affect my run time.  Easy peasy miles...I like it.

I don't know what happened today, it was one of those runs that you don't plan on being awesome but it totally turned out that way!  The weather was almost perfect (upper 30's, chilly but not too cold -- which is really rare for this time of year here) with a fine mist blowing just enough to dampen your face.  Something about the combination of seeing the sunrise, breathing in the fresh air, and that cool mist just makes you feel so....so alive.    I love it!

Mel On...Meg's Miles

This was supposed to be a rest weekend; however, when a fellow runner shared with me this Facebook campaign, I knew I had to get some miles in for Meg.

Mel On...Friday Night Wine Run!

Soooooo.....when I talked my friend, Sarah, into doing today's "wine run" I sold it as a quick 5 mile run from my house for some yummy wine and dinner (I may or may not have forgotten to include the distance from my house to the actual loop we were leaving from...and the fact we were running with a 40 lb kid in a stroller).

When I actually realized we had to include the distance from my house into the run, I was CERTAIN it was maybe 1.5 to 2 miles....yeah right!

Mel On...This Week's Deep Water Running Class

Today is THURSDAY!  I love Thursdays because Thursdays mean hiking or deep water running with my girl, Bri.  Since we did hiking last week we really didn't want to miss deep water running today.  The class was super-packed (I'm assuming because it was the first class of the new year everyone was hitting the gym to knock off their resolutions), which is great...but a little annoying when we kept bumping into people trying to balance on a noodle....

Hopefully, they will open up some more lanes next week if the class is going to continue to grow.  If you can't make it to a class or don't have one in your area...or don't want to be knocked off your noodle... I am posting the workout below!

Mel On...Recipes for Runners (Moroccan Chicken Salad)

OMG!  You all know I love me some food.  I especially love me a good salad.  So, when I saw this recipe from FemFusion Fitness I knew I had to try it!

Brianne Grogan's Moroccan Chicken Salad
Photo courtesy of FemFusion Fitness

And let me tell you...it was amazeballs!  Hands down the best salad I have ever eaten in my entire life.  There are sooooo many yummy things going on in this salad.  Every single bite is like Christmas because you don't know which flavors you are going to get, but all the flavors work so magically well together, and OH MY GOODNESS it is GOOD!

Mel On..."The Loop"

I ran "the loop" today for the first time since Athens.  It's just a 5 mile loop in a nearby village, nothing spectacular about it...other than the fact that I have HOURS upon HOURS upon HOURS of run time on that thing!

(...ummmm, and it's gorgeous!)

Mel On..."People of Walmart" Fun Run

This has been a pretty awesome training week!  My mind was going a little crazy from the unexpected (but much needed) hiatus I took and I was really excited to get back out there...

It started with my favorite route around our village, then I explored some new trails, got my butt kicked in kick-boxing, sneaked in some Quick Core, survived an Amanda workout, went on a cross-training hike, attacked some hills, got my weekly dose of FemFusion, busted out some sprints on the track, and ended it with a hilarious, early-morning 5K!  Whew.  I am REALLY ENJOYING my rest day today!

The 5K was awesome!  It was put together by a wonderful chick in our running group (shout out to my ladies!) and involved dressing up like "People of Walmart!"  I haven't been that excited to be up at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday in a long time!

Mel On...Home Workouts (Quick Core!)

Every now and then my schedule gets jammed and I have to (or in this case, want to) cram a workout in at home.  I have a love/hate relationship with this.  I LOVE that it is convenient...I can do it in any weather and at any time of the day...yadda, yadda, yadda...

However, I hate that I can't ever seem to give them my 100% undivided attention or effort.  I am either surrounded by my wonderful children who need constant refereeing...or a snack...or the t.v. turned on...or they want to play with my phone...or sit on my back when I'm trying to bend my body into a downward dog...

Mel On...This Week's Cross-Training Hike

I LOVE Thursdays!  Thursdays are cross-training days and I either hike or go deep water running with my buddy, Bri.  Today we had our eyes on a group hike in a nearby village but the time-frame on this one would have been cutting it really close to school pick-up time...soooo, we improvised and did a shorter "hike" in our own backyard!

Mel On...Solo Runs

Yesterday I had about an hour before kickboxing class so I decided to go on a quick, easy 4 miler to explore more in-depth a trail I found a few weeks ago...

Mel On...First Run of the Year!

Okay, so I got off to a little later start on the running thing than I intended to this year but with the kids back in school today there were no excuses!  No excuses, Mel...

I couldn't wait to get out there this morning!  Mondays are my long run days with my friend, Bri, so not only do I look forward to the run...I look forward to the company as well!

Mel On..."Quick Core Workouts"

Soooooo.....you all know how I love me some FemFusion Fitness.  (I think you can search for "Fem Fusion" on my blog and find a gazillion posts!).  I seriously cannot say enough good things about the classes, videos, instructors, and the simple "lifestyle" of FemFusion --  eat clean and move every day.

Speaking of videos.....

Mel On...I'm Baaaaaack! (New Year, New Goals)

Hi, guys!  After an apparently much-needed doctor-ordered hiatus, a couple-quick vacations, and the holidays, I am ready to start running again.  READ-DY.

To say I am excited is an understatement!  Things were pretty bleh earlier this month.  I underestimated the stress I was putting on my body and overestimated my ability to recover from it.  Lesson learned.