Set from Salo

Though it doesn't give all the details on the set's instructions, I find it interesting the way he writes his sets:

Set from Urbanchek

The funniest man in swimming is still at it. Here was a workout of his that Dave Salo tweeted recently.

"Get Your Rear In Gear 5k"- Raising Awareness for Colon Cancer!

Today I ran the Get Your Rear In Gear 5k at the beautiful Castle Island in Southie! It was awesome that it was so close to my house- I was still able to have a lazy Saturday sleep-in before I rolled out of bed to run! This race was extra exciting because I got to run with my best friend Miss Boston- Kelsey Beck! Two of her friends have parents battling colon cancer and I know a few friends fighting it so this was a perfect cause and reason to be active.

Miss Collegiate Area & Miss Boston

 

 

We got to the race JUST in time. The National Anthem was ending, I was still putting my bib on, and the gun was off! We quickly hopped in line and had to start our "hellos" and catching up as we started the race... this made the race FLY by! Although we were totally out-of-breath from talking, we had so much fun.

a mid-run snapshot!

There was such a great turn out for this event. Like I said, we were running this for all the people we know fighting colon cancer, and to see such a great turnout was truly inspiring. It is incredible how many people were showing their support for colon cancer.

Get Your Rear In Gear 5k

my favorite running route- Castle Island

could Castle Island be more amazing?

Kelsey and I helped to push each other through the race (have you read my blog posts about HOW MUCH I love a running buddy?) and before we knew it, we were crossing the finish line! The best part about races is that you get to see friends, socialize, AND get your workout over with WHILE supporting a great cause.

another mid-run picture, hehe :)

pageant buddies, best friends :)

we had to re-enact our finish after everyone was done. kodak moment ;)

And I've told you another great perk about races- the free goodies. Thank you to ALL of the sponsors at Get Your Rear In Gear for filling up my college cabinets with post-run fuel!

so much goodness

The race was so much fun and totally inspired me to combine a little of my nursing-knowledge for this blog to make people aware of colon cancer and ways to potentially prevent it. Colorectal cancer is a cancer of the large intestine and occurs when cells start growing and dividing into abnormal cells that don't die on their own. These abnormal cells can grow into polyps, which if left untreated, can become cancerous. While some cancers are inevitable, we can still change our lifestyles to hopefully increase our lifespan and chance of disease!

-Watch your intake of red meat!! Limit yourself to about 2 portions per week and aim for lean cuts. The high fat and salt content may contribute to colon cancer.

-Make sure you are getting all of your vitamins and minerals!! Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables- yum!

-Exercise! Get moving! Obesity contributes to colon cancer.

-Don't binge drink. Try to cut back on the amount of alcohol you consume.

-Get screened! Colonoscopy testing should start at age 50!

-Don't smoke!!! (and avoid a million other cancers but quitting!). 

-Check out your family history and be aware

-Motivate your loved ones to become healthier and provide them with support for their colonoscopy.

These are all ways to hopefully prevent colon cancer, but ALL of these tips contribute to a healthier you! It is never too early to start. Try to make a few changes TODAY! What are you waiting for? Life is too short :)
These health measures not only prevent colon cancer, but could help prevent high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and heart attacks! Kill two birds with one stone (or many birds for that matter) by adapting to a more nutritious lifestyle- you will feel so much better inside & out!

This day was just SO inspiring that I passed a bloodmobile on my way to get coffee after the race... I decided it couldn't be more appropriate to give blood today and hopefully save a life! So that is exactly what I did. Giving blood is the easiest, most pain-free and simple way to save a life! Plus, you get to eat cookies after... who would object to that????

all smiles watching blood drain from me :) haha!

Thanks for reading! Lets raise awareness for colon cancer!

Morgan

Alex Pettyfer workout and diet secret

Alex Pettyfer workout and diet secret

What you need to know

Alex Pettyfer workout routine and diet

Alex Pettyfer fitness secret

Alex Pettyfer beastly and magic mike

Alex Pettyfer workout and diet. Alexander Richard ( Alex Pettyfer ) was born on 10 April 1990 is an English actor and model. He is also known becouse of his role in �I Am Number Four� and in �Beastly�. He appeared in school plays and on television before being cast as Alex Rider, the main character in the 2006 film version of Stormbreaker. Alex has one of best physiques in hollywood, he is quite famous among girls becouse of his amazing physique. He is of 5.10 ft in height and 185 pounds of weight. His lean and slender physique creates the illusion of him appearing much taller.

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3x2 Mile Bust

Goal:
3x2 Mile with 2:00 Rest at 11:30-1:40 (5:45-5:50 pace)

Actual:
4 mile warmup
3x2 mile at:
5:55/5:45 (11:40) 2 min jog rest
6:08/5:57 (12:05) 3 min jog rest
5:56/6:08 (12:04)
1 mile cool down for 11+ miles total

I am really trying to stay positive here, but workouts like this really make me wonder what the hell is going on.  I've been on a strict iron supplementation program for the past four weeks and would expect that I could run 5:45 pace without sucking air.  Well, I can't.  Halfway through the second interval, I fought everything within myself not to stop and walk.  My muscles wanted it, my lungs wanted, and my mind almost wanted it.  But I didn't stop. I made myself push through it until the end, and then I took a longer rest between 2 and 3 so that my breathing could get back under control.

I would say that perhaps I went out too fast, but my first interval was practically all downhill from Mint to Morehead.  Hooray, I can run 5:45 pace going downhill.  I used to be able to run 5:45 pace on flat surface without thinking.  I can't image that it's just my iron that is affecting me right now, but whatever it is, it's not helping my frame of mind.  I've got Army Ten Miler in 9 days and I have no idea how to make a race plan if I don't even know what my body (mind?) can handle right now.  First plan of action is to head into LabCorp later today to get blood work done and see if my iron is finally higher.  If not, then I'll have some reevaluating to do.

The only thing I can think of is that I really need to slow everything down, kind of like what I did before Twin Cities.  For workouts like this, I would start at Marathon Pace for the first interval (6:10, 10k (5:50) pace for the second one, and like 5k-10k pace for the third one (542).

Wave Tempo

Goal:
10 Mile Wave in 5:55/6:25

Actual:
2.3 mile warmup
10 Mile Wave in 5:55/6:45
2 mile cool down for 14.3 miles total
2:58/3:00 (5:58)
3:23/3:20 (6:43)
2:56/2:57 (5:53)
3:30/3:30 (7:00)
3:03/2:59 (6:02)
3:20/3:16 (6:36)
2:55/2:59 (5:54)
3:24/3:20 (6:44)
2:56/3:00 (5:56)
3:40/3:20 (7:00)

Aaron had a similar workout to what Mark had on my schedule, so I decided to go down to his neck of the woods and run with him at McMullen in the morning.  While my confidence is still coming back, I really practiced going into this workout with some positive energy and trust that I could accomplish a solid effort of work for 10 miles.  Fortunately, my mental planning paid off because I was able to hit a pretty decent wave workout. Contrast this to two weeks ago, when I set out to do a 10 mile tempo and really just ended up running a 5 mile tempo at slower than my goal marathon pace.  Figures how a 20 degree drop in temperature and 14 days of iron supplementation can really come through.  While I do feel like my iron is probably coming back to a fairly normal level, I still don't know for sure and my times still aren't reflecting that I'm 100% better.  Typically for this type of workout, my "slower" portion would be between 6:20-6:30 and I was a bit off of that today.  However, I am excited by my faster splits because this was the first time that I've run 6:00 pace and had it feel easy.  In fact, for the very first interval, I thought that maybe we were too slow, but we came through right on pace for 6:00.  Despite the small improvement, it's enough to keep me smiling.  Looking forward to my next workout 3x2 mile later this week.

Tufts 10K For Women

Yayyyy!! Today was the day! I was so happy to complete the Tufts 10k For Women in Boston. The course was beautiful, starting at Boston Common, looping around the Charles River, Storrow Drive, Boylston Street, and finishing in front of the Common!

Yesterday I went to City Sports to pick up my bib and race packet... the best part about races is the goodies that come along with it! It made me even MORE excited to run, if that is possible.

Nothing better than another race shirt :)

I was so excited to put my training to the test. I haven't followed any specific training plan, but I was able to squeeze in a few 6 mile runs over the past few weeks, mixed in with my typical shorter runs. I think that really helped me to mentally prepare for the actual race, when everyone is zooming past you and you seem to lose track of your typical pace! Running in a crowd is so different than running by yourself! I filled my iPod with running essentials (thank you Paige and Jaycee), ate delicious carbohydrates all weekend, loaded my body up with water, and rested all day Sunday. I was R.E.A.D.Y!

These little babies carried me through :)

Today I got to Boston Common, stretched, (peed like 6 times, I was so excited), and lined up! It was FINALLY time to start running so I started my watch, blasted some Kap Slap "Back To School Mix" in my headphones, filled my lungs with air, and we were OFF! I tried to start nice and slow, forced my brain to stay focused and positive, and didn't let myself stop once. I didn't even get a side-ache (these are huge accomplishments for me!). Just under 52 minutes later, I was crossing the finish line, where I was SO HAPPY to find my darling roomate Erin surprising me and congratulating me on my finish! Thank you for supporting me Erin!!!

Successful Finish! I had so much fun!

The race was amazing. It is always so incredible to see so many people out being active and supporting a great cause. More importantly, I was so proud of myself. To me, running is not about winning or getting the best time. It is about competing against MYSELF, working to better myself physically and mentally, and about proving to myself that I CAN do anything I set my mind to. Sometimes I get so down about the stresses of life: nursing school, relationships (or lack there of), exam grades, being homesick, and wondering what I'm meant to do in this world. I kind of had an epiphany today at the race: it doesn't matter who is surrounding you, who is supporting you, or how perfect your life is. Live your life to the fullest, find something you enjoy, and work hard at it! Running is exactly that for me, and it is SO wonderful to have a passion that ONLY I get to control! It was the most amazing feeling today knowing that I finished this race because I worked hard to get there! Sorry to get all sappy :)

The motto of the race is "Start Strong, Finish Stronger" and based on that last paragraph, I would say I did!

Look how much stronger I finished!!! (this is a joke)

It was such a great race, that I came home and started researching when my next 10k could be! If you haven't ever run a race, I strongly suggest trying it! Compete against yourself and give yourself something to work towards! I have a 5k this Saturday and I couldn't be more excited! (nerdy, I know!)

Thanks for reading everyone! I can't believe I've had over 4,200 views on my blog!! If you have any suggestions, I'll take them! Thank you!

Morgan