In today’s post I will be sharing Monday’s meals and workouts…not because they were exciting in any way but just because they represent pretty much the types of foods I’ve been eating lately. If nothing else it’s helpful for me to go back and see how my habits have or haven’t changed over time, and if it affected how I felt or how I was running at all.
But first, let’s talk about Monday’s workout. Sunday had been a rest day (besides doing headstands in my parents’ backyard) so I felt ready for a good run on Monday morning. When I woke up I ate a banana and drank a cup of coffee while I read a couple of blogs.
Monday’s 400 workouts
I warmed up with some glute activation exercises and headed out to do some 400s. It was one of those days where you step outside and just feel the thickness of the air. I had no idea how the workout would go, but I decided to do my 400s on the sidewalks because I didn’t want to run the full two miles each way to get to the track.
You can really tell the difference that slight elevation changes had on these repeats. It was really tough, but I was glad I got it done. And it was nice to be able to compare my splits to my last 400 workout a few weeks ago and see that my times improved slightly and I also added on two sets.
1:37, 1:46, 1:38, 1:42, 1:45, 1:42, 1:42, 1:41
(From May 18th: 1:44, 1:40, 1:45, 1:45, 1:39, 1:45)
Monday’s Meals
When I got home I immediately grabbed Nuun out of the fridge (I keep a bottle in there so it’s already prepared and cold when I get home) and started drinking that while I did the myrtle routine and stretched. I heated up breakfast which was a bacon and sweet potato frittata.
Once I got to work I drank some more coffee and felt like I needed to eat something else, so I had one of these chocolate chip cookie dough bars. Around 10:30 I ate some fruit but didn’t take a picture of it.
I almost forgot to take a picture of my lunch until it was half eaten: Spring mix, roasted, broccoli and sweet potatoes, and grilled chicken.
I took a yoga class after work, and grabbed a Larabar about 30 minutes before class. It was beginner level class so more relaxing than the Level 2 classes I usually take.
Dinner was salmon, a baked potato, and asparagus. Nothing exciting here.
So on Sunday we had told my mom that we would bring dessert for Father’s Day. We went to Fresh Market and bought a pie and cookies. I managed to leave without the pie and Rob had to drive back and get it. Then, we forgot to bring both desserts to my parents’ and had to stop at a grocery store closer to where they live and get something else. So now we have a pie and cookies in the house, just calling our names. So obviously, there was dessert on Monday night.
I’m not a big fan of pie, so I stuck with the cookies.
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- Do you ever do speed work somewhere besides a track? Do you notice if minor hills affect your splits?
- Do you eat the same things every day or change it up alot?
- Would you eat the pie or the cookies? (Or neither? Or both?)
Cookies will always win, especially chocolate chip 🙂 I basically eat the same thing every day. If I think I am changing it up, it’s really the same ingredients cooked another way lol
I think that method makes it much easier for grocery shopping! No need to think about what to buy each week.
Again, why must I choose between the sweetest things in life! And I’m actually doing glute activation exercises right now…
No need to choose, you can always have both:)
Cookies for sure! I go in phases with eating where I have a lot of the same things for awhile and then mix it up
I can never turn down a good chocolate chip cookie! I do the same thing, ever few months I switch things up a bit.
I am really good about passing up desserts (except ice cream). However, if there were chips, they would be gone!
I am pretty good about mixing things up, I need to do better about less carbs though.
Sweet potato frittata sounds really good!
I will do track workouts on the treadmill, and the track. I have a harder time on the road–lots of hills here~!
It probably makes more sense to do speed work on the treadmill but I just hate the treadmill so much! I would rather be outside any day. There is one stretch of road near me that is relatively flat so I do my speed work there.
Ohhh those cookies!! Great job on the speedwork too, I usually do it on the track or treadmill.
Thanks! Sometimes I really like the track. Its just a little too far to run there and back with the limited time I have in the mornings.
Nicely done on those repeats!! I mostly do speedwork on the treadmill, but I do play with the elevation from time to time. 🙂
I am a very basic eater. Mostly because I hate having to think too hard about it after a long day haha. All your food looks delicious though (especially those cookies!)
I don’t like thinking about what to eat at the end of the day either…which is why I just meal plan on the weekend. I never know what I’m in the mood for, so it doesn’t really matter what I plan to make- I just eat whatever I bought for that day:)
Chocolate chip cookies are my biggest weakness! If they are in the house, I will eat them. At my office, our cafeteria makes the most amazing homemade cookies and I had to have one with my lunch yesterday. I try to not feel too guilty about it, but sometimes it’s worth indulging!
I eat a salad for lunch every day. And a protein bar and coffee for breakfast every morning. I got up and did a 3 mile run this morning and I’m already feeling like the protein bar isn’t enough to get me through until lunch.
I really enjoy your blog! I am a new runner, but I love it and am training to run my first 5K.
I feel like eggs fill me up the best after a morning workout, but I still usually need a snack to get me until lunch!
Thanks for stopping by! Glad you are enjoying running and good luck with the 5k!
Definitely cookies over pie any day!! I made a frittata this morning–such a great idea for breakfast/lunch/dinner 🙂
I am so glad I started making frittatas..now I feel like it just takes way too much time to cook a full breakfast each morning!
Breakfast and lunch are normally the same things but I have fun with dinners. I stocked up on some Nuun for summer runs too because I knew I’d need it now.
I definitely rely on Nuun much more in the summer months!
Great improvements on the splits! I love that feeling!
Thanks!
Salmon and a potato might not be exciting but it’s making me very hungry right now! I need breakfast!
I guess its simple but still really good! I hope you enjoyed your breakfast:)
I would definitely go for the cookies! With a big cup of hot tea. I try and switch up what I eat each day, but I keep the “sides” very similar — raw veggies, berries, nut butter, etc.! I do definitely have go-to dinner meals I like to turn to when I’m not up for finding something new though. I need to try that frittata recipe!
Every once in a while I try a new meal but my breakfasts and lunches stay pretty much the same…although I do make gradual changes so if I look back to a few months ago my meals looked a bit different.
I’ve been having a lot of similar dinners lately – salmon and asparagus always do the trick, and either a potato, or rice, or some rice-stuffed grape leaves is pretty much a 3-4 day per week for me!
It’s nice to have a handful of “go-to” foods to use to put together meals throughout the week!
Ha ha… that’s totally something I would do: forget the dessert at home. Except I would forget it on some sort of subconscious level as a way of hoarding it to myself for later. It’s like a necessary part of survival. And yes, intervals totally get affected by hills! Rawr. Great job on those 400s!!!
Maybe it was subconscious! But I was still so annoyed because we were already running late an then had to make another stop at a different store. And the pie there wasn’t as good.
I have been eyeing up those chocolate chip cookie dough bars for a long time now. I think it’s time I finally make and test them out for myself 😉
You definitely should! They’re delicious!
Lisa, my split times would definitely be different if I weren’t on a flat track; kudos to you for getting that workout done in this weather – ugh. It’s ridiculous. I did 800s yesterday, but I definitely slowed down a few seconds to give myself a break. Your meals look great! I have a tendency to eat the same things over and over and then I get sick of them and have to change it up; I get lots of ideas from other folks, so that helps! Um, cookies ALL THE WAY. After seeing this post, I’m feeling like I need one – ha!
The heat and humidity definitely makes speed work extra challenging! I definitely think you deserve a cookie (or several) after your 800s:)
Cookies and pie are both so good that I can’t choose between the two. Those are great splits for your 400s! I used to do my speed work on the roads, but right now I do them on the treadmill with a 1% incline. I’ve never actually done speed work on a track.
I get really nervous running fast on a treadmill so I try not to do speed work on there! There have definitely been days in the winter when I wished that it was an option.
Congrats on getting up so early for your workouts. I could never do that. Pie and cookies. ..yum. I hate keeping that stuff in the house also….too tempting!
I’m just naturally a morning person and early riser!
Now that we have the pie and cookies in the house, we will definitely be eating it…although we try to avoid having it in the house too.
Love your cookies (cookies >>>> pie) AND sweet potato and salmon ;). As much as I ‘strive’ for variety I still stick to my fave staples!
I definitely have a bunch of my favorite foods that I eat almost every day! I do try to change it up a bit but most days I have the same breakfast, lunch, and snack.
Those little inclines can make reps feel so much harder sometimes! I hardly ever do my speed workouts on the track and there’s one area I go to where I’ll run the reps up and down a slight incline that I would barely otherwise notice if I wasn’t running fast up it. And then of course on the way back, I feel like I hardly notice the slight decline haha. Great improvements on your splits! That’s awesome progress for 400s! And cookies over pie! Except on Thanksgiving, in which pumpkin pie wins, but if there happens to be cookies too then both!
I definitely felt it so much more on the way up and hardly noticed it if here was a decline! But I think my faster times were on slight downhills.
Thanksgiving is a different story- there is no way I’m picking only one dessert!
Cookies all the way!! Great job on the 400s! I am now craving salmon… 🙂
Have a great day!
Thanks! I hope you get some salmon sometimes soon:)
UM hello absolutely delicious day of eating!! That frittata, chicken and salmon have me drooling like a puppy dog!
It was definitely a good one! Sometimes the simplest meals end up being the most delicious.
Curious what glute activation drills you do. Have you linked to them before? I typically eat the same thing every day, kind of boring but it works I guess! Looking forward to getting some speed work in soon, although Only ever done it at the track!
I have a bunch that I rotate between, but I think the one I was referring to was from here: http://www.kinetic-revolution.com/10-minute-workout-glute-activation-stability/
I made your frittata during the week, but I used chorizo instead of bacon.. Beautiful. I forgot this week, but I’ll post a picture in tomorrow’s post and put a link up for your site with it. 🙂
Glad you got to try it! Your version sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing! Have a great week:)