First post-race workout.

This picture is blurry for two very good reasons:

1.  Rachelle is so stinkin fast that no camera can catch her.   I think she actually may be flying.

2.  I took this during our last interval to attempt to distract myself from wanting to quit and it turns out I can barely hold on to my phone let alone take a picture when running at 5k effort.

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Having friends to run with that really push me and listen to me talk for an hour straight are a huge blessing for me right now.  I so look forward to meeting up with Rachelle in the early morning to go sweat together.

We did:

30 minute warm-up run 

8 of these—>  1 minute 5k effort followed by 1 minute recovery jog (sounds easy but when trying to keep up with speedy it isn’t so easy:)

15 minute cool-down run

Total of 8 miles.  This was my first post-race workout that I have done since my half-marathon 10 days ago and it felt good.  My body needs plenty of time to take it easy before going fast again after a race.

We even drove over to the gym afterwards to do 4 x 2 minute planks, a bunch of push-ups and some leg strengthening moves.  Between having a coach and having fast/dedicated girls to train with I think my running is really going to improve.

I am kind of going overboard on Brooke’s birthday party.  I can’t help it.  It makes me happy so I am going to do it.

This morning I went in to my absolute favorite bakery CUPCAKE CHIC in Orem to order Brooke’s birthday cupcakes.

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See the little cakes in the top right hand corner?  Just imagine Brooke having her own little cake and going to town on it.  This is going to be good.  

I ordered chocolate with coconut frosting, vanilla with coconut frosting, vanilla with strawberry frosting and the peanut butter cup cupcakes… I am sure you were all dying to know.  

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Speaking of Brooke, she slept for about an hour holding on to the side of the crib.  I find her in the strangest positions.

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For lunch I actually ate at home.  It is a miracle.  It even included vegetables and had nothing to do with cereal.  Double miracle.

Afterwards I had my chocolate dipped popsicle and brooke knows when I pull out the camera she has the perfect opportunity to grab my food because I am distracted.  Her speed is admirable.  

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PS HERE is a great article/video about your Running Arm Swing!  “For distance runners the active swing and rhythm of arms can provide a great trigger to ‘keep the legs turning over’ when fatigue kicks in during the latter parts of a race.” 

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What has been the best part about your Tuesday so far?

How long does it take your body to recover after a race? Do you bounce back quickly or do you need a good amount of time before you do speed/distance again after a race?

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73 comments

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The best part pf my day was going for a walk with my dad after work.

Brooks knows yummy things when she sees them!

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Man, I wish I could come work out with you speedy ladies! I’m not even close to fast enough though! Workout buddies are amazing. I’m so excited to see how your running improves! Especially with the good attitude you have about your running right now!

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Can’t wait to see pictures of your cutie with her cake! Thanks for posting your running workouts- helps me think of ideas on switching up my workouts ( not just running at a moderate pace watching chopped for an hour).

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I think that’s awesome you’re so excited about Brooke’s birthday party. I’m sure looking back on the photos when she’s older, she’ll know how amazing you are :)
Haha, that is hilarious that she can sleep while holding the crib, babies can always manage to sleep in the cutest ways.

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Brooke is so adorable! Today was a good day. I had a half marathon on Sunday so I’m still a little sore, but I did run some at the gym this morning, so it was successful! Can’t wait to see pictures of Brooke’s party!

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I think I might be getting old because after my first marathon, I bounced back almost immediately. However after my March marathon, when I attempted to train, I injured myself right afterwards. I guess I should take it easier post race now.

The best part of my Tuesday was probably doing an easy 3.5 miles with Bungee before letting her sleep and finishing the rest on my own.

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I’m hoping my Tuesday gets better…my husband just got notice he didn’t get a job he’s been interviewing for and we were really hoping for and counting on. But I did just make mini carrot cupcakes and I have a girlfriend get together tonight, so there’s that :)

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I am so sorry!

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That sounds like a GREAT workout. I’m looking forward to finding out how long it takes my body to recover post-race…hopefully in a few months, fingers crossed.

My daughters both had cupcake birthdays this year…one chose red velvet, the other chose chocolate. They were both in heaven!

Best part of today? No nit-combing on the schedule! Woo hooooo!!!!!!

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I am so excited for Brooke’s party!! And that cupcake place is adorable. I always feel fine after a race but I force myself to take a few days off because I know it’s best:)

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I’m glad you had a great workout and with a friend that sounds like a lot of fun. I bet it went by really quickly too. I am always inspired with how different your workouts are…like you never do 4X1000…or you know something like that.

In March when I set a half PR it took me about a month to recover…but that was due to poor recovery choice so I don’t count that. When I set it again in April, it took about 2 weeks.

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I’m hoping to bounce back quickly! I have a half marathon next month on a Sunday and a 10k the following Saturday. I think the training I’ve done over the summer will help me bounce back. Best part of my day was seeing my coworkers again! I work at a school and we’re starting to get things ready for the kiddos!

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YUM, I want to come to Brooke’s birthday party! And it’s 100% natural to go NUTSO for your children’s birthday parties!

My almost-4 y/o has a little rail on the side of her bed. I often find her with her arm draped over the side of it while she sleeps. It looks so uncomfortable, but if you try to move her arm, she puts it right back!

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Yes, I want all those cupcakes! I’m driving up from Texas for the party!!!

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The best thing about my Tuesday so far was getting to read on my lunch hour, yes I’m a nerd :)

I’ve only done half marathons so far and it’s not so much about recover as it is that I’m a little burnt out after the training.

Those cupcakes look a.maz.ing!

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The best part of my day was running this morning and actually enjoying the first day of a class I thought I was going to hate :D

It takes me about a week to fully recover, but I do light workouts between then!

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Those cupcakes sound delish. Your lunch at home made me laugh. No cereal! Wha?!?! :)

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I need more running buddies!! Move to Wisconsin? :) JK, you would be far too speedy for me!

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If going overboard for Brooke’s party is what makes you happy, DO IT!
I cannot wait to see pictures of those cakes!

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Oh goodness, what a cute cupcake place!! You made some excelllent choices. YUM.

xo

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Brooke’s party is going to be sooooo much fun! I have no doubt that you will go sub 3 soon. You have such great running support and motivation!

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Well, if I was ever on the fence about attending Brooke’s party, those cupcakes just sold me ;) I kid. But they DO sound amazing! And I think you should do whatever makes you happy and if throwing this party does, then do it ho you like it. Ross always jokes that the parties I throw are just as much for me as the person I am throwing it for. It is probably true…and is there anything wrong with that?

I have always been able to run Monday morning after a half. I don’t think I have ever really pushed it during a race. Exceeeept for my marathon. Ha! I couldn’t run for 2 weeks! And your run today sounds awesome! Did you and Rachelle have smoke coming from your shoes?

Best part of my day was running a errands all morning with one kid. Holy moly it is way easier! And of course, when Anna got home :)

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I ran a half on Aug 10 and had two recovery runs before diving into my long run on Sunday. I snuck my half in the middle of marathon training so I was pretty nervous to take too much time off to recover. Today is my first tempo workout and tomorrow is a hill workout (yikes!) so I’ll see how my legs feel :)

Best part of my day was setting up an ice cream date for tomorrow! Ice cream after hills sounds wonderful!

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You know someone is a fast runner when the fastest runner you know is calling her fast!

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All that cake/cupcake talk makes me want one….like NOW! yummmy.

Tuesday is going well–but I am so so sleepy–can’t wait to go to bed!

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I want to come visit you and try those yummy cupcakes!

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The best part of my Tuesday was getting chipotle for dinner and getting extra guacamole! Yum! My body always bounces back pretty fast after races, but I tend to feel like 5 days after instead of 1. I guess it’s DOMs? Idk. I would love a cupcake party!!! Sounds perfect to me!

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I know this has nothing to do with your post but I just saw that CIM registration is 97% full! I’m not sure if you have registered yet, but I didn’t want you to miss out. I’m running the first leg of the relay, maybe I’ll see you there! :)

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I also read that recovering from downhill running takes even longer to recover from!! I think I saw in an article that it is a full 2 weeks before the muscles heal back to pre-downhill running :)

I dont race really….so I dont know how long it would take to recover! It usually takes a day or two to recover from a hard workout, though, so Id imagine it is a bit longer than that.

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I did intervals this morning too! Those cupcakes sound amazing, btw.

I should probably recover more than I do. After a marathon I usually take 3 days completely off running and cross train for a while before really running again. But I am always eager to get back at it!

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Bike ride with Chris in Central Park this morning before flying home.
Future best, did not have a bowl of cereal on vacation, so using it for dessert tonight for sure!!

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The last half marathon I ran was down a canyon in American Fork, and it actually took me a lot longer to recover from that one than any of my other half marathons! My legs were ridiculously sore for at least 3 days. But it was still an awesome race!

Also, I have eaten Yogurtland 3 times in the last 4 days and I think I need help. I figured I’d turn to you :)

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Oh those cupcakes…. YUM! Brooke deserves an extra special party! You are a great mommy!

Best part of my Tuesday? Playing with my baby Hunter and chatting with a friend that I haven’t talked to in forever! It’s been a great day!

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I love the blurry photo – I think it is actually really cool and makes it look super speedy!!

Two best parts of my day – 1) getting back to my crossfit class after vacation and 2) floating down the river with my bff and our kids!

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Depends on the race but I ran a 10k on Sunday with full effort, 13 miles yesterday, and my hip is hurting bad and I think my body was telling me it is time to take a rest day! I listened – no running for me today as hard as it was

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For some reason, I bounce back fairly quickly from half marathons and longer, but I did the BAA 10k and had to take a full week off running after! The short distance made me so sore! Those cupcakes with coconut frosting sound amazing!

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Brooke’s gonna have the best birthday party!!

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Yumm cupcakes! I’m hoping the best part of my Tuesday is dinner tonight :)

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Brooke’s cupcakes for her party sound sooooo good :) you do whatever you need to keep your spirits high, your positivity is admirable! You have a whole blog world in addition to real life friends and family routing for you!

Today I ran outside since it was beautiful out :) I have a question, a while back I had hip/glute pain, I rested and thought I recovered, I can run short distances no problem but once I pass the 7km mark the pain in my left hip becomes sharp and painful and causes me to stop. I’ve been stretching after my workouts, do quiet a bit of strength so I am not sure what it could be. I figured you were a running pro and may have had a similar situation in the past? I want to sign up for a race but I feel like I want to fix this issue before I sign up and have to stop mid race.

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It took me 5 WEEKS to recover from my last 50-miler!!! With a 50K though I usually bounce back after a week or two though.

Best part of my day will be going to bed tonight! Not that I had a bad day, but I’ve been falling asleep at work all day, and I am so ready to crawl into bed and get some serious sleep!

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My daughter used to always hold on to the crib when she slept. It’s so cute!

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Those cupcakes look amaaaazing!! I hope I’m invited to the party ;) Brooke is one lucky lady to have you for a mom!!

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Omg those cupcakes!! Yum!!

I like the blurry picture :-)

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I saw your cupcake list and thought “mmm I just have to try the chocolate with coconut frosting!” I’m glad you decided to go that route.

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I definitely need time to recover after hard races…sometimes mentally just as much physically! The best part of my Tuesday was probably a half an hour ago when I was biting into the kale, sweet potato, and black bean quesadillas I just made. What can I say, food makes me happy. Glad you could go out running with the girls…nothing beats early AM runs with best buds. Motivational and fun.

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Tuesday has been amazing – made 34 jars of jam with a “to be” teacher friend of mine AND picked blackberries (to make more jam with).

I’ve been slacking on my runs lately and keep checking back here for inspiration. Being on vaca for two weeks has totally thrown me off (and the few runs I DID do on vaca were in 40 degrees Celsius…fewf). I have a fun colour run coming up this weekend (my first colour run!) so I should get out tomorrow morning. Anyone have any tips for becoming a morning runner? I struggle.

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I’m really excited to see you go sub 3 in December. You are doing such a great job training and have great runners around you!

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I have 2 best parts of today: 1- lunch with a new mom friend and 2- first annual back to school family dinner

It takes me some time. Probably because I overdo it when I race, or so has been my experience with my first 2 races. I did c25k week 3, day 3 with the kids tonight and could hardly keep up… Not looking good for my run tomorrow. But I’ve got to get out of here even if I have to walk 3 miles!

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The best part of my Tuesday was incorporating a little jogging on my treadmill walking.

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I can’t wait to see all the pictures from Brooke’s birthday. First birthdays are the best!!

It usually takes me a while to get back in the groove after a hard race. I ran a marathon last month and am still struggling with motivation, ha!

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For the record I DID want to know what cupcakes you ordered. And they sound delicious!! I would have a vanilla with coconut and a peanut butter one. They sound to die for!
It usually takes me a bit to get back in the game after a big race. That must have felt great though! Good work woman.

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Best part of my Tuesday = taking my 10 year old son to a Tri store to pick out his first tri bike and register for his first triathlon! I get so excited when I can share my love of exercise with my kiddos!
Those cupcakes look amazing. I will go to my local bakery and eat one in Brooke’s honor.

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I need to learn to take plenty of time after a race. I usually get right to it, but that doesn’t help me much and probably hurts me.

Best part of Tuesday…a really nice bottle of wine on clearance for a messed up label!

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Best part of my Tuesday was dinner out with a gift card. So practically free food!

Brooke definitely has your sweet tooth. Her birthday party is going to rock!

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Best part of my day was running early with 3 friends then golfing with my mom and two other friends!!! :)
I am fortunate that I recover quickly from racing. Usually take 48 hours off then ease back into it.
Please send cupcakes to Michigan! :)

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“Move your arms!” is my little *secret* for every hill climb I do – it’s like a little mental game I play with myself. If I just push my arms, I seem to be able to push my legs :)

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I tried the arm swinging technique during my track work out on Monday, and it totally worked!

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My parents used to find my twin hanging half off of her bed …
Brooke certainly knows your weak points ;)

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Glad you have great support (with life…AND training). I’m sure running with other fast ladies ( you are fast too ya know) will definitely help you mentally and physically.

As for going overboard for Brooke’s party— is it possible to go overboard for a first birthday, I don’t have a kiddo yet but…. I’m pretty sure going overboard is expected!

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Your favorite cupcakery looks a lot like our Nothing Bundt Cakes down here.

You have me salivating over here.

Great.

;)

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Applauding your chocolate coconut selection! Yum.

The best part of today was finally getting my youngest daughter’s health forms so she can practice with her cross country team!

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My arms hurt so much when I run…..Long distances…..how come?

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Best part of my day was going to the pool with my mom, girls and nephew. I usually need a good week after a race to get back into it!

I want to run with you speedsters.

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I gave myself about a week after my marathon and then it was just a little 5km.

Order me up the salted caramel cupcake and the neapolitan flavour. Thanks:)

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Those cupcakes sound amazing!!! Yum!

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My Tuesday was overall not good- so the best part of it was my 5 mile run! I need to learn how to pace myself, so my goal was 5 miles at an 8 minute pace- and I finished with an 8:04 pace! I was really happy with it- I usually go out and kill the first mile or 2, and then run the remaining miles minute to 1.5 minutes slower than I started- NOT cool! :)

My body also takes a few days- but I’m opposite from you. It takes me a few days to build back up mileage. I usually race, and then run 3-4 miles a day or 2 after, and then continue to build up from there. Speed is easier for me than distance still…

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Ooh that cupcake shop looks so cute!

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I think my speedy post race bounce back is a sign that I’m not working hard enough during the race. I was out running 3 days after my first marathon in January.

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What a great love, a best friend. So glad you have her. She’s proven to be the best of friends for sure.

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Brooke is adorable. Birthday party planning is so much fun!
It takes me about a week to recover from a tough race. I find stretching really speeds up recovery time….and dreaded ice baths!!! I think a little soreness after a race is proof I pushed myself to the limit!

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Oh lord those cupcakes all sound SO amazing. You and Brookers get one of each, yes?

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I recover really quickly after a 5K race now and don’t really need to take any days off. After a half marathon I have a mandatory 3 Day Rest Rule to give my legs a break and then I very gently ease into running again, maybe just a few easy miles.

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What kind of monitor do you have (and do you like it)? I am researching them right now for my 4.5 month old daughter.. there are soo many to chose from!

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