I take advantage of any time that Brooke wants me to hold her and cuddle. She becomes more and more independent each day but luckily she still loves to be held every now and then… Especially after a nap.
My mom had already eaten dinner but I texted her to see if she wanted to join us at our spot and she was all in. Great conversations + steak salad + Brooke wanting to play hide and go seek at the table + my mom’s pep talks (she is really good at these, let me know if you need an email one from her) = a much needed 67 minutes.
Decorating sugar cookies for each holiday is kind of our thing. We are going to a cabin this weekend and so we are doing some of our Easter traditions a few days early this year. PS you know you are a runner when one of the first things you think about when finding out you are going somewhere new is how excited you are to run and explore there.
35:1 —> the ratio of sprinkles that Brooke eats as she is decorating to the sprinkles that actually make it onto a cookie.
We then delivered the cookies to some of our favorite people. Sharing is caring.
People that are around kiddos often—> Is it impossible for you too to not bust out laughing when your toddler gives you attitude? I can’t help it.
Lately I have been loving watching documentaries more than regular television (except for Parenthood… that will always be my #1). Desert Runners was awesome. These people are amazing and I will be thinking about how they push through the craziest, most extreme conditions without quitting when things get tough during the marathon in just EIGHTEEN DAYS!!!
Off to teach some spin and then get some miles in on the treadmill. Today’s spin playlist:
This taper is a little different for me than previous tapers for marathons. This time I have a coach which I love because she does all of the thinking for me. Usually I think I taper a bit too much for the marathon during the last three weeks. This time around my mileage is dropping but I still have some speed work thrown in. With each week the intensity drops but I do like the idea of not dropping speed altogether leading up to the race. I think it will keep my legs remembering how to turnover quick so they are ready to go on race day. Also, I think it helps me mentally to not freak out about losing a bunch of speed I have worked for. It is important to back off but a few fast miles are keeping me happy.
If you are in the taper right now make sure to check out THIS ARTICLE… it talks about the importance of keeping up some of the intensity during the taper too.
I have a very similar workout to this one below coming up tomorrow!
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Have any Easter traditions? Who decorates hard boiled eggs?
Watched any good documentaries lately? I’m always on the look out for recommendations!
Any April goals?
Who has an April birthday?! What day?
87 comments
Sarah @ SarahRuns26
My husband’s birthday is on the 5th, so this year he has an Easter birthday!
April goals are to finish marathon training without imagining any injuries while I’m tapering and to keep up with my strength workouts!
I love all your traditions with Brooke! And who doesn’t love getting a plate of decorated sugar cookies!?
Karien @ Running the Race
Cuddle time is my favourite too! Enjoy your weekend at the cabin!
Gretchen | Gretchruns
Ahh that picture of Brooke and her attitude is too cute! My mom has lots of pictures of me giving her sass and it’s so funny.
The best documentary I’ve watched recently is called Somm. It follows a few guys as they’re preparing for their master sommelier certification. It sounds really boring but it’s actually a great documentary! Spirit of the Marathon 1 and 2 will always be my favorites though :)
I have lots of goals for April (I make monthly goals every month), but my biggest one is to try out a new class at the gym. I get in a comfort zone with my workouts and I want to switch it up this month!
Natalie
Easter = dye eggs which is the highlight of the week (!), egg hunt and a big, special family dinner on Sunday.
April goals = stay positive and keep pushing!
Those cookies look awesome!! :)
Michele @ paleorunningmomma
Taking advantage of the cuddle time is essential! I think I’ve also over-tapered in the past, some of that has been because of pains here and there but I think finding middle ground is really important mentally and physically. My son is turning 4 April 30th :)
Natalie
My parents used to hide hard-boiled eggs for us on Easter morning when we were little kids, but I don’t really have any traditions now. Your sugar cookies look SO delicious, by the way!!
My April goal is to be completely healthy!
Oh, and I might need a pep-talk email from your mom. I just turned in my resignation at work last week (I’ve been a teacher for seven years), and I have no idea what I’m doing after this school year. I know I want it to involve writing, but I also love encouraging and ministering to young adult women–would love to be able to combine those two into my dream job. So, a little motivational pep talk would be wonderful!!
Jessica @ kiwiyogirunner
Brooke’s attitude face is just too hilarious!
Those sugar cookies look amazing! I am a big fan of sugar cookies because I find them nice and sweet but not too rich. I am working this Easter for probably the first time ever :s I watched an amazing documentary on Lego recently and found it super interesting. The older I get the more I like documentaries, I would never have watched that five years ago!
Jen@milesandblessings
Both my girls :). April 3rd and April 11th :).
We decorate eggs and the best way to make hard boiled eggs is in the oven!!! No joke!!! I recently watched Town of Runners and that was really good!
Erica { EricaDHouse.com }
Ohhh I need to watch that documentary!
Mom pep talks are the best.
Brynn
I just posted my April goals today! I want to work on reading more. As a new mom it can be tough, but I love reading and want to make time to do so.
Lindsey @ Simply Lindsey
That sounds like a good documentary! I love The Queen of Versailles, Blackfish, and Food Inc. So good!
Jennifer @ JenChoosesJoy
We go to church and do any egg hunt with my family.
April goal..Boston!!! And, for the first time, I’m actually looking forward to taper:)
Emily @MyHealthyishLife
I decorated Easter eggs over my spring break because I won’t be going home this year. My mom already mailed me my Easter basket and I’m saving it for Sunday morning. I told her she has to give me Easter baskets for the rest of my life haha.
Laura @ This Runner's Recipes
I watched Run For Your Life on Netflix and definitely recommend it! It’s about Fred Lebow and the New York City Marathon.
My April goals are to PR in my half marathon the weekend after Easter, get my ankle to feel better, and to keep consistent base mileage after the race!
Your Easter traditions with Brooke are so sweet! Those cookies look so good!
Laura
We always did an egg hunt for Easter, and we used to also have jello-eggs.
I watched Duckworth’s TEDtalk about Grit–I loved it!
Your cookies are super beautiful! GOOD JOB
Lisa @ TechChick Adventures
Love those cookies. They look so good!! We will be coloring Easter eggs tonight.
Boston is my goal for April. Thanks for the info on tapering. I always find it a bit confusing and challenging to not feel like I’m losing my speed/endurance after just a few weeks!
Laur
My best friend was born yesterday (April Fools) and I am always so jealous! Such a good birthday day.
I was at her house last night and her son was giving her the tired attitude. I was busting up laughing and she said, “Laur, you’re not helping”! While both of us cracked up and her son had a meltdown. Oops lol
Susan
Love that pout!
When you talk about how amazing your mom is, it so makes me miss my mom!
Moms = the best!
We decorate Easter eggs even though we don’t have kiddos.
This year I painted mine w/ acrylic paints.
Love them!
Enjoy the cabin this weekend. Sounds amazing.
Natalie @ Never Serious Blog
Oh I love a new Netflix find! I need to check that one out!!
I don’t have toddlers but I will say that face is TOO funny not to bust out laughing! When did she get so grown up?!
Jasmine
I really want to watch Desert Runners! I watched the latest Louis Theroux documentary last week – its called By Reason of Insanity (nothing to do with running but very interesting all the same! It’s on the BBC but I don’t know how you can get it over there. I like most of his past work too.
My April goal is my first marathon! In ten days – ahhhhhh! Can’t wait.
Also my birthday is on the 27th April – I’ll be jetting off to Barcelona the day after which makes it doubly exciting this year!
meredith @ The Cookie ChRUNicles
Love Runner’s Connect :)…My birthday is not in April but it’s in June and June is so soon that I am already planning my birthday cake and desserts!
Sally @ sweat out the small stuff
April goal: complete the nj marathon in one piece. Hug boyfriend at finish. :)
Lauren Brook
AHHH!! I had to comment since you mentioned “Desert Runners”!! My husband is super into documentaries like that and I never want to watch them, then completely love them once we do LOL That one was SOOO good. I was just in awe of the mental and physical toughness necessary to complete one of those runs. The Sahara one blew my mind the most. And running through a desert at night, alone? Yeah, no thanks. So incredible though to watch others do it haha.
Another good one you might like on Netflix is “Mile, Mile and a Half” about a small group of people who hike the John Muir trail in CA. My husband and I love hiking so we thought we’d enjoy that one too. I definitely don’t have the stamina to do that same hike but the scenery…GORGEOUS. Worth watching for that!
Have a great Easter weekend <3
Heather @ Run Eat Play
Brooke is so cute with her attitude! My niece is the same way!
We always dye Easter eggs. My whole family gets together and we make some really creative eggs!
Cassie
April 15th, tax day, is my 30th birthday!! EEK!!! :) I was delighted to receive a nice little chunk of change from the government for an early bday gift! ;)
Hollie
Who doesn’t like to decorate Easter eggs?! I always enjoy doing that even though my eggs always turn out terrible (LOLZ).
No running goals this month, only to get healthy honestly!
Emily W.
hahaha I teach a classroom of 2 1/2- 3 1/2 year olds and I always have to bite my tongue not to laugh when they give a little attitude, roll their little eyes or talk back with little ‘angry’ phrases. It’s tough not to laugh and instead correct them, but their cute little faces make my day :)
and for easter every year we have a big egg hunt at the beach, I loved it as a kid and now as an adult hiding the eggs for little cousins and friends children. And of course we have a big easter lunch and lots of cupcakes and easter treats!
Linda @ TheFitty
Oh my gosh that taper workout is like a legit HARD workout for me! How do I get as food as you?
And throwing in some speed work during a taper sounds like a great idea.
Amanda @ Slimplify Life
I also just watched that documentary. My mind was BLOWN by their physical and mental capability. I’d love for them to tell us their mantras :).
Easter tradition = dying Easter eggs and family brunch after church!
Kelsey Yoki
Don’t know if you are a fan of the Hunger Games movies, but the bonus features on the Mockingjay DVD (all 2 hours of it!) were amazing! I feel like I was able to learn so much about the movies! I’m slowly getting amped up to watch more documentaries on Netflix instead of resorting to TV shows. I like to watch the TEDTalks they have on there.
Carson
We are starting a new tradition this year. After years of splitting our time between both of our parents, my husband and I are hosting a pot luck Easter lunch after church on Sunday with both families. It completely removed the pressure to spend more time with one family over the other and we are so excited about it!
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious
Looks like you may have teenager attitude starting soon! That face is hard not to laugh at!
Chelsea @ runner's table
I love decorating eggs! My mother and I used to make Ukranian eggs- so much fun!
Your cookies look good!
My April goal is to finish my dissertation…I need to get my life back!
Lesley
I think I taper too much as well, and I haven’t done any speed work during that time. My mom will be here for Easter before her flight leaves so we’ll cook a special breakfast before I take her to the airport.
Bridget
We used to decorate eggs every year, but once my sister, brother, and I went to college it stopped. We actually all talked about doing it again this year!! I’m really excited!
Lizzie
Mrs. A, I need a pep talk! I’m about to move across the country (for a dream job, in my dream city of SF) but I’m nervous!
I am so excited to watch that documentary- love movies like that! Happy early Easter! I’m also making Easter cookies right now!
Erin @ Her Heartland Soul
Those cookies look FABULOUS! What a fun tradition!
kristin | W [H] A T C H
desert runners is so good! also, have you seen rising from ashes? it’s a must see and is available on netflix.
Laura
Yummy looking cookies!
My younger brothers birthday lands on Easter this year! We’ll be decorating eggs probably Friday.
Oh I love documentaries, thanks for the recommendation, I’ll look for this one. I loved Blackfish, it was so good, but so sad too.
Sage
As you build your marathon playlist, I’d like to recommend the following:
Kasey Musgrave’s Biscuits
Andy Grammar’s Honey, I’m good
Katy Perry’s This is how we do
Erin @ Erin's Inside Job
I dont but my husband’s is next Tuesday. I guess I need to get him something!
I’m so excited for your race! I also need to start watching more documentaries. Lately it has been the Sopranos bc I have never seen it. That will definitely take up a lot of my time!
Nona @ RunningHigh
Have fun at the cabin! We’re going camping this weekend and I cannot wait to get out of town and into the woods for a while!
Kim @ RunningLife&Chocolate
We have an absolutely amazing sugar cookie recipe that I found online a few years ago (the blog no longer exists) and it has been our go to sugar cookie recipe ever since. It makes a huge batch but you can freeze what you don’t use and I’ve used it 2 months later and it’s still as good as the day you made it. Birthdays: my neighbor/mother in law has a bday on the 8th. Their 50th wedding anniversary is tomorrow so we are taking them out on Saturday to dinner. Brooke looked like she had some major tude going on! Clearly she was not happy LOL! I think it’s so great that you have that awesome relationship with your mama :) have a great workout today!!
megan d
18 days!!!!!! I am so excited for you.
Those sugar cookies look bomb.
My bday is April 25th. The perfect date.
Have so much fun this weekend!! I love running there. So pretty. Even though the elevation isn’t a TON different, I swear it still kicks my trash every time.
Cameo by Lindsey ©®
Kristen @ Glitter and Dust
My husband and I always go to church on Easter Morning and dye eggs. No kiddos yet so we don’t get to partake in the fun Easter egg hunts, but soon! I am hoping to bake something today in prep for the holiday. ☺ I can’t wait until our little guy arrives so we can start some new traditions.
April goals – prepare for our big move, clean out the closets (spring cleaning), and run a half marathon
Catie B
I love that for every holiday you make sugar cookies!! Great idea!
Brooke is such a cutie!
I’m running a half marathon on the 19th!! Eeek! I can’t wait!
Cori @ She's Going the Distance
I just had a talk with a runner client of mine about not tapering… he thought he was supposed to stop moving basically and sit around on a couch for a week until the race!
Elena
Those cookies look great!
This was a good running documentary http://www.runningthesahara.com
I also loved Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead!
I don’t have any April goals per se but am working on more strength
Suzy
I’m pretty sure I won’t have a chance keeping up to even your speed work during taper time. Ha ha! And my son still crawls into my lap for a snuggle… and he’s turning 13! His 14 year old brother is a different story. Rawr.
Joanna @ Crazy Runner Girl
I love desert runners!! I also watched Spirit of the Marathon and Steve Prefontaine documentary on Netflix…loooveee
April goal would be to be 100% recovered from injury!
Will
-At my house, my sister and I always decorate the hard boiled eggs. We are both teenagers now, but we still get Easter baskets, and we love it! We come downstairs and peek into them before my parents get up (just like on Christmas when we come down and shake our presents a little bit to guess what they are). I love it because I feel like a little kid again :)
– I recently watched Food Inc. in my English class, and it was very eye opening! Some of the ways our food is handled is gross!
– My April goal is to quit letting the stress of school get in the way of enjoying my life. Too often I let my stress keep me in a bad mood, and it makes me unpleasant to be around. I am going to try to have a positive attitude all the time, even when school is freaking me out :)
– My dad’s birthday was yesterday! Yes, he was born on April Fool’s Day. Even better, he is a twin and my grandparents totally weren’t expecting twins. I can just imagine how it went down: “Here’s your beautiful child. APRIL FOOLS there’s two of them!”
Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries
Toddler ‘tudes seriously are the funniest thing!! It’s really difficult not to bust out laughing, but then of course they (at least mine) think they are so funny.
We don’t have a ton of Easter traditions yet, but I’m sure they will start within the next year or two with Hunter getting older. We always go to church and have a big Easter lunch, but we’ll have to start dying Easter eggs and such too. Maybe I need to get on that this year?!
Arthi
26th birthday on April 23rd! Was planning on running the Illinois Marathon that weekend but I think I’ll be rocking out in a walking boot instead :/
When you couldn’t run for a while … How did you cope mentally!?
Denise @ An Academic Athlete
I really liked Desert Runners as well! Exit Through the Gift Shop was a pretty interesting documentary (although nothing to do with running…about street art).
Courtney! @ Redefining Athlete
Ugh, my taper induced nightmares are setting in for Paris on the 12th. Woke up at 3am to research cut-off times after I dreamt that it was 3:59:59… then my hip felt sore which is surely a stress fracture and my hip will break mid-marathon and no one will understand my English… and then that they ran out of medals. I clearly need more wine in my life.
Danica @ It's Progression
I can’t believe the Boston Marathon is only 18 days away! So excited for you!
Rachel Runs Music City
We always go to church together and get extra dressed up for Easter. That’s my favorite tradition :)
I just watched “Spirit of the Marathon” during my 13 mile treadmill run a month ago. It was soooo good!
April goal=run 26.2 in one morning on April 25th :)
Kelli at Not Your Mama's Marathon
Those sugar cookies look amazing and I need some Cafe Rio ASAP. Your blog always makes me crave things!
We have a weird Easter tradition in our family called egg fights. We take the decorated hard boiled eggs and you “fight” another person with their egg! Basically you just take the egg with the pointier side facing out and try to hit and smash the other person’s egg before they smash yours. Last egg standing is the winner!
I LOVED Desert Runners. Those runners are so crazy resilient. Incredible. I just watched Run For Your Life (about Fred Lebow) which was interesting! I also watched The Men Who Built America which might sound weird and boring but it was SO good! It is dramatized so it’s actually really interesting.
April goals: Start marathon training for fall!
No April birthday for me but mine was on March 30th!
Lisa
I love Spirit of the Marathon – It has become my pre-marathon ritual. I’ll have to check out Desert Runners now too. Thanks for the suggestion! P.S. I LOVE frosted sugar cookies.
Doni @ My adventures in living
Love the list of documentaries! I’m taking notes. :) We watched The Cove a few weeks ago.
Happy Easter! Enjoy your time at the cabin! SF is probably a little too far to deliver those yummy looking cookies, huh? Brooke’s a great little decorator.
Christine
On PBS online there is a frontline documentary called Being Mortal based off the book by that name. I read the book and watched the docu last night. Very insightful into the way healthcare workers should be helping patients with end of life decisions. Grab some tissues.
Megan
I would like to know what kind of pants your friend is wearing in the picture where Brooke is handing off the cookies. Brand and if they are a particular style, please?
Stacey
My goal for April is to get to the finish of Boston. 18 days, can you believe it?! I have one last long run scheduled for tomorrow, and then I taper. Your coach is right, keeping some speed in there really helps lessen the sluggish feeling that can come during the taper. I think Mother Nature’s goal for April should be to bring Spring to upstate, NY. It’s 60 here today (warmest since… October?), and 30s this weekend with snow :(
Erica
April goals: refocus onto nutrician. It is still pretty decent, but find myself going for conscience instead of heathy. I feel like I am missing the mental sharpness I get from a cleaner diet.
Lindsay @ A Runnaroundd Life
Desert runners is probably my favorite documentary of all time. It’s absolutely amazing what those runners pushed through. #megaprops
Katie Did What
Those cookies look so good! And awesome to have a good pep talk with your mom- I miss that!! <3 My baby's turning 1 on April 11!!!!! I can't even believe it.
xo
Kristen
We color eggs but then I get annoyed because everyone wants to color way more eggs than will ever get eaten.
April goals- to get to my vacation on the 22nd in a good healthy place then to enjoy treats in moderation so I don’t end vacation sick/migrainey from going overboard.
Maddie @ Dixie Runs
I love decorating cookies for any holiday! Actually I just like buying the ones that come in a log that you cut into pieces and they have a Christmas tree or an Easter bunny on them already :)
I really just love eating cookies for any holiday… April will be spent getting ready for my half marathon next month! This is my last full month of training yay!
nicole t
i have not clue if it’s on netflix or hulu, but the Esquire network has a show (2 seasons) called ‘Boundless’, that features 2 ultra athletes who pick extreme races all over the world to participate in. The show is nuts, but they do everything from ultra marathons in the dessert, to bike races in the snow. If you can find it, you should check it out.
Kelly
I watched Desert Runners while doing speed workouts a couple weeks ago. What a motivator! The part when Samantha leaves the race but then decides to finish it anyway…my husband ran into the room where I was running to make sure I was okay, because I started cheering out loud. Ha! I follow her on Facebook now (Samantha Gash), she is such an inspiration.
victoria @ Smiles 'n' Snuggles
I bust out in laughter all the time. It’s so hard to not laugh at some of the things they do. I’d prefer the arm cross, pout lip to the slow drop to the knees pout that I get.
Monika
April goals = budgeting and half marathon training
We dye Easter eggs every year :) And it’s a Polish tradition to take your Easter baskets to church on Saturday and get them blessed. Love it!
Jessica @ Laces and Lattes
Woot! That is basically the workout that I am tackling this evening. I love the article on the 3 tapering mistakes. It is easy to make them.
Thank you for helping to keep the process sane for me. :)
Nikki @ will run for pizza
Desert Runners! Oh my gosh! I watched that documentary a few months ago (I love documentaries too), and it changed my running feelings. I SO want to do ONE of those desert races. I just feel like one of those would be easier than doing a 50 mile or 100 mile ultra, because at least you would “only” be running about 1 marathon per DAY instead of like, 2 or 4 marathons in ONE DAY. Weird?! I just can’t decide between the windy one in China or the sandy one in the Sahara….and I totally now follow Samantha Gash. haha
Ashley @ A Lady Goes West
How nice to have a coach to take you through all of this! And that’s really sweet of you and Brooke to deliver cookies. How cute!! :)
Becky @ Ok, so here's the plan
Desert Runners was so good, that’s the last documentary I watched – those people are seriously tough!
My goal for April is to cross train. Seriously. I know I shouldn’t just run all the time, but I’d rather run all the time. :)
Melanie
I watched Desert Runners too – holy cow that makes 26.2 seem like a piece of cake! My birthday is April 25 – so I’ll be in recovery mode from Boston by then :)
Susannah @ Iron Endorphins
Running On the Sun: The Badwater 135 is an awesome documentary about the training and racing of the few ultra runners invited to participate in the 135 mile race through Death Valley…in July. Talk about things getting tough. It’s so hot that they try to run on the white line on the road to keep their shoes from melting on the pavement. It’s also a really great girl-power kind of documentary, since women have won it all before. I just think it’s so great that as the distances get longer and the conditions get tougher, the gap between men and women disappears!
amy
Spring=race season. Lots of 10k’s on the trail..surprisingly placing in everyone. Gotta love masters division. Bday 4/26 going to be 45! I love getting older. Blessed with good genes and a loving family and husband who gets it and supports me. Excited for your Boston adventure! Xo
James
I will look out for Desert Runners.. I would also recommend Town of Runners, although the subtitles can be hard to read, it’s a great documentary about hopeful running athletes in Ethiopia. It’s on the UK Netflix, not sure about USA though.
Rachel @ Blonde with a Chanse
I haven’t seen this documentary on Netflix! I am so going to watch it now :)
Amanda@runningyourbody
Cute cookies! And how fun that you’ll be at a cabin for Easter! How incredibly sweet that you’re is so wonderful. April goal: run a strong 30k April 25!
Jenee
Have any Easter traditions? Who decorates hard boiled eggs?
**We don’t do eggs, but I did growing up. My grandmother still does a dozen and gives us each one. It’s hilarious but sweet, she’s trying to keep it going.
Watched any good documentaries lately? I’m always on the look out for recommendations!
**Food chains is good. It spurred me to join a local co-op, and I like anything that talks about the choices we make with food purchases and whatnot. I like to think I can help others by making better, kinder choices.
Any April goals?
**Stay upright. lol I’m so tired lately. Actually I am alternating run days with lifting days (heavy on the legs/booty) and my goal is just to be consistent.
Who has an April birthday?! What day?
**My hubs is the 24th.
Amanda B @ Cupcakes & Miles
Oh, I am so glad you posted about that documentary. I was seriously just flipping through Netflix trying to find something to watch. Last documentaries I watched were Spirit of the Marathon (on Hulu) and Never Sleep Again (a really good [long] documentary about the Freddy Krueger films and phenomenon.
And, yeah… I still go over to my parents house to decorate eggs for Easter. I wonder if we’ll do it this year, now that my baby sister has joined the Navy…
Jen
i loved desert runners! I actually watched it twice because it was so good. They are such inspiring athletes.
Also, on a completely different note, we’re getting a Cafe Rio, and I am so excited! I feel like you would be one of,the few people who would appreciate that.
And, Brooke’s ‘tude pic is too cute :)
Julia @ Lord Still Loves Me
250 km?!?! I don’t have the mental stamina to last 10 k! Those people are incredible, and I am now definitely going to look into that documentary. As if I needed another thing to distract me hehe. I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOUR MARATHON! I have been praying and I know you are going to kill it!
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