A new running playlist, running recap last week and it’s ALWAYS better when we’re together…

We are back home to Utah now (ummmm we got back home a little bit before 1 a.m. so today should be interesting w/ a 3 year old;) but let’s talk about the rest of the time in California.

Jess and I lived together for a year in college and pretty much EVERY Sunday morning she would get up and make us pancakes.  Who does that?  This girl does that.   8 years later and in a different state—>  she still made me a delicious Sunday morning breakfast.

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Her girls LOVE Full House so we made sure to watch an episode or two before getting ready for church.  Watching Full House while you are in the Bay Area just makes it that much better.  I still get a little teary eyed with some of these episodes:)

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After church I grabbed some pico with a side of salad underneath.

I might have gone a little bit overboard with the salsa bar but underneath there was plenty of chicken, avocado, black beans and jicama.  Hit the spot.

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Donuts: Because traditions are sacred to me.  I think I used to grab a donut every time I came to California to drop Brooke off because I was sad and getting a donut made me feel better ( <——sometimes donuts are the best medicine for my mental health:).  I’m no longer sad when I come to visit here but the donut tradition is here for good.

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And then the Brookers and I were back together again!

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This face.  I literally cannot handle her cuteness some days.

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After the park we dropped off our rental car and made our way over to the airport.

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And we were there two hours early so we had plenty of time to explore.

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Always excited to get back to our normal routine together!

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I love starting off the week with a new running playlist because it motivates me big time for the week up ahead!  Here is what (complete randomness and all over the place) I’m listening to this week:

Can’t Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake  (obsessed with this song)

Just like Fire by Pink

LA Devotee by Panic! at the Disco

Flatlining by She Is We  (the start is slow but then it gets a little faster)

White Walls by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

No Love by Eminem (clean:)

Again I go Unnoticed by Dashboard (taking it way back…)

Colors (Audien Remix) by Halsey

Promises- Skrillex & Nero Remix by NERO

Adventure Of A Lifetime- Matoma Remix by Coldplay

Welcome to Atlanta by Jermaine Dupri

This is What You Came For by Calvin Harris and Rhianna

Reaper by Sia

Wherever I Go by One Republic

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Training last week!!!  No speed/tempo/etc because I wanted to recover after my 1/2 marathon!

Monday:  7 treadmill miles @ 8:34 average.

Tuesday:  7 miles with Josse but I am not sure what our pace was because I didn’t have my watch with me… but somewhere in the 8’s.

Wednesday:  8 treadmill miles @ 8:00 average.

Thursday:  6 miles outside with Josse @ 7:55 average.

Friday:  6 treadmill miles @ 8:15 average.

Saturday:  10 miles of trails!! 9:07 average, the most perfect running weather, lots of climbing and lots of stops to take in the view.

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Sunday:  OFF!!

44 miles for the week and those trail ones were my favorite!!

My allergies are 56 times worse in California vs. Utah… anyone else?  Do you struggle with seasonal allergies?  I am pretty sure I sneezed every few minutes yesterday!

Have any traditions you love to do when you travel?

What was your best run recently?  Hardest run?

Do you use spotify, pandora, buy your music?  How do you listen to music while you run?

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53 comments

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Oh I hear you! My allergies are peaking right now as well, and London’s humidity doesn’t make any better!
I ‘ve never done a trail run before but I have my first one on May 24th and I am VERY excited about it – and a little worried…. I dont want to fall :( Do you need special running shoes for it or just your normal ones? It wont be on a mountain more like in a park but still… Any advice? Thanks! Also OMG Brooke looks soooo cute!!!!

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I love Dashboard Confessional! It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to them though! I might have to break them out this week!

Donuts are always a good way to start any trip! We usually try to pick out something that wherever we are traveling to is famous for and get local food right away. Basically all of our trips revolve around good food!

Best run was yesterdays run. I had to cut it short so it was only six miles but I told my husband after that that was how all runs are supposed to feel!

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My boyfriend and I like to take in a sports game if we are traveling. We saw an Orioles game in Baltimore and a Blackhawks game in Chicago. Next city will be Seattle so let’s see what we see :)

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My allergies were INSANE last week. I was sneezing non-stop too!

Thanks for sharing your playlist. I start marathon training in a week and need to create a fresh playlist to commemorate the occasion :).

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We have a family rule we only eat at places we cant eat at home when we’re on vacation like small mom and pop joints. It’s always interesting !

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I LOVE that rule! I might have to copy you guys:)

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Yay for you and Brooke being back together! Looks like it was a great trip, though!

I don’t listen to music while I run (unless I’m on a treadmill), but I get all of my tunes from iTunes so I can have something to get ready to in the morning. :)

Happy Monday!

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So glad you’re back together! Enjoy :) .

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I’d love a friend who made me a nice Sunday breakfast! Love the playlist because I definitely need inspiration.

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Seasonal allergies <—- GET ALLERGY SHOTS! They legit cure you! I don't have allergies anymore <3

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That is so awesome Rebecca! They totally worked for my mom too and she had CRAZY allergies for years. I might just have to join you two!

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Ugh, allergies are the worst! I woke up sneezing this morning but seem to have gotten over it…for now.

If I listen to music while I run, I use spotify. Sometimes I listen to podcasts and sometimes I don’t listen to anything! I like to mix it up.

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I used to suffer so terribly with seasonal allergies until I became a vegetarian. Allergies gone! It’s craziness to the point where I cannot believe it! They say it could work out this way but I never believed it could. I’m so happy though to no longer suffer! And also, now I want a donut :)

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I used to get awful seasonal allergies living in the Midwest, but my allergies are virtually non-existent now that I live in Seattle. And now I want a donut!

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The pollen in New England is horrible! I usually don’t get allergies but I am suffering a bit this year!
My best run recently was my run on Wednesday. It was 8 miles with random fartleks thrown in and it was awesome! Except for my dog tripping me giving me road burn. :/
I buy my music on iTunes and listen to all my music on shuffle. I love Dashboard Confessional! I actually went to their concert last year (with Third Eye Blind, another favorite!

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Those waffles look so good!

It looks like you had a blast in California! We also did lots of running over the weekend – back-to-back 25 milers. We are about to pull back to prepare for our first race of the season. LOVE racing time!

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my travel tradition is always to get twizzlers. my mom used to buy them for all of our trips growing up and they always make me think of her.

my best run last week was my first pain free mile after being off for awhile. so happy I’m recovering smartly even if it’s slow.

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We have crazy similar running playlists! I also love Flatlining by She is We

Other songs for you to check out:

-Kicks by Lauren Aquilina
-Hostage by Sia
-Run Wild by Laney Jones
-Good Hearted Man by Tift Merritt
-Hell of a Girl by Grace

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Thank you for your running playlists! I always find a few on your list that i end up loving – like the Colors song by Halsey (I also downloaded her stripped version – LOVEEEEE) and Pink’s Just Like Fire. Also obsessed with JT’s new single…I listened to it on repeat for a 7 mile run last week. And I’m still not sick of it. Already forcing my brother to play it at his wedding reception next month LOL

Have you heard the new Lonely Island single, “I’m So Humble”? I love it, I laugh so hard and it’s nice because for once it’s not full of curse words lol We Don’t Have to Dance by Andy Black and Do It Again by Pia Mia are also great running songs :-D

We had the crappiest weekend here (yesterday was all four seasons in one day, I swear) but this week looks beautiful so looking forward to getting back out there for more running!

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Travel tradition-
If the city has a whole foods, we eat a lunch there from their salad bar, then stock up on some fruit to have in hotel room.

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It sounds like such a fun weekend. The salad looks great. Seriously, though, is there ever a place called “sad donuts”? ha ha. It’s funny how you can be away from college friends for a while but when you get back together it’s like nothing has changed.

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The PIC is starting to ramp up marathon training again so I am dealing with my bystander jealousy by working on confidence on the inside= aka, this week is about being allergic to self-doubt ;) But no, no seasonal allergies.
When traveling I have this weird habit of smelling the area- some places smell like peace, others like stress, others smell sacred. Guess it’s my Native American roots showing. Or, I’m weird.
Hardest run was just now- 12 mile steady run that was partially through a pretty muddy grass path. Grass trails and I don’t get along because they constantly remind me that I am a sissy wa wa when I take myself “off-roading”. Your trail running=hardcore.

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My best run in awhile was my 12 mile run on Saturday. Lately my long runs have been going super well which is kind of rare for me haha. And I use Spotify for music! I pay for premium so I can download my playlists and listen to them anywhere, not just when I’m on wifi.

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My spotify premium subscription is WELL worth the $$ considering I use it for every single run. I love it!!

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I normally don’t get seasonal allergies but they’ve been the worst this year! I’m not sure what’s caused the change, but it’s been rough!

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Weird? Maybe: You and Brooke make me so darn happy. I love knowing I can look to you/your blog/your adventures together to brighten my day.

Also, of course those donuts make you happy! The name is “Happy Donuts!” So fun. I have been craving a simple white-frosted, sprinkle-laden, cake donut now for like a bazillion days…that needs to happen soon. Happy Monday to you and Brooke! Keep being your awesome self.

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I’ve been using Apple Music and I’ve been really happy with it. Question… If I wanted to work more trail runs in with my training, should I do it on an easy day or on a harder workout day. With all the hills I feel like my legs wouldn’t recover like they should on an easy day. And for some reason I feel like I’m cheating (or slacking) if I change anything on my hard days! How do you work it in?

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That is a great question Marie!! I work it in according to the trail. I feel like more often than not I consider my trail days an easy day because I SLOW WAY DOWN but if there is a ton of climbing then I substitute it with a hard day if that makes sense. I will say that most of the time it is counted as an easy day for me just because of the change in speed. My body bounces back QUICKLY after a trail run because of the soft surfaces and slower paces. I hope that answers your questions!

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I generally only eat ice cream or fro-yo when I travel so that is a fun tradition! Spotify is the best. I make playlists then download them offline. Really digging some of those songs you picked for your playlist this week!

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Allergies are the worst! I’ve found mine are more so tied to the food I eat. An elimination diet can tell you a lot!

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I have always had allergies to cats and horses, but when I’m pregnant I lose the horse allergies and gain a ton of hay fever allergies. It’s the worst.

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That’s so interesting about your allergies! I have major seasonal allergies (my eyes used to swell shut when I was a kid) but I never have symptoms when I run. Afterwards I’m a complete mess but during I’m completely fine. Kind of like runner’s cough where I start coughing the second I stop, only with sneezing.
I used to use Apple Radio for my tunes until we had to pay for it. So now I just have a playlist that repeats about 3 times. ?

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Best run was the 14 miler I did on Saturday. Felt great (despite very little sleep the night before) and the miles flew by! Always nice when that’s the case :)

Travel traditions? I got to DC a lot for work (I used to live there and my job’s headquarters is based there now). Every time I go back I have two things I have to do while in town: 1.) Get a cocktail from my favorite hotel bar and 2.) Go running on my favorite trail!

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Aw I always used to make waffles for my friend!

I don’t have allergies here but I know quite a few people who have been suffering this year. They are way worse this year because it finally rained and everything bloomed.

I love pandora when I run and love that it introduces you to great songs that aren’t on the radio.

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Both you and Jess are the epitome of spring in that first picture. LOVE both of your floral dresses. Also, I’m watching Fuller House right now, and that picture of Michelle in the tutu made me entirely nostalgic.

I really love that running shirt right before your training section of this post! It’s unique and unlike anything I’d ever pick out, but seeing it on you makes me really like it!

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I have allergies really bad living in Central Florida. Oak is the biggest offender for me. They sometimes get so bad that I feel sick, bad sinus headache, and have to lie down. It is the reason I run on the treadmill so much (to avoid feeling really bad). However, when I go up north, I feel so much better. I watch my diet, take sinus tabs, and do the sprays but I find that B12 sublingual helps me. My husband gets them from Hammer but I saw them at Trader Joe’s the other day. Love Trader Joe’s!!

I really enjoyed your trail running pictures. There is something really peaceful being out on the trail.

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Oh that is awful Marym! I can’t even imagine. I’m glad you have figured out what helps you!! Oh… TJ’s has the best of the best. Thank you so much and you are so right… the peace that comes with trial running is the absolute best!

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allergies in CA are the worst they’ve been in 5 years. I think it’s because we are coming off a severe drought with a bunch of rain so weird pollen and stuff. This is the first year i had to go to urgent care for asthmatic allergic symptoms.

always spotify when I run, I usually choose a genre and let them decide. wayyy better for me.

when I’m traveling I try to a) try a random coffee shop that is unique to the area and b) visit the art museum( went to college for art)

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URGENT CARE for asthmatic allergic symptoms?!? Alexis, I am so so sorry! I hope you are doing better! I want to try the spotify genre idea for my next run! I love your traveling traditions!

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The rain we so desperately needed has made the pollen levels crazy high ! *East Bay

I’ve been meaning to mention — you must try jicama with lime juice & salt! It’s crazy delicious, I like it just to crunch on but even better on salad!

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Oh that is interesting Tracy! I didn’t think of that. SO glad that you guys got rain this year. YOU JUST made my afternoon.. I’m going to try that right now. That sounds so good!

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Thanks for the playlist update!!

I live in Cali and I take allergy medication every.single.day. Blech. I even change it up every month so that I don’t get immune to it. I subscribe to Apple music. It’s pretty awesome.

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I am so so sorry about your allergies!!! I was dying there this weekend and once I landed in Utah I was fine. I have wanted to try out Apple music… so glad you love it!

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I don’t listen to music a lot when I run, but when I do, it’s whatever is in my ITunes.

Ugh! Allergies! Mine were really bad a couple months ago! I went to North Carolina a couple days last week and everyone’s allergies seemed to act up except mine. Hopefully that doesn’t change!

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I had a lot of great easy runs on vacation.. love running in new places! I love using pandora when I run!

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I use an ipod to listen to music while I run, although I’m thinking I need to invest in some wireless earbuds. The cord has started to drive me crazy! I also buy my music off of iTunes. When I was teaching school I use to buy music every week but now that I am married and I have a kid I’ve had to reign in that impulse. My wish list is massive! XD

Do you put together a new running playlist each week? Do you just choose songs that you already have and put them together? I tend to love my playlist for a while and then I get really tired of it. I would love some suggestions on keeping the music interesting!

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OH I LOVE wireless headphones… they make a huge difference! HAHAH yep… so I just got spotify and pay 12$ a month for unlimited music and I’m in heaven. Before I used to buy new songs each month and it would cost a lot more… Usually I just mix in some old favorites and new ones. I like to have a new playlist each week… It’s one of my weird obsessions ha!

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When I’m flying, I like to have a magazine because I finish most in about the length of a flight. When it’s a road trip, I HAVE to have music. I use Spotify to listen to most of my music these days. Do you have public spotify playlists?

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I JUST got Spotify so I’m still trying to figure it all out! I’ll post about it once I do. I LOVE having a magazine on a flight too! LOVE!! Hope you are having an awesome day Meagan!

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Fortunately I do not have allergies. That must make running hard! I’m injured at the moment and I would love to be running trails today.

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We made waffles this weekend too! They were soooo good.
It’s so nice to see you and the Brookers reunited again! I’m glad to hear that you no longer feel sad when visiting California, I’m also glad that you kept your donut tradition anyway ;) Anytime I travel, I try to look up the best restaurants and sites to see. I use spotify to listen to music. Thanks for the playlist! Can’t wait to check it out.

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Nice post dear . I like your post thanks for sharing .

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Whenever my husband and I travel (or even when I travel alone) we have a small stuff yellow Labrador that goes with us. Since we can’t take our own dogs, that little guy is them in spirit. That stuffed animal has been to multiple states and even to Aruba and Paris!

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