The night before the night before a race, a graduation party and YOUR Running Accomplishments!!!

That beautiful cousin of mine just finished up her Masters and GRADUATED yesterday.  The two of us were so crazy close all growing up and I feel especially proud of her.

The best of the best were all there to celebrate her accomplishment!

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We combined her graduation party with celebrating Cinco de Mayo and had tacos for dinner.

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We ate out on the deck with quite the views.

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And then we drove back and got way too wild before bedtime.

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I hit the hay early.com (after a bowl of cereal:).  I have always believed that the night before the night before a race is when your sleep is extra important.  I always have a hard time sleeping the night before a race.  Also, race day usually means an early wake-up call SO I try to get an extra good night sleep the night before that.   You do what you can control and let go of the rest, right!?

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My friend sent a picture of her Cinco de Mayo DONUT—> yes, that is a churro inside of her donut.  Brilliance.

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I hope your Friday is a good one. I saw this last weekend and it made me laugh pretty hard….

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Oh, and you know you want it (six days left)!!!

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You guys are absolutely amazing.  THANK YOU for sending your running accomplishments in and keep them coming!!!

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Ann!!! “I ran the Oshkosh Marathon this past weekend.  It was my second marathon.  My first I ran in 4:17:48.  This one I ran in 3:59:20!!! I wanted to break the four hour mark SO badly.  The last six miles were so rough and nothing compared to crossing the finish line and achieving the goal I’d worked so hard for.”

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Jordan!!!  “So this past weekend, I was able to run my fourth half marathon (the OKC Memorial Marathon)! This was my first since having my two babies.  This was also my first one to finish solo and I PR’d by 8 minutes! I made it in 2:16, which was my B goal but I’m still extremely happy with it.  My brother in law started with me, but pulled his groin in training and was still able to make it six miles with me! I’m so grateful to him for that and so much more that day.  My other bro-in-law is standing in the middle.  He’s a stud and ran in 1:56!”

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Carolyn!!!  “My boyfriend and I ran our first half marathon in Washington, DC this past weekend.  It rained and the race was a trail run so by the ned I was soaked head-to-toe, but running along the Potomac River made it all worth it.  My goal was to run under 2:15 and I ran a 2:09! I’ve already signed up for another half and I can’t wait to improve my time.”

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Patricia!!! “This morning (Saturday 4/30), my mom and I ran a local half, ParktoPark, in Waynesboro VA.  We ran last year and both ran under 2 hours- my first time going sub 2- accomplishing a half goal I’ve had for a year.  My mom went on to win her age group! We ran it again this morning and again broke 2 hours and my mom won her age group again! :) My mom is my running inspiration nd I hope to be running like her when I am her age!”

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Christine!!! “I wanted to share my running accomplishment from this past weekend! After having my son in November 2014 I wanted to get back into running.  I didn’t run much while pregnant, never found support band that made my belly feel supported enough!  So I slowly melted off the 60+ baby weight gain (ouch!) and started my running again.  I decided I should run half marathon to prove to myself that I could run that distance after having a baby.  My previous half marathon time from 2011 (5 years ago!) was 2:15 so I thought if I could PR from that I would be happy.  But then, I got this crazy idea to get a 2:00 half marathon time!  Could I really shave 15 minutes off my time!? I seriously thought I had gone crazy.  So, after 12 weeks of hard training, I was at the starting line of the Earth Rock Run half marathon on May 1st and nervous as heck! I went out on the run with a lot of self doubt.  I knew this run would not only be a physical challenge but also a mental one.  And let me tell you, I killed it! I finished the half with a 19 minute PR with a time of 1:56:27!!! I pushed hard for every step, for every breath, for every mile- and I could not be happier!”

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Katie!!! “Sunday May 1st me and my best friend ran our first marathon together! It was 40 degrees and rained the entire time but we made it through in 4:10!! This was our second time running the Lindoln Guard Marathon/Half Marathon (we did the half last year) and they always put on an amazing, well organized race! The best part had to be the free massages after the race! It looks like I’m in a lot of pain (I’m in the pink hat) but I think I was laughing.  At least that is what I’m going to tell myself!”

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Rachelle!!! “I’ve been struggling with a grade 2 hip flexor strain and faithfully doing outpatient and at home PT but zero running for 5 weeks.  I’m probably not the best example because this past weekend I broke rank and was a renegade even though I’m not at 100% yet.  Ran a half marathon I had signed up for before my injury with a plan to run/walk.  I ended up running slowly with my Garmin covered up.  My fellow runners understand better than anyone why I would do something crazy like this.  I went in knowing it would likely be a recovery setback but decided it was worth the world I’ll be doing to get back to racing again in the fall.  Not that we all don’t work equally hard but runners finishing later are sometimes overcoming major obstacles just to see the finish line.  It was a painfully sweet day.  I hope my PT doesn’t fire me!”

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Georgina wrote in about Ryan!!! “Huge shout-out to my best friend Ryan (the person who got me hooked on running!).  Congratulations on rocking your latest half-marathon!!! I’m SO proud of you for training for this race while maintaining straight As in school.  No surprise there! Even with plantar fasciitis you ran this race faster than you expected and absolutely smashed it! I can’t wait to tackle our first full marathon together!”

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Krissie!!! “I did the Le Chocolat half marathon in Windsor, ON (Canada) this past weekend.  I signed up because it was a flat course, and maybe also for the two full bottles of wine in the race kit and the firefighters at the finish line:)  I was expecting a PB of a few minutes from my previous half PB of 2:26:03.  I didn’t get that… I crushed it!!! I finished in 2:13:24, an almost 13 minute PB.  Woohoo!!!!:

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Michelle!!! “The running accomplishment that I’d like to share is not my own, but my mother’s! This past Sunday, she completed her very first half marathon.  She and I have been working together all winter and spring to build up her endurance, get her fueling on track, and more importantly, build up her confidence that she really could finish a half marathon.  On Sunday, in less than perfect conditions (rainy! yuck!), she crossed that finish line and got her medal.  She finished in 2 hours and 47 minutes, a pace of 12:47 per mile, and I was lucky to be by her side with her the whole time.  She is over the moon.  I am incredibly proud of her accomplishment, and wanted to share it with the world!”

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Kelly!!!  “The past two months I’ve made a conscious effort to refuel after running.  This may be the norm for many, but for me it is a big accomplishment to my running.  Typically I would finish my run, change, grab my work stuff, and jump into the car to shuttle the kiddos to and from their practices/activities, then get home and do the evening routine.  My post run (short and long!) refuel used to be water, cup of coffee, maybe moments.  This obviously lead to feeling wiped and depleted at 10 pm, or give me tired legs the next day.  Now i make sure to pack a quality snack for the time between my run and getting home. April was a ‘record’ mileage month for me with weekly numbers being 44 miles-51 miles and I bet it’s from the better care post run.”

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Alma!!! “I am a bit of an obsessive planner when it comes to my running- I haven’t met a spreadsheet I don’t like.  This spring was no different- I planned my race dates out with lots of preparation beforehand, short tapers (for the half marathons), and solid recovery time.  So, it really threw me for a loop when my first race (a very hilly half marathon) was postponed the day before the race due to severe weather.  I went ahead and scheduled a 15k two weeks later so my training didn’t go to waste and I was pretty confident the half would not get rescheduled so soon.  I was wrong!  I wound up with a 15k, a hilly half, and a 10k scheduled three weeks in a row.  Yikes!!! I did my best not to panic and told myself to just get out there and have fun (worst case-treat the half as a long run).  Well, I did have fun (although those hills were brutal-even with all my hill training this year).  But I also PRed at all three distances by big margins.  This picture is after the first race- the CTFastrak 15k on April 17 (you run the bus route-so smooth!).  I am so happy that I decided to just trust my training and go for it, and have fun.  Congrats to everyone else on their accomplishments!”

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Do you sleep well the night before a race?

What time is your IDEAL race time start??

Go to cereal these days?!?

What are you looking forward to this weekend?

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39 comments

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I never sleep well the night before a race either. No joke, I’m already having dreams (maybe nightmares?) about my first marathon in November. Hopefully I’ll get it all out now so I can sleep closer to race day!

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Love all the running accomplishments!

I don’t sleep well before a race not because I’m nervous for the race, but I’m always afraid that I will sleep through my alarm and miss the start of the race. It’s never happened so I have no reason to be paranoid about it, but that’s my worry every time. Even though I set like 5 alarms. Seriously.

My brother in law brought some cinnamon toast crunch with them when they came to visit this weekend and I swiped some from him. It was pretty fantastic. I’m looking forward to sleeping in this weekend. We’ve been so busy with everything for my grandpas funeral today that I’m just exhausted! I need to sleep!

Have a great Friday!

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My cross country coach in high school always told me that two nights before a race is the most important, so you’re doing it right! I love races that start at 7 a.m. That seems like a pretty good time to me.

This has been a long and stressful week, so I’m looking forward to relaxing this weekend and eating some froyo. By the way, is that Cinnamon Toast Crunch??! That is ALWAYS my go-to cereal. Hands down, it’s the best there is. :)

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Natalie, I’m so sorry about your hard week… I hope that you are able to recharge completely! It sure is Cinnamon Toast Crunch… I’m hooked right now!! Enjoy your weekend!

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Cinnamon Toast Crunch is my go-to as a late night snack. :o)

Enjoy your race!

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Oddly I’ve had more trouble sleeping two nights out from a race than the night before, I think possibly because I still haven’t prepared everything for the race and just want the day to be here already! So I stress about last minute preps. Then when everything’s ready to go I can relax.

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Celebration tacos are the best.

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I never sleep well before a race, no cereal, love a 7 am start time and the beach!

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I sleep well the night before a race if I’m sleeping in my own bed. Hotels are a different story! But for local races I fall asleep extra early no problem.

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Loved reading the accomplishment posts and was shocked to find my own accomplishment on there!!! Thanks so much to my best friend Georgina for the shoutout! Really made my day :)

Congrats to all of the runners that smashed their goals this weekend!!

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Congrats RYAN, you are amazing!! Best friends are the absolute best!!!

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Woohoo! Congrats runners!

Ideal race start time: 7:30am … Love to be able to get going before 8am!
Thing I’m looking forward to most this weekend: The Mom’s Day bash I’m throwing for my mom Sunday night! Having all her friends, all my friends, and all my friend’s dogs come over to celebrate all moms!

Good luck on the race!

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You are going to smash your race, Janae! The UltraRunCouple is rooting for you!!!

Todd loves FMW and I know they are also close to your’s/Brook’s hearts. I am a Lucky Charms kind of gal.

For 100 milers (b/c I have them on the brain this time of year), we prefer anything after 7 am b/c then you do not have to start with a headlamp. Running in the deep woods at the very beginning of a race in complete darkness is not the best way to begin a very long day!

I am excited to run with my hubby-love this weekend and that my mom, sis, and nephew are coming to visit tonight.

Have a blessed race!

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I agree on the night before the night before being the most important one… My first few years as a runner I always freaked out when I wasn’t sleeping much the night before but with time I realized that my performances were not affected, as long as I had a good night of sleep the night before the night before ;-) I also realized that loading on pasta didn’t work for me : I need beef (iron?) in one form or another (steak and rice is my favorite one but tortilla chips with ground beef also work!). No secret recipes here though, we all need to found out what works best for our bodies! I hope you race goes well this week-end! Tempo Time for me! ;-)

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My ideal race time is 8 am although I wouldn’t mind a little earlier! I found my cold smores recipe for you- http://thecookiechrunicles.com/2015/12/15/cold-smores-no-bake-and-super-easy/. Let me know if you try it! It’s perfect for making and keeping in freezer as snacks for the week

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Thanks so much for sharing my mom’s awesome first half story! <3 So great to be able to share those moments with her. My go-to cereal is one that I don't buy very often because I eat the whole bowl, and it is like candy… Golden Grahams!

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I was super close with my cousins growing up too, we are all closer now than we were the, if that’s possible for 7 girls.

Cinnamon toast crunch, yum! I think that and Life with raspberries on it are my two go to cereals right now.

When I’m pregnant I dr about food a Lot, last night it was all breakfast food. Off to find breakfast!

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Honestly I get almost no sleep the night before a race – way too nervous/excited! I like your idea of the night before the night before being the ideal night of sleep. And I am a big cereal fan so this is a difficult choice, but Peanut Butter Puffins are always on point! I’m excited for a relatively relaxing weekend – I just finished a week of exams and have only one more!

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I’m right there with you!! I am too nervous/excited/worried that I am going to miss my alarm clock! I hope you get some PB Puffins and enjoy your relaxing weekend! Congrats on finishing your week of exams Caroline!

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Congrats to your cousin!! I finished my master’s yesterday as well!! My graduation is next weekend, but I’m skipping it to run a 5K with my best friends!

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Somewhere I read that the sleep you get two nights before a race is more important? But I’m not sure what the science is behind that. My marathon had a 9:30 start time which I thought I would hate but it allowed me to wake up at a somewhat decent time to eat. Looking forward to seeing some friends who are visiting this weekend!

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I really like 8am start times! In the fall I prefer them to be a little later so it can warm up a bit. I’ve done a race the past few Novembers and the half started at 11 which was odd but it was definitely way warmer than early in the morning!

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Multi-grain Cheerios! I bought them for Callum and I end up eating them all.

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I am way too nervous to sleep well the night before a race. My husband and I are going to the Caymen Islands with some friends tomorrow for the week! so excited!

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Ugh when I raced, I never could sleep the night before. I was always nervous I would sleep through the alarm or forget something. I guess it’s just part of the process!

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OK i know I ve said it before but now i m convinced! I m moving to Utah!! I mean come on look at this deck view!!! Incredible!!!! Also these churro-donuts look to die for!! Not much of a celebration around here in the UK for Cinco de Mayo :( reason #32134 to miss NY!

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I never sleep well the day before a race.
I like a 9am start. I hate getting up early.
This will be my last weekend before starting a full time (out of the house) job and I am going to try and relax and plan out my outfits for the week

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Special K Vanilla Almond always. Best cereal hands down. That and I’m a sucker for Kix from my childhood. soooo good and the serving size is 1.25 cups which makes it even better.

ideal race start for me would be 8 am. Just enough time to wake up early and get settled, but not so early that you have to wake up at like 3 am to down some food. love it.

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Good job everyone! I love reading the running accomplishments.

I would be thrilled if more races started around 8:30/9 but I’m always grateful to get out of the heat during the earlier races. I think 7:30 is a good time to run. When my alarm goes off at an ungodly hour I am always wondering, “why am I doing this?” Then I snap out of it a minute later.

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I had a 1/2 last Sunday (5/1) and probable slept the best I have ever slept the night before a race. The running Gods were with me as I ran Sunday because I PR’d by 2 minutes (!!). Unfortunately, someone made wrong turn at the beginning of our course which added about 1/2 mile to the distance…I still managed to PR the course (also by about 2 minutes). I just wish my official finish time showed the half PR, but instead, I will go by what my Garmin says. :)

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wow that churro donut is too legit to quit!!! what a great idea i bet it tasted amazing! i sleep ok before a race but not as well as after!!!

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Nice MC Hammer reference!

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I don’t generally sleep well the night before a race. I worry about oversleeping, being tired (?!) and the usual nonsense that we do to psyche ourselves out. I do best when I can sleep in my own bed and get up around 7. So a 9 – 9:30 am start time seems very civilized to me. I’m reading Mind Gym right now to get my mindset to a more positive place. (and after 10+ half-marathons I’ve never slept past my desired wake time so why am I so crazy)?

I’m looking forward to seeing the sun this weekend. I has rained for 6 days straight! I know we needed rain but enough already.

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I don’t sleep well the night before, and I am excited to wake up on race morning! I LOVE lucky charms and apple jacks. I think my favorite start time is 7 am. And this weekend I work, but I will be at home…I spent almost a full week pet sitting, so it’s nice to be back in my own bed!

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Glad you posted that reminder about the sleep you get 2 nights before being the important one–I have a half tomorrow with a 4 AM wakeup call and I know my sleep is going to be awful, but I got a good one last night! (minus the 2 times my 3-yr-old visited) Although I must say that as much as being 20 weeks pregnant slows me down running, it sure makes it easier to fall asleep before races. :-)

I like early start times–I never sleep well anyway and I’d rather just get it over with!

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I have a funny night before the night before an event story: My husband was riding Death Ride in the Lake Tahoe area a few years ago. It’s a nasty one – 129 miles, 15,000′ of climbing over 5 mountain passes. I had crazy dreams the night before the night before and when I woke up at 5:30 I totally freaked out! “Babe, you slept through your alarm! Oh… it’s only Friday, never mind…” So you can imagine what I’m like the night before my own races!

I prefer early starts to races – it’s not like I can sleep anyway! The Honolulu Marathon started at 5:00 and I was completely fine with that.

I have a 10k race this weekend that I am completely under-trained for, but it’ll still be a fun day.

Congrats to everyone on their accomplishments!

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I am looking forward to seeing my son’s fiancee (oops, not yet) graduate tomorrow.

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I never sleep well the night before a race! Constant dreams about oversleeping plague me :) but I sleep great after, so it’s all worth it.

Ideal race time start is 7 am. Just enough light, but still cool. My first half began at 6:30, and it was dark forever.

I’m an oatmeal kid. There’s this instant brand called Better Oats that has all sorts of good-for-you stuff without much sugar.

Looking forward to a 12-miler with my running friends in our favorite (hilly!) park :)

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I only sleep well if I’m in my own bed, and if I’m not worried about getting there on time.

I haven’t had cereal for about 6 months. So I don’t have a go to for that…

I was looking forward to running – it’s been over 2 weeks for me due to injury. I managed to only run a mile.

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