Our Holiday together + my favorite pre-run snack + why I love running in Eugene.

Just another treadmill run together yesterday morning!  We did 5 miles (7:50 pace) and Andrew’s hamstring was being lame at the end.  I really hope it gets feeling better asap.

I’ll probably keep today at a moderate/easy pace because Josse and I are knocking out our long run for the week on Wednesday.  16 miles is the goal.

We picked up donuts for breakfast at the gas station because I was excited for a picture of them next to my shoes.  I’m telling ya, these babies have my heart and I wore them the entire day.

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We then went straight to the parade.  It was perfect.  I’m pretty sure that the 4th of July is my favorite holiday (besides Christmas) and Andrew’s favorite is Thanksgiving… he is trying to convince me to switch over but I’m pretty stuck on this one being my favorite.

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We still haven’t seen Finding Dorry!?!?!  Brooke did with her dad but I’m positive we still need to make this a part of our life shortly.

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After the parade we went straight for food at the Corner Bakery.

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We then made some time for the pool.

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You know you stayed there long enough when your hands look a little like this:

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Afterwards we went straight to my sister’s house for a bbq and I made my all-time favorite 4th of July dessert… white cake crumbles, every berry and whipped cream layered!  My sister’s family (and ours) went crazy over it.

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For dinner we had watermelon, steak and a spinach salad (my body was very grateful for all of the extra iron).

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Brooke fell asleep for a little while.

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And then we went and hung out at the fireworks.

After this scene pic below—> Brooke, Andrew and I found a little ledge where we could see the entire valley (like 4 different cities!) of fireworks.  We were pretty secluded there and we could see about 15 different fireworks shows at once.  I was staring at Brooke and Andrew and thinking about my 4th of July 3 years ago.  It was one of the hardest days of my life and Brooke and I sat on the beach that night watching fireworks and I sobbed for the majority of the fireworks that day, not sure what in the world I was going to do.  Last night I almost cried happy tears during the entire show because I’m just amazed at how things have changed in our world and how grateful I am that I have Andrew and Knox now.  Life will always have hard parts in it but now I have Andrew and he’s my person through it all.   I’m pretty darn lucky to have him forever.

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Okay, back to a normal post.  While I was with Brooks this last weekend they had a ton of snacks out for us the entire time… including these apple sauce packs.  I ate them before my runs (2 ten milers) and they worked perfect.  I have a hard time eating before a run because my stomach can’t handle much but these did the trick. Quick energy + easy to digest + delicious.

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Before we end today, I have a few things to say about Eugene, Oregon:

*I didn’t make it to VooDoo donuts and I don’t want to talk about it (unless we are talking about you shipping them to me).  I don’t know what happened but it isn’t okay.

*I LOVED how early the sun rose.  It made it that much easier to get up and out the door EARLY because it was already bright out.

*The temperatures were everything.  It felt like Fall.  During the day it got pretty hot there but in the mornings and evenings it really cooled down and Fall running is my favorite and it sure felt like Fall (compared to where I’m at).

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*I loved knowing that many of the greatest runners had been on these exact same trails before.  There were runners EVERYWHERE and a lot of extremely speedy ones too.  There were miles and miles of dirt trails like this… soft surfaces = a happy body.  Runners along the path always smiled and waved.  It felt like everyone was out and moving their bodies at different points along the way.

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How did you spend the 4th?

Favorite additions/perks/running trails etc about your city?  What are some of your ‘must-haves’ for your running that you think a city should have? 

Have you seen Finding Dorry?  Thoughts?

What is your current pre-race energy?  Does your stomach have a hard time with food before a run or does it handle it well?

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49 comments

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What?! No Voodoo donuts?

Oregon is just one beautiful State – I hope to make it there one day!

I run most of my runs on the Ottawa River Path – you can get from my suburb to downtown (around 21K) completely on trail. We used to bike all the way downtown to go to the farmers market.

I saw Finding Dory – it was good, but not as good as the first

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I haven’t seen finding dorry but I am dying to see the secret life of pets and I’m going on Friday, so excited!

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I love your special fireworks moment when you realized how much life has changed. I’m so happy for you! :) And I’m right there with you as the Fourth of July being a favorite holiday. I LOVE it. And I really love fireworks.

I usually eat a banana and Wheat Thins as my pre-race meal. It’s really the only thing that doesn’t make my stomach worse than I know it will already be on a race day.

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I love that I get to run at the beach in my city and I think it’s a shame that not every runner gets this experience every day because it’s the best! Although I do wish we had some mountains to look at too :)

My stomach does not handle pre-race food well. It doesn’t handle food before any run well. I have to eat at least 2 hours in advance. That’s annoying when I know I have a half or longer coming up because I went to feel well fueled but I know I have to eat light and way before the start!

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I love applesauce packets before/during a run. I have a pretty sensitive stomach and it’s easy enough on it for me too.

I love Eugene! I ran the marathon there two years ago and it was so nice. It would get warm during the day but actually cool off at night, it doesn’t do that where I’m from either so it was so nice! And not to rub it in, but Voodoo Donuts was pretty great too!

We spent the 4th in Angel Fire, NM. It’s beautiful here and it was so pretty to have the lake and mountains be the backdrop for fireworks!

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Happy belated 4th!

We spent our entire weekend running! We conquered our 48 hour quest. Todd and I both got second place for our genders with 140 miles. I also set the second place female course record. It was HOT, HOT, HOT, HOT out there and there were SO many runners who packed up and left early. All of our heat training paid off and we were able to cruise along through the heat, though we did not hit our goal mileage b/c the heat did affect us, just not as much as it affected others it seems.

I am working on a post with pictures and a recap. Hopefully it will be up later today or tomorrow.

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I love Oregon! The Eastside of Seattle is similar, with miles and miles of all sorts of trails and perfect running weather.
Before a race or long run I eat a banana plus whole wheat toast with honey.

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I haven’t seen Finding Dory yet either! My husband and I really want to!

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the best part of my fourth was a nice 3.5 mile run with my bf and a bbq later in the day. perfect day off if you ask me. we got to run on one of my favorite trails in NJ, the delaware/raritan canal trail. it’s 16+ miles of just trail along a river and is gorgeous. so happy I stumbled upon it one day while driving around. turns out new jersey isn’t as ugly as people think haha

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Happy 4th! Sounds like a fun weekend. I think must-haves for a running path include water fountains, multiple route choices, and a lot of fellow runners for camaraderie or inspiration. Have a great day!

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For over ten years I was eating half a banana before a run and then I realized that a little amount of protein + carbs works so much better for me. It usually takes the form of 3-4 spoonfuls of fruit flavoured greek yogurt. Very easy to digest but I feel that the energy it gives me lasts longer than sugar only. Food + running = Lots of trial and errors haha
Obstacles are a normal part of life but it’s so good to see you and Brooke in a happy place!!! Wishing you all the best!

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I love that you visited Eugene! I went to school at University of Oregon and ran those trails every day. The running history is rich in Eugene and you can feel it, with Prefontaine, Bill Bowerman, Phil Knight, Hayward Field, and all the great athletes still coming out of that town. They don’t call it Tracktown USA for nothing! Also glad that the Oregon weather cooperated for you. Oregon is just amazing this time of year!!

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We spent July 1st (Canada Day) helping my 3 year old niece run her first 1 km fun run!!!!! It was SO. MUCH. FUN!!! You and Brooke would have LOVED it!! There was a costume contest and so me being the sewer that I am… and being the competitive person that I am… HAD to make our costumes. I asked Nina what she wanted to be and of course, she responded like any 3 year old would, she wanted to be Princess Elsa. Which meant her Mom would be Cinderella. And I dressed up as Snow White. I think I have to dress up for future runs because man did we have fun in our princess crowns and fancy outfits (wish I could post a pic here for you, I think you’d really get it!!). :)

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I spent the 4th with hubby giving us a good show of all the fireworks he bought, with our 4 yo and newborn (who slept thru it all-crazy!)

Hubby took our 4 yo to see Dory as a special “date” since we brought baby home the day before. I’m dying to see it myself though!

I love trails and beach running! I have great beaches where I live, but trails/mountains are very limited.

For pre race energy I stick to a bowl of my homemade granola or some PB toast. I usually have a GU 10 mins or so before a race starts too!

Happy 4th Janae and I’m so HAPPY you have Andrew and Knox too!

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I hit up the parade in Provo as well & then went to Tucanos for an awesome lunch. I’m in town visiting my daughter & her husband. We saw Finding Dory before watching TONS of fireworks in Draper. I liked the first movie best. I used to live in Oregon & LOVED it!!

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I usually eat a cookie before heading out on a long run.
I spent my July 4th puking. It was great. At leaSt it was rainy and fireworks were postponed until tonight so I didn’t miss them.

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I did a 4 mile race on the 4th as the last 4 miles of my long run (18 total). It was a blast! I am thankful to live in a very active community with safe routes. Safety is my #1 concern when running. I feel like I run better on an empty stomach (which works for me in pretty much every distance up to the half marathon), but for the marathon and up, I have found that UCAN is the best thing for me. It’s really easy on your stomach.

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I love your fireworks reflection moment – I feel like I always reflect during that time too! It’s amazing how GOOD God has been to you, even with all the trials you went through.

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Eugene weather sounds amazing! Also. those sneakers are amazing! I ran a 5k, and even better, my niece ran her very first race! She is 7.5 and did the kid’s Fun Run – 1 mile. She did awesome, finishing with a smile!

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We had a family BBQ and then tried to sleep through the rockets in the neighborhood because my husband had to work today. I’m from the Portland area, and personally I don’t think you missed much at Voodoo- just a novelty mix of bizarre donuts, not really the tastiest!

I liked Finding Dory, almost as good as the first, very sweet story!
I’m so glad your 4th was great and you have your new wonderful guys in your life!

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Loved finding dory!
I’m lucky to live along the east coast so I can run along beaches and boardwalks and also since I am in NYC I can run over bridges and in Central Park.

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I loved running in Eugene! I may have also snuck on to the Oregon track and ran a lap just for fun :)

The hubs and I got home about an hour before July 4th from our international trip and everyone came to our house. It was awesome to see everyone’s faces but I definitely passed out for a bit and then woke up for fireworks.

We have a bike path that stretches across our city and it’s pretty fun to run it. There are also water fountains and bathrooms!

We haven’t seen Finding Dory with the kids and I also want to take them to see BFG!

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I’m really feeling the loss of my old neighborhood’s trails. I had a really pretty neighborhood with sidewalks on every single road. Then, all the streets were connected by these connector trails so every single run was different than the one before. I don’t have sidewalks and I don’t have pretty trails anymore :( I’m so happy you’re in an amazing place in life right now! You deserve it!

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Voodoo donuts are a bit overrated if you ask me. I’ll take a Krispy Kreme instead any day.
I’m so glad you enjoyed Eugene. The running trails here are wonderful and so is the weather. Summer is my favorite season in Oregon.
Also, Finding Dory is fantastic. A must see.
Have a lovely day!

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Looks like you guys had a fun holiday! I spent nine on the couch as I came down with a cold or flu or something. Who gets sick I the summer? Only me!

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My little city is so “out in the country” that the biggest bonus is you run on basically empty roadways. Lots of corn… lots of quiet… it’s super peaceful – but no site to see…

Currently, my pre-race energy bounces from oatmeal (2 hours before run), a slice of PB toast (30min – 1 hour before run), or a handful of rice+seaweed (anytime, my tummy LOVES this stuff!). If I choose anything but the rice, I’ll end up burping the entire run — so weird! (and sorry if that’s TMI!)

^_^

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The 4th is my favorite holiday. It’s my husband’s too so we always have a full weekend or playing. We did just about everything Provo had to offer, although somehow we missed both fly overs!? It’s one of our favorite parts. Glad you had a good holiday too!

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Love those sneakers! So glad you had a happy holiday. Amazing what a few years can do, right? So much can change!

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Well, I’ve HEARD that Voo Doo doughnuts just LOOK pretty and come in that pretty pink box…………so hopefully you didn’t miss out on too much ;)

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Confession: I live 20 minutes from 2 different Voodoo donuts and still have not gone. What’s wrong with me?! I love donuts too haha

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Voodoo doughnuts are so good! If you’re ever in Denver or Austin, they have shops there too :)
My mom is from Eugene and I always loved running there when we went to go see my grandparents. It’s a beautiful place and I agree–the weather is amazing. It’s even better when you can be running and stop to eat the wild blackberries growing on the side of the trails/roads :)

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We spent our Fourth of July weekend running, playing soccer, visiting family, and eating good food! :)

I love that where we live there are a lot of trails and safe routes. There are also a lot of bathrooms along our routes which is a plus (especially while being pregnant!!)

So happy for you Janae! I’m so glad you have Andrew and Knox! God is good :)

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So happy for you! Love the picture of you and the dessert.

I am proud of your maturity of knowing there will always be trials. When I finally made it through my life’s hardest patch it was like yessssssssssss, finally……..and when the first little challenge crept in I was like noooooooooooooo. Looking back I wish I would have seen the little challenge for what it was. I guess what I am trying to say is I made it to the mountain top that you are on right now, and I blindly thought I was going to stay untouchable by life forever. Oops, but a good life lesson.

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the 4th of July is my favorite holiday too!!

I will have to try apple sauce. I’m always looking for food that is easy on my stomach.

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I’ve seen Voodoo donuts on a tv show once! I think it was man vs food or something :)

Running in Eugene sounds fun! I love trails too.
Here, around my neighborhood is all paved residential roads but you can definitely go find trails up in the gorgeous mountains nearby and run those trails. But most of them are steep inclines and declines!

Or running by the beach :) you just have to get used to the wind and the sand in your shoes….

Fourth of July- started off with a race with the entire family :) great day! Ending with some fireworks.

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So glad that you are in in such a happy place in life! I wish you all the best ahead for you and your precious little family.
Applesauce packets are a go to for my long runs! Love the convenience and how they settle in my tummy.
See Dory ASAP!
Blessings to you…:D

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Brooks really put on the glitz with their latest shoes. I was in the local running store on Sunday, before I took my oldest daughter go-karting – she rocked it. Saw some crazy red white, blue and gold Brooks that almost had me questioning my ASICs allegiance.

Now I’m on the hunt for another pair of new/old ASICS GT-2170s. Because guess what? I paid the extra dough TODAY to register as a RW VIP…and I’m doing Big Sur next April 30th! Crazy huh? Last year around this time I had just ran my first 10k ever.

As for the 4th. We had some friends over with their kids and our kids did sparklers and poppets (the things your throw on the ground and they pop). My 2 year old was surprisingly fearless with those. Then we tried to go to sleep while the neighbors did their best to keep us awake with loud fireworks. The baby was not happy.

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OMG!! I’m the one that suggested eating at ‘off the waffle’ and 5th street on IG. I CANNOT believe that I didn’t think of Voodoo for you! I would certainly mail you one, or 5 and if you want-I would make Brooky a Dory dress to wear to the movies! I’m glad you liked Eugene :)

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You look like you had a full weekend. I started training for a marathon and made some patriotic desserts for the 4th. BTW your daughter is adorable:-)

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Our daughter is attending the Univ of Oregon in the fall so our whole family is moving to Oregon!! So ready to experience living on the west coast! And yes the same daughter, 18 years old, wanted to see Finding Dory so we went, very cute movie!

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I have to try the applesauce before my runs! Thanks for the recommendation.

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I have been craving donuts for weeks because of your posts :) P.S. You should totally get this donut bandana for your pup!!
https://www.baconbibs.com/collections/custom-bibs/products/jelly-donut-bandana

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Voo doo donuts are over rated! Don’t stress :)

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looks like a fun weekend all around. and LOVE those starry shoes!

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Not to be downer but what happened on July 4th 3 years ago?

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I spent the 4th of July with family on the lake. We watched the fireworks from the boat (we do this every year) and they were amazing!

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I am so happy that you found your person; you deserve it!

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I live in Portland, so voodoo gets a lot of hype… but if you are ever up here and want a good doughnut you should hit up Blue Star!!

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That’s so exciting! I love those happy realization moments. :)

My stomach handles most things well as long as I give it at least 45-90 minutes to digest, depending on if it was a granola bar or something larger like a bagel.

I too was in Angel Fire NM for the weekend! I attempted my first marathon race there, but my finicky IT bands protested so severely that I couldn’t even walk and quit after 15 miles. I was really disappointed but figured I would be better off recovering and trying again in the future.

My weekend was made much better when my BF proposed during a hot air balloon ride the following day (July 4th)!!!!! :D

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