Remember Janae: Don’t take running so seriously.

Yesterday morning’s run was a flop.  The workout was 9 miles with the splits of: 2 x 7:45, 2 x 7:30, 2 x 7:00, 2 x 6:50 and the last one at a 7:45.  I hit the times but I took 4 twenty second breaks.  FOUR.  I was a little frustrated and upset with myself that I was taking breaks but then I remembered….it’s just running.  I run because I love it and we all know that we aren’t going to have perfect workouts every time we run.  It happens.  

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The best part about my run was the outfit, that is for sure.  It was hot out.  Like really hot.  

This may not be the fanciest running outfit but it did the one job that I needed it to do…to keep me as cool as possible.   The Brooks D’lite Mesh Tank is by far the lightest running top I own and it pretty much feels like you aren’t even wearing a top because it is so breathable.   The D’Lite Racer 2.5″ Shorts are perfect for summer.  They are also CRAZY light and they may be short but that is what I need for hot weather running. 

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After Brook’s bath she watched some Wimbledon with the Billy on the couch.

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And then Brooke went over to a Friend’s house and swam and I used a gift certificate that Billy gave me for Mother’s Day.  I had a few inches cut off from my hair (even though I was actually tempted to cut it really short), had a pedicure and then a massage.  A massage.  

Time for me to login to Quicken so that I can figure out how to make a weekly massage part of our budget.   

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Dinner was at San Pedro Square with friends.  This place is the best place to go with a group of people because they have like ten different restaurants in one huge building so everyone can get what they want.

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Billy and I split this burger (I ate a huge bowl of cereal right before we left) and it was delicious for one main reason—>  the bun was a Hawaiian Sweet Roll.  Now that is a good idea (but a donut bun would have been even better). 

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And then there was some ice cream at home because I don’t know how to end a day without it.  

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Anyone have some BAD haircut/hair color stories?  Who does your hair?

How are you surviving summer running?  Any tips for running in the heat?  (I am working on a post about this and I would love to include your tips)

Do you ever find yourself taking running too seriously?  

Favorite weekend day— Saturday or Sunday?  Why?

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80 comments

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I take running too seriously a lot. It’s hard when your boy friend is so much faster than you and sometimes you just want to be as good! He gets to run with the fast running group and I spend most of the time running alone. BUUTT. I love running and it helps me in life so I try and stay as positive as possible and one day he’ll have to try and keep up with me!

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Hey Ashley! I totally see where you are coming from, that would be a lot of pressure! Way to stay positive and I can’t wait for your to chick him:)

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I want that shirt!!! What size did you get?

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You should get it! I got a small!

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Thanks! Going to order one! :)

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I just purchased a tank top and new shorts to run in the heat! It has been very hot with humidity here in NY!
Can’t wait to read the summer running tips :)

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When I was in 2nd grade I wanted a cute bob hair cut, but ended up with a bowl cut. I looked like a boy for about 7 months while it grew out. When my husband saw my class picture from 2nd grade he asked where I was in it, I showed him, and he said he thought I was a boy.

I have been trying to decide if I should cut my hair or let it keep growing. I find it hard to just ask for a trim.

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That was still a great run! How many hard runs do you do a week? I definitely agree with not taking running too seriously! Running is something I love to do whether I am hitting my goals or not and everyone has “off” days :)…they are a part of running. Although I would say since you hit your times it wasn’t even an off day! It was hot too so definitely factor that in!
Great outfit!
I am pretty cheap about getting my hair done since it is in a ponytail 99% of the time…I go to Supercuts :)
I LOVE those Hawaiian rolls…I never thought to use them as a bun….great idea!
I love the weekend in general….I don’t think I can decide :)

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I wish I could convince my hubby that a weekly massage is a solid investment in my mental & physical health! That’s an awesome workout. Don’t beat yourself up for 4 measly breaks. Just think of them as short recoveries to hit your splits! I have never dyed my hair, but I may have to reconsider my au natural state soon. I’ve got grays cropping up & I’ll never be able to pluck them all out! When you go thru post pregnancy shedding, why do the grays never fall out?!

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Ahh, yes…I DEFINITELY take running too seriously sometimes. I have to hit myself in the head and remember that I’m not Kara Goucher forgodness sakes and that running is just like everything else in life: there will be bad days. There are bad days at work, bad days with the baby, bad days with my car…there are even bad showers and bad hair days! It happens. It’s just hard to remind yourself of it when you’re in the moment. But tomorrow’s a new day and a new run! :-D

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You nailed it!

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I love Saturdays because Sundays are too close to Mondays. Your hair looks beautiful and I definitely think if you can swing a weekly massage, go for it! ;) A burger on a Hawaiian roll sounds fabulous!!

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Running in the heat is the worst. It was 108 here yesterday. It’s sad I’ve begun to think of 95 as acceptable running weather. My best advise is hard to take: listen to your body! Ignore the garmin. Walk if needed. Drink sports drinks and not just water (I’m a water only person so that’s hard for me). To me 4 miles in 95 degrees feels like 7 miles in 70 degrees.

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It’s hard not to let our not so great runs mentally get us down but it sounds like you made the best of it. Thats definitely my biggest barrier when it comes to running- the mental aspect. I love your haircut! And that burger. Holy yum. My favorite place has sweet rolls too and I love them so much.

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Good for you! Yesterday my car said 108… It’s definitely hot here too!!! I like Sunday’s! They tend to be more relaxed than Saturday’s and I like going to church as a family :-)

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A great way to make up for not being able to get weakly massages: buy some massage lotion or just good lotion for home. Once a week my husband and I turn on some relaxing music and give each other massages. It’s a great relaxation moment for us. You’ll eventually get to know what each other likes and can learn to give each other amazing massages. Soo much cheaper!

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Amanda. You are brilliant. I am so going to try this out! THANK YOU!

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That burger looks so good! Love the haircut!

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I jus tposted that relaxing was my biggest advice to other runners. For running in the summer, my primary goal is to make it through injury free. You cannot hope to go the same pace as in the Spring and Fall. I actually read somewhere that the most optimal pace for female distance runners is around 50-60 degrees so anything above that (combined with humidity) is going to be slower. I think relaxing that your workouts should be based on effort and not pace is a huge deal. For me, when I hold 6:30s in the cooler weather, I full expect to hold around 7:00 in the summer and am fine with that. So my biggest advice (after all this rambling) I think my biggest advice is to relax and don’t worry too much about pace. The more worry free and injury free runs you have the better!

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i had a workout like that on wednesday when i headed out the door at 9:45 am where it was already 90 degrees and high humidities. it was dumb, and i ended up taking about a 20 minute recovery between my 2×10 mins at threshold pace. just couldn’t do it, and those tempos were making it 100x worse. but, just like you said…it’s just running and some days are just off. you just get through it, move on, and learn from it just like everything else in life.

you are an awesome runner, so take a deep breath and remember that elites have off days too. that’s what keeps them, and us regular people, grounded.

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Britt you are an amazing runner..I am so lucky I know you. :) I am thinking we need Janae to come to Monday’s group run..I am still planning making homemade cupcakes. :)

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I remind myself of that all the time, especially in the heat etc. Running is not my job it is my relief from my job.

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I love the way that you said that!

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I had a bad sun-in experience and ended up with orange hair. Awful! The key to Summer running is earlyyyyyyyyy runs.

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I trained for my first half completely on the treadmill. I would plan my long runs on the weather, then got up at 3am and got my run in while it was coolest.

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Anytime I cut my hair above my collar bones I regret it.

I need hot weather advice! I live in arkansas. Mornings are in the high 70’s and quickly soar into heat indexes of 110+. Won’t see decent temps again until October.

I have good and bad days about how serious intake my runs because it is for leisure yet I’m training for my first half this fall.

I hate wknds because I am a weekend contract nurse. I only have about three wknds off a year.

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I’m looking forward to your running in hot weather post! 7 weeks of my half marathon training will be taking place in Houston in end of August/September/beginning of October…aka when it’s HOT HOT HOT and I’m not quite sure how to deal with it except for (1) waking up in the middle of the night which I really don’t want to do and it’s 80 degrees at 4am anyway or (2) running on the treadmill and I do want to run outside every now and then!

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I think I prefer Sunday on a long weekend – cheater answer! I slept in that morning so I’m well rested, but I still have Monday off so I don’t have to go to bed early ;-)

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Your hair is super cute. You’re just so pretty my friend.
A girl in my ward has been doing my hair lately. She’e pretty good and I trust her. She just did my hair in a melt. Kinda crazy!
Tips: Get up early and run before it gets too hot, if you can! Once it gets hot you’ll be waiting a long time for it to cool down. If you have a gym membership and you need to run during a hot part of the day, take it inside. Also, drink lots and lots of water. Wear sunscreen and maybe a hat and/or sunglasses. You have to protect yourself.

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I run in 100+ degrees constantly. It does not bother me and I never take liquids with me. I have stopped and used people’s hoses/sprinklers. Don’t be scared to do that! Running through the sprinklers also helps.

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Those Hawaiian Sweet Rolls are the absolute best. When I saw you said a donut bun would be better I sort of cringed because a couple years ago at our State Fair their was a vendor who was making a Krispy Kreme Hamburger. Literally the top and bottom bun were each a glazed Krispy Kreme donut and you could load the burger up any way you liked. I didn’t have the guts to try it but there were tons of people who did. Wish I had a picture!

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I guess I will be coming with yout to the next state fair for one of those burgers:)

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Love your hair! I always go with the intentions of getting a lot cut off but then I chicken out and keep repeating, “ONLY A LITTLE”. I pretty much have a panic attack because I’m attached to my hair. Right now, though, I need a hair cut in the worst way!

My favorite day is Saturday because you can sleep in and the next day is ANOTHER weekend day so you don’t have to be bummed the weekend is over!

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I am training for a half marathon in the fall and so all of my training is now, in the heat. I’ve actually been doing pretty good. I run in the evenings about 7:30 when its cooler and I drink lots of water all day before and it seems to help a ton. I think that your body begins to adjust and learns how to cool itself down naturally. I make sure to drink plenty of water while running and I have been known to drop ice cubes down my back while running. I think Runner’s world has a whole guide on summer running and it has some really good tips.

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I love Saturdays! It’s a great mix of productive and chill for us… Get a bit done around the house and then do what we love! Sunday just feels to close to Monday sometimes…

It hasn’t been hot here until about… YESTERDAY! Haha so I’m heading out for my first hot run in a while right now! Wish me luck. – I don’t know how ill fair this year but I’m thankful for warm summer days!

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Summer running is really hard! I’m no expert, but don’t get down on yourself for needing to take breaks! Sometimes our bodies need to take twenty seconds to cool down so that they don’t, you know, pass out. That’s honestly my best tip – give yourself a break. It takes your body a while to get used to the heat (I think I read a RR article that said two weeks), and even then you need more hydration and you might go slower.

You inspire my running, girl! Don’t get down on yourself!

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Saturday is definitely my favorite day! I absolutely love that picture of Brooke in the tutu. She looks so grown up!

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Just posted on running in the heat: http://markmatthewsauthor.blogspot.com/2013/06/9-ways-i-handle-running-in-heat.html

and running is food for the soul, so you got to eat, right?

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I need that shirt! It is getting HOT down here in SoCal!

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I had to wake up at 5am and start my trail run before 6 am to avoid the heat at mid-morning. The trails are awesome to run in because there are trails with lots of shade and it feels so great!

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a few weeks before Christmas i decided to go get my hair cut so it looked good for all the holiday parties. well, i really just needed bangs cut so i went in and told her to start them at my eyebrows. um, she chopped them clear in the middle of my forehead! it was the worst haircut. i complained and got them cut for free and then cried for days. i looked like a child who got ahold of scissors haha it took months to grow back in!

favorite day is saturday because i can sleep in and stay up late and not have to think about work! haha

my tip for summer running is just to have fun. it is really hard to train in the summer because of the weather, so do what you have to. if you need to stop to walk, it won’t be the end! especially with humidity.. my other tip is get it done early :)

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ahh i can’t even imagine running in this heat! it’s so hot right now in so cal.

brooke in a tutu = the cutest thing ever! :) i’m glad you enjoyed your beauty/relaxation day – you deserve it. pedicures are THE best, especially after running so many miles! what color did you choose?

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I had a mentally tough run yesterday too – I just wasn’t into it. But, like you, I finished it and my run coach said that is really what matters. Learning to push through mentally tough days will make us mentally strong.

For running in the summer heat my biggest tip is to just make a commitment to doing it. Back in April when it wasn’t that bad yet I made a deal with myself that if I did all of my runs outdoors I could buy myself a new Garmin. By doing all of my runs outdoors I got acclimated to running in the heat/humidity. And because I’ve continued doing all of my runs outdoors since then, I was able to transition into south Florida’s 90 degree/100% humidity easily. I barely notice the heat/humidity now :)

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Since I jut moved to Arizona 4 days ago and they are having record breaking heat, I m on the treadmill. I think I will venture outside this upcoming week. When I lived in Texas I would wake up super early and I sould soak my top in cold water before heading out for my run. Sounds a little excessive, I know but I think it helped!

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I have been wanting to try out that brooks top! You remind me that I need to get my hair cut!

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Def. going to order that shirt! :D

I’m still trying to figure out how to run in the heat… I try to beat the heat by running early (like 5:15am) but it’s still really humid out at that time. Boston summers can be brutal!

Hope you’re having a great Sunday!

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I had a horrible hair cut once…I decided to try someone new because the lady I have been going to forever is getting a little shaky. This new place (rage salon in Campbell) cut ONE layer in my hair…and gave me crooked bangs. The lady said she had another appointment afterwards and obviously had no idea what she was doing. I went back to try to have another stylist fix it and they were all taking pictures of how bad the haircut was! I asked for my money back and they said they would give me a deep conditioning…which they never did. I cried I was so upset!

A tip for running in the heat is to run near a place with sprinklers… At night the campbell track has sprinklers that would go off so I would run through them when I was super hot!

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That is BRILLIANT!!! I love that tip! Thank you!!!

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Oh my gosh, I love that you use Quicken!! I hope you weren’t joking because I was pretty sure my husband and I were the only people our age who use it. :) the haircut is super-cute!

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Saturday! Love the long run & knowing you still have the whole day tomorrow off.

I can’t wait for this running in heat post, because it’s kicking my butt this year! I’m hoping I just get used to it!

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I definitely take running too seriously! I always end up comparing my pace to other runner’s or mad at myself because I have to take breaks

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When I was in the 6th grade, I really wanted this one type of haircut the lady said wouldn’t work with my hair, so I let her just cut it. Ooops. I hated layers, but that was the whole hairstyle
I run early when I can, and if I can’t I cut the run a bit short and/or run by effort, not pace.
I sometimes take running too seriously, but not usually
Both! Saturday is a long run and Sunday is church

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Ending the day with ice cream sounds great! I can’t believe how long Brooke’s hair is. It was really noticeable in the pic with the other baby that has next to no hair. Nice job keeping yourself in check and knowing that it is “just a run”. :)

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Could Brooke’s eyes get any bluer? They are gorgeous! And so is your new haircut! :-)

I like Saturday best because I still have one more weekend day left! Plus Saturday’s in the fall mean college football!!!

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Totally want one of those tanks! Or five. It’s gettin’ hot up in here!

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I live in Dallas, Texas and it is getting hot here! When I find my self dumb enough to run in the middle of the day I change my route to one that goes in a neighborhood that has huge trees. The little bit of shade here and there def helps :) also I run along the brick fence/wall that goes along the outside of the neighborhood so this provide a little bit of shade too :) every little bit helps.. And I carry a water bottle in my hand and run with it :)

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Tips for running in the heat:
– Bring a hydration belt
– Do not wear black or any stuffy clothing – nice and loose is my motto
– Have a hose at the ready right by the front door (if possible) so you can hose yourself off after. Alternative being, if you have a pool – jump in that.
– Wear a hat! A sport hat – not a free hat you got at the dollar store.
– Sunscreen!

I take running, kind of seriously. I take races seriously, but sometimes lack in the training portion – mostly because I am busy, not because I don’t want to.

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-Saturdays are my absolute favorite day of the week!
-I’ve never colored my hair before…I play around with the length and layers a lot but I’ve always loved its natural color.

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They have donut bun burgers at the State Fair here in Milwaukee.

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This summer running is SO tough! I’m trying to beat it by doing 3/4 of my weekly runs before 7 am. I’m also chugging water ALL DAY long (running day or not) and if I feel too overheated after a run I grab an ice pack and put it on my forehead while doing some stretches. It’s definitely tough, but you feel like a rockstar once you finish a hot summer run! (Even if it is waayyyy slower than your fall/winter runs.)

I think that summer running is good and humbling because it forces me to not take my running too seriously because I’m going so much slower than I normally do!

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I am SO excited for your post about running in the heat, because I need some great tips!!! I just can’t handle it, and definitely need all the help I can get, especially since we’re currently in a heat wave of 100+ degrees!! TOOOO hot!! Also, your hair looks amazing, Janae!!! And Brooke’s tutu swimsuit is the BEST!

xo

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Here’s my secret for running in the heat-ice cubes in the sports bra! I first did this at Ironman Texas when it was in the upper 90’s and humid. It felt so good, I’ve kept up the tradition!!! And being very flat chested, it’s nice to jiggle every now and then. They’ll last almost a mile! Works great for track workouts or mile repeats close to home with a cooler.

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I had really long beautiful hair when I was 9, before a summer trip my mother decided I needed a Dorthy Hamel (the ice skater) hair style.. short, short! It looked as if I had a bowl traced on my head. Awful!!!!

I love going to Beauty schools.. it’s cheap.. takes them a long time but feels great.. as its super relaxing and they always do a great job of hair color or cuts.

Yes, when I compare myself to others running faster or more races and doing more training..

Saturday..I have more time to run, swim and bike if I choose! Plus, the whole family is home for the day, which I love.

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I live in Texas so running in the heat from April to October is just a given. I made the awesome mistake of starting my run at ten one day and literally lost 3 lbs of water weight doing only 8 miles. So my keys to survival are to go early and to keep hydrated throughout the week.
I just bought that exact same Brooks shirt and I am in love. I like having more coverage than a sports bra but I can’t stand the heavy feeling of my normal running tanks when they are soaked with sweat. This shirt is amazingly light. My only complaint is that I wish it came in more neutral colors other than white. I need to try the shorts but right now I’m a little addicted to Lulu shorts.

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Anyone have some BAD haircut/hair color stories? Who does your hair?
I tried a home dye to make my hair a deeper red. Made it purple. I bought some Color Oops stuff to strip the color, but it was pretty much bleach. My hair turned blonde. I had to redye it again. After that incident, I never dyed my hair again.

How are you surviving summer running? Any tips for running in the heat? (I am working on a post about this and I would love to include your tips)
Oh I’m surviving. If it’s too hot to run outside, I stick to the treadmill. Or I will break runs up into two sessions. So I’m not dying in the heat all at one time.

Do you ever find yourself taking running too seriously?
Yes! And it’s been recently too! I wrote my own blog about it. I plan out my mileage a full week in advance and if I fail to get it, I feel like I have failed and then guilt sets in. Runnerexia?

Favorite weekend day— Saturday or Sunday? Why?
Saturday for sure. Sunday is like Monday Even to me. I never look forward to my work day the next day.

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Running in the heat tip #1: cut up your watermelon before you go running, and any juice left over you should put in a glass in the fridge. When you finish your hot run come home and drink your delicious watermelon juice and when you’re ready, pull out that bowl and start your adventure to heaven.

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When my parents first moved to Cape Cod I went down one weekend in the summer. I needed a haircut and there was a hair salon with a sign for $20 haircuts. I should have known. I was coaching basketball at the time so I asked her for something mature and respectable. She gave me an edgy rocker haircut. I cried in the bathroom at my parents for over an hour. I think i wore my hair up in a bun/ponytail until it grew out. Mortified.

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My favorite day of the weekend is Sunday. Saturday I try to get my errands done, so it’s not as relaxing as Sunday.

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I took running too seriously just this morning actually! When hubs and I finished our run, we tried to look at our GPS/ tracking app, and it hadn’t recorded the run! :( At first I was ok with it, but we tracked our route at home manually, and found out that we hadn’t gone as far as I’d thought. I got irritated about it, but my amazing mom reminded me that “it’s just running, be proud that you are able to go, and that you chose to go.” It was just what I needed.

I have dyed my hair Jessica Rabbit red (I wanted coppery red, like my natural color) before… right before a Disney vacation. Thankfully the salon I usually go to had someone available to help me the day before we left! Last time I ever do my own dye to save money (I promised them!).

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I just check the weather the night before and see how early I need to wake up to finish my run before it gets too hot .. haha I can’t stand running in the hot sun
I think I’m really good at knowing when to push myself and when to accept where I am
I love saturdays because of long runs and feeling accomplished after :) and not feeling guilty if I do nothing else the rest of the day because I’m “recovering” ;)

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I once tried to lighten my hair at home and ended up with pink hair :( I was too embarrassed to go to my normal hair lady, so I went to my mom’s and she had to dye my hair black in order to cover the color… Ick!
I’ve only run outside once this week because of our high temps (104 today), so I can’t wait to read everyone’s tips!
I definitely take myself way too seriously sometimes while running. It helps me to run with the kids while they are on bikes or to run with the hubby, it’s a bit harder to take myself seriously with someone else there.
Gosh, I don’t know if I can choose which day was my fav. I got to cuddle with my 2 mo. old nephew yesterday and I got to take my sweet niece to church today, equally as good!

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My youngest daughter has that same ballerina swimsuit! She wants to wear it ALL THE TIME. I used to take my training way too seriously but not anymore. Lots of bad haircut stories. They all involve self-cuts. The old “ponytail-on-top-of-the-head-and-whack-it-off-to-make-layers” kind of thing. You’d think I would have learned after the first 3 or 4 times. I finally resorted to the “two-braids-and-whack-them-off-at-the-same-length” haircut which was even less successful. I color mine myself, too. Last time I tried a new color. It turned out orange. My stepdaughter laughingly called it “vibrant”. It would have been more accurately described as “awful.”

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This was a very pertinent post for me! I ran a half marathon yesterday and did WAY worse than I wanted to, due to a bad cramp and heat (it was in Ft. Worth, TX). Thanks for the reminder that I really do love to run, even though sometimes it’s hard and we don’t meet our goals :)

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I tried to dye my own hair in high school. It was supposed to be dark brown but it turned out orange, never using the store bought color again haha I girl name Camera does my hair. She’s amazing and gives the best head massages, love it!

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I wish I had some running in the heat tips! Unfortunately living in the North of England doesn’t prepare you for that kind of running. I’m looking forward to your post.

I know what you mean about taking running so seriously. I find myself getting annoyed if I run a bit slower than normal. I’m too competitive with myself.

Before I started travelling, Saturday was my favourite day. A day free from work knowing that the next day is free too! Bliss!

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Being a hairdresser,I almost always cut and color my own hair.
As for summer running, it hasn’t been too hot here in MI yet but I run early so that definitely helps.
I like Sundays better than Saturdays. Often Saturday is spent in the salon. I love what I do but…..I’d rather be “playing” on Saturdays. :)

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OMG, dying over Brooke’s little jelly sandals. Definitely used to where those when I was little, too!!

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I once dyed my hair really dark by myself (I’m naturally dark blonde) and then to go back to blonde, the salon had to strip it and it turned orange. I’m now not allowed to dye my hair on my own.

This summer running is KILLING me!

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Thanks for the honesty about the run. I’m still a new runner but knowing that amazing runner sometimes have to take breaks. It’s so encouraging, so thanks for sharing

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Your hair looks great! I’m glad you were able to get out for some pampering!

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