Being okay with letting your running fitness slide, this week’s workout playlist and GNO (aka my life).

I do this thing after races—>  I know that I should take a break (which I do… I took 9 days off and then kept things slow after the St. George Marathon) and go easier.  

BUT in the back of my mind I think I should be building upon my fitness from the last race and keep pushing it.  I feel like I should be a step ahead when Boston training actually begins on December 28th.  I kind of stress out seeing that I am losing the fitness that I built up for the last marathon.

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(Probably the most attractive selfie I have ever taken… taken while running SGM)

Sure, I should have a base and all for when marathon training starts BUT I am quite injury prone and I have to shake myself and remember—>  this is off-season for me!  That means much lower mileage than what I do during marathon training and slower easier paces which results in losing some fitness!

My 3 Main Reasons for being okay with losing running fitness right now (I am writing this to help remind myself that this is what is supposed to be happening right now in order for the next training cycle to go really well).  

1.  This is my time to focus in on the little things (that aren’t really that little) like core work and my flexibility/mobility.   Less miles running = way more time to do millions of squats, stretching and 8 minute abs.

2.  Marathon training goes on for a long time (usually about 14ish weeks for me) and I DO NOT/REFUSE TO/WILL NOT enter into marathon training burned out mentally/physically or with some sort of injury.  I just won’t this time around.  I think that was a big contributor to my injury right before the Utah Valley Marathon… I started training way too early for the race and my mileage was too high (for me) for too long!

3.  What better time than the holidays to take more rest days and spend time doing the million Christmas traditions that I have planned out for my little family of two.  Tis the season for me to cuddle up on the couch with Brooke and watch Christmas specials as much as possible.  I still want to be fit and active but less running and more cross-training.

If it is your off-season right now, it’s okay to lose some fitness and focus in on other aspects of life—>  it will make your next race training so much more enjoyable and hopefully injury free! 

THIS is such a good article about this topic!

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This week’s spin playlist!

Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson (feat. Bruno Mars) —>  LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

Shake It Out by Florence + The Machine

Ready To Run by One Direction

Use Somebody by Kings of Leon

Give Me Everything by Pitbull 

S&M by Rhianna

Trumpets by Jason Derulo

Pain by Jimmy Eat World

Stronger by Kelly Clarkson

Raise Your Glass by Pink

Bang Bang by Ariana Grande

The Monster by Eminem

All I Ever Wanted by Basshunters

Laughing With by Regina Spektor (cool-down and this song hits my soul)

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I asked Brooke what she wanted for dinner and like usual, cheesy eggs were the request 

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I went months without seeing a movie in the theater and then last night I went to my 3rd movie in 6 days.  I don’t know if you notice or not but I tend do go through phases with certain things and go crazy with them.  

Gotta love our creepy eyeballs.  

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And then I tried these in my friend’s car on the way home for the first time ever.  Deliciouso.  

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How do you prefer your eggs?  Cheese or no cheese?

Is it your off-season?  Or are you in training mode right now?

Favorite form of cross-training lately?

Current favorite Trader Joe’s item(s)?

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98 comments

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Taking it easy after a marathon is so important, but I didn’t always do it and payed the price with burnout! I’m running Philly nov 23 and after that I plan to majorly chill out and just enjoy the holiday season. I’m actually really looking forward to spending my mornings doing things other than running. I might even sleep :)

I don’t eat dairy really so my eggs are always cheeseless but I like them with bacon or sausage :)

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Cheesy eggs all the way!! :)

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Eggs: omelettes with cheese and veggies
I’m in full force training!
Cross training: weight lifting and orange theory

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When I began my last cycle of injuries I became completely okay with letting my fitness slide. Obviously it was provoked by injuries but I became fine knowing that I was absolutely not (and am still not) in the same shape I was. I think it’s important to take longer periods of just relaxing so your body can rebuild and recover. You cannot be in the peak of your fitness forever!

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I’m just coming back after 5 weeks off due to an injury and I feel like I lost ALL my fitness. The struggle is so real, but it is making me more determined than ever to come back stronger, train smarter (aka actually stick to my cross training plan), and eat healthier.

You + Kara Goucher = makes me believe coming back stronger from an injury is possible.

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I am not a cheese person, so no cheese for me!

This is my off season. I am totally that person who trains year round and does several marathons a year. I’ve been really lucky and not had any injuries in the last 6ish years, so I guess it is my turn now and its just my body saying that I need a break.

I like to walk or do the elliptical. I get alot of reading done on the elliptical, but I get to watch shows like Chopped and Cutthroat Kitchen while I walk. Win Win, really.

We don’t have a TJs so there are so many things I want/need to try!

You’re right that the holidays are the best time to slow down and enjoy everything! Plenty of time to focus on training when you’re prepping for Boston!

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If they are “dippy” eggs, no cheese is necessary. Any other kind, though, you need to pile on the cheese!

It is always my off season these days. Oi.

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I am also in my offseason right now as I will be training for the Boston Marathon next month. So exciting! Yoga is my favorite form off cross training.

Eggs with cheese please and lots of veggies and avocado. I am obsessed with the blueberry jelly from Trader Joes. I met an old man in the aisle, and we were both buying a couple jars. He was equally as excited as me, haha.

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I’m just starting to come back after an injury. So not really full on training but not really off season either since every run feels a bit like a struggle. I have another month or so before I really need to get training so I’m trying to just build slowly and not freak out about taking a month off.

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My husband is experiencing major race craze right now. We ran our first marathon together this past Sunday (the day after our wedding!) and it was his first. Since then ALL he has talked about is running more! Kid’s got 3 marathons lined up for 4 months now. I’m done trying to talk him out of it. He’ll see why it’s a bad idea!

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I’m way too likely to fall into the race trap, too. There are so many races in our area (sometimes 3 or 4 on one day!) and my friends all sign up for different races and ask me if I did…good thing the prices keep me from going crazy!

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I just recently felt like I was going into overtraining, and took a short break. I needed to MISS running again, and that’s how I have learned to deal with feeling burnout. That time and that feeling is different for everyone, but we all get there somehow, and need to recognize our (own) body’s limits. :) Easier said that done, but experience certainly helps!

TJs POPCORN! WHAT. I love their Chicago mix…nom nom nom.

Fave eggs = sunnyside up (without cheese), and scrambled (with cheese). Please.

It is my off-season, but I have a “fun half” in January.

Spinning and swimming are my go-tos with the cross-training.

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I’m hosting my own “No Run November” because I could feel myself getting into a running rut after my last race and I refuse to let that happen. I want running to be something I enjoy not dread. So I’m taking the month off and fitting in some other forms of exercise like kickboxing!

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I hate eggs! I wish I liked them because they are such a quick meal. Can’t do it.

I love TJs almond butter but my current fav is the season tea, warm vanilla an cinnamon. I’ve been waiting impatiently for it come out and rumor is, it’s back! I have to make a trip to TJs and stock up for the whole year ;)

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Eggs with no cheese! My favorite way is over medium with toast–yum.

I suppose I am in my running off season. I get very frustrated with myself when I don’t run as much as I feel like I should be though. I have been searching Craigslist for the past two months for a bike trainer so I can bike through the winter as cross training. I may have to bite the bullet and just go buy one from a store though–I’m excited to get back into biking again!

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I’ve been loving Trader Joe’s tomato basil hummus (and also their dark chocolate pb cups :)
I just finished taking it easy after my last half marathon so I’m ready to start training again!

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Eggs are definitely a struggle for me to eat! I have a bagel and fruit with it, and tell myself it’ll make me strong when working out :)

I’m on a big yoga kick lately! I do about 30 mins – 1 hour everyday! I can’t tell you how good I felt after my last fun. You should try doing it more, and bonus, it’s super relaxing and Brooke can do it with you. :)

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Believe it or not…I don’t like eggs ( I know, weird)…unless they are in something. I am not allergic, I just don’t like them alone.
No off season here yet….my marathon is SAT!!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!

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I will definitely be taking a break over the holidays! My marathon is the Sunday before Thanksgiving and I’ll probably take it really easy for the rest of 2014. I’m not planning on a spring marathon so I’ll start training for the Rock N Roll DC half in January…less mileage than marathon training but probably more speed work!

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I definitely needed to read this today! I ran a marathon 3 weeks ago and have been trying to recover from a nagging ankle injury which has only allowed my to run a couple times since then. I need to remind myself it’s ok to take a break and focus on strength training and enjoying this time of year :) So, thank you for this!

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I just had my last big race of the year. I’ll do a few fun 5ks between now and when I start training again, which will be somewhere around the middle to end of January. End of july and august are usually off season for me as well, which is nice!

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What movie did you see?! I love going to the movies but don’t do it often enough. It can be so expensive these days!

I’ve got a marathon on December 14, so after that I’ll be in a few weeks of off time during the holidays which will be nice, and then I’ll pick back up for half marathon training for a race in February. I’m hoping to PR!

I’ve found a couple of great yoga for running videos in the last couple of weeks that are AWESOME. They’re more really solid stretching than “workouts” necessarily, but I love how they make me feel so in tune to my body.

It’s been too long since I’ve been to TJ’s! Shameful!

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I go back and forth about the cheese, depends on if I am having toast! With toast…yes, without…no. I will start a training cycle mid-December for my Spring marathon. Right now its all base running and I feel like I am missing something!

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I’m in a rest period after NYC two weeks ago. While I know I need a break, this reminder didn’t hurt :)

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Cheesy eggs are my fave! I love to sprinkle some over the top once they are almost done cooking!

My fave TJ’s item is their chocolate ice cream!!! It’s SOOO good! I actually emailed them a few months ago requesting a larger carton haha!

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This is the first long stretch of an ‘off’ season I have had (no races sine May!), and I think it is hard at first but then you REALLY start to enjoy it. Not having to worry about hitting X number of miles in a week and really listening to my body has been great. I feel better and enjoy running more. There is a marathon in my city (Richmond, VA) this weekend, and I am looking forward to being able to watch it for once! I have a little bit of runners envy, but wouldn’t take back these months for anything. Slowing down is good sometimes :)

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Eggs = over easy on fresh bread with mustard and tomato chutney :)
I’m in off season but building a base for my triathlons!

Interesting fact – my coach told me during winter base building you should have some extra fat on you to both prevent injury and add weight, so when it comes off for races you are fitter and faster and the same pace feels easier!!

No crosstraining for me :S swim/bike/run takes up too much time!
I wish we had a TJs here :(

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I love eggs scrambled with goat cheese and sautéed kale + onion.
It’s definitely my off season….more like my off year but I’ve come to terms with it. I love all the fun runs I do and that I really just don’t stress about it.
I haven’t seen a movie in theaters in years!

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With my injury this year (now going on 11 months), I’ve had to relinquish control and let some of my fitness slide. I just wish my body would heal. I’m tired of feeling defined by injury. Love eggs but no cheese for this ex WI girl.

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It’s hard to take a step back and let watch your fitness fall. I also ran the Utah Valley Marathon this year and got injured after! It’s definitely a mind game–knowing you need to rest for your health, but wanting to go out and keep going.

Currently training for the Phoenix Marathon in February and running the Fiesta Bowl Half in four weeks!

I miss TJ’s so much. The closest one to us is an hour and a half away. I love their dried chili mango though. So freaking addicting.

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Brooke’s cheesy eggs look DELISH. I agree with you that we deserve a break after running marathons! I didn’t run for a month after mine :)

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I like cheese in omelets but not with my scrambled eggs
I am in my off season too and struggling to swap running for low impact walking and stretching and strengthening. I feel lost without a running schedule but I have been fighting so many injuries the last 6 months I know I need this.
I love trader joes corn and chile salsa.

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It depends on what mood I’m in. Sometimes I love scrambled eggs, and sometimes I love sunny side up. No cheese.

It is totally my off-season right now. No more than 10 miles in a week and I’m focusing on strength training at my boot camp classes.

I’m really getting into the lifting weights part of strength training.

The pumpkin butter from TJ’s is amazeballs.

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Eggs must be scrambled with cheese or a ham and pineapple omelette.

Favorite TJ items are: cookie butter, frozen sweet potatoe pucks, and their wine!

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My favorite cross train right now and for the last bunch of months is Pure Barre. The best! As for TJ faves – I recently discovered a garlic mustard aioli (did I spell that right?) It’s really delicious!

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I LOVE poached eggs – those are my favorite. Otherwise – gimme that cheese!!

It is my off-season, but, like you and many others, I struggle with this. My dear friend prepared an off-season schedule for me that includes lower mileage, but has one or two “mini” challenges for me (hill repeats or progression runs). It allows me to do more stretching and cross-training. It has dawned on me how weak my upper body really is!! =]

I LOVE Trader Joe’s Cilantro Salad Dressing!!! =]

Thank you for this timely article!!

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I love the bang bang song! Always gets me going! If you like pitbull you should download Shake Señora, it’s awesome!!

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Eggs are like basically the only food in the world that I don’t like. I SO wish I did. About once a month I ask my boyfriend to make me egg whites (because the whites are less offensive) and I proclaim “this will be my foray into egg eating.” But then I just never like them. Such a disappointment.

Off-season right now and haven’t decided what to put on my calendar. Going a little crazy. But Monday, I thought I was good to go (this is week three post marathon) and I was feeling totally recovered but I strained my calf muscle so currently walking like a weirdo. Oh well. I want to say it’s a blessing in disguise forces me to get more serious about cross-training and makes me stay off my feet for a little while.

So many fave TJ’s items. Loving the butter chicken simmer sauce and don’t even get me started on ALL of their sweet items. Also I’m basically a popcorn addict–Usually make it at home but will have to try out TJs

Thanks for the post of taking it easy. I need some reminding over here too!

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I’m in off season all year. I pushed hard for so long and I got really burned out mentally and my times were getting slower and slower. It’s hard to run for fun again, but the love of running, not just the love of running fast or winning, is coming back!

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You have some great songs on your playlist this week! The core track in the most recent BodyPump release is that Trumpets song, and I’ve been loving it.

Eggs absolutely with cheese. Everything is better with cheese!

Current favorite TJ’s item… Um, this is the hardest question ever. Sunflower seed butter, cocoa almond spread, dried green beans, pumpkin butter, pumpkin maple oatmeal… the list goes on. I can’t just choose one. ;)

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Eggs without cheese are similar to a cake without icing – Not worth it! It is my off-season, and I struggle with feeling like I should be doing more as well. I want to keep my fitness up and capitalize on the months of training, but I also don’t want to get burnt out before marathon training in January. So yeah, I definitely need to remind myself to enjoy a couple of months without training!

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Another reason why I think think our kiddos would get along: cheesy eggs! My son (just turned two) has always been a little lower on the growth charts – nothing overly concerning, but about a year ago our pediatrician suggested we try and boost calories where we could, and suggested adding cheese to things – parmesan to roasted veggies, shredded cheese to eggs we two of the ideas. And so…. my son’s favorite meal was born: cheesy eggs. He knows where to get the pan we use, and always trys to help get the eggs out of the fridge. We have even settled on letting him crack the eggs (then thoroughly washing hands after while mom or dad fish out the little pieces of shell). Wow this was long… but cheesy eggs are a huge hit in our house and I just like reading about Brooke loving them too :)

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This week I started training for a half marathon I have in 10 weeks. I am not looking to PR since I’ve had foot issues recently. I am just hoping to get the endurance to sustain it.

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Haha, I don’t think I need to answer the cheese question.

It’s great that you’re focusing on the positives of doing lower mileage during your off-season. In the long term, it might even make you faster come marathon time!

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I’m in training mode right now for my first ultra in December, but “race craze” is definitely something that I a) see and b) worry about. I see so many running bloggers run half marathons and marathons literally every weekend, and I think it sets this precedent that we all start feeling like we have to live up to. There can be a lot of pressure (mostly manufactured in our own heads in a “keeping up with the Joneses” way) to be constantly training/racing. I wonder if I even have gotten myself in over my head running a 50k in December then planning to run a 50 miler (American River 50) in April…I am thinking in the bigger picture of things, it;s better that I wasn’t able to run either half marathon I had on my schedule this fall, even if it was disappointing and a waste of money. It would just have been too many races, considering I had already run 2 half marathons and a full marathon this year.

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I can totally relate to wanting to keep in top shape after a marathon… Always have to remind myself half the fun of training is building up strength and distance. :) I signed-up for a bunch of holiday 5ks to have fun with this winter.

I could list like 50 things, but I’m most obsessed with TJ’s cranberry cheddar cheese, peanut butter filled pretzels and the roasted red pepper tomato soup!

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LOVE the peanut butter filled pretzels too!

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I wish I loved eggs. such a quick and easy source of protein. but I hate them. My mother sent me an egg salad sandwich every day of my first grade year. 180 luke-warm egg salad sandwiches. To this day I can’t stand the smell of eggs.

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Just coming off a marathon and it’s been nice but kind of nerve wracking not running the last three days, but I know my body needs the rest. I am already signed up for my next two races but they are a 10k and 15k, so not nearly as much stress!

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I usually eat my eggs hard-boiled so no cheese.
I guess you could say this is my off-season. During my last race, I thought “this isn’t fun anymore” and I won’t do something if it’s not fun. So I’m taking a break from running, so hopefully I can get excited and enjoy it again.
With less running, I’m working my way through my gym’s group fitness schedule-definitely my favorite way to cross train!
I can’t answer the last question because I’ve never been to a Trader Joes :(

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Haha I do that too, over the summer I was going to a movie like every other week!

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This is me right now! I started getting to intense with my base training, and started to feel burnt out way before training even started! I was dreading all my runs, so I just stopped. I’m only doing what feels good right now, and will save the intense work for when it matters.

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I’m in off season mode right now which means I’m focusing on swimming, strength, yoga, and pilates! I made a November challenge to myself to do yoga/pilates every day and December’s challenge will be to swim at least 1000 yds every day! It just got real cold in Chicago right now so I’m glad to not be running :)

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Just started my off-season after Sunday’s race. I’m recovering now and then will do two months of base building and easy running before starting training again in mid-January. My favorite cross-training right now is a toss-up between yoga and lots of core work.

I usually like my eggs with no cheese just salt and hot sauce, unless they are scrambled or on a sandwich and then I pile on the cheese!

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What movie did you go see? We saw Interstellar last night and although it was long, it was entertaining. Of course I walked out asking my husband a million questions.

I love egg whites with a tiny bit of cheese sprinkled on them. My favorite item at Trader Joe’s is (everything) the pumpkin cream cheese → so good!!

I am definitely in training mode with one more marathon on the books in a month. I’ll be ready down to settle down into full on rest mode in December.

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Eggs WITH cheese!

I need to be better about strength training…but I love running too much haha! I’m training for a half at the end of the month. Marathon training starts early next year.

I’m in LOVE with cookie butter!!!

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I don’t know if it is going to be my favorite form of cross training but I am going to try out orange theory fitness Friday and I am excited to see what it is about!

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I was about to train for my first 10k but just injured my back and will be out for a while, I’m super upset about it and this is my first running related injury. But I know there will be other races and I need to give my body time to heal properly so I don’t hurt myself even more!!

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Trader Joes crunchy PB and their Pumpkin Spice Roobios tea!!!

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I don’t have an off-season! In the group fitness world, we just keep going and going, which probably isn’t a good thing! I’m always loving stuff from TJ’s, and right now the pumpkin Greek yogurt is my number one. Happy Wednesday:)

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This is just what I needed to read! I am also in the off-season and need to constantly remind myself that it is “ok” to only run 1-2 days/week while focusing on building strength and fixing any issues that came up during marathon training (weak hips and altering my running form). I want to be healthy and injury-free heading into Boston training at the end of December; it will be my first time running Boston and I want to be able to enjoy the experience! Thanks again for this post. I love reading your blog! :)

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I don’t have a close TJ so I don’t shop there. I KNOW. I should just go but it’s too much work.

I could live on scrambled eggs and my mom told me it’s all I would eat every day for lunch when I was in kindergarten. I still love them 40 years later. I’m boring like that…give me the foods that are fast, easy, nutricious and I’ll eat them day after day.

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CHEESE with eggs all the way!

I am in training mode for my 5K (next weekend! ahh!)

Favorite form of cross training: yoga!

Current favorite TJ item: pumpkin bagels

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Winter is always off season for me. It is nice to take a break, but I always feel so out of shape when I start training for spring races.

Eggs-cheese is a yes!

Fave TJ’s item right now-the Roasted Bell Pepper and Tomato soup. It is so delicious and goes perfectly with a grilled cheese.

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I loooove cheesy eggs! Sadly my boyfriend doesn’t like cheese, so I haven’t been buying it much and therefore my eggs are usually cheeseless. Seeing your pic makes me want them again! :)

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I am not a big fan of the flavor of eggs, so adding some cheese and salsa to them helps to cover the egg taste ha!

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Love love love this J. In years past I ran way to many races. This year I ran 5 total and am now ready for a break from 26.2 and am looking forward to getting back to shorter distances.

Cross training for me is everything from dance class (every Monday,love it!) to Yoga to T-25. It kicks my butt yet gives me a mental and physical break from high mileage. Burnout is real and I never want to dislike running or get injured ever again (PF has been gone for more than 2.5 years now, wooooo!)

Miss you! Come back and visit soon now ya hear?!

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Cheesy eggs!

32 days until the Honolulu Marathon! Getting closer to taper time and I’m not feeling too bad :)

Love riding my bike for cross training – great cardio but gives my joints a break.

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I’m so jealous!! :)

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Did you know that Taylor swift ditched awards and went to her brothers play!

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I’m in training mode now, but I’m tapering. Taper itself is terrible…its such a mind game, BUT nursing an angry IT band makes tapering so much worse!! The past 3 weeks I have done a 3 mile run (10 mile cut short bc of IT band), a 1.5 mile stroller jog, and a 6 miler. My half is on Saturday and I am nervous about my fitness level. This will be my 6th half, so mentally I know I will finish, but I can’t help but feel like I have lost some of my “half-marathon fitness level”.

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I love that TJ’s popcorn!

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Umm… isn’t just about anything better with cheese?!?
It’s pretty much impossible for me to run outside once the cold & ice is here to stay so my transiton each year is from running outside to the dreadmill! It is a huge transition for me each year both mentally & physically! I “reward” myself by doing the SLC half-marathon in April… next spring will be my 6th year to do it! So I feel like my on season is April – Nov. doing whatever races I can (wish I could do more) and my off season is getting thru winter!
I’ve learned how effective cross-training can be since I became a beach body coach. It has dramatically improved my running. I ust to think just run run run.. I don’t anymore. Running will always be my passion and cross-training only enhances it! Right now I’m doing 21 Day Fix & Piyo workouts as cross-training.
I really need to find a way to get to Trader Joe’s more often! The only thing I’ve ever had is the cookie-butter. It was amazaballs!!! :)

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No cheese but tons of sriracha!

Total training mode right now. And the fact that I cannot stay up past 9 PM reflects it. Oh and also that I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night to eat.

I’ve been slacking on the cross training but cycling is always my fave. Renewing my gym membership for the winter and going to be more diligent about ellipticaling it up

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I definitely needed this post right now, thank you!! I’ve been down on myself lately for letting my running fitness just fly out the window. It’s off season, and I’ve been trying to recover from Achilles’ Tendonitis. I’ve ran a total of 8 miles in the last three weeks, which is probably the fewest miles I’ve ran in that type of span in over 2 years. I was ok with the break at first, but now I’m struggling mentally with getting back into it and feeling confident again. I have to look at the sticker on my car to remember that I actually ran 26.2 miles, because right now I’m toast after 3! I’m enjoying cross training, especially spin classes right now.

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We are a fan of scrambled eggs with sautéed power greens for Costco with some Feta. My 16mo loves it any time of day. Try it!

Fav TJ finds: frosted pumpkin pop tarts. We don’t normally have them in the house so these were def a special treat. Now that Xmas is around us my all-time favorite thing to stock up on are their Peppermint Jo-Jo cookies.

Thanks to you I have an obsession to roasted broccoli. Third bag in 1.5wks. Seriously.

I hope you have a great day. I’m off to snuggle with my sick baby.

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-YES TO CHEESE ON EGGS
-MORE LIKE AN OFF-YEAR :(
-TOO MANY TJ FAVORITES, BUT CURRENTLY: BRIE, PITA CRACKERS, & SALAMI!

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Totally needed this today. I’m 4.5 months pregnant, and just haven’t felt like doing much besides carbo-loading for going to bed early. I am wavering between being nice to myself and giving myself the time off, or bucking up and toughing it out. It’s tough when there’s another human involved.

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Definitely no cheese in my eggs! I loved it growing up and always made them so much better, but now I have a dairy sensitivity. Now I enjoy using coconut oil to enhance the flavor!

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At first I thought Brooke was eating a Jalapeno because of the shading on the pepper! Haha! I was like damn, little girl loves the heat I guess!

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Eggs with cheese, all the way! I’m using this pregnancy as an “off-season” mode of sorts. I run but for 30 to 60 minutes at the max and at whatever pace I feel like. Sometimes I miss the intensity of training but I remind myself that I’m technically training for delivery next spring :)

After I read your post from a couple days ago, I had to make myself a bowl of popcorn (with butter and salt of course!)… I didn’t quite go to the movies, but the popcorn was SO good!

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Cheesy eggs are awesome! And that new Bruno Mars song is the best!

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It must be hard switching from marathon mode to rest mode so quickly. Good for you for sticking with it! My favorite cross training is the bike. I plan to train on it all winter so I can keep up with my husband next year when we go mountain biking!

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Hi Janae,

Long time lurker here in Texas. We got hit by the polar ice winds today (30s and 40s!) and my run was so hard this morning, even on a treadmill indoors. I felt all stiff and robot-like for the first two miles and was a whole minute slower pace through the five mile run. Any tips to keep up fitness during the winter, esp. on the treadmill? Should I invest in tights? I love doing intervals and speed work! I’d love a tip in your next post!

Blond Duck

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Add T.Switfs “Blank Space”
Sia’s “Big Girls Cry” and “Elastic Heart” and the perfect ol’ school 180 bpm, Nelly Furtado “Fly like a bird”.

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Get the Chicago Mix popcorn.. or the Salted Caramel Gelato from TRADER JOE.

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Love the playlist! Also, my favorite Trader Joe’s item? The dark chocolate covered almonds with turbinado sugar and sea salt. AMAZING.

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Cheese on eggs is a must! :)
Currently slowly getting back into training for my second marathon in March, just finished my first and am not taking much of a break for my next training cycle. Crazy huh? Lol
Haven’t had that popcorn yet, must try! Current faves at TJ’s are the harvest blend bagged salad, pumpkin cream cheese, and always almond butter!
Lunch is always the same, turkey sand on wheat w avo, kale, spinach, low fat cheese and tomatoes with a side of low fat cottage cheese. I am a creature of habit! :)

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I am learning so much about you runners on here! I figures you just always ran. It makes sense that it would be like any other sport and you would have off seasons.
I am “in season” I guess because I am in week 8 of a 14 week challenge on my blog.
My favorite way to eat eggs is omelet style. :)

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I prefer no cheese on my eggs most of the time. The exception is probably an omelette with the lot – which implies cheese is included :)

It is my off season at the moment. Summer gets too hot here! So I usually focus on strengthening and building endurance over summer, and then work up to and try to increase race pace autumn through spring. My knee injury brought my off season forward a bit this year!

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When I was little cheesy eggs were my favorite!

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I completely understand the desire to race, race, race. I did that this summer, I knew I was doing it but just kinda let it happen knowing I would enjoy it for a while and then be totally burned out by the end. And that is exactly what happened but I have swapped over to doing more cross training in the form of triathlon training so its working out alright. But I don’t think I will do another race season like this last one! Lesson Learned :)

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I’m with you all the way, life is about balance. I know when I’m 90 I will have fond memories of running and races, but it won’t be the most significant thing I ever did. By far. So if I miss a day in the gym because my son really really wants to go to the bookstore and I’m crunched for time (this was today), I try to stay cool about it. It was the right decision.

*No cheese on eggs (no eggs usually, I try to stick to plant-based eating)
*On season for me, though not racing til January. Building mileage and helping a friend get into running.
*Yoga! Esp Leslie Fightmaster – check her out on YouTube, you won’t regret it.
*No TJ where I live but at Fresh Market I always get hemp hearts for my oatmeal (how have I lived so long without these??), Justin’s Maple Almond Butter, Endangered Species chocolate (THE best, hands down) and they have these chocolate covered toffee pretzels that are out of this world.

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so funny we just had cheesy eggs for supper ourselves!

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I’m going through the same thing right now! I just finished my first marathon ~2 weeks ago, followed by a half marathon 1 week later. Crazy me thinks I need to keep running to keep up my fitness, but sane me knows my body needs a break!

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That TJ’s popcorn is THE best! I haven’t been in a month or so, I’m excited to see what holiday products they have now.

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Cheesy eggs, for sure. And hot sauce.

It’s my off season. There aren’t a ton of races around here during the winter.

Cross training…I really need to work on that.

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What is the brown bread that I keep seeing you eat? Looks delish!

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