First round of Yasso 800s and celebrating the sissy.

I am going to get all crazy and start out my afternoon post by talking about lunch instead of my workout.  I know… I’m really getting creative today;)

My sister wanted to go to Chick-fil-a for her bday lunch because she loves their salads.  She also wanted to go there for the playplace for the little girls.

I don’t know how I got so lucky to get these two.

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And our other dates:

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We sat at that booth for 2 hours talking while the girls played.  We had a lot to catch up on. 

I brought my sister’s favorite cupcake in the world.  Chocolate base with coconut frosting.

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Today was a speed day.  I didn’t have a babysitter and so it was another treadmill day… I do prefer to do Yasso 800s at the track so I will plan better for next time.

This is how I keep track of the workout when I am on the treadmill:

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During each running recovery (R) I type in the previous interval time on my phone.   

Each interval is .5 miles long (or 800 meters) and I averaged 3 minutes and 7 seconds for the 10 intervals.  Most of the recoveries in between intervals were .5 miles also but I was running out of time and had to shorten a few of them.

After the third interval, I jumped off to change Brooke’s diaper hence the Diaper Recovery instead of a jogging recovery.

I’m excited about how I felt during these ones because this is just the beginning of Boston training.  Plenty of time for improvements!

My favorite song to listen to during the intervals…  

I like angry music when I am trying to run fast and this one fits the bill:

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Throw Back Wednesday to a picture my good friend posted on Facebook today of us:

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Ever tried Yasso 800s?  What are your thoughts on them?  

Favorite cupcake flavors?

Where would you choose to go for your bday lunch?

Anyone else like angry music when they are trying to run fast or am I just an angry person;)

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66 comments

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I love doing Yassos, but you are right, they are best when they can be done on the track. Something about them calls for a track workout.

I have a good friend that makes the best chocolate cake cupcake with salted caramel icing. So. Good. Lately I have been loving coconut alot though, so your sisters cupcake looks pretty good!

Good call on angry music, its the best for speed work!

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It is my birthday too :-)

I had peaches, couscous salad and a sandwich for lunch – while supervising the library where kids asked me to photocopy things and get supplies all lunch ;-) I’m thinking about ordering in now though! I would love to go for sushi though if I could :-(

I like chocolate and vanilla cupcakes. actually I like all cupcakes…

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AHHHHH HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY REBECCA!!! I hope you are having an amazing day. Your lunch sounds amazing and I am thinking you should go for sushi for dinner.

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I love salted caramel cupcakes. Delicious.

I need to get back on the speed work train! It’s been too long!

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Yasso 800’s will kick your butt. They are so hard it’s easy to come up with a million reasons not to do them but they are great for training.

How cute is your sister. You can barely tell she’s pregnant! Adorable.

Best cupcake on earth is red velvet with cream cheese frosting! Yummmooooo

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I use the same method to track intervals on the treadmill!

Hmmmm for my birthday lunch I’m not sure where I would go, maybe Cheesecake Factory! I do love Chick-Fil-A but I wouldn’t be getting a salad on my birthday! haha

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No yassos for me but I need to try them.
I like upbeat fast music when I’m trying to run fast. You don’t seem like an angry person at all but if your angry music helps you run fast, do watcha gotta do.
I love vanilla cupcakes with cookie dough frosting. I really love chocolate cupcakes if they are super rich chocolate only.
My birthday lunch is usually something my kids like too since we all go together so maybe cheesecake factory?

CURLY looks so grown up all of a sudden .

How old were u in that picture? So beautiful even then.

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You are so sweet! I think I was 12. Okay, I NEED a vanilla cupcake with cookie dough frosting, that sounds amazing.

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I have never done yasso 800s specifically but I usually do .5 mile fast and .5 slower for 4 miles total. So similar.

I just like a yellow cupcake (vanilla) with vanilla buttercream. Nothing fancy.
Birthday lunch would be my favorite tex mex place. Warm tortilla chips n salsa to start. Chicken fajitas and a frozen margarita. Oh yeah!

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I love the Yasso 800’s. I also like angry music but just sometimes when I am mad but need to run it off. It’s helpful.
;)

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Glad to hear I am not alone:) I hope you are having a great day!

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love me some chick-fil-a!! I use to live right by one but now it’s 20 minutes away. I love sprint workouts, they seem to fly by.

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I haven’t tried Yasso 800s but I’ve read about them! Seems like a genius method to me.

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I have a love/hate relationship with Yasso 800’s. I think they’re a good marathon indicator but boy are they tough!
Cupcake: red velvet with cream cheese frosting!

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Love that you included diaper time….that’s funny! I have never eaten at chick-fil-a before. I’ve heard they have really good food. My birthday meal is usually Chipotle.

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I have a love/hate relationship with 800s. Hate the thought of them but love it when I’m done.

Go-to birthday lunch: sushi.
Go-to cupcake: red velvet with CC frosting.

the beauty genes def run in your family!! All gorgeous! HBD to your sis!

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I like any cupcake with cream cheese frosting. And for a birthday lunch – I’d like to sit outside in the sun eating seafood. :)

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I love yasso 800’s, well not when I’m actually doing them, but after, you know, when I start to see results.
And I always listen to fast, hard music when I do speed work. I pull out the hubs iPod and play some hard core thrash metal. It works every time, mainly because I’m trying to outrun the music. Bwahahaha, but really, I’m serious.

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Oh and Happy Birthday to your sister!

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For some reason structured speed workouts like the Yasso 800s scare me away. I think it’s because I don’t want to face how slow I really am…

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Awesome!! Just curious I thought you were supposed to build up to 10 800s… Did you feel you had a good enough base to start with 10 right away?

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Yes… normally that is how it goes but I feel like I have a pretty good endurance base at this point. If I was going all-out with my speed then I would have done less. I decided that I would just go slower (and almost just a comfortable hard pace for the intervals if that makes sense) and do all ten rather than go faster and do fewer?! Does that make sense?

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Love that picture of you three! And you really have always been so beautiful…inside and out! Love your guts!

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I LOVE YOU!!!!!! Sisters 4 ever.

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I really want to add speedwork into my half training plan. Have you done a post explaining the 800 workout? I would like to know more about it.

Favorite cupcake is red velvet with cream cheese icing. In other news: I found Cupcake Wars on Netflix today and watched 3 episodes. I want to try EVERY SINGLE CUPCAKE they create on that show!

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I’ve never tried Yasso but I really want to! When I train for my first marathon, I want to include them as a regular staple in my training, I’ve heard such good things about them!
Favorite cupcakes flavors are pumpkin with cinnamon cream cheese frosting, chocolate, and salted caramel. Birthday lunch would have to be a local brewery-craft beer is my favorite birthday treat and my favorite breweries have such good food.

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I think I’d just go to Cheesecake Factory for a bday lunch :)
Brooke and your niece (“Curly”?) look like sisters!

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Hahaha, I saw diaper recovery and thought, did Janae have an accident? And then I read on… ☺

I did Yasso’s before the Portland Marathon this past year and it was quite accurate. I listen to Metallica when I am running super hard.

Favorite cupcake flavor… the frosting. That counts, right?

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I’ve never done 800s on a treadmill, so I guess I vote track. They are painful but great!

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ive never done yasso 800s and I really just learned about them recently! Definitely need to try them though. I’ve been bad about track workouts lately :-/

For my birthday lunch I’d definitely get sushi or tacos or BOTH!

For cupcake flavors im easy….Funfetti allll the way!

Also I definitely like angry music when I run. I think everyone who reads your blog would agree you are NOT an angry person :-)

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I tried the yasso’s once… I’m hoping to squeeze them into this training cycle way more often. Awesome way to start of marathon training!

My favorite cupcake is red velvet… I know so plain, but I love them!

If it were my birthday I would want to go to lunch anywhere I could get sushi! I have been craving it a lot lately which is typical when I’m running a lot.

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I haven’t tried Yasso 800s, but I feel like I will be doing them later this year when I’m marathon training!

I love all the cupcakes. I don’t discriminate. I really like red velvet though…and funfetti.

I would go to this amazing seafood restaurant by our house for my birthday lunch – it’s SO good!

Angry music is awesome to run to. Linkin Park is one of my favorites to run to. Also Eminem.

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Speed work is quite possibly one of the hardest running workouts you can do because it’s not long and easy, you know? Props to you, girl!

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When I was going theory my angry teen years, I really liked angry music while running. It was pretty motivating actually. It was cool. Lol.

That cupcake looks good. I like just chocolate ones. :)

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Through not theory.!!

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I haven’t posted in forever (chasing kids) wanted to say happy bday to your sissy! I really need to figure out speed work. Not sure what I’m training for yet been busy with my kids sports. But looking for a 10k on the horizon.

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I’ve been intrigued when I first heard about Yasso 800s. I decided not to incorporate them in my marathon training because, to be honest, I just want to cross.that.finish.line. Maybe (big maybe) if I decide to run another ill give them a try.

If I wanted to use this for half-marathons do you build up to 5 repeats? Does it work that way?

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If I’m doing speedwork of any kind then yes, faster paced music is a must! For longer runs though I actually don’t mind slower music – it tends to make my mind wander more which is helpful for those distances :)

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Angry break up songs…even when I am not going through a break up, are my jaaam for intervals.

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I hate sprints but they have helped me out so much in my training. I haven’t done Yasso 800 but my goal is to start this year. For cupcake flavors…hands down red velvet and chocolate!

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When I’m called to the gym daycare to change a diaper I also count it as a recovery period. And now I have a name for it!

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My bday lunch restaurant choice (if money is no issue) would have to be Capital Grill, if there is a more modest budget then Thai food would be my pick.

I definitely try to listen to more upbeat music when I’m trying to run fast (I wouldn’t call it angry), but putting things into perspective…my “fast” is probably double your average pace today ;)

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Ha, last Thursday when driving home from VA I thought it was Sunday and super bummed because I was craving chick fila. Then realized it was only Thursday…

Anyways my birthday meal is some sort of diner cake. You can’t beat the richness and deliciousness.

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Happy birthday to your sister!

I haven’t done Yasso 800s, but I do 500m sprint repeats sometimes. I have to really talk myself into it though – sprints wreck you, and I’m assuming the 800s are even worse!

I would love to go to California Pizza Kitchen for my birthday lunch if I had the choice. And lived in the US :)

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I am always looking for more ways to vary my treadmill workouts, so thanks! I used to have no problem running miles and miles on a treadmill until I opened up and let another human being run with me outside. Now the time seems to take forever when I am on a treadmill and that makes me sad! I’m headed to the hotel gym tomorrow so maybe I can give these a try. Thanks!

My favorite cupcake was a flourless chocolate one they used to have by me in VA. It was so dense and thick and fudgy. Chicago it seems is all about the donut, so Im learning to embrace those as well. Hard times.

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Happy birthday to your sister! I love chocolate/pb combo cupcakes…and throw some Reese’s in there and it’s perfect! I also usually request to go to the Cheesecake Factory every year for my birthday :)

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I love Chick FIL A and I really love their salads!!!!

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Happy Birthday to your sister!! You are all so beautiful :) I love listening to angry music when I am trying to run fast too! It just gives me that extra push that I need :)

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Favorite cupcake flavor(s): lemon and strawberry. Memphis has a couple of locally owned cupcake shops whose cupcakes will knock your socks off.

Favorite birthday lunch spot: I’d go for PF Chang’s or a great burger place in Memphis called Belmont Grill.

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Yasso 800’s are tough but dude, you killed them! And on the treadmill to boot! AMAZING. Atta girl.

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It’s not my birthday, but January 7th was my due date! I was 11 days late :) I’ve always wanted to try the Yasso 800’s! Killer workout. Angry music is awesome to listen to! Especially if you’re lifting… you totally feel like a total bad*** ;)

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I LOVE angry music for running and weightlifting and Linkin Park is always a good choice!

Lemon cupcakes are my favorite, Smallcakes makes an amazing one

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I can only work out to angry music! Korn’s “Get Up!” is a fantastic motivator. ;)

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Favorite cupcake flavors: hummingbird (i.e. spice w/cream cheese icing) or key lime..but in reality, they are cupcakes, I am not turning down any cupcake.

Birthday Lunch Pick: We have a Japanese hibachi place that just kills it on the fried rice, with some steak too – yum. the best.

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Hahah, thank you for clarifying the “diaper recovery”

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Hahah…I was hoping you were going to say what diaper recovery was..awesome!! Lol

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Yasso’s!!! They are on my schedule for next week so I’m hoping the track by my house is cleared off before hand! I love doing them outside! It’s just not the same when you’re inside. I like that you get I’m -going-to-die feeling RIGHT before you finish each hard repeat. I just feel SO string when I’m done them!!

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I love Thai food on my birthday. Pad Thai is my favorite dish. I am also a fan of listening to angry music during an intense workout. Limp Bizkit is an oldie but goodie :)

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Love Yasso’s!! I love going to the track – my heart starts beater a bit faster just before I start. :) Love when I am half way done and you know its downhill to the finish.
I feel super kick butt when I am done!!

Have to say sushi for the b-day…

Cupcake – my favorite bakery makes a yummy dark chocolate cupcake with vanilla icing. YUM.

I haven’t listened to music during 800s – I think I will have to try it!!

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I absolutely hate Yasso 800’s! I dislike having to ‘pace’ myself, I like the out-right run of a 400 better, with an 800 I always feel like I’m dying at the end, or have too much left.

I am not a chocolate person, so any cupcake with strawberry flavoring or lemon, or combine both of them, yum-o!!

I like clubbing music for when I’m trying to run fast. Angry music would give me too much of a headache, I like upbeat dance music that get’s my heart pumping.

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The diaper recovery made me laugh! Gah! I wish I had a treadmill in the house to do running while my girl naps!! Especially today. I’m getting stuffed up and I want to run it off – that’s a thing, right? haha

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Angry music during runs (or any workout really) is the best.

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I’ve never done Yasso’s before but feel like I need to!

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Didn’t know what was “Yasso 800s” before reading your blog, thanks for it! I tried it yesterday, about 3’30″… Able to run a marathon in 3h30′? Let’s keep training to reach it!
Thanks for your amazing blog, it gives me motivation and ideas!

Best regards from Barcelona, Europe.

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Speaking of that little girl above, she somehow broke my retainer into a thousand pieces so it was time for me to go get a new one yesterday because my teeth move the second that I don’t use my retainer. I am sure you needed to know this about me.

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Hello
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Yasso’s!!! They are on my schedule for next week so I’m hoping the track by my house is cleared off before hand! I love doing them outside! It’s just not the same when you’re inside. I like that you get I’m -going-to-die feeling RIGHT before you finish each hard repeat. I just feel SO string when I’m done them

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Hello
I love Thai food on my birthday. Pad Thai is my favorite dish. I am also a fan of listening to angry music during an intense workout. Limp Bizkit is an oldie but goodie

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