Moms just aren’t meant to go this long…

I had a nice long chat with this gorgeous girl at the gym yesterday.  Kristi is an incredible athlete and she’ll be going to Kona for the IRONMAN World Championships!  I need her to give me some serious swimming and biking lessons.    

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I had a run and some strength training on the schedule for yesterday.  I was in the mood to run but weights… like usual, I wasn’t stoked about doing them.  I decided that the only way I would actually do the strength training portion of my workout was if I started and finished my run at the gym so that all I had to do was walk inside the gym to do this strength routine and some extra core work.  I knew that if I went inside my house after my run that the gym wasn’t going to happen.  

PS I’m all about using tricks to get myself to do the workouts I’m not exactly stoked about doing.  IE I trick myself when I have a track workout that I am not thrilled about—>  I tell myself I am just going to do ONE more interval and then I get to stop… and that somehow gets me to finish the entire workout.  

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Made a stop for what I was craving at 9 a.m.

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Jess (my trail running bff) had her baby!!!  I took one of her favorite cookies over to her (from Swig—>  if you ever visit Utah you have to go there for their cookies.  ridiculously good) and got to hold her little man.  Not much better than holding a newborn. 

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The guy and I are craving eating healthier foods after our vacation of eating out/junk food.  

This meal was a la Costco:  Rotisserie chicken and avocado salad for Monday night dinner.  

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And breakfast burritos for dinner last night.  

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For dessert I made (myself… he wanted nothing to do with this random mixture;)—> a cooked apple, greek yogurt, granola and almond butter mixture.  

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Brooke gets home on Thursday night and it can’t come soon enough.  I have come to the conclusion that moms (well, loved ones in general…) just aren’t made to be away from their little ones this long (it has been a week).  I can’t even go in her room without crying at this point.  I miss that little thing so ridiculously much and I am more than ready for her to come home.  

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BUT I am happy that she is having such a good time with her dad and that she has learned how to fix a car with her stethoscope.  

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Our healthy streak will be broken with Donuts for Brooke’s birthday celebration.  We are going to try to up American’s donuts per capita problem.  

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Missing anyone today?

-Brooke x 1,000,000,000

What tricks do you do to get yourself to do the workouts you aren’t thrilled about!?

What did you make for dinner last night?

Any ‘must-eat treats’ in your city?  Any delicious bakeries/dessert shops that you recommend?  

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80 comments

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I ate pizza last night for dinner….ALL the Pizza!

I need to trick myself into not eating all the pizza. :)

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We had kind of a boring chicken/rice/veggies dinner last night – should have made breakfast burritos! I agree I just can’t be away from my kids for long. 9-2 at camp and I’m already itching to pick up!

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Usually I can motivate myself to get the workout done just so I can check it off my to-do list. But that can be hard for strength training. Sometimes those just remain un-checked.

I had to work late last night so we did burrito bowls. Always good!

No fun dessert places here, that’s why we travel! Also, probably good that therearen’t any here…

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Thursday night will be here before you know it!! :)

I try to remind myself during workouts that really it’s such a small time in my life in the long run. For instance, a 400 is just one 400 out of my entire life, so it really can’t be that bad.

If you come to Dallas, you MUST go to Steel City Pops!!

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Missing my pups, but I’m flying home this morning and can’t wait to see them!!
I schedule workouts with my friends to trick myself into do them.
Dinner: Italian restaurant
Nashville: we have the best biscuits and peach cobbler!

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To get through workouts that I am not thrilled about I just keep reminding myself of how badly I would feel if I quit. It’s so annoying when I end a hard workout early because I usually still have more to give physically. It’s the mental game that always trips me up… and then five minutes after I quit I’m like, “man I could have kept going! what’s wrong with me?!?!?!” and then I’m frustrated until I can do another hard workout and redeem myself!

I also sometimes do the “just one more interval” thing too – it’s a good strategy :)

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We had salmon and a brown rice and vegetable stir fry. I usually motivate myself through hard workouts by telling myself that it will feel much better when it’s done to have completed it than to have quit. Top Pot Donuts is the best dessert where I live!

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I force myself to put on workout clothes. If I can muster up the energy to do that then I’ll always workout after.

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Almost Thursday!! :)

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I had chicken wings and celery for dinner last night! I don’t have much food in my house so takeout it was. Back home in New Hampshire there are a lot of maple flavored specialty goods. Maple is everywhere! I’ll keep to only maple syrup though.

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-Not really missing anyone today: but the thought of my little girl starting all day Kindergarten in 4 weeks make my heart ache!
-Dinner last night was GF spaghetti and sauce. plus a quick trip to the local ice cream truck for a little cup of chocolate caramel cashew ice cream! yum. Cheers to Summer!
-If you are in Mi and within a 50 mile radius of Sugar High Bakery in Frankenmuth, I highly recommend!! They were on cupcake wars…and won! Just say’in!

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We had vegetarian tacos last night – hard shell and all! Soooo good.
Ottawa, Ontario has Suzy Q donuts – fresh, homemade and GOURMET donuts. I can’t even recommend the best one because they are all absolutely amazing. Let me know if you’re ever in Canada:)

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I’m with you on the missing kids thing. I’m with one all day and can’t imagine being with out them. We have a kid free vacation coming up and I’m excited but nervous every about leaving them for that long.

My tricks are usually used when I’m wanting to quit a run early. So I’ll tell myself that I will run to a certain land mark (like to an interaction or someone’s house) and then I’ll stop and give myself a rest. When I get there I find another land mark to get to. It’s weird how well it works because I know that I’m not actually going to listen to that voice but I’ll keep going. Somehow though, it does.

Or sometimes I bribe myself with an extra special treat for doing the work out I don’t want to do.

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When my daughter was two and a half, my husband Doug was finishing his last year of vet school and I had been suffering autoimmune issues. I was too sick to take care of our daughter Molly and myself when he was working in the hospital and going to classes. At that point I couldn’t even walk up a flight of stairs and simple things like changing diapers and giving Molly a bath were agony for me. So Molly and I had to leave Doug in Ohio while we stayed with my parents in Massachusetts so they could nurse me back to health and take care of Molly while Doug finished school. It was devastating for us to be apart from Doug for so long, so I can understand what you are going through. Separation from a loved one for any reason can be heart breaking. Just think– a few more days and you and Brooke will be together again. In the mean time, hang in there!

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That statistic is so funny to me…I’m Canadian and I hardly ever eat donuts. maybe 1 every 5 years!

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Dinner was mom’s night out before my little one starts kindergarten. Sob! I can’t wait for you and Brooke to be reunited. Be strong, mama!

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I reward myself for doing workouts. So if I wake up for a run before work (which means leaving around 5AM to run) I’ll buy myself a coffee at work. I also bribe myself to finish an entire month of workouts with a new running outfit or shirt or something. Bribery works every time!

Pittsburgh’s most famous food is the primanti’s sandwich (also known as a “Pittsburgher”). It’s a regular sandwich with cole slaw and french fries. We also have pittsburgh salads that have french fries on as well. We’re also the home of Heinz so people take their ketchup brands very seriously here ;)

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I think the Canadian donut thing is totally because of Tim Hortons. There are just so many! When I was in the states, donut shops were not on every block – I was confused :-)

If you ever came to Ottawa, I would take you to Suzy Q donuts!

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Last night’s dinner was a huge salad with avocado, rotisserie chicken, honey mustard, and grapes!!!! Perfection. But that breakfast burrito looks pretty amazing as well.

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I love Boom Chica Pop!!! Its so tasty. But its very hard to find in stores where I live :(

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I’ve been away for the past month from your blog! What happened with Brooke? :(

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She is visiting her Dad in Cali for 8 days.

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1st, autofill tried to put in my address and phone number into the box, so there’s that.

Second, unless I’m at pump or Crossfit–I hate weights. Hate. I love swimming, running, (obvie.) and even the elliptical (because it provides great Netflix time.) I think it’s that weird counting thing. You have to COUNT EVERYTHING. I don’t count my steps when running. I barely count laps. I DIDN’T EVEN COUNT MY MILEAGE yesterday during my run. It wasn’t until I thought “hey, I should go get my kids out of childcare,” that I stopped.

Counting and repetition is for beadwork and knitting–and I do neither.

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Sorry you are missing Brooke! I cannot imagine how hard that is.

Since I live so close to Philadelphia, there are quite a few different shops to try. My personal recommendation is Federal Donuts for donuts and Green Eggs cafe for breakfast :-)

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Dinner last night was sausage stuffed bell peppers and I tried to make a fried banana thing for desert but it just turned into a mess!

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To motivate myself I give myself a destination run. Run to a bakery in the morning, buy a muffin, run with it home, and enjoy upon arrival. I have carried a phone, keys, i-pod in my hands for years, so running with a treat is no big deal to me.

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I have also been away from my 3 year old son for a full week while he went to the beach with his dad. I miss him so much and actually started crying last night while I FaceTimed him to sing him a bedtime song. So I feel your pain! BUT… He comes back tonight!!! :)

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Oh Beth! I am so sorry that you have been without your little guy for a full week! Enjoy the sweet reunion tonight!

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Just one more sleep until Brooke gets home!! YAY!
Last night we had hot dogs. Its my comfort food after a long day.

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So happy that you get to be reunited with Brooke tomorrow!! I have a 6 month old baby girl and I’m a stay at home mom. Some days I crave some alone time but as soon as I get it, my heart hurts because I miss her so much. Motherhood is strange.

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Right now there are no tricks to get me to work out…….if I don’t do them, my hips will never get stronger (Fai surgery ) and I will never run again!!!!

Wait till she goes away to college, 4 states away…..it’s brutal!!!!!

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I do the same thing you did and will end my run at the gym to get in my strength training. No way of getting out of it that way!
I had spaghetti and salad for dinner last night. That salad looks awesome and very close to what I’m having for lunch today!
So glad you’re reuniting with Brooke tomorrow- that’s so tough. She will be SO excited to see you!!! We will be away for the weekend next week and I am already missing my dog even though we haven’t left yet.
Have a great day!

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I didn’t realize we were such donut lovers in Canada!
I use tricks to get me through a lot of workouts too.

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I don’t even know where to begin on the best eats in NY! I do have a favorite bakery though – Torta Fina for the black and white cookies because they make them with thick frosting like a cake instead of a hard icing :)

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I Agree, mothers just can’t be away from their children so long. Mothers hearts are so tender. You are almost there. It reminds me of a song, Tomorrow tomorrow, I love you tomorrow…My daughter was in Annie when she was younger and I sat through all of their practice sessions before the show.

When I think of a long run, I immediately think, I can’t run that far. So, I focus on one mile at a time. Next thing I know, I have finished them.

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Motivation is the hardest when you have other exciting things going on in life – it’s so easy to say you can push the workout aside, but it’s really the most important thing in my life for structure right now!
I just moved to a new place, so I’m on a hunt for the best treats! Next stop is the donut shop :)

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We had breakfast sandwiches for dinner! I had a meeting that ran late and had no desire to cook anything real, so breakfast it was! I’m terrible but I’m not a real pastry/bakery sweets kind of person. If I’m going out for dessert, I go out and get ice cream! There’s a bakery called Sugar Mama’s in town that I hear is good though…

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Are those Costco Tortilla Land tortillas I see? I literally just ate three of them, and wrapped them around a graham cracker. It was 4am, and I don’t have any reason for that random craving. I think next time I’ll make a s’more and wrap that in a tortilla.

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Here in Calgary there’s an amazing ice cream place called Village Ice Cream. Seriously, so good. It’s downtown at the end of a sketchy looking cul de sac next to the train tracks. The first time I went there with someone I was so suspicious, but it turned out the be the best ice cream I’ve ever had.

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So excited you’ll see Brooke soon!! And Boom Chicka Pop is great!

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To get me through a workout that I don’t want to do, I think of how happy I’ll be once I finish it. Also, I do what you do during interval workouts and tell myself that once I’m halfway, I can stop whenever needed. At that point, I am already halfway, so why stop?
For dinner last night, I had a big salad topped with mandarin chicken and whole wheat ciabatta bread on the side.
In Boston, a must visit for treats is Mike’s Pastry! They have the best cannoli’s!

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I slack at doing upper body work outs so lately I’ve been going kayaking for fun/sneaking in an upper body workout. Also have you ever tried a body pump class? I did a series of them about a year and a half ago and it was fun getting my strength training in without having to think about it since it was led by someone else.

Last night I had an acai bowl for dinner. It was delicious. As for treats in my city, I live in NYC so there is an abundance but I don’t have much of a sweet tooth.

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Usually if I can just show up at the gym and tell myself to just move something, I can get through a class or work out even if the motivation isn’t there. Sometimes it isn’t pretty, but at least it’s something!
In Chicago, Do-Rite Donuts is so good – they destroyed my donut willpower. I agree with whoever mentioned Mike’s Pastry in Boston – two thumbs up.
That breakfast burrito looks delicious – last night I had a turkey sandwich (not quite as good as the burrito!)

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I miss my parents! Living in a different country is tough!
Yesterday I made black bean burgers and baby carrots dipped in Muhammara (a new favorite from Trader Joe’s).

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Gosh, I can’t even imagine how you’re feeling. I’m such a crazy mom that the longest I’ve been away from my 15 month old is for a dentist appointment..

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Funny, I posted about making workout deals with myself today!
One I’ll make if I’m struggling with working out is I’ll tell myself I just have to drive to the gym. Once I’m in the parking lot I can decide about going in.

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I made Chipotle bowls at home last night. I make them in the crockpot. It’s so easy and tastes just like the real deal! OMG…your apple/Greek yogurt/granola/almond butter dessert looks amazing. You may have given me a new recipe idea!

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If you’re ever in Minneapolis you have to try Glam Doll donuts! They are so good.

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I went on a trip without my family and was gone for fifteen days this summer. I couldn’t believe how much I missed my husband and kids. So much so that I cried when my husband picked me up at the airport – and I NEVER cry. I don’t think he knew what to do with me. It was an awesome trip though, so it was mostly worth it.

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If you’re ever in Chicago … You gotta visit Sweet Mandy B’s in Lincoln Park. Everything is delicious … Especially the following: PB cupcake, Snickerdoodle cupcake, and PB Rice Krispie Bar :)

I always just tell myself to “at least run 1 mile” or “at least swim 10 laps” when I don’t feel like working out. You can do anything for 10 minutes and the hardest part sometimes is just getting started. Once I get through the first mile or first set of laps, I’m good to go!

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With our current heat wave going on here in Calgary, i’ve been eating smoothies every night for dinner! That’s funny that Canadians eat so many donuts, it doesn’ t seem like we have that many donut shops, other than the Tim Hortons on every corner ;)

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Missing my husband big time! He’s been on a cycling trip (http://lagbrau.com/) with his brother in southern Utah since last Thursday and doesn’t come home until Friday. He says Utah is beautiful!

I’ve been doing intervals every Tuesday and I start dreading/thinking about not doing them during my entire warmup. Once they start, the entire workout just flies because I’m concentrating so hard on hitting my pace.

Dinner last night was chicken with asparagus. I don’t usually cook when I’m home alone, but I can’t eat junk for over a week, especially since I’m in marathon training.

A little over 100 miles from here is the city of Solvang, CA – lots of amazing bakeries there! Lucky for me, it’s just far enough I can’t get there everyday ;)

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I use tricks to get myself through workouts too. (“just ONE more mile!”) Sugar Shack in Alexandria, Va is a great spot. It’s an artisan donut shop with chalk paint on the walls for kids (and adults!) to scribble all over.

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Congrats to your friend Jess on her new baby! How exciting. She definitely earned that cookie. :)

Tricks that I use to get myself to workout:
-plan ahead and make it easy (you can’t say no to easy)
-make the workout into a date with a friend
-reward myself after

We have a donut place called Luvs that makes the BEST iced vanilla glazed blueberry cake donuts EVER! Made with real blueberries. Mmmm.

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I’m dating someone with two girls and I often think how their mom feels when they are with him (and I). Recently we had a weekend vacation and the girls enjoyed spending the time with their dad and I. I almost felt guilty for getting to enjoy someone else’s kids.
A good friend told me there is always room for more love so I try and focus on that. Those girls are loved and happy even when separated from their mom for a weekend or even a whole week. Your girl is happy enjoying time with her dad. You can still cry and miss her because that is real emotion. And I am sure you won’t ever stop feeling the tears when you both are apart. Just wanted to give a different perspective. :) and on that note I’m missing my boyfriends daughters a lot! I probably won’t see them for 5 weeks :(

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I can only imagine how much you miss Brooke. I miss my dog so much everyday when I’m at work. How sad is that? Haha, I REALLY REALLY love my dog. Your apple/amond butter/granola mixture sounds so yummy! It would be good with some ice cream or froyo too, of course :)

If I really need some motivation to get myself through a workout, I’ll think of an edible reward that I’ll give myself if I make it all the way through. If you finish this long run strong, you can have Chick Fil A! Works every time!

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I’m sorry you’re missing Brooke! I can’t imagine :( I’m glad that she will be home soon :) For dinner last night I made Cafe Rio and by made I mean I made a trip to the restaurant ;) hehe To trick myself into working out I will generally start with the thing that I want to do the least first. It works most of the time :)

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I still haven’t figured out how to get my little booty out of bed at 5:15 to go for a run. ?

We had mini pizzas last night. We took 2 thinwichs put yummy creamy vodka pasta sauce (if you haven’t had this it’s a must try!), cheese and Canadian bacon and put it in the toaster oven. So good! Fulfilled my need for pizza last night!

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Ooh that salad looks good! I’m sure Brooke will be super excited to be reunited with you too!

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We are known for garbage plates here. I understand how “appealing” the name sounds, but they truly are delicious…especially at late night hours (read: after the bar). The trick to getting yourself to the gym is brilliant. I hate weights and think this may be the way to do it…

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When does she get a big girl toddler bed?

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When she tries to climb out of her crib;) She loves her crib right now and I love not having to worry about her getting up in the night and me sleeping through it. I am paranoid.

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LOL! I’m Canadian (this message comes from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) and given that we have the most Tim Hortons than anyone in the world… I can see how that donut statement about us is true!!

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I am Canadian and had no idea but am extremely proud of that statistic :)

I remember when my daughter was one year old and my husband insisted that we leave her with the grandparents and go for a week to Mexico. I counted the days/hours/minutes until I could be back home with her! To be a mom is amazing! (Congrats to Jess and her new baby boy)!

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Music or a great podcast usually motivate me out the door when I just don’t want to. My hometown is known for something called a “Garbage Plate.” It’s either two hamburgers or hot dogs (white or red… we’re known for white hots, too), on top of homefries, beans, and mac salad. All topped with hot meat sauce and sidled by a slice of bread with butter. I’ve never had one (I have enough digestive issues as it is), but have heard they are way more delicious than they sound.

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I live in a town of 404. There are no special treats in this town unless you buy a homemade pie at the town’s pie stand during the fair. Unless you count all the corn and soybeans that are grown in the area.

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Missing my mum, I’ve been at my dad’s for 3 weeks and I can’t wait to see her on Sunday:) Being apart does get a little easier, I only see my dad and little sister 5-6 times a year (since they live in Chicago and I live in England) but it’s gotten easier and thank goodness for Facetime ;)

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Reading your post brought tears to my eyes. I can imagine how much you miss her and I know you can’t wait for tomorrow night!!!
I miss my Dad and can’t wait to see him soon.
If I have trouble getting out the door, I tell myself – just go for 10 minutes and if you feel yucky you can turn around and go home. Of course I always run for more than 10 minutes, but it works!!
Dinner last night: Tacos!!
Dessert place: Cupcakes! From Sprinkles in Beverly Hills to Vanilla Bake Shop in Santa Monica and a million others, you will definitely find an amazing cupcake on the Westside of Los Angeles.

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Missing anyone today?

***My 5 yr old son, he started school Monday and I’m still adjusting. He, on the other hand, is fine. :D

What tricks do you do to get yourself to do the workouts you aren’t thrilled about!?
***I can talk myself into walking, so I usually say “I’ll just walk and see how it goes”. But I know that once I get there I will want to run, so it usually works out. If not, I walk incline, which is still killer and I still feel good about it.

What did you make for dinner last night?
***Red potato “fries” for my hubs and son, sweet potato fries for me, and we had leftover lentil stew with them.

Any ‘must-eat treats’ in your city? Any delicious bakeries/dessert shops that you recommend?
***Realizing I don’t know the answer to this question makes me feel like, “what am I doing with my life?”

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Chicago has all sorts of boutique donut shops, so I have made sure to sample them all more than once. They are incredible. I prob have a donut at least once a week.

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It is nice that your ex sends you pics of Brooke while she’s visiting. My ex has always done that for me, too, & it’s so appreciated!

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I totally agree! It makes a huge difference for me to be able to look forward to the pics throughout the day! So glad that your ex does that too!

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I miss my husband and my brother like crazy. They’re usually with me, and I’m usually cooking dinner for all of them, but they’re down at the J.Cole concert tonight and I’m all alone :(

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Kona Ironman is my husbands dream. He’s doing his 6th Ironman next month (Lake Tahoe). Hoping he’ll qualify!

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As a Canadian, I’d say Canadians eat a lot of donuts since there are Tim Horton’s everywhere! But I have to say the donuts you feature on your blog look much, much, much more delicious!

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I am missing my puppy a lot. He lives with my parents but stayed with us the past few days.

Dinner last night was so delecious! Black bean burgers with a sunny-side-up egg on top.

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Dinner last night was pan seared salmon and sauteed zucchini mixed with roasted red potatoes. Soooo good!

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Hah! just posted on instagram about this today for my long run. “Okay, just get to 1.5 then you can turn around, and do 3 later tonight when its cooler. …. okay, well just get to 2.5 and have 5 for the day, and thats fine. …. alright eff it, lets go to 3 and then turn around…” Ended up with 6.5 miles. I have to trick myself ALL THE TIME.

not a ton of great bakeries around here, not like back home where i know exactly what is where and when to get it. sigh.

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I LOVE Swig cookies! Their sodas are so good too! Thanks for turning me onto them! I wish they had one in AZ!! P.S. I’m dying of heat btw…

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You are one tough momma… Being away from my boys for that long would make me cry a whole lot! Hang in there! Brooke’s room is so adorable. Can’t wait for you two to be reunited again :)

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