Think about the things that DON’T HURT and St. George Marathon Training Week #14

But first, a few things from our Sunday.

-Church.

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-Fruit heaven courtesy of my grandma.  She always brings the best of the best to Sunday dinner.  

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-My mom’s lasagna.  My absolute favorite meal that she makes.  

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-My cousin brought her puppy over and Brooke fell in love.  And so did I.

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-MY AUNT WILL BE RUNNING ST. GEORGE TOO THIS YEAR!!!!  PS I live in these sneakers.  

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-Chocolate bliss.

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This may be a no-brainer to most people but this change of perspective helped me out a lot on Saturday during my 19 miler and so I wanted to share:

For the first few miles of my run my mind was full of things that were hurting.  I kept complaining in my head about my IT band being a little tight, my calves being too sore from Wednesday’s workout, my eyelids wanting to be closed and asleep in bed, my right foot feeling a little bit sore etc. etc.  

PLEASE STOP running if something feels like an injury or like it is about to be an injury but I’m talking about the little things that pop up during our runs.  It happens to everyone… especially when you have been training hard for a while.  Things don’t exactly feel like rainbows and butterflies.

I decided after a few miles of thinking about the things that didn’t feel great, to start thinking about all of the things that DON’T HURT.  I thought about how grateful I am to not have shin splints/plantar/stress fractures etc because I know how those feel and I don’t have them and that makes me happy.  I thought about the fact that I have a strong back that doesn’t hurt and knees that felt great with each step.  

It was amazing how quickly my perspective changed on the run and how much better I felt.  The more I focus on the things that are bugging me, the more they hurt.  Positive thoughts rolling around our brain makes the biggest difference in our training.  

I hope this makes sense… on race day when my legs are tired and hurting from all of the hills I am going to think about how my arms don’t hurt, my earlobes feel like a million bucks and how grateful I am that my fingers feel great;)  

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St. George Marathon Training Week #13!!!

Monday:  9 miles.  First 30 minutes @ 7:14 pace (1% incline) and second 30 minutes @ 6:15 pace (.5% incline).  On the treadmill.

Tuesday:  6 miles @ a 7:58 pace.  

Wednesday:  YASSOS!!! 1 mile warm-up, 10 x .5 mile intervals—>  2:45 average for these, recovery jogs of about the same time after each one and 1 mile cool-down.  9.57 miles total.  (PS 6.5 weeks ago I did 6 of them @ a 2:54 average= progress has been made)

Thursday:  4 miles @ 8:30 pace

Friday:  Unscheduled off day.  Just needed a break.   Five miles (what I was supposed to do) isn’t worth it if I am feeling super off.  Having the day off helped me to hit the paces for my long run the next day.

Saturday:  19 miles total.  10 @ 7:30ish pace and last 8 @ 6:33 average pace.  A little discouraged about how those last 8 felt but I have to remember that with a great taper, that pace will feel a lot better on race day.

Sunday:  Off

47.57 miles total.  Time to start some tapering!

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How was your running last week?  What was your best run?

Have any mental tricks that help you during your runs to feel better?

What was the best part about your weekend?

Favorite meal that your mom or dad makes?

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81 comments

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Your grandma rocks :) .

Enjoy the taper!

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My favorite mental trick is just to tell myself it’s going to be a good when before I start. If I keep that in mind, 9 times out of 10 it is a good run!

I ran less than I would have liked, but all of the three runs were good runs!

I love that dress in the first picture!

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I had a 20 miler and it was tough to not focus on feeling sluggish and achy, other times during a long run I shift perspective and just accept how it feels! Just another mental aspect of distance running that’s so powerful.

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I spent the weekend with my sister and it was my absolute favorite part of the week by far.

I love my mom’s potato salad, it’s insane.

Best run was Thursday, 6 miles, nothing special but the scenery was awesome.

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I had an awesome 20 miler on Saturday morning. It was probably the best I’ve felt on a long run this cycle. Could be the cooler morning temps!

I do the same things, trying to focus on the positive. If it is my mental game that is off, I try to remind myself that my legs still feel fresh, no stomach issues, how beautiful the scenery is, etc.

Best part of my weekend, 9.5 hours of sleep on Saturday night! Starting my taper off right!!

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I have a question for your mom! I have made her lasagna a few times and I love the taste but mine is always a little too “liquidy” – does she drain off the tomatoes entirely?

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You must have been in my head during my 13 miler yesterday. At the start I was over analyzing ever little pain (which really wasn’t anything). Like you i finally stopped and thought about the good stuff- perfect weather, rested legs, my baby girl in the Bob stroller with me, etc. It’s all mental!

My mom makes the best carrot cake….mmmmmmmm?

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When I hurt during a run, I try to remind myself that I only have to endure it briefly in comparison to the rest of my time in life. And I’ll feel better after knowing I pushed through!

My mom makes the BEST green bean casserole. Her hash brown casserole is spot-on, too.

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Haha I do this, too. During my first marathon I kept repeating to myself: “What’s 4 hours of pain compared to the rest of your life not being in pain” :D

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Not focusing on aches and discomforts really helps me during a long run. I also like to focus on picking up my feet and keeping a quick, smooth cadence. It keeps me from feeling like I’m just slowly dragging along.
I’m tapering now also! It’s exciting to cut back on mileage. Enjoy your taper!

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Best run last week: 19 miler
Mental trick: focus on the positive and remind myself that I can do hard things!
Weekend highlight: my gran’s 84th birthday!!!

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I love your “what feels good trick”! My long run this weekend felt rough, but the second it was done I felt awesome!

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This hits home. When I changed my personal mentality and how I viewed a run, I felt a lot better and more confident with my training. I’m glad you are finding success with training Janae and I cannot wait to see you break 3!

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LOVE your dress! I want someone to just bring me all that fruit right about now – sounds so good!!

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Last week was a pretty good week for me, although my legs were tired! My best run was probably my 800s…I was all nervous about them but hit all my paces and was so glad when they were over! Now I’m starting to stress myself out about my mile repeats tomorrow:)

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I loved my runs last week after taking the pressure off for completing a full next month 5 months post partum. Instead I am focusing on completing a half and nailing a PR!

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those are some amazing runs. you never cease to amaze (and inspire) me. i definitely fall into the “stuck on all the things that hurt” mentality when i’m running, even on a lot of short runs this summer. shin splints were one thing — those were obviously un-runnable after a while and i had to rest — but the tight IT bands and always-sore calves, well, i can work through those. thx for the reminder!

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Both of your dresses are beautiful. Long sleeve dresses are hard to find.

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Embrace the taper! I have 2 more weeks of training before my taper begins, and while I’m not sure I’m where I wanted to be I’m looking forward to giving it everything I’ve got!

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I can’t wait to get back to running! I had to stop at 6 months pregnant :( Eager to get back out there for sure. Favorite meal my mom makes is anything I’m not making, haha! I appreciate any meal that I don’t have to cook! Favorite weekend moment was having the temps in the 60s!

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We did our 18 miler yesterday and it felt great! Long runs have been really difficult for me this training cycle (due to the heat, I think) so it was great to have a run and not feel terrible at the end. The break in the weather helped (68 instead of 80s) a lot and I am finally looking forward to the marathon in a few weeks!

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When I feel like I’m getting a lot of those little annoying pains I like to just put “I can.” on repeat in my head. I think I read about a guy writing it on one of his arms for an ultra and it just stuck with me. Cute dress btw in the first pic!

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I had a great weekend – Ran 14.5K yesterday. First time I’ve gone over 5K in two months. No issues with running this week – hooray!

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Great way to spin that negative frame of mind! I also focus on what is going right and tell myself that I can do this!
Best run was my 8.5 miler. Beautiful fall weather!!

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Where is that dress from that you wore to church??? It’s so fun!!

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Thank you so much! It is from here

http://www.steviehenderson.com/product/mila-floral/

Have an awesome day!

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Ah, sometimes it’s so hard to decipher the difference, but I love this perspective! Enjoy the taper!

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I did my longest training run– 16 miles! It was tough for the first few miles but got easier when I got out of my head!

Congrats on a great week of training!!!

My mom makes the best veggie burgers!!

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Hey, my earlobes almost ALWAYS feel great on my runs too!!

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Best part of my weekend was sleeping and homemade pizza. Totally at that point in training where I just need to rest and fuel :) Favorite meal my mom makes is not really a meal, but her homemade granola. So fresh!

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I had a 20-miler on Saturday in a windy, cold, torrential downpour. I just kept telling myself … “In a few hours, you’ll be rewarded with a hot shower, hot tea, and a fuzzy blanket.” Helped a ton :)

Favorite mom food … Almost anything! Food just tastes better when your mom makes it … Especially when you eat it off her plate!

Hope you had a great weekend!

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Would you mind telling where you purchased your shoes in the first pic? Love them!

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Hey!!!! I got them at last chance in Arizona a few years ago…. The labels have been scratched off! Wish I could give you more info!

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When I’m complaining a lot in my head I remember that I’m blessed with a strong healthy body that will preform the way it needs to if I treat it right. Then I remind myself over and over that I can do hard things. Sometimes I play tricks on myself like “well this is the hardest part of the run right here. So if I make it through this part the rest will be super easy.” If none of the above work I turn the music up and put it on my race day playlist. Keeps my mind in the game a little bit more.

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You always have the best clothes! Where is that cute dress from? Did you get recently? Thanks!

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Hey girl!!! You can get it here:

http://www.steviehenderson.com/product/mila-floral/

$32 wahooooo

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Just being back home with my family made my weekend great! I even got in a couple of naps <—- amazing!!! My Dad makes the best Swedish pancakes. I can never quite make them the same way as him.

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favorites of my moms, crazy good pilaf also lemon cake with lemon curd filling. YUM!

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That chocolate dessert looks pretty amazing. Our local grocery store makes a dessert called the OMG Brownie and it is to die for. So good!

I can’t believe how quickly your race is coming up. It seems like you have had a really strong training cycle.

Best part of my weekend was spending time with my new baby boy. He turned a week old and I still can’t believe he is mine! ☺

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Great article. I have definitely used this trick on long runs/speed workouts before. Also, one of my best friends taught me during a hilly run to focus on different parts of your body while going up a hill (spend 10 seconds thinking about how strong your glutes are, then your thighs, then your arms, etc) I love it and I always feel like I’m flying up those hills now :)

My other trick is pret-ty lame and I can’t believe I’m admitting it, but sometimes I daydream that I’m dancing instead of running like at a wedding or something. And I always think that I wouldn’t stop dancing even if my legs or feet got tired, so why should I stop running? I organize my playlists based on this little trick too—always good tunes to dance to :)

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Thanks for the helpfult tips. My weekend highlight eleven great miles. I am happy to see improvement.. Have a great day
bakingrunner.blogspot.com

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I PR’d my marathon this weekend! 3:06:10! SO happy. It’s been over 3 years since I last ran one (and one baby…out of four). I feel like I’m the queen of the world! Best part is that I won first place (out of the women) and my trophy was a bobble head girl runner. BEST EVER. I’m so sore today though, WOW.

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Ahhhhhhhhhhh huge huge huge congrats Suzy! This makes me so happy:) enjoy that post race high! A pr and first place….. You are incredible!

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Everyone else in my family would probably pick my dad’s mac ‘n cheese or his seafood chowder as their favorite. Mine is his stuffing so I always requested a roast chicken for my birthday dinner.

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Great ideas! That puppy is too cute!

I had a wonderful 4 miler in the cool front that just came through Texas.

If I am on the treadmill I think about how I get to watch tv or YouTube videos I normally would see as a waste of time. Like guilty pleasures! Or if I am outside I will pray for someone different each mile. :)

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This weekend I actually ran 3 1/2 miles, which in the past I would never even mention but I’ve been battling plantar faciitis in both feet for a year so that is an accomplishment for me. I have tried every treatment and therapy under the sun and my feet are slowly coming around. I love to feel that endorphin rush again. My biggest battle is to not compare where I was to where I am now. I just look at it as a new start from scratch. I can do hard things… because they are WORTH it!

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My mom was a pretty good cook and a better baker. I love her homemade mac and cheese (I make it now) and her lasagna. (my husband does not like lasagna so I tend not to make it just for myself).

I actually had a few good runs but I think my long run was especially good. My half-marathon is a month away and I am feeling pretty confident that I will have a good race.

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I always think about how far I’ve come and how years ago I couldn’t even walk a mile much less run. I always remind myself that even though it hurts to be grateful for my journey and for what I can do.

As far as meals, my Mom no longer cooks. I don’t know if everyone’s Mom does that, but I am not the cook in the family. I always did love her Chop Suey though.

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I always find my long runs feel more manageable when I read running blogs like yours – they’re so motivational and make you just want to get out there and run!
As for meals, my Mum used to make an amazing chilli when I was a kid and no matter how hard I try I can never make one as good….
I had an amazing run yesterday in the torrential rain. For some reason I love running in the rain; it keeps my body temperature down and motivates me to finish as quickly as possible haha

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GOOD LUCK ON YOUR TAPER! I always find that reframing my mind to the positive makes a huge difference on my runs.

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Soo what exactly is that chocolate bliss? I think I need that.
I just did a GREAT 9 miles this morning. I felt great during and I feel great now. I love how one good run can make up for all the bad runs.
I love anything my mom cooks me, but she is a super talented salad maker!

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-My running was really good and great therapy. With my little one starting kindergarten and not having the greatest send off’s in the morning, I would go for a run. I ran a mid week 9 miles on a particular hard drop off morning because I figured if she was struggling, I needed to struggle too.
-I tell myself I have done much harder things, like birth a 8 lb 10 oz baby :) LOL
-Best part was my self made half marathon! Longest distance to date!
-My mom makes amazing tuna salad! (we even request it at Christmas…it’s just that delicious!)

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LOVE your dress in the first picture! I see I’m not the only one. Last week I had one of my best runs in awhile and yesterday I hit a distance PR. The cooler weather is definitely helping me out. My mom’s slow cooker pot roast is my all time favorite meal!

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Great tips, especially if you survive a long run in your bloodiest day of the month :)
(Very proud of my 18 km last week eheh)

Can I ask you a (maybe stupid) questione?
After all these years, do you still monitor your bpm? I found myself strenghtful without any beep in the background!

Thank you, you’re being a great inspiration

Greets from Italy, land of lasagna, gelato, peaches and watermelon :D

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How was your running last week? Running was pretty good after a hard 30 k last weekend. Did 12 on Sat in the pitch dark. Added perspective.

Mental tricks? Do a mental inventory in a moving relaxation drill. Hard to do without practice, but you can relax each body part on the go.

What was the best part about your weekend? Getting home to some clingy kids (the good kind of clingy) and seeing the arrival of my Asics in the mail. A few weeks ago we were lamenting old shoes that aren’t made anymore. Well that’s what eBay is for. Found my shoe (GT-2170), in a woman’s size of all things, that equates to my men’s size. Yes, really. New in the box. Will start breaking them in tomorrow.

Favorite meal that your mom or dad makes? Mom makes some mean German food i.e. schnitzel, spaetzle. But her strawberry birthday cake with real whipped cream is the clincher.

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Great idea to focus on what doesn’t hurt! I have been having some leg issues lately and it’s all I think about when I’m running because I’m nervous it’s going to get worse and prevent me from running.
Have you heard of this girl who ran 53 marathons in 53 days? http://www.53marathons.co.uk/ I imagine there wasn’t much on her body that WASN’T hurting!

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Great perspective! I hope I can remember that as I embark on marathon training this month. It seems simple enough but when you are stuck in the thick of marathon training simple things often get forgotten. Or completely blown out of proportion, there is no happy medium lol.

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The positive thinking really does help, especially with treadmill running. In fact, the positive thinking thing is what turned around treadmill running for me and even made me enjoy those runs and possible, look forward to them happily. It’s amazing how powerful our mind and thoughts can be, for all situations in life.

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Up until my long run Saturday, my running was great! I got almost halfway through my long run Saturday and my knee started hurting so bad that I had to do the “walk of shame” back home. It was really frustrating and it has me pretty mental since the Chicago Marathon is only a month away. But I am trying to put it behind me.

My mental trick is knowing that the harder and faster I run, the faster I will get home to my little girls!

Best part of my weekend was teaching my daughter how to ride her bike without training wheels, total success.

My favorite meal that my mom makes is Supreme Beef Casserole. It basically has a bunch of goodness like sour cream, cream cheese, noodles, sauce and meat. It’s Heaven on a plate for me!

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Erin I am running the Chicago marathon also, and my knee was bugging me this weekend as well! I am planning to do the Cara 20 miler this Sunday (provided things go well this week). Anyway, hope your knee is feeling better!

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Good luck on your 20 miler! I went and saw a doc today to have my IT band rubbed out (aka torture), but hoping it helps!! :)

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ohh lasagna and chocolate possibly the best combo ever! Our weekend we had our friends over for homemade pizza and game night it was fun and laid back and everything I love for a weekend to be. Love the idea of positive thinking on a run, I had a tendency to just think about what hurts/is tight and forget about the parts that are actually pulling their weight, literally :)

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It was a mom/daughter weekend. The hubs ran the Erie marathon and got his BQ just in time to register.

The best and one of the hardest runs I’ve done in a while was pushing a double jogger with 2yo and my 3yo niece in a local 8k race. I managed to place 2nd in the women’s stroller category. I can’t complain about that! It had been at least a year since I’ve pushed a double and those girls were a good 10lbs lighter!

I’ve been out of the house for 15yrs so I just love anything my mom home cooks!

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Great post, Janae. I just read a motivational running quote that said “never trust the first or second to last miles…they are LIARS”. Totally true, right!?! Injury aside, it’s those tough miles that makes thankful for the easy miles. And even when we feel flat or off…remembering how lucky we are that we CAN run is so important.

You are gonna blaze the marathon, girl! Just think of how you killed this training cycle. I’m amazed.

My dad is the grill master…anything he barbecues turns to gold.
And no one can beat mom’s chicken soup.

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My running was a mess last week. My best run was a 5 miler in a complete downpour – I love running in the rain!

I’m a big fan of distraction during my runs – the less I’m thinking about what hurts, the better I feel.

The best part of my weekend was going out to dinner with my boyfriend and his dad at a delicious German restaurant.

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That chocolate pudding (or whatever it is) looks AMAZING!!

That’s a great tactic for running! I was definitely using that yesterday during my marathon – so thankful that my back wasn’t hurting and that my calves felt okay during the last few miles even though everything else was in pain. I also smiled at all the spectators, which helped a LOT – another tip I got from you! :)

The best part of my weekend was breaking four hours in my marathon for the first time! Thanks for all your tips – they’ve definitely helped me become a better/tougher/faster runner!!

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HA! I love this – I will definitely be thinking about my painless earlobes as well when I run my next 26.2 Thank you for one of the most valuable pieces of advice I’ve heard in a while :-)

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OMGoodness I want that puppy too. Also I love how you changed your mindset on your run. I will definitely have to try that.

My running last week was great. I went on my longest training run ever Saturday- 18 miles and I felt great after. So I’d also say this answer doubles as the best part of my weekend.

My only mental trick for running is to not look at my mileage or time until I’m done. But this probably won’t work for most people.

My dad grills amazing steak so that’s always my favorite meal to eat when I’m at my parent’s house. My sister complains that whenever I visit we have steak but when she stops by the best she gets is spaghetti. I tell her it’s because I’m the favorite (She lives 15 mins away vs 1200 miles).

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That’s awesome that your aunt is running the marathon, too! That extra family support should feel great.

I reread your post about the 30 long run tips before my 16 miler yesterday and put a few to use. This is another good tip! I am always hyper aware of all the nagging pains but will try to focus on what DOESN’T hurt, next time. Like my fingers. :)

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I’m so glad that those tips were able to help and WAY TO GO on 16 miles! Hahaha yep… thank goodness we can at least think about how great our fingers feel when the going gets tough on our long runs!

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Best run was Saturday as I ran a 3:28.05 to qualify for Boston! PS: I totally used the counting my footsteps and pumping my arms when my legs wanted to quit!

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AHHHHHH ANNIE!!! HUGE HUGE HUGE CONGRATS!!! This is so beyond exciting:) You are going to love Boston!

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It all makes perfect sense! Isn’t it funny how quickly our perspective can change how we feel mentally and physically? Way to rock the miles out this week!

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Two things for long runs. I was running 15 miles on Saturday and 11 miles Sunday. The 15 miler, I was focused on getting to the end, and when I was finished I thought, I was just trying to rush through one of the best parts of my day and turn my mind off! On Sunday I just tried to enjoy my whole run and it worked! I was still in pain (I was trying to follow someone on a bike) but I was a heck of a lot happier and the miles flew by. The other trick I use is to turn off my mile alarms on my garmin. Especially for long runs, it just discourages me to find, oh, I’ve only gone one more mile. Better to let my mind wander a little bit. I have my 55K about a week after St. George so have been following your training with great interest! (Of course, I am nowhere near your speedy times)

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I love your dress! Can I ask you where you got it from? :) That puppy is the cutest! You guys so need to get one some day!

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Oof running last week was rough. I’m tapering for a half marathon this weekend and I was exhausted all of last week! Not a good week for running at all.

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I was sick with the flu last week…. I just finished the hardest race of my life so I’m not altogether surprised but it was rather unpleasant…I’m back running now but REALLY slow

I try to fixate on how grateful that I am to be able to run…it sounds weird but it works…..and when it doesn’t….I put on horrendous pop and belt it out (literally)

Football starting – love those lazy Sundays….And the Chiefs won!

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Cute sneakers and adorable puppy! Who can resist a puppy?

My favorite part of the weekend was working on renovation ideas with my husband. So glad he was on the same page as me.

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I completely agree! This morning I was doing 6 miles on the treadmill, and by mile 2 I must have accidentally pulled the emergency stop cord, and my run came to a halt. I was so angry! So as I began again I kept thinking about how tired I was, how my knees were aching, and my calves felt tight. But I decided that I was just going to do better now and that the 2 miles was just going to be a mere warm up, and I ended up running 8 miles!

The best part about my weekend was how my best friend just showed up at my door with ice cream and a movie when she knew I was having a really rough day.

And I’m Italian so ANY of my parents pasta dishes are mine/and any runners favorite :)

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I love your church dress!

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I’m training for my first marathon and this advice is SO helpful! I just did 18 last weekend and for the first 5 I just kept thinking about those little aches and pains here and there. I am always so worried about injury but it makes the run less fun. I am glad to know I am not the only one with little things here and there that pop up during a run during marathon training. I am going to follow your advice and focus on what feels great, even if it’s just my earlobes and ponytail :)

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