Friday favorites, running on dirt is the best and YOUR running accomplishments

First outdoor run of the week and I can’t think of a better place to do it.  

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My favorite way to start the day.  I don’t think it is possible to be grumpy after this:  

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Josse and I went out for 7.5 miles (8:51 average) on the trails and I’m amazed (and so is she) at how fast she has recovered from her 1/2 Ironman (PS she wanted me to tell you THANK YOU so much for all of your sweet comments leading up to her race and on her recap… I sure love this online community).   

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Now that we are training for similar things again it will be so nice to be out on the trails more together and doing our speed work on the streets together when we both can too!

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Every time I come home from a run Brooke hides when she hears the garage door open (yes, I still have my own parking spot in their garage… I am guessing this means I am definitely one of the favorites;) but she has now switched hiding locations for the first time in over a year.  

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She has also built up the courage for the spinning toy at the park which is a big change too.  She is quite the cautious child. 

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Also, our (complex) pool will be opening soon which =s we will be here often for the next four months!

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We LITERALLY ran out of granola on Wednesday (we top pretty much everything with it so it is rough on both of us when we are out) and then boom… a friend had homemade granola for us.  How she knew exactly when we needed it is still a mystery to me.  

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Many of our dates include the play place.  And sundaes.  

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And last but not least on this portion of a really long blog post—>  Her position before I throw the ball… eye on the prize.  

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Five Favorite Running Songs this week:

Reaper by Sia

Go Get It (clean;) by T.I.

Walk away (clean;) by Nelly  (a little bit slower but Nelly reminds me of high school:)

Kamikaze by MØ 

Hold Me Down by Halsey


Five Favorite summer finds:

Lots of sales this weekend—>  Everything at my favorite online boutique ever is 20% off this weekend, Nordstrom (up to 40% off), J Crew is 30% off all weekend, banana republic is 40% off with code BRTAKE40, Old Navy has a bunch of stuff with an extra 50% off. Ann Taylor you can get extra 50% off with code SUMMER50 and ASOS has an extra 20% off.  

My weekly church heels for spring/summer (I only last a few hours in heels so they are perfect for church)

This and this swim coverup and these $10 double strap sandals I got to wear to pool. 

Wishing Well Blouse—>  you know how I feel about my loose, lightweight, white tops:)   

This simple striped tee that I want to wear every day but I don’t because people say that is weird. 

I’ve had a few questions about this running top—>  my current favorite summer running top.  

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Favorite things that I saw on the internet recently: 

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*Julie’s list of AMAZING dessert recipes:)

*THIS… everything about THIS:

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You guys are incredible.  Keep sending in your amazing running accomplishments so that I can feature them on Fridays!  Send them to [email protected]  !!!

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Jennifer!!! “I finished my 2nd marathon this past weekend in Fargo.  4:15:59. (PR- fall of 2014 I did my 1st marathon in 4:26).  The weather was absolutely gorgeous!! It was a bit warm when I finished (75 degrees!!) If you are thinking about doing Fargo it’s great! Nice and flat.  The people of Fargo are super nice and welcome you in with open arms.”

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Jessie!!!  “I raced in a local 5k on May 14th, the Team Alex 5k.  One of my 2016 goals is to break 25:00 in the 5k.  I still haven’t reached my goal, but in pouring rain and cold 50 degree temps I raced anyways and placed 2nd in my 20-29 age group! I’ve never won anything before and was so excited! Now I’m more revved up than ever to ready my sub 25 5k goal!”

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Rachael!!! “This past Saturday I ran the Vigor half.  I trained really hard for this and was nervous because I’ve hurt my knees during a half and was told I should never run them again.  Because of my training I wanted to get done in 2:00 and I got done under and coming in at 1:48.  It was the best feeling and I felt like I could have gone even faster.  The race was amazing and I’m so happy I could run again.”

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Alyssa!!!  “Since I’m primarily a distance runner, I wasn’t expecting much out of the Susan G Komen 5k I ran the first week in May.  I was just running for the cause in honor of my sister and her two battles against breast cancer.  I hadn’t done much dedicated training save for morning treadmill runs supplemented by Pure Barre Platform teaching and training.  The race felt great and for once in a short distance race, I felt strong and capable.  I surprised myself by taking over a minute off my 5k PR, finishing at 20:11.”

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Amber!!! “Earlier this month, my sister and I drove up to Asheville, North Carolina to run the Biltmore Kiwanis 15k.  The grounds are gorgeous there and we knew it would be one of the most scenic routes we’d get to run this year.  After a week of sunny skies and warm temps back home, we woke up to 35 degrees and heavy headwind.  We warmed up for a bit and hung out in the ladies room (it was nice and toasty in there:) before heading off to the start line.  The two of us are usually about 20 seconds apart, so we always say a little prayer for one another during challenging parts of the race (usually hills:)  At just a few miles in, we faced the biggest hill we would face all morning.  All I could picture was my sister just beasting this hill (and every hill after) and that got my wind-burned, tired and heavy legs moving a little faster! We both agreed it was the toughest course we had ever ran and were so happy to see each other at the finish line! We managed to both PR and will definitely run it again!”

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What are your plans this weekend?  Any races or long runs?

 

We are going to St. George for 2 days and I’m hoping to get in a run at Coral Canyon because that is my favorite.   

Anyone else get to run/go to races with their sister?

Do you have good running trails near your house?  Are you on sidewalks, roads, dirt trails, treadmills or paved running trails the most?  

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33 comments

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I have a 12-14 easy on the schedule tomorrow–we have excellent paved running trails out here in MD/DC area. I’m hoping to find some real good dirt trails this summer because i do need a change of scenery!

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My old running partner is in town this weekend so we are going to go for a run! I’ve had two good friends in town in the same week! My sister and I have done a few marathons together and have a trip planned for the summer. It’s always nice to have someone to run with!

I have almost NO trails by my house. The closest I get is gravel roads!

My niece and nephew always hide from me when they see me walking towards their house. They are terrible hiders and always end up jumping out to ‘scare’ me when I come in. It’s hilarious!

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I love the song Kamikaze! So good. This weekend I’m helping my parents with their dining room renovations and replacing my deck! Busy weekend :)

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Being sick all week, that meme actually describes my entire week perfectly. I haven’t left my house much and just slept and ate most of the time.

Hope you have a great weekend and get to enjoy it!

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I’m going to a crawfish boil tomorrow and then hopefully getting some pool time this weekend. Oh and froyo, of course. :)

There aren’t many good running trails near me, so I mainly stick to the good ol’ pavement. The running areas and scenery where you are look gorgeous!!

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I live on a nature preserve and it’s amazing to run on. the trails are just grass and can be a little uneven, but it doesn’t get better than just stepping out side and going through nature. now that the weather is getting better it’s amazing.

also, that dog is too beautiful. more puppy pics!

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Washington state is the best place to run because every run feels like you’re in a forest. It’s fantastic! I love it here.

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There’s a lot of nice paved trails near my house! I’ve only run on roads a handful of times in the past year—there’s over 30 miles of connected paved trails in the Eastside of Seattle!
This weekend my husband and I are going camping!

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Keep posting the song recommendations please! ;) I’m currently working on building a new marathon training playlist!

Right now I am loving One Dance by Drake for easy runs and Pop Style (clean) for more up-tempo runs!

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Wow. I love how green your run was, that is seriously so gorgeous! That striped shirt is so cute! This is my last weekend living in the mountains so I will be going on a few bucket list hikes! Of course, a run here and there too :P

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Wow, those mountain shots are beautiful! Enjoy the weekend!

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We are TAPERING for our 24 hour race next weekend. Woohoo!

We have some gnarly trails about 20 minutes from our house. I have pictures on my blogs from our runs. Super technical, rooty, rocky, and tons of elevation change, so great prep for our upcoming ultras!

Have a fantastic long weekend!

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WOW that is pretty incredible about the 4 generations running a race together! I hope I am able to run for many many years to come!

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My favourite trails are on a game farm approximately 10 km of town. It’s my happy place: A safe piece of African bush with game sightings almost guaranteed. Love, love, love it!

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What kind of granola do you usually use? I’ve never been a huge fan but it sounds really yummy now.

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Stomach bug all week so no half-marathon for this girl on Sunday. A little harder than I would like to admit on the mental, but I have to think long term here! Spending Saturday night with the family will help the morale for sure ;-)

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I love that running top! I’m planning on 12 miles in the morning.

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My dear friend and I are running the Med City Marathon this weekend! I’ve had a sub 4:00 in mind for a couple years now and missed it by 6 minutes at last year’s (hot) Chicago Marathon. As a classical performing musician, I’m always under a fair amount of pressure and I’ve decided to lay off of marathons for the sake of my body and my relationships after this one – despite having touchy knees during taper, I really want to hit this mark!!

I love seeing your scenic running photos and all the cute photos of you and your mini-me. Adorable! Congrats on balancing everything and to Josse for her awesome athletic prowess last weekend!

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Speaking of Sia, you should check out the song Unstoppable. You are actually one of the people I think about when I hear the song. ☺

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I love Sia and haven’t listened to any of her music in awhile. You always have the best song suggestions!

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Our pool opens this weekend too! Very excited. I have a running path inside my community which I am forever grateful for! Have a great weekend

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My plan for this weekend is to do some speed work and a longish run in preparation for my 10 mile race in June. I had a half last weekend so I’m trying to take it a bit easier.
I’m the only one in my family that runs so I don’t get to run with my sisters :(
I run on roads and sidewalks for the most part. I try to stay on the sidewalk because I run with my dog and I don’t like her too close to the road. There aren’t too many trails around me, but there are a couple that I definitely want to try out!

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We are at my in-laws lake house in GA for the long weekend. I have been getting in a lot of hilly runs!

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How cute is Brooke? When my husband was young he used to hide when his parents came home. I love that your sweetie will spend time at the play park, it’s lovely.

I’m taking a break from running. I need a mental and physical break for a couple of weeks. I took a really fun Zumba class this morning and did some elliptical work. Dance is pretty much my favorite form of exercise ever.

We do have a dedicated 5K trail and there are other trails near me. We have a lot of green space and a boardwalk for running.

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Those eyes are so on point! (That is pretty much how I look every time some one sets a bowl of ice cream down in front of me)

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Love sia. Thanks for the song. Please keep your running accomplishments friday until Nov 1. When I finish it, I want in on this blog. BTW, any men featured yet on running accomplishments? =). Have a kickass weekend!

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I’ll do 7 – 7.5 tomorrow. I have an angry hamstring so it will be a slow run. I signed up for a 15k trail r u and half marathon trail run this week. I need to get training. Supposedly, there are all sorts of trails near my house. I don’t know where they are so I got brave and joined the local trail running club. Can’t wait for my first run with the club!
Thanks for posting the recipes and links to sales! Have a good weekend!

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What a gorgeous run!! I love how Brooke hides when you get home. That is pretty much the cutest thing ever. :)

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Sidewalks, roads, and treadmill where I live. We have paved trails that are within driving distance but I’m not a big trail person unless there are some epic views.

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In 2011, my wife and I had the pleasure of dining at one if the top restaurants in the world. Eleven Madison Park in NYC. It was an epic meal, an experience of a lifetime, I will never forget. They sent us home with lots of treats, which is good because we couldn’t afford much else after paying the bill. Among the going away fare is their famous granola. I’ve made batches at home and while it’s not their handiwork it comes close. Presenting the world’s best granola…period. Try it, seriously. http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014304-eleven-madison-park-granola

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It finally feels like summer in VA!! My sister and I are running in a local half marathon this weekend. It’s my first race since Boston, I am looking forward to adding more half marathons to my running life!!!

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Plans this weekend start with an easy 4 miles on Sat followed by a pancake and pajama party for my almost 9 year old! Then BBQing and swimming with friends. Sunday is 8 miles, church, more bday celebration and Monday is yet another bday celebration for my brother in law with more swimming and BBQing. This sounds like a perfect weekend celebrating the people we love most!
What are your plans this weekend? Any races or long runs?

I don’t have a good trail super close to my house, so I split my time between the treadmill, sidewalks, and we’re lucky with quite a bit of dirt since we live near almond orchards.

Have fun in St. George!

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My dog has that same face!! hahah. Such a beautiful running space!

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