What to do when you miss your hard workout (or two or three of them…) and take me out to the ballgame!

Brooke and I hit up the baseball fields last night and I’m still bummed that I forgot the sunflower seeds.

After every time that someone hit the ball she would yell, ‘great shot.’   She is quite the cheerleader already.

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And then it got really cold (hello May wind that froze me to the bone) so I sported my penguin blanket around.

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And Brooke sported the BYU one with her new favorite eye trick.

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By the time we got back it was 8:30 and so pizza was immediately ordered and devoured.  Pizza dipped into ranch dressing = perfection.

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Dessert.   Told you, I’m all about berries this week.

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Name that movie:

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You’ve probably noticed this if you’ve followed along my running for at least 1-2 training cycles but I am REALLY excited when I first start a training cycle.  I stop eating candy (for approximately 2 days), I write down all of my goals, I crawl into bed much earlier than normal and I put all of my training runs into my calendar.  I just get plain ol’ excited.  Over the weeks and months of training  the excitement wears down a bit (I think this is probably true for a lot of runners) because I am tired, sore, and the ‘newness’ of training again isn’t there anymore.  BUT the thing that keeps me going besides having a goal for the race, is the MOMENTUM.  Hitting a key workout (or coming close to hitting it) keeps the excitement there.  It keeps the energy high and it keeps me continuing to try all over again the next week.  I am a momentum runner for sure and love to build off of the last week’s speed workout/tempo run or long run fast finish.

BUT life happens and I have to miss those key workouts sometimes.  I’m also an all or nothing type of person so missing a key workout is hard for my brain because I feel like I am losing the momentum and missing a few of those key workouts makes it extra hard for me to want to keep going with the hard training because OH MY GOODNESS, I DIDN’T FOLLOW MY TRAINING PLAN PERFECTLY.  This actually kind of happened for this last half marathon too.  I had to miss a few workouts because of travel and IT Band flaring up and so I just kind of let go of the training plan and kept running (that is a constant for me) but let go of the training plan and just did whatever.  SO, I’m writing this list kind of for myself too…

WHAT CAN WE DO WHEN WE MISS A HARD WORKOUT (or two or three of them) because we are human and things come up with all of us.  Don’t let a few missed workouts make you quit!

*Abbreviate the run.  If your week is nuts and your time is cut extremely short for your running, a little something is a lot better than nothing!  Shorten up the speed workout.  If 8 x 800 is your speed work, get in 4 x 800 and it will take about half the time but you will still get some gains from the workout which is better than skipping it that week all together!

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*Remember that it happens to everyone!  Not just you.  All of us.  Even the professional elites miss these due to injury scares/illness/life events and they get back to work as soon as they can.  We all get to the starting line with a missed workout (or a few of them) so we are all in the same boat.

*If life is really crazy right now and following your training plan perfectly is just not going to happen—>  PAUSE.  Put the plan on pause for a while (there is always another race) and try to maintain your fitness until life settles down and you can continue to build up again!

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*If you skip your hard workout that day and need to push it back later in the week, make sure that you are still getting enough rest and recovery before you do the next hard workout.   You might have to continue to adjust your schedule for a bit to allow adequate rest.  I’d rather be a little undertrained than injured from over training and doing hard workouts right in a row and not giving my body enough rest!  Trying to fit in those extra workouts/miles without adequate recovery is going to do the opposite of our goal of advancing our fitness!  Better to get to the starting line even though you missed some workouts than never make it to the starting line because of an injury!

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*We’ve got to get over the crazy idea that missing a few days of training is going to make all of our fitness disappear (or at least lose quite a bit of it).  It’s not going anywhere for a little while (PS You can read my post HERE about how much fitness you lose when you have to take time off from running!)  If you are putting in the consistency in your training and you have to take a few days off and miss some key workouts—>  I PINKY PROMISE IT WILL BE OKAY:)

*Try to make it consistent.  If you are missing your key workouts often because of scheduling conflicts then switch the days around on your training plan and stay consistent with that.

So don’t let missing some workouts get you down. You’ve got this, keep on going.  You are doing awesome.

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ONE DAY LEFT TO GET THIS TANK before it is gone!!!  It could make for the perfect gift for the runners in your life too:)

FlowyCoral

International readers—> Women’s Running wants to hear from you!! Go here!  Global Running Day is almost here… I have a great idea of how we can all celebrate;)

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PS I’ve had a few questions about my white sneakers the other day—>  they are HERE!!!

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What do you do when you have to miss one of your key workouts/long runs?  

Ever had to skip out on a race or put your training on pause?  Which one?  What happened?

What movies remind you of your childhood?

Favorite delivery pizza place? 

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58 comments

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Sandlot?

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Totally Sandlot! Nice guess. See how far I got in the comments? Ha. I’m sure 47 other people named it but I always read the comments and I grabbed yours. :)

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Nailed it:)

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That eye trick…! ;)

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I used to get really worked up about missing workouts and I would try to make them up later. Bad idea. Now I just get that it will happen at some point because we just can’t plan everything that happens in life and I go with it. I try not to miss long runs or really important workouts and I do move runs around so that I can get in the more important ones, but sometimes you just miss them anyway. If its only a few here and there, its definitely not going to kill your training. I had to skip a race because it was on trails and there was a snow/ice storm the night before. I’m not super comfortable on trails and having mud/snow/ice seemed like a good way to get hurt. I’m so glad I didn’t run it, but it was a hard choice at the time.

Sandlot! Such a great movie!

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I’ve had to miss out on a race because of injury before. It’s definitely no fun, but you learn to bounce back. It’s the same with missing a workout–it happens, and you move on. I definitely always try to get them done, but sometimes nagging issues in life can get in the way.

The Sandlot absolutely reminds me of my childhood. So does D2: The Mighty Ducks Are Back. :)

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The Sound of Music was my favorite movie when I was a kid so it always reminds me of my childhood!

That pizza looks delicious! We have a couple of local pizzerias near us that are really good so tend to stay away from the chains.

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I can definitely relate with how you feel about starting a new cycle. Always SO excited and ready to go..and that quickly goes away by the halfway point :)

I recently had to drop out of a marathon…I was going through a lot of changes in my life (new job, bought a house, planning wedding, etc etc) and it was just too much for me to also handle running. I know some people can do it- not me!

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I totally went through a phase where skipping workouts would stress me out WAY too much, but no more! I have lots more perspective now. And she is the CUTEST little cheerleader :)

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I move around workouts whenever I need to fit them in, but I’ll skip them if need be. I missed a couple workouts so far because my foot is giving me problems, but I know I am far enough out from my marathon where it’s ok.

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I literally just had to skip a race two weeks ago which was a massive bummer and may have to miss a short 5k this weekend due to injury. It’s no fun, but coming back healthy is more important to me than prolonging a potentially chronic injury.

favorite childhood movie? tie between beauty and the beast and matilda. easily both classics haha!

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The movie Independence Day reminds me most of my childhood! I watched that dang movie every weekend and I still remember my cousins and I acting it out in my grandma’s driveway. Since we knew all the words. I bet I still do.
I think the most workouts I’ve missed during a training was for my ultra two years ago. I was supposed to run insane mileage and I got really bad plantar fasciitis. I remember setting out for a long run and getting halfway down the block and having to turn around, it was so painful. I spent a couple weeks on the bike and in a Strasburg sock, and ended up completing the 50 miles. It was very painful. But I’m glad I did it. :)

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I have to do 10 miles in my training this Saturday. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed by the longer miles. What’s your opinion on doing 5 miles two days in a row instead of 10 in one day? Just curious.

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Hey Cheryl!! YES… I totally get that overwhelming feeling. I think that splitting the run up into two days doesn’t quite get the same benefits as a 10 miler. Sometimes I’ll split my long run up to morning and night but I don’t do that too often. I think the best bet would be to go into the 10 miles with a run/walk mindsight to help you not feel so overwhelmed. Run 1 mile, walk a few minutes, run 1 mile, walk a few minutes etc. Maybe that might help to break it up? It also depends on your training goals and splitting it up into two days might be just good to not do as a regular thing. Does that make sense?

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Well I don’t really ever so hard workouts but if I miss a run it usually makes me feel so sad I try and squeeze it in at some other time. Last night after work, and after walking 40 min with the dog I ran a quick 3 miles. It might not have been the length I wanted to run but it was enough to make me feel good.
Well here in NYC I don’t eat from pizza places that are franchises. The local pizzeria by me has brick oven style which I love. I’m so lucky to be a new “yawkah”. :)

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My life was surprisingly crazy last week with my daughter getting sick. (AKA … I didn’t have a chance to bike all week) I really wanted to get 40 miles in on Saturday (the 7th) but was freaked because of the week I had had.

I woke up and realized I FORGOT TO CHARGE MY GARMIN!!! Ugh….I went for it anyway and the first couple of miles sucked. Truth be told. However, after that my legs got going and I felt great…rested legs = thumbs up! After I got home I drove my car the same route so I could clock the miles…turns out I did 35.4….not quite the 40 but I felt great and was simply thrilled I could do it after the week I experienced.

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pizza dipped in ranch dressing is a terrible idea.

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I know, it really is but for some reason my tastebuds love it ha.

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Pizza dipped in ranch dressing is very common actually. I did it in college and now my nephew and nieces must have ranch dressing to dip their pizzas. Lol.

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I think my favorite pizza is brick oven. But if I’m not around a brick oven, probably dominoes.

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Yes x a million. LOVE Brick Oven Pizza…. their bbq chicken (I ate it way too much when I worked there ha). Hope you are having an awesome day Jenny!

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I don’t know how you do it, but you always manage to write about topics that I struggle with and make my problem not seem so scary anymore. Yes! I have been having a tough time with the all or nothing mentality of training and workouts and you totally got it- one missed workout/bad workout/rest phase isn’t going to break us/make us complacent/create a spiral of race-less-ness. They are actually more important because they help us deal with speed pumps on race day and nestle in for the long haul!
Thank you! (if the school you want to teach at needs a coach…girl. that job is MADE for you. Inspiring + fast = good coach)

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You are so nice and I definitely want to coach again! I TOTALLY get where you are coming from! Let’s keep working on it together!

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Whenever I miss an important workout, I let it go. If I have time to fit it into my schedule on another day, I will do so. Sometimes life happens and it would cause more stress to worry about the workout than forget about it. Plus, sometimes it is life’s way of giving our bodies unplanned rest, which is nice.

Over a year ago I was signed up for a full Ironman and two half Ironmans that I did not end up doing because I got pregnant. I didn’t mind having to cancel the races, however they do not offer a refund, so I lost A LOT of money (they are NOT cheap races). I put my training on pause for about six months and am now training again – feeling stronger than ever! :)

Childhood movies → The Goonies, NeverEnding Story, Home Alone

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I used to get crazy if I missed training runs……until I was unable to run for a solid two weeks before a 10k I was training for. I decided to run the race for “fun” and managed to not only PR but was the first female finisher!

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Christa—> Ummm that is AWESOME!!! That two weeks off gave your body some solid recovery and then you TOOK FIRST and a new PR. That is awesome! Thanks for sharing!

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Sandlot, love that movie!! Clueless reminds me of my middle school days! I missed a Mother’s Day trail half because I’m pregnant and didn’t feel comfortable running that distance with the risk of falling. I was bummed but its all worth it! In training I will move workouts around to make sure they fit in my schedule.

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Such great thoughts!! The past month been absolutely nuts! I was preparing for finals and graduation. My husband was living in a different state so I was flying every weekend and my grandmother passed away so I was flying home for that as well. The night of graduation, my husband and I moved to California and have been unpacking and getting started with work and all of that. I just tell myself that it is okay if I don’t stick to the plan and that I will just do something to get my body moving and keep my fitness up until I am a little settled.

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This is great advice for any runner. I think when we begin any training cycle, we are super excited. We want to do everything perfectly and as time continues, we get more burnt out. I’ve definitely been there! Today I didn’t have it in me to do a workout and I’m glad I didn’t…I’ll feel more rested at the end of the week.

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Thanks for letting me know about the running’s magazine Global runner series Janae :) I ‘ve already sent them my story! I think for someone that has lived and run in five different countries this is quite suitable LOL! <3 Also I know exactly what you mean with the weather… Here it was 70F int the weekend and now is like 50F and all rainy and gloomy. Welcome to London!

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Thanks for the reminder that missing a few workouts isn’t the end of the world! I took my 20 miler to the trails over the weekend, and ended up minorly tweaking my ankle. I know it’s better to take a full week off running (except for in the pool! :) than to try and push it…. My brain HATES skipping workouts, so I’m going a little nuts. But with a marathon less than 4 weeks out, I can’t risk anything!! I always appreciate your positivity, Janae!

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I think I’ve only missed one race that I registered for but it was because of a death in the family. Trained or Untrained, I’ll still toe that line but I’m a “for fun” participant not a “serious” runner.

If I can consider my high school/early college days as “childhood” then the movies that take me back are: Top Gun, Flashdance, Back to the Future and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

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My favorite delivery pizza chain is Papa Johns- love the thick crust :)
I used to be so stressed if I missed a run, but I’ve learned over the years, that like you said, consistency is key and I won’t lost the ability to run if I miss one run. ;)

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Sandlot! Love it.

I’ve been very lucky to not have any injuries that have stopped me from running for a long time as of yet. I do face regular GI issues, and just have to tell myself that if I can’t run today because my stomach won’t allow it, i’ll run the next available day (tomorrow, day after, etc). I don’t let myself get too down about it as long as I get back on the horse, so to speak.

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I’m so glad I read this post! Freaking out today because I’ve taken 2 days off because this week is crazy and I just didn’t kick myself out of bed to squeeze a run in. Thanks for reading my mind and knowing I needed this!
Danger Mouse reminds me of my childhood and my kiddos have recently discovered Danger Mouse on Netflix and it makes me smile :-).

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And now I’m in the mood for pizza! Love dipping the crust. Movies from my childhood- Annie, troop Beverly Hills, the parent trap, willy wonka and ferrie bueller!

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Ferris Buelers Day Off is the one movie I remember from my childhood. My Dad and I even did our own video of it when his whole family came to visit for Christmas and we edited the end of the video to tell them to go home we’re done. It was hilarious!

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Oh my – yes!!

Post marathon (10 days ago) I have had issues with knee pain (IT band syndrome). I have only run once since and had to stop. I have also just been feeling extra exhausted from two marathon training seasons back to back so I have done very little exercise other than walking for the last 10 days.

Reading this post helped a lot because I am also an all or nothing person. This rest period has made me fear I will never want to workout again but I think my body just really needs the rest because usually I love all forms of exercise. I used to never exercise so I will always fear going back to that.

Anyway, I am trying to stretch and foam roll like a champ this week so I will be ready to be back at it next week and feel refreshed. Hopefully my IT band doesn’t cause me too many issues when I try again next week.

Have a great day :)

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Good timing! My back locked up for the first time ever Monday and I am supposed to run a trail 30K Saturday. My massage therapist got me in for an emergency appointment and promises I’ll be good to run by the weekend. I just have to keep telling myself that taking it easy for 4 days won’t keep me from finishing this race. Ugh!!
Thank for all your positivity!

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OH NO!! I am so sorry about your Back Amy! Keep me updated on how you are doing and YOU ARE SO RIGHT—> 4 days won’t make a difference and if anything it is an excellent taper!

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Ugh I totally feel that with momentum running. I get so flustered when I miss a workout and then I worry that I won’t be prepared. But even when I take significant time off from running I’m always ahead of where I was when I first started running. I always try to remember that compared to even a few years ago, I’ve really improved a lot!

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your killing me smalls! i love the sandlot, one of my favorite movies growing up and i still watch it now from time to time, what a classic!

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If I miss a training day I try to get it done by the end of week. I have made my training calendar pretty flexible. I plan the number of runs and strength training days I plan to do, but they are not on designated days so I can move them around if I’m sore.

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How is Utah so gorgeous!? I will never get over the mountains in your pictures.

Childhood movies: The Parent Trap and Land Before Time. Couldn’t get enough of either of those!
Favorite delivery pizza place: Papa John’s, but solely for their garlic sauce.

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Come out and visit already:) OH YES… both classics and that garlic sauce is what dreams are made of!

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If I have to miss a workout or adjust it, I’m able to just let it go. I’m so glad that I have been able to learn how to do this. For me, sleep and recovery are the only “workouts” that I don’t let myself skip out on. I think worse happens when you skip those.

Star Wars reminds me of my childhood. We watched them as a family. Good memories.

I don’t have a fav place…if it’s pizza, I’ll be in love, regardless. lol

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Two days before the Provo half in 2015 I was put in a cast for Tibial stress fractures. I still have one fracture that isn’t healing but was able to run the Provo 5 K this past Saturday. I had mixed emotions about the race. I wanted to run farther, I was grateful to run at all, I liked my time, I didn’t like my time. It has been a tough year not being able to run.

I love the sandlot. I watched that movie in the hospital while in labor with my first child. Every time I see that movie I am taken back to that wonderful day.

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Hey, Where are your black sandals from? Love them. Thanks!
bean

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Thanks! Here is the link. I have to get really comfortable shoes for my feet otherwise they get injured so they are pricey but so good on my feet:

http://www.korkease.com/product.aspx?ProductID=1344

Have an awesome day!

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Right now I am taking a week off running to keep an injury at bay and this came at the perfect time. Great post, Janae! Thanks for sharing.

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Seeing the indoor track at BYU and the poster of the Men’s Volleyball makes me miss my time there. Go Cougars! :) Are the RB stairs still there? Those were killer man. Especially after my swim class. Haha!

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They sure are… and they are still killer:) Good times at BYU!!!!

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I had to miss SEVERAL key workouts during my most recent training cycle: 2 long runs (15 and 20 miles), a 10-mile tempo run, and 1 speed session. I totally freaked out! I thought for sure I had lost all fitness during those two weeks of limited activity and fretted to the utmost for five weeks until race day. My doc had recommended no runs longer than ten miles for the remainder of the training cycle but said I could still do speed work since my “injury” seemed to only bother me in the later miles of long runs–but this was my first training cycle back after being out with ITBS for nearly a year and I was so afraid of that happening again that I scaled everything back. Even though it was so hard mentally to miss those important workouts and scale back the ones I was still able to do, that’s what I did to stay afloat and make it to the starting line. To compensate, I ramped up my core workouts, subbed the long runs with pool runs, and adjusted the pace and repeats for my intervals. I essentially went into my marathon with a five-week taper and was a basket case the entire time, but something must have worked because I beat my goal by over a minute and a half (and qualified for Boston!)

I loved The Sandlot :)

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I used to stress about taking time off *just becuse*. But after going through three major injuries (broken shoulder, broken femur, and broken back, – three separate accidents), I realized that I can still stay fit while injured and get my endurance back. I’m actually stronger now than I was before the first injury and have run my marathon PR following my femur fracture.
My mindset now is just as you said…consistency! I think about the grand scheme of life and know that ONE RUN or running ONE MILE LESS than I intended because I’m tired or short on time is not going to have an impact on…well, anything!!!
And I find I can almost always make it up another day during the week.

I’ve had to bow out of two Boston Marathons. One was for the broken back and the other was while I was going through an IVF cycle. Yah, at the time there was a little FOMO. But no regrets, life goes on!

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Thanks for writing and posting this!! I really needed this article today. My scheduled training run was 9 miles total, with 400, 800, and 1600 intervals as the main workout. But my IT bands and shin splints were just acting up today, so I chose to complete a few intervals and call it quits. I know that everyone goes thru this, but it’s so comforting to read your story and all of the other readers’ stories and see that it happens to all of us! I figure it’s better to rest up a little more for my long run (16 miles yikes!) this weekend than to push it and hurt myself. Again, thank you!! Foam roller, here I come :)

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I grew up with Tom Guiry who played Scotty Smalls. The movie came out when we were in 7th grade and my class got to take a field trip to see it. It’s still amazing to me how popular the movie still is across the country – I always thought it was only well known in our little corner of NJ because of Tom lol.

And I dip my pizza in honey mustard ?

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I am so in the boat of my scheduled workouts! :( But we did just buy another house to flip so it’s a little chaotic right now! But I’m trying to stay on schedule this week as much as possible! It’s always so easy to be super hard on yourself/myself when you miss scheduled workouts, but at the end of the day it’s just life.

The Sandlot is just the best ever! I love that movie! A movie that reminds me of my childhood is definitely Matilda and Now and Then! Those are super cute too!

LOVE LOVE LOVE Papa John’s pizza delivery! YUM!

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Speaking of international runners…

The Woman Who Made History By Running The Iran Marathon
http://jezebel.com/the-woman-who-broke-the-rules-and-made-history-by-runni-1774674905?utm_medium=sharefromsite&utm_source=Jezebel_twitter

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