***Yesterday morning disappeared from me and I didn’t get out for my run until the afternoon. My mom was in the area and said she would drop by and watch the kids while I got out for a few miles. Perfection. 6 miles @ 7:55 average and a happy body. I can think of about 20 different races that I went into with something aching or feeling too tight. Not this time, hallelujah.
I also sported my Boston shirt for my run to help the marathon vibes continue to sink into my heart (it doesn’t make sense but just nod your head yes;). For the 50th time over the last few days I’m going to tell you about how different this time feels. I’m just excited. I know I’ll hang out in the pain cave for a solid 8ish miles or so on Saturday but I can’t wait to get out and run it. I wonder if I no longer have nerves after years of worrying obsessively over them—> I must have run out of them or something (or I use all of my worry nerves now on worrying about my kids;).
Why worry about a race? That sure isn’t going to make me run any faster but it does take out the fun of race week. Plus, I think I’m a tad bit undertrained (compared to other years…) which is a whole lot better than getting to the starting line overtrained and exhausted.
Thoughts in my brain this week—> The marathon is kind of the easy part of this whole thing when you think about all of the miles that go into it. All of those days where you were tired and sore but you ran anyway. All of the sacrifices to get in your long runs and other workouts. The days where we run those speed workouts when going to iHop for pancakes sounds a lot more enjoyable in the beginning.
The race is the time you get to celebrate it all.
***Found her asleep with approximately 400 toys with her, that must be comfortable.
***Morning debate of who gets which bar and maybe someday I’ll learn to match my socks.
***They came to me telling me they were pretending to be parents (while wearing my clothing).
***My purple dress actually looked rather nice on her.
***IT IS KNOX’S BDAY TODAY (Happy birthday buddy… we cannot wait to celebrate with you this week!!) So we went for a pre bday treat of slurpees (they asked for a picture next to the one on the window).
***Avocado toast snack… my body feels so much better when I get in good fats throughout the day (I think it has a lot of making up to do after all of the years of fat free everything weirdness that I put into it).
***Knox left so Brooke was stuck with just me (now that she knows what it is like to have a cool brother around all of the time I think I might be a little bit more boring to her;)
***Andrew’s post dentist smile.
***Picked up some things for Knox’s room… going the rocket route.
***Out doing errands for way too long = we were starving.
****Dream team = Waldorf Salad and sweet potato fries.
***The packing starts now for the marathon (the race is about a 4 hour drive from here).
***Andrew is teaching Brooke how to put Ikea furniture together and she surpasses my skills with this already.
***An intense reading of Little Red Riding Hood.
***We decided to start the new tradition of eating the top of your wedding cake on your 2.73 month anniversary.
***Frozen coconut cake goodness, it was actually really really good.
——————————————————————————————————————–
What is your sentence for the day?
Favorite cake flavor (or is anybody reading NOT a cake person)?
Farthest you have traveled for a race? How soon before the race did you get there?
What’s your workout looking like today?
-One last run with Josse before the race with just a few 1 minute intervals to get legs ready to go on Saturday.
68 comments
flower
Sentence for the day happy birthday Knox
Sara @ RunningWife
At our wedding we had two layers of red velvet and one layer of white with cookies and cream icing (my husband’s selection) and it was delicious! Our cake lady actually made us another cake for our 1 year so it was DELICIOUS!
I love race week! I try to just enjoy it as much as I can even though the nerves are setting in. You’re going to do great – just go out there and have FUN!
Michelle @ Lively Chicken
I had an amazing almond cake recently. I usually just go for vanilla but almond might be my new favorite!
I did some strength training this morning and have 5 easy miles on the schedule for this afternoon.
Happy Birthday Knox!
Sam @ Mobile Bay Runner
Happy Birthday Knox! You seem to be in such a good place mentally. Of course everything is connected (mental, physical, spiritual, etc.) … so I think it totally makes sense that you are feeling great and ready to rock it. I hope you do just that! Can’t wait to hear how it goes. As far as cake flavors … our wedding cake was caramel cheesecake and it was to die for!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Yes x 1 million. Everything is all connected and happiness just brings out the best in us physically too. And now I need some caramel cheesecake. Like right now. HAHA Enjoy the rest of your Tuesday Sam!
Natalie
My favorite cake flavor is either funfetti or classic yellow cake. Funfetti is just so fun, though. :)
So excited for you for your marathon! I think you’re right about it being better to be a little undertrained than overtrained. Besides, sometimes I think we surprise ourselves with what we can do even when we think we haven’t trained enough.
Natalie
And happy birthday, Knox!! :)
Kristina Running
The top doesn’t include any funfetti?! BTW I had a donut yesterday and thought of you… and that Halloween costume. I hope you bought it because it’s a pretty *sweet* costume (hah!).
The farthest I’ve traveled to a race was from Miami to Portland for the Portland Marathon! I hope to go even further at some point and do an international race. I want to do the London Marathon so bad!
D
I guess the farthest I traveled for a race was New Mexico. Workout today will be CrossFit after work. I love cake, probably any cake. I’m not much for frosting though. Happy birthday Knox!
Mel_OutRunCF
I hope you don’t mind if I ask how CrossFit and running interact with each other? Does it help your running ? I’m curious about CrossFit. We have a new CrossFit place around here and it sounds like a lot of hard work but a lot of fun also!
Gretchen
I’m definitely not a cake person! I do like cookie cake though, but I’m not sure if that counts :)
I did a race in Copenhagen before which was the furthest, but it was just a 5k for fun. This year I went to Vancouver (from Pennsylvania) and went the day before which was a HUGE mistake! We spent all day walking and exploring the city so on race day I was already tired out!
Christa
My sentence for the day is: Babies should not be allowed to get sick. The farthest I have traveled to a race was a 3 hour plane ride to Denver. Where I ran a 15K with my older sister we made it to the start over an hour before the race. My favorite cake flavor is Funfetti! Probably won’t do much more than a walk today, since my baby girl is under the weather
Jill
Sentence for the day is “Be productive!” So far, I don’t seem to be listening to myself ;)
Chocolate cake!
For my own races, I’ve only travelled a few hours. My husband is competing in Rotterdam next year at the ITU Worlds, which will definitely be the furthest he’s gone for a race!
Today is a rest day. Yay!
The Hungry Runner Girl
I haven’t been listening to your sentence of the day either;) OH WOW… good luck to your husband, that is awesome!!!
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious
Well that wedding cake didn’t last long! LOL!!! I actually think it probably would taste better now than a year from now.
Megan @ Lazy Runner Girl
My sentence of the day is: My treadmill is fixed! So excited.
My husband and I had a sheet cake at our wedding. We ate the leftovers over the next couple of days. I think I’d rather just get a new cake to celebrate. It seems a shame to let a beautiful cake get all freezer burned, right?
Favorite cake flavor has to be chocolate or red velvet.
Lynn @The Not Dead Yet Blog
The farthest I’ve ever travelled for a race is an hour. Glad you ate your cake now, when it’s still good! Another ten months and it would be a tasteless brick, trust me. Happy birthday, Knox! It’s so great that he has so much family to love on him.
meredith (The Cookie ChRUNicles)
chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for sure. I can tolerate a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting though too :) the farthest ive gone for a race is 3 hours – once for the Hershey park half and once for the runner’s world race weekend. both in PA!
Shawna
I’ve never really been much of a cake person at all, except for carrot cake — like, really good carrot cake, with raisins and lots of carrots and pecans or walnuts and all the goodness in it, and not too much icing (not into icing). Coconut cake is a second as well, but those are really the only two I care for. I’ve been eating an Rx bar almost every day lately — the pumpkin ones are so good, and I also really like the chocolate coffee and the apple cinnamon!
Courtney
Carrot cake, we had cupcakes at our wedding and the baker made us a small cake to freeze to have on our anniversary and we ate the cake up…carrot cake=deliciousness!
I’ve traveled 3 hours for a race and we got there the day before the race to let out kids take advantage of the super cool hotel we got to stay at.
Today is strength training and hopefully a short 3 mile run before the sun goes down.
Arthi
The owner of our local running store said the same thing to our running club on our longest run of the training season: Hardest part is over … Marathon is where you get to celebrate! Absolutely love that thinking!
Further I’ve traveled to a race was to Lake Tahoe! About a 4-ish hour flight from Chicago and then had to drive an hour or so from Reno. Totally worth it.
Favorite cake flavor – Funfetti with cream cheese frosting OR classic yellow cake with milk chocolate frosting. So basic and wonderful.
P.S. – Happy birthday to Knox!
Sam @ Grapefruit & Granola
If I had to pick a cake “flavor” then I would choose chocolate, although I’m much more of a cheesecake fan!
I have not travelled for a destination race but I would love to do that in the future. My favorite beach (Kiawah) hosts a triathlon and I would love to do that next summer!!!
Kara
Thank you! The idea that the race is the ‘easy’ part really spoke to me this morning. I’m training for my first marathon and while I’m excited, I’m nervous too…lately more nervous than excited. I’m starting to ‘what if’ myself which is a dangerous place for my overactive brain! Thanks to your sage wisdom, I’m going to keep telling myself that the race is the ‘easy’ part…the reward for the early mornings and long miles. P.S. I adore your blog :O)
The Hungry Runner Girl
KARA!!! I am so so excited for you to run your first marathon! Remember that every single one of us second guesses ourselves. I DO all of the time. BUT I have to remind myself to trust my training and just keep moving forward. Please keep me updated with how it goes. Thank you and I hope your Tuesday is going great!
Mel_OutRunCF
So excited for you! So happy all is going according to plan (and even better!). Enjoy every second of this last week of marathon training ;-)
AmandaM
Andrew has great teeth! I see a left and right shoe in your suitcase – well done :) I love the gross box cake – vanilla, pink frosting. I think the last time I ate that was about 5 years ago!
AmandaM
Oh – and by “gross” I mean others might think it is gross because of the artificial ingredients. But that must be what makes it tasty to me!
Workout was 6am SPIN this morning. Tons of awesome endorphins.
Susie
Sentence for the day – “just keep swimming!”
Hubby had a rough day yesterday — the kind of day where you stub your toe, drop your coffee, and rip your pants all on the way to work… yeah… Anyone else ride the struggle bus on Monday’s like my hubby?
So I’m acting like his lil – cheer team and pepping him up with phrases like “just keep swimming” or “you’ve got this”!
Our wedding cake was a simple vanilla with vanilla buttercream — but oh man… a friend of the family baked our three tiered masterpiece and used EXTRA vanilla beans she had flown in especially for us! It was SOOOO GOOD! I can’t even describe how good it was even frozen a year later! Sometimes the simplest things, when done right, are the absolute best!
Mollie Sweet
We had a huge cupcake tier for our wedding ‘cake.’ They were AMAZING, but, sadly, we didn’t freeze any of them. We had a destination wedding and they were kind of stale (and….mostly eaten) by the time we got home.
Actually, I had booked the cupcakes months in advance because the place was really popular (and was on Cupcake Wars), and when I called to confirm a week before, the OWNERSHIP HAD CHANGED and they had no record of my order. Thank goodness the new owner was super nice and made a last minute order…but man, way to make the bride freak out!
You’re going to ROCK that marathon! I’m so happy you’re feeling excited this time around. Running should be something you enjoy (for the most part!).
Jess Deisher
Growing up my mom always got the cake she liked lemon cake layered with raspberry preserves w/ buttercream icing. I guess because she always wanted to make sure she had leftovers she would eat lol but now its all I ask for
Christine
My favorite cake is carrot cake w/ cream cheese frosting , but I’d eat anything, haha
Farthest I’ve traveled for a race is cross country, in 2010. Flew from Boston to San Diego to run the Rock n Roll marathon. It was my first (and only) marathon with lots of downhill so I was more than happy to run it! Beautiful race and great crowds! We got there two days before the race and flew home the day after which I though was going to be a bad idea (flying cross country with sore legs, arms etc.) but I was fine.
Rest day today! (half marathon 11/13, woohoo!)
Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona
That waldorf salad looks delicious!
Today is a rest day for me, since I did two workouts yesterday – strength training and intervals on the bike. Since I’m in school to become a personal trainer I love that we have classes in the gym, but 2 a days can be exhausting!
Denise @ AnAcademicAthlete
I love avocado toast with an egg on top! Maybe I will have that for breakfast tomorrow…yum! :) I like Angel’s Food Cake with strawberries and Cool Whip. I do generally like cake, but I don’t like icing, so I guess I’m less of a cake person that a lot of people. I’d much rather have a fudgy brownie. I ran 4 miles this morning, which felt awesome in the chilly fall air!!
Jenn
That picture of you and Brooke reading – the sweetest – her face!!!
I wonder if you feel less nerves because you haven’t followed a strict coaching schedule like last year? Do you think you’d want to get back to with a coach? Seems like Josee is a great training partner and coach herself :) Plus, life is happy(ier) now I’m guessing with the addition of your new family – it puts racing into perspective right?
Jenny
Cheese cake!
Bethany @Luluruns
Happy birthday to Knox!!
Favorite cake flavor? Does angel food count? After that, my second favorite is red velvet.
AmandaM
Oh! I forgot about Angel Food Cake. I love that! Haven’t had it in forever…. (sorry to be creepy and respond to your reply. am i the only one that reads the comments too?? :) )
The Hungry Runner Girl
Okay I haven’t had angel food cake in forever either!! That sounds so good right now… with a lb of fresh berries on top:)
Bethany @Luluruns
YES! Angel food cake with fruit + whipped cream =happiness.
Bethany @Luluruns
Hahah, not a creeper at all ;) yes! Angel food cake is amazing- and I haven’t had it in a long time too. I think I need to make some ASAP ;)
kristi
I ran the Edinburgh Marathon in Scotland three years ago for my first marathon. So, that is definitely the farthest I’ve gone for a race. Although, my now husband lived in England and it was about a four hour drive from his place.
kristi
I am from Texas.
christy
Happy birthday Knox!
We eloped in NYC. We had a 2 layer red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting from Magnolia Bakery. We had the rest of the cake packed up at the Italian restaurant . When we got back to our hotel room we noticed more than half was gone. Guess the staff really wanted a couple pieces.
Traveling from the West Coast the NYC marathon was the farthest we’ve traveled for a race. We are hoping we get into the London marathon next year so that will be our newest farthest traveled.
Happy packing!
michelle
Wow, that coconut cake looks amazing, that’s reason enough to celebrate! Chocolate cake, carrot cake, lemon cake, mmm now I need some cake :)
Happy Birthday, Knox!
And psyched for you and Josse for this weekend!
Kim
That is how I think of a race too. The training is the hard part, and the race is just celebrating that all the hard work has ended (until the next race!). Good luck on your race and just have fun!
Nathaly @NathyCure
I’m such a cake person that I’m unable to define which is my favorite flavor. I love them all! If cakes had a higher nutritional value I think I would eat them for breakfast every day. Back in the day I used to eat once slice of marble cake before my runs and it gave me so much energy!
Lee
Happy Birthday to Knox!
Having your top tier now goes with one of your themes – when it’s right, it’s right – when you know, you know. Is there an “A” in there?
Sometimes I think I’m Italian – tiramisu for me. Yes, it qualifies as cake!
I am pretty excited about the RX bars, they have eggs in them! Totally have to scout the stores for these. Thanks for sharing.
Andrea B
Happy birthday Knox!!
Sentence for the day: Heal, leg, heal!! My IT band and hamstring are finally doing better so that means a longer session on the stationary bike at the gym, but not healed enough for me to run.
My sweet tooth has seriously diminished over the years. I’m not a huge cake person because I usually don’t like the frosting (yes I guess I’m strange!). But I’m all over brownies and cookies!
Megan D
Can you believe I would choose pumpkin spice of PB?? I know. Who am I? But when it comes to RX bars, that is my choice.
Happy birthday Knox!
I love carrot cake. That was what the top of our wedding cake was. Too bad my family ATE IT while we were on our honeymoon EVEN THOUGH I TOLD MY MOM NOT TO. She was like, well, it won’t be good a year later so I didn’t want to. Swell. I also love chocolate cake with coconut frosting.
And now I want gurus fries and wedding cake for lunch. Guess I will settle for chili nut m&ms instead.
The Hungry Runner Girl
You are the one that got us into RX bars. You win. Your family did not eat it while you were gone. I am dying. I refuse to try to understand your weird m&m thing. SEEEEE YOOOOUUUUUU SOON!!!!
Jane @ 50statecanuck
I would hazard to say that you are going in mentally different to this race because, for the first time in probably a long time, you are truly happy and content. You found your person (who happens to come with a great kid and dog!). I couldn’t be happier for you. And so, things like marathons are just fun things now…rather than things filling voids or masking/numbing feelings of loneliness. Just my thoughts…
As for cake…I just don’t like it. Give me the icing and I’m happy…just keep away the cake part. lol
Victoria @ Minus Thirty Three
Perhaps you’re feeling so positive about this race because you’re in such a good head space with your personal life? Perhaps everything has just fallen into place and your continuous happiness is reflecting every other aspect of your life :) :) Andrew and his family seem like the final puzzle piece!
The Hungry Runner Girl
I think you are completely right. Thanks Victoria:) I hope you are having a beautiful day!!!
Loribeth
I REALLY like strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting. That was our wedding cake! I also like dark chocolate cake, too though!
I haven’t traveled farther than Nashville (2 hours away) for a race, however we went on a Disney cruise for our honeymoon, and did not know that we had the chance to run a 5k on Disney’s private Bahama island, Castaway Cay. So I guess technically I traveled to the Bahamas to run a race!
Kelly
Herzlich Geburtstag Knox!!!!
Your frozen coconut cake looks amazing-I instantly started craving cake. I’d even go for the dopey Pepperidge Farm frozen coconut cake-sadly, I can’t get that here in Bavaria. Boooo.
Happy packing!!!!
Jenny
Thank you for the reminder about races being a celebration of your training.
I’m running Chicago soon and want a healthier mindset leading up to it. Right before my last marathon, I was so anxious and saw the race as the ultimate test of the training I put in. This harsh view got the better part of my nerves, and I ended up not enjoying the race as much as I would’ve had I trusted my training and been kinder to myself. It’s great to see you proving this with these positive posts leading up to St. George.
My very best wishes for your race this weekend, Janae!
P.S. I love RX Bars, too!
Nina
happy birthday, Knox!
My sentence: I Met Bruce Springsteen Today!!! (and he was lovely). I’m grinning like a fool in our picture.
I love chocolate cake, preferably dark chocolate. I’m flexible on frosting: marshmallow, ganache, mocha, raspberry, peanut butter, etc.
San Francisco from NYC the furthest I’ve traveled so far. I’d really like to do the Maui half one January.
Sarah Skonezny
Not sure you’ve done this, but my mom is saving all my formal dresses for my someday daughter to play dress up in. Just a thought if they’re taking up closet space :)
Pollyanna
I am a cupcake kind of girl….. I love everything, every flavor unless it has coconut on it!!! Not a fan of coconut!
I have traveled 4 hours for a race. We left 2 days prior and made a mini vacay out of it!
I am rooting for you from Georgia!!! It is good to see that you are in a “happy place” in life now!!!! That is a good feeling!!!
Lisa
Happy Birthday to Knox!!
I am NOT a cake person but I AM a frosting person. I always eat the frosting (especially buttercream) and leave the cake.
The farthest I’ve travelled is from my home in Mesa, AZ to Shiprock, NM for a half marathon. It ended up being my WORST race ever. We had to travel for much of the night so I was sleep deprived and then the elevation beat me up. You have to have the bad races though to enjoy the good!
Caroline
Happy birthday, Knox!!!!
I’ve been traveling to San Francisco (from NJ) for a marathon for the last 10 years. I have it down to a science! I get there Thursday or Friday….race on Sunday and fly back home Monday. Short but always so sweet…I just love it there.
Sadly, I can’t do cake anymore. Two things happened. I once was bequeathed a Coscto sheet cake that I began to annihilate little by little, day by day. I had such a sugar rush (and crash!) after a few days I had to toss it into the snow outside my house to stop myself from eating it!!!
And then….I took a cake decorating course which was so much fun…but ate sooooo much icing during the class that I just cannot stomach it anymore.
I’m so very excited for you and your positive outlook for this race! You are so well trained…trust in that training. Can’t wait to hear all about it!
TheDimpledRunner
Happy birthday Knox!!!
I actually crave cake that has been refrigerated or frozen so we ate the top of our cake on our honeymoon!
That pic of reading to Brooke….she is SO into the story!!! How genuine and cute is that?!!!
I love reading how different this taper is going for your upcoming marathon Janae compared to past ones!
mtmc
Happy birthday, Knox!!. Beautiful post. i love the kids, kids are very cute. good luck
Missy
Happy birthday, Knox!!
So random for you, but you need to add the song “Hurts” by Emeli Sande to your marathon playlist! See you in St. George!!
Suzana
Hi Janae.
I went to a spinning class and thought of you, as I remember you used to teach spin. I know you’ve done a few posts on spinning, but I was wondering if you could explain a move/technique to me, because it really made me mad in class yesterday. We would sit down for 4 secs, then stand up and cycle for 4 secs, and we did this FOREVER. It was so annoying. I find cycling the high tension standing up easier, but do you know what the instructor would switch up so quickly??? Was there any point to it, or is she pure evil? I was scared my pants would rip because I barely had time to sit back down then stand up :(
catlin
I love love love funfetti cake – it was my wedding cake flavor :) always a kid at heart!!
Happy birthday (a day late) knox :)
Karen
Chocolate chocolate and more chocolate!!!! with my homemade Chai tea frosting! Yummy :)
no workout for me today, I am tapering and resting my body for a half on Sunday, I actually don’t love tapering because running is such part of me and a huge stress reliever. I miss it and it has only been 2 days.
I have a question…. if you could run any marathon which one would it be and why? I am seriously considering running in one but I want to make sure it is the right one. Maybe the NYC Marathon next year?
Ever run the More half Marathon in Central park? I have done it 2x and it is a blast, all women all fun! I am planning on it again this coming April.
You are Awesome and you are gonna rock this Marathon… Enjoy your run! :)
Susan
We cut the top of our wedding cake into 12 pieces so that we could have one bite each month!
Living in Indiana, I’ve flown to races in Texas, Utah, Arizona, and Florida. And I’ve driven 8-9 hours to race in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Pennsylvania.