FALL FAVORITES!!! + cupping + our random life.

I actually think that I was more sore post boot-camp than after my marathon… or at least pretty equivalent.  It’s always amazing how we can be in ‘great’ running shape, then try a different type of physical activity and be sore for days afterwards.  I wish running fitness just translated over smoothly to every type of fitness.  That would be nice.

For the first 4 miles of my run I got Andrew (THANKS Mom) to join me.  His dream is to have a hobby farm someday so he is always extremely happy when we come across any animals.

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Those trees are going to be covered in snow before I know it so I am soaking in each and every run that looks like this until then.

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I finished off the last 3.23 miles on my own.

Marathon training = I try to ALWAYS end on the mile exactly or at least .50.

Non-marathon training= I finish when I get home, whatever that number may be.

Fastest and longest run post marathon.  It takes me some time to get going again.

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Packed my lunch to go.   Andrew has been grilling up chicken breasts for us to use throughout the week which has made salad building a whole lot easier and faster.

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Later on we stopped at my mom’s house and Brooke and I worked on writing the letter P.

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And then Knox came and they were reunited.  Brooke was beyond happy to have her favorite buddy back.

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They loved some random video where a dog was trying to do cartwheels.  I don’t think I could see the screen.

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We made a stop at the dentist office too.  This dentist is the best… they get to watch a movie while he cleans their teeth, he has all sorts of prizes and the decorations in the whole building make them excited to go.

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Dinner was a quick one of Kodiak Protein Powercakes, clementines and turkey sausage.

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We also played some pretty intense hide and go seek.

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I have been reading this book a little bit at a time.  It is changing bits of my brain for the better and I’m really happy about that.  Thank you for the book recommendations, you guys have helped me to find some really amazing books.

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One of the things I’ve learned over the years of running is to be open minded about different forms of recovery/treatment.  I’m in no way a specialist when it comes to anything like this but I just share with you my experience with different things on this blog:)

Way back when I was all about just going to a sports med doctor for different problems and getting told to just take 6 weeks off and then try running again.  I would JUST take time off from running, little did I know there was a whole world of different options of things to research and try.  Since then, I’ve learned that there are SO many different things we can do and try to help us with our recovery, prevention and injury rehab.  Why not try them is my opinion now (as long as they are safe of course;)  What’s the worst that could happen—> I’m still injured.  The best that could happen is that my body feels a whole lot better afterwards or I find a new way to prevent a full blown injury by getting the problem area worked on beforehand.  My new top two forms of physical therapy are Graston/scraping (I’ve done this a ton over the last 3 years and it always helps me) and now CUPPING (myofascial decompression).

This was the very beginning… she put on a bunch all at once and my skin ballooned on up nicely.

From an article about why different Olympic athletes have been trying this out:  “The suctions pulls the tight muscles and stretches the fascia, the connective tissue around the muscles, and in effect, allows blood vessels to expand.  The theory is that the increased blood flow speeds healing.  It makes sense but it is not going to cure any problem the athlete may have.” -Internal medicine physician and certified personal trainer Dr. Michael Smith.

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This is what causes these circles on Michael Phelps.

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My IT Band/quads were beyond tight, not an injury but just crazy tight so I tried out cupping.  Part of me believes I am the perfect candidate for placebo effect therapy;) but I REALLY did feel so much better after having done this.  My legs felt looser and like the flexibility returned.

PS there is no scientific evidence of whether or not this technique is truly effective but for me personally it is something I will continue doing when I feel I need it.

I will keep my options (work with certified/licensed/trained people only with these different methods) open and of course do the things that prevent injuries as much as I can in the first place (aka why I’m trying to strength train more again)!!!!

**I’ve got an EARLY run this morning.  As I was setting my alarm clock I saw my alarms for the St. George Marathon on there—>  3:55 a.m.  Yeah, no thanks, ha!  Races are the only things I will set my alarm clock for that early:)

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I think my favorite season of clothing is definitely fall.  Between flannels and booties and jackets, they are all my favorite.  Added bonus is there isn’t any snow yet but the air is crisp and cooling down:)  Here are a few of my favorites for this season just in case you are looking for something new (PS this post contains affiliate links):

1.  My favorite Moto Leggings in dark grey—>  I could live in moto leggings… they are so beyond comfortable.

2.  My favorite fall jacket ever.

3.  Flannel x 10… I love everything about these.  My top three are HEREHEREHERE and HERE !!

4.  Maroon anything.  I love this color so much on this top .

5.  The most comfortable (light) sweater I have ever owned in my life.  I now have three colors of it.  HERE.  I could live in this forever.

6.  V-neck sweaters like this one and I have this one too.

7.  Messenger bag that I use a ton (it’s on sale too for $30).

8.  As far as shoes go, I love these booties, these ones too ($36) and I’ve worn these ones for years now.  And of course sneakers.

9.  For dresses, I need your help.  I have a bunch of summer stuff but  I’m in need of good fall/winter stuff:)  Feel free to send me any recommendations if you love any (pretty please;)

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EARLIEST time you have ever waken up for a race?

What different types of physical therapy, injury prevention or rehab have you tried over the years?

What did you have for dinner last night?

Finish on the exact mile or does it not matter to you?

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60 comments

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I got up at 2:30am for a 10K last year – NEVER AGAIN!! That is far too early to wake up for such a short race! I was meeting a friend to do the race in another city though so I had to get up extra early to make the drive plus races down here start around 6:30am most of the time because it gets hot so fast. I also got up at 2:30am when I did a runDisney half because you have to be to the buses at like 4am and I’m the kind of person who needs to wake up slowly! I really think there needs to be more night time races! These early mornings kill me!

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2:30 a.m. HOLY COW!!! Yeah, that is crazy early especially for a 10k! I would get up that early for a Disney race too! Run the RnR stip at night… I did it a few years ago and it is a really cool race (and at night:)!

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I will be waking up at 3 a.m. for my half marathon this weekend. Planning to go to bed at like 6 p.m. the night before. Haha. I have an awesome sports chiro that stays up on all of the best treatments. The best one that I have done is the pressure wave treatment for plantar fasciitis. I was able to train through the treatment and it still healed up completely! Woo hoo! Dinner last night was Chick Fil A :) I like to finish on an even quarter mile, so 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 or even. I used to only finish on the exact mile. I like to think of this as progress!

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I need more info on this pressure wave treatment! I’ve had PF for 2 years and am getting desperate and will try anything to make it go away!! Is it the shock wave therapy? I have an appointment for that on Oct 28.. thank you!!

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Hey! It is also called sound wave therapy (I’m not entirely sure if that is the same as shock wave therapy, but it definitely sounds similar). The body’s blood circulation is enhanced and the metabolism is stimulated and the damaged tissue is able to regenerate. I had PF off and on for a while as well and it was SO STUBBORN. My chiro got this machine at the beginning of 2016 and after a month or so of consistent visits (one to two times per week), it was GONE. I never had to take time off, which made me very happy.
Here is the link that shows what the machine looks like (hopefully yours is similar, because this is AMAZING):
http://easternshorechiropractics.com/pressure-wave-treatment.html?_ga=1.9916533.1318730680.1476287322

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Yeah that sounds like it. I hope it works too…I’ve tried just about everything else and nothing has helped. Thanks!!

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We had pancakes for dinner last night too! I hate wasting food, so I try to use everything in the refrigerator before going grocery shopping. The buttermilk was going to expire in a day, so we had buttermilk pancakes for dinner. My kids definitely weren’t mad about it (even though it came with a side of peas).

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Wow…before 4:00 is so early! I don’t really run larger races, so luckily I never have to wake up too early. If the race is far away I’ll usually get a hotel close by so I can sleep in :)

Lately I’ve been making my own version of crunch wrap supreme (like from Taco Bell). They’re surprisingly easy, and I can make them vegan which is great!

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I’ve done scrapping and needling and those help. I definitely want to look into this as I’m recovering from my hip replacement surgery there are so many tight muscles. OMG…it’s crazy. Crazy that I feel so good but am so tight and weak!

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I know what you mean about being surprised by what makes you sore! I do Crossfit and so I lift weights most days of the week.. heavy weights at that! But if I go to a barre class.. forget about it. I’ll be holding 2 pound weights and pulsing in a squat and just trembling all over. Not to mention I won’t be able to walk for days!! That’s why it’s so important to change it up!

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I did CUPPING yesterday for the first time!
It felt interesting–not painful but just different. I had most on my back. It isn’t pretty to look at but so glad I tried it!

We had salmon and broccoli and oven fries for dinner last night!

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OH LAUREN… that is awesome!! Did you feel any differences from the cupping? Yeah, it definitely leaves some nice little marks everywhere. Your dinner last night sounds heavenly!

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I often finish at random numbers but sometimes continue to an exact! I try not to care about it.

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I’m looking for some cute fall dresses too. I do like the Moro leggings (I bought the rose after you recommended them!)

I’ve always wanted to try cupping but I feel like I don’t have any area that it would work well for. I guess maybe calves but mine seem to clear up with deep tissue massage.

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I went to my parents house last night and they made chicken and corn fritters with corn grown in their garden. Green been a from their garden too. It felt great to eat a balanced meal.
I guess the earliest I got up to run would be 5am.
I’ve had ART and acupuncture. Also another eastern medicine thing I think he called it blood letting. Basically stabbing the tendon in my ankle with little lancets. The notion is it forces the blood to the area to speed healing. When nothing helped my ankle tendinitis this finally kicked my body into healing mode and I was better a week later.

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I like to finish either exactly on the mile or over it — to make sure I’m not shorting myself.

I’ve done yoga/stretching/foam rolling for this marathon training cycle – but I’m eager to try new things!

Last night was crock pot Pasta Fagioli — like the one they serve at Olive Garden but healthier. Soups are my favorite when it gets cooler!

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I’ve tried graston before (definitely not the best feeling in the world), and I even did an electroshock therapy thing for my foot when I had HORRIBLE plantar fasciitis.

I never finish on the exact mile. I hate numbers in increments of five, so I always finish on something random, like .02 or whatnot. :)

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Hi Janae, are you no longer working with Dr. B? Just curious as to why seeing you seemed to see him prettty regularly in the past.

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Hey Theresa!!! I worked with Dr. B more when I was training really hard…. I haven’t trained like that for awhile (back when I had my coach) and so my body doesn’t get trashed nearly as much when I run slower. I also think he got my body in a good place to not get injured by helping to activate my different muscle groups and produce balance. When I get back into training really hard again I’m sure I will be right back to working with him to keep my muscles happy during training. Hope you are having a great day!

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I love all the questions at the end of a blog post so here goes:
EARLIEST time you have ever waken up for a race? 2:30am Disney Princess 1/2, never again!

What different types of physical therapy, injury prevention or rehab have you tried over the years? Chiro and lots of PT

What did you have for dinner last night? Chicken meatloaf!

Finish on the exact mile or does it not matter to you? Always. Otherwise, why bother?

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I had Tuna Tacos with green Beens and corn salad for dinner last night:)
The earliest I’ve woken up for a race has been 05:00 a.m. so far. I know that’s going to be changing soon.
And I always finish in the exact mile when I do long runs. If I’m running 5K I will go the exact same 3.11 miles.

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I’ve wanted to trying cupping but man does it look painful!

Question – How many days do you take off running after marathon? I usually try to be strict and not run for at least 5-7 days but usually I cave and end up going on an easy run after day 4.

Dinner last night … Red wine/chips and guac/brownies … Some days I’m more nutritious than others :)

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HEY GIRL!!! So usually I take a 7-10 days off but this time I just took off 4. I was sore from the marathon and my body felt great so I just did a few miles slow and it worked out nicely. I think it depends on each race for me… I do know at least a few days off is a must for me!!! HAHA I understand those kinds of dinners very well! The best:)

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Awesome thanks!!! 7-10 days of no running is tough!! I’ve been swimming laps at the pool every day and ready to get back on the road :)

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Seeing your little family together is so sweet to see! I go to a Chiro to be adjusted for my back problems. I also just started seeing an acupuncturist this past May for hormone and allergy problems. I had never gotten a period on my own before and was able to become regular after seeing her. She also does the cupping thing as well. I love it! Have a great day!

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THANK YOU MARIE!!! That is awesome you have such a great chiro and acupuncturist. That is incredible that your cycle became normal after working with her. Amazing. Thank you for sharing, I love hearing stuff like that! I hope you have a great day too!

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Last night I made Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai with shrimp, which was more like Spaghetti Squash in a peanut sauce. It had bok choy, carrots, green onions and peanuts and of course an extra squirt of siracha on top.

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That sounds so incredibly delicious. I will be copying you with that asap. THANK YOU for a great idea:)

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Earliest would probably be Ragnar….but does it count if you never actually go to bed? Haha.
Have you bought any Sonnet James dresses yet? I’m obsessed, they have some cute, warmer one’s now for fall!
And…I’ve been eyeing those Salina booties too! Soo cute….I’m just trying to decide if I need more boots. (Yes).

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last night was an egg and veggie scramble with some leftover roasted veggies from the other day. can’t let anything go to waste. plus i’m a believer that eggs are the perfect meal no matter what time of day haha.

i want to try cupping, but I think i’m still too much of a wuss right now haha. I’m a sucker for any kind of rehab treatment though. by far, my favorite has been running on the Alter G anti-gravity treadmill though. there is nothing like getting that running sensation without having to worry about injury at all especially when you’re sidelined. it is simultaneously the weirdest and coolest thing.

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Okay, the Alter G antigravity treadmill is INCREDIBLE. Yes, I totally agree with you… so amazing for injured runners. I agree with you about eggs too (cheap, delicious and packed with nutrients)!!!

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I want to have a hobby farm too! My husband is slowly coming around to the idea but we’re not quite there yet. Dinner last night was not so healthy…buffalo turkey meatball subs with blue cheese sauce. So yummy though!

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People have been using the fascia blaster to heal injuries and soothe muscles as well :) it also gets rid of cellulite. I bought one in March and love it!!!!! There’s a huge Facebook support group, people have compared it to cupping as they both do similar things. Not advertising here just saying what’s worked for me, I have a numb spot on my leg from nerve damage and the increased blood flow the fascia blaster provided has improved it a ton.

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That is awesome Amanda! I’ve never heard of it but I definitely want to read more of it. SO SO cool that it has been so amazing for you, that makes me so happy!

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Who cares if it’s the thing or the placebo effect as long as it works. https://www.instagram.com/p/BLZEbvEjj_o/ I’ve tried dry needling/acupuncture and cupping. When I had cupping, she moved the cup up and down my traps so I had huge bruises along my shoulder blades instead of circles. But it helped my muscles relax way better than massage.

Prana has some super cute dresses for fall. There’s nothing better than a cozy dress, tights and boots on a cold day ;)

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Last night I made a casserole thing for dinner. I’m at school all day today so I needed something with leftovers to take with me for lunch and dinner.

If it make you feel any better about your 3:55 am alarm for the marathon, I used to work a job where I had to be there at 5 am when the delivery truck arrived, so my alarm was set for 3:45 am. I was actually pretty grateful for that job because I could work from 5 am to 8:30 am and then be at my “real” job for 9 am. Getting in those hours early meant I had more money for tuition.

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LOVE your clothes. Thanks for sharing links!

DInner last night was leftovers – so my son had a ham sandwich, husband had stir fry, I had chili, and the baby had pb crackers and yogurt among other things!

For fall dresses – I buy a ton of stuff at old navy or LuLa Roe!

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the earliest I have woken up for a race is 3am but that was me not able to get back to sleep. The earliest I’ve HAD to wake up is 4am.

I’ve had standard PT, Graston, ultrasound, chiro manipulation, laser, and acupuncture. Acupuncture really worked on my IT band. I bruise way too easily to try cupping. Those suckers would last forever on me.

I had to think what dinner was last night. I had chicken, sweet potato, broccoli with garlic and my usual garden salad. Easy, especially since the chicken was sent over to me from a friend.

I’m not married to finishing on the mile marker as long as I got in the mileage I needed (if I’m training). If I’m not training I’m good with running for as long as I feel like.

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So is Andrew in school full time and not working any more? Just wondering why he was home on a Tuesday?

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HEY ALLISON!! We are making a vlog and posting it tomorrow morning that talks all about this!!!!!

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I had cupping done recently too! I have been struggling with foot pain and I went to a chiropractor (also a first) and he did some cupping on my calf. It was interesting!!

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I am a huge believer in the chiro now. I had knee problems for years and did PT, strength trained, worked on form, stretched, ran barefoot, I tried it all. After one visit to the chiro I began running without knee pain.

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I definitely keep running until i hit an exact mark – be it a whole mile, a particular distance (5k), or a quarter mile i’ve set ahead of time. I hate those odd numbers!!

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The earliest i’ve ever woken up for a race was at 3am for the Tinkerbell Half in Disneyland, the race started at 5am! Then 3:30am for the Princess half in Disneyworld, race started at 5:30am. Got my coast to coast medal and don’t think i’ll wake up that early again…
I either like to end every quarter mile (.25, .5, etc) or on the minute (30 mins, 35 mins, etc..).
I’ve tried accupunture and a cupping massage as well as traditional deep tissue massages. love them all!

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I am the same way! I have to stop at the exact mile or .50, not anywhere in between ;)

For dinner last night, I made a stir fry!

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Oh 4am’ish or so has been my earliest for a race. And I never sleep good the night before for some reason. Thank you so much for the video of Brooke’s top knot yesterday, us simple hair people here really appreciate it. She called it a cool messy bun and it changes up her daily pony tail quite a bit. She needs a little more hair, but the way it falls out on the sides is cute. Last night we had BBQ Pulled Pork. And then a pineapple pudding cake. Best part was…I didn’t make either one. Love those nights !

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New poster, but I’ve been reading for awhile. Congrats on your St. George time! Like others have posted, 2:30 am for Disney races is my earliest. I have done several and have more planned (including Dopey in January – 4 wake ups in a row – ooof!) so it looks like I just have to get used to it. Disney races are so much fun that its worth it though.

If I have a goal to do a specific distance on that run, I will time it exactly. Otherwise, its just when I get back home.

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HEY JACQUE!! Thank you so much for your comment:) Okay, 2:30 is so so so early. WOW. I want to do Dopey so bad… please let me know how it goes. I need to get out and do one asap!

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So jealous of all the beautiful places you have to run!

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OMG the pancakes look fabulous! Brooke is so cute writing her P’s. This is so random – but how is Bangs friend doing? We miss her!

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HEY ROSIE!! Thank you:) She is doing awesome! She hasn’t agreed to move to Utah (I tell her to weekly) but I do get to see her in California in a few weeks. Thanks for asking, I miss her so much too.

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I’ve always wanted to try cupping just to see what it’s like! Um, and I wish I could watch a movie at the Dentist!!

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Love all the fall stuff!
As far as prehab/rehab, I usually roll and work on strength.
Earliest wake up for a race was 4 am but other than that, I’m pretty lucky to live so close to race hubs.

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The earliest that I remember getting up for a race was for Ironman. 3:30, mostly because I couldn’t sleep anyway! I do remember getting up early to drive to my mom’s races but I got to sleep in the car and have hot chocolate so it wasn’t too bad as a kiddo.

I go to physiotherapy for treatment plus get lymph drainage massages. So great for when your legs get that heavy feeling. I tend to get muscle edema so it’s a wonderful treatment. I also believe in cupping, massage, scraping, chiropractic. It all has its benefits so if something works, go for it!

I like to finish on the evens-my brother would make us run up and down the street. This summer we did a trail adventure run and got to the parking lot at EXACTLY 26 miles. We were relieved we did not have to jog around the parking lot……

Dinner last night was sauteed zucchini/carrot/celery/tempeh with avocado slices and tortilla chips. I use a small amount of avocado oil-if you haven’t tried it, do! it’s so mild and yummy and has a high smoke point so it’s versatile! Dessert was pumpkin squares with frozen yogurt on top (plus some Rittersport chocolate, of course!!!)

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ps-the photo of you holding the book is well staged with the feet on the cover! I thought that looked so sly and cute!…..

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3 am

Graston! Hurts so good. Without graston I would not be able to continue to run. If it did not work so well on me there is no way I would be able to stand the pain some times. I get it on the top of my left foot and for my plantar fasciitis, those areas hurt bad. But get graston on it band and calves sometimes and that is not so bad, I guess because I able not as injured there and because the areas are meatier.

Sweet potatoes

I must get to the mile I have decided I would finish, then any tiny bit extra I like to see add up in my weekly mile total.

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Last night we had Naan pizza. My kids love it and ask for it all the time. I just buy the Naan bread, and put our favorite pizza topping on it. Last night was BBQ sauce, onion, mozzarella cheese, and bacon. YUM! You should give it a try!

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I tore my labrum in my hip and was told I can never run without surgery. Well I have been in acupuncture for about 6 months and can run 5 miles, pain free. I am hoping to go even further, maybe even a half again. So glad I tried the non-surgery route first!

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I love all the tunic length sweaters and dresses at Title 9 – they aren’t dressy dresses, but more cute,sporty items that pair well with leggings and tights. They are pretty pricey, but everything wears really well and the things that I have bought from them are worth the price,IMO.

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I love how you take basics and make the cutest outfits!!! Your style is so classic!

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