California Day #4 and YOUR Running Accomplishments!

It was pouring rain and Andrew’s ankle was bugging him (he woke up to it hurting from the massage the day before?) so I ran on the treadmill while he biked next to me.  Eight miles done while way too close to the treadmill.  Anyone else run as close to the bar on the treadmill as possible?  I don’t know why but I’ve always done that… maybe it is because of my phobia of falling off the back of the treadmill.

It sure feels strange to finish a run and not have crazy kiddos and/or a dog climbing all over me while I stretch ha.  By the end of the run it probably looked like I had gone out running in the rain but no, it was due to the extremely hot gym:)

After our run we were off for the day and our first stop was to Monica’s house.

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She had lunch all ready for us.   We have been friends for years and years now and one of these days I will convince her to do a race in Utah with me.

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I think her blog was one of the very first blogs that I ever read.  I hadn’t even heard of blogging or really knew what it was before that and I was instantly addicted to checking in with her daily.  Good times.

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Andrew and I then drove over to Newport to try out Sidecar Donuts.  A bunch of you recommended this place to us and I will forever trust any of your recommendations from this point forward.  Andrew and I chose a few to try and voted the huckleberry and cinnamon crunch to be the very best.  They almost tasted like a mix of donut/cake/muffin/anything else that tastes good.

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We will be back to this donut shop anytime we are in the area from this point forward.  THANK YOU!

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Oh, and we tried the hot chocolate and that was a very good decision.

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Our next stop was for dinner at Slapfish (another amazing recommendation from you guys) and the ultimate fish taco was everything.  I’m just going to have you guys plan my travel itinerary from now on.

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We took a walk on the beach and then down the Newport Pier afterwards.

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It was a complete ghost town because of the weather.

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We are getting in as many movies as possible while we are here (aka doing the things we can without kids;) and saw the Arrival and it was AMAZING!  I always fall asleep for a few minutes during a movie but this one I stayed awake for the entire time!  It’s a record for me;)  Seriously, go see it if you haven’t already.

Brooke has been very busy with all of her art work.

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And this picture of her that her grandma sent of Brooke acting out the nativity scene melted my heart.

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LOVE LOVE LOVE your amazing accomplishments! If you want to be featured with your running accomplishment then send it on in to [email protected]

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Erin!!!  “You shared my 24 weeks pregnant sub-40 minutes five mile race over the summer.  I now have a beautiful 2.5 month baby girl and just ran my first postpartum race, the Mount Juliet TN Holiday Half.  (Go big or go home, right?!) I ran my first postpartum mile six weeks before this race, and did 2-3 short stroller runs a week, plus snuck in one 6 and one 8-miler (both ‘unaccompanied’) before the race.  I went in with no expectations and goal of finishing.  That was it! Well, I accomplished that goal AND managed to cross the finish line in 1:50! Not a PR, but I definitely surprised myself for 11 weeks postpartum, I’m excited to see my speed and endurance improve as I get stronger (and sleep more)! The best part was seeing my baby girl waiting with my sister at the finish line!”

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Deb!!!  “On Sunday, I joined my running friends and about a thousand other runners dressed in Santa costumes for the first (and hopefully annual) Jingle Bell Jog 5k in Northern Virginia.  My friends and I had so much fun and together we won four awards- 1st place overall female, 1st place overall masters female (me), and two age group wins.  I had a really great race and pulled off a 7:47 pace which I’m very happy with at 59 years old.  I’m convinced that running is keeping me young!”

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Julianne!!!  “This is a little late, but my AMAZING friend Savannah ran her first half marathon on Thanksgiving Day! She has only been running for a little over a year, and I am so so proud of how far she has come! I used to write her short little run/walk workouts on a sticky note, and now she is out running 13.1 miles like it is no big deal! She is always so positive and encouraging, and I just love the joy she gets out of running.  She is a rock star in so many ways and such a light in the lives of so many:)   She never gives up and never lets me give up on myself.  Truly a friend to cherish (and a great runner to boot!).”

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Meghan!!!  “I’d like to share not necessarily a running accomplishment but a running commitment. I’ve run 4 marathons but have give up on the distance until I decided to sign up to run the 2017 Chicago Marathon in effort to raise funds for the Van Andel Institute for Parkinson’s and cancer research.  I had never heard of Parkinson’s disease until my dad was diagnosed when he was 40.  For the next ten years he struggled with the symptoms; involuntary shaking and jerking, difficulty sleeping, a blank facial expression, difficulty thinking, soft voice, and loss of fine motor skills, while doctor’s tried unsuccessfully to adjust his medication and reduce his symptoms.  My dad had to give up running, a successful career, and his freedom to drive himself where he needed to go.  Running out of options in 2011 he underwent a six hour operation for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)— a set of thing wire electrodes sunk deep into his brain to carry a regulating electrical signal to his misbehaving neurons.  Through DBS, medications and extensive physical therapy he has been able to delay or reduce some of these symptoms.  I’ll be running in honor of him and to hopefully raise awareness and funding to someday find a cure for Parkinson’s.  Thanks to a generous endowment from Jay and Betty Van Andel, every dollar of every donation goes directly to the cause.  Research is expensive and government funding of scientific research is at a historic low.  It currently takes more than 10 years and a billion dollars to bring a new drug or treatment from the laboratory bench to a patient’s bedside.  We need to help to make this process go faster.  You can donate to my campaign directly HERE!”

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Do you remember what the very first blog that you read was?

What are your holiday plans this weekend?

When was your last treadmill run?

How long does it take you to fall asleep?  Anyone else fall asleep during a movie easily?

-It used to take me a lot longer but now it takes me approximately 2 minutes.  Andrew gets very jealous because it takes him forever!

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28 comments

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The very first blog I read was Amalah, which is a mommy blog. She’s hilarious, and I still read it. It’s the only mommy blog I read. HRG has a lot of parenting/kids stuff, but I still think of it as a running blog, so it doesn’t count!

I also run close to the bar on the treadmill, but not that close! I’m scared that if I bump it, it will knock me off balance and I’ll fall off the back.

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I am headed to Nashville with my husband tonight to start our Christmas party………………..5 days off! So nice:) There will be lots of running, and even though it will be raining a lot it looks like, the temps will be in the 50’s so it should be nice! Merry Christmas!

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Whenever I have to run on a treadmill, I run WAY too close to the bar, too. I ran outside today, and it was my first run in almost two weeks. It felt SO good. I’ve been dealing with kidney stones that won’t go away, which have been causing me awful pain, and today was the first day it felt ok to run. I AM SO EXCITED!!

Most of the time, as soon as my head hits the pillow, I’m out–and I’m perfectly fine with that. :)

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The hot chocolate looks so good! Peanut Butter Fingers was the first blog I started reading back in 2012, yours was the second :)

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She was one of my first ones too! LOVE Julie!!! Thanks for reading Kaci and I hope you are having a beautiful day!

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I fall asleep at movies a lot. Usually I’m really cold so I get cozy with my coat and then if the movie has a slow down in the action. It’s over.
Today is my dogs 8th birthday. We are celebrating by sitting on the couch and chilling. Then comes a weekend of driving all over so my boyfriend can have all his family see his daughters since he only has them on the eve…
I read skinny runner & run eat repeat and then started reading your blog. I think around 2010 or 2011.

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I STILL miss SR blog. Happy birthday to your dog, sounds like the best way to celebrate! Enjoy the time with your boyfriend and the girls!

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That hot chocolate looks amazing. It sounds like you have had a great time in California.

I also run very close to the bar. I don’t know why but I don’t like running super far back because I also feel I’ll fall back.

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Yum! That hot chocolate looks good.

I usually fall asleep pretty quick. I discovered a bunch of blogs around the same time – yours, Tina’s, Julie’s. I’m grateful I did cause I’m still reading them!

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Your blog was one of probably the more consistent blogs I read from the start. I hope you have a Merry Christmas. There truly is nothing better than hot chocolate on Christmas morning with Christmas music on in the background.

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Oh thanks so much Sara for reading! I hope you have an amazing Christmas too!!!

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Yours was my first blog!

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It looks like you 2 are having fun! :)

The first blog I read was The Pioneer Woman many, many years ago. I still enjoy her :)
I’m hosting Christmas Eve tomorrow and then going to my hubby family’s on Christmas night.
Last treadmill run was last night. I do the majority of my running on the treadmill.. My 2017 resolution should simply be to run outside more!

Merry Christmas to you and your sweet family! xoxo

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I definitely remember the first blog I read because it was HRG back in early 2013!

I run super close to the treadmill screen too because of my fear of falling off the back! I have noticed however that during long runs on the treadmill I’ll sometimes get lazy and move closer to the middle … but then I come to my senses and pick up the pace a little to get myself back to right against the bar! :D

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one of the first blogs i ever read was looksgoodfromtheback. It’s hilarious! And yours was probably another one of my first blogs :)

My last treadmill run was last night. I don’t how you go so long on the treadmill! I feel like I am not mentally prepared to go that long, even though running that far outside is easy.

I’m only 5’3”, so I cannot run that close to the bar because at my height my arms will hit it! haha

I cannot fall asleep during a movie….but a book definitely helps me to fall asleep.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

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I was super excited to see that you know Monica, like I just found out that two of my good friends are also friends with each other! (Though of course I’ve never actually met either of you = nerd.) Hers was one of the first running blogs I read, along with Shut Up and Run.

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YES, Shut Up and Run was also one of the first blogs I read too! Not nerdy at all! I consider all of us friends:)

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Ah! My 2 favorite bloggers, together! I think this was actually the first blog that I read and then you turned me on to Monica’s blog! Fun times :)

Holiday plans: Run group tomorrow @ 6am (praying my IT band will hold out for an easy 6 miles!) Massages for the hubby and I at 11. Church at 3:33 (weird time) and then Chinese food in pj’s with the in-laws and my mama at our house. Then Christmas lunch with the rest of our families at our house on Christmas Day.

I ran 1.7 miles before my knee gave out and I walked the last .3 before doing strength this morning. I don’t quite trust the knee/IT band to run outside right now because of course it doesn’t kill until I’m at 1/2 way point and then getting home is almost humorous.

I’m out in about a page and a into my book ;)

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Love the “Mary” picture of Brooke!

My last treadmill run was about 4 years ago (I honestly don’t remember!) I always laugh when I run in Waikiki and see people running on treadmills at the gym. I do not understand, especially since I ran the 2014 Honolulu Marathon in a downpour!

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As a Mom did you bawl your eyes out in the first 5 minutes of the movie?!? It was my husband and I’s first date night after having a baby in early August and the opening sequence to the movie hit me like a ton of bricks!

(Hopefully this isn’t a spoiler or anything given it’s the opening sequence of the movie) :)

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YES YES YES I did. It hurt to even imagine what kind of pain she must have experienced with that. I cried twice during that movie. CONGRATS on your new little one and for a date night out with your husband:)

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Ross wants to see Arrival so bad. I don’t even know what it is about. Then again, I don’t ever know about any movies that are out any more.

I didn’t even know health/fitness/running blogs existed. I read my family and friends ‘journaling’ type blogs, cooking/baking blogs and the like. Until that fateful day my friend told me to read yours. I still don’t read any other ones. All I need is you ;) Hahahah. But seriously.

It takes me less than 2min to fall asleep.

I ran on my treadmill on Monday. That was the last time I worked out at all. This stomach crap is kicking my butt. I think I am back to normal enough today that I am going to attempt some weights right now. Wish me luck.

Merry Christmas Adam!

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GO SEE IT!!! We will come with you guys. Very grateful to the day you read my blog so that we could meet and be bffs forever. I hope you keep feeling better and better and that weights went well today. LOVE YOU!

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I wasn’t really aware of running blogs either until my son’s girlfriend (now my DIL) told me about your blog back in January 2013! I’ve been reading HRG ever since and started my own blog later that month. It’s been so fun getting to know other people in the running/blogging community!

Brooke makes such a beautiful little Mary. Was she practicing for a play at church? I have been craving hot chocolate for two weeks! Now I’ve got to stop by Starbucks for a cup. I had to run inside on my treadmill last Saturday because everything outside was covered in a layer of ice until the afternoon.

Thank you for sharing my running accomplishment! I love reading everyones accomplishments each Friday and it’s fun seeing my own this week! :-)

I’m thrilled that my family will be in town for Christmas. We’ll go to Christmas Eve mass and then drive around looking at Christmas lights in our neighborhood. We have friends stopping by after church and then on Christmas day will enjoy time with our new extended family! Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family, Janae!

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All that food looked so very scrumptious!!! I love how she had one of the first blogs you read and now you are just casually hanging out. So fun.
– The first blog I read was SimplyTaralynn (at the time it was on Tumblr as Undressed Skeleton)
– Holiday plans: Traveling to Ohio to visit family!!! I’m gonna freeze my toosh off.
– Yesterday! I did about seven. With all the sugar in my system, I felt I was able to run even faster than normal haha
– It takes me FOREVER. My husband can fall asleep on command basically, so I am always jealous of that!!!

Have a Very Very Merry Christmas with your beautiful family!!! <3

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hmm, I really don’t remember the first blog I read. Maybe it was Confessions of a Cookbook Queen? (yeah, I don’t expect you to know either).

I ran on the treadmill on Saturday. it was a mix of snow and sleet so I decided to run inside, I was pretty happy with that decision.

I host dinner Christmas Eve. Christmas Day we go to my in-laws and then my cousin’s house. Monday we have a get together will my husband’s cousins. It’s fun but tiring. I’m also going to hit an early spin class Sat. and try to get a run in on Sunday, if not I’ll run Monday.

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Ah thanks for the shoutout! I would have paced the half a little differently, but I wanted to run as long as I could with my amazing sister and friend Julianne, so it’s all good. Many thanks to your blog for lots of tips, tricks, and smiles along the way.

I’m not sure of the first blog post I read, but yours is the first blog I read religiously :) Happy Holidays!

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I have to tell you that I used to think blogs were kind of ridiculous. I mean, it’s kind of like an online diary -what’s the point? Well, I thought that until I stumbled across your blog a couple of years ago and ended up binge-reading like 100 posts. This lead me to discover a handful of other running blogs that I loved (why did Skinny Runner stop blogging, why?!?!) and motivated me to run my first marathon. Thank you for opening my eyes to the delight of blogs and the marathon.

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