How to know YOUR paces (plus a workout), two tips for running and our life of course!

If Beretta is within 10 feet of Brooke, Beretta will get every ounce of her attention.  That pup is a big deal.

Let’s go right into the important stuff today…. Need a new workout to try!?!  I’m going to be including a new workout each week for you and please adjust according to where you are at fitness wise and what you are training for.  I think it is super important to know your paces and to understand what paces you should be running for your different types of workouts.  So, if you do not know… go to a running calculator right now!

Daniels’ VDOT is excellent—>  Go ahead and enter in your race and previous finish time and push calculate.  It will give you the pace and then below click on training and you can see the different paces you should be running at for easy, marathon pace speed, threshold, interval and repetition!  Take those numbers and here is a great workout to help you learn these different paces and kick your own booty:)

So for example for me (normally I’m right around a 1:30 half-marathon) my easy pace is between 8:08-8:36, my marathon paced runs/tempos are 7:09, threshold pace is 6:44, interval pace is 6:11 and repetition pace is 5:47!  If you have any questions on this… let me know!  There are a lot of different calculators/charts out there to find out your specific paces for workouts but I’m using this one for the workout today!

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So use your paces from the VDOT calculator and there you have it… a hard workout + understanding your paces for different workouts a bit more:

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If you are doing this workout on a treadmill, it will make the time FLY BY!  If you are doing it outside, you’ll have a blast switching things around and getting a good feel for what these different paces feel like!

PS don’t forget how important those warm-ups and cool-downs are for our workouts!  Our bodies need to be prepped for the work… don’t skip out on the w/u or c/d!

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And back to life around here…  Her blueberries on her pancake will always be placed in a smiley face pattern.  Always.

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I came across something on my run yesterday that I truly did not want to come across.  A snake.   While spiders scare me more than snakes, this one was still a little bit bigger than the ones I usually see on the running trails.

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8.5 miles for my Tuesday morning and some perfect temperatures.  Getting closer to a Pure Flow 6 review for you.

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Brooke and I then had a mini date together… manicures.  We chose matching colors.  That better not ever change.

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The best meal of the day involved—> this recipe for our cauliflower rice!

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We had a base of cauliflower rice with chicken, guacamole, bell peppers, onion, tomatoes, salsa and some cheese on top.  As you may have noticed we love large bowls of goodness for our meals.

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Last night we took Brooke to my parent’s house so we could go run an errand.  She made cards for us while we were gone.

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Why is holiday themed candy even better than normal candy?!

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We are officially ready for Easter!  We are doing a big Easter dinner at our house so we have a lot of cooking to get ready for.

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PS look at my mom rocking her steps… 11k+ a day!

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What do you think about this?  Do you think these guys will break the 2-hour marathon?

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And two random things about running that I’ve really wanted to tell you about.

1.  Run every step of the way through and past the finish line.  I tend to have a problem with this so this is something that I want to practice.   I want to really train myself to push through to the very end and avoid slowing down.  To practice this in workouts—> instead of finishing my intervals at the end, I’m going to finish them 10 meters past the line.

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2.  For those of you coming up on Boston (or any races) next week, I have some homework for you.  My mom always tells me that the week going into the race, negativity is not my friend and to stay far away from it.  Whether that be social media sites, certain people, articles, music… keep the negative away if possible.  This is your time to enjoy that eustress (the good type of stress that comes with running/racing) but I want you to stay away from as much distress as possible if you can please!  You’ve done the training, it’s getting close to time to celebrate all of the hard work and being around positive things and people is going to help you!  Hey Candice:)

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Do you think that the sub-2 marathon will happen in May?

Have a step goal each day?  Do you wear an activity tracker?

Are you one to paint your nails or no? -I have a weird obsession with doing this and I don’t know how to break the habit. 

What did you have for dinner last night?

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70 comments

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I usually try for 10k steps. More on a running day. But in the last month since I injured my foot I haven’t even come close. Limping means my good leg is getting sore at the knee and arch and I don’t want to have additional injuries. So I have been biking but it doesn’t register on my step tracker.

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Hope your foot gets better soon!

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Thank you!

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Try putting the band around your ankle or clipping it into your shoes laces — it’s worked really well with my Fitbit while I’m pushing the stroller and I’ve been told it works while biking too. Hope your foot is better soon!

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That’s a great idea! I’m going to try it. Thanks so much for the tip. :)

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Seriously I am so bummed about your foot. Not okay. Are you noticing improvements in how it is feeling?

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It is definitely getting better. The first 2 weeks was horrible and I could barely walk and it was like stepping on glass if my toe touched the ground. The third week the acute pain subsided and I was limping a lot less. I just can’t push off on the ball of my foot yet so I still have a small “hitch in my giddyup”. I’m hoping another week and I will be feeling 100 percent. But I’ve learned not to get my hopes up with this weird injury. Just surrendering to whatever will be will be :)
Thanks for asking!

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It’s so adorable that you and Brooke get matching manicures! :) I don’t paint my nails often, but I always have to have my toenails painted. The brighter and spunkier the color, the better.

A sub-2 marathon sounds seriously insane. I don’t understand how people can run THAT fast for that long. But thank you for sharing the pacing calculation stuff. I think that will be really beneficial for me now that I’m able to run again. I’m slowly building back up and have to be kind of careful with all of the kidney issues, but I’m definitely eager to get back out there and race again!

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Question about the workout! Should we do the paces based on what we WANT our pace to be, what our pace already is, or somewhere in between? Right now I run a 10 minute mile, but I want to get it down to a 9 minute mile.

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HEY LYNN!!!! Start with where you are at with your fitness now! With time you’ll notice more and more improvements and your mile time dropping. You’ve got this and I hope your Wednesday is a fabulous one!

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awww I used to go with my mom to get my nails too when I was super little. they used to polish my dolls nails too which I thought was the coolest thing ever and I still remember it! I get a manicure every since I’m basically 2 years old which sounds funny but it’s true.

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I don’t know about the 2 hour marathon. 20 years ago we stayed on a campsite next to the Monza racecourse where the attempt is being held. I paint my toenails in the summer, fingers I can’t be bothered. We had lasagne yesterday. I have a Microsoft Band that tracks my steps, On non-running days I’m happy with 8.000. It helps me with getting up from my desk during the day too. I’m racing a 10,5 K on Monday, so thanks for the tip on positive thinking!

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GOOD LUCK ON MONDAY!!! Positive, positive, positive. You’ve done the physical prep for your race, now the best thing you can do is the mental prep! Please let me know how it goes!

PS I’m jealous of your lasagna last night:)

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i dont have a step goal because i usually run in the morning and then have to walk to work which is at least another 1.5-2 miles back and forth. so i think im usually good to go:)

i need to have your habit of painting my nails. mine are always a tragedy

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Oh I LOVE that you walk back and forth from work! You are moving a lot each day… outside of your run! I love it! Don’t start the habit…. it gets expensive after a while ha. Hope you are having a beautiful day Mallory!

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Im not really into step trackers… I don’t think it would work well with my mindset. I just wanna live my life and not have to think about how many steps I took in a day. Id rather count how many times I smile a day hehe! I LOVE painting my nails. Im actually slightly OCD about them having to paonted all the time hah

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HAHA we need smile trackers… I love that idea Carrie! Glad I’m not the only one with the nail OCD:) Thanks Carrie!

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Paces/times for Daniels table should be based on our current level of fitness. It means, that pace/time should be from out last race or test. Setting pace above current level of fitness often leads to injury, so don’t do it.

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Thank you Drucik for the clarification! This last weekend at my coaching course we were using a different calculator and basing it off of race goal times in order to create a training plan. My confusion!!!

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I love your mom’s idea of avoiding negative vibes the week leading up to your marathon. I will remember this as I approach those last few days ahead of Big Sur on April 30.

Dinner was italian sausage w/a mess of sauteed peppers and onions on top, roasted zucchini and bread w/butter.

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AHHHH ROSIE!! I am so so excited for you to run Big Sur. PLEASE let me know how it goes. That is a race that is definitely on my bucket list. You’ve got this! Oh and your dinner last night sounds amazing…

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Good for your mom! I am obsessed with my fitbit. Maybe too obsessed. I have it set up so I am supposed to get 250 steps at least each hour during the work day, and I will literally get up and walk in place at my desk to get my steps.

I used to ALWAYS have my nails and toenails painted, and now I rarely do anymore. I mess them up within 5 minutes of them being painted, so there’s really no point for me.

Your cauliflower rice bowl looks amazing! Dinner last night for me was quinoa stuffed peppers. They were SO good and I actually posted the recipe today!

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Oh that is so smart Allison to set it up like that. What a great reminder to get up and move a bit each hour. I’m going to tell my dad about this… he’ll love that idea! Oh I am going to be checking out your quinoa stuffed peppers right now! THANK YOU!

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I have less of a step goal and more of a move goal. I try to move around for a few minutes each hour because I sit for work. I workout 6 days a week so I am not as worried about hitting a certain amount of steps per day.

I used to get my nails done regularly but I cook at least 2 meals a day and wash my hands so frequently the polish chips quickly. I tried the gel but I am too lazy to get that done regularly and I didn’t like how fragile my nails were when I took it off. Plus they grow really fast.

I had zucchini noodles, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and lentils topped with pesto and a side salad.

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I love getting my nails done, but rarely go. I should go more often, because if I paint them myself, they always end up chipped the day after!

I love pace workouts, they make the run go so much faster and it keeps my mind actively engaged into the run! Win, win.

For dinner last night, we had lentil “curry,” (minus the curry powder since Landon didn’t like it, haha!) over brown rice topped with cilantro! So good!

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I’m obsessed with having my nails painted too and I don’t see why this is a habit that should be broken, haha. So yes, I do paint my nails every week and my toe nails every two weeks.

Dinner last night was spicy sausage with french fries. Very yummy.

I don’t have a step goal each day and I don’t use an activity tracker. However, my iphone do this through the health app. I used to pay attention to that before but not anymore.

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My mom and I still go get our nails done together when we’re together – some things never change! Let’s hope Brooke is on board with this nail buddies for life plan.

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Oh that makes me happy!!! I’m going to plan on this:) Thanks Aimee!

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I loved your blog today! I have used pace calculators in the past but I didn’t realize that they have training pace info as well. Thanks so much! And, I am definitely going to try out the workout! You are spot on regarding staying positive during race week. I will try to do that that! I have Boston on Monday although I have had a rough training. I had a calf injury and have been dealing with a knee issue these last few weeks. So, all of my goals are out the window, now I am just going there for experience and to finish.

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I love seasonal candy and Easter candy is the best because of jellybeans and cadbury mini eggs!

Brooke’s little floral headband / wrap is adorable!!

I hate snakes and spiders too! And mice, frogs, and turtles!

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I like getting manicures, but hate getting pedicures (though I love how they look of course), I’m way too ticklish! So cute that you guys got matching ones :)

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I love having my nails done, or painting them myself :) I just wish that they would last longer than 4 days!
We are loving dinner in bowls around here too! Last night I made One pot burrito bowls (thanks Pinterest!) that were fantastic! Rice, ground turkey, salsa, peppers, onions, then topped them with cilantro, guacamole, cheese…. happiness in a bowl ;)
Thank you for this work-out! I am not training for anything specific right now, so this will be perfect! I’m going to try it today.

Happy Wednesday!

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Okay, that sounds amazing… we are going to have to have that asap because I am drooling over it. Let me know how the workout went for you! Have a beautiful day Wendy!

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Ooo… and I forgot to say that these burrito bowls also have black beans and corn too… so yummy!
Wow, that was a fun workout! I was on my favorite trail, which always make my runs seem happy, and the miles sure flew by! My only problem was that I kept forgetting what I was supposed to be doing next ? I should have re-read the work-out a few more times before leaving, ha! This will definitely be a regular work-out for me to add in! Thanks again!

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Oh thank you for the additions. WAY TO GO on the workout!!! Glad you got to go on your favorite trail too! You are so welcome. Hahaha it is probably really hard to remember everything on this workout… maybe easier to remember when on treadmill and can keep peeking at the workout but hopefully it is easier to remember after doing it a few times. Thanks Wendy!

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I’ve been focusing on finishing my workouts through the end as well which I do believe is extremely important. I have been outkicked several times at races and it never feels good. Good advice for anyone Janae and I hope you feel better.

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I love that Brooke wanted the same color as you. How cute is that? I can’t even remember the last time I did my nails. I used to do them myself as a teen though. With the work I do I’m pretty sure they’d be chipped within a day or two anyways.

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We went to my nephews tennis match, so supper was Dairy Queen. Oh and a Turtle Pecan Cluster too of course. I couldn’t decide between that or the Salted Caramel Truffle. Such decisions. If my husband was with, I’d have sweet talked him in to getting one of them, then we could switch half way through. But seemed strange to convince strangers to do that with me. If it wasn’t for germs…I might not hesitate ! lol I do wear an activity tracker. I started with the Garmin Forerunner 15. It’s great and was such an awesome one to start with, I’ve had it a year. Lately…I’ve been eyeing some of the upgraded ones. I like to bike, so I really want one that will track the difference between running and walking, then biking and some have swimming. I’m kind of past the daily steps, there’s one I just saw that gets your heart rate from the watch on your wrist to avoid the chest strap. Not sure how well it does, but going to research and get one like that. Love doing my nails, but after getting the gel/shellac ones done…I can’t go back to regular. A friend got me the whole home version for my bday last year. I love it. Always have them done. And it just warms my heart to see you and Brooke getting mani’s. I have a daughter too, and there’s just something neat about those little moments.

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Oh my mom LOVES the Turtle Pecan Clusters… I am all about the blizzards:) Hahaha I do the same thing with Andrew! So I have the Garmin with hr monitor in the wrist and not the chest and from everything I have read and heard, it is very accurate and only usually a beat or two off! Let me know what you end up deciding! Thanks Michelle, I totally agree about those moments! Enjoy the rest of your day!

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Good point about running strong through the finish. I have been at several Track meets lately where the kids just slow down before crossing the finish and we need to remind them to keep the speed going. You never know when that last step is going to cost you the race…. which happened to my daughter. Another runner came in strong behind her and the other girl’s foot hit the finish line before my daughter’s did (so my daughter got 2nd place by a split second). Too bad it didn’t end better for my daughter, but dang, that was an amazing finish!
Thanks for the workout, it looks like a good one!

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YES… I have seen that a lot too! Bummer about what happened with your daughter!!! She’s got the next one:) Hope you have a great day Lisa and enjoy the workout if you try it!

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I love painting my nails. I always have polish on them. I also love the names of polish. Right now the color I’m wearing is “Do You Lilac It?” It’s a pretty shade of purple that is perfect for spring.

For supper last night is was pizza for the kids and hubby and after running an errand and getting kids settled down for the night I made myself zoodles with fat-free shredded mozzarella and diced chicken breast with tons of Frank’s hot sauce and a side of ranch dressing made from non-fat greek yogurt and ranch seasoning. It was like a Buffalo chicken pasta bowl. So good and may be on repeat again tonight. Hee hee

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Okay, that combo sounds heavenly… Andrew and I are going to have to try this asap! Thank you so much:) Sounds like our kind of goodness:) Oh I love that name… I need to find it! Thanks Betsy and I hope your day is a great one!

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Sub 2 would be incredible but I’m not sure a pair of shoes is the reason it happens (if it does). I don’t count steps, but I am training for an ultra so I think the miles take care of themselves. I never used to paint my nails but as I entered the professional working world I have gotten into the habit..which is hard to break!

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GOOD LUCK WITH ULTRA TRAINING KIRSTINE!!! Please keep me updated with how training is going and the race, super excited for you!!! PS do you do most of your training runs in terms of mileage or time running? Just wondering! Hope you are having a great day!

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I am really good at doing the warm up, but less consistent with the cool down. I’m tapering for Boston right now so I had 4x800m intervals on the treadmill last night. I think I only cooled down for 400m and called it good. Must get better at that! Also, I didn’t tape the treadmill, but I did run about a foot further back than I normally do after your post yesterday. Thank you!

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Elissa!!! GOOD LUCK AT BOSTON!!!! I am so incredibly excited for you! Please let me know how it goes. Hoping for perfect temperatures for everyone on Monday! Great job running back a bit on the treadmill… it helps our form so much! GO ELISSA… have the best weekend and Monday ever!

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Thanks so much for sharing the pace website. This is something I’ve always struggled with knowing. Going to try the work out soon!

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You are so welcome!! Thank you Annaliese! Enter in your current race times and you will get your training paces! Thanks and enjoy your day!

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Okay that is amazing….. You know my taste:) Thanks Amanda! This just made me even more excited for summer! I hope you are having a beautiful day!

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Hi Janae! I Love painting my nails. I like to try different colors and have a lot of fun with that.
Yesterday night we had soup for dinner.
Looking forward to seeing the pictures of your big Easter dinner.
Have a great day!

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I always have my toenails painted, usually a bright, fun color: bright pink and blue are my favorites. I try to keep my fingernails painted in a never-ending attempt to stop biting at my cuticles. It hasn’t worked yet but I’m hopeful.

Last night, my boyfriend made pesto pasta with chicken and it was delicious.

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Thanks for posting this workout! I’ve been struggling with getting motivated to run, but this looks fun and I’m going to try it out today! I also love the new graphics!

I’d never gotten a manicure until about two weeks ago and now I can’t stop thinking about getting another one. I think this is something I’m going to do again on Friday before going home for Easter :)

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Ok, I LOVE that you are sharing a workout each week!!! I am excited to try these and I also LOVE the calculator you shared. You are going to make such a great coach!! Your enthusiasm is amazing. I’m running Boston Monday. I’m way nervous. Any chance you can share some more of your mom’s terrific motivation??!!

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Oh thank you so much Jeannie!!!! I really appreciate it:)

GOOD LUCK ON MONDAY!!! You’ve got this. Enjoy every second. Celebrate all of your training and everything you have done to get to Boston! You are going to be surrounded by so much energy that it is contagious and you will feel like a million bucks on Monday. Please let me know how it goes. I will be cheering you on from Utah on Monday! Repeat to yourself that you can do hard things, and you are going to go and prove that again to yourself in just a few days. So stoked for you!

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Hello, Janae!
I just wanted to let you know that I love the look of your two coaching related items on this blog (the pace workout and the motivational card). I don’t know if you are doing your own graphic design or someone is doing it for you, but those are both clean, stylish, and impactful. They represent your budding brand well.

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Oh thank you so much Bradley. I just started working with the most amazing graphic designer…. look forward to more! Thanks and have a great day:)

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LOVED that pace calculator. It gives me an idea of where I need to push myself as my threshold and interval times are not quite close to the ones on the calculator – mostly because I mentally chicken out and tell myself I will push hard “tomorrow.” Fortunately I have a tempo on my training plan tomorrow so I will not let my thoughts get in the way! Also loved that workout and will try to incorporate that to build up my speed :)

Do you think that the sub-2 marathon will happen in May? Hmm it’ll be interesting to see. That seems to crazy to me that a person could run a marathon sub-2, but hey, they put a man on the moon & we thought that was crazy so who knows!

Have a step goal each day? Do you wear an activity tracker? No and no, although I use a Garmin watch for my runs.

Are you one to paint your nails or no? Not so much because I am in the process of growing out my nails right now & they aren’t quite long enough to look all pretty in polish. Toenails on the other hand, I love to have them painted! Makes it so I can’t see my black toenail ; )

What did you have for dinner last night?
Greek pasta salad – rotini pasta with greek salad on top, pretty much. Easy & delicious!

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Thanks for the pacing info and work-out! Going to give that a try. I want to be optimistic about breaking the two hour mark but that is a tall order, I don’t know if it is possible. Can’t wait to find out.

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I can’t believe you got that close to the snake… eeeek. Apparently easter candy isn’t a thing in Iquitos, what a major bummer! I’m really craving it.

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I have been on a hopeful journey back to being able to run again which was promptly squashed big time yesterday. In fact the latest suggestion is as little impact that I can have on my knee the better. I am not trying to get back to running, I am trying to prevent knee replacement and bone collapse. A lot to think about and another opinion in 2 weeks.

Anyone out there have osteoarthritis and/or osteonecrosis??? Anyone have some cardio suggestions that are low impact on the knee? I know swimming is one. The orthopedist suggested pilates and yoga, no bike, no elliptical (though I am taking that as less bike, less elliptical for now).

I absolutely can not stand nail polish on my finger nails, hate it!

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Oh Carrie. I am beyond sorry about what is going on with your knee right now. Keep me updated with how you are feeling! Anyone else have any info about osteoarthritis?

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I live in Florida, so I see snakes a lot more than I’d like while running. They don’t necessarily scare me so much as startle me when I’m RIGHT ON TOP of one and realize it’s not a stick. Yikes. I think it would be so cool if they broke a 2 hour marathon. I’m over here hoping I can break the two hour barrier for my half marathon postpartum and they could LAP me. Which is a super power, if you ask me!

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Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful to do ANY running these days. But oh how I miss ACTUAL workouts, speed and hitting certain paces. Such a rewarding thing when you’re done. That chart is super handy.

Also, I love caulflower rice, but why does it have to stink up my house so dang bad?

I like to have my toenails painted, but I rarely do my nails. I love the way it looks though, just how quickly it chips. I need to hop on the gel nails train.

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Love your blog! Two questions: 1. I always feel that my first mile is at least a minute slower than the rest of the run (ex. Run at 9 min/mile but rest 7:30-8:00ish) how do I get my body to click faster? 2. Best way to mentally get myself to increase my “baseline run” distance? Normally go out 35-50 minutes but I want to start running longer. Seem to have a mental block. That being said I have a 3.5 year old and 15 month old twins so fitting in running is tricky!

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Brookers is so stinkin cute!
Can you tell me where the floral headband she is wearing is from?
:)

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Yep, you did it again… sent a workout that I needed, just when I needed it! THANK YOU for the VDOT calculator – I didn’t even know such things existed and I used it and the work out to do speed work on the treadmill last night. I have a 10 mile race next Saturday, the 22nd and wanted to get in at least 1 more good solid speed workout in. GOOD LUCK on your coaching test! You’ll rock it!!

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Hey! curious what pace you normally do for your warm up/recovery for the workout you posted in relation to your easy pace, cause generally I wouldn’t be running slower than my recommended easy pace per the calculator you shared.

thanks!

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I love coach J!!! That’s a great workout! I’m putting it in my garmin now!
What’s interesting is that my training etc I run faster than what the website said. So I’m assuming I don’t push hard enough at race pace.
Thanks for sharing.

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