Time for us to stop doing that and my favorite fashion finds!

When it is 68 degrees outside you make sure to get outside for a bike ride.  

And then you get to work on the recent library book rental stack.  

I’m trying to snack more on raw veggies.  My sister snacks on raw veggies all day long and she is my example.  I just like adding some flavor to the veggies too… if you haven’t tried guac and carrots together, please do so.  

Once Andrew was done with school we went to one of our favorite places to go for a walk… well, Brooke and Beretta ran the majority of the time:)  

I think Brooke is more than ready to have Knox back home today… she needs another kid to even out kids to adults around here.

It was a gorgeous evening outside.

While we were walking, Brooke pointed to these plants on the side of the path and said that it was wheat… she then went on to explain to us that Wheat Thins are made from these plants in Utah.

We then drove around for a little bit looking at different houses all around and then went to a Dairy Queen for the good stuff.  M&M blizzard for the win.  

PS follow along tomorrow… I’ll be taking over the Sleep Number Instagram!! Would love to chat over there on Wednesday!

———————————————————— 

Close your eyes for a second and think about one of your absolute favorite races or runs.  I’ll give you a second to really think about that day.  What was it about that race/run that made it your favorite?  What made it stand out in your brain?  Was it the weather, the people, the course, the day, the place you were in life?  For me it is a healthy combination of all of those things but when I really think about my favorite races and experiences… the thing that sticks out to me the most about that day is what was going on in my head during those miles.

I’ve run a plenty of races in the past where the negative thoughts just kept flowing.  The comparisons, the frustrations, the self-defeat… you name it, I’ve had a race that has been filled with those things.

BUT the races that I have loved the most have been the opposite.   They have been the ones were I am cheering myself on.  Where maybe a negative thought pops in my brain about my running, time, whatever but that’s where it stops.  Those are the races I want to package up into a bottle and carry around with me everywhere I go.  And it doesn’t mean that I have had my fastest personal record days and so that is why I’m thinking so positive and cheering myself on… my best/positive brain races have included some of my faster times and some of my slower times.  I don’t think I’ve necessarily just been a positive thinker just because I’m having a good running day that day and hitting faster times, the positive days have included all sorts of different paces.  The thing is, no matter what the pace, I really love the days where I am cheering myself on, focusing on the good stuff I’m doing and forgetting the rest.

Always fun to try to take a selfie at mile 21 of a marathon.  

We talk a lot about what our favorite mantras are.  What key phrases are going to get us through the hard spots and what will give us a boost BUT are these mantras really going to do much if we have spent a good portion of the race with self-defeating talk?  I think it might just cancel the two out or something.  

Experiment with me mmmkay?!  The next time a self-defeating thought pops up in your brain during a run or race, just tell it to peace out.  I don’t necessarily think we have all the control in the world to stop a thought from coming into our brains but we do have control over whether we continue to dwell on it or squash it.  If this is a big problem for you then don’t think long term for this goal… just take it one day at a time.  You might have days where you go back to your old habits but celebrate the days that you don’t, where you are your own biggest cheerleader.  Soon you will have more days that you are thinking great thoughts about yourself and your running than negative ones and before you know it, it will become a habit.

Talk to yourself on your next run like you would to your best running buddy.  Notice the small accomplishments you have made and the progress over the miles.  Running is hard.  It is for everyone.  But I KNOW that it is a whole lot easier and WAY more enjoyable when we are cheering ourselves on, giving ourselves pep talks and patting ourselves on the back a bit…. and then those mantras will really work when the going gets tough!  You are stronger than you think.  

———————————————————–

Last week I asked if anyone was interested in a fashion type post!  Here are my top favorite finds/things I wear obsessively/have on my dream-list!  

Dresses—> (I can’t find all of the exact same ones I have but the ones I am link to are either the same ones or very similar)!  Current dress rotations (I love floral dresses right now:)—>  this one, this one, this one, this one and this one!  I really love dresses for the summer months and I have this one (in black) and this one in my shopping cart:)  

Tops—>  I wear a lot of t-shirts and my 7 top favorite t-shirt like tops are here (my number one!!), here, here, here, here, here and here.  My other favorites tops right now include this one, this one, this one and this one!  I LOVE a good baseball t-shirt too!

Bottoms—> I am boring with my bottoms (and I don’t wear a ton of shorts… when it is really hot I just wear dresses) but you can NEVER go wrong with the Motto Leggings (yes, this is the 500th time I’ve talked about them, I’m sorry), these joggers are ridiculously comfortable, I bought these white jeans years ago and still love them and I love a good pair of distressed light colored jeans.  Wish list… these Gold Skinnies (yes, I am obsessed with this boutique).

As far as summer goes, BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR FEET RUNNERS!!  For a few summers I would notice at the beginning that my feet would hurt and I finally realized that it was because of the sandals I was wearing!  I still wear flip flops but not for a very long amount of time!  Make sure you are getting some support in your summer footwear after the run too!  We put a lot of stress on our feet so make sure to treat them right:)

*My KORK-EASE sandals were a wise investment for me.  They are SO comfortable, I can wear them for hours and I think they are cute.  Wanting to get these ones too for this summer.

*My Birkenstocks are one of my favorites.  They are very supportive and last forever!  These are the ones I want for this summer!

*I also wear sneakers a lot in the spring and the summer too—>  my top favorites are the Vanguards, Superstars and Vans.

*I really want these peep toe booties to wear with my summer dresses to church etc.

*I do wear these sandals a lot because I’m obsessed with them but they aren’t very supportive so I just wear them for short amounts of time!  And these sandals (from Free People) are on my current wish-list.  

Next I will do my favorite running clothes finds right now!!!  What’s worth the investment and what things I think to go cheap with:)

—————————————————————-

Ever had a foot injury?  What was it?  How long did it hurt for?

Do you snack on raw veggies often?  Plain or do you add something to them?  Also, what is your most common snack that you eat?

What about you… any tips on how to stop the self-defeating thoughts during your running?

What is your run today?