Catch up time + need some running/workout MOTIVATION for when the going gets tough… I’ve got it for YOU!

Seven and a half miles to start off my week of running!  We have company staying over at our house and luckily I have gotten really good at tip-toeing out of the house for my run (because I do NOT want to wake up our kids before they are ready to be awake… we pay for it the entire day;) without anyone hearing me.  I took a few breaks along the 70 minutes of running.  I’m still loving running easy and doing whatever pace my body tells me to do.

When I got home Andrew was on the porch.  We just sat there and talked for a minute before going inside (Brooke was still asleep).  I told him this needs to be our thing to start off the day just talking outside the two of us.  He agreed (well, at least he told me he thought it was a good idea;).

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It’s the thought that counts… I got out all of my strength training stuff and right as I did, Brooke came out to snuggle.  Strength will happen today.  Probably.  Maybe.

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This may look like a bowl of grapes but the cottage cheese is in there too… it’s all about having the right ratio of grapes to cottage cheese.

A bowl (or two… I had some with my dinner too) a day keeps the doctor away.

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Yesterday as I was brushing through Brooke’s hair I realized I’m sure going to have a lot of hair to do each day once this new baby girl joins us.  I’m guessing my hair will be in ponytails more and more;)

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I had a bunch of things to get done yesterday so I was out and about and while I was at a store they had The Price is Right on…  I used to watch this show with my mom every morning while she was on the treadmill when I was a little girl.  Maybe that is why I always beat Andrew at the check stand game when we guess how much everything is going to add up to;)

While I was gone, Andrew and Brooke went to kangaroo zoo with Andrew’s brother and his family!  Andrew’s brother is here from Hawaii so they stayed with us!

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I was starving after my errands… it was lunchtime… and peanut butter sounded good so a quick smoothie on the way home did the trick.

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We hung out with family for awhile and then when Andrew went to take them up north, Brooke and I made a stop at Target.

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Brooke has found the one effective bedtime stalling method… she started scratching my feet and it worked.  This was all her idea and it was brilliant.

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PS on Sunday night we made steak, salad, corn on the cob and had some cantaloupe and watermelon too… aka my ideal dinner right now.  I also woke up Sunday morning thinking about my favorite braided bread and we will be making this all of the time again.  Try it asap.

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We also had pb no-bake cookies.  The cookies I made each week when I was pregnant with Brooke.  I would freeze them… this pregnancy wants them too.

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Most important news.  I ate an egg Sunday afternoon.  For the first time in MONTHS.  It didn’t taste great but up until this week, I had sworn off eggs for the rest of my life.  I’m hoping that candy will join my life again soon…

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It’s hot outside.  Really hot.  And for a lot of you it is beyond humid too.  For me each year my motivation for running is usually highest during the spring and fall.  The weather is perfect during those times which makes it a million times easier for me hit my workout splits.  It is times like now (and January/February when I don’t feel my fingers for 90% of the day because I’m so cold) that I usually notice a motivation drop!   Here are a few things I think about or do to help me build that motivation back up!

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*“The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in war.”  Ed Eyestone (an Olympic marathoner/long distance runner and he was the head coach for the BYU cross-country team).  I LOVE this quote and it is definitely a big motivator for me to keep training hard.  Race day is going to hurt a little less (or you’ll be faster and hurt the same;) if you work hard in your training.  If you’ve got fall races coming up, remember that all of the sweat now is going to make race day even sweeter.

*I think about how much I miss running when I don’t have it.  I’ve got some time up in the future (not sure if I will be able to run this entire pregnancy and I am definitely taking time off after delivery) where I won’t be running.  When my motivation is low I think about the times I have gone without it, how much I miss it and that get’s me out the door to enjoy the miles.

*Getting back in shape is really hard.  Harder for me than running in the super hot or super cold.  Something that keeps me getting out the door to train when the temperatures are rough is remembering how hard it is to get back into running shape again.  It motivates me to keep my fitness when the going gets tough.

*I think about the months of running on snow and ice and how that is a lot harder for me than a lil’ heat… that always toughens me right up to get out and run.

*The work you are doing now is going to make your fall running even more enjoyable.  If you are progressing now and getting out there to work your hardest, when those temperatures start dropping again you are going to feel unstoppable.  Training in the heat/humidity now is going to make you such a strong runner and your fall times will be awesome.

*Celebrate your run today with going to 7-11 afterwards for A FREE SLURPEE:)  That’s going to motivate me to get up and run in the heat today:)

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Have a favorite game show now or for when you were younger?

-The other night we watched Family Feud and I loved it.  When I was younger my favorite game shows were Price is Right, Supermarket Sweep and Press Your Luck (did anyone else love that one… NO WHAMMY!!!)

Do you notice a drop in motivation when temperatures get hot?

Ever make homemade bread?  I would love your recipe if you don’t mind sharing it!

What fruit do you eat most often right now?

-Grapes.

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41 comments

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Thanks for sharing this bread recipe! I was hoping you would since it showed up on your Instagram the other day. The cookie recipe was just a fun extra ;)

https://maureengetsreal.wordpress.com/

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I am most motivated to run in winter. I know it is crazy, but it makes me warm and even sweat when I run on the TM. And I love the mental alertness it gives me with less daylight hours.
Summer is more for play……hiking, lake swimming, tennis etc.

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I love that Erica… remind me these reasons when it gets cold again:) I hope you are having a beautiful week so far!

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A drop of motivation when temperatures get hotter? Yes, YES… YES!!!!!! But ultimately what gets me out the door is knowing that if I’m able to run in such hard conditions like the extremely humid and hot summer of Miami, I could run anywhere. Probably, I’d run faster on races by the end of the year when the temperatures get a little better.

Pineapples are the fruit that I eat more often these days. Also, lots of berries. I absolutely love them. I’m not a huge fan of cottage cheese but for some reason I’m feeling curious to try your recipe ;)

Love all the exciting thoughts on having another baby girl<3. I have always wanted one. However, people tell me that boys are easier, what do you and Andrew think about this?:)

Hope you have another wonderful day, Janae!

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Love this and you and Andrew starting the day together :)

That bread seriously looks SO good. And the fruits I’m loving right now are bananas and strawberries (I put them on granola)!!

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Blueberries!!!

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I’m eating a ton of watermelon right now! it’s the only thing that really satisfies me in the summer after running in the heat. I loved price is right! I always watched it when I was home sick from school. I still watch it if I catch it on tv :) I loved supermarket sweep too, that isn’t on enough anymore. there has to be a channel that still plays it!

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I did like Press Your Luck and Price Is Right (loved it) and Wheel of Fortune. My motivation does drop during hot humid summer months. But I’m not sure my motivation is dropping so much, as I tend to get heat headaches really easily. So it’s more of a reluctance and not wanting to provoke one, as opposed to not being motivated. And…I actually hate to sweat. lol I have yet to find a way around heat headaches. My current fave fruit(s) are strawberries all the way (it’s sort of insane right now), with watermelon, peaches and cantaloupe as close seconds. The last 2 weeks have been a total fruit binge.

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HAHA good to hear from other Press Your Luck fans:) Heat headaches… oh that sounds awful Michele, I am so sorry! I hope you have some strawberries and watermelon ASAP!! Keep the fruit binge going strong!

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I do not mean this to sound critical at all – but it took me clicking through I think 4 different blog posts of yours to get to the actual bread recipe… any chance you could just link to the recipe itself? Would just be easier, but maybe there’s some kind of blog rule that doesn’t allow you to do that. Just curious!

I don’t really make regular bread, but I am pretty good at banana bread, pumpkin bread, apple cinnamon bread, blueberry lemon bread… any kind of dessert-y type bread. I don’t really use a recipe though – I make them all enough that I know what it should look like so I try to come up with creative, healthier alternatives to sub in when I make them. The last time I made banana bread, it had no sugar, no oil, and only coconut flour (no white flour) in it, and it was THE BEST! I told myself it was better for me that way.

I have been on a HUGE cherry kick right now. They’re expensive, but so good!

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SORRY ABOUT THAT!!! I’ll fix that! I wanted to link to the post where I talked about all of my favorite recipes to make:) I didn’t realize that from there it linked to a previous blog post! I’ll fix that so that on my favorite recipes post it goes straight to the recipe! Thanks for letting me know:) Ohhhh apple cinnamon bread sounds SO good right now! THANK YOU!! I hope you are having a great day Rhiannon! Have some delicious cherries soon!

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I loved watching the Price is Right as a kid, and I still love it now. I have warm fuzzy childhood memories of watching it with my mom, and now it’s fun to watch with my girls because they love it too. If we’re home when it’s on & able to catch it – we do. Although Drew Carey has improved somewhat as the host, no one will ever replace Bob Barker.

A bread recipe we LOVE is beer bread. I’m pretty sure the alcohol bakes out, but you can use a non-alcoholic beer if you’d like, but I think you have to add some yeast. It’s a simple recipe and the bread is delicious!! http://www.food.com/recipe/beer-bread-73440

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I AM DROOLING over this recipe Amanda, thank you SO much! I can’t wait to make this:) I agree, Bob Barker was my favorite but Drew Carey does a really good job… I can’t wait until Brooke wants to watch it with me like your girls do! Enjoy your day Amanda!

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I really like that quote. It’s definitely true! My motivation comes and goes. Now it’s pretty low which is fine…Running is always there when you want to come back.

Grapes are probably my fruit…now I’m craving them LOL.

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Happy Tuesday Janae!!!!

I lose motivation in the summer when it is hot but I had a big win yesterday and ran 4 miles…slower than a turtle but I FINISHED and I felt SO good.
My fav fruit is pineapple but also anything that is in season because in Wisco it isn’t the easiest to find good fruit!

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The cold always lowes my motivation. But the other thing that lowers my motivation is when I’m not feeling like I’m making progress in my training.

Super market sweep was my favorite!!! And price is right but it’s not as fun now that bob barker is gone

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I love that quote!!

I think my motivation drops lowest during the winter months, especially after a fall marathon training session.

I cannot get enough watermelon, cherries, and grapes!

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Oh my goodness Supermarket Sweep used to be my jam. My sister and I would watch it all the time. To this day one of my most favorite weekly activities is grocery shopping :)

During the Summer I can’t stop eating blueberries, they are just so good; I’ve been eating a lot of cherries to which is new to me.

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That humidity is a killer! I’ve been trying to hit the road running before the sun is in full swing and that makes SUCH a difference.

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My favorite game show growing up was Wheel of Fortune. For some reason I called it “D.” My brother is 10 years younger than me and when he was little he also called it “D” without any of us telling him to. Weird huh?

I have less motivation to run in the winter when it gets cold. It’s too cold in the morning and then it get dark earlier in the day so the amount of time to run is limited. Usually January-February are my hardest months to keep my mileage up.

Pineapple and watermelon are my favorite summer fruits. So refreshing!

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Okay, I LOVE that you both called it D!!! I LOVED (love) that show too… I used to always watch it with my mom! I agree January/February are ROUGH for my running! I hope you have a great day and that you get some pineapple and watermelon asap Sloan!

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My motivation has definitely dropped down since the warmer weather (and humidity in Maine) have struck…plus I’m about 5 weeks away from my due date :) It’s mostly ALL belly though and people keep asking if I’m overdue/having twins.

The cottage cheese thing is funny- I never liked cottage cheese as a kid/adult but in early pregnancy I was determined to do WHATEVER to be healthy (maintain safe fitness/running routine and get all the best nutrients) so I’ve been doing fruit and cottage cheese throughout! I still can’t eat it by itself, but the benefits > my dislike. Also around 18ish weeks all I wanted to eat was eggs + avocado + toast for dinner, and that’s still fairly true :)

Favorite fruit right now: berries! It’s strawberry picking season here, blackberries and raspberries are also coming out. I’ve been eating a lot of them as snacks/dessert and then doing a berry smoothie in the morning when I’m not feeling great but know it’s important to eat up!

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Ooooooo, what’s on your scrambled eggs on toast?

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HEY AMY!!! It was so boring… just egg and avocado ha! I need to be more adventurous! I hope you are having a beautiful day!

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My big brothers and I LOVED the Price is Right! We had half days at school one friday a month, and we’d all rush home to watch it while we ate our lunch!
I am so much more motivated when it’s cold out than when it’s hot. I always say I’m much more of a winter runner; I trained for a March marathon through a frigid Boston winter last year and loved every minute of it. I cramp up so bad when it’s hot out!
I am legit terrible at making homemade bread, so I won’t burden you with the recipe I have failed to correctly complete on multiple occasions.
I’ve been hitting the berries hard this summer. I also bought a bag of those trader joes frozen mango chunks and ate them right out of the bag! it was delicious.

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Oh I love that memory you have with your brothers Kerri! A March marathon… you are impressive! I hope you have some berries soon and thank you for reminding me of those frozen mango chunks from TJ’s… they are the best!

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I eat a ton of blueberries…I’m basically a blueberry myself. Like the girl in Willy Wonka. Oh and peaches, lots of peaches and yogurt.

Great tips for staying motivated! My best personal motivation is know I simply feel like a better me if I run in the morning – my morning miles set me up for a great day!

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I agree, the hotter the temperatures, the less I feel like running in them. My main strategy is to get up EARLY and bead the heat that way. But, I love your mindset on hard runs so I think I will adopt it :)

Current fruit addiction is watermelon and grapes. SO refreshing, especially with all the warm weather!

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we totally always watched the price is right too! right now i STILL watch wheel of fortune most nights! haha – hmm…i about the fruit..i had some AMAZING strawberries and blueberries last week….

totally pinned that bread recipe. looks delish! i LOVE making homemade cinnamon rolls and make the recipe from the blog twopeasandtheirpod !

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As kids we watched fear factor every Monday night with my mom my dad had his church meetings. Also I’m super into peaches and cherries right now! I’m missing South Carolina peach stands!!

Also Brooke is one smart kid… I was always searching for was to get out of bed time, never thought of that one!… my go to was “my eyes are bleeding”, never seemed to work… She is going places!

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AAAAHHHH YES Fear Factor, I totally remember watching that too! Thanks for reminding me:) Haha my eyes are bleeding sounds like a really good option to me!!!

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I loved the price is right when bob barker was the host! He was kind of creepy in a funny way :) not sure if that makes sense? I still watch jeopardy and feel like a genius when I answer questions right!
I’m slowly getting back into running shape and I’m having such a hard time with the heat! If I don’t run by 8am I know I’m going to be miserable. I like fall running the best. :) Have a wonderful day!

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ALL the game shows!! Yes, Press Your Luck, Hollywood Squares, $1000 Pyramid, Sale of the Century, Price is Right, Family Feud. My summers were spent watching t.v. and I LOVED it :)

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I eat so much watermelon right now.

And yes – I make my own bread and bread rolls but I just use a bread maker. Best invention for lazy girls ever.

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I have so many memories of watching Press Your Luck at my grandparents’ house when I was a little kid. Love it!

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heat and humidity are my motivational meltdowns……blahhhhh. If it’s hot, humid, but cloudy I do a bit better because the sun isn’t burning my eyeballs (I hate direct sun on my face when I run so I usually look sketchy with sunglasses and my hat pulled way down over my face.)

I checked out your braided bread and it’s very similar to my favorite Finn Biscuit. Finn Bread is a braided bread with cardamon added. It’s so good. I make it every Thanksgiving-New Years. Best toasted with butter. There’s a glaze that’s coffee, molasses, and sugar that you baste on top when done. But you can skip that and just do an egg wash. Seriously, when you want something a little different (and it makes great french toast) try adding some cardamon to the egg step of your recipe.

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We watch Jeopardy and then make fun of wheel of fortune. IDKY, it’s always kind of goofy to me.

I prefer running in the cold to the heat and since humidity was high today I had to talk myself into 3 miles. (It gone done and the glute/hamstring only twinged a tiny bit for a few seconds towards the end. It’s still tight to stretch it though).

I haven’t made yeast bread in awhile, it was pretty good when I did make it though. Generally I do sweeter breads.

I’m mostly eating berries but I had a delicious yellow mango today.

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I just had a baby 2 months ago and I also had more aversions than cravings. I used to always fuel with candy corn and even now the thought disgusts me ;) With both pregnancies, I lived off watermelon (hard when you’re pregnant in the fall/winter, peppermint patties and those no-bake cookies. They are the best! I was living in NC at the time and you can often find homemade ones on the counter at the convenience store :)

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I usually take the entire summer off from running (South Florida heat and 90% humidity every morning!) and while the humidity will drop during the day it only gets hotter by the minute. But we *really* wanted to run a specific race that is in early September so I’m now training through this summer. Oh the misery!

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I need to remember how I feel after a run and how much better my day is in terms of handling stress. It is hard in the humidity of FL summer though! My motivation for running yesterday was a beverage too!

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BIG MONEY! BIG MONEY! BIG MONEY! Game shows were my childhood. And Quantum Leap. Cause that is a normal show for a 10year old.

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