Behind the scenes, my first post-baby mile repeats & my hair will help you realize you are having a great hair day.

The only time I could run yesterday was early in the morning so I decided to hit the gym and pay for a day pass to run on the treadmill.  Sometimes my treadmill wakes up the kids and I did not want that to happen so the $5 was worth it.  I decided that it was time to try out some mile repeats which I was a bit nervous about because it has been a year since the last time I did those.  A year is a long time but not long enough to forget how bad mile repeats can hurt;)

I started off with a warm-up for 1.5 miles and then I started my first mile repeat.  When I do speed work on the treadmill, I don’t start counting the repeat until the treadmill has reached the speed that I am doing the interval at.. it’s my weird treadmill ocd habit but I like going the full distance at the speed I set it to and not counting the parts that it is speeding up.  I had the treadmill that is under the fan (hallelujah it was open) and set the treadmill to .5% incline.  My first interval was a 6:54 and it felt hard but not like I was pushing myself too hard and decided to push myself a bit more for each one after that.  After each interval I did a .4 mile jog and then got started on the next one.  The second mile repeat was at 6:49 and my third was at 6:45.

Mile repeats teach me patience because for the first .25 I feel like I could totally go faster and run a new world record but then when I get to about .6 miles of the repeat I am so grateful I didn’t go full speed in the beginning because I am tired!

I finished with 6.8 miles total for the day and excited to see how I can improve my mile repeats over time!

My friend said on a post yesterday, progress is progress.  Yep, I like that.  Enjoy the progress you are making right now whether it is small or huge, it’s progress.

During the drive to/from the gym and my warm-up/cool-down I listened to this podcast (I NEED music during speedwork)!  I love Ali’s podcast and this was such a good episode with Emma Coburn.  I love what Emma had to say about body image and seeing her body as a tool for all of the amazing things that she gets to do with it!

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I fixed my hair after the warm-up because it kept falling down and then after my workout I went into the bathroom.  Turns out I created a large bump.  Mornings are rough but I hope it helped others at the gym to realize they were having a better hair day than me at least;)

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I got home and still had some time so I got out my resistance band (even though I was tempted to just lay on my mat and scroll through instagram).

Yesterday I did three sets of:

12 lying leg raises per leg

12 squats

12 lying hip abductions per leg

And then three sets of:

12 hip thrusts

12 side step squats per leg

12 donkey kicks per leg

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Here are what a few of those moves look like if you are wondering:

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Happy to see each other in the mornings:

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While the big kids were at school, I decided to join Skye while she took her nap.  Gotta take advantage of the times they still want to cuddle.

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And then later on Andrew had a break from school and we picked up the kids and went to lunch!

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We are back to hot chocolate season.

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After a few days of being out and about a bunch it was nice to be home for most of the day.  Skye is sure trying hard to find that thumb of hers!

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Skye put on her onesie from Sarah Marie Design Studio:

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And behind the scenes, the making of the above picture ha!

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We had chicken tortilla soup for dinner!

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Do any other This is Us fans look at crock-pots much differently now… I just want to unplug every crock-pot that I see.

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We also tried out the cornbread from KodiakCakes.  It was good but not as good as some of the other cornbread mixes I have used (Famous Dave’s is my favorite but it probably isn’t as healthy so maybe that is why I love the taste so much ha)!

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A chocolate covered strawberry for dessert!

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It must be tiring waking up your parents all night;)

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Just one of the thousands of reasons to run… a great article here:

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Do you like cilantro?  Does it taste like soap for anyone reading?

This is a random question but Andrew and I were talking about it so I wanted to ask you too… What stores do you think offer the best customer service?  

-My top 3… Costco, Nordstrom & Amazon.  As far as food goes, Chick-fil-a wins.

Any fun Friday night plans?

Do you prefer longer intervals or shorter intervals for your speed workouts?

-Longer… 400s kill me off!

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59 comments

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Those cheeks :-)

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RIGHT!?! I kiss them a million times a day ha. I hope you are having a great day Kendra!

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Wow! Good job on the mile repeats! I pick the 400ms any day ha tempo runs are the hardest mentally for me but mile repeats are a close second. So true for crockpots and This is Us! I used it last weekend but can’t turn it on without thinking about Jack :-)

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Teach me to like 400s please Mel! HAHAH glad I’m not alone about the crockpot thing… I’m still heartbroken. Have a wonderful day Mel!

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Great work on the mile repeats! That might be my least favorite workout ever ;)
I like cilantro sometimes…only if it’s completely mixed in. Like in guacamole!
Have a great weekend!

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OMG, I absolutely look at crock pots differently now—they make me so nervous! For customer service, I’m with you on Chick-fil-A, and I’ve always had really great experiences with Southwest Airlines and Victoria’s Secret people. They’re so friendly and helpful!

I really like 800s for intervals, though once I get started with mile repeats, I actually always enjoy them. But I usually dread the workout beforehand—ha! HAPPY FRIDAY!!! :)

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By the way, way to kick tail on those mile repeats, Janae!!!!

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Oh thanks girl!!! Oh you are SO right about Southwest, I totally agree. I hope you are having a beautiful Friday Natalie!

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Loved the running article! I have managed my migraines through running. It took me a lot of years to figure out I had stress induced migraines and once I made it a priority to run and work-out consistently (not excessively), my stress levels have remained in check. I have made it over 1 year migraine free! It was so interesting to see the impact running can have on memory as well. Thanks for sharing!
PS- short intervals for speed work… every time! :)

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That is so great that running has helped with your migraines Elizabeth. Wow, over a year… I am SO happy that it has helped you so much. Running is the best. I hope you have a great weekend girl!

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Your question about cilantro made me laugh out loud! That is so random! I like cilantro :-)

This post made me so happy and put me in such a good mood today! Skye is just precious and Brookes face in the picture at the restaurant was so funny! I loved watching her and Knox be goofy with Andrew to get Skye to light up for her picture!

I want tortilla soup and corn bread so bad now – I think I know what’s for dinner at my house tonight!! Have a really awesome Friday, Janae!

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Oh thank you so much Torrie:) I hope you have your delicious tortilla soup and corn bread tonight. ENJOY!!

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I love cilantro!
Best customer service – technically not a physical store but Zappo’s provides hands-down the BEST customer experience. I actually used to work in customer service and people have done studies on how great their CS is and what other companies can learn from them.
SHORT intervals for sure! Mile repeats kill me – kudos to you, you did amazing with yours! 400s are my favorite because I feel like I can do more (as in the overall distance I run with shorter repeats is much better than mile repeats). I don’t mind 800s either. Sometimes I get real wild and crazy and combine 400s or 800s with incline intervals too…only if I am feeling very brave!

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Oh you are SO right about Zappo’s, they are the best! TEACH ME TO LOVE 400s please! I need to try a 400/800 workout soon. I hope you have a wonderful day Rhiannon!

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Love fresh cilantro (not the dried spice in a jar)
I agree with you on Nordstrom and Chick-Fil-a. And Natalie is right about Southwest Airlines. It’s the airline I use for work travel and have always had good experiences with them, no matter where I fly.
No Friday night plans. Resting up for a run in the morning for Steps for Students. It’s the 13th year for the event and it has over 10,000 runners in downtown Houston. It is a lot of fun. Saturday night sleepover for the kids.
Love the pictures of your family. So cute!! And you deserve a rest with Skye after rocking those intervals.
Have a great weekend Janae!

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Yep, SO right about Southwest (a big reason I’m so happy my brother works for them now)! WOW, Steps for Students sounds absolutely amazing Kate. Have a great time and let me know how it goes. Thanks so much and enjoy your weekend!

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Free flights now?

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I wish! We might get a discount but I’m not sure yet! My parents get to now:)

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I love cilantro! I could put it on anything! My friend made homemade hummus with lime and cilantro and it was absolutely incredible. Good job rocking those mile repeats! I haven’t done mile repeats in quite a while. My favorite speed workout is 400’s — so much fun!

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Thanks so much Dawn!! I hope you have a delicious meal with cilantro soon!

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We are celebrating valentines tonight by ordering in.

I don’t mind cilantro in soup but I don’t care much for it on anything else.

I’m going to have to say longer intervals today. I did short ones this morning and I about died.

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Jenny, have SO much fun celebrating Valentines tonight! What are you ordering in? I hope your weekend is a great one!

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Probably some Chinese food or something else we know the kids don’t like but we do. :)

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Sounds perfect! Enjoy!

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I love cilantro but my husband and sister both hate it and say it tastes like soap! So must be fairly common. Thanks for the chicken tortilla recipe last week. Made it Sunday and it was delicious. Love the “progress is progress” quote!! And yes, will never look at my Crockpot the same again!! Haha

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Yes, I actually know a lot of people that think that too.. so weird. I am SO glad you loved the soup and good to know that I’m not the only one that has crockpot issues now ha. Have a great weekend April!

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Love reading about your running workouts! Question: What pace/speed do you do your jogs in between your mile repeats? Just curious how slow you take your jogging when doing speedwork. I never know how slow to go!

Thanks and have a great day!!

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HEY ASHLEY!! It usually changes depending on how I am feeling and how tired I am after the interval but for short ones (like 1 minute intervals) I go to like an 8-8:30 pace but for the mile repeats I went from around a 9:40-10:40 pace afterwards to recover. Thanks so much and let me know if you have any other questions! Have a fabulous weekend!

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I love cilantro, but it tastes like soap for my mom, which i find SO WEIRD. And I agree that amazon has great customer service!
Friday nights have gotten so boring for me now that I’m in the “I can’t wait to get this race over with” phase of marathon training. I’ve been doing my long runs on Saturday mornings, so friday nights are crucial rest times for me.
I like sort of medium intervals for my speed workouts; half miles feel great to me! anything more feels terrible, and anything less feels like I’m playing with the speed too much.
Happy Weekend!

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I heard that stock for crock pots fell after This Is Us! I have no idea if that’s true or not but I could definitely see it happening. There’s a video of Milo Ventimiglia reading Tweets after the Super Bowl episode and telling people not to blame crock pots.
That picture of Skye is precious, even more so with the picture of Andrew, Knox, and Brooke!

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Cilantro tastes like soap/creosote/tar to me…bleh. Tempo runs, hill repeats, fast(er) finishes, and fartleks are the only speed work I will do now. Too old, cranky, and crunchy for true repeats.

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I am obsessed with cilantro. Wegmans sells a cilantro chutney that I put on everything!

Also, I think Trader Joe’s has the best customer service. I always leave with a smile because the cashiers are so friendly. :) Happy Friday Janae! I can only wish for a “bad hair day” like yours. Beautiful as always!

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You are so kind Danielle:) I totally agree with you about TJ’s… I always leave in such a good mood because they are friendly and because I have delicious food to take home ha! Have a great weekend Danielle!

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Cilantro does taste like soap. Is it weird that I kind of like that? Yes it is. I know it is. I do not; however, like cilantro left over.
Walmart grocery pick up peeps and Chick-Fil-A.
I plan to be lazy tonight!
I would say shorter because they are over faster. But, I am also pretty new to actually doing any kind of speed work like I should.
Can Skye be in my run squad? :) She is so cute!

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I love your new Launch’s! I really want them but they just don’t fit my feet very well. Maybe you could hint to Brooke’s to do that design in the PureFlows! I love cilantro, it does not taste like soap! I agree that Chick-Fil-A has great customer service as does Kohls (at least the one we have here). I did speedwork this morning. 400s are awful but I always seem to enjoy the 800s. No big Friday night plans. Will be nice to just stay home.

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I do not like cilantro. My daughter loves it, she eats it off of everyone’s cafe rio salads. She just loves the taste of it.

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Do you ever use crockpot liners, Janae?

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I haven’t tried them but I should!

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What do you think of cooking with the plastic though? I have mixed feelings because its supposed to make cleaning the slow cooker better.

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Amazon does have good customer service, and definately Chick Fil A.
I am ashamed to admit I don’t really do much speedwork. I prefer the long runs, and I know that doing speed work will help out my paces and my endurance and maybe even the few pounds I want to lose and on and on, but I just really love getting out and running. I will (eventually) get better about speed work:)

Tonight is a run after work, house sitting, and (hopefully) my favorite burrito from the best local place for Tex Mex……if the line isn’t too long, ha!

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I definitely view crockpots differently these days!

And just a friendly reminder, from someone who used to work in the treadmill industry, if you aren’t running at a 1% incline, you are not running on a flat road but at a slight decline. I wish every treadmill was forced to have a sign on it stating that.

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AHHHH LIZ… thank you SO much for telling me this. I seriously have always wondered about this. So why don’t they just make 0% similar to a flat road of running? So strange ha. I’ll get back to that 1% incline. THANKS and have a great weekend!

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What cute pictures of Skye and the making of that reaction!

Great article! And impressive that the exercising mice averaged 5 km a day!

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Why do you want to unplug crockpots?

I LOVE Cilantro! Delicious! Not soapy.

Best customer service: LL Bean, Gap, Amazon.

Friday night is pizza night at the Hancock House!

Shorter Intervals please.

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Just because on the show the crockpot caused a fire because they left it on (well, the switch was broken) and unplugged so I view it differently now ha. Have so much fun with pizza night… can we come?! Thanks Tonya!

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cilantro = soap

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Your kids are too cute!!

I love cilantro, but I think it’s one of those herbs that people either love or hate.

Best customer service: Costco, Apple, and Ebay.

I am running with the hubs tonight and then he is taking our niece to her father/daughter dance so I am going have a Mario Kart race off with my kids :)

I really like 800s, anything shorter kicks my booty!

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Amazon has the best customer service in my opinion. At our old house, we had quite a few packages stolen and they were so quick to replace them with no questions asked.
My husband and I are going out for dinner tonight to celebrate Valentines Day since I was out of town for work on the actual day. I hope you guys have such a great weekend!!

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EVERYONE at Wegman’s is amazingly nice. Orvis is also great (and awesome for everything Dog related).

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I’m definitely on the “cilantro tastes like soap” train. I hate it!

Zulily has fantastic customer service, which is great because I order form there approximately 5 times a week….

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I wore a headband for my run this morning that was moving around a bunch and I got home and saw I had your same hairdo. I had to giggle and figured I gave a few people a good laugh.
That run squad pic of Skye is so adorable, and then I love seeing the behind the scenes to get her to smile! Also the look on her face seeing Brooke in the morning is precious!

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Hey Janae! I was curious… Do you have DR (diastasis recti) after having Skye? Since I have basically gone through this whole pregnancy and postpartum journey beside you I was just curious….

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Hey Lexi! I do not! Do you?

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Wow! You must have not stretched out much with her. My belly was huuuuge. I’m slightly jealous.

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I love cilantro…:)

Friday night plans = watching the Olympics.

I haven’t done intervals in awhile but they hurt either way, so no preference ha!

Happy Friday!

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I like cilantro but I don’t like it a ton of it at one time. (but I am that way with most herbs – except for basil which I can eat straight off the plant). I have had people tell me cilantro tastes like soap to them.

I am not afraid of my crock pot but I would be if it had a fabric cord. (My mom gave me her 1970’s fryer and I won’t use it. I don’t trust certain older appliances. Nothing is as terrifying as the old pressure cookers though).

Best customer service: Nordstrom, Kohls and Trader Joe’s. People are pleasant and returns are easy peasy.

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Aloha! I love cilantro, can’t say I have noticed it tasting like soap but will give it more thought when I eat it again.

This is a random question but Andrew and I were talking about it so I wanted to ask you too… What stores do you think offer the best customer service? this is tough these days…and a major reason why most retail is struggling. On Oahu, I really enjoy experiences at Foodland, City Mill and my Starbucks
locations where they know me by name.

Any fun Friday night plans? Going to sleep early…I have a race on Monday morning and desperately need to recapture some mojo for it! Yikes, wish me luck and send me some speedy vibes please! ?

Do you prefer longer intervals or shorter intervals for your speed workouts? Shorter please. Definitely.

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My brother, my mom, and I all HATE cilantro! It is actually our “secret word”. Basically….if we ever call one another and someone says… “I need you to pick up cilantro”, or “i’m eating a lot of cilantro on my salad”…that means that that person is in grave danger to call 9-1-1 because we would never ever says those things and it being truthful :-P

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Do you like cilantro? Does it taste like soap for anyone reading? Cilantro does not taste like soap to me, but I HATE the taste of it. When I go out to eat, I always ask for no cilantro and never cook with it at home.

This is a random question but Andrew and I were talking about it so I wanted to ask you too… What stores do you think offer the best customer service? Amazon and random restaurants in my area come to mind

Do you prefer longer intervals or shorter intervals for your speed workouts? Longer, I always find fast miles easier than 400s, 800s etc for some reason. Not sure if this is normal?

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