How to Make Your FAST Stuff Feel Easier + The Best Cookie Recipe + Worrying.

I have a new SKYE UPDATE!  4 Months—>  You can find it HERE.

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9.65 miles done before this little one needed to go to school.  I shouldn’t have introduced her to the idea of a piggy back into school because now she loves it and my legs want to die a little bit when we do this after a speed workout.  But it is fun and I hope she’ll still want to do this when she is in junior high or high school.

S.P.E.E.D. D.A.Y.

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Wanna know how to make your threshold pace feel a lot easier?  Do interval paces before your last set of threshold pace and it will all feel so much easier/slower because those interval paces nearly kill you off.  I am very happy with how much better my threshold pace felt yesterday compared to last week but that 6:26ish pace was no joke.  For my rests/recovery I walked.

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2.08 (I wanted to cross a busy road before I started the first interval) mile w/u @ 9:02 average pace, 2 miles @ 6:58, 2 x 5:00 (both of those were at 6:25 average pace), 2 miles @ 6:55, 2 mile c/d.    The hardest part of this workout was the last 90 seconds of those 5 minute intervals, ouch.  I just had to go to my happy place during those portions and think about donuts, baby cuddles and my bed.  It was one of those times where I also repeated to myself over and over again, ‘you can do ANYTHING for 90 seconds.’   It’s really strange but as much as those portions really hurt, I love them because they make me feel strong and awake ha.

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We ran out of bananas so I switched things up a little bit before my run.  I had a piece of toast before feeding Skye and then this gel right before I left along with water.  A few of you told me yesterday that this was the best huma flavor and you are very very right.  A step in the right direction!

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Not sure when I stepped in some puddles but turns out that I did.  Sometimes I get so into the zone that I don’t really notice things like puddles.  I am really loving the PureFlow 7s for speed so far.  I’ll post a full review when I get a few more workouts in on them.

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During the warm-up I listened to a short podcast from Bold New Mom.  I thought I skipped over the postpartum anxiety thing but it is showing up lately so I’m really working on controlling my thoughts and not worrying so much (not just about Skye but also the big kids).  She included a quote that I loved, ‘Worry is a misuse of the imagination.”  Whenever I need some self-help stuff to listen to, I listen to her podcast.  It was nice to listen to before the workout started too because it was a good reminder to be present and in the moment.

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Skye joined me for some post-run stretching.  My right glute was definitely tight after that run  Do you ever find that one side of your body gets injured more often than the other?  Does one side tighten up more than the other?  For me, my right leg has been injured more often and it usually feels more tight than the other.  I’m guessing this is due to my left side being a bit weak and my right side overcompensating for that… gotta get that figured out.

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Andrew had a great run too.  He has his speed workout on Thursday—>  muhahah he always hates me for a second when I give him a hard workout to do.

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As far as food goes yesterday for after my run, lunch and snacks—>  protein shake, hard boiled eggs (a favorite snack of mine right now but I just need to do a better job of peeling them), Kodiakcake pancakes, sun chips galore (those things are addicting) and an apple/pb.

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Skye had a wellness check yesterday.  As you can tell, these are not her favorite.

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She had to have a few more shots but she handled them pretty well and was sleeping for the rest of the day.

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Later on we went on a walk/bike ride.  Brooke and Knox ride their bikes quite differently.  Brooke goes in a straight line and she is very cautious of everything around her, Knox loves weaving in and around things and going as fast as he can ha.  They are very similar in some ways but very different in other ways!

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This arrived so I’m pretty sure it is the only thing we will be watching as a family anymore.

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Dinner was one of our favorite easy meals—>  roasted broccoli, rice, cheese, chicken and we added corn and beans this time too.  It’s a meal that our kids will gladly eat too.

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We finished off the day with The Greatest Showman and lots of stretching for me.  I’ve got a 15 miler to recover for this week.

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Flashback to a few days ago—>  The kids requested another cooking class on Sunday.  My definition of cooking class = attempt to teach them how to cook things that sound really good to me.

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We made Megan D’s cookies!  We took them to my nephew’s bday party and my family loved them too.  I am sad to say that we did not have the butterscotch chips (and used white chocolate chips instead) but they were still delicious.  Don’t make my mistake though because the butterscotch chips take it to the next level.

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Here is her recipe!

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I hope you have an amazing day.

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Another reminder for the latest Skye Update HERE!

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Does one side of your body get injured more often than the other side?  What has been the cause of most/some of your injuries?

Last type of cookie that you ate?

What was the last movie that you watched?

What did you have for dinner last night?

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58 comments

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My yoga tune up teacher always says that most people have imbalances between one side and the other. Finding why is the challenge! In my case, I am a pronator and the right foot pronates more than the left one. It used to affect my right hamstring, hip and IT band. And then my chiropractor made me orthotics to wear in my running shoes and it solved the issue. Problem right now is they don’t fit in my levitates and I love them. May have to considere another shoe for my long run.

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My left side gets tighter than my right and I’m certain it has to do with my form which I am working on. I started weight training my legs (after neglecting them for too long) and I have felt a major improvement. Between that and Zumba which really helps loosen up my hips and back, I have felt a lot more balanced.
PS- we are still listening to the Greatest Showman almost every night while I cook dinner! OH BAM! :-)

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Awesome job on your workout—you killed it, Janae!! And I love that quote about worrying being a misuse of the imagination. I need to remind myself of that more often!

The last movie I watched was Pitch Perfect 3 on the plane to Texas over the weekend. I still need to see The Greatest Showman!

Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!!

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My right side tends to be injured more, mainly because I have a weak left hip so I overcompensate as well! I am trying really hard to do all the stretches my PT gave me to strengthen my hip because, right now, it hurts most days after my run.

The last cookie I had was a chocolate chip cookie. I really want to perfect my recipe for these so may need to test out Megan D’s and see how they turn out and make adjustments to my own recipe.

Last movie I watched was The Prince of Egypt. It is so visually stunning and the music is amazing!

Dinner was supposed to be a Spanish omelet but ended up just sandwiches as both my husband and I weren’t feeling all the best.

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Last kind of cookie I had was thin mints!!
Last movie I watched was Along Came Polly. I’ve never watched it all the way through and it was pretty funny!
Dinner last night was Greek style chicken with sweet potato fries.

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Now you have me needing some Girl Scout Cookies! And your dinner last night sounds amazing! Have a beautiful day Catie!

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InstantPot hard boiled eggs almost always peel easily. It’s amazing!

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I need one now… this might be the final push for me?. Thanks Tamara!

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I second using the instant pot for hard boiled eggs. They were super easy to peel.

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if you put the egg in a cup with a tiny bit of water, cover the top of the cup with your hand and shake it up and down a few times, the egg peel will come off perfect :) I do it all the time, because my eggs use to look that that or id lose half the egg peeling it!

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Brilliant! Thank you, trying this in approximately 6 minutes!

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Right side for me too, and it is due to left side weakness.

Sorry to hear about the PP anxiety. It is so good at being convincing.
This quote is a little harsh, but I do love it when I have a runaway anxiety brain. “Tell the negative committee that meets inside your head to sit down and STFU.”

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That quote is exactly what I needed. Thank you Erica, you are the best!

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I’m so sorry about the anxiety! For some reason, adding a few minutes of meditation into my day really helps mine. Doing that helps me control the thoughts instead of letting the thoughts control me. Also, I got my first pair of Brooks running shoes yesterday! For a 5K, but still exciting. I second the instant pot hard boiled eggs. They peel like a dream! Have a great day :)

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Thank you so much Courtney! I was in a good habit of doing that and then I stopped.. time to get back to mediation for a few minutes each morning. Thank you! Yay for your first Brooks, I hope you love them so much! I hope you have a great day too and another reason I NEED an instant pot!

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I get injured on my right side. I just found out with this injury (which is actually on my left side this time) that I pronate really bad on my right side. It explains all the shin splints and the stress fracture in high school. And the pulled butt muscle in high school too.

My greatest showman is still out there somewhere. My kids are dying haha

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Really!? What shoes are you wearing now for your pronation? Injuries are the absolute worst. I hope your DVD shows up today! Have a beautiful day Jenny.

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I have worn mizuno wave riders since high school. I tried Brooks launch 3s last year and liked them but decided to go back to mizuno this time around.

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Hi Jenny, have you found a good fix for this? I’m going through something similar. I got a shin splint on my right whereas my left leg is usually the tight/weak one. My left foot is much more flexible than my right.
Thanks!
Emma

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What have you tried so far? I don’t get them anymore because I found some good arch supports that help. You might want to look into orthotics if it’s a reoccurring thing. Ice and stretch after every run. And if you can try to go to a physical therapist for some massages. I also got taped a lot with shin splints so that could help while you’re running

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Thanks for your response! I went to chiro for graston/tape last week. Getting a massage this weekend. Otherwise resting. I’m not hurting anymore but I’m scared to run and see.

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Anytime! I am just starting back after a knee injury and have that same feeling. Just take it slow when you are ready to start. Don’t be scared of the normal pain but try to pay attention to anything that might be more than that. I have mentioning this on other blogs because it feels spammy, but I have a blog and have talked about shin splints on there and other things like that you can chdo class out if you want. Janae has awesome advice here too!

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Those cookies look so good! I’m going to have to try making them this weekend.

The last movie I watched was Zoolander on Friday. While I’m a big fan of Will Ferrell (it’s how I got talked into watching), I didn’t really like it all that much. It was just too silly for me.

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Let me know what you think of them. Oh haha I haven’t seen Zoolander in forever, the second one was the absolute WORST. Don’t get talked into watching that one. Have a great day Fiona!

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My mouth is watering for that cookie. Pregnant and craving cookies. Only cookies though!

We had Chic-Fil-A for dinner last night and it was MEH. Pregnancy taste buds are a weird thing I tell ya!

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Oh those pregnancy taste buds are the worst! I hope you get some amazing cookies soon.. or I can mail you some?

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Last night for dinner I picked up a veggie rice bowl from a mexican chain called Quesada – kind of like Chipotle. I looove mexican food!! Plus it is so convenient after a long day.

My right side seems to get more aches and pains from running than my left. My right hip hurts more often and the muscles in the legs get tighter. I should really do more clamshells and stretching post run!

x Elise – http://www.thirtythoughtstoday.com

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That sounds delicious! Yes, get those clamshells in:) Have a wonderful day Elise!

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My left side is my struggle side. I just try to give it more TLC sometimes!
That speed workout was something! Whoo, go Janae! I need to do a track workout today but I don’t believe I’ll be going quite that hard! :) Your workouts always motivate me to push a little harder or go a little more, though!
Last movie – Justice League (had a free rental from Redbox). I didn’t think it was very good, to be honest.

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Oh thank you Rhiannon! Good luck on your track workout today, you are going to rock it. We will have to watch Justice League, thank you so much!

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An easy way to make the eggs easier to peel is to just pour a bunch of salt in the water that you boil them in. I saw you had other suggestions already too, but this always works for me!

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Brilliant! I will be trying this! Thanks Katie and I hope you have a great day.

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Here is the best way to peel hard boiled eggs: buy a box of them at Costco. They come in packs of two already peeled and ready to go.

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That sounds AWESOME!! We will have to try them. Thank you so much:)

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Yes, the left side is weaker than the right – imbalances cause I need to work on strengthening my glutes and strengthening in general.

Last night we had an assortment, spanakopetas, french fries, some dumplings and rice with peppers and hummus and seasoned with soy sauce – totally random but delicious!

Last type of cookie – Oreos.

Last movie – we watched Den of Thieves last night.

Have a great Wednesday!

P.S. I can’t figure out how to post a photo of my donut shoes but if you just google the saucony x dunkin Kinvara 9. I am sure images will pop up :). They are just as sweet in person as in the photos – it has been raining a lot here lately so I can’t bear to get them dirty yet haha.

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I like to share the love with injuries, both sides get plenty, LOL. As for dinner, It was an Amy’s frozen Vegan pizza and it was delicious. My current favorite cookie recipe is one I got from a friend who said it was a Mr. Food recipe for Hotel Cookies, I call them Stephanie Cookies. https://www.mrfood.com/Cookie-Recipes/Famous-Hotel-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies I name the recipes after the people I get them from so I can remember them better.

So this recipe you gave today will be called MeganD/Hungry Runner Girl Cookie. :)

Also, you give lots of great recipes, I regularly copy and paste and add to my own recipe book. Have you thought of adding a Recipe tab to the website? Or maybe even a cookbook that focuses on cookies :)

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Now I am drooling over the cookies that you just shared, I need Stephanie Cookies asap! Your wish is my command.. I’ll get working on that recipe tab right now! Thanks Tracy and have a beautiful day!

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Those cookies look awesome!!

We got The Greatest Showman too! I can’t wait to watch it again. It wasn’t the husband’s favorite, but he got it for me :)

Dinner last night was scrambled eggs with peppers, mushrooms, cheese, and salsa :) The kids have track practice from 5:30-6:30 right now, so it’s all about the quick, easy dinners!

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I definitely have one side that is tighter than the other. I notice this all the time in yoga when we are doing hip stretches. On one side I can always push my edge and make the pose even juicier, the other side is my problem child and won’t budge!

Those cookies look delicious – if I wasn’t afraid of eating them all I would make them!!!!

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My right side gets injured more than my left, too! I also have arthritis in my right knee and 4 years ago had arthroscopy for a labral tear AND ilio-psoas tendonitis in my right hip (which the docs said is also arthritic). My right gluteus medius is also just chronically under-developed (but I squat a lot and do a good amount of yoga…and just started adding barre into my routine as an experiment). I found out last summer that the arthritis that’s in my family medical history through my mom’s side also seems to be on the right side of their bodies! Sometimes I think no matter how hard you work and what efforts you make there are some genetic things you can’t escape.

Instead of telling you about dinner last night, I want to tell you that I am REALLY EXCITED for my dinner tonight! I made a really good Greek marinade for chicken (think the kinds of seasonings on chicken in a chicken gyro or souvlaki…) and cooked it all in a crock pot over night and shredded the chicken (I love shredded chicken on my salads…), and I have all the diced tomatoes, crumbled feta, sliced yellow peppers, chopped romaine, ETC to make one kick-butt Greek(ish) salad!!!

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Our workouts sound kinda similar yesterday. I had 1.5 miles around 7:30 pace, then 8 400s, then 1.5 miles around 7:20 pace. The pace of those second 1.5 miles seemed a little easier after running those 400s.
You know, I’ve never tried the apples and cinnamon Huma. I’m scared to! It sounds like it would be chunky??? I’m just stuck on strawberry lemonade. I like fruity :)

Dinner last night–my husband cooked :) was Cuban sandwiches and fruit. Then a big cookie for dessert, which leads to the cookie question. It was a sugar cooking with frosting. Yum!!!!!

Have a great day–can’t believe how big Skye looked on that scale at the doctor’s office!

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love that RUG! can you tell us where you got it?

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Thank you SO much!! I got it here… we love it!

https://www.wayfair.com/rugs/pdp/mistana-nichole-dark-bluepink-area-rug-mtna1035.html

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thank you!

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Am I crazy we haven’t seen that movie? What is it about? I’m so out of tune with movies. I’ve probably deprived my kids.
And my right side hurts more. I thought it was becUse that side is weaker? Random question it Do you have a stronger arm? My non dominant arm is stronger because I carry stuff in it more.

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Giirrrlll those times are super fast! Your awesome! The more I read your blog, the more I think I need a running coach! I’m curious, do you struggle with urinary stress incontinance when you do speed work? I do and it’s soo frustrating, I can’t do speed work because of this. Are you just one of the lucky few who’s don’t pee when they run, or do you have any tips up your sleeve that work for you! Thanks girly ;-)

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My right side always is more sore and tender. . . good thing I work for a Chiro because I walk into work and I give him that look and he knows just what to do!!
I have been addicted to graham crackers (the gluten free ones) and almond butter! I just make a little sandwich with them and a glass of almond milk and it hits the spot!! I guess that can count as a cookie right??!
And you have me on this sweet potato and chicken & broccoli kick and drizzle bbq sauce over it!!!! Thank you very much!!!!!!! LOL

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I’m loving hard boiled eggs right now too – such a convenient snack!
My left side is always injured more than the right! I blame it on the slope of the road ;)
My last cookie was an OREO!
I watched Pitch Perfect 2 with my mom – I haven’t seen the 3rd one yet, I’m not hearing good reviews.
Chinese hit the spot for dinner last night!

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Steam your eggs in your Instapot for about 8 minutes. The egg shells come off so easy and you can do a bunch of eggs at a time.

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I listen to podcasts too! We’re you ever interviewed on one?

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Brooke and Knox’s biking methods sound just like my husband and me on mtn bikes :) I take the easiest line and he is getting as much air as possible.

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Not sure if someone has mentioned it yet…but since you have and Instant Pot, make your hard boiled eggs in there! Fill with 1 cup of water. Put the trivet in. Place eggs in (I’ve done 6 at a time). Manual high pressure for 6 minutes. Natural release for 5 minutes, and then into an immediate ice bath. Some people do the 6-6-6- method. But I find that 5 minutes works best for me in this slightly higher altitude. The shells come off so easy–like you can peel them with one hand…trust me, I have a 5 month old, so I’m living the ‘do everything one handed’ life.

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Good work on your run!!! So fast!!

My right knee has really been bothering me. I went to my massage therapist yesterday (who is incredible for any of you Chicago readers that need a recommendation) and it turned out my left leg was the problem! My left hamstring/hip was so locked up which was causing my right knee to compensate. I feel SO much better today and knocked out my 15-miler this morning :) Long run of the week DONE!

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yes the left side of my body gets more injured more often than the right side. Part of it has been bad luck (two bike falls on the left rear within a year) and part of it has been that my left side is weaker than my right. seemingly by too much. i just have to get the left side strong as the right. resting helps too…!

chocolate chip cookies were the last ones i had, with walnuts and such in them. super good!

i have no idea what the last movie i watched was. i’ll go with wonder woman b/c that is the one i can remember right now!

dinner was pizza/beers (at a bike workshop event) followed by sauteed shredded brussel sprouts and garlic – over white jasmine rice at home thanks to hubs!

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I’m a day late to the party, but for making hard boiled eggs, when the water starts to boil, add about 2 tablespoons of vinegar to it. The shells will slip right off!

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I haven’t seen the Greatest Showman yet, but I’ve heard SO many people rave about it that I’m starting to think I need to.

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Oh my goodness, so jealous of the Greatest Showman! I will have to go and get that ASAP! Also, your speed is AMAZING!!!

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I prefer hard boiled eggs and a banana, it energize me well. Your cookies look yummy and the recipe is easy to follow.

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