Give Yourself Some Grace, a SEVEN Day Break & Monday Matters

If you missed out last week, the top three posts over here were:

*One of the best days of my life.

*What you don’t know about your body + an awesome deal.

*Our Last Day, A FIRST, Missing & Your Accomplishments

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Good morning!

Our Sunday started out the way it normally does… Kodiak Cakes and syrup.

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Later on we went to church and Skye’s little smirk below made me laugh so hard.

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After church we had lunch—>  guac, bacon, turkey, peppers and carrot salad with bleu cheese Bolthouse Farms dressing.

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And then I passed out for a solid two hours.  Skye took a nap, Brooke was hanging out with Andrew and I fell into a deep sleep on the couch.  I think I had some catching up to do after all of our traveling last week and it took Andrew a few minutes to wake me up (I had a meeting to go to for church).

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I snacked on kettle corn during the entire dinner making process and then we had the Trader Joe’s sweet potato gnocchi.  I LOVE that stuff.  Along with some chicken and a quinoa/rice bag mix from Target.

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We made it over to the park for a bit too.  Maybe I dropped some of my chocolate on her feet and that is why she could not stop eating her toes.

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My rest day and their run day:

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I had one speed workout last week (on Saturday) and during my 4th interval I was just wondering why my running feels like it isn’t clicking yet.  It felt like I bounced back a lot faster with my running after having Brooke and instead of letting that frustrate me, I decided it was time to work a little harder on some compassion/grace for myself.  I’m not talking about coming up with excuses but just not being so hard on ourselves when we aren’t hitting what we think we should be.  Isn’t it crazy how sometimes we show people in our life a lot more compassion than we would to ourselves?  During the run I was thinking about what would I tell my sister/a best friend/a neighbor/a reader if she felt like she was not bouncing right back to her previous running ways after having a baby.  I would comfort her and tell her about how much her body has been through to bring a little one to the world.  I would reassure her to be patient, that it will click again and to enjoy the journey she is on with her running because if she isn’t… then why do it?  I would remind her that many women don’t feel like themselves for about a year after having a baby and that obviously the lack of sleep is not helping her running to feel like it did before… so I reminded myself of the same thing to think about for myself.

I’m just going to keep on showing up in the arena to train and race hard but give myself grace and my body the time it needs to get back.  Whether it’s a comeback from injury, a break for emotional trials going on your life, sickness, a baby, surgery, the crazy summer temperatures or a running plateau… keep working hard but give yourself the same grace that you would to someone close to you.  These things just take time and one of the biggest things that I’ve realized with running is that consistency is key.  It just takes time and the things I work the hardest at always seem to bring me the most joy.

As Des Linden says, “Keep showing up.” <—  aka my favorite mantra to use in the mornings when I am having a hard time getting out the door.

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I’ve got some Monday Matters to talk about today:

*I promise at some point I’ll stop talking about our family reunion but it was just a really special week for me.  I have three more pictures from our time that made me happy.

All of my siblings.

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*And this picture of our kids.

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*I might have already started planning our next family reunion:)

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*This just in= the nectarines currently at Costco are ridiculously good.  So is the watermelon.  I made sure to consume large amounts of this yesterday:

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*Such an awesome podcast episode from Ali on the Run—>  HERE! I listened to it on Saturday during my run and loved it… Des, Meb, Andrea Barber (Kimmy Gibbler) and Christ Heuisler!

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*Skye almost fits into her baby birkenstock knock-offs.  She’s growing like crazy.

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*I’m going to get some Oofos today because my feet are not as happy as I want them to be.  Every summer I learn this the hard way—>  wearing my Rainbow sandals all day = plantar/stiffness.  My feet need support.

*There was a challenge given in our church for the youth to go 7 days without social media!  Andrew and I decided we wanted to try out this challenge too!  Today is the 7th day and I love that we did this.  I still got on to post on my social media channels (social media is my job so I couldn’t skip out on that ha) and to respond to messages/comments etc (and one time I got on without thinking and scrolled for a second until I remembered) but it was nice to take a break for a week.  It was a great reset to remember that I don’t need to get on my phone when I’m in a line or sitting on the couch or in bed.  I think moderation is key for everything but if you are feeling the need to take a break ever, try it out!

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How long has it taken you in the past to start feeling like yourself again with running after an injury or baby or break?  

Have any running goals for this week or month?

What temperature do you keep your house at during the summer?

-73.

Favorite summerish type food?

-Watermelon.  My new allergy to grapes is hard but if I was having a watermelon allergy, I would be really upset.

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54 comments

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I’m still trying to get my head back into running. I think I was too into it before and burnt out — that’s why I read blogs like yours, so that the joy rubs off on me and inspires me to get back to it with passion.
Nothing to do with skipping social media, but I’m trying to go a full year without using plastic grocery bags or water bottles. Half way through and it’s going well.
Summer food? Those three-colour bombpop popsicles. Oh, and funnel cakes… and county fair food!

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Hey you! I love hearing from you! I wish we could go on a run together. Keep me updated with how you are doing getting your head back into running. Okay, I LOVE what you are doing… 6 months already, awesome! Now I need some of those popsicles at 6:52 in the morning:) I hope you have a great day and get in some good runs this week!

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My last name is Anderson, I should have crashed your family reunion – it looked like fun!

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YOU SHOULD HAVE!!! I’ll send you a shirt:) Thanks Victoria and I hope you have a great week.

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LOVE LOVE LOVE Oofos – I have 3 pairs and I just adore them for marathon recovery! Fave summer food = watermelon and corn on the cob… the house we keep at 72 during the day but 70 at night, because we like it to be cool for sleeping, somehow makes it easier for us to fall asleep! :) Biggest running goal is to survive my 23 mi training run later in the month (and it’s hot in St Louis!) as training for my 6 hour race in September!

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This is so good to hear, I think my feet are going to be very happy with them! I forgot about corn on the cob… I’m going to add that on to my list. I LOVE it when my face is cold and my body is warm under the blankets when I am trying to fall asleep. TWENTY THREE MILES… you’ve got this Tricia. I’m so excited for you. Wish I could join you for 10 of those 23 miles ha!

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I think you are still breastfeeding, and I am not sure you were still at this point with Brooke. That could be a reason for your difference.

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Exactly! Plus, I’m a bit older this time around too and a bit busier too. Thanks Erica, I hope you are having a wonderful day!

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it has taken me a few months to bounce back after a knee injury to start running again. The break was needed and it took longer to build my strength and endurance back up but like you mentioned, grace is important. My 10 year old son woke up at 5:45am this morning to join me for a run. It was his first time joining me and my heart was bursting! After it was over, he asked if we could do this every morning. I think I just found my new running partner. So my goal will be more focused on helping him this month and also working on more speed workouts.

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Okay, that is so awesome that your son got up this morning to run with you, I love that. Keep me updated with your adventures with your new running partner. I love that goal. I am so sorry about your knee injury this year. So frustrating, I hope that you are feeling pain free and keep enjoying the journey back. You are amazing Tabaitha!

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Aw, proud mom moment!!

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It has taken FOREVER for me to feel like my running self after last year’s setbacks, and I still don’t feel like I’m there yet. But I’ve definitely been working on that giving myself grace thing in all areas of my life. Like you said, if we are able show compassion to others, why can’t we show that same compassion to ourselves? So I still have a running goal to be race-ready in the next couple of months, but I also know that I might not be ready to run the times I’m used to—but I WILL get there!

My apartment is currently at 79 (I don’t have the AC turned on at all). It feels fine and not as bad as it sounds!!

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You had A LOT of set backs last year Natalie, you are doing amazing. I can’t wait for you to be racing again no matter what the time on the clock says. I hope work goes well this week!!

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I think it was different for every pregnancy for how long it took me to bounce back.

My June goals are to keep adding mileage and to engage my glutes more. That has been a challenge. Changing your running form like that and having your body get used to it takes a long time!

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That’s good to hear that you experienced that too… it feels very different this time! Awesome goals and you are so right about it taking time… consistency/patience are the things that running keeps trying to teach me:) I hope you have a beautiful day Jenny!

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I am so grateful for this post today–reading about having some grace, about showing yourself some compassion. I ran my 5K for the month yesterday, and it was epic struggle bus, and Memorial Day Weekend I was supposed to run a 5K and I choked big time after a bad anxiety attack. My husband and I were sitting on the edge of the bed yesterday evening after we both got home from work and changed to go out to dinner, and he told me all of the things i would not tell myself: I didn’t give up on this 5K, I showed up and ran each mile, step by step, and no one can take my run from me. He reminded me that my goal this year has nothing to do with individual times on runs or races, but it’s about finding my comfort zone with running with arthritis and letting myself focus on my love for running instead of beating myself up over what I can’t do. And then he pointed to my finisher’s medal on the dresser and reminded me that I have evidence that I am doing the work…and this is something I should be proud of.

Dang I wish I was nearly as good at reminding myself of these things as Tom is. I have a lot to learn of the “giving a little grace” game from him…and from you!

Thank you. <3

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Hey Stephanie, thank you so much for sharing what you’ve been going through right now. I am so glad that Tom is so good at helping you through all of this. You are amazing. I completely agree with everything he said… you showed up, took each step and finished. I can’t even imagine running with arthritis. You inspire me. I hope you have a beautiful day and keep giving yourself some grace.

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Girlfriend you’re gonna make me cry…and I am standing in the middle of Costco!!!

On a much lighter note I am stocking up on more CHICKEN SKEWERS!!! Can’t stop won’t stop with these bad boys ;)

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Getting your running groove back after major time off (not to mention after pregnancy or injury) is definitely tough. I’ve been back at it since March, after tearing my labrum last spring and then having hip surgery at the end of November. Honestly, I knew returning to running would be hard and it truly is a grind at times, but the key for me has been to avoid comparing my running to where it was before my injury and just focus on the improvements I’m seeing since I started back in March. I actually just texted my husband a screen shot of my mile splits over a 5K run this morning compared to 4 weeks ago, as I was thrilled to see some significant improvements in my times (and a return to negative splits – hurray!). Am I still running 4 minutes off my 5K PR? Yes. Will I be as fast as I used to, and will I ever run long distances again? I hope so, but probably not any time soon if I want to stay injury free. Like you said, right now is all about being patient and kind with myself, and focusing on the small victories. Considering I could barely walk when I got off of crutches at the beginning of January, I’d say I have a lot to celebrate, and even those days where nothing seems to click are a step in the right direction.

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Steph, wow. Your year has been rough. Going from not even really being able to walk in January to being only 4 minutes off of your 5k pr is incredible. You have worked so hard to get to this point (without reinsuring yourself) and getting out there when it is so hard. Thank you for inspiring me. You are amazing. I am so glad that your hip surgery went well.

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I felt like I was in a major funk last week (super tired and irritable, no desire to run/workout at all, low energy, low appetite) but I got myself up and running this morning and felt so much better. Its interesting how sometimes you just need a short break but other times, I’ve been injured and it took me a LONG time to feel normal again. Human bodies are very weird like that!
Running goals – just to keep moving. And not melt in the heat/humidity! :)
Temp – I keep it at about 74 but I have a small room AC unit up in my bedroom because the central air does NOT get circulated well upstairs, so that helps my room feel cooler, even when that is set at 74. It helps when it blows right on your feet!
Summer food – fresh strawberries! Especially when you turn them into homemade strawberry shortcake!

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Bummer about your week last week but WAY TO GO on still getting out there to run. Running sure does amazing things for us. I hope you have so many strawberries this summer and homemade strawberry shortcake sounds so good right now. Have a beautiful day Rhiannon and thanks for sharing.

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I’m going to add to your pep talk and say girl, you are FEEDING A BABY! With your BODY! You’re doing so amazing with it, and that’s why running might not feel as awesome right now. There’s only so much you can can expect from your body and right now it’s managing to keep two people alive. Props to you for even running at all. I ran (jogged) down the street to my dad’s car the other day and literally thought my breastfeeding chest was going to burst, it hurt so bad. How do you even do it lol.

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Well, THANK YOU Rachel! You are the absolute sweetest. I hope you have a beautiful day Rachel and give your little one a cuddle for me:)

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I like it to be 18 degrees Celsius indoors :) they also say when you keep it cool at night you sleep better.

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I totally agree with that! Have a great day Linda!

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Well, you have 3 active kiddos now, so I could imagine that bouncing back from being pregnant is not quite the same as bouncing last time. Even more grace, mommy! you are rocking it!

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VERY TRUE!! Thank you Nadine:) I hope you have the best Monday!

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With each baby, getting back to exercise took longer and felt harder, I suspect because we’re doing baby care + making sure to devote the same time and attention to everyone else in the family. I’ve heard an expression about having more than one child: One is one; two is twenty. The energy investment seems to become exponential, though the returns do, also ;)

I’m toying with the idea of a fall marathon, so I should decide soon whether or not I’m going to ramp up running.

I’m loving sweet corn on the cob, lately!

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Okay, I LOVE that quote… two/three does sometimes feel like twenty haha! Thanks for sharing this with me Corey. AHHH YES… do a fall marathon! Let me know which one you choose. I hope you get some sweet corn on the cob soon!

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Hi Janae, long time reader over here! When you mentioned that you felt you bounced back quicker with Brooke, it got me thinking about your experience with breastfeeding. Since your experience with Brooke and Skye have been so different, I have a hunch it might have to with that. I know with both my babies I didn’t feel back to my old self until after I was done nursing. I think it has a lot to do with the hormones you are producing when your breastfeeding, I think everything stays a bit “looser”. Glad you are giving yourself grace, that is such a healthy approach!

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Madeline, I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to tell me this. I think you are so right… breastfeeding takes A LOT out of us! I hope you have a wonderful Monday and keep in touch!

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I love water melon too! And grapes. I also love flavoured coffee frappucino but pretty sure that isn’t a food group haha.

If I have a lay off it takes me about 6 weeks to get into some sort of rhythm – not necessarily to get back to exactly where I was but to get something going again.

For me, in my running it is to have fun and stay focused on what I want to achieve from my running. My girl friend and I were chatting on our trail run and we were discussing how it is so easy to compare, to lose sight of your own goals (we both have some pretty big goals for this year) and to feel that someone is always faster stronger or has a coach etc and then to get down ourselves. And seeing someone elses strava time or social media and to feel that we don’t measure up (even though that isn’t true). That and to stay injury free as I have some heavy training – excited for a down week!

Have a wonderful day!

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It will be 10 weeks tomorrow since I sprained my ankle. I’ve been walking and riding my bike but I hadn’t run until Saturday. I ran a total of 100 steps! It was scary and exciting! I’m really hoping for more in the days ahead. Baby steps, right?

We are really lucky in our California home – we’re close enough to the ocean that we get really cool nights. We have Quiet Cool House Fans (https://quietcoolsystems.com/) that do more than any air conditioner can. One morning last week it was 52 outside and 56 inside! We really like it cool without paying the high cost of running the AC! We almost never run our heater in the winter – it’s not unusual for it to be under 60 in our house in January.

I grew up in Fresno – central California produce is amazing! My grandparents grew amazing plums and peaches. Watermelon is definitely at the top of my list for summer foods. I’ll be making Layered Salad this week – http://mcmomentsandmemories.blogspot.com/2014/07/summer-delights.html. My favorite summer dessert is Lemonade Pie – http://mcmomentsandmemories.blogspot.com/2010/07/friday-foodie_23.html.

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Showing ourselves grace is a good way to think about working through grief, too. It’s taking me a long time after losing my father, but I just keep “showing up” and trust that my love for running will fully return at some point. There is always something that running teaches us, and maybe these times are a period to learn about trusting in consistency and ourselves?

My favorite summertime food is soft shell crabs. Totally a local thing, but I really love them! And watermelon. And nectarines!

Have a great day, everyone!

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After my baby break it took me a couple of weeks to work back up to normal mileage. Never had too much speed, so no worries there!

Getting used to southern runnnjgn again after 4 years abroad. Heat! Humidity! Heat!

We keep the house at 75 in the day and 70 from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Favorite summer food: popsicles and salsa (not together)!

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Love love this post about giving yourself grace! I actually like the “coming back” phase because when you’re at the bottom, there’s only one direction to go, and you can celebrate the little victories. But it does get frustrating, and when it does, I really try to ignore the results, and just focus on why I really love running – the breeze on my face, the natural beauty of the trails, the calm it brings me.

So glad you got a solid nap in, you needed it! And summer berries!

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to feel like myself after an injury – it’s taken weeks! and postpartum that was like months! close to a year. that is good you are being kind to yourself. i agree, we are kinder with our friends and family than to ourselves sometimes. it’s important to remember. i was just discussing this with a friend the other day when visiting her & her family. she’s 4 months postpartum and feeling really disappointed b/c she has been working out regularly but not seeing results. plus none of her clothes fit, neither do her maternity clothes. no one tells you that these things are normal, so it’s easy to get down on yourself.

running goals for this month is to work on speed before marathon training officially starts…! eeeek i can’t believe how that has just crept up all unannounced. eep.

home is kept around 70-75 depending on how hot it is outside –

definitely love watermelon too!

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Hi janae! What a great realization. We always give others the ‘approval’ for self care, but rarely adhere to our own advice! And your post reminded me of this micheal Jordan quote: ‘I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I cant accept not trying.’
It’s about showing up. Giving it whatever you can on that day. And it might not be as much as you want/expect…but that is ok. We have to be willing to accept that we try. Our bodies and minds sometimes do not connect as we expect. But with practice and patience and repetition/consistency we can achieve whatever goals we set out to accomplish.

Have a great day!

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Your statements about showing yourself compassion hit home – while it isn’t about me, my best friend has been so very hard on herself after her second baby was born, and continues to be. She is working hard (she’s a FT teacher), running hard, and keeping her beautiful family well cared for, and i hate to hear her reflect on only negative things like that she isn’t happy with, such as her body shape after the baby, etc. Is there anything that someone else would say to you in this scenario that would really hit home? I feel like I’ve been trying to help her see herself how I see her, and to see the good things she’s missing – but any tips to do a better job of this, since I’ve never been in her shoes, would be awesome!

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how about, it took your body 9 months to change to produce this amazing human being, it will probably take that time – if not longer – to get back to where she was previously. the body is an amazing thing, but it’s unlikely to get there overnight. best of luck to your friend!

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I know you like podcasts, do you like Lauren Fleshman? She’s always been one of my favorite runners and she and her husband now have a podcast (which I love), check out Episode 7, Lauren talks about running after having her baby. So worth the listen.
https://pickybars.com/blogs/the-scoop/work-play-love-podcast

Favorite summer food? Ice cream and watermelon and tomatoes, and strawberries, and radishes, etc… I LOVE summer food!

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YOU ARE THE BEST. I have not listened to her podcasts yet and just listened to episode 7 and it was perfect for me. THANK YOU!!!!

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When I need to remember to show some grace I actually think about t what I would tell my daughters if they were in the same situation. That always puts me right where I need to be.

Fave summer food is probably grilled corn and peaches! Noms!

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Oh that is so good… I’ll think about what I would tell Brooke or Skye. Thank you for sharing that with me Abbey!

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I just ordered some Oofos too and I LOVE them! They seriously feel like I am walking on clouds. I got them because I was having some weird hammer toe issues, but with the shoe change, I think (and am hoping) that all is on the mend! I think I read a while back that you had a weird case of hammer toe, right? Or is that just me imagining that? haha

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HEY!!! Yes, I had turf toe and it was the WORST! I am so sorry about what you are dealing with… please keep me updated with how you are feeling!!!

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I think you are simply amazing. You already ran a half marathon and crushed it!! I read this blog because you are so honest and offer such good advice and insight. I don’t have kids but have many close friends who do. I think you balance your running, family and other commitments so well. I have had to deal with many injuries that forced me to modify running and take up cross training. It was easy to get into a funk.

The return to running the way you love is not always a direct line but often has detours and regressions. But in the end those little blips are better in training than racing.

Love homemade almond milk ice cream, white freezies and strawberries.

Thanks for all your writing.

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Wow, Katie. I cannot thank you enough for your comment. It means a lot to me. The part that you wrote about the return to running including detours and regressions is exactly what I needed to read. Thank you and I need this homemade almond milk ice cream asap. Keep in touch!

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It was harder for me the second time around too. My wiser friend reminded me that with the first baby, it’s just you taking care of you and the that baby. When you have the second baby your focus is baby one, baby two and in your case Knox too! There are more balls in the air juggle. It will come, but it may also look different.

I start training for the NYC marathon this weekend! I did (my favorite tri/race) onSunday Escape the Cape in NJ. Jump off a ferry to start in cape May. So much fun. So I’m resting up with some light runs and stretching and hit the ground running (literally) this weekend

I LOVE tomato, basil and mozzarella Salad.

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I imagine you hear this a lot, but your blog is a positive place I turn to when life feels otherwise very overwhelming. I know you put efforts into making it a positive space, and I appreciate the ways you share insights into your perssonal growth as well. I saved your paragraph about having more grace and compassion with ourselves, and I needed to hear today. We may never know the full extent of our positive ripple effects on others, but I want to thank you for yours. On days when life is especially trying, I turn to your blog and am uplifted by your spirits and pictures again and again. Wishing you a good day tomorrow and beyond!

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Melissa, I cannot thank you enough for your sweet comment. I am saving your comment. Thank you and just know if you ever need to talk to someone on those overwhelming days… I’m here. Thank you!!

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I was thinking how traveling makes me SO tired! And you still did all your runs! Amazing! Naps are well deserved! And that salad looks so amazing I’m gonna copy that. Such a beautiful sibling pic! I wish my kids had lots of cousins! You are so blessed.

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Here is the almond milk ice cream recipe I use (and I don’t really measure):
1 frozen banana
1 heaping spoonful of cocoa powder
1 spoonful of brown sugar or honey
a few spoonfuls of almond milk(vanilla, chocolate or regular) (more or less if you like it thicker or thinner)
1/2 cup of plain yogurt (optional)
Blend all together

And you can add in berries and mangoes. If you wanted to make it for the whole family I would recommend 3-4 frozen bananas and more of everything else.

Have a super day.

Katie

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