Think Yourself THERE + What Should I do + Tuesday Tangents!

7 miles Monday morning @ 8:14 pace and my body felt better than expected after my 22 miles on Saturday.

Brooke got home on Sunday night from a weekend with her dad (we switch off months and this month he came to Utah to spend time with her).  She was most excited to see Skye when she got home.  She snuggled her as much as possible.  Skye isn’t too excited about snuggling right now (MUST BE MOVING AT ALL TIMES) but she did let Brooke get in some good snuggles.

IMG 3427

Our normal hang out on the ground time while the kids were at school…

IMG 3438

Eggs are one of my favorite ways to pack in a ton of vegetables in a meal.  And an hour later I had leftover french toast from the morning… Marathon training = 10 meals a day.

IMG 3440

After school we went to watch my niece at her volleyball game and Skye did her part to cheer her on.

IMG 3453

Dinner landed on my shirt like usual.  Tortellini with pesto sauce…

IMG 3457

The kids had an activity at their school which involved snow cones.

IMG 3459 2

And Skye held her arm like this for a few minutes… Not the most comfortable position.

IMG 3463

Andrew had a late softball game (the kids were all in bed so that’s why we didn’t go) and I had an exciting night of Rolo ice cream and reading.

IMG 3466

—————————————————————————————————

A few tangents for you today!

*I have about 106 miles left to run before race day!  These miles aren’t about gaining a lot of fitness but more about just keeping things going and sharpening up my form and speed until race day as I taper.  The real thing I am focusing on right now is THINKING MYSELF THERE!  Our minds are so incredibly powerful.  So while the majority of the work is done for this marathon and there isn’t much more I can do there, I CAN—>  Think myself to my goal.  Visualizations, meditation, positive thoughts, visiting previous workouts I nailed.  I’ll be over here in Utah thinking myself to my goal for the next few weeks so feel free to join me in all of these brain workouts I’ll be doing.

Brooke and her game face while watching a marathon.  She told me while watching that she wished we were racing too and that made my day.

IMG 2498

*We were able to spend some time on Sunday with my brother that just had back surgery last week.  After about a week of crazy pain after the surgery (he only used Tylenol to avoid going on prescription drugs) he is starting to feel a bit better.  We went on a walk and everything.  He was telling me about his son’s last cross country meet and I had to share with you what he said.  At the end of the race he told my brother, “It was REALLY hot outside so I just decided I was going to run really fast so that I could finish faster and get in the shade and you know what?  It worked out really well.”  <— If the last miles of my marathon are hot, I’ll be channeling my 6th grade nephew’s running wisdom!

IMG 3403

*I’m tired.  Like really tired.  I’m in no way telling you this to complain (I choose to marathon train:) but to remind any of you that feel the same way that it is normal at this point in training.  If I wasn’t this tired at this point then I would feel like I didn’t work hard enough during the training.  But I’m taking my recovery serious right now and spending a lot of time on the ground… even when eating my flautas.  Good thing that I am able to do this with both my mama job and other job (laptop on the ground ha).

IMG 3394

*A new WORLD RECORD for the marathon by Kipchoge!!  “It’s not about the legs.  It’s about the heart and mind.” <— I’ll be thinking about this quote during my marathon a lot.  I thought this chart was really cool… I think I might be able to run next to him for about 4m.  So incredible.  If I look 1/4925th as efficient and smooth at the end of my marathon as he did at the end of his 2:01 marathon, I will be happy.

IMG 3386

*My schedule is all written out leading up to the marathon!!  My coach said that I could either run 4 miles on Thursday and take Friday off or the other way around… normally I always take the day off before a marathon but maybe it would be good to run the day before!?  But then why try something new but what if the something new is great… AHHHH what do you do?

PS my VDOT Equivalent is 3:03:39 BUT a lot of my training runs/speed workouts have been faster than the paces prescribed for that VDOT so let’s see what happens:)

IMG 2927

—————————————————————————————————

A question from Grant yesterday:  “Just wondering, have you ever known a runner who dealt with snapping hip syndrome?  I have wonky hip mechanics so I’ve dealt with hip pain before, but for the last two weeks I had a painless snapping sensation in my hip whenever I walked… I’ve noticed that strengthening my glutes and core and activating my glutes while running really helped, but I don’t know if I can say that ‘fixed it’ for me.”  <— Can anyone help out Grant?  Has anyone experienced this?

Day before a marathon or half-marathon… do you run or take the day off.  I need all of the opinions/details/thoughts on this because I don’t know what to do!

I’d love to hear what you run is today… anyone else starting their taper?

I’d love to hear a tangent or a few from you!

Last ice cream flavor that you had?

You May Also Like

76 comments

Reply

I think if I had to choose, I’d do the light run the day right before the marathon, just to loosen things up! But, sometimes if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, so maybe you should do what you are used to??? Good luck with your decision. ha ha Just know that it isn’t a deal-breaker!

My run today is 3 miles, then eight 30 second hills with one min jog recovery, and then 3 miles. I have 53 days til my marathon, and I’m hanging in there. Eeeeeek. Thursday I have 9 x 1000. 1000s are my toughest track workout for some reason, so I’ll be channeling all of my positivity that day!!! Last week, I had 600s, and I enjoyed them :)

I’m not a huge ice cream person, but my family loves it. The last kind I bought (last week:) was Breyers Snickers/M&M combo! I’ll have to look for that Rolo flavor!!!!

Ew—would you eat this—I saw pumpkin spice flavored Twinkies at Target over the weekend. Yuck, yuck, 1000 times YUCK!

Have a GREAT Tuesday!!!!!!!

Reply

That is soooo true… I keep thinking (over thinking) these small decisions and I need to remember… they aren’t deal breakers!53 days ahhhh I am SO excited for you. I totally agree with you about the 1000s but Jen, YOU ARE SO INCREDIBLY strong and hard makes us better so go show those 1000s who is boss (you;) on Thursday! Great job on the hill springs! I have had one twinkie in my life and it was the worst thing I’ve eaten (besides olives) in my entire life. I will definitely be skipping those ha. Thanks, you too!

Reply

3:03 is the opening offer. I’m sending happy vibes that you go sub three and then tell me all about it! Good luck, Janae! If I were the thoughts in your head I’d be yelling positive things at you all the way.
Also? Brooke looks almost old enough to drive sometimes….

Reply

Opening offer—> Okay, I LOVE that so so much! Thank you so much for your support, it means the world to me. How is your training going? Your marathon isn’t that far after mine! I will DEFINITELY have my mom write up a pep talk! I agree, she is growing up way too fast. Have a beautiful day!

Reply

I am doing the Chicago marathon so the taper starts next weekish so I will be with ya on that taper train!

My husband suggests running the day before simply to get the bathroom stuff moving along (TMI?) but it is nothing more than 2-3 miles really slow. It is all about being bought into what you want to do though, so if you never run the day before and you feel that works, then it works.

Also your VDOT may say one thing but reading your blog for the last 4ish years, I can say with certainty that your VDOT has no idea about your heart and knowledge of the sport. Even your finish time won’t tell much beyond what it took to get from here to there. All in all, you are already at that level in my mind, out of the sheer fact that you respect the sport and are doing what you love, which is something 2:30 marathoners or 6:30 marathoners struggle with alike. Chicago is cheering for ya! :)

Reply

Okay, you make an EXCELLENT point that I have never thought of…. my body needs running to get my gi system moving (never tmi with runners, right)?! Thank you for sharing that with me… I’ve never ever thought of that. Kaytlin, I cannot thank you enough for your sweet words. It means the world to me and I reread your comment four times. Thank you.

Reply

I take the day off the day before a race. For me that hour + extra sleep help a lot.

Reply

Very true… that extra sleep is incredibly helpful. Have a wonderful day Almarie!

Reply

Love the positive thinking, Janae! You are SO ready for that sub-3, and I CANNOT WAIT to see you reach that goal! YOU’VE GOT THIS, SISTA!!!

I always run the day before a race so that my legs don’t feel stiff the next day. I just do a little shakeout run, though, so it’s nothing too much. And I’m going to attempt so speed work on hills today, so think good thoughts for me—ha!

Tuesday Tangent: I joined a men’s Monday night basketball league (a couple of my coworkers are on a team), and our first game of the season was last night. It is SO much fun!! :) Have a great day, my friend!

Reply

Thanks Natalie and I’m so excited for your week wahooo!

Reply

I’ve run 22 full marathons and I’ve done both. I don’t think it made any difference either way. I actually prefer total rest the day before.

Reply

22 full marathons–> WOW HOLLI! This is good to hear, thank you for sharing with me! You are on fire:) Have a wonderful day!

Reply

Out of 11 marathons I have always taken the day before off until my last one…I took 2 rest days and then ran an easy 3 miles with a few strides at the end. It worked well for me and I hit the BQ I needed. I sometimes feel like my legs are stale the day after a rest day. Do what makes you feel comfortable. I think you are going to crush sub 3 and am so excited to watch!!!

Reply

I took 2 days off and then ran the 3 miles with strides the day before the race (to clarify)

Reply

HUGE CONGRATS on your BQ Donna! Okay, that plan sounds excellent… time to really let your body rest up but then a few miles the day before to get it ready. Thank you for sharing and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Reply

I have done both and think a few miles the day before helps the mind as well as the legs!

Last ice cream I had was boring (but delicious!) chocolate vanilla swirl soft serve; however one of the best flavors I’ve had was at a Peruvian gelato place and it was sweet potato (I think called camote?)! Sounds weird but it was definitely a win!! Love reading your daily posts- thanks girl!

Reply

I’m interested to try the day before now because a few miles to help the mind and legs sounds great! I need to try that sweet potato gelato, that sounds awesome. Thanks so much for reading Chloe and for your comment… keep in touch!

Reply

I ran ~2.5 miles the day before my marathon, mainly because it was in a new state and climate and I only had one day to “get accustomed” to the weather there. Also, not sure if it helped or not because it was my first marathon! Hah! But my coach told me he always does a shake out run the day before his, and he has 20+ marathons under his belt. So there’s that. lol. Enjoy your upcoming taper!!!

Last ice cream I had: Speculoos (it’s cookie butter flavored. Get on that)

Reply

That is a really good point to get accustomed to the climate… great idea! Thanks Molly Rose and I need that ice cream asap!

Reply

Thanks for posting my question!! Hoping someone has had a similar experience!

I typically take at least one day totally off before the marathon, usually two. Except the last marathon I ran in July… I decided to sign up for it less than 24 hours before it started, so I ran a marathon after running 14 miles the previous day and 70 miles for the week. No taper whatsoever. The marathon went great, but 0/10 would not recommend that plan. My legs did not forgive me for a while.

I’m not a big fan of ice cream, but on a whim I tried Halo Top’s Peaches and Cream flavor and it was really good!

Reply

Are you in Utah?

I’ve had some hip issues over the years ( FAI and torn labrum). As a starting point, I would start with PT. A PT who specializes in hips or athletes. (Usually they start with hip mobility, glute and core strengthening. Do these exercises faithfully!!!!!)

Plan B is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hips/athletes.

Good luck!

Reply

Thanks Toby. I’m not in Utah but I do have FAI and have started doing a program of glute/core strengthening I found online. I think it’s helped a lot already, so I’m hopeful that if I’m consistent with it and learn how best to treat my hip that I can avoid serious injury or surgery. Definitely going to keep an eye out for local PTs specializing in hips though.

Reply

Check out the Facebook group Runners with Hip Injuries. It has a ton of great information and resources.

Reply

Toby… you are the best!! Thanks for helping out Grant and let’s meet up for lunch PLEASE!!!

Reply

Grant,
I’m not sure if it was the same thing, but when it happened to me it sure felt super weird, completely painless, but you could feel it snapping for sure! Mine was IT band issues that I had ignored for far too long. Not sure if that is what yours is, but it might be somewhere for you to start.

Reply

Grant,

I second the recommendation to see a professional in your area (physio, chiro, even a personal trainer) as it’s hard to diagnose without seeing it in person, but if I’m understanding your description properly that’s usually caused by an overtight hip flexor (specifically the psoas muscle). This can be caused my many things but usually happens when the hamstrings/lower back are overcompensating for the glutes – since you mentioned it’s improving with glute strengthening, this is probably a factor in your case.

If you have a friend who can help you, a good test exercise is to lay on your belly and squeezing one leg at a time (work up to doing both), point your feet and lift it a couple of inches off the floor (kind of like this video at about 0:21 – you don’t want your legs to be anywhere near as high as hers but I don’t have a better example of the position https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRfRFoSfF34). If your glutes are firing first, your body will stay aligned. If they are not, you will see your lower back shift. This is a great beginning exercise that can make a big difference.

Aside from the glute activation, adding in a lot of stretching should help too – especially adding in some abdominal twisting!

Let me know if you have any other questions but I hope this helps as a jumping off point :)
Good luck!

Reply

Last ice cream flavor I had was yoghurt/honey/nuts and it was delicious. Last Friday I ran a 10k, three loops around my home town Gouda. I came in at 1.00.06. Because of the loops, I found it hard to pass groups of people who were a bit slower than I was, because I had to keep room for the faster runners who were passing us. Are there any rules for this situation? Overall I’m really happy with how it went. For the first time I didn’t have a mental dip in the middle loop, I ran my loops in 20.02, 20.07 and 19.57. I never run two days in a row, so my last run before a race is usually two days before.

Reply

Eva, way to go on your 10k!!! That is a tough situation.. I’m not sure if there are rules but usually the left side of the road/lane is for passing! You raced smart and finished with your fastest loop, AWESOME!

Reply

Ahh!! That IS stressful. Hee. Too much pressure for this reader to offer an opinion. :) Ha! I will say that I think that what ever you decide is going to have ZERO impact on your marathon. But I would still stress out also so you are completely justified in the indecision. IF you have a preference, I’d go with it. IF you don’t have a preference one way or the other then I would maybe make it a fun family activity and write on a 2 pieces of paper “day before”, and another 2 pieces of paper “two days before” and have Brooke , Knox, and Andrew pick one with their eyes closed and go with the result of the piece of paper left in the hat :)

And that long answer is my tangent for the day :)

Reply

Hahaha! You are seriously so right… it really will not impact my marathon:) It’s really just a win-win! That is a fabulous idea, I love it. Thanks Amanda, I hope your Tuesday is amazing!

Reply

I’ve done both – run the day before and not run the day before and I can’t say I have noticed a difference.
I just realized your marathon is on Saturday and mine is Sunday – I wish mine were on a Saturday! You will be basking in post race glory and i’ll be a wreck! ;)
I find the taper to be harder than training, which I know is pretty common. I”m trying to focus on good nutrition and also reliving all those hard runs! ( I seriously pull up old runs on my Garmin app! I also pulled up my last 3 marathons to see what went wrong how to learn from those).
Today I had 8 easy and I was done and home before the coffee maker started, which felt amazing considering Tuesdays for the last month have been longer and harder! :)
Have a great day!

Reply

AHHH I wish ours were on the same day too but I can put my full attention on cheering you on Sunday and sending positive thoughts your way:) You are going to do amazing! I love that you pull up your great workouts and previous marathons, I’ve been doing the same thing! I felty the same way when I got home from my run today when Tuesdays/Wednesdays have usually been beast workouts haha! You’ve got this and thanks for the reminder to focus on nutrition… I’m going to pack the veggies in today!

Reply

OMG… I still can’t believe that record set in Berlin! So fast!
“Think yourself to your goal”. I will be joining you in some mental workouts, definitely! My mental game lately has been a struggle! So I’m going to be thinking about crushing the run on race day!
Oh the taper… I too always feel tired, but excited. Tapering hasn’t quite hit for me yet, but I’m doing a half on the 7th and not a full. For the half, my training schedule always has a rest day the day before the race. But for the full, it’s a rest day, then a 3ish mile easy run, then race day. It seems to work for me. I call the easy run the day before my “shake out” run. It helps shake out some nerves, shake out muscles…just a nice easy way to get ready ?
Today’s run will be 5-6 miles of hills!! But the sun is just coming up, and that’s always so great for me!
Have a great Tuesday!

Reply

YES, don’t stop thinking about how amazing you are going to do on race day! I think a shake out run might help me, so glad you have figured out what is best for you. Thanks Wendy, you too!

Reply

I always feel flat the day after a rest day (whether running or cycling) so I tend to do “openers” the day before a race. When it comes to running races, I will typically do a relatively easy 2 miles the day before with 2-3 30 second efforts to “open” the legs and make sure they are ready to move the next day :)

Reply

That sounds like a really great plan Leeann… I am leaning more and more to trying out the day before and keeping it easy with a few strides/openers! Thanks for sharing, I really apprecaite it!

Reply

Hi!! Long time reader of the blog (love it and you and your family :)) and have never commented before until reading Grant’s request!

I had a similar experience with a snapping hip when I would run since I was a teenager (I ran for pleasure in my late teens and early 20s and had run 2 marathons and 3 half marathons) and eventually I noticed the snapping even when I would take long strides while walking. Anyway, it started to hurt but I ignored it (I KNOW!) until I would have pain originating from my hip that had the snapping. In my early 20s I finally went to a doctor to be referred to a physiotherapist where I underwent about a year of treatment and specific exercises to strengthen the area with NO running (I was very sad). With very little improvement after a year, I got some x-rays and MRIs and it turns out I have a labral tear in my hip socket, likely as a result of the repetitive running movement. So, I recommend Grant gets himself to physio right away! This all happened simply because of the shape of my pelvis/hips and I happened to chose running as my sport. I am now 26 and have had to completely change my lifestyle since discovering the labral tear at 23 by getting periodic cortisone injections in my hip socket (to numb the area – it lasts for about a year) and never being able to run again (unless I want osteoporosis by 30).

I know as athletes we know that if something hurts we should stop! I learned that the hard way because I was (still am lol) young and stubborn. So Grant, even if the hip snapping/popping doesn’t hurt – definitely still get it checked out and keep a close eye on it so it does not turn into something worse :) I hope people can learn from my experience!

Reply

Thanks Stacey. Do you have FAI (hip impingement)? I do and I understand that it can be associated with labral tears, but I also met with a physical therapist who is adamant that athletes can live with FAI as long as they learn how to manage their hip function by strengthening the right areas. I’m still going to my doctor about it, but I’m hopeful that I can avoid an injury like yours. So sorry to hear that it ended your running career, that sounds so hard.

I did actually have pain deep in my hip over a year ago, but after seeing a chiropractor I completely recovered from it in about a month. What’s odd is I’ve never had snapping before.

Reply

STACEY!!! Thank you SO SO much for sharing with Grant about your experience with snapping hip. It breaks my heart to hear what you have been through and what you are going through now. You are a strong woman and thanks for helping out others with what you’ve learned. Thank you for reading and keep in touch!

Reply

I am a fan of an easy run the day before a race. Great way to shake out some bugs. I ran an easy 4 miles today. I don’t have any big races coming up so no taper but my husband is doing Chicago so he will be tapering soon. My current favorite ice cream is Oberweis Peanut Butter Cookie Dough. It has a ton of peanut butter mixed in and chunks of the chocolate chip cookie dough. SOOOO GOOD! Have a great day.

Reply

That is so exciting your husband will be doing Chicago… I have always wanted to do that one. Okay, our family would love that ice cream. That sounds perfect. Thanks Corrinne, you too!

Reply

My coach had me run a few easy mile with strides before my races. I think it shakes out nerves and helps to set our internal tempo for race day.

I was reading last night the chapter about our plastic brain/the ability to adapt after injury. I had to find a pen while lying in bed reading. There are just so many good parts of that book!

Reply

That’s true about it shaking out the nerves! There really are… so glad you are loving it. Have a wonderful day Molly!

Reply

I think running the day before your race (really easy) helps to keep you feeling fresh! Also think about your training, have you been doing an easy run the day before your long run? If you have it might feel most normal to run the day before the race! I’m so excited for you!! :)

Reply

That is so true… I didn’t even think of that. My body is used to that and does well. Interesting. Thanks Jill and I hope you have an amazing day!

Reply

I like to run two day before a race. Personally I feel “fresher” if I don’t run the day before a race. I do try to walk enough to not feel stiff and stretch/foam roll as I would after running. I just ran an easy 4 miles and did a shoulder workout this morning. My last ice cream flavor was Chubby Hubby which brought back some memories of college :) I’m so excited for you, I think you going to absolutely crush this race!

Reply

Good call on getting some walking in the day before to avoid feeling stiff! I need to copy you and get in some strength again! Chubby Hubby is the best–> I need to get in some of that asap. Thank you Jodi, that means a lot to me. I hope you are having a great day!

Reply

Me again — please, please tell me your mom is going to do a pre-race pep talk? I love HRG Mom pep talks!

Reply

Taking the three days before my half off worked out really well for me haha. But I only did it once so…

That Rolo ice cream sounds delicious. We are a little boring and just get vanilla, just because there are so many milk shake options that way ha!!

I’m not running yet but I did do a beast of a strength training workout this morning

Reply

Very true about the milk shake options… I’ll try that. WAY TO GET IN THE STRENGTH! You are going to be back running pain free soooooooon!

Reply

i have a hip snapping sensation when i rotate the hips. i have no idea where it comes from or what it is. but i pay attention to it. will be listening for what others have done –

this year, i have run the day before a half marathon and not run the day before a half marathon. they both worked out really well. for the first, i needed to get the legs moving. they hadn’t had enough movement in the days before and i felt it. and i felt great on race day. for the second, i had completed a workout the Wed before a Sat race and while i didn’t take it too hard, i still felt the need to rest the legs. i had 3 miles recovery on the schedule for the Friday before – i skipped it and i believe it was absolutely the right decision because i ran my A goal on race day. if you are debating between Thu and Fri, i think it will depend on what you feel your body needs at that time. so many have said this but “listen to the body” and it will tell you! i have no doubt.

mine today was an easy 5.6 mi shakeout from a long run on Sun. not currently in a taper, will be hitting that just after mid Oct! i think your focus for the taper is a really good idea. can’t wait to hear what you learn or how you “train your mind” in this time…!

a tangent – what is the last pre-race carb-oriented recipe you have tried that worked well for you? i did this and it worked out wonderfully (super tasty too!) but i am always looking for new recipes: https://video.bonappetit.com/watch/molly-makes-rigatoni-with-vodka-sauce

Last ice cream flavor that you had: lemon blackberry. it was divine!!!

Reply

I skipped ahead to the end of the video to see the finish product and I need that pasta right this second. I’m still trying to figure out this whole pre-race carb meal but I’ll keep you updated! I think you are so right about listening to my body when making a decision about this… THANK YOU! I hope you have a wonderful day and great job on your long run on Sunday!

Reply

I have done both – shakeout run the day before a marathon, and sometimes 2 day before. I haven’t noticed any difference (my shakeout runs are super easy/slow, and only about 3 miles). That being said, since I did one day before both Boston and NYC, I will def be doing one the day before Chicago ?
Btw, thanks for the advice on my last long run of the cycle, I know it’s always a tough call. I decided to break it up and see how my body felt before continuing. So I started out with 5 miles on Sat AM, still felt OK so I stretched a bit and did another 5. Then on Sun AM I did 5 miles in the AM and 5 miles in the PM. Kind of a weird way to get in my last 20 miles, but I feel better that I got the miles in! My leg was somewhat sore yesterday, but not nearly as bad as it was after 22, so I made the right decision. I took a rest day yesterday and kayaked for a couple hours. Today is a complete rest day b/c I have a FULL day ahead of me! Tomorrow I will just start running and stop when I feel sore. I am definitely feeling more positive!
Last ice cream flavor, hmm I think pb/chocolate! YUM
Have a fantastic day, Janae!

Reply

I am so glad that you made the right decision Annemarie. This is such a tough call and you did the right think. Keep me updated and I’m sending you all of the positive waves! You’ve got this girl!

Reply

Day before – I have tried both running and not running, and not running seems to work better for me. I’m not really sure why…but running the day before seems to make my jitters worse.
Run today is somewhere between 4-7 easy miles – if it’s as hot as it was yesterday during my run (91 degrees), it’ll likely just be 4 miles :)
Tangent – I am really enjoying the new Nike Trained podcast. The first episode was with Shalane and it was very good motivation for my run. They’re all pretty interesting so far!
Question – I just got some new Levitate 2s, and I felt like they were pulling my socks down the whole time on my run. I feel like I remember you saying some shoes have given you sock issues before – what socks do you wear if you need slightly taller ones (guessing that’s my issue but not sure)?

Reply

Okay, that is so weird about the Levitate 2s and your socks. I used the ricochet and wore really short socks so I got some blisters and I bought these socks and I’m obsessed with them and blister free/they stay put and down go down:

https://amzn.to/2QGuVkE

Thanks for telling me about that podcast, I’m going to listen! Have a great day!

Reply

glad your brother is feeling better! The day before a race I usually jog 1 mile! haha just a little shake out very short very slow, to make sure my legs still know how to move ;)

Reply

Thank you Krista!! 1 mile sounds like a win-win in my opinion, rested but also a nice shake out. Have a great day!

Reply

That rolo ice cream looks delicious. If it had TWIX in it, however–well, I would have to ninja my way to Utah and beg you to share it with me (which is a bad thing, because even though sharing food is totally like sharing love and friendship asking someone to share their ice cream should be considered a crime…). But twix <3 <3 <3

Some tangents:
If you are ever in Louisville again you MUST get donuts from Nord's Bakery and tacos from Taco Luchado. Everything else, IMO, is optional but those two: amazing!

I really wanted to see an exhibit that's coming to the High Museum of Art here in ATL. Tickets went on sale to museum members in late-ish August and went on sale to the general public yesterday. I knew they would sell out really quickly, and I was at work all day and unable to get online to get tickets. My amazing husband–who likes museums the way people generally like them but doesn't have a big deep need for ART in his life–sat in a ticket-buying queue of like 9000 people on the museum website and got us tickets to the exhibit for mid-December, on a Wednesday afternoon (apparently by the time it was his turn in the queue there were literally only 2 days left in the ENTIRE time the exhibit will be available…and he snatched up the day with a good viewing time and a good price…). He really is the best husband EVER to go ahead and get tickets while I was at work–so I wouldn't have to miss out on something that's important to me–and to open himself up to a kind of visual art that is really different from anything he has ever really experienced before. I think he's a total keeper! ;)

I am at the point in the semester where every time I take a caffeine pill (I am allergic to coffee…), I need to chase it down with an enormous iced green tea unsweetened from Starbucks. And we are only 6 weeks in.

One of my favorite candies EVER are those gummy orange slices with all the sugar crystals all around them. I love lots of citrus-y flavored things, but I also have a nostalgia-based love for those. When I was a little kid, my yiayia (that's Greek for grandmother) would always give them to me when I spent the summers at her house. I don't buy them often–because I can blow through a bag of them like it's my job and if they're not around I won't engage in a really bad eating behavior–but when I *do* buy them (like I did yesterday afternoon!), if I put the bag in the freezer and have a few at a time, I have a CHANCE at having a bag stick around for about 2-3 days. When I am really missing my grandmother more than ever, I tend to crave them and actually break down and buy them.

That's all for now! Time to grade papers and get my lessons nailed down for this afternoon! I hope you and your squad have a great day out there! :)

Reply

Oh Twix ice cream sounds so so good! I NEED THOSE DONUTS! Tom is the best… I’m so glad that worked out! I loved your tangents today:) Enjoy the grading and lesson planning… thank you Stephanie!

Reply

Your sweatshirt looks sooooo soft and comfy! Where did you get it?!

Reply

It is my favorite… I want to live in it. Here is the link and have a fabulous day Ali!

https://sarahmariedesignstudio.com/collections/new/products/lifes-short-run-fast-crew-neck

Reply

That new record is incredible! There was a picture of Kipchoge with 3 of his pacers and their form is amazing.

I like to run 1-3 miles the day before a marathon, especially if I’ve traveled. It’s really just a shake out and it helps to do something with all the nervous energy!

6.19 miles today (I stop when I’m home, rarely try to hit an even number.) It was 48 degrees when I got up. Super rare for September in So Cal, but I loved it!

I had some Halo Top Caramel Macchiato last night.

Reply

That is very cool for S. California right now! That’s my favorite temp to run in:) 1-3 miles sounds perfect. I hope your day is a great one Kathy!

Reply

It’s getting close to game day! I’m with you I’m absolutely exhausted too lol. I agree with you though, it means we put in the work!

So before my last marathon, my last run was on the Friday before. This time, I am going on a super easy three mile run the day before. I will also be traveling so it’s a lot of variables but I’m hoping it will all turn out fine. I’m aiming for a PR but I’m also aiming to have fun. I knock out my last 20 mile run and then it’s time for taper! I still can’t believe it. I’ll start obsessing about the weather then lol.

I like that quote about just finishing. My current one is avoiding the mental snowball of bad thoughts. Just focus on this mile (or this lap) and keep your mind from wandering. I try to make that mile feel really good and work my hardest to stay strong and form correct. Usually once I gone through my checklist a good chunk of it has passed and it’s time for another mile!

Reply

IT WILL TURN OUT FINE–> Actually, better than fine… amazing and you are going to have fun and PR. I am so excited for you. Oh yes, great goal… that snowball (that can turn into an avalanche) is not going to happen this time. I love your tip on staying in the mile, so so important. Thanks Virjinia and I’m so excited for you!

Reply

I love these pieces of your mental game, thanks so much for sharing them with us! Plus, I think by sharing with others, it makes them more real for you (that advice may have come from someone very cool, like HRG Mom) . I also love your nephew’s advice, he sounds like a gamer. Glad your brother is doing better.

Reply

THANK YOU MICHELLE!! Yep, it sure did come from her… you know us well haha! Thank you so much and I hope you have a beautiful day!

Reply

I personally always take the day off before a race- it lets my body to WANT AND CRAVE the feeling to run again the next day. I do as little as physically possible and just focus on my nutrition. You know your body the best so just see what you feel.

Reply

Janae, do you have any idea how pretty you are? I thought I’d just leave this here lol

Reply

You are really kind! Thank you so much Courtney and I hope you have a wonderful evening!!

Reply

I used to take the day off before race day, but now prefer a few easy miles. I’m not sure if it makes a difference physically, but have found that it definitely makes a huge, positive difference mentally. Helps in calming the nerves a bit, too! I feel like if I don’t run then I try to avoid thinking about the race at all because the thoughts are usually more “what if” thoughts vs if I have gone for a little shake out run then the positive thoughts and visualizations more readily flow!
Today’s run 17 mile fast finish long run and last ice cream was Cherry Garcia:-)
Excited for you to chase your dream in a couple of short weeks!!!!

Reply

I like to take thurs off then a few on fri then race on saturday……it works well for me. No run today but tomorrow is my last long run before my half…..11 days!! I get so excited for races….they are so fun!

Reply

That ice cream looks super yummy!!

I always try and do a short shake out run the day before a race, but more to work out my nerves more than anything else.

Today was a 2 mile walk with my pup before work. I’m just coming back to running so I’m running 3-4 days a week (short) and walking/riding my bike on the others.

Tangent: my daughter’s BFF had extra tickets to a concert last night, I was not super excited about going on a Monday but felt like we needed to and it ended up maybe being one of my all time favorite concerts! He is a fairly new Christian artist (Micah Tyler) and it was in a tiny theater and he was an amazing singer and story teller. I laughed, I cried, holy heck it was so much fun!

I love ice cream! Right now, I am on a fudge tracks kick. It’s Wal Mart’s brand and it’s darn yummy!

Reply

For my first marathon, I took the day before off from running, but for the last six, I have gone for a short (3 mile MAX) shake-out run, nice and easy. It gives me time to think about my goals, reflect on the training journey, and remind myself why I love this running thing so much. Then I make sure to take the rest of the day OFF my feet!

Reply

I always take the day off before a race. For me I think I feel more rested! I guess whatever you feel is the best for you is the right thing!
My run today was a speed workout which I haven’t done in a while, 2 mile w/u 6×5 min @ tempo pace and 1 mile c/d, I hit my paces and felt great!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *