FRIDAY FAVORITES + T.O.M.O.R.R.O.W.

Another very different morning for me… no run and then after we dropped off Brooke and Knox, we went to breakfast.

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Skye feels pretty lucky when she gets to join us for our dates.

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Blueberry pancakes for me with the most heavenly syrup and whipped cream.  This is another restaurant that I used to work at (I’ve worked at 7ish different restaurants:) and have fond memories of eating these after my shifts.

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Praying that this big Utah storm continues to just roll on through.  I wouldn’t be surprised if we are getting some snow at the top of the mountains.

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I’ve been GUZZLING water.

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We got outside to play a bit…

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Skyester helped me pack up some warmer items for the starting line because it’s going to be C.O.L.D. but that is a million times better than some years when it is hot at the starting line of St. George.

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We made it out to Knox’s soccer game and it was a gorgeous night!

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We are leaving this morning to make it down to St. George!  I CAN’T WAIT!

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Time for a few Friday Favorites!

*I wanted to thank you all again for being so supportive and sending the best emails, comments and messages… thank you, it means a lot to me!

*This group text that my brother sent my family:)  This is from the pilot brother in Kentucky!  I edited a bit for you:)

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*I tried the Candy Corn Caramel Popcorn and it is delicious.  Really really really delicious.  SO are the Halloween Joe Joe’s.

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*Another favorite from TJ’s right now… these candles are EVERYTHING.  Especially the vanilla pumpkin and they are super cheap too!

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*This blog post from Allie Kieffer.

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*Andrew sent me this flashback picture after he did the St. George Marathon 8 years ago!  The longest run he did training for this was 10 miles… I don’t know how he did it!

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*Candice sent me this flashback picture from the first time that I ran St. George (she took care of Brooke while I ran) and she’ll be there this year again too!

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*Andrew booked a separate hotel room for me.  NO CHILDREN WAKING ME UP… I won’t know what to do with myself;)

*This podcast episode.   Des talks about how at mile 6 she wanted to drop out and then she went on to WIN.  A good reminder to me that there are going to be times that I’m going to want to quit BUT I won’t and can go on to win my goals:)

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*This weekend is General Conference for us and it is one of my absolute favorites things.  I’ll be recovering from the marathon by watching and listening to these inspiring talks that help me in so many different parts of my life so much.

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I am hoping that I get a bunch of your race accomplishments to feature for next week because there are a lot of awesome races happening!  Send it in to [email protected]

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Jennifer (from her 10 leg relay along the coast of Nova Scotia)!!!—>  As Dr. Seuss said… “why fit in when you were born to stand out”

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Loribeth!!  “On Saturday (9.29) I ran my favorite half marathon, The Hillbilly half.  The course is ridiculously hilly with about 727 feet of climbing… and a super steep downhill around mile 7.  That was the hard part this year… I flew down too fast and made my knee cranky for the last few miles.  My pace was on track for sub 2 until mile 10, but I finished in 2:05 so I wasn’t too far off.  The winner (5 years in a row) beat his best on the course by 5 minutes, finishing in 1:11!  This course is through the country, and you can and will see deer, turkeys, cows, horses, mules, donkeys, goats, longhorn steer, alpaca (there is a farm there), herons, and vultures.  It was fabulous!  I did miss the peaches at the finish line (it is usually run in June during peach season) and it was a little more low key, but I still love it.  I finished 106 out of 356 and 7th out of 27 in my age group!  Oh, and the medal doubles as a bottle opener, ha!”

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Any last words of advice for me?!  I’d gladly accept them!

What are your weekend plans?

Have a power song that I should add to my playlist?! 

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84 comments

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I am so excited for your race tomorrow. Have an amazing time! When it gets tough, think of all of your family, friends and readers cheering you on and lifting you up to make your steps a little lighter. (Your brother’s text made me tear up. So sweet!)

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Best of luck Janae. You got this!! Trust in yourself!

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Do not overthink this. You put in the work. Your are ready. You’ve got this!!!! You are awesome. Cheering you on from Michigan tomorrow! Good luck!

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GOOD LUCK JANAE!!!!! I am cheering you on and just so excited for you to crush SGM!

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GOOD LUCK Janae!! You’ve got this! ???

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Every time you think of your race…smile. Even if you have to force it! ;)

You’re ready…go get what’s yours!!
Liz

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Good luck Janae!! You’ve got this and whatever the outcome is, you should be proud! I am a new Mom, so I understand that even getting out the door to run 3 miles is a big deal!

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You’re going to crush your goal!! No matter what happens, you’ve already crushed it by making it to the start line. Now it’s time to let it all out (after the first half anyway ;). One technical piece of advice, make sure you’re getting electrolytes in today too, not just water! There’s a word for it I can’t think of, but you don’t want to flush out all the good stuff with too much water! I’m positive you know this already anyway haha but just in case. I can’t wait to follow along with you tomorrow!

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You have this. Enjoy it!!

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You look so beautiful and so HAPPY! Each picture you post your joy is so obvious. Good Luck tomorrow! You have so many people cheering for you, and praying for you. You are ready, YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS! Think about something you are grateful for each mile. Starting with your wonderful family, and the fact you are able to RUN 26.2 MILES! You are amazing!!!!!!

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I’m SO SO SO SO excited for you, Janae! You are going to ROCK it! Just go out there and believe in yourself. You are strong and capable and enough! We’re all rooting for you and know that YOU’VE GOT THIS!!!!

If you don’t already have Carrie Underwood’s song “Champion,” definitely add it to the list!

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Good luck, Janae!! You are a brave, beautiful, kind, compassionate mother, daughter, sister, and wife no matter what your time will be tomorrow. Showing up to fight for your dream is what is important, and what inspires the rest of us. Run like the wind, lady! I’ll be praying for you! -alisha

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Good luck tomorrow Janae! You’ve put in all the hard work now trust your body and your training. Go Crush your goals and enjoy the moments!!! Xo from Florida.(It’s fall here too, a breezy 89 degrees here yesterday!?)

Ps…that text from your brother. Is. Awesome!

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Have a great race! Cheering for you in Virginia!

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You can do it! There are so many people pulling for you!

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Yay! GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

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You’ve so totally got this!!! I can’t wait for the recap. Since your general conference is such a highlight for you, what an amazing thing that it is happening on the weekend of your marathon. It’s a sign. Do I even believe in signs? I don’t know; I do believe in gratitude. What a great thing to be grateful for, then…

As for power songs: the first time I had a “7 second dance party” at a traffic light while on a run was to a Flo Rida song, and though he’s not my jam for normal listening music, he is ALL OVER my running mix. “Whistle” is my current favorite. It keeps my moving and smiling. Also, Walk The Moon’s song “One Foot” has been a big thing for me lately–no matter what, just keep one foot in front of the other!!!

Now I want pancakes. WITH whipped cream!!!

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I am so proud of you, Janae! You got this! I am praying for you. Don’t overthink it. Trust the dedicated training you have done. I’m rooting for you from Mo. Have fun doing what you love!

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Have a killer race tomorrow! And enjoy the super quiet hotel room, sounds awesome.

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Good luck! You got this.

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You are so ready!!! You are going to KILL it tomorrow!!!
A couple of my favorite songs to run to right now:
Fight Song – Rachel Platon
Unstoppable – Sia
Champion – Carrie Underwood
Go Janae Go!!

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Janae! I am SO excited for you! Have a great race and most importantly, have FUN! :-) Can’t wait to hear (ehh..read?) how it goes!

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Your brother’s text nearly made ME cry! Good luck tomorrow, and I hope that you end the day proud, exhausted, and uncontrollably smiling! A mantra that has been popping in my head when running is “how do I want to remember this minute?” I hope every one of those minute 179 minutes becomes one you are proud of!

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Good luck!!! Have fun!!!

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I am SO excited for you!!! Go crush it girl!

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Trust. Your. Training. You’re going to kill it!!!!

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Janae, you have put in the work. You have all the mental tools you need. You have the support of family and friends. You are going to kill this race. Watching your progress has been amazing. You are an incredible runner and I wish you nothing but the best tomorrow. Believe that you can do it and you’ll get what you want!!!

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You got this! Trust your body and your training! Cheering you on from Virginia.

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Good luck tomorrow! You’re ready, I hope you have some peace about your fitness and can enjoy the work you put in and the person you are. We keep coming back to your blog because of your positivity and commitment to being a good person first. That’s what makes you a champion and I hope you can get the icing on the cake by reqching your big goal.

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Good Luck Janae!!!!! Rooting for you form Iowa :)

Trust yourself, stick to the plan. You got this!

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Good luck! You got this!

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Go do what you know you can do and what you’ve been working towards for months. Think about how you are running towards your family and that finish line. It’s all there waiting for you!

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So excited to see how your race goes!!! I’ll likely never be as fast as you, but reading about this training cycle has really helped remind me that that is okay. You’ll run (and dominate) your race and in April I’ll run mine.

I can’t wait to see the recap and hear the news that you broke 3!!! Good luck to you and kudos to Andrew for being so supportive.

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GOOD LUCK from a long time reader. I am rooting for you. God is good <3

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You’ve got this Janae! I am so excited to reading all about how the race goes for you! You are going to crush it! So glad it isn’t going to be really hot for you.

Very nice of Andrew to get you your own room :) I have a friend who has run 2 Marathons, both times she shared a room with her husband and 2 kids – no thank you!

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You are ready! You can do this! So excited for you!
My power song is Andy Mineo “Can’t Stop Me.”

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Haha same! One of my favorite speed songs.

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Good luck tomorrow! I saw this on Amazon earlier, you should get this for Andrew LOL https://www.amazon.com/survived-during-funny-runner-shirt/dp/B07J2HMJFB/

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This makes me so so happy… I am going to give this to him!

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Good luck from MD. You can do this!

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Good luck, enjoy!!

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Good luck tomorrow!!

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JANAE!!!!!! You have been in my prayers and positive thoughts since last Friday (cause for some reason I thought your race was last Saturday?! hah). I am SO excited and SO proud of you. You got this!!!!!!!!! Know you have a whole group of internet friends cheering you on and praying for you to have the absolute best time tomorrow. We love you!

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Go get ’em Janae! You’ve SO got this!!!!!
Can NOT wait to read your recap!

And that text from your brother made me laugh and cry at the same time!
I agree with him on it ALL!

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I’ll be thinking about you tomorrow!! Run HAPPY!! Can’t wait to see your sub -3 post :)

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Just wanted to respond and say, “GO, JANAE!!!!!!” You have 100% got this. KNOW that. BELIEVE it. You have NOTHING to lose by putting yourself out there and giving 110%——no matter the end result, you have a wonderful family waiting for you at the finish line who LOVES you no matter what the numbers on the clock say. However, I know you will kick butt, and those numbers will say something pretty spectacular. Trust in that.

So darned excited for you!!!!!!!!

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The mountains did get snow. And last I heard the cabin got about 5 minutes of rain. Not sure if that’s still the case but I think it’s safe there.

You’re going to do great tomorrow! I hope you have such a fun, happy race! Please enjoy the warm weather for me while we are freezing here. At least there’s no snow in the valleys yet!

For my half I added that thunder song by imagine dragons and some of the greatest showman music to my play list and that was fun to run to.

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Soooo excited for you and I just wanted to say I’ll be thinking of you all morning tomorrow and I’ll be praying for you!! Just have fun and remember why you run and why you love it! You are going to do so well and I believe in you!!!

Dancing for Rain by Rise Against always makes me feel like I can run 1000x faster and longer. Hehe.

YOU GOT THIS!!!

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Okay…I have tears in my eyes reading that text from your brother. How lucky are you to have such a supportive, loving family??
You don’t need luck because you’ve worked so hard for this! Get out there and DO YOUR THING!! Tomorrow is your day to SHINE!!

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ouhhh the eyelashes/eyebrows look amazing! Isn’t it nice to wake up slowly and go to breakfast!? haha this is my problem of why i’m not running so much hahaha. The candy corn popcorn is incredible. Still DYING over Skye in her baby Patagonias!!!!!! Seriously Janae this post alone is so beautiful and I hope you can step back and see it the way I am right now, that text from your brother almost got me teared up, the fact that your loving husband/soulmate booked you a separate room and you’ll get such good sleep, all of your friends and family that have supported you along the way, loving Brooke, sharing your excitement. I love being involved from a far on the internet in this beautiful life story <3 Will be thinking of you tomorrow morning and using all my telepathy to send you a positive wind and push you along ;)

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Good luck and have fun tomorrow! Don’t forget to smile and crank those arms when you’re tired!
I’m not sure how you feel about techno/house music but Scooter on Pandora has been my go to station for speed work.
Oh, and hello, you have the sweetest most supportive family EVER! Your brothers text brought tears to my eyes! You definitely won the lottery in the family department!!!!!!!!!

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GO JANAE GO! :)
Your message from your brother is so sweet! There is nothing like familial support for hard things in life!
My advice to you – trust the training and be in the moment. You have worked very hard and although it’s a race and you are pushing yourself to reach your goal, don’t forget to enjoy it along the way!
I am currently a big fan of the song “Natural” by Imagine Dragons.
My weekend is not nearly as exciting as yours, but I have a ten mile run to do and it’s supposed to rain all weekend so I’m not sure how fun that is going to be. Considering what people ran in at Boston this year, I won’t complain though! :)

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Good luck tomorrow Janae! You are going to do amazing things and you are going to achieve your goal! Stay positive, and know that we are all rooting for you. I can NOT wait to read your race recap. YOU GO GIRL!!!!! <3

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GOOD LUCK JANAE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Good luck! I tried some of your tips during a hard workout the other day – specifically the two that stuck in my mind were forcing a smile and thinking about all the body parts that didn’t hurt. I’m not quite sure I did it right, but I think it was pretty funny. I ended up pushing through the hard times by yelling (inside my head but as loud as I could inside my head) “EARLOBES!” and forcing the cheesiest, biggest smile I could. I did this several times and then started imaging what I looked like to other people and ended up laughing for real :)

Can’t wait for your race report!

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Just know we will all be cheering and wish you the best!

The picture of Brooke’s back at the soccer game with the adorable pigtail-knots is gorgeous.

Good luck, Janae!!! You can do this!!!

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YOU’VE GOT THIS!!!!!!! So excited for you Janae! I am sending the most positive vibes, thoughts, and prayers all the way from Charlotte, NC!!!! Believe in your training and most of all believe in YOURSELF and just know you have an entire tribe behind you! :)

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You did the work. You got this. All the best.

P.S. My run motto is “I never saved anything for the swim back” from one of my favorite movies Gattaca. Don’t save anything.

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I had the opportunity to see Shalane Flanagan at a meet and greet at our local running store. Something she said about her Dad really has impacted the way I think and encourage others on a daily basis. She said that her Dad always told her “Best Efforts” before competing instead of good luck. He said it was not luck but that she put the time, effort and grit into her training. So from this 53 y.o. I wish you best efforts!!!!!!

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GO, JANAE!!! Cheering for you from California!

Someone in your family needs to make this recipe for your Sunday lunch – Apple Fritter Monkey Bread (https://mcmomentsandmemories.blogspot.com/2018/10/friday-foodie.html) They will probably need to quadruple the recipe but it is SO good!!

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Janae, I’ve been so inspired by your attitude and preparation for this race! One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received comes from my Dad, he always said “learn to love a challenge.” I like to repeat this mantra during difficult times and difficult workouts and challenge myself to love something about the difficulty I am facing. I’m not going to say good luck, because you don’t need it, your success will not be because of luck but because of your preparation!

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Wow! Tomorrow’s the big race?? You are truly an inspiration to so many people, including random strangers like myself. Remember beyond and above all personal goals that your higher mission of lighting the way and touching many lives in such a positive way has been achieved regardless of your chip time??❤️??YOU are the inspiration! Now go catch that shooting star!!! I can’t wait to read your race recap?

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Go Janae!!! You’re going to kill it tomorrow!!

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I´ll be thinking about your race tomorrow from the Nettherlands. You can do hard things! Smile! I read an interview with Kipchoge and he does it too when things get hard. I really like Can´t hold us by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. It’s the song I heard just before my first race 5 years ago. This is power by Hardwell (a dutch dj) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J701ucIsrrk is a new addition to my running playlist.

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I wish your dream comes true. Don’t forget that you are already a super hero for marathon training with a tiny baby and two kids. We will be thousands sending you good vibes tomorrow morning :-)

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Hey, have fun!! Enjoy the race no matter what! You’re awesome regardless of what time you get!

I’m hoping for a run of any length tomorrow… my hip is feeling a bit off so we’ll see. Makes me kind of jealous of anyone doing a race or long run tomorrow. Kind of, haha.

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Good luck! You are ready, you did the training and you deserve to be there chasing that sun-3! Will be cheering you on thousands of miles away in tiny ol’ England!

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Good Luck tomorrow! I know that you are going to do amazingly well! Sub 3 is happening!!!!!

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This is your race! You have done the work and it is your time. We’re all cheering you on!!!

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Good luck tomorrow!!! I will be thinking of you!

And dido what your brother said – you are loved before and will be after!

You inspire so many, Janae , with your perseverance, attitude and warm spirit :)

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Good luck!! ? Just remember all the inspiring race advice you share with all of us all the time.

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Tomorrow is your victory lap Janae! You’ve put all of the hard work in your training, and tomorrow is about having it all come together! I remember reading your old blog posts about St George Marathon the day before I ran it. Thanks to your advice, that was my first BQ race back in 2016. You got this girl, and you have the most amazing cheer squad and support team out there with your family and friends! Go chase down that sub -3!!

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Go Janae go! ‘ And will you succeed? Yes you will indeed’ Dr. Seuss. Will be following from Nova Scotia! Tell Brooke to cheer for me too…

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Good luck!! You’ll do awesome. :) My favorite song to run to recently is Thunderclouds by Sia, Diplo and Larbinth.

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This marathon is yours, Janae!!

I’m really curious what Andrew’s time was! I’m attempting to run tomorrow after taking a 2 month break due to a dumb stress fracture in my foot.

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Good luck, Janae and have fun!

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Good luck!!! I am SO excited to read your race report. I’ll be sending you good vibes all day. You CAN do hard things, and by doing so you inspire everyone around you to do the same. Run like the wind, woman!

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I am so, so excited for you to run tomorrow!! Remember to enjoy the run, you have worked SO hard for this!! Cheering you on all the way from New Hampshire. :)

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GOOD LUCK, JANAE!
Trust yourself….you’ve put in the work, and now it’s time to enjoy! You have so much support and we will all be cheering you on from near and far! Cannot wait to read the recap!

?????‍♀️??‍♀️??‍♀️

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Have so much fun tomorrow! It’s been so fun to see all of your hard work and determination. You’re positivity is contagious and inspiring. You’ll rock this race. No matter what you’re amazing!

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You will ROCK this!!!! What an amazing couple of years you have had…..it is your time to shine ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Good luck, Janae!!! I hope you have a GREAT race tomorrow. You have trained so hard for this and you are so inspiring!

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You are ready!!! Dig deep, you’ve got this!!

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Your brothers text made me a little teary- so excited for you today!

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