Automatic PR, BRAIN STOP & 5 Things.

I didn’t sleep for some weird reason but both girls slept like champs even if Skye’s facial expressions states something differently.  I was awake from 1-5?!  Does that ever happen to you?  Normally I am out cold but I woke up and tried everything in the books to fall asleep but my brain wouldn’t stop.

Brooke always makes sure that Beretta is very comfortable before she goes to school.

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Nap time rolled around for Skye (Andrew was home) and I took it to the trails with Beretta.

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We went out for 9 miles and when I was almost to my car I was at a 9:03 average pace so I sped up to try to get 9.00 miles @ 9:00.  <—  The weird things we do when it comes to our running stats.  Also, Beretta would have preferred if we did this at a 7:00 pace.

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5 facts about Beretta when she is on the trails:

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1. She 1000% prefers the trails vs the roads.  On the roads she attempts to pull me for the first mile and gets so frustrated that I’m not as fast as her the entire time ha.  On the trails she can sprint, stop and sniff things and then repeat that over and over again for the entire run.   She loves not having a leash on and the exploration part of trail running.

2. Beretta loves to run about 10-15 ft ahead of me but whenever we come to a place on the trail where there are multiple options on which way to go she stops and waits for me to show her which way to go.  She pays attention to where I am at the entire time which makes it very easy to go together.

3. If she gets stuck behind me on a single track portion of the trail she practically jumps over my head to get ahead again.  Her competitive side is unreal.

4. Beretta coming across snow for her to eat during the run is comparable to me coming across my mom’s lasagna during a run and being able to stop and eat it.  She gets so excited.  PS I wonder if my mom will make us lasagna to eat at one of the aid stations on our 50 miler?

5. Her tail was wagging with each step she took… even as she was going up some steep uphills.  She always reminds me how much fun running really is.

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Maybe one of the main reasons I really want to do this ultra is because it is an automatic PR:)  My PR in October felt so good I just really want another one asap that is guaranteed!

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Something I was thinking about a lot during my run yesterday—>   It’s awesome that we train for races and get out the door to reach new distances, speeds and strength BUT I think the really cool part is that we do this with everything else going on in our lives at the time!  It’s easy to get out and run when we don’t have anything else going on and we wake up from a perfect 9 hours of sleep but how often does that happen for any of us?  We train with the rest of life piled on top of everything.  Whether that’s taking care of sick kids, stressful projects at work, a to-do list a mile long and still getting out to take care of ourselves or being exhausted from life and still training…  making time for it when we don’t have a lot of time, that makes me feel proud for all of us:)

And Maybe your running isn’t going as well as you wish it was right now and you are being hard on yourself—>  Stop that and be proud of what you are doing along with everything else going on in your life… that’s pretty awesome that you are out there no matter what pace/distance/what you used to do.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is quite the page turner… Skye couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

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Working on our dribbling skills.

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And playing Skye’s current favorite game, superman.

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We got to have my sister’s girls over for a bit.

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And then I got to go enjoy an ice cream bar with a group from my church.  I just got a new calling to teach the 8 year olds at church and I cannot wait.

Ice cream bars are always a good idea.

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This is how Skye sleeps every night.  I love checking on the kids at night (even though there is a camera in Skye’s room I like to go in and see her too).  I don’t know if she will ever be able to sleep without her binky!

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Do you have problems sleeping?  Often or rarely?  Is it hard for you to fall asleep in the first place or do you wake up?

-Andrew’s least favorite part of the day is trying to fall asleep (it takes him forever) and I’m usually out within a minute but every now and then I’ll wake up during the night and worry about all of the things on the planet that I have zero control over.

Are you a competitive person?  In everything or only certain things?

What is your workout today?  I wanna hear about it.

What was your last automatic PR (aka the last time you did a race distance for the very first time)?

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73 comments

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So excited for you and your upcoming PR!! :) I ran a 25K race that started at midnight two years in a row, so the first year I ran it was a guaranteed PR! And I’m definitely a competitive person, which is good sometimes but also something that I need to learn to turn down in other times so that I don’t live in a constant state of Monica Gellar.

I usually fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, but I need to be better about making sure that I get more sleep each night. Hope that you have a wonderful day, Janae!

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It started at midnight?! Okay, that sounds so hard! I should do a 25k too for an instant PR! “So I don’t live in a constant state of Monica Gellar” <--- haha, thank you for that! Thanks Natalie, you too!

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I can completely relate to your waking up and spinning ! I usually fall asleep okay but often times (more often than I would like), I wake up at around 12:30, 1:00 and I am ready to go for the day! I usually go to sleep around 9:30, 10:00. You must have so much on your mind with your relatively still new house, 3 children, your new calling, Andrew’s work schedule change! Tons going on so it is understandable. I will hope that this was just a rarity for you and you can find peace at night after your go-go-go days.

From your post yesterday… I am a HUGE fan of all cheesy Christmas movies. Romance at Reindeer Lodge is one of my favorites – it is often rerun on Hallmark Channel. I watch almost very new Hallmark Channel and their Hallmark Movies and Mysteries holiday movies. They play 24-7 from Thanksgiving until after New Year’s :) I usually do not re-watch them but Romance at Reindeer Lodge for some reason gets me :)

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YES… that’s how I felt, once I woke up I was like, I wish I could just start the day right now! Luckily, last night I slept straight through the night wahoo, thank you! I cannot wait to check out Romance at Reindeer Lodge (thank you). I need the Hallmark Channel right now. Have a wonderful day and I always love getting to ‘catch up’ with you:)

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Haha…. that sweet baby of yours reminds me so much of my Ana Grace. Btw, she is 14 and still sleeps with her “B” every night.

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Oh I love that! I have a feeling our kid’s will be just like Ana Grace when they are 14 too. Blankets are EVERYTHING!

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I wake up at 5am every day to run so by the time I get into bed and watch an episode of Friends I am out!! Falling asleep is my favorite part of the day ha

Yes very competitive. At work, in running, playing games, etc. Speaking of Friends, i’m definitely Monica in that regard haha

Today – 5 easy miles @ 8:27 pace

Last automatic PR was running my first Boston marathon this past year! I finished super slow but whatever!!

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Bahaha that is how I feel… climbing into a comfy bed at night is heavenly! I LOVE the Monica reference hahah! You know the new boots episode? Andrew told me the other day that he could totally see me doing something like that. YOU FINISHED BOSTON IN THAT WEATHER… I can’t even imagine. I would have frozen to death. You are strong! Have a great day!

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OK I *love* your pep-talk and “let’s look at the bigger picture of running and life” because I have been doing a LOT of that over the last few months. Thank you. <3

I love the idea of the 'automatic PR.' I guess if I was counting these things in a serious way right now, my 4-miler in April would be my latest one, as I had never really run that distance for a finisher's medal before.

I love seeing Brooke with a basketball–she seems to have a sort of multifaceted joy with sports! I don't know if it's too cold out there for things like horseback riding, but I wonder if she is still into that? Even if she is not on a horse right now with all of the eventfulness in your lives lately (especially with moving houses and now the holidays being here…), does she talk about it much? Does it still excite her?

I love that you have your new calling in your church community! I hope it enriches your life and puts you in the best place to empower and nurture those kids in the best sort of a way. :)

OK–time to tackle a mountain of grading. Can I grade 2 stacks of papers (26 papers per stack) AND half of my lit tests today? AND drive up to the gym where I teach spin for my 6 PM class (a 1:20-ish drive there with ATL traffic…and a 30-ish minute drive home because traffic has died down to normal levels by the time class ends…) AND spend some quality time with Tom when I am home since he has the evening off from the store?? Let's find out! :)

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YES YES YES… the big picture shows how much you have been doing on top of your running and workouts! Yes, she will definitely be back to horse riding lessons. Since we moved the last place is too far now but I’m researching places closer to our new house for when it gets warmer. She definitely still talks about it and she chooses to watch Spirit anytime that she gets TV time:) Thank you so much! I seriously do not know how you do it all…you’ve got this. Good luck and I hope in between all that you are doing today you get a few breathers:)

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Like you, I never struggle to fall asleep. I do sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble getting back to sleep, which always stinks. I feel like I end up falling back to sleep right before I need to get up!

I’m only competitive with board games for some odd reason. I’m also a sore loser about them. Weird, I know.

I was planning to run 3 miles this morning, but woke up with a sore throat (thanks to my kids for that one!) so I opted for the extra hour of sleep. I’m planning to do a little basement yoga after my kids go to bed so I get in some movement and stretching. Hopefully the 3 miles can happen tomorrow.

I’m just getting back into running after quite a long break so I haven’t raced in a while, but I am enjoying my long run PRs every Saturday. I’m running with an apple watch now rather than my old garmin, so I’m enjoying the congratulations it gives me every time I hit a new distance record! Definitely great motivation!

That picture of Skye is so cute. I sneak into my kids’ rooms to look at them also. That photo inspired me to give my baby (also a 12/8/17 baby) a blanket to cuddle with at night.

Have a great day Janae!

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Hahah YES… and you fall back into a really deep sleep right before you have to wake up too. So frustrating! Hahaha I’m right there with you on the board games whenever I am playing with Andrew. I am so sorry about the sore throat and tomorrow will be the perfect day for those 3 miles! I am so glad you are using a new watch… those congrats are the best!

WE HAD OUR BABIES ON THE SAME DAY!? I love it! What are you doing for your baby’s first birthday!? Does this year feel like it went by way to fast?!

You too!

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Hi Janae,
I so relate to falling asleep quickly but waking up to my head noise that I can turn down! Good for you to get and out run! I find if I am physically tired the waking up doesn’t happen quite as much.

My border collie loves a trail run- road runs he grabs the leash in his mouth and pulls me along!

I have run many half marathons, but only one full. That PR is hanging out for me to try again….
Have an amazing day!

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Luckily, yesterday I was able to go out much later in the day… there is no way I could have gotten out early!! We need a switch in our heads to turn off to make us stop thinking:) Oh I wish we could go on a trail run with our pups together. That PR Is calling your name;) THANK YOU, you too!

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Random and unrelated… But the next time sissy comes on for a guest post can she please show us how she makes that incredible tray of fresh rolls???

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I totally will!! I’ll text her right now to take pictures of the process for her to post! I do know it is the Sam’s Club dough that she uses and she adds butter at the end but I’m not sure about the rest. Great question, thanks Carly! Enjoy your day!

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Hey Janae!
My daughters are 9 and almost 13, and I still love checking in on them at night to see them sleeping :) Even though they’re so much older, they still remind me of little babies when I see them all innocent, peaceful, and asleep!

UGH to that sleepless night. I am so so sorry. I find when that happens that I can get by the next day, but then it REALLY catches up to me. Hope your adrenaline runs strong and carries you through the day!!!!

My last workout was yesterday–first one after my marathon. Just 2 up/then 10 one minute segments at half marathon pace with one min recoveries/1 down. It felt so good to get the legs moving again though. Easy runs can be great, but after two weeks, I was tiring over the constant easy pace!

I was thinking about what you wrote about being hard on yourself. So, I BQed a few weeks ago but not with as big of a cushion as I wanted. I found myself starting to think obsessively about if I’ll get in, should I run a spring marathon to go for a bigger cushion, etc. My extended family loves me, but they’re not runners . On Thanksgiving Day, not one of them congratulated me on getting that BQ. I was kind of surprised at first, but then I appreciated it in a way. THAT is not why they VALUE me or who they think I am–“Jen the Runner.” They love me for so many other reasons, and I’m NOT just “Jen the Runner.” It was a good reminder. I doubt if I’ll run a spring marathon b/c I’m afraid I’d be doing it out of obligation/not the right reasons. I think I’m just going to let the chips fall where they will with the whole Boston thing. What will be, will be, right? :) I think social media feeds and fuels that whole BQ obsession.

Oh, and that ice cream bar looks AMAZING, even at 9:15 in the morning! NEVER too early!!!! ha ha

Have the best day, Janae!

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Seeing them so peaceful while they are sleeping is the best! Haha thank you and you are so right… I think today is going to be the hard one! Look at you back and rocking speed already… ps only a one minute recovery after 10 minute segments?! That is hard! Oh I love what you said… they love YOU! We do it for ourselves:) I totally see what you are saying and that’s how I felt about my spring goals… do I try a spring marathon to pr because other people would think that is cool or do I follow my heart and do the 50?! I think you are being SO smart. I honestly think with the time change in BQ that you WILL get in. You are so strong, Jen!

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I LOVE running with our Black lab, she is older now so we’re down to slow walks but it was the best for both of us. I would take her to our local trails, let her off the leash and she would have the time of her life. Buretta is a lucky pup to enjoy the time outside with you, those dogs can RUN!

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They really can! Seeing them just roam free makes me so happy:) Have a beautiful day Gina and I hope your walk today with your lab is a great one!

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It is amazing you car run with Beretta like that, that is such a gift! I also love what you said about being cognizant of the fact that we have everything in our life going on + running so we shouldn’t be so hard on ourselves. This training cycle is actually going really well but sometimes I’m just exhausted on a run and need to remind myself of that;)

Workout for the day is my hardest speed session so far of this cycle…..going for a sub 2 half! And today is 2 mile warmup, 3 x (5 min at 8:45, 3 min at 8:25, 1 min at 8:10, 1 minute at 10:00), 2 mile cool down! Can’t wait to go after it and see what my body can do!

I’m like Andrew->its tough for me to fall asleep. But once I’m out, I’m out! But I usually lay down at 8:30;) so I still get a good amount of sleep.

So excited about your ultra training and can’t wait for you to crush that PR;)

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Yes yes yes… don’t forget about that! All of the stuff outside of running takes a toll on us too. I am SO happy for you that this training cycle is going so well for you! YOU ARE GOING TO CRUSH IT TODAY!! That looks like an awesome workout, Eleanor! Sub 2 is all yours! Thanks:) Have a wonderful day!

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That happened to me a couple of nights ago too! I hate that. I was so tired all day yesterday haha.

My last automatic PR was the half and now I want to do it again, Trevon things I’m crazy because wanting to do it again after getting injured last time sounds weird to him.

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Just tell them that this time you won’t get injured:) I still can’t believe that was your first half… YOU CRUISED!! I hope you catch up on your sleep over the next few days. Have a great day, Jenny!

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When I cannot sleep I listen to a podcast and it makes me stop thinking. I put the sleep timer on. It’s the only way I can turn my brain off. I usually fall asleep within 5 minutes of listening to the podcast.

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Brilliant. That is such a good idea. I will be doing this next time, thank you Leah! Have a great Wednesday!

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I love your outlook on the “automatic PR.” Really great place to put your mental energy! I also love how Beretta just rolls with all of the kids and the goes out and burns up the trails with you or Andrew. She really does seem like the perfect family dog.

Sleep and I have had a rocky relationship for the last couple of years. Sometimes it’s just stress (conscious or even subconscious), but after going to the doctor for a few things, we figured out there was a ton of physiological stuff happening that was messing up my sleep patterns. Hormonal shifts, even from day to day regular cycles, can totally hijack a good night of sleep. Boo. ?? I’ve had to do a lot of cognitive stuff, in addition to all the physiological stuff, to help. I feel for Andrew…falling asleep is the hardest part for me too (plus I have a bad back, like he does, and sometimes it really is painful just trying to find a good way to sleep). I do better if I cut out screen time 30-60 minutes before bed (phone, computer, tv, etc). Then I do something I enjoy but that is methodical and repetitive (crochet). That usually shifts my brain down a couple gears. Lately I’ve been tracking my sleep on a sleep app too, just so I make notes on my day and see how that affects my sleep cycle.

Here’s hoping for a better night of sleep this evening!

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She really is! Oh really… Michelle, I can’t even imagine dealing with this for YEARS. Keep me updated on how your sleeping continues to go… I hope you are able to really figure this out. Thank you so much and have a wonderful day!

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Watching a dog run is the best! Just pure joy!!
I’m like you… I can fall asleep very quickly almost every night. But, lately I’ve been waking up a few times during the night. I know it’s because I have a lot on my mind, but it can be so frustrating.
This morning was a quick 5 miles before a very busy day, and then hopefully I can squeeze in some pilates this afternoon ?
Thank you for sharing the trails with us! They look so peaceful!
Have a great day Janae ?

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NOOOO I hope that you go back to sleeping through the night again. I hope everything goes smoothly today and that you get to get some pilates in:) Thank you, you too!

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Not being able to sleep is a bummer !
Hopefully it was just a one time thing with you .
I have a question. Aren’t you afraid to trail run by yourself ?? I would LOVE to run the beautiful trails around where I live but I just don’t have the courage to do it alone. Too many “what if’s” go through my mind and I work in law enforcement so I know a lot of things do happen. I don’t think that fierce Berretta would be much protection if someone really wanted to hurt you. How do you overcome the fear of running trails alone ?

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Hey Sarah! That is a great question! The trail I hit most often by myself is actually a pretty populated trail with people walking and hiking… I probably saw about 20 people on that run yesterday. I have my Run Angel with me and yes, Beretta isn’t a 100% reliable source but she is crazy protective of me and the kids. If Andrew is tickling us or rough housing she barks like crazy and puts her mouth around his arm to make him stop. I don’t think you should overcome your fear… if you don’t feel good about it trust your gut. There are many trails I don’t feel good about alone so I don’t dare but this one I feel good about:) Have a wonderful day!

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Wow! Beretta is an awesome running partner! My dog would run off, unfortunately.
I sleep much more lightly than I used to before having kids. Hot flashes have also started messing with my sleep :( and, of course, pondering stressful stuff keeps me up sometimes.
I have a competitive streak. It’s mostly with myself, but certain things bring it out, like when I sense that someone is trying specifically to beat me, LOL!
I usually go to CrossFit on Wednesdays. Today’s is 5 rounds of 400m run, 30 box jumps, 30 wallballs–a real leg killer! I’m not sure I want to take the chance of wrecking my legs when I have a half marathon in 9 days, so we’ll see!
Hope you can catch a nap today!

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Oh hot fleshes must be so hard! The lack of sleep is torture. I am so sorry Corey! Ummm that workout sounds unreal… I would die. GOOD LUCK IN 9 DAYS AND I’M CHEERING FOR YOU!! Thanks!

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The only thing I am feel competitive with, these days, is myself.
Here is a quote I like that describes it:
“Your competition isn’t other people. Your competition is your procrastination. Your ego. The unhealthy food you are consuming, and the knowledge you neglect. The negative behavior you are nurturing and your lack of creativity. Compete against that.”

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That is the best quote about this… just what I needed. Thanks Erica!

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Unsolicited advice. Never, ever, ever buy the The Very Hungry Caterpillar board game. It is the worst board game ever created. It’s basically just spin a spinner forever. It was a Christmas gift to my oldest and we finally just threw it away. Trust me on this one. Terrible.

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Thank you for warning me about that!!!

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I totally have nights like yours. I’ve figured out it’s usually the week before my period and I’ve also figured out that Young Living’s Cortistop helps so much. Yogi Sleepy Time tea with Valerian is also great but then I have to get up in the middle of the night because that’s a lot of fluids right before bed. So time your tea wisely.

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That is so interesting that our cycle can influence our sleep… hmm! THANK YOU, I’ll have to try those! Have a beautiful day:)

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“Beretta coming across snow for her to eat during the run is comparable to me coming across my mom’s lasagna during a run….” Oh my goodness – this made me laugh!!!! I can so relate, but it makes me want to try your mom’s lasagna! :)

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Hahah! You really should try it.. it is heavenly!!
https://hungryrunnergirl.com/2013/03/we-are-moving.html
Have a wonderful day!

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I don’t normally have trouble sleeping but this week (it’s only Wednesday) I have had two sleepless nights. I had a massage yesterday to help with any stress I may be feeling. The massage therapist told me to meditate and do restorative yoga at the end of our session. My muscles were telling her that I am carrying a lot of tension and I need to let go.

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Two?!! Oh Megan that is awful! Let me know if those two things help.. I need to copy you!

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What a good girl Berretta is ! And, my little guy sleeps in that exact same position most nights, minus the binky. He used one for like an hour when he was a few months old and then, no more. Haha!
I don’t remember what my last auto-PR was (maybe my 100miler?) but I am planning on doing a “donut mile” on January 1st, so that will be one :)

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Wanna come pace our 50? I seriously can’t even imagine 100! I want to come do the donut run.. best way to start the year! I love that he sleeeps like that:)

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I ran today!!! I did about 6 miles and concentrated on landing forefoot and keeping a high cadence (while still going fairly slow) and it went well! I had no pain but my shin still feels weird… I can tell it’s not quite normal yet. But nothing that made me say “ow” even a little. Not sure yet if I’ll do more tomorrow, but I’m cautiously hopeful!

I can’t believe you still ran on that little sleep. When I’m tired it’s so hard to get running. I normally don’t have trouble falling asleep though.

I’ve never run with a dog but Beretta sounds like a perfect running partner!

It’s been a while since I did a race distance for the first time… I did set a (not automatic) PR in a 1-mile race this summer though, with 5:17.

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Yay!!!! I am so so glad that there was no ow pain! This marathon is yours:) PS a 5:17 mile… WOW! Caffeine was my biggest friend yesterday ha! I hope your shins keep getting better and better.

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I started using this melatonin supplement to help with sleep, and it works really well! I do not need to take the recommended dose for adults though… if I do, I’d need to sleep for like 10 hours. I have found that as soon as it gets cold and snowy (like it is now in Iowa where we got a foot + of snow on Sunday night/Monday morning), I want to sleep more and more.
I can be competitive, but I blame that on being an only child! :)
Workout today is another LIIFT 4 workout – I am REALLY enjoying it. The combination of weight training and HIIT intervals is tough for me (coming from just running and bodyweight strength training) but I like it! I can already tell a difference in my performance. However, it was really hard to do an upper body workout after shoveling the aforementioned snow. Guess that counts as extra, right?!
PS – I got these Pudus brand boot socks on Amazon because they were on Oprah’s list of favorite things, and OMG they are amazing. They are so soft and warm! If you need new boot socks, I highly suggest these!

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I want to sleep more and more in the winter too! Maybe I’ll try a little melatonin if this continues to happen! I’m so glad you are loving LIIFT… I would love to try that and that definitely counts as extra! I will be checking those out right now, THANK YOU! Have a wonderful day, Rhiannon!

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I really enjoyed your 5 facts about Beretta today! Aren’t dogs the absolute best?? So glad she can get out to enjoy the trails with you!

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Oh thank you! They really are… we are so lucky! Have a wonderful day, Erin:)

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I use to have no trouble sleeping, then peri-menopause hit. I traded PMS for a different hormone monster that lives in my body ;) The insomnia usually lasts about as long as a period then goes away. Fortunately it’s not every month!

I am super NON competitive! I won’t even play games with Les’ family because they are all crazy competitive. Lots of teasing and yelling. I took it personally the first few times, now I just keep the snacks/drinks supplied.

I’ve been sick since Thanksgiving, so I finally got out today for an easy bike ride. Almost feel normal again.

I haven’t done any races in a couple years (see paragraph #1.) I think my last automatic PR was 25k in Hawaii.

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That is so interesting about the insomnia…our body’s are so strange haha! I hope that your ride feels good today, I’m so sorry you have been sick… even on your trip:( 25k in Hawaii… I want that to be my next automatic PR:) I hope you are 100% today!

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Beretta trail running makes me so happy! Thank you for sharing her with us all ~ she seems like THE.BEST companion and running partner. It’s just so good to get outside and do anything… run, walk, hike; enjoy nature and God’s beautiful creation!!

Have an awesome day Janae!

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She really is. We are so lucky to live in this gorgeous world. Thank you, you too Sarah!

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I typically fall asleep right away. I read a book for about 5 minutes and I’m done. If I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t sleep I will try and read. If I’m still wide awake after an hour or so, I just get up and start doing chores around the house. I find that I get less frustrated if I just get up. I recently moved my phone away from my bed so that I am not tempted to check it when I can’t sleep and that has helped a ton!

I’m super competitive, but more so with myself rather than with other people.

Today’s workout was 6 miles with a local running group. It’s usually mostly guys so I was super excited that there were two females besides me this morning. Yay!

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I do occasionally wake up and cannot fall back asleep….it’s super frustrating.
Today’s run is somewhere between 3 and 6 miles….depends on the wind…..it is unseasonably chilly today with a high of 34 and some wind coming off the river!
I am super competitive, but so is my husband, so we really get into games…all in fun though, nothing quite as serious as Monica and Ross in the Gellar cup Friends episode?

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I definitely have nights like that where my mind just doesn’t want to quit (usually related to some stress at work or home). I have had success with a product called Natural CALM. It’s a magnesium supplement powder that you mix with water a bit before bed and it seems to calm my mind down, as well as my body. I’ve seen it at Trader Joes and Whole Foods. http://naturalvitality.com/natural-calm-faqs/

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I’ve been looking for a magnesium supplement too… this looks perfect. THANK YOU MICHELLE!

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Off topic, but I converted my mom to Sam’s club pizza dough after you’ve raved about it so much. Turns out they’re going to stop making it in frozen balls, so you might want to tell your sister to stock up! They said you’ll have a couple more weeks to order it that way. Happy Wednesday!

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WHAT?!?! AHHHHHHHHH I will text her right now. THANK YOU!

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Ugh!! I am the same. I fall asleep pretty easy, but if I wake up in the middle of the night I can not get back to sleep! Too many things to think about, wonder about and stress about! Haha

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I am an ultra runner who trains with my dog on the trails. You MUST leash your dog always. No exceptions. You do not own those trails and share them with others. Nobody wants an unleashed dog running up to them. It is terrifying. Please be more responsible.

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Oh gosh I loved the reminder that it’s so good to just get out there and go!!! My husband is in Germany this week and I’ve been sneaking out for afternoon runs just to pep me up for doing dinner and bedtime solo. I always feel guilty when I leave but then I remember when I get back that I am SUCH a better mom with those endorphins and self-care!

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A weighted blanket has made all the difference in going to sleep. It’s not as cheap as whiskey, but it works better. Ha, ha.

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Hi Janae, I just got an automatic PR on October 21st when I ran my first half-marathon ever! Going into it I was saying that I just wanted my goal to be to finish! But after a few of my longer training runs I thought that maybe I could do it in under 2:45 ….. then maybe under 2:30. Well on race day I felt so good and well-prepared that I finished in 2:22!!! I also think it helped that is was a VERY fast, mostly downhill course (Ventura Marathon). Hahaha! It was so downhill that even if I got tired halfway through I could just lay down and roll the rest of the way to the finish line! Starting in the new year I plan to work on setting some more PR’s like a 5k under 30 and a 10k under 60. Have a great day!

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Ahh I love those pics of Beretta! So sweet to be in his element. My Maltipoo dog would run away from me lol but she sure loves her walks at the park. I took her to a dog beach to test her out and I ended up having to chase her down and she joined another family on their towel. I have a stinker! She doesn’t come back when I tell her to.
Running and mom life I’m learning it’s all about life style and not so much about what I did or didn’t do. Sometimes I get in my run and sometimes I do the laundry but they are always both there for me no matter what. ;)

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Hi Janae – I really enjoyed your previous post about your church and the things you value with your religion. If you don’t mind sharing more, I’m wondering about when you say you just got a new calling to work with the 8 year olds – is this something you decide is your calling or are the various needs in the church assigned to different people?

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Hey Julia! That is an excellent question and I should have talked about that! The various needs of the church are assigned to different people! I didn’t know what calling I was going to receive! I’m very excited to try something new:) Have a great day! And let me know if you have any other questions!

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Berretta on the trails is just like my dog!!! She looooves trails, hiking, running, forests, woods, jungle, anything to explore and sniff and sprint and chase squirrels and deer. Thats so nice that you live so close to those trails to go every day and can let her off there. The trails near us are very crowded sometimes and I don’t have a car to actually get there. I am not competitive at all which is very nice but maybe boring?? haha

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So jealous of your leash-less runs! All parks and trails here require a leash. It keeps life interesting!

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Looks like a very happy and integrated family with really adorable kids.

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