Time and a Season + How I’m Not Getting Injured + PIE Night:

Eyeliner courtesy of the day before (I always wash my face but taking the eyeliner off sometimes takes too much effort).

I got in my tempo miles early on the treadmill.  Because of the snow shaking things up this week I needed to combine the tempo miles with a longish run to get them both in for the week (and then combine the hill workout into my long run later this week) so 11 miles happened.  The next two days are shorter and easier.

I wore my St. George Marathon outfit to be filled with some good memories during the run… complete with a gatorade stain and my self-tanner marks.

3.5 mile warm-up and then 3 miles @ 6:48 average followed by a cool-down until I hit 11 miles.   That 6:48 pace felt a bit harder than a tempo pace but I was too stubborn to push the slow down button.  It’s crazy that my marathon pace from a few months ago is now a hard effort for 3.1 miles.  <— I could let that discourage me but rather than focus on getting slower I’m focusing on the fact that I’m much stronger on the hills than I’ve ever been before and that I’m getting in more weekly miles than ever (injury free.. more on that below) in preparation for this ultra.   It gives me butterflies that I now barely notice running up a hill nearby that used to make me want to walk the whole time up.

There is a time and season for different aspects of our training (including seasons of not running at all) and the best thing to focus on is where we are right now.

The tempo called for 3 miles but I always go a little farther on the treadmill to count for the time it takes the treadmill to get up to speed.

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Don’t my AirPods look nice and clean?

After my snow run I had my AirPods in my vest pocket to use during my tempo miles (that didn’t happen) and Andrew grabbed my clothes while I was taking my hot shower and put them in the wash.  My electronic key and AirPods were both in my pocket and both survived and work like new.  I’m very lucky.

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Brooke didn’t have school yesterday so she spent time getting fed toys by Skye.

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We had a few errands to get done yesterday…. Andrew likes to try a new flavor with each long run.  He is running 22 miles and he is going to try the French Toast Gu.

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My niece came over and they giggled at the counter for an hour straight.

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And the highlight of the day was pie night (for national pie day yesterday) at my friend Kelsey’s house.

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She made all of these homemade.  She is amazing.

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WE LOVE BLANKETS OVER HERE.

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Andrew’s off for his long run and he bought this to help with his chafing… I’ll report back!

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From Megan D’s IG… Anyone else agree?

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Time to answer another question!

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Our mileage is higher than ever (I’ll be hitting 68 this week) with this ultra training and my body is injury free (knock on wood).  Nothing is hurting in the slightest besides just some tired muscles after long runs. I used to get injured running much less and things have changed for me since then:

1.  Most of my miles are very very easy paced (for me).  Out of the 68 this week only 3 are fast and I have about 35 minutes of hill speed at a hard effort later on this week… about 10% of my weekly milage is hard.  That is lower than during marathon training BUT with both training cycles my easy miles are truly easy.  Back when I was injured all of the time I was doing all of my miles at either hard or moderate and then on my days off from running I was still doing spin or cross-training.  I always take Sunday completely off now too which I think really helps me (I walk about 300 steps that entire day:).

2.  I weigh more than I did when I was injured every other minute.  I have a very regular cycle (I have an amenorrhea post coming up soon) and I have muscles and fat to protect my bones now.  I’m not saying that injuries are usually caused from being underweight at all but for me it was a big reason why I was constantly injured.  Going below where our body naturally wants to be (and can’t get to without underfeeding it) is dangerous territory.  Why in the world would it do the things I asked of it if I couldn’t fuel it properly?   I remember after I found out about my femur stress fractures my sister told me (in a very lovingly way) that my bones had nothing guarding them and until I did, it was going to keep happening over and over again <— Which is what I really needed to hear.

3. I sleep a lot.  I’m not sure I would be uninjured with this high of mileage if Skye wasn’t sleeping well.  Andrew and I are both getting into bed earlier than normal with this ultra training and the sleep we get each night is repairing the things that need to be repaired so we can keep going.  I’m usually sleeping about 9 hours each night (and around 10 on Saturday nights) and if I can sneak in a short nap after the long runs I take full advantage of that.  During this ultra training we’ve decided that in order to ask this of our bodies we need to sacrifice our love of the Tonight Show and catch up on our shows on the treadmill the next day instead ha.

From my training plan:

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4.  Our bodies keep score of every activity, the stress, the recovery and everything else.  So you might be able to get away with not enough recovery/overtraining for a little while but eventually it will catch up to you and injuries are one of those ways that it tells us enough is enough.  I eat the second I finish a run and I take downtime during the day (it counts even if kids are crawling all over me).  I use my R8 roller, we use compression boots and put our feet up on the walls.  I’m also trying to get in some serious stretching and yoga BUT I will say I am currently doing 0 strength training (besides some push-ups and planks).  I am a terrible example with my strength training but with this training I just haven’t found the time to get it in.

5.  I honestly 1000% believe that Dr. Bennett helped me to get my body to a place where I don’t get injured as easily.  He reactivated muscles and anytime I feel a hot spot I go in to him and he helps me to get it figured out.

6.  I now take FULL TIME OFF a few times a year.  Last year I took 6 weeks completely off after having Skye and then another 2 weeks completely off after my marathon.  This year I’ll for sure be taking of 2-4 weeks off after the ultra and then time off again after fall races.  I’ve learned over the years that I can’t jump from one training cycle to the next without a complete break (from running AND cross-training).

*Bonus—>  Sometimes injuries are random and they just happen (like my turf toe incident from landing funny off of a curb a few years ago)… you’ll learn some lessons and come back even more grateful for running.  Luckily, we haven’t had any random injuries pop up.

Andrew is currently getting in the hard workouts/long runs each week but he is taking more off days than I do to get his body used to higher mileage.  He has never had any running injuries so maybe he is just not very injury prone so he is handling the higher mileage really well (along with doing all of the things I mentioned above)!

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How do you prevent injuries?  What things have contributed to your running injuries in the past?

Favorite pie and LEAST favorite pie?

-Favorite: Any cream pie/chocolate and Last: cherry or pecan.

Had any recent experiences where you thought, ‘I’m sure lucky…’ like my above washing of AirPods and car key incidents?

What are you having for dinner tonight?

-Probably a mixture of things in my fridge because we are trying to use up everything in our fridge.

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59 comments

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So glad that y’all are staying injury free! I honestly think that taking one day off each week is important to let the body fully recovery and keep some of the those nagging injuries away. And you’re right about being at a healthier weight helping, too.

Favorite pie: apple. Actually, that’s the only kind of pie I like at all. I’m not big on fast food (except for Chick-fil-A, of course), but Whataburger has some amazing apple pies. I’ll need to go there ASAP when I get to Texas!

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Yes yes yes. I hope that you get some Whataburger apple pies the first day you are back in Texas. I need to try that place someday! Have a great day Natalie.

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I love the talk about staving off injuries because that is a huge problem for me—I tend to just run through things (um running a marathon with a stress fracture? Yup done that). I made a goal this month to foam roll after every single run and I cannot believe how much better my body feels—all those little niggling aches are totally gone even as I’m ramping up training for my spring races.

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OUCH to the marathon with a stress fracture! I LOVE that goal and I am so happy it is helping you so much… can’t wait to hear about your spring races. Have a wonderful day Rachael!

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The pies look delicious, I need someone like that in my life! You’re very lucky!

I’m lucky because I have a family who supports me through my awful separation and building a new life for myself. I feel for my parents for having to put up with my crazy early wake up calls and the copious amounts of food I eat to fuel marathon training (60+ miles a week- I’m training for the Edinburgh marathon in Scotland as that will be my new home country in a couple of months[Germany->Canada->Germany->Scotland]).

Love reading your blog, keep up the great work!

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Caren. I am so so sorry about what you are going through right now. I felt the same way… I don’t know what I would do without my family getting me through those hard times. I am so happy they are there for you. I’m cheering for your marathon and for your move! Keep me in the loop with how you are doing and good luck with it all!

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We’re pie opposites– I love cherry and pecan! Although my favorites are probably french silk and dutch apple (with a crumb topping). Least favorite pie is definitely bannana cream or bannanoffee. Or anything at all with bananas!

My husband is a big fan of key lime.

Your pie pics are making me drool all over my computer keyboard at work…..

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I’ll send you any pecan pies that come my way and you BETTER send me a banana cream;) . Hahaha I hope you get some pie asap and have a great day at work Emily!

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I need to follow your example. My knee is swollen again like it was in june. i go to the doctor today but i think i’m going to voluntarily be off from running until 3/1. he didn’t make me take much time off last time after draining and giving me a cortisone shot. he told me to start slow and gave me a specific plan, which i followed, but then i think i went back at it too hard too fast because everything felt good. i hope i learned my lesson. i hope over a month off and planning a slow mileage and speed build up will prevent this from happening again.

there is a pie called “candy bar” pie that is delicious. that might be my favorite. it has no dairy in it so i can eat it. lemon, key lime, and cherry are my lease favorite pies.

have a great day!

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Ohhhh that is so tricky… those cortisone shots make us think we are healed and then we go out and do things that can hurt us even more. I am SO sorry about what you are going through and I think you are making a very smart plan. I hope you are back asap.

And now I need a candy bar pie.

You too and let me know how the doctor appointment goes!

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Oh yes… the underweight thing is a big one for injuries in my experience too. Maybe it was the same with you but I went several years, maybe 5-10 where being underweight was not an issue. It is the years and years of being underweight that take their toll. So you young un’s out there! Take advice from us elders :) Janae learned and is now running well and rocking it. And… I am not running because of year long hip pain (and still haven’t mentally figured out the whole underweight thing but your blog helps me immensely and hoping to make a turn!).

But I digress… On to happy thoughts like dinner! There will definitely be eggs and cereal involved. 2 whole eggs – usually one hard boiled and one over easy. For the cereal – myriad options but one of my current favorite mixtures is chocolate cheerios and corn chex (don’t knock it until you taste. hee). I am also rediscovering my love of Cool Whip so desserts lately have been hot chocolate with a mound of cool whip.

Hope you have a great day!

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Amanda, thank you for sharing and I’m here to cheer you ON. I’m always here if you need to talk.
Well, I might have to copy you on your dinner… that all sounds so good right now. Thanks, you too!

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I just wanted to let you know that I had a long-ish run this morning after a speed/ hill workout last night and after not sleeping that well I woke up and was really dreading it. But then I was thinking- Janae is probably out running right now! And that gave me the inspiration to get out the door. And I decided to listen to your and Andrew’s interview on Man Bun Run so I could continue the inspiration haha. And it ended up being a great run so I’m super thankful that I got out for it! (So thanks for the motivation!)

That being said- in terms of preventing injury, I usually try to space out my hard days, but if that’s not possible (like this week) I try to take extra precautions by making sure to get lots of protein, electrolytes, and carbs between hard efforts and making sure to schedule a rest day as soon as I can after that. Like you said- the over-training always catches up with us so I make sure to take rest seriously and keep the easy days truly easy.

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AHHH NO WAY!!! I’m so glad we could join you on your run and help get you out the door. This makes me super happy, thanks for taking the time to tell me this Diana and way to go on that speed/hill workout last night! I LOVE how you prevent injuries… you’ve got this Diana!

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Such great tips/reminders to help keep injuries at bay! Recovery is so important, along with listening to your body! I woke up this morning feeling achy like a cold is starting…so do I run my 9 miles, or let my body rest and try to beat the cold? Probably rest!
I’m not a huge pie fan, but I do like Dutch apple pie with the crumbly topping!
Have a great day Janae ?

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I hope your body feels 100% fast so you can get back to doing the things you love… and maybe a dutch apple pie with crumbly topping could help your recovery from your cold process;) . Thanks Wendy, you too!

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I totally do that too: run a little extra on the treadmill to make up for the time it takes to get to whatever pace I’m moving it up to! I thought I was the only one! I’m currently trying to really determine if I plug in say an 8:00 pace at 1% incline is that similar to being outside at the same pace? I’ve seen all kinds of pace calculators/ graphs to show this calculation… And my Garmin is never quite right indoors either. I’m grateful for the treadmill nevertheless because it helps me to get moving when I otherwise might not be able to get out there to run!

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Hmmm that is such a tough question because for my body I feel like when I put the treadmill at a 1% incline then it feels like I’m running outside more than a 0% (that feels downhill to me). So for me a 8 @ 1% incline = 8:00 outside. And then if I go up from there in the incline then my pace stays the same but I’m just climbing hills… I hope that makes sense but I don’t really convert my paces according to the incline. I love to hear I’m not alone in adding a little extra. I totally agree, thank goodness the treadmill helps us to get to run when we can’t outside. Have a wonderful day Carly.

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The french toast GU is one of my favorites! And I use that chaffing cream for long bike rides. It worked great for a long hot week of biking across Iowa so I hope it works for running too!

My favorite pie is probably coconut cream but I do love a good apple pie too or peanut butter.

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Really… oh that is awesome! I need more info on your hot week of biking ACROSS IOWA. That is a huge accomplishment. I need to try a peanut butter pie asap. Have a great day Corrinne.

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I love that his tights picture made another appearance. I got a good laugh listening to you guys talk about it on the Man Bun podcast :).

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Just trying to fight the stigma hahaha;) . Thanks for reading and listening to our episode. Have a wonderful day Linda!

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The only pie I don’t like is cherry. The other comments reminded me of other favorites (like French Silk) so I can’t pick just one or two. I had an amazing mixed berry pie this summer that I’m looking forward to having again once it’s in season.
I always take one day off from working out, usually on Sundays. I clean the house, make a big meal and relax. We all need physical and mental down time.

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Send me a piece of that berry pie this summer please! I completely agree… I don’t know how I kept going with my exercise when I never took a day off. Have a wonderful day Samantha:)

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Janae….how many times is that now that you’ve washed your AirPods…including the old pair? hahahah. You are v lucky!

I prevent injuries by basically following the 80/20 rule. I mean, I just do what my coach says but I found a coach that knows the importance of running “easy.” I follow people on Strava at my same level that are doing EVERY DAY at the same pace and I’m like nope. it’s hard not to compare when I see that, but I always do 1 long run super slow, 1 day easy run, 1 day speed work, and 2 days recovery run (day after speed work, day after long run) where its effortless pace and low HR. 1 complete rest day and 1 day of yoga. I always wondered how never running my race pace I was going to do it but I just followed what my coach said and boom, did it. I also love that my coach sets pace ranges for run to give me an idea of like if its an easy day or speed day, but she wants me to run by effort. so sometimes my easy run day my body asks to go a lot slower than others, so I do that!

Dinner tonight is sweet potato + black beans + guac. Quick and easy is my go-to. Haha.

I was wondering if you could give some insight on running speed work on treadmill. Do you set it to whatever mph = the pace you’re aiming for? I always feel like treadmill feels so much faster. Thanks!

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Bahaha I think twice for the last pair and only one time for the new pair (but at least it wasn’t my fault this time;)!
You are doing an awesome job with your training and I love what your coach is having you do! I totally agree… it’s hard to feel like we aren’t doing enough when we see other people’s training but I think you are doing the right thing:) . Your dinner sounds perfect.
That’s a good question… I usually set it to the speed that I’m aiming for. So I know in my head before starting what pace I’m wanting to do and just set it there (and then adjust accordingly sometimes… usually I try to do a little faster each time on the treadmill though). Have a wonderful day Eleanor!

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All of my previous injuries have been weakness-related with certain areas of my body, so I am currently trying to add some strength stuff (videos) before I up my mileage again. I also don’t get much sleep right now, so I’d probably be injury-prone because of that! That’s just a phase though.
PIE: I like pie with less crust – so if it only has 1 crust, that’s a bonus. Unless it is a graham cracker crust..those are delicious
LUCK: I think I remember the disasters (like my Garmin being left on the top of my car & flying off / getting run over) than the lucky incidents. I should work on my perspective there!
DINNER is crockpot chicken salsa verde + seasoned black beans for tacos + all the fixings.

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You are being so smart with strengthening those weak areas and I hope you get more sleep soon. I’m going to agree with you on the one crust thing (unless the top crust is the crumble sugar kind;).
NOOOOO ABOUT YOUR GARMIN flying off. That is so sad. Enjoy your dinner and we’ll come over at 6;)

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How is it that elite marathon runners are so incredibly thin and don’t get injured? I’m not trying to downplay Janae’s extremely wise words about not starving oneself. But when I look at pictures of them, both the men and women are incredibly lean – very little body fat. I can see how non-elite runners see that and when they are trying to meet a running goal, the tendency is to imitate everything about an elite runner – what they eat, what they wear, how they mentally prepare, how they do their power bun, how they train…. I can see how there would be that urge to have the same body size, with the thought process being that if they are light and lean and that helps them, maybe it will help me.

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I think this is a very good question and I’m not quite sure how to answer it. I totally did struggle with that years ago thinking they look so lean, so I need to in order to get faster times. I do think that more and more of the marathon elites are looking healthier and healthier (ALLIE KIEFFER…. she is amazing). I also think that there are people that are naturally lean and petite and so while it would take many people UNDEReating to get to their size, they are more naturally at a more petite size while fueling their body properly. I DO think that there are many that are not having a period too which is hard because they are sending the wrong message to everyone looking up to them and maybe they get away with running uninjured for longer because of all of the people helping them to stay uninjured… their health is absolutely compromised and I’ve learned that nothing is worth it for that… and maybe they would be even faster if they were fueling better. I also remember reading an article somewhere (and I might be completely wrong) about how men’s bone health isn’t effected when they have very low body fat compared to what it can do to women. There is also something with race weight where I know that elites drop for the race and then gain 10 lbs afterwards etc. Such an interesting question and I’d love to hear other’s opinions too.

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Just from reading Deena Kastor’s book and listening to some running podcasts/interviews – they seem know their bodies very well and know how to supplement to stay healthy. And, of course, have access to great coaches, nutritionists, etc…

Here’s a few blurbs from Deena about what she learned from her injury:
https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20849700/5-minutes-with-deena-kastor/

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Injuries , ugh! I used to get injure every year! I’ve done a lot better lately, but last year I got injured twice! I’m wondering if I’m not getting enough of something in my diet. We go to bed pretty early every night but I’m terrible at stretching every day. So there are a few factors that are probably causing injuries. Now I’m just dealing with flare ups and hopefully that will go away soon. I want to go to a physical therapist for things like that but it’s SO expensive and our insurance stinks haha.

Tonight’s dinner will probably be either hamburgers or tacos :)

I love pie!

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I hope that this is the year you are able to get all of the pieces together. PT can be super pricey without insurance… boo.
Enjoy those hamburgers or tacos!

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YOUR POST ABOUT INJURY IS SO TIMELY FOR ME!!!! Well, thankfully I’m NOT injured, but I just finished the Key West Half Marathon (the race was rainy and humid and windy, and I wish I’d run faster but I was 6/236 in my age group, so I have to be proud of that! AND my 4.5 days there were HEAVEN on EARTH!!!). Ive been training hard for about a year now with maybe one week breaks off after a “season.” I’m the kind of person who mentally and physically needs breaks. I just want time to create MY OWN schedule. I’ll still run, but on my time! I want to do more yoga and strength! I don’t want to fire my coach or anything, but I haven’t broken it to him yet that I want to take this break. I”m such a people pleaser that I worry he’ll be mad (even though I know he won’t!). Breaks are good!!!!!!

Favorite pie: Kentucky Derby (chocolate chip) or key lime! I had chocolate covered key lime pie on a stick on Monday :) :) :)

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AHHHH YOU HAD YOUR KEY WEST HALF… 6/236, you rocked it! I’m so glad you had such an amazing time… you deserved it. I totally agree, I love the idea of having time to just do my own thing. ENJOY.
I need that Kentucky Derby pie asap, that sounds amazing! Have a wonderful day Jen.

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First off, I am so very impressed you both can run in snow without any traction! But this is also coming from the most clumsiness person ever! Ha!
I am currently dealing with my first running injury ever – pereoneal tendinitis :( It was brought on by repeated sprains, strains and tears to my ankle when I played soccer combined with repeated rolling of the ankle within the last few years. I’m getting cupping done to my entire leg 1x/mo on top of daily PT exercises, elliptical, bike and upper body weights 3x/week. Fingers crossed i get to try plyo’s in a couple weeks to see how my ankle responds!
Favorite pie: my SIL apple pie! Hands down! I’m not a fighter but I’ll fight over it! Ha!
I’m sure lucky my recent 4 hr illness was a food allergy rather than the crud my husband and oldest kiddo have been dealing with for a week!
As for dinner – probably brinner! We have 1x/week and it’s one of my fav’s!
Have a great day!

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Oh Jenny, I am SO sorry you are dealing with pereoneal tendinitis… it sounds like you are doing all of the right things. Keep me updated with how your ankle is doing and I’m crossing my fingers you are 100% asap. Brinner is my favorite, maybe we will copy you. Have a wonderful day Jenny!

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Great thoughts on injury prevention. I really think that experience is the best teacher there (sadly…wish it weren’t so). For me, I’ve truly learned to listen to my body (I know that sounds cliche, but it is SO true) and to pay attention to my nutrition. My body does tell me when it’s happy with a certain pace or mileage and that can vary from day to day. And what I put in to my body (or don’t put into my body) absolutely does affect what my body is willing to give me in return. Probably sounds oversimplified, but it’s what works for me. ;)

My top of the list favorite pies (pre-gf days) are pumpkin and cherry. I’m on a mission to figure out how to make really good GF crusts for next Thanksgiving, not just “oh, those are good for gluten free pies.” Least? Hmmm…that’s difficult because I don’t know that I actually feel passionately enough about pie to have a least favorite. I have my favorites, then pie I enjoy, and the rest is just pie I don’t bother to eat if it’s offered to me, haha!

Dinner tonight for us is probably the same as you, but only because I picked up a cold somewhere and I don’t want to make my family sick, so they’ll probably just reheat whatever leftovers we have. Or, if I know my teen boys, they’ll make themselves scrambled eggs. :)

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That is so true… sometimes we just have to learn the hard way (at least I sure did have to). I totally agree about how incredibly important it is to REALLY listen to what our body is telling us. Good luck with the GF crusts… I believe in you! I hope your cold is gone asap and enjoy those leftovers:) . Thanks Michelle!

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This blog has been so interesting to read. I recently found running and signed up for the St. George marathon this year (my first marathon). It was great to follow along with your training program and it helped me learn a lot, from nutrition, to paces, to balencing running and kids. I can really relate to your blog as a young mom, member of the church of Jesus Christ of latter saints and overall exercise enthusiast. Lately I’ve been struggling with infertility, trying to put on weight and still feel good about my body. It’s always nice to read stories about others who share similar experiences. Just wanted to drop a comment (which I’ve never done before) to let you know how much I appreciate the work you do.

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HEY ASHLEY! I am so thrilled that St. George is going to be your first marathon (my favorite marathon)! We sure do have a lot in common! I am so so sorry about what you are going through with infertility and trying to put on weight. Thank you for taking the time to write to me and I’m always here if you need to ‘talk.’ When I needed to gain weight I tried to just take it one meal at a time… thinking long term was too hard for me with it all but I knew that if I just focused on the day I could fuel my body right that day and then focus on the next day once it came. Have a beautiful day Ashley!

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I’ve also read that it’s really good for your body to switch up the kinds of running you do (speed vs. distance, hills, etc.), especially if you don’t swap out periods of swimming/cycling/other cardio, because it lets some muscles recover and strengthens ones you hadn’t been using. I’m sure you know that, but your ultra training vs. marathon speed training is a really good example!

Something I find really important for staying healthy isn’t just being at a healthy weight, but eating healthy food. My body definitely notices if I’m not eating enough protein and salt or eating too much junk food . . . it does not respond well. I really love eating sweet potatoes with training because they are so nutritious and are also a good carb source. I’ve also struggled with amenorrhea (but not exercise related), and I think eating really well just helps keep me on track. That said: I’m bummed I didn’t know it was pie day cuz I definitely would have celebrated. Lemon merengue is the best. :-)

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Unfortunately, I seem to ALWAYS be injured. I had a form-related inner thigh injury that plagued me for years before I finally went to see someone who was able to correct my form and relieve my pain. I ran a marathon pain-free, and then jumped back in too quickly…now I have this weird pain in my left hip area (right along the pelvis/hip point) that flares up when I do anything longer than a couple slow miles. I am headed back to the doctor next week, but MAN is this frustrating! I have entered a few half marathons that now I am not sure I will be able to complete :(
Once this issue is resolved, I intend to be way more careful and force myself to take it easy. I always feel great until I don’t…no warning, just suddenly a pain.
Despite all my running related injuries, I am so lucky that I am healthy. So what if I have to run a few miles really slow, at least I can! And I can still do all the other things I love too, crossfit and taking care of/riding horses, and just being active in general. I am also lucky to have a family that supports me in every single thing I do :)
Wednesday is often pizza night…so either that or leftovers!
I LOVE savory pies – pot pie, etc. But also a good peanut butter pie is excellent. I hate anything “fluffy” (meringue, whipped cream, etc.) so no pies that include those!

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Your perspective is amazing… thank you for sharing. I love your gratitude and I am so sorry about how frustrating your injuries have been. The sudden pain… boo, you don’t even get a chance to take a few days off to make it so it doesn’t get to the full pain. Brooke starts horse riding lessons again, she cannot wait. Enjoy your pizza tonight, that sounds so good. I NEED to try a peanut butter pie and send me your fluffy foods;) . Have a great day Laura.

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You are so lucky!! How many times have you washed your AirPods now? Ha!

Typically I end up injured when I don’t take enough rest or when I try and push my mileage to far too fast. My last injury was a stress fracture in my foot, I know I did it running downhill in Lake Tahoe but my doctor has said I have an unusually skinny 3rd metatarsal and that it’ll probably happen at some point to my other foot (boo!). But yeah, listening to my body has helped with a major decrease in injury!

I am not really a pie person. Give me ice cream any day though :)

It’s date night tonight because the kiddos have church (yay!) So, it’ll be somewhere that our kids don’t like (ha!)

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We swear by Chamois Butt’r over here! Total life saver. I also use Body Glide for Her. My sports bra band rubs me raw sometimes, so I always use something to prevent that.

I love your comment about easy days and a little weight gain attributing to being injury-free. I am in the same boat! My easy days are EASY right now and I think it’s a game changer. I’m about between 3-5 pounds heavier and I think that helps, too. I’m no expert, but each training cycle I do, I learn more and more about my body and what works for me.

We are having spaghetti squash casserole for dinner. It’s one of my favorites – great way to get a lot of veggies in! I’ll share the recipe on my blog tomorrow, for anyone who is interested! :)

I know you’re reading Roar – have you gotten to the chapter about GUs? I’m tempted to try some of the recipes she shared. Sometimes I’m good with GUs and sometimes I can’t even run another step after taking one because I have to go to the bathroom…sorry for the TMI! Just curious if you’ve ever had any issues with them. My husband just did his last hundred on ONLY GUs and liquids…I don’t get that at all! : )

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I will definitely need to come get that recipe! I haven’t gotten to that chapter yet (I’m excited now) but I DO NOT like Gus in the slightest (anymore) and I use huma. How in the world did he fuel 100 miles off of those and liquids, that is unreal. It really is so fun to see how much we learn with each training cycle. Have a wonderful day!

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I made an apple cranberry pie on Sunday just because I decided I need to practice making pie – I didn’t even know about National Pie Day (what about March 14, by the way?) It’s definitely the best pie I’ve ever made, but I think my favorite kind of pie is coconut cream pie. As for least favorite, I hate supermarket apple pie; it’s completely different from homemade apple pie.

I stretch a bunch, foam roll every time I run, and do strength training at least 2 days a week, and I’ve been injury-free (except for some hip issues which have a congenital origin, so can’t easily prevent them) for quite a while now. Although I miss running 80+ miles per week, I definitely got injured more doing that than I do now.

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Actually – I should add that I forgot about those shin/soleus issues I was freaking out about before my marathon in December hahahaha. I now run with compression socks and maybe it’s just a placebo but my shins and ankles have felt great since I started!

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I bought the R8 Roller for myself for Christmas and it’s the best thing ever!! HA!! I love a foam roller and deep tissue massage and it’s great to have the R8 roller now too. It helps for me after heavy squat days and leg day at the gym.

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OMGosh I washed my AirPods too and they survived. lol I thought I ruined them and was so upset util I found out they survived the washing machine

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I remember turning to GU back when I ran a lot after I got sick and tired of shot blocks (which got me straight through my marathon training), and I remember really liking mandarin orange. Lately, though my miles have been so small, if I need anything I turn to shot blocks–and it’s between salted watermelon, black cherry, and strawberry. I just bought an orange flavored package, and on Sunday I might give it a try.

You asked about pie. I like all the pie except peach pie. I can not stand peach pie (says the woman who lives–at least for now–in GA). I don’t think I have ever had coconut cream pie, but I imagine it being something I would like ON OCCASION but could get a little bit sick and tired of if I had it too often. I almost never eat apple pie, even though it’s my most favorite of them all, because it makes me miss my yiayia (Greek word for grandmother) entirely too much (even though she passed almost 11 years ago). She and my papou (Greek for grandfather) had the most glorious granny smith apple tree in their back yard, and when I spent the summers visiting we would regularly pick the fallen apples and make apple pies with them. My yiayia had two different pie crusts–both from the very earliest Martha Stewart books–that she loved, and we would just make everything from scratch. I can’t imagine any apple pie ever tasting nearly as good as the ones that come from her oven!!!

And dang right now I want apple pie. And to eat it in her kitchen in Toledo, OH (I was born there! My mother was born and raised there! My yiayia’s family settled there after their journey from Greece!!!). Except I maybe don’t want to be anywhere near that weather right now ;)

I am envious that you get 9 hours of sleep each night. Want to swap schedules for a couple of days? ;) Which of my four jobs would you find yourself at on any of the days of my silly life that I would swap you for? (And I am FULLY PREPARED to make any day of your life one in which I take your kids for ice cream sundaes and a trip to the library…)

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I have recently diagnosed myself with Achilles tendinitis and today starts my 4-6 weeks off of running ? I am hoping to go to a PT for some help and maybe be back at it sooner. I already have to not run 1 1/2 marathon I signed up for but crossing my fingers I can still do the Ogden half in May! Have you ever had this? What did you do if you have?

Only pie I like is a fresh peach pie with graham cracker crust so good!

And salmon and asparagus for dinner tonight!

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Almost didn’t recognize Andrew without shorts on…..looks like the cold finally got to him. ;-)

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Hi Janae! I’m training for my first marathon and had my first tempo run today…it was tough! But during the last mile when I really wanted to stop, I kept thinking about how you talk about deposits in your running bank account and it made me want to finish strong. So thanks for the motivation!! I’m happy I finished today and made that deposit. :)

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I am an ultra runner (just finished my 2nd 100 miler this weekend) and my trick to staying injury free is cross training. My weekly mileage tends to be lower than most at this distance (I max out at around 70-80mpw) but weekly I include spinning, plyometrics, climbing workouts (like walking up hills or weighted rucking up stairs -not running) and 5 days of strength training. It works for me!

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Which Toyota do you drive?

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We have the highlander and I love it!

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Favorite pie is hands down Pumpkin pie, though I’d never turn down a chocolate cream pie. Least favorite is Pecan mostly because I don’t eat nuts but the texture of pecan pie bothers me immensely haha.

I’m pretty new to your blog but I’ve really enjoyed reading it! I find your posts very inspiring. I’m getting back into running for the first time in almost five years, though I was never really did much running before either. I don’t know if you have a post on this but I’m really interested in seeing your warm up/ cool down routine. Its something I really struggle with and I find the internet very overwhelming on this topic. Have a great day!

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