30 miles.
Let’s just go ahead and start this off with… I AM TIRED.
These miles were not easy and peak week has not been easy but it is the accumulation of these weeks that are going to make race day possible. I just don’t want anyone thinking that peak week or this high mileage is a walk in the park for me so there must be something wrong with them.
I love it but it is challenging and my body is going to soak in my recovery week of very low mileage next week. I am very happy to report that my body is still not hurting at all anywhere so I feel very lucky!
The combo of this week with the previous weeks + an awesome taper= something magical on race day:)
Miles 1-10 with Jenn, 8 miles by myself (13-17 were crazy hard for me and I almost quit a dozen times), 10 miles with Candice, 2 on my own.
It was 21 degrees when I started and 27 degrees when I finished. The wind was nuts and I was over feeling cold but now I’ve prepared for wind, snow and rain on race day… I’m SET.
I fueled every 30 minutes with gels, waffles, pb sandwich and made a stop at a grocery store for some fuel along the way too.
I stopped at home during those miles on my own to say hi to the kids before they left for school. Skye was not wanting me in the picture. She was upset to hear I was leaving again to finish the run.
But she did make up for it afterwards by walking up and down on my calves for a nice massage.
30 miles total and I got in some really good hills too. I put Powerade in one of the hydration bladders of my vest and it was awesome. I’m going to do that on race day too.
Skye is not happy when Brooke comes home and gets started on homework rather than playing.
She wants the attention.
It warmed up a bit in the afternoon so we hung out in the backyard…
PJs by 5 is a very normal occurrence here.
Lunch/dinner/snacks involved all of our leftovers and pizza from our freezer so I’ll spare you those pictures. I hope you have a wonderful Friday!
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I have a few favorite things to share today (affiliate links included)!
*My sister told me about her post-workout Kodiak Burrito that she has been making lately and she is a genius. Kodiakcake protein pancake wrapped around a banana, try it.
*As you know I have a love for hot chocolate and especially when I can use a straw to drink it. Andrew got me this cute tumbler for my hot chocolate that keeps it hot and comes with reusable straws.
*I’m on a mission to find the world’s most comfortable sweatshirt. I’m going to add THIS ONE to my top 5 list. My teenage nieces/nephew say it’s really cool too so I’m going to take that compliment and run with it. Also, it’s on sale!
*This article from Molly Huddle about what to do when you have a bad run/race… I liked it a lot and I love how relatable she is.
*TJ’s has cut up jicama sticks that you can buy. I love these on top of a salad but don’t love cutting a jicama so this is just a wonderful solution for me.
*My birthday present! Andrew got me a bread machine and it is awesome. It’s a lot smaller than the one I’ve had before. I love all of the settings (and timer… so I can set it to be ready right when we eat dinner). It’s a winner in my book and helping fuel my ultra training.
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What’s been your favorite thing this week? Please share!!
Trader Joe’s lovers—> Share something with me that you have found recently that you love!
What are you looking forward to this weekend?
Any running related articles that you’ve seen lately that you’ve loved? Tell me!
45 comments
Angie @ RunWhichWay
Brook’s gloves are awesome.
I wish we had a TJs.
How do you drink hot chocolate through a straw without getting a belly ache?
Awesome job on your 30 miler. You’re going to kick butt at this race.
The Hungry Runner Girl
I’ve never experienced that from hot chocolate… maybe I’ve just practiced for a lot of years haha! Oh thank you so much Angie and I hope you are having a really great Friday so far!
Kimberly Thurston
Congratulations on peak week! You are so inspiring! Remember, trust the process. :)
Tomorrow I am doing my first ever 30k. It is a trail run around a lake in Central Florida. In the final race instructions it says “Be prepared to see lots of wildlife especially alligators sunning themselves. And remember wildlife has the right of way on the trail.” Ummm, ok! Maybe that will help my pace. Ha! ? Weather is predicated to be muggy and warm, but that’s what I know how to run in. How you do snow and cold is beyond me! Excited and nervous.
Have a wonderful recovery weekend.
Ps…that glazed doughnut looks delicious!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Kimberly, GOOD LUCK TOMORROW!! I am cheering for you big time and please let me know how it goes after. AND PLEASE AVOID THE ALLIGATORS. Yeah, that would help me to speed up too. Grab a doughnut afterwards. Thank you so much and go enjoy your race (in the sun;).
Natalie
30 miles!! Girl, you are AMAZING!! You are seriously going to OWN that 50-mile race! SO excited for you!!
Other than the pancake bread (which I still am obsessed with), I really love the Middle Eastern flatbread at TJ’s. It’s kinda like a mix between a tortilla and naan, but it’s so much better than both. I definitely recommend!
I’m going on a whale watching tour tomorrow, and I’m hoping to see some dolphins, too! Hope that you have a great weekend, Janae!
The Hungry Runner Girl
I will get that flatbread next… that sounds amazing. AHHH Brooke and I went whale watching a few years ago in your area and it was the best. ENJOY!
DebJo
I’ve never heard of jicama vegetable.
Google has convinced me, along with you, to give it a try! I hope I can find it in my local grocery store. Sadly, to Trader Joe’s in my area :(
The Hungry Runner Girl
Yes yes yes go try jicama and let me know what you think of it!!! Have a great weekend Debjo!
Erica
We had a crazy busy night last night so we decided to feed Hope early, do all of our busy-ness, put her to bed, and then eat together. It was the best unexpected little date. Great conversation, lots of laughs, and food tasted amazing because we were so hungry by that point.
The Hungry Runner Girl
If we can’t get a babysitter for tonight we are going to do the same thing. So glad you two got that time together. I love hearing about you and your family. Have a wonderful day Erica!
Betsy
I love that name…….Hope.
Jess
Oh! I love that sweatshirt. I might have to buy one… can you remind me of the gloves you like for running? I think they are the fingerless kind with the mitten covering, and I feel like they were from Back Country, but I that seems to not be enough for me to find them haha Thanks and have a wonderful Friday!
The Hungry Runner Girl
GET IT!! I’m obsessed. And here are the gloves, they are amazing!
https://shopstyle.it/l/ZVrv
Have a wonderful weekend Jess!
Beth
Great job getting in all the miles! 30 miles is a huge accomplishment especially in those conditions.
It’s the worst when my son tells me not to go running, mom guilt is intense. Wishing you good luck for your second long run today. Happy Friday!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh thank you Beth! I totally get what you are saying about mom guilt… it is so hard. BUT we have to take care of ourselves to take care of them. You are doing an amazing job. Thank you so much and have a wonderful day!
Amy Olson
TJs handmade corn tortillas–fry ’em in a little oil and enjoy with taco fixins. Da bomb!
I’m not training for anything. Been dealing with lack of motivation and a healing hamstring. I miss those intense training cycles when life revolves around mileage, eating and sleep. You are doing a great job!
The Hungry Runner Girl
OH NOOOOO to your hamstring. I hope you are getting really close to having it 100% again (keep me updated)! I will definitely try their handmade corn tortillas, that sounds so good right now. Have a wonderful weekend Amy!
Victoria
30 miles in that kind of cold! I hope there was a LOT of hot chocolate involved in the rest of your day!
The Hungry Runner Girl
You know it!!!
Jenny|Running On Life
The most exciting thing I’ve found at TJs is their flowers are crazy cheap and look so pretty. Also someone mentioned to me that their frozen green beans are really good so I bought a bag to see if it’s true. I’m not a big green bean fan so we will see how it goes. Any favorite green bean recipe?
The Hungry Runner Girl
I LOVE THEIR FLOWERS!!! Hmmm I’ve never made any green bean recipes oops but if you find one please tell me so I can try it. Have a wonderful day Jenny!
Corey
30 MILES!!! Still crushing this training!
I had the most delicious fresh, warm sourdough bread last night. Mmmm…
Wacky weather continues, but I’m hoping the forecast for sunny and 60s on Sunday is accurate. It’s supposed to be windy, but hopefully nice enough for a long dog walk to the park with my son.
Have a great Friday!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh thank you so much Corey and I drooled a little reading about your warm sourdough bread! IT BETTER BE GOOD WEATHER FOR YOU GUYS! You too!
Harper
I bought the EXACT same sweatshirt after freezing an a vacation in Canada. It’s the best!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh that makes me so happy!!! Have a wonderful day Harper!
Lisa
Awesome job this week!! Guuurrrrl! I don’t know how you do that, but it’s amazing! It was so rainy and COLD and WINDY here in AZ and I was a super wimp about it, then I look at Utah weather and decide to not complain so much and you RUN in that stuff. Wow. Just wow…
I wanted to thank you for posting your meals. It really helps me get ideas of what to have/make. You rock! Have a great weekend! My main goal is to make it to the temple…
The Hungry Runner Girl
Enjoy your time at the temple… I need to go soon too. Oh I am glad the meals help and make sure to tell me any great ones you have! It was snowing in Vegas a few days ago… what is going on with this winter. Your body is used to HEAT so of course these colder/windier times are really hard for you, you are NOT a wimp. I can only run outside in Arizona during Nov-March ha because I can’t do the heat. Have a wonderful weekend Lisa.
Rachel
This article by Stephanie Bruce!!! https://www.stephbruce.com/blog/2019/1/25/lets-talk-about-periods
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you for sharing this with me… so so so good! I have my amenorrhea post scheduled for next week!! So thankful there are places to learn about this. Have a wonderful day Rachel.
Stephanie
33 miles for your birthday last week + 30 miles this week = ROCKSTAR JANAE!!! Good job (insert high-five emoji)!!!
From my amateur and outsider perspective, it’s a really dang important thing that you had a not-so-fun miles 13-17 in your run where you wanted ot give up. It’s like an actress practicing her monologue that’s only 1/3 of the way through the play and getting over the hurdle of needing to memorize it so she can memorize the rest of her lines–you have the “I want to quit right now” pep talk already practiced, so you can refer back to it on the day of your ultra. You SO TOTALLY got this. I can’t believe how close it is!!!
Jicama is delicious but I don’t quite know the best way to clean and cut it so I never really buy it for myself. But I will totally look for this at TJs. One thing Tom and I love–and that I started to use on baked sweet potatoes (and Tom just eats with potato chips) is the caramelized onion dip. It’s REALLY good! I discovered it right before Christmas at the samples station and brought it home for our Christmas Eve of essentially sitting on the sofa watching Netflix and eating junk food after having worked at our respective stores all day long. But I still love it way too much to not want to tell the world about it!
My running store’s Brooks Guru (technical rep who asked me to be her Guru Run Happy Ambassador) came by the store yesterday and gifted me with a pair of Launch 6s in that gorgeous aqua/teal color pattern. They are so soft and so gorgeous–even more gorgeous than the picture. Last weekend I finally bought the black and pink pair of Ghost 11s that I had wanted since they were released in July. Now, I have TWO new pairs of shoes to add into my rotation!!!!! My lineup of Ghosts and Launches is starting to look really colorful. I love it!!!
And yesterday when I got home from the store (it was one of those days that just exhausted me to the bone) my husband and I went to our favorite tex mex place for margaritas and queso dip. We had two nights in a row together–the first one we cooked together, and last night we went to what has become in the last 2.5 years in Atlanta “our” tex mex place (because that has to happen ANYWHERE you live, you know?) and just sat at the bar and had an impromptu date night. Messy hair (with a ball cap) and yoga pants and oversized sweatshirts and all. And I loved every minute of it, even the minutes afterwards when we rolled home, each of us feeling gross-full and unsure why and how cheese–something that tastes so incredibly good–can make us feel so blech.
So that right there–a fresh pair of running shoes (that I don’t need…but always totally DO need…) and tex mex with Tom–that’s my one and only Friday favorite!!!!!
I hope RECOVERY is very very soon for you, Janae! And that you get more ‘walking massages’ along your calves from Skye soon!!!
Carol
I love that you sometimes want to quit in the middle of a run too! :-) Congratulations on 30 miles – that is amazing!
Umami seasoning from Trader Joe’s.
We recently purchased a bread maker and I love it. I love that I know exactly what goes into the bread and it tastes so much better than store bought. We recently had friends over for homemade pizzas with our own dough – delicious.
Long run this weekend with fast miles in the middle so I’m half looking forward to it and have dreading it. Followed by dog training and then a facial and hopefully a nap.
Theresa C Schaible
TJs bacon cheddar ranch dip is LIFE! :D
Nicole B
that picture of Skye’s hand in your face is priceless! I need to get to a Trader Joe’s and get the everything but the bagel seasoning…
Annemarie
Ooook that Kodiak burrito looks like heaven! I need to try it!
TJs brand of fig newton’s are SO GOOD. Better than the real thing!
This weekend I leave for Tokyo!! I have been super anxious for the past 2 weeks b/c I had an injury pop up late in training (what else is new, and I really need a coach!) It was ITBS that got so bad I developed a TFL strain. I had not been able to do anything for more than a week and then finally was able to do the elliptical yesterday for 40 mins. Last night was a big turning point in the pain/soreness. I see my doc today one last time before flying out on Sun. He gave me stretches and instructions for the flight, etc and thinks I will be just fine come race day. I am worried about loss of fitness. I have no way to gauge it b/c I probably won’t run until a shakeout the day before. But I’m hopeful. My training went incredibly well up until a couple weeks ago, and although the pain crept in during my last long run, I was able to get in 23 miles and even sped up at the end. So hopefully I am ready. I want a PR so badly that I can taste it. Hopefully I will have some really good news to report!
Good luck with your training. Janae! You’re killing it!
Kelsey Barber
30 miles in the wind? You are officially my hero. You are going to kill it on race day. Way to go. Now maybe I can go get on my treadmill since I don’t have to run 30 miles and there is no wind to stop me.
Kristin
I love the cowboy burgers in the frozen section of Trader Joe’s–they’re veggie burgers with quinoa, corn, beans (don’t quote me on the ingredients, here)–I like putting them on top of salads with some avocado and plain greek yogurt. Easy, nutritious, and delicious!
I read an article semi-recently about a man in the 1990s, I think, who was convinced a sub-2 hour marathon was possible–way ahead of his time, and the article talked a lot about the science and advances in running. It was so interesting!
I’ve had a good week at work with my kids and coworkers, so that’s definitely my favorite thing! Excited for the weekend, but I love when I get to the end of the week and don’t feel like I NEED the weekend. Meeting up with some friends tonight, which will be fun! Have a great Friday!
Corrinne
My favorite thing this week was nailing a tempo run which I really thought was going to go awful based on my warm up. However, at about the half way point I did hit a huge ice spot that sure looked like slush and I should have slowed down. Some how I stayed upright but I am sure my arms were flailing all over and I looked ridiculous. There was a long line of cars next to me at a stop sign and I saw some people laughing at me. But I did NOT fall!
This weekend I am taking my daughter to a little maple syrup place where they are doing an event to let the kids tap the maple trees! She is so excited.
Your hoodie looks amazing!
Grant
Congratulations! You can officially say you’ve run a 50K! That’s seriously impressive, I ran half that distance today and it was rough haha. Here it’s hot so I got some pretty persistent side stitch, probably from underhydrating. But I got through it. Wish I had thought of stopping for a donut.
I have a bread machine too and I used to make a loaf a week! I have a few really good recipes if you want some new ones. My favorites are a banana oatmeal bread, a dark rye bread, and an oatmeal spice bread.
The rest of my weekend is mostly work. I made a pound cake yesterday though so I’m looking forward to enjoying it all weekend!
kolya
Thanks for sharing about feeling tired this week and keeping it real. Running all those speedy miles always seems so easy for you!
I love how Skye walks on your calves. I used to have my sister or a friend walk on my back though not ALL of their weight since that hurt. Too bad I didn’t have a toddler around (:
I could never drink hot drinks out of a straw since I like them super hot and I’d probably burn my throat but then again hot chocolate is good no matter what.
Quick question: I managed to get tendinitis in both of my ankles which I’ve been wrapping and splinting. I start physical therapy this week but I thought I would ask if you had any suggestions or hints for recovering from it? I’m not a runner but walking is so important for my peace of mind. Anyway, words of wisdom would be hugely appreciated.
Corinne
So many favorite from TJs, but I will only pick few of them: Smoke Gouda with chives (amazing), Basque Cheese (from France, my country!) and Wheat/Corn tortilla, perfect for tacos!
Kimi Runner
WOW, awesome! Love the photos with your family. It makes me feel happy. I and my girlfriend just run 2 years hope when we have children still have time to run like you. In my country (Vietnam) people don’t run much, especially who has a family.
Jenee
Congratulations!! Huge achievement. You earned that tired. ?
I have a question for you- how would you advise someone who wants to get back into running after a year or two off? Not asking for a friend. Totally asking for myself ?. I’ve been out of it for so long, doing other things, and now when I try to run I just feel so “blah” about it because my endurance is poop. I want to build mileage again. Help?
Vicki Wright
Janae,
Can you please share your bread recipe for your bread machine? Thanks for mentioning the TJ jicama sticks. Can’t wait to get them on my next visit!
Thanks so much!
Bethany
Hey! Long time reader, occasional poster…wanted to comment to say I love that you posted about the Simple Modern tumbler!! My husband and two of his buddies started that company a few years ago, and it’s been so fun to see it grow. They make great products. I hope you enjoy the tumbler!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Noooooo way!!! So so so cool! I absolutely love mine!