3 YEARS & Friday Favorites + Every Cell!!

Today is our First Date THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY.  We were set up on a blind date three years ago today!  I can honestly say that I felt at home and so peaceful about Andrew within the first hour of meeting him.  I met him and knew pretty quickly that we had a future together.

In 3 years since our first date we… Got married, blended a family, had a baby, remodeled an entire home, moved to our second home together, Andrew started nursing school and then graduated nursing school, ran some big races and all sorts of randomness in between.   We are tired ha and I’m not sure we will accomplish as much in the next three years;)

Our first date was to Outback but I think we are going to go somewhere different tonight.  PS I’ve told you this before but it was a very good sign to me on our first date that he said we should get our own desserts after dinner.

From day 1 he knew I didn’t want to share my dessert.

25 miles so far this week and all of them have been with people.  Coming from doing 70ish miles pretty much all on my own during ultra training to running all of my runs this week (including today) with other people has been so much fun.

My neighbor and I went out for 6 miles at a 7:49 average with a few hills and so many stories.

PS I tried out the Ravenna 10 yesterday and LOVED THEM.  I haven’t worn the Ravenna’s for a long time so I can’t compare them to the previous one besides they do feel a bit lighter and faster but I’ll write up a review after I get in some more mileage on them.

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We hit up Sundance a little bit later on.  If you ever come visit Utah, you must go to Sundance.  It is gorgeous.

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My mom was with us and she forced us into the bakery for treats.  Oreo crust, coconut topping and so much goodness in between.. YES PLEASE.

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She bought a rice Krispy treat for Skye and she just walked around with the biggest grin on her face.

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It was warm at cross-country yesterday but these two were determined to get all of the punches on their cards so they could get their beads.  They even stayed after it ended so they could finish their cards!

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Running rewards= the best.

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I didn’t end up getting my panini yesterday (too lazy to go to the store) but this orange chicken from Costco, rice and broccoli made a pretty delicious dinner too.

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The rest of the evening was spent outside.  This is the best time of year.

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Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!  There are a lot of races going on (including Mt Charleston… I did that one last year) and I want to hear how everyone does.

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I have just a few Friday Favorites to share today (affiliate links on the last 2)!

*This Run Wild sweatshirt… basically if clothing says run on it then I will want to buy it.

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*Caroline sent me this article with the best signs on the Boston course and I loved this one!

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*I was told that these licorice twists were the best candy on the planet (slight exaggeration)… and I totally agree. These things are too good and I might have to use them for my next long run as fuel too.  Also, this Tzatziki Dip is so good and even Skye loves it as a dip.  I use it on chips/veggies/wraps.  It’s a new staple for me.

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*I shared this on my instagram yesterday and had to post it here too.  Our body hears every little thing we tell it and it acts accordingly.

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*At the Lululemon booth at the Boston expo I also got this sports bra with the screen print ‘Been There. Ran That’ on it.  This was my first time trying out this sports bra and I’ve been doing wash daily just so I can wear it the next day on my run (I sweat too much to not wash them after each use).  It is so comfortable and $39 right now so not too crazy expensive.

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*My hairdresser used this on my hair before she put any heat on my hair and goodness gracious it made my hair feel so soft that I bought a bottle to take home with me to use.  It smells pretty heavenly too.

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Any other candy/treats that I need to try from Trader Joe’s?  That licorice made me wonder what else I’m missing out on in life.

Anyone else have any anniversaries coming up?

What was your last running reward?!

Who has a race this weekend?  I want to hear about it!

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47 comments

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So I guess this means your three year wedding anniversary will be coming up in a few weeks? Ha ha, just kidding- you got married fast but not THAT fast! Wow, three years really flew by didn’t it? It seems like just yesterday you were introducing Andrew on the blog. Congratulations!

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BAHAHAH Yep… our 3 year wedding anniversary is in a few days;) . It really does zoom by! I hope you have a wonderful day Jenny!

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Congrats to you both! I agree that when you know your with the right person you just know. My husband and I will be celebrating our 21st wedding anniversary on Saturday!!! We’ve been together since I was 16 & he was 21. It just keeps getting better! Also I’m getting myself the goodr runway sunnies as a prereward for starting back running next week ?

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21 year wedding anniversary tomorrow! Congratulations! “It just keeps getting better!” <--I love that so much! Those glasses are so cute... I love a good prereward! Have a beautiful weekend and enjoy celebrating.

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YES THOSE STRAWBERRY TWISTS ARE AMAZING!

I, too, found a sports bra I am in love with, the Senita line, Sarah sports bra………..it holds my phone, and even though I don’t often run with my phone, I can now and I can take photos! I still love my Koala clip for my other bras, but I scored 5 or 6 bras for $18 each a few weeks ago, can’t beat that!

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EIGHTEEN DOLLARS EACH–> That is a killer deal! I had one of their sports bras for nursing and I loved it. So cool that one holds your phone too. I hope you get some of those twists soon, they are addicting. Have a wonderful day Loribeth!

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I LOVED that quote about “every cell” yesterday—I reposted it in my Insta story. SO SO SO true, in running AND in all other aspects of our lives. Life is too short; why spend more of it WORRYING about things than we have to. Work hard, sure, but also ENJOY life and the run. Sometimes that gets lost in the quest for times and PRs.

I also LOVE the Enegry Bra–my fav Lulu Bra by far. A Friday Favorite of mine has been the Rabbit Crop Hop https://www.runningwarehouse.com/rabbit_Wom_Crop_Hop/descpage-WRCH6.htmlI I had several of these in my closet, but hadn’t worn them much last year. This year I’m into them, esp when it’s not quite hot enough for just a sports bra OR if I’m running in a race/a place (like the track at the local high school!) where you want to be cool but don’t want to go in full out sports bra mode in front of potential gym classes or track practices. ha ha

Another favorite is actually LipSense/Senegence products. I just got and am loving this color correcting moisturizer. It’s light and not too heavy:
https://seneweb.senegence.com/us/products/face/makesense-color-correcting-moisturizer/makesense-color-correcting-tinted-moisturizer/

Our anniversary was March 27th, but we’re just going out to dinner for it THIS weekend. ha ha We were waiting for a weekend with nice weather! :)

You have me jonesing for a trip to Trader Joe’s now, too! Have THE BEST WEEKEND EVER, Janae!!!!!

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I’m so glad you loved it Jen… and you are so right. Okay, that top is so cute and I just got some Rabbit shorts that I love. They have awesome stuff. You have the best favorite things… I always look forward to the things you post:) . Enjoy celebrating this weekend and waiting for better weather= great idea. Thanks so much Jen!

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Love the TJ’s licorice!! Other fav treats there include: Dark chocolate covered pretzel things, the white chocolate peppermint pretzel thins (during Christmas time), and cookie butter (especially when you spread it on graham crackers. uh-mazing).

Tuesday was the 1st anniversary of my 29th birthday lol. I’m 30 NOW! It was a bit of a rough birthday but doing much better now and hoping my 30s are even sweeter than my 20s :)

Happy Friday & Have a great weekend!!

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I will be getting those dark chocolate covered pretzel things next time. Thanks Arthi and hahahah… you are the best. I am so sorry that you had a rough birthday and for me personally my 30s have been a million times better than my 20s. Thanks Arthi, you too!

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My oldest has her one mile fun run for school today :)

There’s debate between me and my husband on when our first kiss was. It was either the 24 or the 26 of April. So today may be our anniversary of that haha.

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Just celebrate both days haha (I bet you were right;)! Enjoy the fun run and I’m cheering for her!

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SO MUCH in three short years. Yay! I hope you have a really fun date night to celebrate!

That TJs licorice looks excellent. I might need to try it sometime. HOWEVER, as someone who is 100% Greek, I want to raise issue with TJs calling that “tzatziki dip”–jalapenos are not tzatziki. Avocado isn’t, either, but at least that was noted in the dip title. Cucumber and Greek yogurt alone work TOWARDS tzatziki, but you also need dill (and minced garlic or garlic paste is an optional add in). Just raising issue as the resident Greek girl who is a BIT of a snobby purist about her Greek food! ;)

Wish I had TJs suggestions–I’ve been staying away from there, tbh, because every time I go I am WAY TOO TEMPTED to get goodies from all of the chocolates in the frozen food section and up by the cash registers. However, I *do* need more cauliflower gnocchi…and we are almost out of olive oil…so I might have to head over there this evening…hmm…

That lulu sports bra is really cute, and I have looked at that one and another similar one–the Free to Be Serene one–many times. I love the criss-cross back (and the energy bra you have is VERY similar to one at Athleta that I have a few of, the Hyper Focused bra…). I might have to hop into my local lulu soon to try on and know my sizes so when I see a pattern I really want in the sales section of the website I can nab it!

I hope you have a great day–and a great weekend! Today is really all about work and paper grading. I went to a pretty killer barre class this morning with this teacher who is like at the very end of her second trimester and who will whoop your bootie with squats, lunges, and slow strong burpees holding a plank longer than you want no matter how big her TIny HUman is inside of you. With all of the work ahead of me (and all of the grading), I gotta say that I am REALLY HAPPY I got my workout in super early. Now I don’t have to worry about when and how to get it in once I dive deep into the big pile of EVERYTHING on my to do lists…

PS–still nothing from Louisville. :( I am convinced right now that I won’t get an interview. I’ve dealt with that heartbreak before (and sometimes it legitimately IS heartbreak–and that would be true for this situation), but this time the job is one I want so much, have left myself so open and vulnerable to wanting–and, well, the chance for heartbreak is overwhelmingly huge. But–well–inhale…exhale…my feet are still planted on the ground…I have a husband who loves me and a roof over my head…and in 18 years (!!!!!) of teaching at the college level I know I have affected and I think changed many people’s lives for the better. It hurts like craazy right now, but in the long run–all of that will help the heartbreak heal…

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I’ve been wondering about your job interview! I am so so sorry Stephanie. Way to go thinking about the things you have, you have a beautiful life and you help so many people. I did not know that about tzatziki… I need to try your favorite version! Oh I forgot about the cauliflower gnocchi, I need that! Thanks so much Stephanie and I hope the work and paper grading go really well!

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WELL–since I have heard nothing either way, I am ASSUMING that I won’t get an interview. My therapist tries to tell me that it still might happen. Even though this is the first stable, solid, tenure-track teaching job in a VERY long time that I have wanted deep in my core and that i am actually a pretty perfect fit for, I need to believe that it’s not going to go my way. Or else I won’t move forward and think about what else–even if it means the ULTIMATE heartbreak of taking a break from teaching for the next year or two, because the situation I have been in here in Atlanta is really not sustainable (I don’t know how I can continue to handle 3-4 jobs at a time. It is breaking me…).

My favorite version of tzatziki is really just a sort of purist/traditionalist version. Nothing special about it. Just the straight forward stuff you will get in any Greek or Greek American household, at any Greek festival at any Greek Orthodox church, and anywhere in Greece. :) It’s simply, and though yogurt does very bad things to my digestive system (it works quite the opposite of how it tends to work for people), sometimes tzatziki is so totally worth it.

You know, the more and more I think about it the more and more I am certain that I *need* to go to lululemon to try on that Energy bra. I had already been thinking that I might splurge (& right now it feels like a big splurge) on glycerin 17s as an end of semester/I survived the craziest workload ever gift to myself, but I am thinking that I might need a whole new OUTFIT. And I think it’s gotta be something like this:

glycerins
a new pair of balega socks (because since when does someone need an EXCUSE for that?!?!?)
a new sports bra–either the energy one from lulu or the athleta counterpart, the hyperfocused one
a new pair of high-rise salutation capris (they are SOFT LIKE BUTTER!!!!!)
a tank top
NEW GOODRS FOR THE BEGINNING OF A NEW SUMMER!!!

it’s an ENORMOUS and RIDICULOUS splurge. But maybe I am worth it? I don’t know. Glycerins and a new sports bra (since it has LEGITIMATELY been a long time since I got a new sports bra for lower-intensity work like yoga/barre/etc. and that stuff needs to be refreshed in the wardrobe more regularly than I tend to…)

Oy. This is neither here nor there. It’s procrastination, that’s what it is! OK–no more social media. TIME TO GRADE!!!

:)

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Enjoy your anniversary! That’s a lot of stuff in three years. I’m racing this weekend – Glass City Marathon on Sunday (Toledo, OH). I have run a road marathon since 2016 so it all seems new again. I’m nervous for race day! We’re all stressing out about the weather now ;)

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Thank you so much AND GO LISA GO!! I am so excited for you. Control what you can and that is your thoughts! You are going to rock this and I want to hear about it. You’ve got this girl!

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I’ll be running this marathon too!!! How exciting

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Nikki – Woohoo!! Let’s hope that we don’t get the snow in the morning that I’ve heard rumors of :) Best of luck to you on race day!

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OMG yes!! Let’s hope not AND i hope the wind won’t be as bad as it was prejected to be! And good luck to you as well :) fingers crossed we have great race!!!

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Happy 3rd fist date-aversery!! ?
That orange chicken from Costco is a staple for us. It makes such a good, quick meal on days when you sort of forget to plan dinner!
I love to see the kids enjoying cross country! We have many schools here that partner with Kids run the OC. It’s a running program where the kids, over several weeks, run 26.2 miles. The coolest thing is that they run the last mile at the Orange county marathon weekend, finish at the actual finish line, and receive the marathon medal!! Last year my husband and I were picking up our race bibs when the kids were all finishing, it was so awesome to see them come across that finish line and get their medals!
Anyway… Have a great day, and happy anniversary ?

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No way… oh that is so so cool! I want our area to do that too. I’ll tell the coach about this. Have a beautiful day Wendy!

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I’m so stoked for you and Andrew’s 3 year date anniversary. I remember when you guys got together and could tell how happy he made you just from your blog! Me and my fiancé got engaged 8 months after dating and we’re getting married in October:)

I do not have a trader joes near me but I need to find one next time I go on vacay because all the treats you have sound amazing!!!

No running this weekend but I tried out crossfit this week and its brought me so much joy just working out with a group and working different muscles while my foot is resting:) I love the quote you put that every cell in your body is eavesdropping on your thoughts. My doctor told me I need to have positive thinking to help my foot HEAL. Isn’t that crazy? And she also asked if there’s been added stress in my life that could have caused the injury. So our thoughts not only help us get to the finish line but they also play a part in keeping us healthy!! So joining crossfit this week has really helped me find joy in other areas and got those endorphins going a little. I realized the rower makes me smile—>:)

Anyways…I believe in choosing joy everyday, in every parts of our lives! I love that this injury has allowed me to find joy in new places:)

I hope you and Andrew have a wonderful date tonight, and enjoy your own desserts. :)

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3 years! 3 years? Seems more recent and longer ago, at the same time. Happy date-iversary!
I could spend the rest of my life not trying any licorice candy, LOL! The coconut-oreo bar looks amazing, though!
Maybe I should start my own reward system for running? The endorphins rule, and I feel satisfied in logging a run, but a little reward would be next-level :)

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Ok, I hate the sports bras with the stupid removable cups. I can not stand having to stuff those cups into the bra after every wash and they never get back in there perfectly. I just wish they had some with a tiny bit of padding in that special area!!

If anyone has suggests for sports bras that add coverage without those annoying removable cups I would love them and I don’t even need that much support ( an A cup at best)

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Try the Brooks UpHold (DD-E) or UpLift (CD) cross backs for no removable cups. Great coverage and support (even while nursing). I haven’t had any chaffing, either.

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Thank you! I am an A or a AA cup so they won’t work but I will look through Brooks maybe they have something else!

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First of all I’ve almost bought the running Wild sweatshirt about 10 times now, so cute!! And we also just recently tried that orange chicken from Costco and the kids even love it!!

Our 10 year wedding anniversary is coming up on May 9th!!

My last running reward was a pair of tights from Athleta I’ve been wanting for a while now.

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Happy Anniversary guys!!! Have fun celebrating :)

I will also be running the Glass City Marathon in Toledo this Sunday, it will be my first full… I am so nervous!! It’s supposed to be chilly and pretty windy too as of right now :( Do you have any advice for running that long in the wind?! I’m trying nto to stress but it’s stressing me out lol. I just hope to finish strong

Have a great day :)

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GO NIKKI GO!! I am so so excited for you. Remember how tough you are. Don’t forget that, the wind is going to make accomplishing this even bigger. I’m thrilled for you. Take it a mile at a time and duck behind some people in front of you when you need a break! You can do hard things! Please let me know how it goes afterwards!

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I tested the Ravenna 10’s! I really liked them at first, then I strayed (partially because my running changed and did not really feel good), but now I am back to loving them! They are light, and quick! I have also really been loving my Ravenna 8’s.

Happy date-aversary. :) Hope you all have a great weekend!

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Happy anniversary!

I have the Illinois Half Marathon tomorrow morning. SUB 2 Half here I come! Plus the faster I run the better change I have of beating the rain that is in the forecast.

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Corrinne, I LOVE your comment because of your excitement for this race and your confidence = you will hit your goals. I hope you have a beautiful day Corrinne!

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I think you can know pretty quickly if someone is right for you, especially when you are a little older. I knew on my first date with my husband that we would get married. We got married fast, within 9 months of meeting. We talked about marriage almost right away. When you know, why wait? We will be married 17 years in May.
You and Andrew seem so happy and right for one another, you seem to share the same outlook and values, which is what keeps people together.
I wish you many years of happiness- like I said before, I come to your blog to get inspiration, not just for running, but from your sweet family and the kindness and love you show in your writing. It is infectious! I wish you all the best!

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Kristen, thank you so so much for your sweet comments. It means a whole lot to me. I LOVE you and your husband’s dating story. 17 years–> HUGE HUGE HUGE CONGRATS!!!

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Knox’s freckles are precious! And I must try that dip :)

I love TJ’s dark chocolate sea salt caramels and dark chocolate PB cups.

Today is my puppyversary! Ha. Exactly a year ago yesterday, my sis and I jumped in my car after work and drove 12 hours to UT to get my sweet Charlie. He is seriously the best and has blessed my family sooo much after a horrible experience with getting a puppy from an awful “breeder.”

I am attempting a 10 mile trail race tomorrow. I say attempting because my ankle is definitely not 100% but I’ve done 7 miles on flat road so hopefully it’ll hold out for me! I’ve never done a trail race quite like this one so it’ll be an adventure for sure!

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Happy happy happy puppyversary Marissa! Charlie is so lucky to have you! AHHH I hope your ankle feels great tomorrow. Cheering for you and enjoy those trails!

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Trader Joe’s ginger snap cookies are a go-to for me. Plus the serving size is SIX, which is my kind of serving size. I’m also a huge fan of their frozen garlic naan and their dried mango slices. But honestly, has anyone had anything bad from TJ’s?

No anniversaries coming up but this is the time of year I’m due for my eye appointment, annual physical, and teeth cleaning…sooo it’s not my favorite ;)

ALSO, new favorite dessert find: the sugar cookies from Super Target’s bakery. Holy smokes, they’re SO GOOD and gooey. If you like a gooey sugar cookie, I highly recommend.

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Oh no… now I need to go get those cookies. Today. That frozen garlic naan is too good. I have tried one thing that wasn’t good from there… they were these little meringue bites things. Nope, never again. Have an amazing day Annie!

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Yes! I’m thrilled you like the licorice! Their Pb cups are pretty amazing too! I like the milk chocolate ones and I believe there is dark choc too. Now I’m craving all things TJ’s!
My last running reward was not being attacked on a run! Ha! This morning, during twilight hours, I saw too many glowing eyes in the bushes to be comfortable and I was able to run some of my fastest splits and avoid contact with whatever was watching me! Ha! I haven’t actually won any award since I’ve been running as an adult but when I ran track in elementary school I won red and blue ribbons right and left (does that count! ha!)! I think I still have them.
I’m holding off on races until the kiddos sports die down in June and I can’t wait. I’m hoping to jump in on some trail races!
Happy anniversary and have a great day!!!

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THAT MUST HAVE BEEN TERRIFYING. I am so so glad you are okay! Blue ribbon goes to you for getting away so fast. Thanks Jenny and seriously, the licorice is the best!

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I’m a big Costco and TJ shopper too, so I like seeing your recommendations. Other than some gummy bears, usually Haribo’s or TJ brand, or Mott’s fruit snacks during long runs, the only candy I eat involves chocolate, especially dark chocolate! I love the TJ dark chocolate covered pretzels, dark choc peanut butter cups, and the dark chocolate almonds with sea salt.

Here we have lots of birthdays coming up. 3 of the 4 of us have birthdays in a 3 week time span.

No race plans this weekend, but I’m super excited to volunteer on the run course of Ironman Texas tomorrow! Long run in the morning and then an afternoon supporting the Ironman athletes.

Quick question for you. I wanted to go back on your blog to the beginning of your Ultra journey. It’s hard to navigate the posts unless you know around what date to look. Could you point me to that, please?

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I need to get those pretzels, cups and almonds ASAP. Have fun with all of your celebrating! Yes, I am sorry about that… I need to get that figured out! Training started around this post:

https://hungryrunnergirl.com/2018/12/my-siblings-all-together-ultra-training-weekly-summary.html

Have a wonderful day and I’m guessing this means you want to run an ultra?

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Congrats to you two lovebirds ❤ Hubby and I have 10 years of marriage coming up in July and I seriously cannot believe we have been married that long! It sneaks up on you ?

Our Trader Joe’s just introduced a high protein ice cream – Swell – and it’s only $1.99 for a pint! So far I have tried the mint chip (meh), pb chocolate chip (??) and I just bought the cookie dough to try. I don’t know if this is available everywhere yet but I recommend it!

Have a great weekend and enjoy your date!!

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Love what you said about how you felt meeting Andrew for the first time! I feel like we spend so much time wondering, “Is this the one??” but from so many people in successful relationships say that they just knew. Love it.

I need to try that dip. I love Trader Joe’s chocolate-covered almonds!

My Friday favorite is Taylor Swift’s new song/video–they are so fun and colorful and happy! I love her and this is very exciting.

Also, I ran a 7:50 mile this week! I’ve never in my life run under 8!

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KRISTIN. This. Is. Huge. I am so so excited for you… you rocked it. Oh I haven’t listened to it yet… I need to do that now. I hope you have a fabulous day and now I need some of those almonds!

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Happy first date anniversary!! ❤️ Love that sweatshirt and definitely want to order it. How did you find the sizing to run?

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