What is it about the last 6.2 months of races?

Just in case you need to catch up, the top three most viewed posts last week were:

*BOSTON MARATHON RECAP!!

*It’s GO Time!!

*15 Things + Optimism Muscle Atrophy!

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I hope you had a fabulous Easter weekend!

We started things off with their Easter baskets!

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Followed by breakfast and some movies about Jesus and discussions.

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We went to church and heard about 2% of what was said with Skye;)

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Brooke gave an awesome talk in primary!

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For dinner we decided to have a burger bar rather than a traditional Easter dinner and it was heavenly.

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Finished off by an Easter egg hunt once the hail storm ended.  This was our first Easter in this house and the backyard is perfect for an Easter egg hunt.

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Andrew made this for dinner and it was so so good.  Strawberry shortcake is definitely on the list of my top 5 desserts.

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I’ve had a fun running streak over the last 6.2 months.  There was the St. George Marathon, my 50 miler and 26.2 miles of smiling at Boston… I’m pretty thrilled about it.

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I’ve been running for 21 years now and I was thinking the other night..  What is it about the last year of running that has really helped the last 6 months of racing to be my absolute favorites?  I’m sure I’ve mentioned these before but I wanted to share a few more details today!

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*I’m so excited to share with you what has made a difference with my running!  I FINALLY realized that thinking negative about myself and my running was absolutely ridiculous. It is the biggest waste of time, energy, potential, happiness on the planet.   I’m sure many of you have got this figured out but I wanted to tell you about my journey toward positive thoughts. I’ve always been working on this and some years have been better than others but I made the final decision that I am done wasting time thinking negatively about myself.  How did I stop thinking like junk about myself during my running and life?  I just stopped it.  I just stopped.   That’s what worked for me. It took a whole lot of practice and work but was well worth it.  Thoughts pop into our brains but we can control where we go with them from there—>  Continue thinking poorly about ourselves or stop those thoughts and change them to positive ones.  I wish I had a recording to share with you that showed my thoughts from my 20s compared to my thoughts now.  I’m becoming really positive these days in my thoughts which is causing things like running a marathon pr when I probably wasn’t physically fully ready for that or smiling for an entire 26.2 miles to happen (although during my ultra there were some really dark miles but I chose to change my thoughts and fight through them).  I say things to myself during a race like, ‘wow, you just crushed that hill’ or ‘I’m a machine’ or ‘I feel so so strong (even if I don’t in that moment)’ or ‘I am so grateful for this body of mine.’

WE get to choose to have a fabulous race or a terrible one based on the things we tell ourselves throughout our training and our race.  (PS fabulous race could = hitting our goals or it could mean not hitting our goals but talking kindly and lovingly to ourselves throughout).

Please read Deena Kastor’s book (Strategic Joy= life changing), How Bad Do You Want It and listen to this episode from Ali with a sports psychologist if you need to work on your mental game.

PS to go along with this mental game talk, I have one more thing.  It’s SO so easy to focus on the negatives while running but it’s so pointless to waste time thinking about those.  During Boston at about mile .001 my hamstrings were feeling SO so dead from my ultra.  Like more dead than I have ever experienced in my life.  Quitting wasn’t an option (if it was an injury then yes I would have) but I had a choice to make—> Spend the next 26.199 miles thinking about my dead hamstrings or focus my attention elsewhere.  Of course over the rest of the race the thoughts about how tired my hamstrings were popped into my head but I made the choice to focus on the spectators or other runners or the parts of me that felt awesome instead= I had an incredible experience.  It’s up to us during our next race to dwell on the things that are hurting or to dwell on all of the goodness in, around and up ahead of us.

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*I fuel like you would not believe.  A 2:57 marathoner friend of mine told me about how she does this before I ran St. George last year and I tried it for myself and it really works for me.  I fuel way more before and during a race than I think I need to (of course be careful with this too:).  The goal is to find that perfect balance of taking in fuel and liquids for what you are burning during a race BUT I would much rather have some cramps from eating too much or feel a little weighed down during the race from taking in too much fuel than BONKING from under fueling.  I fuel what I think I should for race morning and during and then add a couple hundred calories on top of that;).  I’m taking in about 600-700 calories before a marathon and then eating every 4-5 miles now (during my ultra I did every 3 miles).  Previous Janae would take in about 300 calories before a marathon and fueled every 7 miles and died every single time during the last 10k.

*Consistency.  As Des says, ‘KEEP SHOWING UP.’  All of our training and hard work takes years to finally start paying off and that is what makes finally hitting our goals feel that much better.  They wouldn’t feel that good if we were just working for a short amount of time to get them.  It might take a year of consistency to hit our goals or 15 years… it takes time so do not quit.  These training cycles of ours build upon themselves and so even if on race day we don’t hit our goals, our awesome training will carry over to the next training cycle until they finally do.

So really, changing just two things in my training and continuing to show up made a world of difference for my races.  I KNOW that bad runs/races are on the agenda because opposition in life is necessary in order to fully enjoy the highs BUT those bad/races are not going to happen due to thinking negative or under fueling.

Having control over things is one of my favorite hobbies so I’ll let go of the things I don’t have control of (weather, injuries, sickness, most of life) and continue for the rest of my running to control the things I do have control of—> my thoughts and fueling!

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Today I’m spending a part of Skye’s nap time figuring out what races I want to do this summer.  Isn’t it awesome that we now have SO many choices of races to do… ten years ago there were just a few in our area during the summer and now there are way more.

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What is something you’ve changed recently in your running that has helped your running a lot?

Have you figured out what races you are doing this summer?  I would love to hear about them… or do you live in an area that summer racing isn’t a thing because of the temperatures?

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Anything you are looking forward to this week?

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51 comments

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YES!!! I’ve been focusing on giving myself little pep talks each morning just for life in general, and I’ve incorporated them into my running, as well. We need to speak positively to ourselves and not constantly focus on negatives and ingrain those things in our minds. It’s OK (and probably healthy/necessary) to acknowledge them, but the more we dwell on them, the more they are going to magnify themselves. Thanks for that reminder! :)

The weekend was SO good because I was able to spend lots of time with my family and out in the sun at my pool. I also found a new church I love and start my new job today. There are lots of changes going on in my life right now, but I’m excited and am going to leave all of the bad things from last week back there. Have a great start to the week, Janae!

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Go Natalie go! I am SO thrilled you are back to your family and get to spend a lot of time with them. Here’s to a new week and I am so happy you love your new church and good luck at your new job today Natalie! You’ve got this girl!

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You have had an amazing streak with your races! Way to go!

I have my races planned out for the rest of the year, and the first one is Memorial Day! It’s evidently the oldest road race in our city and is an 8k and SUPER hilly. Like it’s a major climb and the biggest hill has a prize for the first man and woman to get to the top. That won’t be me, judging by the finish times from previous years, but I can’t wait to give it a go! It’s called the Chattanooga Chase!

I have also officially signed up for my 3rd ever marathon (October) and a half marathon (November), so the heat of the summer will be spent not racing, but building up for those!

Have a great week!

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This race sounds awesome… I’ve never done an 8k. So cool that they have a prize for the first people to the top of the hill too. I want to come do this one with you. WAHOOO your fall is going to be awesome. Have a beautiful day Loribeth!

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I haven’t done an 8k either………….INSTANT PR!

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This was a great post! I am running the London Marathon on Sunday and I am really trying to focus on being positive and being able to enjoy the race. My last marathon went horribly wrong and I was so sad and angry at myself at the end and I do not want that this time. Training has gone really well and I want to be able to enjoy the atmosphere (this will be the biggest race I have ever done) and finish with a smile, and maybe some happy tears. So thank you for this post!!!

After this race I want to find a half were I can work on getting under 2 hours!

This weekend has been a nice long one with lots of catching up on sleep and being lazy!

I am going out to dinner with a friend tonight who I haven’t seen in a long time so looking forward to that. It will be good to catch up.

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Sarah, I am SO so so excited for your marathon on Sunday. I am going to be cheering big time for you. I’ve had those marathons too, you are not alone. This one is going to be so different for you… I can feel it. Big races are so much fun (and I want to hear what you think of London, it is on my bucket list). So excited to hear about your sub 2 half this summer. Enjoy your time tonight and that sleep and laziness is just what your body needed right now!

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I agree that being positive helps. And I think you have surrounded yourself with positive people, Andrew and Brooke and Knox and even Skye are all so supportive of your running and that really has to help!

I recently did a training plan that was more detailed than just how many miles each day. It had interval and tempo work too! I stuck with it for all 8 weeks and ran under an hour in my 10K which I haven’t done in forever – since maybe 2011 which was pre-child)! I started with the wrong pace group (what? 10K isn’t half the distance of a 10M? Was it the early morning or runners brain that got me?), which turned out to be a great thing. I spent the first 2 miles running too slow then the next 2 miles (1.75 actually) catching up to the next pace group. Once I caught them, I realized I still felt really good so I gradually peeled away from them too. I am going to have to stick with this start slow thing. I also had a Seattle themed playlist ordered by BPM to keep me moving faster.

Summer racing is limited here likely bc of temperatures, but limited is relative (in Bulgaria there were only a handful of races each year so I feel decadent looking at the options), but I am campaigning for office so I am still a bit restricted. I have been trying to get back to one race a month on the reg, but might take the next few months off to try and balance campaigning time with family time.

Seeing Baxton race his 1K! He was grumbly about it all morning but just before the race he got excited and he took off! There were a handful of older kids that were in front of him the whole time but he ever gave up and ran the whole way. He was so proud and just wanted to sit and look at the water after.

I am excited to be through with my training plan (for now) and get back to “just” running for a little while.

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Very true about being surrounded by positive people, it makes a huge difference! You rocked that 10k and paced it PERFECTLY. Huge congrats on that one Tonya! I wish I was in your area to vote for you! So excited for you. Baxton is already doing so well and so mentally/physically strong. Enjoy just running, it’s so fun to switch things up. Have a wonderful day Tonya!

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Just thank you for your blog and your amazing positivity and outlook on everything! I’m pretty sure this post just convinced me not to quit marathons. After every single one I say “that was the last marathon”, especially after such a hard Boston last week “that was the last one”. Even my daughters both said “you say that after every single one”. I only didn’t say after the good ones. I am going to work on being more positive and keep showing up. :)

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Oh thank you Donna for your comment and CONGRATS on finishing Boston last week! You keep doing what makes you happy and keep me updated with it all! You. Are. Amazing.

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Thank you for that insight!! It’s so true, I don’t know why we are so mean to ourselves sometimes! I would never say those things to a friend, so why do I talk to myself that way??

We also had a different Easter dinner this year, but it was perfect! I had dinner with a few friends, but we spent most of the time eating appetizers on the porch enjoying the weather, until it was dark out and we were too full for real dinner haha.

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YES… that is something I ask myself a lot. Would I talk this way to my mom or sister? Ummm no so I better quit it now with myself! Appetizers on the porch until dark–> that sounds like the perfect evening! Thanks Mariah and have a wonderful Monday!

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Such a good post Janae. I’m in school to become a clinical mental health counselor and I’m going to do a certification as a mental performance consultant ( which is a fancy name for mental side of sports!). So I’m super excited to help people in that way because I know how much our negative thoughts can really hinder our performance. & also working through injuries and being sidelined and getting through that.

Summer racing isn’t really a thing here and I’m THANKFUL for that this summer because it makes me less sad about being sidelined for my foot right now. It gives me the perfect time to recover fully when it is already in the high 70s and 80s with 100% humidity here;). What I’m most looking forward to this week is getting imaging results on Tuesday at my doctor and really figuring out a plan for my foot. We were thinking tendinitis originally but I’ve done al the things and had almost 2 months off running and it hasn’t gotten better. So hopefully I’ll get some answers tomorrow and be on the road to healing!

The highlight of my weekend was saying “yes” to my wedding dress!!! My sister came into town and we went to the shop just the two of us and it was the most amazing experience and I fell in love with the first dress I tried on. I tried on others but ended up going back to that one. We had an amazing time just me and my sister and it was so nice to spend the whole weekend with her.

Have an incredible week, Janae!

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Eleanor, I didn’t know this about you?! HOW AWESOME!! If you ever want to share any tips with us I would love to post them!
It still isn’t better?!?! Please let me know what they say tomorrow… I’m rooting for you. And now I need a picture of your wedding dress, I’m so so excited for you! I fell in love with the first dress too! Sounds like the perfect weekend. Thanks Eleanor and good luck tomorrow!

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I love this so much Janae, I really appreciate you writing a post on it. I definitely feel that what has changed for me this past year is having a baby, and now I make my runs a priority because I don’t have time to pass them off for later on in the day. So it has caused me to be more dedicated and I’m loving it.

My favorite part of this past weekend was an awesome date night on Friday. My husband and I have really been working on our marriage and it was just such a great night after having some hard times. Loved it!
Have a good day!

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So so happy you guys are doing better and that you were able to get out on a date! I know what you mean about how running changes after a baby… I feel like I appreciate it way more. Have a beautiful day Amanda!

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I LOVE this post so much!! Just last week, I decided that I would practice positive thinking for one whole week. If something negative popped up, I found a way to turn it around into a positive thought. It was hard a couple of times, but it really made a difference. I felt happier, I enjoyed my runs, which in turn made the family feel better (at least it seemed like that) and really made for a great week! I am basically a pretty positive person, but with my running this last 6 months, I was not! I was hard on myself, ended up with an injury, and completely forgot that I really do like to run!
I don’t have any races on the calendar at all ( not yet), because I really did want to shift my mindset and remember that I love being outside running… Finding my “why” again.
Today is a pretty special day for our family. Our oldest son, who is graduating in May, has “signing day” today. This is the day at the high school when all the kids that have committed to a college for a sport, officially sign their commitment letters. The school does a really great job making it a big deal. Our son will be going on to Lake Forest College to play football. We are all so excited and proud!
(Thank you for letting me brag a bit ?)
Other than that, this week should be pretty calm and relaxing, yay.
Have a great start to your week!

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Oh Wendy, I am SO happy that you did that. It makes the biggest difference in every area of life.

SIGNING DAY… this is huge Wendy! Keep me updated with all of that. Is that close to you? I hope so so that you can be at all of his games! This is so exciting!

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Thank you Janae!
Unfortunately we’re in Orange Co., CA, so not close. But, it will definitely be a place to go visit as often as we can!

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When our dreams and reality align it is a great feeling. Your last 6.2 months have been your running dream and probably more. Enjoy it!

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YES YES YES!! Thanks Erica! It’s been a fun year. Have a beautiful day Erica and thanks for being my friend over the last (almost 9 years… we need to go celebrate our anniversary)!

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I love this!! I had an injury setback late last summer and every since then have been trying to find my way back. I’m finally able to run longer distances pain free but my hip always nags at me so I can’t help being sad or disappointed in my loss of speed as I slooowly get it back. I definitely need to tune out the negativity and focus on the positives, esp that I CAN run now and how much I love it. Thanks for this reminder!

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Positive thinking really is powerful (as is negative thinking). Even breaking time down to moment-by-moment, encouraging ourselves to get through it can help & then we can celebrate how far we’ve gone.
I’m mostly trying to get more consistent with running right now, but I have my eye on the twilight 8K through my town. Running in the dark on a (usually) warm night in July is pretty fun.
A couple of highlights this weekend: 1-getting through a really tough workout on Saturday morning, when I thought I couldn’t physically finish early on, but kept on grinding through. 2-taking an Easter picture of my kids being silly instead of making them pose a certain way, because they were clearly having fun and that’s what I want to see when I look back at the pic.
Just so happy that we have spring blooms and warmer weather! It puts me in a much better mood :)
Happy Monday!

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Oh I love that.. celebrate how far we’ve gone!! We all need to be doing that. Twilight 8k sounds like a blast! I want to come do that one with you! Way to go getting through that workout Corey and I need to do more of those silly pictures with our kids! Enjoy that weather and my happiness goes up big time with each spring too haha. Thanks Corey!

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That storm was crazy!

I was so surprised with how much better I ran when I fueled more before my race. I went into all of my races fasted or with just a tiny bit of food and water because I was always worried about side aches but I think I’ll be trying to run with more fuel more often now.

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It came out of nowhere?! Seriously… fuel makes all of the difference! So happy you are running pain free Jenny! It’s the best time of year:)

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I have been trying to stay more positive in my training especially during the hard workouts. I have to keep telling myself I can do it and push the negative thoughts away. Its been helping. Hopefully I can keep those positive thoughts strong on Saturday for my half marathon. I have a goal to finally break 2 hours! Maybe I should call your mom for a pep talk! And I might steal your idea of writing inspiration on my hand.

I am toying with doing a trail half marathon. My husband got super excited that I said I was considering finding one and has a few options for me. But I do live in Illinois where the summer is hot and humid.

Highlight of my weekend was my 4 year old insisting on riding her bike a mile to brunch and not in the bike trailer. She made it! Those little legs are getting stronger. Could be from all the “race you mommy” runs she has been doing lately. Looking forward to my half this weekend and my daughter’s ballet recital. They are doing an old fashioned circus/Greatest Showman theme. She will be an old fashioned high diver and its going to be so cute!

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YOU CAN keep those positive thoughts strong for Saturday! I know you can and it will get you to your goals! Yes, write down your time goal and a positive mantra. It makes the biggest difference. PLEASE let me know how it goes afterwards. I’m super excited for you. Let me know if you sign up for the trail half wahoo. Look at your 4 year old GO! Sounds like the perfect weekend! Thanks Corrinne!

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Yes! I needed to hear those. I’m currently reading Meb’s book (flying through it – SO good) and will be bringing both Deena’s book to re-read and How Bad Do You Want It on my plane ride on Friday to prep for the Eugene Marathon on Sunday. My biggest goal for the race –> be my own cheerleader and mentally tough no matter how the race is going. Thanks for the reminders! Have a wonderful day!

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Oh I am so glad! Isn’t his book so good and Deena’s book is my all-time favorite running book. So so excited for your Sunday and no matter what happens it will be a great race because you are cheering yourself on! PLEASE let me know how it goes afterwards! Thanks Stacy, you too. Taper well!

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YES! I too believe a positive mindset can make or break a run (or really, anything). When I’m on a run and struggling, I give myself a pep talk rather than berate myself for taking a walk break which I definitely used to do. Talking to myself in a positive way has made an enormous difference!

I’m heading in to the OKC Marathon this Sunday and my training cycle looked a bit different than before. I’m feeling excited and weirdly, less nervous than ever before. I’ve worked really hard on being kinder to myself and have a good feeling it’s paying off.

Thank you so much for sharing your running journey!

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Oh Kara, I can’t tell you how happy it made me to hear that you are feeling excited and less nervous than usual. YES, it’s already paying off and you are enjoying your week before the race even more. I can’t wait to hear about how it goes on Sunday (you better let me know:)! Cheering so loud to you and I LOVE what you said about giving yourself the pep talk vs negative talk. It sure makes running so much more fun.

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I had a GREAT weekend visiting my family, but coming back to work today has been very overwhelming. Trying to focus on what I can get done today and worry about everything else when I can get that done.

Love love love all your thoughts about positive thinking. Thinking positively gets me through races and can totally turn things around when my body or mind is tired. I focused on that a lot during my last race, as well as the idea of “run the mile you’re in”–maybe I have 6 miles left and that sounds like a lot, but I can totally handle the mile I’m on at that moment.

I’m trying to be better at “showing up”–I used to be so consistent with working out and running, but now I don’t have a running buddy, AND I have to get my runs in after work, which is hard sometimes. New goal is to run 4 times a week and I’m hoping I can do it!

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I am so glad you were able to spend time with your family this weekend Kristin! One thing at a time, you’ve got this! I totally agree with you, staying in the mile makes these races/workouts so much more doable. 4 times a week is yours and running after workout with that buddy is going to make you even stronger. Have a beautiful day Kristin!

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Happy Easter!!! Looks like you guys had a great day!! We had a burger bar also. We are very traditional when it comes to holidays, we are Italian can you blame us?? But it was so fun to grill burgers and set up a burger bar, so easy!!
I have been incorporating different classes with my running and I have been sore but its been a good sore and my miles have been so much easier! I did cross fit one weekend and burn bootcamp this past weekend!
Highlight of my week: We are starting infertility treatments(on Wednesday) after 4 years of trying!! Pray for us!!!!!!! WOOOHOOOO

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Thanks for sharing, Janae. I think mindset is one of those things that is SO powerful, and we can use that power for good or for less good ways. But sometimes it is so darn hard to let yourself change those thoughts around to positives. Something to continue working on, thanks for the reminder. On another note, (really totally separate and I am not in any way trying to take away from the positives of positive thinking) but I’d love to hear (if you’re willing to share) about your experiences working with and finding a coach, including a coach that you may not have actually met in person/seen you run? Curious about this and trying to navigate both these pieces myself!

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I have a random unrelated question! Would Andrew be open to doing a post about his experience with nursing school? I’m about to have my first preceptorship (in an ER – terrifying!) and would love to hear his thoughts on his experience/clinicals/study tips/how to survive pharmacology.

I don’t have any races planned at the moment because I’m focusing more on cross-training at the moment, but I’m hoping to do a fun 10k in the fall!

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Thanks for the reminder about positive thinking!

I also have a random question: why was quitting Boston not an option for you (except for injury)? Legitimately asking if that was part of your positive thinking plan for that race, etc. And to clarify, I’m very good at talking myself OUT of things when they get hard, so if not quitting was part of your mental strategy, I’d love to hear more about it.

So far, the highlight of my week was this morning, when my physical therapist cleared me to start doing some low impact workouts! I’m recovering from a bulging disc in my lower back, and have only been allowed to walk and do some PT specific movements for over a month. So excited to get some strength back!

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HEY KATE!! Great question… It was part of my positive thinking plan. I just don’t even let myself think that it is an option. Once that option is out of sight then it gets me to keep moving forward! You are going to get really good at not talking yourself out of things when they get hard. I am SO sorry about the back issues you have had!
Thanks Kate!

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Hello Janae!
What a great reminder that we should all be kinder to ourselves! It makes the outlook on life so much sunnier!! :) I belong to run group (Team RIOT – Running Is Our Therapy) in NE Ohio and they have kept me accountable for getting outside and running all winter long! We had a super cold winter! We run every Wed & one Wed was so cold we all met up at a local gym & ran together on the treadmills so we wouldn’t miss our mid week run!
So far this year, I am running the Nashville half this Saturday with my run group! So excited for the included vacation! May I have a 5K, 10.5 trail mile, and a half half (6.5) races. And I am volunteering for the Cleveland Marathon! This summer I am part of an 8-person relay team for the Burning River 100! AND then this fall, I am going to do my FIRST EVER marathon!! eeek! I am running the Columbus, Ohio full. It is the 40th anniversary so should be extra fun!!
P.S. I love the girls’ matching outfits! So cute!
PSS. Thanks for always keeping things on the bright side! Your optimism is a bright spot in my day!
Have a good day! :)

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I’ve been meaning to send you a big fat THANK YOU for the reading suggestion. I loved Deena Kastor’s book, and I’m trying to bring her strategy into my life as well as my training. Positivity and joy are things we don’t have enough of in life, if we don’t mindfully and thoughtfully encourage them. I loved the book, and it really has been a help.

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Oh Laura, I am THRILLED that her book helped you so much. It’s the absolute best! I hope you are having a wonderful day!

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Awww such cute family pics!!!

That strawberry shortcake looks delicious!!!!! My husband and I like to share a strawberry shortcake from The Cheesecake Factory a few times a year! So good!

Have you heard of the Detroit INTERNATIONAL marathon? Why run in just one city when you can run in two countries? You get to run up the Ambassador bridge to Canada and back to States through the Windsor tunnel. It’s quite the adventure!!! I had to share!

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I NEED TO DO THAT RACE!! That sounds incredible!!!

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Yes!!! You totally should!! If you do I will come cheer you on!!!! I’ll even tell you the best places to get donuts ? lol

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Glad you guys had such a nice Easter! I have a fueling question for you. I’m running a 10k in a few weeks. Ordinarily I wouldn’t even think about fuel (I often run 6-7 miles first thing in the morning on an empty stomach), but this race has a nice monetary award so I want to truly race. Also, it will be later than my usual runs and therefore hotter and more humid (I’m in Mississippi). Would you suggest taking in a gel at some point during the race, or just sticking to the water and gatorade provided? Thanks for your tips, as always!

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HEY LINDSAY!! I am cheering for you big time… you are going to rock this race! For me personally, I wouldn’t take in fuel during because that might slow me down and the distance isn’t long enough for me to need to refill on glycogen. Personally, I would probably just take a gel 10 minutes before the start (along with whatever you are eating for breakfast earlier and caffeine). GOOD LUCK and please let me know how it goes!

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A gel just before starting is a great idea. Thanks so much!!!

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This post came at a PERFECT time for me! I am running the Nashville Marathon on Saturday and I have been really REALLY dreading it. I am usually nervous to run a race, but also excited. But, for some reason, I just can not get myself excited for it this time. I keep thinking tons of negative thoughts…there are going to be SO many hills! It is going to be hot and I haven’t acclimated to running in the heat, yet. Etc. Etc. And, honestly, I think I’ve hit that point of being overtrained and burnt out. Your post has encouraged me to stop thinking about all of that stuff and just try to think of it as a fun long run I get to do on a new (to me) course instead of the same old trail. So, THANK YOU for this post today!! It was just what I needed. :)

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GIRL!!! I am so so so glad this came at the perfect timing! You are going to eat those hills for breakfast and it will be so great to sweat after a long winter. YOU CAN do this and smile every time you think about the race now! Don’t waste another second thinking negative about the race. Cheering for you and I better get to hear about how it goes afterwards!

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