Lavell Edwards Memorial 5K Recap + Our Day!

This race was a different level of pain.

I’m not sure if it started hurting so bad after the first twenty steps into the race because that is just the name of the game when you are wanting to really push yourself in the 5k or if it was an off day for me?  Either way, it’s amazing how long EACH MINUTE of the 5k lasts ha.  I feel like a 5k minute lasts longer than a treadmill minute combined with listening to your least favorite song on the planet while having stomach cramps;).  <— Slight exaggeration but I’m very happy I did this race.  The race got me outside of my comfort zone (I’m all about avoiding racing hilly courses and short distances).  I now know about where I am at to get my training started.

My next goal—> The Utah Valley 10k at the same average pace or a bit faster than what I did the 5k in (easier course but double the distance so I’m excited to see how it goes) in 3 weeks.  Why not dream big?

On Saturday morning I picked up Emilee and we headed over to the race together.  We were both feeling nervous and Andrew concluded the reason that I was feeling more nervous than normal (like way more nervous) is because I don’t have any confidence in the 5k.  I’ve always told myself that I’m much better at the longer distances so I’ve avoided doing the shorter stuff.  I’ve always told myself that the 5k is my weakness.

BUT the problem with that is our bodies listen to the stories we make up and tell ourselves so now I’m going to be telling myself the story that I am really great at the short stuff too.

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We went out for a warm-up of about 2.5 miles.  We kept it nice and easy, talked with our group and enjoyed the lack of rain (I broke my rain on race day streak)!

We switched our shoes (I warmed up in the Glycerin and wore the Hyperion for the race), took a huma gel, took my nanohydr8 and used the restroom.  At this point Andrew and the girls arrived and we chatted for a minute before doing a few strides.  I don’t know if I have ever really done strides before a race before but it felt nice to get the legs moving.

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The race started at 8 and we were off!  The below picture was pretty much the only time we were on the roads and the rest of the time we were on the sidewalks.

Andrew and the girls were there cheering and right after I passed them is when the pain set in ha.

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The only part of the course I knew was the first hill in the beginning.  I love knowing a course really well before going into it if I am racing it but it’s kind of nice to have the ignorance is bliss situation too.  We climbed up 193 ft over the 3.1 miles and I definitely felt those ft.  I didn’t know about that second hill (which looked much bigger in real life;) but I definitely dropped my pace a bit there too.

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I don’t remember a ton during the race besides counting my steps, focusing on the things that weren’t hurting and doing my best to avoid looking at my watch and going off of feel rather than the number.

We ended on the track and I pushed as hard as I could and got passed in the final .1.

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My two friends finished about 10-15 seconds ahead of me and it was fun to try to chase after them!  (Oh and one of our friends took 1st and she finished in 17ish minutes).  I was 5th overall out of the women and 8th overall for men and women.

My splits were: 6:21, 6:18, 6:20 and 5:44 pace for the last .1.  My watch read 3.09 miles when I went across the finish line which is the closest it has ever been during a 5k race.   A little less than a minute from my PR (years ago) and I’ll take it.  This season is off to a fabulous start.  I’ll definitely be back again next year for this race and I’ll eat those hills alive;).

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Andrew said that it was QUITE the different spectating experience compared to the last two races he came to (ultra= ALL day and Boston = so many logistics to get around).

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Afterwards they had the entire field set up with activities for the kids and plenty of food and drinks for the finishers.

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A few more thoughts from the race:

*I want to get better at the 5k but I think I have more fun doing the longer stuff at a moderate difficult pace vs the full sprint.

*I was very annoyed with my music ha.  Usually I NEED music but for some reason I was wishing that I hadn’t brought it and could just set my AirPods on the side of the road.  I guess I could have taken them out during the race but that felt like too much work ha.  I wanted to focus more on the race than my music so maybe I should start racing without music?

*I want to try a flat sea-level 5k now… anyone want to go on a road-trip?

*I think one thing that I like about longer races is you have time to make-up for miles that you don’t perform your best in or to recover from hard uphills.  On the 5k you just have to go out and hit each mile just the way you want to because there isn’t time to make it up.

*I am celebrating the fact that I didn’t trip on any of the sidewalk cracks while trying to go fast… that is truly an accomplishment for me.

*I love when races end at a track.  It makes it so easy for spectators and the runners.

*After the race I was talking to my good friend Jenn and telling her that maybe I could have pushed harder and she reminded me that, “It’s much easier to recover just minutes after a 5k so you think you might have not pushed enough, when in reality you did give it your best.  The fatigue of a long race has us remembering that a little longer than a 5k.” <— so so true!

*I did not look at my watch as much as I normally do and I really think that helped me because I would have been freaking out over maintaining that first mile pace feeling so tired on the hill.

*Carol said the other day in the comments about the 5k, “They hurt the entire time.  There’s no settling into a pace- you just GO.”  Yep.

*Jen told me to repeat ‘FUN’ to myself during the race and I did which helped me to not quit on that second hill even though I wanted to.  We do this all because it is fun and some races are going to feel a lot less fun than others but either way, we do this because it is fun.

*Last week at the Indy Mini for the last 4.1 miles I was running a pace a few seconds slower than my 5k average on Saturday but felt SO much better.  Not sure if that is because I worked into the pace, it was flat or at a lower elevation but it was night and day difference!

*The Power Bun didn’t move at all during the race and I’ll just keep continuing with that tradition (I use about 8 rubber bands to really secure it).

*I LOVE Bailey’s new mantra and I thought about it during mile 3:

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The day before the race I was asked to join the Runner’s Corner Elite racing team (our local running store) and I said yes in about 2 seconds.

Last year I did all of my training alone (besides a few long runs) and I’m excited to see what training with a team does.

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Super grateful to have Emilee move in so close to me and inspire me to dream up some new goals!  She took SECOND… absolutely incredible.

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A few pictures from yesterday!

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Brooke brought me my first bfast in bed= chocolate chips, bread with honey on it and an apple and then Andrew brought me my second bfast in bed.

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Church.

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Skye had her first ponytail.

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Lots of games…

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A salad bar, rolls and banana splits for all of our family!

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In case you missed out last week, the top most viewed posts were:

*Tuesday Tangents  & I kind of really want to do something

*It MEANS You Care & Plenty of These Too.

*1st Sub-6 in YEARS + My Sister’s Plot Against Me.

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Would you rather know the race course before you do it or enjoy the ignorance is bliss situation of a race you are doing?

Ever race without music?  Give me your experience with it?

What was the best part of your weekend?

What is your ideal breakfast in bed?

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58 comments

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You. Are. So. Fast!!! You did awesome! You inspire me so much. I am definitely not fast but 5k is my sweet spot. So I am complete opposite of you. I get freaked out for the long miles when I distance run, so I think of them as multiple 5ks linked together. ?
If you ever want to run a flat, fast race come down to the Mississippi Gulf Coast! We race on the beach path all the time and it is fabulous. The view is awesome and the path is flat!

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Mendy, that is awesome… teach me your 5k strength please! I love that you cut the longer runs down into 5ks, that is so smart. Ummm yep, that race sounds perfect. Hopefully it’s before the humidity sets in too right?! Sounds perfect. Have a fabulous day Mendy!

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Congrats on that fantastic time!
Come to Ocean City, MD for a race. Flat as a pancake!
Here’s a link to the most popular runs in my area:
octrirunning.com

Let me know if you see one that interests you!

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Ummm I just watched the video that they have on the main page and YES, that absolutely interests me. Flat, by the water and I would get to meet you… I’m in. Hope you have a beautiful day Deb!

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Congratulations on your 5k – that’s awesome. And so fun to be part of a running team!

I’d prefer to know the race course. I like to have a strategy going into a race.

I like to listen to music for motivation but I have learned over that last couple of years to run without it. I didn’t listen to anything during Boston, but I wasn’t racing that day.

This weekend, my Ragnar team came in first place in the women’s division…and then we went to a spa for deep tissue massages.

Coffee in bed is amazing :-)

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HUGE CONGRATS on your 1st place at your Ragnar, that is incredible. You all most have been cruising. So glad you celebrated with massages afterwards.
I’m with you… I love knowing what to expect if I am racing the course too. So cool that you didn’t listen to anything during Boston. Have a fabulous week and recover well from Boston!

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I’m dreaming of breaking 20s for my 5k. I think I can do it but I haven’t really trained for a 5k lately.

People think 5ks are the easy one but those are people who haven’t ever run them haha. It’s a different kind of hard.

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I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT JENNY! I agree and either I’m not used to this kind of hard or I just like the different kind of hard better. Have a fabulous day Jenny!

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Hey Janae! Congrats on the 5km!! Funnily enough I ran a 5km race this past weekend and felt the same way about my music. I put together an awesome playlist and hoped that it drown out the pain of a 5km race but I had to put away my earbuds part way though because it was bugging me so much! It actually seemed to take away from the race and made it harder for me to focus on my pace, breathing etc. so I think you may be on to something when it comes to not listening to music for shorter distances :)

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WAY TO GO Natalie!! That is really interesting… why is music so annoying during the 5k? I love it during the final part of a marathon or half but I think the 5k needs more of our focus and you can’t really get lost in the pace. Next time let’s both just not even bring our music. Have a fabulous day Natalie and I hope you are recovering well!

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Hi Janae! Congrats on a great race.

It’s so funny because I felt the same way about my music in my last 5k! I love it for halfs, and I even made an upbeat 5k playlist but from the start I was just irritated by it. Not the AirPods in my ears but just listening to something lol. Maybe your brain needs to concentrate more when you’re going fast!

I love that you are speaking your 10k goal into being:)

I bet Brookie was so excited about having a giant Operation game to play with!

I believe ignorance is bliss with race courses. If its a hilly course, I know that when signing up in order to train with hills. But then I don’t drive the course because I don’t want to freak myself out. My training is set by race day/day before, so no point worrying myself with race obstacles. I’ve also realized this with CrossFit too:) If I check the night before what workout we’re doing, I tend to chicken out and not go, lol.

I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day and hope you can celebrate with Knox when he gets back, too:) I am sure it is hard missing one on holidays, sending y’all love!

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Really!? Super interesting… I think you are so right, my brain needed to be concentrating on the race, not the music! Haha I feel that exact way with bootcamp too! I won’t go if I know it is crazy hard. Thank you so much Eleanor, you are so thoughtful! I hope you have a beautiful rest of your Monday!

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Great Job! I have stopped listening to anything when I run. It’s turned into my prayer/meditation/self talk time. I found that my pace would always be to the beat of the music instead of what it should be so it was either too fast or too slow. Plus, it makes me feel a bit safer since I always run alone. You should do the Carlsbad 5000 in April. We just took a girls trip out there to do it and it was a blast. Supposed to be the world’s fastest 5k, although I missed my PR by 1 lousy second. My watch said I did it but the chip time didn’t. Ugh!!! Anyways it’s a fun little town and a race course along the ocean! Can’t beat that.

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Oh I love that you do that Christina, running is definitely your special time. That race has always been on my bucket list! ONE SECOND… NOOOO! Let’s all go do it next year?!?

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Girl, you keep telling yourself that you ARE A MASTER of short distances because you ARE! I saw your time on Instagram, and I was in awe of it!!!! WAY TO GO, and I LOVE that thinking of “FUN!” helped you to power through those inclines! I am 100% with you on finding a good FLAT 5K though! ha ha I’m liking the “Always more” mantra, too–adding that one to my toolbox!

HOW COOL that you were asked to join that elite racing team. I’m pretty much 100% a solo runner b/c of logistics, but I totally believe that running with a group will push you and make you faster. SO MANY good things ahead for you, Janae. Exciting stuff :)

I almost always run with music, but last fall I didn’t turn it on until mile 19 of my marathon. That was a huge thing for me! But, I needed it at mile 19!!!

Weekend here was just great. We spent Saturday together as a family and went to a town about an hour away and hit their cute shops and an arboretum there that’s a favorite of ours. It was a nice day, my daughters weren’t fighting (until later in the car on the way home–insert eyeroll!), and we were together. I couldn’t ask for more than that!

CONGRATS again on that super speedy 5K!!!!!

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Thank you so much for telling me that… thinking fun really helped me too. Let’s go get that flat 5k please! Thanks so much Jen. Yes, the music at the end of a marathon is needed for me. So glad you had a fabulous weekend.. and that the fighting paused haha:) . Have a beautiful rest of your day Jen and thanks again!

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Congratulations on your 5K!! Soooo fast! And how fun to be part of a running team!
It looks like your Mother’s Day was pretty great ?
I did a half marathon last fall without any music (not really by choice, but when technology isn’t working, you just deal with it). I actually really liked it! I could take in the crowds, really focus on my breathing, and take in the scenery. But, the last 3ish miles I could have really used music! I was trying to push myself, and I think music would have helped! But overall a really good experience.
Have a great Monday!

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Thank you so so much Wendy! So glad you were able to really enjoy the experience of that half without the music. I wonder if you will do it again that way?! Thanks Wendy, you too.

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Congrats on the 5K!! Funny that you like races that end on the track – they drive me crazy, because for whatever reason it feels like the finish line is just taunting me when I’m running that last lap! For shorter races, I’m OK regardless of whether I know what the course is like – I usually have a rough idea when I sign up. For the half and/or full, I’ll usually drive it, or run some part of it during training if I can.

I don’t listen to music when I train or race. I do like longer races that have music at certain points along the course, but otherwise, I just run to the rhythm of my own tortured breathing! LOL!!

Best part of the weekend was the single day of sunshine and no rain! I was able to get two big flowerbeds cleaned out :o)

Favorite breakfast in bed = coffee with coffee and a side of coffee!!

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Oh I can totally see that! For this one we just did one stretch of the track to the finish line luckily! Sunshine and no rain= perfect and so happy you were able to get those flowerbeds clean! I hope you get that coffee buffet in bed soon:) . Enjoy the rest of your day Nina!

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So glad you had a great mother’s day with family, looks awesome. Almost as awesome as a 5k that makes you want to die haha.

Come visit me, there is a USATF certified course that is literally at sea level with no elevation gain. Couple dozen races on it a year. It gets windy, though.

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Ummmm that sounds absolutely perfect. I’m in! And then you’ll take me to your favorite food places after?!

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I am so glad you finally posted a 5K experience. Now I know it’s normal to start feeling like crap at the beginning of the 5K!! Lol… Congrats on your 5K time and joining a racing team, both very cool!

I have my first 5K of the year this Saturday. In most cases I could really care less if I know about the course ahead of time. However – in this case there is a very steep, very long hill right at mile 2.9 that I did not know about last year – and it literally killed me. Knowing it’s there this year will help me tremendously – I plan on attacking it.

I never listen to music when I run. Never have.

Best part of my weekend was running 6.2 miles with my son Saturday in lovely 74 degree weather. That is the longest distance I have run in quite a while.

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You are not alone John! Thank you so much and GOOD LUCK on Saturday. I hope you let me know how it goes and that hill placement.. wowzer. That hill is YOURS!
Sounds like you had the perfect run on Saturday!

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OK so let’s focus on one really kickass thing from your 5K on Saturday: 3rd in age group, 8th overall! WOOHOO! And those times–especially after not having much training back to big time speed–AMAZING! That’s awesome, Janae! All of it!

And I hope that being part of the running store’s elite team gives you a nice discount. Discounts help. :)

And mother’s day–it looks like you had a good one. Your family is wonderful, Janae, and I love how you all just love on each other. :) Hope you all have a great day out there!

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Thank you so much Stephanie! YES to the discount wahooo! Thank you so much Stephanie and I hope your day is a really great one today.

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Wow! What a great race! And very cool that you’re on an elite team :) Love the sweet message from Brooke.
I sort of obsess about courses before I run them & like knowing what to expect (as much as possible).
I’ve only recently run with music at all, so all my races have been without, but I do love when events play music for the runners along the course. I’ll have to try racing with my Aftershokz sometime.
I took my mom and daughters to see “Poms” yesterday, and it was great! It was very funny, but of course there were a couple of tearjerker moments, and my girls held my hand :) We met up with the guys after for dinner.
Pancakes with fruit in bed sounds lovely! Maybe I’ll drop some hints for next year.
Happy Monday!

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Thank you so much Corey! Oh I love it when they do that too… it makes the whole race experience that much better. So glad that you loved Poms! Sounds like the perfect date together. Have a wonderful day Corey!

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Travel back to the midwest for a sea level 5k. Tell Andrew to bring his mountain bike and stay a while!

Breakfast in bed………a buffet. I feel like in the morning my tastebuds are all over the place from salty to sweet to back to salty to protein to carbs yadda yadda.

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I’m in and we will make a whole trip out of it! Oh I totally agree with you and that is what makes going out to breakfast hard for me (thank goodness Andrew will share his meal with me so I can satisfy my tastebuds)! I hope you have a beautiful day Erica!

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That 5k looks amazing! I love that they had all the activities set up for kids. Hope you had a very happy Mother’s Day.

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YES… I thought it was so cool that they made the experience fun for the whole family. Thank you so much Megan and I hope you have a wonderful week!

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I’ve done all my long races and some 5ks without music! It helps me be in tune with my surroundings, but I think for me it’s one less thing to worry about. I do find if I’m really going for speed in a 5k music helps, though!

I love when someone brings me a cup of tea in bed . . . that’s all I need! Weekend highlights included a lot of time playing with the doggie and getting to relax after a hard week. :-)

And I would say if you can run a 5k in under 20 minutes it is definitely NOT a weakness!

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I am going to copy you… I really think I need to be in tune with what is happening around me and with my body rather than focusing on a song. I hope that you have some tea brought to you in bed soon. SO glad you got to relax after a hard week… I hope this week is much better for you. I guess I didn’t explain that very well… If I look at the charts that compare race times then my marathon time would predict a faster 5k so that is what I meant by that! Have a beautiful day Kristin!

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Congrats on a great race! Happy belated Mother’s Day! The cards your kids made are the CUTEST!
I always go back and forth in regards to race courses. I like the surprises that trail races bring so I don’t usually examine the course much; maybe just to see the elevation gain so I know how to train but that’s about it. Depending where races are being held, I generally know what the course will be like. I’m surrounded by hills here so I just assume every race is that way!
I don’t listen to music if I’m on trails and for roads, I like having the option of being able to listen to it so it’s always ready but I actually rarely listen to it. When I run around town, I only listen to it during speed work and hill work. Other than that, it’s podcasts or I’m running with friends and don’t listen to anything.
Best part about my weekend was Mother’s Day aka my oldest kiddos 9th birthday! The day was all about him and it was the best! He had such a great day so that made my day that much better!
Ideal breakfast in bed would be a sampler tray of my favorites! Bacon, eggs, pancakes, french toast, cinnamon rolls, overnight oats, fruit, eggs Benedict, hash browns …. just to name a few! Ha!
Have a great day!

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Thank you so much Jenny! All of that hill training that you do is making you SO strong. Happy birthday to your 9 year year old! Now I need that sampler tray, that sounds amazing. Thanks so much… you too!

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So fast! Congrats!

I can’t decide if I like knowing the course or being surprised. I think I prefer knowing the course because then I can know when to hold back and when to kick. Also, I know where to look for my husband spectating.

I do 5ks without music, but I NEED it on halfs and fulls!

I don’t like breakfast in bed……I would make a mess then have to do laundry!! Ha!

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I agree… I like having a bit of a game plan before I do a race. I’m with you, I need the music for the longer races. Have a fabulous day Loribeth!

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So fast! One of my goals is to run a sub-20 5k. I’m a minute shy and think I can do it in a smaller race and not with 15k other people at the Boston 5k during marathon weekend. Yay for your running team!

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You can and you WILL!!! Ummm yes… you need to find a course with a few less people (dodging takes energy and time) and a flat course. Thanks so much and I cannot wait to hear about your sub-20 5k! Have a fabulous day.

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What sunglasses are you wearing in the 5k photos? I need them!

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Hey Sam! They are my favorites! Here is the link and I hope you have a wonderful day!

https://amzn.to/2E5UKpj

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Congrats on the 5K!! I RACED MY FIRST 10K IN 8 YEARS!!! It was amazing. It’s a big race in Toronto with over 21,000 participants. I have determined that I really don’t like training but I LOVE racing. The atmosphere, the camaraderie, trying to reach goals, the energy … it was all amazing!! My overall goal was to finish in 1:15, my super happy goal was to finish in 1:10 and my dream goal was to finish in under 1:05 … I finished in 1:06:04!!! So I was super happy :D Can’t wait to figure out whats next on the running agenda for me!! So much of my success is thanks to you and your wonderful, encouraging, motivating and infectious attitude and blog.

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Andrea. I. Am. So. Happy. For. YOU!!!! Huge huge congrats… you rocked it girl! I am so thrilled for you and please let me know what you choose next. You are on fire and that race sounds amazing! Recover well!

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I am totally a fan of ignorance is bliss for a race course. Rarely do I look up a race course before hand. In my mind it goes by faster if I don’t know what is coming up. And I never listen to music when I run. Most people think that is bizarre but I hate the feeling of headphones or ear buds while running and getting sweaty.

Best part of my weekend may have been my four year old insisting that on Mother’s Day the best way to show me she loves me is not leave my side at all including taking a nap together with her glued to my back.

Did Andrew make you french toast? Its looks amazing! Definitely my top pick for breakfast.

Great job on your 5K!

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He sure did… he is such a good cook. I hope you get some french toast soon! Hahah I’m so glad you two got so much time together yesterday… she sure loves you! I can totally see what you are saying about sweaty headphones! I hope you are having a great day and thanks so much Corrinne!

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Great race Janae! Your speed is inspiring to a novice runner like me.

I’m curious what you do with your medals. Do you only display your favorites? I imagine your collection is enormous!

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I have my St. George, 50 Miler and Boston out but the rest are in a drawer of mine:) . The collection is definitely growing. Thank you so much Michelle and PLEASE keep me updated with how your running is going!

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Hi Janae,
I imagine you have heard of this already, but thought I would recommend in case. I heard about TrainUgly.com from the podcast The Power Company Podcast (Episode 64), which talks about fixed and growth learning. The big idea being more than just the power of struggle, and caring about your goals, but not tying how you think about yourself to them. There are a lot of things I have found resonated with me and sounded similar, but a little different to things you have shared before!

Sam

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I have not heard about this at all. Thank you so much Sam, I cannot wait to listen to this episode! THANKS for sharing. Have a fabulous evening!

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Congrats ahhh so glad you had an awesome race!! YAY I’m so happy to hear the mantra I suggested helped you out! It certainly has helped me out recently too! Have a wonderful week!!

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Sea level? Hi, come to me! I am so much closer to you now!!

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I’m SO in for this!!!!

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I gave up music when training for a Tri (because it was allowed for race day) and never went back. Sometimes I use it for training if I know I need a little extra help, but I actually run quite a bit faster without it. I vote you give it a try!

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Wasn’t* allowed for race day

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You should add all your race PR’s to your about me page or the sidebar so us readers can cheer you while you’re reaching for your goals!! <3

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That is a fabulous idea! I totally will… thanks so much Katie!

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