Starting Up Some Speed Again + Females… This is Exciting.

My neighbor and I hit up the track yesterday.  It’s a weird thing to call track work fun but I really feel like it is.  It hurts in a way that shouldn’t make it fun but the challenge and after feelings is what makes it fun for me.  Having a friend right next to me working hard makes it that much more fun too.  It’s weird how motivating it is to know the person next to you is hurting and they aren’t quitting which inspires me to keep going even though I’m hurting (one of the reasons I feel we perform so much better in races than in our training—> everyone is hurting and not quitting and that is what keeps us going).

I was not happy to see that the temperature was 34 degrees when I was leaving the house.  I took off my long sleeve for the track portion but I’ve already lost my cold weather skin and was freezing for the w/u and c/d.

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The BYU track is by far my favorite track.  It is pretty much always open, the views are unreal and cool people like Shalane Flanagan have done workouts here which makes me feel cool knowing I’m where they have been.

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We did 4 x 400 m (.25 miles) and took 200 m recoveries in between each one  (walk for a few seconds and then jog).  We are starting small but I’m celebrating the heck out of the steps along the way to get to my bigger goals in the future.

PS normally for a track workout I bring a lighter pair of shoes for the speed portion (the Hyperion are my favorite) but because the workout was short I stuck with the Launch 6 for the entire run and they worked great.

The 2nd one was our fastest:

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(I stopped my watch for two of the 15 second walking breaks)

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I’m back on the BCAA train.  I used these a bit for ultra training and a ton for St. George training last year.  Call it the placebo effect but I really do notice a difference in how long it takes me to recover after a hard workout when I do use them!

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I like to celebrate when I get all three smiling for a picture.  It happens 1 out of every 1029 pictures I take.

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Skye has gone from cautiously walking around the house to sprinting full steam from room to room.

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I think she would rather be running herself now than being in the stroller for our runs.  Andrew took her out for three miles around the neighborhood.

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Skye took a nap at my mom’s house and Andrew and I went to the temple together yesterday!

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Then we picked up Skye and grabbed some lunch at one of our favorites… This is one of those restaurants that does not skimp on toppings.   Pickled onions belong on every salad.

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We had some time outside…

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And a fancy dinner of this gnocchi with leftover grilled chicken.

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Female Garmin users—> This makes me so so excited!  Garmin Connect now offers a menstrual cycle tracking feature!  You can log and keep track of your cycle, your symptoms and they offer tips during different parts of your cycle.   I just updated my Garmin Connect and added all of my information!  Just go to Garmin Connect, open up the main menu and choose Health Stats and you will see the Menstrual Cycle option there!

Also, something new on the Forerunner 945, 245 and 45… Andrew wants to buy one of these for me for JUST this feature.  I love that there are more and more companies coming out with ways to help keep us safe out on the roads.

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Do you have access to a track?  Do you like using the track?

What did you make for dinner last night?

Anyone have a birthday in May?  Anyone have races in May?

Any safety tips that you could share with us for when you are out on the run?

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28 comments

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I DO have access to a track, but they’re at local high/middle schools. During my track workout last week, I used the track at my daughter’s middle school. I was in the middle of a 400-300-200 ladder workout, and out came a gym class!!! I was panicking b/c I was afraid it was my daughter’s class, and I didn’t want to embarrass her being out there in a crop top and short shorts running sprints! ha ha I did recognize some of her friends, but thankfully it wasn’t her class. I wasn’t too embarrassed b/c I’m fast & in shape. ha ha I think I impressed her friends b/c they told Caroline “that lady just kept going and going and going” “That lady” ha ha ha ha ha ha
I am all about the crock pot for cooking during the week right now. We had rootbeer flavored pulled pork sandwiches/pasta salad/fruit. I highly recommend these cookbooks for crock pot recipes!!!
https://www.amazon.com/Make-Fast-Cook-Slow-Everyday/dp/1401310044/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=AZE2G9HHN0AJZ6J2JWGM

https://www.amazon.com/More-Make-Fast-Cook-Slow/dp/1401310389/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2/135-6606064-9758822?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1401310389&pd_rd_r=6b1deb28-6cd4-11e9-ae85-d37b4766c647&pd_rd_w=Wjg9j&pd_rd_wg=CKDhb&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=3PYK22HRWER8S2FJ65AG&psc=1&refRID=3PYK22HRWER8S2FJ65AG

Hope your day is AWESOME, Janae!!!!! Oh, and I’m loving Skye’s hair in those little pony tails that stick straight up. hee hee

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You have the best finds.. I’m totally getting one of those crockpot cookbooks! THANK YOU! And your dinner last night… sounds so good. Oh no hahah! That lady just kept going and going… yes you do! I love that. That’s what worries me about our high school tracks too! I guess if you go early enough then it works right?! School year is almost over for you right???

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Pickled onions are the best! I’m curious why you go to the temple mid-week? Are there classes to take?

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Hey Kelly!! Seriously, there is just something so amazing about pickled onions! Our temples are open all week (besides Sunday… we go to church on Sunday and partake of the sacrament). We go to make covenants (promises) with our Heavenly Father and spend time away from the world!

This video explains pretty much everything that goes on in the temple too! Have a fabulous day!

https://www.lds.org/temples/rome-italy-temple-virtual-tour?lang=eng

Have a beautiful day Kelly and let me know if you have any other questions!

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Skye’s pigtails just made my morning. :)
I love the track!! I did my track workout last night and I thought it was going to be so awesome because it was about 6pm, so I thought it would be the perfect temperature! EIGHTY TWO DEGREES. I was actually seeing stars at the end. It was rough haha. But I do love track workouts, especially when there are lots of people also running or playing on the field. I’m so excited for that Garmin feature!!!!!!! I notice big differences in performance so I’m curious to see how that data lines up. :)

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82 degrees?!?! At 6 pm? NO WAY! Oh you are hardcore. I hope that you become more and more acclimated to those warm temperatures! I do too… big differences so it will be cool to see why and at what points during my cycle. Have a beautiful day Mollie!

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Totally hear you on the track workouts! I used to hate them but I have a track group that I go to every Tuesday and it’s so great to hang out with friends but also work really hard together! I absolutely know I wouldn’t survive half of the workouts we do or run as fast if I was doing them on my own. We use a track at a local college for my group but I also live near the track that the Penn Relays are on. I get a chance to run on it every once in a while and it is such a cool feeling to run in the same place where all these big-time runners have competed. Almost gives me chills when I walk onto that track! I would love to run on that BYU track though! Those views are insane and how cool to be running where Shalane runs sometimes!!

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TRACK GROUP… I love that you have that Diana. It really makes us so much faster doing those workouts with other people. Oh wow, can I come do a track workout with you at that track. That must be SO cool. Yes, come on out and I’ll take you for Kneaders after:) . Have a beautiful day Diana!

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I usually go to the old phs track…I guess I should call it the second BYU track now haha. I have a big love hate relationship with that track because I hated it in high school but I’ve also made a lot of progress on it and love that.

I don’t race until June but I feel like that’s coming pretty fast now!

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Oh I LOVE that track too… sometimes we go there too! Which race is it in June? Was it the AF 10k you told me you were doing? Have a great day Jenny!

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Yep. AF 10k. I was going to do the half but I didn’t think I’d be ready by then

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My birthday is Sunday! I also have a race this month, on the 19th. First race in about 3 years!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON SUNDAY ANN!! I hope you have the perfect weekend. First race in 3 years… I’m cheering for you big time. Please let me know how it goes! Have a wonderful Thursday!

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Hey Janae!!
I got back to the track on Tuesday and it was sooooo fun. I run at a middle school track that is open before school hours:) there’s something about doing intervals on the track that just make it so fun to go speedy around the corners and feel like you’re flying. I had some 7:30 paced intervals which is super fast for me! Great job on yours!!

I had Panda Express for dinner last night, I know Brooke is jealous. ;)

My birthday is May 27! And I’m running a 5k Saturday which will probably be my only race in May. Theres a 4-miler (random distance!) on the beach on May 18th that I’m signed up for but will probably use it as a fun run not a race:)

Safety tips->ummmm, I wear both my Apple Watch and Garmin on my run. My Apple Watch has full cellular so it allows me to call anyone if I’m in trouble. It may look silly wearing two watches but safety first;). if I am running when its dark I also bring pepper spray and my fiancé always knows what estimated time I should be finished by so I text him when I’m done.

I’m loving that Garmin is doing menstrual tracking now. I’ve used apps in the past and they’re great but it’s nice that a company is actually doing research and studies and putting that into our hands and recognizing the importance of menstrual health for female athletes!

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HEY!! The middle school has a track… that is awesome!!! Way to go on those intervals girl. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONTH and I’m excited about your 5k on Saturday! Good call on wearing both, hey… you gotta do what you gotta do to stay safe. Is your Garmin and your Apple Watch pretty close on tracking? I totally agree… I love that they are making an effort to really help us to understand our cycles more and how it effects us. Have a great day Eleanor!

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I’m kind of missing the track after reading this post. My coach has been giving me timed speed workouts so I haven’t been in a while. Two things I don’t miss about the track: running in full sun and having to warm up on the track! Running an easy pace in circles for 2-3 miles is TORTURE. I’d like the track a lot more if it had the views like the one at BYU :)

We had leftover steak tacos and tamales last night. H picked up some of our favorite salsa so we had to eat some right away.

I saw the Garmin cycle tracking feature last night on IG. Such a good idea. It has much more detail than the one I was using.

I have several family birthdays in May. Looks like it’s going to be crazy, busy month!

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Yay TRACK. I do have access to a track. A couple actually. I am training for a fall marathon that I hope to run fast (…ish) … Fast for me. And so I’m doing weekly “speedwork” anything longer than 800 repeats though I just do on the roads. It’s too many loops and I lose my focus.

Last night for dinner I had left over chicken. We were all coming and going in different directions and it was every eater for themselves in my house. Ha!

It is wild to see the response to Garmin adding “female” tracking or whatever they officially call it. I wonder if they are surprised by the fantastic response. Can we say that this was clearly something that was WAY overdue. Ha!! Great blog.

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I was literally just complaining that Garmin didn’t have a safety feature like this yet, so that’s great to see!

I do have access to a track, but I have a tricky time timing my workouts so I don’t interfere with high school track or football practice. I usually have to wake up INSANELY early (like before 5) to get a lengthy workout in before they show up!

I LOVE that sweet potato gnocchi, we made it twice this week! Hot tips: follow the internet instructions vs the package instructions. Add some fresh sage to it too, and lastly add some arugula at the end! It’s sooo good. I also love how filling it is!

I have Bolder Boulder and a 10 miler this month. I feel pretty unprepared from a speed perspective for both :)

For safety I have one of these cat stabby things https://solidfashions.com/products/adult-f-s-d-self-defence-cat-keychain?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzL22rpL94QIVjuNkCh38FAU8EAQYASABEgLeVfD_BwE

I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts, so even though my neighborhood is perfectly safe, my imagination gets the best of me sometimes and just having this with me makes me feel better. We also have a very not-shy coyote in our neighborhood, which puts me on edge too!

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Thanks for the heads up about Garmin’s period tracker! Tracking symptoms also–SO HELPFUL! (It’s about damn time in 2019, but kudos to Garmin anyhow!) I LOVE IT! Periods are not something to be ashamed of or whisper about! I have a feeling this is going to be very helpful in knowing how to plan or adjust st my runs and recovery days as they relate to hormones. #whoruntheworld

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Way to go on those speedy paces! There is a community college track near me, but I have a mental issue with the track. Something about the scenery not changing bothers me, LOL. In the past, I’ve sometimes mapped out distances on my regular street/sidewalk running routes and done speedwork there instead.
For the longest time, I couldn’t listen to music while running & felt too disconnected from what’s going on around me. Now that I have Aftershokz and can listen while still hearing everything else, I feel better about music while running. Though I’d love to run on some of the asphalt trails that wind through Maryland/DC/Virginia, there have been too many incidents/attacks for my comfort level to go there alone :(

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I’m racing May 19th, chasing a sub 1:45!!! And also celebrating my Birthday May 17th. Have a great day!!

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Those track views are insane!! We have one local track but it’s super hard to get into because it’s closed almost always. BUT, I used to have access to one when I lived in another area and absolutely LOVED it! It’s the best for speed workouts!

We had turkey sandwiches for dinner last night! :) Super simple but hit the spot!

My #1 safety tip(s) for running is definitely to be aware of your surroundings and always be listening. I don’t ever have my headphones on and up loud when I’m outside running alone.

I LOVE that Garmin has updated their apps with those features! I added them today!! How cool!! Thank you so much for sharing!!!

Have a great day Janae!!

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I keep meaning to look into getting the run angel bracelet you’ve mentioned before. Do you still run with it?

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Skye’s hair is just the cutest in pigtails! Good job with the smiling pic! I can’t even get 2 kids to look in my direction!
The thought of using a track scares me and bores me at the same time but the few times I have used it as an adult, I’ve love it! The miles sure fly by! I haven’t found a bouncy track near me but maybe if we had one I would use it more. I feel like most of our tracks are a little out dated.
Dinner was spaghetti and tonight’s dinner is either air fried chicken or fish tacos! yum! I received the air fryer for Christmas and I haven’t personally used it but my husband loves it. I like that it’s a healthier option to frying. We haven’t experimented with it beyond fries and chicken but I hear it can be used as a dehydrator too!?
May is full of birthdays for my family so it’s one of my favorite months! Plus, sunrises are becoming earlier and earlier so I get to run with my friends more on the trails in the mornings!
As far as safety tips; I’ve heard and try to practice to not run the same route every day so you’re not predictable, carry pepper spray or something similar, always tells someone where you’re running and when you’ll be done etc, be visible with lights/reflective gear, run against traffic, run in groups etc.
Have a great day!

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This is sooo totally off topic or any discussion in today’s blog but I would love to pick your brain on the garmin VS the apple iwatch. And if you have done a blog post about this before, I can just go read it!!!

But would love your thoughts!!!
Thanks:-) Jarrelle XO

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Hey lady! I SAW YOU RUNNING Saturday morning! I didn’t wanna be a weirdo and yell out to you or scare you as we passed. I had a great time up there for my daughter and SIL graduation. We were super busy though packing up their life for their move to Alabama!
I love going to the temple!! Do you call that temple the “Cupcake Temple” like my daughter does? When she talks about the temple there she will say “the cupcake one or city center”… I thought it was funny. I didn’t know if that was a Provo thing or what…
I absolutely LOVE Skye’s pony tails! She’s adorable!
Have a great day!

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I’ve really started to embrace speedwork recently. We do have a track at our high school, but I’ve uncharacteristicly been running them on the treadmill. (Which I used to hate). I have a half marathon in Santa Cruz on the 19th. We have an exchange student from Sweden living with us for the school year and she’s running it too! Her first ever! She’s barely trained, but she’s a beast at the gym and she’ll probably kick my butt. Skye is practically a teenager! :) But seriously, she’s definitely starting to not look like a baby.

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Thank you for the GC cycle option! I would have never known that was available. How awesome!

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