First, I wanted to share an article that Luke interviewed me for on Podium Runner here! I had no idea that he was taking pictures during the race and after ha but this picture perfectly describes how I felt at the end of CIM. I just sat there for a few minutes feeling heartbroken and terrible but those feelings have changed since then and the risk we take to fail is more than worth it.
We started out in Instacare right when it opened Sunday morning. Brooke has had croup many times in her life so I didn’t wait and went straight in with her. Sure enough, it was croup and luckily the steroid they gave her worked very quickly. Her breathing went from labored and heavy to normal within just about an hour. The good news is the doctor said she will be totally fine by Christmas which was a huge relief to both of us!
When we got home she told me that crepes would help her to continue to feel better.
We spent a lot of time Full House watching, reading this amazing book together and trying to keep Skye away from Brooke.
There was a lot of cuddling.
Skye still made sure to party though.
And thank you to my sister for giving her a microphone… now to find a toy that makes a lot of noise to give to her little boys;)
We made a simple dinner from Two Peas & Their Pod—> Garlic Bread Caprese.
And do me a favor and try these frozen. They are magical.
I have a good friend training for the same ultra I did last year so I was showing her what I did this week last year for my training and I CANNOT IMAGINE DOING BACK TO BACK long runs again. Isn’t it crazy how much training changes our perception on what is normal and then you get out of it and wonder how in the world we ever did such a thing?
Random tangent from Saturday night but Skye loves wearing these crocks and every time she does it makes me think of a family in my area. They all run in crocks and they run FAST (I remember being at a half-marathon with the dad and he ran a 71 minute 1/2 marathon or something in them). Pretty amazing and I just want to know how they do it.
Time for an earlyish morning run and some pull-ups. The weather is predicted to be snow on Christmas Eve and Christmas and I really hope that happens.
——————————————————————————————————————————
Last time you were sick? With what?
-The school’s secretary said the other day there were close to 100 people between the students and teachers that were absent last Thursday because of sickness. There is so much going around here right now!
If you celebrate Christmas… are you all ready for the day or still need to finish up a few things?!
Who will have snow on Christmas where they’ll be?
Have a workout today? What are you doing for it?
46 comments
Jenn
Burn bootcamp for me this am! Trying to keep the kids sick free especially this week since my 2 year old has surgery on Friday! Last time I was sick was back in March! All done with shopping besides my husband (what to get a man who is a minimalist and had everything he wants?). All the wrapping will be done on Xmas Eve when the kids go to bed! So today is cookie time!
The Hungry Runner Girl
YAY FOR BURN! It really is just the best. SURGERY ON WHAT?! Good luck and I hope it all goes perfectly. Hahah shopping for men is so hard, I’m with you. Enjoy your wrapping and cookies!
Jenn
Ureter reimplantation :/
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh wow! GOOD LUCK and let me know how it goes!
Sara
It is going to be 55 and sunny in Ohio! Not mad about it. But hoping it cools down for the following week since we’re going on a ski trip to New York. Merry Christmas!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
That sounds perfect! Enjoy that perfect running weather this week and next week I hope that you get LOTS and lots of snow for your ski trip. Next year take a ski trip to Utah and meet me at Sundance:) . Merry Christmas to you too Sara!
Amy
That race picture is beautiful. It’s real unfiltered exhaustion, heartbreak after maximum effort without desired results, a pause to let yourself have your feeling about that.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you so much! Running sure brings out all of the feelings. Thank you so much! I hope you have the best day, Amy!
Sarah
Can I ask what pull up bar you use? My son just started track and is asking for one of these to use as part of his strength training. I wish you all a healthy and happy holiday season!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Hey Sarah! Yay for your son. We actually got ours at a local sporting good store and I don’t even remember the brand but we actually don’t like it…. it bends like crazy and feels like it is going to crumble at any time. We are on the look out for a better one so I’ll let you know ! Thank you so much and the same to you.
Jennifer
I’m in Mississippi and it is supposed to be 70 degrees on Christmas!
The Hungry Runner Girl
70 degrees!?! NO WAY! You guys could go swimming:) . I hope you have the most wonderful week, Jennifer!
Kristen
My daughter was super sick on Thanksgiving, which may have created a new tradition of just the 3 of us eating Thanksgiving dinner on the couch while watching movies.
I managed to avoid that but caught the cold my husband brought home from work- just in time for Christmas! I was able to take Friday off from work and sleep but my prep and baking this year is a lot more….minimalist…than usual.
The Hungry Runner Girl
I love that tradition and I want to join you guys in that for the next Thanksgiving:) . Simplicity is the best. I am SO glad you are feeling better in time for Christmas. ENJOY!
Andrea
No, I’m sorry Brooke is sick! My little one is sick with a fever and cough… just had one a week ago too. Being 3 is tough! I’m an early prepared type of person so everything For Christmas has been ready for awhile – just have a few food items to make for family Parties (which I love doing!) this time of year is so fun! But my therapist also reminded me that if you end up not feeling “christmasey” or “magical” on the 25 that’s completely okay – IT IS JUST ANOTHER DAY ON THE CALENDAR PEOPLE!! There are 364 other opportunities to feel happy the rest of the year. So whatever you feel is a-okay.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh thank you Andrea and I hope your little one is feeling 100% by Christmas. Being 3 is very tough. Thank you for that reminder… I think we set the highest expectations for days like this and then get upset with ourselves if we feel any other emotion than pure joy. So thank you for sharing that. It is so true!!!
Corey
Aww, hopefully Brooke is feeling a lot better soon!
When I was a kid, I used to get sick around lots of major holidays :(
I’m pretty ready with gifts for Christmas–need gift cards for 2 of my kids and an “experience” (like a baseball game, show, or restaurant) for my parents. Oh, yeah…and LOTS more cleaning! LOL
No snow this year. It will be around 50 degrees and dry for us, which works well for using the outdoor smoker to cook dinner. I’ll look forward to seeing your white Christmas pics!
The Hungry Runner Girl
That is how Brooke is… whenever a big holiday comes up she seems to get sick! Oh I love that you do an ‘experience’ with your parents. What a fabulous idea. Good luck with that cleaning and enjoy using that smoker. Thanks so much, Corey and Merry Christmas!
Corey
I was distracted by the questions and forgot to say what an awesome pic and story! Definitely not what you envisioned, but a part of the journey, and there is a cool factor in that all being documented.
The Hungry Runner Girl
OH thank you! This journey is sure an interesting one!
Kourtney Ragland
Croup is the worst! My son celebrated turning 10 months and getting sick for the first by getting it. Took a week, but now he is 100%.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh that is a bummer! I am SO glad he is doing great now. That bark cough is SCARY. Have a beautiful rest of your day.
Ingrid
This year we sure won’t have snow for Christmas. It will be between 17° and 19°C (between 62 and 66°F I think).
Not a Christmas weather !
I hope Brooke will feel better soon.
This evening I will do 30′ yoga. I’m not very active these days ! With all the others things to do and prepare, i don’t have time and energy for it.
After Christmas i must put my shoes on and move ! Haha !
Melissa
That was a GREAT article! Thank you for sharing it.
I’m glad Brooke is feeling better.
Did an easy 3 miles today and doing some pull-ups as well. :)
Ali
I actually had a cold the week that my dad and I went skiing in Colorado. It probably lingered a little longer than it should have because I still went out skiing in the cold all that week!
I finished wrapping gifts and picking up a few last minute things on Saturday, so I am ready to go! My brother and his fiance just adopted a dog last week, so I had to pick up a few gifts for my new fur-niece ;)
I am so disappointed that there will be no snow for Christmas in Ohio – I LOVE having a white Christmas. It’s going to be 50 degrees the next few days… but at least that means no icy roads for all of the travel we have to see family all this week.
Mary
We don’t usually have a white Christmas. But I wish we would! My son has the flu right now. I think he will be better by Christmas but don’t want the rest of us to get it. We’ve been exposed already so just have to hope for the best. Ready with presents but have good to prepare.
Hollie
I appreciated your openness and honesty in the Podium Runner article Janae. You are right that we won’t gain much if we don’t risk much either. I’m excited to see what’s in store for you in 2020. Your skiing adventures look like so much fun.
Stacey
I love that picture of you from the article. You look so beautiful, broken, and vulnerable — it just really captures all of what I’m sure you were feeling in that moment.
I hope Brooke feels better soon. I actually had the flu last week! I am SO GLAD I got the flu vaccine, though, because I’m pregnant and although I felt horrible for a few days, it could’ve been much worse. I’m 99% now, and very grateful for that.
I’m in western, NY, and temps have been in the teens/20s with plenty of snow… up until this week. They are predicting temperatures of nearly 50 for Christmas, so it’ll all be melted :(
Amy
Hi Janae!! No snow here in Portland which is great because the city only has a few snow plows so everything shuts down when it snows..
Got a recovery run for today and very very grateful I haven’t gotten sick this season yet! It does seem like everyone is sick around me!
Happy Monday to you and hope Brooke feels better soon!
Kristine Chew
So sorry to hear Brooke is sick.. glad she is on the mend though and hopefully she feels better soon!
We are pretty much set for Christmas – mostly just a little cleaning and some cooking to do. Today we are both recovering from climbing up a local mountain , and then down…it’s a short little hike 3km (but it is straight up, and straight down). And 2 days later my calves and quads feel it . Probably because I haven’t done a proper workout since September. Oops.
Hope you have a wonderful day, and great Christmas with all the family Janae!
Molly S
The photos of you are so raw and candid, I love it! Great article, too!
I’m dragging on Christmas this year. Shopping isn’t my thing so here I am scrambling and feeling like a bad family member.
Kristine Chew
Sorry to hear that Brooke is sick…but glad she is on the mend and hopefully she feels 100 percent soon!
Also, that photo of you after CIM is the best. I think it captures everything in a photo.
We are pretty much set for Christmas, but definitely some more cleaning to do. We are sharing cooking duties so that will make life a bit easier. No nieces this year as they are away so it will just the parents and his mom.
Today we are recovering from climbing up (and down) a local mountain haha. It was 3 km up, and 3km down on the North Shore. My calves are still a bit sore (2 days later). Probably because I haven’t done a proper workout since my September race. Hah.
Have a wonderful day and holiday with your family Jane!
Victoria
Oh man we have ALLLLLLLLLLLL felt like that pic at the end of a race. Just totally done, cannot stand up, do not want to do anything. I hope the family is all healthy for Christmas!
Leigh
I’m so sorry Brooke is unwell. Croup can be quite scary!! Hope she is all better for Christmas so she can enjoy it!
I have only a few things left to do. Going to finish making a blueberry cheesecake today and pack everything to take to my parents where we will stay Christmas Eve night. Also need to buy two more presents for some people who are joining our family last minute for Christmas as they have no family here. But I’ll go do that this morning before town gets busy.
No snow here. I hope to one day experience a white christmas but the Southern Hemisphere is the wrong place for that!!!
And no run today, just a strengthening workout in the books. Merry Christmas Janae!
Lee
I was wondering about your pull ups! It’sAMaryThon showed her doing chin ups the other day on IG stories, and I thought of you. So how many are you doing? I appreciated the key training element of starting from the top. Isn’t it amazing how you feel them down to your abs? Woah.
That Luke guy, he’s kind of a stalker, huh? Hehehe. At least he’s sharing some things with you. I like the photo of you thinking after CIM. We learn a lot in those times. Thanks for putting it here.
Sarah
Good morning! Unfortunately I still have so much to do and what am I doing? I’m watching Elf. The sicknesses at our schools are insane. And I need to try Andes mints frozen. Merry Christmas to your beautiful family!
Christina
Ah sweet Brooke prayers for complete healing soon.
Amber
I love that picture of you after your race. Such a beautiful display of raw emotion.
My brother got croup often when he was about Brooke’s age. He’d have to be in a tent in the hospital. I hope she recovers quickly!
Both my kids have the flu and strep at the same time, ugh!!
I’m jealous of your snow. Send some to Texas! It’s supposed to be 70 degrees.
Kathy McElhaney
I can’t remember the last time I was sick (hopefully I haven’t jinxed myself!)
I did my final grocery shopping this morning, so now we’re ready for Christmas! It’s just the 2 of us and we plan to do as little as possible.
No snow in So Cal, but cool and rainy which feels like Christmas to me.
Rained out of my run today so I’ll do some yoga, maybe put my bike on the trainer.
Nicole
Hello HRG,
Any advice on how to handle running a race the year AFTER I achieved a big goal (getting top 10 female) and now feeling pressure and expectations from myself to perform the same this year?! It feels like *just finishing* outside top 10 will feel like a letdown instead of an accomplishment now that I’ve had that success once. Since it’s my 10+ time doing a marathon/ultra the novelty of *just finishing* is gone.
Thanks!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh that’s a tough question! Huge congrats on the top 10! Does the idea of running a PR excite you? I think you need to really follow your heart on this one… After St. George 2018 I wasn’t interested in racing a marathon again because I felt accomplished at the time with the time I had and so that is why I went for an ultra. See what excites you… a pr, a new distance or even just running it for fun. That excited me for Boston this last year and so I went with that and loved it! Let me know what you decide!
Lauren
I currently have strep..day two of antibiotics feeling slightly better. SO much to do for Christmas but want to wait to make food/cookies until I’m better.
Northern VA is in the 50’s. Took a walk today, felt good to move then took a nap. Body is working hard to fight the germs.
Glad to hear Brookes better. Croup is scary we’ve had that a few times. Hopefully everyone is better and ready for Christmas!
Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona
Glad to hear that Brooke is feeling better.
We got some more snow overnight so it’ll definitely be snowy here in Calgary for Christmas. All of my shopping and srapping is done so I’m feeling ahead of the game. We go the last of the groceries we’ll need today too so that feels good. Merry Christmas Janae!
Andrea Brambila
Those snow pictures are making me real jelly right now! Hope Brooke feels better soon, my son came down strep the week before my marathon in Dallas recently. Had to quarantine him for a couple days.
Lee
Hi, I was thinking about getting sick and zinc. It’s right up there with hormones and your blog. Getting to the root and bringing the positive. So this came up, but it does not say croup. Since you have a doctor and a nurse en route to NP in the tribe:
https://bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2431-14-270
Debbie @ Deb Runs
Merry Christmas, Janae! I hope Brooke is feeling back to normal and no one else in your family got sick!