Marathoning Things!

Your comments yesterday… a lot of them had me in tears.  Thank you thank you thank you.  I wanted to write that post and get it up so fast because it was therapeutic for me to be able to talk about it with my friends on the internet so thank you for your kind words!

I have a few more marathoning things to talk about if that’s okay.

*I really do feel a lot better emotionally now.  I know I gave what I had that day and that’s all I could ask for.  It does feel hard to let this go for a little while (I NEED TO RECOVER) but easy running will be back at some point and now I just get more time to really soak in the holidays with my family.

Thank goodness Skye wants to listen to ‘Let It Go’ 596 times a day because I need the constant reminder to just let it go for a bit haha.

*Sesa sent me this picture of  Emilee and me at right around the half-way mark.  All we were thinking about was MAKE IT TO OUR HUSBANDS.  Both of our husbands knew at mile 6 that something was wrong… they know us and our running (facial expressions ha) so well.  It really was a weird thing to feel like I hit the wall in mile 1 but now I know for future races I can run another 25 miles after the wall… running 6-8 miles after hitting the wall is going to feel like nothing;)! Hahah

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*My ‘lucky’ compression socks that I wore on the plane to California;)  Mary recommended next time to travel out in advance (and rent a house or something with the kids) to get more acclimated to the course conditions/weather etc and that is the best idea.  No more flying in the day before for me!  I learned a lot of lessons.

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*We had some CRAZY fast people on our plane too and I was a stalker and took a picture.

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*Andrew and Emilee’s husband race planning for a very long time on Saturday night.  CIM isn’t the easiest course to spectate in a bunch of locations but they sure made it happen.

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*These are what the flasks looked like that I used at CIM.  I felt so amazing during the St. George Marathon because I was better hydrated than ever before (because I had my own water bottles on the tables) and I knew I wanted to feel that hydrated again.  Definitely a positive to know that I have nutrition and hydration figured out for the next one.  Emilee and I did grab cups every now and then but literally got .004 ounces from them.  Our bodies need FOUR OUNCES of water when we eat a gel and these bottles really helped.

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*I was legit winded during the taper just walking up the stairs.  My foot started having a weird pain that it has never experienced before (but wasn’t there during the race).  I had a dream two nights before the race that I made it to the Olympic Trials for a new event—> sprint a mile and then jump in a pool and hold your breath under water for 3 minutes.  The taper is such a strange experience.  You go from running SO much to feeling stir-crazy at home.  Our mileage dropped big time the week of the race but now I’m kind of thinking I like to do less of a taper?

M: 8

T: 2 in morning, 5 in afternoon (with an all-out carb depletion mile)

W: 5. w/ strides

Th:  Off

F:  2 w/ strides

S: 1

*That post race take-out of burgers, fries, soda and shakes in your husbands clothes and shoes because you are chafed everywhere.

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*When Brooke came to me Monday morning (we saw her Sunday night but she was asleep) she asked me first thing, do you go to the Olympics now (in their brains the Olympic trials and the Olympics are the same thing;)?

I told her no and her sweet eyes filled with tears.   Which then made me cry.  But we just had the most honest conversation about not quitting, never giving up on your dreams, life not going the way we want it to sometimes even when we work so hard for something and I’m very grateful for the chance I got to talk to her about this.

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*I had such a fun time being on Tina’s Live show (should be up this week) the day before with these amazing people (Joe is blind and ran his first marathon on Sunday with Tina as his guide for the first half… all of the goosebumps).

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*AND I LOVED MEETING FRIENDS!!!!

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*My favorite episode ever to listen to the night before the marathon.

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*When races don’t go the way you planned, I like to really celebrate the victories that happened during training.  Andrew was driving and we were out doing errands and I saw the mountain that I RAN TO THE TOP OF (when there wasn’t snow) and it gave me such a sense of accomplishment.

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*One last random thing: Taking Skye for ice cream= the entire restaurant needs a bath after this event.

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Give me your current favorite post-race meal?!

Have any good luck charms?

-I HAVE A LOT (bee sweatshirt, socks, rituals before a race) but now I feel like I need to find a new set of them haha.

What are you making for dinner today?

-Now that training is paused… I have more time to cook so I’d love to hear what you are eating.

Give me some random information so I don’t feel alone oversharing all of the time haha!

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55 comments

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Put body glide over the chafed areas, it helps – especially when you shower. (Aka the most horrible stinging ever)

Oddly I don’t have a favorite post race meal. I have had Pho, pizza, fish, breakfast, steak – I am all over the place. ?

Last night was sheet pan dinner – chicken, broccoli, and roasted potatoes all on 2 pans. (And enough for another night). Easy clean up and very customizable to your family’s tastes.

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I didn’t even think of doing that… putting on body glide before my shower this morning. Such a great idea! Your sheet pan dinner would be perfect for our family. Thanks so much Nina and I hope your Tuesday is a great one. PS your post race meal selections are right on!

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Awww it was so great meeting you and I’m really glad you’re feeling better!! Enjoy some well deserved R&R and the upcoming holiday season with your family :) My post race meal on Sunday was a ham and cheese sandwich from the gas station, because it was all I could hobble to get and my stomach was revolting against me. That was the only thing that sounded tolerable ha. Yours was definitely better!

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ELLYN!! I loved meeting YOU! Sure wish we could train together. I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT YOU SOMETHING DELICIOUS. I’m sorry your stomach was so angry after. I hope you have the most wonderful day today and recover well.

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Super congrats on gutting out CIM. I know it did not turn out as planned, but as your mom said, you sub-3’ed for pete’s sake! :) Enjoy the recovery period – it is so perfect that is lines up with the holidays!

I think my favorite post race meal will always be pizza, but I want to make sure it is GOOD pizza (like a delicious NYC pizza). I also like to get some ice cream in there too.

Random info – I start my third new job for the year next week. It pains me a little to say it out loud because I do not think of myself as someone that doesn’t see things through (like staying in a job longer than 5-6 months) but I am also trying to remind myself that I need to do what is best for me and make life changes that will better my day to day living. Much like running, I cannot just look around at everyone else’s training and race schedule and think I am doing something “wrong” – everyone has to forge their own path and should be able to do so without guilt/regret/judgement.

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Thank you SO much Janelle and the timing really is perfect for recovery this year especially because we have Brooke and Knox for Christmas this year. There really is such a huge difference between GOOD pizza and not good pizza haha… like life changing. Thank you Janelle for sharing that about your job. I am SO proud of you for doing the right thing for you and your life. Staying jobs you hate sounds like a miserable life to me. When Andrew and I were dating and he told me he wanted to switch careers completely and not start his new career until his 30s… I found it admirable. I think it is so cool when people get out of their comfort zone to find the best fit for them and their lives. Your path is amazing and keep me updated with it all. Good luck next week!!!!

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We had a great warm farro salad last night – farro, sausage, tomatoes, feta, cucumbers, green onions. Mmmmm. If you need new recipes, try Pinch of Yum and of course my neighbor, Iowa Girl Eats.

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That sounds incredible. I love Pinch of Yum and Iowa Girl Eats but haven’t used them in a while so thanks for the reminder. She is your neighbor?! How cool! Hope your Tuesday is a great one!

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I LOVE that episode from Ali! That entire series was awesome! Also, the Ucan Run a Marathon series was awesome too!
I haven’t done an actual race in about 9 months!!?? So I am putting together new good luck charms for my half coming up. Spaghetti the night before will always be a thing though, and In n’ Out after the race too.
I have been baking/roasting a lot of chicken and veggies combos lately. It feels like comfort food and feels healthy. I also love to throw some chicken in the crock pot for easy tacos (just add your favorite salsa).
Still very proud of you and your positive outlook! Enjoy your Tuesday ?

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I agree, those series that she does are amazing. I fully agree with both of those things bringing excellent luck. Love those dinner ideas! Thanks so much Wendy, that sure means a lot to me. YOU TOO!

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That Brooke story is so sweet. Of course you wanted to make your kids proud and succeed for them, but honestly, I think Brooke is going to learn much more from this outcome than she would if you met this goal on your first try. She saw you work so hard for something and give it your all (which is the important part regardless of the outcome) and now will see you persevere, get up, and try again. Pretty cool lessons to show your kid.

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Thank you so much Mollie and I think it was good for me to learn so I can really empathize with them in the future when they go through things like this. Thank you for your sweet comment, not sure how I got so lucky to be a part of this online/running community!

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You found the bee sweatshirt? Last I remember you were still looking for it, so yay that it must have turned up. :) My favorite post-race meal is Chipotle (when I’m out of town), it’s quick and easy to find…but for local races I love Kewpee (it’s my hometown burger place – best fast food burgers out there in my opinion!).
The story you told about Brooke tearing up & the conversation you had was so sweet. I want to thank you for not using your kids in the wrong way to further your blog. As I was reading this post it occurred to me that other people would’ve taken a picture of their kid upset, or heck, even taken a video and posted that. What picture did you post? The two of you smiling. I appreciate that about your blog, it shows you (and Andrew) have your priorities straight with parenting. Thank you for that.

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Okay, you have the best memory! Yes, I finally found it and I was so happy and wore it before the race but now I’m wondering if the luck is gone from it haha. Great choice with Chipotle and that burger place sounds amazing. Oh thank you Amanda, I really appreciate you taking the time to tell me that:) . I hope your Tuesday is a wonderful one!

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Sorry, this isn’t really random (although I hope it will count as oversharing :D): I always thought the one thing worse than having a race not go according to plan would be to then have to blog about it – until I saw your wonderfully brave and honest post yesterday and all the supportive comments and responses it received. Runners really are such a great and generous community! I’ve had a really disastrous racing season this year (I’m really struggling with ageing and no longer being able to get the times I took for granted 5 or 10 years ago), which I’ll need to put behind me unless I want to stop running altogether, so in a sense it helps to know that this can happen even to the best of us, AKA people like you. MUCH RESPECT for not getting on that bus and enjoy your well-deserved time off!! I look forward to reading about whatever running adventures you get up to next.

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Silke, thank you so much for sharing this with us. We ALL go through similar types of seasons and struggles with our running and I’m thankful you are being vulnerable with yours… when we are vulnerable with each other we all just end up loving each other more and more. Runners really are the best. I hope that 2020 is a happy year of running for you and PLEASE keep me updated with how everything is going for you. Hope you have a beautiful Tuesday!

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Hey Janae~
You are so right—so many good lessons for Brooke and your kiddos to see in having the resiliency to train for a big goal AND to have the resiliency to bounce back positively from a tough race. I hope that you continue to feel good during your recovery :)

I had to share my dinner tonight because it’s kind of weird, and I can’t believe I never thought of making it before. A few weeks ago, a friend shared a picture of his restaurant meal, and it was grilled cheese with pickles IN the grilled cheese. I was like, “WOW!” So, I’m making that for my brood tonight. We’ll see how they react to it! Have you ever eaten that before???

Random info—-because my oldest daughter’s birthday was last weekend and we were so busy, and it’s been raining all week, we still don’t have a Christmas tree. Yikes. We get a real one at a place where you ride a horse-drawn wagon and chop down your own tree. It’s $$$, but it’s all about the experience. At this point, it hardly seems worth the money though. Yikes. I’m not sure what we’re going to do! My students just shamed me over it and asked me where Santa will put all of the gifts. ha ha

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JEN!! Thank you so much dear friend! Okay, I have NEVER tried grilled cheese with pickles inside but I trust your opinion and I want to try it now! That experience to get the tree = heaven! Go today and just keep it up past Christmas for a while hahaha! And your students shaming you over this haha how rude! Hope your Tuesday is a great one!

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Brooke is the sweetest!
After my half on Saturday, I super enjoyed avocado toast with scrambled egg, fresh mozarella, and baby greens :)
Dinner tonight? Maybe pesto shrimp and rice?
Random, but connected: my friend, who I met when he helped me get my BQ, ran CIM on Sunday as a guide for a blind runner/veteran.

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I need that toast right this second. And your dinner tonight:) . Your friend is amazing (He sounds like he is so dedicated to helping others succeed)! What an incredible experience. Have a wonderful day Corey.

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Janae, I have been following your journey for about two years now. I just want to say what an inspiration you are to me. On this post when you wrote about your talk with Brooke the morning after I teared up. You are teaching and inspiring your daughter and your readers so much through your example of chasing big dreams and succeeding (A TON THIS YEAR might I add) but through the disappointments too. My first thought when I saw your time from CIM was that you still crushed the sub 3 hour mark! This was a huge goal for you about 1.5 years ago and now that was “disappointing”! You have grown so much, and I just thank you for allowing us to be inspired, motivated and a part of your journey. Hugs.

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Thank you Andria for writing to me and telling me these things, it means the world to me. Thank you and I hope your day is a beautiful one (and no joke, I can feel that hug right now:).

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continually inspired by you janae! I’m amazed that on a “bad day” you still ran under 3 hours! So, so awesome and exciting to see how much progress you’ve made!

Dinner tonight – spaghetti squash with chunky sauce and some type of veg :)

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THANK YOU BETHANY! That dinner sounds amazing and I hope you have a beautiful day too!

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Janae, you are amazing. The fact that you put yourself out there and shot for big goals is so awesome. You are such a role model to so many people, most of all your kids, on how to gracefully go through life with its many ups and downs. We all have races, work, and family issues that do not go our way. But being able to learn and grow from these experiences is what matters.
You will be back and when you have another amazing race day, think of how sweet that will feel…Thank you so much for sharing your journey. You are inspirational.
random thought for today is Boston weather went from 16 degrees Sunday morning to 60 degrees today….and then snow tomorrow….the weather keeps me on my toes!!

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Well that just means the world to me. Thank you so much Mary! And I totally agree.. that first sub 3 was so sweet because I knew how hard it was to get there. Hahaha Boston is keeping you guessing and not knowing what to wear haha. I hope you have a fabulous day and thank you so much!

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Dinner tonight is a meatball casserole that will be served with zoodles for the adults, and noodles for the kids. Last night was creamy mushroom chicken (no cream of mushroom soup here), and almond crusted whole roasted cauliflower from Life is But a Dish. She has the best recipes.

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Can we come over to eat at your house each night? You are quite the chef! Going to check her out, thanks Jaime!

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Okay… you are making me cry two days in a row :) Brooke is such a sweet thoughtful little soul!
I totally approve of Five Guys as a post race meal! I love going out for a big breakfast/brunch after a race. Pancakes with bacon and eggs or biscuits and gravy are my favorites.
One of my good luck charms is an old running hat that I’ve worn in almost every race I’ve ever run. I’m thinking it might be time to retire it. I didn’t wear it in my last race and my race was pretty awesome (despite a few minor obstacles). Sometimes it’s good to have something to fight.
Not sure about dinner tonight but last night we had grilled steaks with baked potatoes and broccoli. It was so good I wish I was having it again today haha
Random from CIM: My running buddy had a 11 minute PR and another BQ! SO much emotion Sunday. Tracking friends at races is exciting and tiring.

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I don’t know if you saw my comment yesterday but my husband knows the guy in the red shorts from yesterday’s post. They were on a team together for the Chicago Shamrock Shuffle. His name is Patrick.

For dinner I made homemade vegetable beef soup last night and tonight I think we will grill out steaks….although its like 20 degrees here in Illinois so I might rethink that.

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OH MY GOODNESS!! Is there any way that you could tell him thank you for me? He really did help me so much!!! Stay warm Corrinne!

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I’m always so grateful for your posts. Your honesty and willingness to share your thoughts and feelings is appreciated more than you know. I love Brooke’s big heart (just like her mama). :)
Ok, here’s my epic over share that I’ve never shared with anyone but my closest family, so that you don’t have to feel alone :)
I wet the bed until I was 18 years old (nothing dramatic, just took a while to develop a necessary hormone that regulates sleep).
Whew, that was hard. Feel free to giggle :)

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AND THIS IS WHY I LOVE BLOGGING!! We get to be vulnerable, open and laugh together! Thanks Melissa, you just made my afternoon!

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I don’t really have good luck charms–usually for me it’s a song or a set of songs I need to listen to before I run that just gets me in the zone. Mostly I’m just paranoid that I have everything I need with me! I think your good luck charms can still stand–not every race can be amazing, and they should still be your favorite things! That’s just my opinion, ha.

Have you listened to the Ali on the Run episode with Adrianne Haslet? It is so moving; I cried more than once listening to it.

My random thing: I have been sick for two weeks and am finally getting over it, and looking forward to getting back to running!

Chicken pot pie for dinner. Not made from scratch but still SO GOOD.

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How did you carry all those water bottles?!

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I haven’t read the comments from yesterday so maybe people already said this, but I really think it was the humidity that did you in. A couple days before the race you showed the weather forecast and it said 90% humidity- I thought “OH NO!!!!” I didn’t say anything at the time, but humidity is HARD if you’re not acclimated to it. Nothing you could have done about that. Congratulations on pushing through and still going sub-3 in spite of it! When you eventually get that OTQ it will be even sweeter. Now you can relax and enjoy the holidays!!!

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Hey Jenny! I think you are SO right! I kept trying to tell myself that since it wasn’t hot it wouldn’t bother me but I guess running 20 years in a dessert makes humidity rough haha. Thank you SO much and I hope your holiday season is perfect too!

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Janae, you did so well! Even the elite fall short of their girls – think of Kara Goucher and the Olympic Trials. It was an ambitious goal so close together but you went for it – that’s brave! There will always be a next time

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We’re having spaghetti with a sauce of frozen spinach, ham cubes, grated cheese and cream. It’s a really easy and quick dish, but I think I it’s very boring. Our children love it though, and I was totally uninspired yesterday. My daughter ran a 5 k today at school and she finished in 26.37. I made her download the strava app and I saw she went out a bit too fast but recovered in the last kilometer. I’m really proud of her! Have a good day!

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I read your post yesterday and my heart went out to you -but I didn’t know exactly what to say. You are an inspiration, truly. I am so proud that you kept going! I will be honest, if I hit a wall at mile 1, I most likely would have quit at mile 6. In 2014 I had a bad race in Vegas and I want to re-do it and get my best PR. So, to read your stories about getting right back up, physically and emotionally, is giving me hope that I can make this goal! Tonight, is tofu, brown rice and a veggie!

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Big congratulations to you, Janae! You wrote on your piece of paper that it’s going to hurt, a lot. So you can be so really proud of you that you had such an amazing finish time despite feeling the pain all the way! You have so many reasons to be proud of yourself for accomplishing this result. Even on a bad day you made a fantastic result. You built a great community to support you (your family, friends and friends on your blog) – you did it all by yourself! How much effort you put into everything, especially after the painful separation. You trully ROCK!!!

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How incredibly sweet that Brooke is as emotionally invested in your dream as you are. And what a great mama you are to share such an important life lesson with her. : ) By the way, your mom words from your post yesterday were spot on (as usual)!

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Taco soup tonight!! Butternut squash soup for me because I am avoiding beans and anything that might bring on IBS stuff this week ( half marathon is on Sunday).

The weather changed for Sunday, no rain now and low 40s as a high for the day. That makes it cold for the start but that means it will be the same weather I have done my long runs in so perfect!! Have not slept well these past two nights, hoping to change that tonight. Some serious stuff on my mind ( nothing horrible at all, just decisions and many what ifs).
Oh and be jealous everyone but I am done for Christmas, presents wrapped and everything!! Ok with the exception of my Mom’s stocking items.

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Hi Janae, super huge congratulations on your race!I know you came up short on your big goal, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are an incredible runner! You inspire so many of us every day with your hard work and dedication, and I am constantly impressed with all that you do!
I had an awful race too – hit the wall at mile 10 and basically walked and cried all the way to the end. It took me a long time to “forgive” myself – I beat myself up for MONTHS but sometimes the starts just don’t align and you have to believe the people around you who tell you how amazing you are. It doesn’t matter to anyone but you that you don’t hit a certain time – your people still think you’re awesome :) And there’s always next time!!
Have a great day!

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I just love how positive you are and I agree…Each and every marathon good or bad is a learning experience. I can’t imagine flying in the day before running a big goal race but if anyone could do it you can! I am sooooo PROUD of you. A sub 3 is F’in amazing!
And by the way….I still love a good cup of dark roast coffee and a pastry after a marathon or any race as far as that goes…..and more food later of course but first thing first!
Happy recovery!

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Congrats! It’s a huge accomplishment and enjoy the recovery. I know all about races not going to plan hahah. I hope you take some time to recover and enjoy the holiday season!

Random information. Last weekend, I had a Christmas party for my run club and I dressed up.. My partner didn’t want to go, he wanted to chill but then he looked a me all dressed up and dug out a ring for me to wear just so people knew I was taken hahah. I told him he should really just put a ring on it if he felt that way :).

Have a fantastic day Janae!

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Okay, your story about your conversation with Brooke made ME cry! She is just the sweetest little supporter and you are such an amazing mom and role model, to your kids AND to all of us! I’m so sorry your race didn’t go as planned but I think it’s just so incredible that you managed to run the time that was your dream goal for eight years, on a tough day! Progress is not one continuous upward trend, but you know that. :)

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You inspire me everyday (and I’m much older than you are!) I hope you feel proud for putting a HUGE goal out into the big internet world and for working like crazy to try to make it happen! What a sweet moment between you and Brooke :)

My random oversharing for you – my daughter graduates from college this Sunday! She took a gap year mid-college, and I’m so excited and proud of her for going back and finishing!

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Shipleys Donuts: 6 donut holes and 1 regular glazed donut. A couple of years ago, my friend and I ran the Chevron Half. She talked about how she goes to Shipleys after her big races. We talked 10 miles (she left me due to my foot injury) about those darn donuts and so when my hubby picked me up, I told him to take me to Shipleys. It’s been my long distance running post race meal forever. And I have beer outside. I’m not much on drinking other alcohol after race day, except a beer or two. When it’s time to eat regular food, I just want something greasy and big like a burger.

My husband makes the best spaghetti for the night before pasta dinner. I usually have a bunch of friends come over to eat the pasta, too. My friend actually said that she just wanted his spaghetti sauce in a jar as a Christmas gift. LOL.

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I love running so much, as I know you do too, but isn’t it nice when you have more time to do “domestic stuff” like cooking? I always enjoy those precious few times when tapering or recovering, and spending more time cooking and baking!

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Sweet, sweet Brooke! What an amazing lesson to be able to teach her.

A burger, salty fries, and a shake is usually one of my fav post race meals!

I don’t think I really have any good luck charms, but I definitely like to meditate and pray while on the start line. It just sets my brain and body in the right mode.

Tonight is leftover tacos

Random info: My birthday is Friday, I’m left-handed, my favorite color is purple, and I teach high school English.

I would love to know: what is your dream race?

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Congrats again on your Sub 3…you are AMAZING and I still love everything about you even though you missed your goal. I sub 3 is OUTSTANDING. I remember my first marathon back in the 80’s and a 3:24 ish hurt like heck! Now I struggle with a sub 4 and probably the hardest thing about getting older is slowing down but I am not quitting either. THANKS for being so inspiring even to this almost 60 year old. I have had my share of bad races but I keep showing up……

Squash and Kale soup tonight…..YUMMY

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Logistics question: how did you handle all six of those small bottles? Stuffing gels in various shorts pockets is annoying enough for me on long runs, I can’t imagine a great way to corral bottles too!

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Aw I have followed you for so long – I know you’ll get there!. :) Your story about Brooke brought a tear to my eye! Also loved your post yesterday – I had a similar race last month where I finished 4 seconds slower than my goal, and it was a rollercoaster of emotions.

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I adore your brown/tan boots you wore in Tina’s live show. Ive seen them in a few other of your pics and I love them! Would love to know where I can get a pair :)

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