Turns out running feels a million times harder without carbs than with carbs in your system. It really has been so nice to do this entire training cycle with Emilee because we are going through this all together and that motivates me to not quit.. her doing the carb depletion too makes it a little bit easier to stick with it!
8 miles for the morning and a good chunk of that on snow and then pausing our gamins a million times to walk over the ice… and tree trunks.
Thank you Utah for waiting until this week to be crazy outside because I don’t know how we would have gotten in some of these hard workouts the last few weeks in these conditions. We just have one more fast mile to do this afternoon and right after that, the carb depletion is over so I might just have to have a bowl of pasta waiting for us where we end the mile.
Rewind to the morning and when I woke up I had a pain on my side and I reached to see what it was and it was just Minnie. I slept on her all night and she left quite the imprint in my skin ha. Thank you Skye for that.
Skye and I visited my grandma and then did a few errands before stopping at Trader Joe’s specifically for these peppermint marshmallows that one of you told me about. I can’t wait for a mug of hot chocolate and these tonight. Of course I left with more holiday themed items that I wasn’t planning on.
Skye got a new pair of boots so that was the highlight of her day.
Along with finally having her big sis back.
Time to put the ladder away on Knox’s bunk bed!
PS Skye hides. A lot. She has gotten to the point that she can hide in the craziest places and remain completely silent for a very long time. We now turn on the house alarm ANYTIME we are home because we are so worried about her sneaking out and hiding outside! If we can’t find her then we can usually get her out of her hiding spot by offering something Elsa related but other than that… she is SO sneaky and silent when she is hiding. I found her under my bed the other day after searching everywhere for her.
We need to train Beretta to find her.
———————————————————————————————————
5 DAYS until CIM. I can’t even believe it!
Let’s talk about our game plan: 2:44 is the goal!
Emilee and I are planning on doing the Amy and Shalane thing? and running the entire race together. Emilee has done CIM a few times so that will be really awesome for our pacing and the two of us just work really well together. It’s crazy how much we are able to pull the other one along when one of us is struggling. I’m not sure I would know how to race a marathon any other way now!
We are looking to go out for the first 5 miles between 6:20-6:30 and then work our way down. I have no idea what the pacers will be doing but our coach thinks that will be the best plan for how we run… NEGATIVE SPLITS. Our goal is to have a 6:16 average pace at the end which sounds kind of crazy when I type it out!
One difference between St. George and CIM will be in the final 10k. We both finished St. George feeling like we had a few more miles left in us (mainly because we kind of had CIM in the back of our heads and wanted to bounce back quickly). On December 8th, we are leaving it ALL on the course and I am sure the final 10k is going to hurt a whole lot more but that’s okay (also because the last 10k is flat and not the downhill in a few of the miles of St. George’s last 10k). There is also going to be a lot more people at CIM so that will be a different experience for us to race with too. I’m just really hoping that my 20 years of altitude training will pay off at sea level haha.
As of today, I’m not nervous. I can honestly say I put all I could into my running this year (while keeping family first:) so there is nothing else for me to do but to go do my best. It’s nice feeling that I gave it my all and I can’t wait to see what that equals on Sunday! But I’m sure the nerves will start to kick in a bit more in the next few days!
Anyway, thanks for hanging out with me during all of this race training this year. It has definitely been my favorite year of running ever and I can’t wait to finish the year off perfectly with this race!
———————————————————————————————————
Anyone living/training at high altitude notice a big difference when racing at sea level?
Who has a race this month? What about a birthday this month?
Anyone else with a little one (now or in the past) that really loves to hide?
Running in the snow… YES PLEASE or NO WAY!?
67 comments
Kristy
I am so excited for you! Following along and cheering you on with all of my heart!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you Kristy! That sure means a lot to me. I hope your day is a great one!
Mariah
Go Janae!! You’ve put in so much hard work and should be proud already!
We don’t get as much snow in Maryland as other places, but we’ll still run outside in snow as long as it’s not icy. A friend who doesn’t run asked me the other day when I stop running outside for the winter and she thought I was crazy when I said never haha!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Hahaha we are a little crazy so she is right on that one:) . I hope you have a great winter of running! Thank you so much and I just can’t wait to race (and eat carbs again hahaha). Have a wonderful day!
Christine
I’m cheering you on! Your training has been impressive, seriously. How you did this with 3 busy kids is unbelievable! You should be so proud and you’re right to trust the training.
ps How did Brooke get so grown up??
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you Christine, that sure means a lot to me. Definitely couldn’t have done it without Andrew’s help and support. SERIOUSLY… Brooke is getting too big too fast. But I have to admit, I absolutely love it at the same time! hope you have a wonderful day and thanks for cheering for me.
Helen
Can’t wait to see what you do on Sunday – it’s going to be great! I’m racing too on Sunday – just a local 10k, but I’m hoping to go sub-50 min (which would be a first since having my son). I’ve had a pretty good year of running this year, so fingers crossed.
Ha, my son (2 and 10 months) loves to hide too – but he finds it too funny and can’t stay quiet! Probably just as well, I’m not sure my nerves could handle it if I was actually losing him several times a day. We keep all our keys very high up now after the time he let himself out of the house… scary.
The Hungry Runner Girl
SUB 50 IS YOURS HELEN! Please let me know how it goes afterwards, I’m cheering for you! Hahaha I wish Skye would think it was too funny and laugh too. Super smart to leave the keys up high… these kids are too smart! Have a wonderful day!
Jackie
My youngest hid from my dad once and scared him silly. Once found, she could tell how angry/scared/angry he was that she never did it again! Some of my dogs have been hiders too. Of course, usually under beds but also behind sofas, etc. Our neighbor has a cat that hides under the couch cushions. We cat sat for a week while they were gone and my kids didn’t see one of the cats at all! They had to unbury her from the cushions when they got home!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Your dogs have been hiders too… and the cat in the couch! AHHHHH good thing your youngest stopped hiding because that is just too much hiding all around hahah. Hope you are having a beautiful morning Jackie!
Wendy
I am so excited for you, and Emilee too!! It has been really fun following along with all of your training and goals this year. You are going to ROCK CIM on Sunday!! And I definitely think all of your altitude running will pay off… Especially in those final moments.
Yay, just a few more days ?
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thanks so much Wendy, we seriously can’t wait and I’m really hoping that breathing just feels so easy for us at CIM:) . Hope your morning has been great so far!
Jen W
Cheering so hard for you, Janae!!!!!!!!!!!
Running in the snow? Kind of?? I like to do it once and get my “running snow selfie” of the year in. ha ha Seriously, though, I do enjoy the absolute SILENCE of running in the snow—the whole world is quiet. I’m not a fan of snow, but that feeling is a pretty powerful/great one :)
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you SO much Jen! I can’t wait. The running snow selfie is a yearly must hahaha. I totally agree, those snowy morning runs definitely have a different type of peace compared to the normal morning run. ENJOY YOUR DAY!
Joy
Janae, I am SO EXCITED for you! You seem to be in the perfect place physically and mentally for this race. I wish you all the best!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you SO much Joy! I really can’t wait. I appreciate your support and encouragement and I hope you are having a really great Tuesday morning!
Cari
That must be so scary when she hides sometimes!! If you ever get worried about her safety, some of my clients (I work with kids with autism) use a gps tracker called AngelSense or something similar. Just in case she gets really REALLY good at hiding that you’re worried for safety!! She seems like a very clever little girl!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Okay, that is SUCH a good idea because it really does get scary sometimes. Thank you SO much Cari and I hope you are having a wonderful day and a great day at work!
Carol
So excited for you! Sunday is going to be amazing.
I love running in the snow!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Carol, thank you SO MUCH! I seriously cannot wait. I hope you guys get plenty of snow this winter and I hope you are having a beautiful day!
Becky Przy
So, so excited for you!!! I bet racing at sea level will feel fantastic! I prefer not to run in the snow. I don’t like wet feet or falling if I slip on the ice underneath. Although running in very cold weather doesn’t bother me.
That must be so frightening when you can’t find Skye. Thankfully none of my kids did that….maybe you can put some type of tracker on her that connects to your phone;-)
Does your coach look at paces, heart rate, etc when you are on carb depletion? Do you notice if it affects your sleep? I have noticed when I have went low carb, I can’t stay asleep. Although I suspect that might be from a dip in calories vs the low carb.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you so much Becky, I’m sure hoping that I notice a big difference at sea level! Wet feet while running really are the worst… I fully agree with you! I really do need to get a tracker, that would save a lot of stress!
He definitely looks at paces (not heart rate) with our carb depletion and he absolutely expects us to slow way down and feel terrible ha. I woke up 5 times last night so you are not alone with that. I also had dreams about a big bowl of lucky charms hahaa. I hope you are having a fantastic morning!
Jenny
My son shares a birthday with Skye (December 8) but he is a few years ahead of her, turning 17 this year!
We don’t have snow here in Florida but we’re finally getting some beautiful weather, 50 degrees for my run today (brrr! We Floridians have thin blood.)
So excited for CIM- you know we’re all cheering for you!!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Happy almost birthday to your son! That’s an exciting birthday for him and I am SO happy that you are getting some great running weather now. 50 degrees after the heat and humidity you have had must feel crazy cold. Jenny, thank you so much for your support and encouragement. It means a lot to me!
elizabeth l
RACE WEEK!!!!! I am so excited for you and Emilee! I’m sending you good travel and race vibes and will be cheering you on from Texas.
I think I’m finished racing for the year unless I find a last minute 5k. I’ve got a race in early January to start the year off right :)
I do have a December birthday – the 26th!!
Skye just cracks me up. I wonder why she likes to hide so much? I’ll bet Berretta could be trained very quickly to find her.
We rarely get snow in Texas so I’d have to be very cautious. One year I ran a half marathon after a snow storm and I was so sore the next day. I think it was from being so careful around the icy patches.
Enjoy your carb loading!! I hope you will do another post on this and let us know how it worked for you.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you thank you thank you Elizabeth, I really appreciate you! HAPPY BIRTH MONTH. I hope you are celebrating all month long and you’ll have to keep me updated with your race in January! I really think Beretta could find her fast so we need to get on that training. Oh I bet you were sore after that, I am too because I have to use so many different muscle to avoid landing on the ground! I totally will do another one (once I can think a bit more clearly again hahaha). Hope you have the best day!
Christina
Cheering from CA! My running partner will also be racing CIM so excited for you both!
So I had to call the police once when my daughter hid when she was a toddler! She was in between her armoire and her closet in the tiniest space! My husband saw her hand pop out when I was on phone with police. I thought she escaped outside. The scariest 5 minute of my life. Yes teach Berreta to sniff her out! Lol doggies are so smart I bet she can!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh please tell your running partner good luck for me and thank YOU so much for the cheers! It means a lot. Okay, your story sounds TERRIFYING and I’m so glad she finally popped up her had! That is what we are most worried about… her getting outside. Time to get Beretta trained! Hope you are having a wonderful day Christina!
Corey
I get more excited for you each time I read an update on your race and your goals! :)
My kids were not really silent hiders (phew!) but I apparently scared my mom badly when I was about 1-1/2 by falling asleep behind a chair on our back porch. I’m not sure if I was really hiding, but she spent a lot of worried time looking for me! Sounds very smart to have the alarm on and keep little Skye safely indoors.
I LOVE to run on crunchy, dry snow, even while it’s still falling. Bundled up and with my YakTrax on, I smile the whole time. Racing in snow would be a no thank you, though. I’d be scared about pushing and slipping or falling.
Enjoy your fast mile and reward :)
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh thank you SO much Corey! I seriously cannot wait! FALLING ASLEEP behind a chair on the back porch… ahhh that would be terrifying! I hope you get in some amazing snow runs this winter and I’m with you on going fast in the snow… NOPE! Thanks Corey and have a fabulous day friend!
Jenny
I can’t believe CIM is THIS WEEK! I’m so excited for you!
I have to thank you for ALL of the recent TJ’s recommendations; we tried the minty chocolate covered marshmallows and the minty white chocolate covered popcorn and both are hands down a favorite in my house! We still need to try the mint oreos and mint marshmallows. Yummmm!
I live at sea level and have never run at altitude! All the pros train at altitude and you’re basically a pro so I know it will benefit you BIG TIME! :)
My kiddos try to get me to play hide and seek with them outside and I will never ever let them do it! I’m petrified I won’t be able to find them! We play a lot in the house and they aren’t as good at hiding as they think they are but we pretend! Ha!
I love running in the snow but gravity + ice always has their way with me so I have to be very cautious if I attempt it! I didn’t get to run in the snow much last year but I made sure to get out and walk a lot. I have snow shoes and microscopes this year so I hope to get out and explore more.
Have a great day!
The Hungry Runner Girl
It really did come up so quickly ahh! SO happy you are loving the TJ’s items. Their seasonal stuff is just the best. Hahaha I’m with you, playing that game inside is much more fun for parents than outside where we have to worry nonstop. You are going to have a fabulous winter outside this year. Thanks Jenny, YOU TOO!
~ R
My big boys didn’t hide but we trained our lab to find them anyway, just for fun. We never tried outside of the yard but our dog got pretty good at finding them in the house and yard. My little guy did go through a hiding period but our lab was gone by then so we just learned to check every spot really quick (luckily he never snuck out of the house).
The Hungry Runner Girl
Hahaha that is so awesome your lab was so good at finding them, that gives me hope for Beretta! I hope your day has been great so far!
Brittany
As a fellow (slow :)) runner it’s been so encouraging to follow your training this year and see you hit your goals! I’ll be cheering you on from San Diego! Can’t say we get any snow here…but I love running in it when I am somewhere snowy!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
THANK YOU for your cheers Brittany, that means a lot to me. San Diego running = absolutely perfect! I hope your day has been great so far!
Angela
So excited for you, Janae!
Stephani
I’m so excited for you and will be praying for you to have an amazing race!
I love running in the snow. It’s one of my favorite things to do. It is so peaceful and quiet and just a beautiful reminder of Jesus washing us whiter than snow!
Can’t wait to hear all about your race!
Christy Buhr
Good luck, Janae! I am excited to see you crush it and will be cheering you on from Phoenix!
Corrinne
I am so excited for your race! I have a friend running it too who is also seeing if he can hit the Olympic Qualifying times. I will be following both of you this weekend!
My daughter loves hide and seek but she is awful at keeping quiet. She giggles as soon as she hears you coming. My parents had a lab that was awesome at finding people or other pets that were hiding when you asked her to. So I bet you can totally train Beretta to do that.
I don’t mind running in the snow as long as its been plowed off of the sidewalks or roads. But I can do without ice!
Stacey
I am insanely excited for you!
My little guy is attached to me like glue, so absolutely no hiding for him. If I so much as pop out of the room for five seconds (even if my husband is with him), he yells “MAMAAA!!!!!” It’s definitely not a bad thing :)
Rachel
I live at altitude (7,200 feet) and every time I run at sea level I feel like I’m flying. At least 30 seconds-1 minute per mile faster at sea level for the same effort!
Rachel
So you’re gonna be great and I’m so excited for you!!!
Mary
I can’t wait to hear how it goes I’m so excited for you! When you do it, are you going to run in Atlanta in Feb?!
I ran yesterday in the rain before the snow. Today I did weights and a quick treadmill run cause it was still pretty slick when I was ready to work out.
We just finished up the week of birthdays and races.
My husbands birthday is 11/22, the girls on the run 5k (I coach and my daughter participated) was 11/24, 11/26 was my son’s 7th birthday, Thanksgiving. And then the turkey trot on Saturday! It was so much good food.
Happy Tuesday!!
John
I used to run a lot in the snow when I lived in Kansas. I was in my twenties and fearless then though!
It does not snow that much here near Seattle so I usually just wait it out for the few days in does snow.
We’re doing my first ever off season/holiday run this Saturday – and I am sure you would love it! It’s called the Electric Cookie Run – one lap around Greenlake at 5pm and then free cookies, hot cocoa, and a light up medal afterwards! Sounds like fun to me.
Kristy
Good luck!!!! I’m sure you will do amazing!!!
Where can I find more info on carb depletion? Running my first full marathon January 19! Chevron HOUSTON! I’m super excited but really nervous about my IT band… the pain is starting later in the run but it’s miserable and makes my pace… well not what I want.
It’s my birthday month! Dec 28th!
I’ll be cheering for you from Houston! & yes a good run buddy to experience all the feels is the BEST!
Anne @ fANNEtasticfood
We are rooting for you!!! I would say good luck except luck will have nothing to do with it because you have trained so smart and so hard. So instead I will say I hope the stars align with perfect conditions and a day where you feel really energized so that you can really achieve your full potential! Go get it!!! xoxo
Amanda
I’m so excited for you!!! I wish I could watch the race live on TV and follow you like when they broadcast the major marathons. You are going to crush it!!!!
Lisa @ TechChick Adventures
I’m so excited for you and Emilee! CIM is going to be awesome. You have trained so hard, and so smart for this race. Can’t wait to see what you can do!
I do avoid running in the snow a lot, but it makes everything so pretty – that’s it’s redeeming quality :)
Kathy
GOOOOOD LUCK!!! You are going to have a wonderful race day!!
I don’t mind running in the snow as long as it’s not super wet snow! I don’t like running with wet socks. We just got back from taking off a week for Thanksgiving and I mentioned last week that we had escaped Denver just in time. We found out that our area got 15 inches of snow! So there’s still lots of snow on the ground. Today has a high of 53, so lots of puddle jumping today, and hopefully that will melt most of the snow on the roads!
Annie R
I CAN’T WAIT TO MEET YOU/SEE YOU FROM AFAR DURING YOUR LIVE SHOW WITH TINA!!!! Don’t mind me if I elbow people out of the way to introduce myself :) I’m honestly more excited for YOU to run this race than to run it myself!! I’m counting on thinking of you to give me an extra pep in my step, even though I will be many miles behind you! It’s going to be so so fun!!!
SEE YOU SOON!!
Kaitlyn
I’m running CIM this weekend too and the Denver snow has been wreaking havoc on us runners since October! Hoping to see your podcast with Tina Muir, but in the meantime I know you’re a fan of super sticky lip glosses and I’m in desperate need of some for the race this weekend, any recommendations?? Lots of luck this weekend, following your training has been a great motivator!
Kari
It is so awesome that you and Emilee get to do this together! What an amazing experience to be able to race a marathon to your full potential with a running partner doing the same! I’m supposed to be running CIM but had an injury a couple weeks ago so I literally won’t know if I’m going to Sacramento as a runner or a spectator until my “test” run on Friday. But I’m not even that sad if I don’t get to run it because then I can be at the finish line cheering you guys on. So excited for you!
Marissa
I will be stalking you this weekend!! You’re going to do awesome! Also, I totally think the altitude is going to help you!
I have a 20k trail race this weekend to finish out my city’s distance challenge for the year :) I’m praying it doesn’t rain too much because a muddy, hilly trail scrares me. I also have a bday next Friday on Friday the 13th.
My BFF’s daughter spent the night and I could not find her the next morning. My daughter’s bed has a cabinet under it and she climbed in during the night and shut the door!! I about lost it. Crazy girl!
I’ve ran in the snow maybe once and it was SO fun but we definitely do not get snow in SoCal so I am a tad bit jealous of all of your white gorgeousness!
Caroline
I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!!!!!
My brother was a hider too! One time he hid in the trunk of my parents car!!!!! And this was awhile back when cars were not equipped with the safety features they now have and it had no access to the interior of the car. It was scary. And he loved getting ‘a rise’ out of my parents. I’m not in ANY WAY pretending to know anything about parenting OR critiquing you, but your reactions could be making her excited?
Running in snow for me is just no fun for me anymore!!! I’m too afraid of slipping! In my younger years I was more of a badass. Hahah
Anne
I am so excited for your (and Emillee’s) race at CIM!! I’ve really enjoyed following and cheering for you guys!! I feel like I’ve been training with you guys! I feel like I’m just like you guys but on a much smaller scale…I did a fall marathon and got a PR and decided to go after a BQ at CIM! I know I’ll have to embrace the hard but I’m so excited! I love the mantra “I can do hard things”. You’ve got this!!! Thank you for sharing your journey—it’s been so helpful for me!
Erin
I legit laughed out loud about Skye hiding!? That is too funny! My 4 year old likes to hide but usually gives herself away. I ran my first half marathon in almost three years on 12/1. I did better than I thought I would; only about 25 seconds slower than 3 years ago at that race. In these three years I had hip surgery and then my second daughter so I’m super proud of myself for virtually coming back where I left off. I even managed to place 4th in my age group. It feels amazing to be back racing!!
Taylor
So excited for you!! Go go go Janae! We will all be following and cheering for you :)
Jen S
Janae, you have been such an inspiration to follow with your training and races this year. Your progress shows what hard work and determination can do. I’ll be cheering you on back here in MN! You got this!
As for running in snow, here in MN, it seems like it is about 6 months of the year so we just embrace it. However, my speed workouts are on the treadmill because I just couldn’t handle a broken leg/ankle.
michelle
You and Emilee are totally Amy and Shalane!!! So great to lean on each other like that! And Skye is too clever. Its a good thing you will have this blog to show her all her antics later on in life.
Kelly
Good Luck, you got this!!! I have a race on the same day as CIM. My husband and I are doing the Nara Marathon in Japan. And we just did the Osaka Marathon on Dec 1st. We are that crazy couple that travels to do races!. Osaka didn’t go well due to jetlag and sore feet from too much walking from sightseeing. Hoping this next one goes better. I also have a birthday coming up on Dec 9th! Still going to be in Japan for my birthday, so it should be a blast!
Jen
Have a great race! I’ll be cheering you on from Michigan!
All 4 of my kiddos were hiders, I once found my now 14 year old trying to hide in the empty dryer!
chiara
CIM for me too! Have you run it before? It’s my 4th in a row so I’m hoping I am better at recognizing the course this time around. I will say the first 6 can be hard to pull back just because some of the larger drops are in that first bit. The end is a little tricky in that the 2nd time I ran it, I didn’t leave too much for the last 6 and it was a grind. The other two I left a bit and then was able to push fairly hard the last 6 (last year in particular).
Jen
I can’t wait to hear about your race, I know you’ll do great! My father-in-law used to encourage my niece to hide on grandma when she was 3 or 4 years old. It was kind of their thing :D . Where did you get your lovely running top? I’m Canadian and always on the hunt for good cold weather gear!
PJruns
Have a FANTASTIC run at CIM! I will be running it too(14th year in a row), but being a mid/back of the pack runner, I won’t be seeing you. Enjoy the journey.
MeeshyD
I am SOOOOO excited for you. You are a total inspiration to me – going after your goals and putting the time, effort and energy into your growth. Wow, oh, wow. You go girl!!!!
Kristine
Very random question! I have been looking for the felt ball garland at every Trader Joe’s I can find. Does your store still have it?