I need something new…

It felt so good to get some time with Brooke, Kodiak Cakes and fresh air yesterday morning.

Emilee and I hit the roads together!  We needed another 58 miles to catch up on everything with each other.

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Skye had a little harder time adjusting to a normal schedule after Christmas break.  She slept in until 10 a.m. and then wanted to cuddle in my bed.

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My sister gave me a hair cut and while I was thinking of coloring it, I just had her pluck out a few of my gray hairs instead.  Sisters are the best:)

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Because Skye slept in so late, she took her nap after Brooke got done with school so she slept at home (with a babysitter) while Andrew, Brooke and I drove up to Sundance.

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BROOKE DID HER FIRST BLUE RUN!

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My quads are sore because Andrew loves to play this game where we have a contest to see who can hold their skis up the longest while sitting there on the lift.  My legs start burning 20 seconds into the game.

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Skye is just so thrilled to have her buddy back.

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For dinner we made baked potatoes topped with chicken, sour cream and cheese and then of course plenty of hot chocolate because that is a post-ski staple for me.

PS Brooke loves doing ballet around our house and I need to get her signed up for a ballet class… I know nothing about dance so time to learn how to go about all of this.

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Victoria shared this article with me and WOW, it is just what I needed… Off-Seasons are necessary for our improvement!

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One of my yearly traditions (well, not yearly… just basically every time I eat a certain type of gel too many times) is to find a new gel that I like.  I ate way too many humas in 2018 and the first part of 2019 followed by way too many Clif Citrus gels for the rest of the year.  I ate A LOT of them last year and I need a new gel option to take during the run.   PS I still love my pre-run/race routine of UCAN (code HUNGRYRUNNERGIRL will get 10% off) and Nanohydr8 (code HRG20 can get you 20% off) because those things are magic for me…. just need something new for during the run.

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I’d love to hear about what your favorite gels are!!  Do you like to have caffeine in your gels or no?

Who does your hair?  How often do you get it cut?

What would be your absolute ideal time to wake up each morning if you got to choose?

What’s your run today?

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48 comments

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Have you thought about clipping the grey hair off at the base rather than plucking? (Hairdresser tip)

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That’s a really really great idea… I’ll start doing that now! THANKS and I hope you have a wonderful day!

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Endurance tap!

It’s maple syrup and ginger and delicious and gentle on the stomach.

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Oops that was meant to be a comment not a reply!

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I’ve been getting some greys lately too :( And pull them out haha..I use to get my hair done all the time but for the last year and a half I’ve just been getting it cut once or twice a year.
Totally unrelated but we are going on a trip soon and I ordered the green Aerie bathing suit you posted about. What size do you wear in it? It seems to run small ? Unfortunately I am ordering online so I can’t try on before purchasing. Thanks Janae. Have a great day. Glad Brooke is Home. Are the kids back to school today??

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OH YAY for your trip coming up! I am so excited for you and I’ll want to hear all about it! I have a small and it does seem to fit a little small but not enough to change sizes in my opinion. Yes, the kids are back in school… routine feels so weird again haha. Hope you have a beautiful day Ashley!

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Is there a typo regarding your explanation about the gels? You say that in 2019 and the first part of 2020 you had too many humas but 2020 is only 7 days in so that would have to be a lot of gels in week!!! It’s a really confusing paragraph, are you trying to say that you still like UCAN and Nano but need a new gel?! Sorry to nitpick but it is hard to get recommendations without a clear context!

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Thanks for catching that Christie! Haven’t had a gel this year haha. YES I LOVE UCAN AND NANO but I take those before the run and I need something during. I will make it less confusing now, thanks for the help and have a great day!

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I switched to Hammer gels last training cycle and loved them. Chocolate and banana are my favorite!
I have a kid officially diagnosed with the flu, but he’s feeling better (day 4) so I think (since it’s going to be 55 today–our weather is insane this year!) I’m going to take him for a stroller run at lunch to get some fresh air. I’m really enjoying some lower mileage weeks after running soooooooo many miles last marathon cycle. It’s nice to ease back into it! :)

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I will definitely grab a banana Hammer to try out, thanks Mollie. I am SO glad he is feeling better but what a huge bummer he got it. I hope that your stroller run goes perfect, enjoy that amazing weather and the shorter runs. I’m right there with you (minus the weather;). Hope he is 100% asap!

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I loved powerbar gels and then they disappeared so I switched to honeystinger and am an ambassador. Powergels are back though so try both of these

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Hey Janae, I used to use Huma gels as well but got sick of them. I switched to Maurten last year and like them. I usually have 4 Maurtens and 2 Endurance Taps during a marathon just to switch it up. I have tried both with caffeine and prefer without, there is just a slight taste difference that wasn’t to my liking. Endurance Tap are made in Canada with Canadian maple syrup and ginger. Krista Duchene who placed 3rd in the 2018 Boston Marathon uses them. I am sure you can get them in the US. On tap today is a workout, 2x2mins Fartlek, 15 mins @ threshold, both with 1 min rest, then 5x1min @ Fartlek, and 4 short hills. Snowing here so the footing will be tricky. Hair cuts happen every 2-3 mos. because I detest sitting for that long so seem to put off going to the hairdresser as long as possible. Optimal wake up time is 7 ish, but that doesn’t always happen. Have a great day!

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Jennifer, that workout sounds awesome… and so hard. Way to go on that one! I love workouts that switch things up throughout the run because it teaches your body different gears and it makes it more exciting. I hope that you get some 7 o’clock wake ups soon. Maurten is awesome, I need to grab some more and try out endurance taps! Thanks and you too!

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Wow! Very impressed with how fast the kids are picking up skiing :)
Haircuts are one of the items I place low in the budget, LOL! I cut everyone’s hair in our family for many years, though my husband and middle daughter often do their own now, and I’ve started “splurging” for my son’s haircuts because of that time he didn’t like how I cut it. I’d rather pay $18 and have him be annoyed with someone that’s not me, LOL! I cover my grays every 4-6 weeks and trim it a few times a year.
Oh, my. My internal clock is really set so that I can’t sleep past 7, even when I want to. I’ll have to get back to you in 15-20 years, after I retire ~haha~

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3 miles today before work! Even though the 4:30 alarm is no fun, it’s worth it once I get out there. That’s so nice your sister can cut your hair! I go 2-4 times a year, depending on how fast my hair grows.

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“I ate way too many humas” looks a lot like “I ate way too many humaNs” and I had a good chuckle. Have a great day!!

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BAHAHAHA I bet that took you off guard a bit! I hope you have a really great day Alanna!

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I just started experimenting with gels. So far I’ve only tried the Honey Stinger brand, which is organic, and the fruity one tastes like the inside of a fruit gusher! :)
Today’s run is a peak-week speed workout …but I got a new pair of shorts so that should help! I can do hard things! ???

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Ideally I would love to get up between 6:00 and 6:30 every day, but that doesn’t always happen. I recently moved from the U.S. to Belgium and the sun doesn’t rise right here until 8:45 so my internal clock is all messed up. Even if I go to bed by 10pm, I’ve been sleeping until 8:00 or 8:30–something I haven’t done in about 20 years!

I used to get my hair cut only twice a year, but as I’ve gotten older and started coloring my hair, my hair is dryer and I get more split ends so I end up getting my hair cut between four and six times a year.

I don’t eat too many gels lately, but when I do, I have Mandarin Orange Gu. YUM. :)

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My favorite running fuel is Untapped pure maple syrup. BEST STUFF EVER. I get it from my local bike shop. Their waffle wafers are good, too. I don’t like the flavored ones, but my boyfriend likes the coffee waffle.
https://untapped.cc/maple-untapped/

I also use Clif Bloks. Not a gel, but still nice and convenient fuel for running. The orange flavor is great and has a bit of caffeine. The only thing is that when it’s really cold out, the gummies get hard, so I have to hold the package in my hand for a few minutes (while running) to soften them up before eating. I’ve tried the mixed berry and spearmint flavors, too, but did not like those (mixed berry reminds me of cough syrup and spearmint is just ew).

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So I’m 30 years old but literally just watched this really cute ballet movie called LEAP (netflix?) with my mom and sister over Christmas. I loved the movie/message and will probably watch it again. LOL. If she hasn’t seen it I think Brookie will like it :)

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— My favorite gel is no gel at all…they’re all pretty gross, in my opinion. More texture than flavor but, still…ick. I use gummy bears, fruit snacks, applesauce packets, pb pretzels, pb packets, whatever I can find…but no gel. (It helps that my stomach is pretty tough – I know those won’t work for a lot of stomachs.)
–I trim my hair myself every other month. And I leave my white hairs alone…I’ll be bald soon if I pull them out.
— I would love to get up at 7:00am every day…but life, particularly seminary, almost never allows that.

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Does UCAN work like a gel? Or more of an electrolyte? Curious how and when you use UCAN during a marathon. I’m sure you’ve told us before in posts and I can look up too.

I take Humas based on your rec but it’s SO true. I get sick of a box of protein bars I get from Costco cause there’s just so many. Lol

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Hey Christina! My #1 choice would be to use UCAN throughout the run (gives energy like a gel) but I just don’t get bottles at every race which makes it a bit harder. If I do decide to do St. George this year I’ll get bottles which is what I would switch over to for training! Oh I am the same way… that many bars/gels and I just need a change. Have a really great day!

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I love that your kids ski and ask to go skiing! My littlest told me last night he wants to learn to ski and my heart burst! I’m not sure when we’ll get to the pass though since our weather is spotty at best and the pass was closed the other day.
I don’t really have a favorite gel but I do prefer the fruity ones over chocolate – unless it’s choc/caramel then sign me up! Ha! And all the yeses to caffeine!
I do my hair! I love that your sister does yours! I try to color it 4-6 weeks since the grays don’t hold color and I cut it whenever I think about it! My hair is shoulder length and after watching a youtube vid on how to cut hair straight, it’s been a sinch! I also cut my boys hair. Right now they’re growing their hair out so I haven’t cut it in about a month or so.
I actually really like waking up between 4-6am. I love catching sunrise while running and running before the rest of the world (& my house) wake up. It’s pretty magical.
I almost didn’t run today but I wanted to run in the rain and get some fresh air – check and check! It ended up being a progression run because it took a couple miles for my legs and lungs to wake up. My body has been under stress (w/ a heavy heart) for quite some time so I’m really trying to honor it and run by feel and HR. The rain was perfect – it was more like a heavy drizzle so I didn’t get too soaked and kept me cool when I sped up.
Have a great day!

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I am a big fan of Honey Stinger gels (or chews, but I find gels easier when road running). Honey Stinger waffles are great for consumption with trail running or Picky Bars.

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Omg first of all, I’m SO impressed by Brooke! That’s amazing! Kids are so much braver than us adults ;)

Also you’re the one that totally turned me onto Citrus Clif gels! I think I still like them (I ate about 100 fewer than you did though last year) and now caffeine is an ABSOLUTE MUST in my gels! It makes me feel like a whole new person while I’m running, it’s amazing.

And if I could choose a time to wake up every morning I think it’d be around 7am. It’s light around that time in the winter still (so you get that vitamin D exposure on your runs) but I also like early mornings because I just feel so darn guilty when I sleep in late. Unfortunately my work schedule forces me to get up at least an hour before that every morning if I want to squeeze in a run. Hopefully that’ll change someday!

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Hi Janae!

My favorite gel is marshmallow gu! It tastes totally artificial and I’m completely on board with that! Birthday cake and vanilla are also kinda similar to marshmallow. I really can’t stand any of the fruity ones except for citrus flavors, I think I just love real fruit too much. Hope you find your gel soon! It’s really the best feeling when you have one you really like and look forward to eating on run.

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Oh what a nice sister ?‍♀️ Someone told me not to pluck my gray hairs out but I cannot remember where I heard that ??‍♀️
In any case I think I’m gonna ask my BFF to do this For me because sometimes I don’t have time to get my hair colored! I wish there was a good way to touch up gray hair at home other than “crappy drugstore box stuff” <— my hairdressers words lol. Please share if you have any tips!
It seems like my gray hair pops out overnight ?

Utah looks so pretty! Glad you were able to spend some time Brooke ❤️ I cannot believe how fast she’s growing up!

Have a wonderful Tuesday! ☀️

PS I made those PB cookies ? and added white and dark chocolate chips so very yummy!

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You have to try Spring Energy gels!

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I am doing the Dopey Challenge this week and I am bringing a bunch of new gels/chews to try. My goal is just to finish; I’m not at all worried about time so I figured this would be a good time to try some different stuff :) I read that our bodies can take in and use more carbs when it’s coming from different sources, so I am trying Tail Wind in my water bottle, and then some sort of chew for the next hour, and then a gel or some variation thereof. I like to switch back and forth between caffeine and no caffeine, becuase I feel like I crash if I only use caffeine but I also like the boost it gives me.

One of my former students does my hair and I only get it cut about 1-2x’s per year. Ha, and I dye my grays myself.

6am is about the natural time my body wants to wake up when I don’t have work and I like it!

Today’s run was a super easy 5 to get ready for my 48.6 this week!

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-How are your fingers not sticky after gels? I cannot figure out how to eat them without my fingers and pockets being a sticky mess! I eat fig newtons/homemade protein balls/peanut m and ms/pretzels with peanut butter on runs.
-Today was speed work- 6.5 miles total with 3 of them being at threshold pace.
-And I get up daily at 3:45 AM to get home in time for my hubby to head to work, but I would prefer a 6/7 AM wake up better.
-I have an amazing hair dresser that works with my schedule and meets me at 4:30 AM every 10-12 weeks. :) I don’t like missing out on work or time with my family for my hair.

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3:45 AM!!! WOW! I will never complain about an early alarm again. You are dedicated and that is officially the best hair dresser ever. Way to go on your speed, that’s a tough one! Oh and PS my fingers and pretty much my head to my toes are sticky from gels when I use them and it drives me crazy! I need your fuel during my next run. Hope you are having a great day Allyson.

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I have friends who make a “gu” out of UCAN so that they can easily take it during long runs and races. I think the recipe is on the UCAN website. You can buy small reusable gel containers made by hydrapak/Gu (on Amazon) or EnduraPouch fuel flasks (thegearwell.com). They hold about 5 servings. I love UCAN so I’m planning on trying this.

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I had no idea this was a thing! THANK YOU LIZ, I have to try!! Let me know what you think about it too!

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I did a really fun run today. 30 seconds at VO2 max and 30 seconds jog I did 20 reps. It was super fun. I cooled down for about 15 minutes or so in a slow jog. I am not training right now..just maintaining which I nice

Have you heard of Muir Energy? https://muirenergy.com/collections/energy-gels

I kind of like them……..

Have a great day!

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I would like a 7-8 am wake up. But I’m usually between 5-6. Either trying to run before the kids are up or getting the puppy out. I can’t believe Skye slept that long. It doesn’t matter what we do my kids are up by 7!
Haircut once a year, or maybe a little less than a year like 9 months. But I grow my hair for a few years and then cut off 10-12 inches and donate to locks for love and then grow out again. Been doing that for a few yews now. I never cared too much about my hair so I don’t mind cutting it off and giving it away. It grows back!

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I prefer chews myself (specifically Honey Stinger) but when I eat gels, it’s Honey Stinger or Hammer gels. I drink coffee before runs so I usually don’t use caffeinated gels/chews except for distances longer than 13.1.

I have thick, coarse, naturally curly hair and live in the humid Southeast, so I have to get it trimmed every 8 weeks or so to prevent it from becoming a fro. For the first time in years I’ve finally found a hairdresser who really knows how to cut curly hair correctly (she has the same kind of hair).

I’d love to sleep til about 6am daily. On workdays I get up between 4:45-5 so even on days off it’s often hard for me to sleep past 5:30, but when I do I feel great!

Ran 6 miles early this morning with my dog.

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Gels. Eat too many on the run, then done! You never really know you’re over with a gel until you grab one and it kinda makes you gag and think “not this again.” Normally most gels wreak havoc on my GI (which is why I stick to Tailwind and Skratch chews) but oddly enough last year I tried a Mountain Huckleberry GU which was wayyyyy going out on a limb because I did not expect success. It tasted like berry pie! So, I’d recommend GU. But, I’d also recommend Spring Energy Gels and products. I’m also interested in Muir Energy. Hammer Gels are an old standby. I remember when they first came out.

Bravo to your ski kids! you are a ski family now!!!!

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I have found Bai drinks and Zip Fizz are great caffeinated drink choices. I use Clff Bloks, I like the Black Cherry the best, they have caffeine for the non caffeine I prefer the Ginger Ale flavor.
You all are amazing skiers and Brooke is doing fabulous!! I wish I would have been able to do it at her age, now I have back issues so I am afraid of wrecking and messing it up more. I will keep running as long as I can though.
I get my hair cut about 4 times a year, if I do it less than that it grows out weird in the back. I do trim my own bangs in between cuts though.
I really do love your blog!!

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Hey Shirley! Thank you so much for your sweet comment! I am so sorry about your back issues and my sister can totally relate, she would love to be able to ski. I am SO happy that you are running pain-free! Bai drinks are my absolute favorite and I forgot about zip fizz, I need some of that asap! Hope you are having a really great afternoon!

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You’ve got to try SIS (Science in Sport) gels. They are so good and you don’t have to take them with water! No more ‘feel like I’m gagging” or that you have a mouth full of vaseline!

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You’ve got to try SIS Gels. (Science in Sport). They are so good and you don’t have to follow-up with water. That’s my main complaint about gels. But with SIS there is no more feeling like you’re going to gag or that you have a mouthful of vaseline!

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Hammer gel in Apple and cinnamon is LIFE.

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We just got back from our first family ski trip to Utah and we were blown away by the beauty! You are a lucky person to live in such a gorgeous part of the world!

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Ahhhhh this makes me so happy! I hope you guys come back again soon❤️❤️❤️

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French toast (think cinnamon sugar spread-YUM!), S’more, and Chocolate Gu are my favs! For marathons, I usually alternate between packets of Gu and Jelly Belly Sport Beans (I like all of them, but particularly enjoy the Pear and Smoothie flavors).

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I’ve been using Humas gels since I first read about it on your blog a couple years ago when you were “looking for something new.” ;) I don’t run as much as you so I guess I’m not tired of them yet. I really need to try UCAN though. But I need to find a good Canadian source for it.

On weekdays, I get up at 4:00 a.m. so I can get in a training run before ANYONE else is up. So, my ideal time to get up would be 5 or 6 a.m. because that feels like sleeping in.

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