You Don’t Have to Believe Your Thoughts…

Morning!  How was your weekend?  How’s your Monday starting off so far?

Let’s go ahead and chat about what we were up to over the weekend!

There is something so great about mornings where we have nowhere to be, there is fresh snow outside and the kids aren’t fighting;)

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I was going to go on a walk outside but then I remembered I’m a wuss with temperatures lately so I walked on my treadmill instead.

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On Saturday night Andrew and I (and Beck) were able to go on a dinner date to get sushi.  It tasted SO good and I missed it so much during pregnancy.

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Just a normal Sunday at our house…

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We also made graham cracker gingerbread houses.

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At night we celebrated Skye’s birthday with some family.  She was very excited for another event to have all of the attention on her.  We made THIS lasagna soup and you add the cheese to your bowl when you dish it up (sorry the picture isn’t super pretty but it tastes so so good).

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I wonder if my kids will ever choose anything other than funfetti cake for their birthdays?!

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Last week Kristin recommended the Real Pod podcast to me and I’ve been listening to it non-stop.  My favorite episode so far has been the one with Dr. Daniel Amen: Change Your Brain,  Change Your Life & The 7 Habits of Happiness.  He said a lot of really amazing things throughout the episode but one that really stuck with me was, “you don’t have to believe your thoughts.”  So many times I think that avoiding negative thoughts is the answer but no matter what they will end up popping into our heads throughout life.  It’s not possible to only think positively so I love the idea that when the negative thoughts do come, we just do not have to believe something that comes into our head.  We get the CHOICE to seek for the truth and not believe thoughts that are not correct about ourselves or the people/world around us.

Think of all of the work we put into our training.  We get up out of our warm beds and run in the snow or we run through the humid summers when it would be so much easier to stay inside.  We push through crazy workouts or run up hills that most people would only drive.  We sweat a lot, we are sore often, our muscles are constantly burning and we check off the miles as we reach towards our goals.  We do SO much work and put in so much effort to get to race day so why would we ever let our negative thoughts about ourselves/training/potential take away from all of the hard work we put in each day?!  I have done this during quite a few races in the past.  It really doesn’t make sense why I would work so hard for months and then on race day, let the negative thoughts in and take away from my performance.

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My physical training changed over the years but I think that my mental training made quite the difference in my race times.  The races where I didn’t believe any negative thoughts and fully embraced positive thoughts/truthful thoughts have been when the breakthroughs have happened.

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So, on your next run where negative thoughts pop into your head, you don’t have to believe them.  We all have thoughts that are completely and 100% incorrect and we get the choice whether or not to think they are true or false.  Don’t believe them and find some thoughts that you can believe like—> “I can do hard things.  I belong.  I am strong.  I’ve done this before, I can do this again. I’ve done the training, I deserve this. I’ve got this.”

You deserve to only believe the thoughts that are going to improve your life, not take away from your life!

PS my brother sent me this quote the other day… Don’t give up on any mental changes you are working on, it takes us doing it over and over again before the path is made!

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What are your feelings about sushi?  What is your favorite roll? 

What are your feelings about running on the snow?  Do you enjoy it or would you rather run indoors when there is snow?

Which race were you the absolute MOST positive with yourself?  Did it help you to run faster or hit a goal?

What was the best part of your weekend?

 

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24 comments

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I love sushi! California rolls are my favorite haha.
It’s so true about positive thoughts. My best ever race happened when I went in super relaxed because I had just had the stomach bug, and I was thinking I may or may not run well, but it’s fine! Then I felt REALLY good the whole way and just kept thinking wow, you’re doing amazing for not even knowing if you could run yesterday! I was so happy to feel so good I didn’t let any negative thoughts in.
I had a bit of a rough running weekend this weekend though. I had my first marathon DNF. A few months ago I rolled my ankle and then I rolled it AGAIN (so clumsy haha) and it’s just gotten worse over time, not bad enough where I can’t run but it’s been bothering me, especially after my ultra in October. I did my best to get in all the stretching, PT, icing HOPING I could make it work because I was so excited to race, but after ten miles of the race I knew it was over. I’m proud that I didn’t push it to the point of no return (a couple weeks off should heal it), but I’m bummed that out of the three races I had this year, I only finished two. I don’t like feeling like I didn’t give something my all or I quit. So tough to wrestle with those emotions! haha.

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Mollie. I am so so sorry. You absolutely did the right thing with pulling out when you did, but I know that is so hard. Your body is so thankful you did what you did… but I totally understand those emotions you are wrestling with! I’m sorry. I hope you can do something for you today and that your ankle heals ASAP! This setbacks will make the next time you hit your race goals feel so sweet. Thinking about you!

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I love sushi! My favorite roll is the spider roll (soft shell crab), but eel is also great, anything with tuna, and I love all veggie rolls especially avocado. Mostly I think I love rice, soy sauce, and seaweed….and WASABI!

I love running on the snow. How it crunches when your feet land, how it pads when you fall, way nicer than ice and I feel so tough having run in the snow.

The Inaugural Seattle RNR Marathon in 2009 it was like I was flying on a cloud! I ran approximately the same time as most of my marathons that year, but it was just such a neat experience. My music died halfway through but it didn’t matter – there was a great crowd supporting the race, and lots of marathon maniacs that kept cheering for each other throughout.

P.S. So glad you had a cozy day with all the kids and no fighting! Winter wonderland!!

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I love the spider roll! I hope you get some sushi ASAP! You just reminded me of the snow crunch on a run, I’m excited to hear that again! I loved reading about your Seattle marathon and I hope you get another one of those experiences soon. Thanks Tonya and I hope your morning is off to a great start!

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Who made that gingerbread tree house??? I love it!
That podcast sounds amazing- I’m going to check it out. Thanks for posting about it and as always have a great day!

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Andrew made it, he is going to be so happy you said something about it! Thank you Jenny and have a really great day!

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Skye and Knox’s facial expressions in your Sunday pic of the kids are priceless! Love Brooke & Skye’s matching dresses too, so cute!

I’m scared to run on the snow, very afraid of slipping. Luckily the sidewalks in Maryland get cleared pretty quickly, so maybe a day or two of indoor running and then I can go back outdoors!

Best part of the weekend was temps in the 60’s here and spending time outdoors!

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Hahah and that was the best one I got? I’m glad that most days in Maryland you have a clear sidewalk to run on! Temps in the 60s… I think we need to come visit you this week! Have a beautiful day Mariah!

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LOVE sushi!! We haven’t had it in a long time too, weird. Anything with tuna and spicy tuna are my favorites, also ponzu sauce!
We don’t have snow here, but when we’re visiting my family in Colorado, it is fun running in it. I’m just cautious about slipping. I love how snow quiets the world, makes everything seem calm.
Best thing about the weekend was our son coming home ?. It feels good to have everyone under the same roof again.
Have a good Monday and start to the week!

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Ponzu sauce is heavenly! I hope you are able to get some sushi soon! I love that you get the best of both worlds with living where you do and then having family to visit in Colorado! I’m sooooooo happy your son is home! Best feeling ever! Thanks Wendy!

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Thank you for sharing! Negative thoughts can easily spiral out of control. I’m definitely going to check out this podcast. ?

It’s impossible to believe Skye is THREE! It seems like one minute she looked like a baby ? and then I blinked and she turned into a toddler. Time goes by too fast. It’s so cute that your kids like Funfetti cake ? YUM!

I’ve been less enthusiastic about getting outside as the weather plummets. I do feel better mentally when I get home but it takes a while to warm up. Once I do warm up I feel cold again thanks to sweat ? So then I have to shower and there’s the whole do I wash my hair debate. ? There may have been times I dry shampoo’d my hair followed by using my blow dryer ?

Oh yes I do enjoy sushi ? I prefer cooked sushi and especially ❤️ the tempura banana dessert roll our local place offers. ?

The best part of my weekend was getting outside for a walk during an unseasonably warm fall day! It is still fall right? The Holiday decorations are such a treat! ?

Have a wonderful Monday! ?

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Hey Sydney! You are so welcome and let me know what you think of the podcast! Haha I relate with you so much about what you said about getting outside with this weather… and the hair part afterwards! So glad you got out and we’re able to enjoy the decorations and some warmer temps! Thanks Sydney!

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Your brother’s quote share was perfect- I added it to my diary (I have a digital diary called Day One and I love adding quotes and pics to it as an easy way to catalog my days and thoughts).

I will listen to the podcast you suggested too. I find that in the winter on darker colder days, I have to work super hard to get out of my negative thoughts (too cold/I’m too tired) and just act despite them and
head out on a run or hike. I still use your “thought follows action” mantra many days.

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I LOVE running in the snow–it feels magical and makes me feel like a kid!

I also had sushi last night! I am not too picky about mine, but anything with salmon is probably my favorite. And seaweed salad. :-) Your cooking ALWAYS looks good, and so cozy!!!!

So glad you like the podcast!! My best race was a 10k with a HUGE climb (that I definitely didn’t notice on the racemap, whoops), but I had been adding a lot of hills to my workout and told myself I could absolutely do it. It was a long climb (like, seriously, most of mile 5 was uphill), but I just kept telling myself not to stop. I even ran my fastest 10k time that day! Our thoughts are just so powerful and they can do us so much good if we practice positivity.

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I LOVE mind set! And it’s so so so true …. we become what we think we are but we don’t have to!
I like California rolls but no other sushi. My husband says that doesn’t count as sushi but I argue why would they sell them at a Sushi restaurant if they’re not considered sushi :)
I wish I COULD run in the snow! My coordination can’t handle the slippery stuff though so unless I’m on a mountain with spikes or snow shoes, I do better keeping it inside!
My last trail race September 2019 I did my best because it was a new to me course and I was just super super excited to be on one of my favorite mountains running. I ran with joy and excitement and 0 time goal in mind. There was a woman ahead of me running up all the hills so my goal quickly became to catch her. Then when I passed her, my goal quickly became to pick off as many people as I could. Which is hard on single track! There were times I was out there all alone, smiling ear to ear and loving life so hard. It was perfect!
The best part of my weekend was looking forward to running with a friend this morning! So, not technically a weekend thing but it sure made my Sunday better!
Have a great day!

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Around here they have an odd roll called the Alaska roll. It has salmon, cucumber, avocado, cream cheese, eel sauce, spicy mayo and Wasabi mayo. And then melted mozzarella on top! You wouldn’t think that works but it does.

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I’ve never had sushi. I know! It’s something I do want to try but we don’t have any sushi places nearby (closest one is probably 45 minutes away).

I like that about not believing your negative thoughts – we can’t stop them from popping in our heads but we can choose what to do with them. I think I need to use this on my 9 year old when he starts to get down on himself about school work (remote learning is hard!).

I don’t mind running on snow as long as there isn’t ice under it. I am actually looking forward to getting more snow so I can go out with my snowshoes. When we have inches/feet of snow it’s fun to go out snowshoeing in the wooded areas and also on the golf course.

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I ran the Mississippi Gulf Coast Half Marathon this weekend! I got to watch Des Linden cross the start line, which was really cool!

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CONGRATS JENNIFER on your race! That is seriously so cool that you saw Des start! I hope you are riding the post-race endorphin high:)

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This is really sad actually, but I had a few people in my life that could not be happy for my running. If I did well, they could not be happy about it, and if I did not do well, it seemed like they kind of were happy . Anyways, the first AMAZING race I had was when I just did not tell those few I was even doing it. The running result is really the least of it, but I did not have to worry about why people would be this way. It was like FREEDOM, and I still remember feeling so light that whole race.

I love that quote you were sent.

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Skye looks so grownup in her Sunday dress, matching Brooke. Your comment about the kids not fighting made me think of my mom! I’m the youngest of four, so I’m pretty sure she was happy whenever that happened, too.

I have never run in/on snow! I’m pretty sure I’d be a little afraid since I often have trouble staying upright in dry conditions!

Our minds are powerful. I’ve taught several women’s Bible studies about worry and our thoughts. My go to Bible verse is Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any praise, think on these things.” I like to turn it around “whatsoever things are untrue, dishonest, etc.” and then say, “stop thinking about those things!” I agree, it takes constant training.

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I love running in the snow when it first falls or has compacted a bit, not when it’s starting to melt and is slushy or it’s coming down as wet snow. I dislike running with wet socks especially when it’s cold out!

I don’t eat any seafood, raw or cooked, so I don’t really like sushi. I also don’t like cucumbers, avocados, or cream cheese which are usually in the vegetarian rolls, so I typically don’t even look at the sushi roll menu. There have been the random veggie rolls that have something else in them, but I usually just order something else off the menu, but my husband LOVES sushi. I’m half Korean, so there are lots of rolls that don’t have seafood in those. I’ll make rolls with bulgogi (korean beef), rice, and kimchi! Those are tasty! haha but definitely not sushi.

So actually most of my races I’ve been horribly undertrained, so I don’t put any pressure on myself except to just finish. My first half was in Chicago and it has been my fastest as well, 1:57. My only marathon, I ended up being 10 weeks pregnant (not planned, since the race was at the end of October and I entered the lottery in Feb, found out I got in in March, and then found out I was pregnant at the September). My goal was to listen to my body and I was able to run the whole thing, while walking through all the water stations. I ended up finishing at 4:19 and now I wonder if I can get under 4 hours when I’m NOT pregnant! Although as your are fully aware, training takes up A LOT of time and I’m not super fast, so those long runs take a good chunk of the day and I’m 16 weeks now, so that won’t be for a long while.

The best part of the weekend was seeing a friend. It’s been SO good to see people outside of my husband and toddler. I work from home and my husband has been going into his office and my toddler has been going to daycare, so I get out of the house to walk my dog, exercise, or run errands, but that’s about the extent of seeing people.

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Yes, we can have deep-seated positivity!! However, if deep-seated negativity is already there, then there is some work to do. Not everyone can do it. Not everyone knows to do it. So, wait a minute, I have to reread and see if you wrote anything about detection…. Ideally, the work should include real-time identification of slippage. Otherwise it’s Groundhog Day (like the movie, it’s pretty good)!!

It’s about us, and the energy we transmit within ourselves and our community. Even if we have something controversial (read: negative) to put out, if our energy is positive, the community will know it. They will know it has the potential to bring balance. Balance is not static (see-saw, trampoline, et.al.)

Great post! Have the best day!

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Love the quote! You have an awesome brother!

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