I didn’t take a picture yesterday so I decided to use a photo from a few weeks ago. There was a week a bit ago where on every run we went on we either saw Emilee’s husband or Andrew while we were running. One of them would drive by as they were out doing errands and honk (or pull over and take pictures because Andrew is very used to the duties of being married to a blogger;).
Yesterday we started off the week with 8 miles @ 8:28 average as we talked non-stop. Speaking of our husbands… they always wonder how Emilee and I never run out of things to talk about with how many miles we have done together. It is our secret talent.
Beck must have known it’s my birthday week because he had his best night of sleep ever. He went to bed at 8 pm and then I woke him up at 6 to feed him before I went running. He must know I’m a much better mom when I get plenty of sleep so he is helping me out with that;)
PS I turn 35 this week and I will DEFINITELY NOT be running 35 miles like I ran 33 miles on my 33rd birthday. I am positive that my running watch will never go above 26.2 miles again (unless I don’t run the tangents well during a marathon and go a bit over 26.2 miles:).
My pull-up attempts are still happening each morning (another picture from a different day) but Skye is way closer to her pull-up than I am.
We were able to have another park day with my sister. Skye went down this thing below so many times that her arms were sore.
Beck has some cousins that are very excited for him to be old enough to play with him.
It sure felt good to have Brooke home again.
I’ve come up with the solution to help me to cook more often. If I can just get myself to sit down and write a list of everything we need for 5ish meals and do all of the shopping at once, I actually enjoy the cooking part of it all. It’s just the idea of going to the store more than once a week with kids that gets me to avoid cooking at all costs so here are two things we’ve made so far and then we are planning on making Shalane’s marathon lasagna, this farro salad and this easy shrimp curry this week too.
Brooke’s current favorite meal on the planet is chicken pot pie (via the Marie Calendar ones that you microwave) so I decided to try to make a homemade version. You can’t go wrong with A Bountiful Kitchen so I tried her Oh My-Chicken Pot Pie! Delicious and quite the comfort meal.
Knox is all about Ramen Noodles so this Quick Chicken Ramen Noodle Stir Fry was a meal that all of us loved and the kids didn’t even notice the mushrooms in it:)
Oh and we each tried one of these yesterday because I couldn’t pass by the Cotton Candy version…
Still one of our favorite ways to slow down at the end of the day…
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Let’s chat about race distances… ever done a race where your watch went way over or way under the race distance?
-I think the time that my watch was most off was during the New York City Marathon in 2011. Between the older garmin I was using at the time, running around people a bunch in the first few miles and all of the buildings/bridges… My watch was way off at the end.
Do you like to run on your bday? Have you ever ran your age in miles on your bday? Is that something you ever want to do?
How often do you go grocery shopping and if you could choose just one grocery store to shop at forever… which one would it be?
Feelings about Peeps?
-I can eat one and then I’m done for another year until they are on the shelves again and I try one more again.
34 comments
kelly
How is it that a few days of no photos of Brooke and suddenly she looks way older?!
I think Beck is taking on all of Skye’s expressions! So cute!!
NYC marathon—–so wonderful and so hard to track on a device accurately ;)
I love running or riding on my birthday but have now reached the age where running my age is best in kilometers instead of miles!!!
I actually grocery shop a few times a week. I try to get staples all at once then supplement with the fresh items throughout the week as needed. When I lived in USA it was far easier to do one big shopping trip but it isn’t quite the same here in EU.
I’m one and done with Peeps, too.
The Hungry Runner Girl
I feel the same way… she was gone for a few days and came home a teenager! YES, I am thinking I’ll do my age in kilometers next year. Oh I bet it is so different in other countries when it comes to grocery shopping (and I hope you have fresh markets close by… that would be awesome). Have a beautiful day Kelly!
Bethany
I’m with you about the meal planning! If I go to the store without having picked recipes in advance it is a disaster on multiple levels.
Peeps – I used to like them but think I would feel ill if I had one again! They are fun for microwave jousting though.
And one half marathon my watch was WAY under. I had issues getting a signal at the start so maybe that was the problem? Friends that ran it with me also came up short; like over half a mile short! I think they changed the course the next year!!
Have a wonderful birthday week!!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Hahaha DISASTER is just the word I was looking for. And you are right about the peeps, I definitely felt a little off after it. Oh that is frustrating about that half marathon but I’m glad they tried to fix it for the next year. Thank you friend and I hope your Tuesday is off to a great start.
Janine
Good Tuesday Morning!!
I haven’t had my watch be over/under in distance, but my fully charged Garmin just stopped, quit, went blank for no explicable reason in my first marathon. Never did it again. Ever. Maybe it was the universe’s attempt to get me to just relax and run the course?
I have run on my birthday, but am at an age now where doing that number of miles would be insanity!!
I prefer to shop in one big trip, but inevitable end up making extra small trips for one reason or another. I refer to the grocery store as my second home :o) Favorite store – Wegman’s forever!! It’s an east coast chain so you may never have heard of it.
Peeps…loved them as a kid, but the very thought of eating one now makes my teeth hurt!! However, every year, I must have one Cadbury Cream Egg (a very polarizing treat – love ’em or hate ’em!). Have a terrific Tuesday and best wishes for a wonderful birthday week!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Hey Janine! That must have been SO incredibly frustrating during your first marathon. Hahah the universe must have been trying to tell you something. We need a Wegman’s… I have friends on the east that love that store so much. I haven’t had a Cadbury Cream Egg in years so I will eat one this year in your honor:) Thanks Janine and I hope you do too!
Beth
Great job Beck, what a nice gift!
It’s been super cold here the last couple days so we have been trying to stay entertained inside at home ?
I would like to run my age some year but as I get older that is looking harder to do.
I hope you are enjoying your birthday week!!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
OH NOOOO to the cold… I hope that you get some warmer weather asap! I am thinking maybe next year I will do my age in kilometers ha if you want to join me in that:). Thank you friend and have some hot chocolate today:)
Wendy
It is good to see Brooke again. I know she visits with her dad very often, but this time did seem longer for some reason.
I haven’t had a race where my mileage was way off, but one of my favorite old routes through our little downtown area always messes with my pace. It’s bso frustrating, saying I’m running a full minute slower than I really am. Thank goodness it’s only about .3 of a mile…ha ha.
I am so much happier when I make a good grocery shopping list, and menu plan, for the whole week. It helps everyone feel more relaxed in the evenings.
And eeewww…. Peeps. That is one treat I can’t stand. But they are so cute in Easter baskets.
Off for a super easy shorter run. Yesterday’s hike had a total of 1,462 feet of climbing, so I am feeling it today. But it was such a perfect time spent with my husband.
Have a great day!
The Hungry Runner Girl
I AGREEEEEEEE… this one felt longer to us too and it felt especially long to Knox because he is rarely here without Brooke here (she is usually gone when he is gone) so he was really missing her too. Oh that would be incredibly frustrating. The things that bug us runners but the rest of the world thinks we are crazy about haha. I am so glad you guys were able to go on that hike yesterday and that is SO much climbing. Thanks Wendy, you too!
Mariah
I grocery shop once a week and Trader Joe’s is my fav! Although I’ll normally go somewhere else too if they don’t have something or I like a certain brand.
All your meals look so good! I haven’t cooked from Run Fast Eat Slow in a while, may need to make their lasagna. Or been thinking about their chicken rice soup, with all this cold weather. Pro about masks though is no flu or cold this year (fingers crossed I don’t get now), so I haven’t needed chicken noodle soup yet haha.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Trader Joe’s really is just the best… you are making me want to go there today:). Let me know if you make their lasagna and what you think. I must make that soup… that sounds so good right now. Enjoy your Tuesday, Mariah!
Kimberly
Oh my goodness, that pot pie looks absolutely scrumptious! I must make that soon. The Ramen noodles also looked superb! It’s only 9:24 in the morning here and I want those meals NOW ? I hope you enjoy your birthday werk, Janae!
The Hungry Runner Girl
I hope you are able to make them soon… they were both so so yummy. Have a beautiful day Kimberly (and I want dinner foods at 9:24 in the morning too:)
Kelsie
I agree with your cooking solution! And also I swear by grocery pickup!! It’s a lifesaver for me with kids!
I’m so invested in your blog that now I wish Emilee had one too! Ha it’s so cool to see other moms out there crushing these big goals! (Maybe she’d be a good guest post if she hasn’t already ;)
I love running on my birthday! It’s one of the few days a year I can convince my husband to run with me. But definitely couldn’t convince him to run my age in miles haha.
Hope you have a great birthday week!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
RIGHT?! Her life is so interesting and she is inspires me in so many ways. I’ll plant the blog seed in her on tomorrow’s run (and maybe ask for a guest post:). I need to get back into grocery pickup too, it really is SO helpful. Maybe I can get Andrew to run with me on Saturday ha. Thank you Kelsie and I hope your day is starting off great!
Emily H.
Beck is just too darn cute!!! Oh my gosh, isn’t that sleep life changing??? I’m a FTM, but I always considered my son to be a pretty good sleeper, even early on! We hit a pretty rough patch for a few weeks because he was teething, starting solids, rolling all over the place, and maybe hitting a regression. I don’t actually know, but it was tough! He recently started sleeping 10ish hours in a row, and it’s seriously the best! I feel almost fully functional again, and my runs feel that much better hahaha. Hopefully it lasts for a while!
Yes to grocery lists! I sit down and meal plan every week and my husband does the shopping. We’ve found it to be so much easier to grocery shop this way, and I’m sure we save some money, too. Pre-covid we loved going out to eat, but the cases around here are a little crazy, so we stick to take out and groceries, especially because of our little one.
Have a great Tuesday, Janae!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you so much Emily and I am THRILLED that your son is now sleeping 10 hours straight. That is huge and I am so happy you are feeling good again. I totally agree, my runs are SO much better if I get a good night of sleep. I’m hoping that this 10 hour streak goes on for a very long time for you! Ummm that is the best solution ever, I’ll ask Andrew to do that with me because he actually loves grocery shopping. I hope that the cases slow down where you are at! Thank you Emily, you too!
Sk
I only go grocery shopping with husband, alone or just do a curbside pickup!! I have 2 under 3. Eek! So stressful with the young ones.
Kristine
We go every 2 weeks but we just have to feed 2 of us not including the dog lol. I do meal plan..loosely but my partner doesn’t mind eating the same thing for a week.. Ie a big batch of chilli or vat of stew. My sister has 2 kids and they definitely go more often lol.
Happy birthday week!
The Hungry Runner Girl
I’m a lot like your partner… I actually would be okay eating the same thing for dinner night after night (with different desserts;) but my family likes the variety ha. Thank you Kristine and I hope you have a fun adventure planned for this weekend!
Amy S
Hi Janae! I definitely don’t want to run my age in miles but maybe km would be ok or I could bike that distance in miles. Happy birthday week and looking forward to seeing how you celebrate!
Jennifer
I share a birthday week with you. Turned 41. So I ran 4.1 miles. I have zero desire to run 41 miles. My sister, SIL, and a friend all have birthdays this month as well so we just refer to it as birthday month! :) Your new plan for grocery shopping it the same thing that I do. I plan out 4-5 meals and buy everything I need. Sometimes with leftovers we stretch it out. It just depends on what we make.
I hope you have a great birthday week!
Rachel R.
This is exactly how I grocery shop – I sit down at my laptop, pick five or six recipes for dinners, then copy and paste the ingredients into an excel file, along with links to the recipe, so I can pull them up quickly when I’m ready to cook. I go through the ingredients list, strike anything I don’t need, then add other things we need outside dinner-related items, and that’s my list!
With leftovers and a couple of times doing takeout (we do takeout once a week) and easy pick up meals from freezer stash or pantry staples (like grilled cheese and tomato soup) this will usually get me through ten – 14 days!
And if your family is a fan of ramen, I highly recommend this VERY easy recipe – it’s for one, but easily scaled up! https://www.budgetbytes.com/vegan-creamy-mushroom-ramen/
Kathy McElhaney
Happy birthday week, Janae!
I ran a 25k in Hawaii that ended up being quite a bit off. It messed with my head every time I passed a mile marker!
I’ll be 57 in a couple of months – definitely won’t be running my age! I rode my age in kilometers last year, but I’d really like to ride in miles this year.
I definitely plan my meals for the week and only go grocery shopping once. I used Target’s grocery pickup a couple times, it’s good for everything except produce. So if you just need a couple things mid-week, give Target a try. They’ll put the groceries right into your trunk so no need to even get out of the car! So Cal grocery unions went on strike in 2003 and their prices went out of control, so I typically shop at Target or Walmart. We have a Walmart Corner market about 5 minutes from our house and I love it – it’s not your typical Walmart Superstore, just the basics. I really loved Fresh and Easy and was so sad when they went out of business.
When I could only get Peeps at Easter I really liked them. I think I must have overeaten them at some point because now I have no desire to eat one.
John
Kathy,
Thanks for the great idea. I’m one year behind you and just started cycling. I might try and 56K ride on my birthday and shoot for a 57 mile ride by next year!
Otherwise, I might need to divide by 10 or 100 for a run, lol.
Marissa
At the Disneyworld marathon last year, I was pretty close to 27 miles. I’ve done a couple of halves that were 13.5 (Nike Women & a local one).
I love running on my birthday, it’s such an empowering way to start another year of life! I have run parts of friends’ birthday runs (40 mi and 43 mi!) Ha, but no. I’m good doing maybe my years in km.
I grocery shop about every 1 1/2 weeks and I would choose Costco or Walmart pickup :)
Peeps roasted over a fire are pretty good! The sugar crystallizes, but I agree – one, and I’m done.
Mary
Hi Janae! Pot pie is my FAVORITE meal! Did you make the crust from that recipe, too? It seems simple and I happen to have shortening so I’ll give it a go.
I highly recommend the chicken pot pie recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod. It is my go to filling because it is quick to make and tasty!
Kristen
Way back before grocery delivery was a thing I had an idea for a business model where I would come up with people’s meal plans then go buy the food for them too. So all you would have to do is cook.
I have a strange love for grocery shopping and in an ideal world I could see myself doing it old school European or Indian style… going to the market each day to see what’s looking fresh and best then building the day’s menu around that. I kinda love fancy expensive grocery stores but I don’t shop there much. And I like to go to grocery stores and farmers markets when I’m on vacation in different places!
Kaitlyn
I was inspired by you 33 mile birthday run to train to run 30 miles on my 30th birthday. It’s just a few weeks away, training is going well, and I’m super excited!
The Hungry Runner Girl
This makes me soooooo happy! I’m cheering for you and please let me know how it goes! Happy almost 30th❤️
Christina
Beck looks like Knox and I can’t believe your girls have gotten so grown up and pretty. What fun :) enjoy your beautiful day!
Sarah
You definitely need to try out curbside grocery pickup! It is a total game changer. I use Fred Meyer because it’s close by and they generally have most of what I need. We just “shop” at home using the app and schedule our pickup window. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
Fair warning, it does have a bit of a learning curve for the items that you usually just grab but don’t put on your list (bananas, milk, bread … for me). But eventually you have a pre-built list of your usual items in the app and don’t have to think too hard anymore.
Tracy
Happy Birthday week!!!
Do they have Instacart grocery delivery where you live? I highly recommend it!! It’s been a game changer for me.