My last run in St. George was a good one.
I’ve decided I’ll ‘officially’ (<–still not sure what that means ha) start training for my half-marathon next week once school starts so this week I’ll keep doing whatever my body wants to each day.
Yesterday I wanted to push the uphill on the trails and then cruise the downhill on the roads. The sunrise joined me for the run.
This up might not look like a lot but it keeps going and going. 630ft of climbing total over the 8 miles and miles 5-7 I averaged a 6:30 pace on the downhill. There is something to building strength on the uphills and trails and ending with fast leg turnover. Your legs are dead by the end of the trails so training them to move fast when they are tired is so awesome for training.
Skye came over and sat by me to practice for preschool. She is counting down the minutes for school to start.
And then we made our way back home… I even drove part of the way, which was a big accomplishment; I do not like driving on the freeway.
We consider only one stop along the 3.5 hour drive a HUGE success.
I was very excited to see that there was a package from Brooks on the doorstep. The Levitate 5… I have always loved the Levitate for their bounce and how they energize my runs, so I cannot wait to try the 5s.
THE SHOEBOX HAD A SCREEN IN IT?!?!
Skye was pleased to come home to a package on our doorstep with a sweatshirt that has Skye from Paw Patrol on it.
And to her pets… Our neighbors took great care of them;)
Beck’s latest hobby is finding a door and closing it as many times as he possibly can.
I saw this on IG yesterday and I loved it. Let’s see what can happen with our running…
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Those of you in a relationship… Do you trust your partner to order for you?
-Yes, I am always impressed Andrew has my orders down. He is easy to order for because he loves trying new things, so I go with whatever he hasn’t tried before:)
At what point do you say a trip is too long to drive and you buy a plane ticket instead?
-I think 10-11 hours of driving is our max and then we will get a plane ticket.
What running shoes are you wearing today?
Are you following a training plan right now or doing your own thing?
34 comments
Mollie
Haha yes, my husband always knows exactly what I’m going to order. Sometimes he even knows when I’m deciding between two things. It’s freaky. Or maybe I just always order the same things. haha.
Those St. George runs are so beautiful. And I really need to make it to LULU this weekend! That top is super cute. (If your readers don’t know btw, military gets a huge lulu discount. It’s awesome. I think I shared that with you before though! I always try to share that with people because I didn’t know until a couple of years ago!).
I had a kid wake up sick last night with a fever and I was up most of the night with him. Poor thing. He woke up feeling a lot better so I’m debating whether to take him in to the doctor. There’s so much going around right now I would rather just keep him home unless he gets worse. That being said, I have a big workout today that I’m not excited for. This is the time when I wish I made my own training plans. I love my coach, but it’s always hard to be flexible when you’re accountable to someone else. Which is good in part, unless you were up all night! :)
I hope you have a great day!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Mollie, that is so so cool! I didn’t know that they did that for the military. That makes me really happy, enjoy shopping this weekend! I am SO so sorry about your little guy and please keep me updated on how he is doing. I am so sorry that you didn’t sleep either and then a big workout today?! This is rough!! Thinking about you friend.
jessey
No, I would not trust my husband to order for me – he needs a lot of hand holding with everything he does, so it drives me a little crazy. He’ll research everything and then ask me questions over and over again. He’s going to Denver in September and he still hasn’t booked anything – I would have flight, hotel and car booked within an hour of knowing I was going.
I never really thought about flight vs driving – I’ve only driven from Boston to Washington DC (8 hour drive once) but that was part of a longer trip with the kids. Next time I would definitely fly.
I was surprised a friend flew from Boston to Niagara Falls – its about a 7 hour drive. So I think the size/convenience of the airport definitely comes into play. It would be so quick to jump on the highway and go – it is literally a straight shot from here. For years my client was outside of NYC – When I was living at the time it was a 3 hour drive and we’d do day trips all the time. But there were people who would have to drive into Boston, fly into NYC, take a car service (this was pre-Uber) out and then reverse. There is a small airport near the client but there is only 2 flights to Boston a day.
I also think luggage when I would consider the trip. Me and my son are driving to Chicago via West Virginia, Kentucky and St Louis while my husband and daughter are flying to Chicago. I love to drive, he doesn’t, so I am fine doing that drive. When I considered if all of us should just fly to Chicago, but then we’d have to pack everything in luggage – for a 2 week road trip I want my “stuff”, I don’t want to be living the miminalist life for that long. A few days, a week maybe, okay, but not 2 weeks.
So my very long winded is 8 hours I think. Someday we want to explore the south (Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Savannah). That is a flying into somewhere and driving. I’ve driving the eastern seaboard enough – it is so boring. Even this upcoming trip I’ve told my son – the first 6 hours and the last 6 hours are boring because that is just getting to where we want to go, not seeing anything new.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Andrew is like you with flight/car/hotel and I’m a bit more like your husband these days with travel! Yuck, that sounds like a lot of work for those day trips… I’m glad it was an easy thing for you to do when you had your client outside of NYC! Luggage definitely plays a factor when it comes to driving vs flying. I feel like we have way too much stuff now to fly with all of us ha. I hope you have a great time in Chicago and enjoy having all of your stuff for those two weeks! Thanks Jessey!
Wendy
Yes! My husband is so good at ordering the best things for me! He really, is just such a great online shopper in general. Oh, and he’s so good at finding deals and always free shipping.
I agree with Mollie… Your runs in Utah are stunning. I need to get up there.
We used to drive to Colorado all the time, with 2kids and 2 dogs, thought nothing of it. 16-17 hours door to door. Now that thought makes me cringe! We will do it occasionally, but it is so long. Plus now, Southwest airlines has super affordable flights to Denver quite regularly, so flying is much preferred. I need to be mentally ready for a car trip longer than 4 hours… Ha ha
I am currently following a training plan, and loving that it tells me what to do each day. I haven’t done that for so long, it’s a nice change. Today I’m running in Altras. First time I’ve owned a pair, and I do like them. Good support, bouncy… But a screen in a shoe box?! That’s way cool! I love all the positive sayings that Brooks puts on their boxes. Makes me so happy.
Alrighty… Off for an early run before a busy day!
Have a great day Janae ?
The Hungry Runner Girl
Wendy, your anniversary looked amazing! I’m telling you, you need to come visit me on your way to Colorado one day (if you guys do ever drive again) and we can go run! Keep enjoying that plan… it is so nice to not have to think about it and to just get out and run! Have I told you that my coach’s son is the creator of Altra’s?! Pretty cool. I agree with you about Brooks’ boxes, just the best. I hope your busy day is going great!
Mariah
I am wearing the Brooks Launch now, but the Levitates look amazing!
I am following a half training plan right now. It’s from a local running club, but I modified a bit to make it work for me. I haven’t followed a plan in a while without racing, so this is very motivating to me haha!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh the Launch are just the best! Sounds like you are using the perfect plan… love it when that motivation comes back again (still kind of searching for that ha). Have a fabulous day, Mariah!
Michele H.
I love the quote. Do you know who NightBirde is? She was on America’s Got Talent and has the most tragic backstory and her positivity is absolutely unbelievable.
I’m training for Boston and following the Hanson Marathon Method. I did this plan for Grandma’s Marathon and not only had a big PR, but didn’t hit a wall. I actually went faster the last six miles, whaaat! We will see how it goes the second time around.
I joined a Saucony race team and they gave me free shoes so I am usually wearing those. I found the Endorphin Pros are amazingly fast. The Guides are my daily trainers and feel great. Right now, I am wearing my Altra Escalantes which are now my walking shoes. I was an Altra girl until the race team happened this year.
Happy running!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Yes, her story is so so sad but her attitude has helped me so much since I first found her. It’s hard to feel down when you see her struggle and yet she keeps fighting and staying positive. SO excited for you to run Boston! IN OCTOBER–> I feel like you guys are going to get the best weather. Hansons Marathon Method is incredible. Congrats on your huge PR and never hitting the wall. I cannot wait to see what you do at Boston. Emilee (my training partner) loves the Endorphin Pros too! My coach’s son is the one that created Altra:) Congrats also on that racing team, you are on fire! Have a beautiful day!
Sarah
Hi Janae! I noticed it looks like you have been trying a new pair of headphones? What do you think of them? I am on the market for a new pair. I had been using an old school pair of skull candy over the ear with the wire for the longest time but they were discontinued! I bought a pair of ear buds but they are constantly coming out when I run which causes me to stop and fix them every few minutes which is driving me nuts!!! Tempted to try air pods but looking for insight!
The Hungry Runner Girl
HEY SARAH! They are aftershokz and I am hooked. I will never go back to my airpods for running. They don’t go inside your ear either which means you still get to hear your music perfectly but then you also get to hear everything going on around you. The charge lasts forever and seriously the sound is so great! These never budge the entire run… I’m hooked!
https://amzn.to/3COFUk7
Have a great day and let me know if you try them!
Erica
First picture, looking fit and beautiful……..as always!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you Erica! I hope your day is a great one. School starts soon?
Kathy
I trust my husband to order for me, I usually like the same things and depending on where we are ordering from, I can do his easily!
I think the limit on driving depends on how long you are staying there. Pre-COVID, we would fly between Denver to St Louis for weekends, but when we are there for a week (we are visiting family) then we drive bc its also nice to have a car and we’ll also bring our dog. That drive is anywhere between 11-13 hrs depending on if we drive through the night (minimal stops) or during the day (extra stops for the 3 yr old and dog to run around). In college we would always drive between St. Louis to one of the mountain towns (Breck, Winter Park, Crested Butte, Aspen, and Telluride). I think it also matters how many drivers are able to help!
I’m currently wearing the Saucony Kinvaras. But not training for anything. I’m just getting back into running slowly. Curious what time do you typically get out the door for runs. I have a 2 month old and 3 yr old (who does not sleep in), so getting out the door after nursing but before my 3 yr old wakes up is hard!
The Hungry Runner Girl
HEY KATHY! That is so true about how many drivers you have with you when it comes to deciding whether to fly or drive. I agree that it is so nice to have a car and to bring the pup too. The drive through those mountain towns sounds dreamy! I loved the Kinvaras when I tried them in the past! Congrats on your new little ones, I hope you are getting some sleep! When Beck was 2 months I was doing a lot of lunch time runs because I could not get up early. It really varies for me at this point…. anywhere from 5ish to 8ish in the morning. It just depends on if Andrew is home or if I am needing a babysitter or if I need to run before he goes to work. Being flexible at this point is crucial for me even though the type A in me wants to have the perfect schedule and to run at the same time every day. Sorry for the novel! Let me know what ends up working for you guys… you’ve got this!
michelle
Skye’s notes where she’s practicing for preschool look oddly similar to my notes from every Zoom meeting I’ve attended this past year, hah! And those trails in St. George are gorgeous, they would definitely motivate me to run! My husband is usually pretty spot on with what I would order, I might be a bit predictable ;)
We almost never get on a plane unless we’re going across an ocean, we always want too many toys with us (mtn bikes, road bikes, paddle boards) but I’d say we don’t usually drive more than 8 hours in a day.
I ran in Hokas this morning. The only “plan” I’m following is a super slow come back from achilles tendonitis. I have a 3 mile dog walk loop and every day I’m adding in a minute or two more of running the flat and downhill portions of the loop. When I first realized I could run at all without pain I of course wanted to just start flying, but have been really trying to reign myself in and build back super slow. It helps that we have a puppy who is good at short stints of running and then gets pooped out and is happy for the walk breaks too ;)
The Hungry Runner Girl
Bahaha about your zoom meetings! Come out and run some trails in St. George with me please. The toys… DEFINITELY would motivate me to drive too. My friends all love Hokas! I am so glad you are back after your achilles injury and it sounds like you are being SO smart about your comeback. It will pay off big time and I’m glad your puppy is helping you to get in that run/walk plan perfectly;) Happy Wednesday… so glad you are back to running!
Jessica
I’m juuuuust about done with my current pair of Ghosts – ready for the new model! I’m not currently using a training plan, but i’m honestly getting a little bored and think a training plan is what i need!! I’m not currently working toward a goal, which i think is fine, but having a new time or distance goal might help me get a little more excited to get out there every day.
The Hungry Runner Girl
You’ll have to let me know what you think of the ghost 14s! Let me know if you come up with some goals and I’ll be here to cheer you on! Have a beautiful day!
Karen
Hi Janae! I’ve been following you forever but this is my first comment. I’m hoping you can help me with shoe advice for my 20 year old daughter. She needs a new pair of shoes for both running and hiking, but can only afford one pair. She does one -two easy runs a week for a few miles and the hiking is also just once a week and not too long or excessively technical. So she doesn’t need a true trail shoe or any specific running shoe. I’m wondering what shoes you wear if you’re doing an easy run that includes some roads and some trails? Thanks!!!!
John
Hello, I saw your post and thought I could help out a bit. Some running shoe companies make trail shoes, street shoes, and a kind of hybrid street-trail shoe (ATR or All Terrain Shoe).
The Hoka hybrid is the Challenger ATR :
https://www.hokaoneone.com/womens-trail/challenger-atr-6/1106512.html
I’ve used the men’s Hoka Challenger for both street running, trail running, and hiking and they seem fine for both. They actually feel more like a street shoe to me.
If she is doing serious street running though, it may be best to just stick with a normal street shoes. They just won’t give her the grip and rock plate of a trail shoe.
John
Karen
Thanks for the feedback! I’ve been wanting to try Hoka shoes for awhile. I might just have to test some for her ;)
John
Karen – another thing I like about the Challenger is that Hoka kept the padded tongue. I absolutely hate the sharp leather tongue they have on a lot of their shoes now. Why would you put anything sharp on a running shoe where it can dig into your ankle? I have not quite figured that one out…. lol…
The Hungry Runner Girl
Hey Karen! Thank you for being my friend over the years and it makes me so happy to hear from you today! I didn’t know about the hybrid shoes that John recommended, those sound awesome! I am all about Brooks obviously ha so if you were going with Brooks I would choose the Ghost 14s. They are the perfect everyday shoe and I’ve worn them on trails and they rock there too. I LOVE THEM and recommend them to everyone:)
Sanne
Nope, don’t trust my husband when it comes to ordening food. Ordering food is my speciality :D
I’m impressed by your road trips with the kids! We’re glad when we survived a one hour-trip with the kids haha! We need some practice, I want to take them to legoland in denmark but that’s a 7 hour-drive. When it comes to that point, I’ll ask you for advice!
Not really following a training plan, but I’m training for a 24 km trail and thinking about running a 20 km trail in september. We’ll see! Enjoy running without a plan for the rest of this week!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Haha I’m sure he appreciates your specialty too! One our trips are hard too! There is a legoland in Denmark?! That sounds like so much fun! I want our family to come and join you guys. I’ll send you all of the tips. Both of those races sound awesome, cheering for you! Keep me updated on it all. Thanks Sanne!
Megan
My husband hasn’t a clue what I eat from anywhere. I can order for our entire household and get it all right. My husband and I have the same profession, when we order out for lunch, he has our department call me to order for the both of us!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Haha I love that you just order for you and him at work! What do you guys do? That sounds awesome that you work together!
Megan
We are Respiratory Therapists (We work for the same company that Andrew works for but at a hospital in Salt Lake)!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
THAT IS SO AWESOME! Thanks for sharing with me!
Stephanie Maria Kartalopoulos
Those Levitates are absolutely beautiful. I’m not often envious of people, but I am envious that as a benefit of your work you get gorgeous gifts like that!!!
How is Skye in school already?!?!? She looks like a teenager pretty much in your pictures, but she’s still a little baby. Time–why does it go so fast?!?
I trust Tom to order for me. He knows what I do and don’t like really well by now, and I know what he does and does not like really well by now! I love that Andrew is easy to order for–adventurous eaters who are down for anything are the best!!!
Janine
Hi Janae!! Beautiful sunrise for your run in St. George!
My boyfriend probably orders better for me than he does himself. He can have a tough time choosing, but with my choice to be primarily vegan, my options are usually fewer. He did a good job even before I went vegan though. Most important, he always gets my coffee orders right!!
If a trip can happen within 24 hours of driving and one overnight in the middle, I’ll do it but I don’t love it. I think much over ten hours, I would be giving serious consideration to plane fare :o)
Brooks Glycerin are the shoes of the day and currently I am following a plan, but it’s a blend of several plans I have out together for myself. Do you ever do that?
Hope you are having an awesome day!!
Laura
Ehhhhh, I would be concerned on how to dispose of the box after playing the video. Did it come with instructions?