It WOULDN’T Happen + A Big Day for Our Family.

(tank, shorts, long-sleeve, shoes)

I had an early workout with the crew and felt like I needed a nap by 9 a.m.

See the small dots way in front of me?  Those are my teammates, and this was towards the beginning of one of the intervals.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE LAST!

I am improving with my running, and that wouldn’t happen if I let coming in last keep me from showing up.

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I did 3 x 2 miles for my workout with about a 2.5-mile warm-up.  The third interval is the hardest… you climb 503 ft in the first 1.18 miles of the interval.

My legs were feeling pretty trashed from my long workout on Saturday and then trails on Monday, so I ignored paces and just ran by effort.   We have set courses for these 2-mile intervals, making it easy to not look at your watch and just run by feel.

As long as we are doing our best and putting in the effort—>  the fitness will be gained!

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Skye had her sports conditioning class and crushed it.

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And it was a very big day for our family and a first for Beck.

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The kids and Andrew look forward to this all year—> We decorated for Halloween.  I’m grateful our neighbors are encouraging of us putting up decorations way too early.

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And Mindy’s taco soup for dinner, it was fabulous.

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A few things before I let you go…

*Just one more picture from Brooke’s race.  Pretty sure I dreamed of this image the day I found out I was pregnant with her:). I’m trying my best to play it cool with their running and let them decide when/where/how, but it is bursting out of me a bit, ha.

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*When there is a sale on cereal at the grocery store…. I wonder how long it will take us to go through this?  I’m hoping at least a month;)

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*There are approximately 6,777 toys behind me, but whenever I attempt to do something on the computer while Beck is awake, he crawls over to try to unplug the computer.  I take it as his sign that he is telling me to wait until he is napping.

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*Do I need to buy these?  You know my deep love for candy corn + peanuts, but I have not tried this combo with chocolate peanuts.  Should I buy it next time I am at the store or continue with my usual recipe of happiness?

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Thoughts on candy corn?  Anything you like to add with it?  Should I try the above bag?

Too early to decorate for Halloween or not early enough?

When there is a sale at your grocery store of something you love, do you buy a bunch of it or just one or two?

What is a way that you have showed up for your running goals lately?

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37 comments

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Ha ha, I was just having a conversation yesterday about how great cereal is! Golden grahams + cheerios are one of my favorite combos. Try it; the flavors are so good together!

I’m glad someone shares my love of candy corn. Everyone else thinks it’s totally gross! (And they’re probably right . . .)

I have TOTALLY readjusted my running goals–lately I’ve been running 2 miles with a rest in between each mile. After being injured and ill most of last year, I realized my body could not handle anything more. That was a hard thing to accept, but being able to run at ALL is way better than pushing myself and feeling awful. Patience is a big thing for me right now, and being in the moment!

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I will be trying that combo tonight for my post-dinner snack. Sounds SO good. Hahah they probably are right but at least we love candy corn and not the pumpkins;) I hope you get some soon. I love the lessons you are learning this year and the grace you are giving your body during this time. ‘Being able to run at ALL’…. love that. You are doing amazing. Thanks Kristin!

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Hmmmmm. I’m not a fan of candy corn, but I think that the chocolate covered peanuts make that bag interesting enough to try :) It’s funny b/c I do like those little pumpkins that are basically the same exact thing as candy corn but in pumpkin form. Maybe it’s a mental thing for me. I need something more to sink my teeth into than a tiny piece of candy corn. lol

Not too early to decorate for Halloween!!!!! My problem is that I’d then leave the decorations up until, say, April. ha ha I was still putting Christmas decorations away when school ended in JUNE! That is embarrassing to say, and I blame it on the stress of school last year…………I do love Halloween like Andrew does though! Well, maybe not QUITE as much as Andrew. ha ha

Ways I’ve showed up with running………….I’m not sure. I’ve consistently been running around 20-25 mpw since my knee injury last winter/spring. I’ve tried to be so smart and take so much time in thinking about “pushing it” on my runs since then. I do think often about how you’ve written about how your best running was done at different speeds throughout the week and running on different surfaces. Whenever I get the chance to run in the grass or on a trail, I’ve been trying to do more of that!!

I hope you guys have the best day—love seeing the pics of Brooke and Skye!!!!!!

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JEN!! How is the school year going?! Hahah that is funny because I don’t really like the pumpkin form of candy corn. I hope you get some soon! Andrew would love it if I let him leave the decorations up year-round. I don’t think it’s embarrassing your Christmas decorations were up until June… I’m sure your students LOVE it. Yay for varying up your surfaces. You have been so smart post-injury and your body is thanking you. Thanks Jen, you too!

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Halloween season starts the day after Labor day so you’re good putting your decorations up now.
Candy corn is a big NO for me but a lot of people like it because they always seem to sell a ton. My uncle loves the harvest mix. One year they couldn’t find it in FL so I had to mail them a bunch. Chocolate covered peanuts are good though. Since you like candy corn, I think you should try it.

Have a POSITIVE HARCORE THURSDAY!!!

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Awesome… We aren’t too early then:). That was so nice of you to help your uncle out on that! I will definitely have to grab it. Thanks Lee, you too!

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Awesome job on the work out! I love that you aren’t worried about being behind the rest of the group, and you keep going. Again I’ll say I wish I had fast people to chase… Ha!
I love candy corn! Not too many people do, around me, but that’s ok, more for me ?
There’s a house in our neighborhood that put up their Halloween stuff on Monday, Labor Day… That’s too early. At least you guys wait until after Labor Day. Ha ha. I’m putting out my fall decorations after this weekend. Then I’ll add in Halloween in October, then switch that out with Thanksgiving. I do love this time of year!
Off for my early run with friends!! Have a great day Janae ?

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Thank you Wendy! As long as we keep trying, it doesn’t matter where we are at in the group/race! GOOD LUCK this weekend, I am just so excited for you. I hope your run with friends was amazing this morning. Andrew wanted to put them up on Labor Day but I was worried about the kid’s bday party and the parents of their friends thinking we were crazy ha. Enjoy putting up your fall decor, just the best.

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I love that your family starts the Halloween celebration so early… Halloween is one of my favorite holidays because it is centered on kids, candy, family, friends, and just having a good time. There is no drama on Halloween (except when it comes to candy ha).

Question…. so on Tuesday I sprained my ankle at our weekly track workout. (Foolish mistake of running too close to the interior of the track and then clipping the edge of the track.) It doesn’t seem to be a bad sprain, so I bet I can run again in about 1.5-2 weeks. But how do I get over my fear of making a silly mistake like that again? (And allow myself to run fast again instead of only sticking to easy miles ha)

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Hey Clare. I totally agree with you about Halloween. There isn’t a lot of pressure for parents on gifts/big dinners etc. We all just get to sit back and enjoy! I am really sorry about your ankle. That is really hard and I am glad it doesn’t seem to be too bad. I think it’s so important to remember we are all making those mistakes (one time I had to take a bunch of time off for coming off of a curb funny and injuring my toe). It’s just part of the game. There is risk in everything but the positive benefits that come from running/speed work far outweigh the risks in my opinion. The older I get the more chances I want to take because it makes life more exciting. And it is just going to feel so good to fly again at the track after you take some time away and really start missing it. You can do hard things! Don’t ever forget! PLEASE keep me updated and I’m rooting for you!

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A very solid YES on the candy corn with chocolate peanuts!
Big whoop whoop! for Brooke and her running (also Skye) :)

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I will go grab it! Thanks Corey… I’m sure I’ll blog about their running journey forever:). Hope your morning is a great one!

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Never too early for Halloween!!! I say, squeeze every moment of fun that you can from the holidays. And that candy won’t be around forever… when it’s gone you’ll regret it if you didn’t try it!

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I LOVE your attitude… off to go get the candy. Hope your morning has been a great one so far. Thanks Jenny!

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Candy corn is amazing, but I am not sure about the candy corn and chocolate covered peanuts. Better buy them and send them to me to test for you.

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Hahah deal. Send me your address right now. They would make great fuel on the bike.

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You know, I don’t like Candy Corn–but I secretly LOVE Candy Corn, at least one handful of it each year, because those first couple of bites before my body rebels with “this is too sweet!” and “this is going to give you hives!” are sweet, lovely, delirious, ignorant bliss. I never in my life imagined that candy corn could be mixed with anything else, but then again only a few years ago did I learn that people at the movies will mix those little bunches of Crunch bites with movie theater popcorn (or regular m&ms with movie theater popcorn) for an amazing handful of bad-for-you-but-tastes-OH-SO-GOOD goodness, so–mazeltov! Enjoy the mixture! I bet it has a lot of amazing qualities to it! :)

I love seeing you write about Brooke and Skye enjoying running. One of the things that I think is cool about how you’ve shared Brooke’s childhood with us is how she has been free to explore so many things–soccer, horses, running, and more–and you’ve just been there right in step with her own discovery of joy and excitement wherever she finds herself. I love that she’s big into running now and that it seems to have stuck around for a while, and there is so much promise of her love of running lasting for a while!

(ALSO I have to say–I am totally going to pretend that we’re twins and you’re like my long lost BFF because I have that same tank in 2 colors and want more. It’s become one of my strength training staples…)

ENJOY all the Halloween decorations. It may not be my thing (holiday decorations other than a few SMALL ones at Christmas–literally we have one rubbermaid storage container in our storage unit that holds ALL of our Christmas decorations, except the miniature tree we get each year–really aren’t my jam, because I would be so forgetful about them…), but I love seeing it be other people’s thing!!! I joke around that I may be a good cook, but all of the other domestic genes–shopping for home decorations, decorating in general, etc.–are entirely lost on me! I must have been an urban bachelor in a studio-sized apartment with a monk-like aesthetic in a prior life. ;)

Hope you have a great day out there! My job is to distract myself as much as possible from wondering why the phone isn’t ringing, or wondering if Melissa (my recruiter) is going to call today…or tomorrow…or at all. I think this means it’s time to take myself + my bluetooth earphones + my iphone + my lululemon belt bag + my sneakers out to the trails for a long walk with some deep breaths. The temperatures around here all morning are just in the 70s, so outdoor walking is something I can do in daylight hours. :)

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STEPHANIE! ‘Before my body rebels’ hahaha… you are hilarious! I still need to try the crunch bite + popcorn combo, that sounds really good right now! Thank you for sharing that about Brooke. That means a lot and I love seeing them find what drives them. We are absolutely bffs and wish we could get in a strength training workout together in our matching tanks. I think being a good cook is the ultimate domestic gene, I wish I had that! I BETTER HEAR THE SECOND you hear from the job interview. Enjoy the trails and those deep breaths. You deserve it.

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Oh, LOVE Beck going to the root of your “distraction” from him! There’s a smart kid. Meanwhile Brooke and Skye are cruising with their running. Just rockin’ it, as per the usual.

Also, LOVE switching it up and running by EFFORT! It’s this kind of flexibility making the difference in your training! The people seeking and going after the next challenge, NOT RESTING, have to start small when starting something new. These people (you) are always starting something new because they’re not resting. There are times for rest, of course, and we saw you in the rest season. Since we all had the covid19 rest season, there’s going to be a lot of not resting going around; and we all will be starting small – needing to prioritize effort > pace – in the next little bit. Did you know this is such an awesome message?? LOVE it!!

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Thanks Lee! I hope your day is a beautiful one:)

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Your “Don’t be afraid to be last,” really resonated with me. I’m 51 and do CrossFit. Yesterday’s workout included running, and I was in last place. But I had to remind myself I’m getting better and stronger every day—that’s what’s important!

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Jen. YOU are amazing. You are rocking CrossFit and your running…. and getting fitter and stronger every day. Thanks for inspiring me and I hope you have a beautiful day.

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Yes – candy corn with anything is good, go for it.
Yes – it is never too early for a family tradition like Halloween decorating.
Is Beck part cat? Our cat used to crawl under the desk and step on the power switch to our surge protector, I’m sure it was just an accident and not a cry for attention….lol
That running picture of Brooke is so awesome!
I signed up for 3 races with my son, a 5K run on Halloween, a 10K Turkey Trot, and a December Christmas themed 12K – I am going to just show up and hobble through the best I can. I also have a half marathon on 9/18 that I have deferred for 2 years – if the weather is great I might just show up and walk it.

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HEY JOHN! So good to hear from you. Hahaha maybe Beck is part cat:) THREE races with your son, the next few months are going to be a blast for you guys. That is awesome and I hope the weather is great for that half, it’s time for you to be there. Have a great day!

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Nice to read that you don’t being being last occasionally stop you from enjoying your run. I’m the same, and because I have some congenital heart/lung issues that effect my endurance/stamina, I have no choice but to let my effort determine my pace most of the time. I don’t mind being last because I’m so grateful that I get to run at all. My run today was 2.5 miles at 4:30am (I’m a teacher), so I’m proud of myself for fitting it in. And a big YES for early Halloween decorations; to me, once Labor Day is over, it’s Halloween season!

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Emily. You are absolutely amazing. You are out there crushing with obstacles that would stop most people. I am inspired by you. And to get out at 4:30 before a day of teaching… you are on fire. Happy Halloween season:). Have a beautiful day!

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Aww that feeling of watching your child do something your passionate about. My daughter just completed her first 5K. But I didn’t get any pictures or witness it because I was in the same 5K and she was ahead of me the whole time !! lol
There is one item I buy the store out of every single time. Remember the restaurant Chi-Chi’s. It was one of my fave’s. They have all closed down, or at least in our area anyway. But they had some items that were sold at stores. Chi-Chi’s salsa, taco seasoning, corn bread…. well in our area the corn bread and taco seasoning is very hard to find. The taco seasoning is simply amazing. When our one store does have it, I will buy every single packet on the shelf. Every one !!! Every time !!! I always love the look from the cashier, haha.

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Congrats to your daughter on her first 5k, that is HUGE! I hope she keeps going with it:). Now I need to find this taco seasoning, that sounds amazing. I would absolutely buy every one they have too… that little high we get from finally seeing something on the shelf that we love:). I hope you find a bunch of the seasoning and corn bread asap! Worth the looks you get;). Happy Thursday, Michele!

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Hi Janae! Yesterday our grocery store had a sale on nut butters and jams so my husband loaded up! In other good news I had a great PT session yesterday and I am pretty confident about being able to do speed work soon.
I’m so excited to see you crushing all those workouts. Good things are coming your way!!

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I am SO happy that you had an awesome PT session… hallelujah! And enjoy the nut butter and jams, I would have stocked up too. Have a beautiful day and can’t wait for you to be doing speed again. Thanks Amy!

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500 feet of elevation gain in 1.18 miles?!
It took me 18 miles to get in 400 feet of elevation a few weeks ago. We are flat and humid over here in Illinois!

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Seriously, that 1.18 miles is like climbing a mountain! WAY TO GO ON 18 MILES! Molly, that is amazing… and in the humidity. Hope your day is a great one!

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My 13-year-old daughter started decorating for Halloween a couple of weeks ago, she could celebrate Halloween year-round. I found us the cutest onesie-mummy pajamas at old navy. I bought a bag of the candy corn and chocolate-covered peanuts; they were great.

I finally got to attend one of my son’s cross country meets last Saturday, the race was in Utah county. Hands down, the most fun I have had in a while. I ran from location to location on the course, cheering for him and my nephew. It was brilliant. I believe they will get to race that course again. The high school runners were amazing; watching them run increased my love for the sport. I could spend all of my weekends watching these kids run.

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Megan, I am SO so happy you were able to go to your son (and nephew’s) cross country meet! You were in my hood! I bet your cheers along the course pumped them up so much. I am right there with you, seeing others run (especially these youngsters) inspires me so much. I am so happy your daughter loves this time of year and I need to copy your pjs! Have a great day!

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I’m going to be looking for that candy corn and chocolate covered peanuts bag!! I love candy corn and I love chocolate. Its only my daughter and I, so when there is a sale on something we love I only buy 2 or 3 of them. As far as my running, just showing up lately is my goal. Sometimes life happens and makes it hard, but we show up anyway ?. Started my fall decorating but not Halloween yet. Who cares if it is too early, if it makes your family happy it makes it okay.

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I don’t know if you should buy THOSE, but peanut m&ms and candy corn are a WINNING combo! In fact, I am literally eating the combo now. Ha!

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I’ve tried that Brach’s candy corn/chocolate peanut combo and it was a little disappointing. The peanuts were not good! I just make my own with bulk candy corn from HEB, peanuts and mini M&Ms.

I love that Brooke and Skye are having so much fun racing! Keep the cute pics coming!

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