(leggings, top, headband, gloves, shoes)
My bday was yesterday but we kind of spent all weekend celebrating so I’ll share what I did in pictures before we get to today’s topic.
14.1 miles with as much climbing as I could on the roads!
The Brunch House!
So so good.
Soldier’s Hollow for tubing.
Buon Appetitot in Heber was amazing.
Deer Creek!
PF Changs cake for dessert!
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Over the years of training and going after some big goals, I have learned that there is only so much running we can do to get to those goals. Hitting big mileage weeks isn’t always feasible with our schedules and our physical bodies (injuries are just part of the game if we push them too hard).
It can be frustrating to feel like life/your body won’t let you run more in order to hit those dreams but have no fear, there are other things that you can do outside of running to help you get there:
*#1 thing I have found to help me get faster outside of my running—> SLEEP (and the best part is it is free). My best running ever happened when I could (back in the day when all of the kids were sleeping 12 hours a night) and chose to sleep. Nothing helps my training more than sleep. For example, at my fastest—> running 70 miles weeks and sleeping 9 hours a night did way more for me than if I was running 90 miles a week and not sleeping as much (IMO).
*One of the biggest non-running things you can do for your running—> mental training. The more time I spend working on the mental side of running, the faster I get. My favorite sources for mental training are HERE. Think yourself to those goals.
*Food! Eating enough calories and a lot of quality calories just takes things to the next level. Take my word for it, not eating enough left me injured, burned out and coming nowhere near my potential.
*STRENGTH. I’m one to talk, right? It only took me 35 years on this earth to realize how important strength training is but I am feeling so much stronger on the trails and roads. In the past, if I had 70 minutes to work out, I would have chosen to spend every second of that time running. Now I would absolutely choose to run less and include a strength workout too for the day in those 70 minutes. The Peloton app changed my perspective on strength, I love it so much now. They have strength classes for runners that include unilateral work and plyometrics which I think is going to make the biggest difference for me.
*Water, water, water—> Simple but true!
*Saving your caffeine for race day. This is something I do (who knows if it truly does help… maybe it’s just the placebo effect) but I love fasting from caffeine leading up to a race so that on race day I can really feel it work. I don’t drink alcohol but I know a bunch of friends stop drinking when training hard and it makes a big difference for them!
*Research the best gear. I can’t believe the difference a fast pair of running shoes and well-fitting running clothes makes for me on speed or race days.
*Be around positive people. Build relationships with the people that bring you up and set boundaries with the people that don’t if you can… It will change the game for everything in your life, including your running.
*If it works with your budget, take the time and money to get sports massages or I love going to a chiropractor ((let me know if you need Dr. B’s information is you are in the area)) often!
*I love a good recovery tool and my favorites are here (Rapid Reboots are my #1 and they help me get faster from the comfort of my couch).
Who knows, each of these things might only make the smallest difference in your running but when we want a goal bad enough, they are all so worth it!
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I hope you have a beautiful Valentine’s Day and if you don’t, I’m HERE for you. Email me please. I’ve had a few pretty terrible ones in the past so I am here for you to lean on.
What things outside of running have you noticed make the biggest difference in your training?
Birthdays—> how do you enjoy celebrating them?
What was the highlight of your weekend?
48 comments
Nadya
Happy Belated Birthday!!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you Nadya! I hope you, your husband and your daughter have a great Valentine’s Day!
Maureen
Single Valentine’s Day over here! But with the feels like in single digits all day I’m happy I don’t have to leave my house outside of taking my dog on a walk. Which can also be done in sweats so wins all around.
Growing up I always celebrated my birthday (July 3rd) at my grandparents house swimming and boating on the lake. Now I’m going to have a tradition of going to a Phillies game (baseball) with friends since I don’t live close to my grandparents anymore. Well this year will be the second year doing this but it’ll become a tradition this year right ?!
The Hungry Runner Girl
YAY for a sweats day… the only acceptable answer when it feels like it is in the single digits outside. I hope you have some delicious treats today. I love that you have those memories at your grandparents house and I love your tradition that you have now at the Phillies games! Have a great day, Maureen!
emily l
Lots of great stuff here, Janae! I agree about everything you said, especially sleep! I really struggle with sleeping due to some anxiety (no trouble falling asleep, but I wake up frequently with lots of things on my mind). Getting good sleep is crucial and makes such a difference. I also agree about strength training even though I hate it! ;) I definitely avoid strength training even though I know I need it, but when I’m consistent, I notice a difference. Have a great week, Janae and Happy Valentine’s Day!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Emily, I am REALLY sorry that you struggle with sleep. That is so frustrating and really does make everything else so hard. I’ve been taking unisom when I struggle with sleep and it helps SO much (and it isn’t habit forming). Thank you Emily, you too!
Molly S
I love these running tips! Why is it so difficult to not scroll in bed though?
I just started to read the book Grit. I feel like I need to slowly read the mental training books to really absorb the information.
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Looks like you had a great birthday!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Seriously, it is SO tempting to just stay awake late into the night scrolling/watching tv and sometimes you just need to. That book is so good and I totally understand, sometimes I have to reread certain paragraphs a few times to really absorb them. Have a great day, Molly!
Mariah
Happy Birthday!!! Hope you had a great day and here’s to another great year!
Biggest things that help with my running are switching up workouts- if I’m only running, then I get hurt more easily. But if I strength train, cross train, and do yoga, I do much better! Also completely agree with eating well, makes such a difference.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you so much Mariah and I LOVE that tip. The variation in workouts/paces/intensities really does make the biggest difference. Have a great day, Mariah!
Jenny
Happy Belated birthday!!! It looks like you had a great weekend of celebrating. We’re pretty low-key about Valentine’s Day, but I do have some heart-shaped pasta from Trader Joes that I’m going to cook tonight. Have a great day!
The Hungry Runner Girl
HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT PASTA?! I’m going to have to sneak in today and find it, my girls would love that! Thanks friend, you too!
Mollie
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANAE!!!! It looks like you had such a fun weekend celebrating…and oh my gosh that hot chocolate with the marshmallow??? That is beautiful. Cheers to a great year!! <3
Food + sleep + HAVING FUN = great running!! I seriously think every training cycle I add in a new component to layer on what I've learned from the past one. Last one was hydration, this is nutrition! I've been working with a nutritionist to make sure I get enough food and I feel so good and I haven't lost any weight marathon training (which, for me personally, is an issue, since I tend to drop a bit too much with all the mileage and craziness of normal life haha).
I hope you have a great week!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you Mollie and that hot chocolate was seriously almost too pretty to eat! I LOVE that you are working with a nutritionist, that is so smart. You’ve figured it all out so well and I think that means your upcoming marathon is going to be the race we all dream about! Thanks friend, you too!
Kristine
Happy birthday Janae!
We are going to have a coffee date this morning for valentines. I also got the flowers I loved and told him they were from him haha.
Have a great day!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Yay for a coffee date and I think that is the smartest way to do it to make sure you get exactly what you want haha. Thanks friend, you too!
Donna Mason
HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAUTIFUL JANAE. Your celebrations all looked AMAZING. You deserve it all. May this year be one of your very best.
The Hungry Runner Girl
You are the best, thank you so much Donna! I hope your day is a great one!
Victoria
Happy birthday and happy day before cheap chocolate!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Bahaha I love this so much… cannot wait to buy all of the cheap candy tomorrow!
Amy S
Happy birthday Janae! I believe in birthday week so i hope you get to keep celebrating!
May all your running and non running wishes come true!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you Amy! I will probably celebrate the rest of the month haha. I hope you are having a beautiful day!
Janine
Happy (belated) birthday, Janae!! Cheers to a year of everything that brings you happiness :o)
Valentine’s Day will actually happen tomorrow for us, because we have crazy schedules today. Nothing extravagant – just a nice dinner at home and a movie. I hope you and Andrew can do a little something special together <3
Yoga and strength training make a huge difference in my training, for sure! Sleep and nutrition are big as well. Sleep gets harder the older I get, but I keep trying different "hacks" to get more good quality sleep – such a game changer.
My birthday preference is some sort of experience with just my finance and maybe a couple of other people. There is really nothing that I need, so gifts are unnecessary. This year, I want to go to a big aerial park with canopy elements and zip lines or find a really great rock climbing wall. I haven't done much climbing, so that one would be a new adventure :o)
Weekend highlight was skiing in sunshine and 40 degrees!! Tonight, I'll be doing it in single digits at night – definitely not the same!! LOL!
Have a beautiful day, Janae!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you so much Janine! I hope that your Valentine’s Day celebrations tomorrow go perfectly! You will have to keep me updated with what hacks you find that help you the most! That is how I feel about gifts lately too, I just want to go DO things. Ummmm aerial park, that sounds perfect… maybe I’ll do that next year. So happy you got in a great ski day. Thanks Janine!
Wendy
Happy Birthday again! It honestly looks like the best weekend!!
I completely agree with you on your tips!! Water! Yes! And I too love the Peloton app! Strength and core work have become a huge part of my weekly running, and I already can tell it’s making a difference.
Best part of the weekend… Spending time at the beach! It is always so good for my body, mind, and soul!
Have a great Monday!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you Wendy! I am so happy that you are loving the Peloton app… somehow they make it all fun! SO happy you guys got away to San Diego. Thanks friend, you too!
Wendy
Oh my goodness…. I did a 60 minute outdoor run with Becs Gentry (LOVE her) Saturday morning, and it made the hour fly by!! I was also running along the coast from Torrey Pines down to La Jolla (breathtakingly beautiful), so that also helped the time go by fast. But YES, the Peloton app is so, so good :)
Beth
From one February birthday to another – Happy Birthday! I will be celebrating 50 this coming Saturday with my family. I’m traveling for work this Valentine’s Day so my husband has sole responsibility for our pets (including our geriatric, high needs cat) this week, for the first time in a long time. I’m looking forward to the warmth of Arizona, escaping the single digit temps we’ve had here in Wisconsin. The biggest thing for me is rest and stretching – if I don’t stretch after a run, I feel it the next day. The Peloton app has made it easy to schedule that, so thank you for that recommendation!
The Hungry Runner Girl
BETH!! Happy happy happy birthday this Saturday! I hope you celebrate all month and I will eat cake in your honor on Saturday! YAY for getting to stock up on Vitamin D in Arizona and I hope that Wisconsin warms up soon. AMEN to the rest and stretching, I am so happy you are loving the Peloton app. I don’t know how they make everything so fun, but they just do. Have a beautiful day!
Maddie
Happy birthday Janae! hope you had a great day! Thank you for always being a bright spot of my day!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you so much Maddie, thanks for brightening my day! Hope your Valentines Day is a beautiful one!
Jen in CO
Happy Birthday beautiful! ????? Your blog continues to be a breath of fresh air!
The Hungry Runner Girl
THANK YOU JEN! This means a whole lot to me. I’ve always loved hearing from you and I hope your day is a fabulous one!
Michele H
Happy birthday! Looks like a great day.
I really started working on my core last year and have really stuck to doing a 25m workout every other day. I think this helps with keeping your running form correct and thus, avoiding injury. I’ve been doing strength training twice a week. The best thing I have done is really concentrate on hydrating. Water all the time!
My weekend highlight was when my little 4-year old baker wanted to make a zebra cake. We watch Kids Baking Championship and he loves it. They did this episode two weeks ago and we have rewatched it over and over again.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you so much Michele! You are rocking it with your strength and your water…. you just inspired me to go fill up my waterbottle (thank you)! I love that you do that with your little one, I am going to have to watch it with Skye. I hope your day is a great one!
Avery Beuerman
Oh!! Happy Happy Birthday! You give so much to other people–you deserve a day to celebrate YOU! I’m glad you enjoyed all the time with your sweet family. Love those tips so much. The sleep and water pieces are the ones I cannot live without. I value my sleep so so much and basically only drink water and herbal tea!
Have a beautiful week and thanks for being you!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you, Avery! It was a great day. Now to follow your lead and only drink water and herbal tea, that makes the world of difference! That means a lot, I hope your day is perfect!
Katie
Hi Janae! Longtime reader here. I would love it if you’d do a post about your shoe philosophy. I’ve noticed you wear all kinds of different shoes. Do you think it’s important to rotate between a few different shoes regularly? Do you do it to keep your feet happy or just because you like shoes :) ? How do you choose the right shoes for you? I think this would be a fun blog post topic so I’m throwing it out there for consideration :)
The Hungry Runner Girl
HEY KATIE! I will absolutely write a post about this!!! Thank you so much and I hope your day is a beautiful one. Expect this post in the next week or so!
Stephanie
Happy belated birthday! Happy valentines day!
I’m jealous of that cake–could they possibly have fit any more mini chocolate chips on the frosting?!?!? Somehow I don’t think so…
I love that your weekend was full of so much fun and fun times with family, and I really like your friend’s trick of hiding cookies in a bag of broccoli. I don’t QUITE do that, but I *do* try to trick MYSELF by keeping my chocolate stash behind the butter we keep stored in the freezer. It’s my hope that I will just forget about it instead of obsess over treats. ;)
We love Valentines Day over here. Tom and I, from our first V Day together, agreed that even though it’s largely a made up holiday it does give us a chance to FOCUS on doing special little things for each other. We don’t celebrate big–we’re not really gifts and big extravegant displays (we save that for birthdays and Christmas…), but we exchange cards and every year we take turns cooking a “special” meal for the other person. Past Tense Tom had some poor planning and realized about a week ago that he has a doctor’s appointment with labs tomorrow–which means he has to stop eating pretty early this evening–so we did our annual Valentine’s Dinner over the weekend. It was my turn, so I made this really yummy looking recipe of lamb shanks slow-cooked in a rosemary & red wine sauce. I had never made lamb shanks before, and I really have been looking for a good reason to have a huge day spent at home doing pretty much nothing AND a reason to whip out the dutch oven and slow cook something that felt warm, comforting, and like “winter”–so it totally fit the bill. When Tom got home from work Saturday evening and he saw lamb shanks (lamb is one of his favorite things), his eyes lit up really big. It worked out well. :) And then yesterday morning for my RPM class, I had a special “sweethearts and black hearts” playlist and to ham it up a bit (for someone who really does not naturally ham it up…at all…), I wore these bright, colorful pink and burgandy camo wunder train leggings I had just gotten from the lululemon sale site. SOMEHOW, I got a lot of complements on my leggings!!! Very unexpected, but I’ll take it. ;)
I hope you all have such a good day! Happy belated birthday and happy valentines day! I hope you get to treat yourself to a really lovely gift :) It’s always a fun thing to do, I think!!!
Carrie
Happy Birthday! Sleep, ha! It’s important but it’s hard. I had a few good years of being able to get sleep and then my oldest became a teen. It’s HARD, I thought newborns were hard to get sleep, teens seem harder. So balancing that has been tricky. My husband goes to bed at 8:30 every night. When I am really tired he does let me go to bed and then he has to do evening parenting ( and grumbles the whole time). He is learning!!
Tina
Wishing you the happiest (Belated) birthday! May your year be filled with peace, love, and joy!
Katie F
Happy birthday!! I hope this year brings you and your family lots of great adventures, cool places to run, amazing eats and lots of PLAY!!!
Michelle Ginsburg
Janae, happy belated birthday!
As a reader since before you were pregnant with Brooke, you are still a treasure and a gift to read each day. Thank you for your dedication to your blog and for providing endless content. I am in awe of your dedication to running and parenting. Now that my triplets are 21, I live vicariously through your Tribe. Have an awesome 36th year of life!!!
Yoriko
Happy Belated Birthday Janae-san!
I always enjoy your blog. Hope you have a wonderful 36th year :-)
Annie
That cake looks amazing! I would never think to go to P.F. Chang’s just for dessert. Do I need to?!
Britta
Happy Belated Birthday Janae! You deserve all the best things for year 36. Love following along with you and your family. Hugs from Alaska
adrianna
happy belated birthday gorgeous fabulous amazing inspiring lady!! catching up on posts after work and travel craziness. so glad it was an awesome day. virtual hugs!!