I was super proud of myself today for showing up to do a 30 minute timed trial. It was SO hard! I wanted to give up many times during it
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The effort felt like the end of a marathon for sure!
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I started at around 9:45 am in Texas. It was hot and the wind was rough. I thought I'd maybe catch a tailwind but that wasn't in the cards
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I have only ever used a 2 mile timed trial for data to establish speed work, but my friend suggested that a 30 min TT would be good to establish heart rate zones especially when training through the brutal heat and humidity here during the summer
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And guess what I just realized tonight, I never put on my heart rate strap!!! So I have to do it again 😭
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#MarathonJourney #marathonrunning #motherrunner
Yoga and prioritizing rest today ❤️
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Timed trial and (medium) long run on deck this weekend! 🙈
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I just need to rip off the bandaid and see where I'm at
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I have not done any formal speed work in a LONG time so training for Chicago will be a huge build for me
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I'm used to shorter formal training cycles for races like 12-14 weeks not 18-20. I want to be smart and progressive so when it's time to show up I'm not overtrained/totally cooked on race day
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#MarathonJourney
#marathonrunning #PostpartumAthlete #motherrunner
8 stroller miles with my baby 💗
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This song just speaks to me so deeply
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I will never forget the moment they held you into the air, placed you on my chest and you instantly stopped crying then smiled at me. Seconds earth side, and you changed my world
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I am so grateful every single day to be this amazing babys mama. To have a healthy, happy and sweet boy is the best gift I have ever been given
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I also spent the entire week with my own mama while my husband was on TDY so my heart is happy and feels very fulfilled
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I know this day comes with a lot of emotions for all. I've been through mother's day without a baby, missing my own mama because of living SO far away, grieving miscarriages, wondering what it would be like to have a "normal life" where I get to choose where I live and enjoy my baby with friends/family.
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Remember you are never alone however you spend this day. Happy mother's day ❤️
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#mothersday #MarathonJourney
7 very humid miles (85% to be exact)🫠
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Texas has slowly been ramping it up and reminding us why we don't wear shirts all summer 😂
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So much water and electrolytes are necessary to stay properly hydrated. My tried and true are
@tailwindnutrition 💦 and @saltstick fast chews🧂
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Shoes: @brooksrunning glycerin 23s. My go to trainer
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#MarathonJourney #PostpartumAthlete #tailwindnutrition #brooksrunning #saltstickfastchews
Enjoying my last month of "off-season" with casual running until Chicago Marathon training officially starts ❤️
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I have been running based on feel rather than pace
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I have only done a few intentional speed sessions in a long time, so I have a lot of mental and physical work to do here
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I have been putting off doing a time trial, but put it on my goals for this week. I know I'm no where close to how fast I used to be, but honestly for this training cycle, I am just taking what my body gives me and one week at a time
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This weeks training (29 miles)
M: Lower body stability/strength (single leg/multiplaner work)+yoga
T: 6 miles+core focusing on serratus
W: 5 miles+upper body strength+core focusing on lateral work
H: Yoga
F: 8 miles
S: 6 miles
S: 4 miles+ lower body strength (larger muscles)
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Normally I strength train 4x/wk, but I have been adding in 2-3 yoga sessions a week as a priority because my mobility is not where I want it to be. It has helped so much with that, but also my breath work and nervous system feels overall better
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Who is counting down until Chicago Marathon training? Where y'all staying (I haven't booked a hotel yet 🙈)
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#MarathonJourney
#chicagomarathon #PostpartumAthlete
Lately I feel like such a lost soul. I try to keep this account going about my run journey and everytime I try to post after a run I fail
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Here's why: a picture of me in run clothes smiling feels fake
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Feels like it doesn't capture what this journey has really been like or my real life
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Yes I end a run with a smile and literally feel so happy running
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But you don't see what it took to get there and that's what's real
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Basically I'm riding solo M-F. By the weekend my husband is exhausted from working 12 hours days and deserves his rest in the mornings on weekends, so my long runs start after the baby is put down for a nap
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We live in Texas, it's so hot and it feels hard
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No excuses for me though because I want to run and show up with so much grace that I can. I thank God for our health everyday
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I could get up before him but I literally just can't because I need rest. A struggle I have yet to master. Anxiety keeps me from falling asleep at night
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I'm still pumping every bottle so that is 5x/day. It is all consuming from cleaning, pumping, feeding the actual bottle to a busy body 8 month old then cleaning again for the next time. It is hours of time and energy
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I can't just wake up and get out the door. Every second of the day is worked around bottles, meals, and naps
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I haven't ran with my run club even once since I've had a baby, which was one of the few things that had helped me so much before the baby move forward when we moved here from NV (I took our last PCS hard)
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Everyone has different struggles
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I know mine may not be the same as yours. I know that before I had a baby I unfollowed accounts I couldn't relate to. And now I know what keeps bringing me back to this crazy world of IG: someone to relate to and know your not alone in your struggles
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Know that there is still so much beauty, love, happiness and grace through the hard parts of life
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How you perceive things and navigate them really is what defines us
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Now I understand the #motherrunner
And that is my brain dump for y'all today
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Happy running ❤️
8 months post partum 🩷
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Coming back post C-section has been hard! There are so many extra elements added to the post baby build back especially improvement in my core.
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It's been SO much effort and patience, but I have put in work every single day.
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I show up to be strong so I can run fast (eventually), run injury free, lift my baby without issues and hope for longevity/health so I can keep up in my older years with my son
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Consistency always resides over perfection
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If you can't run, walk, then walk faster, then walk/run and eventually you will run
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If you can't lift heavy like before, start light. I started with 0#
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If you can't do the same length of workout you used to do: show up for whatever time you have or split it up during the day
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Habits are everything and small efforts compile creating success and results
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Just a reminder to other new moms and runners---you don't have to jump back into marathons or racing post baby right away if you don't feel ready
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I think it's incredible to see others who have and I love that for them SO much. For me, my goal has been to slowly bring up mileage and build back a super strong foundation so I can be ready to train for Chicago (which is right around the corner).
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How long did you wait to run a marathon post baby?
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#8monthspostpartum #PostpartumAthlete #motherrunner
Happy Earth Day ☀️🌍
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There are so many incredible places to explore and I haven't even put a small dent in them. One of my favorite parts of running is traveling and exploring new places on foot!
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Some of my favorites:
✨Bryce Canyon National Park, UT
✨ Mount Rainier National Park, WA
✨Napali Coast, HI
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#earthday
I managed 27 miles this week and put the rest of my time spending it with family 🩷
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It's been so nice having my husband off for the past 9 days! Normally he works a ton and is gone 11 hours everyday so we loved having him back 🩷
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Most days still really hard getting into a rhythm and getting out of the house, but we did out best to go a few local places. The days seriously fly by when you have a baby and are busy, but we are loving every moment
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Fueled by @tailwindnutrition 🧂🍞
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#runningjourney #offseason
Having an "off" season is so important for your physical and mental health as a runner ❤️
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I always keep a base of about 25-35 miles per week and 3-4 lifting days before I move into a fully committed training cycle
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I will prioritize family, day trips, hiking, and other things I love to do without stress if I have to run later in the day or reschedule a run for another day during the week. Today we walked and hiked: Cal loved being in the pack so much!
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Chicago marathon training is right around the corner. Training through the Texas summer is rough and it's either wake up early or run on the treadmill most days.
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My goal over the next month is to just start waking up early before the baby with no pressure to run
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Routine is everything
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I need to slowly become a morning person again and keep pushing the alarm earlier until I can manage that drastic change of waking at 430 instead of 630 (I am no longer a morning runner since being a mom. Sleep is unpredictable) to be the Texas sun and heat
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What do you love to do in your off-season?
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#runner #motherrunner #marathonrunning
13 miles for me and 1 for Junie girl 🎀
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It was SO humid!
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I warmed up with the dog, then took her home because she was struggling with the humidity. Her tongue was out within the first few minutes and she is in need of a summer cut
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Then the baby woke up early from his nap so I popped him in the stroller and my husband ran 3 miles with me
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I finally got the alone time that I needed so bad. My long runs have been my weekly reset. My time to feel like myself. More importantly, time to think clearly and process things going on in my life
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I finally sat with my feelings of finding out yet another close friend of mine has cancer. My heart breaks for her and the journey ahead. F***ing cancer.
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There are also good things that run through my mind..... like how grateful I am to have a happy and healthy baby. How excited I feel exploring a new opportunity that might be unfolding. It's been dream I've been plotting out for a really long time
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Long runs give me time to think more deeply and reflect. I have my best thoughts during this time.
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There are so many reasons I run and today it was for a clear head. Thankful for every step
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Fueled by @tailwindnutrition
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#running #motherrunner #marathonjourney #tailwindnutrition
I miss mountains as my backdrop and gorgeous desert trails so much 🩷
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We were stationed in NV for 6 years and surrounded by so much beautiful nature. A piece of my heart still lives there
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Mount Charleston and Red Rock Canyon were my weekly places to run, which felt like a dream because they are both so unique and gorgeous
.
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I remember this race so clearly from three years ago. It started so cold I couldn't feel my toes, they felt frost bitten and it ended hot in the 90s. I wanted to give up at the end, but this other runner kept motivating me to keep going. Sometimes all it takes is one person to believe in you when you need it the most
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#running #run #marathonrunner
