Fox Cities Marathon Race Recap. . . . . . .Bring on the PR's.

Well, it has been tough finding the time to finally update you on my PR! I did it! I broke 4 hours with 9 minutes to spare! Despite feeling like total crap since the race, I'm thrilled with my race and my new PR. I knew I could do it, but I didn't know how hard it actually would be to have that 9 minute cushion.

On Saturday, Angie picked me up and we had our traditional Jimmy John's Subs for lunch whish is a pre-race tradition.

After lunch, we headed to The Fox Cities to get our race packets and check out the wellness expo.  It's always fun to see what kind of new running gear we could spend our money on and also get into the spirit of the pending race.  This race expo had a booth I've never seen at a race expo before.  I'm not one to pass up a good opportunity to try something new. . . . . . . but I probably won't be taking this hobby up any time soon. . .. . I just don't have the upper body strength to do this.

Let's just say I don't see this as my next "workout" plan.

After the Expo, we hit up the Appleton Mall quick to do a little shopping.  When I say little, I mean little.  I could normally spend the entire weekend shopping in Appleton, however walking around a mall shopping is not my idea of resting and prepping for a race, so we kept it minimal.  We were fortunate to have a place to crash Saturday night.  We made a spaghetti dinner for my friend, her husband and their three (very well behaved) children.  It was awesome to spend time with them and also great to have a nice place to sleep before the race. . . . not to mention curb side service to the start line!  After dinner (and the kids went to bed) we watched the first episode of "orange is the new black" . . . . I'm looking forward to watching a few more episodes when I have time.  (Thanks for the new show to get addicted to Jenny!).

I normally don't sleep the best before a race.  I'm nervous about the run, getting up early and just making sure everything is in order so I don't forget anything.  I slept pretty good though and woke up refreshed and ready for the race.  I was pretty excited until I had to stand out in the 34 degree weather waiting for the race to start.  I was thankful for wearing some sweats to take off before we started running.  We anxiously awaited the start in our corral.  Once the race started we were off. . . . and then we were slowed down. ... . . bottle neck at the start line!  Once we hit the start line, I weaseled my way around other runners to get some clear space to take off and go!

FREAKING BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR  -but no complaints from us!

As you'll see on my splits below, I started very strong. The weather was chilly (down right nipply actually) so the fact that I couldn't feel my the toes on my left foot was a little concerning to me. I knew they would warm up, but I didn't want to have issues with my toes. I only had about 25 miles on my shoes prior to the start of this marathon, so I was a little nervous about the fit right when I started. Once my feet warmed up (about 2 miles in) I was fine and I was feeling great. It felt easy to keep my pace. I'm always a little nervous to start strong and keep my pace fast because it's hard to tell what I'll feel like at mile 10, 15, and most importantly 20-26.2 . . . . which I learned during this race can be super hard. My last marathon was an overall decline in elevation, so I can honestly say I never really hit "the wall" and felt like I just couldn't keep going. This race was different. I hit the wall at mile 20 and really wanted the race to be over. Of course, I'm no quitter and I knew that the better I kept my pace, the sooner I'd be done and enjoying some chocolate milk and a banana and whatever else was at the finish line.

Around mile 5.5, my best friend Devon came out to the course to cheer me on!  She lives about a block away so I told her my ETA when I found out where the course was going.  It was pretty exciting to see my first fan of the day!  She even snapped a good photo!  It's funny to me that I look so short in this photo!

Not sure how to make this one smaller. . . . .look how short I am compared to my other pace companions!  (Bad-Ass huh?)


Shortly after that, my Aunt Krista and Uncle Jeff were waiting to cheer me on!  they live directly on the race course so they came outside to see me fly by!  My Aunt Krista made me the first sign anybody has ever made for me for a race!  I never even thought to expect a sign, but knowing my Aunt. . . . I'm not surprised at all.  (She's the fun creative aunt who always has activities and games for the kids around).  It was an awesome surprise!  I don't see them often, so it was a bummer I couldn't stop to chat. . . . but I had a PR to chase after!

My first sign ever. . . . and obviously my Aunt pays attention to my blog!  She's so good with the details! :)

I knew to expect Devon and my Aunt and Uncle by their homes, so after that, my excitement of race fans was over until the finish line, where Steve and Jackson would be waiting.  I kept my pace as long as I could which looking back at my splits, I'm pretty impressed with my ability to run sub 9's for 14 miles. 

Angie read reviews that this course was "flat" . . . .which is totally relative.  Grandma's is an overall decline and I could tell Fox Cities Marathon was not!  the middle miles were hard because the excitement of the start of the race was over but the end was nowhere in sight.  It felt long and slightly monotonous.  I knew I had a long way to go before I got my PR.

The elevation looks fairly accurate to how it felt. . . slower longer inclines which are pretty tough I think.

We ran through 7 cities. . . which sounds insane for one run, but we did it!

Nothing like taking a nice little jog through 7 cities at one shot!

So, here are my splits.  As I  mentioned before, I started strong and slowed towards the end.  I feel like my first14 were really good.  I ran strong, felt good and fueled well.  After that, right around the incline, things started to taper for me.  It wasn't bad by any means, but I wasn't feeling as strong as I had on the first 14 miles.  I tend to wonder if I should run like most people and take it down a notch to start and then finish stronger. . . but then I feel like I might not meet my potential.  I guess there is only one way to find out. . . . keep running marathons and tyring different strategies.

That's a whole lotta miles.

After a LONG 26.2 (the last 6 were the worst) I was excited to see my little buddy and Steve!  The welcomed me to the finish line!  I was pretty tired, but we chatted for a while and I shared my post-run food with them . . . . it was tough for me to eat anyway!  Jackson was so excited to see my medal. . . he said "You WON Mommy!"  Regardless of the fact that I came in 286 out of 978 for all Full Marathoners (which I'm actually stoked about) I'm a winner in his eyes. . . and I couldn't be more excited to show him my dedication.  Some day he'll be able to understand the work that goes into marathoning (I can only hope) and he'll still be as proud of me as he was this day!

Another GREAT Race for my BRB & myself!  Looking forward to the next adventure.

After Angie finished & had an AMAZING 13 minute PR  (Go ANGIE!), we walked around a little, ate some food (not much because I had severe stomach cramping from the GU packs) and then we walked a few blocks to Angie's Car.  We enjoyed the drive home, thrilled with our race results and excited about making future plans for the next run.

Lucky for me, Angie was driving so I got to kick my feet up. . . . NICE!



I have to say, I know what it's like to be sore after a run.  I was sore after Grandma's Marathon, but certainly not the worst I've ever felt after a long run.  I felt worse after the Cellcom 1/2 Marathon I did last year but that was simply because the heat was atrocious and I was totally dehydrated.  I woke up Monday morning with in insane amount of pain.  The muscle aches were not anything to "work through" with a little movement.  Any time I sat down for more than 5 or 10 minutes, I could hardly move when I got up.  I got a few comments at the office about my goofy walk.  I don't care though. . . . I ran hard and really left it all out on the course.  I ran my best and felt great about my efforts!  I haven't run since Sunday and I'm still sore, although at a managable level of discomfort now.  I'm hoping to get through an insanity video with my sister this weekend while I'm away for a cousin's wedding!  I'll let you know if I survive!

Despite my soreness, I managed to wear these babies on Monday!  I have long pants, so flats just aren't an option!  (Short Girl Problems!)

Somebody that I work with put a bug in my ear about doing the Phoenix Rock & Roll Marathon in January. . . . . . I travel to AZ for work, so this is doable, but I'm not real sure I can run in AZ heat. . . it would be 60's or 70's in January, so that would still be hot for me. . . . . I'm contemplating. . . but otherwise I'll hold out for Grandma's again & hopefully . . . . . . . (really hoping) to get a BQ (boston qualifier). . . . I have my sights set on that, but I'm not sure it will be the next marathon, or a ways down the road!  Time will tell, but for now, I'm thrilled with my 21 minute PR and breaking my goal of 4 hours by 9 minutes!  I'd call that success! 

Looks like I need to do another 5k & 10k soon to have more accurate PR's for my current pace.

--I have to close by saying thanks. . . . thanks to Angie for being the BEST RUNNING BUDDY ever and for developing all of our training plans, thanks to Steve for making it possible for me to get all of my running in, thanks to all my friends and family for supporting me through my running adventures and listening to all my great stories, thanks to Rhianna for some great music to get me through this last Marathon . . . . . and thanks to all of the race fans that shouted words of encouragement when it probably looked like I wanted to pass out!  Running is truly such a rewarding sport!

Fox Cities Marathon Race Predictions & Goals!!!

Well . . . It's about that time!  My pre-race jitters are setting in and I'm excited about how I'm feeling and where I'm at with pace, strength & endurance!  In June I dropped almost 5 lbs the week of my race because I was so nervous I could hardly eat plus I think the taper in miles messed with my body. . . which is NOT really something that should happen the same week you run a full marathon.

Depending on the weather, I can comfortably run a 9 minute mile and I have been running sub 9's on a fairly regular basis.  Thanks to Angie's training plan for us, I've definately improved on my speed.  I'm feeling the best ever and super excited about my progress.

I'm really hoping to break 4 hours!!!!  -There you have it . . .. My official goal!

My last marathon in June was a huge accomplishment for me, finishing in 4:12, which is 65 minutes faster than I ran it 5 years ago!!!!  It's safe to say I'll never have another 65 minute PR, but I think I can shave off 13 minutes so I can break 4 hours!!

Angie predicts I'll finish in 3:49  . . . . But I am predicting 3:55 . . . . There is more elevation on this route than Grandma's Marathon, so I need to account for that.  If the weather stays on the cooler end of the forecast later in the morning, I really think my goal is attainable.

I'm excited to be running in the Fox Cities . . . . . .I'll be running past my old apartment where Steve and I lived in Appleton before moving to Sheboygan.  I'll also be running within a block of my best friend Devon's house!!!! I hope she can get out of bed early enough to walk down the block & cheer me on . . . . . I have no problem laying on the guilt trip to get her out there.  It's pretty early on in the race, so I should fly past her right around the first hour mark.

I have a very simple week of working out! I did 40 minutes of spin yesterday and a 2 mile run this morning.  I barely warmed up in the 45 degree temps by the time I finished!!!  It seemed almost silly to get dressed and ready for a 2 mile run.  It almost took me longer to get ready for my run than it did to run.  I'm focused on eating healthy, hydrating and resting before the big day!!! I need to start packing so I don't forget anything vital to a great run!!  I'm not sure why I get so nervous before a race. . . . it's not like I don't know if I can do it or not. 

I grabbed some nanners for Angie and I to pound down this week!!!  We're pushing the potassium and hydrating!

Do you get pre-race jitters?  How far out?  A day, a week, the morning of?

Well . . . I'll try to do a race recap on Sunday to let you know if I meet or beat my goal!! If I'm too tired, I'll do it Monday!!!! Happy running everybody!!!

~Brooke~

8 Miles is Hardly a Long Run!

Angie came up to Sheboygan for our last "long run" of this training series. Since we only had to run 8 and she had to get a sitter, we started later than normal. We didn't start until 7:30 which is so late. We are normally 2.5 hours in by then! It was a nice change of pace (no pun intended) for us. The weather was quite cool when we started, high 40's I think. We know better than to complain about a little cool weather, but it was pretty cold in shorts and tanks. We warmed up quickly, so it was no problem.

One piece of "race day advise" that I have heard over and over, and would to extend to you is to never do anything new on race day that you aren't used to, or haven't tried before. You should fuel the way you have fueled before, you should hydrate the way you have in the past, use the same earphones, fuel belts, socks, etc. Since Angie and I always try to wear matching tanks/shirts for race day, we always try a dress rehearsal for a long run to ensure we are comfortable with the fit prior to running 4+ hours in that attire.



SNEAK PEEK: "Dress Rehersal" Except I'll be putting makeup and my lucky hoop earrings on for the actual race!



We enjoyed a quick 8 miles. We obviously didn't run out of stuff to talk about because we are used to filling hours & hours with stories. The other exciting part about 8 miles is that we didn't have to fuel or waste calories on gatorade. . . . so every calorie burned, was a calorie we could eat actual food later! I have to say that 8 miles is a nice amount. I wasn't starving all day long and I wasn't tired at all. It hardly felt like I worked out at all. 8 miles hardly felt like a long run at all. I am not going to lie, I crave that totally exhausted feeling I have on Saturdays after a really good hard long run!

I even had plenty of energy to go out for dinner, drinks and some dancing with some great friends from work. I'm enjoying a rather laid back Sunday. I tried to study a little, bit, but that was a flop. I'll try again later. Blogging is so much more interesting and entertaining than studying Business Law for Insurance Professionals. I'll get through it, but it's just pure torture right now!



1 glass of wine + 2 shots of tequilla + 2 Cherry Bomb Shots + 2 strawberritas = blurry picture (looked blurry from my end too!) and waking up with a headache today! :(




This should be illegal. . .  .right at the checkout where I had to wait FOREVER and stare. . .  . (a-holes!)



Packer Fan in the making.. . . . "GO PACK GO!"

~~~~RUNNING UPDATES~~~~
*The 10 day weather forecast is now available for race day, and the scale keeps tipping more & more in our favor! So far, high of 61! I'm okay with this. Low 50's is my ideal running weather, so I'm hoping it's cooler to start. I'll wait a few more days to see how I'm feeling and then I'll do my race day predictions & goals!

*50k --We have decided to put the 50k off until spring. 50k's tend to be trail running with more elevation challenge than what we are use to. We do incorporate quite a few hills in training, however the elevations for a 50k are well beyond what we normally do. Since we are doing our 2nd full marathon in exactly 3 months next Sunday, we decided a little cut back on mileage is due. We don't want to rush into rough terraine training to "squeeze" a 50k in this fall. We've decided to scale back slightly on our mileage and stick to 10-12 miles for our Saturday long runs and then we'll start training for a 50k after the new year. Angie is all over our training plan (thankfully she's into research!). We are going to try a little trail running after we recover from our marathon next week and then decide if we can do it. I'm pretty sure we are both set on doing a 50k. . . we just want to be smart about it. It's not just running 31 miles. . . it's totally different running.

When is your next race? Do you think setting a prediction or goal will jinx you, or keep you in line for meeting your goals? --I'm a goal setter!

~Brooke~

Cranking out the mileage on the DreadMill

I'm not one to enjoy any part of a treadmill run, or as Angie and I call it, the "DreadMill."  It's boring and monotonous!  There is nothing to look at and tv is boring (while running -don't get me wrong, I love me some good crap tv, but only when being a lazy ass when I get a chance), there is no challenge like curbs, hills, wind, traffic and other outdoor obstacles. It's just boring!

When my alarm went off at 4am and 30 seconds later I heard the first crack of thunder, I was pretty annoyed.  Despite the beauty of potentially sleeping a little longer, nothing good comes out of being forced to miss your morning run.  For me, it's the only time I can get my run in outside of working hours without having to lug Jackson in the jogging stroller, or scrambling my schedule to fit it in at work!!!  I'll run in pretty much any weather, but a thunderstorm just doesn't work!

My options today were as follows:
~skip my run (it was only a wimpy  3 miles!)
~run on the treadmill at work -boring as shit!
~run with Jackson in the jogger with 80 degree temps & fairly high humidity (I don't need the resistance training this week . . . I'm tapering!)

I decided the DreadMill was the best option!
I went to "The Firm" at work around 10 to crank out 3 miles because I had an afternoon meeting.  Nobody was down there, so it was even more boring!  28 minutes can feel like a lifetime when I'm used to running outside!! I ran faster for two reasons. 1. as mentioned above, there are no outdoor obstacles, so flat treadmill running is pretty easy and 2. It's boring.. . . . I needed to get the H off that treadmill as fast as possible!

I couldn't even enjoy a side-by-side treadmill run with Angie because we had meetings at opposite times!  We have both been super busy at work and our "marathon strategizing" (aka: chatting) has been kept to a minimal!  Looks like we'll have we'll over 8 miles of material to cram into 8 miles this weekend!

Stay tuned. . . . . Tomorrow we hit the 10 day forecast mark & I will soon be blogging about my race predictions & my "official" goal for this Marathon!!!

On to my precious boy . . . . He started school this week!!! Only 3k, but he was pretty pumped!!!

Clearly he's nervous about the first day at school!

His Horse Denny even got to go the first day!

Weird to think "Class of 2028!"

Love this little guy!



Ice Cream @ Mc Donald's to celebrate his first day at school!  I didn't really want ice cream, but since it was his first day, I just sucked it up and had a cone!  I'm a people pleaser! :)


Despite the cut back in mileage and having the extra time added to my schedule since I'm not running as much, I feel as busy as ever. Nothing ever slows down. I think after this marathon I'm going to focus on simplifying my life so I don't breeze through Jackson's childhood with feeling like I'm always on to the next thing. I find it hard to slow down.

PS: I'm super pissy & short tempered . . .  . it might have something to do with my decision to cut down on the caffeine too. . . . I only had one cup of 1/2 the caff coffee this morning . . . . I have a headache & I'm super cranky. Leave me alone if possible!!! Catch ya after the marathon!! (My poor child!)

~Brooke~

The DREADED taper!

Well, we've started the DREADED TAPER. If you're a marathoner, you know how difficult it can be to go from high mileage to pretty low mileage right before a race. While it's a necessary step of preparing for race day, it's also very difficult. Have you ever had a time you couldn't work out? On vacation and couldn't fit it in (not that I think that is a valid excuse), injured, sick, insanely busy with life? Do you remember how you felt while you couldn't work out? Probably like shit! You probably felt like a lazy lump of crap! Yep, that is how I feel when I taper. The first week isn't terrible because we still had a 12 miler this last Saturday and I also squeezed in a quick 5 yesterday since our prior week was thrown off a bit from running on Monday rather than Saturday.

I'm dreading the decline in miles for a few reasons. 1: I need the endorphin release that I get from long runs to balance myself. I'm a busy woman with a lot of stuff on my plate (just like every other woman in America), and I need my running to keep me moving and 2: I need the long runs so that I can eat more! I love food, but I'm 5'2" . . . . I can't eat whatever I want and maintain my lady figure! So I have to eat reasonably right now, which is fine, but I just like to eat extra on my long run days

Angie and I had an OK 12 miles. It started out rough and it took a bit for us to find our groove and enjoy the miles versus dread each step. After my long holiday weekend and 45 miles of exercise (25 mile bike & 20 mile run) as well as coming out of high mileage, I was ravenously hungry. I could not stop eating last week. I was ALWAYS hungry. I almost was embarassaed by how hungry I was and how much I was eating. I'll chalk it up to pretty high mileage over the last 3 weeks.

I'm pretty sure 75% of the food I ate went right to my legs because they felt very heavy on Saturday for our run. I'm really hopeful that this isn't a sign of fatigued legs for the marathon, which is 13 days away! I need to focus on really allowing myself to scale back right now, mileage and pace.

We finished fine and it felt so fast compared to running 20 miles last week. We hardly had a chance to talk about everything we usually talk about during our long runs.

An amazing thing happened on Saturday. . . . our Garmin watches hit 12 miles at the EXACT SAME TIME! If you run with anybody else, you know this rarely happens. Angie and I have a "GOLDEN GARMIN RULE" . . . . we continue running until the last garmin beeps that final mile. Sometimes it can be for more than 10 or 15 seconds longer which doesn't seem like much, but when your Garmin hits 20 miles and you have to keep running because your running buddy's hasn't gone off yet, you dread each freaking step. We both looked at each other in amazement that they went off at the same time. We might have even kept running while we checked with each other that they really both went off at the same time.

I'm working towards an insurance designation, so after our 12 mile run on Saturday, I spent a little time studying. . . . pretty exciting stuff. BUT. . . when I'm cocktailing in Hawaii in a few years because of this sweet designation, you'll be jealous then! That is another reason to keep marathoning. . . . . so I have a swimsuit body for Hawaii.

Exciting Saturday Afternoon: Napping Child, Dt. Pepsi, and Business Law for Insurance Professionals!  -anybody jealous of that last one?  -didn't think so!

If I can do anything positive for my child, it is to teach him the importance and joy of excercise. I don't expect him to LOVE being a runner some day, but I want him to always be active and healthy. There are so many benefits to being in shape and being active. Turning the TV off more than it's on and getting outside to be in the fresh air is a gift for our kids. I try to keep him active as much as possible.

"Mom, I'm going for a run"   --I love hearing those words!

So if you're a parent. . . . you've heard the comment "oh, they grow up so fast!" Yes, yes they do. I can't believe that my sweet little boy is going to 3k. I know it's a little crazy to have them start school so young because they are only little once. . . . their job right now is to have fun and play. But his school is really just a glorified playdate, where I get to leave and be at work versus chasing him around and telling him not to hit and take toys and to be sure to share and tell him to not say naughty words. That's on the teacher now! He'll interact with other children, listen to a teacher, have a structured learning environment and only for 5 hours per week. It isn't crazy intensive stuff here. Just a little fun to get him interested in school at a young age.

Orientation for 3k.  Starts tomorrow!

There is no link to my blog as to why the next few pictures are in here. . . . just my little buddy making his usual blog appearance. Gotta love this cute little dude and his daily comments that make me wonder if he's actually older than 3.5.

What a sweet boy watching cartoons in my bed in the morning.

Another nap-time stalling tactic: "Mom, I have a situation to talk about about"   --but really he didn't have anything important to say.

My Shoes came in the mail this week! I was like the little boy on "A Christmas Story" waiting for my package to come in the mail. I ordered my race shoes so I could have them in time to break them in before the big day. I'd like to have 20-30 miles on them before I actually race. Enough to just make sure any weird quirks are out and they are laced perfectly. Now that I know my shoe and my size, I don't need to walk into a running store and try them on. I just order the Brooks Ravenna's (used to be 3, now it's 4) and size 7. Easy Peasy! These baby's look monsterous in the picture, but honestly, I have small feet! In any other shoe than running shoes I'm a 6.5 so I tend to get lucky in finding some cute shoes.

Yep. . . . Race Day kicks!  Pretty excited!  Before you know it, I'll have 350-400 miles on these babies and have to retire them.

Well, as an advance warning, since I'm tapering, you might want to avoid me, I could get crabby while I'm running less and probably eating more!

How do you feel when you don't work out? How does tapering affect you?

~Brooke~

Another 20 miler after a 25 mile bike ride!

Well, I survived my Saturday morning bike ride. I actually made it 25 miles. I did a bike trail close to home so it was an "out & back" ride for me. It's actually the course Angie and I just ran for our Full Moon 1/2 Marathon. It is quite hilly. While downhill is effortless on a bike, you have to get to the top of the hill first. The old saying "what goes up, must come down" is quite the opposite for runners or bikers . . . . . "what goes down, will go up, and it will feel worse!" I was at mile 10 and had 20 miles as my goal, but I also wanted to go for as close to 2 hours as possible, so since I was only at 45 minutes, I figured I'd go to 12. I went just beyond 12 so I could fill my water bottle where we started our 1/2 marathon.

While biking is obviously easier than running, it was still a challenge for two reasons. 1. It was a hilly route, so I did have to work hard to maintain the pace I wanted (which I didn't even know if it was good since I have less than 5 miles on my bike (which I have owned for close to 5 years I think). 2. My ass is not used to a bike. I do a spin class once a week when it fits into my schedule, but that hasn't happened for a couple weeks! You have to build up a tolerance to a bike seat and I'll just say a 25 mile ride isn't exactly "easing" your way into it.

I rested yesterday, which included dusting, vacuuming, mopping floors and laundry. It felt good to be productive, but it was pretty hot and I was sweating bullets. I should have just shut the windows and turned the AC on, but I prefer fresh air, so my stubborness just worked through it. I made sure to keep up on my water intake so I was hydrated for our 20 miler today!

I met Angie at 5 am at her house. Since we run in the country at her house, we had to spend the first 50 minutes running in town because it was pitch black out. She lives in a pretty small town, so squeezing 5 miles in isn't exactly simple. We made it 4.5 miles and then stopped at her house for a quick bathroom break and strapped on our fuel belts. It felt funny starting out from her house with the fuel belts on after running 4.5 without it. They felt heavy! I will say and I know Angie would agree that running that first stretch in town and having a bathroom break before heading out to the country made the 20 miles mentally easier! It really breaks up the run and 15 after that seems simple! (it wasn't, but mentally that helped some.

I'm a coffee drinker. I have one cup with some french vanilla creamer every morning. During the week I have it after my morning run and shower while I'm doing my makeup and watching crap tv that I've DVR'd. I honestly have my routine down to the first sip of coffee being after I put my eyeshadow on but before I curl my eyelashes. (Is that nuts?). Well, coffee works a number on my bladder, so I CANNOT have it before I run. I learned that the hard way. I'll spare you the details and my ego. --not one of my finest running moments!--

If I waited until I got home from my long runs for my morning caffeine fix, I'd get a headache & then my day would be shot. So, I buy Gu packs with Caffeine. The Jet Blackberry has 40MG of caffeine, so it starts me out with my fix. I then take it down to 20MG gu's after that.

My First Cup of Morning Jo!!!

Here is bathroom break Numero Dos. I had my cup o' Jo while Angie visited the Children of the Corn. Luckily she wore her bright orange shirt or I would have lost her! When you're running out in the country and can be at least 5 miles from the closest bathroom at any time, you just have to be brave.

Bathroom Break #2 . . . . Resourceful!

I always start my morning off with my Chobani Strawberry Yogurt. I know that dairy before a run can be detrimental, but for some reason, it just doesn't bother me. Today we stopped at the only gas station in a 10 mile radius (so it's obviously one of our regular stops) and rather than continue with our gu (chomps for Angie), we decided to try a granolla bar. If you're a runner and you've tried Gu, jelly beans, chomps, or any other type of fuel, you know they can result in some major gut rot! When you're going 20 miles and you have to use more than a couple, that can result in some unfavorable circumstances. We both grabbed this powerbar and they worked fantastic. It felt good to eat some actual food to curb the hunger (I was hungry by mile 6 which sucks!) and we ended up not needing any more fuel after that. It's not really something we can carry in our fuel belts, as they would melt and we'd then be a hot mess, but it's certainly something we can stash some extra cash for when we stop for a gatorrade & water refill.

Angie also brought up a very important fact. The day of Grandma's Marathon, I ended up eating her bagel with peanut butter. She had extra, so I tried it. I know I know. . . . you're never supposed to try something new on race day! Especially Full Marathon Race Day! -Risky Business. I ended up eating that and wearing new ear buds which can also be really dumb to try out for the first time on a 26.2 mile run! Lucky for me, both worked awesome and didn't affect my run negatively. Angie also brought her bagel with peanut butter to our Full Moon 1/2 Marathon. She never ended up eating it and I was hungry by our start, so she (being the amaze-balls running buddy that she is) offered it to me. Worked FAB! I PR'd and broke my 2 hour goal. I ran an 8:44 pace. . . . . . I'd call that success! My new pre-long-run breakfast will be a bagel with PB.

Trying something a little different.  Pretty good!

The rest of the run was fairly uneventful. I was super tired and I could tell my legs were fatigued from my bike ride. Angie was my "rock" today. I was a hurting unit. My ankles, knees, hips, low back and upper shoulders were all feeling the run today. I couldn't tell if I was tired out because I had just biked 25 miles 2 days prior. . . . or if 20 miles is just simply a LONG ASS run! I'm going with number 2. Angie felt great, so I'm happy for her (brat!) --only kidding. We both have good days and bad. Suffering through the pain with your buddy by your side can keep you from stopping 2 miles from your goal. We have both been on the receiving end of a good supportive running buddy, so we know what it's like to push each other and encourage each other. I do recall a run with Angie after I had gone to a pizza eating party where I indulged in about 12,000 calories of pizza as well as a little wine. The next day's run was virtually impossible and I'm pretty sure Angie wanted to slap my fat pizza-eating ass into running mode. Instead, she understood it was a bad day and we pressed on (in the freezing cold with icecycles on our eyelashes.

When I got home I stretched, foam rolled and showered! Ahhhh, the best thing after a long run is a hot shower. By then, it was lunch time. As I was warming up lunch, Jackson advised me he needed to take a time out! --I love honesty, just not the language prior to honesty.

"Mom, I have to take a time out, I sais SHIT"   -nice! not the most proud parent moment ever.

Rather than sitting on my recliner for the remainder of the day, which was totally tempting, I loaded up the kiddo & we headed to Target. I really wanted to pick up a mirror and I also wanted to drive through McD's for my McFlurry rather than walk and eat it there. It is a little chilly out and I wanted to eat it in the comfort of my warm house (pathetic, I know!).

I texted this to Angie & said "WTF am I doing here?"  Shopping with compression socks.  At least people did a good job of hiding their stares!

I finally took a break to relax. I reserve the right to be a less than energetic and activity filled mother once in a while. The day of a 20 mile run qualifies as one of those days! Jackson is totally capable of playing with his cars and entertaining himself for the afternoon. I'm also not giving him a nap so that I can put him to bed early and then in turn, I can go to bed early too. Is that mean? Nope, that's sanity after 3.5 hours of working out in one day!

What is better than an M&M McFlurry & some Guilianna & Bill with my feet up?   --The answer is: NOTHING!

The key to being a good parent is using consequences to bad behavior that benefit yourself! For example, I knew I wouldn't be up for running around the block a million times chasing Jackson on his bike today after my run. . . . . so when he got out of bed 17 times last night, I took away his bike privelages for the entire day today! (nice huh? -smart anyway!). I also bribed him to eat 2 good meals so I could get ice cream today! I knew damn well that I needed ice cream, so I let that be his reward. WIN-WIN situation! I must say though, that today is the first time I've EVER been disappointed in an M&M McFlurry. . . . Jackson opted for the Oreo McFlurry. . . . Holy SHIZ balls, I didn't know anything could be better than an M&M one.. .. . guess I have a new fav.

A match made in Heaven!!

As Jackson gets older, we continue to be amazed by his amazing personality and adorable good looks. He's one of the most talkative kids I know (not sure where he got that?), and he is so loving and interactive with everybody he comes in contact with. He is also a sneaky little stinker. He's on a time out as I finish up this Blog entry. Guess that's my queue to give him a little attention. I can't believe he is going to meet his first teacher this Friday! Is he really that old? Yikes!

Little Buddy's first Backpack!  3k starts a week from tomorrow!

What is your favorite post-long-run treat?

~Brooke~