Well, this weekend was about 1000x better than last weekend, to start. I’ll finish my post off with pictures as usual, but first talk all things running.
Training wise, I started the week off rough (luckily this was a cutback week before my peak) but ended it off well and I’m excited because the Boston Marathon is now 4 weeks from today! Which means peak week is here – snuck right up. I saw my parents yesterday, and the next time I’ll see them will be in Boston!
Boston Marathon Training Week 8 – 4 to go!
Monday: 4 miles – easy pace but felt hard. This was the day I was feeling out of it after Diana got sick. During this run I was 90% sure that I was getting sick too, and cut the run short near the halfway mark. As it turned out, I wasn’t sick but likely dehydrated and exhausted, and started feeling better after I ate and drank water.
Also did this 15 minute vinyasa flow with Tim Senesi.
Tuesday: 5 miles, easy pace. Felt much better on this run! Later on I did my own flow of around 15 minutes (emphasis on hips and hamstrings) plus 10 minutes core work.
Wednesday: 5 miles easy, same route. Stretching but no yoga.
Thursday: 5 miles, hilly route. Not my typical extreme hilly route, where the first two miles are straight uphill, but more like rolling hills throughout. I just wasn’t in the mood for hauling myself uphill when I walked out the door, but still wanted a more challenging route. Stretching, no yoga (I’ve fallen off my routine!)
Friday: Total rest day
Saturday – 14 miles, easy pace. So, my “long” run this week felt really short! So funny how that happens with marathon training and you don’t exactly know when it happened. I guess after 4 weeks of 15-18 miles it makes sense, but seriously, 2 months ago, the idea of 14 felt LONG!
Most of the miles were in the 9:20-9:30 range with the last 4 speeding up just a bit, as per usual. Though I don’t have any time goals for the race, I’m thinking my pace will fall around 9 minutes miles based on my training. I plan to actually negative split this marathon – does that count as a time goal?
Fuel was the same as it has been – cherry Larabar over the course of the run, a few bites every 5 miles or so.
Sunday – Rest day! I baked cookies. I’ll get to that in a minute.
I kicked off my post-long run Saturday with one of my favorite breakfast hash recipes – Plantain Apple Bacon Hash. Highly recommend this – so simple and really tasty.
Since last weekend my dad had the flu, we never properly celebrated my sister’s birthday altogether as a family, so, we headed out to Long Island to spend the day with everyone. Drew was ready to party with a purple wig to match his purple iPad.
Candyland with my mom – grandmas rule for games like this one.
Adam had been watching basketball in the city for literally 2 days straight (I think I mentioned he likes sports) and, needless to say he was tired. I tried to sneak a selfie with him while he was sleeping but he woke up just in time. I think it might be Christmas card material, right?
Every birthday deserves a cheesy sneak attack restaurant rendition of “happy birthday” complete with oreo Sundae, I believe.
#notpaleo #shetriedtopassitoffonmykids
Cake for the rest of us at home (I had berries and green & black chocolate because #digestion1st) and yes my parents still take pictures of their grown-ass children blowing out birthday candles.
My sister and I finished the night off going spring clothes shopping in her old closet followed by astrological chart readings for each family member. Or at least 3 of us. It gets confusing. I’m Scorpio sun, Aquarius moon and Leo ascending. Are we fun or what?
Sunday was spent baking cookies (redoing pictures!) blogging, grocery shopping, and my kids fighting over the above pink headphones all day long. Like fighting to the point where blood was likely. Silly kids. Not sure what the allure of the headphones are since we have enough iPhone headsets for everyone.
P.S. The cookies came out awesome and just as in my original title, they are the ultimate Paleo chocolate chip cookies. Plus so easy. Seriously, try them!
What was the best part of your weekend?
Do you have a favorite cookie recipe?
Favorite cake/treat on your birthday?
Hi! I'm Michele. Paleo eater and recipe creator, runner, and mom of 3. Welcome to my blog, where we obsess over all of it and love every minute! (It's way fun over here, promise.) Stay a while to eat, run, and rant with me! 
looks like fun! I actually had to make gingerbread cookies with my son yesterday as a science extra credit. not sure why or what the science meaning was for this work but they came out good lol. an original chocolate chip cookie is definitely my fave
Cookies for extra credit is not a bad assignment! Art projects I don’t do well with though, I’ll happily take baking.
Girl I loved this entire thing but you had me smiling from the very first sentence.
<3
Aw, thanks Carla!
What a fun weekend! My mom’s treat was always a cake from Publix, my dad’s was strawberry shortcake. My treat would change, but basically, it was just that it was my turn to pick the restaurant for dinner. And I would geIn a family with kids, you know that is pretty special 😀
Picking the restaurant is always a treat. My kids mostly pick IHOP lol!
Looks like a fun weekend! I always go for the brownie sundae if Im getting dessert out, but at home I like a simple vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. Your paleo chocolate chip cookie recipe is one of my favorites!
Thanks Lisa! You can’t go wrong with a brownie sundae, if my kids knew that was an option for home birthdays I’d be in trouble 🙂
I love all cookies! I’ve been reshooting a bunch of recipes but it’s been taking me forever to get them edited. That’s the part I don’t like. If I wasn’t so darn picky!
It’s so easy to get sucked into editing, I so hear you!
Thanks for making me want cookies before 8 a.m. 🙂 Best part of my weekend was my sister visiting from college! She’s coming back again this weekend for Easter so that’s a treat.
Love those breaks when all the family is around, such a warm feeling 🙂 And there are worse things than 8am cookies!
What a fun weekend! My fav cookies are a brown sugar cookie. Sometimes I just make the dough because it is that good and my husband asks for them about once a month!
Cookie dough really is better than the cookies sometimes!
Looks like such a fun weekend! Coconut oil chocolate chip cookies are my current favorite but I’d love to find a good oatmeal raisin. Those are always what tempt me at bakeries.
Good chewy oatmeal raisin cookies are amazing, I love raisin anything actually.
Looks like a fun weekend!!!! Now I want all the cookies 😉
I’m missing them today – gone too soon!
Looks like such a fun weekend with lots of sweet treats 🙂 I indulged pre and post half as well!
Congrats on the half! Almost forgot it was this weekend.
Yummmm that hash looks amazing! Love hearing about your training, too–good luck in Boston!
Thank you! Getting excited!
I’ve never played Candy Land :O I loved board games though (but no one would ever play with me!)
Cookies wise, they should always include chocolate!
Birthday treat….carrot cake! (or brownies!)
Carrot cake or brownies can do no wrong! I think you’d like Candy Land, although today’s version is quicker than I remember the old one being.
I love your breakfast!
My mom always made our cakes for us growing up. These days though if I am going to have a birthday cake I want red velvet and only because I have a thing for the icing. If someone gave me a bowl of cream cheese frosting with a candle I would probably be the happiest. Minus my gut. I would probably then be sidelined for days :-/
Thanks! That’s so sweet to have homemade birthday cakes, red velvet is always a win with that frosting but I hear you on the tummy!
Race day is so close! Glad the training is going well. And yes, negative splits are definitely something to be proud of. Shows you have trained yourself well. Our weekend was great! Oldest son home from college for Spring Break. Nice to have the family complete again 🙂 The chocolate chip cookies look amazing! I will try them for the boys this week. Thanks for the recipe and good luck with the rest of training.
Glad everyone is together! Seriously can’t imagine having my kids away, lots of time though. Hope you like the cookies and thanks so much!
I love a good chewy soft baked chocolate chip cookie!
The best!
Looks like you guys had a fun weekend! I switch my birthday cake every year as I use it as an excuse to get creative. As a kid, my Mum never baked unless it was a box mix so my birthday cake was always yellow cake with betty crocker chocolate fudge frosting.
Once I hit about 13, I started baking my own birthday cakes and I haven’t stopped since! 😛 Last year was yellow cake with fresh strawberry buttercream frosting and another cookies and cream cake for my weekend birthday celebrations (because why not have two cakes?) and the year before was the most incredible coffee cheesecake with a chocolate cookie base that I made for both my actual birthday and birthday party because it was so good, ha!
Boxed mixes will always sort of have my heart, especially with that betty crocker frosting 🙂 So cool that you make your own cakes every year – and so fancy – love it!