Happy Tuesday friends! It's actually pretty funny how I've had MORE trouble getting my posts in when I'm working 10+ hours LESS than when I'm working 3+ jobs, but I guess that's what happens when you let your schedule become a bit too flexible? But also- don't we all need to not be so strict with ourselves? I was thinking about this this morning as I woke up early and went to the gym (something I hadn't done in almost 3 weeks!)- I think switching up my schedule (sleeping in/ running at lunch or after work) has helped me mentally stick with my training over 21+ weeks and not get burnt out. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is- rather than get bogged down by missing some posts, I'm glad I'm back and sharing my thoughts with you!

I've had A LOT of emotions leading up to my relay (t-minus 13 DAYS!) and wanted to discuss them here and also how I've worked through them (incase anyone else has a big scary goal coming up)!

Emotion #1: Freak-out. This happened when I first accepted my relay position and creeped up again a week or so ago. This kinda always happens to me before a big race, so I've found a few things that help get me over this hump and not push myself (or anyone else!) over the edge. I was completely overthinking my relay segment/ my unpreparedness/ every imaginable thought that could go wrong did go wrong. Then, I looked back on my training plan and that boosted my confidence. I no longer questioned if I was ready- I also had a kick-ass weekend of training. I gained over 2, 000' of elevation on my 23 mile long run and followed that up the next day with 20 miles (with some speed) on the treadmill. If that doesn't boost one's confidence, I'm not sure what will! Anytime I get the freak-out feeling coming up- I remind myself that I am a badass and that I will run 175 miles in 7 days. Positive thoughts people!

Emotion #2: Stressed Out. I moved on from my freak-out moments to thinking I didn't have anything that I needed to complete my relay! This is when lists help me SO much! I know that some think that creating lists for everything is crazy (and I think if you do anything too much it isn't good), but creating lists when I'm stressed helps me realize that I have nothing to worry about. Lists= happiness

Emotion #3: Utter excitement. Like I cannot believe that I'm going to run 175 miles in 7 days kind of excitement! I can't wait to cross that relay finish line and look back on every memory I'm going to make. I want to make sure to take it all in because how many people can actually say that they ran 7 marathons in 7 days? Yeah, not many ; )

So, there's my thoughts for the moment! I'm planning to do a bunch more posts leading up to the relay with how I'm feeling/ what I'm eating/ what I'm packing/ what podcasts I'm loading/ what books I'm bringing etc. so make sure to keep checking back!

How do you stop yourself from freaking out and stressing about something silly?

Relay essentials --> Any tips?!?