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7-Mile Tapered Run Before the Half + Eats!

Good Morning, Guys!

It feels weird to be writing a recap post on Sunday morning, but today is a big day for me, and blogging is relaxing. I also want to catch up before I get too far behind with everything I’ve been up to the past couple of days.

I can’t believe in three hours; I’ll be running 13.1miles for the first time in my entire life. I’ve been working for months to get here, actually years. Completing the half marathon has been a goal of mine for years, but injuries and life kept getting in the way. I’ve been training so hard and praying that everything will go smoothly. I’ve been battling a little hamstring pain, but I think it’s going to hold up today.

I also want to thank my readers for helping me train along the way. You guys have given me the best advice and prepared me for today as well. You guys are AWESOME, and I appreciate all the kind messages I woke up to this morning. I can’t wait to blog all about my weekend and the race.

Meighan and I are completely carb-loaded, hydrated, and ready to run! My boyfriend told me that it’s “just another walk in the park,” and he’s (kinda) right! 🙂 WE CAN DO THIS! I didn’t run in 30-degree weather for anything 😉 
Recap time 🙂

This week went by WAY too fast. The last recap I wrote was actually in NYC. I had a trip with CVS🙂

I was supposed to get home on Thursday night, but my Delta flight kept delaying throughout the day until it was finally canceled. Even though I REALLY wanted to get home, it was a good thing because I caught up on so much work.

I also love that it’s not hard to find healthy options at the airport anymore. There are salads and superfood products on every corner! When I got to the airport, I finished some work and enjoyed a salad from their DIY bar. The salad had kale, coleslaw with vinegar, grilled chicken, quinoa, radishes, cucumber, spring mix lettuce, and dried cranberries.
Five hours later, I was sitting at my gate with only a couple more hours before my plane was said to arrive. I was done with work, so I grabbed a Runner’s World Magazine (my fave) for inspiration and some snacks! The RXBAR is SO GOOD! I had that with a side of vanilla Greek yogurt. I was really impressed with how good the Maple Hill (grass-fed organic dairy) Greek yogurt tasted. I’m now on a hunt to find it in Charlotte.

My flight ended up being completely canceled at 9 PM because of the weather. There weren’t any more flights to Charlotte until 6 AM the next morning.

I took a deep breath, called an Uber, and headed to a nearby hotel. Luckily, I was scheduled onto the 6 AM flight. It wasn’t direct, which kind of stunk, but I just wanted to get home.

I woke up at 3:40 AM the next morning, hopped on the hotel’s airport shuttle, and made my way back to LaGuardia airport. We headed towards ATL at 6:15 AM! I sat by a woman named Dorothy, and we had such a great conversation with our airplane coffee 🙂 It was kind of a blessing I missed my flight because she was such an inspirational person to meet.

I made it to the Atlanta airport at 8 AM and had to run to my next gate to get on the plane by 8:15 AM, and that is extremely stressful because the Atlanta airport is HUGE!

I did make it to the gate on time, but (luckily) the flight was delayed by an hour. I was so hungry, so I grabbed Greek yogurt and a banana before getting on the plane.

I finally made it back to Charlotte at noon! I ate my Chopt salad leftovers and then headed out to my parent’s house to grab the dogs. They watched the pups while I was gone for a couple of days.

I hung out with my dad and the pups in the backyard for a couple of hours before taking off. I was so excited to see them! I miss them all the time, even when I’m only gone for a couple of hours.

On Friday night, I headed to the gym with Kyle. I did three miles on the treadmill and then headed to the studio room to do a circuit. I was SO tired, so I showered, Kyle made me eggs, and I fell asleep at 8:45. We finished Thirteen Reasons Why and now we are watching OJ.

I was finally back on Schedule Saturday morning. I woke up at 6 am, had coffee, and worked a bit.

Kyle and I wanted to take the pups to the park before it got too hot outside. They love their weekends at the park lately. So happy Charlotte has this.

LOOK HOW HAPPY THEY ARE! 🙂

When we got back from the park, we threw them into the tub to clean off their feet, and then they slept for the rest of the day. It tires them out.

I headed out for my LAST RUN before my half marathon. I tapered back and only did seven miles. It was actually a pretty awful run. Meighan was gone, visiting her parents in NJ, and running alone was kind of crappy. I’ve been too fortunate to have a running buddy. I tried the GU Tri-Berry, and it gave me a boost at mile four.

It was a gorgeous day, so I’m glad I got out there!

Kyle was at the gym while I was running, so we decided to grab a protein smoothie together at the new juice bar in NoDa.

We had the “Doctor’s Order” with protein powder and extra ginger added. It was made up of organic apples, ginger, mint, spinach, kale, banana, mixed berries, probiotics, and spirulina.


We headed to Rock Bottom Brewery later in the evening and split a pizza with his roommate, Steve. Rock Bottom has pretty good pizza!

I headed to the mall on Sunday morning to pick up a few things for race day. I found the BEST Athleta race day pants, and I will share them in my race recap. They have all the pockets 🙂

I stopped at Central Coffee Co for a cappuccino on the way back from the mall.

I also picked up their vegan zucchini bread because it is so good and perfect for the rainy day.


I stopped at the Fresh Market to grab ingredients for fajitas. We all felt like “fajita night” 🙂 Kyle could eat fajitas all day, every day if they were available. I was shocked at how inexpensive the chicken and steak are at the

I was shocked at how inexpensive the chicken and steak are at the Fresh Market! I know where I’m going for meats from now on.

Monday morning lazies.

Breakfast: eggs and an English muffin with butter and honey!

Grumples and I headed out for a three-mile walk before his groom.

I took him over to my parents and shaved him in the garage. He actually loves it. He rolls over and lifts his leg when he wants me to get his favorite spots. Leo won’t go near the shaver, so we will probably have to take him to a groomer.

My parents made me dinner! Grilled chicken, broccoli, rice, and a spinach salad with balsamic.

Popcorn for dinner!

I woke up early Wednesday morning, had some cereal, and headed to Target and CVS to pick up travel necessities!

ALL PACKED FOR THE TRIP! I had to pack clothes for NJ and NYC. I blog more about my race packing in the race recap.

Whole wheat turkey sandwich and a Southwest salad for lunch!

Kyle and I walked to Tazikis for dinner on Wednesday night. I ordered their Greek salad with grilled salmon, and it was AMAZING. I think I found a new favorite Charlotte spot. It had cucumber, romaine, onion, tomato, pita, feta, and a house-made Greek dressing.

I headed to the airport at 5:45 am to hop on a flight to New Jersey! Meighan’s family lives in Jersey, so we had so much fun exploring and hanging out with her family! 🙂 I’ll blog ALL ABOUT that soon.

Well, guys, it’s time to get ready for the race! xo xo xo

Questions for you!

  1. What is a goal you’d like to accomplish by the end of the summer?
  2. Do you do anything as good luck before or during a race?
  3. What would you eat after running 13.1 miles!?

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Comments

  2. So excited for your race girl! I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

    I am chasing down my long time goal of running a full marathon this fall and I seriously cannot wait! I know it’s going to take a lot of work and persistence, but I am looking forward to seeing what I am made of 😉

    Hmmm…I don’t remember what I ate immediately after my half marathon, I think it was a banana and a Lara bar, but I can’t remember what real meal I had. Must have not been that exciting 😉

    I’m going to have to brainstorm about what I want to refuel with post- marathon now! When I had my son, all I wanted after laboring for 17 hours, was a BIG turkey sandwich (so good!) and a protein shake. Lol.

    You are going to rock your half! Have fun!

    Reply

    • Thanks, Bethany!!

      Oh good for you girl. I’LL NEVER DO THAT (willingly.) & you’ll ROCK it.

      lol it’s ok! 🙂

      OMG I WANTED A BIG TURKEY SANDWICH last night. (we settled on pizza) hahahahaha

      xo xo

      Reply

  3. So excited to hear about your race! It’s been two years since my last half marathon but following all of your training has caused me to lace up my sneakers again! There’s something about having such a specific goal (13.1 mile eeek) that keeps me motivated for months. My goal for the end of this summer is to take on a couple more yoga classes a week and put some time and love into growing my blog!

    Reply

  4. SO exciting!! I went from NO running experience to running a half and it was SUCH an amazing experience! After the race, I had a HUGE bowl of oatmeal with everything in it. EVERYTHING. It was glorious! Your lattes always look amazing and delicious- I just want to face dive into them!

    Reply

  7. First of all, good luck on your half marathon. You are going to kill it and can’t wait to read all about it!

    My goal lately has been to wishing that I could actually just run. I wohld love to run races but sadly though, I have osteoarthritis starting in my foot so my doctor said it’d be painful to run so I don’t know if that will happen.

    After 13.1 miles, a burger or pizza would certainly be calling my name.

    Good luck!!

    Reply

    • Thanks, Katie!!!

      Running is great, but it really isn’t for everyone. Not even sure if it’s for me! (my body doesn’t like it) but hopefully you find something you love!

      lol we did a pre race burger!

      Reply

  8. I can’t WAIT to read about your half! I’ve been a follower for a few years but have never commented….until now. As a former runner (bad knees and injuries forced me to stop) I have loved reading your posts, especially your training posts – I’ll always be a runner at heart! I know you killed it and I’m sure the accomplishment and pride you felt crossing the finish line had your emotions at their highest! (Trust me, we have ALL been there!) You’re a postive light and your posts are so uplifting! Thank you for being you! ❤

    Reply

  10. YAY RACE DAY!!!! I was so happy to see that today is race day because you have been working so hard at accomplishing this goal! Your blog has always been inspirational to me, but lately even more so. It has been clear over the past year or so that you weren’t happy with the way your life was going so you began the extremely difficult work of making your life exactly what YOU want it to be. That is what I am trying to do as well and you have been one of my biggest inspirations.

    I will only answer question #1 since I’ve already blabbed on enough. Last summer I had a BA with no job or direction, was battling depression, and was living in a place where I felt I didn’t belong. My (now) fiance and I decided to set goals and make our life what we truly want it to be.

    By the end of this summer we will be married, I will have my teaching credential, and we will be moving to Saudi Arabia to teach for two years and travel as much as possible. Not to mention the fitness goals I’ve been crushing all year.

    You and my fiance have been my inspiration for completely changing the things about my life that were bringing me down, which makes my heart so happy to see you accomplishing this goal that I’ve watched you work so incredibly hard for.

    You are probably running AS I TYPE THIS so I am sending you happy, positive thoughts! GO TARALYNN GO!!!!

    And thank you for being such a positive force in this world!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much, Katie!

      That comment just made my day. I was definitely not happy with how I was living my life a couple years ago, and it’s crazy how EVERYTHING is different now. I’m so much happier and I feel as if I can do anything. I know you can too and WIIL. I am very happy for you and congrats on getting married and all of your teaching accomplishments. How awesome!!! You will do amazing things in Saudi Arabia!

      I hope you come back and comment again because I really enjoyed reading that positive light!

      THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!!!! TARALYNN

      Reply

  11. What is a goal you’d like to accomplish by the end of the summer?
    Do you do anything as good luck before or during a race?
    What would you eat after running 13.1 miles!?

    Good Luck today! It is so amazing you’re doing this! As someone who can only run a mile or two, I think you are so inspirational! You’ve worked so hard for it and I’m excited to read about how it goes!
    1. By the end of the summer I would like to get back into a yoga routine. I would also like to start weight lifting a little.

    3. I would eat a turkey burger! My favorite!

    Good luck again!!

    Reply

  12. What was the weather? Was it too windy? 🙁 Thank goodness you still left some time in between in case something like this happened.

    This summer, I want to finish my 30 hour internship at the gym as a personal trainer 🙂

    Reply

  15. I’ve been wanting to run a half marathon for years now. I fell in love with running about 4 years ago, but developed plantar fasciitis and still have a hard time running often. My feet are feeling better this year and I also bought myself a pair of Asics, which are helping with the pain. I just hope I can get my running consistent without much pain and be able to train for a half soon. You have been such an inspiration. I hope that you had the time of your life and recover from the run quickly. ?

    XOXO, Paige.

    Reply

  17. I really struggle with running. My knees are killing me after no matter what I am doing or where I am running. Stretching, icing…. nothing helps. So I am avoiding it. I prefer long walks or hiking.

    Reply

  18. 1. I will be running a full marathon this fall so i suppose my goal is just to finish!

    2. I usually just get the nervous bladder before races so I have to pee like 5 times before the race even starts.

    3. I always have a banana after a race and whatever they have lying around (pizza, cookies, granola bars, ect). On a normal day I have a protein shake blended with a banana and tons of water.

    I know I’m late to the party but I hope your race went well!!

    Reply

  19. i would loooove to break 1:30 in the half but it may take more than the summer to achieve that!

    i always eat a plain bagel with jam before a half

    after? gimme all the pizza!

    congrats on your awesome race!

    Reply

  20. Hi Taralynn, have fun and good luck for your race!! You have worked extremely hard for it!!

    My goal I would like to accomplish by the end summer is to drop a clothes size! I am getting there slowly and have my first 5km race in 2weeks!

    When I did competitive swimming at school for good luck I would always get my dad to come and watch my races. He was always busy with the company but he never missed race day.

    After running 13.1miles I would probably want a slice of extremely good pizza and a large glass of red wine.

    Good luck and have fun!

    Reply

  21. Congrats on your race! I can’t wait to read that recap. A goal for summer is to get more toned. I’ve been trying to get some type of workout routine over the past few months, but my strength training has suffered. As far as good luck before a race, I never considered myself a superstitious person, but I’ve found myself to wear the same outfit for all of my races. I think it has more to do with the fact that I like how the shirt and leggings fit me out of all my workout clothes. Post half-marathons, I always go out to breakfast for a well deserved huge meal!

    Reply

    • Thanks, EMily!!

      I actually think that is a really good idea! if it works for you, why not wear it again? Play it safe!

      BREAKFAST was great after that race!!!!

      Reply

  22. The first time I ran a half I had a rough time after. I tried ice cream but that was not working for me! The second time I pretty much ate anything in sight!!

    Congrats to you on completing training!

    Reply

  23. i need to know where that brown purse with the gold zippers and corners is from! it’s so adorable and i’d love to add it to my wardrobe! can’t wait for the race recap! xxoo

    Reply

  32. Congrats on your half!!! You did it girl!!!

    My goal by the end of the summer is to get back into a real workout routine. We’ve been doing so many other active things that my normal HIIT and lifting have taken a back seat and I miss it.

    Reply

  34. So, I just did a crazy thing and signed up for the Disney half marathon in January! I can’t wait to see your training plan! I’ll definitely be using it. I’m about 5.5 months out of knee surgery, so this perhaps was not the smartest move on my part, but darn it, I want to dress up as Ariel and run at Disney! Thanks for the inspiration 😀

    Reply

  36. Hi Tara! Good job on your first half! Can’t wait for the recap.

    What is a goal you’d like to accomplish by the end of the summer?
    I’m running a half marathon in the beginning os September. It will be my second. I did 2 hours and seven minutes for my first. I want to do as good (or better) this time. I doubt I will be able to do 2 hours or under though. I am also finishing my degree this summer so yay.

    Do you do anything as good luck before or during a race?
    Nothing in particular but I have my rituals. I take a deep breath and try to think about clear my mind of negative thoughts.

    What would you eat after running 13.1 miles!?
    Brunch! A big one.

    Reply

  38. Hey Tara! I’ve been following you since your tumblr days and am only commenting now 🙂

    My goal for this summer is to train RIGHT for the Chicago Marathon – it’s my first one!! EEK. It’s not until October but that doesn’t seem so far away anymore (I guess I should go fro a run now…)

    I ALWAYS have to eat before 13.1 so my go-to is 1 whole bagel, toasted, with peanut butter and a banana! It’s super easy to digest and gives me the right amount of carbs I need to sustain running for 2+ hours.

    Also – love love love Greek food so your salad looks amazing!

    Reply

    • Awww thanks Erin 🙂 Thats A LONG TIME! So glad you commented.

      Definitley start now!! Training doesnt have to be running either 🙂 Practice eating for pre/race and cross training ASAP.

      I ate pretty much the SAME thing. I woke up months before to make sure it digested.

      THAT SALAD WAS AWESOME!!!

      Reply

  40. We have a Tatziki’s in my town too!! SO GOOD!

    1. Finish a few art projects I’ve been working on
    2. not much of a runner
    3. a beer! haha (but really)

    Reply

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