Friday Thrive

Friday Thrive

Happy Friday! The sun is finally shining here in the Seattle area and Juneuary appears to have ended. Along with the fact that it’s Friday, there are plenty of things to celebrate this week!

Run

Are you training for a 5K race this summer or do you simply want to get faster? My latest weekly workout on Runkeeper’s blog is a twist on the traditional tempo run: a tempo run with surges. In addition to improving your speed, this workout will fine tune your sense of pacing and your ability to surge ahead during a race. 

Friday Thrive

Eat

Cherries! Washington cherries are incredibly delicious but I’m picky about when I purchase them – they only have a limited window for prime taste and texture. I found a bag of Rainier Fruit cherries on sale this week and have been enjoying them with my daily Stonyfield yogurt.  

Friday Thrive

Read

“This is Your Brain on Exercise” from Outside. I started running in my freshman year of college, and one of the things that hooked me on running was the cognitive boost I felt from it. I figured out theses and supporting arguments for papers and study my ancient languages’ vocabulary on the treadmill. I still swear by a morning run to get my creative juices flowing.

This article explores some of the ways that exercise improves cognitive function and how it can help alleviate depression. Some studies have even found that running improves one’s ability to concentrate and develop greater connectivity between brain regions. As one of the cited experts explains, “The brain is in a different gear when the human being is in motion.”  

Friday Thrive

Smile

Both Charlie and Ollie are so cute that it makes me smile, especially how they act together. They have bonded so well over the past several months since we adopted Ollie – who is definitely the little brother in their relationship. After our 9.5 mile hike, Ollie used Charlie as a pillow while they both napped. And yes, they’re covered in mud – good thing leather seats are easy to clean! 

Friday Thrive

 

Celebrate

Let’s first give a huge shout-out to runners everywhere to are kicking off their marathon training seasons! I also want to give a shout-out to a few of my athletes who raced recently. I am so proud of how well they all do, especially when racing in the unpredictable heat and humidity of summer:

Devin ran a half marathon PR this weekend in humid conditions! 

Elizabeth powered through a true Texas summer half marathon! 

Melissa C. ran a strong 12K race to kick off her Chicago Marathon Training!

Aimee and Janelle both finished strong at the hilly Seattle Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon! 

[Tweet “What to eat, run, read, and more this week from @thisrunrecipes #FridayThrive @rainierfruit #runwithrainier “]

What’s your favorite summer fruit?
Do you find that running helps you concentrate or think better?

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19 Responses

  1. Ive always felt like I was more productive and creative after a run! Thats one of the million reasons its so hard to be injured. I can definitely tell the difference between days I run and days I dont. If there is something important to do at work I try to make sure its a running day because I find that helps me to focus all day.

    1. I think that’s one of the most difficult parts of running injury – cross-training even doesn’t seem to render the same creative benefits (but it does give some benefits!).

  2. When it’s cherry season, I load up! My fingers are stained purple but there’s nothing better than a fresh cherry. And I’ve been adding them to my morning Stonfyield yogurt power bowls too. Happy Friday!

  3. I really like cherries in my oatmeal in the summer but I’m actually allergic to them! sometimes the reaction in my mouth is stronger than others but I’ve sort of stopped eating them to avoid the itchy/tight throat feeling. it’s so unfortunate!

  4. Kudos to anyone kicking off marathon training in June. Whew. I can’t imagine, although I’ve done it before and it’s tough but doable.

    I love cherries! I want to buy some now so I guess I’ll need to make a trip to Costco. Haven’t thought about eating them with Greek yogurt.

    I work as a writer and always have a more productive day at work and get good ideas after going for a run.

  5. Running definitely helps me figure things out when I get stuck on a problem! And I love summer berries of all kinds. We got a raspberry plant from one of my husband’s coworkers, so I’m hoping it will give us some berries this year.

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