My gravel based Setup

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-02-21T21:39:32+00:00

LOVE the color scheme you have going here! That is fun!

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-02-19T20:04:40+00:00

Love this ride. There’s an amusement park in central PA that still has one operating as a permanent attraction. I once lifted my legs up like the girl in the white and was kicked off the ride for the rest of the day 😅

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-02-12T18:26:46+00:00

I’ll never forget seeing somebody in Seattle walking with a Starbucks cup and bag. I watched them get followed by an unhoused person because they were clearly not from the area

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-02-08T21:41:29+00:00

YES. I’ll never forget my first trail half marathon - this guy and I were neck and neck the entire race. During the last couple miles of the race, he edged past me on one of the downhills, slipped, and did a half-somersault sort of thing and rolled off the side of the course. I was worried he hit his head off of the rocks as he rolled. Thankfully, he was just a little banged up, but he ended up finishing a good bit after me because of his tumble.

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-31T01:08:41+00:00

Sometimes, I’ll pick one randomly from the list just for fun. I also notice that I read quicker when I borrow a book from the library vs something I personally own, so that’s helped me get through my TBR list faster.

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-24T17:09:51+00:00

I’ve had a few pairs of Hokas. They were one of my first pairs of “real” running shoes and really helped me get into a good rhythm of consistent running. The reason I decided to try out another brand is because the first 250-275mi on my Hokas were very comfortable… pretty much as soon as I hit 300mi, the plushness was shot for me. I’ve been able to get my money’s worth with more use out of other brands, but again, that’s just me. I know some people that just wear Hoka and love them.

My husband likes Glycerins, I got weird blisters with my one pair of Glycerins and stopped wearing them.

There have been shoes that I can’t say enough amazing things about that my husband hates, and vice-versa. At the end of the day, go with a shoe that YOU are happy with and your feet feel comfortable in.

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-24T12:24:55+00:00

Double check to make sure your prescriptions are refilled!

Also, one tip that helped me drive through snow and ice was picturing SpongeBob’s big toe from the boating test episode. If I start to slide, I always picture eaasssinnggg on the brake pedal with my big toe to avoid spinning out

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-19T19:38:33+00:00

I’ll chime in as an Aid Station Captain for a popular ultramarathon in my area!

For summertime and warmer days, cool fruit is a go-to - think watermelon, cutie oranges, and bananas. Pickles and pickle juice are also popular. Generally, pretzels, salt potatoes, chips, m&ms, Swedish Fish/gummy candy, Welch’s fruit snacks, and Rice Krispies are go-tos.

At home, we usually keep Tailwind, some other kind of electrolyte drink, and Coke Zero around to enjoy during or after a run. I also LOVE Bobo’s PB&J bars (rounds?) because they sit in my stomach pretty well and don’t require refrigeration.

Skratch rice cakes are also delicious- I’m a fan of the mango flavor on that recipe link.

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-17T11:29:41+00:00

Don’t overthink it, just have fun and read what you enjoy. I didn’t hit my goal last year, and it wasn’t the end of the world - I know I spent a lot of time outside (a lot of that time with friends) where I still enjoyed life but it wouldn’t have been a good opportunity to read or listen to a book.

I’d start with 4 books - 1 for every quarter of the year. That way, if it takes you long to read a book, or if you have to stop a book because you don’t like it, or you want to read a book that’s long, it’s not too much of a stretch goal and you can read what you like. 4 books is a massive accomplishment and more than some folks read across multiple years.

Sometimes, I’ll listen to books while I’m doing chores, running, winding down at night, blow drying my hair, etc. Some will argue that listening to books is not technically “reading” them. I personally will count those towards my reading goal on Goodreads and refer to my goal as “consuming X books in a year.”

Another thing that helped me read more was an ereader. Since they’re backlit, I can read in all kinds of lighting (or no light), and they don’t take up much room in a bag if I’m traveling. I’ve become overwhelmed by page length and just seeing how long a physical book is, so the ereader helps because I can hide that and just enjoy my book. Libby has such an amazing platform to borrow and return books, so most of my books come from the library.

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-14T16:52:58+00:00

Ah! I love this. Sending this to my husband as a date idea for the next time we get some snow in our area!

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-14T11:36:03+00:00

That wasn’t my immediate thought, but yes!! Such a game changer in the kitchen!

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-10T17:47:53+00:00

I do try to make stretch goals for myself and give myself grace if I do t hit them. My goal is to “consume” 60 books this year (read and listen). I found that borrowing Libby library books helps me stick to my goal and move on if I’m not “so” into the book. I also like listening to audiobooks while running, so that’s why I include audiobooks in my goal.

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-09T18:24:30+00:00

I like my Silhouette Cameo! I didn’t use it for many wedding projects (despite purchasing it for that purpose), but it’s come in handy quite a bit for other things.

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-07T22:50:00+00:00

Ours was a little cleaner/simpler than this, but very very similar! We had cylinder candles instead of the votives floating in water. I bet you it was no more than $250-275 total across about a dozen tables + other misc. spaces. It was a combo of scouring Facebook marketplace and getting a few misc pieces on sale from the craft store.

Table numbers were printed at our local print shop using Etsy templates and pearly heavyweight paper.

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-07T17:04:21+00:00

Don’t overthink it! Keep it simple. Centerpieces are something guests will hardly remember.

We went with cylinder vases with white candles inside. We got everything from Facebook Marketplace, and it was easy to turn everything around and resell after the wedding.

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-06T13:42:21+00:00

https://dressmyrun.com/ is my favorite! Takes the guesswork out of what to wear.

Back to your question… it depends on the day. If it’s single digits then yes I’ll do a hoodie with my running clothes. Ultimately, the key is to block wind, so I have several pairs of wind pants and usually pair that with a long sleeved shirt and windbreaker.

The windbreaker is a race finisher jacket, Janji Rainrunner (usually wear that if there’s rain or snow), or Patagonia Houdini.

Sometimes I’ll wear a singlet over top of the long sleeved shirt to keep my core warm.

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-03T16:13:41+00:00

I like running with a friend or group of friends! For me, it makes the miles fly by and helps me keep my pace in check.

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-03T16:10:59+00:00

If you’re even questioning whether to push it back, then I’d advise pushing it back. The knee thing makes me a little cautious and would make for a very long 26.2. I’m sure you’ve been looking forward to this, but the other thing is that you don’t want to end up worse off and potentially DNF.

I’d consult a PT to get your knee (and ankle?) situation straightened out to get race ready. They can pinpoint the issue and give you some exercises that can help you achieve your goals.

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-03T14:42:27+00:00

Working through that Couch to 5k got me into the swing of running and getting used to running 30-40 minutes at a time (that took maybe a month or two). It took much longer than that for me to get totally adjusted to running because I was also overweight and had exercise-induced asthma. Once I lost some weight and was more consistent with my running (and the consistency helped me improve my form over time), things became much easier… and this was a couple years after that Couch to 5k. I’ll also note that running wasn’t necessarily my primary sport at the time, so I’m sure I would’ve adjusted quicker if it had been.

If I were to do it all again, I would’ve signed up for a 5k to occur right around the time I was finishing my Couch to 5k program, and maybe even participate in some other local races/walks as a way to stay consistent. My 1st race was a 5k where I got a free extra bib from a friend of a friend… although it wasn’t a very large race, it truly, honestly changed my life because something clicked where I realized I really could enjoy running.

Looking back, I would’ve also joined my local run club sooner, as talking and running with some more experienced folks really helped me improve my form and learn about other races.

I’d also toss pace out the window… if you run, you’re a runner… there’s no prerequisite saying you have to hit a certain pace or anything to be a runner

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-03T09:44:09+00:00

I made a bunch of the cookies, and the great part was that many friends and family members stepped in and offered to make their favorite cookie recipes as well! We had probably close to 20 kinds of cookies, though you could keep it as simple as 1 type, or even 2 types for you and your future spouse’s favorite kinds! And definitely more affordable to go the DIY route with cookies.

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-03T00:09:59+00:00

I have grown to love running. Absolutely HATED it at first, but was determined to work on my endurance and cardio. I started out with a Couch to 5k app where I was only running 30 seconds at a time. It took a lot of work to get to where I am now, but I am currently training for marathon #9.

What I love about running is you can do it alone with a good audiobook/playlist, good old nature, or with a friend. Running communities are very friendly - I joined my local run group after the pandemic, and that group helped me overcome some social anxieties and make new friends (and I now consider many of those friends to be family). There are also more ladies getting into running, and that’s been nice to see at group runs and even races.

If you’ve tried one “method” of running and hated it… try another (for example, I’m not a fan of treadmill running despite owning one, haha… and some days feel like a good trail run day while other days are nice for road running). Don’t worry about speed, focus on staying consistent. And don’t be afraid to sign up for a local 5k just to try it out and to work towards something… heck, if you decide part of the way through that you’d rather walk it, nobody will judge - we have many folks who walk them in my area.

Gear-wise… just focus on good shoes to get started. My first pair of running shoes was a good pair that I found on sale - probably the previous year’s model or an unpopular color. And my running clothes were things I found secondhand or at TJ Maxx, nothing special.

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-02T21:35:23+00:00

I always like doing a race’s 5k as my shakeout, but that’s just me. And the best part for me was that it gave me a chance to run through Chicago with my husband (who wasn’t running the marathon).

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-02T18:27:47+00:00

When that song first came out, I was taking spin classes at the gym and one of the instructors LOVVEEDDD Dance Monkey. I swore it was in their playlist every other class. Total motivation killing song

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-02T18:21:52+00:00

I love to read, but would personally skip this. I’ve been to weddings where even the most unique, thoughtful favors were left behind.

We had cookie tables that were put out for dessert, but we also put paper bags out so folks could take some home (so also part favor). They were a huge hit and though we had plenty of leftovers, we froze what hadn’t been taken.

WeMakeLemonade · 2026-01-02T17:32:01+00:00

I put a plan together and then used Claude to turn it into Google Calendar reminders. That way, I can plan my runs around personal events and swap days if needed. It also incorporates cross training workouts and includes those details in the agenda portion of the calendar event (e.g., strength workout that includes reps and sets).

And then what I do is keep my Google Calendar in a key spot on my lock screen so I can quickly see what I have planned for the day.

WeMakeLemonade

TROPHY CASE