Frazzled Mother Running

Yep, Still No Workouts....

2010-03-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

I wish that I had a workout update for this (alleged) running blog but, alas, my biggest workout these days is walking up and down my stairs a million times a day. Not that I don't consider that a workout because I kind of do. I mean it never fails that whatever Noah wants is downstairs when we are upstairs or my phone rings upstairs when we are downstairs. And, me being me, I take the stairs the same way I always have - at a jog. So, yeah, that is my current workout of choice until little old Liam comes.

Speaking of which, this week marks 36 weeks so we are in the home stretch folks. I'd like to think that he will make an early appearance (he is a Shealy after all!) but I am not holding my breathe. I am fully counting on him being a week late just like Noah - then I will be pleasantly surprised if he comes sooner. My sciatic nerve will be pleasantly surprised too, as that has been what this baby has used to tap dance on for the last week or so. It's fun...really (not really)....

Anyway, things are pretty much the same otherwise. I don't feel like I have much to write about these days. It's like we are in a holding pattern until April 12th...at which point I am sure I will have tons to write about as my life will be thrown upside down. In an awesome way!

My Sugar High

2010-03-06T05:35:00.001-08:00

Okay, clearly I did not plan this pregnancy very well. Oh, sure, I was smart enough to be pregnant during winter instead of summer and all that, but I forgot one very important detail when thinking about the timing of having my baby. The entire last 6 weeks of this pregnancy are occurring just as they bring out....Easter Candy! Now every time I enter Target I am inexplicably drawn to the holiday section where there are two entire aisles of nothing but Easter goodies. Why is it that when Chocolate is shaped like an egg (filled with cream) it is so much more irresistible?

Of course, all of this candy anxiety is compounded by the fact that I have not really been working out. I know, I know, but I am so exhausted these days that I have given myself permission to take the next 5 weeks off. If I make it out for a walk great, if not...well I guess I won't become a fitness flunky in one month. The funny thing is that as my working out as slowed down so has my weight gain at my doctor's visits. I was consistently gaining around 4 pounds between every visit, but in the last month I have actually lost half a pound. I think without all the extra working out my body has stopped being as hungry. That has been true for me in the past - when I don't work out, I naturally eat a little less. Anyway, all of that to say that I am holding strong at a total pregnancy weight gain of 19 pounds so far.

I am very excited for the next several weeks. I finally feel like I see the light at the end of the tunnel and that baby is almost here. And with him spring and warm weather...and the return of my running self! (That is of course unless I turn into a giant chocolate bunny first!)

32 Weeks

2010-02-17T12:47:00.001-08:00

Okay, here are the status updates...

weeks pregnant: 32

weight gained: 19 pounds (feels like 8 million)

gliders considered, and then thrown out, as options for nursery: 8 gazillion

exercise in the past week: none

husbands almost lost due to me being "crazy pregnant lady": 1

Went to the doctor yesterday for the usual boring appointment. I hate when people ask how my appointments go. They do the same thing every time - pee in a cup, weigh-in, listen to the heartbeat, blah blah, etc. I mean it's good that it is all boring because that means everything is healthy but there is really never anything to report. The good news is that despite being sure it would happen, I haven't hit 20 pounds of weight gain yet (that will happen for sure in 2 weeks though) so thank goodness for small victories, and the doctor was pretty sure Liam is head down so no worries about a breech baby (he was breech at the last ultrasound.)

Anyway, even though I haven't exercised in almost 2 weeks and therefore feel like a whale I am going to follow through with my promise to post belly pictures. (Otherwise my readership of one - thanks Julie - might drastically drop as a result of totally boring posts.) So, without further ado...

32 weeks from the side...

....and front.

Boom! Is that effective birth control or what!?

A Winter Surprise

2010-02-14T16:55:00.001-08:00

I wish I could honestly say that things are great, but I am 32 weeks pregnant and when asked how things are my typical response is, "ehh". I mean, I am fine, baby is fine, life is pretty normal but I am sooo sick of being pregnant that I am just trying to take the next two months one day at a time. (Kind of like running a marathon...one mile at a time, right?)

This weekend we had a nice distraction from the norm though. It snowed! In Charleston! Noah was so excited I thought he would burst and it was so much fun to enjoy a few inches of snow from his little 3 year old point of view. He did it all - snowman, snow angels, throwing snow balls. His hands and feet and nose were completely numb and we had to practically drag him into the house because he was having too much fun to voluntarily quit playing. Of course, the snow melted almost as quickly as it came but it was a fun little surprise that we did not expect.

In baby news...we painted the nursery and are currently debating about what kind of chair we might purchase for it. We have also chosen a name - Liam Taylor. Finishing up the nursery and calling Liam by his name makes it seem very real that he is coming. Despite all my whining and complaining the pregnancy really has gone by fairly fast. Even so, I am anxious for him to just get here already. I want to meet him and watch Noah with a brother and get back to feeling more like myself. I am already thinking about what my running goals will be and what races I want to do in the fall. How fun to think about running again and meeting all three of my boys at the finish line! Well, that is about it for now. I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday so I will update later with scary stats, like weight gain (ahh), and maybe even a belly picture. If I am feeling brave!

My Aching Back!

2010-01-25T11:38:00.000-08:00

Where do I start? Okay, pregnancy update.

Last week I went to the doctor for my 28 week exam and the ever so fun gestational diabetes test. Actually, it wasn't all that bad. Had to drink a bottle of the orange liquid but it tasted like gatorade so I just tried to pretend I was on mile 10 of a long run and that guzzling that sugar drink was what I wanted to do most in the world. And the blood draw? Well, I have had my blood drawn on almost every visit to the doctor so that was no big deal either. Now the scale, that was another story. All I have to say is that the scale was not my friend last week - I did not like what I saw there. I am chalking it up to heavy, winter boots and the fact that fasting for the diabetes test meant I had no food to "move my system" that morning, meaning maybe there was an extra pound that disappeared later in the day! Too much info? Sorry...

Anyway, I'd like to say that last week was a wonderful workout week but it wasn't. I did not go - not even once. I have been so exhausted lately that I couldn't find the motivation. Plus, I was still partially incapacitated from the run I had attempted the previous Sunday.

*TANGENT...I could put this anecdote under a separate post entitled "Things that really stupid people do" but I won't. The Sunday before last our icy cold weather suddenly turned into sunshine and 65 degrees. It was gorgeous and all I could think about was how much I wanted to run! So I figured, screw it, I'm going. It can't hurt that much right? Well, I went for two (slow) miles and the answer to my question was, yes, it can hurt. A lot. Not so much during - except for my bladder - but afterwards was awful! I couldn't walk for about half a week. Seriously!*

So, all of that to say that working out did not happen last week. All that did happen was my back decided to scream at me every single day until by Saturday I had the worst tension headache and backache that I have ever experienced. I am going to have to admit defeat and get a prenatal massage or something because the sheer volume of knots in my back and shoulders is astounding.

I am glad to say I am back on track this week. I went to the gym this morning and did 40 minutes on the elliptical and plan to get in a least 4 days this week - I hope :) I am getting so impatient for the baby to get here. He moves around so much and the movements are so strong that it makes me want to meet that little person so much. Plus I really feel like having him out in the real world will be much better news for my back!

Random Thoughts I Have Been Having

2010-01-15T10:43:00.000-08:00

Being almost 7 months pregnant I feel as though most of my thoughts are completely random these days. (I may indeed give new meaning to the word frazzled). Anyway, here is a sampling of random thoughts that I have been having lately....

~I must teach my 3 year old to be better about cleaning up his toys. Bending over 2 million times a day to pick up some random train or another is getting quite uncomfortable!

~ I wonder how much longer my extra small maternity shirts will last. I am guessing not much longer. Despite the fact that I am not drying them they are getting to the point where they can't stretch much more around the belly. Ditto most of my workout shirts. Question...Where in the hell does one find affordable maternity workout gear? Pretty soon I will have to start snatching my husbands stuff.

~ (While working out on the elliptical) Hard rock is my motivational music of choice to really push myself to sweat and work hard. It makes the workout seem easier somehow. Am considering bringing my iPod running play lists to labor and delivery room and listening while I push. (After all that is an endurance sport right?) Hope nobody asks me what I am listening to though. My guess is that not many women want to listen to Rage Against the Machine's Bulls on Parade while bringing their children into the world.

~ Am making conscious effort to eat well but all I really want is a giant piece of cake! (Have wanted said cake ever since I took Noah to a birthday party last weekend and they offered the parents a piece of yummy chocolate cake. Of course all the parents said no, and not wanting to be the hungry pregnant women, I demurred as well. But I really wanted it. Bad.

~ Is my husband's statement, "You don't even look pregnant from behind" really true?

~ I am soooo tired I wish I could fall asleep and just wake up again in April....except....

~ I only have 3 more months of life with "just Noah" and want to enjoy every moment we get to have together just the two of us. It's so weird to think about having to split my energy and attention between 2 children. I hope I can do it!

Happy New Year...(if there is anyone still reading this)

2010-01-07T07:15:00.000-08:00

So my guess is that there is no longer anybody actually reading this blog anymore seeing as how I have not updated it in forever. However, I am going to blab on and on anyway, if for no other reason than to make myself feel better. Also, I have obviously been slack about the belly pictures but I do have a picture of us on Christmas Eve where the belly is clearly vi sable.

Quite frankly, it has been hard to find the motivation to update my "running" blog when I am no longer running. This whole being in the middle of pregnancy thing is totally messing with my mind. I am 26 weeks, which sounds good, until I realize that I still have 14 weeks left. That's over 3 months, and at the rate I am going it is going to be a long 3 months. Up until recently I have felt pretty good, but in the last couple weeks I have been having all sorts of annoying things crop up. First of all is lack of energy. I spent all of yesterday feeling like I had been run over by a mack truck. Walking up the stairs made me tired. Also, I have been having outrageous heartburn, which I think I have finally figured out is caused by consumption of caffeine. So now I have to pick between my addiction to Diet Coke and my desire to not have my esophagus feel like it is on fire. And, of course, as I was expecting, the bigger I get the more miserable I feel. Bending over is starting to feel like a chore and my back is killing me! And let's not even talk about the fact that none of my pants are managing to stay up for more than 3 minutes at a time.

Lest you think all I do is bitch (and lets face it, it's probably what I do 80% of the time) there are some good things going on. Finding out that the baby is a boy meant that we got to start shopping for all the fun things like a stroller, car seat, crib, etc. This month we are going to start decorating the nursery which I think will be so fun! Another fun thing is that I think we have decided on a name which I am really surprised about. It took us almost up until Noah was born to agree on his name and this time we came to the agreement very easily. It was a name we both had at the top of our lists and it was pretty easy to figure out that was the one we should go with. Of course, I can't tell you what it is yet because we are keeping it a surprise until he is born. Also, I have been continuing to work out. I have tried to make it to the gym 4 times a week and usually spend about 45 minutes to an hour on the treadmill or the elliptical. And then there is my everyday workout called, just trying to keep up with Noah. All of that has allowed me to only gain 13 pounds so far, which is much better than I did when I was pregnant last time.

So, I am looking forward to the next 3 months going by quickly and getting to meet this baby and to no longer being pregnant. I have already made tentative plans to run a half (or possibly full marathon) with my friend Julie in the fall so this summer I can't wait to get back into running shape!

Halfway Done...

2009-11-28T05:21:00.000-08:00

Just to get it out of the way, I do realize that it is time for the required 20 week belly shot but the truth is I haven't taken it yet. So, at some point it will get up here but it will obviously be a bit inaccurate - oh well. The good news is that I am halfway to baby!

Time seems to fly these days. I know that the holidays are making things seem even crazier than usual. It seems like we have something going on every weekend from now until Christmas. Which is good, I think. The faster time goes the closer we get to April and meeting the baby and me not being pregnant anymore. I have visions of a warm summer evening where I am wearing regular clothes (you know, the kind without huge elastic bands at the waist) and I am enjoying a refreshing margarita on the porch with my neighbors, holding the new baby and watching Noah run around like a crazy person. All of that after enjoying a nice morning run of course.

Exercise has been put on the back burner - at least this past week anyway. Noah had to stay home from school all week (well, they were only in school Monday and Tuesday before the Thanksgiving holiday) because we had major intestinal issues. Long story short, my son had not pooped in 11 days and the doctor had to put him on laxatives and enemas for a number of days to clear out his poor little system. So my (finally) potty trained 3 year old was back in pull-ups and diapers while we were house bound for 3 days of what I am calling his "colon cleanse". Which meant no gym time for me. To be fair, Wes did tell me to go when he got home from work but by 6 o'clock the thought of driving 20 minutes each way just to spin around on an elliptical machine did not appeal to me at all. So, aside from a 3 mile walk on Thanksgiving morning, no exercising of any kind has been done this week. (On the plus side the "colon cleanse" was successful and we are getting back to normal -well, normal for Noah!)

This week it is back on the wagon with exercise and hopefully all the yummy Turkey Day leftovers will be gone and I can have a refrigerator full of semi-healthy food again!

"Uncle!"

2009-11-17T06:34:00.000-08:00

Last week I went to the doctor - at 18 weeks - and all was well. Peed in the cup, got weighed (5.5 pounds gained so far), and heard the heartbeat. Also scheduled ultrasound for next month to find out the sex! Very excited to do that!

While I was there I talked my doctor about the discomfort I have been feeling while running. Clearly she does not have many patients who are runners because she kept looking at me in a confused/pitying way and finally said, "Well, that's why most people just stick to walking during pregnancy." I tried to explain my reasons for wanting to continue running. She tried to understand but ultimately said, "Obviously you aren't hurting yourself by doing it, but if it's uncomfortable for you, why keep going?" I think we finally agreed to disagree about the sanity of a person who would want to run at almost 5 months pregnant and the appointment ended uneventfully.

I went home and decided I would just keep going even if it was a little uncomfortable because I am a runner, right? What's a little discomfort? So, trying to keep to my plan of running twice a week, I went for 3 miles on Sunday. It was fine while I was running (except for the constant need to pee) but after I stopped...well that was a different story. I had actual pain in my pelvic region and could hardly perform any movement without grimacing. By the end of the night I cried uncle. I just might not be one of those people who can run the whole way through pregnancy. I imagine this pain will only get worse if I keep pushing it so I may be following my doctor's advice after all...if it is that uncomfortable why torture myself? Of course, logically I know this is the right decision, but the thought of not being able to run until May at the earliest kind of makes me want to throw up. I can't even talk about it. However, I have been thinking maybe I should change the name of my blog to Frazzled Mother Walking or Frazzled Mother Spinning Aimlessly on the Elliptical or Frazzled Mother Slowly Going Crazy......

So this morning I am off to power walk through my neighborhood and try not to mutter cuss words under my breath at the runners that pass me.

What I Did During Week 17

2009-11-07T05:37:00.000-08:00

This was the first week that I have had my gym membership, so on Wednesday I set out to take advantage of it. (Monday was cleaning while Noah was at school - although I did walk 2 miles - and Tuesday was my design class - anyway...). I was not too excited about the idea of spending all my workout time stuck on an elliptical trainer so I know that I walked in with a scowl on my face, but an elliptical workout is certainly better than no workout so off I went. I was very surprised my how much I enjoyed it. I went about 40 minutes and worked up a wonderful sweat and had absolutely no pain in the pelvic area whatsoever! I followed that up with a mini strength session. I say "mini" because I was kind of just checking out the facility and only did some half-hearted sets on each of the machines. The cool thing is that there is a separate little weight room - you know, away from the main weight room where all the big guys pump iron - that has all the machines you need lined up in a nice little circuit. Chest, arms, back, legs, - boom, you've got yourself a 30 minute strength session right there. I am awful about strength training so I figure that if I can't run, maybe I could spend the extra time finally working out my puny arms. I went back yesterday and did another 40 minutes (this time intervals) on the elliptical and my legs were burning when I got off (yes!) and it felt great. I am going to try a run sometime this weekend to see if maybe I can cross train most of the time and at least try to run once a week or so. We'll see how it goes.

Also, I just finished reading the book Born to Run for the second time. I love that book! Whenever someone asks my why I want to run, I want to hand the book over and just say, read this. Read about how are ancestors were literally born to run. How they ran not just as a way of live but a way to literally stay alive. How man is uniquely created, over all other animals, to run long distances. How it is just in recent decades that we have ruined are innate running selves with poor diet and laziness. After reading it again I just want to completely strip my diet down to totally natural, unprocessed foods that completely fuel my body and go out and run! (I guess I will be waiting a bit on the running part but the reworking of my diet is something I am working on now. What better time to rid my daily life of processed crap than while I am pregnant?) Of course I decided that this Thursday and then went out to dinner last night for Wes' birthday and stuffed myself silly with fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, and some pecan pie. Oops. It was a celebration. Today will be better!

My New Plan

2009-11-02T12:32:00.000-08:00

I wish I could say that last week was a successful running week, but I can't. In fact it felt like the total opposite.

I ran on Tuesday and went 3 miles and felt okay. Until afterwards when I went to stretch and realized that my bladder felt as though someone had played kickball with it. So I waited. Went for a few walks...and waited some more. Then on Saturday I tried to run 5 miles. I willed myself through 2 before I let myself stop. I hate stopping, but I was really feeling sore and I had to pee. So I walked half a mile to my house, made a quick pit stop, and literally came out of the house at a jog (or I might have talked myself out of continuing). I ran 2 more miles and then walked the last half mile for a total of 4 miles of running and 1 of walking. At the end? I felt beat up.

I finally admitted to myself that I don't think my half marathon is going to happen. I hate it, but it just doesn't seem like my body is up for the running (even though my mind and spirit are pushing so hard for it!) Whenever I run I am getting a lot of pain in the pubic bone and am also afraid that my bladder may never be the same. Tomorrow marks 17 weeks and I am infuriated that I haven't been able to hold out longer. But that is irrational right? Shouldn't I be proud that I tried to keep running at all? That I have made exercise and nutrition a priority this time? That for 4 months of this pregnancy I gave it my all? I should be proud of that...and maybe soon I will be, but right now I am just pissed.

So, my new game plan is this. I have joined a gym. (Kuddos to my mother-in-law for finding one that lets you do a month to month membership so that I can quit once I have the baby and am running again.) My new goal is to keep up a general level of fitness so that this spring I am not starting from square one. My new friends will be the elliptical machine, the bike, and the treadmill (for some serious incline walking). I still plan on trying to fit a run in periodically but I am giving myself permission to stop if I am uncomfortable. For now I will go be the crazy pregnant lady who sweats all over the gym cardio equipment all the while dreaming of next spring and summer when I will go back to running whenever I want, as fast as I want, and picking a new race to train for.

16 Weeks

2009-10-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

After my last post I don't have much to add. This weeks marks 16 weeks. Kind of a boring milestone. Not the beginning or end of a trimester and not as good as next month when we will be close to finding out the sex of the baby! Here are the belly shots...

Please note that the workout gear is doubling as an actual wardrobe. I am a What Not to Wear episode waiting to happen!

Why I Am Not A Fan Of Pregnancy...

2009-10-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, if you are in the mood to hear some first class whining, read on. If not, might I suggest you skip this post and return when my hormones are on an upswing.

So if you know me at all, you know this - I am not a fan of being pregnant. In fact I seriously considered just having one child so as not to have to be pregnant again. ( Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the getting to have a baby part just not the 9 months it takes for the baby to get here.) I know it goes against the mother's code of ethics to say this out loud, but I kind of think being pregnant sucks! (By, the way, you may love being pregnant - that's great! - and don't have to agree with my stance. It's just helpful in understanding my mind frame right now.)

Approaching week 16 I am reminded about all the things that I really am not enjoying. First of all, lets discuss the clothing issue. My pre-pregnancy clothes are really not fitting right anymore and I have switched to maternity pants for the most part. However, I am not quite big enough for them yet, so they irritatingly sag in all the wrong places which is never flattering. Also, many of my maternity clothes from last time are a little too big. Now, I hate to complain because what that really means is that I am not gaining weight in all the wrong places this time and that is good BUT that limits the amount of wearable clothes hanging in my closet. I know in a few months I'll be huge and none of this will be a problem anymore but that doesn't stop it from bothering me now!

And, since this is supposed to be a blog about running, let's talk about running. Last week I had to cut out several runs due to discomfort (pain?) in the pubic bone area. I say pain with a question mark because at this point I have trained myself to run through pain and have made the mistake of running through things that are actually a problem (ie., a broken foot). So, I cut a few runs short and took off three days in a row to give my body a rest, just in case. Yesterday, I did 3 miles to see how I felt. It was okay. The run itself was great - I even hit under 9 minute pace by accident for a bit - but I was sore afterward. I guess that is something I will just be dealing with from now on. I suspect that it may be the relaxin causing an early separation of my pubic bones (pubic symphasis diastis - yes I self-diagnose!) and therefore will probably limiting my running from here on out. I am going to attempt my half marathon distance but will most likely be using a run/walk method, and I will definitely not be running on consecutive days from now on. Ugghh...pregnancy sucks.

The lack of suitable clothing plus the lack of suitable running (in addition to the uncontrollable bitchiness I seem to spout at random times) is making me long for April to just get here already so I can enjoy the baby part and be done with pregnant.

(Next time I promise to strive for more upbeat and post my 16 week belly pics.)

Where Did The Last Two Weeks Go?

2009-10-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have been really bad about updating this blog lately. It just seems like I blinked and two weeks went by. Life has been kind of busy around our house but in a good way. Noah has lots going on with school and after school stuff like tennis, and I started an interior design class at one of our local colleges which meets twice a week for 3 hours. Also, we have had very full weekends, either out of town or people in town to see us so time is flying by!

I have been running. Two weeks ago was a great week. I fit in 18 miles and got to run twice with my friend Julie while visiting her in Charlotte. (It was so fun to run with someone - it certainly made the miles go faster and seem easier. My new mission is to find a running partner here!) Last week was not so stellar - I only did 2 miles - oops! I don't really have a reason for that either. Just tired and unmotivated I guess.

This week I have planned it so that I should hit around 18 again with a long run of 7 miles sometime this weekend. I am signed up to run a half marathon in 6 weeks after all. Better get on the ball.

Went to the doctor last week at 14 weeks. I heard the baby's heartbeat and all is fine except I am borderline anemic so that might explain my lack of energy sometimes. Also, I have low platelets, so they had to draw more blood to monitor that. They didn't seem overly concerned about it - said it can happen during pregnancy and that we would keep an eye on it. And of course, last but not least, I weighed in at 117 which makes for 3 pounds of weight gain total. I can live with that! Yesterday marked 15 weeks and I am so grateful to still be running fairly comfortably. My doctor seemed to be convinced that by 16 weeks I would be ready to call it quits and switch to walking and that is not the case at all. All is well so I plan to keep going - now if I could just find some decent shirts to run in that don't expose my belly and cost a fortune I'll be golden!

13 Weeks and Counting

2009-10-07T07:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was officially 13 weeks. It's weird, now that I'm not nauseous all the time - and I don't have a big ol' belly (yet) - I don't really feel pregnant. That is of course until I twist around in the car seat to pick up something for Noah and my abs scream at me, or I go to the bathroom 6 times in one night. Then I remember, oh yeah, I'm having another baby!

I had a friend ask me the other day how running was going while I was pregnant. She said it with one of those skeptical, hesitant looks on her face like you would have when asking someone, so, how was your colonoscopy? I giggled a bit. People seem to think it is crazy to run while pregnant. I know this will change pretty soon, but at this point, aside from being a bit slower, it really feels no different than running not pregnant. I will say this morning though, I felt a bit of soreness in my lower abdomen. I think that is the round ligament pain I have been waiting to get. My belly is slowly but surely getting bigger so this was bound to happen eventually. It wasn't horrible though. I think I am going to order a maternity support belt and see if that makes a difference.

Okay... I have decided to post the belly pictures. If for no other reason than that this is the last time I plan on being pregnant and therefore the last chance to document it (since I didn't last time). At some point in the future I may want to remember what I looked like while carrying my children. I think I may post a monthly belly shot - this one is at 13 weeks and was taken by me in the mirror, as I decided last minute to do it and nobody was home to get a good shot for me.

The front view - not too scary.

The side view...see how it looks like I spent all last night at the all you can buffet or something? I will actually be more excited when I am a little bigger and you can tell for sure I am pregnant!

I promise next month I will get Wes to take the pictures so that I at least have a face!

Race Report: Carolina Children's Charity 8k

2009-09-26T12:45:00.001-07:00

Also known as, our first race as a family of 4!

Wes and I decided to do this race for a couple of reasons. He had run it last year - I was supposed to but it fell the weekend after I broke my foot - and said it was a good course with a fun atmosphere. Also, we liked that it was a little longer distance than your run of the mill Saturday morning 5k. So, we woke Noah up early (he was really grouchy about that), stopped by Dunkin Doughnuts (because that was the only thing that would stop the whining from the grouchy 3 year old), and headed to the 8:15 start. I would love to say that the morning was crisp and cool and we got to run through neighborhoods of beautiful autumn leaves but, alas, that was not the case. Here in good ol' Charleston it is still in the 80's with high humidity and no autumnal foliage. The sun did stay behind the clouds instead of baking us though, so thank goodness for small favors.

We loaded Noah in the jogging stroller and we were off. Not fast, I might add because these days I am getting slower. Noah was initially in a snit because he did not hear anyone say, "On your mark, get set...go" but we managed to distract him with something else and he did really well the rest of the way. We had decided to stick together and run as a family and I am so glad we did. It was fun to run together and listen to the funny comments that Noah made along the way.

Surprisingly, I felt pretty good the whole way. I have really been feeling sluggish lately, possibly because of the heat (or that pesky baby I guess!) but this morning was better. I think it is because it always so much fun to race that I get distracted from any kind of pain.

About a 1/4 mile from the finish line we let Noah get out of the stroller and run it in with us. At first I told Wes that I thought it was too far and that he wouldn't want to run that whole way but I was way wrong. He grabbed Wes' hand and jogged the whole way with a strange little grin on his face that was a mixture of pride and I'm getting kind of tired but I don't want to stop. At the finish line people cheered for him and it was so cute. He ate it up! Plus, as you came through the finish chute they gave you a raffle ticket and somebody handed him one which he thought was so cool. I think he thought it was his prize for running or something because he made Wes pin it onto his shirt. I caught a glimpse of the clock at the end and it said 50:xx. I think we basically averaged about 10 minute miles with the exception of slowing way down to let Noah run at the end. Hey, I'll take it. I am just glad to be running at all right now and it was really fun to sit back and enjoy it with my family.

An Update

2009-09-21T07:15:00.000-07:00

This week - well, tomorrow actually - I will be 11 weeks into this pregnancy and close to the end of the first trimester. Woohoo! I knew I remembered not liking this first trimester at all but I had forgotten how truly exhausting it is. Or is it worse this time because I have to chase around my Tasmanian devil of a 3 year old? Hmm.....yeah, probably!

I have been so tired and just "icky" feeling lately. No throwing up this time (thank you Lord) but lots of nausea and weird stuff regarding food. My taste buds are all messed up and the foods that I usually love have just tasted wrong lately. It is so frustrating, because I am trying to eat healthy but sometimes my body just screams, "No, salad is no good...you want a Big Mac!" It is totally bizarre because I never eat crap like that. I have been pretty good though, only giving in once, and when I went to the doctor I have only gained 1.5 pounds so far so I am guess I am doing better than I think.

Trying my best to keep up with the running. At first I was so tired that I just didn't have the will to do it, but lately I have discovered something. On the days that I fit my run in I feel a million times better than on the days that I don't. For example on Saturday I did 5 miles and felt awesome. I had all sorts of energy that day and tackled a bunch of house projects that had been needing my attention. So... the moral of the story? Keep running Kelly! I am really glad I have that half marathon the first of December because it will keep me focused and motivated through at least half of this pregnancy. I am excited to see how training goes. It will be interesting because my new goal will not be based on a PR but on keeping up with my changing body and just being able to get myself through the 13.1 miles with a smile on my face.

That is it for now. If I get really brave I may start posting belly pictures. I didn't take any with Noah because I really just hated the growing belly, but this time I kind of want to document it, at least as long as I am still running. Of course I will have to wait until it looks like an actual pregnant belly. Right now it just looks like I am bloated from an all you can eat buffet - and nobody wants to look at that!

Why I Want to Sleep All the Time

2009-09-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

Well, the cat is finally out of the bag with the families, so I guess I can write about it on this blog...I am pregnant! Baby #2 arrives in April!

I am about 10 weeks along and experiencing all the junk that comes in the first trimester. Nausea, fatigue, blah, blah....none of it is fun. Honestly, running has felt like a chore. I was hoping it wouldn't be that way, because my goal is to keep running as long as possible, but so far it has been work. I have managed to stay between 10 and 15 miles each week - with the exception of the week with the sinus infection when I hit the big zero. I really have no goal other than to keep moving. I did nothing when I was pregnant with Noah and I want this pregnancy to be different. Well, I am a runner now so it will be different.

My goals are: #1) Run as long as possible.
#2) Complete the Memphis half marathon that I am already signed up for.
#3) Keep my weight gain to around 25 pounds.

That's the abbreviated version anyway. I am sure that I will have tons more to say about running pregnant in the next few months - and I am kind of excited to face the challenge - but for now all I have to say is this...I am tired!

Fall Is Here!

2009-09-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

Sinus infection, we meet again.

About two weeks ago my allergies started acting up pretty bad and before I knew it, things had turned into a full blown sinus infection that completely knocked me on my ass. That is the second one this summer. I have never struggled with allergies before but these past few months have been terrible. Plus, I hear that fall is the worst time for allergies...great.

So, because of the fact that my head felt like it was going to explode and I couldn't breathe I have done very little running these past two weeks. About 6 miles that last week of August and...(gulp) 0 miles last week! Ahhh! I am trying to get back on track this week. I am feeling better and ran 2.5 miles yesterday and again this morning. I felt slow and completely out of shape but it was good to back out there. There were several things that made it a little easier.

First, fall is on its way! Don't get me wrong, it is still hot here. But, the humidity seems to have lessened, there has been a nice breeze and you can just sense that cooler weather is right around the corner. The sunlight has even changed - you know just a tiny little bit but enough that you know the seasons are transitioning. I love fall. It is my favorite season!

Also, I got some new shoes so that motivated me to get out the door even when I know I would be all slow and sluggish. I got a pair of Asics gel-cummulus.

They are super cushioned -especially compared to my gel-nimbus that I had been wearing since February and were on their last leg! They felt pretty good this morning and I can't wait to see how they do on some longer runs.

Finally, Wes and I have signed up to run the Memphis half marathon in December. It seems pretty random I know, but we have some friends who live in St. Louis and will be running in Memphis so we are going to take the opportunity to see them and fit in a good race while we are at it! I need to get on it though, because my longest run all summer has been 5 miles. So here we go....fall is here and it is time to train for another race!

I offer you this distraction.....

2009-08-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking. What in the world does this picture have to do with running?

The answer? Absolutely nothing. (Unless of course you count the fact that seeing an outfit this ridiculous makes me want to run in the opposite direction.) Really, this picture - of my son attempting to dress himself - is just a distraction from the fact that I don't have very much to say about running at the moment. It's going fine, just kind of boring. I can sum it up with the following....

Ran 16 miles last week. Hot, humid...did I mention humid? Pushed the jogging stroller too much. My neighborhood starts to look the same after awhile. Yep, that's about it.

So, back to that picture. What do you think of the Scooby Doo hat, bright green shirt, pajama pant combo modeled by Noah? Again, I know what you're thinking. That kid has a real knack for fashion!

Our New Toy

2009-08-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Noah and I enjoying our new favorite thing! Wes snapped some pics the other night after he attached the bike trailer.

I took Noah for a spin around the block and he loved it! Every night this week he has requested a ride in his "freight car". (You'll recall that is his name for it because he thinks it hooks up like a freight car on a train) It is a great way to entertain Noah in the evenings while also getting in a mini-workout.

My Quarter Life Crisis

2009-08-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

I think I am in the middle of a quarter life crisis. Or maybe I am just PMSing...who knows?

My life lately has been narrowed down to two distinct realms. The physical and the functional. I realized that what is missing these days, and most likely causing me to feel antsy and in crisis, is the intellectual realm. So today, after I dropped off Noah at my mother-in-law's for the morning, I started thinking about what I could actually do with my time. There was the physical (do my 5 mile tempo run) and the functional (try like hell to get the soap scum off the shower door and slice up the fruit I bought for dinner) but I threw caution to the wind and chose door number 3 - the intellectual.

I drove to Barnes and Noble in search of some essay collections I have been wanting to read. I slowly made my way through the store admiring all sorts of yummy looking books but eventually settled on some Flannery O'Conner and David Sedaris essays. Because of my mood this week - decidedly cynical and caustic - I started with the Sedaris book and was immediately drawn in. I sipped coffee and laughed out loud and finished half of Me Talk Pretty One Day in an hour or so. And...I felt not one bit guilty about blowing off the running or the cleaning. I will get them done, and enjoy them - well, the running anyway - eventually, but they just weren't what I needed this morning.

I hope I am refreshed enough to pick-up Noah and be very zen about his three year old attitude and potty training accidents. Or at the very least, be inspired to turn those things into some laugh out loud essays!

Cold Turkey Underwear

2009-08-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

Today starts a brand new endurance race.

It is called the endurance race of not going crazy out of frustration because today is the day you got rid of your three year old's diapers and went cold turkey with underwear. So far, it's actually going pretty well.

I guess it's not technically cold turkey. We have been trying potty training for a while off and on. He has spent a couple weeks in pull-ups, which worked for a while but then he realized, hmm, these are basically the same as diapers so I can just pee in them no big deal. And, really, he is right. Why bother with the potty when you can pee in the pull-up/glorified diaper. So, because he is three and a few months, and won't be able to go back to pre-school next month if he is not potty trained, we picked today as D-Day (or pee day if you will!). Amazingly, we are 3 hours into our day and he is still dry and wearing the same underwear he put on when he woke up. He has made three calm and un-dramatic trips the bathroom to pee and I am in shock. I think he has totally been holding out on me! Not to say we are out of the woods yet. I am still terrified of actually going anywhere with him. I don't trust it yet, but the good news is that we are well on our way to being a "big boy" and to Mommy not loosing her pre-school tuition deposit.

On the running front... I hit 17 miles for last week! Am slowly working my way closer to 20 mile weeks and I am stoked. My legs are feeling good and I have been really enjoying my runs and how I feel after accomplishing them. Wes and I are talking about signing up for the Memphis half marathon in December. Sounds kind of random I know, but we have some good friends who might run it with us so that would be fun. We would have a little running vacation!

Anyway, off to monitor the underwear situation. Will fit in my run for today when Wes gets home to play potty training watch guard!

Crashing Into Fun

2009-07-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

I am so sad because I recently watched the finale of my favorite reality show. No, it didn't involve anybody being voted off an island or eating live bugs or anything like that. My favorite reality show was actually real and it was about a pack of cyclists battling through the country of France to wear a fancy yellow jersey. That's right, for the past three weeks I have been totally engrossed in the Tour de France and now that it is over I don't know what I will do with my evenings.

In other news, my workouts have made a comeback. (Just call me Lance Armstrong)

I feel like I really hit my stride this past week as far as working out goes. I haven't had much fun working up a sweat for a little over a month, but for some reason, last week, everything seemed to click and I felt good. I fit in 12 miles of running - short of my goal but you'll see why - but they were quality runs. I did some pilates and core work too, but most importantly, I pulled my bike out of the dusty garage and actually rode it! Here is what my week looked like:

M: off

T: 2.5 mile run (with jogging stroller)/core work and push-ups

W: 4 mile run (1 mile warm up, 2 miles at 8:30 pace, 1 cool down)/ 1 mile walk/ pilates dvd

Th: 1 hour bike ride/ 2.5 mile run

F: 3 mile run

S: 2 hours mountain biking

Su: 3 mile walk

The reason for my running mileage being on the low end was that Wes and I took an adults only trip to visit some friends in Charlotte. I was excited anyway, but then my friend Julie called before we left and asked us to bring our bikes so that we could "ride the trails". I was psyched to do that and so we headed up with our bikes. Short story, we had a blast!

Long story... no experience on trails + hybrid tires on my bike = crashing a lot! Seriously, I didn't think about how hilly the trails would be. (Come on, I live in the low country where hills only exist if you go over a bridge, and I only ever ride on the rodes. Hence the hybrid tires.) I took 2 pretty gnarly crashes when my back wheel spun out for lack of traction but other than that I did okay. Towards the end I felt a lot more comfortable with the twists, turns, and rapid descents, and I finally figured out my gears and was able to rock the climbs. And boy was it hard! My quads were screaming and I could swear that everyone around me could hear my breathing, but it was worth it. It was a great workout and I now I am pumped about getting back on my bike - even it is just on the flat roads here in Charleston.

I am so excited to be enjoying running again AND finding new, fun ways to work up a sweat. I already got in three miles this morning and may do some more with the stroller this evening. Tomorrow's workout? A road trip with three toddlers and their mommies to a theme park. Should make that mountain bike trail look tame!

Monday Morning

2009-07-20T05:04:00.000-07:00

This past weekend flew by so quickly. I woke up this morning in full denial that it was Monday again. The start of another week. I really hate Mondays sometimes.

Even though the weekend was fast it did prove productive running wise. I got in a couple runs with the jogging stroller (a little air in the tires of that baby makes all the difference). Of course running with that is really limited to about 3 miles because any longer and Noah really starts getting antsy. He twists and squirms and starts saying things like, "I want to get out now. I am going to get out now, okay Mommy?" This always happens around mile 2 and it is all I can do to convince him to not jump out of the moving stroller until we have finished up 3 miles. But 3 miles is way better than no miles and so I managed to fit in more this week because of the stroller. Yesterday Wes and I did 4 hot, muggy miles around our county park which is basically a paved swamp. We ran and fantasized about how it will feel when fall arrives and the temperatures finally drop. After slogging through the heat (which slows you down no matter what kind of shape you are in) I imagine that when the cool weather kicks in we are going to feel like regular old Kenyans running down the street.

So, I got in 15 miles last week and I am stoked for that. I hope to do the same or better this week and add in some cross training on my bike. I am very excited because we are looking at getting a bike trailer for Noah to ride in while I pedal. It is going to be my early birthday present from Wes. I realize that I won't go very fast but I imagine that hauling around 30 or so extra pounds behind me will make for a good workout. Noah is excited too. Because he is so into trains right now, he is calling the trailer a "freight car" because it "couples up" to my bike the way a freight car couples up to an engine. We went to the store last night and looked at some "freight cars". He declared that he wanted a green one and climbed into several to test them out. I think he thought we were leaving with one yesterday and I had to try to explain to him that his Daddy would never buy the first thing he sees. We have to research all options and prices before making a decision. (What I didn't let him know was that if it were up to his Mommy, I probably would have bought the first one we saw, especially after he declared that he liked it so much and climbed in and asked me to push him around!)

Well, I must be off. Lots to do on this Monday morning...including some nice relaxing yoga on my rest day.

A Six Flags Workout

2009-07-13T05:34:00.000-07:00

Here is something that I would not recommend...

Driving 6 and half hours in a car with a three year old. You'd think that is something I could have figured out before I tried to drive to Atlanta to see my Mom this past weekend, but it took a car trip that turned out to be an hour longer than predicted and almost swerving into several tractor trailers while trying to change the movie in the portable DVD player to convince me that maybe I won't be doing it again any time soon. I remember thinking around Augusta that I would rather get out and run the rest of the way than listen to Noah whine anymore about his butt hurting.

I guess I was so mentally exhausted after the drive that I just decided to let all my running plans for the weekend go up in smoke. I managed to fit in a 3 mile run one of the days that I was there, but that was all. Playing hookie to my running plan didn't do much for my weekly mileage but I have decided that this will be my attitude about it..."ehh, what are you gonna do?"

I did fit in a surprising sort of work out while visiting Six Flags. I forgot how big the park actually is and also forgot how much walking we would actually be doing. Of course the fact that I kept getting lost and wandering in the wrong direction of where I was trying to go didn't help much. Needless to say, I did a lot of walking, much of it carrying 29 pounds of 3 year old and about 5-10 pounds of purse. Yes, you heard that right, because I had to bring the big bag with all the kid supplies, everyone that I was with thought that they would just let me carry all their s**t too. So my bag ended up being very heavy. I am proud to say though, that despite carrying the bag and the kid, I was still passing people going up hills like they were standing still. That running fitness serves you well in lots of unexpected ways!

So this week I am back to trying to get in decent mileage. I am heading to the gym this morning to run there - not because I like it (I don't) but because there is no air in the jogging strollers wheels and a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do when she has a running addiction!

Fourth of July Fun

2009-07-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

I had a great 4th of July here in Dante's inferno, a.k.a. Charleston. Just kidding, (kind of), it was really hot but I guess that was to be expected right? It is the height of summer in the south after all. I managed to get a couple runs in over the weekend (amidst boating fun and fireworks) and totaled 13 miles for last week. Not wonderful compared to most people, but compared to my past month it was great!

Here are Noah and I with our super cool sparklers!

This morning I had a great run. It was only 3 miles but I did a mile and a half at tempo pace (8:40 mile) and I felt fast - for the first time in a long time. And I felt like I could have kept going which I probably should have but I wanted to get home to watch the Tour de France on TV. I know, I know, lame but I wanted to see what Lance Armstrong would do. I have been having fun watching his comeback!

So the running is going pretty well and I have a feeling that soon I will be inspired to pull out the bike for some cross training!

What I Forgot About Running

2009-07-03T05:37:00.000-07:00

This summer is flying by. In fact, the month of June went by so fast I barely remember anything about it. Except that I was sick a lot. And I didn't run very much at all. In fact, that whole not running very much at all has been stressing me out. That, along with potty-training my three year old (he is not all that interested and may stay in diapers until the age of 13), keeping my house clean because all of the sudden we have an ant infestation, paying the bills and sticking to our budget...you know, all those wonderful adult things that keep you up at night. But mostly at the top of the list - not accomplishing my running goals.

This week I have gotten in a few runs, and while I definitely feel slower than I did a month ago, it feels good to just be doing it again. Getting in regular workouts throughout my week. As I was running a really good 3.5 mile run at the county park the other night I realized something. I had been so focused on running at a certain pace for a certain amount of mileage that I had forgotten what the simple act of running could do for me. It can make my problems and the things that stress me out shrink down to completely solve able sizes. It can make any problem seem better, even my "problem" with my running. Amazing. Running can even solve a problem about running! It's simple and basic and I don't know why I forgot it.

Even though I haven't been out there that much lately, I have had a good time watching running on TV. Wes and I watched coverage of the USATF Outdoor Championships all last weekend and it was so fun. It's great to turn on ESPN and watch a sport that we both love. Plus it has been very relaxing to put Noah down for the night, grab a beer and be inspired in my very own living room. My favorite race was the women's 10,000 meters. Amy Yoder- Begley and Shalane Flanagan battling it out, lap by lap. And at the end when you were convinced that Flanagan was going to take it but then you looked at the resolve on Yoder-Begley's face and you knew she was not giving up without a fight. She ended winning and inspiring me for the second year in a row. I am going to try to summon her "don't give up" attitude more often when I run!

Slogging Through

2009-06-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

So, I am finally feeling better! Finally! Today I have only coughed 2 times which seems amazing considering last weekend I couldn't get out a full sentance without hacking up a lung. I can breath again. So, I am breathing and back up to, like, 98% lung capacity and so last night I decide to go for a run. I walk outside, all revved up, take a deep breathe and...

Oh no, I can't breath! I thought I was better! What is going on? Sudden relapse?!....

Wait, no. It is June, near the coast, in South Carolina. Temperatures hovering in the mid nineties and humidity so thick it is like breathing in soup every time you step outside. So apparently my new found lung capacity was going to be of no help to me last night. I sighed, put on my iPod headphones and headed out anyway. I would like to say I dominated that run but I didn't. I slogged my way through. I was constantly tempted to stop but I am proud to say that I finished my 4 miles run, soup-air and all.

The whole way I was thinking about speed. Mostly because I was going so slow through the thick evening air and wishing I could go faster. I have really been wanting to work on my speed lately. I feel like I could be faster. In the little over two years since I ran my first 5k I have brought my time from 29:05 to 25:10. Almost four minutes improvement on little, to no speed training. I am thinking that if I put a concentrated effort at some legitimate speed training I could improve even more. But, up until now I haven't done it. Why? Maybe I am a little scared, I don't know. Also, you need a plan for that kind of workout and I am notorious for having no plan.

So I guess the bottom line is get un-scared, get organized, find a track to run on, and just do it!

Sick of Being Sick

2009-06-07T16:28:00.001-07:00

So, today was my National Running Day "do-over". The real National Running Day was this past Wednesday and despite the fact that I pledged on Facebook to run on National Running Day it not happen. Why? Well, it might have had something to do with me sitting on the couch, hacking my brains out while sucking down cough medicine and ibuprofen in an effort to make myself feel like a real human being....it not work.

Our family spent all winter in superb health. When all the other toddlers were sick with stomach viruses and pink eye and snotty noses, Noah somehow managed to avoid the germs. He didn't miss a day of school all year and I was so proud of his perfect attendance. Then the end of May rolls around, summer is here, and our whole family gets taken down by a nasty cold. Noah still has a lingering cough (entering week 3 of that) and I feel like their is a brick on my chest that is keeping me from taking anything resembling a deep breathe. Needless to say, the running has been nearly non existent. I have run a total of 11 miles for the last two weeks. I just can't seem to shake this funk and am feeling so tired - and operating on about 70% lung capacity - that I just haven't gotten out there.

Lest you think all I do is complain though, I have very much enjoyed the few runs that I have gotten in. I was thankful to just be out there doing it, not caring about time or pace or whatever. And, today I actually found running on TV (surprise!). The Prefontaine Classic was televised so Wes and I put Noah down for a nap and spent two hours watching it and being amazed at how fast those guys (and gals!) can go.

I am hopeful that this cold/flu will be completely out of my system very soon and that I will be able to feel like getting back out and hitting the pavement very soon!

Three Years

2009-05-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today is my son's third birthday. Three years ago today, I was meeting sweet Noah for the first time! Time has flown by and it is hard to believe that I have been a Mom for three years now. It has also hard to believe that I have been a runner for three years now.

Running was always something that I played around with. In high school I joined, and then promptly quit, the track team two years in a row. Hill repeats? Running three miles at a time?! I though those coaches were sadistic. Then in college I tried to go out for our school's crew team but what I didn't realize was that a large part of their workouts involved running. (I know, I know, I guess I thought that rowing didn't count as a cardio because you were sitting down. I didn't say I was smart...). Anyway, I quickly realized that I wasn't going to join after all because of all the running. After I got married I went through little fits where I was convinced that I needed to drop a few pounds so I would tag along with my husband on a "run". Translation: I would run maybe a 1/4 mile before stopping, out of breathe, hands on my knees, and declare how much I hated running. And then...I had Noah.

Thirty hours of labor, close to 2 and 1/2 hours of pushing and you realize what pain really is. What exhaustion means and what it feels like to be utterly spent after something. The thing is though, I also realized that my body was capable of much more than I ever gave it credit for. I could persevere and be strong through pain and that was a revelation. So, when it came time to lose my baby weight and get into shape, and I picked running, it just didn't seem as awful this time. Sure it was hard, and it has taken a long time for me to even try leaving the comfort zone of ten minute miles, but it is something I can do. Even enjoy doing.

I love Noah for so many reasons. He is an amazing little guy - smart, funny, curious, slightly cocky (like his Daddy) but able to back it up! He is compassionate and caring and I just know he is going to keep wowing me with who he is as he grows up. I am so grateful to have him. And, I will always have him to thank for my running. He is the one who showed me I could do it. He gave running to me on his birth day three years ago.....boy, I better do a good job with his presents today. I owe him!

Really Boring Running Log

2009-05-18T05:59:00.000-07:00

It has been raining for a hundred days. Okay, maybe not, but that is what it feels like. Really just since the middle of last week. Although, I am happy to report that the rain did nothing to detour my running last week. I hit my goal of 15 miles for last week and also managed to fit in some core work and push ups. This is what my week looked like:

Monday: 5 miles easy; 10 minute pace. Up early!

Tuesday: 3 miles; 1/2 mile warm up, 2 miles at 8:45, 1/2 mile cool down. Did this at the gym on the treadmill right before picking Noah up from school.

Wednesday: off

Thursday: 30 minutes of upper body strength and core work, 2 miles easy

Friday: off - my sister was in town so we were a little busy, hence a few off days this week.

Saturday: 5 easy miles - first half miserably hot, second half in the pouring rain (which felt awesome at that point!)

Sunday: off - Noah's 3rd birthday party!

I am happy that despite a busy week and lots of rain I managed to hit my goal of 15 miles. This week I hope to add on a few more miles and include another day of strength training.

Early Morning Running

2009-05-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was mother's day and my plan had been to go for a run. Of course I slept in instead and enjoyed a pancake breakfast in bed, prepared by Wes, and a homemade card made by Noah. I justified it by telling myself that I would go that afternoon. Well, around five o'clock when it was still pouring down rain I was thinking, Oops.

So my mileage for last week totaled...drum roll please...8 miles.

When I realized this, oh my word was I in a funk! After several hours of self loathing and deciding that I had most decidedly lost all fitness because of my crummy 8 miles I decided that I needed a plan. I started thinking about how Wes had been in a bit of a running funk, but for the past month or so had managed to hit around 20ish miles a week. He did this of course, by waking up early and running before the worries of the day got in the way. And better yet before the temperatures hit 85 degrees. With a sigh I realized that it was time. Time to become (gulp) a morning runner. Morning running has never been my thing and up until now I have avoided it like the plague. But with my three year old and the ever increasing summer temperatures there is just no getting around having to embrace it.

So this morning my alarm went off at 6:00 and I made myself get out of the bed. I didn't really have to be out the door until 6:30 but I had taken a gamble and allowed enough time for a bowl of cereal, cup of coffee, and some quiet time with a book. If I was going to drag myself out of the bed I needed some sort of buffer between the comfort of my pillow and the pounding of the asphalt.

Long story short, it worked. I enjoyed my thirty minutes of "waking up" time, made it out the door at 6:30 and got in 5 miles with enough time to visit with Wes before he left for work. And I felt good. Energized and ready to start my day. I am very reluctant to admit it, but I am thinking that all those morning runners may have been on to something. Waking up early should definitely help me break double digits this week!

Boredom in the Heat

2009-04-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

So there is nothing new on the running front. I had several fun races in a row and now it all seems very boring - hence nothing to post about. Just been doing your basic keep up the fitness level workouts without any real plan. I will say that I am being way more consistent with my mileage than I have been in the past. Usually, if I am not training for anything, you will see my mileage all over the charts. 15 one week, 2 the next. That kind of thing. This time I have been consistently running between 12 and 15 miles a week - not a lot for some of you, I know - with the hopes of slowly upping the mileage to get to around 25-30 miles a week.

Blah, blah, I am boring myself.

Today I ran 4 miles over the bridge and it was HOT! Summer is here and it is here to stay. I forgot that when it is 80 degrees running anytime after about 9am is not advisable. My plan had been to do 5 miles but I was so miserable that I pansied out at 4. I hadn't thought to bring any fluids with me and my mouth felt like cotton and I was dripping wet and my 10 minute/mile pace felt strenuous. Heat will take it out of you. But, it was a pretty run - I love going over the bridge. Plus, there is always good people watching. Like the guy I passed who was struggling up the bridge wearing baggy denim shorts and white tube socks pulled up to his knees. It was like he had been sitting on the couch and all of the sudden decided, "you know what? I'm going to go for run, just to see if I can." He really couldn't though. Although I am not making fun because,
a) at least he was doing something, and b) he did think to bring fluids with him, so maybe I should have been taking notes!

That is really about all for now. I know, I know, my life is too exciting.

A Very Fun 5K

2009-04-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

I guess you could say that I have been a little schizophrenic with my race distances lately. This past Wednesday Wes and I ran a 5k downtown. Obviously I wasn't taking it very seriously since I haven't really trained since before the half marathon. Just a few runs here and there but I was really looking forward to doing a 5k for the fun of it.

This one was called the iFive:K and it was in the evening. That was one reason I really wanted to do it. I am not a morning person and anytime I get the chance to enter a race that starts later in the day I jump at it. Plus it was through downtown Charleston which always makes for a pretty course. Wes and I decided to run separately this time. He is always sweet about staying with me but he is a good 2-3 minutes faster than I am so I wanted him to be able to run his own race.

The race was smallish, around 500 people, so that was a nice change after my last two races. We took off with little fanfare and I easily started passing people. I was trying to keep a steady pace that was challenging but not crazy. I wasn't wearing my Garmin so I had no idea what my pace was and I didn't see any mile markers on the out and back course - there was a water station at what I presumed to be mile one and then of course the turn around halfway through so I used those to gauge my pace. I started seeing the leaders come back - man those guys are fast! Pretty soon I saw Wes and waved and then to my surprise I saw the turn around. I was not too far behind him! Then I noticed that most of the people around me were guys and that I hadn't seen that many girls in front of me. I made the turn and was surprised to see many girls behind me. I started to think I was running faster than I usually did and became very motivated to keep up my pace. I stayed with the small group of guys for most of the race. There was a part where I slowed a little and they started to pull away, but I reeled them back in and even passed a couple at the end.

I haven't seen the official results yet, but as I was crossing the finish line a quick glance at the clock told me I had run 25 minutes 10 seconds. That is 1 minute and 40 seconds faster than I have ever run a 5k before! I was very surprised because I am certainly not in 5k PR shape right now but somehow I managed to do it anyway. I was also really excited because I finished the race feeling absolutely spent. My legs were extremely sore in the last half mile - my quads in particular were screaming - so I knew that I was working really hard. I met Wes at the finish line - he finished in 23 minutes! - and we headed over to the post race celebration where we ate pizza and drank beer overlooking the harbor.

I had such a good time at this race and will definitely do it again next year!

Why I am strangely proud of my black toe nail....

2009-04-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

Contrary to what I had thought, I am not a bit sore after these past two weekends of racing. My legs have held up like champs and I felt really fresh running four miles yesterday. However, I do have one souvenir from my races that I am strangely proud of. A black toe nail.

After the half marathon, as I went to take off my shoes, I mentioned to Wes that I would probably have a little blister on my right middle toe. Upon further inspection I found out that it was, in fact, quite a large blister that encompassed the whole top part of the toe. Wes took a look and said, "Oh yeah, that's a good one. And you're gonna lose that toe nail."

Now, four years ago a comment like that would have sent me into a tailspin. Lose my toe nail?! Won't that hurt? What will I do about wearing flip flops? I mean, you can't very well show your feet if one of the toes is missing a nail! All those thoughts would have run through my mind. But not these days. This time I looked at the nail and simply thought, "Cool." I waited for several days to see what would happen and sure enough, after the Bridge Run, I removed my shoe to see that the nail had finally turned completely black and now I am just waiting for it to fall off.

The weird thing is that I am kind of glad that it is flip flop season and my mangled toe nail will be on display for all to see. I can't wait for someone to ask me what happened so that I can casually say, "Oh that? That's nothing, I ran 13 miles one weekend and it will probably fall off. Whatever."

To me that toe nail represents the fact that not only am I a runner, but I am a runner with battle scars. It means that at some point I was pushing past discomfort in order to achieve my goals. It means that my mental toughness is a million times stronger than it used to be. It means that even if my time goal was not meant at that half, that I am still improving in ways that can't be measured by a clock. That I am past the days of quitting when things get uncomfortable. Which is why, even though it is gross to some, my black toe nail is totally cool to me.

2009 Cooper River Bridge Run Race Report

2009-04-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

I love it when the city that you live in hosts a huge running event, like the Cooper River Bridge Run - it's like everyone where you live is celebrating your favorite thing with you!

We started the bridge run weekend at the Kid's Expo and Fun Run. Noah and some friends signed up for the toddler races and got shirts and race numbers and a medal.

Of course his "race" was more of what I consider, three year olds and crazed parents with cameras running for 25 yards in a mob, but whatever. I hope it is the start of Noah loving running events and I can't wait until he is old enough to run with me. Plus his shirt fits him like a dress which is pretty funny.

My race experience started at 4:00am. I had to be up in time to get downtown, catch a bus to Mount Pleasant before they closed the bridge, and then wait for 2 hours in the cold. Needless to say I was very ready when they announced that runners should be in there corrals.

Warning.....here comes my insane ranting....Okay, if you are a walker and have signed up as a walker, and been given a bib with a color coded number that tells you to be in the back corral with the walkers, why oh why are you in my corral wearing your cotton t-shirt and fixing your hair and talking about how you hope you don't get run over. Cause you will get run over, because the gun will go off and the runners will attempt to run and you will be IN THE WAY!

Anyhoo...So I started and had to weave in and out of about a million walkers but somehow still managed to be under 10 minutes for my first mile. The bridge appears in the second mile and as we began the climb I was waiting for the crowds to thin out as we dropped the people who had started too fast and then fizzled away on the uphills but that didn't happen. The crowds did not thin out until we hit downtown during mile 5. And even then it was still very packed. Not a good race for trying to PR but fun all the same. I love running over the bridge and into downtown in my favorite city. Plus the weather was perfect, almost 60 degrees and sunshine.

Despite the crazy crowds and my erratic weaving in and out, I managed to finish in 57:53. I was content with that seeing as how I had just run the half marathon the weekend before. I was proud because I pushed the whole way and was always passing instead of being passed and I finished feeling pretty spent.

I don't really know what race is next for me - I don't have anything specific lined up - but I am thinking I will have to find something soon. These past two weekends have reminded me how much fun it is to get out there and race!

ING Georgia Half Marathon Race Report

2009-03-30T18:04:00.000-07:00

Could also be titled, Cold, Hills, and Porta Potties in Atlanta.

I am kind of relieved that it is over. But, I did have a good time.

Wes and I arrived very early to the start because we took MARTA and wanted to allow enough time for crowds and train malfunctions (both of which we encountered last year), except for this year there were no malfunctions and minimal crowds so we ended up downtown way to early and had to stand around - Wes listening to me bitch about how cold I was.

And it was COLD! Low 40's or something and let me tell you - lightweight technical fabrics do nothing to keep you warm! I was so relieved when the gun actually went off because I knew that at last we could get moving and start to warm up a bit. Once I got the feeling back in my extremities, the first three miles passed quickly and easily. We were on pace to run around 2:11 and I was psyched and feeling good. A little like I had to pee, but good.

Mile 4. Stopped to hydrate and realized that I had to pee so bad that I could hardly swallow fluids. The problem was that the porta potty lines were so long that I couldn't stand the thought of wasting time to stop.

Mile 5. Realize that stopping is inevitable. I must pee! I console myself that I can still get an accurate measure of time spent running on my garmin and spend several minutes at the porta potties. (Wes waits with me - I have a pretty cool husband!)

After that we are still on pace with around 10 minute miles but we are starting to feel the hills of Atlanta. For the second year in a row I vow that next time I will do hill specific training! One mile down the road I vow that there will be no next year because these hills and the cold SUCK!

And then, disaster strikes. Around mile 9, just when the hills become more brutal and I should be focusing completely on them, I start experiencing, umm...gastric distress. I tell Wes that I have to make an emergency stop and he kindly stops with me AGAIN to wait in the porta potty line. At this point I was getting really pissed and then I look down and realize that my Garmin has been totally wigging out, beeping at me and feeding me all kinds of weird data. Eventually it froze on some random screen that said "19% accuracy" and after that I couldn't get it to do anything. So there went my back up plan of knowing what my actual time spent running was. Sigh.

The last four miles of the course are hard. That is pretty much all there is to say about that. Tons of long, steep uphills that had my calves screaming for mercy. By that point we had definitely slowed way down and were very excited to round a corner and spot the finish line. I was kind of bummed about all my stupid bathroom breaks but a giant table full of nothing but Oreo cookies helped me through my emotional distress.

So, in the end, our chip time was 2:23, but (and this is a conservative guess, it might have been more) we spent about 5 minutes at the porta potties total. So that really means our time was closer to 2:18. And that is enough to satisfy me. It is 12 minutes better than last year on completely inadequate training, and I probably couldn't ask for anything more than that. Plus, despite the hills and everything it was still really fun. I don't know what it is about running 13 miles in the cold, while my legs are burning that is fun...but it just is! I can't explain it but I can't wait to do it again. And, I am looking forward to running the Cooper River Bridge Run next weekend. After yesterday, 6 miles should seem like a walk in the park!

The Best Laid Plans...

2009-03-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

Obviously it has been a while since I have blogged (and I may be the only one who has noticed!) but I haven't had lots to say about running lately. You know those Asics commercials about "breaking up with running"? Well, we have not broken up so to speak, but we are definitely "on a break".

I had such high hopes for the half marathon this weekend and I can't help but be disappointed that I had to alter my plans due to injury. But, whats done is done, and I can't change it so...moving on. I am going to enjoy this weekend, no matter what happens, and then running and I are starting fresh. No lofty goals, no training plans. Just the warm weather and the pavement and enjoying a few miles here and there.

And after a while I will get itchy for a new challenge, sign up for a race, and implement a plan and all that will go to hell. Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans!

What Now?

2009-03-05T12:06:00.000-08:00

Today, after I finished my run, I layed down in the grass in my back yard and wondered what was wrong with me. It was a beautiful day for a run - sunny, 60 degrees. I was wearing shorts and running during the free time that I had while Noah was at school, and I was listening to a really great play list on my iPod. So why was I in such a lousy mood?

Because I had spent the whole run feeling like crap. And going slower than I wanted. And trying to go faster but feeling like my legs were made of lead. And then halfway through, feeling like my right achilles was going to snap. All the while thinking, You only have 3 more weeks until the half marathon. You will never make it if you are feeling like this.

And then I realized something. I may not make my goal. I haven't wanted to think that but the truth is that with almost 3 weeks off due to spraining my ankle, and with very little time left to train, I may have to rethink what I want to accomplish on race day. For me, 13.1 miles is not something that I want to tackle under prepared. I have two options really. I can keep pushing. I can train miserably at a pace that is not realistic for my fitness level, on a foot that is really just too weak. I can push towards an unrealistic goal and drive myself crazy and ultimately be very disappointed when I can't preform a miracle on race day. Or - I can give myself permission to abandon all time goals and run the race for fun and see what happens.

I am leaning towards the second option - even though it goes against all my natural inclination. First of all, I don't want to hurt my foot, or anything else by favoring my foot, and pushing too hard could do that. Also, Wes and I had always planned to run this race together and he has already told me that he is backing off the 2 hour goal because he is just not ready. So if I back off too, we can still run together. And lets face it, when do we get an uninterrupted two hour stretch to spend time just the two of us. Not that often, let me tell you.

The problem is that for me, pushing myself towards pain and possible injury is actually easier than deciding to relax and enjoy. When it comes to the running, I am not good at the relaxing and enjoying. I like to compete against myself. I like to set a goal and reach it. I like seeing the clock and knowing that I went faster than I have before. Running the race without my watch will be hard! But I am thinking that I will try to do it. It could make for a surprisingly enjoyable day. Besides, I am signed up for the Bridge Run the next weekend so I can always go balls to wall in that race if I feel the need!

Hitting the Reset Button

2009-02-24T18:38:00.000-08:00

I have spent the last two weeks freaking out about many things, running first among them. I was so disappointed about rolling my ankle and then really scared about how taking almost two weeks off would affect my fitness and training. Today I took a deep breathe and hit the reset button.

I did three easy miles (9:45 pace) on the treadmill and it was...easy. Just like it should have been. No heavy breathing due to lost cardiovascular fitness and no pain in my ankle/foot. It made me feel like all is not lost and my half marathon goal is still realistic. I am excited to do a tempo run on Thursday and really get back into things. I have decided to banish the last two weeks from my head entirely and focus on the next 5. I am going to make the most of them and really put in the work so that when race day rolls around I can feel super confident about giving it my all.

Georgia Half Marathon, here I come!

Giant Purple Bruises

2009-02-19T06:44:00.000-08:00

Okay, truth time.

My right foot is totally and completely f***ed!

I'm sorry was that too blunt?

The swelling has gone down and I am left with a giant - we're talking spans the whole right side and top of my foot - purple/yellow bruise. And it still is sore when I run. Not that I have run much lately. My last quality run was a week and half ago when I did my seven mile long run. A few days after that was when I turned my ankle (and apparently rolled every ligament in my foot) and so I rested for a week. Then I tried to do my 8 mile run on Sunday but that got cut short when my husband got sick and I had to sprint home 3 miles in to get the car and come pick him up. (Glad, I did by the way. He was NOT well. Just pointing out that the run doesn't count as quality.) Anyway, I ran 2 easy miles yesterday and my foot is still pretty sore. If the bones in my foot are held together with ligaments, and you think of those ligaments like ropes, well, yesterday it felt like those ropes kept snapping, one by one, leaving very little support for my foot.

So what is my plan you might ask? Keep running anyway. I know it is only a sprain, and pretty soon it will be healed. I put off my speed work until tomorrow in the hopes of getting a couple extra days of healing and I am just crossing my fingers that it will be enough. Enough to get me trained properly for 13.1 miles. Enough to get me across that finish line in 2 hours. Because I really want to get there in 2 and up until I rolled my ankle I knew it could be done. Fitness wise I am there...now if my ligaments would just cooperate!

On a lighter note, I took Noah to get new shoes the other day and he picked out "runnin' shoes like Daddy's". They are legit too, little blue and silver Sauconys. The minute we got them he announced we had to go run and proceeded to run the entire length of the mall without stopping. Good thing his legs are still short and I can keep up. I have a feeling one of these days he will be leaving me in the dust!

Devil Shoes

2009-02-13T05:50:00.000-08:00

Either I am extraordinarily klutzy or these shoes are really dangerous.

I am blaming it on the shoes. They will be my scapegoat.

Tuesday night I was walking home from across the street - walking. And all of the sudden I literally just rolled my ankle. I stumbled and when I righted myself I couldn't put any weight on my right foot. Those damn shoes are going in the trash.

Long story short, my foot is totally swollen and sore and there appears to be no running in my future -for this week at least. I am saying a prayer that it is just a sprain and that by next week I will be able to jump right back into training without any problems. We'll see. In my cynical, pessimistic brain I have already jumped to the conclusion that, yet again, this half marathon will be a loss due to injury. I have shed some tears already and am really hoping that if I count on the worst happening, maybe I will be pleasantly surprised when it turns out better.

In the meantime I am considering taking out my frustration by chucking those shoes as hard as I can into the swampy forest behind our house. The neighbors cat better watch out, cause at this point I probably wouldn't care if one of those shoes slammed right into his tiny head.

7 Miles and Sunshine

2009-02-08T14:09:00.000-08:00

This weekend has been so awesome because...the warm weather found me! That's right, it has been 70 degrees for the past two days and I am loving it. (Apparently mother nature decided to throw me a bone after my last post!)

Today Wes and I did our long run. We went 7 miles (possibly a little over - I don't know because my Garmin died) in 1:03. That is the pace I am looking to run come race day in Atlanta and so I am very pleased with that. Plus, I finished feeling strong and like I could go a couple more miles no problem. It was probably the weather, or maybe my new shoes! Either way, it was a good way to end this week as far as training goes. I did all my scheduled workouts and finished them feeling strong.

And, to top it off, I found the Reebok Boston Indoor Games on ESPN this afternoon and am getting to watch my favorite female runners do what they do best. (On a side note - I almost gave myself a stroke getting worked up because I thought there would be no coverage of this event on TV. All I could find on ESPN was flag football and poker and some kind of international dog competition. Does anyone watch these things? And since when did poker become a sport? But thankfully, they are indeed providing coverage of track and field so my blood pressure has returned to normal levels. Okay, I am off my soapbox now.....)

Anyway, watching those athletes run is very motivating to say the least. And the perfect way to enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Love to watch Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan run!

I Hate the Cold!

2009-02-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

I am so ready for warmer weather.

I know that I live in the South and should be counting my blessings that things aren't worse but I can't! I miss the warm weather. I miss running in the warm weather...wearing shorts...and sleeveless shirts. Sigh...

I am totally over the treadmill. That is where I have been for many of my recent runs. There is only so much people watching I can do at one time. And, while my iPod is great, it doesn't make up for the fact that I am running and running and running and going nowhere!

The good thing is that I think tomorrow morning will be the last one I have to do for at least a week or so. I am supposed to do a 6 mile tempo run. (Warm up, 4 mi at 8:45 pace, and cool down). Tempo runs are a little scary for me anyway so having to do it at the gym makes it even worse. BUT, the weather channel is promising that Sunday is going to reach 70 degrees (praise the Lord!) so I am excited to do my 7 mile long run wearing shorts and running outside!

I guess tomorrow I will just have to suck it up and get it done. And listen to the guy who is always there running next to me in the mornings make his weird grunting noises.

A Day Off

2009-01-30T17:10:00.000-08:00

So I am definitely chalking today up as a loss as far as exercise goes. I guess that is to be expected when one stays out until 2:00am consuming too much wine and then thinks that cupcakes are the best way to refuel. Okay, being totally honest, it was a cupcake this afternoon and a doughnut tonight. But how can you resist an offer like this?

Noah obviously wanted me to share in the gluttony and I didn't want to disappoint him!

I am okay with it though, as technically this is a recovery week in my half marathon training schedule so I figure if I am going to fall off the wagon this week is the time to do it.

So far - knock on wood - training for the ING Georgia half has been going pretty well. I have been getting in all the mileage I am supposed to and I am actually completing the tempo runs on my schedule, despite the fact that they have always totally intimidated me. I am discovering that I am capable of going faster than I thought but until recently I had a mental wall telling me I couldn't do it. Shockingly, my workouts on the treadmill have been helping with that. I usually hate the treadmill but have had to resort to using it because of the cold weather. (Well, relative cold weather. Living in the south I consider anything under 50 degrees to be practically arctic!) Anyway, being stuck on the treadmill has the advantage of making me stick to a specific pace and hold that pace for the entire time.

So tonight I am going to enjoy my evening and hope the joy of my sugar binge will tide me over for a while. Next week its back to serious business.

Surviving Toddlerhood: the Ultimate Endurance Sport

2009-01-27T07:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, so, I am going to lay it out straight for you. Toddlerhood...let's just say it makes sleepless nights with a newborn seem like amateur hour. Nobody can prepare you for what it is like to have a 2 year old with an attitude. Nobody.

I used to be that person who would walk through malls and smile a bit smugly at the mom trying to contain her two year old's temper tantrum. I would shake my head and think, Obviously this is a discipline issue. I mean, who can't control someone that small. Thank God my child will not be like that because I will just teach them NOT to be. Oh, to be so naive again.

Now it is me who is squatting in the middle of Chick-fil-A trying to scoop up her kicking, screaming toddler while simultaneously holding onto my purse, his backpack, both coats, and the assortment of toy trains he has decided to bring on any given outing. And, of course, trying to do it all with a smile that says to the staring public, Don't worry folks, it's all under control here!

I have decided that raising a toddler is comparable to running an ultra marathon. Not that I have actually run an ultra (yet!) BUT from what I hear and read about them, the two situations have many similarities. For example, the length. Toddlerhood is definitely an endurance race, not a sprint. Sometimes, at the end of the day, I look around and think how hard it is and how much more is still waiting for me. It's like completing 50 miles of a hundred mile race and thinking, Damn, I still have to do 50 more! You have to take it one mile at a time or your head will explode. That is how my life is right now - one day at a time or my head will explode.

The other similarity I have found is that you have to have a support crew. Few people can run an ultra endurance event alone. The same goes for my two year old. I need my crew - my husband, family, and the fellow Moms who offer up a bottle of wine at the end of a long day!

And finally, it is the grueling physicality of it all that is most similar to running long distances. I never, and I mean almost never, sit down for more than five seconds at a time. During the day I am a milk getting-train playing- carrying up and down the stairs- picking up the messy playroom -machine! At the end of the day I am utterly exhausted.

But, just like running an ultra, there is a weird sort of satisfaction about experiencing the race. And a feeling of joy that you are doing it. I may not get a finisher's medal at the end of the day, but I get tiny arms wrapped around my neck, and a "I love you Mama!" That's a pretty good prize if I do say so myself, and that is what I am going to try and focus on right now.

Embrace the Pain

2009-01-25T04:36:00.000-08:00

I just reread the book Ultra Marathon Man by Dean Karnazes. When my some of my family (who do not run) asked me who he was and I began explaining about a man who could run 200 miles at one time, I got many blank stares. They of course thought he was crazy and why in the world would I want to read a book written by a crazy person. But some people think it is crazy to run just 13 miles, or even 5 miles at one time. So, in my book, "crazy" is all relative.

Anyway, there is one part of the book where Dean talks about pain and how most people respond to pain. I don't remember the exact quote but the idea was basically, why have we as a culture decided that the only happiness we can find in life is from a comfortable existence? Why don't we embrace pain as being able to produce good and happiness as well? We seek comfort and avoid pain at all costs these days. Dean advocates embracing the pain. He thinks if it doesn't hurt then we must be doing something wrong. Crazy, right?

But as someone who is not too far away from the memories of childbirth this concept makes perfect sense to me. Giving birth to my son was by far the most painful and exhausting thing I have ever experienced...ever. But, it produced a little boy who has made the lives of my husband and I so much better. He has made us so happy. In short, much pain produced much happiness.

So I am applying this concept to my running. Up until recently my philosophy has been to get through whatever distance I am running without having to endure too much pain. When I ran my first half marathon last year, and was still really scared of the distance, I did everything I could to avoid pain. That meant going slow and when I sensed the pain coming on big towards the end, walking. I am not going to do that this time. Doing that meant going slow when I am capable of going faster. It meant finishing in a time that was entirely too safe.

Recently on my training runs I have realized something. Because I was avoiding the pain, I never thought speed was something that could be mine as a runner. But now I am realizing that if I am willing to embrace the pain I can get faster. If I train faster, I will run the race faster. And the happiness and satisfaction at the end will be that much greater.

These next couple months are going to be about training hard and embracing the things that hurt. Because that will mean I am doing something right.

Here We Go!

2009-01-24T10:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I have been keeping a family blog for awhile now and I am pretty sure that my non-running friends are getting a little sick of reading about my running obsession. So, I am starting a blog devoted to running and anything that is related to that. Here goes....

I am a 26 year old stay at home mom of a 2 year old boy named Noah. After I had Noah, I wanted to lose my baby weight and was looking for the most efficient way to do it and my friend Priscilla suggested running. She was already a runner, with a marathon under her belt, so I was super intimidated. My only experiencing with running until that point had been joining, and then quickly quitting, the track team in high school. In my head running a mile was the most difficult thing I could think of doing.

Now, here I am two years later, training for my second half marathon and using running as my drug of choice to deal with the ups and downs of life! Needless to say I am hooked. I will be updating this blog with all sorts of stories about running in the midst of motherhood and hopefully my non running friends will thank me for not having to wade through the running anecdotes on my family blog!