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49 Days, 49 Million Fears: Running A Marathon
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Be Selfish, Mom!
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Give It Up, Woman!
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Tomorrow is my first 10K race and I’m more than nervous. I have been reading about running long distances and the embarrassing problem of having your bowels freak out on you.
Yeah, that. There are even tips on how to ‘go while running.’ Google it if you want. Ick.
That WON’T be happening - there are port-o-potties en route and there is no way I’m going to run any length of race in that manner. I’m not so competitive that I want to win any races that way.
When I ran the 8K of the relay marathon, I was feeling quite unsettled during the 7th and 8th kilometres, and I’m afraid of that happening again. But this time I’m armed with the knowledge that I don’t have to run the whole thing without walking.
I’ve been reading Jeff Galloway’s website and it turns out that even seasoned runners still stop to walk. What a relief!
Taking the time to walk a minute (even through just the water stops) can reduce injury, help you run faster when you are running and Jeff’s tips are aimed to protect yourself for a lifetime of running.
I remember when I first started this journey, how scared I was.
That hasn’t gone away. I keep picking goals that I feel are out of my reach and this 10K tomorrow is exactly that. I think I can do it, but part of me still ‘wants to see if I can.’ Having never before been much of an athlete, I can only assume this is what it is to challenge yourself.
After this 10K tomorrow, my goals are as follows:
August 31 - fit into my bridesmaids dress (yes, this requires more training as I have one more size to lose - ha ha!)
This Fall/Winter - learn to ice skate
October 26 - run the Niagara Falls Half Marathon
Next Mother’s Day - run my first FULL marathon in the Forest City Road Races
Winter 2009 - learn to play ice hockey
I’m sure I’ll pick up a race here and there as I find them.
Can you list some goals that you’re working on and how you’re working toward them? Blog it and link back if it’s a long list - I’d love to watch you succeed!
While I’ve always been someone who is easily consumed by a goal, this time it’s different. This whole weight loss/strength training/ running journey has not consumed my every thought as it previously did. It’s starting to (I can’t believe I’m saying this) become part of my normal life.
They say it takes what, 17 days to start a new habit?
Call me a slow learner then, because I now say, after nearly 5 months of training, that working out is a part of my every day life.
But I’m stuck.
It seems that I’m stuck as far as inch and weight loss go - though my husband and friends say I look toned. I’m up to running daily just in the last week and so I’m hoping that change will help boost my metabolism further to continue this journey.
A few things you can try if you’re in the same boat:
Us Moms have full days, no question. So where in those busy days are we supposed to find the time to exercise?
Recently I’ve been noticing more and more Moms blogging about when they are finding that all-important time for themselves.
Sarah has been getting up at 5 a.m. to use her elliptical. Yikes, that’s early, but she promises it has given her more energy for the rest of the day.
One of my favorite fellow runners, Nat, is always running (and blogging it here). Her and I are training for a marathon together in October. We’re both undecided as to if we’ll be doing the half or the whole thing.
Andrew, (though not a woman, but definitely a parent) finds time sandwiched between his daughter’s first bottle and his work day.
Me?
Yesterday I ran the marathon relay I’ve been training for. You can catch the recap here.
Before the race, I was really nervous. Not just because I had only run 8K twice before, but I wanted to get a good time and so I set one goal for myself: to run my entire course without stopping to walk.
I know first hand how hard it is to stick to a diet, to exercise regularly, to find the motivation to keep going even when you don’t want to. But what happens when you throw a house guest into the mix?
This past weekend was certainly a test. An old friend of mine stayed overnight Saturday and we had a traditional girl’s night. Before I started training for the marathon relay, I would have thrown all discipline out the window and had a weekend of fattening foods and sitting around. The race is a week away and there was no way I was going to do that. Or was I?
Last Wednesday night, my 3 year old cried for me not to leave him with his father. “I don’t want you to go to the gym!” he wailed. My heartstrings were pulled so hard I might as well have left my entire heart in his tiny hands. There’s no question that feeling guilty comes naturally with being a mother.
My husband peeled our human fruit roll-up out of my already sweating arms and assured me he would be fine. I gave him the are-you-sure look, and bless his heart, he mouthed back a silent, “Go babe.” I kissed Thomas’ tear-stained cheek and left for another weight training session with my trainer, Homie G.
If there’s one thing I could tell you to take away from this column, it’s to not cave to negative feelings. Laziness, fatigue, being too busy, and putting off exercise due to family demands can all weigh heavily on a Mom’s ability to get her butt out the door to the gym or outside for a run or walk.
Karen’s recent column “Live Like a Toddler: Six Ways To Change Your Life” got me thinking about our kids and how they are always moving. A couple of weeks ago, I asked my 9 year old to join me on an outside run in the snow.
One great part about working out with your kid is that you get to talk to them about stuff when their pesky little brother isn’t tugging on you for a peanut butter sandwich. We chatted all the way to the high school and started around the track.
The other great part about working out with a child? Dylan was sprinting around me in circles, inspiring me to keep going. While the ground was soppy with leftover snow and our feet were getting wet, we laughed and ran like little kids and it sure made those 5K go faster than I had anticipated. After running, we played on the monkey bars and held our own mini-competition to see who could stay up there the longest. We stretched, then headed home, doing lunges until our thighs couldn’t take any more. By the time we got back to our block, we both had a second wind and raced “to the next tree!” over and over again. It was so much fun and we were laughing the whole time.
Talk about balance between being a Mom and taking care of myself. Acting like a kid, with my kid, was a great workout!
Other great ways to get yourself and your family moving:
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Yesterday I had the unfortunate experience of going to a co-ed version of my gym, as I was out of town and in desperate need of a workout.
(FYI, I never in a million years thought I’d be in desperate need of working out, but there it is. I’m officially addicted to runner’s high and shin splints, holy crap.)
Seeing as I’m still a bit jiggly in spots, I was quite concerned about working out with men around. Being a beautiful spring Sunday, there were less people there but you can bet your sneakers that everyone was checking each other out. At the women’s gym, they don’t do this, but here I’m well aware that some people use the gym as a place to meet others. I was nervous. Yes I’m happily married, but the fact is, working out with boys around is still kind of a nerve-wracking thing. I wasn’t looking to be attractive. Goodness knows my entire head turns shades of purple and red when I run and I look like I’ve been swimming by the time I’m done. For me, it was a matter of keeping up with the boys and looking tough.
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Other people may not have high expectations of me, but I have high expectations for myself. ~ Shannon Miller
Well hello everyone! I’m Karen Rani of Karen Sugarpants and Swank Web Style, and I’m here as part of the new Catch Your Breath Team! I’m here to talk to you about nutrition and exercise.
If you’d asked me 6 months ago to write about this topic, I would have laughed in your face and called you crazy.
It is the sort of topic that a) I knew nothing about 6 months ago; and b) sounds completely boring. It doesn’t have to be, I promise.
I’ve never been an athlete and I certainly have had my fair share of time where I felt being a pregnant woman/nursing mother was a license to eat. I’ve tried every diet under the sun, including Atkins, Weight Watchers, South Beach, and have even gone so far as to starve myself for several months, stifling hunger pangs with high amounts of coffee. p.s. None of those things work.
I’ve been 120 pounds, 220 pounds and everything in between.
Like a lot of moms, my weight has been up and down for years. It’s exhausting. It’s stupid. It’s frustrating. There simply is no other way to get healthy than to eat sensibly and be active.