Prior to kids, I ran when I wanted: in the early morning dawn, before anyone else had woken; in the late evening, as the sun dipped behind the Atlantic; or midday when the mood struck, after a nap and before a nice fat glass of wine.

Now, it’s a little tougher. For not taking up much space and for weighing in less than 100 pounds total, those two little girls sure can do some serious damage to my training schedule.

This week, it’s a virus.

Started with a little puking and a slight fever, and ended last night when the fever broke.

Three days, inside.

Two days of missed running.

I did substitute swimming, and when all is said and done I will have only missed one run this week. So I’ll do two longer ones Friday and Saturday and be short only four miles or so, which will probably be good for my legs – a forced rest, if you will – though I certainly do miss going out and hitting the pavement when I’m supposed to.

It’s like crack, running. And I’m its biggest addict.

So what’s a mother to do when her schedule gets interrupted? Here, some things I have found in my seven years of combining the best job in the world, mothering, with the best sport in the world, running.

1. Cross train. If you can’t get out there and run because you’re bedded down with a sick child, you may be able to do some other type of cardio by cross training. For me, we have a pool and, if the weather is right (as it is now), I can jump in for some laps while my sick one watches a movie. I’m not far away and she’s able to get me when she needs me. Others might plan to do some type of cardio video, such as kickboxing, during this time. Still others may have help around (husband, family, friends) who can drop in and watch the kids for half an hour while you bike, swim, or, gasp, go for a run.
2. Strength train. I love strength training because I have everything I need right at home: weights, bands, balls, and my own body. I do strength three days each week as it is, and this week I have done more than normal since I can’t run. You can do push ups, biceps, triceps, planks (front, left, ride), and all kinds of leg exercises in the comfort of your own home. I’ve spent years subscribing to magazines like Runner’s World, Fitness, and Shape, and from them I’ve clipped the best exercises I found to add into my routine. When I need to mix things up, I pull out my very large, overstuffed binder, pick a few new exercises, and get to work.
3. Relax. It’s hard to get the schedule messed up – I know, as I’ve trained for and run two marathons since giving birth the first time. It’s possible to miss a few days and still keep the mojo flowing, though, and I am a testament to that fact. I’ve found if I miss a few days I can increase my distance when I do get back out and only lose out on a few miles, as will happen this week. Also, the days of rest are good for us, remember? Even when they are forced and, sigh, unwanted. Try not to stress about losing a day or two on the pavement and rather spend this time contemplating how much you love running and why you continue to do so, even though it can often be difficult to lace up and get out when you have young children at home.

So, how do you fit running into your life, and what do you do when your schedule hits a bump?

In other news . . .

My swimming has gotten very strong these past three months. I’m happy to say today I did my best time yet: 1700 yards in 40 minutes. I’d like to get up to one mile and possibly more.

I enjoy swimming a lot, and find that it works me out the same as running does but without any pressure on my leg muscles, joints, and bones. Great workout, less stress, so it is the perfect cross training companion. Plus I can see my core, arms, and shoulders paying off with the effort. If I had another day in the week, I’d add in another day of swimming! I’m going to see if I can accomplish this without that extra day, though, since I’m enjoying it so much.

Plus, in another few months there will be a swim across the river in Jacksonville (more on this soon). I’d like to participate if possible, but I have to be able to swim at least a mile and a half. I’m almost there, and I can see the victory flag in the distance, but I still have some work to do.

Welcome to my blog, MamaMarathoner.

My name is Kathy, and I am a runner. (“Hi, Kathy!”)

Today’s post will not be like my usual rants.

I won’t waste time telling you how stupid it is to skip rest days (can you spell T-E-N-D-O-N-I-T-I-S? I can, because I refused to skip rest days for a while) or how important it is that you put food into your body if you want to work it to its optimum level.  (You know that kind of stuff already. I can tell.)

I won’t tell you I slept like crap last night because both kids crawled into bed with me and turned their adorable little bodies until I had toes in my nostrils and knees jabbing my lower back in the form of a really bad sports massage.  (You know, the kind that leaves you bruised and aching the next morning.)

Nor will I moan about staring at the clock from 2AM until 4AM after they woke me, begging sleep to hurry up and rescue me so I’d feel rested for this morning’s pre-coffee, pre-breakfast, pre-get-the-kids-up-make-them-breakfast-entertain-them-for-five-hours-feed-them-lunch-entertain- them-for-seven-more-hours-before-falling-into-bed 7 miler. (You don’t want some whiny, cranky mom along for your 200 mile journey, now do you?)

No. Today I will answer the age-old question I get asked nearly every single day I proclaim my love for running to someone who never laces up a pair of running shoes:

“So, what’s chasing you?” (Read with a southern accent since I’m living in the south now.)

I might jokingly answer, “Twelve-hours-of-playing-Barbies brain,” or, “My kids are acting like it’s a full moon.” Or, on a really bad day, I might sigh and say, “Pure Insanity.” (Yes, both words capitalized, because, sometimes, that is how it feels.)

I might chuckle and roll my eyes, leaving these gestures as my only answer.

Or I might ignore the question and change the subject altogether.

But for some reason, I never tell those with the inquiring minds my real answer – the answer I think of every single time my foot hits the blacktop and I’m watching the sun rise over the marsh waters as the bats head back home for the day:

I’m not running from something; I’m running to it.

And what is it?

That’s a great question, Nuun. I’m glad you asked.

It is simple, but it is not simple at all.

It is something I can explain to you if I try (see below), but it is something you really need to experience for yourself.

It is beauty. It is the smell of salty marsh air mixing with my sweat and the sound of leaves rustling in the woods as I cruise past, creating my own rhythmic music with each footfall, each strike of my heel. (Okay, I’m trying to run more in the mid-point, but you get my understanding.)

It is watching the sun come up or go down, watching the world turn a bit more on its axis, and understanding that I am just a small speck of dust leaving beautiful footprints on something much bigger than I will ever be.

It is strength. It is understanding I can’t, for the life of me, understand how my body can carry me 26.2 miles and survive – and yet it does. It is knowing I can train four, five, six days a week. Push my body. Test my muscles. Each new run becomes a milestone, each upcoming race a challenge that I complete. My body pushing hard, my lungs pushing harder, until I think I might collapse; but I never do. I’ve birthed two babies. I’ve run 26.2 miles. I am strong.

It is in brain power. It is knowing that more than my Garmin, my shoes, and my cute little sports bras I love to show off, my mind is my most powerful running tool I have. My brain tells me I can when I don’t think it’s possible. My brain understands that as I stand at the starting line full of self-doubt I will go out there when the clock begins and I will do it. Finish the race.

My brain is there when my heart freezes with fear as soon as active.com sends my race confirmation; and then, with a deep breath, my brain reminds me, “It’s going to be okay.”

And it is my brain that is responsible for changing my thinking around mile two on a particularly bad run day. It’s my brain that says, “Stop whining about running and be grateful that you can.”

It is getting up and going.

Beating the excuses.

Killing the critics.

And crossing the finish line one step at a time. Every. Single. Time.

And to what would I be running if I participated in the Hood to Coast Challenge?

The same things I run to every single day.

The beauty of running somewhere new. Of seeing a part of the country I’ve never seen. Of watching the sun tickle the top of Mt. Hood and splash across the Pacific Ocean.

The strength of knowing I can handle a challenge that includes travel, meeting a new group of women bloggers, little sleep, running in a race different from any other that I’ve ever run, and crossing the  finish line fatigued but elated, my body stronger than ever.

And the brain power to know that as I type this I do have doubts and fears just as I do with all potential races (too little sleep? running a relay? running on hills? meeting new people? traveling that far? leaving my family behind for a weekend? not having my morning cup of coffee before I run?) but that if I am chosen, when I lace up my shoes to run, I will do it.

I’m not running away from something.

I’m running to it.

And I will never, ever stop.

Sincerely,

Kathy (aka MamaMarathoner)

I confess: I’m not the fastest runner in the pack.

When I began running some 14 years ago, I was lucky to remain at a steady 10:30 pace. I was fine with that. My goal: to exercise. My form of exercise: jogging around the block.

Back then, I didn’t care about speed; I didn’t even own a Garmin until AFTER I ran my first marathon four years ago. (Sad to admit, I didn’t even know what a Garmin was!)

I simply wanted to run. To sweat. To leave my stresses on the pavement.

At that time in my life, I went by time only. Wore a regular watch. Said, “I’m gonna run for thirty minutes today,” and I did, without clocking mileage.

Over the past decade plus, that has changed.

Not only do I want to know what mileage I am running now, but I never run without knowing how far I’m gone. I don’t like to end on weird mileage, like 6.02, so I will run the extra .08 to round it off to an even 10.  The routes around my house have been mapped, so I know how far it is to go each of the three loops I run. And if I am running in unfamiliar territory, I wear my Garmin to track my distance.

Pace, though? Well, that’s another story.

I really have never cared too much about how fast I’m going, even after all these years. I have improved. I no longer run only in the 10s and can actually carry on in the 8s for a few miles when I’m feeling it. These days, I generally find myself hovering around 9:20-9:30.

Yet six months ago I decided to set a new goal: to get my regular running pace down to about the 9:15s.  I want to go faster for longer, everyday.

I’m not doing speed training to set any big PR records at a particular race; I’m not doing it because I feel like a running failure if I don’t go fast. I’m doing it because I want that new challenge.

You see, I already know, if I set my mind to it and I WANT it, that I can run 26.2 miles. Or 13.1. Or a 5K. I may not blaze those trails, but I sure will cross the finish line at the end.

Now, how fast I go when I do the runs is another story. I now want to know what I – and my body – can accomplish with speed if I set my mind to it. I want to know what it feels like to run faster on a regular basis.

Which brings me to interval training.

I decided to do add interval and tempo runs to my schedule a while ago. I didn’t have a formal plan, though I read several articles in Runner’s World, both in print and online. This one talked a bit about interval training: how to set it up, what to make your goal.

I knew my goal: a 9:15 or so pace on a normal run. So, I want to run about 9:15 without feeling I’m pushing it too hard, but I want that to be a good run all the same.

I mapped out my new schedule. I now:

• run four days a week
• cross train one day per week (swim 1200-1500)
• strength train three days a week
• core exercises six days a week
• and take one glorious full day of rest

I add in yoga when I can, and I use the foam roller twice a day, thanks to stubbornly tight hamstrings.

My running schedule of four days consists of:

• an interval day (Thursday, 5-6 miles);
• a long day (Saturday, 8 miles and up);
• a mid-long day (Monday, 7-8 miles);
• and one faster six mile day (Tuesday)

My Interval Training Plan

Remember my overall goal: a normal 9:15 pace (I was at about 9:40 when I began).

Now, if I had some race goals they would be:

• 10K at 50 minutes or under in July
• 1/2 marathon at 2:00 or under in October
• full marathon, finishing with all body parts in tact but no particular race pace in mind, in November

How Far Should Intervals Be?

I read a lot about how far the intervals should be and for how long you should recover. Many plans suggest determining that based on your race length. Those running a marathon, which I hope to do November 5th, are supposed to train intervals for half to one mile increments and then a half mile recovery; shorter races require shorter intervals, so those doing a 5K or half marathon might run 200s or 400s, or quarter to half mile increments.

I started off doing the half mile but knew immediately it was a mistake. A half mile for me at a high pace was too long. I got all out for me when I do the speed portion of the interval training, hovering between 7:50 and 8:15 at this point, and I had a difficult time running it for that long. So I pushed back to quarter mile increments with quarter mile recovery.

I also do the same amount of recovery as I do the fast pace.

Has it helped?

Absolutely. Today I ran a 5 miler. I decided to drop the interval training for today – it is Thursday, and that was what I was supposed to do, but, as I said, if I always feel I have to run a specific way I will grow bored and aggravated – so I decided to get out there and run for speed.

I didn’t go 100%. I would say in the beginning I ran at about 95% and in the end about 90%. The heat and humidity got to me that last mile, but when all was said and done I ran a 9:08 pace. My fastest mile – 8:48. Not so bad for a girl who started off in the 10s years ago! And, not so bad for someone who wants to run around a 9:15.

Here’s what I have learned about speed training along the way.

1. Go slowly. Just as with adding distance, it’s important to give your body time to adapt to the higher speeds. You’ll be sore. You will have issues if you don’t combine speed training with slower days. A good piece of advice: don’t place speed training next to another run, especially not a longer run. Isolate it so your body has time to recover. Place it next to your cross training day, or a rest day. I speed train after a day of swimming and before a day of weights only. That gives my body a day before and after to rest.
2. Run fartleks. I just like to say this word. But seriously, I believe interval training has helped me adapt to the constant demand of oxygen and to regulate breathing over a longer distance, but fartleks have allowed me to see that I can go fast and then slower and build on that. I can increase and decrease during a race and recover without slowing or stopping to walk altogether. I find when I do fartlek training, I actually run faster overall. My body gets used to the higher demands, and so my running base pace is higher than it normally is. I run these on Tuesdays, but I don’t go crazy. Again, speed training can be hard on the body. Most injuries come from either overuse or speed, so if you feel any twinges in the hammies or any pain in the feet, slow down.
3. Take rest days. I will keep posting this over and over. I see so many people who think banging the body to hell is a good thing. It isn’t. It’s stupid. It’s an injury waiting to happen. And honestly, if you work it hard all the itme, what are you trying to gain? Because not resting will have the opposite effect. Your body can only do so much. Learn your threshold. If you are incorporating interval training into your schedule, one day a week is enough to train and see results. Don’t run like hell on every single run. Things will start to hurt. Will break. Will keep you sidelined. And that is definitely not what you want.
4. Take care of that body. Not only should you incorporate rest days, but if you are serious about training you should invest in a foam roller and regular maintenance massages. A good sports masseuse can work out the kinks that appear to multiply when you increase distance or speed. I’ve been getting massages lately and the difference is amazing. My ITB can be hurting one day and after a trip to Doris and her magic hands, the pain is gone. If you are going to put stresses on your body, you also have to give it some love. Rest well, eat well, add in recovery days, and massage out those muscles you strain so hard.
5. And as with every run listen to your body. Today I knew I didn’t want to interval train. I don’t know why, but I wanted to see what kind of ass I could kick. And I kicked it. Other days I’m supposed to speed train and I’m sluggish. So I’ve learned to let it go. To run the way my body wants. To listen to what my body says. You can always pick it up on another day, but you can never get it back if you push to hard and find yourself hurting at the finish line.

Happy running!

Prior to distance running this choice would have been made long before now. Now that i do at least 10 on the weekends, it’s not as difficult. I know I can do the distance, but what has happened? I almost feel like ‘what’s the point of running a race?’

For one thing, I have to battle traffic. I have to go down a day early to pick up my packet, which means shuffling the kids an hour each way and walking around a large, overcrowded convention center where I would like to pick up things and shop but where, likely, I’ll be battling two toddlers in tow.

The race means getting up super-early on Sunday morning prior, as i would have to drive an hour and get a shuttle by 6 to get to the starting line, where I would likely end up standing around for at least an hour wondering why I couldn’t have just found a closer parking space to begin with.

Of course the race also means money. $95 to register, gas down and back twice, and the items I want to purchase at the convention, which will be a T-shirt and possibly some new socks. Oh, and a bumper sticker; i have my 26.2 one, so I need to balance it out with a 13.1 one.

The payoff? Freedom of running with others who love to run. Excitement and energy and people calling my name. That doesn’t happen when I do 13 miles around my neighborhood. I’m lucky to pass anyone that early in the morning! I enjoy the crowds that come to watch, and knowing that other people are watching me thinking they would like to do that one day. You can’t beat a great race.

Which is why I will battle parking, my wallet,the kids at the convention, and a slew of other obstacles to cross the finish line in Jacksonville next Sunday.

I’m going to sign up now, before I change my mind!

I’m turning the big 4-0 next week.

This has been a hard confession.

I’ve ignored it, screamed about it, had a few too many glasses of vino as I reflected on it.

I’ve told my kids I’m turning 25, again, and they believe it (you gotta love kids!)

I’ve told people I would not be celebrating this year, that I didn’t want gifts, and that if they found me wandering the neighborhood mumbling incoherently to leave me the heck alone!

I’ve also told off all those happy people who just turned 40 and who have said, “Oh, it’s just a number! Look at me! I’m so happy!” with a lot of exclamation points in their voice. (Who the hell wants to get old, is what I say?! Once you hit 21 you can legally do everything you need to do. From there it’s all downhill!)

I’ve spent a lot of time looking backward in the past month, recalling those things I loved about being younger and cursing those things I hate about growing older.

But life is a, well, you know what it is, and then you move on.

You have to keep running, right?

So I am.

Now, this week I plan to spend my time considering the things I love about getting older.

I’m going to ignore the few gray hairs that have sprouted up on my head like wayward children, and the cricks and creaks and groans my bones make when I get out of bed in the morning.

Screw the stomach that doesn’t agree with hot sauce anymore – she’s getting it anyway, because I’m not slowing down.

And the fact that I can’t stay up past 11 anymore without feeling like crap the next day, even if I’m only snuggled up on the couch with a good book, will just have to wait.

One thing I’ve noticed is my addiction,  obsession,  love of running has actually changed for the good as I’ve aged, unlike the wrinkles near my eyes.

I’ve learned:

1. My body can perform miracles. It birthed two babies and it has run two marathons. I can run in the rain, in t he heat, in the snow, and on ice. I can run with a cold. I can run when I think I don’t want to run (and oftentimes, those end up being the best runs).
2. I don’t have anything to prove to anyone else. In my earlier years, especially my twenties, running was about winning. It was about going faster than the next person. I’d even hurt myself attempting to do this. Nowadays I realize running is internal, it’s intrinsic, it’s in-me. I just have to do it; that’s the beauty of running.
3. If it hurts, I should slow down. When you’re young , pain seems good. “Oh yea, my knee was on FIRE man and I ran to the finish line anyway! Sure, they may have to replace it, but I have another one, right?” Um, until you get older. Then you realize if you do something stupid, like run while injured, you may be giving up running for good. And trust me, when you’re on the bad side of 40 you don’t want to have to give shit up for good. Period.
4. Running, it does a body good. Finally, all I can say is this: I’m in better shape now than I was when I graduated high school, graduated college, finished my master’s degree, and married my husband. Running has gotten me through ups and downs and highs and lows, and in the meantime it has allowed me to continue to wear the same size clothes for the past 10 years even while eating peanut butter straight out of the jar. Not too shabby.

While I’m not happy about turning 40, nor will I ever be, I can see some of the upsides to aging, even though my eyesight, sadly, is not what it was when I was 20.

Who needs the eyes anyway, right?

In the meantime I have scheduled 2 half marathons, one in February and one in March, as I recover from my cartilage tear. If all goes well I’d like to do one marathon prior to summer; if it doesn’t, oh well. (You see, there is it, that great running attitude again! Forty still stinks though!)

Happy Running!

My first 13 mile training run for this racing season. It went pretty well. The weather held up – nice and brisk.  The knees, though sore now, held up – so I’m icing them down. Next week I do 9 or 10 and then up to 15 in hopes of getting ready for the Jacksonville Marathon in December.

UPDATE
One day later:

Daughter began getting sick at noon, as I finished up this post -  as you know you don’t have much time once the baby starts throwing up.

She is doing much better today, but we had a rough, rough night. We were up most of it. Her fever has broken and she’s holding food down, but I can tell you this – it is way worse to watch this little person that you love so much it hurts to throw up than it is to do it  yourself!

RUNNING NEWS:
I ran tonight instead of this AM. I had to get out of the house – 2 kids, one sick and one not, inside all day, it’s tough! I did 5 miles in record time. Why is my time so much better in the night than in the morning, when I am used to running?

UPDATE
One day later:

See, when you have kids you can’t get everything done at once. This post has taken two days! It is my off day of running, and I slept in – yay!

I keep getting asked if I am doing the Jacksonville marathon – and the answer is, I hope!

I have learned this when you have kids:

Don’t expect anything. Expect everything!

It is tough to plan for things when you have young kids. So much comes up. I want to run the Jax marathon, but in all honesty I am trying to hold off on making committments with my running right now. I did that with Disney and though I felt I had trained enough, maybe I had not. We moved cross country, kids got the flu, and things changed all during my training. I don’t want to commit to something this time and get injured again.

I want to go in prepared.

After Sunday’s half marathon training run, I know I can do the half. So that’s all I’m commited to at this time.

I’d like to do the full -

It just depends on where life takes me in the next two months!

My new rule of running:

Fit it in when you can, and make it enjoyable.

So often I think we forget running is something we do for enjoyment and stress relief. It’s not supposed to bring us MORE stress. So often in the past I have tried to commit to this, or stick to that strict schedule, and then I’m all stressed out about my runs and things go sour quickly.

I’m trying to take a more relaxed approach to  running now. And in all honesty, for the past six months or so this has worked out well for me.

Before that time I would have never considered going for a 5 mile run at 6 PM. Never! If I missed it in the AM, it was gone for the day.

I believe this more relaxed approach has really helped me a lot, and has improved my running. I realize I am a runner – I can run whenever I can go; all I need is my shoes!

SPEAKING OF SHOES:
I ordered my new pair last night! Went with Saucony Progrid Guides, wide, again, because damn they work well! I had asked a store to order them for me, since I can’t get to a running store in this town; two weeks later, still no word from them. I called, asked where the shoes could be, and they said they weren’t sure – so I ordered them off of Amazon and got them about twelve dollars cheaper!

WOOT!

Can’t wait until they come in. They will be my Jax shoes, marathon or half.

Hope all your runs are good ones today!

MIA.

In South Georgia, on a house hunting expedition, as we prepare for our cross country move. We spent eleven days there, and they were jam packed days in which we got little sleep, trudged from house to house for four days in a row, suffered a lot from the three hour time difference and, thankfully, found a house that we absolutely love! Yes! We did it! We found a house!

The home is in great shape but needs some TLC as it was a bank owned property, but here is the view from our backyard! When we get the front yard cleaned up I’ll post a photo of it.

Here is a photo of our girls as we walked along the St Mary’s Historical area downtown.

We are back in So Cal now for seven weeks and then we will begin the next part of our life. It starts with a cross country drive, car loaded down, kids strapped in their seats! Now, that will be one to write about!

So I had a scary run experience while there. I felt fine starting off at 5 AM, one 17 oz bottle of water, one of Gatorade, some bagel in my stomach, a power bar in my pack. My goal: 8 miles.

I felt the humidity as soon as I stepped outside but I was committed to staying hydrated by drinking those two bottles during the run. I started drinking immediately.

About two miles in I met a guy that has run marathons in 42 states. He belongs to the 50 marathons in 50 states club. I have not looked into it yet, as I had no internet access at the condo where we stayed, but as soon as I do I will post some info. It sounds like fun.

Anyway, my stomach began to rumble about 3 miles into the run. I knew I wouldn’t make it the 8. Even the guy who lived in South Carolina said it was hot, so I knew it must be, and I have always had a sensitivity to the heat so I have to be careful when it gets really hot. Yet he had only one bottle of water, I had two bottles of liquid, and I felt prepared.

At mile 6 I told him I couldn’t go any further. I didn’t feel sick, just tired and hot and I really had to go to the bathroom.

And go I did. I won’t go into any gory details, but if you run distances you know what I’m talking about.

I was so hot I stripped down between trips to the toilet and put some water on my head. I ate a bowl of oatmeal, though I felt like puking, and I guzzled large amounts of liquids to replenish myself.

But I couldn’t stop going to the bathroom. Finally I took a cold shower, tried to eat some pretzels, which I could barely swallow, and laid down again.

We had to go house hunting and I didn’t want to miss the three houses that were first, and that were also located near our condo, so I made it down to the car but I told my husband I might not make it much further. He suggested I stay home but I didn’t want to miss it. I felt very tired, and had a hard time keeping my eyes open. Eventually, I came around some. By nighttime I felt fine.

The next day, while walking down the stairs of our new house, I pulled a muscle in my leg.

Let’s just say that the heat and humidity obviously got to me. I was not only overly hot but then I became dehydrated, and the dehydration caused the sickness to get worse and then the muscle pull the next day.

I think of myself as a smart runner. I had already run in that area a few times, so this wasn’t my first run in the humidity, and I didn’t even feel that sick while running; I just had to go to the bathroom.

It scared me so much that I took tentative runs the rest of the time. The muscle pull got better a few days later. I did a three miler and then a four miler before we left. They went fine.

I think part of the problem was that I didn’t hydrate myself as much as i should have the day before I ran. Once we get there I think I will have to make a really conscious effort of drinking tons of liquid the night before a long run in the humidity. I did go for the run at the early morning time I always do, but it was still hot, hot, hot.

Despite that run, and that scare, the rest of the runs were great. I missed having my weights and my exercise ball and particularly my kettlebell! I did my situps and crunches and push ups but they just didn’t feel the same! I’m glad to be back home with all of my tools. The condo didn’t have a great yoga place either. My new house: Perfect! I can do it right in the living room overlooking the marsh. I can’t wait!

I hope everyone has been healthy and having fun and having good runs. I have some weight to make up. I lost about four pounds, and I’m sure that part of that was how sick I got. I need to get that weight back on, so chocolate, here I come! Today I did a nine miler, and it was great. It was cool here, with some mist over the ocean. It’s going to be hard to leave this weather behind, the coolness of the early mornings, but I can’t wait to get to where we are going, either!

Happy Running!

I’ve said this before and I’ll say this over and over again. I just love the days that I get up early, load up my pack and head out into the early dawn-sometimes pre-dawn-day.

Today I spent my time thinking about so many different things and I made some discoveries on this run.

First, I discovered, or rediscovered, the vividness of everything after a long run. Does this happen to you? The sky, when blue, is the bluest it has every been. The green of leaves on the tree outside are so bright green it’s almost unbelievable. I know these things are always these colors, right? But why does everything seem so much brighter, so much more alive, when you finish an 11 miler?

Secondly, the body is an amazing machine. Seriously. You can train it to do almost anything you want it to do. I mean, you can run 26.2 miles or more! You just have to train. I thought of my body today as I ran, the way that it met that last marathon challenge and the way that I hope it meets this one. How is it that my feet can pound the pavement that long and still carry me around the rest of the day? That my arms can remain in the same position for 2 hours and not remain sore after the run? It is so true, that if we treat our bodies well, they will treat us well, and since we have to live in this shell for (hopefully) a really long time, I think its in our best interest to be kind to our body!

Thirdly, our minds are even more amazing than our bodies. It is our mind that says, “Okay, I’ve been running now for an hour and a half. I’m hot. I’m sweaty. I want something to eat-like a side of beef and a dozen eggs-but I’m gonna keep on going for a bit longer. When we train our minds to think positive thoughts, positive thoughts will follow. Don’t believe me? Train for a marathon. You can’t run 26.2 if you spend the entire time getting down on yourself, thinking you can’t do it.

The beautiful thing is this: If you train your mind to run long distances, you can train your mind to do anything. If you can stand the silence of being alone for this long of a time, you can do whatever it is that you want to do. I have yet to meet a runner with a negative attitude about life. Have you? Most runners really appreciate everything around them. I think that we learn to do this through our running, particularly in the distances, because we spend so much time training ourselves to think positively. We can make the finish line. We can do that last four mile stint before we get home. We can climb that obnoxious hill that suddenly jumped out in front of us.

I made one other startling discovery on this run. As I ran down the beach I stopped at a line of public restrooms to use the bathroom (damn long runs-that is the ONE negative thing I can say about them-I can’t get through them without having to GO!) I pushed the first few doors. Two were locked, and then the third swung open but stopped short. I looked down and saw a body on the floor. Yep, a body. Was it dead? I don’t know. I screamed, turned, and ran. I looked back and was not being followed. The door hadn’t reopened. Being alone and female, I was not about to go back and see if that guy was okay (and it was a guy, I think, from the state of the blue jeans). Instead, I hurried on. Living in a beach community, it’s not abnormal to find someone passed out somewhere along the beach. Thankfully it was daylight and there were other runners around, so I felt pretty safe. I couldn’t find someone to tell about the body though, as there weren’t any county workers or police there yet. So, I don’t know what happened to that guy, but I can tell you he scared the living daylights out of me this morning!

I get it. You don’t want to get all hopped up on caffeine before a long race. I’m sure your heart will hate you for chugging three mugs of java right before you run ten miles.

But . . . a study in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport does show that drinking down an eight ounce mug of coffee improved race times of both recreational and advanced runners in a 5K.

Study co-author Brendan O’Brien says that the key may be that caffeine alters your perception of pain and allows you to run farther and faster than when you haven’t chugged a tall latte.

I know in my house, if I get up for a long run, or any very early morning run, I save the caffeine for post-run.

If I get up early and then head to the gym to run, I have a cup of coffee prior to working out.

I have found on days when I have that cup of coffee beforehand that it does get my blood moving.

But I have also found that it does the same on those mornings when I have had a good night’s sleep.

I doubt I’ll start consuming caffeine before each run, but the study does make me feel better about the days when I do drink coffee before a run!

So what’s your routine? Coffee or no before a run? I have read about people who get up for a marathon and go into it with one bagel and one cup of coffee in their bellies. Is this you?!

One moment. One instant. One second.

The same goes with training. I recall training for my first marathon, the Surf City, and during a house cleaning episode I ran my very large, very heavy chair over my big toe, which immediately swelled. I thought for sure I had broken it. I called my mom crying. I had trained so hard.

Luckily, the toe ended up being fine.

Fast forward to this morning. I was cleaning again and, as most of you know, training for the Long Beach marathon. The phone rang. I sprinted towards it, praying it was my husband.

It was.

You see, we’ve been waiting for some news about a new job, in a new state, clear across the country.

Our family is all on the east coast; we are on the west. We love it here. California offers so much to those who enjoy fitness and health.

On the other hand, if you moved here right as the housing market boomed and you didn’t buy, you are out. A median home costs $600K in our neighborhood. We like our neighborhood, but the homes for this price are old and mostly need updating. At $600K we would be breaking the banks and then have work to do.

This relocation meant a few things. First, we’d be closer to family. Second, we’d be able to afford a house. Third, we are gypsies at heart, my husband and I. We enjoy going new places, exploring new territories. The thought of ‘settling’ down’ kind of terrifies us.

So we have had our fingers crossed. And the call came.

He got the job!

We are moving. Not only that, we are doing so in just three short months. Two weeks after the Long Beach Marathon. I hadn’t signed up for it yet knowing what might happen. Now it looks like I won’t.

I could, I suppose. However, I’m going to be so busy with packing and moving arrangements that I don’t want to put an added stress on what will be a hectic few months.

Instead, I’m going to run the Disney Marathon in January. I signed up yesterday, after hearing about our move. My family lives fairly close, so we could make it a family weekend and I could do the race. I’d love to do one where my mom is at the finish line. When she had her stroke in December, I ran my first marathon in February for her.

Now, maybe the next time she can be waiting at the finish line along with the rest of my family.

The really cool thing: When we found out he got the job, my mom was in an airplane on the way to visit us for a week. She got off of the airplane and after telling me about the trip, I asked her this: Next time you come out, do you want to fly nonstop or would you prefer to do it this way again, with a stop in between?

Mom: I guess with the stop.

Me: Oh, well, it doesn’t matter anyway. This is your last visit to California anyway.

My mom broke down in tears.

Life changes so fast. We have been in California for six years. I’ve enjoyed the time here, but I am glad to be moving on.

So, on to my running and my personal certification training. I’m going to do that marathon in january and get the certification and begin a mommy boot camp class in Georgia, where we will be living. I can’t find anything like it in that area and it has been something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time.

And for my running, I know it will be different. It will be humid there, and I’m used to running in the dry heat. It will be less traffic (the town is fairly small) and I can’t wait to not dodge lights and cars who don’t look before pulling out of a shopping center.

I will keep you posted on the training during the move.

Life is going to be hectic, but then it is already.

You just gotta keep running through!