Mom first, runner second

Throughout my running and training, I have always said that being a mom comes first. Whether it's missing a training run, taking the kids with me, using the treadmill instead of an outside run; I have to balance my life as a runner with what my kids need. I earned my first DNS (did not show) this past weekend for this exact reason. We were going to the Step up for Stefanie 5K run/walk for Breast Cancer research. This was the first race that Jeff and I were going to run together; and the kids were going to "run with us" in the double jogger. The whole family was looking forward to the race, but life got in the way as it sometimes does. Saturday night, Zachary woke up around 10:00pm and started coughing and basically didn't stop until some time on Monday. I was up with him for quite a while, then off and on all night long. (After a visit to the pediatrician on Monday, we found out he's not sick, YAY!,  but has allergies, boo!) When Sunday morning rolled around, we were both exhausted and not knowing if he was sick, we made the decision to stay home from the race. (It was only supposed to be 45* at race start and didn't really want him out in the cold for several hours if he was sick) We all cuddled on the couch and watched movies, so we still had a good family morning. 

In the afternoon, I was able to get the kids out for a 2.1 mile run. It wasn't the 5K we had planned, but I figured it was better than nothing, right? Jeff asked the question of whether or not I was ok with us wearing the shirts. I said in this case yes, we can both run the distance and it was a charity race. But, if it had been a half marathon or marathon, my answer would have been no, since we hadn't "earned" the right to wear it.  

There will ALWAYS be another race.

Have you ever received a DNS? What are your thoughts on wearing the shirt? Does that depend on the distance of the race you missed?  

~Anne

Goals are good!

Today, I hit 1,000 RUNNING miles for 2011!  

In January of this year, I joined the Tall Mom on the Run; Run 1,000 miles in 2011 challenge. At the end of last year, I wasn't sure where I was going with my running, so this seemed to be a good way to keep my motivation up. Fast forward to October 2011, I trained hard for a May half marathon (running a sub 2:00!), ran a September marathon and just kept running.


In all of 2010, I ran 765.46 miles according to my Garmin report, so it's a huge jump with two months left of the year. When I signed up for the 1000 mile challenge, I honestly didn't know if I would meet the challenge, but knew I would give it my best effort. I enjoy having goals and meeting or exceeding them.

At this point in the year, I am trying to get back to the basics. Running is fun again! If I feel like running 3 miles, I'll run 3 miles. 8? ok, I can go run 8 miles. It's nice not to have a schedule telling me what I have to run on any certain day. What this means for me in the future, I have no clue. I just know that I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts! Below is my Dailymile training report, I still can't believe I ran all those miles in July & August! Is it any wonder I was tired?!

75

Jan '11

87

Feb '11

115

Mar '11

 120

Apr '11

76

May '11

100

Jun '11

140

Jul '11

142

Aug '11

  86

Sep '11

 61

Oct '11

Do you set mileage goals? How do you keep your motivation up during the off-season?


        ~Anne

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Running family

We just had a FANTASTIC weekend here. Gorgeous warm fall weather, lots of sunshine and outside playtime. Saturday, Jeff and I loaded the kids into the double jogger that we borrowed from my good friend and running partner, Jamie, for a 5K later this month and set off for our first family run! Zachary was so excited to get to run with us and "nobody's leaving me!" he said. Over the past month, we have had three race weekends, which is more than we've had in the past 3 months! Understandable that he would be concerned.

Running Family (minus the photog, Jeff)

Perfect fall morning, we headed to the jogging path behind our house and ran for about 1.5 miles before stopping at the playground for the kids. I was worried about pushing an extra 100+ pounds, but it actually was easier than when I just take the single jogger (think the double has bigger wheels). Both kids did great and were excited to stop for a break at the playground.

Continuing on our way, we ran about another 1.25 miles before stopping for the day to head to the pumpkin patch. It was very special to me to be able to share something I'm so passionate about with my entire family for the first time. I think this was one of my favorite runs, ever! Hopefully there will be many more family runs; or at least a few while we still have the use of the double jogger!

Does your spouse or significant other run? Do you ever get to run together?  What other ideas do you have for fun family activities?


~Anne

USAF Marathon Race Recap

This post is a little out of order as it was originally published on timeoutmom.com as a Guest Blog post (me?! a guest poster?! I was am honored to be given the opportunity! Thank you Melissa!) This race recap got me started as a blogger, so I wanted to be sure to post it. Plus, I'm still in amazement that I am a MARATHONER!

16 weeks of training led to an absolutely incredible experience. I'm still having difficulty processing the fact that I DID IT! I started running consistently 2 years ago (& 50 pounds heavier!) after getting the all clear from my ob/gyn after the birth of my 2nd son. My goal was to eventually run 5 miles comfortably. That morphed into a half marathon, then another, other races in between & finally, this insane idea to run a Marathon.  

My training certainly had some bumps in the road this time....I sprained my ankle around week 3 of this training cycle while chasing my 4yo. I took a few days off, then kept running as it didn't hurt. Finally went to my doctor who sent me to PT. I was getting strong, ankle doing well and feeling pretty positive about the race. Then I had back pain that kept me from running my 2nd scheduled 20-miler. I took an entire week off from running. I went out for my 20-miler telling myself to take it one mile at a time. I made it to 18.75 miles. Most likely I was just getting tired, but I was starting to have a little back discomfort and knew I couldn’t afford any more time off.  Lastly, I developed a meniscal tear in my knee (same leg as ankle, so thinking it's all related). I was out for a 13-mile run (already started taper!) and my knee gave out on me after 2.5 miles. I walked and stretched, trying to see if I could continue, but it kept giving out on me. I called my rescue squad to come and get me as I called my husband in tears. Only 2 weeks left before the marathon at this point. He urged me not to give up, rest, ice and see how it feels. I rested & iced all day Saturday and Sunday. Monday was Labor Day, so I decided to test it out. I went mile by mile with my rescue squad on stand-by. I texted my husband at several points to let him know that I was STILL running with no pain! I made it 11 miles that day. I could have gone further, but didn’t want to push it. I called my doctor first thing Tuesday morning, was seen same day and was diagnosed with the tear. Prescription: ice immediately after every run and good luck in the marathon. BEST NEWS EVER!

Based on all of that, I wasn’t at all sure at times that I would get to the starting line!

Finally, Marathon weekend! We got to the expo Friday afternoon and met up with my running partner and friend, Jamie (and her mom). My wonderful husband and two kids came with me. We walked around the expo looking at everything, got our bibs & goodie bags. Briefly, I even got to meet a twitter friend! We then headed to the hotel to check in. My parents were also coming for the race and they said they would have my boys sleep with them so I could get more sleep & not have to worry about waking them in the morning (my parents are the best!!)

I was able to get to sleep without too much trouble (surprising!!) and after a 1am bathroom break (TMI? very well hydrated for race!), I went right back to sleep! (doubly surprising!) My alarm went off at 4:15 so I could go through my morning ritual, have my coffee, etc before meeting Jamie & her mom for a quick trip over to the shuttle. We got on the shuttle bus and I was so excited I could hardly stand it!!

It was too dark to really see ANYTHING on the shuttle, but when we got off, we were walking across a field toward the starting line that was lit with spotlights. AWESOME!!!!!! I was getting chills (or maybe that was the extremely cold morning?) Anyway, we walked around looking at everything, sat down & waited. There were about a zillion port-a-potties at the start/finish, so we weren't worried about waiting in line (a first for me for a race). We met Pacer Paul for the 4:45 group; which we had both decided we were going to start with and see what happened. The National Anthem made me cry, then there was the plane fly-over which was super exciting and energizing. We were finally off!!!!....SLOWLY.... my only complaint about the AF Marathon is the lack of corrals at the starting line. There were lots of walkers that started ahead of us so we had a hard time getting into our pace and spent a lot of time going around people. The pacer tried to make up the time in the next couple miles & we stayed with him for about the first half of the race. Running around the military housing was fantastic, the military families were all out cheering for us when all i wanted to do was cheer for them and all they sacrifice for us. Amazing!

The “Mile 10 Party” in Fairborn was so much fun! I think it's really miles 9-10, and the only real place that civilian spectators can watch the race. The whole town celebrates the racers with bands, decorations, etc. It looked like some of the residents party all day, lots of them had tables & chairs set up outside. Food, drink, & fun. We saw our huge group of supporters (my parents, hubby & kids, Jamie's hubby, kids, parents, in-laws & a friend of ours with her 2 kids). Fantastic cheering section!!! We saw them as we started through town, so we knew where they were when we turned around. I may have cried each time I saw them....I was so excited to get back to them, so had to keep our pacing in check so we could make it past them! 

We both started feeling a little fatigued around mile 12ish (I think) and were concerned that we wouldn't make it. We decided to take another fuel break, I drank some more Nuun & that helped me enormously. The pace group was getting farther ahead of us, but after starting the run, my goal was just to finish. I was ok with NOT making it in 4:45. I think around 14 or 15 Jamie decided she needed to slow down a tad, so I turned on my music and just ran. As much fun as I had running with Jamie, I think I needed my music. Lesson learned. I train 90+% of the time by myself with music...I need my music to run. Best part...had a text from my hubby that I saw when I plugged my headphones in and that gave me the extra oomph to get going.

Around mile 17 (I think) we ran down a runway that just about killed me...it was long, boring & HOT! That was my wall and I questioned if I would make it. We got off the runway, found a little shade & I was fine!!!! I walked up the freeway hill at mile 20-21 knowing that I still had 6 miles to go and wanted to be sure that I would make it. Other than walking through the water stops & to re-fuel, that was it for walking!

Mile 21, I KNEW I would finish! Sore legs, and it hurt when I stopped running and starting walking again, but I knew just keep putting one foot in front of the other and I would reach that finish. Mile 22...getting excited...Mile 23 it's mostly downhill from here...mile 24; really??? 2.2 more?? Every water station, when people told me I looked strong, i just wanted to cry since I wasn't feeling strong, I was feeling tired! But that really helped me keep it up! Also helped when I passed walkers; knowing that no matter how slow I felt like I was going, I was STILL running! Mile 25 running faster (or maybe shuffling at this point?!), mile 25.5-26...I can see the finish, running through a row of flags, around a corner to 26. Last .2 are down the runway under the wings of planes.

The spectators were all cheering, then I saw Jamie's family. It was awesome & I started crying. Then I saw MY family. OH, boy! (I’m crying even as I write this!!) Got a High 5 from my hubby, saw my parents and my boys and continued toward that finish line. I Got another high 5 from a soldier and random cheering from strangers was AWESOME!!! (Take note, ALWAYS use runners names if you can, it REALLY helps!), then I FINISHED!!! Under 5:00!! And got my medal & a handshake from the general (?) and I was crying like a baby. He told me what a fantastic accomplishment this was. Walking on, I was wrapped in my heat blanket (which I quickly discovered I did not need), walked through the food tent & waited for my family to come find me. 

They found me and again, I cried & cried!!! So wonderful to see them, to have them there supporting me and knowing that they were waiting for me to finish this crazy journey of mine!

Then I waited for Jamie and she wasn't too far behind me! I was so excited to see her come out of the food tent and know she finished! We hugged (maybe a few more tears), then her family found us too. My bestest running partner surprised me with a new disc to put on my running necklace... "Sole Sisters 26.2" (you got it, more tears!) Once I took my medal off, I put my running necklace with the new disc on it and haven't really taken it off since.

Other than sore muscles, I have felt fantastic since crossing that finish line. Got my finish line beer---I don't think any beer has ever tasted better than that one! Surprising enough, I felt great after the race; no nausea (guess I didn't push hard enough!) so we went to Wendy's (my boys’ “favorite eating place”). I  ate a cheeseburger, fries and a frosty. I couldn’t believe that I was starving, it usually takes me a few hours after races to eat.

We left Wendy’s and were in the parking lot. My husband starts digging through the bags in the back and comes out with a pink 26.2 magnet for the car. He brought it with us knowing that I would finish and wanting to put it on the car immediately! (I may have doubted myself, but he never did!)

I honestly can't wait to do it again!!!!!

Challenge Accepted By Jeff Pistone (@deltwalrus)

If you had asked me 6 months ago what I thought about running, I'd have told you it's fantastic... if someone handed you the football, if you just hung a frozen rope into left field and were trying for second, or if a large bear was chasing you through the woods.

Especially that last one.  Bears are grumpy when they're hungry.

I just didn't get the appeal of running for the sake of running. It held no value to me, and I viewed those who gave it value as being somehow a little... "off."  And that's true, most runners are a little "off" to one degree or another. You'd have to be off a bit to go out and run five kilometers on a 40-degree morning with Niagara-style constant mist falling and a wind that would make anyone with half a brain step outside and utter a quick obscenity and turn right back round and head inside.

Yeah.. because this is TOTALLY normal.

But that's just what I did this particular lovely Ohio morning.  In fact, my final question to my wife as I left the car to head for the starting line was "pants or no pants?" which is actually much more commonly-uttered in my house than you'd imagine, but on this day, it proved one thing: I was officially "off."

What started me "off" on this adventure was a challenge.  More like a dare.  No, really more like a semi-doubtful statement.  "Here's this Couch-to-5K program for your phone," said my wife.  "It gets you slowly into running shape so you can run a 5K at the end of it.  Try it, but I bet you won't stick with it."  I was only half-listening to her until I heard that last part.

Challenge accepted.

My first few weeks were all treadmill walk/runs, with the TV on and the kids playing, and it was all good.  I had to repeat a week, but despite that, I ran my first 5K practice run well ahead of the pre-arranged schedule.  So when that 5K does arrive, no sweat, I figured.  But then something happened that I did not expect.  Someone had the bright idea to have a race at Oktoberfest.

Beer.  Sausage.  Beer.  Four miles.  Beer.  Wait, FOUR miles?  Oh yeah, beer.

Four miles won't sound like much to a lot of you, but I'm a rookie here.  So I planned for that.  And ran it.  And ran it well, meeting all three of my major goals (don't finish last in your age group, under 50 minutes, and NO walking).  Got my medal, got my beer, got my bratwurst.

A smile as big as my beer

Oh... yeah, that OTHER 5K.

Part of me said, "Why bother? You've already proven her wrong.  You've won."  But then, something kicked in.  I'm not sure if it was pride, the fact that we'd already paid my registration fee, or something else, but something urged me onward, to push myself harder.

So on this rainy, cold, miserable morning, I ran.  Were it not for the race today, I would probably not have even ventured outside into that mess, but I ran.

And dammit, I did it again.  I set another personal best pace for myself.  I wanted to finish under 36 minutes for the race.  I set that goal for myself, intentionally setting it high so I'd have something more to chase after this race.  I didn't want that apathy to seep back in.  I'd never finish under 36:00, but it's good to have goals, right?  Gotta have something to strive for.

So I ran the 5K.  In 35:59.

But this time, there was no apathy.  No "what now?" moment.  No wondering why I should continue or what I should try next, other than just getting out there and running.  Mind you, I still don't really enjoy running.  As someone once said, "What I truly enjoy is when I _stop_ running."  And that's true for me, both for the relief of finishing and the celebration that I did something I never thought I'd do six months ago.

And then it hit me.  When you get into it, you find your own personal bear.  And he never stops chasing you.

Stay hungry, fellow bears.

My biggest fan

About the Author:

Jeff Pistone is husband to this blog's owner, her biggest fan, and her lifelong friend.  He's a computer geek by trade, which makes his physical accomplishments all the more impressive.  When not running, you can find him plastered to a computer screen, playing Star Wars Legos with his boys, or complaining about various facets of everyday life.  Follow him @deltwalrus on Twitter.