See Mom Run Far

A little more...

2012-03-17T14:12:00.002-07:00

I have to say that nothing has made me smile more today than hearing my Ethiopia-born son yell at his Korea-born sister to "go put some green on because WE ARE IRISH!" Amen buddy. :)

Here is a picture I found yesterday. This was me in my senior year of high school (1995) when I went on a backpacking trip in Ireland. I love Ireland. Love it! Since Erin means "Ireland" in Ireland, my name was on everything - buses, phones, stores, etc. I was cold and wet the entire trip and had just gotten off of crutches (cracked my hip and had a bunch of internal injuries in a horse accident). I really, really wanted this bear, but financial and practical matters prohibited it. Bummer!

I have a running/training update post coming tomorrow. Preview - yesterday's work out kicked my butt!

Erin Go Bragh!

2012-03-17T09:19:00.001-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I have always loved this, and it works pretty well for runners! :)

If we still lived in New York I would be eating green bagels, going to the parade in New York City, and partying it up with people who love St. Patrick's Day as much as I do.

Unfortunately, in Wyoming St. Patty's Day isn't a very big deal. But I put on a group run with my running club this morning and made everyone wear green, we will be having corned beef, potatoes, and cabbage for dinner (I love it!), I will be baking up some Irish soda bread, I have lots of Irish music playing (love me Flogging Molly and the Young Dubliners), and I have myself and all of my kids decked out in lots o' GREEN.

I hope it is a fun day for you, whether you are Irish or not. More soon!

Bleck

2012-03-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of those days and it has continued on into this morning so far. As I was finishing up my run yesterday, I came up on our neighbor and friends' two year old black lab, hit and dead on the side of the road. To make it worse, as soon as I saw the dog, I saw that the school bus was just about to go past filled with the kids, including the little boy whose dog it was. So I made a show of running past the bus, waving at the kids and hopefully distracting them all, because the last thing I wanted was a bunch of kids getting heartbroken on the way to school. (It worked - none of them noticed the dog, thank goodness).

As soon as the bus was gone I went to my neighbor/friend's, thinking it was her dog (who we have taken on many a run with us and I love dearly). I was all teary-eyed when I knocked on her door, and then a minute later her big old goofy fat Lab came out and jumped on me. I had never been so happy to see her!

I was still heartbroken to see the dog that had been hit though and even more so when we realized that it belonged to a family we love up the road (with three little boys).

On top of that (in random order) -

- One of my favorite friends and running buddies (who was supposed to be on my ultra Ragnar team in June) tore her Plantar Fascia in her foot yesterday, and is now stuck in a boot and on crutches for six weeks.

- Our basement is leaking with melting snow, and there is at least $1000 worth of damage and carpeting that needs to be replaced.

- Noah got stuck on something this morning and tore apart his feeding pump tubing, which made a totally different kind of flood and mess.

- Our checking account got screwed up and I have been on the phone trying to get a double charge taken off. Money stress is high this time of year anyway.

- a school called this morning to say one of the kids is being lazy and has poor grades in a couple of classes (not the kid you think!)

- My job = stress

All I can say is THANK GOODNESS FOR RUNNING. What do people DO who don't have that as a stress reliever????

To end on a positive note -

An awesome friend, who didn't know I was having a bad day, sent me this this morning. Very cool. Love you J!

Breather

2012-03-14T16:52:00.001-07:00

Coming up for a breather from kids, work, cleaning, running, and life to get a blog post written finally. I have sat down to do this several times in the last few days and it just hasn't happened.

Since my happy, happy post about running outside, I have logged another 34 marvelous miles outside, and did a tough 12 mile work out on the treadmill (4 miles easy, 4 miles at 7:13, 1 mile at 7:03, 1 at 6:58, 1 at 6:53, 1/2 mile at 6:49, last 1/2 mile - faster).

The roads are clear and temps are staying up in the 40's during the day. There is snow and rain in the forecast for the next week and the high school track isn't clear yet, but as long as the temps stay up I should be able to get a lot of my runs done outside now. It is still quite dark at 5:00am (thank you daylight savings) but I was warm enough today that I ditched my jacket and gloves by mile 3.

Today's run (outside) was a 12 mile fartlek run. I am used to structured workouts (from Coach Ray, and because that is how I did things on my own) so at first I wasn't quite sure how to tackle it. I wanted it to be a challenging workout physically, but still fun. I ran with my IPOD and used the music to help me change up the pace. Sometimes I ran hard for a full song, sometimes I ran really hard for just a chorus, sometimes I picked out a sign or a building up ahead and sprinted to that, sometimes I sprinted down a hill, and sometimes I sprinted up the hills. I played with pace and effort and it turned out to be a tough but really good (and fun) run.

This will be my second 85-mile week in a row and knock on wood, all is going well.

And just like that my free time is over again.

But first - as a Brooks sponsored athlete I obviously love Brooks, but I have loved Brooks since long before they sponsored me. I have always thought that their shoes and gear were superior to everything else I tried (in performance, quality, fit, and appearance), and I LOVE their motto of RUN HAPPY!

Right now Brooks is having some AWESOME "Spring Cleaning" sales on shoes and apparel.

You can find the women's closeouts here.
and the mens' closeouts here. Lots of great stuff and great deals.

And for those of you thinking about trying the PureProject line of shoes you can read my very detailed review of the PureFlows and my adventures in finding the perfect shoes for me here. Lots of new fun colors just came in the PureProject shoes!!

Hope everyone is having a great week. More soon!

Smiles

2012-03-10T09:02:00.001-08:00

I ran outside!!! It was 10 miles of pure heaven.

Ok, so it was only a balmy 7 degrees when I left my house at 6am and I didn't get to soak up any sun, but there was a HUGE, almost full moon lighting up everything (I seriously almost didn't even need my Knuckle Lights), the ground was completely clear of ice and snow, and it felt so, so great and free to be running outside, that I didn't even mind the single digit temps.

I enjoyed every minute and every mile, and came home with my body and soul smiling. It was just what I needed.

Killer Friday Work-Out

2012-03-09T16:53:00.001-08:00

Happy Friday everybody! The kids have a random day off from school today so it has been a busy day, but a good day. The temps have warmed up, the sun is shining, the roads are CLEAR and I am looking at 10 miles OUTSIDE in the morning, and another 10 miles outside on Sunday. I cannot wait. :)

This morning's workout was what Coach Ray calls a "quality" work out. Indeed! I ran my 23 miler on Monday, and then had an easy six miles on Tuesday, and two easy-paced 10-milers on Wednesday and Thursday. I felt fully recovered from Monday's hard effort and ready to RUN.

The workout for this morning was 16 miles, with four miles easy, then 4 x 1 mile repeats at 6:49 (with 90 second rest intervals), then another four miles easy, then another 4 x 1 mile repeats at 6:49. It was not an easy work out, but it was "good tough".

I felt really good, I love running fast, and I thrive on the hard/tough workouts. I had strict instructions on what pace to run the repeats at (no faster) but I did sprint out the last half mile of the last repeat. Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. :)

I watched some TV on Hulu on my laptop for the first part of the workout, but for the last four mile repeats I needed to just rock out to some music. I have a few "power" running songs that I go to often, but today I was all about the "girl power" songs.

The first one was "Stronger" by Kelly Clarkson.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone.

What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone"

I especially love the part "makes you a fighter -foosteps even lighter". Pretty perfect for mile repeats! :)

My other girl power song is "Fighter" by Christina Aguilera.
"'Cause it
Makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
Makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter

Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter"

In my head I change the "learn a little bit faster" to "RUN a little bit faster".

Some of my other go-to "power songs" are "All These Things That Ive Done" by The Killers (I've got soul but I'm not a solider... my favorite!!!), "I Wanna" by the All-American Rejects (and a bunch of their other songs), "Take Me Back" (Van Halen, and all sorts of Van Halen), "Burn it to the Ground" by Nickelback, "How Far We've Come" by Matchbox Twenty, "Rock That Body" by Black Eyed Peas, "Sweat" by Bow Wow, "Invincible" by MGK, (I have teenagers - it's good running music!), a bunch of Mumford & Sons (love! I am an Irish gal!), a pile of Aerosmith and Maroon 5, and a bunch of others. It's a treat for me to run with music once and awhile since I usually don't.

Now I have two easy days of recovery-paced 10 milers for the weekend, and then another long run on Monday. (I love that a 16 miler isn't even my long run of the week).

On Sunday I will have run 85 miles this week, which will be my highest weekly mileage yet, and I couldn't be happier with how I feel. I had a bit of a cold the middle of this week but it is almost completely gone now. I have been really trying to be good about getting enough rest, eating well, etc. etc. It's not easy with my life and schedule, but I am doing the best I can and it seems to be working.

And did I mention that I am running OUTSIDE tomorrow morning? Can you feel my excitement? It will be very early so I won't be soaking up any sun, but I will be off the treadmill and outside, so I will be thrilled.

Run Happy this weekend!

Me, in words

2012-03-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

I have seen these "Wordles" on a few different blogs lately and thought it would be fun to make one. It takes words from your blog (or any other piece of text) and then randomly puts them together and you can play with the design, colors, etc. Pretty fun! If you want to make one just click on the link above. Here is me, in words! (You can click on it to see it bigger if you'd like).

No spring here

2012-03-07T07:29:00.000-08:00

Good morning! It is March 7 and IT JUST KEEPS SNOWING. The weather is saying we are getting MORE snow today and tonight, but then should warm up this weekend and are supposed to be in the mid-40's (heat wave!!) so I am looking VERY forward to getting my weekend miles run outside.

But I thought it would be fun to get out this morning and get a couple of pictures to show you just how much snow I am talking about. :) (you can click on these to see them bigger)

Good morning from Wyoming!

These are me post-run, pre-shower. Not "pretty" yet for the day! :)


This is me in front of our house this morning. Yes, that snow is almost up to my shoulders!!!


In most of the yard, the snow is deeper than the dogs, and a couple of the kids. Poor Shorty!


I went out to the mailbox to snap a few pics. The mountains are beautiful as always (and I can't wait to be able to run up my canyon again soon). The roads however SUCK for running.

Still at the mailbox, here is a pic looking down my road the other way.

I do love the snow, but I am so ready for spring to get here (realistically though, I have a while!) How is the weather where you are? Is it spring yet?

Find your inner Superman

2012-03-05T10:12:00.001-08:00

"Anyone can give up; it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength."
~ Christopher Reeves

I found this quote last night and I LOVE it.

This morning I ran 23 miles on the treadmill. Coach Ray gave me the goal of running it at an 8:15 pace (a minute per mile slower than goal marathon pace), which would be a total time of 3hrs 9 mins 45 sec for the run. The time spent on my feet running was an important aspect of this work out. I was a really good girl (if I do say so myself) and resisted the urge to run faster until the last mile, when I cranked it up to 7:13 because I felt great and I like to finish fast and strong. So I finished the 23 miles in 3hrs 8 mins and 35 seconds.

Even though it was on the treadmill, this was an awesome run. I just felt great the entire time. My legs never felt tired, crampy, or sore. The pace felt easy the whole time. I never hit a wall or felt like I couldn't finish. I just ran (and ran and ran) and enjoyed the running. I watched a little TV and a mediocre movie, and then just listened to some music.

I had to get started before 5am and between the early start and 3+ hours of running I am definitely tired, so I will resting and recovering as much as I can now the rest of the day. This will be an 85 mile week and I want to be ready for the rest of my workouts. :)

Six weeks until Boston! I am happy to say that I am feeling strong mentally and physically.

How do you find your strength?

Treadmill - torture or treasure?

2012-03-03T15:00:00.001-08:00

I have gotten a lot of questions and comments about my treadmill running/mileage so here is a post on the topic.

(You can read about how I "accidentally" bought our treadmill here.)

Let me start by saying that I have a love-hate relationship with the treadmill. I hate it because it's miserable for me to run on. I would much, much rather run outside. For me, the miles go by faster outside, the time goes by more quickly outside, and paces feel easier outside. When I am outside I feel like I am free. When I am running indoors the kids can still need me, the phone still rings, etc. etc. etc.

And yet I live in the Rocky Mountains, where we have snow and icy roads continually for months every year. I don't mind snow or rain or cold at all, but icy roads are a deal breaker for me. If I was able to run in the afternoons I would probably be able to get more runs done outside year round, but since I have to run very early in the morning, and in the winter it is very dark, very cold, and very icy in the mornings, it is just not safe. On the icy roads it is very tough, if not impossible, to get a good tempo run or any type of speed work done, and to me, the risk of slipping and injuring myself is not worth it with all the work I am putting in to training for Boston. So I love the treadmill because it allows me to get my runs in and my marathon training done during the winter time.

Yes, last month I ran 307 miles. From my calculations, all but 14 of those miles were on my treadmill. It's not ideal. It's not my first choice. But it gets the job done and is letting me train for Boston through a cold, icy winter. I am hoping to get at least my last month of marathon training before Boston fully outdoors. Once the ice is gone, I won't touch the treadmill again until next winter.

I do think that running outside is best (especially for me) but I do also think that the treadmill is a good and effective alternative when needed. Here are some pieces of evidence to back that up from this article about training on a treadmill for a marathon.

Norway's Ingrid Kristiansen at one time held the world record in the 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters, half-marathon and marathon. She won the London Marathon four times, Boston twice and New York once. A treadmill often was her best friend.
Colorado's Kim Jones, twice runner-up at Boston and New York City, avoided ice-caked roads by running indoors.
Chris Clark, the United States' lone woman at the Sydney Olympics, who set PRs at both the Trials and the Olympic Games, did half of her training on a treadmill. "I work out in the morning on the days I go to work," says Clark, 39. "There's no way I'm going out in the cold when it's 5:30 in the morning, five degrees and pitch black."

My friend Jill asked, "So be honest...do you ever get really sick of the treadmill? Do you have your moments when you just want to stop a run early?

Ummmmm, YES. I get very, very sick of the treadmill, especially lately when I am running high mileage in the middle of a tough marathon training schedule, and have been stuck on the treadmill for several months. I have plenty of moments where I just want to be done and stop a run early. BUT, I don't. I haven't ever - not even once. I always finish what I start, and it is important to me to do my workouts and complete my training to the best of my ability. You got to do what you got to do, right?

To keep myself from going completely nuts I usually watch movies/tv on my laptop while I run, or listen to music. If I am doing a steady paced run, it sometimes helps to cover up the screen instead of watching the mileage. (On that note, I have a 23 miler coming up this week and am desperate for some good movie ideas!)

Someone else asked about incline. I always run with the treadmill at an incline of 1 for my runs, unless I am doing hill repeats or something like that.

Here are a couple of pics of me on my treadmill. These are from last year.

Notice the dirty ladder? Here is what I wrote over a year ago. (The ladder is still there).

"Do you like my redneck solution for watching TV while I run on the new 'mill? My old treadmill had a book stand on it that my laptop slipped right into. It was super convenient for watching DVDs while I ran. The new treadmill doesn't have anything to hold the laptop (and it is REALLY tall). I asked Josh to come up with a solution, temporary or permanent, that would let me watch the laptop on my long treadmill runs and he was zero help. In a moment of self-proclaimed brilliance, I trudged through the snow out to the garage and dragged in the ladder. Ta da! It is the perfect height, and I can even plug the laptop into the treadmill and here my shows right over the treadmill sound system. PRETTY COOL. Josh came in and looked at the ladder and said, "You know that has like, paint and bird poop on it right?" and I said, "Yeah, but isn't it the perfect temporary solution? Aren't I brilliant?" and he laughed and said, "YOU, who can't stand dirt or mess is ok with a dirty ladder in the play room?" So I shot him a look and told him to get to building a shelf. Until then, the dirty ladder stays."

Do you run on a treadmill? If yes, do you do so by choice or by necessity? Do you love it or hate it? Ever trained for a marathon mostly indoors?

Humbled

2012-03-01T14:20:00.001-08:00

Wow - that is all I really can say! I am totally humbled and very touched (even a little embarrassed) by all of your comments on my last post. I was really just speechless as the flow of support and kindness started flowing in shortly after the post went up. THANK YOU to all of you for your kind words, encouragement, and support. Thank you for all the smiles. The response to that post was exactly what I meant when I said, "Becoming a member of the online running community, making so many fun connections, meeting so many great people, and finding so much support was a very unexpected bonus. So for me, putting myself "out there", and writing this blog is well worth it. And thanks so much to all of you who make it that way."

So again, thank you!

Next - Can you believe it is March 1?? March has always been one of my favorite months. It is my birthday month (and my brother and sister both have March birthdays too - growing up it was like Christmas all over again). I LOVE St. Patrick's Day (Erin Go Bragh!). I love spring (even though it rarely gets very spring-like here in the Rocky Mountains in March). And usually in March I am able to switch most of my running to OUTSIDE. I can't wait to be getting all my miles done outside again.

February was a very good month though. I hit an all-time high monthly mileage - 307 miles! That is a lot of freaking treadmill. My training has been super consistent - I have not missed a single run/work-out, and I have been hitting all of my paces as Coach Ray has assigned (fast and slow).

Josh is gone for four days for indoor state track and my to-do list is LONG. Bills, taxes, grocery shopping, Noah paperwork, a bunch of errands, and of course all the usual stuff I do (work, laundry, cooking, cleaning, homework, Noah care, kid stuff, etc. etc. etc.) I did make a lot of progress this morning which makes me relax a little. The kids are all great too and they are all doing well in school and activities. So nothing to complain about - just busy.

Here is an awesome quote that an awesome friend sent me yesterday. :)

Time to get back to business for now. More soon.

Being out there

2012-02-28T17:22:00.000-08:00

When you write a blog or put yourself "out there" in any way and share yourself, your story, and your life (to some degree), you are opening yourself up to judgement, and sometimes criticism, by others.

On my blog and by email I have gotten comments judging me for adopting transracially, for adopting children with HIV, for adopting children with special needs, and for having "too large" of a family.

I have gotten comments judging me for running too much, for racing too much, for not wearing modest enough running clothes, for running on Sundays, and my own personal favorite, for overestimating my potential.

The "old me" used to care too much about what other people thought. I have always been, and probably always will be, a "pleaser". I like to make people happy. I do want people to like me, and I do care about what people think (to a point). I have gotten to a much better place in life where I care a lot less (especially about what people who are not significant in my life think), and I can take criticism and let it roll off my shoulders. My skin has gotten thicker. I have gotten to a place where I can truly say, "I am happy. I am doing what is right for me. I am doing what is right for my family. Nothing else matters." Or, as my awesome Dad says, "No one else gets a vote."

I can click "delete" on a comment or email and move on with my day.

All that said, it doesn't make it any less discouraging to open an email and have some hate mail from someone who read the blog and thinks that you are all sorts of wrong for doing "fillintheblank", and I have had times where I had the urge to just shut it down and write a journal for myself.

But on the flip side of that, I have met so many incredible people through this blog. I have connected with so many runners that inspire me. I have made true friends. I have gotten wonderful opportunities. I get comments and emails from kind and caring people who write just to say something uplifting, or to share their own successes, or to thank me for sharing my story. Some people write and ask for advice and I always write back thoughtfully and give as much help as I can. And I have learned a great deal from the writing of others.

Best of all, I get so much support and encouragement with my running through people I have met through this blog. Most people in my life don't care much about my running. They either think I'm nuts, or the running is unimportant, or they just don't care, or all of the above. It's really nice to have people ask about how your run was on any given day, or ask how your training is going, or care about how you feel or what your goals are. It's nice to have people who ask about and care about something that is important to you.

Also, almost all of the "good luck" and "congratulations" messages I get before and after races are from running friends I have made through this blog. And those messages mean so much! (Especially when I am alone in a hotel, as I often am for races).

I started this blog because writing is how I best process my feelings and express myself, and because I wanted to write about and share my journey as a runner. Becoming a member of the online running community, making so many fun connections, meeting so many great people, and finding so much support was a very unexpected bonus.

So for me, putting myself "out there", and writing this blog is well worth it. And thanks so much to all of you who make it that way.

Fearlessly

2012-02-26T14:15:00.000-08:00

We have had a lazy weekend - lots of laying around together, lots of snuggling (Maggie especially has been glued to my side), lots of laughing and silliness. I love weekends like this. It was nice to have Josh home too, since he will be gone for three days at the end of this week for state indoor track.

We went and saw "This Means War" at the movies on Friday night which was a lot of fun and we watched Tower Heist here at home last night which was also a fun movie (and I stayed awake for BOTH!) Last week brought some work stress and a night of almost no sleep courtesy of Noah's alarms, so a weekend like this is just what I needed to recharge.

We did have a bit of a miracle happen here at home this week. Noah walked across our whole front room with a walker! He has now done it lots of times, and his physical therapist thinks he will be walking independently in the very near future. Pretty dang amazing for a kid who they told us may never even hold his own head up. Who says miracles don't still happen?

My kids bring me SO much happiness and joy. They say and do so many little things in a day that make me laugh and smile. They are the most amazing bunch of kids ever.

I have been reading "Young at Heart - The Story of Johnny Kelley, Boston's Marathon Man". I won it from the awesome Caroline, and since I love to read, I love books about runners, and I am getting super excited about the Boston Marathon, this book came at the perfect time. :)

Now since I have been busy training hard and running lots of miles, being a full time mom, wife, and housekeeper, putting extra time and energy into my job, and being shortchanged on sleep, most of the time when I sit down to read my book I make it a couple of pages and promptly fall asleep. But I have been carrying it around a lot and making slow (for me) but steady progress.

Today I sat down on the couch with my favorite turquoise blanket and my book and Marcus (7 years old) came over and snuggled with me. He looked at my book and said, "Mom! YOU are going to run the Boston Marathon!" and I agreed and told him I was excited. Then he said, "And then they are going to write a book called Erin Henderson - Boston's Marathon Woman." Ha! What a kid.

(I did explain a little about what made Johnny Kelley so great and that no one would be writing any books about me, but he didn't seem convinced).

Only seven weeks (tomorrow) until the Boston Marathon. It's crazy how fast time goes. A few of you have asked about my goal for Boston - my goal is to be under 3:15. Coach Ray thinks I am right on track for that, so I am feeling pretty confident and excited. This week I ran 78 miles, and now I have a scale back/recovery week ahead that will be 69 miles I believe (I will get my work outs for the week from Ray tonight). I just keep putting in the work and believing it will pay off, and most importantly, I truly am enjoying this journey of pushing myself and seeing what I can accomplish doing something I love.

I leave you with a few quotes -

"There is only one you for all time. Fearlessly be yourself. " - Anthony Rapp

"You have a masterpiece inside you, you know. One unlike any that has ever been created, or ever will be. If you go to your grave without painting your masterpiece, it will not get painted. No one else can paint it. Only you." -Gordon MacKenzie

"You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through." -Rosalynn Carter

Three Thursday Smiles

2012-02-23T17:57:00.000-08:00

It has been "one of those days" today, so since I am lacking the time and energy to put together a real post, I thought I would share three quick "smiles" from three awesome people.

1. - A dear sweet friend that I met through adoption and now is also a runner sent me an email the other morning saying she had read a quote and thought of me. (How cool is that? I love when people do little thoughtful things like this). Here is the quote -

"I see myself as an artist. Running is the way I express my talent. I wish I could paint or write music, but running is what I do and I feel great joy from it."- Joan Nesbit, distance runner

This quote is definitely me! Those of you that know me well know that I can't draw or paint to save my life, I am not "crafty", and I really do not have any classically artistic skills. I do have a little musical talent, but I do not do much with it and I get so nervous that it is not very fun for me.

But when I run, I am me. I feel strong, happy, free, and artistic in my own way. I do not get nervous. I do not mind people watching me (and I normally HATE being the center of attention). Running is my art. :) (Thanks C!!!!)

2. - Another sweet friend was reading through old posts on my blog and found a post I wrote about my first 5k. She pointed out that I wrote, "wow, I did 18 miles this week!" and then pointed out what a difference that is now to my 80 or so mile weeks. It was nice to remember for a minute how far I have come in less than three years. (Thanks A!!!!!)

3. And finally - those of you who are parents know that there are no better compliments or kind words you can get than ones from your teenaged kids. Especially daughters!

The other night I posted something on Facebook about my mileage (and resulting HUNGRINESS) and got lots of fun responses from friends about my mental stability, etc. that made my smile. But my 16 year old daughter also commented (and she never comments on my Facebook stuff) and said, "MY MOMS CRAZIER THAN YOUR MOM NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH HA HA! LOVE YOU MY CRAZY MOMMY HEHEHE!!!"

Yup, that made my day for sure. I love that girl. ;)

Happy Thursday everybody. More soon.

Listening and Life Lessons

2012-02-21T14:30:00.000-08:00

One of the things I have had to learn how to do to lose weight, get healthy, and become a runner is how to listen to my body.

I used to just eat whatever and whenever I felt like it, just because I could. I used to eat way past when I was full just because food tasted good. I used to stay up way too late. I used to let myself get exhausted. I used to get sick a lot. I used to never exercise. I used to put little thought or care into taking care of myself. My body felt tired, slow, fat, uncomfortable, unhealthy, unhappy, and worn out. But I didn't listen to it.

I was really good at taking care of everyone else. I made sure the kids got meals, naps, sleep, medications, and everything else done on a schedule. I took care of Josh and kids and the house and clients... I gave and gave and gave to everyone but myself.

When I decided to get healthy, one of the first things I had to do was pay attention to myself. I had to figure out what I needed. I had to learn how to eat when I was hungry and stop eating when I was full. I had to make sure I got enough sleep. I had to make sure I didn't let myself get worn out emotionally or physically (as much as that is possible). I had to make some time for myself and put some energy into myself.

I had to figure out how to make myself a priority in my own life.

It was a totally foreign concept at first.

As I got into running casually, then more seriously, and now really seriously, I have had to get even better at listening to my body and taking care of myself.

Am I getting enough to eat? (Running 80+ miles a week makes a girl HUNGRY). Am I eating too much? Am I eating good food and fueling my body well?

Am I getting enough rest? Am I worn down? Am I overtired? Do I have plenty of energy for the day?

How does my body feel? Any sore spots? Are my legs fresh? Am I hitting my paces without too much effort? Am I having successful workouts? Am I stretching, rolling, ice-bathing, cross-training, and doing all that I can to stay healthy and free from injury?

And maybe the most important - Do I feel happy? Do I feel strong? Do I feel confident? Do I feel content? Am I smiling (inside and out)?

It took me quite a while to find the right balance in life. It took me a while to figure out that I could do a first rate job taking care of my family and home, and do my "work" job, and take care of myself and chase my own dreams too. In fact, I fact I realized that I am happier and better for the people in my life since I figured that out.

By giving to myself, I have more to give to everyone else.

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." -Howard Thurman

Success

2012-02-18T17:33:00.000-08:00

I recently came across (forget how!) a great article by Greg McMillan called, "Traits of Successful Runners". It is a really good article, and was featured in Running Times Magazine in 2010.

I read and really enjoyed this article, and then started thinking about how McMillan's Traits of Successful Runners also could be applied to "Successful People" in life in general.

Don't Dwell - McMillan says how successful runners know that running is hard, that everyone has bad runs once and a while, and they don't dwell on them, don't get discouraged, and keep a positive mindset.

Doesn't this apply to all of life? Life is hard. We all have bad days once and awhile, no matter who we are, what we are doing, or what stage of life we are in. But we can't (shouldn't) dwell on them. We can't get discouraged. We should focus on the big picture. We should be optimistic and hopeful. We have to keep a positive mindset to be successful (and happy!).

Find Your Sweet Spot - McMillan talks about the importance of finding the "sweet spot" and the right balance in your training and rest cycle so that you have positive workout after positive workout and successful training week after successful week.

Life is the same way. We have to find that "sweet spot" and balance between family, work, friends, hobbies, sleep, and everything else that keeps us happy, healthy, positive, and successful. If we work too much we will burn out. If we don't work enough, we won't make progress.

Focus on Consistency - To reach our full potential as runners, McMillan advises "stacking" successful week of training on top of successful week of training and says, "A year of consistent running is more beneficial than a few stellar weeks of training."

That is how I feel about life too. One or two grand gestures for my kids (or anyone I love) don't do near as much good as many small, consistent, dependable, gestures of love every single day, week after week, month after month, year after year. Doing an over-the-top good job on a project at work once and a while won't do as much for you as showing up, giving a good effort, and being dependable every single day will be. Consistency and commitment will take us far. We are what we do every day.

Running has taught me that putting in hard work and effort every day will pay off.

Be Tenacious -McMillan says, "Successful runners are tenacious (some of our loved ones would even say stubborn). Success is about keeping on keeping on. Put one foot in front of the other for long enough and the finish line will come. You have the ability to go to greater heights than you ever dreamed of -- just by sticking with it. "

I love this! I have said many times on here that what I lack in running talent, I make up for in determination and stubbornness. :) If you sit back and wait for life to happen, chances are good that not many wonderful and amazing things are going to happen. You have to get up and go after your dreams, big and small. You have to fight for what you want in life. You have to work hard to achieve big things and can't expect them to come easily. Be stubborn in a good way. Never give up. Don't be afraid to fight for what is worth it.

Build Your Confidence Constantly - According to this article, confidence is the most important key to success for a runner. McMillan advises that we do workouts that build our confidence as we get close to race day.

I will add, if we don't believe in ourselves, in running or in anything else, who will? In running you often hear the advice to "trust in your training." I often use the mantra, "Courage, Faith, Strength" over and over when I hit a tough spot in a race. The mental aspect of running, racing, and life is HUGE. You have to believe you can do it. You have to be confident. You have to know you are strong and have faith.

Here are a couple of things I would add to this list of traits of successful runners, and successful people.

Have and Give Support - In running and in life, no matter what we want to do, we can not do it alone. Everyone needs advice, help, support, encouragement, and people to believe in them. We all need and deserve someone to lift us up on our rough days and cheer for us on our victory days. On the flip side, we have to always have time and energy to give love and support to others around us, as that is what life is all about.

Don't be afraid to fail - I think that all too often people are afraid to set big goals or to go after their dreams because they are afraid to fail. We can't succeed in running (whatever "success" means to you) or in anything if we let the fear of failure keep us from trying and keep us from going after what we want. I would much rather go after a lofty goal and fail than to never even try.

"Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." - Henry Ford

"Many of life's failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." -Anonymous

"It is not failure itself that holds you back; it is the fear of failure that paralyzes you." - Brian Tracy

"What we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down."- Mary Pickford

What would you add to this list? Have you found that lessons learned in running apply to the rest of your life?

Training update

2012-02-15T13:32:00.000-08:00

I promised a training update today, so here goes!

There is now less than nine weeks until the Boston Marathon and that is exciting! It is crazy to me to think that a year ago I was training for the Salt Lake City Marathon, and was scared to death to try and run a sub-four marathon (and wasn't completely sure I could do it). I ran a 3:57 in mid-April last year (and was THRILLED) but remember saying that I could never qualify for Boston because I "knew" that I had run as fast as I could. Ha! I never, ever would have guessed that I would take almost 30 minutes off of my PR in five months, and that I would be running Boston this year and setting a goal to qualify for the Olympic Trials in 2016.

But here I am! (So learn a lesson from me, and never doubt or limit what you can do/achieve).

Training is going great I think. This week I will be up to 78 miles and after a scale back/recovery week last week, I enjoyed some speed work today and am looking forward to my 19 miler on Friday. I am still getting up at 4:30 am to get myself awake, get my strength/core work done, and then be running by 5:30am. It is working out well, although there is very little hope of me staying awake past 10:30pm any night.

With the snow, ice, and dark combination we are stuck with right now, almost all of my runs are forced on the treadmill. It is definitely not my favorite, but it is getting the job done. I am looking forward to things hopefully warming up a little in the next few weeks so maybe by early to mid-March I can take my runs outside. (We will get snow at least through May, but the icy roads should stop being a constant issue in the next few weeks). Fingers crossed!

Coach Ray and I are working really, really well together. There is a lot of communication back and forth that I think is really helping this training benefit me as much as possible. Today was a new work out for me. It was a 3.5 mile warm up, then 5x8 minutes at 6:58 pace with 1 minute jogs in between, then a 3.5 mile cool down (it was just over 13 miles total). It was a great run! It was fun to run faster. It wasn't a maximum effort and I could have pushed the pace, but I am following directions. :)

My training plan is only a 12-week plan, but I came into it after months of high mileage and regular speedwork and long runs, so I have a very sturdy base to build on.

I do really love the high (for me) mileage and I am very happy with how well my body is responding to the training and how great I feel. I am excited/optimistic about Boston. But for now, I am just going to keep working hard and doing all that I can to stay healthy, so I can get to that start line ready to run fast and strong.

What are you training for? How is it going?

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T08:22:00.000-08:00

I love holidays. I don't care if they are "commercialized" or anything else - I enjoy days that are extra special and extra fun, and give us a reason to celebrate and do nice things for people we love. And what could be better to celebrate than love? I am very, very blessed.

I like to really DO holidays for my kids, and I hope that when they are grown and they look back, they remember these things.

Every year on Valentine's Day they wake up to a table full of love and treats. Each child has their own special "pile" from me at their seat, and then there are big bowls and piles of treats for all to share. This year I had some cute "love" themed t-shirts for the girls and beanie hats for the boys and of course, cards and candy.

The kids woke up excited and it was a fun morning. I hope they all know how very much I love them.

I have had several requests already to share pics of what the table looked like, so here it is right before I went to bed last night.


big table from above :)


Two of the kids sit up at the counter, so this gets just about everything in one pic!


lots of shiny chocolate!!!


How cute are these???? I love Peeps (but will resist!)

And because I am corny like that, I put on my red tank for my 8-mile run this morning. I didn't think anyone would really notice but me, but the kids loved it.

Tuesdays are busy at work for Josh, but we are going to go on a lunch date with Noah this afternoon, which will be great. Then I am making pink pancakes for dinner.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope you all are as blessed as I am with people to love and people that love you, and I hope you have a special day.

I will post a training update tomorrow, but all is going really well. Today and everyday, I love running! Less than 9 weeks until Boston! :)

Monday inspiration

2012-02-13T08:58:00.000-08:00

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” - Abraham Lincoln

"You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. " - Christopher Robin

"A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality." - John Lennon

"Man, alone, has the power to transform his thoughts into physical reality; man, alone, can dream and make his dreams come true." - Napoleon Hill

And if you haven't watched it yet, make sure you see this beautiful video that Beth put together about the run for Sherry this weekend. It is very powerful.

For Sherry

2012-02-11T16:34:00.000-08:00

Today, runners all over the world united and ran in the name of Sherry Arnold.

I organized the first group run of our new running club for this morning. We printed out a pile of the Sherry bibs made by Races 2 Remember and brought them along today with a bag of safety pins.

I felt very emotional all day yesterday. I am so very heartbroken for what happened to Sherry, and what her family is going through. I am sad that her life was ended so tragically, and that it was taken from her while she was doing something she loved. I am scared to think about there being people out there that would hurt and kill so senselessly. I am mad that my own sense of safety and well-being doing something that I love (as do so many others) has been shaken.

I am not usually a worrier, but I was worrying yesterday. I was worried I would try to talk to the group before the run (Beth asked that we all started with a moment of silence), and that I would start to cry. (Once I start crying, I literally can't talk.) I worried I wouldn't say the right thing. I worried no one would come. I worried about the roads. I worried about the weather. I really wanted things to go well and to honor Sherry in a special way.

All the worrying was for nothing.

It was a beautiful (cold and foggy!) morning, a beautiful run, and a beautiful tribute to Sherry. I got some much needed inspiration and support this morning and was feeling good as we left for the run. Josh, Ryan (14), and I got to the high school and found there were already a few runners waiting. We started handing out bibs and more and more people showed up. There was a wrestling tournament and some other things going on so we were missing several people who wanted to be there, but we ended up having 23 runners when we started, including some brand new runners/walkers that I was so excited to see show up.

I talked a little about Sherry, and what a special day this was to be a part of, and how amazing it was to think about runners all over the world coming together today to honor her with our running. I held it together and didn't cry (only choked once) until it was all said and done.


Just before the moment of silence. You can see in my face I was emotional.


Here is the group minus Josh, who was taking the picture, and one other person who came a minute later. I am in the front in the green gloves and Ryan is behind me in the red hoodie.

The roads were snow packed and icy in spots, but it worked out just fine. We had a 3.1 mile loop, and some people opted to do it once, and some of us did it twice (I would guess about half of the runners did the 10k). I ran with a few friends for awhile, ran alone for awhile, and ran with some people I was meeting for the first time. Many people thanked me for starting the running club and for organizing this run, which was really nice.

The sun peaked in and out of the fog. The mountains were clear at times, and hidden at others. It was COLD when we started (12 degrees) but I warmed up as soon as I was moving. I thought about Sherry. I thought about people I love. I thought about running. I prayed.

We waited around for the last people to finish and enjoyed talking with some of the other runners. I had Josh snap this picture of me before we left (and the fog was thickening up again) and then we headed home, feeling really great about how it had went.

Me, just before we were leaving. It was so foggy that you can't even see the mountains that are right behind me!

It was inspiring. It was peaceful. It was lovely. I think it was a day of not just unity, but healing for the running community, and I pray that Sherry's family felt the love and support coming from so many.

We came together. We united. We did what we love. We honored Sherry. We showed how awesome (and strong) the running community is.

As Beth said -
We did it. Bad, mean people can suck it.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Run for Sherry today, both here, and anywhere else. I know that her memory will live on in the hearts of many of us. Be safe runners.

Quick smile

2012-02-10T15:46:00.000-08:00

This made me laugh and smile today.

I had the book I am currently reading (Running With Joy by Ryan Hall) sitting next to my computer on the counter.

My six year old (Solomon) came walking in to the kitchen and looked at the cover picture and said, "Hey! I know that guy! It's Ryan Hall!"

I gave him a high five and told him he was right (and super cool for knowing it!) and then asked him how he knew it was Ryan Hall. Solomon said, "because we watched him on TV running the marathon. Remember? Meb beat him, but he is still my favorite." Then after a quick pause he added, "And you. You are my favorite runner too."

How cool is that?

Yup, I am raising my kids right. :)

(here is a pic of Shorty -aka Solomon)

Why run

2012-02-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

I get asked fairly often "why" I run, and what my motivation is to run/train like I do. Why do I keep setting challenging goals for myself? Why do I get up at 4:30am every day? Why am I running over 70 miles a week? What is my motivation?

The easy answer is, because I love it. I love running, and it is a part of who I am.

I often write about my love for horses, and how inspiring it is to watch a horse run. A baby horse is up on it's feet almost right after it is born, and can run at a gallop by the next day. I don't know why it took me so long to find this part of myself. I don't know why I didn't go for my first run until I was 32 years old. All I know is that when I went on that first run, I unlocked a part of myself, an instinct, that was just waiting to be found, and even though running was HARD and I was slow, I knew I loved it, and I was hooked.

What motivates me? Since I started running I have often claimed that I may not have a lot of natural physical talent (although Bart Yasso and Coach Ray have made me reconsider that!), but what I know I have going for me is that I am stubborn and determined. I don't ever give up, I don't ever back down, I don't ever make excuses, I don't ever quit, and I have an inner drive to be better at whatever I am doing. In fact I think that one of my biggest strengths when it comes to running is my mental toughness. I never (ever) would have described myself as mentally tough a few years ago, but through running I have found out that I AM tough. And I like it.

So yeah, I am pretty darn self-motivated. At first, my motivation was definitely weight loss. Then once I got to a healthy weight, there was this constant, underlying fear that the weight would all come back if I slacked off at all on exercising and that fear was a big motivator to keep running. Then I fell in love with running because of how it made me feel, and then came the love of marathons, and the drive to keep pushing to see how good I can be.

Races are motivating to me. I love to race. And when I race, I want to do well and beat my previous times. I want to be fast. I want to be the best runner I can be. I want to make my goal of qualifying for the Olympic Marathon trials in 2016. So I have to train, and train hard.

But I know without a doubt, that even if I could never reach my goals, even if I could never run another race, even if I could never be fast, I would still run.

For me, running helps keep me in good physical shape, and it also keeps my mind and spirit in good shape.

I think the biggest motivator for me is just that I love running and I love being an athlete and a runner. I hope to be able to keep running for my whole life. I run because it has helped me get into (and stay in) shape. I run because I want to get faster and achieve my goals. I run because it clears my head and calms my soul. I run because it's fun. I run because I love the "me" time. I run because I love a challenge. I run because it feels good, and because I have found it is one of the best things I can do for myself, physically and emotionally. I run because it makes me a better wife, a better mother, and a better person.

I run because I happily dedicate my life to caring (physically and emotionally) for others, and this is what I do to care for myself.

But all of that makes it sound more complicated than it really is.

What it really comes down to, is that I run because it is a part of who I am. I run because it is in my blood and in my spirit. I run because it is what I do. I run because I love it. I run because there is something inside of me that tells me to "go".

Running is freedom, a challenge, fun, powerful, humbling, revitalizing, adventure, sweat, smiles, sacrifice, discipline, focus, personal, dedication, passion, satisfying, peace, rewarding, a journey, energy, play, pure, spiritual, enabling, sport, necessary, happiness, therapy, physical, exciting, natural, healing, courage, faith, strength, Me.

Virtual run for Sherry Arnold

2012-02-08T08:37:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, no matter where you live or where you run, you have the chance to be a part of a very special run.

If you have not heard, Sherry Arnold, a beloved wife, mother, and teacher from Sidney, Montana was kidnapped and murdered just a mile from her home during her early-morning run on January 7, 2012. The story is heartbreaking and scary in so many ways, and hit especially hard because Sherry was the cousin of Beth from "Shut Up and Run", who is well known and liked in the online running community.

To honor Sherry's memory, Beth is hosting a virtual run on February 11. There is a beautiful bib that can be printed out (thanks to Races 2 Remember) and lots more details are on Beth's blog here. In Beth's words, "My goal is to get the MOST love, momentum and energy moving in honor of Sherry. This run symbolizes the beginning of healing and honors a woman who was courageous, strong and loved by so many."

I would be lying if I said that Sherry's tragic story didn't shake me up. For most of the year, I leave my house between 5:30 and 6am and run one of several possible routes. I almost always run alone. I worry about traffic, pot holes, and farm dogs. I haven't (before now) worried much about a person or people hurting me. I have a little "runner's mace" that I have carried sometimes (when I run where I know there are mean dogs), but now I will be carrying it whenever I run on my own.

It is easy to feel helpless when a tragedy like this happens. What can we do? I think what we can do, what we have to do, is to keep running. We have to hit the road. We have to get out there. We can't let the "bad guys" keep us from doing what we love. We have to be careful. We have to be as safe as we can. We have to make sure that Sherry is never forgotten. We have to unite.

My very newly formed running club will be having our first group run on Saturday morning, to honor Sherry's memory and to be a part of this very special run. The story has been featured on the Runner's World website and runners from around the globe will be running in Sherry's honor on Saturday. Please join us, wherever you may be.

For more information (including how to make a donation to Sherry's family) visit Beth's blog here.

It's me

2012-02-07T17:29:00.000-08:00

When Marcus (who is now almost 7) was little, any time he saw a picture of himself he would say "It me!" over and over and over. It was so cute and so funny that we would all show him pictures of himself just to hear him do it, and now we all do it just to be silly.

Before the photographer came, Runner's World asked me to send a picture of me at my computer so they could see "the space". I think they were hoping I had a nice office or something, but nope... I have a corner of counter space all to myself. I thought it would be fun to show you where I do most of my reading/blogging/emailing/working (although at night I take my laptop in the front room so I can lay on the couch). :)

The rest of that counter usually has kids doing homework, kids eating, kids talking to me, kids' papers, etc. etc.

So, "it me!" :)

I don't believe in coincidences

2012-02-06T14:11:00.000-08:00

First of all - WOO HOO!!!!!! GO GIANTS!!!! SUPER BOWL CHAMPS!!!! I knew they would win. I knew it! Woo hoo!! (I love sports. I really do!)

Now that that is out of the way -

10 weeks until Boston!!!

I thought I would give an update on how my training is going. In a nutshell - really, really well! I finished up my second week of training yesterday, and I truly have never felt better. I am hitting my paces, nailing my workouts, and enjoying how good I feel. I am being careful to pay attention to the little things that matter too - I am stretching and rolling, I am eating high quality foods, I am getting as much rest as I can, etc.

Today was the first day of my new and improved training schedule. :) I had decided to use the Pfitz 12 week, 85 mile plan (and did for two weeks), but this weekend Coach Ray drafted an updated training schedule for me, and after a great phone call and lots of discussion we are moving forward.

From the beginning Ray has said, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", so there weren't any huge changes. However I am excited about the changes that he made and they make sense to me (and I do believe that they will have me in even better shape on April 16). I love the way that Ray says, "this is what I think we should do", then tells me why, then asks my opinion. We work extremely well together and he just really seems to "get" me as a runner and as a person.

It is pretty great to have a training schedule tailored to me, and it has been awesome to have someone to ask questions to (and someone to talk running with endlessly so I don't drive the rest of my "people" crazy!) :)

I believe that all too often in life, people tend to write off blessings in their lives as coincidences. And I believe that the biggest and best blessings we can be given in this life are people.

The way that Josh came into my life when he did, he may as well of had a big red bow on his head with a note that said, 'To Erin, You are welcome. Love God." Here we are 16 years later, and I have never doubted a second that we were meant to be together, and I wake up every morning grateful for the greatest gift God has ever given me.

The way that each one of our children has come into our lives and our family is truly a miracle (and each one has such an amazing story where you can so clearly see God's hand in how they came to be with us), and I know with all of my heart that each one of them specifically is meant to be here with Josh and I.

It is the same with Pam (who is technically my stepmom but I hate that word). I know that she was meant to be my mom for this part of my life. Seeing someone love and care for my Dad (who I was lucky enough to start my life with), and make him happy, was a huge blessing. Then to have Pam give unconditional love and support to me and my family, and to have a loving mom in my life, was more than I ever hoped for.

I know with all my heart that it wasn't just coincidence that these people I love came into my life when they did. I have a small handful of other special people throughout my life that I feel the same way about...people that were there for me when I needed them, people who have had huge, positive, and lasting impacts on my life, people that I felt like God had stuck a bow on their heads and delivered them right to me at just the right time.

Ray falls into this category. I set a goal for myself to qualify to run in the Olympic marathon trials in 2016, and then less than a week later, someone I know (who was not even aware of my new goal) offered to put me in touch with Ray. I was not actively seeking a coach, and he was not actively seeking someone to train, and yet this person that knows us both just had a feeling we might be good for each other. Now I have someone who not only is full of knowledge and experience of marathoning and elite coaching/training/racing, but that also believes in me, cares about me, enjoys helping me, and has already become an incredible support, dear friend, and very special person to me.

Nope, there is no way that is just a coincidence. And I am very grateful.

Here are a few more quotes I am loving lately. Hope you enjoy them!

"Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome."
    --Arthur Ashe

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."
    --Steve Prefontaine

"I find the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
--Thomas Jefferson

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."
--Robert Frost

"The world belongs to the energetic."
    --Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming 'WOW What a Ride!'"
    --Unknown

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."
    --Henry David Thoreau

"Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go out in the ocean."
    --Christopher Reeve

"You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try."
    --Beverly Sills

Why I love long run days

2012-02-03T17:20:00.000-08:00

For this (Boston!!!!) training schedule, my long runs are on Friday mornings. The kids have school, it is Noah's one day without therapy, and Josh is home to hang out with Noah (he usually leaves for an overnight track meet around 11am or so), so this works really well with our current schedule.

This morning I started on the treadmill just before 5:30am, and finished my 18 miler before 8am. (I watched the Pre movie "Without Limits" while I ran. Loved it!!!)

I love long runs. I love the feeling (usually around mile 8 or so for me) when my body gets into that groove where I feel like I could just run and run and run. I love the feeling when you are done with a long run - that feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. I love that feeling of full body tiredness, where you know you have finished a great work out. And as I noted today, I love that these long runs, that used to be so hard to finish and left me feeling like I had been hit by a truck, are now just part of the routine and I am not even sore when I am done.

And as much as I love long runs, I also love long run days. I love the hot shower after the ice bath (ok, don't love the ice bath), and putting on compression shorts and socks under my sweats. And then I love a day of self-permitted lounging, resting, and taking it easy.

I am not usually one to take it easy. I am usually go, go, go from the minute I get up, until I lay down on the couch in the front room once the little kids go to bed. I make phone calls for work, answer emails, do the laundry (up and down the stairs all day), do the dishes, vacuum, sweep, do Noah's therapy and all his routine and medical care, schedule/attend appointments, pick up and drop off kids from various activities, help kids with homework, read with little kids, and a million other things that I get done on a typical day (often two or three at a time).

But on long run day, I let myself stop. I make myself stop. I believe in the importance of recovery. I do what needs to be done, keeping it as simple as possible, and I let the things that can wait... wait. I ignore the crumbs and the beeps of the dryer. I lay on the couch during the (gasp) day time! I stay home. I lounge. I rest. I put my feet up.

The kids love it too. They gather around me on the couch, with their IPODs, books, Gameboys, board games, and blankets. We talk. We snuggle. We watch movies. They tell me stories. They take advantage of having me still...their captive audience. Noah climbs up and down and up and down and up and down, on and off the couch, on and off of me. On Fridays there is no where to go, no homework to get done, no preparations for the next school morning. Fridays are the perfect afternoon/evening to do nothing much at all but recover, relax, reconnect, and recharge.

I love my long runs, and I love my long run days.

Thoughts

2012-02-02T16:04:00.000-08:00

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." - Calvin Coolidge

"If something is important to you, you will find a way. If it isn't, you will find an excuse." - Unknown

"To be a runner is to learn continual life lessons. To be a coach is not just to teach these lessons but also to feel them in the core your marrow. The very act of surpassing personal limits in training and racing will bend the mind and body toward a higher purpose for the rest of my runners' lives. Settling for mediocrity - settling for good enough - becomes less and less of an option. And with so many in the world all too happy to bask in mediocrity - settling instead of pushing - those who learn to be the best version of themselves know the secret to a full life." - from the book "To Be A Runner" by Martin Dugard

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -Mark Twain

Strength and Fueling

2012-02-01T07:38:00.000-08:00

Ok. my "Day in the Life of Me" post led to some questions in the comments, so here are my answers.

Jamie in Arkansas asked - "Tell me more about your core strengthening routine! I'd love to know details! Seems like my core strengthening is always at the END of my weight training and not very intense."

Jolene asked- "Can you do a post on those killer arms of yours? I can get my legs/buttocks toned up but the arms I just can't seem to get to cooperate. How did you get such killer arms? Any suggestions for those who have no access to the gym?"

First of all, thanks Jolene for calling them killer arms. :) I do not have access to a gym (I am lacking the time and funds to get a gym membership), and I do all of my core/strength training at home. At this time I am not using any weights either. I started seeing a lot more muscle definition in my arms/shoulders (and everywhere else) when I lost weight and increased my running mileage, but adding in my strength and core training definitely helped in this area a lot, and I believe has helped keep injuries away as well.

I wrote a very detailed post back in December outlining what exercises I do and how often, and you can find that post here. I know lots of people do lots of different things when it comes to strength training but this is what has worked for me the past six months or so.

Jill in Oklahoma City asked, "I was curious about your eating habits. How do you "fuel" yourself with so much running each week? Three meals? Six smaller meals? Snacks? I know you've mentioned you don't count calories, so how do you make sure you have enough energy for running? (And sleeping only 6 hours - yikes!!!)

Fueling and eating is an area I am constantly working on. Just over three years ago I was eating HORRIBLY. Then I started to get rid of bad eating habits and adding in some healthier eating habits, with the focus being on weight loss. Then my weight leveled out and I got serious about this running stuff, and I had to shift my focus away from weight loss and on to fueling my body as a high-mileage runner.

I did not count calories when I was working towards losing weight, however I do often count calories now. Most days I eat 1,900-2,200 calories, which I am guessing is about right because I haven't lost or gained any weight in a few months, and at my last check up my doctor said my BMI and body fat were on the low side of normal, which he was happy with. Maybe I could/should lose a few more pounds to get faster, but I haven't made that decision yet.

So what do I eat? I warn you, I am not very exciting. I don't love to cook and I don't have a lot of time to cook, so I try to keep things pretty simple. I am lactose intolerant, so I avoid dairy. (Please note that I am not a dietician or anything, this is just what works for me).

I like breakfast. I like to eat a big breakfast. Then I usually have a mid-morning snack, a medium-sized lunch, an afternoon snack, and a small dinner.

Pre-run - nothing. I run so early and my stomach gets so cranky with solid food in it when I run that I don't eat anything before I run.

During the run - If my run is less than 13 miles or so, I don't take anything (except water if it is warm). If I am doing a long run, then I use Hammer gels every five miles generally, sometimes with water, sometimes with Hammer Perpetuem (depending on how long I am running and how hard).

Post run - as soon as I am done running (before I stretch and foam roll), I drink a bottle of Hammer Recoverite or Neocell Collagen Sport.

Once I have stretched and rolled, I eat breakfast. I eat the same thing every, single morning. It makes me happy. I eat a big bowl of oatmeal (seriously, it's enough for at least two people) and it is loaded with good stuff. Most days I add cinnamon, a banana, sliced strawberries, blueberries, diced almonds or walnuts, and a ~~couple~~ small handful of dark chocolate chips. If I run out of strawberries or blueberries (I have to buy frozen most of the time) I pout a little and then substitute dried fruits (cranberries, raisins, dates).

Morning snack - Some mornings I skip it, but usually I have an apple and peanut butter. Honeycrisp apples are my most favorite, and Adam's Peanut Butter is wonderful.

Lunch - I like big salads. A typical salad for me is lettuce, a whole tomato cut up, half of a cucumber cut up, two celery stalks cut up, some broccoli cut up, half an avocado (when we have them), and then either some tuna fish (plain), chicken, or turkey added. Sometimes I will fry an egg or two and put that on top instead of tuna, chicken or turkey. I don't use salad dressing but sometimes I add some salsa to it.

If I don't do a salad I have a variety of sandwiches and pastas that I like. Again, nothing too exciting.

Snack - My favorite snack is dry cereal. Right now cinnamon chex mixed with some plain chex varieties is my favorite, but I also love Life cereal and pretty much any kind of cereal. I also love plain popcorn and any kind of bread, and I usually eat an orange or another banana with my snack.

Dinner - I usually keep dinner pretty small, and it varies depending on what I had for lunch. Josh is almost never home for dinner so I don't make anything fancy. Since I can't have dairy, I often can't eat what I make for the kids, so I usually just make myself a wrap, a peanut butter and jam sandwich on good wheat bread, a baked potato with something healthy on top, pasta and veggies, rice and beans, etc.

I eat a lot of fruits, veggies, bread, pasta, rice, nuts, beans, potatoes, waffles, etc. and I try to think about what I am eating and choose things that nourish my body and gives it the fuel it needs to do all that I ask of it.

Josh recently brought home some frozen sweet potato tots, and while they are definitely not a health food, whoever created them must have looked directly into my soul. I really love sweet potato everything. I do try to eat "real food" and don't eat a lot of nutrition bars or things like that (although I like them when I travel). I try not to eat "junk", but when I do, I don't feel guilty about it. My friend (who ran the half at Disney) made these AMAZING caramel/chocolate covered apples shaped like Micky Mouse for me last week and you better believe I had some! (The "ears" are marshmallows. Genius!) Life is too short not to have sweets sometimes.

I don't drink coffee, soda, or alcohol. (After a marathon I do sometimes treat myself to a real Dr. Pepper at the first sit down meal). I would rather eat my calories than drink them. :) I have two insulated water bottles that I always have filled up. I usually have one in the fridge and one with me and I drink lots of water during the day.

I do the best when I don't let myself get too hungry (which can happen pretty quickly). I like to have the house stocked with healthy/easy foods so when I get hungry it's not hard to find something. I do take a multi-vitamin and extra calcium since I don't eat dairy.

And that is how I fuel! I am a work in progress and I am sure there are things I could do better (feel free to leave suggestions in the comments), but my energy level is good and I am not losing or gaining weight, so it seems to be working.

And, to answer my own question about what I was watching on the treadmill, a couple of you guessed it! Hell's Kitchen! While I don't love to cook, I do love cooking shows (especially Chopped) and right now I am watching the old seasons of Hell's Kitchen on my treadmill runs (I did not watch this show when it was on TV). Previously I have watched all of the seasons of 24, Alias (my most favorite), and Chuck.

What do you watch when you are running long miles on the treadmill?

Do you have any strength training or fueling tips for us?

Happy Wednesday!

What do you want to know?

2012-01-31T08:40:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by a couple of people to play the 11's game. The rules are that you post 11 random things about yourself, then answer 11 questions that someone else gave you, then post 11 questions to be answered by others.

Here you go!

11 random things about me -

1. My maiden name is Dawidziak. (It's Polish!) Pretty awesome, although I always dreaded the first day of school because EVERY teacher butchered it. It is pronounced Da-wid-zee-ack (pretty much how it looks). Henderson isn't any shorter, but it is a whole lot easier.

2. Horses are my favorite animal. I used to spend many hours of almost every day riding horses, caring for horses, working at the stable, etc. I don't have horses anymore, but I still love them. Secretariat and Seabiscuit are two of my favorite movies. When you watch horses run, they run because they love it and it is part of who they are. It's beautiful!

3. I get lonely. That probably sounds REALLY funny coming from a mom of 12, but Josh works long, long hours, I don't leave the house super often beyond running and quick errands (especially this time of year because of Noah), I don't have many close friends, and my family is all far away. I have lots of people I care about and enjoy seeing that are supportive and friendly here where we live (I truly love our community), but not many I talk to on a frequent basis or that check in on me/spend time with me often.

4. I am fiercely loyal and devoted to the people I do have in my life.

5. Dirty floors drive me crazy.

6. For a year or two in my pre-teens, my greatest ambition in life was to grow up and be a Laker Girl. I even had a video tape by the Laker Girls to dance along to. (I never took dance and never was a cheerleader, so obviously I didn't take that very far!) It makes me giggle (in shame) to think about now.

7. I fall asleep during probably 72% of the movies I watch. I do love movies, but it seems that my body just decides that if I have nothing better to do than be still and watch a movie, I should be sleeping instead. I have zero control over it.

8. I can be naive. Not in the "I believe that the guy in the email wants my back account number so he can wire me three million dollars" kind of way, but in the way that I generally believe people's intentions are good, and I can be overly trusting and optimistic. Even though I get disappointed/hurt and taken advantage of once and awhile, it's who I am and at this point I probably am not changing. And I am ok with it, because I would rather err on the side of thinking the best of people than the alternative.

9. Marshmallow is my favorite flavor.

10. I am TERRIBLE at "name that tune". Truly terrible. I love music, but I completely stink at that game. (On the flip side, Josh can identify every song ever made in the first three notes).

11. I am starting a running club! Because I have so much free time on my hands (ha ha). Honestly, I am starting a running club because there is a lot of interest here where I live (and no running club) and I hope to be able to help and inspire others, while at the same time being inspired by others and enjoying a social running community here. So far the response has been really great and I am excited to get things moving forward.

And bonus -

12. The Giants are going to win the Super Bowl this weekend! Ok, that is not really about me, but it kind of is because I love sports and I love NY. I will cheer for the Giants, Yankees, and Rangers forever.

Questions from Jess at Pace of Me

1. Do you collect anything? If so, what and why?

I am not really a collector. I don't have a lot of money to spend on extra things that I don't really need, and I don't like clutter. I do have piles and piles of books, and an ever-growing medal collection. :)

2. A friend is visiting your town for the first time. Where would you take him/her and why?

If there is not too much snow (they are here from June to October) I would take them to the Intermittent Spring. It's a fun hike, a beautiful area, and a really cool natural feature. Check out the link. It's really cool! If they come when the Spring is snowed in, then I would take them up to our favorite sledding hill. Then we would go downtown to eat, and to see and take a picture under the world's largest elkhorn arch (you know you want to come visit me now). :)

3. Lucky number? Is there a reason behind it?

13. It always has been. Josh and I were married on the 13th, our first apartment was 13-C, and 13 is just always a good recurring number for me/us.

4. What is your favorite inspirational quote?

I have way too many to pick a favorite, but the one I try to live by is, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -Mahatma Gandhi

5. Were you a tomboy as a kid?

I was middle of the road. I had dolls and played sports. But I have never been very "girlie". I have never worn lots of make up or spent money on jewelry, purses, shoes (running shoes aside), or manicures. It's just not my style.

6. What is your best childhood memory?

Being at my grandparents house for sleepovers (before my Grandma died when I was 10), and my Dad coming to a violin concert I was in at a music summer camp. I was worried he wasn't going to make it and I remember so clearly seeing him and his friend walking over the hill and how excited I was.

7. What is the best advice your parents ever gave to you?

My Dad ALWAYS taught us to "stick to your guns" and I have always lived by that. (The online dictionary says, "If you stick to your guns, you keep your position even though people attack or criticize you.")

8. What is your dream job and why?

I would love to have a running store, be a running coach for beginners, or be a race director. To make money and get to be surrounded by runners and running would be grand.

9. What is your go-to joke? (be prepared to be impressed with the corny-ness. This IS my favorite joke).

What did one volcano say to the other?

I lava-you.

10. I love trivia - what is your favorite random fact? (Not my "favorite" in a happy way, but one I wish more people knew and cared about).

There are more than 143 million orphans in the world. That is 143 MILLION children without parents. I have been in orphanages and spent time with a precious few of these kids. I have held and rocked little ones. I have played soccer and colored. I have wiped tears and tickled and teased to get smiles. I have talked to older kids about their hopes and dreams for the future. My heart has broken time and time again. We all need to care more and do more.

11. Where is the farthest place you have ever traveled to? Would you go back?

Ethiopia (three times, for over six weeks total). DEFINITELY. :)

Questions from Erica from http://lifeasarunningmom.blogspot.com/

What is your favorite time of day to blog and catch up on blogs? After my run while I am eating my oatmeal (reading), and at night once the kids are in bed (writing).
What shampoo do you prefer? I am not picky
What is your favorite detergent for keeping your running clothes clean? We use ALL for all of our laundry and it does just fine.
If you were given some broccoli, eggplant, and tofu - what would you make? I would give it to Josh and tell him I was hungry. :)
Gatorade, nuun, Ultima, or something else? I like Hammer Perpetuem for my running and water the rest of the time. Nuun has sorbitol in it which bugs my stomach. I will drink Gatorade in a pinch.
Are you a running skirt fan? Nope. I don't own one and I don't wear them. I figure I don't wear skirts in regular day to day life, so it doesn't make any sense to me to put one on to run. I have nothing against them, they just aren't my style.
Tell me about your worst running moment. When I was training for my first half marathon and had to give up on a long run and walk until Josh came to rescue me because I injured my hip. It HURT. I limped really badly for quite a while and couldn't run for a week or two. Luckily it healed great and hasn't bothered me since. I think the right shoes and strength training have kept me healthy.
Tell me about your best running moment. Crossing the finish line at my first marathon (Vegas). I had just seen my Dad, Pam, and Noah cheering me on, and Josh jumped in and ran with me and cheered me on all the way to the finish. I knew as I finished that first marathon that I was hooked.
How many pairs of running shoes are in your closet? I have three pairs in rotation and two new pairs in boxes - all are Brooks PureFlows.
What is your favorite place to buy running gear? Brooks!!
Do you want to come to Maui and run in the Run and Walk for the Whales? Yes Please!!!!

Here are my 11 questions for anyone who wants to answer them (in comments on this post, in your own blog post, in an email, whatever!) They are based off of my 11 random facts.

1. What is your maiden name (girls), nickname (now or from your youth), embarrassing middle name, or something special/unusual about your name?

2. What is your favorite animal and why?

3. Do you like being alone?

4. What is a quality about yourself that you like?

5. What is something that drives you crazy?

6. What did you want to be when you grew up when you were younger?

7. Are you a night owl or a morning person?

8. What is a personality trait about yourself that you would change if you could?

9. Favorite flavor?

10. What is a game you are terrible at?

11. Do you belong to a running club? Do you belong to any other type of club?

12. Giants or Pats?

Monday musings

2012-01-30T12:36:00.000-08:00

11 weeks until the Boston Marathon! It is going to be here before I know it!

The photo shoot yesterday for Runner's World turned out to be really fun. To be honest, I was more nervous for it then I have ever been for a race. "Center of attention" is not my favorite place to be, so it was actually nice that they wanted all the kids in most of the pics so I had other people to worry about. And the kids were SO so awesome! They cooperated and smiled and had fun with it. One daughter decided it was a great start to her newly-inspired modeling career, and a few were disappointed that there wasn't a giant fan and blowing hair involved - ha! Noah can be really hard to get good pictures of because with his vision impairment he doesn't always look at the camera and smile on cue, but he was a rockstar and was great.

The photographer that came was really wonderful. He was fun to talk with and did a great job making us all feel comfortable. We did some pics in our front room with all the kids on the couch and me in front (and some variations on that theme), and then Josh got in a few. Next we all went out on our back deck and got some family shots, and then I went out on the road and he took some pictures of me running. I think, because it is a Mother's Day story, that they may use one of the pics of the kids and I, but I sure hope they use one with Josh in it because I could not do any of this without him!!

Hopefully the pictures came out well. I guess we will find out in April! (It will be the Human Race feature in the May issue). I can't wait to see them.

I am still smiling about Coach Ray and am really enjoying us getting to know each other and building our coach-athlete relationship. I already have learned a lot and gotten some great guidance, which I value just about as much as the friendship, support, and encouragement I am getting.
I have had some good runs this past week, and am pretty excited about how I am feeling. I finished my first week of Boston training with 72 miles. My long run was on Friday and was 17 miles with 8 miles at marathon pace. I felt good and I love the feeling I have after a good, long run. Then Saturday was my first "double" day, and I had 6 miles in the morning and 4 miles in the late afternoon, both at recovery run pace. Call me a running nerd, but I was excited about a double run day. :) I even got to do my afternoon run outside! It is pretty sad when 12 degrees F and sunshine feels warm, but it was fabulous to be outside in the sun, even if my eyelashes had icicles on them when I was done.

Want to hear something super cool? My parents volunteered at an aid station at a 10 mile race in NY this weekend! One of their friends was running in it and instead of going to cheer her on (they are highly trained, race-spectator professionals at this point) they decided to volunteer instead. I thought that was so awesome and wish I could have been there to see it. I am proud of them. :)

Something else unrelated but cool - The online adoption magazine "Rainbowkids" is featuring one of my blog posts from this blog this month. It is funny how running can relate to life in general! You can find the link here if you want to read it.

That's all for now. I have lots of questions to answer that were left in comments on my "Day in the Life" post that I will get to this week. Happy Monday!

Say cheese!

2012-01-27T20:01:00.000-08:00

A photographer from Runner's World is coming to our house this weekend to take pics of my family and I. Crazy! The kids are super excited about getting to be in a magazine. It is exciting, but I have to say I am feeling a little "funny" about it.

On one hand, I see how marathon-running-mom-of-12 is a good story, but on the other hand I do not think I have really done anything worthy of a lot of attention.

Yes, I have a big family. But there are lots of big families out there, and as I often say, ALL moms are busy, and all moms have a lot on their plates. Show me a mom - any mom - and I'll show you a busy person.

Yes, we have adopted a bunch of kids. But I know so many wonderful adoptive families that it is hard to feel unique or special about that. My family is special because of who is in it, not because of how we came together. We have a good story, but so do many other families.

Yes, I have lost a lot of weight. But countless people lose a lot of weight (and considerably more than I did) and keep it off.

Yes, I run a lot. But truth be told, there are oodles of runners who run more than I do, and there are tons of runners who run faster than I do.

Basically, I don't really do anything that isn't being done by lots of other people out there, so I just am not sure I deserve the attention.

What I hope though, is that maybe the article will inspire someone. I hope that someone, somewhere reads it, and realizes that they can make a change in their life, and that they can put some time and energy in to themselves, and that they will be better off for it in so many ways. If one woman realizes that she does not have to feel guilty about chasing her own dreams and that she will be a better mother and wife for taking care of herself, it will be well worth it.

My sister-in-law is a Registered Dietician and she recently wrote a series of articles on healthy weight loss that was featured in some of her local newspapers, and finished the series by interviewing me. She had to edit it down to fit in the space the newspapers gave her so I am way less long-winded than usual. :) If you want to read it you can find it here.

I don't want these articles to lead to a bunch of people thinking that I am great. I want these articles to lead to people choosing to find their own greatness. I have gotten so much inspiration, encouragement, information, and motivation from other runners. I just want to pay it forward.

Now wish us luck in getting a good photo of a running mom, her awesome husband, and 12 kids. :)

Smiling

2012-01-26T10:27:00.000-08:00

Wow. I am full of emotion, excitement, and gratitude today. Sometimes God just seems to drop the most amazing people in our lives at just the right time.

Through a mutual connection, I have been put in touch with someone. It is someone that I felt an almost instant friendship and kinship with. It is someone who loves the sport of running as much as I do. It is someone with lots of experience, passion, and knowledge. It is someone who believes in me and seems to think I have a lot of talent and potential. It is someone who wants to coach me because he finds joy in coaching and wants to help me reach my goals, and isn't asking for anything in return.

We exchanged a bunch of emails, and each one left me smiling and with a good feeling. Then yesterday we had our first (quite lengthy!) phone conversation, and I was smiling for at least a couple of hours once we hung up.

Ray Hauck is a very experienced runner and coach, and a dedicated, husband, father, and grandfather. He has recently retired from his full-time job and is at a crossroads in his life. He loves running and loves to coach (which is obvious the minute you start talking to him). He has a great sense of humor and a huge heart (which is also obvious the minute you start talking to him).

I have wanted a coach. While I believe I have done a good job making progress with my running on my own thus far, there have been lots of times I wished I had someone to get advice from in my training and racing, and I do believe that to take my running to the level I want to, that the guidance of someone with more experience and knowledge would be extremely beneficial. But there is no room in our budget to pay for coaching, and I have worried about finding the right "fit". I did not want a coach that was just going to give me a cookie cutter training plan, and I really need a coach that "gets" me as a person and respects who I am, my priorities in life (that I am a mom and wife first), and how I work.

After our phone call yesterday, Ray and I decided to work together. I could tell right away that he wasn't just a good fit for me, but was the perfect fit. He is cautious but ambitious. He believes that since what I have been doing has been working well, there is no need to make huge changes. He has the experience, knowledge, and desire to help me get to the next level. He respects my priorities and cares about me as a whole person, not just as a runner.

And best of all, he believes in me and sees something in me that is worth his time and energy. Keeping it real here... at times I still see myself as a person who was very overweight not that long ago, as a new runner with a ton to learn, and as a mediocre marathoner. I am still getting used to feeling like and believing that I am an athlete. I have set a lofty goal for myself and I do believe it is possible for me to achieve it and am ready to put the work in and do my best to accomplish my dream. (And as I have said, I plan on enjoying the journey no matter what). And yet I wondered if a serious coach would look at me and my age, my lack of experience, my family, and my PR's and tell me I was being unrealistic in wanting to qualify for the Olympic Trials.

Hearing Ray tell me yesterday that he is confident that I can achieve my goal and that he believes in me and sees huge potential (and why) was really huge. It's incredibly exciting to have someone believe in you enough that they want to put their time and energy into helping you.

He lives on the East Coast so we will mostly communicate through email and phone calls, but are hoping for some face to face time as well.

So yes. Today I am excited. I am excited about new friendship, new opportunities, a little bit of new confidence, and to see what the future will bring. And I am smiling. I am smiling because in a life that is already abundant with the most incredible people and blessings (Josh, our kids, my parents, and so many others), God has blessed me yet again by putting an amazing person in my life at just the right time.

A Day in the Life

2012-01-24T21:59:00.000-08:00

Several of you have asked for a "day in the life of me" post, so here goes! This is a recap of my Monday. I am sure I am forgetting some things, but this will give you a good idea of what a typical day is like for me.

4:30am - alarm goes off - sneak into bathroom, change, put in contacts, etc. etc.

4:42am - go out to family room and start core strengthening routine

5:20am - finish core routine, get laptop and Brooks Pureflows (detailed review here) and head downstaris to treadmill

5:32am - start 12 mile run on treadmill at 7:50 average pace

6:11am - pause treadmill to make sure Nate is up (he has to leave early for zero hour weight lifting for high school football) and take a quick potty break

Can you tell what I've been watching on my lap top while running?

6:15am - back on the treadmill

7:09am - finish run, head upstairs to stretch and talk with kids before they leave. Make sure two kids have had their meds and that everyone has eaten and is set for the day. Do hair for two of the little girls. Wash Shorty's face.

Done with run!

7:28am - Kiss all the kids and send everyone out the door (but Noah and Josh).

7:28-9am - Finish stretching and use foam roller while playing with Noah and talking with Josh. Drink recovery drink. Change clothes. Eat breakfast (oatmeal with fruit, nuts, and dark chocolate chips). Check email and read some blogs while I eat. Answer some emails for work. Josh leaves at about 8:30am. I always pout for a couple of minutes when he has to leave.

Josh bundled up and ready to go out into the snow and get to work

9am ish - Get in the shower, get dressed, etc. etc.

ready for the day and playing with Noah

9:45am - Fold one load of laundry and start another, play with Noah, answer some phone calls, get all of Noah's morning meds ready. Unload and reload dishwasher and start it (again).

10:45am - Unhook Noah from feeding pump, give him his morning meds, change his diaper.

11am - Noah's occupational therapist comes. We work with Noah together for an hour.

Noon - Clean up Noah's toys and equipment from therapy session, put him in his crib for naptime. Make myself some lunch (salad with lettuce, tomato, celery, cucumber, broccoli and a little cut up pork chop). Check email while eating. Answer some emails. Get Noah's feeding pump refilled and ready, wash tubing, get his afternoon meds ready, and lay out his new gauze, tape, etc. etc. etc.

1:15pm - Put Noah in the tub. (He has learned how to say "tub" and asks to go in the tub about 400 million times a day, so this makes him super happy). Get Noah washed and lotioned, dress his g-tube site, put his clothes on, give his afternoon meds, hook him up to feeding tube, and then clean up from all of the above (wash syringes, etc.)

I keep getting "serious face" when I pull out the camera. I promise he was smiling and having fun.

This is what his belly looks like when he is ready to get dressed

*from here on, I forgot to take pics. oops.

2pm - Josh stops in for lunch and we get a little bit of time together.

2:30pm - Fold laundry, pull out pajamas for little kids. Check work email and answer a couple.

2:45pm - Ben and Amanda come home (they walk home so get home a little earlier than the other kids). Talk to them about their day, look at their papers, get them a snack and they get started on reading and homework.

3pm - Put two trays of pre-made lasagnas in the oven.

3:10pm - Maggie, Marcus, Belane, and Shorty get home. Talk to them about their day, give them a snack, check their backpacks, read papers, help them with homework, and get them started on reading.

4pm - Ry and Des get home. Visit with them some. Kids do chores, take their video game turns (once everything else is done), and play. (They have all kinds of elaborate play acting games that involve princesses, "bad guys", ninjas, and monsters).

4:22pm - Get giant box delivered by UPS from home health care company, and unload Noah supplies and meds.

4:30pm - Get little kids started with baths. Check and answer work emails when there is a quiet couple of minutes.

5pm - Pull lasagnas out of oven and put in biscuits. Shane gets home from wrestling, talks with me for a few minutes and then gets in the shower.

5:45pm - Everyone (that is home) sits down to dinner together.

6:15-6:30pm - Kids finish eating and then we clean up kitchen together.

6:35 - Nate and Sadies get home and eat and I sit with them and talk with them while they eat. Get Noah's night-time meds and supplies ready.

7-7:30pm - Give Shorty and Belane their meds. Make sure little kids brush teeth. Refill Noah's feeding pump and change ice pack, give him his night meds, and change his diaper. We all say family prayers together and then the little kids all go to bed at 7:30pm.

7:30pm - I tuck in all the little kids, start another load of laundry, pull out school clothes for the little kids for the morning, wash my face and brush my teeth and then crash on the couch.

8pm - I lay on the couch with my blanket and my laptop. Write a little, read a little, and hang out with the big kids while they do homework, watch TV, etc. The "middle kids" go to bed at 9pm and then the oldest two go to bed at 10pm. I ~~usually~~ always fall asleep on the couch.

10pm ish - Josh gets home. He snuggles on the couch with me and we talk for a little while.

10:30pm ish - We go to bed. (Some nights we sleep really well. Some nights the alarm on Noah's feeding pump goes off once, twice, or twenty times.)

Of course not every day is the same, but this was a pretty typical Monday. Josh works late on Mondays and Tuesdays (usually home by 10, sometimes not until 11pm or later). Usually he is home by 6 or 7pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays. On Fridays he may be home much of the day or he may be gone for a track meet and not home at all until Saturday night. He doesn't always get to come home for lunch, but I love when he does. On any given afternoon or night we can have wrestling meets, concerts, ball games, church activities, meetings, appointments, or who knows what. Sunday is our day that everyone is always home and we don't usually go anywhere except for church.

My running is always done before breakfast. My writing is done in down time in the late morning/early afternoon or after the little kids have gone to bed.

Of course there are tons of little things that happen during the day that I didn't put in here. The phone rings a lot. Josh and I text back and forth a lot. There are a million small things to be done. Lots of messes. Countless conversations. Boo-boos to kiss. Tons of silliness and laughter.

A lot of people assume that life in a house with 12 kids is constant chaos, and I am here to tell you that it isn't. My house is pretty clean. Things are organized. We stick to a basic schedule. The kids are kids and can be loud, but not in a screaming, crazy kind of way (unless the Nerf guns are out) :). I am not a yeller, and I try to lead my family by example in talking to each other with love and respect. Of course I have moment where I want to pull my hair out, but they are few and far in between, and I truly do enjoy my day to day life. I am proud that my kids usually get along super well. They really are the best kids. Most of the time our home is a happy and fun place to be...sometimes peaceful, often busy, never boring.

Life is good. I am super, crazy, awesomely blessed.

Is it what you expected? I tend to think it probably isn't much different than life for many moms. Questions?

More soon. :)

Sunday night bullet points

2012-01-22T20:52:00.000-08:00

- Yay! The NY Giants are going to the SUPERBOWL! I have always loved football, hockey, and baseball and I've been a huge Giants fan (and Rangers and Yankees fan) my whole life. WOO HOO!! We had lots of fun watching the game tonight with the kids. My 12 year old son (Shane) put together a "Henderson Football League" for the season back in August. Every family member got to choose an NFL team and then Shane kept track of everyone's wins, losses, and standings.

We decided there would be a prize for the person whose team had the worst overall record and for the person whose team did the best. It ended up being a lot of fun (and producing a lot of smack talking), and I would giggle every time my 10 year old daughter would say, "I sure hope the Packers win again today" or my six year old would ask how the Seahawks did. It was down to Marcus (7 years old) and I for the ultimate bragging rights (his team was the 49ers and I of course was the Giants). Since the prize is a giant candy bar I told him he could have it, and I would just enjoy bragging to his older brothers.

- Josh and I are in the same house! And neither of us have to go out of town for almost two weeks (he has a weekend off from indoor track this week). I am recharging on Josh and loving every minute of it.

- Ummmm yeah. Shark Night is as bad of a movie as you think it is. Maybe even worse.

- We've had tons of rain, snow, ice, and slush lately and I have not gotten to run outside much at all. I am grateful for my treadmill but really ready to get back outside.

- I am going to keep track of my schedule and everything that happens tomorrow and put up a random "day in the life of me" post on Tuesday. A few readers have asked for it so hopefully it will be fun for you to read.

- Boston training starts TOMORROW MORNING! The Boston Marathon is 12 weeks from tomorrow and I am so pumped, ready, and excited to train for this race. I am using the Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger plan for 12 weeks and it gets me up to a max of 85 miles a week. Tomorrow is a medium long run of 12 miles. I am so ready!

- That's all for now. I am starting my day at 4:30am tomorrow so I am off to bed. More soon!

Not meaningless

2012-01-19T22:18:00.000-08:00

I made it back home tonight after two days on the road. Noah had three appointments at the children's hospital in Salt Lake and one procedure. It is a three-hour drive each way and the weather has been crazy snowy. LONG TWO DAYS. I am super glad to be home (and so is Noah, who was a total angel).

First off, THANK YOU to all of you for your overwhelming support and encouragement in response to my Daring Adventure post. I had a moment of panic after I posted it, but I woke up the next morning feeling excited and pumped about the goal of running in the Olympic marathon trials, and have felt that way ever since.

I did get one comment (of course from "Anonymous") that I wanted to address. Here is the comment-

"I spent my 30's committed (consumed/obsessed) over running... training, competing, striving for PR's at all distances,... I spent so much time, energy (physical, emotional, spiritual) and money on my running. Now in my mid 40's, I eat well and still run 6 days a week to keep my body fit and healthy, but I am not consumed with my running. Oh, how I wish I could have back all that time, energy & money I spent on running throughout my 30's... I could have used that time, energy and money for things that last for eternity. When I die, the Lord will not ask how my training went or what my PR's were... in light of eternity, it is all so meaningless."

First I want to say, that if something happened tomorrow and I could never run another mile, I would not regret a single minute, dollar, or ounce of energy that I have spent on my running. Not one.

I enjoy running. I would even say I love running. I love how running makes me feel. I enjoy racing. I love pushing myself to get better and faster. I love competing. I love training.

But, I am not consumed with running. I am not obsessed with running. My life is well-balanced. Busy, but balanced.

You could not find a more dedicated and attentive wife or mother than me. I don't know anyone with a happier marriage, and the relationship I have with Josh is my greatest blessing in life. I put a great deal of time and emotional energy into keeping our marriage happy and strong (and so does Josh, which is why things work so well).

I have 12 kids. I take time every day to connect one on one with each of my kids, and of course we have tons of family time. I do all the usual "mom" stuff of cleaning, laundry, cooking, driving, homework, etc. etc. etc. and I handle five therapists and seven doctors/clinics for my son with special needs, along with all of his extra care. (And because I am asked all the time, no, I do not have any help, other than my awesome husband). Being mom is a whole lot of work, but is also a whole lot of fun, and I am more blessed than I ever dreamed I would be.

I have an emotionally challenging job, finding adoptive families for special needs children. I have a church calling. I have treasured relationships with extended family and friends. I pray every day and read scriptures every day. My life is rich and full.

I do not usually write about religion on my blog, but I am a very religious person and wanted to address that part of the comment. I completely disagree that the Lord doesn't care about my running and that it is meaningless. I believe that God gave all of us individual talents and passions, and that He wants us to develop and pursue them. And I believe that when we follow our God-given talents and passions, great things can happen in our lives and we can have a great impact on the lives of others.

In light of eternity, I love my life. I am so very happy with my life. I am a work in progress and there is always room for improvement, but overall, I believe I am doing what God wants me to with my life, and I am proud of how I spend my time, my energy, and my money (the overwhelming majority of all three go to my husband and our kids). To me, and I believe to the Lord as well, it all has great meaning. Does the Lord care what my marathon PR is? Probably not. But I believe He cares about my talents and my dreams.

Running has given me so much. My self-esteem, confidence, patience, and health are all much improved since I started running. I have an inner-peace that I truly believe exists because I found a part of myself that had just been hanging out, waiting for me to discover it. I know that I am a better wife and mother since I started running. And I refuse to feel guilty about the small percentage of time, energy, and money that I put towards myself.

So no, I don't regret a single minute, dollar, or ounce of energy I have put into my running. The only regret I have about running is that I didn't discover it sooner.

As I chase after my dream of running in the Olympic marathon trials, I am going to keep the same balance that I have in my life now. My priorities are in order. Since I do most of my running while most of my family is still sleeping, it will continue to have minimal impact on the day to day life of my family. At the same time, I will be showing my kids that moms can and should have their own personal talents, interests, hobbies, etc. and hopefully will be setting a good example about not being afraid to follow your dreams and set big goals, and how hard work and dedication can help you achieve those goals.

Daring Adventure

2012-01-17T21:40:00.000-08:00

I was going to wait to post this until Monday (when my Boston training officially starts), but I wanted to write it down while the inspiration, motivation, and "fire" are burning strong.

Watching the Olympic trials was awesome this weekend. I "watched" the results on Twitter while the race was happening live, and then I watched the highlight coverage on NBC later in the day with the kids. I loved every single minute of it! So, so cool. It was so much fun to cheer for Meb and watch him win. And I was routing for Desi every step of the way. I cried when they showed everyone crossing the finish line, and my heart broke for Amy Hastings (one of my personal favorites) and Dathan. Fourth place is so bittersweet, but they both ran such gutsy races and should be so proud.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of the stories, reports, and coverage of the trials. I do really just love the sport of running, and especially the marathon.


photo credit http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_19743399


photo credit http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/7907fe7f6c3a4901040f6a70670053a0

As I started my second easy week recovering from the Goofy challenge and am counting down the days until I officially start my Boston training on Monday, I have been thinking a lot about my goals and my training.

I reread my Advanced Marathoning book by Pete Pfitzinger and wrote out my training plan. I am going with the 12 week, 85 mile plan. I love, love, love the Pftiz book and got really pumped just reading it again.

As for goals, as of right now, all focus is on Boston. My goal for Boston is to get under 3:20. After running a 3:27 the day after running a PR in the half at Disney, I definitely think a sub 3:20 in Boston is a very realistic goal.

And this weekend, a seed of a new goal was planted in my heart. I was going to keep it to myself, but going back to this quote changed my mind.

"If we write our dreams and goals down, we dramatically increase our odds of realization. If we share them with others, they become potent and alive." - Kristin Armstrong

So I am writing down my dreams and goals and sharing them with others.

I want to run in the Olympic Trials for the marathon. I know I have zero chance of ever actually making the Olympic team, but in the last week I have read about lots of women who made the Olympic B standard and qualified to run in the trials marathon. And I want to be one of those women. As of right now, that standard is 2:46. That means I have to take 41 minutes off of my current marathon time in just under four years. Maybe some of you reading this think I am nuts. Maybe I am. I know it is a VERY lofty and ambitious goal. I do know it will not be easy. I know that a lot can happen in four years. I know that I have a lot of other priorities in life. I know I may not achieve this goal.

But I am going to try.

I have the dedication, the commitment, the motivation, the spirit, and the heart. I am going to give it my all and work my butt off and see if maybe... maybe I could get to be that fast. And if I don't, I will certainly not regret trying.

Here is a quote I have on my family blog - "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -Mark Twain

And a new favorite quote that I found tonight - "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." - Helen Keller

Daring adventure it is!

Words to live by

2012-01-16T05:56:00.000-08:00

"If we write our dreams and goals down, we dramatically increase our odds of realization. If we share them with others, they become potent and alive." - Kristin Armstrong

"If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive, and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done." - Vince Lombardi

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Challenges

2012-01-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all your kind words about my race recaps. The Goofy Challenge was just that. It was a challenge! It was a physical challenge of course, but it was also quite the mental challenge. Preparing to race two days in a row, having all the emotions that come before, during, and after a big race two days in a row, and then of course the physical demands of racing two days in a row was all definitely challenging.

But it was also a whole lot of fun! That feeling of crossing a finish line with a new personal record and celebrating your hard work paying off is like no other. Getting to have those feelings two days in a row was awesome. And for someone that loves racing and loves being around other runners, this weekend was all sorts of fun.

More than anything else I have done so far, this weekend was a learning experience and a confidence builder for me. I have been fairly confident in my running, but this weekend took it to a new level. A lot of people said it wasn't possible to race two days back to back well, and it wasn't possible to PR two days back to back. I was told not to try it. I was told I would end up injured and/or disappointed. I was told that "serious" marathoners wouldn't run the Goofy challenge.

I don't like people telling me I can't do things, and I am pretty darn stubborn and determined. So I trained hard, set ambitious but realistic goals, and hoped for the best. I had one moment somewhere in the first mile of the half-marathon where I doubted myself...where I thought, "What if I can't really do what I think I can? What if I am fooling myself? What if I am all talk and can't really follow through?" But it was a fleeting thought that I chased away. I told myself I could. I believed that I could. I knew that I had trained well, tapered well, and was ready to run fast. And I did.

I finished that race strong. I met all the goals I set. I did it! And then I went out and did it again the next day. I pushed myself mentally and physically. I did it! I raced strong two days in a row. I set two new PR's two days in a row.

Sunday morning, after the marathon, with all the bling!

Maybe best of all, my body was ok when I was done. I was tired, but I had no injuries or pains. I was able to walk all over Disney World for two days...no limping, no gimping. I was able to go on an easy recovery run the next morning. I've been able to run (nice and easy) ever since. My body feels good. I am kind of in awe at what my body has been able to do. I won't doubt it again.

I am taking two weeks to take it easy, rest, recover, and chill. And then I am starting my 12 week training plan for Boston. I am going to go for it. I am going to train hard. I am going to push myself to a new level. I am going to race hard. I look forward to a new challenge. I can't wait. :)

And do you know what else I can't wait for???

THE OLYMPIC MARATHON TRIALS TOMORROW!!!

I obviously am not in Houston, but I am going to be all over Twitter and then I can't wait to watch the recap coverage on TV.

I am so excited to see who will rise to the challenge...whose hard work will pay off tomorrow, whose dreams will come true, and who will be representing the USA in London in my favorite event... the marathon!!

In the women's race there are so many great contenders, but like so many others, I am routing for Desi Davila. She is a Brooks runner and has an incredible story, and I just think she ROCKS. Go Desi! I will also be cheering for Shalane Flanagan, Amy Hastings (Go Brooks!) and Deena Kastor. Many think Deena is a long-shot because of her age, but I am a big Deena fan, I love to route for the under-dog, and I would love to see her show that a woman in her late 30's can still be at the top. :)

If you don't know Desi, here is a video that shows how great she is.

In the men's race, I am a big fan of Ryan Hall and believe he will definitely be in the top three. After running on Team MEB in NYC and getting to meet Meb and his family, I adore Meb and my family and I are all routing for him tomorrow! My third pick is a longer shot, but I love Mike Morgan. He is another Brooks runner, a new dad, and a really cool guy. I loved reading about him and others in Sage Canaday's book "Running With the Hansons". Here is a fun video of Mike Morgan.

Who are you routing for?

I leave you with this killer quote from Desi herself.

"Running is just you, the work you put in, and the clock. You can't cheat yourself. If you don't put in the miles, you can't go to the starting line thinking you're going to pull a miracle out of nowhere. You get out exactly as much as you put in." Desiree Davila

Heartbroken

2012-01-13T22:01:00.000-08:00

Since I heard the news that Montana mother, wife, and teacher, Sherry Arnold, had disappeared after going on a run on the morning of January 7, I have been praying for her safe return and a happy ending. When they found one of her running shoes along her running route and the days kept going by without Sherry's return, I felt more and more sad. When I learned that she was the cousin of Beth from SUAR, it hurt my heart even more. And then this morning, when I heard that it had been announced that Sherry was dead and two men had been arrested, I really felt heartbroken, and at the same time, SO angry.

It is so sad and so WRONG, that her life has ended this way. And for so many of us who start our days the same way everyday it is scary, and a harsh reminder of the dangers in the world. I have been teased for running with a little hand-held pepper spray. I have never had to use it and I hope I never do, but I will continue to have it on me when I run alone.

Sherry's family, friends, and students will be in my prayers as they deal with this terrible tragedy.

To all of you who run alone outdoors, be smart, be careful, and be safe.

Goofy Challenge - Marathon recap

2012-01-11T19:27:00.000-08:00

(If you missed the half marathon recap and the first part of this story, you can find it here.)

I woke up on Sunday morning at 1:45am, and carefully stepped out of bed to see how my legs felt. Big sigh of relief - they felt pretty good! I tip-toed around and got ready in the bathroom since M. was sleeping, it was insanely early, and I didn't want to wake her up. :) I got ready to race for the second day in row, and was feeling pretty calm and ready. I slipped out of the hotel room just at 3am and as I walked in the quiet morning from the hotel room to the bus, I prayed for strength and protection, and thanked my Heavenly Father for the opportunities I have and the amazing life I have (and especially for the people in it). I soon found myself back on the shuttle bus and back at Epcot (where the Disney races start).

There was something comforting and calming about having just done the same routine the day before. I knew exactly where to go, exactly what I needed, exactly what to do, etc. Again, I was not super nervous, although I was pretty anxious to just get running and get it done. I was anxious to see how I would feel and if I would be able to run a strong race as I hoped to do.

I met up with Robin and her sister and it was really fun to have some familiar faces, and to have someone to talk to during the wait and the walk to the corrals. Robin and I walked up to the A Corral together, chatting all the way. It wasn't long after we got in there that the race started. We were off before I knew it!

I did not feel as much of the crowding for the first mile as I had the day before, and I was able to hit my target pace of 7:30 and get into a good groove after about half a mile. My legs did not feel sore or stiff, and for the first few miles all I could think was, "I am doing it! I am doing it! I PR'ed yesterday, and I am running a marathon today. I am hitting my paces. I am doing it!"

My splits for the first eight miles were 7:50, 7:23, 7:32, 7:25, 7:32, 7:29, 7:29, 7:32.

I enjoyed the Disney characters, entertainment, and fun and enjoyed the open course but excitement of the other runners. I didn't mind the dark and quiet sections either. During those sections I felt calm and focused.

Right around mile seven my stomach started to hurt, and I knew that the good luck I had had the day before was not going to hold out for a second day. I wanted to get as far as I could before making a pit stop because I REALLY did not want to give up any time on the clock, but by mile nine I had no choice. (This was just before going into the Magic Kingdom).

I was in and out really quickly (love that there are no potty lines when you start near the front of the race) and I was still feeling pretty good at this point overall.

But somewhere around mile 10-11, my body started to fight me. My stomach started hurting and cramping again, and all of a sudden my legs felt like tree trunks... big, heavy, tree trunks. I did not have any cramps or pains, but they just felt heavy and TIRED. I felt really sick and it was just tough going.

I took my Hammer gels every five miles as planned because I knew I needed to get the energy in me, and I kept taking little sips of my Perpetuem and water from the aid stations.

My splits for the second eight miles were 8:25 (pit stop one. Lost a minute), 7:22, 7:33, 7:31, 9:08 (pit stop two. Lost a minute and a half), 7:28, 7:31, 9:17 (pit stop three. Lost a minute and 45 seconds).

And for the rest of the race it was hard. My stomach finally settled down but still felt sort of icky, my legs were really not happy with me, and it was frustrating to know that I had lost over four minutes on the clock because of stomach problems.

When you are feeling that worn out, your mind messes with you. A not so little voice in my head would say things like, "You PR'ed yesterday. No one expects you to PR again today. There is no shame in taking it easy now. It wouldn't hurt to just walk for a minute. You can PR in Boston. Many of the Goofy runners are just doing this for fun, not for time. You can't get a PR now anyway after stopping three times." Etc. etc. etc.

I also kept thinking of that stupid quote, "If you feel bad at 10 miles, you're in trouble. If you feel bad at 20 miles, you're normal. If you don't feel bad at 26 miles, you're abnormal." (thanks so much Rob de Castella). That voice in my head kept wanting to shout, "I feel bad at mile 10! I am in trouble!"

I had to just tell myself to shut up. The thought that I kept having was that I COULD do it, and that I had come too far to give up now. "You've come too far... you've come too far...don't quit now...don't quit now....just keep running...just keep running....you are strong... you are strong"

I never walked. I never stopped running. I never gave up. I never quit. It truly was the hardest thing I have ever done physically. Normally in marathons I get a big boost at mile 23 and feel excited and awesome going in to the finish. This time it was just a battle all the way across the finish line. In fact one of the awesome spectators (the spectators were SO great!) yelled, "You are almost there!" at mile 23 and I seriously wanted to tell him to shut up and explain that three miles was feeling like a really long way. Ha! (I didn't say anything though).

I still enjoyed all the Disney characters and entertainment, and running through the parks, and I tried to soak it all in.

The weather was just a tiny bit warmer than the day before (pretty perfect racing temps), although it was getting a bit warm for my liking the last few miles. I was really grateful to be done by 9am, and felt bad for the runners out there longer because it got pretty warm quickly after that.

My splits from miles 17-26 were 7:39, 7:35, 7:46, 7:59, 7:42, 8:01, 8:16, 7:59, 8:13, 8:15. And for the .2 my pace was 7:40 with a final kick of 6:14.

A highlight in the last few miles was seeing Robin right around mile 23. There is a little out and back section and just as I was leaving the aid station at the end of it, she called out my name and we waved quick at each other. It was SO good to see her and to know she was doing well! (She rocked her goal and qualified for Boston!)

When I crossed that finish line, and knew I had taken just over a minute off my marathon PR, it was a sense of accomplishment like no other. All I could think was, "I did it! I did it! I did it!" I would have loved not to have lost the 4+ minutes on the clock, but I was really, REALLY happy with my time, especially since it was such a physical and mental battle. I couldn't stop smiling.

I got my Mickey Medal for the marathon and then they gave me my Goofy medal. Someone at the Goofy tent mentioned that I was one of the first women to get a Goofy medal. Disney doesn't rank the total Goofy results (wish they did!), so I am not sure how I placed in the half and full marathons combined, but my final time for the 39.3 miles was 5:02:37.

All three medals are AWESOME. The back of the Goofy medal says, "One marathon. One half-marathon. Two days. Four theme parks. 39.3 miles."

I walked back to get my bag and started stretching and getting fluids in me. It was so great to get my phone and have texts from Pam and Josh, and congrats from friends.

My times were posted to Twitter and Facebook, and Josh and my parents got the results via text messages, so it was REALLY fun to check my phone and get all of the congrats and kind words. It was a little sad to finish something so BIG and emotional and not have anyone there to cheer for me or hug me, so to get my phone from my gear bag and have so many great messages was really uplifting and made it a lot less lonely. BOTH mornings my mom was the very first one to text me, which was perfect. (Josh was two hours behind with the time change but checked his phone and texted/called the second he woke up both mornings). I am so grateful for the love and support I get from family and friends. Thank you again to all of you who took a few seconds to send me a message. I was grinning from ear to ear with each message. It meant so much!

After just a little while, Robin came in and we celebrated together and congratulated each other. We were both just riding high on excitement and happiness. We stretched, changed, ate, and waited for her sister who also did a great job, and then I let them have some sister time and headed back to the hotel.

M. had gotten some much-needed sleep, and was up when I got back at around 9:30am. She took a couple of pics for me, and got me some big bags of much needed ice. I used my foam roller, took an ice bath, and then took a hot shower. We got some lunch, and then I was ready to PLAY!

back at the hotel, showing off my Disney bling!

We met up with M's friend and her daughter, and the four of us had a really wonderful day at Animal Kingdom and then Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom let people who were staying at a Disney hotel stay three hours later than the general public, so the lines were short and we got to do a lot. I was really happy with how great my body felt, and I didn't have any trouble walking around, going up and down stairs, or anything else. In fact I got a couple of comments from other runners that I was making it look "too easy". :)


Me and M in front of Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom

How beautiful is the castle in icicle lights?? I loved, loved, loved this.

It was midnight by the time we got back to the hotel. I had been up for 22 hours and had run A LOT and then walked all over two Disney parks. I don't know that a bed EVER looked so good. After a great night's sleep I got up and did a super short, easy, and slow 3-mile recovery run, and then after breakfast we were on our way to Epcot. It was another great day of fun and friends, and again I was so happy with how good my body felt. I could definitely feel that my legs were TIRED and if I sat for a long time things were a tiny bit stiff, but it was really minimal and almost no soreness at all.

After a fun and full day at Epcot I was exhausted though, so when the rest of the group decided to to to Hollywood Studios for a few hours at 8pm, I decided to go back to the hotel to pack and rest.

Once again, M and I were up obnoxiously early on Tuesday morning. The alarm went off at 2:40 and we were out of the hotel room by 3:55 am. Our flight left at 7:15am, Josh and Noah picked me up at the airport in Salt Lake at about 10:30am mountain time, and I was finally home sweet home at about 2:15pm.

It was an incredible and fun weekend and an experience I am very grateful to have had, but home is where I belong and where I am happy to be. I am so grateful to Josh for being so encouraging and supportive of my running, and for being so willing to stay at home and "hold down the fort". I am also so grateful for my kids. They are the greatest kids ever. They all did great while I was gone, but I so missed my family and wish they all could have been there. It has been great to be home again and to get settled back in.

I will have one more post with some final "Goofy" thoughts coming soon.

Goofy Challenge Recap - Half Marathon

2012-01-11T06:41:00.000-08:00

For those of you who like the details, here is the recap of the Walt Disney World half marathon.

The trip to Florida went really well. I got on a shuttle bus to Salt Lake early on Thursday morning (after a 4:30am wake up call so I could get a 5 mile run in, shower, and get the kids off to school). After a couple of hours of hanging out at the airport I met up with my friend M., and then we were on the flight to Orlando. It was after midnight when we finally got to our room at Disney's Pop Century resort (which I loved!) and we got to sleep pretty quickly after the long day of traveling.

On Friday morning I got up and did a nice and easy four mile run. The sun was shining, the temps were warm, and I was so happy to be running in shorts and a t-shirt. My body felt great and it was exciting to be so close to race day(s).

After shower and breakfast, M. and I went over to the expo, which was insanely crowded. The packet and bib pick-up all went very quickly and smoothly, but I was pretty disappointed at how little Disney merchandise there was, especially in smaller sizes. All I wanted was a Goofy hoodie and all they had was XL on the morning of the second day of a 3-day expo. Bummer!

We had a yummy lunch at Planet Hollywood (I stuck to my pasta plan since that has done me well in the past) and then we got back to the hotel and got off our feet and settled in for an early night since we had a VERY early wake up call coming.

Since I am such a wimp running in heat, I am glad that the Disney races start nice and early (5:30 am), when the air is cool and before the Florida sun gets up, but with the time change, the early start was pretty rough. We had to be out of the hotel room by 3am to get the shuttle to Epcot. When I set my watch alarm for 1:45am Florida time, I realized that that was 11:45pm Wyoming time. ICK!!

But we got up on time and I was feeling good. My nerves were minimal and I was excited to race. I have to say that putting on that Brooks uniform was SO exciting. When I first got it I put it on and didn't want to take it off. :)

Me and M on the bus on the way to Epcot on the morning of the half marathon!

We got to Epcot, checked our bags, met up with some of M's friends (who were great!), and started the shuffle to the start. At Disney you have a 20 or so minute (slow) walk to the corrals from the area where you check your bags. I was COLD (teeth chattering, body shivering) despite wearing throw-away sweats. As soon as I started running though I felt good and the sun was just barely coming up when I finished (just after 7am) so the temps were PERFECT for racing.

My only real concern was that despite there being PLENTY of portapotties, I was not able to use them! Let's just say that the time change had my body all sorts of confused. I was worried that my stomach would be crampy and I would have to stop during the race and lose valuable time, but I decided not to panic and to just go out and run strong and do the best I could.

I was in the A corral which was pretty cool! I have to say that running in the A corral made running Disney races a lot more fun for me. Last year when I was in the C corral the first few miles were super crowded and it was really tough to find my pace and run. Later on in the course it wasn't always crowded but when we went through parks and made turns it would get very congested and I was forced to slow down significantly multiple times. In the A corral that wasn't an issue at all, with the exception of the first mile of the half marathon.

For the first mile things were pretty congested. I couldn't really see my Garmin because it was dark, but I knew I wasn't running the 7:10 pace I was hoping to be running. The first mile ended up being at an 8:02 pace which was frustrating, but I was able to get to my target pace from there and the rest of the race was awesome.

Splits
mile 1 - 8:02
mile 2 - 7:04
mile 3 - 7:08
mile 4 - 7:04
mile 5 - 7:10
mile 6 - 7:19
mile 7 - 7:05
mile 8 - 7:15
mile 9 - 7:10
mile 10 - 7:15
mile 11 - 7:12
mile 12 - 7:08
mile 13 - 7:06
final .1 - 5:55 (final sprint hit pace of 4:56)
Final time - 1:35:23

All I can say is that I felt GREAT the entire race. I felt fast. I felt strong. It was FUN. Running through Epcot and Magic Kingdom was a blast and the crowds were great. I couldn't believe how many people were out cheering at 5:30 in the morning!

I haven't trained for a half specifically and I didn't really have a strategy or plan, other than go out and run my target pace. I didn't "go for it" much the last few miles because I knew I had to race again the next day, but I can see how a half would be fun to race.

When it got hard to hold the pace and my body wanted to slow down, I kept reminding myself that Bart Yasso said that I have a runner's body and look like I am built to run fast. "Built to run fast. Built to run fast. Bart Yasso said I am built to run fast." That was my mantra for this race. Even though there were moments where it was harder to hold the pace, I felt strong the whole way.

I told myself I wasn't going to sprint the finish because I knew I had to run a marathon the next day, but there were two ladies ahead of me and one I was pretty sure was in my age group, and there were two guys ahead of me and my Amanda loves it when I "beat the boys", so I sprinted and got past them. There were not a lot of runners finishing so we got lots of cheers. It was crazy fun. (And I am pretty sure that sprinting to the finish got me the 9th in my age group).

This race was definitely a hard effort, but was not an all-out effort. I was thrilled when I finished and had stuck to my plan. My goal was to run right around 1:35 (sub 1:37) without completely wiping myself out, and I did exactly that. My stomach was GREAT. It felt awesome until mile 11 or so, and then it wasn't too bad and I was able to finish without stopping or feeling bad at all. Hooray!

I took one Hammer gel at around mile 6, and drank a little bit of water from the aid stations. (No breakfast before).

When I finished I got my medal (Donald Duck - super cool) and then went and got my bag, stretched, put on a sweatshirt, changed my shoes, ate, and drank. I waited for M. to finish and had fun chatting with other runners. I've said it before and I'll say it again... Runners are cool. :)

M. finished and I was SO proud of her! It was her first half marathon and she did such a great job!

My plan for after the half was to immediately start recovering, refueling, and resting up for the marathon the next day, and to not do much else but recover, refuel, and rest for the rest of the day. I wanted to put myself in the best position possible to race the best marathon possible.

I went to a fun lunch at Downtown Disney where I got to meet Robin and her sister, Lindsay and her husband, Jennifer B., and some other fun ladies. After lunch, Robin and Kelli walked with me back to Planet Hollywood so I could get some more of the pasta I had had the night before to take back to my hotel for dinner, and then we separated and I went back to my hotel room to recover and rest.

Me and Robin, friend and fellow Brooks team mate!

Me and Jennifer!

M was out having fun with her friends at the parks since their races were done, so I had the hotel room to myself. There was no wi-fi and there was nothing on TV, so I catnapped and talked on the phone. I wore my compression tights, ate my pasta, set out my stuff for the morning, stretched and rolled, and went to bed super early for another 1:45am/11:45pm wake up call.

My legs definitely felt tired, but there was no awful soreness and no aches or pains, so I went to bed not knowing what to expect the next morning, but feeling cautiously optimistic that I would be able to run a strong marathon the day after a running a strong half marathon.

Race Day #2/Marathon recap coming soon!

Finally!

2012-01-10T05:03:00.000-08:00

I am sitting in me seat on the flight on the way back home from Disney. I haven't had internet access at the hotel, so now that I am on the airplane I can get this posted and get to writing up my race recaps.

Wow. There is SO much to recap. I am not even really sure where to start. I want to write down the details for myself because this was a really amazing weekend on a lot of levels and I want to have a record of it for myself. And I want to share it with those of you who are interested. :)

For those of you who just want the basics without tons of details, here are the facts.

YES. I did PR in the half-marathon and the full marathon on back to back days, even though plenty of people told me I couldn't.

On Saturday, I ran the Walt Disney World Half Marathon in a time of 1:35:23. That is an almost three minute PR. It was not an all-out effort but it was a hard run and a good race. My goal for this race was to run a sub 1:37 so I could get guaranteed entry into the NYC Marathon for this year, to set a new half marathon PR, but to not go completely all out so I could still (hopefully) run well the next day. I met all three goals!

I placed 382nd overall out of 22,421 finishers, which is the top 1.7%.
I placed 48th out of 12,322 female finishers, which is the top 0.3%!
I placed 9th in my age group (30-24), which is the top 0.4%!

On Sunday, I ran the Walt Disney World Marathon in a time of 3:27:14. That is a 1 minute and 1 second PR. It took every ounce of physical and mental effort I had on very un-fresh legs (and included three pit stops thanks to a very upset stomach). My goals for this race were to give it all that I had left, to set a new marathon PR, to qualify for Boston 2012, and to not do anything to injure myself.

I placed 438th overall out of 13,478 finishers, which is the top 3% percent.
I placed 59th out of all 6315 women runners, which is the top 0.9%!!
I placed 17th in my age group (30-34), which is the top 1.6% percent.

It was HARD. It was emotional. It was exciting. It was rewarding. It was the most physically challenging thing I have ever done. It was tons of fun. It was a wonderful experience, that left me believing in myself in new ways.

The rest of the weekend was lots of fun too, but I cannot WAIT to get back home to Josh and the kids. I wish this plane could go a little faster. :)

More detailed recaps on each race coming soon.

Yay for Goofy!

Excitement

2012-01-03T12:16:00.000-08:00

The excitement is building!

I am mostly packed, and managed to get enough stuff for five days/nights and two races into my backpack and carry-on suitcase so I don't have to pay to check a bag. My parents would be SO proud (they are champion packers and travelers). I have to do this trip as cheaply as possible, so that is $60 saved before I even leave. :) Being packed makes me feel a lot more ready to be out of here in 48 hours (and less stressed) which makes me feel more excited!

Last night I got my first email newsletter from Brooks to the sponsored runners and EXCITING things are happening. I am still on cloud 9 about this and so honored and proud to be running for Brooks. I will share more details soon.

This morning I had my second interview with Runner's World and I will be in the Human Race feature in the May 2012 issue. Crazy and exciting!

I was featured on Running To Be Skinny's Motivate Me Monday post yesterday. You can check it out here. Thanks Jess!

And that is all I have time for at the moment. More soon!

If you want something really funny to watch, check out the Rusty the Racewalker videos from Brooks. They are HILARIOUS. I love runner humor. :)

Goofy Goals

2011-12-31T18:03:00.000-08:00

Resolutions. Goals. Plans. Changes. Projects. Reforms. Dreams. Aspirations.

Whatever you call them...
whether you chose to set them for New Year's or not...
whether you actually achieve them or not...

I am a big believer in having them. I think we should all have a list of resolutions, goals, aspirations, and dreams.

I am a firm believer that big things are achieved when people try. It is not very often that someone achieves something awesome on accident. Playing it safe rarely has inspiring results. It's when we aim high, dream big, "shoot for the moon", step out in faith, and put ourselves out there, that amazing things can happen.

Sometimes we achieve what we set out to. Sometimes we don't. (And sometimes we learn more from the goals we don't achieve than the ones we do). Sometimes life changes our plans, our priorities, and our goals. Sometimes we achieve even more than what we set out to...more than we ever dared to dream.

So yup... I believe in New Year's resolutions. I like to set goals and have plans. I have big dreams and aspirations. And even if I don't achieve them all, I will enjoy the journey, learn, grow, and be better for it.

So lets talk about my (running) goals. I've got them. In the past, I would have been afraid of putting them "out there". But here goes. :)

For 2012 -
- stay healthy/injury free by keeping up core, strength, and flexibility training and listening to my body
- get our local running club officially started and help others get in shape and enjoy running
- safely increase my mileage
- race and PR at multiple distances (with my focus still being the marathon)
- do a good job representing Brooks so I can maintain my sponsorship next year
- shoot for a sub 3:00 marathon. This very well may not happen in 2012, but as of right now it's my "shoot for the moon" running goal and what I am ultimately working towards.

And now for Goofy next weekend!!
On Thursday I will be on my way to sunny Florida to run the Goofy Challenge! I remember when I signed up for the Goofy Challenge for my birthday back in March and it seemed SO far away. Now it is just days away!!

I have never raced two days back to back. I have never run 39.3 miles in one weekend. So there is definitely an element of the unknown. But, I have run A LOT lately. I ran 287 miles in December. I have run lots of 70+ mile weeks in the last few months, including back to back long runs. I have kicked butt on my speed work, tempo runs, and pace runs. I have stayed healthy and taken great care of myself. I have tapered just as my plan calls for. I think I am as ready as I can be, and I am going to give it my all.

My goals are -
- Run a sub 1:37 for the half marathon. A sub 1:37 will get me an automatic qualifying entry into the NYC marathon. Josh and I want to run it together this year, and if I can qualify, then he can run for Team MEB and we only have to fundraise for one of us. I ran a 1:38:18 half back in July, and am a lot faster now, so a sub 1:37 shouldn't be too hard. I want to run a competitive race, but not an "all-out" effort since I am going to race again the next day.

- PR in the marathon. I REALLY want a sub 3:20 in the marathon. (A sub 3:23 would also get me a qualified entry into the NYC Marathon). But, since I am racing the day before I just don't know if my sub 3:20 will happen in Disney or not. I have been training at the marathon pace of 7:30, which would give me a finish time of 3:16:30 (not counting pit stops). I had a long run where I did 14 of my 18 miles at that pace and felt strong. So that is what I am aiming for. If it's not my day or I don't have it in me after running the half the day before, then I will just run the best I can and get my sub 3:20 in Boston in April.

I do plan on doing NOTHING in between the half and the full marathon but recover, refuel, and rest like it is my job. I am going to do everything I can to put myself in the best position possible to run well two days in a row. AND, I am going to have a blast no matter what. I am so grateful to have this opportunity and that Josh is giving me the gift of this experience.

Hopefully I will feel like this...

and not like this...

Happy New Year everybody!

Where can running take you?

2011-12-31T13:56:00.000-08:00

This morning, like many runners, I was totaling up my mileage for 2011.

I finished out the month of December with a fun 5-mile run with a new friend (who drove 1 1/2 hours to come run with me! Thanks Jill! It was great and I hope we can do it again soon).

I ran 287 miles in December, which is a new monthly high (and I have been tapering for the last two weeks).

My total mileage for all of 2011 is 2633. I remember being nervous at the beginning of the year about setting the goal of reaching 1500 miles. :)

I started thinking about how far I ran, and wondering how far running could have taken me (literally) if I had run all of those miles consecutively. After a little bit of playing around on Google Maps, I found that my 2633 miles could have taken me from my house in Wyoming, to my parents house on Long Island (NY) and then down to our dear friends' house in Virginia Beach. Cool!

Where could your 2011 mileage have taken you?

Happy New Year everybody!

A year of posts

2011-12-29T16:34:00.000-08:00

2012 is almost done and I thought it would be fun to look back through the year of posts and pick out my favorites. If you are new to this blog it will give you a good recap of my year, and if you have been around a while, there is some good stuff to remember or reread.

There are lots of fun posts linked to below, but my two favorites are my post on limiting our potential and happiness and the one titled Strong. If you reread just one or two posts, reread those. :)

If you are interested about why I blog, I wrote about that here.

In January 2011, I started this blog. Yay! It's been almost a whole year of See Mom Run Far. I have had so much fun with this blog and really enjoy writing about my running and connecting with other runners. I would have to say my favorite post from January was the one about how I accidentally bought a treadmill. (TRUE STORY).

Yes, I use the very high-tech solution of putting a ladder in front of my treadmill to hold my laptop. It works!

It made me smile to reread my post from February about my true love and my response to an article that exercise can destroy marriages. I also giggled reading about my loaded oatmeal, because I still eat almost the exact same thing every single morning! (Although now I add strawberries too, switch out raisins for chopped dates sometimes, and drink Collagen Sport instead of Ovaltine).

March was my birthday month! My favorite posts from March were my letter to my body and the running play list game. I think of this post still often and smile every time Barbara Ann by the Beach Boys come up when I am running. I love it even though many of you wanted to take it off my list! :)

My favorite posts from April were my post on "How I do It" and my recap of the Salt Lake City Marathon. (SUCH a great race!)

I miss my parents!!!

May had a lot of fun posts! I loved the one about a change in perspective, the recap of the 5K I ran with two of my boys (and was first female finisher) and my announcement about getting to be on Team MEB and run the NYC Marathon.

June was a fun month and it was great to reread my Ragnar recap (I so so SO love Ragnar) and my recap of Josh's first marathon!

From July my favorite posts have to be my recap of the Star Valley Half Marathon (you ALL should come hang out in my beautiful valley this summer, visit me, and run this race) and my post with the pictures from the race.

August's highlight had to be getting chosen (and giving the opportunity to Josh) to run with Dean Karnazes in the Gore-Tex Transrockies Run! Cheering on Josh and Jenny at El Vaquero Loco, getting a phone call from Meb, and chatting with Bart Yasso were pretty dang cool too.

Josh and Dean!

In September, qualifying for Boston was a killer moment, as was PR'ing two weeks later at Top of Utah (in the rain, wind, thunder, lightning, and hail!), but playing with my kids was a total blast too. (Lots of fun kid pics in this post).

Top of Utah!

In October I had a moment doing laundry where I felt a bit like a superhero, and then I got interviewed by Runner's World! (Article is still a go for the "Human Race" section of the May 2012 issue. Woo hoo!)

November brought a little excitement called the NYC Marathon, and an incredible trip that included time alone with Josh, seeing my parents, meeting Meb, seeing friends and family, going to a Rangers game, and all kinds of fun.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I organized my very first race (a super fun and successful Turkey Trot).


Nate, who didn't really die, even though he thought he might :)

I opened up about a haircut that was just a haircut, and yet so much more than a haircut.

I also wrote about that nasty thing called doubt, and how I try to inspire others with my life.

My favorite posts from December were my post about being chosen to be on the Brooks ID Team (I am STILL on cloud 9 about being sponsored by Brooks!!!!) and my post from yesterday about what a difference three years can make.

It was really fun to look back through my training paces and race times and see how they improved throughout the year. It is really encouraging to see that paces I struggled with and thought felt super fast back at the beginning of the year are now super easy for me. That makes me excited for what is to come. There were lots of posts I had forgotten about, and pictures I enjoyed seeing again. It's fun to look back!

Thanks for reading along!

Did you have a favorite post of mine from 2011?

Three years ago...

2011-12-28T10:19:00.000-08:00

Three years ago today I got on a Wii Fit.

Three years ago today that Wii fit told me I was obese.

Three years ago today I decided I was done being fat. I decided I was done being unhealthy. I decided I was done taking care of everyone but myself. I decided I was done with looking in the mirror and not liking what I saw.

When Josh and I set up the Wii Fit that night (that we had gotten as a Christmas present from his sister) I thought we would play a few games and have a few laughs. In fact, being 100% honest, I was eating Ben and Jerry's from the carton WHILE Josh was setting it up.

But when I stood on it, and it ballooned up the little cartoon version of me, made an embarrassing noise, and announced that I was obese at 208lbs (and 5ft 5inches tall), something inside me clicked. From that moment on, I have worked hard to change my body, my health, my attitude, and my priorities.

I started with baby steps. I didn't want to start anything that I couldn't maintain. I didn't want to go on a short term weight loss/diet plan, and I didn't want to do anything drastic. I started exercising five to six days a week for 30 minutes a day (in the beginning it was almost all on the Wii Fit).

I made baby steps in improving my diet as well. I stopped eating after 7pm. I started watching portion sizes. I added fruits and veggies to my diet (which I was eating almost none of at the time). I cut out soda and almost all liquid calories and started drinking water for the first time. I chewed gum when I was feeding the kids so I didn't pick off of their plates. Baby steps.

And sure enough the weight started coming off. I couldn't believe it at first! I averaged six pounds lost a month. The more weight I lost the more encouraged I was, the better I felt, the more I wanted to keep exercising and eat well, and the more weight I lost.

I did not set a goal weight. I figured I was making life-long changes... I wanted to continue with daily exercise and healthier eating habits... so I planned to keep doing what I was doing and assumed that my weight would level out at a healthy weight for me. In just over eight months I lost 50lbs. I felt like a new person. My weight leveled out at about 155 and I assumed that was my healthy weight, but after 6 months or so of leveling out, I lost another 20+ lbs and now I have been at about 131 lbs for a while (which is down 77lbs from where I started).

On April 25, 2009 I went for my first run. I was sick of the Wii Fit (although grateful for it!), the weather was warming up, and the sunshine beckoned me. A few ladies in my neighborhood had started going on short runs, and I figured if they could do it, so could I.

My first run was a 2.3 mile loop from my house. When I started I was sure I could run the whole thing. I made it almost a mile before walking, and had to walk several more times before I made it home. It was one of the most humbling experiences of my life, and yet again... something inside me clicked. I loved being out in the world. I loved the feeling of my body moving forward (even though I was moving very slowly at that point). I loved the challenge of it. I was hooked. In my heart, that is the day I became a runner.

I had no idea three years ago when I stepped on that Wii Fit that it would be such a life-changing moment. I also had no idea when I went for that first run that it would an equally life-changing moment.

I woke up this morning and thought, "Three years ago today I weighed 208lbs, and today I am a sponsored runner." I am so grateful.

I know that there are many people out there who need to make a change in their life. They need to be healthier. They need to care for themselves. They need to eat better. They need to get active. They need to make themselves a priority in their own lives.

I know how overwhelming it seems at the beginning. I know how discouraging it is when it is SO HARD to do any little bit of exercise and the weight comes off SO slowly. But I also know how good it feels, inside and out, to make those hard changes. You can do it!

Here are my tips.

- Make baby steps and set small goals. As you make changes and achieve goals, add to them.
- Find an exercise you enjoy. Some people love running. Some like riding a bike. Some like swimming. Some love classes at a gym. Some need to keep it mixed up. Find what you like, because that is what you will stick with.
- Celebrate small achievements!
- Find friends (in "real life" or online) who are making similar changes and can support you and encourage you. Having a friend to exercise with really helps too.
- Believe in yourself. Never doubt how far you can go and how much you can achieve. And believe in your heart that you are worth the effort.

I love Christmas!

2011-12-26T10:36:00.000-08:00

I love, love Christmas. We had a wonderful weekend, especially Christmas Day, and I think we found a really nice balance of celebrating the true meaning of the holiday and enjoying the presents, food, and goodies. It is important to me that my kids remember why we celebrate Christmas, and that the focus isn't just on "getting stuff".

All of my kids were happy, loving, grateful for their gifts, kind to each other, and lots of fun to be with. I was so proud of them and said multiple times throughout the day how much I love them and how grateful I am for them. And Josh was super-dad and super-husband as always. He is a gift I get to wake up to every day.

We had a quiet holiday weekend with just our family. While we dearly missed family and wished we could have shared the day with them, it was a really fun, special, and stress-less Christmas. In fact, after the big (late) lunch we do every year of fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses, crackers, dips, chips, little smokies, and other appetizers, we decided we didn't need a big dinner and instead skipped right to the dessert that we had planned. Yup, we had ice cream sundae bar for Christmas dinner. It was awesome. We had a big ham dinner Friday night and still have another ham and turkey in the fridge so we have plenty of "traditional" too.

We have some fun things planned for this week. Josh has to work but not too much and the kids all have off from school until next Tuesday. What's crazy is that they go back to school on Tuesday and then I leave on Thursday for Disney! With all the excitement of Christmas, Disney is coming FAST.

I have been getting all my miles in. I flip-flopped my weekend runs and did my 17-miler on Saturday morning so I didn't have to be busy that long on Christmas day. Yesterday, after two hours of present-opening and then making cinnamon and orange rolls for the kids for breakfast, I slipped out at about 10am for a quick five-miler. It was cold but sunny and there were almost no cars at all. It was quiet and beautiful and PERFECT. With only 12 days until the half marathon at Disney and 13 days until the full marathon, I am in taper mood which makes me crazy and excited all at the same time. I feel ready!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and that you keep the spirit of the holiday in your heart and enjoy the rest of the vacation with family, friends, and those you love.

Favorites of 2011

2011-12-20T14:29:00.000-08:00

One of my very favorite people that I have met through the online running community is "Miss Zippy". I have met her in person twice now and will get to hang out with her in Boston in April (yay!!!). She's wonderful!

Here we are back in August when her and her fun family were visiting Wyoming.

On her blog yesterday, Miss Zippy posted some questions that I thought would be fun to answer.

What was your best race experience? Oh man. I suck at these questions. I have no less than 87 "favorite movies"and just as many (or more) "favorite books". My "favorite hoodie" is the one I am wearing on any given day. My "favorite food" changes often. Even when I was a little kid my Dad would tease me whenever I said something was my "favorite" or "the best". Every time I would get back from a movie he would say, "Let me guess. It was the best movie you ever saw." I am easy to please. Whatever. :)

So with that disclaimer...

The Walt Disney World Marathon in January was my best race experience of the year because I had an awesome long weekend with just my parents, and getting to run Disney was such a special treat and last minute surprise. I love Disney. I love Disney a lot. Disney does an amazing job and I loved every single minute of the experience. (And I got to ride the Rock n Roller Coaster with my Daddy!)

The Salt Lake City Marathon in April was my best race experience of the year because it was the first time I set a real time goal for myself and I achieved it! (I wanted to be under four hours and I ran a 3:57). On top of that, Josh, the kids, and my parents were ALL there which was amazing. I felt GREAT the entire race. I was literally grinning when I saw my family at mile 23. I love this race, loved the course, and felt amazing. This was when the spark of being competitive and wondering how fast I could be at the marathon was lit.

The Star Valley Medical Center 5k in May was my best race experience of the year because it was the first time I raced with my kids, and it was my first win. I was the first female (third overall) with a time of 22:00. Even better is that one of the two people who beat me was my rockstar son, Shane, who at 11 years old finished in 21:15. (In 2012, Shane is going down!) :) Ryan (13) also ran it and set his own PR of 25:26. It was a very fun day being out with the boys and with lots of friends and neighbors.

Ragnar Wasatch Back in June was my best race experience of the year because Ragnar is so much dang fun! Seriously, it was two days of friends and running. I was super happy with how I ran, I got to wear a sombrero (and get a free dinner from Cafe Rio) and I had two days with my best friend and a bunch of ladies I love. To top it off, Josh's brother and his wife had a family team, so I got to see them, Josh's mom, my son Ryan, and others. I love love love Ragnar. Someone said it was like Woodstock for runners. Perfect! I am hooked for life (and can't wait to run it with Josh on our ultra team this year!)

The Star Valley Half Marathon in July was my best race experience of the year because it was just one of those days and races when running was AWESOME. I had a plan. I took off way faster. I felt amazing so I kept going. And I kept going. And I blew my PR out of the water and I did so much better than I thought I even could have. I finished in 1:38:18 and won my age group and was fourth female overall. This race was a blast, not just because I felt so fast, but also because I got to run it with my best friends and with Josh, and with tons of our friends and neighbors running and cheering. Running here at home was super fun and it was just a perfect race and day.

The Pocatello Marathon in September was my best race experience of the year because I QUALIFIED FOR BOSTON!!! I needed to be under 3:45 to qualify, my goal was to run under a 3:30, and I finished in 3:32:26. Before the race was a lot of fun as I got to meet and hang out with Cari, EMZ, and Dawn. The race itself I can't truly say I enjoyed a whole lot. I love Pocatello and they do a GREAT race (no complaints at all... love it!), but I was so so so SO sick during this race. I ended up in FOUR portapotties and felt like death. So I was extra proud of that PR and that BQ time.

The Top of Utah Marathon in September was my best race experience of the year because it was my PR (3:28:15)!!!! I had a super fun trip with Terzah and Alana, and got to cheer Terzah to a PR and Alana to a sub 4:00 finish on her very first marathon! The weather was truly terrible (pouring rain, hail, thunder, lightning, cold, etc.) but the course is great, I loved the race, and I felt strong the whole way. This is a marathon I want to do every year.

And the NYC Marathon in November was my best race experience of the year because... it was the NYC Marathon!! I got to go on an incredible trip with just Josh, we got time with my parents, we got to see other family and friends, we got to have lunch with Meb Keflezighi and Team MEB at the NYC Athletic Club, I got to meet Bart Yasso, the expo was a blast, and the race is just unlike any other and completely amazing. The very crowded and challenging course left me with a slower time than I would have liked (3:32:40) but it was a wonderful experience and I definitely want to run it again.

What was your best run? At first I was going to say that there was no way I could come up with a best run... I had so may fun runs with Jenny, killer track work outs, incredible long runs, super hard tempo runs, beautiful runs up the canyon, runs in sunshine, runs in snow, runs in the dark.... each one is a favorite in some way. But if I had to pick the run that left me on the biggest runner's high, I am going to say it was the track work out I did with Alana in August, when we both set out to do our 10x800 (Yasso 800's). It was a killer work out but I nailed my times and felt unstoppable afterwards.

What was your best new piece of gear? My Brooks PureFlow running shoes. I can't even say how much I love these shoes. You can read my super detailed review here.

What was the best piece of running advice you received? I have gotten a lot of great advice from a lot of great runners (both in person, through blogs, and through reading lots of books). I don't even know where it came from but the best advice I got this year was to not limit myself... not to put a ceiling on my dreams or my abilities, and not to limit what I try to achieve.

Most inspirational runner? Ok, not even trying on this one. I am being honest and genuine when I say I am inspired by all runners. I am SO inspired by the incredible, elite runners who fly by at 5 minute mile paces (seemingly effortlessly). Yet I am just as inspired by my friend Dani who ran her first half marathon this year. Watching her come into the finish line was SO inspiring and I was so proud. And I was amazingly inspired by the older gentleman who I saw running at Ragnar during my 8-mile-uphill-killer leg. He gave me a big smile and thumb's up when I went by and I told him he was doing a great job! His grown grandkids had a big sign that said "Grandpa, you are our hero!" I am inspired by every runner I see in different ways. Fast or slow, old or young, heavy or thin, famous or not... I am inspired by them all.

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be? Blessed. Amazing. Fun. Challenging. Exciting. Rewarding. Promising.

Book winner!

2011-12-20T13:08:00.000-08:00

The lucky winner of my giveaway of a copy of "The Jade Rabbit" is

Julie from Almost 40 Runner! Congrats!

Julie, send me an email at full house mom at g mail dot com and I will get you in touch with author Mark Matthews so you can get your book.

weekend catch-up

2011-12-18T14:56:00.000-08:00

WHEW.

It has been a LONG few days. It has been mostly good, but LONG.

Josh left at 6am on Friday morning. He took our 15 passenger van and eight of his friends and they drove (13 hours each way) to New Mexico to go to the New Mexico Bowl where the Wyoming Cowboys were playing. (The Cowboys got their butts kicked but the guys still had a fun trip. They are on the road home now and I expect Josh late tonight).

On Friday I had some errands to run, and then we watched Christmas movies when the kids were all home from school. Yesterday was busy, but fun. I took the kids to the free matinee at the movie theater and to see Santa. Then I left some of the kids home with two of the teenagers and took a couple of the kids grocery shopping, and when we got home we started baking and made lots of treats. I drove back into town to pick up pizzas since the kitchen at home was crazy, and then after we ate we put together 10 plates and then drove around and delivered them to friends and neighbors. The kids loved delivering the plates of treats and hopefully we spread some Christmas cheer. It was fun!

The little kids went to bed and then the big kids and I stayed up and watched Scrooged. Love it! (Ok, I cannot tell a lie. I watched some of Scrooged and dozed on the couch.)

This morning there was lots of hair doing, getting everyone to church on time, etc. etc. and oh yeah... I ran 20 miles! I had a 6 miler on Friday, a 10 miler yesterday, and then my last 20 miler before Goofy this morning. It was a lot of miles to get done with Josh gone, but I started super early and was able to get it all done. (I got very little sleep last night thanks to Noah's alarm going off multiple times, my coughing, and getting up super early, but I did just fine despite that. I plan on sleeping hard tonight!)

This morning's run, even though it was on the treadmill, was one of my best 20 milers ever. I finished in 2 hours, 32 minutes and 40 seconds, which is a 7:37 average pace. My original plan was to do a workout I saw in Runner's World that they recommended as a fitness test to run three weeks before a marathon. The work out was to do 2x6 miles at a pace of 10 seconds faster than marathon pace, with a warm up, cool down, and a 10 minute recovery jog in between the six-mile intervals.

I did a four-mile warmup at about an 8:13 pace, and then did six miles at 7:19. Then I did two easy miles (at about 8:34 pace). Originally I was going to do six more miles at 7:19 and then two miles to cool down, but when I hit the last two miles I was feeling good and I decided I wanted to finish strong, so I kept up the pace. When I got to the last half mile I kicked up the speed at each tenth of a mile, so I finished at a 6:58 pace.

There is something SO satisfying about finishing that last long run and hitting that magic three-week taper window. I always feel like I have conquered the training plan. I am extra excited this time because my legs and body feel SO good (despite a lingering nagging cough which is slowly slowly improving). It feels awesome to have run multiple weeks at 70+ miles and to feel this great.

My taper isn't a crazy amount of taper. I have "reduced miles" but still high intensity, and "reduced miles" means 60 miles next week, and 50 miles the week after that. Then it's Goofy week!!! I am feeling awesome and I am feeling READY. I have a good feeling about Disney. :)

Ok... back to cooking, laundry, playing with kids, etc. etc. and then an early bedtime for little kids so I can crash on the couch early. I can't wait to be back in the arms of Josh tonight. Yay!

5 Tips for Achieveing Balance during the Holidays

2011-12-15T13:13:00.000-08:00

I think that all too often, the holidays become a time of stress for people as they get caught up in all that they "have" to do. Healthy eating tends to go out the window. People often feel they are too busy to exercise. The holidays become something that people try to "survive" instead of treasure and enjoy, and as a result, the true meaning and spirit of the holidays is lost in the hustle and bustle.

I have written on here many, many times about how important balance is to me in my life, and while it may be harder during the holidays to find that balance, it is not impossible. Here are my tips on achieving "FitFluential Balance" during the holidays. With a little effort, you can get to January 2 feeling happy and healthy.

1. NO EXCUSES. I am going to tell you plain and simple - if you only exercise on the days you are able to "find the time", chances are really good that it isn't going to happen. In life we make time for what is most important to us, and finding time to take care of ourselves (exercise) should always be on that list. On any given day you can be too tired, too busy, too sick, too stressed, or too WHATEVER to find the time to exercise. This time of year there are parties, concerts, programs, activities, obligations, shopping, dinners, traveling, to-do lists, etc. etc. etc. that take up time. BUT, you CAN make time to exercise. You may have to get up extra early on an extra busy day. You may have to make time on your lunch break. You may have to sneak out after dinner or get something done once the kids are in bed. You may have to move around a training schedule for special days or do a shorter workout than usual. But you can always make time each day to exercise. Take out the "if's" and the "but's". No excuses. This is a gift you can give yourself, and if you do, you will find that your stress level is lower, your energy is higher, you are happier overall, and your clothes will still fit the same in early January. :)

2. Just say NO. I found that my life became a WHOLE lot simpler and a WHOLE lot less stressful when I figured out how to say "no" once and a while, and when I realized that the world wouldn't fall apart because I did. Maybe it's because when you have 12 kids, a husband who works a lot, and a demanding training schedule, that you only have time for the most important things in life. Or maybe it's because I tried it once and realized how great it felt to say "no" to something that didn't really matter. Whatever the reason, cutting out the less important things has made a huge difference in a great way. Don't be afraid to say "no" to those little (rarely important) time demands that really, truly don't matter in the big picture (especially all the "extra" ones that are around this time of year). Ask yourself, "Would doing XYZ be the best use of my time?" If it is, go for it! If it's not, do not be afraid to say no.

3. Again, just say NO (most of the time). This time, I am talking food. This time of year we are surrounded by treats. Cookies, candy, cakes, gingerbread, big dinners, egg nog, hot chocolate, and on and on and on. One or two treats a day can add up in the pounds in a big way (especially if combined with stress and a lack of exercise). And while a Christmas treat may make us feel good momentarily, it is not going to make us feel good long term. Try to maintain as close to your normal eating patterns as possible this time of year. Make sure your home is FULL of healthy and tasty options, so when you are hungry or tempted by an unhealthy treat, you always have a healthy option you enjoy. I used to feel like if there was a treat around I HAD to have it and somewhere along the line I realized it was ok to say no to food that wasn't good for me.

When I am tempted by something I remind myself about the big picture, and that being healthy and in shape is more important to me than eating "fill-in-the-blank". That said, of course it is ok (and good!) to enjoy a treat once and awhile. I often ask my self is something is "worth it". I know what the calories are for a given treat and know how much I like it, and decide if it is worth the calories to me. Ice cream? Not worth it to me. Chocolate? Not worth it to me. Gingerbread? Worth it! Sugar cookie? Worth it! When I have something like gingerbread or a sugar cookie I take a determined amount, and then I eat it slowly and thoroughly enjoy it.

If you know you are going to a party or somewhere that there will be lots of tempting, unhealthy food, make a plan! Know (about) how many calories you have eaten prior to the party and about how much you want to eat at the party. Do NOT go to the party starving, and drink lots of water so you are well hydrated. Pay attention to "little bites" of things, liquid calories (which add up quickly), and how much you are really eating. Also, don't make the focus of the night out be on the food. Too often the focus of holiday get togethers IS the food. Focus on being out with your spouse, or visiting with friends, or having a fun night out. I went to a girls night out Christmas party a week ago. It didn't start until 7:30pm, which is after I am usually done eating for the day. I knew what they were serving and with my dairy allergy, none of it was food that would leave me feeling very well. So I ate a healthy dinner, went to the party full, chewed gum and drank ice water to keep my mouth busy, and focused on having fun with friends. I had a wonderful time, and at the end of the night I came home feeling great, instead of feeling terrible about overindulging.

4. Be kind to yourself. There is so much pressure on people, especially women it seems, to "do it all". And again, this time of year, the to-do lists are longer than ever. If you miss a day of exercising, or you pig out on Christmas cookies, don't beat yourself up over it. Talk to yourself the way you would a close friend. Keep in mind the big picture of your exercising and eating instead of focusing on what you did "wrong". No one is perfect and no one can really do it all, so don't make yourself crazy trying. Lift yourself up, don't beat yourself up.

5. Find ways to be Fit with your family. The holidays are all about being with the ones we love, and if you can combine being fit with family time, it is a win-win situation. Go for a walk. Go sledding. Go skiing. Go ice-skating. Do a family Jingle Bell Fun Run. Shovel snow for neighbors. Play a dancing game on the Wii. Do an exercise video all together (although this will likely end with much laughter!) Go to a gym and play basketball or find an indoor pool where you can all swim. Get active and have fun with those you love.

Those are my tips! Do you have a tip you would add? I hope you are all ENJOYING the holiday season and finding ways to be happy, healthy, and fit.

How to get tough and fight injuries

2011-12-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

I am trying to answer questions this week that people have emailed me and left in comments. (If you have a question feel free to leave it in a comment!) Yesterday I answered the "what do you wear to run in the cold question". I have had a few people ask me lately about what I do for strength/cross training. I admit that I am not very good at cross training. I hate riding a bike (sorry, it's true). I don't have anywhere to swim (closest indoor pool is over an hour away). I don't have the patience for workout DVDs, and I don't have time or money to go to a gym for classes. Excuses? Reality? Yes, and yes.

That said, I do believe that to be a strong, healthy runner you have to be strong and fit overall and that running alone is not enough to accomplish that.

I have really been building up my weekly running miles the last few months, and I believe that one of the biggest reasons I have been able to run 70-75 mile weeks repeatedly now and stay injury free (knock on wood) is because of the strength, core, and flexibility training I have been doing in addition to my running.

Three times a week I do a core routine. I get up early and do it before the kids are up and before I run. The core routine I do is a combination of exercises from Pete Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning book (this is the training plan I am using for Disney and Boston at least) and some exercises I noted from Runner's World and Running Times.

I do this set of exercises all the way through, twice in a row. (You can find details on some of these here). It takes me about 25 minutes.
50 crunches
20 leg pushaway's (this one REALLY works the core well. See link above for details).
6 lying bridges (10 seconds each)
6 "staff" (10 seconds each)
6 standing knee hold's (three each leg, 10 seconds each)
12 Superman's (six seconds each)
2 side plank/hovers (one each side, one minute each)
1 prone plank (one minute)
1 back bend (20-30 seconds)

Twice a week, I get up early and do a strength routine.
I do this set of exercises all the way through, twice in a row. It takes about 25 minutes.
20 pushups (the REAL kind. I am proud of that!)
20 bench dips
20 lunges each leg (40 total)
20 squats
20 V-sits (these things suck but have done wonders for my core)
20 glute kick backs (20 each leg)
20 donkey kicks (20 each leg)
20 fire hydrant kicks (20 each leg) love this one for hips!
20 side-lying leg lifts (20 each leg)

On my long run day and on my toughest speed work day I don't do any extra exercises before I run. (Yes, right now I am running seven days a week, but I take at least one or two days very easy). Every day after I run, I do a routine of stretching and foam rolling. I know that stretching is one of those "personal" things in the running world. There are runners that are religious about stretching and runners that swear they never do. For me, I believe stretching works and helps keep my body happy.

After every run I do this routine. I do each stretch on both sides, and hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds, release, then repeat it for another 30 seconds. It takes about 20-25 minutes (sometimes longer, because Noah is usually crawling all over me for this. He loves when I am down on the floor with him and thinks rolling/stretching time = play time. I tell him he is my personal trainer).
straight leg calf stretch
bent leg calf stretch (stretches Achilles)
kneeling hamstring stretch
laying on back hamstring stretch
kneeling hip flexor stretch
standing quad stretch
Lying glute stretch (ankle to knee)
Lying ITB stretch
Downward facing dog yoga pose

Then I roll my ITBs, quads, and hamstrings with my roller.

If I "find" any sore/tight spots while I am stretching and rolling, I pay them some extra attention.

It takes time to do all of this. And being honest, YES, there are days when I would so much rather just sleep in the extra half an hour, or when I get done with my run and I just want to skip right to breakfast. But I am asking a lot of my body, and if I want it to continue to be healthy and strong, I need to take care of it. And the extra 25-60 minutes a day is way worth it if it keeps me healthy and injury free. Since I started this routine (about six weeks ago), I have felt stronger all over (especially my core and upper body) and my hamstrings (which have always been tight) are feeling much better. So for me, the time is well worth it and it has become an important part of my training.

Along with this, I try very hard to eat well and get enough rest. Again, I am asking a lot of my body, and if I want it to do what I want it to do without breaking down, I have to take care of it. That means getting adequate sleep and rest (or as much as possible... adequate isn't always an option for parents!) and giving my body the nutrients it needs to be healthy and strong.

I can't ask my body to run lots of miles and be fast (and expect it to do so) if I am filling it full of sugar and crappy food. So I make sure I get the right amount of calories and that most of them are from the best sources (whole grains, fruits, veggies, beans, nuts, potatoes, fish, lean meats, eggs, soy milk, etc.) and I drink lots and lots of water. I definitely notice that I feel stronger as a runner when I am well-rested and am eating well.

How about you? Do you do strength/core/cross training? What do you do?

Do you stretch? Always? Never? Sometimes?

Do you notice a difference in your training when you eat and sleep well?

If you have questions about any of these exercises or stretches ask away and I will try to clarify. :)

My exciting news!

2011-12-13T18:07:00.000-08:00

I have been bursting at the seams since I got this news on Friday, but it wasn't 100% confirmed (in my mind) so I was afraid to say anything. Today I had it confirmed so here goes...

I am going to be a part of the Brooks ID Program for 2012!!!! Here is what Brooks says about the program-

"Brooks I.D. stands for Inspire Daily. These two simple words guide the principles of the program. Brooks I.D. is made up of over 800 members who are active in their running communities and share a passion for the Brooks brand. They are runners who are winners in their own right: Winning their age divisions, accomplishing their personal goals, pushing their own limits, and, by extension, encouraging others to do the same. They are coaches, mentors, and leaders. Brooks I.D. athletes members use their athletic talent to help carry out the Brooks mission: To inspire people to run and be active. We look for athletes who have a passion for Brooks, race and train in Brooks' shoes and apparel, and enthusiastically evangelize the brand. "

Seriously, I don't know that I could be more excited. I am a huge Brooks fan, and they are the only running shoes that I have worn since I started running. I love their slogan, "Run Happy!" To be a part of the Brooks team and to get to run, race, and represent Brooks really is a running dream come true for me!

Here is how it came to be...

Early last year I connected with a Brooks ID member named Shannon Price. Shannon is an ultra runner and he is super awesome, and incredibly kind. (You can read an interview and learn more about Shannon here). I asked how he got involved with the Brooks ID program and he told me it was an invitation only program now, but that current Brooks ID members could submit new potential athletes at the end of the year for the coming year's program. He offered to submit me at the end of 2011 for the 2012 year, and he offered me some advice.

I really thought he was just being nice and that my chances were slim of getting selected. I sent Shannon my running resume and my bio a couple of weeks ago and have just waited anxiously ever since (trying not to get my hopes up).

Then on Friday afternoon I got an email from the director of the Brooks ID program telling me he'd love to offer me a contract for 2012! I heard from him again today and I will be getting the official invitation to the program on Monday (when the director is back in town). WOO HOO!!!

I posted my news on Facebook today and Shannon left a comment after one of my friends asked what it meant that I was going to be a part of the Brooks ID program. He said, "it means that Erin has worked herself silly and made it to the level of an elite with her dedication and ability. On behalf of the Brooks' team we are honored to have her. We are truly the lucky ones." Ok, so I definitely am NOT an elite in my ability, but it has been exciting to have my hard work pay off and to become more and more competitive (and I hope to continue to do so).

I certainly hope to also be able to continue to inspire others through this blog, through the running club I am starting here where I live, and in any other way that I can. Being a part of this program is definitely inspiring to me. :)

My single digit wardrobe

2011-12-13T08:45:00.000-08:00

I have had a few people ask me recently what I wear when I run outside this time of year.

I live in Western Wyoming in the Rocky Mountains. We are at over 6200ft elevation, and snow is guaranteed from November through April, highly likely in October and May, and quite possible the other months in between. (Not kidding... I've seen snow in July and August).

I like to run outside whenever I can. This time of year, I do my speed/interval work on the treadmill (since our only tracks are outdoors and covered in snow and ice), and I do at least a couple of my easier paced runs outside each week.

Here I am, ready to go this morning

This week the temps have been in the single digits on my morning runs (I have been going at about 7:30am). This morning my friend drove by while I was running. She slowed down, rolled down the window, and informed me that it was -2 F. My phone said it was 8 F. Either way, it was cold. I did six miles at an average pace and honestly, I was perfectly comfortable on my run. Wearing the right clothes made all the difference.

So what do I wear to run outside in the cold?

My MOST favorite article of winter running gear is my Brooks Softshell Utopia jacket.

I have it in Cobalt and I wear it for all my cold weather runs. This jacket is SUPER warm, but very light weight and comfortable. (And it has thumb holes. I adore thumb holes). In the days I have run in rain and snow it has kept me nice and dry too. This is my one, must have, piece of winter running gear. (And I have washed it countless times and it still looks brand new).

Under my Brooks Utopia jacket, I just need one layer, so I wear one of my long-sleeved running tops.

On bottom, it depends on how far I am going and how cold it is. If it is single digits, I usually go with a base-layer of thin tights, and then my Brooks Glycerin Pants. If it is double digits then I usually go with just a thicker pair of compression tights or my Brooks pants. I haven't gotten new running pants in quite a while and I have my eye on these babies.

On my head I wear my Brooks Infinity beanie. It is nice and warm without being TOO warm and fits perfectly. The fleece part around the ears and forehead feels great and there is a pony tail hole for people with enough hair to make a pony tail. I love this hat. (And this is another thing I have washed over and over and over and it still looks new).

And my gloves are Brooks too... the awesome Brooks Adapt gloves. These have a great flap that goes around your fingers for an extra layer of warmth and wind/wet protection, but can fold back if your hands get too toasty. They are comfortable and WARM (which is what I need because cold hands are miserable). They are also MP3 compatible. Perfect!

I wear a good pair of socks and my usual Brooks PureFlow's. (You can read my very detailed review of the PureFlow's here.)

I know a lot of people use Yak Trax and other similar things to run in the winter, but I don't. I feel like they change my gait, and since I am marathon training, I don't want to mess with that. I find the traction with my PureFlow's to be just fine though. I try to avoid running on ice, but have had no problems in fresh snow, packed snow, and icy patches. This morning there was quite a bit of ice and I had no problems at all. The traction has been good and my feet have stayed warm, dry, and happy.

I think runners tend to need less clothing than they think they do for running outside in the winter, especially if you have a few good pieces of winter running gear (like a great jacket). Once you get moving you will warm up, and as long as your hands and head are covered, the rest of you will probably be just fine.

my Brooks gear is reflective which I love!

Someone asked me about breathing in the cold. I just breathe normally. The cold air doesn't bother my throat or lungs (and is not bad for you) and it usually feels really good to be outside and breathing fresh air (even if it is COLD). If it is really cold and I am going to be out for a longer run, I sometimes wear a Buff around my neck that I can pull up over part of my face if needs be, but I rarely feel the need for it (and rarely use it when I do wear it) and if it is THAT cold, I take the run indoors.

Those are my tips on winter running! Get a few good pieces of winter running gear, cover hands and head, try to avoid ice, go on a day when pace doesn't matter as much, don't over-think it, and have fun! I can't say how much I love going out on a cold morning when the snow is sparkling and the sun is coming up. I would take a cold, winter's morning run over a hot, summer afternoon run ANY DAY.

Do you run in the cold? What is your winter running "must have"?

Numbers!

2011-12-10T10:04:00.001-08:00

I got my number for the Goofy Challenge this week. I am number 20309 for both the half marathon and the full. I believe the Goofy numbers start at 20,000 so I should be in corral A which makes me happy. I can't believe the races are less than a month away! I am hoping to kick some serious butt (details on my race goals coming soon).

I ran a virtual 10K this morning and set a new PR of 41:24 (a 6:40 average pace). My training plan called for a 10K race today (with 12 miles total including warm up and cool down). There are no races around here this time of year, so I just did one on my own. I did an easy three mile warm-up, ran my guts out for 6.2 miles and then cooled down for 2.8 miles. It was a big confidence booster for me to be able to run at an under 7:00 pace for over six miles. Tomorrow I have an easy-paced 17 miler on the schedule.

I am still coughing and coughing and coughing. I do ok during the day for the most part, but at around 8pm it just gets awful. Once I have been laying down for a little while it settles down and then I am able to sleep pretty well without coughing, but getting up in the morning and after a run are rough too. I AM SO SICK OF COUGHING. I get this bug most winters and it drags on and on and on for me. Looking on the bright side - at least it is now and not during the Disney races. I am trying to take it easy when I can.

We have a fun day planned today of decorating our Christmas tree and making gingerbread houses. I will take lots of pics!

Earlier this week I was tagged by the awesome, original Tough Chik, Shannon with the Versatile Blogger award.

I am really an open book so it is hard for me to try and come up with 7 things I haven't already shared about myself, but here goes. (Sorry if they are repeats).

1. I have never dyed my hair, I have never had a perm, and I have never had my ears pierced. I also don't get manicures or pedicures. Not sure if that makes me a natural kind of girl or just boring! I do always wear at least eye liner (and usually mascara) and I can't stand to go more than two days without shaving. I like to be neat, clean, well-groomed and pretty, I am just simple about it.

2. I don't wear running skirts. I never have, and I never will. I have nothing against those that do and think a lot of runners look awesome out there in their skirts and socks, but it just isn't my style. I don't wear skirts hardly ever in "real life", so it just doesn't make sense to me to put one on to run.

3. 16 years ago this week I was 18 years old and a freshman in college and I found out I was pregnant. It was THE crossroads in my life. I broke up with my boyfriend (who was not ready to be a father) and planned to be a single mom. Josh was just a friend at that time, but shortly after he found out I was pregnant he told me he was going to marry me. A few months later we started dating, and a couple of months after that he did marry me. A lot of people thought we were crazy and a lot of people thought we'd never last, but here we are, almost 16 years later, and I don't know a more in love or more happily married couple. He is my best friend, my true love, and my soul mate and I am grateful for every day I get to be with him.

4. I used to spend hours and hours and hours every day at a barn. I road horses, taught beginner riding lessons, mucked stalls, exercised other people's horses and did all kinds of work to earn my horse's boarding fees. I rode hunter-jumper and showed a few summers and loved it. I love horses and miss them a lot. I did get crushed by a young thoroughbred that I was riding when I was 17 and needed major surgery to repair a ruptured diaphragm, a hernia, and all kinds of resulting problems. They thought my hip was cracked too but luckily it wasn't. I HATED crutches. I have never broken a bone and have only had stitches once (besides my surgeries). Knock on wood. :)

5. I have given birth three times (one c-section, then two v-bac's.) Josh and I have adopted three infants, three toddlers, and three school aged-kids. We have adopted four kids from the United States, three kids from Ethiopia, one from South Korea and one from Vietnam. I made two trips by myself to Vietnam, I have spent over seven weeks total in Ethiopia, and I was "stuck" in South Carolina for over two weeks (waiting on a judge to sign some paperwork). I could never have planned my family more perfectly or beautifully than God has.

6. I am a chicken about some things. I don't like things that have a risk of falling. I am not afraid of heights or roller coasters (I love theme park rides!) but snow skiing, water skiing, roller blading down a hill, and things that like make me super nervous.

7. I was a total nerd in school (although I had lots of friends, so I wasn't a geeky nerd). I graduated #5 in my high school class of over 500 students and got a $25,000 scholarship to an excellent school (Marist College in New York).

I am no good at tagging, so if you are reading this and want to play along, consider yourself tagged! :)

And... I am hoping to have some super awesome news to share on Monday. I probably could share now, but I want to be 100% sure before I do. (Sorry to tease, but my hopes are so high and it will make it way worse if I share and then find out it isn't really happening).

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Find some time in all the holiday craziness to get some running in. You'll feel better for it! :)

The Jade Rabbit Review and Giveaway

2011-12-09T14:59:00.001-08:00

I am still waiting for confirmation of the exciting news I was hoping to share today. I promise I will post as soon as I hear. I am bursting here.

Today was my sweet Noah's third birthday. Noah has been such an incredible blessing in my life. He has taught me so much about faith, strength, happiness, peace, determination, and unconditional love. I am SO so grateful that I get to be his mom. All of the other kids were very excited about Noah's birthday, and he was treated like the king all day, which he loved.

Here is a present for one lucky reader!

Author, runner, and adoptive parent Mark Matthews contacted me a while ago and asked if I would be willing to read, review, and give away a copy of his book, The Jade Rabbit.

I love to run, I love to read, and I am also an adoptive parent, and so I was definitely excited to read Matthews' book.

The Jade Rabbit tells the story of Janice Zhu Woodward. Janice was abandoned by her mother in China as a newborn, and then adopted by American parents. The story intertwines Janice's struggle with her abandonment and separation from her birth family and homeland, her job working with runaway and neglected youth, her passion for running, and her quest to train for and run a sub 3:00 marathon.

I read the novel in a weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. There aren't too many novels that have competitive runners as the main character, and I definitely could relate to a lot of emotions that Janice has on her runs, before and during her race, etc. There are a lot of emotions in this book and the characters became very real to me. It is definitely a story that sucks you in.

The book is not a training running book or a resource book on adoption, but it does tell the story of how a young adult that was adopted as an infant may feel, and how a marathoner may feel while trying to run a sub 3:00 marathon. I thought it was a very enjoyable read and think a lot of you would too. (And let's face it, winter is the best time of year to curl up with a blanket, warm drink, and a good book).

If you would like to win a copy of the Jade Rabbit, just leave a comment below and tell me you would like to enter. I will use Random.org to choose a winner on Monday, Dec. 19.

You can learn more about author, runner, and father, Mark Matthews at his blog here and you can follow him on Twitter here.

Hump day bullet points

2011-12-07T09:17:00.001-08:00

- Noah is doing MUCH better. He is not 100% yet, but he is sleeping through the night again and is much happier overall.

- I however, am still not sleeping through the night, as I am waking myself up coughing. I have put myself out on the couch the last two nights so I didn't wake up Josh and Noah. I am not coughing too much during the day anymore though, and I am feeling much better overall. I was just a day or two behind Noah in getting sick, so I am hoping tonight I will get some good, solid sleep and this will be all gone in another day or two.

- Christmas time with 12 kids makes for A LOT of excitement.

- Today is Dec. 7 and I have run 77 miles this month. I like 7's!

- I am really excited about getting to go on a run with a new friend tomorrow! I haven't had a running partner in months and although I don't mind training on my own, it gets lonely sometimes and I miss the friendship of running with someone (even just once and a while), especially since I don't have much of a social life otherwise. We are planning a six mile run and it is going to be COLD (single digits) but sunny. And, we are talking about starting a running club here where we live. I am really excited!

- The first part of the Goofy Challenge (the Donald Duck Half Marathon) is ONE MONTH from today. WOO HOO!! That means the marathon is one month from tomorrow. I can't wait. :) I am hoping to plan a blogger meet up for Disney weekend. If you are going to be running either race or will be in Orlando for the January 7-8 weekend and are interested in meeting up, leave a comment and I will email everybody.

- I am going to a party tonight (for the first time in ummmmmm.... yeah, I don't know. A long time.) It will be a bunch of moms/friends from my church/community and it is a "favorite things" party, where everyone brings a gift that is one of their favorite things from the year and then we all switch. It should be fun! But I am wondering... is it funny or sad that all of my favorite things have to do with running??? I am guessing these ladies wouldn't want some Hammer gels or a Brooks beanie...

- My treadmill had it's annual "check-up" this weekend (included in the extended warranty through Nordictrack). The guy comes out, looks it over, lubes it, changes some engine belt, notes if it needs any repairs, recalibrates it, and checks the speed to make sure it is running at the speeds it says it is. He said that some of the treadmills he sees on repair calls haven't been checked in years and a lot of time are off by MAJOR amounts of time in what speed the screen says and what speed the belt is going. He said just that weekend he was at a house and when the treadmill was up at "10" it was really only going at less than "8". How much would it suck to find out you were running way slower on the treadmill than you thought??? I am happy to report that mine was dead on... at 12.0 it was exactly at 12.0. I usually do not buy the warranty for anything, but I knew I would be putting heavy miles on this treadmill so I am happy to have it. Do you have your treadmill serviced or checked up routinely??

- I watched the Biggest Loser Marathon last night. I was really impressed with some of the contestants and was so pleasantly surprised that Ramon won! I felt really bad for the athletes that were pulled off of the course, but understand that if they were seriously injured it would definitely hurt their overall health and weight-loss goals. And can I just say though, that that marathon course SUCKED?? Who picked that location? I think the dry lake bed may have been nice to run on (softer than asphalt), BUT the wind?? The blowing sand? No shade at all? Running in circles in the dessert? No thank you.

- Stay tuned for a review and giveaway of "The Jade Rabbit" by Mark Matthews. It is a story about running, adoption, and children in crisis, all of which are topics near and dear to my heart. I have a couple of other product reviews as well.

Happy Wednesday!

One year

2011-12-04T14:10:00.001-08:00

One year ago today, I became a marathoner.

One year ago today, on December 5, 2010, I ran my first marathon - the Rock N Roll Las Vegas Marathon.

I had trained hard and put in all the miles that my Hal Higdon Intermediate 1 plan had called for. I had not paid much attention to pace on my runs. While I knew you were "supposed" to run your first marathon with the goal of just finishing, I really wanted to be under 4:30, and I really hoped that I might be able to even get under 4:20.

I had a total blast. Josh, my parents, and Noah were there. (Josh ran the half and then was there to see me finish!) I had not started this blog yet so I didn't know any of the bloggers and wasn't a part of any of that fun.

I was excited, slightly nervous, and cautiously optimistic and confident.

During the race I followed my plan. I didn't go out too fast. I stayed hydrated. I fueled well. I enjoyed the crowds, the other runners, and the sites. I never hit the wall. I never doubted I could finish. I never wanted to quit. I never even walked. When it got hard, I told myself, "You are doing it! You are running a marathon!" and "The marathon is tough, but you are TOUGHER." I took it one mile at a time. I remembered to smile.

I crossed that finish line (sprinting strong, with Josh beside me) with a time of 4:15:50. I was insanely happy. I was excited. I was proud. I was emotional. I was changed. I was hooked. I was a marathoner.

As we walked back to the hotel I couldn't stop smiling, and when my Dad asked if I would do another one I didn't have to think twice about saying "yes".

I never could have imagined that being a marathoner would become such a big part of who I am, or something that I am so dedicated to, or something I am so passionate about, or something that I enjoy so much. I definitely had no clue it would be something I would be good at!

I had no idea I would run five more marathoners in less than 11 months. I had no idea I would shave more than 47 minutes off of my time in nine months. I couldn't have dreamed that I would be able to qualify for Boston, or have the opportunity to run NYC.

It is kind of crazy that so much has happened in just one year.

I am excited to see what the next year brings.

One year ago today, I became a marathoner.

NO excuses

2011-12-04T13:24:00.001-08:00

This morning I ran 20 miles. On the treadmill. I ran on the treadmill because outside is a frozen tundra, and with the ground/roads as icy as it is, there was no way I was going to be able to get a good (or safe) run done outside.

Today was one of those runs that was a mental challenge. For one, Noah has been sick this week. There is no such thing as "just a little sick" with Noah, because any little bit of congestion is really tough for him to handle. There has been lots of coughing, gagging, choking, throwing up, etc. (especially at night) which means there hasn't been a whole lot of sleeping. I have been trying to take it easy during the day and lay down early, but six or seven hours of uninterrupted sleep is sounding pretty dang amazing right about now. (He was a lot better yesterday and last night than he has been, so hopefully a full recovery is just around the corner).

On top of the stress and lack of sleep, Noah shared his germs with me. Yesterday my throat was a little sore and it felt tight on my 10-mile run. Then I started losing my voice.

So as I lay there in bed this morning, it would have been super, super easy to just roll over and go back to sleep. I could have justified that I was "sick", that I already had a lot of miles this week, that I needed the rest, that 20 miles on the treadmill would SUCK...

But I knew I wasn't going to blow off the run. I grabbed my Hammer gels, mixed up some Perpetuem, and set up my laptop so I could watch episodes of season eight of 24. (Nothing like a little Jack Bauer to perk up your inner "bad-a$$").

The first couple of miles were icky. My throat wasn't sore and I wasn't coughing, but it just felt hard to breathe. (I was sticking by the rule that if your "cold" is in your throat or above it is ok to run, but if it is in your lungs or you have a fever, skip it. My lungs are good and no fever.) Things got better and I kept running, and as they always do, the miles ticked away.

I had to stop at about 8 miles to use the bathroom and it was tough to get right back on the treadmill. I wasn't even half way done yet, I was tired, it was still harder than it should be to breathe, blah blah blah. But I got right back on and kept on running, and soon I only had single digit mileage left. With seven miles to go I knew I had less than an hour and that I was going to get this run DONE.

I ran the first 10 miles at an 8:13 pace, then ran the next five miles at an 8:06 pace, then ran three miles at an 8:00 pace, then one mile at 7:47 and the last mile was at 7:30. As I sped up throughout the second half of the run I kept thinking, "Take THAT excuses." When I finally saw 20.0 under distance on my treadmill screen, I was really, REALLY happy to be done.

I told myself that this was good training for race day(s). You never know how you will feel on race day. It definitely WILL be tough (mentally and physically). Your brain will try to talk you into quitting or at least slowing down. You have the choice to keep running and keep fighting or give in.

I want to be the girl that keeps fighting when the going gets tough. No excuses. I think training runs like today will help that happen on race day.

I am also really excited because this week I hit 75 miles, which is my highest mileage week so far. And my body feels AWESOME (besides this whole throat issue). It is a pretty big confidence booster to run that kind of mileage and feel good.

So now I am resting for the rest of the day. Comfy clothes are on, feet are up, and the kids are having fun passing on messages to each other from me since I can't talk above a whisper.

And, I am excitedly "cyber stalking" all of my friends who are running Rock n Roll Las Vegas today too! Last year, RnR Vegas was my very first marathon and it was an awesome experience. I hope that the "Strip at Night" is super fun for all of the runners tonight!!!

More soon!

Drive

2011-12-01T13:07:00.001-08:00

Thanks everybody for all of your comments on my "Doubt" post. It made me feel better and sad all at the same time that seemingly everyone has times where they struggle with self- doubt. I am glad I posted the post when I did since it got the reaction it did. A few hours later I probably wouldn't have posted it.

The advice I give to you (and I guess to myself!) is to take pride in what you accomplish, notice the small steps of progress, and avoid comparing yourself to others. No matter who you are, there will always be someone faster. Find joy and pride in what YOU can do as a runner. (I am talking about combating self-doubt related to running, but I guess this would work with most areas of life).

I can tell you that for me, the "cure" to a bit of nagging doubt in the back of my head was to do some butt-kicking runs. Yesterday my Pfitz training plan called for 10 miles total, with 4x1200M at a 6:18 pace. I nailed that. Then for today the plan had me running 15 miles (on a Thursday!) and I finished that at an average 7:53 pace. I had to get up at 5am (after a night of very little sleep courtesy of a sick Noah) to get my running done before Josh had to go to work, but I did, and it was great. I have an easy six miles tomorrow, then 10 miles on Saturday and 20 miles on Sunday (giving me 73 miles total for the week - my longest week to date).

This week of challenging training has left me feeling strong, fast, and capable, which is just what I needed.

On top of that, before reading my post on doubt, Josh told me yesterday that he was proud of me for how much dedication, work, and effort I was putting in to my running. That meant the WORLD to me. I work very hard at keeping life balanced and not letting my running/training take away from my time or energy with my family, but it feels great to have Josh notice how much I do put into it, and be proud of me. His love and support are amazing and I am so grateful for him. (And I love being able to encourage and support him in all that he does as well. It's what love and marriage is all about).

I am reading "Running for The Hansons" right now by Sage Canaday, and I am LOVING it. Here is a quote that I read last night that really sums up how I feel (Sage was talking about why he was training the way he was when his chances of making an Olympic team were slim).

"Why would you try hard at anything at life? Why would you play guitar if you weren't ever going to be a rockstar millionaire? The simple answer is you do it because you love it. You have a passion for it, you find meaning in it, and you are curious as to what you can accomplish in it. ...when push comes to shove, the real motivation to pursue anything whole-heartedly has to come from within. It is the internal drive inside that beckons you out the door everyday, to push one mile, one step, further. Faster and faster. You need to see and feel that progression and change in your life; you have an instinctual desire to improve your "skills" in something that may help you survive." - Sage Canaday

Yes, yes, and YES. I have a passion for running. I find meaning in running. I want to see what I can accomplish in running. I definitely have an internal drive and I absolutely DO love it. And no matter what I do or don't accomplish, running has given me SO much. That's what matters the most on this journey. If doubt creeps back in, this is what I am going to read and remind myself of.

Ok, I have a product review, a book review, and a giveaway coming up soon, and I will also be answering some questions sent to me on what I wear when I run in the winter and about my core/strength training routines. Stay tuned!

On a totally different note, today is World AIDS Day. I know that this is something that doesn't impact a lot of people in the U.S. and is something that a lot of people don't think about much, but it is a topic near and dear to my heart. I ask you today to take three minutes to watch this fun but informative video and help spread TRUTH.

Doubt

2011-11-29T19:21:00.001-08:00

Classify this post under the category of "keeping it real".

The last couple of weeks I have been doubting myself. I have been questioning if I am as fast as I think I am or if I can be as fast as I want to be. I am not sure why. Self-doubt and insecurity are a big part of who I used to be, but not a big part of who I am now (most of the time) or more importantly, who I want to be.

On my run today I did a lot of talking to myself (in my head). I reminded myself of how far I have come... that three years ago I was still over 200lbs and couldn't run a mile, and that one year ago I was gearing up for my first marathon. I thought about recent races and the successes I have had. I told myself not to compare myself to other runners. I reviewed training runs over the past few months that I nailed and which hint that faster race times are within my reach. Maybe most importantly, I reminded myself that I run because I love it. I run because it's fun. I run because I am strong and committed and determined. I run because it makes me feel amazingly good, physically and emotionally.

I thought about Bart Yasso telling me that I have a "runner's body" and look like I am "built to run fast". (My favorite running compliment ever. If he says that to everyone, please don't tell me).

While I run because it is fun, I do also want to be competitive. I like racing and I enjoy pushing myself. I want to be fast and to get faster. I want to do well. I want to better my times. I would love some age group placings and wins.

I need to remember -

Patience. Trust in the training. Have faith in the process. Believe in myself. Don't be afraid of big goals. I am putting the work in, and I have to believe in myself. I have to find satisfaction in achieving my best, whatever that is.

Courage, Faith, Strength.

I am on my own running journey. I don't know where it will take me, but I am going to enjoy the journey.

Do you ever get plagued by self doubt or insecurity? How do you handle it?

Odds and Ends, and a Winner!!

2011-11-26T10:53:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend.

We have a few kids with colds... no one is feeling terrible, but there is a lot of coughing and sniffling. So we are keeping it all pretty low-key.

Yesterday we had a Christmas movie day and watched movies, ate leftovers, and relaxed. (I do not shop on Black Friday. I don't enjoy shopping very much. I do 99% of my Christmas shopping online). We did go out and get a Christmas tree and tonight we are going to our town Parade of Lights. I love the Parade of Lights!

I have been running lots. This morning I did a 9 miler with five miles at half marathon goal pace (about 7:06). I ran the last tempo mile at a 6:45 and it felt pretty good to run fast. I was stuck on the treadmill because of lots of ice, but I ran outside the rest of the week so I can't complain (this time of year any run outside is a major bonus!) Tomorrow I have a 17 miler to do, and next week will be over 70 miles with 10 miles on Saturday and 20 miles on Sunday. The Disney Goofy Challenge is just over a month away now. Crazy! I know the month is going to go by super fast with the holidays too.

As much as I would rather be doing my speedwork at the track instead of on the treadmill and as much as I complain about my water bottle freezing shut on my long runs, I love having winter races to train for. I love having "no excuses", I love the escape from the "busy-ness" of the holidays with my daily training, and I love the motivation to keep up my training when it would be super easy to slack.

I am happy to report that I ate great this week. I didn't overeat, overindulge, or gain any weight over Thanksgiving. I enjoyed the day. I had tasty food that we prepared in healthy ways, and I focused on my family, being thankful, and the "fun" of the day instead of the food. It feels GOOD. This was the first year of my life that I can remember that I enjoyed Thanksgiving without overeating. I don't feel like I missed out on anything, and in fact I think I enjoyed the day and the weekend a whole lot more without feeling stuffed.

Two more piece of business -

Yesterday I heard that I was chosen to be a FitFluential Ambassador.They have been expanding their program and looking for more Ambassadors (so there are lots of other people being added to the program), and Dorothy at Mileposts and Blonde Ponytail both recommended me. Thanks ladies! You can read more about FitFluential here.

and finally, the lucky winner of my Neocell Collagen Sport Giveaway is

LACEY SUE from N.Y.A.R.M. !!!!!!

Congrats Lacey! Send me an email and I will get you connected with Neocell so you can get your prize.

More soon!

Perfect day

2011-11-24T10:23:00.001-08:00

Today I held my first race! I organized a small Turkey Trot for our community. It was SO MUCH FUN. I was so happy with how many people came out and what a perfect (albeit cold!) morning that it was.

We had about 50 people that participated (which was a lot more than I expected) and we definitely will be planning it bigger and better for next year. I started planning this just over a week ago and just spread the word through email, Facebook, and word of mouth. We told everyone that it was just a fun run and invited people to come out whether they wanted to run, jog, or walk.

Josh and I went down to the church parking lot at about 8:40. We had a huge cooler filled with hot chocolate, two cans of Redi-Whip, paper cups, napkins, a garbage bag, a stop watch, a notepad, a pen, and a camera.

Nathan, Ryan, Shane, Ben, Amanda and Maggie all came to run the race! I was so pleasantly surprised that they all wanted to come and run (especially the little girls!) Since it was an out and back course, I knew that they could turn around early if they needed to and that there would be lots of friends and neighbors around.

When we got there the kids drew a start/finish line, and then Josh took off on his own. The plan was for him to take his Garmin and run down 1.55 miles and then stop at the turn around point. We picked an out and back course on a road that was clear of ice and snow and it worked perfectly. Josh stood at the turn around point and he gave everyone a high-five as they got to him and made sure the road was clear of any cars when people were turning around (it was a road with very, very little traffic).

Everyone lined up and I gave a quick "have fun, be careful, stay to the left, thanks for coming out, Happy Thanksgiving", and then with a "Ready, Set, Go!" they were off!

Sadies (my oldest) came down to help me at the finish line. I had the stop watch and a notebook and pen to write down the finishing times and Sadies was armed with the hot chocolate and Redi-Whip to give out to everyone.

A dad and his two little kids (who had gone about a quarter way down and then turned back) were the first back and we cheered for them.

The winner just happened to be my Shane (12 years old!) He finished in 22:27. Ryan (my 13 year old) finished 6th in 25:21, and then Nathan (my 15 year old) finished 7th in 25:30!!!!! Nate is NOT a runner (well, he wasn't until today!!!!) and I am really, really proud of him.

Maggie was walking and I guess looked a little lonely/concerned, because an older woman who lives next door and was walking with her grown kids saw Maggie and decided they should turn around together (about half way down). Maggie came back in one of their extra coats on top of hers, all smiles and ready for hot chocolate.

Josh waited down at the turn around until the last runners/walkers passed him and then he ran back with them. The last two runners happened to be our Amanda (who is 10, the tiniest little person ever, and was born with crooked femurs that can't be fixed and two heart conditions that will be fixed when she is older but don't slow her down) and her friend. They had made it all the way down to the turn around and were determined to finish the whole 5K. They ran in strong with Josh right behind them with a time of 40:41. I seriously could not have been more proud.

Everyone stood around, talked, stretched, and had hot chocolate for a little bit, and then we all went home to our families to enjoy our Thanksgiving Day.

It truly was a perfect morning. (I got up early and got my six miles and core work out done before the race).

The turkeys are cooking (one on in the smoker, one in the oven), we watched the parade, and we are all set for a fabulous, fun holiday here at home. It's a wonderful day.

I am thankful today and every day for all that I have been given.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!!!

Shane and Ryan decorating the starting line.

Ben, Amanda, and Maggie getting ready to run.

A bunch of the group at the starting line.

Sadies staying warm in the van

And They're Off!!!

Victory pose!

Ryan with his hot chocolate

Nate after his first 5K

Inspire

2011-11-21T19:10:00.001-08:00

I am not the kind of person that pushes my interests, beliefs, loves etc. on to other people. I am a very open book and share easily, but my style is more to just "put it out there" and let the people who are interested take what they will from it. I try to live in such a way that my faith, priorities, and passions are evident and obvious by my words, actions, and my life.

And I hope that my words, actions, and life can inspire others in certain ways.

I hope that by seeing my beautiful, amazing, totally rocking family, that others will be aware of the millions of children in the U.S. and around the world that do not have families, and will be inspired to consider adoption as a way to add to their family. Adoption has blessed Josh and I nine times, and each time it was just as much a miracle as it was the times I gave birth. (November is National Adoption Month!)

I hope that by sharing my love for our sweet Noah, the fun and special spirit that he brings to our family, and the amazing progress he continues to make every day, that I can inspire others to consider adopting a special needs child, or at least change the way they look at and think about people with disabilities. Noah was a baby that the world had given up on, but he is so very much more than a bunch of labels (cerebral palsy, epilepsy, cortical vision impairment, feeding disorder, developmental delays, blah blah) and the challenges he faces. He is pure joy and it is a privilege to be his mom. He is truly a miracle, a blessing, and an inspiration.

I hope that by sharing basic, factual information and living the way that we do that others will learn that HIV is a chronic but manageable disease, that people with HIV can live long, healthy lives and that HIV can not be transmitted in any casual/household contact. It has been proven that HIV and AIDS can only be spread through sexual contact, birth, breastfeeding and blood to blood contact (such as sharing needles). (Two of our children are HIV+ and I am an adoption coordinator for HIV+ kids and kids with other special needs. Fighting the stigma that surrounds HIV is something I am passionate about).

I hope that by the choices I make, the priorities I have set, the way that I treat people, and the life that I live, that my faith in Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father is evident. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and my faith is an extremely important part of who I am, how I live, and all that I do. I hope that the true happiness I have in my life may inspire others to seek out that happiness.

I hope that by sharing how I lost weight slowly but surely by eating in a healthier way and exercising regularly (without gimmicks or diets), that I can inspire others to find for themselves how great it feels to be healthy and in shape, and the motivation to make a change. At the age of 32 I finally got sick and tired enough of being overweight and out of shape that I did something about it. I started eating healthy. I started exercising. I started taking care of myself and my body. I lost over 75lbs and gained so much more.

before

after

And if you have ever spent more than a few minutes on my blog, you know that I am a runner. I love running. I love racing. I love marathons. I am committed to training hard and putting a lot of effort and heart into my running, so that I can be the best that I can. I hope that by sharing my passion for running, and how much strength, courage, power, confidence, fun, excitement, and joy that I get from running that I will inspire others to give running a try.

This week I have two fun opportunities to inspire others to get active and get running. Tomorrow, the elementary school that three of my kids go to is having a Turkey Trot. Each grade is having their own race and prizes. I will have Solomon in the Kindergarten race and Marcus and Belane in the second grade race. I have not pushed my kids into running at all. With 12 kids, they ALL are very unique and have their own talents, interests, and passions. I want all of my kids to be active and healthy, but we encourage them to pursue their own "thing" whether it be sports, art, music, etc.

It has been SUPER fun though to see these three kids be so excited about the race. They want to "run like Mom" and "race like Mom". I love it! And I can't wait to go cheer them on.

And then I decided to throw together a very informal Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. It will be a simple 5K course fun run. There will not be any timing or prizes, it is just about getting family, neighbors, and friends out and active on a holiday morning. The response has been really great though and I am excited to share my love of running with my community, even in a very small and simple way. (I am hoping to build on this next year into a more official event). It should be a lot of fun and a great way to start Thanksgiving Day.

This week of Thanksgiving (and always) I am thankful for much, but tonight I am especially grateful for all of the people in my life who have inspired me with their words, actions, and lives. I am blessed to be surrounded by wonderful people who inspire me in endless ways.

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
- Mohandas Gandhi

Collagen Sport giveaway!

2011-11-20T12:52:00.001-08:00

Today I have a giveaway and product review for you!

Recently I was sent some Neocell Collagen Sport Whey Isolate Complex. It is a drink powder sold for athletes to "Refuel, Recover, Regenerate and Replenish". One of Neocell's sponsored athletes is Russ Jones, who is a triathlete, USAT nationally ranked #1 Triathlete in the 50-54 age group, an Olympic trials marathon qualifier, a USA Triathlon Certified Coach, and an all-around pretty impressive guy. :)

Here is some info about Neocell Collagen Sport -

15 grams Pure Ion-Exchange Whey Protein Isolate
15 grams Super Collagen™ Bioavailable Peptides
Rich in BCAAs
Good source of L-Glutamine
Enhanced with Exogenous Amino Acids
Multi-vitamin Fortification
Doctor Formulated
Gluten, Wheat, Sugar & Lactose Free
No Artificial Sweeteners or Flavors
No Fillers or Synthetic Ingredients

I have never taken any type of supplement before, other than a multivitamin, and I wasn't really looking to add a supplement to my exercise diet and routine. (I am not big on "taking" stuff. I almost never even take a Tylenol.) But I was contacted by Neocell right after reading (again) about the importance of refueling and getting the right nutrients into your body within 30 minutes of exercising. That is something I had NOT been doing a very good job at.

My package from Neocell came while I was in NY and being honest, when I looked at it I wasn't sure if I was going to use it. Josh's mom was here and I gave her the belgian chocolate flavor and the french vanilla sat on my counter for a few more days. Then I read yet again about the importance of refueling after a run. I read in detail about Neocell's Collagen Sport and decided to give it a try.

The directions say to mix one or two big scoops into 6-8 ounces of water or milk (and there are also directions to use it in smoothies). I put one big scoop in probably about 8-10 ounces of cold water. I shook it up in my water bottle and was impressed with how quickly and easily it mixed. I only had to shake it for a short period of time and there were no clumps at all (no fancy mixer or shaker bottle required).

I was also impressed with the taste. The vanilla taste was very yummy, there was no grainy texture at all, and it was sweet without being overly sweet (and I love that there are no artificial sweeteners of flavors because I am sensitive to the artificial sweeteners). I imagine the belgian chocolate is super yummy!

For the last week now I have been using Neocell Collagen Sport. I have finished my runs, made and drank a bottle (using probably 12-16 ounces of water and one scoop, which is weaker than what they recommend but works for me), and then gone and done my stretching, rolling, playing with Noah routine on the living room floor, and then finally getting some breakfast.

I have been really, really happy with this product. I have been so happy with it that I am actually going to order more, which is something I have not done with any other drink/supplement I have been sent or have tried. It has not upset my super sensitive stomach, it tastes great, it mixes easily, it has kept me feeling full longer in between breakfast and lunch, and I am finally refueling like I am supposed to.

It is hard to say after just a week how my muscles are benefiting, but I can say that I ran 60 miles last week including one tough speed work out, and I also started my new strength training routine twice a week and my new core strength routine three times a week, and my body feels really good and muscle soreness has been very short-lived. Since I am now a girl with a plan and am trying to "step up" my training, I want to make sure I am giving my body all that it needs. I plan on sticking with Neocell Collagen Sport for awhile and seeing how it works for me. I will keep you posted!

Neocell wants to give one of you the chance to try Collagen Sport too!

One winner will win their choice of a container of Neocell Collagen Sport in either the Belgian Chocolate Flavor or the French Vanilla Flavor, 15 serving size container (a $29.95 value).

To enter -
Leave a comment saying you would like to enter and which flavor you would choose.

For bonus entries (leave one comment for each please)

- Go to the Collagen Sport Facebook page, like them, and tell them See Mom Run Far sent you.
- Tweet " I want to win Collagen Sport from @SeeMomRunFar and @NeoCellSport"
- Leave a comment here telling me what you currently do to refuel after your runs

I will use random.org to draw a winner from all entries on Saturday, November 26. Good luck!

***FTC requires that I tell you that this product was given to me free of charge for the purpose of review/giving away by Neocell. That said, thoughts/reviews shared on the product are my honest opinion.***

Girl with a plan

2011-11-17T16:04:00.001-08:00

I am officially a girl with a plan! Earlier this week I posted my "decisions decisions" post, and shared that I was trying to figure out if I could/should get a coach, what training plan to use, races for next year, etc.

I have talked with Josh, researched, prayed, read, soul-searched and planned.

I am a girl with a plan. :)

For now, I am going to keep training on my own, without a coach. I definitely think a coach could be great for me in a lot of ways, but what it boils down to is that I can't justify the cost of a coach at this point and time. Our budget is tight. The costs and expenses of life with 12 kids are literally endless. I do not have any guilt or doubt about the money I spend on my running and racing, but adding the monthly expense of a coach isn't possible/responsible.

But as much as I think a coach could be great for me in a lot of ways, I am feeling really good about my plan and confident in my ability to continue to coach/guide myself. I think it's going to be good.

I read (devoured) "Advanced Marathoning" by Peter Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas.

I love this book. I really enjoyed reading it, and I feel like I learned a ton (even though I had read lots of running books before this one). I found it very motivating and encouraging, and it really helped me put together what I think is a great plan to get me from here to Boston.

I am going to use the Pftiz "in between marathons" plan from now to Goofy. I tweaked the plan slightly so that I would have back-to-back medium long runs and long runs on Saturdays and Sundays. The speed work is different from what I have done in the past and I look forward to new challenges. Then after a short recovery period after Goofy, I am going to use the Pfitz training plan for 70-85 miles a week to train for Boston. (I know that sounds like a lot of miles but I have done many weeks at 65 miles lately so it's not a big increase).

I also came up with a plan for my overall fitness. I already had been good about stretching after my runs (and foam rolling) but after reading "Advanced Marathoning" I have a more thorough stretching/flexibility routine I will do after every run.

Up until now I have been doing a routine of exercises twice a week that I considered my strength training. After reading this book I realized that about half of the exercises I was doing were core-stability exercises and the others were strength-training exercises. Pfitzinger recommends doing a routine of core-stability exercises three times a week and a routine of strength-training exercises twice a week. I used the book and the exercises I was already doing to put together a core routine and a strength routine that I will be doing the recommended times per week.

I have done the core workout once and the strength workout once now (each just takes 20-30 minutes) and I really think that these exercises, along with the stretching/flexibility routine are really going to help my overall fitness and strength and help prevent injury, and I am excited about it.

The chapter on nutrition and hydration was great, and I loved all the info and science about training and racing marathons in the other chapters. This book just really excited me about training hard getting faster, and taking care of myself and doing things so that I can be a healthy and strong person, runner, and athlete. (And yeah, it still makes me smile to think of myself as an athlete).

I also have set some goals for myself for Goofy and Boston (I will share in a future post since I am ready for bed now!). Goals are subject to change as training goes on, but I am feeling good and excited for what the future holds.

I have a training plan for my running. I have a plan for my overall health and fitness. I am going to follow my plan, listen to my body, adjust as needed, pray for guidance and protection, and give it all I have.

Watch out world. I am a girl with a plan. :)

(I bought "Advanced Marathoning" with my own money. I wasn't asked to review it and I am not giving it away. I wrote about it because I really like it).

Runners are cool

2011-11-15T11:48:00.001-08:00

I have been really trying to think a lot about the NYC Marathon and the entire awesome experience that it was. I tend to be SO crazy busy right up until I leave for a race, and then the minute I get home I am back to mom, housekeeper, adoption coordinator (and usually a bit overwhelmed playing catch up on all fronts). This was a special trip and wonderful experience and I don't want to lose any of the memories.

As I was thinking about race day again this morning, I was remembering the walk from the corrals and then standing on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge right before the race started. I was chatting with some of the people around me, two in particular. One guy was a young college kid from the Bronx who seemed to be in super shape. He said he had run the NYC Marathon as a bandit twice, and this was his first year running it "legal". He worried about going out too fast but was quite cocky and funny. Another guy was an older gentleman (I am guessing late 50's) from the midwest who had a shaved head and was covered in tattoo's. This was his first NYC marathon (but he had run lots of others) and he was getting a tattoo for it as soon as he was done. He was a really cool guy and very fun to talk to. And then there was me... a 34 year old mom of 12 from Wyoming, running my sixth marathon and my first NYC Marathon.

A few other people around us popped in and out of the conversation, but the three of us hung together and talked for a good half hour or so. They made me laugh a lot and really helped me from getting too anxious as we got ready to go.

Then after I finished I was leaving Central Park and walking towards where I was supposed to meet Josh, and I heard someone yell, "Hey Wyoming! Great job!" and it was the college kid from the Bronx. He was wearing his race blanket like a super hero cape and was all smiles. It was fun to see him for that passing moment and I smiled that he recognized me in the crazy herd of runners.

Remembering these things got me to thinking that there aren't too many situations in life in which a college kid from the Bronx, a 50-something guy from the midwest covered in tattoo's, and a mom of 12 from Wyoming would end up hanging out together. But lined up there on that bridge at the start of the NYC Marathon we had an instant kinship as runners, and conversation, laughs, support, and encouragement flowed freely.

Along with my two buddies from the bridge, I made a friend from Wales on the bus to the start, an Italian runner with very little English offered me a Power Bar in the runner's village and butchered trying to say "Erin", a German coach talked to me about my race, and I gave and received lots of encouragement and congratulations to and from countless other runners. I got to hang out with a friend I met through my blog for the second time in person. I met several other bloggers. I got to meet Meb Keflezighi (and hold his Olympic medal!), Ryan Hall, and Bart Yasso. And then of course there are all of the amazing friends and all of the support and friendship I get from the online running community. All of the "good luck's" and "congrats" had me smiling all weekend. Awesome.

Yup, the running community rocks. Runners are cool.

My hair

2011-11-12T15:29:00.001-08:00

This post has been floating around in my head for a couple of weeks now. I am writing it more for myself than anything.

I got my hair cut. Pretty dang short. I realize that for a lot of people a haircut is not really a big deal, but for me, this haircut symbolizes a lot.

I have always, always, always, had long hair. For as long as I can remember, everyone always told me how beautiful my hair was. I always thought of it as my best feature, and then as my weight went up and my self-esteem went down, I thought of it as my only pretty physical feature. Even more so, I got to the point where I felt like my long hair defined me, and that I wouldn't be "Erin" if I didn't have long hair.

Every once and a while I would cut it a little shorter than usual, but I always grew it right back. I spent more time than I should blowing drying it, brushing it, and worrying about it. I often saw people with short hair and was envious... wished I had the "guts" to get my hair cut, or the courage to believe I could pull it off. I would often say that I couldn't have short hair because I had a fat face and it wouldn't look good.

The last few months I started toying with the idea of cutting my hair... not just a little shorter, but A LOT short. I saw a picture of a pixie cut and wanted it. I worried I couldn't pull it off. I worried I wouldn't be pretty without my long hair.

But as I have become a runner, more has changed than just my physical appearance. As I lost 75lbs, ditched a whole lot of fat and grew some muscles, I found strength that I didn't know I had, physically and emotionally. I also managed to build myself some self esteem. The voices in my head that said I wouldn't be pretty with short hair or couldn't pull it off were quieted, and I felt excited about going for a big change. And I figured it was only hair... if I didn't like it, it would grow back. All of a sudden, having long hair didn't define me, and my long hair didn't feel like my only pretty feature.

Right away, I liked my hair cut short and I LIKED that I liked it. It's different. It's fun! The "old me" would have needed the people around me to tell me that they liked it before I made a decision. I would have been nervous to see people for the first time and would have worried what they thought. I would have felt insecure.

I look in the mirror and I see that not only am I still me with short hair, but that I am a newer, better version of me. I am stronger. I am healthier. I am happier. I am more confident. I don't need long hair to feel pretty, or other people's approval to feel confident. And my face isn't fat anymore. Somehow a haircut seemed to represent to me all the positive changes that I have made in the last two years. Going to NY and seeing family and friends for the first time with my short hair reinforced how much I like my hair cut and how good I feel, inside and out.

I know it is just a haircut and not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of life, but it has been a fun change that has shown me once again how very much running has had such a positive impact in my life.

Decisions, decisions

2011-11-12T14:46:00.001-08:00

I think I am finally all caught up on life, sleep, work, etc. It has been a crazy week since we got home but our trip to New York was well, well worth it!

Josh is out of town this weekend as he and his friend that he coaches with used our 15 passenger van to drive a bunch of kids (including our 13 year old, Ryan) to the Nike Cross Country Invitational meet in Boise, Idaho. A couple of my kids have little colds, so the rest of us are all just hanging out in comfy clothes and having a restful weekend. Right now we are all laying down in the front room watching "Princess and the Frog".

It took a couple of days, but I finally shook that "hit by a train" feeling. Long hours of travel, a tough race, walking all over NY city, and all the work involved in getting ready to go out of town and catching up once I get home, had me at a new level of tired. I am still feeling a little more tired than usual, but my body feels pretty dang good though now and I have been running every day, nice and easy.

As I have been resting and recovering as much as possible, I also have been researching, reading, and planning. Here are some things I have been working on -

- A coach? I have been thinking about getting a running coach. I feel like I have a lot of progress I can still make in my running and I'd like to reach my full potential, whatever that is. (I know I am never going to be an elite runner or anything like that, yet I do enjoy being competitive and want to be as fast as I can). I love running, I love racing, and I want to push myself and be my best. Do I need a coach to do that? Would a coach help me?

I don't feel that I need a coach to hold me accountable or motivate me, as I am pretty dang motivated and expect more out of myself than anyone else will. But I do think that a coach could help me make a training plan, adjust it as needed, and make the most out of my miles and training. I would like having someone to ask questions to and get advice and guidance from, especially someone with lots of marathon experience.

On the flip side, I think I have done a good job so far educating myself and training myself... pushing myself, pulling back when necessary, listening to my body, adjusting training plans to fit my needs, building my mileage, increasing my speed, etc.

And then of course there is the issue of cost. Being honest, we don't have much extra money. At all. And it's hard justifying spending money on myself that isn't necessary.

So could a coach help me? Significantly? Can I reach my full potential on my own? Is the benefit worth the expense? Hmmmm... any thoughts? I'd love some input!

- I have been reading "Advanced Marathoning" by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I love all the science behind the training. I have read lots of books on running and training and this is at the top of my list. Right now if I don't use a coach, I do think I will go with one of the Pfitz training plans for Boston.

- Races! I am also trying to come up with a "race plan" for next year. I have had several people tell me now that if I want to run my fastest and be as competitive as I can in the marathon that I need to run fewer marathons. I do have a pretty good schedule so far I think. As of now for 2012 I have planned -
January - Goofy Challenge in Disney World
April - BOSTON MARATHON!!
May - local 5K
June - Ragnar Wasatch Back as part of an ultra team (will run about 30 miles in 3 runs in 24 hours)
July - Star Valley Half Marathon, another local 5K
September - Top of Utah Marathon (leaning towards this one over Pocatello right now)
November - NYC again? It was an amazing experience, my family is there, I'd love to run it again, Josh would love to go again, and I would love to stay connected and involved with Team MEB and run for them again. If not NYC I would love another race in November/December that involves a weekend away together for Josh and I.

That would be four marathons in the year and some shorter races, which sounds pretty good to me.

That's all for now! Hope you all are enjoying your Saturday.

More NY recap and pics

2011-11-09T12:11:00.000-08:00

We got home at 3:15am yesterday morning after many hours of travel. I got a whopping 2 1/2 hours of sleep and then was up with the kids at 6am. It was great to see them and to be home but I felt like a zombie most of the day yesterday. I got a great night's sleep last night though and had a nice, easy six mile run this morning and I am feeling more and more like myself. :)

Here is the rest of the recap of our NY trip and pictures! If you missed the first part of our trip (expo, Team MEB lunch and other adventures in NY) you can find it here, and if you missed the race recap you can find that post here.

Ok, so after finding Josh, my parents, my brother Mark and his girlfriend Mel, and my friends Kelly and Chris, we walked back to our hotel. It took two hours from the time I crossed the finish line until we got back to the hotel (and most of that was spent walking). When we got back to the room, Josh and my Dad went and got what I wanted most to eat... a huge cheese pizza and a real Dr. Pepper! I almost never drink soda now, and I had been avoiding dairy for months since it upsets my stomach but I was not going to miss out on NY pizza. I forgot how huge the slices were, and one slice and one garlic knot was all I needed to be FULL, but it was delicious.

I rested some, talked with everyone about the race and about their morning spectating (they were the BEST support team!) and then I got showered and we all left to go to the Rangers game. My family and I are huge NY Rangers fans and I can't even tell you how many hockey games we went to at Madison Square Garden when I was a teen. I hadn't been to a game in a LONG time, and it was tons of fun. And yes, I wore my medal!!

After the game I had to say good-bye to my parents and Mark and Mel which is always hard. They were heading back out to Long Island and Josh and I were staying another night in the city. We got back to our room and SLEPT.

On "Marathon Monday" Josh and I got up and decided to head to Central Park to get my medal engraved and then to see what else was there. I felt good enough to go for a short run, so we put on running clothes and ran to Central Park. It was only 1.7 miles from our hotel to the finish line area (since we didn't have to go the long way and all the roads were open). We waited in line for about half an hour and had my name and time engraved on my medal (very cool!) and then walked through the store they had set up. There was a hoodie I really wanted but they only had large and x-large sizes left even though it was still quite early. I was bummed, but when we got home I got online and ordered a small. Yay!

They still had the finish line set up, so I took a picture under the finish line. It was really cool to run that final stretch of the marathon into the finish line area with Josh. He said he had a whole new appreciation for how hilly it was after running it!

We ran back towards the hotel and picked up some fruit and bagels. We had breakfast, showered, checked out of our hotel room and went and met a friend for lunch. K. was my best friend all through elementary school and junior high and I hadn't seen her in years and years. She lives and works in NYC and it was really great to see her and catch up with her.

From there we had a few hours until we had to leave for the airport, so we did some walking! We walked past the NYC Library where I had gotten on the marathon bus on Sunday morning, and then walked around Bryant Park and watched the ice skaters and looked in the little shops. I had the best cookie I have ever had at Max Brenner's little shop. The OMG Chocolate Chip Cookie lived up to it's name, and Josh about cried over the thick Italian hot chocolate. :)

We walked up 5th Avenue and looked at all the shops getting ready for Christmas, and couldn't pass up going into FAO Schwarz. Yes, we ended up in a toy store even when we were kid free. We played and looked at toys and posed with some awesome giant Lego statues.

Before we knew it, it was time to walk back to the hotel and get our bags and get on the subway to head to JFK airport. We made it uneventfully, and soon were sitting in our plane, which was a DINOSAUR. Seriously, everything was broken on this plane, and there were ASHTRAYS. How long has it been since people were allowed to SMOKE on an airplane?? Yeah... this plane was old. But luckily we made it home safe and sound. We landed just before midnight and then poor Josh had to drive the three hours home. It was a LONG day, but it was well worth it.

The entire trip was amazing. Having Josh all to myself for so much time was truly a treasure and a blessing. This was the first time we have gone anywhere alone for more than a few hours in years and years and years. As we walked around NY and I looked at how very, very many people there are, I was awed and grateful that we found each other 16 years ago. He is my best friend and my true love and this trip with him was perfect (and much needed).

It was also such a blessing to have time with my parents (although it always seems too short), and to get to see Mark, Mel, Kelly, Chris, Amanda, Kathleen, Janet, Don and others. Meeting Barty Yasso and Meb, and having lunch at the NYC Athletic Club were very special experiences too.

There were quite a few people I had wanted to see while in NY that I didn't get to (next time T!!), including my friend Tal who was in the crowds along the course just to see me and even made a sign. I felt so bad I didn't see her!!

I have had a few people ask me if I am disappointed with my race time in NY. I am not. Of course I would have loved to set a new PR and my goal is to run a marathon in under 3:20, but I have no regrets with how I ran in NY. I truly gave it my all even though it was tough, and I know I did the best I could on that day in those conditions. And it's hard to be disappointed with a finish that puts you in the top 5% of women in a race that big. Nope, I am not disappointed. It was an awesome race, an incredible experience and a wonderful trip. I am so grateful for all of it. And would I run NY again? In a heartbeat. I would love to stay involved with Team MEB and run for them again.

I am especially grateful for Josh's mom and sister, who came and watched the kids so Josh and I could go. We came home to happy kids, a clean house, and a Gramma who may have been completely exhausted and slightly stressed out, but was still smiling.

Pictures!

Race morning! almost ready to go.

Buses lined up in front of the NY Library. They went on forever!

Pam ready to cheer!

Pizza!!!

Josh and I at the Ranger game

My cute parents!

Mark (my brother), Mel (his girlfriend), me and Josh. My brother bought me a Rangers shirt to wear. :)

At the finish line on Monday morning

My friend Kathleen and I. Our friendship started in first grade!

Josh and I in Bryant Park in NYC. I love this pic of us!

Jack Sparrow made out of Legos. So cool!


Josh and Indiana Jones out of Legos

If you want to see all of my professional race pics (there are lots!) you can click on this link here. There are a couple that are really good and I really like, although they are so expensive I doubt I will order any. It is fun to look at them though. I think that sums it all up.

More soon!

NYC race recap

2011-11-07T20:48:00.000-08:00

Josh and I are on the plane on our way home. It definitely was a whirlwind trip! I don't have the pictures uploaded yet, but since I know I won't have much time to blog once we are home, I want to get my recap done while it is all fresh in my memory and while I am stuck in a seat for five hours anyway. :) I will get the rest of the trip pics up as soon as I can.

Recap!

- On race morning I got up at 4am and showered and got ready to go. Josh and I left the hotel room by 5:25am and after walking just a block or so we got a cab to the NY Public Library, where I had to get on a marathon bus to Staten Island. We had a really fun cab driver who was very excited I was running the marathon and even put the weather on the radio to show me what a nice day it was going to be. I was feeling excited and happy but pretty calm overall. I knew I still had hours before I was going to be running.

The line of buses going up Fifth Avenue was amazing. I couldn't believe how many buses there were! There was a line of runners waiting to get on the buses but things moved along like clockwork. There were TONS of volunteers and they were all super cheerful, excited and encouraging. They were awesome and it really helped build an incredible atmosphere.

- I got on the bus and ended up sitting next to a super nice guy from Wales. He was in the 45-49 age group and has a 3:07 PR. It was his first time in NY and he was really great to talk with. The bus got to Staten Island as the sun was starting to come up, and it was a five minute or so walk from where we got dropped off to the start villages.

- At the start villages I had to split ways with my friend from Wales because he was an orange bib and I was a blue bib. It was pretty chilly but I was bundled up. I did like lots of people were doing and found some grass in a little bit of sun and sat on an old race mylar blanket I had brought and just tried to relax. Sitting there, it was really cool to just listen to all the people around me. There were SO many different languages being spoken!

- The starting villages had plenty of portapotties, food, drink, etc. I drank a bottle of my Hammer Perpetuem and that is all I had pre-race (Perpetuem is made to be fuel for long distance events) and this worked out GREAT for me and my sensitive stomach. I wasn't hungry at the start and was fueled, but didn't have any solid food in me to upset my belly. I was really impressed with how well organized the starting area villages were, as was everything else race morning. NY does an incredible job.

- At about 8am, I checked my gear bag at the UPS trucks and started walking over to the corrals. I found my corral and got in easily (where again, there were plenty of portapotties). We waited in the corrals for half an hour or so and then we started walking. It finally felt like we were getting close to running!! I shed one of my throw away hoodies and my throw-away sweat pants, and held on to the gloves, one hoodie and the mylar blanket while we walked. Right before the start I spotted Keri from the Blue-Eyed Runner and her Dad, and said hi, and it was cool to see a familiar face.

- The atmosphere was crazy fun. I talked with the other runners around me and everyone was excited and fun. Runners are just cool. We worked our away until we were standing on the Verrazano Bridge. We were back a bit from the start, but close enough that we could hear well the introduction of the elite men, the national anthem and the announcements. To our left was a long line of buses that had spectators on top and they were all cheering and yelling fun things which added to the excitement. I got rid of my hoodie and the mylar blanket and after the countdown we heard Frank Sinatra singing New York, New York. It was awesome. We started inching forward and then we crossed the start line and were running up the bridge!

- I wore a cool back bib from Races 2 Remember that said "Mom of 12" and had a pic of the kids, and that got lots of comments. :)

- IT WAS CROWDED. It was really, REALLY crowded. I expected it for the first couple of miles, but it just never let up. The crowds slowed me down more than I wanted the first two miles, but I tried to just focus on the beautiful view, relaxing, and enjoying the race and not getting frustrated/tense.

- At mile three I saw Josh! He had managed to take a train to Brooklyn and was on the lookout for me. I wasn't expecting to see them that early and I missed my Dad and Pam, but I saw Josh and that was really cool. I saw him again (and my Dad, Pam, Mark and Mel) after the 59th street bridge and then again shortly before the finish line. They were awesome spectators!!

- The crowds were insane. SO MANY PEOPLE, so much energy and so much noise. There was so much to look at and listen to. It was crazy cool and fun, and at times it was almost overwhelming. Spectators, bands, signs, cheers, other runners, course signs, etc. etc. etc. I can't imagine another race having this amount of spectators, music, fans, volunteers, etc.

- I was warm right away. The temps were GREAT (low to mid 50's), but the sun was out and on us most of the time. My gloves and arm warmers came off right away, and I dumped water down my back several times to cool down. I knew I wasn't "hot" because the temps weren't high at all, but the sun was strong and I am used to much, much cooler temps when I run. There was a lot of wind on the bridges and on certain streets but not for the whole race and I guess it wasn't nearly as windy as it can be.

-I was told a lot of times by a lot people before this weekend that NYC Marathon is a tough course, and is not a fast course. These are very very true statements. I was prepared for the hills. I was sort of prepared for the crowded course (47,000+ runners!). What I wasn't prepared for what how mentally challenging this race was for me.

There was not a single time in this race where I was able to get in a groove and just run. I was constantly focusing on the ground in front of me to watch my step to avoid garbage, cracks and potholes (and I did have a slight ankle twist around mile 18 thanks to a small pothole, but after a quarter mile or so it felt fine). I was constantly focused on the runners in front of me and finding the right path to get around slower runners without too much zig-zagging. Every time we went up a bridge or hill, the "pack" would slow, and it was almost impossible to maintain a faster pace and get through the crowds. Every corner was a bottle-neck and slowed me down a lot because of the crowding. And every water station slowed me way down, even when I wasn't getting anything. The course narrowed a lot and it wasn't possible to just run through the middle unaffected, and the course was littered with so many cups and spilled drinks that you really had to watch your step. And on top of that, I was trying to scan the crowds and keep me eyes out for Josh, Dad, Pam, Mark and Mel, as well as my friends Kelly, Chris and Tal. There was so very many faces and signs though, and when you didn't know exactly where to look for someone it was really hard.

Mentally it would have been really nice not to have to always be focusing on the ground, my path through/around other runners and the crowds.

- I had to make two portapotty stops, and lost about 4 minutes and change. The good news is that I didn't stop at all until after mile 12!! That is by far the furthest I have made it in a full marathon and my stomach felt really good. I could have/should have waited and not stopped at mile 12 and if I had waited another mile or two I am confident I wouldn't have had to stop again at mile 17 and would have saved 2+ minutes, but it was hard to know when you would get to portapotties again.

- I fueled as usual with my Hammer gels every five miles, drinking Perpetuem, and grabbing sips of water at some of the aid stations. It worked very well and I was not sick at all and did not hit the wall.

-By mile 17 (after the second pit stop), I knew I wasn't going to hit my goal of 3:20 and knew I probably wasn't going to PR. Nothing was hurting, but I was just TIRED. My brain was tired, my body was tired...it wasn't the dreaded wall because I was able to keep running at a good pace and I didn't start out too fast, it was just hard. I told myself to keep pushing but I stopped checking my Garmin often and went into survival mode. I still smiled and enjoyed the race. I kept telling myself, "You are running the NYC Marathon!" But it was TOUGH.!

- This was the first race I have ever run when I had real thoughts about stopping and walking. I never did, but man did my brain try to talk me into it! In fact at one point two women were walking at my left and a man stopped without any warning right in front of me causing me to stop short. In that split second I had to decide to give in and also walk, or to take off around him. I took off around him.

- I actually ran almost exactly even splits. My half time was 1:44:12 (and I lost just over a minute in the portapotty quick stop at 12 1/2 or so). Even splits with that half time would be a 3:28:24 marathon, and since I lost just about three minutes in the second half at the portapotty stop and finished in 3:32:40, I ran a very even paced race.

- I have never, ever been so happy to see a finish line in my whole life. I saw Josh, my parents, my brother, Mel, Kelly and Chris just about a mile before the finish line and that was great. Those last two miles were killer... knowing you were so close yet still having to grunt out two miles up and down the hills of Central Park was really tough. I crossed the finish line with big smiles, but instantly felt BAD.

- I have never felt bad at the end of a marathon before. And I couldn't even really tell you what felt bad. My whole body just felt awful. I didn't have any specific cramps or pains, I think I was just completely out of energy. I was spent. I was done. I was on empty.

AND, I had to keep walking. At the end of the NY Marathon they have you walk (and walk, and walk). You get your medal, then keep walking. You get your picture taken, then keep walking. You get a bag with food and drink, then keep walking. You get a mylar blanket, and then you keep walking. And walking. And walking. And then you finally get to the UPS trucks and get your checked bag, and then you keep walking. It was really rotten and was the one part of the race I was not impressed with.

I understand that you can't have 47,000+ runners all stopping in the same place, but we were in Central Park! Surely they could have found a piece of grass that runners could use to sit, get a drink, stretch a little, etc. before they were forced to walk and walk and walk. People were collapsing, throwing up, cramping up, etc. and it was really icky that we just kept getting prodded along like cattle. I wasn't cramping or barfing, but I was shivering like crazy (even with my blanket). All I wanted to do was stop and put on my fleece but at that point I was carrying two bags, still didn't feel very well and was trapped in a see of runners with people everywhere telling us to "just keep moving". I did get the Gatorade recovery drink open and was sipping that slowly. It didn't taste very good but I knew it was good for me.

- I got out of the park and turned on Columbus and started heading towards where Josh and my Dad had told me to find them. Josh had walked ahead and got to me just a few blocks from the park. It was SO good to see him and hand him all my stuff to carry. We got to everyone else and after lots of hugs. I sat down on the mylar blanket, got my fleece on, ate some salty pretzels, finished the Gatorade, stretched, and started to feel much better. We chatted there for a little bit and then started walking back to the hotel. It was a long walk but I felt pretty good. We finally got back to the hotel 2 hours after I crossed the finish line (and all but 15 minutes or so of that was spent walking!)

-I went in to this race healthy, strong, injury free, well tapered, rested, and ready to race. I have no excuses for not making my time goal of a 3:20 marathon...it just wasn't happening for me in NYC. I did have a German running coach talking with me in the hotel. He asked my time and when I told him I ran a 3:32 he thought for a minute and then said, "You know a 3:32 in this race would be like running a 3:20 on a flat course that wasn't so crowded." I hadn't told him my goal time so that made me feel pretty good.

- I gave this race all that I had on Sunday, and for that I am proud. This was definitely the hardest race for me that I have had, and I feel the most beat up I ever have after a race. I don't have any true aches or pains but my whole body sort of just feels like it was hit by a train today.

- The ING NYC Marathon experience is amazing. Over the top. One of a kind. Crazy cool. Awesome. Incredible. Huge. I loved it!!!

I will have one more post soon with a recap of the rest of our trip (hockey game, run in Central Park, lunch with friend, trip home, etc.) For now I cannot wait to get home and be with the kids. It was so good to have the time with Josh and to see my family and we had a truly great time, and yet it is very hard for me being away from home and the kids.

i want to say THANK You to everyone who sent messages, comments, Tweets, etc. with words of encouragement, good luck wishes, congrats, etc. They all meant a very great deal to me. Thank you!!!!

Here are my stats one more time. :)

Official time - 3:32:40

Overall - 6047 out of 47,438 starters - Top 12%

Gender placing - 921 out of 17,272 - Top 5% of all women finishers!!

Age group place (30-34 Female) - 208 out of 3068 - Top 6%

More soon!

NYC Stats

2011-11-07T18:31:00.002-08:00

I am working on a full recap, but here are my NYC marathon stats -

Official time - 3:32:40

Overall - 6047 out of 47,438 starters - Top 12%
Gender placing - 921 out of 17,272 - Top 5% of all women finishers!!
Age group place (30-34 Female) - 208 out of 3068 - Top 6%

Yay NYC!

2011-11-06T20:38:00.000-08:00

Quickly so I can go to bed and get some much needed sleep... ;)

I finished in 3:32:40 (another BQ time by over 12 minutes). It was my toughest race to date and I gave it all that I had today, so I am happy and proud. It was an incredible experience.

My family and friends are the greatest.

The Rangers game was SUPER fun.

Full recap coming during the flight home tomorrow night. Tomorrow I am enjoying Marathon Monday and a day in the city with my Josh.

NY so far!

2011-11-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

Wow. So far New York has been amazing. Overwhelmingly amazing. As I sit here and think about writing it all down, I am realizing just how amazing it all has been.

- We landed safely (even EARLY) at JFK on Thursday night, and were picked up by my parents. Yay!!! It is always such a treat to get to see them and it is hard to live so far away.

- We got up in the morning and Pam had to go to work. My Dad took Josh and I to breakfast and then after running a few errands we were on our way in to the city to go to the ING NYC Marathon expo. We got to the expo just before 1pm and there were lots of people but no lines and everything was very well organized. I got my bib, goodie bag and shirt, and then we walked around and saw everything there was to see at the expo. It's a HUGE expo and was really fun. I told my Dad it is like "runner Disneyland". It was nice to be there when it wasn't the day before race day because I didn't have to worry about being on my feet and doing lots of walking.

- We met Ryan Hall and got pics, watched the cool NYC Marathon movie, collected lots of samples and handouts and had a great time.

Hands down, the highlight of the expo for me was meeting Bart Yasso. I have read a ton of books. I know the stories of many runners. I admire and am inspired by lots of athletes. But for some reason, Bart Yasso is my favorite of them all and is my running hero. Maybe it's because he didn't run in school and came to it later in life like I did, maybe it's because he comes across so humble and personable. Maybe it's because he has overcome so much and accomplished and experienced so very much. Whatever the reason, I love Bart. And meeting him just reinforced that. He knew who I was instantly, even though he meets countless runners and fans, and he spent a good 10 minutes talking with me. On top of that, he gave me the best compliment of my whole life when he said that I had a runner's body and looked like I was built to run fast. Maybe he says that to all the girls, but he sounded genuine, and I am going to believe it. :) For this girl, who three years ago weighed over 205lbs and couldn't run half a block, to have Bart Yasso telling me that I had a runner's body was a super awesome moment.

- My Dad bought me an awesome NYC Marathon black fleece hoodie. He has been buying me hoodies my whole life because they are my favorite and he is the best Dad. This will be a favorite favorite hoodie.

- We got back out to Long Island to my parents' house and had a fun night of take out and visiting with family and friends. Pam brought home a huge platter of sushi and they got a plate of take out spaghetti and the best roll I have ever had from a local Italian place just for me. Oh, and I beat everyone at Scrabble. Oh yeah I did.

- This morning we got up and Josh and I went on a quick three mile run together, and then we got cleaned up, dressed up, and packed up and headed back into the city. Pam had a church function she had to go to so again it was just my Dad, Josh and I. We checked into our hotel and then went to the NY Athletic Club for the Team MEB luncheon. It was a very nice, small event. Meb's wife, parents, brother and one of his daughter's were all there, as well as all of the runners. It was great fun to meet and chat with everyone. Harrie Bakst, from Carnegie Sports and Entertainment (whose story is told in the "A Race Like No Other" book if you have read it) was there as his firm represents Team MEB and he was great to visit with. Josh really enjoyed talking with Harrie. We watched a short movie, listened to Meb speak, had a nice lunch, and then visited and took pics. Meb had his Olympic Silver Medal as well as his medal from winning the NYC Marathon in 2009 and they were both BEAUTIFUL. We all got to wear them which was very cool.

Meb is a wonderful guy and I was so impressed with him, his family and his foundation. You can still make a donation to my Team MEB fundraising for the NYC Marathon tomorrow and help kids in need have access to health, education and fitness. Click here to donate. :)

- Originally we were going to go from the luncheon to the expo to meet Molly and Amanda, however I was getting tired and Josh and my Dad made the decision that the smart thing to do would be to avoid the expo and go back to our hotel room for me to rest and relax. I was bummed about not getting to see the girls, but Amanda has stayed at our hotel the night before and came over to visit me. Yay! It was really nice to see her again (and it's her birthday today!)

- Pam got here and now we are getting ready to go to dinner at a fabulous Italian restaurant Pam has arranged, and then it will be back to the hotel to rest and relax for race day!! I CAN NOT WAIT!!!

Pictures!

YAY! My NYC Bib!

Ryan Hall!

Yup, I love Bart.

Chatting with Bart

Mmmmmm pretzel

With Meb Keflezighi (I am wearing his NYC Marathon winner's medal)

It's blurry, but Josh, Meb and I


In our hotel room

More soon!!!

Lucy!

2011-11-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

Today is my sweet Belane's eighth birthday and it is also Lucy Activewear's birthday!!

I wanted to post this earlier but just got to internet access. Today is their one-day special event, where EVERYTHING is 25% off. They have a huge line of activewear for all sorts of female athletes. Check out their website here and stay tuned for some upcoming product reviews and giveaways. :