It’s been seven months since my last 5K and I walked that one. Its been longer since I actually ran. I’ve been a little busy. You know…having a baby. But now my little buddle of joy is almost three months old and its time to get back out on the road. And what better reason than to help raise money for the Red Cross. So, I assigned up for The Red Run on November 5 <--- that’s in less than three weeks people! I haven’t run in months (see above). I’ll probably end up walking more than running but who cares. I’m supporting a friend and a good cause and getting back in my running shoes. If you’re in Frederick, you should join me. I’ll be in the one in red (actually, all participants have been asked to wear red). Got any advice for my first post-baby 5K? Disclaimer: My race registration was waived in exchange for blogging about this event. These opinions are my own. I’m happy to help out the Red Cross and have donated my time and money in the past to their organization. Here's a … [Read more...]
From Running to Prenatal Yoga
I miss running. Its been months. I scaled back my running in December when the morning sickness kicked in but kept training for Francie’s 5K in March. My plan was to walk/run it with a friend but ended up walking it with my husband instead because my hip wasn’t in the game. I wanted to run so badly but I’m glad I didn’t. Walking that 3.1 miles totally kicked my you know what. I slept a lot the next day. And then, on the Monday following, I received news that forced me to shelve my running shoes for the rest of my pregnancy. Following my ultrasound at 18 weeks, the doctors discovered that my placenta is low-lying. That means its potentially in the way of a natural delivery. So no more strenuous activity and lots of fingers crossed that it moves out of the way as the baby grows. I asked my doctor if prenatal yoga was ok – I was looking for a physical activity to help with the stress and the aches & pains – and got the green light. I took a prenatal yoga class during the second … [Read more...]
These Shoes Were Made for Running
These are my running shoes. They’ve been hanging out with the dust bunnies in my closet for over a month now. I know they miss the pavement – I miss the pavement – but here they are, getting no action. It would be easy to blame the weather. Temps under 40, gusty winds, inches of snow on the sidewalks where they usually roam. But, truth be told, the weather is only half the problem. You see, I’ve just been so darn tired, I haven’t felt like lacing them up. And the nausea. Don’t get me started on the nausea. Who wants to run when you feel like you might lose your lunch along the way? Fortunately, like the Groundhog, I’m looking forward to an early spring. I’m 14 weeks into my second 40 week journey to motherhood and starting to feel like myself again. Yes, my friends, I’m expecting! So, while the weather has made running a challenge, the real challenge has been the first trimester. I’m hoping to continue running at a modified pace through my second trimester and then start training … [Read more...]
Why I Love Runners
I reluctantly showed up at the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. I hadn’t sleep well the night before and had told myself that if it was raining, I wasn’t running. It wasn’t raining. It was wet but not raining. So I laced up my shoes and headed to the race. I was surprised by the number of people participating. There were easily 1000 or more people running, probably the biggest group I’ve run with. Yet, in that crowd of 1000, I felt incredibly alone. I knew people running but didn’t see any of them there and none of my family had come to cheer me on. I struggled in the beginning, my emotions getting the better of me. But then I hit my stride and realized that I wasn’t alone. I was part of a community of runners who… …stand on the sidelines, when they cannot run, and cheer …stop to help when one of their own has fallen on wet pavement …coach their children and hold their hands across the finish line …and offer encouragement afterwards when the end result was not the desired … [Read more...]
Workout When?
I fully intended to pick-up my Couch to 5K training again. I did. I really did. But this Mid-Atlantic heat wave is keeping me from hitting the sizzling pavement. At least that’s what I’m telling myself. There were a few beautiful, low-temperature days last week and I still didn’t put on my running shoes. It baffles me. I had no trouble running in the January cold, but the July heat? Forget it! My other problem is that I feel like if I don’t run in the morning I’m not going to run that day. I’d prefer to run in the morning because its cooler and I don’t want to run in the dark of the cooler, summer nights. I also prefer to run first thing in the morning so I can jump in the shower afterwards and get started on the day. I’d rather not shower twice in one day. But I also have trouble getting started in the morning. I need that shower, like a cup of coffee, to get me going. I’m more productive in the morning so I’d rather get up, get ready and get to the tasks of the day. I also like … [Read more...]
