Category Archives: Post-baby running

The #Selfie

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Wells is 18 weeks old today!

Hey you! Yeah, I'm talking to you!

Hey you! Yeah, I’m talking to you!

And we’ll switch things up and do my 18 weeks postpartum pic right here in the beginning. (Excuse the red splotches on my skin. I got home from a run and immediately ripped my layers off and threw on the Oiselle pro kit in about 30 seconds to get this shot before Jeff had to leave for work):

18 weeks postpartum!

18 weeks postpartum!

If you follow me on instagram or twitter, you know I love to share pics of my little ones. Maybe you also noticed I love to share the selfies. Did you know #selfie was “the word” of 2013?! I didn’t realize that until this NYE when I saw it on one of the tv specials. Then, we were sitting as a family, streaming my iPhone photos from 2013 on our tv, watching the year pass by and seeing how the kids have grown. Every 50 pics or so, some random selfie would pop up and I would be embarrassed. The selfies were almost never anything special… just something I decided was share-worthy in the post-run or post-coffee high of the moment. Seriously, photos like this kept popping up and I would cringe:

Oh hey family, look, I have beading on my shirt. I gotta take a selfie!!

Oh hey, look, I have beading on my shirt. I gotta take a selfie!!

And this:

Not in running clothes?! Sitting in front of a piano?! People HAVE to see this!

Not in running clothes?! Sitting awkwardly in front of a piano?! People HAVE to see this!

So on that night, I decided to stop taking so many selfies… WHAT IS THIS ADDING TO THE WORLD?! Why am I doing this?!

Then I started considering…

I love to run outside, and almost every time I go for a run I see someone taking a selfie. Many of them are runners who stop somewhere on the trail to show some amazing physical feat they are about to accomplish. “Look I’m running in 5 inches of snow!” or “This hill is enormous, and here I am ready to run to the top!” A little part of it is ridiculous, but I’m usually amused and excited the person is out exercising. If a person had to run 3 miles to a park to a certain location with “that special view” to take a selfie then run the 3 miles home, they just ran 6 miles they might not have run without it. At least that’s the way I like to imagine it.

Earlier this week, I was running on the treadmill and my favorite celebrity crush Carson Daly (yes, gotta mention him again!) did a little piece on #loveyourselfie “Show us how you see your beauty” and he said something to the effect of “search ‘beauty’ on google and you will see pictures of airbrushed supermodels. Search ‘beauty’ on instagram and you’ll see something completely different” (real life IMO. I highly recommend doing this, you will be amazed with the differences). 

These things got me thinking, you know what?! Selfies are sometimes ridiculous and narcissistic, but can also be beautiful. It’s a way for people to feel connected to others with similar interests. A way for normal people to show themselves for who they are and what they are feeling in the moment. Sure, there are filters, and camera angles that can really change a person, but not many people I know are airbrushing their social media pics. And that’s kind of beautiful and refreshing. So… I figured I’d change my attitude to “go on with your bad self-ie!”

And with that, before bed last night, I took another ridiculous selfie… one of me in bed in my Oiselle Podium Pajamas, and sent it to my mom with the message “Love you, goodnight”.

love you, mom!

love you, mom!

Questions for you:

Do you love the selfies or hate them?

What’s the most embarrassing selfie you ever shared?

 

Two Treadmill Tips

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Wells is 4 months old today!

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Siblings after bathtime!

Siblings after bathtime!

I’ve spent most of the last week on the treadmill (I know I’m not alone here!). I’m getting more used to it the more I do it, but still strongly prefer running outside.

My main problems with the treadmill are:

  • It’s boring
  • It makes my hips and feet ache
  • It’s in my attic and it’s really hot up there
  • Distractions like household duties and kids make it really easy to stop much earlier than I would outside when it’s just me and the trail.

My main problems with running in snow + bitter cold:

  • Muscles get a little tweaked from being unstable every step I take
  • Wearing a million layers makes me feel heavy and slow
  • Wearing something over my face makes it hard to breathe, but not wearing something isn’t an option when it’s -15 degrees!
  • Doesn’t feel safe running by roads where cars are slipping and sliding

My great things about the treadmill:

  • I have one at home and can essentially do it at any time (as long as I get one kid sleeping and the other occupied and it’s not too close or far from my last meal!)
  • Being hot in the attic means I run in a sports bra and undies = a LOT less laundry!
  • I can watch something on the iPad to make the miles pass a little faster

I’ve tried everything to enjoy the treadmill more… talked to so many runners, read articles and blog posts, but it never really got easier. I just feel unnatural and like I’m sprinting the whole time, even when I’m running much slower than I’d run outside. I think it might have something to do with the fact that I’m moving my legs fast but not getting anywhere. When I’m running, I really connect nature + my body + my mind and when I’m on the ‘mill, it feels artificial… missing that triad. But, I’m thankful for the treadmill and have been determined to enjoy it a little more, especially with this crazy winter we’ve had so far!

Finally, some advice from my brothers and Oiselle teammate Heidi got me on the right track. My brothers basically told me to run as easy as I want to start, and just keep speeding up every so often. Maybe every 1/4 mile, maybe every 1/2 mile, whatever keeps me actively participating. They also mentioned that I should play video games while running. (HA, but seriously they said that! My older brother studied on the treadmill during medical school! I don’t know how he did it, but he did!)

Then, I was reading a blog post from Heidi and she just wrote a little blurb about how she loves watching the news on the treadmill. I’ve tried it before and haven’t liked it so much. But, then I remembered that my celebrity crush since 1998, Carson Daly, started on the Today Show and I knew he could probably pull me through at least a run. I downloaded the Today Show app on the iPad since we don’t have a tv by the treadmill and that first run was so wonderful! Carson didn’t disappoint. He had me laughing out loud and before I knew it my run was over. I like how that particular app has news snippets that are 1-4 minutes long, some serious, some lighthearted, some just plain kooky. I never know what’s coming next and that makes it interesting. I also like to speed up one increment with each news story. I even did a little tempo run on the treadmill last week, but that was the only speedwork that happened.

I’ve had 2 weeks in a row over 50 miles and I’m trying to stay there. I hope to get outside for a few more runs this week. We shall see!

Here are the 4 month pics! (Wells turned 17 weeks old on Friday, he’s exactly 4 months old today)! Took the pics at 9pm so I couldn’t use my regular location, Wells’ bedroom, since he was in bed. So here are some real life, end of day & feeling the bloat, racing kit photos for you:

4 months postpartum!

4 months postpartum!

 Questions for you:

What is your greatest treadmill running tip?!

Who’s your celeb crush?!

 

 

Big Race #1, Pro Kit Reveal & my 16 Week Old!

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Wells is 16 weeks old! He’s such a happy little guy most of the time. We are very lucky so far…

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cw16

I’ve noticed my easy runs are feeling easier so that’s been a big improvement. I’m excited for when my hard runs start feeling easier too! This was my first week where I did 2 workouts. They were much slower than I secretly hoped and I was much weaker mentally than I like to admit. I find I’m always weaker mentally when I’m out of shape. Reminds me of how my fastest races have always felt easier than my slowest races. I believe the closer I am to optimal shape, the better I feel mentally and physically. So, I know this mental slug will pass. I give myself little pep talks, because I remember being this way after having Currie. When you don’t run fast for a long time and then you start back up, you can’t expect to start where your racing and training left off. Doing 3 mile repeats at a pace slower than I used to do 8-10 of these repeats is hard to swallow. But, next time I do the workout, it should feel a little better. And in a few months, things will start to click. For now, I’m just rebuilding and feeling proud of the smallest accomplishments every day.

I have 4 big races planned and almost completely set in stone for this Spring. If you know me, you know I love to race and do it often. Most races are local races and then I have a few big ones each year (usually a 5k PR attempt, half marathon and marathon). For the big races I will do a taper (or at least a 2-day taper) but for the local races I will just train normally, with an easy day the day before the race. So, while I run every race hard, the local races won’t produce my fastest times. The first “big” race I have planned is the Gate River Run on March 15th. It’s the USA 15k Championships and I’m excited to be part of the elite field. It will be the first race where I wear my Oiselle Pro Kit! I will be joining at least 4 other Oiselle teammates for a fun weekend of racing and bonding. I’m very excited!

Now that I have that planned, I decided I would start doing my weekly pics in my Pro Kit! Sort of inspired my Lauren Fleshman’s wildly popular “Keeping It Real” article, I’m posting one set of pics of me just standing normally, and another set of me flexing my nonexistent abs, standing with better posture, and smiling. You can’t see my face, but I really was smiling in the flexing pics! So… here they are! 16 weeks postpartum:

Standing normally

Standing normally

Flexing those abs & smiling!

Flexing those abs & smiling!

Questions for you:

What do you do to defeat the mental slug?

Anyone else doing Gate River Run or have done it in the past?

 

Frigid 5 Miler, First race in Pittsburgh!

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I ran the Frigid 5 Miler on Sunday. It was my first race in Pittsburgh. Well, it was in North Park which is a 40 minute drive from my house in Pittsburgh, but it was my first race in the area. I was 3rd female, 11th overall. If you remember from my last post, the course was said to be “challenging” with a “great uphill finish”. Let me tell you, the race lived up to its description!

We got a late start to the race and didn’t arrive until 8:20 for a 9:00am start. We weren’t pre-registered because I just found out about the race this week and then the disaster happened and I wasn’t going to race. We got things under control around the house and decided to race afterall. Jeff and I both ran the race.

frigid2

We’ve never been to this part of North Park (I ran at North Park last week but not where the race started and finished) so we parked where everyone else was parking and figured we would jog to the start line/registration area, jog back to the car for racing flats and to strip down into race apparel, then head back to the start line. Little did we know, we were 3/4 of a mile from the start line and 1/2 mile of that was uphill approximately 260ft. Also, that 1/2 mile was the “great uphill finish” they were talking about in the course description. So, before the race, we ran up the hill, down the hill to the car, then back up the hill to the start line. My legs were feeling a *little* beat up already and the race hadn’t started yet! There was no time to delay because of our late arrival so we had to take the uphill part running a little faster than I would have liked both times. We arrived at the start line with 7 minutes to spare. Enough time to do a few strides.

Before the race, the announcer (who must have thought Jeff and I were fast-looking or unfamiliar with racing in the area) talked to us about how the roads were salted but slick and to stay off the center line and be cautious on curves. I’m terrified of running fast on ice, so I was a little worried toeing the line. But before I could worry too much we were off!

Mile 1 usually FLIES BY for me. Not this time. Mile 1 seemed like an eternity. Female 1 was ahead of me from the start and female 2 passed me on a downhill. I was losing a lot of ground on every downhill because #1 – I was worried about slipping and #2 – I couldn’t get my legs to go faster on the steep-ish down sections (which I think was just my mind not letting them go faster). The first mile was 6:10.

Mile 2 was 5:56 and uneventful other than the strong headwind and sleet. I was already running by myself and wished I had a group for drafting purposes! I noticed the road was a little slippery, but I never slipped or thought I would really fall.  On the downhills, other runners would gain on me and on the uphills I would gain on them.

Mile 3 was 6:05 and I remember thinking I wasn’t even breathing hard on the downhill but couldn’t get my legs to go any faster on that portion. I also realized I had WAY too much for breakfast. (I had 2 pieces of thick cut sprouted wheat bread, piled with almond butter, chia seeds, and a large banana. That is more than I usually eat before racing, but with nursing and running 50 miles/week, I am always worried about getting enough calories. Next race, I will cut it down to one piece instead of two.) I could feel and taste the breakfast, even though I ate it 3 hours before, and it was an uncomfortable feeling anytime I was running uphill.

Mile 4 was 6:28 and I started thinking about the uphill in the final mile. I know, big mistake! I’m usually good about staying in the current mile but I let my mind wander. I also started getting REALLY cold fingers at this point. They felt like fat frozen sausages.

Mile 5 was 7:07! I really thought I would catch the women ahead of me, but I only gained a little bit and wasn’t close to passing either one. I think I had a little more to give, but probably would have lost some of my breakfast. You can’t have it all. :)

Currie took this picture in her room post race.

Currie took this picture in her room post race.

Positives of the race (for me personally) were:

  • Challenging course, happy with my time
  • Heard someone yell “Go Oiselle!” correct pronunciation and all!
  • Good showing out there… about 500 people raced!
  • Pancakes, bananas and hot cocoa after race – yum!
  • There were people taking pictures and VIDEO at the end! I don’t know where to find them, but I will find them and can’t wait to see my pain face!

Down points of the race (for me personally) were:

  • Windy, icy, and alone most of the race
  • Had to rush home to get kids. Only had limited amount of childcare and race was 40 minute drive so no time to spare chatting post-race.
  • Got caught mid-pee squatting before the race (no time to wait in line at restrooms and lady walked right up to me with my pants down! At least it was a lady!)

Don’t let my personal down points fool you… this race was fun and challenging and I would definitely recommend it and run it next year! I made a few personal mistakes, but that’s just a part of racing. My goal was to run faster than I ran at my 5 mile Turkey Trot. I didn’t, but I’m fairly content with my time. Jeff ran ~ 2 minutes slower at the Frigid 5 Miler than the Turkey Trot and I ran ~ 30 seconds slower so I am mostly happy with the effort!

Another picture by Currie, she told me to do 3 fingers for 3rd place. Funny girl!

Another picture by Currie, she told me to do 3 fingers for 3rd place. Funny girl!

Warmup and cooldown were about 5 miles total, race was 5 miles, and I ran another 5.17 in the evening for a total of 15 miles on the day. I woke up a little sore, a little tired, but very happy this morning.

Questions for you:

Did you race this weekend? How did it go?

Ever eaten too much pre-race and know that gross feeling of “I might barf any moment”?

 

Disaster of a Week

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No, this isn’t a running disaster. This is a real life problem.

In September 2013 (4 months ago!) we moved into an old, beautiful house. We weren’t originally sure if we liked it, but we grow to LOVE it more and more every day. I feel so fortunate to have found a perfect house in the perfect location for my family. And just as I was feeling like the luckiest person ever, a little disaster struck. A few days ago, an old boiler pipe decided it had enough, and split.

DSC_0553Above you see the piece of cast iron pipe that had enough. What started as a trickle of water down the walls, ended up pouring water through the light sockets, and finally gushing water that collapsed part of the ceiling in our music room and the largest room in our basement.

Jeff was flying back from California and thank goodness my mom was here. We saved my great grandmother’s sewing machine, our guitars and amps, and some of Currie’s instruments, but as we tried to move the piano, a piece of ceiling fell on my mom’s back (along with the light fixture) and we decided it was too dangerous to enter the rooms where water was flowing. The water company came to shut off the water, but didn’t arrive for 40 minutes from the time we called so you can imagine our mess.
DSC_0521 DSC_0519

DSC_0431Our finished basement still had boxes of photo albums and books (moving in, having a baby 2 weeks later, and having the holidays around the corner doesn’t make for a very productive few months of unpacking) so we quickly saved everything that had sentimental value and the rest was ruined…

You can see pieces of the ceiling that fell on the sectional sofa and the cooler I moved to catch the water (HA, that was pointless!).

DSC_0458

DSC_0452So that’s what we’ve been dealing with this week! All the contractors who have come in have said something along the lines of “holy sh!t”. Yeah, we have a lot of damage…

But, my runs still happened. I didn’t end of taking any days off, but a few runs were shorter than I would have liked. I wanted to do some mile repeats but the bitter cold and snow (and stress from this mess) made me delay that workout. Instead, I’m going to race a 5 miler on Sunday. The race website describes the course as “challenging” with “FYI, a great uphill finish”. I’m really starting to love hills, so we will see what I think of this course.

And Wells is 15 weeks old (as of Friday)! (Currie will be 4 years old in less than a month now!)

Sibling love of the week.

Sibling love of the day.

And here are the 15 week postpartum pics! Not racing in these briefs/buns tomorrow. I’ll wait until it gets a little warmer!

15 weeks postpartum!

15 weeks postpartum!

Question for you!

Any random house disasters to share?!

14 Weeks and Running Goals

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Wells is 14 weeks old (on Friday when I started this post)!

Some sibling love

Some sibling love

Happy New Year! I’ve seen lots of bloggers posting about resolutions and/or goals. About half of them want to improve their fitness and chase some PRs. The other half want to take things easy, enjoy their exercise and not stress about distances or times. I enjoy reading both angles because I’ve been in each situation myself. After running competitively from junior high through college, I needed a break badly. I took a nice long break. I came back years later, fired up to do something great (after having Currie). I had a few years of running faster than I ever had, until I got pregnant with Wells, and got a much deserved and appreciated down year. But now I’m back and ready to turn things around again.

This got me thinking of my own running goals. It’s no secret that I want to qualify for the Olympic Trials Marathon in 2016. I also want to PR in every distance from mile through marathon in the next 2 years, if not by year-end 2014.

My brothers at the last Olympic Trials in Houston. I want to be there with them next time!

My brothers at the last Olympic Trials in Houston. I want to be there with them next time!

When I think about what I want out of my running, I consider all the things I’ll have to give up to get there. I hear runners of all levels talk of sacrifices they make to reach their running goals and I totally get it. Early bedtime means sometimes missing social gatherings. Spending hours of the weekend at races and/or getting in the long runs takes huge chunks out of our free time. Cutting back on indulgences here and there (foods that don’t sit well with running, alcohol, etc) can be challenging. This list goes on and on. But here’s what I think: everything I give up, is something I want to give up. It doesn’t feel so much like a sacrifice.

Even during my highest mileage weeks, I never feel horrible or like I don’t want to do a run. Even when I’m scared out of my mind the days leading up to the race, I have to admit I love that rush. Even when I have to give up my beloved dairy foods a few days before a long race, I know it’s something I should be doing anyway. (In fact, I’m not eating any dairy right now since it doesn’t sit well with baby Wells.)

I want to reach my goals. I believe I will reach my goals. But even if I don’t, I won’t regret the process. I won’t regret trying. I won’t regret living this lifestyle. This is something I’m doing for me. No one else. And it’s a lot of fun that way.

So with all that being said, I had another week in the right direction. A New Years Day 3 mile tempo run on the trails of Schenley Park. Some snowy runs. A meetup and run with Kristy and Mark. My longest run in over a year, 15.2 miles with Jeff. And 53 miles on the week. Another week in the right direction!

It hasn’t all been easy. Running long is really hard for me right now. I just spent the last year running mostly 2-4 miles a day with the occasional longer run thrown in there when I had company of run-friends. My pregnancy was spent staying healthy and exercising daily, but not logging many miles. Now I’m starting from scratch with the long runs and they are all really painful and much slower than I’d like. I am proud of myself for keeping level-headed about it and knowing the fitness is building and it’ll all be much easier in the coming months. Looking forward to easier-feeling, and faster long runs of the future is what encourages me to add the extra mile each week!

Here are the 14 week postpartum pics! Had to change location this week as my normal picture spot (Wells’ bedroom) was occupied.

14 weeks postpartum pics!

14 weeks postpartum pics!

 Questions for you!

How do you stay motivated when long runs feel REALLY hard?

Did you make some resolutions or goals this year? Are they more relaxed or are you chasing some big personal bests?

 

 

3 Months Postpartum Running, Down Weeks, & Multi-tasking

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On Friday, Wells turned 13 weeks old. It was also his 3 month birthday!

wells3months

He’s doing great and his big sister is being a wonderful sibling!

cw3months

I missed a few of my weekly posts because of travel for the holidays. My parents have been doing matching Christmas PJs for our family for longer than I can remember (way before it was cool…) Here is the picture from this year:

xmas2013This year was Jeff’s 10th Christmas with our family, and that meant his 10th pair of matching Christmas jammies. Here is one from 8 years ago. Loving that v-neck! HA!

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Running has been good. I originally planned this week to be my 3rd week in the 50 mile range, but I haven’t hit 50 miles yet. After my last post, I had a really tired, unmotivated weekend. Instead of running 13 miles, I did 7. My body was telling me I needed a down week. While I have taken things conservatively (adding 5 miles/week, with just 1-1.5 miles per week on the long run) my body was still saying I needed a down week. I realized I was building, building, building and never dropping. Oops! So, I took it. No bad feelings, no guilt. Just giving myself a break.

The next week, I decided I would run at least 8, up to 13 miles for the long run, depending on how I felt. I ended up with a strong finish 11.8 miles and was shocked to see I had 47 miles on the week! I was expecting 35-40 miles. I guess I ran a few extra miles during the weekday runs because I had my brothers and Jeff to join me.

Our reflective gear ended up messing up this pic, but it was little bro Jason, husband Jeff, big bro Josh, then me before heading out on a run!

Our reflective gear ended up messing up this pic, but it was little bro Jason, husband Jeff, big bro Josh, then me (posing by one of my mom’s 10 Christmas trees!) before heading out on a run!

This week I ended up with a hilly 14.2 miles to close things out at 48 miles on the week. I think the 2 down weeks served me well. I plan to get to 50 miles and stay there for a few weeks so I can continue feeling good and strong!

Wells is still managing to be a champion sleeper of 8-12 hours straight at night every night since December 8th. I know it won’t last forever, but like I said, I’m enjoying it! Thank you baby boy!

I’m quickly narrowing down a goal race for the spring. Details to come…

Finally, this has been a week of multi-tasking. I’ve been trying to fit in all the running “extras” while still doing all the fun holiday stuff & getting settled back at home stuff. Here are a few ways I fit some strength and stretching into the week:

  • Hip exercises while online bill paying and online library book renewal.
  • Leg/hip strength exercises while hanging out on the playground with the kids.
  • Lacrosse ball arch of foot massage* while nursing Wells.
  • Lacrosse ball arch of foot massage while writing this post!
  • Self calf massage while playing all sorts of imagination games with Currie.

*There is nothing wrong with the arch of my foot right now. However, after I had Currie, I got really bad plantar fasciitis. Then, I spoke with a women this fall who said she used to run until she had kids and got really bad plantar fasciitis. That was enough to keep me proactive with the arch/calf massage after having Wells.

Finally, here are the 13 weeks (3 months) postpartum pics! From my point of view, there’s more definition in my arms, everything else remains the same.

13weekspostwells

Questions for you!

Any fun/crazy family traditions this time of year?

What’s your favorite way to multi-task with strength/stretching routines? 

 

11 Weeks, Feeling Thankful

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Wells is 11 weeks old today!

Big, happy 11 week old!

Big, happy 11 week old!

I accomplished my goal of getting more sleep this week, but I can’t claim to have done it alone.

Screen Shot 2013-12-13 at 10.10.58 AMI tweeted that a few days ago and am happy to report Wells has been sleeping 10-12 hours a night ever since. (I realize this could stop any day and I’m appreciating every moment!) My contribution has been getting Currie to sleep as well and then going to bed shortly afterward myself (instead of staying up to get stuff done like usual)!

I didn’t quite hit my goal of 45 miles this past week because the weather quickly turned treacherous on my long run and after watching a dude fall HARD on the slick trail I decided to head home a mile early. It was a smart decision. I was only one mile shorter on long run and one mile short on the week. Gotta be smart and flexible.

The next day I was running on some rough, snowy trails (wearing yaktrax) but I twisted my ankle really bad (landed on outside of foot, hard). I have been blessed with extremely strong, yet skinny ankles, but this roll HURT. I limped for a minute, then was able to resume running with no problems. I was worried about how the ankle might feel the next day but I felt NO PAIN at all when running. However, the ankle has been tender when I do some of my foot exercises so I’ve been really cautious all week. Plus, I’ve been dealing with weather like this:

coldw coldw2So the week has consisted of all easy runs, with the exception of a few strides at the track today. My ankle is feeling 99% better, even when I roll it through a full range of motion with my hands so I’m feeling very thankful! I haven’t had any pain while running since that first minute of limping when it originally happened.

The funny thing about the ankle roll is that it happened while I was zoning out, thinking of how thankful I am to have running in my life. And how thankful I am to have my health, and my youth, and two wonderful, precious children.

My sweeties

My sweeties

And a husband who supports my running, encourages me, and rearranges his schedule to make sure my workouts can happen. He was much more serious about running than I was when we first met (and for the first 4 years of our relationship), and he definitely helped light the fire inside me and make me think I still had PRs left in my legs after 7 years of easy running and no workouts or training schedules.

And of course for my sponsor, Oiselle, for making the best running apparel, truly caring about their athletes and also being wonderful people and friends.

So I guess it’s been a week of thankful running!

Here are the 11 weeks postpartum pics!

11 weeks post Wells!

11 weeks post Wells!

Have you been braving the ice/snow/dangerously cold temps this week?

Anything you’ve been especially thankful for this week?

Strong ankles, weak ankles or just normal?

 

10 Weeks! Proud, Cute, and Not-So-Proud Running Moments

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Wells is 10 weeks old today!

Hello Mr. Personality! Ok, so he’s not a “little speedster” yet, but I have a feeling I’m going to have my hands full with Currie and this little guy. :)

Since my Turkey Trot, I’ve been a little exhausted. I recovered well from the racing, and even the long run (11.6 miles) with my brothers and husband 2 days later.

Husband Jeff, “little bro” Jason, me, big bro Josh.

But I am really far behind on sleep from all the family time and travel to see family. So my muscles are feeling good but my body is feeling pretty exhausted. My goal this week is get good sleep (and a nap!) at least 4 of the 7 days!

My proudest running moments of the week were:

  • Reaching 40 miles in one week. I’ve been increasing 5 miles per week and adding 1-1.5 miles to the long run distance each week and it has been a great gradual transition so far. I am thinking I’ll hold at 50mpw for awhile when I get there in 2 weeks. I’ve been having the desire to run doubles again which I’m not doing but I’m happy to be craving extra running.
  • Realizing my mental strength is still alive and well. I’ve had a few instances in the past 2 weeks where it would have been easy to throw in the towel mentally which would lead to physical decline. (Easiest one to explain is the pain train during my Turkey Trot, although my positive splitting was nothing to brag about, it could have been much more of a train wreck, but I held it together mentally even when my body was failing and finished strong.) I’m right where I want to be in the mental realm of my running.
  • Flexing my abs in the mirror and seeing the slightest hint of muscle! You know when you occasionally (or frequently) step out of the shower and flex your muscles in the bathroom mirror? Well, I discovered that if I flex ’em really hard, I can see my abs again! They are there! Gonna be awhile till they look like this:

Karknocker 5k, Rochester NY

but I’ll get there!

  • Getting my sprint on! I’ve been doing strides at the track for the past 2 weeks and today, I felt totally normal and fast again. Sure, the strides are the WHOLE WORKOUT right now so it’s nothing to “write home about”. Yes, I’d usually be doing strides as a normal part of my warmup to an entire speed session. But, sprinting hasn’t felt totally normal until today. I was a little concerned on the few snowy days of running to see that my usual toe-running style was replaced by trudging along making almost flat footed prints. Today, I was up high on the balls of my feet with my stride extended so much I literally kicked my butt on a few of the turnovers. I felt like my normal self and that was something to smile about!

My “cutest sighting on a run” this week was:

  • Old lady out for a brisk walk using an old school walkman! You go granny!

My not-so-proud running moments of the week were:

  • Lack of sleep leading to another cold! Must change that this week!
  • Falling off the bandwagon with my strength exercises. While traveling for Thanksgiving, I missed a few days of my “at least one strength exercise per day” routine.

All in all though, I’m chugging right along!

Here are the 10 week postpartum pics!

10 Week photos taken by a hyper 3-year-old again.

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend! Especially Heather and Laura as they run one of my favorite races, California International Marathon!

Questions for you:

Do you flex in the mirror daily, weekly, monthly, yearly?

What’s your cutest sighting on a run this week? Ever?

 

9 Weeks, First Postpartum Race

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It’s been an exciting few days! On Wednesday, Wells turned 2 months old!

My little 2 month old

Kissing his sister for making him a 2 month sign after I forgot to pack his official 2 month sticker for Ohio!

On Thursday, we celebrated Thanksgiving with a Turkey Trot, my first race after having Wells. I ran 31:12 and beat my goal time of 33:00. More to come on this race later.

Jeff and me before the race

And today, Wells is 9 weeks old!

I’m going to sleep right through this 9 week birthday.

I only did 2 “workouts” this week, both were strides on the track. So, they weren’t exactly taxing workouts, more just getting my legs going fast again. Maybe that contributed to my 5:37 first mile in the Turkey Trot. Oops! And maybe THAT ridiculous first mile is why every mile got progressively slower, and I was getting passed like crazy during the race (last year no one passed me, this year, I passed no one!) More details of race in another post!

With no real workouts on the schedule last week, I just ran whatever I wanted every day and ended up hitting 35 miles for the week. This week I plan on hitting 40. I had my first easy run (4 miles) where the overall pace was sub 8 minute miles so that was exciting! Progress!

The mental side of my running was pretty good this week, even with the daily freak out session “I’m racing for the first time in 11 months this week! How will it feel? What kind of shape am I in?” On a few occasions, I had sudden feelings of all the blood draining from my arms and legs because I was so nervous (and excited!) to race again! Even for a low profile race, I get myself pretty worked up in the days prior and I like it because it helps me reach the perfect of amount relaxation by race day. It might seem a little crazy to someone who isn’t a runner, but I look forward to these crazy nervous feelings and love the nervousness/anticipation of race day. It was good to have a goal to look towards again! Race morning was everything I wanted it to be, and like I said before I’ll do a recap soon!

Here are the 9 weeks postpartum pics and no, I didn’t race in buns. Too cold!

9 weeks!

Questions for you!

Did you Turkey Trot? How did it go?

Do you get worked up over races days (or weeks!) in advance or do you save your nerves for race morning?