A Running Mom

Photo Credit: tomywang

Did you make a resolution for 2011? Have you already broken it? Or are you inspired by your own resolutions and change of heart in this new year?

So many of us invest too much time in the resolution instead of investing in the effort to really change a habit or an attitude or even a relationship.

Why don’t you join me, peeps, and let’s resolve to be happy in 2011. Let’s wag more and bark less. Let’s not worry. Let’s be happy.

Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it?

Be happy. That’s my resolution for 2011.

For me, this will mean 5 things:
1. Spending more time with those who make me happy, like my family and good friends
2. Doing more of the things that make me happy, like running, laughing and enjoying lunch
3. Communicating to others day-to-day amazing things, like the incredible growth and positive impact on tween girls around the world of iTwixie.com or the delight in working out with my tween girl twice a week
4. Meeting new people who are doing amazing work, like the members of the remarkable Girls Coalition
5. Taking care of my family, like making sure we all get check-ups, eat well and do something physically challenging every day

These five things will help me to be happy in 2011. How about you? Will you join me and be happy in 2011?

Off to get today’s run in. What are you going to do today to make YOU happy?

May your next run be a good one.
Rebecca

Photo Credit: iTwixie.com

Character: Character is a set of behavior traits that define what sort of person an individual is. It determines whether a person will effectively achieve goals, be forthright in dealing with others and will obey the laws and rules of the group. Although character is related to personality, it is not the same thing. Personality is primarily inborn traits, while character consists of learned behavior. Both may vary with the situation or circumstances.

Aren’t these girls fabulous? They are full of joy, happiness and are showing off their unique character. Sure they’re dressed up for Halloween — but they aren’t dressed in skimpy outfits, as divas or in the new wave of costume that tries to make our girls look like adults. They’re dressed up as football players! Very cool! Full of character!

To me, character is in crisis today. As a society we do not focus enough on helping to develop character in our budding leaders for tomorrow. This development has to begin early and continue through the pre-adolescent years, because by high school, much of this development must be in place to help our high schoolers make quality choices.

Instead of character development, it seems that our world is much more into complaining about stuff and focussing on appearances. In fact, as a society, we focus so much on appearances, that is it any wonder that our impressionable, young girls are finding themselves in crisis over how they look? Today we have a record number of a few, startling achievements: a record number of tween girls suffering from depression, eating disorders and contemplation of suicide.

Trouble is, there are numerous organizations out there who believe the problem is that our girls have low self esteem.

Maybe that is part of the problem. And, indeed, part of the solution.

But what if, maybe, the trouble starts with each adult today who has dropped the ball in aiding in the character development of our girls?

Regardless of whether or not you agree with me on that one, you will find this next thought challenging at the least and worth trying — TODAY — at the most!

Make TODAY the day that you DO something that empowers YOU and your daughter!

Start these TODAY:
- Stop gossiping at all, but especially in front of your daughter.
- Compliment your daughter on something she has done today, instead of how she looks.
- Do not mention one flaw of yours in front of your daughter.
- Start a meaningful project that your daughter can do as well, such as writing letters to the troops, collecting food for the hungry or designing a new way to collect paperboard for recycling in your home.
- Take 20 minutes and use them to make you and your daughter STRONGER: Lift some weights, or go for a walk or run, or take the Lunge Challenge on iTwixie.com with your daughter — this just might be the start to a whole new and stronger you and stronger daughter.

Well?

I’m no longer accepting comments on this blog, as I began to receive thousands everyday by some new friends representing a broad array of nonsense products. So, alas, until I install better filtering, please send your comments to my up and coming facebook page: A Running Mom!

May your next run be a good one.
Rebecca

Photo Credit: Brian Gudas Photography

Tip 10: Challenge Yourself
Duh, right?
Wrong.

This is the most important, and yet illusive, tip of all! Just like this picture, our challenges are hidden; like ghosts; blurry; undefined. That’s because, depending where you are in your training, your recovery, your bad habits, your good habits, each of us face a very different challenge week to week. And yet, that one challenging thing can become the very thing that trips you up! You may have stopped challenging yourself!

Think about it! Consider me: I was training for the Chicago Marathon. I was in terrific shape — planning my runs, making them fun, getting up in the morning — and then BAM! My knee kept swelling and I couldn’t dedicate myself to physical therapy and I had to bail. Is this where I was tripped up? Well, no, not really, because I had to rest and come to terms with my injury.

Here’s the part that tripped me up: so I’m good to go now. Maybe I ought to take it easy for a while before I begin training for a big run again, but I am healthy to start running again. I have been for a while. Why haven’t I been running? Well, let me see, well, I did run one day. So I guess I was kinda running. Kind of. Sorta. You know, a run here and there and then, well, I was tired so I didn’t run one day and then… TRIP! Here’s where I was tripped up! I wasn’t challenging myself.

You may be doing the same thing right now, but it’s because you’ve accomplished a goal and so now you’re thinking, so what now? Right?

Take this last tip to heart. Challenge yourself. How do you do this?

Figure out the one thing that makes you a bit butterfly-in-the-tummy right now about running. Is it a specific run? The post-run ache? The need to cross-train? Are you putting off pilates, which could help you balance your muscle tone, and therefore are about to stop running, too? Are you just out of shape and get nervous about running a mile? 2 miles? Or are you comfortable at 4 miles and are simply bored out of your mind?

What is it for you? Once you figure that out, the answer will be easy. Do that one thing!

Me? It was my fave 5-mile run. Since I had stopped running and stopped my routine, I then got into that funny place where I knew that run would be a challenge for me. That psyched me out, because this is my fave run! My no-brainer run! And I felt a bit nervous about running it. See?

So, this weekend I took it on. I ran it. I enjoyed it. I felt a bit nervous at the beginning, and I had to push myself a bit. But I did it! Boy have I been sore this week! I even added a huge hill at the end to really crank up the soreness I’d feel. Ha-hah!

I feel incredible. I know I won’t be this sore next time I run. I challenged myself and now I’m off to plan a few more challenging runs to get me back into my routine. I’m back!

Won’t you join me?

I hope these tips have been helpful. I wish you fitness, fun and fabulous runs. Get out there and get running! On your terms! On your behalf! And know I’m cheering you on! Will you cheer for me?

May your next run be a great one.

Rebecca

Photo Credit: Ecnerwal

Tip 7: Make It Pretty!

Sound too fluffy? It’s true! Plan at least one a week that is pretty. You know, one that offers eye candy. Great inspiration. Views. Perhaps a place of sentimental value. You know why? Then the run all of a sudden becomes WORTH IT! You must plan, make extra time, consider options, perhaps discuss ideas about where you will run. Not every day. Just once a week. And shazam! You’ll find yourself hankering that run. Wishing it was Saturday so you could go on that run. You may even plan a run that’s just a little challenging… a-ha!  And then you’ll have to make sure that you’re ready for the upcoming run. So you’ll plan a couple of more challenging runs in preparation of the “pretty” one. I’m telling you, it’s powerful stuff.

One of my fave all-time runs is the Brooklyn Bridge. Just experiencing that fabulous moment of crossing over the Brooklyn Bridge and all of a sudden you can’t see the whole city any longer so it kind of feels like the city swallows you whole is absolutely envigorating. I just love it.

I recently had the chance to run the Brooklyn Bridge 3 times in a row. What a feeling! I’m ready to run the NYC Marathon again after all that fabulousness! LOL. But really, it was a great inspirational moment and it made me realize that those pretty, “eye candy” runs can tip the scale for getting me committed to a better running routine. Let it tip your scale, too.

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca

Photo Credit: Tony the Misfit

Tip Five: Ask Your Friends. Before you bail on any given run on any given day, just ask someone you know what they think about this decision. Or let them in on your inner debate.  For example, you look out the window and it’s raining. It’s pouring. The old man is snoring. You can’t imagine running in the rain today. You start considering the treadmill, the gym, the possibility of post-posing the whole week’s running plan because of the terribly disappointing weather. Before you make your decision, reach out to some friends and get their feedback. You might be surprised by the answers you get!

This is how it worked out for me this week.  I looked out the window and saw the rain pouring down. I debated running in it vs. running on the treadmill. So I reached out to my Twitter friends because in my gut I knew what I thought I ought to do, but I just needed a little push. And they responded immediately! It was so inspiring! Their answer? GO run in the rain!

Thanks, @katgautreaux and @_jenniferlynn_! My two new BFFs helped me remember the fun of running in the rain and even better, helped me achieve my running goals last week! Had I run on the treadmill, I never would have run 4 miles. I would have run a quick 2. And you know what? I loved that run in the rain!

Next time it’s raining, I’m going to kick up my heels and go for it.

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca

Photo Credit: Now I’m Always Smiling

Tip 3: Unclench The Claw!

This sounds freaky, but it’s really true. I bet you are just like me in this way, too. Having a run hanging over your head can stress you out, can’t it? It can for me. Just knowing that I want to run 4 times this week, and really get in nice, meaningful runs, can cause a bit of a pang in my stomach, and a clench in my hands. I somehow develop the, you guessed it, CLAW!  (Now, this isn’t to be confused with the Mommy Monster Claw that I use to chase my kids around the house, just like I always stop them from doing on their own, with my hands in the air poised to tickle them into fits of giggles.) This tension-filled, OMG I-have-to-run-and-get-this-over-with-Claw is more of a symptom of the wrong attitude I sometimes fall into regarding my running altogether.  Stressing about getting the run “in” is in direct conflict with the peace and tranquility one is meant to find from the run itself. Is this true for you, too?

In many ways, getting into a better running routine for me comes down to a few basic things. It’s not really all about being goal-oriented or serious about running or needing to train or get into shape. For me, sometimes, it’s simply about chilling out and remembering that at the end of any given day, I am a happier me if I go for a run. I’m a better me once I’ve finished a run. I listen better. I laugh easier. I’m more patient. I have better ideas. I can stay awake later. I can even wake up in the morning quicker! And all I have to do is run to have all these benefits! So what’s with The Claw?

Unclench The Claw. Chill. Take a deep breath. Enjoy the idea that you are going to be a better you after you run. And then, tada! You will go and put on those shoes and hit the road. Done deal.

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca

So yes, here’s the first in a series of Top 10 Tips For A Better Running Routine. They are designed for the psycho runner who can find any reason in the world to keep her from hitting the road! So get ready! If you’re used to putting running on hold for a variety of reasons, these next few posts will challenge you to knock it off and commit to a consistent running routine!

Ready?

Tip 1: Buy New Shoes Tomorrow - Run In The Old Ones Today!
Some days I put off running just because I start to think that I need new shoes and I’ll get into a better routine once I buy those new shoes. You too? Well, here’s the challenging thought: buy the new shoes tomorrow. But get off your behind and run in the old ones today. It’s that simple. One more run in the old shoes is not going to make a big difference. Make the plan to buy the new shoes. Commit to run in the old ones until you get the new ones. May sound obvious, but if you’re like me, it may mean getting in a few more runs, and a few more days of fitness, vs. allowing yourself to languish in the days of no running and therefore lack of fitness benefits.

This morning (I’m all about running in the morning these days) I ran in my old shoes. I’m convinced I need new ones. I haven’t purchased the new shoes. But I have been tricking myself into thinking that my running routine and the new shoes are related. I had hoped to buy the new shoes this week. But factors kept me from researching the shoes I think I need, locating them and hence buying them. See how it works? Do you ever do this?

It took a bit of psycho babbling in my head to get me to simply make the list that includes all three of those time-consuming tasks and realize that I may not get those new shoes for a couple of weeks. I’m not sure which ones I want to get. I cannot afford another pair of shoes that creates discomfort in my foot or knee. I need high-arched, stabalizing running sneakers. This might take a little time on my part researching, trying on shoes and talking to friends whose feet are like mine. So fine. I may not get those shoes for another week.

But I’m still going to run. I cannot afford to wait for the new shoes.

Deal? Now get out there and get that run in! You go!

Gotchya!

May your next run be a good one.
Rebecca

Just like they say on iTwixie.com, let’s be BFFs!

I promise, as your BFF, to:
1. Always share chocolate cake if you have leftovers on your countertop
2. Make sure I’m in bed by 11:30pm, so I can wake up early enough to run with you or to let you know that I did, so you’ll feel motivated to do the same
3. Try and run in the morning, at least 3 days a week, so that on those days I will be chipper all day long and I’ll even try to get you to run with me

That’s the kind of stuff a great BFF will do. I promise I’ll always be your BFF!

May your next run be a good one.
Rebecca

Photo Credit: rightee

My new friend, Jill, reminded me that running is not about beating people, achieving a certain time or even about winning a given race. Running is really all about besting that terrible inner voice that tells you to quit.

Here’s to besting that voice every day. Here’s to “keep going.”

Happy 4th of July.

May your next run be a good one.
Rebecca

Photo Credit: Cole24

Look at that.
Read this.
Then go for your interval run!

Confidence
You don’t always have to be in the lead…
If you have the heart to come from behind.
Don’t give up hope, don’t doubt yourself,
And a new strength is what you’ll find.
The spirit of competition, the desire to succeed
will always be important for life.
So give your all, everything you’ve got,
No matter the occasion, through pain and strife.
So step up to the plate, enter the race,
Never be afraid to take your turn.
Because winners are people who just never quit,
And this is a life lesson we all will learn.
©Melissa Underwood

May your next run be a good one.
Rebecca