A Running Mom

Photo Credit: www.blavish.com

1. You could try these training chutes

2. Try striding for 2-3 each time you run

3. Consider covering double the distance at least once a week and then watch the seconds fall away

4. Run with someone whose pace is a touch faster than yours

5. Create a playlist that keeps you motivated to run faster

Each of these techniques can offer you the opportunity to drop time. The best way to see which one suits you is to give each a try. You may find that by simply trying a couple of these techniques will help you identify a faster running pace that you can sustain for longer than you originally thought, and that your secret to your personal best race time is just opening up your stride a little bit… nothing too dramatic!

Can’t wait to hear how you get yourself running faster!

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca

This might look really easy, but guess what? It’s super hard! And you might need to start doing it.

Photo Credit: pilates4runners.com

If you are a runner, you may want to consider pilates to incorporate better breathing techniques for your runs, better flexibility, and a stronger “core.” I found this site that speaks specifically about the benefits pilates offers runners like me.

Last year, as I trained for a 1/2 marathon, I developed acute back pain and became increasingly uncomfortable. I couldn’t even to touch my toes! I thought my back was going into spasms. A few visits to my favorite local Pilates Studio took care of the problem. They taught me the importance of stretching the muscles I was strengthening for better support and comfort throughout my “core” — the area throughout your body’s lower back and around the upper and lower stomach.  I also learned that my breathing and overall training might have been contributing to my holding tension in my shoulders and back. Within 12 weeks, I developed better posture, better breathing, a stronger core and felt terrific again.  Now I incorporate pilates in my weekly routine, as it will, I believe, be the cornerstone for my longer-term strength and cardio-vascular training and health. See what you think!  

I’m off to run a nice 3 miles.

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca

Photo Credit: www.active.com

This weekend, whatever else you’ve got going on, you go get that run in. Me? I’m going to try and get 2 runs in. 3 miles tomorrow. 6 on Sunday. Wish me luck! Hopefully I’ll have something to share to inspire you.

I haven’t been running longer distances in the past few weeks. So I’m hoping the back-to-back milage will help me get back some strength. I know I need this for a few reasons:

1. I felt sore in my quads this morning after playing tag (aka Mommy Monster) in the basement with my kids. Now that’s not right. And it’s a tad unbelievable, actually. But all the same, it’s true. I guess it was from all that “sprinting.”

2. I’m carrying that winter extra little insulation and I want to get rid of it. How can I tell? My baggy pants just aren’t so baggy right now. Need to correct this asap.

3. There are a few things on my mind that are still fuzzy; I need some clarity. So, for me, this means that I need to get a few more miles in!

TGIF! Cheers!

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca

Photo Credit: thebullrunner.com

Check out these moms who ran the “Milkshake Marathon” — a fun run for breastfeeding. Can you imagine?Breastfeeding moms running a marathon? I’m sure that’s shocking to some. Not to me. After I had my first child, I felt determined to get back into running shape, so I trained for the NYC Marathon (with the doctor who delivered my baby, can you believe it?). I had my first child in June and ran the NYC marathon in November. It was a challenge, but it ended up really making me feel like I could accomplish anything. That’s pretty much the feeling at the finish of a big race you’ve trained to run, isn’t it? That race, for me, represented so much, because I was one of those moms who planned to go back to work, but when the time came to leave that baby, I just couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to be a stay-at-home mom. I wanted to be a working mom. But I just couldn’t leave that baby? See the irony there? More on that later.

I can still feel the incredible soreness of needing to nurse my daughter at the end of the race… I rarely went 8 hours during a day without nursing her, and by the time I made it back home to my 5-month old, I was bursting! True story.  

Photo Credit: www.meetup.com

Check out these women! They are new runners in Washington who trained together through meetup.com. Don’t they look like a fun group to run with? 

Photo Credit: catherinedrew.wordpress.com

And then there’s this woman, finishing a race with a huge smile. Don’t you love it? Best part of her story is that the smile isn’t because she finished. It’s because she spotted the photographer too late to strike her running pose! I simply love this pic and this story. How many times have you run a race and reviewed the pictures from it with dismay, as you see yourself either looking too comfortable or a tad weary!

At least in this shot she looks really happy! I’d take that!

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca

Photo Credit: pedalpushersonline.com

I’ve had a few requests for great stretches. So I found these and love them. It doesn’t actually matter much that these are stretches for bikers. They’re just what runners need, too. Especially if you’re just beginning to train or get into running again, these stretches are essential for remaining comfortable. If you’re like me, and you’ve been running forever, then these stretches might just keep you healthy. 

Two years ago I started running intervals to increase my speed. My calves tightened up and soon I developed some discomfort in my heel. Little did I know that I had irritated my plantar fascia and within a couple of months, I actually found myself in my doctor’s office. The killer diagnosis? Plantar Fasciitis due to lack of stretching. Are you kidding me? I caused my own injury!

Do not let this happen to you. It’s a tough, 6 months. Trust me.

Plus, some doctors believe that stretching releases endorphins, much like massage. It might just make you feel good!

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca

Photo Credit: WPXI.com

With the enormous response in registrations for this year’s Pittsburgh Marathon, there’s likewise the enormous need for volunteers. So if you can’t run it, help out with it! Go to pittsburghmarathon.com for how to get involved! See you on the course!

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca

Photo Credit: bellaonthebeach.files.wordpress.com

I’ve been chatting with friends who want to run but feel intimidated by the very thought of putting on running shoes and running out the door. They say that they have been doing such a low level of aerobic activity, that they can’t imagine even running a mile. If you feel like this, you’re going to love this post. I wrote it based on how I would get back into running after my 12 weeks of resting after having a baby. Now, before you try it, of course, you need to make sure your doctor agrees that training for a 5K race is a good idea for you. Bounce this training plan off her. See what she thinks. And if it’s a go, here’s how you can get your happy feet running a 5K. It’s easy. Fun. You’ll be so proud of yourself, too! Try this: 

Day 1: Put on your comfortable shoes. Set your running watch for 20 minutes. Walk out the door. Keep walking for 5 minutes. Now try to jog for 5 more. Walk 5. Jog 5. How did you feel? You’ll never feel this tired again. So the worst part is over. Congratulations.

Day 2: Same as day 1. But this time, walk for 10 minutes first and then complete the walk/jog.

Day 3: Rest. Stretch. Drink water.

Day 4: Same as Day 1.

Day 5: Today set your watch for 30 minutes. Walk 5. Jog 5. Walk 5. Jog 5. Walk 5. Jog 5.

Day 6: Rest. Stretch. Drink water.

Day 7: Set your watch for 40 minutes. Walk 10. Jog 5. Walk 10. Jog 5. Walk 2. Jog 8.

Day 8: Set your watch for 40 minutes. Walk 10. Jog 5. Walk 5.  Jog 5. Walk 2. Jog 8.

Day 9: Rest. Stretch. Drink water.

Day 10: Set your watch for 40 minutes. Walk 5. Jog 8. Walk 5. Jog 8. Walk 2. Jog 12.

Day 11: Set your watch for 35 minutes. Walk 5. Jog 10. Walk 5.  Jog 15.

Day 12: Rest. Stretch. Drink water.

Day 13: Today’s a big day. You’re ready to jog for 25 minutes straight. Set your watch for 35 minutes. Walk 5. Jog 10. Jog 15. Walk 5. Congratulations!  Wasn’t that easy?

Day 14: Rest. Stretch. Drink water.

Day 15: Set your watch for 35 minutes. Walk 5. Jog 10. Jog 15. Walk 5.

Day 16: Set your watch for 40 minutes. Walk 5. Jog 30. Walk 5.

Day 17: Set your watch for 40 minutes. Walk 5. Jog 30. Walk 5.

Day 18: Rest. Stretch. Drink water.

Day 19: Rest. Stretch. Drink water.

Day 20: Rest. Stretch. Drink water.

Day 21: Run your 5K race! Be proud!

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca

So I took my kids to their class this weekend — the class they take that allows me to run with my favorite person in the world every week — only to find out that my 11-year old’s class was cancelled. With my usual running partner out of town, I got excited. My daughter, one of my most favorite people in the world, too, could keep me company! I really don’t like to run alone. So I asked her if she would. And she laughed and said “Yes!” Yippee!

She grabbed her bike, I grabbed my shoes and off we went. It was a riot. Every uphill had me laughing at her as she pushed her bike up. And every downhill had her harassing me, as she soared past me screaming, weeee! Even with all this passing each other, though, we managed to enjoy a pretty insightful conversation about make-up, of all things. She shocked me. Some girls in school are wearing eye-liner and mascara, making their eyes look really dark, she said. “It gives me the creeps,” she said.

So I asked her about why she thinks they are wearing make-up. And hold on to your seats, she tells me that other girls are getting their hair highlighted. One girl has started wearing blue eye shadow. It’s all making her feel funny, she told me. I asked her, why? She said that she doesn’t like what her friends look like with all of that make-up on. But now she wants to start wearing it, too. Why? I asked. She said she wasn’t sure, but she just feels like it. I said no. Sorry. You’re 11. No.

Can you get over this? C’mon! She’s 11. 6th grade. 

We finished our run/bike ride with a lot of laughs between us. She didn’t say she was disappointed about the whole make-up thing. And I did suggest to her that maybe the girls wearing make-up in her class really just want some attention. Or maybe they’re dying to fit in with some other girl who’s wearing make-up, too. But I was so glad to hear that she has a bunch of friends that don’t wear any make-up at all. Whew!

All-in-all, I was tickled to hear about all of it. I wonder if she would have ever told me if we hadn’t gone for that run/ride. Maybe I’ve just gotten myself a new running partner! Or at least another favorite one.  

Can’t we offer them some really cool ways to get that attention without fostering gobs of make-up of all things?

This morning I found this uber cool organization that I guess started in Boston, called Strong Women Strong Girls. I love it. It’s all about getting strong women together to mentor girls to help maintain a positive, goal-oriented focus in today’s girl. I’ll have to check it out. In the meantime…

Let’s give a high-five to our smart, savvy girls who are beautiful, joyful and full of great ideas. Here’s to you, girls! 

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca

Photo Credit: Rockbrook Camp For Girls

My parents didn’t want me to run. As the youngest of 10 kids, though, they soon gave up on trying to dissuade me. I had my mind set on running and I wasn’t going to give in, just because my parents thought that it was too rough on my “female parts” (they really said that). Running for me, at the early age of 11, became a time for my head to clear. I loved it.

I had a lot to deal with, looking back. Surely we all did. And I can’t complain, since my complex living arrangement probably helped strengthen my character over time. But since I was part of a farming family, I was not allowed to play sports for most of my elementary education. So I ran.

I joined the cross-country team in high school. I wasn’t a fast runner. But I loved to run. 

When things around my home or school became a bit too complex for me, I ran. When people confused me with mixed messages, I ran. When friends confused me with their fickle attentions, I ran. I found clarity, an inner peace, and above all, a strength that pushed me onward through running. Whenever I finished a run, I finished strong and I felt like a champion. I wish my parents could see that. 

Today, more girls than ever are participating in sports. They are gaining confidence in the experience of competition that is good for everyone, I believe. There are people who believe sports and girls are not a great mix, because a girl’s body isn’t meant for such aggressive, athletic activity. To me, they sound like my parents. Maybe they mean well, but they don’t really make any sense. Sports gives young people, young girls, the chance to release, express, challenge and strengthen. It’s a really beautiful thing.  

Did you find any coping strategies most suited to you while growing up? How did you sort through the complicated messages that people in your life presented to you, so you could choose your own path to be true to you?

If you see a girl this week, don’t tell her she’s pretty. Don’t tell her she’s a princess. Don’t tell her she’s so sweet because she’s so quiet. Give her a high-five for being strong. For speaking her mind. For reaching a goal. For expressing herself. For playing her sport, whatever it might be. You might just help her feel a little bit stronger.

Here’s to all of you strong girls out there!

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca

wishing to run the brooklyn bridge

I dream of running the Brooklyn Bridge

Of revisiting its boardwalk of fun

Running ’round walkers; screaming right past;

A thrilling, and challenging run.

I miss you, old bridge, and your beauty!

I miss how you’d give me a peek

Of the city that engulfs me when

I visit to relive years in a week!

Today I ran a favorite 10K route. I saw horse farms, steep hills and interesting people. It made me miss an old 10K favorite run of mine, which I found when I ran across the Brooklyn Bridge to explore. I lost myself on that run, a new resident of NYC, and I stared like a tourist as I ran across the base of Manhattan, around The World Trade Center, The World Financial Center and I nearly tripped when I realized how clearly I could see The Statue of Liberty on this spontaneous, 10K run. It was 1990. The year I fell in love with running in New York!

Ever dream on your runs?

What’s your fave running dream or memory?

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca