A Running Mom

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

Did you hear? So many people have signed up to run the 2009 Pittsburgh Marathon, that for the first time ever, the number of runners is going to be capped! You know what that means. You better register NOW! My fave person is running it. So I’m taking this year off. Maybe I’ll run the relay!

What are you going to run? The Half Marathon? Will you take your kids to the Kids Marathon the day before? Are YOU planning to run the whole 26.2 miles? 

Whatever you’re doing, good for you! Here’s to the phenomenal people behind the 2009 Pittsburgh Marathon! Great job, all!

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca

Each Spring, when the weather warms enough, I make the official switch from hot lattes to iced. I have a friend who does the same thing. It was beautiful one day this week. I finished a run. I went to the coffee shop to reward myself with my fave drink, a latte, when it struck me: maybe it’s time to make the switch! So I texted my friend.

She texted back. No. It’s not warm enough. Soon.

You must know that when it’s this warm, I feel the need to make the switch, officially.

I’m getting impatient.

I’m longing for sun. Warmth. A healthy glow on my skin. A nice, cold, iced latte!

When?

When to switch?

How long do we wait? 

March 21st?

Once you make the switch, it’s hard to go back. It won’t do to switch and then have more snow.

So when?

When do you start drinking your iced lattes?

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca

Ever have one of those days where you think all is well then you find out that something has gone terribly wrong? Maybe a friend lets you down; Something you’ve worked hard to accomplish falls through; At the moment of taking on a run you’ve orchestrated, you find you cannot complete it because you’ve suddenly fallen ill.

It’s days like these that require each of us to dig deep and make use of that sudden change of plans without feeling totally disappointed. This weekend, I found myself feeling pretty crummy. Against every grain of my being, I pulled myself together, crawled into bed and resigned myself to resting–something I hate to do. In order to coax myself into settling down, I decided to take on something I absolutely love and grabbed a book I was planning to read: Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer. Fabulous.

Meyer’s characters exude such tension and yearning from the first page of the book, that a reader who loves a good character sketch gets caught quickly in her web. I love it. Can’t put it down. When will I find time to run?

I was nearly sad to wake up the next day feeling healthy again. And yes, I did enjoy a run in the pouring rain, with my fave person in the world. It was a relaxed run without any big hills or fast speed, but a ton of chatting and laughing. Just what I needed to keep me from spending the day curled up reading the entire book one of the Twilight Series! More on that later.

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca

Once in a while we get the chance to really touch another person in a very positive way. I’ll always cherish my experience of helping to coach for Girls On The Run (girlsontherun.org). This organization is simply wonderful. It does this magic trick with girls who aren’t necessarily destined to go to the Olympics running. It takes these ordinary girls, prepares them to run a 5K, and sneaks in a bunch of tiny lessons in the training sessions. The girls may not realize it, but they learn a lot more than they sign up to learn. And bonus, they compete in a 5K race at the end of the program! It’s simply wonderful.

When I helped coach, there was a little girl with a ton of running potential. But she was not a part of a bigger group of girls, like many of the other girls that year. So when she came to practice, she ran alone. She made a friend or two but didn’t really bond with them right away. Soon I found her running with me. At first I felt a bit concerned. But after a couple of weeks, I realized that her home life didn’t offer her many opportunities to have one-on-one time with an adult. So for her, it might be special to have me focussing all of my attention on her. I ran with all of the girls, of course. But I will say, I paid special attention to her. Let’s call her Addy.

As the final weeks went by, Addy’s running ability began to shine. She had a natural gait; a relaxed stride; long legs. Running came to her so naturally and easily, that soon she began to really outrun the other girls. But then she’d stop. So I’d catch her. I’d ask her what’s up? And then she started to smart talk. It took me by surprise.

Another week went by and I couldn’t figure out what was going on. I tried to hang near her and the other girls to figure it out, but nothing made sense. All of a sudden, this little girl who I thought I was really “reaching” was lashing out at me! Whaddup with that?

The second day of that next week, I caught the end of a conversation with Addy and another girl about a few things unrelated to running and I heard the kernal of truth: Addy wasn’t doing well in school. She was struggling. Her parents weren’t always their on time to pick her up. And the kids were teasing her. It made me absolutely crazy.

So, I started running with Addy again, but stayed with her longer. She made a few wise cracks, but I pretended to miss them. The other girls didn’t like how I focussed so much time with her. I still ran with everyone, but I purposefully tried to focus on Addy. And they could tell. I started to think hard about how I spoke to all of the girls to make sure they didn’t get angry with Addy. But I also wanted to keep Addy running. I wanted her to pass all of those other girls.

I stuck with Addy during some critical laps where she wanted to walk. I walked with her. She would regain her breath and I’d suggest we pass one of the girls in sight. And so we did. I laughed when she said that it wasn’t helping her to stop so much. I knew she was right, but didn’t expect her to figure that out!

With race day, one week away, the girls ran the whole distance. Addy told me she was certain that she wouldn’t make it. I told her I knew she wouldn’t make it if she kept thinking like that. And then I looked at her and reminded how hard she had worked. That this distance is actually the same distance that she ran the prior week. And that she was strong enough to make it. We smiled at each other. And she took off.

A couple of times I joined her to see if we could pass some of the other girls. She took off and left me in her dust! It was simply amazing to me. And yes, she beat that little tribe. 

We never spoke about the details of the teasing or her home life or about any specific issues she felt she needed help in addressing. So I cannot say that our running together created a whole new chapter in her life. 

But I can tell you that Addy gave me a huge hug at then end of the race. She said, with tears, that she really was going to miss me. And I said I’d miss her too. But I said, that both of us became stronger together and that I’d always remember that! And we laughed.

Girls On The Run Rocks! If you have a girl, or know one, check it out. She might just become a little stronger because of you!

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca

girlsontherun.org

If you’re like me, planning a run can sometimes become a dreaded chore. A mental feat. Which hills to include? How many? What’s the perfect distance to build strength but not overdue? Do I really want to commit to this run?

Here are 5 tips on how to plan your next run. I promise it’ll help!

1. Distance - If you run 3 days a week, then you probably want to plan for two light runs and one challenging one. If you’re all about increasing distance, then add 2 miles to your most comfortable distance for your challenging run. For example, if you have been running 4-milers for weeks and it’s a distance you’re comfortable with, perhaps you ought to consider running a 6-miler one day in the next week to help build endurance and strength. 

2. Terrain - Sometimes I like to add a few hills to a run instead of miles. This seems to mix up my training and offer my muscles the chance to really get a workout. Other days I minimize the hills as much as possible to give me a chance to work on speed. As is true when thinking about distance, whatever is most comfortable is fine for most runs per week. The best approach is to add a little zing to your running routine with some hills, some flat striding miles or simply a different route altogether to for a little something new!

3. Speed - It’s good to plan ahead the general “pace” of your runs. If you just start plodding along each day with no clue of how fast you’ll run that day, you’ll probably end up enjoying the run enough for having run it. But you won’t have gained that added satisfaction of knowing you set out to do something and then actually did it! That’s the bomb. Consider giving yourself a rough pace for the run you’re planning. If you have no idea what that pace might be, then wait and time yourself over the next 6 runs. See what your average time is to run various distances. See if you run a little faster after a break. And figure out what your “comfortable” pace is and what pace you might achieve if you’re trying to run a little faster. With this backdrop you’ll be able to plan to finish in a general timeframe, will have a better handle on how you’re running as you are in the midst of a good run, and you’ll be able to begin to identify ways of shaving off time.

4. Setting - It’s a personal thing, I know, but for me, what’s going on around me, has everything to do with how I enjoy a run. The treadmill for me is jail. Track running bores me. And I loathe any course that sends me out and back. Ugh. It’s worth every minute it takes to figure out what I’m going to see on my run. I’ll even go for a drive to find an area new and interesting. Then I look it up on “Map My Run” http://tinyurl.com/db449j, and try out paths I’ve never run before. I love to just mix it up. It always pays off. Running different neighborhoods, parks, parts of the country, and even old places I’ve lived before, offers an intimate perspective on any of those places. Perhaps it might help you enjoy running even more. It’s a must for me.

5. Sound - Whether I run with someone I adore, find funny, who tells great stories, or my iPod, I always plan what’s going to be entertaining me during a run. It’s a must. 

What are your strategies for making your running excersions extra special? Share them with me! I’d love to give them a try.

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca

So check it out: if I can run about 15 miles/week, Hal Higdon has a training schedule that gets me running the Pittsburgh Marathon.

http://tinyurl.com/gmsne

Think I’m crazy?

May your next run be a good one.

Rebecca