Running Makes Me Feel . . . Tall

Let's get something straight: I'm not tall, I've never been tall and I will soon be overshadowed by the height of my children. As my 5 year old son likes to point out, "Mom, I'm getting taller every day and by the time I'm 7, I'll be as tall as YOU!" Ah, the exaggerations of an enthusiastic, competitive son. He likely won't make it that far by 7, but I'm sure he'll be there by 11. On a good day, I measure at 5'4.5" (and sometimes round up to 5' 5", you know, to keep it easy). But that doesn't mean I can't FEEL tall.

I think my self-perception stems from two life experiences:

1. I married a man who is 6' 4" on a short day. Just hanging out with him makes me feel tall, except when he reaches the things on the top shelf for me.

2. Runners who pass me tend to be tall. Including that tall husband of mine. (Or at least, he USED to pass me.)

So now that I'm becoming a stronger runner, I'm feeling taller. If I'm passing runners who are tall, then I must be tall, right? It FEELS that way to me. Until I get home and see in the mirror that I haven't grown at all, except for the improved posture and more confident twinkle in my eye. Yup, running makes me feel tall - and I like it.

Some of you were wondering how the Mercer Island 10K went on Sunday. Birthday Girl Christine and I didn't quite make her goal, but considering we underestimated the power of the hills (climbs at the start of each mile - AND, here's the kicker . . . a final climb to the finish line!) our finish in under 55:00 was strong. At an average pace of 8:45, I can't complain. And after today's 4 miler in the sunshine where I kept slipping into a 7:30 pace . . . Holy cow, did MY legs really do that? . . . I think that race was a good base-line for the season. And since I'm taller now (haha), I should be able to keep up the speed, right? We'll see in June when I do the Duvall Days 10K.

How about YOU? How does running make YOU feel?

Starting Wet, but with a Thankful Heart

When I'm feeling overwhelmed or frustrated negativity can seep into my brain and set up camp there. So today I'm going to play a little game as I start the week with a thankful heart. I'm looking for the upside of negative thoughts in effort to push the negativity OUT!

1. The rain returned last night (and hasn't stopped all day) . . . but we took advantage of a string of nice days and filled them with park time and even a trip to the beach. We've stored up the outdoor activities like squirrels so the next stretch of inside days will have their own flavor of fun.

Here's me running in jeans and Keens with sweet ol' Albus Dumblepup on the beach. This dog loves to run and saw the sandy beach as his opportunity to GO!

2. My running mileage for last week was shy of my weekly goal . . . but I did an extra day of yoga, which relieved my tight hamstrings and made it possible for me to end the week with a good run. And my legs feel great this week!

3. My husband and I didn't make it to the Watershed Preserve in time for a hike on our date night (darn early sunset!) . . . but we made it to our favorite restaurant (45 minutes away) for a delicious dinner over which we did some preliminary planning for summer adventures. We also made the HARD decision about what to do for our children's schooling next year. It really was a good night and now we know for the next date night to head out just a little bit earlier to get in that hike.

4. The late winter sunrises make my Saturday morning running group hard to motivate . . . but we're taking the next month or so off. I hope the break will bring people back feeling fresh and motivated in April when the sun is up. This also gives me a chance to reach out invitations for others in the community to join us with the goal of running the June 5K/10K Duvall Days races. Sometimes fresh starts can make all the difference.

5. The kids were horrible in the car on our way home from the beach . . . but they did have a few bright moments that let us know the trip was worthwhile overall (see photos below - even the dog is smiling).

How about you? Can you find the positive outcome from an otherwise disappointing situation?

Have a great week - and happy running!

Starting the last week of school with a Thankful Heart

The kids are down & out with the double whammy of environmental allergies & croup, but that doesn't mean there aren't things for which to be thankful! As this last week of school gets going (well, it will get going for us on Wednesday when he's not contagious anymore), I am thankful for:

1. The wonderful educational foundation my son has received in his two years of Montessori preschool. Wouldn't trade it for anything and I look forward to my daughter enjoying her years there when it is her turn.

2. The friends I've made through my son's school. At least two of them have joined me for runs, so you know they are amazing women (even the non-runners are great)! Yes, parents can make friends at school, too.

3. My 25:51 PR at the Duvall Days 5K on June 6th (and placing 14th out of 220 women)! Thanks to the combination of group runs, Sane Fitness strength training, and a little "kick in the pants" from my husband (more like a dare, really), I discovered that YES, this body can go a bit faster and actually enjoys the challenge. Think I can break 25:00 by the end of summer? Hmmm . . .

4. The promise of the lazy days of summer. Our family calendar is filling quickly with camping/hiking/music filled adventures. In fact, last weekend we managed to ride 2 ferries, visit 2 State Parks and I still got in my Saturday morning run. As my son says, "This summer I want to spend A LOT of time outside. Outside, outside, outside." Done!

5. The honor of being the author of a successful book. I'll write more about this later in the week, but in these days of struggle for the book publishing world, I'm thankful for the readers who spread the word about We Are Girls Who Love to Run and encourage others to make it part of their treasured book collection. For an independent publishing company with a minuscule budget, Balanced Steps is really having a positive impact on young readers and their families!

Wishing you health, sunshine and happy running!

Starting with a Thankful Heart returns . . .

It is too pretty of a day to be sitting at the computer (for which I am most thankful!), so I'll keep this post short.

I'm starting this week with a smile in my heart because I'm thankful for:

1. The 5 women that joined me to run on Saturday morning (and one brought along her daughter to ride her bike along side her!). This women's running group is really picking up momentum! It is great to see people come together to share their passion and support one another, no matter their speed.

2. The beauty of Camano Island, WA. We spent Memorial Day there and went back again yesterday. I haven't felt so connected with a place since living in Italy for a summer. Although the day was a bit hazy, we could still see the Olympic Mountains and enjoyed a picnic and walk along the rocky shore of Camano Island State Park.

3. The excitement of running this week to prep for Saturday's Duvall Days 5K. I'm thinking that with all of the weight training and more frequent runs I'm doing that this could be a PR race for me! I ran the Duvall Days 10K last year (brutal hills!!!), so it should be fun to do the flat 5K route for a change of pace this year.

4. I remembered to use sun screen today! Sunscreen is almost part of our daily routine now. It took some getting used to once the weather improved, but now even the kids think to ask about it.

5. The house has been purged of baby gear. That's right - 2 SUV loads of stuff (in good shape, no junk!) went to the Duvall Co-op Preschool to help raise money at their garage sale next weekend in conjunction with the big Fire fighter's Pancake Breakfast event next door to the preschool. This is BIG time stuff in our little town. :) There's actually room to park a car in our garage now - and should I want, I can twirl around in just about any room in our house without knocking my shins into excess toys.

I do thank you for stopping by to visit, but I must encourage you to please leave a quick comment and then step away from your computer and get outside to enjoy your day/evening! What about me, you ask? I'm following my own advice by relaxing in our hammock before the kids get up from their naps and we head to the park.

Happy June and happy running!

Community of Runners (Part 2)

Saturday was the official running of the John Wilt Memorial 5K. Thanks to Facebook, I can tell you that John's friends were running everywhere on Saturday - thus far I've seen photo evidence of runners in Manhattan and Tuscon, and have read reports of others running, too. I expect more photos will be posted this week showing those runners in action. My friend Beth, the race's director, reported that the race started with John's best friend, TJ, and her husband (a fellow former Marine, like John) starting out 20 seconds early with the Marine flag. It was a somber start to the race, a true heart-felt and silent tribute to John. But, as John would have insisted, the race quickly picked up energy and excitement once the rest of the runners got going, ending with a post-race celebration with quite a large group of our classmates who were able to attend the race.

I originally thought just a few local runners would join me for my Washington-based tribute run. While my closest running gal friends showed up, I was thrilled that an additional 3 were able to join, bringing our tally to six moms out for an early morning 5K on Mother's Day Eve. Since we started in the parking lot by our local police station, we were able to flag down an officer to take our photo before he headed out on his rounds. The fog hadn't completely lifted yet when we got started, but it didn't slow us down any. With six runners on the course, we were able to comfortably split into two pace groups. One gal sprinted ahead to do a fast final mile (WAY faster than I could maintain - she truly left us in her dust!), but my neighbor and I managed a respectable 28:30 finish and we jogged back to accompany the second pace group to the finish just a few short minutes later. Two of those gals report that they ran PRs! We were truly "Girls Who Love to Run". And, yes, that is me with my yellow hat!

I don't remember the last time I ran with someone else, let alone a handful of women for a group run. I really enjoyed it. And apparently, so did they (not so surprising, based on what I've read on other people's blogs and on on-line running communities, group runs ARE inspiring). They asked if I'd put together some group runs again soon, which I plan to start-up in the next week (and already know of a few others who would like to run with us). And to top it all off, my neighbor and I decided today to sign-up and train for a fall half-marathon together since our pacing is so similar. I guess I AM doing a half this year, no more excuses!!

So, thanks to my friend Beth and our John (and his parents and close friends), for bringing together this little group of women in Duvall, WA for a run on Saturday. It seems their reach of influence far exceeds the John Wilt Memorial 5K - they're now responsible for influencing a Saturday morning running group and a pair of women who can count on one another for half-marathon training support. Aren't runners and girlfriends the best? I love being part of this community.

So what's next on my race plate? I'll be running with an 11 year-old girl for the Duvall Days 5K the first Saturday in June! Her parents won a package the REF auction that included a copy of my book and the chance to have me run with someone at the race. I'm excited!

Duvall Days 10K Race Report

I just finished up with an easy 30 minutes on the treadmill while my kids miraculously played happily beside me. Hooray! It was apparently so much fun playing with trucks and with the dog that when we were finished my daughter walked over to her crib to request a nap. My son is happy to relax and watch Word World for a bit (which is good because he's home from school today with a nasty cough and needs the down time) while I finally get to post my race report from Saturday morning's 10K.

To get an idea of what the run is like, here's the elevation for the race (it'll make your eyes pop!). Somehow the route map isn't available anymore.

The weather here has been pretty constant for the last 2 weeks: drizzly and in the 50s & sometimes low 60s. Blah. For the race, it was much the same. My husband and I hadn't considered packing gloves as we packed up the kids to drop at my parents' house, but thankfully I had a pair hanging out in the car (hooray for me, though sad I didn't have a pair for hubs) - I think they made a BIG difference for me, though they were fleece and got pretty heavy by the end.

So, we left the kids with my dad and picked up my mom so she could do her first 5K. Though she pre-registered and we were doing race day registration, we made it through the line first and then ran back to the car to drop off the race bag and do a bit of a warm-up (and potty break!). Before we knew it, it was time to GO!

The race started fairly flat for about a tenth of a mile, but then started the assent up the first hill. Though we got caught up in a fast start, our first mile was right around 10:20. Not terrible, but slower than I really wanted. Mile 2 clocked SLOWER (agh!) at 10:40, but that's really where we were primarily UPHILL. Things picked up for Mile 3 (though now 2 days later I can't recall what it was . . . somewhere around 9:50, I think). I forced my husband to take a few mini walk breaks with me (he would have pounded out 8:30 minutes uphill, if he was doing this on his own), but they were really rejuvinating and helped me find a good groove as we continued on.

My parents' neighborhood is right at the top of our final big hill, which was the PERFECT place for my dad and our kids to plant themselves (in the pouring rain!) to cheer on the runners. It was thrilling to have our very own chering squad. We saw their lone umbrella as we made our way up the hill - us with our arms over our heads waving to them to see us. We could see that Dad recognized us and he had the kids start waving harder than they already were. "Go, runners!" yelled our son, until he spotted us and started dancing around, "Go, Mama!" "Hooray, Dad!" Little Sister flapped her arms and squealed as their treasured "Papa" worked to get a few photos of us in action. It was really the highlight of the race. And from there on out, we did manage to pick-up the pace with happy hearts and soaked (but warmed-up) bodies. Sorry the photo is so blurry - it is hard to take a good pic while holding a wet toddler and umbrella in the rain! And, yes, for those of you who "know me" - that IS a yellow hat I'm wearing (see, Running Knitter, you don't have to worry!).

Mile 4 was at a 9:40 pace - and the flat part was coming, followed by the fast downhill. I forgot to mention that they had a photographer planted near the crest of the MONSTER hill to capture our survival. It was nice to see that they got photos of us on the way DOWN, too. I can't wait to compare the two to check out the difference in facial expressions. We did Mile 5 at a 8:something pace, with Mile 6 sprinting down toward the finish at an 8:20 pace. Talk about a day of negative splits! Edit: The results are now posted and as it turns out, when all was said and run, I finished in 58:46.77 (7 out of 14 for my age group).

I overheard that there were about 100 runners for the 10K, which is amazing since there were only about 30 the first year (3 years ago). Only a handful of folks passed us and we managed to pass some of them in the second half of the race. I may not be the strongest runner on the hills, but I'm getting better. AND, I do have the endurance, so even if they were faster on the hills, the hills wiped them out and we were able to keep going strong. That part made me smile.

The kick into the finish was great. I felt so strong that we sprinted past the "crowd" of 5K finishers and folks arriving for the Duvall Days Parade/festivities. It was a bit crazy with people milling about, and I did have to yell out "On your right!" to zip safely past some 5K finishers (they ran on a different course - a trail run - but our finish lines were the same). It was fun to see that in just under 59 minutes we were able to pass the 5K runners who started 15 minutes after our start. AND, I was excited that my mom crossed the line ahead of us, probably at around a 37 minute finish for her FIRST EVER 5K - hooray, Mom! Sadly we forgot to get photos to prove she was there, but one of her friends did note that "we were walking together, but your mom was much faster, so I told her to go on ahead and run. She just blasted right past me!" That's so cool!

Anyway, we finised the morning by quickly heading back to my parents' house to retrieve the children (peeling Little Sister out of her crib from her 20 minute nap) so my dad could take his van and piano to the parade line-up. We rushed home, changed out of our sloshy shoes and wet clothes, threw the kids in the double jogger and hoofed it 2 miles into town to see the parade (downhill). After enjoying the bands, horses, seeing my parents in the parade, etc., we made the 2 mile uphill walk back home, rounding out our milage to 10 for the day. What a FULL morning!

I could probably write more, but Mr. Music is desperately seeking a snack and Little Sister is waking. I'll post the photos ASAP. They're fun!

Oh, and did I mention I like the 10K distance so much that I'm doing it again this Saturday? A flat one this time, so maybe I'll PR (easy to do since this week was my first - ha!).

And while I'm actually thinking about photos, I'll go ahead and throw in one from the in-person Book Launch Party in May. From left to right: My mom, my aunt, Maria (the lovely hostess!), me, my husband. My dad was the photographer (as usual, it seems!) and took care of documenting the start of the party before we all forgot to take pictures when the guests started to arrive (which is what always seems to happen to me - just like I tend to forget to get a fork at the start of a buffet line - it is inevitable!)!

Have a great week!

Refusing to Miss a Run Pays Off

Sometimes life throws a wrench in your plans . . . or even two. BUT, with a little creativity and some determination, you can still make Plan A work (note: this is not ALWAYS possible, but I'm happy to report I was able to work it this morning!).

Before you read on . . . be sure to send your entries for next week's Virtaul Book Launch Party! You could WIN a SIGNED copy of my book We Are Girls Who Love to Run just by entering! I'll be compiling the photos, stories and recipes this weekend to share with you over the course of next week - don't miss out on the fun!

And now, kind reader . . . back to your regularly scheduled blog entry:

Last night was supposed to be treasured Date Night. It started well, but took a bit of a turn.

- When I dropped off the kids, they were both smiling. So were my parents. The sun was even shining!
- I went to yoga without my husband, as he's testing out the new bus system in our efforts to help save the earth (and money) and couldn't make it back in time.
- My hubby called in our take out order . . . I picked it up on my way home after yoga
- We were about to take our dinner downstairs to watch some TV while eating (*gasp* - NOT romatic for Date Night, but a rare treat that we just couldn't resist) when the phone rang . . .
- My poor mom was sick, so we needed to pick up the kids
- We inhaled dinner through 10 minutes of My Name is Earl and then I went to get the kids
- Our regular night time routines ensued, but then . . . at 2AM, Little Sister decided she was cold and the only possible way she could relax and go back to sleep was to sleep in our bed . . . horizontally . . . with her feet in my face . . .
- my clothes were set out so I could get up at 5:45 with my husband (who is now getting up at this unimaginable hour to take the bus - my hero!) to run before cleaning the house and fetching the kids . . . and having 2 kids come over for the morning
- with Little Sister in bed, there was no way to safely do that, so I "slept" until 7ish, when Mr. Music (her nearly 4 year old brother) came singing and dancing into the room proclaiming that we should all be awake since he was. And, so we were.

I could have ignored my neatly piled running attire for another day, but I knew that I set a goal on Monday at Go Workout Mom to get in 3 runs this week and if I didn't run this morning that my goal would be dead in the water. SO, I cleaned like a mad woman for an hour (while feeding the children and doing a little Mary Poppins-like maneuver to make cleaning seem fun to get them to help) and then decided to try something new . . . something daring . . . something that I'm sure thousands of moms across the country do on a daily basis, but I've been too scared to try . . .

Are you ready? Take a deep breath . . .

I let my kids play while I ran on the treadmill.

Is that ALL, you ask? Yup. That's all, folks. BUT, for me . . . it was a big breakthrough. I'd done it regularly when I could plop Little Sister in the play pen or the exersaucer, but she's WAY too mobile and big for those lifesavers anymore, so it really has been about 4 months since I've been able to run while the kids are awake and not being entertained by another able body. And, for the most part, it was great!

I DID have to stop the treadmill twice to redirect my stubborn son from leaving the room (with the door open to the stairs - NOT good for Little Sister) and from exploring some of his Dad's tools. I also had to stop once to keep my daughter from riding our poor dog like a horse (despite my attempts while running to get the dog to move BEFORE she swung her leg around . . . you'd think he would have seen that coming!). But, for the first go at this, I'll take it. It was just the jump start I needed for my day and the step I needed to get toward my goal. It also gives me hope that as I really get my running back on track (I couldn't help the pun, sorry) that I have this option available to me for the days that an outside run just doesn't happen.

I am a runner. I am strong. I can DO this! Duvall Days 10K, I'll be ready for you!

What tips do YOU have to entertain your troops so you can run? How do you carve out time in your day for YOU and your goals?