Prematurity Sucks Virtual 5k

Notice the fog behind us...crazy weird! It was hot, humid and foggy!

Yesterday morning, my hubby had a meeting. Earlier in the week, I bribed the kids with McDonald's for breakfast while he was gone in an effort to get them up and moving faster than last weekend...which was about the pace of molasses in winter. So, we got up and going and ran my Prematurity Sucks Virtual 5K in pieces. I couldn't think of a better way to honor and remember preemies than to run with my own precious kids.

We started off all running. That lasted .2 miles, and both kids wanted in the jogger. I pushed them the rest of the mile to breakfast (made that mile in 11:30, including stopping to load them up and pushing the 100 pounds), where we enjoyed eating and being a little silly. Ryan loved his Green Lantern mask, and SB turned her Squinkie toy into her own Purple Ear Girl super hero costume.

I pushed them a little while after leaving McD's, but then SB decided she'd run again. We walked/ran for a while longer, stopping at a garage sale for a few minutes before heading home. The kids had had enough, and I was only at 2.27 miles, so I hopped on the treadmill and finished my 5k. Overall, it was fun. The kids loved when I'd "pop a wheelie" with them in the jogger.

Sent from my Samsung Epic™ 4G Touch

Spring Fever

I'm a little behind, but I ran my Let's Move it Momma's Spring Fever Virtual Run this past Thursday. I had planned on doing 10K, but with the time change, I couldn't get started early enough to get a full 6 in. I managed 4.65, so I guess I did the 5K instead. It was really nice to get to run outside though!

Sent from my Samsung Epic™ 4G Touch

Three Thing Thursday

Three Virtual Runs coming up

1. February's Challenge in Moms Run This Town 2012 Challenge for A Change. Each month this group is hosting a new challenge, complete with prizes. Last month's was a series of challenges...this month is a virtual run instead.

2. The month of March: Prematurity Sucks Virtual 5K, a fundraiser for March of Dimes. Two moms of premature little ones are raising money to support March of Dimes.

3. March 1-15: Let's Move it Momma's Spring Fever 5K or 10K. Marissa is ready for spring and is hosting a virtual run with prizes

***And don't forget the virtual run in memory of Sherry Arnold on February 11. I posted about it here yesterday.

Rough start

I'll backtrack a little bit. With the start of school and a family emergency all in one week, I've been a little delayed in getting this post out.

This past Sunday (yes, the day after our 21-mile bike ride), my mom, sister and I met up to run our Moms Run This Town Road ID: It's All About Me Virtual 5K. We've never all run together, so this was exciting for us.

My sister is just 7 weeks post-partum...amazing, isn't she?!

It was really fun to have running partners for once. We got to catch up and just visit for a while, something that rarely happens with the just the three of us. We followed Carrie's lead in a run/walk pattern so she didn't push it too hard. The funny thing is we finished in the same time it took me to run the last virtual 5K (yes, running the whole thing).

We started at 6:15 and tried to take some pictures. It's still dark at 6:15, by the way. We moved to the patch of light near the school across the street so we could take some pictures.


I wasn't going to post their pictures...that might get me in trouble :).

One neat thing about the virtual 5K is that, instead of bib numbers, we were asked to write a goal for ourselves. Mine was pretty generic...Be a good example. I had in mind my daughter, my family and my students when I wrote that. It wasn't very specific, but I think I'm afraid of specific goals...something like "run a sub-60 10k" means I might fail to reach that goal. It's so very black-and-white, and I don't like that.

The run itself was good. It was already hot outside, but it was nice to have running partners...and especially these ladies! We got to reflect a little on our running. Carrie has been running the longest, at almost 5 years. I started about 2 1/2 years ago, and Mom is starting year 3 about now. Pretty cool!

We stopped when we reached our 5k and walked back to Mom's car and took a few pictures, which would have been entertaining to watch if you'd been walking by. We wanted a picture of all three of us, so we had to experiment with propping the camera up in the back of Mom's car and using the timer. It was worth a laugh of two to see me scramble in and out of the back...and I consider myself lucky that it didn't catch a picture of my butt.

Because Mom is training for her first half marathon, she needed 6 miles. I had 5 on the schedule, so I took off with her. I thought I might make the next three with her, but I peeled off after two and let her finish on her own. Frankly, after the bike ride, I'm just glad I could run at all. I know she wanted to run around a 10:00 mile pace (which is her slow, easy pace), but that wasn't so slow for me. We ended up running a little slower than that, but it was neat to run with my mom.

She just amazes me! She and my dad recently completed their first tri, where she won first in her age division! They'll be riding in the HHH this weekend as well. Very cool.

This week has made me appreciate both my parents and my in-laws even more (and let's face it, just about anyone I care about more). My father-in-law ended up with a blood clot on his brain and had emergency surgery to repair it last night. It has been a scary couple of days, but God is good. When we got to the hospital this morning, Big Daddy was sitting up eating his breakfast and having some coffee, making wisecracks to the speech therapist who was there. That made my heart smile.

While I would never wish this kind of situation on anyone else, it has been amazing the outpouring of love and support we have received this week. Our phones haven't stopped ringing and beeping, buzzing or blinking. We've had so many offers for meals and help. It definitely makes you hold your loved ones closer. I am so thankful for all of our blessings and couldn't ask for better friends, a better community or a better family. 



Not Over the Hill Virtual 5K

Trying to fit in biking and running is turning out to be a challenge. Because I biked on Monday, today was my first run of the week. I think my body audibly sighed as it hit the pavement. It felt so good! Of course, that didn't last long as the first quarter mile creaks and groans of my body kicked in.

I ran this morning's run as my Not Over the Hill Virtual 5K put on by Carrie at Family Fitness Food as a celebration of her 40th birthday. My "hill" was the only thing close to a hill near my house...so I did a figure 8 to run up it twice.

The run felt really good. I ran it in 33:19, and while that's no where close to what I was doing, it is faster than I've been in a while. And the last half mile or so, I was really able to pick up the pace.

You like my Day Glo running tank? I got it for $2.48 at Target...score!

I tried to take a picture on the porch before I started, but all I got was a black rectangle...one of the downfalls to summer ending is the sun coming up later. Today was probably my last weekday run outdoors because we starting back-to-school stuff on Friday. It's sad really. I love my outdoor runs, but I'm definitely an early morning runner. But because I don't run in the dark alone, I'll be stuck on the treadmill in the hot garage. I think that's the worst part.

In an effort to make that part better, I've been downloading some songs on iTunes. And I'm looking forward to listening to the Run Like a Mother podcasts. I'm saving them for the treadmill!

I have no idea how to mesh the running and biking in. I enjoy both, although running is definitely my top choice. I have the HHH at the end of August and a 10K Sept. 17...biking comes first for now. I'm just not sure if I'll be comfortable biking on my own at 5 in the morning next week. It's either that or when it is 110 outside. Yikes. Neither of those choices sound like a winner.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia :)

Now that I've got that jingle stuck in your head, you're going to have to bear with me...today's post is going to have to be two-fold. I tried to figure out a way to make them separate, but they kind of go together.

I completed the Hotter Than Hades Virtual Half Marathon put on by Fitness Collaborative. The good thing about this one is that you didn't have to complete the 13.1 miles in one shot. Since I need to be averaging 13.1 miles a week to make my goal of 1100km in 2011, I wanted to do it all in one week, starting with my birthday on Monday.

My runs for the week looked like this:

Monday, my birthday: 3.1 miles in 32. 55, counting as my Moms Run This Town Fuelbelts Hydration Hustle Virtual 5K. It was a neat run for me as I remembered my "3 Miles at 30" just two years ago.
Wednesday, my son's birthday: 4 miles in 46:08.

Saturday: 6 miles in 1:16:42, quite possibly my slowest 6 miles ever!
 

Who knew it took this much stuff to "gear up"? And I already had on my SpiBelt, Garmin and BondiBand!
And my RoadID was still MIA as of this morning!

 Today's run was hot and hard. I was dripping sweat by mile 1. I felt decent by the time I hit mile 3. And then I really struggled between miles 4 and 5, taking a couple of walk breaks. I had forgotten, until about 5.25 miles, that I had planned on using an idea sparked by something I read in Mile Markers by Kristin Armstrong for today's run. I had to modify it...a lot...to make it work with what I had left in my run, but basically, what I did was thank God for and pray over each room in our house, one tenth of a mile at a time. I thought about the things I wanted each room to foster and develop, such as family fun in the living room and good conversation in the dining room. I also prayed for my kids, our relationships and my marriage using each room to keep me focused. I wish I had remembered this late night idea when I started the run.

Of course, just almost as soon as I walked in the door, I realized I should have worn my Super Mom BondiBand because I started cleaning up puke from my daughter just about that fast. That's the life of a mother runner, I suppose.

One thing I tried for today's run was chia seeds. 

And yes, I picked a turtle on purpose...because that's what I feel like these days.


Yes, like that kind of chia.

I think the idea of trying chia seeds first popped into my head when I read Born to Run by Chris McDougall. And then I would see bits and pieces of information...just enough to keep reminding me about them. Some highlights I've found...

From Raw Reform:
Chia seeds are said to have:
•2 times the protein of any other seed or grain,
•5 times the calcium of milk, plus boron which is a trace mineral that helps transfer calcium into your bones,
•2 times the amount of potassium as bananas,
•3 times the reported antioxidant strength of blueberries
•3 times more iron than spinach
•copious amounts of omega 3 and omega 6, which are essential fatty acids...

From The Natural Health Yellow Pages:
Some other benefits (especially for runners)
Providing energy
Boosting strength
Bolstering endurance
Leveling blood sugar
Inducing weight loss
 
Then I realized that a local grocery store has started carrying bulk items like granola, beans and flax seed...and yes, they had a bin for chia seeds! The first time I checked, the bin was empty, but they had them this past week. I bought a small bag of them and kept forgetting to do anything with them. I had read that you should soak them in water the night before a run...and I could never remember to do that.


Is it me or does this look like it should be illegal?

This morning, however, I quickly googled what to do with chia seeds before my run. One Runner's World forum person said you could mix them in water with a little honey and just drink before a run, which is what I did (using my Farmers' Market local honey...yum!). While these pictures are from tonight and not this morning, this is what it looked like at first.

By the time I had gotten my gear ready to go, they had "fuzzed" up a little bit, absorbing some of the water. I, surprisingly, didn't mind the texture or the little seeds in the water. The flavor was very mild, especially with the honey.

The fuzzier version

As for the run, it was so hot and sticky that I'm not sure how much good they actually did. And I went farther than normal, so it's hard to tell if it helped with endurance...I mean, I did finish the extra distance, so maybe that does say something.
I'm going to try them again. In fact, I had a glass tonight of the quick version while I was working on making a batch of the gel these little things make as they absorb water. You can use the gel like a Gu or other fuel or you can mix it into things like smoothies and yogurt. Here's tonight's work in progress:

If they look dramatically different in the morning, I'll post another picture.

What is about runners that make us what to try the newest, strangest, silliest things trying to gain some sort of edge? I'd understand if I was super competitive in races, but I know I will never win a race (or probably even my age division). Still, I am all for trying something that might help me run faster, last longer, or look better. First, it was getting a Garmin so I would know how far ago and just how slowly I'd gone. Then I started wearing Phiten necklaces because I hoped they'd give me a boost. Next I got blister-preventing socks (well worth it, by the way). I got fitted for shoes after running in a pair I'd picked out on my own for a very long time. The Stick and a foam roller have taken up residence in my living room. Now I wear compression sleeves and am drinking fuzzy little seeds.

I think there are a couple of things at play here. First, running takes us back to being a kid again...something I was reminded of as I was reading Mile Markers today. So it fits that we like to try out these new "toys" in our running. And second, I think these things give us some glimmer of hope that we will progress and improve and thrive. I'll hang on to that hope for now as I struggle through this hot, slow season.

Mileage Report:
Weekly: 15.15 miles
YTD: 433.5 miles

My Birthday Blog Post

Today is my birthday, and to celebrate, I ran the Fuelbelts Hydration Hustle Virtual 5K put on by Moms Run This Town. I ran it in 32:55, which is better than I have been doing. The heat is still killing me though. I'm ok with the slower pace...for now.

Here I am before my run, before the sun was even up, getting "geared up" on the porch. When I stepped outside, it was overcast, and my first thought was, "I could use a run in the rain." Alas...no such luck!

And here's my proof, which I think I need for the Hotter than Hades Virtual Half Marathon. I used this morning's run to kick off those 13.1 miles. I plan on running 4 on Wednesday and another 6 on Saturday to finish it up. Now, I didn't think to take the picture until a little after the 5K, but at least it shows I completed the distance.

And here I am after the slow, hot run...yes, I know I need to zoom in, but this is as good as it gets when you're propping the camera up on the trashcan and using the timer:

I got to wear a couple new pieces of gear, thanks to some early birthday gifts. The Road Runner Sports visor, a gift from my sister, was really comfy, even if the sun never did actually come out to make it necessary. And I love that it's not white and shows up better. The CEP compression sleeves, a gift from my parents, were interesting. With the heat, they felt a little warm, but I like the way that my legs feel after my run...as in no pain. I wore my One More Mile skirt this morning, mainly because it was clean, and I was definitely glad I remembered the Body Glide...it definitely didn't stay in place (but I'm guessing that's also due to the heat).

I got a few other running related gifts as well. I can't wait to try out these Wildskins Armwarmers (also from my parents):

And I meant to stick these in the fridge to have ready for this morning's run, but I forgot:

And since I'm tired of spending my runs tugging on a zipper or using a safety pin each morning, I just bought a C9 high-impact sports bra (but I haven't been able to give it a test run yet).

The coolest thing about my run was that I got to spend it thinking about...
1. My birthday, and how thankful I am for my parents and the life they've given me
2. My birthday, and how two years ago I struggled through my "3 miles at 30" after starting to run just two months prior
3. My life now and how completely blessed I am by my husband, kids, family and friends

And I also thought about the year ahead. I'm working on some ideas I have about improving myself and my life (not that there's anything wrong with it, by any means). I've been reading The Happiness Project, and it's got me to thinking. I haven't gotten the plan quite figured out, but one thing we're working on is clearing out some clutter. I am amazed at how much the physical clutter affects my mental state. My husband and I worked on our room this weekend, and I went through my bookshelves...and our bedroom is just so peaceful and pleasant now. I'm planning on one small project a day to work my way through the house, hopefully before school starts. Today's project is my piles of magazines...which needs to be done now. :)

Weekly Mileage Report

This heat is just killing me. I've yet to figure out the secret to making it work. I get up early to run, even on weekends. I carry water or nuun with me. I've been wanting to try drinking a slushy before I run, but the blender would wake up at least one kid if I did that. I just don't know what else I can do, except slog through the runs and wait for cooler weather, which isn't likely soon. We've already had 50 days of 100+ temps this year, a milestone we've never reached in July before.

I did try out my new CEP calf compression sleeves this morning. I honestly don't know what I think of them yet. I had hoped to go farther this morning and thought they'd come in handy. However, they did keep my legs a little warm, and I'm not sure if that was good or bad. I'm going to try them again on Monday for a shorter, slightly-speedier run.

Mileage Report:
Weekly: 13.5 miles
YTD: 418.2 miles

I know the runs have been hard here lately, so I've decided to give myself some motivation for this upcoming week. I'm participating in the Hotter Than Hades Virtual Half Marathon, running 13.1 miles between July 15 and August 15 (and it doesn't all have to be done at once).

I'm planning on running it all this week, hopefully in 3 runs. I'll start off on Monday, my birthday, by running the FuelBelts Hydration Hustle Virtual 5K hosted by Moms Run This Town.

It's kind of neat way to celebrate my birthday, considering 2 years ago, I ran my "3 miles at 30" race. My 30th birthday is what kickstarted my running in the first place. And while I won't have the race atmosphere, that's ok. It will be my own celebration of running. Besides, that race 2 years ago was so small, it won't feel much different :)

Before the race with my sister

And after...thrilled to have finished, but that race kicked my butt

 My running has definitely come a long way!

Independence Virtual 5K

It's ironic that I got up to run my Independence Virtual 5K this morning, put on by Let's Move It Mommas, this morning and was greeted by my little buddy while I was getting ready. Normally, my runs are my "me" time, my time without a little dependent hanging on me...but not this morning. He woke up earlier than normal (although he is my usual early bird). I didn't want to make my husband get up on his day off, so I thought I'd just take my son with me. That entailed getting the jogging stroller down from its hooks and finding all the parts to turn it from a bike trailer into a jogger...not so easy. I finally found all the parts but I couldn't figure out how to get the front wheel on right. So, after a couple of tries on the computer, I found the instructions and it only took me running back in to look at them to get the wheel on right...or at least close enough to go.

And that was after I'd tried the other stroller as well. I didn't learn until after we got back that this one is only a bike trailer.

Of course, as soon as I got Ryan strapped in to the right stroller and started to push him down the driveway, I realized we had another problem...the tires were flat! That meant I had to find the air pump, another challenge in itself. I did find it and got the tires aired up. I threw the pump in the stroller, just in case, and off we went. We left the house about an hour later than I'd hoped, which wouldn't be a big deal, but the temps here are crazy hot as soon as the sun comes up.

I've never run with either of my kids in the jogger. We've used it mostly as a bike trailer. I had to take a couple more walk breaks than I normally take, mainly because I couldn't carry my water in my hand and still steer the stroller. Since it's the Fourth, there were flags out in the neighborhood I like to run, so I had to stop and take a picture. Unfortunately, the flags didn't show up well.

I had my son all set up with water, a granola bar and raisins, and he was pretty content for most of the run. The sun in his eyes bothered him, and he didn't like that I go around the north part of the neighborhood twice. He wanted to try new streets instead of seeing the same ones.

Overall, I really enjoyed the run. We played "I Spy" for a little while, looked at and listened to the birds, noticed the trees/flowers...the cutest thing? Right as we started, we saw a squirrel cross the street, and my son said, "Look, Momma, a beaver!" How funny!

We got back to the house and my husband and daughter were still asleep, so Ryan and I headed outside to enjoy the breeze. I had my iced coffee (which is another post, if you like that sort of thing) and he had a popsicle. Then he wanted to drag all the toys out of the garage. My hubby joined us after a while, and we just enjoyed being outside before it got too hot.

I love my Super Mom BondiBand...I definitely felt like it today pushing him around the neighborhood. Because we got started later than normal, there were a lot of people out today. I got to talk with Ryan about how it's nice to tell people "Good morning!" when we see them. Plus, I got to set a good example for him and just spend some time one-on-one with him.

So, maybe it wasn't my most "independent" run, but I loved it!

Giveaways and Virtual Races

Here are some giveaways you might be interested in:
Sit for your Job. Run for Your Life. Road ID Giveaway Don't you love the title of this blog? Of course, my job doesn't let me sit much, but the idea's the same.

And here are some more virtual races:
Virtual Insanity 5K. This is a summer series being hosted by Moms Run This Town. I did this one in June, and I'll be doing the one for July sometime in the next couple of weeks. July's is sponsored by FuelBelt.

"Not" Over the Hill Virtual 5K Love this one! This blogger is turning 40 and is celebrating with a virtual run...one that must include a hill. Considering turning 30 is what got me started running in the first place, I really like the idea behind this one! This one is in August.

Freedom 5K Virtual Run This one is put on by Running Mate. The prize for this "race" is a free copy of 10K-101, a training plan for ramping up for a 10K. This one is July 9.

Independence Virtual 5K Another blogger-hosted virtual 5K! This one is from July 3-9 in honor of the Fourth of July. The blog for this one is Let's Move It Mommas. I just love all these moms running!

Hotter Than Hades Virtual Half Marathon. It definitely feels hotter than Hades around here! This virtual race is 13.1 miles from July 15 to August 15...but never fear! It doesn't all have to be done in one run. You do, however, have to show proof of the time/distance if you are drawn to win a prize.

I'll try to update this list as I find more.

Moms Run This Town Virtual Insanity 5K: SpiBelt's Stuff It and Run

Today, my virtual running buddy Chandra and I completed our 5K for the Moms Run This Town Virtual Insanity 5K: SpiBelt's Stuff It and Run. It's a free virtual 5K, meaning you sign up and run your 5K when you want, where you want and as fast (or slow) as you want. There are prizes that will be drawn at random, so speed is not an issue...thank goodness!

I actually had that nervous night-before-a-race feeling last night and popped out of bed ready to go this morning. I headed out at what felt like a pretty good clip. I had on my Garmin, but I didn't want to focus on how much farther I had to go. I ended up with a 30:34. I know that's not bad, but I was on track to hit a 25:xx not too long ago. I don't know what happened to my speed. Apparently, it ran off and left me. Still, the run felt faster and better than a few of my recent ones, so it's ok. I've accepted that I might be in a "slow season" and that this too shall pass.

Here I am right after my run...I'm not so great with the self-portraits.

The coolest part of the run was that I knew that my BFF Chandra was up and running at the exact same time, just a couple hundred miles away. Usually, she's about 1500 miles away, but we're actually in the same state for once since she's visiting her parents. I actually get to see her Saturday, but we were able to "meet up" via Skype right after our run today. Cool, huh?

And you can't tell it from the screenshot, but we're wearing the same shirt in different colors...our "One Bad Mother Runner" shirts from One More Mile. I will say, the green shows sweat a lot more than my pinkish red one. I even tried out my OMM skirt. I liked it. The shorts underneath are a tad bit shorter than I'd like, and they don't have any gripping material at the hemline to help keep them down. However, they didn't ride up too much. I think I can wear it for shorter runs. And I'll definitely wear it around town...I like the way it fits and looks. 

Moms Run This Town Virtual 5K

While I'm not new to the idea of a virtual run, I'm really liking this one! It's a ladies-only virtual 5K, meaning you can run where you want, when you want (and as fast...or slow...as you want). It's being hosted by Moms RUN This Town. And it's free!

It's so easy. Just head to their website, and register for the Virtual Insanity 5K. They'll email you a nifty bib you can print on your own. When you complete your 5K, just go back to the website and click on the Finisher's link. They are doing one a month...what a great way to stay motivated during the summer!

And...there are prizes! This month's includes a SPIbelt (which I love!) and a few other great prizes.

You and also find this group on Facebook and can even earn more entries to the giveaways by sharing about the Virtual Insanity 5K on your page...just be sure to include @Moms RUN This Town in your post.