Running From Square One

Over the last seven months, I have significantly changed my exercise routine. At first, it was in response to some weird stuff my body was doing that I thought was impacting TTC. Then, when I did finally get pregnant, I didn’t feel like forging on as a badass #motherrunner like I did in my pregnancy with Ada. Even before we knew something was wrong, I had decided against racing and running long distances because I wonder if it contributed to my irritable uterus. My activity -- instead -- was made up of several 3-4 mile runs, some at-home Barre workouts, hour-long walks, indoor cycling, and even some X-country skiing.

What a long, cold winter we had, eh?

Exercise related to pregnancy is definitely a highly personal choice. Beyond being a choice, it’s often dictated by certain conditions or situations specific to each woman. I know people who have run marathons while pregnant. Lifted huge and heavy weights. Etc. These women all delivered healthy babies -- and more power to them. At the same time, I see an alarming trend of treating pregnancy like a challenge. In some ways, I feel running -- at least longer distances -- during my first pregnancy was sometimes more about proving something to myself. So, that's why I had a change of heart this time around.

I was reading a Runner’s World post the other day where the author was offering suggestions for women who were returning to running after a long break during pregnancy. Then tons of women chimed in quite enthusiastically (and, yes, slightly judgmentally) about why there’s absolutely no reason to break. True. One had just completed a half marathon. Another ran with her stroller during pregnancy. Yet another ran something like five miles the morning she gave birth. These stories are inspirational. At the same time, many women wrote how they were unable to run for X, Y, Z reasons. Most felt bad or frustrated or upset in some other way, etc. I could sympathize. It’s also incredibly important for runners to treat running during pregnancy as an individual thing.

Both sides are totally legitimate and respectable.


Whatever the case, now that I’m back to just myself again, I’m trying to get in a better groove with moderate running. And guys . . . it’s so, so, so hard! I used to sign up for random half marathons just for fun. I’d do these events without real training and still finish around 1:45. I’m not bragging, but just showing that my fitness has taken a nose-dive. I ran my first 10K distance since January last night and felt like I was clinging to the edge of the earth to finish at around a 9-minute mile pace. I was proud of myself in the end, but my body ached, my lungs burned, and mentally it took everything I had.

I know running will get easier with more time and practice. I’m conflicted on where to go from here, though. I have around three months of waiting until we can try again, but at the same time, I don’t want to drastically change my activity level and risk messing up my cycle more than it’s already going to be wonky. It's tempting to sign up for a half marathon or just lots of races in general, but I think I’ll try to run mostly for myself. Maybe get up to some long run distances between 8-10 miles. Maybe not. Consistency is more important than distance or pace to me right now. Mentally and physically. I wrote about this before, but there are a couple 10Ks I might do, and I think I’ll leave it at that.

As for exercise and miscarriage, I know that I didn’t cause any harm by moving and grooving. My doctor told me the issue was very likely chromosomal, especially at this early stage. Still, I’ll be honest. There was part of me that felt like I had some control over the situation. I’m still looking for someone or something to blame, and I think that’s only natural in this part of the grieving process. I spent several weeks basically in bed thinking if I just rested I could turn my situation around. No amount of inactivity improved our outcome. I’m going to consult with my doctor over how I should approach running/exercise the next time I’m pregnant and try my best to strive for holistic health.


Are you coming back to running after a long break? 

What are your suggestions and tips for starting from square one? I’ll share that being patient with my body is the best thing I’m trying to do. Versus taking my watch on too many runs and scrutinizing how far I’ve fallen off the mark, I try to celebrate each run as the accomplishment it is. I couldn’t run 6.2 miles last week . . . and now I can. Who cares about the stats?

Happy Tuesday, friends!

Read more...

Run/Walk for the WIN

This weekend was lots of fun, and it all kicked off with the Laurel Festival 10K footrace. I anxiously walked to the start line with around 100 others after a half mile warmup knowing I hadn't run this course in four years. Stephen likes to attack it whenever we're in Wellsboro, while I stay far, far away. In my memory, the hills were impossible.

Here's the elevation map:

So, you can see how the whole start it basically up, up, and more up. What we had going for us this year was the weather, though. I've done this race in the pouring rain . . . as well as in 90+ humid heat. This year? Not a cloud in the sky, zero humidity, and temperatures in the 50s. Perfect!

That first long climb is difficult . . . OK very difficult, but somehow I didn't need to walk until the very end of the hill mountain. Surprisingly, it's that second, smaller climb around mile 3 that's always the hardest for me. And it's here where I decided to employ the walk/run method. I was right next to another guy chugging his whole way up and ended up beating him by running for a count of 30 and then following with an equally timed walk "break" -- just keep moving. I truly believe walk breaks can be an amazing way to conserve energy in these types of challenging courses.

When I got to the downhill portion -- and wow, is it a long downhill -- at the end, I just let it all fly. And imagine my surprise when I got to around mile 4.5 and kept hearing "Yeah! FIRST FEMALE!" I think I told someone to shut up. I wasn't wearing a watch and I had no idea what my time was. In fact, I wasn't expecting to do well on the course that day . . . but as I turned the corner into town, I heard again and again that I was indeed the first woman in the pack.

I crossed the line around 48:20, first female and 16th overall, certainly not a 10K PR for me, but a PR on this particular course by around 2 full minutes. In the past, other gals have finished in the low 40s, so I'm not claiming to be a beast or anything like that -- still, it was cool to come in first. Most of the other women I directly competed against were mothers in their 30s, so it feels like a level playing field in that respect!

I'll write up a more detailed race report for WalkJogRun, but just wanted to share my weekend victory with you all!


This race is probably the first and last time I'll place better than Stephen (he came in second overall for men). And of all the races to win in my life, I'm thrilled to have it be one in my hometown on such a mountainous course.

Did you race this weekend? How'd you do? And have you ever walked in a race and done particularly well?

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Last Week's Training

The time change did not treat me well with regard to my 10K training. Stephen and I usually split up the evening for working out, and I always want the later shift. By the time my turn rolled around, though, I was greeted with frigid air and pitch black skies.

Not fun at all.

Here are last week's workouts.

M: Rest
T: 4 miles
W: Rest
R: Rest
F: 6 miles
S: Travel day (spa weekend)
S: 5 miles

Total: 15 miles

Yikes. That's a far cry from the 30 miles I was supposed to run. So far, though, I'm back on track for this week. I even have my Sunday 10-miler scheduled with my running buddy. The truth is: I usually have some trouble transitioning when either weather or daylight changes. It's just something I know about myself as a person and as an athlete, so I wasn't terribly worried that I fell a bit behind.

That being said, I am excited for this season of running -- even if it means retreating to darkness and wearing all my layers at once. Stephen and I returned to our gym after a long hiatus. We ran on the treadmill, did some kettlebells, and finished with burpees. My old yoga class was also being held at the same time. They just converted the standard pool to a saltwater one. Ada is now at a point where she can re-try the gym daycare, too.

Despite my body's desire to hibernate in winter, I usually find this season as an opportunity to get fitter than ever. I don't know if this is a shared experience or not. I slog my way through my outdoor miles, but when I head indoors more, I challenge myself to go faster (to avoid boredom on the treadmill), try new things (like strength training, which is always a struggle for me), and stretch (via yoga).

How do you change things up in winter? Any ideas to share?

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Catching Up

If my first week of 10K training is indicative of how the rest will go, I think I'm going to be in good shape. With the exception of shifting my long run from Sunday to Monday (to accommodate a travel-date, which I'll get to in a moment), I got in all my workouts and even fit in a run with a friend.

M: Off
T: 5 mile, fartlek
W: 4 miles, 34 minutes -- 8:22/mile
R: 6 miles, 54 minutes -- 8:54/mile
F: Off
S: 5 miles w/ friend
S: Off
M: 8 miles, first 4 slow, second 4 fast

TOTAL: 28 miles

+    +    +    +    +    +    +

Besides running this weekend, Stephen and I took a little day trip to Corning, NY, which is a small "city" about 40 minutes north of Wellsboro, PA, the town where I grew up. We had both planned on running the Wineglass marathon here, and then dropped to the half marathon, and then dropped the whole thing altogether due to Ada's surgery.

Still, we wanted to make a visit just for fun.


We first grabbed brunch at The Cellar. I ordered the Green Goddess omelet (incredible! full of asparagus, pesto, chevre, and mushrooms). Stephen got the Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon. I also sipped the most peppery Bloody Mary I've ever experienced (read: delicious), and Stephen got his fill of french press coffee.

After that, we strolled in the chilly air, taking in the sights + scenes.


It was fun gallivanting around just the two of us.


Completely off topic, but Stephen won a half marathon last weekend. Like, won the whole thing. He finished in 1:12:39 (5:32/mile), smashing his previous record by 2 minutes. The best part? He won a blanket, among other things. (It's the little things . . . ) Great job, Stephen!

If you didn't notice from the photos, stuff was a little dead in Corning because it was, well, a Sunday morning. Next time, we'll have to go either later in the day or on Saturday when everything is open, the farmers' market is in full swing, etc. Regardless, we found our fill of stuff to do. Next time I really want to check out the Museum of Glass and make a necklace.

Before we left, we visited the Market Street Brewing Company.


We sampled and savored -- the Wheelhouse IPA being our favorite. It was cool to chat with the owner, and for those of you who live in/around the Finger Lakes, you should definitely check out the Finger Lakes Beer Trail. I've never been much into wine (which is what the region is famous for), so this newer trail is exciting!

We stopped by my childhood mall on the way home (and by that, I mean it was the closest mall to us growing up, about 1 hour away!). We ran into my grandparents, which was an awesome bonus. And I couldn't resist grabbing an old favorite treat of mine.

Happy Halloween to me! (Truth: I bought two of these guys.)


I think it's been like 50,000 years since I posted a weekend recap like this one. Probably because most of our weekends are super duper low-key. It was a nice change of pace, that's for sure. And something we need to make more time for, even if it means shifting long runs to fit in lots of brunch food, drinks, and ridiculously amazing desserts.

Happy Tuesday!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Training Seasons + My Winter Running Goal

Exactly two years ago -- when I was around 34 weeks pregnant with Ada -- I dramatically slowed my running. I decreased the frequency of my workouts, the speed, and the distance. All of it. At the time, I had mixed feelings. Running was so much of my identity. Seemingly one of the few things left that was mine and mine alone as my body had changed + softened and my mind had filled with thoughts of baby 24/7.

However, running had also become progressively uncomfortable at this stage. Not painful, but the pressure on my bladder wasn't pleasant. The energy I had in the second trimester had waned. My muscles and motivation didn't recover so quickly. I could have pushed harder, yes, but ultimately decided to give my body the break it was telling me it needed. I jogged barefoot miles on our treadmill and favored long, brisk walks and prenatal workout DVDs.

Somehow my mind transformed to the maturity of a 12-year-old about this change. I worried I'd never EVER be fit or fast AGAINNNNNN. That taking a break would somehow be the end to something I had fought so hard to continue, to prove to myself that I could maintain. I worried I'd never regain the competitive spirit or stake claim to the activity that allowed me to think, to feel strong, and to exude body confidence.

So, it's been a long journey, but here I am today, having gone through varied seasons with my training -- from not running at all after birth or very little due to discomfort/newborn sleep to PRing at all distances from the 5K (22:18) to half marathon (1:44:25). I'm happy I've reached a good balance with training/life, but sometimes I wish I was more motivated. My younger self could stick to training plans 99.9% because I had the drive and (all the) time (in the world) + limited responsibilities outside my desk job.

Honestly, it also seems when I became a mom, my competitive spirit took a back seat, for which I have no excuse other than not putting as much value on it. I don't necessarily miss the urge to push myself to the max or that distinct craving for new PRs. To prove to myself and, of a strange, chief importance, to others that I'm a badass athlete.

I guess you could say I've mellowed. Maybe it was the mom-factor or perhaps it was turning 30. I'm aging like a fine wine. I sort of revel in this new sense of centered-ness that comes from within. What I do miss, though, is consistently making time for something that is mine, and that's what running is to me.

I knew a new goal was in order, but after years of training for half marathons with the same old plan, anything else seemed too much/risk of injury (marathons are murder for my IT-band) or too little/too intense (hello, my love/hate relationship with 5Ks!).

It's hard to break out of a rut, isn't it?

Anyway, I guess this post is just a long-winded way of declaring that my new goal is to run a winter 10K in 46:30 or faster. I'm going to follow a more advanced plan that's challenging, but far different from the plans I've grown accustomed to. That photo above is from my run last night. I'm ready for speed. I'm excited to try something new. I'm also looking forward to carving out more time for myself as a runner and mom. I don't do enough of it. And I'll write more soon.

What are your cold weather training plans?

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Thursday Things

I have a fantastic recipe ready to be posted! Roasted Butternut Squash Miso Soup. Sounds delicious, right? I can't find my camera cable, so it'll need to wait until later. I have a few random things to write about in the meantime, so I thought I'd get all that out now.

First: Do you remember Geocities websites from the mid-1990s?

Stephen and I were talking last night about the advent of the internet, because we're dorks, and all of a sudden I remembered that in sixth or seventh grade . . . I had a website. Not just any site. A t.r.i.b.u.t.e site entirely dedicated to the late, great John Lennon (image credit).

I would sit for hours on our little big Apple computer waiting for the dial-up to load as I edited my site. I learned basic HTML all on my own and even got into fancy stuff like tables. Oh, and the background to the page was definitely an obnoxious animated GIF. I also remember finding a GIF of a flickering white candle. Oh, goodness.

So, I searched high and low last night to see if any evidence of this embarrassing prepubescent project was online. Unfortunately, Geocities is long gone after Yahoo acquired it a few years back.

There is an archive, however, located at Reocities. If you know your old address, you're set. Sadly, I can only remember that I was in the Hollywood neighborhood. (Because when I was 11, Hollywood was probably the most exotic and exciting place I could think of. I remember taking great care in choosing this location!)


#2: If you take way too many photos like I do, you may want to check out some deals I posted today on Wise Bread. The first is from Walgreens, where you can get an 8x10" Collage Print for free. And the second is from Shutterfly where you can get 101 4x6" prints for free with only $7 shipping.

I already ordered my collage print (above) and just need to go pick it up.  Tonight I'll try to figure out which photos to get for the Shutterfly deal since it expires tomorrow! Just wanted to give you a heads up if you don't normally check out the deals I post over there daily.


#3: I decided against running half marathon number two this weekend. At first, I thought my IT-band might be acting up again. It seems to be OK for now. Still, I am not feeling like racing mentally or physically. My effort at the Runner's World Half Marathon was enough for this season. I am, instead, setting my sights on some new goals for winter.

I write about it every year, but there's a 10K series in January. I'd like to actually train for it this year to try to PR at that distance. I've never run a great 10K time compared to all my other distances. In fact, if you look at my performance projections, I should be able to run in the high 46s.

I think that time might be too ambitious for this year, but we'll see.


I am tentatively going to follow Hal Higdon's Intermediate 10K plan for the next couple months. But with the long runs from the Advanced plan, or possibly longer. Probably not over 10 miles, though. Then I'll get back to half marathon training in the spring.


#4: Stephen is thinking of starting his own blog. I am including this only because he needs some extra motivation to get it started. It won't really be in the same type of format that my blogs follow. Instead, it would be more of his training log, workouts, and race reports. Strictly about running.

I know from my surveys in the past that there are some guys who read here (hey, guys!). I just thought you might be interested to know that he's planning on it. Probably going to focus on minimal shoes, training at the advanced level, and other hardcore running stuff.

I'm actually quite excited to read what he writes. As much as we spend a ton of time together, our training remains very separate.

Oh, look. Stephen's home from work right now! Time to go bug him about his new project! If you read Writing Chapter Three, today I posted 20 At-Home, Indoor Activities for (Pre)Toddlers for the upcoming winter months.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Pushing Beyond the 5K Mark

At the beginning of the month, I set a new goal with my running. Not to get faster. Not to run more days each week. Not to PR at any races anytime soon. Nope. My goal is to run a 10K with the jogging stroller. Any pace. And today I got close!

But before we get to that. I have a short story from the weekend. I headed out running Friday morning. Finished two miles and decided to stop home for some water because I was super dehydrated. On the way. I tripped on my own foot and did a nose-dive into the pavement.

Ouch.

It's the second fall I've had this month. The first wasn't my fault. Still. I need to be more careful. I also think my shoes are to blame. I've been wearing them exclusively for a year.

The bottoms are wearing thin. And I've even poked a toe-hole.


I'll definitely be buying Frees again, though I don't think I'll be able to find the same model I've been running in for the past several years. They're a bit out of date by now. Anyone run in the current Frees (Run + edition, I realize there are many kinds) and know if there's much of a difference?

Back to my goal. Today was a gorgeous, sunny day. Stephen had dibs on running after work, which meant I'd have to somehow sneak in my 5-miler between two breastfeeding sessions, making dinner, and Ada's nightly naked time. (It's my favorite part of the day. She wiggles around -- sans cloth diaper -- just chatting away.)

Mid-afternoon, I decided to give it a go with my favorite running buddy.


The first three miles went great. After all, I've been through my 5K jogging stroller plan and comfortable with it for over a month now. But on the way back to the house, I couldn't help but sing Bob Seger's "Against the Wind" over and over to myself. Pushing a stroller against the extra resistance is SO HARD.

Thankfully, Ada was bundled appropriately for a warm, but windy day. I got a few questions about how I dress Ada for jogging stroller time. The answer: As I would dress myself if I wasn't running -- plus a blanket for cold weather. Or a lightweight blanket now that it's spring.


Unfortunately, I can never keep socks on the girl. I found multiple pairs stowed underneath that I had forgotten about.


I took a quick quarter-mile walk-break. No shame in it. And it was just what I needed to complete another 2.5 miles. Not quite a 10K, but I'm less than a mile away from comfortably running that distance with the jogger.

Maybe I'll have to do more weekly workouts with Ada. Maybe.


We got home just as Stephen was returning from his speed workout. Today he did 3x2400 meters at 10K pace (5:23), jogging 800 meters recovery between each. He's going to kill the competition at the half marathon next month.


Another reader question I got after our first jogging stroller post was about how I keep Ada's toys from falling out of the BOB. The answer is quite simple: LINKS. We have a ton of 'em to spare, so I keep several attached to the canopy frame at all times so I can easily snap stuff on there.


It feels good to be able to run farther with the jogger. Ever since I pumped up the tires more, it hasn't been quite as painful to push around. And forget running . . . walking with it is like my favorite thing to do. I usually plop Ada in it and take an hour-long walk for her second nap of the day.

What goals have you worked toward lately?

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Three PRs, One Race

Remember our last Freeze 10K? The one where Stephen and I both PRed? Well, we ran the last one in the series on Saturday . . . and we beat our previous times (I came in at 47:51, 7:42 pace; Stephen finished in 34:38, 5:35 pace). It's been a good month for racing!

The temperature was right around 23 degrees F with very little -- if any -- wind. But that didn't keep me from bundling. (Thanks go out to my mother-in-law for taking these great photos!)

Despite training for the Boston Marathon, Stephen has seriously raced his 10Ks this month. Some of you will be interested to know that he's running almost exclusively in Vibrams these days (And has been -- high-mileage -- for a while now). I'm trying to get him to write a post on the whole experience.

In short (and in his words): Once you go barefoot, you never go back.



I'm still sporting Nike Free (I'm just as enthusiastic about this shoe as Stephen is about his finger feet) -- and I'm happy to report that during the race, I experienced zero knee or IT-band pain.

Z.E.R.O.



Get this: Our friend Dani also PRed yesterday.


(You remember Dani, right? She's the gal who ran my last half marathon with me.) Basically, I think conditions were perfect for a January race in the Northeast!




Oh, yeah. And not to brag . . . though, it's definitely brag-worthy. Stephen didn't just win the race yesterday. He won the entire SERIES. A lot of our other runners club friends did well in the overall, category, too.

A BIG CONGRATS to everyone!


I'm still out-of-this-world shocked that I was able to break into the 47s at this race. Last year, my best time was 49:00. So, I've said it before . . . and I'll say it again: SWIMMING is to thank for my improvement. Sunday, Stephen and I both headed to the gym for a thank-you-we-love-you-pool mile swim.

Stay tuned for the iHerb giveaway winner -- as well as a tasty and incredibly easy lunch-time recipe. And if you have questions about running in Nike Frees or Vibrams, just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...