Running: 6 Reasons I Don't Race Anymore

Many of you have told me you started reading this blog back when Stephen and I were running all the time. You loved the running and racing tips and tricks I used to write. There are definitely a good number of posts on here dedicated to the novice and even advanced runner. (I didn't write those advanced ones -- Stephen did!) Regardless, some of you have asked over the years why the running part of the blog is somewhat quiet.

And, really, I suppose I haven't addressed it directly. Or maybe I have and just don't remember. In short: We had kids, so there's that. And Stephen started coaching both cross country and track for his high school. That takes a lot of time during the week and on weekends when we used to be training. Do we still run? Heck yes. But -- and I can only speak for myself here -- I have many reasons why I've stopped racing in formal events.

1.) Cost

First and foremost, we have a family now (did you know? LOL). You guys know how much I write about our budget. With adding little ones and choosing to work from home, we've taken a financial hit. Not in a way where we cannot afford basic necessities. But running can be an expensive hobby, as much as we'd like to pretend it isn't.

There's the shoes. I only get like two pairs a year, but Stephen needs more because he wears his out quickly. (BTW: I wearing these Nike Free Distance shoes lately -- they are probably my favorite shoe I've ever had. If you're interested, let me know and I'll do a review of them for you!)

Racing is -- yup -- yet another cost. In fact, this morning I got slightly inspired to run the local half marathon. Mostly because it would give me an excuse to run 13 miles next weekend. But it's $80. Not the most expensive. But I immediately thought about how that could buy two takeout meals at our favorite restaurant. Or a week's worth of groceries at Aldi. And if you don't think running impacts your grocery bill, I don't know what to say. We eat a lot if we're training high mileage.

2.) Time

I hate to use my kids as an excuse, but you simply have less time with a family versus being single. I know moms who get up at 5AM and work out. Or who work out late. I get up at 5AM to work these days, so that's out. (Working from home with just one child is a piece of cake. Two or more? Nightmare. I'll write more about this soon.) I often work after the kids go to bed. I can jog with the stroller (here's how to start), but it's much harder so I only do it a few times a week. And with Stephen gone so much, our family time is at a premium.

Time is one reason I've put the marathon training on hold for the time being. I started it up when we weren't in a coaching season. Sunday long runs were awesome. Now that I'm alone with the kids almost Monday through Saturday, Sundays have become sacred. We both still run, but I'm less inclined to go over 10 miles. And I'm OK with that. I actually love feeling energized on the weekends. When I used to do back-to-back 10- and 20-milers, I'd need to basically lay on the couch a lot.

I guess as a sub-reason, races aren't the most convenient things either. With nursing, I'd have to pump. I don't like pumping and Eloise doesn't take bottles. I also don't think my kids want to be dragged to events. Maybe ever so often, but not weekly or several times a month.

3.) Flexibility

There's something beautiful about shedding the rigidity of a training plan. It makes you feel so much less guilty for missing runs if you're sick, injured, or whatever else. It lends to a more balanced life. Of course, having a bit more discipline would probably have me a bit trimmer and fitter -- but I'm favoring moderation in all things these days.

If the weather is really crappy -- whatever. I'll run later in the week. If I'm just not feeling it, I'll take an hour-long restorative walk. Or do yoga. Or go see a friend. The thing I'm not doing is fretting about missing my miles because I've got a race coming up. I remember trying to trudge through with bronchitis to meet my weekly mileage and getting even sicker as a result. Or feeling really cruddy because my legs were like dead weights. I know that pain is change, but I'd rather just feel good, be active, and be slightly less bad-ass.

4.) Desire

Yeah. My actual desire to run races has certainly waned. I was never one to do them to collect race swag or metals or shirts. Honestly, I have never really enjoyed the act of racing. It was more of a compulsion to get better times. That's OK. It doesn't make me any less of a runner. There's a certain thrill that comes with achieving a new milestone, like a half or full marathon. I've been there and done that. It doesn't thrill me anymore, so the desire to chase that feeling isn't there as much.

I think it's awesome when other people do events and I can tell they are getting a huge emotional boost out of it. I could take or leave that feeling. Of course, it's nice to feel like you've DONE something. But I ran two half marathons in March on my own (well, with my buddy -- but we weren't in an organized race) and still felt pretty awesome.

5.) Motivation

I guess this goes with motivation, too. I'm not motivated with my running to achieve a PR right now. I would like to get faster, but in the years before we had Eloise, my fitness took a dramatic turn. Having multiple miscarriages can really do a number on the body. I kept active throughout it all, but with being pregnant, not, having surgery, etc. -- my race times just aren't what they used to be. You'd think that would give me more motivation to "get back" . . . but it doesn't.

I'm cool with chugging along between 8:45 and 10 minutes per mile, depending on the distance and hill factor. Maybe this summer I'll find myself doing some repeats on a track. Maybe not. I think my motivation these days is much more mental. I get a lot out of just logging the miles and taking the time for myself.

6.) Zen stuff, etc.

Which brings me to being a Zen runner. I won't lie -- I do track my times lately. It's more about tracking my total steps (more on this soon!). I would say in the past, though, I more often than not did not wear a watch on my runs. I would rather map out the distance in Google maps ahead of time and finish. I get so much from just doing the run. I don't really care so much about the stats. Sometimes I do. You know how it is.

Running is my happy place. I do it to do it. I do me. You do you. But if you don't want to race, that doesn't mean you're not a "real" runner or nonsense like that.

* * * * * * * * 

Anyway, the biggest and best reward for all my years of running came this weekend. (This is about the photo above.) Totally unprompted, Ada came up to me as I was lacing my shoes and asked if she could go running with me. She got all dressed and we ran a mile together in a little under twelve and a half minutes. The whole time, I could tell she was so proud of herself. We finished, she gave me a high five and was just BEAMING with excitement to tell Stephen all about it.

And that's all I really need!

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Life Lately + Marathon Thoughts

Wow. When will Ashley stop posting snow photos all over social media? Uh. Never, guys. I haven't seen this much snow since the blizzard of 1993 when my hometown got more than three feet. The "official" total where we live is 36" by a trained NOAA spotter. I didn't measure quite that much, but I looked up the spotter's latitude and longitutde to find his location, and he's on a hill about a quarter mile from my house. Who knows!

If you don't follow me on Instagram, here's a photo-dump:

// Weight Watchers

I'm back on Weight Watchers strong today. (If you missed it, here are my thoughts on doing it for one month + how much weight I lost.) I never quit, I just got really lazy about it. Part of that is because I've been upping my mileage for marathon training (I'll get to that more below). I've been hungry, and it's hard balancing out how many points I should eat when I'm running more. Does anyone have any advice on that?

Still, I've noticed after being stuck inside that my bad habits have returned. I ate SO MUCH puppy chow. I drank bourbon hot cocoas by and outdoor fire. I have emotional eating issues. I eat when I'm stressed and bored. I eat while watching TV at night. I don't portion out my foods. These are all habits I need to work on if I want to reach my goals and if I just want to maintain a healthier relationship with food.

// Marathon Thoughts

Yes. I'm running a marathon. No, I'm not running a marathon race. Confused?! Don't be. My training buddy and I had a revelation. Let's train for the distance but SCREW the race. We both hate all the logistics. The hundreds of dollars. The getting up early. The stress of if the weather is dreadful on race day. You know, all of the stress. The people. Etc.

We have decided instead to map out our own course and + complete it this spring/summer.

We are still following this plan by Hal Higdon. We are on week 8, but the snow has definitely derailed some workouts. We actually have already mapped out a pretty solid route that will stop by enough places to get water, have bathrooms, and even celebrate along the way. I am excited to share that adventure with you guys when it happens. We are thinking June will likely be the time, but that could change.

I know I've written about it in the past, but I'm a runner. I rarely wear a watch. I am not in it for the racing. For the cheering sections. For the gear. For the metals. For the PRs. I don't care about all that stuff. I haven't since having Ada, it seems. I like moving. I like the meditation. The thinking time. And lately I've really enjoyed the friendship and fun of just being active with someone and talking.

// Track Season

Stephen's spring track season started last week. I heard another spouse refer to herself as a "track widow" at one point. I mean no disrespect to actual widows, but I do understand the sentiment she was expressing. He's just . . . gone a lot. During the week it isn't terrible until the meets start up on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But then on top of that it's every Saturday. Many times the days are like 12-hour days.

Perspective: I know people have it far worse. It's just a big change. I don't like changes when we're in a good routine.

I'm looking forward to the weather getting nicer because I plan to take the girls to parks, playdates, and other things to keep us all occupied. It's hard without family in the area. It'd be nice to just have dinner at the grandparents' house, go play with cousins (Ada and Eloise have no first cousins anyway), or get some babysitting every now and again -- whatever. I am thinking for next year (Eloise is still so small) that I may need to investigate an actual babysitter to help out even just with one night a week.

// Dump Meals

I am OBSESSED with these freezer dump meals, you guys. I wrote about this whole thing when I last shared about monthly meal planning and food buying. Would you like a post on this? The whole thing involves looking up a good recipe. Then you need to modify it slightly so it will work and fit inside a gallon freezer bag. Then you chop and dump in all the ingredients. You freeze it. And then you thaw it and cook the day you're planning to eat it.

So far, I like it so much better than cooking ahead and then freezing. I feel like the food comes out fresher. Tonight we are having a chickpea curry -- OMG IT SMELLS AMAZING -- and I'm going to make some 5-minute Naan for the side. If you haven't checked out that naan recipe yet -- please do. I have made all sorts of naans, but this recipe is SO fast and SO easy and SO delicious.

Happy Thursday!

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Running After Baby // Week 14

It's been a while since I've written specifically about exercise. I'm doing a lot of it, despite what the number on the scale might tell you. (But that's another post for another day!)

(Old photo alert!)

Accomplishments:

I don't think I shared my 5K time from last month's race. Obviously I wasn't in any sort of racing shape. Still, I crossed the finish in 25:15. Not too shabby for two months postpartum. That's basically 8:08/mile. My ultimate goal with the 5K is to get under 22 minutes. My PR is something like 22:03, but I know it will take a while (and lots of track workouts) to get there.

Another huge win for me was running an 8-miler two weekends ago with my running buddy Ariana. This past weekend, Stephen and I ended up getting into a fencing project at home, so I actually only ran like 3 miles on Sunday. Next weekend, though, I'd like to tackle between 9-10 miles with my friend. It felt really great to run long again.

Really great.

Goals:

In my last running after baby post, I wrote about how I planned to run a 10-mile race in November. Unfortunately, I didn't realize at the time that the date of that race conflicts with one of Stephen's cross country races. A paid gig trumps paying to run in my book. So, I don't have a race on the calendar right now.

Regardless, I'm still following Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Novice plan. I'm currently in the middle of week 5, though my long run is a bit farther than is on the plan. I'll probably just aim to increase the distance of my longest run until I reach around 13 miles, hopefully by November. I like being in half marathon shape, whether or not I plan to run for speed, because I find that distance is pretty manageable to knock out on a weekend without cutting too much into family time.

For cross-training, I do kettlebells 3x/week for about a half hour. I do Barre3 online 2x/week for about half an hour as well. I also take some walks to round things out. I do yoga to decompress at least once a week, but I'd love to find time for daily practice, even if that means just 10 minutes.

Other goals include getting a bit speedier with my general training pace. I run between 8:30-9:30 for most of my training runs. I'd love that to be more between 8-9.

Big Shift:

The biggest difference in my running these days is that I do most of it before the sun comes up. Stephen leaves for work relatively early. So, unless I set my alarm and nurse Eloise, I'm out of luck. Our treadmill is acting funky, too, so we need to get that looked at. I can usually fit in 3-5 miles in the morning, which is all I really need to do during the week.

I may even dare to say I'm enjoying being a morning runner. It's basically the only time that belongs to me during the day. It's the only time I find that I have quiet, which is important to me. So, yeah. I'm digging it. I know my body feels more sluggish in the morning. That's something I need to work on -- warming up.

Right now, I'm most excited for fall running. The leaves are already starting to change. I may drive out to the country and do some runs when the colors are wild and pretty. I love listening to the wind go through the trees and re-fueling with cider and donuts.

What are you most excited about in your fitness routine?

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Thursday Tidbits

Here's a fun + random post, because you guys have said you like these more than other things. Guess what! Me too!

#1: I'm on Snapchat now at neverhomemaker. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. Today I'm talking a bit about our latest Aldi haul.

#2: And speaking of Aldi -- did you know they have a new line of baby products?


I picked a couple things up to try the last time I was there. I'll write more about our diapering situation soon, but we do disposables at night and cloth during the day. These diapers work wonderfully, and they're soft. Eloise hasn't had any rashes or issues with them. The wipes work just as well as my other kinds, too. I'm converted, because it's like $4.99 for 50 size one diapers!

#3: Other stuff I'm loving for baby lately:

• Nursing scarf + seat cover
• Zutano fleece booties
• Soft cloth books for playing

#4: I got my volcanic rose leggings, and it's LOVE. They're my favorite yet. Stephen even complimented me on them. Might hop back on to order the broken dream catcher ones sometime soon.

Seriously. $12.

WHAT.


#5: New workout: Kettlebell upper body. I love this one. Simple + effective. I do most of it with my 10-pound kettlebell and I just got a 15-pound kettlebell yesterday. For some of the harder exercises, I use 5-pound dumbbells. I've done this video three times, and I'm already enjoying more toned arms.



#6: And speaking of workouts -- I ran 8 miles last weekend!


I've been running about 20 miles a week at between 8-10 minute pace. I haven't yet signed up for that November 10-miler race, and I might not. What I've learned in my long journey with running is that I don't need a medal to love the sport. In fact, I'd rather run when I want, when I feel like it, for however long I want, and at whatever pace feels good. And often that's slow and short . . . but sometimes it's fast and far.

That's all from me today. Off to finish some freelancing assignments!

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Running After Baby // Week 9

Here's a topic I've wanted to write more about on the blog for a long time: Running! It seems like years since I've engaged in any sort of formal training. Or since I've had any real running goals. I am beyond ready to dive in and get my legs back.

This run was a promising start.

A photo posted by A S H L E Y // neverhomemaker (@neverhomemaker) on Aug 15, 2016 at 5:24am PDT

Two of the five miles (miles 3 and 4) were run under 8-minute pace (7:55, 7:53). Boy did I feel it today! As the mornings get slightly cooler, I can see my paces getting faster. I really don't like running in the summer sun and humidity, so I am looking forward to more runs like this one once the fall weather sets in.

Goals:

I am currently following the Hal Higdon novice 1 half marathon plan with hopes of running a 10-miler in mid-November. I don't have a pace goal at this point. I'm just looking to start my journey by getting my endurance back.

A photo posted by A S H L E Y // neverhomemaker (@neverhomemaker) on Aug 1, 2016 at 5:35am PDT

If you've followed me a long while, you know that running full marathons isn't my thing. I have trained and gotten injured too many times to want to attempt that distance anytime soon (or ever) again. So, my ultimate training goal -- long term -- is to finish a half marathon in under 1:40. I tried a few years after Ada was born and go close with something in the 1:42 range.

But that's a long way off. Right now? I'm getting ready to lace up at the start of a 5K tomorrow night. I'd love to just run under 8:30s the whole time, but I am worried I may have spent my speedy legs too soon this week. We shall see what happens. I'm more interested in getting back into the running culture in our area. I used to do Sunday long runs every week with a great group of women, and I miss that time!

Other stuff:

I'm experimenting with becoming a morning runner. I much prefer running in the evening, but Stephen's cross country schedule will end up conflicting with that. I am finding if I wake up whenever Eloise eats around 5-6 AM, that I love getting out and starting the day by sweating. I usually have to pump a bit, but it's been nice to build a little breast milk stash that way.

I have set a goal this month to start doing core exercises. I have been totally cleared and all that jazz. I do some already through Barre, but I might ask Stephen to "train" me by encouraging me to do what he has this athletes do. I'll report back progress. I'd also like to get into the groove with doing push-ups again. It's been a really long time. I can do like 10 without whining, and I used to do 50 with no problem!

Last, we live a mile from a track, so I'm hoping -- like I did after I had Ada -- to do a timed mile soon. From there, I like to track my progress and see how that mile time gets faster as the months go on. I will probably do that starting next week and go from there. My fastest mile two months postpartum last time around was 7:45.

What's on your race calendar or goals list lately? 

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Body After Baby // Week 6

You guys! I am on the highest of highs right now. I just finished my first fast workout in what seems like forever. I had given up on hard running when I was experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss. So, I'd say that was a year and a half ago? I thought somehow running with much effort had something to do with all that. I mean, I was always looking for something to blame (and my doctor assures me the running had nothing to do with it).

EXERCISE

Fast forward to now -- 6 weeks postpartum -- and I woke up feeling great. But I didn't feel like doing my usual 3-mile slog through the neighborhood. It's hot, sunny, and I'm kind of bored with it and need to get back to my old routes. Today's solution: You might remember that we bought a treadmill this year. I looked up some interval workouts and found this one on PopSugar.

I feel like it's the perfect mix of gentle and challenging to get back into the swing of things. (Somehow I didn't follow it exactly and did a lot more of the 7-8 MPH -- oops!)

FOOD

Going dairy free has had an interesting side effect. I'm only a couple days in, but the food choices I've been making overall have been much healthier. I've been consuming a lot more protein and less carbs. I've been choosing more fruits and veggies and shunning more desserts.

I will probably break from the dairy free just briefly this weekend when we visit my parents in Wellsboro. It's my birthday, and I would like to indulge in some cake and home treats I only get on occasion. (There this food truck that has THE BEST grilled cheese!)


I do wonder, though, for those of you nursing mamas who went without dairy: Did you notice a change in your supply? I feel like I've had slightly less milk the last few days. But I realize it might also have to do with reaching 6 weeks, which is when things regulate a bit, right? I'm trying to add more fats to my diet regardless. An avocado a day . . . :)

CONFIDENCE

My body hasn't changed much in the last several weeks, but I don't really mind it much. It took a long time to get pregnant, a long time to cook baby, and it'll take a long time to reach "normal" again. And I know from having Ada that "normal" will be different anyway. I actually felt like I got fitter in some ways after I had her despite not having my body look like it did when I was younger.


Exercising and eating well is making me feel so great. We've been sleeping better, too. Eloise had been doing some 5-6 hour sleeping stretches while on vacation. Since we've returned it's been more like 4 -- but it's all good.

So, that's week 6 in my postpartum fitness and body journey. I'll be back tomorrow with reflections from vacation (as well as some essentials for taking a newborn to the beach).

Happy Wednesday!

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Body After Baby // Week 3

You guys said you wanted to hear more about the postpartum period, both with adjusting to life with two kids and with regard to recovery. So, today I'm going to write about my recovery so far (Eloise is 3 weeks old as of yesterday), as well as some of the differences from the first time around.

You always hear that all pregnancies are different. And I've learned that this statement totally applies to recoveries as well. When I had Ada, I felt so much pain after birth. My tailbone hurt. My tear stung. I had issues with urine leakage. I generally felt blah and spent a great deal of time on the couch. I did start running (too) soon after giving birth (within a couple weeks), and I know I shouldn't have because I was still bleeding (which increased and turned bright red with activity), having a lot of pelvic pain and, yeah, leaking. Still, the exercise gave me something normal to grasp onto, so I kept it up.

This time around, I don't feel like I just have a baby. I feel, well, surprisingly normal despite carrying a little extra weight. I am thanking my lucky stars for it, too. I think two pushes versus two plus hours of pushing may be to credit for some of it. I did have tearing just as significant as I did with Ada, but it didn't/doesn't hurt and is healing well. I also stopped bleeding during week two. Instead of wanting to spend days on the couch, I've been itching to get out and about thanks to the summer weather. Movement feels good and even therapeutic.

As far as stats go, I gained a total of 24 pounds in my pregnancy, topping off at 162. Here are a couple photos from two weeks postpartum.

I lost 16 in the week or so after giving birth. I have only lost another one since. I am at 145 pounds right now. My goal is to eventually get back to 135 pounds, which is where I seem to stick after kids. Before kids I was more like 125, but I find this weight takes a ton of diet and exercise, more than I'm willing to do at this stage of life. I know it could take a while to get back to a goal weight, especially since nursing isn't some magic weight loss cure for me. I held on to 8 pounds while nursing Ada for 17 months.

I don't have any diet plans right now. I am loosely tracking what I eat, mostly to keep a log of how much protein I'm getting in each day. (I'm trying to consume at least 65 grams per day.) I struggle getting enough, so I write down what I ate and -- next to it -- I write the grams of protein. I am also trying to keep an eye on my sugar intake. I'm not limiting myself, but I have a sweet tooth that can go easily out of control. Eloise also tends to nurse right during my meals, which makes me want to grab a quick cookie instead of waiting to make a good lunch with eggs, greens, and whole grains.

I am also back exercising with no pain or incontinence issues. I know it's like TMI to keep writing that -- yes -- I leaked after Ada's birth. But it's just a reality of the postpartum period that few people talk about. This time around I haven't had any urine mishaps. My bleeding has stopped and hasn't increased with activity. And I don't have any pelvic pain. It's kind of incredible.

I know very well that my body is still healing, though, so here's a rundown of what I've been doing.

• I am sticking to slow two to three mile jogs about every other day. After Ada, despite all the issues I was having, I pushed myself to go farther and farther and didn't rest between sessions. I also wanted to get back to my paces ASAP. This time around, I don't even take a watch, but I estimate I'm running 10 minute miles. I go slow and walk whenever I feel like I just don't want to push. I also make sure to do a little walking before/after the jogging to warm up and cool down.
• I have done some Barre workouts. These feel amazing to stretch and strengthen my body. Again, I don't do anything that's over 30 minutes, and I don't do more than one type of workout per day. 
• I am also thinking of starting a yoga challenge (on YouTube) and trying to get in at least 10 minutes of stretching and relaxation each day.
• Other days, like today, I just do gentle walking. I have no races on the calendar or other reason to be in any kind of mode where I NEED to do exercise all the time.
• If at any point, I do get pain or other signs I need to step back, I will. But my midwife said to go ahead and do what feels good as it feels good.

That's how recovery is going. At least at week three. I won't be updating every single week like I did the last time around. So, maybe look for another one of these posts around week 6. I would like to run a 5K in late August. Not for time, obviously, but it's a Women's Distance Festival that I try to participate in every year. I suppose that's my current fitness goal. I look forward to updating you on how it's going!

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Santa Run 2015

My alternate title for this post is “My First and Only Race During This Pregnancy.” And it has nothing to do with the event itself. It was a fun race. Lots of great volunteer support. Great activities for the kids. Tons of community out cheering.

It’s just . . . I haven’t run in an event since the Laurel Festival 10K back in June. In fact, I haven’t run in more than a handful of races over the past year and a half. I used to love spending my weekends lining up at the start. Progressively, my interests have changed -- but I’ve kept up with the running regardless.

So, back to Sunday. It’s December . . . and it’s over 60 degrees. I can’t even believe it. I had toyed with doing this 5K, but didn’t give it much thought. Stephen was the one who urged me to participate because the weather was just so amazing. Sunny and gorgeous. We all hopped in the car early so Ada could do the kids’ race.

She and I both wore fun + festive costumes.

Ada did great, by the way! She’s only ever “raced” a couple kid runs. I hate to say it, but she has fallen at most of them. We never make her do them. But we told her she could try, and she got all excited.

She didn’t just want to run. She wanted to win! (She didn’t. But all the kids got a special prize at the end, so she thinks she did!)


The 5K started about an hour after the kids’ run. I spent the bulk of the time going to and from the bathroom because I was drinking all the water. I mean, it was really warm. I didn’t want to take any chances getting dehydrated. I took my last bathroom break with 10 minutes till the gun would go off and headed down to the start.

During those 10 minutes my bladder somehow filled up again -- to capacity. Ugh. I started the race uncomfortable and just wanted to stop. But I decided I’d forge on. I didn’t wear a watch because I didn’t want to know my time. Instead, I tried chatting with people near me and even talking to myself. If I could speak full sentences, I was golden. And I felt completely comfortable and strong the entire way.

Still, somewhere in the middle of the race, I got to thinking. Yeah. It was fun being out there running in an event. But I had basically paid $25 to do a 5K jog I could have done out my front door . . . sans needing to pee the whole time. I decided right then that I’ll save my money for baby stuff. This would be my first and last race during this pregnancy. Then, as I rounded the corner for the final straight away, I had to fight the urge to speed up.

That’s the other thing. Though I haven’t been racing in the last year or more, I still had been running pretty fast (for me). The competitive stuff doesn’t really go away when you’re in the moment. I struggled to remember during the race that I am pregnant. After all, I’m not really showing and I don’t have many aches and pains yet. Then I’d remember and be like “ugh! what’s my heart rate? I feel great but I don’t want to push it” -- it was a constant battle in my head.

I’m not trying to knock doing events while pregnant. I did several 5Ks and a half marathon with Ada. I think in my first pregnancy running was much more about proving to myself that my whole life wouldn’t change if I had a baby. Now that I know there is balance after birth, I don’t need reminders. At least not yet. And I also think the circumstances and challenges that led to this pregnancy have put me in a different mindset.


I crossed the finish in just under 30 minutes. My official chip time was 29:32, so 9:30/mile. That’s obviously not fast (in fact, it’s my slowest timed 5K to date), but it’s about minute per mile faster than I’ve been running at home. I could feel proud, but I -- instead -- was more freaked out that I pushed too hard compared to my new normal.

I’ll keep up with my slow 5K runs around the neighborhood. I’ll probably even look up a few fun events to run several months after giving birth. For now, I’m hanging up my “racing” shoes. At the same time, I am glad I ran. It was run dressing up and Ada certainly enjoyed all the costumes and activities! We’ll probably spectate while Stephen does a Christmas Cookie race next week.

PS: Christmas! No joke: We just started really shopping and making presents! Ahh. 

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How I’m Moving These Days

Hey, friends. Still no food to share on the blog. You can catch some of our Thanksgiving foods on Instagram. I went with my original menu and then decided to turn the mashed potatoes into a shepherd’s pie for our main course. It was tough, but I managed to cook everything without getting too sick.

I had trouble actually eating a ton of it, but SUCCESS.

When I was pregnant with Ada, I actually took over a month off from blogging because I was heavy into recipe posting those days and simply couldn’t handle looking at the food. This time around, I don’t plan to totally break, but my frequency with posting has certainly tanked . . . and I’m hoping that will change soon.

Like I want to share my cranberry applesauce this week! So good!

// EXERCISE IN PREGNANCY AFTER MISCARRIAGE(S)

I have received a few questions since I got pregnant this time around about exercise. Pregnancy is already a touchy and personal time for workouts. Pregnancy after miscarriage is a whole new animal for me. So, I thought I’d share what I’ve been up to in the last 10 or so weeks to move my body.

I stopped running entirely in my two week wait. I don’t really know why. I just had this feeling like I wanted to stop. I took lots of walks around my neighborhood between 2 and 5 miles, though. I needed to do something to get rid of my nervous energy. Then when I got a positive pregnancy test, I freaked out. I had a positive the month before that ended in a chemical pregnancy, so I decided I wanted to be extra careful. I kept up with walking 4 to 5 days a week (including walking Ada to and from school) until my first appointment at almost 6 weeks.

My doctor told me that running cannot cause miscarriage. He just flat out said it when I expressed concern. Heck -- we still don’t know why I kept miscarrying -- we may never know -- so I wanted to exhaust all possible reasons. He told me to run if I would promise him I wouldn’t blame the running if I had another miscarriage. That night I went for a three mile jog at like 10:30/mile pace. It felt amazing.

Now I’m 10 weeks + 2 days pregnant, and I’ve been running 3 to 4 days a week most weeks since.  I walk Ada to and from school 3 to 4 days of the week too. If I don’t feel like running, I try to at least walk a couple miles or do a short Barre workout. My pace hovers between 10 to 11 minutes a mile. I run just three miles at a time and don’t plan to go farther. I keep feeling temptation to go longer, but I think I have found a plan that works for me.

When I was pregnant with Ada, I ran a half marathon at the start of my second trimester and kept up double digits long runs until the 20-week mark, so this reduced mileage and pace is different for me. I have this whole section on the site with my pregnant running feats, and I just can’t identify with that girl anymore, but I am also so OK with it. Beyond OK.

PS: I take a watch on most runs to make sure I keep my pace over 10 minutes a mile.


Sure. I could probably be doing more. All these moms on my birth board remind me of my old self -- posting workouts, sharing brief race recaps, basically not missing a beat. But I just don’t care. I have found a groove where I feel comfortable and healthy and balanced and far less anxious. I don’t push myself beyond any points of comfort or exhaustion. I take days off when I’m really sick (like today -- ugh). I slow myself down if I can’t read a street sign without labored breathing.

I guess I wanted to share this because I feel like there’s just so much pressure out there to be this pregnancy rockstar, especially with regard to weight and fitness. I can’t count the number of things I’ve read or overheard totally focused on the number on the scale or doing X minutes on the treadmill. When I was pregnant with Ada, I thought about these things constantly. I worried so much about losing myself, my body, and my mind if I couldn’t keep up with the running and exercise.

The thing is: Exercise during pregnancy is so personal.

I got insanely lucky the first time. It wasn’t necessarily my dedication or athletic prowess. It was luck with getting pregnant quickly, staying pregnant, and being able to maintain a high activity level. Thing time around, I know it’s important to keep up with some type of movement . . . but I truly understand it’s not the time to prove anything to myself or others. It’s about getting to a more important finish line. And I’ve been training for this one wayyyyyy longer than any marathon cycle I ever tried.

I’m feeling good about how I’m treating my body these days. I am OK with giving up running whenever my body (and baby) sends me the signal that it’s done. For now, I enjoy my half hour jogs, my long walks, and just taking care of myself. I’ll get it back after the baby is born. I’m already dreaming of a few half and full marathons -- but postpartum fitness is a whole different story, and I have a whole long post in me about how that is going to change, too. Check back with me in late June on that one.

Moms! How did your attitude toward exercise change during pregnancy? If you have more than one child, did you do the same types of things during both pregnancies? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this whole thing. And if you’re not missing a beat -- more power to you.

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How I’m Moving These Days

A couple notes on fitness today. I’ve started a loose 10K training plan. I don’t have a race in mind, but after months of not running on any sort of plan, I was craving some structure. I’m still trying to balance TTC with running and exercise. Though I ran a 12-miler the day before getting my positive pregnancy test with Ada, the trouble we’ve having this time around has me set on a more conservative approach.

// RUNNING

Yes. I’m frustrated with it. And many of you have told me I don’t need to worry about mileage while TTC. I’m doing what I feel is right for me and my body. Unfortunately, there’s no one-size approach. What works for one person (or one pregnancy) isn’t necessarily the best choice for another.

Here’s the plan I’m currently following. I’m hoping to find some type of 10K to do in the fall just for fun. Though I am trying to do some speed one day a week, that’s not really my goal with this adventure. It’s more about getting myself on a plan and gaining motivation.

Onto week two!


I ran my first speed workout in what felt like years last week. I did a one mile warmup, then two timed miles -- the first at 7:32, the next at 7:25 -- and then a cool down. I’m not in peak shape, but I was incredibly surprised that I’ve retained any speed at all! Definitely encouraging. Just goes to show that consistent training over the years pays off, even if you have a lapse in serious training.

For the cross-training, I’ve been doing Barre3 workouts online.

// YOGA

I’ve also committed myself to yoga. I used to practice quite regularly. I’d take two classes a week and spend time on my mat at home. I fell (way!) out of this habit years ago. I was writing an article on yoga the other day, and I came across Yoga with Adriene on YouTube. I’ve been hooked on her classes ever since.

I even started the 30-Day Yoga Challenge.


I also took my first studio yoga class in years yesterday. It was an easy flow, and I think I’ll be returning to take at least one class per week once Ada starts preschool. I used to treat yoga like a major athletic event. I always wanted to feel the burn. These days? I’m enjoying the stress-relieving aspect and the stretching.

Feels gooooooooooooooooood!

How are you moving these days?

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Wild + Free

My trip back home was really great last week. I saw a bunch of people I wanted to see. I ate a lot of my favorite hometown foods. I woke up and took long walks around town. I ran on my favorite roads. And I always make time to stop out and soak in the country views:

(BTW: These photos are from Father’s Day. Full disclosure: Ada had a huge meltdown at the canyon! Eeeeek. That wasn’t so much fun. So, we took her to a nearby creek. I can’t wait to head back there sometime later in the summer, hopefully with a tent.)

I forgot to give you guys a quick 10K recap. Now, I don’t have much proof that I actually did run in the race. By now I feel like I’m beyond the point of needing photos, medals, or other swag when I do events. So, you’ll have to rely on my account. Basically, I decided not to race all out but -- instead -- to run a solid workout on all those hills. The race starts each year at 9AM and usually the weather is quite hot. This year we lucked out with relatively cool temps, lower humidity, and cloudy skies.

After a mile warmup jog to the start, Stephen and I stretched a bit and before we knew it, we were off. I saw some people blaze ahead of me that I usually beat, so it was hard to keep myself from gunning it up the first hill. At the same time, I felt really solid and comfortable, which I’ve never experienced on this path. I wanted to enjoy the course and take in the scenery. So, I trudged ahead, not knowing my pace because I rarely run with a watch these days.

Talk about Zen running.

I made my way slowly up the first long incline. It’s over a mile long and by the top, I had to take a few walking breaks. Gladly. Even when I won this race last year, I walked a bit. It’s just my strategy on this course to conserve energy to speed downhill. The mountains ahead of me really took my breath away. I can’t imagine seeing them everyday, and boy did I used to take them for granted. Not this time.

Anyway, I made my way up another epically steep uphill mile or so before the course finished with a fast flat/downhill trend. I knew I wouldn’t PR, but I decided to hold back and just enjoy the ride. OK. I couldn’t resist sprinting to the finish. I always do that. For the first time ever, I finished the race without much panting in around 49:40, just under 8 minutes per mile.

I did have a momentary thought that if my training had gone well this year, I’d probably have finished in the 47s. But then I remembered the real reason my running took a backseat this spring (and entire year, if we’re being honest), and I just felt grateful for the whole experience. This is just a different season in my relationship with the sport.

Running feeds my soul, as corny as that sounds. This may not have been my fastest finish, but I felt so good being a part of it. I also ended up getting second place in my age group, so that was cool. Stephen earned second place overall (35:22 -- a PR for him on this brutal course!). I’ve come to this conclusion that racing just isn’t my thing these days. My head isn’t in competition mode. But running in general? That’s another matter. I don’t run tons of mileage because I’m trying to keep everything in moderation right now, but the ones I do complete are giving me such joy.

Happy Friday, friends!

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100 Miles

I’m celebrating National Running Day a little early (it’s tomorrow) because I’m thrilled to report I ran 100 miles in May. It was my first triple digit month since August of last year. Not only that, I also completed my first double digits run since November on Sunday. While I’m not training for anything and only have one “race" on the calendar (I’m not planning to run all-out), it feels good to be running more again.

Still crazy about Nike Frees after all these years . . .

These days, I’ve been using Ada’s preschool time to fit in the bulk of my runs. I find that if I don’t make time to exercise in the morning, it just doesn’t happen. By afternoon, the weather is too hot and I’ve made a gazillion excuses to skip or shift my workouts. So, I pack up the BOB SE stroller, strap Ada inside, and jog her half a mile to school. I run the empty stroller back to my house (which gets me some puzzled looks) and continue the rest of my plodding.

I run between four to five days a week. I don’t follow a training plan, so I just aim to do between 4 and 6 miles during the week with one longer run -- anything over 6 -- on the weekend. Long runs have been hard for me both physically but mostly mentally. I need to be in the mindset to keep going over an hour. So, I like to listen to podcasts, usually This American Life, to preoccupy myself.

I’ve been using the Nike App to track my progress. Often I go out and run without any tracking device (no watch, phone, or GPS) and then come home, map out what I did on a Google map and log it in the app. But I usually take my phone on my long runs for safety and switch up the app to track my route. This also helps because when I run long, I like to make lots of twists and turns to keep things interesting.

I ran 10 miles at 8:54/mile on Sunday. The course I did was really hilly (mountainous?) and a lot of the miles were either 9:30 uphill or fast down. The last flat mile was a comfortable 8:10. I felt great on this run, so I hope to do another this weekend.


The past year has definitely been tough with regard to running and fitness. I got a 5K PR in August, but that’s really it. I basically didn’t run most of February and March and the months preceding were low, slow mileage. I’ve also gained some weight and generally lost my competitive edge. I longingly browse race websites because I’d love to do some events, but I don’t think formal training would be a great idea for me right now. Instead, I’m trying to reap all the mental and physical benefits from running with a low-key focus on myself versus getting PRs or distance goals.

I say it every year, but I’m so happy I started running. When I was 17, I couldn’t run a single mile without it feeling like some epic death march. Now it’s much, much easier and, well, fun. Running has been the one activity that has stuck with me through the various ups and downs in my life. Even on the worst days when I feel awful, a quick mile or two can get me in a totally different frame of mind.

And for that, I’m eternally grateful.


Happy (early) National Running Day! 

How are you celebrating this year?

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Do you Tabata?

It was over 70 degrees on Saturday. I walked around the yard barefoot and drank a huge glass of wine while we cooked veggies and flatbread on the grill. “Ahhhhhh," I thought. "Spring has finally arrived!” And then today I woke up to the sound of wind. I immediately discovered grey skies spitting out fat snowflakes. My heart dropped in my chest and I had to go dig out my running tights, hat, and vest.

But I did it!

Today’s workout:

• 1 mile stroller run. The BOB was only full for .5 mile. Then I dropped Ada off an got a 33-pound break on the way home. 
• 10 minutes body weight + kettlebell moves (pushups, burpees, planks, squats, mountain climbers, swings, etc.)
• 1 mile interval run
• 10 minutes body weight + kettlebell
• 1 mile all-out run

BOOM! I haven’t exercised at a high intensity in quite some time, so it felt both grueling and amazing. I’m pretty sore right now, and I’d like to try and do something like this at least once a week. I need to learn or at least write down some more body weight exercises so I don’t just keep doing burpees when my mind blanks.

What are you favorites?

// TABATA

I’m really intrigued by this whole Tabata thing, you guys. I know some of you have commented on posts in the past when I’ve asked about different at-home workouts to try . . . and I definitely stored the word in the way, way back of my mind. I’ve been researching an article on fitness videos, and it finally clicked today.

Tabata sounds, well, awesome.

For those of you unfamiliar, this method of working out was created by Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata and a team of researchers. The gist is that you do high intensity moves in a 10/20 format. So, 10 seconds of rest with 20 seconds of work for eight cycles, which equals just four minutes total. Tabata works on both aerobic and anaerobic systems with quite a powerful punch in such a short time. You can read more about it here.

In addition to all the miles I slog, I know I need to get more intense bursts of activity and strength into my routine. (Which is why I mixed stuff up today.) The moves you do for Tabata workouts are really just body weight stuff. Pushups, planks, squats, kettlebells, etc. Anything and everything that works large muscle groups. I just love that it ’s SHORT. (Of course, you can string them together as well.)

Anyway, here’s a great example:



Do you Tabata?

Any good videos or workouts to share?

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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!

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Spring Bucket List

It was like a whole new world outdoors yesterday. Yeah, there was still some stubborn snow on the ground. (And, yeah -- we’re getting more over the weekend.) But we don’t take walking outdoors without coats (and shoes -- in my case!) for granted. Even in April. Here are a few things on our spring wish list for 2015.

I think it’s going to be a good one.

#1: Finish projects. We have several projects in our home that we started and never finished. Painting is a big one, and we’ve already spent some time this week checking rooms off the list. I have a few things to complete in the kitchen, but I’ll be writing more about this stuff soon.

#2: Hike in nature. We didn’t do much of the whole hiking thing with Ada when she was a baby. But we’d like to start taking her to more local natural attractions. So, some hikes in the Finger Lakes are in order.

#3: Take a weekend getaway. We don’t have the means to travel much, but I’d like to go on a one or two night trip somewhere -- with Ada -- within close driving distance. Maybe the ADK or down in PA. Not quite sure yet. Suggestions?

#4: Go river rafting down Pine Creek. There’s an all day 17-mile trek that Stephen and I would like to check out before the waters dry up in the summer.

#5: Cook out. Time to bust out the grill for the season and start cooking up some meals al fresco. I’m thinking grilled pizza is on the top of my list. I need to perfect that method/recipe.

#6: Do some landscaping. New year, new house. We want to start looking at landscaping. We won’t be able to do it all this year, but I have pinned some ideas of flowers and plants that I like. Can’t wait to get our yard looking lush.

#7: Visit family. Along with other mini trips, we’d like to get down to visit both families at least a couple times before the summer. Ada doesn’t have cousins, so it’s nice to see her spend time with Stephen’s cousins’ children in particular.

#8: Race here and there. I don’t have a ton of races on the calendar, but I’d like to do a few in the time I have before TTC again. After a few weeks of ramping up mileage from zero to, well, anything -- I’m planning to follow this intermediate 10K plan for the Laurel Festival 10K in June.

#9: Frequent festivals. There are lots of big and small festivals that go on in our area -- and we haven’t been to most of them. I want to get out there and experience the culture (food, music, fun) our area has to offer versus always wishing I was living elsewhere.

#10: Advance the homestead. Along with making the yard look pretty with more plantings, I want to get our composting system going and plant our vegetable garden. I think I might be a bit too late to get my seeds started (I had such good plans!), but I may end up getting some plants from a local nursery this year.

What’s on your spring bucket list?

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Food, Fitness, Family

FOOD

Ada’s follow-up went well on Friday, which I’ll delve into in a moment. One reason we sometimes like going to her specialist? We get to go to Syracuse, which is like major civilization to us. We always head to the mall and some other special spots on our way home, though this time around we had a time constraint so I could get back home for a doctor appointment of my own.

Anyway, this time our special stop was Trader Joe’s! Would you believe we’ve never actually shopped there? I’ve gone in a few times to buy a couple treats, but we haven’t live anywhere near one until they put one in up north. I guess it’s a good thing, too, since I spent well over $100 in a matter of 20 minutes.

Here’s our haul:

FITNESS

Permit me to complain a bit about the weather again. I’m not one of those winter wimps, but this is getting more than ridiculous and, well, painfully awful. I actually got tears in my eyes the other day when thinking about spring -- thanks, SAD. As you can imagine, exercise has been spotty lately without a gym membership (and dwindling motivation). This is the current weather I woke up to this morning -- along with another 2-hour delay for Stephen.

RIGHT?!


Week 1: 12 miles total -- sick at end of week after this day-in-the-life post!

M: 5 mile run, 10 minutes Barre
T: 3 mile run, 30 minutes Barre
W: 4 mile run
R: OFF
F: OFF
S: OFF
S: OFF

Week 2: 15.25 miles total -- frigid, snowy, and sucky!

M: 30 minutes spin bike, 10 minutes Barre
T: 4 mile run
W: 4.6 mile run
R: OFF
F: 30 minutes spinning bike
S: 3.25 mile run
S: 45 min x-country ski, 3.5 mile run

So, yeah. Not exactly impressive mileage. But I’m staying active using what I have to do indoors. You might not notice a lot of Barre stuff in the last two weeks. I took a little time off because my monthly subscription lapsed. But we signed back up for the whole year, so I’ll be doing a lot more of that soon. Especially since it’s still so awful to run outdoors.

FAMILY

We did get a nice “break” from the cold temperatures on Sunday, when it was like 30 degrees out. It felt like spring. I was singing in the streets. So, we piled into the car and headed to a local park where people run their dogs, sled, and cross-country ski. I couldn’t find my cold weather tights, so I’m wearing two layers of pants in this photo!


And are a few photos from our trip to Syracuse.


Ada’s appointment went well, but they didn’t really examine anything. We have an MRI scheduled for six months from now, and I think that’s the one I’m most anxious for. Apparently if things were bad again, we’d be seeing symptoms. However, her issue is one that could return. If all looks good -- we will graduate to yearly checkups for a while. We are hopeful that we’ll be able to move forward since Ada seems to be doing so well.

While we were at the office, we asked to get a copy of Ada’s initial MRI report, and -- though we’ve always had all the information -- we were shocked. I hadn’t dug right into the diagnosis and all its gory details, but Ada was so close to having some major, life-altering issues. I feel very fortunate we were able to get the diagnosis and surgery when we did before irreparable damage happened. We’ll still never know why, but at this point that feels irrelevant. I’m just thankful.

Hope you guys have a great Tuesday.

Don’t forget to enter the Udi’s Pizza Hut sweeps to win a $100 gift card!

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Food, Fitness, Family

FOOD

I get a lot of requests for portable + packable meal and snack options. I used to write a lot more about this kind of stuff when I worked my desk job. Eating well on the go is tough business. So, I thought I might try to bring some of that bake into the blog. This week, I’ll start by simply sharing what Stephen brings for snacks and lunch on a typical work day.

Like this:


I try to make grab-and-go stuff that we can all enjoy, which is why you see a variation of the Nut Butter Energy Chunks. I also always boil a dozen eggs each week because they’re super healthy and easy to eat on the run. And we’ve been making a lot of Avocado Egg Salad lately. Last, every Sunday I made a slow cooker soup. This week it was one of our favorites: Miso Split Pea Soup . . . with lentils in place of the split peas.

I’ll dedicate a whole post to Stephen’s lunches sometime soon.

FITNESS

Running has been tough in the last week due to snow and cold. I’m happy I’ve been sticking close to my 20 mile a week goal regardless. I’ve been leaning heavily into the cross-training I can do from home, which has meant bringing out the spinning bike, skis, and Barre workouts more than hitting the pavement.

(PS: Some of you are wondering what equipment is needed to do Barre workouts at home. I use a standard yoga mat, a set of 2 pound weights, a waist-high surface -- which is Ada’s trampoline, and occasionally a yoga strap. I’m considering purchasing a ball like the Barre3 ball.)


I love that I can workout indoors, but I am also getting sick of working out indoors. I’m at the point where I’d OK with running in the cold and snow, but I’d sure love just ONE 50+ degree sunny day a week. Or a treadmill so I could feel what it’s like to run in shorts again. I know I’ll be complaining about the summer heat soon enough, though!

Week 1: 21 miles

M: 5 mile run, 30 minutes Barre
T: 4 mile run, 30 minutes Barre
W: 60 minutes Barre
T: 4 mile run, 30 minutes Barre
F: 3 mile run
S: OFF
S: 5 mile run, X-Country Ski 30 minutes, 40 minutes Barre

Week 2: 15.5 miles

M: X-County Ski 45 minutes, 40 minutes Barre
T: OFF
W: 30 minutes spinning bike, 30 minutes Barre
T: 4.5 mile run
F: 10 minutes Barre, 2 mile run
S: 5 mile run, 30 minutes Barre
S: 4 mile run

FAMILY

I’m so excited for this week to be over.

No, really!


We had a great snow day yesterday, but Stephen actually has the first of his spring breaks coming up next week. A whole week off! We had planned to try and go somewhere on a mini-vacation, but due to some unexpected changes in our finances, we decided to wait a few months. Regardless, there’s a lot we need to cram in, like Ada’s 6 month neuro follow-up in Syracuse. We’ll turn that into something fun because we learned she won’t need a sedation MRI -- YAHOO! -- when I found out, I basically threw a party. We’ll probably check out Trader Joe’s, hit up the mall (Ada loves the ropes course), and go somewhere to eat. Simple pleasures.

Next week will also be the end of my two week wait, and regardless -- I just want it to be over. In a silly way, I’m hoping I might be pregnant before all this infertility testing starts. I mean, a girl can dream, right? Some of you have asked if I plan on sharing the news when I get a positive sign. I’m not sure yet. We could still have a long time to go, so how I handle it isn’t as important to me right now as just living day by day and keeping positive that it will happen.

Peace out, Tuesday!

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Food, Fitness, Family

FOOD

I made this awesome Roasted Cauliflower Gnocchi recipe for dinner last week.

Not so awesome? My photos. So much darkness.


I modified the recipe by using whole wheat flour. Then instead of homemade sauce, I used some store bought. I tossed in a good bunch of baby kale for good measure. We all loved the meal, and I can’t wait to make it again sometime.

FITNESS

I added Barre to my routine last week, and I definitely feel it in a great way. However, I’ve had some trouble balancing it with my running mileage. So, I think after this initial #OMGILOVEBARRE phase, I’d like to do three 30-minute workouts each week with another couple 10-minute ones sprinkled in. I tried a full hour Saturday but just couldn’t make it through after running.

So much core work. Ouch.


Week 1: 20.5 miles

M: OFF
T: 1 hour walk
W: 4 miles + 1 mile walk
R: 5 miles
F: 3.5 miles, 15-minute Body Weight, 2 mile walk
S: OFF
S: 8 miles

Week 2: 14 miles

M: 2 miles + 1 mile walk
T: Barre 30 minute + 10 minute workouts
W: 4 miles, Barre 30 minute + 10 minute workouts
R: 4 miles, Barre 30 minute workout
F: 1 hour walk
S: 4 miles, Barre 45 minute workout
S: OFF*

* I had planned to run my long run yesterday, but as I’ll write about in a minute -- sleep was elusive Saturday night. I took a nap instead and decided I’d wait to run around 8 miles today if possible. Let’s do this.

FAMILY

What a weekend. Those of you who have preschoolers know the whole nighttime struggle. The excuses, the stalling, and even the lies. Ada’s become quite creative with her techniques over the last six months or so. So, when she all of a sudden complained that her ear hurt Saturday night, we thought it was a farce. The fit ensued and we tried for over and hour to figure out fact from fiction.

Then I saw her wince.
It was almost imperceptible . . . but then it happened again.

We packed up the car a little before 10 to drive to the ER across town. Checked in with an overly tired kid in pain. That’s the quickest way get the VIP treatment. We tried everything we could to ease Ada’s discomfort, but she was crying and screaming, so they put us in a private waiting area. After several hours we saw the nurse and PA to find out she has an ear infection. Her first. I won’t go into all the gory details of trying to get her to take a huge dose of antibiotics at 1AM on an empty stomach, etc.

Eventually we drove home, got Ada settled, and all went to bed. My internal clock woke me up around 6:30. Yuck. I need to remember this when I pine away for baby #2. I’m just happy this girl is on the mend!


Those of you in the blizzard zone -- stay safe and warm. However, I can’t lie. I’m incredibly jealous! We haven’t had much snow at all up here the last two years, and I’m so ready for a crazy storm.

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Food, Fitness, Family

FOOD

I’ve extended my love of sprouted grain breads to bagels. Wegmans carries a tasty sprouted wheat bagel (10 grams of protein per serving!) made by Alvarado St. Bakery. Some have asked what the big deal is with sprouted grain breads, etc. Here’s a little information on why it’s the healthiest bread you can eat (and why you should stop buying standard sliced bread in general).

Anyway, here’s my favorite bagel sandwich of the moment, The Mexican Bagel!


Yes, this sprouted habit is getting to be expensive, so I definitely have my sights set on learning to make my own sprouted grain breads. And speaking of savings, my friend told me if you go to the Food For Life website and fill out a short form, you can get coupons for Ezekiel Bread in the mail! Some grocers will even double these coupons.

FITNESS

My last two weeks of exercise haven’t been tremendous. The first, I was in the midst of virus #2 (bronchitis). The next, we had temperatures in the single digits with frigid wind chills. I haven’t been tracking my paces in the cold, but I assume they’re around 9 minutes per mile. My way of coping with winter running is to just get in the miles and not worry about the pace.

I’ve never come back in a spring season and been slower using this method.


Week 1 = 10 miles total

M: Off (sick)
T: 15-Minute Body Weight Workout
W: Off (sick)
R: 2 miles
F: 3 miles + 1 mile walk
S: 4 miles
S: Off

Week 2 = 22 miles total

M: 4 miles
T: 4 miles
W: 3.6 miles
R: 15-Minute Body Weight Workout
F: 3.4 miles
S: 4 miles
S: 3 miles

I still like running through the winter versus hopping on a treadmill because it gets me out in the fresh air. I’ve found a reliable 3 and 4 mile path from my house that’s well lit even in the dark, which is why you see so many runs of those two distances. There are certainly days when I wish I could head to the gym and swim, but it’s just not in the budget right now. No biggie.

FAMILY

I was too embarrassed to share one of my resolutions with you until now. Ada is 3-years-old and we haven’t gotten into a regular habit of eating dinner together. It’s not because I don’t cook, right? Instead, Stephen gets home from work around 4 or 4:30, I take a break from working (and life) and then go running . . . and stuff (dinner) just wasn’t coming together in time. Or, and this is much more likely, Ada wasn’t content at the dinner table and we (too many times) just gave in and decided to enjoy our meal alone after she would go to bed.

Yup.


Well, I made a huge effort to make our meals in advance the last couple weeks. And now? We’re eating dinner together most nights of the week. We even went out to dinner as a family this weekend, which is something we haven’t done in ages. We also extended the fun to morning meals on the weekends. I think -- at least for us -- that age three has been much better for eating together. Far less frustrating.

I’m also cooking way more interesting stuff as a result! Ada’s eating it, too. If we want to do our own thing (we are planning to eat just the two of us one or two nights a week), we still sit together for at least 10-15 minutes while Ada eats to make it a habit. I think the stars are aligning or something because it’s working out far better than in any of our previous attempts.

Typing that all out feels kind of silly, but it’s a huge stride in the right direction. It’s something we’ve been meaning and trying to do for what seems like ages. I can’t wait to share more of the dinners I’ve been making because they’re all really easy, inexpensive, and kid-friendly.

PS: Don’t miss the Pumpkin Fudge Microwave Muffin recipe!

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