Adventures with Mommy Cloth

When I was writing up tutorials on how to use cloth diapers back when Ada was a baby, I got a rather flippant comment. A woman (who thought using cloth wipes was a gross, terrible thing -- it's not, by the way) said that if I was subjecting my kid to the use of cloth wipes . . . I, too, should be using cloth for my toilet trips and monthly period. At the time, I shrugged her comment off as snarky snark. But from time to time, I had thought about the idea of using cloth for myself, at least in some way.

No, I'm not using cloth wipes instead of toilet paper. But I did recently invest in a starter pack of cloth pads (there are so many kinds!) that I intend to use overnight during my period. I've heard really good things about cloth pads on forums and on Facebook groups. I hate pads in general, but I cannot get used to wearing tampons at night.

And I know I'll get a lot of comments or emails about menstrual cups. That's a topic for another day. I've tried various cups and none of them feel comfortable. Instead Cups actually do feel good, but they are relatively expensive and aren't reusable. (Are there any silicone cups in this shape?) I have a rather severely tilted uterus, and I wonder if that has something to do with it (and how my cervix is positioned). I'm actually planning to look into sea sponge tampons. The only reason I haven't taken the plunge is because I'm hoping to get pregnant soon, and I don't want to invest only to not use them. (Wishful thinking, eh? Update on this soon -- we have to skip a few months of trying. Blah!).

I called this post adventures with mom-cloth, but I haven't yet used these guys. Consider this the first installment. I purchased a set of 6 cloth pads from Teamoy that also came with a wet bag/carrying bag. Upon first inspection, they seem of very good quality. Snaps and fabric similar to cloth diapers. The absorbent part is fleece and seems very comfortable. I spent less than 20 dollars, which seems like a steal compared to other brands I've seen (and the reviews are really good!).

For reference, I bought the large since I'm going to use them overnight. I'll report back with my feelings later on in the month! I'm interested to see how they do with leaks. I'm hopeful they'll be the solution I'm looking for.

Have you tried mom-cloth? 

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Rise UP

My family marched together this weekend along with millions people worldwide in support of women's rights. In support of HUMAN rights. Together. We live in a red county, and I wasn't sure how the turnout would be. There were several thousand of us when only hundreds were originally expected.

It was inspiring. It was powerful. It was i.m.p.o.r.t.a.n.t. Thank you to my fellow marchers -- whether you were able to participate in this Saturday's events or not (we almost didn't make it because Ada was upset by all the noise, for example -- I know some of you were there with us in spirit). Thanks to those of you who are fighting this good fight with us in other ways.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE!*

This photo will forever be one of my favorites. My daughters deserve to live in a world that values them. They deserve to live in a world where their friends and family have equal rights. Where they aren't dismissed or disregarded for what they look like, who they love, or what their economic status is. Where we won't do irreversible damage to our very stomping ground because we choose to ignore science. Oh, gosh. I need to stop. There is just so much at stake, friends.

I've discovered that some people who follow this blog aren't totally on board. I don't expect everyone to feel how we feel. And I don't share my sentiments to sway you; I've learned in my real life that bombardment with my beliefs isn't particularly persuasive. Regardless, I will keep on keeping on. I won't turn this blog into a political battleground.

This is my piece. But certainly not my peace.

Now it's back to programming as usual, at least 99 percent of the time. Regardless of how much I hate to say it, this is the new normal. We need to find a way to function and keep fighting for what we believe while going on with life. It's going to be hard. It may even feel impossible at times, especially with terms like "alternative facts" and other crazy things going around.

Anyway, here are some things you can do now that the marches are over. Back to waffle recipes and vlogs and marathon training notes soon. Because that's what bloggers do, right?


* Several people have expressed that they haven't appreciated my language in several things I've shared lately. In particular, the word "pussy" on my sign. I stand by what I've written and I'm merely using the words of our president. But I do apologize to anyone who feels I am being too crass. I get it, and I don't mean to alienate people who do agree with my thoughts but would rather keep it clean.

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10 Seconds Too Many

The thing is . . . 5Ks are always (always!) the hardest for me. Speed isn't my forte, especially since I don't engage in much formal speed work. Rather, I do surges -- fartleks -- whenever the mood strikes. Some weeks that's often. Others, not so much. As you guys know, I've been training on lots of hills lately, so I had some high hopes for my finish time at last night's Women's Distance Festival 5K.

Namely, I wanted to (finally) break 22 minutes.

My best friend from home -- Erin -- started running in January. She's been doing all sorts of races lately, but since she lives in the endless, winding mountains of PA, they've all been far too steep or on tricky terrain (trails, etc.). So, she drove up to join me and see how she might do on a flat(ish), fast course. It was such a treat -- and we both turned 31 within a few days of one another, so I guess you'd call it our birthday celebration.

I think the reason 5Ks wreck my soul has something everything to do with the intensity of them. Since I'm relatively low-key with my training, having to immediately start at my gut-wrenching pace and maintain it as long as possible doesn't sit well with me or my psyche.

It's all just too much!
It's all too painful!
It's all too split-second!


I thought maybe I had 21:XX in my grasp last night when I hit the first mile at 6:50. All things holy! That amazed me. Though I don't race much anymore, I still train hard and run consistently (4-5 days each week) throughout the year. I've just reached this place with my running over the last several years where I don't need race medals and finish line photos to feel strong, steady, and confident in my abilities.

But hearing a fast mile time doesn't hurt every now and again.

I'll write more about the play-by-play on WalkJogRun for next week, but -- spoiler alert -- I didn't meet my goal. I finished in 22:09 or 7:08/mile. That's a PR by 9 seconds and only 10 seconds away from my goal, but certainly 10 seconds too many. So, of course, I really want to try again in the next couple weeks to see if I can tweak a few things to get my time.

We shall see.


Now, Ada doesn't come to a lot of our races. I run mostly half marathons, and that's just too long for her to sit still. Stephen did bring her to this one because it's all women + lots of other kids are there to play + celebrate the fine sport of women's running. OK. The kids have absolutely no idea what's going on beyond the race before them. They just know there's a sand box, lots of baked goods and candy, and that all the dads watching let them get away with a bit more when their moms are occupied with the race.

This year was special, though. Ada "laced up" to the start of her very first race. She was so excited! I was so proud! This was to be such an amazing moment for the two of us to share. A passing of the torch! Proof that I'm rubbing off on her. That she's getting some athletic prowess from my amazingly inspiring abilities. And all that jazz.

Or not. The poor thing ran for around 15 seconds and then waved hello to a cute puppy. Puppies are her downfall. She loves them to pieces. And after she gave an enthusiastic greeting, BAM. Ada fell teeth-first into the pavement. Crying ensued. I felt . . . terrible. But it was no one's fault. She escaped physically unharmed and a cookie cheered her up quickly.

At least we got a great photo.

(We all know how photos don't tell the whole story!)


For both of us, there's always next year! And I want to give Erin a hearty congratulations. She SMASHED her 5K time by like two full minutes.

How do you feel about 5Ks? Do you have a race event nemesis? 

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Active Gifts for Women

I thought I'd do a couple gift guides on this site. First up is for the female athlete -- something I think a lot of us have in common. Newbie . . . self-made . . . or seasoned veteran. Whether an outdoor runner, gym rat, or yoga fanatic -- this time is year is the perfect time to indulge in some new gear/etc. Good quality stuff lasts for years and is well worth the investment -- heck, I've had the same pair of trusty running tights since college!

Here are a few items that are favorites of mine (I wear those Brooks Pure Flows, have those hair ties, wear that Under Armour Hood, and love those North Face gloves, for example). Others I have my eye on for gift cards that might be coming my way.

'Tis the season, right?





I'll be back with a great soup + cookie recipe for next week, along with a few more gift guides AND the last of the Automatic Healthy Eating Tips!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

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More Than a 5K

Running early in the morning gives me this whole new world of introspective thinking. It's dark, quiet, lonely and basically the perfect atmosphere for contemplation. I never set out to ruminate on any specific topic. It happens organically. Or perhaps is a trick my mind plays to make my body forget how much it hates working before dawn.

My most recent 5K was a proud moment for me. It was the first race I ran as a 30-year-old. In a new age group. Somehow this fact felt very significant to me as I pounded out those 3.1 miles. Overwhelmingly so. I am older, yes, but with regard to running, there's nothing I'd associate with being old or aging.

I felt strong, solid, and fast.
I PRed for the first time in over 6 years.
I'd love to do it all over again because I know I can get faster.
But it goes so much deeper than times and age group awards.

If you asked me 10 years ago, I would have guaranteed you that I'd be slower after having a baby. I mean, it was just an inevitable fact of life. Priorities shift and focus changes and running was to keep me skinny mostly anyway. I've never been much of a competitor, but by the time I was 30, I'd just be happy if I was still keeping fit in some way.

Except that now, running is so much more than exercise to me. I don't know when it happened exactly. It's just who I am. I'm much more dimensional, but the runner part of "Ashley" is a huge chunk that gives me confidence, growth, self understanding, patience, happiness, belonging, and -- yes -- some crazy muscular legs.


When I was 11 or 12, I'd gawk at YM and Seventeen magazines, imagining how cool + pretty high school girls felt like the ones on those glossy pages. When I turned 17, I felt no more grown up, really, than I had the year or two before. Yeah, I'd kissed a boy and started wearing makeup. Those girls in the magazines still seemed older somehow, more worldly, more knowing than I could ever be.

Basically, throughout the years, I've kept waiting for something to happen to me. For my job to somehow take over my identity and make me feel like a real person. For the place where I live to make me feel important or smart or some other adjective besides dull + boring. For it -- my life -- to make sense in some instant of clarity. 

As some of you pointed out, it seems our 30s are the time for switching the game around. It's all about empowerment. Taking charge. A refusal to wait and see if I'll somehow feel different the next time I'm "supposed" to, at the next big milestone. The 30s are about finding the meaning of life from within.

I'm done waiting. I'm already who I am meant to be and -- if I think hard -- who I want to be. Everything else is up to the work I put in it. The drive and passion and dedication I give to myself and those around me. Crossing the finish line with a new time to boast about is one thing. But carrying that feeling, that tenacity throughout everything I do is another.

That's why I run.

PS: If you'd like a more play-by-play 5K report, check out my recap on Walk, Jog, Run. It was the first time I raced with my GPS watch!

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Running + Kathrine Switzer

I rarely write about running anymore.

I'd like that to change because my training is going well. Plus, most common questions streaming into my inbox are running-related because so much of what I used to write was dedicated to miles + races. Remember that? Yeah. We have a whole Running section on our site.

So, I thought I might start a weekly update on what I'm doing for training these days, etc.

Sound good?

Here's last week's at-a-glance from Daily Mile:


M: 2 mile treadmill at 7:45/mile + kettlebells/squats
T: Off + Jillian yoga
W: 5.5 easy miles around the neighborhood
T: 4 mile treadmill run in 32:30 w/ kettlebells + squats
F: Totally off
S: 3.5 miles easy
S: 10.3 miles w/ a buddy at 8:33/mile

25 total miles for the week, which is what I'm trying to do these days. Once the weather warms, I think I'll hit 30 miles more regularly. A lot is dictated by how much ice is on the sidewalks, since I really don't love treadmill running. I didn't do as much cross-training as I'd like, so I'm hoping to get in the pool at least once.

Also looking through my archives this morning, I discovered that the vast majority of running information I heed has been written by men. And that's all fine and dandy because Hal Higdon rocks my socks off and all. But I thought it'd be nice to collect some advice and training plans written by great women runners, since I'm sure many of you reading this post right now are of the female persuasion.

There are so many, so this feature will be ongoing. Today I'm featuring Kathrine Switzer, the first women ever to enter the Boston Marathon, because I've seen her speak at the Boilermaker 15K + just recently saw her in the documentary Run For Your Life.

If you are a female runner -- no, a runner of ANY persuasion -- this photo is likely familiar:


"MARATHON WOMAN"

Kathrine was born in Germany, grew up in Fairfax County, VA, and later attended Syracuse University for journalism (Source). As I mentioned above, she broke the gender barrier in the 1967 Boston Marathon -- she was also women's winner of the 1974 NYC Marathon, among many other awesome running accomplishments, and was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in October 2011 for "creating positive global social change" (Source).

In her own words:

"If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon.” from 26.2: Marathon Stories

"There is an expression among even the most advanced runners that getting your shoes on is the hardest part of any workout”

Quick Tips:

• Record every run; it keeps you honest and it’s motivating
• Only have 10 minutes; That’s better than no minutes, so get going
• Missed a workout? Don’t feel guilty, just start again
• More . . . 

Reads:

Adventures in Feministory: First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon (Bitch Magazine)
The Pioneer: Kathrine Switzer (Runner's World)
Boston 1967: When Marathons Were Just for Men (BBC News)
Kathrine has also authored a variety of books about women's running


Above is Kathrine running the NYC Marathon in a tennis dress (Image Source). Guess skirts aren't such a recent fad after all! Speaking of the city -- we're planning to visit first week of April. At least that's what's in the works right now.

Where are your favorite running spots and/or local spots? Kid-friendly spaces, too. We've done the tourist thing throughout our lives, so we'd like to delve deeper.

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Women's Distance Festival 2012

I ran in our area's Women's Distance Festival 5K last night. If you're unfamiliar, this awesome series was created back in 1979 in "response to the lack of distance running events in the Olympics Games for women."

You can find more information on the RRCA website.

The original race date was in July, but was canceled due to a tornado. I had planned to try and PR at the race, maybe a 22:29, beating the 5K I ran in 22:48 in July. But that was before I went on vacation and got sick. So, last night's effort was more to get a good speed session in.

I like to use races as speed work. It's a sneaky way to keep your legs fresh and fast if you don't regularly engage in track sessions or other quick repeats on roads.


I brought a cheering section with me. It's something I don't normally have at a race since Stephen's busy running and Ada's usually with her grandparents. So, it was nice to have Stephen with Ada on the sidelines AND our good friend Kevin visiting. He stayed late specifically to watch the race!

The temps were in the upper 80s at the 6 pm start. Not my favorite weather. Thankfully the humidity was low. But no breeze made it difficult to breathe in a section of the course near the river.


My first mile came in at 7:25. I was honestly surprised because I didn't feel like I was racing. Strong and steady. I think I settle around 7:30 when I do surges during my normal training, so I guess it makes sense.

At the 2.1-mile point, I think I remember hearing 15:40. I just kept my focus on the shade. Though it was hot, the shade certainly helped. I also borrowed Stephen's sunglasses and have decided that next year, sunglasses are a must-have for my summer running. They help -- mentally, especially -- so much!


Before I knew it, I was back with the spectators again. And then it happened. For the first time ever, I saw Ada on the sidelines! In her little stroller, she was babbling away. I couldn't help thinking about how wonderful it will be someday to run this race with her.

But I still had a good half mile to go. So, I kept my legs moving, pace steady.


I came in at 23:12 (7:28 pace) 24th overall (there were 208 women -- great turnout!) and 6th in my age category. Though, I think they need to have a breastfeeding division. Sneaking in this race between two feeding sessions was challenging.


If you haven't run in an all-female race before -- I recommend searching for one in your area. I feel the atmosphere is incredibly supportive. Plus, it's kind of fun to see how you stack up against women versus when a huge number of men finish first.

Have you run in a women-only race before? What did you think?


And on Writing Chapter Three I have a review of gDiapers and details on how we diaper while traveling. This morning I also posted some basic tips for how to take better photos of babies/kids.

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Fit Style: Skirting the Issue

I saw my first running skirt at a Women's Distance Festival 5K I ran back in the summer of 2006. There was a whole clan of women wearing them -- all different lengths and colors, fabrics and fits. And I must admit that, at first, I thought they looked silly. Not only that, those skirts couldn't be comfortable or efficient. Chafing for the sake of fashion definitely isn't for me. Those women, I mused, must care more about how they look than how they perform.

And when each and every one of those women kicked my butt that day, I started to think differently.

A year or so later, I found myself flipping through racks of shorts and other bottoms at our local running shop. And as I do with all new trends, I decided to indulge my curiosity. To run fashionably. To run and let everyone know that I'm, well, a girl.


I wore the skirt for the first time one sticky August evening on my quick 4-miler around the neighborhood. I hated every minute of it. The back was riding up my glutes, fully exposing my jiggly butt (or so I thought). The front flap was flapping in the breeze, fully exposing my thick thighs. The little short-shorts underneath felt weird.

Then some jerk in a truck beeped at me and called me honey, or something like that, and I headed home nearly in tears.

I threw that skirt in my running clothes drawer and never wore it again. That is, until this past weekend. As I've grown a bit older, I've become much more comfortable with my body. As a lanky teenager and even skinnier college coed, I never realized how tiny I actually was. I've indeed gained (healthy) weight in the years since. It's been difficult for me, but through my successes as a self-made athlete, I've overcome the hurdles of image distortion. Well, not totally . . . wouldn't it be nice if it was that easy? Truth is: I'll probably always struggle from time to time. However, I can feel a marked difference in my self perception now versus then.


What I discovered this weekend is that the running skirt isn't for fashion as much as it's for celebrating the female form -- however curvy or straight or etc. that form may be -- while on the run. (That is, self-celebration. It isn't for those crude truck drivers of the world who belch out crass comments and are oh-so gross.) And, for that, I have fallen in love with the style.

I had Stephen run behind me to let me know if my little black number was riding up too high. If you could see my butt. If I looked inappropriate in any way. He claims he was completely honest and that, no -- I looked fine. "Great," even. My favorite workout bottoms are still my Lululemon Empower Crops, but taking the skirt out for a run every now and again is fun. It's something I plan to do even if only for the sake of feeling good about myself.

Do you run in a skirt and/or dress? If you'd like to try, here are just a few great places to pick one up. My skirt is from Nike, and it's relatively first-generation. I see a lot of great styles out there now -- enough to make me want to take another out for a test run.

• Lululemon
• Nike
• Skirt Sports
• Running Skirts

And if you haven't already -- go check out this month's Blog Love Fest. It's a special edition because we're not only sharing the links in a list this month. We're creating a categorized blogLOVEroll. For all the gooey details, just visit the BLF post.

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