Group Run Love

I’ve written before about my wonderful running group, Moms RUN this Town – but I’m doing a special shout out to my local MRTT Chapter. These women get me out and push me to run stronger every time. And since most of them are moms – they don’t put up with complaining or whining or any other BS.

Case in point, yesterday I was supposed to go out for a run, however:

Excuse #1: forecast called for rain. The sky was cloudy and it had been raining on and off all morning. But my running buddy (RB), Michele, sent me texts showing where we were running was rain free for a couple of hours.

Excuse #2: my kids started to whine about the possibility of rain, that they were hungry, that they wanted to bring a different helmet, that they wanted their bike and not the scooter, that they were worried about slipping if the ground was wet…you get the picture, right? But my RB said to just come up, if it rains, we’ll have lunch instead!

Excuse #3: on the way to the run, I needed to stop for a kid potty break, which would make us 15 min late for our meet up. But my RB said, no worries, I’ll wait for you!

(Sigh) All my attempts for getting out of the run were thwarted!

And I am so glad!!

We had a great run with minimal whining (adults and kids) and no rain. We even did hill repeats to break up our usual routine.

If I was running by myself…well, let’s just say this post would NOT have been about running!

So here’s to all the beautiful women who make up MRTT! LOVE my BAMR RBs!!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

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Happy Global Running Day!

I did it and everyone survived! Well, almost – my 8 year old did end up falling off her scooter and scrapping her knee and I ended up pushing her 50 lb self (plus the 35 lb 3 year old) up the hill for almost a mile) – but we ended up with 3 miles altogether and I couldn’t be happier!

Several things prevented this run from being a total “crying my eyes out from sheer frustration” disaster.

First, I ran with two awesome women from my MRTT running group who kept me sane and prevented me from turning back. They even offered to push the double stroller! They had bandaids and kind words and ran ahead with my other kids.

Second, my trusty BOB double stroller. I got this stroller 2nd hand for $250 and it’s the best investment I’ve made as a mother runner.

Third, is YOU – because I said I would run today and I know YOU will be wondering and holding me accountable. (You know who YOU are!).

So there it is!! A run and a blog post, oh -and a shower!! Happy Global Running Day!

(Yes, only 3 of those feet belong to grown ups!)

Opposite Day

Or “Opposite (almost) Year”!!!

This blog is supposed to be about running but my life has been the exact opposite the past few months. Hence, the lack of posts. And this flipped magnet.

Oh sure, I’ve been running here and there….I’ve even run a few races….but running’s role as one of my defining characteristics, as the sun at the center of my universe has shifted.

There are many reasons why (don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll write about them sooner or later). Some might even say that running shouldn’t be the center of my life, that it should be my family or career or God. Some might say that taking a break is good, that I’m redefining myself and my priorities in life.

But, the fact is, that running is what has kept me grounded and sane and less than 200 lbs.*. Without it, I’m kind of at a loss…and I’m kind of getting really out of shape.

So, I’m putting it out there to make it official: on Wednesday, June 6, 2018 which is Global Running Day, I am recommitting to Running (and blogging). It is January 25 no longer!

Now I’m off to eat some spaghetti and ice cream…calories don’t count on Opposite Day!

* I am trying to be mindful of fat shaming and don’t want people to think that I am using “200 lbs” to signify that anyone around or over that weight is unhealthy or needs to lose weight. According to my PCP, 200 lbs is not a healthy weight for me when I am not pregnant (actually it wasn’t healthy for me even when I was pregnant, but whatever – I was making a baby!!). My chances of becoming a diabetic who needs medication increases at that weight. I also feel more lethargic and grumpy and depressed, especially as my clothes start to get tight.

Everyone is different though. My “unhealthy weight” may be your “healthy weight” and vice versa. Feeling good about yourself and comfortable in your own skin, no matter your weight or size or body shape, is one message I wholeheartedly support. It’s just a number and that definitely shouldn’t be anyone’s defining characteristic.

1 mile = 100 Calories

All 4 kids will be in school this week leaving me with two whole days ALL BY MYSELF!! I haven’t had that in about 4 years (since my two older ones were in school and I hadn’t had #3 yet). I had a 3.75 mile stroller run this past Thursday and I can definitely say, I am not going to miss pushing a stroller on my weekday runs! 

(My last stroller run with two awesome mother runners from Moms RUN this Town. Can you tell I’m smiling in this picture?)

I have a long list of things to do with my “extra free time”. Yes, it’s in quotes and yes, I am being “slightly” sarcastic! 

Besides being able to run and go to the gym alone, I’ll also be able to grocery shop and do laundry alone, take a shower alone, work on some household projects alone…gosh, now I’m getting a bit sad thinking about all my kids being away from me for 14 hours out of the week…good thing I bought some food for self-soothing….

Oh wait, did I saw that out loud? (Note: maybe that whole last section should have had quotes! =)

Yes, these are some of my favorite Filipino comfort foods! Snagged them when I went to NY this weekend since there are no Filipino food stores near me (gosh, I miss SJ and Seafood City!). 

No worries though – I have my running plan all written out for increasing my mileage after my half marathon this weekend. My full marathon is coming up in about a month! All those calories will just get burned away (right??)!

Can you guess how many calories is in the picture above and how many miles I’ll have to run to burn it off? Best guess will get some Sweet Corn Balls and chicharon! 

Slump Bump

Ok, I’m admitting it! I’m in a running slump. Truthfully though, it’s only partially my lack of motivation. The other part is having 4 kids home for the summer. When they were in camp, I was able to fit in my weekly runs. But now that summer is winding down, they requested no camps in August so they can “relax” until school starts. Did you know that there is an inverse relationship between the amount of “relaxation” time kids have versus moms? 

The above is a picture my kids drew of me – yes, they know when I need a run!!

My saving grace has been my Saturday runs. These have been the most consistent mostly due to my Moms Run this Town group. These ladies are totally worth waking up early for!

The other part is being able to run without kids. I know some super women can push a triple stroller and break world records but at this point in my running life, that’s just not me!

Running has really become my time for reflection and reconnection with myself and my mother runner friends. As you can tell from some of my previous posts, there’s been a lot of things happening that has me doing a lot of thinking. And I know from the past that too much introspection is not good for my soul – I’m an extrovert at heart so I need to get out and be around people to find that balance, to do some reality testing and to regain my energy. So social running is a must for me!

How about you? What bumps you out of your slump? 

I can see Canada from here…

I met my husband in the lovely city of Pittsburgh and assumed that he was a city boy. I grew up in New York City so city folk were all I knew.  Little did I know that my husband was really a country boy – a fishing, hunting, camping, growing his own food type of country boy.  When he brought me to his hometown of Erie, PA, I found out the depths of his country roots. 

Actually, I love going back to my husband’s hometown and visiting his parents.  Each visit brings new insights into why my honey is the way he is and why I love him – because of or despite of – these revelations. 
On this visit, I was able to run the trail on Presque Isle – a beautiful paved path along Lake Erie.

This was actually my first time running this trail. Usually we are visiting his parents during the holidays and winters in Erie are prettt cold and snowy – not my ideal running weather. 

I was amazed by the views on this trail. While that actually isn’t Canada across the water (it’s Erie), it did make me think of the differences between Canada and the US (check out this link for an opinion why). Especially since the last election, my view of the US as the “best nation in the world” has done a 180. As I am running along this beautiful trail, all I can think about as I look at the faces of people I am passing, is how many of these people voted for Trump. 

This thought made me both angry and afraid. I stopped smiling and making eye contact with the people going in the other direction. Most of them were older white people, a few were middle aged white people, some with kids. None of them threatened me in any obvious way – none wore MAGA hats or swastikas – but I did get stares and non-smiling faces. As if people were wondering what an Asian woman was doing running along Lake Erie. 

The experience of “otherness” is one I have been more acutely aware of in the past months. As a runner, I liked to think that other runners, other health minded people, were open minded in the same way that I was. However, I’ve learned the hard way that this way of thinking about runners and others in the health community is not always true. 

This realization sunk in deep during this run.  At least the beautiful scenery was a buoy to my sinking spirit. 

Sola

My recent post about my self-professed “fish love of running” has stayed in my mind since I posted it. If you know me IRL, you know that I am not a natural runner. I only started running when I was 30 so it’s been only about 13 years since I laced up my first pair of running shoes. 

This week, I did a couple of quick miles while my girls were at their horse back riding lesson (yes, I am living vicariously through them – what little girl didn’t go through a horse obsession?). 

The spirit of grace and speed…oh yes, and there are horses in the picture too! 🤣

It was my first sola run in a long time, probably almost a year since we moved to our new locale. As much as I love running with my group #MRTT, having this time for myself was something I didn’t realize I was missing. 

When I first started running, I ran exclusively alone. I was worried about being slow and didn’t want anyone witnessing my walking or jiggly body parts. As I was able to run farther and faster and became more confident, I joined my local running group and realized the awesomeness that is the group run. Now, I usually always run with my MRTT group and do stuff like this:

#sportsbrasquad #mrttbodsquad

Running has definitely given me the gift of confidence not just in my body but in mind and spirit. 

And that’s something I really need right now. 

As lovely as the farmland surrounding me during this run, I couldn’t help but think of the people living in the area who might not welcome me running through, who would think of me as “other” and attribute any number of negative qualities based on my skin and facial features. Would they even see me as “just” a runner? I couldn’t decide whether I should try to run faster for safety or run slower to prove that I, too, deserve to be here. 

As my footsteps found their rhythm, my breathing became my focus and I was finally able to enjoy my run. This is the second best gift I have received from running: the ability to have a few moments of freedom. 

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