All the Bad things I Forgot About Long Runs

I've done 8 marathons and a lot (I've lost count)of half marathons, so I've done my fair share of long runs in my life. However, I haven't done one in more than 2 years and somehow in that time I forgot about all the not so pleasant things. It's just like childbirth- you forget all the bad parts. Yet this week's 11 miler brought it all back to me.

Chafing
Y tho? Seriously, how can my own skin inflict so much pain on itself? I forgot how much chafing sucks. It totally takes all the pleasure out of the hot shower after a run. And for 2 days afterward people keep asking if I'm okay because I am moving so weirdly. I've already put the Body Glide front and center in my bathroom so I can't forget this week.


Carrying Water
I have tried every water carrying device ever made and I've yet to find one I like. They ride up and fall down and usually lead to chafing (see above). Lots of public water fountains is maybe the only thing I'd like about living a big city. Here in Maine my only options are dirty snow or salt water.

Post Run Hunger
 I wanted to eat ALL the things. And I deserve to right? (this is how I always end up gaining weight when training for distance events).

What are your least favorite things about long runs?

Comparison

This morning I ran 9 miles, the longest run I’ve done since having a baby. It was wonderful. Despite starting at 530 am, I felt great. It was mild, the roads were clear, and there was a stunning sunrise. It was one of those runs where everything just clicked.

Then I finished and saved my run and saw that my over-all average pace was 9:47. My pride started to dissipate because I thought I was running so much faster. Then I went inside and looked at my phone while I stretched and saw that 7 years ago  today I had just finished the Antarctica Marathon, 4 years ago I was in Japan after the Tokyo Marathon, and 3 years ago I was in New Zealand getting ready to run the Mountains to the Sea Marathon. Suddenly 9 miles didn’t seem like such an accomplishment.

I’m finding this training for my first post-partum half marathon more challenging than I expected. Physically, my body has changed and I haven’t run longer than 6-7 miles in 2 years.  Practically it is really hard to fit in the training around work and being a Mom. It’s still too cold and snowy to take Cooper with me, so I have to run when someone else is around to watch him. Mentally, I struggle with comparing myself to what I used to be able to do. I used to run marathons and I used to run faster.

I’m trying to remind myself that I am in a different point in my life and comparing myself to what I used to do (or to other people) serves no purpose. I am doing the best I can do right now. But taking it easy on myself, is not one of my strong points.

When I Have Kids, I'll Never #2

As Cooper grows, so does my list of things I do as a parent that I said I’d never do. I did a post like this when he was just a few months old and I thought it was a lot of fun, so here’s #2!

1)      I said I’d never let my kids in the bathroom with me

I like my privacy. I don’t want my husband in there when I am going to the bathroom and I said I’d never let my kids in there either. Well it turns out letting Cooper in is easier than having him standing outside the door screaming and pounding on the door. Or even worse, hearing nothing but silence from outside and worrying that he has found a new way to try and kill himself.

2)      I said my house wouldn’t be overrun with toys

I am a neat freak, so I planned to be a minimalist parent. My kids wouldn’t need a thousand toys. I'd have a place for everything and clean up every night. Well it turns out people love to buy babies lots of toys (and we do appreciate it, really!) and that babies get bored quickly and do need quite a variety of stuff to keep them amused. As for keeping everything neat and organized? Our collection rapidly outgrew our storage containers and we quickly acquired some large items that didn’t fit in containers. By night time I am so completely exhausted that the last thing I want to do is clean, especially when I know it will all just get messy again first thing in the morning.

3)      I said I’d never let my kids eat in the car and trash the backseat

Cooper is not a fan of the car right now. Turns out I’d rather have to vacuum up huge quantities of Cheerios every few days than listen to him scream the whole time we are in the car.

And then of course there is the whole separate category of  things so strange that I never even imagined I’d be doing them. Like try to get a decent picture of your child’s butt crack in order to show the doctor his diaper rash. It involved multiple lamps to get the right lighting and then a lot of coordination as I tried to simultaneously hold his cheeks apart so you could see the rash, keep him from launching himself off the changing table, and hold my phone and take a picture.

Total Body Drop Set Burnout Workout

My gym has cancelled a lot of my favorite classes. But every cloud has a silver lining, and in this case it has forced me to get out on the gym floor and create my own workouts more. I really have enjoyed this. It has forced me out of my rut of always doing the same exercises for 3 sets of 12 reps. I created this one Tuesday that was inspired by this workout on Peanut Butter Fingers.

A drop set workout was a great change of pace and a good way to really fatigue my my muscles! I was SO sore after this workout!

For superset 2 I did all the reps on each leg for the squats and deadlifts.

I used a mini band for all of super-set 4. It was easier than putting on just for the monster walks and it made the jump squats and long jumps harder!

Inspire me- what workouts are you doing lately?

The Big 3

Sadly this post isn’t about This is Us, even though I love, love that show. It’s about running outside, which I finally got to do this morning. 

I have missed seeing the sun rise

I've been spending an awful lot of time on the dreadmill this winter. There are 3 primary factors that determine if I go out or stay in: darkness, cold, and road conditions. I can handle any one of these factors alone, but when they combine I usually head to the treadmill.  

Dark + cold = Outside, except for extreme cold (which for me is usually when it is below 5 or 10).

Dark + slippery = Inside. It’s not worth falling and getting hurt or hit by a car because I have to run in the middle of the road in the dark.

Cold + slippery= Depends. If it is super slippery and super cold I usually opt to stay in because I can’t run fast enough to warm up.

Unfortunately this winter it has often been all 3- dark, cold, and slippery- which means my treadmill has been getting some heavy use. I’ve gone through the entire season of Fuller House (which is totally terrible and cheesy, but nostalgia so I watch it anyway) and 3 full seasons of Friends. I know I'm lucky to have the option of running on a treadmill in my own basement rather than not being able to run. It is better than nothing, but it just isn't the same. I don't get the same mental benefits or runners high when I am inside. 

How do you decide whether to run outside or inside?

One

Just like that, my baby is one. I truly can't believe it. We celebrated with a puppy picnic over the weekend.

I was totally expecting this to be a Pinterest fail, but it wasn't!

So many babies, so much fun

I'm not sure he's really my kid, he was not a fan of cake. 

My husband bought a bounce house for the party, despite the fact none of kids can even walk!

It's so amazing how in just one year Cooper went from this tiny, sleepy, helpless baby to a real little person with his own personality and preferences. In some ways the year went so quickly, but at the same time I can hardly remember what life was like before him.

Becoming a parent is the most life changing thing I've ever done. It's challenged me in so many ways. It's physically demanding. It's challenged my relationships with my husband and my friends. It's forced me to look at my own values and determine what I want to pass on to Cooper. Nothing is just about me anymore.

It's been really hard, but a year in I feel like it's made me a better person. I feel like I'm more present, more focused, more joyful, less selfish, healthier, and stronger. Thank you Coop, for choosing me as your Mom.

Balance

It's 3 pm on Saturday, Cooper just went down for his afternoon nap, and I'm having a debate with myself. Do I tackle sorting through the 3 enormous tubs of outgrown baby clothes or do I take a break and do some yoga? I feel like I have some version of this debate every day, and that no matter what I choose I end up feeling badly.

So far today I got up, took care of the dog, got myself and Cooper dressed, fed, packed up and to the gym by 8. I came up with a circuit workout and led myself and a group and friends through it. Then back at home, I made and fed Cooper breakfast and put him down for a nap. While he slept, I took the dog for a short run, took a shower (where I noticed how dirty and the shower and bathroom were so I cleaned them), cleaned out the humidifiers, and did a huge amount of food prep for the week. Once Cooper was up, I gave him a bottle, and then we headed out to return some Christmas presents (clothes for him that were already too small) at 3 different stores. I attempted to keep a baby entertained when we waited in long lines, 3 different times. On the way back, we stopped to visit a friend's new condo and drop off a house warming present. We rushed home because Cooper was very hungry, so I attempted to feed him, feed myself, talk to my husband for 5 minutes before he headed to work, and clean up the kitchen which was still a mess from food prep. I collected all linens in the house and threw in a load of laundry, before getting the baby ready for a nap. And here I am.

One of my New Year's intentions this year was to slow down, to be more intentional, to find moments in each day for myself.

It's so hard.

I'm so type A. I always have a list of things to do. I willingly take on much of the responsibility of running our household. At some level, I get a deep sense of satisfaction from being busy and productive. But it is also exhausting. I know it's important to find ways to relax and rejuvenate or I am going to burn out. Yet when I try to do things for myself, I feel guilty that I am not doing anything productive. And when I am doing something productive, I feel guilty that I am not relaxing.

There's no neat conclusion here, but I'd love to hear tips on how you find balance in your lives.