runnin' mama back

one handed typing but i gotta check in to say, yes, this running mama is back!

body has long been healed from my 2nd boy's birth and i'm up to 6 miles...6 slow miles, but that far none-the-less. i can also whip out a 5k in 32 minutes, which is just 4 minutes longer than it was before i was pregnant (gasp!) but i think that has more to do with newly added hills and pushing a giant stroller.

anyhow - my boy is now 3 1/2 months old and i can see the light at the end of the tunnel. i guess it helps that he sleeps pretty well, or rather, well enough. and i can fit into my "fat" jeans, which feels good after being in the same maternity jeans for an eternity. unfortunately, i'm dropping these pounds at a safe and steady rate of 1 lb per week, rather than what i had fantasized: 40 lbs gone by the 1st month with remarkable toning & flexibility achieved by his 2 month appt.

oh well...at least i can run

Answers for Aerobars

I did a great run around Lake Mercer that has roller coaster ups and downs plus a slalom-through-trees part to put the new Healthy Handles through their paces.

1. It is January, so we'll have to wait a couple months to find out about the dripping sweat issue.

2. I tried to really pay attention to this one. I found that I do better with this than I realized. The real bending at the waist comes when walking up a hill. Generally the hills I can jog up are still steep enough that the stroller is already above me, so using the Healthy Handles in a position above my handle bar made them shoulder-level. I don't want to dismiss different as bad. I generally hate change, but I am aware of this personality "quirk". It sort of is equivalent to the difference between a seated chest press and an inclined chest press.

3. It is nice to have >2 options (i.e. top or side). Like how you can get tired of always holding your bike handlebars in the same place.

4. I have not tried the Healthy Handles on my single Kelty yet. I think that they are not compatible. The Kelty handle bar is already split and at angles.

5. With the Healthy Handles above my handlebar my elbows are bent to less than 90 deg. I'm not sure that this tighter arm position is either better or worse. It is like "The Flying Scotsman" .

Overall, I definitely think that these are AWESOME for anyone over about 5'10" AND anyone who struggles to turn their stroller. The longer lever arm is perfect for that. My Dreamer Design is already incredibly easy to turn, but unfortunately for you, that company has gone out of business.

I am going to experiment with some inside-the-handlebar positions next.

Aerobars For My Stroller

I recently learned about "Healthy Handles" which attach to your jogging stroller. I am totally psyched to try them out. I think these could really help all the 6-ish foot tall dads trying to run with a stroller too. I already try to run with a light touch and I am not all that tall, but I am wondering, will these solve any of these problems:

1. When it is really hot out, sweat drips off my elbows, but since my husband is taller, it runs down his forearms and slimes up the stroller's handlebar.

2. Flats and downhills are fine, but I am bent over at the waist going up hill.

3. My left pointer-finger knuckle is stressed from generally holding my handlebar palms-down.

4. My single stroller doesn't really track in a straight line.

5. It is frustrating when my shoulders fatigue before my legs.

Check back to see how it goes!

January Newsletter is Up!

The January SMR e-newsletter is up!

Check out the awesome BRAS, TANKS, and WORKOUT CLOTHES with discounts! Plus, new workout ideas.

Happy Reading!

http://www.seemommyrun.com/newsletter/jan_10.htm

How to Run with a Jogging Stroller...

...when you're not the one pushing it!

My husband's flexible work schedule allows for us to occasionally run together with the double stroller while my oldest is at school. I've joked in the past about who gets to push the stroller since we are basically the same speed. Recently we've just been splitting it first/second half. It certainly takes practice to push the stroller for miles, but there are also some tips for the person running alongside.

1. Let the person pushing the stroller be the pacer. This is easy going uphill when it would obviously be very obnoxious to go ahead. It can be frustrating when the stroller speeds past you downhill, but it is very hard to go any slower on a steep hill so let them get a little money in the bank and you'll catch up easily when things level out.

2. Run on the left if you are on a path. This allows the stroller to stay right at a relatively constant pace. On the left, you can easily drop back if someone is coming from the other direction and then come back up again. If you are on the streets, do the same on the right (i.e. the traffic side).

3. Don't dive in to give the kids stuff or make adjustments that require stopping without consulting the "pusher" first.

4. Don't grab the handlebar to "help" push uphill without asking first.

5. Don't cut over curbs and corners that the stroller has to go around...and then stand there like, "Hey - what's taking YOU so long?"

Anything else that helps you?

Start a New Tradition! Celebrate the Martin Luther King Day Holiday by Volunteering.

It's just a few days until the Martin Luther King Day holiday, and many of you will have the day off from work, and your kids will be home from school.

Instead of staying home and relaxing, I hope everyone, especially in light of what's happening in Haiti, will consider using your time to volunteer.

In recent years, more and more people are using this holiday as an opportunity to be of service to others or to attend programs or events honoring Dr. King.

What better way to celebrate the life of this American hero, and if you have children, start a tradition of helping others?

There's a website that can help you find out where to volunteer on Monday. It's MLKDay.gov, and it's very easy to use.

Just enter your zip code to find projects near you. If you don't see any  opportunities listed, try any of your local non-profits, or just take your kids to the park and pick up litter, visit a nursing home, or call your local churches or schools and see if they have a need. You can also check your newspaper or local calendar of events for Martin Luther King Day activities. 

Whatever you decide, I hope you'll consider not just taking the day off, but will honor Dr. King in some way and pass on to your children the importance of this national holiday.

Start a New Tradition! Celebrate the Martin Luther King Day Holiday by Volunteering.

It's just a few days until the Martin Luther King Day holiday, and many of you will have the day off from work, and your kids will be home from school.

Instead of staying home and relaxing, I hope everyone, especially in light of what's happening in Haiti, will consider using your time to volunteer.

In recent years, more and more people are using this holiday as an opportunity to be of service to others or to attend programs or events honoring Dr. King.

What better way to celebrate the life of this American hero, and if you have children, start a tradition of helping others?

There's a website that can help you find out where to volunteer on Monday. It's MLKDay.gov, and it's very easy to use.

Just enter your zip code to find projects near you. If you don't see any  opportunities listed, try any of your local non-profits, or just take your kids to the park and pick up litter, visit a nursing home, or call your local churches or schools and see if they have a need. You can also check your newspaper or local calendar of events for Martin Luther King Day activities. 

Whatever you decide, I hope you'll consider not just taking the day off, but will honor Dr. King in some way and pass on to your children the importance of this national holiday.

testing--

Running, Surgery, and Running

January 14, 2010

It has been two weeks since I underwent surgery and two weeks and a day since my last run. The whole thing was not fun and I'm dying to go for a run. The surgery was the result of four (9) pound babies and a rough first delivery and I've waited till now to have it. I am glad it is in the past, but it was not an easy transition knowing I'll never bear more children. I know at age 45 I should have felt this way anyhow, but there is always a chance.
I'm glad I'm a running Mommy since I think it helped my recovery, but being a running Mommy also makes me feel very physically strong and not being strong is hard on the psyche. I felt this way after the birth of my first child and 40 plus hours of labor. I was wiped out and felt kind of wimpy for having such a hard time. Everyone and I mean everyone in my life is counseling me to rest rest rest. I know this, but this is not easy. I want to get out there right now and let loose. I'll post again when I've had a run.

a month?

I'm jumping in because... a month? A whole month? We are here; I know we are. Holidays intervene. Time escapes us.

I could write about running in this cold, cold weather that has seeped into my bones. But, I've not run for a week, so the topic is not personally relevant at the moment.

Seems I developed runner's knee (first injury in 10 years, so I'm not yet too freaked out), so I took the super-cold weather as a hint and have been cross training like a crazy woman. And I've kept up with strength training and all. I have my road bike hooked up to a wheel stand thingy (I am not a paid sponsor -- I just love my wheel stand thingy and it has lasted 5+ years so far); I have spinning workouts printed up; I've been watching Battlestar Galactica on DVD (never saw the SyFy series before -- fun discovery) while I spin. It has actually been quite pleasant.

What will I do when I go back to running and can't watch anything? Kidding, kidding.

The Weather Outside Is Frightful

Despite it being freezing and windy outside yesterday I wanted to run outdoors rather than on the treadmill. I needed to do a tempo and they just seem harder/longer on the mill. Hubby came home a tad later than normal so I started my run just before dusk.

I'd like to give a huge sarcastic thank you to the wind. Thank you for making that run the hardest tempo of my recent memory. 8:53, 8:34, 7:08, 7:15, 7:03, 8:38, 8:26, 8:34. While the actual tempo part was only three miles it felt like 10. I was putting forth maximum effort and not getting the results I wanted/needed. I knew every passing car thought I was insane. I saw ONE other runner out there in the entire time I was out there.

I'm sorry to complain to all of you who live in colder temps than I do, but I'm not a winter weather kinda gal. I don't ski, I don't snowboard, I actually don't even really like sledding and making snowmen. I much prefer to the enjoy the snow and cold from the warmth of my own home while drinking tea or hot chocolate.

The weather for today says it feels like 26 degrees. I find that funny because both MR PIC and her twin sister[at different times] told me that it felt warmer out this morning. If 26 is warm, then I definitely am living in the wrong state.

I was planning on doing my long run of 18 miles Friday morning. Good old weather.com has the temp at 29 degrees with a windchill that will make it feel 19. *Insert sad face*

I told myself over and over yesterday during those hard miles that I will have a leg up this spring on runners who didn't train all winter....but let's be honest - I'm not sure if this is going to count as training, more like surviving.