Signing off

Andrea, I was just going to post a little story about how much I have enjoyed blogging for seeMOMMYrun and about how I'm in such wonderful shape because I form what I will write while I exercise. And then I was going to sign off and invite somebody else to become a blogger for your site so that she might also experience the personal transformation that takes place.

Then I realized that I should probably talk to you about it first, to let you know before the rest of the world. While a blogger for your site, I can honestly say I became a different, improved, healthier person. The process of blogging about one's efforts to be a mother as well as somebody else is transformative.

I am still going to post that little story I mentioned above, I might just post the body of this email. I can't wait to follow the experiences of the next blogger(s).

So, thanks! I hope we are able to meet each other in person some day.

S. Kimzey Daniels

Following the Garden Path

So, this fun story does not directly involve the jogging stroller. My husband and I now hire a sitter to stay with the kids every Sat. morning so we get to work out together (in lieu of "date night"). Anyway, she's like my enabler for doing silly things. Like running 18 miles.

Running 18 miles is not necessarily bad. We are training for the Marine Corp Marathon and I had completed that distance the weekend before with no ill effects. Part of training, however, is also working out a good plan for eating and drinking. Take note: eating half a Power Bar and drinking about 1/4 cup of water over the course of 18 miles is NOT a viable plan.

So, as one might expect, I felt bad afterwards. I pushed it to the end (mental stupidity - oops, I mean mental toughness). Really bad. Like crap with a capital "C". OK, so I figure I am dehydrated. I rehydrate. The next day I still feel terrible. Well, I probably drank too much water = hyponatremia. So I eat some salty pretzels and drink some sports drink. But now we are going on day 3. I still feel terrible, I've barely eaten in 3 days, and I've had one episode of violent shivering. I'm tough, but not dumb, so I go to the doctor. I'm getting worried that I'm going to have a heart attack from messed up electrolytes. Oh yeah, and this nagging pain in my lower right abdomen, but that is the least of my worries, because I've hurt myself there at least three times before.

So, I felt a little old when my daughter's teacher was younger than me, but I felt even older when the doctor was younger than me! Anyway, I think that I ran my big mouth and inadvertently bullied said young doctor into agreeing with me that it could not possibly be my appendix because of the on-set of symptoms, etc.

To make a long story only slightly shorter, by Tuesday afternoon I realize that I need to go to the hospital. Something was not right. I had a high fever at this point and I could barely get off the couch. Several hours and a CT scan later, I have appendicitis! In the nurse's words, "It needs to come out right now."

So, I'm OK now. Apparently after a Laproscopic Appendectomy, you can start running just 7 days afterwards. All that is holding me back now are the side effects of the cold-turkey weaning of baby that went along with this fun adventure. At least it gets my mind off my belly...

Moral of the Story: Don't blame yourself if you have a bad run, you might have a serious illness!

fall running

Hello Running Moms everywhere: Finally temps below 90 degrees and for the first time in 14 years I'm off for a run by myself on a weekday morning. Feels strange. I must stop myself for spending the entire time volunteering at school. It was easy to give up lawyering and stay home with my kids, but giving my running life a back seat made me a little grouchy. No more double running strollers though I still run with a single most days. Hats off to running Moms everywhere!!!

Keepin' Austin Weird (5K)

Oh Blog - What a relationship we have! I think of you often, but never write.

Well, a quick update. I'm 36 weeks pregnant with my 2nd boy and once considered myself a runner - enough so to put a sticker on my car that says "Runner Girl." I love me a good long run. Only, I now define "run" as waddle-waddle-pee break-waddle-waddle-stop. I've gone from 25 miles a week to...uh...well, 2.5 on a good week.

Today, however, my 4 1/2 year old and I trekked out into the pouring rain to get WEIRD! The Keep Austin Weird 5k promised to be "the slowest 5k you'll ever run" and it delivered! I'm a month from giving birth...I felt that qualified as "weird" to see out on the trail.

We started in the back - my boy wanting to run rather than sit in the jogger - and we pretty much stayed there. He splashed through the puddles and I walked slow enough to make sure he didn't follow the rushing water down the street drains. After a mile, he was done and I could start to run. He crawled back into the jogger and we set off of doing 2:1s. While I was far from hitting a PR, we covered the last 2 miles in 27 minutes - nothing fancy, but hey, I'm HUGE and pushing a 48 lb boy in the rain.

Since this was Keep Austin Weird, after all, we switched places the last .1 mile: I sat in the jogging stroller and HE pushed me! I should have thought of that 3 miles ago!!! Overall, it took the two of us (well, 3 of us, technically) 50 minutes to do the 5k and we enjoyed every minute of it!

Now off to take a long, long nap!

Good for Your Health?

A friend of mine recently agreed to get in the pool with me and tell me what I was doing wrong with my stroke. The short answer is, well, everything, but that was not the most interesting part of the whole experience. Kerby observed that when I breathe, I could take a fluid breath on my left, but struggled a bit more and lifted my head higher on the right. I replied, "Right! That's from all the biking. You always look over your left shoulder for passing traffic, but rarely over your right. Look at this! I can actually turn my head much further over my left shoulder than my right."

We talked about extending your stroke straight out ahead of you. This time my right arm was doing a good job of staying straight, but my left arm was going too wide. I shared, "Well, that's from running for years with a jogging stroller that pulls to the side. I didn't even realize that it made me crooked until recently. My right elbow always stays down by my side, but my left elbow sticks out at 90 degrees when I'm pushing the stroller."

So much for all this exercise "improving" my body!

Finally, we talked about extending each arm stroke all the way behind you to give you the maximum pull as well as the maximum window to take a breath. Well, I don't even know if my arms go back that far. That one maybe is from pushing the stroller, or maybe from lifting at the gym, but my money's on my bad posture when nursing the baby. But we already knew that no matter how much you love them, your kids are sure to screw up your body one way or another :)

Back to School

So our routine swung back into place this morning with the noticeable change that my daughter is much more grown up than she was at the same time last year.
We had breakfast first because she likes to talk at breakfast and if we wait to eat until after she's showered, we'll never be on time.
She did her teen thing, with the eyeliner and the fancy doo. I did my mom thing and laced up my running shoes. Ace climbed into his jogger, Susanne hopped on her bike and after sneaking past our dog, who loses her mind when she discovers she's not going with us, we were off.
It was a beautiful morning. No humidity. A soft breeze. Perfect.
Susanne split apart from us at about .5 mile (with shouts of, 'I love you!' and 'Have a great day!') Then we crossed back across to the playground. He was so happy to be back in his routine.
All said, the trip took nearly 90 minutes and I'd actually only ran for 20 of them. What a great morning!
Of course, tomorrow will be chaotic and I'll wonder why I even try, right?

This morning was definitely one for the memory books.

Brain Building Bootcamp for Kids

This is too cool.

Brain Building Games/Activities for you and your children. This week is coins and counting!

http://www.parentsconnect.com/questions/brain-building-boot-camp-cents.jhtml

Now I'll have to go back to find out the workouts prior to this one! Love it!

Get Ready for School With EXERCISE

I have been reading a ton of information about getting kids ready for school. In my case, I am extremely anxious about my oldest starting kindergarten in a few weeks. I go through bouts of anxiety, sadness, worry, and every other emotion. I mean...that's my baby! She's going to school!

At any rate, while reading tons of info on school readiness I came across some helpful info for any moms out there who have kids who act out when they get to school - or those who have ADHD - or those who have sensory disorders - or any sort of behavioral issues that they do not demonstrate at home. It seems the best way to calm kids down so that they pay attention at school is EXERCISE!!! Yep, 10 minutes of physical activity first thing in the morning BEFORE they get to school.

HERE IS WHAT I READ (from Kirk Martin from "Celebrate Calm"):

There is one thing that every child needs before school and in many ways, it is more important than a good breakfast: EXERCISE. I always get pushback from parents on this recommendation, but I cannot tell you how many skeptical parents have written to say, "This works." Exercise before school. This is exactly why we need to re-order our lives so we have more time. We need to carve out an extra 10 minutes each morning to get some kind of exercise, preferably outside in the fresh air. Riding a bike/scooter, jumping on the trampoline or playing catch with Dad are great ways to stimulate the brain, work off anxiety and meet sensory needs. Walk the dog. Stop at a playground or get to school early to play for a few minutes. You will never, ever regret taking this time-it will reduce behavioral issues and improve attention.

Moms Who Rock

edit: link corrected

MOMS WHO ROCK! Pt. II

This week: Mama Sweat (a.k.a. Kara).

In her own words

This blog isn't about weight loss or acquiring the perfect body, it's about the absurdities we moms face when we're trying to be mom, wife, employee (or employer), daughter, sister, friend, and the many other roles we take on; while making fitness fit into our lives. As a former endurance athlete, I'm trying to stay in shape while I raise my three young daughters and infant son. Finding the time and the means to exercise isn't just about me, though. I also want to be a good role model and help my children grow up active and healthy.

I found this blog when searching for ways to cope with pregnancy without giving up running. I instantly fell in love with the following post after the first bulletin point:

Everything I Know About Coping with Pregnancy I Learned from Being a Triathlete

1. Ice is nice. After finishing my third marathon (Big Sur--a must run) I saw kiddie pools filled with ice water available for the runners. Because marathoners' brains are a bit addled after 26.2 miles, sitting in a pool of ice water seemed heavenly. And it was. Even better was the next morning, when I had enough spring in my step to walk the hilly streets of San Francisco. From then on an ice bath became my ritual after any run longer than 18 miles. Fast forward many years later, about midway through my first pregnancy--heavy with twins--it occurred to me one night that I felt like I had run 18 miles. And then I realized that an ice bath might make my aching legs feel better. Getting in the tub of as-cold-as-I could make-it-water wasn't quite as easy that time, but once there, and especially after, the benefits were worth the initial discomfort. So much so that I took an ice-cold bath almost every night until I had those babies. I've never had swollen cankles or circulation problems in my pregnancies. Am I lucky or is it my affinity for a polar plunge?

She had me at Ice Bath.

It goes on to cover eating, resting and preparation in terms I can understand (you know, using words like "workout" "training partner" and "modify").

So, thanks Kara, for the advice. You are definitely a Mom Who Rocks!

Stroller Reviews

I realized the other day that I've been running long enough with a jogging stroller that neither of the models that I own and use are available anymore. The Kelty Joyrider has been replaced by the Speedster and Dreamer Design is simply out of business. Furthermore, while I've found success running with both of my strollers, neither is ideal for shopping, traveling, etc.

There is a new website www.strollerreviews.net that is off to a fabulous start at providing comprehensive reviews of a wide variety of stroller types. The majority of reviews are for casual use strollers at this time, but they are just getting off the ground! You can't purchase strollers from this site, but I think that is better since you know you are getting an honest opinion from someone who actually uses the stroller being reviewed, rather than from someone who is trying to sell it to you. After reading many of the reviews posted to date, I can say that I generally agree with their Pros and Cons for each stroller that I am familiar with. I've added some comments where I felt it to be useful.

It is better in the morning

Hi All:
A confession. I put on running clothes no matter what when I wake up because I am not not not going to miss a run/workout. Sometimes it is 6pm and I'm still in the clothes and unable to admit the window has passed and I'm not getting to work out. When I show up at my children's practices still in the workout clothes I rarely take that time to work out. Not sure why.

Last Sunday my husband and I ran at 7AM before church. I felt great that whole day and showered and street clothes on. I like that feeling better.

Opportunity, Not Liability

Think of your jogging stroller as an opportunity, rather than a liability. Use your stroller as a training tool! Pushing your stroller provides a great chance to improve your strength and endurance faster than running alone. In fact, my husband and I have found success using both strollers even when there are only two (out of three) kids with us. Rather that one person pushing both kids, we split them up, with one child in each stroller to keep us better matched in pace.

Sure, it is easier to run without the stroller, but if I'm going to bother getting out there, I can't say that I mind the benefits that come with pushing the stroller:
1. have a place to put my water.
2. exercising the upper body.
3. burning more calories.
4. impressing the other walkers and joggers that we pass.

So, embrace your stroller! Keep in mind, however, that you will enjoy running with your stroller more if it is a good fit for you! I am happy to give advice and answer questions about choosing the right stroller for you. Please contact me (jen_cortesi@yahoo.com) if you have questions about buying a new stroller or about issues with your current stroller. Happy running (or jogging or slogging or walking)!

Moms Who Rock

In exploring the wide world of the internet, I've stumbled upon some amazing tales: Not just blogs by women who run half-marathons mid-way through pregnancy or enter triathlons just weeks after giving birth; I mean, women who constantly explore their roles as mothers and athletes, who wrestle with balancing healthy bodies & healthy body images. Frankly, there are a lot of moms who rock out there who are pretty inspiring. This is why I'd like to introduce a weekly feature highlighting some of these women: Moms Who Rock.

This week's Mom Who Rocks:

This dreamcrossed twilight tracks the adventures of one woman who doesn't lose her identity as a Runner throughout the many weeks of pregnancy. She's at 35 weeks now and still logs at least 20 miles weekly (including a 10 mile run). This new mother-to-be deals honestly with her fears of loss-of-identity, struggles with body image and the logistics of actually exercising with an ever growing belly.

Baby Boot Camp

Well, if the guy I mentioned in the post below had issues with me, one mother with one jogger, then I'm not sure how he would have handled the group of mothers I joined this last Thursday for Baby Boot Camp.

Blogger is just not working with me today. I had a few more pictures I wanted to post. Hopefully I'll have more luck next week, when Blogger.com is not as busy as I'm sure they are the day after the 4th of July.

Newsflash! Socially Inept Recluse Ventures Out

Awhile back, I confessed that I haven't raced since high school. I have another terrible confession. I am a recluse. I prefer complete and silent solitude. I run alone. I cook alone. I read alone. I lift weights alone. I write alone. (There are a few things I don't do alone and for those things I have had the great fortune of marrying my {roll your eyes now} soulmate.)

For my son's sake, I do make the occasional effort to go where other people will be. This morning it was to the park. There were LOTS of people running and exercising. I nodded my head pleasantly to them as my boy pointed out the numerous ducks. We were venturing down a slope when I became aware of movement behind me. A man was riding his bike and actually had to veer off the walkway into the grass. He informed me, in passing, that I was on the wrong side of the path. That I should stay on the right.

I was taken aback. And my bright and shiny morning was on the verge of being destroyed.

Please help me. Is there a right or wrong side to walk on in a city park? The path is not marked and it is not posted anywhere. I am not afraid to tell people smoking is not allowed in a public park but, then again, I am able to point to the city ordinance which states the law.

Also, I came across a group of mommies with their joggers. A very energetic and extremely fit (her shoulders absolutely dwarfed mine!) young mother informed me that she leads a Baby Boot Camp. She invited me to join the group for a free first class on Thursday and you know what? I'm going to do it! This recluse is stepping out!

Turn on a Dime: How to Turn a Fixed Wheel Stroller

Part 2
Obviously, the stronger you are, the easier it will be, but I've defined 4 key areas that you can work on to make it easier to control your stroller*. Likewise, running with your stroller can strengthen your upper body as well as your legs!

1. Abdominal Muscles. You can't underestimate the importance of a strong core - for anything! This is not just about getting your tummy back into shape after baby #x. Your abdominal muscles support your back and whole torso. In addition to classic crunches and/or sit ups - to borrow from Yoga - plank and side plank are great moves to practice. Plus, it is harder for the kids to climb on top of me when I am not laying on my back!

Plank begins on your hands and feet as though you are at the top of a push up. You could also go down to elbows/feet or hands/knees to make it easier as you begin. Trying to keep your body as straight as possible as you hold this position. Take a break and repeat. Side plank is when you rotate onto just one hand or elbow and the outside of one knee or foot.
2. Deltoid Muscles (Shoulders). Let's start with exercises that don't require any equipment - except maybe for a small child if you happen to have one lying about. These are the muscles that surround your shoulders: front, back and side. You can do push ups. You can lift your child up to chin-level, keeping your elbows high ("upright row"). You can lift your child over your head ("shoulder press"). Side raises and front raises hit the right area too, but you might find that any child old enough to be handled in this manner to be too heavy.

3. Pectorals (Chest). Push ups can help here too. The traditional exercise is a chest press while lying on your back. You can try using your kid for this one too, though results may vary.

4. Triceps. These are the muscles that extend your arms. Dips off the end of a chair or bench are great. Tricep push ups keep your hands and elbows in close such that your arms brush your sides as you move up and down. If too difficult, you can do these standing upright and leaning on a wall. Tricep extensions keep your upper arms/elbows still right next to your ears while you move a weight up and down.

* I am not a personal trainer, these are just exercises that work for me.
Also, all pictures are borrowed from other websites. Please click on a picture to go to the website from which the graphic came. Thanks.

This Evening's Spectacle

This evening's spectacle, down a quiet little neighborhood street:

My 4-year-old boy riding a WAY-TOO-BIG bike recovered from a dumpster whose training wheels screeched like fingernails down a chalkboard; all the while he was growling screaming out car engine sounds and pretending to get blown-out tires.

Next to him: me and my 23 week pregnant belly slogging* along soaked in sweat, chanting "Go Lightning McQueen Go!" or "Peet Stop"** in a really bad Italian accent or "Bring on the confetti!"***

Talk about a circus!

*runningfor3's fabulous term for slow jogging

** Guido anyone?

***Chick...and yes, thanks for asking: We HAVE seen the movie Cars 1084 times.

Summer morning date runs

Hello Running Ladies!
It is 95 degrees-- hotter as the day goes on. My new summer morning routine is to run at 5:30 AM with my husband. Serves two great purposes. I get a workout in early and out of running clothes before 5pm and a date with my husband. It does not get better than that. The first morning was kind of funny. I told him the evening before I'd be joining him. When he got up at 5AM I waited for him to shave and come get me. He never came and got me. I rushed downstairs, grabbed the dog and went running after him. About 3 miles later I ran into him coming back and he had the happiest look he'd had in a long time seeing me out there looking for him. He thought I'd changed my mind about coming and needed to sleep (I'd been nursing for the past two years and sleep was not plentiful). The dog loves it too. Great stuff.

One more funny thing-- I just saw my 2 year old up on tiptoes and there for all the world to see were two little calf muscles bulging like her parents. The whole family has muscular legs-- very funny to see so early.

Turn on a Dime: How to Turn a Fixed Wheel Stroller

Part I
There are two basic ways to make a fixed-wheel jogging stroller turn where you want to go. Both will feel quite different from turning a swivel-wheel stroller. With a swivel front wheel, one pushes into the front wheel(s) so that it will grip and ground and turn. With the fixed-wheel alternative, you will either
1. lift the front wheel and pivot on the back wheels or
2. torque the stroller to turn without lifting any wheels off the ground.

If you need to make a big turn, such as turning a corner, you will need to push down on the handlebar to lift the front wheel off the ground and pivot on the back wheels. The easiest way to do this is to bring your body in close to the handlebar to take advantage of your core strength and possibly even the weight of your upper body. For big turns or with heavy kids, you may find it helpful to lean with your outside forearm on the handlebar to push it down. Make sure that your kids are leaning all the way back into their seats as well.

For smaller or more gradual turns, it is not always necessary to turn with the front wheel off the ground. I can best describe this option by comparing it to turning a boat by heeling in the opposite direction; heel right to turn left and vice versa. Of course, if you are unfamiliar with sailing, that is not particularly helpful :) This option is more of a lateral push that will torque the front wheel in the direction you want to go. This is ideal if you are making gradual turns along a curvy path or around obstructions that you can see well in advance. Note: This technique will be much more effective when you are running that if you are trying to walk.

If you find this very difficult, there are a few key muscle groups that can help. That's Part II.

"Race" Update

Hello All!

Crumbs here - Back from The Land of Fatigue and Heaving (a.k.a First Trimester) and happily gliding along through Celebration and Energy (well, relatively speaking!).  I'm 22 weeks along in my 2nd pregnancy and have a renewed love of running quickly-paced waddling.

I've never been fast, but My Oh My, just 2 months ago it took me 45 minutes to force myself to go 2.5 miles.  The agony!  All because of this weird addiction that seemed like it was going to promise me relief in my rough months of sickness.  Really - food was intolerable. Advil unadvised. And a Mojito with a floater? Highly frowned upon by the masses.  I knew I was allowed to run, though.  And when I run, I get a Runner's High!  Sweet - Hook Me Up. Only, I couldn't really make it through the first mile so easily without getting dizzy and feeling like a 7 year old was taking drum lessons in my head.  I guess only being able to force down 500 calories a day meant there wasn't much in the bank for added exercise.  This, it seemed, was going to be a very, very long 40 weeks.  Weekly milage went from 25 to...well, 3 (or 10, if you count running to the toilet).

Fast forward to this week.  

I had slowly reintroduced myself to running over the last 8 weeks - first with the treadmill and then out on the street - week by week adding a little more.  I even completed a 5 miler in just 1 minute/per mile slower than pre-pregnancy.  HOPE!  HOPE, I tell you!  

So I signed up for a 5k in my old stomping grounds of South Miami.  (I'm back in town for a little while and what better to meet up with old friends than at a race?!  It's a fun way to let folks know about the little one, too!)  Anyway - I knew I wasn't going to set any records but I couldn't believe that I finished a cool 2 minutes slower than I did last year - right around old running buddies.  Just 2 months ago I had lost hope of ever having my runner's high again.  But there it was:  Baby and Me waddling through at a relaxed pace, waving to familiar faces, enjoying the course, passing the finish line with a smile and energy to spare!

Each day I get bigger. 

I know every run won't be that smooth. 

BUT it's so comforting to know that, even when I hit rough patches (be it morning sickness or injury or burnout), I'll eventually get my groove back.

Happy Running All!