Appropriate Footwear

I tend to wear out my things; meaning that I wear them until they literally fall apart. I have, and still wear, a pair of jeans, two sweaters, and some shoes from high school and I am closer to forty at this point than twenty. (Wow! That's scary) Until recently that was true  about my running sneakers too. That is, until one of my running girls told me that I should be getting new sneakers every three months. WHAT?!

My sneakers only get replaced when I can't stand it anymore. I was a die hard New Balance fan until they started giving me blisters, and even then I continued to wear them until they wore out. Then I switched to Asics. A few pairs later, my feet started going numb while I ran (I think the toe box was pinching my feet) but like a trooper I suffered though it until they stretched out. I have had the same pair of sneakers for a year and a half and have consistently racked up 10 to 25 miles a week on them. Do you think it might be a good time to replace them?

We have this awesome company, the Maine Running Company, that looks at your feet and your gait and then gives you suggestions for the best running sneakers for you. I have been wanting to go there for, no joke, six years. Here is the issue, consulting with them takes time and focus, both things that I do not have. I am rarely alone for any chunk of time, and if I decide to go with the boys I will not have time to make a thoughtful decision because I will be so distracted by the boys' behavior. My two year old has been known to pull  shoes off the walls at shoe stores if he is not watched every second. So, what is a girl to do? Every time I get a new pair of shoes I am disappointed and wish that I had gone to the Maine Running Company. On the other hand, I wait so long to get new sneakers that I typically rush into our local sports apparel store, Olympia Sports, and grab the first pair that catch my eye. No trying on. Nothing.

I wish there was a company that would just send you a selection of sneakers to try out and let you keep (and pay for) the pair that you like best. Anyone want to come up with that for us busy moms? Or, has someone already done it and I am just unaware?

Running Update: Falling off the Wagon

Yes, I admit it. I have fallen of the running wagon. This is infuriating because I put in SO much effort to start running again after Ry was born. But I have decided, this time, to be kind to myself.

Too often I find that I hold myself to standards that I would never expect of other people, and that is unfair. I have a thousand and one excuses about why I haven't run in almost three weeks, but I don't think they are necessary. Instead, I choose to accept the disappointment that I am feeling, and do my best to get back on track.  Because I am busy being a mom to three boys, a teacher to forty-eight students five days a week, a wife, a daughter, and so much more to the people in my life. That is a lot and I am doing the best that I can.

This week I will sneak in at least one run somehow. I will do this because it makes me feel better about myself and gives me more energy, which is in short supply these days. I will do this because it helps keep my brain moving and because it helps me sleep better at night. I will do this for me so I can be better for those who rely on me. I will do this one small thing for myself.

Photo Credit: kaneda99 via Compfight/Flickr

Three Kids and a Full-Time Job - Who Has Time to Run?

Great question! As I already mentioned, my maternity leave is over...
And yet I have also told you how much more pleasant I am to be around when I get a run in...even if it is incredibly quick. So, what is a girl to do?

First of all, can I just say that it infuriates me when experts go on shows like the Today Show or Good Morning America, or contribute to articles in Fitness or Shape and preach about how you CAN find time in your day to excercise. Every single moment of my day is scheduled. I have NO time. Especially if I want to run when there is enough daylight so that I won't be mistaken for a prancing deer just begging to get shot by a hunter or a wannabe thief looking to speak with local law enforcement.

My day starts with breastfeeding the baby. Can I go run before this? Nope. It doesn't really matter if I could ignore the bowling balls on my chest first thing in the morning because I would not feel safe running in the pitch black pre-6am light. After feeding the baby I then race to get dressed and ready for work, make lunch for myself and my school age son, feed the older two boys their breakfast, and sneak in quick kisses to all my boys (the hubs included) before bolting out the door. I do all this in the span of 45 minutes and also fit in one quick pumping session to make sure my breasts are completely empty before I start the day.

I work a full day and before you tell me to run at my lunch break, I only have a 21 minute lunch during which I hide in a closet and pump again. Break time? Teachers don't really get that. We have prep times full of meetings (team, grade level, content area, evaluation groups, special ed., counseling, parents who want face to face conferences, the list goes on and on). When I do get a "free" period I hide in the closet to pump and maybe grade some papers or prepare lesson plans.

When I leave work I rush to daycare to pick up the baby and the toddler so that I can get back to the bus stop to meet the bus. Now I have three children in my wake and, as I have mentioned before, no way to take them all with me on a run and I still have to fit in at least two feedings with the baby before dinner. My only option is to find a treadmill with access to a television to occupy the kiddos. Quality bonding time?

If I wait until my husband gets home it is once again dark and I am usually in the process of preparing or feeding the kids dinner. Then it is a whirlwind of pjs and teeth brushing, stories and snuggles. One more feeding with the baby and lesson planning, paper grading, and responding to emails that I can't read or answer at school because I am "on stage" all day long. Sadly, my husband and I are usually sitting at opposite ends of our couch on our laptops doing work. Romantic night, huh?

As you can imagine, I am EXHAUSTED at the end of the night, but still find time to beat myself up over not fitting in a run.

The weekends are my only salvation. If I am lucky I can run on Saturday and Sunday mornings. If I get those two runs in I feel like I am winning. Anything else is a pure miracle.

How do you fit your runs in? If I could finagle a treadmill for my house I may be more successful, but it would honestly be a struggle to get one in even with it. A double running stroller might also help, but again it would be quite a monumental effort with all three boys in the winter.  Sometimes I feel like I can't win, but I keep trying.

"Just keep swimming"

Running after Baby - Week 5 : Taking to the treadmill

Now that winter seems to be officially here (26 degrees today with winds gusting 40-60 and a nice coating of snow on the ground) I have taken to the treadmill. Although I miss being outside, I just can not push myself to freeze when I am lucky enough to have access to a free treadmill in a nice warm house.

  by maHidoodi via Flickr

Here is the treadmill workout that I have been doing. It is mostly a hill workout with a couple different shorter sections of increased speed to try to increase endurance and to continue pushing myself. If at anytime I feel too tired to increase the speed or elevation, I don't. I only push myself as much as I feel comfortable.

Side note: I am not a trainer, nor a doctor. I have had no training in this. This workout is something that I have adapted from reading magazine articles and listening to my own body...do not try this workout if you don't feel comfortable. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure, or seek the help of a personal trainer if you would like to come up with a personalized workout. 

Start out walking at 4.5, elevation 0, to warm-up to 2:30
2:30 increase speed to 6.5 and elevation to .5
5:00 increase elevation to 1
7:30 increase elevation to 1.5
10:00 increase elevation to 2
12:30 increase elevation to 2.5
15:00 increase speed to 6.7 increase elevation to 3
17:30 increase elevation to3.5
20:00 decrease elevation to 3
22:20 decrease elevation to 2.5
25:00 decrease speed to 6.5, decrease elevation to 2
27:50 decrease elevation to 1.5
30:00 increase speed to 6.8, decrease elevation to 1
32:30 increase speed to 7.0, decrease elevation to .5
35:00 decrease speed to 4.5, decrease elevation to 0, to cool-down

On any given day this treadmill workout can vary slightly by adding speed increases sooner, more slowly (.1 increments gradually), or not at all. This gives me 32 1/2 minutes of running and 5 minutes of warm-up/cool down. I have also cut it down to as much as 25 minutes when the baby is particularly unhappy and needs to be soothed sooner. But, hey, 25 minutes is better than nothing. (My second motto?)

Now that I have a solid month under my belt, I think (hope) that I have gotten through the toughest part; establishing a routine and building endurance to complete at least a 5K. At this point, I think if I had to sign up for a race I could complete it. Not easily, but it would get done, which I think is a HUGE accomplishment. From now on, I plan to do more monthly updates of my running progress.

Miles run this week:6.7
Days run: 2
Days walk: 2

Goals for next week:
Run 35+ minutes per day
Run more than two days

For getting started and other weeks check out:
Running after Baby - Week 4
Running after Baby - Week 3
Running after Baby - Week 2
Running after Baby - Week 1
Running after Baby - Let's Get it Started

Running after Baby: Excuses, excuses, excuses

Did you just hear Salma Hayek in Fools Rush In? Me too!

When anyone is doing anything that they don't necessarily always want to do, excuses are going to make an appearance. Sometimes the excuses win, sometimes they lose, but they always seem to come back again and again. Those excuses are seriously persistent little buggers.

Today I am going to share my top five excuses that sometimes win. I think many of these are common, some are not, but they can all be beaten, or at least worked around.

1. I don't have time

No shit! Who has any time these days? I probably DON'T have time there is ALWAYS something else I could/should be doing, but somehow I must make time. There HAS to be a way.

A way: Bring all three boys to a location with a treadmill (my mother's), give the older two snacks,  put the 2 year old in front of Curious George, make the 6 year old do his homework, and pray to God that the baby stays asleep for 30 minutes. Then run! Even if the baby does wake up, sometimes he cries for the last ten minutes or so when he is in the stroller so it is the same. Right? Right??

Of course you could go the traditional route of getting up earlier (I am NOT a morning person), running during your lunch hour (Ha! I am a teacher. I get 20 minutes IF the kids all move their butts when they are dismissed...which they don't), get a membership to a gym with child care (In my dreams), or running in the evening when your significant other gets home (it is pitch black when that happens for me and I live in the woods. So...no).

2. It is too cold out (for the baby)

Who are you kidding? If you think it is too cold for you, running will make you warmer. Layer up and stop whining.

If you are concerned about the baby and the thirty layers of onesies, and sweaters, and snowsuits, and blankets, and snugglies that they are undoubtedly bundled in, then see one of my indoor solutions above. No gym membership or access to a family member's treadmill? Find a mall that opens early and run there with all the old people walking. Or maybe a school will let you use their hallways after school.

3. I am too tired

Exercise is scientifically proven to give you more energy. Seriously. Look it up.

When I am faced with this one I usually tell myself that I will sleep more soundly and fall asleep more quickly if I am absolutely exhausted. Maybe I will even be so fast asleep that when one of the kids wakes up the Hubs will hear them first for once.

4. I'm just not "feeling" it

Seriously? This one has to be a non-excuse. And yet it wins sometimes. I have actually walked into my house less than five minutes after "going out for a run" uttering these words.

My solution to this one is telling myself I only have to run for ten minutes and then if I am still "not feeling it" I can stop. This usually works. If not, I have at least gotten a ten minute run in, which is a run. Winning!

5. I ate too much to run right now. I don't want to get a stomach ache

I know. This one is ridiculous. If I would just stop stuffing my face with whatever I can get my hands on because I forgot to eat at a normal time this one wouldn't happen. To this one I say, "Get outside and deal with it. Maybe if your stomach really hurts you won't let it happen again."

**And a bonus for all those breastfeeding mothers out there:
The breastfeeding excuse (Fare warning: this one can take multiple forms)
If I run my breast milk will decrease/there won't be enough for the baby/lactic acid and all that stuff

I actually fell prey to this one with my first two boys. I was seriously scared that running would hurt breastfeeding; something that I worked very hard to get going and plan to do for the first year.
Honestly, this one kept me from running for almost a year with my first son. By my second I ran a little after I knew that everything was okay (about 6 months) and still worried about it every time I ran.

I am not sure what the research or experts say about this one. The baby has not gotten upset at me yet. I try my best to plan accordingly as far as his feeding schedule goes. I make sure he has just eaten. Sometimes I pump right before, sometimes I don't. He has taken it all in stride. I don't think I run enough for the whole lactic acid build up in my body to effect my breast milk (I read something about this once). I don't know. It hasn't been a problem yet and every time I run and it is not a problem I worry about it less and less.

I guess the moral of this little excuse  is to take it slowly and see how it goes. You can always stop if something seems to be negatively effecting your breastfeeding. I'll let you know how it goes.

So, what are your top five excuses that allow you to not run? How often are they winning? Are there any solutions that you could pull out of your back pocket on those days where it would be easier to curl up on the couch and binge on old episodes of Gilmore Girls, Dexter, or Downton Abbey (There is a tv watching combo that tells you a lot about me!)?

Running after Baby - Week 4: Complications

Today we are going to talk about that big C word. Complications. Everyone has different complications in their lives. This week a few extra complications made me feel like a failure.

When you have a baby you are suddenly faced with even more things requiring your time than before which complicates your ability to get a run in. You are faced with the struggle to get your body back in shape after growing a baby, and to keep pushing yourself even though you may not really want to. You also have to work around the baby's schedule and daily attitude. This one gets more and more difficult as the baby gets older.

This week I had an extra complication when it came to finding time to run - my two year old. Daycare was on vacation, which meant that I had to figure out how to go running with my two year old and my nine week old without owning a double stroller. My husband leaves in the morning before it gets light and comes home in the dark so leaving the kids with him while I went out on a quick run wasn't going to happen. We do not have a gym membership or, as I said, a double running stroller. Look at all those complications!

On Monday I actually had all three boys with me because of Veteran's day so I tried to recreate the walks that we used to take while I was pregnant. The 6 year old rode his bike, the two year old "rode" his bike while I pushed him with one hand, and I pushed the baby in the stroller with the other. Oh, and I also had the dog's leash on my wrist because I can't bear to crush her excitement about going on a walk. I am sure that you are not surprised to hear that this little set up did not work. We made it exactly two houses away where my neighbor saw us, took pity on me, and got her kids dressed to join us on the walk. With her pushing the two year old on his bike I actually got my walk in. (Can I just say that I love my neighbors!)

On Wednesday I decided to make the trek to my mother's house. She has a treadmill. So, after bundling up the kids, driving 20 minutes, and listening to the baby scream for 3/4 of the time I was running, I got a run in. At one point the two year old was banging a plunger on the t.v., but I got my run in. (Winning!)

The rest of the week was a blur with doctor's appointments and repair men so I did nothing as far as running went. Thankfully the Hubs is really good about letting me run on the weekends - He agrees that it makes me a nicer person to be around - so I was able to run then too.

The good news is that I was able to run over three miles without stopping on each of my runs this week. No, it was not easy, but I did it! I definitely feel good about the fact that I was able to find some solutions to my complications (although they were not ideal) and get some running in, no matter how little.

I guess the thing about complications is that are just complications. They are not an end. They do not make whatever you want to accomplish impossible, they just make it more difficult. Although I was not able to get as much running as I would like in, I did get some in, which in the end is better than nothing. I know that there will be difficult, more complicated weeks from time to time. The key is to figure out what you can make work, and then make the effort to get out there when you have the chance. And, of course, "just keep running." (Thanks, again, Dory!)

Miles run this week:6.7
Days run: 2
Days walk: 2

Goals for next week:
Continue running for at least thirty minutes a day and see how far I get.
Run more than two days

For getting started and other weeks check out:
Running after Baby - Week 3
Running after Baby - Week 2
Running after Baby - Week 1
Running after Baby - Let's Get it Started

Running After Baby - Week 3: Running Mantras from a Little Blue Fish

My running mantra this week came from Dory, the little blue fish in Finding Nemo. As I was running I found myself singing, "just keep running, just keep running." Dory's version is about swimming, not running, but whatever. Honestly, I've found myself repeating this little mantra anytime I am feeling overwhelmed, or tired. It reminds me to keep putting one foot in front of the other (literally, when I am running).

http://pixar.wikia.com/Dory

I have been feeling a little discouraged about the fact that it is still a constant struggle to get running. I mean I am at week 3. WEEK 3! That magic week when a change in routine is supposed to be set. Honestly, I think I must take a few extra weeks to create a habit because this doesn't feel set.

I know that starting is the hardest part. It is the part of running that I hate the most. It is the most difficult mentally and physically, but it is something that you need to push through. Believe me, I have done it many, many times and it is worth it. I think. At least that is what I keep telling myself.

I know that there will come a time when running 3 or 4 miles will seem like nothing. A time when I will barely break a sweat, or register the pavement moving beneath me. It will be easy. But, unfortunately, that time is not this week. So I just keep plugging along, just keep swimming, in hopes that someday soon it will be easy again.

Advice
1. Just keep swimming (running)... whatever
2. It will get easier
3. Running or walking five minutes is better than nothing so get off your butt and get out there!

Miles run this week: 7.9
Days run: 3
Days walk: 2

Goals for next week:
I realize that since I am running more of the time, I am finishing more quickly. Less than twenty-five minutes of exercise a day just doesn't seem like enough for me. So, my goal for next week is to base my workouts on time instead of my route. I plan to go at least thirty minutes a day and see how far I get. If I feel good I will add a little more.

For getting started and other weeks check out:
Running After Baby - Week 2
Running after Baby - Week 1
Running after Baby - Let's Get it Started

Running After Baby - Week 2

I am going to call this week, "Two Steps Forward, Three Steps Back." Sounds fun, huh?

Colin Brough

I followed my own advice, which I don't always do, and listened to my body. I took a few extra days off to make sure that my body was up to a run nice slow jog.

Day one this week was horrible. It felt like I hadn't run AT ALL the week before. I was basically starting from square one. Truthfully, I walked most of my "run." Although I was pretty discouraged, and really wanted to run the next day to make up for the non-run the day before, I forced myself to take my day off and waited until the next day.

Thankfully, the second day was MUCH better. I felt like I had more energy and I ran the entire 2.25 mile route. I also noticed that my "running form" seemed to be coming back, i.e. I no longer felt like Quasimodo running down the street. It was still a VERY slow run, but at least I did it. It also helped that the baby was screaming a little upset most of the way, so I was motivated to keep running so that I would get home sooner.

On day three I found myself back in the Land of Discouragement. Not only did I not feel like running AT ALL, I completely caved to these feelings. Usually I don't want to run, but I make myself go for five minutes or so and then figure that I might as well finish. Today, I ran for five minutes, found myself about halfway up a long steepish hill, and decided that it was enough for the day. So I turned around and walked home.  GRRR.

Remember when I said that running makes me a happier mom and wife back here? Well, let's just say I haven't been that fun to be around the last few days. During my walk home I reflected on the week and what my next steps should be. How will I get to the point where running is part of my routine again and not just something that I am forcing myself to do? Here are four new pieces of advice that I am giving myself.

Advice
1. Moving a little everyday is important. You don't have to run everyday (in fact, you shouldn't) but on the days you don't run a walk, bike ride, or some other form of excercise will help you stay in your routine and make you nicer to be around.
2. An off day is okay. Don't beat yourself up about it. Try, try again! (see #3)
3. However, too many off days in a row won't equal enough training to get yourself to your running goal, and you may be letting too many excuses get in the way of your goal. If you notice a pattern of lots of "giving up" days you may have to push yourself a little more. 
4. Sometimes a screaming baby should be seen not as something to get stressed about, but as a source of motivation to keep running. :)

Want to read more or my running after baby advice to myself? Check these posts out:
Running after Baby: Let's Get It Started
Running after Baby: Week 1

Running after baby - Week 1

First, I need to do a little celebratory dance, I made it through week one! Yay!!
If you are just starting out, please read my before baby running prep post here . And, please remember that your body used to look like this:

.... or something similar to this. So be kind to it, it needs some time to get back to where it was. Don't forget to listen to it!

Starting out I knew that I wouldn't be able to run as far, or as fast as I did before. What I didn't expect was that  I would not be in control of my own body. My legs refused to listen to what my brain was trying to tell it to do.  I guess this is expected, I mean my muscles have probably all disappeared during the last few months of recuperation.  Consider yourself warned. It will not be pretty, or easy, but at this point I figure doing anything is a step in the right direction.

Here is how I tackled week 1:
1. I planned to get my butt out the door every other day. This left my body one day to recover.
2. I planned to go at least 30 minutes (anything over was a bonus).
3. I let myself off the hook with running the entire time. I gave myself permission to walk some and run some.
4. Every day I tried to run/walk a little further or sustain my running for a little longer. I used driveways, or trees as markers and pushed myself to get to one further the next day.
5. I quickly realized that I needed to make sure to stretch after every "run." I tend to be lazy with stretching, but I could barely walk down my stairs after day one.
6. I promised myself to listen to my body. If the day after running, my body gave me any indication that I was doing too much, I decided that I would give myself an extra day to recover, and if that didn't work I would do a little less.
7. I made sure to feed the baby right before I headed out the door. That way my boobs would be empty of milk.

The results:
I ran three days and made it up to 2 miles sustained running by the third day. This was a huge accomplishment considering that it took me over a month to get to this point with my last son. I think this is a result of exercising so much while I was pregnant.

By my second running day I was considerably less sore. I no longer felt that my legs would collapse underneath me causing me to fall down the stairs (bonus!).

After day three my body gave me a clear message that I needed to dial it back a little. Even though I waited six weeks, got the okay from my doctor, and had stopped bleeding for over two weeks, it started again. So, I am taking an extra day off to see if that is enough.

If you are starting running good luck! If you are planning to, you can do it! Believe me, if I can, you can!

Running after Baby - Let's Get it Started

Did you read the last part of the title like the Black Eyed Peas song? No? Now I can't get it out of my head!

So, first of all I need to be clear about one thing, I am by no means an expert in any of this. I have had no training, nor done any research past my own curiosity, so please check in with your doctor before starting anything. This is simply a reflection on my experiences with running post-pregnancy. Take it or leave it.

A little background:
I desperately wanted to run during all of my pregnancies. I had read a bunch of research that said exercising throughout pregnancy is good for you and the baby. I also learned that it would be easier to shed the pounds and get back in shape after the baby. Sounded good to me.

Unfortunately, with my first son I was incredibly cautious, as many first time mothers are. I didn't want to do anything wrong. So, instead of continuing my running routine I began walking and using lower impact machines at the gym. I was by no means regular with my exercising, sporadic would be a good description of it.

With my second son, I lived in constant fear. I experienced two miscarriages between my two kids and was so afraid that it would happen again that I stopped doing everything...running, drinking coffee, everything. I just didn't want to rock the boat. It was crazy.

With my third son I vowed to be more laid back. I adopted a fate based stance. If we were meant to have this baby we would. And so I ran. I ran until I was five months pregnant and then I continued walking three to four miles with my boys (they rode bikes). I definitely felt better and so much more relaxed during this pregnancy. Another added bonus was that the boys were getting extra exercise everyday and we had time to chat while we walked.

I can honestly say that I think all this pregnancy exercise has helped me bounce back faster which was extra important this time since I have two other boys to chase around. You may also be asking yourself what the heck running and exercise has to do with our home. Well, when I don't exercise I am less than chipper. I snap more quickly, yell more, it is not pretty. When I run we have a calmer happier home.

If you are planning to start running after having a baby here are some pieces of advice for before the actual first day of running.

1. You have to walk before you run. Not necessarily walk, but you should start slowly and see how your body responds. With my first son I did too much too soon and my body rewarded me with blood. (Yes, I know, ewww!) If your bleeding picks up it is a sign that you have done too much. Small steps.

2. Listen to your body. Bleeding is not the only way your body may tell you that you are doing too much. With my second son, I tried to do some light weights and calisthenics before my six week check-up. I felt great right after exercising, but a few hours later when I bent down to pick up the baby from the crib I threw my back out. I was literally laying on the floor with the baby on my chest unable to move. My mother had to come rescue me. Not fun.

3. Check in with your doctor. I always wait for my six week check up to get the okay from doctor before I start running. (I do walk before) But, if you are super motivated, you may want to call or email your doctor just to get their advice before starting. They are trained professionals after all.

I hope that helps you get started. More next week! Wish me luck as I start to get back on the running train trail.