One thing I've learned as an athlete and as a mommy is that negative self-talk gets you nowhere fast! I think we all suffer from it just a little bit but the key to reaching your potential and seeing yourself as a success is silencing that nagging little voice with nothing good to say.
My dad was always the first to tell my sisters (there's 3 of us girls in the family) that "if you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all!"
I think these words apply to being a mommy and a runner. It's so easy to get down on yourself about things, I could go right to town starting with all the bad feelings I have about letting someone else watch my baby so I can have a career. Then I can round it out with feelings of inadequacy about my less than adequate house-keeping skills and to top it all off - I have a bad habit of letting myself walk when there's no running buddy along with me.
But what does this get me?
Nothing but feeling bad about myself.
I've found that the best thing I can do for myself is focus on the good I do - I work to provide a good life for my child, I will teach him a great work ethic, my house-keeping may suck (and it really does) but my baby has more attention than he knows what to do with (and I happen to think that's a good thing!) and I might walk a little but I'm out there putting in the miles. I try damn hard to be better than I was yesterday.
You know, I actually used that line in a job interview once and I meant it! The interviewer asked "What sets you apart from the other canidates we are interviewing?" My response was this, "What you get today is not as good as what you will have tomorrow! I am always trying to better myself."
So if you walked on your run today, walk a little less tomorrow.
And don't forget to tell yourself about all of the good things you do!
Showing posts with label runner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label runner. Show all posts
Monday, May 9, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Becoming a runner
This all happened sort of accidentally for me. To be quite honest I hated running for the majority of my life so far.
I was athletic in high school - played soccer and volleyball and was generally in good shape all the time. I remember back in those days looking at the cross country runners and thinking how completely crazy they were! Sports were one thing, I saw the objective and knew what I had to do to score. But running? For the fun of it?!
Flash forward to September of last year. I was coming up on the big 6 week check-up post giving birth appointment and no feeling so hot in my new mommy bod. Lets add into that equation the exhaustion from caring for an infant, breastfeeding around the clock, adjusting to what life as a mommy and wife means, and preparing to return to work. It's a crazy time!
I guess I figured I would try to gain control of my life again somehow. I had to go back to work, the baby needs to eat, and I couldn't make him go to sleep. ;) The flab, however, seemed manageable. Exercise was on the menu.
A workout video? Nah, too easy to drop and no one would notice. (I'm not very good at holding myself accountable)
A volleyball league? I'm not sure they even exist in my area.
Gym membership? Ha!
The only thing that seemed to make sense was running. I talked my mom into training for a 5k using the Couch to 5k plan. Her ultimate goal was to run a 15k and isn't a great self motivator either so the plan worked out well for us both.
We tried our hardest to make something we knew we would hate a little bit more fun. We took a trip to the city for lunch and a real fitting for sneaks and sports bras. The day I got medical clearance at my 6 week appointment was our first run.
We walked 90 seconds and ran 60 seconds over and over. My mom tried to blame herself for holding me back that day and for nearly every run after that but my new mom body isn't very tough. I was glad for a running partner to take my mind off the struggle.
We got stronger and I felt better after we ran but I still hated the act of running. About 4 weeks into our 9 week program a co-worker recommended Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. This book changed so much for me.
I learned that my body was born to run and that running was perfect opportunity to worry about nothing more than putting one foot in front of the other. I recommend this book to everyone - even if you don't want to become a runner.
I started to like running. Kinda.
After 7 weeks of C25k we ran a Turkey Trot. It was tons of fun and though we finished in last place, I started to feel like the athlete I once was.
That's what running is for me now. Something I do for myself - to help me remain a reasonable human being and to feel like an athlete. For some reason that title "athlete" means a lot to me.
I was athletic in high school - played soccer and volleyball and was generally in good shape all the time. I remember back in those days looking at the cross country runners and thinking how completely crazy they were! Sports were one thing, I saw the objective and knew what I had to do to score. But running? For the fun of it?!
Flash forward to September of last year. I was coming up on the big 6 week check-up post giving birth appointment and no feeling so hot in my new mommy bod. Lets add into that equation the exhaustion from caring for an infant, breastfeeding around the clock, adjusting to what life as a mommy and wife means, and preparing to return to work. It's a crazy time!
I guess I figured I would try to gain control of my life again somehow. I had to go back to work, the baby needs to eat, and I couldn't make him go to sleep. ;) The flab, however, seemed manageable. Exercise was on the menu.
A workout video? Nah, too easy to drop and no one would notice. (I'm not very good at holding myself accountable)
A volleyball league? I'm not sure they even exist in my area.
Gym membership? Ha!
The only thing that seemed to make sense was running. I talked my mom into training for a 5k using the Couch to 5k plan. Her ultimate goal was to run a 15k and isn't a great self motivator either so the plan worked out well for us both.
We tried our hardest to make something we knew we would hate a little bit more fun. We took a trip to the city for lunch and a real fitting for sneaks and sports bras. The day I got medical clearance at my 6 week appointment was our first run.
We walked 90 seconds and ran 60 seconds over and over. My mom tried to blame herself for holding me back that day and for nearly every run after that but my new mom body isn't very tough. I was glad for a running partner to take my mind off the struggle.
We got stronger and I felt better after we ran but I still hated the act of running. About 4 weeks into our 9 week program a co-worker recommended Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. This book changed so much for me.
I learned that my body was born to run and that running was perfect opportunity to worry about nothing more than putting one foot in front of the other. I recommend this book to everyone - even if you don't want to become a runner.
I started to like running. Kinda.
After 7 weeks of C25k we ran a Turkey Trot. It was tons of fun and though we finished in last place, I started to feel like the athlete I once was.
That's what running is for me now. Something I do for myself - to help me remain a reasonable human being and to feel like an athlete. For some reason that title "athlete" means a lot to me.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Confessions #2
If you read my post yesterday, you'll know that we're having a hard time adjusting to becoming a family of three. Running helps me keep my cool, it gives me the quiet alone time that I need so badly. Running clears my head.
Needless to say, I haven't run on a regular basis yet.
Last Saturday (after a terrible week - one death in the family and one death of a friend so close they should be family, heartbreaking layoffs at work and a teething 7 month old) I lost my $h!t. I was late for the funeral ceremony, couldn't find my black heels, and nervous about the funeral.
While I was rushing out the door I shouted to my Main Man, "The (breast)milk is thawing in the sink but you'll have to wash a bottle." To which I'm almost certain he replied, "I'm not washing any TRucking bottles." (except he didn't say trucking!) He claims that's not at all what he said but regardless of the situation...I flipped.
Let's just say my flip flops quickly left my feet, the keys ended up under the couch and my iPhone landed on the couch! I ended up sobbing because I was so mad at my Hubbie and so frustrated with myself and that I lost my cool.
#2 - I need to get my poop in a group. My online friend, Michelle, has her poop in a group - she's very zen! Check her blog out - seemommywork.wordpress.com/
Needless to say, I haven't run on a regular basis yet.
Last Saturday (after a terrible week - one death in the family and one death of a friend so close they should be family, heartbreaking layoffs at work and a teething 7 month old) I lost my $h!t. I was late for the funeral ceremony, couldn't find my black heels, and nervous about the funeral.
While I was rushing out the door I shouted to my Main Man, "The (breast)milk is thawing in the sink but you'll have to wash a bottle." To which I'm almost certain he replied, "I'm not washing any TRucking bottles." (except he didn't say trucking!) He claims that's not at all what he said but regardless of the situation...I flipped.
Let's just say my flip flops quickly left my feet, the keys ended up under the couch and my iPhone landed on the couch! I ended up sobbing because I was so mad at my Hubbie and so frustrated with myself and that I lost my cool.
What's the moral of my story?
#1 - I need to run more.#2 - I need to get my poop in a group. My online friend, Michelle, has her poop in a group - she's very zen! Check her blog out - seemommywork.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
6 at 6 (o'clock that is...)
6 Reasons Why I Want to Run a Marathon
6. Running gives me an excuse to buy cool running clothes and nice sneakers with minimal guilt (and I suffer from a lot of guilt - read about mommy guilt here).
5. I want to be a member of the cool mommies that run club!
4. I have 10 pounds of weight to lose to reach my pre-pregnancy weight.
3. I would like size 6 jeans to make an appearance in my life again.
2. It gives me an excuse to treat myself to a little alone time - and if you're a mom who says she doesn't appreciate alone time you're also a liar.
Reason #1. I want to prove to myself - my jiggly, stretchmarked, no-longer athletic self, that I can still be an athlete.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Boilermaker
It's official - my running buddy and I are registered for the Utica Boilermaker 15K road race! :) Ya-whoo!
Anyone have a great 15K training program to recommend?
Anyone have a great 15K training program to recommend?
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Reality Check...
As I mentioned in my last post - I run with my mom. The nice thing about running with my mom is that I have someone else to focus on, I also get to take it easy and enjoy the movement while not worrying about pace. The fact is that I can imagine myself as some sort of big shot runner without actually having to deliver.
Yesterday was the first time that I've run by myself and kept track of pace. I went for a little over 3 miles and averaged 11min 33sec per mile - not exactly big shot runner pace.
Time to turn up the heat I'd say!
Yesterday was the first time that I've run by myself and kept track of pace. I went for a little over 3 miles and averaged 11min 33sec per mile - not exactly big shot runner pace.
Time to turn up the heat I'd say!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
March run - 3 mile
Well I finished the first run of my year a few hours ago. It was a great run - tons of support from the crowd, free delicious food, and free Saranac beer at the after-party (not that I could cash-in on that too much, I haven't had a drink since finding out I was pregnant with Little Man 16 months ago)!
My time - 42 minutes 12 seconds. Not the best in terms if speed but I haven't ran regularly since November. My running partner for this (and every) race I've run so far is my mom. She spends the entire race worrying that she's holding me back and telling me to take off and run at my own pace. Truthfully I probably could shave some time off my pace if I didn't run with my mom but I like hanging back with her. She's my running buddy.
Last week while talking about December race (43 min 30 sec), someone said "You might as well walk at that pace." Ok, maybe we could walk faster than what we ran but we choose not to. Mom does her best to run as much as she can. She's pushing herself now more than she ever has. I'm proud of my mom for just being out there and I'm grateful to have someone to pass the miles with even if we're going slow.
The best thing about running with my mom - she knows we'll get better. Our next race is in April and she's already making plans to train so we can nab a better pace.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
My time - 42 minutes 12 seconds. Not the best in terms if speed but I haven't ran regularly since November. My running partner for this (and every) race I've run so far is my mom. She spends the entire race worrying that she's holding me back and telling me to take off and run at my own pace. Truthfully I probably could shave some time off my pace if I didn't run with my mom but I like hanging back with her. She's my running buddy.
Last week while talking about December race (43 min 30 sec), someone said "You might as well walk at that pace." Ok, maybe we could walk faster than what we ran but we choose not to. Mom does her best to run as much as she can. She's pushing herself now more than she ever has. I'm proud of my mom for just being out there and I'm grateful to have someone to pass the miles with even if we're going slow.
The best thing about running with my mom - she knows we'll get better. Our next race is in April and she's already making plans to train so we can nab a better pace.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Run Like a Mother
This weekend we took a much needed trip to Barnes and Noble (well...much needed for me - Hubs would much rather have stopped at the tool section in Sears). Anyway - I was checking out the books in the running section. I've been looking for a good running book online but much prefer browsing in real-life. There's just something about being able to touch the book.
The book that I found is called Run Like a Mother and I love it so far! What really snagged my attention was the little phrase underneath the title (not sure what the official term is) "How to Get Moving - and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity". This book seemed perfect for me. I'm in the winter rut and can't seem to dig myself out of it. I did wake up bright and early one morning two weeks ago but am facing my first 3 mile race of the year this Saturday (and I haven't trained - yikes!!!)
In any event - I love this book and have been grabbing it every chance I get to plow through a few more pages while Little Man naps or spends quality time with his daddy. The running mamas that wrote this book also have a blog so scoot on over to check it out - runlikeamotherbook.com/
That's all for now - wish me luck on Saturday because I'm going to need it. :)
The book that I found is called Run Like a Mother and I love it so far! What really snagged my attention was the little phrase underneath the title (not sure what the official term is) "How to Get Moving - and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity". This book seemed perfect for me. I'm in the winter rut and can't seem to dig myself out of it. I did wake up bright and early one morning two weeks ago but am facing my first 3 mile race of the year this Saturday (and I haven't trained - yikes!!!)
In any event - I love this book and have been grabbing it every chance I get to plow through a few more pages while Little Man naps or spends quality time with his daddy. The running mamas that wrote this book also have a blog so scoot on over to check it out - runlikeamotherbook.com/
That's all for now - wish me luck on Saturday because I'm going to need it. :)
Sunday, January 30, 2011
The Marathon of Mama Runs a Marathon
Like most new moms, when I'm not working I spend nearly 100% of my time changing diapers, feeding my Little Man, cuddling with him, trying to catch up on laundry and housework. Pretty much the only time when I'm not doing all of that is when I'm running.
I started running the day that I was releases by my doctor (6 weeks after Little Man's birth). I started out running with my mom using the C25K program (which I highly recommend). The running started as an effort to lose some of my pregnancy weight and with the goal of running one of the holiday fun 5k runs. We actually ran two 5ks in the time that we trained. - a Turkey Trot and a Jingle Jog. At the beginning of our 9 week training I hated running and barely got through each session, but after reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougall I really came to enjoy running.
After the Jingle Jog the holidays caught up with me and I've been on an almost 2 month running sabbatical but now I'm ready to get back on the horse!
I have 3 goals for running this year:
1.) Compete against my husband at a 5k in April. (We made a friendly bet that winner will get to purchase a nice shiny present for themselves from our money).
2.) Race with my mom in the Utica Boilermaker.
3.) To finish a marathon. Or a half-marathon. I haven't quite decided which one. I would really like to shoot for the marathon but I'm just not certain that I can commit to the training for 26.2 miles and being completely devoted to my son at the same time.
So there you have it - that's where the marathon business comes into play for me. Any thoughts out there? Should I give the full a try or shoot for the half?
I started running the day that I was releases by my doctor (6 weeks after Little Man's birth). I started out running with my mom using the C25K program (which I highly recommend). The running started as an effort to lose some of my pregnancy weight and with the goal of running one of the holiday fun 5k runs. We actually ran two 5ks in the time that we trained. - a Turkey Trot and a Jingle Jog. At the beginning of our 9 week training I hated running and barely got through each session, but after reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougall I really came to enjoy running.
After the Jingle Jog the holidays caught up with me and I've been on an almost 2 month running sabbatical but now I'm ready to get back on the horse!
I have 3 goals for running this year:
1.) Compete against my husband at a 5k in April. (We made a friendly bet that winner will get to purchase a nice shiny present for themselves from our money).
2.) Race with my mom in the Utica Boilermaker.
3.) To finish a marathon. Or a half-marathon. I haven't quite decided which one. I would really like to shoot for the marathon but I'm just not certain that I can commit to the training for 26.2 miles and being completely devoted to my son at the same time.
So there you have it - that's where the marathon business comes into play for me. Any thoughts out there? Should I give the full a try or shoot for the half?
Friday, January 28, 2011
Welcome
Hi everyone! (or probably no one). You've stumbled upon my little blog "Mama Runs a Marathon". Here I'm hoping to share little tid-bits of my everyday life - as a new mommy, as a teacher and as a wanna-be runner.
The title that I chose refers to my life in two ways. Number 1 - since my son was born in the summer of 2010 I feel like I'm running a never-ending marathon (I think...I wouldn't know because I have never actually done it) against my laundry, dirty floors...everything. Number 2 - I actually want to run a marathon (but more on that later).
So to get started - let's get to know one another. Post a question for me in the comments section and I'll do my best to answer it for you.
The title that I chose refers to my life in two ways. Number 1 - since my son was born in the summer of 2010 I feel like I'm running a never-ending marathon (I think...I wouldn't know because I have never actually done it) against my laundry, dirty floors...everything. Number 2 - I actually want to run a marathon (but more on that later).
So to get started - let's get to know one another. Post a question for me in the comments section and I'll do my best to answer it for you.
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