Thankful Things

Before this all-too-short season of thankfulness closes and we launch headlong into the season of excessive consumerism, I wanted to take a chance to remind myself of all the reasons I have to be thankful.  I need to remind myself that joy is a choice, and gratitude is a lifestyle.  Especially now, when events in our community are unstable and uncertain, I want to ground myself in the tangible reminders that life is good.

These little faces provide infinite reasons to be grateful.

In no particular order, I am thankful for:

• my body that powers me through long runs and hill workouts as well as the daily grind of motherhood.
• my husband, who appreciates what I do for our family and reminds me to laugh.
• my kids, who teach me the full range of human emotion.  From rapturous joy to unending frustration, they show me that life is meant to be lived to its fullest.
• my friends, both those in real life and those BAMRs I only know virtually through Strava.  They keep me honest, motivated, and accountable.
• the delay brew feature on my coffee pot.  The promise of coffee keeps my feet moving on cold, early morning winter runs.
• running and blogging.  Both provide outlets for me to relieve stress and enable me to focus on myself for just a little bit.

Just a few of the friends and family who help pull me through the daily grind of life.

 What are your tangible reminders that life is good?

Saved by the Run

Since training for my October half ended, I've been a bit relaxed in my weekend runs.  I've gotten them in, but they've happened in the late afternoon rather than the early morning, which is beyond odd for me.  Because I'm not operating under the strict rigidity of a training plan, I'm less motivated to wake up in the early morning hours on a weekend.  But by mid-day, I'm jonesing for a run, needing the endorphins to keep me humming along through the demands of family life.

Yesterday, I planned to get up early because my husband was going to be gone at a day-long training session.  Knowing that underslept and over-sugared post-Halloween kids would test my patience, it would have been wise for me to crank out some miles before he left for the day.  But I'm not always wise.  My alarm sounded; I silenced it without moving an inch off my pillow.  And I regretted that decision for hours...

We survived our day, but we all probably would have been happier had I gone for my run that morning.  They were predictably excitable; I was inexcusably irritable; we were all tired.  By the time my husband got home, I was desperate for the solitude of a run.  "Go ahead with dinner if they get hungry," I told him as I bolted for the door.  "I hope to be gone for a while."

The setting sun on a beautiful fall afternoon.
A much-needed reminder that life is good.

I started out at an easy pace with no clear destination in mind.  Listening to my favorite podcast and breathing the fresh autumn air, I was relaxed and peaceful for the first time all day.  My legs felt strong from the outset, and I tried to push the pace each mile.  As I cruised through the surrounding neighborhoods - at an impressive speed considering that I was largely fueled by Halloween candy - I felt alive and free.  The little things that were stressful and overwhelming earlier in the day melted away until they became utterly meaningless.

Six miles later, I returned home feeling like a new person.  All the same stresses, frustrations, and imperfections were still waiting for me, but I could tackle them with renewed energy.  The run helped put everything back into perspective and remind me that life is good.  Not perfect but good.

Do your workouts ever help turn your day around?

Why I Run: For my Kids

I run for these sweet faces.
Trust me, under the skeleton mask is a sweet little guy ;)

I run for these little people.  For their sweet, smiling faces.  For the joy they find in life.  For the simple pleasures that bring them such great joy.  For the ways they can drive me to the brink of insanity one minute and absolutely melt my heart the next.

I run to show them what it means to be strong, fit, and healthy.  To care for oneself so that you can care for others.  To push your boundaries and discover new limits.  To accept disappointment in stride and celebrate victory in the small moments.

I run so that I can be here with them for many years to come.  Watching them grow into charming young people.  Cheering for them as they work towards their goals.  Delighting in discovering who they are in this world.

I run for them.

Why do you run?

Yoga in the Woods

At the last minute, we decided to pack up the kids and head to my parents' cabin at Innsbrook to enjoy this fabulous fall day in the woods. What an excellent decision! We've spent a lovely day of carefree playing, the highlight of which was the dinosaur dig carefully organized by Mr. D.

While the paleontologists-in-training worked at their dig site, I enjoyed a peaceful yoga break on the back deck. Outdoor barefoot yoga in October?! Yes, please!

Life is good :)

Lessons from the Cruise Ship

Our seven-day cruise to Alaska was nothing short of phenomenal.  Breathtaking views, incredible excursions, amazing food, and peaceful downtime made the trip a spectacular way to celebrate our tenth anniversary.  I had forgotten how easy it was to travel without kids: no scheduling around nap or rigid food schedules, no bag of tricks to provide entertainment during long waits.  We enjoyed the chance to reconnect and have uninterrupted adult conversations.  Pure bliss!

While we were away, I logged four runs and learned quite a bit about running while cruising:

1.  Stock up on bananas early in the week.  On a whim, I grabbed a couple extra bananas on Sunday and took them to our stateroom.  Boy, was that lucky: by Wednesday, I never saw another banana on the ship.  I was glad I had my stockpile to fuel my late week runs.

2.  Don't expect to do speedwork on the track.  To my surprise, the track was not a uniform oval.  Instead, it had several bizarre right angles and odd curves.  The surface was also quite damp from ocean spray and dew, and the path was rather narrow in several places.  Between the wet surface and the slight instability of running aboard a moving ship, a conservative pace was necessary.

Early morning over the Pacific.

3.  Avoid running on the track when out at open sea.  I attempted to run the outdoor track on Sunday, a full day at sea, but was quite literally almost blown away by the winds.  Out in the open water and travelling at fast-for-a-cruise-ship speeds, running on the 13th deck was not a wise choice.  I headed to the gym instead (see #4 below).  On Monday, we were scheduled to dock in our first port by 7:00, so I thought my chances for an outdoor track run would be much better.  Slower speeds and quieter water near the port kept the wind down a notch, and I laced up for a sunrise run at 4:30.  The track was slightly shorter than I expected - 5.5 laps equaled one mile - but the views were better than I could have imagined.  Watching the slowly brightening horizon as it unveiled the majestic Alaskan coast, the 16.5 laps of my 3-miler passed relatively quickly.  Even the 27.5 laps I logged for Friday's 5-miler seemed relatively easy thanks to the magnificent scenery.

A few laps later, the sun peeks over the edge of the water.

4.  Skip the gym, unless the ship is in open water (see #3).  The gym had a reasonable number of treadmills, and they all seemed to work, more or less.  The machines faced a wall of windows with lovely views of the ocean, which is a definite improvement over the view from my basement treadmill.  After 30 minutes, however, I was surprised to find my groove interrupted by the machine's automatic shutdown.  Ugh.  Though the view was interesting, the cruise ship gym reminded me why I dislike coed gyms.  Too many people there to flaunt rather than workout.  Too many (mostly men) running one crazy fast mile then calling it a day.  Too much oogling, competition, and comparing.  I never returned to the gym after that one run.  I appreciated the chance to run when the track conditions were hazardous, but the environment was not one I wanted to revisit.

5.  Lose the headphones.  The track was narrow and though generally unpopulated during my runs, I definitely needed to be unplugged so I could be aware of who was around me.

6.  Take the time to revel in post-run endorphins.  So often after my runs at home, I race inside to shower, fix breakfast, and whisk the kids off to school.  In the hustle and bustle of the mother runner life, I rarely have a moment to enjoy the aftermath of my runs.  Cruise ship life was completely different and provided plenty of time to bask in the post-run joy.  I ended each run by finding a peaceful spot on the deck to do some yoga.  Post-run endorphins + outdoor yoga + breathtaking Alaska scenery = one happy mama.  Fully stretched and blissfully exhausted, I enjoyed a quiet cup of coffee or two while watching the sun continue to brighten the horizon.  Does life get any better?

I've tried to hit the highlights, but I'm sure I've missed something.  What other burning questions do you have about running on a ship?  Lay it on me :)

An Ode to Dan

Today my incredible husband, Dan, and I celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary.  I am infinitely lucky to have found a partner who supports me in all things: parenthood, running, life.  As this is a running blog, let's celebrate his crucial role in my running life:

• The non-morning person who fields requests for second breakfasts and milk refills on Saturdays when I'm out on a long run.  
• The patient man who listens to the very minutiae of my runs.  
• The caring partner who never fails to ask, "How was your run?"  
• The supportive husband who dragged all three kids to the precise spot I requested at my debut half marathon so I could see sweet faces just when I knew I'd need it the most.
• The endless cheerleader who believes I can do anything I set my mind to.  Because of his confidence in me, I have the courage to aim high and dream big.

He may never understand my love of running, but he knows it is part of who I am, and he supports me every step of the way.  And because of that, I am the luckiest.  Here's to my soulmate, Dan, and to many, many more years of love, laughter, and happily ever after.

It feels like only yesterday; how have 10 years elapsed?!

Cruise Ship Running

My husband and I set sail today for an Alaskan cruise to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary.  Thanks to the generosity of my sisters and parents, we are traveling sans kids for the first time ever, a thought both terrifying and exciting at the same time.  I could spend an entire blog post sorting through the various emotions accompanying this trip, but I'll spare you the drama.  Instead, let's focus on the challenges and excitement of running while cruising.

As any good Type A person would do, I've spent embarrassingly large swaths of time contemplating running options for our trip.  [Lest you think I'm single-minded, I've also spent countless hours poring over the details of my kids' schedules while we're away and planning our onshore excursions (snorkeling in Alaska, anyone?).  So I'm obsessing equally over the kids, our activities, and running ;) ]  The ship is equipped with a "jogging" track (goodness, I hate that word), which according to my research is about .2 mile around.  A mere 15 laps should get me a good 3 miles.  Sounds tolerable.  However, I have a 5-mile run scheduled this weekend, and 25 laps sounds torturous.  Perhaps I'll be soothed by the beauty of my surroundings and therefore distracted from the round and round monotony of passing the same deck chair 25 times.

A view like this could make the endless laps feel less miserable.

Since 15 laps sounds manageable and 25 sounds like the seventh circle of hell, I hope to squeeze in my long run today before we leave town.  Then I can do my next long run when we return next weekend, and I'll just enjoy some simple 3-milers while aboard the ship.  The boat also has an exercise room equipped with treadmills, so I can seek out the hamster wheel should the laps prove unpleasant.  From the pictures I've seen, I believe the treadmills face a wall of windows, providing runners with panoramic views of the ocean.  Sure beats the view from my basement treadmill...

I am most excited about the long days we'll be experiencing while traveling so far north.  Sunrise should begin around 4:45am with sunset around 9:30pm.  Given that I'm coming from the central time zone, that 4:45 sunrise will feel like 6:45 to me, which counts as major sleeping in for this mother runner.  Score!  I hope to enjoy sunrise or early dawn runs at least three times while aboard the ship.

Have you ever run on a cruise ship before?  I'm guessing that the large ship will negate most wobbling, but I'm curious to see if it will feel unsteady while running.  I'll check it out and report back next week!

Back to Reality

After a week of vacation with my extended family, we are back home in steamy St. Louis and settling back into our routine.  We enjoyed seven days of sunshine, splashing in the pool, and playing on the beach.  The 12+ hours in the car each way I could live without, but it was all worth it for a break from the daily grind.

I had hoped to run two or three times while on the road, and I'm pleased to report that I worked in three vacation runs.  Before I left, I talked to a number of mother runners who raved about the beauty of a vacation run.  Having never run on vacation before, I nodded along and took their word for it.  Now that I've done it, I agree with those (ever so wise) ladies 100%!  There's something extra blissful about running in a new area, and I felt an added gratitude for being able to travel to a beautiful place and have the freedom to explore it on foot.  And running while watching the sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico?  Truly breathtaking and awe-inspiring.

My running routes were fairly limited, so I mostly ran out-and-back paths along a beachside highway.  At home I usually run loops, so it was fun to mix things up with the out-and-back routes.  I enjoyed looking at the beautiful beach houses, imagining what it would be like to call such a gorgeous place home.  I saw many people running along the packed sand of the beach, but I wasn't quite so adventurous.  I did, however, venture out to the beach at the end of my last run to get my beach running shoe selfie:

A beach shoe selfie!  Mission completion.

In addition to my three solo runs, I also logged some bonus miles with a few members of my family.  My husband, sister, and brother-in-law are hoping to run a 5k race this fall, so they're building up mileage in preparation.  The humid, muggy Gulf air was not easy on the lungs, but they did great, and I loved having some company at the end of my runs.  Post-run, we cooled off with a dip in our pool - a perfect way to bring the blood pressure down after a good workout.

While I loved vacation and the chance to run while traveling, I am very happy to be home.  Emily and I met up for our usual early morning run this morning, and my feet were glad to be back on our home turf.  Home sweet home :)

I found a little remnant of the beach on my running shoes today.

A little slice of heaven

Paradise

After a few runs with views like this, running at home will never be the same again! A full recap of vacation running to follow, but for now, a glimpse of our scenery is enough. Life is good :)

Happy 4th of July!

Here in the muggy Midwest, I expect to celebrate the 4th of July with grilled hot dogs, cold beer, and buckets of heat and humidity. However, Mother Nature has looked kindly on us this year, and we're celebrating with gorgeous temperatures and a clear blue sky.

Gorgeous blue sky over Francis Park today. 

Happy 4th of July to all of you! I hope your celebrations are full of friends and family, cold drinks and warm hearts. And I hope you are enjoying a view like ours today, too. Life is good. 

Why I Run: To Enjoy Nature

Yet another reason I love running: it gives me a chance to be outside and experience nature.  I love the smell of fresh air, the sound of birds, and the sight of trees, grass, and my neighbors' landscaping.  Running gives me a chance to appreciate all that nature has to offer - or at least as much nature as this urban gal has at her disposal.  I feel more alive when I am outside, and running is my excuse to get out and be part of the world.

Sure, I spend plenty of time playing out in the backyard with my kids or going on neighborhood walks with them, both of which I enjoy immensely.  But running provides a perfect marriage of my love of nature and my need for a small window of personal time.

Innsbrook: beautiful views, killer hills, and a happy mama.

I incorporate parks and shady neighborhoods as much as possible into my daily runs, but my heart is happiest when I run out at Innsbrook.  The heavily wooded area provides home to wildlife well outside of my usual squirrel and bunny variety.  I often find wild turkeys, deer, and turtles, not to mention beetles, dragonflies, and many other flying insects.  When I'm not marveling at the wildlife, I enjoy the deep peacefulness of the woods and the coolness of the deeply shaded paths.  Innsbrook runs make my heart and head happy, and they challenge my quads and glutes with their relentless hills.  Happy heart and strong quads?  Life is good :)

Seen on the Run: Scoreboard Sunrise

Yesterday, I had the luxury of a late-for-me run.  Heading out at 5:45 on this long summer day meant that my entire run was awash in sunlight.  I slogged through many (many, many) cold and dark 5:00am runs this winter, which make me all the more grateful for this summer's sunshine.

While I made a lap around our neighborhood park, I watched the sun rise through the hills and trees, bathing the entire park in its warmth and golden glow.  The view was remarkable, and I debated stopping to take a picture.  But doing so would involve wrestling my iPhone out of my armband and stopping my GPS, not to mention derail my running groove.  So I took a mental note of the scene and moved on.

Life is good.

About a mile from home, however, I noticed the sun coming up over the football scoreboard at our local high school.  Again, I ran on.  But then I thought about my mantra of 2014: "I am here now."  Wherever here is, whenever now is, I'm trying to be truly present in the moment.  By fixating on my pace rather than appreciating the beauty around me, I was missing a chance to be present.

I stopped and retraced my steps to capture the image.  I'm certainly not a photographer and my sweaty fingers on an iPhone camera can only do so much, but I love the stillness of this image: a peaceful world and a day full of possibilities.  Stopping to capture that moment was worth losing a few seconds on my GPS, and I'm glad I have lasting evidence of this morning's beauty.  And evidence that I can pause my go-go-go brain long enough to soak up a moment.

Hello, June!

Yesterday, we spent a beautiful day enjoying some of my favorite parts of summer: playing in the sprinkler, eating a picnic lunch, racing up and down the sidewalk, riding bikes and blowing bubbles, grilling dinner, and watching the rain from the comfort of our screened porch. It was a one in a million day, and we enjoyed it to its fullest. The gorgeous weather had me itching for a run, but I knew my body needed to rest. I did yoga instead, which was refreshing and relaxing.

Playing in the sprinkler: quintessential childhood summer fun!

Today, however, I was raring to lace up and kick off the month of June mother runner-style. Emily and I met hours later than usual (7:15 as opposed to our usual 4:55 date), and we were both thrilled to be running in the sunshine. Of course, the sun meant hotter temperatures, so we included a drinking fountain stop along our route. It was a gorgeous morning, and my heart couldn't have been happier.

It was freeing to head out without a prescribed distance or a drop dead return time. Our weekday runs are squeezed into the tiny window before her husband heads to work, so we're always running against the clock. While we needed to be home today in time for church, the specific timing was much more relaxed and unhurried. What a glorious way to begin the month of June!

Getting Back in the Game

Well, this was certainly a longer pregnant pause than I ever imagined.  In the 18-ish months since I last posted, I gestated and birthed a baby, returned to running, found an amazing running partner, raced a 5k, 10k, and half marathon, and connected with mother runners all over the country thanks to Another Mother Runner and Strava.  Far too much to discuss in a single post...

I've been nagging myself for months to return to this blog, but as the days since my last post increased, so did my stress about posting again.  What could I possibly say after such an absence?  How could I write the most clever and poignant post ever to make the wait totally worthwhile?  An epic post isn't going to happen, so I will settle for owning my absence and moving on.

I could easily blame my lack of posting on being a busy mom of three.  For a long time, my gut response to the question "How have you been?" is to say "Busy but good."  I hate the word busy, and I'm trying to eradicate it from my brain and my vocabulary.  Life is obviously busy, and it always will be.  I want to retrain myself to answer that inquiry with the succinct but powerful mantra, "Life is good."  So I won't tell you that I've been absent because I've been busy.  You are surely busy too, and in spite of busy-ness, we make time for the things that matter to us.  Instead, I've been absent because I've been swept up in life, and life is good.  I'm back, and I will try my hardest to remain here.

Morning fog along Highway 21 in Lesterville

Last weekend, life was good on our annual family trip to Black River Lodge in Lesterville, MO.  I snuck out early Sunday morning for a run and was serenaded by birds and cows as I ran through a veil of fog.  This picture does not do justice to the peacefulness and beauty of the morning, but it was the best my sweaty fingers and the iPhone camera could manage.  The run was certainly not the easiest of my life, at least partially due to the s'more or two that I enjoyed the night before.  Nevertheless, it was lovely and freeing.  Life is good.

Happy Runiversary!

One year ago today, I began my journey as a runner.  It has not always been smooth or pretty, but I am so glad that I've welcomed running into my life.  I am a more balanced person now that I have running as an outlet.  On my morning runs, I can work off pent-up frustration and stress, and that tired, slightly achy feeling in my legs post-run remind me that I took time for myself that day, which is most certainly a good thing.

An anniversary calls for a celebration, right?  And if you ask my kids, no celebration is complete without balloons.

As a wife and mother, I find it very easy to lose myself while tending to everyone else's needs.  Running has helped me find a piece of the world that is just for me.  In those early morning miles, my mind is free to think about anything I wish, as I work to build my muscles, my endurance, my strength.  The sweet smell of pre-dawn air brings a smile to my face and reminds me that life is good.

A Running Trifecta

This morning's run took place early in the morning before the rest of my household was awake.  It felt like a run where all the stars aligned: the temperature was wonderful - low 60s with little humidity, the sun was rising as I set off, and my legs felt great the whole time.  Breathing in the fresh morning air and cruising (almost) effortlessly through my miles definitely started my day on the right foot.  Life is good.

'Nuff said.