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Winning Body Parts, and Marathon Medal Rack Winners
Take your pick: abs, legs, boobs, even wrists and ankles
What fun to read through responses to this week’s Hump Day Giveaway question about your favorite body part. Women, especially moms, can be so hard on their appearances, so it’s a delight to see the pride we take in our hardworking bodies. Legs were probably the big winner. One mom wrote about hers: “They are long and strong and have carried me places I would have never dreamed!” Within the leg-ladies, there was a subset of women who favor the lower half of their gams. “My calves. 13 years of competitive swimming plus a post-grad life as a marathoner has left me with some bada** calf muscle definition.” Uh, rounding out the top, there was some booty-beauties, like one woman who praised her butt for being able to power her up hills. And at the other end, there are a lot of hardworking feet out there feeling some love.
The top half of mother runners’ bodies aren’t getting ignored, though. One mother typed, “I like the way my shoulders look, wide and strong–as if they were made to insist I stand with confidence.” (Now we just need to pass along that message to our pre-teen daughters, right?) Another mother runner expressed gratitude toward her “shoulders and arms,” saying, “I’ve finally realized if I work on my upper body, I can run faster!”
If you got 'em, flaunt 'em.
The three winners, chosen by random.org, who get their color choice of a Marathon Medal Display Rack from Run Momma Run are:
Dennye: While I still consider most of me a work in progress, I do like my smile, especially as I cross the finish line!
Mindi: My wrists are the only part of me I’ve never thought needed to be changed. Nice and small 
Sarah: Definitely my legs. They have always done everything I’ve asked…despite 16 knee surgeries in the last 10 years. I can still run, even my surgeon agrees! And I’m training for my first half-marathon this May after having my first son in September!! So thankful for great legs.
Thank you all for sharing, and reminding us how strong and beautiful our bodies are. Cheesy, but true. Dennye, Mindi, and Sarah, please email us your last name, color preference for the rack (click to see your four options), and mailing address to runmother at gmail dot com so your rack can get shipped to you. Take pride in displaying your rack–and your hard-earned medals.
Train Like a Mother: Outtake 2
So many options, so little time: you have to get off your feet, right?
And we’re off with round zwei of the Train Like a Mother blurbs from your excellent surveys that couldn’t fit in the book. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, check out the intro to this post.
Take It From A Mother: Have you ever bought something at a race expo and worn it on race day?
“My husband bought me a Bondi Band headband, which was a life-saver since my hair was too short to pull back in a ponytail. Plus, it made me feel sporty on race day, which was encouraging: It was my first race after giving birth.”
—Tyler (can’t run on a treadmill. “Something about it messes with my head.”)
“I bought Yurbuds at the expo before my second half-marathon. Until then, I had never found earphones that would stay in my ears. I love them.”
—Melissa (fears snotrockets in races. “I hate running in someone’s blind spot.”)
Brought to you today by the color orange. And availble for pre-order at Amazon.com.
“At my first marathon, I bought a water belt. I got rid of it halfway through the race because of chafing.”
—Kelly (has been a runner since freshman year of college, eighteen years ago. “Exactly half my life.”)
“Yes: a bra. Somehow I forgot to pack mine and at a 32DDD a bra is a must! Actually, I loved the one I got. I wear it a lot.”
—Amy (her husband says her foam roller makes her moan more than he does. “I think he’s a little jealous.”)
“A visor that says ‘Run, girl, run.’ It held my sequined mouse ears in place for a Disney race.”
—Jill (has severe endometriosis with a “crippling” period and ovulation. “The only reason I can run is because I have a Mirena IUD that prevents me from having my period.”)
“I bought salt capsules at my last half-marathon. I’d never tried them before, so I was kind of worried, but they turned out to be a life saver eight miles into a mountainous course.”
—Betsy (favorite tee: one from the 1991 Willie Nelson “This Ain’t No Picnic” 10K for Farm Aid in Austin. “I didn’t even run the race—it was a gift—and I simply love it.”)
“I bought waist thingy, and it bugged me the whole race.”
—Kristen (wore a cape and knee socks in the Bolder Boulder 10K, which did not bug her. “The PBR [Pabst Blue Ribbon beer] and doughnuts along the course slowed me down, though.”)
“I’m too superstitious to buy anything new for a race.”
—Jill (can’t do podcasts on a run. “Yeah, I’m a 30-something, minivan-driving doctor mama who loves hip hop.”)
“Yes, my SPIbelt. I’m a diabetic so I need to carry a glucose meter on my long races. It was a great investment.”
—Jen (tracks her race times on, “an Excel spreadsheet of course, with the PR’s highlighted.”)
“I bought a badass mother runner shirt at the Philadelphia Marathon. So fun to bond with others wearing it on race day!”
—Heather (Patrick Dempsey on the tube always keeps her on the treadmill longer than she plans)
Have you bought something at the expo before the race and worn it on race day? And how’d it work out for you?
(As always, bonus points in the game of life if you add an extra random fact about your running.)
Follow This Mother!
Maggie, chilling at the aptly-named Inspiration Point, during a trail run.
I knew I loved Maggie Bahnson when I came across a blog entry in which she talked about throwing a tantrum on a trail run with her husband, Fred. The only time I cop an attitude when I sweat is when I’m exercising with Grant. “Part of the reason I did it because he was there, so I had a target for my frustration when I was struggling,” she explains. I totally get that. Anyway, this Santa-Barbara-based mother of two girls, ages 3.5 and 6.5 (“going on 15,” she says), can do way more than gets simply mad at her husband; check her out.
Best recent run: The Santa to the Sea Half-Marathon I did last month. My plan was to just run by feel and not wear a watch or a Garmin; the thought of a PR for this race crossed my mind, but it wasn’t really my goal. I started with the 2-hour pace group but realized within a mile that that was too slow. I caught up to the 1:50 pacer around mile 4 and thought I’d hang with him. It felt like a good pace and I wanted to make sure I didn’t crash too soon before the finish.
Then we came to a hill in the form of a bridge. And I love hills! (Seriously, I do!) I ended up leaving the 1:50 pacer in my dust at the bottom of it. I continued at my pace, which was feeling challenging but not impossible. At mile eight, I spotted another pacer and just tried to keep him within 200m from me. I eventually caught up to him at about mile 10 and I stayed right at his shoulder until mile 12. Then I pulled away and crossed the finish at 1:47:11! PR by 8 minutes!
The fam.
The race was nearly perfect; running without a watch really made me listen to my body and adjust my pace according to how I felt, not according to numbers on my watch. I was pretty proud of my performance in this race, not just physically but mentally.
Functionally single: My husband is a surgical resident, and averages 80 hours/week at work and one day off a week. On his day “off”, he spends some time studying or preparing for conferences. I run on the couple of days my kids are both in school/pre-school. For long runs, I’ve managed to find some incredibly wonderful, loving babysitters. I fully believe taking time to run—and having my kids with a sitter—makes me a better mom and a better person. I need that time to clear my mind, to socialize with my runner friends, and focus on me.
Quick Chicks is derived in part by Stickchix, an art collection by Erin Pearson (stickchix.com)
Are you tough enough? In April, I’m doing the Tough Enough relay, a 65-mile race along the ridge of the Sierra Madre, with four other awesome women whom I met through Team in Training. Our team name is Quick Chicks. We’ll each run 2 legs, which vary from five to nine miles. At the end of the day, we’ll each have run roughly 13 miles total, give or take a mile. It’s a very challenging–but, of course, fun–race. We’ll each run a super intense uphill leg and a leg with a lot of downhill. We have no pressure to finish in a certain time. We’ll just enjoy each other’s company and the scenery for the day.
There is no “I” in team: Team in Training has changed my life! I’ve learned that my running can make a difference in other people’s lives, both by fundraising and by inspiring and helping other participants as they go through their first season of TNT. I was a participant in 2010 and then returned as a Mentor in 2011. As a mentor, I had a group of first-time participants that I supported throughout the season. I offered advice and tips on fundraising and training, and I was their first point of contact when any questions or issues came up for them. This past August, I started working part-time as the Campaign Coordinator; I help with recruiting participants and helping the local teams stay organized and focused.
Maggie + Fred: all smiles on the trail. (Most of the time, anyway.)
And there is no “I” in ask: My best tip for fundraising is don’t be afraid to ask. You’ll be surprised by the responses you get. More people than you realize have had their lives touched by cancer. This post of mine is one amazing example of unexpected generosity.
Be where your feet are: I recently started taking yoga at a Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga studio. My yoga instructor talks a lot about being present, trying new things, accepting myself for who I am. One day she said, “Be where you feet are.” If my feet are on the mat, then I should be present on the mat. If my feet are on a run, be present in that run. I like to think of that phrase when I’m with my kids. So often I’m trying to do a dozen different things when I’m home with the kids. I need to stop myself and remind myself to be present with my kids, to focus on my kids and let the dishes wait.
A birthday week: I’m turning 28 (+6) today. I have a lot of plans for my birthday week: there’s a date night with my husband on one night, dinner and birthday cupcakes with Fred and the girls on my actual birthday, and then on the weekend I have a Happy Hour planned with a number of friends. I’m going all out this year!
Follow Maggie at: A Slice of Wife
Hump Day Giveaway: Nice Rack!
While I'm not this flat, I wouldn't get kicked out of the IBTC (Itty Bitty....)
When I was a teen, I’d look at my sister, who is five years older than I am, and my mother, and think it would be just a matter of time until I got large breasts like they have. I’d look down at my barely handfuls and tell myself to be patient; I’d get up to bounty-size soon enough. It honestly wasn’t until I was about 25 that I looked in the mirror at my barely 36B rack and realized, nope, there were no melons to be had at my fruit stand. I was a runner by that point, so I was grateful to not have a jugs to lug around. On occasion, though, like when I recently attended my brother’s formal wedding and I donned an evening dress, I wonder what it would be like to have bigger breasts. Sigh.
A rack worth showcasing--along with your race bling
I’ve accepted no one will ever tell me, “Nice rack!”…unless I display my race medals on a rack from Run Momma Run, a two-woman company in Eugene, Oregon, founded by ultrarunner/mom of two Laura McClain. Laura has been selling race medal racks for several years, but this month she debuted sassy new colors. (My personal fave, as much for the name as for the color itself, is Chip Time Chocolate.) Personally I never know what to do with my race medals, so they usually end up ditched in a drawer or in my kids’ toy box. I’d be proud to show off one of these racks.
Laura has generously offered us three Marathon Medal Display Racks to give away. We’ll randomly pick the winners from the women who tell us: What is your favorite body part? For me, it’s my long legs. Click the Comments link at the bottom of this blog post (don’t just hit “reply” if you get our posts via email, please), and let us know.
Oh, and as long as I’m telling you about Laura, check out the women’s running retreat she’s hosting May 18-20 in lovely Sister, Oregon. I’m bummed I can’t attend (Dim and I will be in North Carolina at a race expo), in part because she’s holding it at a gorgeous lodge steps from an extensive network of running trails. Check it out, and don’t forget to let us know what part of your body are you most proud of.
Tell Me Tuesday: Layering Lessons for Winter Weather
Oh, we know this well: This photo was taken near where Dimity and I first ran in the snow (alas, not together)
If you’ve read Run Like a Mother, you know that Dimity and I were both introduced to running as a cross-training tool while rowers at Colgate University. The school is in central New York where, during the winter, it snows like it rains here in Portland: every.single.day. Some of my most vivid memories from the collegiate era of my life is of running head-on into driving snow, past open fields that let the wind whip unabated for miles. Somewhere there’s a photo of me pre-run, outfitted in red, wool union suit with gym shorts over that and a hooded sweatshirt (cotton!! Quelle horreur!) on top piled over a tee or two (again, cotton). I shudder at the thought.
Yet, 25+ years later, I’m proud I didn’t let the weather stop me from running. And this weekend on our Facebook page, a lot of mother runners testified to the same: Tami ran a 16-mile race when it hit a “high” of 20 degrees; Tammy did 16-mile training run, solo, in Wisconsin sleet. (Makes me wonder if “Tami/Tammy” means “badass mother runner undeterred by crappy weather” in some language.)
Still, some moms were asking what to wear, like Nicole, who fretted that it was 9 degrees and her winter gear is only rated to about 20 degrees. So I figured it was time for a primer on running in craptastic weather, whether it’s frigid, snowy, or wet.
-Dress like it’s 10 degrees warmer than it really is. Maybe it’s just me and my hot blood, but I despise overheating while I exercise. You should feel chilly, if not almost cold, when you step outside. On my 18-miler this past weekend, my forearms were cold for the first few miles, but I never regretted my choice of a vest instead of a jacket.
-Have escape hatches built in, like a zip neck on your shirt, sleeves that can easily be rolled up, mittens that convert to gloves, arm warmers that can be pushed down or pulled up. My favorite? A Sugoi jacket that converts to a vest. One of the single most versatile garments I own.
-Wear a wicking first layer–and that includes socks and undies (if we haven’t convinced you to go commando yet). Having a sweaty garment stuck to your body, trapped underneath other layers, is a sure-fire ticket to getting chilled and being miserable. Wear a synthetic fabric that’ll pull sweat off your hard-working body and move it toward the outer world.
-If you need an insulation layer, fleece, down, synthetic fill, and wool all make smart choices.
-Go lightweight on your outer layer, unless you favor the terrarium effect. Go for a jacket with lots of zippers and mesh inserts—escape hatches for built-up heat and moisture. I say forego a hood—too much flap-flap-flap when not in use—and opt for a hat instead.
This baaaaaadass sheep knows how to stay warm in the snow.
-Get wooly. No, not suggesting you let your leg hairs grow long enough for insulation. Instead, invest in a wool running top. It’s true what they say about this natural fiber: It keeps you cool when it’s hot, and warm when it’s cold. And it retains heat when it gets wet, as I was reminded when it started raining around Mile 10 of the weekend’s run. Wool socks are a must-have for running outdoors in frigid weather—Dimity loves Balega ones.
-Remember accessories: A fleece beanie really can make the difference being comfortable and miserable. A brimmed running hat is my BRF on rainy days. And lightweight running gloves keep my mitts warm, and then can be stashed in my waistband or held if I get too hot. In colder temps, consider a balaclava to keep your neck toasty and warm the air before you suck it in.
Now your turn to share: What’s your go-to gear in cold or wet weather?
My Trials in Houston
Yep. What I needed to hear.
January 17, 1977: My mom, after giving birth to my little sister, starts bleeding uncontrollably. She is enveloped by the soothing white light that people who come close to death talk about, and makes the conscious choice to stay on earth with her three girls. There will only be three: she has a hysterectomy to stop the bleeding.
January 17, 2012: I am bleeding uncontrollably in the ER of a random hospital in downtown Houston. (I, however, have not given birth.) I have no soothing, reaffirming white light moment; instead, I am just terribly frightened and lonely and can’t stop crying. (I sent SBS home around 11 p.m. on Monday night, since our presentation–the main reason we went to Houston–was on Tuesday morning.)
When I am admitted around 3 a.m. so I can have a blood transfusion, I can’t sleep. Lying in a lumpy hospital bed whose linens smell too flowery sweet, I search “hysterectomy” and “recovery time” on my Blackberry. I am positive I will need to have my uterus out in Houston because there is no way this bleeding will stop otherwise, and I want to know when I can get home. All I want to do is be home.
“I just want to go home,” I barked at Dr. Higgenbotham, the ob/gyn who visited me mid-day Tuesday, when she asked me how I was. I brought out the bitch because I wasn’t sure what else to do to get attention; I asked for a Sprite at 8 a.m., and it didn’t come until 1 p.m. I couldn’t find a call light for the nurse, so I had SBS call the hospital to have a nurse check on me. Three different people came in from housekeeping over the course of four hours to empty the trash, but nobody cleaned the floor where I’d made a mess.
The sweet doc was as awesome as her Seuss-ian Higgenbotham name. “You poor dear,” she said, “I read your chart and felt so sorry for you.” I softened a bit. She started talking to me like I was a friend, not a patient, and acted like she was going to hang out for hours with me. She told me her priority was to get me well enough to get home. Phew.
I mean awesome: Despite having delivered two babies, she went back to her office to get me some meds to slow the bleeding. She knew the hospital didn’t carry them, and she had samples in her office. They expired at the end of December 2011, but she was cool with giving them to me, and I was more than cool taking them.
Awesome again: I have pretty significant fibroids, and she went through all the options for them with me, giving me the scoop on everything from IUD to full uterus a-goner. I asked her what she would do, and she wrote down all the things I needed to ask my Denver doc.
Awesome x 3: Still, I couldn’t think straight and had somebody else’s blood (thankfully) dripping into me and I hadn’t slept in what felt like forever and there were gross stains on the ceiling I had to stare at and I was in downtown Houston and I live in Denver and the bad daytime television made me feel lonelier than ever. “I’m just so alone,” I cried when she asked if I felt better.
“You are not alone,” Higgenbothem replied very matter-of-factly, “This happened for a reason. Maybe we were supposed to meet. Maybe the universe has a plan for you…” and she went on, giving me this speech that I can’t remember very well. But I remember how it made me feel: soothed, reaffirmed, purposeful. Like I was supposed to be in a random Houston hospital on January 17th, 35 years after my mom was in a hospital for a similar reason.
I know that many of you have suffered with fibroids, heavy periods and other lovely feminine uterine-based issues–lucky us!–and this little journey of mine will be yet another way to connect to each other. I’m the more modest one of this pair, so I won’t make you relive how many times I sent SBS out to CVS for more maxipads and super tampons (and peanut M’n'M’s), but I will obviously keep you posted on my progress.
I have a feeling I’ll be starting from square one–yet again–once I am finally able to run again. (The good news is that the fibroids might be contributing to my hamstring problem. Could be the best BOGO ever.)
Sure, I was throwing a major pity party for myself in Houston. Was it justified? Yep. And necessary to cope? Probably. But the party kind of ended when Higgenbothem left. She was right. I might have been physically solitary, but I wasn’t alone. The presentation Sarah gave on Tuesday morning had a line about how female runners travel in packs. Not only was my mom floating around me (and reminding me to use my manners), but our AMR pack kind of grabbed me and lifted me up and reminded me to stay strong and positive. Nothing good comes from negative mental energy; I had to point my toes towards the finish line and concentrate on crossing it.
Don’t quote me, but I’m pretty sure the blood I was given wasn’t type AB, but type BADASS.
Fan Favorites, and the Knickers Winner
Amanda's choice for a running partner, Tina Fey looks game for any new challenge.
What a treat to read through the responses for the runner you’d most like to take a trot with. Lots of fans of Kara Goucher and Joan Benoit Samuelson out there—two amazingly inspiring mother runners. Triathletes were also on a lot of wish-lists, like Stephanie writing, “I’d love to meet either Chrissie Wellington (again, but to really have a conversation with her) or Mirinda Carfrae. Both triathletes, amazing athletes to rival most men. I’d love to hear how they have the mental stamina to put their body through so much.” Ultramarathoner Scott Jurek garnered some “votes,” including Kelly-O-ski’s, who wrote, “Being a vegetarian and constantly having people tell me that I don’t get enough protein to be running as much as I do, he’s a sparking [sic?] example to negate them! He also seems like one of the nicest and humblest guys, despite all that he has accomplished.” Loved Amanda’s pick–Tina Fey. “She’s not a runner, but I’d like a chance to rehabilitate her.”
The list went on and on, and I’m not going to lie: It was incredibly flattering and heartwarming to see Dimity and me as some of your picks. Thank you, you dear mother runners.
Linda B. is going to be kickin' it in these knickers
But random.org spit out a number, and Linda B. is the random winner of the 110% Pink Juggler Knickers. A Kara-lover, she wrote:
“I would love to meet Kara Goucher. Actually all of the runners profiled last week would be awesome to meet.”
So true: Watching the Trials, we got especially excited when one of the profiled moms ran by. (Sadly, Erin Moeller had to drop out early in the race due to a nagging injury.) Under a cloudless, bluebell Texan sky, I yelled at each of them, “This is it; this is your moment in the sun.”
Linda, please email us your last name, knicker size, and mailing address to runmother at gmail dot com so the knickers can get shipped to you. Many happy miles in them, whomever you run with.
Train Like A Mother: Outtake 1
Three of our favorite things: running medals, bikes with streamers (in the kitchen no less) and dora pj's. (From runfastermommy.com)
Over 400 of you badass mother runners took plenty of your precious minutes to fill out the obnoxiously long survey we put together for Train Like a Mother (TLAM). There were so many thoughtful, insightful, funny answers—not that we expected anything less from this tribe—and if space weren’t an issue, we would’ve run about 10,000 more responses. But then TLAM would’ve been a kettlebell, not an orange book you could pull out of your diaper bag or purse to kill time at a park or a piano lesson.
One of SBS’ favorite phrases is “Waste not, want not.” (She tends to proclaim it as we stand in front of the airport security line before chugging 24 ounces of water in less than a minute. Seriously: I would’ve wanted her on my collegiate drinking squad.) I waste water more liberally, but neither one of us are wiling to waste any of your hard work. So as we countdown to the launch of Train Like A Mother in mid-March, every Friday we are going to publish a sidebar that, after much debate, sadly ended up on the cutting room floor.
Take It From A Mother: How do you display your medals?
“I have a [Restoration Hardware] hook in the shape of muscleman next to my bed. I look at it as I fall asleep or wake up, and it reminds me of everything I can accomplish when I put my mind to it.
—Amber (thinking about having a quilt made with her old cotton race tees)
“I store them in my drawer o’spandex.”
—Chandra (hopes to spend some time with a running coach because, “I feel like I bounce too much.”)
Dig this? You can pre-order TLAM on Amazon. (I can't figure out how to link in captions: technically challenged.)
“I don’t. Finish medals, while an accomplishment, are not worth the hassle to dust.”
—Dedra (runs after her girls are in bed because she, “doesn’t want any fingers getting caught in the treadmill”)
“My husband and I accumulate medals, so we donated a bunch to Medals4Mettle [a non-profit that re-gifts the medals to individuals fighting illnesses]. We keep the pretty ones to adorn our Christmas tree as ornaments.”
—Katie (an ultrarunner, who logged 3,256 miles in 2010)
“They hang on the drawer pulls of my nightstand to remind me why I need to get out of bed.”
—Lisa (ran a marathon with a migraine. “I’d rather crawl over the finish line than have a DNF next to my name.”)
“They are in my son’s toy box. When I was younger, I displayed all my bibs, medals, and trophies. Since returning to running after a few years off, I’ve stopped caring about medals.”
—Leslie (ran (and won) her first road race at age 
“They hang from the rear-view mirror of my car. My 3-year-old sees them in the car and asks, ‘Did you run that race? Did you run fast?’ It’s such a boost at the end of a long day to answer, ‘Yes, baby, I did.’”
—Wendy (wants to sign up for every race she hears someone she knows is running)
“I don’t have any yet, but I’m scrapbooking my running bibs.”
—Jenni (favorite race: the Cupcake Race 5K. “Great incentive to run.”)
“We have a big armoire in the kitchen and I hung my first one there as a joke, as in, ‘What if I started hanging all my medals right in the kitchen?’ They’re all there now.”
—Laura (a serial racer, she does at least three 5Ks per month. “But probably more like five or six.”)
“They are all somewhere in the black hole of the toy room. Speaking of medals, when my older son was in 3-year-old preschool, we dug through my race medals for those that were gold and silver colored so he could wear them on ‘gold/silver’ day. All of the other kids were wearing clothes those colors; he was the only one sporting medals. When the teacher saw us walking in she exclaimed ‘Great idea! Are those all your father’s medals?’ I immediately responded, ‘No, they’re mine!’ I am still really put out by her assumption, and think of it nearly every time I see a medal lying around the house.”
—Jennifer (pre-kids she was all about massage therapy. Post-kids? “The best I can do now is have the kids walk on my back.”)
And of course, now we gotta know, how do you display your medals? (Bonus points if you include a random fact about your running with your response.)
Follow This Mother!
Bari inching up to her latest victory
As the mother of twins, I’m a sucker for other mother runners who birthed two kiddos on the same day. Like Bari Fitzpatrick, a 41-year-old mama in Grandville, Mich., with boy-girl twins who are freshman in high school. About a decade ago, Bari lost 50 pounds, then she started running a few years later. Lately some weight has been creeping back on her short-ish frame, but training for a dozen races this year should help her lower the number on the scale.
Best recent run: On New Year’s Eve I headed out for an eight-mile run with my husband. The weather was crazy for west Michigan at the end of December –40’s with no snow in sight. He’s faster than I am, but on that day I smoked him! He only lasted six miles while I had one of my fastest runs at that distance ever. (Yeah, I’m not competitive At.All.) [Editor’s note: Right on, sista!]
Weighting game: In 2003 I found myself 33 years old with 3-year-old twins and horribly out of shape. (I’d never been “thin”–I’d been overweight since junior high.) I joined Weight Watchers and the local YMCA (loved me some double-step!), and I lost 50 pounds over the course of a year. A few years later, my best friend started running 5K’s and I figured, “what the heck.” I ran three 5Ks between May 2006 and May 2007, but then didn’t run again for two years. During those two years, 30 pounds crept back on (it really stinks how that happens). I started running again in 2009 and haven’t looked back. Running, along with the wonderful world of social media, helped me re-lose those 30 pounds. I’ve run 11 races since then, including my first full marathonlast October. Since my marathon, though, I’ve seen 10 pounds find their way back onto my barely 5’3” body, mostly because of crappy eating. I’m working on kicking them back to the curb by ramping up my running, tracking my food, and adding strength training. My 12 planned races in 2012 will help, too.
Bari's before and after shots
Fairy dust: The Tinker Bell Half Marathon (only my 2nd official half) is a definite “bucket list” race for me. I love Disney, and Tink is my girl! Training for Tink has been relaxed compared to previous distance races because I know I can cover the 13.1. The biggest challenge, aside from deciding on my “costume,” has been winter finally showing up! Twelve miles on a treadmill. ’Nuf said.
x2: Life with twins is definitely entertaining! You go from not sleeping for months to not sleeping because you’re driving your children to every activity known to man. I’m blessed with really good, smart kids. I have an athlete (my daughter) and a musician/thespian (my son), so life is full of diving and track meets, marching band competitions, jazz band concerts, and school plays. But I still manage to run three times a week to stay sane.
Rubbing off on the kids: I’m a school Speech-Language Pathologist and race photos and 13.1 & 26.2 stickers clutter my office. I love sharing the pictures with my students, and I convinced a girl to try Girls on the Run last year. Even my sprinter/long-jumper daughter ran her first 5K with me in December! One of these years, I’d love to coach GOTR, if my schedule permits. And I can’t wait to show off my Tinker Bell medal to all my kids.
Fit family for Christmas 2011
Music on my mind: I love music of all kinds and the songs on my playlists are usually there for a reason, whether it be to motivate me, to pick up the pace, to make me laugh, or to remind me of good memories. The funny thing? My playlists are usually on shuffle so I never know what I’m going to get. I rarely run “nekkid” though, but when I do, I’m usually singing in my head to drown out the huffing and puffing.
Best kick-in-pants advice: Low motivation happens to the best of us. Sometimes you need to branch out, so I’m trying something new this year–my first mud run. I’m such a girly-girl that the mud run scares me to death! If you’re in a funk, my best advice is to do what you love but make it fun. Try a new distance or a destination race with friends. Running in a sparkle skirt also helps!
Follow this mother at: www.livelaughrunbreathe.com and on Twitter @barif0815
Hump Day Giveaway: 110% Pink Juggler Knickers
SBS and Dimity cozying up to Bart Yasso last year at Ogden Marathon
Yesterday I had the thrill and honor to speak on a panel at the Running USA annual conference with Bart Yasso. (Alas, Dimity was ill but she was by my side in spirit.) To a room full of race directors, race medal manufacturers, and owners of timing companies, we spoke about what runners want in a race—and what those folks aren’t giving them. Dimity had done a bang-up job preparing a Power Point presentation drawing on scads of insight you—the Another Mother Runner tribe members—had given us, including dozens of responses to questions we’d posed on our Facebook wall. It covered everything from the need for more porta-potties at races, better-fitting shirts, equitable race fees, support for back-of-the-pack runners, the importance of race medals, and more.
It seemed a bit surreal: What was I, a middle-of-the-pack mother runner, doing co-presenting with the Bart Yasso. I’m sure hundreds of you have met Bart at race expos—and knowing Bart, he remembers each and every one of your names. Bart’s official title is Chief Running Officer for Runner’s World magazine, but that’s just a tiny slice what this running-stud is: He’s completed five Ironman triathlons, a Badwater ultramarathon though Death Valley, biked across the country twice, run the Marathon des Sables, run on all seven continents, and about a thousand other super-cool athletic events. And let’s not forget that Bart is the man who devised the marathon-finish-predictor dubbed the Yasso 800s, which tell with shocking accuracy what your marathon finish time should be.
Cute for a cause: the pink ribbon prize
In his racing heyday, Bart finished most races before many of us get to the second aid station, yet he radiates humility and empathy. This is a man who really gets what women runners want—and he wasn’t afraid to tell a roomful of people responsible for some of the country’s top events. I was so grateful for him emphasizing the importance of having more porta-potties at races and for scolding race organizers for not catering to women at expos. It was a thing of beauty to hear him reminding people that since the fairer sex now dominates the field at all races except for marathons and ultras, the expos shouldn’t be literally geared toward men. Bart might be a dude, but he truly “gets” us chicks. A big thanks (and Twitter hashtag, #WomenLoveBart) to him.
And I can’t think of a single transition from my praise of Bart to our giveaway this week, except that 110% is a company that also realizes what’s important to women. This up-and-coming brand is now making Dimity’s favorite compression capris—dotted with strategically located pockets where you slip re-usable ice packs so you can ice immediately post-run while still getting on with mothering duties—in a pink ribbon version. They boast pink stitching, pink ice inserts (love them!), and a pink thermal bag for toting the inserts to a race. A portion ($26.20) of the sale of each $150 pair will be donated to the Donna Foundation.
One winner, chosen at random, will win a pair of 110% Pink Juggler Knickers, generously provided by the company. To be entered to win, click on the Comments link at bottom of this post, and tell us what person in the running community you’d most like to meet. It could be dear Bart Yasso; one of the inspirational women who ran in the Olympic Marathon Trials on Saturday; Anne Audain, who introduced Bart and I at the start of our talk; Olympic legend Carl Lewis, who also gave a talk at the Running USA convention; you name ’em for a chance to win these jammin’ knickers.
