another mother runner

Another Mother Runner Challenge!

Feel free to drag and drop this baby anywhere you want in social media land. Pin it, tweet it, facebook it, blog it. Thanks in advance.

On June 1^st, we’re launching what we hope will be the first of many Another Mother Runner challenges. Why now? Because it’s almost June, the sixth month of the year; have you seen your New Year’s resolution lately? Also, school is getting out, so it may become harder—but sooo much more necessary (hello, patience!)—to find time to exercise. Finally, we thought you needed something else to keep track of. Because we certainly do.

How does the Another Mother Runner Challenge work?
You download this word document (.doc) of the month of June, and write or type in your workouts for at least 5 days of each week. (If that format doesn’t work, here it is in .pdf form as well.) We insist that one day a week be a rest day, and if you’ve raced or are staring down a crazy busy week, two days off is cool as well.

This is what the word .doc looks like. Promise, it won't spam your computer.

Should I fill in the whole month now with workouts?
Ideally, yes. That way, you have to look at your schedule, think through your month, and figure out a way to squeeze around those workout-squashing landmines. But if you have to take it week by week, we get that. Do try to plan in advance though, as there’s something crisply rewarding about having a plan, then getting it done. (Vs. the wishy-washy alternative: What should I do today? Run? Strength Train? Elliptical? Nothing? O.k., nothing wins.)

What if I’m already on a training plan?
Totally fine, especially if you’re on one from Train Like a Mother: How to Get Across Any Finish Line – and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity. Just pencil or type in a month’s worth of workouts from the training plan to the AMR Challenge calendar, and follow along.

Do I have to run?
Nope. You have to move with determination and focus. (Read: Duck, Duck, Goose with your kiddos doesn’t count.) If you’re injured, we don’t want to send you deeper into a hole. Some non-running suggestions: cycling, swimming, pool running, yoga, spinning class, Pilates, P90X, Zumba class, a DVD, strength training routine, push-ups if your bottom half is totally out of commission. You get the idea.

Is there a way to stay accountable?
Glad you asked because actually, there is. AMR Connect, our password-protected forum, is ready and open for chatting, helping, cheering on. Every Wednesday and every Saturday, one of us will post something on the forum to have you check in, so to speak, if you want to. No pressure if you don’t get there, but as we all know, it takes a village to build another mother runner.

Note: if you sign into AMR Connect and don’t get a password, please check your spam.

Can I take the AMR challenge with a pal?
Absolutely. No better way to get your glutes out of bed at 5:15 on a Tuesday morning than to know your BRF is waiting for you. But you both have to have your own calendars and both do all the workouts. But you probably knew that already.

She looks mighty keen on any bumper.

What do I get if I finish the AMR challenge?
What? The strength and fulfillment that comes with a solid month of exercise isn’t enough? Kidding. For this inaugural challenge, we’re offering a free Another Mother Runner bumper sticker to anybody who finishes. We’ll even ship it for free. We’re hoping to up the ante for the next time, but this is a testing, testing, testing round.

How do you know if I’m entered?
Please visit AMR Connect once before June 1st to let us know you’re in.

How do you know if I finished?
You send picture of your finished calendar—either a screen shot from your computer or a shot from your phone or real camera—by Tuesday, July 10th to runmother [at] gmail [dot] com along with your shipping address. We’ll trust you did the work.

Have another question?
Chances are, somebody else has the same one. So post it below in the comments or in the AMR Connect, and we’ll get ‘er answered.

Tags: Another Mother Runner Challenge

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