Mother’s Day Wishes for You
Happy Mother’s Day! How were your miles?
#260: Melissa Clark of New York Times Talks Running and Cooking
Sarah and co-host Adrienne Martini serve up a delightful conversation with food writer, cookbook author, and New York Times staff reporter Melissa Clark. Melissa admits she took up running to lose weight and now the sport is “an entrenched part” of her life. After three decades of solo running, Melissa shares she’s now eyeing two races—and on the search for a running buddy. The conversation turns to talk of Melissa’s new cookbook, Dinner: Changing the Game, and the “easy, but interesting, recipes for busy people” in it. The gals talk about the similarities between running and cooking, and Melissa gives tips for making dinnertime prep the best part of your day. (For realz!) She offers sage advice for getting out of a dinner rut, as well as how to impart more flavor to the meals you make. At Adrienne’s request, Melissa details a foolproof method for roasting a chicken, which includes the fabulous sentence: “Open your chicken like a book.” The lively conversation wraps with Melissa and Adrienne singing the praises of cooking with an Instant Pot to convince Sarah to debut hers after five months of owning it!
In the intro, hear Adrienne talk about the unique museum she visited for dinner after running the Pittsburgh Half-Marathon and Sarah rave about the PBS program she and BRF/co-host Molly are currently obsessed with!
*Discover the amazing new maternity workouts, as well as stroller sessions, on Aaptiv, the mobile app with coached workouts set to fresh, fun playlists! If your baby-days are behind (or ahead of!) you, tap Aaptiv for workouts focused on running, indoor cycling, elliptical, yoga, strength training, and more. For a free month, sign up at aaptiv.com and enter code AMR30
*If you’re digging our podcasts, we’d be super-grateful if you’d take a minute (because we *know* you have so many to spare!) to write a review on iTunes. Many thanks.
**Also, the quickest way to get our podcasts is to subscribe to the show via iTunes. Clicking this link will automatically download the shows to your iTunes account. It doesn’t get any simpler than that. We’ve also joined the Acast podcast network, download their app to hear our podcast and many others like it!
How We (Foam) Roll
No matter when you read this blog post on May 11, stop and ask yourself: how did I spend National Foam Rolling Day? If your answer is, “By foam rolling, of course!” Congratulations! You know how important a little bit of discomfort can be when it comes to releasing tight muscles and practicing excellent self care!
More alone time on National Foam Rolling Day … or any day.
If your answer is “Why would I do such a thing?,” then we need to have a talk. Foam rolling is a great way to give yourself a little mini-massage — and one that doesn’t require driving anywhere. With a foam roller, you can really work out all of those achy and tight spots that you just can’t quite get to any other way.
We want everyone to celebrate National Foam Rolling Day with us! Our friends at Trigger Point Therapy have a site that can explains all of the whys, hows, and whens of foam rolling. And to get this party rockin’, TP Therapy is having a giveaway on their Facebook page!
This is the prize! Just think of all the rolling you could do.
Here’s what you need to do:
• Head on over to their Facebook Page.
• Let them know your favorite thing about rolling
• Include #
Now go get your roll on!
Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend: PR’s, Love, and Little Donuts
Many good things happened in Pittsburgh this weekend.
I learned the definition of Yinz. (Thanks, Adrienne!)
I learned that the many bridges in Pittsburgh, because of its steel roots, are typically more flat than those in other cities so trains could get over the rivers easily. (Thanks, MK!)
And I learned that little donuts are, quite possibly, the best thing on race morning. (Thanks, Amanda!)
But the weekend wasn’t about me. Pittsburgh was the first Target Race for the Train Like a Mother Club. (Target race: a race where the TLAM coaches and a critical mass of #motherrunners intersect.) A little rain on Saturday morning—and afternoon and evening—wasn’t going to keep us #motherrunners down.
Coach MK and Coach Amanda rallied the troops for the morning shake-out run, while Chalkley, a video producer, shot some footage. (She was around all weekend, gathering material for an AMR ditty.)
Fast forward through some warm showers and lunch, and land at the BAMR Gathering. What it lacked it atmosphere (hello, hotel conference room!), it more than made up for in #BAMR spirit. The badass wall, a relic from our 2015 book tour, made an appearance.
We had an extended Q + A with Coach Amanda and Coach MK; one of the things we talked about was confident posture and attitude while standing in the corral. (Amy Cuddy and her TED talk back this up, btw.)
I challenged people to take a picture of themselves doing the V for Victory pose in the corral, and, naturally, BAMRs didn’t disappoint.
Christine and Jennifer, before taking on 26.2, get ready for some VICTORY in a many strong-as-steelm miles AMR shirt!
Kimberly nails her V before nailing 13.1.
Race morning was a bit crazier than I expected. I saw some runners, like Lauren, twice (yay for tall #motherrunners!), but only had my camera ready for one shot. Marianne and Adrienne, coming across the first flat-ish bridge.
Love the smiles. Not sure what Adrienne is doing with her arms, but she looks happy, so we’ll go with it.
#Motherrunner Lydia at mile 4.5 made signs for all the #BAMRs running. Despite being injured, she runs with heart too.
We had a cheering gang of four—me, Coach Amanda, Chalkley the videographer, and Katy, a #motherrunner who was injured so couldn’t take on her first half-marathon. We had a great time chatting about everything from Brooklyn to babies as we walked down to mile nine, hoping to catch some half-marathoners. The half is pretty spectator friendly, but the marathon course, where we had a few athletes running? Not so much. We needed bikes (or a sense of Pittsburgh direction to be able to ride the T) to get to them.
We thought they’d be tough to get, but then we rounded a corner and magic! A full rack!
Huge shout-out to Katy, in the blue jacket, who not only capably navigated our way around Pittsburgh, but also helped us lock and load the bikes. (Note to self: Next time you want to rent bikes in a city like this, download the app first.) Coach MK would likely be the first of the TLAM Marathoners coming through, so we adjusted our saddles and we were off!
We headed up the course, and got to see all the leaders, which was very cool. (Little did we know we weren’t supposed to be riding on the road. We were soon corrected, and obeyed the marathon riding rules after that.)
We rode up a long, steep hill on Liberty Avenue—a hill that the marathoners were going to cruise down—and planted ourselves at mile 22, ready to cheer on the runners. Then I got a text from Coach MK, saying she had dropped out; she was in Pittsburgh to Race, and the weather and her body didn’t get the memo. I didn’t have any other numbers of racers—I could only track three on my phone via the app—so we cheered a bit, then decided to head back to the finish area to catch any other runners we could.
But wait! Coach Amanda remembered she wanted to stop at Peace, Love and Little Donuts. No argument from Katy or me.
Yum. Maple bacon. I (stupidly) ordered two chocolate sprinkles; I had my kids in my head, not my own taste buds.
We were looking for a place to rerack our bikes, and ran into Cynthia and Lisa. While we had an excellent morning of adventure on our bikes and saw a bunch of Pittsburgh we wouldn’t have seen, it was a bit strange not to see familiar runners a couple times on the course, like we were able to in Philly and Twin Cities.
So I was so glad to get a race report from Cynthia, who nailed her race.
All wins: She PR’ed by more than four minutes and she found a dime on the course (and stopped to pick it up). Next time, we just need her to open her eyes!
Race reports continued to float in over Facebook over the day, More PRs. Great pics. And some this-wasn’t-the-day-I’d-hoped-for sentiments, which is hard to put out there when everybody else seems to be thriving.
Despite us all heading separate directions after the race, the BAMR connection was still running strong. Congrats for the good races, plenty of concern and compassion for the less-than-stellar ones, lots of love all around.
I wouldn’t have expected anything else, Yinz.
(Join us for the other Target Races we have in 2017: Jack and Jill’s Downhill Marathon; Twin Cities Marathon; and the Philadelphia Marathon!)
Room on the Road: Footprints
The trail is all mine, or so it seems. It’s a sunny day, a little chilly, but I’m still surprised by the empty parking lot. It’s not that cold.
I claim one of the six empty parking spaces. Seriously, where is everyone? Looking out over the water I’m tempted to crank up my tunes and enjoy the sunshine from the comfort of my car. If I had a cup of coffee this would be a no brainer.
Resisting temptation, I climb out, only to be greeted with a slap in the face by the wind. This is why the parking lot is empty. That sun is so deceiving.
Facing the mountains, I take a deep breath and claim victory in just showing up and soldiering on, but not without a compromise. I’ll do one lap. If the wind is unbearable I’ll go home.
Setting out on the eerily quiet trail, my thoughts take over. I worry that I’ve missed some important notification like PACK OF WILD WOLVES SPOTTED TEN MINUTES BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL. No such luck. I keep moving forward, still not entirely convinced.
Most days I embrace an empty trail, regarding it a gift from the universe as my own private space. But not today. My mind is racing, wondering why my heart, head and feet can’t cooperate and be at the same place at the same time. Stupid wind. This would be perfect if it wasn’t so windy. Or would it? If it wasn’t windy it would be crowded, no parking spots, super-hot…
Staring at the ground in front of me, I lift one foot and then the other. Trying to motivate myself, run to the next tree, find a pretty rock, just keep moving. Nothing is working, I am mad at the wind. Mad at myself. Where is everyone?
Then I see them, footprints on the trail, so clearly marked that I look around to make sure no one is nearby. Still alone (and still no wolves). Placing my foot in the footprints of a previous runner, I can’t help but feel like a kid following footprints in the sand at the beach.
The footprint is large enough that it leaves a soft outline around the edges of my foot. Grateful for an unexpected guide, I find comfort in following the steps, helping me move forward on the trail.
It doesn’t take long for my mind get back to worry. Now I’m concerned that the footprint path will disappear. I cross my fingers that it will lead me all the way around the lake.
My mind shifts back and forth between thoughts of my son going into high school and friends and family dealing with health challenges. Frustrated with the tangle of worries, I decide to give each footprint one of my troubles.
I look down at the footprint ahead of me, Logan’s transition into high school, I’m giving you my worries for today. I lift my other foot. Family and friends in need of relief, I’m giving you my worries for today. As I move forward with each step I release a worry into the footprints ahead of me.
One by one my mind begins to clear.
I come around the lake and run out of footprints. I’m inspired to go to another loop. I’m on my own now, time to give back to the trail and leave footprints for someone else.
I start thinking about those footprints that brought me around, that kept me focused and provided comfort. My footprints merged with those of a stranger, probably also in search of comfort of some sort.
I look around, so many footprints scattered about the trail — worries and troubles released, happy times celebrated. The trail takes it all, high-fiving my shoe every time I place my foot on the ground: You’ve got this, keep going.
Going two more loops than I had planned, still amazed that I did not pass one person on the trail, I come back to the parking lot to find a woman sitting in her car. I bet she’s wondering should I stay in here and enjoy the warmth of the sun? She gets out, smiles at me, but still seems to be debating about the trail ahead.
I want to tell her it’s not as bad as it looks, you’ll find your way, go get your high-fives, and don’t worry there aren’t any wolves, but she’s here to figure that out for herself.
Instead, I just give her a nod. It’s all yours, friend
p.s. The response to my recent swimming post was unexpected and inspiring, so much so that it made me want to throw away my water wings! Thank you for all your thoughts and I’m glad to know I’m not the only one struggling in the shallow end. I have started a secret Facebook group called Swim Sisters, which is for women who want to learn how to swim and overcome a fear of water. It is a place for us to connect, share and cheer each other on, one wave at a time. If you’d like to join it, please email bamr@anothermotherrunner.com with Swim Sisters in the headline. Thanks!
#259: The Power of Nature
Sarah and co-host Molly talk with Tina Vindum, the founder of Outdoor Fitness dubbed “the original al fresco guru” by The Guardian newspaper, about the powerful impact of being active in the outdoors. The author of Tina Vindum’s Outoor Fitness: Step out of the Gym and into the Best Shape of Your Life, this mom of two talks about the importance of being near the natural world, and the amazing effects it has on both body and mind. She explains why negative ions have a positive effect on mood and health. Find out what “park prescriptions” and “forest bathing” are (you can keep on your running clothes for the latter!). The personal trainer/group fitness instructor (and former pro mountain bike racer!) gives practical advice for trail running, including downhill running tips. She also extols the “beauty” of walking lunges, as well as describing a recent wildflower “safari.” But, first, listen to the nightlife adventures of Molly and Sarah, as well as perhaps the spark for a book called Find Change Like a Mother! (Here’s link to the phenomenal Betty Who.)
*Discover the amazing new maternity workouts, as well as stroller sessions, on Aaptiv, the mobile app with coached workouts set to fresh, fun playlists! If your baby-days are behind (or ahead of!) you, tap Aaptiv for workouts focused on running, indoor cycling, elliptical, yoga, strength training, and more. For a free month, sign up at aaptiv.com and enter code AMR30.
*If you’re digging our podcasts, we’d be super-grateful if you’d take a minute (because we *know* you have so many to spare!) to write a review on iTunes. Many thanks.
**Also, the quickest way to get our podcasts is to subscribe to the show via iTunes. Clicking this link will automatically download the shows to your iTunes account. It doesn’t get any simpler than that. We’ve also joined the Acast podcast network, download their app to hear our podcast and many others like it!