You Might Be a Mother Runner If …
It’s summer vacation season, BAMRs, which means you need to make sure the most important pieces of gear make it to your destination. Pack wisely, y’all.
#269: Tina Muir + Amenorrhea — and How It Affects Range of Runners
Sarah and co-host Molly Williams tackle the topic of amenorrhea (the cessation of menstrual periods) with two guests. First up: Retired professional runner Tina Muir, who candidly talks about not having a period for nine (9!!) years. Tina admits she ignored the issue for years—and expresses her frustration that experts had no advice to rectify the problem. Tina shares what it was like being the center of a whirlwind of attention when she stopped running specifically to resume her menstrual cycle and start a family—and why she wanted to make the often hush-hush topic public. Find out what Tina, co-host Molly, and Kate Middleton have in common. Then Molly and Sarah welcome on Jennifer Carlson, M.D., a doctor who studies and treats amenorrhea at Stanford University. Jen explains how amenorrhea is part of the female athlete triad—and how the understanding of the triad has evolved over the years. The good doctor tells what factors, in addition to an energy imbalance, could cause amenorrhea, such as stepping up mileage or running intensity. As she says, “It’s surprising how often you see amenorrhea.” The doctor also suggests steps to take to resume having periods if they’ve stopped.
In the intro, hear how Sarah uncovered 11 pennies on a recent solo run: intrepid–or idiotic?!? The Modcloth-clad twinsies talk about missing each other while Molly has been sidelined with an injury. Conversation with Tina, then Stanford doc, starts at 11:17.
*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!
Dry Martini: Holding Pattern
Even before I started running, I did not care for summer. I loathed it as a high schooler, mostly because I didn’t want the weather to interfere with my wearing of black jeans and flannel shirts; I was a theatre geek, not a cool-arse Goth. I hated summer more when I graduated from college and moved to Texas and then on to Tennessee, both places where summer is about endurance. Now that I live in the northeast, I still dislike it. I do my best to be an adult about the whole season — I don’t throw a tantrum anymore when the air is so thick you can chew it — but June, July, and August are a test of my coping skills.
Hat and tank by the AMR shop; skirt by Skirt Sports; nausea and lightheadedness by Voldesun.
Fortunately, I’m not planning to run a marathon in the fall, like I was last year. I don’t have to run 15+ miles through octogenarian temps and 90 percent humidity. The next race I have on my schedule is the half marathon at Wineglass in Corning, N.Y., in October (where I’m be woman-ing the AMR booth). Training for 13.1 is about as much as have the enthusiasm to do — and even that has been tricky. It’s not the weather that’s getting in the way, it’s my children.
At the Baltimore Museum of Industry, where I launched into a lecture about rotary phones that legit started “Back when I was your age ….”
Not terribly long ago, I realized that my oldest child will be a high school sophomore in September, which means that the window for family bonding trips will be open for only a few more years. She’ll be off to college before we know it — heck, she turned 15 faster than I thought possible — and the time to do some traveling is nigh.
Also: getting out of town during the summer months is a good way to keep the kids occupied when they are driving me nuts by lounging around the house flaunting their idleness. I have issues with idleness, which I know comes as a shock.
For my daughter’s 15th birthday, we went to NYC and the Met Museum. This is what my face looked like the whole time. How can I be old enough to have a 15-year old? The bear remained silent.
Long story short, I haven’t been running nearly as much this summer because we’ve been taking small family trips. The first was to New York City, where we took in art, culture, the Pride parade, and some Chihuly. I didn’t even try to get a run in, because I knew how much walking we’d be doing.
I did find these for my running chart. Why, yes, I do find stickers profoundly motivating, especially when there are cats on them.
Last weekend, we went to a family gathering in Baltimore, where it was easily a billion degrees at 5 a.m. I had two runs on the schedule and did neither of them, despite having packed plenty of gear. While the Inner Harbor beckoned, the air conditioning beckoned harder.
Also while in Baltimore, I shared a Starbucks with Doug Stamper (a.k.a. Michael Kelly). Super nice guy.
This weekend, we’re off to Montreal, which is a 5-ish hour drive from my house. I intend to eat my weight in crepes and hang out with my kids and hubby. At some point, I should get a six mile run in* and will pack the shoes, etc., to do so. We shall see if I choose to make it happen.
Apart from our annual trip to visit friends in New Jersey (where everything is legal and where I have run many times before), this will be the last family jaunt where I don’t push myself to stick to the plan. I’m embracing the languidness of summer and using it as a cushion against how quickly time passes the rest of the year. Or, at least, I’m doing my best to do this.
Which isn’t to say I’m not running at all.
Taken not far from my house at mile 5 on a recent 8-miler. The weather was as close to perfect as you can get in July: 70 degrees and just a little humid.
* If you know of a great route/running group in Montreal, holler!
Where are you all vacationing this summer, BAMRs? And are you getting your runs in?
Ten Tips for Great Running Selfies!
San Antonio’s Samantha Hopkins takes awesome running selfies. We asked for her advice.
I do not consider myself to be a “running selfie” expert but I most certainly fall into the “mother runner with a selfie hobby” category. I believe that if I don’t have a picture of it, it did not happen. Pictures constitute proof that goes beyond my Garmin data. I take photos on most of my runs and share them on STRAVA and Instagram.
Running in Watercolor, Florida, 2016. Phone is propped up on a park bench.
1. No sweaty hands! Wipe your hands off before grabbing your phone. This should have been obvious but I had to learn it the hard way last July. When running through Vicksburg National Military Park on vacation in Mississippi, my hand was too sweaty to firmly grasp my phone when I tried to pull it out of my flip belt. Down it went, cracking the screen. Lesson learned.
What turned out to be an expensive sweaty selfie at Vicksburg
2. Take LOTS of photos, especially when in motion. One of the ten I take might be in focus. On the other hand, blurry can give you the “artistic look” without having to apply a filter or edit the picture.
My son and I at Jon’s Run in May 2017. At first, I preferred the image on the right because we are both in better focus. I ended up posting the image on the left, though, because the picture just spoke to me. It reminds me that my focus can’t always be on myself (work, training, my to-do list). This stage in my son’s life is fleeting and I need to remember to focus on both of my little guys instead of letting distractions get in the way.
My Ironman cousin and I running in Central Park in 2015. I tilted the camera just a bit more in one of the two pictures I took and I was able to get a bit of sky. I find it hard to hold my phone and photograph horizontally when actually running, so 9 out of 10 of my pictures are vertical.
3. Prop your phone up and use your self-timer. Use your water bottle, park bench, or a fire hydrant to hold your phone. I set my self-timer for a ten second delay, then take a burst of ten pictures. With the delay, I can run out a bit to make it appear that I am running in the photo. I tell myself I’m running short intervals while my paparazzi (the phone and the fire hydrant) take my picture. With the burst of ten pictures, there is sure to be one semi-decent photo in the group.
These six were part of two different bursts. My phone was propped up on the fire hydrant (seen in the second picture, recreated). How did I select my favorite? Two things: one showing more of Pickles’ body instead of just his wiggly Boxer butt and one that showed a stronger leg position (preferably flying) on me.
4. Take a video of yourself, if you are self-conscious about running back and forth in front of your phone using your camera’s self-timer. In a video, you can freeze frame and screen shot. This works great for jumping shots but otherwise I think it is too much work to freeze frame videos. I like bursts more.
A freeze frame from a video of me jumping in San Diego, 2015.
5. Cut off your body or your head in the picture? Call it “artistic expression” and post away!
Seagrove, Florida, in July 2016.
6. Vary your background and angle. Do you hold the phone in your left hand and get a background of the street? Switch hands and get a background of flora and fauna or move your left arm to show the other side of you. Do you always hold the phone up over your head and show off your awesome AMR visor? Hold the phone lower and shoot an image from the knees down to get a better view of your new kicks.
For this image, I propped my phone against my water bottle. Rather than just shoes and grass, there is much more to see from this angle. San Diego, 2015.
7. Vary the running pictures that you post on social media. I got into a rut where I posted pictures of just my watch face, showing my completed run and average heart rate during training for the 2016 Marine Corps Marathon. I found them interesting; however, the repetitive pictures of just my watch face were boring.
At the end of a rainy long run in January 2017.
I have a hobby of finding change. I try to mix-up the pictures of the money I find.
8. Use a collage app to post multiple images. Sometimes I end up with more than one image from my run that I want to share on social media, so I use a collage app. Picframe, piccollage, and picmonkey are my favorites. These do a more efficient job in “telling the story” of my run rather than posting multiple pictures on IG that someone has to swipe through.
These images show a bit of the story of our BAMR meet-up run along the San Antonio River with AMR celebrity, Adrienne Martini, when she visited the Alamo City in February 2016.
Here I am at Girls on the Run with my adorable buddy in November 2016. Her goal was to run the 5K in under 30 minutes and I used pictures to get her to focus on fun instead of doubting herself when it got tough in the final mile. When I saw the bubbles being blown on to the course, I sprinted ahead of her and told her to pretend to “swim” through the bubbles. That was my favorite part of the race. She “faked it til she made it” and achieved her sub-30 minute PR!
9. Taking a running selfie during a non-goal race? Watch where the course photographers are. They just may get a shot of you looking less-than-your-best as you work to get your phone ready to take your own picture. I did not purchase this gem.
Austin Half-Marathon, 2017
10. Look to other runners for photographic inspiration. A few runner IG accounts I enjoy are seenonmytrail, kimfrick, fueledbyfrosting, cyndieruns, adventuringrunner, and carleemcdot. Overall, though: practice, practice, practice. I am still learning. Just like we do fartleks, tempo runs, and long slow runs to develop our running skills, give yourself time to develop your “running selfie” photography abilities, too.
All alone in the middle of the Arizona desert, running my first leg of the 2016 Ragnar Del Sol while wearing my favorite Badass Mother Runner visor.
.2 Bonus. It is okay to enjoy your experience while training hard. Finding cool photo ops can help the miles fly by or make “embracing the suck” a little more bearable.
Follow my adventures as a Texas runner, boy mom, and middle school teacher on IG at s.hopkins.runs
Any other advice you’d care to add, BAMRs?
Zooming to ZOOMA: Two BAMRs Train like Mothers
Two BAMRs (and business partners) are in training for ZOOMA Cape Cod using Train Like a Mother plans. We thought the Tribe would enjoy a glimpse into their journey. For this first blog post, Bridget and Heidi interviewed each other about their training plans and race experience.
Bridget is in the orange shirt; Heidi is in green. Both are fabulous.
Bridget Sprague, 41; mother of three, entrepreneur and soon-to-be-Director of Marketing for Revision Energy. Future 10K finisher.
Why did you decide to do this? Did I?
Are you a runner? No. I have been saying my whole life that swimmers aren’t runners and runners aren’t swimmers, and I was a competitive swimmer growing up. I have never liked running. My husband is an ultra-runner, so part of me feels like it’s his sport.
So why are you doing this again? The truth is I’m really unhappy with where I am physically. I’ve let my health slip over the past 10 years (my oldest is 10) by focusing so much on my family. It’s nice to have a goal where someone or something is pushing me. When it comes to exercise, I often start things and don’t finish. I’ve been really struggling lately and one big goal for the year to be healthier and a role model for myself and my kids. I’ve been on one big roller coaster, and every time I say I’m going to do something, something else gets in the way. I just want something to work and I want this to be it.
You’ve got a job (or two), three kids, and a husband training for an Iron Man. How in the world are you going to train for this? Oh, is there training? It’s not just magically going to happen?
But seriously, how are you going to train for this? Billy and I went for a walk and talked about it and he’s incredibly supportive. Together we decided on a plan that puts my health first. Currently, the plan is do Master’s swimming on Tues/Thu mornings and on MWF to run at the gym following the 10K training plan.
What are you most excited about? Everything. I’ve never actually run a race (even though I’ve signed up for a few) but I’ve been to a million. I’ve always cheered on my husband and I love the positive environment around a race. I’m so excited to be part of that. I’m excited about finishing and seeing how it feels. I’m excited to hopefully start a routine that I can stick with beyond this race.
What are you most nervous about? Everything. I’m nervous about training: fitting the training in, nervous about feeling pain, about the possibility of injury. Mostly, I’m nervous about failure.
Where are you at with your training? I’m not. I thought I would be somewhere at this point but I’m at the starting line.
How do you think you’re going to feel when you’re done? I might cry. I hope I feel proud of myself. I hope I feel excited and energized to want to stick with it.
Heidi Bellamente, 39, mother of two, entrepreneur and leadership coach & consultant. Future ½ Marathon Finisher.
Why did you decide to do this? My friend Sarah at Zooma put the hard sell on me. And, honestly, I was ready for it. I need a kick in the pants; I’ve not had a fitness goal for a while and I don’t think I’d do it unless I had a training plan and a support system like I know exists at Zooma and Another Mother Runner.
Are you a runner? Yes. But I don’t look like one or act like one. I’ve been an informal runner since I was in middle school. Never in track or cross country, but just for myself. It took me out of my house, out of my head, let me explore new places on my own. I did some races in my 20s and early 30s but none since I’ve had kids.
How are you going to train for this? I have no idea. I feel like I already squeeze every minute out of every day and I still don’t have enough time for all the things or people I love. I know if I set the intention and I talk with my husband about how it has to happen it will. God forbid I have to get up before 6 a.m. but I think that might have to happen.
What are you most excited about? Being in better shape, hands down. And being able to run more than 6 miles again. There’s something about hitting that mark that just feels so accomplished. I’m also ready for a fitness goal. I like accomplishing the mileage up until the big run (at least I used to) and the feeling of picking up the pace that last minute of the race.
What are you most nervous about? Getting what now feels like an old body to stay healthy through training. Running has just not felt the same since kids. It used to feel effortless. Well, ok, not totally effortless, but easier than it is now. I know the impact of injury and I’m nervous about pulling, straining, tearing, or strangling something.
Where are you at with your training? I can run 4 miles. I can push myself for 5, but am most comfortable doing 3.5. I play indoor soccer for fun and do some weight classes at my gym.
How do you think you’re going to feel when you’re done? Sore and proud.
#268: Best Ways to Utilize a GPS Running Watch
Sarah and co-host Amanda Loudin spend some time talking about GPS running watches – the best ways to utilize one as well as how to prevent becoming overly reliant on numbers on your wrist. Coach Amanda talks about why an “easy run” is different on every single run. The gals reveal the definition of running “naked” – and how often you should be doing it. (!!) Hear how wearing a GPS ruined a race for Coach Amanda, yet how useful she finds them for speedwork. (If that’s your jam.) At the other end of the spectrum: The gals discuss the importance of letting your body dictate pace and using a GPS to keep you honest about going slowly enough. These decades-long runners also impart advice on honing your inner GPS. The topic then prances over to the ideal cadence and whether you should fret about hitting some magic number of steps per minute. Voice Memos from other mother runners are woven into the duo’s slightly subversive conversation.
In the intro, hear about Amanda’s recent Appalachian mission project with her teenage son plus Sarah’s CT visit with her three kids to see her elderly parents. Plus, discover Sarah’s happy place! The meat of the conversation starts at 21:32.
*Try a sample box of 10 (ten!) different KIND Bars for just $10 with free shipping (a $20 value). For details, go to KindSnacks.com/AMR
*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!