How to Plan a Christmas Light Run
Pictures of BAMRs on Christmas light runs keep popping up in our Instagram feed. Donning a little jingle and jangle, then running through the neighborhoods with the best festive show looks like so much fun — but we needed some guidance. So we asked around. Whether you’re an old pro or a planning newbie, you’ll find some tips here.
Alana is in the glowing tutu.
Alana Erin I am the planner and this year will be our third annual holiday lights run! It’s pretty simple, I just pick a date and make a Facebook event. It’s a 4-ish mile route. I provide a printed map and there are 4 houses with major displays. We stop to oooh and aahhh, snap some pics, and move on. We dress festively (light up tutus, jingle bells) and one person even played holiday music out loud on their phone. I organized this a few years ago out of selfishness: I love holiday light displays and thought what an awesome way to go see them. Last year we requested donations for a local food pantry and it was a total success!
Darci takes in the lights.
Darci Shaw A small group from our run club went out last night! It was a 45-minute run through the lights ending with drinks after. Nothing fancy but tons of fun!
Kristen and the S.W.I.F.T. group.
Kristen Kelly Liebsch We started in 2013, when a few of us just decided to go out and run and see the lights. Our destinations were determined by where in town we knew were the best decorations. S.W.I.F.T. (Strong Women in Fitness Together) caught wind of it and asked me to plan one for the following year and make it official.
For 2014, we had to corral a few official run leaders to handle the routes and crowd: we offered it as all-inclusive so there were three distances and all paces from walk to walk-run to run were accommodated. I mapped out three routes, established the best meeting place — we all left from the clock in our village — then we returned to a local establishment for post-run festivities. It has become a yearly tradition.
We have determined that it is best to do it on a midweek night starting at 8. Everyone is encouraged to wear festive attire. We double check who does and does not have nighttime running gear and we team up to share. This year, I will dust off my Halloween costume the Leg Lamp, which is my nickname in this loverly running group, and run in that!
No, this isn’t holiday themed. It’s just an awesome picture of Tina.
Tina Mickelson I make a local Facebook event, and tag or call get my friends involved. I plan a loop route with stops so the slower runners can keep up. encourage the runners to wear fun hats, bells, and lights to “Christmas up” their outfits! At the end, we meet at a coffee shop or have cookies and hot cocoa in the back of a car ready to drink.
And, finally, a run that isn’t planned by another mother runner but does definitely include one of our favorite parenting moments: embarrassing our teenagers.
These balls won’t run themselves.
Jennifer Pope Edwards I don’t plan one, but I participate in The Running of the Balls in Greensboro, N.C. The run goes through a beautiful neighborhood that hangs lighted balls in the trees. My 14-year old son runs it with me and enjoys the double entendre!
Move of the Month: Speed Skater
Welcome back to Move of the Month.
Each month, we showcase (interesting, fun) move from an expert Train Like a Mother Coach that most runners can easily add to their routine to make their bodies more prepared for the miles.
This month, we’re hitting the trails (kind of) with Ultra Coach Stephanie Howe Violett. In addition to coaching the 50k and 50-mile programs in the Train Like a Mother Club, Stephanie is a crazy accomplished elite trail runner and holds a PhD in exercise science and nutrition.
Coach Stephanie demonstrates the Speed Skater; her version emphasizes hip stability and balance, as well as glute strength.
(Miss last month’s Dead Bug with Swiss Ball? )
A few pointers from Coach Stephanie:
First: Be sure your leg is in alignment (hip over knee over ankle) when you start. When you land, you should also check that it is aligned.
Two: Land each stride and hold the position, keeping your hips level. This isn’t a speed move; it’s a control, balance, and stability move.
Do this move two to three times each week; Coach Stephanie recommends starting one set, 10-15 second set of skaters, and working up, set-wise, from there.
#290: Striving for Big Goals!
Coach Amanda Steps in a Holiday Hole
Train Like a Mother Club Coach and Another Mother Runner Podcast Host Amanda Loudin finds herself in a holiday hole. Literally.
A decade or so ago, I began a long streak of injuries, seemingly one after the other. It was frustrating, heartbreaking, and maddening. I finally landed on a wise PT who helped me break that streak; however, and with lots of dedication to strength work and pre-hab, I have been injury free for more than three years. When I say that, it doesn’t include taking a week or two off here or there to nip something in the bud, but for the most part, it’s been a good run (pun intended).
So it was incredibly disheartening to me 11 days ago when out on a run, I stepped into a hole, badly spraining my ankle. My first, immediate issue was getting home. I was about a mile out, but could not even consider walking that far on my rapidly swelling ankle. I don’t carry a phone with me, so I had no way to reach out to anyone. I had no option but to sit on the side of the road, waiting for a good Samaritan.
The first potential ride came in the form of an older gentleman who encouraged me to hop into his car. I asked if instead he had a phone I could use, and when he told me he couldn’t find it, I decided I’d wait in the cold mud for another prospect. Soon, a nice lady came walking along, phone in hand.
Amanda’s ankle: Day One
Issue number two: who to call? My husband was out of town. It was 9 a.m. on a Thursday, so none of my friends would be home and, besides that, I no longer know anyone’s phone numbers. (Sidenote: does anyone these days?) But as luck would have it, I was not only a mile from home but a mile from my PT’s office. I could look a business number up and call.
So I dialed my PT and he picked me up, taking me directly back to his office for treatment. He estimated I would be looking at two to three weeks off of running. I believed him at the time, but as the day wore on and the swelling and discoloring increased, I became skeptical.
On my PT’s orders, I didn’t do much but sit with my foot elevated for about three days, with a little dorsi- and plantar-flexion thrown in to keep the ankle mobility intact. I avoided ibuprofen to allow my body’s inflammatory process kick in, knowing this was the speediest path to healing. On the fourth day, I was able to drive to a soccer tournament about an hour away and catch my son’s game.
Since then, I have progressed at an amazing rate. At a week in, I hit the pool and took the dog for a mile walk. Nine days after the sprain, I was able to do a CrossFit work out at my PT’s gym, with some modifications. Joining others and getting my heart rate up again was the mood boost I needed.
Amanda’s ankle: Day Seven
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel — I think my PT was right and that I will be back to running sooner rather than later. While suffering an injury initially took me back to a dark mental place, being able to see daily progress has made this one much, much easier to take than those I dealt with in the past.
Injuries suck, there is no two ways about it. But with the exception of acute injuries like an ankle sprain, there really is a great deal we can do to avoid them. There’s also a right way and a wrong way to recover from them — and following a trusted practitioner’s advice wins every time. I won’t run a day earlier than my PT’s recommendation, but I’m confidant that will be soon thanks to his guidance.
I wish you all an injury free holiday season!
Knit and Run
Patricia Marik’s mother and grandmother taught her to knit but it didn’t really stick until she was out of graduate school. And it was graduate school that made training for a marathon into a great distraction from stress. Since then, both have been an avenue for forming new friendships with both runners and knitters and knitters who run.
Because there are a few running knitters (or knitting runners) out in AMR land, Patricia’s most recent project — a scarf that documents her training runs for her first ultra — will catch your attention.
Patricia managed the impossible: a great mid-course official race photo.
Is this your first ultra?
Yup, this was my first ultra. Running an ultra had always been a “someday” goal that I wasn’t sure I’d ever actually be able to do. Over the last three years I’ve connected with a great workout group full of the most supportive people you’ll ever meet (November Project Milwaukee) who somehow made this back-of-the-packer think that she could actually tackle this distance. I also found the idea of taking on something that I wasn’t sure I could do strangely appealing. My sister (the most BAMR chick I know!) had used the Train Like a Mother Programs in the past (and continues to use them!) and, when she learned that they were rolling out their first Ultra program, suggested that I check it out.
Scarf in progress
How did you get the idea to knit a scarf to commemorate your training?
I was working on a “temperature blanket” for a friend’s baby — you knit one row a day with the color of yarn that corresponded to the temperature that day — and realized something similar could be a fun way commemorate my training — knitting a row for each mile I ran in my training and for the race. I knew I wanted to alternate colors for each training run and have a separate color for the rows of the actual race. I went to my local yarn store and picked the colors that I liked the best (black, white and grey for my training runs and green for the 31 rows of the race).
I had a pattern for the scarf but used my mileage to dictate when I changed colors (eg: if I ran 3 miles on one day and 5 the next, I’d do 3 rows of white, then 5 rows of grey and so on). It unfortunately is not done yet. My holiday knitting has taken over for now! I can’t wait to finish and wear it and I look forward to knitting the green! It will look like a regular scarf to others but will have much more meaning for me. Plus, let’s be honest, anyone who comments on my scarf will likely get the full story behind it!
How did the race go for you? Hard? Easy? About what you’d expected?
The race was everything and nothing like I expected! My training went really well and I felt as ready as I could be on race day. I was more prepared than I’ve ever felt for any other race both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, my race took place during a fall heat wave. Race day was a high of 88 degrees with a bright sun and not a cloud in the sky. Totally unexpected for the middle of September in Wisconsin!
My race had miles and miles (and miles!) that were on open trails, without any shade at all. I felt great for the first 10 miles, which were all in the shaded woods, but once I hit the more open areas I found my pace slowing to a walk and, at times, a crawl! Leaving each aid station felt nearly impossible. The volunteers were so lovely that I just wanted to stay and hang out with them plus they had an unending supply of ice and every aid station had the option of an air conditioned ride to the finish.
Several significant things and people got me to the finish line. One of my very good friends who currently lives a 6.5 hour drive away surprised me at the starting line. I kept telling myself that she didn’t drive all that way to watch me DNF. I literally found myself saying that out loud to myself on the trail! I also thought about the less-than-perfect races Coach Stephanie had during our training cycle and how she got through them. Finally, I knew that I had a whole group of friends waiting at the finish line for me, including one who I knew had one of my favorite IPA’s waiting on ice for me, which was something else I reminded myself about out loud on the trail!
Patricia, a cooler of ice, and her IPA.
Congrats to Patricia!
Have any other mother runners commemorated training with a craft project?
How many of you are now plotting your own “run scarf?”
Another Mother Runner: General
AMR Takes on RAGNAR Alafia
Ragnar Village
Friday night took a turn weather-wise and we were hit with some pretty bad thunderstorms. The relay was put on pause for about four hours due to lightening. We took this as an opportunity to get some sleep and just hunkered down in our tents. Thankfully, we were able to start again around 4 a.m.
Jenn and Betsy survived the storm!
While the worst of the weather was over around sunrise Saturday morning, our nerves were a little frayed. We still had a lot of running to do!
Melissa and Amy want off this crazy ride!
With the rain delay, we were worried we wouldn’t be able to finish all of our legs. Thankfully, the race organizers let teams begin to double up their runners so all the teams could finish on time. So many of us were able to run together in our final runs.
Jenn and Heather getting it done!
When the last group of runners set out to finish the last loop, they were in for a sight. As the trail took them by the water, there just so happened to be an alligator! Needless to say, our girls were shocked to see it. We had been obsessing about seeing one for weeks and didn’t believe we would. We were wrong!
Amy, Dana, and Melissa were quite freaked at the sights and sounds of the gator!
Can you see her?
And there you have it! Eight women came together and had a weekend they won’t soon forget. We started out as strangers but left as sole sisters!
We are Ragnarians!
