#371: Weighty Matters Follow-up
Sarah and Dimity re-connect with the four moms who shared their real-life weight and nutrition issues in earlier episodes to see how they are faring. Added into the mix is ultramarathon and nutritionist Stephanie Howe Violett, who offers insight and advice for women training for half- and full marathons. Included in the smorgasbord of topics they cover:
-how to make smart food choices when ravenous post-run
-what to eat for breakfast and dinner before a long run
-proper on-the-go fueling, especially when running for weight maintenance
-hormone treatments for perimenopause
-protein options for picky eaters
-teenage girls and bras (yeah, convo runs the gamut!)
There’s talk of Fourth of July “detritus” in the intro. The broad-ranging weight-loss conversation begins at 12:40.
To get more info about your symptoms and IBS-C, to to OhMyGut.info/podcast
It’s time for a COROS GPS watch: For an extra silicone watch band in the color of your choice, use code MOTHERRUNNER at coros.com
Laugh and learn with #motherrunner Lindsey Hein and weekly guests on her running-related podcast, I’ll Have Another
Dry Martini: Too Much Humidity
As I so eloquently put it on Strava on Saturday after my long run, “90% humidity is just too much humidity.”
It’s too much moisture in the hot, hot air for running with any sense of purpose. The first mile was the best mile — and given how crappy most first miles are, this should tell you how gross the next four miles were. I just keep reminding myself that I’m building mental strength when I run in the dead of summer (and the dead of winter). Soon, my brain will be able to bench press my car.
As it turns out, 90% humidity is also too much humidity for my very strong brain to find a good theme for this week’s column. No one wants to read 800 words about oppressive July days — besides, then we’d just get into a competition about whose weather is worse, even though we all know that mine is.
It’s just too steamy to think. Instead of a coherent and/or moving and/or funny column about this vocation we all share, all my distracted (but strong!) brain can offer are a few disconnected observations.
This is how unfocused I have been: I put dishwashing liquid in the dishwasher. As a friend put it, “You totally Brady Bunched it!” Reader: I totally did.
So many mother runners commented on my “Meaningful Miles” post about Heidi. Her last treatment (should the schedule hold) will be August 14. We’re noodling around with ideas for some kind of virtual group run but nothing has stuck yet. There’s still some time to pull something together, even if we are buying poster board and glitter the night before in true mother runner style.
Because I’m going to run a fast 5K on July 20, Coach put 4 30-second hard-as-you-can intervals on the schedule after my 3-mile easy run. The sidewalk in front of my house one of the few flat sports in the neighborhood, so I took off on the first :30 right after I turned the corner for home. Then I nearly ran headlong into this little guy (or gal).
He took a step back; I took a step back. I could hear him breathing; I imagine he could do the same for me. I decided to go back to running and hoped he wouldn’t leap into me. Instead, he just watched all four intervals as he stood in one spot and ate my neighbor’s shrubs. The deer are confident in my neck of the woods.
Two ultra-runners are sharing their stories and proving that exposing your vulnerabilities makes you stronger. Katie Arnold, who has a column in the New York Times this week, is familiar to the tribe already. She’s been on the pod. Her Running Home: A Memoir one all BAMRs should read, even if you have no dreams of running very far. Arnold reminds us that she isn’t Superwoman — and that the goal of becoming her isn’t a goal worth pursuing.
While Katie feels like a friend, Amelia Boone may not. Boone is best known for kicking serious ass in obstacle racing. She moved into ultras a few years ago and took on the infamous Barkley. On social media, Boone is candid about silly things like her love for Pop Tarts and frustrating things like her continual injuries. This week, she revealed she’d been in treatment for the last few months because of her eating disorder. Her raw and fierce post is a testament to her strength.
Who doesn’t have a giant rooster in their neighborhood?
A local deli/convenience store put this giant rooster out on its front stoop at some point. I nearly hurt myself laughing when I ran past it. Drivers roaring past must have thought I was being attacked by bees. I can’t be the only Bloggess fan, can I? Knock, Knock.
AIIIEEEE!
Part of my summer haze can also be chalked up to working on a round of edits for Somebody’s Gotta Do It, my book (!) that will be out in March. At any given moment, three-quarters of my brain is thinking about chapter titles and commas. The movies make book publishing look so sexy. Sadly, the real process involves sitting along in a room, staring at a screen, and wondering if you ever really knew how the English language works.
On that note, how’s your summer running going? Having a blast? Has it happened so fast?
Mother Runner of the Month, June 2019: Sarah Moore-Noakes
Let’s hear it for sisters that run—or at least talk about running—together: Judith Parish nominated her sister Sarah Moore-Noakes, a 44-year-old mother of two girls (ages 17 and 13) from Neenah, Wisconsin for Mother Runner of the Month.
“Sarah’s the one who got me running,” says Judith, “and I know I’m not the only one. Plus, she coordinates the snacks, the water, the coolers, the Vaseline and band-aids in the back of her hatchback on race day.”
What’s more, Sarah runs despite having a challenging heart condition. “Around the time she turned 40, she discovered she has a genetic heart disorder. She travels with an AED and writes ‘shock me if I’m down’ on the back of all her bibs!”
Sarah in the middle of a marathon relay crew.
I started running: in college to fight off weight gain and for my mental health. It is a story that you hear all the time – the first time I went out for a run, I made it two blocks before I was gasping for air. But after a while, I could run for a couple of miles and felt SO good.
It took me three more years to be able to run 5 miles without stopping. It’s never been easy but it’s always been worth it.
A “formational” activity: Running is something I have to work at and because of that, it’s also been formational. It’s helped me define who I am outside of my work. It’s gotten me through incredible stress and through grief. It helped me get my sense of self back after becoming a mother.
After my children were born, getting out for a run became critical for my mental wellbeing. It’s where I think, work through sticky issues, breathe deeply, get angry, get happy, let go of things, cry, listen to good music, listen to great stories (huge fan of The Moth) and where I don’t have any responsibility for anyone except me.
In Wisconsin: ‘getting out for a run‘ can also mean getting to the basement treadmill.
Race: a four-letter word?: I have never been much of a racer. To date, I’ve run 3 half marathons, 3 relay marathons, and a handful of 5ks.
I started signing up for races so that I’d have something to work toward. I, like many mother runners, like having a training plan that tells me what to do—even if I don’t do it. And, in the beginning, I wondered if I could even run 13.1. (Turns out I can.) But the races really function as a way to structure my running life. Some training cycles focus on strength, some on distance, some on pace (but never very fast).
A life-changing diagnosis: Around the time I turned 40, I was diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome (LQTS). It’s a disturbance of the heart’s electrical system; the name refers to the number of milliseconds between the peak of the Q wave and the peak of the T wave on an EKG.
When you have LQTS, your heart muscle can sometimes take longer (hence the name LONG QT) than normal to recharge between beats and when that happens, the result can be fainting, seizures and/or sudden death. Sometimes the heart can recover on its own, other times it needs to be shocked back into its proper rhythm.
There are 17 known ‘varieties’ of LQTS and each is caused by a slightly different genetic mutation. Mine is one of the more common varieties and can be triggered by stress and exercise, which makes my running life complicated.
Sarah’s adorable bespectacled fam.
“You must quit running.”: I was formally diagnosed three days before I was scheduled to run in a relay marathon. It was one of those moments where everything changed and nothing changed at all.
The first cardiologist, who was not a specialist in LQTS, said, “You must quit running.” To which I responded, “I don’t think so.” I then convinced him that I would actually be safer on the race course—an incredibly well organized, well supported local marathon where lots of EMTs and AEDs would be present—than anywhere else that weekend.
Running that race and not dying got me over a huge mental obstacle. But I’d be lying if I said I don’t still think about it all the time and make all sorts of mental calculations about my runs.
SHOCK ME: I’m now under the care of a LQTS specialist at Mayo Clinic and have worked out appropriate risk-taking for my condition. I’m asymptomatic (which is pretty common) but I still take precautions. I wear a medical ID bracelet that says, CALL 911 and SHOCK ME.
I run where there will be people: no isolated trail runs or running in dark early in the morning. I take a medication and am incredibly careful about hydration and electrolyte replacements as both can affect the electrical system of the heart.
We own an AED and we take it with us when we go places that may not have an AED on site. And I don’t push it when I’m running. Full stop.
ISO Running + LQTS Info: I’ve never met any other runners who have LQTS. There are Facebook forums (of course! Isn’t there a FB forum for every possible topic?) but until recently, if you were diagnosed with Long QT, the medical recommendation was to cease and desist any significant physical activity. That’s changing as researchers understand more about the condition and the nuances of the risk.
(If you’re a runner with LQTS or know one, please reach out to us and we’ll put you in touch with Sarah.)
A non-running selfie? (Not sure we can condone such pictures.)
BRS love: What can I say about my sister Judith? We’re tight. We have run a couple of the same races and run on relay teams together but we live a couple hours apart and are both incredibly busy working mothers with kids and spouses so we don’t even see each other all that much. We talk all.the.time though.
But more than that, she’s the one I want on my side no matter what. She’s 10 steps ahead of everyone else, the first one up and the last one to go to bed. She is gracious and generous and never forgets the punchlines to all our inside jokes.
And throughout this whole ordeal of diagnoses and coming to terms with the new normal, she’s been a steady presence, letting me vent, pout, and complain and then asking me about my run and listening to the good, the bad, and the ugly as only a BRS (best running sister) can.
Two words that describe my running: life-giving and fraught.
I really do think running has made my life immeasurably better: it keeps me fit and sane but the not knowing if running might someday have disastrous consequences is hard.
Dream race: Any race I’m traveling to with my sister.
Best post-run meal: Chicken burrito with black beans and salsa verde.
Favorite piece of gear: Balega socks. They are the one thing I wear every single run no matter what.
Advice for somebody who has had a massive detour thrown into her running journey: Lean on your people (friends, coaches, medical professionals, family, therapists, BRFs). Be angry, grieve, learn as much as you can, recalibrate, lean on your people some more. The new normal comes eventually.
Sarah will be entered into a (very small) lottery with the other Mother Runners of the Month in 2019 to win a free registration to an AMR Retreat in 2020.
(Read: 1 in 11 odds!)
Know somebody (it may be yourself!) that is deserving of the Mother Runner of the Month title?
Submit a nomination!
Ragnar Trail Los Coyotes: Meet the Another Mother Runner Team!
We are happy to announce the eight runners (seven spots + one alternate) who will join captain + coach Jenn Gill at Ragnar Los Coyotes on November 9-10.
Thank you to all who entered the contest; we loved reading all the essays and putting together a team that will maximize teamwork, laughter and miles on the trails.
Congrats, BAMRS! Enjoy the training and your adventure!
Amy Rieke
31 years old (I’ll be 32 in a couple weeks; thanks for the best birthday present ever!); Inver Grove Heights, MN
I became a mom when I was young-ish (24). Since then, as an introvert living a couple hours away from where I grew up, I have struggled forming strong friendships. When I was 29, I began running and my world opened up to the wonderful, welcoming running community. However, I still tend to view this community from a distance. On Facebook, I say I am interested in the weekly night run at the local running store and I went so far as to get a Parkrun barcode but I have yet to actually attend any of these events.
Two and a half years into my new running lifestyle, I feel I’m missing out on a big chunk of what running has to offer me. It is time to push myself out of my social comfort zone!
Jen Smith
39 years old; Louisville, CO
In 2013-2014, in the span of a just over a year, I had a baby, quit my job, was diagnosed with cancer. I popped out the other end of six months of chemo physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. I was cancer free but had lost my sense of self.Before baby, I had casually flirted with running. I completed a half marathon or two but with little sense of commitment. However, our house backs up to a recreational path and all day long I watch runners and bikers pass by.
The second time around, I latched onto running with a fervor. It filled a void that I hadn’t even realized was there…Last fall, I completed my first marathon: Marine Corps! In honor of completing that race, and in honor of the journey yet to come, I got my first tattoo…
Jamie Merritt
31 years old; Wentzville, MO
I have a wonderful life being a dietitian for the nutrition program in a rural school district in Missouri. However, the summer has left me feeling a little low. I dedicate a lot of my time to my job, often sacrificing my personal life. I am very single—I am, however, the mom to a beautiful 5 year old Britney Spaniel Pitbull Mix, who I rescued 4 years ago—and the realization that I am over 30 and not married has hit me very hard.
I watched my best friend, sister, and running buddy, fall in love and get married this past month. (IT WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE WORLD!) As I see her and her husband on their honeymoon, I started to realize I need to start doing things that make me happy. My parents suggested that I come up with a “bucket list” to help me separate my work life from my personal life. The number one thing that makes me happy is, of course, running.
Katie Carstens
33 years old; Westlake, OH
245 days. That’s the number of days this mama has currently been running consecutively.Last year on November 13 (my 33rd birthday), I decided that I would run at least a mile every day for the next year. Prior to having kids, I was a casual runner.
After having 2 kids in the past 4 years, I wanted to try and find the balance of time for myself during motherhood; that’s why I given myself the gift of at least a mile every day. So far I have run through multiple ear infections, potty training, several date nights, logged miles in multiple states and completed my first 25k. It’s provided me an outlet, not an outlet to get away from being a mom during my miles, but an outlet to become the mom that I envision, and also to embrace the one that I already am.
This Ragnar race happens to fall 2 days before I hit 365 days, and I truly believe it’s the perfect way to cap off my running streak.
Joelle (Jojo) B. (with dog and husband)
29 years old; Grand Canyon, AZ
I would love to run this Ragnar race to be part of an all-women running team and complete a shared goal of finishing together. It might sound strange, but the opportunity to run with other women would be so unique and such an amazing novelty. I work as a federal law enforcement officer, a VERY male dominated profession and mostly spend the majority of my day around men. The opportunity to do an event like Ragnar as a fiercely female BAMR team would be undoubtedly a memory of a lifetime.
Heather Valentino
39 years old; Willoughby, OH
Over the last few years, I have been working on figuring out who I am. My husband of 12 years, and I divorced. My kids were 5 ½ years old and 6 months old. I had just gone back to work full time and now was balancing a career, two children all as a solo parent. To get “me” time I began running on the treadmill after the kids went to bed since the kids didn’t visit their dad.
Fast forward four years and the kids began spending holiday breaks with their dad. The first time they were gone, I sat at home for days, feeling lost. he next holiday break, I traveled to a half marathon race and my love for destination races was born.
Due to being a solo parent, I don’t have the ability to attend races with my local running group or participate in group runs most months. However, my ex-mother-in-law now provides me one weekend a quarter to have a “me” weekend.
Julie Hollis
34 years old; Pearland, Texas
Julie HollisI fell in love with running while on my college rowing team. Then I got hooked on races—and earning race bling—when I decided to run a half marathon just before my wedding in 2005, and I have had a love/hate relationship with running for 13 years now.
Over the years, I have learned to use running as one of my outlets for my severe anxiety. I have also used running as one of my favorite tools to help me lose 70 pounds and reach a happy weight. I even have my husband addicted to running now (even though he really likes the treadmill while I love hot, sticky, sweaty Texas summer runs).
I have also signed up for my first full marathon in March of 2019, so I have been looking for a race to run this fall. My current life goal is to earn 40 medals before I turn 40 and I would love to add a beautifu Ragnar medal to my collection.
Brandi Bell (our alternate)
45; Midland, TX
Last December, I finished my first marathon: San Antonio Rock n Roll. During my training, I was involved in the Route 91 Shooting in Vegas, which almost ended my training. I was scared I would not be able to be in a large crowd, in a downtown setting, with loud music playing just two months following the event.
But running became my therapy. I have a great group of running buddies and they were all really good about getting me out on the pavement and running to work through my fears. I was able to complete my first marathon and I am thankful I was able to use running to deal with a tragic situation in a positive manner.
I am coming up on the one-year anniversary of that event. I have been looking into doing some sort of race to work through what I know will be an emotional revisiting of events. While Ragnar is a month after that anniversary, I just think it will be a great event to focus on and again use running to work through all those emotions.