August 2020

A Road Runner Takes to Trail Running

By Pamela Harris, who wrote about training for her first marathon

It probably sounds counterintuitive because I work out six days a week, but I consider myself a fundamentally lazy athlete. If I can’t access a workout directly outside my door–or inside my door for trainer rides–it’s probably not going to happen.

I’d like to attribute it to a busy lifestyle that includes working full-time from home and parenting in a pandemic, but I know myself better than to falsely attribute my location inertia to efficiency.

I live in an urban neighborhood, and the road is right outside my door. With the exception of some unpaved paths in parks that cover less ground than a city block, I don’t have any trails within easy weekday distance of said door. And so, despite drooling over social media images of fellow BAMRs taking to the trails, I’ve always stuck to the road–until our recent family vacation at Hard Labor Creek State Park.

It just so happened that there are two mile-long hiking trails adjacent to the miniature golf course near our cottage. While my family hit some balls around the empty greens, I took to the trails.

Oh. My. Gosh. Trails, y’all. TRAILS. I stepped into the canopy and the rest of the world literally disappeared. It was just me, the trees, the wildlife, and all those lovely roots and trees dotting the winding path.

Yes, the views were breathtaking, and I felt solitary enough to cop a squat off the trail, but it was the uneven, injury-inviting ground that earned my undying love.

I adore running on the roads, especially on the downhills, when I let go and let gravity, easily hitting speeds impossible otherwise. That comparison, though, is always in the back of my mind. On the roads, I run on autopilot, listening to podcasts, music, or my own mind.

I have no idea how technical those little trails I ran are, but to a road runner, they felt like a 12 out of 10. I channeled my inner mountain goat: leaping, dodging, weaving, and thanking all that is holy for the work I’ve done strengthening my stabilizers. I couldn’t take my mind off goat mode without risking injury.

A mountain goat does not worry about her pace, or the global pandemic. A goat doesn’t fret about how she can possibly handle virtual schooling of her first-grader, or the uninvited preschooler likely popping in.

No, a mountain goat just runs.

Trails: Have you tried them? If so, are you a mountain goat at heart?

#429: Stress Management Advice from a Psychologist

Sarah and Dimity explore the downs—and ups—of stress with clinical psychologist Chloe Carmichael, Ph.D., the author of the upcoming book Nervous Energy: Harness the Gift of Anxiety for Success. Dr. Chloe offers (free!) advice on how to:

  • deal with uncertainty, especially during the pandemic;
  • quiet your thoughts and fall asleep;
  • know when it might be time for a break from your running (or your motherhood!) routine;
  • select a professional for virtual therapy (and when you should); and,
  • go for a run with your mind!

Nuun-drinking game? Chug every time you hear the phrase “high functioning!” Dr. Chloe hops on at 12:58.

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Ear Joy: Our Favorite Summer Podcasts

Mother runners love a podcast. Spending a run (or a car trip or just a few minutes of downtime) hanging out with some stories in our ears is just what we need to reset our brains and take on the day’s next challenge. So much has the potential to bring us down right now that this month is a good time to focus on the pods that have brought us joy.

“Joy” is one of those words that mean something different for everyone. My joy is sparked by a host who clearly loves the story she’s telling you, which is why I was thrilled that a new season of Lauren Ober’s Spectacular Failures just dropped. Rather than dryly recount all of the mistakes that went into the ultimate failure of, say, Schlitz or Kodak, Ober talks to you like she’s your best girlfriend telling a dishy story. The new season even includes a cooking segment — Ober is talking about Blue Apron — and you feel like you are at the table with her, eating pasta and reveling in her delight about the story she wants to tell you. —Adrienne

In the market for some more pod joy? Read on.

Nope, The History Chicks is not the history class you sat through at school. This show introduces subscribers to real and fictional female characters in history. Hosts Beckett Graham and Susan Vollenweider dive into the lives of every episode’s subjects, looking into their challenges, successes, and any other juicy tidbits they can find. For fans of The Crown, there are two Wallis Simpson episodes. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Coco Chanel, and Pocahontas are just a few of the other women who have been covered in the past. And unlike what we’ve been taught in our history classes, these episodes dive into the real women and the real stories. I learn something new every day. You know, so I can add even more random trivia to my brain to impress (or annoy) my dinner guests with when we can have dinner guests again! —Maggie, social media maven

I am a sucker for any sports-related story, especially one with lots of great reporting. The ESPN 30 for 30 podcast called Heavy Medals, which goes deep into decades of Olympic gymnastics (Mary Lou! Carly Phillips! Simone Biles!) and Coach Bela Karolyi, has me walking the dogs multiple times a day just so I can binge listen. Spoiler alert: He’s not the hugging teddy bear he often is portrayed as on NBC Sports.—Dimity
I have one moment to share. On Finding Mastery, Blake Mycoskie, founder of Toms, shared the best piece of advice he’s ever gotten: “The more you give, the more you live.”  As a business owner, spouse, parent, coach, I can’t agree more. The more you guide your actions from a place of generosity, the more that comes back to you. —Coach Liz
From the fitness end, I have been enjoying:  BE with Champions by Greg Bennett, a triathlete. He interviews a range of athletes at the top of their sport from Ironman triathletes to runners to Formula 1 Drivers.  —Coach Jen

True crime podcasts are getting too sudsy (or idiotic!) and overproduced for my tastes, yet I still like intrigue served up with a few plot twists. Here two well-done podcasts fit the bill: Wind of Change, which explores a rumor (or fact?!) about whether the CIA wrote The Scorpions’ anthem, “Wind of Change,” in order to help bring down Communist regimes. (Honestly: It’s intriguing, and I dare you to not play the song 100x during the course of enjoying the podcast!) The other is American Skyjacker, the intriguing tale of a daring man during America’s “Golden Age of Hijacking.”—Sarah

#428: Running and Breastfeeding

Sarah and Molly talk to a trio of women who know all about breastfeeding babes: a lactation expert; former elite runner Tina Muir; and a “regular” mother runner. They share:

  • how to set yourself up for a “stellar” breastfeeding experience;
  • loads of bra-fitting and bra-buying advice;
  • nutrition and hydration pointers; and,
  • advice on juggling feeding sessions + workouts.

Sarah and Molly chitchat about swimming and Sarah’s upcoming family vacation before the first guest joins at 14:01.

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Running Through It: Adoption Day and Beyond

“This picture cracks me up,” says Tish, “We’re both like, OMG, what just happened?” (And note: her Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon shirt…)

When you fly nearly 8,000 miles to adopt a baby, you’re given a laundry list of items to pack: diapers, wipes, onesies, tiny socks, blanket, formula (milk-based and soy—who know if she’s allergic?), bibs, bottles, medicine, toys, snacks. And that’s just for the baby! Oh, and on international flights, your overloaded suitcase can’t weigh more than 50 pounds. When the suitcase got to 48 pounds, I added running shorts, shirt, bra.

When we landed in Guangzhou 15 years ago at nearly 11:00 at night, it was 92 degrees and so humid you could see droplets hanging in the air.

We collapsed in our hotel bed but jolted awake a few hours later because jet-lag and you know adopting a baby that very same day!

Then-husband was lacing up his sneakers. “Where are you going?” I asked. “The gym isn’t open yet.”

Said he: “I’m going for a run.”

At 4:30 in the morning? In Guangzhou? Outside?

My perfectly reasonable response: “I’m coming with you.”

Every year around this time, I am reminded of those literally life-changing days. Maybe more so this year because the coronavirus crisis is upending all our lives.

All along the East Coast where I live, the heat and humidity rivals that of China. (Okay, not quite, but that’s a competition I am happy to concede.) Oh, and there’s that child in my life!

I can’t begin to describe how nerve-wracking it is to be handed an 11-month-old baby who’s screaming because you look, sound, smell, feel different than anything she’s ever experienced in her little life. Wah!

Every route to motherhood is filled with its own unique blessings and challenges. As an adoptive parent, I didn’t have post-partum physical concerns; I also didn’t have an infant but an 11-month-old who was fully cognizant that her world had taken a startling turn she wasn’t sure she approved of. Wah!

Therapist-speak would say running is my coping mechanism. She napped; I ran. Some might say that was selfish, I should’ve spent the time with her. I’ll say no mother should ever feel guilty about taking a half-hour to reset her sanity—especially with such a healthy mechanism as running!

All the best moms celebrate “Family Day,” anniversary of adoption, with ice cream at the Jersey Shore. Fifteen years! Sniff!

Come to think of it, it’s a pattern that continues today, as she nears her Sweet 16th birthday. She sleeps in, I run. Blessed are the teens who sleep until nearly noon on weekends.

Don’t you know, I ended up running nearly every single day of that trip in China?

How has running has helped you cope with life-changing events?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Mother Runner Takes a Stretching Challenge

 

stretching challengeDuring this endless season of cancellations and time at home, I’ve had to look for new ways to entertain and challenge myself. Like many of you, I baked a lot of bread. I reorganized my closet, twice. I finished Netflix.

When one of my recent YouTube rabbit holes led to a video for a “Stretching Challenge,” I was intrigued. We runners aren’t widely known for doing the strength and after-care required to stay limber and injury-free. Also, my cranky, middle-age lady hips were begging for some attention.

I scrolled through several apps and settled on “30 Day Splits Challenge.”  (I didn’t plan on being able to do front splits in the next year, let alone in one month, but it was free and had good all-around stretches.) It would lead me through 30 days of stretches, giving me a little satisfactory checkmark next to each day I completed the routine. Each day lasted about 15-20 minutes, and I made a pact with myself: I would to the stretching challenge if could watch mindless TV as I limbered up.

stretching challengeDay 1: After an easy warm-up, my first thought was, “This was a terrible mistake.” I didn’t know the Heron Pose was going to be a part of the routine. When that popped up, I had to stop everything, and Google Heron Pose images to confirm the actual position. There might have been some swearing while I attempted all kinds of nonsense to get my body to bend in a way that did not even remotely look like the woman in the picture. I was not off to a great start.

Day 6: I had to talk myself into stretching because the reality of how inflexible I had become over the years was disappointing. I usually do some calf stretches and call it good. This was much more intentional, much more time-consuming, and much more ambitious.

Day 11: I had hoped it would get better. It did and it didn’t. I swore less, but I still looked like a seal on a beach, trying to make its body do things that were better suited to an animal with more joints. I wasn’t as sore, but I still had trouble balancing and would tip over in the middle of a quad-stretch. A new low in my fitness journey.

Day 21: I had the sequence of stretches memorized and didn’t really need the app anymore, but I liked the little dings and appreciated the timer that kept me on task. I was more impressed with my consistency than the actual stretching. The Heron Pose—and the front splits—was never going to happen, but going through the routine and holding each stretch as best I could was a win in my book.

Day 25: I noticed some physical changes that made me happy. Touching my toes no longer felt tight. I felt—dare I say—flexible. My right hamstring that usually barked at the end of a long hike wasn’t as grouchy, and it didn’t take as much effort to hold each stretch the way it had on day one.

Day 30: Hallelujah! I made it. While I’m never going to be Cirque Du Soleil material, I was definitely more limber and none of the stretches (aside from, of course, my pal the Heron) felt difficult anymore. Repetition does have some rewards. Yay me!

My thoughts on a stretching challenge: I want to be the kind of person that will keep stretching every day. I’m returning to running after several months with a grouchy Achilles, and I have no doubt stretching helped. Even if I don’t stretch every day, a variety of stretches a few times a week will go a long way to making my body happy.

My thoughts on streak challenges: A good challenge can move you out of your comfort zone and help you flex that consistency muscle. During these days of uncertainty, it can be soothing to stick to a routine, even if it is just for a few weeks.

But if any kind of challenge brings you shame or utter frustration, let it go. Life is too short for that nonsense. That said, if you can successfully get into and hold a decent Heron—or shimmy on down to the splits—I am in awe.

 How flexible are you?

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