900, Story Time and Being a BAMR

 

 

 It would be cool if 900 days made me look half this fit!

 

Today is my 900th day of streak running, our first day at story time and the day I am being featured at Another Mother Runner in their Follow this Mother series.  So it's been a good day so far.

 

I started my day with trying to get my morning miles in but LBM (Little Bug Man) decided that today he didn't think I should get too much time this morning so I only squeaked in 2 miles before he said, "MOMMY! I want you be done."  I was able to happily stop since those early morning runs are just a bonus when LBM sleeps a bit longer and the super secret spy says he will be home on time today so I can get outside without jogging stroller.  All that made stopping before I even got warmed up pretty painless.  Plus we had story time at the library to look forward to today.

 

LBM enjoyed the three book stories and then a flannel board story.  We enjoyed craft time and completely over used the glue.

Does everyone else had ladybugs taking over their house?

 

As if anyone could have missed it today but there could be those who did, guess who is the featured mother runner on Sarah and Dimity's post today?  You know the blog by none other than the authors of Run Like a Mother and Train like a Mother. 

It's me!

Oh yeah, I told you that already.  But in case you missed it, go check it out

at Another Mother Runner.

I'll be running giddy on the thought of being featured while I get in my evening run tonight.  Those thoughts will sure beat the ones that keep trying to sneak in and cause worry about this Sunday's race.

 

My Cup Runth Over

Yesterday I was talking about my glass being half full...or empty.  Sometimes it just depends on the day or the hour of the day but that was the topic.  So it was a thrill to find out that I...little ole me, is going to be featured on Another Mother Runner in their Follow this Mother post.

 

How ironic is it that of all days they will be featuring me on my 900th running streak day. 

So hop over there and check me out tomorrow!

Just when I was feeling a little down about my conditioning for this Sunday's 50k at Fire on the Mountain I finally get outside in the woods to reconnect with those "at home" feelings.

 

 

And I get a wonderful email saying that I will be featured on a blog by the authors behind Run Like a Mother and Train Like a Mother.  How amazing is that?!  I'm beginning to think that Sunday might just be a great running day for me after all.  With all this positive energy dare I say that that master's title might be mine again. 

 

 

Whether or not a title is won come this Sunday I am just giddy to know that a little bit of this obsession crazy love interest I have is helping others know that they can do what they never dared to try before.  Because all those years ago who would have ever thought that this middle Smith girl would ever be able to say, "oh yeah, ultra trail races.  I run those."

 

The Glass Half Full

...or Empty?

 

Which way do you see it? 

I look at last week's miles and I am kicking myself for not getting my Sunday evening run in. 
Don't worry.  The streak is at day 898.  I ran Sunday morning. 

 How do I know I didn't do it? 

 Well if I had I would have hit my 80+ miles for the week.

 

Does it matter when it comes to how I'll do/feel in my upcoming races? 

Mostly likely not. But like maybe many of you, I can let the numbers begin to mean more than they actually do.

It won't matter in the middle of my next race if I ran 77 or 82 miles this week but what will matter is whether or not I have conditioned my body enough to be able to handle the challenge.  That conditioning is created in part by "time on my feet" or simply running.  Often running a lot.  But it is also created by strengthening my body and my mind to want to complete the challenge of whatever race I am running. 

With that in mind I have been increasing my weekly mileage to condition my mind and body to be so familiar with a 10 mile run that running 30 or 50 will physically be less demanding.  Those increased weeks have also helped me mentally be able to continue running when, say I have had to run some of those long runs on a less than exciting treadmill. 

But what you might not know is that I have also been doing a bit of cross training.  I know it's a shocker!  I rarely talk about it and I don't log it on Daily Mile.  Mostly because I need to be accountable to myself before I start adding the stress, pressure, responsibility of being accountable to a wider audience.  But it all started with telling myself that every time I run I will cross train immediately after for the same number of minutes as the number of miles I ran.  Make sense?  Say last week when I got in a great 12 mile run on the TM then I hoped off, lifted and did core work for at least 12 minutes.  This morning I got in a quick 4 miles and then came back and did at least 4 minutes of cross training.  When I first started "making" myself do this there were a lot of days when I only did the exact number of minutes I had to but I did them.  Today I was happy to have a little extra workout to look forward to when I had to keep the miles low.  I can't really see a difference in my shape yet but during the Mega I could feel the difference a more powerful upper body created in being able to power up those extreme inclines. 

My glass, whether it's half empty or half full is definitely filled with a sweeter drink with my love of higher miles.  When my schedule or body tell me that I need to step back and lower that mileage, I won't see the glass as emptying only being filled with a different kind of sweetness. 

I raise my glass to 5 more sleeps and some seriously fit looking Fire on the Mountain Trail 50k race photos!

Need a little help seeing your glass as half full?  Don't forget to sign up for the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge.  Make sure to let Amanda at RuntotheFinish know that Shelly sent you!

I Dare You!

 

 

 

 

 

Yes it is that time again. 

Time for you to make that feeble attempt to beat me in the HBBC 2012. 

As you may know I have done fairly well every year.  Mostly because I am

a mileage whore seriously competitive.

But this year could be your chance because now that I am in  my new digs in VA, I may not be able to stick to my usual fall workout schedule.  So far I haven't been doing very well and with a less than reliable treadmill, a often gone hubby and a little guy that sometimes over rules my daily mileage, this could be the year that you put me in my HBBC place. 

 

Make sure you tell Amanda that I sent you when you sign up.  And even though I'll be out to win it all, I will make sure to encourage you along the way too.  Because it's a lot more fun doing all the right things when you know you are not the only one doing them. 

 

So whether you sign up to kick my butt or kick your own, click over and register.  Tell Amanda that Shelly at One foot in Front of the Other sent you and get ready to begin for some serious healthy habit come November 19th.

 

Look out HBBC I'm ready for you!

 

A Surprise Nap and An Evening Run

 

Yesterday was a GREAT running day.  It was actually a really great day all around. 

 

After school drop off for S'ghetti Girl, LBM fell back to sleep which meant I got to have a cup of coffee in peace and quiet.  Rare.  Then the super secret spy called and asked if I could drive our other car to the garage and then we'd all go for lunch.  Score.  Lunch out.  So I did what any normal mom would do with an unknown amount of time while a little one naps.  I jumped on my treadmill and watched some Netflix.  For almost 12 miles. 

 

LBM hadn't slept well the night before so I was glad to have him nap now even though I knew it might he wouldn't take his usual jogging stroller nap.  After get caught up on my show and running in one place, LBM and I met the super secret spy, dropped off the car and headed off for lunch.

 

We went to a place called Which wich.

 

It was a decent sandwich.  LBM got a strawberry shake.  It was very strawberry but in a overly sweet kind of very not in a real strawberry flavor way.  So I don't know if it is worth a repeat visit with a Five Guys 12 steps away.

 

After lunch we barely had time to come home before we had to pick up S'ghetti Girl from school.  A bit of laundry later and the super secret spy was due home.  I already knew the evening plan.  The spy was taking them to the store to run errands so that I could get outside and do whatever I wanted to do for a couple hours.  Gee, wonder what I wanted to do.  Hummm?

 

An unexpected email from another local runner offered the hope of company on the run however we could quite get our schedules to match up so I was out solo.  As it turned out, I was thrilled to simply be outside with nothing to listen to but my own thoughts.  I didn't have any destination in mind I just started running and ended up running almost 9 more miles and feeling great.

 

This is why I run.  To stay healthy enough to be able to run 20 miles in my day and still have enough energy to play with my kids when I am done.  It was an amazing day.

 

 

Tuesday's This and That

 

 

S'ghetti girl had her first school dance. 

I couldn't get her to stand still long enough to get a clear photo.

 

We went back to home for our annual Fall Foliage Festival. 

The kids love seeing their favorite magician

 

Goofing around on a sugar high.

 

A getting to spend time with the Big Kid.

One thing that wasn't on my side was a lack of sitter-support.  I missed my annual 10k. 

You can read about last year when the super secret spy and I both ran.
2011 Fall Foliage Classic 10k
I also missed a training marathon the weekend prior.  Ugh! 
I need to find more sitters with my Big Kid making a life of his own.

 

One thing on my (running) side has been the way I've been feeling.  As I slowing increased my mileage I have felt great!  Hitting a high mileage of 75 last week.  With less than 2 weeks before the Fire on the Mountain Trail 50k, I'll focus a bit more on time on my feet as I try to pull back on the miles.  I keep reminding myself that I do have a "big" race coming in a month. 

Stone Mill 50 Miler

Where I will be out to see how I can actually do on their course when it is actually closer to 50 miles. 

 

With loads of travel between PA and VA, kids to wrangle with the super secret spy often traveling and big races to prepare for I'll have my hands full but somehow I always seem to be able to pull it off.  Well, at least most of it.

 

Wordless Wednesday ~ Project Monarch