urban row okc

I got a text from Reese on Sunday night saying, "I've got two spots reserved for a free rowing class tomorrow night.  Want to go?"  I'd never been to a rowing class, but I thought it'd be fun to try it out.

(The sweet instructor, Leslie, took this picture for us after class was over.  We talked for a bit, and she gave us a little background on how Urban Row OKC got started.)

We walked into Urban Row OKC and were welcomed by friendly employees who let us know exactly what we needed to do.  Walking into a new gym or a new group fitness class can be similar to walking into the lunch room on the first day of school.  You're looking for someone you know (or just someone friendly), you don't know where to sit, and you kinda feel dumb.  Luckily, I had Reese with me.  But along with that, the instructors showed us where to put our things, where to grab our weights, and where to put our feet on the rowers.  They adjusted the foot straps for us and gave us a quick rundown of monitor and the millions of numbers we were looking at.

Then, we started in.  It didn't take us long to fall in love with it.  The sound of the water rower and the back and forth motion sucked us in.

I've been going to spin 1-2 times a week for the past few months, and a lot of the reasons I like spin are the same reasons I like rowing - low-impact, high intensity, good calorie burn, and going at your own pace.

My favorite part of the class was the 500 m sprint relay race.

I watch this and think, COME ON, CLAIRE!  GET IT TOGETHER!  FASTER!  But it was my first time, so I'll cut myself some slack.  I look a lot slower than I felt like I was going.  I assure you I was feeling the burn!

Maybe you're one of those people that hasn't found "your thing" when it comes to exercise.  You hate running, dance-y classes like Zumba, weightlifting, sports, etc., but you know you need to be doing something.  Well, maybe rowing is your thing.  You should at least give it a shot!  If you want something relaxing, challenging, and fun, then this is for you.

The best way to learn more about their studio, the classes they offer, and/or prices is to contact them through their website or follow them on social media.  I hope some of you try it out!

This is not a sponsored post.  All opinions are my own.

Urban Row OKC:  Website // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter

memorial relay 2015

After running my last 2 half marathons a little half-heartedly (the Route 66 and the one I did without training), I decided I wouldn't do another until I could really be hardcore and commit to some solid training.  I want the next half marathon I run to not only be a PR, but a PR that chops off around 15 minutes from my current PR.

So when it was time to sign up for the OKC Memorial Marathon, I thought I'd try to get a relay team together.  It'd be something fun to do with friends and a lot less pressure than a half.

I chose the longest leg (the 3rd leg), which was 7.6 miles.  I've really enjoyed the 10k races I've done, so I knew this distance would be fun.  It's long enough to feel like you've accomplished something, but short enough to feel like you can push yourself.  My goal was to finish under 1:20.

We all got there really early to help get team members to their spots.  I knew I'd be waiting awhile to run, but I figured I'd be fine.  I had a granola bar in the car on the way and a banana about an hour and a half before I ran.

(tired eyes before the race)

DISCLAIMER:  I feel like this is a good time for me to interject that there will be much talk of poop in this blog post.  So if you'd rather not think about me and my poop, then this may not be the post for you.

So about that.  I went once at home and I went again when we arrived, before cheering Kelsey on past the start line.  I felt pretty confident in the pooping schedule at that point.  But when the shuttle dropped me off at my relay exchange area, it kind of hit again.  So I got in line for a porta potty.  But once I got inside, I realized there was no toilet paper.  Bad news.  I peed, but there wasn't really anything else I could do about the #2.  I thought I'd probably be fine since I had already gone twice that day.

As I got my headband on, adjusted my earbuds (the best earbuds for running), and waited for Sara to round the corner, I realized I didn't have my watch.  I FORGOT MY RUNNING WATCH IN THE CAR.  I could've just given up right then I was so mad.  My running watch is what saves me!  It keeps me on pace, it keeps me focused.  But I tried to be chill about it.  When Sara came running by, we exchanged the chip and I took her watch.  It wasn't a running watch, but it had the time and I'd take anything at that point.

The first 2 miles were fine.  I was sticking around an 11-11:30 minute mile pace, which was the plan for the first 2-3 miles.  Then it hit somewhere around mile 3.  I couldn't keep it in.  When I saw the next porta potty, I stopped.  I felt much better and continued on.  But after about another 1-2 miles, it hit again.  I knew I couldn't make it to the end.  Because of the awful feeling in my stomach, I wasn't able to go as fast as I wanted/needed to go at that point in the race.  So I stopped, felt better, and then booked it - like 9 min/mile pace - to the end.

After exchanging the chip with Karlie and grabbing some food, I walked over to where the bus was loading people in to shuttle them back to the finish line.  The bus was full, so I waited for the next one.  It pulls up about 20 minutes later, we all huddle together to get on, and I miss the cut off by about 10 people.  So I wait another 15 minutes for the next bus to show up.  At this point, we are all shoving and bumping and passive-aggressively mumbling about why we really deserve to make it onto this bus.  I started to understand why people get trampled at Walmart on Black Friday.

Once I was downtown, I needed to go again.  (I know, it's the poop story that never ends.)  I frantically told Colt that I had to go and he had to find toilet paper for me.  I was standing in a porta potty (fully dressed) leaning my head out to him as he was checking the other stalls for toilet paper.  He found some and came bolting over to me to hand it over.  He was not fast enough because I yelled, "Hurry!!!!"  After that bathroom stop, I can say that it was finally over. 

My total time was 1:34.  If you subtract the 9 minutes I was busy in the porta potties, my real running time was around 1:25.  I know I could've done it in 1:20 that day, but whatever.  The frustrating part about the whole thing was that I felt GREAT.  My legs felt great, my heart felt great.  I was totally ready to bust out those 7 miles and do them way faster than planned.  But my stomach was not cooperating.

I had some rich food the day before the race, but in my defense, we always eat pretty rich food the day before.  My parents always have the kids and we typically meet friends for dinner and have some kind of date ourselves that day.  I truly think the main contributor to my issues was the fact that I ate something that morning.  I never eat before I run a distance like 7 miles.  I get up and head out the door to run.  My body does so much better on an empty stomach.  But for the relay, since I knew I'd be waiting around for a few hours before running, I figured I'd need to change up my routine.  Obviously there is some kind of balance that I'll need to find if I do this again.

(Team #clairemademedothis - minus Kelsey.)

The next free Saturday I have, I'm going to run 7.6 miles to prove to myself that I can run it in the time that I had prepared for.  Also, I'm going to remember my watch.  And I probably won't poop 236 times.  And I'll probably remember to STRETCH before and after I run.  (Yeah, I forgot about that too.)  Seriously, running a relay messed with my mind. 

But even with the disappointment of a crappy run, it was a fun morning and a new experience.  I loved seeing all of my social media feeds packed with runners and people who were out cheering us on.  It's such a fun race to be a part of.

Did any of you run?  How did it go?

why i love my running watch (plus a giveaway)

One thing that has not been talked about much lately on this blog is running.  But baby #2, y'all.  Carrying babies wears on the body.  For me, I've seen a difference in how much slower the weight falls off with #2 (of course, I'm not nursing this time around either) and how much harder it is getting back into a consistent workout routine.  Once 2015 hit and I still wasn't all the way back to my pre-baby weight, I knew I needed to kick it into gear.

I'm running the 7 mile leg in the OKC Memorial Marathon Relay at the end of April, so I'm training for that right now.  (And I really am using the word "training" pretty loosely here.)  I haven't gotten into a great rhythm yet.  I usually end up exercising twice a week, which is just not enough.  Although I do want to see that change, I will say that I am already running faster than I have in years.  Let me tell you my secret.

A real running watch. 

It is a game changer!  Knowing my mile pace from the second my feet hit the ground is incredibly helpful.  When you're in a rut and used to your normal pace, it's hard to break out of that.  What I've discovered is that I naturally fall into a 10:30 pace (when running shorter distances - like 3 miles or less).  But I can run faster.  While I consider myself a runner, I'm still not experienced enough to know what several different paces feel like to my body.  I've wanted to get faster, but without something telling me how fast I'm running while I'm running, it's kind of tough.  What I've discovered is that if I'm not on top of my speed, I will naturally slow down to that 10:30 pace.  (Without the watch, there's no way of knowing this!)  I haven't built back up to long distances yet, but for my 2 mile runs, I am consistently running a sub-10 minute mile pace.  I had no idea how badly I needed this watch to challenge me and show me what I was really capable of.

I realize I'm way late to the running watch train, but I felt it needed to be said in case there are others of you out there who doubt if that would really do much for you.  If you're a runner and don't have a good watch, it's worth purchasing one.

Last thing - Spartan Races contacted me and wanted me to let you know about a new podcast, "Spartan Up," that recently went live.  You guys should give it a listen!  Also, I'm giving away a free race entry!  To enter, all you need to do is comment on this post!  Giveaway ends this Friday at 12 a.m. and the winner will be announced on that same day.  (The free race code will work one time for any open heat (non-confirmed start time) in any Spartan Race in the continental U.S.)

Good luck!

my first pair of round frames (and why i'm not a fashion blogger)

A couple months ago, the folks at Firmoo asked if I'd like to try another pair of their glasses.  I'd already done this once and was really pleased with the service and quality, so of course I agreed!  In between the time I received the glasses and finished this post, there were 3 holidays, (what felt like) 306 ear infections, and this cute little man got his own pair of glasses.

Kids and glasses, you guys.  Easiest way to melt me.  (And I should clarify - these glasses are not from Firmoo, but I couldn't resist sharing his sweet face.)

I share all of this to say that Firmoo has not only been great to work with, but they have been incredibly patient with me!

Just like last time, I wanted to select a pair that I wouldn't normally be brave enough to try.  I was interested in seeing how a pair of round frames might work, so that's what I went with.

I put them on last night and told Colt he had to come take pictures of me in the backyard with my glasses on before it got dark.  (Welcome home, honey!)  Scenes like this play out just as you would imagine.  "Just act normal."  "I am!"  "Stop smiling like you're nervous about something."  "I'm just smiling like how I always smile!"  That kind of thing.  Apologies for the supposed nervous smiling, but here they are:

(Had to include this cute little thing.)

And just to make sure we're not taking each other too seriously, here's a glimpse into why I'm not a fashion blogger:

("Turn your head a little bit."  *Turns whole body*  "No, not your whole body, just your head.")

So - the glasses.  They're very different than what I normally wear, but I like the change!  They fit well and the quality is great. 

If you're on the hunt for a new pair of eyeglasses, check out Firmoo before you spend a million dollars.  You could buy 4 pairs of their glasses for the price of 1 somewhere else!  And when glasses are this inexpensive, why not buy 4?  You could treat them like you would any other accessory by picking the frames that best work with your outfit.  They also have a First Pair Free Program for all new customers - who can say no that?  Happy glasses shopping!

Firmoo provided the glasses in exchange for a review.  All opinions are my own.

route 66 half marathon 2014

I signed up for the Route 66 half marathon before I had Nova.  This was my way of telling myself, hey, you should have your act together by this point.  It's really cute to think about how even though I knew I'd be 6 months postpartum, I was still hoping for a PR.  But as November got closer and closer, I realized I had zero motivation.  A big part of me didn't want to run it because I wanted to stick it to someone.   I just had a baby and went through 2 months of nursing hell and now I don't have breastfeeding to help me lose weight so I'm not running your stupid race.  THERE.  Very rational.

But I couldn't back out.  It's one of my things.  I just can't back out of stuff.  So with about 5 weeks left until the race, I decided to start training.  This means I only did 5 long runs (4m, 6m, 7m, 8m, 9.5m).  The most ridiculous part is that separate from those long runs, I only ran a total of 5 other times and did 7 days of cross-training in those 5 weeks.  D-u-m-b.  I wasn't setting myself up very well for 13.1 miles, but whatever, I was going to do it.

(Spoiler Alert:  It's really hard to run 13.1 miles when you only run 1-2 times a week for 5 weeks.)

In my short time of training, here were my rules:
1.  Don't wear a watch.  I knew it would only make me mad because this would definitely be the slowest running I'd done in a long time.
2.  Try to not go over a 12 minute mile pace.  I didn't want to set high hopes of negative splits or anything, but I still wanted to maintain some dignity.
3.  Take breaks if needed.  I have NEVER allowed this but shortly into my "training," I knew that this was a must.

Race weekend finally arrived.  We dropped the kids off at my parents' house and left for Tulsa.  On the way, we stopped by Hoboken in Guthrie to see what all the hubbub was about.  Sure enough, the hubbub was right.  The coffee and my mocha were both amazing.  Also, I had no idea that I knew the owner from my church youth group days.  If you're in OK, this place is definitely worth visiting.

After getting settled in at the hotel and picking up our race packets, we went to dinner.  Josh and Becky have kind of become our official racing buddies.  It was so great to be able to spend the weekend with them.

Fortunately, the weather for the race was amazing.  Unfortunately, the Route 66 course is very hilly and I never run hills.  We drove the course the day before and it seemed like just as you finished one hill, you would start another one.  I kept looking out the window and thinking, so this is the part of the course where I'll want to die, over and over.

That Sunday morning, I woke up and definitely had the race jitters.

The first 5 miles were hard.  Not a good sign.  I ran them without any breaks, but I couldn't believe the energy I had already expended after that short distance.  Around mile 6, I found a friend.  Her name was Michelle, but up until then her name was Purple Shirt Girl.  I always like to find someone that seems to be running my pace.  She let out a groan and made a comment about the hill we were currently on.  At that point, I took out my ear buds and started talking to her.  Music is kind of like fuel for my running so I was pleasantly surprised to find that my legs could still move without it.  We talked off and on for the rest of the race.

Around mile 7 was when the walking breaks started, I think.  For me, it feels like giving up when I walk.  I know it's technically not giving up, but that's just how it feels.  This will sound semi-depressing, but after Nova's birth and nursing issues, I experienced what it felt like to give up on things.  And, truly, in those circumstances giving up was absolutely necessary.  I had to give up the natural birth and I had to give up nursing.  It was for my good, Nova's good, and my family's good.  But what I learned is that even though I gave up, the world still turned and I was still alive.  During this race, I realized that walking off and on throughout the race was okay.  I was still in the race and I was going to finish it and that was the important part.  While my all-or-nothing personality has taken some hits this year and is needing to be restored a bit, I'm glad to know that sometimes, it's okay to cut yourself some slack.  There is definitely a balance to be achieved when it comes to fighting for your goals and not being so hard on yourself.

(Cool face, Claire.)

I finished my 5th half marathon at 3:01:56.  This is only faster than my 4th half marathon which was a trail run.  (You know, the trail run where I Instagrammed and took potty breaks just so I could sit down.)  I'm not proud of my time, but I am proud that I followed through and finished.

Almost 2 weeks have passed since the race and I still am feeling it in one of my knees.  I lived it up last week by staying completely inactive and participating in 183 Thanksgivings (plus leftovers) so I should probably kick it back into gear sometime soon.  It sure is hard to get motivated though when it's pitch black all the time and all I want to do is snuggle up by the tree and eat a 4th meal every night. 

Did any of you run the Route 66?  Any of you have races coming up?

BFBN: fashion emergency

It's "Tips and Tricks" day in the Babywise Friendly Blog Network and our topic is Emergency Preparedness.  I racked my brain trying to find something (anything!) to post about.

If you look on our Emergency Preparedness Pinterest board, you'll notice a lot of interesting and helpful things - uses for duct tape, foods that last forever, budget tips, 72 hour kits, etc.  These are all very useful, practical, and necessary pieces of information.  I legitimately have nothing to contribute of that nature, so bear with me.

I decided I'd write about clothes.  I know, fashion is something I'm soo well-versed in, but this post is mostly for me.

Sometimes fashion can be an emergency.  Not a real life emergency with actual stress, but an Alicia-Silverstone-in-Clueless kind of emergency.  An I-have-to-leave-in-10-minutes-and-I-have-no-idea-what-to-wear emergency.  This has been so hard for me lately, mostly because I'm not quite back to my pre-baby body so getting dressed is annoying, frustrating, and it takes forever.  I'm all about wearing t-shirts, but every once and a while, it's nice to know you can still look decent.

So, I looked through some of my pins on my style board and picked a few fall outfits.  These are basic outfits with very basic pieces that I could mimic.  Maybe if I could keep these ideas in mind, I wouldn't stand in front of my closet for 20 minutes, thumbing through my clothes.

 source

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A white tee, striped shirts/sweaters, denim/patterned button down shirts, jeans/pants, scarves, a blazer - simple items and simple outfits. 

What are your go-to items/outfits when you're in a crunch?

 Follow the Babywise Friendly Blog Network Pinterest page for more Tips and Tricks! 

weekend review - memorial half marathon 2014, the arts festival, and finishing the nursery

Because this weekend consisted of Colt's half marathon, a wedding, and my students' piano recital, Duke stayed in Stillwater.  It was going to be way easier than finding a million babysitters.  Plus, Duke loves being out there and I knew he'd enjoy some time with people he loves.  (Thanks, Mimi and Pappaw, for letting him visit!)

 

 (This kid loves riding horses with Mimi!)

(Duke chillin' at the "coppee shop.")

This meant Colt and I got a little stay-cation babymoon (even though we technically already had our babymoon).  Getting the nursery ready for Nova was our main concern.  I wanted to feel at rest knowing that it was all put together.  I know we are perfectly capable of bringing home a baby at any time, but I knew it would be that much more relaxing to have her room ready to go.  I'll share more on her nursery later, but for now, here's a little glimpse.

My next concern was going to the OKC Arts Festival and, boy, am I glad we went.  It was absolutely one of the yummiest nights of this entire pregnancy.  Colt totally went with all of my food desires and it was amazing.  We started off with the Chicken & Waffles, which was actually the one thing I didn't want.  Which is silly because I've never even had it.  But I was just kind of tired of hearing people rave about it.  Turns out, it seemed to be the thing that sounded the best, so we gave it a shot.  Oh my gosh.  I talked about it the rest of the night.  Next, we each had a serving of Frito Chili Pie followed by some Dippin Dots.  I could hardly walk by the end of the night and I'm not exaggerating. 

Although the food was delicious, the best part of the night was this guy, no doubt.  Funny how I thought having a kid (or kids) would somehow mess up what we have.  It's actually made our relationship even richer.  I just love him.

 

Another fun thing we got to do was meet up with our sweet friends from Stillwater who were in town for the marathon.  We got to spend a couple of hours talking with them over some tasty drinks at Coffee Slingers.  It's pretty much been our tradition the past few years to get together on marathon weekend and we look forward to it so much.  They're those kinds of friends that you pick up right where you left off, whether you talked 1 month ago or 1 year ago.

As you can probably assume, I did not participate in the Memorial marathon.  I know some pregnant women of 37 weeks totally would, but not this one.  Cleaning up all of Duke's trains at the end of the day is enough of a workout for me.

Sara was my watching buddy and helped me capture Colt and Evan in the half marathon.  We got some gas station breakfast and coffee and then parked in our spot around mile 7.  Thanks to Twitter and the ability to watch live news on our phones, we were kept up to date with the status of the race.  Because of the weather (lightning being the issue), the race didn't start until 2 hours after the original start time.

This was kind of awful - mainly because runners plan things out based on a certain start time.  We plan our food intake (what and when) and our bathroom time (like whether or not we plan on pooping before the race).  For most, a 2 hour delay messed a lot of that up.  I don't know of anyone who achieved a PR on Sunday.  BUT - everyone that I knew was running pushed through and finished the race.  That's what really counts in a scenario like this.

I've run this half marathon 3 years (2010, 2012, and 2013).  I skipped 2011 due to being pregnant with Duke, but mostly due to a foot injury that I just couldn't shake.  It was definitely the Lord's protection since the weather ended up being absolutely terrible (freezing rain!).  People got hypothermia, passed out, etc.  It wasn't a good day for running long distances.  And this year - the rain and 2 hour delay weren't awesome.  So if you want to know whether or not the weather is going to be favorable, just ask me if I'm running.  If I run = good weather.  If I don't run = bad weather.  (We'll see if this theory holds up next year ...)

(Evan at mile 7.)

 (Colt at mile 7.)

Colt wasn't incredibly pleased with his time - it wasn't his best, but it wasn't his worst.  I'm just proud of him for sticking it out and finishing!  He and Evan did a great job.  Congrats to all of the runners who participated this year!

my chat with an over-sharer at target

Today, Duke and I took one of our weekly trips to Target.  Many days, I fit the stay-at-home-mom-in-yoga-pants-who-goes-to-Target-often bill perfectly.  Although we don't always purchase things on every trip, it's a good place to look around.  We do this so often that Duke even requested today that we "go look around at Target."  Raisin' this kid up right.

We leisurely grabbed what we needed and then headed to the check out line.  A nice, 60ish year old lady in front of us began talking to Duke.  She was really into him - like patting his back and getting really close into him.  But she wasn't creepy, so I didn't mind.

But then came the over-sharing.

"My daughter and her husband waited 16 years to have a baby and it wasn't because they weren't trying.  It just wasn't happening.  We all think it's because he was an avid bicycler."

Mmmkay.

Her purchases were now taken care of and it was my turn.  I figured she'd head out to her car and get on with her day.  However, she stuck around until I paid for my things.  So here we are, walking out of Target together.  And I should mention, this lady had a very interesting way of talking.  Her eyes blinked over and over non-stop, and her mouth constantly chewed her gum with every word she spoke.  Her voice also had this weird pulsating, glottal-attack thing going on too.  Anyway, that's what we're dealing with here.

She somehow transitioned from her son-in-law's supposed inability to have children to the topic of her height.

"I would always get made fun of as a child for my height.  In fact, one time a police officer stopped me and tried to have me arrested because he thought I was a gay man.  He didn't believe I was a woman until I showed him my license."

At this point, you can imagine what's going on in my head.  Also, what am I supposed to say?  What could I possibly respond with?  So I stuck with the tall thing.

"Well, I'm a tall girl too so I can see where you're coming from."

"Oh, well you're not as tall as me!"

I was confused by this comment since I am literally looking her straight in the eyes.  We are both the exact same height and maybe, just maybe, she could be a half of an inch taller.  Maybe.

I start to move my cart in the direction of the exit.  She walks with me and continues on.

"And it didn't help that I never really had any breasts until I became a mother.  See, I breastfed both of my children.  But I don't know why I never really had breasts because my mom had very large breasts."

My response generator was broken at this point.

Thankfully, we were finally at a point where it made sense for me to say, "Well, it was nice talking with you.  Have a great rest of the day!"  And off she went.

She was a sweet lady who was also quite the character.  You all would have thought so too.  And while I was weirded out, I was glad to be a listener for her today.  Maybe she just needed to bounce some stories off of someone.  Maybe it'd been awhile since someone had given her a few minutes of their time.  Who knows?

Also, isn't it wonderful/annoying how pregnant bellies and kids alike bring us mothers into the oddest of situations?  I believe it's a unique phase in life in which everyone just automatically opens up to us about who-knows-what and feels totally comfortable doing it.  While it can be strange at times, it's kind of neat.  I'm not trying over-spiritualize this whole deal, but I think it's sweet that the God-given gifts of mothering and child-carrying almost force us to wear this "talk to me about anything" sign on our forehead.  You never know what kinds of conversations you may end up in.  And you never know whose day you may make.

i didn't run 5 miles

I know you're lullaby-ed out, so this post is completely unrelated to lullabies or Kickstarters or music.  (BUT - we do have less than 24 hours to reach our Kickstarter goal.  Help us out here!)

Remember when I talked about running 5 miles in a marathon relay?  Well, I didn't do it.

It's so not me to back out of things.  I could hardly stand it, but I knew it was the right choice.

As the severe weather became a reality, I started getting doubtful.  But I wouldn't dare say anything.  I knew if I expressed the slightest bit of doubt to these girls that they would totally be willing to get out of this thing - not because they're flaky, but because I'm really intense about doing things I say I'm going to do. 

Jenni texted me on that Friday and said she was concerned about running on slick roads.  I had really only considered the danger of driving and the extremely cold temps ... not the fact that we may actually fall and break things.  Plus, being with child makes that even riskier.  

I thought long and hard immediately texted all of the girls.  It went a little something like this:

Me:  Hey peeps!  So, minus the crazy cold weather, the slick roads for driving, our unpreparedness, and Kelsi's sinus infection, there's still the fact that we are going to be running ON the slick/wet roads.  Maybe we cancel.  Thoughts?

The emojis of applause and praises came pouring in.

Kelsi said it was the best $40 she ever wasted. 
Jenni said she was 100% okay with letting others take the spotlight on Sunday.  (So kind of her.  Because we all know we were going to win.)

The next morning, the day we were planning on leaving for Tulsa, the text messages continued.

Karlie said how thankful she was that she wasn't running because she had just eaten 3 donuts. 
Jenni said she crossed "FIND TOE WARMERS" off of her list. 
Megan said she loved being in her cozy, warm house and then used a lot of exclamation marks.

Jenni ended our group text on that day with, "Excellent decision all the way around.  Go team!"

As the freezing rain and sleet pelted our living room windows on that Sunday morning of the race, I couldn't be happier that I had chosen to stay home.  I love running races and I love feeling accomplished, but, honestly, I would've spent the entire time worrying about my little babe in my belly.

I think when God really wants me to not do things that I've said I'm going to do, he goes to extreme measures.  Like allowing my foot to be injured so I didn't run the half marathon when I was pregnant with Duke.  (That race also ended up being crazy cold and everyone got hypothermia and almost died.)  He's saved me from running in ridiculous weather while pregnant twice now.  My kind of personality obviously needs some drama to happen in order for me to back out of things.

Did any of you push through and run the Route 66 in Tulsa?

why runners trip and throw up (or how to be a faster runner)

In the hopes of shocking my body with a new workout and continuing to work on my "fitness goals" (in other words, just being lean and a better runner and achieving my "goal weight" -  which I realize probably has the same stupid sound to it as Regina George's statement, "I wanna lose 3 pounds."  But y'all get me.), I enlisted my good friend, Kelsey, to help me.

At the beginning of the summer, I wanted to be a faster runner and it felt like I was kind of hitting a wall.  Kelsey made a plan for our first run together and we went for it.  Here's what we did:

1 mile at 8:48 pace
.5 mile at 8:35 pace
.25 mile at 8:22 pace
.25 mile at 8:18 pace

(And just so you don't think I'm too awesome, there were walking breaks in between each segment.  I would've died without them.)

By the end, there were parts of my body that were hurting that I didn't even know could hurt from running.

While running that last .25 mile, I realized something.  This is why runners trip and throw up.  BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TOO FAST.  I've heard stories about runners tripping during races or throwing up after a crazy run.  And now, it all makes sense.  My legs were like jello dangling from my body and my feet were mushy by the end.  These aren't typically the sensations I feel after running 3 miles at a 10:00 minute pace.

(For the record, I did not trip or throw up, but I came close to both.)

(But good for you guys that do run that fast on a regular basis.  Someone has to win all the races.)

Our next 2 runs looked like this:

1.5 miles at 9:15 pace
.5 mile at 8:59
.25 mile at 8:12

1.5 miles at 8:35 pace
.5 mile at 8:16
.25 mile at 8:10

We haven't run together in several weeks, but I've tried to stay active-ish with either running or Slim in 6.  As far as running is concerned, I'm definitely faster.  I've done 1 mile in 8:28 and 2 miles in 18:03 - my fastest ever for those distances.

But running faster isn't all about literally being a faster runner.  A lot of it is about just running faster.  Like making yourself run faster even though all you want to do is order a vanilla coke and cheddar bites from Sonic.  It's not like I'm a faster runner now forever and ever amen no matter what.  I will have to work on it with every run and with every distance.  I'm just really trying to push myself harder and harder to where faster is my normal.

At first, it was hard for me to see the benefit of working at my speed for such short distances.  I assumed that running a 9 minute mile for one mile wasn't going to help my half marathon time because we all know I'd have to slow down to an 11 minute mile to run that far anyway.  But you just work on little bits at a time.  First, one mile at a quicker pace and then gradually add distance while keeping that pace.

(P.S.  Kelsey has a totally awesome watch that calculates her pace as she's running.  I'm sure this is not news to you hardcore runners out there, but oh my gosh, I would totally be faster if I had one of those.  It'd be like a game to see how long I could keep up with a certain pace!  If you feel like contributing to the get-the-awesomest-running-watch-for-Claire fund, you just let me know.)

My first real taste of the pay off of these runs was my 4 mile run a few Saturdays ago.  To me, there is a big running wall in between 3 miles and 4 miles.  When you cross over, you're in.  You're a runner, you can run long distances, you can run half marathons, you're in.  That's how I felt at least.

I remember the first day I ever ran 4 miles.  It was in November of 2009 at Eldon Lyon Park on a Friday after teaching school.  (Told you I remembered.  I remember everything about everything.  I actually serve as the memory for many of my friends' lives as well.)  I was planning on running 3.5 (the farthest I had ever run at that point), but when I got to 3.5, I wasn't dead.  I was very surprised by this, so I just kept running.  I just knew I could do one more half mile.  That day, I felt like a half marathon didn't seem so impossible.  Maybe I could do it.

All of that to say - that wall still semi-exists in my head.  Not that I can't run 4 miles, but that I need to do it at a considerably slower pace or I will simply not survive.  But instead of treating that Saturday run like a 4 mile run, I treated it like I would a 3 mile run.  I started out at about a 9:30 pace, knowing (pretending) I could handle it.  I have this fear of running out of energy, but I convinced myself that I could do it. 

I had run 3 miles and was starting my last mile.  I had slowed down a bit and I knew if I wanted to finish under 40 minutes, I needed to push harder.  Then I remembered the time I ran a mile in 8:28.  Surely I could muster up a 9something mile right now, I thought.  It's amazing how much of a mind game running is.  Sure enough, I conquered 4 miles in 39:45.  It felt amazing.

I don't ever expect to be ridiculously fast.  But running a 9:30 pace for a half marathon one day would be the coolest thing ever.  Heck, averaging a 10 minute pace would be awesome for me!  As for now, I'm working on maintaining a fast 2 miles and soon, I'll bump it up to 2.5.

How do you runners out there increase your speed?  Any tips or advice?

Jill Conyers

the color run - a giveaway

Have you guys ever participated in The Color Run?  It's a 5k, untimed race in which participants are doused from head to toe in different colors at each kilometer.  I haven't ever done it, but it looks really fun!  It's actually referred to as the Happiest 5k on the Planet.  The goal of the race isn't to give you your PR (although if you did PR in a Color Run, that would probably be pretty impressive).  The goal is simply to have fun!

There are only two rules for this race:
1.  Wear white at the starting line.
2.  Finish the race plastered in color.

I'm excited to partner with The Color Run to give you guys a discount on your entry!

The promo code above is valid in any city that is not sold out.  These races usually sell out pretty quickly, so if you're wanting to sign up, do it now!  Click here to see all of the locations in which to enter.


But what's even better than a discount?  Getting something for free.  So I'm also giving away TWO completely free registration entries! 

HOW TO ENTER:

1.  Comment on this post saying why you'd love to participate in The Color Run.
2.  Tweet about this giveaway.  Copy and paste the link to your tweet in a comment on this post to let me know that you've done this.

You may do one or both of those to enter, but doing both increases your chances!  The winners may pick any city not sold out or not coming this weekend.  This giveaway will run through Thursday, September 5th and the winners will be announced on Friday, September 6th.  Good luck!

Click here if you want to learn more about The Color Run. 

running and birthing have a lot in common

In 2012, I was training for the memorial half marathon and I made this connection.  Having just given birth a couple months before beginning my training, the comparison was fresh on my mind. 

Although running 13.1 miles is much easier (and let me emphasize - MUCH easier) than giving birth and one of them involves buying new shoes while the other involves eating red popsicles and experiencing the worst pain ever for 20 hours of your life, I think they share these common points:

1.  You can always handle more than you think you can.  Just when you think you've endured the worst contraction, you experience another one that makes it look like a little back pain.  Or just when you think you've run the longest you could ever run, you add a little more.  And then one day, you're running 13.1 miles.  Your mind is stronger than you think and your body is stronger than you think.

2.  You have to believe you can do it.  Yes, believing in yourself isn't just something you tell elementary aged kids who want to be astronauts.  You have to really believe you are capable.  You don't say, "I'm hoping to do it naturally," or, "I'm hoping to finish this race."  No, you plan on it, you commit in your mind, you tell people, you do it.

3.  You have to have support.  Running without a crowd cheering you on is so much harder than running past smiling faces and people shouting your name during a race.  I can't imagine giving birth without having had Colt next to me at all times.  This kind of support isn't just to give you a good 'ole pat on the back.  It truly is necessary.  It's what gets you through.  It's also there so you stick to your guns - to help you do what you said you were going to do.

4.  You have to set goals.   For running, this means signing up, paying for a race, and not backing out.  For childbirth, this means confidently telling people you're going to do it naturally, regardless of the facial expressions they may make.

5.  The hard, painful journey makes the end so sweet.  Think about what it's going to feel like as you cross that finish line.  I never thought I'd be fighting back tears as I finished my first half marathon, but I was.  And on a similar yet more intense level, seeing your baby for the first time makes every ounce of pain worth it. 

Running 13.1 miles is something I never imagined myself doing.  But back in 2010 when I began training, each week I surprised myself as I ran longer distances.  Now, it's my thing.  Not in the sense that I'm really good at it, but it's what I do to stay in shape.  I've found something that works for me.

Giving birth naturally wasn't necessarily something I'd ever planned on, but I was always curious.  Who are these women living in our current day and age who are choosing this?  Why are they choosing it?  If they can do it, why can't I?  Sure enough, I learned exactly why people choose it.  It taught me so much.

The big difference I see in running and birthing (besides the excruciating pain thing) is more related to peoples' reactions.  Usually, you don't hear people badgering others for training for half/full marathons.  I mean, occasionally.  Maybe.  But it's not the general public reaction.  Thousands and thousands of people train for these things every year.  Sometimes several in a year.  Most people find it a respectable hobby, give a thumbs up, and continue on their way.

But natural childbirth?  No.  Opinions galore.  (Of course, this has a lot to do with where you live.)  This one thing can make it a million times harder to follow through with.  When you know Bobby, Suzy, and Jan all think it's a dumb idea and don't know why you just won't get the drugs, you may not necessarily feel encouraged.  But like I said in #3, find those people who are behind you and cheering you on.

For the most part, these two things have a lot in common.  They involve hard work, endurance, patience, pain, and perseverance.  And when all of that is done, the accomplishment you feel and the reward you receive is pretty dang good.

Psst - Don't forget to enter the children's book giveaway and the $50 Amazon giftcard giveaway!

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 Jill Conyers