With A Little Help From My Friends

Do you work out best if you have a goal in mind? I know I do! I love exercising, but without a race waiting, it’s very easy for me to skip a run in favor of curling up with a book or sleeping (something I rarely get to do these days. Take a nap for me, okay?).

Last week, I registered for Disney’s Wine and Dine Half-Marathon. This nighttime race was my first half, back in 2011, so it’s fitting that it will (most likely) be my first half post- my cute baby boy’s arrival.

So, my goal is set. Great! But this race isn’t until November, which seems SO FAR AWAY. The little dude, who hasn’t even rolled over yet, will be almost a year old by then. It’s easy for me to crave time at the gym right now; I still have baby weight to lose. I’m also working on building a base for training. But staying on track until I begin a formal training plan feels incredibly daunting. It’s hot in Florida. I need a nap. All of my kids will be home every day this summer. There are piles of books on my nightstand. And did I mention my lack of sleep?

I want to know what gets you into the gym each day. As I’ve mentioned before, I meet a friend a few times a week to work out. That keeps me accountable for fitting it in, and I get to chat with her for an hour. (If you are a mama, you know that’s a luxury.) I have another sweet friend who lets me tag along on her runs when I can, even though she’s in marathon shape and I’m far from it.

My Facebook feed is all fitness (and babies, natch), all the time. Not surprising, considering I follow a pair of CrossFit gym owners, a Zumba instructor, a handful of personal trainers, a bikini competitor, and a bunch of runners, including my Scootadoot chicks. I have some fit friends! (Are you friends with us on Facebook yet?) When I check in each morning, at least one person has already posted about their daily workout, and I think, “If they’re getting their fitness on, then so can I.” I actually decided to run my first half-marathon because I saw someone post on Facebook about their experience.

Another way I connect with runners online is through Daily Mile. I joined the site last January because I wanted to see how many miles I had run by the end of the year. After a while, I discovered that it wasn’t just an easy way to track my training, it also allowed me to see what my friends were doing, and cheer them along, too. (It also tells me how many donuts I’ve worked off, which is sort of the same as saying, “Brooke, you can eat THIS MANY donuts.” *fist pump*)

Isn’t social media great for fitness? I’m excited to start training for my race. Until then, I’ll be logging my miles on the treadmill, on Daily Mile, and talking about it here, with all of you.

Are you training for any races right now? What gets you into the gym each day? Do you use social media to track your progress and chat with others? What’s your favorite kind of donut? Let me know in the comments.

My Monsoon Marathon

If there’s one thing I knew about Los Angeles, it’s that Southern California is typically sunny and dry. After a brutal 10 weeks of winter marathon training in upstate New York, which included a 20-miler in 6 inches of snow and sub-zero wind chills, I was ready to run amongst palm trees and blue skies.

Wrong.

Forecasters predicted rain for the Los Angeles Marathon. 100% chance of rain.

“I know it says its going to rain tomorrow, but it never does,” said my dear friend and hostess Kelly. “It just doesn’t happen here. And if it does, it’ll be nothing.”

Famous last words.

You know this if you ran LA in 2011. It was the year of the monsoon marathon.

I ran the Stadium-to-Sea course with my good friend Emily that spring. We had trained together and would run together. And we were both aiming to break 4:30. A lofty goal since we’d each only run one marathon at a far slower pace.

On our way to LA, we picked up a celebrity fan, Richard Simmons.

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Richard sat by Emily and me  as we waited to board our flight. He was rather excited to learn we were running in LA and promised to cheer for us at the tail end of the course. Here, he dragged me onto his lap for a photo.

The night before our race, we stayed at a Wyndham hotel downtown. We knew we’d be a short drive to Dodger Stadium, where the race would begin. Emily’s boyfriend planned to ferry us there, but we ultimately hopped a complimentary race shuttle shortly after 5:30 am.

We arrived with plenty of time to use the bathrooms, eat and stretch. We waited with the 4:30 pace leader until it was our turn to begin, chatting about race strategy. (It was simple – keep pace with the group.) Soon enough, we ditched our throwaway clothes and we were off.

That first mile was rough. We ran through the stadium’s lackluster parking lot, dodging and weaving around other runners as we struggled to keep up with our pace group. The pace leader had warned us that the first few miles would be the hardest. She was right! It was difficult to navigate the crowd, especially since less than a mile in, many people in the middle of the pack were already walking.

And then it started to rain.

It began as a drizzle, but steadily gained momentum. By the time we reached mile 5, we were drenched. But honestly, we didn’t mind because it was far better than running in the snow!

We ran up an incredibly steep hill near the Walt Disney Music Hall downtown, and were rewarded with a concert from musicians at the top before we rounded the bend.  We ran past Echo Lake, where I recall spotting big, fat raindrops splash into the water.

Soon enough, we turned into Sunset Boulevard (the less-than-exciting stretch.) A few miles later we turned onto Hollywood Boulevard where – about mile 10 – we passed the Columbia Records Tower, Hollywood & Vine, Pantages Theater and Mann’s Chinese Theater.

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We were soaked. We splashed through puddles as we rounded a turn off Hollywood toward Sunset. We were headed toward our designated West Hollywood meetup spot with Kelly. Her home was a block off the marathon route, so we planned to meet her at the corner.

We approached familiar landmarks – Bristol Farms gourmet grocery and the Coffee Bean, my lifeblood when in town. Then I saw my Kelly, huddled under an umbrella at the corner. She spotted me, lit up, waved and passed me some GU gels. Seeing her at the halfway point really energized me. I knew she’d waited in the chilly rain for quite some time, so it meant a lot that we were able to find each other.

Through mile 15, we ran down Sunset, past the Laugh Factory, Chateau Marmont and the hotel I’d stayed the previous year when bestie Meridith and I traveled west for Kelly’s baby shower.

I knew this area. Familiar landmarks kept me going. That and the rain!

We turned off Sunset and ran down a hill, splashing through more puddles as we moved.

“Is it raining?” Emily yelled. “This is all you got? Bring it LA!”

Most runners around us ignored our antics as we chanted that a rainy run was far better than running in snow or ice.

It was also around the point in our waterlogged race that we realized we could go to the bathroom while still running, and no one would be the wiser. (We didn’t, for the record, but were jazzed to know we could!)

We also didn’t bother to slow down or walk at water stops. We were already wet, so what did it matter if we sloshed water all over our faces and clothes.

LA4Running in the rain, drenched.

Multiple times we found and lost our pace leader. As we approached Beverly Hills, we located her again and stuck with the group for several more miles.

At mile 17, we turned onto Rodeo Drive. We window-shopped as we passed those designer stores. And here, there was also a huge crowd of spectators, braving the elements to encourage friends, family and strangers. And believe me when I say they were nearly as wet as the runners! We were so appreciative.

We never did spot Richard Simmons in the rain, but knew he was there, handing out water and cheering runners along.

We left Beverly Hills and within a few miles approached the VA Hospital grounds, arriving around mile 21. Within the next mile, we trampled a muddy, narrow path and I lost Emily on a hill. A short time later, I lost the pace group too. I cursed those hospital grounds.

I had 4 miles to go – about 40 more minutes. I could do that. Miles 22-24 were a slow low-grade uphill. I repeatedly cursed that hill, but didn’t stop to walk even as the downpour continued. I knew gravity would carry me home once I hit the other side.

Soon enough, I was headed downhill and picked up the pace. I needed to regain any time I lost trudging up that hill.

Around mile 25, I spotted the 4:30 pace group, looked at my watch and realized they were ahead of pace. I grinned ear-to-ear as I passed by.

I heard some lovely volunteers cheer my name and tell me how great I looked. I loved them all. I was almost done.

The finish line was just ahead. I sped up and my quads screamed, so I dialed it back a smidge. I managed to maintain a 9:20 pace for that last mile.

Soon enough I spotted the Pacific Ocean! I rounded a turn onto ocean avenue in Santa Monica, where a wall on wind knocked me backward. Oh, right. With rain comes wind. Fantastic.

I pushed through the whipping winds and rain and crossed the finish with a huge smile on my face. I saw Emily immediately as she’d crossed seconds before me. She promptly burst into tears after crossing the line, turned around to locate me and voila!

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We hugged, laughed and cried – and shivered. We surpassed our goal and were thrilled. I ran 4:27:21, a personal record by 18 minutes.

As easily as we found each other at the finish, we also lost one another in the post-race crowd. Everyone was soaked and searching for disoriented runners. I finally exited the claustrophobic chute and walked toward a predetermined meeting spot.  I tripped into Emily’s boyfriend, who handed me my drenched bag of clothes from the hotel. I told him I lost Emily when I stopped for a bottle of Gatorade. He assured me it was all right.

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The mass of people at the finish.

A short time later, I found Kelly and together we walked to her car. She tried to shelter me with her umbrella, since I was shivering and my teeth were chattering. I assured her I was fine. I was soaked to the bone and there was no saving me at that point. Save yourself Kelly!

Once at the car, Kelly helped me change into dry clothes and wrapped me in a towel. She tucked me into the front seat and blasted the heat the whole way home.

It was later that the reality truly set in. I ran my best marathon in a monsoon. And this time remains my fastest marathon, even though I’ve completed two marathons since my soggy journey.

How do you cope when the weather is undesirable?

Part 2 of the Goofy Challenge – the marathon

This is it, Marathon Day. Also, it’s the final part of RunDisney’s Goofy Challenge – 39.3 miles over two days.

Yup. You read correctly A marathon and a half – 24 hours apart. Goofy it is.

We started off with the same routine as for Saturday’s half. We woke at 2 am and were again on the first bus out of the Saratoga Springs resort. Once at EPCOT, we walked to the holding pen and camped out on the exact same bench we used the previous morning. We like routine.

We were nervous about running a marathon one day after completing a half. But we were ready. After all, we were Goofy.

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A little pre-race silliness with my Jennifer

Soon enough, we checked our bags, hit the bathrooms and walked to the corrals. We had a fourth crew member in tow until we reach Corral A. Our friend Ray was gearing up to run his fourth Disney marathon, with a goal of 3:40. More on Ray’s journey later. He went to the front of the corral with the speedy speedsters.

Aaron, Jen and I sat and stretched near the back of Corral A. We were there about an hour before the 5:30 a.m. start. Better early than late – I learned that in 2012 when we barely made it to our corral before the start of the Princess half marathon.  Holy moly! Not the way to start a distance run, for sure.

After a quick pit stop in the woods (classy girl I am) I returned to the corral with time to spare and an extra surprise – bramblies on my lulu running skirt and inside my underwear. Sigh. Fortunately I had enough time to remove the burrs, but what a cluster! That could’ve been a fatal error.

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Soon enough, fireworks sounded and the race was underway!

The day’s forecast called for extremely hot and humid weather, so we decided to slow our pace and to hydrate as much as possible.

We ran and ran and ran. This year’s marathon course was different. Like previous years it passed through all four Walt Disney World theme parks, but for the first time runners also zipped along the speedway and spent several miles on the heavenly fields at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex. Aaron ran the marathon (his first) last year so he outlined some of the differences as we ran.

I won’t rehash our journey mile by mile, especially since much of our first hour was a repeat of Saturday’s run. But I’ll say there’s no race like a Disney race, which includes characters, floats and thousands of cheering spectators as you ran past some of the places where you made some amazing childhood memories.

But here are a few of my fave pics:

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Jen, Aaron and me in front of the castle

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Running THROUGH Cinderella’s Castle

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stunning fog and sunrise on the golf course – again

As we approached the speedway, a flashing sign warned “STEEP HILL AHEAD.” Not something a marathoner ever wants to see. We laughed off the warning, since we couldn’t imagine anything to warrant such a dramatic sign. We were WRONG. Ouch.

Soon we were rewarded with the sunrise over the speedway, which was lined with all sorts of vintage cars, sports cars and characters from the movie Cars. Awesome!

After leaving the raceway, we passed the waste water treatment plant (shudder) and came across a gaggle of villains. Jen and I jumped in line to pose:

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Jen and I pose with the villains!

Miles 12 and 13 sent us through Animal Kingdom. It was my first time inside the park and it did not disappoint. I met some goats as we entered the park:

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(Me and a goat)

And we ran into RunDisney’s marathon training expert Jeff Galloway who graciously smiled as I snapped his photo:

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Yep, that’s Jeff Galloway!

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Everest! My first glimpse inside Animal Kingdom

At our halfway point, we returned to our run-walk-run plan for the remainder of the marathon. We paused around mile 15 to visit some gravediggers. HAHA!

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It was wonderful to get off our feet, even for a few seconds

We made our way to ESPN’s Wide World of Sports, where we received a lovely drenched sponge at an aid station that put some pep in my step. We ran through soccer fields, baseball fields, the track and ultimately rounded the basement in Champion Stadium. That pleasure was wasted on me because I kept obsessing over the possibility of getting rocks in my shoes here. Ah well.

Soon enough, we approached the 20-mile spectacular, in which several oversized puppet-type characters lined the street and classic Mickey, Minnie and Pluto were on hand for runners to meet. Just before we rounded the corner, Jen suggested the event should include money or free park tickets to indeed qualify as spectacular. HA! Nothing compared to that suggestion, but we danced our way past the celebration.

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dancing our way through Mile 20

Miles 21 and 22 took us past the little Green Army Men to Hollywood Studios, where we received chocolate at an aid station, zipped through the backlot and the tour tunnel and wound our way through the park and out the gates.

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In the backlot tunnel at Hollywood Studios

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Running down the streets of America at Hollywood Studios

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Still running through Hollywood Studios

I high-fived a slew of spectators outside the park. Boy did that feel fantastic!

We ran and we walked. We zigged. We zagged. Now repeat.  We passed the Boardwalk and entered EPCOT.

One mile to go! We zipped past the world showcase, passing France, Morocco, Germany and loads of other runners and we headed toward Spaceship Earth, the gospel choir and the FINISH LINE!

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Nearly at the finish with Jen

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We crossed together — and I high-fived Goofy!

I still cannot believe we ran a marathon and a half over the course of a weekend. But we did and I had the time of my life.

It was incredibly hot, so we took it easy, finishing in 5:31. Well over our expected time, but we didn’t care in the slightest. We finished and we stuck together and that was our true goal. I’d love to do it again and let her rip… 2014 perhaps?

(NOTE: I promised a recap on Ray’s race: He finished in under 4 hours, but walked a bit, something he doesn’t like to do when racing. But the heat was a factor and he listened to his body.)

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From left, Aaron, Ray, Vic and Jen

The kids are watching… and that’s a good thing!

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“Momma, there are people running outside! Look at them run so fast!”

My kids genuinely get excited when they see people running on our street.  They press their little faces up against the window and they watch.  They watch the older gentleman on his daily jog, shuffling along.  We live close to a high school and college, so they closely watch as the teams make their rounds. They watch the couple that runs together on the weekends, the woman always a couple of paces ahead of the man.  They watch the young girl and her dog.

They watch.

My kids are your cheerleaders, as well as mine.  You might not hear them from inside my house (actually, it’s quite possible you do; they’re loud and I’m sure their noise transcends time and space) but they’re there, cheering and watching. Everyone is fast to them. And everyone is doing a terrific job in their eyes.

These kids of mine know that sometimes it’s hard work getting out the door to run. They see it in their own home every day and they always ask us, “Did you run today? What did you do at the gym?” The older one truly wants an answer, while the little one just wants you to pick him up, despite the sweatiness.

They’re inspired without knowing the word to put with the emotion.  They’re motivated to run.  To run fast.  To feel free.  Because when other people are running, their natural inclination is to want to run too.

On our Saturday run at the park. For the record, we both wear Road IDs, even when we are running together.

On our Saturday run at the park. For the record, we both wear Road IDs, even when we are running together.

Pace, stride and time mean nothing to them.  Eye of the Tiger is their favorite song (and I’m Sexy and I Know It -much to my dismay- because hearing an eight and three year old singing that is wrong) and they both can belt it while running with no issues. They run around the house, around the yard, around any open space.  Because obviously, open spaces are made for running.

Before I started running, we would point out planes or diggers on car rides. Now? It’s always runners.

Do you play the game in the car of thinking how far things are in relation to your house and how long it would take you to run there? (Or am I the only one? I don’t think I am!) My elder son actually asked me how long I thought it would take to run to the grocery store the other day… and then lamented it probably wasn’t a good idea because “how could we run home with all the groceries?”

I absolutely adore it.  I love that he’s thinking this way and wondering these things, just as I am. Running has made me feel a part of a community, a fraternity of like-minded individuals, my kids are legacies and they want to be a part of it just as much.  If there’s anything I know, it’s that my husband and I are doing right by them by committing ourselves to being healthy and active.

The truth is there are days that I probably wouldn’t choose to run… except that I know they’re watching and they’re cheering for me. So I do.

2012 Mother's Day 5k

2012 Mother’s Day 5k

Keep on running, friends. And know that my children are cheering for you and think that you are number one, whether you’re running in our neighborhood or across the country, just because you’re out there and you’re moving.  And I do, too.

Making It Work (Out)

I had grand plans for prenatal exercise. I had a good running base. I’d done my research, talked to my doctor and read some blogs about running during pregnancy. I didn’t need to run a marathon on the day I gave birth or anything; I just wanted to maintain some level of running fitness. It should’ve been easy.

Ha.

You know what’s easier? Sitting around and having your husband bring you ice cream. Because you are fat and hot and tired and nauseated and taking care of two pre-schoolers all day.

I started out fine- not my typical mileage but still doing something. I even ran a 5k. But then, first trimester exhaustion arrived, along with her friends, nausea and bloat. So I walked when I felt like it and figured I’d get back to running in the second trimester. By then summer had arrived, and between the heat and the flurry of pool dates, zoo trips, picnics, and whatever else I could think of to entertain the girls, I was just too tired to work out. I resigned myself to the fact that my pregnancy running plans were a complete fail. (And I was mostly okay with that. I mean, I still had ice cream.)

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Nursing while I warm-up! Moms know
how to multitask.

I’m three months post-pregnancy, and I’m finally getting back to running on a regular schedule. It feels SO GOOD. But also? Running is hard! I’m challenged by speeds that would’ve been slow for me before, and distances that were a piece of cake. And finding the time? Very tricky.

I used to run after the kids were in bed. That doesn’t work right now. Nor does early morning because little dude’s feedings aren’t consistent. Both girls are in school during the latter half of the week, so after I drop them off, I head to the gym.

My goal right now is to run three days a week. So far, I’ve only made this happen once. But I’m still exercising! Here’s how I’m making it work, as I adjust to being a mom of three:

  • Go to the gym when wee precious babe is asleep: Little dude is an easy baby. I nurse him, put him in the stroller and hop on the treadmill. After we smile and make some silly faces, he usually gets bored with watching me run and shuts his eyes.
  • Meet a friend to work out: If I plan to meet a friend for a workout, I’m obligated to be there. No excuses. As a bonus, there’s an extra person around to entertain the baby, if needed. Also? I get to converse with an adult.
  • Hire a trainer: I’m working out once a week with Trainer Jen! When we started, I said I needed her to help me avoid a tummy tuck. We do lots of ab exercises, among other things.
  • Walk, walk, walk: If I haven’t made it to the gym, I take the kids out for a stroller or bicycle walk.
  • Find something to do at home: Sometimes I only have twenty minutes. I can totally do some abs and arm work with free weights in that amount of time.
  • Don’t be too hard on yourself: There are times when I’m too tired. There are times when the baby won’t let me put him down. There are times when I don’t want to put him down, because one day, he won’t fall asleep in my arms. And that’s okay. The treadmill will be there tomorrow.

Moms, did you run during your pregnancy? Any tips for finding time to workout with kids? Let me know in the comments.

Blog Kick-off Giveaway!

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Raise your hand if you like the chance to win free things!

Okay, good!  Now that we’ve got that sorted…

We are so excited about the start of this blog that we decided that we needed to do something for the people who are checking it out right off the bat! (That’s you, if you’re reading this!) Therefore, we’ve got not one, not two, but THREE chances for you to win a City Sports t-shirt. Up for grabs is one Boston shirt and two Philadelphia shirts.  They are super comfy and they’ve become sort of our uniform when we’re just hanging around.

You need pictures, don’t you?

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Vic, hanging out on her porch, drinking a beer.  In her City Sports shirt.

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Meri, in her City Sports Philly shirt, hanging out on top of Runyon Canyon.

We tend to go with the men’s cut shirts but there are also women’s cut available and we’ll gladly pick one of those up for you, if you’d rather!  We’ll sort out the details once the winners are selected. Bec is our MA representative and will hand pick the Boston shirt, while Vic and Mer will be heading into Philly… JUST FOR YOU (and a chocolate tour!).

So what do you need to do?  It’s easy!  Click on that link below that leads to Rafflecopter and our spiffy sign up form.

Supremely awesome Scoot a Doot blog kick-off Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway runs from March 5th, 2013 – March 11, 2013 at 11:59pm EST.  You can return each day to gain more entries through tweets and Facebook posts. If you win, you provide the size (by 3/15/13), we get to choose the color and which city you’ll be receiving. This contest is not sponsored by or associated with City Sports (we just like them a lot).

Also, do you like our new look?  Our graphic designer, Sara, created it especially for us!  We feel very grown up now!