Welcome back, favorite!

Like many runners, I have my favorite running socks. What's more, I have my favorite winter socks, favorite shorts-weather socks, favorite racing socks and favorite long run socks. Hey, socks are important!

My favorite shorts-weather and racing socks are my low-cut, thin Drymax socks. For the longest time, I had two pairs and I was always so happy when I would open my socks drawer and they would be clean and ready for me to wear.

And then I lost one. You know how it goes. One day I had two pairs then, after doing the laundry, I had one pair and one lone sock. It's mate had gone missing.

I kept the lone Drymax with the hope that I would someday find the mate, but really thinking that if ever I were to lose one from the working pair, I'd have a spare.

Well. Last night I found the mate!

And I have to tell you how.

Sometime around October every year, I switch the sheets over to flannel and I wash and pack away the crisp summer sheets. Then, in the spring I switch back. I've been back to the summer sheets for about a month now, but I've been mostly using one set. Don't worry, I do change them frequently but I just wash them and put them right back on the bed.

Yesterday, though, I put the sheets in the wash in the afternoon and, because I went out with some friends for dinner, forgot to put them in the dryer. When I got home at 10:00 it was too late to get them dried and back on the bed. So, I went in the linen closet and took out another set of summer sheets.

And what did I find, tucked inside the fitted sheet? Yup, MY SOCK!

Friends, that sock has been gone since last fall and I cannot tell you how happy I am to have it back! I mean, I'm back to two pairs of my favorite socks! Everything is right with the world!

Ah . . .

Well, today's Friday and I'm looking forward to a three day weekend! Have a great day, everyone -- and if you're looking at a three day weekend too, enjoy it!

~ Felice

PS: I'm giving away a $60 gift certificate over here!

Hello, morning.

I am really not a morning person and have never been much of a morning runner. I'm more of a night owl and morning sleeper.

However. Yesterday the temperatures crept into the 90s and when I tried to go for a run at 5:30pm it was just too hot and so I bagged it walked instead. I wanted none of that today so I woke up at 6:45 and went for a run.

It's a different world out there at 7am!

First, it is quiet. Second, the wildlife is out and about. I saw a turkey in the back yard and there was a whole gang of geese and goslings near one of the ponds in my neighborhood. They hissed at me a little but otherwise didn't seem to mind that I was on their turf.

It was also already getting quite warm (over 70* when I got back to the house) so I'm glad I got my run in when I did. There's no way I'd be able to do it tonight!

So, for today at least, just call me the Morning Runner (not to steal the moniker from blogging buddy J, but it applies for now!). We'll see how long I keep this up. I'm thinking positively and planning to get up for another early run tomorrow. But, who knows?

Happy Wednesday!

~Felice

PS: Cheribundi review over here. FUN giveaway coming later this week!

Running group update.

I haven't written about my running group lately but that doesn't mean they haven't been busy! For my first go at "training" a group of new runners, I think things have gone fairly well. We're less than two weeks from the big race so I thought I would share how the group has been doing.

We started out with a larger group and a few people dropped out along the way so going into the race on June 5th we have five new runners, one runner getting back into it after having a baby and my three key blogger buddies who've been awesome cheerleaders, supporters and running pals along the way.

First group run

The new runners are all moms of two kids, with the exception of Jen M., who has three. The fact that these women have successfully committed to making running part of their lives, while juggling the responsibilities of having all those kids -- never mind all the other stuff they have to do -- is proof that if you decide you want to do something, you can do it.

Chilly group run

"My runners" (as I often refer to them, you know, in my mind) started out 11 weeks ago, barely able to run for 5 minutes and now they are all regularly running 2+ miles and have covered more. A week and a half ago, they ran the 3.1-mile race course, so I know they can go the distance!

Since mid-March, I've made weekly plans for each of them and they've all done their best to run according to what I have laid out. They've dealt with twinges and tweaks in their muscles and joints and we've worked through them.

Before running the race course

This week and next are mini-tapers and then they'll be set for the race. Personally, I can't wait. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they cross the finish line!

If you want to read more about any of "my runners" -- ha! -- I profiled each of them for a series of articles here: New Runner Profiles.

Have a good day -- it's going to be in the 90s here, we'll be outdoors but trying to stay cool!

~ Felice

Don't say it out loud.

Whenever my hairdresser tells me something that is going well, she prefaces it with, "I don't want to say this out loud, but . . . " and then gives me the good news. It goes like this: "I don't want to say this out loud but, my son is sleeping through the night." Or, "I lost 5 pounds -- I shouldn't have said that out loud!"

She fears that saying something out loud will jinx it.

It's her thing and it's kinda charming. Silly, I've always thought, but charming nevertheless.

Only, now I'm thinking it might not be so silly. See, I recently wrote about how great! and positively super-duper! this whole pregnancy and running while pregnant thing has been going. I probably shouldn't have said that out loud. Or written it, as the case may be.

Since that post, it's been tough to get my runs in. In the last week I ran a only 14.9 miles and my last run was the pits. I haven't had such a cruddy run in a long time.

There were a number of things working against me: Owen was away all weekend and I was desperate for a run when he got home yesterday around 2:30 so I headed straight out. It was hot. And sunny. And I don't think I had had enough to drink. And I was beat from the weekend.

So the run was crud. Full on crud. My legs were heavy. My belly was bouncing more than ever. I had to pee. My breathing was off and my pace was slow. After 3.5 miles I called it a run and a week.

Today, I'm taking the advice I've been giving my new runners and putting that cruddy run behind me. And hoping that maybe saying it out loud will jinx it. Wouldn't it be nice if you could jinx your cruddy runs? If you have that power, can you send it my way?

I hope everyone had a great weekend full of non-cruddy runs! Enjoy the week!

~ Felice

CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge spectator report

Yesterday evening, with temperatures creeping into the mid-80s, Conal and I made our way to the Empire State Plaza to cheer for Owen in the CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge. The 3.5-mile race is a local version of the Corporate Challenge and it attracts a huge crowd:

There were over 8600 runners signed up for the race, which made for crowded conditions on the streets of Albany!

Conal and I found Owen, after struggling to make our way through the traffic (what should have been a 15-20 minute trip took 45!).

We wished Owen good luck and he took off to line up. Then we met up with a friend so I could watch her son while she ran the race. While the runners were off sweating on the streets, the boys and I ran around the plaza:

OK, they did most of the running and I did most of the chasing and the yelling, "boys, wait!" but you get the idea. After 17 or so minutes of free-range running, we booked it to the finish line to watch the the runners come in. The winner crossed the line in 17:35 (whoa!) and I have to admit it was exciting to watch the speedy runners. Normally, I'm in the race so I don't get to see the top finishers and I always enjoy it.

We stood at the sidelines to watch Owen run to the finish and then headed back to our meeting spot so the boys could tackle each other for about a solid half hour. They never got tired of tackling. Except for when they shook it up a bit and played some sort of Sumo wrestler type thing. Bored, they were not!

It was a hectic evening but nice to see so many people out running. I'm sure there were many people who only run this one race each year and I think, good for them! Maybe they'll start to run more, who knows?

Now, we're gearing up for the weekend. It is supposed to be really hot up here -- feeling like summer!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

~ Felice

PS: I have a B-natal Therapops giveaway going on here.

Halfway.

Twenty weeks! That's five months -- I'm five months pregnant. Wow.

That means I am halfway through the pregnancy. I don't want to jinx things but, man, this pregnancy has been moving along. And smoothly, too. I've been feeling great! How lucky am I? Let's hope the luck continues . . .

At the halfway mark I have:

• Gained 13 pounds
• Gone up two cup sizes (bra)
• Fully embraced maternity clothes
• Continued to run in my regular running shorts
• Resorted to walking up my hills on occasion (but can often run them)
• Run two races: A 5.7-miler in 50:25 and a 3.5-miler in 29:59
  
• Given up sit ups, but still do some push ups
• Consumed more butter than any one person probably should AND
• Learned the gender of my little one

Yup, yesterday I went for my 20 week ultrasound and spent an hour+ watching my little one on the monitor. The doctor checked out the brain and heart and kidneys and the other organs and bones. Everything looked great. All the fingers and toes were there and the legs looked like strong running legs.

The doctor also told us the gender. I was dying to know. Do you want to know?

Oh, just indulge me. Tell me you do! Thank you, you're kind.

So . . .


we're having another BOY!



That's right, you'll be able to call me the Happy Runner Mama of Two Boys soon. Well, in about 20 weeks. Or 18.5 if things follow the pattern of last time (I know they often don't but, I can hope).

Two boys.

I'm excited. I'm ready.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Have a great day!

~ Felice

Practice run.

This afternoon was the big "run the course" run for my running group. The idea was to meet at the starting line of the 5K, walk the first quarter mile to warm up, and then run the rest of the course. For my new runners, this would be their longest run ever. It was a big deal!

We lucked out with perfect weather. And we lucked out because all of the new runners were able to make it. I really wanted everyone to have a chance to get a feel for the course and run the distance as a group so I was happy when I learned everyone could make it!

So, how did they do? In a word: Awesome. Really! We walked the warm up and then we were off and running. I pointed out water stops and where each kilometer and mile marker will be. Since Darlene was able to join us, she and I shared some tips and information that I hope will make the race less intimidating and more just plain fun for everyone.

One of the best parts for me was when we passed the 3 mile mark and were heading toward what will be the finish line, two of the new runners just took off and sped to the end! Even though it was a practice run, they felt it! They had the itch to let their legs fly and off they went. It was very, very cool.

For the most part, the runners finished the 3.1 miles in about 36 minutes. I'm so proud of them all.

Here's the group post-run:

Janis, Jen M., me, Jen F., Bridget, Lisa, Darlene

Two things about the picture: 1) That's the New York State Capitol building behind us (it's an incredible building) and 2) Check out my belly! I've popped out so much in the past two weeks :-)

In other news, I find out the sex of my baby Monday morning. Couldn't be more excited!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

~ Felice

PS: The Subway gift card giveaway ends Monday at 11:59pm EST. Don't forget to enter!

Gifts.

About two weeks ago, I lead a group run for the new runners. It happened to be a spastic one for a few reasons but it was also kinda awesome for me because I received an unsolicited, very cool gift from one of the runners!

Jen M, whom I also profiled over here, is a friend and one of the new runners. She has three kids 5 and younger. And she is making time to run. Go, Jen!

She is also pretty darn nice and, for no real reason other than she wanted to, she gave me a gift. Check it out:

Yep, that's me -- stringy hair and all -- before yesterday evening's run. How cute is that shirt?!? Cute, right?

Well, I wore it for my neighborhood run for the first time yesterday and it seemed like a big deal. I felt like I was coming out to all of my neighbors. Of course, only about 5 of them drove by me while I ran but, still. Now more of them know and they can stop mocking my belly. Or, probably more accurately, I can stop thinking they are mocking my belly. Or even thinking about me at all.

Right! So, Jen rocks! And I love my shirt.

* * *

Thanks for the comments on the hip issue. I've passed them along to the other Jen in the running group and she's going to continue as she has been, but will probably make a doctor's appointment just to be on the safe side.

Good luck to all the runners racing this weekend! I'm root-root-rooting for you :-)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

~ Felice

Hips?

Now that I jumped over the pee discussion hurdle, I feel like I could write about anything :-) But, don't worry, I won't do any grossing-out just yet. Although, maybe someday I'll share my most embarrassing running pee story.

Maybe . . .

For now, I'll get back to the same old, same old. I'm once again behind: Two deadlines this week (one already met, the other tomorrow) means that my cupboards are once again bare and the unread posts in my google reader are once again piling up. Add in some injured runners to assist, a son who was up puking (slipped into gross-out, sorry!) last night, a much overdue 2.5 hour trip to the salon for a cut and color and, man! I'm behind.

I need a run!

Fingers crossed for this evening.

So, anyway, I have a question for you: Have any of you ever had a hip injury at the front of your hip? Actually, a little higher than the hip. One of the runners in the new runner group is struggling with that. Everything she's described sounds like ITBS, except that it is more in the front. Her sister thinks it is trochanteric bursitis. Could be either, could be something else. I've given her a reduced schedule this week -- lots of rest -- along with some stretches and strengthening exercises, and she's taking ibuprofen and icing the area. The plan is that if she doesn't see some improvement this week, she'll make an appointment to see a doctor.

If you have any thoughts, please let me know! Thanks!

Now, I'm off to catch up and look forward to this evening's run. Have a great day!

~ Felice

PS: The Subway giftcard giveaway is still going on over here!
And, I posted a milk review and contest info here.

Interruptions.

Just about 5 months in to this pregnancy thing and my bladder seems to have decided it is done. Yikes!

Now, it's not all the time, mostly just when I'm out for a run. And, well, not to be too graphic (is pee talk too graphic?) but I have to pee. Like crazy. Usually the whole time. Where did my bladder go?

Let's take yesterday, for example.

I headed out for a quick run and I immediately felt like I had to pee. But, since I had peed right before I left the house, I knew it was just all the stuff bouncing around inside. So, I kept going. A mile in, I really started to feel like I needed to pee. And then it got serious. I started eying the trees and debating my chances of being caught and slapped with a public urination fine. After a mile and a half, I cut my loop short and started to make my way back to my house the short way. And I felt like crying the whole way.

At just over 2.25 miles into my run, I was home.

I peed and then I was back out to finish my run. Alas, about a mile later I was cursing my bladder all over again. So, I was done. My planned 4.5 miles turned into 3.7 interrupted miles. Sheesh. Is this what I have to look forward to for the next 4-5 months?

Probably.

But, you know, if having to pee is the worst symptom I have then I really have nothing at all to complain about. I'm just about 5 months preggo and still running fairly well and definitely still enjoying it. When my bladder cooperates, that is!

If you have any tips, please let me know.

Oh! Shifting gears here . . . so, remember how I ran the Winter Marathon Relay? Well, both of my partners from that relay are running the Ragnar Relay this weekend. How jealous am I?!?!? Exactly -- very jealous. Go, Suzy and Amanda!

Have a great day, everyone!

~ Felice

PS: If you haven't entered my Subway giftcard giveaway, check it out here.

HMRRC Mother's Day Race recap

I could not be happier about the race yesterday!

First, though, let me set the scene: It was cold and windy yesterday. As in, 30mph gusts of wind. Windy. And the temperature at race time was around 4o*. Yikes. But, the sun was shining so it didn't feel too bad.

The race started at 10 and I got there around 9:30 to sign up and meet Amanda and Darlene. After signing up, Amanda and I ran a quick half-mile warm up and we were ready to go. We caught up with Darlene and the three of us headed to the start.

It was the 30th running of the HMRRC Mother's Day Race, a 3.5-mile course that winds through a fairly flat, quiet suburban neighborhood. I didn't know what to expect with this race for a few reasons. One, I had never run it before so I wasn't familiar with the course at all. Two, and probably the larger reason, I haven't raced since late February when I was only two months pregnant. Now, at almost 5 months, I wondered what I had in me. Other than the obvious.

I set three goals for myself:

A = 31:30 (9min/mi -- if I was feeling strong)
B = 35:00 (10min/mi)
C = finish feeling good

Well, well, well. I surprised myself and finished in 29:59! That's an 8:34 pace -- just about a minute per mile off what I would normally run, pre-pregnancy. So, basically, you could say that I shattered my goal. Or, you could call me a sand-bagger. I'm comfortable with either one.

I felt strong and really good the entire race. Don't get me wrong, by the end of the race I was ready to be done. But, I never felt like I was pushing it too hard; I felt like I was working and doing a good job at it.

My girls Amanda and Darlene had great races, too! Both of them beat their times from last year by about 5 minutes. Awesome! And Amanda took third place in her age group. Woo hoo!

Here we are after the race:

We look cold because we were!

All in all, it was a terrific time and I am so very happy that I decided to run the race. My itch has been scratched! But, as Darlene pointed out, it is only a matter of time before it comes back :-)

My race stats:

Finish time for 3.5 miles (3.55 on Garmin): 29:59
Mile 1: 8:38
Mile 2: 8:27
Mile 3: 8:20
Last .55 mile: 4:34
Age group place: 14/34
Overall place: 48/138

Happy Monday, everyone!

~ Felice

PS: I have a Subway gift card giveaway over here.
And, MerryMishaps is giving away a Thriv t-shirt here.

Five Things Friday, ep. 22.

1. It's settled. I'm racing (feel free to add some air quotes) on Sunday and really looking forward to it! As luck would have it, both Amanda and Darlene are running the race, too, so we'll get to have a little bloggy meet-up. Yahoo! My plan is to just run as I feel, trying to pick up my pace if I can but not push it. The weather looks like it will actually be great for racing on Sunday, with highs in the mid 50s (I know! What's with the cold spell?)

Thanks for all of your comments yesterday :-)

2. I posted a sports bra review over here.

3. My cornea has healed well, but my vision is still very blurry. I can see fine out of my left eye but my right eye (the one I scratched) is almost useless. My doctor said it could take up to two weeks for the cornea to heal completely and for my vision to clear so I'll just wait. I can't lie, though, it is annoying!

4. I had a great night out last night with two great girlfriends and one I just met. We had lots of fun eating too much food, sharing stories, laughing and relaxing. The bummer was that I somehow lost a bracelet while we were out.

5. I am super happy today is Friday!!!! I feel quite ready for the weekend. We don't have tons of plans but there is a lot of mulching that needs to be done around here and other little projects and then, of course, the race on Sunday. And, oh yeah! Sunday is Mother's Day -- happy, happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!!!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

~ Felice

Itchin'

I have an itch that I seriously need to scratch . . .

I'm itching to run a race.

Yes, I know, I have a 5K coming up on June 5th but I haven't raced since the end of February and I know that I'm not going to feel much like racing in a few months when I'm huge so, well . . . I've got the itch. And, there happens to be a little 3.5 mile race coming up on Mother's Day. What better gift to myself (hey, why not?) than to run a race? Right?

Right. Except that there is this little, teeny-weeny part of me that is nervous to race at this point. Will I get caught up in the excitement of the race and push too hard? What if I have to pee a mile in to the race? What if I'm too worn out after the race to be able to make dinner for my family (they are coming over to celebrate Mother's Day)?

Wah, wah, wah . . .

I should just do it. If I don't, I'll kick myself. I know this. Gotta scratch the itch . . .

On an unrelated note, I reviewed the new RhythmBRA over here.

Have a great day!

~ Felice

April recap.

April was a decent month for running. The weather was nice and I felt great. I haven't had any aches or pains yet (knock on wood . . . ) so the only pregnancy-related changes I had to make in April was to slow it down a bit. And, of course, walk up most of those hills. Although, when I'm smart and get out for a run early in the day (weekends), I have more energy and I'm able to bust it up all the hills in my neighborhood.

Here's what April looked like for me.

April stats:

Running (miles): 72.3
Cross-training (sessions): 3

Three cross-training sessions?!?! Yikes! I gotta get back on that :-)

I like the mileage, though. As I've mentioned, my goal during this pregnancy is to run 15-20 miles a week for as long as possible (right up until the end? Maybe!) so my 72.3 miles put me right there (avg. 18mi/wk). It's also an increase from March, when I ran 61.5 miles. So, overall, I'm very positive about this pregnant running!

Have a great day, everyone!

~ Felice

Introducing . . .

my baby shape!

A few of you have requested some belly shots so, um, here you go --


Yup, that's what an almost-40 running mama looks like at 4.5 months preggo. My belly is popping out a bit, but it isn't too bad yet. The biggest change is up a little higher. My new found chestiness is an interesting challenge for running. I've gotten two large sports bras and they are working well so far. If I get too much larger, though . . . yikes! And, yeah, my regular running tops are getting a little tight. I figure I've got about two or three weeks before I can no longer wear them without feeling like some kind of Pamela Anderson wanna-be.

Anyway, that's that. After the crummy week, my weekend was a blast! A mellow night on Friday, a dinner party on Saturday and a friend's birthday party on Sunday. I also ran each day, although I had to cut it to 3 miles on Saturday because of the high heat and humidity.

I'll leave you with proof of the weekend fun:

Yay for good friends!!!!

I hope everyone had a good weekend! There were some awesome races this weekend -- including Tall Mom, Mel, who BQ'd -- woo hoo!

Happy Monday!!!

~ Felice