YoYummy!

Recently, I was invited to try out YoYummy, a new yogurt for kids. Now, I don't really eat yogurt -- the whole Paleo diet thing -- but my kids? Well, my kids love yogurt. They enjoy squeezers, yogurt in those little cups and regular yogurt mixed with fruit or jelly. They love it all!

So, it is fitting that they enjoyed the YoYummy yogurts.

The yogurt comes in cute little squeezable packages, with caps so you can easily re-close them. I really liked this feature but . . . CONTINUE READING----------------> http://tinyurl.com/qyb3qds

2014 happy racing!

This year, I'm running several of the same races that I ran last year, but I'm also including a destination race that I've never run. I love destination races! This will be the third year in a row that I'm traveling for a half or full marathon. In 2012 I ran the New Jersey marathon and the ZOOMA Cape Cod half marathon, last year was the More/Fitness half marathon in NYC. This year, I'm heading to Boston for the Run to Remember half marathon. Can't wait!

Right now, that's my main race, but I'm planning on several others. Here's a look at my 2014 race schedule:

January: New Year's Day 3.5 miler (done!)

February: nothing

March: Runnin' of the Green (Island) 4-miler

April: nothing

May: Boston's Run to Remember Half Marathon

June: Valleycats 5K

July: nothing formal but I would like to run some of the HMRRC summer track series races

August: Clove Run 10-miler

September: Youth Make a Difference 5K

October: Mohawk-Hudson River Half Marathon

November: possibly the Rockville Centre 10K

December: HMRRC winter series

Nope, not planning on the Boilermaker this year. I just like this photo of me crossing the finish line. It was a tough race for me that year. I was happy I didn't give up.

Quite the manageable schedule, I'd say. I have a few time goals in mind for some of the races, including a strong, strong desire to hit new PRs for the half marathon and the 5K.

Once the Old Man Winter hits the road (soon? please?), I'll feel more like gearing up for these 2014 races. Until then my running mileage will remain lower than usual and take a bit of a backseat to cross training. And I'm perfectly OK with that because -- as I learned last year -- periods of low mileage and rest are important.

So, that's the schedule. I hope to see some of you at some starting lines this year. Hit me up if you're running any of these races!

Thanks for reading --

 

I am THAT runner.

It occurred to me on Monday -- and some of your will guffaw and think that it should have occurred to me long, long ago -- that I am, truly, that runner.

That overly-excited-about-all-things-running runner.

That probably-super-annoying-to-all-non-runners runner.

That holy-cow-she's-insane runner.

That runner.

So why did it suddenly occur to me on Monday? Well, I was planning to run with Elisa and Bridget, 4 easy miles from Bridget's house at 9:30. Owen was taking the boys sledding, leaving the house a little after 9, so I asked him to drop me off at Bridget's on the way.

As we drove down our street, Owen turned to me and asked if Bridget knew I was coming over. "Of course," I answered. "We made a plan to run."

"I mean, does she know you're going to be there early."

"Oh," I said. "Well, you're just going to drop me off and I'll run around her neighborhood until it is time to meet."

He gave me a look.

"What?" I asked.

"What. That's normal. You're just going to run around her neighborhood, waiting for her to come out. . . "

And we laughed. And then he dropped me off and I did just that -- I ran around her neighborhood until 9:30 when she came out of her house and Elisa drove up.

To me, it was perfectly normal. I mean, why not take advantage of the extra time and get in a little extra mileage?

But it got me thinking. Thinking of all the ways I am that runner. And there are many. How could I have missed the obvious clues in all of these that runner things that I do, like . . .

• wearing smelly running clothes because my running has outpaced my laundering;
• finding myself with 35 extra minutes before pre-school pickup and filling those minutes with a 4-mile run;

• becoming ridiculously happy when a friend decides to take up running;
• feeling a pang (or several pangs) of envy when I see others out running -- and it is a rest day for me;
• savoring Every. Single. Page of each issue of Runner's World magazine -- even all those pages that don't apply to me at all;
• having Facebook/Twitter/Instagram feeds full of runners, especially Paleo-eating, crossfit-dabbling runner mothers;
• knowing just what to wear for a run, but being sorta clueless about what to wear otherwise;
• feeling almost more joy for fellow runners' running accomplishments than for my own;
• owning multiple pairs of all the key types of running socks, including compression socks, toe socks, no-show socks, extra-lightweight socks, and heavier winter running socks;
• remembering marathon training with a tad of longing;
• packing running gear -- every trip, no matter what;
• getting giddy about new running shoes -- especially running shoes that match, serendipitously, my favorite running capris;

• strapping YakTrax on to my running shoes to head out for a run on snow-covered streets;
• gabbing about running until, I'm sure, the people around me wish to put a cork in me!

I could go on and on. The examples are many. Writing this blog is probably one of them.

But, yeah, I am that runner. Oh, well. I am who I am!

Are you that kind of runner, too? What clues do you have? 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

A look back at 2013.

Here we are two weeks into 2014 and I'm finally sitting down to take a look back at 2013. Fun, fun.

2013 was quite a year for me! Let's start with a brief look at my stats:

Total mileage: 903

Number of races: 7 

There was some good and some bad in 2013. On the bad side, I suffered probably my worst running injury to date. I tore two muscles in my hip and couldn't run for two months. As a result, I had to bag my fall marathon plans and was worried I wouldn't race at all in the fall. But, I was fairly good about my recovery efforts and I came back strong with a 5K PR in September and a half marathon PR in October.

Overall, the whole injury thing taught me a little more about patience and a good bit about listening to my body and importance of cross-training. Which, I am happy to report, I have embraced. 2013 was definitely the year of cross-training and I believe I am stronger because of it. Thanks, injury!

2013 was also the year of my new way of eating. My doctor prescribed a no grain, no sugar diet for me in January. At the same time, I had to go off of dairy -- not by his prescription, but because he put me on two different antibiotics, three times a day and dairy interferes with the absorption. So, no dairy for me.

I stuck with the diet and the antibiotics for three months and then slowly started to let the dietary changes go. Bad idea. The diet was tough, but it had a positive effect on my Lyme symptoms so going off of it was just silly. After a few weeks, I met with the doctor again and he told me I needed to stick with the new way of eating for at least a year, to let my body fully heal.

So, I went for it and eventually adopted a mostly Paleo way of eating, which I'm continuing with for the foreseeable future.

And now, a quick look at the year in pictures:

With my boys and my new niece in February.

With Bridget before the Running of the Green 4 miler in March.

Stroller running!

Strong Running Mamas at the More/Fitness half marathon in NYC in April.

Putting a positive spin on my injury and spectating the Freihofer's Run for Women with Elisa in May.

Back to running! With Bridget and Elisa after the Clove Run 10 miler in August.

The Youth Make a Difference 5K and kids run -- my new 5K PR -- in September.

Smiling my way to a new half marathon PR in October.

What will 2014 bring? Well, we shall see. I'm hoping for lots of fun miles with friends, some great races, maybe a PR or two, and -- this is a big one -- no injuries. I'll do my best to make it all happen, that's for sure!

Thanks for stopping by. Cheers to 2014!

 

Welcome, 2014!

Happy New Year!

Day 3 of 2014! I can safely say I've recovered from a fun New Year's Eve, when I rang-in 2014 with some fun friends and, of course, my kids and husband. We had a blast. The kids were up past midnight and behaved so well all night, saving their complete breakdowns until it time to leave. Bedtime was awesome, as you can imagine.

But, like I said, we had a blast so it was worth it.

Even more worth it was my first run of the year, 3.75 miles as part of the HMRRC Winter Series of races. Bridget and I committed to the run while enjoying our New Year's Eve champagne, you know, when everything sounds like the Best. Idea. Ever!

New Year's Day morning, it was another story. Fortunately for me, Bridget got me going and 12 hours into 2014 we conquered our first run of the year.

Feeling cold before the race.

Dorky runner twins! (With our friend, Melissa, in the vest.)

Yup, a chilly fun run!

Since then, we've been blanketed by snow. It hasn't made for good (or any) running, but it has provided opportunities for reflection and planning. I've been thinking a lot about how my running went in 2013 and what I want to do this year. I don't have full-on goals just yet and, in fact, I only have one race on the schedule so far (half marathon in Boston in May), but that will change over the next week or so.

Until then, I'm happy I started the year with a run -- the best way to do it!

How about you? How did you kick off 2014?

Happy New Year! And thanks, as always, for stopping by!