Wife Mother Runner Blog - Wife Mother Runner

Running Adventures With My Son

April 11, 2019

In March my son and I participated in the Hartford Marathon Foundation Lucky Challenge. We ran four 5K races in four different towns in the state; and I feel like we ran through four seasons as well!

My son enjoys running with me and this year we had fun with our running adventures as we traveled all over the state of Connecticut. We even had a separate adventure getting to the O’Hartford race! More on that later…

O’Shenanigans 5K in Southington

The first race of the challenge series was on a beautiful morning in Southington. The temps were in the 40’s and the skies were blue. We trained for the races during the week and the temperatures were quite bitter, but it was pleasant running weather that morning.

We had trouble finding a parking spot, so I lost some time to pick up our bib because we had to turn around several times to find a spot. When we finally found one, we had to jog/sprint to the bib pick up area prior to the start. This become a theme for us throughout the Lucky Challenge.

I had to pace my son because at one point my son was starting to speed ahead; but I know his running style, so I encouraged him to keep some gas in his tank. I was right, because he was losing speed towards the last half mile of the race.

When we approached the last street heading to the finish line I knew he was going to take off. He likes to race me to the finish line. So I told him to go for it. He shot off like a rocket and sped into the finish.

We met up with my friends Anne, Kat, and Kimberly at the finish and enjoyed the post race celebration with pizza from Sauced and beer from Kinsmen Brewing. We had a good time at the race headed home to enjoy the nice afternoon.

O’Putnam 5K in Putnam, CT

The following day my son and I took the 90 minute drive up to Putnam, CT. The race start was pushed to an hour later due to the weather. Despite the beautiful day on Saturday, Sunday was a completely different day! The weather was in the low 30’s with a cold drizzle. Earlier in the morning it snowed, that is the reason why the Hartford Marathon Foundation changed the start time ahead of time to allow for public works to clear the roads.

When we arrived we had about 15 minutes to spare prior to the race start. We picked up our bibs, I ran up to Main Street to pick up our buffs and then had a few minutes to use the restroom prior to the start.

When we went to the start line, Kevin spotted Anne and Kat. We chose to run with Anne for this race and use the same 30/30 intervals as her. She was preparing for the New York City Half Marathon the following weekend, and this course is hilly. We stayed with Anne for the entire race and it felt like the time went by so fast!

After the race, we all huddled under a tent to stay out of the cold rain while we enjoyed a corn beef sandwich on a pretzel roll. My son said this is the favorite part of this race! He remembered it from when we ran the race four years ago with my entire family.

After we ate we ran back to the car to strip off our wet outter layers and put on warm socks and sweatshirts for the long ride home. We blasted the heat and tried to thaw out as fast as we could! Despite the cold, we really had a great time!

O’Niantic 5K in Niantic, CT

The following weekend, the last two races of the Lucky Challenge Series took place. On Saturday morning we had to arrive in Niantic by 9:30 for their 5K. It was another nice clear sunny day for the race and the temperature was also perfect for a race.

We arrived with time to get our bib and walk, not run, to the start line. I didn’t see anyone we knew at this race start so we ran by oursleves. We were keeping a great pace for this race. It runs along the neighborhoods not far from the shoreline and past the National Guard barrocks. There is a section of the course where we can see the first place finishers returning back to the finish line. That can sometimes be disheartening; but we were enjoying the race and weren’t in a hurry to break any records.

As we were in the last mile of the race Kevin was having a stitch in his side. I tried to encourage him to push ahead and do some breathing exercises to get rid of it; but he was slowing down and wanted to continue walking. I didn’t push him because I could see he was very uncomfortable. We were on track to getting our best time for these 5K races; but I didn’t want him to suffer. As we got closer to the finish line he was still mostly walking. Then as we had about 100 feet left, he took off again and smoked me at the finish.

I remembered in the past that this race served some amazing chowder for the post race party. I wanted to get some this year so we took the walk to the post race food tents. Sadly, they didn’t have the chowder; but they did have amazing chili so I picked up one for me and one for my son and we walked back to our car.

A Detour Down Memory Lane

On the way home, we took a detour. I had been wanting to see my grandparent’s old house in Guilford for a long time, so I asked Kevin if he wanted to go check it out. It was a lot of fun to drive to the church my dad used to go to, and then to drive on the roads that we used to travel on every weekend when visiting my grandparents. I told him several stories of what we did on the weekends there. It was so much fun telling him the stories of my childhood and visits to their house.

I had such a wonderful time with him that morning. By the time we finished our race and our little side trip, we got home around 1:30 after Adrienne got home from her softball practice.

O’Hartford 5K in Hartford CT

The last race of the challenge was the race in Hartford. Since I ran this race four years ago, I assumed that it was going to start at the same location. It was such a busy weekend, I didn’t take the time to research into the race start, parking or anything related to this race.

When we drove into Hartford, Bushnell Park was empty and I didn’t see any Hartford Marathon Foundation tents anywhere. We parked at a lot and started to walk towards the Bushnell Theater because I saw several other people walking there. Then I noticed that these people were not dressed like runners.

I had a moment of panic so we ran back to the car and I pulled up the race information on my phone and had to re-route us to the correct area. That is where the adventure begins.

The roads were closed because the race was about to start, so the police directed us to the Convention Center parking area. We quickly parked there and had to run almost a mile to the race area. We didn’t really know where it was; but kept running towards the noise of the race announcer, and asked police when we saw them.

As we approached the race area they were already playing the National Athem! So we rushed over to the registration tent, got our bibs and were one of the last people to cross the start line. I think our legs were nice and warmed up from the run across town because we had a decent finish time for this race! I haven’t checked the official results yet; but I think we set a PR for ourselves our of the four races!

I Can’t Wait For Next Year!

After all the adventures and quality time together driving to and from the races, we are now proud owners of the Lucky Challenge medal. I think we may do this again next year. He really enjoys running with me and I love having this experience with him.

Dealing With The Loss Of A Family Pet

April 8, 2019

What A Little Chicken Taught Me

Recently we lost our beloved family pet Chickie. Although Chickie was a chicken, she quickly became our pet. So when she passed away I knew this was something that was going to be hard for the kids to hear. Dealing with the loss of a family pet is probably harder on the parents than it is the kids. The thought that I was going to intentionally have to break their hearts was killing me. I felt like someone tore my heart out and was smashing it on the floor!

We have had our share of heartache when our little friend Lyla passed away from cancer on Christmas Day in 2017. That was the last time we knew we had to tell the kids something that was going to be very deep and a hard reality to grasp. I have learned a lot as a parent, but there is no book to follow when it comes to heartache.

What We Learned About Chickens

Jeff, our farmer friend gave us the little barred rock chick to take care of because his other chicks were much bigger than her. He knew we liked to care for animals and we poured our hearts and souls into that little bird’s life and well-being.
We learned so much about ourselves and about caring for chickens while we lived with Chickie for the past year.

I believe chickens, or any animal you raise from birth or shortly after, can become humanized. What I’m saying is that if you are around the animal from the time they are born the become used to you, and then you can essentially train them to do certain things. Or they become used to a pattern or repetition and understand what to do next.

We all pitched in to help chickie thrive and grow; but I was really very attached to her because I was doing everything I could to help her thrive and grow. We would weigh her on a food scale each week to see if she was gaining weight and not just growing feathers.

She needed a lot of help. When she was malnurished she became lame and couldn’t walk. Then she would get dirty because she wasn’t able to move around to clean the poop off her feathers. I would give her baths in her little bin inside our tub. Then I would dry her off with the hair dryer. I never imagined in my life, that I would be bathing and fluffing a chicken in my house with a hairdryer. But Chickie never minded. I actually think she loved it! I have videos of the event on our Chickie Channel on YouTube.

What We Learned About Us

We really enjoying caring for animals. Especially an animal that was having a hard time getting stronger on their own. I had done this in the past when I found an injured bird on the side of the road during one of my training runs. I scooped that bird up and brought it home to care for it until it could fly again.

Since we had been working with Jeff up at the farm for two years, we learned what to look for in the animals. My son could always spot an bird that looked ill. He could tell by their behavior that something wasn’t right, and he was always correct in pointing out a sick bird. Sometimes the bird wasn’t too ill that it could be rehabilitated; but many times when the bird is at that point, it can’t get better.

Death is part of the circle of life, especially on a farm. But we weren’t ready for our little Chickie to go just yet. She wasn’t acting sick like she had in the past.

We have a little burial spot for her with a special light that glows at night and a special stone and ceramic chicken my sister-in-law gave us. She also was sad to hear of our loss. Everyone got to know chickie. She was kind of a big deal in our little town!

My lesson from Chickie

While it was a very difficult few days getting used to not having our little feathered buddy around, we all bonded together to help console one another. I also made my time with my family a priority. I had been working a lot, and it was easy to let the night go by while the kids were playing and doing homework, and I would continue to work.

I have since, put my family first and we now make time to play outside after dinner, work together on homework, and we are trying to show more affection to our other chickens that produce our eggs for us. My daughter loves playing badmitten in the driveway at night so we got back to playing our games outside before bed to get some exercise and fresh air before calling it a day.

My son loves to play scooter tag, so I pulled my scooter out from the cobwebs and am chasing them around in the driveway. It is the simple things in life that my children crave… playing games, time with my husband and I, and time up at the farm exploring.

I’m thankful we had our little feathered friend in our life, even if it was just for a year. She taught me some lessons that will last through my lifetime!

Have you been through the loss of a family pet? How did you help your children through it?

5 Ways To Stay Healthy When Traveling

March 26, 2019

In the next coming months I have a lot of conferences for social media and blogging. I just returned from Social Media Marketing World in San Diego, California. I lost my voice from trying to have conversations in loud rooms with several people. I am soft-spoken so it did a number on my vocal chords. At first I thought I was getting a cold. But then I realized it could also be allergies. I thought about this and decided to share my top five ways to stay healthy when traveling.

I also had a similar thing happen to me when I was on the Oprah cruise. So here are a few things that I need to travel with to help keep me healthy when traveling. I’m sharing my favorite items below and also providing my affiliate links to each item.

Diffuse Essential Oils

I sleep with a diffuser in my room every night. I diffuse Breathe essential oil from doTERRA. On my last two trips I didn’t have my diffuser with me so I think that made a difference in helping keep my sinuses clear.

From now on, I am going to pack my diffuser with me to help keep me from coming home with a raspy voice and clogged up sinuses.

Use On Guard Softgels

On Guard softgels are another product from doTERRA that I like to use. I also give them to my family at the first signs of a cold or when they complain about a scratchy throat. It is a protective blend of essential oils to help support the immune system and help kill off harmful bacteria and viruses.

On Guard softgels contain the following essential oils:

Wild Orange Peel – protects the body against seasonal threats
Clove Bud – supports a healthy immune system
Black Pepper Seed – supports healthy circulation
Cinnamon Bark/Leaf – promotes healthy immune function
Eucalyptus Leaf – purifying and cleansing properties
Oregano Leaf – helps maintain a healthy immune system
Rosemary Flower/Leaf – may help support the digestive system
Melissa Leaf – may help support healthy immune system

Hydration and Nutrition

I drink a lot of water when I am at home. I make lemon ginger water and add cayenne pepper and turmeric sometimes. When I travel I bring the ingredients with me to make the lemon ginger water. Instead of using a blender, I use lemon juice and powdered ginger. It’s a more refreshing drink than just plain water.

Here’s the recipe for the lemon ginger water:

Fill a blender with water
Squeeze 2-3 lemons
Peel and cut ginger root

Blend the water, lemon and fresh ginger in the blender.
Strain the water into a pitcher
Add cayenen pepper or Turmeric if you want for an additional antiinflammatory benefits and flavor.

Eating well is also very important. It’s easy to just eat whatever is in front of you; but if you are trying to watch your weight or eat clean, you should always make sure you are getting good proteins, vegetables, and fruit in your diet. Conferences usually include buffet meals and you can typically find a salad and some chicken or fish to help make a complete and healthy meal.

I always pack my own oatmeal so that in the morning I can make it in my hotel room with hot water from the coffee maker. I also like to keep some packets in my bag so that at any point in the day I could eat a snack that will hold me over for a while until my next meal.

Use a Neti Pot

When I return from my trips I like to use a Neti Pot to irrigate my sinuses from all the germs I may have been exposed to. A neti pot is a container that you fill with a saltwater solution. You must use bottled water or sterizlied water when making the saltwater solution.

To use the neti pot, you tilt your head sideways over a sink and pour the water into your nostril. The liquid will drain through the other nostril and you will clear out your sinuses of any mucus, allergens, or dust.

Rest

While at conferences as an attendee or working the event, self-care should be number one on your list. For me, getting at least 6-7 hours of sleep while at a conference keeps me alert throughout the day. Of couse, more sleep would be ideal; but conferences usually have events at night and sometimes early morning sessions.

When an event like Mom 2.0 offers classes like yoga, on their itinerary I like to participate in those morning classes. It helps work out the kinks from flying to the location, sleeping in a different bed, and the long days of sitting in sessions.

On the way home from my flights I try to catch up on my sleep and take naps on the plane. This way, when I get home I can be fresh for my family. Becauase I had been away from them for an extended period of time, I don’t like to come home only to have to spend hours away from them taking a nap.

How do you keep yourself healthy when you travel? Do you have favorite things you bring along with you? I’d love to hear what your advice is!

5 Things I Learned To Have A Successful First Year In Business

March 20, 2019

This month my business has advanced into its second year. I was released from my consulting job a year ago. Although it took a long time to get over the self-doubt and rebuild my confidence, I am now thankful for it. I finally felt like I was able to let go of those feelings when I was on the Oprah cruise back in January. During this past year there are 5 things that I have learned to have a successful first year in business.

5 Things I Learned To Have A Successful First Year In Business

1. Be Part Of A Community

I am so thankful for the people who I’ve met at conferences, through social media, and mastermind groups. The women in these communities have been very open and welcoming to me and they all genuinely want to help one another.

I can’t begin to tell you how much knowledge I have gained by being a part of these great groups. I have been able to ask questions without judgment and really admire the women who have built their businesses from the ground up up and are now very successful in this industry.

Being a entrepreneur, I work from home most of the time. But when we I attend conferences, I have the opportunity to see my friends and make new friends. I love the fact that at almost every event I have attended, I left with two or three great new friends that I remain in touch with throughout the year.

2. Secure Multiple Sources Of Revenue

Blogging and social media marketing does generate revenue; but it doesn’t come automatically. It takes times to build your reputation in the industry. For that reason, I also provide consulting services to non-profit organizations, local businesses and I even have clients in New York City.

Providing these services allows me to keep my technology skills fresh and gives me the chance to learn new things as well. It is also something steady to rely on should the social media industry have a drastic change.

Social media is constantly changing, and you can’t rely on building your business on someone else’s land. That’s why it is important to also build real life relationships with individuals and brands as well.

3. Attend Conferences

One of the first things I started to do when I wanted to turn my blogging into a business, was find conferences related to blogging. My favorite blogging conference is Mom 2.0. I attended Mom 2.0 for the past two years and always came home with so many notes and great information on how to grow, organize, and manage my business. Conferences are also a great place to network, talk to brands, and find PR contacts to introduce yourself to in hopes to work with them in the future.

My favorite social media marketing conference is Social Media Marketing World, which is run by Social Media Examiner. I volunteered at SMMW last year and am currently there now. This conference is AMAZING! So many social media experts are there and the atmosphere is electric. Being a volunteer is a lot of work but it is worth every minute.

We have the opportunity to network and interacting with the speakers, the attendees, sponsors, and other volunteers. I’ve already exchanged business cards with several people that I am working with in my volunteer group and also individuals I met at the Pat Flynn Meetup last night!

4. Hire Experts To Do Things You Aren’t Comfortable Doing Yourself

I know a little bit about a lot of things. But many times I don’t know enough of other things to take my business to the next level. As I worked through my first year of my business I tried to do what I could; but learned that I needed to hire some experts to do things which would advance my business.

SEO is one of those skills that I am not well versed in. Since I hired someone to manage my SEO, my traffic to my blog has increased greatly. Even though it costs me a little extra for this service, the payout will be great in the end.

I also hired a business coach. This is a great resource for me to bounce my ideas off of and to help keep my focus and directs me to the area I need to give more of my attention to.

5. Be Grateful

The most important lesson I learned this year is to be grateful. I am grateful for every opportunity, large or small. I am grateful for the people who have given me wonderful opportunities and experiences.

I have had the chance to do things I never imagined. So now when I create my vision board every year, I add things that are dreams for me because dreams can come true. Nothing is too big or too small to put on the vision board. It is honestly, a little scary when I look back on what I put on the board last year and what actually came true!

Gratitude is a new trait that I have embraced this year. I must admit that I am usually a glass half empty person. My friends and I joked about it when we were away in Boston for a weekend last summer. I keep a gratitude journal and when I am feeling stressed or down I stop myself in my tracks, take a deep breath and tell myself it is going to be a great day.

Being an entrepreneur isn’t easy. It’s not the safe route compared to a full time job with benefits. But the rewards are so much greater because they are a direct reflection of your efforts. I love being a business owner. There are days that I question it; but rarely does that happen. I have so much to do and learn that there isn’t time to allow self-doubt or negative thoughts to come in and take over my mind.

Are you and entrepreneur? Have you always wanted to own your own business? If you have questions about it, reach out to me, I’d love to talk to you about it!

Make Your Health A Priority

February 28, 2019

Many times as mothers we always put everyone else’s needs in front of our own. Recently, I had a health scare and needed to see my doctor. I had felt a lump in my breast when I took a shower. It did scare me; but I didn’t rush off to my doctor immediately. I can’t tell you why. It was in October, ironically, breast cancer awareness month. I talked to my husband about it and finally did make the appointment to get checked.

My doctor checked me and referred me to get an ultrasound and mammogram. She couldn’t say for sure that nothing was wrong; but didn’t think that what she felt was concerning. That eased my mind slightly; but I knew I wouldn’t feel complete relief until I had my tests done.

In early December I had my tests done. It was very nerve wrecking going to the Yale Smilow Breast Center to get these tests. Honestly, I was a wreck. My husband went with me and had to wait in the waiting room while I had everything done. It took about an hour and I was given my answer right away. The lump is not in the breast tissue. It’s in my skin. They weren’t concerned about it and told me I can see a dermatologist if I wanted to explore this more.

Why Moms Or Women Don’t Make Themselves A Priority

Time

Many times our schedules are full with our children’s activities. I know with girl scouts, 4H, band, after school clubs, and softball we have a lot of events and activities to shuttle the kids off to. On top of that, I have my own work schedule to manage. I also have my workout and running routine I want to stick to.

Energy

Let’s face it, being a parent is a lot of work! Keeping up with them, the house, and managing my business is a LOT of work. I know it sounds like I am making excuses, and maybe I am!

Denial

Sometimes you don’t want to find out what is really going wrong. But as a parent it is extremely important to take care of yourself. I was scared of finding out what might be wrong. It would be very unfair to my family if I neglected myself and let something go that should be taken care of.

How To Make Your Health A Priority

Self-Breast Exams and Mammograms

I had found my lump while in the shower and that’s where I do my breast exams. I was at the #BlogHer conference in August and visited the Know Your Girls booth. They shared with me that while all of us are at risk for breast cancer, including men. Black women in the U.S. are about 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women. That’s a scary number.

Here’s how you can take charge of your breast health

Know what’s normal for your breast tissue.
Make an appointment for a mammogram
KEEP that appointment

Here’s more information on how to do your own breast self-examination.

What Else Do You Need To Take Care of?

Yearly Physical

Most insurance companies cover the cost of a wellness visit. Cigna has a large initiative to help individuals know their numbers. When I was at the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend, I was invited to the Cigna Blogger Meet Up. We had a catered lunch in the General Motors Executive Suite above Test Track and then played a vegetable and fruit racing game to raise awareness of knows our numbers to keep us healthy.

I participated in the free screening to have my numbers checked. I think this is a great resource to help individuals find out about health conditions that may be going on in your body, but you aren’t aware that you are at risk because you don’t feel any different.

Cigna was also the presenting sponsor for the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, so they were offering the health screenings at the Expo. They do this every year and I always participate so I can get a quick peak at my numbers in between my doctor appointments.

Skin Care

My mother has melanoma. I’m almost 47 years old and when I was a kid, sunscreen wasn’t something we used diligently. In fact, we would lather on baby oil and lay in the sun to burn. Or we went to tanning salons to get a tan for the prom, weddings, and vacations.

Now skin cancer rates are on the rise. As a parent I always slather sunscreen on my kids since they were babies. I am so proud of my kids to know that when they are heading out to the pool that they know to put on their sunblock. My son accidentally got a bad sunburn because he was in the pool without his sun shirt and sunblock. I felt like the worst parent in the world when he was crying in pain from that sunburn. I also felt like I was going to cause him to have skin cancer because of it.

As I write this, I know I have to make an appointment to have my skin checked. I already had some pre-cancerous marks removed from my skin two years ago. So it is important to stay on top of any changes in your skin. Do you know the ABC’s of skin cancer screening?

Dental Care

I used to HATE going to the dentist. I would rather go to the gynecologist than the dentist. Every year I would make my appointment and then cancel it. In the past 10 years I have been much better at keeping and going to my dentist.

Are You Going To Make Your Health A Priority

There are so many things we can’t control. But taking care of ourselves is one of them. I want to share with you that a friend of mine who is very diligent with her health and taking care of herself and breast exams has recently found out that she has breast cancer.

I shared a video from Fitz in my blog post about my running goals. Fitz is well-known in the runDisney community. She is one of my biggest cheerleaders! At the end of every race she is there to give me a hug and NEVER minds receiving a sweaty hug from her running friends!

She shared the announcement about her breast cancer with us over the weekend. She takes care of herself and gets her exams done diligently. While she had her exam in December and it was clear, she found a lump in February and had it tested and will now be moving forward to fight it.

This is just proof that you have to take care of yourself, do your self exams. Thankfully Fitz did have a clean scan three months ago and when she noticed something wasn’t right she immediately called her doctor 30 minutes later and proceeded to get things checked. I will be Fitz’s cheerleader now as she goes through her fight.

Take Care Of Yourself! Do you keep your appointments? If not, please do yourself and your family a favor and make your appointments and be well!

Ralph Breaks The Internet Sugar Rush Giveaway

February 27, 2019

To celebrate Ralph Breaks The Internet in home release on February 26, 2019, we’re hosting a Disney Blogger giveaway to give you a chance to win a Ralph Breaks The Internet Sugar Rush gift pack — valued at over $75!

Here’s the gang:

The Ralph Breaks The Internet Giveaway is hosted by: The Positive MOM

And co-hosted by: My Mommy Style, Cleverly Changing, Classy Mommy, WhollyART, Clementine County, Pretty In Baby Food, Kid Congeniality, Wife Mother Runner, Comic Con Family, and The Jedi Father.

Here’s the list of all the Sugar Rush inspired toys you have a chance to win:

And, of course, you get your own copy of the Ralph Breaks The Internet Bluray!

And here are The Positive MOM Giveaway Rules : Winner will be selected randomly and all entries will be verified. No purchase necessary, void where prohibited and only one winner per household. Winner must be 18 years of age. Winner must supply a physical shipping address in the contiguous United States, legal name and phone number within 48 hours – failure to to comply will result in drawing of a new random winner, as prize will be considered forfeited.

ENTER NOW for your chance to win this Ralph Breaks The Internet Sugar Rush Gift Pack! Giveaway runs til March 5th, 2019!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Yay! Hope you win!

Remember to stay up to date by visiting the official RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET: WRECK-IT RALPH 2 website, and stay connected by following WRECK-IT RALPH on Twitter, liking WRECK-IT RALPH on Facebook, and following WRECK-IT RALPH on Instagram.

Be also sure to follow the hashtags #RalphBreakstheInternet and #RalphBreaksTheInternetBluray, too!