Wife Mother Runner Blog - Wife Mother Runner

O’Hartford 5K

April 5, 2015

The last race in the Hartford marathon foundation Trinity series was the O’zzs Hartford 5K which took place in Hartford. It was a sunny day but the wind was blowing pretty fierce in the city. This race started at 1:00, which was nice because we didn’t have to get up extra early. We drove into the city and I parked next to the Hartford Stage where I usually park when I hang out with my friends, and we walked over to the Civic Center to pick up our swag.

We also went in there so that we could stay warm and stay out of the wind. The wind was so strong it knocked over the Porta potty’s on the road. This was the largest of the three races. There were around 3,000 people participating in this race and you can feel the excitement in the air. As it was getting closer to the start time we all went outside to use the Porta Potties and then the kids stayed with my parents and Kevin and I were going to run the 5K together. This was the first time that Kevin was running in a race with me! So he and I went to the other corral and got closer to the start line.

Kevin and I at the start

The plan was to do 30/30 intervals and see how Kevin felt with that. He had meniscus surgery in September and a significant stress fracture of his thigh bone last fall so we weren’t sure how his knee was going to feel for running. He also didn’t train for it. When the horn blew and it was time to run I was cruising along. I skipped the first interval timer and made us run 90 seconds before Kevin wanted to stop for a bit and walk because his calf muscles were cramping up. We walked 90 seconds and then tried to do 30/30 again. I had some zip in my step surprisingly and was zigging and zagging past people but then Kevin wanted to take another break. He was getting frustrated that his legs were tightening up on him. We had to take longer walk breaks.

Our first mile was around 11:45. The second mile warmed his legs up a little more as we were going uphill a little so we walked the uphill and ran what we could downhill. I pushed him to run the entire down hill at mile 2.25 so we can use the hill for momentum. By then his legs were getting a little loose but he hadn’t trained for cardio. As we were getting closer to the end we ran what we foul downhill and then took a short walk break just before the finish. As we saw the finish I kicked it up a little and ran it harder into the finish line. I asked him if we were racing but he said no but I felt like we were.

We completed it in about 36:45. Not a fast 5K for me at all but I haven’t been working on quick 5k races. Neither had Kevin. It was fun to run with him though!

After finishing I saw Caryn Vita and Kim with her son Ryan. We took some pictures then went to go get the Pot Of Gold Medals and went to wait for the family to finish.

I spotted them heading down the street and ran towards them to get them excited. They began to run a little and so did my mom. Adrienne seemed very excited to see us. Everyone crossed the line and got their medals and then we showed them their pots of gold!

After the race we had tickets to get free beer and a corn beef sandwich so we picked up our food and drinks and snacks for the kids and sat in a warm sunny spot to eat. I also found Anne and Kathleen and wished Anne well before she heads off to the Paris Marathon in April (I’m so jealous!).

Kathleen and me. She did the 5K with crutches! Such a badass!

Mom, Dad, me and Anne

We were beginning to freeze because the wind was whipping through the city streets so we all made the trip back to the car and warmed up there.

We took our group finishers’ photo and headed home with pride from finishing their first 5K consecutive race challenge!

I am very proud of my family for doing this despite battling head colds and injuries and overcoming their challenges! It was great to do something fun and healthy together and I hope to continue with this trend of participating in races together and pushing each other to do better. I always tell my kids “Never Give Up”. I hope they remember that in all things they do and I hope they realize how proud of them I am!! I hadn’t done my first 5K until I was almost 40! They knocked out three of them in 7 days!

Middletown Half Marathon Training Run

April 4, 2015

I have the “hilly” Middletown Half Marathon on my schedule for next Sunday and it’s been haunting me lately. I haven’t done long runs as religiously lately because of my ankle. But I wanted to get in a decent 10 miler before the race weekend so I wasn’t going to the race completely unprepared. I think back to when I was training for my first half marathon in 2012 and how I was do diligent about getting in my training runs and how dedicated I was to following Jeff Galloway’s plan to the T. Now I have slacked off a bit. I am not expecting this race to be pretty; but I am hoping to complete it under 2:45. That’s not a good number for me. My best half is a 2:25 finish and that was 2 years ago. If I can survive this half marathon and my leg recovers from it pretty quickly then I am going to sign up for the Cheshire Half Marathon which will take place 2 weeks after the Middletown Half. I’m trying to listen to my body and let this injury heal. I’m trying not to push it in terms of speed so that I can do the races and still walk the next day. So there is a good chance that I can do Cheshire because I feel pretty good now after completing my 10 mile run.

According to the stats, it was slow, but I did that intentionally. I didn’t push too hard and I chose a hilly route so I can prepare myself mentally as well as physically for the hills. I woke up so late this morning – 10:00! But I needed that sleep. I tried not to get upset that I slept so late, then made my tea and had my oatmeal and mapped out my route. I was on the road by noon. It was a really nice Spring day. It was very windy but it didn’t bother me and the sun felt good. I had my jacket on for the first 2 miles but was able to take it off and felt comfortable. The first 2 miles were a little hard for me because my leg was stiff; but I used pre-tape spray and rock tape today to hold it together and it worked out well. By mile 3 I was warming up but had the hills to conquer between miles 3 and 4. At one point I had to stop and catch my breath because the hills were kicking my butt. I tried not to walk too much of the hills and kept with my 30/30 intervals. But I think with this recent onset of fatigue I am experiencing it did kick me in the ass a little as I was going up the hills. I verbally said to myself out loud “I can do this!” I needed to remind myself of what I am capable of and I have been injured before and pushed through it. This was minor.

Around mile 5 I felt like I had a little spring in my step. Suddenly the running felt light again and I didn’t feel like I was struggling. So I tried to hold on to that feeling and kept moving forward. That was the mantra that was running through my mind today, just move forward. I chose a route that I hadn’t run in a long time because I wanted a change of scenery and to give my brain something to be distracted by. As I ran towards my “old running route” it was refreshing to see the things on the side of the road that I used to see every day. I saw my duck pond on Maltby Lane, I saw friends on another street that waved to me and my friend driving down the road beeped to me. That was cool!

When I had 2 miles left I had to keep reminding myself that I was almost done and was doing well for not having had a long run since the Princess Half Marathon in February. I felt confident that Middletown now isn’t as scary as it seemed to me a week ago and I am looking forward to the pre-race activities on Saturday with a 3 mile run with Jeff Galloway and then his running workshop in the afternoon and also the chance to meet Katherine Switzer and also see Amby Burfoot again! I blogged about her a year ago to date when I was doing my Boston Marathon themed blog posts.

So I’m happy and feel encouraged about Middletown now and I also feel good to have this 10 mile run under my belt. Looking forward to some good days ahead! The Spring weather was also a great mental boost for me as well. Who else is running the Middletown Half next weekend? Hope to see you there!

HMF O’Niantic 5K

April 2, 2015

The second race in the Hartford Marathon Foundation Trinity Series was the O’Niantic 5K. While the O’Putnam race was a chilly day, the O’Niantic race was a Snowy day! We had a late winter/first day of Spring snow storm hit Friday afternoon and continued through the night and into most of the morning. In fact, the snow stopped just as the race finished and then the sun came out. Go figure. The race started at 10:45. The Hartford Marathon Foundation already made a determination to start the race an hour later due to forecasts of weather earlier in the week. But the forecasts weren’t saying that the snow was going to continue through the night AND into the following morning. It was supposed to stop by the morning.

My family and I piled into the car and drove to Niantic which was about 45 minutes away but took us about an hour. We arrived into town, parked at a church and rushed to put on the rest of our costumes and pin on our bibs. Then we literally had to shuffle/run through town to the start line and had about 1 minute to spare! It was a nice warm up prior to the race; but we got there in the nick of time.

At the race start

As the race started, my kids and husband and I were going to try to run/walk a bit and see how they do. Yea that lasted about three tenths of a mile! They weren’t happy campers. Their feet were wet, the roads were slushy and slippery and it was still snowing! This race was a “challenge” in itself because they kids were just so miserable. Adrienne especially was suffering because her feet were wet, which then made them itchy. I kept trying to give them a pep talk to keep one foot in front of the other; but it was hard. Then we approached the 1.25 mile area where there was an out and back area and the kids were seeing people on their way back towards the finish line. I think that made it hard for them because they saw how much more they had to do. Some of my friends were running that race and they yelled out to me as they were passing us and heading back to the finish. I was a little jealous that they were getting closer to the chili at the end than we were! But we kept pushing on. I vowed that we would never do another 5K like that again with the kids; but I’m sure next year we are all going to want to do the challenge again. Just like all races, you swear you won’t do it again but then you sign up once registration opens!

Every time my daughter would step, her foot would slap the slush and it went splashing into my shoes so I kept trying to tell her to walk ahead of me; but she just kept zigging and zagging to the side of us and splashing. Ugh.. it was cold. My son went through the typical emotions of running a race. He hated the first mile, then he pushed through the second mile with still some complaining, then he got quiet in the last mile and was determined to get it done. Poor Adrienne was whimpering the whole last mile. Then at the finish when she got her medal and heard me tell her how proud I was that she did it despite how hard it was, she gave me a huge smile.

We still had the O’Hartford 5K to do the following day and I was concerned that the kids were going to be miserable. But the forecast was calling for a dry day at least, but it was going to be cold. After the race I told my husband to take the kids back to the car to have their lunch and warm up and I was going to go get my chili and beer with my parents. I went to Smarty’s for the chili and it was so delicious! The best chili I ever had. It was more like a vegetable broth with beans and onions. It was fantastic! I went inside with my parents to get my beer and then used the bathroom and saw Anne and Katherine and got a picture with them before I left.

Two races down and one left to go with the race challenge and even though it was hard, when I got back to the car the kids were smiling and were looking forward to the last race of the series and getting their Pot O’ Gold medal at the end. Despite the race conditions my mom’s finish time was just a minute slower than the O’Putnam race!

Flannel goes with everything - according to my dad!

My dad worked hard to coordinate his “costume” for this races so he matched! #flannelforeveryoccasion

What’s Wrong With Me?

April 1, 2015

So lately my runs have not been very impressive. My speed is horrible; but I am also battling an injury. I think I sprained my ankle while playing in the snow with my kids in February. I have a half marathon in two weeks that I really want to get under my belt. But my energy level just hasn’t been what it usually is. What’s wrong with me??

I know when I am injured it slows me down but I always push through it regardless of the pain. I find ways to get around it. I am using KT tape now to keep it together while it heals and I even took time off of running and just walked on the treadmill most days of the week and I know that when I do run it’ll hurt that night and maybe the next day. But there is improvement.

But my oomph is missing. When it’s a running day for me and my alarm goes off at 6 I usually get right up and go. Not these past few weeks. I’m hitting snooze and dragging. I crave sleep more than I desire to go out for a run. Is it the fact that winter JUST won’t let go for us? The days are still cold? I can’t quite put my finger on it. In the summer I would go out on the weekends early so I could do my runs and long runs before it is too hot and also before the family was up so that it was done and we had the day ahead of us. I don’t have that desire to just get up and go lately. But I love running and my time alone. I just love my cozy bed more. Do I just have to suck it up and get my ass up and go or is there something more going on? I am happy that the sun is out now earlier again so I can get up at 6 and go out rather than just go downstairs to the treadmill. But it’s still easier for me to hit snooze and wait. Maybe I just need to put the effort in and FORCE myself to get up and out and make it a pattern/habit again and then my energy level will increase and I will get that focus back.

But I am also seeing it in my worklife. My brain has been so foggy lately! Heidi told me to click somewhere the other day and I swear she saw the hamsters in my brain trying to spin the wheel to tell my fingers to click the mouse and click on the menu item. It was so strange! It was like my engine was not firing all cylinders! Is it cabin fever? Do I just need a break? I don’t feel like I need a break. I feel like I need a boost!

This blog post is regarding women’s issues and may have some TMI so if you aren’t into that, you can stop reading now. I just turned 43 this week. I think my body is changing – I know my body is changing. I think I am approaching the perimenopausal age. Things are different than they used to be and I think my energy level may be related to the time of the month and also what happens during that time might be causing my iron to drop. Let’s just say that what used to last just a few days is lasting more than a few days and the volume has increased. Hopefully this cryptic message made sense.

I also did a leg workout on Sunday that made my legs so sore I could barely walk up stairs for two days. So I am wondering if that is why my legs felt like they were 100 pounds each today on my run. I enjoyed the workout and didn’t mind doing it at all. It felt good to do something different and my goal is to cross train more and do more strength training so that my leg muscles will be stronger and I will avoid injury over the marathon training weeks in the late summer and fall.

I know I need to get to my doctor and I will. I am keeping notes of these changes that are occurring in my body, but wonder if it is normal for someone my age. My mom had fibroid tumors and had a hysterectomy at a young age. The fact that she had fibroids is where my concern is and I will express that concern to my doctor.

So what is going on with me? Do I just have Spring Fever and need the good warm sunshine to perk me up? Am I in a running funk? The reason why I didn’t register for the Providence marathon this spring was because I didn’t want to commit myself to spring training for a marathon since I just got off of fall training for two within two months of each other and I wanted to give my body a break. I also wanted to focus on doing some half marathons this spring to help get some better finish times; but now they are going to be more about surviving and getting them done rather than getting a PR because my leg won’t heal.

Have you ever gone through this? Is it happening to us New Englanders because we had so much snow and cold this winter and we are DYING for Spring to come? Please share!

Disneyland Paris Here I Come???

March 31, 2015

Well the news was announced at the Start line of the Princess Half Marathon this year. There will be a Disneyland Paris Half Marathon! And yes, I want to go. If I go is another story; but I’m going go try my hardest to get there. I can’t miss an Inaugural even and something in a foreign country nonetheless.

The race will take place September 23 – 25 and to my knowledge, so far it is a half marathon. I am not sure if there will be a 5K prior to the race and what the details are for the start times. There is a website to go to sign up to receive information about the race weekend.

How do I get there? Good question. I have to start researching into flight options and costs. My friends all want to go so now we have to determine where we will stay. I had been following this news since last year when the rumors were starting to spread and I started researching places to stay. I like the looks of the Disney’s Hotel Cheyenne (Value Resort) so I will have to do some research to see if they have rooms available and what the cost is.

How much are park passes? Well according to the rates last year, this is what I know:

1-Day Park Hopper Ticket – £57 (about $96 US)
2-Day Park Hopper Ticket – £107 (about $179 US)
4-Day for the Price of a 3-Day Park Hopper Ticket – £130 (about $218 US)
5-Day for the Price of a 4-Day Park Hopper Ticket – £150 (about $251 US)

My biggest expense will be airfare of course. So it’s time to start watching the flights and see what choices I have.

Are you going to run the Disneyland Paris Half Marathon?

43 Years Young!

March 30, 2015

Today is my 43rd birthday! Woo Hoo! I didn’t know what I would expect to do when I was 43 years old, but I am happy with where I am! I have a loving husband and 2 wonderful children! I have a job that I enjoy and I feel fulfilled in my life. When I was little I knew that I wanted to be a mom so I pictured that would be in my future by the time I was 43 so that dream is fulfilled. I had no idea I’d have run 5 marathons with more on the agenda for the upcoming year!

I got up early today, despite my desire to stay in my warm cozy bed and skip my run until after work. But I wanted to start my year off right and since the sun was rising earlier these days, I can get outside rather than drag my butt down to the dreadmill. So I made my tea, put on my gear and hit the road. Only to be greeted by big snowflakes by the time I got to my quiet street. It was still peaceful and enjoyable. My birthday run which has become my yearly ritual.

March 30. 2015 and once again we had snow in the morning. The winter that just won’t let go!

My family took me out to dinner last night and my co-worker and now friend Heidi treated me to lunch today with our other co-worker Jay! There’s always a few laughs to be had when the 3 of us get together! I should have taken a picture of us all together! I tend to forget once we are in the moment to take the obligatory selfies! When I got home from work my husband surprised me with some of the “honey-do” items that were on my list for a long, long time! Then my family gave me my presents and we made dinner and had a normal night at home – putting away laundry, taking out the trash and playing outside, then my parents stopped by on their way home from the airport.

The family took me out to Buffalo Wild Wings.

After dinner I was catching up on my Facebook messages only to be surprised at how many people took the time and wished me a Happy Birthday! One message that stood out to me and really made me smile was from my friend Joe who we met through Eddie McCoy via Joe’s podcast. It’s truly amazing how the world of social media can bring people together.

I also thought this post from Meghan Gorny was also quite funny! Thanks for making my day so special everyone!

I’m looking forward to what my 43rd year has in store for me.