February 2014 - a mom on the run

Worn Out, What I’m Up To, Giveaway

February 26, 2014 · By Kristin Smith · 14 Comments

How’s that for a lot crammed into one blog post?!

I’m still recovering from the Glass Slipper Challenge – those two early morning wake-up’s, plus a full day at the Magic Kingdom with my family in between did a number on me. I don’t know how people survived the Dopey Challenge, with over twice the miles and 2 more early morning wake-up’s. I’d need a week of sleep to recover!

There’s not a whole lot going on with us right now — work is really busy and I’m putting in a ton of extra hours. We also have a few big weekends coming up. This weekend, I’m doing the Funk ‘n Run 5K and Braden is doing the kids challenge (maybe Mackenzie too?). It’s all about getting active and having run, so we’re really looking forward to it. The part I like most is that they give back to military families (my dad is retired from the U.S. Navy). They give to units to help with their homecomings, so that solidiers and their families have a memorable welcome home. They use the funds they raise to make a difference, motivate, and encourage. Doesn’t get any better than that, right?

For the kids, they offer a challenge with traditional field day activities (small hurdles, weaving, crawling through tunnels, climbing over mats). And all little ones are rewarded at the finish line! B is a huge fan of races.. throw in the mess of color and I think he’s going to LOVE it. I just can’t decide if I think Mackenzie will or not.. Anyway, I think I need to get to Target to pick up a few white shirts. Apparently I’m a weirdo and don’t own any.

Next weekend is Braden’s first t-ball game and I am so, so excited for it! I can’t even tell you how adorable he looks in his little pants and hat. I was planning to run the March to get Screened 5K that morning, but there’s no way I’m missing his first game! It’s another event for a great cause (benefiting colon cancer research and awareness) and is being held at the Pier at Jax Beach. Such a gorgeous place for a run. The race directors were kind enough to give me a few free entries to give away, so if you’re interested in running it, you can enter here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And on a totally unrelated topic, did I mention that we got a new stroller? Oh my goodness, I love it. It’s a Graco double. We actually went out intending to buy a BOB Dualie, but Braden really didn’t fit in it very well and he doesn’t ride in it all that often and I was having a hard time with the $500 price tag when I knew I’d never actually run with both kids in the stroller. We walked over to check out what Babies ‘r Us had to offer and found this one.

It’s perfect — B has tons of room, there is a divider so each kid has their own space, we can recline one while the other is sitting up, all 4 of us have our own cup holder, the basket on the bottom is huge and easy to get to even if both kids are laying down. Best part? It was just over half the price of the BOB! We took it to Disney with us this weekend and it made the trip SO much easier. So if you’re in the market for an awesome Disney stroller for two kids — definitely check it out.

Okay, back to work I go. I’ll be back later this week with recaps from the Glass Slipper Challenge! I hope you’re having a great week!

Filed Under: Us · Tagged: braden, buddy, disney, dogs, family, giveaway, mackenzie, stroller

Valentines, Bad Runs & Mizunos

February 19, 2014 · By Kristin Smith · 7 Comments

Happy Belated Valentine’s Day!

We planned to stay home Friday night and make heart shaped pancakes with the kids, but ended up going out to dinner and Target. So romantic, right? We don’t usually do anything big for Valentine’s Day, so I was super excited when a delivery guy showed up at the house with this..

I’m really not a fan of fresh flowers – they die so quickly and it seems like such a waste of money. Edible Arrangements, on the other hand, are right up my alley. If you dip it in chocolate, even better.

While we were at dinner, this popped up on my phone and I cracked up laughing. Jay is one of Mackenzie’s buddies from school. Actually, if you ask her who her boyfriend is, half the time she will say Daddy and the other half, it’s Jay. Ahhh.. young love!

So, about the bad run.

Saturday, I headed out for a long run with my running buddy Megan. I should have known better, I hadn’t run at all since the relay when I was sick so shooting for 10 miles was probably overly optimistic. We made it about a mile before I asked her if we could take a quick walk break because I couldn’t breathe. I was desperate for a tissue but figured I’d stick with it and deal. A little bit later, my head started throbbing so much that I had to take off my sweaty band because the pressure was making it worse. We made it to an intersection and had planned to go straight, but turning would be a much quicker route home so I bailed and started walking home, feeling completely awful (Megan is a rockstar and finished the 10 on her own though!).

I couldn’t breathe, didn’t have a tissue, it was freezing since I’d stopped running, my head was killing me.. I was a mess. I called Adam to let him know I was headed home and felt so defeated. I got a little upset and he told me he and the kids were getting in the car to come get me so I didn’t have to walk the two miles home. :)

Once I got home, blew my nose, and took a hot shower, I felt better. I was still bummed that my run had gone so poorly, but I didn’t feel sick. It’s amazing how much being sick can affect your body, even when you’re pretty much back to normal.

One good thing that came from an awful run was a lack of foot pain. I got new shoes (same brand/model, new color) just before the Disney Marathon but since I started running in them, I’ve had really sore feet and there’s a spot on my right foot, near my heel that hurts really bad after I run. I thought that maybe I did something to it running in the sand at ZOOMA, I never thought that switching shoes would have caused it since I stuck with the model I’d been running with. Turns out, it did. Weird, right? I ran Saturday in my old, worn out shoes, and had zero foot pain. I did have the annoying knee pain that I get when it’s time for new shoes though, which I expected. Time for new shoes!

We had a few errands we needed to get done Saturday before Braden’s t-ball practice (like buying him a batting helmet and baseball pants, talk about procrastinating!) so after I showered and changed, we did that. We also ran out to REI, intending to buy a double jogging stroller. Long story short, we planed to buy a BOB double but ended up with a Graco double. We will most likely only use it at Disney and the Graco had SO much more room for Braden, plus it was $270 cheaper! Score!

We grabbed a quick lunch and then headed back home for Braden’s t-ball practice. I love that he’s playing t-ball. I played softball for 13 years and loved it. His team is made up of 4-6 year olds and they are so cute running around in their little cleats, with their too-long baseball pants and gloves. Mackenzie and I walked to practice (well, technically she rode and I pushed) and at the last minute decided to take Buddy with us. It’s about three miles from the house and the poor old guy was pooped when we got there. He laid down under the table, in the only shady spot he could find, and watched from there.

Sunday, we stopped by my local running store and talked to the guy there about the issues I was having with my shoes, he agreed that it was odd. I wore my old shoes in and he looked at them, said they’re a great fit for me, they were worn like they should be, but of course they discontinued that model. He brought out a few shoes for me to run in and I narrowed it down to the Asics GEL-Kayano 20 (I was running in the 19s) and Mizuno Wave Inspire 10. They felt really similar and I had a tough time deciding, but in the end I figured I’d been running in Asics for a while, and that it would be fun to try something new.

I took them out for a short 2-miler last night and they were super comfy. I’m really surprised at how light they are. Hopefully they solve my sore feet and hurt foot issues. I’m a little bit nervous about running so many miles in them this weekend (I’m running the Enchanted 10K and Princess Half Marathon at Disney) but hopefully it will be alright. I’m thinking I’ll probably take my old ones with me, just in case.

Monday, Braden didn’t have school since it was President’s Day. I had to work, so we didn’t have time to hang out and have fun, but we did manage to squeeze in a quick mommy & Braden breakfast date at Dunkin’ Donuts. He LOVES their Munchkins, and I love having one-on-one time with my little guy, it was a great date

How was your Valentine’s Day? Do you have any fun traditions?

Do you get excited about trying out new shoes?

Are you running at Disney this weekend too?

Filed Under: Running, Us · Tagged: bad run, buddy, dogs, kristin, new shoes, running, sick, valentines day

Another Mother Runner Podcast

February 17, 2014 · By Kristin Smith · 4 Comments

A few years ago, before we started trying to have a second baby, I thought it might be a good idea to start running. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around how I was supposed to have time to run, work full-time, keep the house somewhat clean, and be a good wife and mom. The thought of it was completely overwhelming. A friend of mine recommended a book to me and I took my time reading it over the next few weeks. I loved the book, but I kept thinking that the authors were real athletes, they’d always been runners, their kids were older.. I had a million reasons why it was easier for them to find time to run than it was for me (you can laugh at me, it’s okay, I know how ridiculous this sounds now!).

The book my friend recommended was Run Like a Mother: How to Get Moving–and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity and it’s one that I now recommend to all of my friends that ask me how I balance it all. The authors, Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell are real moms — just like you and me. Through their books, their weekly podcasts, their blog, and their facebook community, they reach out to mother runners (actually that’s not true, it’s any runner, you don’t have to be a mom) all over the country to provide support, advice, and a community of runners to encourage and motivate you.

sarah bowen shea and dimity mcdowell with a mom on the run

I met Sarah and Dimity last year at the Princess Half Expo — my husband kept teasing me because I was so excited to meet them. From my post about meeting them at the expo:

Our last stop before heading out was to visit the Another Mother Runner girls, Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell. These ladies are authors of Run Like a Mother, which motivated me to get my toosh off the couch and out the door. The Another Mother Runner podcasts keep me putting one foot in front of the other during my long runs on Saturday and provide so much wonderful information, while keeping it light and fun. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on the receiving end of strange looks from other runners when I’m cracking up listening to them.

So, you can imagine how excited I was (I may have jumped up and down.. maybe) when I received an email from Sarah last week asking if I’d be available to be a guest on their Another Mother Runner podcast recapping my experience at the ZOOMA Half Marathon in Amelia Island. Um, heck yes!! They wanted to chat with two of us, so I quickly emailed Jessi (since we ran it together) to see if she was interested in doing it with me and she was.. which, of course, set off a lovely chain of freaking out emails between the two of us.

We recorded the podcast last Wednesday and I was so nervous waiting for the producer to call. He’d sent us an email earlier in the week suggesting that we try to be in a small, carpeted room when we record to help prevent an echo and background noise. Being the rule follower that I am, I took it to heart and about made myself comfy in my walk-in closet a few minutes before we were supposed to start. I should have had Adam take a picture to document my nerdiness!

Once we started talking, the nerves faded away and we had a really great time. I loved chatting with Sarah, Dimity, and Jess — they put us right at ease and thankfully didn’t ask any questions that made me have to think too much.. because we all know I tend to over think. There were a few things where I didn’t totally explain what I was trying to say, but I felt like I was rambling so I stopped talking.. thankfully it didn’t seem to come across that way when I listened to the show yesterday

Of course, as soon as we hung up, I started wondering what I’d said and if I stuck my foot in my mouth and worried that I just sounded like a spaz. Tweets from Sarah and Dimity later that evening helped calm those fears a bit.

tweet from sarah bowen shea

tweet from dimity mcdowell

It was a LONG four days waiting for the podcast to go live on their site! I woke up Sunday morning and in my pre-coffee fog, didn’t realize it was probably posted already. I was laying in bed trying to decide if I should get up or go back to sleep and reached over to grab my phone, I checked my email and saw the post! I bolted out of bed and ran downstairs to show Adam. He was starting to get ready to head out for his weekend long run, so I started it so we could listen together while he got ready. As soon as I started talking, I asked him “Is that really what I sound like?!” It’s so strange hearing yourself!

zooma florida another mother runner

Thankfully, I don’t think I sounded as nervous as I felt in the beginning and the things I halfway got out made sense — so yay! If you have a chance, head on over and listen (and check out their other podcasts — I subscribe so they’re automatically downloaded to my iPhone and ready for me to listen to when I head out for long runs) and let me know what you think!

Disclosure: I was not compensated in any way for this post or for being a guest on the podcast.

Filed Under: Running · Tagged: kristin, mother runner, run zooma, running

Flavor Run Giveaway!

February 17, 2014 · By Kristin Smith · 1 Comment

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. The Flavor Run provided me with two free entries into their run as well as two free entries to giveaway to my readers.

The Flavor Run is coming to Jacksonville!

Flavor Run Giveaway Jacksonville

The Flavor Run™ surprises you with fruit flavored color powder in one of the most unique family events ever created! This family fun run supports local charities and local businesses through creating a fun 5k run engaging all of your senses; sight, smell, touch, hearing, and most importantly TASTE.

During this family friendly 5k, there will be Flavor Stations that will cover you in fruit flavored (FDA Approved/All Natural Corn Starch) celebration color powder followed by a refreshing taste of delicious fruits.

YES, it is a fruit flavored color run – blueberry, strawberry, orange, banana, watermelon, and grape! Plus there will be an awesome post run Flavor Zone including fruit, vendors, live entertainment, and children’s activities.

This event is for all levels of runners, walkers, and strollers.

I’m running the Flavor Run with some friends (and maybe even the kiddo’s, depending on Braden’s t-ball schedule) and cannot wait. I’ve never done a color run, so come run with us! You can enter the Flavor Run giveaway to win one of two FREE entries into the run using the rafflecopter below. I hope to see you there!

a Rafflecopter giveaway