Broad Street Run- Done!

It's official- I've now completed my first Broad Street Run!  Yesterday was an amazing day. The weather was very chilly in the morning, but as expected, by the time we started running I warmed up. The outfit was (of course) something I debated for a bit, and ended up wearing crops instead of shorts. Because it was so cold that morning, I'm happy I did. At the race, you can discard any sweatshirts or outer layers, and they're donated to Philadelphia's homeless population. I brought an old sweatshirt and donated it right before we started.

Looking like Minnie Mouse with gloves to keep warm!

It took at least 30 mins to get to the start

Temple University is about 2 miles in

Broad St is a BIG race- about 40,000 runners. Because of that high number, things are hectic at the start. There are many different corals, although it really doesn't matter how you line up because no one is there to check. The biggest stress is trying to access a port-a-potty before starting! I ran with my girlfriend Alia (who also had a baby this year), so we definitely needed to use the restroom before running! The good news is, you can also stop during the race (if you don't really care about time) because you're running through the city and inevitably pass restaurants that will happily let you in. 

Although I live in the suburbs now, Matt and I lived in the city for years, and really miss it. Running through the Philadelphia reminded me of the runs I used to take. We lived in Old City, and I would run from there to Society Hill, Queen Village, up to Rittenhouse, and back down to Washington Square. Broad St takes you all the way down Broad (obviously) and the view of City Hall is awesome.

City Hall

Union League

Physically AND mentally, I felt great. Although I did a modified training plan and only ran 3 days a week instead of 4 or 5 (which most training plans suggest), I think it worked out because I was still working out an additional 2 days. On most runs, I go through the "keep going, you've got this" mental conversation, but I felt so pumped up by the crowd that I just didn't have to. It wasn't until about 7.5 miles in that I started to feel a little tired. Once we were finished, my legs felt pretty beat, but I really don't feel too sore today. 

I will say that it is SO great to have a running partner that is the same pace as you! Alia and I both really didn't train for time, and ended up running each mile around 10 minutes, some just under. We were both really happy with that. 

Alia and I have decided to go ahead with the Odyssey Half Marathon, also in Philly. It's in 5 weeks, so the training is really just adding on to what we've already been doing. I predict many stroller runs in my future! The race takes you along the Kelly Drive loop, so it's a "home" race for me since I already run that often. 

A friend from high school finished 200 out of 40,000. Now THAT is simply amazing! Go Adam!

Around mile 7 

Finish!

We went out to lunch in Old City at the Continental after the race. That was one of our favorite spots, and only a block from where we used to live. We were happy to show Connor around our old hood!

Connor deserved this medal after training with me!

Lastly- In honor of Mother's Day, we are offering one free session at ZAKTi! Email me for more info, or check out the class offerings at ZAKTi. My workshop is offered Tuesday and Thursday from 11-12.

Happy Monday!

Busy Busy

This week marked the first of the You Better Work, Mama Workshop. It has been wonderful to meet other moms, talk about their experiences, and share stories. It's also been great to get out of the house for a few hours during the morning! Connor tagged along on Thursday, and Matt met us at the studio to watch him while I trained. It worked out perfectly, and I know the boys had a nice lunch together :)

Connor chillin at ZAKTi

Tuesdays and Thursdays are now very busy for me because I have training in the city during the morning, and then teach in the suburbs in the evening. I found out at Sweat that I've been named instructor of the month! They're offering a special- if you refer a mom to try out any of my classes, you get a free month of membership. Pretty nice! I was honored to see signs up around the gym in my honor :) Thanks to the manager, Sharee!

                                              

This weekend also marks an important date- the Broad St run! I'm so excited for it, and feel fully prepared. I think my training plan has really worked out well. Running three days a week has left enough time to incorporate my strength workouts, and still given me enough time to feel good running. I'm headed down to the expo today, and will report back if I score any good freebies!

In baby news, Connors sleep has been all over the place. He's recently become very mobile (though not crawling yet- that can wait!) and I think he wakes himself up. He has also started to prefer sleeping on his belly, but sometimes "forgets" that he can, in fact, roll over himself. Those incidents result in screaming :(. It's really hard to figure out when to let him cry it out  (which our pediatrician recommends), and when to go in. The pediatrician reminded me that his good sleep habits can become disrupted and turn into bad habits VERY quickly. 

I've broken a few of those rules. One morning he seemed up for good at around 5:30, and that just doesn't happen around here, especially after a night when he had already been up. I pulled him into bed with me, and he fell back asleep. At around 7:30 I was up but couldn't move because he had essentially taken me hostage in bed. Once he woke, he didn't seem particularly sorry about keeping me up the previous night. 

Prisoner in my own bed

What, mom??

Some of his sleep positions are hilarious too, now that he can really move. One time he fell asleep on top of his seahorse that plays music. He sometimes looks like he's put himself in time out. He actually fell asleep here trying to rip the breathable bumper off his crib. 

                                       

I currently can't complain though, because he slept through the night last night. 

Good luck to everyone running this weekend!

Broad St Training

When I started training for the Broad St run, I knew that I couldn't stick to any seriously regimented training plan. Since I'm teaching two nights per week, I really can only squeeze in three runs per week without feeling like I'm over-doing it. My current workout schedule is teaching class (with weights) Tuesday and Thursday, and then my three runs are usually any days I can get them in.

I looked at Hal Higdon's half training program and have VERY loosely based my runs off of it. I do my long run on either Saturday or Sunday, usually a 3-4 mile run one day, and another 4-5 mile run.

This Saturday I went down to Kelly Drive to run the 8.5 mile loop with one of my favorite mamas, Alia. Our husbands grew up together, and we became close during our pregnancies (her second). She has a three year old little girl, and a 6 month old son. Motherhood is always one of the topics we discuss, especially when it comes to troubleshooting the babies. Sleep patterns, nap schedule, sleep training, and on and on.

Our run was really amazing. The weather was perfect, there was a ton to look at with different events happening, and we had a lot to chat about of course.

Right at the end, we picked up our pace a little bit for one last little burst of energy. 

Alia and I 

                                          

While I ran, Matt played golf, and my parents watched Connor. They had a great time seeing all his new tricks. 

Grandma and Connor

We took full advantage of the babysitting and headed out to dinner at Spasso in Media. Our rehearsal dinner was at the original Spasso in Old City, and it was nice to try the new location out. The food was great. We had a white bean and shrimp appetizer that was so good, I recreated it for dinner. I'll post that recipe soon. 

Drinks!

                                      

                                        

Kicking the weekend off

With a run! The weather is SO beautiful today, I would be crazy not to take advantage and get out there for a run. The BOB tire was repaired last week, but after running with it again, the flat was back. The guy at the repair shop said there must've been another thorn in the tire that he missed. Grrr. We had it repaired AGAIN today, and as soon as we got home headed out for a run. 

We did 3.5 miles together. Well, I did 3.5 miles, Connor slept for 3.5 miles. 

I wore a new pair of Lululemon shorts I purchased a while back, but haven't worn yet. They are SHORT! I liked them while looking in the mirror, but I'm not going to lie, I felt a little exposed while running. Hopefully I didn't offend anyone, haha. If I didn't offend with leg, I certainly did with my glaringly white legs. Time to break out a little self tanner. 

You can see a bit of the shorts in this window shot. They're the Run: Speed Short. 

http://shop.lululemon.com/products/clothes-accessories/women-shorts/Run-Speed-Short-32138?cc=10060&skuId=3481883&catId=women-shorts

Connor was still asleep when we got home, so I let him hang in the stroller for a little bit while I played on my phone.

Spring is here!

My running buddy post run.

This little guy makes me SO happy, and is the best running partner I've ever had.

Happy weekend! 

Saturday

Yesterday was a very busy day, but in a good way. My girlfriend Alison asked if I wanted to do a 10k, exactly 5 weeks before the Broad St 10 miler. It was a really good thing to do for race preparation. It might sound strange, but running 6.5 miles on your own is a lot different than running the same distance during a race. I think races help push you along because you typically feed off of the energy of other people. I did about 5.5 miles on the Wednesday before this race and felt awesome. No cramps, achy feet or ankles, it was great. Yesterday though, there were definitely a few moments where I struggled. The course was really beautiful and took me through suburban neighborhoods I'd never seen before. Absolutely beautiful houses. It also had a few hills that were long, steady upward grades. There was one right before mile 4 that actually made me walk for a few seconds before pushing through to the top. 

Broad St is mostly flat and even a little downhill, so hopefully I won't have any "moments" during that race!

I started off freezing, so the vest seemed like a great idea. 

I wanted to rip off that damn vest by the end of the race!

After I got home from the race, and Matt got home from golf (my mother in law was nice enough to watch the baby during that time), we decided to go out to an early dinner. For a few months, we've kind of felt trapped in terms of going out with C except for daytime outings. He has needed to nap so often, and really naps so much better in his crib that sometimes it just didn't seem worth going out. Now, he's getting to a point where he can stay up longer in between naps. We left for dinner at about 5, yup, early bird special. Or, happy hour. I guess those are two ways of looking at it. 

We went to the St. James in Ardmore, which is a new favorite. They're always very accommodating with the carseat/stroller. 

Apple Sangria

Photogenic little guy!

Daddy making C laugh

6 months is really just such an awesome age. People always tell me that he's so "good", and I agree, but I also think this age is just so fun! In total, we were there for about an hour and 45 minutes. He was happy the entire time. I even brought his dinner- steamed/pureed broccoli and oatmeal- and he sat on Matt's lap while I fed it to him. Broccoli is a new vegetable to him and really produces interesting faces :)

We got home just around C's bedtime, seven, and he went down very easily. 

Easter Sunday will be a busy day around here, we're hosting. I'm trying a few new recipes and will post them if they turn out well! 

What we've been up to lately

On Friday I went down to Kelly drive to do 5 miles with C. I've gotten really comfortable running with the BOB, and he seems to really like it. Doesn't really fall asleep, but likes to look out at the scenery. It's still harder to run with the stroller than without, so 5 miles really feels like a little more. 

Drexel's boathouse

I did finally go and get fitted for new running shoes. I went with Brooks and really love them so far. 

New Kicks

My Alma Mater's Boathouse

Our run was going great until about 2.5 miles in when it just started to feel REALLY hard. I thought at first maybe it was the wind, or just weight of the stroller, but knew after a few minutes that something was off. We stopped for a minute, and I realized our back right tire was flat. Why BOB, why?? At that point, I had 2 choices. Walk 2.5 miles back to the car which would obviously take a lot longer than running but would be exponentially easier than pushing a stroller with a flat. Or just suck it up and run. I chose the second option. Considered it extra training for Broad st. 

Let me tell you, those 2.5 miles were HARD. It felt like I was pushing the stroller through wet cement. The stroller also kept pulling toward the side with the flat, so I had to push to the other side to compensate while running. 

After we finished the run from hell (well, maybe that's an exaggeration) we went over to my girlfriend Beth's so our boys could hang out a little. 

C is VERY serious about his BFF

Yesterday we had 6 month pictures done, and some family pictures as well. I snapped this on my phone while the photographer was setting up. I can't wait to see the actual pictures!

Something else I've been up to is making baby food. It's honestly SO simple I can't really take credit for much. As we've been getting into the world of food beyond milk, I pick a veggie or fruit, offer it to him for 2-3 days and as long as there isn't any reaction, move on to the next. So far we've done butternut squash (he made a lot of faces at first, but I think it was more just a reaction to it being so different than milk or oatmeal), avocado (really likes it but did make him a little constipated), and apples (love). 

I just steam the fruit or vegetable and then puree using my immersion blender. Then I pop the puree into an ice cube tray and freeze overnight. The next day I put the cubes into freezer bags labeled with the date and contents. Last night I did apples and squash, so this week all I need to do is defrost cubes. I use 2 cubes as one serving. When we do avocado I just feed small pieces out of the shell. 

One warning with avocado- spitup for the rest of the day will be greenish and will stain clothing. Ew. 

Happy Monday!

Run Like a Mother

Recently, I've been feeling a bit limited with the time I have to run during the week. I have to teach Tuesdays and Thursdays, so they're out. After Matt gets home from work it's usually dark (and even colder than during the daytime) so that's not out, but not ideal.

I decided a good solution would be a jogging stroller so I can run during the day and get my workout done. Everyone says the BOB is the best stroller for actual running, but the 400 plus price tag gave me pause. We already splurged on the Uppababy Vista stroller http://uppababy.com/products/product.php?id=236 which we love and have gotten a lot use out of it.

A friend suggested searching craigslist for used BOBs in good condition, and I got quite the steal! I made sure to inspect the stroller well when we checked it out in person, looking for general wear and tear, treads on the tires, made sure the front wheel locked properly, etc. The stroller was in great condition; the former owner just had kids that weren't into riding in it anymore and she wanted to get rid of a lot of baby things.

My stroller is a BOB revolution http://www.zoostores.com/shop/catalog/product/view/id/438118/s/bob-revolution-sports-experience-black-stroller.html -this website has them on sale right now.

I got C all bundled up in his fleece snow suit, slathered some aquaphor on his lips and cheeks (to protect from cold air), and we were ready for our first run together. 

"I'm so excited, Mom!"

Ready to run

C doing his best bear impression

The stroller felt great, very smooth and easy to push. Maybe not "easy", but not bumpy. I did discover that running with a stroller is decidedly harder than without. I felt great in terms of knees, ankles, feet, but my lungs were burning! Pushing the stroller increased the cardiovascular workout, and not having both arms to pump while running also made it harder. 

I timed the run with a nap time, but was surprised to see that C didn't fall asleep at all. Maybe he's transitioning to 2 naps? He was up for more than 2 hours in between his first and second nap today, but completely pleasant and not tired, so maybe it'll be down to 2 longer naps. I'm fine with that. 

Warm layers for cold running

For cold weather running, I always wear layers, and never anything 100% cotton- that will just hold moisture and get cold. I'm wearing Lululemon- run inspire legging, cool racerback tank, headband/earwarmer, and socks. Nike 1/2 zip mock turtleneck and Old Navy puffy vest. I promise to do a post soon about my favorite workout gear. I spend so much time in workout clothes that a lot of them double as "everyday" clothing for me. Maybe not such a great thing, haha. 

Happy Monday!

Broad St Run

Yesterday I was very excited when I got an email saying that I've been selected through the lottery as a runner in this year's Philadelphia Broad St Run. It's a 10 mile race that goes throughout the city, and I've been told it's pretty easy (for 10 miles) because it covers mostly flat terrain.

My history with running has always been love/hate. I love how cardiovascularly it provides a great workout. I love that I can get up and just go- no prep needed, no driving needed, nada. I love how accomplished I feel when I meet a certain goal for miles. What do I hate? Injuries. Getting bored. Sometimes feeling like my body is rejecting running. Not timing food around a run well enough so I don't feel empty or nauseous. Running in the heat. 

My first run after having C was about 4 weeks postpartum. I didn't have clearance from the Doctor yet (I don't suggest doing that although I had no ill effects) but felt good so I gave it a shot. I was all geared up, wearing my favorite lululemon running crops, even though they were a bit tight on my newly acquired muffin top. About 5 minutes into what felt like the hardest run of my life, my iPod died. I do NOT run without music. This was bad. I kept going, because dammit, I was going to run 3 miles if it killed me! Let me tell you, the only thing worse than running in silence is running while listening to yourself huff and puff, and feeling your postpartum belly jiggle with each step. Not cute!

Although I do run for cardio, I've never been a big racer. It's not that I haven't tried though. 2 years ago I was signed up for my first half marathon, and was really excited to race it. I got into the trap of running too much, too soon, and sprained my foot. Race over! This is always what has happened to me, I try to squeeze the running in with my other workouts and end up overdoing it. After I had C I started running a lot because of how easy it was to just get up and go and ended up tweaking my ankle. 

My goal with Broad St (in addition to completing it!) is to pace myself with training. For the rest of February I'm going to run about 3 days per week, keeping the mileage low. Once March hits, I'll follow Hal Higdon's half marathon training plan for 8 weeks up to the race. http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51131/Half-Marathon-Novice-1-Training-Program

I'm only going to ever run 3 days per week, because in addition to wanting to strength train, I have to teach my classes 2 days per week. Right now, working out more than 5 days per week is just unrealistic. Even that will be a challenge! 

I'll be posting updates about training, including my workout plans.

Is anyone else running Broad St this year?