Hi, I'm Maddie's Mom

As the title of this WAY overdue post indicates, Maddie has arrived! She has actually been here for three months, but as my priority is now being her mom, things like typing up blog posts have taken the back seat. So let me fill you in on some particulars:

August 21^st, 2012 at 8:16pm Madelyn Nicole Mercer arrived weighing in at 8lbs 5oz and measuring 20.75 inches long. From the time my water broke (at work!) to this very moment, nothing has gone the way that I thought it would, but it has all been perfect.

Madelyn

Our Family

Jason and Maddie

 By the end of my pregnancy I had gained roughly 50 pounds and was ready to pop. I don’t know the exact weight gained because after the 50 pound mark I stopped stepping on a scale, which was about two weeks before Maddie came. Those of you who saw me the last two weeks can make your own guesses as to how much more I put on, but I’m sticking with 50! I have always wondered which is harder, giving birth or running a marathon, and I now have an answer: It depends on whether or not you get an epidural! I really wanted to have a natural labor, and was determined to make it through the contractions as we headed into the hospital after my water broke. I had proclaimed previously to anyone that would listen that I could survive anything that I knew would come to an end. What I am sure now all mothers before me heard was “I am an idiot that has no idea what she is saying, please smile and pretend I’m not making a fool of myself as I say this because I just don’t know any better.” Thank you, mothers everywhere, for being nice to me when I said such silly things!

After receiving the epidural I was a happy girl! I won’t go into the details of the actual birth, but following a few short pain free hours (thanks to the wonderful needle in my back) it was time to push, and push I did. You see, this all happened on the 21^st, and my birthday is the 22^nd, and I really wanted Maddie to have her own day … so I pushed! While the first words out of Jason’s mouth when he saw her were “she’s perfect!” the first thing I said when they put her on my chest and I saw my baby girl for the first time was “She’s HUGE!!!!” And my life has been forever changed.

Maddie and Me

The next two weeks were a blur. There was very little distinction between days and nights, and I questioned why people ever decide to have more than one of these crying/pooping/eating/sleep stealing machines. After week two we started to feel like there was some hope of sleep again in the near future, and I began to crave some form of exercise as I finally had some energy to spare. At 3½  weeks post partum, I went on my first 1 mile run. It was not pretty, but I was so happy to be moving that I didn’t care how horribly slow and out of shape I was. When I got back to the house Jason was standing outside with a screaming and hungry Maddie; apparently she was not a fan of my little jaunt down the street! As the weeks went on I tried to squeeze in 1-2 mile runs whenever possible and Maddie became more and more willing to allow my brief absences without causing a scene.

The next 4 weeks my anxiety began building, and I started feeling trapped. Maddie developed colic around week 2, and would consistently cry (read as all out scream and shake her little fists) inconsolably for the better part of 2-4 hours somewhere between 7pm and 2am every night. I felt helpless throwing myself at this little person who was sucking me dry (both physically and emotionally) without giving me anything in return. People would ask me, “Are you getting the hang of things being a new mom? Do you know what she needs now that it’s been a few weeks?” The honest answer was “No! I have no clue what I am doing! I am winging this entire thing and praying she doesn’t remember any of it because I am sure that I am doing it all wrong!” But of course I would smile and say something vague and positive sounding; I couldn’t have people thinking I was crazy!

Then one day it all changed … Maddie smiled!!! At ME!!!! It was not gas (yes, they trick you into thinking they are smiling at you, then they let it rip) it was a true smile, and it was all for me. In that one little look of happiness she stole my heart. I no longer felt helplessly trapped, for the first time, I felt like her mom.

Maddie's first smile!

It has not all been sunshine, flowers and rainbows since then, but it has been good. I’m not sure if it was my attitude change, Maddie growing out of her colic (thank you Zantac!), or a little bit of both; but 6 weeks was a turning point in the Mercer house. She shows more and more personality every day, and has recently begun to laugh, which just melts my heart every time! Our furry babies are doing well, and have accepted her as part of the pack (thank goodness!). Roxie and Reese get very upset if I don’t lower Maddie’s car seat down to their height so that they can greet her when we all get home in the evening.

Mercer Girls

Maddie and Reese

Roxie and Maddie

                                   

As far as running goes, I am pleased. I usually strive to run 4-6 miles, 4-5 times per week. I’d love to get up to a 10 mile long run by the end of the year, and then start incorporating some speed work as well. Fortunately for me, Maddie LOVES the jogging stroller! She usually stays wide awake and looks around at the trees as they pass for the first few miles, then drifts off to sleep. Tentative running goals for 2013 include running the Disney Princess Half Marathon in February with my cousin, Laura, racing a half marathon sometime late spring in hopes of setting a new PR, then in October I will attempt for the third time to reach my goal of running a sub 3 hour marathon. A lot can happen between now and then, but I like having goals, so there they are.

Maddie and I after a run

Since having Maddie I have thought a lot about my dad. He was extremely involved with my running (and life), and I know he would have been an amazing grandpa. When I was in high school, at cross country and track events he would walk around and introduce himself to people as “Stacy’s Dad.” He never started with his name; the identity he was proud to proclaim was that he was my dad. I will never forget that, and I understand now what he was really saying. He was saying, “I love my daughter more than myself.”

So, with that said, my big goals for 2013 and on are:

To be Jason’s wife, and Maddie’s mom.

Happy Living!

Monster Month!

For those who are unfamiliar with the term “monster month” it is the month during marathon training with the highest and most intense mileage, and begins roughly 6 weeks prior to the marathon itself. It is the final push prior to enjoying a two week taper (rest) period before the big day. During monster month, runners typically experience one or all of the following symptoms due to the intensity of the training:

• An insatiable appetite
• An obsession with remaining hydrated,
• The need to take an embarrassing number of bathroom breaks at work (caused by the hydration obsession)
• Restless legs
• Trouble sleeping due to constantly obsessing over the big day that is fast approaching
• A lost or dazed look while taking on tasks that at one point seemed simple, but due to the constant fatigue and lack of sleep now seem insurmountable
• The need to groan or grunt when going from standing to sitting and vice versa
• A constant desire to hide under the desk at work to catch a quick nap
• An uncontrollable need organize and reorganize your race day gear to make sure you don’t forget something essential, like your shoes (I’ve done this)
• An inability to talk about/focus on anything other than the training plan and the big day

As I entered the 34^th week of pregnancy two weeks ago, and realized that I had 6 weeks to go, I couldn’t help but think about the similarities between how I feel 6 weeks out from a marathon compared to how I feel 6 weeks out from d-day (delivery day). Looking at the above listed symptoms, I can’t find a single one that doesn’t apply to how I feel now … I am in pregnancy monster month!

Having experienced both now, I will be so bold as to say that pregnancy is way harder!

For one, there are no “off” days during pregnancy. Every day, all day, no matter how I feel about it, no matter what the weather is, no matter what else is going on in the world, I am pregnant. This has a good side to it in that every day I am rewarded by feeling Maddie move. During marathon training, sometimes you don’t feel anything good for several days and it is hard to remember at times why you are putting in so much work for something that seems so far away. I never forget why I am working hard through this pregnancy, and I feel blessed every day because of it.

Second, for some reason when you’re training for a marathon and say it is 6 weeks away, people tend to assure you of how much time you have left to prepare. When you are pregnant and say it is 6 weeks away, everyone tells you that you are in the home stretch, it’ll fly by, and you’re “almost there!” Who cares that I dread going to bed each night because I can’t find a comfortable position, I’m almost done right? Wrong! I will not consider myself “almost done” until I’m on my way to the hospital. It’s just like during a race; you NEVER tell a runner that they are “almost there” until the finish line is in sight. Not around the corner, not just a half mile away, actually in sight.

Last, the marathon is guaranteed to happen on a specific day that you can count down to. When Maddie decides to come is pretty much out of my control, and while the doctors will make educated guesses, they are still just guessing. I was told two weeks ago that I am measuring 3 weeks ahead of where the charts say I should be. I got so excited at the thought of the pregnancy ending 3 weeks early that I actually started fist pumping the air! The doctor just smiled and said, “now don’t get too excited, it could just mean that when you deliver her on time she’ll be a really big girl.” Well if that doesn’t sound exciting I don’t know what does … staying pregnant for several more uncomfortable weeks and delivering a big baby! Go me.

In marathon training, you reach a point where you wish the race would just come already so that you can put all of your training to the test. I was so nervous the week leading up to the Boston Marathon that my boss at the time sent me home a half day early because I was absolutely worthless sitting there obsessing over every mile split I was planning to hit. I am rapidly approaching that point with the pregnancy as well. Our house isn’t quite ready yet, work is busy and probably always will be, there’s really no right time, but I can’t wait for THE time because I’m just itching to meet my little girl!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

My my how much can change in the course of a few weeks! Well, I’ll be up front with it, running in any shape or form (yes, including joggling) is now officially done until after Maddie is born. Fear not though, I am determined to stay in shape. Actually that is a bit of a mis-statement in two ways. (1) I am not currently “in shape” by my standards, so to say that I am going to stay that way is just wrong, but you get what I meant. (2) The physical shape of my body I am sure will not “stay” either, as I am bound to continue expanding for the next two months! I guess what I am trying to say is that I plan to continue some form of exercise or another in order to be as healthy as possible.

In addition to the exercising, I have had to make a few changes to my diet. At a recent doctor appointment, they commented on how much I have “popped” recently and inquired about my carb intake. I said that I eat a ton of carbs, I always eat a ton of carbs, I’m a runner! Then it hit me … I am not a runner at present. They were kind enough not to point this out as it appeared I got to their desired conclusion on my own, and the great epiphany was that I am not currently eating the way I should. Yes work got busy with some projects and we’ve been staying late at our new house making renovation decisions and often do not arrive home until after 9pm, but that is no excuse to eat poorly. So, I have made the following changes:


-  No more 2^nd breakfast, eat a more filling 1^st breakfast instead
- No more pre-dinner snack of chips, substitute with fruit or veggies
- Occasional pre-packaged dinners, but much more cooking
-  Always have a vegetable with dinner
- Eat dinner before 8pm, even if that means preparing it ahead and taking it with me
- No more sugary cereal and ice cream together after dinner, it’s one or the other

So far I’ve been pretty good at following all of the rules, I do love rules!

There has been one other rather significant change in our household … we sold our mustang convertible. The writing has been on the wall for a while now and we were trying desperately not to look at it. A few weeks ago we took Eleanor (that’s her name) to Buy Buy Baby in order to test once and for all whether or not a car seat will fit in the back seat … it does not. Technically it would fit, but there cannot be a person in the passenger seat at the same time, which means the three of us could never ride in that car together unless one of us sat in the back and the other acted as chauffeur.

After much research and debate, we settled on a Nissan Pathfinder as Eleanor’s replacement. We already have a Nissan Murano (Molly) and after 130,000 miles have never had issues with the quality. The Pathfinder drives like a truck, which Jason loves, and has ample room to grow. So we made our decision, found a 2011 with only 14,000 miles at a nearby location, and scheduled a test drive. Before we left Jason gathered together the keys and title to the mustang “just in case” this car was right for us. After the test drive we were sold and it was simply a matter of filling out paperwork for the trade.

Four hours later, it was a done deal and we found ourselves standing in the parking lot under the lights asking the sales lady to take one last picture of us in front of our beloved Eleanor. Jason handed her the keys and she walked inside, leaving us standing between out past and our future … and I began to sob. I don’t mean I got misty eyed, I mean it was the ugly boohoo. The one where your face gets all swollen and red and you sound like you’re hyperventilating when you try to inhale. All I could force myself to say as Jason was holding me trying to calm me down and figure out why in the world I was so upset was, “I made you do it!”

Last picture with Eleanor!

I could blame it on the fact that it was almost 11pm and I was just too tired for any other emotion, but I know the truth. The weight of all of the changes we have thrown at ourselves over the last six months finally caught up with me, and reality came crashing down.

Since December:
- We found out we are pregnant
- Jason took a new job
- I took a new job
- We listed our current home for sale
- We purchased a new house
- I gained 30 pounds

Turning over the keys to Jason’s car was the straw the broke this camel’s back. It is the first decision we’ve made regarding the baby that wasn’t fun, it was actually quite difficult. Fortunately for me, Jason is the most wonderful person in the world and knew all of the right things to say to calm me down. I was still sniffling as I climbed into our new car, but I managed a smile as Jason held my hand (benefit of an automatic over a stick shift … hand holding!), cranked up “Big Eleanor” aka “Big E” and we drove off into the night ready to take on this new chapter of our lives together.

Jogging + Belly Jiggling = Joggling!

Time sure does fly when you are having fun. It is hard to believe that a month has gone by since the Austin 10-20. I ran 10 miles that day, and since then, may or may not have run 10 miles total! I really struggled after that race, much more so than I had anticipated. As I stated in the last post, my muscles were fine, it was my body as a whole that was having trouble adjusting to the pregnancy changes. After Austin, I took a much needed full week off of running. I then expected to get into a routine of 3-5 mile easy runs, 4-5 times per week … wrong! Merely 1 mile into a planned 4 miler I found myself walking and in pain. To be safe, I walked the next mile, then jogged a mile home. Yes, it would have been more intelligent to just turn around and walk home after the painful 1^st mile, but I am stubborn and it was a beautiful day that I could not stand the idea of missing. I took the rest of the week off and decided to start walking instead. By the next weekend I figured I had rested enough and attempted another jog … no luck. I then resigned myself to the fact that my running days were over until after Maddie comes and reverted to walking.

Fortunately for me, I was wrong again. It seems as though I experienced a massive growth spurt after Austin (gained 5 pounds in a week) then hit a plateau for a few weeks (still grew, just ~1 pound a week). I discovered that during a plateau period I can run for 5 minutes, walk 1 minute, and then repeat for a total of 25 minutes. I have gained just under 25 pounds so far in total, and have noticed that while I jog, my belly jiggles quite a bit. I have dubbed my new form of exercise “joggling!” (I am pretty sure I did not come up with this word on my own, but I do not remember where I heard it first, so I am not sure where to give the credit … feel free to think I am actually that creative!) Roxie, our 6 year old hound mix, seems to LOVE the new pace. Reese on the other hand, our 4 year old terrier mix, looks bored out of her mind! I only make it out to joggle once, maybe twice a week, but I am so happy to have found a way to continue exercising.

      

7 Weeks - No weight gain
Still running 20 miles/week

 

 21 Weeks - 15 extra pounds!

Ran Austin 2 days after this photo

25 Weeks - 23 extra pounds!

This was last Friday 5/12

I realized just yesterday that I need to be careful how I use this “joggling” word. I was sitting at my desk at work thinking about our plans for that evening and sent Jason the following email: “Hey, it’s a gorgeous evening, do you want to joggle with the girls after work?” Obviously I was asking if he wants to run with me, Roxie, and Reese after work; but I can only imagine what the people screening our work emails think when they read stuff like that.

I have found other ways to stay connected to the running world aside from actually performing the activity myself. The Right Moves for Youth Twighlight 5K was last Friday night and I took Roxie out with me to cheer on the runners. The little kids especially liked patting Roxie on the head as they ran by, and she loved every second of it! The next morning I was up with the sun with Tyler to hand out race packets at the Girls on the Run 5K. We volunteered for the race last December as well and had a blast both times. It is an amazing organization and I am glad to have had the chance to help again. I would love to be a coach at some point for one of the local schools, but that will probably be another year away as I am not sure what our new family schedule will look like come this fall with the little one making her debut.

It is funny how your perspective changes when your priorities are in line. Last year when people asked how my running was going, and I had to answer that I wasn’t running due to my stress fracture it absolutely crushed me inside. Now it doesn’t bother me at all when people ask how running is going, and I reply that it’s not really. I miss it, and cannot wait to get back out there and really run without worrying about hurting the baby or myself, but I would not trade this time for anything in the world. Plus, while pregnant, our local Chick-fil-a carries my food to the car for me! What’s not to love? 

Austin 10/20 Race Recap

At 6am the alarm clock went off notifying us that race day had arrived! Once again I was impressed with our crew’s ability to get 5 people up and out the door with only 1 bathroom in record time. The drive there was pleasant enough, and we listened to some sort of Irish music that reminded me of the theme song from “Braveheart” to pump ourselves up. There are two conditions under which I am allowed to run while pregnant: (1) My heart rate doesn’t get too high and (2) I don’t overheat. I wasn’t really worried about my heart rate because I knew the pace would be something I could handle. The weather though, was a huge concern as Austin typically experiences temperatures in the mid 80s this time of year. Somehow we lucked into experiencing one of the chilliest days Austin has had in the last month, and by that I mean the low almost slipped into the 50s the night before and the high that day didn’t reach 80! To make it even better, it was overcast and drizzly most of the race. I could not have hoped for better conditions.

Andrew, Christine, me, and Jason before the race

This was Andrew and Christine’s first big organized race, so I made sure we did things right and gave them the full experience. First, we stood in the long line at the porta-potties. It is an art to pick the fastest moving line, one that I have never mastered, but practice makes perfect! Next we did some plyometrics to loosen up our muscles.

Andrew warming up

                             

After we were thoroughly stretched out, I made a mad dash for the bathroom one last time, the rest of them were brave and decided to hold it. Just a few short minutes later, the gun sounded … and we all stood still. Just like the last race I ran back in March, we were far from the actual starting line and slowly walked up to the start before our real running began.

I haven’t posted in a while because running while pregnant is really not all that exciting. What you don’t know is that I have had to stop and walk instead of running multiple times during the training leading up to this race. Nothing dangerous for the baby is going on, I’m just … growing … and stretching … in areas that aren’t necessarily the most willing to give … and it hurts! Depending on the day I can head out and run 9 miles with no problems, or barely make it 1 before I am forced to walk back home and accept that fact that things are just going to be different for a while.

From the first few steps in Austin I could tell I would make it the full 10 miles, and that was a huge relief! I could also tell from the first few steps that I already needed to pee again! So, at the 1 mile mark I found myself standing in line at the first porta-potties in sight as Andrew and Christine forged on ahead (Jason was kind enough to stay with me). Thus began our 10 mile game of run a mile or so to catch the Tilts, stop to pee, and run to catch up with the Tilts again. I took 4 bathroom breaks total, a new personal record!

I knew Jason would run the full 10 miles just fine because a few weeks ago on what was supposed to be an 8 mile training run, I took us on a “short cut” that added 2 additional miles. The Tilts were the unknowns, but they were awesome! Our goal was to finish under the 2 hour mark, and the entire race we were looking good. The bands along the way were pretty decent, but I think over all the crowd was disappointed at the low volume of the music. We had hoped for the sound of one band to carry us forward to the sound of the next, but instead there were several minutes of silence between each band stand. I am sure the pros that were running 5 minute miles thought that the music carried well between each stand, but for the rest of us back there, a little more volume would have been appreciated!

Around mile 8 we all stopped for a bathroom break, and this was the first time I started to worry about our ability to run sub 2. We were not behind our goal pace, but we had no room for error in the final miles. I did not say anything because the group seemed to pick up the pace right where we had left off, but at mile 9 we had noticeably slowed. I told them where we were time wise and that we could not afford to slow down or we’d miss the goal, and slowly the pace picked back up again. What seemed like forever went by, and we found ourselves rounding the last turn. The finish line was in sight … I looked at my watch … we had exactly 60 seconds left. I started yelling for the group to sprint, and as many encouraging things as I could think of. I could not tell by the look on Christine’s face if she was going to sprint, stop and walk, or slap me for being so annoying. Fortunately for me after a second’s hesitation she started sprinting. We all took off chasing down the finish line as fast as our legs would go. “30 Seconds!!!!!” I yelled out as we continued to close the gap. “10 Seconds!!!!!!! RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!” ….. “WE MADE IT!!!!!!!!!”

Official time: 1:59:57! Go Team!

Jason and I at the finish!

I am so proud of our accomplishment to run 10 miles, and run within our goal time. The whole weekend was a huge success and I had a great time. Now that the race is over, I am not sure what my next move will be. To be honest, I am way more sore after this than I had expected to be. My muscles are fine, it is my body trying to adjust to all of the changes going on internally that just make running fairly uncomfortable at times. I plan to take the remainder of this week off, then figure out what running/exercising feels good for the next few months and just cruise.

When I will post again is a mystery, but until then … happy running!

Austin 10/20 Race Weekend – Pre Race

This past weekend Jason and I traveled to Austin, TX to run the Inaugural Austin 10/20 with Jason’s sister, Christine, and her husband, Andrew Tilt. The race was 10 miles with 20 bands along the way to help keep us motivated, and we had a blast! We took Friday off of work and landed in Austin at 11am to a wonderful surprise ... Christine and Andrew adopted a dog! She is an absolute sweetheart, and her name is Lambeau. We have been away from our dogs for a week now due to travel plans, so hanging out with Lambeau is just what we needed!

After becoming acquainted with our new family member (yes, dogs are family in the Mercer house) we started what would become one of the most food packed weekends ever with a trip to The Salt Lick, a casual barbeque place seemingly out in the middle of nowhere that we had been told was the place to go; and we were told right! In true Texas fashion the plates were large and loaded! After stuffing our faces we headed into town and changed into bathing suites for a trip to a local swimming hole. One of the many wonderful things about being pregnant, is that my stomach is always big. Normally, after a meal like the one I downed at The Salt Lick I feel bloated, but now I’m supposed to be big, so wearing a swim suit is no big deal! The weather was not quite as warm as anticipated, but it was still nice enough to jump in the water and float around a bit before drying off and heading home to prepare for another glorious meal.

For dinner that night we decided to check out a Tex Mex place suggested by a friend from Fredericksburg that used to live in Austin. After walking around the downtown area a bit and exploring the original Whole Foods store we made our way to  Z Tejas. I started realizing how perfect our timing in coming to Texas had been as I was dunking my chips in as much guacamole as I could fit on that tasty little crunchy triangle. The entire pregnancy all I have craved is cheesy, salty, saucy food … and there we were in Texas eating as much of it as possible … it was wonderful. During dinner one of Andrew’s friends from college, Ross, joined us. He also was in town to visit for the weekend so afterwards we all headed back to the Tilt’s place for a good night’s sleep.

The next day we were up with the sun and out the door in record time for 5 people sharing 1 bathroom. This included taking time to devour a delicious breakfast casserole that Christine made from scratch. Our plan included checking out another swimming hole that was a bit farther away and more popular than yesterday’s and we wanted to beat the crowd. As you can see in the pictures, it was well worth the early morning drive!

Beautiful Swim Hole

Jason and I

Ross, Andrew, and Christine

Jason having fun!

On our way back into town we stopped for lunch and had yet another amazing meal. Jason and I grabbed some pizza from Home Slice while the rest of the troop ordered flat bread tacos from a little trailer in a parking lot (which is the thing to do in that part of town). Everyone was satisfied, and once again, absolutely stuffed. We then continued the rest of our drive to the Tilt home and bummed around until it was time to eat again for dinner! Andrew has apparently been working on rubs for steaks lately, and I have to state for the record that his hard work showed (or should I say, tasted?). Christine was not to be outdone though, and mashed up some sweet potatoes with a side of baked veggies and for the first time in my life I liked the mashed sweet potatoes! With full stomachs from three incredible meals, we all settled down for another night’s sleep in preparation for the 10 miler the next day.

As I was thinking through the weekend, and the race, I started realizing how happy I was that I did not plan to race the 10 miler on Sunday. Normally, when I travel for a race we eat pasta, plain sandwiches, and then more pasta. The thought of a meal even close to the ones I consumed in just a brief 48 hour time period in Austin would have made me sick. Also, I would not have wanted to play much at the swim holes in an effort to rest up for the race. In other words, I would have been a lot more boring to be around, and missed out on a lot of fun.

Now, I am not saying that this will forever change my outlook on race weekends, I am sure once I am chasing down that 3 hour mark in the marathon again I will be more than happy to revert to my old “boring” ways. What I am saying, is that I am very thankful for this amazing time in my life where I have a great reason to just sit back, relax, and enjoy having fun (and eat EVERYTHING I CAN) with people I love. 

First Race of the Year!

About a month ago one of my good friends, Mary Leigh, signed up for the Alston + Bird Corporate Cup 5k and I volunteered to pace her. At the time I didn't give a second thought to my ability to pace her for the sub 30 minute goal. Little did I know that running for two would slow down my “easy” pace to the point where I was worried about my own ability to run that fast! As much as I still love running, it is a lot different and much harder than it used to be. Finding the drive to get myself out the door has been a huge challenge the last month, but fortunately this past week seems to have been a turning point. I ran 15 miles this week (including the 5k) and felt better than I have the entire year. I am very thankful to have my energy back, and hopefully I can get my running worked into a normal schedule from now on. So, the fun part, the race:

Friday night before the race Mike and Mary Leigh came over for dinner to carb load with some delicious gnocchi from Pasta Provisions and bread rolls with honey. We followed dinner by watching the highly motivational episode from The Office: “Michael Scott’s Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race For the Cure;” I figured we could use a few pointers before our race the next day! After that educational viewing we decided to turn in early. What seemed like just a few hours later, my alarm clock was sounding the alarm that race day was upon us. I had forgotten how much I LOVE race day. There is something amazing about hundreds of people that are complete strangers all coming together for the purpose of running. Most of them are not there to win, some of them (Mike) haven’t even trained, they just want to be a part of something that they know will benefit their health (or allow them to eat an extra piece of cake later), and I just think that is so cool.

Mike, Mary Leigh, myself, and Jason before the start!

Before we knew it we were standing in the starting coral ready to go. The gun went off … and we stood there. Another thing I forgot is that when you are not on the front line of the race at the start, it’s really not that exciting when the gun fires. It took us almost 50 seconds to actually cross the starting line and officially begin our race, thanks goodness for timing chips! The first half mile was utter chaos. Hundreds of people were jostling all around us trying to find a comfortable pace for the next few miles, but fortunately the four of us were able to stay together. It turns out that Mary Leigh is a bit claustrophobic so Mike, Jason, and I formed as much of a barricade around her as possible and fought our way down Tryon St until we finally had some breathing room near the half mile mark. From there on it was smooth sailing! Mary Leigh and I ran out front with Mike and Jason right behind us, and I had an eye on my trusty Garmin the whole way to make sure we maintained at least a 9:25 average mile pace. I really can’t take much credit for Mary Leigh’s time in this race. After the first half mile she dictated our speed the whole way, and I never had to tell her to speed up. Surprisingly, I told her to slow down a few times when I knew we had a hill coming or just thought it best to conserve energy in the early parts of the race.

At the 2 mile mark there was a water station and I almost started laughing. I know it sounds silly, but before the race I had discussed with Mary Leigh the “right” way to approach a water stop during a race, yes there is a “right” way. She very politely listened and nodded at the time, but I had a feeling she was laughing on the inside thinking this was just overkill on my part to prep her for this, but sure enough there was the water station! She made eye contact with the volunteer so they knew she was going for their cup, smoothly grabbed it without spilling, crushed the top part a bit to make a spout, and downed some much needed water. Then with a beautiful arc of a toss, got the empty cup as close to the trash can as possible without hitting other runners in the process … I was so proud! Ok, enough gushing about water cups, back to the race. We had a mile to go, and most of it was up hill. Our average pace was 9:18 so I knew we were looking good for sub 30 minutes if we just held steady and maintained. Soon we were all rounding the final corner of the race course and could see the finish line just 50 meters away. I encouraged the group to speed up and Mary Leigh said she didn’t have anything left, but then Mike started looking like he was going to pass her; and that was all it took. It was as though there was a fire under her feet and she took off! I was actually worried about my ability to keep up at that point, remember, running for two here. We all approached the finish line together, and at that moment I probably looked like the biggest jerk in the world. I wanted Mary Leigh to finish first, so behind her back I grabbed on to Mike’s arm with one hand, and grabbed Jason’s arm with the other to pull them back and make sure she crossed first. She did, and the three of us followed immediately behind her. Final time: 28:50!

It was such a wonderful feeling to have run a race with friends and meet our goal. We celebrated by heading to Brueger’s Bagel for second breakfast and enjoyed some nice hot beverages. I am looking forward to more races like this one during the next few months. Next up: Austin 10 miler on April 15^th with Christine and Andrew Tilt!

"Baby" Steps

During my last post several weeks ago I signed off by committing to expect great things this year other than just winning races. I would like to share with you a big part of what I was alluding to … Jason and I are expecting a baby on August 25th!!!

So what does this mean for my blog? I would love to say that it will stay all running related, but that is just silly. The new person that I am preparing for is such a large part of every moment of my day that I cannot possibly separate running as and independent activity. Running is actually tied to how I found out that we are expecting! Here’s the story …

The third weekend of December was coming up and we were planning to see both of our families for some pre-Christmas festivities. I had just taken a pregnancy test the weekend before with a negative result, but couldn’t shake the urge to test again “just in case.” I felt silly testing twice in a row like that, so I did not tell Jason my plan to test the Friday morning before we left. At the crack of dawn … actually … much before that … at 5:20 the alarm clock went off and I began preparing to meet up with Tyler for a run. I took the test then set it on the counter and continued getting ready. I almost forgot it was there before heading downstairs to grab my shoes! You would forget too, remember it was 5:25 in the morning! As I walked past the bathroom the test caught my eye, and there it was, the 2^nd pink line I had been waiting to see. My heart skipped a beat and for a moment I just stared at it. It is funny really, the thing I had wanted to see so badly was right in front of me and I didn’t know what to feel. Excitement, panic, shock and disbelief are just of the few of the emotions that were running through me simultaneously, and that is a lot to experience before my daily cup of coffee! As I was standing there attempting to take it all in reality called, well, buzzed. Tyler texted saying she was heading out in 5 minutes to meet me. So there I am, standing in the bathroom, holding a plastic stick with two pink lines, torn between meeting my friend to run and waking up Jason to share with him our wonderful news. So what do you think I did?

I went running of course! I know not everyone would have made that decision, but I am glad I made the choice I did. For a full hour I got to soak in the fact that I knew a beautiful secret. Also, I figured I could spend my time trying to figure out a neat way to tell Jason. Since Christmas was right around the corner I imagined putting the test in his stocking, or maybe preparing bread dough and putting a “bun in the oven.” So many good ideas formed secretly in my head while Tyler and I jogged along the moon-lit Charlotte streets. By the time I got home I had resolved to keep my secret until I had the perfect means of divulging it to Jason. The instant I got upstairs I jumped in the shower while he slept trying to buy myself more time before I had to face him and try not to show my joy. Then the moment came, it was time to wake him up. I walked over, poked him on the shoulder, and as soon as his eyes started to flutter open I grabbed him by both shoulders and blurted out, “You’re going to be a dad!” … just call me slick …

Jason was so excited that he did not seem to mind my lack of creativity in telling him our wonderful news, and he was not at all upset (nor surprised) that I went running first. Yes, I married the perfect man for me!

We have had much more success since then in coming up with creative ways to tell our family and friends, one of them is so good I might post it another time if the running world gets slow … which it inevitably will for the next 6 months. I am still planning on entering some spring races including the Austin 10/20 mentioned in a previous post, but it will all be with “baby” steps. I will have an ever changing body to learn how to run with, new eating and sleeping habits, and a whole new world of goal setting that will involve running slower than a certain pace! The focus on running, racing, and life in general will be on enjoying the experience with Jason, family, and friends. It looks like our new little person in the making will hold me to my promise not to overdo the racing (and life) this year after all!

Happy Running … and Living!

A New Start for a New Year

As I was sitting here debating how to make my re-entry into the running world sound interesting, I realized that it is not. It is wonderful that I am running again, but blogging about running 2 miles 3 times per week at a slow pace is not fun for me to type nor for you to read. When I started this blog I thought that writing about running would be fun and interesting, why now does it seem so dull and lifeless? I think I have the answer, 2010 and the first few months of 2011 were incredible. While I have been a runner my entire life (since the President’s physical fitness test in 1^st grade, my Dad bribed me with a candy bar if I beat the boys, only 1 got away :) ), running became my passion just a few years ago.

In 2009 I ran the Boston Marathon in 3:15, after having run a 3:34 the previous October to qualify. I realized that while I had trained for Boston, I never really put my heart and soul behind it, and I became curious as to what I could do. That summer I met my running buddy, Tyler Wallace, and things really took off. The best part about Tyler, is that when you run with her it’s not about the time, it is about enjoying the run and feeling good, and she happens to be super speedy. We had no training plan, no goal mileage each week, but as I kept track in my log each morning I noticed that we were slowly building up a larger base than I had ever accumulated before; and it felt easy! Soon we were running 5-6 times per week and logging 10-15 mile long runs each weekend, it was awesome. During the spring of 2010 we signed up for a Half Marathon in Charlotte with the goal of running to feel “good.” During the first half of the race I watched the splits on my watch in disbelief, we were flying! The second half was a bit tougher, but I was motivated, some guy I passed told me I was the 4^th female and I wanted to catch another girl! I never did, but I finished the race in under 1:30, and realized that I was fast. That sounds cocky to say, and it is how I started to feel, though I didn’t realize it yet. Just three weeks later I signed up for another Half in Raleigh to see if I could go any quicker; and I did. This time I went out with a goal in mind, 6:40 per mile and to place in the top 5 women overall. I ran an almost perfect race with average mile splits of 6:36 for a time of 1:26:30, and I placed 3^rd overall for women earning my first ever cash prize! That is when I set my big goal, which for the record I have yet to chase down … break 3 hours in the marathon.

I think that is when I transitioned from a passionate runner, to an obsessed borderline cocky runner. Everything revolved around me and my running. I was still having fun, but I lost the passion in my quest for glory. I even decided that I should win the Charlotte Marathon while breaking 3 hours. I knew that sounded cocky, so I did not tell that to too many people, but it was so obvious I felt that way. Everything looked perfect for my race. I had run my “warm up” marathon 6 weeks beforehand with ease setting a new PR at 3:08, my Mom was in town to cheer me on at our pre-determined locations, Jason was set to ride his bike all over the course, and I was mentally preparing for a win and a new time beginning with the number 2. The gun went off … and disaster struck shortly thereafter. That race was a total bonk, and one of the most difficult 3 hours and 17 minutes of my life. I knew from mile 11 that my dreams were shattered, and I still had 16 miles to go. I refused to quit (I am actually quite proud of that) but it was so far from what I had longed for I was devastated. The next day I was signed up for revenge against racing (and myself), the Myrtle Beach Marathon in just 9 weeks.

Myrtle Beach was a success of sorts. I stayed on pace for 20 miles this time, then hit the wall and finished with a time of 3:04, a 4 minute PR. That is when I should have stopped, but my hunger for success was insatiable. I just signed up for more races! During 2011 my original plan was to run 3 (possibly 4) marathons, several half marathons, and random trail races. I also decided that I would complete a Half Ironman so that in 2012 I could do a Full Ironman. I was in all out goal setting overdrive!

It was in that mind set that I decided to write the blog, so of course it would be fun and entertaining; look at all I was going to do! Well, I am sorry to disappoint, but we all know how last year went, and this year is starting slow as well. However, I can say with sincerity that I am so glad that the events of the last 3 years took place exactly as they did. I clearly take a long time to learn lessons, and God gave me just that, and full year to think about where I went wrong and how to fix it. Tyler and I are meeting tomorrow morning to run, and I have no idea for how long and at what pace. Also, I am signed up for a 10 mile fun jog with Jason, his sister, and our brother-in law in Austin, TX. Otherwise I have nothing on the calendar and most likely won’t until the fall. My goal for the first half of 2012 is to work with Tyler on building up a solid base, and to have fun. It is such a blessing that my passion is for a sport full of so many lessons; I hope to never take it for granted again. It is with this mindset that I begin 2012, a year for giving thanks, and expecting great things in more ways than just winning races.