Last Race of 2011

Polar Bear 5 mile with my son and four of our close friends took place today (New Year's Eve) at 1pm. My husband and youngest son and a few other friends (of mine and the kids') photographed and cheered us on. Of the six of us, three took the plunge.

This is me between my favorite seventeen year old half marathoner and my oldest son. It was 55 degrees so the dip in the ocean wasn't too bad today. I hope to add this race to the list of family tradition races that my sons and I have.

My son was anxious to get in the water. Now that he can overpower me with ease he threw me back in the water just as I was almost back on the shore!!!

This is my youngest boy conquering sand dunes on our walk home from the race.


My investment in the all the race registration costs (and boy does it add up) for my children is actually an investment in memories, personal accomplishments, health and confidence. These are things that go beyond monetary value. When I am old, annoying, boring and eventually gone, I hope that they remember days like this- days when we truly lived and celebrated the blessing of life. And I hope that if nothing else, they truly live and love and show their children that life can be richer when you add priceless experiences like this. Happy New Year!!!

Without running... I would have never

...covered 6 miles on a cold April morning in a Wonder Woman Costume.

...learned that this boy can sprint to the finish EVERY time:

...become so willing to use a porta-john.

....become one with nature.

...approached strangers in underwear.

...gained a serious knee high sock fetish.

...reconnected with old friends.

...made so many new friends.

...had my son take an lcd tv home.

...witnessed unabashed public urination.

...felt like I conquered the world.

...been so incredibly humbled.

...learned that if I keep moving forward, no matter how hard it is and how hopeless it might seem, the road will always bring me to my most favorite and coveted place.

One Answer...

How do I get rid of my belly fat?

How can I get leaner all over?

How can I spot reduce my thighs/upper arms/muffin top?

How can I lower my blood pressure?

How can I sleep better?

How can I get more energy?

How can I feel better about myself?




RUN

There's No Place Like Home (10 reasons to love the at-home workout)

1. No checking the weather and assessing what attire should be worn. No considering the time of day and wondering if the gym will be crowded.

2. I can wear whatever I want. I can work out in my underwear or in a heinously mismatched ensemble or those extremely inappropriately short tight shorts that I bought without trying on that say "you are too old to be wearing THAT" all over them. All those socks that have no match can be worn for the at-home workout too.

3. I can bake and do laundry. I can turn this whole thing into an interval cardio session if I work things the right way.

4. If I watch TV, I have more variety at home. On-demand episodes of Sister Wives, Intervention, and My Fair Wedding (I know, I should be ashamed of myself) are not available at the gym.

5. I know the bathroom is totally acceptable for use- unlike the boardwalk bathrooms where I run or the gym bathroom where it's kind of hit-and-miss as far as cleanliness and toilet paper likeliness.

6. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE TO DITCH. As a runner, if it's pouring or too late or too windy I can justify delaying a run. If I only have 45 minutes and the gym is 10 minutes away (and therefore another 10 minutes to get home) I can decide that the time constraint is too tight and not go. Working out at home doesn't allow any excuses. 20 minutes? Interval training. 30 minutes? Cardio. 45 minutes or more? Cardio/strength/core, etc. Do not tell me you don't have at least 20 minutes every day to invest in your health.

7. I can test out new things without being "stuck" if they don't work for me. Different shoes or clothes- I can just stop and change if a wedgie is persistent or if shoes don't feel right. And I can try new methods and ditch them if I think they're lame. (Unlike the Yoga class I took at the gym last week- I was painfully agonizingly bored, unchallenged, and FREEZING but didn't want to leave abruptly. What a waste of an hour of my life just to spare offending or upsetting anyone.)

8. My kids see that it's a regular, essential part of life. We don't do it when we have time. We make the time to do it. And we do it even when we'd rather be doing something else.

9. It makes me LOVE running outside that much more. The monotony of the elliptical makes me cherish every moment of being outside in the elements on real terrain.

10. When I'm done, I can rehydrate with a glass of Stop and Shop diet grape soda. It is only sold in a 2 liter bottle. So there is really no option of bringing a single serving anywhere with me.

We interrupt this weight loss regimen....

...for a brief time of relaxation, enjoyment, memory making and fun. Between the 4 batches of gingerbread dough for houses and cookies along with the endless assortment of candy and the ever-revolving door from kids' friends stopping by AND the sweet relief of an occasional cocktail or glass of wine (or three) to smooth out the holiday stresses, I am in maintenance mode. Additional baking will continue through this week, along with impulsive last minute shopping that often results in impulsive let's get something awesome to eat while we're out and about. Holding steady in the 132's. (That weight is without clothes on- a friend at the gym accused me of cheating by weighing without clothes. That was weird.)

I will still keep a regimen of core strengthening/strength training and cardio a minimum of 5 days a week. This should keep weight from piling on if I balance fun with conscious healthy choices. I'll still eat the same damn thing for breakfast and lunch during the week to keep protein high and bad carbs and caloric intake low. But when the moment calls for indulgence, it's on like Donkey Kong in a Thong. Ok, maybe not quite... but you get the picture.

Let's see what happens!!!! Btw, a thin crisp gingerbread cookie tastes great when dipped in homemade butter cream frosting!

A Runderful Year.

Looking back at this year, I truly had a blessed year of running AND living- two things that are synonymous to me. Here's a nice little pictorial referencing some blog posts throughout the year. Another good bathroom/waiting room/I have nothing else in the world to read post. I'm definitely saving this one for myself to look back on when I'm an immobile old lady with a raised toilet seat and a cane.

December 2010:

Polar Bear 5 mile on the boardwalk in Asbury Park. It was turned into a 5k because of the massive snow storm that had started hours before the run began. I didn't take the plunge but I promise I will this year!

January:


No races. I guess I am not that hard core. Here's what rules my life in the winter anyway:

Wrestling. Yes. All three of them. I'm sure I will whine about this year in another post about how they're in three different schools now, therefore, three different teams and three different matches. Sometimes more than one match a week for each son. (Oh and the best part- three different practice times!) Help.

February:

Train-ing run. Jersey Shore Running Club had us hop on the train and take it to Spring Lake then run seven miles back to Asbury Park. Free beer and pizza at a great unique bar afterward.


March:

Half Way to Brielle Day 5k. My older two and I ran. This is my PR 5k. For now. I love this race and will do it every year so long as my boys are willing. I wrote about this one in this post in March.

St. Paddy's Day 10 miler in Tighe Park in Freehold. PR race and possibly the first time I took the empowerment and encouragement I pour into my sons for myself. Yeah I wrote about that one too.

Rat Race 20k one week later. It wasn't really a race for me, but it was a good learning experience. My first trail race scrawling about the fear involved is here. I plan to do this race again, even though I am kind of over it.

April:

Cherry Blossom Ten Mile in Washington DC. The best thing about this race was the way the website displayed your stats. It was the first time I was certain of what I have suspected all along: that I naturally run a negative split in most long-but-not-insanely-long distance races. The stats on the site also showed you where you were when the leader crossed the finish. That was good for a laugh...

Jersey Shore Marathon Relay. Super Heroes. We placed 3rd in the costume category. (still slightly bitter about that) 2 of my 3 sons ran and all three will run on my team next year.

The day after the relay the five of us got on a plane and flew to Las Vegas for a six day vacation with a dual purpose. This was better than any run.

We were married in a shady chapel in Vegas on April 21st. The boys had a blast.

May:

Long Island Half Marathon. PR race- of course it was! Here's how.

RunAMuck team 5k at Washington Crossing. My husband's first race! Fun except that I was covered in poison ivy for weeks afterward. I may not do that one again...

June:

Pre-Father's day 5k. This was the day before my first marathon. My oldest placed 3rd in his age group and my youngest PR'd. I ran alongside my youngest and he contributed to my marathon success the next day. My middle child was down the road at Little League Playoffs.

My first Marathon! Lake Placid NY. PR race!!! Yes it ended with 3 straight uphill climbs. I was elated. In spite of all the hills, it was my fastest marathon. Here's why.

The 1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut marathon two weeks later in Philadelphia, Pa at Pennypack Park. I did this to qualify for Marathon Maniacs. I finished and was helped into an ambulance. This was a dangerous stunt. But I'm proud that I took this as an opportunity to strip down in the heat and BEAR IT and I wrote about that for a different blog site here.

July:

Undy 5000 5k for Colon Cancer Alliance. This was a great HOT race. Three first time racers joined my team. My proud excited ramblings about this race are here. Oh, and we won the costume category.

August:

Nope. No races in August. And Hurricane Irene took part of my route away. Bummer.

September:

All of my boys and I ran the 9/11 memorial run. Here are my younger two.

Boardwalk Relay for Hunger. We won costumes this time too. My younger boys ran 5k legs and my oldest volunteered as a race marshal along with my husband and our friends.

October:

The Jersey Shore Half Marathon at Sandy Hook. No PR, but I sure as shit tried and wrote about it here.

Seaside Half marathon. I didn't run this one but a bunch of my friends did and I met them there to hold their stuff and take photos and cheer them on! And I'm extra mega proud of the girl in the center of the photo- this was her first half marathon at age seventeen.

November:

Philadelphia Marathon. My third one this year. (And my third one EVER!) This one really hurt. I hated marathons at mile 24 and felt like I was never ever going to run another one again. Obviously, that changed. New Jersey marathon is next.

How many miles is that in races alone? This year was rich with triumph, humility, determination and love. And it's not over yet! I can't wait to see what next year brings.