SLOW IS THE NEW FAST

July 31, 2012 · 11:37 PM

Goodbye July!

My mama always told me to never wish my life away but I can say that I’ll be glad to see July in the rear view mirror. It has been a horrible month! Not just for me but for lots of people that I know. Obviously, I know that a day is a day and that just because tomorrow is August doesn’t mean that the weather will be automatically cooler (especially here in MS) or that anyone’s troubles will be any less but it does kind of feel like we can hit the reset button. Don’t get me wrong, there have been good days and fun times too but overall, it was a stinky month, lol!

Speaking of reset buttons, I definitely need to hit it when it comes to my training. I know the saying that floats around Pinterest and Facebook that goes something like, “If you want it you’ll make time, if you don’t you’ll make excuses…” Hmmm, I guess I don’t? But I do, I really do. Lately, it’s just been hard to get my running done and some days hard to want to do it. Honestly, I have been feeling drained lately – mentally and physically. Trying to sell a house (which is more work than I ever imagined on our part) and buy a house before school starts has been one of the most stressful things I’ve ever experienced. I’m also dealing with Zoe not wanting to go to sleep at night. She’s the type of child that wants someone with her while she goes to sleep and so is Zach. Problem is that neither one has been particularly sleepy when bedtime rolls around and Zoe has taken it to the next level. By the time she’s either asleep or Jason has gotten Zach to sleep, it’s easily 10 or 11 at night. So that’s when I’ve been running, when I do run, which isn’t often. I think you’ve heard this story before on a previous post of mine, lol.

I don’t think you’ve heard me complain about this yet, so here goes: I haven’t been on a run outside since May 5th. MAY 5th – and I LOVE running outside! I like to feel the actual wind blowing on my face instead of the occasional stale “breeze” from the treadmill fan. I am grateful that I have a good treadmill to run on but I’d be really excited if I didn’t have to use it quite so much and could get back outside again. Sorry for the little rant but I do miss it.

With August, school comes and even though that keeps us busy, it also means a better schedule for everyone, including me. I’m looking forward to maybe getting outside and running during actual daytime hours again.

Half marathon training is going to start soon so I have got to get my booty back on a normal training schedule. If not for the sake of ~~being able to finish a half~~ a good half marathon time then for the sake of my sanity and everyone else’s around me, lol!

Oh and guess what? I didn’t run again tonight. I really wanted to but since I couldn’t, I’ve decided that maybe I should not run again until next month. Yep, I think that’s what I’m going to do. 😉

I know this post has been a little off the wall and silly but sometimes you just have to stop being frustrated and laugh a little. Truthfully, my life is really, really great. I’m so thankful for every single day that I’ve been given. Sometimes it helps me to vent a little on here because then I see how small my “problems” are once they stop swirling around in my head.

I’m sure there will be plenty of highs and lows next month and I doubt it will be any cooler but I am hopeful that there will be more highs than lows and that even if it’s just 5 degrees, maybe it’ll be cooler too. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll get back into my running groove again. :)

^“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Romans 12:12

New International Version (NIV)

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Filed under Family, Running, Uncategorized

Tagged as finding time to run, goodbye july, hot weather, running, treadmill

July 9, 2012 · 5:05 PM

Spotlight On: Meggan Franks – Winner of the New Orleans Rock N Roll Marathon 2012

This feature is on New Orleans Rock n Roll Marathon winner, Canadian native, Mississippi State University Alumni, wife/mom and fellow Rod’s Racers teammate, Meggan Franks. I first heard Meggan’s name after I’d finished the Rock n Roll Marathon and had gone back to our hotel. (Meggan was probably already packed up and on her way home by that time, lol!) Imagine our excitement and how proud we were when we heard that someone from our state was the female winner?!

Crossing the finish line at the Rock N Roll Marathon in New Orleans.

Meggan was gracious enough to answer some questions so we could get to know more about her.

Slow is the New Fast (SITNF): How long have you been running?

Meggan: I have been running since about 1998, I think. One of my friends in high school ran hurdles and I thought she looked beautiful doing it. She was running club track at the time, so I decided to run club track too. I was so shy, it took me almost a month to ask if I could go to practice with her.

SITNF: Your thoughts on being the number 1 rated female marathoner from Canada?

Meggan: Well it was great while it lasted! I survived a few months in the #1 spot. Athletics Canada has me ranked 6th but unofficially, I am not ranked that high. It’s ok though, I’m running a Fall marathon and …if everything goes as planned.. .I will run much faster than I did in the Spring.

SITNF: What brought you to Mississippi from Canada?

Meggan: Running brought me here. I was terrible at running until about 12th grade when I decided I wanted to run in college. I ran twice a day for about a year and contacted Mississippi State University about joining the team. The offered me a scholarship. I packed my bags, jumped on a plane, and started class in August 2001. I have been here ever since.

SITNF: Biggest race to date?

Meggan: I’ve ran a lot of big races but the most memorable one for me was winning the Rock’n’Roll New Orleans Marathon this past February in 2:49:06. Frank Shorter gave me my award….I kept the finish line tape. Every time I drag it out I get excited about running another marathon.

Meggan accepting her award from Frank Shorter and Rod Dixon

SITNF: Favorite running distance?

Meggan: 26.2 glorious miles!

SITNF: Most exciting running experience?

Meggan: Oh wow….this one is hard. I guess when I won my first marathon – Niagara Falls Marathon in 2011 (2:52:16). I couldn’t believe I was going to win, I was hyperventilating the last mile because I was so excited. There is a picture of me screaming as I crossed the finish line. I couldn’t help it!

Meggan crossing the finish line at the Niagara Falls Marathon

SITNF: I’ve only been running since 2010 but I have really struggled with being a faster runner. (Hence the blog name, Slow is the New Fast, lol) Do you have any suggestions for runners wanting to get better/faster?

Meggan: Congrats on sticking with it! I would try to incorporate some speed work, like tempos and intervals. I rarely run on the track, you don’t need a track to get fast. Find a marked loop and run intervals workouts, start short with 4X800m at goal 5k pace, and tempos of 3 miles. Work up to 8x800m and 6-8 miles of tempo. Tempo should be run at 10k-marathon pace depending on the length of the run. Also incorporate strides at the end of your regular distance runs, 4-6X100m at a pace you could hold for about 1 mile.

SITNF: What do you do as a part of Rod’s Racers?

Meggan: I run races as part of the Rod’s Racers team and I try to win as many as I can (haha, kidding). I also take pictures for the Rod’s Racers facebook when I get the chance. I have started the new Rod’s Racers blog. You can visit it at rodsracers.wordpress.com it is a work in progress but it’s going!

Meggan, representing Rod’s Racers at a local event.

SITNF: I know I have certain things I always do before a race and if I don’t, I feel very thrown off. Do you have any pre-race rituals?

Meggan: I usually start my warm-up about 50 minutes before the start. I usually run about 3 miles then stretch, take a GU and some water, then I go to the start line and do strides for about 15 minutes before the race starts. I always eat something the morning of a race, maybe a Luna bar and a banana or something like that.

SITNF: What you eat during the marathon?

Meggan: I am big on GU. I will take about 6-7 Gus during a marathon, I figure we only have 20 miles worth of glycogen so I am not going to hit the wall because I didn’t take in enough fuel! I like Blackberry and Tri-Berry Gu. I take fluid at every stop, too. I also take SaltStick, I take one every 30 minutes or so because I have dealt with cramping in the past. Take the SaltStick with water or you will throw up – just to warn anyone reading this!

Meggan running the Atlanta Half Marathon

SITNF: I have found that it can be hard to train like I need to (especially long distances) and juggle the responsibilities of being a mom. Do you have any difficulties in training for a marathon with a young child/how do you do it?

Meggan: Well, I have a treadmill and I have logged a lot of miles on it…last Saturday I did a 20 miler. It is very hard to balance being a mom and running 80-90 miles a week and working 40+ hours and some weeks I struggle. Running helps me prioritize and I really don’t have any other hobbies…and I love my job. My husband is a track coach at MSU so he travels a lot during the year making it even harder (me and my treadmill get along pretty well). I have a regular sitter on Saturday for my long runs, and I have a group I run with during the week…very early. I sometimes start my runs as early as 4:30am, most of the time at 4:45am. If I have to add miles in the evening I usually take the baby jogger out around the neighborhood. I will say that none of this would be possible if I didn’t have an extremely supportive husband who is also a fabulous father..and coach!

SITNF: Did you run while you were expecting?

Meggan: Yes I ran till the very end…except for the week 40 (I was overdue). I think it helped keep me strong and I was able to get back to running PRs in about 6 months. I was very careful not to run in hot weather and I took a lot of walking breaks. I also tried to keep things interesting by riding the trainer and power walking. I made sure I got an hour of activity every day.

Marathon mama, Meggan with her baby girl, Maddy.

SITNF: What are your goals/aspirations?

Meggan: I would like to run under 2:40 for the marathon someday. I want to run a big marathon like Chicago or Boston, too.

SITNF: Little known facts about you that you’d like to share?

Meggan: I have an addiction to Dove chocolate. When I am logging lots of miles I can go through 3-4 bags in a week. I can’t help it!

SITNF: What shoes do you wear for training and are they the same ones you race in?

MF: I wear the Brooks Launch for Training. I wear the Brooks Green Silence for racing.

SITNF: You are an inspiration to many of us runners. Do you have someone that you look to as your inspiration?

Meggan: I have a high school friend from Canada that I follow, she is my inspiration! I also follow most of the top Americans, and I have many friends through blogging that are much faster than I am, they help keep me training hard!

SITNF: I have to have music when I run. Do you ever use an Ipod? If so, what do you listen to?

Meggan: I have a Sony MP3 player that is wireless. I love it, I only paid $49 for it. I can’t stand cords. I need music too when I am running on the treadmill. I usually just listen to pop music or anything with a nice beat.

SITNF: What do you do when you aren’t running? (ex: family, church, work, volunteer work)

Meggan: Well I oversee the Maroon Volunteer Center at Mississippi State University, so yes you can say I take part in a lot of volunteering and volunteer projects! I also support my Track and Field Dawgs whenever I can!

SITNF: I clearly remember my first real run. (Mainly because it wasn’t that long ago, lol) What was your first running experience?

Meggan: I ran in my schools cross-country race in 5th grade without shoes. I ran without shoes when we ran during gym class in Elementary School. I think the race was 1 kilometer.

SITNF: What got you into running?

Meggan: When I started running club track in high school I was last in a lot of track races. I was determined to get faster and to stick with it.

SITNF: Where do you train (indoor/outdoors) and how often?

Meggan: I try to vary my hard sessions between the treadmill and a few hilly road loops. I only run inside if I don’t have a sitter or my husband is traveling. I run between 80-90 miles a week, mostly in 1 run per day. That means most mornings I log about 12 miles. My long run is usually between 16-21 miles. I also run with Boardtown runners (boardtownrunners.org) on Saturday…which is good because after my long runs I am hungry!

SITNF: Personally, I have a horrible time running here in the summer. I feel like I can’t breathe, so the winter is my favorite time to train. How has the Mississippi heat affected your training, if it has?

Meggan: Oh gosh, I know what you mean! It took me years to get used to it and I will always struggle, too. On long runs I usually take fluid every 3 miles and I take SaltStick too. These things help! I try not to run between the hours of 8:00AM and 6:00PM. My husband runs in the heat of the day and I tell him he is crazy!

SITNF: Do you have any suggestions for new runners?

Meggan: Keep running, no matter how slow you are or how out of shape you think you are. Join a running group if you can so that you have others to push you and share in your pain and suffering on the hard days.

Here are some of Meggan’s stats:

Life Time Bests

-1/2 Marathon: 1:19:01 (2012)-Marathon: 2:49:06 (2012)-3000m Steeple Chase: 10:46 (2005)-5000m: 16:59 (2003)-5k road: 17:26 (2012)

Recent Achievements:
-Niagara Falls International Marathon Women’s Champion 2011 (2:52:16)
-Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon Women’s Champion 2012 (2:49:06)
-6th at Canadian Half-Marathon Championships, 2012 (1:19:01)
-State of Mississippi Record Holder in the 5KM, 10KM, and Half-Marathon

2012

1.) UAB Invite 5k: 17:51 (1st)

2.)Frostbite Half-Marathon: 1:20:07 (1st) CR

3.) Mercedes Half-Marathon: 1:19:38 (2nd)
4.) Rock ‘n’ Rock New Orleans Marathon (1st) 2:49:06
5.) Killer Kudzo 5km: 18:01 (1st)
6.) Canadian Half-Marathon Champs: 1:19:01 (6th)
7.) Gum Tree 10k: 37:10 (8th)
8.) Red Hills Festival 5km: 17:26 (1st)

2011
1.)Frostbite Half Marathon: 1:27:29 (1st) (14 weeks postpartum)
2.) Germantown Half Marathon: 1:23:40 (1st) (5 months p.p.)

3.) Renaissance at Colony Park Half Marathon: 1:23:12 (1st)CR, SR, PR, (6 1/2 months p.p.)

4.) 2nd Annual Red Hills 5k, Louisville, MS: 17:48 (1st) (7 1/2 months p.p.)

5.) Manitoba Marathon, Winnipeg, Man.: 2:58.09 (2nd) (8 months p.p.)

6.) Oxford Endurance Weekend 3.3miler (1st) 18:44 (9 1/2 months p.p.)

7.) Ridgeland Run for St. Jude (1st) 18:10 (10 1/2 m p.p.)

8.) Atlanta 13.1 (3rd) 1:20:37 (11 1/2 m p.p.)
9.) Niagara Falls International Marathon (1st) 2:52:16 (1 year P.P)

Thanks again to Meggan for taking time to answer these questions for us!

If you’d like to keep up with what’s going on with Meggan and racing, you can follow her blog – Mom Against the Marathon.

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Filed under Featured Runner, Racing, Running

Tagged as Brooks Running, GU, marathons, meggan franks, Mom Against the Marathon, Niagara Falls Marathon, r 'n' r marathon nola, rock n roll marathon, rock n roll marathon 2012 winner, Rock n Roll marathon nola 2012, rock n roll marathon results, rock n roll marathon winner, Rod's Racers, running, saltstick

June 18, 2012 · 4:21 PM

Everything but running…..

Lately, it seems if I were a cartoon, I’d have ten arms – each doing something different. Of course, running hasn’t gotten in the way of all I’ve had to do because I’ve still been recovering from bronchitis. Btw, I think I’m finally ready to try and run again this week. I tried a little too early a couple of weeks ago and it was a big mistake. I still have a little cough now and then but I think (I hope) I’m well enough to start back.

We recently decided that we wanted to put our house up for sale and who knew what a major undertaking that would be? We have been cleaning out closets and giving tons of stuff away. Of course, by dragging everything out, an even bigger mess gets made. Add to the pressure of scheduling the realtors to come look at our house the night before we leave for vacation and you could say I’ve been pretty stressed out.

What really makes things hard for me is that our home is my fortress of solitude (even if we do have a houseful of kids, lol) and it’s really hard for me to open it up and let strangers examine every nook and cranny. I know it’s necessary but it certainly takes me out of my comfort zone! Maybe I’m just weird? It’s also extremely hard to have our house on “display mode” with small children. I never knew how hard until I started trying to keep it that way, lol. The morning after we got home from vacation, the realtors called and said that they had someone that wanted to look at the house as soon as possible. Of course, we were still in pj’s, nothing unpacked, and things in disarray from coming back and basically unloading the van and nothing else. Within 20 mins or so, they were here waiting on our front porch so they really got to see things as is. Yesterday, someone showed up after lunch wanting to “just poke their heads in” but ended up taking the grand tour. I guess I’ll get used to it but for now, I’m not liking this at all.

Ok, enough with that, lol! I just had to get it off of my chest. 🙂

Vacation was wonderful! We left last Saturday when it was flooding like crazy down there (Florida) and really wondered if our entire week would be filled with clouds and rain but things finally started clearing up by Tuesday and we were able to enjoy lots of sun and beach time.

This was our view of the sunset on Sunday afternoon after storms had passed.

I brought my running clothes, shoes and watch, just in case but besides being completely worn out by the end of each day, I probably needed an extra few days to get well. The way I looked at it, I was on the move nearly the entire trip. If we weren’t in the water playing with the kids, we were out walking and trying to keep up with them. Zoe, my 2 year old, could be a race walker if she wanted to be, lol!!

She was very proud of her dress and sunglasses. She kept us on the move!

I’d like to say that I ate great and didn’t eat anything unhealthy the entire time but hey, it was vacation and I’ve always said that I will never starve myself or not eat something once in a while that isn’t on the healthy list. I did try to stay on track with drinking water though. All in all, it was lots of fun getting to spend time with the kids. Jason and I even got to sneak away for an hour (or more some nights) after the little ones went to sleep and the big kids held down the fort.

Waiting for the fireworks show at the Emerald Grande on Thursday night.

Zach watching fireworks. It was raining but still beautiful.

My swimming buddy for most of the time at the beach.

This week I’m hoping we can get back on a regular schedule….at least until Thursday, which is our anniversary and we’ll be going away again! (Only overnight this time though.) 🙂

Have a great week!

I nearly forgot to remind you that I will be directing the Race for Grace 5k again this fall. Look for an announcement soon on the official date! This year, proceeds will be donated to the children’s home Grace International is opening in the Philippines.

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Filed under Blogging, Family, Running

Tagged as emerald grande Destin, fireworks at the emerald grande, Florida, recovering from bronchitis, vacation in Destin

May 17, 2012 · 6:52 PM

Why my blog has been MIA lately….

You might have noticed that there has been a huge lag in blog writing lately from me. It’s not that I haven’t tried. In fact, I have at least 4 that I’ve been working on and several that I haven’t even had a chance to start on. (One is my marathon recap, another is a giveaway and the list goes on…)

Things are normally busy around here but lately, it’s been in overdrive! The end of school always seems like a time when activities pick up and there are more places we have to be and things to do. Factor in my oldest son graduating from high school on the 19th and my 6 yr old graduating from kindergarten and it gets really crazy. Oh, I didn’t mention that on the 7th my husband came down with pneumonia. He’s actually doing better but is still really weak and can’t run for a while, which is driving him crazy. My 2 yr old also got sick on Tuesday and has had a really high temp, throwing up and sore throat. The doctor said it was a “strep-like” virus which basically means that she’s having the same symptoms of strep throat but there’s not medicine to get rid of it. We’re also trying to get our house ready to possibly sell, which is turning out to be ~~extremely~~ a tad bit stressful as well. I’m also trying to fit my running into the schedule, which has been about 9:30 or 10pm…or later.

So, that’s basically a run down of what’s going on here and why I can’t seem to do a lot of writing. I am trying to make sure my SITNF Facebook page stays current and updated, which is a little bit easier to do than to sit and write a detailed race recap. Although I’m DYING to do that!! I want to tell you about the Crescent City Classic, the Rock and Roll Marathon, a crazy 10k where I got lost on the course and then the Okatoma River Run 5k, which I’d trained like crazy for and tell you what the outcome of that race was…in case you don’t already know, lol. I’m also working on a post about how I nearly didn’t make it to the marathon. I started to include it in my marathon recap but decided that you’d probably rather read a shorter version and go back and read the other part later. I will get it all done eventually but my family and the many things we have going on always comes first.

Of course, I wouldn’t trade these busy times for anything (I would like a little more time in the day though! Maybe 26 hours?). Even when the days seems long, I know these moments are fleeting in the grand scheme of things. It seems like yesterday that Tyler was Zach’s age….now he’s graduating and going to college. My 14 yr old will be in high school next year and Zach will be a 1st grader. Those nights, which are usually most nights, when I’m hanging off of the bed on my side and Jason is propping his head on the night stand because Zach and Zoe have gotten in the bed with us, can be exhausting but I know that one day the night time visits will be over. It’s those little things that are so important. They are the things that now seem to be just the normal part of the day (or night) but in the blink of an eye, it will seem like so very long ago. As you can tell, I’m on quite the emotional roller coaster, lol. You always know your kids are growing up but it’s the milestones that can really hit hard.

I hope all the moms had a wonderful Mother’s Day on Sunday! Mine was great. Tyler had his graduate recognition and then later that day had his Baccalaureate ceremony. That evening, the kids and Jason gave me my Mother’s Day gifts which included a pair of Nike Free Run 3.0 shoes in bright pink!

Here’s a picture from my Mother’s Day that says it all. This was not staged, by the way, lol! It’s how most of our attempts at group pictures turn out.

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Filed under Family, Running, Uncategorized

Tagged as blogging, family, kids

April 18, 2012 · 1:10 AM

Tough Chik Ball Cap Winner!

Thank you to everyone that entered my Tough Chik Ball Cap giveaway! One of my favorite parts of this particular giveaway was reading your responses about what makes you a Tough Chik. We are all tough in one way or the other and I think it’s important to realize that even though our toughness might show up at different times, we have all have what it takes to be a Tough Chik!

In order to make my drawing truly random, I used Random Picker to choose my winner.

The winner of her very own Tough Chik Ball Cap is – The Running Teacher!

Congratulations!! Please contact me with your mailing information and I’ll forward it to Shannon at Tough Chik!

Thanks again to everyone that entered and if you’d still like to get your own Tough Chik gear, you can check out their website by clicking here.

Congratulations again, to The Running Teacher! Be sure and check out her FB page and her blog too!

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Filed under Giveaways, Team Tough Chik

April 10, 2012 · 3:23 PM

Tough Chik Ball Cap Giveaway!

To continue my giveaways, Shannon at Tough Chik is giving me the opportunity to give away my favorite hat!! When I first saw it on the Tough Chik site, I fell in love with it. At that time, they were out of stock (understandably so!) but as soon as they were back in stock, I ordered mine. I wear it all the time. It’s comfy, it’s cute and it’s got a little attitude on the back. 😉

Here’s the Tough Chik store’s description:Tough Chik now has an answer to a bad hair day! We all have them, so why not look cute with the Tough Chik ball cap? The graphite colored hat features the Tough Chik logo in pink embroidery across the front and the back reads “this is what tough looks like”.
100% brushed cotton twill with 6-panels, unstructured construction. Self-fabric closure with brass buckle and grommet tuck-in. One size fits most.

My Tough Chik hat came with me to the Rock n Roll Marathon in New Orleans.

It also got to meet Olympic great, Frank Shorter!

Here’s what you need to do to enter to win your own Tough Chik hat:

1. Become a fan of Tough Chik on Facebook and let them know I sent you. Leave a comment here with your FB name. (+2 entries)

2. Become of Slow is the New Fast on Facebook and comment here. If you’re already a fan, just let me know. (+2)

3. Follow my blog. (+2)

4. Tell me what makes you a Tough Chik. (+3)

Optional entries:

1. Follow Tough Chik on Twitter. (+2)

2. Follow me on Twitter. (+2)

3. Announce this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter. (+3)

4. Blog about this giveaway and link back here. (+5)

That’s it! This giveaway will end on Tuesday, April 17th and I will announce the winner on Wednesday, April 18th.

Please remember to leave a separate comment for each entry and please enter only in the ways listed above. I reserve the right to delete comments not adhering to the above entry guidelines. You must be 18+ years old & live in the USA or Canada. The winner will be notified via email and/or announcement on this blog, Facebook or Twitter. They will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be chosen.

Good Luck!!

If you would like to sponsor a giveaway on my blog (or you know someone that does) please contact me by sending me an email to gcmjjm03 at gmail dot com. I will always disclose whether or not the giveaway is sponsored by someone else or if it is one of my very own.

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Filed under Giveaways, Reviews, Team Tough Chik

Tagged as tough chik, tough chik ball cap, tough chik giveaway

March 30, 2012 · 12:56 AM

Train Like A Mother Winner!!

Thank you so much to everyone that entered to win a signed copy of Train Like A Mother! Also, a huge THANK YOU to Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea for sharing a copy of their wonderful book with me to give to one of you!

As always, to make sure my results are chosen at random, I used Random Picker.

The winner of her very own signed copy of Train Like A Mother is: Rachel Goeden!

Congratulations, Rachel!! Please email me at gcmjjm03 at gmail dot com (or message me on Facebook/Twitter) with your mailing information and I’ll get that over to the ladies at TLAM so they can get your book out to you!

Thank you to everyone that entered the contest and don’t forget to stay tuned for more giveaways coming up! (Yeah, I know March is nearly over but it’s my party and I can extend it if I want to. 😉 )

Also, if you’d like to pick up your own copy of Train Like A Mother, just click here!

Congratulations again, Rachel!!! Keep us updated on that 50k that you’re going to be training for!! By the way, check out Rachel’s Facebook page – We Run This!

I Quit!

That’s how I’ve been feeling when it comes to my running lately. Ever since the marathon, I’ve not been in a regular running routine. Of course, I know that I’m not supposed to go back full throttle right after one but I do think I’m supposed to be running a little more than I am.(Jason went for a 12 mile long run last week….) My normal running time has gotten interrupted lately by my 2 yr old that has decided not to go to sleep until really late most nights. My husband helps me out with her but can’t until he’s gotten our 6 yr old to bed. (Zach says he can’t go to sleep without his daddy lying beside him. 🙂 )

I guess things felt extra bad yesterday because I hadn’t been able to run since last Tuesday or Wednesday and I was feeling the grouchiness emerge. On top of that, I was STARVING yesterday, all day!! It’s one thing to feel that way the day after a long run because I feel like I can pat myself on the back and say, “Eat up, you’ve earned it.” But when I’ve done nothing that day or the day before, it’s not a good feeling to feel like my stomach is a bottomless pit. Last night, after Jason got Zach to sleep, I was still in bed with Zoe, who was still not asleep (but I had been). He told me he’d take over with her so I could get my run in. At that moment, I didn’t care if I ever ran another step. I was frustrated, not at Jason, not at Zoe…. I just was in general. In my best Eeyore impersonation, I declared, “I think I’m just going to give up on all of this. I think I’ll just see how much weight I can gain.” Of course, about 10 minutes later I had my running clothes on and ran 4 miles of frustration off.

I didn’t really mean that I was going to give up and my new goal was to eat as much as possible. I think what I really meant was I’m scared to death that this whole running thing is suddenly going to stop one day and I will turn back into the person that I used to hate looking at in the mirror. Honestly, I can’t go down that road again….I won’t let myself. I think that’s why I start feeling like the wheels are coming off the wagon if my routine is thrown off.

What I’m saying is that I’m quitting at being a quitter. It’s silly for me to let a few days get me down and instead of bellyaching and moping, I’m going to do what I can when I can. This isn’t the first time I’ve felt this way but I wanted to share it with you this time. I wanted you to know (in case you didn’t already) that if you feel like this, you aren’t the only one and you can get back on track. Don’t let a few bad days ruin a good thing.

I’ve got a 5k race this weekend and then the next Saturday is the Crescent City Classic 10k. I haven’t trained as much as I have in the past for it but I know I can run 6 miles, I know it’ll be fun and I know if I skipped out on it I’d really be let down.

I feel much better today, btw. It’s a good thing I waited to blog about it now instead of doing it yesterday like I thought about doing.

Thanks for the reminder, Nike.

I’m going to do what I can, with what I have, with the time I’m given and I’m going to be grateful for it. 🙂

P.S. Don’t forget to enter my Train Like a Mother giveaway!

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Filed under Family, Running

Tagged as don't quit, frustrated with running routine, getting back on track, running

March 26, 2012 · 1:52 AM

Skirt Sports Winner!!!

Thank you to everyone that has continued to help me celebrate my 1st Blogiversary by entering my giveaways!!

The lucky winner of my Skirt Sports giveaway is…..Joy Scott!! Congratulations, Joy!

Because I have so many entries in my giveaways, I always use Random Picker.

Joy, please contact me at either gcmjjm03 at gmail dot com or via Facebook or Twitter with your mailing information and I’ll pass it along to Katie at Skirt Sports!

Thank you again to Joy and everyone else that entered my giveaway!

Don’t forget that I have another super giveaway going on now which is a signed copy of Train Like a Mother!!!

Congratulations again, Joy!!

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Filed under Uncategorized

March 22, 2012 · 9:56 PM

Train Like a Mother Book Giveaway!

Here’s what you need to do to enter:

1. Go to Facebook and become a fan of Run Like a Mother, then come back and let me know you did – don’t forget to leave your FB name. Tell them I sent you, if you don’t mind. 🙂 (+2 entries)

2. Like Slow is the New Fast on Facebook, leave a comment here. (+2 entries)

3. Tell me which distance and/or race you’d like to Train Like a Mother for. (+2 entries)

4. Follow my blog. (+2 entries)

Optional entries:

1. Run on over to AnotherMotherRunner.com and follow their blog. (+2)

2. Follow me on Twitter, leave your Twitter handle here. (if you have Twitter). (+2)

3. Tweet about it, “I can’t wait to #trainlikeamother with @SBSOnTheRun, @dimityontherun & @GinaMooney! #slowisthenewfast” (+3)

4. Announce this giveaway on your own blog, and let me know. (Leave a link to your blog, please!) (+3 entries)

5. Post this giveaway on Facebook or tweet about it on Twitter. (+3)

That’s it! I’m sure you’re getting used to this by now. 😉 This giveaway will end on Thursday, March 29th and I’ll announce the winner on Friday, March 30th.