Tales of the Boot: Books I’m Reading, Parties I’m Planning

Monday morning, I received the following email-

photo 1-4

Cue my sad face. (Also, I didn’t realize Daily Mile sent these kinds of emails.) I’ve spent two weeks in the boot, and while I am doing some exercise (abs and arms, arms and abs. wash, rinse, repeat.), I’m still supposed to be resting my lower body.

Yesterday, I received this email:

photo 5

I’m excited to try a new arm workout! Good job, Tuesday. I think you’re cute. (Those Tone It Up girls are super duper cute, aren’t they?)

The nice thing about doing a lot of arm exercises are my biceps. It’s always tank top season here so nice biceps are a-okay with me. Plus, my friends leave comments on my instagram pics praising “Dem guns!” and that makes me giggle.

But really, I’m mostly resting. A fun thing about resting is that I have a lot of time to read.

Last week, I finished this-

photo 3-2

And it made me want to read more art caper/historical/love stories so if you have any recommendations in that mishmash of themes and genres, please pass me a note during study hall.

I’m still reading this-

photo 1-18

And today I bought this book, which I’ve been waiting for since December. (Note to book bloggers- please don’t review books and say they’re a STAY UP ALL NIGHT MUST READ OMG if said book isn’t released until six months from now. Thanks.)

photo 4

Another fun thing about resting is that I can’t do chores. Really! I walk so much during the day that I’m supposed to sit at night. Can’t do dishes. It’s very difficult to fold laundry when one leg is elevated. True facts, my friends. So, I’m also watching TV. I haven’t done that (besides the news and Rachel Maddow) since the second season of Glee. J and I have one more episode in season one of House of Cards and then we get to watch all of season two. What should we watch next?

I’m also doing some planning for my middle girl’s birthday party. We’re having a “messy party” which is an appropriate theme for a five year old, or a frat house. It’s so diverse!

Some party crafting.

Some party crafting.

Some things we’ve experimented with so far-

– a shaving cream slide
-several variations of homemade slime (I still can’t get this right)
-squirt gun painting
-silly string war

It’s going to be cray cray (my six year old used this in a sentence last week and then informed me that it meant “crazy.” I think she thinks I’m old.).

Happy Wednesday! What are you reading and watching? Let’s share.

Tales of The Boot: I Miss Running

Well, I finished week one of sporting the boot (clunky and so last
season, if you want my opinion) and yesterday I met with my doctor
about the results from my MRI. It’s not a stress fracture; it’s
tendonitis. Still an overuse injury, but not nearly as long of a
recovery time. I hope.

Well, at least the boot keeps my foot dry in the rain (also pictured: rain flat. You want these shoes!)

Well, at least the boot keeps my foot dry in the rain (also pictured: rain flat. You want these shoes!)

For the next three weeks, I’m supposed to wear the boot and rest as
much as possible. No biking, no dancing, no playing volleyball in the
pool (that was an example the doctor gave me. Really?) and definitely
no running. Which, come on- I want to heal, so I wasn’t even
going to attempt that.

I am really missing my endorphins right about now. You know, there
have been times where I haven’t wanted to go to the gym. Times when I
think- “Is this what I have to do for the rest of my life- exercise
regularly
– to be fit and look fit and stay healthy? Ugh.” But now that
I can’t do it, I realize how much I need it. I need to feel my heart
pounding after I finish a fast run. I need to sweat. I need to feel my
muscles ache and then the relief of a really good stretch. I need the
wind in my hair and the sun on my shoulders. The thump thump thump of
the treadmill. Those early mornings with Sara where we see the sun
rise. I need it all. Hopefully I’ll be back to it- pain free
soon.

Mother’s Day Gifts for the Mother Runner

I love a good gift list. How else will I know what to buy unless someone on the internet tells me so? I kid, I kid. But I do love a gift list and I love Mother’s Day because it’s an opportunity for me to sleep in and demand brunch and get a pedicure- it’s pretty much the only day I can be somewhat selfish. (I say “somewhat” because I usually end up doing at least one load of laundry. Laundry is my life.) It’s a day for family, because I love my kids and husband the most, and without them, I wouldn’t be a mom. It’s a day when I give extra love to my mom and my mother-in-law, both of whom are wonderful moms and friends (and live close enough to babysit their grandchildren). It’s a day when I feel grateful for my mommy friends, for all the advice and support and laughs they’ve given to me on this crazy journey called motherhood.

Moms! My mil, my mom and me at a football game last fall.

Moms! My mil, my mom and me at a football game last fall.

I’m lucky to have some mommy friends who are also runners- both near and far. My first mommy friend is also my best running buddy and it’s only been two weeks since our last long run together, but if I have to be in the boot for a long time, I’m considering pulling a chair up to her treadmill so we can chat while she runs.

Sara and I with our little babes. And Santa. (this is the earliest pic I have of us moms with the girls.)

Sara and I with our little babes. And Santa. (this is the earliest pic I have of us with the girls.)

This gift list is for the mother runners and the runners and the moms who like to wear running clothes to do school drop off in the morning. I actually have some of this stuff already- I love love love it all. (those socks! I went to buy them last fall and they were sold out. So glad Pro Compression brought them back.)

Mother Runner Mother's Day

And this list is for my husband, who always reads my posts. (And you can’t be that surprised by the faux birks. I’m already sporting overalls. All I need is for Chick Jess to make the perfect 90s playlist.)

Mother's Day- Spring and Summer Fun

Happy Monday, my friends! And an early Happy Mother’s Day wish to all the moms, mommies-to-be, and mothers-at-heart.

Tell me how awesome your mom or mother-in-law is. Or how wonderful you are, mama. (Because you are! And really pretty too.)

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: A (mostly) Wordless Wednesday

The Good-

I ran DC with Kyle, whom I hadn’t met in person before last weekend. We internet-knew one another, and she’s a running buddy of my Chicks, so I knew it would be a love-fest. We were both struggling with injured feet, so we took it easy and had great conversation. Best first date I’ve been on in years AND it ended with a blue box. (and later, a Bacon Bloody Mary. I mean, does it get any better?)

photo 1-17

The Bad-

Yesterday, I visited my podiatrist and got The Boot-

photo 3-17

I’m booted from any lower body exercise for an unknown number of weeks. I have an MRI today and once I meet with my doctor again, I’ll get the official word. It’s most likely a stress fracture, but I haven’t really had the chance to think about the implications of it yet (or cry. But I’m sure that’s coming.).

The Ugly-

photo 2-22

Sick baby. My poor guy has had a fever since Monday and he’s pretty miserable.

I prefer to focus on the positive, so tell me something good that’s happening in your life. Little Dude still has enough energy to play peek-a-boo with the Elmo Calls app and it’s SO adorable.

Those Pants Cray

Last week, we chatted about warmer weather and this weekend I’m heading
up to DC to run in temperatures below 50 degrees. Again. It didn’t occur to
me that I might want to wear pants for this race (It’s 80 degrees
today in Florida) but now that I’ve checked out the weather, I’m wondering
how quickly I can have some new pants shipped to my house.

Wildly patterned pants are having a moment and I’m really enjoying it.

First, I bought these capris during my holiday run streak:

Floral pants! Had to have 'em.

Floral pants! Had to have ’em.

Then one of my running buddies gave me these for Christmas:

Will my Chicks still run with me if I wear these this weekend?

Will my Chicks still run with me if I wear these this weekend?

(Speaking of Ariel…she’s not my favorite princess or even in my top three, but I really want this shirt. Cracks me up.)

And now I’m calculating shipping fees and weighing the pros and cons
of wearing something completely new during a half marathon.

I had some extra rest days last week and ran a pain free ten miles on
Saturday. I hope this means I’m on the mend, and ready or not, I am
excited to run the streets of DC. We have restaurant reservations, we
have plans to see some friends. I think I have a racing buddy. Now I
just need to figure out what to wear.

Those Pants CRAY

Patterned pants (or shorts or skirt) or plain? Who is your favorite Disney princess? I loved Cinderella as a child but grown-up me prefers Rapunzel (She saves the day and also- hellooooooo, Flynn Ryder.) and Belle (The songs. The books! Also, France.) Anyone running DC? Mer, Vic and I will be there!

Chick Chat: How Do You Hydrate?

With warmer temperatures approaching (for some of us, at least. Ahem.), I decided to round up the chicks to discuss how we stay hydrated- on long runs, during a race and everything in between.

BEC:

I’ve tried different hydration aids when I’m out doing a longer walk or run. The chewy ones (GU Chomps, Clif Shot Blocks, PowerBar Energy Chews) are fine. They sit well in my stomach. I don’t know that I feel more hydrated, but they’re not unpleasant. I assume as I conquer longer times/distances, these will come in handy. However the gels are just not my cup of tea. The taste isn’t always the issue, it’s more the sweetness and texture.

But mostly, I’m a straight up water girl when it comes to hydration. It’s funny, I don’t love water. I know all the benefits, but it’s an effort for me to just sip away while I’m at my desk all day. But once I’m working out, I drink ALL the water.

JESS:

I hydrate with good old H2O before runs and races. Strangely enough, I am obsessed with reusable water bottles and finding the cutest one (I like to accessorize, what can I say?) so I have a few different SIGG bottles that I rotate depending on my mood. And, honestly, my outfit.

MER:

My standard drink when I go out to a restaurant is always water with lime so one could say that I’m a water fan. Therefore, hydrating before a race ain’t no thang for me! I don’t really have to remind myself to chug, chug, chug because it’s something that I do regularly.

I have a handheld water bottle that I’ve used exactly ZERO times while racing. Yeah, that’s right. I purchased it, put it in the drawer and pull it out occasionally for a training run but haven’t actually held it during a race. Instead I rely on the water stations and the good volunteers along my route. Thankfully, I’ve never experienced dehydration during any of the half marathons I’ve done.

However, now that I’ll be running a full in the Fall, I’ve started considering the options for a hydration pack. I’m not sure it’s necessary, given that I’m not running for time and the water stations give me an opportunity to slow down and sip from a cup (which I pinch so I can walk at the same time) but might help the flow of my running if I can keep chugging along!

VIC:

My hydration hinges on a the given season and can vary widely. That’s right, I don’t hydrate the same when I run in the snow and subzero wind chills as I do in sweltering 90-degree heat. Throughout the year I try to hydrate well during the work day, as I guzzle water at my desk. I fail miserably at this task when on assignment without access to a bathroom. What goes in must come out and that’s not happening while covering a murder trial or police standoff.

On my long runs year round, I bust out my FuelBelt. It’s old and cranky and has four little bottles (so I can fill some with Gatorade and fill others with water.) But it works. And if it ain’t broke…. I don’t use it as much in the winter, as I can squeak by with a handheld when its really cold. Plus, it often freezes anyway and is like carrying a block of ice.

On shorter runs (5 miles to 9-10 miles) in the spring, I use my Amphipod handheld water bottle. It carries less water than the belt, but that’s not a bad thing. I don’t really want to strap on the belt for a mid-length run.

I typically drink maybe a ½ bottle to a bottle of water before I head out the door for a run. (And I make sure to hit the restroom before I start running so I’m not incredibly uncomfortable the entire time.)

Once I finish a run, I head straight for the water – or low calorie Gatorade (G2-purple.) Sometimes I drink nuun instead, but I am typically too impatient to wait for the nuun tablet to dissolve before drinking so I reserve my nuun for non-running hydration.

BROOKE:

During long runs, I carry water with me. I’ve gone through a few different water bottles- my amphipod, which I loved, and a Natahn quickdraw, which leaked a lot and was thrown into the recycling bin after the Princess half in February. Since then, I’ve used my son’s Klean Kanteen bottle, which is okay but somewhat annoying to carry and not really big enough since it’s meant for a child and not for running. I’ve been researching water bottles and based on Sara’s recommendation, I have a new one to try- so I’ll let you know how that works out soon.

It’s hot and humid in Florida most of the year, and I’m prone to exercise headaches after long runs (10 miles or more) if I don’t hydrate enough. For races, I drink coconut water the day before and the morning of the race. I alternate with water (that I carry) and whatever electrolyte beverage is given every few aid stations. This has worked well for me during my last two races. I follow the race with a nuun tablet because it’s easy to carry with me. I don’t drink quite as much for regular weekend runs but I follow a similar routine, only I finish with coconut water again instead of a nuun tablet. I like it plain, but the Zico chocolate flavor is a nice treat.

How do you hydrate? Any water bottle favorites? What about electrolytes? It’s time for a Friday chat!

That Thirty-ish Year Old Glow (You know you want it)

I spent most of my weekend sitting around like this:

photo 1-16

I’m not sure what happened, because I felt okay after the AC half last weekend. I had a couple of rest days and then ran four miles at the gym. Still feeling fine, I took my littles to the play gym and when I bent down to put my daughter’s shoe back on, a shot of pain went up my shin and I literally limped around for the rest of the afternoon. Compression and ice feel like old pals after spending all weekend together.

I don’t know what to think. I guess it’s still shin splints? I’ve never dealt with prolonged pain from running, so I have no clue how long it will take to heal. Boooo. Over the weekend, I was a bit sore in the mornings but once I got moving, I felt better. I haven’t done any cardio (I had planned on the elliptical but a busy weekend got in the way), but I’ve been fine during my strength workouts. I even did legs/butt on Saturday (my fave right now is the Malibooty routine by the Tone It Up Girls, mostly because it’s fun to say “Malibooty”). I’m going to try to run a short distance today-slow and steady- and see how it goes.

During one of my icing sessions, I received the following text from my best friend:

“Have you heard about the ‘toddler glow’?”

Now we both have toddlers, so I thought it might’ve been some new toy, but noooooo. Apparently, it’s a new makeup technique to make women look younger. Specifically, like a two year old. I mean, really. Really? REALLY?!

I researched this “toddler glow” and it seems that what you are supposed to do is wake up at 5am demanding to nurse in the big bed, ask for a cookie, break it into tiny pieces and rub the crumbs in your hair, and get someone to carry you everywhere. Unless you want to walk. Then you scream.

No, wait. That’s just how to be a toddler.

For the toddler glow, you are supposed to apply highlighter everywhere the sun hits, so you look like a a dewy JCrew model. Or like this girl:

photo 3-16

And I want to be like “Eff you, makeup industry. Stop telling me that I should look younger, younger, younger.” It’s so unfair. Just last week, Mer and I were texting about our day (like what we were doing right that second) and I told her I was researching botox. Which is insane, because I’m in my early thirties, and I’m pretty sure Mer fell out of her chair before typing “Whattttttt?!” But I’ve lived in Florida my whole life and I have these forehead wrinkles and the elevens between my brows and I don’t know. I guess maybe I want to look like a toddler? Or I should have been wearing sunglasses since I was one, at any rate. But really, what is next? Should I aspire to look like this?

photo 1-15

For the most part, I embrace my age. Sure, I miss having a perky booty and boobs that didn’t require a push-up bra (it’s crazy to me that there was a time when I could go out sans bra. Madness!). And as I’ve mentioned, I sure do miss that metabolism. But I love my life right now. All these years and choices and life has lead me to this time; with my husband and kids and so many wonderful things. But you know what? I am also a little bit vain and would like to get rid of the elevens.

Anyway, I am a girl who loves makeup and even though I think the name “Toddler Glow” sucks, I already sort of do this stuff.

My friends often ask me what I’m using on my skin. Just last week, my daughter’s dance teacher asked me if I’d recently had a chemical peel because my skin looked so great. (No, ma’am. My baby just started sleeping through the night. And I just got home from a girl’s weekend. I highly recommend it.) Here are some of my suggestions for glowing skin:

My arsenal of illuminating makeup.

photo 4-14

From left to right: Physicians Formula Shimmer Strip in Miami Strip, YSL Touche Eclat, Clinique Airbrush Concealer (I AM OBSESSED.), Stila Illuminating Foundation (I mix this with bb cream and apply only where needed), Clinique Chubby Sitck Shadow in Bountiful Beige, Girl Meets Pearl by Benefit, Watt’s Up by Benefit.

I use some combination of these every day. The Clinique concealer is my absolute favorite. It makes me look like I’m Sleeping Beauty, waking from a 100 year nap.

I also recommend actual sleep. Little Dude started sleeping through the night three weeks ago (Yes, he’s 16 months. Yes, that’s a long time to go without sleep.) I feel like a new woman.

Drink your greens.

photo 2-13

It’s supposed to help. My skin has never looked as good as it does when I regularly drink something green.

Get laid. Be safe about it.

Exercise! Obviously.

photo 2-20

Take that, Toddler Glow.

Drink water.

Spend time with your friends. Laughing with your girlfriends is the best.

selfiestart

Tell me your favorite makeup product. Any tips for youthful-looking skin? Or we can talk about shin splints. What should I do?

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things…

Girls in Oiselle tanks and white satin sashes,
Taffy that sticks to my teeth, not eyelashes (because that would be weird),
Frigid cold air that does not feel like Spring,
These are a few of my favorite things!

(Okay, not the weather. Florida native here. I had a minor freakout last Sunday morning when Mer told me it was 28 degrees on the boardwalk in Atlantic City.)

It was a wonderful weekend of running and even more laughter, and now I’m home to my most favorite people and a mountain of laundry to fold. (Not a favorite, if you are taking notes.)

Since the AC half was already covered by Mer and Vic, I only want to tell you a tiny bit about my experience, and also share some other things I’m loving right this second:

First, the AC half. I know you are Meridith’s, but if she were willing to share you, we could be sister-wives. (Did I just imply that Mer is married to a race? I guess I did. I’m really tired, you guys.) I only ran once last week because of my shin pain, so I think rest, plus KT Tape, plus the oh-so-forgiving boardwalk helped me achieve a pretty sweet time for this race- I finished in 2 hours, 7 seconds, which is 11 minutes faster than my Princess 2014 time. (Still not a PR for me, blah blah blah. I get so tired of saying that. I get so tired of thinking it. But we runners love to focus on the numbers. Anyway, now that I’m thatclose to a sub-2, I am more than confident that a personal best will happen this fall.) Of course, if I hadn’t been texting my friends while running, I probably could’ve shaved off 8 seconds- but, no regrets.

The best part of this race was seeing our dear friend Anne finish her first half-marathon. The thing about a half-marathon, and running in general, really, is that no one can help you do it. You have to put in the time. You have to do the work. But when you finish? The accomplishment is all yours. Seeing a friend triumph like this is so powerful; for me, it feels as good as it does when I achieve my own goals. I’m lucky to have been there when a few friends crossed that half-marathon finish line for the first time, and the emotional impact hasn’t diminished. I guess I’m a marshmallow. Congrats, Anne!

While in NJ, we went to Target. As one does. Vic and I found these super cheap hoodies on clearance in the men’s section. This kept me so warm, post-race. Bonus- we were matchies.

photo 5-11

I love makeup. A lot. My favorite fun thing right now is this blue mascara from Butter London. I think there are a few other colors- I know there is purple and I’m definitely planning to buy that one. With this, I do a neutral face, and then coat my lashes in blue. It’s very noticeable in the sun and less so indoors and I just love it.

photo 4-12

How excited am I that OVERALLS are in style? Well, I’ll be honest. I’ve been waiting for this moment since 1999. Last Spring, I bought some short-alls because it was way too hot for long ones, but these Madewell overalls made their way into my closet recently and they are the best. More tapered than your 90s overall and I think you are supposed to wear them with cute flats or heels or booties and not birkenstocks (but those are back too, and you can’t see me right now but I’m wearing my EXCITED FACE.)

photo 1-14

I just finished taking another class on Conscious Discipline at my church and I cannot say enough good things about it. We’ve been working on implementing CD in our home for the past few years and it has helped all of us. Without getting too much into it, because this is a running blog, not a parenting blog, and I’m certainly not an expert- CD teaches emotional and social intelligence. You can read more here and here.

This book has finger plays, songs and games to increase your connection to your child- and their connections with each other. I’ve taught the girls a few things that they now do regularly with their brother and us, and we’ve also developed a goodbye ritual that the girls enjoy.

photo 3-14

One more book- The girls and I are currently reading Ramona the Brave. Last summer, we read the first two books in the series, in which Ramona is in preschool and then kindergarten, and now that my oldest will be a first grader soon, we decided to start the next book. I LOVE RAMONA. She’s so sassy and misunderstood and delightful. We still laugh about her singing the “dawnzer” song in kindergarten…you know, the dawnzer lee light.

BABIES. I’ve had more than a few friends have babies recently- three of them in the past three days! My instagram and Facebook feeds are filled with sweet, squishy newborn faces. Thank you, new mamas, for sharing your babies with me. I love seeing them!

Lastly, I love that I’m going to see my chicks in less than three weeks. DC, here we come! I hope you have enough cheese.

Talky! Do you text during races? How do I break myself of this habit? Best thing you’ve bought at Target recently? Overalls are amazing, right? What are you reading? By the way, The Sound of Music is always on my list of favorite things.

Race Recap: Storm the Campus 10 Miler

Remember when I ran the Princess Half and felt disappointed when I only had a 22 second improvement over my Wine and Dine time? I’d been taking it way too easy and it showed. I vowed to start doing the work- speed work, that is- in order to run a faster race. Well, now I have something to show for five weeks of tempo runs (I tried 400s on the treadmill once before returning to my old favorite).

Last Sunday, I ran the Storm the Campus 10 miler at UCF and not only was it a PR (by default, since I’ve never run a race at that distance), but I also bested my Princess average pace per mile by almost a minute. My smile on Sunday was huge!

Post race with my girl, Sara. She made us these awesome shirts (that's Knightro, the UCF mascot) and she had a 20 minute PR!

Post race with my girl, Sara. She made us these awesome shirts (that’s Knightro, the UCF mascot) and she had a 20 minute PR!

This race benefitted the Sport Business Club at UCF and for a small race (about 200) in its inaugural year, it was very well organized. Sara and I both plan to run it again next year.

“Do the work” was my mantra this month. 6am workouts during spring break, speedy treadmill runs while gabbing with friends at the gym, and my regular long runs with Sara.

My short-term goal is to chase Vic through the streets of DC. (Long term is still to best my current half PR but realistically, that isn’t happening until this fall.) The flip side of being determined to speed up in a short amount of time is that I’m now dealing with some mild shin splints. Ice, rest, and stretching are my friends this week as I look ahead to the AC half marathon on Sunday. My plan is to treat it like an easy training run, and racing is secondary to hanging out with my girls anyway.

Any recommendations for shin splints? I’m thinking about trying some KT tape. What should I pack for cold weather? Help a Florida girl out!

A Big Butt and A Smile (except when my pants are too tight)

I’ve always been curvy. I’m a classic pear shape, which means I can get really small through my arms and waist but my booty is always there. Thankfully, running has saved me from getting a mom butt. Why is it that childbirth, and let’s be real here- entering one’s thirties- makes gravity grab onto your cheeks and just drag ’em down? At 21, I wore a bigger pant size but my ass looked damn perky. Now I have to run. And squat. And lunge. And eat fewer cookies.

I’m doing pretty well on the cookie front, since I gave those up for Lent, but I’ve realized that I need to eat a bit better overall. I’ve gained about six pounds and I’m not really sure when that happened, though if I had to pinpoint, it was probably when we bought (and ate) allllll the Girl Scout cookies. A few weeks ago, my pants began feeling snug, so I stepped on the scale and discovered I was up from the last time I weighed myself (about six months ago).

This past weekend, I decided to do a little bit of meal planning and on Monday, I logged everything I ate into My Fitness Pal. What an eye opener! I think of myself as a healthy eater who overindulges on sugar, but if my food log for Monday was any indication, I’m consuming way too many calories overall. Oops. I’ve been nursing or pregnant for so long, I guess I just lost sight of things. And I work out a lot! Too bad that’s only part of the puzzle (waaaaah, why can’t chocolate be a diet food?).

I don’t think My Fitness Pal is for me for the long term- it was cumbersome and time consuming for me to enter in all that data, and I still can’t figure out how to enter in any exercise besides cardio, but it was a nice reality check. I want to be fit, but I also want to look fit, and fit into my pants.

So healthy-eating club, holla! Where my friends at? I know Cyanne over at Run, Stretch, Go is incredibly disciplined about eating clean, and she shares her recipes. Any other blog recommendations for me? I’ll share with you! We ate this kale salad (along with grilled chicken sausage) on Sunday night and it was delish. You know I love my greens.

Do you food journal? What helps you stay on a healthy eating track?