A Letter to Non-Pregnant Friends

I know is supposed to be a running-related blog and that I haven't blogged in a LONG time, but I'm hoping that I can move my blog to a little bit more of an insight to my life, not just running. Plus, today I hit a breaking point and just needed to vent for a short period of time... I promise I will be positive.

After a handful of comments, both good and awkward, that were made this past week regarding my pregnancy, I decided to write a letter to my non-pregnant friends and family to share a little insight into what it is like to be on the receiving end of those comments. So here goes... 

To my dearest non-pregnant friends and family,

  I know that we, myself and fellow pregnant women, can be overly annoying at times and downright one-sided in our thoughts and actions from the moment we find out that we are expecting. I also know that our upcoming deliveries, how we are feeling and our fears are common conversation topics, even if people don't want to hear them. I've been the person to scroll down my Facebook and Twitter feed to  to see daily belly pictures on social media and frequent updates about baby kicks, nursery decorating bargains and lack of sleep and roll my eyes at yet more baby sharing. Ok, I'll admit. I'm guilty of it too. It's an exciting time and it's easy to get caught up in everything.

 But...I'll make a deal with you. I'll try to contain my baby-related topics to a minimum, if you can promise to remember that my being pregnant does not allow you to ignore social rules and say whatever is on your mind. It has seemed to me through my first pregnancy and now my second that some non-pregnant people feel it's acceptable to say whatever they'd like when talking to someone about their pregnancy. It is never OK to ask someone if they planned to have a baby, used fertility drugs, or to ask any other very personal questions about how the pregnancy occurred. On that note, it is never acceptable to ask about what negative side effects I'm experiencing (Trust me... pregnancy isn't always rays on sunshine and it's not really information I'd like to share.), or to give hours of questioning my parenting skill. It is also not an open invitation to touch my stomach and to comment on how "large" I am getting.

Pregnancy is a scary and wonderful journey. As I enter my "halfway" point of my pregnancy, I have taken some time to look back on my journey so far and realize that I am blessed to be able to say that I am expecting twins. However, I'll admit, some days it's hard to remember that between the early morning sickness, the constant back pain and stretching that your body feels and the ever growing weight on the scale. It's on those days that pregnant women feel most vulnerable and those days when we need support. We don't need the comments about our growing bodies or unwanted questioning. We see our changes daily and we are already trying to process and find the best in our journeys without the added stress. Yes, it is a blessing to be pregnant, but it is a lot to take in each day. All of these changes signal large life changes ahead and it's downright scary.

Please remember next time we talk with you, that although we are excited, we are scared too. We are feeling blessed and overwhelmed at the same time. Our constant changing emotions can be challenging to handle. Remember that a comment or question you make has the ability to make us feel down on ourselves or can make us feel supported and reaffirm our blessings. Remember in the end, it's all about the miracle of welcoming a little one (or ones...) into a loving and caring world.

With much respect and love,
Your pregnant friend or family member

Wine and Dine Half Recap

 I know it's been almost 2 weeks since the Wine and Dine Half and I should already have posted my recap, but I really have no excuse. Time flew by with getting back in the routine of teaching, report cards, and Thanksgiving tomorrow. Without any more excuses, here it goes...

After the excitement and energy from the Wine Dine Half Meetup (see my previous post), I could not wait for Saturday night. I visited the Expo on Friday and by Saturday morning I was counting down the hours until the race. My family had reservations to Le Cellier Steakhouse in Epcot and as much as I wanted to go and enjoy their company, I knew I would be way to tempted by the delicious food. If you have never eaten there, you HAVE to make reservations. I went on my honeyymoon
and seriously would eat there every night of the trip if I could. I decided that it was best for me to take my time getting ready, eat a light dinner and HYDRATE! I had learned some great tips about preparing for a night race the day before from Tara Gidus (the runDisney offical nutritionist) and I wanted to make sure that I followed them. I was so concerned about encountering GI issues on this run. I wanted to make sure I had time to enjoy the Food and Wine Festival afterwards!

I stayed at the Beach Club Resort and had planned on grabbing a bus to ESPN Wide World of Sports around 7:30, but my excitement got the best of me. I was on the bus by 7:05 and heading over to see what the runDisney pre-race experience was like. Looking at other people's blogs and catching up with fellow team #runDisney members I realized that if I had waited until 7:30 like I had originally planned, I would be waiting forever! Luckily I missed the bus backups that many people faced. The only downside of getting to the race so early was that there was A LOT of wait time until the race started. Lucikly I was able to hang out with some team #runDisney members and participate in some great runDisney entertainment before we had to line up in our corrals.

Before I knew it the announcers were asking the runners to head to the corrals. I owe a big shoutout to fellow team #runDisney member Linzie (@SeeSharpRun) for hanging out with me and easing my nerves before the race.




Corral C. I loved the color changing balloons that directed us where to go.



Waiting for the start.

After about an hour, the first group of runners were off. I had heard stories, but I was amazed at the firework display and the excitement that the announcers generate before the start. I anxiously waited for corral C, said goodbye to Linzie, and made my way to the side of the group. I had planned on using the Galloway method for the race and I wanted to make sure that I was out of the way when I stopped for my walk breaks. After corral B left, we moved up and I could actually see the start line! When they counted down to the start of our group, I didn't expect them to set up fireworks as they had done for the first groups, but I soon realized that they give every corral the same, AWESOME, experience. Thank you runDisney for thinking of the slower runners too! 



Moving up the start line after Corral B left.

The beginning of the race waas a little slow due to all of the people that left at the same time. I'm glad though because it forced me to pace myself a little better at the beginning. I let my excitement get the best of me most races and I start out WAY too fast. We started out the race on the road and even though runDisney had characters and entertainment, I was much more excited for the parks. When I was about half a mile from the Animal Kingdom, I was lucky enough to be passed by the leaders on the other side. After meeting Anton van Zyl, it was so cool to see him in action. Boy is he FAST! When I came up into Animal Kingdom I was so excited to see the park at night. I loved that we were able to see it all lit up and that Disney cast members were cheering us on.

Throughout Animal Kingdom, I kept getting text messages from my mom, who usually texts me during races to see how I'm doing. Usually I ignore her until certain mile markers when I give her a heads up. As I left Animal Kingdom, I was getting a little frustrated with the constant buzzing of my phone so I figured I should at least respond to her. This time thought it was my husband, sending me this picture...

My husband, mom and stepdad surprising me at the race!

 My mom and stepdad had organized a surprise trip with my husband to come down and see my run! I don't think I can even describe how touched and excited I was. I actually sped up because I wanted to get to my mom to give her a hug. I quickly slowed down when I realized I was only at mile 7 and that I needed to make it through the rest of the race in order to see her. At the pace I was going, I knew I would run out of steam.

The hardest stretch of the race for me was when we were about 1 mile from Hollywood Studios. At this point we saw the sign on the highway below so I was expecting that we were closer. I started to hit the mental block around this point, but luckily I was able to take in the sights and before I knew it I was at Hollywood Studios. I enjoyed entering the park by the Tower of Terror, but I was a little disappointed that we ran through a lot of the back lot tour that wasn't very visually appealing. At this point, I was just looking forward to seeing what Epcot looked like.

As I ran by the Beach Club Resort and over the bridge into Epcot, I decided that I was going to slow down a little and take the last mile in. As much as I wanted to run fast, I also wanted to enjoy every minute. The disappiontment with running through Hollywood Studios was soon forgotten because running through Epcot by Spaceship Earth with everyone cheering may be one of my most favorite memories of my experience. Even with my headphones on, I could hear everyone cheering and yelling and telling me I was almost there. Running through the laser lights and giving Mickey a high five at the end of the race was such a special runDisney detail. I couldn't wait to get my medal and run to see my family.

When I finally caught up with my family, I gave my husband a huge hug and thanked him for all his support on this long journey. However, when I saw my mom I lost it. I cried because I was so touched that she had surprised me and that she was able to share in this experience with me. Looking back to when I first signed up for the event, I had no way to expect it would be as amazing as it was. I can say with certainty that I am going to sign up for another runDisney race soon!

Crying with my mom and thanking her for being there.



Wine and Dine Half Meetup

Last weekend I finally made it to my goal that I set back in the winter of last year. I ran the runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon and had a PR! But... more on that later, because I was also able to participate in one of the most memorable experiences on my life. The runDisney Wine and Dine Half Meetup (or #winedinehalfmeetup for anyone who wants to read the recaps onTwitter).

When I first began running, I also joined Twitter at the suggestion of one of my colleagues. I'm glad I did because I was able to join an online community appropriately named #teamrundisney. It is an amazing group of individuals who come together to share their love of all things running and Disney. Without this group, I would NEVER have learned about the runDisney meetups and how challenging they are to get into! For those of you that aren't famliar with runDisney meetups, they are on a "first come, first serve" basis. About a week or so before the race, runDisney makes an annoucement on the Walt Disney World Blog and people are invited to RSVP to the event. As you can imagine, it is a widely popular event and it fills up quite quickly!

From all of the information I had heard on Twitter and through fellow bloggers, I knew I had to be a part of this experience. I was constantly obsessively checking the blog beuase I didn't want to miss it. Luckily another #teamrundisney member, Krissy (@krissymurphy - in case you want to follow her or read her blog... I promise you'll enjoy it!), offered to help me out and keep me in the loop by sending me emails if she heard any news. With her help I was able to register within minutes of the "invitation." I was going to finally be part of the meetups I heard so much about!

The day of the meetup I was so excited, I didn't even mind the FREEZING weather! It was Florida and everyone was bundled up because it was so cold. We started the morning by spliting up into two groups. One group ran with 2 time Wine and Dine winner Anton van Zyl and the other group would run with Jeff Galloway, the founder of the Galloway Marathon Training Program, the program I used to train for the Wine and Dine. I chose running with Jeff because I was hoping to take it easy and learn some tips from him. Plus, I was intrigued because he was running in jeans! He said he didn't prepare for the weather, but I find it hard to believe that runDisney couldn't have helped him out with warmer clothes! The run was approximately 1.8 miles and we ran around the World Showcase in Epcot. It was beautiful to see the park open to only us and to see the sunrise over the lagoon. We even met Mickey on the run!

View as we entered the park. Beautiful I know...



The start of our run.



Getting a little morning run motivation from Mickey!

The most unobstructed view from the World Showcase. It's a whole different experience when you are the only ones in the park.

Group shout with our fearless captain.
Copyright: runDisney

 
After our run, runDisney organized a short question and answer session with Anton van Zyl, Jeff Galloway, and Tara Gidus, the official runDisney nutritionist. In addition, we were treated to an athlete's spaghetti pie created by Chef Steff, a chef who specializes in recipes and meals for athletes.It was delicious! It had a little kick to it from the red pepper, which was right up my alley! I can't wait to make it on my own at home. It was so inspiring to hear each of these people speak because they are all incredible motivators. One of my biggest mental blocks as runner is that I can get in my own head and doubt myself. When I "slip" on my goals I start to compare myself to others and I am always afraid I don't measure of to them. One of the biggest things I took away was how each of them were honest and admitted their own challenges. It made me feel like when I am struggling I'm not alone. Even former Olympians have tough runs!

Anton van Zyl sharing his race advice. I personally loved that he enjoyed potato chips while running the Ironman Kona. Now I know what I want potato chips every time I train hard...

Jeff Galloway sharing his insights on how to enjoy the run, no matter how challenging the run may be.



Tara Gidus sharing important nutrition tips.


 After we were throughly fed and even more excited for the race on Saturday, runDisney organized us for a few last photos and sent us on our way with a complementary park ticket, runDisney water bottle and pricessless memories.

 

 

 

So honored to meet Jeff. His training plan is the reason I am able to run.

I couldn't pass up a picture with Mickey. My daugher was jealous!

Group shot outside Germany.
Copyright: runDisney

Another group shout outside Norway.
Copyright: runDisney

 

I am so honored and grateful that I was able to experience this meetup at my first runDisney event. Not only did I learn some great advice, I was able to meet a great group of runners who share a common love for Disney. As a result of this experience, I have gained a network of runners and friends that I know I can rely on to help motivate me and to celebrate my experiences with. Thank you again to runDisney and #teamrunDisney for an amazing start to my Wine and Dine weekend!

#teamrunDisney group shot.
Copyright: runDisney

 

 

I am a Runner

Ever since I started running last winter, I've always had difficulty with declaring I'm a runner. I had always felt that I wasn't strong enough, fast enough or "hard core" enough to be considered a runner, especially because running has never been easy for me. It was always a source of punishment while playing high school sports or something I just needed to do to be part of the varsity team. It was something I pushed myself to do because I had to, not because I enjoyed it. I tried to pretend I enjoyed it throughout college, but I did it mainly to ease my mind because I was no longer involved in sports and knew I needed physical activity.

As I said before, I made the decision to follow the walk-run method because I felt stronger and was able to accomplish longer distances than if I just ran the entire distance. When I made this decision, I really struggled with calling myself a runner because I wasn't technically running the entire distance. I love Twitter and have found some amazing runners who inspire me to be better every day. On the other hand, seeing their amazing feats, that involve NO walking, made me question if I was a runner even more. You'd think after finishing my first half-marathon, I would be able to definitively say "I'm a runner," but no such luck.

The last few weeks I've begun a program to help me get quicker and stronger in time for the Disney race. I'm finishing more miles a week and building my endurance so that 13.1 miles doesn't feel like I've reached my limit. My goal is to cross the finish line and still have energy to party at the Wine and Dine after party! Yesterday I was running at the gym (school started again so week day runs are on the treadmill again... boo!) and I realized I only had 10 minutes left on my workout. For the first time since I began training for my Disney race I realized what it felt to be a runner. It didn't matter that I was doing walk-run intervals... I was a runner. I was getting stronger. I was getting faster. Best of all... I was gaining confidence!

I may not be the fastest runner or the most decorated, but I am a runner. I no longer fear saying that phrase and I look forward to growing as a runner and becoming a better athlete.

Did you ever feel like you weren't good enough? Did you have a moment when you knew you were a runner? 

Rock N Roll Providence Recap

It's been WAY too long! My last post was before the school year even ended and summer vacation began. I had made a goal of trying to be a better blogger this summer, but that goal was smashed when we sold our house and our new house wasn't finished being built... if anyone has ever been in that situation, you know how stressful it can be. Fortunately we were incredibly lucky and were able to stay with family for the 5 weeks we were waiting for our house to be done. We owe them so much!


With all of the moving and "vacationing" that we did this summer, my first half quickly came up. As much as I wanted to be well prepared, I knew this race was going to be one of the hardest things I had ever done. I knew I wasn't as ready as I would liked to have been, but I knew that I could do it. In true "Liz fashion," I over planned our weekend without even thinking and scheduled my daughter's first birthday for the day before the race. At first, I was worried panicked that I would be overly exhausted and do even worse at my race. Thanks to Hubs' support, I was able to fall asleep at 9:00 at night and sleep straight through until my alarm at 3:30 am. Oh... I forgot to say that I live an hour and a half away from Providence so I decided to just get up early and head out to the race. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be and when I arrived and got ready for the race, I felt pretty good. Since it was such an early race, Hubs and Bubs decided that they would join me later and see me at the finish line.  Since my mom is awesome, she even woke up early and drove into the city to spend time with before the race since I would be by myself. Even with most of my family at home, I felt blessed to be supported by so many people.

Best sign ever! 

Waiting for the race to start was one of the most emotional experiences I've ever had. Yes, I have experienced childbirth, college graduations, and the passing of family and friends, and I will say that the feelings that I had at the start of this race could be included in the same group as these events. While I waited for my corral to leave, I couldn't stop thinking about how I had made it. Even though I hadn't run the race yet, I knew that I would finish (no matter how slow or hard it was), I knew I was going to finish. For someone who had never run more that 2 miles before I decided to run in Disney, it was an incredible feeling. The emotions hit me like a wave when my corral was let out and I held back tears while I had a gigantic smile on my face. Not sure if anyone else has felt this way... but I guess I now know what's it like to feel the true joy of running.

I could write for hours on what was going through my head and how I felt during the race, but since no one has hours to read my story, I'll keep it brief. I had decided this summer to try the Galloway method of run/walk - ing. I had chose the interval 4 minutes run and 1 minute walk this summer and was feeling very comfortable with this pace. However, my Garmin died after 4 miles (I swear  thought I had charged it the night before) so I needed to rely on how my body felt for my intervals. This was the most challenging part of the run because I usually use my watch to help me during the time times. It gives me something to focus on and I can remind myself that "I only have ..... to go." By mile 8 I had gotten in my head and I had hit a wall. I was quickly doubting myself and if it wasn't for the constant texts from my mom and hubs during the race I would have given up and walked to the finish line. When I reach the mile marker for mile 12, I decided that I was going to walk most of it and finish strong. Since this was my first half I knew that finishing was my only goal. I was feeling some soreness in my hip and I didn't want to injure myself because I still have my runDisney race in November. I walked about quarter of a mile and ran the rest of the way to the finish line. A shout-out goes to Katy Perry's Part of Me for my motivation! I crossed the finish line, took my medal picture and headed out to my family. I had finished! I had done something I had never thought I could do and I finished with a time of 2:35:25! Not a bad time for a first time.

Even though it's been a few days since the race, I still can't put into words how I felt feel about running my first half marathon. I am now working on building up my stamina, charging my watch (ha ha) and my speed. As I look forward to the race in November, I am hoping I can feel stronger throughout the race and finish with a better time. I also hope I can be better about blogging and share my experiences with you from now on! But... now I'll leave you with some pictures from race day...

My cheering section waiting at the finish line. 

"Mom is working hard and I've got my feet up."

Coming up on the finish line. 

Getting a hug from Bubs after the race. 

Not sure if you can see her shirt but it says "My mom is faster than your mom." Not necessarily true, but it still made me feel good! 

Post-race treats and snacks. 

Family picture after the race. By time I was pretty sure my legs would collapse! Thank you compression sleeves! 

What was your first race? Were you as emotional as me!? 

First Double Digit Run

I know it has been a week since I last wrote, but with school winding down and Baby Bubs finally teething, it has been challenging to find the time to write. Last week, I completed a VERY challenging 10K. I was very disappointed with myself because I walked more of that I had hoped and I was not pleased my with my time. I was especially disappointed because I had been running over 7 miles consistently for four weeks so 6.2 miles didn't seem as bad I had expected. After taking some time to reflect, I realized that I probably shouldn't have done this race. The week before I had lost my grandfather suddenly to a heart attack and I had spent almost all week at home with my family. Running, eating healthy and training was far from my mind as I spent the week grieving with my family and remembering an amazing man. When I started my race on Sunday I didn't think this was going to be as challenging as it was. I also wasn't aware that it was supposed to be almost 80 degrees at 10 AM and that the hills would kill me. After what seemed like the hardest run of my short racing career, I finished 6.2 miles in 1 hour and 10 minutes. YIKES! Needless to say I was disappointed in myself for letting my mind get the best of me and giving in to the challenges I encountered. After reflecting on the race, I realized that I also didn't set myself up for success the week before.

I decided this week I would train more consistently and work on speed and hills. I completed two vigorous workouts this week and felt confident in my training. However, I was very anxious about getting back out on the road and doing my long run. I was intimidated and still overwhelmed with my poor race on Sunday. Our Saturday was busy this week so I pushed off my long run until Sunday night. Since the Wine and Dine Marathon is at 10 at night, I wanted to make sure that I am training in the morning (when I'm most comfortable running long distances) and at night. I know that running longer distances at night is much harder because you have spent all day living life. I was very apprehensive about my long distance and I planned on going out for 8 miles. When I got out running I realized that I had missed the long runs where I could just relax and reconnect with myself. At mile 4, I decided to go a little further and shoot for 9 miles. At 9 miles I realized why not just go for 10 since I was still about a mile from home. The end of my run I had completed 10 miles in 1:43:04 with a pace of 10:18 per mile! I can't even describe how much of a relief and confidence booster this run was. Instead of focusing on my challenging 10K I was able to feel how great it was to accomplish my first double digit run. I came to the realization that my worst enemy was myself and if I am able to remember the excitement of running then I can do well. This is the biggest thing I have to keep in mind before my next race.

Today I made the decision to join the Runner's World Run Streak. I have also decided that I will have some flexibility in my streak and if I find myself feeling tired due to extended training I will use one of my  weekdays to walk a mile. I'm hoping that I can challenge myself and complete the Run Streak fully. I look forward to seeing the other posts of people that are also streaking along with me!

Has anyone else has a race that redefined their training? What were some of the challenges your encountered?

Catching Up

I know it's been awhile since I last posted, but it has been a crazy few weeks. My last post was about my first 10K race, which also happened to be the last day of my April vacation for school. Going back to school meant standardized testing time! As a special educator, this is one of the busiest times of the year for me because I have to make sure that I have all of the tools and resources that my students need to succeed ready to go prior to starting there tests. Add on top of that the normal day-to-day paperwork, parent conferences and preparing for summer tutoring, I don't think I had a second to breathe at school, never mind with training and being a mom.

During this time, I celebrated my first Mother's Day (more to come in a later post!) and experienced an unexpected death in my family (also, more to come as I'd like to share some of the wonderful things I've learned from my grandfather), resulting in what seems like forever since when I was able to post. I am hoping to be more faithful with my blogging as the school year is winding down and I am gaining more free time at the end of the day. This is only a short post, but it's mostly for my own benefit to hold myself accountable for staying on top of this blog.

So, I am saying thank you to those people who do read this blog. I know this blog is in the beginning stages and I have a long way to go, but thank you for helping me develop my skill as a writer.

Until next time...