Isn’t weird how when you first start a new hobby, it’s all you can think about? That’s how running was for me for the first year, okay, two years. I was so against being pigeonholed as a MOTHER, it became all about beingΒ a RUNNER. Not that I didn’t LOVE my role as mommy and wife, but … oh, I don’t know.
But here in good ol’ 2012, I’m feeling that I am finally finding more balance with running and life. It feels good. Running is something I do for fun and health, but a runner is not ALL that I am. Just like a mother is not ALL that I am, and a wife is not ALL that I am. I’m all those things together, and more, all mashed up into one person. Our family vacation in May really helped me with this.
How’s your balance? Do you struggle with this, too?
Here are some other things that are going on that I would appreciate feedback on:
1. I’m trying to lose 10 pounds. I gained about 5 in MayΒ and haven’t been able to take it off. I am 155 and I want to be at 145. I think 145 would be a very healthy weight for my frame and reasonable to maintain. (TheΒ “world” says I should be 135. Um, no.)Β I don’t know how to get to 145. I’ve tried cutting out breads (have since amended to simply reducing them), upping my fruits and veggies, eating fewer calories (1,100 is not enough for someone who works out!)…but nothing seems to be working. I didn’t even lose weight the week of the half marathon, and I didn’t pig out as much as I usually do afterward. I have noticed changes in my body since doing Jillian Michaels’s 30-Day Shred (Day 28 will be today), but no weight loss. (And if I hear, “Well, muscle weighs more than fat,” one more time, I’m going to scream.) Mostly, I want to be lighter on my feet when I’m running!Β A friendΒ mentioned having a whey protein smoothie in the morning as a good low-calorie healthy breakfast that fills you up and gets you on the right track for the day. Anyone want to “weigh” in on this? Got a good weight-loss smoothie recipe to share? (Please leave it in the comments. I need help!)
2. My new running schedule is working out great!Β I run M, T, W and Friday.Β IΒ feel lucky that I don’t have to work on M and F, and that I have child care, so I can do longer runs on those days. That leaves the weekend completely open for family time! Here’s what it looks like right now: Monday – speed work, Tuesday – easy run, Wednesday – tempo, Thursday – rest, Friday – long run, Saturday – rest, Sunday – rest. Of course, I’m going to continue my strength workouts (Jillian Michaels’s DVDs) at least 5x/week because they are helping. How many days a week do you run?
3. Our family hobby is dog showing. This last weekend, we went to Canada for a show. Bennie has his American championship already, but since he was bred in Canada, we wanted to get him his Canadian championship. Well, he got off to a good start on Sunday — Canada Day! On his second show in Canada ever, he went Best of Breed and then FIRST in the Working Group! The judge pulled him and a borzoi out in the Best in Show ring, but it went to the borzoi. Still. A very exciting day! And, his BIG wins on Sunday catapulted him to #15 boxer in Canada! I’m so proud of him. It was an outdoor show and it was very windy (video coming soon, if you’re interested) and there was a corgi in the ring. He LOVES corgis.Β Bennie can beΒ a real challenge (because he’s a very hyper boy), but he’s also a very sweet boy. We love him and he LOVES the dog shows (he finallyΒ figured out he gets extra attention and special treats all day long). Do youΒ have a family hobby?
4. I’m running a 10k on Wednesday morning with Mel! The CityBlast 5k/10k in Puyallup. I love “holiday” races but usually only ever do Christmas ones (and they are always FREEZING). Looking forward to the morning of the FOURTH being decent weather!
5. My 4-year-old son is obsessed with soccer. He wants me to play it with him ALL DAY EVERY DAY 24 HOURS “CAN WE PLAY NOW, MOM? CAN WE? CAN WE? CAN WE PLAY SOCCER NOW, MOM?” (“No, it’s raining.” Confused 4YOΒ face: “So?”) And if we aren’t playing it, we are watching it. Games from last year even. Games with teams I have not a clue about. Luckily, he starts soccer on Saturday. Unfortunately, it’s only once a week. Help!
6. I’ve got a few weeks before I begin training for the Seattle Half Marathon (Nov. 25). I realized (after finishing Train Like a Mother this weekend), that I may have pushed it a little too hard last week with resuming speed sessions and such. So, I’m going to take it easy for a couple weeks. What do you do between training cycles to keep your fitness, but not hurt yourself?
6. OnlineShoes.com is having 12 Weeks of Summer Giveaway on their blog! Check it out. Brooks PureFlows are up for grabs today! I just got the Brooks PureCadence to try out (still a minimalist type shoe, but with a teeny bit of support) and I am in love. I think the PureFlows would be great, though, just to wear around because everyone wears running shoes with their street clothes, right? Right?
So, to recap:
- How is your running-life balance?
- Weight-loss advice and/or whey protein smoothie recipes.
- How many days/week do you run?
- Do you have a family hobby?
- Are you running a race on the Fourth?
- How do I feed my son’s obsession with soccer in a healthy way?
- How do keep your running fitness/speed/endurance between training cycles?
- Do you wear running shoes with your everyday street clothes?
12 comments
I big sparkly heart you and your fam. π
Running balance for our family is tough right now, between the heat, my husband’s schedule and my inability to wake up at 5am. I find myself on the treadmill more than I’d like but something is better than nothing!
I’m a heavier runner so I can’t give any advice beyond ‘stick with it.’ When I returned to running it didn’t matter what I did, my weight just stalled. Then a couple of months ago, I saw a huge decrease on the scale. And sometimes you might need to actually UP your calories! I lose best on 1900 calories BUT only if I’m being active. Don’t forget that you also build bone density from running too!
As for me, I only run three days a week. I’m prone to injury so I need the extra rest days.
I laughed about the family hobby, honestly, I don’t think we have one!! My husband likes guns, my boys love EVERYTHING and I’m the resident baker in my mom circle. We do well on our own wave lengths.
Summer time heat in the south is keeping me from racing. I wilt in the humidity so I’m not taking my chances.
My boys are into anything and everything so I play into it as much as I can. They usually fall out of love with certain sports or toys as quickly as they fall in love so I don’t mind.
Running is my thing right now and with no races on the horizon, I’m running just enjoy what my body is capable of. And I only wear running shoes to the park because mulch in your flip flops HURTS!
I LOVE MY PURE CADENCE! I love that you are finding balance…ahh the secret to life. I also need to lose 10lbs and have an appointment to check my resting metabolic rate and body fat in the BODPOD, anxious to hear all that info. Will let you know how that all goes! Don’t scream, but muscle does weigh more than fat, deal with it skinny minny! LOL
Short comment since I am on my phone, but if you have tried to lose weight through diet and exercise and it isn’t working, talk to your doc. I went through that a little over a year ago and discovered my adrenals were out of whack (google adrenal fatigue if you want to know more). Could also be thyroid. Many of us over-extended mamas have hormones out of whack.
Hey lady, I totally understand trying to loose a small amount of weight like yourself. You probably aren’t going to want to hear this but cutting out sugar will probably help tremendously! I cut out sugar and bread products for a while and lost about 8 pounds (all of which was put back on when I started eating those things again…I will never learn). I’ve never counted calories but usually find by eating whole foods, low sugar and low carbs works for me…now if I could just motivate my self to get back on that track…
I think we have the same exact weight/goal! haha. I’ll be watching to see if you get good tips, maybe I too shall try a protein smoothie in the AM… I’ve found that keeping a food journal for a week or so helps to pinpoint any mindless eating that I do and I’ve been able to get things closer to 150 that way π
I ALSO run 4xs a week and like having Wednesday as my rest day: 2days on/break/2 days on.
AND, I am also runnin’ the Seattle half – perhaps there will be some fun bloggy meetups I can join in this time, since I didn’t do RNR (I’m doing See Jane Run this month instead)
Good luck on your 10K, I’d think about doing a run on the 4th, but it’s my rest day, Wednesday π
Good job with balancing family and running. I’m currently trying to balance work and fun. Oftentimes I feel, I get up, work, run and sleep and this is tough. Lately I try to run most of my miles Fri-Sun and this works better. It allows me to have 1 or 2 evenings off on a work day and just relax or do something fun instead!
The single biggest contributor to losing weight is cutting out sugar. No question.
Not just the teaspoon of sugar in your coffee but all the hidden sugar in your diet – and there is plenty of it that you wouldn’t suspect.
I live in Australia butI notice when I travel to the States that the sugar content of your food is so much higher than ours – especially in things like your bread and breakfast cereals.
There is a book called “Sweet Poison” by David Gillespie and it literally changed my life. I went from over 100kg (220lb) down to 74kg (165lb?) with little effort once I tried to eliminate sugar from my diet.
I don’t know the labelling laws in your country but in Australia they have to tell you how much sugar is in the product and it never ceases to amaze me. My favourite cereal which I used to eat thinking it was healthy had 25% sugar content.!!
It takes a couple of weeks to withdraw from sugar – studies shown in mice it is more addictive than heroin so it’s not easy but it is well worth it. The benefit, apart from the weight loss, is that when you start eating things like nuts and beans that you just never feel genuinely hungry. And your skin and eyes will thank you for it as well.
There is never any shortage of advice around this subject so good luck with it.
You rock Kerrie! Nice job finding balance. I would like to lose a few pounds too. I think doing a strength routine like you’re doing would REALLY help me in a million different ways. I need to get motivated to do that. Have you tracked what you’re eating and / or tracked calories? It’s so annoying but it might help if you did it a few days. Like My Fitness Pal?
I recognize the Cheese Factory! I’m sure we’ll be hitting it up this week, since we’re headed to Manzanita tomorrow. Can’t wait. π
I weigh about 145, & need to weigh about 135, but it’s all about balance for me right now. Some days I just need a glass of wine or a frozen yogurt. You know, “need it”. π
My running/life balance is pretty good. But, I definitely go through phases where it’s hard. Especially when work gets crazy, my husband travels, & just trying to squeeze everything in gets tricky. I do my best, continue looking for new ways to be more efficient, & cut myself a lot of slack.
I try to run 5 days/week. No race on the 4th, but I hope it’s not going to rain. I’ll be running at the beach on the trails, so I hope the weather is decent.
My boys both love soccer and did the group classes at Arena Sports for years. They are doing an outdoor summer session right now & love it!
It’s never easy to lose & the older we get, the harder it is. Sorry π I am exactly 10 lbs up from where I was a year ago. SUX. I recently purchased Bob Harper’s “Skinny Rules” and am finding it quite good. I don’t think I can follow his meal plan exactly but some of his breakfast/lunch/snack ideas are great and I can definitely incorporate them into my routine. Even without the meals, I think that just following his 20 rules should do a lot to help, theoretically. It’s the follow-through that I struggle with. Check out, a very good read.
Balancing time with family is easy for me currently since my husband has been working 6-7 days a week and I just don’t run or I run with him on the days he has off. I like to run 4 days a week but sometimes 3 is all I can do especially since I have been running with the stroller for the last 2 weeks on every run! I just started a new diet, its more like a lifestyle change though, its called.the Blood Type Diet (my 2 last posts talk about it) but I’m off gluten (wheat, rye and barley) and dairy (cows milk,whey protein). Anyway, it was developed to help you eat right for your type of blood (based on your genetic make up and what your ancestors ate) and there is also the Genotype diet that is even more in depth and cuts even more things out. Anywho, I like it because I feel better and the bloating and weight has been dropping with ease and I have been eating lots of food (non gluten/dairy) and not counting calories. I have a small frame so I’m supposed to be like 125-130 because I’m almost 5’8″ (5’7 3/4 to be exact). Currently I’m hovering around 134-136 and feel good and I’m just trying to get toned and get more muscles π my body changed a bit after having my little one and I’m trying to figure out if its the way its going to be or if I am not working hard enough to get back in shape like I was before (lots of my shirts don’t fit still!). Sorry I feel like I’m writing you a novel. I think its great your son loves soccer! I’m sure once he starts practicing he will calm down a bit. My nephew who is 4 is the same way about hockey. I like wearing my running shoes with every day clothes except I wait till they have too many miles on them to wear them around walking. Protein shakes I use Vega Sport and its Gluten/Dairy/Soy Free and it works great, I feel a lot better when I take it after a hard workout. It definitely helps build muscle for me π Congrats to Bennie!! That’s awesome!! He is such a beautiful dog!