Category: See Jane Run

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What inspires you to run? Answer to win a See Jane Run race entry

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Last year, a huge chalk board at the See Jane Run San Francisco Bay race in Alameda said “I run for a reason …”

The half marathoners and 5K runners went up and wrote about what inspires them to run. I was eight weeks postpartum at the point. It was my first run “back” since my daughter was born via C-section.

I knew what my answer was.

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I run “for my daughter to be proud.”

And I still

I’ve had a lot of life happening in the past year. It’s finally starting to all put itself back together. I hope I’ll be able to elaborate on that soon. I hope, also, it means more time for blogging and less time working 60-hour weeks to make ends meet.

But this post is about you, my readers still out there. I know people still their way here because of old race reports and posts. I’m glad.

Why do you run? Did you make a promise to yourself? Did you start to lose weight and get addicted to it like me? Are you doing it to make someone proud?

I’m raffling off a free entry to either the half marathon or 5K (winner’s choice) for the June 21 See Jane Run Half Marathon in Alameda. It’s easy to enter to win: Just like See Jane Run Races on Facebook, leave a comment on this blog post and use the Raffle Copter entry to enter to win.

I know it’s on Father’s Day. But the race is a FANTASTIC opportunity to spend some time with dad and the family. My husband has been out with me for multiple years, including for my daughter’s first venturing out last year. So go ahead and do it for a chance to come run with the other Janes.

The contest runs through June 8.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Kicking off See Jane Run race season

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I’ll admit to being a horrible blogger again, but for good reason. I’ve had a job application due for the full-time position on my campus and a funding application due for classroom/newsroom equipment for my students. On top of those things, I had curriculum working its way through the system.

The good news is almost all of that is coming to an end soon. I’m waiting for signatures on paperwork right now.

I ran my Valentine’s Day half marathon and did OK. It was the best performance since my daughter was born I’ve had. It’s not where I want to be, but it’s a start. The wear on my body also has me rethinking some upcoming races (specifically trying to fit a full marathon in come May, which doesn’t look probable now).

One thing I know for certain: I’ll be at the start line for the June 21 See Jane Run Half Marathon. As a race ambassador for a third year, I’m excited that this weekend the store is hosting local festivities.

I’m bummed, though, that my babysitting schedule is all out of whack this week and I’ll likely end up NOT being able to go out for a store run. (I’ve exhausted my goodwill babysitting for this week already.)

Fear not, though. You can join a great group of Janes in Northern California if you have time Saturday morning. The three See Jane Run locations – in Danville, Oakland and San Francisco – will have runs at 9 a.m. followed by an informational session about the race.

Instead, I’ve offered myself for questions from the “mom” group I belong to. Quite a few of our members are signed up to run. Some for the 5K and others for the half marathon.

We had a conference call a week ago about the race. One thing that came up was the post-race food. It looks like there will be some changes in that general area. I’ll have more on the race as I get more information and in April I’ll be giving away a free entry to the race.

So stay tune … and I promise when things at school die down, I’ll be regularly posting again.

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When a good run changes everything

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Pregnancy does a number on a woman’s body. I say that, now 11 weeks postpartum, only minutes after trying to find professional clothes to wear to a formal event. It, obviously, changes the abdomen. Even though everyone swore I was “all tummy,” my legs and arms feel deflated.

The day before I was induced, I weighed 205 pounds. I’ve never weighed that much in my life. I hit 200 right before I started running and vowed to never do that again. Pregnancy was a different circumstance, though, so I allowed myself to gain without looking at the scale as long as I felt good.

My problem was that the high-blood pressure that led to Cecilia arriving three weeks early caused me to massively retain water. Within two days of her arrival, I was down nearly 30 pounds. As much as I’m ashamed to admit I gained 10 pounds back AFTER she was born, I also know I’ve been working to rebuild my muscle bulk that I lost when I stopped running at 30 weeks.

But my body is no doubt different.

And I’m incredibly insecure about it.

That’s what I took into the See Jane Run 5K on June 22. I came out of it, though, with a renewed confidence.

I had two goals for this race:

  • Finish strong
  • Preferably finish under 45 minutes

I’m happy to report I did both. My 5K time wasn’t my slowest to date by any means. I ran a comfortable 32:49. I didn’t push myself too hard. I didn’t give up. I just ran. When I got to the end of the first mile and felt good, I reset my thinking and wanted to finish each mile with a 10 in front of it.

I did that.

Mile 1: 10:33 — I paced myself behind two women who I overheard say they were “taking it easy.”

Mile 2: 10:56 — This included a water stop and walk break because I still can’t drink and run at the same time.

Mile 3: 10:36 — My legs were burning a little, but I also feel like I was coming alive.

Mile .11: 1.26 — Also, I forgot to turn off my Garmin right at the finish. Amateur mistake, but one that was easy to make since I haven’t raced since October.

I ran the 5K so fast that my husband hadn’t even unloaded our daughter from the car and brought her to the finish line yet. So I ended up wandering around for a bit.

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That led me to the “I run for a reason …” chalkboard put up by race organizers. I used to run to be a better me, which is obviously still a laudable goal.

I have a new reason.

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For the first time, I crossed the finish line as a mother. I longed to grab my baby girl up and give her a big hug, which I did after she woke up from a very much needed nap.

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My husband took the photo above and another of me looking forward. I love the one above so much more than that one. I was having a conversation with her at a picnic table behind the race area while another new mom breastfed next to me.

I add all this into the typical race recap because as I sat there pondering how my See Jane Run ambassador shirt didn’t fit as well, how my legs look a little more deflated than usual and how my stomach was more prominent than before, I realized that none of that really mattered.

Nearly 10 weeks prior to this race, I had major surgery to give birth to my first child and, despite my complications, she came out perfectly healthy, with 10 fingers and 10 toes.

Some women say there body isn’t wrecked, their stretch marks are tiger stripes, etc. I’m saying it’s OK that my body isn’t what it once was. Especially right now.

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So my tummy is a little more flabby than usual. I’m thicker across the middle. My arms are fatter too. My Lululemon tanks are more stretched out across my chest. Whatever.

I had spent three weeks trying incrementally to get to three miles on my training runs for this 5K. I finally succeeded the Thursday before I ran 3.1. My confidence was shot. I kept feeling as if I’d never run distances again.

Since this run, I’ve run multiple four milers. Two nights ago I made it to 5.14 before I turned off my Garmin and walked it in because the wind was so bad where I was running.

The See Jane Run 5K was a good run for me. It’s propelled me to other good runs.

Why? Because my body remembered. Despite the excess baggage and the mental uncertainty, my body remembered what it was like to run and what it felt like to knock out three miles.

I’m not saying it was easy.

But I got to the finish.

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One of the reasons I’m proud to be a See Jane Run Ambassador is because of the company’s motto:

“If you can run a mile, you can run a marathon.”

The nine weeks before this race and post baby, I was having serious doubts about whether or not I would be able to run distance again. I know that’s hyperbole, but I honestly felt as if everything in my life had change. It has, truthfully. But I was amazed at the end of this race when I realized something awesome: My body remembered. By mile three, I felt as if I was only warming up.

For weeks I had run two miler after two miler and just felt horrible. I needed See Jane Run to be a good run. And it was.

I now feel as if I can run a marathon again. Just not this year. I’ve given up my hopes of running and PRing California International Marathon for 2014. Instead, I’m shifting focus toward one of my favorite half marathons in November and then gearing up to go long next spring by signing up for the San Luis Obispo Marathon and then bricking my training to also run the San Francisco Marathon.

Lofty goals.

Three weeks ago, I didn’t have those lofty goals. I’m excited about how I feel now about running.

Something else happened to: I’m learning to be kind to myself about my body. I don’t fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes all that well right now. I might not still by the time I start teaching again in the fall either. That’s OK. My husband reassures me that I’m as sexy to him as I’ve ever been. I have clothes that fit, even if I did wear my maternity dress pants to an event at school this week.

I’m learning to accept my body for what it is now. I gave birth 11 weeks ago. It’s OK to not be where I was a year ago, before I got pregnant. I’m accepting myself a lot better right now.

All because of See Jane Run.

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And a certain little person who, despite being completely over me by the time we left the race — too many snuggles and kisses from mommy — had a good time cheering me on with daddy. OK. Maybe I don’t know she had a good time. But I like to think so.

She seemed pretty happy in her stroller on the way back to the car.

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Also, check out the amazing ambassador jacket that I received from See Jane Run! I’m going to wear it to every running event I go to this year, no doubt. I want to wear it all the time now, but it’s much too hot.

See Jane Run puts on a Seattle race on July 13 and athletes in the Pacific Northwest can still sign up, for 10 percent off, using my coupon code: SJAMB243. There is also a Wichita, Kansas race on Sept. 13.

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An amazing day

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At 8:29 a.m. I hadn’t stepped up to a race start in seven months. At 8:32 a.m. I was starting off on my first 5K in more than two years.

I was anticipating a disaster, truth be told. All my training had been condensed into a month period as I fit in runs when baby girl was either sleeping or my husband had just come home from work. I didn’t know how to feel.

I went through my nerves with a random woman at the start. I just needed to talk to someone. She assured me that however I did, it would be fine.

“You’re out here, so you’re already ahead of most new moms,” she said.

THAT is why See Jane Run is such an awesome race. And THAT is why I am glad it was my first race “back.”

I didn’t PR or anything, but I finished strong and only walked through water stops (because I still haven’t mastered running and drinking water at the same time). Whenever the voice in my head told me to stop, I kept going.

I finished in 32:49, which is far better than I could have anticipated.

The best part was that my husband, who cheers me on at the finishes of all my races, was there with Cecilia. She slept through most of the commotion, but woke up enough to look around. She loves looking around right now.

I am overwhelmed with a runner’s high I haven’t had in months. A full race recap will come, but right now I’m just excited to have said I was out and running again.

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Counting down to my return to racing

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My return to running hasn’t been easy, and not even for the obvious reasons.

First off, I’m going to count myself in the minority of new parents who get MORE sleep after welcoming a baby. I’ve been an insomniac since my first year of grad school. I rarely, if ever, sleep through the night. Instead I usually wake up four or five times, barely get back to sleep and then wake up again.

Right now? I put Cecilia down at 11:30 p.m. and sleep until she stirs at 5 a.m. I actually panic if she doesn’t wake me up (do mothers ever stop worrying about SIDS? Does everyone tap their child to see if he or she is still breathing?), so I wake up ready to grab her up and see what’s wrong with her.

But I sleep fairly soundly.

Instead I’m trying to work runs into my two-month old’s schedule. It means that I end up waiting for my husband to commute home before I can hop on the treadmill, if I’m lucky. It also means I’m missing runs when he gets off late because baby girl needs to maintain somewhat of a schedule.

As I type this I am trying to soothe her in her bouncy chair while I wait for my husband to get home so I can run. I never anticipated THIS before my problem. I always figured it would be something like being overtired, having no ambition, etc.

The time struggle is real.

So I’ve been fitting in two mile runs as often as I can. On Monday night I ran my best two miler since I was 30 weeks.

It brought some of my confidence back going into this weekend’s See Jane Run 5K in Alameda. I’ve run the half marathon portion of the race twice. This will be my first time running the 5K and my second year as an ambassador for the running store/race company.

Two good miles doesn’t necessarily translate into a solid 5K. But I’m hopeful I’ll feel OK. I’m hopeful that I’ll run strong, but likely not fast.

And I know I’ll be encouraged by a group of other women who have similar goals.

I’m still anxious. Even though I’ve done this race twice I’m nervous. I feel like it’s my first 5K all over again.

I haven’t raced since last fall. I, essentially, took two full seasons off of running and racing while pregnant. I don’t know how my body will react or what to expect from my legs. There’s a lot of uncertainty. (See how I’m psyching myself out already?)

I do know that the party at the end will, as always, be rocking. My Bay Area readers can still join in the festivities (including chocolate and champagne at the end!) and get 10 percent of registration by using my ambassador code: SJRAMB243

I also know that my little running ambassador is coming to cheer me on with my husband. I know she’s not old enough to understand what’s happening quite yet, but I hope this will be the first of many races she’ll be at the finish line for. I want her to see her mommy staying active. I want fitness to be a part of her life.

So while I’m nervous about getting to the start of my new role as a mother runner, I’m anxious to where the race will take baby girl and I.

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Want to run with a great group of Janes?

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I must admit, I’ve been doing a great deal of staring at this little face for the past three weeks. It’s about all I’ve been doing because I’m not allowed to do much of anything else as I recover from my C-section.

My “all clear” date is likely going to be May 23 if I take everything easily.

That gives me one day less than a month to get ready for my first 5K in a very long time. And I’m so glad that it’s going to be the See Jane Run Bay Area race on June 22.

I’m ready to lace back up.

I really, really miss my running shoes (which now fit me since my swelling has gone down significantly since my daughter’s birth). I’m hoping my base is sustained a least a little. It shouldn’t be hard to hard for me to get back to 3.1 miles. I’m not aiming at a PR race now. I’m just hoping to finish after having major surgery only about eight weeks before.

That said, I’m hoping one of my readers CAN make this into either a personal best 5K or 13.1 with a little help from me.

I’m giving away a race entry (either 5K or half marathon) for the See Jane Run Bay Area race on June 22. The event includes the two events, plus champagne and chocolate at the finish.

You’ll be running with a group of amazing women, many of whom will be running their first 5K or half marathon, as the See Jane Run race is a popular destination for first timers.

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All you have to do to enter is leave a required comment telling me WHY you started running and what inspired you and like See Jane Run’s race series on Facebook. There are other options, via RaffleCopter, to earn more entries as well.

The contest runs through May 17.

***CONTEST HAS ENDED***

You know you want to. It’s a fun run and there’s champagne and chocolate at the end. Plus, there’s 1980s-theme aerobics before the race and a ton of “girl power.”

I’m still working on my birth story for Cecilia’s arrival. Her original expected due date was yesterday and it was a very emotional day for me, especially since she’ll be three weeks old tomorrow instead. I didn’t realize my heart would be so torn about all that happened. I’m happy and excited that she’s here and she’s perfect, but her labor and delivery – and the subsequent time in the hospital – were incredibly hard for me.

I’m finally starting to feel like “me” again. I’m incredibly excited to get back to running and fitness by the end of the month too.

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The ‘after’ plan

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This was last year, after my course best at See Jane Run in Alameda. It was a ridiculously hot day to race, but one that was made much better by champagne and a nice medal, with shoe laces attached, at the end.

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I’m looking at a completely different, incredibly exciting reality now. Looking down at, I should say. This photo is from my prenatal massage, thanks to a gift card from my mom, earlier this week. At nearly 31 weeks, I’m waking up multiple times during the night and feeling rather uncomfortable in everything I do.

I’m not going to talk about weight gain, outside of saying that I’m carrying baby girl mostly in the front. My shirts would fit if I didn’t have a big baby bump in the way. My thighs are a little thicker, but I’m still wearing maternity jeans from the second trimester. Only now am I moving into larger shirts, just because the bump is growing more and more each week.

But overall, I’m not feeling a great urge to lose weight, yet. Maybe in the next nine weeks that will change.

I do, however, have a great want to get back to fitness. And running. And being able to actually do asanas at yoga without having to move my legs out to avoid my belly.

That’s why I’m incredibly grateful to have been chosen, for a second year, as an ambassador for See Jane Run. The Oakland-based running store hosts its San Francisco Bay Area run in Alameda on June 22 this year.

Baby girl should be about two months old by then. Last year I ran 13.1 miles.

seejanerunThis year, I’m planning on doing the 5K. My first run “back” and my first 5K in a very long time. I’m considering it a “baby” step for myself. I know the route, I know the parking situation. I know nearly everything about the location. It will be comfortable and fun, even if I am uncomfortable doing it (who knows what shape I’ll be in then).

I’d like to think I’ll be running more than a 5K by then.

Part of my plan is to be able to run twice that far to be on track to run the 2nd Half Marathon of the San Francisco Marathon on July 29.

Two races signed up for already.

Today, though, I got an email about the bigger picture for 2014. Let me make it clear: Baby girl’s arrival is going to be the biggest event of my year. My husband would agree.

But I want something else too: Another chance to earn a PR at California International Marathon in December.

Sign ups begin March 1. I’ll likely deliberate it for awhile before actually signing up, but I really, really want to run 26.2 again this year. I don’t know if that is even a feasible goal, but I’m hoping that it can and will happen.

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I’d like to be back in Sacramento with my husband and baby girl taking on this year’s challenge.

To get there? Those baby steps I mentioned before. All starting with See Jane Run in June. It’s perfect that I’ll be surrounded by so many inspirational women my first race post birth. I can’t think of a better way to introduce baby girl to racing than at an event like See Jane Run.

The good news is that I have a 10-percent off coupon code for See Jane Run Alameda’s 5K and Half Marathon for my blog readers so that you can join the party to. Interested in signing? Use SJRAMB243 to secure the discount. Even better, the code is ALSO good for online or in-store purchases from See Jane Run and its website.

Plus, some of the Bay Area See Jane Run stores will be hosting kick off events on March 1 to celebrate the official start of race season and promotion of the awesome events.

The kickoff events begin at 8 a.m. at See Jane Run’s San Francisco, Oakland and Danville stores. Representatives from Moving Comfort, Altra Running and 2XU will be on site at each store (for more details about which presentation will happen at which store, click here). Each kickoff starts with a run, also walker friendly, and includes a clinic about half marathon and 5K training.

It’s time to get serious about training, or in my case start planning for the next step of training in my post-baby come back to running.

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Need a fall half? Or tri?

One of the things I love about being an ambassador for See Jane Run is that I’m connected to an amazing group of women that share similar goals with me. I’m also given the opportunity to learn about new events throughout my area.

Since I’ve been a little MIA lately, I haven’t been able to write about two events happening in the San Francisco Bay Area in October.

The first one scares me a little, as a Jane who is deathly afraid of her bicycle. But the more brave ladies out there will love this one.

SEE JANE RUN TRIATHLON

In addition to the many half marathons See Jane Run puts on, including the Alameda one I ran in June, but the store only puts on one triathlon and duathlon each year right over the hill from me in Pleasanton.

I have a confession: At some point, I really want to do this triathlon. I always thought a See Jane Run tri would be my first crack at the multi-sport challenge. But I’m still very much afraid of my bike … so I’m not quite ready for it yet.

I keep telling my husband that my road bike, which currently sits on its trainer, will get some use one day when I just get tired of it sitting there. But after several outdoor falls, usually having to do with clipping in, I decided during marathon training last fall that it wasn’t worth the pain if I hurt myself and couldn’t run.

The event is a sprint triathlon: 400-yard swim, 12-mile bike ride and three-mile run.

While I’m pretty sure I can handle the run, I haven’t been in a pool for nearly a year (since I took lessons and my swim school closed) and I’m not comfortable riding more than a couple miles.

But, there’s a good deal right now on the Oct. 5 event. If you sign up now you can save $10 by using the code TRIDU13.

Even better is that two of my fellow ambassadors are raffling off free entries for the event.

Aleksandra at Confessions of a Caffeinated Mother and Christine at ChristineCre8s are each offering up a free entry. So run over to their blogs (clicking on the bold blog title will take you to the appropriate post on each) and enter for your chance to win a free entry.

HONEY BADGER HALF MARATHON

One of the most random videos anyone showed me on the web last year was The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger.

Haven’t seen it? We need to fix that.

I laughed the entire way through this video. Then my husband fell in love with it when he watched it. I even bought him a “Honey Badger Don’t Care” shirt for his birthday last week.

So when Kerina, our See Jane Run ambassador organizer and all-around social media guru, mentioned a new race in San Rafeal, I KNEW I had to run the race. It’s called the Honey Badger Half Marathon. And it sounds awesome.

honeybadgerIt will be my first trail half marathon. And it’s one of a series of races put on by a still relatively new racing company.

The event takes place at China Camp State Park and features 10K and 5K alternatives for those not quite ready to run 13.1. I’m not even sure I’m ready to run 13.1, but I’m crazy enough to sign up for it.

The inclines are scaring me a little too.

But it’s a race named after the Honey Badger. How can you go wrong?

A trail half marathon? In October? In a nice Bay Area regional park? To me it sounds perfect.

The ladies at See Jane Run are helping to promote the event, which means I get to pass another discount code on. If you want to save $5 off the already reasonable registration, you can enter the code JANE during registration.

To get the best rate, register now since prices tier up on Aug. 31.

You may even see me out there … at the half. And maybe, if I get a little more brave in the next year, at the tri in Fall 2014. If I can learn to love my bike.

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Not knowing what to expect from the next 13.1

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That image is from my first major breakthrough PR at the Brazen Summer Breeze race last year. It was my first experience of achieving a sub 2:25 finish with a 2:22:45 finish. It was my first half marathon where I averaged under 11-minute miles.

I’ve run many, many more since then under 11-minute. My San Diego PR stands at 2:16:41.

Tomorrow, I’m running Summer Breeze for a second time. And I’m not sure what to expect.

The reason? Those previous PRs kind of came out of nowhere. I hadn’t necessarily been running faster in my training runs. I feel like San Diego was almost completely a fluke, kind of my reward for weeks upon weeks of constant races. If that’s even possible.

I don’t know.

My PR streak was broken in June at the See Jane Run Half Marathon when the heat was just a little too unbearable for me to get it together. I had also run a half marathon the week before. I finished, though, in 2:24:11, still much better than my previous times before my 2013 racing season began.

I think the hardest part of PRing is not knowing when it will happen again. I held my half marathon PR time for almost a year from 2011 to 2012. I started feeling like I’d never run a 2:27:20 or better ever again. Then I shaved five minutes off my time. I chalked it up to just “it being my day.”

But I’ve show, now consistently, that my “day” is turning into a strong racing season. It doesn’t make getting to the start line any easier, especially with my anxiety.

I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. I don’t know what to expect.

Am I finally getting better at the half? I don’t know.

Should I go out with confidence? I don’t know.

Am I surrounded by self doubt? Yes. And I hate it.