Moving On Over!

My life has gotten absolutely crazy. So, I am consolidating my three blogs into one. Please visit "Bringing Up Twins" to learn more about local happenings in Dayton and Cincinnati, OH. There will be a post at least every Friday dedicated to this subject. Thanks for coming to this site and look forward to seeing you soon!

Keeping Going!

For the newbie runner it is a common thing - side cramps. Often, I have experienced those sharp streaks of pain in my sides that make me instantly want to wimp out. They will have me hunched over, barely running and considering that I should just call it a day. I figured that I was out of shape and that was my body letting me know that I wasn't ready to be a runner. My muscles crying out, "You don't have what it takes!" What changed for me is when I figured out what was causing the issue and it surprised me what I uncovered.

Side cramps or "stitches" are caused by a muscle spasm in the diaphragm. The diaphragm is the dome shaped muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity and it assists in the breathing process. It moves up when we inhale and moves down when we exhale. When we run, our internal organs are bouncing up and down and at the same time as we exhale our diaphragm is moving down. This act of the organs and diaphragm going in opposite directions is what causes the spasms.

How did I fix this problem? I began concentrating on taking deep breaths while I was running instead of taking short breaths. Now I have virtually eliminated my side stitches so that I can keep going!

Keeping The Coaches Safe

I have heard the stories of outdoor runners tragically hit and killed by an on-coming car. It can be of some risk to run on an open road especially on busy roads or roads with higher speed limits. Even if a jogger opts for a sidewalk, he or she must watch out for people backing out of their driveway or crossing the street. It's a jungle out there.

It goes without saying, but I must say it anyway, that it is absolutely imperative for mommy joggers to take even more precaution when out there hitting the pavement. We are pushing the most precious cargo in the world and our number one job is to keep those little ones safe. Below are safety tips to remember:

1. The safety strap - use it. Jogging strollers are equipped with a safety strap that goes around the wrist. This is there so that in case the jogger gets away from the runner, the runner is still attached to it and can pull it back. If your jogger does not have this, buy a nylon strap and attach it in the back of the stroller toward the bottom of it. Do NOT attach the strap to the handlebar, pulling it back quickly could cause the jogger to fall backwards.

2. Look for joggers that have additional brakes. Every stroller (regular ones and joggers) have a brake that will stop the wheels from rolling. Always put the brake on when the stroller is stopped and your hands leave the handlebar. In addition, look for joggers that have a brake on the handlebar like a bicycle brake. If you have to stop suddenly you can quickly squeeze this brake.

3. Know where you are at and where you are going. I think that before you take your coaches out for a spin in their jogger, you should know the area well enough to anticipate the areas where traffic may be heavier or people may be out in your path. By all means, use the best judgment when hitting the road with a jogger. Jogging on the road is not a bad thing and actually is easier on the body, but being aware of all obstacles is extremely important. If the street is just too busy, suck it up and use the sidewalk. Sorry. Safety first, right?

4. Make eye contact with drivers, bicyclists, etc. Before crossing the entrance way of a parking lot or running past a driveway, make sure that any drivers who are pulling out of it see you. Don't assume because you have the right away that they will magically stop. A smile and a wave will help them see you and hopefully lighten the mood you have caused them for being in their way. :)

5. Gauge your body. We all want to push ourselves and accomplish our very best. Running is about beating yourself on a daily basis (quit slapping yourself, that is not what I meant!) There are times though when pushing ourselves does not make it safe for everyone involved. If you find yourself getting light headed, dizzy or feeling faint, stop running and walk your way home. You will do yourself no good if you are unable to get you and your loved ones home safely.

Be safe and happy running!

Our Routine

Anyone with young children know that getting ready to go anywhere or do anything can take forever and require a lot of preparation. So when it comes to working out it is no exception. When I was deciding how I was going to start running again, I had to take a few things into consideration. Was I going to go to a gym? Was I going to get up at the crack of dawn or late at night when my husband was home and run by myself? Or was there a better way to put my mommy time, love for running and hatred for a hectic schedule into one easy, breezy plan. My solution? You guessed it! The double jogger! (You are so smart, you know that?)

For me, this was the perfect way for me to spend time with my girls and have the flexibility to run any time of the day. Also since I didn't have to go to the gym, there was no getting the girls ready, hauling them there, putting them in the child care area and hurrying to finish my routine so that I could get them home in time for naps or meals. Nope! Our schedule is way better than that...

Team Twinmama's morning Routine:
1. Peanut wakes Twinmama with constant crib bouncing noises in the monitor.
2. Twinmama gets Peanut up and awakens Jelly Bean.
3. Both girls are changed into their day clothes & new diapers.
4. Twinmama feeds girls breakfast.
5. While eating they are eating, Twinmama puts on running shoes, socks & sports bra while observing the girls eating. (I wear clothes to bed that can run in the next day. Not my sports bra though...a little binding. Just keep the other stuff in the kitchen.)
6. After breakfast, I wipe hands & faces and put them in the jogger centrally located near the closest outside door.
7. We are off to do our workout!

We can usually make it out the door by 8am, so many mornings we have cooler air. If we wait until later in the day, it gets really hot and humid. It is great getting my run complete in the morning. It sets up the rest of the day for success and my mean coaches stay off my back yet another day.

I Did It...Kind Of...

This morning I got up with the girls. We went through our morning ritual of getting ready for our day, eating breakfast and then we were off to a date with the neighborhood sidewalk. It turned out to be a great morning for running. It wasn't super hot or humid. (We live in Ohio and it is usually humid all summer long. I don't know about anyone else, but humidity makes it so hard for me to breath.)

I made a personal goal to do 2 mile jog without stopping pushing my 87 lbs of babies and jogger. Team Twinmama is pleased to report that we were able to accomplish our goal without any problems! Hurray! The coaches were pleased and we did our usual high fives after the run. Although both Peanut and Jelly Bean end up wanting to do high tens (holding up both hands), but that is cool...high tens are cool, too.

So, it got me thinking while I was running...what am I learning being out there on the run? I think that as I get more experience with my running routine with the girls, I am discovering some things that are working for me. Over the next few posts, I will share tips that may help make your run smoother.

In the mean time, you may ask, what is up with your title? You accomplished your goal, right? I did and I am happy about that. But I need to start eating better. My diet is not good. So, I will be working on that. Lots to do. Lots to do.

My Mean Little Coaches

Tomorrow...me...the babies...the double jogger....we have a date with running destiny. We are going to get out there after the sippy cups of milk and cheerios have been consumed. After the diapers have been changed and the pajamas are replaced with the day's clothes, we are getting out there and getting it done!

My plan is for a two mile jog around the neighborhood. Hopefully my little coaches - affectionately referred to as my two "mean" little coaches - will tour the neighborhood in comfort and in style while I sweat and gasp my way to my goal. I look forward to this. I am going to do it!

You may ask, "Why are they my MEAN little coaches?" Well, I figure that in order to motivate someone, coaches have to be hard on the one they are helping to train. They push them and make them do more than what they thought they are capable of doing. So, in my case my 18 month old twin girls don't necessary yell at me and tell me to go faster or work harder. But they do get mad when we are going slow, so in essence, I guess they are. I know they enjoy going fast and feeling the slight breeze of the morning. So, I know I have motivation to run when I put them in the jogger.

But the real reason that I teasingly say they are "mean" is that everyday that I think that I am making progress is really just for that day. While I am hitting new goals, the girls are getting bigger and bigger every day. The weight that I am pushing while I take each step is getting to be more and more. So, my little coaches are helping to make me stronger and build my endurance just by growing into the little girls that I am helping them to become. I say they are mean, but it isn't a bad thing. They are part of their Mommy's workout and hopefully when they grow up, they will want to push themselves to accomplish their goals, too.

Pathetic, Absolutely Pathetic

Okay, so do you want to hear the excuses or should I just simply state that this week has been quite a shame for anyone who is trying to be a runner? Usually when one calls oneself a runner there is one thing they must do...run.

This has been a good week for my family and a stressful one. We bought a house on Tuesday so that has been exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time. I currently am a stay at home Mom, but once we move, I need to get a part time job supplementing our income. I still plan on staying home with the girls, but hope to do something at home or in the evenings or weekends. When I am stressed out I tend to hole myself up and veg out. I don't do things that are healthy. Instead I eat horrible food and worry over things. I am a worry wart. My husband goes crazy over my worrying. I go crazy over my worrying. So instead of getting out there and hitting the pavement, I ate brownies, let the girls watch Noggin all day and frantically searched for a part time job on the Internet. I am definitely stressed and I could use running.

Running always makes me feel good. When I run, I feel my body working really hard. My heart pounds faster, my lungs work harder, the beads of sweat on my face, the exhilarating feeling that comes over me when I accomplish my goals. All of it makes me love it. So why don't I do it when I am feeling bad? Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.

Two Babies Later, I Am Still Trying

Life always seems to get in the way of things. After running with my friend and being the most successful I had ever been, things started getting busy. She had a baby and a year later, I had my twins. Throughout my entire pregnancy I took it very easy, so running wasn't an option. I was put on bed rest at week 27 of my pregnancy, so moving wasn't even an option. I remember leaving the hospital after delivering my girls and began thinking about how weak I felt. My body was 30 pounds heavier, I had just had a C-Section and I felt tired. Of course all of this could be attributed to everything that I had been through with the pregnancy and delivery. And certainly after we brought the girls home from the hospital twelve days later, that would attribute to my energy level, too. (Now chasing around 17 month olds still makes me tired, so I know it never goes away!)

The first year of the girls' life was a blurr and I certainly didn't run or even try to. For more information about that point in my life, keep an eye on my "Bringing Up Twins" blog. But sometime after their first birthday, I started getting the craving to get back out there. We were started to get the hang of things and it was time to start taking care of myself again. I knew that things weren't going to be the same as last time. I didn't live close to my friend anymore, I had two babies whose schedules I had to consider and how exactly could I run with two babies anyway? I started looking for the one piece of baby equipment that every Mama Runner should have: a jogging stroller or jogger.

There are a ton of different types of jogging strollers on the market these days. I know some of the big chain stores sell them and sometimes you find them at running stores or bike stores. I found mine online having done some research about what kind to get for running. Be careful when shopping for one because not all jogging strollers are meant to be used for jogging. Weird, I know. But if you plan on running, then you should look for a 16 inch front wheel or larger. (Make sure it is fixed and doesn't swivel for best control.) A tether strap for your arm, a couple brakes and excellent harnesses for the babies are also important. I decided on the BOB Sport Utility Duallie stroller.

And I love it!! It is completely worth the investment! My rationale is that this is my workout so I could either spend the money on this jogger or go get a gym membership. This way, I can work out with the girls and we don't have to pack up and go somewhere else. They love to ride in it and they look quite comfortable. I am glad of my choice!

So now I am trying to get into a routine. Last week, I ran everyday and did pretty well, but this week I am falling off the wagon...So by God's grace, I am going to get back out there. Me. My girls. And the jogger. Out on the open road (well, the neighborhood sidewalk..). I have a date with my running destiny. I will be a runner. I will be a runner...

I wanted to be a runner

I have toyed with running off and on for the better part of fifteen years. Toyed meaning that I would gear up to start running, do it for a while and then something would make me quit. I have met runners along the way in my life. I had a couple friends who ran cross country in high school. My freshman year of high school I ran the mile for the physical fitness test. Afterward, my gym teacher suggested I join the track team. I had never had anyone encourage me like that so I went out for it...I lasted a week before I quit complaining of shin splints.



When I was in college, I had a friend who was in the Air Force ROTC. She would get up every morning and work out with the other ROTC students. Occassionally I would get up and go work out, too, and for a little while we would run together. She ran in 5Ks and such. I liked that about her.



But it wasn't until a few years ago that I saw accomplishment in my pursuit in running. My husband and I moved to Dayton, OH where he is from and I started running with a friend. She was an experienced runner, but when I mentioned that I wanted to start running again, she offered to run with me. I was happy to have a partner that I could run with, but also didn't want her to be tied down to my slowness and lack of physical fitness. We decided to give it shot and for months we began running together about 2-3 times a week as our schedules allowed. In the beginning, we would do run and walk. (Most of time the walking was driven by me...) But over time we ran 2 miles, then 3 miles, we found a 4 mile stretch and was successful, and five miles we accomplished too. We ran around the city neighborhoods and on country roads. We even ran in a 5K race together! Finally, I was starting to see that this interest of mine was more than just "nice thing to do", it is a longing. And the day that we ran 6 miles together, I was so incredibly happy and realized that it was possibly for me to do this. It isn't easy, but it is possible.



Running with my friend made a huge difference for me. She is committed to what she does and sticks with it. I learned that even for experienced runners, the miles are still long and ahead of them, the sun is still hot, the hills are tough and the body must be ready to do the work. And we had fun together! We talked about anything and everything and really enjoyed the time we spent. We would run, but we would also catch up with each other about our lives. Our friendship grew stronger out there on the open road. I will always treasure the time we had running together.