Brooks ID Member, Early Morning Run, and Motherhood Hurt

I've always said how much I am NOT a morning runner.  Not for me.  Nope, you're not going to see me get out of bed before 6a.m just to fit in my miles.  And I'm surely not going to be out there running in the dark and cold before I've had anything to eat or drink.  Nope, just not for me.  I'm a different kind of runner.

Well, not sure what happened to that runner but this morning I proved her wrong.  I was up by 5:30 putting on my layers of running gear...you know, tights, gloves, headlamps, ear warmer, jacket and anything else I could think of to keep my wimpy Oregon self warm.  And I was out the door by 6 for a 10.5 mile run with a friend.  No coffee needed.  I was just up and at it because I wanted to be out there.

Honestly, it wasn't so bad.  The first few miles were so slow because I couldn't see anything even with my head lamp but once the sun started coming up and we got over the biggest chunk of elevation gain, it was smooth sailing and I could feel my spirits lift at the idea of being out there under the open sky.  Cold but dry.  Another promise of blue skies and sunshine to come.  A rare treat in Oregon this time of year. And I was home in time to walk my first grader to school and prepare for my day.

And my oh my, I never knew there were so many runners in my neighborhood!  Runners everywhere.  Headlamps, tights, gloves...others out there just like me.  Crazy.  It was like a bunch of zombies only runners...just out there running the dark streets before the rest of the world wakes up.   A girl could get used to this.

Unfortunately, morning runs outside are not an option for me (usually) unless I want to leave the house by 5 to be back in time for my husband to leave for work.  Nope, 5 isn't happening.  My husband leaves too early for work and usually it is raining anyway. He's been home the last couple of days so I've been lucky to get outside more.  Yesterday, I had an almost 9 mile run in the afternoon sunshine and although it was cold, it was so wonderful to be outside without rain.  Made me feel like I was in Colorado again.  Cold, crisp, sunny and blue skies.

Treadmill to Road Transfer
The dreadmill.  Yep, the treadmill isn't a favorite in the running community.  I happen to like it and I've always trained for my marathons on treadmills during the winter.  Yes, it can be monotonous and Yes, I agree that you need to switch it up and balance it with outside runs too.  In fact, I've always done my long runs outside even when I do my midweek runs on the treadmill.  I also know that you should keep the treadmill at a 1% incline or higher.  But here's the thing I love about it the most....I think it helps me get faster!  It is seriously exciting for me to run on the road after running on the treadmill for awhile because I love seeing where my pace falls naturally.  I'm always surprised at how easy a pace feels on the road when it feels so much harder on the treadmill.  When I do my training on the treadmill and then hit the road, it is just exciting to feel myself getting stronger and stronger.  So, although it is monotonous and eyepokingly boring sometimes, I really am thankful for my treadmill for a training tool. And I don't have a choice since I'm a stay at home mom of three kids...the treadmill is where I can fit runs in unless I do my runs at night in the dark or in the very very early mornings in the dark.  I say treadmill is my first choice at this point in my life and it is getting me through my training.  Thank goodness for youtube...I can LEARN and RUN!

Brooks ID Member

I know most of you have heard on Runninghood Facebook by now but I'm so excited to announce that I was chosen to be a 2012 Brooks ID (Inspire Daily) Member.  This year Brooks is sponsoring ID members for different categories.  I'm obviously not part of this thing as an elite runner but rather this is a media sponsorship.  I was chosen for my influence in social media (blog, writing, etc.).  I've wanted to be part of the Brooks ID program for awhile now and so this is very exciting for me!  Especially since I genuinely LOVE Brooks!  I had never run in Brooks shoes until last year and I can honestly say that they are the best shoes I've ever had.  I will never go back to any other shoe.  It is kind of like finding a good pair of jeans.  You know what you like and you stick with it.  I can't wait to try some of their Pure Flows and get some T7 Racing Flats!  2012 is going to be a great year and I can't wait to share my love for Brooks with anyone that will listen.  Thank you Brooks!  I'm honored to represent your company.

Motherhood
A motherhood post coming soon about helping our children love themselves.  It is so hard when we see our children struggle and even heartbreaking when we find out that they have been hurting and hating themselves when we didn't have a clue.  There is a lot I am processing right now and things that I'm learning for the first time in my time as a mother. My heart is heavy and hurting a bit. So much of what I've learned as an individual and athlete when it comes to positive self  talk and believing in ourselves will help me deal with the things I'm currently facing as a mother.  I love my children so very deeply and as all mothers do, I want to see my children thrive and love themselves and others fully. And when they don't and they struggle....ah, this hurts more than anything because I love them more than anything.  More to come...

Happy Friday!
1.  Do you train on a treadmill?  Do you notice that the transfer from road to treadmill proves to be a confidence boost?  
2.  Are you an early morning runner?  


Amanda