The Hero With A Thousand Running Shoes

And so begins the USA Track & Field Olympic Trials! While examining the impressive list of my Oiselle teammates competing this week for a coveted spot on Team USA, I feel a profound sense of elation for them. As if all of their collective nerves, hopes, mantras, drive, and dreams emanate through the runningsphere and ignite within fellow dreamers. It is one climax of their "hero's journey." It is the reason why so many of us tune in every 2 and/or 4 years to watch the Olympics.

We humans like heroes. All of us do. Across cultures, generations, and races, even in the Lascaux cave, we write epic tales of heroism. Books, songs, theater, pottery, paintings, tapestries, movies, games, all of these media and more illustrate the hero's journey.

The details vary, but many of the themes are consistent. Joseph Campbell depicted these commonalities so well in The Hero With A Thousand Faces, a writing that inspired many contemporary storytellers, most notably George Lucas in his creation of Star Wars. While in ancient folklore, the heroes were often super-human in their respective mythologies - Osiris, Jesus, Prometheus, Mohammed, Aeneas, etc - our more recent mythic heroes are mortal, ordinary, and flawed. I tend to think that one reason why we write our contemporary heroes as such is because we want a projection of them in ourselves...or, of ourselves in them...whichever way, we strive to emulate them. When they are more real, their stories become more authentic, more powerful.

Before anyone gets uptight about how I am speaking of athletes as "heroes" and starts trying to police the word into some narrow definition exclusive only to cancer survivors and military veterans, I am simply writing about one piece of our cultural fascination with the "hero's journey."

It is also worth noting that, with regards to this "heroes journey", I am not necessarily talking those revered for a singular heroic act, in and of itself (though such individuals are, indeed, heroic and deserving of the title). I am referring to those who's heroic journeys we follow, in the most classical, Campbellian sense of the word. This most definitely includes the stories of cancer survivors, of military personnel, and, yes, of athletes. Not because they all have struggled and suffered in some equitable way, but because their journeys are consistent with that of the mythic hero.

One of the beauties of running is that it can serve as an amazing "hero's journey" you can write for yourself. Because, lets face it, our career paths may not necessarily take us on a "hero's journey." We rush to movie theaters to project ourselves onto Luke Skywalker, Frodo, Ripley, Harry Potter, Captain Kirk, et al, to be moved by a journey that most of us do not experience in our own lives. These heroes experience what Campbell coined a "call to adventure". Harry receives his Hogwarts welcome letter. Bilbo Baggins presents Frodo with the ring. R2D2 and C-3PO arrive at Luke Skywalker's water farm. A defining moment jettisons the hero from their ordinary life into an extraordinary one. 

Truthfully, such a moment may not happen for most of us. At least, not in the way that we expect. And unlike a well-constructed literary plot line, our lives usually do not unfold in a clean, developing narrative that is fascinating and inspiring to outsiders. We do not advance through our lives in a concrete, tangible way. We grow, we learn, and we develop, most definitely. But it feels anything but "heroic", and the consistency, the mundane, the grit of accumulated day-to-day life can leave us feeling insignificant. 

As a teacher, my career is, truthfully, a far leap from a "hero's journey". Unlike what unfolds in Mr Holland's Opus, Dead Poet's Society, and the short list of other movies about teachers, we teachers most likely do not experience a powerful, heart-warming realization where the teacher's struggles and efforts are vindicated, leaving them knowing that they made a profound difference in the world. Don't get me wrong - cognitively, I do know that my efforts make a difference, and I do love what I do. Teaching is a shit-ton of hard work, all the time, but when I am in the classroom, engaging with students about my most favorite topics ever, I am truly happy. 10 years of teaching and I still feel this way. But this career, however much I love it, will most likely never reflect a "hero's journey". There isn't really much career advancement in teaching, and very little progresses from day to day, year to year, in terms of what we do. It is fulfilling as hell, to me anyway, and we teachers do grow and learn in the process, but our teaching lives do not evolve and change much. 

What is so important about a hero's journey, anyway? Not everyone really wants or needs one. Some people thrive in consistency and resist change. But for those of us who seek a mythical, literary "hero's journey" in our lives,  we cannot just wait for a "call to adventure" to fall upon us. We have to create one for ourselves.

During the time that I was staying home with Jack, my running went from being a hobby to being a kind of "non-professional profession". Without the routine and consistency teaching in my life, running became my proxy for a professional life. I began to train like a pro runner: run first thing in the morning, then strength training at the gym (thank goodness for the children's care zone...), stretching, nap after lunch when Jack napped, then a second run or brisk walk with the jogging stroller. Because I am so very lucky that Jack has a teenage big brother who loves to spend time with him, even when Stephen was busy I could still get away for cross training or a local race. Everything about my running changed, and I began setting big PRs across all distances. Consistently running sub-20 minutes in the 5K again, sub-1:30 half marathons, and a 3:18 marathon PR.

Then came the big long-term goal: I want to compete in the 2020 Olympic Trials marathon.

Many runners aspire to this, but very few achieve it. It is the next big dream in the progression beyond qualifying for Boston. But compared to other running events and sports, we actually see many non-professional runners toe the line at the Olympic Trials marathon (an example: qualifiers at the Jacksonville Bank Half-Marathon). For the 2016 Trials, more and more qualifiers were moms, dads, working professionals in non-running fields who, like myself, do not have the time or access to the elite lifestyle. They made me realize that I can do the same. This dream is very real, and very possible. But it will be a very challenging road.

Now that I am back to teaching full-time, and have been since January, keeping up the lifestyle and pace of training that I enjoyed while being a stay-at-home mom has been very challenging, but not impossible. When I think about the fact that to qualify for the Trials I need to break 2:45, which is about 6:18/mile pace, I feel an urge to curl into a ball under a blanket and never come out. But it is this precise instinct that draws me into this "hero's journey" even more. 

Yes, I may very well fail to qualify for the Trials. When all else is done - training regimen, recovery, nutrition, race strategy, etc - my genetic potential may just not be enough to break 2:45. This is a possibility that I have fully accepted. At the very least, barring injury, I will uncover my full potential is in the marathon, whatever it may be, even if it does fall short of my goal time. That is a victory, and for that I will accept nothing less. 

Such is the mission of all runners - whether that goal involves completing their first 5K, or marathon, or qualifying for Boston, or an Olympic medal. Our "hero's journeys" are dynamic, powerful, and genuine. For those racing this week in Eugene, this is the pinnacle of their journeys, and the fuel for many others'. Some have come to the glorious end of their journey, while others may be at the beginning. Some have dreamed of this their entire lives, while others experienced a "call to adventure" later in life, discovering a talent they didn't know they had. 

Running is one amazing "hero's journey". 

End of 2015...and First Half of 2016!

Well I have sufficiently ignored my blog for about half a year now...yikes!

Due largely to one thing: in January of 2016, I accepted a long-term substitute teaching position at a local private school that then turned into a full-time position. I am SO excited to be a part of this school community, and back to full-time teaching.

What happened regarding my blogging: since I went from being a teacher of three online classes to a teacher of three online classes plus four face-to-face classes (that's 7 different preps...), trained for Boston, and ran out of every last ounce of spare time I might have maybe had once.

But enough excuses. I pledge to being a better author/blogger, now that my life has settled back into full-time work routine, plus my growing training regimen!

A quick recap of the past 6-7 months:

December 2015

- Was on a routine morning run, and this happened...Jogger Saves Sleeping Mother and Child from Burning Home. Because we are out in the early morning, we runners often witness things unfold before the sleeping do. I happened to be in the right place at the right time.



- Didn't quite run a PR at the Florida Holiday Halfathon, but was only about 6 seconds off, 1:32:18. 5th place overall female, and still retaining my position of 2nd in the series.

January 2016

- Ran a 19:51 at the Kettle Krush 5K in Downtown St Pete, 3rd overall female. 
- Had an insane race at the Clearwater Halfathon! Winds sustained around 25mph and gusting in the 30s. Was feeling sick the day before. Suffice to say, this was not my best race. 1:36:04. But it was SO worth it to meet this running legend! Bill Rogers...

 

February 2016

- OMG...got to meet Meb and Shalane...

 

- This was just before the Gasparilla Distance Classic 15K, which was a great race for me, 15K PR, 1:03:07!
- Started getting coached by Mark Hadley! Very excited to have a coach for the first time since high school. Loved coaching myself, but was becoming too stressed out by the process, and began to second-guess myself significantly. Mark also coaches my training buddy Christina, who is a rockstar Masters runner, so now we are on the same training cycle. 

March 2016

- Florida Beach Halfathon at Ft. DeSoto, awesome race and big PR, 1:28:54. 4th overall female, but won 2nd in the series! This was my first time wining big prize money for running.

April 2016

- Boston Marathon! Amazing experience, but tough race-day conditions: hot, headwind, full sunlight, and I did not hydrate nor rest properly in the days leading up. So no PR for me, finished 3:24:48. All in all, not a bad time considering everything else.



May 2016

- Mayfaire 5K in Lakeland, no expectations since it was only a couple of weeks post-Boston. But still OK...ran 20:08, 2nd overall female, won new Mizuno running shoes, and got to race with my awesome little brother...



June 2016

- While in Arizona for my high school reunion, ran in the Yarnell Memorial 5K in honor of the 19 firefighters who lost their lives in 2013, one of whom was a classmate of mine at Orme. Had a great time with my long-time friend, Sue, and ran 19:44...though my Garmin said the course was 3.0 miles. 1st place overall finisher! Not bad for a race at 5,000 feet elevation and 90 degrees. But hey, its a dry heat.



- Watermelon Run #2 5K in Lakeland, was hoping for PR but ran 19:54, 1st overall female. Despite not hitting a PR, I felt the best I have ever felt at mile 2 during a 5K, my first two mile splits were 6:15, 6:14, setting an in-race 2-mile PR of 12:28-ish. The last mile absolutely killed me with the heat and humidity (80 degrees / 80% humidity), which seems to affect me much worse than elevation. Still, promising results.

So that is my racing history since my last post. Many exciting races to come this summer, including a track (yes, TRACK) series starting on July 6th with a mile, then two weeks later with a 2-mile, then two weeks later with a 5K. Haven't raced on a track since high school....but this will be good for me, I am sure!

Halloween Halfathon & Training Recap

Haven't written in a while. Time goes by way too fast! Especially in the fall, it seems. Frequent races, busy school schedule, and right now an energetic 2-year old who is growing before my eyes. I can't believe that Boston is almost exactly 5 months away...

My training has been going wonderfully! Mostly, that is. Since my last post, I built up my weekly mileage to around 60 miles/week, with a couple of lighter weeks surrounding the Halloween Halfathon. I've shifted my workouts to be more half-marathon-specific, which is quite a relief for me, since I tend to thrive at long-interval and tempo-paced workouts, not so much the shorter stuff. 

Which brings me to another fun addition - I joined the inaugural group of the McMillan Run Club, a recent development by Greg McMillan's training program. I have read his books and implemented some of his training philosophies into my own program, and am very impressed with his thoroughness, individualization, and openness to other training methodologies. The Run Club is basically a way for runners to connect to the coaches - usually Greg himself - with Q&A, training advice, and specific race preparation plans. 

Anyways...one of the tenants of McMillan's training programs is identifying the type of runner you are: a speedster, an endurance monster, or a combination of both. McMillian describes these types in greater detail in this Runner's World article. If you're a speedster, you respond best to short, fast workouts and tend to perform better in mile up to 10K races. If you're an endurance monster, you respond best to threshold and tempo workouts and tend to perform better in 15K to marathon or longer. If you're pretty balanced across both, you are obviously a combination.

I am most definitely an endurance monster. I feel like a rockstar after tempo runs and a pile of poop after track workouts. Learning this and adjusting my training accordingly has really helped me maximize my training. For example, I do fewer speed workouts, but still some, and give myself longer recovery after them. I use my threshold and tempo runs more strategically, and gradually build up the distances I run at goal race pace during longer runs. The result: I feel faster, less mentally and physically worn down, and more responsive to the training. 

Proof is in the pudding! I ran a big time PR - a 5 minute improvement on my last time - at the Florida Halloween Halfathon, placing 2nd overall female with a time of 1:32:12. I was more cautious in the beginning (see my post about my overzealous start the last time I raced at Ft. DeSoto) and felt strong and steady for the rest of the race. There was a pretty solid headwind during the middle miles, but I didn't slow by much. Held on to about a 7 min/mile average and finished feeling strong. 

Thanks for another great race, Chris Lauber!

The week after this race was really tough on my body. It didn't help that I was sick with a mild flu or cold the day after the halfathon. I took Sunday and Monday completely off, but then jumped back into my training plan without a significant amount of recovery time. This race was not my goal race, which I am currently still training for, and I wanted to get back to progression runs and 800m repeats the following week. It just didn't happen. The progression run turned into a very slow, random tempo, and I made it through 2 of the 800m reps before my pace really took a dive. Bottom line: give yourself more recovery time than you think you will need. Especially as you get older. When we run longer than the half-marathon distance regularly during training, we tend to assume that we don't need much recovery after racing a half-marathon. But races really take it out of you, if you're running faster than your easy pace, that is. I certainly did. Left it all out on the course. And for that, I needed more serious recovery.

Finally did feel fully recovered after about a week, and my training this past week has been fantastic! A nice light fartlek of 12 x 1 min hard / 1 min easy on Tuesday got my fast-twitch fibers re-ignited, and then an awesome workout of 3 x 2 miles @ 15K race pace with Christina, who really pushed me when I felt sluggish towards the end. I plan on doing more workouts with running buddies rather than alone, as it is certainly more effective and less painful to get through. 

Feeling great after a tough workout!

Now here's to hoping that the weather continues to cool off!

One last note: I added a tab at the top of the blog to a list of Favorite Links. Check it out!

Race Fail Recap: Don't Mix Your Race Strategies

A couple of weeks ago, I had a bad race. 

This was the first "bad race" I have had in a long time, so perhaps I was due for one. Not just due; I earned this one. It was the inaugural Ft. DeSoto 15K, a distance that I normally excel at. Weather was good, I had been feeling OK in the days leading up to it. My last 15K was Gasparilla and I ran a PR of 1:05. Leading up to this race, I was much MUCH fitter and faster than I had been back in February, yet I came shuffling in around 1:06. I was crippled by a killer side stitch just after the 10K point, one that I couldn't seem to breathe through or even walk off. So the last 5K was miserable hobbling. What went wrong? Several factors:

1) This was the third weekend in a row of racing for me. The first weekend, I ran a 5K PR of 19:48 at the OneStepCloser 5K downtown. Loved it! Felt fantastic. The next weekend I ran in a miserable afternoon 5K in Dunedin and finished 20:10. The weekend after that was the 15K. During those two weeks between these races, I didn't do much weight lifting and kept my workouts somewhat tame. But nonetheless, I am not as young as I used to be, and perhaps shouldn't pull triple-headers and expect to do well on the 3rd race. 

Finishing a 5K PR at the OneStepCloser race ("that clock says what??")

2) I went out way WAY too fast. I hung out with the lead group of 3 other women and did the first mile in 6:17, gradually dropping down to 6:35 pace at the first 5K. After that, we all spread out a bit and I settled into a nice 6:40 pace. This pace felt very good, and I felt as if I could finish the race at this pace no problem. This was true up until the 10K mark, at which point I apparently set a 10K PR, according to my Garmin (woot!) just before the stitch hit.

Going out too fast with the lead pack. Like an idiot.

3) I ate some watermelon before the race. This shouldn't really be a problem - watermelon hasn't given me trouble in the past, but I had never raced after eating watermelon either. Usually I have an orange or a banana before a race, neither of which have ever given me trouble. So while I don't know for sure that the watermelon contributed to my stitch, I can't rule it out either.

Side stitch hell.

Personally, I think this was mostly a combination of #1 and #2. Mostly #2. I didn't feel worn down or fatigued during the race, so while I probably wouldn't have run as fast as I potentially could due to racing two consecutive weekends prior, it didn't cause my stitch. 

Here's the glitch: going out fast usually works for me in 5Ks and 10Ks, which is what I had been training for and racing over the past couple of months. So when that lead group took off, I stayed right with them. This strategy usually pays off. But not in a 15K. That was my fatal error.

Moral of the story: don't mix your racing strategies. Don't try to run a 15K the same way you run a 5K, and vice versa. 

I know I can hang with that lead pack soon....and I likely would have finished much closer to them had I not gone out so damn fast. 

My "Springy Training" Hypothesis

If you're like me, choosing new running shoes is an insane process. You read reviews, you think about what has worked well for you in the past, and you become maddeningly befuddled by a tsunami of information. What amount of drop is best? Is lighter always better? Which type of cushioning is ideal?

I tend to get frustrated and just decide that it all just boils down to what feels good on my feet. But then I wonder if my running economy could be improved and my injury potential reduced even more if I were in shoes with the perfect blend of drop, cushioning, structure, responsiveness...yady yady ya...and back down the rabbit hole I go.

It doesn't help that running shoe manufacturers each have patented super buzz words for their myriad of technologies, each one with its own promises of awesomeness. It can be easy to get lost in the minutia of science, innovation, and marketing, where many of us find ourselves asking what the best type of shoe really is.

The answer is....there is no answer. Everyone is different. That sentence was painfully cliche to type, but its the simple truth. Despite what simple running shoe store gait analyses would suggest, the right type of shoe for an individual depends on many, many factors beyond simply pronation and foot strike. At the end of the day, trial and error is your best bet.

But since that truth won't stop many of us from incessantly researching shoes, I want to first clarify some of the concepts surrounding shoe dynamics, and then propose a hypothesis of my own creation about "training" our takeoff.

The Case For Shoe Rotation

One interesting notion that has emerged in recent years is the idea of rotating running shoe types. Not just keeping two or three pairs of the same running shoe and alternating use so that the foam has time to "recover" and rebound in between runs (not totally convinced that's true anyway). I'm talking about keeping two or three (or more?) pairs of different running shoes that are worn for different types of runs. It wasn't too long ago that only elites really practiced this, though with different shoes within the same brand that was sponsoring them, most likely. They have an everyday high-mileage trainer, an uptempo trainer, road racing flats, and spikes (if they run track distances). Recreational runners might also sport a quiver of shoes like this if they race seriously or do any track competition, but most age-groupers tend to race in their trainers, keeping only one pair of running shoes at a time.

"I have too many running shoes" - no runner ever

I'm sure it could be argued that this advice precipitated down from running shoe manufacturers as a way to get runners to buy more shoes. But that doesn't actually make much sense, since someone with one pair of running shoes will wear them out much faster than someone rotating between three or four pairs, so the mileage on the shoes all comes out in the wash. 

The biggest reason for this advice has to do with injury prevention. The many intricate muscles and tendons in our feet, ankles, legs, knees, thighs, and hips are strained differently in different types of running shoes. By rotating between different shoe types and brands, we essentially train our lower bodies to respond in different ways, reducing overuse on the same muscle and tendon groups from daily overloading. 

What do I mean by different "types" of running shoes? I can start by saying that I do NOT mean switching between motion control and neutral running shoes if you run healthily in one or the other. If you badly overpronate and run well in motion control shoes, then stick with motion control shoes. What I am referring to here are cushioning and heel-to-toe drop. 

For example, if you are currently wearing a motion control shoe with a 12mm heel-to-toe drop that is heavily cushioned, maybe use this show as your everyday trainer and invest in a less-cushioned motion control shoe with an 8mm drop to use as your uptempo or speed shoe. Or if you currently run in a firm neutral shoe with a 4mm drop, perhaps invest in a more cushioned (to your comfort) neutral show with a 10mm drop to use for easy/recovery runs. 

In both examples, prior to acquiring a second pair of shoes, your tendons (particularly your achilles tendons) were accustomed to extending to a certain length during your stride under normal conditions. But when your running shoes start to wear out, or when you are in the last miles of a marathon and your form begins to suffer, that length changes, and injury can result. If your tendons are accustomed to extending to varied lengths during your training, they become more resilient under stressed conditions and you are less likely to suffer injuries in those tendons. 

Switching up cushioning is a similar concept. The muscles, tendons, and sensory reflexes of your feet also become accustomed to the level of shock absorption your everyday trainers provide. Switching immediately into a very firm shoe can result in injuries simply because your feet, knees, etc have to now respond very differently to higher impact than they might be prepared to handle, hence the slough of injuries that followed the barefoot running fad. But say you train it two different pairs of shoes, one highly cushioned and one moderately or lightly cushioned, and you rotate between the two on a weekly basis, your musculoskeletal system can gradually adapt to these differences in cushioning, and actually make this system stronger.

Here is an excellent take on shoe rotation: Why You Should Have A Quiver Of Running Shoes

Train Soft, Race Hard

Let's sink into cushioning just a little deeper (see what I did there?), with respect to running economy and responsiveness. Generally, more soft and cushioned shoes are considered less "responsive" or "snappy", meaning the energy you push into the ground at takeoff does not rebound as strongly as a more firm shoe. This makes sense when you consider what cushioning does: absorb shock. True, in the long run this can reduce forces exerted on your joints, hence the recent popularity of Hoka One One shoes among longer-distance runners and older runners (many running physiologists would argue that this level of cushioning is not necessary to protect joints if your form is efficient, but that is for another post).



The reduced impact comes at a cost, though, in the form of running economy. When energy is absorbed by soft cushioning, it does not return in the takeoff phase of the stride, meaning it takes more energy to achieve a strong takeoff, and is thus less economical. It's the same reason why you have to exert more energy running on sand to achieve a given pace than you do running on pavement: too much energy is absorbed in the sand and not returned.

The type of cushioning does matter in this. Some materials return energy more than others. Gel cushioning, which is the trademark of Asics shoes, returns very little energy. Foam cushioning, as seen most notably in Adidas and Saucony brands, can return more energy depending on the density of the foam. These brands and others have, most recently, been working to develop ideal differential densities in their cushioning to optimize energy return for takeoff (Adidas Energy Boost series, in particular) yet still provide a soft landing. There are other creative ways of achieving this, as Mizuno has developed with its "wave plate", a thin plastic plate embedded in the midsole among foam cushioning, making a firmer-feeling shoe with high responsiveness on takeoff but the foam still cushions the landing.

   
Adidas "Energy Boost" foam                                  Saucony Kinvara 7s with new EverFoam             Mizuno Wave Rider with the embedded wave plate

Okay, back to the main point here: if you wear very soft trainers, your muscles and tendons become accustomed to that level of responsiveness by working harder to push off the ground in the take-off phase.

Many runners do wear soft, more cushioned shoes for recovery and long runs, on which they are not as concerned with responsiveness or energy return but appreciate the softness on their joints, and then wear a more firm shoe for fast workouts and racing.

This is a good idea for the reasons mentioned above, and possibly for another reason, which brings me to my hypothesis...

Training in a soft cushioned shoe for recovery, easy, or long runs can train your musculoskeletal system for a stronger takeoff when you switch into firm, responsive shoes for workouts and racing. 

This may sound pretty obvious, but I am honing in on a specific mechanism at work here: the "spring" achieved during the stance phase, between absorption and propulsion, ending in toe-off.

In a softer shoe, energy is absorbed on impact but less is returned in toe-off. In a firmer shoe, especially on firm surfaces, energy absorbed on impact "bounces back" in toe-off. If you train in a softer shoe, making your feet, ankles, and shins accustomed to working harder to toe-off, you can create a "springier" toe-off when you then slip into a more firm shoe. 

Many people do this already, but for a different reason: the difference in weight between a heavy, cushioned shoe and a light, firm shoe. This certainly can make your stride feel lighter during workouts and races, kind of like how Tennessee Walker horses are trained. But my hypothesis isn't about the shoe's weight, it's about responsiveness. Think of it like getting used to bouncing on a pogo stick with a loose-coil (soft cushiony shoes) and then switching to a pogo stick with a tight, firm coil (firm, responsive shoes) and feeling like it suddenly takes much less energy to get the same amount of bounce.

I'm calling this hypothesis "Springy Training", since you are essentially training your takeoff to be more "springy". 

Thoughts???

My Book: AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!

It's here!

Faster After Baby is now live on Amazon, both as a Kindle book and in paperback.

What a wonderful, fun, emotional, and enlightening process this has been. I feel such gratitude and humility for what I have learned while writing, especially while reading the stories of my incredible Mighty Mamas who contributed some of their thoughts and experiences:

Deena Kastor
Michelle Baxter
Lisa Valentine
Susan Empey
Stephanie Rothstein Bruce
Pila Cadena
Christa Benton Stephens
Sue Iverson Casaway
Nancy Smith

Running is powerful. It takes us to a different world and introduces us to a different part of ourselves, often in unexpected ways. For me, the most unexpected joy I have realized as a runner was born out of the frustration of injury and recovery following childbirth. That challenge was a gift. It forced me to better understand my body, dig deeper into my mental process as an athlete, and best of all, approach other life challenges as opportunities for growth rather than burdensome annoyances.

I hope that my book effectively conveys this feeling, and can bring as much hope and joy to other mother runners out there as writing it did for me.

Happy Running!!

My Morning Habitat

One of the best things about running [outside] is being able to create a world for yourself that exists independently of your other day-to-day activities. It's entirely your own, even if you share it with other runners. Mine is in the early morning, though others may have an evening or afternoon world.

I think we all look forward to spending time in this world, even if we are battling an injury or sleeping poorly or otherwise aren't necessarily looking forward to the running itself.

So for this post, I just want to reflect on my happy place, my running world.

Some images from my early morning "world" in lovely St Petersburg: