Healthy Kids Running Series: Race #2 Recap

Posted by hellyontherun in Family, Running and tagged with Healthy Kids Running Series, Mom Life, Mom on the Go, Running, Toddlers March 30, 2015

Progress!!!

Before I recap, I have to show you this pic from race #1–(race pics are free!! a def plus to this race)

That face. ❤

So last time, if you recall, my daughter was all about it, talking and announcing how she was going to run fast like mommy only to get stage fright when it was go time. (recap here)

Afterward, she said she wanted a do over and I talked to her about how there was only one chance, that she’d have to wait for next Sunday to go again. I took the opportunity to show her pics from that day’s race and explain how the kids in the pictures were running by themselves, without their mommies. She seemed to understand how a race was meant to be run alone. I asked her, “Do you think you can run by yourself?” and she was very certain that she could.

Throughout the week she would say to my husband and I, “I run by myself!” and we’d say, “Yeah, you can do it!”

We practiced too. I’d stand on one end of the hallway and my husband at the other. We’d ask, “Do you think you can run by yourself to daddy?”

“Yeah!!”

On Sunday, we picked out the running outfit. It was all about the purple and she was very adamant about wanting big bow. She also wanted to wear shorts like mommy so she wore the same pink shorts as last time.

We arrived at the race right before the start time. The 3 p.m. start was a hot one so we didn’t want to get there early and stand around in 93 degree weather.

My husband and I walked our daughter to the finish line to show her where she was running to. We practiced running through the line and she loved it. Then it was time to gather around the start. Daddy kissed her good luck and told her he’d be waiting.

The 2-3 year old boys went first and I pointed out again how they were running without their mommies. She nodded, “I run by myself!”

Then it was her turn. The race director said the instructions to the runners and at Go! the runners took off. My daughter started running but then looked back to see where I was and yelled, “Mommy, run!” so I started running behind her. She kept turning back to make sure I was there but yup, she was doing it. Running all by herself. 😀

flying.

my little runner

This race was most definitely a success. Considering last time she wouldn’t even think about standing let alone running, to now going the entire way and crossing the finish line–we are very happy with how the race went 😀

And I can tell she likes it too; she laughed and had a huge smile the entire way–that alone makes me the happiest mom in the world. ❤

My daughter takes a break from racing next weekend so you’ll have to anxiously wait two weeks for her next race update 🙂 She turns three on Thursday and is having her big bash on Saturday!

–Do you train for all races or just particular races?

–Besides following a training plan, how else do you prepare for a race?

–Do you smile while you run? : )

Healthy Kids Running Series: Race #1 Recap

Posted by hellyontherun in Family, Running and tagged with Family, Healthy Kids Running Series, Mom Life, Mom on the Go, Running, Toddlers March 24, 2015

Sorry I’ve been MIA–It seems I needed a week off from my week off. Two weeks ago was my Spring Break and I enjoyed it so much I needed a recovery week lol!

Anyway, I’m alive 😀

Before I recount any running I’ve been doing, I first want to tell you about someone else who has been running.

MY DAUGHTER ❤

Yep, I signed her up for a local Healthy Kids Running Series that consist of 5 races in the span of 6 weeks (we get Easter weekend off). It’s a 50 yard dasher that’s organized by age groups so my daughter is in the 2-3 year olds (seriously though, how cute is that?). The race is also separated by gender.

I wasn’t sure what approach to take: to hype the race and get her excited or downplay it like it was no big deal. I decided on the former as I didn’t want her to feel pressured or like this was a huge deal and get her nervous.

On Saturday night, I asked her if she wanted to run the next day and she squealed with delight! So of course we went straight to the closet to choose an outfit.

Pink everything ❤

I didn’t mentioned anything about an actual race though. Just kinda kept it low key.

I ran on Sunday morning with my husband (I want to tell you all about this soon!) and when I came home, my daughter asked me her usual, “Mommy all done run?” and I said, “Yep, now it’s your turn!”

Her eyes opened wide as she remembered and she squealed, “YES!!! I run like mommy!!”

My heart soared.

I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from her as she always gets excited about mommy running but she was seriously spazzing about her doing the running. I wanted to share and join in on the excitement but was nervous about making it into too big of a deal. In retrospect, I think I should have prepared her a little more.

pumped.

We arrived at the race location just in time (3 p.m. which is my only major complaint about this series. It’s Phoenix. It’s hot. It was already 90 degrees at 3). Anyway, there were a lot more people/kids than I expected and then after a few minutes of waiting, organizers began grouping kids by age group.

My daughter’s group went first. She was still super pumped at this point as we walked towards the start line. She kept repeating, “I run fast! I run fast!” I knelt down next to her to point her in dad’s direction–who was at the finish line.

Giving her the pep talk—looking fierce. (I love this picture so much.)

After our chat, I started to say my good byes but as soon as she realized that mommy wasn’t running with her, my daughter was not having any of it. Not. At. All.

I tried telling her mommy would run next to her on the sidelines but after the boys had gone and she saw they were solo, she refused to move an inch.

The whistle blew for the girls to go and they were off. Except my daughter. Two girls stumbled over each other and fell and when my daughter saw that, it was over for real.

In tears, she threw herself in my arms and said she wasn’t going. She didn’t want to.

I consoled her and told her it was okay, that we were going to do it together this time. So we did.

We crossed the finish line hearing dad and grandparents cheering loudly and it was then that she lifted her head up and smiled.

She turned to me and said, “Mommy, I ready!”

All I could do was laugh and tell her, “You’ll do it again next time!”

Of course I would’ve liked for her to have run it by herself, but for her first time, her first race, I felt it was a success. She experienced the race atmosphere, which is definitely daunting at any age, and I know that as she acclimates, it’ll become a more familiar environment.

I was so proud of her. I was so proud that at the end she wanted to go back for a do over. Just like mommy and the Phoenix Marathon, we’ll get it next time! We sure will! 🙂

–Were you involved in any athletics when you were young? What was your first sport experience?

–Do you get pre-race jitters?

A Day in Hell’s Life

Posted by hellyontherun in About Me, Family and tagged with A Day in the Life, Life, Mom on the Go, Mom Talk March 13, 2015

Happy Friday!!

Linking up with the DC Trifecta team: Mar, Cynthia, and Courtney for their Friday Five–A Day in the Life of Helly!!

Oh boy,

Here’s the breakdown.

1. Morning

My alarm (or really, my body, because I’m just used to it now) goes off at 5 a.m. I try to get as ready as I can before any kids wake up. The goal is for me to be done by 5:40 so that I start waking kids up at 5:45. I need to get them dressed, fed (quick breakfast snack), and dropped off at school by 6:30 if I hope to make it to work on time–I have a 45 minute commute.

My husband is a champ at helping out but there are some days that he’s gone before I even wake up.

Ready for school!

2. Work

My school starts at 7:45 but I like to get there at the least 30 minutes before to get any last minute copies made or make any lesson plan changes. My first class has 37 students so I start with a jam packed room full of 15 year old freshmen. (Coffee, all the coffee.)

Second and third periods are freshmen classes as well and I like that because I teach the same lesson plan in the morning.

My planning prep period is the hour before lunch so I have an “extended” lunch break. This is what all teachers covet–that or having last period off.

For lunch, I usually head to over to my favorite pizza place nearby. They have an amazing lunch special where I can get a couple of slices of pizza and a drink for under $5. This was also the place the guy questioned if I’d be able to eat 3 slices. Humpf!! Lol, he was new and didn’t know I could dominate three so I forgave him.

After lunch, I have my two sophomore English classes. These classes are smaller but oh man, this is a tough age group. Sixteen year-olds in the afternoon are energized and ready for school to be oh-ver!!

School ends at 2:20 but I stay until 3:30ish grading, lesson planning, getting copies ready for the next day. I have to be out the classroom door no later than 4 though, because I’ve got a 30-40 minute commute back home.

Posing for a quick pic at work 🙂

3. Kid pick-up duty and early dinner

I love seeing my kids’ faces when I pick them up. They’re so excited to see me. BUT, they BOTH want mommy to hold them and an almost 3 year old and an almost 2 year old are quite heavy to hold at the same time. It usually results in a hysteria fit from the one who ends up walking to the car.

My arm workout.

We’re home just before 5 and we’ll hangout while I make them their dinner. I’ll have something light to eat with them but nothing heavy as I usually workout in the evenings. Dad tries to get home around 5:45, just in time for me to head out for my run club runs at 6.

Nomming.

4. Workout

Tuesdays and Wednesday I run with my run club in the evenings. Thursdays, I try and squeeze in a workout right after work (so I can spend extra time with m kiddos) or I’ll run a short route in my neighborhood. During the week my runs happen right around 6 in the evening and my long runs take place early Saturday mornings.

running circles under a full moon

5. Bedtime

After my run, I make it home to hang out before the first kid’s bedtime. My son goes down around 7:30. Once he’s out, my husband and I have dinner and then it’s my daughter’s bedtime. As soon as her head hits the pillow (around 8-8:30ish), mommy and daddy go straight to bed as well.

Whaddya mean I have to go to bed?!?

This is the first, and sadly, only time in the day where my husband and I have alone time. We’ll chat (sometimes while we foam roll, lol!) about the day, what the next day looks like, and then we go to sleep (by 9, 9:30 at the absolute latest) to do it all over again the next day! 😀

–How would you describe your typically day?

–Are you a morning person? (I’ve become one now that I’m a parent lol!)

–Or are you a night owl?