Not One of My Best...

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Harlow

Last Saturday, Stroller Warriors participated in the second race of the Have to Half series. It was brutally hot despite our early (7am) start, and I was thankful I hadn't signed up for the full race! Instead, I planned to log a short 7 with some friends. I lucked out and got the morning off from stroller duty while the Weasel slept in. 

The run started off ok. We tackled some hills for the first 2.5 miles and it wasn't terrible. I was running with my biking water bottle in hand as a test for some of my longer runs. Overall, it wasn't difficult to hold the bottle and run, but in the future, I think I'll look at different options. I've gotten so accustomed to running with the stroller and having a place for everything, that I am spoiled:)

We turned onto a nice shaded trail and took a quick break to say hello to some of the ladies manning the water station:

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Harlow

We kept a decent pace along the Greenway trail, but I was hurting and had gone a little quiet (typically I try to talk for most of the long runs I do). As we neared mile 6, I told the group I most definitely HAD to slow down, but urged them to go ahead. Naturally, they slowed their pace with me and just encouraged me along! I LOVE MY STROLLER WARRIORS! We took a short walk break and managed to finish out 7 miles, but it took every ounce of effort I could muster. I wasn't happy with the results, but it was over and I was thrilled.

Self-portraits post-run...how I felt, and how I was trying to pretend I wasn't hating every minute of it!

In a hurry to get back to the weekend, I headed home without properly stretching...MISTAKE! I wasn't too sore after, but I know just taking 10 minutes to stretch would have made a world of difference. Then later in the day, I hopped back on Facebook and saw some awesomely inspiring stories from some of the ladies who had finished their first half marathons! I couldn't believe they had covered twice the distance with smiles on their faces! Here are some of the pictures from the event:

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Harlow

Hand towels on ice to cool down the runners...what a great idea!!

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Harlow

 One of the wacky ladies who created the Have to Half series! 

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Harlow

 Now this gal is inspiring! She's a mother of 3 who had 2 in tow during most of this race. She even stopped twice to nurse the baby!

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Harlow

 Mini Warriors out to show their support!

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Harlow

Leading the pack...here's Jane and Jen running as though it was a nice cool 60 degrees!

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Harlow

As if running a half marathon isn't difficult enough, try adding a double stroller...for the ENTIRE race. Go BRE!!

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Harlow

 Candice finishing her first half marathon! 

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Harlow

Whitney and her husband tackling her first half! She did awesome!

If this doesn't inspire you to get over those bad runs and leave them in the past, I don't know what could!

BOB(s) Find a Home

Yesterday, 45-50 Stroller Warriors and probably twice as many Mini Warriors gathered for our Tuesday workout. But this was no ordinary Tuesday. This was a workout to remember. We gathered to receive instructions from our group leader, Stephanie, and then set out on a 36 minute Fartlek. It was a good run and naturally, I partnered with Jill. We got in some good intervals and hit the timing perfectly. And while it was a good run, that is NOT what I'm referring to when I tell you this workout was EPIC!

Let me get to the point. A while ago, Military Spouse of the Year, Jeremy Hilton, donated a BOB Revolution SE single stroller to the Stroller Warriors of Camp Lejeune. In order to be fair about who received the stroller, Stephanie created a format where we could submit our nomination and the names would be placed in a bowl for a random drawing.

Source

BOB Revolution SE

For two weeks, we waited in rapt anticipation of who would receive this coveted gift! After our run, we gathered once again and Stephanie held out the oldest Tupperware container I've ever seen and had one of our Mini Warriors draw a name. The name pulled was Nicole Berg, an amazing mother of four who gave up smoking a few years ago and found her love of running. This Warrior wakes up at 4 to log miles before her kiddos arise and then goes out again with one, two, three, or even all four of her kiddos in tow. She was running with a decent jogger, but was in desperate need of a BOB. Needless to say, she was overwhelmed to hear her name called:

Picture courtesy of Elizabeth Harlow

Jacob, her youngest, LOVES his new wheels!

Nicole was so grateful she posted this on FB:

"I cannot even begin to tell you guys how blessed I am to have won this!!! I cannot stop looking at it or pushing it around!! I am truly Over the Moon!! I couldn't wait to get home and give it a spin. So we jumped out of the truck and headed out for a little 2 mile jog! Jacob adores his new 'ride'! He did not want out at all and screamed for about 10 minutes when I made him come in!! All of the kids have taken turns pushing it and Bryce my oldest said it best! "It's Perfect Mom!" And it Truly is!!! I get tearey eyed every time I think about it!! Thank you!! Stroller Warriors Rocks!! 
I thought I had posted this here but it was on my page!!! And HUGE thanks to the HiltonFamily!!!!!"

After a very emotional response, we settled down to hear Stephanie say, "Well, we have a couple more prizes to give away, so let's pick another name." Our Mini Warrior complied and selected none other than her own mom's name!!! Amanda Courtney was happy to hear her name called, but she was floored when Stephanie opened up the trunk to reveal yet another BOB! Yes, we had not one, but two to give away.

Picture courtesy of Elizabeth Harlow

Amanda, a professional photographer, has been a quiet, but dedicated member of Stroller Warriors for over two years. She lends a unique dynamic to the club with her quiet presence, making other SWs feel welcome on a personal level.

Here are Amanda's words from FB:

"I don't even know how to express in words how thankful I am and how excited I was to see that BOB this morning!!! All I know is this club has been my saving grace for the past 2+ years, and this just makes me realize how much I NEED you all..I know I'm not much of a talker at runs, and don't really reach out to anyone, but, please know that I LOVE all you girls and I look forward to SW each and every week. 
I can't wait to take my new stroller out for a run tomorrow morning!!! I have my alarm set for an early wakeup call even though I'm shooting a midnight homecoming tonight!!! Who needs sleep when you can run, right?!?!"

As if that wasn't enough excitement, Stephanie revealed that we had yet ANOTHER BOB to give away. This one was not randomly selected, but given to a SW who received 7 nominations! She has been raising two children while dealing with a deployed husband who is with MARSOC and actively participating in Stroller Warriors since joining earlier this year. She has definitely impacted nearly every member of the club in one way or another.

Shannon Reynolds is such a deserving candidate that no one thought twice about Stephanie's decision to give her the third BOB. 

Shannon shared this with the club on FB:

"It's about time for me to go to bed and Im still in awe of what happened this morning! It took me a while to even post on fb today I couldn't wait for a phone call from Afghan land to tell my husband what this amazing group has given me! I talk to him all the time how I'm doing something for myself and couldn't have done this without you ladies! I joined Stroller Warriors as soon as my husband left in January and this group has helped me keep my sanity through this deployment! I would be totally bored and out of mind with out you ladies. Thank you so much for Always being there no matter what, just the extra push or seeing a smiling face on run mornings help me push through this deployment.
Thankyou for the greatest gift I have ever received my first BOB and I didn't plan on running with a stroller at this Saturdays race and now I'm pushing a beautiful BOB stroller across the finish line Saturday morning and I couldn't be more thrilled!
Thank you so much ladies!"

Now you see why I'm calling this workout EPIC! Here are a couple more pictures from a great day:

The new BOB recipients!

The bottom photo is a group shot with all the BOB strollers we run with! Now all we need is a sponsorship deal with BOB to make this a yearly give away! 

And to Jeremy Hilton and his family:

There are no words to express our gratitude for your generous donation to Stroller Warriors. You have truly changed the lives of these three mother runners and they will be forever grateful. This is just one more reason why I KNOW in my heart that you were the right selection for Military Spouse of the Year! Thank you for all you have done and will continue to do, not just for Stroller Warriors, but for the military community at large. You inspire me.

Stroller Warriors Take On The PFT

For those non-military types, the Physical Fitness Test (or PFT) is a Marine Corps event that must be completed twice a year to certain standards. Being that Stroller Warriors is created from military spouses, our leader has us conduct the same test twice a year as well. It's a 3 mile run followed by a flexed arm hang (max of 70 seconds) and 2 minutes of crunches (max of 200). For some of our newer members who haven't done much running prior to joining, this test can be intimidating. Nevertheless, they show up with bedazzled shirts and tackle their fears. It's quite an awesome showing and many people surprise themselves with their performance!

Here are some pictures from the PFT we did yesterday:

First in...my friend and running partner, Jill!

Jane makes her second appearance in the blog because she's just that incredible!

Kat and Naomi bringing it in with a sprint - and if you've never sprinted with a jogger, it's NOT easy!

Super Stroller Warrior!

And sometimes the kiddos just have to get out and cross the finish line too!

Such focus and determination. These ladies make it look easy!

And because it wouldn't be a SW PFT without decorated t-shirts, here are a few. And yes, that's our leader in the top left picture trying to boost attendance on Friday by holding the news of her upcoming baby's gender until then:)

And while it looks like a bunch of women who may have too much time on their hands, coloring shirts and playing with kiddos, don't let this bunch fool you. They are a group of determined runners who push the pace every day. Our first runner in, Jill, finished in 21:30...WITH A STROLLER! Just another reason I love this club!

(Morning edit) One of the SW got a shot of me & one of the Weasel as we came in from our 3 miles!

SW Take On The SemperFit 5k

Living near a military base definitely has it's perks. One of those is frequent free 5ks to participate in. These are just small races organized by SemperFit to promote different causes. On Friday, they held a 5k to support awareness of sexual assault prevention and discussion. So that day, instead of our usual workout, the Stroller Warriors decided to participate. There were over 100 Marines and family members present! The SemperFit crew came out with their van and did a short warmup with the participants and handed out tons of raffle prizes to include shirts, bags, and Timex watches! 


The race was scheduled to start at 11:30, so at about 11:15, I took off down the trail for a short warmup jog. After that, we did our best to gather the SWs for a photo op. The club has gotten so big, that we had to take two pictures to get everyone in:

As the coordinators indicated the start was looming, I headed to the front of the pack. Typically, stroller runners start in the back, but on that day, I didn't feel like having to weave around a bunch of people, so I took my chances at the start. I was standing next to these amazing women pushing TRIPLES, so I didn't feel too bad:

The one with the red stroller is on of our club members and she's amazing! She finished third for the women in 22:10!

The start was signaled and we took off at a good pace. I did my best to hang with Jane (the one with the red stroller). She's pushing well over 100 pounds, so as I only had the Weasel weighing in a 27.2 pounds, I decided to try my hand at picking up the pace as we headed towards our second incline (we don't have actual hills in Eastern NC). It worked and soon I was the lead female. We hit the first mile marker at just over 7 minutes and I started to worry. I don't run this fast! Instead of stressing over it, I just kept pushing the pace and trying to pass Marines. I got to the turn around and started to head back to the start. It was great motivation to see my fellow Stroller Warriors and cheer for one another!

I came across the finish line at 21:20, by far my fastest 5k with the stroller and I was thrilled! The Weasel was passed out, so I stationed her along the side of the path and cheered my fellow runners in. The 5k ended with on of our SW's husbands who suffered several serious injuries in Afghanistan about 9 months ago walking in with the assistance of a cane. It was inspiring to say the least, particularly, because doctors told him they weren't sure he would ever walk again. He's come so far in his recovery, and were were thrilled to be a part of this big day in his life!

So while I just blogged about not having time to write posts, I really wanted to recap this day! It was a good one and an inspiring one to say the least!

All Runs Should Be So Good

I've posted a fair amount of times about bad runs. Runs that make me feel like turning in my Saucony's and calling it quits. But today is different. Today I'm going to tell you about the most awesome run I've had in a LONG time.

I decided to hit a local paved trail last Thursday for a mid-length run. The Weasel fell asleep on our drive and as I pulled into the parking lot of McDonald's, I wasn't paying attention. I unloaded the stroller, placing our water bottles in their holders, grabbing a snack for Weasel, and getting my RunKeeper App ready to go. Then I did my best to get her out of the car and into the Bob still asleep. SUCCESS! It was an incredible 70 degrees at 9:15 and I just had a feeling it was going to be a good run. Then I looked up and quickly realized I was parked at the WRONG McDonald's. One that was no where near the trail I was aiming for.

The "never wake a sleeping baby" rule definitely applied in this case, so I decided to make the best of it and just run along some crappy sidewalks and into the "downtown" heart of Jacksonville, NC. (I have to add the NC because I wouldn't want anyone getting jealous of me actually living in the GOOD Jacksonville!) We took off and about 1/2 mile into it, lost the sidewalk and had to share the road with traffic and a group of inmates collecting trash...and boy did THAT make me run faster!

I've driven on a bridge over the New River about a million times and always said, that place over there looks kinda neat. I need to check it out. Well this run was the perfect opportunity, so I cruised along some unfamiliar streets and saw amazing houses on the waterfront, a great park at the marina, and ended up back in a place I recognized. That was at about the 3.3 mile mark. My sister had asked for some microwave vegetarian lentil soup, so I popped into the New Bridge Organic Market and grabbed several items. This loaded down the stroller a bit more, but it meant I didn't have to make an extra stop on the drive home, so it was totally worth it:

Huge score! Hoping she will like some of these random picks!

Shopping trip complete, we headed back out and ran back toward the water where I had seen some great wooden bridges that I wanted to check out. It was a solid decision as this is where we ended up:

Seriously, perfect running day!

I can't believe I've lived in Jacksonville for over 2 1/2 years and didn't know about this place! We will definitely be going back. I was maintaining slightly over an 8 minute pace and feeling pretty good, but Weasel was starting to get antsy as she had been awake since about the 2 mile mark and we were close to 5.5 at this point. Perfect time to happen upon yet another park:

Weasel in her element!

After about 20 minutes of playtime and a not-so-terrible slide incident (she was going down the big winding slide in the back and decided to forget to sit down first!), Weasel climbed back in the Bob and we finished the last 1.2 miles to return to the car. 

This was such a relaxing way to run. Sure I used my RunKeeper App to log miles and keep time, but I wasn't glued to it (thank goodness for the pause button!). I wish all runs could be this grand!

Strollers in the back?!

Since becoming a mom and joining the Stroller Warriors Running Club, I've done quite a few 5ks and 10ks in the local (Eastern NC) area. At all of these races, those of us pushing strollers are told we MUST start in the back. And while I understand the intent behind this rule - starting lines are crowded, strollers can pose various hazards to other runners (i.e. wheels catching ankles, sippy cups tossed from the stroller create tripping obstacles), I think such a rule is antiquated.

I'm not leading the pack by any means, but there are several of us in the club that consistently place among the top of our AG and could probably even post faster times without having to navigate the crowd at the back. It takes so much more effort to run with a stroller or to hop curbs in an attempt to get around the walkers or slower joggers. This could be eliminated with a little common sense rule:

Know your abilities and line up accordingly!

If races are small in size, I use my judgment and try to line up where I will not be in the way of the speed demons, but will not have to struggle around the crowds as I start out. This usually puts me to the side of the middle of the pack. And while most people are accepting, I have come across the occasional naysayer recommending I move to the back. I always find a bit of joy in passing said naysayer:)

In no way am I trying to discredit those slower joggers/walkers in the back of the race either! I'm always happy to see a crowd at a race of any distance and support anyone willing to lace up their shoes and hit the ground running!

So who's with me on this one? Jogging with strollers makes us tougher, and it shouldn't be a penalty!