Water, Water Everywhere...

I've always known that drinking water is important for my health, but lately I've been noticing even more how badly I feel physically when I DON'T drink enough water. As a runner I try to make an even more concerted effort to continually hydrate myself, but I get distracted by handling my herd of kids and day to day activities, so in turn I wind up putting my health last and forget to drink. What I'm realizing is that by neglecting to rehydrate is that I'm more irritable, have more headaches, and less energy.... So I'm actually less productive, and feel awful to boot. I'm also guilty of treating dehydration symptoms with meds like ibuprofen and caffeine rather than drinking more water, which in turn actually dehydrates me even more! Vicious cycle. So today, I'm committing to drinking more than enough water, and at  the end of the day I will report how I feel and what I've noticed physically and mentally by guzzling enough. Do you know of any good ways to keep up with how much water you drink during the day? What do you notice physically when you fail to drink???

Best. Running. Skirt. Ever.

My friend, Tabitha Hedrick, owner of TStar Running (http://TStarRunning.com) has invented (yes, invented AND patented) the world's most awesome running skirt. Ever. The unique design has hidden pockets in the waistband of the skirt that can hold your energy gels, phone, keys, small child, whatever and things NEVER FALL OUT. I have worn these skirts in an endless number of training runs, Half Marathons and my Marathon, last October, and they are nothing short of amazing. The compression shirts never move, and you can choose any spandex that can be bought. So I knew that when I had a specific need/idea in mind for my newest running skirt that she was my go-to gal. I decided that I wanted to be able to carry my .38 special with me on runs for safety purposes, and that I wanted it to be concealed, but easily accessible, as well as comfortable to run in. With a few extra measurements, she DID IT!!!! It arrived at my house today, and I tried it on (perfect custom fit, of course) and tried out the gun pocket. AMAZING. I cannot WAIT to take this skirt on a run!!! If you love running, or skirts, or running skirts, you HAVE to own one (or many) of her custom sewn awesome ones! P.S. This is not a paid endorsement. I just feel the need to share this awesomeness with the world!

I'm a Runner!

Me running the New Orleans Rock n Roll Half Marathon at 3 months Postpartum. So grateful I have running in my life!

Sometimes I have to remind myself that no matter how slow or fast I may be ( I'm slower than most of my friends) or how many races I complete (7 Half Marathons and 1 Marathon so far!) or how many miles I pound out during a week (the past couple if weeks have been hideously low mileage), that I am still, and always a runner. Being a runner and running means so much to me... It gives me an identity outside of being a SAHM, which is all-consuming for me on most days, and it gives me a chance to burn off the stress from the day. I also love that my kids see that I am making time to stay healthy (learn about them and their insane adventures at Herd Management, where I illustrate the crazy life with four kids, ages 6 and under) and that being active is important. They all want to run with me (and one day I hope they will) and it thrills me to the core. Running has also taken me on so many adventures, and I've seen so many things (and different places) and been up at times of day I would normally be snoozing. The friendships and lessons I have learned are invaluable, and I remind myself of these things on days when I don't reallllly want to run. I completed a Half Marathon at 32 weeks pregnant (after carefully and consistently training through the whole pregnancy) and met so many goals I never thought possible. I Look forward to sharing more of my journey with you!!!