I will never eat salmon again... before a run!

Every runner has done something stupid. We all have. We forgot to pee for a 5th time before leaving the house. Some had too much coffee before a run while others forgot to hydrate. I've heard of runners wearing a new pair of shoes for a longer run and others forgot their tech socks. I'm new to running and have learned from all the dont's. I've listened and tried to not commit the same mistakes. Today my turn was up - I learned my own DON'T!

And this is it:  DO NOT EAT SALMON CLOSE TO A RUN. NEVER, EVER, EVER!!!

A crazy day began with the usual chores for a mom. Kids screaming, washing clothes, picking up medicines and then picking up my mom for some quality time. I took my mom to my house so she could have some time with the kids. It was a beautiful day in Miami. A cold front came through and the weather was a divine 64 degrees and sunny. I think to myself, mom is here. I can go for a quick run when the baby naps. YES!

I had planned on making salmon for lunch but as it usually goes with errands, I ran behind on time. This is where stupidity strikes as hard as it can and as I look at the time, I think, "I can bake it in time for lunch and I'll go for my run after". Common sense should have made me run first then eat after. I baked the salmon and I will say, it was delicious. Herb crusted rosemary salmon with lemon and capers. We eat. Stupidity seems to grow with confidence once you let it in because I thought it was fine to run 30 minutes after having lunch. I put the baby to sleep, put my running shoes on, kiss my mom and off I go.

Stupidity gets even stronger as it turns out. I go out the door and decide to run a hard 5 miles. Let me sum it up:

Mile 1, done. 

Mile 2, hmmmmmm, I feel like someone is standing on my chest. That's odd. (You would think I would realize at this point that the salmon is making it's way upstream.)

Mile 2.5, I wonder if I am going to pass out. Maybe I can never run again. My time for running is up. I'm so sad. I've been running for a year and now it's going to be taken from me. (Paranoia/anxiety sets in because I have fallen in love with running so I am always worried something will happen to me and I can't run anymore.)

Mile 3, I can't believe I am going to pass out. Let me walk. Oh God, ok, now I have to puke. I hate puking. I hate puking more than passing out. Maybe I can pass out. "Please salmon, don't make me puke... (I'm obviously not in a good state of mind when I begin to bargain with salmon I ate.) 

Mile 3.1, Ok, these stomach cramps are not normal. They can't be. Perhaps it's gall stones! Or worse, my appendix ruptured. I need a hospital. I slow down to an almost crawl...

Mile 3.2, The gagging begins and now I'm angry. That f***ing salmon did me in. It's the salmon. I hate salmon. Stupid fish.

Mile 3.3, This has got to be food poisoning. I'm suing Publix after I get out of the hospital. I must be dying.

Mile 3.4, 1/10 of a mile is soooooooooooooo far. I should never eat again. I'm never eating salmon again. 

Mile 3.5, Dear God, please, please, please let me get home. It's right around that corner... If I could just get there... I wonder if I have to cancel my half marathon next month. I will probably never be able to run again. This is it. My running career cut short by a damn piece of fish. (I'm obviously not thinking clearly at this point.)

Mile 3.6, I see my house. It's right there. I need to puke. I'm so close. It's nice to puke at home although puking in this crisp air might be nice. I've never puked in cold air. Runners puke all the time. Perhaps today can be my inauguration. I hate puking. I'm not letting that freaking salmon win. Damn salmon. Damn me, why did I run 30 minutes after eating salmon. That damn salmon. Stupid damn salmon.

Mile 3.7, crawl into house. Crawl to bathroom floor. Lay in fetal position. Regroup. I will run again. I will.  

30 minutes and a cold shower later, I felt fine. I realized what I had done. I called my husband and had a real good laugh about it, but the lesson was learned - NEVER run right after eating salmon!

1000 Mile Challenge for 2013

Let me give some ammunition to all those individuals around me that think I have lost my sanity. I just signed up for a 1000 mile challenge for 2013!

I came across a friend of mine's status on facebook stating she was taking the 1000 mile challenge. It's a challenge to complete 1000 miles in one year. I did some poking around and found a great website that you can use to track this goal and of course, I signed up. I have many races coming up this year and my first full marathon so I will be in my running shoes often and thought I should add this goal since I will be putting in a lot of mileage. Wish me luck!

You can track my progress at: http://www.1000milechallenge.com/mommyathlon

Florida Storm Series

Now that I have fallen for running and decided that what I once disliked, I now love, I wanted to challenge myself and set new goals for this year.  I'm registered for various races but this series in particular caught my attention.  The medals also caught my eye.  The Florida Storm Series is a series of 5 marathons.  Once you complete the 3rd, 4th and 5th race, you get an additional medal.  Everyone knows I like getting the medal but it was the "series" that reeled me in.  I like committing to something and then working towards it.  So this year, these are 5 of the races I will be doing along with some other interesting things that I will write about later. 

So, Storm Series here I come!  I am officially registered for all 5 races.  When I mentioned in my other post that I had registered for a full, it is for the Palm Beaches race that will be my second race of this series.  I'm going to seriously train for that one beginning in July.  I'm EXCITED! 

1) Allstate Fort Lauderdale 13.1 Marathon - Nov 10, 2013 

2) Palm Beaches Marathon (full or half) - Dec 8, 2013

3) ING Miami Marathon or Half Marathon - Feb 2, 2014

4) Allstate Miami Beach 13.1 Marathon - Mar 2, 2014

5) First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon & Relay - Mar 16, 2014

Before and After.

Cleaning up today a basket full of cra.. I mean a basket full of old things, I came across the picture on the left. It was taken June 03, 2012 as I crossed the finish line of the Twilight 5K. Notice my face. All I can remember was that I was hurting and thinking how could people enjoy doing this for greater distances?! It had been a few weeks after I had decided to take up jogging in order to lose my post pregnancy weight. Every minute was hard even though I remember feeling stronger since I had been exercising consistently. I was happy that I had finished it and determined to continue my journey towards fitness and a healthier me.

I did continue my journey. 8 months passed during which I continued my training plans. I set new goals. I stayed true to them. I believed I could do it and then I knew I would.

Now look at the picture of the runner on the right hand side. Yeah, that's me.  It's still the same mom, but she's smiling.  She's stronger and fit and healthier. This picture was taken on February 24, 2013 as I crossed the finish line of the Disney Princess Half Marathon, which explains my ridiculous outfit! It was my first half marathon. I enjoyed every minute of it. It was hard but I wasn't hurting. I was pushing myself. The half marathon was 10 miles farther than the distance I did on the left.

And my journey continues...

     

Mommyathlon- Moms running the world!

So I went ahead and got a logo for our running/exercise fitness group. I love it. It incorporates our being mothers with our being into fitness. Whether you bike, run, swim or do endurance sports, this logo covers it all. It also shows our beauty, strength and commitment to being healthy. You know you're a Mommyathlon if you you're a mom and take time out of your crazy, busy schedule to go out, run marathons, ride those bikes, exercise and get healthy!

Happy Women's Day

I just found out that today is National Women's Day. A day to celebrate women? Sounds good to me! So to all the great women in my life that have helped me in my journey, to all those that may come my way, to all the mothers, daughters, wives, aunts and great women everywhere, HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY!!  Let's celebrate us! 

You say obsessed, I say dedicated!

It's been 10 days since my first half marathon and several things have happened that led an acquaintance to call me "obsessed". It was said in a derogatory way like I was doing something bad. Why is it that when others do something new, some people are so quick to knock it, or try to knock it? 

I am currently registered for 6 races; a 5K, three half marathons, one full marathon and a major relay race that goes from Miami all the way to the Florida Keys. So, is this an obsession? Yeah, it is but then again, SO WHAT?! I have found a new part of me that I hadn't found in 39 years and that part of me is a runner. So maybe I am a little obsessed but why would a person I barely know criticize something that is basically good for me? I don't have the answer to that and I don't mind not knowing it. I do know that I feel great. I have continued my long runs on Sundays and have my second half marathon coming up in April. I feel so great that I dared sign up for a full marathon at the end of the year. That's right, a full marathon, 26.2 miles and the woman who thought she couldn't do a half marathon clicked register without any doubt that she would cross the 26.2 finish line come December 2013. That woman is me, the runner!

MyFitnesPal and running have put me back into my pre-pregnancy jeans and I am 8 lbs shy of being where I was 3 years ago when I first got pregnant except, I'm a lot stronger and braver than I was then. And maybe I am obsessed, or maybe, just maybe, that acquaintance is lazy!