The (Virtual) Trip is Underway!

Going on tour with Hot (Sweaty) Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom sounds like a blast. That is until I think about all the stuff I'd miss out on at home, like my kids, my husband and my workouts. So while there are a couple real life trips planned for the near future, the Hot (Sweaty) Mamas book tour is going virtual. My co-author, Kara Thom, and I will spend the next five weeks visiting 23 (and counting) mom bloggers. As the bloggers check out our book, I'm going to do some fun research on my own visiting their blogs and sharing my favorite takeaways from each. Stop back throughout the tour and get to know these bloggers...

Our first stop was right here in Minneapolis with fellow runner, Carly, at Chubby Chicks Run Too. She rode a camel, rode the pole (you'll have to check that post out!), and now wears Dansko clogs...  My kind of girl. Carly's doing the work of the Hot (Sweaty) Mama: managing to stay fit while working part-time and caring for her family and home. Love that she's sharing her struggles and successes with other moms...

Day two we hit Chicago to spend time with Stephanie Mansour from Step it Up with Steph.
Stephanie is a premier, private personal trainer and coach for women. She combines yoga, Pilates, personal training, and body image and confidence coaching for a unique approach to wellness. Steph's workbook, 30 Days to Love Your Body and Your Life, is on my gift list this year (cause who couldn't love their body or their life just a little more?).

Today we were up in British Columbia visiting Tamara of Fit Knit Chick. I've never met Tamara in person, but I think I might have a little girl crush on her. Guess she appeals to the student in me... Tamara has a PhD in Ecology and recently moved into the fitness industry. She's a mom to three kids who realized the best way to keep active was to turn that activity into a career. (Good thinking, Tamara!) And, of course, Tamara knits too. That's something I've tried (and failed at) many times...


Love these ladies and I'm excited to keep traveling! Stop back tomorrow to see who we'll be chatting with!

--Laurie

When the going gets tough...

Kara and I could never have given birth to Hot (Sweaty) Mamas without the help of others. Sure, we did some of our work amidst a hurricane of children, armed with junk food and Barbie, err, educational movies for those moments of desperation. Sometimes, however, we had to leave the kids behind and for me that usually meant my girls would have a play date with my father-in-law, Grandpa Tony.

Grandpa Tony didn’t just facilitate writing time for me, he also helped me practice the very things we were writing about in our book. Prioritizing fitness and taking care of myself were logistically more convenient knowing Grandpa, who lives less than a mile away, was eager to spend time with his granddaughters.

It’s been almost two weeks since my father-in-law had his knee replaced, and he’ll likely be in a transitional care facility rehabbing his new joint for a while longer. Without Grandpa around, I find myself doing my version of Bible dipping: opening Hot (Sweaty) Mamas to random pages to get some
encouragement for my balancing act.

For the first time in five years, I’m working outside of the home on a regular basis, completing my internship for my master’s in counseling. I’m in school two nights a week. I’m the primary caregiver for my children and the main domestic engineer. I recently started coaching my daughter’s basketball team. We don’t use a cleaning service and rarely hire babysitters (with the very important exception of date night!), so I’m juggling. Lots. Sometimes it feels like things are falling through the cracks, and I’m playing child swap with my neighbor more than I’m used to. But I’m making this new “normal” work. I’m getting out there, staying active, and desperately finding time to exercise.

The point of this post it to offer kudos to every woman out there who is working hard to keep things going. Someone always has is more difficult, but we should be proud to find our way during both calm and rocky waters…

Cheers to each and every one of you for making this work as best you can. When the going gets tough, the hot and sweaty keep going!
-Laurie

Toeing the Line with an Olympian!

What do you and I have in common with an Olympic runner? Lots. That is, if you've ever been up all night with a screaming infant, exhausted both physically and mentally from the demands of a spirited toddler, or searching for a little "me" time for self care. Motherhood is definitely an equalizer, a shared experience that makes us all each other's training partners no matter how fast or how far we move.

Last week my co-author and I sat down with Olympian Carrie Tollefson to talk about balancing motherhood and fitness. Check out the first of two episodes where we talk about our new book, Hot (Sweaty) Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom (Andrews McMeel 2011).

Marathon Dates

My husband and I refer to our first date as our marathon date. It lasted over 12 hours, included a stop at his parents’ house, my first mountain bike purchase, and drinks with his best friend. Nothing like jumping in headfirst. (Ironically, we’ve since run several marathons together, but those are never considered marathon dates!)

It’s been 14 years and two children since that first date and we still make an effort to spend chunks of time together reconnecting as a couple. We’re committed to frequent dates and shoot for an annual getaway doing something active. Just the two of us. Alone.

And so last week, Tony and I returned to the scene of our “best ever date.” We relived the “double crossing” of the Grand Canyon, where we ran from the South Rim to the North Rim, spent the night on the North Rim, and then ran back again. It was an amazing adventure with lots of great memories and nothing but each other’s company to occupy the time.

For two full days it was no kids, no work, no television, no phone. Just us.  We met a retired couple who have spent the last six years driving around the country in an RV, met some marathoners from KY, and enjoyed the beauty of the Southwest. When we finished our adventure in the Canyon, we went to the movies, enjoyed good coffee, and watched television in bed (off limits in our home!).

Surprisingly, the time we spend together never includes my typical dose of mother guilt.  When we take a multi-day trip away from the kids, we make every effort to ensure that they have good care, and they have a set schedule.

This time around they had the pleasure of spending the weekend with their aunt and cousins.  They still had to stick to their routine, but they were rewarded with a couple of impromptu stops at Dairy Queen, and an extra late movie night with pizza.  While their routine gives them the boundaries to know they are safe, the extra treats and later bed times keep it fun while Mom and Dad are gone.

Three and a half days away from the kids gave us plenty of time to reconnect doing something we both love.  And that makes for a very happy couple.  In the long run, happy parents make happy kids and healthy parents make healthy kids.

–Laurie

Bed head, anyone?

Getting out of bed before the sun comes up means I’m rarely lookin’ fresh for my early morning workouts. I’m a stickler about sweating with clean teeth, but beyond that there isn’t much prep time associated with my pre-dawn fitness. Hair in pony, coffee in cup, grab the nearest (sometimes not-so-clean shirt) and I’m out the door.

I’m pretty sure we all share that routine to some degree (though you may always be confident your shirt is clean). For most of us, the main priority is getting out quietly, not getting out pretty. We don’t dare wake the kids or we’re up early and without our daily dose of fitness.

That said, there is something wonderful about working out with other people when we’re most ourselves, no primping, no prepping and probably no deodorant. What you see is what you get, wrinkles and all. Perhaps that why some of my fondest memories of fitness, some of my best fit-friendships, have grown during those early hours when the light is dim.

For me, getting out of bed in the morning ranks up there with cleaning the bathroom or making school lunches: Not. Much. Fun. But like most of the really great things in life, there is payback in the effort. The friendships hold me accountable, keep me climbing out of bed and lacing up my shoes.

As darkness takes over a little more of the morning, resist the urge to crawl back under the covers. Remember those friendships, those naked truths we love to see in each other, and keep moving! Even if the only face you see is your own reflection in the window, remember there is someone waiting for you and continue to embrace the dawn!

--Laurie

Remembering 9/11

Ten years ago today, my life changed. Less than two hours after watching a second line appear on a pregnancy test, I witnessed the horrors of 9/11 unfold from the coffee shop at work. I had just told a friend (another high mileage runner) about the faint line; told her we planned to test again the next day “just to be sure.” But I knew. A second line was a second line, no matter how faint.

For the thirty minutes we talked, my main concerns about being pregnant were how far and how fast I could run with a baby on board. Would I be able to run throughout my pregnancy or would I have to settle with walking in the later months?

As I got up from the table with my friend and saw the crowds of people behind us watching the television coverage of the attacks, I remember thinking that running during my pregnancy wasn’t important. I felt silly at having worried; now there were more serious considerations. Like, how could I bring a child into a world where such terrible things were happening?

From the moment I stood up (close to 8 am CST), I was terrified. I remember crying that night as I realized the enormity of the attack. Watching the aftermath on television with my husband, knowing we had a baby on the way, made the event seem even more grievous. It was an attack on everyone, even our unborn child.

We went ahead and took another pregnancy test the following day. We’d deluded ourselves into the “uncertainty” of the test from the day before. Wanted a new, happier day to know for sure. As expected, the faint line had turned into a confident, bold declaration.

As our baby grew I continued to worry about the world, but I also continued to run. After time, I realized that the running really was important. It was something I could control, something that made me feel like I was making a difference in my world. It was a statement, a proclamation of how important health and fitness were to me. It was my way of telling myself, my child, and my community that I wasn’t going to live in fear.

But admittedly, a small amount of fear remains with me today. I hate the thought of anything threatening the safety of my family. So I’ll do what I can each day to keep them safe in the ways I can control. I’ll do what I can to stay healthy and teach them to do the same.

We’ll never forget the tragedies of 9/11. We’ll never forget that first pregnancy test; the day we first learned we were going to become parents. The events will forever be connected, and forever remind us how fragile life really is.

Laurie

Sneaking a Kiss

A new school year is upon us!

Dropped my youngest off at her kindergarten room today and did something I hadn't done yet during her six day tenure in school. I lingered outside her room, peeked in through the glass to see what she did as her day began.

First, a pause. She leaned over the counter in her classroom as if powering up some internal engine. Then, with a bounce of energy, she planted a big kiss on her palm and danced off out of sight. 

If you're into children's literature at all, you're familiar with Audrey Penn's book The Kissing Hand in which Chester Racoon's mom puts a kiss in his hand that stays with him for his first day of school. Understand why my heart turned to mush?

I've been grieving the transition this year, having both girls in school. Watching Maggie this morning took a little of the bitter out of bittersweet. She's a wonderful person; I'm happy I get to share her spirit with others but I still miss her. Miss them both.

After dropping the girls off, I walked out of school with a smile on my face. I climbed into my car, looked at my palm, and gave it a little kiss.

Pretty sure it's gonna get me through the day.

Laurie