This Time is Ours! What Will You Make of It Before Life Grows Up Around Us?

Since this is still partly a Motherhood Blog, I thought today would be a good time to share some of my recent motherhood reflections.  It is so easy for me to get wrapped up with daily life and lose myself in things that are not really that important.  I get buried in my to-do list, 
errands to run
 lunches to make
fights to break up
workouts I want to fit in
self-care (yes, moms, we are allowed some self-care time!)
responding to e-mail
writing


This list goes on. And on.  And on.  And really, it will never end. NEVER!  The house will never be perfect, the dishes won't all be done, I'll never have responded to all your e-mails and comments, my stack of books won't disappear and read themselves.


  But what will happen is:


My KIDS Will Grow up!  
They won't be children forever,
    Their child-like wonder and mischievous grins will fade.  
They won't always have dirty little fingers and toes that leave a trail throughout the house.
My almost two year old won't always find such simple joy in just standing on the toilet to reach the sink. Experiencing such fascination with just turning the water on and dumping it from one cup to the next.  And on the floor.
I won't always have this mess to clean up.  Wet towels in clumps on the floor, sopping up the dripping mess of fun for one curious boy....who is learning. 


The tug at my leg with the request to read 
     "one more story mommy!" 
will eventually fade away.  


The magic of the jewel fairy won't always be alive and they will have figured out that the jewels that once held so much power and opened a door into their deepest imagination...
    were really just a dollar bag of decorative rocks from the local craft store.  

They won't always believe that fairies really live in the home they built just for them.

Watching movies in a cardboard fairy house in the living room will someday 
be
"Not Cool" 
and they will be asking for money and a ride to the movie theater with their BFFs.  

The little green shoes.

Ah, the little green shoes,
will be put away in a box and a story of "remember when..."

I won't always have muddy hands to wipe down after a good dig in the back yard, pet "roly poly" bugs living in my kitchen with a slice of potato to eat. 

There won't always be glitter around the house and little feet to walk through it.

The house won't always be buzzing with playful screams and kids flying down the hallway trying to capture each other.  
Even the tantrums, the fights, the "that's not fairs" and "whys"
    that are learning opportunities 
For all of us...
They will be no more.   


I may not have my life in complete order.  I may feel crazy most days and think I'm losing my mind.  It might be days on end before I shave my legs or put make up or go out of the house without a hat.  My bathroom counter might always be covered in little girl hair accessories, make up, lotion, cleaning supplies and toothpaste and I may never have the trail of hair ties fully picked up from the floors. I may never master the art of having dinner planned, prepared and ready for my family so I don't call my husband and have him order Thai for the 3rd time in one month. I will always have something else that I could do. 


But what I do have...
   only if I'm lucky 
And remember to notice it while it is still here,
    Is an opportunity to truly embrace this time with my children.  
These fleeting moments.
Precious.
Only once and no "re-dos"!  
This time is mine to make it as magical and memorable as I possibly can!  
This
This time
   and what I choose to do with it,
Is what is Important!  Not all the other stuff that will still be there when THEY aren't.  



1.  IN all seriousness, I wanted to touch a bit on this Circle of Moms list that you've seen so many of you asking/begging/annoying you about.  What is it anyway?  Well, when I first found out about it, I was excited to be on the list because of what it stands for: fitness and motherhood. I think this is what my blog really is all about.  What does it mean to be on this list?  Really, not too much other than the fact that others see it and visit my blog.  Is my blog a published blog? No.  Is it one of the big ones that has thousands of readers? No, not yet.  But I do enjoy writing and sharing my reflections on motherhood, life and fitness on here.  I do hope to make writing something BIGGER for me in the future.  My blog is a stepping stone.  An enjoyable "next step" in my life while I'm home being in the moment with my children.  I'm not all about seeking much more than just what I have and I LOVE that I've been blessed with the connections and friendships that I have because of this blog.  You are important to me and so is my blog, Runninghood.  Runninghood has become a familiar and lovely place for me to spend time with.  So, yes, I do want your votes but more importantly, I want you to vote for Runninghood because you think that I belong in the top of a list of blogs related to motherhood and fitness.  I believe that Runninghood does belong and this is just one more step to moving forward...as a writer, a mother, a runner.  So please keep voting.  It is almost over.  You can VOTE HERE or by clicking on the pink button at the top of my blog.  Every day until June 1st.  And you can vote for other blogs that you like too.  


2. Good luck to my dear friend Jenn on her 10k this weekend.  This is part of her training for marathon so it isn't her peak race and we all know that our legs are not always the FASTEST at the end of marathon training but I think no matter what happens...Jenn is a HUGE winner in my eyes.  Always.  Gifted beyond words...as a runner and so much more.  


3.  My very first Marathon since having kids and a serious injury is only a week away.  I am beyond excited and a bit emotional about it all!  I still have not reviewed the course, figured out how I will fuel during the race (I only used one GU the entire race for the last two marathons), what the weather will be like, etc.  I do know that I want to run fast.  I want to use my gifts to do the best that I can do and be strong.  I want this race to be a stepping stone for my next marathon.  I want to be the best Amanda can be!  This means more to me than something has meant in a LONG time!  Kind of choking up just writing this.  In the next post I will ask for all kinds of advice and last minute tips on pacing, fuel, etc.  




What is something in your life that you want to embrace a little more fully today and the days to come?  Something that won't always be there.  


Amanda

First Run and A Window Into My Healing Process

My therapy appointment today went better than I could have hoped.  My sports chiropractor told me that I could try out light running.  Music to my ears!  My heart laughed when I heard this! Of course, knowing my personality, he specified LIGHT and said that it shouldn't be for a workout but only to start getting used to the motion again.  I'm so EXCITED! He also gave me the go ahead to start doing light lunges and squats and other types of strength training.   I know this doesn't mean that I'm back to running normally again but it is a first step and that makes me feel hopeful and happy! 

So, of course I had to try out my light run tonight as soon as I got the kids in bed and had free time.  I only ran about a half mile.  I don't even know if you would consider it running but more of a shuffle jogish thing.  I couldn't lift my leg very well and I don't think I am at the point where I can even attempt to run fast yet but I'm taking it all in stride.  Baby steps.  A positive outlook goes a long way.  Here's a picture of me about to go on my first run (with permission) since my injury.

Total Cheese but feeling happy!

Since this is partly a running blog and a way for me to document my transition back into running again, I thought I'd write a bit about what life has been like for me since August 15th when I fell in the forest and injured my hamstring.

I've always been one of those runners that is lucky to have never had a serious injury.  I never understood or gave much attention to all the articles in Runner's World about running smart to prevent injury, or how to recover quickly, etc.  I just knew I loved to run and I ran often.  Injuring myself at a time that I was running better than ever before and on track for a personal best in the marathon was in and of itself devastating. What was more difficult was that running and training seriously for something had become an outlet and goal for me to focus on  in the place of having a job outside my home.  Temporarily giving up my teaching career to stay at home with the kids has been a wonderful decision and I wouldn't trade it for the world but I still find myself needing personal goals and engaging in things I'm passionate about.  Training seriously as a runner was that.  It was a piece of ME every day and I felt so fulfilled with my progress and accomplishments.  Writing my workouts down in my running log provided such joy and because of my hard work and progress as a runner, I had more to give to my family. 

After my injury, it took a few weeks for me to adjust to the redirection my life was taking.  Not everyone understood this.  I had people in my life who just didn't understand why I would have any reason to be depressed over something like a hamstring injury when I had three beautiful kids, a husband that adores me and an overall wonderful life.  I don't know if you can truly make someone understand this type of feeling if they don't already just get it.  I was depressed, frustrated, and impatient.  I just wanted to be healed and back to running.  I even held on to the hope that I would still run the Portland Marathon and be just fine.  Even after the MRI showed that I had a complete tear of one of the hamstring muscles, I still tried to run despite the pain and difficulty lifting my leg.  Yeah, pretty stupid. 

It wasn't until I had time to redirect my focus and surrender to the fact that I would have to just be still and heal that I saw this as an amazing opportunity to reevaluate my goals as a runner and make plans for how I can use this injury to make me stronger.  I've been incredibly inspired by my sports chiropractor,  Dr. Ted Forcum at Back In Motion Sports Injuries Clinic.  He is truly gifted at what he does and incredibly knowledgeable in his field.  I switched to him after having less success with other therapists and when I googled him (yes, I'm one of those people that google people), I was so inspired by all he has done!  I was humbled that he was working on my hamstring once I knew all the great athletes he has done therapy on.  

My therapy with Dr. Forcum has been painful and left lots of bruising but I trust him completely to do whatever he decides to try.  The painful part of the therapy has been from something called The Graston Technique which is a technique used to break down scar tissue.  I just know it as an extremely painful form of torture that leaves bruising.  Here are the torture devices used on me:

Dr. Forcum preparing his Graston tools for torture

And here we go to my happy place.  My breathing techniques that I learned in birthing class actually come in handy here. 

After the painful part I always get to enjoy some quiet time getting ultrasound and electric stimulation.  This part is fun because 1.  I get to read magazines in quiet , 2.  Quiet time without kids, and 3. Did I mention that I get quiet time without kids?

After Graston Technique.  Already starting to bruise.  We can all use a little color in our life. 

At the end of the appointment, Dr. Forcum always comes to use this awesome kinesio taping that looks pretty cool and has become my favorite accessory the past 9 weeks!  Today he even taught me how to tape myself.  He was so good about taking pictures for me so I could share it on my blog.  He's a busy man too so I was really loving the extra time he took to snap shots with my camera.

The best part of my day?  For sure being told that I can start my steps towards running again.  However small my steps are and however slow I run, I'm still one step closer to where I want to be.

Amanda