Honey, Do You Need a Ride? Confessions of a Fat Runner by Jennifer Graham landed in our mailboxes recently, and we were psyched for the opportunity to dive in—and to share it with you. Here’s a Q+A with the author, and at the end, check out how you can win one of three copies for today’s giveaway.

For people unfamiliar with you, can you give us a quick bio of you/your family/your running?

Jennifer: I’m a runner, writer and single mom of four who has learned the hard way that relationships are more fragile than we think, but our bodies are stronger than we think.

I started running 25 years ago when I was single and childless and working full-time as a newspaper reporter.  Although my life is drastically different now, the one constant over the years has been my running. Although I never became the lithe gazelle that I’d originally hoped – and there have been many more disappointments along the way – running is as a part of me as breathing, and the reason joy is my default state of mind.

When somebody asks you for an elevator speech–or a few sentences–about your book, how do you explain it?

It’s a memoir about what it’s like to run with gazelles when your shadow looks more like a walrus, and a cautionary tale for people who believe, like I once did, that their marriages are bombproof.  Also, it’s a reverent ode to ice cream.

I love the scene about you dancing with joy after a great run.  You wrote: “For the first time in my life, I recognized that exertion, regardless of one’s size, was a reliable source of joy.” I love that line. Can you tell us a little more about it?

I grew up overweight, and therefore hyper sensitive about my body, and painfully bereft of healthy male attention, and so I never learned to dance, even though I’ve always been a dancer in spirit.

The scene you mentioned happened a year or so after I started running, when I was finally making peace with the body I’d hated for so long.  I’d just finished a two-mile run on a serene country road, and when I got home, I was still so full of energy and joy that it spilled out under the moonlight, and I danced, unselfconsciously, in my front yard. It was a physical expression of exhilaration, and one that is available to all of us, not always on demand, but with satisfying regularity.  And dancing like that is something I still do on occasion after a run, although for the sake of my long-suffering children, I duck inside our barn first!

Jennifer and her two-legged kids.

Let’s talk about the scene where you’re standing at the start of the Kiawah Half-Marathon and looking around at everybody who is so skinny, and you feel “thick and congealed.” And then you realize nobody cares about the size of your thighs; they’re all too self-involved or worrying about the race. Was that a big revelation for you? Do you continue to think that’s true?

I do think it’s true of runners. Runners, as a tribe, are amazingly welcoming and forgiving and embracing of all body types.  We honor effort.  Unfortunately, sedentary people are the ones who will snipe.

A North Carolina runner whose blog I follow had a post last week about being out on a run and a group of smoking, drinking women cackling at her, “You know you’re too fat to be out here, don’t you?”  Another runner would never say that to a runner. I’ve never had another runner say anything belittling to me, at least not to my face.

But the most valuable lesson I’ve learned in the past couple of years is that all opinions are not created equal.  Not everyone’s opinion matters. We’ve all got different voices yelling at us—real ones, and ones inside our head—and we get to choose whose voices get through.  Choose wisely. Ignore the voices that don’t matter. You know whose they are.

Does Pre still coach you? (And can you explain a little about how Pre started coaching you?)

Thank you for being bold enough to bring this up.  Most people ignore this whole aspect of the book, kind of like, Okay, we think she’s a little nutso, so walk carefully around this part lest she start convulsing and foaming at the mouth!

First off, your readers should know that I’m an only child, and only children are famous for having imaginary friends. And some highly respected people have confessed to having imaginary conversations, among them Gandhi, Mother Teresa and Hillary Clinton. Charles Dickens used to get so wrapped up in his that he would laugh out loud in the middle of church services.

Here’s the thing:  We all have voices in our head, and, if we listen carefully enough, in our hearts, too. They may be that of our mothers, or God, or our first-grade teacher, or the last song to which we listened on the radio.

For a while, after my husband moved out, his was the loudest voice in my head, and it was really—I mean REALLY— unpleasant.  I needed to get rid of it, so I replaced it with the voice of Steve Prefontaine, the legendary rock-star Olympian who died in a car crash at age 24.   Unlike my husband, Pre became a grudging fan and an enthusiastic cheerleader who always had something useful to say. I didn’t pull him or our “conversations” out of the air; I’d read several books about him, and watched all the movies, and clips on YouTube, so I had a pretty good idea of the kind of person he was, the kinds of things he would say.  And yes, he still accompanies me on many of my runs, and I expect he always will, even if someday I get a “real” coach.

We did two-part Photo Gallery: What Another Mother Runner looks like (here’s part I and here’s part II). I know you said you don’t have your picture on the internet, but given that our mother runners are all shapes and sizes, would you have posed for us?

This is so wonderful, and I applaud you for doing this, and if you ever send a photographer to my house, you will find me hiding under my bed.

No, seriously, there was a time when I wouldn’t have done this, but I probably would now, although I might insist on going to the tanning salon for a couple of weeks first. (Fat always looks better when it’s brown.)

The real reason there aren’t more “fat” pictures of me in the book or on my blogs is, they don’t exist.  I remember one picture, in particular, that was snapped of me after I’d just finished the Cooper River Bridge Run (a 10K in Charleston, SC) in a tank top and clingy capris, and I was mortified by it and threw it away.  This strikes me as sad now, and I want to hug the person I was then and say, you dummy, you were so amazing, you’d just run a 10K!

I’d like to say that I am self-actualized enough now to not care at all what I look like, but I’m not there yet, and there are still days in which I try on four outfits in frustration before I head out the door for a run, and even then, I might put on sunglasses and a baseball cap, as if this would hide my dimpled legs.  I’m still a work in progress.  But I’m a work in process with terrific blood pressure and a resting heart rate in the low 50s.

Jennifer and her four-legged kids.

These days, are you training for an upcoming race or putting in your regular miles or somewhere in between?

I’m still running in place, although I am scheduled to run the Kiawah Half again in December, so at some point, I’ll have to get serious about training again.

If somebody who is reading this who thinks they’re too fat to run, what would you tell them?

Fat is a state of mind, not a state of body, so you need to change your thinking more than you need to change your body.  First, play some head games, gift yourself an imaginary coach, someone who will gently but persistently lead you out there.

There’s a great children’s book called “A Mother for Choco” in which an endearing little bird with striped feet looks for a mother that looks just like him.  After animal after animal rejects him (kind of like how real-life coach after real-life coach rejected me), he comes across a warm and nurturing mother bear who says, “Well, if I were your mother, what would I do?”  And then she proceeds to do all the things Choco says, proving that your mother doesn’t actually have to be your mother.

Same thing with a coach…being alive and present is highly overrated.  A coach doesn’t have to actually be in the room to be effective.  What would a coach say to you right now, if he or she were there?  Truth is, we all know what we ought to be doing, but sometimes it helps to have someone else say it. Summon the person who will best say it to you, then heed that advice.

Secondly, find yourself an outfit that makes you feel powerful. You might not be able to find one that makes you feel thin—not right away, anyway—but with a little effort, you can find one that makes you feel powerful.  Either a T-shirt with an attitude, or a temporary tattoo, or wicked pair of reflecting sunglasses, or a feminine skort, or my personal and inexplicable favorite, a pair of fingerless bicycling gloves. It’s hard to run when you’re feeling small and vulnerable. Create an attitude of toughness before you even head out the door.

Finally, don’t discourage yourself by going too far, too fast, too soon. Build confidence by going slower and shorter than you can. Nothing kills ambition like exhaustion. If you can only run to your mailbox and back, run to your mailbox and back.  Then, the next day, run to your mailbox and back, plus 10 steps. And so forth. Over time, you will be able to run to the post office 10 miles away.

If you want to win one of three copies of Jennifer’s book, answer this question in the comments below: what adjective would you put in front of “runner” to describe you? Talented? Improving? Striving? Unmotivated? We’ll pick three random winners and announce them on June 1.

Mother runners’ heartfelt way of showing their support of victims of Boston Marathon bombings

We were awestruck by the power of your response: You showed your support and love by purchasing 1,987 (!!)  T-shirts. For yourself, for your sisters, for friends who ran Boston, for mothers-in-law spectating the race. After doing the math, we realized this would mean we could donate more than $25,000. Our hearts swelled with astonishment, pride, and gratitude.

Then reality set in: nearly 2,000 T-shirts in boxes in my living room, needing to be folded, packed, and mailed as far away as England and Bangkok and across United States. Gulp! I felt nauseated at the mere thought, envisioning all you mother runners eagerly awaiting your T-shirt(s). When I wear my Shopgal Sarah hat, I take a lot of pride in fulfilling orders in a timely fashion, but I could tell this was unlike any orders we’d received before. Rather than talk you through the process–I’m hoping most of you have already received your tee, if not, it’s en route–let me show you some images from the 10 days it took to get the shirts folded, packed, and ready for the USPS. There were many speedbumps along the way, most notably two postage printers that repeatedly jammed and broke, but like any rough race, we eventually crossed the finish line.

Some of the assembled mother runners who selflessly helped out stuffing packages, sticking on labels, and offering technical support. And that’s Emily, my mail carrier, in the middle. She’s been my BFF the last two weeks: Once packages were getting mailed, she’d stop by 2x every day to pick up.

(L) Lisa the Label Lady, marking all the packages with names and sizes ordered. (C) Miller loved all the action, and hopped right in. (R) Cyndie (and the hand of her kindergartner) offered help in myriad ways, including talking me off the proverbial ledge a few times.

Cyndie (a.k.a. my mental and technical savior the past week or so) dressed the part while stuffing envelopes.

My living room: packages awaiting postage and labels, while I awaited a replacement printer that wouldn’t break after printing a mere 150 labels like the first one did. Silly me: Printer #2 ended up breaking at least four times. Cyndie fixed the first times, then I tackled it solo. Then, six (6!!) shirts from the end, it seemed to break for good. Deep breath.

Kristin, another bigtime helper, hugging a bunch of orders when we finally got things rolling for real.

Same screen, different names: my view for week+. Changed what I listened to, though, to pass the time, including Fresh Air, Radio Lab, and our own Another Mother Runner podcasts. (Is it wrong to laugh along with myself?!)

Handing off the last load to Emily. Phew!

The moneyshot: Thanks to you all, we donated $25,600 (!!!) to One Fund Boston.

Thanks to you all for being so incredibly generous and gracious: The force of mother runners’ love will be felt by the victims of this tragedy. I also want to give a shout-out to all my helpers, in no particular order: Joanne, Lisa, Cyndie, Krista, Kelly, Penny, Kristin, Molly, Julie, and Sarah L. You work lightened the load; your attitude lifted my spirits.

And this entire undertaking, while daunting, reaffirms my abiding faith in humanity. Out of darkness has come brightness. Many, many thanks.

Pre-race meal: Chipotle carbs and a few more carbs. Notice how my pal Bine is holding down her sour cream and cheese cups. It was that windy.

Before I start this  (long) race report, I just want to start with a reality check. As my friend Bine (rhymes with “Tina”) and I were driving to the race on Saturday morning, I said to her, “This is really whacked that I think this race will feel short.” So if you’re reading this—as I’ve read countless long-distance race reports—and think, “I could never.” I’m here to tell you: I’m whacked, and you could.

Without further ado, 10 things I learned at the HITS Triathlon Series, Grand Junction Half Distance:

1. Make a list and check it four times. I did the former, and even checked everything off, but that method was still not foolproof. As soon as we got to Highline State Park to get our numbers on Friday and I opened up the back of my minivan, I realized I left my helmet back in Denver. I had packed it once, but then my kids wanted to ride their bikes to school—dang those little buggers who would rather pedal than ride!—so I pulled it out for that journey, and forgot to repack it. I went over to the bike shop and asked the very helpful man to bring me a (really affordable) one in the morning, and then I went to ask at the registration tent if they had any extras. They didn’t, but Brian, a super nice guy from Colorado Springs, overheard me, had an extra, and it fit my noggin’. Phew. (I also forgot a towel for transition, but that was NBD: no big deal.)

2. Don’t drink the lake water. Even though Bine and I feasted on Chipotle on Friday night;  I ate a big plain bagel smeared with peanut-free NuttZo and a banana at about 5:15 a.m;  then I had a vanilla GU around 6:45, I still felt that empty-stomach nausea that stops me cold as I rounded the fourth of five buoys. I definitely hydrated well with the lake water, and that might have been part of the problem, but thinking I’ll need more calories before Ironman. Or maybe I’ll gulp a GU in between the swim laps.

Love the HITS triathlon transition area: every athlete gets a stool and a cubby! (Almost like kindergarten!)

3. Don’t worry about the swim. Everybody gets all worked up about the swim at Ironmans, and while I don’t want to belittle their concerns, I don’t need to feed into that energy. On Saturday, I deliberately put myself in the front middle of the swim pack since I’d never done a mass start before, and even though the 250 people won’t compare to the thousands at Ironman, it was pretty darn close. (In the first transition, a woman near me said, “That swim start was like Ironman. What was up with that?” Bingo!, I thought.)

The first 10 strokes, I even put my head in the water. Had to get my bearings. Then just hands, legs, unintentional groping craziness. But I didn’t lose my goggles, didn’t get kicked too hard, didn’t get swum over, so that’s a win. I just kept moving forward, hoping things would thin out, and they did by the first buoy, when I found some space in rhythm. I settled into a 10-stroke-and-look-for-buoy pattern, I breast-stroked around the buoys to just chill and recenter myself. Thanks to my Zoot Z Force 4.0 WetZoot, which slid on easily and made me feel like a buoy in the water, I finished the swim in 31:XX. A PR by at least 1 minute.

More effort to make my goofy face than it took to put on the WetZoot. Seriously.

4. Find my music. My marching orders from my coach were to go faster on the bike than the 18 mph I’d anticipated since she wanted my legs to feel a little more like they would during Ironman, so I marched. Or rather, I flew. Bare with me and my nerdiness, but for the first 10 miles, I kept humming, “This course is made for you and me,” a la This Land is Your Land. (You = Lyle, my two-wheeled fly guy.) When I got sick of that, Taylor Swift’s State of Grace popped into my head, and it couldn’t have been more appropriate: distant mountains were sandwiched between Crayola sky and kelly spring green of Colorado farms. I felt so balanced and strong. Like there was no other place on this earth I was supposed to be than smack dab in Grand Junction, pedaling my bike, and just feeling graceful—and grateful.

5. And get it done. The bike course was two separate out-and-backs, and the first one was all grace and Lyle; the second was not. We crossed over a cattle grate, and then there was a sign that said, “Open Range,” which was perfectly accurate. Just dry, open space for as long as I could see. Space, and a 10-ish mile climb, and bumpy pavement with lots of cracks in it, and wind—another springtime feature in ‘rado—blasting in my face. We rode almost to the Utah border. My mood didn’t go totally south, but I wasn’t flying anymore. I just put my head down, told myself it wouldn’t be more than 30 minutes, and that I’d get to come back down every inch I had climbed. With that, I have to give my ride ★★★★★; I averaged 19.8 mph. (Thanks legs and Lyle!)

Bine and me, pre-race, before her stomach started chatting with her.

6. Remember my whole journey. My first half-Ironman was in 2002, shortly after I suffered a miscarriage. (I think my mentality was that I wanted to force body, which I was so angry at, to cooperate…) Anyway, the race was ridiculously hard because I hadn’t trained well, and I remember going into a port-a-potty around mile 2 of the run, sitting down, bare ass on the gross seat, and just crying for like four minutes. It took every thing I had to get myself up, and turn right when I exited to continue “racing” (read: shuffling and feeling sorry for myself), and not turn left to quit. As I took a pit stop before I set off on the run on Saturday, I remembered that moment—I’ve thought about it often during my training—and almost got teary again. I feel like a different person today than I was over a decade ago. Thankful for that.

7. Lube my pits. Before the swim, bike, and run. I love my Saucony Zip Tank but something wonky—my swim stroke or my arm swing on my run—caused some really spectacular chafe in my left pit area that burned with nearly every step on the run. (Right pit? Mostly fine.) I would’ve shot it for you, but decided to spare you.

8. Stick to the plan. My plan for the run: 4 minutes of running/1 minute of walking. I am thrilled with the results: a 2:13 half-marathon that, according to my Garmin, was 13.4 miles long.

Don’t get me wrong: The run was still hard, but it wasn’t an epic slog, as every other long triathlon run has been. Around mile 1, I started chatting with Laura, another mother runner, and I was very tempted to hang with her because I liked her and her rules. (“My #1 rule for the triathlon run: find a buddy,” she told me.) I would’ve loved to be her buddy, but the last thing I wanted to do was run, say, 4 straight miles and then slog it out. So I told her about my run/walk ratio, and let her go. And I stuck with it for most of the run, with the exception of descents (if I was going down, I kept running) and crazy uphills towards the end (better to walk them; my legs were definitely worked enough). The same few triathletes stayed around me for the whole run; sure, they may have been a few minutes faster in the end, but I didn’t mentally defeat myself on the run. That’s worth a freakin’ hour in my don’t-hate-the-run book.

9. I love women. File this under the gross generalization category, but female competitors are just so much cooler than the testosterone-addled ones. Every guy who passed me on the bike: not a word. Sometimes I’d say, “Good job,” and he’d nod. The women? Some combination of Nice job! Looking strong! How’s it going? Woo woo! On the run, the lead woman enthusiastically yelled, “Great job!” to me as she was heading back and I was heading out. I was thrilled. When I later figured out she was pro triathlete Heather “Ironman” Gollnick, my world was rocked. (In their defense, the guys were more encouraging on the run, but the estrogen vibes were still stronger.)

I also love the HITS motto: a distance for everybody. When Bine didn’t finish her race, I asked if she could still have a medal. Her distance on Saturday was 58.4 miles.

10. There is only one thing I can control: my head. Bine was doing the Full AquaBike (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike) in preparation for Vineman, a Ironman-length race in July. After a stellar swim, she had some serious GI + period issues—I won’t spill her secrets here—around mile 30 of the bike, and she decided not to go out for her second 56-mile lap. I was actually relieved when I saw her at the finish line; when I wasn’t counting how many intervals I had to do on the run (26, if you want to know), I was worried about Bine. The wind at that point was howling, the blue sky was turning black, and I could see thunderstorms in the distance. I didn’t want her to be on the Open Range (mostly) by herself.

She was disappointed, though, and I get that. I also get that the universe was reminding me that there are about a zillion things I won’t be able to control on Ironman race day—the water temperature, the wind, the sun, the attitudes of my competitors, my angry left hip, my left foot that still feels tweaked a bit, my hormones, my intestines, how loudly my husband cheers, my period… (Although I’ll just put this out there: please, please if you’re listening: no Aunt Flo on June 23. Please.)

What can I control? My attitude. My head. The way I take care of and feed my body. And that’s about it.

I told you: bright green day. And a huge smile under that hat.

With a final time of 5:44, I PR’ed by an hour, easily, on Saturday, came in first in my Athena over-40 category, and would’ve taken second in the women 40-45. It was such a win, I almost want to bottle it and call this Ironmother journey a success.

Even though my legs are weary and I’m not yet ready to look at next week’s training plan, I know I wouldn’t really stand for that. A few more weeks of tough training, a rejuvenating taper, and I’ll have my game face on again. And this time, I’ll be even more prepared.

A scorcher in Sacto

Dimity and Sarah recount a brutally hot run they recently survived in Sacramento, showing sometimes they don’t heed their own advice.  After their done laughing at their own stupidity (and chafing!), they answer a few questions from mother runners, including how to come back from a stress fracture and how to run races on a budget. Finally the mothers ponder how to stay motivated and gain satisfaction despite slowing down, and SBS admits she’s actually been contemplating stepping up to an ultramarathon. Listen all the way through to hear the debated word of the week.

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It’s Friday morning, and I–Dimity–am almost as prepared as I thought I would be for my dress rehearsal race tomorrow. (If you want to hear about the flip side of a race, definitely read Sarah’s Vancouver Marathon honest and beautiful race report.) I still have to pack my pj’s and toothbrush bag, but all of my gear is ready to go—and my mind and body are faring forward in that direction as well. To wit: look at how organized my GU Energy products are (in a plastic bag and all!).

I know exactly how many calories is in this bag.

And we’ve got three lucky winners of the 24 variety packs of GU. (You don’t have to consume all 2,400 calories in one workout, unlike some crazy wannabe Ironmother I know…) Here are their names and what they’ve learned recently about themselves and their running:

Tara: In my 1/2 marathon this past weekend, I learned that I underestimate myself. I had a goal of 2:20 and finished in 2:04. I’m stronger than I give myself credit for.

Kym: In my last race I overcame a major mental obstacle of not thinking I could run more than a 5k. I have run longer distances using the Galloway method but seemed stuck at 3.1 miles for running the entire distance. Thanks to a wonderful BRF and a stubborn streak I ran a whole 10k!

Lisa Buck: I have recently learned that not every run HAS to be a race against myself.

Congrats ladies! Email us at runmother [at] gmail [dot] com with your address, and we’ll get them sent off. Many happy, well-fueled miles to you this weekend.

Wise words to remember when training for a race.

Though I’m about to run my fourth marathon—one week from this Saturday!—and I’ve run a good number of shorter race distances throughout the past seven years, this latest training effort marks just the second time I’ve wanted to really, truly, well, own the race. More specifically: I’ve not only wanted to own this race, I’ve also been willing to put in the tough work to (hopefully) achieve this ambitious goal.

Which is why I gravitated toward the Train Like A Mother—you guessed it—Marathon: Own It training plan.

Did I mention yet that I am beyond excited-nervous about my big goal and this race that’s just 10 days away? I am. Very much so.

My heart reminds my head (and the butterflies fluttering in my stomach) that I have put in the hard work and that I need to trust my training. There they are, those three words we all repeat in the days and moments leading up to toeing the start line. There are a lot us mother runners partaking in races this spring and summer, and some of us have been cheering one another on over on Twitter with the hashtag #TLAM2013. I turned to this group this week to ask what’s stood out in their trainings. One thing I’ve experienced, and that I tweeted to my fellow BAMRs: speed work isn’t nearly as intimidating to me as it once was. (Whew)

Photo snapped after a 13-miler two weeks out from marathon #4. Doing my best to trust my training.

Being deliberate about speed work—dedicated tempo runs, race pace workouts, strides and pickups are all part of the Marathon: Own It plan—has been new for me, and I’ve found that the more I do, the more familiar they become. (Notice I didn’t say they get “easier.” Familiar, yes. Comfortable, not so much.) It’s not that I hadn’t incorporated speed work into past trainings; I just didn’t do it as consistently. This time around, it all feels so intentional.

A few other training takeaways from me and other mother runners following TLAM training plans (did you know there are plans for the 10K, half-marathon and marathon?):

1.) Ann Deak (@MamaDeak), who is training for a half-marathon, says following a TLAM plan has led to her believing greater distances are in her future: “Long distances are achievable bit by bit. Convinced me I can do a full!” Ann also says she’s learned to listen to her body: “Be graceful toward yourself if you miss a run. Pick up where you left off and go!”

2.) Jenn, a.k.a. @thegreenparent, offers this sage been-there, done-that training advice: “Follow the plan 1 day at a time. Don’t look at the last weeks and freak out!

” I couldn’t agree more, though I know some of  you may like the idea of knowing what’s to come. I found that taking a peek at my longest runs—the Own It Marathon Plan, for example, calls for three 20-milers (gulp)—was helpful, yes, but worrying and ruminating over tougher workouts (for me, tempo runs and other speed work) wasn’t all that wise. Better to mostly take it as came.

3.) Nicole (@nmh1970) shared she liked discovering her race pace through her training: “I love how some of the long runs incorporate RP in the middle. Great to know how that pace feels.” Yes, Nicole, I’m with you. Even after seven years of running and racing, I’ve found race pace to sometimes be elusive, not to mention somewhat changing as your race distances fluctuate season to season and goals evolve as you grow as a runner. It’s been helpful to have training runs that get  you focused on race pace.

4.) One of my BRFs, Holly, who is training for a June half-marathon in northern Michigan, is following the Finish Plan for the second time. “I’m in week 10, and I love it,” she tells me. “I have learned that I actually enjoy the speed work day. I especially love the 3 mile + strides. And I think this will be easy to incorporate when I am not training for anything specific.” She says following this plan also has challenged her to run four times per week.  ”I have always stuck to every other day for 3 days each week. Never would consider running two days in a row – just because I have been so worried about getting injured again. With this plan having the 3 important runs + a 3 mile easy that I can skip if necessary has been great. I can actually say that this round on the plan, I have gotten really comfortable with running a couple days in a row and enjoying having a fourth run. I think it helps my sanity, too.” One final perk for Holly: getting back into a pre-kids cross-training exercise. “Having the XT or fun workouts on the schedule has gotten me back into Pilates. I loved Pilates before kids and hadn’t really done it much since. I have been doing it every week during the plan and I love it!”

5.) Finally, I’ll end with SBS, who kindly shared with me her own experience following the TLAM Marathon: Own It training plan (three times total: Boston, Twin Cities, and most recently, Vancouver). “During every other marathon training, I always reached a burn-out stage. Not on the TLAM plans, despite them having three 20 (or more) mile runs on them (whereas some plans “only” have two). There’s enough variety in the workouts to keep me interested, engaged, and relatively fresh.” I love that she says the training plan’s effect is her ability to finish strong. “Not to #humblebrag, but I feel that’s become my signature move in the last 18 months or so. My finish times are slower than they used to be, but the final quarter of my races are stronger. It’s a joy to pass scores of runners in the final 10K stretch of a marathon!” Amen to that. I could go for that, for sure.

If you’d like to join the #TLAM2013 conversation, head on over to Twitter! We’d love to hear how your training is coming along–the good, the not-so-good, and everything in between. (And if you’d like to wish me luck on my marathon on May 25, I’d happily accept it! I’m @michrunnergirl)

Laurie, ready to run — “In a skirt, of course!”

Laurie Mapp, a Canadian BAMR, is looking forward to getting dirty this summer—she and her husband Darin are signed on to participate in the Mud Hero, an August obstacle course event in Red Deer, a town north of Calgary. Laurie, 37, and her family of five—she and Darin have three boys—live in Spruce Grove, Alberta.

Best recent run: My best recent run was on a Saturday night—the weather was warm, but not too hot, and I was running on a local school track. The track was dusty and boring, but it was an awesome run because my whole family was with me. My husband was running and my boys were playing tag in the park right next to the track. We were just out enjoying time together and getting some exercise at the same time. Beautiful!

Running the track with her three boys.

Her Tri Life: My favorite part of doing triathlons is the challenge—I really had to push hard to complete them and I needed to train very consistently. It kept me from slacking! It’s also easier on my body to do such varied training, rather than running all the time. I might do more sometime, but I’ve put triathlons on hold until I can improve my swim stroke. I did breaststroke in my first two and felt SO slow. We don’t have as many “fun” triathlons nearby, and so the people who do triathlons here feel competitive and fast.

Running with Kiddos: My whole family has benefitted in so many ways—my husband was motivated to take up running after I did and has completed his first half-marathon. He also got into cycling after I bought a bike to train for my tri’s and he found he really loves riding a road bike. My boys see that exercise is fun and a lifelong experience. They are even doing their first race this June—I love knowing I inspire them!

Never runs without: A pretty skirt and a sparkly headband. Feeling good about how I look running gets me out the door.

Most Favorite Race Distance: 10K, for sure. I like that it doesn’t require crazy amounts of training time. My husband is gone a lot and long runs are often on my treadmill while my kids play nearby. There were some days that were tough when I trained for my last half. My oldest is pretty much ready to help with babysitting this summer, though, so that might make a difference in making training time easier to fit in.

Running (and Getting Muddy) with her Hubby: My husband and I have raced 5Ks together before – we try to annually do a local New Year’s Day run—and we were supposed to do our first half-marathon together, but I ended up with pneumonia and he had to do it alone! As for the mud/obstacle run we’re doing, the allure is definitely in the strength elements required. It is pushing us both to add more strength training in to our weekly schedules. Plus it just looks like so much fun!

Follow This Mother on Twitter, at her blog Laurie Runs Life, and on Instagram.

The SkinFare line-up: helping your skin while not harming the environment.

In my childhood backyard, hidden under the lush, spreading branches of a gargantuan evergreen, lay Magic Potion Land. My best friend from preschool, Paul King, and I had dubbed the enchanted area, where we mixed together rose petals, acorn caps, pine needles, and water in old mayonnaise jars. Towheaded Paul and I stood side-by-side in the cool shade, our blond heads nearly touching as we intently stirred our potions with dirt-flecked sticks. We murmured notions about what the magical formulas could do—allow us to fly; cause us shrink to the size of mice; tame deer and rabbits to eat out of our hands; make us so smart we’d know everything in the whole wide world; cure cancer. My most vivid early memories are from those endless afternoons creating potions with Paul.

SkinFare Topical Nourishment: my BFF post-marathon

I suspect Kara Errickson from SkinFare was a like-minded tinkerer as a child: The products her North Carolina company creates seem almost as magical—but they’re real. SkinFare is five varieties of coconut oil-based skincare sticks made only from organic ingredients. Each stick contains a different blend of essential oils, including invigorating rosemary, sweet chamomile, spicy nutmeg, bracing spearmint, and comforting sage. SkinFare blends these ingredients into five magic sticks that do everything from moisturizing rough cuticles to easing razor burn to soothing diaper rash. Ever since sweating through 26.2 hot miles in Vancouver, B.C., on May 5, I’ve been diligently applying Topical Nourishment to the inevitable chafing under my bra and my hydration belt. (Not sure if belt or zippered rear pocket under it—or hotel key-card in it–is to blame for the wicked abrasion.) Before bedtime, I rub Heirloom Elixir onto my calloused heels to wake up with prettier, more sandal-worthy feet.

Founder Kara even spread her magic touch to the SkinFare packaging: The sticks are served up in push-up tubes made from recycled, biodegradable cardboard.

Thanks to today’s giveaway, you can get a “taste” (don’t really eat these delicious-smelling skincare sticks!) of SkinFare: Two winners will each get one of each of the five SkinFare sticks, along with a T-shirt. With one of each variety, you can find your favorite, as well as stash them throughout your everyday haunts (nightstand, diaper bag, gym locker, etc.) so that one of these skin-nourishing tools are never far from hand. To enter to win, tell us what fragrance calms and heals you. We all know a whiff of a familiar, comforting scent can ease the stress of everyday life–tell us what fragrance flips your soothing-switch. (Please enter your response on the Comments section of our website: Hitting “reply” if you’re reading this on your mobile device is not a legit entry. Sorry!)

Pretty is as pretty does.

[Some fine print for this fine prize.] This sweepstakes is open to those over 18 and residents of the United States and Canada. It begins on 5/15/13 and ends on 5/21/13; the winners will be announced on 5/25/13. One entry per person. The value of each prize is $60. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Void where prohibited by law.

Two notes about the slide show:
1. We included all the pics we could pull together by midday today, so if you sent in your submission but your pic is missing, realize you’re there in spirit.
2. If the pictures are rotating too fast for you, put your cursor on top of the right arrow and click on it once; you can then control the speed by clicking your mouse. (There’s also a small play/pause button in the upper right corner.)

If you ran the Virtual 5K (or another distance) but haven’t claimed your BAMR bumper sticker yet, here are all the directions. We need your picture by midnight on May 19.

Enjoy—and congrats to all of you!

V5K-Allison

Instead of 3.1 miles, Allison Pellicci opted to make her virtual 5K 3.9 miles longer and ran the 7 mile Redding Road Race. Despite the hills Allison also PR'd by 1 min and 30 sec per mile! Don't worry, the kids aren't chasing you anymore, you lost them.

V5K-Carol-Jones

After battling plantar fasciitis for a year, Carol Jones chose to run a 10K as her virtual 5K to challenge herself. Here, she's wearing her favorite running accessory, the BAMR visor: "I rock that baby on Every. Single. Run... I swear if my feet are running, that hat is on my head!!!"

V5K-Brenda

Brenda D. proved Mother Runners can rock a mustache and a road race during the 5K Stache Dash in Atlanta. She is grateful for the virtual 5K pushing her out the door: "This is only the beginning!! Booking one for next month."

V5K-Danielle

Danielle Flanagan after the Susan G. Komen race with her AMR bib

V5K-Aimee-Carter-and-Mandi-Crisp

Aimee and Mandi completed the 5K Foam Fest, a trail run with nine different obstacles, finishing "without too many bruises." (Aimee)

V5K-Alecia-Simonis

Alecia holds up two bibs after running a Throo the Zoo 5K

V5K-Alexandra-Ferretti

"My 7 month old daughter Gabby and I celebrating after I PR'd (25 mins!) in the Run Wild for Painted Dogs 5K today at the Birmingham Zoo. We got her the stuffed wild dog and named it PR to remember Mommy's great and fun race."

V5K-Angie-Everton

Angie ran 7 miles and described it as "the best run I've had in a long time."

V5K-Angie-Murdock

After the couch to 5K program, Angie was hooked on running: "Running has given me goals that don't involve numbers on a scale, but numbers on a Garmin 10. It makes me feel strong, powerful, & happy. I am so proud to be a part of the AMR Tribe!"

V5K-Anna-Aylward

Angie ran six miles for her virtual 5K experience to prepare for her upcoming half marathon: "I am just another mother runner. This will be my fifth half. I love to run. I love my running community."

V5K-Britiney-Slaughter

Britiney passed her love of running onto her boys: "I ran a 5K last weekend with my two boys. Our first run together and their first run EVER! My littlest guy (8 yrs. old) ran my legs off! I could hardly keep up with him. He finished his first ever 5K in 37 minutes!! I was such a proud mama."

V5K-Casey-Eldringhoff

Despite dealing with injury and pain, Casey's mantra is "I run because I can....!"

V5K-Chris-Francello

"I ran my race at my daughters school on Friday night...5k and a PR!"

V5K-Christy-Doboszenski

Christy ran her race with with women in her running group on Oahu

V5K-Dawn-Tibbitts

"I just completed my 13th race in less than 2 years; a 10K for the Fifth Third River Bank run in Grand Rapids, MI. It was a cold day but a good run and somewhat challenging course."

V5K-Eanista-Bailey

Eanista has been training for both a half marathon and triathlon simultaneously!

V5K-Ellen-Gormley

Ellen started running 18 months ago and has been sharing her love of running with her kids: "I may not be breaking the sound barrier but I love the pride and health benefits running gives me and now I'm thrilled to be sharing the experience with my kids."

V5K-Ellen-Robertson

Ellen is in training for her first triathlon in August: "I have to say that the mother runner tribe and books are a huge part of what keeps me going."

V5K-Ellyn-Bunch-Kelly-Edmonson-Kerry-Bleil

"A humid 5K ran at 6:30am in the Bayou State with my BAMR BRF's and fellow military spouses! Love these ladies and our early morning runs together!"

V5K-Emily-Horner

"I am a mother runner, a badass one too. I've been running for about 8 years but only in the past year and a half have I truly fell in love with it...Not only does the running keep me sane, it's also great for our 1 year old yellow lab who needs the miles to keep from destroying grandma's house. I love every part of running and love others that love running."

V5K-Emily-Sallee

Smiling after a 5.15 mile run on Leif Erickson (Portland)

V5K-Ilyce-Chizmadia

Displaying her bib right before a 12 mile run: " I have never felt stronger, more confident and happier."

V5K-Jennifer-M-Ruocco

"Ran The Charger 5K this evening at my boys' school with a whole lot of other BAMRs....it was very humid and hot, but didn't do too bad!"

V5K-Jennifer-Victory-Bailey

" I set a PR at the 5K this morning and came in 13th in my age group! It felt so great knowing I was doing something for me."

V5K-Jessi-Poffenbarger

"I did my virtual 5K this morning and even my picture shows how great I felt at the end. To be able to run almost the whole 3 miles without stopping is such an accomplishment for me. I love my runs and look forward to them and the fact that they make me feel so good about me."

V5K-Jessica-Radtke

To celebrate Mother's Day, Jessica and her family headed out on a family 5K. They all plan on running Run Through the Jungle 5K in Indiana soon.

V5K-Jessica-Vaughn

Jessica with running buddy Felicia

V5K-Jill-Sansouci

Jill is one month back into running after surgery and completed 4.25 miles for her virtual 5K.

V5K-Katy-Impert

After a foot injury that interrupted training, Katy was excited to get out and complete a 5K in just over 30 min.

V5K-Kimberly-Boehlert

"I'm a Navy nurse and currently working night shifts, so I get my runs in at random times. Luckily for me patient census and staffing allowed me to run on the treadmill and complete this awesome event!"

V5K-Kristen-McFarren

Kristen smiles through "all my sweat-tastic, no makeup glory after rocking 8 hilly miles in Kansas City :)"

V5K-Kristi-Bennett

Kristi ran a half marathon at the Flying Pig and looks forward to a PR at the Air Force half in September

V5K-Kristin-Lester

Kristin celebrates after completing 3.25 on a hilly route without stopping for walk breaks

V5K-Kristina-Tingley-and-Rhonda-Berlin

"My sis-in-law/ BRF & I ran the AMR 5K this morning in the rain! We really felt like BAMRs! We saw the rain and quoted Dimity, 'Don't think, just go!''

V5K-Krystal-Herbert-and-Dena

"Dena and I ran through the rain at a 5K with 600 other people. It was a great time!!!"

V5K-Leanne-Loney

Mother of three and track and cross country coach, Leanne began running in 2011 and did her first marathon in 2012.

V5K-Leanne-Roulson

"My husband took this pic after I returned from my 6 miler this morning. We just moved to a new neighborhood and I am thrilled to be able to run on several gravel trails hither and yon."

V5K-Leslie-Allen

"I DID IT (even in the pouring rain)!!! The run felt great and my family was waiting for me in the driveway cheering me on and giving me big hugs. I can't wait for my shoes to dry and start my next run!"

V5K-Lisa-Charest

"I just finished my first 5K thanks to the inspiration from the AMR community of amazingly fabulous momsI absolutely love the clarity and strength I have found through running and I cannot wait to go out again!"

V5K-Liz-Fenton

Liz has been running for eight years and helped her friend and fellow mother runner complete her first 5K this weekend.

V5K-Liz-Whiston-Dean

After completing her race goal of a half marathon in under two hours, Liz ran a fun run to celebrate Mother's Day. This is the back of Liz's race shirt, who runs in memory of her nephew: "When there is nothing I can do, I run. It is sort of my offering."

V5K-Lori-Czajkowski

Lori has been running for three years for health and sanity as a mother: "I have completed 5K, 5 miles and half marathons and will be running my first full in October. Why? Because I am a bad ass mother runner. :)"

V5K-Marjorie-Rhodes

Marjorie smiles after completing the Albuquerque 10K where she PR'd by 3 min (She used the TLAM 10K Own It plan!)

V5K-Mary-Beth-Mizell-

Mary Beth started running three years ago and gets out the door every morning at 4 am to exercise: "Running is the best thing I have ever done for myself "

V5K-Megan-Eppel

Megan was already training for the Couch to 5K program but decided to jump on the AMR virtual 5K: "I run on my treadmill (I'm one of the few who prefers it I think)...It gives me a much needed break from a pretty exhausting toddler and keeps me sane! ;-)"

V5K-Melana-Denyer

Melana ran 4 miles with her BAMR friends for the virtual 5K

V5K-Melanie-Waffle

"I did a 5K! I don't think it looked very pretty....but it felt damn good to finish!"

V5K-Melinda-Fluckinger

After donning her "someday my PR will come" shirt, Melinda PR'd in the Ohio Daisy Day 5K!

V5K-Molly-Sanderson

Molly and her friend completed the half marathon "Running with the Cows" in Bucyrus, Kansas: "We made it a girls day -- raced our hearts out, went to get a massage and had a nice lunch before heading back to our 2.5 y.o and 3 y.o."

V5K-Nikki-Shadbolt

Nikki completes her virtual 5K after battling with injuries for several years. She's eager to get back out for more races and has her eyes on the Disney Princess Half.

V5K-Pilar-Montalvo

Pilar not only reached her 5K goal but PR'd by almost a minute! It's probably because she had such great cheerleaders.

V5K-Rachel-Cain

More proof that kids are the best cheerleaders, Rachel PR'd by 4 min at her Dallas, Texas 5K.

V5K-Sarah-Smith

"It's been 6 years since I ran my 1st 10K. I decided it was time to do my second one. My goal was 1 hour and I accomplished it!!"

V5K-Sonia-Colaw

"Virtual run done..12 miles, with my last mile being my fastest! Thank heavens for downhills!!"

V5K-Stacey-Kouba

"One sweaty mother runner after an 'easy' 5K brick run following a 1:30 bike ride on trainer. All made for a good morning!"

V5K-Stephanie-Leibengood

V5K-Susan-Berg

"Here I am a week after my first half marathon (Woot!) followed by a week long business trip that left no room for even a warm up! Felt great to get back out there with my enthusiastic coach, Dolly, who told me it was time to run by bouncing on my chest at 7am this morning!"

V5K-Susan-Stelly

While Susan wasn't so eager to run the Contraband 5-miler, she found "it ended up being the best run in a long time, with great friends, and I placed second in my age group. Can't get much better than that!"

V5K-Suzanne-Weeks

"I am a BAMR!!Just finished the Leatherneck 5K in Patuxent River, MD. Just missed a PR by 45 seconds :( Next time..."

V5K-Tammy-Carter

"Here I am running my 1st 10K this morning for Get in the Pink. I started running this January 2013 to get out and meet some moms in my neighborhood and get back in shape after #3 born 4/9/12 and suffered from eclampsia. I'm now a Mother Runner!!"

V5K-Tracy-Klefbeck

"Just finished my 5K around the neighborhood! Really good run for me. Finished in 33:18 with my third mile being the fastest! Yay! Coming up on my one year running anniversary at the end of this month. It has been such a positive addition to my life."

V5K-Tricia-Wunder

"My 6 year old snapped a quick pic after I ran a 5k on our treadmill (so proud of my 12 minute miles) this morning. I'm waiting to run my first "official" race with my Army husband when he gets home from this 12-month deployment!"

V5K-Trish-Engel

"Forgot my safety pins and my GU, but still got 12.5 miles done in rain and a little mud. 1st time outside in 6 weeks, felt great to get off the treadmill."

V5K-Trisha-Muro

Trisha caught the running bug and has signed up for several races after her virtual 5K: "I'm definitely a better mother BECAUSE I'm (becoming) a runner!"

V5K-Valarie-Amis

Valarie has been running since her son was born in '09. "Happy to be a mother runner! Stoked to be a BAMR!"

V5K-Vanessa-Jones

"Was really tired this morning & had to force myself out of the bed to participate in the virtual 5K, but I'm so glad I did! Ran it in 28 minutes flat, a new 5K PR for me."

V5K-Venessa-Peterson

"I did it! It was a lovely 63 degrees in Las Vegas this morning and although the first mile or so is always a struggle, the last mile is easy and goes fast."

V5K-Abbey-Richards

Abbey poses with her daughter after a 5K at the OKC Memorial Marathon

V5K-Aileen-Lee

"The kids did a race complete with bibs, medals AND trophies and I set a PR of 28:00 and placed in the top 5 of my age group. It was a truly special night. As a woman, I always doubted myself and didn't think I could be "good" at anything athletic. I found your blog, read your books, subscribed to your podcasts and have placed in 2 of the 5 races I've run this year!"

V5K-Alyse-Nelson

"Ran a 5K with two fellow mother runners on Mother's Day morning in Bainbridge Island, Washington. I'm amazed how well the training plan worked - I'm now able to run three miles without stopping!"

V5K-Alysha-Russo

Alysha after completing her first half marathon: "I finished and felt elated. Never, ever, thought I'd do something like that, ever. My new running motto is never say never!"

V5K-Amanda-Etes

"My 5 year old ran his first race all on his own (1 mile) and I ran a 5K PR! BAMR, indeed!"

V5K-Amanda-Sesslar

" I just finished my first 1/2 marathon last weekend and there is no end in sight. This mother will run until she can't run no more! :)"

V5K-Angela-ONeal

Angela ran with her friend Nikki for the virtual 5K: "I am proud to say that she and I DID complete a 5K (with some walking) in the middle of a sleet storm in a Run for Boston 3 weeks ago. Nikki is a wonderful person, and I'm proud to call her a friend. Now I'm glad I can call her a BRF too!"

V5K-Anne-Ballard

"Just finished my virtual 5K with my son, Brendan. I have been paying him to be my trainer. He's cheap ($20 a week for four runs!) and he pushes me to run faster than I would on my own. Today's 5K turned into 5.73 miles!"

V5K-Audrey-Quick

"I went to the park, with the family and while my son played at the playground with my husband, I ran all around the park. I asked them to find me in an hour that I’d be running back to them, and wanted a cheering squad. My goal for the day was to run for as far as I could go in an hour, and since it wasn’t a real road race, and it was gorgeous out."

V5K-Becky-Podolsky

"WHOOP WHOOP! I think I caught the running bug again! I did the Bubble Run on Sat May 11th and LOVED it and remember why I loved to run before baby! NOW I want to run another 1/2, you have created a monster!"

V5K-Bethany-Riechmann

"I know it was only supposed to be a 5K, but I needed to get my 13 miles in for my "long run" this week. I headed out for a first time loop on the paved trails by our house. It was a beautiful day, and I was so thankful my family gave me this time to myself so I could spend the rest of the day doing what I do best...being a mom to my 8, 6, and 2 year old blessings!"

V5K-Carrie-Safford-and-Megan-Hubbard

"My sister and I ran in a 5K supporting the local elementary school today, May 11, in celebration of the virtual 5K challenge. It was great! My son also ran the 5K, his twin brother ran the 1-mile, and my daughter ran the 1/4 mile. My sister's son and husband both ran the 1-mile race. It was a wonderful family event!"

V5K-Cathy-Engstrom

"Thank you so much for your encouraging podcast. Especially about being my own best cheerleader. That will stick with me for a while. Not to mention I ran a PR--26:56!!! Holla!"

V5K-Celeste-Jordan

"I ran my 5K in the pouring rain this evening, so I cleaned up a little before the picture. I was saturated, but at least it was cooler."

V5K-Char-McQuillan-and-her-two-daughters

"Just sending you my Mother’s Day 5K run picture from today. It was a chilly run but I ran it today with two of my daughters."

V5K-Cheryl-Finch

While Cheryl wanted to run her 5K under 30 min with her daughter, they had too much fun making memories to keep track of the time: "Great morning and we have next weekend to get across under 30 at the spring Girls on the Run 5K. Besides, I've only been running just over a year! Proud BAMR in Olathe, Kansas"

V5K-Christina-Gilbertson

"With my wonderful daughters Olive and Edie who gave me breakfast in bed and gorgeous gifts, then I got up and ran 5.8k in 37 minutes :)"

V5K-Connie-Ciampanelli

"I completed my second training for 5K three weeks ago, but wanted to run the 5K on Mother's Day for the AMR virtual 5K. As it turns out, this morning was a 3.5 training for my next step, 10K."

V5K-Corinne-Pinter

"Great race in Houston, Esprit de She, Thursday May 9. Not really sure how I like running in the pm, heat and humidity, but I managed to accomplish my time goal...This was my first “timed” 5K, I completed my first 10K last month and already plan on training for at least 7 more races through the rest of the year, ending with a half marathon."

V5K-Courtney-Pitt

Courtney ran her 5K Saturday morning: "Before I started following AMR, I wanted to be a runner, but couldn't run more than a minute or two at a time. Now I still can't run more than 15 minutes at a time, but I'm slowly getting there! And I've done two 5Ks and I'm signed up for two more in the next month."

V5K-Dani-Gleason

"I have run more than 25 half marathons. I am training for my first half marathon. This morning (mother's day) I ran 19 miles in 2 hrs 30 mins. Great run- and I came home to my 2 kids and husband baking a cake for me."

V5K-Danielle-Quinn

"I DID IT! I ran my first ever 5K, all by myself, all for myself. I ran it in 32:08 and nearly cried at the end. I set out to do something and I did it. And I will keep doing it. Thank you for all your support and encouragement and for always keeping it R-E-A-L!!"

V5K-Davina-Perret

"Your virtual race came at the perfect time for me because I can't afford to pay for races right now with our budget, but I was able to pin that bib on and feel like I was a part of something! I hopped on my treadmill, logged in my 5 miles happily, and my family was glad to take a picture afterward. I now have the bib pinned on my father-in-law's (who is a doctor) medical skeleton who stares at me every time I climb on the treadmill and hit Start!"

V5K-Deb-Thurston

"What a great day today! It started with an 8 mile run (my longest since November) while listening to your special podcast. We finished up the day with my kids running laps as part of the local running store's kids running program."

V5K-Diane-Hochhalter

"This is my BRF Jamie and I after rocking out 6.5 miles! It was our last long run before we attempt PRs in the Fargo Half Marathon next Saturday!!"

V5K-Erin-Mohring

"Did my last longer training run for next weekend's half as my AMR run! 8 miles on Mother's Day listening to the new podcast! Got to run around my favorite lake, saw two deer, tried GU for the first time, and was almost at ultimate race pace overall!"

V5K-Gretchen-Seibert

Despite two weeks of illness, Gretchen still managed to get out the door for her 5K

V5K-Heather-Champney-

"I went out for a little mommy time and four awesomely fast miles. I was well rested (thanks to the hubs for letting me sleep in), the weather was heavenly, the playlist shuffled perfectly, and I felt the power that is this body that has carried some of my babies and nurtures all of them, loves my husband, works late night shifts as a doc in the Peds Ed, gardens, and allows me to feel the wind in my hair and sun on my face just because I can. I am, among many things, a mother runner for life!"

V5K-Heather-Stouch

"Thanks for the tunes and motivation during my Mother's Day 12 miler. You guys rock! Almost through my Half: Own-It Plan!"

V5K-Jamie-Stucke

After her running buddy and dog Hobbes was hit by a car on a run, getting back into the running grove was difficult. Now Jamie says "I am loving running, kicking assimus and using my gustsy girlis everyday and every workout. Today I am a proud MOTHER!"

V5K-Jaycie-Rodgers

"Today I ran 6 miles @ a 10 minute pace!! Personal distance record for me! Trying to be a BAMR!!"

V5K-Jean-Hunt-and-friend-Stacy

"Attached is a picture of AMR Stacy and myself. We ran 5 miles strong! We ran the AMR 5K in San Diego last year and we ran the virtual 5K this morning. She just ran a 1/2 marathon 2 weeks ago so I was nervous to run with her but she pushed me to run 5 miles without stopping and then we walked for another hour (enjoying the time away from the kids as long as we could while the husbands texted "where are you"!) Can't wait for next year!"

V5K-Jen-McIntosh

"I just ran the fastest 7.5 miles I have ever run & I'm still nursing my 9 1/2 month old baby. I started running 3 years ago, took off time to vomit everyday while pregnant with my 4th baby, and now I'm back at it."

V5K-Jennifer-Adams

"I talked my mom and sister into doing the training program with me and we ran our 5K on Friday. Prior to our training for this, my mom had never run a step in her life. Friday we ran, chatted and encouraged each other and soon we were at 3 miles headed into the homestretch. There were lots of hugs and a few tears at the end. My mom said, "I never thought I could do this." I always knew she could."

V5K-Jennifer-Bressette

"5 years ago I finished my first 5K in 39 minutes and was spent for the day. Yesterday I ran a 5K in 31 minutes in between kids soccer and scout activities. Even more astounding to me is that this 5K was part of a reverse taper after finishing my first full marathon. I never thought I could do something like that. I will proudly display my BAMR bumper sticker!"

V5K-Jennifer-L

"I've been running for about 7 years but turned a corner in the past year when started to really enjoy running. and exceeded the 5K distance. I am currently training for my 4th sprint triathlon and hope to do a half marathon before the end of the year."

V5K-Jennifer-Stike

"Was set to do a 5K this morning but the weather had other plans so did my own on the treadmill. Very humid, rainy morning here in Hawaii."

V5K-Jennifer-Thoennes

"I'm 21 weeks pregnant and although this has been a challenge it has really motivated me to stay active through this pregnancy. I feel great the race went great. I'm so proud that I was able to keep at it and finish this training plan and race!"

V5K-Jessica-Sanders

"I'm sending you this photo not because it is the most beautiful one, but because I gave the kids permission to say "badass" on the count of three knowing it would make them smile big for me. You might notice the sneaky look in Noah's eyes. I also included my wrist decked out in my mother's day bracelets, my road id, and my garmin showing my fastest 10k (since my plantar fasciitis diagnosis). Woohoo!"

V5K-Joan-Evers

Joan ran her virtual 5K as part of her first half marathon since the birth of her son: "The run was on Saturday and just a bit over 7 months since Theo was born. I've been a long time runner and have enjoyed getting back into to the swing of training now that I am a mom."

V5K-Johnna-Diedrichs

"Ran Saturday May 11th with BF in Madison WI "glow run". We started the running journey together a year ago & we are now both addicted!"

V5K-Joy-Shipley

"Beautiful day for a virtual 5K! Sunshine and a cool breeze, and my sister joined me and kept me company ."

V5K-Julia-Miller

"Great way to start off Mother's Day, with the AMR Virtual 5K Run, in the quiet early hours of the morning before the kids & husband wake up! Sporting my "are my kids still chasing me?" shirt and "another mother runner" Sweaty Band!"

V5K-Julie-Perry

"I ran the ROC race 5K yesterday (5/10) in Del Mar, CA and shocked myself by being able to actually get all the way across the monkey bars! It was my first obstacle race and I loved every minute of it."

V5K-Kafi-Laramore-Josey

"A treadmill run was not in the plans, but as any mother runner knows, plans change like underwear. So, after opening my present and enjoying a 45 min cup of coffee in peace and quiet (my real present) I hopped on my 'mill and got it done! It wasn't my fastest, it wasn't my hardest, but it is done! And most importantly it's the beginning of something new: running moving up the importance ladder, right behind changing my underwear :-)"

V5K-Kali-Brothers

"Post 5K pic of me 24 wks pregnant. Loved listening to the new podcast while trudging along with my two boys, 8 & 5, on their bikes. It was slow, but we got it done, and with only two port-a-potty breaks!"

V5K-Karen-Riechers

"I had a great virtual 10k Race!"

V5K-Karen-Watson

"Did my first half marathon last week (with my Dad)! Started running to keep my sanity 7 months ago as a stay-at-home Mama of four kiddos aged 7, 5, 2 and 8 months."

V5K-Kate-Edenborg

Kate after running 10 miles in her training for a half marathon next weekend.

V5K-Kate-McLaughlin

"While I run a 5K every Tuesday, only a few years ago a 5K was a big hairy audacious goal that I set out to accomplish. Who woulda thunk that a few years down the road I'd be running half marathons, a marathon (that be plural in a year or so), Ragnars, and 5K/10Ks on a regular basis? Certainly not me! But I got hooked, as many do, and now half my friends are runners, mostly mother runners like myself."

V5K-Kathy-Hipp

Kathy's Mother's Day gift from her family was having the time to run her virtual 5K

V5K-Kellie-Chambers-and-friend-Jenny

"My BRF, Jenny, and I ran the Westminster Classic 10k Virtual Race on the trails this morning in sunny Orlando. This was the farthest I have run in 3 years!! Yeah!!! I was a great Mother's Day run!!"

V5K-Kellsey-Perkins-and-the-Whitefish-Wonder-Women

"The Whitefish Wonder Women, pre-Spartan race. 7 BAMRs with 12 kids between all of us."

V5K-Kelly-Miller

"I ran my first 5K with 2 of my children yesterday, and hit my goal of 5 miles this morning! (5.5 mi, actually). I started running in March and set a short term goal of 3.1 miles, then 5- next will be 6.2, and them obviously a 13.2. Don't know if I'll ever get to a marathon, just running to be fit right now. Though I have to admit it is a love hate relationship, I also enjoy the challenge and the feeling of accomplishment it brings."

V5K-Kim-Meyer

Kim ran a 5K Mother's Day weekend after a half marathon the previous week.

V5K-Kimberlee-Francis

Kimberlee's Mother's Day run along the coast of Yomitan, Okinawa, Japan.

V5K-Kirsten-Leniger

"I ran about 4 miles. Up to the Farmer's Market, to a workout class, then back home. It was the perfect day and weather for it!"

V5K-Kris-Bagley

"This year we made it a whole-family run, my son and husband trotting along at my pace, and my daughter on her bike as we did our favorite 3 mi neighborhood loop. We were damn cute if I say so myself."

V5K-Kristin-Viscaino

"I have compared myself with those around me, all being faster and running longer, and it kept taking a toll on mental ability to even consider myself a runner. However, this year I have made so many changes in my life, leaving tons of negativity behind and making a beautiful new start with my two children. And, for the first time, I am running for me and me alone! I no longer worry about my speed or how far I have gone. I have run! Not only am I a runner, I am a BAMR!"

V5K-Laura-Karstensen

"I ran 2.9 miles (almost 5K!) with my 4.5 month old son this morning - he grunted almost the entire run and then lost it so we raced home via shortcut."

V5K-LeAnn-Freeman

LeAnn finished her 5K two weekends before Mother's Day: " It was such a tremendous accomplishment. My 10 year old is my running partner and he has the bug as well. He's pushing me to sign up for a half this fall. Yikes!"

V5K-Linda-Rischling

"I am so excited that I ran my 5K with my daughter at her Girls on the Run 5K! GOTR is an amazing program & and the day was incredible getting see girls of so many ability levels cross that finish line! It was also inspiring knowing so many other mother runners were doing it too!!"

V5K-Lisa-Figel-and-Brenda-Del-Toro

"Brenda and I ran the AMR Virtual 5K on the canal path in Belle Mead, New Jersey. It was a beautiful morning with perfect early morning temps for a great run."

V5K-Lisa-Willford

"I was supposed to be doing a 12 mile run, but as I was listening to your virtual 5K podcast on Mother's Day I figured it would make more sense for me to run a half marathon instead, so here I am after 13.1 miles. Which ironically turned in to my fastest half yet!"

V5K-Lynlee-Altman

Lynlee ran her 5K around Cleveland and plans on tackling the Disney World Marathon with some fellow BAMRs

V5K-Mariah-Gianakouros

"Ran my virtual 5K during my long run this morning...thanks for keeping me company! xoxo"

V5K-Michelle-Sinclair

"My first 5K ever! I've hiked and walked 3+ miles before but never with time in mind. My goal was to finished before 1 hour. I made it in 46:44."

V5K-Michelle-Smith

"Well, I'm fresh from my AMR-- and it was a challenge for this mother! I knocked down 6.45 trail miles at a slightly faster pace than my usual-- the first two miles had me questioning what the heck I was doing...but then I realized I was challenging myself! Varied elevation, chilly, blustery NW wind, and quicker pace. Now time for a latte'!"

V5K-Nicole-Schwarz

"Great day for a run in a COLD Michigan! 37 degrees and 17 mph winds but we got 3.45 miles in 30 mins 45 secs! Happy Mothers Day to all the mommy runners out there!"

V5K-Nora-Compton

"Here is my pre-run pic from my 10 mile training run today. Today's run was just one of those perfect ones. The weather was sunny, cool and breezy. I managed to keep my pace exactly where I wanted it."

V5K-Rachel-Huch

"Finished my last "long run" on the TLAM Finish it half marathon plan today! Looking forward to my 2nd half next Sunday in Cleveland."

V5K-Reannon-Campbell

"I've been fighting some mean shin splints, and I'm slow as a snail but I don't care. I am doing something I never thought I would do.......LOVE RUNNING. Now my goal is to get my three kids in on the action and crank up the mileage."

V5K-Robin-Luella

"I ran on mother's day morning before my family woke up. :) I ran a 5K and was fairly slow, but i gave it my all."

V5K-Sara-Evanchick

"I run to get my life back. To make the most of each day. To get back into shape and to take control of my health. I feel great! And I'm learning so much about what I'm capable of. I am a mother runner."

V5K-Sarah-Masciave

Sarah ran 6.2 miles in the rain today and plans on running a half marathon in the fall.

V5K-Shannon-Oakes-Kim-Slusser-Laura-Monichetti-and-Haley-Emmick

Self-dubbed "Sole Sisters" and BRFs ran an 11 and 6 mile for their virtual 5K

V5K-Shannon-Roudebush

Shannon and her daughter after her 5K: "We love to do fun 5K's together and have a Color Me Rad run and an Electric Run planned for this summer in Indianapolis. Today, she just cheered me on with her beautiful smile & a cow bell :)"

V5K-Sharon-Calvano

"I ran the Color Run 5K with my daughter Madeline on Saturday, May 11, 2013. It was a great way to get back into the swing of running (I had been out for quite a while, and the virtual AMR training was exactly what I needed). We had a great time, walked a little and got color thrown all over us! A great way to spend time with my daughter and spend Mother's Day weekend."

V5K-Sharon-Reifsnyder

Sharon ran extra miles this Mother's Day weekend because she couldn't put down the AMR podcast: "I actually got 5.05 miles in because I just didn't want to stop listening."

V5K-Shira-Wood

"Feeling like a BAMR after running my first 5 miler (ever) for the AMR virtual race."

V5K-Suzanne-Araujo

"This was my first run since the dreaded allergy season kicked in, and I'm not sure I would have headed out if not for you! My 3.1 miles were hard-won -- and yes, there was walking -- but just being out there felt great. I'm psyched to start ramping up the mileage again, training for 2 big races this fall!"

V5K-Tamara-Clark

Tamara after her virtual 10K

V5K-Thomi-Mtchel

"I didn't have a time in mind to finish this race, just to finish it and to run the whole thing. After a grueling hill at mile 2, I did it to the shouts and cheers of my fellow [No Boundaries] participants, coaches and mentors."

V5K-Tiffany-Margolis

"5 miles on this cool but beautiful morning with my best mother-runner pals!"

V5K-Zulma-Cartelli

Zulma ran 4 miles in Central Park: "Couldn't ask for a better way to start off my Mother's Day than with a race and my family cheering me on!"

V5K-Amy-Bonser-Perry

Smiling after the 5K

V5K-Carrie-Fair-Friday

Carrie shaved six minutes off her 5K using our training plan!

V5K-Elissa-Sullivan

Elissa holds up her bib after finishing her 5K in Japan

V5K-Heidi-Bucher

Heidi ran 6.2 miles while earning a PR!

V5K-Jennifer-Slack

Jennifer stands with her children after her Devotion to Children Mother's Day 4-miler in Virginia

V5K-Joan-Gorman-Sturdevant

"BAMR virtual Mother's Day 5K (actually 3.5 miles because my son wanted to keep going)!"

V5K-Lavon-Pinto-Medlock

"Mile for Mothers run this morning with my soon to be six year old."

V5K-Leslie-Boyce

Mother Runners Leslie, Veronica, Dianne, and Beth gather to take on the 5K

V5K-Megan-Haase-Ockander

"Heading out for our virtual run! I'm still healing a stress fracture so we made it about 2 miles before heading home but we both enjoyed listening to the RLAM podcast!"

V5K-Melanie-McDonald

"Got it done! 9 miles for the AMR Run. Felt great and finished with a smile!"

V5K-Rachel-Monyer-Trimyer

"7.75 HUMID miles this morning for the virtual 5K. I hope everyone has an awesome race this weekend!"

V5K-Sarah-Blom-Mertel

"I did run a half instead of a 5K for a mother runner who wasn't able to run it herself. I also dedicated each mile to another mother who can't run themselves, and also 1 mi for all the runners who weren't able to have children of their own, but instead mother all of us and a few furry babies too. I feel so overwhelmingly blessed to be a Mother Runner!!"

V5K-Alice-Barnett

Jean, Alice, and Leslie: "We three did a 5K this morning and my friend Leslie even got a PR!! WooHoo! Your virtual 5K was a brilliant idea and I'm thrilled we could participate. Thank you!"

V5K-Alice-Feldman

"I loved running the virtual 5K this weekend! Picture is attached...Ran it "with" a friend from work who lives an hour away. Thanks for all of your inspiration and encouragement!!!"

V5K-Alison-Hand

"Here is my pre-run photo from yesterday morning in Cape San Blas, FL. 11 sweaty miles later, I was rushing to get cleaned up for a joint Mother's Day lunch / 4th birthday party for my son."

V5K-Andrea-Boures

Andrea and friend Mirna at Bloomsday: "It was a hot 7.46 miles this year but a fun, annual event none-the-less! I look forward to this one every year, it's one of my favorite races!"

V5K-Angela-Rice-Beckman

"Thank you so much for the Mother's Day virtual 5K and podcast to accompany the run. The run would have been too painful for me without your encouraging words and inspiring playlist as this was to be my first Mother's Day as a mom. That was not to be as we could not parent out 12 year old pre-adoptive son anymore."

V5K-Anna-Claire-Vollers

"I ran the Music Moves Me 5K this past Saturday in my hometown of Huntsville, AL. It rained on me the last half-mile, but I felt like I did well and came in just under my goal time. I'm training for my first 10K in a few weeks (using my trusty copy of TLAM, of course) and I'm nervous but excited! I promised myself I'd run a 10K when I turned 30 and, well, this is the year :)"

V5K-Anne-Brown

What looks like an idyllic bike ride/run turned out to be a melt-down nightmare for Anne and the kids. But, as she well summarized: "Thank you for the Mother's Day gift. And the push to keep on running... despite life's circumstances."

V5K-Audra-Jolliffe

"Completed! Finishing = Winning!"

V5K-Becky-Andreas

"I finally ran a sub-30 min 5k, since having baby #3 - 29:40!"

V5K-Christina-Baker

"I ran 5 miles on Mother's Day. It was a great run. It was hilly but I kept an even pace. I can't wait to proudly display my sticker"

V5K-Courtney-Volpe-and-Jackei-Waugh

"Jackie Waugh and I held our own Virtual 5K here at Fort Polk, LA. We had lots of help from our family. They even made shirts and provided a cheer section and water station half way through."

V5K-Erika-Howder

"I ran a fabulous 10K on a beautiful, but windy afternoon. It was a lovely recovery from last week's half marathon and before my next half marathon in two weeks."

V5K-Gwen-Williams

" Here I am after 3.8 miles with my new Rottie rescue Jody. I'm so excited she's doing well with the running but this is the first time she's done a full 5K with me and she pulled me along the last bit when I wanted to walk :)"

V5K-Jean-Sorensen

"I ran my Virtual 5K on Mother's Day and it went great! My daughter came and ran with me so that was added bonus!"

V5K-Jen-Slutsky

"I ran a Mother's Day 5K, a last minute decision, since I knew I needed to run and I knew our plans to see family that day would take us driving right by a Mothers Day 5K race."

V5K-Jennifer-Burgess

"I started running during my husband's second deployment to Iraq. I found that it helped me keep sane, and to be a better Mom. I kept it up after he came home because I love the way I feel afterwards."

V5K-Jennifer-Kovacic-

"My "sole sister", Kellie and I hit the trail bright and early on Mother's Day for our virtual 10K! The miles flew by with great conversation and beautiful scenery. :) I had a fabulous time and not one bit of guilt as I had that second piece of key lime pie at lunch!"

V5K-Jennifer-Selanoff

"Ran my 1st half marathon at Hippie Chick Sat. Fizzled at 9.5 miles but still finished. Happy happy!"

V5K-Jessica-Hulen

"My Mother's Day gift is a "MOMATHONER" run shirt to wear as I train for my first marathon this year! :-) So excited!"

V5K-Joan-Mather

"Started my Mother's Day morning with an early kids-free run and did a 10K, which is the total age for our two kids."

V5K-Karen-Ottenweller

"My virtual 5K was my first run in our new city....Anchorage, Alaska."

V5K-Kelly-Campbell

"Did my 5K yesterday at a small local Mother's Day race - 157 runners. This was my first race in 2 1/2 years since developing what is possibly psoriatic arthritis in my knee (diagnosis still tentative) and being pretty laid up for a while - often on crutches and in excruciating pain. Finally got it under control with meds and have been easing back into running and working out."

V5K-Krista-Kruger

"My Best Friend and I ran 7 miles on Mother’s Day along a beautiful lake in Madison, WI. We are now training for the Rock n Roll Chicago Half Marathon, which we will do together. What a great way to celebrate friendship, running, and significant weight loss. Best Mother’s Day Gift!"

V5K-Kristy-Mendoza

"I have a team running the Beach to Bay relay in Corpus on May 18 so I decide to do a practice run of my leg (4.2 miles) as my virtual run for y'all."

V5K-Libby-Wakeman

While an injury prevented Libby from running her virtual 5K, she still went out and volunteered: "I loved telling everyone to have a great race. I have a new appreciation for the volunteers behind the table."

V5K-Lisa-Avery

Lisa completed the virtual 5K with a solo treadmill run and a trail run with her youngest son in a BOB stroller.

V5K-Lisa-Payne-Kirker

"Thanks for getting me through a cold (36˚), solo (BRF was sick) 8-mile trail run Sunday. The miles ticked by while I listened to my backup BRFs. You two are great, the song "Happy Girl" came on as I crested a particularly difficult hill. Perfect timing!"

V5K-Marcia-Trusley

I "convinced" my 15 year-old to go with me on some country roads near our house. I so appreciate my son slowing his pace and humoring me. He may or may not have been teasing me about slowness and old age. :) I learned that, although I do love my time alone that I should never pass up the opportunity to spend time with the most important people in my life."

V5K-Maria-Ricupero

"I started running a year ago and I have been encouraging my children to run with me. Since the virtual 5K took place on Mother's Day, we decided to make it a family run. The neighborhood kids thought it looked like fun so they joined up on the run The best part was watching people's faces as they drove by us."

V5K-Marianne-Lloyd

Rachel and Marianne show BAMR Power

V5K-Megan-Ockander

"Here's my youngest and I heading out for our run!"

V5K-Molly-Levings

"Had a blast. Not my fastest time but all the neighbors asked about my bib. Thank you for starting this movement and for not laughing at my nappy post run hair!!!"

V5K-Sara-Wutzke

"Just returning to running after baby boy #3"

V5K-Stacey-Laituri

"Hot sweaty goodness from central California! Happy Mother's Day to me! Got to spend some time for myself getting 4 miles in!"

This is getting closer and closer. And Saturday it becomes pretty real.

So I’ve been training for 7.5 months for Ironman Coeur d’Alene, and, for various reasons—injury + schedule mostly—have only raced a 5K. Huh. That will change when I take to the wild streets of Grand Junction, Colorado this Saturday, in the HITS Triathlon Series. Although they have races that range from a mini-sprint to a full on Full (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run), I am tackling the half distance: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run.

I am usually a go-with-it (read: ignorant) racer. Very little race prep, save for soaking in as much sleep as I can and eating carb-heavy Chipotle—light on the beans, thanks—the night before. I usually look at a course profile, but I definitely don’t study it, which means I retain very little of it. I figure, I’m going to have to climb the crazy hills no matter what to get to the finish line; the more I worry about them, the less energy I’ll have to get up them.

This race is different though. Even though Briana Boehmer, my coach, and I are calling it a training day, it’s really a dress rehearsal for the Big Day. I need to check out my gear. I’ve never worn a full-sleeve wet suit before, so we’ll see how my shoulders take to the Zoot Z Force 4.0 WetZoot. And we’ll also see how my most delicate parts handle the minimal chamois in the Saucony Women’s Tri Shorts. (It’s been too cold lately to test either outside.) Most importantly, I want and need to feel what it’s like to transition smoothly, race intelligently, and polish what many people call the fourth discipline in Ironman: nutrition.

Although my taper is going to be pretty minimal and I’m not out to gun it, I’ll be honest: a part of me really wants to nail Saturday. Not only am I in the best shape I’ve ever been in as a mother, but my mind needs a strong race. I don’t want to close out my Ironmother training feeling unsure about the Big Day. Check that: I’m not sure I’m mentally tough enough to handle a bad race on Saturday.

So today, on Mother’s Day, I took my quiet time—which was in between planting flowers, baking brownies, and washing the kids’ hair—and sat down to prepare as best I could.

I looked at the bike course.

This course was made for me and speedy, two-wheeled Lyle. The hardest hill comes at 33 miles, goes to about 40, but really isn’t bad. I’ve got to climb over 4,600 feet on the Coeur d’Alene course, so I should enjoy this ride.

Then I looked at the run.

Not quite pancake, but pretty close. I’ll climb 600+ feet in IMCDA, so again, I should soak this up while I can. It’s on mostly country roads, so I’m most concerned about lack of momentum to spur me on when it gets tough.

Then, of course, I had to check the weather.

On the border of Utah, Grand Junction is always the place that is easily 10 degrees warmer than Denver. Hopefully the cooler weather holds, or I might melt on the run. Plus, I have no idea how strong 15 mph winds are. Couldn’t be that bad, right?

And then I got down to business. First, I made a list of everything I need to bring for the race.

I didn’t put my bike on the list, but thinking I won’t forget Lyle.

I will use cross of everything I pack so that I’m sure I have it. I don’t want to be driving around Grant Junction on Friday night in search of chamois cream. (Which is another thing I have to test out: if I put on chamois cream before the swim, will it still work during the bike? I don’t think dropping my shorts in the middle of Transition 1 to coat some cream is good triathlete etiquette…)

Then I did some hard math.

Hard for me is 3 x 18. Yep, those calculus days are far, far behind me.

So I spent some time thinking how long things will take me. Scary to write down—and a bit scarier to post up here. But soon the whole world will be able to see my results on the world wide web, so what the heck?

Here’s how I shook it out (and it’s all pending; I’ve got a call scheduled with my coach this week to go over Saturday):
—Swim: A 1.2-mile swim I did last year took me almost 35 minutes, so I went with that. (Hoping the Zoot Force is with me, though: I’ll happily go faster.)
—Transition 1 from swim to bike: 1:45 was my T1 time from the aforementioned race. If they have wetsuit strippers, I can probably come in around that again. But I gave myself a little window in case, you know, I have to put on lip gloss. (I was going to say run to the Port-a-Potty, but let’s be honest: I will have taken care of that in the lake. And any triathlete who tells you she doesn’t wet her wetsuit is lying.)
—Bike: Like I said above, this is a fast course; based on my training, an average of 18 mph should be very doable. And again: I’ll happily take faster. But I need to be sure to save my legs for my weakest link: the run.
—Transition 2 from bike to run: A pretty easy one. Change shoes, change headwear, strap on a number, maybe use the Port-a-Potty. (I  can not and will not pee on my lovely bike.)
—Run: My best guesstimate is 10:30ish splits, but I really have no idea. I know I will be using a 4-minute run/1-minute walk ratio for the entire 13.1 miles, but that’s as much as I know. On Friday, I did a 40-minute run/walk after a 45-mile ride and my splits were in 9:30ish. I’ve also had straight runs where getting below 10:00 splits felt impossible. And I haven’t run more than 10 straight miles in my training. So we’ll just say the run will be interesting, and leave it at that.

Which leaves me with these goals:
A goal: Under 6 hours.
B goal: Under 6:15.
C goal: Finishing and not being disappointed, knowing that I am still capable of a really strong race in Coeur d’Alene.

And then there’s nutrition, which is the rest of my chicken-scratching above. Because I weigh 175ish, I burn through the calories—and need to replace them as best I can. Why? Not only do I need the energy to keep going, I start to feel really sick to my stomach when I’m running and I don’t have enough energy in my system, which turns into a vicious cycle: I don’t want to eat because I feel nauseous, and then I feel even more vomitous. I accept that I won’t feel peachy keen out there, especially on the run, but I want to do my best to be as proactive about my nausea-state as possible.

I’ve found that trying to consume between 200-300 calories an hour is best. I feel better when I’m on the high side, but that’s a veritable feast to take in while I’m sweating. I’m mostly going to fuel with GU and Chomps, but I do need a little variety, and I’ve found the good old Nature Valley Oats & Honey granola bars from my youth serve me well on bike rides.

I also need to have some calories in liquid form (see above: veritable feast). I love, love my Nuun—and need the sodium it provides—it’s basically calorie-less, so I’ll have one bottle of fruit punch Nuun on my bike, and two bottles of Powerbar Ironman Perform, which is the drink they have on the course during Ironmans. (Bri has drilled this into me: if you can, drink what they offer.)

I’m 65% sure I’ll carry hydration on the run in my Ultimate Direction Thunderbolt belt; if I do, it’ll definitely be lemon-lime Nuun. Depends on the weather. And I’ll stuff my pockets with my other nutrition, although I may sample what’s out at the aid-stations too. (I’m fortunate; my stomach only protests when I don’t take in enough calories, so I can be a little loose on what I consume.) My goal is 1,800 calories, but I know I’m aiming high. I’ll be happy if I consume 1,500.

I also made two other lists: things I have to do (get more tubes, charge my Garmin) and a snapshot of this week (soccer practices, dinner menu, 1st grade Frog and Toad Performance), but I won’t bore you with those details.

Having gone over the specifics twice now—thanks for humoring me—I feel much calmer now. I’ll pull together most of my stuff on Wednesday night, so I’m not a stress case on Friday morning. I know I can’t control the race, but I’m putting together as many pieces as I can so race day is as smooth as possible—and my mentality heading into my last stretch of training is as positive as possible.

How detailed are you when it comes to race prep? Do you write out lists or wing it? Study the course or skim it?