Mountain Mother Runner

Summer’s end is slowly approaching as we will soon be welcoming fall. Lately, during my runs, I’ve noticed the leaves already changing from greens to yellows and oranges, sometimes falling from a strong breeze. The seasons beginning to change has me reflecting on the fact that this cycle of race training is nearing the end as well…which means the big race is soon! When I made the decision to take on the Hamster Endurance Runs as my first ultra, I started a blend of two 16 week training plans. About halfway through I realized that the race was actually 17 weeks from when I began, but that gave me a little wiggle room for possible toddler sickness, injury, and traveling. Speaking of…we just returned from a nine day trip to Oklahoma, where I lived during my college (plus a little longer) years. Week 14 SUNDAY: RAN 5.09 miles @9:00 pace w/ stroller MONDAY: Rest TUESDAY: RAN 24.02 miles @10:07 pace WEDNESDAY: RAN 5.08 miles @9:47 pace w/ stroller THURSDAY: Travel day t...

Young children are constantly outgrowing their clothes and becoming bored with their plethora of toys. I personally feel like buying brand-new items for kids is somewhat of a waste. Shirts get food stains, jeans get torn knee holes, and toys get broken. We have great success finding clothing and toys for Eisley at local consignment shops (which also supports our local community versus national corporations), and I can promise you that she isn’t any less excited than if they were bought new. Something else that is even better than buying used games and toys is CREATING new ones out of materials already lying around your house! You can involve your child in the process of making this game, which will give them a sense of accomplishment once it’s complete! More fun for everyone! Depending on their age, they can trace the lines, cut out the board, or help color the pieces. The supplies you need to create this DIY Tick-tac-toe game are: Cardboard Scissors Pencil Stapler Ziplock...

In 2015, Runnin’ O the Green was the first race I had ever done! Put on by the City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation, this event brings in quite a bunch of both runners and walkers alike. Distances of 5k or 8k are offered, with the cost of registration remaining the same for either distance. It pays off to register early online because it starts at $15, goes up to $25, then $30, and tops at $35 for day of race registration.   Costs include chip timing and a cool shirt, plus tons of St. Patrick’s Day themed fun! This year, we also got a green cowbell with the race logo on it. Race start photo by Jon Brunk at https://brunkphoto.photoreflect.com/ In 2015, I ran the 5k with a time of 28:57 (9:19min/mi pace) . In 2016, I ran the 8k distance, finishing in 37:03 (7:27min/mi pace) . This year, I wanted to switch up the experience yet again by doing the 5k while pushing Eisley in the stroller! Her first adventure racing in the stroller was last June at the Race Beneath the Sun 5 mi...

Here’s a bit of honesty for you…before I was pregnant with Eisley, I wasn’t even sure what ‘lactation’ meant! Formulas and breastfeeding didn’t really matter to me since they hadn’t yet affected me personally. A few of my friends already had babies and I knew they typically drank from a bottle. Not once did I question what was actually IN the bottle, or how it got there. My lack of knowledge along with my urge to research everything led me to taking a variety of classes during my pregnancy. Many soon-to-be parents take the typical birthing classes, but we also took Parenting Basics (I learned how to change a diaper and about weird things like Cradle Cap), Prenatal Yoga (hello Kegel exercises), and best of all, a 2-day BREASTFEEDING class. How did I have NO IDEA all there is to learn about nursing? No wonder new moms have such a difficult and often painful time. The Center for Disease Control’s 2014 Breastfeeding Report Card shows 49% of babies still breastfeeing at six months ol...

The biggest and most obvious change since we’ve moved to the county is our weather. We are literally so close to town, yet the slight distance and elevation change give us colder temps and much more precipitation…aka SNOW! There have been days with a couple inches of snow in town and 18 inches of snow in our area. Yes, it is beautiful to look at, but have you tried running with a stroller in the snow? (Don’t bother trying…doesn’t quite work out). This winter weather has put a major dent in my training and I’m sadly seeing my mileage decrease. Trust me, I am looking forward to the spring! Wk 1: 1-4: 3.26 miles Wk 2: 5-11: 9.63 miles (including Fragrance Lake 10k) Wk 3: 12-18: 18.71 miles Wk 4: 19-25: 20.60 miles Wk 5: 26-28: 8.75 miles Total miles for February: 60.95 February included one race, the Fragrance Lake 10k, which you can check out here if you missed the recap. Although I haven’t been squeezing in the mileage I’d like, I have been able to enjoy a wide va...

We are only a few days into the New Year, but reflecting back on December seems SO long ago! Did you find yourself struggling to find motivation (or time) to workout during the holiday season? Waking up to snow covered ground and 22 degree weather makes drinking hot tea in your pjs by the fireplace sound like a much better idea. Traveling away from home can also put a kink in your running plans. Are you comfortable running in an area you are unfamiliar with, or do you view it as a new adventurous opportunity? I personally enjoy the change of scenery! Possession Beach in Washington Wk 1: 1-3: 5.15 miles (including Fairhaven Frosty 5k ) Wk 2: 4-10: 7.24 miles Wk 3: 11-17: 21.87 miles Wk 4: 18-24: 10.91 miles (on Whidbey Island) Wk 5: 25-31: 19.03 miles (on Whidbey Island) Total miles for December: 64.20 Our December was a time spent sitting…literally. First we puppy sat for a week, and then we spent two weeks homestead sitting out on Whidbey Island. It was a nice a...

This year for Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for…MOTHERHOOD! Cheers to the foster moms, moms juggling two jobs, homeschooling three kids moms, the surprise moms, moms with angel babies, and all the other moms in between. Let’s celebrate together by reading this little list of quotes about motherhood! 1. “In a child's eyes, a mother is a goddess. She can be glorious or terrible, benevolent or filled with wrath, but she commands love either way. I am convinced that this is the greatest power in the universe.” - N.K. Jemisin 2. “No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother.” - Margaret Sanger 3. “Motherhood is a choice you make everyday, to put someone else's happiness and well-being ahead of your own, to teach the hard lessons, to do the right thing even when you're not sure what the right thing is...and to forgive yourself, over and over again, for doing everything wrong.” - Donna Ball 4. “There is ete...

As a mom, you want to visit your family to make special memories with your sweet child, right? How do you plan on getting there, a magic carpet ride? We recently went on an eight day trip. Each of our travel days included 2.5 hrs driving, 2 flights, a 2 hr layover, and crossing over 2 time zones, totaling 13ish hours of traveling. Did I mention that “we” meant me and our 2 year old? My biggest dilemma of traveling (to visit family, go on vacation, anything more than an hour away) was the anxiety of traveling with a baby/now toddler. Until we quit nursing at 23 months, our daughter never slept ANYWHERE except her bed (not in the car, stroller, our bed, etc) which made me not want to travel. She hated being in the car and would literally cry for hours without ever taking a nap. Luckily, turning 2 seemed to put those woes behind us and opened up a new world of travel opportunities! If you’re crazy enough to travel alone with a toddler, here are 6 tips to make your life easier! 1...

Dear Soon-to-Be New Mom,                 How are you feeling? That sweet baby of yours should be entering the world sometime between now and the next two weeks. I hope this last stretch of pregnancy has been going well for you. That was the only time I had days of “feeling so pregnant” and my body was tired . I knew those last few weeks were prime time to sleep in, take naps, and rest up , but I was too uncomfortable.   Know that even if you’ve been worried about getting your house set up or thinking about things that you need to buy, it really isn’t a big deal. Most of those things can wait, for a long time. Your baby will have a simple life for the first few months with only basic needs. There might be times where you’re awake every hour of the night to nurse or bottle feed and feel completely drained. You more than likely will cry over little things for a while, but that’s alright . Between the hormon...

Fall is officially here and our life has been changing like the colors of the leaves. September included two races-Lake Padden Relay and Bellingham Bay Half Marathon , we just closed on our FIRST HOME, and I am currently 1,611 miles away from the PNW visiting family. Let's just say you don't know what you've got till it's gone you're packing to move! The last week of September was crunch time for packing up the house, setting up utilities, and making sure things were somewhat in order before Eisley and I left for our week long trip. Our 13 hour travel day included two flights, a two hour layover, and a two hour time zone difference. She didn't nap, stayed up late, and was still a happy girl the entire day. I feel so lucky that everything went smoothly and traveling alone with a toddler wasn't stressful. My husband is spending the final week in our rental house with our dog Luna and moving everything before we return from our trip. What an awesome man! After...

It always seems like once our family actually starts enjoying summer and taking advantage of the wonderful weather, autumn starts creeping into view. This is only our second summer living up here in the Pacific Northwest and I still have to adjust to the shorter summer season. Luckily our “hot” weather is in the 70’s-80’s which makes a big difference for runners! I cannot imagine even remotely enjoying a long run in high humidity and 100+ degrees (if I didn’t pass out first!). Big props to all of you runners that live in places with extreme heat! Now, let’s get talking about my July miles and training! Stroller run to Whatcom Falls Park Week 1: 1-2: 6 miles Week 2: 3-9: 28.28 miles (including Chuckanut Foot Race) Week 3: 10-16: 14.71 miles Week 4: 17-23: 19.97 miles Week 5: 24-30: 33.55 miles Week 6: 31 st : 6.47 miles  Total miles for July: 108.98!  Looking grouchy in the PNW summer heat! The second week of July was the Chuckanut Footrace, a 7 m...

Last Friday was our daughter’s 2 nd birthday, which had me reminiscing over her birth. During my pregnancy I kept a journal called Love Letters for Baby Renteria . After baby Eisley was born, I made sure to write her birth story so I wouldn’t forget anything. Someday she will be able to read about her journey into this world! I’m sharing this with you as a raw, real-life birth experience and a reminder that no matter how many books you read, classes you take, or videos you watch online, your “birth plan” is just that…a PLAN, and not everything goes as planned. Still hiking mountains at 36 weeks pregnant! July 21, 2014-4:08am-We went to bed around 11:30pm last night after going to Gold’s Gym for some treadmill time. I was sleeping fairly well until I started dreaming that I was beginning to have contractions. In my dream, I thought, “Ohh, so this is what a contraction feels like.” It felt somewhat like period crams in the front lower abdominal area that wrapped around to my low...