Spring Break Outdoor Shenanigans

My girls had Spring Break last week, so I spent the last several days trying to keep them off the screens and out of the house as much as possible. It never ceases to amaze me how much their moods improve once I get them outside.

Trials = Happy Faces!

We live less than a ten-minute drive to some of the most beautiful mountain trails, so last week we braved the rain and mud and went for a few-mile hike paired with my daughters' first trail running experience. While they are no strangers to hiking, we have never actually taken them trail running before because for some reason I thought it'd be too much for them. I was wrong.

Yes... their shoes are almost as big as mine. 

The trail is steep, so we hiked to the topmost part then carefully ran through the slippery mud on the way back. My girls loved it and seemed to find it as fun and enjoyable as I do.

While I was raised hiking most weekends by my outdoorsy parents, I never tried trail running until I joined my high school cross country team. Of course, with an undiagnosed heart issue I was a terrible runner, and I found the trails particularly challenging but intriguing. A couple years ago when I joined a running group, though, one of the coaches took me out onto the very trail pictured above and talked me through how to survive running through the mountains. I've been hooked since.

Recently, someone asked for advice because she is considering trail running. I gave her my two cents, but after thinking about it, I have a lot more to add. Here's a short list of some valuable lessons I have learned:

1. Start slowly. Don't worry about how long it takes to complete each mile. You might run an 8-minute road mile and a 14-minute trail mile, and that's okay. Give yourself permission to run slowly. If you feel great halfway through, then you can pick up the pace. 
2. Be a little over-prepared. Sometimes that 7-mile run turns into an 11-mile run. Always bring extra water, some bandaids, and an energy gel or bar.
3. Hike the uphills. There's no reason to torture yourself. Hiking up those hills can be faster than trying to run up them while preserving your energy and keeping your heart rate reasonable.
4. Get a backpack-style or an around-the-hip hydration pack. I love my handheld water bottle, but having the water attached to my body is so much more comfortable when I'm on the trails. It also leaves my hands free for when I stumble or need to hold onto a branch for stability. 
5. There's no shame in needing a buddy. Some people love solo mountain running. That's awesome. I am not that person. I'm a total scaredy-cat and feel much safer with other humans nearby, even if it's just my two daughters. I'm more afraid of people than anything the mountains have to offer, but I really believe there is no shame in recruiting a running buddy.
6. Take smaller steps. This is a good running tip in general, but I find it to be critical when trail running. Keeping your feet under your body is especially helpful in maintaining balance on rocky, uneven ground.
7. Know the trail before you go. Map out that trail before you venture into the woods. Save a photo of the map on your phone in case you get lost mid-run. It happens to the best of us.
8. Tell a friend where you plan to run. Safety 101. Obviously. 
9. Trail shoes aren't a necessity. Don't get me wrong, I love my trail running shoes; they're more rugged, have better grip, and handle mud well. However, it's okay to run trails in your normal running shoes, too. If I'm running a trail race or longer route, I wear my trail shoes. If I'm only running a few miles, I often opt for a pair of running shoes I'm about to retire. They're usually a little more supportive and cushy. 
10. Wear wool socks. I've made the mistake of wearing regular running socks on trails multiple times, and I always want to kick myself when I do. When it's 30-something degrees and you step in a puddle of near-freezing mud and water, your numb feet will spend the remainder of the run screaming at you. When you plow through a small creek because there is no other alternative, those Smartwool socks will maintain their shape and keep your feet from blistering. Been there, done that, learned my lesson. Just trust me on this.
11. Respect your comfort zone, but don't be afraid to challenge it. I find trails to be a unique opportunity to trust myself to go further and harder than I've ever considered going. There's a good chance that I'll sign up for a mountain marathon before doing a road one simply because I feel less afraid to challenge myself on trails than I do on the road. 
12. Pause and enjoy the ride. Trail running is beautiful. I've ran through rainforests and deserts, and both are equally rewarding. When fatigue begins to settle in, I love to give myself a boost by slowing down, drinking some water, and taking in the beautiful surroundings. 

Me in my happy place.
Capris and Hoodie by INKnBURN

(Hyper) Active Family

I am far from being a perfect mother, but one thing I feel I have done well is pass on my love of being active and eating healthy. My oldest daughter is a dancer and distance runner, my youngest is a dancer and competitive gymnast who busts out an occasional 5K like it's no big deal. Both took years of swimming lessons and are very strong swimmers, and we often take them hiking, on walks, or on bike rides.

It's a bird... it's a plane... nope, it's my gymnast kid!

Both James and I are a little... er... hyperactive, to put it lightly. Honestly, I'm not certain that my kids know that it's not the norm to always be running or doing yoga, dance, hockey, or going to CrossFit (those last two are James' weekly hobbies, not mine). In a world where it is so easy to sit on one's rump in front of screen, I am relieved that my girls are always excited to do something active.

As I continue to ponder the decision to do a triathlon this year, I continually remind myself that what I chose to do sets an example for my kids. If I face my fears of swimming in (cold) open waters and training for something I consider extremely challenging, they will see that I am neither afraid to push myself to the limits nor of trying something out of my comfort zone. I like that idea, so I'm just going to keep telling myself that I need to do it until I commit.

When I asked my little one below if she would do a triathlon if she were me, she narrowed her eyes and shrugged her shoulders and said, "Yeah, sure." You know, as if it were no big deal.

My little dimpled sunshine!
Healing Mandala shirt by INKnBURN

Happy International Women's Day!

I come from a very traditional family with the engineer dad and the stay-at-home mom. Both worked hard to raise their three kids, and both saw the value in saving money to send us to college. I am forever grateful to my parents for everything they did to ensure that my sister and I would have equal opportunities to those of our male counterparts in this world.

It is unfortunate that despite our education and experience levels, my sister and I have consistently fought through the professional world with less-than-equal pay, being called derogatory terms by men such as "sweetheart" on the job (true story), and dealt with a blind eye turned to our contributions while men tried to take credit for our work. 

I don't want that for my daughters, and I do everything I can to teach them by example to never accept anything less than equal respect and treatment. Although I do my best, there is always room for improvement. 

Happy International Women's Day to all the amazing women in my life.

I think I feed her too much spinach. 

My Valentine

While I realize a lot of people scoff at Valentine's Day, it has always been a favorite holiday of mine because of its simplicity and positive message of love. When I was a child, I looked forward to exchanging Valentines with my classmates, each of whom I matched to what I felt was the appropriate picture drawn on the cards that I so carefully chose each year. In high school, I searched the Val-o-grams posted on the walls and snuck the heart on which my several-year crush's name was written into my backpack when no one was watching.

Now as an adult, I love surprising my girls and James with something simple but thoughtful. They always know I love them, but their extra excitement when finding a new pencil holder filled with chocolate and the handmade Valentines waiting for them fills me with that warm fuzzy feeling that just makes my day a beautiful one.

Today, though, James was the star of my show. In addition to a fancy new camera, he surprised me with the most amazing gift - he had all the photographs I had stored on both the hard drive and the backup drive that crashed restored. My memories that had fogged over during my postpartum illness were captured on camera but have been lost for several years, and I thought that I would never see them again.

First, he handed me an envelope with a stack of favorite memories printed, then he gave me the new hard drive with the thousands of restored photos. This is, without a doubt, the most meaningful gift I could have imagined.

2003 - Shortly after James proposed while
backpacking Havasu Falls, Grand Canyon

October 23, 2004
We were basically 12-year-olds.

2006 - Who knew this curly-haired munchkin would
turn into one heck of a runner a decade later?

And again... our chubby firstborn cherub!

Our second hairy baby one day after birth! Now that chubby
munchkin is a gymnast with an 8-pack!

Our second (huge) baby at a couple months old.
She still has wild hair and crazy dimples!

I hope your Valentine's Day is filled with love and friendship... and if it's not, I hope you treat yourself to some self-love and chocolate! 

Taking Breaks to the Great Outdoors

My grandmother once told me when my girls were toddlers that she believes "children should be outside as much as possible." It wasn't unsolicited advice, just part of a conversation we had while sitting on a bench watching the kids play with their cousins in my grandparent's large, rural ranch during a warm Oklahoma summer, but it was one of the more valuable parenting lessons I continue to learn.

My kids go to a great school that places a lot of focus on using technology in and outside of the classroom. While the treehugger in me loves the lack of paper used, I often find my girls zombie-ing out in front of a screen in their downtime if I'm not watching. Inevitably, being in front of the TV or computer when they should be playing or reading a book turns my sweet girls into grumpy turds in no time at all.

Using my grandmother's advice, one of my favorite things to do when my girls turn into grouchy monsters is to get them outside. If it's a weekend, I love to do an impromptu day or overnight trip that involves being outside somewhere far from a screen. In a matter of minutes, any gloomy mood fades away like magic, and it works every time.

So much happier outdoors!
San Juan de Fuca Spit, WA

During the winter months, I find it difficult to convince myself to take them outdoors when it's cold or rainy, but I've learned that the rain or chilly temps aren't a big deal as long as we have the proper clothing. Also, though the Seattle area is notoriously rainy, we have far more dry days than most of the nation probably realizes. For instance, it's the dead of winter right now and we've had blue skies for days. Today we have a prediction for rain, but not until this afternoon, and it's currently 42°F before 10:00 a.m. For winter, that's not bad at all.

Find the one-grumpy but now-happy tree gnomes.

This year, I've decided I want to focus on ensuring we get outside more often regardless of how cold it may be. And let's be honest... it's not just my girls who find themselves happier after spending time outside. We all feel more alive with a little fresh air. 

We're good about being outdoors, but I feel there is always room for improvement in this area, so we have decided that the vacations we take this year will be focused on places boasting outdoor activities. Lake Louise in Canada is at the top of this year's bucket list along with Iceland (hopefully). 

Do you have any favorite family-friendly outdoor trips that you're willing to share? I'd love some vacation recommendations. 

Runner Problems: Edition - Toenails and the Mancold

Yesterday sucked.

As I frantically went about the day's happenings amidst my husband's mancold-turned-meningitis-scare that ended with him anxiously awaiting a lumbar puncture for hours in true emergency room fashion, I was plagued by a common runner's ailment that left me wincing in pain everywhere I went: the dreaded ingrown toenail.

I'll spare you a photo because... gross.

Of course, my better half's illness peaked on the same day as our daughters' school Christmas show. My day involved a therapy session followed by a hectic search for a sweater to match my 10-year-old's dress, holiday shopping for foster kids, picking the girls up from school, and carefully explaining that Dad was in the hospital but probably wasn't going to die. After gently dealing with the alligator tears, I sighed and gave up on healthy life choices and went through the psuedo-Mexican food drive-thru at Taco Time to appease the starving, teary-eyed minions in the backseat. After choking down a pathetic excuse of a bean burrito, I transformed into mom-the-stylist to curl and braid hair and help my kiddos into their dresses.

Yeah... about the sandals in freezing temps...
#MomFail.

Luckily, a lumbar puncture was not necessary. James escaped having a needle stuck into his spine and instead returned home in time to watch the girls' show with a diagnosis of viral-related torticollis, a prescription for steroids to fight the inflammation in his shoulders and neck, and narcotics for the pain. 

The show went well, my older kiddo sang the harmony of her songs in her lovely bell-like voice beautifully, my younger peep smiled and showed off her dimples the entire time she was on stage, and my husband didn't croak.

My toenail, however, suffered being stepped on by kids while playing stylist, was jammed into a pair of tall boots to match last night's dress (which are roomy and normally one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes to wear with semi-formal wear), and angrily hissed at me while I soaked it in peroxide and smothered it in Neosporin before bed.

I woke up with it throbbing, and I didn't even go for my normal run last night. Darn this obnoxious toenail. 

I'd like to give up and go back to bed today, but I am determined to make it a better set of daylight hours than yesterday.

Running Advice from a 10-Year-Old

As I have mentioned before, it seems my teeny, long-legged oldest daughter was born to run. When I took her to running group with me for the first time about a year and a half ago, she was nine years old and ran two miles without stopping at about an 11:30 min/mile pace. Now I don't know about you, but that was FAR more than I was capable of doing without several weeks of training.

She runs like a girl. Try to keep up. 

I thought maybe her first running experience was a fluke, but she proved me wrong. Within a couple of weeks, she was running three miles at an even faster pace and went on to run her first 5K a few months later at a 9:30 min/mile pace. A year later, she ran that same race at a minute per mile faster.

She frequently wows the newbies at running group as she flies past them while keeping up with the quicker group of adults. Sometimes she has better running days than I do and stays a couple feet ahead of me, turning to tell me to hurry up with a smirk on her face. I can only wish that I had her natural-born talent.

Last week while she jabbered on about how much she enjoys running and how proud she is of how much she has improved while busting out four miles like it's nothing, I asked her what she has learned. Her response was so simple and organic that I've mulled it around in my head like a mantra for the last week, wondering why I allow my personal running goals to be so complicated at times.

"Just go do it,"

and,

"Be your best."

With that, she shrugged her shoulders like it was nothing and kept racing ahead of me in the cold, dark evening.

As her parent, I can only hope she keeps that beautiful perspective as she continues to do what she loves.

Working Out Like A Kid

I have two daughters, ages 10 and 8, and they are both rock stars when it comes down to staying in shape. My oldest is a distance runner who runs with me regularly and finished her most recent 5K race with an 8:34 min/mile pace (no joke - she's fast!). And my eight-year-old... well, she has ABS:

No filter, unless you count the star blocking out her school logo.

How does one get ABS like this kid? Let me know when you figure out a shortcut because I sure as heck am not planning to join a gymnastics team anytime ever.  This long-haired, loud-voiced goofball was born with broad shoulders and muscles where no newborn is supposed to have muscle definition. When we discovered she has my abnormal flexibility, it was only a matter of time and oh-my-god-how-are-we-going-to-pay-for-this-insanity before she was signed up for gymnastics.

WTF

She normally spends six hours per week at the gym after school, but classes were cancelled last week due to Thanksgiving. One would think that my daughter would be off the hook and free to lounge in front of the TV filling her dimpled face with turkey and mashed potatoes, but no. Her coach sent this scary death threat out with specific directions that boiled down to this: CONDITIONING EVERY SINGLE DAY DURING THE BREAK OR BUST.

Translation: Try not to die. I dare you.

I'm moderately jealous of my kid's ability to do this kind of horrendous (and frankly, amazing) conditioning with good humor and a brace-face smile while giggling through the pain, so I decided to give some of it a shot with her.

"Hollow Hold" for 60 Seconds
Dragon's Gate Capris and Top by INKnBURN

For the record, I didn't make it very far because I had to head out for my yoga class (and also because my abs were screaming for dear life after a couple of tuck-ups following 60 seconds of hollow hold). If I'm being honest, I think this is a conditioning list worth working toward being able to do, regardless of the fact that I will never be a gymnast. However, unless you're an avid yogi and dancer, I would suggest modifying the splits, bridge, and handstand portion of the list.

This is our party trick.

I have been asked by a few people whether I think spending that many hours in a gym is a good thing for an eight-year-old to do, and my answer is this: If it were my older daughter, no. But this one? She loves every second of it. The day that she no longer enjoys it is the day that she's welcome to make the choice to spend her time doing something else. We don't push her or expect her to be on a team; we agreed to let her do it as long as 1) she makes school her priority; and 2) she continues to enjoy gymnastics.

While I am amazed by both of my daughters' natural athletic ability, I also feel like this is one thing I did correctly amidst the chaos, frustrations, and I'm sure the many mistakes I have made despite my best efforts as a parent. I want my kiddos to value physical health and mental wellness, and I see them following my footsteps when I watch them enjoy doing borderline-crazy physical activities at such young ages. I truly believe that teaching through example is one of the most effective forms of teaching, period, and seeing my girls excited to take on these kinds of physical challenges makes me proud of both them and myself for being their example.