In order to put things back into the perspective after the terrible tragedy at the Boston Marathon yesterday, I went home hugged my husband and kids and I went on a family run.  We strapped the kids in the double jog stroller and went to our favorite lake and ran.  Not unlike the rest of the world, I am stunned, shocked, horrified and restless.  Who would do this? Why would you do this? My heart aches for the father who lost his precious son and his wife and daughter suffered major injuries while waiting for him to cross the finish line of the Boston Marathon. I am saddened that spectators who came to share in a glorious moment of celebration with their family member(s) and/or friends will forever associate this tragedy with the Boston Marathon. I am sad that runners/racers will be concerned – myself included – that entering any major race is no longer safe or fun.  Why put ourselves in harm’s way? Should we race? Should our family come out and celebrate with us? While my heart heals, my legs will keep running.  Yes, I will continue to race. Yes, I want my family to celebrate my accomplishments with me. Yes, I will still be fearful that we are in harm’s way.  But, I will keep going.   Each day I am suffering on the bike, or tired of the monotony in the pool, or breathless running fartleks, I be grateful that I can still run and I have my wonderful family around to support me.  I am grateful that my teammates racing the Boston Marathon were all safe. My prayers and thoughts go out to all those who lost a loved one or have loved ones injured. From the Washington Post Boston...

In honor of Title IX 40th Anniversary, here is Nike’s new commercial uses “empowerment” to sell us stuff, but that doesn’t mean we don’t love it anyway.

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I wanted to share this awesome commercial from Procter & Gamble (P&G) honoring everything that all moms do to help their children succeed by showcasing the amazing moms behind Olympic athletes at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The hardest job in the world is truly the best job in the world. “Being a mom is the hardest job in the world. But it’s also the best.”...

[category_specific_rss_menu] *Updated April 22, 2013 For a comprehensive list of 2013 & 2014 stroller friendly races, please see the Stroller Friendly Race Calendar.  We currently have more than 1000 races listed and adding approximately 20 races weekly. *********** January 17, 2012 Stroller friendly races are hard to find. While many races discourage or outright prohibit the use of jog strollers during the race, I have found several races that offer special start times to strollers and some that encourage all family participation. Although, in search of stroller friendly races, I have not found one comprehensive list anywhere. Sites such as Running in the USA, Active.com, or Runner’s World do not have a search filter for “jogging strollers”, so in order to find out if races are jog stroller friendly, you have to contact each individual race director. As you can well imagine this is a daunting task, especially for parents who are trying to plan out their race schedules for the year.  Don’t get me wrong, I do plenty of races sans jog stroller – my husband and I switch of race days or get someone to watch our son – but, there are times it is nice to bring him to “race”.  As you know, for whatever reason, not all parents have the luxury of having someone else watch their child, so racing without them is not an option. One note:  I do encourage anyone racing with a jog stroller to abide by Jog Stroller Racing Etiquette. This is very important not only for the safety of you and your baby, but also for the other runners. I began doing research on stroller friendly races and reaching out to the race directors of each race so I can develop a 2012 stroller friendly...

With the end of 2011 approaching rapidly, I finally got on the ball and finalized my 2012 race schedule not just for motivations purposes, but I needed to set goals other than trying to conceive our third child.  After the birth our son in February 2010, Brett and I decided that over the course of the next couple of years, my triathlons would be limited to Sprints and Olympic (International) distances.  Not would this allow me time to recover from the first pregnancy, but we knew we wanted to try for our second within a short period of time of having our first. Before getting into my race schedule let me give some background history. The 2010 season began; I received approval six weeks after giving birth from my doctor to begin exercising and four weeks later I was competing in my first triathlon of the season and to top it off it was my first Mother’s Day.  Throughout the season, I competed in five triathlons (Sprint and Olympic) and two running races, while Brett completed in his first two half Ironman’s. When the season came to a close in late October 2010  – for me, I was almost ready to begin trying for a second baby.  With a bit more convincing from my hubby, we began trying in January 2011. We are planners and very much goal oriented people, so Brett and I were trying to “ensure” the birth of the second child did not come to close to his first Ironman, which was held November 28, 2011.  I really wanted to be there to support him. So low and behold, we got pregnant for the second time in May 2011. Perfect right?!?! I was due to give birth in February 2012, which...

  [category_specific_rss_menu] For those of you on a budget, but with a bit of time and energy, here are some ideas items to include in an Ultimate Gift Bag for Running Moms (and Dads too) that you can throw together online or with a short trip to your local sports store. Depending on  how much money you want to spend The Ultimate Gift Bag for Running Moms (and Dads too) can cost you as little as $50. Of course, if Santa is feeling generous, you can always add something from the 10 Must Have Holiday Gifts That Every Running Mom Needs or the 10 Great Stocking Stuffer for Running Moms. 1.  Bag/Basket You can purchase a relatively inexpensive basket from Target, craft store, Amazon, etc. However, if you are interested in your running, multisport mom or dad using it for multiple uses, consider purchasing a duffel bag, swim, sling or transition bag to put all your items in. You can purchase a relatively inexpensive transition bag for $49.99 or a mesh sling bag for $14.95. 2.  Body Glide, Lansinoh Nipple Cream, and/or Aquaphor – to prevent chaffing, also great for prevent blistering. Body Glide ($8.95) can be bought online or purchased at any local running store; it is good to prevent chaffing. Lansinoh Nipple Cream ($27.85) is not only great for breastfeeding moms, but it works just as well as and perhaps better than Body Glide to prevent chaffing, plus it is great lip balm and prevents feet from blistering. Aquaphor ($7.99) is multi-purpose ointment as well. It is great to prevent chaffing, body cream for babies and toddlers, and great lip protection and prevent your feet from blistering. I have used all three; I am partial to Aquaphor, then Lansinoh Nipple Cream and...

  [category_specific_rss_menu] Are you feeling uncertain what to buy that special running, mom or woman in your life?  Perhaps, you are running out of time as well.  With the help of other running moms, here are the 10 Must Have Holiday Gifts for Running Moms.  This is part two to my series on great gifts for active moms that focuses on the necessities running moms around the country have weighed in on. The items on this list are more expensive items than you will find on my 10 Great Stocking Stuffer for Running Moms.  I organized the 10 Must Have Holiday Gifts That Every Running Mom Needs into four categories: Running Watch, Motivation, Fashion, and Accomplishments.   RUNNING WATCH 1.  Garmin Forerunner® 310XT ($349.99 basic unit w/out the HR monitor; $399 w/HR monitor) This watch is great for both runners and triathletes alike. To me this is the mega of all watches, but of course that depends on what you are looking for in a watch. I am a triathlete and runner, so I wanted a watch that was able to track all three sports. However, I have definitely not used this watch to its full potential. Some key features that are especially important for runners are the 20 hour battery, GPS features, Heart Rate Monitor; and Run, Sync, and Store features. Depending on how much you budgeted for your special running mom or lady in your life, this might be more than you are willing to spend.  However, if you are truly wanted to make her feel special and show her how much you support her running or triathlon habit, this might be the gift for you. The Garmin Forerunner 310XT basic unit without the heart rate monitor is $349 and with the...

  [category_specific_rss_menu] Since holiday gift buying season is now – with the help of other running mama’s – I gathered enough information to write a two part series on great gifts for active moms: 10 Great Stocking Stuffers for Running Moms and 10 Must Have Holiday Gifts Every Running Mom needs. Part One focuses on 10 Great Stocking Stuffers for the running, multi-sport mom or a special woman in your life. These little gifts are small enough to be placed into an already stuffed stocking. Just remember, although these items are small, doesn’t always mean inexpensive. I organized the 10 Great Stocking Stuffers into five categories: Accessories, Fashion, Motivation, Music Lovers, and Recovery and Relaxation.   ACCESSORIES If your loved one loves to be active—and stylish—then accessories are the way to go. 1.  Road ID The Road ID ($19.99) offers stylish bracelets in different colors to fit your athlete’s persona.  In the event of an accident, if you can’t speak for yourself, your Road ID will.  I use my Road ID for every activity. I have mine in hot pink and my hubby has his in orange. 2.  Head Bands If you’re looking for something more fun, yet practical, why not pick up some headbands. Running or working out with hair in your face is annoying—a sturdy headband keeps hair in its place, and your athlete can focus on her workout. Many running and triathlete moms I asked suggest Bondi Bands. Bondi Bands are are a comfy, colorful and creative way to hold your hair back with a wicking favorite.  According to some moms, you can also get them personalized as well. Active.com suggests Sweaty Bands ($6) offers cute styles and never slips.  Sweaty Bands are the ultimate sports and fitness headband, uniquely designed...

  [category_specific_rss_menu] As a full-time working, triathlete, and running mom I find it difficult to fit daily exercise into my already tight schedule. My time, like most parents, is scheduled down to the minutes. But for me, exercise is my coffee.  If I do not exercise I am grumpy, I don’t have the extra bounce in my step and as my husband will attest to more difficult to deal with. Don’t get me wrong, I do love my coffee in the morning too. Furthermore, because I train for races and so does my husband, I sometimes get the “catholic” guilt that I am training and I am not spending more time with my son. Every now and then, I need a reminder that leading a healthy lifestyle makes me a better mom. Of course, I am not the first mom who’s had to balance family, work and exercise into my daily life, but after having my son it became just that more difficult.  After giving birth, I began searching for inspirational books, and running communities of moms who could relate to similar issues that I was facing. I came across these two great books Run Like a Mother and Hot (Sweaty) Mamas. These books are great, quick reads that do not require a lot of your time or money.   Run Like A Mother This book is filled with essays based on the personal experiences of the authors, two women who are runners, have full-time jobs, and are also wives and mothers. It is hard to do all of these things effectively, but this book argues that running, because of its side benefits to mood and self-image, is an essential part of life regardless of the inconvenience. It touches on all topics in respect...