Train Like a Mother Survey: Part 4

Here's the final installation of the Train Like a Mother survey I'm filling out to help the stupendous Sarah Bowen Shea & Dimity McDowell Davis write their follow-up to "Run Like a Mother". They are looking for running mamas of all ilks so if you have XX chromosomes and have ever run a race, click on over to Another Mother Runner and bare your soul. You won't find a more supportive Tribe of Mamas anywhere!

NUTRITION
What’s your favorite pre-run meal/snack? I run pretty early in the morning so I only eat before my long runs. Usually just a banana and maybe some toast. At least 1 glass of water before any workout, too.

What do you like to eat and drink during a run? I'm lucky in that I don't have a very sensitive stomach. I generally have a gel or chew along w/ water and sports drink. I am not too fussy about flavors... just NO cherry! Blech. Every-so-often I struggle with a sudden "need to go" during a run, so before a race I normally take a couple of chewable immodium (and lots of water) a couple of hours before the gun goes off. It may just be dumb luck but so far I've never had a problem with poo on race day.

Do you have something you always eat after a long or hard run or race? If so, what’s your favorite? Pretty much every day I eat plain oatmeal flavored with cinnamon, brown sugar and dark chocolate chips along with a tablespoon or so of chia seeds. I am a SERIOUS chocolate addiction and if I don't have it I am miserable and feel like I'm STARVING all day long. I'm sure that it's a problem I ought to deal with, but the joy I get from chocolate so far outweighs the health consequences... which so far seem to be none.

What do you consume during a race? And do you carry your own fuel and fluids, or rely on what’s available at aid stations? I pretty much eat the same thing as I do on a training run. I will take what they offer, too, but I always carry my own stuff just in case I need something when there's no aid station in sight.


Have you barfed after (or during) a race? I consider it a flaw in my character that I've never, ever barfed because of physical effort. I don't really WANT to puke... but I feel like if I haven't I haven't pushed myself as much as I could.

RANDOM

Have you run through injury? If so, how did that end up? Knock wood... I haven't had any real injuries in a long time. I had cuboid syndrome when I was training for my first marathon... The cuboid is a bone in your foot and mine became “loose” and hurt "like a mother". Come to find out it was linked to our unexpected success in our practice rounds of baby making. (The joints get all loosey goosey when you're first knocked up and ta da!) I went to podiatrist who did a fancy tape job and gave me a shot of cortisone to get through the race. The foot didn't hurt at ALL during the race! And I didn't realize I was knocked up until about a week after the race.

On a scale of 1 (not at all)-10 (totally anal), how much do you pay attention to your running form? Two... I've always had decent form that works for me so I don't think about it too much.


60-second quick-fire round
Strangest thing you’ve ever seen on a run: Early this spring (it was pre-dawn) I literally almost tripped over a deer carcass on the side of the road. It's not strange to see road kill but to be almost upon something that huge before I saw it was quite startling. It also seems to me that on almost every run I see something that amuses me and makes me grin.... But damn if I can every remember it later on.

Dream running date: Sounds dumb... but my kids. I hope some day they want to and are able to run with me. My eldest was born on “(Boston) Marathon Monday” so I have a teeny hope that some day we'll run that together.

Dream running locale: Somewhere in the southwest. We have very pretty, green mountains 'round here but the red rocks and spectacular mountains of the southwest are just awesome. And a Hawaiian Beach..... And Central Park..... And Patagonia.... And Denali National Park (in summer)... And.... well, it looks like I'm sort of a dream running locale slut. Who knew?

Power song: This changes almost every run, but I always go back to “Defying Gravity” from Wicked and if I need to push through a tough section I'll hit "repeat" a couple of times.

Favorite podcast: Just one!? I love The Moth, Fresh Air, This American Life, Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me, Only a Game... Oh, and ANYTHING those wacky ladies at Another Mother Runner put out!

Best way to motivate yourself to go for a run: Remind myself of the peace & quiet I will have... and how I can strap on my invisible badge of honor when I'm done and flaunt it all day long.

Best way to entertain yourself on a long or boring run: Think of clever Facebook status updates.

A TMI running-related moment you want to share (we can do pseudonyms here): I poop in the woods. Not a lot. And not with a ton of pride. But it's been known to happen. And it's getting easier.

Proudest running moment: I am a chatty runner without a lot of, um, personality during races. I cheer people on and comment on the things I see along the way. If there's a band, I dance when I run by. I “scold” spectators who don't seem as excited about my running as I think they ought to be. I was finishing a ½ marathon in March. In the last couple of miles ALMOST accidentally spit on another runner. I was embarrassed and apologized profusely. She said, “You missed me and don't worry... You're amazing. You've totally made this race for me.” That was definitely THEE best moment of my running life.

Proudest racing moment, if it’s not the same as above: My fairly unexpected BQ in September of 2010. I felt great afterward and breezed through a busy afternoon and a late night of community theater rehearsal.

When I cross a finish line, I feel: Proud and happy and pooped and thirsty and ouchie and stinky and hungry and relieved and.... "what's next!?"