Searfoss - See Mom Run: Every Mothers Guide to Getting Fit and Running Her First 5K

Avon, Massachusetts

This book is dedicated to Noreen,
Queen Mother of the Hill,
Always a mother, always a runner, always my friend.

I believe I can fly.

Endless studies extol the virtues of running. It improves your cardiovascular fitness, sculpts legs, hones your core, and invigorates your mind. Done on a regular basis, it can even help you fit into those skinny jeans you have tucked into the back of your closet for the day when youre back to your fighting weight. Running is inexpensive (no fancy equipment required!), and something you can do almost anywhere, so it is perfect for a mom who usually is running for everyone but herself. Yet many of us remain intimidated by the idea of joining the growing ranks of runners throughout the country. We dont see ourselves as athletes, or runners. But why not? Whats stopping us? And, most importantly, where do we start?

Running is an incredible resource for fitness and me time. It may not always seem like you have the time, but I promise you that every mother has it in her to run for fitness, for fun, or for friendship. This book will arm you with the technical advice you need to get started, inspire you with some you go girl enthusiasm, and give you the confidence you deserve to become a runner. You can run, you will run, and you may even convert your closest friends.

Lets be honest; there are always reasons not to start running: Youve just had a baby, you drive five carpools, you are delicately balancing work and family, and the laundry is on an endless cycle of wash, re-wash and unwrinkle. If youve picked up this book, it means you are searching for reasons to get started, and there are many. Maybe youre looking for a convenient way to get fit, or lose lingering baby weight. Maybe you have seen women running together and are looking for a more social exercise. Or perhaps you are intrigued by the challenge of a 5K race after hearing others talk about how much fun they have had with the distance. No matter what your reasons, youll find this book to be an easy resource for getting yourself motivated, training, and running. There are individual training programs, meant for women at different ability levels. You pick the one that works best for you, your schedule, and your family:

• Creeping: Making the Time and Preparing the Body to Run by Walking
• Crawling: Building the Run with Run/Walk Intervals
• Cruising: Running Throughout the Workout
• Climbing: Running Competitively

I remember clearly the day I made the decision to become a runner. I stepped out the door to take those first baby steps, and no one was there to cheer, video, or photograph me (and for that I am thankful). I was a new mom with a job outside the home. I was bleary-eyed and sleep deprived with no time to exercise, but I realized I desperately needed to make time for myself. It wasnt easy, and, in fact, there were many times starting out when I felt defeated and embarrassed. Running felt too hard, too awkward, and too exhausting.

I kept running, and then gradually it happenedI started to notice that running relieved my stress and made me feel healthier; I slept better and my outlook on our new crazy family life was brighter. I made time to run and my life magically gained time. I suddenly had the energy to do all the things that needed to get done. My body began to adapt and respond too. I was leaner, stronger, and soon I craved the exhilarating feeling that running gave me.

See Mom Run is meant to help you find that feeling too. Running can be difficult when youre starting out, so together we will deconstruct and demystify the exercise to make it more understandable and, best yet, achievable. This book is meant to give you the inspiration to keep running when you just dont feel like it, the motivation even when its hard, and perspiration it takes for you to be the best you can be. You will discover the benefits of running, and learn what kind of gear you need, and how simple reminders of form will help you move your body the way it was meant to run. Well talk about the motivation to find the time away from the kids (or even with the kids) and to get out the door. Even if you have never run or exercised before, my tried-and-true 5K training guides will help you feel ready and able to finish a 5K. And then we will cross the finish line together, and help you find your groove as both a mother and a runner.

Running can be an individual or a social exercise. It can be fast or conversational. It benefits your legs and lungs, but also your mind and spirit. It will carry you through some of the lowest points in your life and then lift you up to your greatest personal accomplishments. Running is sometimes drudgery, but mostly pure joy. You will never regret a runthough you might regret not running.

Running has made me a better person, wife, mother, friend, but most importantly, a better self, and it will do the same for you. Surprisingly, as a mom, when I thought there was not an extra minute in the day, running created time. I hope by reading See Mom Run you will find the joy of running and reconnect with the feeling you experienced as a child. Whether it is for fitness, fun, friendship, or to run your first 5K, it shouldnt be daunting or scary to run because, after all, its who we are and its what we do. Run Like a Mother, like you already do, but this time make it for you.

Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it.

Oprah Winfrey

Magical things happen when you become a runner. Some changes you will see: Your clothes will fit better and your body will feel firmer. But it also affects you in more subtle ways. You just feel differenthappier, more confident, and energetic. Running challenges your mind and body in ways you cant imagine at first, and then it becomes a predictable, steady friend you can count on. Its benefits and effects are varied and endless, as every outing can provide a different challenge as terrain, miles, distance, and years go by.

During our overscheduled lives, as moms we may feel that taking even a sliver of time for ourselves is selfish and irresponsible. If that sliver comes, certainly there is something you must have missed: a school project deadline, a PTA meeting, or the laundry that never seems to be done. You are pulled in twenty different mom directions every day, leaving no time for you. How could you possibly fit running into your schedule?

The truth is that everyone feels this way when theyre getting started. Its worth it to carve out that time, because the benefits of running are truly greater than simply strengthening the legs that propel you. Your mind, your time, and your family will benefit. It may sound incredulous to say that simply moving your feet will change your world, but it will. The running time you take, even if its only a small part of your week, will positively influence the rest of your day and change your life in wonderful, healthy ways.

Through this book, I wont intimidate you with discussions of mitochondria, adenosine triphosphate, lactate threshold, or macrocycles, and I wont insist you buy anything more than a supportive bra, non-cotton socks, real running shoes, a chronograph watch for running, and a stability ball for strength training. I cant guarantee you dramatic weight loss or a Boston Marathonqualifying run, because thats not what this book is intended to do. I can promise you, though, that if you give running a chance, you will prime your body to be capable of doing whatever you set out to do. Running doesnt discriminate. There is no single body type, no specific pace, or stay-at-home versus working-mom requisite. Running is an individual exercise that knows no time boundary, no membership fee, and no crazy routine to follow in front of unforgiving mirrors and blaring music. It will help you become healthier and leaner, and more confident. You will stand taller, and best of all, you will think more clearly.