my runner moms and the Edmonds Half Marathon!

I ran the Edmonds Half Marathon!

Last march I ran the Mercer Island half marathon in 2 hours and 45 minutes.  

And at the Edmonds Half?  Well, I killed it!!  

Racing 13.1 miles in under 2 hours, what!?!?

The race felt great, I attacked the hills and sprinted through the finish line.  Those Eric's sports shots gave me the encouragement I needed at just right times.  My 4 year old said I looked like I had a Mario star (you know the ones that make you all rainbow-y and flashy and nothing kills you and you can go super fast!?)  And you know what - thats how I felt!

In fact, as we embark on this new product adventure (it's called hunniwater and you can click here to support us!!) I'm inspired to give it everything I've got too! If I can cut 45 MINUTES off of my half marathon time, I can do anything!  And I'm going to implement the same strategies that got me here.  Finding what works for me and my family.  For me and my priorities.  

And I'll work on it every day, IN THE ZONE!!  Since starting my DIY crossfit and myfitnesspal I would say I've been (mostly) in the ZONE.   And it feels good.  I'd like to think the ZONE is where my actions line up with the goodness of my soul.  Which leads to... all the support that got me here, because that is a huge part of being in the goodness of my soul.  

And it will be a huge part as we embark on our next product!

It was probably just a year ago that I went on my first jog with some fantastic mom friends that have been with me through this whole journey.  I was huffing and puffing and shuffling my way through 2 miles, complaining with every step!  But I leaned on them, they didn't leave my side and they inspired and encouraged me (along with an Eric's Sport Shot!)  We raced the Seattle Half Marathon together last november and I had never pushed myself so hard.  We had a 9 mile run during training where I wanted to quit, to stop, to at least just run down the hill instead of up and have them come get me later!  But they kept pushing me cause they knew I could do it.  They knew I could do it when I didn't think I could.  They believed in me! And all that support and love that I felt helped set me on the path of knowing me, having faith in myself and getting to that goodness of my soul.

Those runs became a sort of therapy, where I get to revel in these beautiful women as we all struggle through kids, partners, friendships and self.  And in that struggle is the support we all need.  Because we are all trying to do the same things, right?  Do good by our kids, our families and our communities - all with love and happiness.

So mom running friends of mine - know you will always hold a special part of my heart for believing in me before I even did.  For always being there for a workout, for wine or for a cry! For helping me get to this place of strength and confidence and enthusiasm - with no complaints!

 For being such a blessing to my life, to the goodness of my soul.  

And for supporting and inspiring me still.

DIY WOD with kids!

Tonight I had the two little guys with me while I was trying to get my workout on - they don't make it easy!  We have four boys and our littlest is 19 months old and our third son just turned four.  They like attention, at all times.

Here's the workout I was working with (after taking Eric's Sport Shot of course!):

Farmers Walk 200m with two 45/35 lb Dumbbells

70 Kettlebell Swings 24/16 kg 

30 Burpees

70 Ring Rows

30 Weighted Push-ups 35/15lbs

Walking Lunge to Stop sign

I got the workout out from reading the Edmonds Crossfit WOD and seeing farmers walk and wanting to try it and then googling farmers walk WOD and finding this workout from a Crossfit gym in Tallahassee (http://www.cftally.com/blog/tag/farmers-walk).  Isn't the internet amazing!?  

So the farmers walk was not 200m.  It was however, as many times up and down the hall I could walk with Eric's two 35lb giant dumbells in my hand.  And the Kettlebell Swings were just with a 12 lb dumbell I've had for years.  I hold one end of the dumbell and swing out with the other.  But I did 70, all while trying to make sure I didn't smack my Maddox upside the head with it.  I tried to make him a little dumbbell out of train tracks but he wanted the real deal. I did 30 burpees, pausing about every 5 or 10 to get something or other for the kids.  And then all three of us hung off the kitchen table for the 70 "Ring Rows" or I should call them Kitchen Table Rows.  I had Braedon sit on my back for the Weighted pushups - he's over 30 lbs! I did the walking lunge until the kids stopped me (think I made it two time around the couch) and realizing I had no idea how far it was from the crossfit gym in Tallahassee to the stop sign. And then started on the squats and by number 30 Maddox had had enough - so I did the rest with him.  My new back squat technique:

So with the kids we added some modifications to the workout but I was still feeling pretty shaky and sweaty by the end.  And I promise Maddox was much happier than he looks in the picture!

Anything for a three year old

Did I just spend an hour of my life cutting slices of string cheese into little heart shapes for my sons snack at his preschool tomorrow? Why yes, yes I did. And only after remembering we were responsible for snack at 11:30pm. This after placing rubber bands around 52 valentines with Starbursts attached to them because the little flaps wouldn't hold them down. This after cutting out lines and curves of sticky labels to place on Marcus' basketball themed valentines box. This after cutting out hoops for said valentines box. After cutting out letters that he can put on in the morning so he doesnt have to say his mom did it all. After cutting a curly cue out of Eric's valentines box in attempt to emulate his much more elaborate chutes idea and finding name and heart stickers so he too does not have to lie when bringing his box to school as his own. This after wrangling four kids through a Dairy Queen drive thru dinner (including a trip back to get the cheeseburger they forgot) because we had spent so much time on just printing out the class rosters and labeling the valentines. And I know... I know I shouldn't have let them eat the chocolate bars that we couldn't include because they had peanuts in them. Or the dilly bar dessert either. And that perhaps bedtime would have included a lot less crazy without the sugar and the last minute franticness of it all. 
But I was looking for easy. Easy after a day that included a trip to the library where I had to drag Braedon out while he tried to hold onto everything we went by and yelling, "NOOOOO, YOU A BAD MOM... NO PRESENTS FOR YOU" all while holding Maddox. And this after 10 minutes of embarrassing mommy tactics including, but not limited to bribing with a lollipop, bribing with iPhone time, threatening with sending into calm down corner, counting to random numbers, lying about closing time and threatening to leave without him (which he said was a good idea, he will wait there and play computers). And the more I craved the easy, the crazier it got. My self inflicted ailments of overmommying have got me to this place. This place of typing one handed while comforting my coughing Braedon and just hoping these words can help bring resolve. There is no restart button.

Btw, can I also tell you that my snack plans for our "friendship" gathering tomorrow includes a mixed race grouping of Annie's bunnies and smiley face pears. I would pat myself on the back except it is 2 in the morning and I would score this day as anything but a win.  Happy Valentines Day!

Running on Eric's Sport Shot

I run on Eric's Sport Shot!!
So yesterday morning I literally ran 8 miles on Eric's SPORT SHOT with an Eric's SPORT ADE boost at mile 4. I've been training for the Seattle half marathon and have been running on a schedule where 8 miles is the farthest I've run yet. Like farthest in my lifetime. As in I am so not a runner and never thought I would be but when taking the Eric's Sport Shot you get excited to do all kinds of things... Like sign up for marathons and run 8 miles on a Sunday morning!
But even when not logging miles, I'm running on Eric's. Wake up to the morning madness, stumble around to find that Eric's Sport Shot, take it down and am ready for the day! From running the home to running this business, I am running on Eric's! Not sure there would be any other way to balancing the demands of motherhood and the demands of Eric's Energy Co.
So, for those of you running... running a marathon, running your home, your job, your business, running your LIFE, you can do it all with Eric's!