Last Friday, I joined in on the Q&A game that's making the rounds of the Blog World. I received some great questions from some commenters, so here we go!
Megan from Watch MeGo Run asked: What will your comeback race (distance) be after LBA comes and when? Do you have a specific race in mind?
Answer: While I don't have specific races in mind yet, I do have some milestones and distances I'd like to do after the Little One arrives in January. My tentative plan is make an official race comeback with a spring 5 or 10k followed by a half-marathon in June or July. The ultimate goal is to run a fall marathon in 2012; it's been really hard to not train for anything this coming fall since I had to give up the Chicago Marathon this year.
Nothing beats this feeling!
B from I Run Like a Girl asked: Is there something you have learned from teaching that as made you a better runner? Or from running that has made you a better teacher?
Answer: Ooo, nice question. I was thinking about this the other day, actually. As I will eventually approach a lifestyle of being a wife, momma, teacher, runner, etc... I'm becoming more and more nervous about balancing it all.
But then I think of running. At one point in my life, I thought I'd never ever run a marathon. Even on the eve of my first one (Detroit, 2009), I had no clue how I was going to do it. Looking at the whole 26.2 is pretty terrifying. But Kevin and I talked about the approaching the race mile by mile, one after the other. Thinking about it in that way helped me through not just Detroit, but Kalamazoo, too.
Running forces me to calm down and take things slowly. I have to do the same with teaching, and with life, really. If you try to head into a classroom like a bull toward a red flag, you'll be out the door pretty quickly. But take it a day at a time, and things are (mostly) more manageable.
Ahh, my empty classroom. Rare that it's ever this quiet in here. :)
Tasha from Learning to Love Running asked: What's your favorite thing to eat before a run?
Answer: I heart talking about food. Let's see - for most training runs, even long ones of 16+ miles, I eat pretty light beforehand. Usually it'll be a bowl of cereal or a granola bar, maybe a banana. On long (half/full marathon) mornings, I eat a bit more - bagel with peanut butter and banana and a granola bar in the car. Also, I like to have a quick bite while I'm walking to the start corral: a packet of Gu or a few Clif Shot Bloks seem to do the trick!
Christina from The Athletarian asked: If you could be one superhero or have one superpower, what would it be and why?
Answer: Does Kara Goucher count as a superhero? No? Well then. This is a tough one. Every super power seems to have its pros and cons. And we all know how good at decision making I am.
I suppose I'd choose the ability to fly (ok, this might be due to all of the Harry Potter reading I've been doing lately). I'd never have to sit in traffic again or listen to boring FM radio. It would be faster, and I'd be able to go anywhere I want for free! No baggage checks, no being stuck in the middle seat without an armrest, no smelly airplane bathrooms. Done and done!
Paula from Eat, Watch, Run asked: Are you self-conscious about gaining weight right now and hate it? Or do you love it? Are you worried about getting back into shape after?
Answer: Self-conscious? Yes. As much as I adore being pregnant, it's been difficult to stomach (pun intended, because I do love puns) gaining weight. Knowing that I'll put on 25+ pounds is weird. I've never just said to myself, "Self, it's time you gained some weight. You have to." Usually I say, "Self, get a damn salad, go light on the dressing, and eat more fruit."
I'll be honest. Some women love every part of being pregnant, including the weight gain. I'm not really one of those women. I don't hate the weight gain, because I know it's keep LBA healthy, but I sure don't love it, either.
And I'm worried about getting back in to shape post-delivery. I see women like Heidi Klum strut down the runway 8 weeks postpartum, wearing teeny Bedazzled undies and a diamond-encrusted bra, and I'm all "Yep, that'll be me. I'll whip right back into my old body." Ha. I have a feeling it'll be much the opposite. I will want things to go back to normal quickly, but I know they won't. That's when I'll turn to running again.
I'm convinced she's a robot.
Erika from This Spartan Will asked: What are you most excited about becoming a mommy? What are you most scared of?
Answer: Let's start with the scary stuff: I'm terrified of juggling it all: new baby, work, home, running, keeping tabs on all of the reality shows I say I hate but watch anyway. Part of me wants to quit working and stay at home, but that's just not in the cards right now. And as I said earlier, it's all about taking it a day (or mile) at a time.
Most excited for: everything else. Hearing a baby's bare little feet run around our house. Taking baby for a ride in the jogging stroller. Trips to the cider mill in the fall. Reading books together. You know, all of the fun stuff :)
Jump in on the Q&A action: Tell me something random about yourself! I like to learn about the folks that actually stop by this little ol' blog once in a while!