Another Mother Runner - that's definitely what I am

When training in 2009, my poor, post-preggers feet fell to pieces under the strain of too much relaxin and too many miles too soon. I was in terrible pain by the end of February and just assumed the worst: a stress fracture. Instead, after a visit to a sports ortho/podiatrist and with the insight of his PT (another new mom!), we diagnosed instead a ligament strain.

The relief!
The joy!
I could still run!

It did though mean about 2-3 weeks of cross training to give that ligament time to heal and to maintain the fitness that I had built up. Now how was that going to work? Something pinged in my head and I dug through two years worth of Runner's Worlds to find the article I was looking for: Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea's article about training for the 2007 Nike Women's marathon. Not only were these two inspiration as mother runners, both were taller than me, both were recovering rowers and both spoke that ex-rower language: a mix of supportive, smart, but don't you dare be a wuss smack talk that, well, spoke to me.

Those who know that article also know that Dimity had to cross-train through much of her training for that marathon and I took the plan they laid out and made it mine. I had another month longer to train than Dimity did so I got in my 20 miler, but that plan was what got me back on my feet (stronger, less painful feet!) and to the finish line in my first DFMC in 2009.

Dimity (@Dimityontherun) and Sarah (@SBSontherun) are now the creators and force behind an amazing resource for mother runners, actually any runner, that started with their book: Run Like a Mother and now can also be accessed via their website http://anothermotherrunner.com/ and all of their various social media channels. Both continue to train and inspire with their own stories: Dimity the Ironmother and Sarah the BostonQualifier, but they have also created a tribe of both writers and runners that are proud to put #BAMR on any tweet, post, and instagram.

So it's really with a lot of pride, a few tears, and many many thanks to the #AMRtribe that I'm pretty amazed and happy to say I'm this weeks "AMR Follow this Mother":

 http://anothermotherrunner.com/2014/02/12/amr-love-week-follow-mother/

Amazing kudos too to author, Heather Johnson Durocher (@MichRunnerGirl), who handled my crazy emails with total class and produced a beautiful blog post out of them.

Thanks ladies for both unknowingly supporting my 2009 #DFMC and now, going above and beyond for another mother runner for this years #DFMC25

#BAMR forever