Marathon weekend came and went and I’m happy to report that… we conquered!

The Baltimore Marathon was the fourth marathon I have participated in. It is my opinion that each marathon is its own unique experience and will be forever remembered as such. Besides being my pal Lori’s first marathon, the Baltimore Marathon will forever remain ingrained in my mind for its H I L L S. (11 miles of them, to be exact. Or so Lori figured out.)

Obviously, I’m still a little sore. (Not to mention walking down stairs backwards.)

Here’s the rundown:

Although we live close enough to drive, our little group decided it be best to rent a room near to the event to ensure maximum sleepage. (Sleepage is a word, right?) Of course, sleeping was second priority next to food. (Hey, what good is all that running if a girl can’t get a decent meal?) We had the most scrumptious marathon eve meal of burgers and wine at Pratt Street Ale House. Best. Burger. Ever.

Race day was fantastic. The weather was perfectly cool and crisp. Ideal running weather, to be sure.

We had agreed ahead of time that this marathon would be one that we (especially Lori) would enjoy. No time goals. No pressure. We stopped to take pictures along the way, we enjoyed the scenery (well, SOME of the scenery, Baltimore has some less than lovely places that the marathon happens to run through and those place require police protection) and really soaked up the experience.

My nemesis the IT band made a throbbing appearance around mile 16 but luckily there was a medical tent nearby so I got some assistance. Crisis averted. Because 10 miles of throbbing pain would have been less-than-pleasant. Can I say that again? Less. Than. Pleasant.

Do we look happy? Of course we do! By the way, Lori and I earned a second medal called the Maryland Double for completing the combination of Frederick Half-Marathon and Baltimore Full Marathon. It is large and heavy and difficult to wear. I heart it.

A huge shout out to the staff and volunteers of the Baltimore Running Festival who provided the best race support that I have ever experienced on a course. Always enough water. Always enough Gatorade. Plenty of Power Gels, food, bathrooms and medical attention available. It was a well-oiled machine in terms of attention to detail.

As I feared, Lori was instantly addicted and looking towards her second marathon. (Darn Katie totally rubbed off on her.) And as for Katie, she runs the New York Marathon and the JFK 50 in November. She is nuts. (But I love her.)

And now to figure out my next big goal. Hmm… any suggestions?

Well, kids. It is official. Tomorrow is the big day…. the 2011 Baltimore Marathon.

As I have mentioned before, this race is important for SO MANY REASONS. It is not just another marathon. Not just another medal. Not just another one of those “crazy things that people do.” Nope.

IT IS REPRESENTATIVE OF SOMETHING BIGGER.

It is about Lori’s (above) personal journey of weight loss (105 pounds) and personal transformation. It is about one woman’s mind shift from “not being able to walk a mile” to running FREAKING 26.2 miles.

It is big stuff. The kind of stuff that changes your life and inspires strangers to give their dreams a try.

I feel privileged to be a part of it.

My official objective for the race is to GET THE GIRL ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. I am part entertainment committee, part coach and part soul sister. There is no guarantee that our trio (Lori, Katie and I) won’t cry once we cross the finish line. In fact, I think that is a given… I am already so proud of her accomplishments.

Okay, enough of all that serious stuff! We leave later today to head out to Baltimore. We’re staying in town to ensure the maximum amount of uninterrupted-by-children-and-husbands sleep time. We’re bringing ridiculous amounts of GU, Body Glide, chia seeds, Gatorade and peanut butter with us. We’ve got matching Aztec Warrior race shirts. We’re giddy with anticipation… WE ARE READY!

If you want to follow along on the journey, you can track us via this nifty T-Mobile runner tracking option. I am bib 1243. T-Mobile has also set it up so that my Twitter account will automatically tweet my progress. How cool is that?

My husband loves ab work. He can crunch, plank and damage the hell of of his mid-section and not bat an eye. I, well, let’s just say that I whine about it a lot. (Understatement of year, my friends.)

In fact, I would go so far as to say that I would pretty much rather do any other type of exercise than involve myself in core work. As runners go, I realize that I’m not exactly the brightest crayon in the box. Because core work and running go hand in hand.

I know, I know… I was skeptical of the correlation between the two as well. Which is why I asked Kip Jawish, owner of IN-FIT Studio to give me/us some insight on the subject. (BTW – I hestitate to call Kip “my trainer” because that would make our relationship too real and quite frankly, trainers scare the bejeezus out of me. So we’ll just call him Kip-the-great-guy-who-knows-a-thing-or-two-about-fitness. See how less scary that sounds?)

Kip Jawish. See? Told you trainers scare the bejeezus out of me.

Oh my Lord… 1o days until I run the Baltimore Marathon.

This race is completely sneaking up on me.

The girls and I did our last long run this past Saturday. (17 miles) It was extra special for me, not only because it was the last official double digit run before the big event but also because my friend Kim joined in. I haven’t run with her for years. Literally. (She is Marine Corps Marathon bound.)

As I ran with Kim, Lori and Katie this week I felt an overwhelming sense of pride with regards to the company I was keeping. These women all have small children. Jobs. Demanding schedules. (Hell, Kim wakes up at 3:30am some days just to get her run in.) But each of them has a goal. Each has a dream. And I am so thrilled to be a part of that. Because there is nothing… NOTHING… like crossing that finish line and achieving that goal.

In any event…

I’ve got a couple of details to attend to before race day:

• New running hat. This is a must.
• New sports bra. (TMI? Perhaps.)
• Roctane, Body Glide and Chia stock up.
• Sleep. Water. Repeat.

I still can’t believe it is only 10 days away!

The boys and I participated in a one mile charity run together this weekend to benefit a local elementary school. It was the first race we’ve ever done as a family.

I’ll be honest, I had the inside scoop on this race and it was the reason why I pushed them to go with me.  I was told (by a super secret source, naturally) that the race directors would be giving away real finishing medals to the kids who participated. My boys are suckers for medals. (Just like their momma!) I was secretly hoping that it would get them jazzed about running and they would want to try another one.

I needn’t have worried. The minute they hit the field their competitive spirit surfaced.

In fact, my own son looked his mother up and down and brazenly declared, “No offense mom, but I’m probably gonna have to leave you behind.”

And you know what? Both boys smoked me.

I couldn’t be prouder.

Best. 20 Mile. Run. Ever.

Brand new shoes. 7:00a.m. Mile 12.

This past Saturday morning was one of those days that reinforced my love for running. The sky was blue, the air was crisp, we all felt great and the conversation flowed…  it was the most perfect running day. (Insert heavenly choir here.)

Understand that our little trio is comprised of moms, so in order to hammer out the mileage that is required and still take care of our kids and responsibilities, we have to start quite literally before the sun rises. We meet at 5am and run for a good hour and a half before any sunshine peeks out. (It is not as bad as you are envisioning it, I promise. Okay, I admit that waking up at 4am does kind of suck. But other than that it is not bad at all.)

This week’s goal was 20 miles. Considering the fact that we scrapped last week’s run due to an overwhelming feeling of sickness from the crew, I was more than surprised that we felt so strong.

To top off the most perfect day, a random balloon arch was magically constructed in the park by our cars sometime during our four hour run.

Lori and her longest run to date!

This balloon arch coincided exactly with our GPS 20 mile mark. So, of course… we ran through it with our arms in the air hooting the whole way. (OF COURSE we did. Like you wouldn’t?)

Upcoming training strategy – working in a couple more hill runs prior to the Baltimore Marathon. That course is hilly!

GIVEAWAY ALERT!

For weeks now I have been attributing my energy levels to my new found chia seed obsession. And each week I get questions on Facebook and via email requesting more info about them.

So this week I am especially thrilled to offer a CHIA SEED GIVEAWAY! How would you like to win a two pound bag of Chia Seeds from ChiaSeedsDirect.com? Chia Seeds Direct not only offers the high quality chia seeds at low prices, but they also have free shipping on all U.S. orders. And as a bonus, they also offer a downloadable  free 16-page booklet on chia seeds, chia seeds benefits and chia seeds recipes.

How can you win?

• Like Hip As I Wanna Be on Facebook
• Tweet (If not on Twitter, post on Facebook): I just entered to win a fab #momsrunning #giveaway via @jennifergerlock : http://wp.me/pt2KK-1H3
• Leave me a comment here telling me you did both.

I’ll draw the winner and announce it on Saturday, September 24th. Good luck!

The training run for this week was 18 miles.

18 miles!

And I rocked it. Which shocked me. This week I only managed to get in one measly training run. No cross-training. Pathetic.

Exactly why my run this week was so shocking. I should not have been as strong as a I was. I should have needed a huge nap. The only thing I can attribute it to is my new friend the chia seed.

I know, I know. Seems every week I am talking about chia. But folks, truly….The more I read about and the more I use it,  the more of a convert I become.

An excerpt from Born to Run (which, YAY, I am finally reading)…

“In terms of nutritional content, a tablespoon of chia is like a smoothie made from salmon, spinach and human growth hormone. As tiny as those seeds are, they’re superpacked with omega-3s, omega-6s, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, fiber and antioxidents. If you had to pick just one desert-island food, you couldn’t do much better than chia, at least if you were interested in building muscle, lowering cholesterol, and reducing your risk of heart disease; after a few months on the chia diet, you could probably swim home.”

In my own personal experience it is kicking my energy levels up so far that I barely need coffee any longer. (A good thing because I drink way too much for my own good.) I’m also staying hydrated better and have am not nearly as hungry. If you are trying your hand at any type of running program, be it a 5k, 10k, 1/2 marathon or full, I really recommend you give chia a try. (Frederick folks can find it in bulk at the Common Market.)

Some recipes to start you out:

Coconut Lime Chia Fresca

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs chia seeds
• 2 cups coconut water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
  

Combine all ingredients in a glass and stir to combine. Let rest for ten minutes. Stir once more and set aside for ten minutes longer. Serve chilled. (Serves 1-2)

Vanilla Almond Chia Delight

• 1 1/2 cups of vanilla almond milk
• 4 1/2 Tbs chia seeds
• 2 Tsp cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Let rest for five minutes. Stir again to separate clumping. Let rest for 1o minutes. Stir a final time and  set aside for fifteen minutes longer. Mixture should thicken to a resemble a slightly runnier version of tapioca pudding. Serve chilled. (Serves 2)

My new favorite running shirt!

Have I convinced you yet? GOOD.

Sadly, my old friend the IT BAND started messing with me at mile 17.8 (or something ridiculous like that) so I am trying to take it easy and STRETCH like a mad woman. That is pretty much all I have to report. (Check out my running pal Lori’s column this week to read her perspective.)

BIG SHOUT OUT to my friend Michele who finished her first 1/2 marathon today! I am so proud of her dedication!

I’m so excited! Big changes were just announced to the marathon course this year.

Guess what?

We’re running through the Maryland zoo!

Who thinks it is fun to run alongside penguins and polar bears? ME!

Plus another cool location just announced on the course is the campus of Under Armour’s corporate world headquarters in Tide Point. I’m totally stoked about that as well. (After all, I buy a ton of Under Armour for my family so I’m geeky like that.) If you are a running this year’s marathon or just plain curious, feel free to take a gander at the 2011 Baltimore Marathon course map.

Fun fact – 25,000 total runners are expected to participate in this year’s festival. Wow!

So this week the gang had to split up for the long run because I had a soccer tournament. (Yes, we were attending a soccer tournament the same day that Hurricane Irene hit the area. Soccer people are nuts. And by people I mean the crazies running it.) So I ended up running the 10 miles alone on a treadmill in my basement the next day. It wasn’t as bad as I anticipated, probably because I watched Julie & Julia at the same time. (One of my most favorite movies in the world.)

Oh! Completely forgot to update you on the chia experiment! I’ve been using chia for the past week and a half and I’ve noticed a few things:

• I’m fuller longer.
• I have more energy.
• On a run, my water is lasting longer and I am not as parched.

You may want to give it a try yourself. See how it works for you.

And finally, to prove to people that I am not the only crazy runner in the world, I give you this:

Still think *I* am the crazy one?

I sometimes forget how hard marathon training is.

Isn’t that ridiculous?

I forget until I’m right up in the action. Like, at mile 14 when I am wishing that I had just SLEPT IN and that the last damn hill wasn’t on the route.

It is usually then I realize what an undertaking marathon training is.

Training FORCES me to think of myself and my body in a different way. I think about sleep. I think about nutrition. I try new strategies and buy products that confuse my husband.

Anyway, this week’s update:

We hit the crazy 16 this week. As awesome as it feels to say that out loud, there is always that little voice in the back of my head screaming “How the hell am I supposed to do 10 more?!”

But we will get there. Step by step. Week by week. GU by GU…

This week’s run was fueled by the following tune:

Don’t ask. Around mile 15 runners typically start admitting things that normal folk wouldn’t. Like the fact that some of us listen to Radio Disney even when our kids aren’t in the car. I may or may not be outing myself here.

There is something spectacular about being able to claim that you’ve run 15 miles before the majority of the world has even stirred from their beds.

Not that I love the fact that I have to get up at 4:00am to do it or anything. (Totally beside the point.) It is sometimes worth it just for the Facebook update and resulting insults and gasps from friends. Bonus: totally missed the rain!

Today’s run was pretty intense though. I’ve been on vacation so I only ran twice this week with walking (as in on the boardwalk and on the streets of New York) as my only cross training. I was pretty much exhausted. Plus, genius that I am, I didn’t eat well prior to going. (No, a half of a muffin will not fuel you for very long. Just in case you were wondering.) I brought two GUs with me but a couple of times I found myself shaky. I should have brought Sport Beans as a back up. (Face palm!)

And to further demonstrate my brilliance, or lack thereof, I figured out mid run that we are only 63 days away from the Baltimore Marathon. NINE.WEEKS. I am nowhere near where I want to be and I have only nine measly weeks to turn it around. I’m not strong enough! I’m not serious enough! I’m not mentally focused enough!

((Sigh))

So the big nutrition discussion this run was about chia seeds. (Yes, THAT chia. Go ahead, sing the jingle. I can’t resist it either.) This whole chia discussion came from Lori & Katie having read Born To Run and learning about the Tarahumara. (Now, I’ve not read Born To Run yet so bare with me…) The Tarahumara are “the running people” on which most of the book is based. They are  a Mexican tribe of superathletes who run 50 or 100 miles at a time for pure enjoyment, without effort. They rely on chia to help them run these incredible distances. The girls are embarking on a little chia experiment. Turns out there are a ton of benefits to adding Chia seeds to your diet. Who knew? I’m ordering myself some this week. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

So anyway, that is the update so far. I still can’t believe the marathon is so close. Slightly panicked now….