a while back mallory (from
Run. Eat. Teach.) and i started talking about guest posting for each other. i wrote
this post for her blog, and today she has written this post for my blog! stop over to her blog and say hello, shes very inspiring and has a really cute baby boy just like hen!
Woohoo! I
am so excited to get to guest post for Danielle today! We have followed each
other's blogs now for about a year, but when our sons were born, we really
started clicking. We give each other tips and share our boys' milestones. It's
nice having someone to connect with on such similar topics.
I believe
my son is just a few weeks older than little Henry. Isn't he just adorable?
Joseph Isaac Hood
May 14th, 2013
8 lbs. 10 oz.
21.5 inches long
Me and my buddy!
Well, I
am Mallory Hood, English teacher by day and self-proclaimed wannabe writer by
night. I read. I drink coffee. I watch How I Met Your Mother, the Office, and
old episodes of Seinfeld. I'm a closet Lifetime movie fan. I love Christmas
movies. If I could have five Christmas trees, I would. (I will one day.) I
really like my husband. I cook. I try to clean. I try new things. I often sign
up for too many things at one time, get really stressed out about it, then feel
really awesome when I get them done. I teach people how to use the English
language although if you're not from the South, it might not sound like I know
what I'm talking about. I love to shop on the internet. I play piano and sing.
I'm crazy tall. My eye twitches if I don't have supper by five o'clock. I love
peanut butter in my oatmeal. My maw maw (Southern for Grandma and Grandmother)
is my hero. I am drawn to disciplined, goal-oriented, self-motivated people. I
have the best running buddies a girl could ask for. I love Basset hounds. I
have a cat named Gray Cat. I am a mom to my husband's mini me. I love being a
mom, and I think I could do it again one day. I am predictable, and I love
routine. Writing books or being a freelance writer in my pajamas would be my
dream job. Green is my favorite color. My faith in God keeps me centered,
stable, and happy.
Now for
the fun stuff. I love finding out about how runners tick, especially those who
are faster than I am (ahem...Danielle). Maybe these tips will help a sister
(and maybe a brother) out.
How did
it all begin?
My
running story begins on a sunny day in Alabama at the end of March of 2011. I
had just recently recovered from what seems like a lifetime of mental torture.
I battled with food and weight issues for around ten years. Name a diet, and I
had tried it. The scale had gone up and down so many times, it had whiplash. I
tried pills, cleanses, starving, getting rid of food in all unimaginable ways,
and over exercising (although some might consider what I do now as just
that...). After years and years and years of praying and learning about who I
am, failed tips at seeing nutritional therapists, and taking ridiculous pills
that did not help me, God finally got through to me. I guess you could say I
had an epiphany. I was tired of being dull and boring. I was tired of attaching
my identity to what I had been doing to myself. When I really thought about
what truly made me happy, I thought about being in college with my friend
Janell walking track and talking about life. I thought about hiking with my
husband up in the mountains or walking the fourteen mile trek to see a giant
tree in our national forest (Yes, it happened. Yes, there's a giant tree.) I
thought about swimming in the summer with my friend Whitney when we were little
girls. It finally occurred to me that everything that made me happy was when I
was with friends and family doing something active. Now back to 2011. That day
was originally going to be spent walking the track as I had done for an
incalculable amount of times, days, years. But I decided before I headed out
that I wanted more than just the same...just as I had realized with my life as
a whole almost a year before. I began my running journey that day just by
deciding that I was going to jog one lap and walk one until I got to two miles.
I liked it so much, I decided to do it again the next day but jog two laps and
walk one that time around. The next thing I knew, I was signing up for a 5k
(even though I originally had no idea what a 5k was). I ran my first one on May
19th, 2011. I gave blood the day before, so I felt terrible. You know. Everyone
knows it's ok to runs miles and miles the day after you give blood. It took me
36 minutes, but I knew after the moment I crossed the finish line, I wanted to
beat my time. It really is addictive. The next 5k in July was 31 minutes, and
the next one in September was 26. The next thing I knew, I had signed up for a
10k in October. When I ran that, I decided on a half in December. Well, I guess
you know what happened next. I ran my first marathon in February of 2012. If
I'm not chasing a PR, I'm chasing a new distance. I keep wondering if I'll ever
find that place where I don't want to run anymore. I sure hope not!
This
is me at my first 5k
My first half marathon
Why do
you run?
I run
because it literally sets me free. If you want to really experience nature, run
through it. If you want to clear your head, run. If you want to have time to
really sort through your problems, run. If you want to develop some of the best
friendships you'll ever have, run. If you want to eat a whole pizza and a
carton of ice cream all in the same day, run. It has been one of the best
things that has ever happened to me, and I hope I can be a part of the
runnerverse for the rest of my life. I wouldn't care a bit in the world if
Isaac wanted to grow up and be a runner, either.
My awesome
running buddies!
I was pregnant here. This was my first half with
Isaac.
Me and Janell!
What are
the biggest challenges you face as a running mama?
Time.
Finding time to do three, four, even six mile runs has become simple. (It
wasn't when we first brought him home.) Finding time to run a sixteen miler is
another story. I also struggle with cross training. I feel that since I run so
much, that should be enough. I know that it's not, however. I know that I need
to stretch, foam roll, and do some sort of other exercise at least once during
the week, but it's hard to! Sometimes I use Isaac as weight while I do squats
in the living room. I'll do calf raises while I brush my teeth, and I'll
stretch in the floor while I'm playing with Isaac. This
yoga video from
runnersworld is something I've been trying to find time to do. Even if it's just a pose or
two, it still counts as something.
What
motivates you?
Primarily
it's where I've come from and the things I have overcome that motivate me the
most. Knowing that I never want to go back to that way of life gets me on my
feet every day. Also, knowing I inspire hundreds of kids to get off the couch
each day is a huge motivator. My husband motivates me, too. He motivated the
whole family one time in 2005 to climb a mountain in the Smokies. We hiked 5.5
miles up in the rain. We were wearing jeans, and most of us had on tennis
shoes. We stayed in a three-sided shack (also known as a shelter), and we
couldn't build a fire. Remember, our clothes were wet, and it was about 20
degrees. We had horrible, heavy equipment, and we carried canned food to eat.
While we slept, it turned very cold. It started snowing, and the next morning,
we hiked down in a blizzard. Some of us had icicles in our hair. We had nothing
but some ponchos and maybe a sweatshirt. The snow was so heavy, the roads were
closed when we got down to the trailhead parking lot. As awful as it sounds, we
made some great memories and have gone up several times since. Heath has hiked
it 34 times, I believe, while I have 11 or 12. I've lost count! I would've
never EVER considered doing anything endurance if it had not been for the hikes
he took me on. That gave me the confidence to lace up my shoes for the first
time. He makes me want to be a better person. He makes me want to be a good
wife and a good mom. He makes me want to push myself to greater things. Last
but not least, Isaac motivates me. I want him to grow up knowing that his mom
and dad did things they loved, pushed themselves to be successful in their
pursuits, and most of all, lived a happy life, grateful of all their many
blessings.
Me and Heath in 2012
Me and my little
family in July 2013
What does
your diet look like?
I have an
80/20 rule. Eighty percent of the time, I eat healthy. I love oatmeal any time
of day. I really like peanut butter and banana in it. I love chicken salad made
with light mayonnaise on wheat bread with some Pringles or chili cheese Fritos
(guilty pleasure!) for lunch. I like Greek yogurt, toast with Nutella, fig
newtons, cheese, and fruit for snacks. Supper is pasta days leading up to a
race or long run, and during the week I usually eat lean protein with peas,
rice, and/or some kind of potato. I like soups a lot, too. On weekends, I
usually splurge a little. I eat chips and salsa or eat a breadstick or two with
my meal. I've been on an Asian kick here lately. I love sushi when I can get
it. Yum! I'm hungry. I probably drink too much coffee, and I love a diet
Sunkist or Grapico with my supper. Yeah...I know. It's not the best thing to
drink, but it could be worse. I'm definitely not a food snob, and I could stay
in a grocery store for two years and never flinch.
What are
your greatest accomplishments?
Giving
birth! Haha. No, (YES) I would say running two half marathons with Isaac in my
belly. That was something I'm very proud I got to experience. I guess my
marathon would be second. I ran the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham, Alabama,
in 4:30. I was pretty proud of my time as a first timer, oh, and the fact that
I lived to tell the tale.
Me
and my Mercedes medal
What are
your favorite gadgets and running gear?
I love
Brooks Adrenalines. I've had a bazillion pairs. They provide the right amount
of stability for my overpronating feet, and they come up high enough. Some
shoes just don't do that. I've tried Aasics and Mizunos, but I didn't feel
right in them. I love Nike and Under Armour Cold Gear. I love any kind of
singlet for warm weather. I probably have an unhealthy attachment to my Garmin
and my music. I won't even run a race if I can't wear my headphones. I know.
It's pathetic. I'm in search of some better socks! I've been wearing Pearl
Izumi, but they get holes in the toes so quickly.
What are
some tips and advice you have for people just starting out or for those who are
already active?
Don't be
so serious. If you have to tweak your training plan a little, do it. If you had
a piece of cake at a birthday party, don't beat yourself up. You can't live
like that. If you can say that I'm better than I was yesterday, last week, last
year, you're on track. Never do something that's not going to make you better
tomorrow, and never involve yourself with people who aren't going to make you a
better person tomorrow. Start slowly, and don't over do it. Don't get so caught
up in the numbers that you forget to enjoy life!
What has
been your favorite race?
I love
taking long trips to a race with my husband. It's that excited,
getting-up-early feeling I always get that's so infectious. But I think my
favorite race was when my running group and I ran the Rumpshaker in Birmingham.
It's for colon cancer awareness. At the time, everyone in our group was there,
and Regina and I wore sparkly skirts. We all set some PRs, and afterwards we
got to walk through a giant blown up colon. It was hilarious. The race food was
awesome, too. It was a great day that I'll always remember.
What's up
next?
A 50k?
Maybe?? I also want to get my half marathon time under two hours.
Thank you
so much for allowing me to guest post for you, Danielle! I had so much fun
writing it. Maybe this novel of a post will inspire someone!!
"You
are who you choose to be."
-my
husband, Heath
