19 Weeks Run/walk

This baby has been different so far, they say the third one is a 'wild card' I never believed it... till now! Why is the 3rd one like that??

My energy levels are not as good and every day I feel different. One day I want to go for a run! do gardening! mow the lawn! Then the next day I can't imagine leaving the house... ugh! Maybe its because I have 2 other little boys who take my energy? Or I am older? Not sure... jury is still out on that one.

So on a good day just recently I felt like going for a run! Lets do this! Getting the kids ready is a chore in it self... that was another blog post.... so an hour after my bright idea we headed out. Me with the youngest in our Phil and Ted's stroller, the oldest on his bike and my hubby with the oldest making sure he doesn't wipe out.

It was a beautiful central Florida afternoon, light breeze, sunny sky about 80 degrees. Perfect day for the run and trip to the park. We headed out, the park is only 0.7miles from our house, it was going to be great! After a nice brisk walk with intermittent runs I felt great! This was what I was missing, a little bit of change and exercise. We got to the park and in classic florida fashion... it started raining, no pouring!!

There was no where to hide but the bathrooms, while we ducked for cover I pulled up my radar and there was a storm coming! Big one! With the ever familiar 'thunder storm warning' even. Guess that means we need to go home.... good thing the hubby came with and has a fantastic min/mile time. With his long legs and 7min per mile pace he ran home with the keys, grabbed the car and rescued us.

Lesson learned... check the radar before you go, no matter how good you feel.

How I managed to get a free Phil and Ted's stroller

Free!? you ask? not entirely but pretty close to it! How?? I'm not sure if you are familiar with the stroller brand Phil and Ted's but they are the top when it comes to jogging/everyday strollers. I've been in search of the Phil and Ted's Explorer since I first laid eyes on it.... so beautiful, so sturdy and the kicker.... it is a tandem jogging stroller!! There is NO other stroller on the market like it! Why would I want to push around the huge monstrosity that I see at Disney or the malls where mom's can hardly fit through the doors? So wide it looks like it can mow a field in 20min. No, not for me thanks!

Then comes the downside, they aren't cheap. The one I wanted sells for $600 new on Amazon. Right...I said $600... I coughed up a hairball when I saw the price too. No way in my right mind would I buy something that expensive for my kids to ride in!! There had to be a better way.... Craigslist, Ebay, etc... I was a searching fiend for a deal on this stroller! But my heart was set on not spending over $300 for one... I figured 1/2 price was better than full price.

I love how a newborn can fit nicely and get shade all at the same time

So with that price firmly in mind I set out on my quest. Only to come to the horrible conclusion everyone else was willing to pay more! Woe is me!! So here I sat with no hope at, all when suddenly!! I got a reply to my Craigslist wanted add! (I posted an add on my local Craig's list that I wanted a Phil and Ted's stroller) No it wasn't the Explorer model I wanted, but the Sport instead (an older version of the Explorer, no longer made). Now you are probably thinking "Don't get so picky! Beggars can't be choosers". But if I'm paying that much I want the one I WANT! (enough of the rant...). This lady was willing to sell hers to me for $150, cheap!!! I bought it, brought it home, cleaned it and tada! an easy profit! So I put it on Ebay with the staring price of $150, I figured I can at least break even. I then hunted for the real one I wanted....

Miracles happen when people poorly list the new in the box Phil and Ted's Explorer as "Phil & Ted Ex200". I watched and watched as the days went by. Suddenly the heart pounding moment came when the auction was to be up. I had my hidden bid ready to be placed and right before it ended BAM! I WON!! Spending less than the $300 I wanted to spend (with shipping $270)! Brand new in the box baby! Dance party! Now to wait its beautiful arrival... In the meantime I posted my old stroller (just a normal 3 wheel stroller from Babies R Us) from our first child on Craig's List and the Phil and Ted's Sport on Ebay. In 2 days the old stroller sold for the amount I was asking ($80). Then it got better when the Phil and Ted's Sport price started at $150 and went up, UP! UP! Sold to the highest bidder for $377! Talk about making your money back! And they picked it up too so no shipping hassle for me :) In doing all the math I figured with what I made in buying and reselling strollers, plus buying the brand new one I made about $40 profit. So there you are... the story of my FREE Phil and Ted's Stroller.

Running Along

(image borrowed from http://www.wellwornsoles.com/2013/10/half-marathon-update.html)

So, since my blog is called Vegan Runner Mommy I decided to start adding in some more about well....running! I am far from the professional runner with all the sponsorship and metals. But for me running is my stress reliever, the me time and the quiet I need to refocus on life and sort things out. So I don't want you thinking that I know all the answers to your running issues or questions but more just like a companion to feel your pain and a fellow mom who knows how hard it is to run with children and be a vegan on top of it all :)

I started running seriously right before we got pregnant with our second child. Really I was running here and there when I was a teenager and on into adulthood but never was very good at it or had the stick-to-it attitude I needed for it.
But when there was a group of friends doing a 5k in our local area it sounded like like a lot of fun! So me and another friend started training for it. After that I was hooked! My first 5k I felt the endorphins kick in and the excitement of waiting in that crowd of people near the starting line was like a roller coaster to me!

After that I kept running but found out we were expecting our second child so didn't train as hard, still we ran a second 5k 3 months later. I kept my running up until about halfway through the pregnancy and then just stuck to walking. After he was born I couldn't wait to get back on to my schedule! Once I got the all clear I started back up again. 

No one told me that trying to fit in runs with 2 kids was hard! Where are you?? Why didn't someone warn me!?

I got the trusty double running stroller (another post on that to come), so it wasn't that. I had the desire to run, so it wasn't that. Getting 2 small children aged 2yrs and a newborn out the door took twice as long. Here is a summary of what would happen:

8am - Breakfast is done I'm ready to get dressed to go. Dressed, check! #1 (oldest child) needs to get dressed but first there was the struggle to get clothes on him, it was like trying to convince a cat to swim in the pool, not happening! 

8:20am - Ok threw the cat in now, uh I mean got #1 dressed... now the baby (#2) he wants to nurse, ok fine. Good thing I invested in that nursing sports bra! Sit, nurse. Check!

8:40am - Baby is done. Now dress him. Check! Oh wait #1 is now half dressed in the bathroom with the mess on the floor that can only be cleaned up by a sanitation crew with gas masks. Clean up said mess, change his clothes, try not to get the mess on me. And the baby is now crying in the other room. Hurry!!! Go, go, go!!

9am - nurse baby again, and #2 also needs a new diaper. Ok.... change #2's diaper. Another crisis is averted!! What were we doing? oh yeah going for a run... #1 wants a snack... bring in with us in the stroller. Check!

9:15am - Finally out the door and ready to go! Oh great its raining......

So there you go.... the day in the life of a mom who just wants to run.