Huate Mom Goes Marathoner

Sometimes, with a family to manage, things seem impossible. There is no time, no help and too much to do. This past weekend I learned that nothing is impossible.

Last April I set a goal that seemed to be unreachable. At the Hollywood Half Marathon Expo, I walked past the Long Beach IBC Marathon booth and signed up for the full marathon. Although I was a seasoned half marathon runner, I had never given serious thought to running the full 26.2 miles. Who knows what was in the air that day, the smell of new running shoes maybe, but I did it. I signed up.
From that day the training began. Little by little, I plugged away building towards my marathon. I planned, I ran, I sacrificed. And so did my family.

While running is obviously a big part of my lifestyle, taking on the task of completing 15-, 20- and 23-mile training runs is a whole other ball game. Goodbye quick morning jogs; hello long three to four hour runs.

I often stopped along the way to reconsider. Training for the marathon was cutting into my already busy schedule and taking away from my family.

But, for anyone who knows me,  I don’t back down. I do what I commit to, and I had already committed to my first full marathon. In my mind, I had to do this for myself and there was no going back.

On Sunday, October 13, I awoke at 3:30 am. The cool fall weather I had been hoping for promised to hold out long enough to get through my big day. I said goodbye to my children the night before and, leaving them behind with my mom, the hubby and I drove downtown in the dark.

Standing in the corral at the marathon start, I knew I had done the right thing. All of the time, the training and the sacrifice had been worth it. I was about to check an item off my bucket list.
There were a number of times on course where my children came to mind. My heart and my soul stayed focused on the things that give me strength.

As a mom, there are so many opportunities that we shrug off because of our families, busy schedules and time constraints. Yet I learned that sometimes, seizing an opportunity can be a positive experience for the whole family. It gives us pride as well as reminders of strength and ability. I am so fulfilled by my marathon completion.

I watch Stella walk around with my medal around her neck and know that all the hard work has given my children a positive lesson in never giving up. It will remind them to go for the goals that they may think are impossible. And, this experience reminds me of how wonderful it is to be a haute mom.

Olympic Mania - On a Toddler Level

I don’t know about everyone else, but I sure have been having fun watching the Olympics! I give up hours of precious sleep at night to watch some of the events that I love the most: gymnastics and swimming.
I remember watching the Olympics as a kid, but I don’t remember it being a huge event or a big part of my life when the Olympics came around. I think for Stella that will be different.

Stella in her swim cap

Since we try to not have the television on when Stella is awake, I had no intentions of introducing her into the Olympics this year. But I was watching swimming one afternoon when she got home — I was hooked on the event and didn’t turn the television of right away. She asked me what I was watching, and I started to explain the Olympics to her. Since she takes swimming lessons, and she was immediately interested.

Before I knew it, Stella was on the floor “practicing her kicks” while watching the swimming event. She informed me that she was kicking like her swim teacher taught her and doing it “fast” like the women on TV.

A couple days later, she awoke from bed for a drink of water (yes, she is in “that stage”) to find the hubby and me watching women’s gymnastics. She clapped and squealed with delight at the girls jumping and spinning.

It was at this point when I realized that perhaps it's not too soon to make the Olympics a part of Stella’s life. Even at 2 years old, she finds joy and inspiration in what she watches. There is plenty to learn from the Olympics, and it excites me that she is so into it. I have even found some ideas on how to bring the Olympics into our home with arts and crafts.

Stella now tells me she would also like to play volleyball where you “can hit the ball over the net and you can’t miss.” I am sure Misty May and Kerri Walsh only wish it were that easy. They sure make it look like it is. While our Olympians are an inspiration to us all, I glad I didn’t miss the message that their inspiration can never start too early.