Running has always been our family’s approach to explore a new duty station’s surroundings, or a new travel destination.  A few assignments ago, we were stationed in Europe— what an incredible opportunity this was!  We often ran with our children through our little German village, as well as the other small villages nearby— making stops at the local Bäckerei, or at the neighborhood market to buy a special German treat.  Finding stroller friendly sidewalks and running trails on our travels was something we would often do too— from mountain trails in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland; the bustling city sidewalks of Berlin; through the tulip fields of Holland, bursting with color; to the craggy lakeside trails in Killarney, Ireland…running with our kids was always an enjoyable way to sightsee, and to absorb the local culture.

Strollers Warriors launched its Ramstein chapter a few months after we began our assignment in Germany.  I was able to explore many other German villages with my running friends and their children— these people became my tribe/family…we traveled together, hiked together, and ran together in other European cities.  The thing about Europe— it was very uncommon to see a tandem BOB stroller…sidewalks and doorways were narrow, sometimes too narrow for even a single BOB!  Furthermore, one rarely saw an individual running with a jogging stroller through the streets of European cities (especially in Paris).  There is shared solidarity with friends when taking jogging strollers onto a crowded Bernese gondola to a mountain-top Swiss village.  So, having friends share similar stories about their BOB strollers rolling through streets all throughout Europe, to enjoy a scenic run…that’s running buddy love and solidarity!

I mentioned Paris above. Our family visited Paris multiple times (I am a history lover, specifically French Revolution history) and waited until one of our last visits to Paris to finally run with the stroller.  This Parisian run with my husband and kids in the double BOB is one of my most beloved running memories:

We began our run at the Louvre and ran into the Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Garden)— zigzagging our way through its packed-dirt paths, loudly chatting with the kids about the sculptures, trees, and fountains until we made our way to the opposite side of the Tuileries, overlooking the Place de la Concorde (serious French Revolution history happened at this location).  We then worked our way across the heavily trafficked street to the sidewalk that ran along the River Seine to stare and admire the Eiffel Tower!  There is always more than what meets the eye…we smelled aroma of delicious French food from the plethora of streetside brasseries, and we heard Parisian conversation at every turn.  We crossed the gorgeous Pont Alexandre III Bridge— Les Invalides was straight ahead (hello, Napoleon), then down a ramp down to the river’s walking/running path.  We discovered a neat athletic area along the river— “exercise parks” (as my kids call them) for adults and kids, small playgrounds and climbing walls…all along the way to the Eiffel tower sans traffic!  After letting the kids play and some box jumps, we made our way over to Trocadero to enjoy another view of the city.  It was a chilly February day and I found it odd to find an ice cream cart at Trocadero.  Living in this magical moment though, we bought ice cream for the kids, which they enjoyed while we then ran to the Eiffel tower to take one last carrousel ride in Paris. 

Once the ice cream was finished, the carrousel ride ended, and we began the final leg of our run, it almost seemed like a movie as a large group of Parisian school kids (all donning matching blue blazers), cheered for us as we raced to the end of the Tuileries Garden!  It was a brilliant run!  

​Oh, the places we run...make incredible memories! 
 
Happy Running!
-Rose 

​Our family spent last weekend in Columbia, SC, participating in a trail race series (50k for my husband, 25k for myself) and hiking with the kids and dog.  On Saturday morning, the kids and I set up shop by our car to cheer for the runners as they began the 50k trail race— tailgate open, camping chairs, coolers for a picnic, books, blankets to stay warm, dog bed for the dog— we were going to be there all day!  After the runners took off, breakfast completed and a game of bean-boozled, the kids and I set off hiking hoping to run into my husband, Chris, along the course.  After a 5-mile hike through a beautiful pine forest, we finally ran into Chris after the 14-mile marker.  The kids were excited, but I was frozen like an icicle and ready to get back into the car.  The kids cozied up with a pile of blankets in the back of our car with the dog (on the dog bed) and watched a movie.  Not only did they look warm, they requested I open the car windows because they were too hot— I, on the other hand, was still frozen like a gallon of ice cream that was stuck in the back of the freezer for months and set out on the kitchen counter to melt.  Just when I began to thaw, Chris called to tell us he had about 5 miles to the finish.  I bundled the kids up again, and off we went back into the forest— meeting Chris with .5 miles left in his race, our oldest ran him to the finish line.  It was a fun day; however, all of the time hiking and playing outside in the cold left me feeling exhausted.  
 
I woke up the next morning feeling grouchy and dreading the 16 miles of cold I signed up for — I did not want to run and was trying to think of reasons to instead hang out in the warm hotel room.  Unable to come up with a good excuse to defer my race number, we soon arrived back at Harbison State Forest with what I thought was just enough time to grab my number, use the good ole’ porta-potty, and start running.  This time around, I was early…super early, and waited an extra 40 minutes in the cold (Chris thought the start was at 8:30 when it was actually 9:00) — “UGH” was my inner monologue.  I bounced around to the music playing over the loudspeaker to stay warm in the meantime.  
 
The race began with a horn blast, a few barking dogs (especially ours), and spectators cheering along the trail’s edge.  My brain immediately focused on a few bothersome sounds— the gravel crunching beneath hundreds of feet, the heavy mouth-breathing from the runners around me, my hydration pack’s water spout bouncing against my number, and the water sloshing as it tossed side-to-side on my back.  Early on in the run, I looked down at my watch to see my pace and I face planted in the dirt.  Needless to say, I felt grumpy!  Yikes!  I looked down at my watch (again) and I was only at mile 3.  I needed to turn things around and fast!
 
I began thinking about the kids, Chris, and the dog— they were probably off at a park having a great time playing, or maybe hiking again in the forest and picking up pinecones.  
 
I recalled the last time I ran this same race— it was 2020, right before Chris left again for the Middle-East and before COVID hit. My friends drove up early on a Saturday morning to run the 50K. This was my second ultra-marathon. I remember the encouragement from my friend, Beth, as I arrived at the halfway mark during the 50K and how her words and presence boosted my spirits.  It was uplifting seeing Jess as we realized the course distance was longer than 32 miles! 
 
I thought about a Stroller Warrior friend from Ramstein.  Molly and I ran the Jungfrau Marathon together in 2019.  Our families enjoyed a pre-race meal the day before the Jungfrau that included a pot of fondue from a mountainside restaurant— one of the most delicious meals of my life!  I am incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful friend who also enjoys racing up tall mountains! 

​I reminisced about a fun team road race in 2019 with my Stroller Warrior friends from Fort Belvoir.   A bunch of us organized teams of 4 and split 26.2 miles.  I ran about 10 hilly miles before I passed the tracking device to my team mate.  One Stroller Warrior ran a double leg totaling 17 miles to replace a sick team member!  Afterwards we all enjoyed a post-race celebration in a gymnasium where many of us SW members- families included- talked about the racecourse.  It was a fun race with amazing friends and the longest run I had completed postpartum! 

​Before I knew it, 13.75 miles of trail had passed, and I was at an aid station getting some Pepsi to help push me to the end.  These happy memories helped me break through the running wall that I hit very early during the race.  This experience helped me realize the importance of not only physically training for athletic endeavors, but also training the mind to stay positive.  I am grateful to have incredible memories with my Stroller Warrior friends and family that help me overcome obstacles. 
 
How do you overcome hitting a wall during a race?  Please share your stories!
 
Happy Running,
Rose 

:The New Year always inspires people to change, but this desire to change doesn’t always come to fruition- commit to simple yet satisfying goals for 2022 and you’ll find yourself happy with the results.  I’m committing to simple and achievable goals whilst living in a rapidly changing military environment with three very active kids and an energetic and faithful furry K9 running buddy! 

Have realistic and obtainable goals:
Our former neighbor is currently tackling an athletic feat of strength— he and three other adventurers are literally rowing across the Atlantic Ocean (over 3000 miles) in the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge.  I thought it would be a fun goal to row 3000 miles throughout 2022 on my C2 Rowing Machine at home…then I did the math— I would have to row over 8 miles per day…yikes!  Time for a new (realistic and obtainable) goal!  I can commit to at least 30 minutes of daily running, walking, biking, rowing, or strength/functional fitness training! 
  
Looking for a fitness goal?  Stroller Warriors currently has the Run the World program for 2022.  Committing to X number of daily/weekly/monthly miles is a great way to obtain realistic and obtainable fitness goals.

Remain committed:
I am registered to run a 25k trail race this weekend.  My husband mentioned the rainy race day forecast and my first thought was “maybe I don’t want to run this.”  However, I am healthy, injury-free, and I must weather the storm…literally.  Life can always throw a curveball with injuries, sickness, or other commitments, so it’s best to “seize the day” sans kids despite the rain! 

Continue to build resiliency with a pivoting mindset:
In a recent blog piece, I mentioned journaling about 5 positive aspects of daily life to be thankful for —these can be big or small, it doesn’t matter.  I have found this helpful in creating resiliency.  This reaffirms positive thinking, and it directly correlates into ways to overcome the “dark place” or “hole” that challenging races might put you in! 

www.strollerwarriors.com/blog/my-self-care-toolkit
​
Change my running sneakers more often:
You may have all read the blog piece about my “quacking” sneaker (yep, it was only one of them):

www.strollerwarriors.com/blog/sentimental-about-running-sneakers

I was long overdue for a new pair of trail sneakers.  Changing out your sneakers can be a bother, but I always try to capitalize on my favorite sneakers when they’re on sale (purchasing multiple pairs for future use)!    

​Wishing everyone many enjoyable miles in 2022—be it trail or road!
​
-Rose 😊