Tips For Running Your First 10KM Race

On Sunday, September 22nd I will be running my first 10km race as part of the Oakville Half Marathon. And before you listen to the voices in your head that say "I could never run a 10km race", just hear me out because you can run a 10km race too.  It all started in the Spring when my sister and I were lamenting over the lack of exercise we had been doing and wanting to make a change.  A few days later she called me up and said, I think I might sign up for a race as it would give me something to work towards.  My response?  Great idea!  She found a 10km race in Oakville that was in September, several months away so that we'd have time to train, and we both signed up as did a few other mamas I know.  Am I a runner?  No.  Have I ever done a race before?  One.  The 5km Run For The Cure in Burlington last year with not one pre-run completed before race day (not something I would recommend!).

momstown Oakville's 2012 Run for the Cure team

We're now only three weeks away from the big race and here is what I have learned and what I wanted to share with others who may be even remotely thinking about doing the same thing.

1.  My sister had a good idea, signing up for a race makes a big difference.  I never would be running as far as I am if I wasn't signed up for a race.  Once you sign up for the race, chances are you will tell people that you signed up and this is another factor in making sure you do it!  Race day is also fun - people cheering you on, maybe a t-shirt or a race bib, and usually some free snacks at the end.  I got a t-shirt when I did the 5km race and every time I pull it out of my drawer I still feel good that I did the race.

2.  Find a running buddy.  Without my running buddy I never would have run as often or as far as we have (thanks Nora!). We chat during our runs and naturally, you will push yourself more if you are running with another person. She says I improve her pace and she pushes me to do longer distances.

3. Keep it realistic.  There are lots of options for training such as signing up for a running clinic, doing an online program or just setting your own weekly goals.  Don't join a running group that commits you to 4 nights a week if there is no way that you will get there.  It will discourage you.  As a mom with young kids, its a constant battle to make time for myself to exercise so I have been running 1-2 a week, slowly increasing the distance.  We've also been running what is knows as 10 & 1's meaning we run for 10 minutes and walk for a minute.  In my head I always tell myself that I was in labour for longer than 10 minutes so I can certainly get through 10 minutes of running if I birthed two children!

4.  Try and enjoy it, but no pressure.  Not going to lie, losing weight is a nice by product of exercise but don't make it the sole reason that you commit to doing a race.  You may lose weight, you may not, depending on if you change your diet or how often you are running.  Remember that making an exercise program a priority is an improvement in your life if you haven't been doing that before.  You are also setting a good example for your kids, improving your overall health and wellness.  I have also enjoyed seeing different neighbourhoods during the course of our runs and now that the leaves are starting to change, the scenery is getting even better.

5.  Evaluate.  Overall, have I enjoyed training for this race?  Sort of.  I have enjoyed seeing my friend more often as we've been running together once a week.  I have enjoyed feeling my muscles work, accomplishing new things and challenging myself, but I don't think long distance running is for me.  I just don't enjoy it that much.  I've never gotten the runners high or felt like I could run for hours (apparently this really does happen to some people!).  I think a perfect race for me would be 8km and I'd rather work on getting faster for a shorter race than aiming for longer distances.  I have learned that there are tons of different types of races like mud runs, runs with obstacle courses, etc and I think these might be more my style.  I need to change things up so am also thinking about a mini triathalon as I think I would enjoy it more. The running has made me think about what type of activity I do like and has reminded me how much I enjoy playing team sports like soccer or hockey so I am trying to work that into the rest of my year.

So, after all that, have I convinced you that you too can run a 10km race?  You can, I promise you, you can. I encourage you to push yourself towards a fitness challenge that might be a bit of a stretch.  My guess is you'll surprise yourself just like my fellow momstown Edmonton mamas did when they signed up for a half marathon!  Read more about their journey here.  It's pretty incredible what you can accomplish when you push yourself outside your comfort zone.  Stay tuned for my post race blog post and wish me luck!

No Tears For This First Time Kindergarten Mom

My son starts Junior Kindergarten this week.  Its a gradual entry, so in my mind, he doesn't officially start until next week as his first full day won't be until then.  This time of year you see lots of blog posts, articles and media about sending kids off to school for the first time and the tears that may come from mom and/or dad. Last weekend my mother in law told me she bawled when my husband went off to kindergarten. Maybe the tears will hit me later, but right now I am so excited and so proud of my son, the tears are no where to be found.

My son, just one day old

My little boy is a sweet and social kid.  He's been in daycare so he's used to being in a group of kids, used to following instructions and being away from his parents.  I know he'll be a bit timid going to a new school and the transition will be hard as he leaves the daycare friends he's had for the past three years. But I also know that in a month or two he'll have new friends and thrive learning so many new things and getting more and more chances to be a big kid.  And that makes me so proud.  Proud that over the past four years we've done what we needed to do to get him ready for this next step.  Proud that he gets so excited over new accomplishments whether its learning the monkey bars or holding a pencil correctly or jumping higher than he could before.  Excited that he will continue to learn social skills like compassion, kindness and respect. Even the tough moments that he will face such as disappointment, losing and being left out are opportunities for him to grow and to learn that he can choose his reactions to those moments.  These are key moments in life and they shape the person you become.  I am here for him to navigate these challenges and help him thrive in spite of them.

I look at him and just can't help but be excited to see what he will continue to grow up to be.  To watch his interests grow and knowledge increase and his life become bigger as he starts school.  I guess there is a bit of sadness too, but its such a pleasure to watch this kid grow.  I've got a smile planted on my face and I watch with pride as my baby continues to surprise me, make me laugh and amaze me with the person he continues to become.  Looking forward to a great school year ahead!

Lakeshore West Music Together's Music Program Engages Oakville Babies, Toddlers & Kids!

momstown Oakville's music and movement programs always bring out a big crowd and this morning was no exception.  Oakville moms and kids welcomed Miss Amber from Lakeshore West Music Together to lead us through a fun and engaging music program.  We had kids ranging from just a few months old up to five years of age and all of their eyes sparkled as we sang, danced, moved and played instruments during the 45 minute program.

Miss Amber Singing An Action Song 

Lakeshore West Music Together is new to Oakville and will now be offering Saturday classes starting on September 21st.  Register one child, and a sibling under 8 months (at time of registration) is free! Activities where siblings can be part of the same class can be hard to find but are so convenient for parents.  Even if your second child is over 8 months of age, a discounted rate for registering a second sibling applies.  All classes are for mixed ages.

Miss Amber kept all the kids engaged and smiling this morning.  Everyone got a chance to use shakers, instruments, a stretchy band and of course, their singing voices!

Miss Amber lead our group through some favourites such as Itsy Bitsy Spider but also had lots of new songs for the kids to learn as well.  The 45 minute program passed quickly as the kids were all enjoying themselves, and I'll be honest, us moms were too!  Music is always a great addition to the activities your kids may participate in so make sure you check out Lakeshore West Music Together's website for more information on their Fall registration.  

If you'd like to check out Miss Amber's classes, she is doing a free demo on Saturday, September 14th at 9:30 AM at the Oakville Parent Child Centre (461 North Service Road West).  To register for the free demo, please email amber@lakeshorewestmusictogether.com.  For more information on momstown Oakville and the events and programs we run each month, please visit our website to find out how you can join us.

Apple Kuchen Recipe - Easy Fall Dessert

I first made this recipe years ago and it was a hit!  It is easy and is a delicious way to welcome Fall into your kitchen.  This is a great recipe to make with kids as well as there are only a few simple steps (aside from peeling and slicing the apples) that little ones can easily help with.

Apple Kuchen

What You Need:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup flaked coconut
2 1/2 cups peeled and sliced baking apples
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sour cream
1 egg or 2 egg yolks

Pre-heat oven to 350F.  Mix butter into dry cake mix until you get a crumbly mixture.  Add in coconut.  Pat mixture into a 13 x 9" pan (build up the edges a bit to keep in the apples).  Bake for 10 minutes.

Arrange the apple slices on the warm crust.  Mix the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle on top of the apples. Mix the sour cream and egg or egg yolks and drizzle over the apples.  The mixture will not cover all of the apples.

Bake 25 minutes (do not overbake).  Serves 12-15 people.  Best served warm.

Learning To Read: Sight Words For Kindergarteners

My son starts JK in just one short week.  And while I think he's pretty prepared to start the program, I've also been looking into what I can do to assist him as he starts this big new adventure.  My sister (who must have been a teacher in another life) is super organized when it comes to getting activities together that will help her kids learn the outcomes intended for their age group.  Thankfully she is happy to share with me!

Learning to read is such a huge accomplishment for a young child and I can't wait for my son to reach this milestone.  I loved reading as a kid and that enjoyment has followed me all the way through my life and I hope my kids feel the same.

My niece reading to my daughter when she was a baby

Once your little one has a grasp of the alphabet and of letter sounds, a great next step is to move on to what is called 'Dolch Pre-Primer' words and the ability to recognize certain words by sight.  These are commonly used words that will help pave the way towards learning to read.  A list of these words can be found here. Another term used when helping kids learn to read is 'popcorn' words.  These are words that 'pop up' often in every day reading and writing and can also be referred to as sight words.  Here is a great online game for kids to help with sight word recognition - Monkey Madness Movie Theatre.

Here is a quick and easy craft to assemble at home to help learn sight words is a 'word wall'.

What you need:

-Bristol board
-Scissors
-Glue stick
-White paper

Get your child to pick out their favourite coloured bristol board.  Write or type the pre-primer sight words (a, and, away, big, blue, can, come, down, find, for, funny, go, help, here, I, in, is, it, jump, little, look, make, me, my, not, one, play, red, run, said, see, the, three, to, two, up, we, where, yellow, you) on a piece of white paper and cut out each one so that each word is a separate piece.

Post three pre-primer words using tape or glue onto the bristol board and hang it in your child's room. Practice those three words and then on the start of the next month, post three more.  Kids get so excited when they start to be able to recognize the words when they see them out at a store or in a book.  Happy reading!

Are You Using Coconut Oil? 5 Easy Ways To Work It Into Your Diet

More and more information seems to be coming out lately about the huge benefits derived from cooking with and eating coconut oil.  Has it made its way into your house yet?  The word on the street is that coconut oil is heart healthy, can help build resistance to viruses and bacteria, balance hormone and blood sugar levels and even help get rid of that pesky abdominal fat that seems to hang on for dear life and won't let go!

Piqued your interest?  I thought so.  And just so your not confused when you go buy it in the store, coconut oil will mostly come in thicker format then say, olive oil, and changes depending on the temperature.  In the summer months, it will be more like an oil and in the colder weather, will be more like a solid mass.

Coconut oil has been a hot topic on our message board so I thought I would share some quick and easy ways that Oakville mamas have been working it into their diets and into their family's diets as well.  Most people said the addition of this oil was very smooth with no complaints!

1.  Spread it on toast instead of butter.

2.  Use it in baking instead of vegetable oil or butter.

3.  Use it to pan fry foods (think stir fry or browning meat).

4.  Add it to oatmeal, it makes it thicker and creamier.

5.  If your kids like pasta with butter, put coconut oil on top instead.

While no ideal amount of coconut oil has been determined, it seems as though 1-2 tablespoons a day is the suggested amount that will produce healthy benefits.  If you use coconut oil, let us know your favourite use for this fantastic super food in the comments below.

Momstown Monet: Art Program for Oakville Kids Ages 3 And Up

Momstown Oakville moms and kids love to get crafty!  We have interest from all ages to participate in craft projects, but the momstown Monet program is designed to engage preschoolers and school agers who really enjoy crafting and love to create their own masterpieces.  These projects typically more steps than the crafts we do with our toddlers and early preschoolers.

Sunshine Plates

This month our momstown Oakville Monet group made sunshine plates to hang in the garden to help the flowers and vegetables grow! We used paper plates which we filled with yellow paint to make the sun, yellow and orange construction paper triangles for the sun rays , dried pasta to jazz it up and pipe cleaners to be able to hang up our sunshine makers.  Everyone had a blast making there own special sunny sun creation!

Come and join us next time - sign up here to view our calendar and see what events are coming up that your kids would love!