It’s a..... Marathon! Isn’t it cute??

I am so excited!! Today is my first guest post in my October Inspiration Series. Make sure you check back every Monday to read another amazing story. 

Let's get this party started! 

The first post is from a good friend of mine Lauren who also happens to be our family Photographer. I have been fortunate enough to be able to watch her transform before my very eyes. She continues to amaze and inspire me as she's training to do something I could only dream of. So with no further ado here's Lauren! 

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I’m Lauren Somero. I am the owner of Lauren Somero Photography, a runner, a momma to two amazing little ladies and at the ripe old age of 25 finally learning how to eat to nourish my body and fuel my run rather then eating away my feelings. I’ve known Candra for 13 years now, crazy! When she asked my to guest blog for her I was pretty nervous because I lack confidence in a lot of things but especially about fitness. I’m by no means perfect. I am a work in progress.

As pushed through my 8 miles tonight I had an interesting thought. I’ve been a runner longer then a mother but they play similar roles in my life and it's because of each that I am the other. Mothering toddlers is tough work and nothing relaxes me more then pounding pavement. As it turns out the strength I have learned from being a mom makes me a better runner. Some days I feel like I stink at both of them, some days I excel at one and barely have the energy to do the other, and here and there I have a day or two where I kick some serious ass at both. Never the less I am proud and thankful to be a mom and a runner. 

After I finished my first half

I have some health issues that complicate my running so some days are better then others and today was a great one. Of course that might actually be because I have finally reached the tremendous and victorious stage of marathon training known as the taper. 

The taper is so fantastic that it actually makes you excited, and not terrified, to run 26.2 miles. The taper is great because your weekly mileage gradually drops over three weeks from mid 40s to 15. Of course in the back of your head you know this is because your body needs to hold on to everything during this three weeks in preparation for a depletion that to the unlucky few makes you feel like your going to die. Hitting the wall. Bonking. Or as my dad has explained it “It felt like I was walking on glass and every muscle in my body hurt a pain I'd never felt before.” But yeah.. The taper is pretty awesome. 

My realization or “ah-ha moment!,” as Oprah would call it, was the thought that training for a marathon is like pregnancy.. and Marathon day is the delivery. Being a mom and a runner are two of the best things ‘I am’ and it’s funny to me that in each there are some days that stand out more then the others. Among the biggest of these stand out days would be the births of my children and this marathon.   

I prepared for each appropriately. I enjoyed my new changing body during each and bitched a considerable amount while experiencing the discomforts. 

Now when you're training for a marathon there are a lot of days that you’re thinking “Shit. I’m never doing this again.” Those days felt eerily similar to the day in the end of my first pregnancy when I put on my husband's size XL sweatshirt and it was a little snug. I believe my words were something like, "This will be our only child.” 

Also, I quickly found when carrying my kids that the only people I could talk, more accurately bitch, to about the woes of creating human life were other moms. The same is true about the marathon.. Most non-runners ask about my training and then proceed to gawk at my answers and then tell me how awful and impossible it sounds and end their horrified rant with “But you’ll do greattttt” It usually goes something like this, Non-Runner: “What’s your long run this weekend?” Me: “18” Non-Runner: “Ohhhh myyyy word. That takes like a half hour in the car! Why would you want to do that? Don’t you get bored?” And it usually leaves me thinking holy crap... maybe I can’t run that far.. What WAS I thinking??   

Another similarity is that each were painful at times. Before finding the amazing product Body Glide I  couldn't find a sports bra that didn't create gaping sores on my ribs. I have some pretty attractive scars that I’m not sure will ever go away. Speaking of scars that are there for life.. A little further south is a fancy scar that reaches hip to hip courtesy of my emergency C section with the first. That suckers there for good.

And each end with a tremendous test of will. The marathon will be a journey that will take me some where around five hours. That’s a long friggen run.  My labor with Lyla was over three days and topped off with an emergency Cesarian. Needless to say I opted for the repeat C for round two.

I should add here that my husband has been an amazing supporter with each. It’s sappy and corny but I’m saying it. I’m wicked lucky. 

My husband and I

Both have provided lots of tears. Some happy, Some sad.  I balled and mumbled words no one could understand when I first saw each of my babes. Those first moments are so indescribable and I’m expecting something of that sort at the finishing line. I’m fairly sure some people will be staring at me as I cry and hug everyone that is there to support me on the 20th of October but that’s fine by me. This journey has been beautiful, terrible, exhausting, amazing, flawed, and perfect. I’ve earned the ugly cry. 

This journey started over a year ago for me. I was a regular happy mom but significantly over weight. I grew up in a family of runners and did my share growing up but being over weight kept me from actually enjoying it. We have had a tough six year marriage and I let myself use those excuses as reasons to allow it to continue. We have been through several significant health issues, a house fire, being sued.. urgh. I let myself feel the pain and frustration and over ate to cope. It was unhealthy but I wasn’t hurting anyone but myself right? Wrong. I have those two little girls who are learning how to be well adjusted happy women from ME! ME! How do I teach them that? I hadn't learned how to do that for myself! So one day I woke up and decided this ends today. I’m not perfect and I fail often. But as of today I am 70 pounds lighter and running my first marathon in two short weeks. My girls will be there cheering me on and they don’t even know it but it’s because of them that I’m doing this. Knowing they are already emulating me gave me the boot in the ass to put my kicks and dare to begin this crazy training schedule. I’m going to share that with them someday..and thank them. 

After I finished my first 20 miler!

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Be sure to check back next week for another amazing story.  Thanks for reading, and make sure you leave Lauren some love to power her through her marathon ( for which I have a little secret planned for her! Love you Lauren!!)