I’m not a Marathon Mom (it’s a dream but not yet a reality).I’m just a mom who runs to keep my sanity, feel good about myself, and inspire my kids to stay active.

So this past summer when I got the trifecta of injuries on my right foot (Achilles tendonitis, stress fracture, and Plantar Fasciitis) and was told to stop running I had to rethink my strategy for all of the above.

Here’s what happened. My husband immediately bought me a Spin Bike – he of all people knows how important it is for Mommy to be “sane”. My trainer and partner in Run U Mother insisted I come to her garage for training on how to properly use the Spin Bike (which consisted of me standing, sitting, sprinting and generally pedaling like a bat out of hell while panting like a dog in heat). My early morning training partner agreed to faithfully show up three days a week at 6:00am and run on the treadmill beside me while I did my Spin/pant routine.

So all in all for the past five months I’ve at least kept myself fairly active – but something’s been missing. I just need the feel of my feet pounding the pavement. Running does something for my psyche that spinning just doesn’t do.

Which is why I am so excited that this past weekend I actually ran – it was slow and ugly but I got out on the treadmill and ran for about 30 minutes. And that’s all it took to lift my spirit to a new high – I’m serious I was so darn happy about the run that I didn’t get all that angry when our septic pump failed later in the day (ok, maybe not exactly true but basically I didn’t totally lose it). I’m about to go for my second run…hoping it will have the same result.

I’d love to know from any of you what running means to you, how does it impact your life as a woman and as a mother. Share…we want to hear