Run Like a Mother Review & Giveaway

~~~THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED~~~

When I heard I was getting the opportunity to do a review & giveaway for the new "Run Like a Mother" book I was so excited!! If you have read many of my recent posts you know how I love running. I also feel like I'm starting to finally get back into the groove of running postpartum (20 months later!) and working on stepping up my running another notch.



About Run Like a Mother!

"Run Like a Mother" is written by two talented friends, Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea. They teamed up to write this 26 chapter book to inspire and help motivate us mom runners to keep doing what we are doing. RLAM is full of personal stories not only from McDowell & Shea, but also includes excerpts from hundreds of other mommy runners. The 26 chapters cover just about everything you can think about when it comes to running plus more. Topics discussed range from equipment, training, food, weight, managing your marriage & kids, running during pregnancy & post partum recovery and many more.

My Run Like a Mother Experience!
I was excited when I heard about the Run Like a Mother book coming out. I had read a couple of women's running books before, but they were really a cut & dry informational book. This book is so different compared to others I have read. Not only is it packed with information, but it is also entertaining. There were several chapters that made me laugh so hard I had tears in my eyes. I could relate to many of their experiences.


My favorite parts of the book:

• Each chapter has a .2 section at the end (in reference to the .2 of the 26.2 miles in a marathon) which is usually the funny excerpts and stories. My two favorite .2 sections were the "If Famous Women Were Runners" and "Stars They Just Aren't Like Us".
• Here are my two favorite quotes from these sections:
• If Jane Austen heroine Elizabeth Bennett had been a runner, she would have had the verdant grounds of Pemberley crisscrossed with running paths after finally marrying Mr. Darcy. (Although if he really looked like Colin Firth, she might never have left the estate's master bedroom)
• What should jiggle a bit on their bodies- boobs and (facial) cheeks- usually appear rock-solid, thanks to a little extra silicone.
• Made me laugh the hardest: Chapter 25: Potty Talk: Peeing Pooping, Passing Gas and Periods. I think the title says it all and you can just imagine...
•  Most important to me: about pregnancy & post partum. I did not run when I was pregnant with Ethan, for some reason I was scared to. The last day I ran was the day before I tested positive and I had an awesome run. I often wonder if I wouldn't have extreme back pain so early in my pregnancy if I would have stayed active. I'm almost positive I would have not. The chapters about running during pregnancy and postpartum are very helpful and encouraging. The post partum was especially encouraging to me because they point out that your body takes a while to bounce back and with some of us it takes a while longer. I no longer have doubts about the safety of running while pregnant and I look forward to continuing running whenever I am pregnant with #2. These chapters also made me realize that these women came back after each pregnancy ready to accomplish new goals with their running. I have worried too much about what having another baby will do to my running. I am now accepting that I can continue running through most of my pregnancy or/and re train again postpartum next time around. IT IS OK!
• Made me realize I'm capable of much more: Chapters 9 and 10 about Progression and Hills. I know I'm such a novice runner and have so much to learn. These chapters showed me what the difference training and working harder does to you. I am now ready to focus on my progression as a runner and improve my running times. I feel really empowered to set goals I never thought I would even consider.
• Willing to try new things: Chapter 4, Clothing: Dressing for Success. I am now ready to run in my first running skort! In fact I'm doing a review & giveaway of one hopefully this week. Super excited. Never thought I would try running in one.
• Related to the most: The numerous stories of women getting up very early in the morning before the family is out of bed to get their run in for the day. Then getting sidetracked with a bazillion other things that need to be done before heading out the door. Next thing you realize you have much less time to run than what you wanted. That is ME! I need to remember the other things can wait until I get back so I get my full run completed. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has been such an encouragement to me more than words can express. I thank Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea for writing such a book for all of us mom runners (or mom runner wannabes!) and for sharing so many personal stories. If you are a mom runner you MUST read this book, no excuses, just do it! If you WANT to be a mom runner, please read this book. It will give you the encouragement that you can be a runner.

I will always run like a mother!

BUY IT! You can purchase "Run Like a Mother" from this list of retailers.

WIN IT! Run Like a Mother is giving away 1 copy of their book to a Take Time to Smell the Rose reader!

You have the chance to enter several entries by the doing the following. Each one counts as 1 entry unless otherwise specified. I am now making it a requirement to follow my blog publicly on Google Friend Connect to enter my giveaways.

• MANDATORY ENTRY(You also must be following my blog publicly on Google Friend Connect)-counts as 1: Tell me why you are a runner or if you are not a runner, tell me why you want to start running. 

• Subscribe to my blog via email with Feedburner (on right side bar).
  

• Blog about my giveaway before May 12th, linking back to this giveaway. Leave the URL where you blogged.

• Grab my  Take Time to Smell the Rose button. Leave URL where it is posted.

• Grab my Take Time to Share Your Giveaway Sunday button. Leave URL where it is posted.

• Follow Smell_the_Rose on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. After initial "tweet" you may gain an extra entry each day. Limit 1 tweet a day.  Leave URL where you tweeted in your comment.

• Follow Sarah Bowen Shea on Twitter.  

• Follow Dimity McDowell on Twitter. 

• Sign up for email feed on Run Like a Mother. 

• Make a comment on any non-giveaway post. (one comment per post- but unlimited posts)

Please copy and paste this for your tweets:

Win a copy of  Run Like a Mother from @sbsontherun @dimityontherun and @Smell_the_Rose. Ends 05/19. http://tiny.cc/RunLikeAMother #running

**Leave your email on each comment. You must do this in order to win!**

Giveaway ends Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 9:00 p.m.(CST) Winner will be drawn by the random number generator at Random.org and will be notified by email. Winner will also be announced on this blog. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.

This giveaway is open to USA residents ONLY . Must be 18 years old or older to win.

Thank you to Run Like a Mother who provided me with the product mentioned in the review to experience. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received to conduct this review & giveaway.
 

~~~THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED~~~