Thursday Thoughts (on a Friday)

Enough talk about baby this week.  Let's talk winter running.  Winter is my absolute favorite time of the year to run outside.  And I'd say, I love to run when it is snowing.  Winter running takes a lot of equipment, though.  Hats, gloves, base layers, warmer socks, etc.

What's your favorite piece of winter running equipment?

24 weeks - 6 months!!!

Mmmm, Yum!

Another day, another doctor's appointment.

This one I was kind of dreading: the glucose test.  I have no reason to believe I would have gestational diabetes, but my sugar intake is, um, a lot.  I ate pretty well leading up to the test: eggs and toast for breakfast, a banana for a snack, a sandwich and salad for lunch.  When I got to the appointment they handed me a little plastic cup of pink liquid.  I was told I had three minutes to drink it.  I took a sip to determine the taste and....

It was freakin' delicious.  It tasted just like the punch you would have at a baby or bridal shower.  You know, the fruit punch, sprite, sherbet concoction.  I downed that sucker in like 30 seconds. 

Then I had an appointment with the doctor.  Usual measurements, usual questions.  She then told me again that the baby was up in my ribs.  This time I corrected her and told her at the ultrasound yesterday that the baby was laying sideways, hip to hip.  She said, hmmm, we're going to need it to move.  Uh, duh! 

Finally, I got the blood test for the glucose screening; two more vials of blood.  For those of you keeping count at home, we're now up to 36 vials of blood taken during this pregnancy.  I'll have the results tomorrow. 

And then when I checked out, they scheduled the rest of my appointments until the baby is born.  I believe there are only eight more appointments with the regular doctor and I have at least one more with the high risk doctor.  There IS a light at the end of this tunnel.

New Baby Picture!!

Let me preface this entry by saying, I understand that as a patient I should be my own advocate, do my own research, be on top of things, etc.  But, I have never been pregnant before and although I am trying to be my own advocate, I'm also doing what I'm told.

Today was our appointment with our high risk doctor, which included another ultrasound for a growth analysis.  Our appointment was for 7:30 in the morning.  Awesome, first appointment of the day!  We got there several minutes before our appointment and waited in the lobby.  At 7:40 I was called back where they got my vitals: weight (ugh), blood pressure, heart rate.  Then they sent me back to the waiting room, again.  Finally, after 8:00 I was called back for the ultrasound.  Call me crazy, but if your staff doesn't get there until 8:00, maybe you should begin your appointments at, say, 8:00?  We were walking back with the ultrasound chick and the first thing she says to us is "Why are you here?"  Um, what?  We were told to be here today at this time.  She's all, "you weren't supposed to be here until your third trimester."  Again, following directions given to me.  Then she kind of just flew through the ultrasound, pointing things out quickly, but not really explaining things.  I felt rushed and dissatisfied with this part of the appointment, but in the end, baby looks good and healthy.  Unlike what my regular OB said last visit, the baby is laying sideways with its head on my left hip and its feet on my right hip and it's back laying along the bottom of the uterus.

Thank goodness our doctor is super-chill.  We just love him and really wish he was the one delivering our baby.  He said everything is great.  He is still super okay with me continuing to workout and even suggested using some compression socks to battle varicose veins (no I don't have any, yet).  He was okay with us traveling late in February by car (Dave's thinking about doing Rock 'n Roll New Orleans).  And he wants to do another ultrasound in late January to check the growth again.

Despite the rough start to the day, everything turned out great.  Baby is doing really great and we are excited that things are going so well.  And look how cute it is? 

The Cleanse

This week is another week of baby appointments.  Tomorrow we meet with the high risk doctor and have another ultrasound and an evaluation of how the baby is growing.  Wednesday I start my two week appointments with my regular OBGYN and this appointment includes my glucose test.

The glucose test consists of drinking a potion that I hear tastes awful, then waiting an hour, and then having your blood drawn (or peeing in a cup?).  Your sugar levels are tested to see if you are at risk for gestational diabetes.  The doctor told me I did not have to fast for the test (good thing, it's not until 1:50 in the afternoon), but that I should be careful not to eat a lot of sugar that day.  (My sister said she had to fast for her glucose tests.)

Confession: Sugar probably makes up about 80% of my diet.  Ugh!  I hate myself for that.  (Okay, 80% might be an exaggeration, but I do eat A LOT of sugar.)

I am so screwed.

So, I decided today to try to cut out the sugar until after the test on Wednesday to make sure my system was rid mostly of sugar.  This takes a lot of work on my part to make sure I don't eat sugar.  I've had to rework everything.  For example, I usually eat toast for breakfast with cinnamon and sugar.  If I eat cereal, I usually put sugar on it.  I had toast with honey on it this morning.  At least it's a natural sugar, right?  The day of the test, I'm going to make some eggs.  I love a good evening snack of a hot chocolate or a piece of pie, but I'll have to wait until after the test Wednesday.

But you better believe, I'm having a candy bar as soon as this test is over!

Week in Review

Monday - 2.6 miles run/walk treadmill
I'm embarrassed to say I did this on the treadmill.  It was 65 degrees today.  On December 3rd!  But, I worked a long day and laid around until Dave got home.  By that time it was dark and I'm not very good at running in the dark.  I don't want to fall and do any damage to Baby G, so we went to the gym instead.  It was about 9000 degrees inside the Y tonight, so I was forced to walk more than I wanted to keep my heart rate down and to keep from overheating.

Tuesday - Off
By the time I could have gotten out to workout, it was POURING outside.   Plus, I did ALL my Christmas shopping this afternoon and my feet were killing me from doing all that walking.

Wednesday - 3 miles elliptical
Dave didn't get home from work until about 7:30 and we had already decided to go to the gym no matter how late it was.  So we got there around 8:00 and basically had the gym to ourselves.  Dave hit the treadmill and I hit the elliptical.  I kept track of my heart rate and it kept creeping higher than I was comfortable.  So I had to slow down and take a little more time.  Safe, not sorry.

Thursday - 3 mile walk treadmill
Today was Dave's birthday and we had planned eating out Mexican and I had bought a cake.  I knew I had to do something to feel good about eating all that.  So, it was me, The Ellen Show, and the treadmill.

Friday - Off
I like to take Fridays off because we usually do a group run on Saturday morning.  Of course, I did have my swim clothes with me in the car all day.  Lazy buns!

Saturday - 3 miles group run
This was kind of a crappy run.  It was raining and muggy and things just didn't go as well as I had hoped.  I was walking within a quarter mile of the run.  Every time I have a bad run I wonder if this is the beginning of the end for my pregnancy running.  Dave always reminds me that every time I've said that I've had a good run the following week.  Let's hope.

Sunday - off
I have no excuse for why I didn't work out today.

This was not the week I was hoping to have.  Not only did the weather sucked (it rained and rained and rained - when did I move to a tropical location?) but I was just worn out.  I can tell that my third trimester is a few short weeks away because I've reached a whole new level of tired.  On Saturday and Sunday I took naps that totaled about 6+ hours.  That's cray cray! 

Hopefully I'll try a little harder and do a little better next week.

Totals - 11.6 miles

The Meltdown

Today was just a rough day.  Dave and I got up early to go running with the group and it was raining, dark, and yucky - typical December day in Ohio.  I had hoped to have a pretty good run, but alas it was not meant to be.  I've grown A LOT in the last couple of weeks and the third trimester is looming in a mere three weeks.  I have to be honest with myself, my running days might be numbered until after baby is born.  I'm doing my best, but it's just not easy.  I was already feeling down about myself when Dave told me on the way home from the run that he and the group had been cussed at by a bunch of bikers on the trail for just BEING on the trail.  Let me tell you something about the Olentangy Trail.  It might say bikeway, but (a) the max speed is 14 mph and (b) on a Saturday morning there are about 1000 runners out there.  Those runners had big balls to say something.  I would have knocked them on their asses.

Anyway, I was in quite a mood when I got home from the run.

I like to keep my weekends good and lazy.  Meaning, pajamas pretty much from the time I get home on Friday after work until Monday morning when I'm ready to go to work again.  I sleep most hours of the weekend.  Lazy?  You betcha.  I only have a few more months of selfishness and I'm taking every advantage of it.  So, after my post-run shower I put on my leggings, a t-shirt, and a sweater shirt with no intention of leaving the house.  But, my dad had mentioned a few Christmas presents for my mom during the run so Dave and I decided to do a little shopping.  Crap, what was I going to wear.

Preface....I kind of have strict guidelines for what is acceptable clothing outside the house.  Leggings, workout clothing, sweatpants, are not acceptable.

As I've mentioned before I am struggling with my self image during this pregnancy.  Couple that with my severe disdain of maternity clothes and we were in for a total meltdown.  I really hate my maternity jeans, both pairs.  They are the full panel kind, which I roll down to fit bellow the belly.  But, because only my belly is growing (or so I thought) I have a hard time keeping the pants up.  They continually slide down as I walk taking my undies with them.  I look like a stupid teenage boy constantly tugging at my jeans.  So, I put on my jeggings, but they're basically glorified leggings and that goes against my rules for leaving the house acceptably; I just couldn't do it.  Then I decided I would just put on my jeans I wore pre-pregnancy and just use a rubber band to keep them "buttoned."  As I was laying on the floor to put them on (this is now how I have to dress myself as it's gotten too hard to keep my balance and be able to breathe to put on pants, socks, shoes), I couldn't get them passed my thighs.  What the hell was going on?  Wait a second.  I'm gaining weight everywhere?  How the hell am I going to go back to being the size I was?!?  Finally, I just stayed, on the floor, with my jeans halfway up, crying for help.

Dave, that little buzz wad, came in and grabbed my TriSlide.  Laughing, crying, peeing (the realities of being pregnant).  I was definitely in a foul mood now.

Finally I put on those damn maternity jeans and headed out.  Dave drove me straight to Destination Maternity where, of course, the first pair of jeans I see are $180.  No effing way am I spending that much money on a pair of jeans I'm only going to wear a few more months.  We hit the sale racks and Dave starts grabbing jeans left and right.  They were all full panel and I kept saying no, no, no.  I hit another sale rack and grab two more jeans that were not full panel.  The first pair I tried on were about 1000% better than the two pairs I already had.  They were a little tighter, no full panel, and seemed to fit really well.  Dave asked me the obvious questions.  Would they be able to grow with me that last couple of months?  I didn't care.  They were $20 and they fit.  Sold.

Things were finally looking up for the day.

I wore those jeans later this evening.  And, they're alright.  They definitely fit better, however the rise on them (crotch) is unbelievably long.  I guess that makes since in a maternity jean, but for me it just makes things droopy in that area.  I don't tug at them as much, but they're still not great.  The reality is, (a) pregnant bodies are just weird and clothiers don't really care and (b) I only have a few more months of this. Suck it up.

I always thought I'd want to be pregnant in the winter because it would be easier - not being miserable in the nasty, hot, humid summer weather and I could just wear sweats all the time.  However, (a) since the day I got pregnant I have been freezing and (b) it would be great if I could just wear summer dresses and not worry about pants fitting or not.

How many more weeks are left?

Are We Ready?

The question I get most often is "how are you feeling?"  Ugh.  I think I'd rather have people touching my belly.  I feel fine.  I feel great.  I am having the world's easiest pregnancy.  Next question.  But it won't be long before people are starting to ask, "are you ready?"

Boy, this is a tough question.

For 10 years I screamed, in my head and aloud, "I'M NOT READY!!!"  But at some point you just kind of have to be okay with now or never.   I actually think pregnancy has calmed me down.  I've lost control of everything and really, that's a good thing.  I'm learning to go with the flow and just let things happen. 

The other day I posted a YouTube video on my Facebook wall that just had me in tears.  I mentioned something about not caring if my child was smart, or good looking, or athletic, but I cared if he/she had a good heart.  Our former pastor from church noted that he knew we were completely ready for parenthood.  And you know what, I feel that way.  I am totally okay with what's going on.  Sure, I don't know the first thing about giving birth or how to bathe a child, etc., but I know the type of parent I want to be and I know the type of child I would like my offspring to become. 

So, how am I feeling?  Great.  Stop asking.  Am I ready?  Absolutely.  Let's do this.

Thursday Thoughts

The skies are grey, it's going to rain for the next four days...it must be Christmas.  Oh and all the Christmas music on the radio.  One station in Columbus started playing round the clock Christmas music November 1st and another station started right after Thanksgiving.  I've got to admit I've gotten festive with my music by listening to the Nat King Cole Christmas music station on Pandora.

What's your favorite holiday song?  What's your least favorite?

Pregnancy: Episode 28987934

Gawd, are you sick of hearing about my pregnancy?  I'm a little tired of writing about it too.  Nevertheless, here's another post about pregnancy.

The doctor has recommended to me for quite a while that I needed to get a flu shot.  I found it odd that I needed to get a special one (preservative free) and yet my doctor didn't carry or administer it.  I thought I needed a prescription for this special one and kept waiting on her to give that to me.  Again last week she asked me if I had gotten my flu shot, then mentioned the new study saying autism might be linked to getting the flue while pregnant, and insisted again that I get the shot.  I asked her where to get it and she gave me two suggestions: (1) one of the local grocery store pharmacies (we have mega-grocery stores in Columbus) and (2) my personal doctor. 

Over the weekend I went to this local grocery store and, of course, they were out of them and were not going to be getting another shipment.  They suggested another one of their stores, but I told them no thanks.  I wasn't going to be running around Columbus to different grocery stores.

Monday I called my personal doctor and they didn't carry them, of course.  Then I called the maternity line for the hospital in which I will be delivering my baby.  It was like I was speaking a foreign language to them.  They had no idea what I was talking about.  They gave me the phone number to the Columbus Department of Health. 

By this point I was pissed at my OB for putting me through this run-around.  If she was going to insist that I get the flu shot and it had to be a special one, then SHE should be either administering it or know exactly where I could go to get it.  Of course, though, I called and the effing office wasn't even open.  Good god!!!

At this point I posted my frustration to Facebook.  Many of my friends responded saying I didn't need a flu shot, that their kids turned out fine, yada yada yada.  While I appreciate their encouragement, I still felt like I should get the shot because the doctor requested it.  My doctor is super conservative when it comes to patient care, but this was one I understood. 

After work I stopped at the post office and then walked up to the CVS to see if they might have the shot.  Lo and behold, they did.  And then I had to wait 45 minutes from them to do god knows what before they administered it.  Luckily, though, it was completely covered by my insurance and I was given a 20% off coupon for my next shopping trip to CVS.  Oh, and, now I won't get the flu.

2013 Racing Thoughts

In my head I have been debating about what 2013 should look like in terms of racing.  How quickly will my body bounce back?  How long will it take to get my speed back?  Will I even want to race?  Will I have time to train?  I'm hoping the answer is....I'll be back to running in a few weeks, have my body bounce back really quickly, and back to being fast and racing in no time.

So then the question becomes are there specific races and distances I want to target?  That's a toughy.  I do know that I do not want to do any triathlons.  I don't know if I'll ever do triathlon again, frankly.  Since I've started swimming again, I'd really like to try my hand at aquathlon.  There were two here in Central Ohio last year and they seemed to be pretty successful, but the racing company that put these races on has yet to publish their 2013 schedule.  If they have them and if they go well, I might go and do the aquathlon age group nationals.  Next year they are in North Carolina and that is within driving distance.

As far as running, yeah, I have no idea.  Part of me wants to finish what I started this year and train hard for a fast marathon.  I can't do the one I was planning on for 2012, Air Force Marathon, because I already have a vacation scheduled during that time.  I was using this marathon to qualify for the  Boston Marathon.  This marathon fell right in between the first and second week of registration for Boston.  If I want to qualify for Boston I am going to need to find a race prior to September.  With the baby being born in April, I'm just not sure that is realistic.  I would really like to run the Columbus Marathon again,  but it's after the Chicago Marathon so not likely it will still qualify me for the next Boston Marathon.  I don't know; I'm keeping my options only.  I have also thought about doing an ultra (50K).  Woah!  There was one recently here in Columbus that had 60% of it on roads or paved trails.  I am totally a road runner, so this one I find interesting and I wouldn't have to travel for it.  Plus it was the first week of November so I could run a fall marathon and still do the ultra.

But, I hear you can get really fast after giving birth as you've got all those natural hormones and I'm wondering if I should just focus on shorter races and try to see how fast I can get.  I have to admit, I'm pretty content with what I've accomplished in the marathon and if I don't do another one, I think I'm okay with that.  The training takes a lot out of you and you put all your eggs in one basket and I've just found a lot of fun in the shorter races and racing more frequently.  Being a runner is more than just doing marathons.  You can still be a kick-ass runner and not do marathons (a la, Steve Stenzel).

Of course, I am not going to decide anything or pay for any races until after baby comes.  I'm just dreaming as I get bigger and bigger and slower and slower.  ;)

Wrestling with the Body Pillow

The doctor told me at my last appointment that I needed to be sleeping on my side.  This is difficult for me as I am a back sleeper.  I look like a corpse when I sleep - flat on my back, arms across my chest, no movement.  When I had shingles (or whatever it was) a year and a half ago, I could only lay on my left side, so I built a wall of pillows so that I could lay comfortably on my side all night.  I had heard that pregnant chicks like using body pillows, so I got one. 

The thing is huge.  It is literally the size of me.  So now it's me, Dave, pillow, and Sloopy all in one.  It's just too much.

The first night I slept with the pillow, I only made it about half the night.  My left arm was asleep and my back was killing me.  Screw it!  I just slept facing whatever direction I wanted and could get comfortable.

The second night I slept the whole night with it, but when I woke up in the morning I had my arms and legs around the pillow, yet I was sleeping on my back.  Hilarious! 

I don't get it.  How am I supposed to stay on my side and not have my left arm fall asleep?  Plus, it hurts my shoulder and clavicle.  And, am I supposed to lay my big baby belly up on the pillow because it's just not that big?  Do I have to lay on my left side the whole night? 

Baking this baby is so complicated.

Week in Review

Monday: 1600 yard swim (4 X 400 with 30 second rest)
               2 mile walk with Dave

Tuesday: 3 miles elliptical
It was hot in the gym tonight and the heart rate crept a little high - still below 140, but higher than the usual 130 I get on the elliptical machine.

Wednesday:  3 miles treadmill
Dave and I headed to the gym again tonight to run together on the treadmills.  This way he could run his pace and I could run my snail pace.  I have always thought my treadmill at home is faster than most treadmills.  And know I know it is.  The same pace I run at home which just about breaks me, was so much easier at the gym.  I like the treadmill at the gym much better.  :)

Thursday: Off

Friday: Off
We had planned on doing a walk today, but decided to go to an early movie instead.  We did take a very small walk with the dog, but I'm not counting that.

Saturday: 3 mile walk, Highbanks Metro Park
Our running group switches between running on a paved, flat trail and running the hillier dirt/rocky trails at the metro park every other week.  When we're at the metro park, I'm currently not able to run.  Going up the hills spikes my heart rate.  With the terrain continuously rolling, it's just nearly impossible to run.  Luckily, the weather was great this morning (mid 40s at 8:00am for December 1st!!!) so walking wasn't so bad.  I even got a "You go girl!" from some of the other runners.

Sunday: 2 mile neighborhood walk with Dave
I had plans to run today, however, plans got changed.  When I woke up it was warm, but raining.  I didn't really want to work out on the treadmill again.  Then we decided to go to church and then my niece and nephews had their Christmas play at school.  By the time we got home from all that it was dark, but still warm.  Dave and I headed out of the house around 7:15pm and did a quick 2 mile walk through the neighborhood.  2 for 2 (working out) in December.  Can I keep the streak alive?

Totals:
Swim - 1600 yards
Run/Walk - 13 miles
 

New Swimsuit

My mom had wanted to go maternity clothes shopping with me. That would have been nice, however, I've bought all the clothes I currently have/need online. So, my mom asked me last week if she could buy me a new swimsuit for my growing body. I agreed. We got together on Cyber Monday and looked through a couple of different websites. We finally decided to order a grab bag suit from Splish (my favorite) and see what the swimsuit gods would send us.

I received my order on Friday and thank goodness, it's totally acceptable.

The plan? I ordered two sizes up from my regular swimsuit size and will just wear a sports bra and/or bikini bottoms underneath it as necessary.

November Totals

November was a great month, even in the growing stages of my pregnancy.  I have continued to be consistent in working out, including running, walking, elliptical, and swimming.  I'm not going really fast.  I'm not going really far.  But it doesn't matter because I'm keeping in shape and keeping off the extra, unnecessary pounds.  I ran two races in November, Hot Chocolate 5K and Flying Feather 4 Miler.  We joined the Y and I got back in the pool for the first time in over a year.  How great it is to be swimming again.  I made it past my goal of 20 weeks and still working out.  Now I've got my eye on 30 weeks and seeing how long I can continue to work out.

Run/Walk/Elliptical - 53.7 miles
Swim - 3800 yards
Visits to the Y (between Dave and me) - 12, for $6.23 per visit

22 Weeks

22 weeks?  Asian school girl?

My day has been so weird.  Just a little after this picture was taken my dog was barking at me, I guess assuming I was playing, and then promptly bit me putting a hole in my sweater.  Of course, I didn't discover the hole until I needed to leave for my doctor's appointment.  Then I went through about 9 more outfits until I found something appropriate that wouldn't weight a whole lot (seriously, I do not want to clothes into the calculation for weight gained).

Speaking of doctor's appointment....the day kept getting weirder.  I get to the doctor's office and they let me know I didn't have an appointment.  Weird.  I had it written down in my calendar.  Then they asked me why I was there since I wasn't due for my annual.  Are you serious?  You don't see the baby bump?  You didn't notice my growing file that said PREGNANT?!  Luckily, (I guess), the doctor had had a cancellation so they were able to fit me in.

They bring me back and weigh in - up 17 pounds.  Exactly what I expected.  Blood pressure - 112/60.  Then the nurse let's me hear the heartbeat.  Super strong.  Awesome.  Finally it's time with the doctor.  She takes my belly measurements, feels around my belly and then things get strange.  The last time I had an ultrasound was week 15 with my high risk doctor.  My regular OBGYN is going through my chart and mentions to me that the baby was measuring big, as shown in my last ultrasound.  Really?  Nobody mentioned that to me.  Then she's poking around my belly and said I'm measuring big.  And no lie, in the same breath told me I was doing great with my weight.  She said the baby was way up in my ribs.  That's when I stopped her and literally asked her what she was talking about.  I have only felt movement below my belly button, plus my muscles are all still attached to my ribs and I can still see core muscles.  She explained this away by saying the baby was breech and I was just feeling the baby's feet down in my lower belly.  I left so upset with the way this appointment had gone that I forgot to get my blood test and now super self conscious about the way I was looking.

I called my mom later in the day, told her about my appointment, and she said, "was your doctor drunk?"  Seriously, I have no idea what happened today.  I swear I have left more doctors appointments upset and confused.  That's not how I should be feeling about my pregnancy.  Luckily, I have an appointment with my high risk doctor in about two weeks with another ultrasound and a growth analysis.  Dave will be with me and we are going to ask A LOT of questions.  Hopefully, that appointment will be less weird.

Thursday Thoughts (on a Wednesday)

I was watching the morning news this week and they were talking about tipping during the holiday season.  They mentioned you should tip your children's teachers, the hair stylist, the doorman, the mail deliver carrier, etc.  Dude, you could go broke just tipping people!

I have to admit, I am not a big fan of tipping.  Hear me out.  I think people should be paid for their worth and legally, as in not lower than minimum wage.  Plus, why should I be tipping someone for doing their job?  Their job is to provide good service.  For example, a waitress is supposed to take my order, bring me my food, check on me at least once, see if I need a refill, bill me, and then collect the paid bill.  Technically, all of that should be in her job description.  If she's doing all of that, she's providing service, aka, her job.  Why should I have to tip on top of that?  Well, because for some reason it's okay not to pay those individuals minimum wage.  That's just ridiculous to me.

On the flip side, my photo booth business could technically be described as a service business.  At a wedding usually the florist, caterer, DJ, and coordinator all get tipped, yet we rarely get tipped.  Wonder why that is?

Do you tip extra for the holidays?  What are your thoughts on tipping?  Do you have a job where you get tips?

A Heavy Issue

I knew going into this pregnancy that the issue I was going to have the toughest time dealing with was how much weight I was going to gain, how big I was going to get, and how in the world I was going to take off the weight post baby.

Things were going really well, at first.  By week 14 I had only gained three pounds.  The doctor had said, if done right, I should only need to gain about 30 pounds.  Great!  30 pounds I can work with.  30 pounds is not going to make me look like a whale.  30 pounds is doable to lose post-pregnancy.

I'm roughly 22 weeks pregnant and the pounds have been packing on the last 8 weeks.  I've gone from 3 pounds gain to about 18 pounds gained.  The hope of only gaining 30 pounds is totally out the window.  Now, I was warned by several of my athlete friends that I was going to gain a lot of weight - like 50-60 pounds.  Good gosh, I hope it's not that much!  I'm still hoping to stay as close to 30 pounds as possible.  I'm trying my best - I'm still working out 5 days a week and I'm eating reasonably.  I eat a lot of food that's totally not good for you, but I'm not pigging out either.  If you see me now, it's quite obvious I'm pregnant (and I had the first random stranger ask me this week when my baby was due - of course, I was in my swimsuit).  But, I'm still looking pretty small for how far along I am plus my belly is starting to get round - all baby.  (Picture to come on Thursday.)

It's hard to pep-talk everyday and know that I'm doing alright.  I've never been this size; I've never been this weight.  Moving the weights on the scale freaks me out every time I do it.  I know that after the baby is born, if I breast feed, go back to running, and eat better (ha!) that I will be able to lose the weight.  I know that I HAVE to gain this weight to have a healthy baby.  I know, I know, I know.  I just want to know that everything is normal and that everything (my body) will return to normal. 

New Shoes and a Present (to myself!!)

Why hello new shoes!!!

And a little present to myself.

Holy baby bump!! 

More on my love for Saucony later this week.

Week in Review

Monday - Off

Tuesday - 3 miles, elliptical
Dave and I went to the gym tonight.  He hit the treadmill for four miles; I did the elliptical.  I have got to remember to wear a more supportive sports bra when doing the elliptical.

Wednesday - 3 mile walk with Dave
Dave and I power-walked the heck out of this three miles.  It was so difficult, that I even had to stop and take a break with less than a mile to go until home.  I don't particularly like walking, but I know it's keeping me trim and in shape.

Thursday - Flying Feather 4 Miler
You can read the race report here.

Friday - Off

Saturday - 3 mile neighborhood run with Dave
Ugh.  Some days you have it; some you don't.  It was cold and snowy - my favorite time to run.  Unfortunately, I just wasn't feeling it and struggled nightly on this run.  There were several walking breaks.  That's okay - just keep at it.

Sunday - 2 mile walk treadmill
Finishing the week off right with a quick two mile walk on the treadmill.

Totals - 15 miles

Pregarita

Crushed ice + sparkling limeade

Flying Feather 4 Miler 2012

Ah yes.  The annual Thanksgiving race.  I was looking back through my Running Resume and it looks like I have participated in a Thanksgiving race every year since 2004, and the only reason I missed that one was because I had a broken tibia.  This is also the 5th time I have done the Flying Feather race.  We like this race because of it's swag - nice long sleeved tech shirt, gloves, hat, and a bottle of wine at the finish.  This year three generations participated: Mom, Dad, Dave, me, and baby.

This would be the longest run I've done since finding out I was pregnant.  I planned on just taking it easy, walk when needed, and collect mine wine and save it until after the baby is born.  :)  I lined up around the 11:00 pace and slowly walked to the start minutes after the starting gun went off.  I fell into an easy pace quickly and stayed comfortable.  This race runs on the road, around a roundabout, and then into a park where you wind up on the running/bike trail.  Usually, because I'm running balls to the wall, I find the crowds of people will clear out by the time you get to the park.  But now that I'm a little pokier, it never clears out.  For the entire four miles I was elbow to elbow with people.  Not that it was an issue because I certainly wasn't racing, but just a totally different experience.  I kept things consistent from beginning to end and ran/jogged the entire four miles.  It's nice to know that even 21 weeks into this pregnancy that I may be slower but at least I'm not losing fitness.  Goal #1!!!

My overall time was 41:47 for a 10:27 pace.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.  Next year, we'll be pushing a stroller...

Thursday Thoughts - Thanksgiving Style

I think it's quite obvious what I (we) am (are) thankful for this year.  So instead of asking you what you are thankful for, I'm going to ask you about your Thanksgiving meal.

What time do you eat your meal?
We always eat around 5:00.  My uncle is diabetic and must eat at that time.  (I don't know anything about diabetes, but that kinda sounds crazy to me.)

What did you eat for Thanksgiving?  What's your favorite Thanksgiving food?
Turkey, obviously!  My favorite Thanksgiving food is deviled eggs, and I make the best.

What did you personally make towards the Thanksgiving meal?
Dave and I made the deviled eggs (duh), pumpkin pie with bourbon maple whipped cream, and asparagus.

For the Love of Running 2

I hired a coach in 2008 with one specific goal in mind - break 3:30 hours in the marathon.  That fall I went 3:30 and change in the Columbus Marathon, and then finally busted through the 3:30 barrier at Boston 2009.  I had accomplished my goal.  But, I kept working with a coach and decided to give triathlon yet another try.  In the process, I also got sponsored and everything went from fun to serious.  I felt like expectations were high and it was easier to just not race or drop out of races than to not have to hit any goals.  I usually don't like "the easy way out" but it's all I could do.  Finally with my second failed ironman, I knew it was time for a break.

In 2012, I just wanted to run - no more sponsors, no more team, no more coach, no heart rate monitor, and in a lot of cases, no more watch.  It just became about me and the road.  For the first part of the year, the simplicity of running helped get my head screwed back on straight.  Once I got my shit together, I was able to tackle some goals, successfully I might add.  Then I found out I was pregnant and everything changed yet again.

I have run 5 or more races since finding out I was pregnant.  Instead of lining up in the front, sizing up my competition, I line up with those wearing tutus, matching outfits, crazy hats, and non-running shoes.  It's a whole different world back there.  One I had kinda forgotten about.  I don't get to run for competition right now, but instead because it's so great to still be out there doing it and staying healthy.  For the first time in a long run, it's nice to look around to where I am and where I've been and just smile.  Running has become almost refreshing.  At 21 weeks pregnant it's a victory just to get out there and still be able to lace up my sneakers and even attempt to run.  I am seriously loving running right now - maybe more than I have in years.

Of course, I can't help but think about next year.  What will happen after baby comes?  How soon will I get to really race again?  How quickly will my body bounce back?  Do I want to race short or long?  Right now, I know that still being able to run and keep in shape will pay dividends after the baby comes (and hopefully for labor too).  And right now, I just want to keep smiling and running at my snail's pace.  I'm still having fun.

12 for 2012 - Run 12 Races

I set several goals for myself this year, including one to run 12 races.  Basically, the goal was one race per month.  I hit this goal this past weekend.  Let's review:

January
I started the year off right by racing on the very first day with the Columbus River Run (1).  The race featured the Columbus Marathon race director who started at the back of the field and raced.  Anyone he did not pass received a free entry into the marathon.  I thought I had a shot.  I didn't take into account, however, that (a) I was really out of 5K shape and (b) Darris, the race director, is crazy fast and passed pretty much the whole field except three people.

I raced again in January at the Houston Half Marathon (2).  Our "group" had decided to go to Houston to watch one of our own in the marathon Olympic trials and we would run the half or full marathon too.  This weekend was an absolute mess for me.  I was at my lowest point for my depression/anxiety/nervous breakdown.  I couldn't leave the hotel room for anything.  I was able to get out to watch the marathon trials and ran in the half marathon.  Thank goodness, the year could only go up from here.

February
Now that I was on the upswing of my total mental mess, it was time to race again.  I did my favorite winter race, Last Chance for Boston (3), the half marathon, and did WAY better than I thought I was going to do.  Maybe this year wouldn't suck after all.

March
I didn't race in March, but did tackle another one of my "12 for 2012" goals of running every day for a month.  I did most of these runs without a watch and without any idea how far or fast I was going.  I had no idea what a HUGE difference this running would make for me.

April
A former athlete of mine decided in June to meet up and do a half marathon.  I really wanted to train and race well for it, so in April I started following the "Run Less, Run Faster" training plan for this half marathon.  The plan was intense and had a lot of speed work, so I decided to do one of the speed work sessions as a 5K, the Bunny Hop 5K (4).  I was like a total amateur at this race, forgetting my watch.  Turned out to be a good thing as I raced myself to a new PR.

May
To test where my fitness was for my June half marathon, I decided to do the Cap City Half Marathon (5).  I didn't expect much but sure had a great performance, with one of my fastest half marathons ever.  Excitement on a stick!!

June
The big half marathon, Deckers Creek Trail Half Marathon (6), for which I had been training so hard!!!  And it paid off with yet another new PR this year.

July 
This was the month of races.  I started out with the Westerville Rotary 5K (7), which was kind of a disaster after having no power for most of the week and then my parents' house not having power.  Very little sleep and it was hotter than balls outside.  Whatever!  You can't PR every race.

Then the very next weekend I decided to do the Columbus Running Company's 1 Mile Run (8).  With all the speed workouts I had been doing I thought I would smash my PR.  Instead I got my pride smashed by husband who destroyed me in this race.  Little did I know there was something else that affected this race.

The last race of the month was the Giant Eagle Multisport Festival 10K (9), which I did great in with a new PR and 3rd place overall female.  Funny enough, I found out the next day I was pregnant.

August and September
With the new revelation that I was pregnant and feeling like crap during my first trimester, I didn't race. Heck, I didn't run much at all, but I was doing enough to keep off the extra pounds and just stay in shape.  I, obviously, missed my marathon I was training for which I was training so hard.  There will always be other marathons.

October
Now into my second trimester, I found running to be mostly enjoyable again, albeit slow.  Dave and I found a race last minute to do, the Celebrity Ghosts 5K (10), and although I was crazy slow, I really had fun.

Just a few days later I did another 5K, originally a 2 mile walk that my mom was supposed to do.  The Step Up for Stefanie 5K (11) netted me a new 5K PR - pregnancy record.

November
Now, I'm not one for gimmicky races, but the family wanted to do the Hot Chocolate 5K (12), so I signed up too.  I had fun and the loot was great.

In two days, on Thanksgiving, I will be doing the Flying Feather 4 Miler.  This will be the longest run I've done since I found out I was pregnant.  Race report coming on Friday.

December
Races get harder to come by around here when the weather gets colder.  I might have one more race up my sleeve if the price is right.

There you have it - 12+ races for this year.  Not bad considering I've been pregnant for half of this year.  I'm hoping to repeat this feat again in 2013, which will be even harder.  Who doesn't like a challenge, though?

Hot Chocolate 5K 2012

So, usually, I don't do gimmicky races.  However, (a) my dad wanted to do this, (b) the swag was good, and (c) I LOVE CHOCOLATE!!!

Pre-race swag.  All participants got a branded wind jacket.  

This race started early - 7:30am.  That's pretty early and cold for a November race.  However, the whole family had gone to bed early; earlier enough that my mom joined us as paparazzi.  (This was the first time using the iPhone camera.  Not quite in focus, but close enough.)  I'm now into my 20th week of pregnancy so the goal for today was to have fun.  Hence, the sock monkey hat.  Dave and Dad got to line up in the front in A corral.  I was in D corral, several minutes and several thousand people back. I was in the land of tutus, funny hats (myself included), and lots of little kids.  After a corral started, the next corral was held for two minutes and then started.  I was 6 minutes back of Dave and Dad plus whatever pace they were running before I even got to start.  I was seeded way too far back.  I fought to get around people the whole race.  But, I had a great race.  I ran every step including the uphills that I took super easy.  I waved; I smiled.  In the end I was just one second of my PR (pregnancy record) with a 32:35 (10:30 pace), which placed me 173 out of 580 in my age group.  Dave finished, I think, 9th in his age group and my dad won his age group.

Post race swag

All finishers got a giant mug that had chocolate fondue, a marshmallow, a couple of pretzels, mini chocolate candy bar, a rice crispy treat, banana, and a hot chocolate.  The hot chocolate, funny enough, was disgusting.  I took two sips and threw it away.  The rice crispy treat was absolutely divine dipped in the chocolate.  I had mine and Dad's.  They enjoyed the banana dunked in the chocolate.  Fun?  Yes.  Gimmicky?  Yes.  Do it again?  Probably.

Week in Review

Monday - 3 mile walk, treadmill.

Tuesday - 1200 yard swim - 4 X 300s.
Nothing ever changes when it comes to etiquette at the pool.  AKA, no one has any.  I got dressed, went out to the pool deck, and all the lanes were full.  So I waited.  As soon as the first person jumped out, I started to edge my way to that lane.  Just then an older woman came out of the locker room and walked straight to that lane without even taking a second glance.  I was totally ditched!  Being nice and not saying anything, I waited for another lane.  There was another older woman in a lane who was just kicking on the edge of the pool while talking to a friend.  I was pissed she was taking up a whole lane without even swimming.  I think she sensed my frustration and got out to go to the leisure side of the pool.  I started to edge my way to the lane, and then her friend to whom she was talking jumped in the lane.  WTF?  Does no one see me standing here?  Finally, a lane opened up (after waiting 15 minutes) and I got to get my swim done.

Wednesday - 3 miles, elliptical.
Dave and I went to the gym together tonight.  He ran on the treadmill.  I hit the elliptical.

Thursday - Off
This is the day that I was full of rage.  I just wanted to lay around, drink Kool Aid, and eat chocolate.

Friday - 3 mile run, outside.
How often do you get 50 degree days in November in Ohio?  I ran in shorts, a long-sleeved shirt, and gloves and had a great run.  It's so nice to still be able to do this.

Saturday - Off
I had intended to go to the Y for a swim, but open swim was only open 7:00-9:00 in the morning and Dave didn't get up until 9:00.  It's okay to have a rest day.

Sunday - Hot Chocolate 5K - 32:35.  Race report coming tomorrow!!

Totals:
Run/Walk - 12.1 miles
Swim - 1200 yards

What's in a name?

Now that we're on the downside of the pregnancy mountain, we're starting to get the question we've been dreading....have we picked out a name?  This is something Dave and I talk about almost daily.  And, we're really getting nowhere with it.

A couple of years ago I had picked out some names and I had come up with one I really liked.  I assumed that Dave liked it too and so recently I've begun to call the baby by it's name.  Then one day Dave said he wasn't so sure about it.  I was devastated.  I really had my heart set on this name.  To be fair, he felt like he wasn't part of the decision process and I totally get that.  Yet, he has come up with ZERO suggestions and has said, he doesn't like any names.  Awesome.

There's so much pressure riding on this name.  I think names can create the type of person that you'll become.  It's important to pick the name that's right for the child that will someday be an adult.  Personally, I have narrowed the names down to two and they couldn't be more different.

One is 100% Greek, which is hilarious because neither of us is Greek and if you've seen pictures of us or know us personally, you would know that Dave and I are mostly likely producing a blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby.  A Greek name might seem a little weird.  This name, I think, is free spirited.  I can see the kiddo liking art and music, be a wild child in sports, but maybe not care so much about the future and the important things.  The name might create a fiery personality, which would almost guarantee the child to be a lot like me.  This could be bad to have another one of me in the household.

The other name, my first love for names, is the complete opposite of the other.  It's a very formal name, where I could see the child being a bookworm, loving school, and eventually becoming a CEO.  I absolutely love this name for it's formality.  There's the rub, though.  I have a very formal name and have always gone by my formal name.  Because I grew up with this formal name, I have formed my own opinion that children who are given formal names should be called by their formal names.  If you want a child to go by Billy, name the child Billy!  Dave, of course, thinks I'm being silly because, well, his name is actually David and he goes by Dave.  His parents are the ONLY people who still call him David.  To me, Dave is the grown up version of David.  And he CHOSE to go by Dave when he was in high school.  So if I named my child a formal name, I would want that child to go by a formal name until he/she can decide for him/herself if he/she wants to go by another name.  Where am I going with this?  The formal name I really like can easily be turned into an informal name.  This is where, I believe, Dave is stuck and is dragging his feet.

I personally want to pick a name quickly so we can begin calling the baby by its name and get not only the baby but our dog adapted to hearing it.  Dave, on the other hand, wants to wait until he sees the baby.  I guess I get that, but I don't want to be those people who wait until a whole week to name the baby and for a week just call it baby.  What's that about?  We still have five months to go.  And I'm sure, hundreds more names to talk about.

20 Weeks - Half way there!!!

I might have borrowed these from Danielle.  :)

How far along? 20 weeks 

Total weight gain: I haven't had a doctor's appointment in two weeks so I don't know exactly, but the scale at the YMCA has me up 11 pounds since I found out I was pregnant.  For this far along in the pregnancy, I'll take it.

Maternity clothes? I own two pairs of jeans, two leggings, two shirts, and a winter coat.  I hate the jeans, but it's my only option for work.  I can still wear most of my tops from before I was pregnant.

Stretch marks? No, and I'm hoping to avoid them.  I'm using some cocoa butter on the areas I know could be stretching and keeping those areas well moist.  Ha!

Sleep: I'm sleeping about as normal as before I got pregnant.  I still get  up 2-3 times a night to go to the bathroom but that's about what it was before I got pregnant.  I don't remember the last time I slept all the way through a night.  I am going to bed earlier than I was before I got pregnant, but it's also helping Dave get more work done if I go to bed before him.

Best moment this week: Finding out that another close friend is pregnant!!!

Miss Anything? Alcohol.  What I wouldn't do for a margarita!  Also, I can't wait to run fast again.

Movement: All the time.  It's not painful as the baby is positioned all below my belly button.  Right now it's super cute.

Food cravings: Kool aid and chocolate, but that's pretty much all I ate before I was pregnant too.  :)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Gender: People sure don't like that we know and are not telling.  We love their theories on what the gender might be.  We've only heard one good theory and we were able to debunk that.

Labor Signs: Nope.  Let's keep it that way for at least another 19 weeks.

Symptoms: I don't know what this question means.  I have a big gut and I can feel the baby move.  What more symptoms do you need.

Belly Button in or out? Way far in.  I'm actually looking forward to it popping out so my stomach will stop looking like a butt.

Wedding rings on or off? I only recently started wearing a wedding band and it's very much on.  I'm only gaining weight in my belly and boobs, nowhere else.

Mood: I knew someone who was a complete bitch during her pregnancy so I'm trying to make a conscious effort to be in a good mood about the pregnancy.  One day this week, though, I had so much rage in my head that I worried what I might have said all day.  My job gets a lot more stressful through the holidays (I work in retail) so I'm trying to just stay relaxed.

Looking forward to: We're painting the baby's room this weekend and I'm looking forward to starting to get it set up.

Thursday Thoughts

I sit with someone at work who hasn't mastered the art of tact.  She says some things to me that just make me open my eyes and say what?  As my pregnancy has gone along she has mentioned how 'fat' I am getting.  While I know she is probably joking, that's just not something that you say to a pregnant person.  And this week during our quarterly meeting this week where they hand out promotions (most promotions at our company are done as surprises and then awarded in front of the entire company) she said that she would be angry if I got a promotion and she didn't because she had been there longer than me.  While neither of us got a promotion, and I wasn't expecting one, it took me aback that she would think promotions should be given by longevity at a company and not based on performance.

Anyway, what have you heard lately from others in a public setting directed at you that made you question what the heck they were talking about?  Have you ever said anything that was completely over the line that you wish you could take back?

Organismic Spreadsheets

I mentioned on Monday how much I love spreadsheets.  I FLOVE SPREADSHEETS!  I get a kick out of formulas and number manipulation.  Call me weird, but to an engineer it's totally organismic!

Earlier this year I created a whole spreadsheet workbook with links and whatnot that became my training log.  It's nothing special but allows me to track my swim/bike/run/other distances and hours.  Recently, I built an even more powerful tool into it that just makes me giddy with excitement.

I mentioned that Dave and I joined the YMCA.  When we were members of Lifetime Fitness we were naive and didn't really know how much we were spending on our membership nor did we realize how much money we were wasting when we didn't go to the gym.  The fee blindly came out of our credit card every month and since we never checked, we didn't realize that we were spending a lot of money! While the Y is cheaper, it's still not all that inexpensive, so I wanted to make sure we were (a) using it and (b) getting the most out of our money.  So I added some rows and some formulas to my spreadsheet and now I'm calculating monthly costs per trip to the YMCA.  Oh, it is so exciting.  :)

The 'Y' stands for YMCA. I put a 1 in when either Dave or I goes to the gym. A 2 means we both went that day.

Oh that was so good. I might need a cigarette now.

Something's in the water

Dude, everyone I know is knocked up!

Truth be told, I'm a little selfish.  Alright, I'm a lot selfish.  And when I first got pregnant I was excited that I was the only one.  (Actually, that's not true.  A good friend of mine is a few weeks ahead of me but I don't see her very often and we don't run in the same circles so I still kinda felt like I was the only one.)  But then other people I knew either through real life and/or blogging started announcing their pregnancies and I have to admit, I was kinda excited.  It was fun to have people going through the same thing as me that I could talk to.  And it was especially awesome because many of them are fellow runners/athletes so I can talk to them about my running and whatnot during my pregnancy.

Congratulations to all my friends who announced their pregnancies in the last few weeks (or will be coming up soon).  I'm so excited we're doing this together!

For the Love of Running

I am going to let you all in on your new secret to running success.  Gather 'round.

For the love of running, PUT YOUR GARMIN AWAY!!!!

Believe me, I'm a numbers person.  I love statistics.  I love charts and graphs.  And I might get a little orgasmic creating new spreadsheets (more on this later this week).  But for the love of running, put your Garmin away.  Garmins and GPS sports watches are killing your potential as a runner.

Yes, I have a Garmin.  In fact, this household has two Garmins - a 310 XT and a 405.  And they have been used extensively.  I use one mainly in workouts that require a certain pace to be matched.  I do not use mine for track workouts, easy runs, and definitely never in a races.

So why are you losing potential as a runner by using a Garmin?

First, it's just technology and technology fails.  If you're running in a big race, in a big city, in the woods, etc. your Garmin is not going to be accurate.  Period.  Satellites do not hover over your head like Ziggy's cloud.  There will be times when your watch cannot pick up the satellite and your Garmin is going to compensate by guessing and smoothing the data.  Your watch will read erratically and you won't know what the hell to do.  Speed up?  Slow down?  Recalibrate the damn thing?  

Secondly, you're not learning how to pace.  You are letting a watch dictate your pace.  You need to teach your body to feel pace.  I can tick off miles and miles of pace within seconds of each other without a Garmin because I know exactly what a 9:00 pace, 8:00 pace, 7:30 pace feel like.  To run a successful race you must learn to trust your body and pace evenly if not negatively.  To practice this, put on your Garmin and throw a sticker over it.  Turn off any beeping mechanism on it.  Now go out for a run and try to maintain the same pace from start to finish.  When you're done, check those mile splits.  Learn to run evenly.  Learn to feel.

Lastly, your not going easy or your not racing to your maximum potential.  When you have an easy run on the schedule does that mean you have a certain pace to hit?  For me, that answer is no.  An easy run may be a 9:00 pace or it may mean an 11:00 pace.  I have to listen to my body on those days.  And those easy run days I don't wear any watch.  Nothing.  Completely naked running.  When racing you should be RACING!  If you're wearing a Garmin while racing, well, you're not racing.  You're pacing. You're looking at your watch and it's telling you a number that your head feels is too fast.  You slow down.  The Garmin tells you you're going at a pace that is slower than you wanted to go, you speed up and out of your comfortability.  Then you hit the wall and die at the end.  Learn to feel a race.  For marathoners, like myself, you work your ass off for months for one race and you taper so you are ready for race day.  You want to run an overall pace of X:XX but you're in such good shape and so ready for the race that you may be running faster than what you expected.  Guess what?  That's okay.  That might be the pace you are supposed to be running.  Go with it.  Don't let a piece of technology dictate who you're actually feeling.  Also, I do not believe that all races require numbers.  Sometimes it's about place.  If I enter a small race, I may have a goal to place in my age group or overall.  I'm going to find ways to work my way through a field and not worry about pace.  My goal?  Podium, not a necessarily a new PR.

Winter, the off season for most, is the time to practice, practice, practice.  You're building your base and creating new habits for next summer's racing season.  Now's the time to put away your technology and feel.  Just run, damn it!  It's not rocket science.

Week in Review

It was a good solid week.   I felt good.  I had good workouts.  I'm so happy that I'm still able to do this 19 weeks into this pregnancy.

Monday - 2.5 miles treadmill - 2 mile jog/0.5 mile walk.  It was a beautiful day outside and I really should have run outside, but I just wanted to watch Ellen and run on the treadmill.  I tried the pregnancy support belt today and what a difference it made.

Tuesday - Gosh, nothing!!!  I am so lazy.  I just wanted to lay around in sweats all afternoon and that's what I did.

Wednesday - 1000 yard swim.  Back in the pool.

Thursday - 3 mile run/walk.  Sigh.  Running is getting so difficult.  It's so frustrating!!

Friday - 4 miles, elliptical.  I had wanted to swim today, but I was feeling really run down with a touch of a sore throat all during work, so I came home and took a nap.    When I woke up, I was feeling much better.  One of the local high school swim teams takes over the pool at 3:00 so I would not have another chance to swim.  Instead I headed to the Y and got in a good, solid four miles on the elliptical machine.

Saturday - 3 miles.  You can read about this run here.

Sunday - Nothing.  I just wanted to take a day off, enjoy Dave being home, and eat big meals.

Totals:
Swimming - 1000 yards
Run/Walk - 12.5 miles

A Good Run

Finally, a good run. 

I was worried that the two 5Ks I ran two weeks ago might be the last of my running days until after the baby is born.  Every time I tried to run I would get winded, my legs felt horrible, and it was just awful.  It was easier for me to just walk and that's what I did. 

This morning Dave and I met with the group at the trail to do our weekly run.  I can't keep up with anyone anymore, obviously, so I usually just do a few miles while the rest of the group does a longer run.  I have been heading north on the path, mostly because there is a port-a-john about 3/4 of a mile up the path, but there's a little roll to this part of the path because it goes up and over the freeway.  This little bit of undulation causes me to have to walk.  Today I decided to go south on the path.  It's flat as a pancake, but has no port-a-johns.  The weather was perfect this morning - mid-40s and sunny.  I was wearing capris, a long sleeved shirt, a t-shirt, and light gloves, knowing that I was probably going to be doing more walking than running.  I started off jogging with zero expectations.  And things were great.  I hit the half mile mark and still felt like running.  I hit the one mile mark and debated turning back in case I was going to need to use the bathroom.  What's one more half mile, though?  So I kept going.  Finally, I was a mile and a half out so I turned around and kept running.  Then I chicked three women!  Yes, I actually passed people!  I finished the three miles with ZERO walking.  I could have gone more, but I didn't feel like I needed more. 

I'm really happy to still be running.  It may not be fast; it may not be pretty, but it's so refreshing.  I hope I can keep running for many more weeks.

This Sh!t's Getting Real

There is now baby furniture in our house.

Actually, this cradle is significant.  My dad built this for me when I was not yet born.  I have slept in it.  My sister has slept in it.  My sister's kids have slept in it.  And now our little munchkin will be sleeping in it.  I love it.

Thursday Thoughts

There's been a lot of talk going around my triathlete and running friends who are using their off season right now to try new things.  Things that scare them.  Things they've never tried.  In your off season, what's one thing you'd like to do that has nothing to do with swim, bike, run?

Fish Out of Water / Human in the Pool

We joined the Y.  Yesterday I got back in the pool for the first time in over a year.  This is what I might have looked like in my swim suit (being that I'm about 19 weeks prego and still sporting last year's swimsuit).

Wow!  I'm a bit rusty.  I thought I would easily be able to bang out 1000 yards, but after a mere 8 laps my arms were on fire!  I had to stop after 10 laps and stretch and rest.  Then I did another 10 laps.  And another and another.  I finally stopped at 1000 yards.  I had hoped to do it continuously, but it's been a long time.

A friend of mine from high school said swimming would feel like heaven for this pregnant body.  I thought I would love it because I don't have any nausea and I love not having to have my clothes squeeze the living daylights out of me.  Now, I didn't hate it, but parts of it were weird.  For example, everything stretches weird when I put my hands above my head.  I feel like I am going to bust out a stretch mark right then and there.  I am trying my hardest not to get any stretch marks!  But I did enjoy that there was no pressure on my belly and my bladder.  It was great to do a workout and not have to take four million bathroom breaks.  Hopefully swimming will get better and easier and feel a little more natural the more I do it.

Maternity Clothes

Oy!

I have, luckily, been able to get by with very little maternity clothes to this point.  I had purchased two shirts, two pair of leggings, and a coat from Old Navy; two pairs of maternity jeans from Macy's; and everything else I've been wearing has been my previous clothes, stretched to the limit.  In the last two weeks, I've have started to grow.  Things that did fit me are barely covering me now.  It's sad to put on a t-shirt and not have it cover your entire belly.

Saturday I went to Destination Maternity to purchase the support belt.  I had barely walked in and I was greeted with an overly-excited sales woman.  Know if you know me, I avoid sales people like the plague.  I have been known to shop with an iPod on so I don't have to talk to anyone.  But I indulged her and let her give her spiel.  Destination Maternity was a combination of several different maternity stores, big sales right now, free water and juice, a lounge area for the men and kiddos, etc.  I really was only there to purchase the support belt, but I looked around at a few of the clothes.

Here's a little background.  I work in the home office of a very large retail corporation.  My employer has very strict requirements regarding what we're allowed to wear a work.  Sure we're casual, but you can get fired (on the spot) for wearing certain things - NEVER wear black and DO NOT wear competitors clothing.  You're just asking to lose you're job if you're doing that.  But, we do get a big fat discount and who else gets to wear shorts and flip flops to their jobs?  We do not, however, have a maternity line and our clothes aren't exactly made for the larger body.  So far, I've been able to incorporate a few maternity pieces with our own clothes and get away with it.

That time is coming to an end, though.  So, I looked around at Destination Maternity for comparable clothes.  Basically there were none.  And they were not available in an extra small.  And they were expensive.  The cheapest thing I saw there was a long sleeve tee for $35.  THIRTY FIVE DOLLARS?!  FOR A LONG SLEEVE BASIC SHIRT?!  YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR MIND!!

So, I'm still left with less than 10 pieces of maternity clothing and a very quickly growing body.  I hate the idea of spending a lot of money on clothes I'm not likely to wear again, but I don't know what my options are.  I'm hoping to get some Old Navy gift cards for Christmas, if I can make it that long.  Otherwise, I'm going to have to start wearing Dave's clothing that I've bought from our retail stores.  :)

Needing a Little Support

Running/walking has not been all that kind on this pregnant body.  Because I've had to slow down, gained weight, doing a lot more walking, etc., my gait has been changed and therefore I'm battling some aches and niggles.  I have developed plantar fasciatis in my left foot (typical), re-aggravated my injury from falling down the stairs, and my back has begun to ache a lot.

Saturday I bought what is called "The Ultimate Pregnancy Support Belt".  It supports under the belly and the upper and lower back.  Check me out!

If my belly button gets any deeper, my belly is gonna look like my butt.

I tested my new apparatus on the treadmill.  And it was great!  It held everything in place.  Running felt easier.  My back felt a little better (although sore afterwards).  My favorite part, I was able to run 2 miles without having to go to the bathroom.

Of course, afterwards I kept worrying that I had the belt too tight and that I was smooshing the baby.  For the rest of the evening I kept hoping to feel the baby move.  Then I turned my concern to Facebook, you know, the source of all information.  :)  My parent friends assured me that the baby was okay and that I would love the belt while working out.  They were right, and I have felt the baby move since then.

Money well spent.  More on that tomorrow.

Week in Review

It was a rough week.  Not only was I emotionally drained after my grandma's passing, I just didn't have much energy to do a whole lot of working out.

Monday - Nothing.  This is the day that grandma died and I spent the evening with family.

Tuesday - 2 mile walk.

Wednesday - 2 mile run/walk.

Thursday - 3 mile run/walk.

Friday - Nothing.  The funeral was today.  Plus we had errands to run, Dave had to vote, and we had to work a photo booth event.

Saturday - 3.1 mile run/walk with friends.  Well, I was by myself, but I met my friends at the park and saw them before and after the run.  I thought I was going to have a great run this day because the weather was cool and I was well rested, but it turned out to be crap.  I was walking within a quarter mile.  I just didn't have it today.  Regardless, I got some good walking in.

Sunday - Nothing.  Dave returned to California today and I was just bummed.  I'm so tired of his work/travel schedule.  He might have signed up for this, but I didn't.

Weekly Total - 10.1 miles

Dreaming

You dream a lot when you're pregnant.  Most of my dreams have been pretty forgettable, although funny and unique.  I've had one nightmare.  I created one ice breaker game in my dreams.  I have not had any dreams about the baby.

Mostly though, I've been dreaming with my eyes open.  With this forced hiatus from running, all I can think about is the races I want to do and the goals I have yet to achieve. 

• I want to and believe I can run a 5K under 21:00.  Heck, I think I should be able to do it sub-20:00.
• I think I can run a half marathon close to a 1:30.
• I know I can beat my dad's PR in the marathon: 3:21:21.
• I've really been thinking of tackling a 50K.
• I'd like to do more trail racing (something that's hard to find around here).
• Someday, I'd like to finish the damn Ironman.

I want to believe that my running career will not be over when the baby comes.  I have a lot of good role models to prove that running and big goals will still be able to be achieved.  I can't wait to run fast again...

A (somewhat) Political Post

Every time I formulate a blog post in my head, I worry about what others will say when I actually post it.  This is one of those posts.

Dave is continuing to travel to California for work.  November is looking ugly.  He is gone 2-1/2 weeks this month.  We discovered last week when we were thinking about his next trip that he was going to be gone on election day.

Yes, we live in Ohio, a battleground state.  There is not a single commercial on right now that is not political in some way.  Dave and I enjoy politics.  We talk about it a lot, but only between the two of us.  We know that not everyone agrees with us, which is totally okay.  We listen to what others say, however, we prefer to do our own research and vote for the candidates and issues that we think are best and not necessarily align with a certain political party.

Anyway, when we discovered that Dave was going to be gone on election day we decided it was important for him to vote early (which is something we can do here in Ohio) since we actually live in a state where your vote matters.  Today we went to the one and only early poling place in Columbus.  There was a line outside that went was probably 30-40 people deep.  What we couldn't see inside the building is that the line wound around and around like a ride at Disney World.  Rumor had it, the weight was around an hour to vote.  (Dave made it in and out in 45 minutes.)  Outside, what a freakin' madhouse.  All the crazies were out.  There were representatives for every candidate under the sun, along with decorated trucks.  There were freaks dressed as Abe Lincoln handing out sample ballots.  There were people being reprimanded for wearing candidate paraphernalia (there was a presidential candidate rally in town earlier).  And there were lots and lots of police making sure that order was being followed.

I did not go into the building with Dave.  I was not voting (I'll vote on election day), so I did not want to go in.  Afterwards he told me about his experience.  You had to fill out a paper with your address, last four digits of social security, and maybe some other information.  One inside they verified nothing.  Dave had out his driver's license and they said, no they didn't need it.  (Hello, what?  Voter fraud?!)  Although they gave him a ballot (I believe it was electronic), voting early was basically doing an absentee/provisional ballot in person.

Here's where I'm going to get nasty comments.

I don't know what happens in other states, only what happens in Ohio.  We recently had a court case trying to overturn early voting in Ohio.  The judge basically laughed at this and threw it out.  Early voting would continue.  I, personally, do not like early voting.  I do not like absentee ballots  (I should say,  I think there's a certain person who should be using this, but there are LOTS of people using absentee ballots who don't need to be).  I think if you are able bodied and registered to vote (and everyone should register to vote), then you get yourself to your polling place on election day and do your civic duty.  Otherwise, you have no voice to complain.  (Side note, this is my opinion and only mine.  I know not everyone agrees and that is fine.  We are allowed to disagree.  I'm not looking for you to change my mind.)  Back to this whole early voting and absentee ballot thing.  In Ohio, the way we understand it, you can vote absentee or provisional, but your vote is only counted if the election is so close in the state that they need to count those ballots (the stuff I read online says they are counted on election night, although tens of thousands are often thrown out because of errors.).  So, there's been a lot made about early voting in Ohio, but in the end your vote probably means nothing.  Let's be real; the election is not going to be that close here.  Why not go to the polls on election day and actually cast your vote?

Please don't leave me nasty comments.  This is my blog and if I want to voice my opinion, I have every right to.  I also have every right not to publish your comment.  :)  Take your frustration out on Tuesday.  Go vote.

18 Weeks

I posted this photo on Facebook this week.  After I made a remark about how I was looking more fat than pregnant, I got a comment saying something to the effect of...'You're growing a baby.  You only have a few months of this joyous time.  Enjoy it.'  Yada yada yada, blah blah blah.  Obviously, this is an acquaintance of mine and not a real friend and does not know me at all.  I would never say such B.S.  

Progression of my growing bump over the last six weeks.

I went to the doctor today and weighed in 10 pounds heavier than when I started all this.  Really, this should be no big deal, but it freaks me out knowing I've got 22 weeks to go.  I have been self conscious about my size, not necessarily my weight, for as long as I can remember.   I'm only 5'1" so every pound counts and shows.  I should be happy that I'm not bigger than I am at this point in my pregnancy, but I also don't think I'm looking very "pregnancy cute."  Unlike others I know, I'm not growing from my ribs.  Instead I'm growing from my pooch, something I'm super-self conscious of anyway.  I suppose I'm not growing from my ribs because I've actually got core muscles and they're still holding everything in.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  :)  But because it's just my pooch area, I thinking I'm just looking fat.  I've not had anyone I don't know ask me when my due date is.  I guess that's being polite, but it's certainly not making me feel any better about my size.

Gosh, I'm going to sound so insensitive here....to me, this pregnancy is a necessary evil to having a baby.  I've always thought I would want a baby; I just didn't want to be pregnant.  I'm missing my former life....clothes that fit, running, having energy, etc.  I shouldn't complain.  I'm having the easiest pregnancy.  But I don't know what happens when all of this is over, body wise.  I know I should be easily able to lose the weight.  Or at least that's what people tell me.  That's not as obvious to me.  I like junk food.  I live on junk food.  I'm a lazy b!  I'm not looking forward to counting calories again.  I don't particularly like core work or lifting weights.  I just want a magic ball to look into the future and see what's going to happen next summer.

I'm having a rough body image week.  I know I may be just talking crazy, but I'm allowed to feel this way.  I'm sure next week may be a different story.