Things are slowing down greatly for me. I'm still "working out" but that's mostly taken the form of walking 17:00-20:00 minute miles. Every once in a while I might be able to manage a couple minutes of a jog here and there, but the belly has gotten heavy and I'd rather just walk. Plus, I'm a little worked up over getting varicose veins since the baby is sitting so low and causing pressure throughout my legs and nether regions. :) I did quite a bit of swimming during January, although I'd love to do more. The open swim hours at the Y are not that convenient right now because of a couple different swim teams, but hopefully in the next month that will be changing. Of course, by then I may just be too big to do anything and ice cream will be my only answer. That might be a workout I'll enjoy greatly.
Swim - 8000 yards
Run/Walk - 46 miles
Visits to the YMCA - 10
Cost per visit - $7.47
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Racing vs. Participating
Boy, this blog is schizophrenic isn't it? Running...baby....baby...running.
Whatever.
Elizabeth and Jennifer have been doing a monthlyish podcast that I've recently started listening to. Their most recent podcast was a Q&A from questions that people had sent in beforehand. (I sent in a question, but mine was not answered. :( I'm hoping maybe they'll answer it in their part 2 of Q&A.) I don't remember the exact question but they addressed the question regarding racing vs. participating - a very interesting question for two coaches who coach a lot of people who are wanting to do an ironman or run a marathon. It begs the question, is it more comfortable to go longer than to actually "race"?
And a very interesting question that has followed me for most of my running career.
My friend Andrea and I used to have some serious spoken and unspoken disagreements regarding racing. Although we trained together, our racing schedule was very different. I would do two marathons a year, while she would do more than that. I would actual train for races, while her intent was just to run the races. The frustrating thing for me is that she kept getting faster and my times seemed to stay steady. A couple years ago she moved to Colorado and changed her running habits. I changed over to triathlon. She has now begun to RACE and has gotten incredibly fast. So fast, I can't even be jealous anymore because I'm not even in the same time zone as her race times. I have had some success in racing again, but obviously took a step back since getting pregnant. She has struggled with injury and mental blocks recently, so I suggested to her that maybe she should just "participate" for a while. I can't believe I actually said that. (Of course, she went out and busted a 1:29 PR in a half marathon so it's a good thing she didn't listen to me.)
Myself, having gotten pregnant in the middle of my racing season last year, I was forced to participate. And you know what? I kinda enjoyed it. There were no expectations, there was no training, there was no nervousness, the people in the back of the pack were nicer, etc. I never finished DFL but came in with most "average" runners.
With only a few weeks left of my pregnancy, I've thought a lot about what will life be like afterwards. I have not signed up for any races. I have not outlined a race schedule. I don't even know if I will be able to or will want to continue to run. But, I have thought a lot about short versus long races. I do like to go long. I enjoy getting lost in the monotony of mile after mile after mile. Training for long distance races takes a toll on the body and for me, at least mentally, I struggle with putting all my eggs in one basket for a single race. Personally, I've done the marathon. I've done well in the marathon. I really have nothing to prove in the marathon. Would I like to go 3:20, 3:15, or better in the marathon? Absolutely. Does this define me as a runner? I'm not sure.
And then there's the damn ironman. Yes, I will continue to call it the damn ironman until I finish the damn thing. I sometimes feel a little haunted having not finished the race. Although as time has passed, I'm okay with not being an ironman. However, I still want to finish the race.
As I tip over the edge of early 30s into my late 30s this spring, I think about how much time I actually have left to get faster. Let's be honest, time is ticking. I would love to do another marathon. I would love to do the ironman. Heck, I'd even like to try a 50K. But, why would I do all that stuff now when I only have a limited time left to get faster at the shorter distances. Is doing the marathon, ironman, ultras really all about participating? Can one actually race those distances?
What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you think being called a runner is dependent on finishing a marathon? Or triathlete finishing an ironman? Which distance of race do you prefer? Are you comfortable with the uncomfortable? What are your thoughts on speed and age and how to pick races?
Whatever.
Elizabeth and Jennifer have been doing a monthlyish podcast that I've recently started listening to. Their most recent podcast was a Q&A from questions that people had sent in beforehand. (I sent in a question, but mine was not answered. :( I'm hoping maybe they'll answer it in their part 2 of Q&A.) I don't remember the exact question but they addressed the question regarding racing vs. participating - a very interesting question for two coaches who coach a lot of people who are wanting to do an ironman or run a marathon. It begs the question, is it more comfortable to go longer than to actually "race"?
And a very interesting question that has followed me for most of my running career.
My friend Andrea and I used to have some serious spoken and unspoken disagreements regarding racing. Although we trained together, our racing schedule was very different. I would do two marathons a year, while she would do more than that. I would actual train for races, while her intent was just to run the races. The frustrating thing for me is that she kept getting faster and my times seemed to stay steady. A couple years ago she moved to Colorado and changed her running habits. I changed over to triathlon. She has now begun to RACE and has gotten incredibly fast. So fast, I can't even be jealous anymore because I'm not even in the same time zone as her race times. I have had some success in racing again, but obviously took a step back since getting pregnant. She has struggled with injury and mental blocks recently, so I suggested to her that maybe she should just "participate" for a while. I can't believe I actually said that. (Of course, she went out and busted a 1:29 PR in a half marathon so it's a good thing she didn't listen to me.)
Myself, having gotten pregnant in the middle of my racing season last year, I was forced to participate. And you know what? I kinda enjoyed it. There were no expectations, there was no training, there was no nervousness, the people in the back of the pack were nicer, etc. I never finished DFL but came in with most "average" runners.
With only a few weeks left of my pregnancy, I've thought a lot about what will life be like afterwards. I have not signed up for any races. I have not outlined a race schedule. I don't even know if I will be able to or will want to continue to run. But, I have thought a lot about short versus long races. I do like to go long. I enjoy getting lost in the monotony of mile after mile after mile. Training for long distance races takes a toll on the body and for me, at least mentally, I struggle with putting all my eggs in one basket for a single race. Personally, I've done the marathon. I've done well in the marathon. I really have nothing to prove in the marathon. Would I like to go 3:20, 3:15, or better in the marathon? Absolutely. Does this define me as a runner? I'm not sure.
And then there's the damn ironman. Yes, I will continue to call it the damn ironman until I finish the damn thing. I sometimes feel a little haunted having not finished the race. Although as time has passed, I'm okay with not being an ironman. However, I still want to finish the race.
As I tip over the edge of early 30s into my late 30s this spring, I think about how much time I actually have left to get faster. Let's be honest, time is ticking. I would love to do another marathon. I would love to do the ironman. Heck, I'd even like to try a 50K. But, why would I do all that stuff now when I only have a limited time left to get faster at the shorter distances. Is doing the marathon, ironman, ultras really all about participating? Can one actually race those distances?
What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you think being called a runner is dependent on finishing a marathon? Or triathlete finishing an ironman? Which distance of race do you prefer? Are you comfortable with the uncomfortable? What are your thoughts on speed and age and how to pick races?
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Baby in 3D
We had yet another doctor's appointment today. I'm as tired of writing about them as I'm sure you're tired of reading about them. But, today's appointment was with our high risk doctor which meant another ultrasound. This was supposed to be our last ultrasound....more on that later.
We started the ultrasound with some good news: the baby's head is down. Sweet! I was nervous because last time the baby was breech and I wanted at least a possibility of having this child the way that nature intended. Then the sonographer measured the head. She said, "ooh, that's a big head." Yikes! The ultrasound continued and she kept measuring things. "Yeah, you've got a big baby."
What's big? Well, based on the size of the baby, my due date has been moved up a whole week. While most babies at 31 weeks are about 3.3 pounds, our baby is about 4.5 pounds. The baby is in the 75th percentile and the head, the giant head, is measuring in the 99th percentile. Yes, I have to birth that giant head. Even though I have worked out my entire pregnancy and studies have shown that people who run during their pregnancy tend to have lower weight babies, Dave and I knew there was a possibility that we would have a big baby. See, I was almost 9 pounds when I was born and Dave was almost 10 pounds. So think how big our baby could be if I had not been running, swimming, walking?
Anyway, at the end of our ultrasound, the sonographer said she was going to try to get one of those 3D pictures of the baby. We were surprised by this. We thought those were a special ultrasound that you got and had to pay for separately. She began this scan and of course, the baby got shy. It's already so much like Dave and me. Every time the sonographer would move the wand over the baby's face, it would put its hands over its face. She would move the wand away and it would drop its hands. She would try again and again its hands went up.
Finally, she caught the baby off guard and was able to get two pictures of the face. I know I'm biased, but seriously that is a cute face. I love that the baby has a chin dimple just like Dave and me. It makes it all seem a little more real - we're going to meeting that face in a few weeks.
After our ultrasound we met with the doctor and his intern. We just adore him. He's awesome. He mentioned how big the baby was and they have decided to do another ultrasound in the 36th week to make sure the baby isn't getting too big or to decide to induce my labor early.
Also in good news, the doctor asked me about my mental health and depression. Knowing how severe my depression has been and my high likelihood of having post-partem depression, the doctor has decided to put me on the Prozac I was supposed to start taking a year ago. He asked why I hadn't been taking it this whole time. Good question! My regular doctor prescribed it to me a year ago when I was a mess and put me on Prozac specifically knowing that it was safe to take during pregnancy. Talking with two different OBGYNs about it, even letting them know I was suicidal at the time, both of them said no. My high risk doctor and his intern both said it was okay today. I KNOW!!! So, I'm going back on it during my 37th week until who knows when to help with my anxiety and possible depression. This is a move I should have done long ago.
Overall, a good visit. A long visit, but a good visit.
We started the ultrasound with some good news: the baby's head is down. Sweet! I was nervous because last time the baby was breech and I wanted at least a possibility of having this child the way that nature intended. Then the sonographer measured the head. She said, "ooh, that's a big head." Yikes! The ultrasound continued and she kept measuring things. "Yeah, you've got a big baby."
What's big? Well, based on the size of the baby, my due date has been moved up a whole week. While most babies at 31 weeks are about 3.3 pounds, our baby is about 4.5 pounds. The baby is in the 75th percentile and the head, the giant head, is measuring in the 99th percentile. Yes, I have to birth that giant head. Even though I have worked out my entire pregnancy and studies have shown that people who run during their pregnancy tend to have lower weight babies, Dave and I knew there was a possibility that we would have a big baby. See, I was almost 9 pounds when I was born and Dave was almost 10 pounds. So think how big our baby could be if I had not been running, swimming, walking?
Anyway, at the end of our ultrasound, the sonographer said she was going to try to get one of those 3D pictures of the baby. We were surprised by this. We thought those were a special ultrasound that you got and had to pay for separately. She began this scan and of course, the baby got shy. It's already so much like Dave and me. Every time the sonographer would move the wand over the baby's face, it would put its hands over its face. She would move the wand away and it would drop its hands. She would try again and again its hands went up.
Finally, she caught the baby off guard and was able to get two pictures of the face. I know I'm biased, but seriously that is a cute face. I love that the baby has a chin dimple just like Dave and me. It makes it all seem a little more real - we're going to meeting that face in a few weeks.
After our ultrasound we met with the doctor and his intern. We just adore him. He's awesome. He mentioned how big the baby was and they have decided to do another ultrasound in the 36th week to make sure the baby isn't getting too big or to decide to induce my labor early.
Also in good news, the doctor asked me about my mental health and depression. Knowing how severe my depression has been and my high likelihood of having post-partem depression, the doctor has decided to put me on the Prozac I was supposed to start taking a year ago. He asked why I hadn't been taking it this whole time. Good question! My regular doctor prescribed it to me a year ago when I was a mess and put me on Prozac specifically knowing that it was safe to take during pregnancy. Talking with two different OBGYNs about it, even letting them know I was suicidal at the time, both of them said no. My high risk doctor and his intern both said it was okay today. I KNOW!!! So, I'm going back on it during my 37th week until who knows when to help with my anxiety and possible depression. This is a move I should have done long ago.
Overall, a good visit. A long visit, but a good visit.
Monday, January 28, 2013
The Million Dollar Question
Anne alluded to it with her comment on Friday, so let's dig in and talk about it.
Maternity Leave
I recently started filling out my paperwork for my maternity leave, so I've got a pretty good idea of how it all works, sort of. I get up to 12 weeks of leave: 6 weeks paid (the first week has to be taken as vacation days) or 8 weeks paid if you have a Cesarean, and 6 week unpaid. I am a part time hourly employee, which for me means a minimum of 20 hours and up to 40 hours. I currently work about 25 hours a week. So, this leave of absence kind of sucks for me because I will only be paid for 20 hours per week instead of the 25 I actually work.
We have nine weeks until the baby is born and we have yet to make a decision regarding if I'm returning to work. And I'm not sure we are going to be making that decision before the baby is born.
It's complicated.
First, our health insurance is through my job. I work for a big retailer that has a very young workforce and therefore, the insurance is amazing. When I got the job here and we switched our insurance from Dave's company to mine, we were saving over $300 a month. That's no small chunk of change! So, I need to stay on payroll here at least through my delivery so that the medical bills are paid with the really good insurance.
Secondly, the company I work for is not exactly the easiest to get into, but once you're in you can move around and move up. I have one of the lowest jobs on the totem pole, however, I work great hours, I can set my own schedule, I can work from home, etc. I have a great relationship with my director who knows my background in logistics and engineering and if I wanted to move up, I'm sure I could.
But....
I currently do not make a lot of money. My salary, although it does contribute, is more like bonus money for Dave and me. Dave, on the other hand, does well enough that I don't have to work. And in addition, we have the photo booth business which doesn't make a lot of money, but does provide something. If I were to continue with work at the hours I am currently working, I will be spending my entire salary on child care. That is not worth it. Plus the thought of other people raising my child makes me sad. If we felt that it was imperative that I continue working than I would have/should have found a full time job that actually paid a real salary.
Luckily, I don't have to decide right now (although I know I can't wait forever). After talking to our leave coordinator at work, if I decide not to come back after my maternity leave it is just treated like a resignation and I would not have to pay anything back. So for right now, we're just going to go with the flow after the baby is born and decide when we have to decide.
Maternity Leave
I recently started filling out my paperwork for my maternity leave, so I've got a pretty good idea of how it all works, sort of. I get up to 12 weeks of leave: 6 weeks paid (the first week has to be taken as vacation days) or 8 weeks paid if you have a Cesarean, and 6 week unpaid. I am a part time hourly employee, which for me means a minimum of 20 hours and up to 40 hours. I currently work about 25 hours a week. So, this leave of absence kind of sucks for me because I will only be paid for 20 hours per week instead of the 25 I actually work.
We have nine weeks until the baby is born and we have yet to make a decision regarding if I'm returning to work. And I'm not sure we are going to be making that decision before the baby is born.
It's complicated.
First, our health insurance is through my job. I work for a big retailer that has a very young workforce and therefore, the insurance is amazing. When I got the job here and we switched our insurance from Dave's company to mine, we were saving over $300 a month. That's no small chunk of change! So, I need to stay on payroll here at least through my delivery so that the medical bills are paid with the really good insurance.
Secondly, the company I work for is not exactly the easiest to get into, but once you're in you can move around and move up. I have one of the lowest jobs on the totem pole, however, I work great hours, I can set my own schedule, I can work from home, etc. I have a great relationship with my director who knows my background in logistics and engineering and if I wanted to move up, I'm sure I could.
But....
I currently do not make a lot of money. My salary, although it does contribute, is more like bonus money for Dave and me. Dave, on the other hand, does well enough that I don't have to work. And in addition, we have the photo booth business which doesn't make a lot of money, but does provide something. If I were to continue with work at the hours I am currently working, I will be spending my entire salary on child care. That is not worth it. Plus the thought of other people raising my child makes me sad. If we felt that it was imperative that I continue working than I would have/should have found a full time job that actually paid a real salary.
Luckily, I don't have to decide right now (although I know I can't wait forever). After talking to our leave coordinator at work, if I decide not to come back after my maternity leave it is just treated like a resignation and I would not have to pay anything back. So for right now, we're just going to go with the flow after the baby is born and decide when we have to decide.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Week in Review
Monday - 2000 yard swim, continuous pull
You can read about the swim here.
Tuesday -3.25 mile walk, treadmill
3 miles as 1/4 mile 0% incline, 1/4 mile 1% incline, 1/4 mile 2% incline, 1/4 mile 3% incline, all with descending pace.
Last 1/4 mile was slow walk at 0%.
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - 3.0 mile run/walk treadmill
Mile 1 - 5 minute walk, 2-1/2 minute run
Mile 2 - 5 minute easy walk, 2-1/2 minute tempo walk
Mile 3 - descending quarter miles
This workout felt extra hard today and it felt like the treadmill was going uphill even though it said 0% incline. After the workout I grabbed a small level and lo and behold, so not 0%.
Friday - Off
Saturday - 3 mile walk, Highbank Metro Park
You can read about the workout here.
Sunday - Off
Totals:
Swim - 2000 yards
Run/Walk - 9.25 miles
You can read about the swim here.
Tuesday -3.25 mile walk, treadmill
3 miles as 1/4 mile 0% incline, 1/4 mile 1% incline, 1/4 mile 2% incline, 1/4 mile 3% incline, all with descending pace.
Last 1/4 mile was slow walk at 0%.
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - 3.0 mile run/walk treadmill
Mile 1 - 5 minute walk, 2-1/2 minute run
Mile 2 - 5 minute easy walk, 2-1/2 minute tempo walk
Mile 3 - descending quarter miles
This workout felt extra hard today and it felt like the treadmill was going uphill even though it said 0% incline. After the workout I grabbed a small level and lo and behold, so not 0%.
Friday - Off
Saturday - 3 mile walk, Highbank Metro Park
You can read about the workout here.
Sunday - Off
Totals:
Swim - 2000 yards
Run/Walk - 9.25 miles
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Dress for Success
Because I'm not training for anything, to have control over my workouts, and to be close to a bathroom, I have basically done all of my workouts on the treadmill this winter. Every Saturday, though, our running group meets for a run. I, obviously, can't meet up with them, but usually go with Dave and I do my own little workout. We switch off locations every other week. One of the places we run is a metro park where we run on trails and it's quite hilly (for Central Ohio). Because of the terrain, I've been forced to only walk there during almost all of this pregnancy. For the second time this season, it snowed a significant amount on Friday so the trails were very snowy and the temperature at the start of the workout on Saturday (today) was 27, with a wind chill of 16.
How the heck are you supposed to dress for this workout with those temperatures when you're just walking?
Here's what a wore:
Two pairs of socks
Leg warmers
Tights
Swishy pants
Long-sleeved base layer
T-Shirt
Long-sleeved shirt
Sweatshirt
Fleece
Hat
Gloves
Was I at the South Pole? Was I scaling Everest? How tomatoes! That's a lot of clothes. (Funny enough, Dave was wearing close to the same amount of clothes while running and he said he was dressed just right.)
Well, I was burning up! And I couldn't figure out what layer to take off to make myself more comfortable. Everything was thick and cotton and really couldn't be taken off. I did take my hood (sweatshirt) off my head and unzipped my fleece halfway. Two socks was too much. My feet were sweating. If I were running, I would have known exactly what to wear, but walking? Yeah, I just haven't figured that out yet.
How the heck are you supposed to dress for this workout with those temperatures when you're just walking?
Here's what a wore:
Two pairs of socks
Leg warmers
Tights
Swishy pants
Long-sleeved base layer
T-Shirt
Long-sleeved shirt
Sweatshirt
Fleece
Hat
Gloves
Was I at the South Pole? Was I scaling Everest? How tomatoes! That's a lot of clothes. (Funny enough, Dave was wearing close to the same amount of clothes while running and he said he was dressed just right.)
Well, I was burning up! And I couldn't figure out what layer to take off to make myself more comfortable. Everything was thick and cotton and really couldn't be taken off. I did take my hood (sweatshirt) off my head and unzipped my fleece halfway. Two socks was too much. My feet were sweating. If I were running, I would have known exactly what to wear, but walking? Yeah, I just haven't figured that out yet.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Foto Friday
Since our little health scare last week and knowing that baby is coming quickly, we decided it was time to get some things that were probably somewhat necessary as soon as the baby was born. In the last week we've been on a shopping spree armed with coupons and gift cards and sob stories to get discounts (which worked, by the way). Here's a few things we've brought home.
First we bought a car seat. I guess they won't let you leave the hospital with your baby without one. :) Now we've got to figure out how to get it into the Prius.
Then we bought some bottles. This was a hoot. I had read some stuff online and asked a very trustworthy friend regarding what bottles to buy. All sources pointed to Avent. So, that is what we registered for. But instead of buying the bottles where we registered for them, we just went to Meijer and decided to wing it. We stood staring at the bottles for, like, a half hour. Even if the Avent ones there were a gazillion different choices. Dave was researching all over the internet. One random woman who saw us looking lost suggested something else entirely. (She then had an awkward conversation with me regarding preparing my nipples now for breast feeding. Um, thanks, random stranger!) Finally, we decided to buy two bottles. Yes two. For right now. I bought the Avent ones - a 4 ounce one, and a 9 ounce one. One has a newborn nipple; the other one a one month nipple. This way we didn't spend too much in case baby doesn't like it and we need to find something else entirely.
And now another awkward moment at Meijer. We had gotten a few duplicate items at our baby shower, one of which was from my sister. She said I could return it, so I did and got store credit. Great! I wanted to buy some baby socks anyway. As I was checking out, the woman ringing me up asked me if I was due any day. Wow! I didn't know I looked that big.
Finally, a big purchase. A purchase that scares me. Something I have no idea how to use, am scared to use, and kinda don't want to use. Yes you guessed it - a breast pump.
So what am I missing? What did you feel was necessary or made your life easier?
First we bought a car seat. I guess they won't let you leave the hospital with your baby without one. :) Now we've got to figure out how to get it into the Prius.
Then we bought some bottles. This was a hoot. I had read some stuff online and asked a very trustworthy friend regarding what bottles to buy. All sources pointed to Avent. So, that is what we registered for. But instead of buying the bottles where we registered for them, we just went to Meijer and decided to wing it. We stood staring at the bottles for, like, a half hour. Even if the Avent ones there were a gazillion different choices. Dave was researching all over the internet. One random woman who saw us looking lost suggested something else entirely. (She then had an awkward conversation with me regarding preparing my nipples now for breast feeding. Um, thanks, random stranger!) Finally, we decided to buy two bottles. Yes two. For right now. I bought the Avent ones - a 4 ounce one, and a 9 ounce one. One has a newborn nipple; the other one a one month nipple. This way we didn't spend too much in case baby doesn't like it and we need to find something else entirely.
And now another awkward moment at Meijer. We had gotten a few duplicate items at our baby shower, one of which was from my sister. She said I could return it, so I did and got store credit. Great! I wanted to buy some baby socks anyway. As I was checking out, the woman ringing me up asked me if I was due any day. Wow! I didn't know I looked that big.
Seriously, is there anything cuter than baby socks? These look like tiny running socks.
We had a bunch of coupons for the two baby stores in town and at least where we are registered, you could use competitor coupons. So, we've been making small trips down to the store and buying things as we felt they were "necessary." I don't really know how to define what may or may not be necessary since this is our first time around, but the internet has helped us a little to define this. Our next purchase...a swing.
Finally, a big purchase. A purchase that scares me. Something I have no idea how to use, am scared to use, and kinda don't want to use. Yes you guessed it - a breast pump.
So what am I missing? What did you feel was necessary or made your life easier?
Thursday, January 24, 2013
30 Weeks - 75% done!!!
I had my gazillionth doctor's appointment today. I really think these appointments are a waste of time. They're always the same and the same questions are asked every time. This week I didn't bring in my pee beforehand because I didn't have a specimen cup. Did it matter? Nope, just did it at the office. So, why do I need to bring it in every time. Then they weigh me. Now, I don't understand how my YMCA and the doctor's office has such a big discrepancy. They're the same scales! Yet, I was 4-5 pounds heavier today than I was on Monday. Really? Whatever. The doctor comes in and asks the same questions. How are you feeling? Any signs of labor? When I told her about the trip to the hospital, she actually asked me why I thought I was having contractions. What? I've never been pregnant. You're the doctor; you tell me! Every week she asked me if I'm having heartburn and every week I tell her it's reflux. Gah! And this time when I was talking to her about my rib pain she gave me zero hope that I was going to feel any better from here until the end. Her excuse, well, because I'm super short-waisted (and I am) that the only way I can expand is into my ribs and that's why they hurt all the way around the back. Awesome.
This pregnancy stuff is getting old. I'm ready to be done. 10ish weeks and counting...
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Wednesday Rants
I've got a few things to rant about today. I was going to do it on Twitter but I think I have too much to say for 140 characters.
First, let's talk about the Beyonce lip-synching thing. Y'all know she lip-synched the National Anthem at the Inauguration on Monday, right? I find it interesting how quickly everyone was to knock Ashlee Simpson on her buns when she lip-synched on SNL and basically ruined her career but because Beyonce is BEYONCE!!! she gets away with it and people are actually forgiving her? WTF? Um, Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor both sang at the Inauguration too and neither one of them lip-synched.
Moving on. I've mentioned it before and I'll mention it again, I am a huge tennis fan. HUGE!!! I've been trying my best to follow the Australian Open which is really hard since it is on in the middle of the night. I was a little shocked the other day when Dave texted me and asked me if I heard Sloane Stephens had beaten Serena Williams. Supposedly, Serena Williams hurt her back and then had a hitch in her serve, blah, blah, blah. Yet, she didn't seem to be too hurt when she was pounding her racket on the ground until it broke. Sloan Stephens has said that she idolized Serena Williams growing up and even had a poster of her on her bedroom wall. Nice example you're setting there, Serena. You're really a great role model.
Finally, I just finished reading "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". Um, I didn't get it. I didn't get it at all.
What are you ranting about today?
First, let's talk about the Beyonce lip-synching thing. Y'all know she lip-synched the National Anthem at the Inauguration on Monday, right? I find it interesting how quickly everyone was to knock Ashlee Simpson on her buns when she lip-synched on SNL and basically ruined her career but because Beyonce is BEYONCE!!! she gets away with it and people are actually forgiving her? WTF? Um, Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor both sang at the Inauguration too and neither one of them lip-synched.
Moving on. I've mentioned it before and I'll mention it again, I am a huge tennis fan. HUGE!!! I've been trying my best to follow the Australian Open which is really hard since it is on in the middle of the night. I was a little shocked the other day when Dave texted me and asked me if I heard Sloane Stephens had beaten Serena Williams. Supposedly, Serena Williams hurt her back and then had a hitch in her serve, blah, blah, blah. Yet, she didn't seem to be too hurt when she was pounding her racket on the ground until it broke. Sloan Stephens has said that she idolized Serena Williams growing up and even had a poster of her on her bedroom wall. Nice example you're setting there, Serena. You're really a great role model.
Finally, I just finished reading "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". Um, I didn't get it. I didn't get it at all.
What are you ranting about today?
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Just Keep Swimming
Dave and I both had Monday off from work. Because we had the daytime available to workout, Dave wanted to go to the pool. I was still not feeling 100% from whatever happened last week, but I agreed to go and just use the pull buoy until he was done with his workout. Dave is now sorta training for his half ironman and he kept adding numbers. I lost count but I knew it was going to be a long time in the pool.
Mostly, I did the swim continuously. I would stop every once in a while if I needed a small break or to check up on Dave and see where he was in the workout. When I was around 1500 yards Dave said he had 400 left. Good grief! This workout was never going to end. Finally, I did 2000 yards and was only 50 yards behind Dave when he finished his 2000.
It may not seem like much, but doing a longer swim like this makes me feel like I am accomplishing something. It's the small victories this late in pregnancy that really help.
Mostly, I did the swim continuously. I would stop every once in a while if I needed a small break or to check up on Dave and see where he was in the workout. When I was around 1500 yards Dave said he had 400 left. Good grief! This workout was never going to end. Finally, I did 2000 yards and was only 50 yards behind Dave when he finished his 2000.
It may not seem like much, but doing a longer swim like this makes me feel like I am accomplishing something. It's the small victories this late in pregnancy that really help.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Monday's Menu
Last week Jeff provided me with a recipe for chicken and dumplings. Y'all, I love me some dumplings. I would go to Cracker Barrel every day of the week if I could. Thank goodness the closest one is more than 30 miles away. I will admit, however, I'm kinda a chicken and dumpling snob. For example, Swanson used to make a really good canned version of them, but then they were bought by Campbells and they ruined it by putting vegetables in it. People, chicken and dumplings with vegetables equals a pot pie!!!
Although Jeff's recipe called for a few vegetables, I decided not to put them in and instead just went with chicken and dumplings. Dave did the chicken part. I did the dumplings. Here's the recipe. We halved the recipe because it was PLENTY!
Although Jeff's recipe called for a few vegetables, I decided not to put them in and instead just went with chicken and dumplings. Dave did the chicken part. I did the dumplings. Here's the recipe. We halved the recipe because it was PLENTY!
Chicken and Dumplings –
serves 14
8 chicken breasts or thighs, remove
skin
salt and pepper to taste
8 T. unsalted butter
3 c. chopped onions
2/3 c. flour
4 c. hot water
3 ½ c. chicken stock (broth)
6 medium carrots
4 lg. celery stalks
1 t. thyme
2 t. salt
4 bay leaves
1 t. pepper
Dumplings:
4 c. flour
2 T. baking powder
1 ½ t. salt
6 T. butter (salted)
2 c. milk
Cut chicken breasts in half diagonally.
Wash and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Melt unsalted
butter and add chicken. While browning one side, salt and pepper the
side facing up. After browning one side, turn over and brown other
side.
Remove chicken pieces to a plate. Add
onions to drippings and butter in pan and sauté until tender.
Stir in the flour and cook, stirring
constantly for 1 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and slowly whisk
the water and the chicken stock into onion/flour mixture. Whisking
constantly, bring to a boil over high heat.
Add vegetables and seasonings through
the pepper. Return the chicken pieces and all the juices and bring
to a simmer. Reduce heat so it barely bubbles. Cover tightly until
chicken is almost done. About 20-30 minutes.
Dumplings:
Mix together flour, baking powder and
salt. Set aside.
Put the milk and butter in a saucepan
and bring to a simmer. Do not scorch.
Add milk mixture to dry ingredients.
Stir with a fork or knead by hand 2 or
3 times until the mixture just comes together.
Push chicken pieces down so they are
submerged in broth. Gently drop spoonfuls of dough over the hot
broth. Cover the pan tightly and simmer for 20 minutes. Don’t
remove lid. Serve immediately.
I, of course, did not take any pictures. Overall, not bad. We put WAY too much pepper in which, of course, caused me major acid reflux. Course, there's not much these days that doesn't cause me reflux. The base of this meal was more soupy than creamy. I prefer a creamy base, but I have yet to find a recipe that actually is creamy. Also, I think I made the dumpling balls a little too big as they were a little doughy on the inside. Would we do this recipe again? Probably, although I'm still looking for the perfect chicken and dumpling recipe just like Cracker Barrel.
Do you have a great recipe we should try? Leave me a comment or send me an email (it's in the contact information).
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Week in Review
Monday - 4 mile run/walk, treadmill and 1200 yard swim
Treadmill workout as follows: 1st mile as 2-1/2 minute walk, 2-1/2 minute run; miles 2-4 as 5 minute walk, 2-1/2 minute run. I reminisced how it used to take me 30 minutes to do 4 miles and today it took me an hour and two minutes.
Dave wanted to hit the pool later in the evening and as tired as I was (I was already in my pajamas when he asked me to go), I went anyway. He was doing a workout and I was just going to splash around, but I grabbed a pull buoy and did 12 X 100 yards pull while he was doing whatever he was doing.
Tuesday - 3 mile walk, treadmill
Something happened over the weekend and my belly got BIG. This morning when I went to work, I couldn't button my coat, at all. I know that's not going to change for the next 11 weeks, but I still wanted to feel good about myself, so I walked 3 miles slowly on the treadmill.
Wednesday - 2.25 mile run/walk, treadmill
I wasn't really in the mood to work out today, but Dave was heading to the basement to ride his trainer, so I joined him on the treadmill. Since I just walked yesterday, I thought I would do a little running today. Each day I try to come up with a pseudo workout in my head. Today's would be 1/4 mile walk, 1/4 run. The most I've been running has been 2-1/2 minutes and a quarter mile would take longer than that (good gosh). It was a bit much but I was only doing the workout for only a few miles. The last quarter mile was a slow cool down walk.
Thursday - Off
We decided to visit our friends who just had a baby and bring them some dinner instead of working out.
Friday - Off
We had planned on going swimming this morning, but we didn't know we would be spending all night in the hospital either. I was still feeling really crappy for almost all of the day, so I didn't do any working out today either.
Saturday - 2.25 mile walk, treadmill
I felt so much better when I woke up Saturday. I had overslept the group run, but Dave was planning on a long workout in the basement so I joined him on the treadmill. Walking was enough today. I started quicker and ended slowly and I was okay with that.
Sunday - Off
I overdid it yesterday and not just on the workouts. I slept the whole day with my family attending both my niece and nephew's basketball games. Sitting all day long was just too much and I woke up pretty sore today. I think all of this happening this week was definitely a sign to slow down. Although, I'm hoping it does not mean bed rest. I am a bit nervous to be heading to the doctor this week.
Totals
Swim - 1200 yards
Walk/Run - 11.5 miles
Treadmill workout as follows: 1st mile as 2-1/2 minute walk, 2-1/2 minute run; miles 2-4 as 5 minute walk, 2-1/2 minute run. I reminisced how it used to take me 30 minutes to do 4 miles and today it took me an hour and two minutes.
Dave wanted to hit the pool later in the evening and as tired as I was (I was already in my pajamas when he asked me to go), I went anyway. He was doing a workout and I was just going to splash around, but I grabbed a pull buoy and did 12 X 100 yards pull while he was doing whatever he was doing.
Tuesday - 3 mile walk, treadmill
Something happened over the weekend and my belly got BIG. This morning when I went to work, I couldn't button my coat, at all. I know that's not going to change for the next 11 weeks, but I still wanted to feel good about myself, so I walked 3 miles slowly on the treadmill.
Wednesday - 2.25 mile run/walk, treadmill
I wasn't really in the mood to work out today, but Dave was heading to the basement to ride his trainer, so I joined him on the treadmill. Since I just walked yesterday, I thought I would do a little running today. Each day I try to come up with a pseudo workout in my head. Today's would be 1/4 mile walk, 1/4 run. The most I've been running has been 2-1/2 minutes and a quarter mile would take longer than that (good gosh). It was a bit much but I was only doing the workout for only a few miles. The last quarter mile was a slow cool down walk.
Thursday - Off
We decided to visit our friends who just had a baby and bring them some dinner instead of working out.
Friday - Off
We had planned on going swimming this morning, but we didn't know we would be spending all night in the hospital either. I was still feeling really crappy for almost all of the day, so I didn't do any working out today either.
Saturday - 2.25 mile walk, treadmill
I felt so much better when I woke up Saturday. I had overslept the group run, but Dave was planning on a long workout in the basement so I joined him on the treadmill. Walking was enough today. I started quicker and ended slowly and I was okay with that.
Sunday - Off
I overdid it yesterday and not just on the workouts. I slept the whole day with my family attending both my niece and nephew's basketball games. Sitting all day long was just too much and I woke up pretty sore today. I think all of this happening this week was definitely a sign to slow down. Although, I'm hoping it does not mean bed rest. I am a bit nervous to be heading to the doctor this week.
Totals
Swim - 1200 yards
Walk/Run - 11.5 miles
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Peer Pressure
The people I run with are sure good at peer pressure. They and their peer pressure are the reasons I have signed up for many races, did my first half ironman, and every single one of the overnight relay races I've done. Recently, they've been talking about doing another half ironman as a group this summer/fall. They're talk quickly turned into action and many of them signed up including Dave. Honestly, they've gotten into my head too. There's a large part of me that wants to do it. But then there's reality and it almost makes me a little sad.
I promised myself that I would not sign up for any post baby races while I was pregnant. I have no idea how quickly I'll bounce back or if I'll even have time to train or want to train, so I'm not spending money that I may not get back. And then there's the obvious stuff. Like, why do I want to do another triathlon? I don't even like triathlon. I made so many strides in my running last year, why would I not want to continue to pursue my running further? Plus, I haven't been on a bike on almost a year and a half. And right now I not even sure I can physically get on my bike, which leaves me about 4 months to go from zero to racing on the bike. Yeah, I don't know. Finally, there's that whole, I'll have a baby, thing. If I sign up for the same race as Dave then someone has to watch the kiddo. My parents are already going to be watching the baby a lot in early summer because of our photo booth schedule. While I appreciate it and I know that they don't mind and would love time with the baby, I promised myself when I got pregnant that I would be the parent and not someone else.
The good news is, I'm not falling into peer pressure. I'm not signing up at this time. I can entertain the thought all I want, but I can't and won't be making any decisions now.
I promised myself that I would not sign up for any post baby races while I was pregnant. I have no idea how quickly I'll bounce back or if I'll even have time to train or want to train, so I'm not spending money that I may not get back. And then there's the obvious stuff. Like, why do I want to do another triathlon? I don't even like triathlon. I made so many strides in my running last year, why would I not want to continue to pursue my running further? Plus, I haven't been on a bike on almost a year and a half. And right now I not even sure I can physically get on my bike, which leaves me about 4 months to go from zero to racing on the bike. Yeah, I don't know. Finally, there's that whole, I'll have a baby, thing. If I sign up for the same race as Dave then someone has to watch the kiddo. My parents are already going to be watching the baby a lot in early summer because of our photo booth schedule. While I appreciate it and I know that they don't mind and would love time with the baby, I promised myself when I got pregnant that I would be the parent and not someone else.
The good news is, I'm not falling into peer pressure. I'm not signing up at this time. I can entertain the thought all I want, but I can't and won't be making any decisions now.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Oh, What a Night
As I've gotten further along in my pregnancy, things haven't been so easy breezy as it was earlier. Nothing major, but I've had lots of aches and pains as my body has continued to grow and grow. The weirdest thing recently is that I've had numbness in my lower belly/pelvic area. My doctor said this is quite normal and all it means is that I'm growing and that my nerves are being stretched. Fun, huh?
Well, last Thursday I woke up to severe pain in my ribs. I had had rib pain earlier in my pregnancy that I attributed to growing pains, but this was not in my rib cage above the belly; this was pain in my side, almost under my arm. Again, I chocked this up to growing pains because yes, I am still getting bigger. As the days went on, this pain continued to be severe and felt like it was getting worse. I wondered if the growth had broken a rib. I could not recall for the life of me, what I could have done. Did I fall? Did I run into something? It was so weird.
On Thursday we decided to bring over some dinner to our friends who had just had a baby. (Remember that picture I posted on Sunday of my super-pregnant friend and me? Yeah, she had her baby earlier Tuesday morning.) While Dave was finishing up work, I went to the grocery store to pick up the few things I still needed for dinner. I literally had a package of chicken breasts, some sour cream, two avocado, and a bottle of laundry detergent. I carried the bags in one hand and the detergent in the other. While walking out of the grocery store, I felt everything rip and pull underneath my arm, in my ribs. I barely made it out to my car without dropping everything.
I got home and put a heating pad on it. I probably should have used ice, but I had been using ice all week long and it hadn't done anything. I was in excruciating pain. I couldn't even breathe. I was kinda freakin' out. I didn't want to disappoint our friends and I definitely wanted to meet the new baby, so I popped a Tylenol and went about my evening.
Side note, I have tried to not take ANYTHING during my pregnancy. I know Tylenol is perfectly safe, I have just preferred not to take anything. This was only my second Tylenol I've taken the entire 7-1/2 months.
The Tylenol only lessened the pain and it was only for about two hours. By the time I went to bed, the pain was almost unbearable. I was in so much pain I couldn't even cry. Maybe because I couldn't breathe? I was able to get about an hour of sleep before my bladder woke me up and that was that. I couldn't get out of bed because of the pain, so when I did finally sit up it was like all my muscles on my left side had been ripped open. I sat on the couch and tried to find comfort. Any comfort. Unfortunately, it wasn't happening. My high risk doctor had told me that if anything seemed "off" after my 28th week, to go to the hospital and get monitored. It was time.
At 2:00am, I woke Dave up and told him I couldn't handle the pain and that I wanted to go to the hospital and have the baby monitored. Dave is a complete zombie when he sleeps. I couldn't tell if he was just tired or if he was pushing back, but he didn't seem very happy to be going to the hospital at this hour.
We were in the ER by 2:30am and they immediately wheeled us up to Labor and Delivery. I really didn't want to be in L&D. I wasn't in labor. I wanted something to be done about the pain I was in for my ribs. Up in L&D, I felt like a big fat failure. The first question they asked me was, "did I have a pediatrician." No. Not yet. That's on the to-do list this month. Second question, "have I pre-registered at the hospital." Again, no. We start our maternity classes at the end of the month which includes getting pre-registered. I wasn't having a baby, but boy were they making me nervous. They wheeled me into a room and made me strip down to absolutely nothing. I knew exactly what this meant - there would be an internal exam. Gah! They hooked me up to two monitors: one to measure the baby's heart beat, and one to measure if I was having any contractions. Not even five minutes after being all hooked up, I had to go to the bath room. Of course.
They monitored me for about an hour before anyone came back in. To everyone's surprise, I was having contractions. Not Braxton Hicks contractions, but real contractions every few minutes. They weren't strong and they didn't hurt but I could feel them only in the sense that my belly was tightening. The doctor said I was only feeling those because I was tiny/thin.
They did do an internal exam and my cervix was closed and hard. Thank goodness. Then he checked out my ribs. Oh my stars! He hurt me so badly that I grabbed his arm and almost ripped out of the hair on it. The resident on-call decided to call the doctor on-call at the OBGYN office I go to and come up with a plan. I guess my doctor was the one on-call because he spoke directly to her. They decided it was safe to give me a single dose of Norco and they would do a blood work-up and check my urine. The nurse hooked me up with the full tubing in case I needed an IV later just to take my blood. Yeah, that didn't feel good. They gave me my dose of Norco and it made me feel very loopy and tired.
After four hours in L&D, they decided to send me home. They gave me instructions to continue with Tylenol and using a heating pad. They marked me down as having pre-term labor and just told me to keep my next appointment with my doctor. They told me I could keep up with my activity level as long as I was feeling okay.
We got home at 7:00am and slept for the next several hours. Tell you what, this has put quite a scare in us that the baby is coming early (of course, I'm now going to be two weeks late). Now we've got to get our sh!t together really quickly.
Well, last Thursday I woke up to severe pain in my ribs. I had had rib pain earlier in my pregnancy that I attributed to growing pains, but this was not in my rib cage above the belly; this was pain in my side, almost under my arm. Again, I chocked this up to growing pains because yes, I am still getting bigger. As the days went on, this pain continued to be severe and felt like it was getting worse. I wondered if the growth had broken a rib. I could not recall for the life of me, what I could have done. Did I fall? Did I run into something? It was so weird.
On Thursday we decided to bring over some dinner to our friends who had just had a baby. (Remember that picture I posted on Sunday of my super-pregnant friend and me? Yeah, she had her baby earlier Tuesday morning.) While Dave was finishing up work, I went to the grocery store to pick up the few things I still needed for dinner. I literally had a package of chicken breasts, some sour cream, two avocado, and a bottle of laundry detergent. I carried the bags in one hand and the detergent in the other. While walking out of the grocery store, I felt everything rip and pull underneath my arm, in my ribs. I barely made it out to my car without dropping everything.
I got home and put a heating pad on it. I probably should have used ice, but I had been using ice all week long and it hadn't done anything. I was in excruciating pain. I couldn't even breathe. I was kinda freakin' out. I didn't want to disappoint our friends and I definitely wanted to meet the new baby, so I popped a Tylenol and went about my evening.
Side note, I have tried to not take ANYTHING during my pregnancy. I know Tylenol is perfectly safe, I have just preferred not to take anything. This was only my second Tylenol I've taken the entire 7-1/2 months.
The Tylenol only lessened the pain and it was only for about two hours. By the time I went to bed, the pain was almost unbearable. I was in so much pain I couldn't even cry. Maybe because I couldn't breathe? I was able to get about an hour of sleep before my bladder woke me up and that was that. I couldn't get out of bed because of the pain, so when I did finally sit up it was like all my muscles on my left side had been ripped open. I sat on the couch and tried to find comfort. Any comfort. Unfortunately, it wasn't happening. My high risk doctor had told me that if anything seemed "off" after my 28th week, to go to the hospital and get monitored. It was time.
At 2:00am, I woke Dave up and told him I couldn't handle the pain and that I wanted to go to the hospital and have the baby monitored. Dave is a complete zombie when he sleeps. I couldn't tell if he was just tired or if he was pushing back, but he didn't seem very happy to be going to the hospital at this hour.
We were in the ER by 2:30am and they immediately wheeled us up to Labor and Delivery. I really didn't want to be in L&D. I wasn't in labor. I wanted something to be done about the pain I was in for my ribs. Up in L&D, I felt like a big fat failure. The first question they asked me was, "did I have a pediatrician." No. Not yet. That's on the to-do list this month. Second question, "have I pre-registered at the hospital." Again, no. We start our maternity classes at the end of the month which includes getting pre-registered. I wasn't having a baby, but boy were they making me nervous. They wheeled me into a room and made me strip down to absolutely nothing. I knew exactly what this meant - there would be an internal exam. Gah! They hooked me up to two monitors: one to measure the baby's heart beat, and one to measure if I was having any contractions. Not even five minutes after being all hooked up, I had to go to the bath room. Of course.
They monitored me for about an hour before anyone came back in. To everyone's surprise, I was having contractions. Not Braxton Hicks contractions, but real contractions every few minutes. They weren't strong and they didn't hurt but I could feel them only in the sense that my belly was tightening. The doctor said I was only feeling those because I was tiny/thin.
They did do an internal exam and my cervix was closed and hard. Thank goodness. Then he checked out my ribs. Oh my stars! He hurt me so badly that I grabbed his arm and almost ripped out of the hair on it. The resident on-call decided to call the doctor on-call at the OBGYN office I go to and come up with a plan. I guess my doctor was the one on-call because he spoke directly to her. They decided it was safe to give me a single dose of Norco and they would do a blood work-up and check my urine. The nurse hooked me up with the full tubing in case I needed an IV later just to take my blood. Yeah, that didn't feel good. They gave me my dose of Norco and it made me feel very loopy and tired.
After four hours in L&D, they decided to send me home. They gave me instructions to continue with Tylenol and using a heating pad. They marked me down as having pre-term labor and just told me to keep my next appointment with my doctor. They told me I could keep up with my activity level as long as I was feeling okay.
We got home at 7:00am and slept for the next several hours. Tell you what, this has put quite a scare in us that the baby is coming early (of course, I'm now going to be two weeks late). Now we've got to get our sh!t together really quickly.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Thursday Thoughts
People, we need help. We are just a few short weeks from Baby Gordon being born and we still don't have a name. I'm starting to feel fairly certain that this kiddo is coming home from the hospital still being called "Baby". We have gone through lists and lists of hundreds of names and are still greatly struggling. I have narrowed my names down to three. I'm not sure Dave is on board with any of them. So at this point, I'm open to taking suggestions.
Here's the rules...
Here's the rules...
- We're still not telling if it's a boy or a girl so we will take suggestions for both genders.
- If it's a girl, the middle name will be Lucille. If it's a boy, the middle name will be Reed.
- Our last name is Gordon (if you didn't know that...obviously, it's got to sound good with the last name).
- If it's a girl, we want the name to be eclectic, free-spirited, artistic, but nothing too out of the ordinary either. If it's a boy, we want the name to be more formal, CEO-like, but not really necessarily traditional either.
- We will not be shortening any names into nicknames. So if it's an Anthony, the name is Anthony not Tony; if it's a Lauren we will not be calling her Lori.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Moments of Sheer Panic
I'm starting to freak out as our due date gets nearer. Not so much, "we're not ready" as, "what the HELL have I done?"
I've done a lot of crying in the last week. I may have even said out loud, "I never wanted this!" While that is mostly true, I am excited about having a baby and glad this happened know. However, I am still scared out of my mind. I don't know the first thing about babies. I don't know about feeding a baby. I don't know much about holding a baby. I don't know what to look for with a baby that may be sick. I have never washed a baby. I'm seriously screwed.
I am sure this is absolutely normal thoughts and behavior for someone approaching their due date. Right? RIGHT?
I've done a lot of crying in the last week. I may have even said out loud, "I never wanted this!" While that is mostly true, I am excited about having a baby and glad this happened know. However, I am still scared out of my mind. I don't know the first thing about babies. I don't know about feeding a baby. I don't know much about holding a baby. I don't know what to look for with a baby that may be sick. I have never washed a baby. I'm seriously screwed.
I am sure this is absolutely normal thoughts and behavior for someone approaching their due date. Right? RIGHT?
Monday, January 14, 2013
Baby's Cadillac
Here it is. Baby's new Cadillac. This is the BOB CE running stroller. Why we chose this one? I don't know. The SE was built more for trail running and we're road runners so we chose this one? They're virtual the same and this is the one we went with. We're so excited to have this. We've put our dog in it and strolled it around the house. It rides so smoothly. Baby and I are going to put so many miles on this thing. I can't wait!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Baby Shower Mania
Yesterday and today can only be described as "Baby Shower Mania." Dave and I (and my mom) decided to do all our baby showers at once. Dave and I hosted our non-traditional baby shower last night and my mom and sister hosted a more traditional baby shower earlier today. Now, I'm just exhausted...to the point that I almost got in an accident driving home from my mom's house and came home and cried just because I was tired.
Here's how the weekend went.
I took Friday off from work and cleaned the house like a maniac. Saturday, Dave joined in on the cleaning fun. We finished up about 0.5 seconds before our guests started arriving. You know how on HGTV people are always asking for a house where they can entertain people? They love to entertain? Yeah, that's not us. It's not that we don't want our friends over; we're both just kind of social awkward and don't really know how to be hosts. Thankfully there were two distinct groups at this party, our college friends and our running friends, and they were able to keep each other entertained. We had set up the house to keep people busy: XBox, photo booth, board/card games, and yet, I think people just stood around drinking, eating, and talking. I worried all night long that people were not having a good time, but it sounds like it went okay.
After everyone left, my parents and Dave's parents stuck around and we opened our gifts for them. We got a lot of great stuff, including all our running friends chipping in and getting us our running stroller (picture on Friday). We also absolutely loved the elemental blocks my parents got us. This kid's going to be so smart! We took the stuff up and threw it in the crib so Sloopy (the dog) wouldn't ruin the stuffed animals already.
Sunday I woke up feeling hung over. Too many people, too much activity, not enough sleep. I had over done it. But, I had to put on a good front and head to my parents' house for round two of baby showers. My mom and sister were throwing a more traditional baby shower which was almost all family and a few family friends. There was good food, great cake, and silly games (which I requested NO games!!). The whole situation seemed really weird. As I said, I'm kinda social awkward and felt like everyone was staring at me. It's not like I'm 22 and people are like, "oh it's so cute you're pregnant", it's that weird, "Huh, we never thought this would happen to Meredith." It wasn't until the party was over that small talk was made and I felt more comfortable.
My family was more than generous and got us amazing gifts.
We got a lot of great supplies like thermometers, bath supplies, diapers, a changing pad, our diaper bag (that's the backpack - we're such athletes), and a few clothes (including clothes for the gender we are NOT having). I have so many thank you notes to write!!!
We still have so much we need for baby. It kind of scares me. We're hoping to make a list this week of things we still need and prioritize them as to what is actually needed and what we just want. Then we're going to scour the internet and stores to find the best deals. I'm starting to feel a little panicked, like I'm running out of time, and will never be prepared. I suppose this is typical. This was only a minor crying breakdown with my dog.
More info coming this week of more baby shower awesomeness.
Here's how the weekend went.
I took Friday off from work and cleaned the house like a maniac. Saturday, Dave joined in on the cleaning fun. We finished up about 0.5 seconds before our guests started arriving. You know how on HGTV people are always asking for a house where they can entertain people? They love to entertain? Yeah, that's not us. It's not that we don't want our friends over; we're both just kind of social awkward and don't really know how to be hosts. Thankfully there were two distinct groups at this party, our college friends and our running friends, and they were able to keep each other entertained. We had set up the house to keep people busy: XBox, photo booth, board/card games, and yet, I think people just stood around drinking, eating, and talking. I worried all night long that people were not having a good time, but it sounds like it went okay.
P is two weeks away from her due date. I'm 12ish. My kiddo kicked her during this picture and she felt it.
After everyone left, my parents and Dave's parents stuck around and we opened our gifts for them. We got a lot of great stuff, including all our running friends chipping in and getting us our running stroller (picture on Friday). We also absolutely loved the elemental blocks my parents got us. This kid's going to be so smart! We took the stuff up and threw it in the crib so Sloopy (the dog) wouldn't ruin the stuffed animals already.
Sunday I woke up feeling hung over. Too many people, too much activity, not enough sleep. I had over done it. But, I had to put on a good front and head to my parents' house for round two of baby showers. My mom and sister were throwing a more traditional baby shower which was almost all family and a few family friends. There was good food, great cake, and silly games (which I requested NO games!!). The whole situation seemed really weird. As I said, I'm kinda social awkward and felt like everyone was staring at me. It's not like I'm 22 and people are like, "oh it's so cute you're pregnant", it's that weird, "Huh, we never thought this would happen to Meredith." It wasn't until the party was over that small talk was made and I felt more comfortable.
My family was more than generous and got us amazing gifts.
We got a lot of great supplies like thermometers, bath supplies, diapers, a changing pad, our diaper bag (that's the backpack - we're such athletes), and a few clothes (including clothes for the gender we are NOT having). I have so many thank you notes to write!!!
We still have so much we need for baby. It kind of scares me. We're hoping to make a list this week of things we still need and prioritize them as to what is actually needed and what we just want. Then we're going to scour the internet and stores to find the best deals. I'm starting to feel a little panicked, like I'm running out of time, and will never be prepared. I suppose this is typical. This was only a minor crying breakdown with my dog.
More info coming this week of more baby shower awesomeness.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Week in Review
I know I'm not going to have time to do any workout on Sunday, so I can go ahead and post this on Saturday.
Monday - Off
I was planning a treadmill run today with my new treadmill, but we all know what happened there.
Tuesday - 2.55 mile treadmill run/walk
Dave and I went to the Y tonight and somehow got lucky in the Resolution crowd and found treadmills beside each other. I had no idea how far or long Dave was planning to run. He was using his new Zombie Run app and just kept playing games, so I just kept going too. I did 2-1/2 minutes of walking, 2-1/2 minutes of running and got in a total of 2.55 miles in the time he did 5 miles. I can't wait to be fast again.
Wednesday - 3 mile treadmill run/walk
Finally, the new treadmill! I was feeling pretty tired today. Maybe it was the workout from yesterday or the ultra-long nap I took or the appointments I had this afternoon, but this workout was taxing. My first mile I did as 2-1/2 minutes walk, 2-1/2 minutes run. The second mile was 5 minutes walk, 2-1/2 minutes run. And the last mile I just walked. Any workout is a good workout, right?
Thursday - 2 mile treadmill walk
1/4 mile 0% incline, 1/4 1% incline, repeat. This seemed hard. It seemed like the treadmill was heading uphill even when it was at 0%. It was only after Dave ran on it later that we found that you could calibrate the incline. Whoops! Hopefully, it will not be so uphill next time.
Friday - 1800 yard swim
6 X 300 as 2 X 300 swim, 2 X 300 swim with fins, 2 X 300 pull. I got to the gym this morning (I had the day off from work) and the pool was full and it looked like there was a swim team there. I was confused because the swim teams practice in the afternoon and evenings. I asked the front desk and they said it was the Navy Seals. What the Navy Seals were doing in Columbus, Ohio, I'll never know but I guess they swim there Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning. There was one other lane open so I thought I'd wait on that one. But when I got to the pool deck, the Navy swim coach let me swim with one of his guys. Thanks for being so nice, guys!
Saturday - 3 mile walk, Highbanks Metro Park
I'm definitely slowing down as the group did the full 6 mile loop and I did the top 3 and the fast dudes beat me this week. Although the temperatures have been warm all week, the trails were really icy and muddy. I spent most of the time walking along the edge of the trail to avoid the ice and was super, super careful going down the hills and across the bridges.
Sunday - Off
Too much going on this weekend.
Totals:
Swim - 1800 yards
Run/Walk - 10.55 miles
Monday - Off
I was planning a treadmill run today with my new treadmill, but we all know what happened there.
Tuesday - 2.55 mile treadmill run/walk
Dave and I went to the Y tonight and somehow got lucky in the Resolution crowd and found treadmills beside each other. I had no idea how far or long Dave was planning to run. He was using his new Zombie Run app and just kept playing games, so I just kept going too. I did 2-1/2 minutes of walking, 2-1/2 minutes of running and got in a total of 2.55 miles in the time he did 5 miles. I can't wait to be fast again.
Wednesday - 3 mile treadmill run/walk
Finally, the new treadmill! I was feeling pretty tired today. Maybe it was the workout from yesterday or the ultra-long nap I took or the appointments I had this afternoon, but this workout was taxing. My first mile I did as 2-1/2 minutes walk, 2-1/2 minutes run. The second mile was 5 minutes walk, 2-1/2 minutes run. And the last mile I just walked. Any workout is a good workout, right?
Thursday - 2 mile treadmill walk
1/4 mile 0% incline, 1/4 1% incline, repeat. This seemed hard. It seemed like the treadmill was heading uphill even when it was at 0%. It was only after Dave ran on it later that we found that you could calibrate the incline. Whoops! Hopefully, it will not be so uphill next time.
Friday - 1800 yard swim
6 X 300 as 2 X 300 swim, 2 X 300 swim with fins, 2 X 300 pull. I got to the gym this morning (I had the day off from work) and the pool was full and it looked like there was a swim team there. I was confused because the swim teams practice in the afternoon and evenings. I asked the front desk and they said it was the Navy Seals. What the Navy Seals were doing in Columbus, Ohio, I'll never know but I guess they swim there Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning. There was one other lane open so I thought I'd wait on that one. But when I got to the pool deck, the Navy swim coach let me swim with one of his guys. Thanks for being so nice, guys!
Saturday - 3 mile walk, Highbanks Metro Park
I'm definitely slowing down as the group did the full 6 mile loop and I did the top 3 and the fast dudes beat me this week. Although the temperatures have been warm all week, the trails were really icy and muddy. I spent most of the time walking along the edge of the trail to avoid the ice and was super, super careful going down the hills and across the bridges.
Sunday - Off
Too much going on this weekend.
Totals:
Swim - 1800 yards
Run/Walk - 10.55 miles
Friday, January 11, 2013
Product Review: Kiefer Silicone Training Fins
Kiefer contacted me several weeks ago asking me if I'd like to try out one of their products. Well, don't threaten me with a good time! After some discussion with them, making sure they'd want me to review an item for them when I'm crazy pregnant and not really swim "training", I was sent the Kiefer Silicone Training Fins.
I already had a pair of Speedo fins, but they were long and more scuba-like than swim training-like. These fins from Kiefer are comparable to zoomers. From their website:
Would I recommend these fins. Absolutely! Am I going to continue to use them. You betcha! Will I go back to my old fins? Only if I'm scuba diving (which I'll never do because of my ears).
Do you have any Kiefer products? What are your thoughts on using fins during swim training?
I already had a pair of Speedo fins, but they were long and more scuba-like than swim training-like. These fins from Kiefer are comparable to zoomers. From their website:
Kiefer Silicone Swim Training Fins are extremely durable in the pool and offer a very comfortable fit, the perfect swim training tool for kicking drills and swimming sets. Short blade fin design improves kick strength and ankle flexibility, causing development of proper flutter kick technique.I have worn them on two different swims now and they are REALLY different than my previous swim fins. The first time I wore them, I have to admit, I didn't like them a whole lot. I was swimming with Dave and he was using his long Speedo fins. He was kicking my buns in the pool and it was pissing me off. With my old, long fins I could just move my feet a little and I got incredible speed. The second time I wore them, I swam alone, and I understood why these are such a great training tool. I understood that moving my feet and ankles properly, along with rolling my legs and hips, I could gain some speed out of the fins. Therefore, I was improving my kick by learning to kick properly. I can't wait to really use the fins once the baby is born and I can really swim train again.
Would I recommend these fins. Absolutely! Am I going to continue to use them. You betcha! Will I go back to my old fins? Only if I'm scuba diving (which I'll never do because of my ears).
Do you have any Kiefer products? What are your thoughts on using fins during swim training?
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