39 Week Tidbits

Well, we're here. Today marks the 39 week mark. Officially, we have one week to go. Unofficially, we may have as long as 3 weeks to go, and my MD keeps reminding me of that. Everybody keeps telling me I look great at this point. I'm taking this as a sign that labor isn't coming anytime soon. In some ways, that's OK with me since I know that everything will change instantly when the kiddo gets here. On the other hand, I know that each additional week that goes by means another 1/2 pound worth of baby that I'm going to have to push out. Yesterday was my last scheduled day of work. With the way our department is set up, we don't have sick coverage, so I'm on projects until I officially leave. I'm hoping I don't need to be on projects for too long, but the flexable schedule will be good in the next couple of weeks. So since there are no real updates, here are a few quick stories highlighting what's been going on in our household:

* Steve and I have been tackling a few last minute small projects. Last weekend we did a lot of cleaning. This weekend will involve a few touchups. The BOB and car seat attachment are together and the house is stocked with groceries. Steve and I are spending a few hours today making a few backup birthday, anniversary, etc cards. I love being married to an art teacher. It gives me an excuse to have him help me!

* A woman who is interested in pharmacy shadowed me at work a couple of weeks ago. Interestingly enough, she's also training for IM Wisconsin, so she's been picking my brain on both accounts. When she saw the TYR cinch bag under my desk, she made a comment like, "Ooh, that's cute! You still bring a TYR bag with you to work!" A little confused, I replied that I was meeting a friend for a run around the lakes after work and my running clothes were in there. She kind of stumbled over her words and then just didn't say anything. It was hard for me not to feel a little offended by her comment and a little gratified by my ability to respond :)

* My neighbor asked me two nights ago if we are sure we're not having twins. She then found out we're due next weekend and replied that I look so good I make her a little sick. I think this is a complement?

* I was talking to my 70+ year old coworker in an elevator yesterday. We were discussing my recent newspaper article and how I'm still running. Another 70+ year old lady in the elevator commented that I shouldn't be running. Thankfully, my coworker told her that I was doing just fine. The other lady then went on to say that at 8 months pregnant, she went water skiing. How, exactly, is this safer?

* Abbe, my preggo running partner, and I are both signed up for the 5K tomorrow. It will be ON HER DUE DATE. I'm so happy to have found somebody as crazy as I am :) We figure if it doesn't send one or both of us into labor, at least it'll make for some good stories!

* Speaking of labor, as if I don't already talk about it enough lately, congrats to the Cara, Kelly, and Jess, who have all had their babies recently. I'm starting to feel like I may be finishing DFL in this race...

* And finally, here's a picture of the growing watermelon. I was a little nervous to post a pic with SO much skin, but I guess I've shown more when I've posted swim suit pics, so here it goes:

I'm not sure how much more I can stretch...

Race report coming soon!

38 Weeks

Honestly, there's not much to report on this end. After a lot of running around to a couple of parties and Gear West Du last weekend, I was exhausted for a couple of days. This weekend, I kept it a little more low-key. I let Steve and my brother Matt head up to Apple Du by themselves (traveling that far from home at this point makes me a little nervous anyway even though it doesn't look like the munchkin wants out too badly). Mostly I've spent this holiday weekend wrapping up some loose ends, cleaning, and doing a few small projects. Oh, and I've taken several naps.

Abbe and I got in another run on Saturday, and today I hopped on the recumbent bike at the Y for 85 minutes. I was reading a really big "Caring for Your Baby and Young Child - Birth to Age 5" book, and my arms were actually sore from holding it up by the end. Yikes I've got some upper body work to do!

I've decided that if this kid doesn't come out to meet us by next weekend, I'm running the Grand Old Day 5K. Steve and I ran it together a long time ago - way before he got too fast for me.

A page from my old running scrapbook


A close-up of our baby-faces from 9 years ago before we did our first 5K together

It's a local celebration that starts in the morning with an 8K run, an 8K inline skate race, and a 5K run/walk. Then there's a parade and TONS of food, alcohol, and people watching. Normally I work on this day, but my hospital scheduled someone else knowing there's a good chance I could be in labor and not able to report to work. The last few years, it's sort of become a tradition for me to do a long run on Grand Ave in the evening after all of the celebrating is coming to an end. It's kind of fun watching the carnage after an all day drinkathon for a lot of folks. When Steve and I ran the 5K years ago, it was pretty low-key. A lot of the really competitive runners do the 8K, and there are plenty of walkers, so if I need to take a quick walk break at 39 weeks pregnant, I won't be finishing dead last.

No news on the baby timeline - just a lot of waiting knowing we may be able to meet him/her in a couple of days or as long as 4 weeks. Looking at the increase in temps finally approaching, I'm really hoping for a few days. I'm a little worried that I'm still feeling too good for labor to be eminent. I'm having more and more days where I'm feeling uncomfortable, but I'm still feeling OK for the most part. I'm not sleeping any worse than I've been sleeping for the past few months, I can still get my wedding ring on and off, and all of my shoes still fit. My belly is getting HUGE, though :)

I received a lot of positive comments regarding the article about exercising during pregnancy that I was featured in last weekend. I can't tell you how happy it makes me that it is inspiring current and future preggos to stay healthy and active. Mentally, I would be in such a different place right now if I weren't able to stay active.

I have professed my love for NUUN many times here over the years. Even though I'm not currently into heavy training, I have been drinking it lately. Although it may all be in my head, I'm drinking a LOT of water these days (sometimes up to a gallon a day) and sometimes feel a little funny. Worried that I might be diluting myself out too much, I started putting NUUN in one bottle. As an added bonus, some of the electrolytes in it can help to curb leg cramps, a common occurrence during pregnancy. Well, they recently came out with a whole bunch of new flavors. I've given the Grape, Strawberry Lemonade, and Fruit Punch all a try, and they're DELICIOUS! I went nuts at REI this past week when the tubes were all 25% off. A lot of other companies (Hammer, Gu, etc) have come out with comparable products. Although I'm excited to try out some of those products someday to see how they compare, all of the ones I've looked at contain stevia as a sweetener, which has not been proven safe in pregnancy.

Well, that's a lot of random thoughts in one place. Now I'm off to set up the BOB with Steve - one more thing to check off the to-do list!

37 Weeks... and Counting

Today we've officially hit our 37 week mark. In the pregnancy world, that means we're technically "full term," even though my due date isn't for 3 more weeks and I may have as many as 5 weeks to go. Like Most pregnant women, I'm hoping that the munchkin comes sooner rather than later, but I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that I need to be patient - not an easy feat for a type A personality!

I am noticing some signs that I won't be pregnant forever - a little more pinching pressure when I walk or run sometimes, a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions (some that wake me up at night), and the bump just keeps growing. Baby is still head down. We're hoping that he/she stays locked that way until it's go time!

Last weekend we had our final baby shower before Baby comes. Between that and making one last big trip to Target, Babies R Us, and Baby Grand, I think we have all of the "essentials." I'm sure there will be things that come up that we never knew we'd need, but for now, we're feeling ready. We've got the swing set up, the car seat installed, and everything washed and put away. My MD asked Steve and me if we are ready at my appointment this week. I think she was a bit taken aback when we told her that we feel like we're good to go. I felt the need to explain that we've had a number of friends who got caught off guard. We don't want to be one of those couples.

So that starts to answer the first question we get asked a lot lately - Are you ready? Physically, I think we're ready. Mentally, I'm as ready as I can be. I'm sort of treating the labor/birth process like going into a big race. I know I've prepared myself as much as possible. I think about it occasionally, but for the most part, I try to push it out of my mind. It uses too much energy, and having a specific vision about how things will go is impractical. I'm just going to have to listen to my body and make adjustments based on what "race day" brings. Of course I know that no race I've ever done, including Ironman, will likely be as demanding or as long as labor, but for now, that's how I'm looking at it.

The next question I get asked is, "How are you feeling?" For the most part, I'm feeling OK. When we had a couple of warm days last week, I was sweating for 2 days straight. My main complaint is that I really don't sleep well, but honestly, I'm not sleeping any worse than I have been in the last few months. I realize we've got a way to go, though. I have different aches and pains than normal, especially in my SI joint where things are definitely loosening up. Steve's been really liberal with the backrubs which definitely helps at the end of some long days. In general, I'm feeling pretty lucky. I'm not swelling up, I'm just a little more tired than normal, and even though I keep packing on the pounds, I don't feel like a heifer on most days. I attribute most of these things to still being able to exercise at this point.

... Which brings me to the last question I get asked a lot lately, "You're still running? Really?" My answer is pretty consistent. I'm not running fast, and I'm not running far, but I'd like to keep it up as long as I'm still feeling OK. My max has dropped to just over 5 miles. Any longer than that and I get a lot of SI pain afterward. I sometimes have to stop and walk, but not all of the time. To a lot of people, it seems really late in the game to be running, but since I've been doing it the whole time, it just seems natural to keep going. It helps that I have so many mommy role models out in the blog world who have done or are doing the same thing. It has also helped to have fellow blogger Abigailius meeting me for weekly or twice weekly runs. We met this morning for a rainy run. As usual, I had so much fun talking to her that our 40 minutes were up before I realized that I was soaking wet. I brought Steve along to snap these pics before we ventured out into the rain:

Ready to run with a whole lotta rain in the background.


We had to do the 5th grade back-to-back pose to really get the effect of 2 full-term preggo bellies :)

My preggo workouts landed Baby and me in our local paper this weekend. Here's the link to the article Can you tell I'm starting to run low on maternity running clothes? I do have a couple of pairs of shorts, but that requires a lot of body glide, and I don't risk it on rainy days.

TC 1 Mile Race Report - 36 Weeks Pregnant!

The Munchkin's room is finally ready! We spent yesterday afternoon setting up the baby swing, getting the carseat installed, doing one more load of laundry, and buying a few last "must-haves." Saturday was our last baby shower. Steve's sister put in so much work, and it was a blast seeing everybody. I don't know when we'll be getting home again since pretty soon I won't want to be 2 hours from home (and our hospital). Now it's just a lot of hurry up and wait. Statistically, Baby won't likely be coming for at least 4 more weeks, but I've had a number of friends who got caught off guard, and I didn't want to be one of them!

Last Thursday was the TC 1 mile. To be honest, I've written this race off in years past. Since they guarantee entry into the TC 10 mile for 1000 out of the 3500 entrants, I've always assumed that the only reason to run it was to get a slot, and since I've always run the marathon, I wasn't interested in that. Plus, the race is on a Thursday night, and being out on "school nights" sometimes makes it hard for me to get up for work the next morning!

This year, though, I am very aware that every time I go out for a run, it could be my last for a little while. I'm still feeling OK as far as the running goes, and I knew one mile would be doable even if I was having an off day. Plus, they had given out coupon codes in our Marathon race packets last fall for $5 off one of their races. That brought the price down to $15, so I registered. I had so much fun that I'll be going back next year. It was one amazing fun party!

This was their 7th year putting it on, and they've had the bid for the USA 1 Mile Road Championship for a couple of years now. I was signed up in the "friends and family" wave, which was the first of 7 waves. I knew it would be pretty low-key, and I was confident that I could finish under the 13 min cutoff since many of my runs have been around 12:30 pace lately. My goal was just to have fun and savor what will likely be my last race before Baby shows up.

The weather was pretty crappy. It was cool and rainy, and we had to work to stay warm while we waited for the start. Steve was wearing his tri backpack filled with our stuff. The plan was for him to see me off at the start and then race ahead every couple of blocks until I got there. I really thought I'd be super slow and he'd have plenty of time to wait for me. Right before the race, he decided he just wanted to run it as a bandit. I warned him that it specifically states in the rules that bandits aren't allowed. "Honey, this is the Friends and Family Wave," he said. "Plus, you're pregnant. Nobody's going to care if I run beside you." Since it was the first time he's pulled the pregnancy card, I went with it.

Lined up at the start.


Steve and me ready to run.

I took my place at the back of the line, and we were off! The Friends and Family wave really was full of families. It was so cute! There were little kids running with their parents who were as young as 3 or 4, and there were plenty of older children, too.

Someone had told us before the race that there were mile markers at every 1/4 mile, and after dodging a LOT of people at the beginning, I hit the first one in around 2:43. That's when I knew that I was running WAY faster than I had expected. I was trying really hard not to push myself too much. I wasn't at full conversational pace, but I could still talk with Steve without much effort, so I knew I was fine. I noticed a few cheers for the beach ball, but Steve was noticing a lot more reactions. I think his favorite part of the race was seeing people's double takes, extra cheers, and smiles as I ran by. I couldn't help but wonder what people thought as I was passing them!

Running with a beach ball!


Over half done.

Unfortunately, I lost the rest of my 1/4 mile splits, but each of them got progressively faster, just as the crowd got progressively thicker as we neared the finish line. Despite the weather, there were tons of people out there!

Running toward the finish.


Crossing the finish line.

I hit the finish line in a time of 10:24.7 with a huge smile on my face. I felt a little crampy afterward - just for a minute or 2, but baby was kicking away, so I wasn't worried at all. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to run it any faster. Baby and I have now done 5 races together. How appropriate that the first one was a Twin Cities in Motion race - the marathon.

After my heat was over, we walked back to Britt's Pub to thank Michelle Frey - local speedy runner and extra loud cheerer out there. She had spotted us during the race.

With local speedy runner Michelle Frey.

We grabbed a steamer at a local coffee place and went back to cheer on the TONS of people we knew who were racing. The last waves were the women's and men's championship. I got goosebumps as Sara Hall ran by us to break the course record for women and snag the time bonus. In the men's race, David Torrence took the threepeat and the cash bonus for time. The crowd erupted!

I would HIGHLY recommend this race to the locals. It was just such a fun celebration, it's not super pricey, and it's a great way to push yourself in a distance that most of us aren't used to racing. Of course, I didn't actually race this time around, and it may have been a little less fun had I been pushing myself to that level, but I remember thinking, Wow. That's it? when I was done.

On our walk/jog back to the car, Steve commented that his legs were a little sore from carrying the backpack around for 3 hours. I smiled and coyly asked him if he thought the backpack weighed an extra 30-35 pounds. He sheepishly admitted it wasn't even close.

So what's next? Well, I'm just going to keep running as long as I can. A lot of people are really surprised that I'm still running, but I just keep telling them that it's better than waiting around. The baby's not going to come any faster if I stop. This may have been my last race while pregnant, but I haven't ruled out finding a nice slow 5K somewhere, either - one where I wouldn't feel guilty about stopping to walk if I need to. I'm not trying to prove anything. I just still feel pretty good, and I know it's good for me physically and emotionally to keep going if I can. I also know that one of these days, the running may just have to stop for a while, or maybe I'll just be one of those women who runs until the day she gives birth. Either way, I'll keep you posted!

34 Weeks

Yeesh. It's funny how fast time is flying by these days. I'm waiting for the day when I wake up and feel completely preggo miserable consistently, but I've been pretty lucky so far, and it seems to go in spurts. I had hoped to post a big update at week 32, but that week turned out to be pretty horrible, and emotionally, it completely drained me. I suppose I should start back there...

I had my regular MD appointment that Monday, and when she took my measurements, she muttered a "hmmm" - not a noise you want coming from your OB. She told me that according to my measurements, the munchkin wasn't growing on track, so they wanted me to get an ultrasound to check. Well you can tell yourself a thousand times over that you're sure that everything's fine, but it really doesn't change the worry and panic you feel, and I felt both. When I called the ultrasound unit the next day, they first told me that they couldn't possibly squeeze me in for 4 more days. I politely informed them that I am a hospital employee and that if they had any cancellations before then, I could make it work to run up there. They had a cancellation that afternoon, and according to the ultrasound, Baby was smack dab in the 50th percentile for weight, now head down, and has hair. After breaking out in full out sobs for the previous 24 hours, I had a few tears of relief. It drained me for the rest of the week, though. That Saturday, I was running with my bud Haley who has been kind enough to slow WAY down just so we can get in a chatty run now and then. We were out for a 7 miler and had just hit the turn around when I hit a lip in the sidewalk and biffed it. I didn't see it, and neither did Haley. Luckily, I landed on my hands and knees and then did this pseudo-roll to the side. My first thought was embarrassment, and then I remembered I'm pregnant. My MD had warned me that if you fall after 24 weeks, it basically buys you a 6 hour admission for observation. I felt fine (just a little skinned up and embarrassed), but I knew that running home could be really stupid, so we called Steve to come pick us up and walked a half mile to wait at the next stoplight. He drove us home, and I called the Labor and Delivery Unit. I explained that I hadn't hit my belly but had fallen pretty hard and was worried that I could have hurt the placenta somehow. I didn't know if they would just tell me to rest for a couple of hours and monitor Baby's movements or if they'd want me to come in, but after they talked to the MD on call, they told me to come up. Luckily, the 2 mint chocolate Gus I'd eaten right before the turn around had the munchkin all fired up, and he/she was moving so much on the monitor that they let me go after only an hour or so of observation. I was warned by so many people this winter to be careful, and I never even slipped while running. Now that the sidewalks are clear, I need to remember to pay close attention to my footing! In talking to my friends, I was amazed to find out that most of them have fallen during pregnancy. One tripped over her dog, one slipped on the stairs, and another one fell on some ice. Hopefully this will be my one story.

I had another regular checkup a few days ago, and my measurements are back on track. The good news is that everything's still looking OK. The bad news is I'm headed for an 8+ pound baby. My MD told me that the biggest predictor of my baby's size is how big I was when I was born. Considering I was just an ounce shy of 9 pounds, I'm hoping she's wrong :)

So an update on the rest of life...

I'm still running. I can't run 9-10 miles anymore. Four to seven is now a long run, and seven takes so long that I only do that with company and a lot of Gu. For as much as I've been cursing the crappy MN weather this spring, I have been secretly happy that I'm not overheating on my runs. If we were having 85 degree days right now, I'd be toast. It's also nice to be able to sleep with our bedroom window open at night. Being a little chilly and actually being able to stay under the covers has been helping me sleep a little better.

The baby's nursery is almost complete. We still have a few items that are "must haves," like our changing pad, but for the most part, we've got all of the essentials. We've got the bedding all on the crib, pictures on the wall, and clothes washed. We have the car seat. We just need to put it in the car. Baby's and my bags are packed, and I've been stockpiling TP, paper towels, and anything else that I don't want to have to leave the house for. I've also been going a little crazy buying diapers. The coupons have been great lately, so I figured I'd better stock up while I still have a full paycheck. Next on the agenda is making some food to freeze to cut back on the need to cook for the first few weeks.

I'm still gaining weight - way more than I ever thought I would during pregnancy, but my MD is reassuring me that I'm still in the normal range. Still, as we get closer, I'm realizing how much work it's going to be to get this off. I've always been at a very average weight and have been up or down 7 pounds or so but never really had to try to take it off. I just have to trust that my philosophy of listening to my body (and breastfeeding) while making sensible food choices will eventually bring me back to fitting into my old pants - even if it does take a while.

I'm still biking on my trainer 1-2 days a week, but even the super squishy seat gets uncomfortable after an hour. I may have to use the recumbent ones at the Y for these last few weeks. Plus, I'm getting really sick of Coach Troy. At least with a recumbent, I can get through a few chapters of a baby book or catch up on a magazine.

I miss racing. I went to the Falls Duathlon to cheer on Steve and Matt this weekend. I miss being out there. I miss biking outside, and I miss being able to get my heart rate up in a way that doesn't involve simply going up our stairs! That being said, I am now signed up for what will likely be my last race while pregnant. The TC one mile is May 12. It should be fun. Steve was registering me and asked whether I wanted to be in the "friends and family" wave. I think I just looked at him astounded that he would even ask. I think most of those folks will beat me!

I have been having some SI joint pain in the last few weeks - likely from those ligaments relaxing. I know it will be even worse after Baby's born, and one of my good friends who specializes in women's physical therapy suggested this belt. Although I haven't worn it while running yet, I have worn it afterward a couple of times, and it feels like a miracle. Running and even standing in one place for a while both make that joint sore. It kind of feels like the stiff, achy feeling I get in my hips and knees after a long run. Just thought I'd pass along the info if any of my fellow preggo or post-preggo friends are looking for one.

It's funny how, especially as a healthcare provider, I've been so focused on hitting certain milestones that it never really occurred to me that I may be pregnant until almost July. That reality is starting to set in. Physically, being pregnant has been way easier than I thought it would be. Sure, I've been tired and my back hurts sometimes. I've had more than one day of feeling particularly chunky but have overall been OK with the way my body has been growing our baby. Lately, lots of friends have been telling me how much they miss feeling baby kicks. I've realized that I really need to savor this time because it will be over soon, so that's what I'm trying to do!

Finally, a picture update so you can agree that my belly, and the rest of me for that matter, is definitely growing!

Ignore the cankles... They're not terrible, but taking the pic at the end of the day didn't help...

The Preggo Athlete, Take 3 - What to Wear

Warning - this post may get a little personal. I've been promising a preggo clothing post for months, so it's about time I get it done. It won't be long before I'm talking post-partum clothing!

Average weight gain in the first 12 weeks is supposed to be about 2 pounds, and at that point, baby and uterus are still tucked behind the pubic bones. Logic would tell you that you really wouldn't need any clothing changes during that time, but it seems pregnancy is not logical.

I first noticed changes in the way that my sports bra fit. At around 5 or 6 weeks, my regular Enell bra wasn't fitting, and that thing is not forgiving. I had to use the one that was a half size bigger than my normal ones. Before 8 weeks, I needed to upgrade a full size. Not only do the girls seem to grow at an amazing speed, they are super sore and require a LOT of support. If you've always been gifted in that department, you probably have a favorite brand and can just buy a bigger size. If you've never had to think about supportive sports bras, now would be a good time to find a style you like. You're going to need a good one in the next few months. As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I went from Enell's 0 to a 1 and then graduated to a 2. I've already got the 3 on hand since I don't know how much bigger they'll get before the end of my pregnancy and certainly through breastfeeding. The great thing about these bras is that they are front closure, which my experienced mommy friends tell me is really helpful for breastfeeding. I have also had a number of friends recommend Moving Comfort's Fiona and Juno styles since they have front adjustable straps that make breastfeeding easier. Since I've now grown out of my biking sports bras, I've ordered a couple of these styles online. They should hopefully be here next week, and I'll have to let you know the verdict.

The second thing I grew out of WAY before I thought I would was bike shorts. By week 8 or so, my regular ones were really uncomfortable, even though the weight I'd gained at that point was about equal to a weekend's worth of food indiscretions. I can't really explain it. We've all had the feeling of our clothes just not quite fitting right, but tight clothing during pregnancy is more than that. The best I can describe it is that it feels like something's wrong. It may be mostly mental experiencing that tight fitting feeling and knowing that you're squeezing on the baby, but it felt like more than that. I began looking for maternity bike shorts pretty quickly, and the only ones I could find looked huge and were going to set me back $60. I refused to pay that much money for a pair of shorts I couldn't even try on and would only be wearing for a few months, so I went to my nearest REI and scoured their clearance rack (they also have a great selection online). I found a pair that had a really wide waistband (which I quickly learned is essential). They only had an XL. I was looking for a large and am normally a medium, but I figured I'd grow into them. I was right. Although they were pretty baggy when I first bought them, they now fit me perfectly. I can tuck the wide band under the bump, and they're still pretty comfortable. Since I'm on my trainer, I don't really need the extra over the bump support. I guess my general advice for looking for bike shorts (if you don't want to buy maternity-specific ones) is to stay away from typical form-fitting, narrow waistbanded shorts. Go instead with a pair that sits a little lower on your belly, is made with a more recreational fit, and has a waistband that is a couple of inches wide. I've been able to get by with just one pair since I'm only on my bike once or twice a week and we do laundry a lot. I'm not too worried about wearing them out.

Big banded shorts fit well under the bump. The shorts are still a little big in the legs.

At around 13 weeks or so, my running shorts didn't fit well anymore. I was able to wear some of my pre-pregnancy skirts, capris, and pants through about 18 weeks, but there were only a couple that fit at that point. One of my pairs of capris still fits, but the rest of them gave me that tight "something's wrong" feeling. Not only that, but I noticed that I would feel a lot more crampy when I ran in pants that were too tight. I scoured the internet again and found that fitmaternity.com and maternityactivewear.com both had a decent selection and clearance deals, but I was nervous to pay so much money and risk it not fitting and having to deal with the hassle of returns. Thankfully, we have an outlet store between our house and our parents' houses. I found several pairs of shorts, capris, and pants for $5-25 each. Again, the wide waistband (or at least very forgiving elastic at the waist) is key. Fortunately, outlet stores tend to carry really big sizes. I opted for XL in most of these styles, and although they are too big in the legs and the pants are a bit long, they're still fitting me comfortably. What I didn't find at the outlet stores, I was able to supplement with the clearance section at my favorite running store, Run N Fun in St. Paul. I found a pair of tights and two pairs of shorts each at 50% off. I bought the tights in an XL. The one pair of size L shorts I bought was a little optimistic. I grew out of them a few weeks later. The newest shorts I bought are an XL and are roomy enough to likely get me through to the end. Nobody tells you exactly how much your hips will expand and your butt will grow while you are preggo. Everybody puts on weight differently. While nothing will fit over my bump at this point, most of these bottoms are roomy enough to accommodate the rest of my, ahem, curves.

Believe it or not, shirts have been the most forgiving item of clothing for me. While I normally prefer to wear my shirts on the fitted side, I have plenty of race shirts that have extra room. I did have to buy several short-sleeved/sleeveless shirts. While my regular ones stretch just fine, the key is length - I don't need giant amounts of belly poking out a la white trash style. The big white one in the picture below is actually a size small tall, and it should get me by for a while yet.

My favorite pre-pregnancy shirt next to my current running shirt

Notice how the current pregnancy shirt fits well over the bump? It stays there during my runs.

Um, yeah. Steve convinced me to put this one up. This is pulled down all the way, and I'm sure it would ride up during my runs...

My other two are size XL with ample length. they aren't nearly as body hugging as my white one. I found these at the outlet store for $10-15 each. I never needed to buy any long-sleeved shirts. Although not all of my pre-pregnancy ones still fit (too short), I still have plenty to choose from. If I were going to need long sleeves through all 9 months, I would probably need to upgrade or invade Steve's closet. When I started running with fellow blogger Abigailius, she showed me the belly support band she'd been wearing for weeks and swears by. I've started wearing one on my runs in the last week or so. The bump is getting pretty big, and I thought my back could use all of the help it could get. I was a little nervous that it would cause that crampy, too-tight feeling, but it feels great.

It's ugly as sin, but it helps keep baby off my bladder and supports my back. They tend to run $20-45 and can be found at most maternity websites, and maternity stores. I got mine at BabiesRUs.

Thankfully, my shoes and socks are still fitting at this time. We'll see if I start swelling up once it starts warming up around here.

If all else fails, raid you significant other's closet. That's what a lot of my friends have done. Unfortunately, Steve only has 10-15 pounds on me at baseline, and my legs are bigger than his normally. This wasn't an option for me. I may take advantage of his shirt selection if we keep getting cool days, but so far, mine are getting me by OK.

Keep in mind that location and amount of weight gain are very individual processes. At 31 weeks, I've gained about 25 pounds which is on the higher side of normal. I've had friends who gained 15 pounds through their entire pregnancy, and I've had friends who gained 60-80+ pounds during that time. What seems to be working for me definitely won't work for everybody, and of course there will be those women out there who we all secretly hate who never really need to stray from their normal workout wear during pregnancy.

For all of my mommy blogger friends out there - do you have anything to add? I'm sure there are websites that I never found or other great places to find deals on workout clothes-maternity or not.

Way Late Get Lucky 7K Race Report

Things have been pretty busy in our house in the last couple of weeks - finishing up our guest room so that we can dive into Baby's room, getting a lot of annual review paperwork done for work, and crossing more off the baby to do list (like registering) have been just a few things keeping me busy. I've wanted to get this post up even though Steve posted pics on his blog 10 days ago. I'm supposed to have a trainer date with my brother right now but have come down with some sort of super nasty bug so had to bail on him. I guess now's a great time to catch up while I'm on the couch feeling like poo... As I mentioned in my last post, I decided to back down to the 7K a week or 2 before this race. I just didn't know that I'd make the cutoff of 3 hours, and it would make me feel terrible to DNF a race. In the week leading up to the race, I had a couple of bad runs and was starting to wonder if this was it, if I was officially done with pregnancy running. I had 2 runs in a row where things just didn't seem to click, including the day I went to pick up my race packet. I was really glad that that I had switched to the shorter race. Steve and I started off the morning by driving to the halfway point of the 13.1 to see local tri buddies Mark and Kris. We parked our car and ran 3/4 of a mile there and back just to say hi. I was a little nervous that this would take a lot out of me given my crappy runs earlier that week, but it turned out that I shouldn't have been worried. We headed over to Minneapolis to get to my 7K start line and walked another 3/4 mile to join the masses. I immediately hopped in line for the porta potties! The race was HUGE. I really hadn't paid much attention ahead of time, but there were over 5,000 people signed up for the 7K. The pace markers were literally blocks from the start line. We snapped this photo of the two of us before I had to use the porta potty one more time.

Steve, Me, and The Bump

The line was moving really slow, but I wasn't too worried. The race was chip timed, and I knew I'd be lining up toward the back anyway. I heard them start before I even got into the porta potty but knew I'd still have a number of minutes to spare. I handed Steve my extra clothes, and we snapped this photo before I joined the rest of the crowd:

Baby's getting ready for a ride!

My goal was to take the whole race easy. That's been my strategy through this whole pregnancy - listen to my body, make a few friends on the course, and just enjoy getting some fresh air. 1K and 2K: 14:55 - I spent the first 2K getting into a groove. Since I had literally started behind everyone, I had a lot of people to pass! There were quite a few walkers and walk/runners out there, and we were having a beautiful morning. As I hit the 1.5 K mark, I heard them announcing the winner approaching the finish line. I had started 12 minutes after the gun, so I guess this wasn't so surprising.

I somehow missed Steve in the crowd, but he of course found me with his camera!

3K: - 7:31 I saw a porta potty but decided I didn't need it yet. We turned out of the wind, and I peeled off my long sleeves. I'm a hot runner even when I don't have the pregnancy hormones at work, so high 30s/low 40s is sleeveless weather for sure. 4K: 11:40 - four + minutes of this was a porta potty stop. At the halfway point, I really had to pee, and even though there was a line, I knew I'd enjoy the rest of the race much more if I stopped for a couple of minutes. One woman asked me if I was in the line. "Yep!" I exclaimed, "Right next to the pregnant lady!" She then went on to tell me that she was 4 months pregnant and had never had to pee so bad in her life. Just then, another obviously pregnant woman exited the john. That made 3 out of the 10 or so of us in line who were preggo :) I was in and out in a flash, grabbed some water at the water stop across the street, and I was on my way! 5K: 7:17 - feeling good - SO glad I stopped for that potty break. 6K: 7:05 - My legs felt great, my lungs felt good. My bladder was definitely the limiter. There were a few people huffing and puffing around me, and I offered the encouragement that we only had 1K left. 7K: 6:59 - People around me were sprinting to the finish. I did pick up the pace a little, but my body definitely kept me in check.

Baby and Momma feeling good to the finish. How many other people do you notice without sleeves?

Crossing the finish line with a smile on my face

Total time: 55:25 with an average of 12:45/mile. Subtracting my bathroom stop, that puts me at under 11:45/mile. At 7 months pregnant, I'm satisfied with that. Heck, at 7 months pregnant, I'm satisfied with still being able to move!

Sporting my medal just after finishing

Other numbers (not that I'm too concerned): I placed 4568/5109 total runners and 3208/3668 females. I passed 352 people out there, and 22 people passed me. Overall it was a fun race. It was well-run, had a pretty course, and had a good, excitable crowd there to cheer - even through the time I hit the finish line! Plus, I now have one more medal to put up in Baby's room - a reminder of races we've done together :)

Final thoughts: I don't regret downgrading to the 7K. I felt great and have been having good runs since, so I think those 2 bad ones were just flukes. However, factoring in several more potty stops, a few food stops, and maybe a walk break or 2, I would have really been cutting it close to meet the cutoff for the triple 7K. I'll keep my eye out for more races this spring. As long as I'm feeling good, I may as well be out there enjoying myself!

Never Say Never

First of all, thanks everyone for the kind comments! I'm starting to feel like I "need" blogging a little more than I have in the last couple of years. I started it as a support system when I was training for my first Ironman. I took a lot of comfort in reading the blogs of other athletes who had finished or were training for Ironman - seeing how their training was progressing, reading the same insecurities I was feeling, and having the general feeling of camaraderie. Over the past couple of years, this blog has sort of just been a place to write about my races and general training, but I haven't relied on it as much as when I first started blogging. Now I've come full circle and am entering into a whole knew unknown territory, and it's so comforting to see so many women out there who have been through this whole process (some multiple times...) or who are preggo along with me now. Just like in Ironman training, I'm reading others' blogs knowing that my "training plan" may differ from the women around me, but the finish line looks the same!

I didn't do much of anything last week outside of work, including workouts. I really haven't been sleeping well, and it caught up with me big time. I think a huge part of it was anxiety. I feel like my to-do list for work and life right now is huge, and there are a lot of nights when my mind just races. One of my coworkers (who is due 6 days before me) told me last week told me she's all ready for her baby to come - room is set up, clothes are ready, name is picked out. All I could think of was, HOLY CRAP ALL I'VE ACCOMPLISHED IS BUYING A BOB STROLLER! Steve's in the process of painting our guest room and we're hoping to get registered and on track this weekend, but there's a lot of loose ends to take care of. I know that it will all come together, and from what I hear, this usually ends up as a "hurry up and wait" kind if situation, but the nesting brain of a preggo lady must be appeased.

On the bright side, I had another doctor's appointment yesterday. Everything's checking out great. Yes, I have gained over 20 pounds in just over 27 weeks, but they actually haven't even brought that up. Have I mentioned that I like my doctor? I did ask her again about running, just to make sure she's still cool with it. Since I'm growing normally and all of my exams look good, she said to just keep using common sense - no overexerting myself. I should keep taking it easy, be aware of any abnormal cramping, and keep my breathing in check (which thankfully still hasn't been much of an issue).

Aside from feeling like a lazy pile of poo, which doesn't seem to be good for my physical or mental health, we've been pretty busy around here, and I have been finding myself in a lot of situations I never thought I'd be in - I am these are the first of many times this will happen. Thus, I bring you the quick and dirty of proving myself wrong lately...

NSN #1: We will never buy an SUV: I thought it for years. I've always seen them as unsafe, unnecessary gas guzzling vehicles. As Steve's car has been heading south over the last couple of years, we started exploring all of our options and have been eyeing the Chevy Equinox. When the transmission started making threats 3 weeks ago in addition to the car leaking coolant like a sieve and the dash lights not working at night (which I'm pretty sure is not legal...), we decided to call it quits. We really don't want to be dealing with an emergency dead car in a couple of months with a baby on the way. It's a pretty small vehicle that will be versatile enough for an active family but actually gets better gas mileage than my small car. We've already put a hitch on it for our bike rack. In an effort to merge family and multisport, it seemed like the way to go. Plus, it's gotten great safety ratings. It resulted in a couple of extra sleepless nights, but we like it so far.

NSN #2: I'll never need a bra that big: My love for the Enell sports bra is no secret. I've professed it here many times. Right after becoming pregnant, I realized that one of my first purchases was going to have to be a new sports bra. The Enell is VERY supportive, but it's not very forgiving. If you're busting out of it, you simply can't breathe. I normally wear their size 0. I went to the one store in the Twin Cities that carries the brand with the intent to buy a size 1 and possibly a size 2, too. It's funny how "you'll grow into it" suddenly becomes OK again when you're pregnant. I haven't let someone use that phrase on me since about 5th grade. When I tried the 1 last October, though, it seemed SO much bigger that I only bought that one thinking the 2 would be a very long way off. A few weeks ago, I noticed that the 1 was causing a lot of chafing and seemed like it was getting on the tight side, so I went on the emergency hunt for a 2. Thank God for Ebay. I can't afford these things full price anymore. When I switched to the 2 a few weeks ago, I realized that I'd waited WAY too long and that a 3 may not be far off. Lord have mercy. Thankfully their sizing goes up to an 8, but if I get to a 50DDD in this process, somebody'd better shoot me. I still owe you all a post about the rest of my exercise clothes, but the sports bra is something you simply can't skimp on.

NSN #3: I'm not one to back out of a race: I had grand plans to run the half marathon this weekend. I've still been doing long runs and feeling good, but it seems that 10-11 miles is about my max before I start to feel a little tired. I signed up knowing a lot could change, but I didn't realize that my pace would keep slowing so much. They changed the location of the course and set a 3 hour time limit. Granted, some of my runs have been on really terrible slushy footing, but my pace is often 13+ minutes per mile. That doesn't leave me any cushion if I just wanted to walk the last 2-3 miles (or to account for the likely 4+ bathroom breaks I'd need), and I don't trust myself not to push it if it means a DNF. A DFL I could handle, but not a DNF. When they changed the course, they offered a free downgrade to the 7K so I took it. The 7K has a 2 hour time limit. Go figure. I'm still going to keep up my long runs for as long as I can, but I don't want to be pressured into keeping a certain time. By the way - in addition to the amazing number of potty stops you need during a long run, it's crazy how much food you need. I've been good about drinking water on my runs, but over 10 miles used to be my cutoff for when I'd consider taking a gel, and I rarely need one before 13. With Baby on board, I consistently need 300-400 calories during a 10 mile run.

NSN #4: I'm going to lose all of my running partners as my "pregnancy pace" just keeps getting slower: My friend Haley has been great and is still joining me for some of my longer runs. It's amazing how fast they go by when you have somebody to talk to! A couple of weeks ago, Abigailius contacted me. She's a fellow blogger athlete who is also preggo and due 6 days before me. We live just a few miles from each other. It's one of those crazy intertwined life stories where when you start making the connections, it's a little freaky. We went to the same undergrad, we have done many of the same races, I peripherally knew her husband years ago, and Steve taught her sister. Our first run was so fun that we have our second running date tonight!

NSN #5: This winter is never going to be over: We're supposed to hit 50+ degrees twice this week. They're predicting that all of our snow could be gone within a week. I'm not holding my breath that we're truly out of the woods, but it feels so good to think we might be getting close!

NSN #6: I'll never find maternity clothes that fit: I have been looking for weeks. Fortunately, I found a couple pairs of pants that have been working great, but all of the maternity shirts out there look and feel like tents. Plus, it's highway robbery how much they charge for those unflattering chunks of fabric. I have been starting to freak out as my bump is getting increasingly larger and I'm down to the same 5 pre-pregnancy shirts that have been compassionate enough to grow with me. I looked at a bunch more places yesterday and came up with squat. We really can't afford for me to blow an entire paycheck on 3 shirts. Last night on my way home from the dentist, I stopped by my second Herberger's of the day and had success!!! I didn't actually find a good maternity shirt, but I found SEVEN regular shirts in sizes and styles that will fit me for at least a couple more months. Those seven shirts were each 85% off, and I scored all of them for $52. That puts yesterday's extensive shopping excursion at 1 pair of pants, 2 camis, and 7 shirts for $100. I was so relieved when I got home that I was downright giddy!

On my Trainer a week ago - I can't fit into Aero, but I can still hang out with Coach Troy!

The Preggo Athlete, Take 2

Quick update: I'm still running but slowing down dramatically. I'm running out of running partners. Thankfully, a few of my friends have been taking pity on me and are still joining me for a run here and there. I never mind running by myself, but my new slow pace definitely drags it out.

Up until this week, I have been totally fine with the weight gain and the changes my body is going through. I weigh myself several times a week. I know a lot of women just don't want to know, but I have taken comfort in knowing that my weight gain is very normal. I just laughed when I surpassed Steve last week. This week however, I stepped on the scale and had gained FOUR POUNDS in 7 days. I honestly don't even know how that's possible. I mean I am hungry ALL OF THE TIME. Hungry like I've never been hungry. I have run 12 marathons and trained for 2 Ironmans and more 70.3s than I can really count right now, but I have NEVER been this hungry. It's insane. Still, how I could eat and/or drink enough to equate to four pounds is beyond me. Plus, ladies and gentlemen, that puts me significantly ahead of "average." Now I know a lot of people view pregnancy as a time to eat whatever they want and not have to move for 10 months. My view has been that I am trying to grow a healthy baby. That involves gaining weight - a lot of weight (25-30 pounds by most resources), but it doesn't give me any free passes. I'm eating my fair share of sweets, but I've also really ramped up the fruits and veggies. I know it'll come off a lot slower and harder than I put it on.

I think everybody hopes to be the cute preggo woman who grows a watermelon in the front and no anchor weight in the back, but it's becoming apparent that that's not me. I don't feel huge (yet), and I've actually gotten a lot of complements on my growing bump, but it all came to a head last night. I burst into tears and apologized to Steve for having let myself go. His response? "You're pregnant. You're not chubby." Then he gave me a big hug and tucked me into bed. He's great. He's been great through this whole process. Still, he hasn't gained a single sympathy pound. I've more than once wished he could carry our baby, but then I remember what he eats and am reassured that it's probably best if I do it!

I went for a run at the dome tonight, and I just wasn't feeling it. I often have to talk myself into getting started and sometimes even to get through the first mile or two, but tonight after two miles, I wasn't feeling better, so I called it quits. I have a long run this weekend to be rested up for. Early bedtime for me tonight. One more day left in the work week!

Just so I don't sound completely whiny, here are a few things I'm truly thankful right now:

* A husband who is more supportive than I ever could have imagined. I'm getting pretty spoiled :)

* An awesome family who is just as excited as we are.

* Still being able to run at this point, even if it is slow. Steve's still out with his Achilles injury. So far my body's holding up OK!

* Baby kicks. It's pretty fun to feel him/her going to town in there. Baby is especially active after workouts. Not sure if it's telling me that it likes the workouts or it's mad at me for bouncing all over the place.

* Getting to the point where I definitively look pregnant and not just extra chubby.

* Knowing I'll have most of the summer off - it's a welcome thought after such a long, snowy winter!

* I can still tie my shoes. I have heard that won't last forever.

The Preggo Athlete, Take 1

Disclaimer: I am now days away from being 6 months pregnant. It's obviously a huge part of my life. I am fortunate to have a group of girlfriends who are willing to share this stuff openly. If you don't want to read about what happens to physically fit women once they're pregnant, you may want to stop back in a few months. I have found it really helpful, though when my fellow bloggy friends offered their experiences during this whole process, so here it is for those who will someday find this useful.

Disclaimer #2: Every woman is different. I have heard of women running marathons 3 days before giving birth, and I've had many people tell me that they had to stop early because they were two nauseous/sore/tired/in pain to keep at it. This is my experience. Take that for what it's worth.

Today's post will start from the beginning...

Steve and I were fortunate to only have to "try" for a few months. I think trying to get pregnant is like tapering for a big race - with every little thing that feels/seems just a little off of "normal," you're wondering if it's the big I - injury, or in this case impregnation :) We as athletes are so in-tune with our bodies that we can usually tell when something's up. After a few months of false alarms, I really did think something was different just before the Twin Cities Marathon, but it was too early to tell. Some of my friends said that their gums started to bleed. Others were constipated before they took the test. Some noticed their run times slip. For me, I suddenly stopped being able to sleep and was ridiculously hot at night. Oh, and I had HORRIBLE heartburn. The night before the marathon, I really didn't know what to do. It was too early to take a test and know for sure that a negative test was definitively negative, and I had no idea what I'd do if it came back positive, so I just went for it knowing that I'd have to take it easy. As I mentioned in my previous post, I promptly freaked out when the test was positive the next day. Friends, books, and my doctor all reassured me that I was fine.


My teammate Chris's wife Cara had put together a great post a couple of months ago describing books that she has found helpful regarding exercise and pregnancy. For Christmas, Steve got me the book Exercising Through Your Pregnancy by Dr. James Clapp. I wish I would have read it before we even started this process. Although the pictures in the book are really dated and a little bit hilarious, the info, albeit a little dry sometimes, does a great job of explaining physiologically what's going on before, during, and after pregnancy in athletic women. I had a lot of people who knew we were trying tell me that I exercised too much to get pregnant. My answer was always the same - I'm of a healthy body weight and body fat percentage, and everything else is normal - I think I should be fine. Turns out I was - we conceived a week after I did Cedar Point Half Iron Distance race - with a PR.


I read Exercising Through Your Pregnancy from cover to cover. Like I said, it's a little dry at times, but I found Dr. Clapp's research helpful, reassuring, and interesting. Did you know that an exercising woman's placenta is 20% larger than her non exercising counterpart's? For regular pregnancy info, I have found Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy to be helpful, especially with respect to the week-by-week baby development info and month-by-month mommy development info. It gives the breakdown of average weight gain, where it goes, and how much to expect at what times. While this component freaks out many women, I have actually found it reassuring to know that I'm right on track and completely normal in that department. It's a little strange to step onto the scale and see the numbers go up every day. Knowing what's normal may be helpful, especially on days like yesterday, when I officially surpassed Steve in weight (he only had 10-15 pounds on me to start with. I knew it would come eventually).


As far as allowed workouts, most resources say no contact sports, which is sort of a no-brainer. Many references said that biking is OK until 12 weeks because your uterus is still protected by your pubic bones up until that point. I asked my doctor at my first visit, and she said no outdoor biking. She said the risk is too great if I were to fall, and I agreed, especially since she's pretty liberal allowing for other forms of exercise. I've been on the trainer for all of my bike workouts. I grew out of my tri bike about a month ago and had to switch to riding my old road bike. My belly wasn't huge by any means, but my legs would hit it in aero position, and the hoods on my tri bike are sort of nonexistent. On my road bike, I can sit much more upright, and it was easy to switch out my regular seat to a super wide squishy one that we had on one of our commuter bikes. With my sit bones expanding, all of my regular bike seats have become SUPER uncomfortable. I do wear a HRM on my bike. I'm not as good at judging effort on the bike, and fortunately, 140 is pretty easy to abide by for me. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology did away with the 140 heart rate max a number of years ago and now say to just keep it at a moderate effort, but since the two correlate so well for me, I use a heart rate monitor on my bike. I know I'll miss biking outside in another month or so when it warms up around here. I really love those early spring rides.

Swimming and walking both have the green light and are highly encouraged. Unfortunately, I haven't found swimming to be very enjoyable, which surprised me. I sort of thought that all pregnant women are supposed to love swimming. It's something that I have to work at anyway. It now feels even less natural, and if my breathing gets off, my heart rate goes through the roof. I'll stick with it because I know it's good for me, but it's really not that fun.

Running has been my mainstay workout this winter. I equate running while pregnant to running with an injury. Things don't feel normal. Good is a relative term, but the endorphin rush is the same, if not better. Twinges and weird pressure and all sorts of new sensations are a regular part of a pregnant lady's body. You have to learn what's normal and when to back off. I remember asking my doctor at my first visit what exactly I should be doing. Many of the recs out there are for women who were only moderately or barely active when they got pregnant. There is very little info for people who were working out 10-15 hours a week. She basically just told me to listen to my body and back off if it was telling me to. "So if I feel OK, I can still go out and run 10 miles?" I asked. She told me I was fine but that I may not be able to run 10 miles forever and to be prepared for that day. I've been running at the Metrodome when I can and have actually been running outside a lot too. I usually get out 3 days a week. We've had a ton of snow this winter, and the sidewalks are terrible, but they plow really well down by the Mississippi River, so that's where I've spent all of my miles. My doctor did give me a stern warning that I shouldn't be running on slick surfaces due to the risk of falling, so I haven't strayed much from my safe, plowed route. Of course I use the term "running" pretty loosely these days. When people ask my pace, I tell them I run pregnancy pace. My 9 - 9:30 minute miles have slowed to somewhere between 11:00 and 12:30 minute miles. Most of my old running partners can't keep up with me. It's a little depressing, but I've had so many friends who have come back faster than ever that it really doesn't bother me. I go completely on feel and try to stick with a conversational pace. My friend Sara posted about "pregnancy miles" when she had her daughter, and although I've been sticking with regular miles, it's kind of fun to think about. Basically you just take your total run time and divide it by your pre-pregnancy pace. That suddenly turns an hour-long 5 miler into 6+ miles run for me! Oh, and the frequent trips to the bathroom that pregnant women refer to? They're amplified when running. It's not uncommon for me to have to stop once or twice per run. From my own experiences and from what I've read, the cardinal rules of running (or exercising for that matter) are: don't overheat, wear comfortable clothes and good shoes, drink plenty of fluids, eat food if necessary, and listen to your body. I'm still getting in 15-25 miles a week and just signed up for a half marathon in a month. I'll scrap it if I stop feeling OK while I run, but for now I think it's completely doable as long as I bring plenty of food, keep a comfortable pace, and walk if I need to. I'll keep you posted on how the next few weeks go!

The Preggo Athlete, Take 2 will likely reference workout clothes. I have found this area to be a lot more challenging than I thought it would be.

Happy training, everyone!

Securian Winter Carnival 10K Race Report and BIG Announcement

I had hoped to be able to do the half marathon this year - when I signed up for their half a couple of years ago, it was so cold that day that they shortened it to a 1/4 marathon. My sister Annie was being officially inducted into her nursing program early in the afternoon, though, and some quick math when we contemplated signing up revealed that Steve had time to run the half, but we'd never make it to LaCrosse in time if I ran it too. Fortunately, this year they added a 10K to their annual scheduled 5K and half.

Steve and I got to the race around 40 minutes before the half start and quickly saw people we recognized. We snapped this photo before we got too distracted...

Our BIG announcement!

I joked that this way people passing me wouldn't feel too good about themselves :)

Yep, that's what you think. We're due in June! This would be Baby's 3rd road race. (I ran Twin Cities Marathon the day before we found out then had a brief freak-out the next morning. I ran the Polar Dash a few weeks ago in a time that wasn't worth posting - see below.) We made our way to the porta-potties to stand in line, a must for me these days. Afterward, I smooched Steve, wished him luck, and headed back inside for a few seconds to warm up since his race started 5 min before mine.

Inside, I ran into Steve Q who was sporting a shirt from the early 80s when this race was a full marathon. I showed him my shirt, thanked him again for the fudge he gave us at Dome Running a couple of weeks ago, and made my way through the building. As I passed one woman, she said to me, "Oh! I just read your shirt! I just found out I'm pregnant this morning... It was sort of unexpected..."

"Congratulations!" I said with a big smile.

"So...so you can still do all of this?" She asked with tears forming in her eyes.

"Sure!" I replied, "I found out the day after I ran a marathon. You just have to take it easy." I congratulated her again, gave her a warm pat on the shoulder, and made my way out the door.

I saw the start of the half marathon but somehow missed Steve. Five minutes later, the 10K started. I lined up toward the back knowing I wasn't out to win the race. The goal was the same as my 10K a few weeks ago - keep it comfortable. My pace has become embarrassingly slow in the last few months, but running still feels good.

"When are you due?" a voice beside me asked about a half mile in.

"June 11th," I replied, and with that, I made my first friend of the day. It turned out that my new friend's name is Drew, and he's also a triathlete. We chatted about our race schedules and our favorite races as we ran through downtown St. Paul. When we passed mile 1, I realized I'd forgotten to start my watch. Drew said he had about 11 minutes for time - right on track for my recent pace. As we made our way toward the river, I was really sad to have to let Dru go, but I figured it was a good time to take advantage of a porta potty (BTW, they were EVERYWHERE on the course - a pregnant lady's dream). With my bathroom stop, miles 2 and 3 took me 23:40. Keeping my conversational pace, I cheered in all of the 10K runners who had already hit the turnaround. Around mile 4, I caught up with an older gentleman. "How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Oh, not bad for an old guy," he joked, and that's when I made my second friend for the day. His name is Jerry Stamm. Jerry and I spent the next mile and a half sharing running stories. He's 66 years old and got into running in 1983. He ran his first marathon when he was 50 years old. Jerry's pace was just a hair slower than mine, but I was having so much fun talking to him that I didn't care. Miles 4 and 5 ticked by in 22:50. With about 3/4 mile left, I told Jerry that I was going to pick it up a little, and he told me to go on ahead. With just a few block left, I heard a "Hi hun!" and turned to see Steve passing me. I had joked that with a few minutes' head start, he could beat me to the finish line, but I didn't really think it would happen. It turns out that their half marathon was 1.4 miles short secondary to a volunteer having them turn around early.

Steve passing me with just a few blocks left

I hit the finish line feeling like I could have easily run another 6 miles. I had a huge smile on my face and Steve caught it in picture.

All smiles after 6.2 miles!

My last 1.2 miles took me 12:02 for a total time of 1:09:26 - a minute faster than my race 4 weeks ago and a new pregnant PR! I saw Jerry a few minutes later and thanked him for a great run. Steve and I said goodbye to Nicole, his running partner for his race, and booked it to our car.

Steve was a little bummed that his race was short but wasn't too broken up about it. We both agreed that had it been and "A" race for either of us, we would have been pretty upset. The 10K was great - I loved the combination of running by the parks and downtown and getting to see the river too. They had plenty of bathrooms and water, and we had beautiful January weather.

We made it to Annie's ceremony a few minutes late but with plenty of time to make her smile up on stage. We snapped this pic after her ceremony:

The Linder Kids - Matt, Me, Annie, Steph, and Mike

Then we ate a tasty, tasty supper. Thanks Mom and Dad for treating us!

More on being preggo in an upcoming post. For now, happy training, everyone!

My Latest Evotri Article

Below is the latest article I wrote for Evotri. I know this time of year I can usually use all of the motivation I can find. I left out a ton of books that we have on our bookshelves for brevity's sake :)

Maybe you’re looking for some tri-related reading to take along on your winter or spring vacation. Maybe you’ve recently signed up for your first triathlon and are looking for a place to start. Maybe you’re just looking for motivation to get you off the couch and back to training this month. I have mentioned before that when I signed up for my first triathlon, I didn’t know a soul who’d ever done one. To help me figure out what exactly I was supposed to be doing, I turned to my local Barnes and Noble and picked out a book that looked like it had what I’d need. I’m now heading into my 7th year of tri training and have amassed more triathlon-related books than I really care to admit. Below, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorites, a brief description of each, and who I think could benefit from reading them.

Triathlon Training, Michael Finch – This was my very first triathlon book. It is written for the super beginner, and that’s exactly why I recommend it for people brand new to the sport. The information it offers is valuable but basic. The training programs, which vary from sprint distance to iron distance, are canned ,week-by-week plans. Having the plans pre-made helps take some of the overwhelming factor out of being new to the sport. Steve and I have used the programs offered in this book for his student tri club.

The Triathlete’s Training Bible, Joe Friel – This book is often considered a “must have” in every triathlete’s library. It covers all topics in much more detail than Triathlon Training. It’s nearly twice as long and doesn’t have the same pictures and illustrations. I honestly think it would have been too much for me when I started, but once I’d been in the sport a year or two, I found it really helpful. Joe Friel flushes out the concepts behind periodization and shows you how to build your own training program depending on the time you have and the races you are training for.

Triathlon Swimming: Made Easy, Terry Laughlin – I read this book while reteaching myself how to swim through the Total Immersion program. Although the book does go through the 13 steps of Total Immersion, I think many tri swimmers could benefit from reading it. It discusses efficiency in the water, gives some exercises to help you become more efficient, and offers valuable visualization techniques and tips for “feeling” the water to slip through it more easily.

Trizophrenia, Jef Mallett – Although this book won’t do much to advance your fitness, it’s a great book that reminds us why we love the sport. The stories and anecdotes will resonate with beginners to seasoned triathletes. It may also be an insightful read for those who love us but don’t necessarily train with us. The illustrations (Mallett is the creator of the comic Frazz) are an added bonus to the lighthearted book.

17 Hours to Glory, Mathias Müeller with Timothy Carlson – I have been doing this sport for a while and knew some of the big names but didn’t necessarily know their stories. I had seen the images of the woman crawling across the finish line at Kona all those years ago but didn’t know her name. I knew the names Mark Allen and Dave Scott but admittedly couldn’t tell you which was which. This book offers a valuable history lesson on some of the biggest pro names in the sport while intermixing stories of inspirational age groupers like Team Hoyt and Sarah Reinertsen. The 17 chapters, which each focus on one athlete, make for a moving read whether you’re Kona bound or new to the sport.

Training and Racing with a Power Meter (2nd Edition), Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan, PhD – When I first got my Cycelops Power Tap and Joule, I was SUPER excited but also felt a little lost. I wanted to be able to get the most out of this tool in my training and racing. When I asked my coach for resources, he referred me to this book.

The Time-Crunched Triathlete, Chris Carmichael and Jim Rutberg – This is the newest addition to our triathlon library, and although I haven’t gotten to read it yet (Steve’s been hogging it), I am really interested in some of its theories. I have definitely had seasons where training took a back seat to the rest of my life. It offers sprint and oly plans to keep you competitive and a 70.3 program that promises to get you to the finish line (but not necessarily with a PR).

Happy Reading, Everybody!

New Year, New Post, New Race Distance!

Happy New Year everybody!

So I realize that it's been an ETERNITY since I posted last, but I really haven't had much to say! I haven't raced since the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, and the rest of my workouts have sort of been business as usual. I'm still trying to get to Master's swim, but driving late in the evening to swim and then leave the Y wet in -20 degree F temps at 9 PM has been a challenge to say the least. I'm hoping to get back in the pool this week now that the Holidays are over and I'm not so dang exhausted. Biking outside is obviously over since we've had over 3 feet of snow so far this year - the snowiest December on record. My brother Matt, Steve, and I have been hitting our trainers in our basement once or twice a week. Monday Matt and I went for 1:40. I'm not sure if I mentioned it last winter, but the Spinnervals Endurance Pack is TOTALLY worth the money. The individual workouts are INTENSE, and even if you choose to just do a part of one, you'll still get a fabulous workout. The DVDs are 90 minutes, 90 minutes (3 x 30 minutes), 2 hours, 2 hours, and 3 hours. Matt and I are working our way up to those distances. Even if we only do 60-90 minutes of one, we never feel like we're slacking!

My running has been going surprisingly well. After a great November, December hit with a bang - lots of cold and snow. I was thankful to be able to retreat to the Metrodome for twice weekly Dome running, but then the roof collapsed, and that's been out of the question. I was faced with the decision to either head to the Y for the treadmill, which I detest, stop running and hibernate all winter, or bundle up, HTFU, and head outside. When I found out that they have been plowing down by the Mississippi (just under a mile from our house), I dug out my turtle fur, my windproof hat, and my trail shoes. It was embarrassingly obvious last year when I realized that trail shoes make great winter running shoes - they're windproof and have much better grip than my regular shoes. It only took me 12 years of winter running to figure that out! I always forget how much I love to run in the winter. There's something magical about it. It's quiet, really bright at night from all of the snow, and I always feel safer knowing the likelihood of someone hiding out in the bushes when it's sub-zero is pretty low. It takes me forever to warm up afterward, but I'm rarely cold during the run. Thank goodness for our fireplace!

As I was running by the river two weeks ago, I saw signs for the Polar Dash run. I hopped on their website to see that they had a 5K and a 10K and decided that 1/1/11 sounded like a great day to run my first 10K. I've run a dozen marathons and done races of many distances, but despite having done a number of 10Ks as part of multisport races, I've never done one as a stand alone race. Steve signed me up, and I was ready to go!

The Polar Dash starts at Shriner's Hospital in Minneapolis, about 1 2/3 mile from our house. Steve and I decided that we would just run to the starting line and run home. He was doing an indoor track meet today, so he just came along to cheer and take pictures. The race doesn't start until 11 AM, which is a good thing because we got freezing rain and snow the night before and these temperatures the morning of the race:

BRRR!

We needed all of the help we could get in the temperature department!

We got to the race site with about 15-20 minutes to spare. I hit up a porta potty, ate some Sharkies, and stood by one of the propane warmers for a minute before making my way to the start.

Frozen face, frozen Sharkies :)

Steve and me before the race (Steve's face is already frozen).

Thanks for the photo Guy and Jenny!

There were just under 1800 runners between the 5K and 10K, and we all started together. It took me 5 minutes just to get to the starting line! Soon enough, though, we were off. My fingers had gone numb while we were waiting, so I was happy to get moving.

Getting started with 1800 other runners

Starting with a smile

Since the 5K and 10K were together for the first 1.5 miles, there were lots of families, dogs, and runners of all ability. It was a pretty packed field, especially when the 5K front runners had turned around and were heading back. When we passed the 5K turn around, our field thinned out a lot. There was a lot of slushy, slippery snow on the road at the start of the race, but once we got into St. Paul, the roads were totally clear. I love running on my home turf, and this race was no exception. Seeing all of the trees covered in snow, the frozen river, and the faces happy to be out running with me was a great way to start the year. I got to cheer for people who were making their way back. When I hit the turn around, I was feeling great. By mile 4, my feet were wet, but I was staying plenty warm. One of the bike medics passed me at around mile 5 and asked how I was feeling. "Great!" I replied. "And good thing too because I have to run home after this!" I joked. I felt strong as I neared the finish line. I flashed Steve a smile as I ran it in, and the smile was still there when I hit the mat.

My finish with a smile

I got my medal, downed a glass of hot chocolate, and Steve and I quickly made our way back home. He had been standing outside for over an hour at that point, and his fingers were frozen. We cheered for other 10K runners as we ran back along the river, and I made it a point to thank the volunteers again. One lady asked me if I ever warmed up. I replied that it was fine while we were running. She and the other volunteers had the hard job! We snapped this photo before changing into warm clothes and making some homemade hot chocolate:

The medals are stained glass and super fun!

Then I grabbed the newest issue of Runner's World, a warm kitty, and my warmest fleece and sat by the fireplace.

The perfect recipe for thawing out

Overall, I had a great race. I LOVE races in my backyard. It was well organized, and it was nice to be able to sleep in that morning. This may have to be a yearly tradition!