Marathon Training New Mommy Style

Nine seems to be the theme of the week...

Nine was my long run on Sunday. My plan was to run the first 5 with the BOB and then circle around home to drop off Henry and finish the last 4 miles solo. We didn't get started until after 7 PM, and it took Steve a little coaxing to get me out the door - I was tired and knew that nine miles would take me close to 2 hours given my current slow pace. Henry was having his evening crabbies, as usual, but he passed out cold in the stroller before I could even make it 2 blocks. He was so passed out and content that I actually contemplated trying to take him the whole way, but my sore groin muscles were screaming by 3 miles, and I knew it would be stupid to do all 9 with the stroller. The BOB is SUPER easy to push and doesn't really feel like I'm adding another 40-50 pounds to my run, but I know it alters my stride a little, and I'm trying to avoid injury since I'm already pushing the milage uppage 10% rule. I tacked on an extra mile to make my "with stroller" run portion 6 miles to give Steve a few more minutes at home and then ran the last 3 by myself. By the end, I was pooped but felt OK except for the groin issues. I'm aiming for 11 as my long run this week. I've still got my eyes on the Oct 2 marathon. I also squeezed in a 5 mile run Tuesday (with the stroller) and 2 runs yesterday - 4.4 miles and 3.6 miles. Henry had his 2 month checkup, which meant shots and an extra sad, crabby baby. Between Steve's long run in the morning and my runs in the afternoon and evening, he logged around 18 miles in the stroller for the day. Man does he love that thing! He either sleeps in it or is very awake and content, so Steve and I both try to take him whenever we can to give the other one a break.

His "I'm looking around but am content" face

Nine is the number of weeks pospartum I'll be in 2 days. I am still surprised how long it takes to heal after giving birth. I got the all clear to go swimming at my MD visit last week, and I did get in a 1 miler. It was slow but actually felt pretty good. I'm hoping to get in a few more swims before our pool closes for maintenence in two weeks. I've been toying with hopping on my bike for a couple of weeks now. My lady parts are still healing up, but I do want to at least try a short ride. Biking is about to get WAY more exciting around here, too. Big Evotri announcement coming soon!

Nine is the number of ounces Henry gained over the 9 days between his doctor visits. He's now up to 11 pounds 6 oz - right in the 50% for weight, though he's quite below average for height - that's my chubby baby! We took him in last week to discuss starting reflux medication for him. Feedings were getting pretty traumatic, and although it has helped a little, it wasn't a magic bullet. We really didn't think it would be. Henry's doctor agreed that he fits the definition of colic to a T. We're going to keep the reflux medication for now. Since he's also having some other concerning GI symptoms, I'm also going to try going dairy free for a week or two to see if it helps. Dairy and soy tend to be the most likely offenders, but if that doesn't work, we'll have to keep trying to pin down the culprit.

Nine is also the number of pounds I have to go to get back to my pre-pregnancy non-super fit weight. I was down to 139 when I got pregnant, but my usual wt is closer to 143. My goal is to be below 150 before going back to work in just over 3 weeks. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Finally, here is a two month picture of Henry, just a couple of days short of nine weeks:

Happy little guy on his changing table, courtesy of Steve :)

A Week By the Numbers

Last week, I hit the six week post-partum mark. Normally, that would mean a trip to the doctor to get the all clear, but vacation with Steve's family this past week interfered with scheduling that appointment, so I'm going tomorrow. It will be nice to get into the water again. Not being able to swim is something I forgot about when I was excited to have a summer baby. Though I'm not excited to squeeze into my swim suit (currently I resemble something similar to an overstuffed sausage when I try), I am excited to actually take advantage of all of that hot weather we've been having. Pool parties and trips to the lake really aren't as fun when you've not allowed to swim. That's not to say that I'm excited to be able to swim laps again; I haven't been in the pool since I was 16 weeks pregnant. I'm afraid it's going to be a laughable event when I hop in the pool at the Y, but I've been able to at least look at my bike in the last week and am wondering if I can squeeze in a short tri before the season is over.

Running is going better. I had been run/walk alternating a few weeks ago, and I'm feeling less and less like my insides are going to fall out. I went on my first run sans stroller two weeks ago at the 5 week mark. It was crazy hot here, but I was so happy to get out that I didn't even care. My 3.5 miles were slow, but most of me felt good. I think my lower abs/upper groin atrophied quite a bit. I got in another 3.8 miler a week and a half ago. Last Sunday, at my 6 week mark, I managed to make it 5.2 miles. It felt like the last few miles of a half Ironman run. I'm a little surprised that even though I'm 25 pounds lighter than my delivery weight, my times aren't that much better. I'm still doing around 12 minute miles. I know I need to be careful how I come back. postpartum women are at increased risk for stress fractures, especially in the pelvis. I've been wearing my SI belt on my runs to help stabilize my pelvis. Hanging over my head is the fact that I signed up for the marathon again this year. I told myself when I signed up that there was no pressure to actually do it, but if I was feeling up to it, I'd love to keep the streak alive. This year would make 12 Twin Cities Marathons in a row. Well, I'm not very good about not putting pressure on myself, and I think I'm going to at least try ramping up my miles and see how I feel. The marathon is 9 weeks away. The rest of my family is signed up for the 10 mile, so it'll be a really fun weekend. Right now, my plan is to run 3 days per week dn build my endurance through lots of cross training - elliptical machine, biking, rollarblading, and swimming - anything low impact. I did get ina long rollarblading session when Steve and I were on vacation earlier this week. My in-laws volunteered to watch Henry for a couple of hours, and while Steve biked, I strapped on my blades. I covered just over 19 miles in around 1:50 and felt great.

On the Henry front, things are going...okay. He's a pretty high-maintenance baby. He's generally fussy and requires nearly constant holding or rocking or bouncing. For some reason, he LOVES to bounce. My biceps may be the first muscles I get back. A lady at LTF triathlon told me her grandbaby loved the balance ball, and that was an amazing tip. Though he doesn't technically fit the colic definition, he's close. He's crabby to the point that his auntie Steph bough him socks with crabs on them. He still loves his stroller, being outside, baths, and being naked (he is Steve's son after all). He's started smiling and talking more the past couple of weeks, which makes the crabbiness so much more bearable. Once in a while, I get a huge smile...

Update: I just finished up a 7 miler a couple of hours ago. It was rough, but it didn't feel much worse than my 5 miler last week. When I got home, I saw that our heat index is 102. Hopefully that had something to do with feeling so sluggish and slow...

Race Week!

Don't get any ideas that I've gone totally bonkers. It's not a race week for me, although I have been feeling a bit left out sitting on the sidelines the past couple of months. My 5K at the beginning of June helped take the edge off, but it wasn't a "real" race. I haven't had a real race since Sept of last year at Rev3 half. All of my races since then have been just for fun at a pretty easy effort. If I can ever look at my bike again, I may still try to squeeze something in yet this year. Who knows...

In the meantime, I am SUPER excited to welcome my Evotri teammates to town tomorrow to race the Minneapolis Triathlon on Saturday. I am excited for a couple of reasons. First of all, I haven't seen my Evotri peeps since last September. This year was the first year I missed WIBA. I have been there every year since it started in 2006. I was SO sad that weekend and really missed being out there, meeting new faces, and seeing old faces again. I am excited to introduce my team to Henry, and I'm excited to show off Minneapolis and St. Paul. I am very proud of the amazing multisport community we have here. I am also excited to be able to share this triathlon with them. This was my first tri ever back in 2004, and it's the only race I've ever done where the excitement and energy around it even comes close to what you can feel at an Ironman. Steve is signed up for the sprint, so Henry and I will have a lot of cheering to do!

Thanks again, everybody for your support on my last post. I know I'll feel better eventually. A lot of people ask how I'm feeling lately. My answer is always, "Oh, well, OK, I guess... considering..." How I'm really feeling? Tired, sore, and chunky. I think when those first 20+ pounds basically fell off, I was a little optimistic on how soon the rest of the weight would come off, especially since, as my mom lovingly puts it, I could basically be the wet nurse for the whole block. I know it will take work to see the rest of it come off, and I know that I need to be patient with myself. I'm still not even a month postpartum! At least the sore part is getting better. I'm still a little sore, but it's getting more bearable, and when I attempted to run a little this week, I felt a lot less like my insides were going to fall out.

On the workout front, Henry and I have gotten in a walk every day this week. It makes me feel SO much better, and he loves to sleep in his car seat. On Monday, we walked 4.5 miles (to Herberger's and back) to make a quick return. I ran the last 1/2 mile home just to see if I could, and it went OK.

Henry slept through the whole thing, as usual

On Tuesday, we met up with my (formerly) fellow preggo running partner. It was fun to meet her beautiful daughter, Zanna. Our conversation has shifted from being anxious to meet our babies to how we're dealing with being new parents. I just LOVE hanging out with her - time flies when we start talking! Here's a photo of Henry and Zanna "meeting" for the first time:

They've been running together since before they were born!

Yesterday, I suggested to Steve that he could get in an OWS and I could walk around lake Nokomis with Mr. Henry, so that's what we did. I walked just under 3 miles. I didn't get adventurous enough to try running again. I was feeling a little sore.

Post walk, rocking the BOB, a smile, and a baby pooch

Today, Henry and I walked to the bank and back - around 5 miles round trip. After the first mile, I decided to try walk/run intervals. I ran 2 minutes then walked 5. By the end of the trip, I was running 3 and walking 4. I actually felt pretty good on the run intervals, and I had to force myself to stop for the walk breaks to keep it pretty easy. Henry slept the whole time. He loves his carseat, and I love the BOB.
In total, I probably got in 25-30 minutes of running. I'll consider that a success. I can tell I'm using muscles that haven't been used in a while, especially in my lower abs and groin. By the end of my preggo running, I was barely lifting my legs when I ran - my belly was in the way. It'll take a while to get used to running with normal form again.

I'll have to post photos of our race weekend festivities. I'm sure I'll end up taking a lot. Happy weekend, everybody!

My Brother Lost the Bet

My brother Matt and his girlfriend Angela were over last night. Matt admitted that he would have placed money on the fact that I'd be running 3-5 miles two weeks postpartum. Honestly, a month ago, I would have too. I mean, I ran 4.5 miles the morning of the day my water broke, I managed to avoid a C-section, and the rest of my body (and my brain) are ready to go. My nether regions? Not so much. Local rock star Kortney Haag stopped over yesterday with her two boys and an amazing lunch. She said that the first time she tried to run after giving birth, she felt like her insides were going to fall out. I was so relieved to hear this because that's EXACTLY how I felt yesterday on my walk when I had to run to beat a changing light. It's a little disconcerting.

Thank you all SO MUCH for your advice and encouragement on my last post. Unfortunately, not much has changed on the breastfeeding front. It is getting a little easier, but I wouldn't classify it as "easy" by any means. Henry still doesn't have a great sleeping schedule, and he rarely goes a full 3 hours between feedings. That meant that he was up every 1.5-2 hours last night, and I woke up feeling exhausted. I had hoped to get out for a walk before the 100 degree temps rolled in, but at 8 AM, all I could think about was trying to get in a nap.

We have been a lot better about getting out of the house, though, and I know that's been helping to relieve the cooped up feeling that has been creeping in. Henry LOVES the stroller. He passes out in it every time. Right now, I would rank it at the top as far as "good investments" that we made before he was born. Seriously. The BOB is worth its weight in gold. Other great investments: the Simple Wishes hands free pumping bra. You cannot underestimate the value of having 2 free hands during those 10 minutes. Also, a good baby carrier... I bought the Baby K'tan a few weeks before Henry was born. He's just now big enough to go in it, although his head control is really good, so I probably could have tried it earlier. He was crabby for much of the morning. Once I strapped him in it, he fell right asleep. I've had 2 hours of a content, sleeping baby.

We got out for a 1+ mile walk yesterday with the BOB and a 2.5 mile walk the day before. I love living in St. Paul and being able to make it a goal to walk to get a few errands done. Tuesday's walk was to our local pharmacy. The pharmacist told me I in no way look like I gave birth 2 weeks ago. (It's a good thing we don't operate on tips - I would have had to give her a big one!) Though I still feel like I did, it's amazing how big of a difference putting on real clothes and getting out of the house makes! I'm hoping we can get in another good walk tomorrow once the heat subsides a little. I'm still sore afterward, but icing really seems to help.

Well, back to another feeding. Happy 4th of July weekend, everybody!

Slowly But Surely, With Emphasis on the Slowly...

Things are progressing slowly around here. Henry and I are figuring each other out more and more each day, and I'm starting to feel a little more independent with what he wants/needs. Steve has been a HUGE help - feeding me when need be and taking on diaper duty for many of the daytime hours so I can at least make a trip to the bathroom once in a while. I am SO glad that he's on a summer schedule and can be home a little more often. Steve and I have both wondered multiple times in the last week how people do this with more than one kid. Seriously, moms of multiples, you have my utmost respect and admiration.

Endurance wise, I'm feeling good. I don't get too tired working around the house and going up and down the stairs multiple times. Steve and I got out for a 2.5 mile walk Wednesday, and it felt SO good to just get out of the house.

Out on our first long walk!

Somebody likes the carseat and the stroller :)

My legs, back, etc all felt OK. The rate limiting step seems to be my lady business. I think I grossly underestimated how long it would take everything to heal after 36 hours of labor, 3.5 hours of pushing, and some repair work. Between that and BFing, showers have been... interesting.

At least once a day on most days, I describe myself as bruised - just overall sore. I actually am bruised still on my forearm where they tried to place my IV for the first time. Nearly 2 weeks later, the huge hematoma is still a variety of ugly yellow and brown colors.

I'm trying to cut myself some slack. I don't take to sitting still for very long, so the last 2 weeks have been a pretty big adjustment in that department. I know I just need to listen to my body to know when I'm ready for more intense activity. A big part of all of this is how hard it is to leave the house. You know the difference between running and biking, how much more prep-work is involved to get out on your bike (pumping tires, emergency kit ready, water bottles, helmet, etc, etc vs just running clothes and shoes)? Well, multiply that by about 20 and you have what it's like to leave the house with a newborn even if it's just to be gone for 30 minutes. Sometimes it's just easier to stay inside. The fact that the weather has been so cool and crappy has definitely made this easier. I know that with a little more practice, though, I'll be more confident at leaving the house, and I really NEED to. It's just not good for me mentally for me to feel so cooped up.

On the weight-loss front, the first 2 weeks have been pretty dramatic. I am down 22 of the 42 pounds I gained. I know most of this is baby and excess fluid, but it's somewhat reassuring. I'm definitely not dieting right now as it can be detrimental to your milk supply and it's really the last thing I should be thinking about. I know the rest of the weight will come off MUCH more slowly, but it's still comforting. It's funny how much less I feel compelled to eat lately. I would say I'm back to my pre-pregnancy appetite - plenty considering I'm not as active as I was. However, I was SO HUNGRY ALL OF THE TIME when I was pregnant that it seems like I don't eat at all anymore (think 2000+ vs 3000+ calories per day).

Henry is up 4 ounces from his birth wt and 5 ounces since Monday, so I must be doing something right!

Well, my little man is waking up again - time for another round of feeding. Happy Friday, everyone! And now, I leave you with a couple of bathtime photos:

Henry's first "real" bath since his belly button fell off

Yummy big hands!

Henry's Birth Story

First of all, thanks everyone for your kind words and congratulations. As you probably all know by now (especially if you read Steve's blog), Henry was born one week ago today. After feeling like he'd NEVER come, we have had quite the week welcoming him into our lives. I love him more and more each day. Though I'm definitely still tired and sore, I'm looking forward to getting out of the house more this next week. Steve and I went for a 45 minute walk with him on Friday. It felt SO good to just get moving and actually see sunlight, even though I was a little pooped at the end.

I thought I had a boy baking in the oven since the moment I found out I was pregnant, so I think it's pretty funny that that's how he came out. In retrospect, I'm glad he was a "surprise."

I have found it really interesting and helpful to read other people's stories regarding the birth of their children in the past. It always amazes me how very different people's experiences are. If you don't want to read a long, potentially TMI story, come back later and just skip this post :)

Something told me before my run on June 10 that it could be my last for a while. Call it instinct or just knowing that the timing was getting close, but it was in fact my last run with baby Henry in my belly...

My water broke at 11 PM Friday night. At first, I didn't even think that's what happened. He was kicking all over the place, and suddenly I felt a very small "pop" and a little gush of fluid. I jumped out of bed and told Steve my water broke. I went to the bathroom and decided that all of that baby twitching must have just caused me to lose bladder control, even though that had never happened to me. I sheepishly informed him it was a false alarm. Then at around 2 AM, I lost another small amount of fluid and started to think that maybe it had broken after all. I tried not to wake Steve. I called into the hospital, and they said that since I wasn't having much in the way of contractions, I should give it an hour or 3 before coming in.

I woke Steve up a little after 3 so we could get a few things lined up in case this was the real deal. We got to the hospital around 5:30. By then, I still wasn't sure my water had broken at all. When they did the exam, they were just as confused as me and wanted to keep me a few more hours for observation. As we sat in the triage unit, a physician and a nurse both came in to inform us that even if my water hadn't broken, we wouldn't be going home. Henry had an episode of bradycardia (low heart rate) that was significant enough to worry them that he was in distress. At 8 AM, they repeated the exam but found that it most definitely HAD broken, so now we were on a time frame. Usually they'll only let you go 24 hours after it breaks. Since I really wasn't dilated at all (I was at a 1 and 50% effaced - women walk around for WEEKS more progressed than that) and was not having a lot of contractions, they started me on pitocin, which Henry it seems did not like. He had a two more episodes of his heart rate dropping to the point of doctors and nurses rushing into my room and doing all sorts of interventions to make it come back up. At 2 PM, my MD told me that he had broken her 3 strikes rule and I would probably need a C section. They decided to see what my body could do on it's own and gave me a 7 PM deadline to "make progress". I tried all sorts of different positions, walking, etc. Just before 7, my contractions were 2 minutes apart lasting about a minute each.

Stopping for a contraction

I was getting pretty pooped by then. When they checked me at 7, they said I had made significant progress. I was now dilated to 2 and much more effaced. After all of that work, I didn't feel like that was much to brag about. They gave me an 11 PM deadline and some Nubain, which made me feel a little drugged but let me get a little rest between the contractions. At 11, I was dilated to a 3, and they were OK with that progress. At that point, I had been "in labor" (sort of) nearly 24 hours and had been awake for 40+ hours save three brief hours Fri night.

I had hoped to be as drug-free as possible throughout labor, but it was decision time. I decided to get an epidural, try to sleep a little, and see if numbing me would help my body stop fighting the pain and actually let me make progress. I had spent the last 9 months using all sorts of muscles to keep him supported during my runs and throughout the rest of my day. They were working against me. In the back of my mind, I knew I'd need either an epidural, spinal anesthesia, or (if he had a REALLY scary bradycardia episode) general anesthesia for a C section anyway. It was the best decision I made. I slept off and on for 5 hours, and when the checked me at 5 AM, I was dilated to a 7. I have no doubt in my mind that without the epidural, it wouldn't have happened. By 6:45 Sunday morning, I was fully dilated, but he was still pretty high up and they wanted to see if he'd come down with the contractions without me having to push him down. We started pushing at 7:45. He hadn't come down much on his own, so I had to push him down. At first, the pushing was actually pretty easy. My contractions were pretty sporadic - sometimes 10 minutes apart, sometimes 2. I was so relieved that I wasn't heading to a C section for the moment that I was actually joking around (I am very sure the epidural helped).

They say that one disadvantage of having an epidural is that you can't push effectively, but I could still tell when a contraction was coming, and they kept telling me how great my pushes were. We had one more REALLY scary bradycardic spell that lasted several minutes where they called in extra nurses and the NICU team, but we got him recovered. I was SO hot in there. Even though I was wearing nothing but a sports bra, Steve was putting icy wash cloths ALL over me. The room wasn't warm, but I was WORKING. I never thought that I couldn't keep going. I knew I had to. I was just so worried that Henry would have another scary episode. At the end, they kept asking if I wanted to feel his head, but I just wanted to focus on recovering between contractions so that I would have enough energy to keep up effective pushing. I pushed for 3.5 hours total, but eventually, he was out! Steve got to announce that we had a boy. They plopped him on my chest, and I felt something splash me in the face. I didn't think much of it until later when they explained that when Steve cut the umbilical cord, blood flew EVERYWHERE. He even covered the walls with it.

Our family right after his birth. You can see blood on my face and on the pillow...

Henry was 7 pounds, 6.2 ounces, and 20 inches long. Oh, and we think he's pretty cute :)

I held Henry in my arms for a long time and knew I'd never be the same.

The day we were discharged from the hospital

Steve was AMAZING throughout the whole process. I couldn't ask for a better daddy for our son. Happy Father's Day, Honey!

We were also very fortunate to have my mom in the delivery room with us. She's an OB nurse by trade, and having her love, support, and expertise there was SO helpful, especially during some of the scary episodes. We love you, Mom (Grandma)!

My AWESOME Mom

We got to bring Henry home Tuesday evening. The Script's "For the First Time" played on the radio: Even after all these years we just now got the feeling that we're meeting for the first time. I welled up for the zillionth time of the week.

The rest of the week has been a roller-coaster of emotions, mostly happy, although breastfeeding is SO not fun right now, and that has caused a few sad/pained tears. Everyone reassures me it does get better. In the meantime, this keeps me motivated:

We think we'll keep him :)

The Big 4-0

Tomorrow is my due date - I've officially hit 40 weeks! And the way things are going, it doesn't look like I'll be "doing" anything but cheering Steve on at his Oly tri, where it likely won't hit 60 degrees before he finishes. Yikes that'll be a chilly one, and I thought last year in the cold rain was hypothermia inducing... I've been sitting on the fence as to whether I'd come out to watch the race. I know it's good for me to get out of the house, but I do get tired pretty easily these days. As long as he's OK with me being a party pooper and not wanting to stick around for hours afterward if I'm tired, I'm still considering tagging along. Right now, I'm feeling OK. We'll see how I feel in the morning.

So... this week in review: Monday I got to work and decided I was just over being pregnant. They had officially moved me to project time, and things were a little slow while the projects rolled in. I watched the clock a lot until my doctor's appointment where we didn't really get any new news. My MD doesn't do internal exams until 40 weeks, so in the way of "progress," I have no idea where we're sitting. Aside from lots of pelvic pressure and Braxton Hicks contractions, I don't have much to go on.

I somehow missed the memo that it was going to be HOT at the beginning of the week. I was paying attention to the end of the week forecast for Steve's race, but I missed Mon and Tues. When I stepped outside in my corduroy pants Monday, I thought I was going to melt. No wonder it had been so hot and sticky in our office all day! A 95 degree day for an overdressed non-acclimated pregnant woman is pretty miserable.

I had so much fun running the 5K with Abbe on Sunday, and Monday morning, I realized I didn't have any more "fun" activities planned. There are still plenty of things on my "to-do" list, but it's mostly non-essential filler at this point. I took a step back Monday morning and realized that maybe I just need to relax a little. Being revved up all of the time probably isn't encouraging labor, so I scheduled a message for myself. I was honestly hoping it would send me straight into labor like they have for many women I know, but I figured if nothing else, it would help me to relax. Though it did relax me, no baby results.

Tuesday we hit a 23 year high temperature of 103 degrees. I think I heard it was the 4th hottest day on record here. Abbe and I were going to go for a very easy walk, but she finally went into labor, so I just went to the Y where it was still very hot and hopped on the recumbent bike for a little while. I talked to my mom that night who basically told me I just need to stop working out for the next week. Of course, she's been trying to get me to slow down throughout this whole pregnancy, so I wasn't surprised. In keeping with the theme of trying to relax, though, I thought I'd give it a try.

Wednesday I was a wreck. My preggo coworker was being induced, my running partner had her baby, and I was getting pretty anxious to meet my own kiddo. I felt... well, to be honest, I felt lonely. It seemed like I was out on a race course where all of my friends had finished and were off celebrating with their families. I on the other hand, had quite a ways to go and didn't know exactly where the finish line is. Yes there are still other preggos out here with me, but many started a wave or two behind me, and somehow that doesn't make me feel any better. I don't necessarily have a ton of energy for huge social outings at this point, and I know my family is getting just as impatient as I am as they're waiting anxiously at the finish line.

Yesterday, I decided I'd get a pedicure after work. Steve had gotten me a gift certificate for Mother's Day, and this seemed like a great time to use it. After my pedi (which left me really relaxed and with super cute toes), I went to the mall to do a little shopping - a gift card for my Goddaughter's birthday, a Father's Day present for my dad, and a robe for me for the hospital. When I got home, though, I didn't feel any better. I just still didn't feel like myself emotionally.

I hadn't slept well Wed night and had woken up at 4 AM unable to go back to sleep. I had contemplated getting up and just going for a run or a walk but just laid in bed instead. Planning ahead, I laid out my running clothes last night just in case I had the same issue this morning. I was able to sleep until 4:45 but was wide awake again. I heard the rain outside, but after a few minutes, I knew I had to give it a try. I was out the door just after daybreak, and it was GLORIOUS. It was cool and just lightly sprinkling, and though my times have now slowed to something resembling 13 minute miles, I felt great. I planned to try for 3-3.5 miles, but at the 1.75 mile mark, I decided to keep going. It was at that stoplight that I caught the eye of a group of 6 runners who were also waiting.

One guy took a look at my belly and asked, "You're not going into labor in the next 1-2 hours, are you?"

I gave him a big smile and told him, "Hopefully! I'm due tomorrow!"

They all smiled and one of the women in the group piped in, "I've been there!" They wished me well and took off as the light changed.

In total, I ran 4.5 miles. With the 5 minute walk at the end, I was back at my front door in just under 60 minutes with a whole new outlook. I felt like myself again. Yes it's getting harder to run. My feet ache a little when I'm out there. My SI joint feels achy when I'm done - sort of how my knees and hips feel after a long run when I'm not pregnant. My BH contractions usually ramp up after a run, too, although these days I welcome them since it feels like I'm making some sort of progress. The pelvic pressure I feel normally increases after my runs. I can't imagine it's easy for those parts to hold in a 7-8 pound baby anymore. I remember a 5 miler at 35 weeks, though, when I thought I can do this for 2 more weeks. I can't do this for 7 more. Today, I still feel like I can do this for 2 more weeks if I have to. I have learned over and over again throughout this whole journey that any physical discomfort I experience lugging all of these extra pounds through a workout is FAR outweighed by the emotional benefits of continuing to stay active. Plus, baby really enjoyed our post-workout protein, yogurt, and fruit smoothie :)

I got to work feeling great. I have been so lucky to be on projects this week. After Monday's slow day, they gave me plenty to work on knowing that I may or may not be able to finish it, so it's pretty low pressure. I am hitting my PTO max, so I've been shaving a little time off of each day to avoid losing hours. I've been able to come in and leave at flexible times, and I haven't had to be on my feet a lot. Plus, it has kept my mind busy.

I owe you a 40 week picture. We'll have to take one tomorrow.

Grand Old Day on the Go 5K Race Report - 39 Weeks Pregnant

When Abigalius and I were on our weekly run on Tuesday, I told her of my plan to run the 5K this weekend if the munchkin hadn't shown up by then. It was a pretty cheap event ($20), and pre-registration was good up until the day before the race. Looking at past results for the run/walk, I confirmed that it is a pretty low-key race - no biggie if we needed to stop and walk for a bit. I knew I could wait a couple of days to sign up, and if I lost my twenty bucks at the last minute, I'd be happy about it. If nothing else, it would give me something to look forward to this weekend. Abbe got the green light from her husband, so we both signed up. We thought it could be fun to put our due dates on our backs. Everybody asks these days anyway!

Steve and I got to the race a little early and found Abbe, Micah, and their dog Gus on our walk to the start line. We stopped at the porta potty, posed for a few pictures, and watched the kids races.

Our homemade signs to answer a couple of questions

Mamas and babies ready to run!

There were kids, dogs, strollers, and families EVERYWHERE! It was so nice to finally have a beautiful weekend after the crazy spring weather we've been having, and you could tell everyone was happy to be out.

After all of the kids came in, we lined up at the starting line and snapped this photo:

Appropriately lined up next to the kids and the strollers...

Then it was time to GO! Abbe and I have been running together for a few months now, but we've never done a race together. I told her before we started that I was still just out to have a good time. I know she's a little faster than me, and I wanted to let her know that I didn't have any expectations that we needed to stay together if she wanted to run a bit faster. We both decided to just play it by ear.

Getting started next to the mini doughnuts

Right off the bat, we were getting a TON of comments about the signs on our backs and our very pregnant bellies. We got a lot of "Go Mamas!" and other fun cheers. One guy asked Abbe if today really was her due date. He then went on to offer that he's a doctor and asked her if she's dilated (uh, too far maybe?). We just joked that we probably wouldn't be needing his services on our run. :)

We hit the first mile in 11:10 - a little faster than our normal pace but still comfortable.

Having a fun run

Crossing the Ayd Mill bridge - a great belly shot

Mostly we just ran and talked and waved to the people cheering. The streets were lined with vendors getting ready for the day's celebration. I remember feeling really nauseated by all of the food smells a couple of years ago when I was racing hard, but to a pregnant lady on an easy run, doughnuts and other horrible for you food smells delicious. Good thing Steve and I only brought enough cash to indulge in a post-run bubble tea...

More food, strollers, and runners

I grabbed some water when we hit the turn around. The sun was starting to heat everything up. I drank some and poured the rest down my back. We haven't had many 80+ degree days here yet this spring. I was getting a little warm but definitely not overheated.

We hit our second mile in 11:17 - just fine with both of us. One guy pushing a double BOB passed us and told us we'd be in those shoes next year. I joked that I hoped I wouldn't be pushing a double BOB next year.

As we neared Snelling, we were heading up a small hill and decided to walk for a couple of minutes. We definitely weren't going for PRs. Once we got to the top of hill, we knew we'd have just about 0.5 miles to go. It was then that Steve overheard a small group behind us say, "We can't let the pregnant women beat us!" As the four of them passed us, one woman in the group told us that she loved seeing us out there. She said she was a few months postpartum and wished she would have been running toward the end.

Getting started again and running down the hill

We passed Micah and Gus on our way to the finish line, which seemed to sneak up on us.

Finishing with smiles on our faces

Heading to the finish line. Gus the pug is cheering his mom on (on the right)

We finished our final 1.1 miles in 14:10 for a total time of around 36:37 on my watch. (I still have to check on the official finishing time - it was chip timed).

Hopefully this is my last "race" before Baby comes. I'd really love to meet him/her soon! I guess we'll see, though, since it might be a few weeks yet and I may be out a running partner soon. It was just a fun way to get out there and be active with a few hundred other people. It was a preggo lady's dream with porta potties everywhere! It was fun to hear all of the cheers for our bellies, and we had so many moms come up and tell us that they loved seeing us out there, including a couple who were running just a couple of months postpartum.

When Steve and I got home, we grilled some food, made some banana muffins, and weeded the garden quick. Then I took a well-deserved nap. What a fun weekend!

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.