35 Weeks Pregnant Update

35 weeks pregnant

"There's nothing wrong with walking, it's just that is takes SOOOO long!"  This is something I've found myself saying almost daily as I head outside.  I am giving myself permission to "give up," and quickly!  Running has become very unpleasant and requires a Herculean effort.  So that leaves walking and the elliptical machine.  Some days are a combination (I will walk 3 miles, then come inside for 2 miles on the elliptical).  Some are just walks with a tiny bit of running.  I can usually work up the stamina for a short burst of running, so I will do a few laps on the track or a game of "run to that mailbox" a few times in the neighborhood while walking the rest of the time.  My doctor has advised me to keep on exercising, stressing that it leads to an easier labor.  So even though it's taking me a lot longer to cover a lot less ground, I will keep it up for the next few weeks!

Cotton Row Run 2014

 Volunteering--Packet Pickup Sunday, May 25, 2014

I volunteered at packet pickup for the Cotton Row Run on Sunday from 3-6 p.m.  If you are looking to volunteer but are worried it may be too hard, let me promise you that this is a great spot to volunteer at.  I usually serve at one of the various pickup tables, so my job is to get the person's name and then find their bib number and get them a T-shirt.  Today, I was assigned to the "T-Shirt Swap" table.  All I had to do was take the shirt that the person didn't want and call back to a "runner" who would get the correct shirt size and hand it to me!  No standing up required (I was given this easier job on purpose by a kind friend)!  I brought along my daughter, and we were treated to free volunteer shirts, free snacks while we served, and THEN a free dinner from Nothing But Noodles!  At 35.5 weeks pregnant, I needed a job that was physically very easy, but this job also proved to be very full of fun free surprises!  An added bonus was getting to catch up with many friends who were also serving or picking up their packets and to encourage new runners.  This position is just a super easy and fun way to give back!

Race Day Monday, May 26

This was not a typical Cotton Row Run race morning for me.  Usually our racing team takes our annual team picture this morning, but today I did not go to that.  I did not have a uniform that fit, so the kids and I slept in and headed over later.  I was fully prepared to pay $5 to park in the very conveniently located parking garage, but when I arrived to pay I saw that is was free to park there!  If you look behind me in the picture below, you can see the garage was practically empty.  Many people parked far away and walked, not knowing of this garage being open and free!  I needed to save my energy for the 5K run.  Rick finished the 10K and had just finished cooling down when he took these pictures.

Running a 5K at 35.5 weeks

My running has slowed and almost stopped since about 34 weeks.  I did have a great run (for me) on Friday, May 23.  I did 3 miles of running (10:57, 8:54, and 8:46) with 1 mile in between consisting of a .5 mile walk and then a .5 mile jog, so the miles of running were separated and not consecutive.  I rested on Saturday, and then on Sunday I only walked since running did not feel good. With running being so spotty lately, I did not know what to expect in the 5K today.  I told Rick I could be anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour. Well, I was able to run 10ish minute miles for a chip time of 30:46.  It was warm (70s--race started at 9 a.m.), and I played it safe.  My legs burn and feel heavy when I run, and the entire effort feels so hard.  

After the 5K, the kids had their 1 mile run to do.  I decided to run/jog it, hoping I could be there for my daughter when she slowed down to walk.  Well, my son finished in 7:45 (approx.--it is not officially timed), and Rick and our daughter were 9:15...and I was 11:30.  I could not keep up with them so I just finished alone.

Thoughts on Cotton Row 2014

It was fun to be able to experience the 5K race today in a very different manner than I usually do.  I enjoyed just being out there and loved the big crowds of runners.  I also loved being able to celebrate Memorial Day with other runners.  There is always a nice presentation before each race to honor the men and women who have fought for our freedoms.  Honestly though, I was a little bummed to miss the team picture and the fun of the 10K (my usual race, and Rick usually runs the 5K).  I also really missed the challenge of running my usual pace.  Running is so much harder now.  I feel so encumbered as I strap on my big sports bra, running belt, and spybelt with cell phone under a huge shirt for each run.  It's not really fun at all anymore.  I don't say any of this to complain---I am happy that I am still able to exercise!!  I am saying this in case someone else has been here or will be here.  I think it's okay to feel all of these things.

Third Trimester Thoughts

I am almost 34 weeks, and things are still going well.  My blood pressure, the baby's heart rate, and my measurements look good.  I am seeing my doctor every two weeks now.  Once the craziness of the end of the year is over, I will go weekly.  What good timing!  

Weight Gain

I am really starting to believe that we really don't have a whole lot of control over this.  I've had 2 months of big weight gain (13 pounds and 7 pounds), but the rest have been pretty small, so that indicates the lack of control I have in this department!  I certainly didn't do anything drastic from month to month.  All in all, I am at 24 pounds total right now. 

Running

Today was the last day of running with my group.  They average around 10 minute miles for 6+ miles.  I attempted a 6 mile run with them last Monday and could not keep up, but a sweet friend stayed back with me at the end.  Today, same thing.  I knew once I started having trouble keeping up, I would have to say good-bye for now.  I'll be back before long!

On my own, I can keep an 11-12 minute mile pace and plan to continue running 4-5 miles 2-3 times a week with the elliptical for the other 3-4 days and with one rest day.  While running, I sometimes feel pressure in my groin, and I back off the pace when this happens.  I have found that the weight belt helps, as does just walking.  My Saturday run turned into a walk with a couple of short runs thrown in.  I listen to my body and know when to back off.

Last Double Digit Run?

My last weekly 10 miler was at 33.5 weeks in 1:46.  It was done with Rick in laps around the neighborhood early Friday morning!  I was a little slow getting going but found a good grove as we chatted and caught up on life.  It was almost like a free date and felt so nice to have time to talk!  He was very sweet to stay with me the whole time at a pace that is much slower than his normal pace.  

I wore compression socks since sometimes my legs feel very full and heavy, and they felt good with the socks on.  The problem I face is in the recovery after these longer runs.  I am very tired the rest of the day and a little achy.  This may have been my last one of these.  Even 6 mile runs are starting to seem too far for me.  

Running Girls' Shower

My group hosted a fun Girls' Night Out and Baby Shower for me back in April.  I love it when we get together and can talk face-to-face instead of side-by-side!  The baby got some great things, a nice balance of "essentials" and also some fun outfits.  We are starting to feel more ready for her arrival each day!  I'm so glad I got to celebrate with these friends.

Good-bye, Old Friend
With an almost 8 year old and 7 year old, the time had come to say good-bye to a big part of my days of early motherhood--the double jogging stroller.  I listed it on an on-line site, and it sold very quickly.  My kids ride bikes, run with me, or can even stay at home as I run laps around the neighborhood now.  We are in a different stage of life (though of course I am keeping my single!).  It didn't make sense to keep this stroller anymore, but it was still hard to see it go.  This stroller represented freedom and the strong will I had to keep running even when it was hard.  I am so glad I made my "comeback" to running with this stroller.  It made me stronger, both mentally and physically.  And I will always believe that our kids do better when they know that we make time for ourselves and our interests too.  My kids spent time in here, yes, but they were enjoying fresh air, having conversations and snacks together, and learning that Mommy matters too.  I hope it will bless the next family as much as it did ours.

Spectating--My Latest "Sport"

I am 31 weeks pregnant tomorrow and still running!  Because I'd started to feel discomfort below my belly when I ran, I opted to buy a pregnancy weight belt.  I tried it out for a 10-miler this past Saturday.  It works great!  I am able to run without really feeling the weight of my stomach.  It is really comfortable too.  I forgot to wear it when I ran today (4 miles), and I could really tell the difference.  I was tempted to run with a hand under my stomach!

Third trimester running and exercising is going well.  My pregnancy has slowed my pace to roughly 10-12 minute miles, and just this past week I dropped from mainly 60 minutes of elliptical or 6 miles of road running a day to 40-50 minutes or 4-5 miles.  An unfortunate side effort of my bigger body has been chaffing in my armpits (of all places!).  The bigger bra and my swollen glands just rub in ways that I do not rub normally.  These are the main changes I've noticed running while pregnant.   Dropping pace and distance, feeling tired and needing weight support for my stomach, and strange chaffing!  I can't complain.

Spectating  
So I haven't entered a race in months.  It's mostly a financial decision.  I can run for free, so why enter a race just to get my run in?  We are trying to save for Baby #3.  It's just been easier to run alone, with Rick and the kids, and with my running group.  I have missed racing, but I will be back.

Not racing has given me opportunities to volunteer and to spectate!  I went to the For Life Ministries 5K on Saturday, March 29 to watch Rick run.  The race was super small (50 finishers), and my kids and I set up the water station (visited twice by runners on the out-and-back course).  It was a drizzly, slightly chilly morning.  We met some nice people also volunteering at the water station with us that day.  I could tell they were new to running when one called the Powerade "juice" (which I quickly corrected, knowing that runners would not understand why juice was offered on the course!).

Pictures were taken by Gregg Gelmis.

Race start

Rick finishes 2nd overall!

After the race, we went back to the start/finish.  There was a one mile race getting started, but since we had not paid I did not intend for us to run.  Then the director of the race said, "Anyone who wants to run the one mile, please come to the start line!"  My kids both really wanted to run.  Rick lined up with my son, and I decided to stay with my daughter.  Nevermind the fact that I was in jeans and a raincoat or that my daughter was in flip-flops and tending to a cup of busy snails!  It led to a first for me--first time running a race pregnant and in jeans!  Surprisingly, we finished around 11 minutes!  Both kids wanted another mile and went back out with Rick.  So my daughter finished 2 miles in flip-flops!  By her picture, you can tell it didn't bother her a bit!

Five Points of Life Kids Marathon was the following weekend on Saturday, April 5.  This event is free for kids to enter, but they have to log 25 miles prior to the event day's 1.2 miles.  My kids participated last year and wanted to again this year.  They love finishing on the baseball field, getting a medal, and having pizza and popsicles afterwards.  

Pictures from Five Points Facebook page

Will I run any more races this pregnancy?  Well, I signed up for the Cotton Row Run 5K, but I'll be almost 36 weeks pregnant then, and heat might be a factor.  I have really learned to enjoy my easier runs and the joy I get as a spectator to my husband and kids as they run.  That's enough for me right now!

27 Weeks, 27 cm on March the 27th!

24 weeks pregnant

Not much new to report.  Things are staying almost boring right now!  Today I found out that I passed my glucose screening test, have gained a total of 19 pounds in this pregnancy, and am measuring right on track (27 cm and 27 weeks).

On the running front, things are going okay too.  We've still had some colder mornings here, so I work out on the elliptical on those days.  Except for a brief setback on our beach trip a couple of weeks ago (only worked out 1 time in 5 days!), I have kept up the 5-6 days of workouts a week.  Sometimes I am able to run 3 times a week, but mostly I am aiming for 2 runs a week.  My last 2 runs were my weekly "long" run with my usual running group (I wanted 10 miles but ended up finishing the run with them for 12 miles at a 9:40 pace last Saturday) and today's 5.5 mile run (around a 10:30 pace, included a potty stop since I'd had a big glass of water before heading out).  I feel fine when I run--no cramping or aches, but I have had some chaffing in some unusual spots for me.  So now I am remembering to use Body Glide before my runs!  Also, the weight of my tummy is getting a little much, so I am looking into a running belt to support me as I run.

As I head into the third trimester, I am looking towards other women who have "braved" running in this trimester to guide me.  I found this blog when searching the internet for blogs and really admired this girl's openness and thoroughness in describing her running.  Rick has casually mentioned a fall marathon, but I honestly think it is easier for me to run now (at 27 weeks pregnant) than it will be for me to run late summer with no sleep and while nursing a newborn!  How would I train for a marathon??  Of course, it is a very tempting offer and something that is fun to think about right now.

21 Weeks and All is Well!

20 Weeks Pregnant

I am about 21 1/2 weeks now, and I'm still doing well.  We found out that we are having a girl!  The one thing I am struggling with is carrying the extra weight.  I gained a lot last month, and it is harder for me to move around already.  With 4 months left to go, it seems like it will be forever before I feel back to normal again.  I had a great run today with Jane (finally a warm day in the 50s!), where she really encouraged me to enjoy this season and to remember that I will get back to my "old me" soon.  Feeling this little girl move around has been so exciting, and it is all very worth it in the end!  But I crave the feeling I get after a good, hard run and miss the competitiveness of racing.

I will try to do a post on this later, but for now I will briefly recap Mountain Mist 2014.  I was able to slowly run some of the course thanks to good weather and a sitter for the kids.  I wanted to start this race that I love so much.  I was seeded first for the women (401) and enjoyed hearing about the women's race after I dropped out.  I was around 18 1/2 weeks pregnant in the pictures below.

Photos by Gregg Gelmis, We Run Huntsville

2014 Running...or Not??

So I have news which you may have suspected due to my lack of running-related posts lately.  I am expecting a baby!  I am 16 weeks along, and, thanks to my kids, I hope to have a nice picture with a chalkboard sign each week.  Yes, they are taking turns writing the sign and also taking the pictures!  It's so fun to have kids excited about the baby (with my first 2 only 14 months apart I've never had that before!).  As you can see from my picture, I am showing quite a bit already!  And even though we waited until the first trimester was over to tell people, many already suspected!  They were nice and said, "It's only because you were so tiny to begin with," but..ahem...a few areas grew so much (not just tummy) that it really was easy to tell.

What does this mean for my running?  Well, right now, I am still running but at a much lower intensity and lower miles.  In the first trimester, I was VERY fatigued and had to struggle to just carry on with normal life.  Running helped me feel less nauseous, but I found that it was hard to get motivated to go running.  I relied on the elliptical machine for most workouts.  My weekly "miles" (including these workouts) were around 30-40 miles of 5-6 days of working out.  I usually did 5-6 miles with one longer "run" (sometimes 10-12 miles of elliptical).  All of this was approved by my ObGyn.

Now in the second trimester, I am doing well---gaining weight and feeling MUCH more energy throughout the day.  I can run and feel fine later in the day, so I am trying to run 2-3 times a week and do the elliptical the rest of the days (usually taking a day off to rest).  This is all weather-dependent as we've had some COLD days, and I won't run in that.  Some of my holiday runs were alongside my children as they biked and we tried out our town's new greenway (about a 2.5 mile trip to a playground, a pause there to play, and the repeat trip back), pushing my daughter in the jogging stroller and then continuing the run on my own for a total of 12 miles, and even a very slow trail run with my husband for our New Year's Eve traditional run (done a few days early this year).  Most of my workouts are 5-6 miles on the elliptical still, but today I did get up early and do a run with my running group.  I will miss their company so much when I can no longer keep up with them!

I have never run this far into my pregnancies before.  I am listening to my body and doctor's advice.  My body has supported this pregnancy better than the others before it (I've had low progesterone levels in the past).  My doctor has said that every level of everything they've checked in this pregnancy is "perfect."  I plan to continue taking the running one day at a time.  For awhile there, I was having to pee at least once during a 6 mile run, and that just isn't possible when running with a group in a neighborhood.  So if that becomes an issue, or I don't feel good while running, or anything else, I will transition to other workouts designed for specifically for pregnant women (yoga, pilates, etc.).  But for now, I'm going to enjoy this stage I'm in.

A final word about 2014...I think not being able to run marathons really gets them stuck in your head!  I am excited to train after the baby is born (end of June).  My first marathon back will hopefully be our local Rocket City Marathon, where runners will experience an entirely new course for 2014!  I am excited about it already.