Harvey's Lake 8.2 Miler

I decided to do this race as a tune-up for the St. Luke's Half Marathon in two weeks. I thought it would let me know where my speed and fitness was. Overall, I am pretty happy with how I did. I was aiming for 8:00 pace, and according to Garmin, I did 7:47.

First, the weather forecast was horrible. It was supposed to be rainy, windy, and cold. I made arrangements for my mother-in-law to watch Caden, as Aaron wanted to come and see me race for the first time in awhile, and it was much too cold to bring him. I woke up on Saturday morning and I went outside and it wasn't that bad out! The temperature wasn't bad, and it wasn't raining! I decided to wear a tech t-shirt, a tech-long sleeve t, and a wind breaker. I didn't think it was cold enough for Under Armour, so I just wore black breathable pants. I brought a baseball hat in case it started to rain.

This race is about 10 miles from my house. It was around a big lake that is pretty popular around here. Our friend actually just bought a lake house there, so we will probably be spending some time there this summer. I anticipated this being a big race since it is a scenic, flat route. Apparently it used to be a big local race (before I got into running) and they stopped holding it. Many people were excited that it was back. Aaron and I got to the lake pretty early since they advertised that parking would be tough. I got my packet. I was kind of disappointed. The race cost $25 and we just got a cheap cotton T-shirt. I was happy it was teal, but it was still cotton! Well, once we got to the lake...it was COLD! You would think I know how to dress by now...nope! I didn't have gloves with me and I should have brought something for my ears. I couldn't wear my baseball hat because of the wind (it was my nice Boston Marathon hat that I forgot I had, and I wasn't going to risk losing it).

The race start was strange. We were lining up and all of a sudden, people started running, I didn't hear a gun, horn, or even a "go!". I hit my watch and took off. As usual, I took off too fast. I felt really good. In fact, I think I ran a really good 5k! BUT....this was an 8-mile race. I hung with my uncle for the first 3 miles, then he took off and I knew I didn't have the endurance to go ahead. I tried to keep my pace up, but around mile 4, one lady passed me. Mile 5, another did, Mile 6 another, and that's pretty much how it went! I think my speed is back, and I just need to work on my endurance. When these ladies passed me, I thought, go for it because I can't hang! I just did my best and I did better than I thought! I finished less than a minute behind my uncle, so I held my own!

When the race was over, I looked at the board, and I didn't think I was going to place. I was 11th Woman Overall, and most ahead of me were in their 30s. I always like to stick around for the awards to clap for the people who did place, and surprisingly they did a 26-30 age group! I ended up getting 2nd. I usually beat the woman who won, but it goes to show that my endurance is lacking. She passed me right at the end and there wasn't a thing I could do about it! Regardless, I lucked out winning a medal, and I am happy with my time. I'm not sure of my official time, but Garmin has me at: 64:09

My splits
Mile 1: 7:07 (you would think I would know by now!)
Mile 2: 7:24 (still too fast for my fitness)
Mile 3: 7:36 (this would be nice if I could hold on to this pace)
Mile 4: 7:42 (Hmm...I'm seeing a trend here)
Mile 5: 7:50
Mile 6: 7:51
Mile 7: 7:50
Mile 8: 7:51
Garmin has .25: 6:39 pace...at least I picked it up for a quarter mile!

Overall....not a bad race for someone who just gave birth 3 months ago. I tend to be hard on myself, but I beat alot of people! I'm not where I want to be yet, but I'm getting there. I honestly don't know if I have a 1:45 half in me now, but I am going to try. Like I said before, I have no plan, so I'm going to attempt a taper. I have no clue what I'm doing with half training, but we'll see. Either way, I should be proud I am out there and doing it!

And....on a side note....I am not lucky that I lost my baby weight...except for 3 lbs...I bust my butt!

Here is Caden on his 3-month bday with my hardware!

I"m Back!

I have been debating if I should keep this blog up. It started as a running blog, but my focus has shifted a bit since the birth of my son. However, I recently read through my Boston training, and it really was great to have all of that training documented. Yes, I keep a training log, but definitely not with as much detail. For that reason, I have decided that I do want to document this point in my life. So here is what is up for the last several months.

On January 16, 2011, we welcomed our baby boy, Caden into the world. He weighed 8 lbs 3 oz and was 19.5 inches long. I never, ever would have thought I would have an 8 lb baby. I wasn't even that big! Lucky for me, I was pretty much all baby! I had an epidural and loved it! I wouldn't say that childbirth was easy, but it wasn't as bad as I was thinking. Caden has been a joy and so far is a very easy baby. He started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks old (on my birthday, actually!), and with only a few early morning wake-ups has continued this pattern. At his 2-month appointment he was in the 23rd percentile for weight and 85th for height...my tall skinny boy! He was 11.3 lbs and 24 inches. Here are some pics of our handsome boy!



The first is his hospital picture, then the other two are obvious

Now for the running...I am kind of back!

My doctor told me to wait 2-4 weeks after delivery to start running. I waited 15 days. I had a half marathon to train for. I registered for the St. Luke's Half Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon). I will run this exactly 15 weeks post partum which after taking off 8 weeks (the last 6 weeks of pregnancy + the two weeks post-delivery) gave me 13 weeks to get back in shape.

IT WAS NOT EASY! I thought I would bounce right back. I thought after running with all that extra weight, once the baby was out, I would feel like a million bucks...wrong! It was hard. My core hurt the most. My abs were absolutely trashed. I actually had to wear a post partum support belt for the first few weeks back. My legs actually felt okay, but my heart rate was high and I haven't felt so out of shape in years! My first week back, here was my mileage:
Jan. 31st-1.5 miles
Feb 1st-1.5 miles
Feb 4th-2 miles
Feb 5th-2 miles for a grand total of 7 miles! I wanted to make sure I didn't build myself up too quickly and get injured so here is what the rest of my weeks looked like:

Feb 7-11th- 11 miles
Feb 13-19th-20 miles
Feb 20-24th-20 miles
Total mileage for Feb. 59.5 miles...not too bad!

In March, I started getting serious. I really do have a half marathon to train for.
March 1-5th- 23 miles with a long run of 8. I was started to feel more normal, just very slow for me.

March 6-12th- 31 miles with a long run of 10 and one day of speedwork (4x800)

March 14-19th- 32 miles with a long run of 12 and one day of 4 miles at tempo.

March 21-26th- 24 miles with no long run but some hill work and a 5k race (more about that late)

March 27-30th- 22.5 miles. This week is actually broken up. I always start my running weeks on Sunday, so I did do run a long run of 8 miles last week (just on Sunday instead of my usual Saturday because of the 5k), and one day of speedwork 5 x 800.

March Mileage: 132.5...back to normal!

April Mileage
April 1 and 2nd 6 mile at 8:00 pace and 13 mile long run -19 miles
April 4-9th 34 miles (I am running 14 tomorrow, but I am counting it now because I know I will get it done.)

I feel pretty good. My long runs have been slow, but my speed is returning. I decided to run a 5k to see where my speed was, so on March 26th I ran a 22:46 5k! I placed 4th overall and 2nd Age Group. I NEVER thought I would be able to run it that fast. It was the first time I really challenged myself post baby, and I couldn't be happier with the results. I am still struggling with my long runs, so I'm not totally confident in my upcoming half, but I did run 13 miles last weekend in about 2 hours (the day after a 6-miler at 8:00 pace), so I know I should be able to at least run a 1:50. Ideally, I would like to PR (my unofficial PR is a 1:46 in the Boston Marathon), but I don't know if this is realistic. I am running 14 tomorrow, and have an 8-mile race next weekend, which should give me more of an idea of where my fitness is. I am not following a plan, just mixing it up with speedwork and long runs, so we will see.

Oh...and where is my baby when I am logging these miles?? Lucky for me, the treadmill knocks him out! I put him in his bouncy seat and 5 minutes into my run (with the TV and treadmill on), he falls asleep. One of the benefits of running through pregnancy is I guess he is used to all the noise! Plus, Aaron watches him while I run long Saturdays, and when it is nice out, my mom comes to watch him while I run outside. We do have a BOB, but the weather hasn't really been nice enough to take him out in it yet. Next week, I anticipate Caden will make his debut in the stroller!

So in a nutshell...that is what I have been up to in the last 3 months. I will do my best to update regularly (for anyone who still reads this thing)!

Oh yeah...I am registered for my 3rd Steamtown '11 (my 5th marathon!)

Way to Go, Chiro!

I love my chiropractor. 3 visits, and I am pain free! I seriously feel SOOOO much better. I went from not being able to walk, to moving around quite easily again! There is such a difference in my mood. The pain was really wearing me down, and now I feel like myself again. In addition, he told me to be as active as I can. Hmm....I told him that may not be the right thing to say to me, but he told me to do whatever I feel like and listen to my body. 2 days last week, I walked Nikko around the block. Today, 3 weeks after stopping, I woke up feeling completely normal (minus the big belly and 23 additional lbs in my stomach, so I ran 3 miles on the treadmill. I went at 6.0 speed (10 min miles). I stopped at 15 minutes, and again at 25 minutes, but I ran the whole thing relatively pain free. My hips are a little achy, but my back feels just fine. Hopefully, this wasn't a stupid move, but I guess only time will tell. I feel so much better about myself, so as of now, I don't regret it one bit. 3 miles at 37 weeks is an accomplishment! I am just going to play it by year, and not set any mileage goals, but just listen to the chiropractor and stay as active as I can in the last few weeks. For now, I am on cloud 9!!

No More Running

I have been dreading writing this post. I am officially done running until after I give birth. I made it to 34 weeks and 1 day. I ran 5 miles December 5th, and now I can't walk without pain (for the last 2 weeks). I am super bummed because I fully intended to run up to the day I give birth, but my body has other plans. I am currently limping around like an old lady. I went to the doctor this week, and he wasn't sympathetic at all. He told me it happens when you are pregnant, and will go away once I give birth. Yesterday, I went to a chiropractor, and he told me that it isn't sciatica pain. He said that is the commonly used term whenever pregnant women have lower back pain. Mine is only on the right side, down near my butt. He said it is most likely inflamed vertibrate. It is a painful condition, but not serious at all. He adjusted me and did some ART on the area, and said he should be able to get me better, but I won't be 100% until after I give birth. I really don't feel any better, but I have another appointment on Monday. I feel better being proactive rather than just sitting around in pain.

It took me this long to come to terms with this. I know I am lucky to have made it this long, but I can't help but feel disappointed. I keep thinking about the fitness I am losing, and the extra weight I am going to gain. Luckily, all my extra weight (23 lbs of it) is in my stomach. I'm really not as big as I thought I would get, but I have always been body conscious, and running helps me feel better about myself. Now, I am resigned to the couch! I work all day (which is exhausting and painful), then I come home and just lay on the couch until it is time to go to bed. I have been incredibly blessed with an easy pregnancy, so if this is the worst I have to put up with, I am lucky (at least that is what I keep telling myself).

On a positive note, the nursery is just about finished! I still need to organize the baby stuff, but I feel pretty good about our progress. I am still hoping the baby comes a little early....1/11/11 perhaps! I have 3 more days of work, then I am off til Jan 3rd. I am planning on installing the carseats, sterilizing all the bottles and pacifiers, and getting the clothes put away (I have been washing things here and there). Here are some pics of our nursery.

Pregnancy Update

I am almost 33 weeks and much has changed since my last post! I definitely look pregnant now. Actually, I am pretty fortunate and am not huge, but my belly is definitely noticeable. I finally caved and started wearing maternity pants at 30 weeks. I still occasionally wear my regular pants with the belly band, since I only have 3 pairs of maternity (and am not buying more), but for the most part, I wear the maternity. I am now going to the doctor's every two weeks and everything, thankfully, looks perfect. My weight gain is fine (+17lbs so far!), baby is measuring right on and appears to be head down (for now), blood pressure is still low (100/60), and all my lab work came back fine.

Now for the running news....I am still going strong! I actually gave up running outside about 2 weeks ago. My parents were on my case, plus, I was starting not to trust myself on the sidewalks. Many of them were covered with leaves and chestnuts, so I was afraid I would take a spill. Now, I am resigned to the treadmill for the remainder of my pregnancy. I am currently running 5 miles 5 days per week. This is pretty much the same that I have been doing the entire pregnancy. My pace has slowed way down (about 9:15 per mile), plus I stop about 2 times per run to recover. I just figure that I am still running decent mileage and every mile counts! Once November is over, I may need to reevaluate. 5 miles is getting really tough! I did buy a Gabrialla support band and that has been a lifesaver for my back.

Our new nursery and bathroom is starting to come together. Poor Aaron has been working like a madman to get everything finished. The room is now carpeted and the furniture is assembled. He still needs to put in the closet organization system, and put the vanity and toilet in the bathroom. Then, we can start decorating and putting the baby stuff away. I had a fabulous shower and got pretty much everything on our registry. This is one lucky baby boy! It's hard to believe that he'll be here in less than 2 months. I have a feeling that he is going to come a little early even though every keeps telling me that first babies come late. 1/11/11 is a pretty neat birthday to me!

It's a boy!

OK, so I am a really bad blogger! I announce my pregnancy and then don't blog for 10 weeks! All is well with me. I continue to feel great and am still running 25 miles per week with relative ease. Baby Boy is measuring perfectly and is kicking up a storm. I truly believe that staying so fit is helping me have a healthy pregnancy. I haven't gained much weight and am still wearing my regular pants (with a belly band). I am wearing loose fitting tops with some maternity thrown in there, mainly because I think I look like I put on a few pounds rather than pregnant. I can definitely still hide the pregnancy, but I am getting to the point where I'd like to have a bit more of a bump! I'm sure it is coming in the next few weeks as the baby continues to pack on the pounds.

I miss running! I went to the Steamtown Marathon yesterday to cheer on my uncle and it was hard to stand on the sidelines. The ironic thing is that I was so burnt out after Boston that I wouldn't have ran Steamtown even if I was pregnant! Running has just become such a big part of my life that it's hard to sit back and watch, even though I am super excited for the next stage in our lives. I think I am going to register for the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon on May 1st as my "comeback" race. It won't be a PR performance, but it will get me back out there and in shape. I am pretty confident that I will be able to finish, even though it won't be pretty. This will set me up perfectly to train for a fall 2011 marathon! By having a goal, it keeps me motivated and reminds me that I can have a running life post baby! I may be getting up at 5 AM to run, but that is the price I will have to pay.

Our house is a mess. Everyone keeps asking me about a nursery and I have to laugh because it's not even close. We have an enclosed finished porch/room on the second floor of our house that we pretty much used for storage. It runs the length of our two spare bedrooms, so we decided to install a jack and jill bathroom with a walk-in closet for each bedroom. After that is finished, we will work on the nursery. My goal is to have the nursery finished by the end of November. Aaron has been busting his butt trying to get the latest project finished and the dry wall is being hung this week, so hopefully, we will meet our deadline. When there is a little more progress, I will post some pictures.

That's all for now. I promise I will update more often!

The REAL reason I haven't been racing

Well, some people have noticed that I haven't run a race since my heat exhaustion incident on May 2nd. And, no, I haven't given up running. In fact, I ran 114 miles in July, which isn't bad considering I went on vacation to the Caribbean and spent a long weekend in D.C. My running philosophy is that when I race I want to see results. I don't like to just go out there and say I ran a race. Every time I hit the starting line, I expect and like to see a PR. Well lately my priorities with running (and the rest of my life) have changed. And the reason is.....


I am pregnant! Yep, 16 weeks to be exact! I figured that it is time to come out to to the rest of the world, although those close to us have known since we came back from vacation on July 18th. I found out on May 8th (Mother's Day). Aaron and I had the plan that we would start trying for a baby after the Boston Marathon in April. Well, let's just say that this is a Boston Marathon Baby as I conceived about a week after it. Our baby is due January 18th and so far, everything has been great.

People often say that I am a lucky person, and honestly, I have been extremely blessed with this pregnancy. I am sure many women out there will hate me, but I have not felt different at all since finding out. I never had nausea, fatigue, heart burn, bloating, etc, although my face is broken out like I am 12! I feel perfectly normal. I often forget that I am actually pregnant. I could say it is because I am in such good shape, but I know that isn't always the case. I know many fit women that had very hard first trimesters. In my first trimester, I actually lost half a pound (maybe I wore different shoes or something that day!). I had genetic testing, 3 ultrasounds, and everything looks good so far. I went for my 16 week appointment today, and I gained 2 lbs and the baby was so active they had a hard time finding the heartbeat. They would find it for 5 seconds, then lose it, then repeat! It's amazing because I can't yet feel a thing. I think I still look perfectly normal. I can still button my pants, and if you didn't know, I don't think you can tell. The nurse told me today that because I have good muscle tone in my abs that I may not really look pregnant til 20-22 weeks. I hope I am that lucky!

Yes, I have still been running. I am trying to get in 25-28 miles per week and have no trouble doing so. My doctor encourages exercise and as long as I feel up to it, I can continue. On hot days, I hit the treadmill and I now always carry a water bottle with me. I have been stopping halfway through each run just to make sure my heart rate isn't too high, and it's usually around 140-150, which isn't that high. I actually lent my Garmin to my father-in-law because I don't want to run by pace anymore. I have just been running by feel and taking it easy. I imagine I am running about 9:30-10 min miles (ok, 9:00 on the treadmill). Obviously, if I need to stop for medical reasons, i will, but as long as I and the baby are healthy, I plan to run the entire pregnancy. I have done extensive research on the topic (If interested, there is a great book by Dr. Clapp called Exercising Through Your Pregnancy), and there are many benefits for a baby whose mother exercises, so I am pretty determined. I know this is controversial, but I am confident in my decision and would never put our baby's health at risk. I am glad that times have changed and that it is now encouraged to stay active thoughout pregnancy.


I still hope to keep this blog running related, but the focus will obviously shift. If you read this for the training, there won't be much on the topic! This blog will now be a combination of running and pregnancy (baby). So let this new journey for Aaron and me begin!