Sunday, December 26, 2010
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!!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, November 26, 2010
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!
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!
Monday, October 11, 2010
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!
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!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
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!
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!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
June Mileage
I haven't been blogging much because there is nothing really new and exciting as far as my running goes. I have been holding steading at around 28 miles per week. For June, I ran 119 miles, which I think is pretty good since I'm not training for anything. It has been nice to just run for run and not worry about pace or hitting a specific mileage goal.
On another note, my sister got married on Saturday. Her wedding was gorgeous and everything went perfectly. I'll post a picture of me and the beautiful bride below. I was the matron of honor.
July is going to be a very busy month for us. This weekend we are going to DC to visit Aaron's sister. We will see some sights and go to the mall for the fireworks. It should be a good time! Next week, we are going on our cruise! We leave out of Tampa and are going to Cozumel, Cayman, Honduras and Belize. It's my 15th cruise and I am finally a Platinum Member on Carnival, so VIP status for us...yay! It's actually not that big of a deal because my parents have been VIPs for years, so when we travel with them, we get the perks. This vacation is just Aaron and I so it's nice to attain it ourselves. I hate running on the ship because I have to use a treadmill (no way am I counting laps on the deck outside..it's like 8 times around is a mile). They have a 30 minute time limit which doesn't allow me much mileage. I then cover up the time and hope noone says anything. I hate being "one of those people," but not enough to follow the rules!
Happy 4th!
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On another note, my sister got married on Saturday. Her wedding was gorgeous and everything went perfectly. I'll post a picture of me and the beautiful bride below. I was the matron of honor.
July is going to be a very busy month for us. This weekend we are going to DC to visit Aaron's sister. We will see some sights and go to the mall for the fireworks. It should be a good time! Next week, we are going on our cruise! We leave out of Tampa and are going to Cozumel, Cayman, Honduras and Belize. It's my 15th cruise and I am finally a Platinum Member on Carnival, so VIP status for us...yay! It's actually not that big of a deal because my parents have been VIPs for years, so when we travel with them, we get the perks. This vacation is just Aaron and I so it's nice to attain it ourselves. I hate running on the ship because I have to use a treadmill (no way am I counting laps on the deck outside..it's like 8 times around is a mile). They have a 30 minute time limit which doesn't allow me much mileage. I then cover up the time and hope noone says anything. I hate being "one of those people," but not enough to follow the rules!
Happy 4th!
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Monday, June 7, 2010
I've been boring lately
It has been awhile since I blogged because my running has not been that great. After my last race, I took about a week off before I attempted to run again. Since then, I have been trying to run between 25-30 miles per week and keep my long run between 8 and 10. I figure that this should maintain my base and allow me to race various distances this summer. I have my eye on the inaugural Wilkes-Barre Half Marathon on Labor Day, but that is it. I skipped my town’s Memorial Day 5-miler because the heat has really been bothering me and it was 88 that day. Plus, I feel like my speed isn’t up to par. I haven’t been doing any quality workouts, just easy runs, so I didn’t feel “race ready.” It killed me to miss it, but it was the right move.
I have been very careful since my “incident.” On very hot days, I have been running inside. However, that does not help me get acclimated to the warm temperatures. I ran 4 miles on the levee last Friday, and I really thought I was going to die! It was about 85 and sunny. I was aiming for 6, but it didn't happen, which is rare because I barely ever cut my runs short. When I reread my old posts, I really am a whiner....I complain in the winter about the cold, and now I am complaining about the heat. Now that I am off from work, I can get up early and get my runs in, which will be nice.
I think that taking it easy for a month will have a positive effect on my running. My body feels good and it is nice to not “have” to run every day (although I am trying to run 5 days per week). I was trying to talk Aaron into running the big 4th of July 3-miler and he agreed! I told him that we could run it together and I won’t burn him! He can probably run about a 24 minute 3 mile without training, so I agreed. Last year, I had a great race, but it will be nice to run together for fun. I wish he enjoyed running, so this may be a start.
Also...I have finished my 7th year of teaching! Time flies!
I have been very careful since my “incident.” On very hot days, I have been running inside. However, that does not help me get acclimated to the warm temperatures. I ran 4 miles on the levee last Friday, and I really thought I was going to die! It was about 85 and sunny. I was aiming for 6, but it didn't happen, which is rare because I barely ever cut my runs short. When I reread my old posts, I really am a whiner....I complain in the winter about the cold, and now I am complaining about the heat. Now that I am off from work, I can get up early and get my runs in, which will be nice.
I think that taking it easy for a month will have a positive effect on my running. My body feels good and it is nice to not “have” to run every day (although I am trying to run 5 days per week). I was trying to talk Aaron into running the big 4th of July 3-miler and he agreed! I told him that we could run it together and I won’t burn him! He can probably run about a 24 minute 3 mile without training, so I agreed. Last year, I had a great race, but it will be nice to run together for fun. I wish he enjoyed running, so this may be a start.
Also...I have finished my 7th year of teaching! Time flies!
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