pieceofcakerunning

Have you ever had one of those moments where you realize how lucky you really are? I was talking to my dad on the phone yesterday about random topics, mostly about how I’m feeling and what I’ve been up to. Here’s the quick back story: My dad is the youngest of four boys, and he and my Uncle Angelo are only a year apart in age (and both are about 15 years old in maturity, but that’s another story).

Dad

Uncle Angelo. See what I mean?

Anyway, they each had three kids, and we spent a lot of time together growing up. By coincidence, four of the six of us are pregnant and due within two months of one another. Christmas will be very exciting this year. And loud.

Back to my point… apparently, things are not going so well for the other three (edited to add: I spoke with one of my cousins on the phone and she is feeling good now, so 2 out of 4 are having a hard time). I was feeling sorry for myself for slowing down in the last few miles of my run yesterday until I heard that my sister and my cousins are having difficult pregnancies. So, I guess I will have to work on appreciating a relatively easy pregnancy thus far.

This past month has been pretty close to spectacular (Outkast reference if anyone got that). I ran 106 miles for the month of April, and finally got out of my weekend-only running rut. The Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run kicked things off nicely, and I’ve been able to complete a 10 mile run every week since, in addition to a few shorter runs. We’ve also been blessed with actual spring weather in Virginia (usually we jump from tights-and-gloves weather to dripping-hot-sports-bra weather).

Weight gain has been holding steady for the past few weeks. I’m at 142.6 currently, up 16 pounds from my starting weight. I’ve only gained 3.5 in the past 6 weeks, despite feeling like I’m constantly eating. I think the extra runs have helped my weight gain slow a bit.

14.5 weeks at 133.0 lbs

23.5 weeks at 142.6… Hello bump!

Side note: I am loving the Oiselle Winona tank and Game Day shorts. I ordered up one size (I usually order smalls but went up to mediums) and they are literally perfect maternity running clothes. I have a few different colors, and I sometimes layer with 50/50 tees or a long sleeve if necessary.

So, what’s next? I have two more races planned, the 2nd annual S.M.I.L.E. 5k on May 18, and the Old Kinderhook 5k in Kinderhook, NY on June 8. The former is a race I won last year, a small charity race at Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach. The latter is one of my favorite 5ks (I happen to be the course record holder too at 16:37), and is also the same day as my baby shower in New York. After that, it’ll be easy easy running until after the baby arrives!

What do you have to be grateful for? You can go ahead and brag, I won’t judge!

This past week I have become one of those cliche pregnant ladies in major nesting mode. I just want to organize all the things. So now, logically, I am organizing my thoughts about running while pregnant.

I have a race coming up this weekend, the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler in Washington, D.C. I had a moment this Saturday when I thought to myself, I don’t think this race is a good idea anymore. I was at home in New York for Easter, and I had forgotten how much harder it was to run up hills versus the coastal plain where I currently live in Virginia. I had to stop twice because I felt like my heart was beating out of my chest. I’m still doing the race, I just know it’s going to be tough carrying around the 13 extra pounds I’ve gained so far.

12 weeks (130 lbs according to doctor’s scale) and I thought I looked pretty large then, ha!

18 weeks (139 lbs according to doctor’s scale) Booty and bump are blossoming.

I had a dream over the weekend that I stepped on the scale and it said 140 lbs. The scary part is that the next time I go to the doctor, I know it will say at least 140 lbs and I am going to have to not freak out about it. I have been able to run more this week since I’m on spring break, so I hope that this will get me back on track to run more than just on the weekends.

During the first trimester, all I wanted was burritos and guacamole, and then I started craving Greek salads. I was nauseous and really tired all the time. Running suffered, because instead of making me feel better it made me feel worse. I never actually threw up, but I had some moments of moaning in agony because I felt so sick. For the month of January I ran 72 total miles and my longest run was 9 miles. Most of my runs were between 6 and 9 miles. In February I ran 60 total miles, with my longest run at 12 miles and shortest at 6. I felt pretty crappy in February. In March I started to get some energy back. I ran my first race, the Shamrock 8k on March 16th. My total mileage for March was 57 miles with my longest run at 12 miles. Most of my runs were at least 6 miles, but I did a 3 miler once because that’s all I had time for.

I’m very fortunate to have a doctor who also runs and races triathlons. She is very supportive of my running as long as I don’t overdo it. I asked her for advice on the Boston Marathon, because I was considering running at least half of it, but we decided together that it wasn’t a good idea. Boston will have to wait until 2014.

I had a thought today during my 6 mile run that turned into a 3 mile run, 3 mile walk… I should really stop being so hard on myself. Part of me feels good for even being able to run at all, and part of me feels so lame for my slow pace. It’s a tough adjustment. I thought I would embrace the forced rest, but I realized that I never really run slow. I thrive off of a fast pace. I don’t like that my husband can run faster than me now (but I’m sure he enjoys it). I keep daydreaming about running a marathon after the baby is born, and about spring track season. I’ve been keeping a journal to write down my goals. High mileage is one of them. But I need to be satisfied with my efforts and remember that a few decades ago women were discouraged from exercising at all during pregnancy, so I really am lucky to have running as an outlet (even if it’s slow running).

I should also mention that I’ve been supplementing my running with prenatal yoga and a few workout DVD’s I purchased from Amazon. My favorite one is the Summer Sanders Prenatal Workout. It doesn’t seem that difficult compared to running, but damn does it make me sore the next day!

Any mamas out there have advice for pregnant runners? Did you supplement your running with any other workouts? Anyone else afraid of hitting an all-time high on the scale like me?

A few months ago, a group of about twenty female bloggers started writing posts and tweeting about Believe I Am and Sisters in Sport.

We began by writing about our goals, and then posting check-ins along the way. In my first Sisters in Sport post, I wrote about my goals:

“My goal for the next few months is to focus on strengthening my core and remaining injury-free. With only an eight week build-up before my marathon this December, the injury risk is very high. I’m going to use my Believe I Am journal to track my running and strength training and focus on writing about how I’m feeling to head off any potential injuries.”

I was pretty worried about making it through those eight weeks and the weeks following the race. I tend to get carried away once I pick a goal race, but having promised to use my journal to track my progress helped me stay accountable. Even during a hurricane, I managed to stick to my goals.

Post-yoga session during Hurricane Sandy.

The marathon itself was a success despite an illness that almost sidelined me and limited my training for the three weeks leading up to my race. I used my Believe I Am cues during the tough parts of my race, and powered through with a win and a new course record. After the race, I had a brand new journal waiting and renewed my promise to keep up with my core and strength training so as not to end up injured, a common post-marathon pitfall.

Full circle: my first Believe I Am journal full of a years worth or running highs and lows… and a brand new journal eager to be filled with this year’s events.

With a new year come new goals. I recently wrote about my resolutions for 2013, which include consistency as well as “…to run joyfully and to be grateful for what I have.”

joyful.

grateful.

I know many of you are fans of those online programs which keep track of your mileage totals for you, but there is something about putting pen to paper that makes a huge difference for me. I’ve enjoyed blogging for Sisters in Sport these past few months, and thanks to my crazy burrito-loving friend Morgan for hooking us all up.

How do you track your training: online or old-school? Who makes the best burrito where you live? How’s your New Year so far?