30 weeks workout report

Last week's exercise report:

Monday- 3 miles, 10:09/mile.  I felt a little uncomfortable until mile 2.  Planks & stretching.
Tuesday- Elliptical 30 minutes, weights- legs & arms.
Wednesday- 5 mile run
Thursday- 3 mile walk with Rachel The Dog
Friday- 5.64 mile run, 10:05/pace around Lake Calhoun, felt good!
Saturday- 5 mile run, felt great!
Sunday- 3 mile run, 10:05/mile with Rose.  Long walk with Sara and Rachel the dog in the afternoon.

Total miles: Around 25 miles!  The most I have run in weeks!  Funny how that works....

24 weeks pregnant= 16 week training plan!?!

After a hiatus from blogging about fitness, running, and wellness goals, I am tempted to get back on course (pun intended) as I have been feeling lonely and pregnant out here in the blog-sphere of fit mom blogs.  Where are the pregnant ladies who are trying their darnedest to stay fit while their middles grow?  If you are out there, let it be known!  Additionally, I need to power myself through the fog that is February in Minnesota + pregnancy, and writing about positive choices helps me to stay upbeat and motivated.  

To backtrack a bit, my first trimester closely matched that of my first pregnancy.  I felt great until about week 8 and then terrible until about week 13.  During the five weeks of nausea and exhaustion, I cut myself slack and set a goal to simply move my body in some way, shape, or form almost every day.  Around Thanksgiving, I began feeling energized again and slowly worked back up to seven miles of running.  On Thanksgiving morning, my mom and I participated in the local turkey trot around Lake Harriet.  Mom ran the 5k, and I finished the 10k in just under an hour, with faster splits in the second 5k.  The weather was totally gross with sleet and wind, but I finished with a big smile on my face.

As the sidewalks became icy, I switched to treadmill running.  Unfortunately, the more miles I logged on the treadmill, the more my lower right back pain flared up.  Martin Luther King's day brought piercing pain from just ordinary movement.  It was a major reality check.  I had been ignoring the pain and now I couldn't even get out of the car.  Thanks to a friend's recommendation and good timing, I found a chiropractor specializing in maternity care.  I had my first appointment on MLK day, and I am now hooked.  The adjustments she made worked wonders, and I began to feel like my old self a few days later.

That said, I have been hesitant to get back into running.  I can help but think that the treadmill running had a big role in the pain.  My body has never responded well to consistent treadmill running, especially when I compare treadmill running to trails and roads.  I also want to give my hips and lower back some time to heal after the adjustments.  

So, it is time to rethink fitness during pregnancy.  One thing that I've learned is that it does not make sense to set long term goals- beyond the goal of listening to my body every day and responding accordingly.  If I really listened to my body, I think it would tell me to be active in some capacity on a daily basis.  The mode of movement and the degree of rigor, however, would vary.  Since my wake up call in January, I have been trying to listen to my body more closely.  It is a challenge because the competitor in me wants to perform and my winter blues need the endorphins badly.  

In some respects, fitness during pregnancy is a mind game.  Some days, I take the micro approach- What is going to feel good right now?  One hour of exercise=12 hours of a better attitude.  Other days, I think macro: What can I do today that will help me get back into shape faster post-pregnancy?  How can I stay healthy now so that I can run this summer?  

Last week, I hit the pool three times and I felt great after each workout.  This week, after two missed workouts and overeating on Monday and Tuesday, I managed to get myself back to the gym with the promise that I could use the elliptical (something about getting in a bathing suit turned me off!).  I think I am ready to get back in the pool tomorrow morning though.  Today, I did 45 minutes on the elliptical, listening to Caroline Smith and reading runner's world.  I worked up a little sweat and definitely felt better than I would've if I hadn't worked out.  We'll see what tomorrow brings!

Oh, and one more thing, I was joking with the blog title.  I am obviously not going to make a true training plan for the next 16 weeks, but I do think it is a clever way of thinking about pregnancy and birth from this point on.  I am not going to get any fitter or any faster, but I think I can develop some skills and life/body insight as I approach the race (otherwise known as labor and birth!).  I will use this blog to chronicle this 16 week race journey.

Lifetime Bucket List

Lifetime Bucket List:

• Hike the Appalachian trail (or a comparable trail)
• Bike across  a cross country bike trip
• Win my age group in a triathlon or running race
• Join a master's swim team
• Create a documentary film
• Knit a sweater
• Run in a 50k trail race
• Attend a spiritual retreat
• Own a VW van or some other impractical form of transport (like a vespa)
• Live in another country for a year (with children!)
• Write and submit an editorial
• Coach a running team (again!)
• Establish and maintain a consistent yoga practice (could be once a week for a year, could be every day for 30 days...just variety of consistency)

Marathon Training: A couple long runs

I signed up for Twin Cities Marathon!  This will be my 5th marathon and my 3rd Twin Cities.  I needed a challenge- a physical and mental one- to focus my training and give new perspective to paying attention to my health and well-being.

I am following the "Own It" plan from one of my favorite sites- Another Mother Runner.  This morning marks my fourth long run of the training plan, an easy 13 miler.

Last weekend's long run was a glorious 15 miles with the middle five around marathon pace (I am shooting for a 4 hour (or less, eek!) marathon so that sets me around a 9 minute mile).  Since I was spending a few days visiting my parents and grandma in Cleveland, my dad offered to ride his bike next to me.

Long runs are true invitations for quality time with someone so I was fortunate that my dad was willing to cruise at snail's pace along this hilly boulevard.  He carried my snacks and water too!  What a guy!  He kept the conversation going as I muddled through the last five miles.  My average pace was 9:28 with some 9:00 miles (or less) in the middle.

Today's 13 felt so easy in comparison (an easy 10:28 pace- my running buddy, Rose, was tough on me and forced me to GO EASY!  I have a hard time with this once I get about two or three miles in.  I knew I needed to keep it slow though as last week I really felt tired around mile 12).  We did an out and back from my house to the Cathedral at the end of Summit.  We entertained ourselves by choosing our dream houses (although neither of us could imagine living in an entire house on Summit- they are huge!  What would you put in all the rooms?  No idea!?) and talking about some of our favorite subjects- new recipes and public transportation.  

I feel like every other week my long feel so easy.  I suppose that's the point of this plan- wear myself down and build back up.  Over the next three weeks, I am increasing my long run to the plan's first 20 miler on July 19th.  I will be out of town during the next two weekends, but I am looking forward to some new terrain for the long runs!  Maybe some pals will run/ride with me for some of it...we'll see!

Weekly Recap: 2/17-2/23

Monday, 2/17: 6 miles on treadmill w/4 miles @ 8:00 min pace
Tuesday: 2/18: 5 miles easy, abs
Wednesday, 2/19: off, abs
Thursday, 2/20: off, abs
Friday, 2/21: long run on treadmill, 12 miles! abs
Saturday, 2/22: run in the cold but sunny outdoors with Rose, 7 miles, abs.
Sunday, 2/23: masters swim team, 3350 yards

Total mileage: 30 miles

Weekly Recap: 2/10-2/16

Monday 2/10: 6 mile run (felt awful but finished...), abs
Tuesday 2/11: off, abs.
Wednesday 2/12: 7.5 miles outside!  abs.
Thursday 2/13: 6 miles w/4x400 (treadmill), abs.
Friday 2/14: 4 miles easy, outside!, abs.
Saturday 2/15: 6 miles w/ 3x400, 3x800, 3x200 (between 8:00-7:00 pace)
Sunday 2/16: 4 miles easy

Total mileage: 33.5miles

Skipped long run and swim team this week due to a visit from my family.  That said, I ran almost every day even if it was just a nice refresher run.

Weekly Training Recap: 2/3-2/9

Monday 2/3- 6.25 miles w/6x800 @ 8:00-7:30 pace, abs.
Tuesday 2/4- 1.5 miles easy (I planned to go longer but Misha wasn't into childcare that evening!), abs.
Wednesday 2/5- off, abs
Thursday 2/6- off, abs
Friday 2/7- 6.5 miles easy with Rachel The Dog, Rose and Lida, abs.
Saturday 2/8- 10 miles on treadmill
Sunday 2/9- 3150 yards, swim team

total mileage (running): appx. 24

Reflections:
This week had some good moments- Monday's treadmill workout, getting outside on Friday, and then of course, swim practice on Sunday morning.  I made some excellent meals this week too if I do say so myself (and I do!) including a kale salad with beets, sweet potatoes, and apples, a parsnip "rice" with flavored with coconut and ginger, a chicken bean bowl, and a beef chili loaded with vegetables for Saturday night with friends.  I also have been drinking at least a mug of mate everyday- a nice substitute for coffee and full of antioxidants.

The week's low point was the lack of running Tuesday through Thursday.  I intended to get out there but my plan was foiled due to Misha's devices, the freezing temperatures, and my lack of willpower to get to the gym once Mike got home from work.  It's tough sometimes!  Hopefully, this week I will be able to increase my mileage a bit- I need to start thinking ahead to the longer trail runs ahead of me!