30 weeks

Posted by willrunforbiscuits

Wow, so I have been going to CrossFit for 30 weeks now, and my goal is to keep at it for another 10 weeks in this pregnancy. I was able to work out until 34 weeks with Super Toddler, before going on modified bed rest for my blood pressure. With Super Girl, I ran 3 miles the day before I was told my blood pressure was too high and I needed to be induced (39 weeks). So if I can make it to 34 weeks again- great. If not, I am pretty proud of the progress I have made and am glad that I am doing something to offset my terrible eating habits this pregnancy.

I know that most CrossFit enthusiasts are into the Paleo lifestyle, and I am all for it, in theory. For some reason, this baby just wants CARBS. All. The. Time. At the beginning it was because my morning sickness was so bad, the smell of anything other than bread made me sick to my stomach. Then it became a convenience thing. It is just so easy to eat carbs. But the thing is, it’s really easy to just munch on an apple or banana. So I am not trying to make excuses. I am just a chubby kid at heart and I know I need to be more conscious of how I am fueling my body and the baby. Christmas, New Years, and last week’s (AMAZING) trip to Disney World did nothing for my attempts to eat healthier. But this week I have been craving healthier choices, in addition to continuing to crave Lindor truffles, Cheez-Its, and biscuits. I have cut out my Bojangles runs and pizza, and added in fruit for dessert every night. Baby steps right?

Anyway, enough about food. I’m getting hungry again. At the 30 week CrossFit mark, I have seen decent strength gains. I finally hit a body weight back squat (70 kg- yikes yes, that’s what I weighed two weeks ago). I know that there are a lot of people who can do 2x or more of their body weight but I don’t consume enough protein or lift enough that that is gonna happen any time soon. Also, I’m pregnant. I have no idea what my deadlift one rep max is but tonight we did 7 x 2 and I did 80 kg on my last few sets. So I don’t know if that is any good. My front squat leaves much to be desired but given that I have a large round mass pulling me forward, in addition to the weight sitting on the front of my shoulders, I am not setting my goals too high or trying to push myself too hard. I still HATE snatches. I am fairly certain this is a combination of my not being able to keep the bar close enough to my body and my fear of going to heavy overhead on account of my prior shoulder surgeries. So really, not too concerned there. It’s not like I am trying to compete in any competitions so if I can’t snatch, no biggie.

Pull-ups have been nonexistent. I currently use one green band for high rep sets and one purple band for lower reps. We did clap push-ups during last night’s WOD. Wow, those sucked. I couldn’t figure out why they were so hard, until I realized that every time I try to explode off the ground high enough to clap, I have this giant baby bump pulling me back down toward earth. That’s the reason that I could only do two at a time before breaking right?

Running is really not that bad yet. I am doing it in much shorter spurts than with my other two pregnancies though. My longest run the last month has been 3 miles and I can stay at around an 8:15 pace. I just run around the neighborhood because I am at that point where I need to have access to “facilities” in a moment’s notice. Sorry, TMI. On Saturday, I did the “beep test” during Endurance class. Basically, it’s a 20m shuttle run. The first round you get a lot of time to do the 20m. You can basically speed walk. There are several runs in that first round. Second round is faster, third even faster, etc. etc. We did the test about 10 days earlier but before that, the last time I did the test was when I was pregnant with Super Toddler. I managed to get in 9 rounds and 3 runs on round 10. Only one female in the class beat me. People were looking at me like I was crazy.

Actually, people look at me like I am crazy at almost every class. It felt good to do so well during the bleep test but it was also a little frustrating because I of course had to hold back. When non-pregnant, I go until I want to barf. That is probably not the healthiest approach to exercise. But I am obviously not going to push myself to that point while pregnant. So I really have to listen to my body and stop before I get even remotely close to that point. I may still be red in the face but I pay attention to my breathing and the rest of my body, and pull in the reigns when anything starts feeling off.

I am really so happy with the community I have found at Athletix Lab. The coaches are all really motivating, and the people I work out with are like-minded and supportive of one another. The coaches make sure I am not overdoing it and offer modifications for things I can’t do, like handstands. They also know that pregnant women produce relaxin, which causes the ligaments to loosen and makes you super flexible. But because you feel more flexible, you can overstretch and get injured, or squat too deep and hurt something else. So knowing that I am in good hands every time I step into the gym is a good feeling. Also, with the other two pregnancies, I just kind of felt like the running I was doing was to be able to say that I kept running. It was really uncomfortable at times and I took A LOT of bathroom breaks. With CrossFit, I feel that I am accomplishing something every time I take a class and I leave with a smile on my face. And some major pit stains. I may be singing a different tune when I am as big as Shamu but for now, I am going to savor these last 10 weeks (or longer if possible).

Halfway!

Posted by willrunforbiscuits

Wow, so I felt like I was just writing about finding out that I was pregnant with Superbaby. Now, we are halfway to my due date. And yesterday, we found out Superbaby is a girl! I was secretly hoping it was a girl because I can’t wait to take newborn pictures with her in a cute pink crocheted hat with a giant pink flower on it. I totally missed that opportunity with Supergirl, so I need to make up for lost Kodak moments.

Anyway, I figured I should update on my progress with Crossfit. I am finding that I am getting stronger and much more comfortable with the exercises every day. I have been Crossfitting four times a week on average. I throw in an endurance workout on one of those days, where we do about 2 miles of running and hill sprints or other anaerobic exercise too. That said, I can see a moment coming in the very near future where I will have to modify a lot more than just pull-ups. I remember a moment when I was pregnant with the other two where I stepped up to a box for a box jump, looked at it, and just said to myself “this is not happening.” It wasn’t like I had to try and fail. I simply knew there was no way I would clear the box. That day is imminent.

I also know that a day is nearing where I will not fit in any of my pants, INCLUDING my maternity pants. The problem is, I am pretty sure I see cellulite and stretch marks on the backs of my legs, so it’s actually more likely that my diet, which I call “Survivor finalist who has returned home and is living out Groundhog Day, feasting on junk food 24/7 every single day,” is making me fat. I know I whine about this to Superdad all the time, but then I do nothing about it. Buying funfetti flavored protein powder and mixing it into pancakes isn’t helping. It’s just making my muscles AND fat bigger. So, I have that working against me. I may be getting stronger, but I am growing exponentially and I probably need to stop the insanity. Does anyone want to send me some healthy and delicious meals that ~~my man chef~~ Superdad can make for me?

Another random musing that is sort of funny: the other week some older lady at Crossfit, who I had only seen a few times before, asked me “so, what kind of restrictions did your doctor put on you during your pregnancy?” I thought it was a very passive aggressive way of saying “back when I was of child bearing age, you basically were on bed rest for 9 months, and I think you’re being irresponsible.” What did she expect me to say? “Oh gee, yeah my doctor said I should just do some light walking and curl 3 pound dumbbells, but I decided to completely ignore him.”

Okay, to wrap up, I thought I would post some of my favorite and least favorite workouts. You will see a pattern here. My favorite workouts inevitably involve kettlebell swings or burpees. I know right? Most people hate burpees. Maybe I like them because I am short so I can get down to the ground faster. Also, my favorite workouts are the ones where I can actually do the prescribed workout.

7 Rounds for time…
10 Super Deload Burpees
15 Plate Thrusters (15kg/10kg)
20 KB Swings (24/16kg)

40 Hurdle Facing Burpees — as in, do a burpee, then jump over a hurdle. These actually really sucked.
40 MB V-Ups (5/4kg)
40 Goblet Squats (24/16kg)
40 MB Catch & Release (5/4kg) — 12 minute timecap

* Total time was 6:50.

3 Rounds For time…
40m Farmer’s Walk (R) (24/16kg)
10 KB Swing (24/16kg)
10 Goblet Squat (24/16kg)
40m Farmer’s Walk (L) (24/16kg)

15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of
Deload Pushups
V-Ups
KB Swings — 15 minute timecap

*This was today’s workout. I finished it in 12:26. Deload (hand release) pushups are not so awesome when your big belly starts hitting the ground, so I will probably have to modify to knee pushups in a few weeks.

Least favorite:

Every Minute on the Minute for 12′
5 Pullups
7 V-Ups
9 Burpees

*Pretty much the worst thing ever. So every minute, you have to do all those exercises. I of course had to use a band for my pullups. So I had to get in and out of that band, jump off the box, then do the v-ups and burpees, then get back on the box and in the band before the next minute came up. I got about 5 seconds of rest each round, but made it through all 12 minutes.

15 minute AMRAP of

40 jump rope contacts (DU or single)

30 plate thrusters (15 kg)

20 medball v-ups (4kg)

10 burpee pullups

*Ok no, this was the worst thing. Mainly because a) I can’t jump rope to save my life and b) I cannot do a pullup. Even though they were jump pullups, where you do one burpee, then jump up to do a pullup, then do that again 9 times. And do as many rounds of all that crap as possible. It was frustrating because I wasn’t really aerobically taxed, as I kept having to stop during my jump roping. I really really need someone to teach me how to jump rope. I am SO BAD. Also, my burpee pullups consisted of a perfectly executed burpee, then me jumping up to the bar and miserably trying to raise my body 2 inches toward the bar. I wanted to cry when I read the workout online the night before, and I wanted to laugh and cry during the workout. But I guess it would have been worse if I had just skipped it because I was afraid of failing?

Well, that’s it for now. It’s taking a bit more out of me to recover from workouts, although I am not getting quite as sore anymore. I have become frenemies with my foam roller again. We hadn’t seen each other after I stopped marathon training, but the foam roller has become just as important to me as stretching and staying hydrated. It’s also super awesome looking now that Supergirl has decided to cover it in princess stickers!

CrossFit!

Posted by willrunforbiscuits

I just realized I never told you guys I started CrossFit this summer, lol. In a few months, I have done a lot of different exercises. I know most of you are runners so you probably have so many questions. Ok maybe not! But I am just going to run through my initial and current thoughts about the exercises I have done.

Pistol squat: First time through, I realized that my right leg is significantly stronger than my left, and I am also much more flexible on that side. Like, I can actually perform a proper pistol squat on the right side, but the left leg I can just barely get to 90 degrees. And my left butt cheek was really sore for three days afterward. Second time through: same problem. Guess I need to head to yoga.

Pullups: A staple in almost every workout. I could only do two unassisted pullups before starting CrossFit and I am pretty sure I cannot do more now. I haven’t tried. As I get larger and larger in the coming months, I am fairly certain my increasing strength will be quickly outpaced by my changing center of gravity and the difficulty one encounters when doing a weighted pullup. Guess this just means I will be able to do 20 unbroken kipping pullups once I drop this baby. Said me, never.

Pushups: So, I have been doing pushups wrong for the past 25 years (that’s right, I did pushups as a toddler). I had my arms all wide and flared out, but I learned pretty quickly that the Crossfit way is more of a tricep pushup. Okay, so that’s a lot more difficult. I could do about 3 of those pushups when I first started and I can do 13 now, so that’s progress. I typically will just do a knee/scaled pushup if it’s a workout with over 50 pushups total. I’d rather have full range of motion than do a wimpy 2 inch pushup.

Tire Flips: Let’s just say, my back doesn’t like these. I did them for the first time a month ago and it probably didn’t help that we were outside and I had running gloves on because it was an outdoor endurance workout and it was chilly. Tonight, we did 4 sets of 6. I did two sets then decided that I would have to substitute something else or just use a partner, because I am either going to throw my back out again or the baby is going to fall out. We don’t see tire flips that often- so I’m not really concerned.

Kettle Bell Swings: I pretty much kick ass at these. The first time we did them in a workout, the Rx called for 35 lbs which is pretty standard. I love KBS and have for years. It’s pretty much the only exercise that I don’t have questions about my form.

Cleans and snatches: I pretty much suck at these which is to be expected because the clean is a technical lift. My max has improved but I think that is largely due to improving my form (marginally) and using my legs instead of my arms.

Back and front squats: I obviously prefer these to Olympic lifting because my legs are like tree trunks. The previous back issue has had me hesitant to lift too much, and fear of the baby falling out at some point also keeps me from going beast mode on my lifts. I have just been working on form and again, have had a good improvement in my max. I will probably not lift too much more in the coming months simply because I want to protect my back (and my front).

Push press, jerk, strict press- nothing too exciting here. Have done them in the past to some degree so it’s just been a matter of moving up from 15 lb to 20 lb to 25 lb dumbbells or increasing load on the bar if the workout doesn’t call for dumbbells. But also I am protective of my right shoulder with these overhead movements.

Box jumps: I have always been awful at these because I have about a 16 inch inseam. I will probably switch to step-ups in a month or so, for safety reasons.

Turkish Getup- These aren’t so bad. I have only done them a few times. Granted, maybe I didn’t loathe them as much as most people because I only used a 20 pound dumbbell instead of an 35# kettlebell. Again, I’m working on my form here. Also, getting up from the ground is not going to get any easier as the months progress.

HSPU (hand stand pushups): Haven’t done them. Never will, unless I get a shoulder replacement.

Farmer’s walk: Who invented these things? Can someone explain the purpose? Walking 40 meters with a pair of 24 kg kettlebells just seems like an exercise in who has the strongest hands? Oh, I guess that explains the purpose- to increase grip strength? And to help me understand how Jessica Simpson felt walking around when she was 40 weeks pregnant with her first child?

Rowing: I enjoy rowing because of the endurance aspect. I am not very tall so I feel like this is a disadvantage, but I can still generate some decent power and don’t get winded too easily.

Sled push: I am not terrible at these. Again, tree trunk legs. Also, low center of gravity.

Burpees: Love burpees, always have.

Double unders: Not happening. Y’all, I can barely skip rope. I think my record is 52 skips in a row without getting tangled in the rope. It is SO sad. I need serious help. Like a Sylvan Learning Center for jump roping.

Wall balls: First time, I thought “this is the worst thing that has ever happened to me.” The target was at least four feet higher than where I was hitting the wall. The second time I thought “this is the second worst thing to ever happen to me.” The target was at least three feet higher than where I was hitting the wall. The third time I thought “this sucks, but it doesn’t make the top 10 worst things to ever happen to me list.” I got within a foot of the target, I think.

Other things I have never done: muscle ups and rope climb. I can assure you that there is NO CHANCE I will complete a muscle up in the next two years. My goal is to do 10 pullups before 2015. I am pretty sure you have to be able to do more than 5 strict pullups to do a muscle up, so I will push that goal to something I want to accomplish before 2017. Rope climb- not doing this one until after the baby comes out.

There are other exercises I am leaving out but whatever, my hands are too tired from doing those damned farmer’s walks tonight. Other random thoughts: much to my sister-in-law’s satisfaction when she accompanied me to a workout last week, most of the women do NOT wear sports bras and booty shorts. Only the women that I see doing the comp team workouts at 6am wear this attire, as well as knee socks. If I had those abs, butts, and back definition, I would wear the same thing. Speaking of the comp tam that has their own special club and workouts, this one chick can throw a 53 lb kettlebell over her head, one-armed like it is a bottle of yoohoo. I think she overhead squats my current body weight for reps. Which by the way, has increased significantly over the past four weeks. Please someone tell me it is because I am getting shredded and have way more muscle mass than I did in October. I find this highly unlikely given that I have not changed my diet other than substituting salsa eggs and oatmeal for my morning Bojangles.

Okay, enough rambling. Who else has been doing CrossFit for less than a year?

So confused

Posted by willrunforbiscuits

Since my last post, I officially became a CrossFit convert/junkie. In order to justify the expense, I ditched my YMCA membership (we had a good run there for 7 years, but time to move on), and put my Massage Envy membership on hold. I could lease a small Kia for what CrossFit costs each month, so no room for other luxuries in the budget.

What I am loving about CrossFit is that each day I can’t wait for the next workout. I can’t say I have ever felt this way about running. I know, blasphemy given the title of this blog. But mixing things up is good for both your muscles and your mind. Hey, if something can get me out of bed 3-4 mornings a week, that’s saying a lot. I think I maybe ran one morning a week when I was super motivated. This could die out quickly but for now, I am going with it.

I just finished up three straight days of workouts (yesterday was endurance so think hill work/lots of running outside) so I am going to take a rest day tomorrow. I already feel like I am in better shape, although the more logical explanation could be that I have quickly learned my limitations (pregnancy-related or otherwise) and I am not pushing myself too hard. Seriously people, before you go all loco on me like everyone did about this lady please keep in mind I am scaling a lot – using bands on pull-ups, lifting less than the prescribed weight on anything overhead, nothing inverted, and NO ROPE CLIMBS. Mainly because I can’t, but also because I know there are certain things that just automatically put me at higher risk for falling and thus, injury. I also keep my heart rate in check and pace myself, which I cannot say I was ever good at in the past. Always wanted to go go go and push push push.

So what have I become? Am I officially a gym rat? How do I find balance and get back to running? Am I bailing on running because I know I can’t get faster in the next five months, and will have a major uphill battle getting back to my very former running speed after I have Super Baby? Or is this my true calling in life? Was running just something I did for the past 20 years on and off because of my background in a solo endurance sport? Maybe I will just get really swoll and be one of those badass masters at the CrossFit games in 10 years. Yeah, probably not…

This will be me in 4 months… psych. No one wants to see my big fat pregnant stomach. Also, I can’t lift that much, ever.

Blecht

Posted by willrunforbiscuits

***originally written on 9/23***

Remember in the last post how I talked about how great I was feeling? Well, that was 10 days ago. Since I last mused on pregnancy, I became so horribly infested with morning sickness that all my energy is reserved for figuring out how to avoid rushing to the bathroom every 6 minutes at work, then willing myself not to yack on my keyboard. I even waited five days to upgrade to iOS 7 because the thought of adjusting to new icons made me nauseous.

I cannot even begin to adequately describe how all consuming the morning sickness is this time around. It was pretty rough with Super Girl but partially, I think I was just like “oh women get morning sickness when they are pregnant, and I am all about pregnancy, so I guess I have it too.” I can’t remember. It lasted til right around my second trimester. But I didn’t have any other kids to raise so laying on the couch eating pretzels every day was no big thing.

With super toddler, I think I had some queasiness but not quite on the level with Super Girl. That’s how I knew it was a boy. I kept running a lot and that’s what reminds me I couldn’t have been that nauseous, because working up a good sweat/lactic acid doesn’t go very well with morning sickness.

The reason I know this is because for the past week, I have either hovered near death (the toilet bowl) or have attempted, in vain, to work out hard. In the fleeting moments where I feel halfway ok, I pretend like nothing is ~~wrong with me~~ making me sick and I have gone to a very intense group exercise class at my favorite very expensive gym downtown. All three times have resulted in disaster. I know I have said before that it’s not a good workout unless cookies are tossed, but that did not apply this week. I was too queasy to really even get to a good workout in. I was focusing too hard on ~~unsuccessfully~~ warding off trips to the bathroom.

On Sunday, I accompanied my sister in law to her first ever class at this studio. I could tell, morning sickness notwithstanding, that it was probably the hardest class I have ever taken at this studio. She looked at me like “what the heck is wrong with you? Normal people don’t do this to themselves.” She works out HARD almost every day of the week, and she is most certainly not with child, so I knew it was a good one. Unfortunately, this meant I was done within 5 minutes. I kept looking at my watch thinking there must be some mistake, that surely more than 9- 12- 14 minutes had elapsed. I finally called it quits at 30 minutes. It was pointless, I was having to stop so often to visit the little girls’ room. Sorry, TMI.

I know you all are thinking that I was crazy for even trying to work out when 95% of my waking hours over the last week have been spent barfing, thinking about barfing, or trying not to think about barfing. I figured that if I already felt sick, it wouldn’t make much difference if I did an activity which would keep me in shape but also make me want to wretch. Oh how wrong I was. I have learned my lesson, and will be limiting my workouts during this very dark period to speed walks around the neighborhood.

I just hope it ends soon, because my mental health depends on a) my ability to contribute around the house and b) how good of a sweat I can get going in the gym or on the road. Super Dad has majorly stepped up, as per usual, and taken care of the kids during the many many times I have been laying on the couch/bed/floor of the bathroom. We both know that Super Baby is the last one, but this experience is 19929% sealing the deal. Super Dad has effectively been rendered a single parent, and a mighty good one at that. Man, I am going to owe him so big- once I am done cashing in my bearing the cross of morning sickness for several months, having back pain, giving birth, getting up to feed the baby in the middle of the night (hopefully not for more than 3 months), and making up for a year of sleep deprivation.

Maybe next time I can write about running, or anything other than barfing. Here’s to hope.

Race Recap

Posted by willrunforbiscuits

Remember a couple weeks ago when I asked someone to help me identify a half to do in the coming months? Well, I haven’t found one yet, but I succumbed to peer pressure and on a lark, registered for a 10k that was part of a local race which also included a marathon and half marathon.

The City of Oaks Marathon and 1/2 Marathon took place here in Raleigh on November 3. I obviously cannot comment from firsthand experience about these but can say that according to the race organizers, the course was changed this year to make it faster. From looking at the elevation map, generally knowing Raleigh’s topography, running part of the course, and speaking to friends who did both the full and half, I can unequivocally say that the past years’ course must have been hell on earth.

The 10k course was also not so easy, but running isn’t supposed to be easy, right? Mile one, as I could gather from the elevation map, was almost all downhill, with a short steep uphill at about .75. Sweeeeet. Now as a brief aside, let me advise that none of you actually try to “race” anything other than a trip to the hospital with a) only 13-15 miles of mileage under your belt for several weeks or b) no warmup on a 37 degree morning- in shorts.

Anyway, mile 2 was fairly flat with one or two climbs. Still feeling pretty good, I clocked in at 14:25 for the first two miles. Just before mile three was a pretty long, nasty hill. At this point, my lack of training and warmup led to cramping in both hamstrings within about 5 minutes of one another. Can I also blame pregnancy on this? Surely the blood flow to areas other than my reproductive organs has to be limited right?

The last half of the race was an exercise in futility. I felt pretty well aerobicaly, which is nothing short of a miracle given my complete lack of conditioning. However, my muscles were shot from the cramping. Mile 4.9-6.4 (per my Garmin) was pretty much a death march straight uphill. I dragged my almost lifeless body across the finish line in 49:06. While this is a pregnancy PR, the last time I ran a 10k pregnant, I was 28 weeks along and MASSIVE.

With respect to the race, other than the crappy hills which should come as no surprise, in light of the fact that Raleigh is freaking hilly, I thought it was extremely well run. There were 750 volunteers throughout the course. The crowd support was wonderful. There were a lot of porta potties. There were jugs of hand sanitizer right outside the potties. Running through downtown Raleigh was a blast. The post race “party” was located about 1/2 mile from the 10k finish and about a block from the marathon and half marathon finish.

Oh right, so I forgot about what I would perceive as hell on Earth if I were running one of the longer races. The 10k started 30 minutes after the full and half. At close to our 2 mile marker, the 10k converged with the rest of the field. I filtered into the 2:15 half marathon pace group. I can imagine that group was frantic about getting passed by hoards of people, then annoyed because we were “only” running 6.2 miles.

Our finish was on the left side, after the 1.6 mile climb previously mentioned. The longer distances continued on the right. So not only did the longer races have to watch us finish, they continued to slog up that hill, which appeared to last another 1/4 mile. It was at around mile 8 of their race. It would have been so demoralizing to watch all these people finish as I was slowly jogging towards my death. Trust me, I have experienced it before in marathons, watching the half-ers cheerily split off to the post-race festivities.

At City of Oaks, the post-race festivities included free pizza, donuts, soup, bread, fruit, and BEER. Which I of course had none of, because pregnant woman can’t drink ~~in public~~. There was a bounce house for the kids, and the post-race area was not so close to the finish line as to congest the spectating or finishers. I also liked how easy it was to get to and from parking, which was available in many different directions from the race start and finishes.

Overall, I give this race and it’s organizers a B+. It’s not for the faint of heart, but I think it would be a great, scenic, energetic race if you don’t mind a few hills. A friend of mine unexpectedly PR’d, but she is a freak of nature and is from this area (and most likely doesn’t repeatedly run in a 1600m loop in order to avoid hills, the way I do).

I did a long recovery walk with my Super Family, including our 3 mutts, later in the afternoon. Monday I was sorer than Pamela Anderson after the NYC Marathon, but on Tuesday I was re energized to tackle some hill work. If I’m gonna live in this city, I may as well give in to its topography and stop being a wuss about the elevation changes. It’s not like it Asheville or Boulder!

Random first trimester musings

Posted by willrunforbiscuits

Hopefully I have just finished running my first 10k since June. And hopefully I didn’t run slower than I have been on my training runs. Either way, I am just glad to be racing again! Here is another look into my earlier pregnancy days…

*originally written on 9/13*

We have our first ultrasound in 12 days, and let me tell you three things I am thinking right now:

1) Why didn’t anybody tell me how humongous you get so quickly the third time around?

2) I REALLY hope there are not two or three babies in there, because I think I look like I am 16 weeks pregnant with triplets!

3) I already feel like I have been knocked up for four months. Why couldn’t I have been one of those women on “I Didn’t Know I was Pregnant” that has a perfectly healthy baby on the toilet at 38 weeks?

In other news, I am still feeling well (knock on wood). I was pretty nauseous at this point with both Super Girl and Super Toddler. Maybe my brain knows I don’t have time to be sick, so it’s telling my stomach to suck it up? That said, I am SUPER exhausted. I would much rather take a nap than go run at the end of the day, so I have been trying to work out in the morning since I am sleeping like crap anyway. I don’t remember being this tired before, maybe it’s because I have never had to be pregnant while raising two other kids? Although Super Dad does ~~basically everything~~ way more than most dads.

Will Run for Pickles

Posted by willrunforbiscuits

***Originally written on August 31***

When I first started this blog, I really wanted to have a post about running during pregnancy. I ran a good amount when I was pregnant with Super Girl, and even did 5 miles the day before she was born. With SuperToddler, I ran a half marathon (1:54) when I was about 15 weeks, then a 5k (24:50) at 24 weeks, and a 10k (53-ish) at 28 weeks. It was definitely harder the second time around, but I was smarter about my workouts. After reading every not so great book about running while pregnant (there were precisely two at the time), I was confident that the baby would not get overheated or, worse yet, fall out if I ran more than 1 mile.

This time around, I plan to keep running but I will incorporate more cycling and ~~swimming~~ ~~yoga,~~ strength training. That’s right, Super Baby part 3 is on the way! I just found out yesterday, right before Labor Day weekend. Awesome- guess who won’t be downing margaritas at the pool on Labor Day? I knew I shouldn’t have tested so early. But I also kind of had a feeling something was “off” so if I had indulged in a lot if adult beverages, raw sushi, and cold cuts over the weekend, I would not have been happy with myself.

Super Baby 3 was not planned because of the ongoing back problems I have been having. We decided to wait on expanding our family until I knew whether I would need injections or surgery. Well, the Big Guy upstairs had other plans. Thanks goodness that I have had almost no issues with my back or leg all week. I think it may be because I have not been on any 4 hour bike rides in that time.

I plan on documenting my activities throughout this pregnancy and my research on running/exercising while pregnant. I am not going to be doing any pregnant triathlons because a) I am deathly afraid of falling off the bike to begin with and b) who really wants to see a pregnant woman in a bathing suit?

That said, I would love to do a few road races, if my body permits, in the next several months. No, I won’t be running a marathon the morning I give birth, like that crazy lady that did the Chicago marathon a couple years ago. Do you have any clue how many potty breaks that lady would have needed to take? Maybe she just wore adult diapers? And just what is the point of running that far when you are 39 weeks pregnant? You are about to endure the torture of labor and sleepless nights- why do that to your bladder and legs? To each her own, I suppose.

I have a 5 mile race on tap for October 20 and half marathon I am tentatively planning for Late fall or early December when I will be well into my second trimester. Maybe a few more short races until the third trimester- then laying on the couch eating curly fries for a good 10 weeks. My goal is to run 2-3 times, ride my bike on my trainer 1-2 times, and do one strength session a week. If my back tells me to stop, then I will do more ~~yoga and swimming~~ sleeping.

For those of you hoping for posts about hardcore triathlon training- sorry. This has officially turned into a pregnant running blog, at least until next spring.

Parenting and Running aren’t easy

Posted by willrunforbiscuits

Disclaimer: This is more of a parenting/baby gear post than a running post. Also, it is not meant to publicly shame people. Read on if you like.

I remember when SuperGirl was a baby, and I was so excited to be one of those moms who runs miles and miles while pushing her baby in a jogging stroller. I wasn’t excited enough to fork over $400 for such a stroller though. I found a floor model BOB Sport Utility stroller at a nearby baby boutique for $200, so I jumped at the chance to have one of these luxury running machines. Once I started using this BOB, I envied the other moms with their BOB Revolution strollers with the swivel wheel. This must be why the Sport Utility was so cheap- the damn front wheel doesn’t swivel. It’s impossible to navigate a stroller with a fixed wheel! If I had a swivel wheel my life would be so much easier. Maybe it would be easier, but it wouldn’t be safer.

What I quickly learned is that the swivel wheel isn’t there to make running a breeze. It’s there to make negotiating the aisles of the grocery store or the mall more feasible. It’s there so that you can have your jogging stroller and everyday stroller all tied up in one nice little bow. I had a sedan with a not-so-large trunk, so keeping a BOB in there full time was not an option. Plus, it doesn’t really fold up that easily. I had a separate stroller for everyday use, so my jogging stroller was just used for jogging/running, and it was stored in our dining room because we had no garage. Now we have a garage, so it’s basically a stroller grave yard.

The thing is, I have seen lots of people running with the swivel wheel unlocked. I have also seen people jogging with strollers that aren’t mean for any type of jogging whatsoever. I won’t even get into that here. People, this is NOT SAFE. Do you want to know why? Because if you run “over even a small pebble with a swivel wheel at running speeds could send the stroller quickly veering in an unplanned direction.” See Runner’s World’s Guide to Jogging Strollers. Also, even if you have a swivel wheel that can be fixed, there is “always some jiggle in the wheel one way or the other.” If you look at the BOB Revolution owner’s manual, it specifically says not to run with the front wheel in swivel mode. I am not a huge stickler for rules like obeying the speed limit or not turning on a red light. But if the stroller manufacturer is telling me not to run with a swivel wheel, and most “serious” jogging strollers are only made with a fixed wheel, then I am not going to take that chance.

I have seen people comment on message boards that it would be “too hard” to push their kids with the front wheel fixed. Here’s the thing: pushing your kid(s) in a jogging stroller is not supposed to be easy. It’s hard work. It makes you a bad ass, because you can watch your kids and exercise at the same time. It doesn’t make you as badass as this guy, but you are still way more awesome than someone who thinks that having kids and exercise don’t go hand in hand. Parenting is hard work. There are some things that would make parenting easier, like putting your kid in her carseat without taking the 15 seconds to fasten the 5-point harness. Or leaving your kids at home asleep with no baby sitter for a few hours because they sleep like rocks anyway. Or not installing a baby gate because you would have to find your drill, or making sure your wine isn’t on the coffee table because little Timmy might drink the whole thing (we all know you pour more than 6 oz). But easy doesn’t mean safe.

Over the years I sold the BOB and acquired a double stroller that had a swivel option. I only ran with it in the locked position, but I found it was not as sturdy and I worried that at any moment it could become unlocked. Also, I didn’t like how small the wheels were. I ended up with the Baby Jogger Twinner which is one of the best things to ever happen to me, besides my family and Amazon. You can’t put an infant under 6 months in it but this isn’t a problem for me. I talked about Big Red in a previous post so I won’t bore you again, but a big wheel and lightweight frame are crucial if you want to make pushing a jogging stroller easier AND safer 🙂

Fall is for racing

Posted by willrunforbiscuits

I am itching to find a half marathon in late November or in December. Are there any out there besides Kiawah that I can do in NC? Heck maybe I will even go up to VA, if SuperDad signs off.

I really need to find a race longer than a 5k because I can knock one of those out in my sleep (how fast it will be, well that’s another story). Only Olympic athletes actually train for a 5k right? If I can nail down a half marathon in next the 4-8 weeks, that should give me enough time to set some goals, amp up my mileage in a safe manner, and force me to do some tempo runs and speed work. I have fallen into yet another of my ruts and with this amazing fall weather, I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn’t indulge in a longer fall race.

Disclaimer: This is not recommended for beginners! I have been running up to 7 miles at least once a week and 4 miles with the double stroller (that’s 8 non stroller miles, if you don’t know the math) several times a week. I have time to get my long runs up to 10 miles, which I would be comfortable with heading into a race I just plan on running for fun, not to race. Wait did I just say I am doing a “fun run” because I don’t think I ever have before?

Alright people, put on your thinking caps. I am considering the City of Oaks 10k on 11/3 – yes they do have a 10k for lightweights like me but then I want you all to find me a half. Remember, it has to be at least one month from now. Ready, set, go!

My mom and I at the Dowd Y half marathon in Charlotte in 2010. Gloves, hat, cold weather apparel. That’s what I’m talking about.