April 16, 2014

It's a GIRL!


I've haven't blogged about the sweet little baby I'm growing lately; so this post will be dedicated mostly to that. If you noticed the title, we found out yesterday that we are having a baby GIRL! We're so excited and happy. More on that appointment later. I've really loved reading blogs written by preggos, especially runners. The ones I've most enjoyed and found useful are those that give it to me straight, little tips about what in the world is going on with this body and knowing if XYZ is normal. Here's what I did last week, and most weeks look like this now.

M: 8 miles, prenatal yoga, weights
T: 6 miles
W: Off
T: 8 miles, prenatal yoga, weights
F: 9 miles, prenatal yoga
S: 7 miles, including an 8K race at 7:22 pace
S: 14 miles, prenatal yoga

Prenatal yoga sessions are only 10 minutes each. :)

Here are some of MY thoughts surrounding the subject of my running while pregnant.

*I've slowed down, and that's okay. I don't time my runs and definitely don't wear a Garmin. I did an 8K race last weekend and had no clue my pace throughout the whole thing except when I passed the clocks at the mile markers. My doctor and coach both advised me to keep the effort under wraps by using the "talk test." You should be able speak in complete sentences while exercising. Of course, you can also use a HR monitor, but I don't have one, nor do I care to wear one, so... talk test it is.

*Prepare to have to pee. Like a lot. My ultrasound yesterday literally showed the baby kicking my bladder, which explains why I can only run 3 miles without having to pee. Um, and it's REAL, too. About 7 weeks ago (at 12 weeks pregnant), I convinced myself that I didn't *really* have to pee; that it was all in my head (you know, like pre-race jitters). Yeah, let's just say that I totally peed my pants a quarter mile from my house, and NO, I could not hold it. In fact, I even tried to walk it out to keep from peeing my pants, and even that failed. So, the peeing thing is REAL. Just embrace it, and plan your routes accordingly.

*When you start to get the belly, stuff changes. The past two weeks, I finally began getting the belly. I can actually feel the belly and gravity working against me. Imagine putting a small brick in your belt. This is what it feels like, oh and it's pressing on your insides. I feel soreness in my hips, pelvis, and back now. Leading to my next point...

*Prenatal yoga. Okay, truth is, I hate everything about yoga. I'm so sorry if that offends everyone, but I just don't like it. I don't have the patience for it; I don't like the way the instructors talk; nor do I like what they say. However, (and this is a huge however) yoga is going to save my running during this pregnancy. I do my little 10 minute video after I run each day, and viola- soreness and pain subsides. It's amazing. However, thanks to the privacy of my own home, I can mute that silly instructor and just watch her moves. And I was doing regular yoga DVDs, but there are a few moves that aren't doctor approved for pregnancy. So, if you don't have a prenatal yoga video, you can do regular, but check on the moves with your doctor first. My doctor told me the names of the moves, but being that I hate yoga and mute the instructor, I had no idea which ones she was talking about; so it was best for me to just go with the prenatal yoga. There are some good ones on you-tube.

*Weights- my doctor has really encouraged me to lift weights. (Remember, nothing new, and always get clearance from the doctor first.) She said that overall strength will help during labor, keep me running longer, and get me back to running faster after delivery. I do upper and lower body, general strength stuff, like lunges, squats, leg press, biceps, triceps, etc. I do weights at least twice a week, but aim for three times. (It's hard to get that in with coaching.)

*Weight- I still hate sweets, but luckily that 7 weeks of nighttime sickness is in the past. I gained 4 pounds this past month, and my doctor is 100% pleased with that. At my last visit, she threatened me a little bit. If I didn't gain at least 4 pounds, she would make me scale back the running. I gained exactly 4 pounds; so that was good news. Anywhere from 20-40 pounds total gain is considered healthy, but the average and ideal gain is 25 pounds. If I gain a pound a week from here on out, that will be exactly 25 pounds. My doctor told me not to worry about my weight at ALL. She encouraged me to continue to exercise and eat healthy, but never to let myself get too hungry, especially during workouts. Before my weekly long run of 14 miles, I'm still eating those fruit puree things. It started with the Power Bar Blends that Coach gave me, but after those ran out, I started buying those little pouches of pureed fruit. (They are sold near the applesauce in my grocery store.) They are perfect for keeping hunger at bay, and they are super easy to digest w/ very low sugar. The calories range from 60-90 depending on the brand/flavor, and they are all natural. Without them, i get SO hungry on long runs that I feel myself starting to get sick. Blood sugar dropping, maybe? Anyway, these are also cheaper than the Power Bar brand, and I highly recommend them.

*Clothes- I hate all clothes. Yep, HATE. First off, that "belly band" thing is completely stupid. Who in the world can wear that annoying piece of fabric, and why did I pay $12 for it? It's designed to go over the band of your pants, allowing you to leave your pants unbuttoned. It's supposed to be a good transition for when you are too small for maternity, but too big for your regular pants. Yeah, I wore that thing half a day and it was riding up, slipping down, twisting all which ways, basically annoying the crap out of me. And that rubber band trick? No, that was annoying, too. So, I just started wearing saggy, too big, ridiculous looking bag-man maternity pants to work every day. Hopefully in a few weeks I can fit in them properly.

*Boobies- If you are newly preggo, go ahead and splurge on some good new bras. So, my formerly A cups are now C cups. Needless to say, news bras were a necessity. Support, support, support. Yeah, you will learn one step into a run if your current bra isn't enough. In my opinion, that is one area you don't want to be cheap on. I found luck in the Brooks Glycerin bras, just one size bigger than what I was wearing. In everyday bras, I like the padded teeshirt bra from Victoria Secret. Yes, pricey, but quality and comfort are worth it! I've been buying $2-3 maternity clothes off ebay; that justifies a $40 bra. LOL.

Speaking of ebay... it is a GREAT place to find maternity wear. If you stick to the brands you know, you won't miss it on sizing, etc. For me, LOFT, GAP, and Liz Lange (Target) are somewhat "true to size." However, be careful with general sizing in pants (like small, medium, large). I've gotten burned on some pants this way. I know that I can wear a 4 in maternity pants, but size "small" is often too big. Go figure. Also, if you have a long torso, like me, be careful with tops. When ordering off ebay, pay attention to the length. I've had better luck with tunic-style tops because of my height. AND... check out clearance racks of "regular" clothes. I can wear a medium in some brands, if the style is loose-fitting/long enough.

Enough about those rants. Our doctor's visit yesterday was the coolest thing I've ever experienced. We got to watch our little girl kick, squirm, move all around! She even did a total flip while we were watching. My favorite picture of her is the one where she's giving a thumbs up. Ha, it's adorable, and we're already totally smitten! Tech and doctor said she's 100% healthy and very active. Love it! We left there and went straight to register. Wow, they make a LOT of baby stuff. We bought our crib, changing table, and dresser. Mom is giving us a rocker, and we registered for all the other decorating items. Our nursery is a pink zoo theme called "Jungle Jill." It's perfectly adorable, if I do say so myself. We registered for all the basics, including car seat and RUNNING STROLLER. Haha.

So, that's it from the running/preggo world! Run Happy, friends!

9 comments:

  1. I can attest that strength training helps a lot during pregnancy, labor, and in recovery. You are right not to worry about your weight. You will gain what you need. I exercised and ate pretty healthy throughout and in the end I had nearly a 40 pound weight gain and it was perfectly healthy. I also did not look like I gained that much but I think for me, because I went into it very lean I gained a little more. I lost it all and then some without worrying or checking either. Being very open and honest with your Doctor is great. I am impressed with how much you have been running too! This too helps a ton. The days I did not feel up to exercising I told myself how much it would help me (and the baby) later and I know it did.

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  2. Aw this just makes me so happy for you!! I've never been pregnant, so I have no advice, but I do love how happy you sound! :) And your no-nonsense, what were people thinking, honesty about stuff like the belly band. You are adorable! Congrats!

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  3. So you now have a belly, but no pictures, we want to smile at your belly....

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  4. Ha!! No rubber band trick? Well,, It was going to be hard for me to tell you at 6 weeks that when you are shaped like humpty dumpty, there exists no pair of pants which are flattering or will stay up. SORRY!!! But I bet you are still cute in the baggy pants :))

    Good to hear you found some deals for clothing!

    Yoga- never did it while preggers, but damn- you are still running some great mileage! So if it's working- fantastic!!

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  5. "I hate everything about yoga. I'm so sorry if that offends everyone, but I just don't like it. I don't have the patience for it; I don't like the way the instructors talk; nor do I like what they say." - LOL!!!

    Me too.

    I took my mom to a yoga class with me once. We all had to introduce ourselves. There was a man from India… His name was actually "Gumby"… mu mom turns to me and says "Oh crap, I think I am in trouble here". During the session she could not touch her foot. The instructor gave her a belt and in a soothing tone said "Don't worry, getting the belt isn't a bad thing." To which, I responded, "Well Mom, that wasn't the case when we were little. Getting the belt was totally a bad thing!!"… and I promptly got the stink eye from the yoga lady who clearly didn't think my joke was funny. ;)

    Have fun!... and maybe in twenty years your daughter will drag you off to yoga too :)

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  6. I was wondering if that FB pic was a recent or past event! You look so cute and full of life...I guess cuz you are in more ways than one:)

    Although I'm not a running mom, its cool to see your "transformation"! I am in awe at how your low mileage is my high mileage-with a baby!

    Miss you bunches!

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  7. Congratulations! Love the picture and the name too. Can't wait to meet your precious one.

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  8. Oh, and where did you register?

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  9. Congratulations! You sound so happy.

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