Overcoming the Weekend

Hello all!

In case no one told you, while absolutely wonderful, pregnancy can also be a B**ch!  It really isn't bad in most regards.  I mean, I can handle the fact that my running endurance isn't the same, and I'm coping with seeing the numbers on the scale climb higher (when I'm gaining weight that is), but what I'm really having trouble with are stomach issues.  I never know what is going to leave me feeling great or what will leave me feeling a bit, ummm, stopped up.  Then there's cramping and a general feeling of ickiness.

From what I've been able to surmise so far, there are a few constants.  When I eat lots of whole grains, fruits, and veggies, I'm OK (go figure), but the second I have anything a little over-processed I feel like crap (pun intended).  Of course, I'm also finding that when I eat healthy foods I don't gain weight like I should.  Plus, I sometimes enjoy not-so-healthy foods. 

Anyway, I'm digressing from the original point in this post, which was not to complain or pout.  I wanted to tell you about this weekend.

Well, earlier last week I signed up for the Shamrock Half Marathon in VA Beach, and Hans and I both signed up for the Monument Avenue 10k (I'm super-proud of Hans).  Obviously, I'm not shooting for a PR here, but I do want to make sure I can still do some of the longer distances, so I've decided to do weekend long runs again.  Anyway, on Friday I went out for an 8 mile "run" (there was a lot of walking too).  It was wonderful!  The weather was perfect I felt great, and the endorphin rush afterward was phenomenal.  I was in such a good mood, and had burned so many calories, that I decided to join Hans for lunch at Qdoba.  It was delicious, but after such a long run I was surprisingly still hungry.  I tried to just let things digest and deal, but I knew I had a group dinner planned so I figured I'd be fine.  BIG MISTAKE.

By the time dinner rolled around, I was hungry.  And, of course, dinner consisted of pizza, brownies, and soda.  And, of course, I had a little too much.  And, of course, this left me feeling not so great.  Fast forward to Saturday.

Saturday morning I felt OK.  A little sluggish, but not horrible.  I easily could have slept a lot more, but I was fine.  I did notice, however, that I was hungrier than usual.  By lunch time, I was ravenous, and I definitely ate more than I should have.  And that's when I started to feel miserable.  I was tired, my stomach hurt, and I just wanted to curl up under the covers.  I figured a good night's rest would make things better, but on Sunday I still felt awful.

We went out to lunch like we usually do on Sunday, but the only thing that seemed at all appetizing (and that I could have) was a burger.  After that I really felt awful.  I felt so awful that I didn't have much for dinner (nothing sounded good), and I felt so awful that when I woke this morning I felt like I'd been hit by a truck.  It was not good.  I knew I needed to do two things.  1) I needed to start a mild detox.  Cut all the crap, and get back to eating a little better.  2) I needed a good workout.  While running is usually my preferred method of exercise, I needed something a little easier on the joints today.  I felt like I'd been hit by a truck, so the thought of "pounding the pavement" just did not sound appealing.  Lucky for me, Hans had recently gotten me a new swimsuit...one that will expand with my expanding belly.  :)  So, off to the gym I went.

It's amazing how much better I felt both during and after my workout.  I was in a better mood, my stomach wasn't as upset, my bones and joints and muscles didn't ache as much.  That swim was just what the doctor ordered.  I would have liked to have gone longer, but I was forced out as the pool was closing for a class that was about to start.  I even wished I had brought some other gym clothes so I could hop on a bike and continue the workout.  Oh well!  Maybe next time!

After my work out I went to the grocery store.  Silly me hadn't really prepared properly for the hunger that follows a good swim workout when I'm pregnant!  Other than the chocolate milk I bought (which was beyond amazing), I stuck to things I new would make me feel good: fruits, veggies, and some granola.

Then, later today, I was walking through a nearby neighborhood with a client.  I was telling her all about this delicious cupcake shop that we were passing by, and I seriously thought about going in to get a few for myself and the staff.  Heck, my client even offered to buy me one!  I was quite close to saying yes, but then I realized one thing.  It had been just a little over 12 hours since I'd had any real sugar in my system (I'm not counting the delicious chocolate milk as that was post-workout refueling).  Did I really want / need a cupcake, or was my body just craving some more sugar?  Yeah, I just wanted the sugar rush, and when I realized that, it was easy to walk away.  It would have given me about 2 seconds of joy, and then I would have felt awful again. 

So, today was about combating the hell I put my system through this weekend.  Today was successful.  And that, my friends, is what makes me happy.