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.

More Weighty Issues

Well, I was right.  The doctor scolded me for not gaining enough weight.  So, I made a good day of it.  After the doctor's, I called my mom and we went out to Starbucks for some hot chocolate, and I treated myself to a cheese danish.  I would have preferred yogurt and fruit, but all they had was Greek yogurt, and I'm really not a fan.  Then, we went window shopping a bit, and by the time we were done it was time for lunch.  It didn't take long for us to decide on Chipotle.  I mean, really, what's better for weight gain? 

The problem is, I'm just really not that hungry.  So, if I want more calories, I often need to make them empty calories.  Then, I feel sick (don't even get me started on how I felt after eating two donuts in a day).  Honestly, I never thought I'd ever have an issue with gaining weight.

Like I said in my last post, though, my other fear is gaining way too much weight.  Ideally, I'll only gain 25-30 pounds throughout the pregnancy, but I've heard (and seen) way too many horror stories of people gaining 60+ pounds, and then having an extraordinary time trying to lose the weight.  I have a hard enough time losing weight without dealing with a baby, I really don't want to have to fight off extra weight gain.

So, I'm stuck with a conundrum.  How do I gain weight without eating foods that make me sick?  Apparently just eating extra fruits and veggies hasn't been cutting it, and I really don't want to force myself into the habit of eating tons of sugar or super-large meals.

Lots of people have told me not to worry about it.  They tell me I'll be fine, and that I'll gain plenty of weight in the last trimester, but I'm a worrier.  It's what I do, so I'm going to continue to worry a little bit.

I guess this post doesn't really have a resolution.  I just wanted to air out some of my feelings.  What are your thoughts?

Way Overdue

Wow!  I am WAY overdue for a post.  I also feel awful that my last post was a long rant.  Oh well!  Life has been beyond crazy lately, and if I'm not working or running I'm generally sleeping.  Things are starting to wind down a little now that the Christmas season has passed, and life is starting to return back to normal.  So, for this first post back after a month-long hiatus, I suppose I have some filling in to do.

Well, honestly, life hasn't been super exciting.  Thanksgiving kicked off the busy season at the kennel, and Hans and I have been so pleased with how well things are going.  The only issue is that, until we hire some more people, we're also working a lot more.  Hans has done a wonderful job of taking up my slack (I can't believe how much faster I wear out now), but he's starting to wear down too.  So, we are looking at hiring some new people.  I'd really love to get to the point where I only have to work part time and Hans can come in only as absolutely needed.  As it is, I made a point this month of making sure we always have at least 1 day off a week.  We need that time together.

Things in Baby-land are progressing nicely.  The biggest issue I've had is putting on weight.  I was starting to do well, but then I caught the flu and dropped 5 pounds in 2 days.  I'm now 1.5 pounds UNDER my starting weight, and I'm worried the doctor will scold me for not taking it easy enough.  Of course, the alternative would be putting on TOO MUCH weight, and I certainly wouldn't want that to happen.  I'm really just trying to make healthy decisions while occasionally throwing in a high calorie option every now and then (like the cheese steak I ate tonight).  I am still running, although my time has slowed considerably.  I just get winded so easily now!

Hans and I are starting to really focus on preparing the nursery.  I have big ideas for it, and I really just need to get in there and play with the space.  I have the feeling we'll be making a trip or two to Ikea here soon.

In other big purchases news, we did do something yesterday to really focus on preparing for a family.  We bought a new car!!  Hans and I both LOVE our Prius, and it's been a wonderful car for the past 7 years, but on our last trip to MN it became startlingly obvious that we would never be able to fit 2 dogs, 2 adults, and a baby in it.  And that's without even considering the times we've also transported the cats, other dogs, or even other people.  We needed something larger...preferably something with three rows of seats.  So, started looking around.

We'd been looking at the Toyota Highlander or the Toyota Sienna, but after asking other families and reading consumer reports, we finally opted for the Honda Odyssey.  I completely love it.  It's large enough for everyone and everything, and it's completely luxurious.  I'm starting to feel a bit like a soccer mom!

Ours is Celestial Blue.  On my screen, though, this photo is showing up as more of a grey / silver.

 In Dog-land, Cody and Lollie are doing quite well.  I think they both thoroughly enjoyed a little break after Christmas, followed by three days of lying in bed with me while I recovered from my flu bug.  They were wonderful care takers, and I could not have asked for more.  Cody, who had been nursing a pulled groin, seems to be doing much better, and I'm starting to take him out on longer walks and even some slow runs with me.  He hates getting up early enough to go out, but he's always so happy afterward, so I know I'm doing the right thing.  Lollie continues to slowly warm up to Hans, but had a bit of a set back after snuggling with me for three days.  It's all about Mom now, and I'm kind of OK with that.  At least she's starting to get comfortable enough to play with him now.  She did have a bit of an allergic outbreak this month, and its hesitancy to completely calm down has caused me to schedule another vet appointment.  Ah, my poor special-needs child!

Well, that's about it for now.  I hope all is well out in blog land! 

Hard- A Morning Rant

WARNING: Prepare for a rant.

Last night, I was talking with some dear friends.  At some point someone mentioned another friend and how they couldn't do certain things because things were really hard for them at the moment.  Well, I apparently had a bit of a reaction to this.  I became surprisingly angry. 

Life is hard.  Life is hard for EVERYONE!

Do you know how sick I am of hearing that someone doesn't have time to walk their dog?  Or exercise?  Or go grab a cup of coffee with a dear friend who's willing to meet you half way?  How do you think I do it?  Do I have more time in the day than you?  Let me tell you about my life.

I'm generally up between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m.  If I'm not showering and going straight to work I'm going out for an early morning run / swim / bike ride.  On the rare occasion I have a morning off, I feel guilty for sleeping in until 7:00, 8:00, or 9:00 because I could be cleaning or running errands or doing something else productive, but by golly sleep is nice on occasion!

If I happen to have a morning off from work, it's often spent checking and responding to work emails or trying to get the house in order.  Then, I'm at work from 2:00 pm until 9:30 pm (often later), so getting to bed early before my next 4:30 a.m. alarm really isn't an option.

On extremely rare and extremely planned occasions where Hans and I have more than a day off, we do not spend them sleeping or hiking or lounging about.  We spend them with family or friends because that's the only time we have for them.  Time for ourselves really is not a luxury we can afford.

The mornings I'm at work by 5:30 or 6:00 am, the earliest I'll ever leave is 7:00 pm, and again that's if I'm lucky.

Due to the nature of my job, I'll never have a holiday off on the true holiday.  Thanksgiving was not spent sleeping or eating turkey or watching football.  It was spent catching up on paperwork followed by a nap on a dog bed in the kennel.  Oh, and I'm still behind on paperwork (although not nearly as far behind).  And don't even get me started on preparing for the next holiday.  I have no idea when we'll decorate for Christmas!

It is not unusual for me to work 80-90 hours a week, and while I LOVE what I do I could sometimes use a break, particularly when morning sickness is setting in.

If you come over and see a partially clean house, it's not because I'm a great housekeeper.  It's because I scrambled and stayed up half the night cleaning, so things could look presentable for you.

If you come to visit and we go out to a fancy / decent restaurant, that's not how I normally dine.  It's because you're an honored guest, but I'm still too tired to cook.  I'm generally lucky if I get take away Chinese or pizza, and I'm extremely lucky if Hans was able to get home early enough to cook a frozen meal (think Skillet Sensations or frozen pizza).

All these things are not said to make you sorry for me.  While I sometimes have meltdowns (usually sleep related) I, for the most part, love my life.  I'm proud of and pleased with the decisions I've made, and there's very little I'd change.  That said, I am sick and tired of people saying they can't do things because life is hard.  No shit, Sherlock!  Life is hard for everyone.  You know who really has it bad off?

The woman whose husband left her after she was diagnosed with a chronic illness that leaves her at an extreme risk for injury and heat stroke.

The woman who's working 2 full time jobs yet still worries about feeding her kids or keeping a roof over their head.

The man who is caring for his sick spouse.

The woman diagnosed with cancer and given only months to live.

The family that woman leaves behind.

They all have it way harder than any of us.  When you say, "I just don't have time" what you're really saying is "That is not a priority for me right now."  When you say, "Sorry, life got in the way" you're really saying, "I chose to put other things ahead of you."  I'm not saying those are bad things to do.  Sometimes your sleep and your health are more important than that coffee date, but let's call a spade a spade shall we.  It has nothing to do with life being difficult.  It has everything to do with us having different priorities.  I'm OK with that.  I really am.  I just want the truth out if it. 

So, in conclusion, quit saying life is too hard.  Quit making excuses.  Tell the truth...you don't care about this thing as much as that OR just get off your ass and do something about it!

Thank you for listening to my rant!

Pregnant Marathon- An Update

Well, I did it.  I ran my third marathon.  Not only that, I ran it while 10 weeks pregnant.  Yay!!  So, how did it go?  Not bad.  Not bad at all.

Going in to the race, I had three goals.  The first was merely to finish.  I did not want to have to drop out of the race, and I wanted the sweet swag at the end.  The second, and this wasn't super important, was to finish in under 6 hours.  Normally my goal, which I've yet to reach, is to finish in 5 hours, but I was really allowing myself more time.  My last goal, and this one was fairly important was to finish feeling better than I had in the past.  In the past I've been in a significant amount of pain when I've finished.  I've been sick to my stomach and could think of nothing but sitting and sleeping.  My last marathon, in Minnesota, was particularly bad because I also felt unbelievably cold (a symptom of the weather and the hard work out).  I wanted to feel way better than that, and I wanted to recover quickly.  Well, I succeeded at all three!!!

The Challenges
The biggest challenge was that everything I had used in training all of a sudden had to be thrown out the window.  My energy gels made me sick.  Gatorade made me sick.  Running non-stop and shooting for a 5 hour marathon would probably kill me (or cause significant harm to the little person growing inside me).  Not only that, but I was significantly hungrier than I was a month ago.  I had trouble going 4 miles without getting something to eat.  What was I going to do for this marathon?  I had to quickly come up with a new plan, and I didn't have a long run to test anything on.

My second challenge was purely mental.  I really hadn't had a good run in a while.  I was tired and hungry, and I often felt kind of sick.  I was worried that I'd have trouble making it to mile 3, much less mile 26.2!

The Plan
Hans and I did some quick planning for food.  I might not be able to eat gels, but I could potentially handle peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  And I might not be able to drink Gatorade, but water was fine.  I could only hope this would be enough.  I honestly didn't know what I'd do if I lost too much salt or needed something other than PB & J.  What if PB & J made me sick?  It was a risk I had to take.

As for the mental thing, all I could do was tell myself I could do this.  I would take things much, MUCH slower than I had in the past.  Even much slower than I had on recent training runs, and I would hope for the best.  Hans and my friends were actually great about this.  I had a couple of friends try to convince me to drop to the half (something I almost did), but most just kept telling me I'd be fine and to trust my body. 

Overcoming the Challenges
Luckily, everything went quite well.  The PB&J was PERFECT.  I had two sandwiches cut in quarters and I ended up eating 5 quarters.  I probably could have had 1 or two more, but I did end up supplementing with a couple of Fig Newtons (which surprisingly didn't settle well) and a mini Clif Bar.  Hans and I had mapped out the route and he met up with me just about every 6 miles to make sure I was OK.  That was generally just enough for me to feel hungry and want a sandwich.

The biggest help for the mental thing actually happened at the beginning of the race.  I was really trying to decide if I just wanted to run slowly for as long as possible or if I wanted to try more of a Galloway method (run/walk combo).  As I was thinking about this, I heard two other runners chatting about something that interested me, so I struck up a little conversation.  As it turns out, they were part of a group of Galloway runners!!  I made a quick decision, asked if I could hang with them for the race, and we were off. 

Running with those other runners ended up being the best thing I ever could have done.  It gave me someone to chat with as I ran, and it helped me keep a more consistent pace.  Not only that, it gave me companionship when the race got long and I started to hurt.  However, those runners weren't the only support I had.

I already mentioned that Hans met up with me every 6 miles or so, but I didn't mention that my dad, my dad's girlfriend, and my mom all came out every few miles too.  I also had a few clients and friends that I happened to see along the way.  Lastly, though, for the last 5k Hans decided to run with me.  It's really the first time we've ever run together, and I was thrilled to see him.  To be honest, by that point I kind of wished he could have just carried me, but that's another story.  We were going slow, we were walking more than we should have, but we were together, and Hans was there for me.  By that point, I knew that, no matter what, I would finish the marathon, and I knew that Hans would finish it with me.

As we rounded the turn for the last hill I thought about last year.  Last year was my first marathon.  Last year I was simply happy that I could claim the title "marathoner."  I thought for a moment as to whether I felt differently this year.  Well, I was finishing my third marathon (goal 1), I was finishing in 5:45:20 (goal 2), and I felt tired but fantastic (goal 3).  Still, though, my answer as to how I felt emotionally is the same.  I can't believe I did it.  I can't believe that all those people, random strangers, other runners, my family, I can't believe they were all cheering for me.  That's a pretty spectacular feeling.

And now, some gratuitous photos!

Around mile 11

Mile 16 and feelin' good!

Happy to have finished!  With Hans on my right and Dad on my left.

Standing with the Canal Walk and the city in my background, I'm a 3-time marathoner.

Yep, I finished.

Oh, and one last note, baby is a 2 time marathoner already!!!

Pregnancy Update

First, I have to answer some questions.

I'm officially 9 weeks and 3 days along today.  It's early on, but that's OK.  I'm due June 14, 2014 (Flag Day!).

I have not experience any vomiting, but there has been plenty of nausea.  I also haven't had any consistent cravings, but my eating habits have definitely changed.  I'm eating smaller meals and lighter foods (lots of fruits and veggies).  Honestly, I'm kind of hoping that stays after the pregnancy!

Honestly, my biggest challenge has been eating enough.  I feel full after my meals, and there have definitely been days when I've over eaten or eaten less-than-healthy calories, but my runs are telling me I'm not fueling well.  I'm starting my runs on tired legs, and while I expect to slow down and feel the effects of pregnancy on my runs, I don't necessarily think I should be staring my runs feeling sluggish or worse, sore. 

So, the biggest thing I'm asking myself right now is, is this good for me and will it help my run?  Aside from that, I'm learning to stop asking myself, "Am I hungry or am I thirsty?"  Generally the answer to that one is yes.  I'm both hungry and thirsty.  So, instead of reaching for the candy bar (which really isn't all that appetizing right now anyway), I'm going for that bag full of grapes that I packed this morning.

I'm also making sure to pack tons of snacks for wherever I go.  Apparently, when I get hungry it quickly turns to feeling sick.  So, I always have almonds or grapes or raisins or something with me for a quick pick me up. 

Other than that, I'm just really tired.  That, plus the list of about 10 million things that keeps repeating through my brain has given me what most people refer to as baby brain or pregnancy brain.  Oh boy, has it hit full force!  I can't remember words, I lose track of what I was saying in the middle of a sentence, and holding a conversation of any kind is fairly difficult.  Mostly, what I'm thinking is, "That's nice.  Can I take a nap now?"  Actually, I have a funny baby brain story.  The other day, I came in to work and used the bathroom.  Apparently, I forgot to flush, never changed the roll, and locked the bathroom door as I was leaving the bathroom, thereby locking the rest of the staff out of the bathroom!  That was a little embarrassing.

All in all, though, life is good.  My running buddies have been great about my slower pace, and Hans has been super supportive.  I'm still planning to run the marathon this weekend, although I'm a little nervous about it.  I hope all is well in your lives!

A running photo from this past Saturday, and one of my favorites for the year.  There was a costume theme, hence why I'm wearing the skeleton shirt.

News

Well, I have some news to share.  First, the vacation went very well.  We were able to spend some much-needed time with Hans family, and we were able to take an even-more needed break.  I did end up running the Mankato Marathon, although I still didn't finish in my desired  time of 5 hours.  I blame myself, though.  I just didn't fuel well enough.  During a long run, one should really consume between 100 and 150 calories per hour.  Unfortunately, during the ENTIRE run, I only consumed about 200 calories (stupid I know).  So, I did great until about mile 20, and then I bonked...big time.  Oh well, my final time was 5:13:??, so not terrible. 

But that's not the news.  The news is...

HANS AND I ARE EXPECTING!!!!

Our announcement photo.  We announced on Halloween.

  Hans and I are fairly stoked.  In case you're wondering, the answers are:
Yes, this was planned.  Completely and totally.
Yes, we're going to find out the sex.
Yes, we already have names picked out.  Please!  We picked those out over a year ago.
And while we really don't care either way, I'm kind of hoping for a boy.  I'm not sure I'll be able to handle girl drama!  Still, though, as long as our baby is healthy, then I'm a happy mama.

We had our first doctor's appointment today.  Everything looks good.  The heartbeat is strong (171 bpm), and for the first time in my life I looked at an ultrasound and saw a baby, not just a sea monkey.

The top picture makes me think of a mermaid wearing a beanie.

I'm so excited, but I'm also still fairly scared.  It's kind of nerve-wracking knowing everything that could possibly go wrong.  Going in to this first appointment, I had so many worries.  What if there's no heart beat?  What if my positive at-home test was wrong?  What if, what if, what if?  I felt my blood pressure lower and breath release as soon as I saw the image of the little pup.  Today, as I walk around this chill, cloudy day, I seem to carry a secret smile.  What can I say?  I'm happy!

So, I think that covers all the really big stuff.  Oh, except for one thing.  The doctor did say I'm clear to run the Richmond marathon, as long as I listen to my body and eat enough.  So, YAY!  I don't think I'll have any time goals for this one.  I just want to finish!