Half time

We have made it to the half way point and for quiet a while I have been focused on this milestone. During a rather terrible 3 miles this morning I wondered if it really meant anything. I'll be the first to tell you that a half marathon does NOT compare to a full, that is unless I'm trying to get you to register with me. Also during the 2 marathons I've completed I have never breathed a sigh of relief at the 13 mile marker, most will agree that the worst is yet to come (Hello Queeensboro Bridge and Central Park!). So has the worst of pregnancy occurred or am I doomed? Joe thinks that from an anxiety perspective the worst has passed, that might be wishful thinking on his part. From a comfort perspective I truly have no idea what's in store and don't even want to imagine, I should stop complaining about the baby elephant. On a regular run the half way marks the point where I commit to finishing, but again that would apply more to shorter distances. For the longer distances I have to get within 3 miles of the goal distance to commit to finishing. How does that translate? I'm not sure, I have no control over any of this. For today I'll bask the the glow of the half way point and not worry too much about what's in store for the coming weeks.

Miles run today: 3

Feeling slightly better

It was one of those runs where the only goal was to cool off. I was livid, to the point where I gave consideration to punching a wall. They don't give good pain meds to pregnant women so that option was quickly ruled out. Joe's solution of a Jack and Coke carried the risks of fetal alcohol syndrome, so I found myself on the treadmill. My pace quickened and the TV was off, soon I turned off the light above me and had the music loud enough to hurt. I kept the pace quick enough that I was close to falling off the back, I needed to focus on the run and forget about everything else. Ever so slowly I found my breathing to be more controlled and my thoughts slowing. It was a quick run, that's all I needed. Just enough to regain my control and composure. Things returned to a normal perspective and I slowed to a walk for my cool down. Not 100% but at least now able to focus and no longer weighing the risks and benefits of property destruction, I'll consider this a success.

Miles run: 3

This is ok, but not cell phones

I made a BIG mistake today at the gym, I forgot my headphones. Refusing to go back out to the cold car to get them, I decided to run without music. Little did I realize how I would regret this later.

I can't tell you when I noticed the conversation, but at some point my quiet workout was interrupted by the cackle of laughter. Not just a simple laugh but a conversation. Typically gym conversations in the mornings are hushed and short, this conversation went on and on and on. I glanced back it was 2 girls on the elliptical machines. I figured they had just started and would settle down, WRONG. It kept up for the rest of my workout. Just loud enough to break my focus but not lout enough for me to hear what they were saying. Now a few weeks ago I was at the gym and got a call on my phone. Seconds after answering the phone a staff member asked me to leave the gym, fair enough. The assumption is you are there to WORK OUT. I finished my conversation in the hall and returned to my treadmill.

Granted I'm never much of a conversationalist during a run, but these girls appeared to be at a coffee shop not on a piece of exercise equipment. I happen to be a strong believer of the if you can talk you aren't moving fast enough. It's one thing to have a good time joking during an outdoor workout where you aren't bothering anyone. But the 5:30am gym crowd appears to be a quiet down-to-business like group that are focused on finishing their workouts and getting to their warm showers and morning cups of coffee.

After leaving I figured I was being hormonal and too judgemental, I mentioned it to Joe in passing, who knew immediately what I was talking about. "I had to turn up the volume on my music because of those girls." So here are 2 people holding court in a manner that is just as disruptive as those on cell phones but yet no one intervenes. I guess this is what I get for forgetting my headphones, here's hoping these girls belong to the New Year's Resolution Crowd and will be quickly weeded out!

Miles run today: 3

Training for the bladder and the legs

This is a big week, a MD visit looms on the calender for Thursday, including the dreaded monthly weigh in. So there is no room for joking around with the running this week. We got up and decided to hit the gym with the temps being as cold as they are. It was after a lowly mile that I found myself running off the treadmill, through the gym, down the stairs and into the locker room. By now I have accepted that most runs will be interrupted and plan accordingly. It was only minutes before I was back on the machine moving along. Not even a half mile later the feeling returns. I know I don't have to go, I've been 3 times already and it's barely 6am. My full water bottle sitting next to me, taunting me, no sips till we're done or I'll never get through this. Decisions had to be made. There is a mile and a half to go, so I did the irresponsible thing, I jacked up the pace and ignored the feeling. The whole time praying that my gamble would pay off, I'm not ready for any accidents! In addition to wanting to be done and go home, I have at least 2 more races on the schedule before June. Although there will be bathroom stops during these races, no race has a bathroom every mile or less. All body parts need to work together. The bladder needs to get a grip and the legs might need to move a bit faster than they have to get us done with the run. Or at the very least the gym could move my treadmill to the locker room so my breaks are faster.

Miles run today: 3

Change of scenery

I started today with the highest intentions. My goal was to join the group for an outdoor run this am. I prepped myself last night for the frigid temps and was ready, the alarm just went off a little too late. So rather than my dirty basement and the treadmill I've been spending way too much time on I hit the gym with a new i-pod playlist. This was seriously all I needed to re-energize my runs. The pace was no faster than yesterdays run but the miles flew by much quicker. Seeing as how the gym was much warmer than the outdoors today this was a nice surprise! The Hyannis 10k is an outdoor run regardless of my preference so I need to go back to the streets eventually or this race is going to be mighty painful!

Miles trained today: 5

Indoor runner's lung?

Runner's lung is what I have affectionately called that cough that follows a cold outdoor run, that cough that seems to linger forever. It's been established that my clothes don't fit, so that combined with the temps lately, the snow on the ground, and my overall lack of motivation I haven't run outdoors since New Years. Please give me some credit, I have put in miles on the treadmill 4 times a week every week, I know that this doesn't count to the dedicated but I'm going to count it. Today I got off the treadmill and ran into my old friend, runner's lung. That familiar dry cough that has followed me home countless mornings after a run at Brown; made me miss those morning runs.

Miles trained today: 3

You can keep that duct tape...for now

Please note: I'm laying it all out there today. If you don't want to read about my girls please stop reading.

Yep, I'm going there. I have to, they won't be ignored, ask my co-workers if you don't believe me. They have provided quite the comic relief for those watching this happen. All my Mom friends lied, you know who you are. No one told me that pregnancy would mean that my girls would take on a life of their very own. For those of you who want to see a bump, I don't have a bump yet; just 2 camel humps on the front where the girls used to reside. As if running hasn't been complicated enough, I didn't need this. To be honest I was caught by surprise. Maybe 2 months ago after a run I had to check to make sure I hadn't lost one on the Blvd. I chalked it up to a bad day, well that day hasn't gone away and it's only gotten worse. To the point where I have been tempted, seriously tempted by the duct tape. I have walked to the finish line in races due to the level of discomfort. The CIA should find a way to replicate this pain in their torture methods. I don't want to buy more bra's. I'm sick of buying clothes that won't fit a few months from now. Yesterday I think I figured it out. I didn't want to speak too soon, for fear that it was a fluke. But today makes 2 runs in a row where the girls stayed put. I didn't spend the last mile holding my chest. The trick currently is layering 2 sports bra's. Now this won't last forever as the small one is about to burst and it's only because I have another one over it that it hasn't ripped at the seams. It feels like it's been a very very long time since I was able to run and not worry that one of them dropped to the ground behind me. I'm going to leave the duct tape alone for now, but I might need it later.

Miles trained today: 3

Oh Hello...Jack Black

I've been running outside and mastered my pregnant runner outfit. As of last weekend it hid all evidence of my expanding waistline and is still very comfortable. Today was going to be a treadmill run and it's been a few weeks. Luckily I bailed on the gym and decided on using our basement treadmill. This morning I had already chosen a standard running outfit, many of you have seen it at the track. I believe that Anne-Marie fondly refers to me as Barney when I pull out the purple short and tank. Well today I looked more like Jack Black than Barney (minus the cape of course). I would have died if I put that on in the gym locker room, really died. All I could do in my bathroom was laugh, I give it another 2 weeks before the shirt doesn't cover the belly. I confirmed my suspicions of my foolish appearance when Joe came home, stifled a laugh and said I don't look like Jack Black, just pregnant. This would have been a good enough reason to skip and pout on the couch, but I brought my get up down stairs and ran by myself where no one could compare the resemblance.

Miles run today: 3

To buy or not to buy

I think I am getting sick. Never have I put off shoe shopping, never. I need new running shoes, have needed them for several weeks. But I can't bring myself to make the purchase.Part of me feels like it's a waste of a shoe purchase. Let's be honest, I'm getting out there but it's getting to be laughable. I'm more focused on pee breaks than my mile splits. The signs are there though, some soreness in my knee and this weird ankle pain that only happens when I put off new shoes. Logically I know I can't make it to June without new shoes, but I keep thinking that way. Let's just run till Junior's arrival, I'll take a break and figure out how to be a Mom. When I reunite with the roads I'll bring with me a new pair of shoes as an apology gift for being away for so long. The problem with that logic is that it's January and my shoes are tired and beat up. I've been buying other shoes, just welcomed a sick pair of black heels into the family last night. Maybe next weekend I'll go visit Rhode Runner and get some new running shoes while I look more closely at their jogging stroller.

Miles trained today: 3

What a difference a year makes

This time last year I was training for the Providence Marathon, going on and on about 40-50 miles a week. All that talk and if I recall correctly that training program ended up in disaster with my running shoes tossed in a corner and my feet at the mercy of PT for what seemed like an endless amount of time. This date a year ago it was too cold and I was too hungover to run the Hangover Classic. Fast forward 1 year and here I sit, happy when I get 20 miles a week, looking for nothing longer than a 10k. Completed the Hangover Classic without a hangover and with warm temps. My running is no longer centered around endless training logs, rather a weekly countdown to June 19th and Junior's arrival. My races aren't chosen based on distance, swag, or location; rather if they have port-a-john's on the course. But a new year and I'm still running. This year will bring a new set of challenges. How much longer can I run without teetering over, (I am getting a bit top heavy)? What will running be like when Junior arrives? What jogging stroller to buy and will Joe agree to push it for the first 9 months? Will there be time for training in the future? I'm confident that I'll figure most of these issues out, and those I don't figure out I'll learn to live with. Junior has raced with me 6 times so far and has at least one more scheduled event on the books before retiring until June. Who knows maybe I'm growing the next Meb or Paula!

Miles trained today: 5