Streaking

If you are on facebook or twitter at all there is all this buzz about streaking through the holiday season. Basically promising to run everyday from Thanksgiving to New Year's. I read an article in the NY Times this am about how just 45 minutes a day of activity during the holidays is enough to counteract all the unhealthy (but delicious) holiday festivities. I've never done anything like this, although with previous years trainings have likely come close. I am a fan and proponent of the day off and you don't take a day off if you are streaking. I'm also in no condition to run every day, but could conceivably complete some kind of workout daily. I thought about this in the pool this morning and quickly started to list of reasons why this won't work. Joe is traveling a good amount, I have a conference in Boston, weekend shifts galore, rush of abbreviated holiday season, and so on and so forth. But this is important, it's a healthy motivator and a fitness challenge (one of the few) that I can actually accept. So it's on. Starting today until 1/1 I'm going to make my best attempt at no less than a 30 minute workout. Just as I'm quick to brag about my accomplishments, I'll be sure to report on any days that I'm not successful. Workouts will consist of likely yoga, swimming, stroller class, running (waddling), the push up challenge (more on that another day). Joe is in, anyone else? Swam for an hour today.

cool return

After a 2 week hiatus, I returned to the pool. Came close to calling it and hitting the showers before getting wet when it looked like circle swimming would be my only option, but just as I walked towards the locker room a lane opened up and I ran out of excuses. Which is too bad given that the pool felt cool enough to justify a wet suit. Nothing exciting, nothing hard. A mile made up of 5 laps of swimming alternated with 5 laps of pulling. Shockingly it went quick and my mile seemed like nothing. More time at my disposal and I would have stayed in a bit longer. Didn't seem to irritate any injured areas and no I didn't fess up to the chiropractor that after his visit I was headed to the forbidden land. He didn't ask so I can't be faulted. This week will likely hold 3 more swims, maybe 4. Given the weather and holiday, not sure if we'll hit up an exercise class or not. Really trying to be ok with the less is more school of thought, but not an area of strength. Preggo updates are equally as boring as lap swimming. Holding at 23lb weight gain, the only positive to this from my perspective is that my goal of 35 remains a realistic option. For anyone wondering I've managed this pregnancy with a continued vegetarian diet, limited dairy but not total elimination. So far I've noticed no negatives to this and haven't had any providers grill me about it so am not worried. Discomfort is now at a 3/4 rather than the 7/8, still happier in the evenings not doing much. House remains torn up and panic is setting in related to my belief that we might have bitten off more than we can chew. Swam a mile today

33 degrees at 27 weeks

Just last night I was complaining to a friend about my training envy. Seems like everyone I know is getting into training for some big spring races and it's killing me. I'll get there, and my challenges will have less to do with miles trained and more to do with hours slept and ounces fed. So you'd think that today I'd be totally jazzed at the idea of an outdoor workout in 33 degree weather. Not so much. Multiple issues here. First, my cold layers don't all fit so squeezing into a mix of alternatives was a challenge to say the least. Other issue is that of course today we figure out the the kid's snow suit is just a bit too small so we both looked like over stuffed sausages. Then the kid proved that he would have been better off if we had relocated to Austin, he was pissed the entire time. While other kids seemed not to notice the cold, mine pouted in the stroller and glared at me the entire time. Hello guilt trip. Don't get me wrong once we got going it did feel good and gave me a taste of what I've been missing. That and we needed the socialization, my advice to new moms is always the same...find a group and get out of the house. No I'm not a new mom anymore but I still need that group mentality. There is something about rolling up with mittens, scarves and goldfish tumbling out of your stroller and finding everyone else is having the same problems. That and there is bound to be someone crying louder than your kid. Update on the pain, things seem to have stabilized a bit. It's no longer getting worse and some days seems slightly better. If nothing else I have hope that this will pass after birth so eyes are on the February prize, just hanging on til then. I might even break the rules and dip my toes in the pool Friday am.

1 day out

I won't lie, today started with high expectations. I had really hoped (foolishly) to be pain free. And although I woke up feeling good and it was the first morning in several weeks I wasn't wincing while making it to the coffee pot, the day ends surrounded by icepacks. Part of the problem is that my stroller class went indoors today, it was only 29 at 9am, way too cold for the kiddo's to play while we sweated outdoors so we headed to Rhode Runner and got our asses handed to us. I saw the post on facebook and couldn't bring myself to like it b/c I knew the pain that accompanies an indoor class. Today's class was circuit hell, 5 mins at each station with 3 exercises each and I'm limited to spent the majority of the time in plank/boat/or doing push ups. As a result my arms are beat and I had trouble folding laundry tonight. Whining aside, you know I totally loved every moment of it. The best part was watching the kid attempt mountain climbers at lunch and push-ups at dinner! How's that for imitation?! Tomorrow I'm off as I got pulled from the pool and will go back to class on Friday. I do plan on discussing with the doc the idea of swimming and not kicking, just using the pull buoy the whole time. Again it'll kill my arms but get me back in the water sooner than his 3 week plan. Somehow I'm not sure this doc fully understood what he got himself into with me.

Chiropractor appt

I'm breaking my own rule and blogging on a day that I didn't workout, forgive me. I have stuff to say and time to sit and write. So went to the chiropractor today and I think I liked it. Saw Dr. O'Brien at Bayside Chiropractic in Providence as recommended by by acupuncturist for the pubic symphysis pain. I was a mix of nerves and curiosity at the start of the appt. We started with a brief history and the standard questions of how much pain, where, what kind and so on. I have low B12 and get monthly injections and there was some side conversation about this that lead me to believe that this guy knows his sh*t. He also uses the same vitamin line that my acupuncturist does, gives him some automatic cred in my book. I was instructed to hop off the table and walk back and forth several different ways, it's here that I learned that I could not pass a field sobriety test. Try to walk heel to toe in a straight line when you can't see your toes! Then things got funny. He pressed on my left shoulder and there was a lot of discomfort, he puts a belt on me and the pain goes away. Bizarre. I said out loud that it was weird and he called me out and reminded me that some of the stuff that happens in acupuncture is more weird. Point taken, continue. The entire session was totally not what I expected, I thought adjustments would be accompanied by sharp tugs at my body and loud cracks and this was very gentle and relaxing. The best part was the fancy pillow on the treatment table that allowed me to lay on my stomach! Pure Bliss! His final thoughts were that yes my pubic symphysis is acting up, as well as some strange stuff going on in the SI joint and the hips were out of alignment. Treatment? The SI joint is taped and will remain so until Sat, I'm also supposed to ice 2x a day for 20 mins. I have a gel to apply to my belly that will also help. Bummer is that I'm not allowed to swim for 3 weeks. I'll be honest I pushed back a lot here. This guy is out of his mind if he thinks I'm giving up exercise totally for 3 weeks which was his first recommendation. His rational for the swimming made sense, my pelvis is rocking all over the place and if the goal is stabilization this isn't helping. I'll stick with my stroller fitness and prenatal yoga and see how it goes. He wanted to see me twice a week to start off but given the state of my sh*tty health insurance, (I'd say more but am being censored by the husband who is responsible for said sh*tty health insurance), that's not affordable so we settled on once a week for now. I figure he was more throughout than my experience with PT and his mindset was more along with other providers I have trust in and have had good experiences with so we'll go with it for now and see. He was a bit cocky, when I was leaving I asked if he really felt he could make a difference in my pain levels and he looks at me and asks if I looked at his website. "Pregnancy is what we do", he says. Here's hoping.

26 week update

I've done a fair amount of complaining lately, and I promised to try and enjoy this more the 2nd time around. Fail, I'm sorry. As far as updates go, I'm rounding the corner to 26 weeks. The baby belly is large enough now to hit the ground during pushups. A very humorous sight when my 2 year old is perched on my back at the same time. It's all about preparation. Weight gain is at 23lbs, still much better than last time. This is always a touchy subject with preggo's. I do know that I'm eating better than last time and working out more than last time. All that said I do think there is only so much you can do about this. Your body is going to do what it needs to, regardless of your plan, at least that has been my experience. Luckily I've reached the point where much more than a few bites results in rib pain so there is still hope that I can keep the weight in check. We don't know gender, decided to hold out of the big surprise. Joe thinks it's a boy. The kid and I are both on team pink, there is no way a little boy would cause me so many problems! Names are an ongoing debate and one which we have decided to no longer discuss until we are in the delivery room. The pubic symphysis pain is still there but as previously discussed I have a pain management plan and treatment strategy. Tomorrow I'm off to the chiropractor and am anxious to report my experience! Our house remains a construction zone. The only sane thing to do once finding out you are expecting is to tear the house into giant renovation projects. Luckily we have good friends who have coached Joe through this and we hope to be put back together in a few weeks. You know where I'm at with exercise, still getting out there. We did adopt a double jogger this weekend and it's terrifying. I'm not sure how I'll run with that, plus a toddler, plus a car seat, plus an infant...shit an infant! But I have enough to worry about that so I'll put those fears aside for now. Bigger fish to worry about! As far as prepping the kid for what's coming, we've been talking about the baby. He'll tell you all about it and knows it's coming in Feb and that we have to go to the hospital to get it out of my belly. He's also quick to point out anytime he hears a baby crying, all of that said he has no idea that life as he knows it is going to come to a crashing end. Poor guy. So that's where we are at. The good, bad and ugly of it all. Completed fitness in the park today.

Made it to Friday!

Better yet, made it to naptime on Friday! Total score, 4 more hours and the husband is home and I'm off the clock :) Today started with a 5am wake up to make a 5:30 swim session. The same 3 people were standing at the Y entrance at 5:24, knowing they open at 5:30. Idiots, I chose the warmth of my car. Today's workout was killer, it's always a double edged sword to meet up with someone who you know will bring a workout. There was no joking today. 500 warm-up, 400 kick, 300 pull, 10-50m sprints, 100 kick, 500 cool down. Suddenly my 2 mile goal isn't seeming that far off. There was talk of me finally giving in and accepting the flip turn but the baby gut bought me a pass. I know it helps with speed and efficiency but somehow I always end up with half the pool up my nose. Home, coffee, breakfast and off to Fitness in the Park. I arrived and saw it was going to be a small group and pressed as hard as I could for a coffee break instead but off we went for an hour filled with lunges, squats, push ups and dips. The best part was watching the kid run through the leaves with his friends. I could listen to little kid laughs and screams of excitement all day (outside that is). This weekend will likely include Fitness in the Park on Sat, and a day off on Sunday. Next week is booked with swimming, Fitness in the Park, my very first (and possibly last aqua-jogging session) and pre-natal yoga. Trying to stay busy enough that I don't miss straight up running.

swimming goals

In sticking with my plan on getting out of my woe-is-me-rut I committed to a morning swim with no excuses.  And trust me the excuses started early: 1.       I have no one to meet me there.  Stupid b/c if you are swimming then you can’t really socialize. 2.       I have a 9am client so need to be at work for 8.  I like to be in for 8 but if I stop taking 25 minute showers at the Y then I can make it for 8:15. 3.       I’m swimming tomorrow and my arm muscles are sore from yesterday’s pushups.  Quit whining and remember the goal is to NOT gain 60lbs with this kid and get moving! So off I went and joined what is apparently old hairy man hour at the Y, 7:30 on Thursday mornings.  My stomach is not as trustworthy as it used to be so several times I had to close my eyes as I saw my fellow swimmers go by and remind myself that chlorine makes it all ok.  God it was gross.  Today’s plan was to just go a mile, and I did and shockingly it didn’t hurt as much as I anticipated and went much quicker than planned.  Given my type A personality I need some goals with this increased pool time so I think it would be great if I could get up to 2 miles by the time this kid makes an appearance.  Why not?  It was the first kid who got me to a mile and since then I’ve swum that distance and more countless times.  Other than boredom I have no reason to doubt it. Besides, it’s a good braggable amount and I’ll have killer arms…haven’t quite figured out the plan that will get me there, but will share when I do. Tomorrow we are on track for another morning swim, this time with friends, followed by Fitness in the Park.  And happy to report that I’m in a stellar mood so far with getting a workout in early and scheduled my first chiropractor appt for next week.  I’ll be sure to share how that goes. Swam a mile today.

Calling an end to the pity party...or at least trying to

So today marks the end of my week long pity party. I have been struggling with some pregnancy related pains that aren't getting better and making me a miserable biatch...yes more than my baseline. After yoga last week I took a week off from all exercise, not so much intentionally but it just happened. Happily I can admit that I don't feel any better and am in fact worse...likely not related to the exercise. I'm annoyed for several reasons. One being that I pride myself on my fitness. I'm in good shape. I take care of myself, am obsessive with the foods that enter my body. Not only my physical health but have totally incorporated mindfulness into my everyday life and am in a healthy place all around. So to suddenly be overtaken by this almost chronic pain is ruining my mojo. Running in addition to keeping me fit, keeps me happy. So what's the plan to end this party? I've had it with some of my recent run in's with healthcare providers. If you want to hear an explicative filled rant, ask me about how well PT went. And no, I won't be following up with them. Treatment will consist of the following, acupuncture 1x a month (would love more but my guy took off to New Mexico and I can only see him monthly), Shiatsu e/o week (this was a total shot in the dark but did result in 3 days with lesser pain), and I'm going out on a limb and scheduling with a chiropractor (I've avoided them like the plague for years, makes me nervous). Chiropractors actually appear to have the best success rate in treating this pain so I'm hopeful. Yes, I've written off traditional medical providers for this, not shocking as I've been leaning this way for a while with my own health care. The OB has been informed and she is also at a place on my shit list where I'm telling her the plan rather than waiting to see what idea she can generate next. And for fitness, the kid and I went back to Fitness in the Park today and although I'm writing this with an icepack on my crotch it was great. We both need it and I can make accommodations as needed so we are sticking to that twice a week. I have a call into my running coach for some aqua jogging sessions. As much as I love the pool and swim 2x a week, I'm a lazy swimmer and am hopeful that some sessions with him will keep the heart and sweat rates up. I'm also keeping in the prenatal yoga weekly, again I'm going to have to make some accommodations but I want this more for the breathing aspects that I know will be used during labor/delivery. Likely no more runs outside of our class, which I'm super bummed about. There will be no hard and fast rule about this but for now I have to pull back a little. If I've learned anything this week it's that my expectation of being pain free is likely not realistic but I can get through this and stay healthy both physically and emotionally. I mean come on now, I finished a 70.3, this should be cake. Just please stop asking how I'm feeling unless you want the truth which is I'm in a fucking lot of pain and not pleased about it.