Sweet spot?

There is an unfair rumor in the pregnancy world regarding this magical point in your 2nd trimester where you are glowing, bouncing with energy and feel amazing. I think it's total BS as I sit here round, moody and ready to nap on command. That said the last 2 days of running have been GLORIOUS! I don't know why. I don't know how long it will last but man-oh-man I almost want to get back out there this afternoon. No huffing and puffing, just running and today I had the stroller. In addition to 2 great runs I was able to knock out 10 push ups today with my 30lb toddler balanced on my back. For the record I would have preferred he stay on the ground but I have no control and lost that battle. So where do we go from here? My guess is these runs are flukes and it will only be a matter of days before I'm back to huffing and puffing through my runs cursing my plans the entire time. The bright spot is I don't see these workouts coming to and end soon. As long as I get out in the morning I feel good, better and stronger than I did with my first pregnancy. Yesterday and today were just the sweet spot I needed to keep going. Slugging through all those tough workouts makes me appreciate days like this even more. Who cares if they are fleeting, something has to be better than nothing. Swam for 45 mins and completed 1 hour stroller class.

Go Pats!

I've tried over the years to become a football fan. About every other year I sit down for the start of the season with the fullest of intentions to become an engaged fan. I'm beginning to accept that it's just not my sport. Baseball on the other hand, what a series. Well played boys, well played. We got home from the fall fest just in time for nap and kick off for the Pats/Jets game and as quickly as Joe settled in on the sofa I realized this would be my chance for an empty pool and suddenly found my motivation to head for a swim. As predicted I had the pool solo and just took off. It's really the only place that I feel normal lately. Can't see the belly, all aches and pains disappear and, if you ignore my maternity bathing suit, I look like everyone else. It's so nice and just like last time it only took a few laps before I decided I need to do this more often and really should think harder about the Save the Bay Swim next year. I had the same thoughts during my last pregnancy but get pretty skeeved out in open water and you always hear of those years that there are a lot of jelly fish. That said, Newport to Jamestown with a 3 year old and 5 month old waiting at the finish line is a pretty badass goal. You never know but in the meantime I think I'll spend the next few games in the water. Swam for an hour (lost count on my workout but followed my plan from earlier this week just added more repeats).

Oh that's right, I remember now...

Working out knocked up is no joke. I've reached the point where I'm remembering why I quit running the first time around. This sh*t is hard, the lbs are adding up and I'm so short of breath right out of the gate. Last night my run turned into a walk, mostly due to a full bladder and no outhouse on the Blvd. Today we laced up and headed to class and those first few steps were torture. It always gets better as I stick with it, but never feels like a non-pregnant run. A friend sent me that photo that's been all over the web this week, the top part has a beautiful runner and states this is what I think I look like when I run and below a sad sap looking terrible and states this is what I actually look like when I run. I'm the bottom shot at all times now, it's bad. I'm only 22 weeks, we got a while to go here so I need to get with the program. On a brighter note, push-ups are less of a struggle but the trade off is running with high knees means that my knees don't get that high at all before hitting the barrier. The plan? Yes, I always have a plan and have even begun to pine for post-partem and being able to get my pencil out for a real plan - how soon can I plan for a half marathon! But for now we stick with what we have, class 2x a week, swim 2x a week, run solo 2x a week. Any more than that requires too much recovery napping.

The social aspect of all of this

As my alarm went off at 5:30 this morning, I instantly regretted making plans for a 6am swim. As cozy as I was, I was meeting a new workout partner which meant no texting out at the last minute! Back to my old stomping grounds at the Y, it's funny how nothing changes. It's been months since my last 6am workout there and yet all the faces are the same. My new workout partner is a real pro in the water so she was prepared with a workout for us. Gulp, but it actually wasn't bad at all. 500 warm up, 200 kick with board and fins, 100 kick no fins, 400 pull and repeat x3. The nice part was that there was plenty of chatting between intervals making things move along. And this is why I workout. Yes, I'm competitive and like to earn new PR's and aim for longer distances and the benefit of low blood pressure and being able to keep excess weight at bay is all nice. It's really all about hanging out with friends. It would be nice to stop finding people who want to hang out at 6am or while we are sweating to death out for a run, but I'd miss it. After getting home and enjoying breakfast with the fam, the kid and I headed back out for our Fitness in the Park Class. Yep, you read it right, double sessions while preggo (PS - I'm totally wiped out now) I'm not breaking any speed barriers at this point (not that I've come close lifetime) but I got an additional 2 hours of social time out of it. We both did for that matter. It's also nice that when we are at home the kid has started to play around with what he watches us do in class. For now I can still do more push ups than him but I'm willing to bet that changes in the near future. Swam 2300 yards and completed Fitness in the Park

5 months and a 5k

We are getting there. At dinner with a friend recently she stated "you definitely have your preggo boobs again". Thanks. Thanks a lot. Regardless I'm still running, or more like bouncing but I'm still out there and it's more than a walk. My attitude has helped keep me on the roads longer this time than last. I'm well aware of how slow I'm getting and the walking breaks are a every run necessity but again it's the "something is more than nothing attitude". Joe signed up for a 10k this weekend and I was instantly pissed about it. I mean the man has done close to nothing outside of biking in months. Really? Now you want to run a 10k? No fear, I figured out quickly there was a 5k option and the kid and I could tackle that will little issue. Yes, I ran with the kid. Do you think he even volunteered to take him on the 10k? Not that I'd go for that, the jogger helps boost my bragging rights. The event itself was much more of a walk than a run, it's safe to estimate a 7:1 walker to runner ratio. Spent much of the race maneuvering around large groups of walkers. No matter the obstacles, we all started together and the kid and I smoked him. He caught up to us when I walked through the water stop but compare our overall paces and me and the kid beat him. And I ran up Francis St! You know that hill in front of the mall, the one that almost did me in during my 70.3? Yep, ran it. 5 months pregnant behind 54 lbs of kid and jogger. Take that. Ran 3.2 miles today

Not going to happen today.

After a great run on Sunday I was rather looking forward to today. There are several things that must happen for my runs to be successful at this point. The kid must be full of snacks, we aren't picky but there have to be a good amount of choices. An easy 3 miles demands a good 7-9 options, I'm quite skilled at setting up a mobile buffet. Again for those who judge, the goal is to run. Happy toddler = happy runner. My bladder must also be on E. Morning runs are better, I shouldn't but I typically won't drink much beyond my morning coffee if I know we are headed out. Any more than that I'm wishing for a catheter about 1/4 mile in. Those 2 simple demands combined with the strength of 2-3 sports bras and we are ready to rock and roll...most of the time. Today we had swimming lessons and I emptied the bladder before leaving Bryant. Somehow on the 15 min ride to the Blvd it filled back up with lord only knows b/c my coffee went down the hatch around 6:30am. I also had no snacks. Total fail. After every swim class we stop for jelly munckins, I thought that would be enough. He was licking the sugar off his chubby little fingers when I strapped him in and then the demands started. I want goldfish bunnies. I don't have any. I want cheerios. I don't have any. I want a sandwich. I don't have any. I want a banana. I don't have any. I want cheese. I don't have any. I want more donuts. Lord I want a new kid. Between that conversation and my overwhelming urge to empty an already empty but confused bladder we made it less than a half mile before I called it. There are some days where I don't have the fight in me. Tail between my legs we turned back and hit the playground. Funny how the sight of the slide suddenly makes him forget that dying hunger that was insatiable only steps prior. Still debating if it's worth a 2nd shot later today. Ran not really enough to matter today.