Status Quo

My goal now is to just avoid excuses and not lose steam as I barrel toward this baby's birthday.
While I generally feel fantastic, I'll be honest and run through my short list of complaints. Right now I struggle with staying properly hydrated in this heat. I hate having to pee every 15minutes, especially if I'm not just hanging out at home. But I get lots of pressure and braxton hicks in the evening if I don't stay on top of it. And if I don't, it takes a couple days of being well hydrated for the nightly braxton hicks performance to leave town.
The pelvic pain has started to be there every morning no matter what. This is about when it started in my previous pregnancy too. It makes it suck to sit up in bed or try to put on regular underwear, let alone jimmy up the shaper to get out for a run. During runs lately, I have a lot of lactic acid build up in my calves. I don't know if there's something in-discernibly different about my form or what, but in burns. And then I get charlie horses in the middle of the night, disturbing my unusually-great-for-9mo-pregnant sleep. Keeping hydrated and couple bananas keeps the charlie horses at bay, but I don't know what is up with the burn while I run.
And sometimes I'm just so tired. But a couple weeks ago, due to circumstances beyond my control, I had two days in a row where I didn't get in a real workout, just some walking and pool time with my daughter. I didn't feel more energized. I was still tired, but then also feeling crappy about having not worked out. So, suck it up and get it done. According to James Clapp's book, to get the full benefits of exercising through a pregnancy, I have to keep it up at 75%+ of my pre-pregnancy routine, all the way to the end. And if I were to quit, the uber-placenta I've grown with all the exercise would fatten up the baby with the calories I had been burning. I'm not so much worried about a fat baby, since fat is squishy, but if the head is going to get bigger, that's not so cool. Anyway, between chiropractic care and the exercise, this baby better just slide right out!

Here are my latest pics, one of me geared up to run, and another regular one, just to compare how much the shaper sucks that belly in tight. I wonder if the baby will be affected by my pregnancy habits. Like will the running mean the baby has to be bounced to sleep. And will my use of the shaper mean the baby likes to be tightly swaddled... We'll see!

I have arrived!

Yesterday marked 36wks. And I ran 2.5mi this morning. So if I quit now, I can still say I ran into my 9th month of pregnancy :P I'm not stopping though. Aside from residual mild pelvic discomfort that causes a little waddling for the rest of the day, my runs still feel great.

GREAT Morning

It was cloudy yesterday so I was pretty sure it would be a cool morning. I got out there at 5:45, and it was perfectly cool and breezy. In fact, as I started my second mile, I thought, I'm going to run 4 miles! But I always think that, after I get over the initial "Why am I doing this to myself," as I settle into a good rhythm with my breathing and pace. And then I as finish up my requisite 3rd mile, I'll change my mind. Today though, I felt great. I went for it. I ran 4 miles in just over 42min, which is the most I've ran at once since completing the half marathon. Then, as I walked home, I passed a tall, lean middle-aged man who was getting ready to run and he said "Congratulations, keep it up!"
Here I am, once I got home this morning, in all my trappings that keep me running as I close in on 9mo's of pregnancy:



You're thinking, "Certainly, once this get-up no longer does the trick, she'll stop running until the baby's born." You're wrong. There's still duct tape ;)

ETA: While I thought I previously used mapmyrun to determine my usual route to be 3mi, I just did it again and found out that it's only 2.5! And what I thought was 4mi today, was only 3.4. Buzzkill!

I can do jumping jacks?!

Today I decided to keep it inside and do something OnDemand. I did Elle's Bikini Revolution Workout 1. I did the whole thing! I only had to modify two moves. The one where you hop down into plank, hop up and jump. I did it at half time. And then "mountain climbers" where again in plank position you're supposed to bring your knees to your chest rapidly. I just brought my knees in as far as I comfortably could, at about half time.
But jumping rope and jumping jacks? Fine! This is surprising to me because back in my first trimester, I was doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and I felt "off" doing any jumping moves and after one workout, I actually spotted, I'm guessing from the moves irritating my cervix. I don't know how having a 5+ pound baby in there is better, lol, but I did the moves with no discomfort!
Oh, and I got out yesterday morning early enough to run comfortably. My new plug for the high waist shaper is to say it makes running in month 8 feel like running in month 5 :D
Last, here I am, 34wks in my Brazilian cut bikini that I wouldn't even put on last year! Exercise does the body good ;)

Desert Heat

I woke up just before 6 today to run. But I let my daughter's pleas for snuggling keep me in bed and I didn't get outside until 7. OMG. Crotch-hot. I think it was already over 80, since the high for today is 109. I ran my 3mi, but that's the last time. I was dripping when I got home. I sat down, drank a sports drink and was still sweaty. I took a cool shower and once I dried off, beads of sweat were still collecting on my brow. I'd say that's too close to being overheated.
At least it was still early enough for me to see some rabbits and quail on my run.
Of all the reasons for a pregnant woman to stop running, I really didn't think the heat would do me in. But glancing at the forecast, it appears the days with lows below 80 are swiftly ending. I'll keep getting out there in the morning until they do.

Keep on keepin on

I flew back to my mom's for my little sister's graduation last week. Aside from that, my plans revolved mainly around where I would be stuffing my face.
But I wasn't too bad! While I did eat whatever I wanted, the fear of bloated, gassy, heartburn and that taut, "my belly is going rip open at the navel" sensation kept me from going overboard. And I dragged my mom with me to the gym every day.
On the day of my flight out there, I did not enjoy my morning run. So I had resolved to find more support or give it up for cross-training. While shopping with my mom I found a high-waist body shaper, not maternity, that offered some nice compression and came up over my belly button. And I figure I can use it post-partum too! I ran with it on under my running shorts, with my maternity support belt, and while the pressure created a more intense sensation like I needed to pee while I ran, I was pubic/groin/round ligament pain free! I'm too excited!
BUT... the weird spring we were having in Vegas is apparently over. It's hot. So if I'm going to run, it has to be in the early morning. So I haven't run since being back because my husband was out of town and I don't have a padded room in which to lock my three year old LOL
You win some, you lose some.