Bikini Season

It was nice and warm this weekend, and not windy! So out came the bikini.
I've learned recently that pregnant women in bikinis make some people uncomfortable. Probably the same people who think that women who nurse should stay home or go to a bathroom. Luckily, I have yet to meet any of the people with these odd hang-ups, or if I have, they were smart enough not to say anything to me about it. :)
Anyway, I've worked pretty hard to stay in good enough shape that I feel fine baring my belly to the sun! I already loved my belly, but it had the same winter pallor as the rest of me and a little tan does wonders! Do slather on sunscreen though because while most skin tans, stretchmarks do not. No thank you zebra skin LOL.
To any pregnant woman that has not used a pool, find one ASAP. It was just getting warm when I was due with my daughter, and I was so big and out of shape that no one could convince me to put on a swim suit, let alone get in a pool. But today I got in the pool and it was... awesome. Awesome is the only fitting word. I don't feel like my belly is particularly heavy, but the sensation of weightlessness felt great. I did variations of the leg slimmer Pilates moves with absolutely NO pubic bone or round ligament pain. And while I didn't want to get my hair wet, I spent some time just kicking and got my heart rate up a little without getting hot.
Ideally, I like running when it's in the upper 50's or in the 60's, then I just start to feel too hot. Now I know to just get in the pool if I couldn't get a run in in the morning! I'm going to look up other workouts to do in the water.




Side note, I notice that since I've quit the long runs, my quads are losing definition. My "generous" thighs need all the muscle definition they can get, but I apparently put too much emphasis on the hamstrings and butt and need to pay more attention to my quads. Hopefully I'll find some exercises I can do in the pool LOL

Apparel Awareness

Around 22wks I discovered that even my longest workout tanks wanted to ride up to my new "waist" under my boobs. I'm constantly tugging at the hem and it's... annoying. Since I didn't try to workout last time, I naively expected my current wardrobe to get me through the whole thing. I scored some empire waist tops at the Champion outlet for $11 after Christmas and while those are plenty wide, my belly still peeks out of the bottom.
I thought I'd go ahead and list some links for places where I've found good looking maternity athletic apparel, for those that have budgeted for such and expense (it's not cheap to cover a baby belly)
http://www.fitmaternity.com (this is also where I picked up my support belt, which I wore during my half marathon, and has helped keep me still running at 25 weeks).
http://www.maternityactivewear.com/aboutus/home.php
http://www.fit2bmom.com/
http://www.runningskirts.com/maternity-skirts.html these seemed really cool, but the price tag, not so much
http://www.bornfit.com/

Nike and Athleta also have tunic length tops with some spandex which should work over a belly, but again, not cheaply. And people that know me, know I'm a budget girl.
So, since our budget priority is a decent maternity leave, I'm really doubting that I'll be springing for any of the lovely options I listed and I'll be working out in my sports bra when the last of my longer tops just refuse to stay down:

I ran 3mi like this today, and I admit, I felt weird and like people were staring at me at first, but I told myself, "you've walked down runways in underwear and swimsuits, get over it!" I didn't even remember until afterward, that my best friend and I got naked on Baker Beach more times than I can count every summer when I lived in California. So, stare! LOL

Tomorrow's the day!

And I'm ready to run!
I've read that everything you wear/use on a race should be road tested, but I became worried that the 8 water stations wouldn't be enough for me, so I went belt shopping. But... I'm already wearing a support belt for the belly. And those snazzy belts are pricey. So I opted for a handheld bottle with a soft strap. The strap has a pocket where I can put my gels. I usually hold my phone and keys on my outdoor runs, so I figure an ergonomic bottle should be okay.
The only thing I'm worried about is what to eat in the morning. I don't want to have to go #2 out on the course. I was thinking just eggs, but a friend suggested that I need carbs... I've been doing my long runs early in the morning and not eating anything beforehand. But maybe I'll take her suggestion of a banana and peanut butter toast.

Half Marathon

Working out can get boring without a goal. And pregnancy in itself has so many built-in excuses to just not make the effort. I decided early on my goal would be a half marathon. I didn't have an event in mind and at first thought that I wouldn't really do one, I just wanted to know I could run that kind of distance. 5k or 10k didn't seem challenging enough since I was regularly doing rigorous cardio for 1hr+.
So I run Tuesday through Thursday at 10min intervals 3x throughout the day. It really helped with my nausea in the beginning. And the fatigue that was exacerbated by my 10hr work days. Fridays and Saturdays I cross train on the elliptical and bike for 40min and do a chest, arms and back routine with weights. Then Sunday is my long run, increasing in distance from 5mi every week. Monday is rest, with a focus on stretching. And I try to do a leg/butt routine on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings, but no later in the week because I learned early that long runs kind of suck when your muscles are sore!
I hit a wall early, at 7mi. Eating before and immediately after the long run wasn't cutting it, especially with how long the runs take since I have to keep my level of exertion at a pace that I could maintain a conversation (12+min mi after the first 4mi). I was getting hungry during the run. I really thought about maxing out there, since I wasn't preparing for an actual event. But a mom-athlete friend of mine, Jessica, suggested energy gels. Success! With the energy gels (honey stinger gold and strawberry banana gu being my faves so far), I feel energized and accomplished at the end of a long run, rather than like I just want to eat and pass out.
So, a few weeks ago, I learned about a half near me: Six Tunnels to the Dam. I can take as long as I need to finish because there's no traffic. It's not hilly. And it's March 13th, and I'll be 21wks, perfect timing for me to peak in my distance!