Connect the Dots Ginger | Becky Allen: February 2014

Sunday, February 23, 2014

GO!!!!!

Here I go, by this point I will be, oh, around mile 7 or so, hoping that my song of choice is the 7 mile anthem. Katy Perry's Roar. It goes perfectly with my "running story". I just can't believe that I am actually doing this! I AM EARNING MY TIARA while 29 weeks pregnant! ROCKSTAR!

Saturday, February 22, 2014

February Week 3 Workout Recap

I am doing this a day early since I have a fun post tomorrow that goes along with my previous 2 posts.

This lovely week was my taper week! I really do love taper week! So wonderful. I know that I will enjoy doing less mileage from here on out because my body was so happy with it this week. I won't do this small amount of mileage but it will be along these lines. I had planned on going to prenatal yoga on Thursday and doing a mile-mile and a half before but I was so busy we didn't make it. I wanted to do at least 1/2 the 1/2 marathon this week through walking and running but didn't make it. That is ok. I feel ready for tomorrow and that is all I need.

Pregnancy is going well too. The first 1.5 miles really hurts because my body doesn't want to move as much but after that point I am fine. I guess that is how any body is though pregnant or not. Kind of interesting. All I am thankful for is that my body is allowing me to move as much as I do pregnant.

Sunday: rest
Monday: 2 mile walk
Tuesday: 3 mile run/walk- (15:13 min mile)
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: rest (but ran around town like a turkey with its head cut off)
Friday: rest
Saturday: walk around the expo and rest, rest, rest

5 miles total mileage at 28 weeks pregnant. (my belly is smaller now than it was with Mace at this point! PRETTY COOL! I think I am losing belly fat while pregnant and super happy about that!)

Friday, February 21, 2014

Get Set...

We are all set to go here. I packed all I could last night and left the rest to this morning. I am taking an extra bag I wasn't thinking of taking, but considering that we only have one medium/large sized bag for both Matt and I that is pretty good. Plus the extra bag will have all my marathon stuff in it so that I can just grab that bag Saturday night and that is it.

This morning I am off to get my belly taped for the weekend! Hoping it stays on and doesn't cause too many issues between now and Sunday.

Then to pick up some dry ice for the cooler. Make breakfast for all of us and off we go! I am super excited for my race and glad that everything is done, including this beauty! Here is the back and the rest, well that will be shown on Race morning!
Check me out on FB, Twitter, and Instagram for updates and plenty of pix before I come back and post them all here!

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Get Ready...

Oh boy, oh boy! I have a ton of things to do today! This is my busy day that just won't let up on me! Are you ready for my list?

Do last load of laundry for whole family
Make 6 dozen cookies for trip, dough made yesterday so that helped!
Prenatal yoga
Have the hubs meet me at the gym to switch cars and pick up the kid
Go straight to my prenatal check up to get my "permission slip" to run in the race on Sunday.
Go straight to chiropractor for last race adjustment and 1 hour massage
Hurry home, teach a lesson
Feed the family dinner
Attach vinyl to shirt for race costume
PACK PACK PACK!
Sleep, whenever that happens...

Today there is no rest for the weary, unless you count the 1 hour massage. But things that are already complete:

All the dinners are made.
All the bread is made.
Jam already made.
Snacks bought for trip down and trip.
Bought cooler for said trip. (And new water bottles for the parks too)

Just need to organize some things, make master list of what is being taken so we know what to bring back with us. (Yes I am that OCD i.e. Plastic plates and cups for Mace so we don't brake the glass stuff at the hotel, but my stuff is my stuff.)

QOTD: Do you go OCD when packing for a big trip?

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Clean Eating Before Race

Last night I went to the store to pick up some provisions for our long, long, long drive down to Orlando. While I was there I kept thinking, I will be running I can't have candy and crap weigh and drag me down. And frankly, most of the candy didn't see to grab me like it usually does. (I did get some double chocolate Milano cookies though, but again not a huge pull that I have to have them.)

I think thinking about this race and wanting to do as good as possible and being super mindful in what I am putting in my body really helped shaped my wants and desires in the junk food department. I am going to be making energy bites (see below for recipe and thanks to my friend Jenna who shared the recipe with me) for the trip down and for after the race and snacks during the week, if they last that long. I also noticed that I have been increasing my water intake this week too. I know I need to drink lots of water because I am pregnant but I feel like I am downing an extra 32 ounces a day right now on top of what I am already drinking. (I try to drink around 100-120 ounces of water a day.) Just a habit I got into a couple of years ago!

One thing that I need to do better though, is the sleep department. I haven't be resting during the day, too many things to do! And night sleeping is getting more and more difficult. I feel like I am flopping around like a fish out of water just tossing and turning all night long trying to get comfortable. I see lots of falling asleep to HypnoBirthing in my future. I tend to get a deeper sleep and don't toss and turn when listening to it!


Energy Bites
Recipe by Jenna V.

You can add any nuts or chopped dried fruit and berries that you think would taste good.
1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned GF oats, but 1 min or regular oats works fine too)
2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter 
1/2 cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ (much prefer flaxseed)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I like dark chips)
1/3 cup honey (I usually do about 1/2 agave nectar
    and 1/2 honey - if only using agave it doesn't bind as well)
1 Tbsp. chia seeds (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla extract ( pure vanilla, not imitation)

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until it looks like a evenly distributed uniformed dough. Roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Stick in the fridge to harden and store in a air tight container in the fridge.
~This is what happens when a 2.5 year old LOVES THEM! He sticks his hand in the shot right as you take the pix!~

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Last Run Before My Half

I am so excited! Today is my last 3 mile run before I run my half, and possibly my last 3 mile run while pregnant. Still haven't decided yet how much I will run beyond next week. This training has really taken a toll on my body. I am ready to just take it easy a little bit. I will still do some walking. 3 mile+ walks are definitely on the books even up until I have the baby, got to get the baby out somehow, right! And I will try to do some running every week to keep up with it until I can't but it will be no more than 2 miles at a time. So this is my plan.

On a plus side, I am glad that I have ran as long as I have because it has helped in other departments during this pregnancy! I have had no weight gain beyond what I started at, yea! I am losing fat/parts of my body are not growing as much as they did with Mason. The pants I wore when I was pregnant with Mace I am wearing now and they are a little baggy on me yea! And I passed my glucose test with flying colors. This is the one test I am so scared of because I am overweight, but I was 20 points better on this test than I was with Mason. The biggest change for all of this is that I have been running/doing more consistent exercise.
One other note! Mason moved to his big boy bed on Monday. He has slept in his new room 2 nights now and hasn't fallen out of bed and really enjoys his new room! So excited for our big boy! Now if we could only teach him that the potty is not scary!

QOTD: How do you taper your runs before a race?

Monday, February 17, 2014

Less Than 1 Week

Less than 1 week to go and I will be running in my first 1/2 marathon, (while pregnant). I seriously think I am still crazy for wanting to do this but I am proud of the fact that I am because it is a very, very, VERY hard thing to train for while pregnant! I am so excited that we are actually leaving in just a few short days! I still have a lot to do before we go but I know I will get everything done. I have to!

As far as a weekly workout recap last week was not supposed to be my taper week but it kind of turned out that way in a bad way, as in no workouts! Just didn't happen. NOT GOOD! But this week is tons of walking and tomorrow is my last run before the race. 3 miles is on the books for me! But I feel good and ready for the race. I know I can do it. It is going to be hard and I will have to push myself slightly but I can do this!

I am so excited to run my race with my best friend K! It will be such a fun experience for both of us and yeah I am a little excited, more than a little to run through the castle. This race is going to be AWESOME!

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

In A FUNK!

The last few days have been very interesting for me. Since Sunday I have just been flat out exhausted by midday and I pass out for a good 2-2.5 hour nap. At first I thought it was just because of the long run I did on Saturday but as the days are going by and I am the same way everyday I believe that it is just the pregnancy fatigue coming back with a VENGEANCE! It doesn't help that I am waking up in the middle of the night and have a hard time falling back to sleep! Around 1pm though I feel like I can just curl up anywhere and just fall right to sleep. So it has been a weird few days with me dealing with that.

Plus we are getting ready for the storm which is in progress right now! Hoping that we keep our power through the storm. Last year during this time we lost power for the day. But we are very prepared and able to go without power for a few days without it being too much of a trouble. It won't be fun when our house gets super cold but we could handle it! Done it before for a few days in a row at our other house a few years ago.

Tomorrow the whole city it seems is shutting down. So there won't be any yoga for me. :( I actually really have been enjoying yoga. So indoor activity it will be. Matt could very well be home from work tomorrow too if it is still snowing pretty bad in the morning so we could have a full day together. That will give me some time to tape up Mason's new bedroom in preparation for Saturdays painting fun!

Time to go back to bed. This momma is tired!

Monday, February 10, 2014

Nesting: Round 1

I am almost 27 weeks pregnant and I am feeling that weird thing that happens to pregnant mommas. The urge to nest and make everything perfect before baby. I keep looking at my calendar and I just assume that Feb is a lost cause and that it is just going to fly by me and before I know it we are in March and then I only have 2 months to do anything. Because I am naturally OCD about certain things, I had already planned on having everything ready to go by April. But man oh man I am feeling that itch like crazy to just get started.

The first phase of the plan is this weekend to paint Mason's new room, a beautiful light grey I might add. All the new bedding for his "new big boy twin sized bed" is arriving this week, including the quilt which I was told was on back order until June but is currently being shipped to my house! And get that room all ready for him to move into when we get back from our trip. Planning on doing the second coat of paint next Monday and what's the point in moving him into his room when we are leaving 4 days later. But I will have it all set up made all pretty so that when we get home he can graduate to his new bed. And move all his clothing into the new walk-in closet in his new room (debating on getting a lock for the closet, advice?)
~The quilt for Mason's room and will have matching curtains, and getting a navy comforter for the winter months.~
March, paint the nursery and change the current toddler bed to a crib with the mattress set super high for a baby, (AH, IT WILL BE FOR A TINY BABY AGAIN!) And get it set up with the changing table in it. And put the baby clothing for 0-3 months or 0-6. However much I can fit in there.

April, all the bags packed for the "just in case" and pack n play assembled. Car seat set in the van by 36 weeks. See how OCD I AM! But I will tell you I am starting to get nervous because I look at my calendar and it is just flying by. Even if I take it just a month at a time, the months will fly by being busy with teaching, concerts and prepping for baby. I just have to make it to May 3rd. I can have the baby anytime after May 3rd. (That is the date of my studio's piano recital. I will be huge but that's ok. It's my last day of teaching before baby.)

Sunday, February 9, 2014

February Week 1 Workout Recap

1st week of Feb is already over and done with. Anyone else think that time is FLYING BY?!? I can't believe that my race is only 2 weeks from today! After yesterday though I am very thankful that it is only 2 weeks from today because this body is ready to back off on its mileage. This week along, whew! I was one busy gal at the gym.

A few notes on how this week went. I am tired, like all the time. I feel like I go to sleep within a few pages of my book that I read when trying to go to sleep. On Friday night I was playing my hypnoBirthing CD instead of reading and I fell asleep at some point but when I woke up about 3 hours later I was in the same exact position I fell asleep in. I hadn't moved one bit which is odd for me since I am tossing and turning most nights now trying to get comfy! But the CD knocked me out! So thankful for the deep sleep I was able to get in those 3 hours.

I have still been having major round ligament pain in my lower belly. The taping does help on the long runs but I finally caved and got a support belt and it helped me a TON yesterday on the long run I did. I didn't hurt too bad until about mile 9 since that was the point at which I hadn't gone past. So it was new territory for my body but I have come to realize that mile nine is my, must push past point!

Also new to this week is the baby bouncing on my bladder. Every time I did a running stint Collin would sit right on my bladder so every step made me feel like I had to pee. Then when I did there was nothing there. Very uncomfortable and the belt seemed to help lift him off of that area which I was thankful for yesterday!

So here it is: My workout recap

Monday- rest
Tuesday- 3 miles run/walk (15:13 min/mile)
Wednesday-3 miles walk (16:20 min/mile)
Thursday- 1.5 miles (mile 1 at 14:30 min/mile; .5 mile 16 min/mile)
Prenatal yoga class
Friday-4 mile walk (16:23 min/mile)
Saturday- 11 mile run/walk (15:17 min/mile)- LAST long, long run before Princess half!

Total Mileage 22.5 miles at 26 weeks pregnant!

Friday, February 7, 2014

Disney On A Budget


2 weeks from today we will be leaving on our little "trip". Little HA! This is a big trip for us and with that has come a lot, TONS, of pre-planning to make sure that it goes nice and smoothly.

As you know vacations can become pretty pricy. And trips to Disney, well they are pricey! We are attempting Disney on a budget this time around. So here are some ideas that we have come up with to help save some pennies on this trip.

~Since we live on the east coast we decided to drive and take what we wanted with us. We figured that driving would be about as much as flying since Mason now requires a ticket to fly so we would be paying for 3 people to fly. We are splitting up the driving between 2 days though to make it easier on this momma to be and a 2.5 year old. I am so excited to be stopping in cities that I have never visited before!  Since we are driving we can take Mason's mattress with us since he has never slept in a twin sized bed yet plus his toys and some of his plates and cups. Plus toys and other things that he likes. I feel like we are going to pack up the whole house just for this kid! (so thankful for my van! It can haul a ton of stuff!)

~Time share- We are going on this trip with a friend and her hubby and we are staying in a time share as opposed to staying on the Disney Resort. (The night before the race K and I will be staying on Resort while the men stay at the time share so that her and I can get some sleep before the very early wake- up call!) By doing this we are able to save money. Try to see if timeshares have transportation provided to the parks or not because then you have to pay for parking everyday or every time you leave and come back to the park. Which can get pricey.

~Bring your own food. With staying in a Time Share we are getting a full kitchen. Disney resorts do have some accommodations that have full kitchens in them so there are some options there. And if you fly it is hard to bring your own food but you can still shop at the store and make your own food and still save money. Food at the parks can get expensive!  Dinner- I am bringing 5 freezer meals for dinner with us. We are keeping them good in a chest with dry ice on the way down to make sure they stay frozen. Pack a lunch- We will be brining our lunches with us on most of the days. I am making all the bread needed for PB &J sandwiches and will have some snacks pre made for the days to keep the kid entertained. We are stopping at the store to get the basic essentials that we will need for the week, fruit, veggies, milk and eggs.

~Bring you own water bottles. There are drinking fountains all over the parks and water bottles get expensive if you have to buy one every time you get thirsty, and our kid, LOVES water! So this is a must for us, his cup and water bottles for us.

~There are different ways to get discounts on ticket prices. Military can go through their MWR to get military priced tickets. Travel agencies can possibly get you a discounted package price or AAA might have variation prices or purchase a package with lower prices. Most people want to spend 5 days at the parks but they might only have a 4 day and 4 night package. It might save you a ton of money to do that option instead of the 5 day option.

I still have a ton of things to do before we leave but I can't believe that this is so close now! I love Disney and am so excited to see Mason experience Disney for the first time!

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Good Days & Bad Days

I am at that point where I will often have a good running day and a bad running day thanks to this little guy I'm carrying. And they can be completely back to back. Case in point: Yesterday. BAD RUNNING DAY. The whole day my stomach just felt queasy and every time I got ready to go running I would need to postpone because it just didn't feel right. So I didn't run or walk yesterday.

Today, good running day! I felt strong and ready to get going. Mason is the one who took forever to let me get him dressed to get to the gym. I did my 3 miles with a different type of plan in mind, didn't really work and went back to my old plan but at least I tried something new. I still finished in just over my 15 min/mile requirement I have placed for myself. The first mile and a half though, wow, my round ligament doesn't like me very much but after that point it lessened up a bit and I was able to continue. But now I know that it will take me at least 2 miles to feel comfy running.

On another note, all the half marathon paperwork is up on RunDisney along with the course map. I found out what corral I am in, and it isn't the last one, YEA! But there are also 1,778 other runners with me in my corral alone! Looking at the map too, after this Saturdays run I will know I can do 11 miles and miles 12 and 13 are at Epcot so that makes me happy because once I am in Epcot I know I will almost be done! The only thing they don't list on the course map is the bathroom stops! I know that there is a "real" restroom in Tomorrow land. But reading another blogger today from her review of the marathon is that there were really long lines for that bathroom, for most of them, so a little worried there because I don't have too much time that I can slow down and stop and I will probably need at least 2 stops. Anyhew! Less than 3 weeks to go! I CAN DO THIS!

QOTD: What do you do when you have a "bad" running day?

Monday, February 3, 2014

January Week 5 Workout Recap

Sorry, meant to post this yesterday! I am at the point in my pregnancy where I am starting to feel, UGH when exercising. It is becoming more and more difficult to do my runs. I am noticing that I have started to slow down, just a fraction, but slow down the nonetheless. It is taking more energy to run and I am really excited that the 1/2 is this month, at the end of the month but still it is this month and then I can back off on running a little.

Mondays at the gym it is often difficult to find a treadmill to work out on. And I have only been allowed to get my 30 minute in before someone is waiting behind me for my machine because ALL of the machines are taken up. This happened last Monday. Tuesday was Mason's 2.5 year check up at the doctor and he got his flu shot and wasn't up for going out afterwards so we came home and I let him sleep. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday became my running days, and I won't be able to do that again. I need a day off in-between. On Friday though I did get my belly taped. It helped me on Friday and on Saturdays not so long, long run. I will have the guy tape the belly just a little differently as I still had some pulling on my right side from the round ligaments, but I think it is because the tape didn't go under my belly on that side, it kind of crossed over it and I need the "lift." I am getting it done again on Friday for my last LONG run before the 1/2 doing 11 miles. I will see if it helps. If it doesn't then I will try out a support belt which a friend at church offered to let me borrow. But I am just happy that the 1/2 is so close now because seriously every week I ask my self, "What are you thinking!"

Monday: 1.5 miles walk on treadmill 30 min elliptical
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 3 miles walk/run (15 min/mile)
Thursday: 1 mile walk/run (15 min/mile)
Friday: 2 miles walk/run (15 min/mile)
Saturday: 5 miles walk/run (15:10 min/mile)

Total Mileage: 12.5 miles at 25 weeks pregnant
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