Oh Man!

I think this is the coldest outside I have ever felt in my life!!! currently in central VA at 9:44 am it is 5 degrees outside with a wind chill/feels like -6 degrees! THAT IS CRAZY COLD!

Everyone stay safe and warm if you venture out. As far as running outside. BUNDLE UP or go run inside at a gym. I have a friend here that has been waiting for the last few hours to go for a run outside and decided since the temp hasn't gone up at all just to do stair work in her house instead of hill pickups.

Me personally I will be running at my gym in another hour or so. I have a good solid 3.5 mile run. YEA!

And yes, all my AZ friends your 44 degree morning is quite nice compared to my frigid weather! You are lucky. Enjoy the outside weather and go run outside for me, please!

QOTD: Are you running inside or outside today?

January Week 1 Workout Recap

This week with New Years threw me off my normal schedule. And I just didn't want to work out on Tuesday or Wednesday. Oh, and I did get puked on early in the week so Mace really shouldn't have gone to the daycare anyhow! But I did do some workouts, just not as much running, running as I should have done.

Oh and it is the beginning of the year which means increased gym attendance and restricted time on the treadmill. The gym has a 30 minute limit on the machines so I have to watch to see how many machines are taken up to see if I can stay on or move to another machine.

Monday: 3.5 mile walk- 15:43 pace
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: 1/2 mile walk- 16:00 pace. 1 hour prenatal yoga
Friday: rest
Saturday: 4 mile walk- 16:15 pace

My goal for this next week is to run on Tuesday and Thursday as my training runs and Saturday is my LONG run of 7.5-8 miles. WOW! Longest yet! Monday and Friday will be walking days again and I will continue to do my prenatal yoga on Thursdays! 7 weeks! ONLY 7 more weeks until my 1/2 marathon!

2014 Goals

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I love new years because it is a chance to start over and try to do better in all that you do, or choose to do. My usual goals are to lose weight, make more lunches for my hubs, do better at my church duties.

Here are a list of my goals for this year:

1. Weight loss/Staying Healthy-
This year is different. I can't lose weight because I am pregnant. My goal with that is to not gain too much. I am already doing pretty well in that department. I am still 4-5 pounds under what I started this pregnancy at, which is a pretty good feeling. I am not doing it on purpose. If I am hungry than I eat. But this pregnancy, I am still exercising, a lot more than I was with the first. I feel fuller sooner too. So I am not eating as much as I used to.

Also, I am eating better foods in general. I have indulged, I love my desserts, but again I can't eat too much without feeling icky and sick. So I think that is a good thing for me. I get little tastes not the whole cake! Also once the baby is born my goal is to try and stay healthy, and let my body and the baby do the work in the weight loss dept with the breast feeding. Hoping that this time the breast feeding will help me shed some of the baby weight I put on.

2. Exercise-
I plan on exercising as long as I can before baby. I already know my cutoff for the gym though which will be May 1 so that it is a full month instead of a partial month payment. I plan on running as long as I can too. I will not be running long distances at the end of the pregnancy, but if I can continue to do 1-2 slow, slow, slower miles than that would be nice. But if not, than a nice walk would be great too. I plan on doing yoga up until I have the baby. I will probably fork out a day price to go to the yoga class because I think it will help me in the end more than it does now.

After baby I plan on starting to run again in August. I am giving myself the full 2 months to rest and recover after baby. It could be a little longer depending when the baby arrives in May but Aug 1 I will be in the gym. I also plan on running/walking in the Women's 4 miler that is at the end of Aug/early Sept. It is such a great race I don't want to miss it. Then it is getting back into training and such. Still debating if I can pull off running a 1/2 marathon in November or not. We will see how I am feeling after baby. But that is in the plans for me!

3. Blog pageviews-
I really love writing in this blog. It is personal, it is real and it is fun. I love hearing my friends read it. I would love for all of your friends to read it too. I would love to get double the number of monthly page views by the end of the year. I know that it is just me, but I also know that a year ago, I was looking for other blogs out there to help inspire me to get off my duff and get moving and I hope to do the same for someone else! Through Heather's looking Glass, Healthy Heddleston and This Runners Trials are the 3 blogs that I visit all the time and helped me keep on moving. I am inspired by their stories and adventures!

4. Be a Better Mother-
Yes that is true. I am still learning how to be a mom and there are things that I am lacking in and things that are pretty good. I need/want to be better at reading with my son. Sitting down with him explaining things. Make him put the puzzles together without my help. It is so easy for me to just do things for him. He needs to learn on his own and I really struggle with having him figure it out on his own, cause it is just easier for me to do it for him. On top of that I have to learn how to be a mom to 2 kids. I am scared for this. I am scared about the whole juggling thing. I just hope and pray that my kids are patient with me as I learn how to be a mom to both. As my husband says, take it one day at a time.

5. Continue to grow my piano studio-
I love teaching. I love my students. It is sad that I am having a hard time finding students in my area. By the end of the year I hope to have a steady solid 10 students with a possible wait list. I can only fit 10 in my schedule with the hubs and 10 is plenty to have when I am also a full time stay at home mom. Teaching is just amazing though. I love being able to pass on the love of music to our next generation.

So there you have it! My goals. If I think of any more I will write them out, but I have spent all day thinking about them and this is what I have right now. Also on a cool note, this is my 100th post! Such a small number but still I have done 100 posts in the last 4 months! Pretty neat!

QOTD: Did you make new goals this year or keep some of the old ones?

December-Week 3 Workout Re-Cap

Last week was a great week for me in the working out department! I really did well and am super proud of myself. I pushed myself but not too hard. I listened to my body (until Sat.) and I think we both did more than we thought. (My body and me)

Mon: 2 mile walk-17 min mile- super slow to get back into moving
Tues: 3 mile run/jog - 14:42 pace
Wed: Pilates stretching 20 min DVD
Thurs: 2 mile run- Interval walk @ 3.7 with 5.0 run on treadmill (2:30 sec)-15:09 pace
1 hour prenatal yoga class
Friday: 1 mile run/jog- Interval walk 3.8 with 5.0 run (2:1)-14:00 pace
Saturday: 5.5 mile run/walk-15:06 pace (first time I got hip pain going uphill.)

13.5 miles!

Spoke to my running coach for the training program I am in and he gave me a schedule to follow to help me get ready for the 1/2. My long runs are just getting longer from here on out.

I am doing much better today and yesterday after downing a ton of water. I have learned my lesson. More water! I now carry around a 32 ounce bottle with me and my daily goal is 4+ of them. It is a ton of water! I will also be running with my water bottle and a camelback on my long runs and when I get home, gatorade and more water, even if I don't feel like drinking anything.

HypnoBirthing

I am so excited to share this post with you. I have had a lot of women asking me about hypnoBirthing since they know I did mine with it and drug free. 

What is Hypnobirthing? Per hypnobirthing.com it is a simple, straightforward program, thoughtfully developed over the years to remind mothers of the simplicity of birth itself. Just as the majority of birthing women do not need interventions and procedures for safe and healthy birth, they do not need a complex set of exercises and scripts to prepare themselves for peaceful, calm and comfortable birthing. 

Here is a 9 min video on hypnoBirthing:

 

When I was 14 years old my nephew was born. I remember hearing about the epidural process and it freaked me out. Why would you put a needle in your spine? It didn't make any sense to me. I told my mom that day that I was never going to get an epidural when I have a baby. She just looked at me and said, "We will see." Ever since I got married I looked forward to getting pregnant and showing all the naysayers that yes I could do it without pain relievers. (I had told countless other people by this point my plan on a drug free labor. Common response was "yeah right".) 

When I finally got pregnant after 8 years of trying, I called my sister in law who had 5 kids all drug free. She was induced with all her labors because she wouldn't go into labor naturally. So yes, while on pitocin she did not get any pain medication. Did she want it, heck yeah. Until her 5th birth. She used hypnobirthing. I talked to her a ton about it. She sent me the CD's to listen to and told me the book to get. (HypnoBirthing the Mongan Method) I was about 24 weeks when I started listening to the CD's. I would listen to them when I walked on the treadmill. (Use your own judgement.)

I would listen to them about 3 days a week at the gym and then maybe 1-2 days at home just to relax. I loved listening to the positive affirmations CD the most. It just made me feel better. 

My labor story with Mason: 

Mason was induced with cytotec, not pitocin, since my hubby was leaving for Iraq 3 days after Mason was born. During the induction, waiting for things to happen, I listened to the positive affirmations to get them clear in my head especially for during the "hard part" and after. At 4:30 I had a failed induction. I was only a 4 and 100% and -1 station. Doc said I could go home or break my water. We broke my water and got the party started. (I didn't want my water broken prior to 7cm by the way because I was concerned about other things happening than can happen. But I needed my hubby there. Personal choice I made.) Water broke, doula was called and got there in 30 min (which felt like FOREVER by the way) I got in the tub to labor and that is when I found my relaxation spot. I imagined my white chair at the end of a long hallway. I had ever-changing walls around me and when I had a surge (contraction) I would see waves lapping on the beach all around me. In between surges I laid back in the tub and went to my quiet place. My husband said it looked like I was asleep. The only pain at this point that I complained about was my feet were hurting because I was kneeling in the tub and the top of my feet hurt in the tub. At about 8ish, I started feeling the urge to push in the tub so I had to get out. Couldn't relax in-between the contractions as much as I had to make my way back to the bed and contract in the middle of the room with my hubs as support.

Got checked in the bed and it was go time. Doc and nurses said I was an awesome pusher and baby could have been born in 3 pushes but they needed me to "stretch" So the doc kept the head crowning so I could stretch around it. I never once felt the "ring of fire." I felt pressure. I didn't scream. I grunted like a gorilla, because that is what my body needed to do. Mace was born at 8:52pm. I did have a 1 degree tear, not from the head by from the force and speed at which I birthed his shoulders. I also felt the stitch when the doc stitched me up. I said, "ouch!" when he stuck me with the needle, I guess he didn't numb me. He remarked, "You are complaining about a stitch after you just pushed a baby out!" He was dumbfounded by it. I told him it was a different pain. But it quickly went away as my endorphins covered up that pain too. It was just the first stick that was different. 20 minutes after I had Mason, I remember saying, "I want to do that again!" The nurses thought I was crazy! The adrenaline rush afterwards was AMAZING! Not even the scariest roller coaster has given me that much of a rush, but it was easier than I thought it would be. Then nurses also told me that I was born to birth with how well I did. (FYI I don't remember most of my labor experience. I was that relaxed and focused. My doula and hubby had to fill in the blanks for me about what happened.)

Ever since I had Mason I have been excited to get pregnant and bring another life into this world but also to go through birthing again. It was not like it was in the movies, or the 2 ladies around me in the hospital before they got their epidurals. They were screaming, like I'm going to die screaming. We knew when they got their epidural because it got very quiet. I made noise, I grunted a lot. I did a lot of breathing. I did it drug free. I was also open to the fact that if I needed an epidural I would get one, but I never got to that point. Now it is time for me to start listening to the CD's again and I am so excited. I am going to try this again. My concern, will I get into that super relaxed state if my labor is less than 4 hours. Mason was 4 hours, this one should technically be faster. We shall see. 20 more weeks and we will know for sure.

Laid Low

Hello my blogging friends! I am still sick, sick, sick! It is not fun. I completely lost my voice as you know last Friday and it has not returned. It is better now and I can speak again but for only a little bit and it involves a lot of hacking up of lungs. Not a fun cough. My hubby has been home all weekend taking care of me and watching Mason so that I can rest. (He even brought me lunch in bed on Saturday.) Sadly with this sickness I haven't exercised, but I do wonder how many calories are burned when you are coughing the amount I am. It has to do something, right?

Anyhew, today I am going to try an at home video by Leslie Sansone, Walk Away the Pounds. One of the 3 miles ones I have. These are my go to for home exercise when I can't get out. And lately with all the snow and ice and urging from the VDOT to not drive we have been/would have been stuck at home. So today I am back to exercise, but slowly. I have to get back to running regularly as the half is quickly approaching! So join me today in exercise. In about 2 hours I will be doing me. Will you do yours?

QOTD: What exercise do you do when you are snowed in?

Getting Back To It

So I really have taken a couple of weeks off from serious training. I wanted to rest. I hadn't really taken a "rest" since before I started the W4MTP in June. I needed one.

Well, rest time is over! This week I am back into it, seeing in how I have my first long run scheduled this Saturday with the 10 miler training program, I really ought to run prior to that. So Today and Friday are my short run days. Yesterday I did a 2.5 miles walk and cleaned, cleaned, cleaned. Wednesday is my swimming class and Thursday is my yoga class. And Saturday, long run. No idea how many miles but thinking at least 4 miles, maybe. We will see what group I get placed into.

Also, we did see our little baby yesterday! Healthy and happy and squirming around all over the place! Every time the Doc tried to get a good profile pix it would move around. But the one below is pretty good! This one is going to be a super active little baby. It will be interesting to see if it is more active than Mace was when I exercise. That was when Mace would go crazy.

SAHM In Home Weekly Tip- Legs

Alrighty moms! Here is a healthy tip to keep in peak condition! While in yoga on Thursday, my instructor talked about the one area that has a hard time getting back into shape after baby. What is that area? The inner thighs! OK I know that there are other areas that have a hard time getting back in shape after baby but really do we really work our inner thighs?

I am not the kind of person to just jump out of bed and start doing squats and lunges but sadly those are the exercises that our inner thigh muscles need to get back to it.

Realsimple.com has 5 easy tips on how to strengthen your inner thighs, actually it will work your whole leg too but main focus is for inner thigh. They are easy and short. I tried them out a few times since Thursday and my legs already feel stronger. I feel ready for my short run tomorrow! Yes they are a little sore, but they feel strong. Give them a try!

On another note! I get to see the baby today. We are doing a 12 week screening today. I'm adopted and we don't know my medical history so this gives us a peek inside to make sure everything is developing great! I am sure it is but I like to know, know. Ya know!?!

QOTD: Would you like to participate in a November challenge with me??? Like the squat challenge?

(source for photo)

Water and Toys!

Loving the water today. It was so relaxing and just so, perfect. I have been having low back pain, so glad that tomorrow I see the chiropractor and my massage therapist. It just did a body good today! Side affect to exercise, I am exhausted afterwards. So thankful for Mommy quiet time in the house so that I can get some much needed sleep/rest.

On another note: Mason's Nabi tablet, a tablet designed for kids, decided to die on us the other day. It hadn't worked right for a few days prior to Monday. This tablet has been part of his mommy quiet time. I put him in his room and let him play his tablet or sleep. He gets to choose. He usually plays for 30-45 min then sleeps for 2.5 hours. I am truly blessed!

We called the company and told them what was going on it with and they are sending us a BRAND NEW ONE! I can not wait till we get that tablet back because the little guy has taken over my cell phone wanting to play his puzzles and games! We use that thing so often.  He loves it! I will play pandora's toddler music station and he can continue playing his games while getting to hear nursery rhymes, and I get to learn the words to those nursery rhymes. As he gets bigger we can do chore charts with points associated and it has learning sections to help him grow and learn, like math and science. That tablet is seriously an amazing thing to have!

QOTD: Do you let your kids play on your computer, phone or tablet?

Some Days

Are not like the other. I am coming to the end of my first trimester next week and I am hoping for some relief of some of the common pregnancy related symptoms. My morning sickness is almost all gone, all the time. YEA! But fatigue and now dizziness has been more of a annoyance.

Yesterday was bad with the dizziness. Anytime I get up I have to take a few seconds to right myself so I don't end up on the floor. I have to remind myself that I can not stand up as fast as I used to. I don't remember having the dizziness this badly with my 1st pregnancy. So this is something that I have to either just get used to or just be more careful with.

My gym solution. The treadmill and elliptical have been giving me motion sickness. Inside my gym there is an indoor track. I call it the gerbil wheel. It is a small little thing. 12 laps equal a mile. So that is what I am doing. Walking and moving with things moving as they should instead of me running in place and bobbing seems to work best. So for the time being now, I will be running around on the indoor track. Yea for gerbil wheel track!

Oh and here is a pretty neat site for natural homeopathic remedies for morning sickness that goes along with my picture.

QOTD: What exercise would you give up if you had to due to a sickness or pregnancy?


Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. Contact your doctor or medical professional for any medical questions you have, diagnosis or treatment. All information found and offered on my blog are of my own opinion. 

Fish Out Of Water....

But in the water! Hmmm. Trying to do some cross training now so that I am not running ALL THE TIME! Yes I have a half marathon to train for but my poor feet just need a rest every now and then.

I took a water exercise class today. It is so weird sometimes because I AM the youngest person in the class, without fail, every time I take it, and THE OLD LADIES ARE KICKING MY BUTT! They can kick higher, travel faster, and just move faster in that water than I can. I was focusing on running in the water during the "speed" section and it was a great little workout. But man, some of the things we did just killed my shoulders. It was fun. And every Wednesday these little old ladies are just going to have to get used to a youngster being in the midst and I am going to have to work a little harder to keep up with them!

Yoga tomorrow! Excited to stretch and relax!

QOTD: What are your favorite classes to take at your gym? 

source

Something New

(source) 

I tried something new yesterday! I tried yoga. I have never done a class setting. Only by DVD. Thought I would give it a shot. It was actually really cool and I guess the DVD's did help me a little. I knew the names for most of the poses already and was able to hold most of them. It was a beginning super easy class. And to top it off.. I was the only one in there. I guess the cold rain kept everyone away from the class and I got an hours worth of personal instruction from the teacher. It was really neat!

I did the class to help me stretch a bit before Sundays run. I am feeling more relaxed and stretched and ready for the run. It is going to be a COLD morning and possibly rainy still. Looking forward to it.

QOTD: Any advice for cold rainy runs?