Running is in the Air

This weekend I have two friends running the Marine Corps Marathon. I’m officially a dork and love to watch race results, so Rachael and Amanda…I’ll be spying on you and cheering for you from home! Rachael is 25 weeks pregnant (I think…maybe it is 24 or 26?) and is my official running hero this year. I’m hoping she will drag me along with her on some runs next year to get my mile pace comfortably below 10 minute miles. Amanda is running for St. Jude’s, and this is her first marathon. I’m living vicariously through her this weekend.  I can’t tell you how badly I want to finally cross a marathon finish line.

While they are busy running 26.2 miles this weekend, I’ll be running/jogging/walking/waddling the Wicked 10k. I have no expectations for the race except I do expect to do some fun people watching. I can’t wait to see what costumes people run in. People go all out in this race. I do expect it to be a lot of fun! I’m also begging the weather gods to keep the rain away for Saturday morning. Although I love running in the rain, a lot of people don’t enjoy it as much. Since it is a fun run, I’m afraid everyone will stay home this year if it rains.

Aside from all the fall races going on, the weather around here has been perfect for running. The air is crisp. The sun feels good on my skin. I also love running through all the leafs on the streets.

I have definitely had running on my brain a lot lately.  Maute Moo’s due date is now 2 months plus 1 day away, I can’t help but think about running post baby.  I’ve been doing my fair share of dreaming (realistically and not realistically) about running in 2012. I’m smart enough to know that my journey back to running and training is very personal to my body.  It is also very dependent on how things progress in the delivery room.  I have friends who are back to running 4 weeks post-baby and other friends who have to wait much longer but have come back just as strong. I have a great friend who ran a full marathon 4 months post-baby. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by such inspiring people.

Since I want to have a strong foundation before I start marathon training (to avoid another injury), I’ve decided that a Fall marathon is best for me. I’m planning according to what I think will be my best case scenario because I think that is the only way to plan things. Plan for the best………

One race I keep going back and forth about is the Shamrock half-marathon. If Chet comes near his due date, the race will be 11 weeks after his birthday.  I’ve thought about sitting this one out this year, but I really love this race (and it’s the races 40th anniversary). I’ve thought about signing up for the 8k, but I really love the half-marathon course. Since this race typically sells out before the start of 2012, I can’t wait to see how my body bounces back from baby. I’ve decided to take the leap of faith and register for the Shamrock Half-Marathon.  I know this is a little (or maybe A LOT) ambitious, but I plan to run/walk the entire thing. My plan is to use this race to jump-start Marathon training. I don’t plan on caring about my time. I really just want to enjoy the day.

2012 Post-Baby Running Plans:

March 18th (about 11 weeks post baby):   Shamrock Half-Marathon

April 1st (about 13 weeks post baby): Cherry Blossom 10-miler – I’m entering the lottery for this race. Maute Moo is our souvenir from the 2011 Cherry Blossom Festival, so it will be a great way to celebrate family if I’m lucky enough to have my number drawn.

June 2012-ish: officially start marathon training

Fall 2012 – Full Marathon

I’ve been doing some research on races, but I’m not sure which Marathon I want to run next fall.  I want it to feel just right since I’ve been training for 2 years to run my first marathon thanks to a few minor delays: my stress fracture and pregnancy.

Fall Marathon Thoughts:

October 7, 2012: Chicago Marathon  – I was born in Chicago, and it is my favorite city. Cole will be 8 and Chet will be 9 months old. I’d love to turn it into a family weekend and visit the Shedd Aquarium. (registration opens Feb. 1st. If I decide to go for it, I have to sign up that day!)

October 2011: Atlanta Marathon – Like Chicago, I think this could be fun family weekend including a trip to the Georgia Aquarium (a place Cole has been begging to go since it opened!). I don’t know anything about the race, so if you have any info PLEASE SHARE!

November 2012: Richmond Marathon – This one is close to home, so financially speaking, it would be easy to plan. I loved running the half-marathon last year too.

November 2012: Rock n Roll Savannah – One of my favorite 11 mile runs took place in Savannah on a girls weekend before my wedding. It is such a great town to run through. I also planned on running this race this year before I got pregnant!

11 mile finish line at the Forsyth Park Fountain

Those are the 4 contenders right now although I’m still open to whatever falls into my lap.  The only one I need to decide on sooner rather than later is Chicago since it sells out.

Anyone else planning races for 2012 already? I can always be talked into running more if you ask 🙂

Maute Moo Update – Week 31

There is only one word to describe this week: TIRED! This mama is tired. I could happily go to bed at 8pm every night after taking a 2 hour nap every afternoon following lunch. If only that were a realistic option…

If I had to describe this week in two words it would be tired and water-retention. Things are starting to get puffy. My face. My feet. my legs. All of them are a bit more swollen this week.  The swollen face mixed with the dark circles under my eyes are not my idea of pregnancy glow. But since those are my only two complaints this week, I will gladly accept these two aspects of pregnancy.

The rest of my issues have gone away this week. I’m not having any crazy cravings. My hip feels good for the most part. Running is going good. I’ve been making it to yoga. I think my little bit of sickness over the weekend was actually allergies combined with a tired body.

Life is pretty good for this pregnant lady….if only I could keep my eyes open to enjoy it!

Sleepy Mama....Cole said I look beautiful. Christian said I don't really look like this in person. I say I look oh so tired!

(We did squeeze in some pumpkin carving fun tonight after a hair cut, a trip to babies R us, and dinner with Christian’s parents!)

OH! And how can I forget to mention…..

We are officially as ready as we need to be for Chet to come home. We bought a car seat today! Mister Moo has a place to sit for the car ride home from the hospital. After thinking the car seat we really wanted was no longer available, I was  afraid we were going to have to settle for a car seat that was too baby for our taste or not compatible with our BOB. To my surprise, they had it at Babies R Us today. When I brought it home, Christian informed me of why he liked this car seat over all the other car seats.  Are you ready for it?

…. The strip on the car seat looks like a biking hat. Yes! My husband picked out our son’s car seat because it matches one of his biking hats. And YES! I love that it makes him happy. It’s fun to see all of Christian’s passion for biking and surfing translate over into his love of his family. (and Yes! I completely agree that it is completely dorky, but I do have a soft spot for nerds.)

Chet's new ride

 

It can hold Chet until he weighs 35 lbs, but a 40 lb Cole seems to fit just fine!

The Ghost of Halloween Past

Confession: I might possibly be the Scrooge of Halloween this year.

I really do love Halloween. It is Cole’s favorite holiday (without a doubt). I love passing out candy. I’ve even had fun dressing up in years past. This year I haven’t done anything for Halloween. All the Halloween and fall decorations are still in the storage closet. We haven’t visited a pumpkin patch or anything spooky. We have one lonely pumpkin on my front porch that my mom and Cole picked out on their Thursday afternoon together.

All of this is really quite sad since it is Cole’s favorite holiday.

Excuses for my lack of Halloween spirit:

#1 – Cole will be at his dad’s house for Halloween this year. He leaves on Thursday.

#2 – The idea of decorating our house while I’m still trying to make sense of all the new baby stuff doesn’t sound like fun. It just feels like a lot more clutter. We do not need any help in the clutter department

#3 – I really can’t believe it is the end of October. Isn’t Halloween a few months away?

It really is amazing what a difference a year can make. Last year I got dressed up and headed out with some girl friends for Halloween parties. Yes! That is me as the Queen of Hearts (even my family didn’t recognize me). I even made the entire costume. Yes! We won first place in the costume contest.

so much fun

Last year, we had 3 happy pumpkins living on our front porch that we picked out after a hayride and a trip to the pumpkin patch.

Spooky!
On the hayride

Last year Cole got dressed up and Christian and Grandpa took him trick or treating.

Really Spooky

This year I have nothing for you……….Sigh! We are craving our pumpkin tonight, and I am running the Wicked 10k on Saturday. Maybe there is a little time left to find our Halloween spirit!

No Soup for You Sunday

This weekend I’ve decided to embrace the role of pregnant lady with my feet up on the couch.

How do you say no?

I woke up yesterday morning with a cough. I didn’t think too much about it. I’ve been a little more congested my entire pregnancy. I got out of bed, ate breakfast, and headed out for a run. My poor pathetic dog made it impossible for me to leave him at home. How do you say no to a dog that is happily waiting for you at the front door ready to run. The dog plus my pregnancy made it a very interesting run.

Our neighborhood has dozens of houses with invisible fences around their entire yard. Dogs are free to roam around the entire yard. This means there are a lot of dogs waiting at the curb to say hello to Alex as we run by them. Alex is by no means the best dog on his leash. He does relatively good, but he loves to play with other dogs. He’s been going to doggy daycare since we first rescued him last year. He thinks every dog is his best friend. Once we get a mile into our run, Alex does great. It is just a battle to keep him from crying at each dog he passes. Fortunately he doesn’t pull too much.

In an attempt to avoid the first mile cries from Alex, I changed our normal running route. I headed in a direction that has fewer invisible fences. As Alex and I got to our first half-mile, two kids had their dog outside with them hanging out at a dead-end. The dog wasn’t in an invisible fence nor was he on leash. Alex was so excited to have a friend come up to greet him. Normally I would attempt to keep Alex focused but with a 7 month pregnant belly and a really hyper dog, I knew I wouldn’t win that battle. Alex got an impromptu play date in the end of the dead-end street.

A few minutes later, we looped back to our house for a quick bathroom break. I now require a bathroom break 1 mile into every run. After that I’m good to go as far as I’d like to run. We were now headed out on our normal loop. Alex did great until we crossed paths with a lady walking her dog – a long-haired version of Alex. She walked her dog right up to Alex. Once again, Alex was thrilled to have a meet and greet in the middle of the street.

Apparently there was a creepo taking pictures of us from the bushes

Although the run was filled with doggy distractions, it was actually one of my better runs lately. I’ve quit paying attention caring about time but for those of you that are curious, I am now running about 12:00 – 12:30 minute mile. Slow and Steady. The doggy distractions were actually good for me. I ended up running majority of the 4 miles on our run. That hasn’t happened in a long time.

Fully embracing my lazy evening

Cole and I spent the rest of our afternoon play our new Wii Game, Lego Pirates of the Caribbean, while Christian had his final session on his Willy Wonka tattoo. Alex happily slept the afternoon away thanks to his morning running.

Around dinner time last night that cough I had Saturday morning creeped up on me. My entire body was achy – sick achy, not running achy. I had a low-grade fever. I quickly found comfort in my couch and started forcing fluids. (I always forget to drink my water on the weekends).

This morning I woke up feeling just okay. I’m spending the day doing nothing (besides a little cleaning and laundry). I’m not making soup or baking bread. I do not, do not, do not want to get sick. There is no time for that in our schedule.

I’ll be back Sunday with a new soup to try (and hopefully 100% healthy).

The husband's new tattoo

Yoga, Yogurt, and a sigh of Relief

Thank you Mom for the time!

Once again, my mom came to my rescue on Thursday night. She picked up Cole from school and spent the evening with him so I could get to my yoga class (without stressing out my husband). How the heck did I survive on my own in Tennessee for nearly 4 years? Raising a child while maintain a healthy life is so much easier with a support system.

As always, the yoga class delivered everything I needed.

I have been anxious about some decisions Christian and I made early in my pregnancy about the delivery location of our baby since we started our birthing class. It’s no secret that I want a natural birth (granted there are no medical complications). Christian and I both continue to be amazed by the knowledge we are gaining in our birthing classes. We leave every class in awe of how amazing the human body is and how it’s made to take care of itself.

The more knowledge that we have gained in this process, the more questions we want to ask. We are delivering our baby at the brand new hospital in Virginia Beach. When I first found out I was pregnant, I was lost when it came to chosing a OB/GYN. I was hoping to go by referrals from friends. I had also heard about the midwifery hospital in our area, but knew nothing about it. It was a lot to think about and take in during a hormonal 1st trimester. I ultimately made my decision to deliver at Sentara Princess Anne after speaking to my sister-in-law (an OB/GYN in Northern Virginia). She recommended a group of good doctors, and I loved the idea of having my baby in a brand new hospital.

At that point, I knew I wanted a natural birth and  I knew I need more knowledge of the process. We signed up for our classes with local doula’s that were recommended to us by at least 4 people who had successful natural births.  On the first day of class, I soon realized that Christian and I were the only couple not delivery at the midwifery center. Had we made a mistake? It is too late to change at this point. As we filled our brains with knowledge about labor on Wednesday evening, I felt myself getting anxious. Everything they were teaching us was geared for a birthing center such as the midwifery center. I knew (and the doula’s confirmed) that Christian and I would have to have a strong birthing plan written down on paper in order to make sure I have the delivery that I want.

Wednesday Night the anxiety of the unknown started to consume my thought process. By thursday morning I was ready to hire every doula in Virginia Beach to advocate for my natural birth. By the time I got to yoga on Thursday night, I was certain I had chosen the wrong group of doctors and the wrong hospital.

C & O Canal, Harpers Ferry WV

Last night’s yoga practice was the perfect flow class. I enjoyed ever warrior position, downward dog, pigeon pose, and childs pose. I was able to refocus on my body and forget about the stresses of the perfect hospital. By the time we got to savasana I was breathing better and relaxing more. During the meditative practice, our instructor, Katie, discussed fear that can exist within us.

Music to my ears…….For the past 24 hours I had been consumed by fear that I had made the wrong choice for our birth plan. Although I know that fear is the worst thing to experience during child-birth, I couldn’t put to rest all the concerns that were floating around in my head. I was afraid we chose wrong. I was afraid I wouldn’t get the opportunity to at least try to have a natural birth. I was afraid Christian would have to focus all his attention on advocating for my natural birth that he wouldn’t be able to be my support person. The snowball effect of negative thoughts was rolling down the mountain at full force.

Katie guided us through our inhales and exhales. On our inhale, we should inhale thankfulness. On our exhale, we should exhale gratitude. Inhale thankfulness. Exhale gratitude. She gently remind us that when thankfulness and gratitude are present there is no room for fear.

At this point I knew that no matter what answers I received from my OB/GYN about my birth plan request, I needed to remove my fear from the process. I needed to focus on what I was thankful for and express my gratitude for a healthy pregnancy. I could get through the process of a natural child-birth (with or without the support of hospital protocol) if I could remove my fear.

I left yoga feeling satisfied and content…………and quickly headed next door to have some frozen yogurt with the ladies from Mom’s Run this Town.  I got home in time to kiss Cole good night while he was half asleep in his bed and enjoy some couch time with my husband.

But the story doesn’t end there……………

This morning I had my appointment with my OB/GYN. Maute Moo is doing just great (heart rate: 130, measuring right on track for his due date). After the quick check, I was able to  ask all the questions I listed on this week’s Maute Moo update post.

  • At what point will they make me get an induction (hopefully this won’t be an issue, but I’m holding out for no drugs)? As long as baby is healthy, we don’t have to discuss it until 2 weeks past my due date! (sigh of relief)
  • Role of the doctor during delivery since I just want to be left alone (for the most part)? Quiet is HUGE in my birthing plan. I want a quiet, peaceful room. Even my chatter box husband knows his job is to be quietly supportive during the process. She recommends birthing at home as long as possible, but not waiting until ears are poking out! I don’t have to wear a fetal heart monitor the whole time. I can walk around. I can wear my own clothes. They know that my body is the best indicator of problems during a natural birth. (sigh of relief!)
  • My plan for no drugs? I really don’t want the nurses offering me pain meds every few minutes. Again, they are supportive of this process! (sigh of relief!)
  • I do not want to have my baby laying on my back. I definitely don’t have to be confined to my back, but my safety and the baby’s safety is their first concern. (good enough for me!)
  • I have some questions/concerns about when the umbilical cord is cut, breast-feeding post-delivery, etc. They will wait to cut the umbilical cord, but I won’t be able to hold the baby right away (Christian and I need to research this more before I make that decision). I can breast feed right away, and Chet will stay with us for at least an hour post delivery before he is taken away for hospital protocol things as long as there are no issues (sigh of relief!)
  • A huge detail on my birthing plan is Cole….I want him to be the first person (beside Christian and I) who meets his brother. Not a problem at all (sigh of relief!)

While I would probably prefer the midwifery Center if Christian and I have another baby, I feel at peace with the decisions that we have made for this pregnancy.

Good thing I didn’t run out and hire all the doula’s of Virginia Beach Thursday morning. I feel confident that our birthing plan will be executed according to our wishes (with a few minor modifications to satisfy hospital protocol). Another thing to feel grateful and thankful for going into my birth.

Potomac River, Harpers Ferry WV