This Sunday Bill and I ran the Stratton Faxon Half Marathon in Fairfield Connecticut. This half marathon had lots of selling points for me. For one, it was perfect timing...the last week before my third trimester. It also was billed as being flat (it even says on the website "The course is flat and very fast."). Also, it is on Jennings Beach, so I was looking forward to spending the day on the beach afterwards. And it is just a short train ride away from Manhattan.
Of course, even being a short train ride away, we still had to get up at 3:30 am in order to be there on time. Yuck. It was okay though, because it's been so hot here and it's made me so tired that I actually fell asleep the night before at 9:30 pm, giving me a full 6 hours of sleep.
Running all of these New York Road Runner Races made me actually forget what it's like to run a non-NYRR race. First of all, they kept talking about how huge this race was...the largest that they've ever had. They were warning us about the course being so crowded, which was kind of funny, because they had a record 4800 runners. The weekend before, Bill and I ran in a little 5 miler in Central Park that had 5000 runners, and that is pretty much typical for summer races.
Also EVERYONE got a technical shirt...even the people running the 5k. And you just went up to the booth and they gave you one. You didn't have to get an "x" on your number or anything.
The port-o-lets were the cleanest port-o-lets I have ever seen...before the race AND on the course (yeah, I had to stop twice on the course...pretty sad).
Also, it is SO NICE to run through pretty, scenic neighborhoods. Don't get me wrong, Central Park is beautiful. But I run there every week and know it like the back of my hand. The whole course actually reminded me a lot of the Flying Pig. I could have sworn we were running in Mariemont a few times. The crowd support was also about equal to the Pig's, which is pretty cool for a half marathon.
The start was kind of weird though, because they had women in one place and men in another. So Bill and I didn't meet up until after the first mile. I have to say, even with my run/walk plan I had a very rough start. My legs were in so much pain because my calves were so incredibly tight. It was probably a good thing Bill wasn't running next to me for that first mile because I was in bad shape mentally. He got an earful though when he saw me.
I was like "I don't know. I'm going to see how this goes, but at this point I'm not finishing this thing." All I could focus on was my leg pain even though Bill was telling me to focus on something else like my breathing, which pretty much just made me want to punch him. (Yes, mentally I was at mile 24 of a marathon.) He asked when we should consider stopping and I said I wanted to go until at least mile 5 and then see. He later told me that he thought this was kind of funny because since it was an out and back course I might as well do the whole thing at that point. Obviously (and smartly) he didn't tell me this.
We stopped on the side of the road in someone's yard and Bill massaged out my calves, which actually did help.
Except, there were SO MANY FREAKING HILLS on this "flat, fast course" that every time I started to climb one again my calves would seize up. So we Plan B'ed it. Every hill, we walked up. This of course, threw my intervals off, so we decided to play the intervals by ear.
We were definitely running at the back of the pack, which I definitely did not like. I know I used to run here all the time, but I was mad that I was running here now. It was so sparse (running populationwise) and it made me feel like I wasn't running a race. Plus I was like "I am definitely not going to make it before the cut-off." AND there were CARS on the road. Ergh. Not something I want to have to pay attention to during a race.
At about mile 6, I started feeling really good. I was even picking up my pace on the running part, and I was able to do 6 minutes of running at a time when I fell off of the intervals because of the hills. I was able to have a nice, fun conversation with Bill without feeling an urge to punch him (I swear, it's just the running thing...the whole time my mind was like "He is just trying to help. He is so supportive. He is the best husband ever." but it was also like "SHUT UP. Just SHUT UP." I am glad that he ran the Pig with me that one year, because he went through the same thing with me, and now he understands. :)
We were actually having a really good time, despite the fact that we were now regularly climbing steep Hyde-Park-Blast-type hills.
We were also doing this back and forth type thing with this other group of runners, who, at about mile 10, decided to change their run to a run/walk. My inner goal was to beat them.
Before we knew it, we were at the end!!! (And we passed the team in black that kept being behind and then in front of us.) And let me tell you, it was the first race where I didn't want to pick up my pace when I saw the finish line. I just didn't have any more left.
I was actually happy with myself even though my time was way off what I am used to. (I got a 2:46.25, which is a 12:44 pace. Last year, in similar weather conditions and on a hillier course in Queens I got a 1:54.07 which is an 8:42 pace. I only point this out because I am amazed at how much your pace can change without you having any control over it.) The medal was also nice, and I wore it all day, even over my swimsuit when we were hanging out at the beach afterwards.
And besides being super-chafed and having swelling feet, I felt pretty good physically. Definitely good enough to scarf down the free after-race food (a hot dog, an apple, two pieces of pizza and a half pint of fruit punch). :)
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Lead Legs
The funniest thing happened in the last week...I feel like my legs are made of lead. It kind of stinks because:
1. I feel energized
2. I feel strong/am not injured
3. I had a great run 2 weeks ago
It is crazy...I don't feel sore or tired or anything, just like my legs are heavy. In fact, it feels like when you have a really hard workout and have a bunch of lactic acid buildup. Bill thinks it is the 17 pounds I have gained, and he makes a good point. I mean that is like over a 12% weight gain.
At any rate, it has made me re-evaluate my workout plans. This past weekend I had 2 long(ish) runs. One eight-miler and one five-miler and I decided to experiment with them. I had been meaning to try the whole run/walk thing, and I found this the perfect opportunity.
We started out with 4 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking. I soon found out that one minute was NOT enough rest time. It seemed like just when I was getting to where I felt "good" we had to pick up running again. Bill suggested a 3/1 combo, but I told him what I really needed was more REST. I already had my watch all set up though, so I wanted to continue the 4/1 for the 8 miler and switch to a 4/2 for the 5 miler the next day.
Yeah, well that didn't really happen. Because when I got to the little hills on the west side of the park they killed me. So we pulled over and I reset my watch and we did 4/2s. OMG what a difference! My energy was back, and just when my legs were starting to feel heavy again I was up for a walk break, which made me recover. Plus, the walk time is a great time to rehydrate. I actually felt like I could have done another 5 miles at the end, so that's good!
The next day in my head I wanted to run the whole thing (since it was a race), but I was willing to see how I felt. Since it was crowded (the first sold-out race of the summer, which meant 5,000 runners) I told Bill we would run through the first run walk run cycle (10 minutes) just to get past the crowd and then see how we felt.
Haha.
I think I should have just stuck with the run/walk and not worried about the crowd.
Oh well, good learning lesson. I was actually pretty happy with my race, even though it seemed dreadfully slow. I just have to keep reminding myself "You are running because it is good for you...not because you love it so much right now."
So the plan for this weekend's half marathon is definitely run/walk 4/2. I am looking forward to the nice flat course on the beach and then just hanging out on the beach afterwards. I am definitely ready!
1. I feel energized
2. I feel strong/am not injured
3. I had a great run 2 weeks ago
It is crazy...I don't feel sore or tired or anything, just like my legs are heavy. In fact, it feels like when you have a really hard workout and have a bunch of lactic acid buildup. Bill thinks it is the 17 pounds I have gained, and he makes a good point. I mean that is like over a 12% weight gain.
At any rate, it has made me re-evaluate my workout plans. This past weekend I had 2 long(ish) runs. One eight-miler and one five-miler and I decided to experiment with them. I had been meaning to try the whole run/walk thing, and I found this the perfect opportunity.
We started out with 4 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking. I soon found out that one minute was NOT enough rest time. It seemed like just when I was getting to where I felt "good" we had to pick up running again. Bill suggested a 3/1 combo, but I told him what I really needed was more REST. I already had my watch all set up though, so I wanted to continue the 4/1 for the 8 miler and switch to a 4/2 for the 5 miler the next day.
Yeah, well that didn't really happen. Because when I got to the little hills on the west side of the park they killed me. So we pulled over and I reset my watch and we did 4/2s. OMG what a difference! My energy was back, and just when my legs were starting to feel heavy again I was up for a walk break, which made me recover. Plus, the walk time is a great time to rehydrate. I actually felt like I could have done another 5 miles at the end, so that's good!
The next day in my head I wanted to run the whole thing (since it was a race), but I was willing to see how I felt. Since it was crowded (the first sold-out race of the summer, which meant 5,000 runners) I told Bill we would run through the first run walk run cycle (10 minutes) just to get past the crowd and then see how we felt.
Haha.
I think I should have just stuck with the run/walk and not worried about the crowd.
Oh well, good learning lesson. I was actually pretty happy with my race, even though it seemed dreadfully slow. I just have to keep reminding myself "You are running because it is good for you...not because you love it so much right now."
So the plan for this weekend's half marathon is definitely run/walk 4/2. I am looking forward to the nice flat course on the beach and then just hanging out on the beach afterwards. I am definitely ready!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Pregnancy PR Plus
This past weekend I ran the Women's Mini 10k. This race is sort of a big deal because it was the first women's-only race I think ever (it started in 1972 and is called the "mini" because it was sponsored by "Mini" Razors). It ends up drawing a lot of elites like Linet Masai and Lornah Kiplagat. But this year I was very excited because Kara Goucher and Paula Radcliffe were running it as a "fun run" since they are both pregnant (and both due a week before me!). I love, love, love Kara Goucher, so I was very very happy. I was hoping to snap a picture of them before the race and even had my camera on me.
Anyway, I always like this run, because it is very "girl power" AND you get to run up Central Park West for the first part, instead of being stuck in the same old Central Park loop.
It was a muggy day (66 degrees but 78% humidity) but at least it was overcast and a little cooler than I was used to. I had no time goals, but wanted to run with a good effort and just see how it went. Since it was a women's only race I was in the red corral (the second fastest) and I think it kind of screwed me up. Even though I was telling myself to take it out no faster than a 10-minute pace, I think I got caught up in the race pace. I THOUGHT I was holding back, but when I looked at my watch at the half mile I saw I was doing an 8:40 pace...whoops. I slowed down immediately, knowing there was no way I could hold that.
I was glad that I did because those hills were killer. Even the slight elevation on the way to the downhill part of Harlem Hill was tiring my legs out. I was keeping a nice even 10:16 pace though and felt pretty good. I was also making sure to stop at every single water stop because I could tell that I needed them. With my good head start of a 9:48 minute mile and the following 10:16 I decided to make a mental goal of beating my first ever 10k time, which was a 1:09.
The back end of Harlem Hill got me though. I was really fighting the urge to walk because I wanted to run the entire race. I decided to allow myself a little walk break when I got to Lasker Pool, at the bottom of the hill. But then I saw that the 3 mile marker was halfway up the hill and quickly revised my plan to make it to mile 3. That allowed me to run half the hill and walk half of it, and I felt that this was much more justified :)
Even with all of the walking and water breaks I was still not that far off my goal. That last mile was an 11+ pace, but I was getting my energy back now that all of the bad hills were over.
When I hit Cat Hill I didn't even feel like I needed the water stop, but I stopped anyway.
I don't remember what my 5th mile was, but I know it started with a 9, which made me ecstatic. I felt great...great enough to pick up the pace for that last mile.
I did feel like it was the longest mile ever. When I got to the 800m to go sign I was like "Really? A whole HALF MILE?!" I didn't know if I could keep up the pace. I must have though, because I saw Bill just after mile 6 and when I looked at my watch I saw that I was flying! I shouted to Bill "9:20!!!" I was super pumped! I haven't seen those kind of numbers since before pregnancy! I was definitely going to make my goal.
I dug in and concentrated and finished with a 1:02, 10 minute pace flat! I was so happy! So happy that I didn't even really care that I got the ugliest carnation the guy handed me after the end :)
THEN the best part!!!
Bill and I were walking back the race course to cheer on our friend, Bess when who do I see signing autographs? Kara Goucher! It took some needling, but Bill convinced me to stand in line and get my picture taken with her. ( I was like "NOOOOOOOO! I am NOT a ten-year-old girl!")
I think she is probably the nicest professional runner ever.
First of all, she noticed my "Running for Two" shirt, which she said she loved and then started asking me all kinds of questions ("When are YOU due?" "How do you feel?") I told her I got a pregnancy PR which she said was great and then told her that she was inspiring me to keep running. She was like "I don't see why not, right? I mean, if you feel good you should!" and then she said "We'll probably be singing a different song in the 9th month though, right?" Aw. She was very nice and I felt very happy to have talked to her for more than 2 seconds like everyone else. Her husband Adam was there too, but I was mainly just startstruck by Kara. :)
Anyway, I always like this run, because it is very "girl power" AND you get to run up Central Park West for the first part, instead of being stuck in the same old Central Park loop.
It was a muggy day (66 degrees but 78% humidity) but at least it was overcast and a little cooler than I was used to. I had no time goals, but wanted to run with a good effort and just see how it went. Since it was a women's only race I was in the red corral (the second fastest) and I think it kind of screwed me up. Even though I was telling myself to take it out no faster than a 10-minute pace, I think I got caught up in the race pace. I THOUGHT I was holding back, but when I looked at my watch at the half mile I saw I was doing an 8:40 pace...whoops. I slowed down immediately, knowing there was no way I could hold that.
I was glad that I did because those hills were killer. Even the slight elevation on the way to the downhill part of Harlem Hill was tiring my legs out. I was keeping a nice even 10:16 pace though and felt pretty good. I was also making sure to stop at every single water stop because I could tell that I needed them. With my good head start of a 9:48 minute mile and the following 10:16 I decided to make a mental goal of beating my first ever 10k time, which was a 1:09.
The back end of Harlem Hill got me though. I was really fighting the urge to walk because I wanted to run the entire race. I decided to allow myself a little walk break when I got to Lasker Pool, at the bottom of the hill. But then I saw that the 3 mile marker was halfway up the hill and quickly revised my plan to make it to mile 3. That allowed me to run half the hill and walk half of it, and I felt that this was much more justified :)
Even with all of the walking and water breaks I was still not that far off my goal. That last mile was an 11+ pace, but I was getting my energy back now that all of the bad hills were over.
When I hit Cat Hill I didn't even feel like I needed the water stop, but I stopped anyway.
I don't remember what my 5th mile was, but I know it started with a 9, which made me ecstatic. I felt great...great enough to pick up the pace for that last mile.
I did feel like it was the longest mile ever. When I got to the 800m to go sign I was like "Really? A whole HALF MILE?!" I didn't know if I could keep up the pace. I must have though, because I saw Bill just after mile 6 and when I looked at my watch I saw that I was flying! I shouted to Bill "9:20!!!" I was super pumped! I haven't seen those kind of numbers since before pregnancy! I was definitely going to make my goal.
I dug in and concentrated and finished with a 1:02, 10 minute pace flat! I was so happy! So happy that I didn't even really care that I got the ugliest carnation the guy handed me after the end :)
THEN the best part!!!
Bill and I were walking back the race course to cheer on our friend, Bess when who do I see signing autographs? Kara Goucher! It took some needling, but Bill convinced me to stand in line and get my picture taken with her. ( I was like "NOOOOOOOO! I am NOT a ten-year-old girl!")
I think she is probably the nicest professional runner ever.
First of all, she noticed my "Running for Two" shirt, which she said she loved and then started asking me all kinds of questions ("When are YOU due?" "How do you feel?") I told her I got a pregnancy PR which she said was great and then told her that she was inspiring me to keep running. She was like "I don't see why not, right? I mean, if you feel good you should!" and then she said "We'll probably be singing a different song in the 9th month though, right?" Aw. She was very nice and I felt very happy to have talked to her for more than 2 seconds like everyone else. Her husband Adam was there too, but I was mainly just startstruck by Kara. :)
Me and Kara Goucher!
Sadly, I missed Bess' finish, but we all went out to celebrate our run afterwards with some greasy diner food :)
Bess, Gina and Me before heading to brunch
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Japan Day Race
I don't know WHY I am trying so hard to get in my 9+1 races to qualify for the 2011 New York City Marathon. I already have guaranteed entry since I forfeited my guaranteed entry this year. I guess I always need a goal in running and this is it for me. I also like running races because it makes sure that I am still running and staying in shape.
At any rate, after my very hot 6-mile run on Saturday, Bill and I woke up early to do the Japan Day 4-mile run on Sunday. It was still hot, and there was no sign of the rain that they were talking about all week, which kind of made it worse (recorded temps were 75 for the 8am race with 79% humidity).
But I am SO GLAD that we ran on Saturday. It made Sunday so much easier, mentally and physically.
One thing I did forget was that the summer races are CROWDED. Especially in the middle of the pack where I run now. The whole time we were on everyone's heels and there was never any room to pass...not that I really needed to pass anyone.
I felt like I was putting forth a good effort, which made me realize the truth about effort vs pace.
I was telling Bill about this during the run. When I ran competitively it was a whole different ballgame than how I run now. Last year it was all about time, no excuses. Even though people were telling me that things like heat, humidity, whether or not you had a long run, or a hill workout or a speed workout the day before, etc affected your race, I was always trying to PR, no matter what. I remember being really upset with myself last year during the Women's Mini 10k because at practice I was averaging 7:40-8:15 pace on 10ks and on that race I averaged an 8:33 pace. And it was hot that day!
But running during pregnancy has taught me that those things really DO matter. I can tell when my body is pushing hard, and time is not always a reflection of that.
In this race we were doing a consistent 10:37 pace and it felt just as hard as those 7:40s that I used to do at practice.
I have also really been able to tell the difference between pushing it so that I get a good workout and knowing when I need a break. My OB says that this is why athletes do well in pregnancy workouts. She said that athletes have a much better understanding of how their bodies work, and they are the best measurerers (hmmm, not really a word, I know) of their effort levels. Studies have shown that when pregnant athletes need to stop or take a break, they do. So that's what I do...I push to get a hard workout, but not so hard that I will hurt myself. It ends up being pretty rewarding, and I have almost always felt good afterwards about my runs.
I even made it up Cat Hill without stopping (Cat Hill has been my Achilles Heel on my last 2 long runs) even though it was in the third mile of the 4 mile race.
So I was pretty happy with my 41:50 (which averaged out to a 10:27 pace!). And I felt GREAT afterwards. Great enough to walk the 2 miles home and scarf down a sausage sandwich from the corner bodega. :)
At any rate, after my very hot 6-mile run on Saturday, Bill and I woke up early to do the Japan Day 4-mile run on Sunday. It was still hot, and there was no sign of the rain that they were talking about all week, which kind of made it worse (recorded temps were 75 for the 8am race with 79% humidity).
But I am SO GLAD that we ran on Saturday. It made Sunday so much easier, mentally and physically.
One thing I did forget was that the summer races are CROWDED. Especially in the middle of the pack where I run now. The whole time we were on everyone's heels and there was never any room to pass...not that I really needed to pass anyone.
I felt like I was putting forth a good effort, which made me realize the truth about effort vs pace.
I was telling Bill about this during the run. When I ran competitively it was a whole different ballgame than how I run now. Last year it was all about time, no excuses. Even though people were telling me that things like heat, humidity, whether or not you had a long run, or a hill workout or a speed workout the day before, etc affected your race, I was always trying to PR, no matter what. I remember being really upset with myself last year during the Women's Mini 10k because at practice I was averaging 7:40-8:15 pace on 10ks and on that race I averaged an 8:33 pace. And it was hot that day!
But running during pregnancy has taught me that those things really DO matter. I can tell when my body is pushing hard, and time is not always a reflection of that.
In this race we were doing a consistent 10:37 pace and it felt just as hard as those 7:40s that I used to do at practice.
I have also really been able to tell the difference between pushing it so that I get a good workout and knowing when I need a break. My OB says that this is why athletes do well in pregnancy workouts. She said that athletes have a much better understanding of how their bodies work, and they are the best measurerers (hmmm, not really a word, I know) of their effort levels. Studies have shown that when pregnant athletes need to stop or take a break, they do. So that's what I do...I push to get a hard workout, but not so hard that I will hurt myself. It ends up being pretty rewarding, and I have almost always felt good afterwards about my runs.
I even made it up Cat Hill without stopping (Cat Hill has been my Achilles Heel on my last 2 long runs) even though it was in the third mile of the 4 mile race.
So I was pretty happy with my 41:50 (which averaged out to a 10:27 pace!). And I felt GREAT afterwards. Great enough to walk the 2 miles home and scarf down a sausage sandwich from the corner bodega. :)
Hot Time Summer in the City
I have to say that I was not thrilled to wake up to 79 degree temps on Saturday morning. Not to mention that it was also muggy and that in the half hour that it took me to get ready it had already climbed up to 83. Yuck.
The plan was to do my 10 miler with Bill (nice and easy, but still...). I guess I should also mention that my pregnancy running book recommends not running when it is over 85 out. This had already screwed up my plans earlier in the week when I was supposed to do a 3-4 mile run and it was 85 out (at 7:30 pm!). Bill and I ended up walking the 3 miles, which made me feel pretty lame, but I figured it was better than not getting out there at all. ( I swear though, it was a good 10 degrees cooler by the river where we were walking on the way down, then in the park, which is elevated, on the way back...and they are RIGHT next to each other!)
Well, we had decided on 2 5-mile loops, or maybe a 5-mile loop in Central Park and then running over to Riverside to run by the nice cool river (but also in the hot sun with no shade). We were going to play it by ear.
Into the first mile I had already decided that 10 miles was out. I had already done a little walking (which I have no problem doing, but have never done before the end of the first mile). Bill and I decided that 6 miles was an admirable goal.
Shortly after that, we decided that 6 miles run/walking was an admirable goal.
I went through 3 and a half 16oz bottles on that 6 miles and a GU!!! (Unheard of! I do not take GUs until the 6th mile AND I usually go through about 8oz of water for every 6 miles).
We did finish our 6 miles. And it seemed to take forever...but even with all of the walking and stopping to get water our pace averaged out to 13:17, which I think was actually okay.
We ran into one of my running friends from TNT on the way back, and she said that it was so hot and unbearable that her group in the morning only did 2 of the lower loops (1.7 miles). Yuck.
If we have a lot more days like this, I think my pregnancy running days are numbered.
Afterwards, Bill and I went to Chipotle and I scarfed down 3 tacos (which I can never usually do) including grabbing a fork to get all of the rest of the meat that fell out. And then when I got home I had to have something else because I was still starving.
Luckily, I was smart concerning my hydration...because my pre-run weight was EXACTLY the same as my postrun weight! Hurrah to me!
The plan was to do my 10 miler with Bill (nice and easy, but still...). I guess I should also mention that my pregnancy running book recommends not running when it is over 85 out. This had already screwed up my plans earlier in the week when I was supposed to do a 3-4 mile run and it was 85 out (at 7:30 pm!). Bill and I ended up walking the 3 miles, which made me feel pretty lame, but I figured it was better than not getting out there at all. ( I swear though, it was a good 10 degrees cooler by the river where we were walking on the way down, then in the park, which is elevated, on the way back...and they are RIGHT next to each other!)
Well, we had decided on 2 5-mile loops, or maybe a 5-mile loop in Central Park and then running over to Riverside to run by the nice cool river (but also in the hot sun with no shade). We were going to play it by ear.
Into the first mile I had already decided that 10 miles was out. I had already done a little walking (which I have no problem doing, but have never done before the end of the first mile). Bill and I decided that 6 miles was an admirable goal.
Shortly after that, we decided that 6 miles run/walking was an admirable goal.
I went through 3 and a half 16oz bottles on that 6 miles and a GU!!! (Unheard of! I do not take GUs until the 6th mile AND I usually go through about 8oz of water for every 6 miles).
We did finish our 6 miles. And it seemed to take forever...but even with all of the walking and stopping to get water our pace averaged out to 13:17, which I think was actually okay.
We ran into one of my running friends from TNT on the way back, and she said that it was so hot and unbearable that her group in the morning only did 2 of the lower loops (1.7 miles). Yuck.
If we have a lot more days like this, I think my pregnancy running days are numbered.
Afterwards, Bill and I went to Chipotle and I scarfed down 3 tacos (which I can never usually do) including grabbing a fork to get all of the rest of the meat that fell out. And then when I got home I had to have something else because I was still starving.
Luckily, I was smart concerning my hydration...because my pre-run weight was EXACTLY the same as my postrun weight! Hurrah to me!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Being Sick is the Pits
So I ended up taking a WHOLE WEEK off of working out because I had a cold. Yuck.
I learned two things from being sick while pregnant:
1. Your immune system is very very much down, which means it is a lot easier to catch things like colds. It also means that it takes a much longer time to get over colds. I caught mine on the 17th (a Monday), and had to take off of work because it was so bad for THREE DAYS. I never do that. It still wasn't fully gone until the following Sunday. And I still have a nagging cough left over. Blah.
2. You can't take any drugs. Oh yeah, and no herbal supplements either...so even Airborne is out because it is an extra dose of Vitamin C.
Normally this awful cold would have been gone with a half day of rest for me...but I was not so lucky this time. As a result there was no running. Also no weight lifting, no stretching, no yoga, no working out. Pretty much I just laid on the couch and watched tv. It sounds like fun but it isn't. I think I was driving Bill nuts.
So when I got back into the routine of things last week about all I could muster at once in the heat was a measly 2.5 mile run. And it SUCKED. It was like I had taken 2 weeks off of working out instead of one. I even had to walk a couple of times, and then stupid things started happening (like my foot cramped up so badly that I had to take my running shoe off midrun. Seems I have a potassium deficiency. While I eat 3 bananas at work a day, which takes care of it, being sick at home I kind of had forgotten to do this.)
I MADE myself do a weight workout on Friday, lifting the lighter weights I have and it was hard too.
So on Saturday I was pretty much dreading our 8-miler.
Luckily I had lots of moral support from Bill and my friends Gina and Donna who joined us for the run. It was muggy out, which made it tough, but we muddled through. I only stopped to walk twice, once being at the killer Cat Hill (but I was proud of myself for making it through the first time...it was the second time that got me). We ended up averaging a 10:29 pace, even with the walking, so I was pretty happy.
It also made me feel like "Yes, I CAN do this half marathon that I signed up for at the end of my second trimester!"
I learned two things from being sick while pregnant:
1. Your immune system is very very much down, which means it is a lot easier to catch things like colds. It also means that it takes a much longer time to get over colds. I caught mine on the 17th (a Monday), and had to take off of work because it was so bad for THREE DAYS. I never do that. It still wasn't fully gone until the following Sunday. And I still have a nagging cough left over. Blah.
2. You can't take any drugs. Oh yeah, and no herbal supplements either...so even Airborne is out because it is an extra dose of Vitamin C.
Normally this awful cold would have been gone with a half day of rest for me...but I was not so lucky this time. As a result there was no running. Also no weight lifting, no stretching, no yoga, no working out. Pretty much I just laid on the couch and watched tv. It sounds like fun but it isn't. I think I was driving Bill nuts.
So when I got back into the routine of things last week about all I could muster at once in the heat was a measly 2.5 mile run. And it SUCKED. It was like I had taken 2 weeks off of working out instead of one. I even had to walk a couple of times, and then stupid things started happening (like my foot cramped up so badly that I had to take my running shoe off midrun. Seems I have a potassium deficiency. While I eat 3 bananas at work a day, which takes care of it, being sick at home I kind of had forgotten to do this.)
I MADE myself do a weight workout on Friday, lifting the lighter weights I have and it was hard too.
So on Saturday I was pretty much dreading our 8-miler.
Luckily I had lots of moral support from Bill and my friends Gina and Donna who joined us for the run. It was muggy out, which made it tough, but we muddled through. I only stopped to walk twice, once being at the killer Cat Hill (but I was proud of myself for making it through the first time...it was the second time that got me). We ended up averaging a 10:29 pace, even with the walking, so I was pretty happy.
It also made me feel like "Yes, I CAN do this half marathon that I signed up for at the end of my second trimester!"
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