Training for two: week 34

Here are the workout details from week 34...
Goodbye third trimester nausea...
Hello frequent restroom breaks!

Baby has "dropped" a bit, which has eased my nausea but also increased my sprints to the restroom. I guess this is where being a runner comes in handy?


Friday: 2 mile walk

Saturday: 4 mile walk

Sunday: 3 mile walk + yard work

Monday: 2 mile walk

Tuesday: Rest day!

Wednesday: 2 mile walk + prenatal yoga

Thursday: 2 mile walk


THE TALLY:
15 miles walked  + 0 miles run + 1 yoga session
...and no more weight loss due to nausea! Hooray!


WHAT I LOVED READING THIS WEEK:

I'm still reading The Longest Road: Overland in Search of America, from Key West to the Arctic Ocean by Phillip Caputo. It's compelling, but I spent my weekend hanging out with family, so I haven't finished this book as quickly as I thougth I would.

And after this, I might go back to baby book reading for awhile... After all, baby could show up next week or next month. At this point it's anyone's guess...



Public Service Message from Captain Obvious: These posts are not intended to be a set of week-by-week pregnancy workout guidelines. Every woman needs to do what's right for her and her baby, with a doctor's guidance, of course. I'd just like to keep y'all up to date on how things are going in my little world.

Training for two: week 33

Here are the workout details from week 33...
Goodbye appetite...
Hello third trimester morning sickness?
Bleck.


Friday: 2 mile walk

Saturday: 5 mile walk

Sunday: Why didn't anyone tell me that morning sickness can return in the third trimester?
Ok. So it's not really hormone-induced morning sickness this late in the game... The cause of third trimester issues is often that when the baby starts taking up all the room in your body, digestion becomes particularly difficult. (I found this out, the hard way, on Sunday morning.) I called my doctor, who sounded somewhat less than worried, so on her instructions I spent the rest of the day nursing Gatorade and a bowl of chicken soup. Bleck.

Monday: Rest and recovery
... and much too much time watching the news of the Navy Yard shootings. Suddenly nausea seemed small trouble compared to 27 families devastated by that tragedy.

Tuesday: 4 mile walk
Hubs and I met up with friends for a walk after work. I was feeling better physically, and needed the break emotionally.

Wednesday: 2 mile walk + prenatal yoga

Thursday: 2 mile walk


THE TALLY:
17 miles walked  + 0 miles run + 1 yoga session
(Honestly, considering how badly I was feeling on Sunday, my total mileage this week is a bit shocking. I had to check the math twice.)

...and 4 pounds lost. Bleck.
I was quite happy with my pound-a-week progress thankyouverymuch. Given that my meals are now about half their normal size, I'm hoping to stop the backslide on weight gain. Baby is still healthy and kicking, but mama doesn't need (or want!) to lose any muscle mass from this nausea!


WHAT I LOVED READING THIS WEEK:

Last week I...
...finished City of Thieves which was fantastic! though graphic... but what World War II book isn't?

... polished off 46 Days: Keeping Up With Jennifer Pharr Davis on the Appalachian Trail which, sadly, was not nearly as good as Becoming Odyssa - in fact, it was sort of a boring read despite the amazing accomplishment of setting the Appalachian trail speed record

...and started The Longest Road: Overland in Search of America, from Key West to the Arctic Ocean by Phillip Caputo, which looks to be another book - like City of Thieves - I won't be able to put down.



Public Service Message from Captain Obvious: These posts are not intended to be a set of week-by-week pregnancy workout guidelines. Every woman needs to do what's right for her and her baby, with a doctor's guidance, of course. I'd just like to keep y'all up to date on how things are going in my little world.

Training for two: week 32

Here are the workout details from week 32...
Goodbye ankles!
Hello compression stockings!


Friday: 2 mile walk

Saturday: 3 mile walk.
I met up with runners in a real running group!
As a newbie in town, I still need to find running buddies, so when I learned about a moms run group, I hoped it would be a good fit. I'm not a full-fledged mom yet, but I think belonging to a moms running group will get me back up and running after baby is born. The ladies seem super nice, and didn't mind that I waddled along behind while they ran.

Sunday: working in the garden... planting fall flowers and spreading mulch.
It really sucks that I'm not allowed to move bags of mulch, and had to call my husband to help, but at least I can still play in the dirt! (With gloves, of course. No need to be getting toxoplasmosis...)

Monday: 2 mile walk

Tuesday: 2 mile walk + lunch-break yoga

Wednesday: 3 mile walk

Thursday: 1 mile walk
Today I had my 32 week prenatal appointment. The doctor gave me a nice pat on the back for keeping up with daily workouts, and she didn't give me any trouble about how much weight I've gained. (33 pounds and counting!) Phew!

We did, however, talk about the fact that my ankles have disappeared. The good news is that the swelling is not preeclampsia (pregnancy-induced high blood pressure which can be dangerous, and - as you know if you watch Downton Abbey - sometimes fatal).

My blood pressure remains at the lovely, low level of a lifelong runner. So the edema is "just" a normal side effect of pregnancy. *Cue sigh of relief*

But when doc handed over a pair of medical compression socks, I had a moment of sadness: I've officially become my grandmother.

If the socks were black and neon, like fancy runner compression sleeves, I could convince myself that they're for "training" and "fitness." But they're not. These socks are a hideous, industrial tan. They look like old lady socks. They ARE old lady socks. I have clear memories of my grandmother wearing the exact same type of socks on a daily basis.

But my legs feel soooooo much better with them on...

So style be damned. I want my ankles back!



THE TALLY:
12 miles walked  + 0 miles run + 1 yoga session + 2 new compression socks


WHAT I LOVED READING THIS WEEK:

I'm in the middle City of Thieves of by David Benioff.

So please pardon me while I stop typing and return to my reading.

Yes... the book is THAT good.



Public Service Message from Captain Obvious: These posts are not intended to be a set of week-by-week pregnancy workout guidelines. Every woman needs to do what's right for her and her baby, with a doctor's guidance, of course. I'd just like to keep y'all up to date on how things are going in my little world.

Training for two: week 31

Here are the workout details from week 31...
The themes this week: flier miles, fitness miles, and parenting advice
Congratulations to my blog buddy Alma, who had her baby last week!



Friday: I'm leaving... on a jet plane!
I flew out of DCA, met friends in Boston, lunched on pizza and ice cream in the South End, hopped on a commuter train to Providence, and spent the evening catching up with family.
Total miles traveled: 490+
Total miles run: 0

Saturday: Baby shower!

It was wonderful to see family and friends but the marathon festival (12 hours and counting) of catching up didn't exactly count as a workout for anything other than my vocal chords...

Sunday: 4 mile walk

Monday: 60 minutes on the stationary bike

Tuesday: 2 mile walk

Wednesday: 3 mile walk

Thursday: 2 mile walk


THE TALLY:
11 miles walked  + 0 miles run + 60 minutes on the bike and... NO yoga! *sniff / sob *
...but lots of (and probably my last) frequent flier miles for many months!


WHAT I LOVED READING THIS WEEK:

Over breakfast on Saturday morning, a good friend of mine recommended Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman.

For the first time in many months, I'm starting to believe it's possible to have a child who's not a total train wreck of tantrums and sleepless nights. Don't misunderstand -- I'm not delusional. ALL children have an occasional meltdown. But in this era of competitive American parenting, Bringing Up Bebe is a refreshing counterpoint.

By imposing some limits, allowing considerable freedom in many things, and by not making infants the ONLY thing that matters, French parents seem to have achieved an excellent balance between great parenting (read: excellent education and health among their children -- far better than in the U.S.) AND household/family sanity.

What surprises me is that, given the U.S. reputation for rugged individualism and self-reliance, we need to study French social norms to give our children some independence.



Public Service Message from Captain Obvious: These posts are not intended to be a set of week-by-week pregnancy workout guidelines. Every woman needs to do what's right for her and her baby, with a doctor's guidance, of course. I'd just like to keep y'all up to date on how things are going in my little world.