Training for two: How to lose 15 pounds the (not) easy way

Here's my advice on how to lose 15+ pounds the (not) easy way...

Swell up with edema in the last weeks of your pregnancy, then deliver a happy, healthy 8 pound baby. Between the new addition to your family and balloon-deflating reduction in swelling, voila! 15 pounds lost, and (much, much more importantly) a whole lot more gained.

This blog is on maternity leave until further notice so I can get to know the new man in my life.

Peace and love to you all,
Beth

Training for two: week 40 (are we there yet?)

Aaaannnnd we're overdue!

Friday: 2 mile walk

Saturday: 2 mile walk + lots of yard work raking leaves and digging a swale for drainage in the back yard...
Yes... I've been told I should be "resting" but what's the worst that could happen? The yard work triggers labor? On my due date? That would've been a travesty... (sarcasm completely intended)

I did have contractions most of the day, which got my hopes up that baby was on his way... only to be disappointed to discover that it was "early" or "false" labor. *sigh*

Sunday: Rest day
False labor contractions kept me awake most of the night. So instead of exercising, I napped and read a book.

Monday: 3 mile walk + prenatal yoga
Have I mentioned that it's gorgeous outside in Virginia right now? Beautiful autumn leaves. Crisp weather. I'd rather have been in a hospital (first and only time I'll ever say that???), but my morning walk was pretty spectacular anyway.

Autumn color at the historic Carlisle House in Old Town Alexandria

Tuesday: 3 mile walk
And 3 days overdue...

Wednesday: 4 mile walk (2 in the morning, 2 in the evening, and my neighbors must be tired of watching me circle the block... I'm tired of circling the block!)
And 4 days overdue...

Thursday: 60 minute walk (3 miles? 4? It's hard to keep track when all you're doing is circling the blocks near your home for an hour...)


THE TALLY:
17 or 18 miles walked  + 0 miles run + some yoga
and still no baby!


WHAT I LOVED READING THIS WEEK:

A million articles on how to get labor started.
None of which actually work.
But hope springs eternal!


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 39

39 weeks down...
This weekend is baby's due-date. Keep your fingers crossed that my workout this weekend involves lots of ab exercise!

Friday: 1 mile walk

Saturday: 2.5 mile walk

Sunday: 2.5 mile walk + spectating at the Marine Corps Marathon
Despite my jumping up and down and cheering, I'm seriously glad this little runner baby didn't decide to make his debut at mile marker 22...

Run Like You Stole Something

One marathoner joked that it looked like I was the one stealing something... A watermelon! (How she had the energy to crack jokes 4 hours into a marathon, I'll never know...)

Monday: 2 mile walk

Tuesday: prenatal yoga + 2 mile walk

Wednesday: rest day
No excuses. I just felt lazy.
I did spend all day working from home seated on my exercise/stability ball. That has to count for core exercise, no?

Thursday: Yet another prenatal appointment... there may or may not be a workout today.


THE TALLY:
10 miles walked  + 0 miles run + and a bit of yoga


WHAT I LOVED READING THIS WEEK:

I'm working on crocheting a baby blanket, and I'm not on Metro so much these days, (no need to be that lady who gives birth at a metro station!) so there's not much to report in the new books department.

One of the articles I did enjoy reading was a Fit Pregnancy piece on birth preferences (rather than a birth plan). One paragraph, in particular, sums up my perspective on this issue (and what I've chosen to do):

By writing your preferences instead of a plan, you maintain the understanding that circumstances beyond your control may change and you’ll need to adapt your preferences accordingly. Women who end up with an epidural when they hoped to go without or a cesarean when they wanted to avoid it often report feeling like they failed. Women, hear me out: You CANNOT FAIL at birth. You can only do what you can with the circumstances you are given – that is the best you can do for yourself and your baby.

I was first introduced to this preferences vs. plan philosophy while reading Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation by Pam England. I read (and loved) the book many months ago, but I apparently never posted a review.

Birthing From Within was recommended by my prenatal yoga teacher. Some bits of the book are a tad... new-agey? (Is that a word?) But aside from the birth-art monologues, the book is a very no-nonsense guide to labor and delivery options.

The book is intended to help each expectant mother figure out what she'd like to have happen during labor, but the guidance is blended with a solid dose of realism. The author is very clear that home births have advantages, but they will not be pain-free vacations with scented candles and sensual massage. England also is clear that, despite all best intentions, some complications require cesarean birth and 24 hours of back labor might make you rethink that epidural.

And as long as everyone is safe at the end of the process, it's all OK...


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.

4 things no one tells you about being pregnant

Image courtesy of Victor Habbick / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So... you think you know about pregnancy?
You've heard all about weird food cravings, morning sickness, and swollen ankles.
Sure. That's all true. But there are a few things people don't tell you...

You will sit sprawl-legged in public.

There will come a day when you try and cross your legs, because you've been crossing your legs your whole life, and you will suddenly realize that they no longer fit together. Your pelvic joints spread to make room for that baby to get out, and they don't want you messing with their goal. Hell, let's be honest. You can't even sit with your knees together.

When you try, for the sake of decorum, to sit with some semblance of legs-together dignity, baby starts jabbing your hip bones in protest. Hard. This isn't a good position for baby, and it isn't great for you either.

My advice: Give in, buy coverage-appropriate clothing (think long, floaty dresses or comfy slacks), lean back, and enjoy your new favorite seated position.

You can't tie your own shoes.

No matter how much yoga you do before and during your pregnancy, there will come a point when that basketball in front of you (you know... that spot where your abs used to be) gets in the way of basic life skills like tying your shoes, clipping your toenails, and putting on your socks.

You will try all sorts of seated-leg-lift or squat-and-reach positions. Some will work better than others. But at some point you will give up and buy slip-on shoes. (A size larger than your pre-pregnancy size, of course...)

My advice: Get thee to a prenatal yoga class. Yoga won't prevent, but it will delay the onset of this particular pregnancy challenge for as long as possible. And trust me, you want to delay asking your partner to help you tie your shoes. Also, use this as an excellent excuse for a pedicure. Can't reach your own toes? Have someone else file and polish those nails for you!

Toward the end of pregnancy, you will wear more food than you eat.

At some point in the 8th or 9th month, that napkin you put on your lap at nice restaurants will be completely useless. What lap? Your belly takes up most of the space between your spine and your knees, so every crumb that falls from your fork ends up... you guessed it... on your shelf (erm... I mean baby bump).

Also, you can't sit up close to the table anymore. You wind up sitting a foot away from the table, with your legs straddling the chair (see sitting, above). This makes eating soup in public a real trick. You think "This shouldn't be so bad. I can get a spoon from my bowl to my mouth." And then, after ordering the soup, you realize that spoon has to travel 5 or 6 times the distance of any other spoonful of soup you ate pre-pregnancy. And soup spills. Easily.

Last week, at a fancy restaurant, I gave up and held the bowl under my chin. Screw the people who were looking at my funny. At least I didn't spill it all down the front of my dress. Or tuck my napkin around my neck.

My advice: Make use of those bibs you got as shower gifts. Or eat at home. Or both.

Strangers will tell you to have sex.

By 9 months into pregnancy, you start to think you've become immune to random, unsolicited advice from strangers. After all, you've been getting random, unsolicited advice from strangers for nearly a year now. But just when you think the advice can't get any more intrusive, or bizarre, it does...

As you near the prenatal finish line, everyone and their mothers (especially the mothers) will tell you their "sure-fire" way to get labor started. Because by 38 weeks you want that baby out, and by 39 weeks YOU WILL TRY ANYTHING TO GET THAT BABY OUT. So you'll hear all about the labor-inducing benefits of castor oil, massage pressure points, spicy foods, and vigorous exercise.

But whether or not any of these tricks really work, the advice everyone loves to give was best paraphrased by a massage therapist I know:

"The magic that gets baby in there, also gets baby out."

Yes. Random strangers will tell you to have sex.

Some will be coy about it, as my massage therapist friend was. Some will come right out and say "If you get tired of waiting for baby to arrive, just have sex."

Really, if sex were such a powerful trigger for labor, there would be no 42 week babies. But that doesn't stop strangers (and I mean everyone... other customers at the grocery store, the clerk at the bookstore, the receptionist at the dentist's office) from telling you to have sex.

My advice: Umm... For this one, I've got nothing. If you think of a clever reply, do let me know!

Training for two: week 38

38 weeks down...
And apparently the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has moved the goal posts on "full term" pregnancy. Not that it matters now that we're a few hours away from the new definition of full term, but the new pregnancy term classification system has five major categories:

• preterm (before 37 weeks)
• early term (37 to 38 weeks)
• full term (39 to 40 weeks)
• late term (41 weeks)
• postterm (42 weeks and more).

So despite whatever I said last week, NOW we're at full term!

And in other weird news, parts that hurt a few weeks ago (read: achy hip joints!) feel brand new now. I have no idea why. But I'm not complaining. I'll be sore again soon enough...


Friday: 3 mile walk

Saturday: REST

Sunday: 2 mile walk + yard work
I planted dozens of daffodils for the spring! Now if I can just keep the squirrels from eating all of those bulbs...

Monday: 2 mile walk

Tuesday: 2 mile walk

Wednesday: 1 mile walk

Thursday: REST

This week's prentatal appointment took the place of my morning workout...

And my doc, husband, and I set an induction date for the 41 week mark. Juuuuuust in case Baby decides to hang out longer than he's supposed to.

Taper madness... but at least the finish line is in sight!

THE END IS IN SIGHT!!!


So... With my wonky doc-then-work schedule, I may or may not get in some real exercise today.

If not, we'll think of this as the beginning of "tapering for the big day."

Hell, I even carb-loaded by stopping to pick up bagels on the way in to my office this morning. Taper it is!



THE TALLY:
10 miles walked  + 0 miles run + no yoga???


WHAT I LOVED READING THIS WEEK:

A few days ago I received a preview copy of a new travel memoir, The Blind Masseuse: A Traveler's Memoir from Costa Rica to Cambodia, by Alden Jones...

It's FANTASTIC. (And I'm not just saying that because the book was free. I've received many free books over the years, and if they're horrible, I either don't post a review or I tell it straight that the book sucked.)

But more on the book later... it deserves its own post for a detailed review.


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 37

37 weeks down... and now that we're entering week 38, baby could show up tomorrow or three weeks from now. (Fun facts: Did you know that 37 weeks and up is "full term" and that "due date" is just the midpoint between week 38 and 42 - the weeks when most babies are born?)


Friday: 1 mile walk + squats, lunges, and upper-body strength training

Saturday: REST

The swing is awesome, but
literally takes up half the living room...

(And built an infant swing - which now takes up half of our living room - and figured out how to work the Pack-n-Play. Score!)


Sunday: 2 mile walk + 2-hour nap!
Thanks to nighttime kicks, I'm not sleeping more than 2 or 3 hours at a time anymore. Napping seems much more productive than exercise.

Monday: 3 mile walk

Tuesday: 1 mile walk + prenatal yoga

Wednesday: 2 mile walk

Thursday: Morning workout was swapped for a prenatal checkup


THE TALLY:
9 miles walked  + 0 miles run + 1 yoga video and some strength training
(Yeah... last week I thought I'd pick up the pace and get in more mileage this week. Instead I napped more. And I don't regret it at all.)


WHAT I LOVED READING THIS WEEK:

The Runner Dad's post "The First Four Weeks" is the kind of prepare-for-the-worst parenting essay I love best. Here's what I wrote to him in response...

"With baby #1 due any day now, I have to admit that I love reading these stories.
I'd rather hear how HARD it's going to be than have some false sense of security that the first month of baby care is supposed to be all sunshine and roses... only to be blindsided that it IS hard. (Better to be pleasantly surprised than knocked for a loop, right?)
It's sort of like standing at mile 24 of a marathon and watching runners' faces... Seeing the pain, you get a sense of what you're in for when you run your own race. That's MUCH better training than hearing stories from runners, 6 months later - when their muscles are no longer cramping and they can walk up and down stairs without wincing - that it's the "best thing they ever did in life."

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 36

Here are the workout details from week 36...
With the close of week 36, baby will officially be "full term." Now the question is: will he arrive sooner? Or later? Based on the size of the "bump" I'm hoping for sooner...

The bump at 36 weeks


Friday: 2 mile walk

Saturday: Prenatal yoga

Sunday: REST

Monday: 2 mile walk

Tuesday: 2 mile walk

Wednesday: 2 mile walk

Thursday: 2 mile walk


THE TALLY:
10 miles walked  + 0 miles run + 1 yoga class
(Is this really my lowest mileage week so far? Yikes!)


WHAT I LOVED READING THIS WEEK:

I finally read The Happiest Baby on the Block.

Is the book worth reading?
Absolutely!
I think the baby calming techniques (swaddling, side or stomach lying, shushing, swinging, and sucking) are brilliant.

BUT, to be completely honest, I thought the book was poorly written.

The text is chopped up with quotes, anecdotes, and illustrations thrown in, seemingly, at random. It would benefit from some serious editing help.*

That said, I have been practicing my swaddling technique, and I'm all for swinging my baby if it will help him stop crying.

Fortunately, there's a Happiest Baby video that goes into detail on how to swaddle, shush, and swing properly... and skips over all of the silly anecdotes.

So... the bottom line here is: if you have to pick one, skip the book and buy The Happiest Baby On The Block video instead.


*Note: The "research" on traditional cultures, like the !Kung, gives the merest lip-service to a unique method of child-rearing, while providing almost no anthropological detail (or source notes!) about the cultural norms and values at play. (To be fair... I'm a demographer/sociologist. If I see a culture held up as a "great example" of "how to do things right," I expect more detail. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on a baby book... but then again, if you're going to tell me that there is a "right" way to calm a baby, it seems reasonable expect more than "this other group does this thing, and it seems to work for them.")


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 35

Here are the workout details from week 35...
My energy levels are inversely proportional to the number of times I wake up each night.


Friday: 2 mile walk

Saturday: REST
(Full disclosure: I napped for two hours after taking a 4 hour infant care and CPR class.)

Sunday: 2 mile walk + another 2 hour nap...

Monday: 2 mile walk

Tuesday: 2 mile walk

Wednesday: 2 mile walk + prenatal yoga + "keep ups"
My yoga teacher introduced me to keep ups a couple of weeks ago. The exercises are designed to induce discomfort and muscle fatigue (think small, repetitive movements for 3 full minutes) so pregnant mamas can get used to discomfort without panic.

Thursday: 2 mile walk


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


WHAT I LOVED READING THIS WEEK:

I finally finished The Longest Road: Overland in Search of America, from Key West to the Arctic Ocean by Phillip Caputo

And after last week's infant care class I'm starting The Happiest Baby on the Block next. I don't expect to become an infant-calming expert, but what the heck, I might learn a few helpful tricks!


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 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.

Am I still a runner?

Last Sunday, I went for a 5 mile walk along the Mount Vernon bike path. The weather was gorgeous, but when Hubby and I pulled into the parking lot and I saw runner after runner glide by, I was suddenly hit by a wave of sadness.

I haven't run in weeks. I won't be able to run until Christmas.

The reason, of course, is an excellent one.
I'm training for a baby, not a race.

But still.
I miss running.
Terribly.

Some days I wonder if I can even still call myself a runner?

But sulking wouldn't solve anything, and walking is better than not moving forward at all. So I started walking.

And then, halfway through my walk, two women ran up to me and asked if I could take their picture. One handed over her phone while the other explained that they had just finished their first 10-miler.

High fives all around!

I asked what race they were training for. They told me they were going to run the Divas Half Marathon. I congratulated them both and wished them good luck on their race.

Just before they turned away to finish their cool-down, one of the women said: "And congratulations to you, too! Good for you for still run... er... walking."

"Thank you. I ran until 26 weeks, but my hips just can't take it anymore. I miss it!"
(What I didn't say was "And thank you for noticing that I am/was/am a runner, too! Even though I'm waddling... and I don't feel much like a runner these days...")

She congratulated me on getting that far.

And, for the first time in weeks...

I felt like a runner.
Even as I waddled.
I felt like a runner.

So. To the ladies who just finished their first 10-miler.
Congrats. Again.
And THANK YOU.

Training for two: week 30

Here are the workout details from week 30...
The theme this week: back in the saddle again!

Image source

Friday: 2 mile walk

Saturday: prenatal yoga

Sunday: 5 mile walk

Monday: 2 mile walk + push ups, squats, and leg lifts

Tuesday: 2 mile walk + 30 minutes on the stationary bike

Wednesday: 45 minutes on the stationary bike + push ups and squats

Thursday: 3 mile walk


THE TALLY:
14 miles walked  + 0 miles run + 75 minutes on the bike + some stretching and strengthening



WHAT I LOVED READING THIS WEEK:

My boarding pass...
One last flight before baby!


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 29

Here are the workout details from week 29...
The theme this week: slow and steady.

Friday: 2 mile walk

Saturday: prenatal yoga

Sunday: 4 mile walk

Monday: 2 mile walk

Tuesday: 3 mile walk + prenatal yoga

Wednesday: 2 mile walk + push ups, squats, and leg lifts

Thursday: 2 mile walk


THE TALLY:
15 miles walked  + 0 miles run + some stretching and strengthening

There was supposed to be a "track workout" on Wednesday. (Walking laps in lane 6! Woo hoo!) But I was exhausted at the end of the day and substituted strength training instead.



WHAT I LOVED READING THIS WEEK:

Honestly, this week I've been reading the news on my morning commute and I finished Sedaris' new book Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls on the way home. (Loved it!)

Otherwise my time has been spent working, walking, and nesting.
There's a baby due in 8 weeks... or 12...! But who's counting?
(Oh right... I am... because I'm a numbers geek when I'm not running. And sometimes when I am.)



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 28

Here are the workout details from week 28...
Hello third trimester!!!
Goodbye energy and speed!

Friday: 3 mile walk

Saturday: 3 mile (tourist-y) walk along the National Mall and Tidal Basin

View of the Jefferson Memorial across the Tidal Basin

Sunday: 3 mile walk along the Mount Vernon Trail

Monday: 2 mile walk

Tuesday: 2 mile walk + prenatal yoga video

Wednesday: 2 mile walk

Thursday: 2 mile walk


THE TALLY:
17 miles walked  + 0 miles run + 1 prenatal yoga session

My only observations this week: Holy hell have I slowed down in the past two weeks. Carrying around 25 extra pounds is getting exhausing...


WHAT I LOVED READING THIS WEEK:

YES! Emily Oster's article "Take Back Your Pregnancy" in the Wall Street Journal summarizes exactly what I found (and what I've felt about) pregnancy "wisdom" vs. old wives' tales. (In case you missed it, you can see my full rant about misguided and mis-informed "helpful" advice from June... and my rave about the book Exercising Through Your Pregnancy -- a book full of fact-based advice for fit moms.)

I cannot wait to read Oster's new book "Expecting Better," when it comes out later this year. If the book is anywhere near as well-written as the essay, it will be a much-needed addition to the prenatal literature. (Note: Had it gone to print sooner, Oster's book would've saved me many hours surfing the academic journal databases during my office hours last semester...)

My only regret is that, given my day job as a statistician and the hours/days/weeks I put into researching my own prenatal decisions, I didn't write a similar book sooner.



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 27

Here are the workout details from week 27...
Can you say... slacker? This week's workout stats are as dismal as last week's return to the track was a highlight of this training cycle.

Friday: 2 mile walk

Saturday: prenatal yoga class

Walking the Mount Vernon Trail

Sunday: 4 mile walk along the Mount Vernon Trail

Monday: 2 mile walk + strength training

Tuesday: 2 mile walk

Wednesday: 2 mile walk

Thursday: 2 mile walk + prenatal yoga video


THE TALLY:
14 miles walked  + 0 miles run + 2 prenatal yoga sessions + 1 strength training session
Not horrible, but nothing to write home about...


WHAT I LOVED READING THIS WEEK:

I'm juggling a handful of books right now. (Talented, I know!)
On my reading list:

• Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls
• The Sh!t No One Tells You: A Guide to Surviving Your Baby's First Year
• Where'd You Go, Bernadette
• Not Your Ordinary Parenting Book (side note: Yep. Not ordinary. Much, much worse. These ladies have a few helpful hints, but for credibility sake they would've done better to write a blog and not try to call it a book. Total waste of money.)

If you want to keep up on my current reading list, follow along on Goodreads or Twitter.



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 26

Here are the workout details from week 26...
The good. The bad. The track... and a huge break from baby-book reading.

Friday: 3 mile walk + prenatal yoga video

Brick sidewalks in downtown Annapolis, MD

Saturday: stroll around Annapolis
(Not exactly exercise, but not exactly slouching either... Just ignore the supersized ice cream and bucket of crustaceans I ate...)

Sunday: REST

Monday: 3 mile walk

Tuesday: 3 mile walk + prenatal yoga video + strength training

Wednesday: 2 mile walk + prenatal yoga video + TRACK WORKOUT!

400 warm up (walk) + 400m run + 4 x 200m with equal rest intervals + 400m cool down (walk) = 1.75 miles

Last week I was worried about whether or not it was time to quit running for the rest of this pregnancy.
This week I re-discovered the track.
The soft surface is easier on my joints. I can run 200 meters and then walk a lap. No matter how slow I go, I don't have to worry about being left in the dust by my running buddies - they're never more than a few hundred yards away! And restrooms are always within sight!

Thursday: 3 mile walk + prenatal yoga


THE TALLY:
14 miles walked  + 1.75 mile track workout + 4 prenatal yoga sessions + 1 strength training session


WHAT I LOVED READING THIS WEEK:

It's time for another break from baby-book reading. In fact, I've been in need of some grand adventure reading, so I picked up two non-fiction / memoir books:

• Becoming Odyssa: Epic Adventures on the Appalachian Trail by Jennifer Pharr Davis (holder of the women's record for fastest thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail)
• Pretty Woman Spitting: An American's Travels in China by Leanna Adams

Both books were quite different but shared the theme: dive-in-and-do-something-scary. They also both rang true, as both authors admit to moments of happiness, anger, frustration, fear, and disgust on their journeys.

(That both books cost less, on Kindle, than a grande mocha at Starbucks didn't hurt, either...)


Davis' book is one of the better thru-hike books I've read (maybe better... nay definitely better than Cheryl Strayed's Wild). Davis doesn't sugar coat the rough patches of trail, nor does she hide her enthusiasm on the good days. She also doesn't document every step taken on every rainy day. The book is a brilliant balance between trail memoir, coming-of-age story, and action/adventure tale. The book is frank and (frankly) funny at the same time that it's inspiring.

On the other hand, it took me awhile to get wrapped up in Adams' book about her year of teaching English in China. Early on Adams admits to a level of culture shock that I found off-putting. (In the first few pages, I found myself wondering "Really, did you know anything about China before you got on the airplane?") But within a few chapters, those early pages seem like a jet-lag induced bout of crankiness. Adams is refreshingly open to immersing herself in a new culture while also acknowledging her own cultural bias and the difficulties she faces trying to fit in. As someone who has moved around quite often in my own life, I empathize wholeheartedly.



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.

Victory laps (pregnant lady returns to the track)

Alt. title: The track is a pregnant girl's best friend

Last week I was worried about whether or not it was time to quit running for the rest of this pregnancy.

This week I re-discovered the track.

Let's be clear right from the start: I am not talking about sprint-til-you-hurl workouts.

But for fitness, and making me still "feel like a runner" (even though I now mostly waddle), the track can't be beat.

After this week's success, I really am sorry I gave up the track completely when I first saw that little plus sign on the home pregnancy test.

I somehow forgot that you don't have to go FAST just to go to the track (even though I've given that same advice to many MANY other runners over the years...).

The track has benefits that I wish I remembered sooner:

• The soft surface is easier on my joints.
• I can run 200 meters and then walk a lap without feeling like a wuss.
• No matter how slow I go, I don't have to worry about being left in the dust by my running buddies - they're never more than a few hundred yards away!
• Restrooms are always within sight!

It is also thoroughly amusing to see my pace times. In January and February I was running laps in the 6-7 minute pace range.

Last night?

Wait for it...

10 minute mile pace for 200 meter repeats!

I'm not upset about the slow-down. Just amused.

It's been fascinating to track my physiological changes as baby grows.

I've put on twenty pounds of baby weight so far. My ligaments are looser. My calves cramp at horribly inconvenient times. (Hello painful 3am wakeup calls!) If I stand straight, I can't see my toes. And while walking is comfortable, standing still for long periods of time makes my feet ache.

So... I can't possibly expect to still be hitting pace targets.

And I'm not trying to.

It's just nice to be out there run/waddling with the running community and getting in a decent workout.

Training for two: week 25

Here are the workout details from week 25...

Friday: 3 mile walk

Saturday: childbirth class
(Sitting in hard plastic chairs for 6 hours isn't a workout, but it left me more sore than my last run!)

Sunday: 4 mile walk

Monday: 3 mile walk + prenatal yoga class!

Tuesday: 4 mile walk + prenatal yoga video in the office (a.k.a. my "coffee break")

Wednesday: 3 mile walk + prenatal yoga video + 2 mile walk/run (0.25 mi run, 0.5 mi walk)
Confession?
Back in February, I promised myself that I'd only run while it was comfortable and healthy. It's still healthy, but running comfort has taken a nosedive in the past few weeks. Running with 15 extra pounds, loose pelvic ligaments, and a 2-pound baby sitting on my bladder... Well... let's just say that I'm not sure how much longer "real" running will be in my fitness routine. Maybe it's time to find an aquatic center for pool running?

Thursday: 3 mile walk


THE TALLY:
20 miles walked + 3 prenatal yoga sessions + 2 mile walk/run + 1 childbirth class!


WHAT I LOVED READING THIS WEEK:

At times a bit overwhelming to read, The Second Nine Months: One Woman Tells the Real Truth about Becoming a Mom. Finally, by Vicki Glembocki, is a book I'm glad I finished.


Mom, Vicki, struggles with a baby who won't stop crying, and a culture that expects moms to speak of nothing but complete and overwhelming joy at the new addition to their family. So when a new parent feels completely overwhelmed, where does she turn?

I won't tell you how Vicki sorts things out, but I will recommend this book.


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.