Well I haven’t made much progress since my last posting. I bought the body composition monitor. I signed up for a 10k in September. I gained some weight.
Same old, same old.
My training plan starts tomorrow with a run/walk for 4 miles. Talk about diving into the deep end but I think this is something I need. No more talk, action is needed.
Here’s to running tomorrow morning.
Body stats: unknown but think big numbers
Afternoon lovely readers…if you are reading this, I thank you. I have been absent from many pre-baby things in my life and blogging is one of those. With renewed spirit, I hope to blog more and keep everyone updated with what is happening my life, especially when it comes to running and working out.
Since my last post last June, these has been a lot of movement in my life. My husband and I bought our first house in May and since we received the keys, we’ve been renovating (cleaning, painting, refinishing hardwood floors, etc.). My daughter turned one in August and we are looking forward to her second birthday next month. Itransferred departments as work again. Searching for work/life balance brought me to my new position. I trained for and completed my first marathon- the Colfax in Denver; I PR’ed with an official time of 5:45. I felt like I could have done better, which I probably could have, had I stuck to the training plan better.
This is a reoccurring theme for me. I get really hyped up and excited about a new project/adventure/life-changing event and then as the time drags on, I get bored or I make excuses for not sticking to the plan. The month of April, which included most of my long runs, I barely laced up. I hit snooze too many mornings, I allowed the snow to deter me from getting outside and I put others in front of my needs. This is the story of my life and this version is one that I want to change starting now.
Starting this week.
Starting as soon as I figure out my goals and articulate them, so I can celebrate making them come true.
I recently watched Elle Ip’s documentary titled Beyond Expectations (here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkMJdytTSXU). Elle is pregnant with her second child and after the birth, she undergoes a complete transformation. She changes her diet and exercise plan, to show that normal woman like you and I could achieve the results that celebrities do, without the help of nannies, personal chefs, trainers, etc. Elle’s goal is to participate in a body building/bikini contest and she looks phenomenal. What really stuck with me how she was able to make time to cook and exercise, even with two small children and a sick husband.
After having my daughter, I struggled getting back into a routine that included doing anything for myself. I regularly went 4-5 days without showering. I forgot to shave my legs because I couldn’t remember to buy razors. I enjoyed any sleep I could get, so I never wanted to give that up for a workout. Full disclosure: I still struggle with making time for myself but after doing the marathon, I now realize that my daughter and husband can make it an hour or two (or five) without me.
While I am not signing up for a body-building/bikini contest, I hope to revamp my family’s eating habits and my exercise. I want to be healthy and to do that, I need to actually do something. Thinking about a goal does not make it happen, but it is the first step. So watch this space for information on life transformation. I promise it will be real fun ride 🙂
Off to buy a body composition scale….
A common theme of motherhood is time management. Whereas before your little one came into being, you had hours and hours of free time at your fingertips. Get off of work and go for a 2 hour run? Sure. Decide to take an extra spin/Zumba/yoga class on a whim? Why not. Sleep all day and party all night? Sounds like a plan!
Since having my daughter, I’ve been attempting to manage my family’s better. How can we squeeze another minute of awake time out and use it to ouradvantage- this has become my life. No longer am I ruling my schedule, I am rules by time. All aspects of my day, Monday thru Friday, are planned before I get a chance to hit snooze on the alarm. Something has to give but I’m not sure what I can drop to feel like I have time for another task.
This all came to a head this weekend when I was trying to make my to-do list for the day. On it was:
Yes I have to put shower on my list so that I can remember to make myself a priority and clean my smelly self.
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Update:
June 8, 2015
Apparently in my time management to-do list, I never hit publish on this. Sounds like something I would do nowadays, since I’m all over the place.
I’m still searching for time management tips for mothers. Specifically I want to be able to workout consistently, provide for my family and most important, spend quality time with my family. Oh and, I want to sleep and shower more regularly. That isn’t asking for too much, right?
Man, I miss running.
I miss the feel of the wind smacking my face. I miss the thud-thud-thud of my footsteps, which usually morphed into plod-plod-plod by the end of my run.
I miss the feeling of pushing my body. Oh, and the warmth of the post-run glow….how I eagerly await you!
The only thing missing is getting my ass out there. The first step truely is the hardest, I’m discovering. As a new mom, the first step doesn’t come until my ducks are lined up. My ducks include:
-waiting on my new, mega ultra strong sports bra from Moving Comfort (hope it fits AND it works for my ladies)
-digging out a somewhat respectable running outfit (look like a runner, become a runner)
-pump my ladies until they shrink a cup or two sizes (before jammin them into new sports bra)
-packing the baby in the jogger
The last one makes me smile. I don’t like to run with others (aside from races) because I don’t like to talk when running and I get self-conscious about all my moving body parts and heavy breathing. But, in Marie’s case, I will definitely be making an exception. How will my daughter grow up to become the woman I want to raise if she doesn’t understand that you have to work hard and dig deep into yourself to achieve your goals, if I don’t show her how?
And I thought the first step was the hardest.
2015 is here and as one must do, I’m looking back at last year and thinking about what went wrong, what worked and what surprised me. I gave birth in late August and my life has been turned upside down since then. I’m waiting for the new “normal” to feel normal; I feel like a chicken with my head cut off but I’m a mom with a super long list of duties and responsibilities as well as a healthy dose of mommy guilt (when I think about doing something not for my child). Plus I’m tired– wow, I had no clue how tired one could be without having accomplished a set goal. I can’t seem to keep my house clean or regularly do the dishes without having to wait for my husband to get home or doing these tasks at 9pm when my daughter (hopefully) goes to sleep.
There is never enough time in the day.
But life goes on and I just have to suck it up and deal.
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Ok so I must confess something: I started this post on January 2nd and today is February 27th. As you can tell, my life has not slowed down one bit, nor have my time pressures, deadlines and guilt for me-time (I used to take daily showers for granted, now I’m luck to get two in per week).
Nothing else has changed except my motivation and urge to run has increased to levels I haven’t appreciated since my nanny days, when I got to chase kids for money. I want to get back to running, clear my head of inane thoughts and feel (well, look) like the old me. I’m tired of seeing my droppy (insert body part here) when I get dresses and I want to wear more than maternity and my husband’s clothes.
Lord, why can’t it be spring in Colorado now? I’m ready to get Amber back.
This morning I had to run to catch my bus. For anyone who knows me, knows this used to be a daily occurrence. I would get sucked into whatever was going on the tv or playing kissy face with my man or debating my outfit/footwear choice of the day before dashing out the door and trying to make the bus. I even planned a back-up pick-up location in case I wasn’t going to make the bus at my normal stop.
Pathetic right?
But since I’ve started growing Amber Junior inside my uterus, I am finding that I leave early so I don’t run the risk of having to run.
There are always exceptions to this run and today was one of them. I couldn’t decide on shoes vs boots (boots won!) so when I left my house, I was concerned about the time I allotted to get to where I needed to go.
So I made a run for it. I ran a good half a block before realizing that my little jaunt had provided me enough of a time window to ensure I’ld meet the bus on time. I took a deep breath and tried to still my beating heart, which was racing faster than I had.
I miss the days when I ran regularly and my heart didn’t want to pound out of my chest. I miss running non-stop for hours on end. I miss the exhilaration from accomplishing a good hard run and the way my legs felt like jello afterwards. Today if I get off of the couch too fast, I feel exhausted.
Such is the process of making a life but I didn’t realize the toll it would take on me. Until I’m back at 100%, I’ll just have to enjoy my new nickname, Molasses.
Have you ever questioned if the actions you are making are the right ones? What about your thoughts? Any second-guessers with me now? I must be in the question-phase of my pregnancy, where every decision made seems so difficult and after it’s been made, I wonder if it was correct.
Am I training too hard or not enough? Should I eat an extra serving at dinner or not fill my stomach? Should I have accepted the new position in my department or am I crazy for trying to take on the unknown? Will we ever be ready for the baby or are we already ready? How will this change us or has it already changed us?
I’m big in self-reflection but recently I’ve been taking this to a new level. I want the best to happen to me because I work hard to achieve what I’ve accomplished so far but am I on the right path?
Things that make you go hmmmm.
With my body going through this miraculous change, I’m finding I need an adjustment in my training style. No longer can this lady pound the pavement, brush off the pain and expect great results. These days, any run I complete makes my legs, knees, hips ok my whole body ache. I’m not posting fast times, it just takes a lot to get this body moving these days.
Yesterday I was scheduled for 3.5 miles. Instead I took a walk to my doctor’s appointment. It took almost an hour roundtrip (I thankfully only had to give blood) which I estimated (or overestimated) to be about that mileage. Honestly, I’ve become loosey-goosey with my running plan. I have no time goal I trying to reach, I’m just trying to keep moving as far long into this pregnancy as I can.
So far, my efforts have been good, I feel good and my baby isn’t complaining yet!
Tonight I went on a training run and learned the best way to put swagger in my hips: run at my new 11:30-12:00 minute/mile. I only did 2 miles and I’m focused on training slowly but surely for my half-marathon.
I added more walking into tonight’s run. I’m trying not to feel guilty when I walk because I’m used to running 2 miles and not feeling any pain.
Nah, we aren’t talking about the hair color company; this pretty much sums up my running of late. My doctor said I couldn’t go over 150 bpm so I’ve been training with my heart rate monitor. This translates into about a 12:00 minute mile for me, which is typical for the shape I’m turning into.
My body is getting softer and even though I can still pound the pavement like a mo fo, I’m taking longer and adding more walking. I look forward to the day when I’m rocking my 10:00 minute miles again but I’m also trying to enjoy this experience happening inside my body.
Most of my family and friends have asked about my marathon plans. While I have shelved the full marathon I had scheduled for May 18th, I plan to run the half that day. I’m just happy to still be running and moving this body. Getting exercise is important for me and my healthy and all of the baby books say it can help make labor quicker. Plus babies like the rocking motion from running- or so I’ve read, since I can’t ask my baby 🙂
As with most overweight runners, the resources available for us pales in comparison to that of thin runners. I have been on the search for an overweight pregnant runner blog, so if anyone has any links, please send them to me. I have taken to read FattyMustRun’s older blog posts, because I trust Julie’s opinion and I want to remind myself of her transformation. She got into super great shape, got pregnant, stopped running, had the baby and now is again on her way to being super fit. Most of the mom blogs I read about former Olympic athlete runners who got pregnant or some other who were super skinny fit when they got pregnant; neither of those categories fit me.
Maybe when the Marathon Challenge is up in May, I’ll change my blogging focus to this topic and be a reference for another woman following in these same steps.
runslikeelephant 