tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17546120130831231952024-03-14T03:23:03.234-07:00Another Runner's JourneyMy running journey. Hopefully my tips and workouts can help others on their running/workout journeyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.comBlogger287125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-18507833064966638212019-02-25T03:02:00.002-08:002019-02-25T03:02:41.737-08:00My TribeIt has been almost two years since I've really blogged about my running journey. It's easy to make excuses about why I haven't, but the truth is - my running journey has been hard the last few years. You always read the quote - it's not about having time to do the things you love, but rather making the time to do those things. In a sense I forgot how freeing it can feel to write down your emotions and thoughts. Hell, I forgot a lot of things along the way, but this year I promised to change a lot of things in my life. The most important change being to be kind to myself and allow myself to really be the person I'm meant to be.... so without further delay, my blog post for the week.<br />
<br />
Being a mom is hard. It requires juggling, sacrificing and a whole lot of love. Now, don't get my wrong it's my favorite thing about who I am today, but dear Lord it is tough. Things that used to be easy for me to do on my own are quite near impossible - or are they? See, I used to say that to myself all of the time. I can't make this race because who will watch E or I can't make that training run because it's just too hard. And you know what - it is hard. It's hard for the first few minutes, or first few times, but then - it gets easier. So what am I talking about? Well, it started last month at a group training run our local run store, Runner's Depot, put on.<br />
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Another group training run popped up on my Facebook page and I silently huffed inside of my head. I would sign up for every single one before E was born but I hadn't signed up for one in a very long time. The excuses started playing in my head: E would still be in bed and I would just be tired so it wouldn't be worth it. But then I thought - why don't I ask E if she wants to go. She has showed an interest in running and this might actually be fun for the two of us. So I asked her. And you know what she said? I want to go to run club (lol - she equates all running events to run clubs).<br />
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So that morning I packed all of our stuff up in the car and headed out. When I got there I realized I was the only mom with a stroller. It was a 10 mile training run, but people could run whatever distance they wanted. I had planned for at least 6 miles. I knew that at any point my plans might have to change since I wasn't too sure how E would handle being in the stroller that long.<br />
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So off we started. I got a lot of kudos along the way; made me feel good. I mean let's be honest who doesn't like to be cheered on? But then - it happened. About 5 minutes in the whining started and her blanket kept falling. It lasted a good 10 minutes. So here I am a good mile into my run thinking I can't do this. I was frustrated and upset at myself for thinking that it was a good idea. I was defeated. I was getting ready to turn around and forget my goals.<br />
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But then do you know what happened? People I knew from my running days started helping. I had people talk to E to try and calm her down or pick up her blanket when it kept falling. People who kept telling me I could do this. And you know what? I became overwhelmed. I became overwhelmed because I had forgotten what a family my running community had become. I had forgotten that these people are my tribe. I had forgotten that we help one another, cheer each other on and how good it feels to see each other after not seeing each other for weeks. As runners we care. We set up goals and we achieve them. We look for opportunities to help our community or each other. We might not always find a tribe but when we do we hold on to them for dear life because these people understand us. They are our cheerleaders. And these small acts of kindness pushed me to keep running.<br />
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So why is this whole moment so monumental for me? Easy, because I was the only woman out there with a stroller. I was a symbol of perseverance. I did not let difficulty win that day. I showed up and most importantly showed my daughter what this runner life is all about. She actually had a lot of fun that day. She ended up taking a nap and I got in more than 6 miles. After the training run we had breakfast together and it was just FUN. Did I go as fast as I used to? Hell no lol. However, I SHOWED UP and I proved to myself I could do both things: be with my daughter and go to a group training run.<br />
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My daughter is watching me every day. It's important for her to watch me achieve my goals - with her tow. We are signed up for more 5Ks in our future together as a team. I have my own stroller 5K time I need to beat. Soon enough I'm sure E will start running with me and I just can't wait. So here is to more training runs and 5Ks with E #iracelikeagirl.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-4062068706058252972017-03-21T18:39:00.001-07:002017-03-21T18:39:05.907-07:00Las Olas Triathlon Race RecapSo I qualified for Nationals at the Las Olas triathlon........ Weird, right?!?!?! Before I go into all of the emotions I'm going through right now let me give a quick recap of the triathlon.<br />
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I was ridiculously nervous going into the race that day. It hit me the night before that I would be coming back to the triathlon world. I love participating in triathlons mostly because I get to really test my body on how much it can take. Sprint triathlons are my favorite because you're literally trying your hardest to sustain a relatively fast speed in all three sports. I set all my gear the night before and put all of my body markings on. <br />
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When I woke up I felt the nerves in the pit of my stomach. I was able to have a banana and relax before driving over the race. Thank goodness for my mom who came over at the crack of dawn to make sure E was taken care of in the morning. I grabbed all my stuff and headed out. <br />
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The drive over to the race site was pretty easy. I got extremely flustered when it came to parking. I had bought a VIP ticket during packet pick up and it seems as though the VIP parking lot got full relatively early and I couldn't find the second spot. Luckily I kind of "winged it" and parked at a paking lot nearby (of course I had to pay again). As I walked my bike over to the transition area I became a little intimidated by all of the people walking in and all of the gear they carried. Let's just say I am not too extreme when it comes to all of the triathlon gear; I'm a minimalist. <br />
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I set up my bike in the transition area. I was soooo excited because I got the end of the rack and I was able to comfortably set all my stuff out. I made a couple of friends while I set-up and saw some old friends who were racing as well. In my head I was giving myself a pep talk and telling myself I was going to hopefully kick butt. <br />
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We headed towards the water and all at once I started panicking. I had only trained twice in the pool in the past 6 months. Prior to those swims I hadn't swam in over 2.5 years. Insane, I know. The waves looked choppy and a looming rain cloud was coming closer and closer. Our wave didn't start until an hour after the transition area closed. It wasn't too bad because I ended up finding someone I knew at the start line and just spent the time talking to them. <br />
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Right before the swim (about 10 minutes before) the sky opened up and down poured on us. It was freezing and I tried jumping around to get warm. I had never wanted to get in the ocean so badly in my life. The water was definitely warmer than the rain. Once the horn went off we all sprinted towards the water. I always make the mistake of being in the back. So as I started I was kicked and trampled on. I really should be in the front since I'm typically one of the top 70% girls in the water.<br />
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As we took off and made our way towards the first 100 meters I began getting scared. The waves were coming down on me and I kept swallowing water. At one point during the swim I actually felt as though I was going to drown. I remember dead stopping and trying to pull it together before I was able to freak out in the water. Luckily I told myself not to die for E and set back out to finish my swim. About halfway through the swim I picked up the speed and pulled away from the rest of the group. My overall time for 500 meters was about 14 minutes even with my freak-out. This is something I definitely need to work on. <br />
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As I stepped out of the water I jogged to the transition area and put on my shoes. I don't clip in to my bike so I literally transition to my running gear. The whole area was soaked from the passing rain and I carefully tried to dry my stuff off before putting it on. I was dreading the ride because of the wet roads. I tried not to psych out about crashing and possibly reinjuring my elbow. I was so nervous about injuring myself that I waited a solid 30seconds behind two cyclists as they dead stopped to clip in at the mount area. <br />
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Once I finally got going I started off a little too excited and had a 23 mph pace. About 3 miles in I realized this was way too fast for me and settled to about a 20ish mph pace. The ride was actually not too bad and I had room to spread out. I was a little irritated with people passing on the bridges after seeing a clear sign saying no passing was permitted. Those bridges by the water are just rickety and hard to cycle on (even with the carpet they laid out). The other thing that really frustrated me was the fact that some of the men I passed would block me out. It's almost as if their egos were hurt that a girl would actually be passing them. No worries when I see things like that happen it fuels me to kick their arse a little bit more. As I got closer to the transition area I picked up the speed and ended up coming out 2/33 in my age group on the bike (even with the rain)!!!<br />
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As I put my bike away and prepared for the run I started feeling better about the race. Running is typically my moment to shine. However, this race really kicked my butt physically. By the time I got to the run my legs felt like jello and I didn't know what pace I would actually be able to sustain for 3 miles. I started off at about an 8:00 min/mile pace but ended up averaging about 8:45 min/mile. The first half of the run was good; however, once I hit the turn around point it went all downhill. The wind was pounding into us and I felt defeated. I tried so hard to keep up my speed but my legs would not cooperate. My time was about 27 something minutes which is not that great for me. <br />
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Once I finished I felt so relieved. I had no idea what my time was or how well I really did. All that mattered was that I finished. I figured I would pick up all of my stuff and figure everything out on my way back to the car. When I grabbed my ticket to see how well I did I freaked out. I got second in my age group. I couldn't believe it. I literally yelled out Holy S&^%. I was so excited. I did it. I wanted to place but I actually did it. Not only did I do it but I ended up finishing top 70% out of men and women in all three sports. I was ecstatic. I wasn't able to stay for my award but I'm okay with that. I was just so excited. <br />
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What was even more exciting was I got an email a couple of days later from USA Triathlon telling me I qualified for nationals. Me. Qualifying for nationals. I felt so honored and humbled followed by extremely nervous and anxious. What if I didn't do well.. What if I was the last person to finish... I figured the only way to get those thoughts out of my head was to step up the training. So here I am now - stepping up the training. I joined LA Fitness to swim in their pools and am giving it my all in every workout so I can begin building my foundation. The race isn't until August 12 (MY BIRTHDAY) so until then I will keep working harder and harder. Here goes nothing.... Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-55353571203983566452017-03-04T08:52:00.000-08:002017-03-04T08:52:28.943-08:00A Week Until My RaceThis past week has been rough sleep-wise. E has been waking up a lot during the night. It seems like her teeth have really been bothering her lately which breaks my heart. I've definitely grown a lot more patient with her than in the past. Sometimes sleep deprivation makes you a little crazy and impatient. I've really struggled with that part of me but have finally come to terms with how to handle it all. I'm hoping that her pain goes away soon and we can go back to our one usual wake-up a night hahaha.<br />
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Today I crushed my brick workout which I am SO excited about. We cycled about 18.5 miles and maintained an 18.9 mph pace which is HUGE for me. I even pulled a bit, which, again, is HUGE for me. I'm really excited I had a nice ride since next week is the race. It definitely boosted my confidence which I needed. Afterwards I got in a quick mile with my cycling partner. I figured getting just a mile in would be enough to keep developing muscle memory in my legs. I finished my mile in about 7:45. Again, I'm happy with my time given the average speed I did on the bike. <br />
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Next week is my race and I have a lot of mixed emotions about it. On the one hand I want to absolutely crush the race since I've been training so hard. However, at the same time I want to take it easy since I'm known to be so hard on myself and will be crushed if I don't do well. I know you shouldn't put pressure on yourself for these things but it's hard not to. It's almost like everyone has this expectation of you to kick butt and you don't want to disappoint. It's crazy to think but it's so true. I recently had a friend admit this same thing to me and she avoids telling people she races so if she doesn't perform well she doesn't get judged for it. Sigh, why can't we just realize that everyone has bad races and it's okay?! Maybe part of it falls on us as athletes. Maybe we should just tell people you know what - yes, I had a bad race but I'm going to get back out there and continue to train hard because it will eventually pay off. Eh - let's see how I handle the pressure next week. <br />
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In other news I'm trying to clean up my diet. Let's be real I eat POORLY!!!!! Especially when I finally admit to myself that I probably consume 500-1,000 calories of dessert/sugary items...I know.. I know.. So I'm trying to reduce the amount of sugar I intake. This includes taking things like Gatorade/PowerAde or other hydration that contains a high amount of sugar. I am actually going back to a hydration company I've used in the past: Skratch Labs. They tend to have hydration options (daily/exercise) which contain less sugar than the alternative hydration methods I typically take. I just got my daily hydration powder and use it EVERY DAY. That's huge for me considering I probably don't hydrate nearly as much as I should.... I mean... I drink about 2 cups of liquid a day and that's on a good day... I know... I know... Can't you just imagine how great of an athlete I could be if I actually treated my body better? I'm working on it. <br />
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So, I had a good ride, a nice acai bowl as a snack and now I am relaxing before E wakes up. Overall it's been a kick arse day. I'll leave you with some pictures so you can take part in my foolishness.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKH89jNIuunK4IyzYG33Eq0JELo4clnsUEWnVCFjzFpNu0-9-Acr0fJSehi6kMzgxWDulgIz3vBVq740M72lefWNKRk8QD0Tr36K5lZkSv1EwnNMJD-UEU9tfn_tovSx6Fts47d2ukfb-t/s1600/Ride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKH89jNIuunK4IyzYG33Eq0JELo4clnsUEWnVCFjzFpNu0-9-Acr0fJSehi6kMzgxWDulgIz3vBVq740M72lefWNKRk8QD0Tr36K5lZkSv1EwnNMJD-UEU9tfn_tovSx6Fts47d2ukfb-t/s320/Ride.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After our brick!!! I love having my hair in braids during triathlons/brick workouts.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyktJ9flDwXyq9VrOm4QV1YpImKz84DVfeyzhyzXTTtpfWpD_0f7I83xBFTGlJkAQ53lbnxNu8UHF0Vfn0CbiTR7vY09EZwMvEEumJNfn9c2mIxVQrC2_0J4GPQpKWw2QxPdpnw0drucG/s1600/Cycling+Patner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyktJ9flDwXyq9VrOm4QV1YpImKz84DVfeyzhyzXTTtpfWpD_0f7I83xBFTGlJkAQ53lbnxNu8UHF0Vfn0CbiTR7vY09EZwMvEEumJNfn9c2mIxVQrC2_0J4GPQpKWw2QxPdpnw0drucG/s320/Cycling+Patner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My cycling partner: H! We never get a picture together so I snapped one of him getting ready to ride back home.</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-35623113381114353722017-02-25T07:48:00.002-08:002017-02-25T07:48:54.937-08:00Getting Back on the BikeSo as usual I stopped my blogging for a little bit. Life got crazy again and other things take priority over blogging, primarily my crazy and energetic child lol. However, she's napping now so this is my opportunity to catch everyone up (like there's so many of you that follow me lol). <br />
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First and foremost, I pushed back my half ironman triathlon. I felt like I wasn't ready and didn't want to put in a bunch of time, money and commitment for something I was not prepared for. I was traveling for it and bringing my daughter who still doesn't sleep through the night and it just seemed so stressful. So instead I will be doing a local half ironman in late October. I'm actually excited to be doing this race instead and already have a support team on standby that is willing to cheer me on. Also, my daughter will be just a bit older and will probably be a little more interested in the racing environment. <br />
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Secondly, I've been racing in local 5ks and close to hitting my previous times which is so exciting. My training regiment is a bit different this time around. I train less during the week and a bit more aggressively than before. By aggressive I mean that I tend to go faster and harder instead of "conversation pace". I think the reason for this is the fact that I have limited time and need to get in as much distance as possible in the shortest amount of time. <br />
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Lastly, I got back on the bike today. It's funny. I wasn't sure if I would be scared to ride again since the accident. I mean I took a pretty nasty fall. Luckily I felt fine and maybe even a little bit more confident on the bike. Maybe it's because I feel like a veteran since I took my first official spill. Maybe it's just the fact that in the last couple of months I'm much more in shape than before. Regardless the ride today was fantastic. It wasn't very long 15-18 miles. I'm not too sure because I forgot my watch which really irritated me. Afterwards I got in a quick 1 mile run at a 7:37 min/mile pace. Overall, today was a great training day. Here are some pictures!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPR7kUGhroLEC6mE2zTQoGF9RRT-iC9CGNvoGE03DVsjV1-zaOb9APgcxDT-8g4XJEzZjYIVUOHuwLneYF_imy_Vu64J5zSv_8sbmxUHXsdJTQ4Gtay_3EeACYZZZRZEilr_8qBtf7cCp/s1600/Weston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPR7kUGhroLEC6mE2zTQoGF9RRT-iC9CGNvoGE03DVsjV1-zaOb9APgcxDT-8g4XJEzZjYIVUOHuwLneYF_imy_Vu64J5zSv_8sbmxUHXsdJTQ4Gtay_3EeACYZZZRZEilr_8qBtf7cCp/s320/Weston.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding conditions were fierce!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8auN8O2nLgD5f_aC-Tyzdqzg6Gdu_cvCWeN8dA-qv5pxqAPJFtalHIRcOXx6DzYElU4hlnFYuVIgL1ALyCwPdJCJeML6PkZY2UhwWh6_C9G4WKMSCBj3TiDE4vMiSQKTvW24SPQurX-YA/s1600/Dead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8auN8O2nLgD5f_aC-Tyzdqzg6Gdu_cvCWeN8dA-qv5pxqAPJFtalHIRcOXx6DzYElU4hlnFYuVIgL1ALyCwPdJCJeML6PkZY2UhwWh6_C9G4WKMSCBj3TiDE4vMiSQKTvW24SPQurX-YA/s320/Dead.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dead.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8auN8O2nLgD5f_aC-Tyzdqzg6Gdu_cvCWeN8dA-qv5pxqAPJFtalHIRcOXx6DzYElU4hlnFYuVIgL1ALyCwPdJCJeML6PkZY2UhwWh6_C9G4WKMSCBj3TiDE4vMiSQKTvW24SPQurX-YA/s1600/Dead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPR7kUGhroLEC6mE2zTQoGF9RRT-iC9CGNvoGE03DVsjV1-zaOb9APgcxDT-8g4XJEzZjYIVUOHuwLneYF_imy_Vu64J5zSv_8sbmxUHXsdJTQ4Gtay_3EeACYZZZRZEilr_8qBtf7cCp/s1600/Weston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1J1b-78g3z9NoN3xCbV07nbq-Z8LfuBYXDCdq7q7d0QgfB6X8i68vlPyNP_OLL-G1UCdrGZteqmwgoaNrXPo3zYD8hsLZVM8mEcknC9LzC5OxoFCgcXpdoB2sNz5LvceTSWSU3J2RDYXH/s1600/Brick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1J1b-78g3z9NoN3xCbV07nbq-Z8LfuBYXDCdq7q7d0QgfB6X8i68vlPyNP_OLL-G1UCdrGZteqmwgoaNrXPo3zYD8hsLZVM8mEcknC9LzC5OxoFCgcXpdoB2sNz5LvceTSWSU3J2RDYXH/s320/Brick.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a quick brick...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGR9DrF-T1euVqJHKdAQIOMaUh3fL-Od2RR4RaeNixMiPPmE4lPQOD1Kb2gw4ZpegRAdaZvNnTJl3HykkV8l4wJ5N6ae9DcB3yV1XBuKpF1sFub3TxeI1F_hCAFfZ99jpPGyQzfrQaGKm/s1600/Clean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGR9DrF-T1euVqJHKdAQIOMaUh3fL-Od2RR4RaeNixMiPPmE4lPQOD1Kb2gw4ZpegRAdaZvNnTJl3HykkV8l4wJ5N6ae9DcB3yV1XBuKpF1sFub3TxeI1F_hCAFfZ99jpPGyQzfrQaGKm/s320/Clean.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cleaned up!!</td></tr>
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I'm hoping I can get a long-ish run tomorrow after our family photo shoot! Let's see what happens... Until the next time... Happy trails :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-36029941790917628052017-01-23T17:45:00.000-08:002017-01-23T17:45:20.523-08:00Seventy-six days awayI have seventy-six days until my next Half Ironman...or maybe seventy-five. Regardless it is way too close for comfort. I haven't been training as much as I would have liked to but I kind of knew that getting into this. The good news is I have a decent base so if I can't train well during my building/peak phase then I should still be okay. I won't do amazingly well, but I won't come in dead last. Tonight I'm going to try and make a realistic training plan for myself and hope for the best.<br />
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So since my epiphany yesterday, I have been trying to compensate for my lack of training. Last night I ended up cycling for about 45 minutes. I maintained a decent cadence for about 30 minutes of my ride and then picked up the cadence for a minute on and off the following 5 minutes. Then just decelerated slowly until I hit 45 minutes. Before I went to bed I hit 100 crunches.<br />
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Today I did a quick arm workout in the morning before work: <br />
<ul>
<li>Overhead press - 3 sets of 8 reps with 15 pound weights; </li>
<li>Overhead Dumbell Tricep Extension: 3 sets of 8 reps with a 15 pound weight;</li>
<li>Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 8 reps on each arm with 15 pound weights.</li>
</ul>
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I also tackled a run during lunch:</div>
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4x800s on the treadmill:</div>
<ul>
<li>1st 800: 3:24</li>
<li>2nd 800: 3:19</li>
<li>3rd 800: 3:18</li>
<li>4th 800: 3:14</li>
</ul>
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Not too shabby. I want to up my mileage a little bit more next week. I know that I won't have the time during lunch but maybe I can split my time up my mileage throughout the day. </div>
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Now, I think I'm going to get in about 100 crunches. I'm hoping I can blog more about my journey since the baby goes to bed at around. Too bad I have about a billion other things on my plate... Until next time... </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-74068892322975318802016-12-30T11:09:00.001-08:002016-12-30T11:09:26.065-08:00Working Out While On Vacation - With a BabySo I wanted to workout during our week long vacation. I set some realistic expectations and figured I would workout every other day while we were here. However, on day one we had a minor set back - I forgot to pack sport bras. Sport bras are pretty much an essential when it comes to working out. So the next day I was going to head over to the local running store, but decided Target was a better option. I mean I just needed something economical, not elite-status. So at $16.99 a sports bra I got myself four sports bras with really fun prints. <br />
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So that afternoon I headed out for a 4 mile bridge workout. I had a pretty awesome workout and averaged about 8:38 min/mile. I negative split the run which makes me pretty happy!!! My legs were not happy with me the next day but it was well worth it. We don't really have many places to run uphill so the more workouts like that I get, the better. <br />
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My next in was two days later when I tried to get in a 5 mile run. The only time we figured I could go was around noon. It's been a pretty hot winter so let's just say it was a challenging run and I cut it about .75 miles short. I had tried to maintain under an 8:00 min/mile but it was way too hard. I want to say I ended up with like an 8:28 min/mile. <br />
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Today I just wanted to do a quick workout so I turned to Pinterest. I haven't really been happy with my abdominal area, but who really is after they've had a baby? So - I decided to try out a 5 minute - "get rid of the pooch" workout. Here's the link: http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/5-Minute-Ab-Workout-Lose-Pooch-37989664?crlt.pid=camp.b9Xjrsq0raMX - if I feel sore tomorrow then I might make this a daily routine!<br />
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So those have been my workouts. I'm hoping to really crank it up this new year. I've got to start preparing for the half ironman which means more running and more bricks. My diet needs to change too so I can get leaner - meaning fitlife will be a regular routine. I'm figuring I need to lose about 10 pounds right before the race. My race calendar is pretty much set for the first half of the year and I'm also going to try and incorporate new innovative workouts - like a new cycle bar in the area or Pinterest workouts. I'll be keeping you posted along the way :) I'll post pictures from our vacation once I get home. Needless to say it's been fun but stressful. Vacationing with a baby for a week is a lot of work; however, on those good days it makes you feel refreshed and relaxed. Anyways - Happy New Year to everyone! Let' see what 2017 brings!!!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-24607730321869905722016-12-24T11:48:00.002-08:002016-12-24T11:48:57.920-08:00The 12 Miles of ChristmasToday was our local run store's 12 Miles of Christmas. It's nothing fancy, just a way to bring the community together for a run and collect unwrapped toys to benefit a local charity. You don't need to even bring a toy, it's just a free training run. Typically the run falls during a weekday and I can't do it because of work. However, since Christmas Eve was on a Saturday I could pull it off! Now, the longest distance I had recently covered was 8 miles, so I knew 12 miles would be pushing it. I figured I would gauge how I felt on the run and go from there. <br />
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So, last night we had a rough night at our house and I was only able to sleep about 4 hours. I was tired this morning but I really wanted to do this run. So I snacked on a banana as I got ready and left everyone sleeping at home. On the way to the run I realized parking was probably going to be a nightmare since the store is located in a small strip mall. This run is kind of a big deal in our local area and as I pulled into the parking lot I realized I was right. Luckily, I lived around that area for about a 1.5 years and parked somewhere I knew my car would be safe. <br />
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As I jogged to the store I ran into a good amount of people that I knew. It was amazing. I felt like I was home again. This past year has been rough with trying to balance out being a mom and a runner. I typically can't make group runs and sometimes I have to sacrifice running all together. I've been frustrated and disheartened but I've been trying my very best. You just want to pick up right where you left off, but you can't. Your cardio is diminished, you're body has been through war, and time is scarce. But you try, and try, and try and eventually you will get there. <br />
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The training run had pacers and I decided to go out with the 9 minute/mile pace. I figured I would scale back if I needed to but lately I've been keeping a relatively nice pace on my runs. The first mile proved to be a little difficult but I want to say I ended up with a 9:30 min/mile pace. I ended up running next to someone I knew and I was so glad I did. Granted she pushed a stroller with 2 kids which weighed about 100 pounds as I just chatted beside her. However, it was so nice to talk to her about life. She's a local star athlete and wins a good amount of races in the area. She talked to me about being a mom and also an athlete; the struggles she had and words of encouragement. There were a couple of things she shared with me.. one being "your body is different and you just need to find a way to carry it now" - and she's so right. I knew I could come back close (if not better) than my usual run times. There's a whole bunch of other awesome things she said to me but of course I can't remember them all now.<br />
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Since we ended up picking up the pace I decided to run 5 miles and turn around. Now, I think people thought I had turned around at the 6 mile mark, but I tried to clear that up real quickly and not get credit for something I didn't do. I smiled as I ran past runners and tried to let them know that they were doing an awesome job. I always think it's nice to have people encourage you during a run, maybe that's just me. I kept picking up the pace and I'm pretty sure I negative split the second half of my run. I wasn't too on point with my Garmin so I didn't have my total time. First of all I started it a mile too late and then halfway through I must have saved my run and so I had to restart a new run in the process. I have to check out the pace though because I'm pretty sure it's the fastest training run I've ever had. The last two miles I want to say I ran at an 8:15 min/mile pace AND I felt FANTASTIC. <br />
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Overall, I was so happy with my run. I'm a little stiff now so I have to stretch a bit. I have to admit I'm really excited on how well I did. I know that I've been working hard and trying to slowly regain my speed, but it's been a slow process. I signed up for some of the local races next year and have one race scheduled each month right now. I am curious to what my 5k times will be now, but am trying to not put too much pressure on myself. For now, I'm just taking it one run at a time.<br />
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I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas Eve!!!!<br />
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Funny side note, at the end of my run a duck was flying low to the ground and almost nailed me. I had to duck (no pun intended) and screamed as I tried to avoid it. I laughed pretty hard afterwards. <br />
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Here are some photos from today:<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-82921194363516057012016-12-23T02:58:00.001-08:002016-12-23T02:58:10.603-08:00The Holiday Weight Gain StruggleSo I finally lost all of the pregnancy weight I had gained a couple of weeks ago. It was really tough but I was determined to do it, and I did! However, now that the holidays crept up on us I've been really bad with my diet. I've always eaten pretty poorly, but this has been worse than usual. I decided to step back on the scale this morning and holy smokes was I a little disappointed in myself. I've gained 5-6 pounds in the last few weeks. My husband, the baby and I are going on vacation this coming week so I feel like it's pointless to really try and lose weight then, so here's to my new year's resolution to try and eat better. I've got to get leaner for the half ironman so it works out this way. <br />
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So what have I been doing? Well, I fractured my elbow and sprained my wrist after a cycling accident so I have tried to stay off the bike until next year. I did buy a Groupon for a new cycling studio in the area and am excited to try it in the new year. Other then that I've been working on my speed and trying to build my running base back up. I've also turned to Pintrest for some ideas. Let me tell you - Pintrest is AMAZING when it comes to trying to find new workouts. For example, here is the link to a workout I tried two days ago on the Bosu ball: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/459015387000928904/<br />
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Anyways, I will try and post more of my workouts as I continue on my half ironman journey post pregnancy. Getting time in for myself has been tough but I think that I might be in a better place starting the new year. Tomorrow there's a local training Christmas Eve run I'm going to. I'm aiming to try and get 12 miles in, but will be ridiculously happy if I can get in 10 miles. I'll try and post afterwards. Until the next time, happy trails!!<br />
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PS Here's my favorite picture of us at this moment:<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-36874493732780119302016-10-21T18:12:00.000-07:002016-10-21T18:12:35.371-07:00Impromptu Cycling SessionThis morning I had to go and get an oil change. I hate doing car things. I feel like mechanics and car dealerships automatically make women feel inferior and defeated. So needless to say I hate even dropping my car off for an oil change. Yes, I hate it. <br />
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So.... before going to the dreaded dealership I decided to run 3 miles with the baby. I knew the weather would be cooler this weekend and I had to take advantage of being outdoors. It was probably one of the slowest runs that I've had in a while but I really didn't care. I just wanted to run 3 miles - who cares if it took me 34 minutes lol. <br />
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After my run I got home and started getting ready to head over to the dealership. My husband was going to drop me off and then we were all going to head up to this fancy pumpkin patch like an hour away. Well - it's funny how kids crap on the plans you have for yourself. Elizabeth had been acting cranky and was most likely going to nap soon. My husband suggested I just ride my bike back home and he would watch her while I was gone. I pretty much jumped at the chance. So I packed my bike and headed to the dealership. <br />
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When I got to the dealership I kinda felt like a badass. I mean - I was going to ride my bike back home, and not just any bike - my sexy Cervelo. So I complete all of the paperwork they need and bust out my bike. I had to snicker because two people totally complimented me on my bike and how nice it was. That bike gets way more compliments than I do lol. I hopped on my bike and headed back home. <br />
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Let me tell you something - it was a BEAUTIFUL ride. The weather was perfect; the traffic was at an all time minimal; and, I didn't have a care in the world. It was so nice just being outdoors. Granted I live less than 5 miles from the dealership, but who cares. It's funny how some of us don't take the time to just be outdoors. To notice the temperature and the sights around us or to feel the sun on our skin. It was such a rush. So when they called to pick my car back up of course I had to ride back.<br />
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This literally might be my new thing - riding my bike to and from the dealership when I get an oil change. I had absolutely no idea that I would do that today but I'm so glad I did. It definitely made going to the dealership less painful. I also have to admit I'm kinda looking forward to the next time I have to drop my car off for an oil change. <br />
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Tomorrow is going to suck though. I'm planning on riding 40 miles. Wish me luck.... I'm totally going to need it.....Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-52668241459422284432016-10-15T19:07:00.000-07:002016-10-15T19:07:14.162-07:00Chasing Another HalfIronmanSo a lot has happened since my last post. I guess having a baby disrupts life or something lol. So let me catch everyone up - all 15 people who follow me LMAO<br />
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Parenting is tough. I found out that my patience level is not as high as I expected it to be, how life can be so different but so wonderful at the same time, and that my daughter filled the biggest void in my life that I never knew I had. It's almost like a terrifying rollercoaster LOL. However, once you get off you jump right back on again because you loved the ride. <br />
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Although parenting is amazing and you can become completely absorbed in it - so much so that you lose your identity -it's nice when you learn to keep the pieces of your life that are important to you. For me it's working out. I absolutely love it. I honestly can't imagine my life without it. It's where I think things through or release the stress I've felt throughout the day. It's exactly what I need - so it should be no surprise that I'm still working out and even stepped it up a notch. <br />
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So far this is my race schedule:<br />
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November 20 - Half Marathon<br />
November 26 - Sprint Triathlon<br />
April 9 - Half Ironman<br />
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I'm currently about 5 weeks out from the half marathon and feel pretty good. I'm probably not going to PR but that's okay. All I want to accomplish is to run the whole thing. I would be lying if I said I wouldn't care if I broke 2 hours. Truth be told I would love to PR, but I no longer have the training time I need in order to make that happen. Maybe next year I can pull it off but definitely not now.<br />
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In the meantime I'm trying to establish my base for the half ironman. Cycling is my weakest so I've been trying to improve in it. Now that I have my sexy new Cervelo I'm hoping it'll build my confidence and make me want to cycle more. I have been meeting up with a strong cyclist who has definitely already built up my cycling game for up to 25 miles. I'm hoping by April 9th I can dominate the road...Today's ride went pretty well. The road was wet and we ended up hitting rain while riding as well. We kept the pace at about 20 mph the entire time, but sped up every once in a while. It was pretty awesome. Next week I'm hoping to bump the volume or maybe even getting in a short run after cycling. <br />
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I really hope I can get a run in tomorrow. I'm aiming for 5 miles....<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-88514424759104917252016-06-12T17:53:00.000-07:002016-06-12T17:53:16.715-07:00I Found A New ChallengeSo I really liked the 15 Day Flat Abs Challenge and was going to go repeat it in a couple of days BUT I ended up stumbling across another plan. One of my friends had liked Betty Rocker's 30 Day Challenge (Make Fat Cry is what it's called) and lo' and behold - a new challenge is upon us. Let's not forget to mention that this program is FREE when the Flat Abs Challenge was going to charge you I think $30 for it's plan. I figured let's give it a shot.<br />
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So today started Day 1 of the program. Already off the bat I like two things about this program:<br />
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1. The e-mail expires 24 hours after you open it forcing you to complete the workout.<br />
2. The trainer has a video clip of her completing the workout so you can do it with her. <br />
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These two things alone are pretty awesome and make me excited to complete the workout. Another exciting thing is that I'm going to start working out once a week at work since we have an on-site gym, making it easier for me to get this routine done. Since the workout is free, I recommend you google Bettey Rocker's 30 day challenge and signup!!! <br />
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Today was a rest day in my 28 day squat challenge. Can't wait to get back in the grind tomorrow. I didn't get a 4 mile run in but I did get to work in 2 - 5 minute sprints of running (totaling 1 mile). Oh and as a bonus I got my 3 sets of 30 side leg lefts in!! Today was an overall win.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-91826653944723621092016-06-11T13:01:00.003-07:002016-06-11T13:01:43.837-07:00So I Guess I Have to Eat Healthier Too..You always here people say that weightloss is driven mostly by your diet. Although I never really agreed with that statement, I have to finally admit that it's true. I think the reason why I've always been so fit is because I burned a ridiculous amount of calories from the long workouts I used to have and no matter what I ate, I was able to burn it off quickly; therefore, I never truly struggled with my weight as much as other people typically do. Well, now that I no longer have a large amount of time to workout, the weight is a little harder to lose. That being said, I've been making baby steps to try and lose the weight.<br />
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I had originally talked about this company I found, Fitlife Foods. I love their foods, but finding the time to get over there has been difficult. However, last week I was able to get over there and get a couple of meals. Sure enough the weight that had been creeping up - crept back down. Now, I am not one to say I eat super clean, but at least I try to eat in moderation. Just don't count the 10 munchkins I had on Friday lol. <br />
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As far as workouts, I got to get in 4 separate 5 minute runs in on the treadmill while the baby was sleeping for a grand total of 2.1 miles. Although it doesn't seem like a lot I'm just ecstatic that I got to get some sort of cardio in. I'm hoping to get in 4 miles today but we shall see if the weather cooperates. I did end up getting in Day 2 of my 28 day squat challenge AND I managed to get in 3 sets of 30 leg raises on each leg. <br />
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Sigh, this whole trying to lose weight thing sucks.... <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-16084655275645953962016-06-10T03:16:00.001-07:002016-06-10T03:16:55.293-07:00The Exhaustion Continues...Well, I knew the long sleep stretches were too good to be true, and sure enough - they didn't last. Elizabeth has been waking up almost every 2 hours for a diaper change and to eat. Plain and simple - it sucks. I try not to complain because I know it's because she's uncomfortable or wet, but holy crap!! LOL. I'm hoping this stage doesn't last very long or that she starts sleeping in 3-4 hour stretches soon. One can only hope.<br />
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But enough baby talk, what have I been up to workout wise?!?! I started the 15 Day Flat Abs Challenge for free through a Facebook signup and I have to say it was pretty good. Here's a link: https://funnels.flatabsfitness.com/free-15-day-challenge-evergreen-2. The workouts are pretty fantastic honestly and don't (usually) take more than 15 minutes to complete which is perfect for my sleep-deprived zero free time schedule. I wasn't able to do all 15 days in a row, so I'm going to start over next week. I didn't measure myself last go around, but I would like to take my measurements this time around to see if I actually lose pounds/inches. <br />
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During the last month I also tried to accomplish the 28 day challenge for squats, pushups and abs. I think I got too ahead of myself though because my incision from my C-section started feeling odd and I ended up stopping all together. This time around I think I will end up doing one challenge at a time. My first challenge will be the 28 day squat challenge which I started today. Here's the link: https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/the-28-day-squat-challenge-youll-want-to-start-now/<br />
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Instead of trying to do other 28 day challenges simultaneously, I would like to incorporate one exercise that targets a specific muscle group for a week at a time. For this week, I would like to do side leg raises 3 sets of 30. Let's see how this goes. <br />
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I think that's it for now. I already did Day 1 of the squat challenge and hope to do my side leg raises and possibly run 2 miles in the afternoon. Seems pretty ambitious but here's to hoping. Until the next time.... happy trails!!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-80522938137738873822016-05-16T16:15:00.000-07:002016-05-16T16:15:07.230-07:00Seventeen More Pounds...that's all I have left to lose. It seems like a lot when you look at the number, but after losing 38 pounds - this seems like nothing. I've been trying really hard to eat healthier. It's hard since we live in a society where convenience is everything. However, that also means that healthier food options are coming people!!!<br />
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Which brings me to my next point - I have been hooked on this new place called Fit Life Food. It's freaking awesome. So far I've tried about 4-6 different meals that they offer and they've tasted amazing. I want to try doing this for about 4 weeks to see what it can do for me. I've got my weight watcher's (WW) weigh in tomorrow so I'm curious to see if I've lost a little more weight. I now only use WW to track my weight. <br />
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So what have I done in the mean time? I've been doing those weekly Fitbit Challenges which is awesome. I've also tried to get some workout videos (Jillian Michaels) and walks/runs in when I can. I think I accepted the fact that I can't qualify for Boston next year which has me really bummed, but it's okay. I am totally going to aim for it the following year. I didn't know you had to qualify for it so early in the year - makes sense. <br />
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Todays Workout: Jillian Michaels DVD in the morning followed by a 30 minute walk/run combo with my mom in the afternoon. She's been getting into running which has been an awesome thing to see. I'm starting her off easy and incorporating 30 second runs every 2 minutes so she can begin to build her cardio. She's been walking on her own, but I'm not sure at what pace so these runs should really get her heart rate going. I'm so happy that she's trying to aim for a healthier lifestyle. Tomorrow I'm going to try and get in a 3 mile run. I'm not sure if I'll worry about my speed since I'm trying to heal from the onset of plantar fascitis. I'll just listen to my body and let it guide me. Hopefully I can blog about it tomorrow.<br />
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Well I'm going to run and shower while the baby is sleeping.. until my next post.... Happy Trails :)<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-28699161382194965592016-05-06T04:54:00.003-07:002016-05-06T04:54:45.276-07:00TiredPre-children I used to say I was tired all of the time. Well, I truly did not know the meaning of tired until now. Now, I shouldn't complain too much because luckily my child slept through the night starting at 10 weeks old. However, recently we're going through the dreaded four month sleep regression. This thing is no joke and now my child wakes up at random points throughout the night. Now the tricky part about this whole thing is that some nights she'll sleep through the entire night. Sounds great if I wasn't breastfeeding... <br />
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Anyways, my real reason for this post is that even though I'm dead tired 99% of the time, I still want to work out. Working out for me has been my outlet and no matter how stressed out I've been, I'm completely at peace after a solid run. This past week I've been able to get in a couple of runs which has been great. I can see myself slowly improve and it makes me feel accomplished. Which bring me to my next point...<br />
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I have foolishly decided to try and qualify for Boston. I know it seems like an outlandish goal but it makes me happy and gives me a focus point. In order to qualify I need to hit BQ (Boston Qualifying)time (3:35 marathon time) by April of the previous year. That seems pretty crazy.... however, I'm going to try and go for it. My race - 2017 Fort Lauderdale A1A. I PR'd for it 3 years ago in the half marathon by 10 MINUTES!!! Crazy, huh? The course is flat and fast which would make it perfect. I'm most likely going to sign up for it within a month so I can force myself to admit that this is happening. Trust me I want it to happen but I'm just scared. Scared that I won't make my goal. I know that there's always the next year but... well you know me. I'm sort of am overachiever.<br />
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So for now I'm slowly building up my mileage and trying not to go too hard too fast so I can prevent injury. I want to start jogging with the stroller more because it kicks my heart's butt in the cardiovascular department. Today I'm thinking about trying to squeeze in a 2-3 mile run with the stroller. Hopefully it won't be too hot.<br />
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On a side note my weight loss has been slowly happening. I've officially got less than 20 pounds to lose (out of 55). I'm trying out this new "food program" - Fitlife Foods. They're a store front for healthy meals - think food delivery service but without having to commit to anything. It works for me because I can pick them up and keep them for my lunches. I'm hoping this will speed up my weightloss and get me back to where I would like to be. <br />
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So that's all folks... until the next time I can post... Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-35217776792443335092016-05-03T17:00:00.000-07:002016-05-03T17:00:06.204-07:00Why Are We So Mean to Ourselves?This hiatus from blogging has been awful! I guess full blown mommyhood life has taken over and it's hard for me to find time for EVERYTHING lol. I think you partially expect that once you become a parent, but a part of you always wants to be that 1% that defies the odds. Well guess what? I wasn't that 1%.<br />
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So the main reason for my post today is to have an outlet for all of the things/emotions that have taken hold of me recently. It's funny, you never hear about this part of the postpartum. The overwhelming emotions and thoughts that fly through your head. You feel abnormal, sick, maybe a little crazy. You're definitely 100% sleep deprived.You just feel alone in your path and scared to reach for help. I know I did, and I don't think I'm alone when it comes to experiencing those feelings. Luckily I decided to reach out to my good friend T about all this.. and I'm so glad I did.<br />
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See the problem was I was just being too mean to myself. Telling myself that everytime she cried I was failing or that I wasn't good enough as a mother to figure out what she wanted. Everyday was an internal battle with myself. Was I too fat? I saw women who had babies around the same time I did get back quickly to their pre-pregnancy weight. I felt awful and inadequadate. My husband, poor guy (lol), did everything he could to tell me it would be okay. He would listen to me, let me cry on his should and tell me everything would be okay. He reassured me that I was a great mom and I had nothing to worry about. Even though we had been together for almost 13 years, at this point in time we really became a team. He was my biggest cheerleader and I really needed him to be right then and there. <br />
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So why? Why are we so mean to ourselves? Why do we close ourselves off to the world? Why do we put up a front that we're supermoms when secretly we want to cry and eat the whole damn box of oreos? Why do we look at ourselves in the mirror and mentally draw a circle around all the flaws that we have? I don't know. I honestly don't. What we need more of is cheerleaders (N - you're a rockstar). People that support us. People that take the time to look at you and say - you're not crazy, I've been there and you're going to be okay. <br />
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So why do I write this? Because for some weird reason people reach out to me when I post stuff like this. I show my vulnerabilities and become human for a second. What a concept...<br />
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So now what? Well, I've learned to cut myself some slack. I talked to women who loved me (thanks mom). I let myself cry; I found a new focus; and I told myself it would be okay. And you know what? So far it's working. I've definitely had a lot of external pressures this week, but I think I'll always have them. I've just got to learn to cope better. <br />
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So enough depressing stuff. Here's the sunshine in my life right now:<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-43894395736812631102016-02-02T20:22:00.001-08:002016-02-02T20:22:06.590-08:00The Owlet MonitorI wanted to give a thorough review of the Owlet monitor for anyone who wanted information on it. I originally bought the Angelcare monitor to help calm down my paranoia. However when I tested it out for the first time I was annoyed by it. You're supposed to place a mat under a mattress/crib in order for it to work. So if you have a portable bassinet that has a mattress attached to it then you're screwed. If you are fortunate enough to use it then the monitor will beep every time the baby moves and if your baby doesn't move for 20 seconds than the monitor will go off. You do have the option of taking the beeping sound off but that doesn't take stop the monitor from going off. When we tested the monitor it literally went off within a minute. So fail - we needed another option. <br />
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So off to google I went. I stumbled across a monitor called the Owlet. It was a sock that you put on the baby and it is supposed to monitor her heartbeat and oxygen levels. Now this system seemed to good to be true. What was the catch? Did the monitor make a sound if the heartbeat/oxygen levels were off? I wasn't too sure. Was it easy for the sock to fall off?? I wouldn't know unless I tried it. My baby is insane with kicking her feet when she's awake/sleeping so I'm sure it would fall off. I would continue my research.<br />
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After spending two days of research I decided to chat with one of their representatives to at least ask about the monitor going off if the levels were off. They assured me that the monitor would go off and if you had installed the app on your Apple device than your app would also alert you. That was a great answer - so I told the representative I would be ordering it that night. Since I was ordering it that night the representative gave me a promo code for free shipping. So word of advice talk to the representative - ask them a question and tell them you'll be ordering it that night so you can save 12.00 for shipping! Also, I followed them on Instagram and it looks like some bloggers/representatives sell it on their site for cheaper. So another word of advice is look around and save yourself some money if you can.<br />
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When I got the Owlet I was super excited because I actually got it a day before I anticipated it coming in. You have to charge it for a little bit for you can actually put it on, but it didn't take too long. The instruction manual itself is short but gives you everything you need to know. Installing the app was super easy and they literally walk you through everything. Lastly, they give you three socks to grow with your baby so you can have the monitor for the first year of their life. Apparently they can send you a bigger sock in the event your baby outgrows the largest sock before he or she turns one. Um - amazing so far.<br />
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So then I put the sock on that night for the baby. I had two false alarms. One was because I took the baby to another room setting the monitor off. The other one was due to the baby kicking the sock off. Now the cool thing about the false alarms is that this type of false alarm let's you know that something is wrong but it has nothing to do with your baby's levels being off. The sound is literally a lullaby instead of an alarm. The monitor itself will also turn blue or yellow - again - it depends on a technical difficulty with the sock. Pretty cool huh?!?!<br />
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Here is what it looks like when the sock is monitoring your baby:<br />
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So overall - I'm OBSESSED with this sock. She hasn't kicked the sock off since day one and the only time I get a false alarm is if I take her to another room and away from the base. I definitely have so much peace of mind having it on her. I only put it on her at night and charge it during the day. I'm so thankful for it and hope other moms do as well. Hope this review helped you out! Until the next time.... Happy Trails!!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-1711254419542057642016-01-30T08:46:00.001-08:002016-01-30T08:46:12.417-08:00One Day at a TimeWhen you have a newborn they tell you to take it one day at a time. Every day things get a little bit better and a little bit easier. I hate to admit it, but it's true. Babies start falling into a routine (a loose one) but nonetheless it's a patterned behavior. Some days you feel like pulling your hair out and crying, but it's funny how a little bit of sleep can give you a new perspective and outlook on life. They speak of the magical "12 weeks" mark where babies seem to have some sort of switch that flips on and they sleep a little bit longer and have a more agreeable behavior. I have almost 7 weeks left until I hit that mark. Not that I'm counting. <br />
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The working out front has been a little bit disheartening on the other hand. Having a csection you have to wait until the 6 week mark. I tried looking up exercises for women who have had csections but there is really nothing out there that is recommended besides walking - and we're talking "non aerobic walking." Everything that I've read says to take it easy which is easier said than done. At almost 5 weeks in you feel as though you're pretty much completely healed except for a reminder in the form of a scar. My scar overall looks healed except for a small inflamed area. I read it's normal but a part of me can't help but be paranoid about it and so I've been religiously dousing Neosporin on it and an ointment call C-Mama Healing Salve. <br />
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Even though I've been trying to take it easy I do try and walk at least once around the neighborhood (which is almost 3/4 of a mile). If I don't manage to walk around the neighborhood then I resort to treadmill walking. My goal lately has been to try and get a mile under 25 minutes. It seems easy but when you're trying not to push it... well... it's pretty damn hard. Trust me if it wasn't for getting the okay from the doctor I would try running the whole thing at one time. Regardless I nailed my goal on the first try and hope to get progressively better! Check it out :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nailed It!!!</td></tr>
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As far as my nutrition goes I've been trying to make better food choices since I can't work out as much and I want to lose weight. So far I've lost almost 20 pounds but still have about 38-40 pounds left to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight of 145. I gained a lot of weight which was frustrating but there's nothing I can do about it now and I just have to work a little bit harder to get to where I was. Plus, I've got the best wardrobe and want to be able to fit back into it. On the bright side, I did find a fun new product that I liked which is a healthy food option - Rani's Yummy Buttered Oats! I got it in my Runner's Box for Christmas and I actually ended up liking it so much I think I'll be ordering it twice a month. It's a little pricey $15 with shipping for 12oz bag, but I love the product, the nutritional value, and the fact that I support a small business owner. Plus they handwrote me a note which was flipping awesome. Overall, I think I'll be trying to find a couple of healthy food options as I go. Well, I better get going... until the next post - Happy Trails!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How cute is this note?? Ugh - they totally suckered me lol!!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuElnPBBSUUffm-XY_r3itauXPqJJ0RnH7ylJiQ9sl7_D7AIKgbj3HXMpVzV1lJm2PxhwPD9w4DFjuFEuMaAPtQ74xNw6X5UQZklhCgwG83nSUi5zkIIrMzUhww6vAR8cy2Cbaxia3QVdX/s1600/20160128_144225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-58429870173776119592016-01-20T15:50:00.000-08:002016-01-20T15:50:29.120-08:00#teamnosleepTrying to figure out a sleep schedule has been hard. My amazing husband was able to get 6 weeks off with his company and if it weren't for that time off that he had, I think I would have died from sleep deprivation. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not sleeping 8 hours a day, hell, I would be happy with 5 hours in a row. I get enough where I'm functional and can nap during the day AND that is all around amazing and wouldn't be possible if my husband were working.<br />
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Now there are different reasons why we aren't sleeping. 1- She fusses throughout the night and won't let either of us sleep if she were in the same room with us.2 - She doesn't stay swaddled and pulls the blankets over her head which scares the bejesus out of me. 3- I just am terrified to let her sleep by herself. She does settle for a couple of hours throughout the night but it's sporadic and will depend on her mood. I wish I could sleep while she's sleeping when it's my "shift" but I can't because I'm paranoid. I bought the Angelcare monitor with the intent to use it so it could calm my fears, but I can't use it in every "crib environment" that we have. What I mean by that is that you can only place it under a mattress: think a pack and play or a crib. It won't work if the baby sleeps in something like a portable bassinet or a swing (not that I condone this - I'm just giving examples of crib environments I've heard of parents using). We use a portable bassinet and there is no way I could use it. Another con that it has is that it literally beeps all of the time - think when you were at the hospital getting your vitals monitored. <br />
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So - what other options do I really have? I've been researching a bunch of products and came across the Owlet. I actually had another mom recommend it to me but mentioned it was pretty pricey but worth every penny. Originally I thought the Angelcare monitor would take care of all my worries, but I was mistaken. It doesn't work for us and that's okay. Just like with having a baby - you need to keep adjusting until you figure it out. So I might get the Owlet lol. It's a sock!! A freaking sock. So you can monitor her pulse oximetry and movement through a freaking sock. If something is wrong it alerts you. It doesn't beep all of the time - it literally let's you know when you need to intervene. Will this ease my mind - absolutely. Totally worth it. However, before buying this, let's see if I somehow win it in this giveaway I entered. Fingers crossed!<br />
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So there you have it. My sleeping woes explained. She'll be one month old this Monday and I'm hoping she's sleep trained herself by then - bwahahaha until then I hope it gets better.... One day at a time.. I'll leave you with a picture of why I don't sleep - <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-69220462660138704262016-01-18T03:19:00.001-08:002016-01-18T03:19:47.721-08:00Three Weeks InSo we're three weeks in folks! Let me tell you that this is not like anything I ever imagined lol. First off no one tells you that you literally don't sleep lol. You might sleep in spurts but it's pretty crappy sleep. They tell you to sleep when the baby sleep, but let's be real - who really can sleep on command unless they're at the point of complete hallucination? I almost feel like you get enough sleep to survive, but not to the point where you can sleep on command. Secondly, you learn about all of the things you can do with one hand. People - it's incredible I tell you! Lastly, things are not made for smaller babies. She was only 6.5 pounds when she was born and most things are made for 8 pound babies. She looks like she's swimming in most of the things we have for her. So there you have it - some of the things I've realized in these three weeks. <br />
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Although it's been hard, I have loved being her mom. As much as she tortures us with her crazy antics and cries, nothing beats when she smiles at you - even if it means she's just pooping. As tired as we both have been, my husband and I have been a team throughout this process which has made things a lot better. I can't imagine doing this alone or with someone who isn't that interested in being a dad. I literally give those women kudos. Like tons of kudos. <br />
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Another thing I've learned so far are some of the products which I swear by for her. I know every baby is different, but these are some of the things I LOVE (in no particular order):<br />
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<li>Momaroo!!!!!</li>
<li>Aquaphor</li>
<li>Portable bassinet (this one came with our Pack and Play)</li>
<li>Boppy pillow</li>
<li>Rocking chair</li>
<li>Soothie pacifier</li>
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That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure as she's able to fit into more things my list will grow. Until then I'm going to take care of this little peanut :) Happy Trails!!</div>
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PS: I almost forgot!!! Today I decided to do a small arm workout with free weights. My workout consisted of three sets of four different arm exercises with 5 pound weights - military presses (15 reps); arm curls (30 reps on each arm); front arm raises (12 reps each arm); side arm raises (12 reps on each arm). I know this doesn't seem much but it's a start. I'm also going to try and incorporate a walk each day with her. My goal is to hit at least 5,000 steps a day. I know it's not 10,000 but people I had a csection and it hurts like ... well you know lol... </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-39669515457491168192016-01-17T00:57:00.003-08:002016-01-17T00:57:47.945-08:00Labor and DeliveryShe's almost three weeks old. I can't believe it. I'm so happy to be her mom and am so grateful that she has been a relatively easy baby. I know it's been a while since I've updated anything on here so I figured I would start with my labor experience...<br />
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Overall it was awful. I was induced and after getting tons of medication to begin the induction, my body just wasn't ready to deliver a baby. About 3-4 hours into the induction I experienced awful pain and since it was too early to get an epidural, they provided me with a medication to help with the pain. Bad idea. I reacted poorly to the medication and the room basically wouldn't stop spinning for two hours. I felt loopy and couldn't seem to really be "with it" which scared me. After the medication finally wore off two hours later I felt sick and nauseous. <br />
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They checked me again and my body just was not progressing. They decided to stop giving the medication to create the contractions since it seemed as though nothing was working. About 10 hours in I was in extreme pain and my body just was not budging. At that point I could get an epidural and I wholeheartedly accepted it and hoped for some relief. My contractions were literally so intense that the nurses were commenting on them based on the monitors. After the epidural the contractions were mild and I couldn't feel a thing, but I was so tired already that I was uncomfortable. My doctor had come in at this point and told me that she would continue to respect my wishes of delivering regularly; however, my labor was going to be a long process.<br />
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About 14-16 hours in the real fun began. The baby's heart started acting screwy (period of decreases followed by accelerations). The doctor wasn't "overly" concerned at this point, but it was worth her monitoring me. They let me take a break and eat something so I could have some strength for the next day. While I was eating the doctor came in to look at my monitor and continued to shake her head. They advised me to stop eating at this point in the event a csection was to take place. My doctor left to grab dinner and told me she would continue to keep in touch with me. <br />
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About an hour later I started feeling really sick. Something was wrong and I could feel it. They took my temperature and I was running a low grade fever. I was crying and just couldn't calm down. They called the doctor and told her what was going on. About 10 minutes later a nurse came in and told me they were going to take me to the operating room. I. WAS. DEVESTATED. I literally couldn't stop crying. I had tried for 17 hours to have her and my body was just determined to keep her in. I was in pain and uncomfortable and knew that this would end in a csection. <br />
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Once my doctor came in everything happened so quickly. I had a bunch of doctors and nurses talking to me and explaining what would happen. They drugged the crap out of me and took me to the operating room. Within 15 minutes she was out and I felt like I was in the biggest dream state. I was almost asleep while they were operating on me that's how tired I was. Once she was out she began crying her lungs out and I remember just repeatedly telling my husband that I wanted to hold her. I completely lost it once I got to hold her. She was absolutely perfect. I didn't care that I had gone through hell because she was okay and that's all that mattered. They wheeled her off a few minutes later and I was left there to be repaired.<br />
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My epidural wore off quickly and I started experiencing pain again. When the doctor realized this they put me on morphine. I still felt pain. Once you have a csection they make sure your body heals properly and literally "massage" your abdomen/utereus area every 15 minutes for two hours. This was literally the most painful part of the whole process. I literally was hysterical and cried the entire time. My husband's hand was crushed in the process and my knuckles became bruised a few days later. Once that was over I would be taken to my room. <br />
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When I got to my room I got to hold her again. Even though I was exhausted and it had been over 24 hours since I had sleep, I just wanted to hold her. Once I got to hold her I felt like everything would be okay. After we got settled I passed the eff out. Even though the worst was over the pain from my recovery was rough. I later found out that my doctor was so concerned about her that she made the incision larger than she typically does. I wouldn't actually comfortably walk until about two weeks later. Even though the pain is gone that whole area is still tender and I refuse to let anything touch that area. I'm hoping that this all goes away soon and everything can return to normalcy. Until then I will continue to wear my husband's oversized gym shorts lol. <br />
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This has been a long post so I'll post again soon so I can talk about how this whole mom experience has been. I'm almost three weeks in and although I'm ridiculously tired, I don't even care. I love this little peanut so freaking much. Our lives are so much happier now. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-16543551829325487792015-12-31T15:15:00.000-08:002015-12-31T15:15:04.476-08:00About to Be InducedAfter all of the struggles with this pregnancy, the time has finally come for her to come out. As I've mentioned previously, I've been watched for preeclampsia during this entire pregnancy. My doctor has been out of town for weeks and finally returned last week. Before my weekly appointment with her, I had already received a phone call from the office asking me to bring a list of my blood pressure readings. I was hoping that they would talk to me about induction at this point. <br />
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The next day at the doctor's office, my thoughts were confirmed and they wanted to take her out soon. They sent me to the hospital to monitor me and conduct a non-stress test to monitor the baby. The performed another ultrasound on her just to make sure she was okay. As I was leaving the hospital, they set it up with the hospital that I would be sent for an induction on Sunday night. I was excited but completely nervous and terrified. <br />
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Throughout this pregnancy many people have been giving me their opinions and suggestions. Some of the biggest threads of these opinions and suggestions have dealt with either breastfeeding or delivering her. There are a lot of people who obviously push hard for breastfeeding which is fine because I was planning on it; however, there are a lot of people who are against C-sections or inductions. Now, I completely trust my doctor. If my doctor says hey it's time to conduct a C-section that I would hands down let her make that call. I haven't been doing very well health wise this entire time and an induction seemed like the best choice. <br />
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Now am I terrified? Of course. My body technically isn't ready to have the baby and we're forcing it to do it. But, after the now constant hospital stints (three within 4 weeks) I didn't want all these issues to start effecting her. I have to monitor my blood pressure three times a day, take medication twice a day, and really be critical of kick counts since apparently they are much more critical in higher risk pregnancies than non-complicated ones. The amount of pressure I felt to protect her was overwhelming and I'm not trying to complain because I would do this again in a heartbeat, but I didn't want to make the wrong call and risk hurting her because of my stupidity. I would never be able to forgive myself. <br />
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So here I am terrified and nervous about what is to come but so excited to finally see her. Finally able to rest a little bit more because my health can no longer effect her. I just want her to be okay. I'm sure I'll feel this way for the rest of my life. In the next 24-48 hours my life is abut to completely change. It's funny how you feel like you've been preparing for this moment the entire time during your pregnancy, but nothing makes it feel more real than an actual timeline. When I walk out this door tonight I'll be coming back with someone else. Everything will be different, but you know what - it'll be amazing. I cry when I think about it because it honestly is an amazing experience. <br />
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I can't wait to update everyone on everything once she's born, but for now I just wanted to capture how I feel at this moment. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-40371830986910025732015-12-20T12:53:00.000-08:002015-12-20T12:53:32.437-08:00At the End of the RoadI've got about 2.5 weeks to go until she gets here and I'm anxious and nervous and excited all at once. It seems as if those nine months you have of preparing for their arrival still isn't enough and you're truly never ready for them to come. I guess it'll finally hit me when those first labor pains come and I don't have any other choice but to have her right then and there.<br />
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Last week we had a minor scare but it made me realize that this is almost it. I had one of my weekly appointments and my blood pressure was pretty high. High enough where they sent me straight to the hospital. My mom was actually with me this time and I had to remain completely calm as I told her we had to head to the hospital instead of heading home. I knew she was freaking out but she tried to hide it as best as she could. <br />
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We get to the hospital and I get into the triage quickly. After a couple hours of monitoring they decide to admit overnight for additional monitoring. During that time I have to start the 24 hour protein in the urine test and non-stress tests of the baby. Luckily she's a little trooper and it seems like this isn't effecting her at all. I did get to see her twice and it seems like she's ready to go lol. She has a lot of hair which isn't surprising since my heartburn is ridiculous. My husband stayed with me overnight and honestly - he was beyond amazing. I know it's a husband's duty to be with you and support you, but I can honestly say my husband did more than that. It almost brings tears to my eyes as I write this because I'm really appreciative of everything he did for me while I was at the hospital. He's not the most romantic man in the entire world (he is romantic but not movie romantic), but he cares about me more than anything else and he really showed it while he was taking care of me during my hospital stay. I love him so so much. <br />
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Luckily my 24 hour protein in the urine test showed really good results and so they decided to release me. They put me on medication to control my blood pressure and it seems to be working. I've got my next doctor's appointment with my regular doctor... which I'M so EXCITED about because I haven't been the biggest fan of these standby doctors lol. I'm hoping my doctor wants to induce early due to medical concerns. It's not that I just want her here, it's the fact that I don't want my health to effect her in any way - and the longer I'm pregnant the higher the probability is she could be effected. I can't wait to see her. She's already absolutely perfect. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-78266816716553194172015-12-05T19:17:00.001-08:002015-12-05T19:17:03.083-08:00She's Almost Here!!!For as good intentions as I wanted to have, I just can't seem to keep up with blogging. Instead I have to catch all of you up with what's been going on. So here we go:<br />
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<ul>
<li>I'm still on watch for preclampsia but after my last appointment they're not as concerned as they originally were.</li>
<li>I have major ridiculous heartburn all of the time and it completely sucks. </li>
<li>I entered a pregnant lady dance contest and lost.</li>
<li>Her room is almost done and I can't wait until absolutely everything is done.</li>
<li>We have our last "baby class" tomorrow and even though I find it annoying, I'm excited and relieved to go. </li>
<li>I'm technically on bedrest but can't seem to bring myself to actually rest in a bed; I actually think I'm more active around the house. </li>
<li>I have serious carpel tunnel and my hands are numb 90% of the time. </li>
<li>I took maternity pictures and LOVED them. I'll post some below. </li>
</ul>
As much as I'm looking forward to her arrival. I'm so scared. Scared that I won't be a good parent, scared about how much labor is going to suck, and just scared about taking care of a tiny little human being that can't fend for herself.<br />
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I've got 33 days until my due date but I feel like this time is going to fly. For Christmas, my husband and I decided to buy joint practical gifts for each other instead of going our own separate ways for gift buying. Together we bought a professional camera to take pictures of our precious littler girl, a rower to get our butts back into shape, and a Roomba to clean our house so we don't have to!!! Overall, it was a win in our household. I hope that I can learn how to take great pictures so I can post them and show off my mad skills. Hahaha. I'll try to post again before she's born... if not... happy trails until the next post!!!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01584771554921145275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1754612013083123195.post-76300221188804282092015-10-01T17:53:00.001-07:002015-10-01T17:53:08.228-07:00The AftermathAgain, sorry to take a while to get back to blogging. I really wanted to have a better day to day documentation of pregnancy life. This whole growing a person inside of you is really tolling and napping is a much better option than anything else lol. But, I really wanted a follow-up post after my last post. <br />
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My last post got a huge response. There were people who reached out to me who I haven't spoken to in ages, just sending their love and support my way. I read other women's struggles and couldn't help but cry. Why? Well, because these women all felt the way I did sad and alone. Going through a silent struggle and hoping to come out on the other side; all of them did. <br />
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Today I read another heartbreaking story of a friend of mine who had a miscarriage. She actually posted it on Facebook and I couldn't help but silently applaud her. It's about time women share their experiences good (and bad) to get the emotional support they need to get them through whatever comes their way. For the record, the response she received was overwhelming. <br />
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I continue to hear awful stories of women who just want to have a baby and it breaks my heart. I understand that feeling and sometimes it can lead you to some dark places. I pray those babies are in heaven looking after their loved ones. I will tell you that this struggle I had made me appreciate this little baby so much and I can't wait to see her. The whole experience as taxing as it has been incredible and everyday you get a surprise lol. <br />
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Now, to end this post on a positive note, I'm posting a YouTube video I found today of a couple who has been trying to have a baby for 17 years!!! Until the next post... happy trails :)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/a-dad-to-be-wept-uncontrollably-when-his-wife-told-him-she-w?utm_term=.ijzoXMnn4#.yeyxjmyyd">Dad Weeps After Learning His Wife is Pregnant</a></div>
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