Being Active During Pregnancy

When JP and I decided to stop not trying to have a baby (over churros in Spain, hence the nickname), I knew I wanted to be in great shape so I would have a good chance of delivering naturally.  This takes a ton of energy from what I've read and watched, and I started looking for ways to ensure that my body would be able to take it.  As you read about back in September, I trained for and ran my first half-marathon, which was an absolutely great experience to prep and know what I could physically handle.  Obviously, running and laboring are not the same things, but a lot of articles I've read have compared childbirth to running a marathon: you learn to focus inward and on your breathing, know your limits and how far your can realistically push yourself, and are confident in your body's ability to heal.
So when we found out in late November that this kid was a reality, I didn't want to just let myself go but also wanted to be able to take it easy when my body told me to.  I kept up with my running pretty steadily, even doing a 7-mile jog at week 11!  It's amazing what a run, even a 2-miler, can do for my mood and energy level, so I feel incredibly lucky to already have a great foundation for being active this far along with the churro.

I am a devotee of the app Nike Training Club, which is a free download with a ton of circuit workouts you can do at home.  It's awesome.  It's also way more intense than I could manage after the first trimester, so I've had to cut back on my squats, lunges, and mountain climbers.  Now, on days when I'm not running, I do an easy circuit of exercises, 3 times each: 'girl' pushups, some bicep/tricep reps with an 8-lb medicine ball, lunges, and wide squats.  Everyone says that your arms will be exhausted after the first week of constantly holding a baby, and my mom really thinks this kid is going to be a chubby baby (the cutest kind!).  It can't hurt to have a little upper body strength to start off with!
I also do prenatal yoga once a week at a studio here in Roswell, which has been so restorative and a great way to connect with this body that isn't getting any smaller.  I love getting together with other moms-to-be for 75 minutes and feel like this belly is normal; it's good for my psyche!
JP and I have also been doing some great 2-3 mile hikes around Roswell, and it gives us an opportunity to catch up outside of the house, be active together, and also explore our new area.  All in all, I'm active at least 5 days a week, if not every day!

When I signed up for the Mini-I Challenge (5k on Friday, 10k on Saturday morning) in Urbana, it was great to have something concrete to work toward during the wintery weather.  I knew there was a good chance that I would need to walk some of it, but knew that it was important for my own sense of accomplishment that I at least try to run both.  And I did!  It's vain, but wonderful to know that this pregnancy isn't holding me back.  With the move, a pregnancy, a break from work for a while, and working on this new house, being able to connect with my body through running, yoga, and just sweating in general has been a huge source of comfort and familiarity over the past 5 months.  I know these runs will soon become walks, which will get shorter and shorter, and that's ok.

April 2013 Illinois Trip

Last summer, my mom invited all of our female family members to visit her in Illinois this April.  A number of us are into being walking and/or running, and the last weekend of April is the Illinois Marathon.  No, no, we did not run the marathon (although Aunt Nesi did try to convince the passengers of our airport shuttle that we had), but we did compete in the Mini-I Challenge (a 5K on Friday night, followed by a 10K on Saturday morning).  Finally, the trip was here and five of us girls were together in Urbana!  

I debated whether or not I should attend after figuring out I'd be 6 months pregnant at the time, but finally decided that a. I owe it to myself to try and b. I could always finish the races by walking.  

We all arrived in Urbana on Thursday night, and hit up a frozen custard place for dessert.  Soo tasty!  I just love spending time with these girls: Amber on my left, Haley on my right.  We had a great time!

On Friday afternoon, we picked up our race packets, and listened to Katherine Switzer talk about running and changing the world.  She was the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon back in 1967, and actually entered the race using her initials because females were not allowed to race (you know, because our uteruses might fall out).  Not only did she bring me to tears, but really reminded me why it's important to do the things that make us happy and feel accomplished, even when others might think we shouldn't.  I'm getting emotional just thinking about it.  You can find out more about her here.

On Friday night, Amber, Mom and I finished the 5K!  Oh man, there was some sweat going on.

The churro's first race!  We ran the whole thing, and didn't even finish too far below my regular running time.  Which is either great or disappointing; I choose to think it's great.

Saturday morning, we all competed in the 10K, with Mom, Amber and I running it, and Aunt Nesi and Haley speed-walking.  We have our medals to prove it!
I'd like to send a little thanks to Amber, who motivated me to jog the whole race.  Without her, I would've been out after mile 4.  So nice to cross that finish line with you, Amber!

Yes, Haley, it's real.

After the race, there was free beer!  I didn't partake, but you'll notice that Amber stepped up to the plate for me.

On Sunday morning, we hitched a train up to Chicago to spend a few days in the big city.  Our first stop was the Bean, where Haley and I posed for a couple of photos before I met up with a college friend for coffee and baby talk.  So nice to catch up, Chelsea!

We did an architectural boat tour on Monday morning.  How beautiful is that skyline?!  It was a great tour, and I would highly recommend it next time you're in the city.

We hit up the Adler Planetarium for lunch.  Yes, this is a terrible picture, but look at Mom's glow-in-the-dark shoelaces!

The Field Museum is a must.  Here are Mom and Haley with Sue the T.Rex!

Thanks to my cute new matching robot ring, Mom and I won't forget our weekend.

What a wonderful trip!  I hope we can all do it again next year!

My Life in Photos

 I absolutely love this Instagram photo of JP and Mia (you can follow me at @thelovelyprelude).  He traveled for a few days last week, and she was so happy to see him upon arrival home.

 These girls are just unbelievable.

 And strong!

 This is a little game called 'Find Mia.'  Hint: look for a black tail in the middle!

I was bequeathed this elephant pin the last time Haley cleaned out her jewelry box, and I love pairing it with chunky sweaters.  It's definitely a conversation starter.

13.1 miles- done!

Y'all.  It's done.  I've completed my #1 2013 resolution of running a half marathon.  Holy bananas, it feels amazing to say that!
In June, Summer and I decided to run the Parks Half Marathon, and Amber said she would come up from Florida to join us!  We've spent the last few months keeping up with each other's training schedules, trading tips about how to get through the pain, and what to wear.  I've caught up with all of my running buddies to discuss tips and advice from people in the know.  On Saturday, I spent the night with Summer and Amber so we could wake up at 5am Sunday to head to the starting line.

Sunday was perfect weather for a race: 55 degrees, sunny, low humidity.  I followed Haley's advice of, "Just start running...and don't stop," and just put one foot in front of the other, quickly, for 13.1 miles.  We went from Rockville to Bethesda, MD, mostly along Rock Creek Trail.
JP said he would meet me at the half-way point with a surprise, and when I came up to the 6ish mile marker, he was there with a camera and KATRINA AND KEVIN WITH ENCOURAGING SIGNS!!  It was amazing, totally sweet, and just what I needed to keep the momentum going.

(This is at the end of the race, but the signs were equally wonderful at the mid-point!)

The course was absolutely lovely, with lots of shade, trees, and just enough puddles to keep me on my toes.  At one point, we ran through a residential street and there were people spraying hot runners with hoses to cool them down!  There was a laid-back atmosphere with the runners, which helped me maintain a positive attitude throughout.
After about 2 hours, I could tell the finish line was coming up, and JP caught me at the tail end of the race.  I got really emotional after the end; with all that adrenaline and endorphins, I just felt incredibly raw.  And sweaty.

Now, I realize this is not an award ceremony, but I'm going to give a shout-out to some pretty important people.  If I had won something and had a chance to speak, here's what would have come out:
Wow!  I can't believe I've run 13.1 miles before 9:30am!  If only 15-year-old me was here.  
Running is a solitary sport: we cannot pass the ball to someone else to complete a play or ask someone else to sub for a race.  It can be lonely to hear only your own footfalls on a trail on a Saturday morning.  But this race has shown me that running creates a community of people supporting each other to accomplish a goal that seems insurmountable at first.  Katrina and Kevin woke up incredibly early and even brought their dog to cheer us on, and Katrina gifted me a very stylish headband to make me feel pretty throughout this sweaty endeavor (which is seriously amazing.  It's Lululemon and everything; that girl is classy.).  Luke woke up at 5am to drive us 45 minutes to the starting line on a Sunday, and that boy likes to sleep in.  Summer and Amber were excellent partners to train with, and put up with the insane giddiness I got from the temporary tattoos we wore during the race.  My dad, Haley and mom all called the night before to wish us luck, and Aunt Cheryl even wrote a poetic text.  And John Paul bought me coconut water to replenish electrolytes, toweled me off after 10-mile training jogs, drove in horrible traffic to take us to packet pick-up, took these awesome blog photos, massaged my achy calves, and tells me that he never doubted I would finish this race and truly believes I can run a marathon.  God bless his crazy heart.  

I'll close with this photo, which pretty much sums up how we all felt after the race: glamorous and ready for a close-up.

JP got a ton of great race photos; check them out at his Flickr account.

Spring Jamz

I signed up for my first half marathon in late May (!!), and have been tinkering with my running playlist.  Want a little peek?

"Wonderland" Natalia Kills (she's the British version Lady Gaga, but JP swears she has some Kanye within)
"When We Were Young" Sucre (dreamy pop)
"Primadonna" Marina and the Diamonds (sooo looking forward to her new album in a few months!)
"Anna Sun" Walk the Moon (they only have one EP with three songs on it, but I'm obsessed!)
"Some Nights" fun. (just download their latest album.  You won't regret it.)
"Go Outside" cults (twee pop, but accessible)
"Lonely Boy" The Black Keys (great beat and pacing song)
"Life's a Happy Song" The Muppets (no one can resist this upbeat soundtrack song)
"One Foot" fun. (a good reminder while running that you just put one foot in front of the other...)

Last weekend

Man, last weekend was eventful.  My apologies that I'm posting this on Wednesday instead of my usual Tuesday, but I needed some time to recuperate!

My wonderful dad and stepmom, Karen, came to town on Thursday and stayed through Monday morning.  I took Friday off to escort them to the American History and Natural History Museums; we got a few pictures in front of the Washington Monument (which is still closed due to earthquake damage!), and saw the Hope Diamond.

It's in a new setting, which is pretty dazzling.

Of course,we went to the dog park; Mia got lots of lovin' this weekend.

On Saturday, JP and I ran the Hot Chocolate 15K!  The race itself had some organizational issues and started an hour late; I, however, was very happy with my time and the fact that we got a tray of chocolate fondue at the finish line!  We washed it down with some delicious hot chocolate.

Very rewarding portion of the weekend.

Mia and Dad really connected over TopGear episodes on Netflix.

On Sunday, we started the day with bloody marys at Martin's Tavern, an old restaurant in Georgetown (it's where JFK proposed to Jackie!)...

...and ended at the National Gallery of Art, where Dad got to see a Pollock.
All in all, it was super lovely!  Definitely whet my appetite to catch up with my Florida friends and family over Christmas break...

10 miles....or How I spent my Sunday morning.

As you may or may not know, the cherry blossoms are in bloom here in DC.  In late March/early April, the cityscape changes to light pink and white and it is absolutely lovely!
In celebration of the floral change, there's an annual race during this time that is so popular, all 15,000 spots have sold out in less than three hours.  THREE HOURS!!  It's so popular in DC, a lottery system had to be instituted in order to be registration more democratic.  People want to run the race because it's absolutely beautiful: running under the trees while in bloom, passing DC landmarks like the Tidal Basin, the Lincoln Memorial, and Washington Monument.

 

You can imagine my surprise when a friend of mine mentioned that she had an extra bib and would I be interested in joining her?  Although I've never run that far (the most I've run is the 10K back in December, and haven't run 6 miles consecutively since then), running a 10-miler (in less than 2 hours!) is on my New Year's Resolutions for 2011.  I said yes.  Despite my having less than 24 hours to wrap my head around it.  Despite my being sore just from a one-hour dance class.  Despite the doubt I felt that my legs could handle such a distance.  I figured I had nothing to lose.  I didn't even run under my name; we missed the window to transfer numbers, so I ran as her co-worker's husband.

 

Well, I did it!  The trick to these things is to start running...and not stop.  I finished the race at an hour, 43 minutes, well under the 2 hour mark I'd hoped.
Seriously, the human body amazes me.
While I enjoy running for itself during the week, running a race is a different experience.  It's such a community experience; there are thousands of other people, not only running with you, but cheering runners on from the side.  It's overwhelming, and more than enough to keep you going.  Great race!  Hopefully I can do it under my own name next time.

10K! 6.2 miles! 10000 meters! A lot of steps!

I did my first 10K yesterday!  It was a cold and wet morning, the race started at 7:30, and it allowed me to eat everything in sight the rest of the day.  All in all, I was incredibly happy and proud that I finished, not with a bad time either.  John Paul denied my requests for him to rip my legs off because they hurt so badly...I've decided to forgive him and love him anyway. 

My good friend, Christina, suggested we run  the Jingle All the Way 10K (http://www.runwashington.com/jingle-info.htm) as a way of motivating us out of the apartment when it's cold out.  We've been getting together to run a couple mornings a week, and done a couple of long runs on Sunday mornings.  The run isn't for a particular cause or charity, purely a fun run.  People were dressed as Santa, elves, reindeer, even a snowman!  A great time was had by all.
When all was said and done, John Paul drove me home and I sat right inside of the fireplace to warm up.  Winter is rough.