The other day I enjoyed some last minute baby shopping & lunch with a gorgeous friend and mother who inspires me very much. After lunch she asked me if I had a plan and timeline for returning to training post baby...
OH DO I HAVE A PLAN!!! I have spent every spare minute reading up on and writing a training plan for my running "comeback" post baby. Actually I am on version #3 and I am sure there are more versions to come. Each time I finish another book I have some new ideas and training principles that I want to try and so this plan is constantly evolving and being revised.
However, no matter how good the plan I know some of the hurdles of my return to running can't all be all be addressed with a good training plan. Here are some of the big challenges I am anticipating I will face and need to overcome:
Bits will wobble
For a sginificant period of time the body I return to running with will be very different to what I am use to. Even though I honestly believe it will all strengthen over time and return to its former glory I know that I will have to be patient with it and work with what I've got while I go from incubator to a performance machine.
Back to absolute basics
I have no balance, I am clumsy and my running muslces have been on an extended vacation. You would think after months of carrying around the extra weight I would come out the other end stronger but honestly I feel completey unstable around the hips and pelvis and can't imagine pumping out speed sessions without some serious basic strength training first. I honestly took for granted how "structurally sound" my body was. Now after the the transformation my body has gone through to grow and birth a baby I will have to really focus on building back strength and balance that can handle the intensity and speed of my desired training.
Contending with boobs
To date I have been very fortunate to be able to throw on a sports bra and not have to worry about anything after that in this department. I dare say feeding will bring about some new challenges for running, namely; support, milk supply, lactic acid in the milk and just the overall comfort of the whole thing. Hopefully there are some fantastic maternity and feeding sports bras out there to help me in this area. Keep an eye out in the review section. Also my training is going to have to have the flexibility to fit around my feeding responsbilities. So as much as I will try for routine its not going to be a given and I am just going to have to make the most of the opportunities I get.
Pelvic Floor Muscles
I don't think I need to elaborate on this one. Suffice to say I could write a whole post on Pregnancy and the Pelvis. Thank goodness the muscles can be trained like any other so there is hope! Kegels here we come!
Emotions
On the odd winter morning when my husband has looked so snug in bed I have struggled to tear myself away but otherwise I generally find it easy to slip my sneakers on and escape for my run. I don't doubt for one second that having a gorgeous little new born at home will tug at the heart strings when I am trying to get out the door. But I honestly believe that taking this little bit of time for me and my health (mental and physical) will make me a better mother and I hope that focusing on that can keep me on track. Not to mention its going to be a great time for baby and daddy to have together!
Well, it will be interesting to return to this list of things in a few months and compare it to the actual challenges I have faced. What challenges did I not anticipate and what things will be easier than I thought?
I think a good plan is always a good starting point but for this particular goal I know it is going to take more than that. I will also need determination, patience and tenacity to overcome many new challenges... simple things that I have just taken for granted in the past.
So here starts the joy of being a running mummy! Wish me luck!
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Where's the finish line?!?!
I am a very impatient person! I can't wait to meet this little guy and hold him in my arms. I want to see what he looks like and I am just dying to start our life as a family.
I am also very soft when it comes to pain. I have taken just about as much pelvic pain, and discomfort as I can without loosing my mind. So suffice to say I am finding these final weeks a tad testing.
So much so, that at todays weekly ante-natal check up I struggled to supress the urge to reach over and grab my obstetrician by the collar, shake him violently and threaten him until he agreed to get this thing out of me. I'm sure pregnancy hormones can take a little credit for the irrational thoughts but mostly I'm just impatient and soft.
The hardest thing about all of this is not knowing where the finish line is. The little guy could come tomorrow or he could come in 4 weeks! How do I pace myself to get to the end?
I have always been an advocate for finishing races strong. I (almost) always leave enough in the tank to finish with a little surge and a smile. But I'm afraid this hasn't been the case with pregnancy. Instead I feel like I went out too hard and now that I'm near the end and having powered through the most of it my body and mind is paying for it. I can't even fathom how I am going to make it to the end and I get disheartened thinking about the not set finish line.
So screw the finish line. I can't think about it anymore. I am just going to take one day at a time and keep "putting one foot in front of the other" until I'm done. This is easier said than done for a self-confessed numbers person. Its all about times, splits and countdowns. But not this time, until this little boy is in my arms I am only going to think about the day ahead and enjoying it.
Saturday, 11 February 2012
Sherry Arnold
Well its Saturday the 11th February here in Australia. Which makes it Friday 10th Febraury in the US. I am sitting here thinking about the the thousands of runners there who will be getting up tomorrow morning and running for a reason... Sherry Arnold
The recent tragic events that rocked the world have also united the running community like never before. It doesn't take many clicks on the cyber world to see how runners from every corner of the planet are coming together to mourn an unthinkable and tragic loss and honour the life of a mother, teacher and runner.
To read more about Sherry Arnold and the virtual run that is being held around the world click here.
At nearly 37 weeks pregnant I can't manage a run but I will be doing a "waddle: in honour of Sherry. All my thoughts and prayers are with her family in this tragic time.There are no words for their loss but I hope this "world-wide" action speaks louder than any words could. We are all with you!
The recent tragic events that rocked the world have also united the running community like never before. It doesn't take many clicks on the cyber world to see how runners from every corner of the planet are coming together to mourn an unthinkable and tragic loss and honour the life of a mother, teacher and runner.
To read more about Sherry Arnold and the virtual run that is being held around the world click here.
At nearly 37 weeks pregnant I can't manage a run but I will be doing a "waddle: in honour of Sherry. All my thoughts and prayers are with her family in this tragic time.There are no words for their loss but I hope this "world-wide" action speaks louder than any words could. We are all with you!
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Count down
Now that I am on the official "home stretch" its all about numbers. So here's a little countdown...
10 weeks until I run again (4weeks + 6 weeks post partum recovery)
9 months since my last run
8 is the number of races I have completed to date
7 days until I am considered "full-term"
6 days I have been pregnancy “pain free” and feeling good again
5 km will be the distance of my first race post baby
4 weeks until baby is due
3 hours I spent reading my R4YL magazine cover to cover today
2 km is the longestwalk waddle I have done in the last week
1 Run is all it will take and I’ll be a "runner" again
10 weeks until I run again (4weeks + 6 weeks post partum recovery)
9 months since my last run
8 is the number of races I have completed to date
7 days until I am considered "full-term"
6 days I have been pregnancy “pain free” and feeling good again
5 km will be the distance of my first race post baby
4 weeks until baby is due
3 hours I spent reading my R4YL magazine cover to cover today
2 km is the longest
1 Run is all it will take and I’ll be a "runner" again
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
To Rest Or Not To Rest....
Today I am feeling something I haven't felt since I was running. It is that dreaded internal conflict when you are sick or injured. That conflict between the needs and wants of your body and your mind.
So here's the deal.
I am in the tail end of this pregnancy and getting nasty pains in the pelvis, hips and groin. They last for hours at a time and are responding less and less to panadol. Yesterday I got home from my walk and felt like I had pulled every muscle in my groin region. Despite feeling comfortable and pain-free walking it was clear an hour later that my pace must have stretched all my super relaxed (thanks relaxin) muscles a bit too much. Of course the obvious thing to do is rest and well lets face it I don't have any exciting races or events (besides labour!) on the horizon so whats wrong with a bit of rest????
Well firstly the extra 9kgs I'm carrying is putting a lot of stress on the base of my spine and walking loosens it up and helps everything fall back in to place and structurally I feel "reset" every day from it. Mentally the walking gives me a high that gives my energy levels a boost. Which is very helpful because I can get through about 1/3 of what I use to so its nice to get little hits of energy where I can. When I walk I tend to always sleep better. Not to mention that staying active helps with all the other pregnancy stuff like water rentention and helping to stimulate labour etc.
So even though I ended up in excrutiating pain yesterday I still am not ready to give up on it. So first step today is to take a rest day and then tomorrow I am going to head out at an absolute "dawdle" of a pace and see how I feel after that.
But before I came up with this plan I spent the night in conflict. My Obstetrician told me yesterday that my walking might be contributing to my problems. All I want to do is the right thing by my body and if that is rest than so be it. But time and time again when I am in this situation I am not always convinced that rest is the best.
For example when I start to feel a little bit flu like but not yet overcome by it I find myself in this dilema. Of course if you ARE sick then you need to rest. Your body needs all your energy to repair and recover itself and stressing it physically is just crazy. But sometimes in those early stages before it has taken hold I feel like a good training session will help to "shake it". By raising my core body temperature and by really getting my body switched on it might have a better chance of fighting it. It feels as though as soon as I stop I am going to get sick.
Another example is niggles. Not a full blown-injury because again anything but rest is stupid. At what point are you better resting and what point are you still better off running through and keeping good blood flow to the area and keeping all the surrounding muscles strong?
These are the dilemas that from time to time in my training I have faced and on some weird level am facing now. Do the benefits of continuing or continuing a modified program outweigh the benefits of all out rest. OR does rest now save weeks of half-arsed training and recovery later?????
There is so much information and so many guidelines out there. One that I have always followed when it comes to "colds" is if the symptoms are above your neck keep training but once its below you must rest.
This sounds like some good general advice. Obviously if its below your neck than its hit your respitory system and well training on an already compromised respitory system is not beneficial.
I think the answer to these tricky situations is very individual. Just like a training program. Some people can do 3-4 heavy days per week and some can only do 2. Some people can train through low level of stress and illness and some need to rest.
So this year I am going to try to log in my training diary my health and well-being and see if I can get in tune with my body's well-being. Rather than feel conflicted by general information I am going to tailor make my rules for rest and recovery based on my bodys history to stresses of illness and injury.
Hopefully what I learn will help me to make good training decisions for many years to come.
So with that in mind I am not going to stress about "to rest or not to rest" I am going to do my own gentle trial and error of activity to keep as active as I can all whilst doing the best thing for my number 1 goal - bringing a healthy baby into this world.
So here's the deal.
I am in the tail end of this pregnancy and getting nasty pains in the pelvis, hips and groin. They last for hours at a time and are responding less and less to panadol. Yesterday I got home from my walk and felt like I had pulled every muscle in my groin region. Despite feeling comfortable and pain-free walking it was clear an hour later that my pace must have stretched all my super relaxed (thanks relaxin) muscles a bit too much. Of course the obvious thing to do is rest and well lets face it I don't have any exciting races or events (besides labour!) on the horizon so whats wrong with a bit of rest????
Well firstly the extra 9kgs I'm carrying is putting a lot of stress on the base of my spine and walking loosens it up and helps everything fall back in to place and structurally I feel "reset" every day from it. Mentally the walking gives me a high that gives my energy levels a boost. Which is very helpful because I can get through about 1/3 of what I use to so its nice to get little hits of energy where I can. When I walk I tend to always sleep better. Not to mention that staying active helps with all the other pregnancy stuff like water rentention and helping to stimulate labour etc.
So even though I ended up in excrutiating pain yesterday I still am not ready to give up on it. So first step today is to take a rest day and then tomorrow I am going to head out at an absolute "dawdle" of a pace and see how I feel after that.
But before I came up with this plan I spent the night in conflict. My Obstetrician told me yesterday that my walking might be contributing to my problems. All I want to do is the right thing by my body and if that is rest than so be it. But time and time again when I am in this situation I am not always convinced that rest is the best.
For example when I start to feel a little bit flu like but not yet overcome by it I find myself in this dilema. Of course if you ARE sick then you need to rest. Your body needs all your energy to repair and recover itself and stressing it physically is just crazy. But sometimes in those early stages before it has taken hold I feel like a good training session will help to "shake it". By raising my core body temperature and by really getting my body switched on it might have a better chance of fighting it. It feels as though as soon as I stop I am going to get sick.
Another example is niggles. Not a full blown-injury because again anything but rest is stupid. At what point are you better resting and what point are you still better off running through and keeping good blood flow to the area and keeping all the surrounding muscles strong?
These are the dilemas that from time to time in my training I have faced and on some weird level am facing now. Do the benefits of continuing or continuing a modified program outweigh the benefits of all out rest. OR does rest now save weeks of half-arsed training and recovery later?????
There is so much information and so many guidelines out there. One that I have always followed when it comes to "colds" is if the symptoms are above your neck keep training but once its below you must rest.
This sounds like some good general advice. Obviously if its below your neck than its hit your respitory system and well training on an already compromised respitory system is not beneficial.
I think the answer to these tricky situations is very individual. Just like a training program. Some people can do 3-4 heavy days per week and some can only do 2. Some people can train through low level of stress and illness and some need to rest.
So this year I am going to try to log in my training diary my health and well-being and see if I can get in tune with my body's well-being. Rather than feel conflicted by general information I am going to tailor make my rules for rest and recovery based on my bodys history to stresses of illness and injury.
Hopefully what I learn will help me to make good training decisions for many years to come.
So with that in mind I am not going to stress about "to rest or not to rest" I am going to do my own gentle trial and error of activity to keep as active as I can all whilst doing the best thing for my number 1 goal - bringing a healthy baby into this world.
Sunday, 29 January 2012
A lesson learned
The nursry is finished, the hospital bag is packed, the baby clothes are washed and we are off to pre-natal classes today. Sometime in the coming 3-7 weeks the amazing experience of pregnancy will be over and we will start the next exciting journey as a family.
Last night my husband and I were discussing how lucky we were that I have had such a cruisy, healthy and enjoyable (for the most part!) pregnancy. In fact I can't wait to do it all again. It has been the most amazing 8 months of our lives so far. The excitement, the joy, the intimacy and the love that you share with your partner during pregnancy is so unique, so bonding and so beautiful. I always thought it would be a wonderful experience but I completely underestimated the profound effect it would have on us. So I am glad to say that while I have been on rest duties from running at least my relationship has been strengthening and growing.
Also growing is my running knowledge. I have been alternating between baby books and running books throughout my prgnancy and I have just finished 2 awesome, informative and very inspiring running books. I feel so empowered and and ready to unleash this untappd potential I now know I have. I will return to running with a lot more technical knowledge and a significantly improved understanding of the science that is running. But I will also return to running with a few lessons learned from pregnancy - greater understanding of my body, my mind and their capabilities. Here are some of the main things pregnancy has taught me:
1.My body knows exactly what it needs and I can listen to it and trust it. I have given into my bodys every desire over the last 8 months. If I want to have a sleep I have a sleep if I want salty french fries I have salty french fries. At first (especially when it came to food) I felt like I was just being over indulgent. But by about 5 months I found that I just wanted less. Less sleep, less food, less relaxation. Because I deprived my body of nothing I knew that if I wanted something my body truely needed it and I now don't want things just because I can't ordinarily have them or because they are labeled bad or lazy.
2. I completely underestimate what my body is capable of. Mark my words after what my body has just done I will never question what it is capable of ever again. Clocking up high weekly mileage, recovering from injury, running faster times is nothing compared to what my body has undertaken and achieved in the last 8 months. So crazy running goals here I come because I know just how much this bod can do!
3.My body is a gift that I should be grateful for everyday and not take it for granted. I guess this just comes down to being grateful that I can run, that I am healthy and strong enough to persue my running dreams and every day I am out there whether its a good run or a bad run is a gift to be thankful for. No longer can I torture my body for its underperformance or how it does or doesn't look. This has previously been a battle for me (see body image) but now its all about gratitude and appreciation.
4. My mental being has so much influence over my physical being. I have always believed in the power of the mind and that you must first believe in yourself. But what I didn't realise was the extent to which being content in life in general flowed on to all other areas of my life (hence why my resolution for 2012 is to focus on inner happiness). I especially didn't know how it could affect how I felt and performed physically. I guess I never took anytime when it was just me to sit down and just be. But being pregnant I have spent a lot of relaxed time just sitting with my "bump" and being content. I believe this "contentment" has flowed onto other areas and has me not only mentally positive but physically to. So here's to being happy!
Anyhow there you have it. Such a little thing has changed and grown me so profoundly.
Now I am off to the shops to buy some bigger exercise tights. I am proud to say that I have made it to 35 weeks in my pre-pregnancy exercise tights but now the waist bands are starting to really dig in to where his little head is. So for the comfort of all I am going to succumb to some bigger pants!
Last night my husband and I were discussing how lucky we were that I have had such a cruisy, healthy and enjoyable (for the most part!) pregnancy. In fact I can't wait to do it all again. It has been the most amazing 8 months of our lives so far. The excitement, the joy, the intimacy and the love that you share with your partner during pregnancy is so unique, so bonding and so beautiful. I always thought it would be a wonderful experience but I completely underestimated the profound effect it would have on us. So I am glad to say that while I have been on rest duties from running at least my relationship has been strengthening and growing.
Also growing is my running knowledge. I have been alternating between baby books and running books throughout my prgnancy and I have just finished 2 awesome, informative and very inspiring running books. I feel so empowered and and ready to unleash this untappd potential I now know I have. I will return to running with a lot more technical knowledge and a significantly improved understanding of the science that is running. But I will also return to running with a few lessons learned from pregnancy - greater understanding of my body, my mind and their capabilities. Here are some of the main things pregnancy has taught me:
1.My body knows exactly what it needs and I can listen to it and trust it. I have given into my bodys every desire over the last 8 months. If I want to have a sleep I have a sleep if I want salty french fries I have salty french fries. At first (especially when it came to food) I felt like I was just being over indulgent. But by about 5 months I found that I just wanted less. Less sleep, less food, less relaxation. Because I deprived my body of nothing I knew that if I wanted something my body truely needed it and I now don't want things just because I can't ordinarily have them or because they are labeled bad or lazy.
2. I completely underestimate what my body is capable of. Mark my words after what my body has just done I will never question what it is capable of ever again. Clocking up high weekly mileage, recovering from injury, running faster times is nothing compared to what my body has undertaken and achieved in the last 8 months. So crazy running goals here I come because I know just how much this bod can do!
3.My body is a gift that I should be grateful for everyday and not take it for granted. I guess this just comes down to being grateful that I can run, that I am healthy and strong enough to persue my running dreams and every day I am out there whether its a good run or a bad run is a gift to be thankful for. No longer can I torture my body for its underperformance or how it does or doesn't look. This has previously been a battle for me (see body image) but now its all about gratitude and appreciation.
4. My mental being has so much influence over my physical being. I have always believed in the power of the mind and that you must first believe in yourself. But what I didn't realise was the extent to which being content in life in general flowed on to all other areas of my life (hence why my resolution for 2012 is to focus on inner happiness). I especially didn't know how it could affect how I felt and performed physically. I guess I never took anytime when it was just me to sit down and just be. But being pregnant I have spent a lot of relaxed time just sitting with my "bump" and being content. I believe this "contentment" has flowed onto other areas and has me not only mentally positive but physically to. So here's to being happy!
Anyhow there you have it. Such a little thing has changed and grown me so profoundly.
Now I am off to the shops to buy some bigger exercise tights. I am proud to say that I have made it to 35 weeks in my pre-pregnancy exercise tights but now the waist bands are starting to really dig in to where his little head is. So for the comfort of all I am going to succumb to some bigger pants!
Saturday, 21 January 2012
New Year Resolutions
Its that time of year when everyone asks you if you have set any new year resolutions. I know a lot of people think New Year Resolutions are a crock but I think it is just an opportunity to do what we should all be doing all year anyway.... setting goals. And in answer to the question I have been asked so many times in the last 21 days YES I have new years resolutions AND I have goals for 2012.
For me resolutions and goals are different. I have many lists of goals - lifelong, investment, family, running, this years, 5 years etc. And for 2012 I have a hefty list of goals - very specific things that I would like to achieve. But when people ask me if I have a resloution it is not this list that I share. Actually to anyone but me that list is pretty boring (yes I want to grow a veggie garden, run in this race, cook more etc). Instead I share my resloution and for me a resolution is something about me that I want to work on or develop not something I want to achieve or do. Often my goals are directly related to my resolution and will directly help me achieve it but they are just a small part of a bigger picture. So what is my resolution for 2012?
To live an untroubled inner life and be completely at harmony with myself.
Pregnancy has bought about a lot of changes not just to me physically but mentally too. Maybe its a result of having a life inside you or having created life but I feel the most "connected" to me that I have ever been. I don't want this to be a temporary state that passes after the birth of our son. I want this to just be the start of my journey and for this reason my resolution is all about me and my relationship with me.
Anyhow as this is a running mummys blog I will also share with you some of my goals for 2012 that relate to running and being a mummy. First let me say that I have an ongoing list of running goals that I want to achieve over the next 5 - 10 years. They all involve significant PBs and hence why they are such long term goals. None of those goals have made it to the 2012 list. Firstly because I don't want to set myself any ridiculous expectations of what my body can achieve after pregnancy and almost a 12 month break from running. Secondly this year is all about returning to running and becoming a mother. I think both of those journeys will be a challenge on their own and simply achieving both is enough for me. The times and the PBs can wait till I've got a handle on this mum thing and have built back my endurance and strength. For 2012 I will be happy simply to run and compete in races and any good times will be a bonus.
So that said here are some of my running goals for 2012
1. Focus on quality not quantity of training. I want to become a running technician. I have started this journey by spending my pregnancy glued to running books and oh I can't wait to try out all these great tips and methods. (Book reviews coming soon!)
2. Keep an honest account of my journey (via my blog) to share with and inspire other mums. This is also to benefit me. By sharing all the ups and downs I will get to celebrate the good, reflect on and grow from the bad and as for the ugly, I guessing this blog will be as good as a therapy session!
3. Compete in more than 5 races (5km to 42.2km - I don't care I just want to be at the start (& hopefully finish!) line.
4. Give back to the running community (volunteering at an event maybe?)
5. Launch a Running program/support/forum/community to help new mums discover and achieve the mental and physical benefits of running.
As for my mummy goals, they are very simple:
1. Sleep when I can
2. Cuddle my baby often
3. Accept that house work can always wait... these are the days I will never get back so if my toilet gets cleaned today or next week the world will not end!
So thats some of my plan for 2012. I am looking forward to sharing my progress and reflecting back on this post in 12 months.
For me resolutions and goals are different. I have many lists of goals - lifelong, investment, family, running, this years, 5 years etc. And for 2012 I have a hefty list of goals - very specific things that I would like to achieve. But when people ask me if I have a resloution it is not this list that I share. Actually to anyone but me that list is pretty boring (yes I want to grow a veggie garden, run in this race, cook more etc). Instead I share my resloution and for me a resolution is something about me that I want to work on or develop not something I want to achieve or do. Often my goals are directly related to my resolution and will directly help me achieve it but they are just a small part of a bigger picture. So what is my resolution for 2012?
To live an untroubled inner life and be completely at harmony with myself.
Pregnancy has bought about a lot of changes not just to me physically but mentally too. Maybe its a result of having a life inside you or having created life but I feel the most "connected" to me that I have ever been. I don't want this to be a temporary state that passes after the birth of our son. I want this to just be the start of my journey and for this reason my resolution is all about me and my relationship with me.
Anyhow as this is a running mummys blog I will also share with you some of my goals for 2012 that relate to running and being a mummy. First let me say that I have an ongoing list of running goals that I want to achieve over the next 5 - 10 years. They all involve significant PBs and hence why they are such long term goals. None of those goals have made it to the 2012 list. Firstly because I don't want to set myself any ridiculous expectations of what my body can achieve after pregnancy and almost a 12 month break from running. Secondly this year is all about returning to running and becoming a mother. I think both of those journeys will be a challenge on their own and simply achieving both is enough for me. The times and the PBs can wait till I've got a handle on this mum thing and have built back my endurance and strength. For 2012 I will be happy simply to run and compete in races and any good times will be a bonus.
So that said here are some of my running goals for 2012
1. Focus on quality not quantity of training. I want to become a running technician. I have started this journey by spending my pregnancy glued to running books and oh I can't wait to try out all these great tips and methods. (Book reviews coming soon!)
2. Keep an honest account of my journey (via my blog) to share with and inspire other mums. This is also to benefit me. By sharing all the ups and downs I will get to celebrate the good, reflect on and grow from the bad and as for the ugly, I guessing this blog will be as good as a therapy session!
3. Compete in more than 5 races (5km to 42.2km - I don't care I just want to be at the start (& hopefully finish!) line.
4. Give back to the running community (volunteering at an event maybe?)
5. Launch a Running program/support/forum/community to help new mums discover and achieve the mental and physical benefits of running.
As for my mummy goals, they are very simple:
1. Sleep when I can
2. Cuddle my baby often
3. Accept that house work can always wait... these are the days I will never get back so if my toilet gets cleaned today or next week the world will not end!
So thats some of my plan for 2012. I am looking forward to sharing my progress and reflecting back on this post in 12 months.
Thursday, 19 January 2012
The Slow Down
The dreaded slow down has happened! It started in the christmas break and what I originally put down to being on holidays and hot weather I now know is here to stay. gone are the 9km walks and the brisk pace. Now its a waddle and only if I can muster up the desire to do it!
Its been very hot the last few days and I have laid low with my walking but when I do get out I am finding a 4.5km loop is more than enough of a challenge! Sometimes I feel frustrated by my lack of energy or the gap between my mental desires and my physical capabilities. But right on cue I will always get a kick in the ribs or a little wriggle from my new tenant and that reminds me what an amazing thing my body is doing.... growing a baby from only a little speck! On that note I realise that to expect any more from it is just crazy and my frustration is short lived.
My goal now is to listen to my body but try and stay as active as I can with my limited energy and capabilities. This means its time to hit the pool! Can I tell you how appealing the thought of being "weightless" is. I have gained a healthy 9kgs to date but I tell you there are days when it feels like 20kgs! So I have dug out my floatation belt and I am looking forward to some deep water running in the final 6 weeks. Deep water running is so good for working on running technique, stretching out hamstrings and working on stride length so BONUS I will be improving my running while I'm not even running.
In closing even though I am not hitting the intensity and frequency of exercise that I would ideally like I am grateful to be able to exercise at this point in my pregnancy and grateful to be still be feeling good and that both bub and I are doing well. All in all I can't complain!
Its been very hot the last few days and I have laid low with my walking but when I do get out I am finding a 4.5km loop is more than enough of a challenge! Sometimes I feel frustrated by my lack of energy or the gap between my mental desires and my physical capabilities. But right on cue I will always get a kick in the ribs or a little wriggle from my new tenant and that reminds me what an amazing thing my body is doing.... growing a baby from only a little speck! On that note I realise that to expect any more from it is just crazy and my frustration is short lived.
My goal now is to listen to my body but try and stay as active as I can with my limited energy and capabilities. This means its time to hit the pool! Can I tell you how appealing the thought of being "weightless" is. I have gained a healthy 9kgs to date but I tell you there are days when it feels like 20kgs! So I have dug out my floatation belt and I am looking forward to some deep water running in the final 6 weeks. Deep water running is so good for working on running technique, stretching out hamstrings and working on stride length so BONUS I will be improving my running while I'm not even running.
In closing even though I am not hitting the intensity and frequency of exercise that I would ideally like I am grateful to be able to exercise at this point in my pregnancy and grateful to be still be feeling good and that both bub and I are doing well. All in all I can't complain!
Saturday, 3 December 2011
6 Months...
This week marks a big milestone as I am now 6 months pregnant and 2/3 of the way there.
The last 6 months have felt at times to go by SUPER slowly but that is mostly because I am so impatient and just can't wait to meet this little guy. In reality it is amazing to think I am on the home stretch and how much I have experienced in the last 6 months. It has been an awesome journey (with some not so awesome bits) and as much as I will be so excited to have my little boy in my arms and be RUNNING again there are some things that I am loving about being pregnant:
1. My hips & boobs - I finally have a bit of shape. I think its much more feminine and I love it (so does hubby)!!!
2. My new relaxed attitude to life - food, my body, friendships & relationships have all taken a turn for the positive. Not sure if its hormones or the excitement of this new beginning but I have unleashed the most laid-back & down to earth version of myself. Superficial things are of no significance and whilst I am definitely becoming stronger in my convictions and beliefs it is without the judgement and or need for others approval. The world is taken at face value and I don't waste my precious energies trying to disect or read between the lines.
3. My passion and appreciation for running has grown since I have stepped back and had a break from it. Strange? Yes I think it is. But in truth I spend more of my day thinking about running than I have even when in a heavy training load. I have wanted to invest my every spare minute into reading and learning everything I can. I know exactly what running means to me and exactly what role I want it to have in my life for the rest of my life and its EXCITING!!!
So as I start my 3rd trimester I hope that my positive experiences continue. I know my body will start to slow down sooner or later but I intend to make the most of whatever the final stage of the journey throws at me. Here are my goals for the home stretch:
1. Keep active and feeling well
2. Quality time together while its "just the two of us"
3. Go to the movies and read
4. Have long lazy Sunday sleep ins and breakies in bed
All in all its all about ME and feeling fabulous!
The last 6 months have felt at times to go by SUPER slowly but that is mostly because I am so impatient and just can't wait to meet this little guy. In reality it is amazing to think I am on the home stretch and how much I have experienced in the last 6 months. It has been an awesome journey (with some not so awesome bits) and as much as I will be so excited to have my little boy in my arms and be RUNNING again there are some things that I am loving about being pregnant:
1. My hips & boobs - I finally have a bit of shape. I think its much more feminine and I love it (so does hubby)!!!
2. My new relaxed attitude to life - food, my body, friendships & relationships have all taken a turn for the positive. Not sure if its hormones or the excitement of this new beginning but I have unleashed the most laid-back & down to earth version of myself. Superficial things are of no significance and whilst I am definitely becoming stronger in my convictions and beliefs it is without the judgement and or need for others approval. The world is taken at face value and I don't waste my precious energies trying to disect or read between the lines.
3. My passion and appreciation for running has grown since I have stepped back and had a break from it. Strange? Yes I think it is. But in truth I spend more of my day thinking about running than I have even when in a heavy training load. I have wanted to invest my every spare minute into reading and learning everything I can. I know exactly what running means to me and exactly what role I want it to have in my life for the rest of my life and its EXCITING!!!
So as I start my 3rd trimester I hope that my positive experiences continue. I know my body will start to slow down sooner or later but I intend to make the most of whatever the final stage of the journey throws at me. Here are my goals for the home stretch:
1. Keep active and feeling well
2. Quality time together while its "just the two of us"
3. Go to the movies and read
4. Have long lazy Sunday sleep ins and breakies in bed
All in all its all about ME and feeling fabulous!
Monday, 28 November 2011
Carbs... I love em!
I have always enjoyed "carbs" but since being pregnant I adore them...
Fresh tiger loaf bread still warm from the oven, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, Hot Chips and any other form of potatos, pasta & rice...I just can't seem to get enough.
So I thought I would take this opportunity to write about my biggest biff with the "weight-loss" industry (well one of them anyway):
THE PROMOTION OF LOW (or worse, NO) CARB DIETS!
People are scared of "Carbs" and avoid them like the plague. I don't think "carbs" deserve the bad rap at all and here's why...
Carbs are gold! But I am a runner and runners are bias - they are our life blood. The reason we embrace them is they are the most useful and easily converted energy source for our body. But runner or not we all need energy every day so it is no wonder that "carbs" are recommended to make up over 50% of our diets each day.
When you mention "carbs" people tend to think of things like I mentioned earlier, potatoes, bread, rice and pasta. And yes while these are excellent sources of carbohydrates these only make up a small portion of the carbohydrate family. These "carbs" are still good and an important part of EVERY diet but people avoid them like the very mention of them is going to add inches to their thighs. The truth is these particular carbs are energy dense and you get a lot of energy per serving as opposed to other carbs and protein. But rather than cut out important foods in achieving a healthy balanced diet we just need to adjust our serving size for how energy rich they are.
So yes some carbs if eaten in excess will make it easier to gain weight based purely on the fact that more energy in than out = weight gain - NOT carbs in = weight gain.
Also another reason not to be a carb hater is not all carbs are high in energy. Did you know all fruit & vegetables are primarily carbs? In fact if its not protein and its not fat it must be carbs! Obviously foods can and do have all three (fat, carbs & protein) but if something mainly consists of carbs or protein we tend to classify it as that.
so to recap so far:
1. Carbs aren't the devil....our serving sizes are
2. Carbs should make up over half your daily diet
3. Carbs are the most important energy source for ENERGY
4. Carbs is a term that is misused to describe only a small portion of what carbs are. So don't just jump on the anti-carb banwagon.
Balance is always the key. So just be aware of the energy dense carbs and realise that you may not need as much of them to feel satisfied and be refeulled as you thought you did. But please, do not deprive yourself. At the end of the day a potato is a vegetable and if you want to have a potatoe every day then you are eating a vegetable every day! However remember that one potatoe has more energy than a bowl of broccoli so adjust your portion size accordingly.
my final thoughts...
LOW or NO carb diets will NOT achieve a long-term, healthy maintainable weight -loss. Diets that do not follow the healthy eating guidelines i.e 50-55% carbs will not be sustainable and are not the answer to weight loss.
Anything and everything in moderation and remember there is only one simple answer for weight loss. Burn more than you eat!
So in conclusion if you would like to lose some Kgs move more and eat less don't remove a VITAL food group.
As for carb-loading (after all, this is a running blog) I will save that for another post because "effective" carb loading is a skill and worthy of much detailed discussion.
Fresh tiger loaf bread still warm from the oven, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, Hot Chips and any other form of potatos, pasta & rice...I just can't seem to get enough.
So I thought I would take this opportunity to write about my biggest biff with the "weight-loss" industry (well one of them anyway):
THE PROMOTION OF LOW (or worse, NO) CARB DIETS!
People are scared of "Carbs" and avoid them like the plague. I don't think "carbs" deserve the bad rap at all and here's why...
Carbs are gold! But I am a runner and runners are bias - they are our life blood. The reason we embrace them is they are the most useful and easily converted energy source for our body. But runner or not we all need energy every day so it is no wonder that "carbs" are recommended to make up over 50% of our diets each day.
When you mention "carbs" people tend to think of things like I mentioned earlier, potatoes, bread, rice and pasta. And yes while these are excellent sources of carbohydrates these only make up a small portion of the carbohydrate family. These "carbs" are still good and an important part of EVERY diet but people avoid them like the very mention of them is going to add inches to their thighs. The truth is these particular carbs are energy dense and you get a lot of energy per serving as opposed to other carbs and protein. But rather than cut out important foods in achieving a healthy balanced diet we just need to adjust our serving size for how energy rich they are.
So yes some carbs if eaten in excess will make it easier to gain weight based purely on the fact that more energy in than out = weight gain - NOT carbs in = weight gain.
Also another reason not to be a carb hater is not all carbs are high in energy. Did you know all fruit & vegetables are primarily carbs? In fact if its not protein and its not fat it must be carbs! Obviously foods can and do have all three (fat, carbs & protein) but if something mainly consists of carbs or protein we tend to classify it as that.
so to recap so far:
1. Carbs aren't the devil....our serving sizes are
2. Carbs should make up over half your daily diet
3. Carbs are the most important energy source for ENERGY
4. Carbs is a term that is misused to describe only a small portion of what carbs are. So don't just jump on the anti-carb banwagon.
Balance is always the key. So just be aware of the energy dense carbs and realise that you may not need as much of them to feel satisfied and be refeulled as you thought you did. But please, do not deprive yourself. At the end of the day a potato is a vegetable and if you want to have a potatoe every day then you are eating a vegetable every day! However remember that one potatoe has more energy than a bowl of broccoli so adjust your portion size accordingly.
my final thoughts...
LOW or NO carb diets will NOT achieve a long-term, healthy maintainable weight -loss. Diets that do not follow the healthy eating guidelines i.e 50-55% carbs will not be sustainable and are not the answer to weight loss.
Anything and everything in moderation and remember there is only one simple answer for weight loss. Burn more than you eat!
So in conclusion if you would like to lose some Kgs move more and eat less don't remove a VITAL food group.
As for carb-loading (after all, this is a running blog) I will save that for another post because "effective" carb loading is a skill and worthy of much detailed discussion.
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