Keeping On

I am back to having writers' block.  Nothing exciting going on here!  I don't want to be a pregnant blogger, but I have the same ol' routine now of fatigue, work, barely exercise, big tummy! 

Thanks to Hillary for sending me some swim workouts, I am finally back to 3 x week swimming and wanting to bump back to 4.  The shoulder is doing well and tolerating about 2500 yards at at time pain free.  I am still at about 2+/5 for my PT geeks out there for external rotation, but I seem to be gaining some stability. 

The main goal for me with swimming for the next half of a year is to just increase my endurance in the water and shoulder stability to where I can start training post-baby without a lot of problems.  I have said buh-bye to speed and strength, but I am welcoming the other forms of rehab that will come if I just try to stay in the water. 

post walk/jog with Roo...suddenly my shirts are getting shorter and shorter...

My running life looks much like my swimming life.  I am extremely slow- 11 min pace or so when I can actually string together a whole mile.  It is all dependent on my pelvis and bladder.  Interestingly, I am able to do track workouts at about 7:50-8:00 pace without too much stress.  I think I can handle short bouts of running, but the minute I go out for an easy, longer run, I can't seem to handle the bouncing and the walk breaks get longer...and longer..... :)

So, why even run/walk?  My goal now is not to build or even maintain fitness.  It is just to keep some impact on my joints and muscles to that when I am able to run in the fall, I don't end up with an injury because my body is not use to weight-bearing activity.  I wish I could run more just because I love to run, but I am pretty confident that just doing what I can do right now is "enough."

So, the number 1 thing I have heard while being pregnant is that "so and so ran a marathon 6 months pregnant,  raced 10k at 9 months, still ran fast the whole time, etc...."  Not a week goes by where someone doesn't inform me that so-and-so did x,y,z while pregnant.  (you almost come to the conclusion that if you aren't doing x,y,z as well, you are a lazy pregnant chick!).  Just the other day someone was reminding me that Paula Radcliffe was running fast 10ks with a pregnant belly.  Ummm  HELLO!!  Paula Radcliffe runs as her JOB!  I have a job too, and it doesn't support my running, it wears me out!

I have many girlfriends that are as pregnant as I am and still running fast, far, good mileage, etc.  But, I also know 2:50 marathoners that couldn't run after 20 weeks due to discomfort.  So, there is no right or wrong way to go about this, and like most things in life, the ability to run pregnant really shouldn't be a competition.  

So for me, a typical week looks like this (last weeks "workouts"):

Mon: 20 min jog/walk and weights

Tues:  master's swim/ and 3 x 400-800 at track with a lot of rest

Wed:  huge nap after work

Thurs:  master's swim/run/walk 3 miles 

Fri:  40 min jog/walk

Sat:  50 min jog/walk

Sun:  easy swim/ short strength

To be honest, while other girls may be training through their pregnancy to enhance their fitness, I think I am just trying to avoid having to size up in my underwear again.  Nothing like buying big, granny panties while you are shopping with your husband because you are stretching out your cute, little ones!!!  (and that is a true story.  I thought just my boobs and tummy would expand.  I didn't know my butt would want to join in the party!)

:))))))))