A Mixed Bag

Mama got new shoes!

Specifically the Mizuno Wave Rider. Ooooh, aren't they pretty! Wave Riders have always been good to me, and they're not too clunky at 8.6 ounces. For a while, I went to the Mizuno Nirvana, a much heavier shoe weighing in at 10.5 ounces. The reason I went to the Nirvana for a bit was because my Wave Riders seem to wear out fast, but after reading Born to Run and trying some barefoot running on my treadmill I really wanted to go back to a lighter shoe. I seriously considered the Nike Frees, but one I was too chicken to try to them and two they weigh 8.2 ounces (not far off from my beloved Wave Riders). In the end, I opted for my favorite shoe. My hesitation to try the Frees stems from the fact that any pair of Nike running shoes I've ever owned have torn up my feet. I can't explain it, but my feet and Nike's just don't play well together. Anyway, new shoes were a must. I've been running in a pair that have approximately 1200 miles on them! Yikes! Not only are they pretty worn out, but they're ripe too. I don't usually wait so long between shoes, but I was having a lot of trouble deciding what shoes I wanted to buy. I was also trying to figure out what size I really am. Since pregnancy I've been having all kinds of toe nail issues. I've lost about half my toenails, including my two big ones. Sigh. I think I might have needed a bit more space in my shoes for swollen pregnant feet, but I didn't want to buy a bigger size and then have them be too big. I did opt for a bigger size this time a round.

Reunited with the concept row machine!

For our one year anniversary, my hubby bought me a concept2 rower. I'm a little odd. I much prefer exercise equipment to jewelry. In fact, I don't generally want anything...except exercise related equipment. Nick says this makes it difficult for him to buy me presents, but I digress. I love the row machine! It's such a great workout. Last fall when I wanted to run a 5K turkey trot yet I was still injured from marathon training, I did almost all my hard interval training on the rower. And I did manage to run a 20:15 5K even though my injury wasn't completely healed, so I believe strongly in the rower. The downside though...it is hard! I love that it works the whole core, arms, and legs, but it's so hard! Your entire body is engaged. As a result, I find it difficult to get into a zone. Therefore, since I've gotten my glorious treadmill, the rower has been sitting all by its lonesome self. Until about two weeks ago, when I decided I needed to cut back on running a bit. I tentatively got back on the rower, expecting it to be too hard, but it wasn't! I actually found it to be much easier than running. Weird. I'd like to get my running miles back up there, but my preferred method of cross-training is definitely the rower.

Where I stand with this running while pregnant thing.

I'm over 19 weeks pregnant! And just in case there are any other pregnant ladies wondering, I've gained about 7 pounds so far. As far as running goes, last week was better. My calves feel better. The weird shin splint thing went away. So all I was left with was a sore left hip/butt from a fall that took place with slippery socks on a wood floor. The hip was sore all week. Towards the end of the week I opted to take two days off from running. This was hard for me. Any other exercise I do now seems too easy. I can't even get my heart rate up on the stationary bike with the resistance turned all the way up, unless I do intervals, and I don't want to be doing intervals while pregnant. Even the row machine seems easy, much easier than it's ever seemed to me. As a result, I just want to run, but my hip was complaining. Anyway, I got in 40 miles and close to another 3 hours of cross-training on the row machine and bike. All in all, not a bad week.

Training Journal 3/30 - 4/4
Total Miles Run: 40.35
Total Time Running: 5:46
Average Pace: 8:34
Total Row Machine Miles: 12.1
Total Row Time: 1:35
Average Row Pace: 7:51
Total Stationary Bike Time: 1:25
Total Cardio Time: 8:45

The old balled up newspaper trick

Here in New England the skies have opened up and we're being deluged with rain. Again. During the monsoon a couple weeks ago, it occurred to me to share a super trick I've acquired to dry out sopping wet sneakers, but I forgot. Sorry.

My roommate/teammate freshman year in college introduced me to the old balled up newspaper trick. At first, I thought she was off her rocker. I was wrong. Balled up newspaper shoved in sopping wet running shoes is absolutely ingenious!

Here's the process. First ball up some newspaper. I usually use two large sheets per shoe, but I'm sure more motivated people could squish in more. Once you have a ball of newspaper shove it into that nasty wet sneaker, and keep shoving in balls of newspaper until the shoe is full of newspaper. Leave it over night, and the next day your shoes will be dry! If they're really wet, you may want to replace the newspaper after a few hours.

I swear by the newspaper method of shoe drying. When I was in high school I'd throw my wet shoes in the dryer. I can't believe my parents let me do that...or maybe they didn't know...anyway, the dryer would sound like it was going to explode. I'd also sometimes stick my shoes on the furnace. Not really a good idea either. They can melt. Of course, in high school and college there was only one pair of shoes to run in. There was no extra pair and so I always knew I had to run in them the next day. Now a-days most of us have several pairs to run in, but the newspaper trick is still great because it helps keep your shoes from being stinky. Did any of you already know about the newspaper trick?

Okay, so I'm compelled to share a bit of my running experience from last week. Normally I'd just skip the narrative, but if there are any other pregnant lady runners out, there they might be interested. Last week was another running flop. I'm now 18 weeks pregnant. At the beginning of last week, I felt like I had shin splints. Something I haven't experienced in over 10 years. It was weird. I took a day off and that helped the shin splints, but I was also having calf cramping when I ran longer than 7 miles. Blah. I started to run slower. Then near the end of the week I fell. Not while running, and nothing serious, but my left hip took most of the punishment and I had to take another day off. I ran yesterday and everything seemed decent. No shin splint pain or calf pain. My hip is still a bit tight though.

I think my aches might be due to a little weight gain spurt. Around the time I had a positive pregnancy test, I gained three pounds, but until last week that was it. Then I woke up at the beginning of last week and overnight I gained four pounds. I'm wondering if I needed a little time to adjust to my sudden additional weight? Just a hypothesis. At the end of the week, I wound up with a total of 38 miles, but I didn't feel too bad about that because I also spent an hour on the row machine and another hour on the stationary bike. This next week is going to be better. I can feel it. ;)

Training Journal 3/22 - 3/29
Total Miles Run: 38
Total Time Running: 5:30
Average Pace: 8:41
Total Row Machine Miles: 8.1
Total Row Time: 1:01
Average Row Pace: 7:32
Total Stationary Bike Time: 1:10
Total Cardio Time: 7:40

Preggo Picture

Ana-Maria asked for a belly shot...here it is fellow blogging buddies. Me, four months pregnant. I opted for a photo in work clothes because quite frankly my workout clothes are unflattering. I'm definitely popping out more than I did in my last pregnancy (stupid abdominal diastasis). I'm okay with that though, most days. ;)

Generally I find I'm pretty much okay with just about anything pregnancy can throw at me, as long as I get to run. Running is my meditation. It evens out those ridiculous pregnancy hormones that can make one feel crazy. Oh, you have no idea what I'm talking about? Well, maybe it's just me then. It also makes gaining weight easier to swallow. I still worry about gaining too much weight too fast, but I'm not obsessing over it.

Last week wasn't such a great running week for me. Monday I was a bit tired and after not taking a day off in several weeks decided to take the day off. Tuesday and Wednesday I ran and felt fine, but Wednesday night I got a sore throat. I woke up on Thursday and my sinuses felt like they were going to explode. I had chills and my muscles were sore. Ugh! I took Kaylee to a gymnastics/gym class that requires parent interaction, and when they had me hopping on one foot I thought my head might explode. That afternoon I did try to get on the treadmill. My general methodology for running when ill is to try it. Sometimes I get going and actually feel better. Not so that day. I quit after 10 minutes. I went to bed at 8:30 and felt slightly better Friday morning. I didn't run Friday either.

Having to take two days off in a row leads to other issues. I find I can keep my asthma under control usually without medication as long as I don't have to take more than a day off at a time. So by Friday night I needed my inhaler. Blah! I hate taking my inhalers.

Saturday morning I hopped on the treadmill and did fine. Sunday too. I'm still have sinus pressure, but it's not as bad, and it seems to be the worst at night. Hopefully that will go away within the next couple days. At least I'm running again!

Training Journal 3/15 - 3/21
Total Miles: 40
Total Time Running: 5:39
Average Pace: 8:28

Hynes Tavern 5 Miler RP

I convinced my mom that this Hynes Tavern 5 miler road race would be super cool. So we both signed up. I was a little miffed with the cost. It was $30. Yeah, $30 dollars for small local 5 miler seemed a bit steep to me. I swear I'm not cheap, just practical. The race was definitely worth the price though. Awesome tech long sleeve shirts, a very cool finisher's medal, and clocks at every mile. It's one of the most well organized races I've run. Well organized races are just awesome!

Although the race itself was well done, the weather was miserable. Basically the same weather we were blessed with for BayState. 38 degrees and a lot of rain. It really wasn't so bad though. Bad weather seems more tolerable for shorter distances. I had a great time listening to people banter around us. I have this feeling that only the really hard core runners showed up, and they're a blast to listen to! After the race, my mom kept saying, "there were only lunatics there today!" I pointed out that she too showed up for the race, but she's still not convinced that she's of the hard core persuasion.

The actual running of the race was fairly uneventful. Mostly wet...and cold. My mom ran well. Turns out she was feeling tired too, so she ran even better considering she wasn't feeling up for it. Our splits were:

Mile 1: 8:30
Mile 2: 8:30
Mile 3: 8:30
Mile 4: 8:50
Mile 5: 7:47

Afterward my mother told me that she was seriously considering stopping at mile 3. And I said, "Hmmm, cold, wet weather is powerful motivation for not stopping eh?" She agreed. Anyway mile 4 was definitely the most challenging aspect of the race for her, and then she was able to kick it in with an awesome last mile! I am amazed that she ran such an incredible last mile feeling tired and yucky. Her PR in the mile is 7:40, so she almost ran a mile PR at the end of a 5 miler! Nice! Our final chip time was 42:07.

Here are some photos from the race. I love them! Everyone looks so hard core!

Okay, I am not disgusted that my mom is drinking water (which is how it looks). I'm really trying to figure out if she wants to stop and walk while she drinks, because I cannot drink from those paper cups unless I'm walking.

Here I look like I'm really hurting, but I swear I wasn't. The cold wetness was a little uncomfortable, but I was actually very comfy throughout the race. It was only at the start and finish when I wasn't running that I had trouble. Oh and yes, I'm now 16 weeks pregnant, which you can't really tell from the picture (only because it isn't a profile shot though). I do have a baby belly now. I have to glide my belly before I run to prevent chaffing. Phew, that was a little embarrassing to admit!

Speaking of running in general, my overall running this week was great. I've been feeling good. I ran a bit faster and longer than last week. Not on purpose, it just sort of happened. Today I was feeling tired though, so I opted to take the day off. It's been almost 3 weeks since I've felt tired enough to take a day off! Before that, I was taking one or two days off a week. That first trimester is exhausting!

Training Journal 3/8 - 3/14
Total Miles: 55
Total Time Running: 7:49
Average Pace: 8:31