Tales of Week 19

At week 19 I am happy to say I am still running. I think I appreciate running now more than before. Since my bike rides are less thrilling, running seems more exciting. No off road riding and minimal hill climbing and descending on the road. Plus no epic all day rides with the gang makes my cycling more of an exercise in shaking out the legs than anything else. I enjoy it no doubt, but running even more so. I think it's because I can daydream while I run. While biking I am always watching out for things. I'm having as much fun with sport and my changing body/life as I can. I even tried to make Stacy and Julie jealous of my new running attire. Yup, I bragged to them about the cutest pair of Zoot running shorts I got on clearance at the Road Runner store. Zoot running shorts for $10, certainly that's worth gaining a few pounds:) I told them they would never find their sizes left on sale. I'm sure they were so jealous they stopped at Krispy Creme and threw down a dozen donuts post ride. What I failed to mention is that the shorts seem to fall down below the baby bump once I start running. I had a few scares that they might fall off.  On the Mission Beach boardwalk low riding shorts fit right in.

I used to run areas that were more scarcely populated and hilly. It's 5K from my house to the top of Soledad. I would choose the most quiet and sleepy streets to run to the top. I haven't run to the top of Soledad since becoming aware of being pregnant. Hills just take too much cardiovascularly and I can't keep my heart rate low enough to actually keep running. I thought I would miss running to the top of Soledad more, instead I am just enjoy the space I am in. I look forward to running hills again in the future. Currently, I am running Mission Boulevard a lot. It's often very crowded in a way I used to find annoying. Now, I just find it entertaining. If I had one word to describe it, it would be vibrant. The ocean is so pretty and there are lots of people surfing and kiteboarding. It also supports my daydreaming habits. Since it is flat with no curbs for me to trip over, I can let my mind wonder a bit. The boardwalk is used by tons of young families with babies in joggers. They don't know it, but like a true cyclist checking out another cyclist'ss bike, I check out the stroller and take note. Good thing my Oakleys are mirrored so they don't see me checking out their strollers. Finding the right jogging stroller is a big deal to me :) Unfortunatly most of these people are walking. 

The Mission Beach Boardwalk also plays to one of my biggest fantasies: that I am fast, and I drop boys. Seriously, what could be better than the pregnant lady passing guys running or even better riding bikes.Just wait until you hear the plan I have when it gets hot in the summer. I bragged to Tim about this. He pointed out that they are beach cruisers not real bikes and the riders are probably burned out on drugs and alcohol. However, I think it's important to give these adult males, who are in the prime of their life and fitness, the benefit of the doubt and take sheer delight in dropping them.   Doing this while pregnant is a good way to bond with the baby because in a way I'm running for two and the baby is sort of my partner in crime.

Numbers don't lie, but maybe they can fib just a bit.  I am happy to say that I can comfortably run 9 miles at a relaxed easy pace on flat ground. Of course, I stop my watch while I take the pregnant lady's patented potty break. I did get my watch to fib just a bit. See I have it set on lap pace, or average pace of the current mile. After the watch turned 9 miles I ran down hill and stopped my watch. Hah! You almost thought I ran 9 miles at a 7:50 pace at 19 weeks. I really only ran 7:50 pace for 0.03 miles downhill. Well, I guess that's something I can keep dreaming about.

I read that month four is the best month for exercise during pregnancy. Some of the less fun things from trimester one are over and I'm not quite as huge as a house yet. I noticed this to be true and took full advantage of what they call the honeymoon of pregnancy. During the first trimester I had a lot of niggles where my abdominal muscles, tendons and ligaments attached. I think this was as they prepared to grow and stretch. This along with a slight feeling of breathlessness seemed like all I could think about while running and I was afraid I wouldn't being able to run very long into pregnancy. In case you are wondering I do NOT subscribe to the theory all pregnant women should keep their heart rates less than 140. Whoever made that up, put a damper on a lot of healthy young women's fun and mental release. To be quite honest I think he or she should be punished.  I do wear a heart rate monitor most of the time, but honestly it tears up my skin and my skin is now very sensitive. It tears if you look at it the wrong way. Plus I am already wearing two sport bras and the third elastic strap around me is about breaking my ribs. Oh what I wouldn't give to be an A cup.  My OB/GYN said it is safe to go by perceived efforts and common sense. I have a slight degree of baseline asthma and exercise induced asthma. I was worried it would be a problem during pregnancy but at the level I am working it is not. One day I was running with Julie and I thought I was having an expiratory wheezes but I think I accidentally wore three sports bras and my diaphragm got smushed. It's trial and error in a brave new world. 

Back to the safety of running and athletics, why I feel the need to justify this I don't know or don't want to go into. I also did my own homework and used the National Institute of Health's Pub Med website to look up a bunch of articles, studies, and abstracts on female athletes during pregnancy and found this to be well supported based on evidence. There were actually some wicked cool case studies. 

And for less good news. The scale is not as easily fooled as the Garmin. In fact, it can not be fooled at all.  

I am not one of those people who was nauseated, vomiting, had no appetite and lost 5 pounds during the first trimester Nope, I must have been the one who found the lost 5 pounds. I've always had a "healthy" appetite and the only time I was nauseated was after eating a small amount , say 100-300 calories of simple carbs. Oh....If only I had gone gluten free and low carb, I may have felt better. Physicians and pregnancy educators tout the benefits of exercise during pregnancy as a means of weight control. I think it's a ploy to trick sedentary people in to exercise because it really is good for you. Any way despite my semi  best efforts and bulking up my lunches with carrots, apple slices, and celery, the scale is going up. I'm not going to stress about it peripartum as I figure it's somewhat of a healthy sign. However, post par tum remind me of what Lance says: