Week 34: Sickies Of The Sea. Aka: Family Swim Day
Week 33.5: Called Out
My husband called me out on the grounds that my blog has become seriously boring. "After all, we all know it is not only safe, but healthy to maintain fitness while pregnant." Note to husband: some of us were not on epic mountain bike camping trips this weekend and had time to read. Clearly they don't ask him about the safety of his workout regiminen.
Nor do they ask him whether he has kept his heart rate less than 140 beats per minute. Oh and I am certain they have not asked him if his doctor knows all he is doing? Like what submit a daily report of a training log. Last I checked I was asked to keep a kick count not a training log. Reading training logs is not the job of OB?GYN's. No, I don't think most doctors care about that, except maybe the doping doctors who help top athletes cycle their drugs like Epo and HGH. Clearly that is not the path I am on. Apparently questions regarding his workouts can be answered with one sophisticated term such as epic, rad, or sick.
If I hear one more time how someone's friend is a really good runner, in perfect health, and was told by her doctor to keep her heart rate less than 140 (for nine consecutive months) so her friend wasn't allowed to run during pregnancy due to heart rate description I may explode. I try to be politically correct and respectful of this persons choice of a physician but I want to scream: Your friends doctor is a quack or she has health issues she did not choose to disclose with you. I wouldn't dare say, but I can't help but think, maybe this person isn't that good of runner after all, or maybe she doesn't want to run. Seriously, I would go on further regarding this subject according to my husband (who isn't questioned on the subject) everybody already understands the subject.
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| Tim at 33 weeks pregnant: Seriously forget the term "We're pregnant" It doesn't apply. |
Nor do they ask him whether he has kept his heart rate less than 140 beats per minute. Oh and I am certain they have not asked him if his doctor knows all he is doing? Like what submit a daily report of a training log. Last I checked I was asked to keep a kick count not a training log. Reading training logs is not the job of OB?GYN's. No, I don't think most doctors care about that, except maybe the doping doctors who help top athletes cycle their drugs like Epo and HGH. Clearly that is not the path I am on. Apparently questions regarding his workouts can be answered with one sophisticated term such as epic, rad, or sick.
If I hear one more time how someone's friend is a really good runner, in perfect health, and was told by her doctor to keep her heart rate less than 140 (for nine consecutive months) so her friend wasn't allowed to run during pregnancy due to heart rate description I may explode. I try to be politically correct and respectful of this persons choice of a physician but I want to scream: Your friends doctor is a quack or she has health issues she did not choose to disclose with you. I wouldn't dare say, but I can't help but think, maybe this person isn't that good of runner after all, or maybe she doesn't want to run. Seriously, I would go on further regarding this subject according to my husband (
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| Tim and Petunai :A doctor and a quack! Tim says I should write about something more exciting that pregnancy and exercise. Well, let's see I don't have any wild drinking stories to share or any race reports. Work is pretty boring to so I guess that leaves me with ...the duck. Let's hope this isn't my future:  Seriously. That is a duck...on a leash.... outside of Vons.....in Pacific beach. Whoa, that is a lot to take in. Duck, leash, PB, all in one sentence. I guess we are not the only ones with a pet duck. So anyway in the Petunia chronicles, the ultimate practice for parenthood. Petunia made another poor choice. She snuck out and wound up in a strange guys bath tub. If that's not the road to becoming an Amy Winehouse I don't know what is. We trusted her to play in the garden and she made her way under a fence and into a neighbors driveway. A neighbor recognized her as Tim's duck ( |
Week 33: Don't Call Me a Waddler
While attempting to run I do not waddle. I prefer to think of it as the hippy, hippy shake. Don't ask me what it looks like from behind. I now believe that I'm not getting slower in my pace. No it couldn't be. It's that the satellites the Garmin uses to calculate my pace simply do not side the side to side ground I cover with each forward stride ;)
I'm sharing all my findings so others can use them when the time comes and so I can remember for future references. I have way better things to do than keep a private journal and a blog. So here is what I learned yesterday when I forgot my socks: it was actually a good thing and for the first time in a long time I didn't get cramps in my toes or arch or any numbness in my foot. Yee Haw. Also, running after swimming is really nice because the pool helps get a little of the pudge out of your feet. That pudge/swelling can make your feet really stiff and it translates to an even more awkward stride.The feet can ache like they have the flu.
Last night I came across this article. Yeah I know, I should go to bed and stop reading about running and go running earlier but it would have helped me to know some these things earlier, so I share. The part that says the relative comfort of a run may be dictated by the relative position of the baby is very, very helpful. My baby is rather mobile and not locked into one position yet so I think I have experienced all of these positions so it was nice to understand what causes what.
Ok so it's circa 1997 but I enjoyed so I share. I highlighted and enlarged the important parts. Nerd. Ok so I know some people are gouging there eyes out with boredom. Oh well.
Dynamic Duo - Running in Pregnancy
by Elaine Cooper
First published in Australian Runner and Athlete magazine - March/April 1997
So you're halfway and still running through your pregnancy. Well done! If you're a serious runner you may be feeling daunted and doubtful you will survive the process. Perhaps its those psychological 'molehills' that are becoming more mountainous?
While some may enjoy the attention, for most it takes courage and a healthy dose of confidence to run around your neighbourhood with a burgeoning belly. Sometimes a rhino's exterior is called for to help you cope with the barrage of comments, stares and outright disapproval. Prepare handy comments for a quick counter attack. Other tactics are to run with friends or to get up a little earlier to avoid an audience. Wearing baggier clothes is useful but you reach a stage where you can't find a circus tent big enough to hide 'the bulge'.
As the weight factor increases, you may find your musculoskeletal system starts to creak and groan. A common complaint is sharp knife-like stitches in the sides of the lower abdomen. They are often worse in the beginning of a run and may be sufficiently intense to stop you running. Try stretching away from the pain and walking until the stitch eases. Crouching down may also help. The pain has been attributed to the internal uterine ligaments adjusting to the load of the growing uterus and baby. The low back muscles may also be implicated. In this case mobilisation and massage often provide exquisite relief.
Changes in your running style will become evident, especially after you lose sight of your toes. Knee lift and stride length will suffer. Forefoot strikers usually end up 'flat-footers' under the influence of an increasing load. If you're also a bike rider use this alternate form of exercise to help preserve the strength of hip and leg muscles. If the quadriceps muscles decline in strength this may aggravate knee problems in some runners. Weight training may also be a used to maintain the strength and endurance of these muscles. Try to avoid the 'peanut posture', resisting the urge to let the pelvis tip forward and the stomach sag. Abdominal strength should be a priority before and after pregnancy. In the later months some runners use a light weight maternity girdle to provide additional support especially for the low back.
The hormone oestrogen will soften ligaments throughout the body, increasing joint laxity and this can be a potential problem for runners. Weight-bearing areas prone to stretch and inflammation in later pregnancy are the -iliac joints and the symphysis pubis. Take pity on your feet, choosing heavier training shoes to provide more cushioning. Shock absorbing insoles are also useful. You may also require additional support for your breasts. This can be an exciting discovery for flat-chested runners - but be warned, it doesn't last. After breast-feeding you often find you're left with bigger craters than before. Having a larger bust may strain the muscles between your shoulder blades. Exercising these muscles daily with a rowing machine or as shown in figure 1 may provide some relief.
The position of the baby may dictate the relative comfort of a run. When the baby lies across your pelvis (transverse) your 'load' can feel huge as if it is spilling from the pelvis. The internal side-ways swing of the baby may reduce your style to an awkward, waddling gait. A baby lying in breech may leave you gasping for air as !the head projects up into the diaphragm and practically out your throat. The head-down position is probably the most comfortable although you may find one leg aches or becomes numb if there is pressure on pelvic nerves or arteries. If the baby's head has engaged you may receive shooting nerve pains that feel like electric shocks and the bladder can receive a battering. Sometimes pelvic floor muscles become fatigued during a run leaving you with an aching, throbbing pain in this region. Lie down to take the strain from the area.
As the euphoria of trimester two merges into the fatigued-state of the last trimester you may find running increasingly difficult. Try adjusting the duration and intensity of your runs or choose another exercise if you feel too slow and cumbersome. As 'the day' approaches, aches and pains may become more noticeable and Braxton-Hicks contractions can increase in frequency and strength. Tell someone where you'll be running and for how long. Don't venture too far away.
Many studies have been done on the type of labour experienced by physically trained women. Unfortunately the first stage of labour seems unaffected by physical fitness. However the second and third stages (pushing the baby and placenta out) may be shortened and facilitated by fitness, possibly due to the stronger abdominal and pelvic musculature and endurance capacity of athletes. There also seems to be evidence to support quicker recovery of athletes post-natally.
Assuming you're safely through the ordeal of labour and you and your partner are the proud parents of a potential Olympian... congratulations! You're now ready to leap from the bed and commence your path back to full fitness. Right? Unfortunately your lucky if you can make it to the shower on foot. What happened to that fitness you fought so long and hard for over the past nine months? Exhaustion, weakness, discomfort and depression are common feelings in the first week, which isn't surprising. Blood loss, hormonal fluctuations, emotional upheavals, episiotomies, lacerations, sleep loss, breast engorgement...you name it. They can make you feel like you're in the grip of a bad flu. Return to physical activity is dependent on factors such as your recovery from labour/Caesarean section, fatigue, stress, availability of help, complications, your baby and motivation.
The following table gives you an approximate idea of how long it takes for your physiology to revert back to the non-pregnant state:
Good luck!
I'm sharing all my findings so others can use them when the time comes and so I can remember for future references. I have way better things to do than keep a private journal and a blog. So here is what I learned yesterday when I forgot my socks: it was actually a good thing and for the first time in a long time I didn't get cramps in my toes or arch or any numbness in my foot. Yee Haw. Also, running after swimming is really nice because the pool helps get a little of the pudge out of your feet. That pudge/swelling can make your feet really stiff and it translates to an even more awkward stride.The feet can ache like they have the flu.
Last night I came across this article. Yeah I know, I should go to bed and stop reading about running and go running earlier but it would have helped me to know some these things earlier, so I share. The part that says the relative comfort of a run may be dictated by the relative position of the baby is very, very helpful. My baby is rather mobile and not locked into one position yet so I think I have experienced all of these positions so it was nice to understand what causes what.
Ok so it's circa 1997 but I enjoyed so I share. I highlighted and enlarged the important parts. Nerd. O
Dynamic Duo - Running in Pregnancy
by Elaine Cooper
First published in Australian Runner and Athlete magazine - March/April 1997
So you're halfway and still running through your pregnancy. Well done! If you're a serious runner you may be feeling daunted and doubtful you will survive the process. Perhaps its those psychological 'molehills' that are becoming more mountainous?
While some may enjoy the attention, for most it takes courage and a healthy dose of confidence to run around your neighbourhood with a burgeoning belly. Sometimes a rhino's exterior is called for to help you cope with the barrage of comments, stares and outright disapproval. Prepare handy comments for a quick counter attack. Other tactics are to run with friends or to get up a little earlier to avoid an audience. Wearing baggier clothes is useful but you reach a stage where you can't find a circus tent big enough to hide 'the bulge'.
As the weight factor increases, you may find your musculoskeletal system starts to creak and groan. A common complaint is sharp knife-like stitches in the sides of the lower abdomen. They are often worse in the beginning of a run and may be sufficiently intense to stop you running. Try stretching away from the pain and walking until the stitch eases. Crouching down may also help. The pain has been attributed to the internal uterine ligaments adjusting to the load of the growing uterus and baby. The low back muscles may also be implicated. In this case mobilisation and massage often provide exquisite relief.
Changes in your running style will become evident, especially after you lose sight of your toes. Knee lift and stride length will suffer. Forefoot strikers usually end up 'flat-footers' under the influence of an increasing load. If you're also a bike rider use this alternate form of exercise to help preserve the strength of hip and leg muscles. If the quadriceps muscles decline in strength this may aggravate knee problems in some runners. Weight training may also be a used to maintain the strength and endurance of these muscles. Try to avoid the 'peanut posture', resisting the urge to let the pelvis tip forward and the stomach sag. Abdominal strength should be a priority before and after pregnancy. In the later months some runners use a light weight maternity girdle to provide additional support especially for the low back.
The hormone oestrogen will soften ligaments throughout the body, increasing joint laxity and this can be a potential problem for runners. Weight-bearing areas prone to stretch and inflammation in later pregnancy are the -iliac joints and the symphysis pubis. Take pity on your feet, choosing heavier training shoes to provide more cushioning. Shock absorbing insoles are also useful. You may also require additional support for your breasts. This can be an exciting discovery for flat-chested runners - but be warned, it doesn't last. After breast-feeding you often find you're left with bigger craters than before. Having a larger bust may strain the muscles between your shoulder blades. Exercising these muscles daily with a rowing machine or as shown in figure 1 may provide some relief.
The position of the baby may dictate the relative comfort of a run. When the baby lies across your pelvis (transverse) your 'load' can feel huge as if it is spilling from the pelvis. The internal side-ways swing of the baby may reduce your style to an awkward, waddling gait. A baby lying in breech may leave you gasping for air as !the head projects up into the diaphragm and practically out your throat. The head-down position is probably the most comfortable although you may find one leg aches or becomes numb if there is pressure on pelvic nerves or arteries. If the baby's head has engaged you may receive shooting nerve pains that feel like electric shocks and the bladder can receive a battering. Sometimes pelvic floor muscles become fatigued during a run leaving you with an aching, throbbing pain in this region. Lie down to take the strain from the area.
As the euphoria of trimester two merges into the fatigued-state of the last trimester you may find running increasingly difficult. Try adjusting the duration and intensity of your runs or choose another exercise if you feel too slow and cumbersome. As 'the day' approaches, aches and pains may become more noticeable and Braxton-Hicks contractions can increase in frequency and strength. Tell someone where you'll be running and for how long. Don't venture too far away.
Many studies have been done on the type of labour experienced by physically trained women. Unfortunately the first stage of labour seems unaffected by physical fitness. However the second and third stages (pushing the baby and placenta out) may be shortened and facilitated by fitness, possibly due to the stronger abdominal and pelvic musculature and endurance capacity of athletes. There also seems to be evidence to support quicker recovery of athletes post-natally.
Assuming you're safely through the ordeal of labour and you and your partner are the proud parents of a potential Olympian... congratulations! You're now ready to leap from the bed and commence your path back to full fitness. Right? Unfortunately your lucky if you can make it to the shower on foot. What happened to that fitness you fought so long and hard for over the past nine months? Exhaustion, weakness, discomfort and depression are common feelings in the first week, which isn't surprising. Blood loss, hormonal fluctuations, emotional upheavals, episiotomies, lacerations, sleep loss, breast engorgement...you name it. They can make you feel like you're in the grip of a bad flu. Return to physical activity is dependent on factors such as your recovery from labour/Caesarean section, fatigue, stress, availability of help, complications, your baby and motivation.
The following table gives you an approximate idea of how long it takes for your physiology to revert back to the non-pregnant state:
- Cardiovascular system - 2 weeks.
- Abdominal tone - 6 weeks.
- Joints & ligaments -12 weeks plus.
- Lochia (bleeding) - 3 weeks.
- Urinary tract - 8 weeks.
- Episiotomy - 2 weeks.
Good luck!
Week: 32.5 Fit Pregnancy
People are starting to ask me questions about fitness, training , and pregnancy. I am not a pro athlete nor have I given birth yet but this article from endurance expert Gordo Byrn's Endurance Corner sums up my outlook and goals during pregnancy.
I differ from the person "Monica" in the article a slight bit because I actually dropped out of yoga upon becoming pregnant, where as she dropped off the bike. Yes....I'm a yoga flunky, not because I have anything against yoga during pregnancy but I figured I should cut back my training hours some and something had to give. Also because swimming, biking, and running felt more important to me and are free. Hot yoga is about $90/month for unlimited and worth the money if you really do go. I can only go 4 days a week due to my work schedule. I knew I would have to modify a lot in yoga due to pregnancy. The thought of paying money to sit on my mat in child's pose while the rest of the class got to do handstands had no appeal to me. In the beginning I rode my bike as much as possible, thinking my days would be numbered. I stopped riding at 28 weeks. I took a few days off with the cold and returned to swimming and running. I was starting to become slightly uncomfortable, unclipping and putting my foot down upon stopping sort of made my missing abdominal muscles twinge. I will confess that the thought of falling influenced my aversion to the bike. More so, was not that I thought I would fall, but I confess it bothers me/make me feel guilty that so many others were worried I would fall. If I really wanted to ride I could spin on the trainer or go to spin class but I am having plenty fun swimming and running. Honestly, with a changing body/center of gravity, it's nice to reap the benefits of frequency and efficiency. This is easier to do with two sports vs three or four with yoga. I love hot yoga but I felt like if I was sweating while out running followed by sweating in hot yoga that might be too much. While there is a lot of literature and research supporting exercise during pregnancy there aren't clear guideline on how much is too much. I guess that because it depends on where the individual starts.
The other main difference between Monica and I except that she is 5'9 and skinny and only gained 26 pounds. I will be gaining more than that. :) is that she focused on "no zeroes". Exercising everyday. I totally think this is the way to go if you work 8 hours days or are a stay at home mom. . I work from 6:30 am until 7:00 pm (but usually 7:30-8:00 pm) three days a week. I leave for work at 6:00 am get home when the work is done usually around 8:00 p.m., at which point I haven't had dinner yet. While training for Ironman I often ran after work, while pregnant my legs are kind of trashed after standing all day not quite kankles but you get the idea . I felt it more important to get dinner, get organized for the next days activities whether it be work or sport (pack the lunches or the gear) and get to bed. This is a great schedule for having a lot of days off to train I just log "zeroes"on work days and multiple work out on the four days I have off a week. At first I felt guilty about doing more than one workout a day, but I had the energy to do more. It's my life style and the baby was growing fine. I have titrated my activity up with the tolerance of those two things. They talk about cluster feeding babies in the afternoon and evening so they sleep through the night. I "cluster train" . Of note, I cut back my running a smidge. I was doing 30miles a week over my 4 days of running but last week and this week I capped my runs around 6.5 miles as I think an hour or so of running at this point is enough. I realize my form is altered and i don't want to end up with a nagging injury post partum when I really could be "running". The reduction in running volume just keeps me honest about getting to the pool all 4 days. ....no " I did a long run" excuse. Other than those differences I feel very much like this Monica person, who I know nothing about. I'm guessing she is a higher level athlete than me, but you get the jest. Thanks to Gordo Byrn's for writing this article and for more good articles click here: http://www.endurancecorner.com
On October 14th, Monica gave birth to our daughter Alexandra (she's the one in the photo above). Seeing as I'm the writer in the family, I will share some observations across the last ten months.
We have all heard stories about massive weight gain during pregnancy. I've heard stories of women gaining up to 80 pounds across their pregnancies. Listening to these tales, many women must wonder if large amounts of baby weight are the norm. Do I have to become huge, to have a healthy baby? Monica's experience might be relevant to you.
Before we start with the pregnancy, I want to mention a little bit about the year before the pregnancy. When you look at the athletes racing in Kona, or ITU Worlds, you will see that most participants are optimized for performance, rather than personal health. In fact, I'd guess that many very fast elite athletes (male and female) would have trouble conceiving when they are peak athletic condition.
Monica didn't ride and focused her training on swimming, running and yoga. She was in excellent health and physical condition. While we were trying to conceive, she kept both the volume, and intensity, of her program. She didn't do much fast running but she would swim fast three times per week.
Monica's main worries prior to getting pregnant:
- I will lose my body
- I will lose fitness
- I won't be able to do anything
- I will get slow and never recover
I can relate to those concerns -- I share many of them every October and November!
The good news is you can maintain your body, your health and, most surprisingly, your fitness. Here's how she did it.
No Zeros -- Monica did some form of physical activity every single day, for her entire pregnancy - even the day her water broke. This performance was a lot better than Dad's record!
While our medical advice was not to commence a fitness program when you get pregnant, all our doctors said that it was OK to maintain a fitness program through pregnancy. Monica's doc also noted that there isn't much practical knowledge about pregnancy and the endurance athlete.
The warnings boiled down to:
- Don't let your body overheat;
- Stay well hydrated;
- Don't get out of breath (steady effort, or lower); and
- Listen to your body.
Monica read the blogs of athletic moms like Bree Wee and Paula Radcliffe -- seeking to learn from their experience. She also consulted with coaches of elite female triathletes to learn from their experience. Something that came out of that research is the risk of stress fractures that result when moms come back too quickly. We received a lot of warnings about late term and postpartum running.
While most people talk about trimesters, looking from the outside, I noticed shifts closer to ten week blocks within M's 40-week pregnancy.
First ten weeks -- hormonal changes, mainly impacted mood and appetite. Monica was lucky in that her cravings were fresh fruit (rather than sugar/starch) related.
Second ten weeks -- feeling much better, moderated volume and intensity with attitude of baby-comes-first.
Third ten weeks -- pregnancy starts to show, pubic bone discomfort at 26 weeks, stopped running at 30 weeks, shifted to the elliptical trainer 2x per week.
Final ten weeks -- months of high frequency swimming left her very economical in the water, some high volume swim weeks, hiking started around 34 weeks, elliptical reduced to 1x per week.
Here's a great stat... total swim distance across the pregnancy... 908,600 meters. Average weekly volume was 14 hours and 45 minutes (includes yoga & cross training but not mellow walks with me). That average volume was down from 19-23 hours per week before conception.
The most surprising thing for me was that across her third trimester, Monica had returned to a level of aerobic swim economy that was on-par with where she was preconception.
To sum up Monica's focus:
- Pre-pregnancy -- health, not race fitness
- During pregnancy -- baby comes first, no zeros
- not stopping;
- coping with weight gain;
- coping with her body changing; and
- coping with peer group response.
If she had to give you one piece of advice with your pregnancy then she would encourage you to remain active, moderately, every day. Also remember that if you plan on breast feeding you'll burn off your baby weight safely and gradually.
+++The birth experience was intense and nothing like either of us expected. We went to "baby school" this summer but nothing can prepare you for the real thing.
All you experienced moms out there... you certainly downplayed the extreme nature of childbirth!6:45pm Sunday (Zero Hour) -- water breaks, contractions start shortly thereafter
+6 hrs -- at the hospital, told cervix is 1-2 cm dilated
+15 hrs -- Monica's OB/Gyn gives an exam and notes that cervix is 1 cm dilated -- previous exam was incorrect; drug inserted to help cervix along
+18 hrs -- full blown labour gets going, strong contractions happening up to 2:30 min apart
+23 hrs -- another exam; disappointing news; uterus is ahead of cervix; only 2cm dilated; facing another 12 hrs of labour M opts for epidural
+24 hrs -- epidural kicks in with three hours of pain relief and relative comfort
+29 hrs -- pain relief gone; M feeling pretty strung out and ragged; doctor recommends sleeping pill to enable M to sleep; doesn't force it but strongly recommends
+30 hrs -- M waives off sleeping pill; gets anaesthetist to refresh the epidural;
+31 hrs -- another three hours of pain relief; a couple of short naps; makes a huge difference
+34 hrs -- pain relief wanes; good news that M is 8.5 cm dilated (one needs to get to 10 cm)
+35 hrs -- pretty extreme pain through transition; M starts pushing; has to pause because she nearly pushes the baby out before the doctor can get to the room
+35:30 hrs -- childbirth!Things that surprised us:
The extreme amounts of pain -- likely magnified by duration of labour and lack of sleep. Picture the most despair your have ever seen in an athlete... this didn't even come close! I'm guessing that you'd only see close having to watch young people die or see people broken via torture. It's a good thing that babies are so cute!
The main thing that surprised me (M didn't see) was the large amount of blood that came out after the birth -- between the placenta and the blood, there was a bucket full of post-baby-bits. Didn't freak me out but it certainly got my attention.
Tips for the guys:
Being in the room, and supportive, provides a HUGE opportunity to strengthen your marriage. In life, we only get a few opportunities to demonstrate character. Child-birth is a total-body experience for your wife, being able to share that can create a deep bond. She will always remember if you were there for her.
Besides, after you watch, you'll spend the rest of your life grateful that your wife is handling the birthing part of the relationship. Blew my mind!
Back next week,
gordo
The extreme amounts of pain -- likely magnified by duration of labour and lack of sleep. Picture the most despair your have ever seen in an athlete... this didn't even come close! I'm guessing that you'd only see close having to watch young people die or see people broken via torture. It's a good thing that babies are so cute!
The main thing that surprised me (M didn't see) was the large amount of blood that came out after the birth -- between the placenta and the blood, there was a bucket full of post-baby-bits. Didn't freak me out but it certainly got my attention.
Tips for the guys:
Being in the room, and supportive, provides a HUGE opportunity to strengthen your marriage. In life, we only get a few opportunities to demonstrate character. Child-birth is a total-body experience for your wife, being able to share that can create a deep bond. She will always remember if you were there for her.
Besides, after you watch, you'll spend the rest of your life grateful that your wife is handling the birthing part of the relationship. Blew my mind!
Back next week,
gordo
Week 32: Make A Splash!
Apparently this morning I caused quite a splash. Before I start this story I want to state I am not at all wounded or offended by this experience. Quite the opposite, I am grateful for the good laugh. This morning I went to swim like I usually do unless I am working a 12 hour shift or for some reason (laziness) decided to run first and go to noon swim. I am not the only pregnant women at UCSD masters. We all know who is pregnant as at some point it becomes obvious, but also there is usually an announcement from the coach as he tries to participate in the naming of the child. For example Dolphina has been suggested for Baby Neuschwander.
In fairness, Friday's are a bit atypical as Lane 1 is closed for private lessons. The lane assignment usually goes from fast to slow, east to west. On Friday, the lane assignment is reversed. Anyway, of late I usually swim in the second to slowest lane. However, today that lane was full of the people I swam the same pace as 32 weeks ago so I swam in the slowest lane. I am not a fast swimmer, have never been. Not to pull excuses but now is my chance. I have short arms, ostrigoneums (extra bones in the ankle joint) and general lack of skill, talent, and aptitude in water (not snow) sports. Oh and currently I carry around an extra passenger and all her luggage (placenta, amniotic fluid, yada yada) I am full of excuses. Knowing I am not the fastest fish in the sea I try not to slow anybody down.
This morning there were 3 people in my lane. It's long course masters. That's 3 people sharing 100 meters. I usually offer to go last and only on rare occasions, as in my lane mate is wearing fins and swimming freestyle while we are assigned backstroke, do I get lapped. This morning one of my lane mates accepted the lead position and the other insisted on going last. She said she was slow, and tired. She insisted I take the middle spot. The lane leader was clearly confused on the set, and was doing the wrong stroke at the wrong time. It didn't matter to me as I was not colliding with him and the girl behind me was falling further behind. Soon she was gone. I didn't think anything of it. People change lanes and leave early quietly all the time.
This time apparently it wasn't so quiet, as witnessed by good friend Julie. Apparently, my being 32 weeks pregnant startled this woman. Ok, I admit sometimes my abdomen startles me. She swam into the lane that would normally be one slower, except we were the slowest lane. The lane she swam into was closed for private lessons. It was announced no less than 10 times. She began backstroking down the middle of the lane. She collided with the student in private lessons. The coach announced yet again the lane was closed except for those in private lessons. she needed to move over a lane. She yelled "There is a pregnant woman in my lane!" I believe his response was "Yes, we do let them swim" or something along those lines.
In all fairness there are a lot of pregnant women right now, in general and at Masters. I can think of two other pregnant swimmers at Masters (one is 38.5 weeks and came to Masters later that morning), plus two just had babies. Maybe she thought preganancy was contagious. People do say it's "in the water". However, in southern California most of us are educated and a bit more advanced then that type of thinking. She might want to educate herself and act more appropriately. . Secretly I hope she doesn't. I get a kick out of people who make fools of themselves like that, Bad me!
Petunia made a splash this week too nealry drowning in her water cup. Good thing Tim and I were able to warm her with the hair dryer. Another harrowing brush with death for Petunia. Parenting a duck is tough.
Week 31: Welcome Petunia
Life is full of unexpected surprises. Sunrise, July 4th Tim was on his way to round on his patients when he stumbled upon nearly ran over a duckling attempting to cross 4 lanes of traffic and an elevated median on Soledad Mtn Road. After observing two other cars nearly smashing the duckling he decided to help duckling out of the road. Tim rescued the duck so I insisted he name her. We don't really know if it is a she or a he. We won't know until her feathers come in. Tim decided she is a girl, and her name is Petunia. As in Petunia Picklebottom, the designer diaper bag line.
The next few days I had to work and Petunia had to stay inside in her rubbermaid home all day because if left out a cat or possum (yes we have those too in the city) would surely eat her. I felt bad for Petunia, sitting inside all day as her favorite thing to do is walk in the garden and eat bugs, so I bought her a bird cage. At least she can eat bugs while we are at work. I wanted to get her a bigger cage but they are expensive and she would fit through the slats and escape so that all she gets for now.
When Petunia's flight feathers come in she will be released to Mission Bay Park or Paradise Point where tourists can feed her and she can swim away from predators.
Week 30:Weddings and Celebrations
Last Sunday was my good friend Tina's wedding. She and her husband Matt were married at Balboa Park. It was beautiful, very special, and super fun. Tina's probably the most balanced well rounded person I know. She and her husband did a triathlon that morning. Tina has a doctorate in psychology, a full time job, is active in the triathlon club, plays beach volleyball and......hosts multiple fabulous parites! I think we all feel lucky to be her friend. Congrats to Tina and Matt!
Another highlight of the wedding was getting to see a lot of my friends in one place, dressed up. Denise, Stacy , Jess....just a few of the great girls.
Group shot of the great girls. It blows my mind to think I have known most of them since 2006. Wow how life has changed since our first encounters. Sometimes I get lazy about blogging and think I have nothing worth writing, but pics like this really make me remember how quickly things change and time passes. It sure is fun looking back at the pictures and reading the stories.
The guys cleaned up pretty well too!
Tim, M _Y_K2 the L (other wise known as Michael), Paul and Phil.
Funny thing, when I joined the tri club and started dating Tim those boys swam together. My friend Katie swam in their lane and gave me the low down. She said the one concern about Tim and his crowd (Paul and MyK to the L) was that they were "very serious". 5 years later this statement makes me laugh so hard I sometimes cry. They dish out insults to each other like the cafeteria dishes out hash. They are serious about..... talking smack to each other. When I ride with them I will ride harder to keep up just so I can hear them razz each other.
One of the boys got in the picture with the girls. We let him hang. You see the good thing about MyK2 the L is that he is always willing to draw attention to himself (good or bad,whatever it takes) to help out a friend. He sort of expeditied the dating process between Tim and I when we first met by hooking us up for a bike ride in a way neither of us had any way out of or anything to loose.
Tim is very, very happy to be photographed in his frogskin sunglasses. They make him happy. I'll admit, with a sigh, they are not so bad after all. I will also admit, my dress looked a helk of a lot better last weekend. Win some , loose some. Burn some pictures I guess you can grow a lot in a week. What do I know anyway? This is my first time in the third trimester. I'm such an amatuer. I'll just pass on my mistakes so nobody else has to make them. If you care, which not everybody does, you might want to photograph yourself before you go out and check that your outfit really does look ok this week. I'm sure I was really busy at the time surfing facebook and reading blogs. I didn't leave myseilf enough time to get ready.Oh dear!
As week 30 approached I was a little worried thinking maybe......
I think during pregnancy one grows and one stretches and sometimes it takes longer to stretch than grow. Monday's post swim run was a bomb. I couldn't stop feeling like I had to pee, I got bilateral side stitches and my right foot cramped terribly and fell asleep yet still was cramping. Not that this was harm to the baby, it just wasn't working. I took off my shoe for a bit, which was quite a chore as I had to sit on the ground to do so. Ugh, ugh, ugh. Doomily and gloomily I trudged back to campus a bit of an E-ore trying. I tried be a Positive Polly thinking there is the ellyptical at the gym and I could put the handle bars up hihg on a spin bike. Of course, the Negative Nancy in me was arguing "I don't want to go to the gym, it's nice outside" . The next day I felt like I was outgrowing my rib cage and my spine, the space in between the bones felt stretched beyond the limit. The next day it was a bit better.
I have no idea why I would feel that way based on the above picture:) The next day was better so of course I decided to give running another chance. Low and behold it turned out to be spectacular, thanks to Julie shared great conversation as we had an awesome beach run. We ran the beach from the base of Torrey Pines to Del Mar. If you go early enough in the day there is enough shoreline to run on firm sand. I highly recommend this run to all prego runners, there are no cars once you are on the beach, if you fall it would be in to the sand which is softer than concrete or pavement, it's flat, there are no curbs, and if you felt over heated there is this blue body of water to your side, and there is good conversation....oh sorry I can't guarantee you of that. You'll have to get your own friends and make your own conversation if you are not already a friend of mine. Anyway with 10K in the bank I couldn't wait for the next day's run.
Awesome! Mission Beach Boardwalk Saturday am. I treated it like a "spa treatment" and stopped a few times at drinking fountains to splash water all over my face, not that I was overheating, cool water just feels luxurious. I logged another infamous cheat mile. Arriving back to my home I had half a glass of mango juice (beats another gel) doused myself in cold water and headed out for the final mile. 1/2 of which is downhill, then I run half mile flat, then I stop the Garmin and walk home. See, I totally turned my run into a spa like ordeal. Heaven is pictured below!
After that it was celebration time! Wahoo, it is the 4th of July weekend. I was pretty exicted as I didn't have any trouble the past two days running so Monday must have been a growing pain day or a fluke. Also, I am over as in OVER, that darn cold and my energy is back. I also was able to expend a little energy on a victory dance. I accomplished a goal that I was hoping for but had written off after last weeks cold and Monday's debacle. I logged 30 miles of running to start off week 30 . I also managed three pool swims and 1 ocean swim (but ignored my bike this week) .
Maybe I am the comeback kid . I am actually told to line up the comebacks for the last trimester. It's when people's remarks go from tacky to rude. As far as my minor setbacks, I see the world like this: as Anne of Green Gables once said "Each Day Starts Fresh and Clean With No Mistakes" and as a great runner/athlete (aka Beth) "Keep Calm and Carry On"
And on that note it's past my bed time and I work tomorrow. No sympathy for me being tired at work if I blow bed time blogging.
Happy 4th of July
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