July 15th

I'll give today's run an A- for 7 weeks post Zoey's birth and about 3 weeks into running again. I did the extended pull up bar loop around the Charles River, covering 5 miles in 8:18 pace. I timed it to get a feel for my fitness - it's about where I thought... the pace felt easy, but not as easy as 8:18 pace should feel. I have a very long way to go!! Still, it felt nice to get outside, move my body, and drown in the sickly humid 90 degree heat. A headache came on about 3 miles into the run. I blame breastfeeding - such a dehydrating activity!! I'm drinking water like mad in order to ward off dehydration, and I'm usually successful. Today was just a wicked hot day and got the best of me. I'm also starting to feel a bit more normal weight-wise. I gained 28 lbs during this pregnancy. I have 7 left to lose. The thing is, I started the pregnancy about 15 lbs over my regular weight (gained weight trying to get pregnant). So, success #1 will be getting to pre-pregnancy weight. Success #2 will be getting to pre-trying-to-get-pregnant weight. I'm not that worried about the weight - it'll fall off as I get fitter. It is just infinitely easier to run when I'm lighter!!

Run: 5 miles

June 29th-July 14th

Posting each run just isn't all that interesting these days because there isn't anything all that different from day to day. So, here is a brief breakdown:

June 29: 3 mile run
June 30: 3 mile run
July 1: 3 mile run
July 2: 3 mile run (slightly sub 8 minute pace)
July 3: 4.5 mile run
July 4: 3 mile run
July 5: 3 mile run; 30 minutes on bike
July 6: 3 mile run
July 7: 3 mile run
July 8: 3 mile run
July 9: 3 mile run
July 10: 3 mile run
July 11: 1 mile run; 6ish mile walk
July 12: 3 mile run
July 13: 2.5 mile run
July 14: 3.3 mile run

Each day has been accompanied by lifting upper, lower, and/or core. Now that I've nailed an easy 3 mile loop, I'll bump up my mileage this week to run 5-6 miles a day.  These daily runs are wicked easy (clearly, because they're short and slow), so it'll be exciting to bump up the mileage a bit, starting tomorrow. The goal is to be up to 60 miles and one track workout a week by mid-August. Then, I'll just maintain for a month or so before I actually start really training again. I'd love to be in okay shape by indoor season. Not fast, just okay shape. I'd be happy to land a few 800s without embarrassing myself.

June 28th

Yesterday, post run, I was a little nervous that my stitches would bother me throughout the day, which is what has happened every other time I've tried to run over the past month. But, thankfully, we're allllll goooooood! No pain with my stitches. No problems whatsoever. So, I went back out for another run today. I kept it short again - same loop as yesterday. If all feels well tomorrow, I'll go a bit longer. One of the complicating factors is cute little Zoey's schedule. She feeds every 2 hrs and it takes her about 45 minutes to feed. Since I'm breastfeeding, that means I have a Zoey attached to me pretty much every other hour. So, it gives me about 1 hr between feedings to exercise. The thing is, I also have to breast pump since Zoey doesn't have a huge appetite. So, that takes about 20 minutes. But, I only have to do that every few hrs. So, I need to find that critical time during the day when I have 1 free hour, Brad can stay home with Zoey, and we don't have a doctor's appointment or some other responsibility on deck. As soon as I find that hour, I'm out the door (build in time to change and to shower post run).

Run: 3.3 miles
Walk: 3 miles

June 27th

Alrighty, great day. I'm back to daily posts because... I'M BACK TO RUNNING! Yay. Today was the first day I thought I'd be able to do a run, so I headed out for an easy 3 miler around the Muddy River. Stitches didn't bother me, random other pregnancy-related aches and pains didn't bother me, and I enjoyed the fresh air filling my lungs and sound of Salt n' Pepa floating through my ears. The run felt unbelievably easy. Perhaps because the last time I actually ran, I was about 20 lbs heavier!  Looking forward to tomorrow's run!

Run: 3.3 miles

June 25-26

Mon: Light lifting of upper body
Tue: 65 minutes on the elliptical

June 18-24

Grandmas left on Monday. Tuesday through Sunday sessions were almost cardio in that I left no time between sets. I was in and out of the gym within about 30 minutes each day.

Mon: 1 mile walk; heavy lifting of upper; moderate lifting of core (wanted to do more but ran out of time - chatty old man at gym)
Tue: 1 mile walk; lifted lower and core
Wed: 20 minutes on elliptical; moderate lifting of legs and core
Thur: 1 mile walk; heavy lifting of legs and core
Fri: 1 mile walk; heavy lifting of upper and core
Sat: Heavy lifting of legs and core. S & D in town from San Francisco so spent day with them!
Sun: Lifted upper, lower and core

June 10-17

Since I'm not running quite yet, I think it makes more sense to just pile all the workouts into a weekly summary. I'm just exercising for the fun of it - partially to keep a routine going, partially for health reasons, and partially for my own happiness. This week has been exciting - Zoey came home on Tuesday!!! So, I have been both more and less free. More free in that I'm not spending 5 hrs/day at the hospital. Less free in that I'm tied to the house for feedings every 2-3 hrs. Regardless, it is cool. I've been able to get in some working out, just not running yet (still a bit uncomfortable). Had time to go to the gym with Brad as the grandmas are in town!

Sun: 1 mile walk; heavy lifting for legs and core
Mon: 1 mile walk; heavy lifting for upper and core
Tue: Day off (tried a little run - got about 400m out and had to stop - stitch site still sore)
Wed: 1 mile walk; heavy lifting for legs and core
Thur: 1 mile walk; heavy lifting for upper and core
Fri: Light lifting for upper
Sat: 1 mile walk; 40 minutes on the arc machine; light lifting for core
Sun: 1 mile walk; 20 minutes on the arc machine; heavy lifting for upper and core

36 weeks

Light day. We have family in town, so I chose to not go to the gym. I didn't even walk! Just did some light upper body lifting at home and some plyos. Easy day.

Lift: Upper body
Plyos

35 weeks, 6 days

Tried to run a little bit. He he. Got about a quarter mile into the run and stopped. A little too early to run, I think. Everything is ready to go - except some lady parts that don't need to be explained on a public blog! So, my run became a walk. Probably about a 5 mile walk. Lifted lower body and core. Added a bit more weight to my hamstrings, which was great because they are definitely the weakest part of my body right now.

Walk: 5 miles (ish)
Lift: Lower body and core

35 weeks, 5 days

Just did a few miles of walking today. Spent most of my time at the hospital.

Walk: 3 miles (ish)

35 weeks, 4 days

Walked to the gym and back with Brad. Probably just a mile of walking there. Then, completed a pretty heavy upper body lifting session. I was happily surprised to see that I could lift about the same amount/volume as pre-pregnancy! Yay. Put a little more effort into my abs/back lifting to see how my body could handle it.

Walk: 2.5 miles (including to the hospital)
Lift: Upper body/core

35 weeks, 3 days

Happy 1 week old day to Zoey!
Happy 32 year old day to Laura!

Learning from my mistake yesterday (AKA: the elliptical event), I chose to dial down the cardio today. I walked to and from the gym, around Coolidge Corner, and to and from the hospital, for a total of 4.2 miles of walking at a very slow pace. At the gym, I did a moderate lower body lifting session. Lifting doesn't seem to bother me at all, so I'll just continue to do that for awhile and slowly integrate cardio back into my life.

Walk: 4.2 miles (slowly)
Lifted: Core and lower body (feels so good to do abs/back again)

35 weeks, 2 days

I wanted to see how my body held up today under a bit of exercise (other than walking), so I tried the elliptical on low effort for 30 minutes. I don't think it was worth doing. I didn't really work up a sweat (on purpose - still pretty sore and don't want to aggravate my body any more than I need to). Upper body lifting session to follow.

Elliptical: 30 minutes of very low intensity
Lift: Upper and core (lightly lifted core)

35 weeks, 1 day

Walked home from the hospital today. Stopped off at Trader Joe's for some wine and crackers. The soreness is slowly going down and I'm itching to try a bit more in the next few days.


In case people are wondering what's going to happen to this blog, I'll keep posting about exercising until I'm back to my regular running routine. I'm interested to see how long this will take. My old high school coach used to say "up and over" every time we talked about hill racing, meaning that heading up the hill was only part of the battle - you also had to learn how to race the other side of the darned thing. So, I'm considering this the "over" part of the exercising-while-pregnant blog. Let's see how exercising goes on this side of pregnancy.

Amazing Zoey

Walk: 1.3 miles

35 weeks

Today, I walked about a mile. Very slowly. We met 17 of our closest friends (and Luke, of course. Always assume every story involves Luke) at the Publick House for a beer. Brad started to fall asleep at the table around 9:30 pm, so we headed home. I wanted to try walking. It was a gorgeously rainy night, so the walk felt wonderful.

Walk: 1 mile

34 weeks, 6 days

I felt much better today, so I helped Brad put together the nursery a bit. I'm still sore and having some odd baby related body issues that don't need to be broadcasted on this blog, so I kept the activity to a minimum. I did "stick" my legs and back, which felt good because it got the blood moving around a bit! I did some light upper body lifting and walked around the block to the rose garden - which is in full bloom!!!

Lift: Upper body

34 weeks, 5 days

Same deal as yesterday. I took a shower today, so that's cool. I also had a delicious glass of wine!

34 weeks, 4 days

Uh, sore all over. The walk to the NICU and back was more than enough for me!

Baby updates (www.haydkoz.blogspot.com)

34 weeks, 3 days

Had a baby.
Walked to doctor's office.

Walk: 1.3 miles

34 weeks, 2 days

Normal exercise day - 65 minutes on the elliptical and a thorough upper body lifting session, followed by the spiderman stretchy thing. I felt a little uncomfortable today - walked a couple of miles to see if the discomfort would go away. Not really. But, super excited for Brad to come home tonight!!!!!

Elliptical: 65 minutes
Lift: Upper body
Stretch: Spiderman thing
Walk: 2ish miles

34 weeks, 1 day

Excellent day at the gym. I wanted to see how my lower legs would hold up with a little jog, so I ran to and from the gym and my legs felt fine!!! I'll go to the gym tomorrow, but I might try a run on Tuesday... I miss running outside!!!

Elliptical: 70 minutes
Lift: Legs
Run: 1 mile

34 weeks

This morning, T, S, and I had the loveliest walk through the Lost Pond Sanctuary. We put in about 1.5/2 hours of hiking with little Dougie the Dog... lots of trails, a few hills, a snake or two... it was great. After the sanctuary, I headed over to the gym for a 45 minute elliptical session. I'm getting more and more tired, but not so tired I can't keep up with the exercising. I just exercise a little slower and easier, but it still feels good to get my body moving. Uh, then I took a 3 hour nap :-)

Walk: 1.5/2 hrs
Elliptical: 45 minutes

33 weeks, 6 days

Put in an hour on the elliptical today, followed by a great upper lifting session and an awesome stretching session on the big spider-looking rope thing at the gym. I love that rope thing. You Gym It folk know what I'm talking about!

Elliptical: 60 minutes
Lift: Upper

33 weeks, 5 days

Tired again today! But, this time, it was complete self-induced as I stayed up way too late last night skyping with the hubby and got up way too early to get to the gym before work! I slogged through an hour on the elliptical and called it a day. Let's try again tomorrow.

Elliptical: 60 minutes

33 weeks, 4 days

I was tired today. So, rather than going to the gym, I went for a walk outside. It was supposed to be a jog, but one mile in, I lost steam. So, I walked 5 miles (stopped after 3 to eat lunch) instead. I don't think my heart rate got above 125 the whole time I was walking, but I didn't really care. I'll get in a good workout tomorrow morning at the gym.

Wog: 5 miles (run 1 mile; walk 4 miles)

33 weeks, 3 days

Another day of pouring rain! I walked to the gym, put in an hour on the arc machine, and walked home. Boring exercise day but got the job done.

Arc machine: 60 minutes

33 weeks, 2 days

I love the daylight! It makes me so happy to be able to exercise after work in the light! In the winter, it gets dark around 4:30ish, so there is no chance of seeing the sunshine after work. Today, however, I left work around 6:30 and got in a nice wog through South Boston, downtown, past Fenway, to my place. Now, it did pour for about 30 minutes of the wog, but the rest of the time was gorgeous, albeit a little foggy. My legs felt better today than they've felt in awhile. Same with my PT. Baby girl must be getting used to me moving around - she used to quiet down when I was running, now she is moving even as I'm moving. It's cool.

Wog: 7.25 miles (run: 4 miles, walk: 3.25 miles)

33 weeks, 1 day

Such a nice relaxing day today. I started the day with 60 minutes on the elliptical with a pretty steady, low effort tempo (HR average=140). Lifted legs afterwards (have to do 1 legged leg press because the belly interferes with 2 legged style). Enjoyed a peaceful walk through the BU undergraduate graduation chaos. Then, spent the rest of the day with brother Luke, enjoying the out-of-doors and 75 degree weather.

Elliptical: 60 minutes
Lift: Lower body
Walk: 3 miles

33 weeks

I celebrated the 33 week mark with a run this morning with M! We just did the little 3.5 Muddy River loop, but it felt nice to be running again after a few days of doing something else. The only bummer was that my legs were as sore and tight as they've been the past few runs, so I am fairly confident that feeling is here to stay when I'm running while pregnant. It's a bummer, actually, because breathing is fine, everything else is fine, but my lower legs feel like they're on fire. I've talked to other runners about this problem, and some have had similar experiences. So, I'll continue to foam roll and massage away, but I think I can get in a much better workout if I hit the gym than if I try to run. I'll get in a run every few days, just to keep whatever momentum I have going...

Walk: 3 miles
Run: 3.5 miles

Not a running picture, but the only one I've got from today. I'm walking to BU's graduation to watch Dr. T. get hooded!

32 weeks, 6 days

Another great exercising day for Laura! Did about 70 minutes on the elliptical at a slightly harder pace than yesterday, followed by a pretty comprehensive upper body lifting session. I'm keeping my weights low and reps high, so the sessions are taking awhile, but I have the time to devote to exercising right now, so I'm excited. After working out, Luke treated me to lunch, I met a friend for coffee, and I had a girl's night out for dinner. All in all, a great Friday. Oh, and I planned my whole summer Ethics and Law course. I teach an online class in the summer and I was hoping to plan the whole class before it began so I could be organized before baby came along. Today, I put the final touches together. Yay!

Elliptical: 70 minutes
Lift: Upper body

32 weeks, 5 days

Great exercise day today! A moderate hour on the elliptical and lifting session for legs sandwiched between an easy two mile walk. Gorgeous day!

Elliptical: 1 hour
Lift: Legs
Walk: 2 miles

32 weeks, 4 days

I had a little errand to run this morning, so I wogged the 2 miles it took to do the errand. Then, after a great day at work (where I was showered with baby presents), I had just enough time to get in a 30 minute elliptical session and a 2 mile wog before my next commitment.

Wog: 4 miles
Elliptical: 30 minutes
Prenatal yoga: Hip openers

32 weeks, 3 days

Day off! I pulled about a 14 hour work day today, which isn't that noteworthy non-preggo style, but...wow... do I get tired now. So, rather than working out when I got home, I went to bed!

32 weeks, 2 days

I don't really think I can count today as a wog, more of a walk. I covered 7 miles and probably ran 2 of those 7. The 2 miles of running were uncomfortable, but the 5 miles of walking were great. So, let's call today a walk.

Walk: 7 miles

32 weeks, 1 day

I was able to run a little more today than I have been able to do recently - in a 4 mile wog, I ran about 3 of those miles. For the last mile, I hopped on the treadmill because my legs are getting pretty sore about a mile into my runs from the harder surface of the outside terrain.

Wog: 4 miles (run 3, walk 1)
Lift: Upper

32 weeks

I'm staying in Charlestown for the weekend, so I enjoyed a Harborwalk wog this morning, followed by a quick stint on the elliptical.

Wog: 3 miles
Elliptical: 20 minutes

31 weeks, 6 days

Not a lot of time today to exercise. Even less motivation (just tired!).

Wog: 3 miles

31 weeks, 5 days

After spending much of the day working on a presentation I'll be delivering on Saturday, I needed to get some fresh air and move my body a bit. So, I headed out for a run/walk through the Muddy River, Olmsted Park, and Jamaica Pond. On the way home, I walk/ran through Brookline and Amory Park. I'm finding that running for more than a mile at a time is getting really tiring, so the run/walk approach was nice today.

Wog: 10 miles (don't know how much was walk vs run)

31 weeks, 4 days

It's been a bit of a busy work week. That, combined with normal preggo Laura tiredness, yields low mileage for the week. Today was no exception. I wogged 3 miles and felt tired throughout the rest of the work day. I was hoping to have some energy to get out for a run now that I'm home from work, but I didn't get home until about 9 pm and, once again, am prioritizing sleeping over running. So, I did a little prenatal yoga and am going to bed!

Wog: 3 miles (half and half)
Prenatal yoga: Hip openers

31 weeks, 3 days

Sleeping beat running today. So, I ran 1 mile in the morning to shake out my legs right before work. I could have run after work when I got home but I didn't get home until about 10:30 pm, so I chose to go to bed!

Run: 1 mile

31 weeks, 2 days

In an effort to be time efficient, I combined the walk part of my exercising with some errands. The walk from home to FedEx to Brookline Town Hall to Brookline Dept of Public Safety back home was about 2 miles total. Then, I ran my usual Muddy River 3 mile loop, followed by a 1 mile walk for a cool down. Felt fine. A little uncomfortable, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Run: 3 miles
Walk: 3 miles
Prenatal yoga: Shoulder and chest openers

31 weeks, 1 day

I managed to sleep in and fit in a little run before meeting K and MB for brunch this morning. I'm so glad I got the run in early because the rest of the day was devoted to home improvement projects! Every Sunday, I prepare for the week - get groceries delivered, prep for Monday's stew (need that beef!), fill the ice trays (really), wash the sheets, do laundry, clean the house, etc - but this Sunday, I needed to throw in a few non-regular chores. So, I hit up the town in search of the perfect duvet cover (still can't find it), 3 different kinds of lightbulbs, and drawer liners for the bathroom. Once home, I finished washing all of baby girl's clothes (last 4 loads today), reorganized the kitchen closet, moved a bunch of winter things to storage, put together a bag of clothes and shoes to donate, wrote every last one of my thank you cards from last week's MI baby shower, finished the first draft of a manuscript, and baked some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Now, it's 7:45 pm. I have one of two choices. Go back out for a walk/run or curl up on the couch with my manuscript. Hmm...

Run: 2 miles
Walk: 2.5 miles

31 weeks

Celebrated 31 weeks with another run! Easy 3 mile run around the Muddy River. No time to add in walking today... lots of friend things on the agenda...

Run: 3 miles

30 weeks, 6 days

Woo hoo! Small victory - no wogging today! Ran 3 miles without walking. Good. I was about to resign myself to wogging for the next 9 weeks, so it's nice to know not every day will be a run/walk combo. Ran my usual 3 mile loop around the Muddy River, walked 2 miles afterwards, and lifted upper body. It was good to move around after a 6 hour meeting at work today!!!!!!

Run: 3 miles
Walk: 2 miles
Lift: Upper

30 weeks, 5 days

More wogging! I chose to sleep a little more this morning and go straight in to work, so I didn't run until I left the office around 7 pm. I walked/ran around the ocean perimeter at work, hopped on the train to avoid Dorchester Ave, and got off at the Boston Commons to run the rest of the way home. I am definitely feeling tired when I'm running. I go into each excursion with the hope that I can run the whole thing without pushing too hard, so you can see how well that is turning out!! It feels so great to have run, but not great while running. I'm going to keep up the wogging as much as possible. I think I'm going to have to join a gym tomorrow so I can do some cross training and more weight lifting.

Wog: 7.5 miles (run=3.5 miles, walk=4)

30 weeks, 4 days

Two solid nights of sleep is all it took for me to start feeling a bit less tired and a bit more normal. I still, however, think I need to demote myself from a runner to a wogger (walker/jogger) right about now. Today, I wogged 6 miles, with 5 of those miles being running and 1 being walking. I have a feeling I'll be wogging a lot more for the next 10 weeks.

Wog: 6 miles (run=5 miles, walk=1 mile)

30 weeks, 3 days

Day off! I just needed to sleep this morning! I teach on Tuesday nights and don't get home until well after 10 pm, so I just scrapped the workout for the day.

30 weeks, 2 days

Just a little 3 mile run after my doctor's appointment. Easy run around the Muddy River.

Run: 3 miles

30 weeks, 1 day

Ran a 2 mile loop around my mom's neighborhood - all on the soft fields behind the pool. Such a gorgeous area. At one point, I looked up and a deer was standing on the top of the hill, staring down. I lifted my phone to take a picture and it was gone! I'm guessing they don't like things pointed at them around Michigan - they know what it tends to mean :-)

Run: 2 miles

30 weeks

Baby Shower #1 day!!! Great day. Ran 2 miles as a little shake out but didn't have tons of free time and wanted to spend it with people...

Run: 2 miles

29 weeks, 6 days

Easy 3 mile run around dad's neighborhood. Most of it was on concrete, so my legs were a little beat by the end. That is definitely one pregnancy related symptom - my legs get really tired on hard surfaces. The run was nice - sun was shining, great temperature, exciting weekend ahead of me...

Run: 3 miles
Prenatal yoga: Hip opener

29 weeks, 5 days

I chose to get in 5 hours of sleep versus 4 hours and a run. So, I did a 1 mile shake out before getting on a plane to Michigan. I did my best to walk around the airport, etc, but I had a big deadline on Friday so I spent most of my time sitting and writing whenever I had a free minute.

Run: 1 mile

29 weeks, 4 days

Well, today just kept getting more and more packed. I needed to get to work early, so I didn't run this morning. I was finally able to run at around 8 pm, but only for 3 miles because I needed to get back home for some unexpected work. I found out yesterday that I was nominated for the 2012 Ernest Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement for Early Career Faculty. Super cool. Super big load of work. The deadline for the award is this Friday. I will be on planes tomorrow for most of the day, so I can get a good 9 or so hours of work on the application done then, but the application will require at least double that amount of work, I believe. I need to get my portion of it done by Friday afternoon so my nominator can use it to get his/her portion done. Whew. So, I'm now settling in for a long night of writing, which might be pretty hilarious because I'm useless after 10 pm work-wise these days.


Below is me wearing my super duper amazing belly support band. I don't care how it looks - it feels sooooo good!

Run: 3 miles

29 weeks, 3 days

I met Luke for a great 5 miler this morning. He entertained me with tales from his weekend trip to Michigan and I basked in the joy of having company on one of my runs. I ran to the gym to meet him and then the two of us did the PU loop around the Charles River. Everything felt wonderful - likely because of the day off yesterday! I ended the session with some light lifting and lots of foot rolling.

Run: 5 miles
Lift: Upper (light)

29 weeks, 2 days

Day off!

29 weeks, 1 day

Ran a 5 miler in the pouring rain. It felt wonderful. A little chilly, but still felt great. I wish the weather was a little nicer so I could have walked a bit more, but the cold rain kept me jogging and pushed me inside pretty quickly. I'm still feeling tired - super tired - but I think that might not just be because I'm anemic. It is getting a little bit harder to sleep these days. Perhaps that is a contributor? Last night, we had our annual Margaret Bradley Award Reception, which was lovely. We honored Victoria Barnaby, this year's recipient, who will be racing the Steeplechase on Thursday night at Penn Relays. Can't wait to see how she does!

Run: 5 miles
Prenatal Yoga: Shoulder and chest opener

29 weeks

Whew! I love weekend running. There is so much more time to focus on just being outside.... This morning, I ran 3 miles to meet S over at Jamaica Pond and then we ran 2 miles over to the Arboretum. We met T and the pup for a nice walk through the Arboretum, which was totally gorgeous - everything was in bloom, people were in good spirits, the sun was shining... I wasn't as tired today as usual - S timed the last 2 miles and we were at around 9:20 pace, which is embarrassingly slow but I just don't care at all :-) My IT band on both sides was tight - perhaps from the massage yesterday, perhaps from a lower week of running/stretching. I'll keep an eye on it. I foam rolled as soon as I got home - both legs and racketball rolled my PFs.

Run: 5 miles
Walk: 7 miles

28 weeks, 6 days

Well, today I was a little tired, despite the lower mileage this week. I went out for a run, did 1 mile, and called it a day. But, I'm excited to see what a relaxed weekend brings. Hopefully, when I can sleep a bit more and work a bit less, I'll be able to focus on running more. I ended the day with a much needed Swedish Massage at Isis with Kat. If I believed in miracles, I would think she is the ultimate miracle worker!!! Walking home, my back, shoulders, and hips felt so much better than they have felt over the past few weeks.

Run: 1 mile
Lift: Upper

28 weeks, 5 days

Another easy 3 miler around Newton. Followed by prenatal yoga. Felt less tired today than I have in a few days.

Run: 3 miles
Prenatal Yoga: Hip opener video

28 weeks, 4 days

Ran an easy 3 miler around Newton to start the day. Felt nice and easy. I didn't want to stop - which is a very good sign!

Run: 3 miles

28 weeks, 3 days

Okay, I'm ready to admit defeat for the week. Not for the next 2.5 months... just for the week. I went out for a run today, got a mile in, and just straight up stopped. I am wicked tired. So, rather than try to push hard through this tiredness, I'm setting a limit goal - only 3 miles/day until Saturday. On Saturday, I can try to go a bit further if I'm feeling good. Tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday = only 3 miles, no matter what. I'll supplement with prenatal yoga and lifting. Think of all the extra free time I'm going to have!!!

Run: 1 mile

28 weeks, 2 days

Happy Anniversary to me! Today marks 5 years of having my one and only real running injury! Over the past 5 years, I’ve had countless doctor’s appointments and diagnoses, been on and off crutches, enjoyed cortisone shots to my foot, received who knows how many MRIs.... The list goes on and on. About a year ago, I was put in touch with a very smart man who was able to diagnose the many things wrong with my foot in just a few short minutes. It was a wonderful day.

I believe I might now be injury free. Every day, I still roll my plantar with my trusted 9 year old racketball to massage away aches and pains. That is the only maintenance I’ve been doing for the past few months, however, and my foot is feeling fine... even with the added weight of baby girl. So, I’m excited to see what this year may hold for my training, once I’m back to actually training again.

Today is also Boston’s coolest (oooohhh, bad descriptor for today) event - THE BOSTON MARATHON. I’ve run this race a handful of times, each time with a subpar performance. But, the experience is unlike any other marathon - if you haven’t tried it yet and you’re a distance runner, you might want to consider it! Running it is definitely a way to create a memory, that’s for sure. The crowds are wild.... runners are kind... support staff/volunteers are amazing... the whole event is a great celebration of running. Today is wicked hot (84 degrees at mile 24). So hot that almost all of our runners probably adjusted their time goals prior to the race. Having said that, I'm guessing we'll have some disappointed runners on our team over the next few weeks. From a spectator standpoint, I can't even describe how inspiring it was to see my teammates labor by at mile 24. They're all amazing. Sometimes it's so hard to see the awesomeness of what you're doing when you're so focused on a predetermined time...

My own workout today? Just a 3 mile run with a 1 mile walk at the end. Ran around Brookline and the Muddy River.

Run: 3 miles

28 weeks, 1 day

After resting all morning (which felt sooooo good), I went for a run/walk around the Muddy River, Olmsted Park, and Jamaica Pond. I jogged the first mile, felt sluggish, and then walked the second mile. I started jogging again the third mile and held a very relaxed pace around Olmsted Park and Jamaica Pond. People were out in droves... I think the combination of 75 degree sunny weather and marathon weekend had the whole city out and about. As soon as I hit the 6 mile mark of the run, I slowed to a walk. I ended the run/walk at the local Creperie, guzzled down my favorite soy smoothie, and walked home. Luke was already over - and I think he could tell I was just totally wiped out. I don't know if it this whole anemia business, me being out in the sun for 2 hours, just finishing a run, being pregnant, or what, but I wasn't even making sense in our conversation at one point. Luke just smiled at me (in a "I feel sorry for you but this is entertaining for me" kinda way) and took off. So, I ordered some Naked Pizza, loaded with spinach and other veggies, watched a movie, and am now heading out for a little walk.

Run: 5 miles
Walk: 3 miles

28 weeks

Well, the belly support belt is amazing. I got it in the mail yesterday and ran in it today for the first time. My tummy felt so much more supported (obviously) and I didn't feel a constant urge to pee. Everything felt a little more secure. I'm so grateful that L recommended this belt to me and that it came so quickly in the mail. So far, I feel the same amount of moderate tiredness when I run - I've only been taking 2 iron supplements a day for 3 days now, so that could be why. But, perhaps I'll just feel moderately tired when I run for the next 2.5 months. Regardless, I'm not worried about it. I'm just happy I'm still running.

I slept in until 8 am!!!!! So, given that, combined with the need to eat immediately and take care of a few things around the house, I didn't leave myself enough time to run more than 3 miles before my friend picked me up for our childbirth class. So, today's run was the 3 mile Muddy River loop. I did leave myself enough time to lift my upper, which felt nice. I topped off the day with some prenatal yoga... very relaxing. 

Run: 3 miles
Lift: Upper (light)
Prenatal Yoga: Shoulder and Chest Opener

27 weeks, 6 days

I began my day with a gorgeous run around the Charles River. These pictures don't do the river justice - partially because I take them on my iPhone as I'm running and partially because NOTHING can do the river justice on days like today. All the trees were blooming, the sun was glistening off the water, the city was slowly waking up. It was stunning. The day only got better. Post run, I had a successful work morning traveling around to different schools in the area for site visits, followed by lunch with a good friend, coffee with a different good friend, and a date with another good friend to watch our mutual good friend dance in a fundraiser for one of the local Boston public schools. All in all, a fantastic Friday.

My hips were a little sore today! Must have been from the yoga. That's great news... means it's working!

Run: 5 miles
Walk: 3 miles

On the Charles, Memorial Dr. side, looking toward downtown

Same spot, just a few steps ahead

27 weeks, 5 days

Alrighty, today was a good solid work day. I had about an hour to run between work and heading to a friend's house, but it was pouring outside when I left my office to run and I was at work, meaning that the ocean wind was whipping hard rain at everybody. So, I scrapped the running idea, which I can do because I'm pregnant! Clearly, if I were actually training, I would absolutely run. After visiting a friend, picking up Luke from work, and eating dinner at home, I began my new routine of prenatal yoga. I think I'll try to do it every other day, as it isn't strenuous, and it is super soothing. Today, I did a hip opener routine (which is a bit of a challenge for us runners). My hips will likely be a bit sore tomorrow, but I suppose it is good training for the main event, eh? I got a good tip from a friend today on absorbing iron effectively - so I'm going to start eating my iron rich foods with acidic food (thank you, OB). Today was day 2 of double the iron supplement and day 2 of beef. I made a delicious stew yesterday but, between my beef binge and brother Luke's appetite, we've already gone through the whole thing!

Prenatal Yoga: Hip opener video

27 weeks, 4 days

We're in problem-solving mode. First, per a friend's recommendation, I purchased a support belt for running. Hopefully, this belt will help running feel a little less uncomfortable over the next 2.5 months. Second, I discovered why I've been feeling so tired - I'm "severely anemic", said the Dr this morning. Now, I think this language is a little too drastic - I asked for details, and from what I can tell, I'm anemic, and certainly not to an insignificant degree, but "severely" sounds so.... well... dramatic! I wasn't anemic prior to being pregnant, but became anemic toward the end of the first trimester and started taking an iron supplement accordingly. Apparently, my levels have dropped a bit more, so all I need to do is take a second iron supplement each day and beef (haha, get it) up my diet a bit. I haven't been eating much red meat at all, so I threw a bunch of meat into the slow cooker early this morning for dinner. That, plus a few more leafy greens, should do the trick each week. I have been feeling a little breathless here and there, but I thought that was just regular pregnancy stuff. Same with feeling a bit dizzy. But, the most annoying evidence to support this whole anemia thing has been how tired I've been feeling when running. So, I'm thinking that I'll be feeling GREAT in about a week with my support belt and extra iron. Third, in an effort to find out how to behaviorally decrease my tiredness, I tried something new today. Yesterday, I tried not running much at all (well, if you read the last post, you'll notice I ended up basically not running). I felt as tired yesterday and other days in the recent past. So, today I tried the opposite. I did an 8.5 mile loop and ran 7.5 miles of it. I ran them slowly and rather uncomfortably (reference problem #1), but I'm glad I did something. Let's see how the rest of the day plays out. All I have on the agenda is afternoon coffee with a friend and late afternoon/evening writing (mid manuscript - a very exciting manuscript - hard to stop writing) so it might be hard to get too tired. Fourth, since stopping dance classes, I've been getting less and less flexible. So, I suppose it's time for some prenatal yoga. I'll start that routine tomorrow. I'm looking forward to starting up hip hop again in the summer. On that note, I think I am carrying a little Rapper's Delight - since Brad is gone, basically the only music baby girl hears is oldies (20% of the time) and rap/hip hop (80% of the time). I think I'm feeling extra little kicks and nudges when my rap tunes are playing, but, of course, that could be me just wishing she comes out a little rapper!

Run: 7.5 miles

27 weeks, 3 days

Today, I felt tired. I knew I wouldn't run much, so I only left myself about 30 minutes to run before I had to shower to get to work. When I left my place, I ran into a neighbor and we used 27 of those 30 minutes to chat. So, I had 3 minutes before I absolutely had to get in the shower. Since I knew I'd be sitting for the next 12-13 hours, I made use of those 3 minutes and did a very quick loop around the block. Clearly, this move doesn't count as exercise, so today will have to be a day off. Tonight was a pretty killer night, though. I had a work event - the Boston Scholar Athlete's first annual gala. This organization provides academic services to student-athletes within the Boston Public Schools. I created a partnership with BSA two years ago in which school counseling students at UMass Boston volunteer their time tutoring and supporting the Boston Public kids. So, I was a guest at this gala. The program serves over 4000 student-athletes and about 200 were at the gala representing BSA. The guests were all high rolling donors or higher education affiliates/partners. Brother Luke is a zone facilitator for the organization, so he worked the event and was spotlighted on stage with the rest of the zone facilitators. Mayor Menino, among other people, gave a little speech about the importance of athletic involvement as it relates to academic achievement. I wish my tenure committee could have been there!! All in all, a great night. I was told I look like I'm about to pop by 2 different people. It makes me wonder what I'll look like in 2 months!

27 weeks, 2 days

It is clear that my mileage is dropping, despite the reasonable amount of time I have to devote to running right now. I don't know if this is the beginning of the inevitable running decline, or if this is just a week of more discomfort than usual. Baby girl is growing, I think, by leaps and bounds. I know this is about the time for a growth spurt, and I am definitely feeling the added weight. I might need to start running with a pregnancy belt pretty soon.

So, today I just did a run/walk gig around the Muddy River, running when I felt okay and walking when my belly felt really tight. I finished with some light lifting at home.

Run: 3.5 miles
Lifted: Upper (light)

27 weeks, 1 day

T and I went to Walden Pond today to run with the usual group! It was fantastic. The trails felt so nice. The group ran us back to the parking lot after about 45 minutes and then continued on their way to a 2 hr run, while T and I went for a relaxing walk to see Thoreau's cabin site while we waited for them. Nothing hurt, everything felt pretty easy, and I loved running with the big group. We finished the run off with a yummy breakfast together! Now, onto lunch plans with friends!!

Run: 5ish miles (moderately hilly trails)

27 weeks

One thing I really DON'T like doing is setting an alarm on a weekend morning. But, one thing I really DO love doing is running wicked early. So, today, I sacrificed a bit of sleep for a relaxing early morning run around the Charles River. I was enjoying myself so much that I thought I'd try a bit of a tempo run, pregnancy-style (which means an embarrassingly slow pace became slightly less embarrassingly slow for a couple of miles). It felt nice to turn my legs over a bit. I don't know what pace I ran, but I do know that my overall pace was 8:32, so I'm guessing my first and last miles were slightly slower than that and my middle miles were slightly faster. I could still talk the whole run, if I needed to, and my heart rate was still below 150, so I felt fine moving a bit quicker.

The Lowell track meet was today. I remember racing the 1500 at this meet 2 years ago. I led a workshop at a Coaches Clinic in the morning on how coaches can use positive self-talk with athletes and then drove over to the meet. I remember trying out the positive self-talk during the race and loving the experience. I didn't run any special time, but I had some fun doing it. Hopefully, next year, I'll be able to run it again :-)

Today has been spent with good friends so far ... and tonight brings a going away party for 2 very close friends. So, all in all, a good day!

Run: 4.5 miles

26 weeks, 6 days

Luke and I covered 5.5 miles, but we only ran 4.5 miles of the loop. It was a beautiful, sunny Spring day so we just took our time on the trails around Olmsted Park. I've felt a little more uncomfortable running this week than I did last week, but that could be for a variety of reasons. Also, because it takes so long to run these days, I'm not fitting in as much during the week as I'd like to fit in. So, I'm finding my weekend runs to be longer and much more fulfilling than my weekday runs. Today's run, however, felt a bit like a weekend run since I started it at 11 am and totally took my time. For the rest of the day, I'll look forward to lunch with Luke, a little bit of work, and then dinner with some lady friends!

Run: 4.5 miles

26 weeks, 5 days

Another stunning spring day! I ran around the Muddy River, listening to the Beach Boys most of the way. What a great way to start the day. Finished with light lifting.

Run: 4.5 miles
Lift: Upper

26 weeks, 4 days

I had 45 minutes from the end of an admissions meeting to the time I needed to pick up brother Luke from English High School, so I got in a little run around the boardwalk. I almost made it to the beach, but my much slower pace had me traveling a much shorter distance than usual. The highlight - I was stretching about a mile in and an old man who was shuffling by gave me a fist pump and line of praise! It was so motivating. That, combined with the gorgeous ocean view and the sunny afternoon, made me wish I had more than 45 minutes to run... but, alas, that's what happens sometimes when I leave my run until the end of the day.

Run: 3.5 miles

26 weeks, 3 days

Day off today. I had a sleepover with a pal last night that ended with a 1:30 am bedtime.... so, sleep beat morning run. Sadly, I didn't have time to run later in the day until about 10:45 pm, and that just didn't happen!

26 weeks, 2 days

One of the great parts of running while pregnant is that I can just run as far as I feel like on any given day. There is no need for a prearranged training plan. So, today, I only felt like running 3.5 miles. So I did. It was lovely. The slight drizzle was refreshing and softened the Muddy River path even more than usual, so that was great on my joints. I ran the short Muddy River loop and ended with some light lifting (light because I didn't lift at all while in China and I used last week as a transition week back to my regular routine).

Run: 3.5 miles
Lifted upper (light)

26 weeks, 1 day

I started the day with a great run around the Charles River with my friend, M. Awesome conversation, great weather, and beautiful scenery. Completed a 4.5 mile loop, probably ran 4 miles of it. Finished with a yummy brunch date with K and MB!

Run: 4 miles

26 weeks

The light rain kept the walkers indoors and brought the runners outside, I think. The roads and trails were full of runners today - which was so fun! I met my pregnant friend, T, at Olmsted Park and we ran around the Riverway, Muddy River, and JP for awhile with her puppy. She is about 30 weeks along, so we had lots to chat about. Sometimes, its nice to spend an hour or so just talking about pregnancy stuff without feeling like I'm annoying to everybody else around me! Our run was nice and easy, with a couple of walk breaks. My body is feeling better than it has since the beginning of the pregnancy. I don't know if it is because of the nice crisp weather (always my favorite running weather), the 2 week China stint of lower mileage, or just the regular ebb and flow of pregnancy, but I'm very happy that I'm enjoying my runs so much these days. As I type, baby girl is kicking away so hard that I can actually see her from the outside. It is such a cool sight. She got a gorgeous yellow and white summer dress as a present from Grandma and Grandpa Aulie yesterday - I can't wait to see our little girl wearing it. Only 14 weeks to go!

Run: 7.5 miles
Walk: 1 mile

Wow

Woman who just gave birth wins Oakland Marathon

 Thanks for sharing this story with me, Spink!

25 weeks, 6 days

 What a great day to run! It's a sunny and bright 50 degree day. I ran my JP extended loop and felt wonderful the whole way. I had to take about a 30 minute break 5 miles in because I had a work call to make (and 5 miles in, I'm usually breathing a little too hard to sound professional these days)! I got so many encouraging nods and words of praise (not sure if it is because people support me running while pregnant or if I just look like I really need encouragement). Either way, it's motivating.

Run: 8 miles
Walk: 5 miles

Uh, I've graduated to wearing Brad's running shirts!

Entering Jamaica Pond - what a gorgeous day

One of my all time favorite running loops

25 weeks, 5 days

Breathing in our lovely fresh air, I ran the 6.5 mile loop around Olmsted Park and JP. The morning was nice and crisp, my legs felt well rested, and I loved every step. I got on the phone with my mom as I left the house and, somehow, didn't get off the phone with her until I had gotten back home. So, it was kinda like I ran 6.5 miles with my mom!

I'm looking forward to dinner out tonight with Coach Tom and his wife, Cynthia, and the Bradleys - we're going out for Chinese food! He he.

Run: 6.5 miles

25 weeks, 4 days

Met Luke at the gym for a 4.8 mile loop (variation on the PU loop) around the Charles River. Everything felt fine. It was nice to do my run in the morning - I'm hoping my schedule will work out this week so I can run every morning without having to get up too early! My first thing today was an 8 am meeting, and I was able to do it on the phone as I was running to meet Luke! I love my job :-)

Run: 4.8 miles

25 weeks, 3 days

Easy 2 mile run today around the Muddy River before work. It felt wonderful. I am trying to hold myself back a bit right now so I can ease back into regular running after a couple of weeks of low mileage. It was tough to only run 2 miles - but I'm glad I did it as I finished the jog excited for more running this week. I have a pretty normal work week, so I think I'll be able to dial my mileage back up a bit. Yay!

Run: 2 miles

25 weeks, 2 days

2+ weeks of being in Xi'an means 2+ weeks of not being in Boston, which means 2+ weeks of Boston related stuff to catch up on today. At one point, with a free hour, I could have run, but I chose to take a nap instead (and it felt goooooood). Topped off the day at Jimmy's for dinner with S, MB, and K. Great day for Laura. Bad day for exercise. My only exercise was the mile walk home from Jimmy's with MB.

25 weeks, 1 day

Travel day today - back to Boston. Ran 3 miles on the track with Brad in the morning. Nice n' easy. Then spent 2 hrs on a plane from Xi'an to Beijing, 3 hrs of walking laps around the Beijing airport, 13.5 hrs on a plane from Beijing to Washington DC, 1 hr walking laps around the Dulles Airport, and 1.5 hrs on a plane from DC to Boston. Finally got home around 1 am on Monday morning.

Run: 3 miles

25 weeks

Well, my darlin' husband treated me to a special anniversary night last night (our 6 year anniversary is April 21st, but we won't be together). I'll post about it on our family blog (www.haydkoz.blogspot.com - let me know if you want to be invited), but the reason it is relevant to my training log is because we got a sweet hotel room with the most luxurious bed I've ever slept in. Meaning, when my alarm woke me for my run at 6 am, I turned it off, got another hour of sleep, and skipped my run for the day. No matter - after we spent the morning at the Shaanxi Museum, we took a bus to the City Wall and spent the afternoon cruising around town. We must have put in a few miles of walking, which felt really nice!

24 weeks, 6 days

The sun came out today! It was such a treat. I ran 4 miles around the track and neighborhood. It felt great - my plantar was fine, achilles were both solid, and back didn't bug me too much. I plugged into Jeremiah and Kanye and just zoned out for a bit. Two more runs until I'm back to running in Boston. Yay!

Run: 4 miles
Attempted to lift upper - problem is, my push ups are definitely not legit given that my belly hits the ground well before my elbows are totally bent. Oh well.

24 weeks, 5 days

Today was a lovely wet day in Xi'an. The rain kept people indoors, so I ran a few miles on the Gaoxin track before lunch. I'm finding it a bit harder to run this week than last week given that I'm working more (I took it easy last week work-wise). So, I had time for about 4 miles and a good stretch before lunch. I'm really looking forward to Boston running again. It's challenging to use running as a way to see the city here because the streets are just so crowded that I'd have to stop to walk or pass people every few seconds (Bostonians: think Newbury on a sunny June afternoon, but filled with people who never expect to see runners on the sidewalk). I'm also struggling to love running here, given that the air isn't great, meaning that it makes my throat a bit scratchy and my eyes a bit itchy. Since it's coming to be Spring, there are lots of people hosing the greenery. Problem is, I think they use sewer water to hose the plants, so everything smells a little funky. It could be that my pregnant nose is the culprit, not the water, but whatever the reason, I prefer to stay off the roads right now and stick to the good ol' track.

Run: 4 miles

24 weeks, 4 days

Just a couple of miles on the track with Brad tonight. It felt good to stretch my legs after a day of sitting around while interviewing and writing.

Run: 2 miles

24 weeks, 3 days

Tired today. Not super motivated. So, I didn't fight it. I ran/walked 2.5 miles and then walked for about an hour at night. Super light day.

Run: 2 miles

24 weeks, 2 days

I wasn’t really in the mood to run today. It was a little chilly outside, I was a bit tired from a long day out yesterday with 2 four-year olds (‘spose I should get used to that), and I was thinking about my research agenda for the week.

Last week, UMass was on Spring Break, so I decided to enjoy myself. This week, I’m back to work mode.  I needed to spend the afternoon collecting data, so my head was all about work, not about running. So, I told myself I’d go out for a mile or so, just to get some fresh air. Once I got out there, as it goes, I didn’t want to stop. But, I waited so long to actually go out for the run (distracted myself with March Madness highlights) that I only had time to run 4 miles. So, 4 wonderful miles it was. Everything felt fine until about 3 miles in when my plantar started to bother me again. It only happens when I run the OTC loop, probably because I’m running on concrete the whole way. Maybe I’ll stick to the track tomorrow.

Besides my right plantar feeling a bit tight, everything else feels fine. I’m not so uncomfortable that the runs are a bother. Actually, I feel the most comfortable when I’m slowly shuffling along, rather than when I’m sitting or walking. My back tends to bother me a bit on the right side when I’m walking, but it feels great when I’m running. Maybe it’s endorphins. Maybe it’s the stretching motion. Maybe it’s just my way of justifying running through back pain.

My interviews today went great. As everybody within earshot or keystroke knows, I research the role of sport on life skill development in youth. So, today, I interviewed 18 students about their experiences within sport. Lo and behold, track and field is the most popular sport among these 18 students. While I can’t release what they said (stay tuned to a journal near you next year), I can say that they, and I, think that track and field is just one of the coolest sports in the world! Woo hoo.

Run: 4 miles

24 weeks, 1 day

Given that I went a little longer than usual yesterday, I decided to chill out today. I ran for about 2 miles with Brad around the track and finished up with a mile or two walk. My body felt absolutely fine after yesterday. Great even. Since the entire run was on the track, my plantar felt like a million bucks. No pain at all. Achilles pain has gone completely.

Run: 2 miles

24 weeks

A balmy 60 degree day, wide open track, and a free morning.

I ran until I got hungry.

Run: 1 hour 25 minutes

23 weeks, 6 days

Standard loop. Nothing much to report. Still experiencing some plantar tightness. I planned to just run/walk a mile or two to shake out my legs, but once I got on the road, I decided to complete the little loop. Saw two very tall Asian women at the OTC. Probably high jumpers. That's about it.

Run: 3.8 miles

23 weeks, 5 days

The rain kept most people home today – which was fantastic for me because it means I got to enjoy a run without feeling on display. I ran the usual loop and finished up on the Gauxin track. I could have kept on running around that lovely oval, but I needed to meet Brad for lunch so I stopped when I hit the 5 mile mark. Running around the track today reminded me of a run I did once when I was fourteen. I was late to track practice (I think I had rehearsal for a dance team – I remember because I think I wore my leotard under my running clothes – so uncomfortable!!), so all my teammates had already left for their warm up. I thought we had an interval workout, so I figured people were out for a 2-mile warm up and would then head back to the track for our workout. So, I started jogging around the track while I waited for people to come back. Now, for those of you who remember me from back then, I was NOT any sort of distance runner, nor was I interested in being one, so a couple of miles was more than enough for me to feel justified sitting around until the rest of the gang arrived. But, I just sort of fell into a rhythm and, before I knew it, had run 7 miles on the track before my teammates got back (turns out we had a mileage day, not a workout). Now, for this fourteen year old, with the attention span of a 4 year old, running for an hour on the track would seem impossibly boring, but the same thing happened as what happened today… I just followed those smooth white lines and zoned out… it’s the best feeling. Now, if the baby in my belly wasn’t draining all my energy and replacing it with shooting hunger pains every few hours, I would have kept on going. I followed up my run with some dog balling, a hot shower, and some sort of noodle and meat type dish. Now, time to work!

Run: 5 miles

Stretched

23 weeks, 4 days

Today’s run was the standard loop with the standard stares. About a mile in, my right plantar started bothering me, but it was a feeling of tightness, not pain, so I stretched and kept on running. I had to stop a few more times to stretch out my right hammy and calf, hoping that would help with the plantar (which it always does). When I got home, I spent a good half hour with my trusted friend – the dog ball I picked up from the supermarket a few days ago that looks surprisingly like my very valuable old racketball I use to massage my plantar. I can’t believe I forgot to bring my racketball with me to China. That thing goes everywhere with me. For those of you with a history of plantar problems, you know exactly what I’m talking about and exactly how invaluable little racketballs can be (way better than tennis balls, in my opinion). Anyway, after a half hour with the dog ball, my plantar was all better.  Next stop, Chinese barbeque with some friends.

Run: 4 miles

23 weeks, 3 days

Over the past year, I've traveled a few times for work. Each time, I've used running as a way to explore the area. In Malaysia, I discovered a hidden palace on the top of a hill. In Panama, I learned how unsafe it actually is to run around Panama City alone (luckily, I learned this the easy way through noticing the eager looks of groups of young men congregated on the corners). In Portugal and in Hawaii, Meredith and I used it as a way to see unparalleled views of the ocean and travel through unbelievably different neighborhoods (remember when we stumbled across that neighborhood in Madeira full of those locals who thought we looked hilarious, Mer?)

So, I thought I'd do the same today - use my run as an exploration tool. But, my love for the track trumped my love for exploration. I headed to the Olympic Training Center again, with the intent of running through it to the other side and hopping onto some of the roads over there to see a new side of the city. But, once I got to the track, I noticed it was occupied... by really fast people! It was hard to tell what type of runners they were. On the one hand, they were tiny (screams distance runners). On the other hand, they warmed up in full track suits in 60 degree weather (screams sprinters). Their 200 intervals were between 32-33 (could be sprinters or pretty legit distance runners). Then, so strangely, rather than jog (distance style) or slowly walk (sprinter style) between intervals, they actually power walked. Like, legit power walked. Using their hips and their arms. It was wild. So wild that I had to run in circles around the park area surrounding the track to watch them (hence not exploring).

The security guards at the OTC definitely know me now - I get a thumbs up from them as I come and go. It's refreshing, as most other people just stare (in mild disapproval, I think).

Run: 4.5 miles
Kinda stretched - getting a bit hard to stretch anything other than my arms/shoulders and legs. Need to figure out a core stretch.

23 weeks, 2 days

Since Brad worked today, I ran solo. I did the same loop as yesterday, without the couple of walking breaks we allowed ourselves on yesterday's outing. The run felt incredible - I felt smooth, moderately quick (although my pace definitely did not verify that feeling), and completely comfortable. I don't know if it was because of the really light week of running, great night of sleep, or phenomenal Jeremiah to keep me company, but it was a wonderful run.

Run: 3.75 miles
Stretched

23 weeks, 1 day

Um, how cool is this: outside Brad's front door is a track!!! An actual track! I can't be happier :-)

Brad and I left his building today, walked through campus and across the first big street, and hopped onto Tang Yan Lu. It is a long straightaway path, lined with bushes, remnants of the old city wall, and public bathrooms (non-Western style). Everything is in shades of green, but a little muted by the haze. After about a mile, we turned into the Olympic Training Center and ran a loop around the grounds. I saw the coolest statue of 3 hurdlers that I'd love to post on here - I'll try to remember to bring my iPhone so I can snap it. After the loop, we retraced our steps home. We get a lot of stares - like, ALL the time! I didn't seen any other white people on the run, so I think we're a little noteworthy. There are also very few runners running outside, as far as I can tell. I wonder if it is because of the air quality - very dusty, hazy, and polluted. It certainly isn't the healthiest way to exercise if you live here. The bummer is that there are so many tracks going unused. Just on our run today, we passed 3 of them. Anyway, the run was relatively uneventful. It was great to stretch my legs and chat with Brad :-)

Run: 3.5 miles
Walk: About 3 miles

23 weeks

I don't really know what happened to today - I think I sorta skipped it with the whole time zone change. Regardless, I got on a plane early on Friday morning in Boston and I got off a plane at 10:30 pm on Saturday night in Xi'an. So, no running today. Definitely a little kink in my back from the flight and baby combination - but nothing big.

22 weeks, 6 days

I had to be at the airport by 6:30, so I just did a mile shake out run around the neighborhood. Throughout the day, however, I must have walked at least 3-4 miles around the Beijing airport. The long flight was easy as pie. Let's see, noteworthy things:

1. I felt baby kicking from outside my belly for the first time somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.

2. I watched 4 movies. In order, from best to worst: My Week with Marilyn (love Michelle Williams), The Hangover 2 (can't help it), The Descendants (cute plot, just don't love Clooney), and a distant last place... Breaking Dawn. I put the last one on so I could fall asleep to something, but I'm ashamed to say I got a little sucked in about the time that Bella got pregnant with the half vampire baby.

3.  I'm a celebrity in Beijing. I don't know if it was because I'm white, pregnant, or walking laps around the airport for about 5 hours. Regardless, I got a lot of stares.

4. Almost seeing Brad!!!!!!

Run: 1 mile
Walk: Who knows!

22 weeks, 5 days

Again, long day at work. I ended up having some time at night to get in about 2.5 miles of jogging while I made some work calls. Since it was pretty late and dark, I just ran around Amory Park, the Sanctuary, and then back through the cool diagonal park where the BU students sunbathe. No achilles pain, probably on account of me not running much this week.

Run: 2.5 miles

22 weeks, 4 days

Day off. I didn't really need the day off, but sleeping beat exercising. I got home from work last night around 10:30 pm, so by the time I ate dinner and got into bed, I only had about 6 hours until I had to be back at UMass. Same situation at night - by the time I got home from work tonight around 10:30 pm again, I just went straight to bed. Oh well - tomorrow is another day!

22 weeks, 3 days

My mom and Brian left today (they were visiting for the weekend). It was awesome to have them around!!! I now have 3 days to get in my week's worth of work before heading to China to see Brad. Sadly, I have a feeling that my running will suffer as work takes over this week. Today, I had time to throw in about 3 miles before the guilt of not working much yesterday took over and escorted me to campus.

Run: 3 miles
Lifted upper body

22 weeks, 2 days

Another wicked light day of running. A quick 2 mile jog around Brookline, followed by about 3 miles of walking. A visit to the doctor today was successful - baby is looking healthy, I clocked in at 2 lbs more than last month (right on pace), and my mom got to see and hear the baby, which was awesome.

Run: 2 miles
Walk: 3 miles

22 weeks, 1 day

As planned, I totally took it easy today with a slow 2.5 miler around Brookline, followed by a bit of stretching. Nothing exciting. I've figured out how to run without peeing all the time, which is the biggest accomplishment in my running life recently. A bit of achilles pain, but not much. I'll take it easy tomorrow too.

Run: 2.5 miles
Walk: 5 miles

22 weeks

There was an incredible amount of driving rain on my run today! It was so fun. Sadly, the rain melted the last bits of snow lingering on the tree branches, but the Muddy River was so pretty in a kinda depressing way. I ran 4.5 miles around the Muddy River and then around Amory. My achilles felt totally fine - how odd. I'm going to take it easy the next couple of days just to be sure the weird pains have left for good!

Run: 4.5 miles

21 weeks, 6 days

Just an easy 3 mile run today plus about 3 miles of walking. Given that my achilles have been bothering me on my runs, combined with a busy day, I decided to go pretty short. All was fine, nothing special. Now, time to enjoy a weekend of Michigan family!

21 weeks, 5 days

This morning, I wrote down my three goals for today (along with my goal achievement strategies, of course):

(1) Be home to receive my Visa for my trip to China next week.
(2) Run outside since I haven't run outside in 2 days.
(3) Submit a revise & resubmit manuscript.

Unfortunately, all three goals involve complications.

(1) I was told my Visa would come last Friday, then I was told it would come last Tuesday, and then yesterday I was told I'd receive it today. Trying to be home all day for each of those days is not an easy task for somebody with a full time job, who likes to exercise, and who wants to see her friends and brother a lot.
(2) My running buddy this morning very wisely decided to stay home, which drastically decreased my motivation to brave the 36 degree, wintery mix day of snow and freezing rain.
(3) While I'm the lead author, I have 3 collaborators, all of whom got their revisions to me around midnight last night, leaving me less than 24 hours to get the manuscript to the journal's editor by today's deadline.

But, friends and family, so far I have prevailed.

(1) Visa was hand delivered this morning. Now all that stands between Brad and me is 1 week, 1 day, and 3 plane rides.
(2) As soon as I got my Visa, I laced up my running shoes, headed outside, and enjoyed a blustery run around Olmsted Pk and JP. I told myself I'd only run about 4-5 miles because of (3), but I was enjoying myself so much that I let a few more miles slip in. By the time I got home, I had covered 8 miles, but probably only run 7 of them. Like the other day, my achilles were killing me for the first 4 miles, so I stopped to stretch and walk a bit. I didn't turn around because I was enjoying the fresh air and I wanted to see if the pain would go away. At exactly 4 miles in, the pain went away in both legs. Then, weirdly, my right foot fell asleep for half a mile, and then everything felt totally great for the rest of the run. Crazy baby stuff. Runner moms who read this blog: did you experience any achilles pain? Maybe pain isn't the right word - more like incredible tightness?
(3) Still working on this one. I have 4 hours until the deadline and need to shorten the piece from 8868 words to 7000 words, translate part of it into Spanish (it is going to be published in a Spanish journal), and do some small APA formatting changes. Totally doable, especially since I have a bowl of carrots, cup of decaf, and two cuddly cats to get me through the afternoon.

My post-work treat: taking Luke out for a celebratory dinner at Orinoco!

Run: 7 miles

21 weeks, 4 days

What a great day! I was a bit bummed that the winter weather advisory in effect in the Boston area caused me to not run outside, but as soon as I got to the gym, I was excited to be there. I did a short but pretty active stint on the crazy, super-hyped-up elliptical looking thing (it kinda looks like an elliptical, but it moves a little differently with your movements and it is an AWESOME workout). Then, I hit the pool for about 45 minutes. It felt great to get back in the water - even though my non-maternity swimsuit is starting to get a bit snug around the waist. It might be time for a new swimsuit!

During my swim, I spent some time reflecting on the past two days. My little brother, Luke, was accepted into Emerson's MFA program in Creative Writing yesterday and I'm soooo excited. Not only because it is an outstanding writing program and he has worked hard to get in, but also because it means he will stay in Boston for at least a few more years! It's amazing how our lives are overlapping. He is currently providing academic support to student-athletes at the same Boston public high school at which I gathered my dissertation data and did some programming work with athletes. Luke getting into a Master's program in writing reminded me about my grad school path. I remember when I was applying to grad school the year after college and I was so nervous that I wouldn't get into the psych programs to which I applied that I also bought the GRE prep book for the Literature sub-test with the intent of going the writing route if the psych route didn't work out. Luke was thinking that he might go into Sport Psychology (my field!) if the writing route didn't work for him. Isn't that crazy!?

Anywho, clearly, I'm excited. I'm now buckling down to another manuscript revision with a big bowl of Greek yogurt and blackberries. What a great way to end the day!

Crazy-elliptical-type-machine: 30 minutes (HR average = 143)
Swim: 45 minutes

21 weeks, 3 days

Easy exercise day today - just lifted upper body. I was then lazy for the rest of the day as I sat from 9 am to 10 pm with 3 breaks for short walks and cups of decaf. That's the only problem with my profession - we have to be soooo inactive sometimes to write, write, write!

Lift upper body

21 weeks, 2 days

After a day of writing, I finally finished my manuscripts around 3 pm. Whew! My treat to myself: a relaxed run around JP in the gorgeous 50 degree sunny weather, a bubble bath (lukewarm, of course), and a dinner out with Knox. What a great way to end 3 days of almost non-stop writing.

The run around JP was happily uneventful. I am definitely experiencing some odd Achilles pain in both legs. It persisted for about 3 miles and then totally went away. How odd. I stopped to stretch a bunch, but nothing helped until, poof, it was instantly gone. Everything feels fine now, but just to be careful, I'll probably hit the gym in the morning rather than run.

Run: 6 miles