19 weeks, 4 days

About 2 weeks ago, I rekindled a relationship with an old ankle injury when I was out running on some trails. Today, I aggravated the injury again - in a slightly more substantial way. So, I think I'll hit the gym for the rest of the week to give my ankle some time to recover. I know this drill - it takes a few days to get back to normal and then I'm all set again. So, gym time for a bit. My run was cut a little short given that it was pretty useless to try to cover any actual distance. I'll probably get in a better workout at the gym anyway, given that I'm not running super far right now.

Run: 2.3 miles

19 weeks, 3 days

Limited time on my hands today between dropping off Zoey at daycare and heading into the city, so I just did a quick 2 miler. Nothing interesting, just maintenance.

Run: 2 miles

19 weeks, 2 days

After I dropped off Zoey at daycare, I headed to the Lincoln trails for a nice leisurely trail run. It was beautiful weather, the trails were pretty bare, and I had time on my hands. So, I ran an easy 5 miler and did a bit of walking. My body felt great - still no belly band right now, as I'm feeling pretty comfortable these days.

Run: 5 miles

19 weeks, 1 day

Easy 4 miler with Brad on the Acton trails while my mom watched Zoey. We did a few hill repeats in there, which felt awesome. My legs are starting to feel a little tight, so I think I'll get a massage next week and incorporate some more stretching/yoga.

One of the best weeks of an academic's life is the last week in May, as it is the week leading up to summer vacation and we can feel the freedom in the air. So, one more week of squeezing in a couple of miles here and there before I can actually give my physical self time and attention!

Run: 4 miles

19 weeks

Zoey's birthday party! I did a quick 4 miler and called it a day. Happy celebration day!

Run: 4 miles

18 weeks, 6 days

We have family in town this weekend for Zoey's 2nd birthday celebration, so my running is on the back-burner. Day off.

18 weeks, 5 days

To fit my run in today, I needed to be done by 6 am. So, I'm up at 5, ready to get out the door, and I hear Zoey singing in her crib. She was awake! So, my estimated 5 miler became a 1 miler as I hurried to get in a bit of movement while Brad watched Zoey and got ready. Sort of a wash of a day, but she was really cute in the morning, so I don't really care!

Run: 1 mile

18 weeks, 4 days

Well, the good thing about going to bed at 10:30 last night was that Zoey woke up early today, so I at least got my usual amount of sleep, rather than an hour less than usual. After I dropped off Zoey at daycare, I hit the Lincoln trails for a few miles while I did a conference call. Nothing ruins a good trail run like a conference call, but it was either that or no trails. Clearly, I chose the better option. My GPS was all over the place, having me anywhere from 7:20 pace to 11:10 pace, yet I don't think my pace changed much at all, except for on the hills. So, I ran for 40 minutes, probably around 4-5 miles. No belly band these days, and I'm feeling totally fine.

Run: 4-5 miles

18 weeks, 3 days

No time for running today, unfortunately. We had a program retreat for work in the morning and I had to dedicate my afternoon to course planning. I had fantasies of running after Zoey went to bed while Brad watched hockey, but student scheduling got in the way! Finally, at 10 pm, I thought I could get out the door for a few miles, and then I remembered that stupid goal I set a couple of weeks ago to prioritize sleep, so I went to bed.

Lifted: Light upper

18 weeks, 2 days

I managed to squeeze in a 4 mile run midday - half on trails, half on roads. Nothing noteworthy - it was more for maintenance than anything else.

Run: 4 miles

18 weeks, 1 day

Okay, this week is the first of a two week craziness period for work. It's the culmination of everything - grant deadlines, manuscript submission deadlines, graduation and associated paperwork, award season for students, registration and scheduling for newly matriculated students, preparing for the 2 summer courses I'm teaching, etc. The list goes on and on. So, we have Zoey in daycare much more this week, but unfortunately, that's not so I can spend more time running, it's so I can work more! Today, I had 2 site visits, one in Rhode Island, so I didn't have much time to exercise between dropping off Zoey and picking her up from daycare. I also had a deadline to grade a PhD qualifying paper, so immediately following the second site visit, I took the qualifying paper to the gym, hopped on the elliptical, and graded while I exercised. It wasn't ideal, but it gave me a chance to move my body a bit.

Elliptical: 55 minutes

18 weeks

During the last pregnancy, I read a lot of articles about running while pregnant. There isn't much research out there on the topic, and the empirically based stuff (you know, the REAL research), while sparse, suggests that running while pregnant has all these cognitive, affective, and physical benefits for the mother and the fetus. I haven't really turned to the literature this time around, but I think I'll do a little scan to see if anything new has hit journals over the past 2 years. I love that Zoey has grown up with running as part of her life so far. She knows when we're going running. She asks to do it. While she definitely loses interest after about 30 minutes in her stroller, she is always excited to start the run. At the soccer fields yesterday, I taught her how to do a track start. I'm going to see if there are any blocks at the local track so I can teach her how to do a block start. She totally loves doing this and pretending to race. There was a kid's road race this morning that I was planning to do with her. We even dressed her in her little running shorts and shoes, but the kid's race was held at noon. Obviously, the race was not planned by a parent of toddlers - all of whom know that the noon to 3 pm block of time is precious lunch-nap time. So, rather than run the kid's race, we pulled out her kiddie pool and water table and played in the backyard for the morning. Brad and Zoey has daddy/daughter time while I ran the road race course a few hours before the race was held. Again, today, no belly belt and felt great.

Run: 4 miles
Stretch

17 weeks, 6 days

Given the heat, I decided to run without my belly band today, and it felt great. Brad, Zoey and I ran to the middle school soccer grounds so Zoey could run around while we did our plyos. It's pretty perfect, actually. Brad pushes Zoey. I get both of them as company. We get in our plyos and stretching mid-run. Zoey gets to run around with a soccer ball. It's great. On the way back, we ran into a few friends at one of the local playgrounds, so we stopped to chat. So, we covered 4 miles, but we probably took about 2 hours to do it!! Super fun. Super easy. Belly baby felt fine. Zoey behaved. I love Saturday family runs.

Run: 4 miles
Plyos

17 weeks, 5 days

Running felt fantastic today, after taking a really light running week. It was raining too much for me to want to drag Zoey around in the stroller on my run, so I headed to the gym, set the treadmill to cover 5 miles at a leisurely 8:30 pace, and enjoyed an easy and uninterrupted run. Zoey behaved herself in the gym's daycare, which is a huge success!

Run: 5 miles

17 weeks, 4 days

Day off! I knew it had to happen, as I needed to finish running by 6 am if I was planning to run, and that would interfere with my new goal of trying to get close to 8 hours of sleep per night. So, no running today.

17 weeks, 3 days

Limited time today, and I'm feeling weird about not lifting much, so I sacrificed running time for lifting time.

Lifted: Upper

17 weeks, 2 days

Just a quick 3 miler today right after I dropped Zoey off at daycare. Brad treated me to a morning of relaxation, so I headed to the spa after my run.

Run: 3 miles

17 weeks, 1 day

It's time to bring back the wogging (walking/jogging). I didn't hit the wogging stage until well into my third trimester, I think. But, given that I started using my belly belt about a month ago for this pregnancy, and not until week 28 for the first pregnancy, I think comparing the two pregnancies is going to be a bit silly. I wogged somewhere between 5-6 miles on the Acton trails. About halfway through the run, I aggravated an old soccer injury (yes, the same ankle injury all my GBTC teammates know about), so wogged home. I'd like to say it was just in response to my aggravated ankle, but I was also just tired. So, it felt nice to be outside, nice to stretch my legs, but not the most aerobically taxing day.

Wog: 5-6 miles

17 weeks

Happy Mother's Day to me! After a delicious husband-made breakfast of eggs benedict, I headed out for a chirping, sunny trail run. I just did a quick 4 mile loop around the Rifle Range trails and pond, as we're meeting another family for brunch and a trip to a festival. I chatted with my mom the whole run, which was awesome. Felt fine - Achilles was fine. Heel was fine. Nothing interesting.

Run: 4 miles

16 weeks, 6 days

I totally did not prioritize running today. I prioritized gymnastics. I prioritized meeting a submission deadline for work. I prioritized playing with Zoey. I prioritized a one-on-one conversation with my husband. I knew I'd have to run during Zoey's nap, once I finished my article, as we had afternoon plans with friends. So, to that end, I had time for a 2.6 mile farm/trail loop. That's fine with me, though, as I'm feeling tired and clunky. I've gained 16 lbs so far this pregnancy, which is the same as what I gained by this time during my first pregnancy (even though I exercised A LOT more during the first pregnancy). I tend to gain my pregnancy weight early and then maintain/very slowly gain throughout the rest of the pregnancy. Last time, I gained 16 lbs by 16 weeks, and then 28 lbs total by 34.5 weeks when I delivered. So, I'm not too worried about the gain. The only thing that is frustrating about it is that it puts extra weight on my legs, which aggravates my right heel and right Achilles. So, I'll spend some time tending to that this evening when Zoey goes to sleep and Brad gets in his run.

Run: 2.6 miles

16 weeks, 5 days

I added an extra half day of daycare today, as I have a deadline tomorrow for a magazine article. I managed to finish the article with 1 hour to spare before having to pick up Zoey. Anticipating that this might happen, I set up camp for the morning at a coffee shop right by the Lincoln trails. So, once I finished my draft, I headed to the trails for a short run. It's a rainy day today - great for running - and the trails were deserted. I had to build in time to drive from the trails to Zoey's daycare, so I only got in around 4-5 miles (my Garmin wasn't catching a great signal). I didn't wear my belly band today, but interestingly enough, it was the easiest run I've done in awhile. Likely because there weren't really many hills. I stuck to the fields and ponds, making it a pretty flat run.

Run: 4 miles
Lift: Upper

16 weeks, 4 days

After a morning of driving around the north shore doing site visits for students, I was very happy to head out for a post-lunch run. I had to work throughout the run, but that's the benefit of having an armband and headphones, I suppose. So, essentially, I ran with my colleague and friend, A, around the Concord/Acton trails. My legs were feeling the extra belly weight today, likely because those trails are hilly. So, I took it easy, tried to focus on my research meeting, and soaked up the sunshine. I topped off the run with a homemade smoothie and am now ready for part two of the day!

Goal: I need to figure out how to prioritize sleep. I have figured out how to balance family, work, and running. Now, I need to strategize how to reorganize my time to get in more rest, especially as I'm noticing I'm tired throughout the day. Running mommy friends, if you have any ideas about how to do this, PLEASE let me know. The whole nap-when-your-kid-naps doesn't work for me, as my kid naps during working hours!

Run: 6 miles

16 weeks, 3 days

I forgot how tight my muscles get during pregnancy. I'm going to need to steal yoga time from running time. So, given that I just can't justify giving more than 1 hour/day to my favorite hobby, I did a short warm up jog and then yoga'd the rest of the hour away.

Run: 1.2 miles
Yoga

16 weeks, 2 days

Brad leaves for work at 6 am, right when Zoey wakes up. Today, however, she was up so early that they got some play time in before he had to head out. So, by mid-morning, Zoey was t.i.r.e.d. The weather was gorgeous, and I was hoping to run outside with her, but I was afraid she'd fall asleep in the stroller in the morning, miss her afternoon nap, and screw up any plans I had to work during nap time. So, we headed to the gym, which was great because 3 of Zoey's favorite gym buddies were there for her to play with. I did a half hour on the bike (originally planning for an hour but my knees kept hitting my bump) and a half hour on the elliptical. I was feeling a little tired today (we were up late doing some very boring insurance paperwork), so I'm glad the workout went okay. HR stayed around 135-140 the whole time. We jogged to and from the gym, stopping for neighbor chats along the way. Since it is so gorgeous out today (65 and sunny), all the moms in the area were out with their kids. Zoey saw so many friends on the jog home! I'm starting to look pregnant, not just chubby, as all the moms noticed I'm expecting. So, I'm finally passed that awkward stage. Yay.

Elliptical: 30 minutes
Bike: 30 minutes

16 weeks, 1 day

I told myself I'd run whatever distance I had time to get in before 3 pm. I had a bunch of things on my to do list today that had to happen before running, otherwise, I was worried I wouldn't be able to get them in before picking up Zoey from daycare. So, the electrician came and went, I painted a few touch up spots in the nursery for baby #2, I revised 2 manuscripts, edited my book draft, reviewed an undergraduate program proposal, submitted a grant, wrote a few thank you notes, rescheduled an ultrasound, made a dentist appointment, did 2 loads of laundry, and graded some biopsych exams. All that happened before 2 pm, so I got a full hour of running in. It was wonderful! The sun is shining, the trails are open and free, and the manure smell over at the farm I run through was slightly less potent than usual. That all makes for a great afternoon. Now, I have time to shower, grab a late lunch, and run to the grocery store before picking up Zoey. I teach tonight starting at 7 pm, so my absolutely favorite time of the day is from 5-7 pm when I get to be with Brad and Zoey without thinking about work!

I don't know how far I ran, as I ran on all trails and sandy paths. Just to be conservative, I'll log it as 6 miles. All real runners know we like to underestimate rather than overestimate our mileage!

Run: 6 miles

16 weeks

I enjoyed a great run with Brad and Zoey on Battle Rd Trail. We met up with some old GBTC teammates for a quick chat about halfway through the run. I think Zoey's max time in her stroller is about 45 minutes nowadays, so we did a quick 5 miler and let her out to roam herself. She loves running! As soon as we let her out of the stroller, she wants to run "like mommy", as she says. So, that's all the motivation I need to register her for her first road race on May 18th - a local 5k/kid's fun run. Can't wait! Belly baby behaved his/herself today, which made running much more fun for me.

Run: 5 miles

15 weeks, 6 days

Well, today was exhausting. And I hate using that word. So dramatic. But, that's absolutely the most accurate way to describe the run. Brad, Zoey and I did a really easy 4 mile run, with a few hills. I had to walk up the hills (5 or 6 of them) because I couldn't catch my breath! So odd!! We stopped halfway at the middle school soccer fields so Brad and I could do plyos and Zoey could run from net to net (her new favorite thing to do). We forgot to bring a diaper and wipes, and she had a little situation, so we ended up cleaning her up with her favorite pink hoodie and running the last 2 miles home without a diaper. In trying to brainstorm just why this run was so hard, I'm wondering if it was because I lifted hard yesterday. Or, we did the run in the middle of the day and it was a little warmer than usual out. Or, maybe it was just an off day. We heard the heartbeat yesterday and the doctor again said that we have a little squirmy babe, so I'm wondering if I'm just starting to feel the creature a bit more. Regardless, I'm happy to be done with this run and onto the next part of the day - a birthday party for one of Zoey's friends! Looking forward to seeing her with her little friends. This morning, at gymnastics, she and A walked around holding hands the whole time.

Run: 4 miles

Plyos

15 weeks, 5 days

Yet again, I multi-tasked by exercising and reviewing edits for my upcoming book simultaneously. I did a relatively easy hour on the elliptical, followed by lifting legs. Zoey allowed me to exercise for an uninterrupted hour by not pooping at the gym's daycare (without fail, she poops there).

Elliptical: 1 hr
Lift: lower body

15 weeks, 4 days

15 weeks, 4 day belly in second pregnancy = 20 week belly in first pregnancy. Oh well.

Despite the workload facing me this week, I couldn't let today pass by without going for a run. It's mid-60s, which is the warmest it's been all week. I went for a lunch time run, meaning that the trails were free of people. My run was too short, but still soooooo nice. I'm looking forward to next week, when I'll be able to get in a bit more mileage. Now that I'm feeling so much better than I felt during the first 14 weeks, I'm ready to hit the roads. I left my belly band at home, but I still felt fine - I just had the urge to pee more than usual :-)

Run: 5 miles