"Hey if she can do it...So can I!'

1/12/11  No Bad Days....at least when the sun is shining and it's 68 degrees at the beach...in January!
OK I was a little sore from the run Sunday. I took Monday off from working out and rested.  I have noticed that at 20weeks I started to get more tired, similar to the 1st trimester fatigue but not quite as bad or frequent.  I also noticed I am more hungry the last couple of weeks.  I haven't really had weird pregnancy cravings, but I have wanted more protein.  I never had any nausea or food aversion either, in fact food just taste even better.  Which can be a little dangerous with the sweets and portion control because EVERYTHING tastes like the best thing I've ever eaten (Weird I know).  I don't count my calories but I eat about every 2-3 hours and try focus on getting lots of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and water throughout the day.  I know it's important for health, not gaining too much excess weight, digestive system, and energy!  I don't restrict myself from anything, I just try to eat smaller amounts of the not so good for me stuff.   
Yesterday (1/1/11) I was still a little sore and tired so I tried to seek out a partner to run with because I needed the extra motivation for a workout.  In the end I decided to skip the run and go for a swim.  I ended up doing 3000m (all freestyle...since that's the only stroke I really know) in about 65min.  I don't really know if that's good/average/or snail pace, but it felt good when I was done and I got a little vitamin D from the SUN! I felt so great I went straight to the gym for a resistance training workout.  I definitely dropped the amount of weight I used to do, but am actually pretty happy with the strength I've been able to maintain and how fit I feel (at times).  I can still do box jumps, burpees, and squat jumps without any discomfort, but the pull-ups are down to sets of 4-5.   
Today (1/12/11) I was SOOOO excited to see the sun and noticing that I think it's coming up a little earlier and setting a little later every day!  I got up ate my normal breakfast and took the dogs for a quick walk, trained clients, finally started taking some Christmas decorations down (yeah I know it's almost mid Jan...hopefully I'll have them all down and put away by the end of the month!), then took the doggies out for a 3mile run/walk.  This was more for them because I never really get much of a workout when I take them.  They have to stop a lot to sniff and do dog stuff.  Later I went for MY workout...I did a 10k at the beach!  The weather is just awesome right now...it was mid 60s at the beach and clear.  I've been lucky to live in San Diego my entire life, and I don't think I could EVER get sick of perfect weather and being at the beach.  I'm wondering if my NIKE RUN chip is off or I was just faster today...but my average pace was 8:48! That's fast for me.  I definitely have days when I feel better than others...I think today was one of those days.  I'll take it!  I can feel that my prego belly is growing, and I am definitely showing, but it seems to be OK running especially when I contract my abs and engage my core muscles which kind of works as a natural girdle to keep things in tight.  I still do abdominal and core exercises about 3xweek.  Having strong abs and core can help a lot with not getting back pain or discomfort as the belly grows, help maintain my posture more easily as my body changes, I'm hoping it will help me physically feel comfortable running as long as possible, and it will for sure help with the labor (I hope anyway...)! 

Although I know how important exercise is before and during pregnancy every once in awhile I have to validate that I am not totally crazy for wanting to race while pregnant (I am thinking of doing a half marathon in February...I'll be almost 26weeks).  So I search the web for other moms-to-be...I am always impressed and inspired by the amount of very active pregnant women out there who were able to maintain their fitness throughout their pregnancies and better yet had totally healthy babies and pretty fast recovery times after the baby was born!  I know every woman is different and I plan on listening to my own body (and my doctor of course), but it is definitely motivating to hear about women running and even competing in half marathons, marathons, and even ultra marathons into their 3rd trimesters!  I know pregnancy is not a time to become a super athlete, but it's definitely not a ticket to slack off either (unless your doctor tells you).  I hope my little blog does for others what these women have done for me...Inspire, motivate, and make you feel like..."Hey if she can do it, so can I.  The best time to start is RIGHT NOW!"