A PR?

Not a PR in the traditional sense. A PR in the most strange, inconceivable way I could think of. I know it has been forever since I blogged over here. I had a fantastic race summer last summer with multiple top three finishes in trail races and obstacle races. I completed my first ultra marathon and I didn't even write about it! I caught my first wave on a surfboard, fell in love with the ocean and moved to a new city for a new job. None of this was blog documented.

But...

Last Sunday, I ran a half marathon. I've run many a half but this one was different. I carried a person with me. At 6 months pregnant, my running jacket was stretched around my middle, my center of mass was much different than usual, my racing weight was way up, and my bladder was squished.

I was thinking that I would run somewhere between 6 and 8 slow 10:00 miles and then I would walk the rest. I deliberated whether to go out and give it a go, run and DNF when I needed to, or run and then walk the rest when my pelvis hurt too much to take another running step.  I even considered not starting at all. I had registered for the Lincoln Marathon before I knew I was pregnant thinking that I might actually have a decent chance to improve my personal best. Little did I know, I was already pregnant. Surprise.

So... I spoke with my doctor, set up a plan including hydration and full body checks throughout the course and laced up my shoes for the half.

I plastered a smile on my face even when I thought I might wet my running shorts with the little, child sized bowling ball bouncing up and down in there and I read every sign, and thanked every volunteer. It was cold and windy and wonderful. I ran the first 7 miles at a very comfortable 9:30ish pace and checked in with myself regularly. I was delighted to find that I continued to feel great. That I had no pain or major discomfort. I ran to each mile marker and did the same. I was amazed, when at 13.1 miles, I ran into Memorial Stadium and through the finishers shoot feeling fresh at 2:04.  (Although there was significant relief in unzipping that slightly too tight running coat and removing the heart rate monitor that left a major gash!)

I am so very glad I decided to run. It reminded me what I am capable of and how sometimes it isn't the fastest time that feels like a "win". Growing a person, working, being a mom, and continuing to run... sometimes it feels overwhelming but on Sunday it was totally worth it. 


* I did carefully train for the half... just in case anyone was worried. ;)

Yoga, yoga, yoga

I miss Bikram Yoga. I haven't been for almost 2 years. Going while pregnant is obviously out at 105 degrees. Going while healing from a C Section is a very bad idea (and I would have probably fallen asleep anyway). Going while nursing is ill-advised (ew) but now is the time! It is starting to get cold and I am definitely back in shape. We are also done buying the Ferrari of formulas and so maybe, just maybe, I can talk my husband into $30 this month for 2, 90 minute, yoga sessions.
I was recently discussing the differences between Bikram and Vinyasa yoga. I, of course was in the Bikram camp and my friend was all for Vinyasa. We talked back and forth both understanding the other's love of yoga, both having been out of the practice for a while. She explained why she loved Vinyasa and told me about her experience with Bikram. As I listened, I began to see that everyone does yoga for a different reason. Every reason is just as valuable. She enjoys the spiritual aspect, the relaxation, and the not knowing what she will get with each instructor and each class. I began to realize that I loved all the opposite things about Bikram. I love that each time the poses are the same, that I can perfect my postures, and know exactly what to expect. I love that it is one heck of a work out. I love that I sweat like crazy. I enjoy the work. I love that there is no talking, no drinking, no paying attention to anything or anyone around you.
There is just nothing better than the cleanse from a Bikram yoga session and now I can't wait to go!

Papillion Triathlon Race Report

Well, I raced and I survived. That's all I really was hoping for.

I woke up with a throbbing headache. Not a good sign as I tend to get a headache after I race about 90% of the time. I got up, gathered my belongings, took two Aleve and was off. Oh and I managed to shut the back hatch of my Saturn Vue on my arm after I loaded my bike. That left a lovely bruise!

I got to the race and got set up. I picked up my packet and got body marked and I told myself I could do the swim and turn in my chip if my head was worse. I have been fighting some nasty headaches that seem to happen after I swim and I hadn't been in the water FOREVER. Swimming is natural for me and I wasn't worried about the swim itself but I was worried about how I would feel afterward.

The swim went well, I was slower than I would have liked but that was to be expected. I came out of the water with the same headache I went in with and so I got on my bike and took off. The volunteers were making everyone walk with their bikes in transition which slowed down both T1 and T2 a bit. The bike course is 3 hilly loops that weave through a narrow sidewalk trail, through a high school parking lot, and then on busy (closed) highways. It's a decent ride and I actually started to feel a bit better as I rode. I was passed by guys as usual and I was only passed by one girl! Yay! I came in off the bike and took off running. It was really really hot by now. 99 degrees at 9 am and a heat index of 107 degrees. Yuck. The run is out and back. The out section is flat and then uphill which makes the back part a tiny bit better. I was hurting and hot and had a headache and was a bit light headed but I didn't get passed by anyone and even made a few passes myself. I had chills coming into the finish line and I was glad to be done. I actually found out the next day that I had been fighting a UTI for over a week (oops - let that go a little too long) and started a round of antibiotic.

Time: 1:24:24
Overall Place: 47
Place in Gender: 4/86
Place in Division F3034: 2/21

Swim: 11:07
Tran1: 0:56
Bike: 45:45
Tran2: 0:56
Run: 25:43

So I'll take 4th place with a UTI and a doozy of a headache. Not bad and soooo glad to be back out racing.

Eeeek

I race tomorrow.
I think I forgot how.

Upcoming Sprint

It has been a very long time since my last triathlon, almost 2 years! I have a little local sprint coming up in a couple of weeks and I am curious to see how I will do. There have been very, very few brick workouts in my life but the good news is that, with the marathon training I have been doing, the 5K should be a piece of cake even after a quick bike ride. It's really the swim that worries me the most. I have been having bad headaches complete with dizziness the days that I swim masters. The kind of headaches that require throwing up and going to bed to get rid of. Suck. So I really haven't been swimming. I've seen two doctors and am headed in to an audiologist today to have custom ear molds made. Crossing my fingers that it helps! I love to swim and it is very sad to be out of the water for so long.

Additional Blog

When E man came along I decided that I wanted to keep this blog related to exercise, triathlon and workouts and start something completely different related to our adventures in parenting. If you are interested check it out here!

Turning it off

So I ran this morning. Don't get me wrong, I've been running. I usually tuck E man into the stroller with his hat, blanket, toys, and sunglasses. Then I round up the dogs and leash them up, get their collars, find doggy doo sacks. It's quite the production. This morning I snuck out of the house. I left Mr KT asleep in our bed upstairs, E asleep in his crib, and the dogs in their kennels. I slipped out the door into the drizzle and it was just me. Just two feet, two lungs, one heart beat, two arms pumping and a very quiet brain. No cell phone, no ipod, no baby, no animals. No worrying about work, or if the sun was in the baby's face, or if his hat had slipped over his eyes, or if the very favorite teething giraffe had been slung over the side of the stroller into a puddle a mile ago. No worry about making sure we still had two tiny socks, that the dogs weren't tangled up or about to bolt for a squirrel, or if the baby was chewing on his sunglasses instead of wearing them. No texts, emails, or phone calls. No need to manage a large herd on a small path. The ability to swing both arms! My head grew quiet. I watched two geese fly in for a water landing on the golf course pond. And then I ran home to fix a bottle and change a diaper and see that sweet baby's sleepy smile. Happy sigh.

Run momma run!

It was absolutely beautiful yesterday. After E's last nap we all set out for our run. Mr KT took the dogs and I pushed E. We don't run together really, more at the same time. Yesterday E and I just did 5 miles while Mr KT and the pups did the 10K loop. At about mile 3.5ish a college gal from UNO jumped on the trail in front of E and I. She was fit, tiny, muscular and moving! Apparently, I have a bit of a competitive streak so, we jumped in behind her and hung on. She knew we were there thanks to E man who was babbling happily away. And so she picked up the pace 7:30, then 7:15, then 7:00, then 6:30... and so did we. We followed her and her muscular I've-never-had-a-baby body for quite a while (10 minutes?) until she peeled off and we kept going straight. I totally hung with her! It's hard enough to pick it up and run intervals but add a stroller and a 17 lb, almost 7 month old and no arm swing and it ups the ante a bit. Oh and I had possibly the sorest glutes, hamstrings and adductors ever, thanks to lifting the day before. Ow. And so, I allowed myself to finally catch my breath at 8:45 miles (can't be huffing and puffing right behind her, didn't want her to know it was work!). We finished up our run and waited for daddy and the doggies to get home for dinner. All in a day's work.

Been running!

Woot! St Patrick's Day 5K with two friends who are new to running tomorrow. So excited to watch them finish their first 5K!

The weather is supposed to be gorgeous. I think I will run down to the race site at my own pace and then run the 5K with them. That should make for a nice moderate distance run.

I think I need some sweet green knee socks!

Time to get going

So last week, I swam with the Master's group on Monday morning before work. It felt great and I didn't drown. Guess I should probably go back.

Today, I am registering for a couple of half marathons, a couple of 5Ks, and a sprint triathlon. Time to start getting those long runs in again. Yay!

Oh, and maybe someday Omaha will unfreeze and I can get back on my bike. It's been a long time since I rode without being uncomfortable and pregnant!

Green socks!

There is nothing cooler than being eco-friendly. My brother-in-law makes fun of Mr KT and I for being "yuppies" and trying to save the planet single-handedly but I guess if you are going to have a super power it may as well be that?

Anyway, I was catching up on some blogs that I had fallen behind reading and I was at Swim Bike Run Live where Jamie had posted a contest for socks! Not just any socks but sweet eco friendly socks made out of 97% recycled plastic bottles! How awesome is that? The contest is a super great idea but either way I am ordering a pair of these. They even have one with dragonflies on them. Heart. Hopefully just by spreading the word, other companies will catch on and realize that many of us are passionate that the products we use and companies we buy from are taking care of the planet. :) Maybe I do sound a little over the top.

Shhh. Don't tell my brother-in-law.

December

Well, E will be 3 months in a week or so. He is growing and healthy and that is a huge blessing. I head back to work Monday which is both good and bad. I will miss E on the days I work but it will be really nice to get back part time.

I have been running and have even managed to work in a trail run or two. :) Sigh. How I missed getting dirty with my Kona-baby on the trails. I have a couple friends who are patiently (not really) trying to talk me into a trail marathon the first weekend in April. As much as I would LOVE to, I am not sure that I can commit the time to the training off road as much as I would like to. I wish, wish, wish but maybe in a few years when E is a little older.

Tree is up, homemade Runza's are made, and baby is napping (sort of). Time to rest for just a few minutes.

A few pics of E just chillin in his giant Timbuk2 "diaper" bag.

Cleared to Run

Happy November (now that it is almost half way over). I am officially 8 weeks status post C-section and birth of my little guy. I was cleared to run 2 weeks ago at my doctor's appointment. The doctor took one look at me and the circles under my eyes and said, "hopefully this will give you a little energy because there is nothing else I can do about the sleep deprivation." Um, thanks?

I have been attempting to ramp up the obligatory 10% but haven't been very good about it.

The last week of October I ran 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Last week I ran 2 hours and 20 minutes.
This week I will have done about 3 hours and 20 minutes.

I haven't had any major issues. (Thank goodness, because after months of not running I think I would have freaked out.) After my first 4 miler, my IT bands were pretty sore so I foam rolled and stretched for a couple days. My incision occasionally tweaks as apparently the dissolvable staples hadn't yet dissolved as of the end of October. My hips and pelvis that were the problem when I was pregnant have been just fine (YAY!). And I'll spare you all the details of the nursing/running issues.

The main thing has been my lack of endurance. It is so nice to be out running and not walking but man, oh man does it "hurt". Good thing that little baby is so cute because I am all sorts of slow right now. The good news is, I am well below my pre-pregnancy weight so at least I'm not fighting that, the bad news is that a lot of that weight was muscle and so I am in the process of building it all back up.

I spend a lot of my running time thinking about what races I'd like to do next year and down the road. (It keeps my mind off of the pain and about how tired I am.) I think this year I am going to consider Trek Up the Tower in February again. That is the 40+ story stair climb. I didn't do it last year as I was about 7 weeks pregnant at the time and the massive increase in heart rate seemed like a bad idea. That one will take some training. I am also going to do a couple of 5Ks to see if I can improve some times. I am going to run the St Patrick's Day 5K with a friend. She wanted to do a 5K in the spring and this one is pretty early so should be a nice motivator for her. The other race I'd like to plan on is the Lincoln Half Marathon on May 1st. That would be 7 1/2 months after E was born and I think that is do-able. I'd like to PR but that might be pushing it. :)

The update on Mr E is that he is making neural connections left and right, up and down, in and out. He is learning new skills every day and is so fun to watch.

He has been "flying" with his dad and granddad, strengthening his neck.


He has found his thumb and loves to have his thumb, fingers or fist in his mouth.


And he is kicking and batting at toys with utter determination.


So, while E is learning all these fun new things, I am getting back out on the road and hoping to hit the trails next week for some hills. Feels so good to be back, in a hurty kind of way.

Baby Steps

Well, apparently after a C-section, you are supposed to wait 6 weeks minimum before working out. As my friend Eric, pointed out, "they practically cut you in half" as I was whining about how long it takes to heal from this. At two weeks post op I was cleared for "brisk walking". Period. That was all. I hope my doctor doesn't blog. Or read triathlon blogs. Or know anyone who might tell on me.

CONFESSION:

I ran 2 minutes on Saturday.

I ran 3 minutes on Sunday.

I am not 6 weeks post op until 10/27/10.

I mean, it's not even really running compared to what I was doing before, right? In the scheme of a 45 minute "brisk walk" it just increased my overall pace minutely, right? I just wondered how it would feel.

I needed it. My brain starts to fall apart if I can't work out. I thought I did pretty well waiting four and a half weeks. The last two of those have not been great what with the hormones, the sleep deprivation and the lack of exercise. I might add that Mr KT has been a saint. He has single-handedly managed the entire household since the middle of September. He is running the dogs, helping with the babe at all hours, trying to keep his nut-job wife from falling apart, and he is going to work.

I haven't run since week 20 of my pregnancy. That was in May, people. MAY! While pregnant, I managed to find other ways to work out, mainly because I hurt so bad that I would end up having to crawl to the bathroom the nights after I ran. For sanity sake, I needed to know that was now over.

During my 5 minutes of running this weekend my incision felt great, just a tad sore on the internal incision and my pelvis felt pretty darn good. The biggest problem, um, let's just say I am going to need the best sports bra I can find. I mean, the mother of all sports bras. Otherwise, I am going to end up with two black eyes and a soaking wet t-shirt less than a mile into each run. (My husband did mention that he would pay to see that.) Lucky for him, around here it will be free unless I can find a solution. OUCH!

I go back to the doctor a week from tomorrow to be cleared to workout. I'm ready to run, lift, ride, swim, anything would be good. I love this little boy but sometimes a mommy just needs to get away for a bit.

Here is E at 4 1/2 weeks after his first few minutes of "running". Check out his sweet ride!

Introducing

Emmett Alexander
6 lbs 15 oz
20 1/2 in long
Born Sept 15th, 2010



Well, our new addition is here. In subsequent posts, I will get back to the training and the triathlon info and probably how it goes with a little one but for today...

I have to admit that I counted my labor as a workout. Is that just wrong or what? But I was exhausted, sore and craving Gatorade afterward so I'd say that counts. The overview is as follows...

My water broke at home at 3:30 in the morning on Wednesday the 15th. We called the doctor and he sent us right in to the E.R. as the baby had been so high at the appointment 12 hours before. I was dilated to 2 and 50% effaced. We were in labor and delivery for the next 14 hours with contractions at least every two minutes for the entire time. I was given 7 doses of pitocin to help increase their strength. (That stuff is awful.) Mr KT and I had in mind that we would try things with no pain meds and see how it went and if it got too bad we would get the epidural. 13 1/2 hours later I was dilated to 3 and 70% effaced. Not enough. The doctor told me I was getting an epidural to see if that would allow things to relax. They tried it. It didn't relax me but the pain was gone and he said I could have a c-section now or wait two hours and have a c-section then. I opted to just do it since it sounded inevitable. They put Mr KT in scrubs and whisked us off to the operating room. 30 minutes later or something like that there was a baby in his arms. He was pink and healthy. The doctor said that he had the cord wrapped around his neck twice and around a shoulder. He also said that he would have had to be 1/2 lb to 3/4 lb smaller for me to have been able to deliver him naturally. Narrow pelvis apparently. So, it seems to have worked out that a c-section was the way to go. If I would have pushed, we would have had serious complications with that cord and it would have been much more emergent. Unfortunately, the anesthesiologist put morphine in my epidural towards the end and it made me sick. I threw up for a couple of hours after the surgery. (Big problem since I had a 6 inch abdominal incision.) Oh my gosh, did that hurt. Do not throw up after abdominal surgery, I repeat, do not throw up after abdominal surgery. And so, I stuck with Motrin every 8 hours for pain because I was a little gun shy about anything stronger. We went home 3 days later and so it begins.



E is a wonderful baby. He is easy to console, content, and laid back (as long as you don't ask him to be naked). Mr KT has been 100% amazing. He has taken over way more than his fair share of duties and we are so lucky to have him. I am on no driving/no lifting restrictions for two weeks but am starting to feel better already. My momma was here to help for 4 days which was a lifesaver. She did all the cooking and laundry and held E as much as she could so that I could start to recover.

Shhhh, don't tell but I already walked around the block. It has been gorgeous here and I had some major cabin fever. Soon enough E will be in the jogger cruising the neighborhoods and the parks and trails. I am excited to get back out. Apparently, I am so excited that in my morphine induced haze, as I was still laying on the operating table being sewn up, I asked the doctors when I could start running again. LOL! I don't remember asking and I don't remember the answer but Mr KT told me they said I shouldn't worry about that yet. Apparently, they don't know me very well.

Hmmm

What a weird change, going from checking splits on my run and planning out routes to cover hours to hoping and praying that my shoe laces don't come untied because breathing and tying them at the same time is just not an option at this point.

Still pregnant... and counting

It is a gorgeous August morning. Not even 75 degrees and the sun is just coming up through the clouds. The humidity is down just a bit and the wind is just a breeze at 3 mph. It has been HOT here for the last couple of weeks. We are talking 100 degrees with a heat index of 115. Not a drop of rain. Painful. I've still been out walking and things but it is hot, hot, hot.

My point about the weather description is that it is a perfect morning for a run. A run that I can't do. UGH. I still have 6 more weeks of pregnancy and then 6ish more weeks of letting things heal up. I am hoping to be out for my first gentle run/walk early or mid November. There are no guarantees and I am trying not to get my hopes up. It is going to be interesting to see how my pelvis and hips feel. All those ligaments have got to tighten up before I can run any distance again.

I can't wait to lace up the running shoes to actually run in. I can't wait to put an infant seat in the jogging stroller. I can't wait to hit a trail and get really dirty! Oh yeah, and having a little one at our house and getting my body back will be pretty great too even if I never get to sleep again.

Swimming and swimming some more

32 weeks. 8 more weeks to go. The baby in there is growing, growing and I am somehow managing to get bigger each week as well. For those of you who have been there, you know the drill... the feeling of a 3-4 lb hand weight sitting in your pelvis, more difficulty tying your shoes than when you were 5, dreaming of the day you can lay on your back or take a deep, full breath in.

The saving grace for cardiovascular fitness has been mainly three-fold; stair-stepper, walking, and swimming. I suppose I have been on my bike a bit but those days are quickly coming to a close.

I was thinking about this as I was coming home from a Master's swim practice this morning. I have had quite a few people tell me about how good it felt to get in the pool when they were pregnant. I am guessing these people weren't trying to get in 3000 yds in an hour but none-the-less I think about what they've said. I get in the pool in the morning and it really doesn't feel that great initially. It's 5:30 am, dark, the water is cold, and I have a hard set waiting for me and then a full day at work. I can't jump in anymore without pain and discomfort so I slide in slowly and then I start swimming. It takes less than 10 yards for the cold to change to cool and refreshing and then about 300 yards for my stomach muscles to start to complain about attempting contraction at not quite maximal stretch. At about 1000 yards I have a permanent side stitch that goes away when I stand up and comes back as soon as I push off the wall on the next flip turn. Yet, I swim 3-4 times per week with as much speed and gusto as I have got. The part that is the most amazing to me though is when I get out. During that hour of submersion and lessened gravity all the blood and fluid that is normally affected by gravity has dispersed. The moment I haul myself up on the side and climb out (I'm holding out on using the ladder. I feel like that is like giving up my athleticism.) I can feel the pressure and the weight and the blood rush down again. It is amazing how I didn't notice while I was swimming how unweighted I was but when I get out the reminder is immediate. I think at the next practice I will have to try and pay more attention to that cause being unweighted is bliss, even if the getting out part sucks.

Lifestyle change, the first of many

Hmmmmm, where to begin. It has been awhile. I am on a current hiatus from racing as my run has been significantly limited by the ligamentous laxity in my joints. Baby was fine with running. Momma was hurting. I did a pretty hard run at about 20 weeks. I did 4 7:45 miles, which was faster than my pre-pregnancy running pace. I felt ok but then ended up having a really sore S.I. joint. I managed to correct it myself several days later lifting a 140 lb kiddo at work (on accident) and felt so much better. I felt so good, in fact, that I went for a run with Mr KT and the dogs the next afternoon. That did not go so well. Sorry if this is T.M.I. but I had what I can only describe as grinding or shearing in the front of my pelvis where the two halves of the pelvis meet. Oh my gosh. No thanks. Ow. I walked home, in pain. By that night I was almost crawling to the bathroom because it hurt to walk. The next day was unbearable at work and I called a physical therapy clinic that sees pregnant women and begging therapist to therapist to be seen over lunch. She was so awesome and got me right in. She realigned everything and gave me some suggestions to keep the alignment. There was some discussion and some exercises that only pregnant women should ever talk about and I left with an ionto patch and feeling somewhat better. The symptoms improved over the next few days and I actually followed her advice. (I know, shock really.) She also told me that it really would be best if I didn't run until after the baby came. It took me a few weeks of crabby to wrap my head around the fact that if I wanted to continue to run now, I wouldn't hurt the baby but I may do enough damage to my own joints that I wouldn't be able to run later. It is essentially run now or run later but probably not both. I choose run later. I can't wait to start again but it will be a while still.

So, I am walking my running routes, doing stairs, riding my bike as tolerated, swimming like a fishy, and waiting for this baby. 11 weeks and counting.

Bike to Work Week

Happy bike to work week everyone.

I have a comment to make today after my bike commute home.

There is only one way bib shorts should ever be worn.

That would be with a jersey OVER them. Yikes.

I don't care if you look like this...


or this...


You still need a shirt or jersey.

This is also not appropriate.


Ugh. Please people. I'm not interested in hurting anyone's feelings, just trying to help some fellow cyclists out.