Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Lots of Running and Our BIG Reveal!

I finally had a pretty decent week of running & that hasn't happened in a few weeks. I actually was able to complete every run that was on my schedule and finished off the week with my highest mileage since the Blueberry came on board: 46.5 miles! When I added them up on Sunday, I was pretty proud of myself :) I still marvel at the fact that 46 miles seems like so much, and yes, it is. But before the Blueberry, I was running 80 miles and even before that I could hit 100 easily. But now a days, 46 freaking miles feels like a TON, and it amazes me how my body is responding. Sometimes it feels easy, and other days getting through a 45 minute run is just plain daunting. And that is the story of pregnancy - one day you feel totally normal and like "your old self" and the next you are wiped out and just want to be lazy. I try and keep the mindset every day that today could be the last day I run. Not because I am not feeling good, but you just never know in pregnancy. Everyday is something new, you body changes on a daily basis. I know this makes me so much more appreciative of each run and makes me feel more accomplished when I finish. I also ran my longest run since the Blueberry, 12.5 miles in two hours! Yes! I'm hoping this will transpire well for my SFM half in a few weeks!

I have always been a treadmill (hamsterwhizzle) runner. I started on that when I first started walking 7 years ago and then when I graduated to running shortly after. I have gone through THREE treadmills over the yeas, so yeah, I use it a lot. Before being preggo, I would try and simulate an outdoor run by keeping the incline around 1% or higher and would do a lot of speed work on it. I have even done a few 20 & 22 milers on it! But nothing replaced the feeling of running outside. Lately though, I have to admit, I have been using the hamsterwhizzle for 90% of my runs. There are a few reasons behind this.
  • First being, it takes a lot longer for me to get ready to go for a run. Now that I am running by my heart rate, I have to add that to my wardrobe. I hate putting that thing on! Thankfully, though, it pretty much doesn't bother me too much. Sometimes at the end of a particularly long run, and I am a sweaty mess, it starts to slip down (even on the smallest setting) and that is annoying, but for the most part I don't even notice it.

  • Second, I get so much more hot, so much more quicker now that I am preggo! I was most definitely a sweaty runner before, but wholly sweat buckets! I am a dripping mess by mile 1! And that needs to be controlled while preggo. You really have to watch your body temperature and make sure not to get over heated. I also notice that when I start to get really warm, it makes my HR spike like crazy! So, when on the hamsterwhizzle, I can turn the A/C on full blast in my house and run a fan just a foot away from me. I also have to body glide places that haven't needed it in YEARS! Holy chaffing!

  • Third, I have to pee...a lot. I did a 45 minute run last week and I stopped FIVE TIMES to pee!!! It was beyond annoying. If I was outside, this could be a major problem since I live in suburbia. I'm sure all my neighbors don't want me copping a squat in their yards every day :) 

  • And finally, you really have to be extra super careful that you don't fall. I am a clumsy person to begin with, and now adding extra weight in front of me, it's probably a recipe for disaster. The rule is, while preggo, if you fall, you HAVE to go in and make sure all is ok. No questions asked, even if you didn't fall on your stomach. The placenta is pretty fragile and yet very sturdy. But a jolt from a fall can be bad. So, I try and err on the cautious side and just try and minimize my chances. I only have fallen once in my running life (outside of trail running) while running on streets. And it was a bad one. Skinned my knee so bad that I still have a major scar. So far, so good, and I have "yet" to fall off a treadmill. Right now, with a treadmill in my living room, it just makes all of these factors so much easier.

I do miss my runs outside, but I try and do at least one a week, and I usually make sure the hubbs is on his bike next to me, or running along side of me. We are finally able to run at the same pace! Well, that's not entirely true, I am still in better shape and a bit faster than him :) I try not to make a big deal of it when I get up a hill faster than him and I'm not out of breath - his ego doesn't need to be reminded that his preggo wife is still faster than him :)

 I'm sure you have had enough of my running rambles - you are probably here for my big reveal. Last week we had our big anatomy scan at the hospital. This is torture for pregnant women! You have to drink 32oz of water before you go in and you can't pee!! I was about to burst! And the thing lasts for about an hour! The other crappy part, they don't let your partner in until the last 15mins. So, he had to stay outside and wonder/worry the whole time. You need a full bladder so they can get a good look at everything - apparently a full bladder pushes the placenta out perfectly so they can get all the accurate measurements. They measure everything from the brain down to the toes! Finally the tech got all my measurements pretty quickly then let me go and pee. The funny thing was, as soon as I was back on the table, about 10 minutes later he said to me, "um, do you have to go again? Because your bladder filled up again!" YES! I went a total of 3 times during that damn test! He said I was the best patient ever on filling up on water - first place? I'll take it! 

The whole time he is measuring and taking pics, he can't tell you anything. You can ask if you see the heart beat and that is about it. I tried to get some things out of him, but he would just "lead" me to my answer by showing me on the ultra sound machine. He couldn't even talk about Baby B in there :(  Finally he let the hubbs in and he revealed to us that we are having a.........

BOY!!!
 
I couldn't believe it! Of course, if he said girl, I would have been just as happy. Really, you just want a healthy baby. But it's funny when people get all excited when you tell them the sex. Like, would they be this excited if you said girl? I was pretty sure it was a girl, but was secretly hoping for a boy. We had the name of the boy already picked out, and we have ALL boys in our family, so I'm way more familiar with little boys. Wait, that sounds weird. Ha! Just, I have taken care of so many baby boys that I have a good idea of what to expect. Our close family knows the name we are going with, and that is about it. We aren't telling the hubb's side of the family because it is a special tribute to them and we want them to have a surprise when he is born. I just hope my family can keep their mouth shut at our shower and family get-together's! I have to admit, we kind-of already knew it was a boy. My SIL is a labor and delivery nurse and couldn't wait any longer to find out. So a few weeks ago she took me into her hospital and had one of her doctors check it out for me. We got a 99% confirmation it was a boy that day, and we took video of it on the iPad. But getting the "real" confirmation has been nice. I am feeling more and more bonded to him now that we know he is a "he" and he has his name already :) 
 
Here he was last week just chillin' - I get all teary eyed every time I get to see him!
 
 
I get that this pic is hard to understand, and as my good friend Katie pointed out, "you do know that a 'leg' is not a penis, right?" Trust me, the "goods" are there!
 
 
We had started throwing boy and girl names out a while back and you wouldn't believe, even from family, the comments you would get! Some good, some not so good. EVERYONE has a damn opinion! But they fail to realize, they don't get a vote! LOL! And since we really couldn't agree on a girl name, thank gawd he was a boy! And I just love his name - I already know it will fit him perfectly :)
 
So, there ya have it. As one of my other good friends told me, "you have a penis in you!" Yes, Gloria, I have a penis in me! LOL! What the tech could tell me was, everything looked good enough to send me home that day and not across the street to the hospital, so I'll take it!
 
I'm off to catch up with all of you! Hope you all had a good sweaty weekend!
Happy Running!


9 comments:

Jill said...

I didn't know you were blogging again (I never read my google reader, or whatever the hell it is), just happened to notice you today. Glad you're back to blogging....and I couldn't be happier for you and Ari!! :) :) :)

Love you!

Paulette said...

46 is awesome! I feel so pathetic, I get into the low 30s and feel like it's a lot and I'm NOT pregnant, haha. Maybe if I keep doing it my body will get used to it. Congrats on the boy!

Jenny said...

I've been following your blog for the past couple years and was excited when I saw you were pregnant and blogging again. I'm also pregnant and a runner (although I've been happy with 20 miles/week!). Anyways, congrats on the boy! We had our gender scan about a month ago and I was told to drink 32 oz of water and not pee (which is nearly impossible for a pregnant woman!) and when I got there, the tech told me I could pee and didn't know why they were still telling people to hold it haha! My husband was also allowed in the room the entire time so it must just depend on your doctor. The tech explained everything to us the entire time too....the four chambers of the heart, the blood flow was good, etc. which was reassuring. Good luck w/ the rest of your pregnancy and I'm excited to follow along.

Jen Feeny said...

Hey momma, it's time you updated your "About Me" section. :)

So excited for Baby B to make his appearance!

Kristen Lawrence said...

Awww, Congrats!! That is amazing and I am so very happy for you :) Nice work keeping up the running too!

Unknown said...

So stinking exciting and awesome! Great news all around.
Can we call you a penis hoarder now? :P

Zaneta @ Runner's Luck said...

That is awesome!!! Congratulations!! :) YAY! :)

naomi said...

Wait - I didn't know you were coming up for SFM...will I get to see you then?

Congratulations on Blueberry BOY!!!

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