Baby Germain is the size of an ear of corn

This week's craving: Tums
This week's aversion: Anything that I might have a hunch will give me heartburn. So I'm basically starving.... It's not like I don't want to eat it, but I literally can NOT take the heartburn anymore.



MONDAY- A painful but yet easy 5k around campus 9:55/mi, Followed by 75 minutes of Yoga: Another warm day and suddenly everything looks like spring! Got out for a run even though I planned to also go to yoga. The run was uneventful and very slow. I felt tired. Yoga was mostly good. I usually go with my mom but she was gone so it was just me... which was weird... and I can't quite pinpoint why. I'm also at the point where simple poses like childs pose actually requiring modifications. I literally can no longer do ANYTHING without a bolster. Hopefully I can keep going but it is getting hard... and 75 minutes is a long time to be in a hot room when it's also hot outside. Keeping up with hydration is getting harder... especially since I'm tired of bathroom breaks!  
Bathroom Breaks: 1 per activity. 






TUESDAY- Treadmill Music Intervals. Well, the life of a Tech.Rep wife leaves me without a husband until pretty late at night or until the next day 90% of the time... as was the case here. It was raining all day and I went home not sure if I'd do anything... but somewhere I found the energy to go to the treadmill after Raea fell asleep (she fell asleep really early, which I think helped me get motivated!). I committed to 10 songs on pandora and used the songs to pick up and slow down the pace. I averaged above 9:00/mi, but there were lots of portions of the run that I ran at 8:00/mi and some even below... So I felt like I got some good work in! I officially hate coldplay live though. Speed it up Chris Martin, I'm getting tired here. ;) 
 Bathroom Breaks: 1




WEDNESDAY- 3 easy miles of running for 3 easy years of marriage...  I can't say that Matt and I have very much in life figured out, but these first three years of marriage have been very easy on the relationship side of things. Finances, managing schedules, stress of where we are living, how the hell we are going to take care of our kids... that stuff has been tricky, but we always work it out as a team and he's the best teammate I've ever had. In many ways the run I did was much harder than the past three years of marriage. These three miles I wanted to quit every step of the way, I've never felt like quitting on Matt (even for the total amount of time we've been together... which is 11 years now! Damn! I might have given fake ultimatums though... but always knew it was him) You can't give up on someone that will never give up on you. 





THURSDAY- 5 Fun Run miles... Matt had Raea with his mom, so I took advantage and got a lot of errands done (paid medical bill, called regarding drs appointments, renewed license, got oil changed, and car inspected..which failed! ha! Now I need to get tires and a muffler)... and after it was all done I still could get to the fun run early enough to get in some "pre" fun run miles. I did this with Kim and Barbara. Then I ran the fun run itself with Chrissy. My lower right abdomen hurt for the "Pre-run" run... but then I grabbed my support band and it felt better after. I averaged under 9!? ... two days in a row! 




FRIDAY- 7 stupid miles in 8:27 pace: On paper this is my best run of the week, but in reality it was a very foolish thing, and pretty unlike me. I'm pretty good at just chillin'.... but this running pregnant thing is starting to get to me. It's weirdly addicting to see how far you can go before you can't. I said I'd run an hour while my mom ran with her client. I said It would probably be 6 as I felt I needed a slower day, but when I had 20 minutes to go I did the math and figured out if I ran just below sub 8 for the last 2.5 miles, I would get 7 before the hour was complete. So I started running sub 8's. Nice to know I can still do it, but when I went home my hip hurt pretty bad as well as my glute. Not the best choice I've made in my running career... some days I'm just getting tired of working so hard only to get slower. It's the weirdest phenomenon and some days I just don't want to feel so... limited...
Bathroom breaks: 1






SATURDAY- 5 with Chrissy and Raea while Matt did a tempo run. I felt exhausted on this run. We got out early in the morning so the turn around from the 7 miler to now was less than 24 hours and I felt it! My hip felt okay, but I was generally fatigued everywhere. I could barely keep up with Chrissy, and basically was completely dependent on the stroller to keep me upright. I spent the rest of the day walking around west end creamery and farm with really bad support as well... Not smart. This is not a smart week. 
bathroom breaks: 2 






SUNDAY-10.2 miles in 12:28/mi: Small showing at the Sisu Team run. 4 total. I ran by myself with the stroller. I was slow. I needed to be slow today... but overall I kept thinking "I feel like I can run really easy forever"... so I decided to do 10 and then if I felt good add on two more for 40 for the week.... Well, this was stupid. Very suddenly when I got to 7.6 my hip and back tightened SUPER badly. I walked it off a bit, tried running again, and it was even worse. I did some psoas stretches and back stretches while I continued to walk and to my surprise I was able to shuffle the last .6 miles back to the car. I was way too hungry to walk another step! I ate all Raea's crackers and snacks while we were out there! The amount of bathroom breaks I had to take should have been enough to keep me from attempting 10, but again, this running pregnant thing is weirdly addicting because of the novelty and the extra challenges it poses. I really need to do some psoas stretches and maybe get a massage and an adjustment as soon as possible and see if I can continue on!  I am sure the pain was not something bad for the baby... not great for me, but I'm certain its just muscles... I'm suspicious it had to do with pushing the stroller on a more hilly trail... but there's also the obvious fact that I have a basketball for a belly that can't be ignored. 
Bathroom Breaks: 6!!!!! I seriously have no idea what is wrong with me.




**TOTAL MILES: 38..6** Mileage looks good, but some bad decisions made
This was a week full of stubborn choices. Choices to push paces, choices to push mileage, or both at the same time. Additionally, there was a lot of literal pushing of the stroller... and it's getting so uncomfortable to stretch certain areas that I'm neglecting a lot... which is especially bad since there is extra stress on everything. Next week I put emphasis on stretching and core stabilization... 

Additional Training: 
-Walking with Raea at the farm
-Signed up for more kinetic revolution starting next week.
Lessons Learned:
1. Now is not the time to be stubborn
2. Will I ever learn to really listen to my body? It's a daily practice that I've yet to master but I've relearned that I need to work on it.
3. I can still run sub 8 if I really push it (but I shouldn't)

Looking Forward To: Memorial Day weekend still! Hoping to be part of a relay in Vermont, but after this week, I'm not going to put too much stress on myself. I'll still do it, but I wanted to "race" it... now I'm just happy if I can run the distance without walking. 

Gender Prediction: I'm about as strong towards girl as I was towards boy three weeks ago. So really, I have no clue! I need girls names!! My brain hurts trying to come up with something that has meaning and goes well with Raea, and therefore isn't something too traditional. 

​

Baby Germain is the size of a papaya

This week's craving: Nothing out of the ordinary
This week's aversion: This week was pretty normal. THANK GOD! 

MONDAY- Marathon Monday! Easy 4.1 up and Down Heartbreak Hill with Caroline: It was warm today! Hot for runners, but nice temperature for spectating and for a casual run up heartbreak hill on the causeway. I waited until I saw all the runners from Wave 1 go by, and then I headed out for a quick run before our Wave 2 female teammates came by. Very proud that the men and women had so much representation on and off the course! It was a great day to be a runner! I feel bad that the heat was an issue for so many (especially those of us who trained in below freezing temps and had to endure such a drastic change!) But it seems Boston is rarely about the time and more about the experience.  
Bathroom Breaks: 1... although the porta-potties lining the course tempted me for more than one stop! haha!


TUESDAY- 5.3 on the Presidential Rail Trail in White Mountains. As much as I love Marathon Monday, what I love more is leaving it all behind on Tuesday. For over half a decade Matt has worked the expo the week of the marathon so he is tired and I've hardly seen him and there is nothing we both want more than to leave the city far far in our rear view mirror. There were MANY complications getting up to the mountains... starting with the fact that Matt didn't renew his car insurance since he's been waiting to get the company car... so his car isn't insured and isn't registered, so we had to take my car... which has a giant hole in the exhaust which I plan to fix when we get our tax return back (hopefully this week!?)... but my car is TINY so we really had to squeeze everything in. THEN we actually had to go to Boston first to drop off shoes to a store. THEN I put my wallet (which is attached to my keys, and the keys to the cabin) on the roof to put Raea in the car... and I left them there. Normally I can't start my car like that,  so I've never left them, but Matt was driving, soooo.... When we got on the highway the keys went flying off the car.... and we had to go get them. In the process of turning around, someone else got them.... so Matt was running back and fourth on the most dangerous onramp in Medford... Thankfully the man that picked them up called my credit card to get my phone number than called me. He came and brought them... but when I called Matt to update him on the whereabouts of my keys/wallet.... I heard his phone ring in the car... SOOO it took some time before he gave up. He was relieved they weren't stolen. Our only money was in my wallet! (we're broke until Friday... The once a month pay he's on is.... an adjustment)... anyway, we weren't off to a good start. We got to the mountains way later than planned and it was getting dark... and we were starving... but both of us NEEDED to get out and move. Matt ran about 8, I ran the sections that were not snow covered, and walked the sections that were. It was 70 minutes total, and so worth it! 
 Bathroom Breaks: 2


WEDNESDAY- 3 Mile Hike with my .... Weight Vests....  We went to the base of Mt. Adams and Matt planned to run a loop on the Link trail and I hiked in the opposite direction of his run. Since we had my small car we had to prioritize and brought the baby bejourn instead of the Kelty... The Kelty would have been much better. 1 hour into the hike Raea complained she needed the bathroom... But really I think she was complaining because she was chaffing ... Poor kid had a rash after. I had to carry her down in my arms the whole way or listen to her scream and try to jump out of the carrier. I was trying desperately not to slip on the ice so I was carrying her in one arm and then I had the baby belly, and both poles in the other hand. I was very relieved when Matt came. Raea still wanted me to hold her, but at least Matt could help me is some of the slippery sections. It wasn't the most enjoyable hike I've ever done, but Raea did have a lot of fun on the way up pointing out all the yellow marks on the trees to keep us on course! :) The Hike took about 2 hours total. 


THURSDAY- 3 Miles easy... I felt terrible all day. Carrying Raea up and down the mountain trail didn't make my back feel great, and then I had terrible heartburn! I barely slept because Raea does not sleep in the Pack and Play so I had her in a big kid bed with pillows for bumpers. I heard one peep from her and thought it was a good idea to check on her, but that was really stupid. #Parentfail. I rarely respond to Raea's little fusses in the middle of the night at home.. which is why I think she generally doesn't make a fuss anymore, but I was so afraid of her falling off the bed that I responded and paid the price! She partied all night! Matt took her outside to stack some wood for my dad midday and I took a nap. After that nap I was ready to run. Matt came with me on the rail trail in the  direction away from the mountains (no snow)... Heartburn gone after that! Phew!


FRIDAY- 4.4 Miles at Winnekinni! We left the mountains around 10am and stopped at Matts moms house on the way home to visit our Nephews who are up from Maryland. Raea hung out with the boys while Matt and I hit up some old stomping grounds during the seemingly endless rain. I was moody as I have been a lot lately when it comes to running... But WOW, my whole life changed just from stomping in a few puddles. My garmin, and my phone didn't cooperate so I don't know how long it took me, but the whole loop is marked every tenth of a mile so I'm sure I did 4.4. It was GLORIOUS. I did try to do a 1 mile pick up in there, but it ended up a .75 mile pick up because I hit a hill and Braxton Hicks said "nope"... so the "pick up" was just under 8:00/mi total, but my half was 3:23... My goal was sub 7 mile so I carried that pace until I hit the hill. I tried to maintain, but it hurt to try and run through the Braxton Hicks at that effort, I had to listen to my body and slow down... and SLOW DOWN I DID! :) 


SATURDAY- 4 in 35:00 at Rutland Railtrail. After the best night of sleep of my life (I say that every time I come home because our mattress is amazing.... and I appreciate it more each time!!) I got out a bit late and ran with Chrissy at Rutland Rail Trail. I felt mostly good... I was going to add on for 6 but called it a day because the tendons in my lower abdomen are hurting a bit. I never remember to wear or bring support for my belly. 


SUNDAY-10 miles in 8:58/mi: We had a sisu Team run in Hudson. I pushed the stroller the whole way. Did a little over 4 with Jim and then did the rest by myself. I felt lousy the first 2-3 and once I went to the bathroom I felt A LOT better! I wore my flip belt as support... not as good as the real band I bought (and still left at my moms house), but it definitely helps to have something offering support. I'm very proud of this run, and LOVED the weather! It 40s when we started and 60's and sunny when we finished. We hit up the cafe after and I had the worlds best most fluffiest crossaint ever. I might be exaggerating, but don't be surprised if it's next weeks craving. 
Bathroom Breaks: 1


**TOTAL MILES: 34.0** Not too bad!
This was a pretty good week. I didn't overload myself any day, but also got out there everyday. I felt good keeping myself at 3 if I needed to or walking, or hiking if I needed to, but I also had days where I got a pretty standard genuine training run in.

Additional Training: 
-Hiking with baby
-Some stability disc balancing


Lessons Learned:
1. I love mud! 
2. Always Bring the Kelty
3. Never leave keys on the roof of your car. 

Looking Forward To: Memorial Day weekend. Teachers basically live their life counting down from one extra day off to the next. I believe we don't have one until Memorial Day... I will be in Vermont that weekend. CAN'T WAIT!

Gender Prediction: I really gotta come up with a girl name. ​

Growing up as a competitive runner in Boston is an exciting experience most of the time, especially when you are much younger and all your dreams are still in front of you.... but when you are a runner in your mid 20's to mid 30's who has not done Boston, its hard to not develop a dislike for it. There are a lot of non-runners that only know about this one event. I'd have a lot more money if I was paid for every time I had to put my ego (admittedly, pretty large ego) aside when a non-runner tells me about their friend who ran the Boston Marathon one time... and then asks if I have done Boston... and then upon hearing my answer gently imply that maybe I could be an amazing runner like their friend one day and finish Boston... (insert eyeroll emoji)  I know it's harmless, but this is something us sub-elite, non marathon runners swallow on a daily basis. It's one of the reasons I started running marathons. I wanted to get the monkey off my back!
I have literally been in a situation where me qualifying for the NCAA NATIONAL championships (twice!) was considered nothing compared to a co-worker running the Boston Marathon as a charity runner. It was another one of those Slow Clap, Do you want a Cookie? moments where I just needed to swallow my pride and say "good job"... (It was close to a decade ago now, I handle these things a little better these days)

I was always a pretty good runner. I never had to worry about qualifying for the event that everyone  wanted to qualify for. I made it to State Championships without blinking, I made it to Conference Championships without even knowing there were qualifying standards, and I always assumed I'd make it to Boston the same way. Qualifying and finishing Boston never seemed like a big deal to me.... Until now. 

I joined Instagram this year, and while it's certainly got it's flaws, I've really enjoyed following people all over the country and even world and watching all of you get so excited to an event that I (and in my defense, many others around here that I know) have rolled our eyes at for years. Your excitement has renewed my respect for Boston. Running Boston wasn't something I really wanted to do deep down, like I said, it was one of those things I just felt obligated to do so that I could be recognized as a good runner for once. Two decades of really hard work, grinding through the snow, wind, heat, and rain; sleepless nights before big championships, tears of sadness, and occasionally joy after them, heartbreak that has cut deeper than any man ever has or could; I've experienced all that and so much more... but until I have a Boston Marathon finishers medal, I'm no more than a hobby jogger to the vast majority of people around here.

I wanted to do Boston for others... now, I want to do Boston for myself... for the first time ever I really feel like I want to be part of it not that I have some Bostonian Runner Obligation to do it.

My journey to Boston seemed like it would be easy. I ran my first marathon in 3:05 in fall of 2013 a solid 30 minutes below the qualifying time (I think? I don't even know the qualifying standard... I can't remember if it's 3:30 or 3:35, I never needed to think about it...Really.) I thought I'd just sign up the following September and run in April 2015. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately (?) that didn't happen. Here is my timeline for my road to Boston... It's repetitive for some of you who have followed  me a while, but if you're just joining here it is:

November 2013: Ran Manchester City in 3:05
January 2014: Injured my knee
September 2014: Signed up for Boston hoping knee would be better by April
October 2014: Knee diagnosis, surgery scheduled for November
November 2014: Found out I was pregnant, surgery rescheduled
March 2015: Surgery during second trimester
April 2015: spectating the Boston Marathon that I was supposed to run
August 2015: Gave birth to first child :)
September 2015: Rehabbed Knee
November 2015: Began training for Vermont City Marathon 2016
April 2016: Spectated another Boston excited that I'd be at the next one
May 2016: Pulled my calf the week before Vermont City
May 2016: DNS Vermont City Marathon that I trained SO hard for (this is the most heartbroken I've ever, EVER, been)
June 2016: signed up for another Marathon as a last chance for Boston 2017 (Great Cranberry Island)
June 2016: DNF Great Cranberry Island, calf wasn't better.
July 2016: signed up for Hartford Marathon
September 2016: watched everyone else sign up for Boston
October 2016: Ran 3:05 again, and qualified for 2018 Boston Marathon
November 2016: Expecting second child (this was planned, family is important, too! I'm giving myself as much time as possible to get back in shape for Boston 2018)
April 2017: Spectating another Boston.
​

I still have a long journey left... and hopefully it goes according to plan this time, but no guarantee! I need to give birth again, recover from that, train again, avoid any serious injuries (probably the most difficult for me), and I'm completely banking on the fact that I will be able to handle training with a toddler, a newborn, and a traveling husband while maintaining a full-time job...

It should be interesting...

Anyway, to wrap this up I want to finish where I began, with a Thank you. THANK YOU for reminding me that the Boston Marathon is a big deal! And over time, it's actually become a longer commitment than getting to Nationals was (seriously, it's taken me 5 years to get to Boston, it only took me 3 to get to Nationals...) Thank you for showing me all your hard work... whether it was to raise money as a charity runner, or to work hard to get that qualifier, you've earned your spot on the starting line. To those of you who just missed qualifying, qualified but didn't make the cut off, or got injured... I see all your hard work, too... I feel your heart ache with both disappointment and excitement this weekend (just like mine does) and I hope to see you in 2018.  My Journey to Boston has been longer than I ever anticipated it could be. I'm excited to have had these years to reflect and really build on the anticipation of crossing that line myself. If it went accordingly, it would just be another race, but it didn't.

There will be pain
There will be tears
There will be joy

This isn't just another race. This is BOSTON... and running it is one of the greatest honors in this sport... It has just taken me 5 years to see it that way.
​

Baby Germain is the size of a Spaghetti Squash


This week's craving: Give me ALL the Easter Candy! ALL of it!  
This weeks' aversion: Well I had a negative reaction to eggs... My stomach has been pretty sensitive for this whole pregnancy, even if it's not an "aversion" many things just aren't sitting right...



MONDAY- Easy 3 mile run and 75 minutes of yoga: It's basically the first real nice day, so even though I opt out of Monday most of the time, this week I just had to get out! I could never have foreseen the way the week would end, but really happy I got this run in! Yoga was great! I felt much better than the previous week. We did lots of heart opening things, and some twists I couldn't do, but I modified easily
Bathroom Breaks: 1 per activity
​

TUESDAY- 7.1 in 1:00. Best run of the week! I was so relieved because we had the baby's ultrasound and one kidney has already gone back down to the normal range, and the other kidney only grew 0.5mm, they were looking to make sure it didn't double in size (which would have been 5.0mm of growth). I also got some more specific stats on the Down Syndrome soft marker, and it's a .6% chance of Down Syndrome... so, to me that's nothing. You take a risk like this every time you're having a baby. It is what it is, and I'll adjust to whatever I need to adjust to... SO, in light of the good news (and the personal day I took) I felt AMAZING on my run! Wow! It's INCREDIBLE how much better my body feels when I haven't spent the day managing a fairly difficult group of 1st-2nd grade students with Autism. Also, I ran at the beach, and that ALWAYS rejuvenates me! 
 Bathroom Breaks: 2



WEDNESDAY- 4 humid miles with Caroline. I used CC's watch so I never got stats and screwed them up anyway, but we just went super easy, probably 9:30-10:00/mi pace... which is felt hard after yesterday...
Bathroom Breaks: 0, no where to go! 


THURSDAY- 0, sick baby. I came home to get Raea after work and planned to head to sneakerama... but she had just started throwing up. I spent the night catching vomit in bowls and cleaning it up. She threw up NINE times!!!!! (poor kid!) My husband was at the Marathon Expo for work. He works close to 12 hour days for the Marathon Expo, so SOLO PARENTING with a sick toddler. Great start to my Vacation!


FRIDAY- 0, Still sick baby, solo parenting! I ALMOST got out and ran today. I made plans to run with my friend Chrissy, at the end of the day. Raea had showed no signs of being sick other than just general moodiness and extreme hunger since she wasn't able to eat the day before... We played in the yard and she had a mostly great day! But as the end of the day (and my run time) approached she lost steam quite a bit. She was clearly still recovering and I didn't want to take her out in the stroller if she was just going to scream the whole time. It's LIKELY she would have just fallen to sleep, but no way to know for sure. I fed her eggs (her favorite!) for dinner... and put her too bed. Not too long after I was running to the bathroom myself... and not for the usual pregnancy potty break reason, so the treadmill after bed was out, too. 


SATURDAY- 0: SO I thought I was sick, BUT it later seemed food related as I previously mentioned. I had a rough morning... Raea was full of energy and back to her normal self... but I, on the other hand, was still having stomach issues. As the day went on I was expecting to get worse, but nothing escalated! I was able to eat lunch and then felt better... I headed to the expo to see my husband and when I got home I was going to run again but was way too hungry, it was cold and rainy, and I walked a lot at the expo, my back hurt. This whole week is messed up now so, what can ya do. #bigbaby

SUNDAY- 1 mile run, 1 mile walk of shame home 30 minutes total: Something just didn't feel right. It was the hottest day so far and since most of the runs I've done have been in the freezing cold, this warm weather seemed dramatic! I felt terrible... I was running with my sister and at this point I was barely running 12 minute miles because I felt so terrible. I didn't want to ruin her whole run so sent her on her way. I felt like a wuss, but after she passed out from dehydration at mass (true story), I realized I made the right call. 
Bathroom Breaks: 0



**TOTAL MILES: 13.1 <---- another total coincidence! Next week I might do a 5k (ugh)
So I'm obviously not pleased with this week. I really saw it going much better than this when I was able to get two runs in early in the week. I got off to a great start, and finished so poorly! I'm just at this point where I just don't care too much about the "running while pregnant" thing. I care about a healthy baby, and I care about myself being healthy, and I care about running well after this phase is over, but I'm not one of these people that goes crazy if I miss a run. I go crazy if I race poorly. I care about one thing and one thing only in this sport- race day performance... not necessarily a PR, because often things are out of our control, but performing well, executing well, and training smart to do those things. I don't care about my day to day pace (the "easy" pace I train at is so much easier than most people dare to run), I am a huge stickler for hitting designated splits and paces for workouts, but if that doesn't happen, I'm pretty adaptable mentally... Hiccups in training don't get me down... I just move on to what I can do next and adjust where I have to. I don't have a race for another year (pretty much exactly a year)... so I'm not looking for gains right now when the next 5 months are nothing but losses... What I"m looking for is to not speed up losses. What speeds up my losses? Injury. There are some pretty significant injuries a pregnant woman can get. There's a lot of stress on the hips and I"m a pretty firm believer that most running related injuries stem from the hips... So, I'm not going to F this up! A few extra days off wont hurt me, but a few stubborn days on could. I'm planning to make a transition to some cross training to keep up cardio. I'm not a fan of cross training because I like to be outside... but these end of second beginning of third trimester weeks will start to look different.  


Additional Training: 
-carrying around a sick toddler
-squats to clean up baby vomit


Lessons Learned:
1 I really really want to run Boston well next year. 
2. It is possible (not probable) to LEGALLY park within a half mile of the Marathon Expo without paying for parking
3. I'm really good at parallel parking. 

Looking Forward To: MOUNTAINS! Tuesday Morning!

Gender Prediction: SO this is totally unexpected, but I'm now thinking maybe girl?! I know I said it would be impossible to change my mind last week, but the Ultrasound technician got really excited when my baby started basically running in my belly and she said "Look, Look She's... The baby is running" and then later seemed to put a "He" in there to throw me off....? Or she could just see so many babies that she just says a random gender sometimes. Either way, I'm like 50/50 on boy or girl, but this is the most strongly I felt maybe a girl is possible! I've been Team Blue from the beginning and I"m kinda excited that there's still a chance for a girl! I think Raea would love a sister! (But I'd totally take either! SO long as it's one healthy kid! .... Well behaved like Raea would be a really REALLY welcomed bonus!)

Baby Germain is the size of a  Mango


This week's craving: Well, that mango sounds pretty good! It seems my cravings have taken a turn for the better. Although still not going to turn down nachos and Doritos, I'm seeking much more plant based things... Which is good because my diet has been crap. I've craved a lot of fruits and veggies this week... and really REALLY wish they'd open up a Life Alive cafe near here! (I'm not sure if that's pregnancy talking, or just my normal self though... seriously, WE NEED ONE AROUND HERE!)
This weeks' aversion: Nothing in particular. Isn't that awesome?! I'm pretty psyched about that!

MONDAY- 10 Stroller Miles, 1:25:31 8:31/mi: I was lazy last week. Or was I tired, or stressed? I don't know I can't remember... but Since I missed my Sunday long run last week I started this week off with a 10 miler... pushing the stroller.... around and around and around in circles (25 figure 8's at the local elementary school) I said to myself "6 is good, but 8 is better, and if you can get to 10 maybe just maybe you can actually hit your secret goal of a 50 mile week during pregnancy".... It was wet and raw outside, Raea was wide awake singing along with the music until my phone died from cold around 6 miles. At this point there was still plenty of daylight left but the minimal sun we had was now behind the trees and the temperature was dropping quick. Raea was bored. I was bored. Every time we passed the car (every .38 miles) Raea said "car? car?" She was bundled and warm but I don't blame her for being sick of the same damn loops we've been doing all winter! I feel the same way! I attempted to sing elmo songs to her and picked up the pace for the last four miles as her patience was thinning. It wasn't until 9.6 that she really started losing it and screamed for the last .4 miles.... It's okay though because as soon as I finished and took her out of the stroller she happily ran along the empty parking lot and suddenly I was the one saying "car? car?"... I bribed her with food after about 15 minutes of her playing in the snow. Since I got to 10, I was locked in on achieving 50 miles this week. 
Bathroom Breaks: 2



TUESDAY- 6 painfully slow and annoyingly hilly miles in the freezing rain. 9:36/mi. This was tough in so many ways. I had a follow up appointment to review last weeks ultrasound results... and although there's nothing much to worry about, anything coming up abnormal is scary! The doctor informed me that my baby has Fetal Pyelectasis  or an enlarged kidney. I initially freaked a bit about this because my husbands father battled with Polycystic Kidney Disease for a very, very long time, and although I know Matt doesn't have it, I didn't know the details of how it is passed and what this all means. I hear "kidneys" and I think dialysis and transplants, and all the scary stuff. She assured me it's really common and probably nothing at all.... but she also informed me that it's a soft marker for Down Syndrome... so I had to digest that as well. Before leaving the doctors they always ask "anymore questions" as if I can process all of this information quick enough to come up with reasonable questions! My run consisted of me thinking "damn I should have asked this, or that" and then debating if I should google or not... Ultimately I decided to because if it's really so common and really unlikely to be anything at all, I shouldn't find anything but reassurance... Which I did. I didn't spend much time looking anything up, but my baby's kidney was 5mm, and normal was 3mm-4mm... some people reported their baby had an enlarged kidney of 18mm and it worked itself out in utero.... So I just have to pray and stay positive... but also prepare for the worst should that be our fate. I also found out that it's more common in boys. So... spoiler alert on the gender prediction section. 
Bathroom Breaks: 1  


WEDNESDAY- 5.5 Miles with 2xMile repeats 7:07, 6:49: I had calculated the math to hit 50 miles early on, Since there's a 15k at the end of the week, I can probably get a comfortable 10.5-11 in there without much stress since the race atmosphere and crowd makes time and torture pass quickly.. but my mom could only watch Raea for an extra 45 minutes today and at the rate I had been running lately I'd be lucky to get 4.5 in! I needed to do something faster to ensure more miles... I couldn't wrap my head around fartlek. I couldn't do multiple intervals, I didn't want to do any intervals... it was a nice day so I said I'd do 2xMile and see how it goes. Expecting 7:20's, I was very surprised with the results.... ESPECIALLY the 6:49 since there was a pretty decent climb in there. Very happy to get 5.5, now I just need to make up the .5 somewhere else, probably Saturday as a warm-up or cool-down from the race
Bathroom Breaks: 0 Aint nobody got time for that today!



THURSDAY- 6.1 Fun Run miles. It is Matts birthday and he was hosting the run at Sneakerama with On shoes available for demo. Matts mom watched Raea all day so she came to sneakerama and babysat while I got in 3ish with Kim, Steve, and another CMS guy... and then for the actual fun run Sisu Teammates came for Matts birthday so I ran with Sarah and Sumner mostly. We had cake at the store and everyone came to dinner after, and it was awesome!
Bathroom Breaks: 1






It Starts.......

FRIDAY- Early Release from School. 6 Miles in the ice pellets... or was that actual snow? It was gross! My sister watched Raea while I forced myself through another painfully slow 6. I'm exhausted at this point. It's been a gruesomely stressful week at school and I just wanted to go home... But since the forecast was worse for tomorrow... the long run day that I'm supposed to get miles in with the help of a crowd and race atmosphere, was very questionable. USATF declared that the event will not be counted in the series...so I just knew I had to get the 6 in outside at the very least because there's a good chance I'm on the treadmill for the next two days anyway.
Bathroom Breaks: 0
SATURDAY- 10.3 Miles on the treadmill=death 9:06/mi: Somewhere along the line the .02, and .03 miles have added up and I'm at 33.7. I decide I'm going to run until I'm at an even 44 and only have 6 more left. Matt is home because he planned to do the 15k which was cancelled due to ice and snow... so I am getting on that treadmill and grinding. I hated most of it, but weirdly was so proud of my commitment and dedication that it pulled me through. I'm going to hit 50 miles pregnant... It was a goal I secretly set but let drift off... and now it's in reach. I'm getting it!
Bathroom Breaks: 1


SUNDAY- 6 easy miles with Caroline! 9:01 pace: Every step was hard, I'm heavy, I have Braxton Hicks Contractions at even the slightest incline, I don't think any marathon training cycle has made my legs feel this dead, and I truly mean that. I went through the motions and finished strong. Time to taper now. I can assure you my mileage will NOT get higher from here. 



**TOTAL MILES: 50.0* 

This is a pretty decent amount of mileage for any normal "non-pregnant" training cycle, so I'm very proud I did this at 20 weeks pregnant. It was hard, and I'll always look back to this week when the going gets tough while I train for faster times.... I ran for 7 hours and 28 minutes this week... that's only a little over an hour less than the time I spent running for my highest weekly mileage during marathon training... NOT TOO SHABBY! 


Additional Training: 
-Yoga on Monday night by myself- since I missed my normal yoga to run 10 miles and then committed to 50  miles this week, I knew I'd need to do this to survive the rest
-I built a futon by myself. It counts. 
Lessons Learned:
1. I can achieve my goals! I really pushed myself here, and even though at times I could have easily said "f this!" I stuck with it. I'm pretty proud of myself
2. I can handle 90+ minutes on the treadmill... Something I've never done before
3. A lot of people will help if you ask. 

Looking Forward To: NO MORE SNOW! Am I right New England?! I just want the railtrails back!

Gender Prediction: Well, given that enlarged kidneys are more common in boys, I'm going with boy. I'll be SUPER surprised if it's a girl because now I'm convinced that it's a boy and I don't think I'll be changing my mind

Movie Watched: Away we Go: I'm surprised Rotten Tomatoes gave it 67%. It wasn't so good. I couldn't get past the fact that John Krasinski can play anyone other than Jim Halpert and can be with any woman other than Pam Beesly... But mostly that's why I watched the movie because I can only watch the office so many times. It tried too hard to combine funny and serious. If you want to watch a movie that does funny, serious, and pregnancy well, What to Expect was WAY better! 
​

Weeks Pregnant: 21
High: 50
Low: 0 (Built in break after XC)
Races Run: 4
5k: 3 weeks 18:09
6k: 5 weeks 23:11
5k: 18 weeks 20:04
Half Marathon: 19 Weeks 1:39:57
​
It seems I ebb and flow quite a bit week to week, and part of the reason is because if I have a "good week" I'm really tired the next week... but another part of it might be because I have a good week and then decide "that's the end of this... I'm slowing down now" and change my mind week to week. This has been and is going to continue to be
 a daily struggle, but I'm hoping with the nicer weather I have less days where I hate getting changed to run (I refuse to purchase clothes for this but my shorts are much more.... accommodating...) so that will be one less struggle. I'm hoping I'll have less days where the gloominess outside really turns me off to the idea taking a single extra step. I'm hoping on days I don't feel like running I WILL feel like walking with the Raea and just enjoying the changing season, something I couldn't do a few weeks ago as we were still getting buried in snow. Dear Lord, this better be the end of winter. You just never know around here. 



Additional Training: 
-Foam Rolling x3... This is annoyingly difficult already... 
-Some pool drills while holding Raea at the Hotel
High knees, but kicks, squat jumps, karaoke 

Lessons Learned:
1. Rather negative about this week... so I'm having trouble coming up with positive lessons so it is what it is: I'm slow. So. Fucking. Slow Yup, I learned I have to accept that.
2. I need to plan my whole run around bathroom breaks
3. At least one Rail Trail is ready! (that's a really REALLY big positive!)

Looking Forward To: This week we have a follow up appointment for the baby and the enlarged Kidneys... so looking forward to getting more information on that... I'm taking a personal day at work so that I can spend the rest of the day with Matt and just absorb the information whether its positive or negative.... but feeling optimistic! 

Gender Prediction: Unless the ultra sound reveals that this whole kidney thing wasn't ever real, I'm going to have a hard time thinking this kid is anything but boy... I catch myself accidentally calling it "him" or "he" or referring to it as Raea's brother. Man will I be surprised if it's a girl! (but trying to not close that door too much, I don't want to get too too attached to the outcome!)

Baby Germain is the size of a  Mango


This week's craving: Well, that mango sounds pretty good! It seems my cravings have taken a turn for the better. Although still not going to turn down nachos and Doritos, I'm seeking much more plant based things... Which is good because my diet has been crap. I've craved a lot of fruits and veggies this week... and really REALLY wish they'd open up a Life Alive cafe near here! (I'm not sure if that's pregnancy talking, or just my normal self though... seriously, WE NEED ONE AROUND HERE!)
This weeks' aversion: Nothing in particular. Isn't that awesome?! I'm pretty psyched about that!

MONDAY- 10 Stroller Miles, 1:25:31 8:31/mi: I was lazy last week. Or was I tired, or stressed? I don't know I can't remember... but Since I missed my Sunday long run last week I started this week off with a 10 miler... pushing the stroller.... around and around and around in circles (25 figure 8's at the local elementary school) I said to myself "6 is good, but 8 is better, and if you can get to 10 maybe just maybe you can actually hit your secret goal of a 50 mile week during pregnancy".... It was wet and raw outside, Raea was wide awake singing along with the music until my phone died from cold around 6 miles. At this point there was still plenty of daylight left but the minimal sun we had was now behind the trees and the temperature was dropping quick. Raea was bored. I was bored. Every time we passed the car (every .38 miles) Raea said "car? car?" She was bundled and warm but I don't blame her for being sick of the same damn loops we've been doing all winter! I feel the same way! I attempted to sing elmo songs to her and picked up the pace for the last four miles as her patience was thinning. It wasn't until 9.6 that she really started losing it and screamed for the last .4 miles.... It's okay though because as soon as I finished and took her out of the stroller she happily ran along the empty parking lot and suddenly I was the one saying "car? car?"... I bribed her with food after about 15 minutes of her playing in the snow. Since I got to 10, I was locked in on achieving 50 miles this week. 
Bathroom Breaks: 2



TUESDAY- 6 painfully slow and annoyingly hilly miles in the freezing rain. 9:36/mi. This was tough in so many ways. I had a follow up appointment to review last weeks ultrasound results... and although there's nothing much to worry about, anything coming up abnormal is scary! The doctor informed me that my baby has Fetal Pyelectasis  or an enlarged kidney. I initially freaked a bit about this because my husbands father battled with Polycystic Kidney Disease for a very, very long time, and although I know Matt doesn't have it, I didn't know the details of how it is passed and what this all means. I hear "kidneys" and I think dialysis and transplants, and all the scary stuff. She assured me it's really common and probably nothing at all.... but she also informed me that it's a soft marker for Down Syndrome... so I had to digest that as well. Before leaving the doctors they always ask "anymore questions" as if I can process all of this information quick enough to come up with reasonable questions! My run consisted of me thinking "damn I should have asked this, or that" and then debating if I should google or not... Ultimately I decided to because if it's really so common and really unlikely to be anything at all, I shouldn't find anything but reassurance... Which I did. I didn't spend much time looking anything up, but my baby's kidney was 5mm, and normal was 3mm-4mm... some people reported their baby had an enlarged kidney of 18mm and it worked itself out in utero.... So I just have to pray and stay positive... but also prepare for the worst should that be our fate. I also found out that it's more common in boys. So... spoiler alert on the gender prediction section. 
Bathroom Breaks: 1  


WEDNESDAY- 5.5 Miles with 2xMile repeats 7:07, 6:49: I had calculated the math to hit 50 miles early on, Since there's a 15k at the end of the week, I can probably get a comfortable 10.5-11 in there without much stress since the race atmosphere and crowd makes time and torture pass quickly.. but my mom could only watch Raea for an extra 45 minutes today and at the rate I had been running lately I'd be lucky to get 4.5 in! I needed to do something faster to ensure more miles... I couldn't wrap my head around fartlek. I couldn't do multiple intervals, I didn't want to do any intervals... it was a nice day so I said I'd do 2xMile and see how it goes. Expecting 7:20's, I was very surprised with the results.... ESPECIALLY the 6:49 since there was a pretty decent climb in there. Very happy to get 5.5, now I just need to make up the .5 somewhere else, probably Saturday as a warm-up or cool-down from the race
Bathroom Breaks: 0 Aint nobody got time for that today!



THURSDAY- 6.1 Fun Run miles. It is Matts birthday and he was hosting the run at Sneakerama with On shoes available for demo. Matts mom watched Raea all day so she came to sneakerama and babysat while I got in 3ish with Kim, Steve, and another CMS guy... and then for the actual fun run Sisu Teammates came for Matts birthday so I ran with Sarah and Sumner mostly. We had cake at the store and everyone came to dinner after, and it was awesome!
Bathroom Breaks: 1






It Starts.......

FRIDAY- Early Release from School. 6 Miles in the ice pellets... or was that actual snow? It was gross! My sister watched Raea while I forced myself through another painfully slow 6. I'm exhausted at this point. It's been a gruesomely stressful week at school and I just wanted to go home... But since the forecast was worse for tomorrow... the long run day that I'm supposed to get miles in with the help of a crowd and race atmosphere, was very questionable. USATF declared that the event will not be counted in the series...so I just knew I had to get the 6 in outside at the very least because there's a good chance I'm on the treadmill for the next two days anyway.
Bathroom Breaks: 0
SATURDAY- 10.3 Miles on the treadmill=death 9:06/mi: Somewhere along the line the .02, and .03 miles have added up and I'm at 33.7. I decide I'm going to run until I'm at an even 44 and only have 6 more left. Matt is home because he planned to do the 15k which was cancelled due to ice and snow... so I am getting on that treadmill and grinding. I hated most of it, but weirdly was so proud of my commitment and dedication that it pulled me through. I'm going to hit 50 miles pregnant... It was a goal I secretly set but let drift off... and now it's in reach. I'm getting it!
Bathroom Breaks: 1


SUNDAY- 6 easy miles with Caroline! 9:01 pace: Every step was hard, I'm heavy, I have Braxton Hicks Contractions at even the slightest incline, I don't think any marathon training cycle has made my legs feel this dead, and I truly mean that. I went through the motions and finished strong. Time to taper now. I can assure you my mileage will NOT get higher from here. 



**TOTAL MILES: 50.0* 

This is a pretty decent amount of mileage for any normal "non-pregnant" training cycle, so I'm very proud I did this at 20 weeks pregnant. It was hard, and I'll always look back to this week when the going gets tough while I train for faster times.... I ran for 7 hours and 28 minutes this week... that's only a little over an hour less than the time I spent running for my highest weekly mileage during marathon training... NOT TOO SHABBY! 


Additional Training: 
-Yoga on Monday night by myself- since I missed my normal yoga to run 10 miles and then committed to 50  miles this week, I knew I'd need to do this to survive the rest
-I built a futon by myself. It counts. 
Lessons Learned:
1. I can achieve my goals! I really pushed myself here, and even though at times I could have easily said "f this!" I stuck with it. I'm pretty proud of myself
2. I can handle 90+ minutes on the treadmill... Something I've never done before
3. A lot of people will help if you ask. 

Looking Forward To: NO MORE SNOW! Am I right New England?! I just want the railtrails back!

Gender Prediction: Well, given that enlarged kidneys are more common in boys, I'm going with boy. I'll be SUPER surprised if it's a girl because now I'm convinced that it's a boy and I don't think I'll be changing my mind

Movie Watched: Away we Go: I'm surprised Rotten Tomatoes gave it 67%. It wasn't so good. I couldn't get past the fact that John Krasinski can play anyone other than Jim Halpert and can be with any woman other than Pam Beesly... But mostly that's why I watched the movie because I can only watch the office so many times. It tried too hard to combine funny and serious. If you want to watch a movie that does funny, serious, and pregnancy well, What to Expect was WAY better! 
​