getting back in the swing of things

So it's been kind of an up and down journey in my running life the past few weeks. The bottom line is that "mommy life" takes up a lot more time and energy than I have, so running life gets pushed aside a bit. I have realized that on the days I do make time to run, it ends up being a better day. I'm going to be tired and short on time no matter what, but at least if I run I can check that off of the list of things I want to get done for that day.

Today I ran for the third time this week. 3 out of 4 days isn't bad. I ran with Katie this morning. We met at the first st bridge and ran over to congress, up congress, and through campus to 24th. After 2.25 miles we turned around and headed back the way we came. It was a nice run. Great weather.

I'm hoping to meet up with some people from the team this weekend for a long run. Granted it'll be about 1/3 of what their long run will be, but I thought it'd be good to get back in the running community to help me get motivated again!

pluses: nice weather

minuses: long day, class, lots of time away from skye :(

3 days in a row!

That's right...I've run 3 days in a row! I know that seems like nothing, but it's a good start to being consistent which has been a really big challenge for me. It's hard to fit in running with Skylar. She keeps me up more than I am used to, and I can't just leave the house whenever to run now :) So she's my excuse for inconsistency for now :)

Yesterday I did a 3 mile run on the treadmill. Good news is that Skye slept like a rock right next to the treadmill in her bouncer. I wasn't sure if it'd be too loud for her, but I guess the noise was soothing enough to put her right to sleep. After a short run, I did about an hour of light weights, core, and body weight exercises. I'm trying to get some strength back before I increase mileage to avoid injury. I was kind of sore/tired/weak...but I think it was a good start.

This morning I met Katie at the lake for a 4 mile run. It felt good. It felt less like a struggle than the last few days.

pluses: dinner with Brian, Skye, Katie, and Paul

minuses: work

back, again!

So now I think I'm finally back :) I was good with running for about a week, and then got an upper respiratory infection that had me sidelined again. I kept trying to put off going to the doctor, but I finally got an antibiotic last week so I think I'm getting rid of all of the congestion. Yesterday was my 26th bday (woo hoo) and Brian got me a Garmin 405. I'm really excited about it. I used it for the first time today and just downloaded all of the software and stuff to my computer. I ran 4 miles today. I'm still having to work pretty hard when I'm running. I am out of shape and my body just isn't used to running right now. I know it'll come back, I just need to be patient. I think I might run on the treadmill tomorrow...depending on the weather :) Since I don't have a specific race or goal in mind right now, it's been really hard to be consistent with training and the things that go along with it (TP work, abs, eating well, etc). I especially am not really interested in getting up super early, since I can't run to far/fast yet. Maybe I will get back into a good routine here soon!

pluses: skylar was good at church

minuses: the whole family has been coughing

first two days back!

I got cleared to run on Monday...so I hit the road for the first time in about 4 months. Yesterday I just did a two mile loop in my neighborhood. The hardest thing to adjust to was the cold air. My lungs felt like they were frozen! I haven't been outside much in the cold in awhile, and I'm sure I was breathing a lot harder than usual...so that added up to some discomfort in the breathing category. Other than that, things felt ok. I was slow, heavy, and felt kind of awkward...but that is what I expected :)

Today I met up with Katie for a run at town lake. We did the 4 mile loop. We just walked a bit by the water stops, but it was probably 95% running and 5 % walking. I was happy with that. I still feel ridiculously out of shape, but that's ok. The way I feel now makes me have a lot of respect for people who have never been runners and are starting out for the first time. I have a feeling that's similar to how I am feeling now. Pretty much for as far back as I can remember, I've been playing some sort of sport. I've always been in "shape" even if it's not running shape. So when I start back up with running, I've usually been playing a lot of basketball, softball, swimming, biking, or some other sport. Since I've done NOTHING but walk since the summer, my fitness is worse off than it's even been before. I guess the thing to keep in mind is that it's only been 26 days since I had a baby, so I just need to be patient!

pluses: great Baucher family Christmas last night

minuses: sister in law and brother in law are moving

hike

Brian, Skylar, and I went on a hike yesterday at my parents house in the hill country. The land is pretty rocky and there are some nice hills, so it was definitely a workout for me. I'd say we walked around for about 45 minutes or so. Skylar tried out her new Jeep front-pack carrier so I actually had both hands free! We decided Brian would carry a gun and I'd carry the baby :) It felt great to be outside (it was really nice in Mason) and enjoy the weather, scenery, etc. It's not as nice in Austin, so I'm thinking I may do some treadmill walking this afternoon!

pluses: lost 25 pounds in 2 weeks

minuses: think i lost all muscle i may have had

skylar is here and i'm ready to run

So I am officially not pregnant (haven't been for 2 weeks) and have a beautiful baby girl to show for it! Skylar Jane was born on Nov 20th at 12:06pm. I know I have a very biased opinion, but she's kind of the cutest thing ever. After a short, painful, drug-free delivery, I'm on the road to recovery to start running again. I'll spare everyone the details, but the doctor is asking me to wait at least another week (maybe two) before I start running again. I'm ok to walk, so it's back to that for a bit. The only tricky part is going to be figuring out how/when to start running again with Skylar's schedule. Right now she likes to eat at 1:30am and 5am. Hopefully she'll be able to spread those times out as she gets a little older so I can just feed her once in the middle of the night. She's only 2 weeks now, so I'll cut her a little slack. We do have a sassy bob running stroller so she can go with me in Dec as I start gradually running again. I'm hoping to join back up with Rogue in January once I go back to work and get on a regular schedule. It'll be interesting to figure out how to get in my run and get myself and Skylar ready to go and get to Lakeway at a decent hour...but we'll see how it goes! Right now I'm just enjoying time with the little one and looking forward to getting back on the road!

pluses: baby :) , lost 22 pounds in 2 weeks

minuses: tired!

i can see the finish line!

So it's been about a month or so since I completely gave up on running. Too much SI pain to make it worth it. Also, I don't "love" running when it always involves feeling out of shape. I like running to feel fast and competitive. Running while pregnant doesn't really give you either of those things. The good news is, the end is in site! Skylar should be here in about 3 weeks. The plan now is to induce on November 20th if things are still looking good. If that's what ends up happening, then I only have 23 more days left!

Post-baby, I'm really looking forward to getting back out on the road. I know life will be much different, but I know I'll find a way to fit running in, even if it's a modified version of how it fit in my life pre-baby. I did pick up a nice BOB jogging stroller yesterday from Angie, so I'm looking forward to using that. I really want to get a race on the calendar so I have a goal and a focus, but it's a little too soon to do that. While I want to come back as quickly as possible, I do need to be realistic and listen to my body. I don't want to end up sidelined with another injury (hamstring) like before.

pluses: things are settling down at work

minuses: tired, sluggish