Future Places to Run

Since the weather has been nice lately, one of the things I've been doing with Baby (who shall be referred to as "W")  is taking her on a tour of her future running routes. Our first stop was the running mecca in nyc: Central Park. After picking up a (decaf) starbux latte, we headed to the park and I pointed out the main loop. W seemed content in the peaceful oasis and drifted off to sleep, perhaps dreaming of running? I enjoyed my coffee while chatting on the phone.

Today was even more gorgeous - one of those perfect sixty-something degree days with sun and a light breeze. This time we headed to Riverside Park so I could show W the alternative --a particularly good choice when she wants to up her mileage on flat ground. Of course, we needed a picture for this adventure too. 

As far as exercise goes, all I've been doing is these little walks. I find that it's helpful to get out of the house at least once a day for a walk or an errand. Some days I've had to contend with April showers, but for the most part, I've been getting out and about with her. And since New York is really a small world, we've been running into lots of people we know, and W is expanding her social network at a rapid pace ;) 

She's also had some visitors, two of which have running blogs. jb24 and D10 visited the other day so I thought I'd include this pic. 

Other than the walks and the visitors, W celebrated her first Easter yesterday. Mostly this meant I dressed her in something cute that actually fit (few outfits do at this point, most are too big) and she posed for some pictures with her Easter basket (note: she did not eat any candy..at least not that I know of..). 

Baby Runner Girl has arrived!!!

My weekend didn't exactly go as planned. I expected to cross off a lot of things on my "pre-baby" to-do list. I did not expect to cross off "actually have the baby." But on Sunday, April 10, she decided it was time, and that meant it was time ;)

I'll be brief on the labor/delivery details, but I will say that when you don't expect to go into labor (wait, I still have 2 weeks!), it certainly adds an element. My water broke Saturday night and by Sunday morning I was in the hospital. I looked at this whole labor/delivery thing as an athletic event. I had no choice but to get to the finish line. I guess all those years of National Ab Month paid off, since I was able to push her out in a short time. She is a cutie!! It's still so hard to believe that I now have a baby - the same one who was kicking and moving and hanging out inside me for all those months. I cannot stop looking at her!

My mom's theory on why she was 12 days early is that she wasn't happy about the lack of running. She was bored just sitting around and figured it was time to see the world. I agree. I also think she's smart enough to know that the sooner she gets out, the sooner she can get in that baby jogger! I also like the fact that she picked the day of the Scotland 10K in Central Park AND the Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago for her birthday. I was kind of hoping she'd be born on Boston Marathon Monday, but she wanted to pick a race I had actually run, which was perfect, just like her. In addition, my friend C of Team Stick reminded me that exactly one year ago I ran and PR'd in the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler, so I guess there's lots of quality running events associated with the birth of my first born. Leave it to me to point them out ;)

As for my current state of fitness, the good news is I certainly don't look like I was just pregnant. The belly was pretty much gone with the baby. It's so weird seeing the missing baby bump. I'm also pretty weak and feel like I have no muscles. My back has been hurting nonstop since the delivery. Luckily I can pop any kind of pill I like. Since I didn't really know what to expect re: childbirth, I feel like I had it on the easy side. The hardest part was worrying about my baby and whether or not she'd be ready for the outside world given her small size and earliness.

I have six weeks of recovery ahead of me, so the running will be on hold for a while. There may be more talk of "running after baby" than running on the roads. Be warned.

Last Run...for now

After almost 37 weeks of pregnancy, I have run my last pre-natal run. Though I am disappointed that I must put running temporarily on hold, I am certainly okay with it and know it is best for my baby (and probably me, too--running is not easy at nine months pregnant). In fact, I feel lucky to have run this far into my pregnancy! The decision to stop was not entirely mine. I was advised by several doctors to "take it easy" and "be less active" during these last few weeks. I asked one doctor for specifics, since the definition of "less active" to a runner can be so ambiguous, and her answer helped me see clearly see that giving up running for the duration of this pregnancy was in our best interests.

Here's a look at my monthly mileage while pregnant:
August: 116 miles
September: 35 miles
October: 35 miles
November: 41 miles
December: 32 miles
January: 46 miles
February: 29 miles
March: 27 miles
April: 0 miles
Grand Total of miles logged with baby on board: 361! 

Even I am impressed by this ;) I enjoyed each and every mile and vow to ease back into this after baby is born. There is no need to rush recovery (as I have often learned the hard way in the past).

So now what?? If I want to continue to blog about running without actually running, then I have to be creative. Luckily, running is still a big part of my life even when I'm taking a break. For example, yesterday was the MORE Half Marathon. In the past I've paced the MORE half for women (2007 and 2009), but this year I was a spectator. I was mostly there to cheer on a good friend who was running her first half ever, but I was also excited to encourage the Flyer pacers. It was a perfect day for running, and I stood on the sidelines with Flyer photog BC waving, chatting, and cheering.

runners on the west drive

BC even got a pic of me hanging out..umm literally ;)

My friend did great, and it was really fun to see so many Flyers I haven't seen in ages. Spectating really was a blast!

I'd like to end this post with a picture I find hilarious. This was taken last week when my best friend and I were shopping for baby stuff. I got a phone call during our excursion and felt like playing ball while I chatted (I am rarely idle, you understand).  Picture, if you will, a nine-month pregnant chick continuously dribbling a ball one-handed between her legs. That is what I was doing. My friend snapped this pic when I caught the ball after successfully bouncing it through my legs (hence the blurry hand). I find it funny that my belly closely resembles the ball ;)

playing ball in the store