In case you are wondering . . . .

I'm still alive and very pregnant!

I have 41 days until my due date. Hopefully less days until my actual delivery but I'm not holding my breath!

I haven't run since March 28th. I miss it and can't wait to get back in my running shoes and on the road. My plan is to run the Medical Center Classic 5k on October 31st. It will be 26 days after my due date but I think I can do it. I am sure that I won't run the entire thing but at least being in the atmosphere will get my motivation back! I just don't want to over do it. To those running mommas - do you think this is too early? Should I just walk it and have a good time with friends and precious children?

Oh, in case you don't know. . . . IT'S A GIRL!

Another Giveaway. . .

. . . by someone else. I have nothing to give away but Natalie does!
Go here and enter her giveaway for a deck of Exercise Anywhere Cards.

I really could use all the help I can get to get exercising again so I hope that I win these.

Bib # 8486

That is the bib# I should be wearing tomorrow during the Kentucky Derby Festival Half Marathon. But sadly, I won't be. It will stay in my race packet. . . .and I will have no medal after the race around my neck.

Am I sad? Yes.
Am I mad? Yes.
Will there be more races to run? Yes.

I think I am the most frustrated that I am "not allowed" to run this race because I wanted to run this race with my dear friend Christy. (Who is going to ROCK this half marathon!) But, like I said, there will be more races to run after this bun is done in the oven.

On Monday I will be 17 weeks pregnant. Goodness - where has the time gone? I haven't run in almost a month. The past several weeks have been very busy and I just have not made the time to run. This week was the perfect opportunity to run but my back has been hurting VERY BADLY. (So much so that I could barely walk.) So running was out of the question. But after this weekend my life should calm down and I WILL make time for myself to go out for a run. And I will get over the fact that I am not running my second half marathon on Saturday. It is probably best anyway because the forecast is a 67 at race start time and to about 72 when I would be finishing. The heat would not have been good for me or the baby. So really it is a blessing in disguise and I just need to get over it. I will - just give me some time. I am though going to pick up my packet tonight so I can at least have my $35 t-shirt. Even though I DNS - I will still wear that shirt too!!

A Giveaway

. . . not by me this time but by Chic Runner. She is giving away a $100 gift certificate to Online Shoes.

Check it out!

Nevermind, don't go there and check it out because I want to better my odds of winning! (Just joking. . . . kinda!)

It has been awhile!

I ended up not volunteering for the race last Saturday. I was participating in my church's Easter Pageant last week and I didn't quite realize how exhausted I would be on Saturday morning. Sophie wasn't sure until Saturday morning if she was running or not so I was just going to wait and see what she decided. I got a text from her on Saturday morning at 7:22am that said "I am going to do it. Yikes!" Her knees had really been bothering her so she was trying to make the best decision for her. I told her that I would be there for her at least to see her cross the finish line so I decided to drag myself out of bed and head to the race. Several roads were blocked for the race so I was worried that I wouldn't get there in time. I ended up parking on a side street and running to a spot in the race. When I saw my Sunday School teacher run by (who finished in 1:37:56) I knew that I had not missed Sophie yet. Unless she went by in the medic car. Which I was really hoping that was not the case. I finally saw who I thought was her, and when I saw the blue tape on her knees I knew it was her. I got so excited! I had been standing there for about 30 minutes cheering on the other runners but was very excited to see her running strong that far into the race. The only part left of the race was about 1/2 mile (up hill). I started running with her and it felt great, right up to the point that I twisted my ankle. Oops. We got a big laugh out of it though when Sophie said "I can't carry you!" She finished in 2:11:05 and third in her age division!!! GO SOPHIE!!!! After seeing her cross the finish line and giving her a hug I decided I better get back home. I felt great (and my ankle wasn't hurting yet) so I decided to run back to the car. On my way I saw another friend, Wendy, who was really struggling. I saw her at the same point that I saw Sophie. Wendy said that her legs startling locking up at mile 11. I could tell she was in pain, but she kept running. I couldn't let her go it alone. . . . so I ran with her too. She finished in 2:25:46!!! In an email I received from her she said, "Girl.. you were heaven sent to me on Sat... Thank you so very much. I won't ever forget it. " I am so glad that I could be there to help someone that needed it. I was down in the dumps because I couldn't be out there running it but that really changed my mood!

Speaking of down in the dumps. . . . I still am a little bit. I am frustrated because my brain wants to run and race but my body just won't let me. Besides being pregnant, this week I have come down with some bug that put me in bed for two solid days with a fever. YUCK! It was really hard seeing all the runners on Saturday and knowing that I should have been out there. It just made me want to run! I guess I ended up running a total of 2 miles that day and I felt great. Then Monday my ankle started really hurting me and Tuesday the bug hit. So needless to say I haven't run since then. I want to get out there though. And I need to if I am going to run the 5k I have planned on April 25th. I plan to run the 19th Annual Mountain Mushroom Festival Fungus 5K. I can't wait to see what the shirts look like! How funny!

I had lost a pound at my last doctor's appointment. I was pumped but my doctor wasn't as excited. I have a feeling that after this illness I am currently plagued with I might have another loss on the scale. He will NOT be happy with me. I'll be 14 weeks on Monday. Almost 14 down, 26 more to go! YIKES!

Feeling Better

Almost feeling better. . . . but I am still exhausted.

Ran last Tuesday - 2 miles.

Ran this Tuesday - 3 miles.

On both runs I wore my SPIbelt.
This statement (found on the website):

The SPIbelt does not bounce, ride or shift while running or doing other activities.

. . . is absolutely TRUE!!! I couldn't believe it. I was VERY skeptical in their claims of not bouncing. I just couldn't understand how putting a cellphone in a pocket on a elastic strap and wrapping it around your waist wasn't going to cause some bouncing when you run. And I still don't understand how it is possible, but it is true. So much so that I had to keep checking to make sure it was still there when I was running last Tuesday.

I have a Samsung Eternity phone which measures 4.3"x2.2"x0.5" and weights 3.9oz. (It isn't the smallest of phones.) My phone fits perfectly into the "zippered pocket" with probably enough room for Gu packets and my keys. I was sent an all black one so it blends into my black shorts and isn't noticeable at all.

Don't believe me. . . . order one and try it yourself.

In other news: instead of running the half marathon next weekend here in BG, I am volunteering and will hopefully be working the water station at mile marker 10. I asked to be at the one so that I can run the last 3 miles with my friend Sophie who will be running her first half marathon. For me, the hardest part in my half was the last three miles. (Not saying the other 10 were easy by any means, but you know what I mean.) I am not sure if she really wants me to run with her or not though. I told her to tell me if she didn't want me to and she hasn't yet so . . . .my plan is to run. I hope she can hold out because her knees are REALLY bothering her. She has been running through the pain. When I asked her today about her knees she told me she ordered some Kinesio Tape and put it on her knee. I just hope that she isn't doing more damage by not resting her knees. 13 miles is a long way to run on knees that are, as she puts it, "feeling like they are going to explode". OUCH!

I hope to be able to run tonight when I get home. My husband emailed me today and said he needs to join and gym or get a bike. He feels like crap and his pants are tight. I told him he needed to walk with me tonight. (Of course I will take off and leave him with the stroller for at least a couple miles.) We will see how that goes!

Big News Revealed

Unfortunately, I didn't win the lottery and no I didn't sign up for a marathon (yet), but yes, my second child is on the way!!!

Nathan and I are very excited, though I would be a little more excited if I felt better. That is why my motivation has been lacking for the past 6 weeks. I have been exhausted and sick to my stomach since I found out I am pregnant. More so the exhaustion than the sickness at first. At my first doctor's appointment I explained to my ob that I was training for a half marathon. He looked at me and shook his head no. I tried to complain but he still shook his head no. He said that I can continue to run as long as I listen to my body but he does not want me to train for the half marathons that I was planning to run. (I actually only told him about one of them hoping that he would let it slide.) Basically he doesn't want me to increase my mileage and right now there is no way in the world that I could go out and run 13.1 miles with training and increasing my mileage. If only I had continued to run over the winter. UGH!

So, I am trying to still run. Hopefully in about two weeks I will start feeling better and will want to run more. And the weather should be warming up quite nicely too! I will be happy if I can run about 4 miles three times a week. I think that will be enough without over doing it.

I received my SPIbelt in the mail last weekend but haven't tried it out yet. My plan is to take it for a run tomorrow. I will let you know what I think of it. (I only received one in the mail so no giveaway this time. Sorry!)

Another plan that has been crushed by my pregnancy is the Disney World Marathon that I wanted to run on January 10, 2010. I don't think I could get in marathon shape in just 13 weeks (7 weeks if I obey doctor's orders for the first 6 weeks after the birth). And I won't have any vacation time for a while after the baby is born. I guess that dream will have to wait until 2011!