Kicking off week 38

My "weeks" turn on Saturdays and for the sake of these updates and for simplicity, I've been using Monday through Sunday as a "week".  Since I updated 37 weeks twice I figured that I would just start off week 38 with my goals for the week and and update of the weekend (where week 37 turned into 38).

I mentioned here how week 37 turned into a no workout week into a "let's try yoga again" and see where it goes.  As I had hoped, I was able to make it to the pool on Friday and managed a nice and easy 1850M swim.  I tried to lay out and just relax but it was SO HOT!  Sweat was just rolling down my belly after a few short minutes and being in the pool was a quite the refreshing relief I needed.

I started off with my usual 800M warm up.  200 free, 200 kick, 200 pull and 200 one arm drill. I lost track of my laps and ended swimming an extra 50 for good measure.
I wasn't sure what to do next so I pulled my phone and flipped through previous updates to get a quick workout in my head.  I decided on the 5, 3, 5 stroke routine because I knew that would give me a good cardio workout (take a breath after x strokes).  It looked like this:

2x
200 5
100 3
50 5

Because holding my breath for 5 strokes was REALLY hard, I need extra rest so it ended up looking more like this:

200 5
50 EZ
100 3
50 5
50 Backstroke (catch my breath)
100 5
50 EZ
100 5
50 EZ
100 3
50 5

If you do the math, I swam way more! (900M v 700M for a the main w/o) and then I tacked on an additional 100 as a cool down.  I felt fantastic and I couldn't believe how all my aches and discomforts were completely non-existent while in the pool.  Noticed that for the most part of the workout, I had the pool to myself.  There was one swimmer that came later and I observed him using a snorkel.  He came and went while I continued on with my laps.  A few others joined in towards the ends and one guy even asked me where I bought my "tube".  I thought it odd that in the past I had never seen anyone use one (but me) and now I saw one guy and another wanted to get one.  Recall here and here how I discussed my use of this tool and my goals of letting it go.  Just an observation I wanted to pass along is all...

On Sunday, I had to drop one child off at soccer practice while picking up the other since hubby is coaching them both.  He had the joys of dealing with that miserable heat for...almost 4 hours?! What a champ he is!
Luckily for us, the field is about a half mile away from the house so I decided we'd walk there with the baby in the jogger.  We did just that and I continued walking on the track and then walked back and up again and back (because 1.5 miles seemed too short and not something I would consider a workout.  At 38 weeks pregnant.  Yes, I'm silly.)...When I was 2.75 miles in an about .25 miles from home, I decided to run.  You know...just to see how it felt.

At first if felt a little tight but then it felt good.  My calves got that burning feeling when I start off a run (after not running for awhile) and everything just clicking into gear.  Boy did I miss it!  Before I knew it I was home and I was both sad and glad.  Sad because I had a little more in me to keep going but glad because if I did go more, I'd probably regret that this baby would have an earlier birth date than anticipated. :D

So...by normal update standards, 37 weeks & full term allowed me do jump into yoga, do a complete Masters Swim workout and get a little walk/run in too.  It CAN be done!  And I feel great today to boot too.

Let's see what week 38 has to offer but I already feel accomplished and satisfied thus far.  If I had to plan it out, I'd love to go to my Aerial conditioning class and get a swim in on Friday.  Let's see if I make it that far!

Happy Monday!

~V

Self Talking back to Yoga at week 37

My 37 week post from yesterday served as the start of getting my self talk in gear.  Self talk.  I do this a lot. In fact, as a child I remember being "caught" talking to myself and grownups assuming I was talking to my imaginary friends during play.  No.  I was talking to myself.  As an adult, sometimes I catch myself just running through my "list" of to do's or walking through a problem and its solution out loud.

When I have a lot on my plate and am on stress overload or worried about lots of things, self talk goes into overdrive.  It's almost like therapy.  I talk it out and it helps me rationalize and many times, I figure things out and get a lot of clarity by just getting "out".  Now, don't imagine me being one of those people that is having a full on conversation with herself in the middle of her commute.  Usually, it's just a mumble while sitting at my desk or while folding laundry or in the shower.

In any event, I was thinking about my post last night while hubby had a "boys night" and the kids all were in bed by 9:15.  ALL. OF. THEM. ASLEEP! I found myself with idle time and for a moment, I was going to follow the same 'ol routine...running a load of wash, turning on the dishwasher, showering and watching tv until I had to move the laundry.  But as I walked back from the kitchen and in front of our full length mirror, I thought....hmm.  I wonder what the yoga challenge has been lately and if I can even attempt a pose?

I remembered that just earlier this week, my husband sent me a pic of me doing a yoga pose...maybe a month ago? I was in handstand position with my feet on the wall in an "L" shape.  At first, I thought it was a cruel joke.  "Mocking my inability to move, are you?"  Hubby: "Ha! No...just giving you something to look forward to...a few more weeks and you'll be back at it. :)" Yes, happy face and all.  I smiled and was grateful for this type of exchange.  Grateful that he is aware that I want to "get back at it" and how it's not like me to not move around.  Grateful that he was thinking of me while waiting for a plane. It was a sweet surprise.  

Why DID I stop the yoga challenge?  Was I that busy? That uncomfortable? Was it intentional or did it just go by the wayside?  I can't even tell you where I left off! How long has it been?  What's the new challenge called anyway?  It seems like years ago that I was attempting headstands, arm balances and "Wheel".  So...I sat in front of the mirror and attempted the Wheel. Admittedly, I was afraid to hold it too long but my arms were strong enough to get me up there and my back felt good and my toes automatically went into tippy mode.  I felt my calves tighten and it felt FANTASTIC!

So...I perused this month's challenge.  Last month's was...what was it?  Geez.  I forgot.  Anyway, this month it is #MoveYourAsana.  Ha!  Isn't that fitting?  I did a couple of downward dogs and I started working through the days.
Day 1 - Downward Dog Split, check.
Day 2 - Runner's Lunge, check.
Day 3 - Revolved Side Angle Pose, check!
Day 4 - Warrior, check!
Day 5 - Triangle, check!
Day 6 - Prasaritapaddotanasana, check!
Day 7 - Tripod headstand, um. I put my head on the carpet, started to kick up and thought...Pass.
Day 8 - Anjeneasana, check!

At this point, I am thinking...I am doing this!  But I was uncomfortable driving home.  I was uncomfortable sitting with a "bowling ball" on my lap at work all day.  I was uncomfortable sitting on the couch going through the mail.  I am NOT uncomfortable doing these things.  Ok, carry on...

Day 9 - Standing split, check (as best as I could)
Day 10 - Half moon sugar cane?, check!
Day 11 - Warrior 3, check baby!
Day 12 - "Grab your big toe and stick your leg out"...meh, not too great but I attempted it. Half check.
Day 13 - Standing Bow Pose, check!

Most of those poses are fairly easy and that I am grateful for that since it makes me feel so accomplished! ;) The best news of all is that I was moving.  I was stretching, reaching and flexing to get into the poses and my bump (which is way bigger now) did not seem to be too big of an obstacle.  There were modifications of course but more than anything, it renewed the preconceived notion in my OWN head that "I just can't do that anymore".  Heck yea, I can!

And what's even better?  I just got word that we've finalized our big project at work.  Deadline met before lunch on a Friday?  That means, the pool will be seeing me very soon!  Woohoo!

So, self talk served as a motivator for me this time.  I don't carry a whole lot of useless worry or stress as I used to which is why I had to get it back "into gear".  I don't find myself self talking as much and I think in part, I attribute a little of that to Yoga and what it stands for but mostly for insisting on living a positive lifestyle.  I don't sweat the small things and I tend to block negative energy or just eliminate it from my life as best I can.

Don't be surprise to see yet a third installment of week 37 - the week where anything could happen.

Happy Friday and get movin'!

~V

Full term, baby! 37 weeks!

This is the point of the pregnancy where you say "any day now". Technically speaking, that little muffin is fully baked so if he is ready, he is more than welcome to join us in our family circus. (I on the other hand...)

Exercise has pretty much gone out of the window for me.  Little man has "dropped" substantially, dilation has begun and contractions are a common (but not consistent) occurance.  Needless to say, I am not very comfortable MOST of the time.  This is not to say that I am getting a lot of rest, however.  Rest seems like a luxury that I may just get in...10 years?  Ha, kidding.  Anyway, I don't see it in the horizon anytime soon.

School is in FULL swing and I find myself playing teacher some evenings...whether it's assisting with homework or teaching my kids study skills (which makes me study too...oh, to learn 5th & 6th grade all over again...FUN!) I am working well into the night to make sure everyone is "good".

Now we are adding activities to the plate...so while we had one soccer team to keep up with before, now we have three.  Yes, 3.  My son is doubling up,my daughter is playing...and my husband is coaching both of them to boot! Ah! That officially makes me a "Soccer Mom".  A toddler chasing, very pregnant soccer mom. Get me a minivan.  KIDDING.  (...and not that there is anything wrong with that...it's just not me...and I will fight to the bitter end to avoid it.  Yes, I am that passionate about it.  Judge me.)

There are just a couple days left in week 37 and other than chasing that toddler around soccer fields a couple of times, there are no workouts to be logged in on this update.  There *may* be a glimmer of hope for tomorrow as my BIG deadline at work is coming to a head.  If the timing is right, I may get out to the pool while everyone is still at work/school and see how the laps feel after all this time.  Worst case, I don't swim but at least get some tan/rest/magazine time (even if it's an hour...I'll GLADLY take it).

This week is the week that I finally caught up on reading all those babycenter update emails.  You know, the ones that tell you what to pack for the hospital, how you should be feeling, what fruit size your baby is comparable to and what list of supplies to have at home for your newborn.  This is the same week when I reveled at JUST how far behind I am.  My to-do list gets longer everyday and my days get shorter.  Hospital bag?  Puleeze. (Car seat is still sized for the now 19 month old...uh....yea) :/

I am just thrilled that I managed a pedicure late one evening this week.  I attempted a DIY mani/pedi last weekend with my daughter and let's just say that an over the belly pedi is not something I recommend.  What a disaster and total fail.  I was even embarrassed to walk around the house barefoot.  I couldn't reach my feet to fix it! Good times.

Hopefully, next week my update will include things like "checklist done!" and "rested" and "got another mani/pedi and foot massage"...but if it doesn't, that's fine too.  I am incredibly grateful that this has been such a healthy pregnancy, that I have felt so fantastic the entire way and my husband and kids have been so wonderful.  I couldn't ask for a better family - they make me happy and I love being their circus ringmaster. ;)

~V

30 weeks & another 30 day challenge

My body certainly *seems* ready for baby but my house? My schedule? My BRAIN??  Not so much.  Time has just flown by and it doesn't seem like many minutes pass between the "publish" click and the "write a new post" click in these weekly updates.

I've managed to stay on top of my fitness throughout my pregnancy and although I've gained more weight at this point than I would have expected (with still 10 weeks to go!), I feel fantastic and overall I am pretty confident that I will bounce back to my normal self in no time if I stick with it.  I don't own a scale and have never obsessed or even thought about the numbers I see there on doctor visits (the only time I know how much I weigh), unless it surprises me. It's really relative though, isn't it?  Our image of ourselves is far worse than what anyone sees so really it should be about how you feel, how your clothes fit and how good you feel about yourself.  The "number" has a tendency to skew that perspective and normally, for the worse.  So why bother with that?  I like to see the muscle tone in my quads when I pass a mirror or a slight chisel in my shoulders in random photos rather than what number pops up on the scale. 

So having said all that, I realized that I wanted to work on that muscle tone some more.  With running and biking coming off of the equation and those two types of exercises being what I depended on most to keep my legs in great shape (especially cycling), I've taken up a new challenge.  What the heck.

My friends are doing a squat challenge that seemed absolutely crazy to me (and my knees would concur). The number of daily reps just seemed like a recipe for injury, in my opinion, and one that my body would not respond well to as I know from experience.  The one I have started is put together by Rebekah Borucki. I follow her on Instagram (that thing again?) and she is quite the go-getter. She's a mother of 4, wife, business owner and mostly a great motivator to get moving in the right direction with healthy lifestyle habits.  She has an awesome website filled with blog posts and videos on meditation, yoga exercises, recipes and basically all things to help get you to a "truly, happy, healthy and fulfilled life" via her "Blissed In Network" Check her out here ---> www.Bexlife.com   This is the squat challenge I'm working on now.

http://www.bexlife.com/2013/07/30-day-squat-challenge-giveaway-squatwithbex/

So here's the update for the week before another week has passed me by...my hubby (and #1 supporter of my fitness regimen) has been pulling a crazy work schedule so it's kept me away from some of my "normal" routine while he travels.  My challenges have not been 100% consistent but playing catch up keeps me on track where I end up doubling up or spend extra time practicing.

M - Hubby out - Yoga challenges for Day 22 & 23

T - Hubby out - Off - Math and Reading with big kiddos

W - Aerial Tone at lunch, Day 24 Yoga challenge & Master Swim in the evening.

1500M

WU 800 (same as usual)

400 3,5,6 breath intervals

200 BR

100 EZ free (cut workout short for nephew's going away dinner)

TH - Day squat challenge - 25 + 1.03 plank, Day 25 yoga challenge and practice of Day 26

F - 30 squats, 1:07 plank and day 26 practice

S - 35 squats, 1:03 plank

S - 40 squats, Yoga Challenges Day 26, 27 & 28 (forgot my plank! ah!) - spent the day at water park type resort which kept me walking, climbing stairs and lugging my teletubby body in and out of tubes...THAT was a workout (and a quite a sight!)

Week 29 update from all angles

Looking back at this week from memory, I would say "wow, 3rd trimester got the best of me and I didn't do a whole lot".  By looking at my notepad entry of workouts, however, I'd say I did TOO much!  Why on earth I felt like I was a slacker is beyond me but I am thinking it has something to do with the way I felt physically at the end of the week or better yet, at exactly the time I was thinking back (presently in week 30, that is).

I had a strong week of workouts and I even did a better job of eating fairly balanced meals including morning smoothies with all the power punch ingredients I've never really tried before...coconut oil, kale, chia seeds and a host of different fruits.

I ran out of gas by the end of the week which really skewed my perspective.  But by the looks of things, with good reason...I wore myself out! 

Here's the wrap up:

Monday - 1700M Masters Swim

wu 200 free

wu 200 kick

wu 200 pull

wu 200 1 arm drill

WO 200 5 stroke breath int

WO 100 3 stroke breath int

WO 50 5 stroke breath int

WO 100 easy breast

WO 200 5 stroke breath int

WO 100 3 stroke breath int

WO 50 5 stroke breath int

cd 100 easy free

Day 15 yoga ToeKillerAsana

Practice Day 16 (argh) of Yogangsters challenge (Bhujipadasana)

Tuesday - Travelling daddy = fulltime mama duty after work and welcomed physical rest & no complaints. :)

Wednesday - Pulled a double hedging the ominous rain storms...Lunchtime Aerial Tone (so tough after a couple of weeks off) and made it to MasterSwim to find out it was cancelled but I pulled out a saved workout and made my own 1600M swim plan. :)

w/u same as above total 800M

WO 200 br

3x 50k50p100fast (My son came with me and timed these...made it go by even faster and got a heck of a workout...phew!)

Day 17 (easy leaning tree thankfully) & another try at 16 (ugh! probably not the best to try this after Aerial AND swim...my wrists, arms and quads were toast.)

Thursday - Total recovery day...even went to sleep before midnight!

Friday - Rested for the most part but couldn't help but spend some timecatching up on Yoga Challenge poses Days 18 19 & 20 (High Lunge w Eagle Arms, Prasarita (which I ended up redoing) and the awkard Archer Pose, respectively)

Saturday - Decided to venture out for a "walk" which of course, less than half mile in, turns into a 3.5 run.  I ran to the neighborhood park since this was a "trial" run because 1- it was hot and the park offers partial shade and a water fountain 2- it has a nice new padded track and 3- it's near by so I can easily walk back home if I felt too tired.  I redid Yoga day 19 while there and it turned out to be a nice stretch.

Double perspective with the #Dblcam App

All in all, I felt great during the actual run.  I came home to cool down and rest and realized that the run completely wiped me out.  I felt pretty worthless the rest of the day.  So much so that I was dreading a party later that evening because I didn't know if I could handle wearing my cowboy boots and standing/dancing for an extended period of time.  I wanted nothing more than to just LAY.

I managed a short nap and recovered fairly well...enough to boot scoot with my honey and have a great time...(I did reserve a stool to keep me off my feet as long as possible, though)

Sunday - I was going to pass on the day 21 (Koundinyasana II Variation) challenge because it looked too difficult and because I was both sore and tired.  I downloaded a book, which I haven't done in well over a year and had full intention of reading on the couch and veging out all evening.

My daughter on the other hand, was working on her pose when her dad decided to give it a try.  They took photos of each other and I kept hearing "oh, I can do better, let me try it again"...I found this amusing and it made me quite happy to see them doing this together.  I couldn't let this all go down without at least giving it a try.  Ugh.  It was so hard.  I tried one way and then another and when I finally felt something "click" I knew I could do it in some modified way.  My biggest issue with this pose (aside the fact that I have a baby in me and an additional 25 pounds to contend with) was my wrists.  Oh my goodness, I guess I am in the stage of the pregnancy where are all your joints loosen up and open up because they just plain hurt trying to hold my body up.

I finally got into position but getting that leg up and keeping it there was quite the challenge.  I broke a sweat and I can honestly say that I am still sore from this excerise.  My husband and kid continued with their antics and even started doing some acroyoga moves.  I was terrified but they were both having so much fun.  I honestly can't believe my eyes sometimes to see my husband participating in these things.  It makes me happy, happy, happy. :)

Two photographers = 2 angles...ha!  A face plant or two *may* have occured during this process.

I'm hoping to crack that ebook open during week 30 when I really DO slack off! ...unless I am convinced otherwise.

Happy hump day!

~V

Week 28 update and a shift in gears

This week marks the start of the third trimester and as important as exercise and fitness has been thus far in keeping in tip-top shape ready for baby (and after), drinking plenty of water, nutrition and sleep are equally important.  I've successfully added plenty of water to my daily intake (thankful for the crushed ice machine at work that makes it so much easier) and this week I experimented for the first time with making smoothies and trying KALE! I've been trying to be more cognizant of what exactly I eat and don't eat and am working on getting a routine on that too.  More on that later...

My first Kale smoothie!

The summer months have always been bittersweet for me.  Having the kids out of school and working full time during these short and sometimes long 2.5 months is a difficult thing to balance.  I want them to have all the fun in the world but I am limited to certain hours of the day that I can do those things with them.  Mainly, in the evening after work.  Our bedtimes have been nothing less than midnight as a result and I found that only sleeping 6 hours a night for several weeks straight (when you are use to 7-8) has a way of creeping up on you.  That endless amount of energy seems to suddenly tap out and it kind of feels like hitting a brick wall. The Saturday morning Masters class is hard to make when you wake up after it's over! Whoops!

My exercise regimen slowed a little this week not just because I needed to catch up on my Zzzzz's some but also because some of my options have been pulled from play.  For starters, my evening Aerial Tone class has been temporarily moved to a night that conflicts with Masters Swim.  Secondly, I've cut out running for the time being because it has been so dreadfully hot at the times when I can run.  Not to mention that the lack of sleep has made me too tired to have the desire to lace up when it's that miserable outside as well.  Thirdly, since I had that flat on my bike, I noticed a few days later that the tire is flat again which means that there must be something still stuck in the tire that I must have missed. To add to that, I had some accident filled visions when I started riding last time...you know, the what if scenarios that run through your head in quick second pictures in you brain (or is that just me?) that cause you to be EXTRA cautious? After warming up though, these thoughts go away and the ride is fine but still, you can't ignore that a bike sitting with a flat in the garage combined with these images is not some sort of sign that long distance solo cycling should come off of the list as things to do at 28 weeks pregnant.  I feel perfectly okay while riding in fact I LOVE IT but I am erring on the side of safety for fear of having a freak wreck because my tire gets stuck in a crack or a crazy squirrel runs out in front of me and I lose control.  Better safe than sorry.

Having prefaced this update with all that I'll say that I do intend to maybe add treadmill runs (although I hate those), spin classes or even ride on the trainer (hate that too) as well breaking away and getting the Aerial class in during lunch.  We'll see how I manage that.

Here is the update for week 28:

M- 1500M Masters Swim:
200 Easy Free
200 Pull
200 Kick
200 1 arm drill
200 Breast (a first for me...awkward but different is good)
400 timed free
2 x 50 25breast 25 free
Yoga challenge Day 8 - Kneeling Crescent (an easy one and a great shoulder, back & quad stretch post swim)
T- Yoga Challenges for Day 9 & 10
Revolved Downward Dog & Head to Knee Forward Bend
These both took a lot of warming up and stretching and I'd say we were doing Yoga for a good hour.

 

W- 1500M Masters Swim:
200 free
200 pull
200 kick
200 1 arm drill
100 alternating 25s 3, 5
10 x 25 kick 45RI (full class race) Ahh!!!
6 x 25 alternating 4,5 20RI (the rest of the class was at 8x @ 4,5,6,7,8,7,6,5)
200 easy free
Yoga Challenge - Rooster (I thought this was going to be easy...doing it post swim at a late hour I realized just how hard it was.  I felt like a pretzel most of the time practicing and am absolutely amazed I was able to get off the ground)

TH- Easy stretching and Day 12 Yoga Challenge - Half Bound Extended Side Angle Pose
F- Did some serious Salsa & Merengue dancing at a birthday party with 4" heels. If you don't think dancing is a workout, I'll tell you my quads were still sore from it the next morning.  So yes, it counts!! (plus, waaaaay fun!)
S- Missed Masters Swim but got plenty of sleep.  Hooray! Spent a good amount of time working on Day 13 of our Yoga Challenge - Extended Leg Wheel Pose.  Wow.  What a doozy.  I think I will be coming back to this one quite a bit post baby just so that I can compare improvements.  I got the leg up but only in a headstand position.  I felt like I was pulling a calf muscle so I didn't stay there very long.  (This is likely due to that kick race in swim class).  I was not happy with my regular wheel so I left it for later.

We also got a bike ride in on the new downtown trails later... no one took the mountain bike off the table, right? :)  Side note: I thought this was going to be a leisurely ride but I found that pushing that heavy bike was a heck of a workout especially on my calves (oh, yea...NOW I see a pattern. I didn't realize it at the time, just now as I type it out. Ha!).
Worked on wheel again.  Killing my calves here and hammies too.  Almost felt them pulling while trying to do this again but finally happy with the result (all things considered). I practiced day 14 momentarily - tucked leg Headstand and realized that I was just not into it.  I have zero core control so pushing up and having the wall "save" me was fine by me.  I thought I'd try it again on Sunday.

A little "acroyoga" with the babe while working on the extended leg wheel early in the day and finally happy with a regular handstand Wheel post bike ride. 

S- Slept in and ran errands - complete much needed OFF day. Didn't even bother with the Yoga Challenge. But I did come close to cracking my kid's Fruit Ninja score! Haha! This a challenge that they put upon me the day before that I am DETERMINED not only to beat but also to set a new high score for THEM. :p

Stay tuned for week 29 updates as well as the results of my smoothie experimentation.  I found some yummy and healthy ingredients and recipes I can't wait to share!  Also, stay tuned to find out how this whole Fruit Ninja thing works out.  ;)

Happy Monday!

~V