So Big!

Can you believe our little peanut is going to be one in just three days? It really does go as fast as they say it does. The little guy is stoked for his birthday. Can you tell?

High Hopes

10 hopes about pregnancy and baby #2

1. I hope #2 is a better sleeper than peanut was (pretty much since I've been pregnant he's a champ sleeper--but before that UGH!)

2. I hope I don't gain as much weight this time. Last time I gained ~ 50 lbs.

3. I hope I am able to run more this time. Last time I was able to maintain around 25 - 35 mpw from 13 - 34 weeks. This time I'd like to be closer to 40. Of course, if this happens it will be in a few weeks. Right now I am happy to be running at all!

4. I hope #2's delivery is much easier than peanut's. Labor for less than 2.5 days would be a good start.

5. I hope I can get back up and running as quickly as I did with peanut. It will be summer and I will be itching to get out there! Last time I matched my 5k pr by 7 months (and I was disappointed with that race. Um. Riiiiiight. Seems a little silly in retrospect!) This time, do you think it's possible by 5.5? I hope so!

6. I hope mrp and I make it out for a couple of date nights before baby #2 comes. We haven't been out to dinner alone since before peanut was born. Somehow the magic is still alive. We're resilient that way, I guess.

7. I hope I feel as good as I did last time through weeks 20-34. I loved being pregnant during those weeks last time. I hope I feel the same way this time because these last few weeks have been ROUGH.

8. I hope I get out and run with friends often this winter. I so enjoyed running with lots of new people and making lots of new running friends last time I was pregnant. If you're local and want to hook up for some slow sloggy miles, let me know!

9. I hope I can muster enough winter running clothes that fit so I can run outside all winter.

10. I hope baby #2 is as happy and healthy and wonderful as peanut. Seriously. It's hard to imagine another person being as amazing as my peanut or loving another as much.

Pudding

Now that I'm pregnant I am having a terrible time getting out to run. I only feel up to it in the late afternoon so I have a very short window to squeeze one in. I ran a whopping 20 miles last week and only 12 so far this week. Four miles feels short but at the same time I just don't feel like doing more. The weird thing is that I actually feel good when I'm running, but otherwise I feel horrible. The morning sickness is possibly worse this time than last time. If I can get in at least one nap, I'm ok and even better if I can get two!

After peanut, I swore that if I got pregnant again I would get out and run much more than I did when I was pregnant with him. Now I'm not so sure that's going to happen. I didn't run from weeks 5 - 7 last time, so I'm already doing better this time. However, I honestly can't imagine wanting to run more than 30 mpw right now. Well, check that. I can't imagine wanting to do that pushing a jogging stroller in the cold on the same stretch of bike path day in and day out while pregnant. If I could get out on the trails alone I think I could put in a solid 35-40 mpw. Oh well.

In other news, I am already sporting a rotund middle. Seriously. My mom was over today and laughed at my belly as I lay on the couch in all my nauseated glory. Thanks, mom! I went from tight toned marathoner, to paunchy ambiguously pregnant chick in a week. Crazy!

In other other news, I could really use a job. The teaching gig doesn't pay much and what it does pay won't come until the end of the semester (LAME!) The good news is that I am attending a bunch of seminars this month that I need to keep my law license current so hopefully a little networking will go a long way to scoring some part-time contracting work. I had hoped I'd have an easier time finding something. Worst case scenario it'll just be a year of me not working. Once baby number 2 is 6 months I can probably go back full-time. Ideally, I'd like to hang my own shingle at that time, but the financial situation will do more to dictate what I end up doing. Money stinks. More specifically, crazy student loan debt stinks.

So, I'm off to enjoy some pudding (the only dessert I can stand at the moment) and curl up with a book and my cat while mrp snoozes in the easy chair. Another rockin' Friday night here in mrpandsaltyland!

Maybe Marathons Aren't for Me

I've been mulling this idea over since Akron: maybe I'm not cut out for the marathon. I think physically I could be a good marathoner, but I think my temperament might not be able to handle 3ish hours of racing. I think too much. I really do. I analyze and overanalyze and allow my mind to throw a wrench in my running. My best marathons were my first when I didn't know enough to over-think it and my last when I just didn't care all that much about the final time--I was focused on finishing and closing out the season. When I cared A LOT about the outcome, the times were decent but I was miserable through most of the race. What's the point of that?

In my last marathon I really made a lot of progress towards letting go and enjoying the ride. I wasn't perfectly relaxed or carefree, don't get me wrong! But, for me I did a pretty good job of not worrying too much and living in the moment. For much of the race I had a smile on my face. That's definitely a new development for me!

Besides my temperament, my life just may not be conducive to marathon training anymore. When I wasn't working and was taking care of just one baby running 80+ miles per week was a bit much but doable. But in a couple of months I start my teaching gig and then in June I'll be having another baby. Although, I scored a double BOB at a super price off Craigslist already, I just don't see high mileage in my near future.

Oh but yes, pregnant again! (In fact, I was pregnant during the marathon--I think my slowish times makes a heck of a lot more sense now that I know this.) It's pretty early still,--just about 7 weeks. Like last time, I considered keeping it to myself, but that's not in my nature. I feel like poop, I totally look pregnant already and it's pretty much all that's on my mind. Plus, I would want to share our story if something goes awry. I don't go to see the midwives until the week before Thanksgiving--they're making me wait until 10ish weeks! It's kind of driving me crazy, but kind of not because there's not a whole lot they could do before then anyway. Maybe now we can hear the heartbeat at the first appointment. That would be nice!

Next Best Thing

The next best thing to running my own pr is tracking three friends to huge pr's of their own. I just wish I could be there to celebrate!

Congrats E (3:05!), CV (3:12!) and DD (3:27!)

A Big First

Proof I was relaxed and happy! Well, at least relative to how I usually am in a race. But not bad for mile 15. I didn't look quite so happy at the finish, of course. But hey, this is a good start!

Daydreams

I was laying in bed with peanut conked out on top of me and I couldn't really move. My mind was wandering and I started reflecting on the marathon and suddenly it all made sense.

+ 2:30 because my long runs were not long enough. My splits slowed way down the last 5-6 miles and I was running in the 7:50's and I felt like I had picked it up!--means to me that I was running out of fuel.

+ 1:10 for the pitstop--48 seconds for the actual stop and then 6 seconds for getting back up to speed (not easy at all after stopping at mile 17.75) and 8 seconds each for the 2 miles before hand when I was trying not to go in my shorts!

+ :20 for the numb feet at the start. My first couple of miles were pretty slow. They should have been somewhat slow, but maybe not quite as slow as they actually were with my stumpy frozen feet.

+ 2:00 for the course--I actually think it was slow because of the terrain--it sucks the life out of your legs--but also because it is BORING as hell especially later in the race when it's easy to lose focus anyway. Although, the softness makes recovery quick! I feel so so so good now!

+ :30 for a hairpin turn at mile 20.25. Seriously. It's bad enough to start from a stop at mile 17.75 but try it after mile 20.25. Not cool!

+ 2:00 because of my crazy taper/Akron DNF/life stress, etc.

So that gets me to 3:05:45 which is about what I thought I could do on a good day before Akron. Add 3:00-4:00 for my ego and we get a more reasonable 3:09ish.

Yeah, I know this sounds like a bunch of excuses. I like to think if it as an explanation for the result I am content with. The difference being I am in no way trying to take credit for a result I didn't earn, I am just trying to understand the result I got.