Running and Morning Sickness

I was recently doing some googling around, looking for a support belt to wear while running. I never got one when I was pregnant with LMS, and I thought I should see what my options are. When I was pregnant with LMS my hips were so messed up I was barely able to walk around our small house and sweep up the dust bunnies (wood floors somehow breed dust bunnies); I definitely wasn't doing any running.

One thing I saw mentioned was that some women really liked running while pregnant because it helped with the nausea. I would have to agree- the days I spend some time on the treadmill I feel less nauseous for several hours after. Yay!

Thankfully my doctor said I could keep running as long as it feels good, and it feels good, so I'll keep running as long as I can.

Did you find that exercise helped you with morning sickness?

Briefly Checking In

Once again, I've been incommunicado for a couple weeks. This seems to happen most often when I find myself super busy with other projects- my internet time drastically decreases and my blogging slows from a trickle to a sporadic drip.

I have about two more weeks of busyness (despite my efforts I did not finish all the painting before Christmas), and then I hope to be more regular with my posting.

On the upside, I will have lots of pictures to share from all the painting and remodeling work I've been doing, as well as Christmas photos, GAPS updates, goals accountability and updates, and Disney photos (parks and races).

In the meantime, here's a photo I took while running on a canal towpath Christmas Eve morning. Parts of it were covered with snow and ice, but a lot of it was fairly clear, so while it was colder than I'm used to (I've been doing a lot of treadmill running), I was able to go for a nice four mile run.

I finally found my stride today

don't you wish you were this flexible?

I've been running regularly the last few weeks, doing my standard alternating 5 minutes walking/5 minutes running. I'd be watching the clock on the treadmill, just waiting for the 5 minutes to end so I could walk again.

Today, everything felt good. It felt right. When each 5 minute segment was finished, I wanted to keep running- it felt effortless.

I've been increasing my mileage faster than I should, though, so I decided not to push my luck by running more than 5 minutes at a time.

It's so nice to finally reach the point where running feels good again. It hasn't felt this good in years. I need to make sure I don't get over-zealous and push too hard, too fast, but with my next half marathon just 6 weeks away it is tempting.

 I also like how my workout clothes fit- the 20 pounds I've lost so far really shows. Female-cut technical shirts run a bit small, but now I can wear several race shirts that were too tight in the past. Yay!

Celiac, vitamin deficiency, and shinsplints

photo courtesy of LMS

Several years ago, before we found out I had celiac, I had a very extensive physical done, and my vitamin D levels were low, as was my calcium. They weren't sure why I was low, but ever since I've taken supplements to correct the deficiency.

I read a post awhile ago that was eye-opening. I originally found Pete's blog pre-celiac diagnosis, when I was looking for info on closed ski resorts in Colorado, which he wrote an interesting book about. Once I went gluten free I started reading his blog, which as a fellow gluten free athlete, though I'm nowhere near his level, is quite helpful and encouraging.

Pete says that the athlete they highlighted had bad shinsplints that were caused by low levels of vitamin D and calcium. He goes on to say that this is a common occurrence in athletes with celiac that hasn't been diagnosed. Once she went gluten free her vitamin levels increased, her bones got stronger, and her shinsplints went away.

Hmmm. Sounds like me. Only I'm not a champion runner :)

Seeing the connection between vitamin deficiency (Ca and D) caused by the untreated celiac and shinsplints and stress fractures was good for me. As I've mentioned before, I've had problems with chronic shinsplints since I was in college. I've seen progress recently, which I attributed to the physical therapy I've been doing, but after reading Pete's post, I think it's a combination of the PT and the vitamin supplementation. Years of intestinal damage and low vitamin levels doesn't get undone overnight, unfortunately.

I'm coming up on my 3 year gluten free anniversary this month, but I'm only a couple months past my 1 year "free of everything my body doesn't like" anniversary (less than that if you count from when I eliminated almonds and coconut). I think I've made more progress this past year than in the previous two. I know LMS has improved more this past year. I sorted her clothes a couple weeks ago, and she's finally outgrowing a lot of her clothes. She didn't grow much the last two years, so it's nice to see evidence that her growth is picking up again.

Yay for progress, and yay for progress validated!

2.5 minutes

 

Last week I got the ok from my physical therapist to slowly start adding in some running to my walking on the treadmill. When I say slowly, I mean I can run 30 seconds every 5 minutes. If I'm on the treadmill for 30 minutes, I run a grand total of 2.5 minutes. It's not much, but it's a good start.

Though it's actually quite difficult to only run 30 seconds at a time. Have you ever tried it?

I've found a 5k to do at the beginning of June. At this point, I don't know if I'll be able to run the whole distance, but just getting out and finishing a race will be very encouraging.

You're never to old to play on a jungle gym

image source

Physical therapy kicked my bum today.

The clinic recently bought a Lifeline Jungle Gym XT, and they had me do some exercises with it.
Two exercises laying on my back with my feet in the cradles and my body in the bridge position, and one exercise with me resting on my elbows in plank position with my feet in the cradles.

All I can say is, WOW.

I used so many different muscles at the same time.

The great thing is that if I do the exercises properly, I will strengthen my core and hips, which will in turn help with the imbalances in my legs. And you can use it for so many different exercises- it's not just for strengthening the lower body.

Even though I'm taking longer than I wanted to get back to running, when I do start running again I should be much stronger physically and better able to avoid injury.

Mr M and I had seen an advertisement a couple years ago for the TRX suspension system, but couldn't quite get past the $200 price tag. The Jungle Gym costs half that, and seems to have a few less quirks (according to reviews I read on Amazon). I think we'll soon be the proud owners of a Jungle Gym!

Have you used either product?

Physical Therapy

I haven't talked about my running lately. That would be because I haven't been running :(

After the half marathon my physical therapist re-evaluated everything: watching my gait, comparing left leg strength to right leg strength, etc.

The verdict? I'm very right-dominant, and that's causing a lot of problems within my body. The inequality in the muscles perpetuates problems in my gait, which leads to injuries, which leads to inequality in the muscles.... It's a never-ending, vicious cycle.

So I had to stop running while we focused on strengthening my left leg. I have exercises to do every day and I roll my legs and hips with a foam roller. I'd really like to start running again, but I'm being good. No February race this year, and no March race either, unfortunately. But looking at the big picture makes the frustration worth while. I was foam rolling before the half, and my shins didn't bother me. After 12+ years of shin problems, I'm willing to do just about anything if it means I can run pain free. Being patient and doing my exercises will help me reach that goal.

I've been good and resisted the urge to go running. I have skied twice, but I've been very careful and skied very conservatively so I wouldn't risk an injury. I get to try running for a few minutes when I go in for my PT session this week. Hopefully that will go well and I can gradually increase my mileage.

I finally figured out where to set up my bike trainer- I need to have a place where I can leave it up. I had thought about the basement work room, but since I still need to build our bookshelves, I wouldn't be able to leave it up, which would decrease the likelihood of me actually using it. Then I realized that there's room in the guest room. It'll mean carrying the bike up a flight of stairs, but I won't need to take it down again right away. In any case, I plan on spending some time on my bike soon. If I'm careful about my form, it should help strengthen my leg also.

I can't wait till I can start exercising again in earnest!

My upcoming half marathon

won't be quite what I hoped.

I had hoped for a decent time after training properly for it.

Unfortunately, I hurt my knee before I even got a chance to start my official training plan. I finally started physical therapy last week and my physical therapist is confident I can complete the race.

Last week I was able to do some running and walking without too many problems, but this week I've got a nasty cold and can barely keep from hacking up a lung, let alone spend time on the treadmill.

With the race three and a half weeks away, I guess I'm going with the "better to under-train than over-train" school of thought. My goal is to not get picked up for going too slow- if you can't keep up a certain pace, they won't let you finish.

My Half Marathon Training Plan

Yesterday I woke up at 6:30 am, planning on going for a run. Planning to, until I heard the rain and looked outside and saw it was still dark out. There are some very quiet neighborhoods nearby that I can run in, but I have to run on a narrow road with no shoulders to get there, and visibility isn't that great, so I'm kind of worried about cars seeing me, especially if it's still dark and it's raining.

So instead of going for a run, I put in an exercise dvd and did a 20 minute workout.

Last night I rethought my half marathon training plan. I had planned on running in the mornings before Mr M heads off to work, but since it's only September and the mornings are already getting darker, I don't think that's going to be a good solution for a fall/winter training plan. Summer, yes. Winter, no.

There's 14 1/2 weeks till the half and I found a 9 week half marathon training plan on RunnersWorld.com, so I have 5 1/2 weeks to build my mileage base before starting the training plan. While my original early morning training plan is out, I think my new one should work.

Monday through Thursday mornings we do schoolwork, with extra activities Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday afternoons (we leave right after lunch each day). No activities Wednesday afternoons and Friday is reserved for fieldtrips and other fun stuff.

The training plan calls for 4 days of running with 3 days of rest each week. After looking over the schedule, I figured out a schedule that should (hopefully) work.

Monday

get up early and run on the treadmill (looking on craigslist now) before Mr M leaves for the day

do schoolwork as planned before lunch

Tuesday

get up early and do an exercise dvd before Mr M leaves for the day

do schoolwork as planned before lunch

run around with the kids at soccer practice in the evening

Wednesday

first thing in the morning after Mr M leaves go for a run with LMS in the stroller

come back and do schoolwork, continuing after lunch if needed

Thursday

get up early and do an exercise dvd before Mr M leaves for the day

do schoolwork as planned before lunch

run around with the kids at soccer practice in the evening

Friday

first thing in the morning after Mr M leaves go for a run with LMS in the stroller

then do fieldtrip activities

Saturday

first thing in the morning go for a run without LMS

come back and run around with the kids at soccer

Sunday

rest day

If I'm having an off week, I can skip the dvd workouts and get a little more sleep, and my training plan won't be disrupted. Soccer ends the middle of October, just before the 9 week training plan starts, which will lighten the training load a little. In the meantime, the soccer really is a great workout- playing keepaway with the kids gives some good sprinting opportunities.

It does change the school schedule a little (specifically on Wednesdays), which I had hoped to avoid, but I couldn't figure out any other way to fit the training in.

And here's another reason to change the schedule:
Mr M was leaving for Scouts this evening when he saw a bear (the same one as before?) walking through the trees in our yard. If that bear has decided to hang around the area I'd rather not make his/her acquaitance while on my own.

I especially have no desire to have a run-in with a bear in the early hours of the morning. I carry pepper spray, but I don't carry bear spray. Maybe I should....

Winter running

ice on one of the ponds in our neighborhood

Despite weather in the mid-20s this week, I've actually gone on walks 4 times! Why didn't I manage this in previous winters? I blame it on the frigid arctic wind blowing across the open fields and right through me. All the trees around here block most of the wind, so while it's still cold, I'm not being blown all over and I don't have to deal with the wind chill factor.

Monday: 1.5 miles
Wednesday: 2 miles
Friday: 2.5 miles
Saturday: 3 miles

No running yet- I haven't run since the race on Thanksgiving, but the walks feel good.

How does LMS stay warm? I bundle her up, wrap a warm fleece blanket around her, then put the water proof rain/snow cover on the stroller which blocks any stray wind and keeps her body heat in. She stays nice and toasty :)

Good hard run

Today I did 4.5 miles, and I ran a little more than 3 of those miles. It kicked my bum! It was a bit cooler (70's) than it has been (90's+), but still hot and humid, and I can tell that I still have a ways to go to get in shape.

Admittedly, I am running up and down lots of hills while pushing a 4 year old in a jogger, but I'm still not in shape. I think I need to start using my inhalers again, too :(  I hate being dependent on medication, but I could tell I wasn't getting enough oxygen, so I'll have to use them.

I've got 3 weeks till the 4 mile race, and I'd like to run the whole thing, so I need to start ramping up my training. I'd also like to start increasing my weekly mileage so I can run a half marathon in November.

Today I ran a mile

It's been a really long time since I ran a mile without stopping, especially while pushing LMS in the jogger. I can't say I was fast, but I did it. And aside from being very sweaty and out of shape, it felt good.

I've got just over a month till the four mile race, so I need to focus on getting my mileage up and making sure I'm prepared. Today was encouraging.

Off-road running

Thursday we went off-roading on our walk. It's beautiful out here. The view looking forward:

The view looking back:

I did run for short distances, which reminded me how much I enjoy running on dirt trails, especially if they're flat :)

I finally replaced the battery and recalibrated my pedometer, so I have a fairly accurate idea of how far I'm going now.

Saturday I went for a 3.5 mile walk, and managed to run about 1.25 miles of it. I broke the run up into four different sections, and it was definitely a good workout.

I'm sticking to walking/running three days a week, even though I am tempted to run more- it feels good to finally being running again, but I know if I push it too hard, too fast I'll just end up injured again. I really don't want that to happen.

I found some off road trails

Last Wednesday I finally went for a walk. It had been a couple weeks since the last time I went and it was nice to get moving again. We went about 3.5 miles and found some unpaved trails that were mostly nice, but a little rough in a few places. Good thing we have a BOB stroller! It handled everything with ease, even if I didn't- I'm definitely out of shape.

I need to start exercising in earnest. If I don't, and even if I do, I may not be ready for the marathon in September. I really want to be running, but I also want to be running without pain, so I can't push too much too soon.

I thought about getting up early and going for a run before Mr M gets up, but we have some schedule changes coming up, so that will only work in the short term. Going for a walk after LMS gets up, has breakfast, gets dressed, etc means we usually don't leave the house till 9 at the earliest. Mr M comes home for lunch at 11, so by the time I've done my walk, showered, changed, etc, it's time to get lunch ready and the morning is completely gone. This is a big part of why I haven't gone for walks for a while now- I'm trying to get stuff done, and I can't do it all.

Guess I'm going to have to figure out how to work around that.

I've made good progress on the sorting and purging, but still have some more to do. If I could just get all the stuff sold, I'd be good. Anyone need any random baby stuff?

Two current major goals

The first is to get my mileage back up. I'm struggling a bit with this one. There's great walking trails here, but there are no mile markers, so it's hard to know how far I've gone. I like to quantify things, so I'm not liking that so much. I finally found a battery for my pedometer, but I still need to recalibrate it before I can use it. I'm also struggling with low energy levels. I've been moving boxes and bins around, unpacking, sorting, finding places for things, and it's very tiring. Added to that is the nasty cold I had the last couple weeks which is finally mostly gone and the Easter candy I ate (I've really got to stop eating candy all together, sugar is just causing too many problems) and random food allergy problems (still not sure what exactly is triggering it), and I just haven't been feeling that great lately.

The second goal is to get everything unpacked and put away as soon as possible. I'm making good progress on this one, but I'm at the point where I have to start getting rid of a lot of stuff, so I've also started listing things on craigslist. Hopefully everything will sell quickly, but in the meantime the items are still here, taking up space. I love decluttering! Well, I love the results. The process can be stressful.

Weekly mileage report, week 9

Monday-
Tuesday-
Wednesday- walked about a mile or so with Mr M and LMS
Thursday- walked about 2 miles with LMS in the jogger. discovered just how close we are to the pool, a grocery store, and the preschool I want to send LMS to in the fall.
Friday- walked about 3 miles
Saturday-

Total miles week 9:  6+
Total miles week 8: 4+
Total miles week 7: 6
Total miles week 6: 3+
Total miles week 5: 10
Total miles week 4: 12
Total miles week 3: 9
Total miles week 2: 6
Total miles week 1: 3

sun behind the trees, caught while on our walk

Weekly mileage report, week 8

Monday- have been feeling very crummy still, unpacked two more cubes though
Tuesday- still feeling crummy- really phlegmy
Wednesday- still feeling yucky
Thursday- unpacked the jogger Monday, went to use it today, only to find the tires flat. took LMS on a walk still, but went at her pace. did about a mile, I think. also unpacked the last cube.
Friday- Mr M inflated the tires last night, so we walked about 3 miles
Saturday- didn't walk other than during a long grocery shopping trip (exhausting!)

Total miles week 8: 4+
Total miles week 7: 6
Total miles week 6: 3+
Total miles week 5: 10
Total miles week 4: 12
Total miles week 3: 9
Total miles week 2: 6
Total miles week 1: 3

Weekly mileage report, week 7

Total miles week 7: 6
Total miles week 6: 3+
Total miles week 5: 10
Total miles week 4: 12
Total miles week 3: 9
Total miles week 2: 6
Total miles week 1: 3

yes, we lived on crappy country roads, and yes, LMS dressed herself

Weekly mileage report, week 6

Monday- intended to walk, even though it was cold and snowing, but decided not to- good thing since the guy picking up the storage container didn't call before coming- just showed up- and I may or may not have been home by then if I'd gone for a walk
Tuesday- on the train
Wednesday- on the train
Thursday- walked about 2 miles
Friday- walked a little with LMS (don't have our jogger right now, so things are more difficult right now)
Saturday- walked all over Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's house), but I didn't have my pedometer on, so I don't know how far we went

Total miles week 6: 3+
Total miles week 5: 10
Total miles week 4: 12
Total miles week 3: 9
Total miles week 2: 6
Total miles week 1: 3

cool old truck on one or our routes (before we moved)

Weekly mileage report, week 5

Monday- ran errands, almost went for a walk when I got back, but it was too cold and windy- I wussed out.
Tuesday- walked 3 miles in the cold and wind
Wednesday- walked 4 miles and got snowed on a little bit- it was just a passing flurry
Thursday- didn't walk- just too exhausted- too many late nights combined with lots of heavy lifting
Friday- got a really good workout moving boxes into the truck then moving them into the cubes
Saturday- even though I was tired and sore, I did get out and walk 3 miles

Total miles week 5: 10
Total miles week 4: 12
Total miles week 3: 9
Total miles week 2: 6
Total miles week 1: 3

the view- I'll miss this