exercise update and other stuff (noelle here... again)

I am maintaining the blog. And then this is it for me, because it's starting to get lonely around here without you guys making yourselves heard. Just posted a status update on my own blog. See here, if interested:

exercising while pregnant: 23 weeks

So okay. A little update on the food/weight loss issue. I thought it would be good to let you know that (according to the American Council on Exercise) we actually need to exercise at moderate intensity for about 420 minutes a week (that's 7 hours a week of moderately intense exercise - or equivalent to a brisk walk) in order to maintain a healthy body weight. However, running can be considered higher intensity, so it might be safe to say that 3 1/2 hours of high intensity exercise (such as jogging/running) each week will maintain a healthy body weight. But how we feed our bodies constitutes the majority of what happens to our bodies. To me, "diet" is a four-letter word. Starving ourselves only puts our bodies into "famine mode" and being the good Mormons that we are, we (ahem) "store up." It's the natural consequence. (See? Even nature believes in emergency preparedness.)

But now I hate meal plans. I don't stick to them, and food needs to be convenient. But the best advice I ever heard from a nutritionist friend was: "Eat 7 to 8 servings of veggies and fruits each day and drink at least two glasses of water first thing in the morning." I try to always keep apples and bananas on my kitchen counter and I prepare a green salad (with romaine lettuce and whatever other vegetables I might have lying around - broccoli, cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, etc.) at the beginning of the week and put it in a large ziploc bag to be eaten throughout the week. Plus, Bruce always likes to eat a salad with his meal every night. Whether we had salmon or chicken the night before or I feel like making some hard-boiled eggs, then I can easily throw a few ounces over the salad with balsamic vinaigrette and there's lunch.

Of course, last week I had apple pie for lunch two days in a row and nothing else. But you know what? I felt really good about it, and in the end, that's all that matters. Moderation in all things, I say.

p.s. Less than six weeks until we rendezvous on a trail in Provo in sports bras and running shoes. Can. not. wait. Those of you leaving this week? I already miss you.

new tunes (noelle here)

I put together a new playlist last night. If you're interested...

Put Your Hands On Me - Joss Stone
American Woman - Lenny Kravitz
Please Don't Leave Me - P!ink
Beautiful Girls - Sean Kingston
Wonderful Night - Fatboy Slim
Check Yes Juliet - We the Kings
Love the Way You Lie (feat. Rihanna) - Eminem
Hip Hop Is Dead - Nas featuring Will.I.Am
Diva - Beyonce
Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys) - Jay-Z
All the Above (feat. T-Pain) - Maino -------------> Love this beat so much for a run.
Cobrastyle - Robyn
Sweet Dreams - Beyonce
When I Grow Up - The Pussycat Dolls
I Don't Care - Fall Out Boy
Don't Stop Believin' - Glee Cast version
Only You (Extended Twist Mix) - Captain Jack
Animal - Neon Trees
The Sun Always Shines on TV - Milk Inc.
Starlight - Muse
Here (In Your Arms) - Hellogoodbye
Love Story - Taylor Swift
Be My Baby - Glitzzi Girlz Band
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) - A*Teens
Who's Got Your Money - Tina Parol
Somebody To Love - Glee Cast version
Zero Gravity Love - Freeworm
My Game - Darude
Big Girls Don't Cry - Nick Skitz
Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis
Angel - Natasha Bedingfield
Say (All I Need) - OneRepublic
Famous Last Words - My Chemical Romance
James Bond Theme - Moby
Heaven Is A Place on Earth - Becky Baeling
In Love With You - Freestylers
I Like the Way (Radio Edit) - Bodyrockers
Runaway - Cascada
Worn Me Down - Rachel Yamagata
This Kiss - Faith Hill
Switch - Will Smith
Only You - Train
Forca - Nelly Furtado

I'm sure I'll put together a new one in another month... just in time for our media maraton. xo.

to eat or not to eat

Angie here.

I just read Marianne's post from Monday, and I also felt like I had to confess. Is this turning in to more of an "overeating runners" blog than we first had anticipated? I, too, thought that running would just make the fat melt off my body. After all, you burn an amazing amount of calories, right? So why the weight gain? (Only a few pounds, mind you.) It's definitely the eating habits.

I'm positive that most of it is mental. "Oh- I ran 6 miles today- I can eat whatever I want" pops into my head at least once a week. Most of the time those thoughts stay in my subconscious, but they're there, and they're real.

After dieting it up for a few weeks in May ( I allowed myself to eat what I wanted, but only about 1500-1700 calories a day), I learned something important. I ran out of energy early on my runs for those weeks. I tended to cut the runs short, and to walk when before I would have run. The fact of the matter is that we DO need to eat more calories to sustain our heavy workouts, especially if we're training like we should- the problem is that we tend to eat the naughty foods more than we do healthy ones. And when it comes to that- I'm absolutely no help.

But if you need any advice on how to carb-load the day before the race (or any other day of your lives, really), I'm only a phone call away.

Food for thought: I weigh 150 pounds. The reason I tell you that is because that qualifies me to run in the "Athena" category of marathons- where the 150 + people rank. Surprisingly enough, I came in second on that list in last week's half marathon! I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing- but maybe, also subconsciously, I eat to maintain my girth so that I can set records as an Athena.

So, is this the look we were trying to avoid!? =)

Eating Tips

Marianne here:

So, let's get straight to the matter. My running is coming along and is on schedule. My little watch thing says that I burn around 550 calories every 6 miles. So you would think that my weight would be dropping like a brick . . . NOT! The easy way out is to say that I'm building sooooooo much muscle that my weight stays the same.

But the reality is that I can exercise all day long, but I can't get my eating under control. Every day I wake up and say that today is going to be the day that I refrain from eating all that stuff you are supposed to avoid. And then every night I vow that tomorrow will be better. Like today, for instance. I'm having the missionaries over for comida - so after I ate my healthy oatmeal, I started making chocolate chip cookies to give them a taste of home. Big mistake. It is now 1:30 pm and all I've eaten is cookie dough without chocolate chips, cookie dough with chocolate chips and cooked cookies. This is confession big time.

Who out there has discipline tips? Ways to stay on a healthy eating plan? I'm thinking my only option is to not buy ANYTHING that isn't a fruit, vegetable or protein and make my family suffer right along with me. Little S is going to able to last about 30 minutes if that.

Calling out an S.O.S.
Marianne :)

Persuasion (Annie here)

So this is conversation between the good running angel and the lazy devil's advocate that went on inside my head on Saturday morning. It was 6am, the alarm was sounding, and I was planning on running 7 miles.

It's time to get up! Time to run!
I don't want to.
Come on. You need to train.
I want to sleep.
But if you sleep, you might not be able to finish on Aug 7. How embarrassing!
But if I don't, I might get sick and then I won't be able to train at all.
Pleeeeease? You can eat cake tonight if you run.
You know I'll eat cake either way.
But if you run, you won't feel guilty going for that second piece.
. . . aaaaand I'm up.

Maybe that line of thought will help you beat your own morning blues:)

As for my run, the first 5 miles were REALLY hard. My legs were heavy and my lungs were tired. I was convincing myself that I would be an utter embarrassment on race day when I hit mile 5 and all of a sudden, I felt fine. I felt like I could run forever--not that I could run super fast or anything, but at least I started enjoying it! I was listening to a mix of Jack Johnson, Elton John, and Jason Mraz, which was a nice departure from the usual boom-boom-boom of my workout playlists. It made for a pleasant morning and I finished before the temp reached 90. Loved those last couple miles.

How about you? How do you convince yourself to get up and go when you really don't want to?

slower and slower she goes (noelle here)

I hate it. I just really hate the rapid weight gain of pregnancy. Four miles was really, really hard this morning. I made tacos for dinner last night and realized that is one of the things I just really shouldn't eat the rest of the pregnancy. I woke up feeling awful and wanting to throw up but not wanting to throw up. Appetizing, right? But I made my body get up at 5:30 anyway. The legs were resisting like lead stumps, but I knew that once I got over my initial inertia, it would be easier to be in motion. Law of physics.

I "brisk walked" the first half mile. Please warm up, body. Please warm up, I said to myself. It took me 8 minutes to walk the first half mile. 8 minutes! Ay me. I guess it wasn't a brisk walk. More of a slow handicapped waddle around the first loop. As I made my way around to where everyone begins the course and is hanging out stretching, there were the usual stares at my belly. It's just so attractive. Especially with my bright white maternity belt highlighting my condition. Classy.

But hey. The nausea had passed. So I started to jog and kept an eye out for my first "victim." When I run, I have to pass someone. Like, I have to. It's a psychological/pathological thing. But pretty much everyone these days is a whole lot faster than me, so it took me a while, but I finally found him. A probably 80-year-old man doing a slow shuffle to the right of the path. I made my move and jog-waddled past him. Success. Next up... a lady doing her jog thing. Passed her, too. I go around the loops doing this over and over. Who can I pass? Who can I pass? I know it's juvenile and ridiculous, but I can't help it. Stupid habits die hard. (But thanks, 80-year-old man, for continuing to validate my self esteem).

I also have this superstitious habit of skipping up to swat low-hanging tree branches or leaves as I run by. I would do this during my cross-country meets at the mile markers, because... well, who knows why. What a waste of energy, but it's like it's involuntary. It's getting harder and harder to, uh... skip up. But again. Stupid habits die hard. So if you see me on the course, heaving my ginormous self up to swat tree branches, well... now you know. I have issues.

So dearest friends. Anyone else with weird running habits? Or am I alone in my principles? I guess it wouldn't be the first time...

Needing a PuSh!

This is Lauren. Remember me? I am one of the ladies that first started this hoop-la. Well, I have a confession. I am a total slacker these days. I have not run in a week. What is my deal!? I think I am thinking I am busy with moving but really ... not so much.

So, today I am pledging my re-commitment to this race.

I, Lauren Marie Childers Thorley, do commit myself to the Provo River Half Marathon... again.

Now, I am off to run.

Holla.

PS Anyone else HATE running on treadmills? I will be happy to be back in the USA so I can run in clean air, more level ground, safer neighborhoods, and less elevation. Of course, it will be a lot hotter and humid in DC. Can you believe I ran 10 miles on a treadmill in my training for my last half?! I can't even believe it myself and I was there! I hope not to repeat that ever.

From Annie

Ok, here's a little something to nibble on. I've been diligently training, pleasantly surprised by how long I have followed through on something I decided to do. You ladies have given me some much needed peer pressure. I really hope I can last until August! Today I ran 4 miles in Austin, which is a super town and an even better place to run. I still haven't been able to run without stopping for a breather here and there, but at least I am checking it off my to-do list! The only possible way to run in the hotter-than-Hades land of Texas is to leave before 7am. Luckily E's sister and her family has moved in with us for the next few months, so I can leave before the kiddos wake up, even when E is out of town (which is pretty much always). I thought it would be too brutal, because I have NEV-ER been able to exercise that early in the morning. . . but I actually kind of like it. Don't get me wrong--I still contemplate murdering my alarm clock every morning, but I eventually drag myself out of bed and after my run I feel really good about myself, PLUS it doesn't take up my whole day.

Questions: What do I do to not feel totally exhausted by 3pm? Should I be following a special diet? And does anyone else get blisters on the ends of their longest toes after a long run? I got some new running socks today, so hopefully that helps. Oh, and serious chafing going on. I don't think I can run in shorts. The thunder-thighs vote no. Any help on that? Because like I said, it IS hot in the heart of Texas!

Love you all and go run!

Fine... here is my (amanda's) post.

What have I been doing you ask?

Mainly digging through my basement trying to get this house organized while taking liberal breaks to watch episodes of Glee.

Since Josh is out of town the only exercise I have been able to fit in happened today. I walked 1 mile, in flip flops, pushing Z in a stroller to pick up Josh's car from the shop.

There you have it folks. I know. Super inspiring.

speak up!

Angie here. Is anyone else worried about the lack of posts from so many of our chilangas? Could it be that the motivation has already been lost? Or are they kicking butt in silence? I need to hear from you ALL, ladies- you motivate me and make me want to be better.

Marianne

O.k. - that is my post right below. Marianne writing here. I'm embarrassed to keep revealing my technical difficulties. While I'm rambling, any progress on t-shirts? My sister says the Salt Lake Running Company will make customized, dry-fit t-shirts. Let me know if I should have her look into it.

MM :)

Monday, June 7th

Hi all you 1/2 marathon ladies. Just to set the record straight, I ran with Noelle at 6:00am on Saturday and I was working to keep up with her. She's amazing! We did our 5 miles and I felt great.

So I ran again today, Monday, and every step felt like moving a mountain. Am I regressing? I thought you were supposed to get stronger the more you run. It was all I could do to push through it and that is with the help of the self-appointed trainer, Jaime, at the sope. Anyone want a trainer - Jaime wants to train - anyone? Anyone? He's been yelling out tips to me- "guerita" for 3 years now and Saturday, I finally talked to him "officially" with Noelle. He'll train you even if you don't want to be trained!

Anyway, I hope Thursday's run will be easier. Who wants to join me Thursday at the sope - ? I promise I will be there Noelle. Rain or shine or extreme fatigue - I'm there.

SLUUUUGGGG!!

I felt like a total slug out there today! I don't know if I didn't eat right this week or what. So glad I'm done. One week until the Utah Valley Marathon. I hope there is magic in that mountain air, cause I'm going to need it:) How did everyone else feel today? -Lisa

exercising while pregnant: the beginning and week 20

*Noelle here. Obviously. I posted this on my own blog today and thought I'd bring it here for any Lomas Ladies who plan on getting pregnant after this half marathon madness and want to continue remaining active. Sorry... it's long!


This post is only for people who care to know. Everyone else, if you're over being pregnant ever again and/or have no interest, feel free to ignore.


Week 20. I know I said I wouldn't post belly pics, but this is for the sake of communicating information in a realistic light. Obviously, I am not a small-bellied pregnant gal. If you are when you are pregnant, don't talk to me.

I have always exercised throughout my pregnancies. I love to exercise and be fit and let's face it... life is just easier when you have some muscle and endurance. And maybe knowing that you have to stand in front of 35 people in tight clothes and a mic to teach a class a few months post-partum is motivation enough to stay in shape. As an instructor and a motivator within a group fitness class, it is important that I am physically fit. I generally need to be the one in the classroom with the best form, the greatest endurance (to be able to talk/yell while doing the moves) and with an ability to lift a role-model weight without giving into fatigue.

I've always enjoyed being physically active (thanks to my parents who are great role models of staying physically fit). I grew up taking dance classes (ballet and jazz), and in high school, I ran cross country and track. When I got to college, I joined a gym. I was at the kickboxing classes so often that finally one of the instructors said to me, "Noelle, you're always here. Why don't you just get paid to be here?" That makes sense, I thought. So my group fitness career began, and I continued teaching and exercising throughout all my pregnancies.

I thought I would chart my running progress on here with Baby #4, because when I was researching other moms who might have run/walked half marathons while pregnant, I couldn't find too much information - or at least not the information I was looking for. So here is me, charting my progress:

The Beginning

I am not one of those moms who is super tiny and barely shows when she is pregnant. I pop out at two months and there is no looking back. I am 4'11", and there is no way to hide baby. Pre-pregnancy, I was running about 12 miles a week and teaching/taking classes inbetween (BodyPump - weight lifting class; BodyCombat - kickboxing/martial arts based class; BodyFlow - yoga/tai chi/pilates based class). This is my fifth pregnancy (I miscarried during my fourth pregnancy at 9 weeks about 7 months ago). I know in my heart that my miscarriage was not due to my exercise regime and that it was simply nature taking its course. I do think that the most important things to consider while exercising while pregnant are overheating, over-exertion and dehydration. But if you were fairly healthy without any previous history of problems before and take great care to hydrate yourself before, during and after exercise and not push yourself to the point of over-exertion, then I feel there is no reason why you cannot continue to exercise throughout pregnancy. In fact, there are so many benefits to exercising while pregnant, not the least of which include: a larger, more efficient placenta/blood circulation/oxygen intake for you and baby than most, a body prepared for the marathon of labor/delivery, and a quicker ability to return to pre-pregnancy shape (though elective surgery might be the only way to ever get rid of that extra skin! Ugh.)

I have never been sick throughout my other pregnancies, but this fifth one had me retching like a cat with 50 hairballs through the first trimester. Fatigue was always a serious problem with my other pregnancies, but getting through one hour without running for the porcelain throne was the main culprit in keeping me from maintaining my regular exercise schedule those first three months. It was hard to make myself get out the door, but when I did, the fresh air helped. (Well, as fresh as you can get in Mexico City, right?).

Week 20

At 20 weeks, I am 36 inches around and have gained almost 4 pounds. I am also running about two minutes slower than I used to (I would invest in that beautiful Garmin 305 if it wouldn't be so depressing to watch my time fall and wear physical evidence of how slow I am getting.) With exercising while pregnant, I constantly have to make adjustments as my capabilities change so fast - even from week to week as baby grows from week to week. This was my exercise schedule this week:

Monday: Ran 40 minutes and taught a BodyFlow class.

Tuesday: Ran four miles. Stretched for 15 minutes.

Wednesday: Did the elliptical for 30 minutes and lifted weights (squats, chest, back, triceps, biceps, lunges). I generally do less weight and longer reps.

Thursday: Ran four miles. Stretched for 15 minutes.

Friday: Nothing!!!

Saturday: I will do five miles. We'll see if I need to start walking at all.

The first mile of my run is the hardest and my legs feel like dead weight. I have found that it is better for me to start with a 5-minute brisk walk to warm up my muscles and then gradually set into a jog/run. After about a mile-and-a-half is when I find my rhythm and can set into a comfortable pace. Sometimes after a run, I will feel some pain in my pubic symphysis, but it helps if I go back to the brisk walk for 5 minutes afterward to help my body cool down. I want to be especially conscious of this pubic symphysis pain, because though it is normal for it to separate during pregnancy, I don't want to cause permanent damage there and have my pelvic bones totally separate. I feel greater soreness in my thighs and hamstrings and some soreness in my ankles and knees then I did a month ago, which I think is from the extra weight and shift in my center of gravity. I have been using the Gabriella Maternity Belt, which Bruce brought back from the States for me this week, and I really love it! It is helping to hold in my belly and lessen my need to pee!



I can't stress the importance of stretching enough. Though you want to be careful not to overstretch (as our ligaments loosen with the advent of pregnancy and can lead to overstretched, inflamed ligaments). But stretching and maintaining flexibility is what helps prevent injuries. You know that feeling in the morning when you stretch your body before getting out of bed? It feels so good, right? When we take the time to stretch after a great workout, we are giving our body its reward for working hard and it is the perfect time to take advantage of lengthening those warm muscles. While stretching, I think more about lengthening my spine rather than rounding it out, and I also try to maintain an open chest. I generally hold each stretch for about 20-30 seconds, using my breath to exhale into the stretch and sink into it a little deeper. Very effective.

Anyway, I'm going to try to give updates as I go along and maybe this will help someone who wants to continue staying active throughout their pregnancy!

Post-Edit: Written Saturday, June 5th, at 9 a.m. Ran the five miles this morning with Marianne at the sope without any need to walk and still felt like I could keep going. Good sign. Still some stiffness in the legs, but no round ligament pain around the abdomen. Only had to go to the bathroom once! The maternity belt is working! :)

Are you a Lion or an Gazelle?

“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion, or it will be eaten. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the lion or the gazelle – when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.” – African Proverb

Help for poor little Angie

Okay, gals. Boo Hoo! I just found out that Ben's work doesn't want to pay much to have my stuff shipped back to the US... so I'm calling in a favor. I know a bunch of you are traveling up here over the next few months, and if anyone has room for an extra bag, could you bring some of my stuff for me? I totally understand that it's a pain to carry extra luggage, and it can cost- but as long as the prices are reasonable, I wouldn't mind paying for them. Let me know if you can help me out! Thanks.

Finding the perfect shoe:)

This is a great article about finding the right shoe for you! Everyone is different and there are so many shoes out there built for different runners. I run in Saucony and have for years. I've tried every shoe and this is the best fit for my wide footsies! Don't forget to take your old shoes in for them to look at. The really good running stores will let you try the shoe out on a treadmill for a couple of runs, and then let you exchange it for a different one, if it doesn't work.

Happy shoe shopping-Lisa

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Finding_the_Perfect_Running_Shoe_For_You.htm