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...