Bit About The Blogger Survey

I'm going on about 4 hours of (broken up) sleep today. I'm already on my third cup of coffee, but even that's not doing the trick, so a oh-so-fun survey (made by this girl) is about as creative as I'm getting today.

Bit About The Blogger Survey

• What was your go-to food or snack as a child?

I mean, obviously, junk food of any kind. I used to (and likely still do though I couldn't tell you the last time I had this exact one) LOVE Superpretzel's soft-pretzels. Yuuuuum.

(source)

 

 

• What got you interested in health/fitness?

Wait... am I interested in health/fitness? I mean, I guess I am. Really, I'm just interested in sweating and being active. I started running by complete accident and just fell. in. love. with it. I think it's important to take care of ourselves and now, being a mom, it's taken on a whole new meaning knowing that I'm responsible for taking care of this teeny, tiny, perfect person and in order to take care of HER I have to take care of ME. I also really, really want to help teach Bailey how to be healthy and to (hopefully) enjoy sweating just as much as I do! :)

• You’re stuck on an island for a month and can only eat three foods. What would they be?

PEANUT BUTTER!!!

Funny story-- the Hubs and I are re-watching Lost from the beginning (because we can't really watch anything live right now b/c anything we watch is paused 67 times per 15 minutes... oh the life with a newborn) and we just saw the episode where Charlie give Claire a pretend jar of peanut butter. Get it? They're actually (I mean, you know fictionally, but actually in the fictional show) stuck on an island. Never mind. Annnnnnyway-- peanut butter, ice cream (this island has a freezer, right?) and gummy frogs. I am so healthy.

• Favorite and least favorite body part to train?

I suppose my favorite is legs? But-- really I only say that if running counts as training your legs.

My least favorite is also legs, though. I loathe lunges.

• Favorite and least favorite health or fitness fads?

Errrr... favorite = running? Does that count? I suppose that's not really a fad. I guess I could say strength training for women. I feel like it's trendy now for women to lift and focus on strength over skinny. Even though I'm not a big strength training girl, I still appreciate the new focus on it.

Least favorite... everything? I don't get juicing or fasting or paleo or eating mashed up avocado on everything.

• What is the hardest workout you have ever done?

Do people know the single hardest workout they've ever done? I mean, I guess the marathon. Does that count? Or maybe labor? Haha!!

• What is the first movie that made you cry?

I don't know if it was the FIRST movie that made me cry, but I do vividly remember BALLING while watching My Girl. SOOOO sad!!!

(source)

 

• Your #1 pet peeve?

Being late. Definitely gonna have to get over that one being a new mom. Being late is kinda inevitable.

• Your dream job?

If I could work part-time (you know, with full benefits and have it be awesome paying) and stay home with Bailey part-time, that'd be PERFECT. For the out-of-house job, my dream job would be helping college students who don't know what they want to major in or what they want to do "with the rest of their life" (WHO PUTS THAT PRESSURE ON THEM?!?!?) figure it out.

• Hairy arms or hairy legs?

What does this question even mean? Like, which would I like? I mean, I have hairy arms and shave my legs... soooo??? I don't get it??

Happy Wednesday! :)

Return to Speedwork

Today, Yasso 800's returned to my life.

1 mile warm up on indoor track.

800 on treadmill in 4:30.

1/2 mile recovery on indoor track.

800 on treadmill in 4:20.

1/2 mile recovery on indoor track.

800 on treadmill in 4:10.

1/2 mile recovery on indoor track.

800 on treadmill in 3:59.

1/2 mile recovery on indoor track.

5 miles. Hurt so good. And so bad. Wowza. Getting back in "shape" (if you could call what I was before "in shape") blows. A lot.

I admit it: I kinda hate being so much slower than I was before. I've never, ever been FAST and I never will be. I'm OK with that. I'm not Boston material. That's OK. But, I could hold a upper 8:something pace decently easy before I got pregnant. Now... a 9:00 mile is like a SPRINT. I was PANTING embarrassingly loud during those 800's. Like, REALLY, REALLY loud. If I was running next to someone breathing as heavy as I was I would have been worried about them. I hated being passed on the track by people (even if I was running slow on purpose for recovery). I felt judged by people. In my head, they're thinking "Oh my goodness! What is that girl doing? Why bother running if you're running that slow. I mean. It's not even running. It's hardly even jogging. And, LISTEN to how out of breath she is! Is she even OK? Should we call someone?" Of course, I KNOW (somewhere in my head) this is crazy talk and no one even notices me, just like I don't notice anyone else's workout. Still. I hate that a workout that used to be FUN and, while hard, not OMG-I'M-DYING hard.

But.

But, I didn't give up. I didn't stop. I pushed. HARD. I pushed out of my comfort zone. I pushed harder than I thought I could go.

And for that, I'm proud and enjoying a nice runner's high.

And, M&M's.

I'm enjoying a runner's high and M&M's. That's about right.

Weekly Workout Summary: 2/16-2/22

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Weekly Workout Summary: 2/16-2/22

Sunday, 2/16: 20 minute walk with Sadie and Hubs wearing Bailey
Monday, 2/17: None

Tuesday, 2/18: 3 mile run during lunch, 15 minute cooldown walk, 1/2 of 8-Minute Abs

Wednesday, 2/19: 8-Minute Abs & 8-Minutes of random leg/arm strength moves (squats with overhead press, deadlift with hammer curl, etc.) & 4 mile run during lunch & 20 minute walk

Thursday, 2/20: 30 minute elliptical

Friday, 2/21: None

Saturday, 2/22: 8-Minute Abs &  10-Minutes of random leg/arm strength moves (squats with overhead press, deadlift with hammer curl, etc.) & 60 minute (3 mile) walk wearing Bailey w/ the Hubs and Sadie  

Day In the Life: Working Out-of-the-House Mom

I've been a "working out-of-the-house mom" for a whopping week now. Wowza. Has it been a week already? And, at the same time- it's ONLY been a week? Don't you love when you feel both those things at the same time?

Anyway- it's been a week. A week of mistakes and forgets and triumphs and struggles and tears and smiles and laughter and everything in between. Biggest lesson I learned my first day back? LIFE GOES ON. Nothing stops when you're not at work. Work still happens. Life still happens. And, at the same time, when you go back to work, life doesn't stop. It might hurt like hell to leave your baby at daycare or wherever, but it is what it is. Life will continue to move on. You either move with it or you... well, I suppose you just do. Simple as that.

So, I've been moving with life. It's been much harder than I expected in some ways and a little easier than I expected in others. I figured before we get to all the lessons I've learned and words of wisdom I should never try to give this early in the game, let's just look at a day in the life instead. A not-perfect day in the life, too. So, here's what my Thursday, February 20th looked like...

2-2:20am: I hear Bailey start squirming over the monitor and think to myself (after several curse words) "HOOOOOOOOOOW IS SHE UP AGAIN SO SOON?!?!?!?". We just nursed at 11:30pm. No way is she hungry again. So, I go in and pop the paci in her mouth and hope that does it. I lay back down and fall immediately back asleep.

2:20-3:30am: Nope. Didn't do it. She's back up. ARRRRRRRRGH!!!!!!! I know she's not hungry yet and I know if I feed her this early, she'll be back up all night. It's her thing. She's squirmed out of her swaddle and just gotten herself worked up. I pull her out of the crib and lay on the floor with her on my chest. She falls immediately back asleep. I doze in and out on the very uncomfortably hard floor. Fun times.

3:30-4am: She's back up and I know she's really hungry now. We nurse. As much as I hate getting up in the middle of the night, I really and truly love our MOTN nursing sessions. It's so quiet and peaceful and it's feels like she and I are the only people in the world. It's the most bonded and connected I feel to her. While I am counting down the moments til she starts sleeping through the night, a BIG part of me will miss these moments.

4-5:45amam: Put her back in her crib. Girl is OUT like a light. I crawl back into my bed after shoving Sadie out of the way. The Hubs and I caved and let her sleep with us now. Girl thinks she owns our bed and 100% takes over my side when I get up to nurse. She's lucky she's so cute. 

Girl thinks she owns our bed.

5:45-6:20am: My alarm goes off. I curse in my head. A lot. If you're counting, I slept-slept from 9pm-11:30pm, 12am-2am, and 4-5:45am. That's not a lot of sleep. Add in that it's broken up sleep and there's not enough coffee in the world to make me feel like I'm 100% awake. Ugh. It's gonna be a long day. Anyway, I get up and head downstairs to get ready for work. Well, first I make a BIG cup of coffee. Then I get ready and feed Sadie.

6:20-7am: The Hubs just got up and took Sadie out then he wakes Bailey up at 6:30am and changes her diaper. She is SO fun in the morning. All smiles. Love it. Anyway- after he changes her he kisses us both goodbye and we have our morning nursing session. And, I admit it- I play candycrush or read blogs on my phone while she's nursing. I also finish my cup of coffee and eat 2 pieces of cinnamon raisin toast while pumping.

7-7:15am: Put Bailey on playmat for some tummy time (she likes it now!) while I brush my teeth, make the bed and change into my clothes. After I get dressed I put my robe on (GREAT TIP!!) because I inevitably get puked on at least 1-2 more times before getting B in her carseat. Oh the glamorous life of a mom.

Yep. SO much baby spit up all over. I'd have to change clothes like 12 times if I didn't wear a robe over my work clothes in the morning. Best tip ever!

 

7:15-7:30am: Change Bailey's diaper and get her dressed for the day while talking to her all about what's happening for me at work that day or what we're doing that night. She just smiles and listens to my every word. LOVE. I then get her in her carseat, get all my crap together and get us out the door.

 "Let's go, Mom! I don't wanna be late for school!!"

7:30-7:35am: Drive to daycare. Yes, it's only a 5 minute drive. LOVE.

7:35-7:40am: Daycare drop off. Tear. Hasn't gotten any easier.

7:40-7:45am: Drive to and arrive at work (SO nice that daycare is so close to my office).

7:50-8:10am: Pumping session #1

8:10-10am: Work, work, work. Usually I'd have breakfast at my desk sometime in here. Today, I had a couple classroom presentations and just got busy and forgot. Whoops.

10-10:15am: Pumping session #2 (while working at my desk)

10:15-12pm: Work, work, work. I also chug a bunch of water and have a fun-size pack of M&Ms and a fun-size snickers. Sorry I'm not even a little sorry.

12-12:15pm: Pumping session #3 (while working at my desk)

12:15-1pm: Take my "lunch hour" and head to gym for a workout. Today it was 30 minutes of elliptical the day before it was a 4-mile run. Trying to do a little something most days, even though I'd rather curl under my desk and take a nap. If it were warmer out I legit might go take a nap in my car.

1-1:15pm: Scarf down lunch at my desk. Today it was an egg salad sandwich, pretzels, a pear, cheese stick, a lactation cookie (recipe & review coming soon!) and a diet pepsi.

1:15-2pm: Work, work, work.

2-2:15pm: Pumping session #4 (while working at my desk)

2:15-4pm: Work, work, work. I also eat a SUPER healthy snack and chug a bunch of water.

4-4:15pm: Pumping session #5 (while working at my desk). I'm working REALLY hard my first two weeks to get LOTS of pumping sessions in while at work to help establish my pumping supply. It takes a LOT of time and is SO time consuming and freaking HARD to get sessions in. I was lucky this day and got 5 in (1 of which was before work). I'll be glad if most days I get 3, MAYBE 4, in.

4:15-5:30pm: Work, work, work. By this point in the day I feel completely brain dead and exhausted. Usually I leave the office at 5pm and go pick Bailey up at daycare and am home by 5:30pm, but Thursday's I have to work til 5:30pm, so the Hubs handles daycare pick up.

5:30-5:35pm: Drive home.

5:35-5:55pm: Nurse Bailey and chug some more water. Nursing makes me SO thirsty.

6-6:30pm: This day was pretty weird and not at all a normal day. Most days this would be when I would pump again, then dinner time, family time while we play with Bailey, and get-shit-together-for-tomorrow time, but tonight I went to a class at a local Women's Care Center (which was supposed to go to 7, but got out at 6:30! Woowoo!) while the Hubs and B got some daddy-daughter time.

6:30-7:15 Again, it was not a normal night. Normally we'd still be doing family time and getting Bailey ready for bed (bath, book, change into PJs, etc.), but tonight we went to Five Guys for burgers and fries. Sometimes it's just needed. Sorry I'm not sorry.

7:15-7:30: Shower. Yes, I am a fast shower-er.

7:30-8:15pm: Nurse Bailey and rock her for a bit. Yes, I nurse Bailey to sleep. Yes, I know you're "supposed" to put the baby down awake so they can put themselves to sleep. Whatever. I don't care even a little. Get over it.

8:15-8:40pm: Dry my har. Prep anything that still needs to get preped for the next day (pack lunches, prep bottles, pack daycare bag, etc.)

8:40-9:10pm: Pump... AGAIN. UUUUUUUUUGH. I've been having some supply issues, despite EVERYTHING I can do (full post coming soon) to prevent it. One of the things I'm trying to do now is pump before bed, even though it's a PAIN IN THE ASS. I hate the pump. HATE. The hubs and I watch a little TV while I'm pumping so at least I get a few minutes with him, even if it is while hooked up to a machine being milked like a cow.

9:10pm: BED. I PASS OUT pretty much the second my head hits the pillow.

We alternate every other night between a bottle and me nursing for the 11:30pm feeding. Last night was a nurse night so tonight's a bottle night, which means a bit extra sleep for me. THANK GOODNESS!!

5.3 MILES!!

Woowoo!! Saturday I did my longest run in a LOOOONG time!!

I swear, I did 5.3 miles... stupid Garmin took FOREVER to catch satellite.

 

 

My longest run in a really, really, really long time.... probably close to 6 months? I could look up just how long if I really wanted to, but it'd probably depress me, so we'll skip that part.

Anyway- I ran. And it was awesome. Friday night I laid out all my clothes and charged the Garmin. The Hubs and I talked about it and he was more than cool with watching Baileybug while I got outta the house sans baby for a bit.

Then Saturday morning came. 6:30am alarm and I was up to feed Bailey, giddy at the idea of getting to run during her nap. But, then the Hubs came in with the bad news: it was snowing and really slippery out. Boooooooo. He was going to run an errand and so I decided I'd just do Jillian while he was out instead. While I was still nursing Bailey, the Hubs got back from his errand. Since he was back so quickly, I decided a run was meant to be, snow or no snow. I made up my mind: I was running.

 

 

So, I finished nurisng her, pumped and then was off. Gone are the days of waking up and being gone for a run before I even realize I'm awake. Tear!

Annnnnyway-- it was AMAZING. One of those can't-wipe-the-grin-off-my-face kinda runs. Now, that's not to say it was EASY. Not only was it cold, but it was also actively snowing and there was lots of snow on the ground, which doesn't make for an EASY run, even if I was at tip-top shape (which I am SOOOOO far from). But, I loved every second.

I set out for 3 miles. MAYBE 4. To do over 5 wasn't even a thought in my head really. But, I was just FEELING it. And, even better-- I felt like I could do more, but I didn't want to be crazy and push it too far.

 

I can't say it was a fast run. The 5.3 miles took me about 54 minutes. Definitely not the sub 9's I got myself down to pre-preggo. But, it 100% did not matter. Not even a little. It also wasn't easy. My legs felt heavy and like they weren't quite sure what I was asking them to do. But, I did it. And, I was PROUD of myself.

 

Throughout the run, Bailey was never far from my mind. I kept saying to myself "We don't stop when it gets hard. We push through." and imagining myself telling Bailey that when she's going through something hard. Cheesy? Sure. But, it's true and it's a VERY important lesson I want to teach my daughter. And, it worked. I pushed through. And I enjoyed the amazing runners high for the rest of the day!

I PLANNED to run Sunday, too. Buuuuut, my legs had other ideas. To say they were sore Sunday would be an drastic understatement. In fact, my entire body felt like it got hit by a truck. Maybe I pushed a little too hard? :) Oh well. It was worth it. Next weekend, I'm hoping for a Saturday AND a Sunday run. WAHOO!

Weekly Workout Summary: 2/9-2/15

(source)

Weekly Workout Summary: 2/9-2/15

Sunday, 2/9: Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred
Monday, 2/10: Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred 

Tuesday, 2/11: None... well, I did walk around the mall for 2 hours, for the sole purpose of moving... but, I don't think I'd count that as a true WORKOUT.

Wednesday, 2/12: 8-Minute Abs & 8-Minute Arms w/ 2-minute cardio bursts (jumping jacks, mountain climbers, plank jacks, jogging in place, etc.) every 3ish moves totalling 20 minutes cardio & 40 minute walk with Sadie while I was wearing Bailey

Thursday, 2/13 (first day back at work-- 1/2 day): 1/2 of 8-minute abs. Yep. You read right.

Friday, 2/14 (another 1/2 day at work): 20 minute walk with Sadie while I was wearing Bailey

Saturday, 2/15: 5.3 mile run & 20 minute walk w/ the Hubs and Sadie while I was wearing Bailey


 

What I LIKE About Being Back at Work

So, my last post was very woe-is-me. It was honest. I'm still NOT ready to be back at work, leaving Bailey each day. Simple as that. Buuuuuut, I do think it's important to note that it's not all terrible and tears. There are a few things that I admitting LIKE about being back at work...

- I get to eat lunch. Everyday. WOAH. Even more impressive? If it's supposed to be hot, I can eat it hot after only heating it up ONCE. This is exciting, people. There were days when I was on leave where Bailey was just NOT having a nap and not happy anywhere but in my arms. It's do-able, but not the easiest thing to eat holding a baby. Try eating something hot and the difficulty level goes up exponentially. Oh, and let's not even talk about how many times I had to heat and re-heat the same thing before actually being able to eat it sometimes.

- Lunch hour workouts. Guys. I might actually get to run again. Ok, ok-- this is a bit preemptive as I haven't ACTUALLY had any lunch hour workouts yet... but, I'm confident 2-3 per week are in my future.

- Daily adult interaction & getting out of the house everyday (we'll count that as 2 things!). This winter has been BEYOND brutal. Bailey and I were legit snowed in for days at a time. No walks. No seeing or even talking to other people. Now, I HAVE to get out of the house each day and HAVE to talk to lots of people. I'm a go-go-gooooo kinda person so these things are actually a good thing for my mental sanity.

Ok... so, maybe that's it. But, that's FOUR more things than I could think of before I went back to work. Progress, people.