Category Archives: Fitness

Navigating a Changing Pregnancy Body and Preparing for Birth with an Open Mind

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Courtesy of MYMA

In my last post, I introduced Angi Purinton McClure and her longevity-based workout program, MYMA Movement. Today I’m posting the second part of our chat, which delves deeper into her work with mamas-to-be — yours truly included! — from exercises to help avoid injury to self-massage techniques to relieve common aches and pains.

Angi believes that pre-natal maintenance is important during pregnancy because it helps bring the focus inward and discover a new, changing body. Her MYMA Mama classes connect the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ to movement during such rapid change.

Not only does she develop a pre-natal movement routine that will rejuvenate her clients’ bodies during pregnancy, but she also helps us prepare for birth with an open mind. Something easier said than done, in some cases, I’m sure!

I’ve been working with Angi for a few months now, and I can’t say enough about how great it is to have someone to lean on who is both super knowledgeable about the body, as well as focused on long-term, sustainable results. Here’s her take on the ins and outs — and do’s and don’ts of pre-natal fitness.

5. Whats your overall philosophy on pregnancy & fitness?

While many women hear “make sure you exercise” during the pregnancy, many are misguided in wondering ‘what type of exercise’ and ‘what is right for my body?’

Unfortunately, there aren’t many smart, safe, and balanced Mama pre-natal classes. So what happens is that many women continue exercising they way they have been, not knowing how to listen to their changing body until there’s pain — or many women will jump into a pre-natal yoga class thinking this is their only option.

It’s not true. There’s a balance. If you work out, you need to know that you have to predict how to soften your routines while your body changes. You need movement, but it has to be kind movement that will help your body feel open, loved, and prepared for the birth.

6. We hear a lot about “body after baby,” but you emphasize pre-natal movement. Why’s that piece so important?

We need to move. We need to mentally, emotionally and physically connect before we give birth. This is the time in a woman’s life when she learns more about her body in a nine month period than most do in a lifetime.

Moving and maintaining the body during pregnancy will not only help you during the labor experience and help you heal faster postpartum, but it also benefits the body during the pregnancy. Exercise during pregnancy will help fetal development, connect you to you baby, and it will also aid in a healthy pregnancy and lessen aches and pain.

Besides, what a fun time to get to know your body while you’re growing a baby! So exciting and empowering.

Courtesy of MYMA

Courtesy of MYMA

7. Walk us through what goes on in one of your MYMA Mama classes.

In a MYMA Mama class, we exercise with corrective exercises to keep your body strong and loose. We address aches and pains and move through some self-massage exercises that you can take home to use whenever you need. We also open up the conversation of how the body is changing and how you can adapt through: sleeping positioning, partner massage, self-massage, acupressure points, mantras, pre-birth education and more.

We move, we roll, we laugh, and we share stories. It’s a beautiful time in a woman’s life to learn the life-long skills for body care and body awareness. It’s always an honor to meet women and learn their stories, fears, questions, hopes and, of course, meet their baby later on!

8. What are the most common misconceptions you’ve run across when it comes to pregnancy & fitness?

A common misconception that I witness is to ‘take it easy’ and ‘don’t exercise.’ You should always listen to your body (and some have doctors order for bed-rest) and know that if you don’t feel like exercising that day, fine. However, don’t make a habit out of it; walking is good, stairs (going up) are great for opening up the pelvis, and dancing is great, too.

Our bodies are changing and getting tighter, so don’t allow muscles to get weaker at the same time. Move in moderation, move within a time frame that doesn’t fatigue you. Movement should invigorate you. Be it a quick dance with a song you love or choosing to take a 15-minute walk with a set of stairs, you should feel like you got a breath of fresh air and you don’t ache as much. It’s minimal but so, so important to keep moving.

9. Which exercises are the biggest no-no’s that make you cringe when you see pregnant women doing them?

Well, crunches make me cringe but for many who feel their womb grow, it becomes a no-brainer. So the other no-no is over-exercise. People sometimes like to start a new fitness routine while pregnant. It may seem bizarre but it’s true.

I had a client who came to MYMA Mama after a terrible injury while learning kettlebells at 26 weeks pregnant. Yes. They are out there.

If you have been running, weight lifting, biking, etc. before you got pregnant, keep going! Just do it in moderation and listen to your body. Know that you won’t move the same while pregnant, but allow yourself to exercise your mentality by slowing things down. If it feel enjoyable, continue.

Courtesy of MYMA

Courtesy of MYMA

10. What should all moms-to-be be doing more of in their pre-natal fitness routines?

More maintenance work. Those who come to my MYMA Mama class leave with tools for at-home self-care, and they need it.

My moms always thank me as their back pain lessens from the MYMA Mama classes. Their swelling went down because they knew the methods to calm the body. Their labors were more empowered due to faith they restored in their body as they learned how their body has the power to heal (and give birth).

I also feel that pre-natal fitness needs more mental preparation, such as mantras to soothe the mind and open the body.

11. If nothing else, what’s the one exercise moms should be doing during pregnancy & why?

First I have to say, that you should always consult your doctor because certain exercises won’t be good for certain bodies.

That said, my main exercise that women forget to do is Kegels. Yes, even during the pregnancy, you want that Qi (“chee”) or energy of intention to move upward to hold the baby and pelvic floor. If you have pubic symphysis, you’ll love this even more because you want to keep a strong pelvic floor.

Don’t worry — you won’t get so tight that the baby can’t come out! This is the beauty of our bodies. They adapt. Balanced, our bodies are to be loose and strong.

Kegels can also help with breathing: Breathe out and let go of the body, then with the next inhalation, feel the pelvic floor lift. (It’s as if you are going to the bathroom and then you stop the flow of urine.) As you inhale, keep the body relaxed as you feel the ‘lift’. Hold the lift as you exhale, then slowly and gently let it go until the next inhale. Don’t ‘drop it’ — you would never just collapse after a squat, so don’t just ‘drop’ the pelvic floor. Think of it like an elevator lifting and taking time to go down as you release.

This is such an amazing time for a woman. These exercises are so important in our later years and to begin them NOW is a head start on living a long, healthy, happy life!

To learn more about Angi’s MYMA Movement and related classes, visit MYMAMovement.com.

Have you added smart, safe balanced movement as part of your workout routine?

Learn How to ‘Make Your Mind Aware’ with MYMA Movement

Courtesy of MYMA

Courtesy of MYMA

“Ok, can I tell you something?” I said between labored breaths mid-run with my friend Anabel a few months back.

It was before I officially broke my own pregnancy news, but she was already a few months along herself. And since we’re both pretty in-tune with our bodies, I figured it’d be nice to commiserate with each other about our usually-predictable systems going somewhat haywire while growing tiny humans.

Since then, we’ve swapped stories, traded tips, and I’ve listened to her advice with all ears since she’s got a few months’ heads up on how this whole thing works. Sharing this experience together has created a special bond, but having a “pregnancy mentor” who isn’t afraid to show you the ropes and call it like it is has proved invaluable.

Case in point: Early on, Anabel introduced me to Angi Purinton McClure, creator of MYMA Movement here in Portland. Like me, Anabel’s eager to get back on the proverbial “race” horse post-baby (her: triathlon, me: running), but we both know that it’s going to take some planning and preparation ahead of time — not to mention some recovery, rehab and ramping up after.

Luckily, Angi’s come to our rescue. Not only is she a licensed massage therapist, fitness instructor and trained doula, but her use of Chinese Medicine, evidence-based exercises, and self-massage techniques also translate to a more innovative and balanced approach to fitness.

But best of all? This ain’t your mama’s prenatal workout; while Angi does work with new mamas and mamas-to-be, what she really specializes in is working with people through every phase of their life in order to make them more aware of their bodies and help them learn how to properly move so they can move forever.

Angi calls it ‘body longevity,’ and I wanted to pick her brain more about the topic, so we sat down to chat about her approach in a two-part interview. Read on for more on the importance of adding safe, smart and balanced movement into your fitness routine!

1. Tell us about MYMA and your mentality towards fitness.

MYMA is an acronym for Make Your Mind Aware, it’s a movement-based education service that focuses on body longevity. Based around fitness theory and Chinese Medicine, MYMA offers classes, workshops and online programs to help empower your body awareness so you can move in a smart, safe and balanced manner.

I feel that there’s a gap when it comes to long-term movement and fitness. We see 21-day results as a natural outcome from dedicated fitness efforts; however, no one is looking into the future wondering, how can we continue to move well as we age?

We need to learn balance in our movement and maintenance within our fitness routines. And MYMA is here to offer the tools and knowledge to set you on the right path. What we do today shapes our future, so let’s move now to move forever.

2. Your work blends Eastern and Western modalities; what’s the benefit to that approach?

I love to talk about balance, and Chinese Medicine is the root of how we move and care for our bodies. Within the fitness industry, many people can better relate to science-based methods; however, it is important to understand that the individual cannot be measured as a whole, so it’s vital that we learn how our minds and bodies may benefit from ALL perspectives of both eastern and western philosophy.

Besides, Chinese Medicine is the missing piece towards healing movement. Many use Chinese movement methods throughout the world, yet it’s not incorporated in our western fitness society. Until MYMA.

Courtesy of MYMA

Courtesy of MYMA

3. In a world of quick-fix gurus, why did you choose to focus on things like longevity, self-care and maintenance?

Working with seniors for over a decade now, I have ‘seen our future’ or so I like to say. If we are short-sighted in our approach to health, we’ll expend all our energy in our youth. Over-exercise, burnout, adrenal fatigue, injury, wear and tear, etc. are just a few instances of where we are headed in our bodies. I tell my clients, I want to continue standing to put on my underwear (a task that is not easy in your later years!).

Balance, suppleness, strength, proprioception, foot health, back health, etc. all apply to the ability of putting on underwear while standing, and yet many of my 30 year-old clients are sitting to put their shoes on after a session. This gets you thinking…you realize how in the ripe age of thirty people are already on their way to sitting down while dressing.

We have to think long-term in our movement and self-care.

4. You’re a holistic movement therapist, licensed massage therapist and doula — how did your MYMA Mama program come about?

While I was attending Pacific College of Oriental Medicine I was also teaching as a fitness instructor. While training to become a bodyworker I was also training in my own time to become a holistic movement educator because I realized people were not balanced in their ideas of fitness.

MYMA was the base I needed for people to have access to self-care tools, workout tips and mental guidance for those who knew that they needed to alter their current fitness habits and rethink how they want to continue to move in their later years.

Courtesy of MYMA

Courtesy of MYMA

Stay tuned for part two of my interview with Angi — in Friday’s post, we’ll be talking specifically about her recommendations for mamas-to-be with pre-natal prep and post-natal maintenance.

And if you’re interested in more information on Angi’s MYMA Movement in the meantime, check out MYMAMovement.com for details.

Are you thinking long-term when it comes to your health and fitness? 

October Goal Check-In

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Fall is flying by! It feels like I just wrote September’s update, and I know the next few months will go quickly with the holidays nearly upon us. Can we just hit the pause button for a moment?!

Because I was traveling for a good part of the first half of the month, the second half has been about getting back into a groove here in Portland, getting organized on a few different fronts (work, home) and starting to plan ahead on a few others (kiddo, 2016 schedule).

Meanwhile, Baby H is keeping busy growing and making his/her presence known more and more each day. So I’ve been trying to stay flexible when it comes to my monthly goals; I know the further along I get the more I’ll need to listen to my body, so there’s no time like the present to accept that and put it into practice.

Read more about the five goals toward which I’m working this year.

Here’s the latest on my progress:

1. Seeking Balance

I mentioned I was home again earlier this month for a childhood friend’s wedding. We did the math one evening and realized we’ve been friends for almost 30 years.

After we got over how old that makes us feel, we had a blast at the weekend’s events — from bachelorette party to rehearsal to wedding. Not only was it great to spend some quality girl time together, but I’m also thrilled for Colleen and Eric to start this next phase of their lives together, surrounded by love!

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I am still struggling with my body’s new definition of “balance,” however, which might be a theme this year. Or maybe it’s just a constant struggle for us all in this day and age?!

Either way, now that my energy has returned in the second trimester I get over-excited to do #allthethings, but if I push too hard I end up getting a headache for a day or two that no amount of Tylenol will kick. So this next month I’m hoping to pace myself better so I can still get stuff accomplished, but not get knocked on my butt afterwards.

2. Training Smarter

Thanks to pregnancy tilting my pelvis forward, along with a dumb move I made in Michigan trying to lift my nephew out of his carseat while leaning over, my SI joint has been flaring up again. I’ve been addressing it with massage and acupuncture and, aside from my twice weekly runs, low-impact activities are my jam (biking, yoga, walking, Pilates, swimming, etc.).

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One tip to help turn that frown upside down when you’re mourning what feels like the loss of your former level of fitness? Metrics, metrics, metrics.

Despite breathlessness on runs, the inability to utilize the majority of my ab muscles and my current distaste for high-impact activities, I managed to hit some good numbers on the bike during a recent ride. There’s nothing like some quantitative proof that your hard work is still paying off when, qualitatively, you feel like you’re fighting a losing battle.

3. Facing Fears

Stop the presses — I’m back in the pool! Yes, it sucks because mornings are dark and cold and the last thing I feel like doing is jumping in the water, but once I’m there it’s actually pretty great being a preggo “human submarine,” as Ben puts it.

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My first workout was simple: Go back and forth for 30 minutes. Just keep moving. So I did a little more than 1000 yards of freestyle punctuated with a lap of breaststroke here and there.

Going forward (just to keep myself motivated), I’ll be looking to build up to longer workouts or cover more distance in that 30-minute time-frame. But either way, I want to keep it leisurely and fun — and enjoy the fact that I can get my own lane more often than not because people seem to be leery of getting too close to a pregnant woman bobbing back and forth!

4. Pushing Myself

Because I can neither resist a) running in the fall foliage of the Midwest nor b) registering for a race when I’m traveling back home, I talked my sister into running the Rattlesnake Run 5k with me while in Michigan. Yes, the race went well and I came in second overall for the women and first in my age group, but it was a learning experience.

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I didn’t PR by any means, but I felt good that morning so my plan was to push the threshold of what I could handle (within reason , of course) just to see where that limit now lies. Well, I found it; the breathlessness that comes with pregnancy is unlike any kind of breathlessness I’ve experienced before in a race, even when I’ve been running all-out.

And although I miss that feeling of pushing my body to the limit, it’s just not the same kind of thrill when you’re second-guessing every ache and pain and what impact it has on the little person you’re carrying. So I’ve decided that any races between now and March will be strictly fun runs!

But that’s not to say I can’t look ahead… I’m slowly figuring out my 2016 schedule, and while I’m not planning on tackling any new distances or PR’s, I have signed up for the Portland Marathon as my carrot for getting back into running shape post-baby.

5. Giving Back

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we just wrapped up our first official season with Team LUNA Chix Portland Run, so I’m in the throes of planning for next year. We had such an amazing group of ladies who really embraced us and made the team their own, and for that I’m incredibly appreciative.

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And next year our plan is to come back even bigger and better! We’ll be doing monthly workouts in the off-season, as requested, plus we’ll be taking applications for any open spots for our 10 team leaders. Stay tuned to our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts for more info if you’d like to join us — the more, the merrier!

How are your 2015 goals coming along? 

Celebrating a Successful First Season of Team LUNA Chix Portland Run

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This past week marked a major milestone: We held our last official practice of the season for Team LUNA Chix Portland Run. Our season runs April through October, and having run track workouts in the dark for the past month or so, we’re ready to switch things up for the next few months of our ‘off-season’ (more on that below).

But first…we had a lot to celebrate. Not only was it is successful year of fitness and fundraising, but we’ve also forged some pretty terrific friendships over the past few months.

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Our friends over at Title Nine Portland generously invited us into their space for the evening, so we scrapped the regular track workout in favor of an out-and-back run/walk from the store before enjoying some treats together. By the way, if you haven’t been by the store yet it’s definitely worth a visit; they’re known for being the sports bra experts, so do your gals a favor and get them fitted properly! 

I had planned out the routes in advance and printed out directions for both the two-milers (walkers) and four-milers (runners), plus we had plenty of safety gear on hand (reflective vests, headlamps, glow-in-the-dark bracelets) to ensure everyone stayed super-visible while hitting the streets. After splitting everyone into groups by pace, we set out…and I hung near the back of the four-miler pack to act as sweeper and make sure no one got lost.

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Of course, then Syreeta (who kindly kept me company) and I were so busy chatting and catching up while running that we were the only ones to end up over-shooting the turnaround point by about a quarter mile! We were close to the Forest Park trail head when we finally realized that we’d blown past it, so we quickly doubled back and caught up to the tail end of the group.

Once everyone was safely back to the store, we nibbled on snacks, drank wine (well, those of us who weren’t knocked up!) and savored the moment together. Then it was time to get down to business, so we raffled off a bunch of LUNA gear and gift certificates, plus Title Nine ran a special discount for hose of us who wanted to shop (just in time, too; I’ve outgrown all my current sports bras and got fitted for a new one).

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Because everyone wanted to continue to momentum and camaraderie of the season, we also talked about meeting up regularly in the ‘not-so-off-season’ for workouts, trail runs and possibly even some non-running social activities. So stay tuned to the team’s Facebook page for details if you’d like to join us!

And, of course, we’re already starting to plan for season number two, which means we’ll be accepting applications for any open spots for the 10 team leader positions. Again, keep an eye out for details via our Facebook page.

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In the meantime, you can keep tabs on our adventures via the official Team LUNA Chix Portland Run Instagram account where we’ll be posting pictures from workouts, runs and other happenings. Yep, we’re all over Twitter, too, if you want to reach us there instead.

Cheers to a first season for the record books, and here’s to an even more inspiring, exciting and sweaty second season starting next spring!

Baby H: 20-Week Update

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Welcome to my five-month “bumpdate” for Baby H. First things first: How the heck are we at the halfway point already?!

I’ve heard that the first half of pregnancy goes a lot more slowly than the first, and right now I’m totally ok with that (although I’ve also heard I’ll be eating these words later). When I think about how much we’ve got to do in the next five months to finish getting physically, mentally and emotionally prepared for adding another human to the household, the gestation period for an elephant suddenly doesn’t seem so bad.

Then again, between my frequent nightly bathroom breaks, shortness of breath and ever-expanding waistline — not to mention finally getting to meet this little person who’s been the frequent topic of our conversations — I’m sure I’ll be more than ready to trade in my maternity jeans for mom jeans in just a few short months. Well, maybe not “mom” jeans…but you get the point.

So here’s where things stand at the 20-week milestone:

Month Five: Baby is the size of a mango, measuring roughly 6.5 inches from crown to rump and tipping the scales at around 10.5 ounces. I’ve heard it’s about 10 inches long from top of the head to tips of the toes, but I still can’t wrap my head around that part!

Weight Gained: I’m up a good 10-12 pounds based on estimates from my last weigh-in. I was momentarily horrified when they used a scale that looked more like one they used to weigh large animals than your typical doctor’s office sliding bar weight scale, but I’m trying not to get too caught up with the whole weight gain aspect. I trust that my body will do what it needs to for the baby, and after hearing about all the other “fun” stuff I have to look forward to later (i.e. the ring of fire, cracked nipples, etc.), it’s the least of my concerns.

Workouts: I think I’ve hit the sweet spot of the second trimester because I’m doing all kind of activities in moderation and with modifications, of course. Running doesn’t feel awesome, but I try to aim for at least two jogs a week: a shorter one of 3-4 miles, plus a “long” weekend 10k. And ab exercises look a lot different because I’m no longer able to do a traditional “sit-up.” But I’m still doing all kinds of cardio cross-training (hiking, indoor cycling, walking, swimming, elliptical and stair stepper), along with supplementary weight training, yoga, barre and Pilates. Shortness of breath keeps me from doing anything too crazy, but it finally feels good again to get out and have a good sweat.

Symptoms: Besides my body growing in all kinds of new directions, the biggest symptom has been round ligament pain as my uterus is trying to figure out its new job. As Babycenter says, “You may feel round ligament pain as a short jabbing sensation or a sharp, stabbing pain if you suddenly change position, such as when you’re getting out of bed or out of a chair or when you cough, roll over in bed, or get out of the bathtub.” It can also come in the form of a dull ache after activity. At first, this was alarming — I kept thinking I was pulling something or pushing too hard — but I’ve gradually gotten more used to it. While it’s still somewhat disconcerting, I try to work with it and just listen to my body by backing off if something truly doesn’t feel good (like most traditional ab work at this point!).

Food Aversions: Unfortunately, none? I’ve got a huge appetite, and there’s no mistaking (or delaying a meal) when hunger strikes. And it hits hard, fast and with a vengeance. There’s no thinking, “Hm, I’m getting hungry. I should eat soon.” It’s more like you’re going about your business one minute, and then you can pinpoint the exact moment that something shifts and your body says, “Must. Eat. NOW.” If I have any aversions at all, it’s to smells. My sniffer is super sensitive, and I’ve got zero tolerance for things like body odors, bad breath and street smells.

Food Cravings: Nothing too crazy, but still some patterns going on in terms of increased dairy intake and an obsession with all kinds of fruit. I’ve always had a bit of a cereal fetish (when my husband met me, he couldn’t believe I lived alone and had 7-10 boxes in rotation at any time), and it’s become my snack between-meals meal of choice again. The childhood throwbacks are a favorite — you know, all those cringe-inducing sugar-filled ones — but I’m trying to keep it under control.

Sleep: I’m slowly losing out on acceptable sleep positions (sadly, stomach is no longer an option), so between struggling to get comfortable and getting up to pee once or twice, I can’t remember the last time I had a full night’s sleep. Sigh.

Looking Forward To: Honestly? Just enjoying this moment where I’m feeling good, I’ve got the energy and motivation to work out and we’ve still got enough time to leisurely take childbirth classes and casually toss around baby names (we’re taking suggestions, if you have ideas!) before we have to settle down and get serious in the home stretch.

Boy/Girl Suspicions: We managed to make it through the anatomy scan without finding out, and I’m hoping we can keep it that way until D-Day. But when I was home in Michigan, a high school friend who said she’s got a success rate of more than 50% said she thinks it’s a boy. My sister’s convinced it’s a girl, however, so it’s exciting to think about both. I’d love to hear what your guess is, if you want to leave a comment below!

Any Fun Stories? Earlier this month when I was home, my sister and parents threw me a surprise baby shower for family and friends in the Midwest. I got to see old family friends, as well as best friends from grade school, high school and college, so it was pretty incredible. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed by the love and support from this amazing group, and it got me excited for my West Coast shower later this winter with more friends and family.

Most recently, however, we not only had the anatomy scan where Baby H passed with flying colors (and we got to breathe a big sigh of relief), but I’ve also been feeling his/her first movements. Thinking back, I probably felt the initial faint stirrings in week 17 or 18, but it wasn’t until the middle of week 19 when they became more frequent and recognizable. The closest thing I can think of describing it as is a small goldfish doing a flip in your bladder. Weird, right?

It was startling at first, but now that I’m getting used to it, I love feeling it. Especially because I feel like I am learning his/her personality — i.e. when I try to sneak a few winks on my stomach, I’ll promptly get kicks just under my belly button telling me to flip over.

And we’ve apparently got a pretty active baby on our hands (my sister said this should come as no surprise; I guess my years of running have been less about racing and more about just preparing me for this) — not only did my OB have trouble getting the heartbeat on Doppler because it was busy “doing cartwheels,” but it had the ultrasound tech at our anatomy scan laughing, thanks to its creative breakdance moves.

One thing is abundantly clear already, though: This poor child has already inherited Mom and Dad’s lack of rhythm!

Stay tuned for the month six update in a few weeks…

Football-Inspired Agility Workout

Source: Competitor.com

Source: Competitor.com

It’s fall racing season, and we’ve got one thing on our minds at Team LUNA Chix Portland Run (well, besides pumpkin spiced lattes and cozy sweaters): Getting faster.

Training to increase your foot turnover and develop explosive power can help increase running speed. Which is why we’ve taken a page from the football coach’s handbook and have been focusing on plyometrics and agility drills in practice lately.

Plus, let’s face it, sometimes it’s fun to add a few “toys” into training. But if you don’t want to invest in an agility ladder or speed hurdles, you can just as easily draw squares on asphalt with chalk and blow up a few balloons to use as hurdles that’ll pop if you happen to land on them the wrong way.

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If you’re not familiar with the drills above (or a shuttle run), King Sports Training is a great resource for both agility ladder (here) and speed hurdle (here) drills. I use it as a reference when planning workouts — not only becasue they demonstrate the moves with videos, but they also explain the benefits of each.

Do you pull tidbits from other sports into your training? 

September Goal Check-In

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If my last few months of check-ins have seemed a little vague (or filled with missed workouts and centered around naps and food), now you know why! It feels good to be out with the baby news, and it’s a relief to be able to be up front in this month’s recap with how it’s been affecting my “training.”

So many plans have been up in the air for the bulk of this year due to all the what-ifs, but now that I’m nearly halfway there (18 weeks…what?!), I’m finally allowing myself to do a little more planning. There are definitely things I’m still able to do that surprise me, and things I thought I’d be able to do that my body wants nothing to do with, so it’s been a learning experience along the way.

And as for goals…well, expectations have had to shift, and I’m trying my best to go with the flow. But that’s often easier said than done in the day and age of social media, which makes fear-of-missing-out and falling prey to the comparison trap new obstacles around which to navigate!

Read more about the five goals toward which I’m working this year.

Here’s the latest on my progress:

1. Seeking Balance

Good news: The energy that was non-existent in my first trimester has pretty much returned. Not-so-good news: If I overextend myself one day, I’ll end up paying for it the next with a headache and mild nausea with lightheadedness.

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I found that planning things to look forward to helped me make it through some of the frustrations of trying to find the delicate balance in early pregnancy. Being able to take a trip home earlier this month was good for the soul — even if chasing around after my very active two-and-a-half year-old nephew pushed the limits of my exhaustion!

2. Training Smarter

Fall usually means one thing when it comes to running: lots of it. But, unfortunately, my favorite activity doesn’t always feel so great. From minor aches and pains to feeling like I need to pee the whole time I’m in action, I’ve had to cut back on mileage and am only running once or twice a week at the moment.

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Staying active is a priority, however, so I’ve made a loose training plan to stay on track. Walking is the new running, and I do it several times a week so I can get out and enjoy the crisp, fall air. And I’ve been supplementing daily cardio sessions with yoga, strength training, barre and prenatal movement classes to keep my muscles strong, yet supple.

3. Facing Fears

Confession: Another month and I haven’t been in the pool. But let’s be honest — at this point, the bigger fear I’m trying to face may be less about the water and more about putting on a bathing suit in public in the awkward beer-belly stage of pregnancy.

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In all seriousness, though, I know there are so many benefits to swimming while pregnant, so I do plan on adding it into my weekly workout mix. But since we only have a finite amount of sunny Portland days left this season, I’ll likely focus more on outdoor workouts to soak up the remaining rays while we still can!

4. Pushing Myself

A major highlight of the month was the Bridge of the Goddess 10K, in which several of us LUNA ladies participated. You can check out my race recap here for all the details, but — spoiler alert — it was a fun one.

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So much fun, in fact, that I’m hoping to add a few shorter races into my schedule before the end of the year. It seems like 5k’s and 10k’s are my sweet spot right now, so I’d like to pick a few to do for fun over the next few months in order to motivate myself to run for as long as I am able.

5. Giving Back

Hands-down, the most exciting event this month was our first annual Team LUNA Chix Portland Run charity spin-a-thon. We had a packed room and managed to raise $2,420 for the Breast Cancer Fund — not only meeting, but far exceeding our goal of $1,500 for the season!

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Our 2015 season (April-October) will be winding down soon, but we’re already in the early planning stages for 2016 to make it an even bigger, better year. In the meantime, we want to invite all Portland ladies to join us for our Monday night practice sessions in October — we meet at 6:30 pm at the Duniway Park Track.

All levels are welcome (walkers, runners), and be sure to follow along in the fun via our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

How are your 2015 goals coming along? 

Baby H: 16-Week Update

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As much as I’ve been excited about entering this new phase of life, I’ve been hesitant about doing pregnancy updates here on the blog.

Why? Well, for one thing, I want to keep the focus here on health and fitness topics with which a wide audience can relate. But the fact is that living an active lifestyle is important to me, pregnant or not, so I do want to document that part of the journey here for better or for worse.

Second, frankly, I didn’t want to jinx myself. These past four months have been filled with highs and lows, joys and challenges, surprises and scares (ah, the fun of being “advanced maternal age”), and I guess there’s part of me that’s still processing all of that and another part of me that’s skeptical that what’s happening is really happening. Sure, I feel different, but I haven’t felt the baby move yet, and the look I’m currently sporting is much less “pregnant” and a lot more “Freshman 15.”

Third, if there’s one thing I’ve learned so far it’s that pregnancy is a complete and total crap-shoot. There’s no one-size-fits-all experience, advice or explanation. Everyone’s path starts, exists and ends at very different places; I’ve got friends who have had experiences across the entire spectrum: exceedingly delightful to downright scary. Every pregnancy is as unique as the person going through it, so this is just my version, plain and simple.

Finally, and along those same lines of everyone having vastly different experiences, I want to be especially sensitive to that piece. For every fairy-tale pregnancy story with a bouncing bundle of joy in the pot at the end of the rainbow, there’s countless more stories of challenges, complications, heartache and loss going on behind the scenes. It happens more than you think, and these silent struggles are often not discussed. I just want to take a moment to acknowledge that this is an emotionally-charged topic, and for good reason.

So with that said, I’m a little over four months in, so I figured I’d do a quick update…

Month Four: Baby is the size of an avocado! Oddly enough, my usual avocado-a-day habit has ceased for the past few months, although I’m slowly sneaking some back in here and there.

Weight Gained: I don’t regularly weigh myself, so I’m not exactly sure where I was at pre-baby. But I’d guess I’m up somewhere between 4-6 pounds based on my last weigh-in at the doctor’s office.

Workouts: After months of feeling utterly wiped out, I finally turned a corner in week 15 and seem to have gotten some energy back. I don’t have quite the same stamina as I did before — I get short of breath quickly and seem to have a lower tolerance for pushing through discomfort when working out — but I’m grateful to be doing things like shorter runs, cycling, barre, swimming, strength training, hiking, etc.

Symptoms: Maybe the old wives’ tales are true about morning sickness being hereditary; my mom and sister escaped unscathed, as did I. My major symptom for the first few months was an overwhelming fatigue, though. And one of my guy friends asked me early on, “So what does it feel like being pregnant?” Again, everyone’s different, but I described it as part I ate-too-much-at-dinner-and-can’t-suck-my-stomach-in and part I-think-I-may-have-pulled-something-in-my-lower-abdomen. I can definitely feel everything shifting around, and although my belly hasn’t quite gotten the message yet, my boobs and hips have been more than happy to oblige.

Food Aversions: For the first six weeks or so, I was eating very normally (i.e. all the veggies!). But for the next month or month and a half in there, things got a bit dicey. It was less about outright aversions and more about only one thing sounding good at a time. One night it was pad thai, another it was pizza. And I do remember one week filled with Doritos, Golden Grahams and ramen, which started to make my husband a little nervous for what was to come. But once that passed, I’ve been able to add healthy items back in and dial back (somewhat) on the junk.

Food Cravings: I haven’t had any cravings for odd combinations, but I have noticed a pattern for certain food types. For example, around nine weeks, all I wanted was sour and I was on a mission for pickles, sauerkraut and the like. Then a few weeks later, the dairy cravings kicked in; I’d been drinking mostly almond milk after doing Whole 30 a while back, but now it just won’t do. I’ve got to have my 2%, and I’ve lost count of how many cartons of cottage cheese, bowls of cereal and sticks of string cheese I’ve plowed through since. There was also a week in there where I was pretty obsessed with tomatoes, and I have been indulging my sweet tooth more often than usual, but I figure it all balances out since I’m staying active and need some extra calories (and sugar?) anyway.

Sleep: For the first three months, I slept like a log. My husband was thrilled because he could make all the noise in the world getting ready for work, and I was dead to the world. But for the past 4-5 weeks, I’ve been waking up once or twice a night, either to pee or thinking about work, baby stuff, etc. and having trouble falling back to sleep. I’m really hoping this changes before the third trimester insomnia kicks in, although Ben likes to joke that I shouldn’t hold my breath — I likely won’t get a truly good night’s sleep for the next 18 years now that we’ve got this little boy or girl about to rock our worlds!

Looking Forward To: Our next big appointment at 18 weeks where we get the anatomy ultrasound. This is exciting for several reasons: First, the doctor said we’d be shocked by how much the baby has changed since our last one. Second, it’s a big checkpoint in terms of making sure things are progressing normally and everything’s developing ok. Third, it’s also when you can find out the sex of the baby…which we are actually NOT going to do!

Boy/Girl Suspicions: Ben thinks boy, and I’m guessing girl, but I really don’t have a strong feeling either way yet. We each have a 50-50 shot at being correct, though, right?

Any Fun Stories? It sounds cliche, but hearing the heartbeat early on was pretty cool; it gave me some hope when I was trying to process how crappy I was feeling at the time. The funniest part so far, however, was at the first trimester screening (12 weeks) where they have to get a shot of the baby’s profile from a certain angle in order to check some measurements. Our little guy/girl was pretty comfortable hanging out head-down, fast asleep. No amount of poking, prodding, peeing or likewise worked to get it to shift, so I finally ate some candy, walked around, then hung out on my side for a bit to persuade it to switch positions. The tech said we already have a little stinker on our hands due to the utter lack of cooperation, and I jokingly asked her to zoom in…because I was pretty sure the baby might be giving us all the middle finger for rousing him/her from a nap!

Stay tuned for the month five update in a few weeks…

Terrible 20’s Conditioning Workout

Source: Will Dickey/The Times-Union

Source: Will Dickey/The Times-Union

Ever have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?

Well, my friends, it’s about to get worse before it gets better.

Allow me to introduce you to the workout that will go down in Team LUNA Chix Portland Run infamy: the Terrible 20’s. It’s a football-drill-inspired conditioning workout that’s designed to get you in great shape for game time — or, in our case, race day.

I stumbled across it and decided to try it in lieu of our usual track workout one week. That night I got a record number of dirty looks during practice, and the next day I got countless texts from people telling me their whole body was feeling the aftereffects.

I’d call that a workout win-win, if there ever was one!

Here’s how it works:

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And you’re not off the hook if you’re working out alone because the Terrible 20’s also works well with just one person. Simply start with your 20 push-ups, then sprint 100 yards, do your 20 sit-ups and count down from there — sprint another 100 years, do 19 push-ups, sprint 100 years, do 19 sit-ups and so on and so forth.

Sounds easy enough, right? Just give it a few rounds, and you’ll be begging for a time out!

Got a tale of torture from a terrible workout of your own to share?

5 Takeaways From Training in the First Trimester

Source: TheBump.com

Source: TheBump.com

Once the positive pregnancy test comes back, most of us know the drill: Visit the OB? Check. Pop prenatal vitamins? Check. Avoid booze, soft cheese and deli meat like the plague? Check.

But one question unexpectedly threw me for a total loop: What will happen with my workouts?!

In my un-pregnant state, I’d always just assumed it’d be business as usual, especially since you’re technically able to safely maintain the level of activity you were at pre-pregnancy. Right??

Well, my pregnant body had something else in mind entirely.

Here’s what I learned about being active during those first 13 weeks with a bun in the oven.

1. Run your own “race” rings true. Sure, you’ll be hyper-aware of all the changes happening (hello, boobs!), but it took me a while to translate what that actually meant when it came to working out and being competitive, even if it’s just with myself.

For example, my expanding abdomen felt like I’d pulled a groin muscle, so my usual MO of “powering through” was no longer an option. I learned quickly that everyone’s experience is different, and what’s right for one person may not work for another, so listen to your body — not anyone else’s.

2. Eat, sleep, repeat. In the early weeks, I wondered if what felt more like a severe case of narcolepsy was misdiagnosed as pregnancy. Early morning workouts were off the table, so I adjusted my schedule and worked earlier hours to allow for a mid-morning break to get the blood pumping.

Although I was fortunate enough to avoid morning sickness, I did find myself straddling that fine line between I-think-I’m-getting-nauseous and get-out-of-my-way-I-NEED-food more often than not. My husband promptly nicknamed me “Velociraptor” for the voraciousness with which I ate meals, so I learned to eat smaller portions more frequently to stay out of the danger zone.

3. Check your ego at the door. There’s nothing more disheartening to a runner than watching your pace-per-mile creep up. And up. Workouts feel like max effort yet are half the speed, and it takes you twice as long to recover.

My first trail race this summer very quickly put me in check when I completely lost control of my heart rate and breathing during a long, steep ascent. There was nothing to do but pull over, let people pass, collect myself and find some equilibrium before proceeding more carefully. Lesson learned!

4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. And then hydrate some more. Again, I learned this the hard way during the first few weeks of pregnancy when I’d forget to drink at regular intervals and would develop nagging headaches.

My wise sister sent me a 40-ounce insulated water bottle and recommended I carry it with me throughout the day. Problem solved! Not only does my water stay nice and cold (Hydro Flasks are the best!), but I make it a goal to finish the bottle by dinnertime to ensure I’m taking in enough liquids.

5. Seek a support system. Whether it’s fellow female athletes who are in the same boat or a fabulous coach of some sort to help you navigate the murky pregnancy fitness waters, finding your little tribe is an invaluable thing during this journey.

I’m fortunate enough to have a handful of friends from the triathlon, running and strength training worlds who are all due within a few months of each other, so I’ve been especially appreciative of having people with which I can swap advice. Several of us are even taking pre-natal movement classes together, which I’ll go into in an upcoming post because it’s been such a fantastic experience!

What’s your advice from working out during the first trimester?