What's a Race Report?

*tap tap tap* Is this thing on? 

Well Internet, when we last chatted I was about 2 weeks out from running my first post-baby half marathon. Training was different, but I was running regularly enough and felt in decent (not good, but decent) shape. 

The race happened and I thought about writing a race report many a time, but never actually sat down to do it. But today is the finally day! So, here we go (kinda)... 

I'd say this is definitely the longest it has ever taken me to write a race report, that's for sure. So long in fact, I can't really remember the race, but I know I ran it... and I accomplished my goal. 

The details.... 

I ran the Victoria Half Marathon on thanksgiving weekend (way back in October) in under 2hrs. I can't remember exactly what my time was (1:57:something I think?), but I remember I was happy to be running (and surprisingly nervous).

I woke up a couple days before the race with a cold (kind of a bummer) and wasn't really sure what to expect from my body, but I felt grateful I was able to run, and grateful to be able to spend 2hrs doing something I love, for myself. 

I accomplished my goal pretty comfortably - and by that I mean I felt pretty comfortable running the whole time. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a walk in the park, but I ran at a sustainable and steady pace, and I knew pretty much the whole time I would be able to make my 2hr goal. My calf cramped toward the end, which was a bit weird and slowed me down a tad, but overall it was a great day full of positive self talk and smiles. Something I haven't always experienced during races. 

Oh, and I was much more sore after the race than I expected to be, but I recovered. 

Since then, we've moved to Nanaimo (actually, we moved about a week before the race), moved houses within Nanaimo, celebrated the little one's first birthday, celebrated Christmas and my birthday, and now we await the new year. 

As for exercise, since our move the amount of walking I do has significantly decreased compared to our life in Ukee, as has the amount of running I'm able to do (unfortunately), and so, I've let myself get a bit out of shape. This whole being a Mom things eats up just a wee bit of time. 

Life is good though, and I've got some goals and plans for the New Year, so hopefully I can get back into a bit of a better health and fitness routine. 

Also, Shane and I have signed up to run/hike the Kusam Klimb next June, so there is a goal on the horizon. Training will once again be different, but I'm looking forward to getting out and exploring our new area with the babe in the backpack. 

Let the hiking begin!

"Training"

Less than 2 weeks to go until the Victoria Half Marathon, and guess what? I'm actually pretty ready to run it. 

Race it, you say. 

Umm, no. But I'm confident I can get to the end and be quite alright, haha. 

Since my last update, training has continued to be a bit sporadic. Really, I've probably done absolutely everything 'wrong' in terms of training, but I have managed to get in almost all of my long runs (win!) and usually another 2 shorter runs during the week. Obviously, running only 3x per week is not ideal training, but I also walk A LOT with the babe, and my body has been recovering well from the long efforts, so I think I'll be okay. I suppose after all the years of heavier training that my body just kinda knows what to do. 

Don't get me wrong, physically, I'm nowhere near capable of running a PB and I don't expect to be even close. That said, when I decided to sign up for the half, my very modest goal was to break 2hrs. At the time, I thought that would be a pretty easy goal if I trained well. Now, I don't necessarily think it will be an easy goal. Hell, it will probably take a bit more effort than I would like to put out, but it's not out of the question, and I do still think it's attainable. 

And you know, even though training has barely been what I would consider consistent, it has been nice to get out and run. 

When I registered, in the spot for the race announcer to say something about you at the finish line, I put "celebrating a return to running post-pregnancy" and I just want it to be that. 

A celebration. A couple hours of sweat and good times. 

Life Without a Village

They say it takes a village to raise a child. 

The title of this post may be slightly misleading. I do have a village. I have an amazing support network of family and friends that are always available by phone, text, FaceTime or email. However, since my village is so far away (approx 4-5hrs by car), some days I feel a little village-less. I suppose you could say I have a remote village, haha. 

Anyway, all this is to say, that life with a baby has been an adjustment. Shane and I are definitely finding our groove, but there are days (weeks even) where I wish I could just phone up my Mom or Dad and say, "hey, could you come over so I can get out of the house for an hour to go for a run, or grab a coffee, and just clear my head."

Since we don't really have an immediate village here in Ukee, sometimes health and fitness takes a back seat to sitting in the couch with Shane after a long day, eating sour keys (or ice cream, or some sort of junk) and watching the boob tube. 

So, as you might expect from the above, half training has not been as easy as I hoped (although, if I'm honest, it is going sort of as I expected. I figured it might a challenge some days/weeks). 

The first couple weeks went great. Runs were short, and therefore, I was able to sneak them in after the little went to bed, or during the day with her in the stroller. But then Shane got sick, and the babe got sick, and we had a couple weekends away, and well, my motivation faltered and there was about a two week stretch where I barely ran. I stated thinking maybe I'd be better off just training to run 5 & 10k races. See if I could work on speed (sometimes that still crosses my mind actually). Anyway, needless to say, my training calendar has a lot of Xs on it. That said, I set this half as a goal, and I'd like to see what I can do to accomplish it. Once it's done, maybe shorter, faster races will be the goal. 

Last weekend, Shane and I had a good chat about making a healthy lifestyle a priority again, and we recommitted ourselves to supporting each other to get out the door and stay active. It means we workout at separate times, and sacrifice a bit of time together, but so far (5-6 days in, haha) it feels good. And sustainable. I know as my runs continue to get longer, they may get a bit more difficult to fit in, but we'll make it work. 

I'm feeling optimistic.

Different, but the same.

Exactly 20 days after I published my last post, Shane and I welcomed our feisty, beautiful, teeny-tiny little baby girl into the world... Hard to believe that was nearly 6 months ago! 

As a friend once said to me "the days are long, but the years are fast."

To say life has been different would be an understatement. Of course it's been different (no duh, right?). Awesome and challenging and fun and (some days) downright hard, but definitely good. Different good. 

I know it's been a long time since I've written anything, so let's jump right back in with a list of sorts. Just some of the things that have been on my mind recently.

1. I'm obsessed with sleep (and not getting nearly as much of it as I'd like). Baby sleep stresses me out way more than it probably should. The funny thing is, I don't think we actually have it that bad in the sleep department compared to some new parents, but I also know how important good sleep is, so perhaps that is why the obsession. I'm pretty sure Shane is tired of hearing me talk about naps, haha. 

2. I've also discovered my overtired response to stress is crying. I've cried a lot since becoming a Mom (happy tears and frustrated tears, emotional-I-don't-know-why-I'm-crying tears and tired tears. But don't worry, I'll survive). 

3. My body has changed. I'm pretty much back to the weight I was when I got pregnant, but I'm definitely a little softer and jiggle a bit more when I run. Not that this is a bad thing, it's just different (like everything else). Some days it frustrates me a little, not being as strong or as active as I once was, but most days, I'm actually pretty pleased with where I am at physically, and know with a little bit more consistent exercise I'll be back to 'normal' (whatever that is) in no time. Not to mention, I've created something pretty awesome (and adorable) with this wicked bod. 

4. I ran the TC10k a couple weeks ago, completely untrained (running right now happens about once every week or two, as exercise mostly consists of walking around hilly Ukee and short strength workouts while le bebe naps). I was actually pretty pleased with my time (not fast, but faster than I was expecting) considering I registered the day before with the intention of just 'participating'. I was also pleasantly surprised with how I felt during and after. So that was a definite win. 

5. I have been throwing around the idea of running the Victoria half marathon in October for a while now, and I've officially decided to train for it. My friend Laura and I are going to be virtual training partners. The good ol' accountability factor. Training commences May 22. I don't think it will always be easy to get my runs in, but the little squirt will be able to ride in the running stroller soon enough, so that should help. Also, no expectations. I just want to have a goal to work toward and to feel a little bit like my old self again for a handful of hours each week. 

6. Our little family will be packing up and moving once again at the end of August. Shane's next work placement will be Nanaimo. I'm thrilled to be moving closer to my family and think I will enjoy being back in a bigger city with more amenities (hello swimming pool!), but I'm also really sad to be leaving Ucluelet. It took me a bit to feel welcome and comfortable here, but now I really love this awesome little community. For such a small place, there is sure going to be a lot I miss about it. 

Well, I think that is enough for now. If anyone is still reading this, thanks for sticking around. 

Oh! Oh! 

One final thought that just popped into my head. If anyone ever tells you labour isn't that bad, they are a dirty rotten liar. I had some different/complicating circumstances (maybe one day I'll share my story on the ol' blog) but let's just say, labour is way harder than Ironman. 

The medal at the end is way better though. 

Tick Tock

It's 5am and I'm wide awake. 

A year ago, this would have been normal. Hell, 8 months ago it was still normal. It was around this time of morning that I'd be peeling myself out of bed to go for a swim, a run along the waterfront, or perhaps a trainer ride or spin class. Nowadays, I tend to sleep a little later. 

That said, lots of things are different. I'm also up a lot more during the night. I used to hit the pillow and be out like a light. I'd barely move during my 7-8hours of nightly sleep. Now I'm up to pee at least once... ah, who am I kidding, it's usually at least twice. 

The last few days, at 4am my eyes pop open. My tummy growling, I shuffle to the kitchen for a drink of chocolate milk or a small snack. Once back in bed, I find myself talking to my belly, enjoying feeling the flips and turns of our little girl, soothed by her movements, and within 15-20mins, I'm back to sleep for another couple hours before my eventual wake up for the day. 

Not sure why today is different. I've sung her my version of 'Baby JB' (set to the tune of Baby Beluga... don't bother asking me to sing it to you. It's just for me and the little squirt). She seems to respond to my voice/singing now, which is really cool. I find myself wondering if this song will soothe her once she's actually here in the world, outside of my belly. 

6 weeks to go (although, I have a feeling it will be less) and I guess we'll find out. 

------

I actually wrote the above a couple weeks ago, while Shane was away for work and I was spending some time on my own in Ukee. Then, I promptly forgot I wrote it. (The whole 'pregnancy brain' thing you hear so much about is real, yo). 

So, as of yesterday, I'm now 36 weeks pregnant. This will be my last week in Ukee before having to make the move out of town to prepare for delivery. It seems crazy that, after Saturday, the next time I'm at home, Shane and I will be parents! Yikes. 

[For those who don't know, you cannot deliver a baby in Tofino/Ukee and have to relocate to a bigger city 3-4 weeks before your due date. It's obviously not the ideal situation, having to be away from your home in these final weeks, but thankfully I have a place to stay and great support in Victoria, and Shane has some flexibility with work to be able to travel back and forth. Not everyone who lives up here is that lucky, and often have to rent a place or live out of a hotel. I really can't imagine having to wait out the last few weeks in a hotel in a strange city!]

Anyway, I digress... 

The summer was beautiful. I spent a lot of time walking, beaching, relaxing, and just enjoying this time of relative quiet and freedom. I ran a bit, but it got harder and harder as I got bigger and bigger, and I found I preferred to spend an hour or so walking/hiking the trails, as opposed to running uncomfortably for 20-30mins. My last run happened at just after 31 weeks, when I decided it wasn't worth it anymore, as I really wasn't enjoying it, and so I decided to call it quits on the running until after JB is here. 

We did get a wicked running stroller though, that I'm excited to be able to use once she is big enough.

Anyway, time is ticking along. Life has been good, but very different. The last couple months especially have been a bit of a whirlwind.

Mid-September, Shane got posted to a job in Merritt for 6 weeks, so I split my time between Merritt, Victoria and home in Ucluelet. 

I've had many ultrasounds and doctors appointments (one of the perks(?) of being considered a high risk pregnancy) and everything seems to be going well with the baby. My blood pressure has been a bit high at the last couple appointments, so I've been told to rest as much as possible, and put my feet up. I definitely feel like a bit of a slug, and some days are harder than others to sit around and do nothing, when you are used to being so active, but it's a small sacrifice to make in order to make sure both myself and JB get through these last couple weeks in the best possible shape. 

Otherwise, the nursery is finished. The newborn sleepers are purchased, and well, now we wait. 

Much like when I found out I was pregnant, I'm both excited and terrified, but mostly, I just can't wait to meet our baby girl. 

This and That

I've sat down and attempted to write on the blog a few times over the past month. Each time I get about a paragraph in, and realize that I'm not sure I have anything to say. I think this happens because I originally created this blog to chronicle my training and life as I worked toward different athletic pursuits and the goals attached to them. This year, there aren't really any athletic pursuits on the horizon.

Anyway, while I'm not really training, I am definitely on a pretty huge journey to a pretty big adventure, so figured I might as well start jotting down a bit of what is happening in life these days... even if it does involve far less swim-bike-run than in years past. 

So yeah, keep reading if you want to hear about things like 30' easy runs where I have to walk up almost every hill, or the fact that popsicles and ice cream have taken up permanent residence in our freezer, or random hormone surges that cause me to cry over dog food commercials. Of course, if that's not your thing and you're only interested in my swim, bike, run adventures, well, check back in about a year.

Ok, with all that said, let's get to it. Apologies in advance if this gets a bit rambly, but well, lists and rambles seem to be what I do best. 

So, here goes... Let the brain dump commence!!!

I'm definitely missing triathlon a bit this summer. For the past 8 years or so, it has been a staple in my life. This year, obviously I've taken a step back (what with this whole baby growing thing).  

Anyway, my Facebook feed seems to be filled with status updates about long rides or runs, group swims at the lake, people crushing their local races, and well, this week... the dreaded taper! I have quite a few friends and acquaintances racing Ironman Canada this year, and I so wish I could be there to cheer them on (but unfortunately it's not going to work out). I will however, be glued to my computer checking updates like crazy throughout the day. I'm pretty sure they are all going to crush it. 

As far as my life and exercise are concerned as of late, I'm running 2-3 times per week, for about 30' or so each time. Honestly, I'm not loving running as much as I would like to right now. I find I worry about every little ache and pain, and so it's just not always quite as fun as it should be. That said, I did have a great run the other morning, so all hope is not lost, and physically, I am still a-okay to keep doing it. I'm slower and breathe a little heavier than I'm used to, but it's all good. 

I also just found out my Mom is going to do the 8k on Victoria Marathon race weekend, so if things are still going well for me, and I'm still able, I think I will run it with her. It will give me that little motivation I need to keep lacing up and getting out the door. 

Otherwise, when I'm not running, I'm walking. A LOT! And with the amount of hills in this town, I still get a pretty good workout doing it. I try to get out for at least an hour in the morning on every non-run day, and then most afternoons (regardless of my morning activity) I get out for an easier 30-45' stroll through town. 

I've also started attending a group fitness class once a week. It's a low impact strength conditioning and core activation class. It's pretty good, and the instructor is nice enough to modify exercises to accommodate me. I also try to do a bit of range of motion and strength work on my own once or twice a week, so you know, there's that. 

So yeah, I'm definitely still moving, just in very different ways compared to what used to be normal, haha. 

On the non-exercise front, well, I'm settling into small town life. I'm attending a group at the community centre once a week for moms-to-be/new-moms and am really enjoying it. It's been great for just getting out of the house and meeting people, but I'm also learning a lot and am starting to feel a little bit more welcomed and comfortable within the community. The resources and support offered here for pregnant women are really amazing considering it is such a small community. I feel very lucky to have it all at my disposal. 

Some other things I've learned/noticed over the last little while...

1) I'm pretty good at spending time alone and I don't actually mind it. I'm often surprised at how good I am at finding stuff to do. That said, alone time has also made me realize how much I do enjoy a good conversation and just being around other people. Evenings and weekends when Shane is home, or times when people come to visit, are a real treat! 

2) I really like the feel of the baby moving. I always thought it would be uber creepy, but I find it so reassuring. She's moving a lot these days, which is awesome. You can even see and feel some of her bigger kicks and jabs from the outside now. 

Yep, I'm officially now that person.

3) I have a tendency to worry. I worry I'm not getting enough protein, I worry I need more iron, I worry if I do this, or that, I might hurt little JB (side note: Shane and I call the baby JB. The way that nickname came about is a story for another post, but if you hear me reference JB, now you know what I'm talking about). So yeah, I worry about a lot of really silly things that I actually know are totally fine. But hey, it's just good practice for the rest of my life as a parent, right? 

4) I used to be skinny. I mean, dang, when I look at photos we took at the beginning of this pregnancy, compared to the ones we took last night, well how on earth did I ever worry about my body? It looked pretty good if you ask me. You could kind of even see my abs! Shockingly, I don't really care though. I know my body is doing something pretty amazing, and while it may not ever be exactly the same as it was before, I know my strength and my endurance will be back, and I'm cool with that. 

5) I get to look at scenery like this everyday... I'm pretty lucky I get to live here. 

Rocky bluffs and ocean swells. Just your typical daily walk.

A big ol' rainforest drenched in sun.

This is what Saturday and Sunday often look like.

Okay, I'm sure there is way more I could ramble on about, but this post has gotten pretty long already.  If you've made it this far, congratulations and thank you for reading! 

Until next time.

Getting Fat.

Well, I survived the Edge to Edge half marathon on Sunday. 

To say it was hilly would be an understatement. To say it was hard, also, an understatement. 

You likely won't be surprised to read that it was very much a personal worst as far as time was concerned (by a long shot!).

That said, I'm actually really proud of the finish, because you know what, it's sure not easy carrying another person for 21.1k (even a teeny tiny one). 

So yeah, if you haven't figured it out yet, I'm knocked up. With child. Pregnant. 

It was planned (because when you have a clotting disorder, everything to do with getting and being pregnant must be very well planned), but it happened a hell of a lot faster than we expected. I'm just at the start of my second trimester. The first one definitely took a little more energy out of me than I expected (who knew the fatigue could be such an ass kicker) but otherwise, so far everything seems to be going well, and I've got a great team (yes, a full team) of doctors looking after me. 

Anyway, along with all the changes to do with our move and the newness of life in Ukee, adding in all the excitement and changes that happen with a new pregnancy (and the fatigue, have I mentioned that?) have definitely been a contributing factor in the lack of anything resembling training these days... but that's okay. Every big goal requires some sacrifices and adjustments to what you've previously known, and making sure this baby gets delivered healthy is my number 1 priority for the year. 

And on that note, I'm gonna go find something to eat and put my feet up.