Some weeks just don’t go as you planned for them to go. If you asked me what this week would look like a little while ago, I would’ve said some outdoor runs, normal workouts, and kids at school every day.
That didn’t happen. Instead, we got SNOW+COLD+SNOW DAYS+STOMACH FLU.
This week began with us getting hit HARD with a ton of snow. Like 12+ inches! Meaning, I was not running outside. The sidewalks weren’t shoveled, roads weren’t plowed, and I don’t know when it will melt because we have so much. So these days, I’m just grateful for my treadmill to keep me sane.
At least it looks pretty and my kids love it, right?
The week also included a snow day (after the massive day of snow) and stomach bugs for 3 members of our house (thankfully not me or LM were hit …yet!). So, I’m grateful I got in any runs at all with all that chaos.
I’ll try not to complain every single week from here through the end of March; however, I hate winter running.
Now that that’s over with, I’ll say that I ran almost every day this week (yay!), but only one run was outside. Every other day was on the dreadmill, at o’dark thirty, when it was either icy or just too cold (for me) outside. Thankfully, I was able to get in a few outdoor walks during the day, which made all the difference in my moods! So even though I was stuck on the treadmill, I found myself getting in at least a mile walk outside a few days in the (cold) sunshine with at least one of my kids. They don’t hate winter like me, and I’m trying NOT to instill the bad attitude in them!
Well, winter finally arrived in Cleveland. It was a cold, dark and we had our first real snowstorm. I know it’s January, but I’m still not ready for it to be like this. I prefer 30+ degrees and dry ground for me to run on. I decided to ignore the elements this week, and instead of running outside, I stayed indoors, did some kettlebells, did some abs and ran on the treadmill.
Happy holidays and Merry Christmas! I can’t believe Christmas is OVER, and I’m trying not to feel the pang that often hits me after the holiday season. Instead, let’s focus on all that has been wonderful and all that is running-related!
This week, I kept up my unplanned running streak, so much that I may decide to complete the Runner’s World #rwstreak and run every day through New Year’s Day. What do you think? Should I keep it up?
While I’m ready for the holiday season, some time off of work and with the family (and no school for the kids!), it doesn’t feel like the holidays. I’m not going home for Christmas this year (thanks, pandemic) and also, it has been WARM! That’s right – I was able to run in capris twice this week because it was in the 40s-50s even before the sun came up. And I loved it!
This week, I got in an outdoor run nearly every day. The weather was just that good!
Looking back at this week in terms of running, I can say it was a good week.
I got in 4 outdoor runs, 3 indoor runs (thank you, treadmill!) and I felt pretty good.
I’m still not getting any faster (thanks, postpartum running, breastfeeding and lack of sleep for that), but I’m not injured, I’m still getting in my miles, and overall, I’m feeling good.
(This is one of my favorite versions of this song – I believe I first heard it in an episode of Luther)
December is HERE! And with that, we actually had some great weather this week. I was able to get outside half of the days and run outside. And one day, I managed to run in capris because it was in the 40s!
I wouldn’t mind if it stayed this mild all winter. We had some snow on Sunday, but it melted and stayed dry the second half of the week, which made my runs outside that much better. And with that, I wrapped up my November with about 109 miles run.
Was Thanksgiving really 3 days ago? It feels like only yesterday that I was counting down the days to see my family and celebrate the beginning of the season. My parents came into town for a few days, and it was great to see them and enjoy some turkey and quality time together.
Speaking of turkey, this year also marked the second annual family turkey trot — instead of doing the large downtown race (which I do enjoy), me and my brothers- and sisters-in-law did our own run around our neighborhood. It’s a fun tradition, and works out perfectly since we all live so close to one another. My oldest brother-in-law and his son started out by running from their house. Then they picked up my sister-in-law and her daughter at her house (about .75 mi away), then they picked up my other brother-in-law and his dog at their house (about another .5 mi away), and then they picked me, B and my younger brother-in-law at our house. Then we ran a little ways around dropped everyone else off at their houses. It was the perfect start to my Thanksgiving morning!
If you can’t tell by the title, I’m pregnant. And yes, it’s a pandemic. But, it’s not all bad.
Not to belittle anyone’s pregnancy experience – and I’m so glad I’m not a first-time mom right now – but despite all the downsides of being pregnant during a pandemic, there are also some things I’ve come to enjoy. So, in the spirit of looking on the bright side of things, here is a look at some of the things I’m grateful for being pregnant at this time:
It’s Easier to Keep Your Secret
With pregnancy #2, I started showing earlier. This meant it was harder to hide from my coworkers or those that I wasn’t ready to share the news with. And, I had to “fake” drinking at a few holiday happy hours. This is baby #3, and I swear I started showing the I found out! (only slightly joking) But, since I’m working from home and live on Zooms all day long, it has been easier to hide my growing belly. In-person holiday events/gatherings and other happy hours were pretty much nonexistent this year. So, nobody notices what I’m drinking (or not drinking). This meant I could tell people when I was ready.
No Strangers Attempting to Touch My Belly
If you’ve been pregnant, you’ve probably been in this situation: You walk into an elevator. And the stranger next to you takes one look at your belly and exclaims, “Oh, a baby!” and proceeds to rub your stomach. It’s uncomfortable, and if you’re actually in an elevator, you’re somewhat stuck. But, during a pandemic, not only do I have fewer situations with strangers, but people tend to keep their distance. So far, my next door neighbor is the only one to comment on my growing belly, besides my 2-year-old.
Fewer Awkward Comments from Acquaintances
When you have fewer social interactions, you have fewer awkward ones. There are no colleagues looking at you one day and saying, “Hey, you really popped today!” Or clients commenting, “Are you having twins?” Or extended family sharing how much larger/smaller/different you look from their [insert name of someone in their family] who is also pregnant.
Fewer Colds
Being sick anytime isn’t fun. But being sick when you’re pregnant and not allowed to take most medicines — that’s a new challenge. We’ve been lucky and stayed mostly healthy during the pandemic. Our kids have been home since March 2020, which means they haven’t been at daycare. That, combined with the fact then when I leave the house I’m in a mask, means we’re simply exposed to fewer germs.
More Time
Especially in the beginning, life seemed busier. The kids were home, we were watching them while attempting to working full time, and it was nuts. But now that we’ve gotten into a groove and things have settled down, there’s simply more time. No commute means an hour back in my day. No daycare drop off and pickup? That’s more time back. No play dates, board meetings, etc. = more time. That means more time for breakfast on the porch. More time for family walks. More time for baking. More time for nature hikes. While we can mourn for all we’ve lost this past year, I’m grateful to have all the time to spend with my growing family.
Questions for you:
Have you been pregnant during this pandemic? What was it like?
Well, here I am, 30 weeks pregnant (10 more to go!) and writing a race recap that I didn’t know I’d be writing.
It’s not a true race recap – like most of my races this year, there were no water stops, starting line, finish line or even crowd support. This weekend should’ve been the Cleveland Marathon race weekend. Every other year, since they announced it, I’ve participated in the Challenge Series (where you run on Saturday and Sunday and get a cool medal and additional swag!), but this year, the race is virtual right now, with a fall race (schedule TBD) in-person.
This year, I’m excited to hopefully run a fall race — I’m looking forward to have something to train for after giving birth and getting the okay from my dr (hopefully in early September). As long as the race is early October or later, i should be fine with running it hopefully!
But, I couldn’t let the virtual event just happen and not participate, especially as a race ambassador. So even though I’m by no means in racing shape these weeks, AND the fact that we were out of town, I knew I couldn’t NOT join the event. So, I signed up for the 5k, with the goal of running the entire thing (these days most of my runs are actually run / walks) and crossed my fingers to hope for the best.
I Crashed The Web 