Pregnancy Week 36: Brisk Run

The movement of running still feels good even as the baby is settling down in my pelvis (that feeling isn't so great). My mom went into labor with each of my brothers and me two weeks early, and I went into labor with Asher at 37.5 weeks. If this "early" trend holds true, it's possible that we could have a baby in 2 weeks! What that means for me today is that every workout brings me closer to my goal: labor and delivery and meeting our new little one! More urgently, however, I realize that life will really change with two little ones and my time will be even less my own. Therefore, I really cherish each of these opportunities to do something beneficial for myself-exercise-knowing that in the early post-partum period (and beyond), I will have different priorities that will require me to modify my exercise intensity/duration. Today, I had a run scheduled. It might have been the best run I've had in weeks!

Activity:
35 min brisk run with Asher in double stroller, mostly level terrain.

As for our meals today, don't laugh too much at the randomness! We didn't get a chance to go grocery shopping this weekend, so I had to be a little creative with what we had available...

Breakfast:
Leftover paleo Salmon cakes (2) (recipe from The Primal Blueprint cookbook) with mustard (there is no added sugar in mustard!), tomatoes, avocado
1 banana with almond butter

Lunch (despite the randomness, I got my vegetable, fruit, protein and fat):
1 Fuji apple
1/2 yellow bell pepper
3-4 slices Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach sausage
1/4 C roasted mixed nuts

Snack:
Handful Organic Thompsons Raisins

Dinner:
"Slow cooker" paleo pot roast with coconut milk, garlic, carrots, celery
Roasted Brussels Sprouts w/ garlic, dill, olive oil
Cheat dessert: 5 medium spoonfuls of Adam's Ben & Jerry's ice cream

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 36: Kettlebell Swings

In celebration of the first day of my ninth month of pregnancy, I did a high volume KB swing workout. The movement felt so great that if I had had more time, I would have kept going!

Activity:
High volume KB swings (10kg), total 1000 swings
4 x 100, then 3 x 200 (various combinations of two- and one-handed swings)
45 min brisk walk with Asher in double stroller
Long slow 60 min run/walk with Asher (on foot), 21 months old

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs with 1/2 avocado
1 banana with almond butter
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone

Lunch:
Small bowl leftover curry beef steak soup
1 Fuji apple

Dinner:
Paleo Coconut milk with chicken soup (from The Primal Blueprint Cookbook by Mark Sisson), carrots, spinach.
Handful Organic Thompsons Raisins
10 dark chocolate chips

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 35: Rest Day

I took today as a rest day in anticipation of the busy morning we'd have. In retrospect, it was a good thing to have a day off.

Activity: Rest day

Breakfast:
2 GF paleo Chocolate chip Raisin scone
1 banana

Lunch:
Spinach salad with cucumber, tomato, green bell pepper, balsamic vinegar & olive oil
1 Fuji apple
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip Raisin scone

Dinner:
Paleo Coconut curry beef stew with onions, garlic, carrots, celery
Cheat dessert: 1 slice of Almond Roca chocolate cake, shared with Asher (this boy loves chocolate, just like his mama!)

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 35: KB combination lifts and bodyweight training

As my due date draws nearer, I feel the pressure (literally!) to train my squats even more. Squatting opens up the pelvic outlet, which is certainly a positive thing during birth!

Activity:
KB clean-military press-overhead squat (10 kg) x 10 each side
Advanced position sideplanks x 18 each side

Repeat cycle 10x

Breakfast (I had what was left of the lunch I made Adam this morning):
Curry beef with spinach, mushroom medley, onions, garlic; 1/2 avocado and 1 diced roma tomato
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone (with organic ground flaxseed and chia seed)

Morning snack:
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone

Lunch (at 3:30 p.m. LOL! wasn't hungry after the scone!):
Spinach salad with green and red bell peppers, cucumber, balsamic vinegar & olive oil
1 banana with almond butter
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone

Dinner:
GF Rockfish Fish sticks (from the Gluten-free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam) with ketchup
1 scrambled egg (leftover from the fish sticks)
2 kiwi
10 ounces Monavie with glucosamine

Fluid:
6 cups water

Pregnancy Week 35: Run Mama Run

It was a cold, foggy morning. Asher was bundled up in his multiple layers and covered with his quilt. Seems like each run is better than the previous! No foot soreness, no discomfort of any kind! When I was pregnant with Asher, I ran until the day before he was born. It's looking good that we'll be doing a repeat this time around!

Activity:
30 min run with Asher in double stroller, moderate pace, mostly level terrain.

Breakfast:
2 GF paleo chocolate chip banana scones
1 banana

Morning snack (okay, I was falling asleep on the drive to parents house and had to munch on something!):
1/3 C roasted mixed nuts

Lunch (eaten at 4 p.m. because after the nuts, I wasn't hungry at all!):
1/2 C leftover veggies from last night
1 Fuji apple
1 handful Organic Thompson's raisins

Dinner:
Pork with Mustard greens, sea salt & pepper
Zucchini seasoned with curry
1 piece of See's Candies Dark Cal Brittle

Evening snack (I didn't feel hungry, but really wanted eggs with runny yolks so...):
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs

Then I baked a double batch of GF chocolate chip raisin scones, substituting 3/4 C of almond flour with organic ground flaxseed and chia seed....and I ate one scone to see just how yummy it was!

Fluid:
8 cups water

Pregnancy Week 35: Tuesday Snatches

Here we are again, a wonderful Tuesday, and my favorite workout of the week! Still feels good throughout the entire movement.

Activity:
KB snatches (10 kg)

15/15/15/15 R/L alternated with
20/20/10/10 R/L

completed 5 sets of each for a total of 600 snatches

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs with 1 handful spinach, 1 roma tomato, 1/2 avocado

Morning snack:
1/2 C roasted mixed nuts

Lunch:
Medium Spinach salad with cucumbers and red peppers, balsamic vinegar & olive oil
7 strawberries
1 banana

Dinner:
Pork with squash, stir fried with sea salt & pepper
Chinese baby bokchoy
3 pieces See's candies Dark Cal Brittle (my favorite!)
Handful Organic Thompson's Raisins

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 35: Sleepless Nights followed by a Morning Run

I slept a total of two hours last night, and laid awake in bed for about three. This pregnancy sleepy-but-unable-to-fall-asleep business is really getting old. At least I was able to get some naptime as I drove to/from my parents' house today LOL.

Activity:
35 min run with Asher in double stroller, mostly level terrain, moderate pace

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs
1 pear

Lunch (had lunch out with parents and Asher):
Hamburger patty with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mustard
Bowl of pre-made salad: spring mix, mushrooms, radishes, carrots, no dressing

I was still hungry after eating the above, so I had:
Several bites of Mom's slice of Lemon Merigue pie, several of Asher's french fries

Snack:
Handful Mixed Roasted Nuts

Dinner (now I wasn't hungry at all):
1 Ruby grapefruit
2 pieces of See's Candies Dark Chocolate Cal Brittle

Fluid:
8 cups water

Pregnancy Week 35: Who needs sleep when you can kettlebell?

I was finally tired at 1 a.m. I slept until 2:30 a.m., then laid in bed awake, drowsy, but unable to fall asleep until 3:30 a.m. when I decided to get up and do my workout! It was a good workout, but I was sleepy by the end....

Activity:
Inverted KB Clean-Press pyramid (10 kg) 5-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-5 R/L x 5
Single Leg Deadlift (12 kg) 10 x 10 R/L
Ab Roller 10 x 10

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs w/ 1/2 avocado
1 GF paleo chocolate chip banana scone (made with the addition of chia seed and ground flaxseed)

Lunch:
Salad with grilled chicken, salsa, guacamole from Chipotle's

Dinner:
Rockfish w/ tomatoes and onions, sea salt & pepper
Winter melon soup with kale
2 pieces of dark chocolate from See's candies
Shared a slice of Almond Roca chocolate cake with mom, who had dinner with us tonight!

Fluid:
6 cups water

Pregnancy Week 34: Quick KB strengthening

I had a quick, fun workout this morning with the 10 kg KB. Here's what I did:

Activity:
Pullups 2 x 4 (narrow grip), 2 x 3 (wide grip)

then,
KB bent over rows 10 x 10
KB Front Squat 5 x 5 R, 5 x 5 L
Side planks (advanced position) 10 x 18 each side

I followed that with Tracy Reifkind's Shoulder smoker using the 8 kg:
Clean, Military Press R/L 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1

Breakfast:
1 sunnyside up omega-3 egg with 1/2 avocado
1/2 large bowl Vitamix drink (1 c cultured coconut milk, 1 banana, 5 stalks kale, 1 honeycrisp apple, 2 kiwi, 6 Tbsp organic ground flaxseed, 4 Tbsp chia seed)

Lunch:
Bowl of leftover Paleo Salmon Chowder
Handful cashews
Handful organic Thompsons Raisins

Snack:
Handful organic Thompsons Raisins

Dinner:
Bowl of Paleo Curry beef with kale, assorted mushrooms, onion, garlic
1 GF paleo chocolate chip banana scone

Cheat dessert!!! 1/2 slice of Almond Roca Chocolate cake...YUM

Fluid:
8 cups water

Pregnancy Week 34: Rest Day

Today was an enforced Rest Day. When I went to bed (around 12:30 a.m., when I finally felt tired), I was ready to do a KB strength workout in the morning. However, at 3 a.m., I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep until 4:30 a.m. When my alarm went off at 6 a.m., I was dead tired! The next time I woke up, it was too late to do a workout before Asher would wake. I thought I might get a chance to squeeze it in during his naptime, but decided, at 34 weeks along, that I should take a rest day. I look forward to doing my workout tomorrow!!

Activity: Rest Day

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up omega 3 eggs with 1/4 avocado

Lunch (don't have much space at all now, still feel like my breakfast is in my throat!):
1 banana
Handful cashews

Dinner:
1 bowl of leftover Fish soup
1/4 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone

We met with our Doula this evening and went over the birth preferences. Time has really gone by quickly with this pregnancy (I'm sure time always seems to pass quickly in retrospect!). If this baby comes around the time Asher did (37.5 weeks), we will be a family of four in early February! Wild. I need to practice my coping techniques from the Birthing from Within book...

Snack:
1 pear

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 34: Run Baby Run

Asher and I set off for a nice brisk run this morning! He was bundled up in his footed pajamas and fleece jacket, with his quilt tucked tightly around him, and had a paleo scone in his little (cold) hands. Later on in the run, I put his mittens on, which meant we had to stop every now and then so I could help him take bites of his scone...This was a welcome break for my feet, which felt achy and sore earlier during the run than usual.

Activity: 35 min run with Asher in double stroller, moderate pace, mostly level terrain

Breakfast:
large bowl Vitamix drink (same recipe as yesterday)
1 GF paleo chocolate chip raisin scone

Lunch (at New Seasons health food store):
paleo Salmon filet "sandwich" with lettuce, tomatoes, pickle, avocado, yellow mustard
1 GF paleo chocolate chip raisin scone

Dinner (not hungry yet):
Slow cooker Beef cooked in coconut milk, organic chicken broth, onions, kale, curry, sea salt & pepper, dried ginger
1 pear
3/4 banana w/ almond butter

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 34: Snatches, How I Love Thee

For the 34th time this pregnancy, I have done a snatch workout on Tuesday. It was lovely. Pregnancy insomnia hit again last night, so I was up early and figured I might as well start my workout!

Activity:
KB snatches with 10 kg, alternating 15/15/15/15 R/L with 20/20/10/10 R/L for 5 cycles each (10 cycles total, 600 snatches total). Felt great!

Breakfast:
Large bowl of Vitamix drink (1 C cultured coconut milk with probiotics, 1.5 handfuls organic baby spinach, 2 kiwis, 1 orange, 2 bananas, 6 Tbsp organic ground flaxseed)
6 ounces Goat Milk Kefir blueberry pomegranate flavor
1 GF paleo chocolate chip raisin scone

Lunch:
Paleo Chicken with broccoli and mushroom medley
Garden salad with cucumbers, balsamic vinegar & olive oil

First Dinner:
Bowl of paleo Fish soup (Wild rockfish, kale, coconut milk, chicken broth, basil, curry)
Handful Organic thompsons raisins
6 ounces Goat milk kefir

Second Dinner:
Small bowl of paleo fish soup

Snack:
2 GF paleo chocolte chip raisin scones (fresh from the oven!)

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 34: Misty Stroller Run

We ran in the misty rain today. Asher's Thomas the Train went with us. I feel like over the past two days, my belly has gotten a lot bigger. I weighed myself at Adam's work before lunch and came in at 123.9 pounds. We'll see if the scale at the midwife's office is still stuck at 120 (where it's been for the last 2 months that I've been a patient there)....

Activity:
30 min run with Asher in double stroller, mostly level terrain

Breakfast (pre-run):
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone
1 banana with almond butter

Lunch:
Curry beef with carrots, kale and mushrooms

Snack:
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone

Dinner (I wasn't hungry):
1/2 C string beans sauteed with garlic
2 bowls of Winter Melon soup in chicken broth
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 34: Solo Run

I used to love running in the rain. Well, running in any weather condition was fun, but running in the rain was particularly wonderful. Then I got Priya and running in the rain wasn't as fun. Priya had a habit of running in front of me. This allowed her to kick back dirty rain water on my legs; fun for her, not so fun for me. And then, I got to "remember" our run throughout the day as the house would smell like wet dog... Now Odin likes to run out to the side with occasional lunges in towards my legs to wipe his wet, muddy underbelly off on my running tights. Sometimes we'll make it through an entire run only to have him rub on my legs at the very end and completely soak my tights with muddy doggy-smelling water. Thanks, guys. When we bring Asher into the picture, it's really just the fact that the poor kid gets wet while buckled into a stroller. We don't have the rain cover, nor do I feel like spending the money to purchase one anytime soon (though, living in the Pacific Northwest, I would be smart to do so, wouldn't I?!). I usually dress him in a water-repellent jacket and pants, cover him with his quilt, and keep the sun/wind canopy down as far as it will go. Once the poor kid's face was all wet by the end of our run... Needless to say, I try to avoid running in the rain when I don't have anyone to watch him. So, I was glad to have my parents' help with Asher while I ran...in the rain! It was great!

Activity:
2.0 mile run on 0.5 mile hilly loop (2 laps clockwise, 2 laps counterclockwise)

Breakfast:
(pre-run) 1 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone
3/4 banana

Lunch:
cheat lunch with parents at McGrath's (my first time!)
Halibut fish and chips w/ ketchup
Garden salad, no dressing
Asher's bowl of New England style clam chowder
2 coconut prawns
2 chunks of carrots from Asher's seasoned vegetable side selection
2 pieces of See's candies (I love samples!)

Evening snack: (I wasn't hungry 7 hours later at dinnertime)
1 Ruby grapefruit
1 banana w/ almond butter

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 33: KB strengthening

I did a mix of bodyweight and KB work today.

Activity:
Pullups 2 x 4 (narrow grip), 2 x 3 (wide grip) then,

Goblet squat (10 kg) x 10
Single leg deadlift (12 kg) x 10
Ab Roller x 10

Repeat cycle 10x

Breakfast:
Large bowl of Vitamix drink (same recipe as yesterday)

Lunch:
Spinach salad with red bell peppers, tomatoes, 1/2 can light tuna; balsamic vinegar & olive oil
1 orange

Snack:
1/2 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone

Dinner:
Curry beef (organic ground beef, onions, diced carrots, spinach, garlic, curry) on romaine lettuce
1 pear
1 handful Thompsons raisins
15 dark chocolate chips
1 GF paleo chocolate chip raisin scone

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 33: Thursday Run

Asher and I had a nice morning run! The rain even stopped while we were out.

Activity:
35 min run with Asher in double stroller, mostly level terrain. Wore SIJ belt. Felt great.

Breakfast:
1 GF paleo Raisin scone
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip scone
1/2 large bowl Vitamix drink (1 C cultured Coconut milk w/ probiotics, 1 banana, 2 carrots, 2 kiwi, 5 stalks kale, 1 honeycrisp apple, 6 Tbsp ground organic flaxseed)

As I looked down at my half-empty bowl of Vitamix drink, I thought to myself, "I used to be able to eat this entire bowl!" And then I realized that my stomach space has been greatly reduced since my uterus is way up above the belly button now with a growing 33 week old fetus! It sure doesn't take much to make me feel full these days!

Lunch (not hungry):
1 Ruby grapefruit
1 GF paleo chocolate chip scone

First dinner (not hungry):
1 med bowl of chicken broth with winter melon, carrots, peas
1/4 tilapia filet

Second dinner:
1 sm bowl of slow cooker Flank steak with carrots, garlic and chicken broth
1 GF paleo chocolate chip scone

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 33: Wednesday Swings

There was a Weather Advisory warning of snow and freezing rain in our area yesterday, and overnight. I didn't know how cold it would be in the morning, so instead of going for a run, I did a KB workout in my living room.

Activity:
KB swings (10 kg) 10 x 100 (various combinations of one- and two-handed swings)

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs w/ 1/4 avocado
3/4 banana

I just am having the hardest time making myself eat my usual vegetables! We now have all the ingredients for my usual Vitamix drink, but no way have I gotten up the motivation to actually make the drink, much less to drink it! And the third trimester is when the fetus stores the most DHA (this is where the ground flaxseed comes in handy) for healthy brain development!!

Lunch:
Bowl of leftover slow cooker Italian pot roast with carrots and celery
1 pear
1 GF, paleo Chocolate chip scone

Snack:
Handful Thompsons raisins

Dinner: (not hungry/no appetite....knew I had to get some kind of green vegetable in light of what I have been eating during the day today and what I usually eat...)
Bowl of paleo Kale chips (kale, grapeseed oil, sea salt and pepper, baked 15 min on parchment paper at 350 degrees; be sure not to overdo the salt like I did!)
Glass of Goat Milk Kefir (blueberry and pomegranate flavor)
Leftover half of Olive Garden chocolate cake from last night

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 33: Tuesday Snatches (yay)!

It was with great eagerness that I set my alarm last night so I would have enough time to get my snatch workout finished this morning. As usual, I was awake from 3:30 until about 5 a.m.; just not able to fall asleep! Anyway, the workout was great fun, can't wait to do it again next week! :)

Activity:
KB snatches (10 kg)
15/15/15/15 x 5 (R/L) alternated with 20/20/10/10 x 5 (R/L) = 600 snatches

The last two sets of the 15/15 and the 20/20 I did without setting the KB down. I was having a little bit of trouble with pinched callouses on my L hand, so I did as many reps as I could on the L before switching to the R (I did the normal reps on the R, which felt really great), and just continued on the L until I was finished with 60 snatches.

At my midwife appointment, I weighed in at 120.0 pounds. I was sure with all the glutenous, comfort eating we did in SC that I would have gained a few pounds. That, and the baby growing, of course. Well, my belly is definitely getting bigger, so we know the baby's growing even if my weight isn't increasing...

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs with 1/2 avocado
3/4 banana
1 orange

Lunch:
1.5 bowls paleo beef stew with carrots and celery, ginger
Medium bowl of salad using Romaine lettuce, green bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots; balsamic vinegar and olive oil
2 pieces "Aplets and Cotlets"
1/2 handful roasted mixed nuts

Dinner:
1 bowl slow cooker paleo "Italian Pot Roast" (from Primal Blueprint cookbook)
2 GF paleo Chocolate chip scones
Cheat dessert (mini): 1/2 of a slice of chocolate cake from The Olive Garden
Handful Thompsons raisins

Fluid:
5 cups water

Pregnancy Week 33: Stroller Run

We bundled up this morning and set out for our run. It was a good one.

Activity:
30 min run over mostly level terrain, pushing double stroller.

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up omega-3 eggs with 1/2 avocado
1 GF paleo Cranberry Walnut chocolate chip cookie
1 kiwi
Handful of mixed nuts

Afternoon snack(ate breakfast late, so didn't have an appetite at lunchtime):
1 honeycrisp apple
1 slice of pear
1 banana
2 pieces of "Aplets & Cotlets"

Dinner:
Slow cooker beef (paleo) with carrots, celery, cilantro
1 square of Hershey's dark chocolate
handful dark chocolate M&Ms (see a trend tonight? yes, we were watching the Oregon v Auburn game...and I needed some comfort)

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 33: Saturday Run

I did a nice run today with my 10 YO white German Shepherd Dog Priya. Way back in the day, when I was a marathoner, Priya was my faithful training partner. We'd go for long runs (the longest I ever asked her to run with me was 12 miles--if I had to do more mileage, I would finish those first, then swing back by the house and pick her up for the last 12), many times in the dark, sometimes in the rain, snow and even ice. She was always game, and though I did have to pull her along in the later miles, she was always a good sport and would respond to my encouragement by increasing her speed (for a few steps)! It's been a long time since I've run with her alone; maybe a few years since we've had Odin for 4 years and he is the more hyper (and younger) dog who we try to exercise more. Since I'm eight months along and my pelvis can get wonky easily, I decided to take Priya with me today; Odin can be unpredictable around other dogs/distractions and I didn't want to have to worry about being pulled the wrong way. I had a great time (and I think she did too, especially having Mommy all to herself for once)! I was reminded of the good ol' days...Priya running in front of me, kicking back dirty road water on my legs, stopping to poop and pee in the middle of the road (who has time to go to the curb when one is running, she asks?!), and (after running off her initial energy) settling into a nice stride next to me. Priya was my very first pet (now we have Odin, prior to him, I have fostered several other German Shepherd Dogs), and she is still my best friend!

Activity:
30 min run with Priya, moderate speed, mostly flat terrain, SIJ belt

Breakfast: (we need to go grocery shopping!)
eaten prior to run: 1 GF paleo Chocolate scone
1 banana

Lunch:
1 can light tuna mixed with 1 diced red pepper and 1/2 avocado, sea salt
4 pieces 70% dark chocolate with mint

Dinner:
3 slices Beef sausage
1 bowl of roasted Brussels sprouts seasoned with Olive oil, dried dill, parsley and basil, sea salt, pepper and fresh garlic
1 Honeycrisp apple

Fluid:
8 cups water

Pregnancy Week 32: KB strengthening, Press pyramid

Friday's a great day for a fun little workout!

Activity:
Upside-down KB clean-press pyramid (12 kg) R/L 5-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-5
Single leg deadlift (12 kg) x 10
Ab Roller x 10

Repeat cycle 5x

Breakfast:
Medium bowl Vitamix drink (same recipe as 1/5/11)
1 GF paleo Cranberry Walnut chocolate chip cookie

Lunch:
Large Romaine lettuce salad with tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers (ran out of spinach!), balsamic vinegar & olive oil
1 Ruby red grapefruit

Snack:
1 Fuji apple
4 pieces of 70% dark chocolate with mint squares

Dinner:
Trout, cooked with sea salt and pepper
Vegetable stirfry (cauliflower, celery, carrots)

Fluid:
8 cups water

Pregnancy Week 32: Hilly Run

I was planning on doing a KB workout today in light of the bodywork I had done yesterday and how I tend to feel laxity in my pelvis if I run on the day after. However, the pregnancy "can't-sleep-even-though-I-am tired" syndrome has been in full effect, and I was awake from 3 to 5 a.m. (alarm set for 6 a.m.). I ended up going back to sleep, waking up to turn off the alarm, and then sleeping until Adam had to get up for work. The challenge with that arrangement was that I woke up not only with a headache, but also very very tired! Strange to me how I can be sleepy at bedtime, but unable to fall asleep, sleepy in the middle of the night but unable to fall back to sleep, and then wake up sleepy in the morning! Now that I've written that out, the end result doesn't seem so strange after all (lack of sleep = being/feeling sleepy!). Ha. This was the long-winded explanation of why I ended up running (despite the potential delayed-onset of pelvic discomfort) this morning instead of KB training (I find running to be "easier" and less mentally taxing than KB training a lot of the time, esp during pregnancy when I don't push myself too much when running. When I have a headache, I can tolerate running much more than the total-body tension that I perform with KB training).

Activity:
2.0 mile run on 0.5 mile hilly loop (with SIJ belt)

Amazingly, my pelvis felt alright for the entire day. Yay!

Breakfast:
(pre-run) 1 GF paleo Chocolate scone

Lunch: (I was hungry but didn't have an appetite for the Vitamix drink I had prepared for breakfast, so I ended up waiting until lunchtime to eat again)
Large Spinach/mixed greens salad with tomato, cucumber, olives, green pepper; balsamic vinegar & olive oil
4 pieces "Aplets & Cotlets"

Dinner: My aunt from Canada came to visit my parents, so we went out for dinner to welcome her. I did my best to eat paleo, but as you know, it's always challenging when you dine out and don't know exactly what ingredients (seasonings/sauces) go into each dish, AND even if you do know, the chef might decide to substitute an ingredient without warning!

Stir-fried string beans with "almonds" (looked more like peanuts to me)
Scallops with stir-fried vegetables (carrots, broccoli, bamboo, water chestnuts)
Curry Beef with bell peppers

Also, my aunt brought 70% dark chocolate squares with mint....and I ended up having about 8 of them! Those who know me well will automatically understand why I had so many: 1. I love dark chocolate; 2. I love anything combining chocolate with mint; 3. My favorite shape is Square; 4. My parents don't have any chocolate in the house, which is why I had to resort to eating the Aplets & Cotlets after lunch to satisfy my sweet tooth!

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 32: Rest Day

I took today as a rest day. The headaches that were frequent during the second trimester had been fairly rare during this last trimester, but for the last 2 days, I've had a headache that would start in the early afternoon and last all evening. Tylenol helped for a period, drinking more water didn't seem to change things noticably either. This morning, I woke up with a headache, despite taking Tylenol before bed and around 3:30 a.m. (when I couldn't go back to sleep). Today was a great day to take a break....but only after I had done a little activity! ;)

"Grease the groove" activity:
Pull-ups 4 x 4 wide grip and narrow grip

I had another Myofascial Release session today, and felt good (ie. no headaches or other physical distress) for the rest of the day. This type of bodywork has been helping my SIJ issues (and my posture)...I no longer wear my SIJ belt to sleep as I did during my first pregnancy (I think I wore that SIJ belt 24-7 (except not when bathing) starting week 20 of my first pregnancy!), in fact, I only wear the belt when I run, and that is preventative as I expect moderate ligamentous laxity this far along in the pregnancy.

Breakfast:
Medium bowl of Vitamix drink (1 C coconut milk, 2 handfuls organic baby spinach, 1 stalk kale, 2 oranges, 1 kiwi, 1 honeycrisp apple, 6 Tbsp organic golden ground flaxseed, 1 frozen banana)
1 GF, paleo Chocolate scone

Lunch:
Large spinach salad with cucumber, red pepper, red cabbage, cherry tomatoes, celery, balsamic vinegar & olive oil
Handful of nuts including raw walnuts, raw pecans, and roasted cashews

Dinner:
Slow cooker beef flank steak w/ carrots, celery, ginger, garlic, cilantro, chicken broth
Sauteed string beans with garlic
2 pieces "Aplets and Cotlets"

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 32: Tuesday KB snatches!

It took a while to get started this morning....but I ended up having a great workout!

Activity:
KB snatches (10 kg) = 600 total snatches
15/15/15/15 x 5 (R/L) = 300
20/20/10/10 x 5 (R/L) = 300

I ended up doing 4 cycles of the 15/15/15/15 before I thought about mixing up the intensity...then, I had too much fun doing the 20/20/10/10 sets that I finished all 5 cycles before going back to the 15/15! I found that if I really pulled my free arm back during the back swing, I got a better hip hinge and therefore, felt like I just had to stand up and the KB floated overhead. What a fun movement KB snatches are!

Breakfast:
1 banana
1 Ruby grapefruit
2 GF paleo Chocolate scones

Lunch:
Steamed broccoli and Red Pepper & Spinach sausage
1 GF paleo Chocolate scone

Snack:
1 honeycrisp apple

Dinner:
Modified paleo GF "fish sticks" (ran out of almond flour): wild-caught Rockfish dipped in egg, 2 filets
Large bowl of Roasted seasoned brussels sprouts
2 squares of Hershey's Pure dark chocolate
4 ounces Mona-vie w/ glucosamine

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 32: KB swings and presses

It seems like the Benedryl I took last night had the opposite effect on me, keeping me wide awake instead of making me drowsy. Since I couldn't sleep, I decided to get some KB work done!

Activity:
High volume swings-various combinations of two-hand and one-hand swings
(10 kg) x 100
(12 kg) x 100

Repeat cycle 5 times for a total of 1000 swings

Then, Tracy Reifkind's "shoulder smoker" with 8 kg (R/L):
1 clean, then military press in descending ladder, x 12, x 10, x 8, x 6, x 4, x 2, x 1


Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs w/ 1/2 avocado
1/2 banana

Snack:
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip scone (from The Gluten-free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam)

Lunch:
Spinach salad (2 handfuls organic baby spinach, 1 tomato, 1 honeycrisp apple, 2 red pepper and spinach sausages, sliced; balsamic vinegar and olive oil)

Snack:
1 handful roasted cashews

Dinner:
Organic ground beef stirfry with kale, green onions, organic ground flaxseed substituted for 2 eggs, garlic powder and dried ginger
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip scone

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 32: "Swinging" in the New Year

Happy 2011! I didn't feel up to exercising until about 7 p.m. today! The right side of my ribcage felt achy, like a side cramp, most of the day. I am also starting to feel like my guts have nowhere to go...and I have at least 5 weeks until the baby is considered full-term! Yikes! Adam did some myofascial release and that helped. I ended up having a pretty nice workout, when I finally got around to doing it!

Activity:
High volume KB swings (10 kg) 10 x 100 = 1000
Side planks (advanced) 10 x 18 = 180 each side

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs w/ 1/2 avocado
1 GF paleo cranberry walnut chocolate chip cookie

Lunch:
Bowl of leftover Paleo Chili
1 pear
1 banana

Snack:
Handful roasted cashews

Dinner:
1 Ruby grapefruit
1/8 wild Rockfish filet (sea salt, pepper & cayenne pepper)
1/2 C steamed broccoli
1 square Hershey's Pure Dark Chocolate

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 31: A Little KB for the Last Day of 2010

This pregnancy has been different from my first in many ways, one of which is that my skin has been extra sensitive. While traveling in SC, I broke out with a rash, possibly from scented laundry detergent, and exacerbated by cold, dry air and insufficient fluid intake. I started taking Benedryl overnight and today, am feeling the after-effects...drowsiness! Today's workout is in honor of my philosophy that Something is better than Nothing!

Activity:
KB clean-press (12 kg) 10x5 (I did this in front of Asher in the kitchen during his lunchtime!)

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up omega 3 eggs with 1/4 avocado
1 pear
1 GF paleo Cranberry Walnut Chocolate Chip cookie
1 square of Hershey's Pure Dark Chocolate

Lunch:
Large Spinach salad with 1 roma tomato, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 can light tuna, balsamic vinegar & olive oil

Dinner:
1.5 bowls of Paleo Chili with added kale, carrots

New Year's Eve Dessert!!! Chocolate cake from Olive Garden..YUM

Happy New Year to all!