Fatter and fatter.
Wider and wider.
19 weeks, 3 days to go.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Knocked up.
I can't believe it's been so long since I've blogged. I am really not very good at this. Anyway *drum roll please* I'm knocked up.
Yep. Having a baby. 20 weeks. Halfway there.
It's awesome.
It also means all kinds of things are happening to my body that I have to accept and make the best of because I know it's not permanent and for a good cause. I was always one of those people that was sure I'd lose 20 lbs before I got pregnant so that gaining weight while pregnant wouldn't be as bad. That did NOT happen. Although I lost weight leading up to my wedding, the six months after were filled with a lot of drinking, eating and hanging out and not nearly enough running or working out. I've had to get the dreams of being that really cute pregnant woman with a perfectly toned body and bulging belly out of my head. That's not my story. So be it.
Since I started this pregnancy weighing more than I would have liked, I have been trying hard not to put on a lot of lbs. I was pretty surprised and relieved in a way to learn that during pregnancy you only need an extra 300-500 calories a day which is like NOTHING. At 20 weeks, I'm up 2 lbs. and I'm pretty comfortable with that (on most days). I still feel fat and huge but I think that's just because I see my self getting wide and large and know there's not much I can do about it. That in between stage where you just look bloated and fat and not pregnant can be so frustrating.
My working out during this pregnancy has been up and down. Early on I was running about 4 times a week but that slowed down as morning sickness kicked in along with random bouts of dizziness that were horrible. Now the daily morning sickness is gone (although it does pop up sporadically) so I've tried to get back to working out. One thing is everything is so much harder than it used to. I have to run so much slower and take a lot more breaks - not just to catch my breath but to PEE. Most frustrating thing ever. I ran three miles on the treadmill yesterday and my thighs hurt like crazy today. I haven't really figured out a real workout routine and plan and just try to do whatever I feel up to - on days when I'm feeling particularly lazy (which happens more than I'd like to admit) i try to do some easy miles on the stationary bike. As I enter the final twenty weeks, I'd like to develop some kind of workout plan that is more consistent. Thinking about maybe ordering some workout videos or taking up some prenatal yoga classes. Any and all suggestions are welcome! Particularly for arm workouts. I figure even if i do get big, It won't be as mad if I have toned arms.
So far my boobs and thighs have gotten HUGE, my belly has started to grow but I think if you don't actually see me on a regular basis you might just think I've let myself go. Most maternity clothes are disgustingly frumpy but maternity pants are a life saver and the most comfortable things ever. Wrap dresses are clutch. I thought I'd be much flyer as a pregnant woman but it's harder than I thought. (My shit is still killing Kim Kardashian's tho.)
Anyway, I'm trying to keep my weight gain to 20 lbs are less so cross your fingers for me. Hoping that getting back to blogging will help me make good food choices and workout consistently during this second half. I've read that most of the weight gain doesn't occur until then so I gotta make sure I'm on it.
All that being said....
I'm back.
-Nash
Yep. Having a baby. 20 weeks. Halfway there.
It's awesome.
It also means all kinds of things are happening to my body that I have to accept and make the best of because I know it's not permanent and for a good cause. I was always one of those people that was sure I'd lose 20 lbs before I got pregnant so that gaining weight while pregnant wouldn't be as bad. That did NOT happen. Although I lost weight leading up to my wedding, the six months after were filled with a lot of drinking, eating and hanging out and not nearly enough running or working out. I've had to get the dreams of being that really cute pregnant woman with a perfectly toned body and bulging belly out of my head. That's not my story. So be it.
Since I started this pregnancy weighing more than I would have liked, I have been trying hard not to put on a lot of lbs. I was pretty surprised and relieved in a way to learn that during pregnancy you only need an extra 300-500 calories a day which is like NOTHING. At 20 weeks, I'm up 2 lbs. and I'm pretty comfortable with that (on most days). I still feel fat and huge but I think that's just because I see my self getting wide and large and know there's not much I can do about it. That in between stage where you just look bloated and fat and not pregnant can be so frustrating.
My working out during this pregnancy has been up and down. Early on I was running about 4 times a week but that slowed down as morning sickness kicked in along with random bouts of dizziness that were horrible. Now the daily morning sickness is gone (although it does pop up sporadically) so I've tried to get back to working out. One thing is everything is so much harder than it used to. I have to run so much slower and take a lot more breaks - not just to catch my breath but to PEE. Most frustrating thing ever. I ran three miles on the treadmill yesterday and my thighs hurt like crazy today. I haven't really figured out a real workout routine and plan and just try to do whatever I feel up to - on days when I'm feeling particularly lazy (which happens more than I'd like to admit) i try to do some easy miles on the stationary bike. As I enter the final twenty weeks, I'd like to develop some kind of workout plan that is more consistent. Thinking about maybe ordering some workout videos or taking up some prenatal yoga classes. Any and all suggestions are welcome! Particularly for arm workouts. I figure even if i do get big, It won't be as mad if I have toned arms.
So far my boobs and thighs have gotten HUGE, my belly has started to grow but I think if you don't actually see me on a regular basis you might just think I've let myself go. Most maternity clothes are disgustingly frumpy but maternity pants are a life saver and the most comfortable things ever. Wrap dresses are clutch. I thought I'd be much flyer as a pregnant woman but it's harder than I thought. (My shit is still killing Kim Kardashian's tho.)
Anyway, I'm trying to keep my weight gain to 20 lbs are less so cross your fingers for me. Hoping that getting back to blogging will help me make good food choices and workout consistently during this second half. I've read that most of the weight gain doesn't occur until then so I gotta make sure I'm on it.
All that being said....
I'm back.
-Nash
Friday, July 13, 2012
Hot Body Friday
Today's hot body friday inspiration is someone I know personally.
We met in middle school and body was ridiculous even then.
Nana Meriwether
Now she's the super glamorous Miss Maryland and the first runner up at this year's Miss USA contest (she was robbed).
Oh, not only is she Miss Maryland, she's an AMAZING athlete. Like, A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.
She is a NCAA All-American volleyball player and went on to play professional volleyball in Puerto Rico.
Watching her run track in high school was a surreal experience.
Watching her run track in high school was a surreal experience.
Enjoy.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Race Recap: Memphis Road Race Series 5k
Sooooo last Sunday was my first race of 2012. It wasn't anything major, just a 5k, but I'm excited about it nonetheless. Sunday's run was the first race in the Memphis Road Race series. The Road Race Series is one of the best things ever. For $75 you run 10 races between now and November 18. The series starts with two 5ks and ends with two half-marathons. The $75 also includes a CHIP so all your races are timed. This is a pretty big deal to me as I've paid $75+ for one race and at least $30 for races that didn't have chip timing at all.
The races take place at Audubon Park in Memphis. There's nothing super scenic or special about the location BUT there is lots of parking which is a plus. The race started at 7am so I set my alarm at 5am. I normally like to have time to stretch, eat a banana and a sugar free redbull (don't judge me y'all) and get to the race about an hour advance. I get super anxiety about parking and having to ask people for directions to the race so I like to give myself a lot of time. Unfortunately, I ignored my alarm clock several times and didn't get out of bed until 5:55 am (side bar: ignoring my alarm clock seems to be my thing nowadays even when I get to bed early. Maybe I should get that checked out?). I managed to get dressed quickly and got to the race site at around 6:20 am. My nerves were calmed when I saw a bunch of people with bibs parking in a Chili's parking lot and walking to the race.
I parked and walked over to the race. One of my friends and co-workers was doing the race with me so I texted her so we could meet up. There was a HUGE crowd. When I went to pick up my bib and chip the day before, the guy told me that 1400 people had signed up for the series. I'm not sure there were 1400 people there but I did think there were a lot of people up on a Sunday morning for a 5k. The weather was gloomy which I welcomed with open arms given the HADES that has been Memphis recently (it was still HOT but not as bad as it would have been if the sun was out). I haven't run an organized 5k since October of November of last year so I wasn't sure what my time should be. I run 3 miles + on a regular basis but I run at a comfortable (ahem: lazy pace). I decided that going into the race I wanted to run close to a 9:00 pace. I know that's not fast for some people, but I am not a sprinter or a fast runner. I'm better at keeping a decent pace for a long period of time. My longer runs are done at about a 10:00 pace.
Since I hadn't run a race in a while AND I didn't wear my Garmin watch, it was hard for me to pace myself. I tried to guess and find people that I thought I could follow and keep up with. I finished the first mile in 9:07 seconds and felt fine. Eventually I found a woman to pace myself with and followed her for the second mile. My second mile was 9:07 too. The third mile is when things got a little tougher for some reason. I wasn't super tired but my body just felt really hot and it was harder to move my legs. The 3rd mile was in 9:30 seconds which given my goal was disappointing. Because the first two miles didn't feel super exhausting, I was hoping to make up the :14 in the last mile. When I ran a 4 miler a year ago, my final mile and a half was at an 8:30 pace so I know it's possible. I didn't get exactly what I wanted but I'm still happy with my performance. It's not horrible [for me] and it gives me a very reachable goal to keep in my mind.
After the race, there was water and fruit. I really have no complaints from the first 5k of the series. People were friendly, it was a nice crowd, and given the cheap cost, the water and fruit provided was great. I think there may have been some stands set up prior to the race but I didn't look around. I'll have to check next time.
Lastly, I did notice a few brown faces in the crowd. Out of crowd of many, I didn't see more than 20 but I'm always encouraged when I see Black runners making it happen.
The next 5k is on July 22 but you'll hear from me before then because there is much to talk about (see: the 26.2 miles I signed up to run in Chicago).
- Nash
Friday, June 22, 2012
I'm back.
I can't believe I've been gone this long. Life has been extremely hectic, but I'm back for good now!
Although I would have liked to be a LITTLE skinnier on my wedding day, I did drop 10 lbs. before the big day and I think I looked pretty good.
Trying to plan a wedding, while starting a fairly new job in a new city was WAY more difficult than I expected. As a result, my training suffered and 6 months into 2012, I haven't completed a single race. *sigh* Now that I'm officially someone's wife and not just a crazy person planning a wedding, I have a lot more time to work out/train, cook healthy meals and not make excuses. This also means blogging more often and consistently.
In 106 days, I am running my first marathon - the Bank of America Chicago marathon. My training begins immediately. I like Hal Higdon's training plans so I'm doing his Novice 1 which will require me to run nine miles this weekend. I haven't run nine miles in FOREVER and it is fiftyleven degrees in Memphis right now so planning + hydration will be key. Oh, and prayer. PRAYER.
I've also signed up for the Memphis Road Race Series. A co-worker introduced me to this and it's $75 for 10 races. That is AMAZING. Two 5ks, two 5-milers, two 10ks, two 10-milers, and two half marathons. Did I say $75 for ALL the races combined? I'm excited. I'm going to miss one of the 10-milers because it is the same day as the Chicago marathon but the rest should work out fine.
The first race is on July 8th.
Expect to hear a lot more from me. I've missed y'all.
First things first...
Although I would have liked to be a LITTLE skinnier on my wedding day, I did drop 10 lbs. before the big day and I think I looked pretty good.
(right before the ceremony)
(for the collarbones, obvi)
Trying to plan a wedding, while starting a fairly new job in a new city was WAY more difficult than I expected. As a result, my training suffered and 6 months into 2012, I haven't completed a single race. *sigh* Now that I'm officially someone's wife and not just a crazy person planning a wedding, I have a lot more time to work out/train, cook healthy meals and not make excuses. This also means blogging more often and consistently.
In 106 days, I am running my first marathon - the Bank of America Chicago marathon. My training begins immediately. I like Hal Higdon's training plans so I'm doing his Novice 1 which will require me to run nine miles this weekend. I haven't run nine miles in FOREVER and it is fiftyleven degrees in Memphis right now so planning + hydration will be key. Oh, and prayer. PRAYER.
I've also signed up for the Memphis Road Race Series. A co-worker introduced me to this and it's $75 for 10 races. That is AMAZING. Two 5ks, two 5-milers, two 10ks, two 10-milers, and two half marathons. Did I say $75 for ALL the races combined? I'm excited. I'm going to miss one of the 10-milers because it is the same day as the Chicago marathon but the rest should work out fine.
The first race is on July 8th.
Expect to hear a lot more from me. I've missed y'all.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Hot Body Friday
Because no matter how many times she falls off the wagon, she gets right back on...
And who hasn't prayed for abs like Ms. Jackson?
-Nash
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