Getting my groove back...

I guess I would consider myself athletic. Running races, working out and being in, over all, very good health would at least give me a little nod toward being an athlete, right?! :) This pregnancy has slowed me down quite a bit and that's been really hard for me. Gaining weight isn't a problem, I expect that to happen. But not being able to do any kind of physical activity for 9 weeks was tough for me.

Over the last 10 days, I've been able to work out a lot more. It's been so nice, but very hard. Regaining endurance has been tough. Since I have this weird breathing issue with Beta, being able to do any kind of activity is just hard. Literally. Walking up the stairs, grocery shopping, daily things cause me to lose my breath. Standing causes me to get light headed and I have a hard time breathing. So running, doing zumba and lifting weights has proven to be a challenge. But I'm up for it.

I'm blessed to be surround by healthy pregnant women at the YMCA. There's always a pregnant woman working out, which is so encouraging to me! Plus, it's great motivation. ("If she can do it, then I can do it!") I ran a 5k last weekend and did horrible! It was my slowest race, ever, and it was freezing. But I loved getting back into something I love. After that I started developing a mental workout plan for myself. I have the wonderful benefit of knowing what it's like working out when I'm pregnant (and what I would change) and how to put together a plan and be mindful of sweet Beta.

I set a few goals for myself, which include the following:

*Lift weights twice per week - for at least 15 minutes.

*Add more cardio. When I was pregnant with Benjamin, I did a lot of weight training. But I would exhaust myself and end up short changing the cardio. I see now how beneficial that extra cardio would have been during my recovery after delivery. Plus, it would have been really helpful to have had more endurance, in general, throughout my pregnancy.

*Do yoga once a week, starting this week. Prenatal yoga was so helpful to me when I was pregnant with B, but I didn't start until about 32 weeks. I used a really great podcast and did the yoga routine in my living room. I would like to start doing that sooner this time around.

*Run two more 5k's before Beta is born. Which I am totally capable of, it's just finding them that's hard :) Running was something that I didn't keep up with well when I was pregnant with B. But I'm (was) in much better shape this time and running is the sport I really enjoy. It comes as second nature to me once I get my sneakers on. My legs just know what to do!

This morning I did an excellent weight training routine that really challenged me, but was very doable. I spent about 12 minutes on the treadmill before I was too tired! Doing cardio after weight training right now is pretty tough. I need to be mindful to do something a little easier! I do have to watch myself on the treadmill, though. I only allow myself to run at a 4.5 or lower. This is hard, mentally, for me because before I got pregnant I couldn't easily run a 6.5 on the treadmill, faster if I was outside! But I know this season is so short and I want my baby and my body to be as safe and healthy as possible!

I'm so glad to be getting back into working out more regularly. It's good for my sanity, my stress level and my attitude. I'm so amazed at how something so simple could change so much of me. Lucky for me, I love doing it. Here's to another active and healthy pregnancy, my friends!