Terapin's Journal: 5 yrs running! Couch to Goofy, Fracture to Fab, Baby to Dopey. Comments welcome!

Hello! It's almost September and things are trucking along.

I am almost 13 weeks and have gained about 5 pounds. Sitting at 221. Happy with that. Feeling good today - the morning sickness is starting to abate. Got all our tests back and despite being an old mama at 44 the baby is genetically normal. We can relax a little. It's been a tough month with a very sick dog (our 2 year old Dalmatian, Felix) and things are starting to look up. August was just a crappy month and I am looking forward to banishing it to history, and starting fresh in September.

On to running! I've only managed a short run weekly so far. Just 3-4k. With the extreme heat and humidity of Toronto this summer, it's been hard to find a time when I didn't feel gross, tired, nauseous or all three at once. I am hoping that cooler fall temps will entice me out a little more.

We leave for Paris DL in 3 weeks and I am signed up for the 5k and the HM. I honestly don't know how the HM will go. Since there are no deferrals I am planning to start and see what I can comfortably do. The 5k should be just easy and fun. I'm hoping I haven't lost too much fitness with this pregnancy stuff happening. If I don't finish, that's ok. At least I got to participate!

I plan on running today and hopefully building up my mileage a bit over the next few weeks. My last long run was 5 weeks ago, and that was just 8k. My last really long run was a half marathon 10 weeks ago. The HM in Paris may really just not be doable. I shall see!
 
I never did come back and report, but I finished the Disneyland Paris 5k and the half-marathon! My time was terrible for the half, but I didn't push at all. I ran/walked 1:1 and 2:1 for the first 10k, and ran when I felt like it on the second half, 90% walking. I finished around 3:50 which is my worst time BY FAR - but I am so glad I did it. The course was really enjoyable but not always totally flat and running on an incline while pregnant is no fun at all. I had a really enjoyable time and so glad I did it. The medals are beautiful. I felt quite good afterwards, no issues at all. I suppose it was the reduced pace.

I haven't run a step since and my shoes are put away until after the babe comes.

I have gained quite a bit of weight - sitting at 229-230. I need to curb my appetite. Only 14-15 pounds overall at almost 21 weeks, but it has come on quickly. I also need to get some exercise. I feel like I am indulging too much.
 


I am now 26 weeks and I have gained about 22 pounds. I gained 11 pounds - yes eleven! - from Paris, and lost that over a week. Me and flying whilst pregnant = edema big time. The scale was mighty scary when I came home! I gained more in the last month than other months, but my appetite has settled down so I am not gaining much anymore. I am back to eating kid-sized meals but more frequently.

We decided that we are going to take the kids on a running trip to Marathon Weekend 2018, but only those kids that will run. My oldest kids don't really want to run. Ad's kids like running, and my son Alden needs to get some exercise. He's getting quite overweight. So we are proposing a family run trip - the kids will do the 5k and the 10k (they will be 11 and 10) and we will do Dopey. In preparation, we will do three 5ks from spring to fall, and then train up from 5k in the fall (for the kids - of course our running training will be much different). The kids have all done 5ks and while they all complained a fair amount, they said they would do them again.

There is a 5k held in spring at a park and it's running stroller friendly. I think we will start with that one and if Alden and I need to walk (I will be about 8 weeks postpartum) we will walk the 5k. Then the summer one we can run intervals, and then really try to do well in the fall. And of course, this will be fun running for me because my fall I will need to be training with fairly serious miles for Dopey prep.

I am hoping that we can create a culture of running, activity and reward. I'm hoping the kids catch the race bug and can use it to power through training. My son has a bit of a 'can't do' attitude, and I'd like to see him push through that and feel accomplished. He also needs to stop gaining weight and let his height catch up.

So, that's where I am at!
 


I'm back! As I type, little Miss Genevieve is snuggled in a sling, allowing me some free hands to type.

Labour was rough, the first few weeks were rough with a few complications (me, not her) but by golly, we are here and doing well now. She is 7 weeks old, 10.5 pounds, and nursing is going well. Sleep, well, that's another story! We'll get there I am sure, but for now I am pretty tired.

I lost all of my pregnancy weight by week 5. However, I think I was running pretty ragged and a little dehydrated, so I think I am back up sitting around 220-222 (the scale needs new batteries and I am forever forgetting them, and I refuse to weigh myself except first thing in the morning when I am at my absolute lowest - LOL). That leaves 5-7 pounds still on me. I got back to running two weeks ago (April 1st!) and am doing 3x week short runs of just 20 minutes, with 1:1 intervals. I really feel like I am starting quite near the bottom, but not quite. This week I am ramping up a bit to 2 miles/3 km which will be about 30 minutes. I have been working on the treadmill and outside. I'd like to add the stationary bike this week, yoga the week after, and weights the week after that.

My goal is to lose 30 pounds for Dopey. It's going to be so hard as it is, so losing the weight will help. I printed out some training schedules this week and I think I am ok to train safely and adequately in the time I have, but it will be hard work. I have almost 9 months or about 35 weeks if my math is correct, so I need to go up a KM each week in my long run - doable, right? Either that, or I get up to 5k, hang out there for a bit getting faster, and then ramp up 10% each week from there. I need to decide about local races, too. I'd like to do some local half marathons and 10k, but finding childcare for a baby and a toddler is challenging on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Ad would likely be running with me, so I need to figure who we can ask to watch them during the races. We will do some 5k with the kids, and look for ones that a stroller is permitted so that makes it easier. The little one can be in a jogging stroller while I am running in about 4 more months.

That's my report! I'll try to stay accountable to my plan.
 
You can do it! I hope to see you if I make it there in January! I miss those little baby snuggles. My little SIX year old boy came in my room last night and I woke up to him kissing me on the cheek. He just woke me up to ask me if I would tuck him back in : D. I will not say no to that, haha.
 
You can do it! I hope to see you if I make it there in January! I miss those little baby snuggles. My little SIX year old boy came in my room last night and I woke up to him kissing me on the cheek. He just woke me up to ask me if I would tuck him back in : D. I will not say no to that, haha.

Wow! Six! That's so sweet :-)

You can do it too, I know you can! See you in January!
 
So I did check my weight - it's been 218-220 that last few days. I've been good about getting exercise, but the motivation is low. I'm just going on determination to stick to my goals. I've been running 3x a week, walking 2-3x a week (just 2km - I don't like walking for walking's sake), and tried some yoga (with the baby - lots of interruptions. Not sure it was worth it), and on the exercise bike (just started).

I hurt my heel so that is healing (ha!). I think it's related to tight calf muscles, so I need to add stretching in there, too.

Food has been ok - not really on track for losing weight, but on track for not gaining and feeding my body decently. There have been cookies, too!

My runs are about 2.5-3km right now. Short, I know. But I am sleeping so poorly and my body is achy and unfit. My little one has reflux and last night was up hourly or more, vomiting and waking herself up. It was a rough night. Not all have been that bad, but it was bad enough that I needed to wake up DH and get him to take the baby at 445 so I could sleep a little. I slept like a rock for 90 minutes. Hoping for a nap today. Have a friend coming by to take the baby (I pay her) so I can go for a run or have a bath. If the nap doesn't happen I will need to sleep instead but I am hoping for the run!
 
I haven't done much since Tuesday except walk. My heel has been hurting quite a lot. I don't think I am losing weight and I have had some less-than-ideal snacks. Vowing to hit things hard this week and start back to running. Dinner tonight is chicken and veg dumplings (steamed not fried) and mixed veg.
 
Checking in!

Did a 4k run today after being off my feet for a couple days with a very bad cold. No weight loss in May. Not surprising really, given that I haven't been running long distances. I have been consistent with running about 3k three times a week and walking too, but that's pretty much it. My baby still isn't sleeping well - we are up every 2-3 hours, sometimes more often as the morning approaches. That has been hard! PF still tender after runs but getting incrementally better.
 
Well I really haven't written for awhile!

Things are good! I'm up to 10km on my long runs, and my speed (ha!) is picking up. I did a really nice 5k yesterday in 42:22. While that is quite slow for some people, I really enjoyed it. I did it with 1:1 intervals so my running pace was actually quite decent (sitting around 9.5-10 min/mi). It felt really good. While it was really hard, and I finished completely gassed, it felt *good* to push myself for the first 4k. The last 5 was a slog, truthfully. But I saw how close I was going to be to finishing in 42 minutes so I kept at it.

I need to do more cross-training. With a 5 month old and a 21 month old plus older kids, I find finding enough 'me' time to run AND cross-train difficult.

I have been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in my left heel. It's quite painful. I don't think it's getting worse with the increased mileage, but not really improving either. I have custom orthotics coming and the sports med doc also recommended Shockwave therapy - eek! My arthritic big toe is also giving me some grief on runs (like a red-hot searing pain in my toe) but that's not ever going away. My right foot is trouble - surgery is in my future but hopefully not for another decade.

My weight is pretty much the same at 218, but I know I have put on muscle. I want to lose weight, I just don't seem to be able to eat as well as I should, nor cut down my calories enough. With being tired (baby still not sleeping) and nursing, my appetite is large.

I think I am signing up for a fall 5k with the kids, and a late fall half marathon. The HM is too late for Dopey timing, but I want to run it for the experience as it's been awhile since I have run a half with any seriousness.
 
I have been dealing with pf since February and it's a *****. I still can't run at all unless I want to fo back in the "boot" . I can't get excited about walking so I have been doing very little. I hope it improves for you!
 
I have been dealing with pf since February and it's a *****. I still can't run at all unless I want to fo back in the "boot" . I can't get excited about walking so I have been doing very little. I hope it improves for you!

Ah, crap! I'm sorry! It hurts to run, but eases up during the run to a dull ache. It takes soooo long to truly heal that I've decided to try and run through it and see how it goes.
 
Well hello! It's been awhile.

First, the numbers: 214. Yay!
Running miles this week: 0 Boo!

I've lost my running desire. It's surely a temporary thing. I lost it in August when I was super stressed and had to call my 10k run in and get picked up at 7.5km as I was hot, tired, sooooo tired, and just DONE. I had cried at the side of the road (PMS?) and got my **** together and started up, and it just felt wrong and horrible and pathetic. It was just a bad run day. But then we left for a 2 week vacation that was whirlwind busy and included a port-intensive cruise and traveling with all 7 kids. The toddler was awful. Sleep was awful. And I was so harried. So running didn't happen as I had next to no 'me' time on that 'vacation'. Then we came back to kids starting school, little baby starting daycare and me going back to work and on call. But I am renewed and feeling good in my skin.

My PF is almost healed. I am having pain in the top of my crooked foot. My knees have been achy. But I am hoping I am in good enough nick to get back to things hardcore. With the weight down a little I am buoyed and at least avoiding that horrible feeling of trying to improve oneself while feeling miserable about your body.

My goal is to be below 210 by the end of the year. Easy goal.

As for Dopey, I think the marathon is out of reach. At 45 with two pregnancies back to back my body just isn't bounced back enough to train. I'm going to instead focus on the 5/10/Hm combo. I'm not completely losing the dream of finishing the full this time around but I think it isn't really a good goal for me. I'll decide for sure in November once I have 8 more weeks of training down.
 

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