There isn't much to report running-wise except I'm on a downward spiral. Now that I'm back to work, it is so hard to find extra time. Getting up at 5:00 am is extremely difficult, but I usually am able to suck it it up. I haven't been running many miles though as I'm having all kinds of health issues. I'm seeing an endocrinologist in a few weeks, which will hopefully provide me with some answers.

I continue to read everyone's blogs, but do not have any time to comment on them. I'm home from work today with a cold which is the only reason I'm even able to post myself. Take care.

While Andrew isn't even close to being on any kind of schedule, I've been getting a lot more sleep lately. Occasionally, there is a night mixed in with little sleep, but I try to make up for it with a nap.

I've begun to run again. When I got the go-ahead at 6 weeks postpartum, I began by running for 5 minutes, but it seemed like a very long 5 minutes. I'm taking it very slowly and am up to 20 minutes now. I also try to take Andrew for a brisk 30 minute walk each evening. Even though Andrew spends just about every walk sleeping, it's nice to have the company. I didn't particularly enjoy walking alone when I was pregnant. I think I just have more of a focus now.

I should get to bed since last night was one of those nights with less sleep. Good night!

Running is a whole different story. I had to stop running a few weeks ago because I was having contractions every time I ran. In the last week though, I experimented to find a safe way to get around that. The first time I ran a mile on the track after walking for an hour. That felt good because it was so short, but even in that small amount of time, my heartrate was too high by the end of the mile. Yesterday, Brad did a tempo run at Fresh Pond, so I walked 3.5 miles, and then ran/walked the last 1.5 miles (a total of 2 loops or so of the pond). I alternated 2 minutes of running and 2 minutes of walking. That was perfect until I was finished and couldn't make it back to the car. I guess I overdid it a little. I really didn't do too much, I think I just walked a little too fast. What can I say? There was a race going on and I was motivated.

Today I have strict orders from Brad to rest and relax while he's off doing his long run (He'll be gone a while because he had to drive an hour just to meet people). That's one of the hard things about being pregnant when you are used to a somewhat active lifestyle. You think you're invincible. I'm not even sure relaxing is in my vocabulary, but I'm going to try because that's what's the best for me and the baby at this point. I think I'll go read now...

So as far as running is concerned, I just try to do what I can, when I can. That generally means 35-45 minutes four days a week. I try to walk as much as I can too. My running pace has slowed tremendously to the point I'm practically shuffling. Now that my belly is becoming more visible, I'm getting a lot of stares (the kind where people are thinking you shouldn't be out running). Most of my running lately has been on the grass because it doesn't bother my back as much. Everything also feels good on the treadmill. The treadmill is the most convenient for bathroom stops as my bladder is continously full when I run.

We're pretty excited, especially after my second ultrasound today. We didn't want to find out the sex, but something we saw made us think we're definitely having a boy. I still think I'm having a girl no matter what we saw. I guess time will tell. I just wish that time were here!

With that being said, I did sort of "wimp out" one day this week when I decided to run on the treadmill in the cool basement with a nice, big fan blowing on me. It was perfect until a big storm arrived and I almost fell off the treadmill twice when the power went out. Needless to say, I cut that run a little short after. I've had one treadmill accident and it wasn't a pretty one. At my parents' house, the treadmill was really close to a couch and when I fell (completely my fault), I got caught between the couch and the treadmill. I had quite a few burns.

On Saturday, I did a "longer" run very early. It was difficult to get up, but beating the heat was a must. I drove over to the local high school track, dropping off a few bottles of fluids for Brad and I. Brad and I went two completely different ways (and he was running a lot longer and a lot faster), but we still managed to run into each other twice, which is always nice.

Today, I ran with Brad for his recovery run. We ran in the woods, which felt great on the legs. I got pelted by many bugs, but it helped to be wearing a running hat (my first one)! He tried to get me to do his second run with him, but I managed to avoid that with some good excuse.

This week I'll be back in my hometown of Northampton. I'm taking care of my two year old niece, while my four year old niece has surgery in Boston. My Mom and sister will also be around to help, but they will both be working. I just have to figure out when I can squeeze runs into the day. If it were winter, I could go just about any time.

The five mile trail race I did a week and a half ago didn't provide me with the motivation I was hoping for. I was only able to manage 7:57 pace, which flustered me. I did hear a couple of different people say that their times at this race were always at least 20 seconds per mile slower than a 5 miler on the roads. Whether that's true or not, it made me feel a little better (and made more sense to me) since I've run faster and felt better while running with Brad. My calves and achilles were extremely sore during the race which I'm attributing to the non-stop roots I was dodging in the first mile. I finished thinking I never wanted to do this race again, but it actually wouldn't have been so bad if I was in shape to do it.

I did hills again last week, but did one more for a total of ten. I think I'll stick to the hills as long as Brad is doing them. I'd like to start doing some kind of tempo run as well. Less than 2 weeks until a 3.5 mile race at Mary's wedding. Man, I'm in trouble.

Yesterday, I switched back to the blister-causing orthotics that kept me from running Boston. I only did a short run, but ended up with a small blister! So, today I covered it with moleskin, ran in my "back-up" orthotics, and ran on the treadmill. That way I was able to run for 70 minutes without worrying about being too far away from home if a blister did develop. I'm going to try to run in my newer orthotics every few days and see what happens. If they're still causing me trouble, I'll see my orthotist next time I go home to Northampton. I just want to have a normal, worry-free run.

Yesterday I did a hill workout on a whim because Brad was doing one. I warmed up and cooled down for 20 minutes. My legs felt heavy and fatigued on the warm-up so I decided that three hills would be fine. I did a short section of the hill (same as Brad who was doing hill sprints) and I tried to do them easy, medium, hard. The first set wasn't difficult (probably due to the short distance), nor was the second, or the third. After nine hills I was happy to finish.

My legs feel great right now because I had a massage. I'm at the computer trying to stay awake as I wait for Brad to get home. We're going to do an easy four mile run together as it's his second run of the day and I'm planning on doing a five mile trail race tomorrow (FOR FUN). I've done the loop before and really liked it. I'm mostly doing it because it will give me some motivation to run a little faster than usual. I need to start making some attempt to get in some kind of shape.

Two weekends ago, I barely survived in the heat. On Saturday, Brad did the Mt. Washington Road Race. The weather was unseasonably warm for the mountain. Normally the conditions are less than ideal including snow, rain, strong winds, etc. I didn't do anything all morning but stand around and wait, yet I got pretty dehydrated despite drinking a bunch of Powerade. Luckily at the base of the mountain, there were fabulous, marked trails for me to get in my run. I was only able to explore for 30 minutes because I ran out of water and had had enough. I drank a 20 oz. bottle while playing games with myself. I had to wait three minutes in between each sip in order to conserve the water. Granted there was more water in our car, but I knew once I got back to the race area I wouldn't run another step. Apparently I never rehydrated because the next day's run was a death march. I ran with Brad for an hour while carrying a water bottle. He was nice enough to carry my water bottle on all the hills (and there were lots of them)!

Since I teach, I'm off for the summer. This past weekend was the most relaxing weekend in a while, but I was pretty busy. I got up really early to run Saturday morning because I had a baby shower way up in Maine. Yesterday we had a little 30th birthday party for Brad (his real birthday is tomorrow). I ran for just an hour because an hour seems like forever right now. Brad ran at least half of the run with me before we headed in different directions. Running faster to stay with Brad has been great for me. I just shouldn't do it on days I want to run long, because I'm too tired to keep up the pace. Hopefully I'll increase my mileage this week since I'm home all day (although I'm attending a workshop all week). If only I had a goal...

Yesterday morning I ran 4+ miles with Brad, but it was a much faster run. I wouldn't say it was quite my tempo pace, but it was pretty close. It was pouring, so we got pretty soaked. Then, we spent a lot of the afternoon resting because Brad was running the 3k in the Boston High Performance Series at Bentley. A lot of people didn't show up to the meet, but Brad's race was still pretty competitive. From about 6:30-8:30 I helped out by being the lap counter and ringing the bell with one lap to go while also trying to stay dry by holding an umbrella. Needless to say, I was pretty soaked, but that didn't stop us from going out to Bertucci's with Brad's teammates. I was just glad they didn't have the AC blasting which is usually the case when we go out to eat in the summer. Anyways, I made a mental note to bring extra clothes when I go to a meet in the pouring rain. Live and learn!

On Saturday, I didn't have time to run in the morning because Brad was running a race very early. I should have just run the race, but I didn't, and now I know better. We had to feed Brad's brother's dog soon after and then dash over to Bentley College for the Boston High Performance Series where we were helping out. When the races were over, Brad and I headed out for a run on an extended loop that Brad often does for his warmup and cooldown on days he has practice. We were flying and I was quite tired at the end of the 35 minutes. I then did 4 tiring strides on the dark track, which told me I had run hard.

On Sunday, we went to the family cottage in Old Saybrook, CT. Around 6 in the evening (after it had cooled down), I did a 7 mile loop that runs along the ocean for quite a bit. It was very peaceful, but by 45 minutes I fell into a shuffle, probably from the previous day's hard effort. We had also spent a good chunk of time cutting down bamboo. If you ever have bamboo in your yard- just move.

I usually have Mondays off, but since I didn't have to work and I love running at the beach, I decided to do a short run and take Tuesday (today) off instead. I ran for 45 minutes and none of it felt good. It didn't help that we ran when we got up, which left me with little rest. My legs are thanking me today. Now I just have to stay motivated. I'm thinking I should find a race, but YUCK!