10 Days of Compression and Christmas Eve!

Hello all and Merry Christmas Eve! It's the day before Christmas and I'm at work, per usual. It's pretty empty here, lots of people with their families getting ready for the big day tomorrow. It doesn't bother me too much to be here today since I will be getting out a bit earlier today than normal, thank you to the CEO!

The extra time at home will give me a couple of hours to do some food prep for tomorrow mornings festivities. My sister and I usually take care of breakfast and pastries for Christmas morning, while my parents take care of dinner. On the menu this year is homemade cinnamon rolls (with and without pecans), two different quiches, fruit salad and mimosas. Well, no mimosas for my sister and I. :(  It will be a nice day where we get together early (7:30am, GASP!) have pastries and coffee and wake up a bit. Then we open presents and have breakfast. We then spend the rest of the day watching Christmas movies and putting together a puzzle, have an early dinner and play board games into the night. It really is a fun day and the last one we'll have with just us, next year we will have kiddos in the mix which will change the dynamic of this day going forward.

Today is also the final day of my 10 Days of Compression! Let's have a quick recap of the previous entries!

Momentum Monday and Days of Compression

T'was the Monday before Christmas and the house is a mess. The presents are all wrapped and under the tree, thank goodness! I'm so glad that I don't have to brave the stores for any last minute gifts and I am saying a prayer of peace and sanity for all those of you that will be braving the crowds today and tomorrow. I've got two more days of work until the holiday and then I'm off until after the New Year, WOOHOO!!! I am spending the time off after the holiday to be available just in case my sister goes into labor, she is due January 2nd! SO EXCITING!!!!
 
This year is going to be one of great change for the whole family and I can't wait to see every new moment that comes along. It all just makes me nervous about how I'm going to handle everything with all these new challenges. So when I saw today's Momentum Monday quote, I knew I had to use it.

Day 5 of Compression and "The Jam" Thursday

Happy Thursday everyone! Hope you all are having a great week so far, only one more day until the weekend! Woo hoo! But news flash! It is only 6 more days until Christmas!!!

ACK!!!

I still have two more presents to buy and stocking stuffers! Oye!! When will I find the time? Maybe tomorrow. I hope tomorrow.

Today is Day 5 of my 10 Days of Compression and I am featuring one of the first pairs of Pro Compression marathon socks I ever owned. The Marathon Pink!

Bumpdate: 34 Weeks and Day 4 of Compression!

As the weeks creep by, or rather FLY by with the holidays upon us, I am increasingly aware that there will be a new person in my life. A little addition to our family. Family. Not a couple anymore, but a family. Gives me pause every now and then thinking about that.

Then I remember that there will be many sleepless nights and diaper changes and feedings and crying (both baby and mommy!). Stress and sleep deprivation and anxiety and frustration and confusion will abound I am sure for many months (if not years) to come.

At the same time though I think about all the little highlights that I will watch and be apart of, walking, talking, playing with other children, learning, asking questions, growing and becoming a person like you and me. It's amazing to sit back and think about it all. Marvel at the cycle of life and all the unexplained nuiances that happen. It's just crazy.

Today is my 34 week bumpdate and my weekly picture.

10 Days of Compression: Day 3

To follow along with my post yesterday, I am sharing Day 3 of my 10 Days of Compression!

Today is the holiday luncheon at work and I was feeling in the Christmas festive mood. Today's pair of compression socks is Marathon Red!

Momentum Monday: Under (com)pression

It's Monday and 9 days until Christmas. I can't believe I just typed that, 9 days away from Christmas! Single digits people, SINGLE DIGITS!! Where has the time gone? I blame Thanksgiving being a week later this year for the sudden arrival of Christmas. We have had our tree up for over a week now, but it's still not decorated. It's got lights on it, but no decorations. Sad sight indeed. I need to remedy that today.

Along with the pressures and expectations of the quickly coming holiday, there are the changes that my body is going through for the last few weeks of my pregnancy. I am officially 34 weeks today, meaning there is only 6 more weeks until the baby is anticipated to arrive and that is just crazy talk, I tell ya! Along with the consistent movement of the pumpkin and new types of discomfort, I am now starting to experience swelling.

Oh yay.

As if I don't already feel uncomfortable in my own skin, my body has now decided to start retaining water with the main collection area being my legs, ankles and feet. Typical right? Most women that I have talked to have complained of  swollen ankles and feet through the latter part of their pregnancy. Mine becomes especially prominent due to the fact that I stand at work, so my feet and ankles definitely take a beating. So how do I combat this issue?

Compression socks!

Not just any compressions socks, but Pro Compression. I have been using these socks for over a year now for my running and recovery and they are the only compression socks that I will wear. I've tried Zensah and CEP and neither of those brands provide the same type of support and comfort as I've received from Pro Compression. Starting yesterday I've started to wear my compression socks on a more regular basis to help bring down the swelling in my legs, ankles and feet and increase the circulation that is needed for those parts.

So my Momentum Monday today is to do a lead up to Christmas with 10 Days of Compression!

Bumpdate: 33 Weeks

It's Wednesday and time for another bumpdate! It's been fun keeping track of what the pumpkin is doing and seeing the progress that is being made. Not to mention my expanding belly, oof!

This past week since my last update has been quite eventful to say the least. On Wednesday I had actually won an entry to my raceversary race, Seattle Jingle Bell Run/Walk on Sunday thanks to the drawing done by the local website Gametiime. I was so thrilled that I was able to participate in this race, but wasn't sure how I would do since I haven't run in weeks and my belly has really become pronounced and uncomfortable at times. I won't talk too much about it because I have a race recap to write, but all I can say is that it felt AMAZING to run, even for a little bit.

"The Jam" Thursday

Hello Thursday, it's good to see you again. Let's try to be kind to one another and get me to the weekend safely, sound good?

I woke up this morning to some lovely tweets from my BRF's on the east coast, I love those women! They know how to brighten my day for sure. Another day brightener came in the form of winning a drawing for a race entry! It was announced last night from a local company Gametiime, I had entered to win an entry to the Seattle Jingle Bell Run/Walk and I won a free entry! How exciting! This is my raceversary race and I look forward to it each year.

What is a raceversary race? Well it is the race that you hallmark as the beginning of your racing "relationship"/career/whathaveyou. This will be the third time I am set to run this race, celebrating two years of my love of running and looking forward to my third year that will be an interesting transition back to running after baby. So much to be thankful for and look forward to!

So this means I have one more race to do before baby arrives next month. Yes, I will be careful, no, I will not push myself and yes, I will most likely walk most of the course. I can only do what the baby will allow me to do and I'm not going to push it! This is a celebration race, not one I'm trying to PR!

Bumpdate: 32 Weeks

It's Wednesday and time for a bit of a bumpdate! Last week was so crazy with the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday that I got little...well, actually no blogging done. Work was insane and life at home was just as crazy prepping for that whole weekend.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, how was yours? Mine was great. Got to hang with the family, eat some delicious food, have some great belly laughs and watch football. Then that night my sister and I stayed at my parents house because the next morning we, along with my mother, went out and did some Black Friday Shopping! The crowds were noticably smaller due to the stores being open the night before, so lines were MUCH shorter and there just wasn't as many people, it was quite nice!

However later that day I got sick, I have no idea what it was but I was just down for the count. Completely exhausted and weak. It lasted three days, so my long weekend where I was going to tackle the baby's room organization and getting things set up all went down the drain. I couldn't do much but spend time on the couch, getting dressed was a chore and exhausted me. I'm better now, not 100%, but definitely better!

Well I'm at 32 weeks now which means I am making more frequent trips to the doctor, yay or something. Here is my pic from this morning.

Momentum Monday: A Cause

Happy Monday! Not only is it Cyber Monday (who of you are shopping online today?) but it is also the first Monday of December. Yes, I didn't stutter. We are in December now, one more month left in this year, can you BELIEVE that?!?! Where has this year gone?!? I swear it has just flown by and it will be 2014 before you know it.

I know it has been a while since I've posted a Momentum Monday, I have felt the absence of it and wanted to apologize. I am not training for anything right now, but that doesn't mean others aren't. I'm jealous of all my east coast friends whose race schedules are just now starting to peak, whereas the races over on the west coast are starting to dwindle, well at least in the PNW.

I can't wait to get back out running again, I really miss the time and mileage that I had to myself and with friends. My legs yearn for that sore feeling again. I've had dreams about running. Sadly waking to find that it was just a dream. It has given me more time to think about what I want to do and what I am wanting to accomplish with my running when I am able to again. More on that in another post.

In the absence of training, my focus has been working on myself, being a better person in general and refocusing on what is important in life and what is "fluff". It's both easy and tough to decipher which is which, because society tends to make us want to believe that the "fluff" stuff is important in life. So when I saw this quote, I thought it was nice to help bring us down to earth a bit during one of the most hectic times of year. Today's Momentum Monday is:

"The Jam" Thursday and blowing a little steam

It's Thursday again my friends, one more day until the weekend. WOOHOO!! Anyone else as excited as me? I'm just looking forward to sleeping in this weekend. I'm sooooo tired. This baby is really zapping my energy lately. I'm usually good through the day, but once I get home all I want to do is sleep, then getting up in the morning is super tough, thus starting the cycle again.

This weekend is also my baby shower! SQUEEEEEEE!!!! Can I just tell you how ridiculously excited I am about it? I'm so excited to see my lovely friends! That's what I'm most excited about, is spending time with some great ladies I haven't seen in a while. You know how it is, life is busy for us all and makes it tough to get together as often as you'd like to, and you don't get to spend as much time with them. I may only get a couple of hours with these ladies, but it will make the occassion that much more special. Besides, my house is only a couple of minutes away from the party, so if they want to continue to visit afterwards the party can move to my house! Woot!

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is in one week?!? Where has the time gone? It feels like this month didn't even exist, it went by so fast!!! We are just over a month away from Christmas and less than 6 weeks away from the New Year!!! Goodnight! Man...how quickly this year has passed. So many things (good and bad) happened this year and still so many great things in this year to come.

Part of the things that weren't good, but not really bad just an annoying part of life that happened this year is kinda what spurred on today's jam selection. Time to get a bit frank here. My friends, family and myself included have encountered lots of pressure of different kinds and judgement from people who have no business in judging others. I know this happens to everyone in everyday life, but I feel like this year has been especially bad. I don't know if it's because of my current state (pregnant) or if it's society norms in general, but it seems that everyone has an opinion on how I should run my life and telling me what is best for me. Same thing goes with instances my friends and family have encountered too.

Bumpdate: 30 weeks

This week marks 30 weeks into the pregnancy, only 10 more weeks to go.

Wait...did I just type that out? Only 10 more weeks until the lil pumpkin is out of me and introduced to the world! Oh boy...panic is starting to set in now. Am I ready? Is anyone ever really ready though? Probably not, but it's coming whether I'm ready or not!

"The Jam" Thursday

It's kinda crazy how some weeks can fly by, some weeks can crawl by and some weeks are both those at the same time. I am currently experiencing the latter, it's a short week for me, I had Monday and I have Friday off. So I've only worked three days this week and boy am I feeling it! The days are long but it feels like the hours are short and I'm still not getting through everything I need/want to. So here I am, the last day of my work week struggling to get caught up and concerned about making sure everything is covered, but in the same stride, cannot wait until it is time to leave here. Le sigh...

I struggled with today's jam selection, after last weeks which was one I had been saving up for a while, I didn't know what to put up. I thought maybe I shouldn't do it every week and maybe space it out or maybe do one once a month? I debated it, but on my way to work this morning, there was a throwback jam that was playing and I figured, what the hell! I'll put it up today.

So today's jam is:

Bumpdate: 29 Weeks

So this morning while I was getting ready for work, I came up with the idea of giving an update on my pregnancy once a week on Wednesday, hump day. Yeah, not so original, I know but I thought it was kinda funny, humor me here. I'm not training for any running races, but I am training for another event in my life, parenthood. Now THAT'S what I call a marathon! :)

So Wednesdays for the next 2 1/2 months will be Bumpdates, where I will share information about how my pregnancy is going and open for discussion topics or issues I'm encountering.

I wanted to thank everyone for reading and commenting about my GD story, it was heartwarming and I'm thankful for all the support! It is something I deal/struggle with everyday and is no doubt shaping how my pregnancy goes!

Even though I have GD, it doesn't prevent me from having a treat now and again. It is not a bad thing to have the treats you want, you just have to have things in moderation. Today...I needed coffee in the worst way.

Okay, let me address this now as I know I get lots of questions about this. Yes, I have coffee during my pregnancy. It is advised that you not go over 200mg of caffeine a day during pregnancy. I used to drink large drip coffees which would have upwards of 300mg of caffeine, if I drank the whole thing. Now that I'm pregnant, I have decaf americanos, which have two shots of decaf espresso at a whopping 8mg of caffeine each for a total of 16mg of caffeine per cup. WAY under the limit that is advised and I get to enjoy a decent cup of coffee and get a bit of a caffeine fix. It's not much, but because I haven't had much caffeine over the past 7 months, a little goes a long way!

"The Jam" Thursday

Okay, so I probably say this every week, but damn, Thursday is such a tease!! So close to the weekend, yet so far away! I get a three day weekend coming up because I took Monday off, woohoo! I get some time to recover from my weekend, which is always busy, and I get some time with my hubby because he has Mondays off.

Speaking of my hubby, can I just say how wonderful he is and how lucky I am? (okay, having a mushy moment here.) I came home last night and changed out of my work clothes to some house clothes, per normal routine and while I was doing that my hubby remarked, "I'm making dinner tonight, so we aren't having what is scheduled for tonight." (because yes, I meal plan for the week and buy ingredients during the weekend so there is no thinking when I get home, I just make dinner.) Okay, I thought, that's cool with me. So he showed me what we were having and got right to work on cooking because I was hungry already, or rather baby was hungry!

So while dinner was cooking, he had me lounge on the couch while he had some of my favorite music playing and some picture slideshows going on the tv while, get this, he gave me a leg and hip massage!!! I just stared at him for a while wondering, what is going on, is there something wrong and he's just trying to butter me up? But nope, he just wanted me to relax and take the time off my feet since I usually make dinner and cleanup the kitchen each night. Such a wonderful treat, it was fabulous and I'm such a lucky lady to have such a great hubby. Thanks sweetie!

So onto Thursday's business, sharing my favorite jams, the songs that get my legs pumping and my booty bumping. Today's jam is a special one, I've been holding onto this sucker for months because I knew the perfect week to post it and it's this week! This is for all my Team @runDisney family that is there or on their way to Disney World for the big Wine and Dine Race weekend. Tonight is a very special occassion for some of my BRF's, they are participating in the first ever night runDisney meet-up, so cool! I can't wait to see the pictures and read their tweets as this event officially starts the race weekend festivities and the events will go strong until the wee hours of the morning on Sunday. So jealous.

Dreaming of Wining and Dining

I wanted to start first off saying thank you to all that came by yesterday and read my blog post about my GD. It was a tough one to write but I felt that I wouldn't be honest on here if I didn't talk about that and how it affects my daily life. So thank you for all the kind words of encouragement and for people who shared their stories, it meant a lot to me.

On more upbeat news, the social sphere I'm a part of is swirling like CRAZY with talk about the runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon weekend coming up this weekend. I have wanted to be a part of this race weekend for the past two years and both years I've been sitting at home reading the posts, looking at the pictures and reading the blog updates on how much fun everyone is having. It literally is "the runner's night out", it looks like SO MUCH fun is had the whole weekend.

Gestational Diabetes: My Story

I think I've probably written this post a thousand times in my head before I even had the ability to sit down and type it out. I didn't want it to be something that is self-serving or trying to evoke any type of sympathy from those who read it, but that is unavoidable when you blog publicly about your life. I feel very vulnerable talking about this situation in my life, but it is one that I feel I need to let go of and "exercise the demons", so to say.

My story begins a lot sooner than most when people talk about being diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, or GD for short. I was at my normal check up with the Midwifery clinic when we went over my blood draw results from my intake appointment a month earlier. Everything looked good and normal, however my blood glucose level was on the borderline of the pre-diabetes threshold. The Midwife knew that both my mother and father were Type-2 diabetic, so she ordered the two hour glucose test for me, just to make sure that everything was going alright. If I passed they wouldn't test me again until my 3rd trimester.

Alright...sweet, awesome. Yeah, I was not looking forward to this.

"The Jam" Thursday

It's that time again, it's Thursday! And bonus...it's HALLOWEEN!  Happy Halloween everybody! I've always been a fan of Halloween, yes as kids it was a time to look forward to because you could gorge yourself on sweet treats, dress up and go trick or treating with your friends around the neighborhood. Now that I'm older and I don't do that any more (I'm the one handing out the treats to the kids) I still enjoy this time of year because of the fun times you have carving pumpkins, decorating your home and interacting with the kids excitedly anticipating trick or treating.

So how appropriate is it that on Thursday when I usually share my favorite jams to run and groove to, that Halloween would fall on it this year and I can share a Halloween themed jam. YAY!

Today's jam should be of no surprise to anyone. This is such an iconic song and has been popular since the moment it was released. It was performed by the King of Pop himself and still to this day invokes a certain twinge of scaredy-pants apprehension when I listen to this in the dark.

Today's jam is:

"The Jam" Thursday

Oh Thursday we meet again, you evil temptress you! So close to the weekend but yet so far. This week has been an odd one for me. I was off on Monday so I've been at work for two days, but this week has felt like FOR-EVER!

This is also the start of a very busy couple of weeks for me. I've got a birthday party on Saturday, a Halloween pumpkin carving party on Sunday, then the whole week will be prepping for my sister's baby shower that I'm co-hosting next weekend. After that I'll be seeing a bit of daylight in my schedule just before the ramp up to the holidays and all the festivities that those days bring. Not to mention I still have to prep and clean the extra bedroom to make room for our lil pumpkins arrival in January! So much to do and the time is just starting to slip away!

Today's "jam" is a Throwback Jam. I've loved this song ever since I first heard it and it never fails to get me grooving everytime I hear it. This artist has been a mainstay in the industry for a number of years now and has been cemented as a fantastic musician and entertainer. He even made a judging appearance on last seasons The Voice.  So I present today's Throwback "Jam":

Disneyland Race Weekend: 5K Race Recap

With all the runDisney buzz yesterday with the announcement of the first ever night meet-up at this years Wine and Dine Half Marathon weekend, I got so excited and am currently going through runDisney withdrawls, that I couldn't wait to finish my race recaps.  So, continuing on with my recap of the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend, here is the first race recap, the 5K.

Yes, if you know my blog content leading up to this, I had signed up for the Dumbo Double Dare and was REALLY excited about running the inaugural of the 10K AND the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge! However during the hype of signing up for the DDD, everyone was talking about running the 5K too, think of all the BLING you would rack up. My eyes glittered and my credit card winced, I signed up for the 5K too. The cool think about doing the 5K, well other than the extra neckware, was that my hubby was running the race with me as well! It would be his first 5K in almost two years and his first finisher medallion ever. So this 5K was going to be a special race for us.

The morning started off like any other runDisney race morning...REALLY EARLY! If the races have to be done before the park opens, that means 0:dark-thirty start times! This was our picture before we left the hotel room, bibbed up and ready to go! I was dressed as Alice as there was a very distinct reason why, you'll find out very soon!

"The Jam" Thursday

Wow these days are going quickly! I can't believe we are at Thursday already, wasn't it just Monday? I mean I'm not complaining, the weekend is almost here, but this weekend is also bat shit crazy busy! I guess it is the beginning of the holiday season where your weekends are no longer your own and you are crazy busy all the time. Lots to do and lots of people to see, tis the season, right?

It's also crazy at work too! Why is it that people leave all of their vacation time until the end of the year and then realize they need to use it or lose it, then there is a rash of people out all at the same time making it absolutely nuts at work because everyone is covering for everyone else? Or is that just me and where I work? I mean I have some days to burn, but damn people, learn how to dole your vacation days out over the whole year! You are stressing this pregnant woman out!!!

Well since today is Thursday, it is time to share another "jam"! This one is what I call a workhorse of my list. It is always in the mix, usually somewhere in the middle when I just need music to keep my pace going. I have featured this artist a few times and she will inevitably be on here again in the future.

Today's jam is:

Momentum Monday: Back at it

Hello and welcome to Monday! Here we are again at the beginning of another week. The weekend went too quickly, as it usually does, especially when you had a packed schedule like I did! Two birthday parties, football games to watch, family to hang out with, grocery shopping to do, get my haircut and...finally get out for a run!

Yes...you read that right, I'm back in the saddle again. And boy was it not pretty.

I got together with my friend Danielle on Saturday morning, the rain had finally stopped and it was chilly. We were out for 3 or 4 miles, depending on how we felt. The first mile was BRUTAL. My body was saying "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?!?!?! I DON'T WANT TO!!!"

It was the hardest mile I have run in a long time. My body mechanics were all off, my breathing was atrocious and I just wanted to stop. By the time we got to 1.5 miles, our turn around point for 3 miles, things were getting better and we both agreed to keep going to mile 2 for the turnaround, we were going for 4 today.

We turned at 2 and both of us were back into our strides. I was feeling better. My form was coming back and my body was finally grooving with me. It's as if it finally remembered "oh yeah, I've done this before, this isn't so bad!" 

The last 1.5 miles went by quick, before we both knew it, we were only .5 miles from our cars. Then the abdominal cramping started. That stopped me cold. We walked a bit and ran the last .2 miles back to our cars. By that time the cramping had subsided, but I was still very conscious of it as this was my first run back with my bigger baby belly, so I didn't want to overdo it. Safety first!

When we got back to the cars and stretched, I looked at my Garmin for the time and was not really happy with it. An hour...for 4 miles. Ugh...I knew I felt like molasses, but I didn't realize that I was actually running like molasses. But I kept thinking to myself that it's my first run back in 3 weeks and I didn't do too bad considering I'm 25 weeks pregnant. I'm not out to break any records or try to best my own time, I'm out for exercise and the enjoyment of running, regardless of how fast or slow I'm going. So when I saw this quote, I wanted to use it for my Momentum today, because I really needed it.

I have to remind myself that getting out there and running, no matter how slow or fast I'm going, is better than sitting on the couch and not running at all. It is infinitely better for my health and well-being to be out there, pounding the pavement and getting some sort of mileage in. Even if it's for the fresh air alone, it is great for my body and soul.

It was great to get out there and I can't wait to get out there to run again. It felt so good and I want to run for as long as my body can phyically can handle it. After that, I'll walk. I just know that I don't want to take this long of a hiatus again from being physical, some of that time I couldn't help, but there was at least a week that I could have been out there. I'm excited to be back at it again and have even considered running a race for fun.  Nothing big, just a 5k. Am I crazy? Maybe...but damn am I loving these endorphines!

Now it's your turn: How is your running going? Have you had a return from a hiatus that felt good or bad?

"The Jam" Thursday

Wow. It's Thursday already? How did that happen? This week has been coo-coo-ca-choo crazy for me and all the days seem to be like a blur to me. Now I find myself at Thursday and realize that I have two birthday parties for small girls this weekend and I have NO idea what to get them. I'm thinking some cute clothes, but I have no clue what size they are. Is there a chart online that says if they are this age they would be this size in clothing? There probably is, I've gotta take a look.

Anyway. It's Thursday and I've been buried by work and appointments all week (see: house is a mess and all I want to do is sleep). Ugh. I'm also going running this weekend, FINALLY! It's been forever it seems since I've been running and I can't wait to get out there. I'm really curious how the preggo belly is going to handle running now, considering it has REALLY popped since the last time I went running. It's gonna be nice and easy and not too far, I'm just excited to get back out there and get some mileage under my belt.

So I've been feeling like my life is a bit out of control lately, like I don't have control over things that are happening to me and especially what is going on with my body. More on that later. I just feel like I am a spectator in my own life and not really running my life and that disconnect has really disturbed me. I need to take more control over things I can do and try to not sweat the stuff that is out of my control (growing a baby is hard and hard on your body, that's the secret they don't tell you in all those books!). So when I heard the lyrics of the "jam" today, I was thinking it would be a good one to post.

Momentum Monday: Thankful

Monday already? How quickly that weekend flew by! It tends to be that way doesn't it? Especially now with the holidays approaching, it feels like my calendar is filling up quicker and quicker! So much to do and seemingly, so little time!

Even though I can complain about the fact that I have less time to relax and my schedule is always full, I should be thankful for the friends and family that I get to spend this time with. My schedule fills up during this time of year for a reason, there are people in my life that want to spend these special moments with me and create memories we will look back on and smile about. Create time and space where we can make memories that make us laugh and reminisce for years to come. 

We are approaching the time of year where we all try to remember to be thankful for all that we have, for all that we are and all that we give and share with others. This month will be filled with football gatherings and pumpkin carvings parties. November will be filled with baby showers (my own included! GAH! Is the baby time that close for me to be having a shower already?!?), more football and my favorite holiday of the year, Thanksgiving.

So in light of all that will be coming in the next few weeks, I wanted to offer this Momentum quote to everyone.

Bump Update: Gender Reveal!

So if you read this blog with any sort of frequency you'll know that I've been missing the past couple of days. No Monday post, which is a weekly occurrance and no Tuesday race recap about the Disneyland race weekend.

I apologize, profusely.

This is a lame excuse, but life has been getting in the way. I am SWAMPED at work (read: working while eating lunch, no breaks and still have tons of work that I haven't gotten to) and I've been taking care of a sick hubby while trying not to get sick myself, because well, being pregnant means that you can't take any cold/flu medicine. So if I get sick, I'm sick for the long haul!

Needless to say, I've had my hands full and have little time left to do much else. I'm exhausted by the end of the day and can do little more than relax on the couch and try to turn my brain off before I go to sleep.

Sleep...oh sleep, how elusive you are becoming. You know, I did read that sleep became more difficult as you progressed in your pregnancy. The growing belly, indigestion, etc would keep you up at night. How about....just not being able to sleep? Sigh...that is my curse right now. I am sacked out, fall asleep hard when I go to bed. Then almost like clockwork, at 1:30am I wake up and I'm WIDE awake. Staring at the ceiling, tossing and turning, watching the minutes tick by with burning fury in my eyes kind of not sleeping. Le sigh... I asked my OB about it and she said that unfortunately it is completely normal and that I should try what I can to get myself back to sleep. HA! Easier said than done!

"The Jam" Thursday

The cool grip of Fall has wrapped itself around the Pacific Northwest. It is official, Fall is here.

The air has that crisp bite to it. It's not cold, but there is definitely a chill to it. The breeze is coming from a different direction than the summer breeze and whips through the trees rustling the leaves and breaking them free from their branches. Leaves are starting to turn colors, the once lush green leaves blanketing the trees are now turning colors of amber, gold and burnt orange. The sight of fireplace stacks eeking out essences of smoke from the fires that fill their chambers, warming the homes against the crisp fall air that creeps through their windows. The smell of mulling cider and pumpkin treats baking waft delicately through the air, beckoning you to come inside and stay a while.

I love all the sensory sensations that come with this time of year, it seriously unleashes all my literature major writing when I think about and describe it. This time of year feels like syrup is poured over life and everything kind of slows down from the bustle and manic time of the summer. People tend to stay indoors more and gather together to visit. I know it must seem like overkill, but I really do love this time of year, if you couldn't figure that out already. Especially if you follow me on Pinterest, I have a whole board dedicated to Fall recipes which are dominated by pumpkin. I love baking with pumpkin, but not drinking it. The Pumpkin Spice flavors for coffee just don't appeal to me. But give me a slice of pumpkin bread and I'm putty in your hands!!!

Disneyland Weekend Recap: The Expo

I'm so sorry that my recaps are so sporatic! Between work and home life I've been swamped lately. Definitely running into the "there's so much to do and not enough hours to do it" syndrome. So thank you for hanging in with me on these, considering my recaps are almost a month after the races.

Ugh...that makes it sound worse.

So now onto the next big event and the official beginning of the runDisney race weekend: the expo!!! So let me preface this recap by saying I've had only one other experience with a runDisney expo and it was during the Princess Half Marathon this year, which from what I heard from the runDisney faithfuls, one of their worst. You can read my recap of that here. So when I went to Disneyland race weekend I was hopeful that I would encounter a better planned and laid out expo than what I had experienced earlier this year.

Friday morning I met up with Jen of Travel Girl on the Run, Kim of Kim Runs Disney and Beyond and Jen of Hello Fitness...We Meet Again. We decided to grab an early breakfast and get into the expo line early before it opens at 10am, so we figured meeting around 8ish would be good to scope out the line and grab something to eat. Well good thing we had done that because by 8am, there were two lines forming, one for bibs and one for the runDisney merch area of the expo. Both lines had at least 50-100 people each in them.  So we hopped into the merch line, as we knew from experience that the merch area is the one that fills up and items thin out the quickest. So if we really wanted something, we had to get there REALLY early.

Momentum Monday: Be You

Hello everyone and happy Monday to you all! Another week is starting and we only have a few more days until the weekend again...right?  HA! This weekend went by way too quickly, as it usually does, but it was great nonetheless. Got to see some great sports and hang with family, it couldn't have been better.

One thing I did get to do was catch up with a local dear friend of mine. We talked on the phone for over an hour and it was great! It had been a while since we'd talked, so we had a lot to catch up on. But one thing in our conversation that stuck out is an incident they had endured. Without saying too much, they were being chastised and made to feel less than for being who/what they are.

It made me sad, very sad because I know how true this friends heart is and it breaks my heart to see them hurt. I wanted to go over to my friends house and give them a giant hug. 

It got me thinking today though about how we tend to lose ourselves in things. Relationships, jobs, hobbies, etc and we end up sacrificing who we are in order to be what everything and everyone wants. Then there are people who buck against that trend and are who they are regardless of what everyone expects them or wants them to be. These are the people I marvel at and my friend is definitely one of them. So today's Momentum Monday is for my friend and all the people out there that find they get put down for being the wonderful people they are:

"The Jam" Thursday

Oh it's Thursday, so bittersweet, considering I woke up thinking it was Friday to be disappointed upon realizing that today was actually Thursday.

Bummer.

Regardless, when I woke up it was pitch black and cold in the house. Summer has left the PNW and fall is finally here!!! Fall is my favorite time of year. So many great things happen during this season, it makes me giddy with excitement! Sunshine and crisp cool breeze, leaves changing colors and crunching under your feet, football and tailgating (not for me this year), pumpkin spice flavor/scented everything and cozy evenings by the fire. All these things happen during the fall up here and make me so happy. Warm fuzzies people, warm fuzzies. 

Disneyland Weekend Recap: The Warm-up

So I'm finally getting around to my recaps of the Disneyland Race weekend in Anaheim, there is so much to cover that is race related and not race related, you're going to see it ALL! Here we go!

So we (hubby and I) headed for Disneyland a bit earlier to get some time in the parks before the craziness of the race weekend started. We flew out early Thursday morning to Anaheim, literally to Fort Wayne airport. I love that place, it's nice and small, easy to navigate and just a short 15 minute drive to and from Disneyland from there. Easy peasy!

 Us on the plane and with our carry-on only luggage!

Momentum Monday: A gift

Hello Monday, here we are again. The beginning to another week and already looking forward to the weekend. HA! This weekend was quite busy for me and also a good one for our local sports teams! The Seattle Sounders won on Friday, my alma mater the University of Washington Huskies beat Illinois on Saturday and the Seahawks beat the 49ers on Sunday. So lots of sports for me this weekend, I was loving it! 

It was also another big weekend for me because I ran for the first time since the Disneyland half. Yes, if you are keeping track at home, that is a two week hiatus. At first I was just physically tired and drained from that weekend and wanted to rest my legs. Then after that, the ball of my left foot was bothering me quite a bit, to the point it hurt to walk or even stand on it. However, that mysteriously went away and my foot feels back to normal again. So I figured, what the hell, I'll go out for a run and see how long I can go.

About a mile into my run, I was hating life. Everything was so out of sync I was just getting frustrated and started to doubt my ability to continue running during my pregnancy. Then around mile 2ish, it all got better. Breathing was easier and my strides were more fluid. Don't get me wrong, I still took walk breaks, more than I normally do. I've made the decision that I still want to run but I'm not out to break any speed records of mine while I'm pregnant, it will put too much strain on my body and the baby.

When my run was over, I had managed to get in 4 miles in just about an hour. Not my best time, but I didn't care, I was glad to be out getting the mileage in. Then I was thinking as I was stretching at how lucky I am to still be able to run while I'm pregnant. I have had friends that when they were pregnant, just getting out of bed each morning was a feat, let alone getting any physical activity in. At this point, this very quote ran through my head and I feel this way everytime I run, regardless if I'm pregnant or not, it still is true to all.

Running while pregnant

I have decided to continue to run during my pregnancy.

Wait…did she just say those words? Yes, yes I did.

I have made the conscious decision to continue running during my pregnancy for a few reasons. First being fitness, second being that I had a half marathon over Labor Day weekend that I was training for, and third, for peace of mind. I find I get one of two reactions from people when I tell them that I’m still running during my pregnancy:

“WOW! Good for you! That’s wonderful you’re still doing that!” and

“WHAT?!? Are you crazy? There is no way I would continue to run if I got pregnant! Is it even safe?”

Sometimes there are days where I feel a bit like each of those reactions. One day I’ll be rejoicing in my run and proud that I’m out there pounding the pavement, then there are days that I feel like I’m crazy for wanting to get out there and putting my body through those rigors.

"The Jam" Thursday

Hello!!!! Happy Thursday to you! I'm finally back to some normalcy in life this week. I've been in and out of town for the past two weeks, so I am enjoying some quality time with my bed and pillows. Vacations are always fun, but you never know what you are going to get as far as sleeping options when you go to hotels. I've been from a super comfy king size bed, to a super stiff queen sized murphy bed (that was an experience) all in the span of a week. So sleeping in my own bed with my own pillows has been BLISSFUL!!!

Wait...did I just ramble on about beds? Ugh...maybe I'm still a bit sleep deprived. HA!

Regardless, it's good to be back home and having some sort of routine back in my life. It's also good to be back blogging, I know I have taken quite the hiatus and I apologize, I was just having so much fun that time got away from me. BUT! I have tons of pictures and lots to catch you up on, so prepare for the recap craziness that will occur next week, I'm so excited to share about everything!

Now it's time for today's "jam"! This is another song from an artist I had featured on here before. The other song didn't seem to appeal to many people, but was one that I really enjoyed. So imagine my surprise when my sister, who is very worldly with her music, stopped channel surfing one day in the car to listen to this song. It's not something I would have expected her to like and was quickly made aware of how popular this song has gotten, much to my surprise and delight. So without anything further, today's "jam" is:

Momentum Monday: Taking a break

Sorry I have been absent from posting this past week and a half. I was in Anaheim for the Disneyland Half marathon weekend, having the time of my life with my hubby and running friends. I will post my total trip and recaps this coming week.

 

Then after that fun filled-sleep deprived trip, I came home and it was my anniversary and now we are celebrating my hubby's birthday on the coast. To say I've been busy lately would be an understatement. So that is why I made my own Momentum Monday today instead of using someone else's words.

 

"All things in life in moderation, even the activities you enjoy the most. Taking a break can give you focus and appreciation for what you have and what you have accomplished."

 

I have taken a short break from blogging and running to be able to appreciate what I have (my family and friends) and what I have accomplished (my third half in my first year of running this distance and earning my Coast to Coast medal).

 

It doesn't mean I love doing this any less, I just feel that sometimes things get so routine that there is no spontaneity and fun/silliness. That is my fault. I want my recaps to portray the same excitement and fun I had while making the memories, as I have retelling the stories.

My time away isn't for much longer and I can't wait to share the stories and pictures I have from that trip. There is so much good stuff and great people I met. I can't wait to share. But for now, I wish you a fantastic Monday and a great start to your week!

Momentum Monday: Run Like A Boss

This weekend is the weekend I've been waiting for since I signed up for it in December, it is the Disneyland Half weekend in Anaheim, CA. As I type those words I still can't believe it! This race weekend has been a long time coming and the fact that I know how quickly it will go by makes me want to put the brakes on and slow time for a bit.

I know what is coming this weekend and it will come like a freight train, you just can't stop it. There will be meet-ups and meals with friends, there will be rides and photo hi-jinx, there will be old friends greeting each other with hugs and new friends coming together with open hearts, there will be laughs and happy tears, there will be tons of catching up and cascades of yawns into the late night hours, there will be shopping and costume wearing, and finally there will be running and getting the bling we've all worked so hard for.

This weekend will be one to remember and one we won't soon forget, and I've been so blessed to have so many great people to plan and experience this with, that I can't think about it being here just yet. Today I officially start my packing and I've got the list all made out. I have my schedule made for the weekend with all the "official times" and all the meet-ups I'm doing and a little bit of sleep scheduled in there somewhere.

But all this prep wouldn't be happening if it weren't for one thing: running. All the fun and anticipation is great but it also is because we are gathering to run races together. To push ourselves physically and to have fun in the process. As I get ready for this weekend, physically and mentally, I have to remember that all my training has brought me to this point and I can't prepare myself anymore than I already have, it's race time. So as I mentally get myself in the game, this quote really jumped out at me for today's Momentum Monday.

Coming Clean

So I have been hinting at a "condition" I have and that there have been issues that it has caused with my running.  I may have alarmed or concerned people with my lack of explanation on what is going on. But I didn't mean to make anyone concerned as it is not life threatening, but rather more life changing.

I've been cryptic because too much information will give it away and I just wasn't ready to talk about it yet. However with the Disneyland Half coming up next week, I am not able to keep this a secret much longer, nor do I think it's necessary to keep it a secret anymore.

So here goes...

"The Jam" Thursday

Did anyone see the moon last night? Or rather I should say, did anyone NOT see the moon last night? It was so bright it was tough to miss! It was shinning on our bedroom window and was so bright you would swear it was dawning outside, it was so crazy!

Well today is Thursday and it's great in two ways, today is my Friday at work as I'm off for my three day weekend tomorrow, woohoo! AND a week from today I will be on a flight to Disneyland for the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend!  YAY!!!!! I'm so excited, I can't wait for this weekend to begin. Well actually I can, because it is going to go so quickly, it will be insane! There is still SO much to do and to prepare for, I've gotta get my butt in gear!!!

As today is Thursday, it is also my day to share some beats with you. Today's "jam" is a few years old now and I don't really remember this being on the air waves too much, so when my sister had this on her playlist for our roadtrip last weekend, I was totally jamming out to it! I've been a fan of a few of the hits produced by this artist, so I wasn't surprised that I liked this song, but I was just totally digging it and this is a new addition to my running list.

So today's "jam" is:

End of Week 16 Double Dare Training

It's Wednesday and there are officially 7 more days until I leave for Disneyland!!!  WOOHOO!!!  The race is next weekend...yes, I didn't stutter...NEXT weekend! It's so crazy knowing that this race weekend, something that I have been looking forward to since I signed up for it in December, is just around the corner! This time next week I will be putting the final touches on my packing and triple checking my list to make sure I didn't forget a thing!

Looking at these lovelies makes me giddy, knowing that in just a few days all of these could be mine. SO. EXCITED!

Momentum Monday: Sanity

What a whirlwind of a weekend I had! I spent a good portion of my weekend on the road driving to and from Eastern Washington. My sister and I went to visit our grandparents whom we hadn't seen in a while and whom are having some health issues. My grandfather had a triple by-pass two months ago and my grandmother is showing signs of alzheimers and dementia. It's rough to have someone who helped raise you call you by a different name because she doesn't remember who you are. It was an emotionally draining weekend to say the least. So the feeling of needing an extra day off to deal with everything is in full effect, but I am at work and doing my best to stay focused.

That being said, while I was looking for today's Momentum Monday quote, I came upon this one and know how true it is for me and how I wish I'd had time to do this during the weekend, I might feel a bit better than I do today.

"The Jam" Thursday

So I woke up this morning with a sleep hangover, has that happened to anyone else? I haven't slept very well the past 3-4 nights and I finally got sleep last night. But when I woke up, my body still wasn't fully recharged and ready to wake up. So the result was a sleep drunk feeling that felt like a hangover, weird right? I've never experienced that before and has now left me with a headache. Oy!

Today is Thursday and time for me to share another of my "jams" with you! This one is a bit of a Throwback hit and from a group that I saw grow and change over the years they were around. These ladies are very talented together and each on their own doing their own things. I have a lot of their music on my iPod which allows me to bring back some older "jams" to run and dance to!

So today's "jam" is:

End of Week 15 Double Dare Training

Oh boy am I tired! I was up all night monitoring a website until 12:30.

Crazy? Maybe.

Determined? You better believe it!

I bet you're asking why was I up half the night staring at a website? If you are versed at all in the world of runDisney, you would know or have heard about their coveted social media meet-ups. They hold one at each big race weekend in WDW and Disneyland to help promote the brand runDisney and teach health benefits fof running, as well as share some secrets/tips on nutrition, training and gear.

The focus is to have individuals who are active in the social media spheres attend so that they can tweet, Facebook, Instagram and blog about the experience. This coverage helps to get the runDisney name and their ideals out to the masses that are on social media everyday. For the participant, it is a great way to connect directly with the core of the brand and help them promote races that are near and dear to our hearts. I have been very focused on trying to get a place into one of these meet-ups as it would be a great honor to be able to partake in the process and meet some of the fantastic people that make runDisney, well, "run".

So while I am working on recovering from my lack of sleep last night, I can review how my training went this past week! Let's take a look at the schedule!

Momentum Monday: Friends

I struggled with today's Momentum Monday quote. I really wasn't sure what I wanted to talk about as there has been so much going on in life lately, that I just feel scatter brained all the time. Especially with the racecation coming up in 16 days (!?!) life seems to be going at warp speed and I can't seem to slow things down.

Then as I pondered about my weekend and thought of my morning a warm feeling came over me. No, it's not a hot flash, I'm too young for that. I thought about the interactions I had with my friends over the weekend and this morning and a smile came across my face. Now I'm not talking about the friends that I have locally, I am talking about my running friends that I have made all over the country. These lovely people have come into my life during a time of change and struggle and have filled my life with joy each day.

I don't live close to them, so we can't run together. Most of us don't even share the same time zone, so our schedules are a bit off. We are of varying backgrounds and ages and at different points in our lives. But that doesn't seem to matter. We can talk about a subject like we've known each other for several years and be able to pinpoint someone's personality on a situation and be able to laugh about it. We can also pick up conversations that may have ended months ago and carry on like no time has passed.

So as I sit here thinking about my running friends, I felt compelled to post this Momentum Monday quote for them.

I feel like I'm part of a running family, not just a community of like-minded individuals, but the people I have around me feel like family. I can talk to them about problems I'm having, gush excitedly about great news and be there when they need someone to confide in, all without being judged. Due to our distance we may see each other perhaps once a year, if at all, but that doesn't seem to matter. We carry on each day wishing each other a good day, giving kudos for doing well on a run, sharing in each of our triumphs and lamenting with each other when something goes awry.

I love the running family I'm a part of and I wouldn't change it for the world. These people help lift me up and I hope that I return the favor as well. We are a unique group of individuals that are bonded by the same goal and love, running. So thank you, my running friends, I appreciate and love you for all the wonderful people you are and know that someone far away is thinking of you and rooting you on.

"The Jam" Thursday

Hello, hello all! I'm in a good mood this morning because I got my run in before work and when I do I seem to have a cheerier disposition in the morning. I'm gonna say it's because of the endorphins that I'm in a good mood and the fact that I shook off some stress.

I'm also in a good mood because I realized that in exactly three weeks from today I will be on a plane heading towards Anaheim to start my whirlwind, magical race weekend in Disneyland. I can't wait! 

Today however is Thursday and time for me to share another "jam" with you, the songs that get my legs pumping and my booty bumping. This performer needs no introduction, she does it all on her own. She's been making hits for years and sometimes you get one stuck in your head and can't get it out...like this one. I'll find myself humming the chorus while I'm doing something and not even realize it. 

So without much ado, I present today's "jam":

End of Week 14 Double Dare Training

Wait...end of week 14? That means there are only 4 more weeks until the big race weekend!?! Holy cow is it coming up soon! It is so exciting! I'm not really concerned about whether I will be able to finish the races or not at this point. My training has been going nice and steady and after every long run I've had, I actually feel like I could keep going without any issue or discomfort. I just stop because I don't want to push too far too soon, but my body has done it before and can most certainly do it again!

Seriously though, I am really, really, REALLY excited for this race weekend! All the chatter and information on get togethers has been growing steadily and it just makes me so excited for the weekend to get here and sad to know that it's only a couple of days of whirlwind fun and excitement, then I'm back to reality and missing my running friends from across the country again. :(

The countdown until we leave for Disneyland started months ago and looking at the countdown now we only have 21 days until we are in the Happiest Place on Earth. I'm so excited, I have this awesome picture as my background on my work monitor.

Momentum Monday: Hard to Explain

Oh Monday...we meet again, and again far too soon. My weekend whizzed by, it was a total blur of errands and time spent with my loved ones. How was your weekend?

Part of my weekend, as is for most people in training, is my weekend long run. I had 10 miles on the schedule for me and I was really dreading it for some reason. That dread followed me all the way to my run to the point where I had to stop shortly after I started to have a talk with myself. I had to tell my head to shut up and let me enjoy the run. Ironically, after that talking to, my run got better...a lot better.

I have friends that are non-runners that I only mention my running to because I can see their eyes glaze over when I talk about it a little too much. They ask how many miles I ran and as I say the quantity pretty nonchalantly, they just shake their heads and say "I don't know how/why you do it", or "I don't get it, how can you run all that way?" I try to explain but it doesn't seem to come out right, or they don't understand, but this quote for today's Momentum Monday seems to hit the nail on the head.

"The Jam" Thursday

I had a terrible nights sleep last night. Why?

Well, I know when a race is coming soon because I start getting nightmares about it. Yeah...I had one last night. Of course it was about the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend (which is in 28 days, FYI!), but it was about the 5K race specifically. Me and one other female (don't know who it was) were standing in this tented area at the finish line of the 5K cheering people onto the finish and talking with them about the race and praising them for doing a great job. Then we both looked at each other and realized that we hadn't raced yet and the 10K was starting soon and we needed to get to that race too! We ran out onto the course and were the last people out there and all I can remember was running frantically, passing cheering crowds and looking down the long straightaway at the beginning of the course and feeling a huge lump in the pit of my stomach....then I woke up.

Oh boy...if these dreams continue on for the rest of the month, I will have run these races more times than I care to in my head! I hope they go away! But the likelihood of that isn't good. :(  Oh well.

Today is Thursday and that means I get to share another "jam" with you. This one is from a DJ and vocalist collaboration that I really enjoyed. I shared another of their songs many months back and wanted to revisit their work and share another great track. I've shared a couple of songs from this vocalist and I really enjoy what she is doing lately and I think she has really found her musical niche.

Without further ado, I present today's "jam":

End of Week 13 Double Dare Training and Race Info!

It's Wednesday and...wait, it's Wednesday? When did that happen? I mean I don't mind the week going quickly, but that means the race weekend is that much closer! How much closer? 26 days! Holy cow!

Let's talk training!

Tuesday: 30 minute run
Thursday: 30 minute run
Saturday: 4 miles with Magic Mile

Let's start with Tuesday. I've been riding the wave of getting out for my runs on Tuesdays and LOVING it. However when I woke up this past Tuesday, my hips and lower back were quite angry with me. If being laid up for a month and a half with hip and back pain has taught me anything, it's to not push it when there is discomfort or pain for risk of further injury. I am not able to run without my hips and back being in working order and not in pain. So in order to not make the situation worse, I took the day off from running and let my hips and back relax and workout whatever kinks were in there.