Pregnancy is everywhere and random tidbits of nothings :-)

I am sure everyone is thinking that this is all I talk about. But I haven't been running much lately so I can't really write about running. I had a women's brunch today and two more are pregnant. Seriously, it seems everyone is pregnant but me! Or maybe it's just like when you decide you love a car you really start seeing them everywhere. OK, pity party is over. I'm just really hoping that one week from now I get to stop trying.

But in some ways I could handle another month of a non-pregnancy state. Since I haven't been running as much as I was pre-marathon my pants are starting to get a bit on the tighter side. Hmm, maybe I should drop "a bit" and just say they ARE on the tighter side. Maybe it wasn't the running, though; maybe it was the chocolate bar and a half I ate the other day. Or the ice cream. Or the Girl Scout Cookies. I haven't had much control lately. Time to get that under wraps until I find out if there's a bean in my belly.

It was gorgeous today and I was planning on running this morning but Jackson decided it'd be super cool to wake up at 6 and Jon's shoulder was really bothering him so he couldn't watch him. But tomorrow is another day and I WILL get out on the road and get a run in. The sun is shining and the temps are rising and it's making me sooo much happier!!

And I have to say that I have really, really missed having a normal life. The hubby is back at work and it is so nice having him work a 9-5 job and home on the weekends vs the shift work and travel all the time gig he was on before. Unfortunately, this is only temporary until the shoulder is healed but I'll take it while I can get it. Totally loving it!!!

More Crossfit

I've been emailing back and forth with a guy from CrossFit and I am actually surprised at how fast I received an email back. And I was even more surprised when the same guy emailed me this morning with the following email:

Billie, Sorry, I am not stalking you...This just came in from CF Tulsa and I thought you would be interested...

********************************
CF Endurance,

Just dropping you another line to let you know we had 12 of our members complete their first trail runs this weekend at the Post Oak Lodge just outside of Tulsa. We had 8 members(including my wife) run the 10k, 1 member ran the 25K, and myself and 2 others ran the 50K. All of us prepared based on the Crossfit Endurance WOD's. There was some issues with the 50K, because it was actually a 60-62K race due to Volunteer screw-ups, but the upside of that is we actually ran 36-37 miles which I never thought possible. I'm already looking forward to my next 50K trail race, because I now know that it is possible.

Again, I want to thank you for your great programming, helpful advice, and willingness to offer that help. I'm not gonna lie, my entire body ached after the run, but I did the recovery WOD yesterday, a full workout today, and almost feel completely recovered only 2 days later(as do our other runners). I'm gonna continue to challenge our members to get out on the trails and follow the Endurance WOD's.

Also, I am signed up for your Certification in Oklahoma City at Crossfit 405 in May so I can actually learn how to run properly! After I complete the Cert, how do I sign up Crossfit Tulsa as an Endurance Affliate?

---------------------------------------------------

I am still not totally sold on the idea that you can perform really, really well by following their regimen. But I don't think they really intend for you to be a 2:30 marathoner, either. It's just sooo hard to let go of everything I've ever read that says to train for endurance sports you must incorporate the longer run/bike/swim session. The founder swears that in ten years this type of training will be the foundation for many endurance athletes. I guess we'll wait and see :-)

I mentioned that I hoped to be pregnant soon and that I don't think I'd be able to follow the CF Endurance site anyway since it's way too intense. I have already found this website and I might use it as something to follow when I do become a bit too big to lift correctly. It seems like a great website for pregnant women :-) And since the actually crossfit peeps endorse it....it has to be decent, right?

CrossFit Mom

And how cute is that preggo chica on today's workout?? I can't wait for a belly! (Remind me of this when I am 8 months pregnant and totally uncomfortable!).

Crossfit???

I have been thinking about inserting some CrossFit training into my training regimen for some time. My hubby actually created a home gym back in the summer to start CrossFit but realized his shoulder just couldn't hack it. I was too busy training for running and didn't really think I could handle CrossFit. But now that I've decided I really need to incorporate more strength training I am really considering it. I have been strength training at the gym for a few weeks now and it just isn't me. Don't get me wrong, I love to lift. I just don't like how long it takes and the waiting between reps. I suppose I could pay a personal trainer to create a better program for me; one that keeps me moving and doesn't have any rest time.

But that's what I love about CrossFit. It keeps you moving the entire time. And to top it off there is little thinking or planning involved since all you have to do is go to their website and check out the workout of the day. Simple. I do have some worries about being able to do some of the Olympic lifts correctly ( I am reluctant to do them in the gym and make a fool of myself...ha!). But I am thinking it will be good for me :-). Afterall, the long distance running kind of made my butt go away; Jon misses it so. I asked him if he's still going to like me if I get all buff. He said as long as I don't look like the below picture he's ok with it. Something about looking more manly than womanly freaks him out. hahaha

And just for fun here's a sample workout (this was for last Saturday...Sunday was a rest day...I wonder why? hahaha). I'm pretty sure it'd kick my A-S-S!!! You're supposed to do these as fast as possible:

For Time:

25 squats

25 push-ups

25 pull-ups

25 situps

50 squats

50 push-ups

50 pull-ups

50 situps

75 squats

75 push-ups

75 pull-ups

75 situps

Kind of reminds me of one of my fave workouts from the Army: the deck of cards workout. You have certain workouts for each suit and you do the number of each when that card comes up (i.e. diamonds are close-hand pushups...a 7 of diamond comes up you do 7 close-hand pushups). It's a killer. Love it!

The next CrossFit topic: CrossFit endurance. (Crossfit also does a program aimed at endurance athletes). I am still kind of a skeptic of it all because it seems really, really difficult to throw out years of physiological science. Ya know, the science that says long-slow training (i.e. aerobic training) is the cornerstone for endurance sports. This main training in crossfit endurance are intervals and tempo training. But we already know that if you want to increase your PRs you have to incorporate these workouts into your training. Typically, CF has 1 sport athletes do three workouts a week: one interval, one tempo/stamina and another interval workout and every so often you do a time trial workout. They fully believe that any sort of long, slow distance training is not beneficial and is more harmful to our bodies than beneficial. Now the KEY to all of this is the endurance training IS IN ADDITION TO the regular crossfit workouts of the day. So in essence, you'd do the above workout and then 3-4 hours later you'd do the prescribed endurance training. Talk about ass-kicking. They do say that if a certain regular workout is going to kick your ass that you can scale it down a bit so you can still do your endurance training.

Hmm. I emailed the peeps to see if they really think that their training can really prepare to do a PR in a marathon. We'll see what they say.

Here's what they say in the beginning of the "what is crossfit endurance" segment: (here's the website if you want to read through the entire thing). I keep trying to post it but it messes everything up. Boo!

Anyhoo, I'd love to hear what everyone thinks, and mostly about the CrossFit endurance stuff.

****UPDATE****

Just received an email back from CF peeps. Here's what they responded with when I asked about excluding long runs:

"Ah, you have touched upon a key point and a common misunderstanding of CF Endurance (CFE). There is nothing wrong with going long as part of your training in order to acheive a number of things:

- confirm your taper

- confirm your nutrition, hydration, and electrolyte replacement strategy

- confirm your pacing strategy

- confirm your shoe/clothing choices

- build your confidence so you understand you can actually complete 26.2 miles

The question you have to ask is how many times do you need to do that in order to gain the knowledge listed above. If someone requires multiple attempts to learn this stuff then the problem is with that person rather than our programming.

Our point is going long has little effect on your physical conditioning. In fact if done too often it will have a negative impact - we have been able to show that through testimonies and personal experience. Some studies we use to inform us (not justify, just inform) are:

•

!Lydiard A, Running to the Top, Meyers and Meyers Sport, 1995, pgs. 41, 78, & 105

•

!Maffetone P, Training for Endurance; Guide for Triathletes, Runners, & Cyclists David

Barmore Productions, 1996, pg 78

•

!Burgomaster K, Hughes S, Heigenhauser G, Bradwell S, Gibala M. Six Sessions of

sprint interval training increases muscle oxidative potential and cycle endurance

capacity in humans J Appl Physiol 98: 1985-1990, 2005

•

!Coyle, E. Very intense exercise-training is extremely potent and time efficient: a

reminder J Appl Physiol 98: 1983-1984, 2005

•

! Runners Train Less and Be Faster:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111122026.htm

Banana-Cinnamon Waffles - Healthy Breakfast Recipes - Photos - CookingLight.com

Banana-Cinnamon Waffles - Healthy Breakfast Recipes - Photos - CookingLight.com

I made these this morning and they are pretty delicious! I didn't use butter (canola oil instead) so I imagine if you used butter they'd be even better :-)

Love it :-)

The one "positive" thing about not being preggers yet: being able to enjoy a bottle of beer and wine again... if only for a short two weeks :-)

Reasons why.

I was really, really hoping I'd get a positive on the 'ol test today but no such luck. I guess better luck in a couple weeks. I was really thinking I might be pregnant because I have been SUPER tired lately and my heart rate was super high the other day during my run. I guess I was just really hoping the higher heart rate was due to a thing growing in my body and not due to the fact that I haven't been running lately :-). Big slap of reality hit me this morning. So, I have two weeks to get back into the big 'ol rhythm of working out and getting my heart rate back into a spot where it should be.

I'm starting to feel like maybe the title of this blog is misleading. Though I love to run, I just don't know if I am up to running right now. Not any major mileage anyway. I love the way I feel about working up to a major goal. I love the place running puts me. But I don't love the fact that I have very little muscle on my body right now. I have neglected the total body workouts for almost 3 years now; maybe even more than that if I am truly honest with myself.

So, I think my goals might just have to let running take a turn on the back burner for now. I am thinking about hiring a professional to help me figure out what I need to do to get myself strong again. I want to get back into the shape I was in during my officer training. I was really strong then. But back then I had ZERO outside responsibilities and lots of time to workout. We had physical training in the morning and then after a day filled with power point presentations I'd usually head to the gym with the girls or run outside. By the end of the training I was up to being able to do 65 pushups. I loved it. And that was only in about 2-3 months of training. So I know I can get there again. Just have to set a plan and stick to it!

OK, enough rambling for now. I have some menu planning and grocery list making tasks to get to. The hubby is determined to lose the 30 pounds he needs to lose. For now all he can do is focus on his eating so I am his ad-hoc nutritionist :-). Oh joy! But at least he is finally ready to do this!!

Blah

Is it bad that I wish I was the who just went through surgery to have a torn labrum fixed (for the 2nd time)? Yup, I do. I would love it that for 2 straight weeks I couldn't do anything but sit on the couch and watch TV and surf the net. Really. I do.

OK, pitty party over. :-) And yes, for the record the hubster had surgery last week to hopefully fix his shoulder for good. I feel bad for him because it's obviously no fun. But I would be lying if I said I am not envious of his couch potato time. :-)

Sorry I haven't produced any posts lately, just haven't had anything really interesting to write on. I am pretty sure I am in the midst of SAD (seasonal affective disorder). It runs in the family and I've had it before....so it's no shocker. It just stinks to be tired all day long, no motivation at all to get up and run...and the desire to digest every single carb known to man. I've had some serious cravings for cinnamon and caramel rolls, any kind of bread really. Ahh....come on sunshine! And please oh please, let this pile of snow melt quickly. I love the snow but 3 feet of it is too much for this area. We no longer have sidewalks and those that are shoveled are now covered in ice from the melting snow. Both the kid and I are going NUTS!!!

I'm dreaming of beaches in Aruba. Ahhh.....

But in HAPPY news, I finally decided to open up my espresso machine. I was in limbo for a couple months and just decided what the heck and kept it. I'm not sure who likes it more...the hubster or me. Of course he loves it because he has yet to do the dirty work to produce a lovely drink. That is the one thing that's great about going to Starbucks. But this baby will save us money in the long-term.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the Olympics! I love the winter Olympics; and will be praying for the safety of the luge atheltes today. Sooo sad!