A Case of the Runs

Of course, it wasn't going to be long until I started reviewing prenatal stuff, right?  I don't plan on exclusively writing about baby/pregnancy things, but I did have these reviews ready and will see how it goes from there. As I've mentioned many times, I've been using Physique 57 (P57) to keep in shape, even before my pregnancy (which still feels weird to type).  It is a great workout that keeps me fit without all the jarring of other activities. I'm in the camp that believes that, well, I'm pregnant, not invalid.  My doctor keeps telling me I can pretty much do whatever, as long as I'm not at risk of falling, overheating, or lying on my stomach or long periods on my back.  However, because I hadn't been running as much in general this year, it's kind of hard to keep up now, especially since it feels like most of the terrain in my neighborhood is uphill and it's now summer. Mechanically, I can say that my mobility isn't nearly what...

I'm currently on the 18th week of a 40-week program, of sorts.  Had this been a marathon training program, I'd be tapering =) Spoiler: Nope, I'm not running a marathon anytime soon.  And yes, I dropped hints . Very soon after my darling nephew's arrival earlier this year, I found out that I was pregnant.  I remember after one of our visits to him in the hospital, "The Ukrainian" and I hinted to each other that a baby in our near future felt right.  Since I sometimes feel very much like a child myself and have no close friends in the parent boat, I was wavering on this possibility.  Little did I know, the decision had already been made. Seeing those two lines was such a brief and small moment, yet one that would change everything.  I think it took several weeks for the true impact to start sinking in, and in many ways, it still is.  I had this kind of moment again when "The Ukrainian" and I heard the baby's heartbeat at my first ultrasound...

Today is supposedly the first day of summer.  If you've been reading here for a while, heat is my enemy.  Even if I'm not running, I can't stand waking up to excessive bright lights and realizing it's approaching 80 degrees when I'm still in bed. Summer also means that my work wardrobe is limited.  I'm not big on wearing dresses, so the same rotation of cool flowy tops + flowy cardigans probably annoys the heck out of my co-workers. I should be used to our long summers by now.  In Southern California, I feel like summer lasts on and off between March and November.  Not kidding; my wedding date was in mid-November, and the weather remained pretty much summer-like until two days before the ceremony. On the upside, we have been able to eat dinner in our back yard and take evening walks. On the downside, I have little or no desire to cook or bake.  The last grand baking effort I had was for Mother's Day, which I silently patted myself on the back for...

I have to admit that this National Running Day kind of snuck up on me.  In the past, I had a lot more time and energy to properly celebrate this holiday (see 2013 and 2011 ), but today, the extent of my running so far has been between trains because of delays... again.  I have not done much running since Big Sur , if that counts. But in spirit of it all, I will talk about running, which is still one of my favorite subjects.  First, I found this Twitter handle this morning, @ RunnersandCats , and got such a kick out of the random cats placed in shots of runners.  Twitter has kind of become my "running vicariously" outlet, as I get to see people log in workouts while I'm dogging it at my desk.  Of course, this is a good and bad thing, or maybe this means I need to add more people who are out there dogging it with me. As for my next race, I'm guessing it will be early next year.  I was counting on an Independence Day race to occupy my summer, but it is n...