Alien

I didn't get any of the running in that I had hoped over the weekend (well, our weekend, Sun/Mon). We had friends come into town on Friday night for a Bowdoin track/cross country reunion, which was lots of fun, but which meant I was up way too late too many nights in a row. Unfortunately, we didn't get to participate in any of the running-related activities, as we both had to work, although I did manage to slip out of the house bright and early Saturday morning for a 3 mile run. Of course, this was only because Snowman was up and out before 6am to drive up to work for the "There's a Black Fly in My Eye" race. Our friends left Sunday morning after a big breakfast, and then Snowman and I headed down to Portsmouth to meet up with another good friend, Andy, for lunch. So Sunday consisted of eating and driving :-)

Monday we headed over to my aunt's to visit with my grandmother and pick up a window A/C unit that was no longer in use at her house. This is a good thing because I have a feeling that once it gets hot (if it ever does!) and I get big, I'm going to be cranky in the heat. The A/C should help with that! And that will make us all happy :-) Then we delivered our old kitchen table to Nate and Shannon, after getting a bigger one from Snowman's parents, and went out to buy a new vacuum as ours sucks (but not in the way you want a vacuum to suck!). By that time, it had started raining again, and both Snowman and I were ready to collapse on the couch. Oh yes, and in between, we played with the kitty cats!!

So, this morning I was determined to get a run in. I headed across the street for the 3-mile route through Highland Green. It was not raining, which was nice, but it was muggy enough that I was soaked by the time I was finished. Will things ever dry out up here?!! Still, I felt good and was glad to have motivated to get out.

In other news, the little lady appears to be trying to get out... I have not only been feeling, but also seeing, some of her gymnastics today. I'm sure it will only get more pronounced as the weeks go by, but all I can think of is this...

Gigi!

Thursday night Snowman came back from NH with a little kitten. The poor little thing had been abandoned, and no one at work wanted to take her home. He said she was too adorable to not take, so ta da! Instant addition to the family! She is so tiny! Only 6 weeks old, healthy and very playful. Of course, she also thinks that we are her private junglegyms, and she can climb up our arms, legs, etc. Quite a handful! Her name is Gigi.

Ronnie is not yet quite sure what to make of her. We are keeping them separated for the time being, but we've given them a few minutes together here and there, and they're still trying to figure each other out. No real hissing or major catastrophes so far, so hopefully all will be OK when they're finally out in the house together! We shall see :-)

Inspiration

Our friends Jamie and BoomBoom are running the Western States 100 tomorrow. Yes, they are running a 100 mile race. Meaning they will likely be running for between 24 and 30 hours. Crazy! But in a good way :-) Go Jamie go! Go BoomBoom go! We are rooting for you both!

And in case the fact that Jamie and BoomBoom will be out running 100 miles tomorrow while we go about our regular Saturday business isn't enough inspiration for the day, here is a fun video I found on Running and Rambling earlier this week. Enjoy!

24 Weeks: Thoughts on Pregnancy and Running so far

1. You would think that at 24 weeks, I would be 6 months, right? But if pregnancy is 9 months, why the heck do I still have 16 weeks to go?! They should really be calling it 10 months... which seems like a really, really long time!! Maybe the little lady will take pity on me in the last few weeks and come a little (but not too much!) early :-)

2. I have had a pretty easy pregnancy so far, and realize I am lucky in that regard. However, I also know that I will be happy to have my body back once the little lady has arrived. I am not one of those women who just loves being pregnant, although I truly am awed at what our bodies can do.

3. I had my 24 week checkup yesterday, and all is well. The scale has officially settled in the 130s. I realize rationally that I have to gain weight in order for the little lady to grow and develop. But, I have spent the past 12+ years with my weight in the low 120s, and to move into a whole other category is just a bit much to handle. I'm really hoping to not gain too much in the next 16 weeks and to keep in the lower range of the recommended weight gain, and I just hope that whatever I do gain melts off easily as I get back into running after the birth.

4. Speaking of running, I am still out there. But it is slow. Again, I am thankful that I am running at 24 weeks, but I can't wait until I can go out and sweat without being nervous about what my heart rate is, wondering if I am getting too hot and thinking about how the little one is doing! Running with all these things in mind is not quite as enjoyable as before. One of the reasons I love running is that it empties my mind and calms me down. It still has the potential to do that, but I am much more conscious of how my body is reacting these days. I do not want to push too much or too hard, and I don't feel quite as carefree out on the roads or trails as I run along these days.

5. When I first got pregnant, I was sure I would be able to keep up a once-a-week long run of 9 or 10 miles. Now I am happy to get in 5 or 6, and most days it is 3 or 4 :-)

6. I would love to have a nice glass of red wine at night, or perhaps an ice cold margarita on a muggy afternoon. I am not craving anything else, but those two things sound pretty good right now :-) Think I could have a margarita to sip on in the delivery room?!

7. It is strange to have my thoughts center so much around someone that I have not yet met or laid eyes on (with the exception of the ultrasound pictures).

8. I am nervous about a lot of things - the birth, how we'll manage it all financially, emotionally and physically once she's born, how life is changing, etc - but I am also thankful for many things - I'm healthy, she's healthy, we're a happy family with lots of love and support around us - and all this allows the worries to recede a bit into the back of my mind.

9. It is awesome to be able to feel the little lady kick and move around.

10. It is extra neat that Snowman can feel her move around now too.

11. We love her already. It is crazy, I know, but true.

First Part of the Week

Sunday I had to work, and was tired from a long day of getting up early, driving, hiking, cheering and being out in the sun at the Mt. Washington Road Race the day before, so there was no running. Yesterday, Snowman spent the day on the floor in the bathroom, ripping out the old vinyl and installing new flooring. As 1) the bathroom is small, and really two people can't work in there at one, 2) I'm even less handy that Snowman, and 3) I'm pregnant, I missed out on the work. I felt a bit bad doing stuff around the house, running some errands and yes, even getting in a 4 mile run while Snowman was working away, but what can you do? I did make yummy pancakes for breakfast and good burritos for dinner to make up for it a bit! And the bathroom is looking great! Good job Snowman :-)

The run was fine. I went over to the Commons around 2:30pm. It was muggy, and the air felt extra heavy. Not to mention I was wearing my shirt from the MDI marathon, which has a huge screening of the island on the front, meaning no air at all was getting through. I had hoped to get in 5 miles, but I just wasn't feeling it, so 4 miles it was. But I was happy to be able to get out regardless.

This morning, I have a doctor's appointment at 10:45am, meaning I could have a bit of a lazy morning and still get a run in. I headed out across the street for my normal 3-mile route through Highland Green at 8:30am. The wind felt great, but the air was still heavy. I felt better than yesterday, and enjoyed the abundant pink sheep laurel along the powerlines as I ran along. Very pretty!

Mt. Washington Road Race - Spectator Report

Saturday morning dawned early as I was meeting Jeff, Cacky, Mindy and Pete at 6am in Gray to drive up for the Mt. Washington Road Race. Snowman was already up at the mountain, so he got to sleep in a bit! As I drove south, the clouds began to lift, and I had high hopes that perhaps the nasty weather we'd been having was abating and it would actually be nice up on the mountain. A girl can dream, right?!

As we drove through North Conway, we could see the summit in the clear, but the mountain itself was ringed with clouds. Pretty cool, actually. Pete, Cacky and I dropped off Mindy and Jeff with Snowman, said our goodbyes and good lucks, and headed up the mountain. Luckily Pete was ok with driving, as neither Cacky nor I were super excited about driving up the road. We were in the fog/clouds/mist for most of the drive but as we neared the 5000 foot marker, the sun was trying to break through, and amazingly enough it still was clear up at the summit, and we had some pretty neat views out over what looked like a sea of clouds below, with the fog rolling in and out over the other mountaintops. It was in the 50s, it was sunny, there was no wind. Excellent!



We headed out for a short hike around the summit area, enjoying the views and the flowers. Below is pregnant photo #2, with me at 23 weeks 3 days, out enjoying the day with Pete and Cacky.



We didn't do anything too ambitious as we wanted to get back to the finish line to see the winners, and to get a good spot to cheer on the Trail Monsters. The last 1/4 mile of the course is the toughest grade, and we sat so we would have a view of everyone making the final push up around the corner to the finish line. There were lots of people doing the same, and it was a fun atmosphere, cheering and listening to the announcer and the music as people began to come across the line.

Jeff did awesome, finishing in just over 1:25, as did Mindy, in 1:42:25. Excellent races you guys and yeah Trail Monsters! I was hoping that Mindy and Snowman would be running right around each other, but Mindy said she had passed him around mile 4 and he wasn't feeling so great. I started to get pretty nervous as the minutes ticked by. Where was he?! Then he rounded the corner and pushed up to the finish, passing a number of people on the final turn. Final time: 1:51:35. Slower than last year but still a good finish. I grabbed his bag and headed up to the line, worried at what I would find. But he seemed OK, just saying that he didn't have much capacity for suffering left in him after the 50k and hadn't had his head in the game. This is a tough race even if you are focused on it, and even tougher, I would think, if you aren't mentally prepared for it. It just wasn't his day. But still, he toughed it out and finished, and now he can say he ran up the mountain twice :-) I'd say that's pretty good!



After a quick photo at the summit, we headed down the mountain, had a quick snack under the tent, and headed (after a brief work-related delay on Snowman's part) to Moat to enjoy some beer and good food! An awesome day on the rockpile :-)

More photos of the day here.

Soggy

Well, the lazy a$$ feeling I had going on all day long has been vanquished. I came home from work, threw on my running clothes and headed out the door before I had a chance to change my mind. It was raining. The trail under the powerlines was a river. The trails through the woods were a big puddle - up to the top of my sockline big. I splashed through lots of puddles on the sidewalks. But I managed to get in the run. Hurray!

Tomorrow I'm looking forward to hiking around the Alpine Garden with Pete and Cacky, and cheering on Snowman, Mindy and Jeff in the Mt. Washington Road Race! However, just in case this rain doesn't let up, I am bringing my full rainsuit!

Flora and fauna update: The condo is lakeside again, and I had fun watching a gray Catbird flit around in the water when I got back from my run.

Future Hiker and Marathon Runner in the Making

Our awesome friends Tank and Willow sent us the best onesies!

Thanks guys! We love them :-)

Now, no pressure to the little lady, but please be a hiker and runner and not a ballerina or gymnast! :-)

Down to the Ocean

This morning I headed over to Pennelville to do the 4 mile out-and-back to Simpson's Point. The sun was shining, it wasn't too hot, and it was a great way to start off the day. The fields were awash in yellow - the buttercups rising up from the long grasses. The Bobolinks were chirping away, and I felt lucky to also see four Cedar Waxwings as I ran along. They fluttered along the road side at my side for a few yards. Goldfinch, sparrows, swallows and Redwinged Blackbirds were also seen. The water down at Simpson's Point was flat and still, reflecting the morning light. Very nice.

Yesterday morning I also got in a quick 3 mile run over in Highland Green. Two good beautiful days of running!

Long Lost Friends and Mt. Washington in the Rain

Last night, we had dinner at my college roommate's house. This doesn't sound like much, as many people are still friends with people they met in college. However, Jess disappeared off the face of the earth right after graduation, and none of us heard from her again... until about 4 weeks ago. Right after our 1st ultrasound, we passed a bunch of people getting off the elevator as we were headed out. Jess was among them, and recognized us. She went on the Bowdoin alumni site, and tracked down my email... and a conversation was born. Turns out she, her husband Reid and their four kids live 1 mile away from us. Crazy! So, after a few emails back and forth, they invited us over for dinner.



We had a blast! It was great to catch up, and to meet her family. The kids were a riot, and we really enjoyed our time with them all. We had so much to talk about that we didn't get into bed until 11:30! Yikes. Way past my bedtime!!!! And even then, we didn't get right to sleep, as Ronnie knocked over the vase of Irises that Reid had kindly cut for me from their backyard after noticing how much I admired them.

We woke up early this morning to the pitter patter of rain outside. The plan was to meet up with Jeff and Mindy at 8:00am at the Gray Park 'n Ride for a group recon of the Mt. Washington Auto Road in preparation for next Saturday's Mt. Washington Road Race. We arrived a few minutes late, as just as we were headed out the door, I noticed a big pile of kitty barf, complete with a few huge chunks of Iris fronds. Silly (and sick) kitty! Ugh. No more cut flowers in the house for us. Ronnie can't seem to stay away from them!

I expected the weather to improve as we drove along, but the rain never let up. As we drove up the auto road, the visibility got less and less and less... Luckily, Snowman knows the road well, and he handled the drive much better than I did! With the low clouds and gray skies, the lushness of the greenery along the roadside seemed even more vibrant. We also saw some nice alpine flowers in bloom, including diapensia, labrador tea, Lapland Rosebay and Alpine Azalea. Very nice! And to top off the adventure, as we got closer to the base on the way down, we saw the mother black bear and her two cubs off the side of the road. One of the cubs was climbing up and down a tree - I tried to get a photo, but he was too fast. I did, however, manage to get one of the mother.



We completed our tour of the Road with a run on the Great Glen trail system.... in the rain... But the woods were beautiful! Lots of pink and white ladyslippers, blue bead lilies and bunchberries; with lupine blooming in the fields. Gorgeous! Snowman took us on the carriage roads and some singletrack up to Great Angel Station at 2 miles into the run, where I veered off to run back to the lodge on my own. It was great to run with Jeff and Mindy, but I felt like I was working just a bit too hard, and didn't want to keep them for doing a bit more exploring of what is a great place to run. Also, I was very content to enjoy the trail and the lush woods in the rain on my own too, and I was happy to get in a good 3 mile trail run. All in all, a great run! Thanks guys :-)

Of course, we had to stop at Moat Mountain Smokehouse for a late lunch before heading home. Yum, sweet potato fries!

Sunshine!

I woke up to bright sunshine. Hurray! I find that I am invariably happier when greeted by blue skies and the sun than to the sort of dreary, rainy, overcast days we've been having of late. I headed over to the Commons for a 5 mile run. The woods were quiet, and I seemed to be the only one out enjoying the warm and muggy morning. It was a nice run, and rounded out my week to 15 miles. The mileage and I have both slowed down a fair amount in the past 6 weeks, but despite sometimes feeling a bit gloomy about it, I am still very thankful to be out running at 22 1/2 weeks!

Flora and fauna notes: I ran by a gorgeous doe in the pitch pine area of the forest. She was only a few feet off the trail, and just stood stock still looking at me as I ran past. I said "hello, beautiful" but there was no response :-) (Yes, I talk to animals, but didn't you already know that I was a bit odd?!)

Two Threes

The intent for my mid-week runs was to get in a bit more than just 2 three milers, but somehow this is what I ended up with. Ah well, as Snowman says, for you, at this point, who cares? Just getting out there is a good thing. I am trying to take that to heart!

Monday was an day off - I "helped" Snowman with the bathroom. Actually, he is really the one doing all the work - sanding, painting, redoing the flooring, putting in new fixtures - but I did what I could to help when needed. Tuesday, I had intended to get up and go for a run before work but that didn't quite happen. Yesterday I headed to the Commons and got in three miles, and today I was up and out for the three mile Highland Green loop. Neither run was super eventful, but I am happy to report that the blackberry bushes/brambles are starting to flower on the powerlines. I am looking forward to stopping to pick some of the berries later this summer! They were so tasty last year! The sheep laurel is also starting to come out, adding a nice hint of pink to the greenery.

Morning Run: A Pictorial

Snowman is working at trade show for work today, so I was on my own this morning for a run. I decided to head back over to Pennelville to run the same 4-mile route Snowman and I ran last Sunday. For something different, I thought I'd bring along the camera and capture the run in pictures. Unfortunately, the photos don't capture the chorus of Bobolinks, Redwinged Blackbirds, sparrows, goldfinch, crows and mourning doves I heard in the fields, the heavy scent of the honeysuckle in the muggy air, nor the contented look on my face as I ran along, savoring the morning. But hopefully they will give you an idea of why I love running in this area so much, especially at this time of year...

Green and White

At this time of year, I'm constantly amazed by how green everything is. And at the variety of it - the light greens of the ferns, the darkening greens of the oak tree leaves as they grow, the dense greens of the pine needles, the range of green on the forest floor. Today, while running in the Commons, all I could see was green. With white highlights - starflowers, false lily of the valley coating the ground, strawberry blossoms, bunchberries, and honeysuckle. Yes, other colors are to be found here and there - the pink ladyslippers remain, but the rhodora flowers are past, and the sheep laurel have not yet taken their place; a few buttercups rise from the grasses in the fields; the soft bluets can still be seen. But for the most part, it was a green and white run, good for contemplation on a quiet morning.

In baby news, I have been feeling the little lady moving around, which is exciting. She is still pretty tiny, so I tend to only notice her moving and shifting when I am paying attention or quietly sitting on the couch or lying in bed at night. Snowman has been able to feel her move a few times too in the past few days - it's nice that he can be a part of things too! I know that soon she'll be kicking and pushing a lot more, so for now I'm just enjoying the small movements.

Evening Run: Mission Accomplished

It was such a beautiful evening that I couldn't waste it. So, as soon as I got home, I suited up and headed out the door for a short run. It was warm but there was a good breeze, so I was perfectly comfortable as I ran along. I was feeling good, and was happy to have gotten myself in gear and gotten out. I even managed to squeak out the run in under 10 mpm pace - just slightly, but hey!

Flora and fauna notes: The daisies, indian paintbrushes, bunchberry and what I think are birds eye trefoil were out in full bloom along the powerlines. I also noticed a nice patch of iris in the swampy area near the powerline entrance. Saw and heard the local pair of Towhee as I ran along. But the highlight was the adorable little fawn that I saw along a small stream at the edge of the woods on the Highland Green Road. The fawn was so cute and so small, drinking daintly from the stream on its unsteady legs. I didn't see the mother, but assume she was nearby, or perhaps the fawn was old enough that she was out foraging for food. I stopped to watch the fawn for a minute before continuing on. Definitely a cool sighting, although perhaps not quite as cool as the black bear Snowman saw on his trail run up at Great Glen this evening!

21 Weeks

Running has been mellow as of late. Yes, I know this is to be expected, what with me being 21 weeks pregnant and such :-) But it is still odd to not have any races coming up, or serious running goals out there. I am not sure I can think of a summer in the past years where I did not have some sort of focus, whether running or hiking related, or both. I suppose I will have to be content with my "goal" of running as long as I can through pregnancy. I realize that a lot can, and will, change in the upcoming 19 weeks, but I feel strongly that if I can run I want to do it. I know it is good for me, both physically and emotionally, and that is it good for the little lady too. I also know that it will likely get harder as I go along. But I am cool with that. I am up for the challenge!

I managed to squeeze in a 3 mile run on Monday, in between our ultrasound and doctor's appointment. They wanted to get another look at the little one's heart, as it was a bit too early the last time to see all that they wanted to see. Things looked great, and it was fun to see her moving around again. She's also grown a lot in the past two weeks, with her weight up 4 oz. for a total of 12 oz. I guess that's likely why I've gained a few pounds too :-) The run was fine, although with my heart rate a bit high, probably because I was stressed out from all the visits to the doctor/hospital that day. I seem to have serious 'white coat syndrome' for some reason, even though I've always been healthy and shouldn't really have reason to be scared of going to the doctor. Yesterday's run on the same loop was much better, and I felt good. I am going to try to get out tonight for another 3 miler, but if not, there is always tomorrow morning :-)