my non-workout

I began today’s workout with a strenuous 30 minute shopping expedition.  The maternity store was having a sale and I saved lots of money!  I walked from there to the JCC and discovered the joys of recumbent stationary biking.  I did exactly what I’ve always made fun of people for doing… sat down and started spinning my legs in circles very slowly as I watched TV.  I don’t think it did anything for me aerobically because I barely raised my heart rate, but my legs enjoyed the spin and I learned that if a recipe calls for regular salt and I’m using kosher, I basically need to double the amount for equal taste.

After my spin, I changed into my suit and was walking out to the pool when a girl stopped me to talk about prenatal swim classes.  She was just 2 months pregnant and wanted to know about my water and other workouts.  I felt like an old pro giving advice.  Little did she know that I’d just done a non-workout on the bike and was not going to swim, but simply soak in the warm pool!  I floated and stretched for 5 minutes then dragged myself to the shower.

the workout:

35 minutes recumbent bike, 8ish miles

looking awesome

These are not the first words that come to mind when I see myself in my speedo bikini these days.  However, my wonderful husband told me today after our swim that I look awesome and when I started to argue with him, a girl sitting with us in the hot tub agreed.  How sweet.

We drove back from Tahoe this afternoon and both wanted to swim before eating more and sitting through a concert tonight, so we unloaded the car then went straight to the pool, hoping the swim team would be on winter break.  No such luck.  There was only one lap lane available but fortunately the others using it were gone by the time we’d changed.  I was winded at the end of each lap and was breathing in fumes from the custodian cleaning the ladders.  Why they need to spray chemicals near the pool deck in the middle of the afternoon is beyond me!  I lasted 300 yds then indulged in a very short hot tub sit from the top step.  Ahhh…

After a quick shower I decided to weigh myself on the pool scale, where I’ve sort of been keeping track of pregnancy weight gain.  The scale was set higher than I thought I’d be so I stepped on a began moving the dial backward.  Hmmm… didn’t gain anything… lost some… ummm what’s going on?  Oops, the scale was already maxed out and I should have been moving the dial the opposite direction.  Yikes- gained more than I thought since my last look.  The midwives told me not to worry about exact poundage each week but I’m sure curious about it!

the workout:  300 yd swim

eating in the mountains

Hmmm… what to blog about today?? I haven’t been movement-inclined lately. We spent most of Christmas cooking & eating (with a short walk afterward), then went for a nice walk in the park with MC yesterday before we took a lengthy drive up to Tahoe, slugging our way through traffic and stopping for a food break in Davis. This morning I woke up at 5am feeling as though I’d been hit by a truck. I was too stuffed up to breath and my hips were hurting, as usual. At 6am my stomach started grumbling, so I came upstairs for a snack of almonds and a satsuma. I fell back to sleep sitting up for a couple of hours, which relieved both stuffy nose and hips, then enjoyed a cup of tea before a morning walk. I was huffing and puffing even though we walked very slowly and after we’d been out only 20 minutes I turned us around. Didn’t want to overdo it my first morning at altitude. After a day out (which naturally involved more eating and shopping) we came home to snack and relax. I decided it would be a good time to pull out my perfect pregnancy workout DVD. I did all of it, except the end 10 minutes of shoulder exercises, laughing with MC while she read by the fire and likened the music to a porn soundtrack. It felt good to move and the baby in my belly finally fell asleep!

As I read over this, I wonder if perhaps I shouldn’t be writing a food blog instead of an exercise blog?!

the workouts: a little walking, 45 min strength training

perfect workout

I called the exercise class hotline at 7:55 this morning and was sitting on a spin bike by 8:15.  It was the only class of the day and I was determined to do some biking before I started baking.  I sat in the back near the fan and was able to exert myself more than usual.  I’m not sure why I was feeling so good, but my legs were working well and my stomach wasn’t cramping at all.  We did several drills, only a few of which I remember because my brain is not functioning full force these day!  These are in no particular order and I didn’t follow any of the instructions on how much weight to maintain on the wheel since I was taking it easy.  I don’t remember timings of most segments either.  Sorry- useless workout to follow, but some good drill ideas to be tailored to another workout!

3 climbs in 4 / 45 second intervals: first two intervals seated, third and fourth standing, increasing resistance 1/2-1 turn each interval

4 cadence drills: beginning at 70 rpm, increasing gradually over 30 seconds to 110 rpm, hold 10 seconds, drop back to 70 rpm

alternate between 90-95 rpm seated & 60-65 rpm climbing

At the end of class, the instructor was talking about how we’d used fast-twitch muscles and burned blood sugar.  This made me think back happily to the extra large sundae I’d indulged in last night.  Maybe I burned some of it off.  But even if I didn’t, I enjoyed every bite!

the workout:

50 minute spin workout, plus warm-up and cool down, max HR 150, 11.2 miles

stretching & core- push-ups, tri-dips, prego crunches, side crunches, bird-dog

escape to the pool

I escaped my kitchen and fled to the swimming pool after flooding the shelves one side of the kitchen and shattering a full bottle of vanilla on the other.  I figured the water would be a safe haven today and that I could use a break from baking.  The pool was crowded and the hot tub was being cleaned/painted.  The fumes were mild but I still noticed them.  I swam an easy 600, feeling more energized and less sore by the lap then strapped on a water belt for another 100 yds of water running, biking and skiing.  I added arm weights to the final 25 yds and called it a day.  Now I’m back in the kitchen and wondering if I dare go back to baking or just save it for tomorrow…

the workout:

600 yd swim, alternating freestyle, breaststroke & back stroke

100 yd run, bike, ski with water belt, water weights

a day of decadence

I went to my usual prenatal water class this morning and we had a different sub than I’ve seen so far.  She encouraged us to use webbed swim gloves (like a wetsuit for hands!) and beside the usual crossing back and forth across the pool running, biking and skiing, we did quite a few arm strengtheners.  She told us that water resistance when doing curls and tricep presses was similar to a 30 lb weight.  I find that hard to believe but I enjoyed the exercises anyway.  The only think I found disagreeable about this teacher was that she didn’t want us doing a particular exercise “all the way” because of our “condition”.  Working obliques during pregnancy is not only okay, but a good idea!  After the class, I swam a very slow 300 yds then took a leisurely shower.  I had an hour before my massage so I treated myself to a lunch around the corner of mac & cheese, kale salad and pineapple chunks.  Yum!  My massage was blissfully relaxing with a perfect blend of deep tissue work on my low back and attention to the rest of me.  I took two buses home instead of my usual one bus plus walking several blocks.  Why didn’t this route occur to me before??  Now I’m debating whether I’m going to pick up my violin and play a few notes or take a nap before I meet the girls at Samovar for tea.  Tonight we’re taking a break from social activities to relax at home.  I’m looking forward to plugging in the Christmas tree, lighting the first Hanukkah candle and sitting in front of the fire with a glass of eggnog.  Ahhh…

the workout:

1 hour water aerobics, 300 yd easy swim

rest is good

A weekend of rest was just what the doctor ordered. I got through most of the day today before my back started hurting and I needed to lay down. My back has been aching more frequently as the baby gets heavier, so I’m tailoring my activities accordingly and trying to exercise in the morning while I’m still feeling fresh.
On Friday I was too late to get to the morning spin class (after standing in line at the post office, looking for parking at the JCC then leaving my wallet in the car) so I opted for the evening class before we went out. I disliked the cheerleader qualities of the instructor and her voice was uncomfortably squeaky over the microphone. The class felt more like an aerobics class then a cycling workout but the organization behind the climbing and sprinting sequences made sense. I was too tired to put in much effort and almost quit after half hour, but made it through the 50 minute class then did some core exercises. Afterward, walking a few blocks between car and dinner, my legs and back felt collapsible and I was happy to sit for the rest of the night.
I was concerned that the baby was moving less by the end of last week than at the start so I took it really easy all weekend and kept my exercise light today.
This morning began with a wonderful yoga class, focusing on “Baby’s first impression” (of us and the outside world) and how we’d like to make the transition from inside to outside as comfortable as possible for our little ones. My body felt super relaxed by the end of class and I followed yoga with a few laps in the pool. I walked home, making a few stops along the way, then sat down to rest and eat lunch before beginning this afternoon’s baking project. Now my little kick-boxer is back to his/her usual self inside of me!

the workouts:
friday: 50 min spin class, core work
monday: yoga, 300 yd swim, 2 mile walk

$55 workout and an extra walk

What a morning!  I can only say that I hope the day gets less annoying from here.  I went to the 9am water class and that was fabulous.  There was only one other girl in class this morning and we hit it off.  She is a co-owner of Mighty Pilates and offered me a free class!  They’ve got one prenatal session on Saturday mornings so next time I drag myself out of bed early on a Saturday, I’ll be there.

The water class exhausted me, just like on Tuesday.  It’s hard to tell how hard I’m working when I’m in the water and not sweating, but I know I was pushing myself.  I highly recommend deep water running to anybody who prefers no-impact exercise or is recovering from an injury.  Many gyms offer water running geared toward injured athletes and after learning the basics it’s something you can easily do solo in an empty lane.  I’m thrilled to have discovered these prenatal classes and plan to continue as long as possible!

After the class I decided to stretch out and swim a few laps before showering and hiking back up to my car.  I had found street parking in a residential area several blocks away to save money on meter or garage and specifically looked at the street cleaning sign when I left my car.  I was sure it said cleaning from 1-3 today.   No problem.  However, I returned to my car and found that the entire of line of cars parked there had either read the sign wrong or missed it completely- street cleaning was 10-12 on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays.  Ugh.  So my water class cost me $55 this morning.  Hardly worth it, but I guess this is city living.  The reason I drove instead of taking the bus or walking is that I needed to drop off my car for an oil change.  I did this, then walked home and realized my front door had the chain on it still and I hadn’t yet added a copy of the side door key to my car key ring, since I always come in through the garage with my car!  The upstairs neighbors weren’t home, so I had to walk back to the car dealership (the need to pee was becoming more urgent) and pick up my garage door opener. Second Ugh of the day.  All things said and done, it couldn’t have happened on a better day, since I’ve got a totally free afternoon.  Now if I can just use my brain for the rest of the day…

the workout:

1 hour water running class, 150 yd swim, 2 mile walk

winded in the water

I’m home and back into my regular workout routine again. I joined my friends for our prenatal water running class and worked hard! I don’t know if it’s because I’m still tired from traveling, just further along in my pregnancy, or because I talked through the entire class, but the workout felt more difficult than usual and I was winded. We had our regular teacher back (I was thrilled by that) and she kept us moving back and forth across the pool for most of the hour. We also took water belts off to work with noodles and water dumbbells. By the end I didn’t even entertain a thought of swimming laps!

the workout:
1 hr water class, walking several blocks between buses, class and appointments

spectating

Being a spectator has always been difficult for me but when I woke up at 5:30 this morning and heard the marathon crowds outside I decided to go support the runners. This is the third year in a row that I’ve signed up for the Honolulu marathon and not run it (at least it’s pregnancy not injury keeping me from it this time!) I love this race- it was my first marathon ever (signed up so that I would have run a marathon before the ironman) and then ran it again with my sister the next year. I fully intend to sign up again when early registration opens with the kama’aina rate in January. Who knows what this year will bring or if a marathon 9 months after Baby is born will be realistic for me!
As I stood out there this morning I saw runners of all variety- the woman in a green tutu, the guy in a pink running skirt, the smiling packs of Japanese girls, the old man hollering at the crowd as he loped by, head-phoned and on a mission, bedraggled and already walking… The guy next to me was being annoying and yelling frequently “only a few more miles to go!” A few, in this case, being around 25.
I’m now sitting in the window of a coffee shop watching the stragglers walk by as I wait for the morning yoga class. Figured I’d check it out since we won’t be doing brunch for another couple hours.
The past days have seen me swimming, paddling and walking. I’ve walked several miles (mostly to eat), swam about 2500 yards and paddled a short distance! Paddling was actually still do-able as long as I put the same foot back as the side I was paddling on. This is backward but the only way my belly could fit!
Hawaii has been wonderful and I’m already looking forward to the next time I return- with Baby!