January 2009 training summary

Well, January is rolling to a close. I've heard a lot of rumblings about winter being half-over. Almost, anyway. I don't dispute that the days are getting longer & the sun seems to be getting stronger. But it's still awfully cold out.

So the first month of 2009 resulted in a weight gain of 4 pounds for me (right on schedule for a pregnant lady). I spent about 10 hours exercising (592 minutes); my average heart rate over that time spent exercising was 150 beats per minute (not bad, as I'm running at about 120 just getting dressed - it's a struggle with the belly). I burned approximately 5,600 calories - almost 3 full days worth of eating. All exercise combined, I "moved" a total of about 47.6 miles, which includes the the stationary bike work outs, snow shoeing, XC skiing, and swimming. For some reason, I didn't bother to record the elliptical distances, which is really annoying.

It doesn't sound like much, I know. I spent half the month doubting my own body, and trying to balance the whole "exercise = 10 minutes of walking a day" crap they feed you when you're pregnant, and the drive to actually DO something. But after talking with my doctor late last week, and seeing that what exercise I have done has not in any way harmed the baby (and in many ways has helped it), I do plan on just plain listening to my body from here on out. Which is what I should have been doing all along. Live and learn. When I need to take a break, I will. When I need to stop, I will. When I need to nap, I will. And when I need to eat, I will (but not crap). It's not rocket science.

The doctor encouraged me to exercise up to exhaustion (but not pushing through it) right up until delivery. Unless something comes up, I'm just going to trust her on that. I think I'm tuned in enough to know when something is amiss in my body. I have an amazingly active baby in my belly, and I'm just going to assume that means it's joining in joyfully.

Next up: February. I'm hoping for some more good snow - it's all icy out right, and isn't good for much other than ice skating - not something I'm good at, and not something I could safely do right now even if I wanted to. The risk of falling is too great.

Base Training Phase

So last week, I made a comment on my facebook page saying that I was formulating a training plan for this summer, and almost immediately a few people decided that to do such a thing was sheer folly. It was a bit disheartening. I don't like being told I can't, or shouldn't do something. It's quite the motivator.

After a little soul searching, and talking with some good cycling friends who a) know me and b) have had kids themselves, I am back on track. It IS perfectly reasonable to expect to be ready for a mere 47-mile ride by the first weekend in August. Here's the plan, such that it is:

Base training: Janurary through April (should end in March, but I'm going to just try and maintain my current fitness up until the birth -thats all I can safely and reasonably do. However, there is no medical reason, at this point, to not expect to maintain my current fitness level).

Due date: April 22, 2009 (Dr. will allow me to go a week past due date prior to induction, which explains the date ranges below). If that happens, I'll try like hell to get labor going on its own). Lots of healthy eating, lots of water, as much sleep & rest as the baby will allow.

2 weeks after birth (May 5 -12): simple, easy stretching. Some light walking. Just get moving a little bit, within reason. We'll see how the body feels, and what I can do with the baby. Really, sleep will still be most imporant. That probably wont change for some time, really.

3 weeks after birth (May 12-19): lots of rest, if possible. More walking - longer walks, walking hills, if possible. Walks in the woods. some leg lifts, perhaps, if I can take it. Maybe a little light garden work.

Weeks 4 & 5 after birth (May 19-26 to June 2): start more heavy "exercise". Longer walks, with jogging mixed in for short bursts, and increasing from there. Mom & baby exercise class at 6 weeks. Try to get on the bike trainer.

6 weeks after due date: ~ June 1, 2009 (I've been told it takes about 6 weeks, on average, for a woman to recover from giving birth. However, most very active/athletic women I know have bounced back in as little as 4 weeks, with no C-section. A C-section would obviously delay this a bit). So I'm going with the average here, and am not expecting miracles. But June 1 is my goal for getting back on the bike, and if that isn't yet comfortable, I'll start jogging, and more hiking with the baby. Walking hills several times a day. Mom & Baby Yoga at Mothers & Company. Maybe a stroller strides program (most places stipulate a min. 6 month age for the baby).

Training June 1 - August 1: 2 months to work up to 47 miles. Judging from past training logs, this should not be an issue. The only down side is that this is the first year Ken & I wont be training together at the same time - we'll each have to do it on our own, trading off who gets to spend time with Kid. But hopefully with maintaining my cardio up until delivery, I'll have a good solid base to start with. Better than in some years past, in fact.

At this point, I've already been warned for expecting too much of myself. I've been told I wont want to be apart from the baby. I've been told I wont want to exercise. I've been told I wont be able to exercise. Let me address each of these warnings.

Expecting too much of myself: exercise is a formulated part of my postpartum plan to avoid post partum depression. We've timed the baby's birth for a time of year when the weather should be improving, the days getting warmer & longer. Getting out, getting fresh air, getting sunlight for vitamin D production - all of these will only help me. If the weather cooperates, I can take the baby with me. Otherwise, Ken will get to bond with the baby. Exercise actually INCREASES your energy level, helps you sleep better & more soundly, releives stress, and makes you feel BETTER (thanks, endorphins). Even 10 or 15 minutes a day in the beginning will generate these effects. The faster I get the blood moving, the faster I'll loose the baby weight, the more comfortable in my own skin I will be. If I don't hit my PMC goal, well, OK. But if I don't exercise at all? Can you imagine me without exercise? It's not a pretty picture, and no one is happy. If I don't have a plan, my chances for success are absolutely zero. Whereas if I have plan, I'm much more likely to succeed - it's part of setting myself up for success. But if I don't even TRY, then there is no possible path for success. I can only dissappoint myself if I don't even bother to try.

Being away from the baby: Ken needs one on one time with baby to bond. It's his child too. While I need to learn how to be a mom, he also needs how to be a dad - his own way. He can't do that if I'm in the house, waiting for something to come up so he can hand the baby off & say "I don't know what to do." He can figure it out (just like I'll have to), it's his baby, and they'll develop their own relationship. It will be special, and all theirs. He can also learn to read the baby's cues, and be a source of comfort for the kid. Granted, I am the food source, but if I nurse before heading out to exercise, I'll be more comfortable while exercising, and the baby should be good to go for at least an hour, hopefully longer. I'll only need a half-hour in the beginning. Also, taking time for myself - even 15 minutes - has been proven to reduce the likelihood for postpartum depression. And after the exercise, I know I'll be much more able to deal with providing for the baby. Later on, after about 2 months, I'll be able to pump & Ken can give a bottle to the baby. We already have a top of the line pump - same type the hospitals use. Bonus: I can take that time to take the dogs with me walking, hiking, jogging. They'll need some individual time to help them adjust. As Ken & I trade off exercise time, we'll trade off the kid for the dogs. Should help make everyone's life easier.

I know I'll need to sleep. I'll sleep when the baby sleeps. For those of you who know me, you know I could care less about a neat & orderly house. It's not high on my list of priorities, and in the beginning (the hardest/most stressful part), the kid wont be ABLE to get into anything - it'll pretty much stay where I put it. The only real thing I worry about is laundry - with deciding to use cloth diapers, laundry will be a priority. Fine - I'll put the laundry prior to a nap, and hang it out after the nap, after feeding, after burping & changing. Or I'll do a load each night while I sleep so it's ready to hang out in the morning. It CAN be done. I'll shower before Ken goes to work. With wearing the baby around the house, I hope to be able to get some basic stuff done with both hands, while simultaneously strengthening my back and leg muscles.

I've obviously given this a lot of thought. This ride is 1/3 of the length of the ride we did last year, and I've made an effort to maintain my fitness level since then. As a friend said, I am way more fit than many people - pregnant or otherwise. For a pregnant woman, I'm in amazing shape. This is how I planned my pregnancy, and it's worked so far. I've had no issues with back pain in the past 4 or 5 months, despite gaining baby weight. I've lost no stamina (ask Ken - I took him XC skiing last weekend for an hour and a half). I have no issues with increased blood pressure (it's actually slightly lower than "normal"). My diet is probably better than it's been in years, by sheer necessity. I've had no edema issues (swelling of the hands & feet) - no swollen ankles, very few leg cramps. Amazingly, my balance seems to be completely unaffected, because as my center of gravity has shifted, so has my muscle tone - it's kept up with it because I keep doing squats & exercising - the body adapts. Basically no pregnancy complaints at all since passing the 1st trimester. I'm fine, and I'm exactly where I had hoped to be at this point.

If I hadn't planned for this since the beginning, it never would have happened. See what I mean?

Training...

...if you can call it that. For now, most of our training consists of just simply eating right. Of course, I'm doing this because of the baby anyway, but I don't think I've ever had so much protein in my diet in my life. I'm tracking my food, my calorie intake, my protein & other nutrient levels religiously, every day.

I'm also exercising frequently during the week; first there are the labor preparation exercises, which are really boring and a giant pain to remember to do (but must be helping my back because my back hasn't hurt in months). Then there is the aerobic exercise. Running is out, as I wasn't doing that on a regular basis before I got pregnant. It's all snowy and icy out anyway. I do ride the bike either in the basement on the trainer, but that's getting a little uncomfortable. The recumbent stationary bike at the gym still seems to work for me. But mainly I've been getting in some decent snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Funny how much faster I burn calories with the increased pregnancy weight and the increased heart rate. Last Tuesday I went skiing for just under 2 hours, and burned 1,224 calories. In under 2 hours. Without being short of breath. Simply amazing. I've taken the last few days off, just to make sure I'm not over doing it.

Being pregnant, I'm not as flexible (putting on the gators that go over my boots is getting to be a production). I can't do much weight training (but I can do squats without weight - that's one of
those labor prep exercises) - but since I have gained weight (the 'normal' amount for being almost 7 months pregnant), I figure if I just keep up my normal activities like squats, deep knee bends, lunges, etc. then I am effectively doing weight training just by hauling my new self around. But boy oh boy, I cannot wait to get the old me back.

I'm eating some 70-100 grams of (mostly) lean protein a day. Lots of calcium, lots of dairy & eggs. Almost all whole grains, and almost no processed foods. I imagine I'll have this diet while I continue to nurse the baby, well past the PMC. I'll be able add in the stuff I've had to cut from my diet for the pregnancy, though, like sushi, soft cheese and sausages. More variety would be lovely. I don't think I've ever eaten so much fruit in my life as I am eating right now. Or drank so much water.

I've found the Livestrong website is a great way to track my dietary intake as well as track my calorie expenditures during exercise. It's not perfect, but it does also have an iphone Application so I can keep track of foods while I am out. Very handy - otherwise I would forget. I can also add my exercise while at the gym.

I don't think Ken is getting much in the way of exercise these days. Given his schedule at work and the shortness of the days, he's not outside much. On the weekends he's trying to get some projects done before the baby comes. I did manage to get him out for a good snowshoe last Sunday. And now he's doing most of the shovelling, which is what I used to do, so I suppose that counts too. Lots of lifting with the legs.

I think March will be a tricky time. Last year, I started riding during March. This year, I'll be 8 months pregnant during March, and nearing full term. I definitely wont be on the bike. I'll have to just watch. But maybe Ken will be able to get out.

This will also be the first year where it's unlikely Ken & I will be able to train together. Unless we can convince my mom to watch the baby some evenings & Ken can get out of work early - if we could ride from her house for an hour and a half while she watches the wee-one, that might work. It'll take some coordination, though. Life if changing, but I think that with a little planning and forethought, it could work.

Now that I think of it, the bike club has rides that leave from the train station where Ken catches the train to and from work. I could maybe drop the kid off with my mom, meet Ken & we could ride from there, and then pick the kid up afterward. Just Might Work. There are options, anyway. But they all involve a babysitter. It'll work out somehow.

Welcome to Team Iwamoto's 2009 PMC Blog

Welcome back! For those of you who are new here, let me explain the Pan Mass Challenge (or PMC, as it's known).

The PMC is a bicycle-a-thon. In fact, it's the original bike-a-thon. It started 30 years ago, and since then, has raised some $239 Million for cancer care and research for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute by contributing to it's Jimmy Fund. In 2008, some 5,000 riders from 36 states and 8 countries raised $35 Million that went directly to the Jimmy Fund, which is half of the Jimmy Fund's annual revenue. The PMC runs at an amazing 100% efficiency - every single rider-raised cent went to the Jimmy Fund - nothing goes to overhead. Nothing goes to jerseys, cups of coffee, photocopying fees, salaries, or anything. Any money you choose to donate go directly to cancer care & research. All of it. Every Single Last Cent. It's something to be proud of, and it's a very important point that shouldn't be overlooked.

This year, the PMC will be held on August 1 & 2, 2009.

There are several different routes. Last year, for the first time, Ken & I ("Team Iwamoto") did the easiest & shortest route - a 47-mile route - from our house (a 112-mile day), which involved leaving our house at some ungodly dark hour (4:30 am? 5 am? something like that - it was dark out, foggy, and very, very quiet. We were lit up like Christmas trees just to be safe).

Turns out I was pregnant for the grueling day. Little did we know that Team Iwamoto was actually a team of 3 at that point - but just barely.

This year, we've chosen the same 47-mile route, only we'll be driving to start line. I'll be giving birth in late April, and don't expect to get any bike training time before June 1 or so. After that, I don't expect to have a whole lot of training time, either - at least not until our wee one can hold it's own head up and I can put it in the trailer. Which might not be until after the PMC.

Our Team fundraising goal for 2009 is a $5,000 - almost exactly what we raised last year. Only this year I'll have to start fundraising even earlier than last year. I don't think I'll have much of a brain for a while after the baby is born. But the PMC is important enough to make sure that it gets done, despite the economy, despite the baby. Or maybe because of the Baby. We all need a little hope, and now that Team Iwamoto's eyes are firmly fixed to the future, finding a cure for cancer - finding a way to treat cancer as a chronic disease instead of a terminal disease is even more important. We both have cancer on both sides of our family. It's no joke, as almost everyone knows.

If you care to donate to Team Iwamoto's fundraising efforts, please visit our on-line donation page. All donations are tax-deductible, and 100% of donations go directly to cancer care & research - nothing goes to overhead. Please help us if you can.