Swim the mile: check check

Yesterday, I wrote about my awesome 2-mile run. It was a good week for me. On Thursday, I got in a great swim.

I got a kickboard and pull buoy for Christmas and had yet to use them. After I got the kids to bed, I headed to the pool.

Here's my workout:
Warmup 100 yards
Ladder--- 100, 200, 300, 400 free
100 each kick, pull, swim free
100 each kick, pull, swim back
Cool down 100

Pretty simple, ending at 36 laps.

I was pumped. I worked hard and killed my goal (1 hour, I swam it in 50 minutes). I haven't swam a mile in a long time, and doing it in 50 minutes was awesome because I wasn't pushing my speed. I know I'll get faster, and it's a great place to start.

Now to get a regular swim schedule in place.

5 months postpartum

It seems like all the mommy running bloggers get up 6 weeks postpartum and run and dive right in. Good for them.

But let me just say

Running is hard after having a baby.

It's hard to find time, it's hard to get people out the door to the gym or the trail,  it's hard to push that stroller. It's impossible to go early after a rough night or a good night but you're too full of milk. It's hard to build your mileage up, it's hard to not compare, and it is hard on your lady parts and core.

I'm pleased to say that on Saturday, I ran two miles continuously. No stopping to walk. No stopping at all. It was hard. I was ready to stop at the end. Later on, my core was sore.

But i felt amazing. I did it. It was the first time in 5 months that I felt happy while running. And that was a pretty good feeling.

Dive Right In and Go!

I actually can't dive, so, ha ha.

I am trying to swim once a week. Yesterday I went swimming. Getting two kids out the door and to the gym is an ordeal, especially early in the morning. I wanted to swim before the 9 a.m. Water aerobics class so I could run other errands later, and we were rushing. I got into the pool at 8:35, yikes. Should I have just done a different workout? Oh well. I decided to swim as long as I could until the old people kicked me out. I pushed myself, I didn't stop to rest.

And I swam a half mile in 25 minutes.

That is not super fast, and I want to get faster, but for me,

It was fast.

I'm getting faster! I know I will continue to improve as I swim consistently, focus on technique, and get stronger.

It comes back

I'm definitely not where I was musically when I graduated high school, but it's nice to know that your fingers wake up and remember when the old cello comes out.

Last Sunday, I played on my cello an arrangement of "Oh Come, All Ye Faithful." Next Sunday, I'm playing "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." I'm also singing alto in our choir for the Christmas program.

I can tell I'm rusty and have lost skill, but my fingers still know how to play. I wish I could practice more (and regularly), but I am just grateful that I can still play fairly well.

A Post for December

So not only have I been lousy as blogging, I have been lousy at running. Having two kids is hard. Getting out the door with two kids is hard. Motivating myself to run when I either have to push two kids or get them to the gym is hard. But I have been running at least once a week, so that is good.

To help get me moving, I'm joining Mommy Run Fast's challenge to Run 5 by the 5th. You are supposed to run a 5k or a 5-miler by the 5th of each month through May. I'll be starting with 5ks and hopefully move up to the 5-milers by the end. This is pretty much the only running goal I have made for the new year. I will be looking for some races and other goals in the next few weeks.

I'm doing another healthy eating challenge for twelve weeks with some friends. Overall it is going well. The last few days have not gone well in the sugar category. I can definitely say that I'm making better choices during the holiday season because of the challenge than I would have done otherwise.

I am making it to the gym about two or three times a week. I usually swim once and run once. Yesterday, I ran a mile and headed to the weight machines. A personal trainer approached me, offered to workout with me, gave me a great workout, and tried to sell personal training to me. I wish I could afford it. I pushed myself hard and felt good during it. I'm sore now and still feel good about it. Oh well, money doesn't grow on trees.

What are your goals for the holidays?
I'm going to try to limit my sweet intake! And do something active each day.

Back At It

Well my little baby Jay is five weeks old. I was in labor for only 4 hours and had a natural birth without tearing. He is doing well and has survived extreme love from El, who is not very happy with me.

Since I'm just 5 weeks post-partum, I haven't been exercising a ton. However, I have felt really good after this baby. After El, I was very tender down there, as I'd been in labor for 18 hours and pushed for 2 hours and tore and felt lethargic from the epidural. My recovery and return to exercise was very slow.

This time, I feel great, and have been going on walks pretty much since we got home. I have also been doing a lot of kegels and pelvic tilts. Our walks range from 2 to 3.5 miles at about 20 minutes per mile most recently. I've been lifting light weights at home for two weeks. Last night I went to Zumba at the gym. I think I'll be lacing up my running shoes this weekend.

It is so important to listen to your body. Yes, I am eager to get back into running, but I don't want to do so at the expense of my long term health. I feel like I've done a good job of taking things at a pace that my body needs to heal from birth. I'm excited to see what the future holds!

My Prenatal Fitness Resources

It's easy enough to find workouts online, and it is also easy to find workouts for a specific need you have, like arms, butt, legs, or prenatal. I would like to share some of the things that have helped me the most, as well as a short review.

Moms into Fitness, Pregnancy 3-Pack with Lindsay Brin

This DVD set includes one DVD per trimester, and each trimester has the same format. There are moderate and advanced options, both which have toning, cardio, and core. There is also yoga stretching and yoga toning. In the advanced section, there are "stackers" to incorporate variety into your strength routine. You can also download a calendar to follow if you wish.

I did the advanced options in each trimester. I thought the strength routines were much better than the cardio (and it wasn't bad, just not what I like to do). I can tell that I even toned my legs more during the second trimester when I was very diligent with it. I feel stronger and that makes me happy. The stackers were also excellent. If you know much about yoga, then the yoga sections will be a joke for you. I didn't follow the calendar, but did try to stick to a routine. I would recommend this to pregnant moms because I feel that it has been a good program for me.

BlondePonytail Prenatal Workouts

This blogger provides some great workouts in general and some awesome prenatal ones. I really like that she believes in high intensity interval training to get your workout in because really don't have a lot of time!

Knocked Up Fitness Workouts with Erica Ziel

I would like to purchase her DVD sets, maybe for Christmas. That being said, she has several awesome and free pilates workouts, exercise demos, and great blog posts. I used the workouts to strengthen my hips.

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I have used all of these throughout my pregnancy, sometimes doing more with one than the others. As you know, I also walk and swim regularly. Staying active has been fun. I feel like I am looking good and huge. Supposedly, exercising throughout your pregnancy can help your body bounce back quicker and smoothly. I shall have to see if that is true!

I hope this is helpful to expectant moms!