Halfway There - {20-week pregnancy "race" report}

There were many days in my life when I truly felt that I would never be where I am today:  halfway through a healthy pregnancy and, more importantly, happily married to the love of my life. For those of you know {really} know me, it's been a rather messy road to arrive where I am today. I can say with absolute certainty, though, that I am exactly where I am supposed to be...and I've never been happier {or more grateful}. All of those things that I never saw the purpose in before brought me to where I am now. I am honestly even thankful for those trials. Without them, I wouldn't be where or who I am today.

Ok, ok...the sappy stuff is out of the way. Mostly ;).

Clint and I were married on a beautiful summer day - Saturday, August 1, 2015. The day after spending time with many family and close friends at our dream wedding we flew to Colorado and spent the next 9 days exploring parts of beautiful Colorado and Utah. We also managed to cover 100+ miles on foot during that time (running, hiking and general exploring/walking).

Arches National Park in Moab, Utah

Selfie after a morning long run (for him!) and solo yoga-session (for her!)

Shortly after returning from our whirlwind honeymoon, I was plagued by an irritating tooth/gum-ache on Thursday, August 13. After a scientific consult with Dr. Google, I learned that swollen gums could be a sign of...pregnancy. Ok, fine...anyone who has ever looked knows that pregnancy has a plethora of symptoms that also just happen to overlap with other maladies.

But...somehow I just knew.

I mentioned my findings to Clint over lunch that Thursday and we had a very casual conversation about the possibility. Based on my cycle/dates/all that jazz, the first day that I could take a pregnancy test was the following Tuesday. So, that weekend...I purchased a 3-pack of "early response" tests.

The next few days d-r-a-g-g-g-g-ed.

Saturday we visited my family in the Quad Cities and visited the Maquoketa Caves in Iowa. I remember getting REALLY tired and hungry that day (even more so than I typically do!) but didn't attribute it to anything...looking back, I think I know why :).

Such legit-looking spelunkers ;)...and apparently future parents!

Sunday morning I went out and did the 20-mile training run that Coach Clint had prescribed for me. At this point I was in the final throes of marathon training, gearing up for the Last Chance Boston Qualifier (where I hoped to run my first BQ) on September 12. We figured, pregnant or not, I might as well! Clint ran this training run with me and it ended up being a really great run. I was able to nail his prescribed paces with no issues at all. I comfortably ran 18 of the 20 miles at sub-9 paces and averaged 8:49 for the entire run.

Tuesday morning (August 18), I got up and immediately peed on one of those sticks. I expected it to show what I already knew...but I also didn't dare REALLY hope for it (if that makes any sense). Slowly...surely...two...pink...lines...appeared. I stared at the stick in my hand for a few minutes and then went back to our bedroom where Clint was still laying in bed.

I said something along the lines of, "Uh, Clint. Clint! I peed on a stick and, uh, I think I am pregnant." Without sitting up, he opened his eyes and said, "UGH! It smells like piss!!"* After hurrying back to the bathroom and sticking it in the trash, I layed down next to him (both of us in various states of disbelief). After a few seconds he said, "Why don't you take another test?"
*Clint has since apologized for this reaction ;).

Later that morning prior to heading out to work (it was the second day of our new school year!) I took a second test and the result was the same - Pregnant.

What now?! Well...a test later that day at my wonderful primary care physician's office later that day confirmed what we had seen that morning. Indeed. Baby W was on the way! Once things were confirmed by the doctor, we were tentatively elated. An excited Clint took a picture of my not-yet-growing belly that night so we would have a "baseline" as I started to grow.

Over the next few days, we sprang into planning mode. Wednesday we bit the bullet and bought a new vehicle after hemming and hawing all summer (my car had become less than reliable and needed a lot of money put into it in order for it to be consistently safe to drive again...doable but we decided to put that money toward a new car as opposed to shelling out money into my old car). We scheduled an appointment with an OB who came highly recommended from our friend Jillian for the following week. We told a few key people about the positive pregnancy tests. And...we talked about my Boston qualifying dreams.

We decided, right-wrong-or-otherwise, that I would keep up my training as long as I felt good. The first weekend after learning we were expecting I ran Baby's First Race...a grueling race appropriately dubbed "Painful Elimination." This race is held on the trails at COMLARA, not far from our home. It consists of a 4.25-mile loop that participants run once per hour starting at 6am. The race goes on for 12 hours, with a new loop/round starting on the hour each hour. So, if a runner finishes the tough 4.25 miles of trail (featuring a water crossing!) in 45 minutes...it means he/she has 15 minutes to rest/fuel up/visit the porta-potty, etc. before starting the next loop. I managed 5 loops for a total of 21.25 miles. Not going to lie, I was TEMPTED to run 6 loops (could've been my first "ultra"-distance!) but I decided to call it quits after 5 since I felt tired but still generally good. No use in pushing it TOO far. This was a really fun...though challenging...event that I was happy to experience with my friends AP and Tanya (sadly Clint had to work :(.)

I'm assuming this was taken during one of the first loops...we runners were pretty close to one another at that point before getting more spread out on subsequent loops. What's up water crossing?!

Run happy, right?!

Me with my two REAL trail-runner-friends ;).

Our first baby-doctor's appointment the following Tuesday (one week after the positive test!) confirmed once again that we were *still* pregnant for real and we saw the beginnings of the life within on an ultrasound. At the time...all you could see was a dark bean-shaped blob. They informed us that this was the gestational sac. Who knew?! They estimated that we were approximately 4 weeks pregnant based on the date of my last period and the size of the sac.
Pregnancy lesson here: counting the weeks of pregnancy starts with the date of the mother's last period...and conception typically happens around the second week. So...those of you who have "jokingly" commented about the baby coming to be prior to the wedding...bug off ;) (not like it really matters...but come on!)

Seeing those first ultrasound images was pretty cool, but not gonna lie...I was disappointed in just seeing the black sac. I don't know what I expected (clueless first-time mama here!!), but that didn't quite appease my need to feel like the pregnancy was "real." To me, it looked like an empty black hole ;).

Black hole or not, I started FEELING pregnant. Nausea (in the evenings, oddly!) and exhaustion began to set in and I quickly learned that I couldn't quite burn the candle at both ends work-wise the way I used to.

We ended up telling our parents the weekend after our first ultrasound...yes, we knew it was early but we just couldn't wait. Needless to say, we now have two sets of excited grandparents :). We also told a few close friends but for the most part kept the news on the DL for a while. I continued running...cautiously...and continued preparing (which meant tapering, really!) for my marathon on September 12. Things were going pretty well and we had a good doctor appointment on September 8 prior to the race...so we decided to give it a go.

Race day rolled around for the BQ2 race (Baby's second race!) and I had one of the best races of my life thus far. I was able to comfortably hold strong to my target 8:00 minute/mile pace for most of the race. At one point with about a third of the race left to go, things started getting a little hard (uh, it's a marathon...pregnant or not, it SHOULD'VE gotten hard :)). However, I told myself to keep going because I want to be the kind of mother who can lead by example and teach her child(ren) to keep persevering, even when things are tough.

Crossing that finish line in a 15+ minute marathon PR with a time of 3:33:16 (under my qualifying standard of 3:35!) felt amazing. Second, probably, only to crossing the finish line in the delivery room next April! ;) With that accomplishment behind me, I vowed to keep running and racing for as long as I could but I would back off the intensity (in both distance and speed).

October 23 when I was 13 weeks pregnant I participated in a little photo-shoot running-project with our friend Rachelle for a community "thing." Because...what woman doesn't want photos of her pregnant-running-self on display?! ;) I know, I know...I don't look very pregnant here. But, I also don't quite look like the "me" I had been used to...a good reminder that pregnancy means adjusting your expectations of yourself and your body (as well as a reminder to be grateful for all of the things you CAN still do!!).

I remember one of my roughest runs being at a Thursday Night Group run when I was between 12-14 weeks pregnant. I couldn't keep up with any of the group members and just felt miserable. I don't know why I put so much pressure on myself that night...but I did. I remember wrapping up 5 miles and just feeling rotten. I was down on myself for not being able to keep up (when under "typical" situations keeping up would be no problem). I was starting to feel "fat" and super-awkward and I was just really struggling with my personal identity. I know...this probably sounds ridiculous. But, it's honesty. Have I ever stopped being grateful for the gift of new life that Clint and I have been blessed with? Not for one second. But, there are moments when the human/unreasonable side of me does get a little "down" regarding the changes my body is going through.

All things considered, this pregnancy has gone very well. Our baby is healthy and is growing right on track. A potential issue that was spotted on the 16 week ultrasound appeared to have resolved this past week on the 20 week ultrasound. The nausea I experienced during the evenings of the first trimester dissipated between weeks 14-15. Some minor health issues (including a disgusting bout with the stomach flu!) that I had were able to be dealt with quickly with the help of our physician's amazing nurse Beth. Our family and friends have provided a lot of support and advice. We are so, so grateful for it all.

And...somehow, in 20 weeks Baby+Mom have managed to complete 9 races! Many of these races included age group places and one even included a top overall female finish! Of course the highlight was my BQ...sullied only slightly with the news that my time will not count for 2017 (had my race been completed one weekend later it would have been in the qualifying window for the 2017 race:)).

Baby's Completed Races:
(Click on each for race reports if desired)

1. Painful Elimination//8-22-15 (no race report)
2. Last Chance Boston Qualifier//9-12-15
3. Run the Woods Trail 8k//10-3-15
4. Chicago Marathon//10-11-15
5. Town and Gown/ISU Homecoming 5k//10-24-15
6. Allerton Park 5.7mi Race//10-25-15
7. Canal Connection 10k//11-1-15
8. Furrow Euro XC Race//11-21-15
9. Oglesby Turkey Trot//11-26-15

What's next, race-wise? I really don't know. If I am feeling decent...I would like to fit in a few more races. I mean...I don't want to end with an odd number ;). I need to get that list to at LEAST 10! Stay tuned.

So far, according to the data from my Garmin watch, this baby has run just over 350 miles with me (since 8/4/15 which is the estimated day that he came into existence :)). We are definitely slowing down (both in speed and distance!) but hopefully we will see at least a few more miles added to that total before he joins us on the outside.

We've learned that our baby is a BOY and have started working on our registries (thanks, Jillian, for accompanying me to Babies R Us to get that going!). We purchased a crib (thanks, Adelle, for the heads up on a great deal!) and a carseat (thanks to a big Amazon sale) and some other small items, including a little shirt in Colorado...as it turns out, this baby t-shirt we purchased on our honeymoon for our "someday baby" was some sort of foreshadowing of what was to be revealed to us shortly after the honeymoon :).

It's a BOY!

In addition to my running, I've also kept up with yoga. I still love my Monday nights with Kris (and Clint has been joining me for the past few months!) and have been adding in a second and sometimes a third class per week at Body in Bloomington. Yoga has been GREAT for my sore body, though I've noticed that holding up 20 extra pounds has gotten to be a challenge for one-legged balance poses! (Big thanks to Kris and to Tara (and the other Body instructors!) for their guidance and support as I somewhat-awkwardly navigate yoga with a pregnant body!)

Yes....you read that correctly up there. 20 extra pounds in 20 weeks. An important lesson I've learned (and trust me, this one has been a bitter pill for me to swallow) is to let go of weight-gain expectations. The Internet was telling me to expect a weight gain of 5-8 lbs in my first trimester (~13 weeks). Yeah, well, I gained 5-8 lbs in the first 5-8 weeks. My doctor and nurse have assured me that I am healthy and well within the range I should be. So, I must trust them...and let. it. go. And, of course, continue to be as active as I safely can and eat healthily {MUCH of the time :)}.

Speaking of eating, apparently pregnancy aversions and cravings are a thing...so here we go:

Pregnancy aversions:
-curry
-Anand (formerly one of my favorite Indian food restaurants!)
-the smell of any spicy seasonings
-rice
-green vegetables (SAD! I do force-feed myself these at times!)
-fish (thanks to a horrific cod experience)

Pregnancy cravings:
-sushi...this is a big one, but sadly has to go unquenched
-mashed potatoes
-pasta
-cheese
-(gluten free!) bread
-fruit
-orange juice
-Starburst jellybeans
-the "Cobbish" salad at Garlic Press in Uptown Normal
-Chipotle
-sour cream (ugh...this is one that I had formerly given up but for some reason love it again)
-yogurt
-peanut butter

Big thanks to our friends and family for all of the love, support and prayers as we embark on this new race (talk about an "ultra" ultra-marathon!) together. We are doing our best to navigate through things successfully but of course the journey is not without its challenges! Life is messy and not always as lovely as it might look on social media...we all have our struggles! However, we are both very much looking forward to meeting our little man and I am so grateful for the love and support of my husband now more than ever. He has the patience of a saint and has been my voice of reason daily. I couldn't do it without you, Cleent! ;)

Our little Yogi-love!

Ok...enough out of me! Bring on the second half of this pregnancy! :)
~Rachel