Usually my pre-race meal is a banana and maybe some crackers and water. While trying to run out the door, the best I could do was a a few cheese crackers…. Oh well. 

I got to the race and discovered that the 5K (women only) had a small turnout. Not gonna lie, I was excited, as I knew this meant I had a chance at placing well in my age group. 

This event is part of the Irongirl event series. Most women there that day were competing in the sprint triathlon. You could also choose to do their 5K event, which is what I chose. 

As the race got underway, we passed the lake where the triathletes would swim across as the first leg of their event. Many of them cheered us on as we circled around, which made me smile. I remember what it was like to be on the other end… and suddenly got the bug to get into triathlons again…but that will have to wait till after #2 arrives.

A bunch of us girls were in the lead and we discovered that we missed a turnoff into the wooded area… That put me 0.15 miles out of place that I had to recoup. Luckily I had it in me and darted out a 9:00 min pace to get me caught back up into mile 2.

As I was nearing the end, I tried not to look at my watch and concentrate on my breathing and cadence. I looked behind at one point and saw I had a good lead in front of the next person behind me. 

To my surprise, the hubby, my sister and baby girl were at the finish line to cheer me on!

I finished 4th overall and 1st in my age group!

I would have gotten a better time if not for the minor set back.

I would definitely do this race again for its proximity to my house and scenic lake view.

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BUT….with that being said….I have worked out just about my entire teenage and adult life. So NOT working out is NOT an option. If you have been involved in team sports, or fitness classes, you know you get a certain rush that comes with seeing yourself accomplish incredible things. You see how strong your body really is and how building a good cardio base is so important to maintain. As a “runner”, I know that if I stop running, I will lose my foundation that I built so hard to achieve! After I completed the Chicago Marathon in October 2014, I really stopped “training” for long distance races. I stopped attending the Saturday morning long runs with my running group and really enjoyed the break of not having to train 4-5 days a week. This meant more time with my daughter and hubby.  I have really enjoyed the break, but I still managed to get at least 2 outdoor runs in a week, so that I was still able to enjoy my hobby and not lose my cardio ability. To this day, I still stick to that regimine as well as doing 2 cardio fitness classes during the week on my lunch break at work.  The class is great for weight training and cardio (treadmill running and rowing).

Since I have been pregnant this go around, I decided to keep up with the training and casual running as I felt comfortable to do. Last pregnancy I had to stop running around 4-5 months along due to all the weight on my bladder!  I’m really hoping that this pregnancy is different and I’m able to run longer!  

I completed a 5K at the local gym here by my house a couple of weeks ago. It was very hot out and I was not prepared for that at all. I have to admit I had to walk a couple of times to cool down. I figured it was OK for me to do this, since I didn’t want to overheat and since I was “running for two”. Although I felt like I let myself down, I actually came in 1st in my age group! Woo hoo!

  
This upcoming weekend, I decided to join another 5K at the same location, that is part of the Irongirl event series. Since I have been out of the triathlon circuit now for a couple of years, I’m just sticking to running now….but I’ll cheer on a couple of my friends who are doing the tri.

Tonight, I thought I’d post of pic of me at 14 weeks! I’m still able to keep a good pace and hope it stays that way for a little while longer. I know I’ll gain a lot of weight in no time and it won’t be easy to maintain anything under a 10:00 min/mile. 

I hope to be a good example to women that you CAN be healthy and exercise during your pregnancy. Know your body and your limits. Follow the advice of your doctor if you have limitations. There are tons of things you can do to stay fit that don’t involve heavy weights or crazy races. I did at-home workout DVD’s for the better half of my last pregnancy and it was great. I can’t wait to see how this pregnancy differs. And lastly, I want my daughter to see that mommy and daddy are fit and involved. We hope she will be proud of us!

   
 
Wish me luck on Sunday! I’ll post my results and pics afterwards!
Good night,

Kim

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