Snowshoeing and Sledding

It's still snowing in Vancouver! Unbelievable! Never would I have thought that I could go snowshoeing in my own back yard (check out the pics of Otis) and actually get a decent workout. Watching Otis jump around in the snow makes it that much more fun!

I've opted out of my gym workouts for the last two days in favor of playing in the snow. It's been two weeks since I've started back to to the gym and my jelly belly refuses to budge. Okay, granted...I've just had a baby and it's only been two weeks that I've been exercising regularly and yes, I have been eating the odd Christmas chocolate or cookie (or two.. okay three). Anyway, enough blabber about the flab......all in time. Right now I'm just focusing on getting my normal strength and endurance back to pre-Ellie times!

It may be because I'm out of shape but getting around in the knee deep snow is great exercise! Last night Otis and I even went sledding up the back of our house. He ended up greeting a bunch of tobogganers who then offered me a ride on one of their crazy carpets. Knowing that Otis would chase me down the hill, I was still curious to witness how he would react. As predicted, he chased me down the hill but at the bottom he attempted to eat my gloves and the sled. Note to self: next time I see tobogganers, put Otis on the leash. Or maybe, I will remember to take a garbage bag on our next walk and plan to do some training with Otis as I slide on my ass down the hill. The neighbors may start to talk about the middle aged woman and her dog tobogganing in the school yard but whatever. I guess I have to wait until Ellie is a few years older before I can get away with doing kid things and not getting weird looks from stuffy adults. If I didn't have a turkey to barbecue or a baby to feed, I would have stayed a little longer. Otis was having a blast and I was too! When, other than on Christmas day do a bunch of strangers invite you to go sledding with them anyway?!

The barbecued turkey was delicious and even though the weather prevented our family guests from enjoying Christmas dinner with us, we had a great feast by ourselves. Granted, we had to take turns eating while the other tried to settle a crying baby. I was starving by the time I sat down to eat my dinner at 9pm. How fortunate we are to have a warm roof over our heads and sharing yummy food together (albeit not exactly at the same time) when so many people in our city are struggling without.

Peace.

Starting from Scratch

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

These words of Confucius are probably overused but so applicable to achieving our goals in life and in fitness. I feel like I'm starting from scratch in getting my fitness level back and so must remember that every step counts!!

I don't feel quite myself yet but wanted to take a go at running to see how my body would respond. After a lengthy warm up on the cross trainer at the gym yesterday, I hopped on the treadmill to see what running felt like again. The good news - I actually ran a cumulative total of 5 minutes! The bad news - I only ran 5 minutes, 1 minute at a time (walked 1 minute and walked 1 minute). I have to remember that it was May 2008 since I've run so it was quite thrill to be running even if it was only for sixty seconds at at time. I experienced quite a bit of discomfort in my pelvic area but amazingly, there are no lasting effects today. So, 5 minutes is now my starting point - the only way to go is up!

As I start to increase my exercise, I have to consider expanding my postpartum workout wardrobe. Particularly with respect to sports bras. With the impact of even a short bout of running, I discovered that my usual sportswear may not be up to par to contain these milk producing organs attached to my chest. I tried out the Fiona bra reviewed by Fit For 2's Melanie Osmack and it seemed to do the job! Even if you're not breastfeeding, it's a good bra that offers great support for runners that need it. You can purchase this from Lady Sport on 4th Avenue in Vancouver.

Tackling the Muffin Top

Wow! I feel human again! With Ellie sleeping a little longer during the day, I escaped the house for my first gym workout! Just me.......no little person or doggy in tow. Okay...I did have my phone with me and the gym is only 5 minutes away from home but truly, it was a bit of a thrill to be doing something purely for myself. Is that selfish?

The workout was indeed humbling but it felt so good to get a sweat from moving my deteriorating muscles! I have been walking and doing a few push ups and planks here and there but until now, I have not had the opportunity to focus on exercise for a continuous hour!

I remember once not understanding someone when they told me they suffered from "muffin top" syndrome. At the time, I had never heard the phrase before. Now, not only do I understand the phrase.... I fully embody the phrase except that I think my body shape has taken on a much more doughy appearance...kind of like bread with too much yeast rising over the pan. We don't have any full length mirrors in our house so despite my current awareness of my jelly belly, I was a bit shocked to see the full size reflection of myself in the wall mirrors at the gym. Disheartening but motivating at the same time.

I did a really light cardio workout on the cross trainer and rowing machine (still don't feel up for running) and a few weights (squats, back and core exercises). I felt like I wanted to do more but I was cautious not to push too hard - thankfully I didn't push harder as I can barely lift my arms today. The soreness in my butt and thighs is confirmation that there is still a little tiny bit of muscle left in those places. Still a long way to go but it's a start!

Breastfeeding Blackberry Bookworm

My new life is consumed with breastfeeding, changing diapers and trying to console a crying baby. I never imagined what it would be like to spend 10 - 16 hours a day every day breastfeeding. That's a whole lot of time and before you know it 7am turns into 7pm and the whole cycle begins again.

Breastfeeding experts tell new moms to look into their baby's eyes and focus on them to enhance milk production and make the most of the skin to skin contact that is so important for baby development. Sounds great right! Well, after doing this day after day...I found myself in serious need of some sort of distraction to make the time pass a little quicker. Call me a bad mother but don't care, I needed some other kind of stimulation to keep me awake. Yes, I think my baby is adorable but at 3am, I really need something that stops me from falling asleep on top of my child while feeding her. Alas I discovered the games on my Blackberry. After growing bored of Brickbreaker, I downloaded Bookworm last week and have been hooked ever since. Accordingly, you think my vocabulary would be expanding but I think it's dwindling in direct proportion to the cumulative sleep debt that I am experiencing. And to think what would happen if I wasn't playing word games.....

To give more than my thumbs a little exercise, today I tried to get back on the yoga mat and do a mini practise. I put Ellie on her play mat right beside me and she seemed rather entertained by watching me breathe my way through a series of Sun Salutations A and B. When I got to triangle pose though, she seemed rather bored and started screaming again. Pause trichonasana.....on to change diaperasana and boobasana......

Blessed With a Baby Girl!

No blogging as of late as I've been consumed with the adaptations required of parenthood. Yes, our little Ellie arrived into the world on November 5th. She arrived after nearly 2 days of labour! Women with more than one child say that they forget the pain of child birth. I'm not certain that I will ever forget the experience myself. Having completed several Ironman triathlons and marathons, I know what it feels like to stretch your body physically - however, these kinds of effort do not compare in anyway to the 38 hours of active back labour that I underwent to bring our beautiful little Ellie into the world. How does that song go again......... "joy and pain"....well, you get the idea....

Let's just say that it may be a while before I'm running again! This blog started out as an account of what would be my training adventure for Knee Knacker 2008. Upon finding out that I was pregnant, I obviously had to put this goal aside. Running was also out of the question after four months as a result of some pelvic issues. I'm now one month post-partum and still finding that I'm not even able to walk quite like I used to. So now, this blog will be an account of my RETURN to RUNNING as I experience the joys, challenges and adventures of parenthood!

The good news is that Ellie likes the stroller - she seems to love movement whether it's in the car or in the stroller. Otis on the other hand is not so sure about the stroller. I think he thinks that he's going to get run over by it. Oh well, I'm sure we'll adapt! Over the last week or so, we have been getting out almost every day for a short walk and every time I go, I feel a little bit more like my old self. While she's too young to run in the stroller, I'm still not quite recovered from all the tearing (there was lots of it!!). I made a quick attempt at jogging/shuffling the other day and it still felt like my insides were going to fall out. A bit gross I know but hey...that is what child birth can do to one's body!

I can't wait until I we can all run together again! Can't wait to feel the wind at my face and the freedom that comes from exploring the world in my running shoes. For now though, I will walk, focus on recovering and enjoy Ellie as she grows every day!