Night Sweats

With Ellie being sick this week, we never made it to our mom and me fitness classes. That meant I had to find time to fit a little sweat in somewhere else. This week, the only window for exercise was after Ellie went to bed for the night (okay, part of the night). That meant exercising at 8:30pm, 9:00pm and 10:00pm. This is coming from someone who could never ever exercise after 7pm. If it didn't happen before then, it just didn't happen. Let's just say that it takes motivation for me to get on the bike trainer at 9pm at night. Thank god for American Idol to help pass the time! (And to think I never used to have cable). One night I started a circuit workout at 10pm.......my dog was looking at like me like I was making too much noise and disrupting his sleep! I got in a little yoga tonight at 8:30.....I remember when I used to raise at 5:00am for my daily practice! Ha ha ha...that seems like another life.

Two Little Sickies

Both Ellie and Otis are sick today. Ellie has been snuffly for the last couple days but she is still feeding well and pretty smiley throughout the day. Otis started puking this morning and vomited five times on our walk. Normally, when we return from our walks, Otis gets a treat.......he never lets me forget this part of our routine and he'll wait patiently at the kitchen steps until he gets his little dog bone. When I went to give it to him today, he didn't accept it. NEVER (other than one time when he was afraid of the vet) has he ever refused food. This makes me worry. I hope my baby and my puppy are okay.

Sunshine and Sweat

When I'm running in the winter sun or under the clear starry skies, I feel like I can conquer anything. I feel so alive and so privileged to be healthy enough to run! I feel blessed to have the life that I do and the people in it. Being on my own with our three month old, I don't get much "me" time these days so I am so grateful to my friends this week for watching miss Ellie so that Otis and I could get out and run! We were fortunate to have some great weather to run in too! I am a much better human being when I can run so thank you!

We get out every day for several walks but other than that, I'm not getting much exercise since Dad is no longer around to cover me off. I set up the bike trainer and while Ellie played and I rode, we watched our first Baby Einstein DVD. Psychedelic! I have attempted to resume my regular yoga practise but Ellie doesn't find my ujayi breathing all that entertaining. She is however mesmerized by Eoin Finn's voice so I've been doing a couple of his DVD's when I get the chance. The post baby muffin top remains but it's really a small price to pay. I feel so blessed to have our beautiful Ellie in my life!

Stroller Strife

Over the last week or so, I have spent many miles walking about the neighborhood with Ellie in the stroller and Otis on his leash and have been amazed by the lack of courtesy shown to us as we try to maneuver our way through the streets and park walkways. I do my my best to stick to the side of the walkway or when necessary step off the sidewalk so that others can cross. This is not always an easy task to do when you've got a dog and baby to steer off to the side.

I think back when I was a lone runner and walker and I'm sure that I would have been the first to give an oncoming stroller the right of away just because it would have been much easier for me to step aside and around. I'm amazed that I have not been granted the same courtesy now that have dog and baby in tow. In fact, I am amazed how strangers don't even look at you in the eye as you frantically try to shuffle off to the side and make way for them. Arghhh! I know there are those of you that believe that strollers are just the hummers of the sidewalk and should be left at home. This is not always practical when a single parent of an infant has got to walk the dog. Sure...I could use the baby carrier but you try to pick up dog poop when you've got a 13 pound infant strapped to your front. It's not like I'm intentionally hogging the sidewalk so give us stroller pushing moms a little slack will ya. And maybe think about smiling once in a while.

Oh and while I'm asking Vancouverites to step it up with their social courtesies, I will also ask from one dog owner to another to please pick up your dog poop! Now that I've got a stroller to push around, I've got three more wheels that get mucked up on the stuff. It's just plain gross. Come on people....how difficult is it?

Please and thanks.

The World of Single Parenthood

Well, we have survived our first week without Dad! I have a great appreciation for moms and dads that have raised their children on their own because it sure isn't easy! Thankfully, I only have to do it for 6 months. Anyway, Ellie, Otis and I made it through the first seven days and are establishing our own little routine. Life has become a cycle of feeding the babe and walking the dog with lots of diaper changes in between. The day is non stop and I'm lucky to get a shower before 10pm but I'm sort of enjoying the simplicity of it all and I truly feel fortunate that I get to witness Ellie as she grows and changes every day.

Ellie doesn't sleep much during the day but she will nap in the stroller so it works out well - Otis gets his walk and Ellie gets her nap. This morning, we even attempted running with the jogging stroller and the car seat attachment. Otis did a good job of not getting in the way of the stroller wheels and Ellie went right to sleep. There is mixed information on when to run with your baby even with a car seat adapter...concerns range from ensuring that your babe has good neck support and the stroller has good shock absorption. We seemed to do well with the car seat adapter on the Bob Revolution and we stuck to to the flat path or paved sidewalks. Ellie loves the movement and it's the only time she will nap during the day and then Otis and I get a little exercise. By the time we got back, I think everyone was a little happier!

A Day of Firsts!

Hallelujah! I went for my first outdoor run yesterday since I started my postpartum walk/run program. I took Otis with me while Ellie watched Dad and I think he was happy to have his 'running' mom back! Last night, I discovered that I need to re-learn how to dress for the weather and for my body in it's extra ten pounds....with an insulator of post baby fat, I could have done without the rain shell and added another layer of support for my boobs!

With snow still on the ground, I tried out my new Yaktrax. They worked pretty well although there were lots of sections where the snow wasn't packed and despite having a decent grip, I kept sinking. I also tried out my new Injinji Tetrasoks that I got from a couple of running friends for Christmas. While the risk of blisters is pretty slim for a 40 minute jaunt, I wore them anyway. They were super comfy and I didn't really feel the fabric around each individual toe! I could see how these would be a must have item for ultra-runners.

It felt good to get a run in especially after my attempt at going to my first "mommy and me" fitness class earlier in the day. We made it there okay but I think I spent about 20 minutes working out and the rest feeding Ellie. I fed her before we left for the class but she was a hungry little munchkin yesterday. I think I spoke too soon......I started to tell people that she was sleeping a little more and the space between feedings was starting to spread out a bit.........that all changed yesterday. Ughh! Another long day and night. Thank god she gave me lots of smiles this morning....just enough to keep doing the same thing all over again today!

Sleep or Exercise...That is the Question

In the windows between feedings when Ellie's dad is home, I must decide between exercise and sleep. In most cases, I opt to escape to the gym for a little sweat. Exercise gets me out of the house, hugely helps me manage stress and even when I'm feeling exhausted, a little sweat perks up my energy and outlook. However, I know that these extended periods of sleep deprivation are playing with my moods and physiology too! When researchers deprive rats of sleep they die....just think what's happening in the human body...yet mom's all over the world seem to cope! According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep deprivation compromises memory, reaction time, motor skills (that's why I'm tripping on the treadmill!), immunity and increases the risk of diabetes and obesity. Alas...this is why the last ten pounds remain! Yes, I'm burning those extra calories by getting to the gym but the the lack of sleep is causing my bod to hang on to the flab. Oh joy!

Regardless, it feels good to by moving! I'm following a run/walk program so that I'll be ready to take Otis with Ellie in the jogger by the Tim leaves for his course. I'm doing an adaptation of the Sport Med BC's Walk Run Program. Jeff Galloway was the original inventor of the walk/run method as an injury-free method of running a marathon and I'm using it as a means to get back to continuous running. It's been a slow process but I'm now up to 5 minutes running (okay, slow jogging) and 1 minute of walking. I ran for a total of 30 minutes this week and that was a big achievement! I'm still feeling quite a bit of discomfort in my pelvic area but there are no lasting effects so I'm taking that as a go to keep gradually increasing my running time.