The last mile

Well, today was the day. I ran my last mile while pregnant. Afterwards I saw a friend of mine. He asked me why today was the day, was I going to induce labor or was something wrong? The simple answer is that the baby now weighs about 4 lb. 5 ounces (I had an ultrasound today, which is how I know this), I've gained 20 lb., and my ligaments/joints are starting to loosen. I'm 32 weeks pregnant. Surprisingly, running actually felt pretty good and wasn't even slow. Part of me says that if I'm enjoying it, I should keep running the occasional mile. The mother in me (wow, that's weird to say) is saying that it's time to take more precautions. So, today was the day. As Meg said, it is sort of bittersweet. In this case, the sweet far outweighs the bitter.

After my mile, I walked for a few minutes then did some weight lifting. It's always awkward to lift in a gym that you're unaccustomed to. For instance, I usually do about 50 lbs. on the tricep pulldown at my regular gym (all I ever do on campus is walk or run. Brendan and I go to a local gym together, where I do other cardio and weights). On campus, I think I had 22 or 27 lbs. on the tricep pulldown. The tension is just different from machine to machine. It's also disorienting not to know where things are in the gym. I'm sure I'll learn the layout better over the coming weeks. It was nice that Meg could keep running and I could work on my upper body. It's a convenient setup.

For the next 3 months or so this blog probably ought to be called "Joanna Walks" or "Joanna Waddles." It's not that I plan to do nothing, it's just that the mix has to change. For a while, you'll get to read about my progress with walking, prenatal yoga, weight lifting (mild), and perhaps the elliptical machine. Yay for fitness during pregnancy! And hopefully the weight will come off afterwards without too much of a fight...

A great cold weather run

My husband and I just got back from a wonderful vacation in sunny Las Vegas. Just a few days ago I was lounging by a pool in a tank top sipping a milkshake. Today I was bundled up in a long-sleeved shirt, a zip-up hoodie, a scarf, gloves, and a winter coat. Needless to say, I'm anxious for spring. All that is beside the point, though.

Meg and I were scheduled to run today. Since today was officially the last day of my vacation, I slept in, left my house in time for lunch with a friend, then went to two meetings (I couldn't really miss them) on campus. In all of my vacationing, I failed to take a snack with me for the afternoon. Having neglected that, I was too hungry to want to run at 4pm. Consequently, we replaced our regular run with a different type of winter run....a drive to the coffee shop. Rather than run, we enjoyed warm beverages and baked goods. And it was great. Thank you Meg for a great "winter run" to end a great week of vacation.

Just for fun, here are a few pictures from our trip (to Vegas, not the coffee shop!). This is part of the south strip at night. You can see New York-New York, the MGM, and Paris.

Here we are basking in the sun!

I love this picture! I took it because I have a picture just like it, except taken during the day and in front of the real Eiffel Tower, from 2002.

Here I am with the Coke Bear, in the Coke Store on the Strip. The store is three stories of Coke merchandise. I know it sounds absurdly commercial, but they do have fun and sometimes whimsical things.

Our last night in Vegas we went to a French restaurant, Mon Ami Gabi, for dinner. We ate on the patio overlooking the Bellagio fountain so we could watch the light and water show. Near the end of our dinner I asked for more decaf. In response, the waiter picked up, along with all the other dishes, both my coffee cup and the cream pitcher. So this is me, clinging to the remaining sugar dispenser, mourning the premature loss of my coffee cup. He did come back with a "fresh cup" (his words) for me a few minutes later.

And finally, here is Brendan with the Bellagio fountain show behind him. What a perfect evening!