Track Workout – 2nd Trimester

Today I had the day off from work since I work on Saturday. It is kind of nice to have a random weekday off, but it sure didn’t feel like a day off as I was super busy the entire day.

I’m actually going to back up to this weekend since I didn’t get a chance to recap yet. We had a nice, low-key weekend. I worked on Saturday and then had friends over for dinner that evening. Craig grilled pork chops from my family’s farm and others brought a salad, twice baked potatoes, and a trifle dessert. Everything was excellent, and I was happy to have meat and potatoes, which is not something I normally crave. You can thank the pregnancy.

Sunday was church, going to Lowes to get ideas on what colors we want to paint our bedroom and the baby’s room, and then relaxing at home. We did go to see the movie God’s Not Dead with some free movie tickets gifted to us. I really enjoyed the movie and thought it was well done. There were some cheesy lines and moderate-quality acting as you might expect from a evangelical film, but I still enjoyed it.

Monday morning I completed my first track workout in quite some time. I did some track workouts back in February before I knew I was pregnant and even a few after I found out, but once March hit, I was not about running fast. Since we are now into the second trimester and things are going much better, I felt like my body could handle a faster workout.

Here’s the track workout I did:

4 x 400 meters (1:38, 1:38, 1:42, 1:43)

1600 meters (7:15)

4 x 400 meters (1:42, 1:45, 1:44, 1:44)

I knew my times were going to be slower compared to pre-pregnancy. I was quite surprised at the first couple of splits though, but then I became pretty fatigued towards the end. I was definitely okay with this. I don’t expect to be achieving any big time goals during my pregnancy, I merely want to try and preserve as much fitness as my body will allow.

I actually wanted to put it out there that I am no longer working with a coach. For a couple of months, Nichole was coaching me in hopes of setting some new PRs this summer. Well, after I found out I was pregnant in February, I immediately told her only to find out she too was pregnant—and due one day before me!

I continued to work with her through the month of March, which was tough because I wasn’t feel well, but at least she knew what I was going through! I considered having her coach me throughout my pregnancy and beyond, but when I decided to take a part-time job at Skinny Raven and be bumped down in pay again, I didn’t feel like it was in our budget anymore. I really wanted to have her continue coaching me, but I also don’t know if I’ll be able to train as seriously after the baby is born. Of course I still want to continue running after the baby comes, but I just don’t know what life will be like at that time. Maybe I won’t have much of a desire to train hard anymore or my PRs won’t matter as much.

Anyway, I am sad I am no longer working with Nichole. I went back and forth on what to do for several weeks and ultimately feel like I made a good decision for the time being. Nichole is an amazing coach and really knows her stuff, so if you are interested in having running coach, be sure to let her know!

Today’s run was an easy 6.5 mile run. I felt good, tried not to push the pace too much, and just enjoy the run. I am definitely enjoying all of this sunshine we have been having lately.

After the run, I quickly made breakfast since my stomach was starting to grumble. I had a kale smoothie (thanks to Craig), an English muffin with mashed avocado and Laughing Cow Cheese, and an egg on the side. Totally hit the spot: savory foods, some veggies, healthy fats, and quality protein.

I spent the next couple of hours doing some much needed computer work: replying to e-mails, blog comments, researching various things online, and pinning some pictures to my new baby board in Pinterest.

Lunch came pretty quickly since I had a late breakfast and my metabolism was still high from the run. Lunch consisted of a serving of Confetti Veggie Pasta Salad, salty Pita Chips, and fresh strawberries.

My afternoon snack was this Fuel PROBAR. It reminded me of a Larabar but a lot better. I like Larabars but think they can be pretty boring in flavor. This bar was much more flavorful, and I loved the chunks of strawberries.

This afternoon I ran a few errands and went to the gym to lift weights for 30 minutes. I really enjoy lifting weights. I am definitely not pushing myself hard these days, but I do like to maintain some strength as I know it will help me down the road. I am trying to especially focus on my core, back, and glutes.

For dinner I made Southern Chicken n’ Biscuits. I guess I have been craving meat and potatoes lately! So good and hearty.