This is more like it

Despite delaying my workout until the afternoon out of sheer laziness (and a lack of hot water for a shower this morning), I felt great today. Strong. XFM workout today, with the addition of good mornings because the bar was already there on my shoulders. How handy is that?

4 rounds:

500 m row*
15 squats - 45
15 good mornings - 45
12 push press - 45

* The row takes between 2:20-2:30 min per 500 m. That's seriously as hard as I can go for that distance/length of time.

Then just one set of the "chin-up" pull down: 105 x 5. I figure I should throw this down every so often so I can ramp back up to regular chin-ups asap once the spring hits. (I could almost do a 120 pull-down, but not quite. Maybe at the beginning of the workout?)

When I do these circuits, I try to not take breaks between exercises; however, I do end up grabbing small breathers as necessary (to avoid the fainting). Usually just a few breaths. The treadmill and erg are upstairs, so I always get a built-in break before and after a run or row. I try to run the stairs. :-)

I did spend the morning reading one of the labour preparation books I've got, and it got me really psyched. I feel like I'm training for a big athletic event. Which I suppose is true enough. (Or possibly more true than I can imagine!)

In which I feel like a$$, but forge ahead

Today's workout was based on today's Crossfit WOD. I used the word "based" loosely, as I subbed and scaled with abandon:

5 rounds:

Run 400 m - 6.7 mph
15 sumo deadlift highpulls - 40 lb
30 v-sit ball tosses

Finished with an easy 10 minute jog @ 5.5 mph.

The SDHP's were subbed for deadlifts (the sumo stance seriously helps navigate the belly). The v-sits were subbed for glute-ham extensions which are impossible to do pregnant. I actually attempted to do crunches on the ball, but these have become really uncomfortable, so I switched to v-sits.

I shoveled the driveway again.

I was SO tired today, I could barely drag my butt out of bed, and I was terribly unfocused all day. Going to the gym gave me something concrete to focus on. But I felt like total ass the whole time. Running sucks: my belly cramps here and there, my boobs are uncontainable (sport bra issues another issue entirely), my adductors and hip flexors hurt... My shorts don't fit properly over the new curves, so I get fat-lady-bunch when I run. SUCKS.

Today, anyway.

Squataholic

I planned to shovel the driveway today, but wasn't convinced it would equal a workout. So I decided to combine the gym and shoveling.

At the gym:

4 sets each:

Squats - 65 x 8's (10 in the last set)
Calf presses - 250 x 8's
"Chins" (chin-up grip on the lat pull machine) - 85 x 10; 100 x 7, 7; 105 x 6
Bent-over db rows - 20 x 10's (each arm)

At home:

Shoveled both sides of the driveway AND the front walk. (I include this as workout because, pregnant! My sister mentioned yesterday that she wasn't "allowed" to shovel her driveway... ) Squatted into each lift to try to save my back, but got a serious lower back workout anyway. I'll let you know if I'm able to get out of bed tomorrow.

Of my own invention

My workotus have officially taken on a regular pattern. I made up a circuit today in the spirit of the XFM ones I've been doing lately. I like the shorter, more intense workouts with the "cardio" portion broken into shorter portions (because running is harder and rowing is kind of boring). Each circuit tends to contain a push, a pull, and a hip/leg exercise. Perfect proportions.

Here's what I did:

4 rounds
500 m row
15 sumo deadlift high-pulls #35
15 (each leg) split squats #25
15 push presses #40

I made some adjustments as I went along. Set 1 of row was actually a 400m run, because the erg was occupied. I used 40 lbs on set 4 of the SDHP's because the 35 lb didn't get as heavy over the sets as I expected. (I think I can do these at 45 no problem if I'm doing fewer reps/sets.) I only managed 12 reps on set 3 of the split squats. Push presses went as planned - I did them with slow eccentrics. It seemed light for push presses at first, by by the 3rd and 4th set, I was needing to pause to catch my wind around rep 10.

Tried an easy run for a cool down and to shake out the legs (those split squats were torture!), but aborted after a few minutes when I was beset by abdominal cramps.

Weigh-in: 145 lb (late afternoon)

Swingin'

Today's XFM* workout called for kettlebell swings. I've never done them before, but Ken just happened to try them earlier in the week and encouraged me to give it a try. Despite the one-hand prescription of the workout, I decided to try them two-handed first, and I had to use a dumbbell. But our dbs have a handy configuration - easy to grip by the plate. My workout looked like this:

18-14-10-10 reps
kettlebell swings - 2 hands #25
lunges (per leg - 36, 28, 20, 20 total)
push-ups (actually did 20, 15, 15, 15)*

"Easy" run - 1.5 miles/15 minutes

I can't really do more than a few regular push-ups now, but knees-down are still fairly easy (but an extra 15 lbs is nothing to scoff at!) I probably could've done 4 x 20 here, but my heart-rate was crazy after the kb's and lunges, so I took this set as a "break".

The run wasn't actually that easy. I ran at mainly 6 mph and eventually 5.5 mph when things started cramping and aching. Turns out that 6 mph is now about as fast as I can go if I want to cruise for longer than a few minutes. Running is growing increasingly difficult. I hit my target heartrate at a fairly slow speed, and things begin to ache in the lower belly, hip region after a while -- the fast I go, the more quickly it happens. I'll keep it up, but judiciously.

The kettlebell swings are AWESOME. I loved it. It seemed easy for the first few reps, but everything got difficult pretty quickly - heartrate and breathing gets crazy, and if you're really focusing on driving with your hips and legs, you begin to feel it. The momentum of the swinging weight means you're work much more than the 25 lbs of the db. Back is dramatically engaged when you reach the top of the swing, keeping everything straight while you brake the weight. Abs work all the way through. The movement in general feel quite natural - not awkward. I'm in love with this exercise.

Weigh-in: 143. Morning, go figure.

Tidbit: Extra progesterone during pregnancy relaxes smooth muscle tissue. One of the results of this is that digestive processes slow down. Also, intestines get pushed/scrunched up near the rib cage, also slowing things down. My interpretation -- there is some serious build-up by the end of the day!

* XFM = Crossfit Mom. Clever, huh?

Baby Angie

I've been lacking ideas, and the WOD's from Crossfit Mom have been emjoyable lately, so I think I'll stick to it for a bit. Today called for a Baby Angie.

Now, the last time I tried "Angie", I called her Baby Angie, because the full grown gal is, quite frankly, insane. So today's workout was more like "Itty Bitty Preemie Angie".

40 pull-ups - 15+8+8+9 (70 lb lat pulls with a close-ish pull-up grip)
40 push-ups - 25+10+5 (knees down)
40 squats (easy to do in one shot)
40 knee raises* - 20+12+8

Most sets I had to break up because I died before finishing. I took short, 15-20 second breaks between "sets".

It didn't take very long, so I added a few things:

Shoulder rotations - 8 lb db x 8, 5, 5 (like this, only laying down)
V-sit ball tosses - 4 kg x 40, 40
40 more squats. Did I mention I like squats?

* Knee raises. According to Crossfit Mom, this exercise was supposed to be "knees-to-elbows". Um, right. Aren't we supposed to be pregnant? I'd never tried these before, I'm pretty skeptical I could've done it even pre-pregnancy. Also, we have a serious lack of an accessible chin-up bar, so I couldn't even try doing partials. So I used the roman chair and did something more like this, which was difficult enough... though it missed out on half the exercise (the shoulder part). Ah well. Next summer.

Back in action

Last week, everything seemed to pile on at once, and a fourth workout got buried in the rubble. And not just the reporting thereof -- the whole thing. So, here we begin week 21 with another circuit, inspired by last Friday's WOD.

4 rounds
Row 500m
12 thrusters #45 bar
15 good mornings #45 bar*
15 step ups **

Finished with:
15 squats #55
1500m easy row (8 min)

* Five pounds more than last week!
** I was going to do these with weight, but even 15 lb dbs were nearly impossible. Stepping up this high (at least 20") is harder than jumping - it's almost too high for my foot to reach while still keeping my hips aligned. (And I don't think I'm supposed to be jumping any more...) I'll remember for next time that if I want to do weight, I'll need to lower the step (we have a sort of stool thingy which is great, but a pain to adjust.)

Weigh-in: 144!! I hope it's the little guy who's packing on the pounds. I know it's not that: according to my inside sources, he doesn't even weigh a pound yet! I'll blame the big weekend of near-beer and card-playing... (And an afternoon rather than morning weigh-in.)

Circuitous

I had more success running through a circuit today -- no thwartation at all.

Based on a Crossfit Mom WOD (Tanner), I did this:

4 rounds
Row 500m*
15 presses #30 bar
15 squats #30 bar
15 good mornings #40 bar

*Had to switch to "Run 400m" after 2nd set because someone snagged the erg. A round of 400m at 6.7 mph took the same time as 500m row (2:20 min), and entailed a similar aerobic effort.

Finished off with two sets each of
30 v-sit ball tosses
20 push-ups (all but the first 4 were knees-down)

Pregnant crossfit isn't quite the same as regular crossfit. Whereas in the original you push push push until you are pretty much ready to drop or puke, that sort of strain is not advisable for knocked-up types. Instead, we are supposed to go for steady work for maintenance. So I figure this means "sweaty and red-faced, but not on the verge of fainting" (noting too that the verge of fainting comes more easily when one is hosting a parasite).

Squeezing it in

Squeezed it in between editing, grocery shopping, cleaning the house and entertaining guests:

Cleans - 65 x 4 sets of 8
Bench dips - 3 sets of 10
"L-sits"* - 10, 10, 8
Ham curls on the ball - 15

* These were repeats of lifting legs to parallel, pausing very briefly, then lowering. Note that I can't form a true L-seat because my hammies are too tight to get my legs straight when they are perpendicular to my trunk. I can barely even do this while sitting on the ground.

Row - 3000m total - 12 minutes of one minute fast/slow interval (averaged 2:30 min/500m), eased up for the last few minutes so I didn't DIE.

Weigh-in: 141.

Note on weight - I'm tracking out of curiousity. Expected healthy weight gain in pregnancy is 25-35 lbs. I expect to be somewhere in the middle (higher because I'm not a small person, lower because I exercise and eat normally). At this point, I should be gaining about 1 lb per week (sort of seems like it). If that happens, I will have gained about 30 lbs by the end of this, which is just about right.

Thwarted by the lameness

I had a great circuit planned, involving squats, step-ups, and db presses. But I was thwarted at the squat rack.

Until now, I'd never seen anyone using the squat rack (there is only one). Folks tend to use the Smith machine, or focus on their biceps. Long story short, today the rack ended up being totally monopolized my one of the Nautilus "trainers" and his protegée. He had the chick doing way-too-heavy partial squats (started her at at least 85), and seemed to be encouraging her lack of form (heels inches apart, toes splayed, weight over toes, partial squat), and he kept adding weight! I very nearly beaned the dude with an eyeball, I rolled 'em so hard. They just kept going and going. Argh.

So I did this, instead.

Three rounds of 15:
17.5 lb db presses
20'" step-ups (per leg)
(I had to take pauses to get to the 15, but I was sticking with the originally prescribed circuit)

Then:
Calf presses - 200 (no body weight) x 10, 10, 10
Back extensions - 10, 10, 10
Squats - 50 x 15, 15, 15
(I never did get to the squat rack; 50 lb was the most I felt comfortable lifting over my head, though likely could've managed a bit more.)

Treadmill - Easy mile at 5.5 and 6 mph.

V-sit ball tosses - 40, 40, 30

Four in the nick

I squeezed in my 4th workout of week 19 in the dying afternoon hours, just before the gym closed. Phewf!

Workout today was based on a Crossfit Mom WOD: 21-15-9 thrusters and push-ups. (What? That's supposed to be the whole workout?)

Only, I subbed in lat pulls for push-ups, added a run, and ended up doing the push-ups at the end after all. Here's the sum:

21-15-9 reps of:
thrusters @ 45
lat pulls @ 70

Good lord those thrusters peak the heart rate. I had to take two 15 second pauses to get through the first set, and my face turned alarmingly pink. I likely grunted a few times. (The lat pulls at 70 were pretty much just as difficult, though less full-bodied.)

Treadmill:
Alternating intervals of 1/5 mi @ 5.5 mph and 1/4 mi @ 7 mph x4 (First fast interval was actually 7.5, but I had some uncomfortable lower ab -- aka uterine -- cramping, so last 3 were 7.0.)
Finished off with some steady running at 6 and 6.5 mph.

Total 2.5 miles/25 minutes.

While stretching, i decided to throw down the originally prescribed 21-15-10 push-ups because, what the hell? I managed to do the first 5 of each set regular, and switched to girlies for the rest.

Push-ups have become dramatically difficult (compared to the 20-25 regular push-ups I could do in a set just two months ago). The bridge position is very hard to hold, and I've gained about 10 pounds, almost entirely in my midsection.

And the weigh-in: holding steady at 140.

Growing muscle in my sleep

Here's a fun tidbit of pregnancy physiology: A typical non-pregnant uterus weighs about 60 g, and is made up primarily of muscle tissue. During pregnancy, the uterus grows 16 times this size to become 1 kg. Of pure muscle.

It's a body-builders dream, putting on 2 pounds of muscle in your sleep.

Anyway, at the gym today:

Deadlifts - 65 x 12, 12, 12*
Presses - 40 x 10, 8, 7, 7
V-sit ball tosses (4 kg) - 30, 30, 40
Ham curls (reverse bridge on the ball - 3 sets of 12

* These are getting a bit awkward -- I have to place my feet a little wider (and therefore my hands) to accommdate the growing belly.

Rowing - 3250 m/17 minutes (250 m intervals of slow/fast)

I was aiming for 20 minutes of rowing, but I was really tired (squinching my eyes closed and gritting my teeth to get through the fast intervals), and according to everything I've read, pregnant ladies are supposed to surrender to the tired, rather than fight through it. Which is counter-intuitive to me, but I guess I'll save it for labour.

Weigh-in: 140. I knew this would happen sooner or later. But 2 pounds of it is uterus!

The sun followed us home from Florida

I planned a run instead of gym today, to take advantage of the beautiful 20º weather. Alas! I very nearly slept through it all this afternoon! I took an early lunch, so I could digest and run in the early afternoon. "Digesting" (ie: reading on my bed) turned into a two-hour nap! A wonderful, cozy nap indeed, but still, when it's this kind of warm in November, napping should at least take place outside on the lawn!

But, I guess I needed the rest. Rested and revived, I headed out around 3 PM and jogged 5.8 km in 38:30 min. It felt great.

I feel like I've found my pregnancy pace for running, ever since I had to re-adjusted around week 13 or so. Pre-pregnancy and 1st trimester, I was I was able to do 5K in about 25 minutes; about 5 min per kilometre. Since early October, I've been averaging a pace that's more like 6 or 6.5 min/kilometre, depending on the day. (And there was one slog in there that was as slow as 7 min/km.)

Since that's a pace that many regular folks run at normally, I feel pretty good about it (I'm constantly struggling with feeling lame at the amount of scaling back I've had to do...). Because it's all about winning the race, right? ;-)

Surprise burst of energy

I went to the gym today a little pooped, but ended up getting some sort of second wind and thus enjoyed some extra time on the treadmill...

Today's pre-ultrasound workout:

Warm-up: row 1000 m (5 min)

Alternating sets:
Squats - 65 x 10, 10, 10 + finishers 45 x 18
Calf presses - 240ish x 10, 10, 10
(Compare to last time, when I had much less energy)

Alternating sets:
Bent-over rows - 25 x 10, 10, 10 (each arm)
Back extensions - 12, 12 (stopped after two as back began to cramp)

Treadmill:
1/4 mile intervals - 5.5 mph/7.5 mph x 3
Another mile @ 6 mph + some walking during heartrate checks (which ultimately failed).
Total: 2.6 miles in 25 minutes.

I was just going to do the intervals, but the 6 mph pace felt so good, I just couldn't stop. I would've kept going antoher 5 min but I really had to go to the bathroom...

Weigh-in: Still 138...

Then, off to the ultrasound, which was an amazing experience. It pretty much confirmed that those mysterious abdominal gurglings MUST be fetal movement. The kid's a g-d gymnast! Plus there are those great big farmer hands that are already practicing the flick...