I'm BAAAACK!

In my two month hiatus from FitMeBlogging, a whole heck-of-a-lot has happened. I'm ready to start blogging again, mostly because I'm dying to start working out again. Exercising, and blogging about fitness seem to go hand-in-hand. So before I figure out how I'm going to fit fitness into the chaos of motherhood once again, I'll start with a quick recap of the past two months!

First, I bid farewell to my husband as he left for the Wasatch Back Ragnar race a few days before I was due, and prayed that the motorcycle ride my cousin took me on that morning wouldn't send me into labor! It didn't! (NOTHING sent me into labor--not my spin class, not walking 3 miles, not painting new shelves in every closet of the house, not lift class, not reorganizing closets, not cleaning--NOTHING until the day I actually did NOTHING. I finally went into labor in the middle of the night on the day I was scheduled to be induced...5 days after my actual due-date! Hooray!)

A week after the race, I gave birth to this angel baby. I can't believe she's already a month old!

Everything life-changing always happens in sets of 3. Having a new baby was no different! A few weeks before she was born, we found out that my husband could possibly be losing his job. He was encouraged to apply for a new position that could either keep us where we are, or could move us to Colorado Springs. A few days before she was born, he was offered a new position/promotion RIGHT HERE. No big move with a new baby...phew! I am SO GRATEFUL for the blessing of a good job in this economy, but those first few weeks of my husband working LONG hours to adjust, I was sort of wishing we'd just taken the severance package so he could be home with me! Oddly, though, having both of us adjusting to hard things at the same time has really strengthened our marriage.

The third big change happened this week: I turned 30! On Sunday, August 1, 2010, I officially entered the 30's club! I was kind of sad to say good-bye to my fun 20's, but hopefully it just gets better! My husband threw me a "surprise" luau-party that would have actually been a surprise if my 4-year old hadn't told me how much I was going to love the cakes they bought me! Oh well...I had a blast anyway!

With all my life-changes and post-baby-feeling-not-so-cute stage, I was having sort of a mid-life crisis. What does one do in such a situation? Chop off 8 inches of hair, that's what!

It's short, it's sassy, it's blonde again (I dyed it for the first time in 4 years), and I'm hoping I don't regret it! Hair always grows, right?

Now that I've gotten the first post-baby blog post over with, I hope to be back much more regularly! And speaking of "regular," I have to say that there REALLY is something to a whole food/plant-based diet. Hemorrhoids? Gone in a week. Baby weight gain? Only 4 pounds left to lose...I haven't done ANY exercise yet. My body definitely still looks frumpy, but the weight is falling off quicker than ever before! All I'm doing is eating TONS of fruit and veggies. Check out a few recipes I've tried here! It feels good to be back. I'm going to start working out on Monday with an early morning spin class. Can't wait! I also let my sis-n-law talk me into running this crazy race in September. Life does continue after a new baby...phew! I'll see you soon!

Happy Mother's Day with some pregnancy woes

What is it about being pregnant that makes a woman super approachable? I don't know if it's just me, but seriously EVERY stranger I meet feels completely free to comment on my ever-expanding belly. I'm always asked when I'm due, and when I say "not until June 22nd," eyes start bulging. Yes...I realize that my tummy doesn't look like it could possibly get any bigger, but trust me...it will.

Last week while visiting my sister and family, I went to a few of her Zumba classes. (Best Zumba instructor, ever!) Before going, I made the comment that I was going to look a bit ridiculous shaking my booty with my ginormous front side. My dad said, "You just think everyone's watching you, but they're not." I said, "Normally, I'd agree with you. But when you're 8-months pregnant in a Zumba class, everyone really is watching you." I was right. I went to two back-to-back classes with my cute (also pregnant...just not showing yet) sister, and after each one, several people came up to me to offer their thoughts and advice. "Are you trying to go into labor?" "You really should probably slow down a bit." "When are you due?" "I was watching you during class thinking...that girl's baby is going to pop right out!"

Is it really so odd to see a pregnant girl working out? Dancing and hip shaking...maybe so. But it's not just Zumba. While lifting weights last week, a man stopped and asked me all sorts of questions about whether I felt the baby moving while I worked out, whether my exercise was "doctor prescribed," and whether I thought it was "safe." After a Spin class, a funny lady asked when I was due, then exclaimed "Are you sure there's only one in there? Because I just kept thinking 'That girl's about to have her baby!'" Today in church, a teenage girl saw me and a friend (who's scheduled to have a C-Section in two weeks), and yelled, "When are you guys due, because you both look like you're about to pop!" Watch out, everybody, my belly's about to explode!

Yes, my friends. I have been blessed with a short torso, so there's really nowhere for the baby to go but OUT. I'm just praying that all of the you're about to pop comments aren't predictions of anything soon to come. I've never actually gone into labor before (I even drank castor oil with my first), and this pregnancy is the first time that I really don't want to...until my actual due date! Here's why:

1. I'm terrified of having THREE kids.
2. I handle pregnancy a lot better than I handle the newborn-sleep-deprived-engorged-with-milk-out-to-my-elbows stage.
3. My husband is running the Wasatch Back (a 2-day, 180-mile relay race) two days before my due date.
4. My mother-in-law (AKA babysitter) along with several other family members are also running the race. If I go into labor, the kids are coming with me...crap!
5. We don't have a name.
6. Every other reason in the book that having a baby in June just isn't convenient for selfish-me!

So maybe I should stop Zumba-ing, Spinning, and Lifting. But before I have a baby, my workouts always seem to get more intense. Not because I'm trying to make any body changes, but because I know post-baby workouts are much harder to come by. I'm taking advantage!

And as anti-baby as I sound, I really am actually looking forward to holding my sweet little girl next month. As hard as newborns are, there's nothing like having a piece of heaven in your arms. A piece of heaven that grows all too quickly! One of my favorite quotes on motherhood (thanks to my friend, Evelyn) is this:

Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body. -Elizabeth Stone

My belly is ever-expanding, and my heart is about to split into three. Being a mom is the hardest thing I've ever done. Carrying a child is the rudest thing I've ever done to my body. But I thank my Heavenly Father EVERY DAY that he's loaned me these precious children. I can't imagine my life any other way.

So am I offended by those who take it upon themselves to analyze the shape and size of my body? Not at all (or at least not much)! A miracle is occurring inside of me, and as much as I want to have my old body back, I'm trying to enjoy every last minute of this pregnancy. I get to bring a real person into this world. I am blessed, and I can't wait to meet her!

Confessions of a Chocoholic...and a big announcement!

So I have a few confessions...

• Who am I kidding? I am NOT giving up chocolate until Christmas. I've found that depriving myself of one of my true loves--chocolate--does nasty things to my mood. But I am going to try THIS chocolate that I read about on THIS blog.
  

GREEN AND BLACK 85% CACAO DARK CHOCOLATE. It's LOW in sugar, LOW on the glycemic index, chock full of antioxidants, and rumor has it that it also tastes great! Haven't tried it yet, but after reading Bonnie's raving reviews, I'm sold. So for those of you joining me in the no chocolate challenge, you win! I lose!

• I never told you about the funnest race of the year...the Vegas Ragnar.
  

We had a blast. Getting NO SLEEP when it's my choice, and not a result of screaming children is actually really fun! I ran with my husband, my sister-in-law, my brother, my cousin, and two of my favorite old roommates. It was a 180-mile party! Somehow having them there made me run my fastest time ever...go figure! I'll be running more of these crazy Ragnars in the future...let me know if you want to join in on the madness!

• There's a real reason for my lack of posting. I'M PREGNANT WITH BABY #3! A little nausea + MAJOR EXHAUSTION + still trying to work out in the morning + needy children and husband = blog deprivation. I'm only 8 weeks along, so I have a loooooooong way to go. But I'm thrilled that I get to bring another human being into this world.

I may focus a bit more on having a fit pregnancy, but other than that, fitmepink is still fitmepink! I'll try to drag my lazy self off the couch with more updates and less confessions.

See you soon!

Ragnar Relay: The Wasatch Back in Review

A week ago tomorrow, I embarked on a journey. I embarked on a 31 hour, 23 minute, 7.4 second journey to be exact. I got to run an 18.5 mile leg of 188 miles from Logan to Park City, UT. And I got to spend it with 11 amazing others who ran the remaining 169.5 miles. I knew I would be tired. I knew I would be sore. I knew I would enjoy the kid-free weekend (maybe too much...the things I'll do to have some me-time!). I also knew I would cry (because races always bring out my emotional-sentimental side). What I didn't know, however, was what an impact this race, more than any previous race, would have on me.

You see, most races are purely selfish in nature. You go to the start line, the whistle blows, and you end at the finish line. YOU end at the finish line. However long the distance, you complete it yourself. Someone might be there to cheer you on. And if you're lucky (like my husband), someone might even run a bit with you. But you start, you finish, you get your medal, you feel amazing for what you accomplished, and you go home.

The Ragnar Relay series, however, are different. You are part of an actual team. No one wants you to finish more than your team does. 12 runners, same goal: to finish 188 sleepless miles. That's right, one hundred and eighty-eight crazy-uphill-in-the-rain-and-fog-and-middle-of-the-night-into-the-morning-while-breathing-dust-and-smelling-like-yesterday's-sweat-while-hanging-out-with-previous-strangers-who-are-now-your-best-friends-stinking-glorious miles.

I got to start the race as runner #1. That meant that after my 3rd leg, I was the first to finish. But my finish didn't feel like a finish at all. I got to watch the rest of my team run up c.r.a.z.y. steep hills, and down c.r.a.z.y. knee-jarring descents. I wanted to cry as slowly, but surely, we all finished. WE. ALL. FINISHED.

At a post-race team BBQ, we all looked (and smelled) like different people. We'd all felt like sleeping for days straight when the race was over. But every runner said that they'd do it again. In a heartbeat, even. (Or maybe in Vegas in October?!?!?!)

Life gives us hard things. In this case, we each chose the hard thing. We knew we'd be exhausted. We knew we would experience hot and cold and rain and sunshine. And somehow, we knew we'd survive. At some point we would see the glorious "ONE MILE TO GO" sign (or at least the faint smell of the "honey bucket" at the exchange point). But let me tell you...after surviving that, I know I can do anything. The proverbial "ONE MILE TO GO" sign is looming ahead during any trial. You just keep going, and remember to reach out to your team for support (and water)!! That's what they're there for...to help you make it to the finish line!

And guess what else got me through? The OTHER teams! I would read the vans as I ran to pass the time. One of my favorites read, "We tell ourselves there's nothing to fear. Sometimes we're wrong." That pretty much sums it up. Thanks for the laughs, fellow crazies! I LOVED it!

Who's in for next year?