Well, I’m in the third trimester with 62 more days. I predict that this little guy will come a couple of weeks sooner as I will have just finished the 17p injections. I wouldn’t mind if he came slightly early—his lungs should be fully developed at this point.

This pregnancy has not gone quite as I envisioned activity wise with the increased risk of preterm labor and what I think is the HOTTEST summer ever! Even early mornings and evenings are still hot. Plus, it is engrained in me to work out around 3:30 or 4, probably one of the hottest times of day. My body has been used to that for years thanks to high school and college track. In the third trimester I am still doing about the same small increments of walking or elliptical and yoga. I run for 25m increments periodically during my walks, mainly just to see that I still can and remind my body that I am a runner just on a temporary hiatus. Yoga has been a lifesaver. Keeps me grounded, balanced, and leaves me feeling great. Check out my product review of Prenatal Yoga for Partners. That turned out better than expected with my non-yogi husband.

With Allie I try to spend a little time with her outside every day. I had hoped to do a lot of camping, hiking, canoeing, and fly fishing with her. That is obviously not happening, but she is totally happy and easily entertained even if we just play in our yard. There are some days when I stay in and let Dada play outside with her. We continue to go to the pool—which the water in it is pretty warm as it sits in a very sunny spot. It still feels good and is fun for the family.

I fantasize about running on crisp fall days both with and without 2 little ones in tow. Seems heavenly. My first postnatal purchase will be a new pair of running shoes.

Nutritionally speaking, I continue to eat many small meals a day as I do when I am not pregnant. I am still trying to drink more water. I am drinking a glass as I write this.

When I was pregnant with Allie, I did not consume caffeine. With this pregnancy, and keeping up with a toddler, I managed to not consume caffeine for the first 2 trimesters. I have now thrown in the towel and allow myself a tall vanilla latte every morning. It is marvelous and well under 200mg of caffeine allowable during pregnancy. It is also reassuring that my mother started drinking coffee when she was pregnant with me (probably much more than my little morning latte) and had no problems.

We have a trip planned to Florida next week. I am excited to finally travel somewhere. It has been quite a while. I am a little apprehensive traveling this late in my pregnancy, however. It will be just seven weeks before my due date. (Allie was born 5 weeks early!)  We are driving, so plan to stop every hour for me to walk and I will drink a lot of water. Looking forward to doing a little night fishing and lots of time in the water.

At this point I am still very comfortable. Not too big, just look like I’ve stuffed a basketball in my shirt. Wedding bands still fit. Blood pressure has remained the same as if I were running and not pregnant.  Pre-natal fitness is certainly key to having a healthy pregnancy!) I am mainly just getting a little impatient. Don’t like having to hold back and the heat is getting to me.

I heartily recommend daily naps.    I missed my nap a couple of days and felt totally exhausted.

Frankly, it has not quite sunk in that I have a whole little person growing in my belly. Even with hearing the heartbeat, feeling him kick, seeing him on ultrasound, I know it probably won’t really sink in until he is actually here and I can see him face to face. That’s how it was with Allie. I look forward to meeting him. He is pretty active as Allie was. She continues to be on the go non-stop, except when she is sleeping. I think my husband and I are incapable of having an inactive child!  But then, that's a GOOD thing!!

I'll keep you posted!

Kati Rouse

Guess what?  I'm pregnant--again!  Just when I had gotten back into great running shape following the birth of our first child, Allie, we found out that she's going to be a big sister!  This reminds me of that first pregnancy--ie, getting into a good workout routine and boom!  pregnant!  (You can read my "Musings from a runner/mommy:  a new journey", which recounts my first pregnancy-to-toddler experience.)   Deja vu!

Just like the first time, I totally had morning sickness 24/7 until Week Thirteen.  However, UNlike the first time, I did not have the luxury of giving into it when I wanted.  For some reason, Allie didn't seem to understand why Mommy wanted to lie down when the sun was shining and there was fun to be had!  As for being active, I still managed during the first trimester to do yoga, Pilates, walk, go on hikes (light to moderate), and fly fish, as well as chase after my two-year-old.  Keeping something on my stomach at all times helped somewhat, but by no means eliminated the nausea.  Quite frankly, I prefer labor to morning sickness.  (Also, I'm not sure who came up with the term "morning" sickness--definitely a misnomer!)

I am now in my twenty-third week and under doctor's orders to restrict my activity somewhat, due to Allie's preterm birth.  (She was born at thirty-four weeks and was small, but luckily avoided a stay in the NICU.)  I began getting injections of 17Alpha Hydroxyprogesterone Caproate (17P) at 20 weeks and will continue to get these injections up to week 36 to help prevent preterm labor. I try to make sure I get adequate water intake, fiber, and protein. I could do better on taking my vitamins and getting plenty of iron in my diet.

I had hoped to still be running at this point in the pregnancy, but have accepted walking and light hiking instead.  (Another consideration to limiting my activities is the 90+ temps outside!)  I still continue with prenatal yoga and Pilates, and occasionally do a little fly fishing with the family.  I have also started jogging in the pool and working out on the elliptical.  I can actually get my heart rate up a little on the latter two!  I do break my workouts into smaller increments now so that I do not over-exert or get overheated in the high temps outside.  I try to take a short nap or at least prop my feet up while Allie is napping.

I have had to adjust not only what I do, but also how I do things.  It takes a little creativity, and certainly yoga and Pilates help in using muscles properly; but I also have become more aware of which activities to avoid and which ones can be modified to reduce the risk of complications in my pregnancy.  This is especially true when lifting a certain little two-year-old!  My husband has helped a lot, and my mom has helped as well.  Even though I have been forced to scale back my activity, I still get to experience the outdoors and love to see Allie enjoying it!  We will continue to enjoy short, easy hikes, lots of water time, and of course, fly fishing! We have a family trip planned to Florida around my 32^nd week. I will keep you posted on my progress.

A little background about my running: Sprinter in high school and college (100 to 400m, long and triple jumps), but did run a few seasons of cross country in high school and college. Once I graduated, made the transition to distance. Prefer trail running, but not opposed to running on whatever road is nearby. Since college my running ebbs and flows. I do Pilates or yoga every day. I had just started going strong again when I became pregnant. Not totally excited,wondered why my husband couldn’t be the pregnant one. Determined I would continue with my running regimen, and not be one of those women who have morning sickness. I totally ate my words—within a week of making that statement. One word to describe how I felt up to my 13th week –GREEN. Never threw up, wish that I had. Totally nauseated 24/7. I love coffee, but could not even stand the smell of it. My poor fly fishing guide husband had to resort to moving the coffee pot on the front porch for his morning jolt—and ultimately, just having to get some at the gas station because my acute sense of smell picked up on the coffee when the front door was opened. Needless to say, not much running during this time. Did manage to get through some prenatal yoga and pilates during this time and gentle walking, but sometimes just bed, zestas, and tv. As I warmed to the idea of being pregnant and felt slightly human again in my 14th week, I got back into walk/jogging, which is what I continued for the entire pregnancy along with yoga and pilates. Might have done a little more, but did not take vitamins. Never could get my stomach to handle it. For a couple of weeks, I managed to get some Flinstones down. I think I had an iron deficiency the whole time. Allie was most content when I was in motion. Nice bonding moment for us —felt a strong connection with her during these times that only a pregnant mom could understand. Allie came 5 weeks early—within a couple of weeks I resumed walking, then postnatal yoga. Running with the jogging stroller at 3 months. Loved this time—nothing intense as I would sing a lot to Allie— the only one who appreciates my singing (my younger brother banned me from singing along to the radio or just singing in general years ago on one of our family vacations. He received all the musical genes from my parents and is now a very talented musician). Now Allie is 2, and is less content in the stroller. Sometimes varying the route or going faster does the trick (I definitely benefit from this as well as I tend to get into running ruts at times). What she has the most fun with lately is actually running with me. I either jog in place or do some light plyometrics along with her telling me “Allie runs fast!” . I love to watch her—arms flailing, little body bobbing up and down as she moves along. I am actually quite impressed with her balance and coordination. (I attribute it to our mommy and me yoga time). I look forward to many more years of running with her. Lately, I have been working out on the elliptical during her naptime. I do get the occasional solo run, and I do enjoy it! It is a great time to decompress and reconnect with my old self, energizing me to fulfill my roles as wife, mother, caretaker of 3 large pups, and manager of 2 businesses.

Maybe I should stop reading the New York Times, and start running with my child. Then again, what would I do with the hours I spend nursing while indulging in some great articles.

Oh, yeah, I forgot, I can’t run for the life of me and I have a three year old and a two month old!  Well, according to this article I am the perfect candidate to start a good running program.

The article cites a study done at Texas A&M University that found no increased injury because of stroller running.  The author gives plenty of great tips on how to run with a stroller, since it will change your arm positioning, your leg placement and your cadence.  It is really important that you select a stroller that is a great fit.  This could be a challenge since good strollers are quite expensive and are often pushed by more than one adult.

My husband and I have gone through a few strollers before we found one that worked for both of us.  Thankfully they were all given to us used and we don’t use them for running.  I use our double Chariot stroller very often.  It is a great stroller that can be used for many sports (walking, biking, running, skiing) and carries a lot of gear.  I hesitate to mention it here because it is so expensive and their customer service pretty horrible.  The main activity I do with it is walk long distances on bike paths.

If you are a stroller-pushing runner or an aspiring one, I would love to hear your stories.  What stroller do you prefer?  What are some techniques you use?  Can you beat Mr.Bither who can run two and a half hours at a pace of 7:15 minutes per mile with his double stroller?  I know I can’t, but just to get a chance to go to Brooklyn and be in Prospect Park again, I challenge him to a run around the park!

Heidi

There are some great giveaways awaiting you. All you need to do is sign up for our newsletter or share a story.

CW-X Stabilyx Tights

CW-X makes a line of compression and stabilization undergarments. I tried out the Stabilyx Tights which CW-X claims are, “ideal for activities with lateral motion such as skiing and snowboarding.” I have tried them while skiing, biking, and playing hockey. CW-X says that they support the knee, the hamstrings, quadriceps, core and adductors while also facilitating cooling and peak performance. I can’t really fully evaluate all of their claims, but I can say that I felt supported in the muscle areas that the tight targets. I did wrap my upper adductors for extra stability when I played hockey. Also, the hip-to-ankle tight itself is more comprehensively designed and constructed than anything that I have seen or worn before.

Soft Support Bra:

It is hard to find a sports bra that fits well, supports well and is comfortable.  Initially when you put on the CW-X soft support bra it feels kind of confining, but you kind of get used to it because of the amazing results.  I used the bra for working out, biking, hiking, and doing outdoor sports and it gave me the best support I have ever gotten in a sports bra.  I used it while pregnant where my bust increased in size and need of support and I always felt very comfortable.  I really recommend this bra for any outdoor enthusiastic women.

Overall, my family and I do not like energy bars. We get easily bored with their texture, consistency and the fact that they are not really like a real meal, but we do end up relying on them when doing outdoor activities. Some of the ingredients in many bars on the market are not that great for you, or are additives.  Many have ingredients that are major allergens.

In the end, I think all three of us would decide to bring Jocalat bars on a trip with us.  We don’t usually feed chocolate to our daughter, but these bars are not chocolate bars in the sense that we are familiar with.  They have cocao in their list of ingredients, which gives any energy bar a more distinguished, earthy and real flavor.

Both LaraBar and Jocalat : All natural wholesome ingredients. Most bars have between three and five ingredients.  Made from 100% whole food, no added sugar, unprocessed, raw, gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan, kosher, 1 serving of fruit. Made with nuts and seeds.  All nutrition comes from real, whole foods.

LaraBar

Pros:  You get your nutrition from real food that is minimally tampered with.  Offers you a serving of fruit when you are in places where getting your fruit and vegetables may be more difficult.

Cons:  Mushy texture, all flavors slightly similar, made my daughter go to the bathroom, too sweet, low in protein. Eating a whole one made me feel like I was chewing something I should not be.  I did not feel full or energetic after eating it.

Jocalat

Pro:  Chocolate, consistent texture, no overwhelming sugar rushes or flavors, simple, you get your nutrition from untampered food.  Felt satisfied for a short while after eating it.

Con:  low in protein. Could get boring to eat really fast since most flavors are similar.

ClifBar: Made by ClifBar a company that specializes in energy products.  They make their bars from natural and organic ingredients and really study the composition of each of their products to deliver a more balanced energy product.  Their bars are some of the most balanced on the market when you look at the ratio of calories, fat, protein, carbohydrates and sugars.  They have a huge variety of flavors.

On the whole we liked the different bars we tried but did not like the heavy use of soy and flavors that where more like deserts.

Pro:  Many flavors, balanced nutrition, texture is like that of a moist cookie,   felt more energy for longer but felt a slight sugar high and crash.

Con: heavy on the stomach, uses soy, too many ingredients, and not enough use of real unmanipulated products

I know this is not the answer you are looking for.   I will look into this question more thoroughly and get back with more information.

If more mothers, families and pregnant women share their need for better outdoor clothing, I am sure that some companies will step up and create clothing that is more appropriate.

I'm looking for some maternity clothing suitable for outdoor winter running and cross country skiing.  I'm 6 months pregnant and my tech-fabric running shirts don't quite cover my belly anymore.  It's a bit too chilly to have that exposed skin!  My active vests and jackets aren't cutting it anymore either.  I've tried borrowing my husband's gear, but his stuff is too big and baggy.  The only maternity "workout" gear I've ever seen is for yoga, which isn't really the styling and fabrics needed for outdoor pursuits.

Is there anything out there for us active pregnant ladies who still want to get out there and exercise in the winter?

I am an ultra-marathon runner and have a 2 1/2 year old son. I ran all the up to 2 days before delivering Shepard. I starting running again 2 weeks after (very little and slow) and 6 weeks later I ran a trail half-marathon. At that time I also starting running with my son in the best jog stroller ever invented. We own the Chariot Carrier CX-1 www.chariotcarries.com . It completely encloses your child and has an infant attachment that provides support for a newborn. This jog stroller has allowed me to gain my strength and fitness back in less than 9 months. We spend countless hours on the road and rail trails together. We both love it! We run all year round and all types of weather. It has a water proof covering for downpours. Mom gets wet but Shepard stays warm and dry! My Chariot also converts to a bike trailer. I have been able to cross train and pull him to work 2X a week during the warmer months. Shep will be able to use it up to 75 pounds; at that weight he should be able to push me around then!

I tested out the 12 cm container which holds 3 cups of food.  The bowl was completely airtight.  I stored the soup I did not finish that I cooked on a backpacking stove inside my pack and I never got a messy leak.  I was on a whitewater canoe trip and this bowl came very handy.  I like to try to keep my gear to a minimum and this bowl does the trick.  Also, for thirteen bucks it really is economical as outdoor gear gets.  I was easy to wash and did not get too dirty when cooking on our little stove. 

I love gear that I can use outdoors and also at home ( spend less $ on consumer goods).  This container is great to store snacks for little trips around town.  It can easily carry yogurt.   My daughter likes to store her snack in the container and close the three little clasps.  When she is done I can through it in my bag with no mess even if it flips upside down  or I am riding my bike.

 They are available in four convenient sizes: 14 cm, 12 cm, 10 cm and 8 cm diameter. They are made of high grade stainless steel #304. Easy to clean, the bottom part can be washed in the dishwasher.

Another great reason to buy this container is that you will be purchasing less plastic and storing your food in a more healthy environment.   Outdoor travel is surrounded by plastic and I am making it a point to feature products that reduce our use of this toxic material.

To purchase this great product click on this link:  Life without plastic

Life without Plastic is a web-based company based out of Canada and run by a family.  They offer many other products that I would love to get my hands on.

Maybe these little bowls will become the Sigg version of food containers, can you imagine them in different colors and designs. Hey, maybe I should get royalty on that.  For now, you can take a marker and write on the container to identify the content or the user.  Useful, if you are traveling with a few little ones and you are digging through your pack for your picky toddlers bowl of snack and not your leftovers.

www.lifewithoutplastic.com

Heidi

Richmond, Virginia straddles the James River.  James River Park offers over 500 acres of urban wilderness on islands and river banks on both sides.  I'm most familiar with the Huguenot Woods section on the south side that stretches along Riverside Drive east of the Huguenot Bridge.  It has become a family tradition to walk along the river on Thanksgiving morning.  It is a beautiful and simple hiking path, surrounded by autumn trees, grasses, a pond, and friendly faces.  The trail goes along the James River where you can see birds, fish and rocks because the water is low this time a year.  If you are adventurous you can walk on these rocks quite far into the river.  In the spring this river is a great whitewater canoe or kayak spot.  But stay away from the shallow dam, where the turbulence can be treacherous.  The trail is about two miles long with different loop options.

• Further west, in Midlothian, there is a small park called Robious Landing, that can be a nice spot to visit with small children.  The park is adjacent to a playground and there's a short path along the water’s edge with floating docks that let you look at the river upclose or go fishing.

Both these places are great places to get a beautiful run surrounded by beautiful scenery. A short amount of biking can be done also.
 

When my first was born I thought my long distance days were over. Far from it. With a 3 year old and an 18 month old, my program just keeps getting better. First, get a double stroller. Then, have a wardrobe of warm kid clothes to choose from. The faster you can pull it out and throw it on them, the better. We've got a nearby scenic hill that is 1.5 miles up and climbs 700 feet. It's got a single lane paved road to the top, which is only open to pedestrians. So I push the 100 pound load up the hill (while wearing the wrist safety strap) at a slug's pace but technically running. At the top, there is a commanding view of the city and I always pack snacks for the kids. We have a picnic up there and on the way down, the 3 year old likes to run part of the steep downhill. She has even run the whole thing before but I don't push her. This started with just one kid in a single stroller. I thought I was going to die. Then I added the second and now they're both pretty good size, around 26 pounds each. The stroller is well over 40. I recently did a 50 mile trail race with over 8k feet of elevation (not pushing the stroller) and I could clearly feel the benefit that weekly hill run had done for my training. Whether or not these kids grow up to be runners isn't of concern to me, but hearing them say things at the dinner table like, "If I eat my vegetables all gone I'll be a strong runner like daddy," seems to indicate they're pointed in the right direction.