Disney Full Marathon & Goofy Challenge Finish

It took a while (and a promise to my husband that I would walk), but I convinced him that I should do the full after how well the half went. The am deal was the same as the 1/2- up at 3:30, on the bus before 4 to go to Epcot for a 6am start. They had us leave the staging area earlier this time as the start line was further away. They divided the start into 2 groups with 2 start lines. As they counted down to the start they had fireworks and flame throwers. The two start groups went on different courses for the first couple of miles, then met in Epcot. This made it a bit less crowded than the 1/2 marathon start where I spent so much time dodging walkers. We ran through Epcot first, then headed to the Magic Kingdom. By the time we got to the Magic Kingdom it was getting light and warm. We then headed to the Animal Kingdom- the stretch between MK and AK was the really boring part, and it was long. It was really neat to run through the Animal Kingdom- you could see some of the animals and smell a few too. From the Animal Kingdom we headed to Hollywood Studios, then through a resort area, back into Epcot to the finish.
My plan was to run the first 13 and then see how I felt- I never got to the point where I thought I should stop. The last 2 miles started to get warm when the sun came out, but it was not too hard to push through those. I finished in 4:28, not a bad time at all. When I finished the race I was given my marathon medal, then taken to the Goofy tent and given the Goofy Medal.
The race was very well done- much more 'Disney' than the 1/2, we got to see all of the parks. There were 22 water stops, 2 banana stops, a Gu stop, and a candy stop. Lots of bathrooms along the way, and very supportive volunteers.
My biggest fear in running the Disney Marathon was running by myself. I run every morning with my girlfriends, whether I run 5 or 20 miles, I always have someone there to run with. I thought that not having that support would be my downfall, but having thousands of others around made a difference. My teammates wrote 'Baby on Board, Baby's 3rd race' on my shirt- and that started a lot of conversations. Any man on the course who had a wife pregnant with #1 ran with me and told me all about it. A few dads chatted with me for a while, and a few other people started conversations. It was such a fun race!

Disney Half Marathon

The races went great! The half marathon was an easy course, much flatter than what I am used to, and a heck of a lot warmer! Getting up at 3:30 am to catch a bus was not the highlight, but it was easier than I expected. When the bus dropped you off, you had to walk a good distance to the race area. Waiting around went much faster than I expected, between meeting with my team, potty lines, and then the walk to the start. Running through the Magic Kingdom was fun, but it was only 5-10 minutes of a 2 hour race, a little less Disney than I expected. By the time I finished (2:08- top 15% of my age group) I had decided to run the marathon the next day- it was just convincing my husband that I should do it against my OB's advice. I got back to the Wilderness Lodge just as the kids and Rich were having pancakes. I thought I would dislike the 6 am start, but having run and being back to the hotel by 9:15 was nice.

Last Long Runs Before Disney!!

Tracy, Stephanie and I have our last long runs before Disney this weekend!! We are all very excited and cannot wait to run. We are doing teh 1/2 Marathon- I am finally okay with not doing the Goofy Challenge and am aiming to do it in 2010! Taking care of myself and baby #3 is most important!

First Race of the New Year

Today I ran my first race of the year- and my first race pregnant! It was so much fun- I ran the Rotary Resolution 10K in Lessburg. It was so nice to run a race that was off road after my last few races (Marine Corps Marathon & Army 10 Miler). The weather was perfect, and the course was hilly. I worked very hard to keep my pace slow and take it easy (which is not my personality). I was happy with my time (58 minutes) and was okay with not running a fast race by the end. We made a sign for my back that said 'Baby #3's First Race'. I got lots of comments- most supportive. After the race a guy came up to me and said that he had been trying to catch me the entire race and vener could- that made me feel great! I cannot wait for Disney next week. I am alright with not doing the marathon- especially after I found out that Paula Radcliffe, the NYC Marathon winner, never ran a marathon distance while pregnant in an effort to stay healthy!

Happy New Year!

Pregnancy Fitness

I have been doing a lot of reading and research on running/ fitness while pregnant. My biggest find is that the whole 'heart-rate' thing is out the window!
Dr.s are now using perceived effort-
this is from an artice on Paula Radcliffe, the woman that wone the NYC Marathon-
"Heart-rate precautions do not have scientific backing, said Dr. Mona Shangold, director of the Center for Women’s Health and Sports Gynecology in Philadelphia, and an expert recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Gynecologists no longer recommend even monitoring a pregnant woman’s heart rate if she exercises because heart rates vary so much from pre-pregnancy levels, as do the heart rate’s responses to exercise.
Dr. Shangold recommends using perceived effort as a guide and making sure that the effort remains moderate."

Here is some info I found on Runningskirts.com
Benefits of Pregnancy Fitness:There is a lot of recent research about the safety and benefits of running during pregnancy for both mom and baby, some of these include:
Healthier Moms
-regular exercise during pregnancy builds stamina and prepares & strengthens muscles and body for delivery
-running during pregnancy reduces fatigue, nausea and constipation
-maternity exercise has been proven to help prevent gestational diabetes
-maternity fitness contributes to shorter labor & less delivery complications
-fit mommies have fewer c-sections
-running moms also experience less lower back pain
-moms to be who exercise also have less swelling of extremities
Happier Moms
-regular exercise and/or running promotes well being and less postpartum depression
-pregnancy fitness regimens lead to quick recoveries & return to pre-pregnancy weight
-a fit mom has less anxiety & stress related to pregnancy
-better sleep, less insomniaYummy Mummies
-running during pregnancy prevents excessive weight gain
-cardio exercise during pregnancy increases blood flow to skin = healthy glow
-pregnant running improves posture & appearance
-It's just makes you look & feel better!
-A regular moderate running program leads to increased energy in first and second trimesters
-Maintaining fitness during pregnancy helps moms regain pre-pregnancy body quicker
-Running and other moderate impact exercise leads to less development of varicose veins
Happier Babies
-A regular pregnancy fitness regimen better prepares baby for transition from womb
-Pregnancy Running increases blood circulation & placental efficiency
-Running while pregnant also increases newborn baby's capacity to self calm & self quiet
Healthier Babies
-Regular exercise decreases baby fat without decreasing normal growth
-Cardio fitness leads to increased blood flow from placenta which supplies nutrition & oxygen to the fetus
Smarter Babies
-Mommies who run have increased fetal movements, which studies have shown leads to quicker development of oral language skills
Most experts recommend continuing any fitness activities and moderate exercise you participated in prior to becoming pregnant, but scaling back the intensity and duration of your workouts. Of course, you should avoid any activities that present elevated risk of falling or injury such as ice skating, roller blading, downhill skiing, snowboarding, downhill cycling, water skiing, etc. Be sure to stay cool & adequately hydrated, especially during warm days and summer months.