Less than the 1% of the population that run marathons...

How many of that 1% run a marathon pregnant? Well, there was that amazing woman who finished the Chicago Marathon, 9 months pregnant, in labor but I would think that there are very few that actually do. Add me to the list of those that have! OK, so I was about 2 weeks, 4 days pregnant, but still...no sense in getting lost in the details. In the hotel that weekend, my gums bled, typical to what they do only when I'm pregnant. I should have KNOWN then, but I didn't.

After all the negative pregnancy tests, following the positive test, and a missed period, I called my OB to get a blood test. My beta came back at 58....which to everyone else is PREGNANT. Absolutely pregnant.

Wait a second...

I decided to take a test today, just for good measure...and the fricken thing came up negative. See -NO below. I had this happen once before; I got a positive HPT, call the intended parents, only to have a negative blood test. I didn't even get to the blood test this time... Medically, this is a chemical pregnancy. I guess I won't know for sure until I start my next cycle, but I'm prepping myself for it. 

From my surrogacy experience of myself & others, I know that getting pregnant is a total crap shoot. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I just hate that I gave the parents great news, only to squash it a day later. Sigh. Happy Monday.

NO? 

The 2 Week Wait

My intended parents came to Missouri the week before the marathon for some baby-makin activities. Over the next week and a half, I was sure I was pregnant, and then sure I wasn't several times. I swore, no more HPTs and I was just going to take the wait & see approach, like most other rationale people, surrogates excluded...

But then I had a dream that I was in Dubai, visiting my sister in law and we found a fancy HPT kit that also told you boy/girl immediately. I decided that when I woke up, I would pee on a stick...Today was unlike the days before, my heart was beating fast, my palms were sweaty while I waited for the result to show in the window. 

No denying this one! 

10dpo

2x Marathoner!

5:01:34 later, I am a marathon runner. I am so glad I did MCM because it just proved to me that when it's me against the clock, I keep running.

I loved everything about MCM - the expo was great, other than the long line to get it through security, the course, the post-race food, THE MARINES!! I can't wait to do it again next year!

Thank you to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for allowing me to make this run meaningful to more than just me!

Overdue Update

It's been a long while since I've written to this blog. I had good intentions but then I forgot my password...

First things first, I ran a marathon. I finished the Air Force Marathon somewhere around 5:30 with my good friend, Mandi. It was so nice to have that much time to chit chat --why would we want to run fast!?

Then I ran the Missouri Cowbell half marathon. It was tough, just 2 weeks after the AFM and not a whole bunch of water stations...

Last week, I raised all my money to donate to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. I'm quite disappointed with them though; they promised that we would have shirts for MCM and that they would be shipped soon enough that we could train in them....here it is, the week of the marathon, and I don't have mine yet. I certainly won't have time to get it personalized with Rylie's name on it and if it doesn't fit, I guess I'm S.O.L.

In other news, my surrogacy journey began today! My Intended Parents arrived yesterday and we finally got to meet in person, though we've spoken a lot since early this year on the phone and over email. We'll find out by November 9 if I am running with a "Baby on Board" shirt or registering for the Flying Pig Marathon...

9 months = 273.931649 days

In 9 months, a woman can gestate a baby...
In 9 months, my 10K pace went from 12:09/mm to 9:09/mm.

In 3 months, I will run a marathon.

In 3 months, I will attempt to get pregnant for someone else.

I'm not ready for either.

But I keep working everyday to be sure I can go the distance. All the reading I've done says that if I put in the work, I will get to the finish line. In the month of June, I fell 3.5 miles shy of the recommended training plan. That's it.

July is tough though - I have 141 miles to run, I missed a long run and slept through two mid week runs already. I'll be playing catch up for the rest of the month to add those 20+ miles into an already tight training schedule.

As far as the pregnancy, no news is good news. I continue to monitor my cycles and am frustrated by it. When I had my own babies, there was no planning involved...it probably took a few drinks and a happy husband and BAM! I was pregnant...

With my two previous surrogacies, they were medicated cycles so my treating physician put a date on the calendar, jacked me up with hormones and we had a baby. This time will be a natural cycle so I need to be *very* in tune with what my body is doing. Baby Center's prediction is slightly off from Fertility Friend's predictions for my peak time in October. There's so much to coordinate all based on these dates....

And those pesky few pounds that I need to go away... 3 months isn't very much time for them to just vanish off my body!

So yeah, 3 months. That's not a lot of time at all!

99...

Kicked off today with a 3.74 mile run with Kel and our new running friend.

I also mentioned before that I was a previous surrogate mother and now in addition to hopeful marathoner, I'm a hopeful surrogate. A friend of mine from college has a family member will not risk her own health for a pregnancy, so my friend put us in touch, so I could help answer any questions they had to see if surrogacy was an option for them...

A few months back, she emailed me and said, "I know you just started working, I know your husband isn't living with you and you have a lot going on, but will you consider carrying for us?" And that was that. I happily said yes, but not until after I cross this marathon of the bucket list.

I was happy to come home and have a definite ++ surge on my OPK to know that I'm ovulating regularly so that in October, when my running dreams are wrapping up, I can start my next adventure.

It's so good right now to be in tune with my body...

The scale says 132 today...which is a move in the right direction.

100 days

I'm in! I was able to change my Air Force half bib for a full, despite them being sold out. I have 100 days to train for this race and am 2 weeks behind on the training...

Today I put in a 5 mile run and am meeting up with Kel for another 3 in the morning...

My Check in the Box - THE FLYING PIG

Yesterday, I ran my half maraton. I have to say that The Flying Pig Marathon was such a wonderfully organized event. It started with a great expo with a ton of exhibitors and shops and carried through the race.  The course itself was tough and it rained the entire time but there were so many volunteers and supporters all along the route. I'm so glad that I chose this for my first half and am hopeful that I will run it again.

I finished 13.1 miles in 2:28:15. Because I'm competitive, I wanted to beat my friend Mandi's time from her last half (2:19:00) but I didn't do it. It's ok though because from the first raindrop I felt, everything in me was telling me to go back to bed. Somewhere around mile 2 I ran into a puddle and my feet were wet the rest of the way. Miles 6-8 were one steady incline. TOUGH!

The top of the hill, mile 9.

Mandi had a whole team of supporters with her to cheer her on through her first full marathon and my son was also there alongside them to cheer me on. I was thrilled to see them at mile 3 when I was feeling like a rock star and mile 10 when I recovered from the mountain. Their support was enough to keep me going to the finish!

My ankles felt fine and the only discomfort I felt while running was the blisters on my soggy feet.

Note to self: Pack extra socks when running in the rain

At the finish line, there was no shortage of food & drinks. I never did find the beer table but it didn't sound appealing at 9am anyway.

Two Fine Swine at the Finish Line!

I'm not sure what's up next for me. There are a few local races that I'd like to support but I'm also working with the kids sports schedules. My local MOPS group is planning the Sunrise Stampede 5K & 1 Mile Fun Run. I think I would participate in this more out of obligation but I think my days of paying for a 5K are over. I run those on the treadmill regularly and don't need to have a race on the calendar to inspire me. The other race on my radar is Miles for Melanoma and this one happens on my birthday! Do I really want to pay a sitter for either of those? Probably not.

I've been looking for other long races to help with marathon training and there's a shortage of 10Ks+ in my local area. There's an upcoming half in Chicagoland, but that's still 5 hours away. Kansas City too, there's no shortage of races there....

I am excited to run the Air Force Half Marathon in Dayton in September. If I run in Dayton, I'm pretty sure I'll have a good amount of supporters and the website claims it's "fast and flat." It might be the confidence I need going into THE BIGGIE in October.

I'm too cheap...

I had little faith that those inserts were going to do much to soothe my ankles so I opted to finally splurge and get real running shoes. Like most everything else, I've tried going cheap. I started running in Payless shoes, graduated to a pair of Asics from Kohl's (off the clearance rack) and finally went to the running store and ended up with a pair of Saucony Omni 9s.

Heaven, in a shoe!

In the relay race, a chick on the race course was wearing them and I loved how they look. Of course, you don't get to pick your shoe in the running store, they bring a few out that are made for your foot and you choose from those. Wasn't I shocked to see the same pair that I saw on the race route! Mostly, it's just funny because this was at the end of our leg and Kel & I were looking for our transition area.

So now I have the shoes, but it keeps raining! My ankles still hurt. I am not ready for a half marathon!!!

Oh yeah, about that relay...

Yeah, we ran the relay. I guess I never updated that. Kelly and I ran a respectable 7.5 mile leg with plenty of hills & GU. I don't remember our time but it didn't matter anyway - we had fun!

The rest of the Sunrise United Methodist Church Relay Team







Kelly & I at the end of our 7.5 mile leg

The problem with this race was that it left me wanting a half marathon bib BAD. I called my other friend, Mandi, who was training for her first marathon and asked about the half marathon option. I had 3 weeks to train. Lucky for me, Mandi's dad was registered for the race but hadn't been training enough to feel good about the race coming up - I HAD A BIB!

I also had sore ankles. Not just sore, but -oh-my-god-i-can't-run-on-these, ankles. The following week, I had xrays on my foot and doctor recommended rest. The xrays came back fine, I had pulled ligaments and soft tissue bruising. The doctor recommended custom orthotics for my shoes...for $600!

Thoughts on my long run

I've talked a bit about Kelly, my running friend who is running the Go! St. Louis Marathon Relay with me. We were supposed to put in our 7 mile run on Friday night and she got a mysterious illness which meant she couldn't run. I had eaten way too much earlier in the day to have a good run so I took a rest day on Friday too. Saturday was the last chance I had to get off a treadmill and run far outside since Evren was headed back to NY. He encouraged me to wake up & run. I text Kelly. No response. Please Kelly, call me, text me, show up with your running shoes on...nada.

So I went at the run alone.

I had purchased a Nathan water belt the day before so I got to test it out for this run. Rosie suggested that I get the running belt with the small water bottles but they were a bit more expensive than the single larger belt. My thought was that "it's just water." Let me tell you, it's not just water - it's a big water bottle that flops around on the run. It's unstable and I really don't care for it. I'm going to keep it and pray that I just get used to it flopping around the first half of the run while it's full.


Don't be cheap with your water bottle selections.

 

Rosie also suggested that now is the time I start eating while running. I bought GU and took it with me on the run. At mile 3.5, I opened the packet, took a big glob in my mouth, swallowed, and THREW IT ALL BACK UP!!! Gross. I put it back away only to pull it back out at mile 4.5 when I felt sluggish. The trick to eating GU is to take a little bit at a time, swish it in your mouth and drink water with it so that it's not a huge glob going down your throat. ICK. I'll try it again, but I also have jelly beans and shock blocks to try too.

While on my run, I thought about a lot of things. I'm so thankful to be healthy enough to be able to run and to be able to have a marathon for a goal. I was also thankful for my family's health because other friends are fighting serious battles.

I also thought about my poor underwear selection. Granny panties are the way to go while running!! I'm hopeful that someday I won't have chub rub on my thighs and boy shorts will look cute. It was hard to put in a full effort when running with a wedgie.


7 miles in and I think it's the farthest I've ever run. Surprisingly, I wasn't even sore - probably a sign that I didn't push myself hard enough. But at least the distance is done.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Kicked off the day with a 5K (and then some). Evren joined me at Trekking today so it was good to be inspired by his long strides. It was interesting - our legs go at the same pace but he's SOOOO much further ahead than me. Short legs is more work to cover the same distance.

Long run and then some...

Kelly (running pal) and I went for a long(er) run the day after our performance at the 7K. I know we could have done better but I had, uh, tummy trouble.

Monday I took my much needed day of rest and was back to trekking on Tuesday with the husband, who is in town all week. This was a tough class for me, with a new instructor. We kept our pace while running an 8 incline. Yowzas. I'm not sure if I'd ever take her class again, especially when I start working, but happy to get my 4 miles and 400 calorie burn in for the day.

Race Results

My husband and son.

WOW! I finished the 7K at a 9:51 pace, accomplishing all my goals for this race. I ran the entire race, kept a 10:00 pace and kept up (even finished before) my running buddy. This was significant to me just to be able to keep up because she SMOKED me on a 10K in October. My husband and son finished before I did, on much less training...Grrr....

Sprint to the finish

Over Thinking, Under Running

I had hoped to get through 4 miles at trekking today, but I barely made it through 2. I knew I was in trouble today when I was seriously thrilled for making it a mile.

I have a lot on my mind, mostly kid stuff. I'm going back to work, wondering how I will train being a single mom with a full time job. I hopped off just after 2 miles and threw up. I had hoped to get back on but it was just too hot to run indoors today.

I look at two miles today as a success because I felt awful on the treadmill.

I registered my husband, son & I to run the Run for the Helmet 7K on March 12 today.



In the Saddle

I went trekking, expecting a different instructor from Monday, but no, it was sweet Rosie again. Rosie saw that I wasn't really pushing myself and totally wiped out and she said I was probably running too much, too soon. OK, whatever. She is a repeat marathoner and suggested cross training...

When any runner says cross training, what they really mean is spinning.

Spinning sucks. Been there, done that. I nearly fell of the bike several times and swore I'd never go back. My back side hurt for a week, I could hardly walk...but here I was, back in the saddle of a spinning class today. Rosie set up my bike and told me just to keep my heart rate up and offered little insights about how this is going to help my running... I guess I'll go back but I probably won't be very happy about it. Tomorrow - back to running!

Sunday is a day of rest...

I rested.

I hopped right back into my Trekking class on Monday morning. It was great because I brought a friend along, who I will be running the GO! St. Louis Marathon Relay with. We have run a 10K together in the past and she smoked me in the first mile and finished 6:00 faster than me. I was happy with my progress on the treadmill this week because we managed to stay together and both feel winded at the same time.

I think it's important to set small goals leading up to my big goal of running the Marine Corps marathon. My first goal is next Saturday - a 7K where I would like to keep a 10:00 pace and finish running. Secretly, I'd like to run faster than my 9 year old son. He had me by 3:00 last April in a 5K. As long as he hasn't improved over last year (and I'm sure he has) I should keep pace with him.

Stay tuned.

Day 3

It's Saturday. Saturday = Long run according to all the training guides. I'm questioning how I can fit in my long runs without breaking the bank on babysitters...

Since the race isn't for 8 months, my main focus for now is getting below 10:00 pace. I had enough free childcare time at the Y to run 2 miles at that pace and take a shower before I had to pick them up...I did it. 2 miles in 20 minutes, a new record for me!

Day 2

Yesterday's (Registration day +1) goal was to run 10 miles on a flat treadmill, knowing that I'd likely only make it to 4 or 5, but I had 2 hours of free daycare at the Y. The Trekking instructor told me that I was going to lose my treadmill when I was only a mile (of walking) in, unless I joined the class. I'm so glad I did!!! I went 45 minutes and ran 3.5 miles. Including hills. It was a great workout and definitely worked me much harder than I would have pushed myself.

Today I went to another instructor's Trekking class and went 4.12 miles in 45 minutes. I ran a hill on a 15 incline. Two days in and I'm pushing much harder. I love watching the calorie counter just fly!!

Intro

I decided to start documenting my training for the Marine Corps Marathon, October 30, 2011. I'm one of the lucky 30,000 that was able to register for the race.

I'll start by saying that I'm NOT a runner. I started running a little bit after I delivered my surrogate baby in September 2009. I developed preeclampsia  and found myself sick for weeks after she was born. I never wanted to feel like that again, so I decided to take better control of my health and start running. I ran my first 5K in December that year and though my goal was to run the entire thing, I couldn't. I ran some, walked the hills and had an asthma attack at the finish line. I was so thankful to have a friend run with me to encourage me to keep going. She wasn't worried at all about her finish time.

Tina & I at my first race in CT

I've run a few 5Ks, a 10K and even planned a 5K event with a good friend. We raised nearly $500 and 4 large boxes of toys to support Toys for Tots. It was a great race.

Kelly, SSgt Jenkins & Me after our Toys 4 Tots event

I thought I may get a chance to pursue surrogacy again this year but had a few doctors discourage me from being pregnant again. I decided to put my health first and picked up running again. So here I am. 8 months till I go 26.2 miles and get the sticker for my car.