I Like to Move It, Move It

on December 20, 2011
in All Posts

Two awesome days of exercise.

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Yesterday, I ran… wait for it… 3.5 miles.  Given that I haven’t gone over a 5K in weeks, this was huge!  I was so proud of myself to bang out that extra 0.4 mile.  I’ve noticed that as pregnancy progresses, my pace continues to drop a bit, and I need to walk more and more (especially uphill), but I’m still so pumped.  I’d really love to continue to run at least twice a week for as long as possible.  So far, so good!

 

And today, I swam 1000 meters.  The pool was incredibly busy today, and I had to share my lane with two other swimmers in a circle swim:

Circle_Swim

(Source)

Circling swimming used to really stress me out because I am certainly not a fast swimmer (there are a lot of high school and college swimmers at my pool) and always get lapped by the people behind me.  But I started to view circle swimming in a positive light when I realized that it more accurately re-creates true triathlon conditions.  When you enter the lake during a triathlon, people are splashing your face as you try to breathe, swimming over you, swimming past you… Being all alone in a lane is so calm that it’s almost nothing like a busy lake swim.  Now, I don’t really mind circle swimming – it’s good tri practice!

 

Pre-swim brekkie:

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I love to make my own veggie cream cheese by chopping up celery, carrots, and cucumbers and mixing it into cream cheese.  Yum.

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And post-swim, some crack sesame seed cashews.  Times two.

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Song of the Day:

 

Can’t… stop… crying… to… this… song.

Ciiiircle of Liiiife
{ 42 comments }

 

  • Cat @Breakfast to Bed December 20, 2011, 11:35 am

    I loved swimming while preggers, my belly was supported and I felt great. I also reallly loved sand walking!! So relaxing!

  • Katherine December 20, 2011, 11:46 am

    Swimming and walking were the best things for me as my belly grew. I used a kick board once my belly got huge, but kept right on swimming. The bummer is that swimming is the hardest thing to do with a baby! I fell in love with it while preggers and haven’t made it back since my bundle of joy arrived (also it’s winter and the community pools – although heated and open are outside here in California!) I am setting a New Year’s goal to make it back to the pool!

  • Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed December 20, 2011, 11:47 am

    Don’t know why I never thought of making my own veggie cream cheese, good idea! Good job exercising mama 😀

  • Liz December 20, 2011, 11:53 am

    Circling is the only way to swim, in my mind. I don’t know what it is, but even if you get in a lane with someone faster than you, you will be passed far fewer times if you circle than if you split the lane. I spent may years trying to figure out this conundrum, but I just take it and go!

  • car December 20, 2011, 11:53 am

    Caitlin, day in and day out I find myself impressed and inspired by your ability to look at so many of the obstacles that confront us on a daily basis, both minor and more serious, in a positive light. Thank you for reminding me that how I feel, and how I approach everything, even very difficult or upsetting things, is within my control. You are awesome.

    • Caitlin December 20, 2011, 11:56 am

      thank you so much sweetie. i was always so negative in my early 20’s and recently i have really begun to understand that attitude is EVERYTHING!!!

      rock it out.

  • Alyssa @ Life of bLyss December 20, 2011, 11:58 am

    oh, thank you so much for the circle of life this morning.

    AAAAAHHHHH-ZAAVENYAAAAAAAHHH!

    my coworkers are about to absolutely love me.

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat December 20, 2011, 11:58 am

    OMG.. my roommate’s favourite movie (and keep in mind, we’re a house of 20 something year olds) is Lion King and we were singing along to the soundtrack last night! Such a good song!! 🙂

  • Catherine December 20, 2011, 12:05 pm

    Awesome job on your run! I think it’s great that you’re sticking with it even if you’re pace is dropping. I regret that I stopped running when I got pregnant. I really miss it, but I don’t think it would be a good idea to start up again since I’ve been out of it for about 10 weeks now.

    “Circle of Life” is awesome. I think every pregnant woman has her song. Elton John’s “Blessed” always gets me!

  • Angela @ MyPinkyToes December 20, 2011, 12:09 pm

    Great workout! I still haven’t mustered up the courage to attempt swimming laps, but the more and more I read about you swimming gives me a little more confidence!
    By the way, I love the idea of making your own veggie cream cheese…great idea!

  • Mel @ Post Grad Mel December 20, 2011, 12:32 pm

    I think it’s awesome that you started swimming awhile ago! I swam competitively for a long period of time, and I can totally relate to your stress of circle swimming. Warms ups at meets were always tough because other swimmers could get pretty vicious in the pool and there were always at least 15 people in one lane at a time. My sister got scratched really bad one time by another swimmer!

  • Marathon Beauty December 20, 2011, 12:35 pm

    Those are the best cashews ever! Have you tried the almonds? To. Die. For!!!!!

  • Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife December 20, 2011, 12:35 pm

    Nice job!! It feels good to exercise no matter what. It def keeps ME sane–and I bet for the baby as well. Heh 😉

  • Beth @ 990 Square December 20, 2011, 12:40 pm

    If you want to really cry during a Lion King song, look up “He Lives in You” from the Broadway show. TEARS!

    • Nikky December 20, 2011, 4:15 pm

      “Shadowland” always got me. We performed the broadway music in Disney World back in high school and I had the hardest time getting through it when we practiced. 🙂

  • Liz December 20, 2011, 12:42 pm

    I’ve always loved The Lion King soundtrack & it’s definitely the best Disney movie! 🙂

  • Ella December 20, 2011, 1:08 pm

    Hi Caitlin! A quick swimming question – I LOVE to swim, but I’ve gained a lot of weight from various medical issues and I’m very self conscious about my body. Can you recommend any suits that would be suitable (har har) for swimming-for-exercise, but would give me more coverage or are more modest? I know one-pieces are pretty modest as it is, but I’m currently using an Esther Williams-style suit and I just don’t think it’s made for swimming-for-exercise 😉 Thanks!

  • Katie @ Peace Love & Oats December 20, 2011, 1:33 pm

    circle swimming definitely stresses me out, mostly because i’m afraid of wacking the other person when we pass each other! good job on the run!

  • Dana @ the Big Fat Skinny December 20, 2011, 1:56 pm

    Isnt it the funniest thing the songs that get you when your preggo?

  • Yolie @ Practising Wellness December 20, 2011, 1:58 pm

    Hahaha – love the Lion King. We did it for a school play and I had the starring role of…antelope 😉 It’s such a cute movie! <3 And I totally have the soundtrack on my ipod. 😛 Well done for your run, that's awesome! 😀 xyx

  • Rebecca @ Naturally Healthy and Gorgeous December 20, 2011, 2:02 pm

    Those sesame seed cashew look delish!

  • Allison December 20, 2011, 2:18 pm

    Haha, I LOL’ed at your comment about the “Circle of Life” song [not in a bad way and not to offend]! I must have watched that movie at least 100 times when I was younger cause it was my brothers ultimate fave movie- he used to pretend he was a lion and would crawl on all fours and jump on top of the furniture 😛 Regardless of how many times I watched it, the scene with his father in the sky always choked me up…

  • Maria December 20, 2011, 3:07 pm

    You know what I found funny when I came to the US, using the universities pool the first time? That people DON’T swim circles ( :
    Congrats to your 1000yards – and greetings from Hamburg, Germany (yes, I read your blog every day)

    • Caitlin December 20, 2011, 6:36 pm

      Aw thank you Maria!!

  • HRCK the Herald December 20, 2011, 3:11 pm

    That song gets me too. I find the entire movie very tear-inducing!

  • Gina @ Running to the Kitchen December 20, 2011, 3:31 pm

    I saw your tweet earlier and now I cannot stop singing “have you ever heard the wolf cry to the bluecorn moon!” Seriously, it’s been in my head for like 4 hours now. Thanks 😛

  • Lisa (bakebikeblog) December 20, 2011, 3:51 pm

    Congrats on the swim! Sadly I havent been swimming at all while pregnant 🙁 I cant find any maternity bathers!!

  • Nikky December 20, 2011, 4:28 pm

    You run a lot more often than I do, for sure, so this may not be an issue and it could actually just be my (non-baby related) extra belly weight flopping around… but have you noticed that running is starting to feel like running on a full bladder? Probably TMI, but not the have-to-pee feeling, just the full/pressure on the abdomin thing? Maybe my brain is just over-reacting, haha.

    • Caitlin December 20, 2011, 6:25 pm

      Hmmm no i have never noticed this – but maybe compression tights would make you feel more comfortable? You can always wear looser shorts on top!

  • Corrie Anne December 20, 2011, 5:57 pm

    OOoo the circle swimming would make me nervous too, but I like your positive spin on it. Sweet!

  • Carin December 20, 2011, 6:53 pm

    Trigger songs…. aargh! You’re in preggo woman emotional Pavlovian dog danger now – I have a problem with “The Living Years” by Mike & the Mechanics because of the verse starting “I wasn’t there that morning…” (YouTube it if you want to know what I mean… it’s “Circle of Life” stuff really). It only has to start up on the radio or in a shop and I’m in tears!

  • Kim December 20, 2011, 8:33 pm

    I love how you can turn a potential negative into a positive (circle swim). I like to keep that “the glass is half-full and the waiter is on the way to my table” attitude as well. Happy Holidays!

  • Nicole December 20, 2011, 8:52 pm

    Silly question but how long does it take you to complete a swim like that? I ask because I swim for cross training but never count laps. I usually swim for about 30 – 40 mins and “feel” like I got in a good workout but never pay attention to far I’ve actually gone during that amount of time.

    By the way you are a huge motivator for keeping up my healthy living habits along with trying to look at the bright side of things. Congrats on your new adventures 🙂

    • Caitlin December 21, 2011, 9:13 am

      Hi there!

      Well now that I’m pregnant, I take lots of breaks and hang onto the wall, so this swim took me about 30 minutes. But under race conditions, I’ve done 1500 meters in 38 minutes, 750 meters in 20 minutes, and 500 meters in 13 minutes.

      • Nicole December 21, 2011, 2:35 pm

        Thank you!

  • Khushboo December 20, 2011, 11:21 pm

    As a veggie alternative, try using cream cheese in egg salad…so delicious!

  • HD Brows December 21, 2011, 11:45 am

    I always find swimming really hard and sometimes boring. I just wish I could swim with my Ipod in – that would be cool

  • Meagan @ The Cheesefries December 21, 2011, 6:18 pm

    WHY have I never thought to make my own veggie cream cheese? I have all the makings in my fridge right now. Brilliant!

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