Nice Slow Walk in Sunlight

My baby is two months old today!

Today I took a nice, slow walk to my friend's house, just the other side of the church. I'm guessing I went about 1.1 to 1.3 miles total.

It was slow, but the sun was out - which is a little bit uncommon in February in Utah. The reason it was slow was because on Sunday night my back gave out. It had been sore for a couple of days, and steadily getting more painful, but I was trying to ignore it and go about my life as usual. I woke up at about 3 am Monday morning and nursed, sitting up on my bed, though it was quite painful to do so. At 6 am we woke up again, and I realized that I could not sit up to nurse the baby, nor could I carry him across the room to his changing pad to take care of his leaking diaper. During the day on Monday my husband worked from home, and Tuesday my dad visited to help with the baby. (Tuesday night my dad got sick, but that's another story.) Anyway, the daily activities I could do were definitely all the exercise I could handle the last two days, but I was grateful to feel well enough to go on that walk today. My recovery has been pretty fast, like it was the last time my back went out (one week before my first triathlon). However, recovering to the point that I have done in the past, where I can walk and bend a little bit and take care of myself again, is no longer sufficient. Now I need to be able to lift an almost-13-pound baby and carry him up the stairs! I can barely walk up the stairs by myself, even now. Oh, and our house is a split level - so we have three sets of stairs, and there is no bathroom or bed on the kitchen level, so you really have to do the stairs several times in any given day, unless someone else is waiting on you hand and foot. 

As always, I must get stronger! It's the only way I can see out of this mess. Next week I get to go back to the gym. I'm really looking forward to it. Until then, I think it will be more walking, as much as I can.

Heart Rate Adjustments

Today I am back on the treadmill.

I did a little research, and then used the calculations from 

http://exercise.about.com/od/cardioworkouts/ss/findtargetheart.htm to change the heart rate training zone on my  monitor from 122-159 to 131-169. This is more in line with what my personal trainer had calculated for me, based on my resting heart rate, but perhaps more significantly, it felt better to my body.

I was going to write more - and walk more - but this is the point at which my baby woke up, and I have had a good work out and that is sufficient for me.

(I spent most of this workout at 9% incline instead of 12%, and I felt like I got a better workout and it felt better for my body to work at that rate.)

Duration w/ heart rate monitor on: 33:27
240 calories
In zone 24:59
average heart rate 143; maximum heart rate 164

Walking in Wind

Yesterday I had only gotten 5.5 or 6 hours of sleep - I don't even remember now - but a friend who lives an hour away offered to come visit me in the morning, and by the time my older kids were off to school, I no longer had time to take a nap. So, I went on a walk instead!

I realized yesterday afternoon that exercising with my baby is a wonderful and very enjoyable way of taking care of myself without relying on anyone else. Right now, though, I have to rely on the weather to cooperate. At the beginning of my walk it did, and I would have liked to have kept going longer, but as I walked it got colder and windier and by the end, we were just trying to get back inside as quickly as we could.

I also thought, as I walked, how much I have invested, financially, in my health over the last couple of years. I've bought a gym membership, a jogging stroller, a BOSU, and various time with a personal trainer, plus I have done a few races. As I enjoyed my walk with my jogging stroller and my happy baby yesterday, I thought it's totally worth it! I am so grateful that we are in a financial position to make these choices, and I'm glad that they are (to me) clearly paying off.

Here is the info from MyTracks from my walk:

Total Distance 1.38 miles

Total Time 29:04

Average Speed 2.84

Moving Time 27:40 (I kept having to stop to move the blanket so it still covered the baby, but the wind kept blowing it so it was directly over his nose and mouth - so this may have actually been even lower than this)

Average moving speed 2.98 mi/hr

Max Speed 3.22 mi/hr

Heart Monitor Data:

Duration 29:31

163 calories

21:08 time spent w heart rate between 122 and 159

average heart rate 125; maximum heart rate 141

It was challenging for me to walk fast enough to get my heart rate up, because my neighborhood is basically flat. I suspect that the cold kept it down some, but that the resistance of walking against the wind kept it up some.

This morning I've gotten about 6 hours of sleep so far (just got up from an extra hour, yay!) but now I need to head out the door to a doctor's appointment and various errands. Right now I doubt I will get to exercise today, but if that changes I will report it here :).

President's Day

The day before yesterday was President's Day. Though everyone was home for the holiday, so I didn't have to take the baby with me, I woke up early enough and feeling good enough that I put him in his snowsuit in the jogging stroller and headed out. I had a lovely walk, and talked the whole time on the phone to my best friend. It was too cold, but other than that it was very pleasant, and according to google maps I went 1.7 miles and it should have taken me 32 minutes; I'm sure it actually took me longer than that, but I didn't mind.

Biking!

I really didn't want to exercise yesterday, but then I realized it was Saturday. That meant my husband was home; since the weather was also good (55 degrees in mid February is unseasonably warm where I live, but it was very nice!) I went biking! I haven't been on a bicycle since last July, when I was training for a triathlon and started threatening to miscarry and had to stop.

As I biked, I was going to do a short route and only be out about 20 minutes - but it felt so good, I called my husband and made sure my baby was doing well (he was happily asleep) and then changed my route and kept going. Here are my totals, both from my heart rate monitor and from a free android phone app called MyTracks:

406 calories

average heart rate 133

maximum heart rate 177

distance 9.03 miles

average speed 8.77 mi/hr

maximum speed 18.25 mi/hr

moving time 1 hr 0 min 23 seconds

I felt so good! And, emotionally, I have felt great ever since. I am so delighted with myself for being able to go 9 miles, my first time back on a bike in 7 months! Also, there is a Big Hill along the route - very big, very steep, very challenging, and I didn't have to stop at all while going up it! In fact, the only stops I made were for stoplights, once to call home and check on baby before heading into a poor-cell-coverage area, and once to walk for a bit because my feet were numb. (The numb feet are a reflection of my weaker core, but my strength will come back with time, as I stick with it.)

:)

Dancing

I only got 5.5 hours of sleep last night, and I never did make it onto the treadmill. 

However, there was a dance at our church tonight, and we walked over - which, according to google maps, is .6 miles each way - and it was a lot of fun :). We took our baby with us (though the dance was officially for 18 yr olds and up, so we left the older two kids at home); we used our jogging stroller for the first time ever! We tried to have him ride in the carseat in the top of the stroller, which is what it is designed for, but he still doesn't like the carseat. We also took the front carrier (Baby Bjorn) with us, so one of us was holding him pretty much the whole evening, but we still managed to dance together pretty well. As I said, it was a lot of fun. 

Heart Rate Monitor Info

I had finished my 7 hours of sleep for last night (I actually got 7.5!) by 10:30 this morning; by 11:30 I had taken care of the baby and gotten myself breakfast. And then... I really didn't want to get on the treadmill. So I didn't, until tonight when my baby was happily asleep and someone else could watch him if he woke up, so I could work out without fear of interruption. My average heart rate (from the 23 minutes of workout and the 4 minutes since then) was 152, with a maximum of 168. I hit my goal of 10 minutes at 160+ :) and, as always, I feel happier right after exercising. 

My left hip complained while I was on the steep incline to keep my heart rate up, but it felt fine after that 10 minutes when I brought the incline back to 0. I'm going to have to be careful of that, in case it starts to flare up.

My heart rate monitor is a Polar FT4; it has a chest strap that communicates wirelessly to a watch, where I can read the information. I like the men's colors better than the women's, and the watch strap is the same size. You can see them at http://www.heartratemonitorsusa.com/polar-ft4.html?gclid=CIT68abayrwCFUiGfgodaRAA9A, if you're curious.

Feel the Love - Or at least the Heart Rate

The night before last, I only got about 4 hours of sleep, Try as I might by napping during the day, I couodn't get past about 6 hours, and 7 is my minimum goal. So, (I never did get onto the treadmill.

Last night, however, my baby slept for 5 hours straight! And, I thiknk I got a total of 8 hours throught he course of the night! HALLELEUJAH! It's amazing how honestly happy I feel when I get enouigh sleep!

...

I have also fed myself breakfast today (though it wasn't until 10:30, which is definitely later than it should be.) And, now I have exercised! (I even got my heart rate between 160 and 165 for a full 10 minutes again today. Isn't it great what you can do when you have had sleep?) Now, for the bonus quest: I'll go take a shower!

Eat, Sleep, Play

"Eat, Sleep, Play" sounds more fun than "Eat, Sleep, Exercise".

I am sick. I have a cold. It's been kind of miserable for the last couple of days, but even before that I felt extra tired and just yucky.

On top of that, I've really been struggling with what I call "sleep deprivation induced depression" - though at my six week checkup last week, they were inclined to just call it postpartum mood disorder or something to that effect. It involves some depression, a lot of apathy, and a new somewhat bipolar approach to life. I'm also learning that eating sugar makes me less able to moderate my own emotions... I'll let you imagine the potential vicious cycle that can lead to. (Or, just look the 130 lbs I packed on over the years. That should be pretty self explanatory.)

So, I'm focusing on what I can do about it. I am really TRYING to get enough sleep. I have actually counted my hours of time actually asleep at night, in an effort to get up to 7 hours between what I get at night and naps during the day. With being sick right now, I would really like to get a little more than that - especially since I've been down between 4 and 6 hours lately (6 being a really good night/day). 

I'm also focusing on feeding myself better. I have put a lot of effort over the last few years into improving the quality of my eating experiences; this has meant eating more real food, unprocessed and prepared from scratch when practical. The biggest thing I"m currently struggling with is eating at all. I don't notice when I should get hungry. (I think I actually do get hungry, but I've trained myself into ignoring it...?) So, feeding myself is becoming my next priority after sleep.

Finally, today I am returning to exercise. I have been walking (relatively slowly) on my treadmill as I typed this; I liked the cardio training I had started doing, but I think a slower, gentler workout is wiser until my immune system is less preoccupied.

I am doing some things well. Yesterday I drank at least 3 quarts of water  - maybe closer to four - and I'm sure that's why my cold seems better today. I am also actively seeking more ways to take care of my self, like playing music that I like and paying closer attention to my social needs (especially since I've been staying home with my baby since Christmas, and I"m planning to continue staying home for another month or more.) Most things that I can do for myself - like take a long, relaxing bath - require someone else to be home and available to take care of the baby for me. I certainly do those things when I can! But with two older children with homework, school, church, and occasional music and sports activities thrown in there - sometimes neither they nor my husband is available until 9or 10 at night. I want to increase my own, independent self care, that will not be as affected by daily circumstances and schedules of others.

Also - and this is actually my highest priority, for the next few months when the need is most intense -  I'm taking care of my baby with all of the needed patience, even when he is fussy and never sleeps more than 5 minutes at a time (except for one, 1-hour nap) in a 14 hour stretch - which is what he did yesterday. i am grateful he did that on the weekend, because I don't think I could have handled a weekday like that on my own. Today, he woke up crying twice in my first quarter mile ion the treadmill -  though he seems to be resting better now. I am sure that life will get easier when both he and I are feeling better.

If I have readers, and if they are willing to comment, do you have other suggestions for me on self care, especially while taking care of a baby?

And now, my baby is awake again, though at least he is happy for now :)

Sleep Wins

Two days ago I just didn't feel good, and rather than doing an easier workout, I skipped that day. Looking back, I wish I hadn't, because yesterday I had a blood draw (to check me for infectious diseases, because I'm donating breastmilk) and today I had a doctor appointment because my baby is 6 weeks old, followed by errands. Thus, I haven't worked out since Monday, and I really don't like that. What's more, I can't afford this kind of break unless it really is an anomaly.

Unfortunately, I'm battling what I call sleep-deprevation-induced-depression. So, for tonight, sleep wins, in the hopes that tomorrow I will feel well enough to hop on the treadmill very first thing in the morning.

Successful Morning

Exercised - including specific strengthening exercises for my back! - first thing this morning!

Now to run my 10 yr old to school before he's late!

Maximum heart rate: 172

Average heart rate (over 27 min, because I forgot to turn off my heart rate monitor until I had my son half way to school): 152

"Calories: 218" (at least this calorie counter takes into account my weight and my heart rate, though I still don't really believe in its accuracy)

15:03 "in zone" (heart rate between 122 and 159, though I'm actually aiming to be above that)

Sleep vs Exercise

If it is morning, and I am faced with a choice between sleep and exercise, I will usually choose sleep because I hold out hope that I can exercise later in the day.

Sometimes, whether because of sleep or just other activities (today it was errands in the morning and later, friends coming over for dinner) "later in the day" becomes MUCH later, like tonight when it is 11:25 and I am just getting on the treadmill.

And now, the baby wakes up.

(15 minutes later I began my workout, after feeding the baby and getting him to sleep.)

As you can see below, I completed my 20 minutes. What is more, I kept my heart rate between 160 and 165 for 10 minutes. To begin, I had decided I wanted to start keeping my heart rate up to 160 for 20 minutes, three days a week. After tonight, it is clear to me that I need to start with less than that. During pregnancy, I wasn't supposed to get my heart rate above 150, and after 15 weeks I had to quit doing even that because I started spotting (threatening to miscarry). Thus I know it has been since at least last July since I worked my heart this hard, and I can feel it! Also, my shins are telling me that I need to stretch better, and my lower back is warning me about my combination of steepness and speed. I may need to take it slower for awhile still, but as long as I continue, eventually I will progress.

Baby slept on the bed beside the treadmill through the entire workout!