back at running

well,slogging i should say.....
4 days of elective rest seemed to help my ankle,so i tested the waters and slogged away on the TM.
since the Dr visit revealed no change,i made a bee line to the gym and got in the standard pregnant leg workout and then got in a mere 3 miles on the TM.
and i felt GREAT!!!!!
( well despite the slow pace and big pregnant belly that is,lol!)
if i wasn't so concerned about re-injuring my ankle i would have ran another 5 miles or so....
but i was smart and ran conservative....
I am planning to continue to slog away and sling around the weights in the gym,right up until the day i walk in to deliver!
Since my Dr isnt a huge proponent of induction,she will let me go as long as possible-
i know this,yet i may or may not have asked about an induction.....
at least i got a slight response other than an eye roll???
if i am still preggo by next weeks visit,induction may possibly be discussed.


Patience is a virtue, and i am surprisingly OK about being pregnant for so long....
The more time i have with baby M before she is no longer the baby,the better!

Last belly pics to becoming soon!
Happy Tuesday!!!

no change....

38 weeks along (almost) and no change from last  Dr visit.
i thought for sure all these dern braxton contractions were doing something.....
obviously not,
so right after the dr visit i did what most normal pregnant ladies would do...
 i went to the gym and worked out..
and *tried* to run.
*tried* being the operative word.
my ankle is still jacked up,so all i could do was walk for 1.7 miles then i went on elliptical for 2.3 miles before i got smart and stopped before anything got worse.
did a leg workout using all machines toady and no free weights on account of not wanting added pressure to the ankle.

I've been cranky and cramping all day and have really been wanting to run....
2 weeks and counting!!!!??????

back/bis/braxton hicks.....

yup,still pregnant,lol!
the workout:
4x12 each
hammer curls
straight arm lat pulldowns
lateral curls
reverse flys
seated rows
concentration curls
lat pulldowns
rope curls
ended with only 3 miles elliptical
my ankle is so swollen and sore..and i STILL dont know what i did to it,lol!
(so much for running this baby out!!?)
had mild contractions at the gym
was up all night with braxton hicks contractions,some were so strong it left me wondering if it were time or not.......

and apparently not-the baby is still nice and cozy in my belly!
Dr visit tomorrow-i hope it yields some good news and WONT be a repeat of what i experienced with lil M!
(umm yeah 5 days of "labor"...gah!!!)
i have learned to expect the unexpected and just realize that babies will arrive when they are ready....
on one hand i am more than ready to be done being pregnant,but on the other,i know the longer the baby stays in,the longer i have to get M ready and myself mentally prepared....

i still cant believe how fast time has been going by! eeep!
oh and one last belly pic coming this weekend as long as baby doesn't decide to get here first!

: )

I can still do this..

so i was able to get in some much needed gym time,and (probably against my better judgement) with a sore ankle,i did legs...


4x12
leg curl
leg extensions
hip abd
hip add
and then i got bored so i did
3x30 weighted box step ups (yes,i got some crazy looks on this one)
3x20 weighted wall squats with ex ball
3x20 curtsy lunges
and then got in
3x15 of dead leg lifts-
the first set was single leg dead leg--just to see if i could still do it with a big belly...
in my head,i still felt i looked like this:

(did i really look like that 9 months ago????)
and then i realized that i AM over 9 months pregnant,and while i can still do this lift with light weight,my center of gravity has shifted,add in a  sore ankle.....
 and yeah,i was smart and changed to simple dead leg lift...
and holy cow,i laughed out loud because i received more than a few strange looks....
i wanted to just say
"yeah,im working on trying to lose this belly of mine here"
but i kept my mouth shut and then jumped on the bike for 10 miles...
ankle was too sore for running....
maybe that's Gods way of forcing me to keep this baby in another week?!,lol!

but hopefully i will be good to run again soon!

Happy Sunday!

What?

There's not too much that will put me in a real,full blown "off season" except for pregnancy or injury...

So what happens when you combine the two?lol!

Yesterday morning i woke up,noticed my left ankle was a little tight,and it just got worse as the day went on.by last night i had swollen up

this pic was actually taken this morning,and swelling is down,big time! but just a general idea...


The sad thing?
i have NO IDEA how this happened.there was no defining moment that i tripped or fell or even slightly tweaked or rolled my ankle....
maybe i did it while running that marathon in my sleep?

i guess its so much for running this weekend!!!
hopefully i will be good to go here in a day or two though!

i have only hit the gym 3x this week, i was planning on going over the past 2 days but braxton hicks contractions have left me quite tired and sore!

maybe i can sneak some gym time in this weekend,and just do bike for cardio....i need to be doing SOMETHING active,even with a gimp ankle i still feel the need to be moving...
Nesting has kicked in so almost everything is ready for baby!!!

yes im still pregnant.duh.
the last dr app reveled no change. still at 1 cm.

now that im full term,it can be any day now...
of course im hoping its sooner and not later,lol!
for some reason i keep thinking that labor will hit me at any given moment,
and i also have this possibly irrational feeling that i will go into labor under odd circumstances...like while at the gym,or grocery store,or when i am home alone and have to deliver the baby on my own...
weird,i know!

in other news,
lil M is sleeping in a toddler bed now during her naps. she still wants the crib at night though....
potty training isn't going as fast as  i would like,but she is learning and i know i cant force these things....
as fast as she is trying to growing up,i still need to embrace all the baby i can from her! not too much longer and she wont be the "baby" anymore....

*sigh*
now my other babies.....they are becoming kids!
Bailey and Alex's spring sports are officially over this week.

Kindergarten graduation is in 3 weeks....
Next month fall sport registration begins!
cant believe how fast time is going by!
and hopefully here in the next 7 days i will be holding a new baby!

and then after that,life and the schedule as we know it will be changing....
in a good way though,
its all about the balance!
Dear Lord,please help me!,lol!

Happy Weekend!

getting ready

It's been a while,but a wishing a belated Happy Mothers Day to all the mamma's out there!!!
It was a good mothers day weekend,spent with good friends and of course a good workout!
Mothers day was spent getting hair cuts for the kiddos and of course time at the gym....
(chest and triceps:
4x12
cable crossovers
pressdowns
chest press
seated dips
pecdec
reverse pressdowns
overhead extensions
4 miles on elliptical)

Just a nice relaxing day spent with my husband and children!.....

and this week so far,i have been getting things ready for the baby. ive gone through all the baby clothes and have separated them into girl clothes and gender neutral/boy clothes.

and then i put all the girl clothes BACK into the plastic bins and into the garage.
I feel that strong i will be having a boy...(i may or may not have gotten some CUTE baby boy clothes?)

ive also got the old-timey bassinet/cradle that has been in the family for almost 60 years and has been used through about 50 babies,mostly foster children,but same cradle for my mom,aunt,sisters,nieces,nephews,cousins,and of course all of my kiddos.....

i still need to change out the fabric on the mattress and bumpers to something not so girly!
Ive also gotten out the baby car seat,the swing,and all the things i used for M.....

My friend had given me a baby care package which included a new (not pink)diaper bag,diapers,wipes,lotions and all sorts of of cute things,so now i have a base to get me started!

i think all i have left to do is get some more diapers in stock,get my hospital bag packed and i will be good to go!!!!!

in the meantime,i will be in the gym,lifting and running,and this weekend i am planning to be jumping on the trampoline.....

oh and todays workout was good-but i felt really weak while doing legs,and i am feeling my body slow down by the day!
the workout:
4x15
weighted sumo squats
weighted stationary lunges
weighted step ups
leg extensions
leg curls
hip abd
hip add

then 4.7 miles on elliptical
felt surprisingly good!?

heres to a good week ahead and hopefully not too much longer until Baby Cunningham gets here,
IM READY!!!!

questions of the day......

"are you sure you can do that?"
"you haven't had that baby yet?"
"you're getting bigger every time i see you!"
"what are you still doing here?"

YES i can still rope row as heavy as i want...
NO, i still have 10 days until im full term.
and then 17 days until i reach my limit and will pop.
REALLY?????????
I go to the gym while 9 months pregnant,even though my belly continues to grow,even though i am still gaining weight,even though i am really tired and so done being pregnant.
I go to the gym while 9 months pregnant because i still enjoy working out and doing cardio...(even though i am slowing down big time!)
and btw,if i haven't popped this baby out in 17 days,DO NOT look at me like i am crazy when i am running on the treadmill and doing plyometrics.I will be doing this in order to literally provoke labor. DO NOT ask if i should be doing that because my response wont be pretty. DO NOT comment on how big my belly is. i am well aware of how my body is changing.
Although every one wants to know why i still workout,not everyone knows i am a crazy head and will be slinging weights around and running right up until d-day...

Ok,vent over.....
im not really THAT upset over the questions,they can be quite amusing to be honest....
but sometimes.....yeah i need to vent about it,LOL!!!

SO the past 2 days of workouts have been good,despite my total lack of energy due to little sleep. its that time now where i just cant get comfortable in any position and heartburn is simply horrible.
i know the time is getting closer,this is how i felt the last 2 weeks with M.
Hopefully not too much longer!!!

so the workouts:
yesterday-
legs
4x12 each
Cable reverse lunges
leg extension
leg curl
hip abd
hip add
wall sqauts
step ups
4 miles elliptical
today-
3-4x15 each
reverse flys
rope curls
rope rows
lat pulldowns
straight arm lat pulldowns
mofos
DB hammer curls
DBs concentration curls
4 miles elliptical

happy Wednesday!!!

A girl named Sue...

quick week review!

yes-im still pregnant. 2-3 weeks left!!!
last week was spent with soccer practices and games,
AND the middle baby came down with bronchitis on Tuesday-- but thankfully i took quick action and got her on meds and antibiotics so she was mostly better by Friday...so she was good to play in her game on Saturday.
however,between her sickness and the Braxton Hicks i've been feeling all week,i was only able to hit the gym once......boo!

BUT me and a friend were able to go to Sue's OCB bodybuilding competition!
This was my friends first time ever to watch an event like this.....
(culture shock!)
I'm SO glad i had her with me!!! we were able to go to both prejudging and the night show,but we left after bodybuilding awards and didn't get to see the bikini and figure girls final placings...i was so curious to see how the bikini girls were being judged,and how the placements in my  head (yes,i played judge again) compared to what the judges had down in the books...(more on that in another post)
if this one figure gal did NOT get her pro card,then i must be crazy. she really stood out above the rest and her level of conditioning was already at pro level!
 and speaking of pro level,just how did miss Crazy Sue do in her event?

2nd in womens open
and 3rd in womens masters
she missed her Pro card by just a few points!
The gal who took first place really looked phenomenal,and Sue was OK taking second place to her,because she was dripping with that much awesomeness!
(and the gal who won open short,won overall as well so she walked away with her well deserved pro card!)

In my humble opinion,Sue looked GREAT,and brought her best package to the stage yet! there was nothing she could have done differently to look any better! I am so proud of Sue!

Who else can run the Boston Marathon (and run it well!! 3:32) and then 2 weeks later turn around and hold her own on the bodybuilding stage??????

Yup,a Girl named Sue......

Never mind my pale big ol 9month pregnant self!
Sue is only 4'11 and maybe 105lbs soaking wet,
(so i know i look like a giant next to her LOL!!!)

So whats next for Sue?
She will hit the stage again,but it wont be until she is 50 (2.5yrs from now)
She is moving far far far away Over Seas in a few weeks,so when she comes back to the States in 2 years,it will be game on for her!

We will both be working hard on Marathon training and and maybe a few triathlons when she gets back!

AND hopefully......
I can start full training SOON
12 days until i am full  term....after that it will be any day until Baby Cunningham gets here!!!
I am SOOO excited to meet this little one!

Heres to a good week ahead-
My son has one more game before playoffs start and my daughter has 2 more games this week until end of season....
then its a brief break with sports,which will give me more time to get things prepared for the 4th baby.
and yeah,i still have a lot to get done in that week!

I still dont know how i will manage it all,
a newborn,a toddler and 2 older children....and not to mention finding that golden schedule for the baby that will work for the entire family...
AND trying to fit in summer fun for the older kiddos...
AND getting training time in
but i know its possible and it can and will be done...
Its all about finding the balance.....
Just gotta tie that red cape on a bit tighter and be the best Supermom ever!

Happy Monday!