Let's talk exercise - pregnancy edition

Mondays can be really rough, generally people agree that it's the worst day of the week. You know what perks them up? Not going to work. Mondays are basically just as good as weekend days now! This is the first summer I've actually taken off work, so it's really exciting to me. Just so you don't hate me too much, I am going to work Tuesday, Thursday and Friday this week.

I just got that Timehop app (it shows you all your social media posts on that date from years past) and started reminiscing about the olden days when I could run distances over 3 miles. I even used this blog to mainly discuss running and training for races. Insert photo montage of me happy and smiling at races past.

Mile 38 of the JFK 50 miler. Today I couldn't even run 4 miles.

It almost seems made up now. In fact, a year ago today I ran EIGHT MILES. I barely ran 8 miles all last week (actually, I think my total was ten). That's not a complaint though, in fact, it's quite the opposite, the fact that I could run at all after thinking it was all over at 23 weeks was the best birthday present I could get, other than Peeps.

I find it's pretty hard to stay motivated to exercise and eat healthy during pregnancy. The only real reason for it is just....to be healthy. Theoretically this should be the most motivating thing there is, but we all know if that were true, drive through fast food options wouldn't exist. I prefer the external motivation like training for a race and not being a fatty. When those are both off the table, it's kind of hard to get to the gym, especially when you have a built in excuse to lay on the couch and no one will really question it.

In keeping with the pretense of the blog purpose, let's talk a little about some pregnancy exercise options and the pros and cons of each. I swear I didn't make graphics to be pinterest-y, I hate Pinterest, I just couldn't figure out how to do charts in blogger and have some extra time on my hands anyway.

That didn't work out exactly the way I thought because I also really like spinning and kickboxing and the elliptical but they didn't really have enough pros and cons to make a graphic. I've also only gone swimming twice. I keep telling myself to do it more so I have some sort of exercise I can cling to when I'm gigantic but it's just boring as hell.

I ran 3.3 miles on the treadmill today. I foresee the majority of whatever runs I have left in me being on the treadmill. It's hot and sticky and disgusting outside, and when running is this difficult, I really need Buffy the Vampire Slayer to distract me. It also means I'm never more than four seconds from a bathroom, which is of the utmost importance. In the interest of full disclosure, I consider any distance covered by more running than walking to be a "run", regardless of how slow the running and how small the difference in time between the two is. I've read a lot of blogs of runners while they are pregnant, and I definitely did not appreciate just how difficult it is. It's not just the extra weight making running tougher, that's for sure.

I mentioned returning to "race shape" postpartum - whatever that means, right now probably just to be able to run a few miles without walk breaks. I still have no race plans for the future. My goal continues to be to figure out life with an infant, and then figure out life with a full time job and an infant, and if I can fit some runs in there, great. I mean, ideally I'll be working out once I'm cleared, because, you know, health and all, plus I'm sure I'll be sick of being fat. I'll admit I'm lusting after the ultimate in running strollers, the B.O.B., after trying my friend's last week. But the idea of following a training plan....that might have to wait.

What's your main motivation for exercise?