Five whole months, I thought. No problem, I thought. It can’t be harder than running a marathon 13 weeks pregnant, I thought. That was me, a year ago, entering the NYC Marathon lottery for the fifth time. I probably won’t even get picked, I thought, reflecting on my previous unsuccessful attempts. But then I did get picked. And then, in June, I had a baby.
Whew. I am nearly six weeks into motherhood and while there are parts that are really lovely, there are other parts that are REALLY HARD. For those of us who normally find relief and release by running, the stresses of new parenthood can be compounded. Here are my top ten tips for surviving the beginning of it all, particularly when running is not advised. Note, I am not a medical professional and this is all just based on my experiences. I would love to hear from others in the comments below!
We just wrapped up our second significant renovation on our home in Colorado. This one was a biggie… or at least an expensivie… but we are so happy with how it came out. It was some pretty serious nesting! To read my first home improvement update from when we first moved in (mostly painting and little cosmetic things), click here. To read my second home improvement update from last summer (including our first significant renovation: wall removal project, exterior painting, and popcorn ceiling removal!), click here. So what did we do this time?
I was very happy to find out in October that we were expecting our first child, due in June. Of course, despite my excitement, I had my fears and reservations, and among those was HOW THE HECK AM I GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH SKI SEASON IF I CAN’T SKI. My worst fears were confirmed at my eight-week appointment, when my doctor said in no uncertain terms “no downhill skiing.” So here are my tips for pregnant ladies out there, especially those who are worried about how pregnancy and the potential loss of running, skiing, and other activities will impact many aspects of their lives…
Race: Williams Route 66 Marathon
Location: Starts and ends in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma
Time of Year: Sunday the weekend before Thanksgiving
My husband and I just returned last week from our amazing trip to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB). I definitely recommend this trek to anyone who loves hiking, mountains, or cornflakes. For a recap of our eight-day self-guided itinerary, check out my recap post. For a list of the gear we took with us, see my gear post. This post will fill in some blanks and provide some helpful information if you are interested in learning more about the TMB or if you are planning to do it!
My husband and I just returned from hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc, a loop trail that goes around the Mont Blanc massif in France, Italy, and Switzerland. I will have separate posts for what we packed for this adventure, as well as some FAQs if you are interested in more tips about the TMB. But this post is my recap: where we went, where we stayed, what we ate, and how long this thing took us! We decided to do the trip in eight days and book it all ourselves — not using a hired guide company or trip planner. So here it is — our eight-day self-guided TMB itinerary!
My husband and I recently completed the Tour du Mont Blanc, an approximately 100 mile hiking loop around Mont Blanc in France, Italy, and Switzerland. This is a popular route, and I benefitted greatly from reading the packing lists and blog recaps of other TMB hikers. Here is one of my contributions — our packing list! I am also posting a recap of our eight-day TMB itinerary and some FAQs about the TMB, in separate posts. Enjoy!
As some of you know, we purchased a house in Colorado almost a year ago. The house was built in 1975, which means popcorn ceilings, textured walls, out-of-code electrical wiring, layers of crazy paint colors and wallpaper, and, my favorite, asbestos. Oh, and some ugly built ins. For more background and to read my first home project update, click here!
Sooo I’m still not allowed to run after my bulging disc diagnosis. But I’m trying to have fun anyway. The latest: a trip to Japan! My husband had wanted to see Tokyo and Kyoto for years, and before traveling to anywhere new that I wanted to go (like the TMB, planned for September!), we decided to check this one off his bucket list. I was interested in experiencing Japan but I had one major concern: the food. My husband eats most meats and fish, but as my readers know, I am a vegetarian. The Japanese diet is very meat heavy, and especially seafood heavy, with fish broth — dashi — showing up in what feels like every. single. dish. Plus, the concept of a vegetarian, I’d learned when doing my research, doesn’t exist in Japan. Buddhists are sometimes vegan, but the ovo-lacto vegetarianism that is common in the U.S. doesn’t seem to have taken hold in Japan. To cater to the small number of vegetarians that do exist in Japan, both Tokyo and Kyoto have some fully vegetarian and vegan outlets. However, because my husband eats meat, that wasn’t going to be an option for every meal. And I wanted to eat Japanese food, not just vegetarian food. So I developed three food goals for the trip:
(1) Experience Japanese culture
(2) Eat food that tastes good
(3) Eat food that is nourishing.
In other words, I didn’t want to fill up on plain white rice or French pastries (which are everywhere in Japan!) or Japanese desserts (also everywhere!). So here’s what I learned and ate on our trip, including my favorite picks for best vegetarian foods in Japan.
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