Minneapolis-Star-Tribune-runningkellometers

How far along? 18 weeks
Baby’s size/development this week: approx 7 ounces and 5 ½ inches long; about the size of a bell pepper
Maternity clothes: wearing them? Yes. I had to return some things this weekend that didn’t fit, but I made some additional purchases, negating the return. Oh well!
Miss anything? Seeing everyone in their Boston Marathon jackets and seeing all my friends out there crushing their PRs and stuff, I miss spring racing season. It is always a great time for PRs.
Food cravings? Brownies. I’ve gotten my fill though this weekend so I think the craving might move on this week. We’ll see what’s next?!
Anything making you queasy or sick? Smoking is still the worst.
Sleep: I’ve had some wicked dreams and just haven’t been sleeping very well. I still can’t get comfortable when not sleeping on my back. I have 22 more weeks to go. Hopefully my body will adjust to sleeping on my side!
Best moment of the week: Finally purchasing the “My Dad is Turtely Awesome” baby onesie at Old Navy. Hubs loves turtles so it really is the perfect onesie for us. I got a bigger size so hopefully Baby will be able to wear it in the spring.
Nursery: No progress again this week. Oops.
Wedding rings on or off? on
Movement? I've felt a few flutters here and there. I’m happy and excited to start feeling real kicks!
Weird pregnancy thing of the week: I’m feeling really tired most days. I gotta push myself to get motivated to do things. This probably has to do with the sleeping thing. My skin also remains super duper dry!
Daddy is feeling: excited to be a dad.
Mommy is feeling: good, overall! Just tired and excited. Sometimes when I get up in the morning, I forget I’m pregnant until I go look in the mirror on my way to the shower. Lol.
Workouts this week: I ran the Quarryman 5k last weekend, and didn’t really get in many workouts this past week. I got on the stationary bike for about 20 minutes, but I did a lot of walking. I haven’t been very motivated to run lately so those days may be numbered.
Looking forward to: Feeling Baby’s kicks!!

Kelly the Culinarian is doing a runner survey link up. I liked her round of questions so I thought I'd participate this time around. Enjoy!

I'd have to go with my first marathon finish. It was such an amazing experience and I'm ready to toe the line again, mentally... whenever my body and the rest of my life is ready to coincide.

Always fun to compete with/against my BRF, Maggie

Social, Competitive, Fun. I love the social aspect of running and have a lot fun at group events and group runs. I also have a bit of a competitive streak and I love having some friendly competition while not being too serious about it. The most important part about running is that it should be fun. It is a hobby! Once it stops being fun is when it is time for a break.


Oh man, this is a tough one. I run for Oiselle so I'm partial to their gear, naturally. I love the distance shorts and they are my absolute favorite. I've worn them for all of the major races that I did in the 2nd half of 2012. They have multiple pockets (both internal and external). When I run another marathon, I know these shorts will get me across the finish line with everything I need.


I have this bad habit of not running in a straight line. I'll get deep in conversation and not realize that I'm running my running partner off the road. Oopsies!

Gotta have the right gear to run at night!

I used to be a morning runner, but now I would rather do mid-day or evening. I would have no problem pounding out a few miles, stretching, and heading to bed.


icy or thundering. I would normally run in any sort of conditions but now that I'm running for two, I'm a little more conservative. I'm not going to push it when there is a chance I could trip and fall or if conditions are just nasty. I've given up running in the freezing cold and rain until next winter/spring.


I had some knee issues when I first got into running. I was told it was because I had a weak core and my knees were taking the brunt of the force while running. Once I strengthened my core, I didn't have knee issues anymore. I've kind of fallen of the core-strengthening bandwagon lately. I should probably get on that. Probably...


I'm running for 2. Although I'm a turtle pace, I gotta say, it feels so good to be out there moving!! :)


I don't really have any running goals for 2013 at this point. I don't know if I'll be fit enough for Turkey Trot season, but I'm hoping to fit in a Christmas themed race and be ready to roll at the Shamrock Shuffle 2014! :)

I'm volunteering at a few upcoming races, but the next race I'm actually running is the Two Rivers Meet 5k. It will be over Memorial Day weekend and we are raising money, as a family, for the Hazelden Foundation. I ran the 10k last year and we had a blast!

Last year I signed up for the Quarryman Challenge 10 Miler, ready to run. Mother Nature had other plans and the race was cancelled. This year, they made a few changes: moved the race to April, modified the course, and offered an extreme discount to all participants from the previous year. I was debating whether or not to sign up when the discount was first announced last year. All things considered, I'm glad I waited. I decided to sign up for the 5k and bring along my favorite running buddy. The race didn't have anything on their website about not bringing dogs so I decided to just bring her and hope for the best.

I got to the race about an hour early and was able to pick up my packet and shirt. I always love local races and the possibility of race-day packet pickup! The swag bag contained tons of leaflets on other 5ks in the area, a unisex long-sleeved tech tee, our bibs and timing chip. I left Pepper in the car while I went to pick up the packet. After dropping things back off at the car, I picked up the pup and headed to the start. We met up with the FNRC and got a nice pre-race photo.

I got a special one of me and the pup in our race day outfits too.

My strategy going into this race was to take it easy (obviously). I was going to walk up all the hills and see how I felt on the flats. I liked that the 5k and 10 mile races had 2 different start times. It helped avoid confusion when deciding paths. We also didn't run into the 10 milers on the course which I thought was helpful and kept things nice and organized. My Garmin didn't feel like working so I don't have an elevation map of the course. There were a lot of hills, but I felt like it was a comfortable amount. If I was running the course for time, I probably would have been pretty frustrated. Since I was running it for fun, I had a good time. The volunteers along the course were helpful, encouraging, and all really nice. Then again, it might have been since I had an adorable furry four-legged pal keeping me company. There was a water stop about halfway through and then another one near the end. As Pepper had to take care of some "business" close to the end of the race, I'm glad that water stop was there so I could use their garbage can.

Pepper and I mid-race Source

Fitting traditional pregnant lady stereotypes, I had to pee about a mile into the race and there weren't any port-a-potties along the course. That certainly made the 2nd half of the course interesting. Lol. Some members of the FNRC were there at the finish to cheer us all in as we finished. The post race party had some nice perks including water bottles, orange slices, juice, pizza, and beer. I was a little disappointed I couldn't partake in the beer (it was Summer Shandy, my favorite), but I did enjoy a piece of pizza. As I know most of the runners hadn't yet come in from the 10 miler, I only grabbed 1 slice (and gave Pepper my pizza crust. She totally earned them). Maggie's husband Robert and I hung around with some other FNRC members while we waited for the 10 milers to finish.

I ran into Erica who did an amazing job on the course (despite accidentally driving to the wrong location before the race). I was also able to see Maggie chick a few dudes and finish strong! I would have hung around for the raffle, but it was just too cold and I really needed a warm beverage. Before we had even left the parking garage, Pepper was sound asleep in the back seat.

Maggie & I after the race

All in all, I'm glad I did this race. It is a nice, well organized event that I would recommend for anyone looking for a challenge or to switch things up. The 10 miler is definitely the flagship event and many of the local fasties soak up the age group awards. I would still like to maybe do the 10 miler at some point in the future. This race was very dog-friendly. Pepper was one of 3 dogs I saw participating in the event. There were also quite a few dogs on the sidelines. All the dogs were well behaved and I was really glad I brought her. I would highly recommend this race if you live in the area or not. I think the challenge of this fun event is worth the drive.

Since Pepper had her very first 5k over the weekend, she wanted to share her own thoughts of the race.

Saturday morning started just like any other day of the week, except Mom put an awful t-shirt on me. I hate wearing t-shirts. After going outside and eating breakfast, I got to go for a ride in the car. Mom seemed really excited so I knew it was going to be a fun day. When I got out of the car and started walking, there were tons of people everywhere! It was so great! I got so much attention an so many pets! It was the best morning ever!

After a little while, we lined up in a big crowd. I still didn't know what were doing until we started moving. We were going for a run! This is my favorite activity! I always like to go up ahead but Mom always stops me. There were lots of hills so I didn't mind the walking. I didn't understand why we were running in the street. I kept trying to go on the normal sidewalks but was led into the street. As a good dog though, I did what I was told.

All of the people helping during the race were so nice. They smiled and gave me encouraging words. It really helped keep me going!

Source

As we were running most of the time on the street, when I saw grass, I just knew I had to take care of some business. Luckily Mom was there to clean it up because it was pretty stinky. More volunteers gave me a pat on the head as I ran by and I knew we were getting close to the end. I tried to sprint ahead and finish strong but Mom held me back as usual. That's okay though, I still had fun. After the race was over, I was happy to sit and relax for a little bit. But then more and more people came by and I was just so excited to see everyone! I loved that they had pizza at the finish line since pizza is my favorite. I tried to sneak a slice when no one was looking, but someone was always looking, unfortunately. Luckily Mom and one of her friends gave me their crusts. They were delicious!

I had such a fun time at my first 5k and I hope to run many more! It was perfect weather too! I never got too hot. Well, all this typing has got me tired. Time for a nap.

I'm very saddened by the events that took place in Boston yesterday. I can't help but tear up thinking of my own family waiting at the finish line as I finished my first marathon. It was a tragic day. I hope everyone has connected with their family and friends that were in Boston yesterday, and I pray for those that have not.  The Chicago Running Bloggers are working on putting on an event to help the victims of the violent acts that took place yesterday. I will post more when I have more information.

Time for this week's Baby Wilson Update! :)

How far along? 17 weeks
Baby’s size/development this week: approx 5 ounces and 5 inches long; about the size of a turnip
Maternity clothes: wearing them? Yes. I got bought some more summer things at Old Navy over the weekend, including a few little onesies for Baby. I couldn’t pass it up! :)
Miss anything? Sushi, I just might have to get some non-raw stuff this week!
Food cravings? I’m still loving bacon egg and cheese biscuits. I just might have to get some real bacon so I can make some more this week. Yum!
Anything making you queasy or sick? Some cologne has really got my wanting to hold my nose.
Sleep: I forgot to buy a body pillow this weekend, but I have gotten some better sleep this weekend compared to others. Laying on my back is pretty much a non-option at this point so I either sleep on my side or don’t sleep.
Best moment of the week: Hearing baby’s heartbeat again! There really is no sweeter sound!
Nursery: Meh, no progress this week. That’s okay, we got some time.
Wedding rings on or off? on
Movement? I’m pretty sure I felt my first flutter last week, and felt another one over the weekend. We’ll see though as I should probably start to feel something in the next week or so.
Weird pregnancy thing of the week: I’m just hungry all the time. I’m trying my best not to count my calories, listen to my body, and just make sure I fit in a balance in some way!
Daddy is feeling: Not nearly as nervous as mom.
Mommy is feeling: Much more confident after hearing the heartbeat. I feel like I’m actually starting to show a little bit. I feel pregnant; it is nice to know that I’m starting to look the part. Lol.
Workouts this week: I ran a 5k with Pepper but didn’t do much cross training. I was pretty sore from the Shamrock Shuffle so I gave my body a rest. I think I’m going to keep the running to just 2 days a week.
Looking forward to: Our ultrasound in 2 weeks!!!

Spring is finally here and there are lots of spring races around the corner! The sun is shining and the flowers are (finally) starting to bloom! Here is my list of my favorite must-have spring pieces for your running wardrobe!

"April showers bring May flowers" as the saying goes. Rain is inevitable throughout the spring and sometimes it can be more chilling than refreshing. I would suggest getting something light without a thick or fleece liner. It is always easier to add more layers and sometimes just the jacket is enough on a rainy day. Plus, you want your gear to be able to translate to summer too.I highly recommend going up a size in a rain jacket so it can double as a snow jacket in the winter months (with a few extra layers of clothing underneath).


This may seem obvious but I feel like I never have enough capris. I have plenty of shorts as far as they eye can see, but sometimes a girl needs to have her thighs covered up with the chill in the air. Capris are perfect and I love to have a few pairs with a few different lengths. Be sure to snag a pair that has at least 1 pocket for your keys, etc. otherwise you may be left with an inconvenient problem of where to put your stuff.


It seems like more and more races are giving out short sleeved shirts so you may have an over-abundance of these. However, I do have a few favorites that I always like to have around (and some that are worth doing laundry for). It is crucial to find one that is comfy, wicks sweat appropriately, and doesn't ride up!


I ran my first marathon in a visor and I hated it. I don't know why. I made the switch to baseball hats and I feel much more comfortable. Maybe it comes from my youthful days of playing softball, but I much prefer the baseball hat. Either way, you probably want to get something that shields your face from the sun. If you get it for spring, it will translate to summer seamlessly! Also, don't forget the sunscreen!


Some spring days can be surprisingly cold, especially in the morning. That is why arm warmers are so fantastic! You can wear them up when you're cold and push them down when you get warm. I've gotten lots and lots of use out of mine on race days and on training days! Be sure to try out a few brands to find out what works best for you.

Winter is behind us! This is the perfect time of year to start getting out there and get moving! The weather is warming up, the snow has melted, and the trail is calling your name! I'll be out there smiling, that's for sure! :)

What are your favorite spring essentials? What would you add to this list?

The Shamrock Shuffle... One of my favorite races of all time. This race is nostalgic to me for many different reasons. This was my 7th time doing this race! It is crazy to think that much time has gone by since my first Shuffle so long ago.

This year, however, my "race" strategy was quite different. I didn't plan to run the whole thing, I just planned to finish. I had changed my goals a few times and in the end I decided to run 2 miles, walk 2 miles, run the last mile. I've run 3 miles before and felt fine so I thought that would be a good strategy for the race.

The expo was held at Navy Pier as usual. Maggie and I were unexpectedly late for our blogger meeting at the Bean with Eric. He was gracious enough to wait for us so that worked out well. Why were we late? We were stuck by a drawbridge, no joke.

We finally made it to our destination and took a few quick pics (obviously).

Expos really aren't what they used to be. Perhaps it is because the sport of running has become so popular? Either way, I always have such high expectations for the freebies at this expo. And the past few years just haven't been the same. I did get some frozen keifer (yum) and I got to try a few flavors of Nuun and Clif bar... but nothing really outstanding. We did run into a few FNRC members there, go figure!

Maggie and I outside the expo

Later that day, I had been texting my friend Kate discussing my race "strategy." She was debating not doing it because she has been feeling under the weather. I asked if she wouldn't mind sticking with me at my pace (as she is usually much faster) and we can keep our streak going. (This was her 6th Shamrock Shuffle.) Kate graciously agreed so I was happy to have a buddy to share the race experience with!

Sunday morning, Maggie came to my house and we carpooled downtown together. We parked in the typical $2 lot and headed to the Hilton to meet up with the rest of the FNRC. (Can you spot fellow local bloggers Amanda and Amanda?)

Ready to shuffle in my Oiselle singlet and Sparkle Skirt!

I said goodbye to all my Wave 1 friends and wished them luck on a great race. Kate met me at the Hilton soon after and we hung around there before heading to our start in wave 2.

Kate and I, in wave 2, waiting 45+ minutes to start the race!

I have to say, I was really glad I had a buddy in the corral with me. We waited a long time for the race to start (over 45 minutes) as we were in J, the 2nd to last corral. Once we got rolling though, it was fun to be moving! I don't think I've ever started this far back in a race before and I felt like there were definitely some big differences. I did feel a few times that I might get run over by someone that was doing the "sprint and walk" method of racing. When we were walking, we moved to the side to not inconvenience the other runners, and for our own safety. We actually ran into a few other friends on the sidelines and running the race! Its crazy what a small world the running community can be! I didn't run into Anne at all, who was also in corral J. But with such a huge race, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. We kept to my strategy and I had to tell myself not to kick it into high-gear as we were heading down Michigan Avenue, near the end. Lol. Kate and I smiled for the finish photo and hopefully it is a good one!

Now that the race was over, it was time to find some of my other friends that were running the race! I met up with Maggie and ran into local fastie Nicole. They both ran PRs and had a great time. It really was beautiful weather and a great day for a race!

Photo courtesy of Maggie

And then, it was time for brunch! Thanks to all my friends that supported me and waited for me as I was out there! I had a fabulous time and will definitely be back again next year!! :)