Can I just say I am so digging the fact that now my post-partum fitness “Days” match up with the day of the month! I will be sad when April is over.On Thursday I was supposed to get up at 6am and get on the trainer. But Sweet Pea got up at 5:57 and she was hungry. Sometimes I think I might as well get up and do what I want to do (e.g. pump, and let Dan give her a bottle while I work out) if I am going to be up anyway. But sometimes (ok, pretty much always), especially in my pre-coffee state, I just want to lie in bed some more, even if I’m not totally asleep. So yesterday staying in bed won. Before Sweet Pea’s distress escalated to 100%, Dan and I had a quick conversation and decided that I would nurse (which is something I can do in bed) while he did his workout, and since he did not have to be at work until 10, I could do my workout when he was done, before he left for work.
Side note: I am very lucky to have a husband who is supportive of me working out and who has flexible work hours. Also, since his company is small and does not (yet?) have a paternity policy, he was able to negotiate a sweet post-baby schedule- one month completely off (which I think is 90% of the reason I did not have any baby blues issues), the next month he came back to work 60%, and this month he is working 75% of his normal hours. Not that I wouldn’t be working out if he wasn’t so flexible with his time, but it helps a lot.
Anyway, Thursday’s workout was biking on the trainer for 45 minutes. I made the workout hard. I kind of made it up as I went along, but an on the fly workout is much better than no specific workout, when it comes to indoor cycling, as far as the boredom factor. After a warm up, I did about two minutes in zone two, about 90 rpms in the small ring, and then gradually increased the resistance, shifting gears about every 30 seconds and got into the big ring while the effort increased from zone three gradually to zone four, for two and a half minutes. I repeated this four times and then cooled down, while watching more of Season Six of Weeds on the ipad. I think this is the best season so far!! I am loving the dialogue between Cesar, Sucio, and Doug (Kevin Nealon), especially. I wouldn’t necessarily classify the show as a comedy, but that sh*t is FUNNY.
Day 20: Friday, April 20th
Even though we have my brother and sister in law in town, I made it to Masters for 6am. It actually felt ok to wake up at 5 because Sweet Pea was in bed and asleep by 9:30 or so, which allowed me to get in bed by 10. I never thought I would say this, but seven hours of consecutive sleep was plenty of beauty rest. Although the coaches were absent from the swim, they had emailed us the workout and my lane was full. I played the Just Had a Baby card and excused myself from leading the lane at any point during the workout. Afterward, a bunch of us headed to breakfast, (although I just got a coffee in anticipation of breakfast at Snooze). It was pleasant to socialize with my swim buddies for longer than the 15 seconds at a time. When I got home, Dan told me Sweet Pea had sucked down eight ounces of milk. Which is exactly how much I pumped when I woke up. I am so astounded by the fact that my body is so in sync with my baby’s needs, and that nature designed such a perfect system.
After brunch, we all hiked up Sanitas, which is a gradual hike that took us about 90 minutes to climb up, and about 30 minutes to get down. We stopped at the top for a good 30 minutes to enjoy the view, but mainly so Sweet Pea could get her lunch. We took the hike at a moderate pace, but I definitely felt it in my butt and my quads this morning.
Day 21: Saturday April 21st
Sweet Pea was up to nurse at 6am. I debated between going to the 8am spin class or getting on my actual bike for a while, and I was leaning toward the latter, since the weather was so gorgeous, until I remembered my road bike is still at Boulder Cycle Sport for a tune up. And I don’t have a new tire for my tri bike, which I need before I take it outside; its been on the trainer for so long that taking that rear tire for a real ride would be basically asking for a flat tire. So off to the gym I went. First I pumped about 2 oz.
The spin class was ok. I am not sure if the instructor was legitimately annoying or if I am just a control freak, but throughout the class I kept thinking that I would never have structured the workout like she did. Before I started teaching spin classes in 2004, I loved to go to them. Then I realized the class goes by much faster when you’re teaching. Also, I hate that the typical spin class gives you only about 5 minutes to warm up, 2 minutes to cool down, has you out of the saddle with an rpm of like 95 for a minute or more at a time, and is basically geared toward maximum calorie burning. In other words, the class has little relevance to fitness for outdoor cycling. And I realize that that’s not what everyone is looking for. And that is why if I am not teaching the class, I generally go to spin class about once a year.
After spin, I checked in with Dan. He reported Sweet Pea was sleeping, so I hung around for about 15 more minutes to do some pushups and core work on the ball and using the TRX (which I want for the house, maybe for Mother’s Day, except I also want these). I’m glad I didn’t stay at the gym any longer, because when I got home, Dan informed me Sweet Pea had just drank the 2 ounces I had pumped but was still hungry.
I missed taking a leisurely shower at the gym, but showering at home allowed me the opportunity to scrub it while I was in there. (BTW, I use a non-toxic, earth-friendly cleaner. I would never do that with Ajax or Clorox!). Does anyone else clean their shower while they are using it? Seriously, is that weird? I don’t know. I feel guilty having a housekeeper anymore since I am not working, so I figure anytime I get around to cleaning the shower is a good time.
Agree with abdominal exercise machines. I had one before and dang! it didn’t flatten my stomach. Calorie control is important. Crunches can’t help much as well, crunches can tone abs or strengthen abdominal muscles but it can’t really help in losing belly fats.