My how far I’ve fallen… or how far I’ve come. Perspective…

I covered 8 miles this past week, and I’m actually proud of that. Proud and irked because that is so very little compared to my old abilities.

Running is nigh unto impossible for me lately. Yes, on each of my outings this week I tried to run a little, but breathing is just too difficult at this point. I am gasping for air all the time, even if I’m just sitting in a chair. So it shouldn’t be any surprise that running increases that. Asthma inhalers no longer help with it either, I think it’s all just due to baby taking up too much space.

Seven of the 8 miles throughout the week were done in my new Saucony Kinvara 3. I got the Citron/Pink ones from Fleet Feet Sports Las Vegas. I briefly contemplated getting other even brighter colors… but feel like I’m too slow for those in my current “condition”. It’s probably a silly thought, but for some reason the idea of mainly walking while wearing super-bright lightweight running shoes felt a little fraudulent to me! I’ve never had problems with the Kinvara 1 or 2 rubbing me, but these shoes were rubbing my Achilles a little. Not a full-on blister or open wound, but the beginning rumblings of those.

The one additional mile was done in my Vibram Five Fingers… and they hurt me feet the whole time. I felt like my toes were touching the very tippy top of all the little toe pockets. They rubbed the sides of my big toes weird and felt like they were hooking onto my pinky toenails, in danger of pulling them off. I wonder if my feet were swollen (or even worse, actually bigger) due to pregnancy. Not enough of a change in size to notice it in my regular shoes, but it was very significant in these close-fitting ones.

My husband has started doing P90X again, so on his yoga day I joined him for yoga, doing my own prenatal-variation for part of the workout, helping him with his alignment or explaining postures to him some as needed for the rest.

It was really hot here in Vegas, so stepping outside made me immediately uncomfortable. I did all my miles outside because I’m really not looking forward to being on the treadmill, but if I need to stick to that contraption soon I will. I had to fill my car with gas the other day, I felt dizzy and like I was going to pass out from about 2 minutes standing in the 100+ heat. Yet another way my conditioning has changed due to pregnancy, I can’t even begin to build up a heat tolerance for the summer!

For this week, I will have to be in Utah for work for a couple of days so I’m hoping I can go on a walk with my mom in weather that is cooler than Las Vegas’. Of course, it will be higher elevation so I’ll have to see if it affects my breathing even more!