First run of 2019

2018 was my best running year. I participated in a lot of races - both road and trail, and also ran a half marathon with the husband (his 1st).

But more than any race, I thoroughly enjoyed my weekly long runs. I get to be outdoors (my favorite place to be); I get to breath lungs full of fresh air; I get to observe subtle changes in seasons all year long; I get "ME" time to think deeply about things bringing stress and find a way to let go; I get to become fitter and faster over time; Every mile is worth my while; Every run adds life to my days!!!

I used to run with a local non-profit group on and off from January 2014. But last year, I realized that each of their events centered around alcohol. Any event to raise money involved beer. Most of their runs started and ended at a brewery. Their potlucks and dinner invites never had any vegan options for me to eat. Although I'm still contributing towards their cause, I no longer run with them.

I found a new running group last fall that felt like home. The people, their running pace, their willingness to be flexible in terms of timing, location and distance of our runs, the camaraderie during races - it fit my needs from the Day 1.

I have a routine now for my weekly long runs. And a great group to run with. I look forward to my Saturday AM runs all week long. Being in Folsom, we are blessed with miles of trails - road as well as dirt, and spectacular running weather all year around.

For my first run of 2019, I ran on a route that I've never run before. We started at our usual starting point - Old Town Folsom. There is a covered parking garage with a bathroom here that works well for us. Instead of running along the American River Parkway towards Nimbus Fish Hatchery, we ran east towards Folsom Lake Beals Point. We were treated to a spectacular sunrise here, and we took a short break to soak it all in. It was uphill all the way, and with a 2 week break from running, I was feeling it in my legs and lungs. The way back was downhill and a ton of fun. I was happy we could run 8+  miles, given that I had tight constraints around my return time. Daughter had a basketball game at 9am, and I didn't want to miss a minute of it.

Here are some pictures from Saturday.....

Day 4: Getting fit

I gained 42 lbs during my first pregnancy. I was doing amazingly well with the weight gain until ~35 weeks, but the last 5 weeks I gained 3 or more pounds every week and there was nothing I could do to slow it down. By the time I got pregnant again, I had lost ~32 lbs.

The second time around, I was dreading the same thing. But I got lucky. I only gained a total of 25 lbs, out of which I lost 10 lbs at delivery. So the combined excess of 25lbs is what is still left.....and not all of it is going to come off by itself.

I've always been a very active, fit person all my life. I was on the skinny side all through college, and after coming to the US, I gained a few lbs but lost them over time, and managed to maintain a healthy weight all throughout. Until now, that is!

For some women, the pounds just melt off their body post-pregnancy. I am not so lucky. I have to work hard. I have to watch my diet. Nursing my babies full time makes me very hungry. But I watch my portion sizes and never binge on junk snacks.

Once Rusham was two months old, we settled into some sort of a routine in our lives. Every day there is a new challenge, and more often than not, the routine is disrupted, but we finally got used to having two kids. And I took the opportunity to incorporate some level of physical activity during my day.

These are the things I do:
- Jump rope as often as I can. Sometimes I do 500-600 a day, sometimes 200. The best part is I can do it at home at any time.
- I park my car in the overflow lot at work. I come home during lunch, so I have to walk a total of 4 times back n forth during the day, which I do at a fast pace.
- I rarely take the elevator to my third floor cube. Climbing the stairs burns a lot of calories.
- I walk within the buildings from one end of the campus to the other. The weather here is lousy - it's been raining non-stop for the past few days, and it gets dark/chilly by the time I leave work. So outdoor stuff like biking or a run is completely ruled out.
- I do Surya Namaskars and yoga routines as and when time permits.

The arms and belly need a LOT of toning, but I'm just getting started and doing what I can right now.

It's been 3 weeks that I started doing all these things, and so far, I've managed to lose 6lbs. Not bad, eh? I still have a long way to go, but it's a good start.

I had to go to a party last weekend where the dress code was Western. None of the outfits in my closet fit me, so I went ahead and bought a dress...got a great deal on it ($12) and it did a great job in flattering my curves (or I should say bulges, in all the wrong places?)....

Inspite of having said all of the above, I must say that I don't feel depressed or stressed about the excess weight....I have two beautiful healthy children and my body is supporting me in nursing them full time....my body has been so gracious to me during both pregnancies....I have to be patient and give it some time to return to its new normal shape!

I have a long break from work coming up, and I hope to workout a lot more in the coming months. My goal is to get to a healthy weight and fitness level by the time Rusham turns 1!