Adios, Squishy Pregnancy Body...

Hello (mostly) normal Heather!  I rocked out a 7-mile run today, thus cementing the fact that I can no longer claim "NEW BABY!" for reasons why:

1) I can't fit in my pants (thankfully, I can)
2) I don't have enough time to work out (obviously, I do)
3) I haven't lost all the baby weight (I weighed myself today, and I HAVE lost all the baby weight!)

I am a wee bit ashamed to say I used the baby excuse for all of the above for about four years after having Abby (who's now 6 years old)...

Anyway, Kellen is now turning 7 months old, is nearly 30 inches tall, and 23 pounds heavy.   I don't need a gym to lift weights, I can just sit in the living room and do crunches with my  little tank of a baby on my stomach.  Or use him to do arm curls.  Or run up and down stairs with him attached to my hip.  Or...run with him in the stroller.  I just can't make excuses as to why I can't exercise, because this kid around (3rd time's a charm, right?), I finally figured it out.  I even have an elliptical in our living room for the emergency workout.  Also known as those days when the baby is cranky (despite his grins, he does have those days).  Or on those days when it's raining (it is Spring in Ohio!).  Or on those days when I feel lazy and just want to zombie through a workout and play Words With Friends or watch TV.

I still can't say I have abs of steel, but at least I have abs.  And I am really pleased with my stride and stamina in running.  I didn't anticipate being able to run so far after having a baby.  Sure, I was still running 6-miles when I was 6-months preggo, but around month 7ish, I had to give up running when I could no longer see my toes or lace my shoes (don't laugh, it happened).  Kellen was our biggest baby afterall!  Well, here I am 7 months AFTER popping that kid out and I am pretty close to back to where I was BEFORE I got pregnant.

You see, if you can run 7 miles, you can actually run 9 miles.  And if you can run 9 miles, you can run a 1/2 Marathon (13 miles).  Think I'm lying?  Nope.  True Story.  You know how I know?  Because I did it in Fall 2009.  Four months before I got pregnant, I ran the Malibu 1/2 Marathon in 2:29:58.  It was my first 1/2 Marathon and the furthest I had run before rocking out that gorgeous coastal run was 9 miles.  Four months later (didn't know I was pregnant), I ran the Surf City 1/2 Marathon in Huntington Beach and totally loved it, finishing at 2:06:35.  Barely pregnant, but pregnant nonetheless.  Obviously, Kellen was destined to be my running buddy.

So here we are, just three months out from moving to Cairo!  I plan on doing some nice races this summer, a couple of 5Ks, a 10K, and a 1/2 Marathon before we leave.  I'm already up to 7 miles.  Now I need to get to 9 miles.  And then I can move on to another 1/2 Marathon.  And then maybe, just maybe...I'll do an actual Marathon in Cairo...

This is Kellen at 7 Months.
He's a tank of a baby.
And my running buddy.