I Miss...

...running.  And wine.  But mostly running.

There.  I said it.

Don't get me wrong.  This little baby growing inside of me is a major blessing, and I wouldn't change it for the world.  BUT, I cannot deny the fact that pregnancy changes things, and while it might sound selfish, I think it's also natural to miss certain things about my "old life".

Like running.

Granted, I have been active throughout a majority of my pregnancy, and actually stopped running altogether at 29 weeks.  Since then, I've taken a ton of barre classes (which stopped around 34 weeks when I moved to the 'burbs) and have been walking 2 miles or so almost every day.  But I can't help feel a tiny little twinge of jealousy when I see so many people racing and knocking out intense workouts.

So, it's only natural that I've started compiling a list of running-related goals for next year...right?  RIGHT?

1.) Run with friends.  And drink wine.  Or both.

From last fall's ZOOMA Great Lakes half-marathon after-party!

If you know me well, you know that when it comes to new people, I can be very shy.  As a result, when I was living in Chicago, I never took advantage of running with others along the lakefront path, attending blogger events, etc.  And "just" when I was about to feel comfortable doing so, I got pregnant.  So...my first goal is to make new running friends.  Thanks to Kelly, I am SUPER excited to join a local running club when I am ready to get back into it.

2.)  Have FUN.

(Coincidentally, this is the only running top that still fits my 38 week baby bump.  A related goal?  Buy running apparrel that actually fits.  Here I am before the Indy Mini-Marathon in 2012.)

While I do have time goals in mind for certain distances (Hello, sub-2:00 half-marathon), one of the things I learned about running while pregnant is that being able to do so was a gift.  I felt so lucky to get out there each day that I could have cared less how fast I was running.  

Also, when I signed up for races with friends in the past, we all used to go our separate ways after the start.  My husband often asked me what was the point of running with friends if we didn't actually stick together.  SO, I'd like to make sure I actually run races for fun and not always for time.

3.) Tackle new distances.  

I felt like Stella in that I got my "groove" back in early 2013.  I felt strong and injury-free - and then came baby.  I know that these past 10 months have changed my fitness level, but when I DO return to the running scene, I have some longer distances in mind that I'd like to tackle.  My immediate goals include several half-marathons (my favorite distance), but whether it's 2014 or not, the full marathon is definitely on my radar.

4.) Also related to #3 - STRENGTH TRAINING

When I stopped running, I started amping up my barre classes to 3-5 times/week.  OMG.  It made such a huge difference.  I was holding stronger planks and had better push-ups at 30 weeks pregnant than when I was without child.  Knowing that I am capable of so much more (coupled with the fact that Pure Barre is opening a location in the 'burbs!!!), I feel like I'll have plenty of opportunities to keep it up.

via

I am sure my goals are a bit premature, as I have NO CLUE what's going to happen when the baby lady arrives.  Plus, I am certainly not going to rush this - I'll be taking whatever time I need to recover and adjust.  However, it's fun to think about the possibilities:)

Do you have any fitness related goals for the upcoming months?