Working Out Weekend and Travel

I was at my crossfit training seminar this weekend and it was exhausting. I haven't felt this way in a long time. Both nights I wanted to come home and go right to bed (at 6:30 pm).
Generally I get a little tired spell around noon and try to take a little nap for about 30 minutes to an hour. Without these on Saturday and Sunday, I was surprised I made it through the lectures.
I brought a couple of pieces of fruit just incase I needed a sugar boost at some point. It definitely helped for the test! Their was a ton of movement going on as well as lecturing, so I definitely got my work outs in.

Working Out Weekend
We worked on (in depth) our air squat, front squat and overhead squat on Saturday. Later that day we also went over the shoulder press, push press and push jerk. Then at the end of the day we did "Fran" which is customary for the level 1 certification. My time was 6 minutes 35 seconds with 35 lbs. and jumping pullups. Not impressive by any means, but after an entire day of working on movements, I was satisfied to not push it.

Sunday we worked on our deadlift, sumo deadlift high-pull and medicine-ball cleans. Wow, was I a mess. I feel like I've never worked these muscles before even though I've been doing all the movements for almost a year. My legs are still burning. After all of that hard work we did a ten minute amrap WOD (as-many-rounds-as-possible/workout of the day). I moved pretty slowly and having not had any mid-day nap was struggling to push myself through the movements.

Travel
I am spending the week in Las Vegas with my sister and a couple of friends. The hardest part of being here is feeding myself and I realize I will have to make some exceptions. Tuesday morning I had an omelette with organic eggs, veggies and chicken sausage. It came with fresh fruit (some or all organic) and potatoes but I had tomato slices instead. This was at the Canyon Ranch Grill at the Palazzo. Their water was infused with lemon and was surprisingly good. This really impressed me for some reason. I will definitely go back here. For lunch my sister and I will be gorging on corned beef and pastrami at the Carnegie Delicatessen at the Mirage. I cannot account for their meat source, as it is most probably grain-fed and full of antibiotics and hormones, but I will follow up this rare cheat with some fish oil.

Primal and Pregnant Travel Part 1

Back to my usual Cholula doused breakfast. Ahhhhh.... so perfect and easy! Two of the highest quality eggs, some avocado slices and a piece of pastured bacon are the best way to start my day. Honestly, it was a little tough today. I'm not sure what to attribute it to. I woke up at around 5 am and felt like I could start my day, but tried to fall back to sleep. It took a little while but I managed and woke up again with my alarm at 8:30. I was in and out of sleep for about another half-hour and had to sit myself up and drink some water at around 9. That usually does the trick, but not this time. Instead of heading down to cook breakfast I thought a shower might help me wake up. I was very sluggish and didn't get out of the house until 10:30 when I had planned on being at the gym before 10. It could be a result of the progression of my pregnancy, the time fluctuations between NYC and Las Vegas or, most probably, caused by my lack of specific nutrients and somewhat poor eating during the past week's vacation.

Travel Eating
   For two mornings I ate at the Canyon Ranch Grill in the Palazzo or the Venetian (it seems they are part of the same resort?). This was the closest walking-distance restaurant that offered organic eggs and other organic ingredients. The first morning I had a 3 egg omelette with all of the veggies offered, organic chicken sausage and no cheese. Instead of the potatoes on the side, I had sliced tomatoes and it also came with a nice side of fruit. The second time I went I felt guilty about assuming the sausage was grain-free, so I asked the waiter and told him to include all of the veggies that were organic in the omelette. It turns out that the sausage was gluten-(and hopefully all other grain)-free, however the only veggie that was organic was the spinach (out of a list of about 6 different ingredients). When in doubt, ask. Sometimes you just don't want to be a pain in the butt, but it's your health, your food and your money.
   Please also note I brought all my vitamins as well as extra fish oil and probiotics to supplement the lesser quality meals I consumed.
   The first day for lunch we had Carnegie Deli corned beef and pastrami and I ate the leftovers the next day for lunch. Again, this is not the best quality meat but better than eating a loaf of bread. *Sidenote- while just typing the words "loaf of bread" I remembered that my sister and I used to take a piece of bread, butter it and sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar as our grandmother had made for us one time. Just thinking about it spiked a huge craving for butter, bread and sugar.......end sidenote.*
   We had a late night meal from Chipotle which contains meat that is antibiotic and hormone free. This is a decent "go to" option if you are left with little else. I had the bowl with veggies, steak, pico, tomatoes, onions, lettuce and guacamole. You have to tell them right away that you want no rice and beans because otherwise they will just start slapping that shit in there.
   The second night we went to Margaritaville, the restaurant located in the "Jimmy Buffett" portion of the Flamingo. Disgustingly disappointing. I asked the waiter which of their 3 fish options was wild and after checking with the chef he told me all 3 were farmed. Luckily I had texted my husband to find out which of my options was the best and he got back to me after I had already ordered blackened mahi-mahi. He said that it was impossible to farm mahi-mahi. Excellent instinct on my part and clearly the employees of this place were retarded. That's not even the best part. My waiter brought me my blackened fish with my substitute side-salad and the rice I had substituted it for, leaving my steamed veggies nowhere to be found. When I pointed this out to the waiter he said he would bring me a side of steamed veggies and then proceeded to hand me a small dish of green beans! Ummmm..... beans are legumes, not veggies and I don't eat those. Thanks for making me waste rice and beans, your time, my time and my money. The moral of this meal is: Don't eat at a place where the service staff AND the chef may possibly know nothing about food.
   The third morning I went to Hash House a Go-Go. This place is ridiculous and I wanted everything on their menu. Cinnamon rolls sliced and fried up like french toast..... WHAT???!
I opted for a scramble with a side of their griddled mashed potatoes (instead of the fried in canola home-fries). I was aware that this was a meal of low quality ingredients but a step or two above the aforementioned cinnadream. After tasting both the eggs and potatoes I realized that they, despite their deliciousness, they both most likely contained dairy- milk in the eggs and buttered potatoes. Whoops.
This was not a very well executed choice in hindsight. Next time I would probably order eggs over-medium so that I know there is nothing mixed in, and some other substitute for potatoes. It is unfortunate that this place is "twisted farm-food" that does not really have any farm fresh options.
   The last night I had the most amazing scallops drizzled with basil oil and placed on a scoop of ratatouille. I was thrilled. The veggies were most likely not organic, but the scallops were the best meal I had eaten while on vacation. Excellent meal at Mon Amie Gambi in the Paris Paris casino.
   If I had a car and friends that were willing to drive to more options, this would have been an easier trip. I did the best I could without trying to seem a "high-maintenance" eater, which apparently I failed at. Oh well. I'm trying to grow the healthiest baby I know how and that should trump all.

To make up for all the greens I missed out on during the week, I had a big salad with organic lettuce, pea-shoots, arugula, tuna, onions and tomatoes. It was very refreshing.
For dinner we had italian sausage from our CSA and peppers with a side of caesar salad.

Working Out and Working Out Myths?

This morning I was lucky enough to eat some bacon from Herondale Farm, where we are part of a CSA share program for meat. It was wonderful- the perfect balance of fatty and crispy! I also had two eggs, tomato and avocado. I smothered all of this in Cholula right after snapping this photo. I think I've discovered a craving/addiction. Before all this I had a smoothie with greens.

For some reason right before we went to the gym I started feeling really tired. Instead of staying home, I went to the gym and did a couple things instead of one tough workout.

Working Out
Today's WOD:

Deadlift  5-5-5  (I did 145 lbs. - 165 lbs. - 185 lbs.)

Instead of the scheduled WOD, I did:

row 1000 meters
tabata thrusters and overhead squats with pvc pipe
partner wall ball situps
worked on my pullups

Afterward we had hot dogs from our CSA and some homemade sauerkraut for lunch.

Working Out Mythbusting
I also found a book on Amazon that I have ordered from the publisher. It is called Exercising Through Your Pregnancy - 2nd Ed. written by James Clapp, M.D. and Catherine Cram, M.S.
I am excited to get more of the science supporting the fact that women really should be working out through their pregnancy. This book hopefully holds the answers to many common questions and dispels what Dr. James Clapp lists as myths about exercising while pregnant.

Common Myths About Exercising and Pregnancy

1. Pregnant women should keep their heart rates under 140 beats per minute.
2. Exercise during lactation makes the milk taste sour.
3. Women should avoid abdominal exercises in mid and late pregnancy.
4. Pregnant women should not lift weights.
5. The bouncing and jarring which occur during running and high-impact aerobics increase the risk        for the baby getting tangled up in the umbilical cord.
6. Exercise causes premature labor.
7. Exercise will cause the fetus to detach from the wall of the womb.
8. Exercise right after a pregnancy will cause hernias and loss of vaginal and pelvic support.

Before dinner we tried the liver again, but this time on a cracker I made from almond flour and coconut flour. They were just enough to get rid of that slightly off-putting aftertaste. 

For dinner my husband made arroz con pollo (cauliflower rice). It was really good. The chicken of course came from our CSA.

For dessert we had apple pie ice-cream. Just a quick description of the ingredients for those curious about how this is done... coconut cream/milk from the can, xylitol, stevia extract, 1 pint of date sweetened applesauce (homemade), and ginger and cinnamon to get the pie taste. It was awesome. This was probably one of the best flavors we've made. I am also tempted to try peach pie sometime soon.

Liver

I ate a smaller breakfast today- 2 eggs, 1 piece of bacon, a little bit of arugula and onion in my eggs and a couple of slices of tomato and avocado. Oh yes, and I added more Cholula, which still seemed to be not enough. I love that smoky flavor.

Not much going on today. It's 90 degrees and there's a crazy storm outside. I had another burger salad for lunch and we got our CSA meat for the month. I have been excited to see what form of lamb we are getting because I've been craving it since we had lamb-burgers last time around. Turns out we are having lamb sausage and peppers for dinner with a salad of course. Yum!

Liver
We also got plenty of chicken liver, so my husband made liver paté. Liver is important as a source of iron, folic acid and vitamin A. I agreed that I would add this to my diet and hopefully he did a great job and it tastes better than I imagine. I didn't grow up on the stuff, so we'll see.
In a guest post on Mark's Daily Apple by Chris Kresser he counts liver as number one in his list of superfoods for pregnant women:
 "1. Liver. Ounce for ounce, liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. It’s loaded with fat soluble vitamins like retinol (pre-formed vitamin A) that are crucial for reproductive health, and difficult to obtain elsewhere in the diet. Liver is also a great source of highly absorbable iron, which helps prevent miscarriage and maternal anemia, and B12, which is required for proper formation of red blood cells and DNA. Liver is also a good source of bioavailable protein, zinc, and folate."

It looks better than it tastes, which doesn't say much. My husband did a good job though. I think I can get used to it if I find a good recipe for a primal cracker to spread it on.

Working Out and Raspberry Leaf Tea

Today I put cholula hot sauce on my eggs and it reminded me of a time when my friends and I used to go to brunch every Sunday and eat all kinds of things that were no good for us. Anyway, 2 eggs, 2 bacon strips, kale with tomatoes and avocado, butternut "homefries" and iced tea all went quickly this morning. I woke up very late today and don't know if it's because I had trouble falling asleep last night, me being lazy or just because that's what my body needed. Hopefully a nap will not be as necessary today as it has been the past couple of days.

I think that this will be the last day I eat the "homefries." I definitely need to lower my caloric intake. This may be one of the reasons my body isn't budging with that extra weight. In my quest for the perfect amount of vitamins and minerals on my plate... I added too much food.
So, today's lunch was a smoothie with greens. (Not that fruit is helping much either, but this is on a workout day.)

Working Out
In preparation of my Level 1 CrossFit certification this weekend, I wanted to do a bar complex that involves all of the basic movements to work on my form.

Today's WOD:
5 cleans
5 shoulder presses
5 push presses
5 push jerks
5 snatches
5 overhead squats
5 front squats
5 back squats
5 clean and jerks
5 deadlifts
5 sumo-deadlift high-pulls

2 rounds with 45 lbs.

The first time through my coach watched and corrected the movements, so some of them got 10 reps or 7 or 5. The second time I wanted to hold on to the bar through the first 4 movements, the next 3 and then the last 3 movements as individuals. My personal record for deadlifting is 215 lbs, so 45 is extremely light. But, by the end of the complex it was a nice rest.

Raspberry Leaf Tea
I mentioned this tea as a great thing to drink during pregnancy in an earlier post, mentioning that I was a little wary to try it just yet. I am glad I waited as I have discovered a little more about it. According to my 100's book red raspberry leaf is "probably the best known pregnancy herb. Herbalists and midwives recommend red raspberry leaf for morning sickness and to tone the uterus and help ensure a good strong pregnancy. It is also used to stimulate the onset of labor and to promote an easy labor."
It says that in studies, the herb can actually induce contractions in uterus cells removed from pregnant women but has no effect on those from a woman who is not pregnant. Pretty cool. However, some people think that it's effects on these cells can possibly be harmful for a woman in her first trimester. After all, you don't want any contractions going on at that time when the poor little thing isn't really hanging on all that well. So, I will wait to hear from a doctor or midwife before giving this one a shot.

Today's dinner is brought to us by Herondale Farms CSA. We are having pork chops that are surprisingly the last of our supply. Thankfully our next CSA pickup is next Wednesday and will contain 15 pounds of lamb, beef and pork. I can't stop thinking about the lamb burgers we had... amazing! Pork chops and roasted acorn squash with arugula salad on the side for dinner.

Restless Legs, Working Out and the Ideal Body

I got up a little later today and still needed some time on the couch before I could muster the energy to make breakfast, and when I did, it was a beauty.
I made 2 eggs, 1 piece of bacon, the last piece of breakfast sausage, butternut squash "homefries," some wilted kale and 3 pieces of apricots (because I cut off the overripe portion). In the glass is a mix of my ginger and peach teas with a little bit of lemon.

Restless Legs
Over the weekend we were wrapped up in the CrossFit Games. We spent more time than usual using our computer as a television. While sitting on the couch I began to feel a little restless in my legs. I've never really understood what this feels like because I've never felt it before. It just made me want to move my legs around. I felt antsy, like I wanted to get up and do something but I really just wanted to sit there and relax. Very confusing. 
Thinking that maybe this had something to do with being pregnant, I looked into it. I found out that it does happen during pregnancy, but usually later on in the 2nd or 3rd trimesters. This site gives a great explanation of RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome). It seems a little strange to me that I would feel it now, especially because I work out and eat well. I can't imagine that it is due to some sort of vitamin or mineral deficiency. Upon further searching I came across a forum where a woman said her doctor explained it as a result of hormonal changes. Okay, that makes sense. 
RLS is usually the feeling of tingling, burning or crawling sensation in the legs. I'm not feeling any tingling or burning, but crawling (like skin-crawling) sounds about right. It's just an inexplainable irritated feeling. Even typing this is activating it. Ugh!


Working Out
Yesterday's WOD:

Proceed through the sequence below completing as many reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
Snatch, 30 reps
Snatch, 30 reps
Snatch, 30 reps
Snatch, as many reps as possible

Rx:

75/45

135/75

165/100

210/120

My Results: 50 reps (compared to last time I had 60 and was unable to get 100 lbs. over head)

Yesterday's lunch was a salmon salad and today's was a steak-burger salad with ketchup, mustard and a splash of balsamic. Awesome.

The Ideal Body

If I could look like Heather Bergeron while pregnant, I would be a very happy, healthy person.

This is truly my goal. I was never that small even before becoming pregnant, but I can only hope that my arms and legs continue to shrink as I continue to workout and eat 100% primal.

Over the weekend we made chocolate balsamic and cherry shakes. I used 1 can of coconut milk, about a dozen organic black cherries that I pitted, 2 tsp of chocolate balsamic, 1/2 tsp organic vanilla extract and 4 tiny scoops (from the spoon that comes with it) of stevia extract. Just put all of it into a blender with some ice and you have a shake. I will admit the balsamic wasn't that noticeable, and the coconut flavor is strong, but it was awesome. This is the best substitute for ice-cream when you are in a hurry.

Tonights dinner was mahi-mahi, hot and sour soup, broccolini and fried rice (cauliflower rice). All of this made by yours truly from fresh organic ingredients. I probably overdid it. It was too much food for me.

Working Out and More Questions

Breakfast this morning was made by my husband. It consisted of 2 eggs, the last piece of breakfast sausage, some butternut squash "homefries" and sauteed kale. I had the usual vitamins (fish oil, prenatal, vitamin D) and a ginger tea and lemonade "arnold palmer" to drink.

Working Out
Today's WOD:

Today was a scheduled rest day. In preparation for my crossfit level 1 certification next weekend, I wanted to do Fran.

21 - 15 - 9

Thrusters
Pull-ups

Rx 65 lbs.

I did 45 lbs. and used a band for the pull-ups.
My time was 8:27

More Questions
Q: What is the transition, or transitioning? This is a term I continually saw in the homebirthing forum I've been reading.
A: Amazing! I really like the definition on this site. It is basically the "rock bottom" of labor. When a woman feels like giving up or the loss of control, she has transitioned. It sounds like it is the hardest part of labor. I like this reminder: "At this point, it is the job of her coach or labor partner to assist her into various positions in an attempt to find the one that will keep her most comfortable." This is the point of no return. It's more inspiring to me than scary.


Q: What is the deal with hypnobirth?
A: I read this post on hypnobirthing last night. It is a means of using the subconscious mind to get through labor instead of the conscious in order to lessen the pain. It teaches proper relaxation which is key in letting the body do what it is supposed to more effectively. It sounds like it is quite an involved process of classes and homework but quite possibly worth it. I think I may look into it. My first thought though is- does this make the mother more "out of it" during the process? If so, doesn't that negate the purpose of a homebirth or one of them?
I will have to learn more about it to assess it properly but I feel like I could just practice deep relaxation and not have to bother with paying anyone.


Q: How long do I have until I shouldn't fly anymore?
A: I've always heard that the last trimester is off limits for a pregnant woman to fly. This website says a carrying mother can fly up until week 36. Then I did the math on that one and thought... Whaaaat? Isn't that 9 months? Yes it is. Apparently the due date is calculated at 40 weeks or 10 months. Am I the only one who feels stupid for not knowing these things? This is why I ask questions, especially because my math skills are sub par. So, if you are having a NORMAL pregnancy, you can run the risk of travel as late as 1 month before you are due. If there are other things going on, why risk it? I was a late baby. I was 3 whole weeks late (and 1 oz shy of 11 lbs. might I add...). So, I'm banking on that timing for myself. I still would not travel that close to my due date. Especially when that's got to be major nest prep time.

That's all the questions for today.

Lunch was leftover salmon from last night and salad.
For dinner we ate caesar salad and those steak burgers we got from La Cense beef. They were delicious. I really like the flavor in that blend of meat.

The CrossFit Games are on all weekend and I may not get anywhere near the computer. See you next time.