I ran and jumped rope for the first time in 4 months!

I ran! I ran for the first time since the beginning of my journey 4 months ago and I could not be happier! I also did double unders! Never did I imagine I’d be so excited to run and jump rope. Even up the dreaded hill that we have from the main street to our street and house. I was really curious on the heart rate when running and I’m happy to report at my normal pace I’m right under 15-155bpm.

First run was about 2 miles at a 9:30 – 10 min pace and I’m perfectly okay with that performance. That is all I need! I cannot wait to get some more running in around my neighborhood ! 

My New BFF

After my 6 week ultrasound I was permission to increase my activity but I had to keep heart rate under 140bpm. So I had to invest in a heart rate monitor. I quickly realized that the 140 bpm wasn't very high when doing any form of cardio or moderately lifting at high reps. I had to learn how to breathe slower and find the best ways my body recovers so I could continue with working out.

Anyone who's don't CrossFit knows in a metcon the goal is usually to go as fast as possible. Well know with my new limits I was focused more on quality vs quantity and/or speed. I actually felt like I spent more time waiting for my heart rate to decrease than I did working out at times but I knew I was still doing my body good. I also knew this was the safest way to keep my baby safe and healthy in the womb. So embraced the new challenge and realized something was absolutely better than nothing! 

My new BFF! 

Giving up my favorite hobbies

I knew once I got pregnant I would have to change my lifestyle a bit but after everything I've learned I quickly realized my life would have to be changing a lot sooner. I knew if I decided to go through with the treatment my physical fitness routines would be drastically changing. So in order to really prepare myself for the changes regardless of the route I went I decided I'd give myself a deadline. My deadline was a CrossFit competition here locally and after the competition I would start making changes.

I pushed myself really hard to perform well at the competition. I called it my last hurrah and I sure did make a great last performance. I ended up placing 2nd overall in the scaled division. This was the icing on the cake but I knew that also meant my time had come. I would be giving up CrossFit and soccer. And of course running and anything else that could be high intensity. I was pretty much going to be limited to walking, elliptical, yoga and some light bodyweight exercises. 

I know it sounds so trivial to give up exercise and some might be rejoicing to stop exercise but for me it was a rough thought to overcome. As many people know exercise is a part of me. It's my de-stresser. It's my favorite hobby. It's been a big part of my life for the last few years. It's brought new opportunities and friends. I have a full set up of CrossFit equipment in my garage for gosh sake. I knew this was going to be a rough change but I also knew it would all be worth it in the end!

I wanted a family more than I wanted or needed CrossFit, soccer, running, or whatever I wasn't able to do. I would just find a way to love walking and yoga instead. I decided to look at this new adventure in a positive way. 

Who I am?

I'm from the grand city of Cincinnati and I'm proud of it. I love this city and don't plan on leaving anytime soon! I married my best friend in July 2014 after dating for over 8 years! We had a wedding with 250+ of our closest friends and family and began our journey as husband and wife on our honeymoon.

I personally have feel in love with health and fitness since college. I've adapted to the paleo lifestyle of eating and following CrossFit style workouts for quite some time. Both of these items have made a huge impact on my life and I thank the universe for bringing them into my life. It's changed how I go about my life, created friendships I would never have had before, and given me a rather expensive hobby! Most of my friends know I love CrossFit a lot but I try not to be one of those people who ONLY talk about CrossFit and nothing else. I do have a lot more to me than that!

I work for a large retail chain and love my job. I enjoy being involved in my community and am involved in several organizations around the city giving back to the community. I love to cook and I'm a terrible baker from scratch but I'm getting better! I enjoy doing projects around the house and watching a good movie time to time. I enjoy traveling to new places and have a goal to travel to all 50 US states. 

That's me in a nut shell!